Journey of a Lifetime

Past:
"You should stay on the ship." Father argued as I followed him across the deck.
"I'll stay with you, I promise." I begged before turning to Uncle Liam. "Please, Uncle Liam. Tell Father I can come."
With a chuckle, he answered, "Killian, let the child come. She's no safer anywhere else than with us."
"Alright, but no wandering off. You must stay with us." Father replied, giving me a stern look. I grinned, clasping my hands together in excitement.
"I promise, Father." Uncle Liam helped me down into the rowboat. The new land was beautiful and vibrant. Something made me feel as though I wanted to stay forever.
"What exactly does the King have to find on this island?" Father asked. I climbed out of the boat and followed him across the sandy shore line. I had my curiosity too. This seemed like a strange place for the King to send us.
Uncle Liam opened the small envelope, taking out the piece of parchment with a drawing of some sort of plant on it. Why a plant? This continued to baffle me. This was supposed to be a mission of upmost importance.
"A plant?" Father asked, mirroring my own thoughts, "We journeyed across the realms for a plant?"
"Our sources say it's magical. Potent enough to heal any injury." Magical! Now that is something to be excited about. No one would ever have to die again.
"So we never have to bury another solider at sea again?"
"Now you understand the importance of our mission." Uncle Liam started.
"Are you three lost?" A voice came from behind us. Both my father and Uncle Liam drew their swords. Father shoved me behind him, looking around for an ambush. "You look lost."
A boy?
"Identify yourself, boy." Uncle Liam demanded.
"I'm Peter Pan. I live here. Who are you?" He asked. I leaned around my father to get a better look at him. He couldn't be much older than me.
"Captain Jones, and my leftinent." Uncle Liam slipped his sword back into the sheath and my father warily followed suit. He continued to glance around. "We're here by order of the King."
"The King, huh? We don't have any kings here. Just me." Peter said. No kings? Was he in charge? He's just a boy. How could he be in charge?
"That's funny. We seek this plant. Now tell us boy, where can we find it?" Uncle Liam approached him, holding up the parchment.
I watched Peter curiously. I had never met anyone my age that wasn't extremely prim and proper. He sparked my interest. I wondered what it was like to be like him.
"Your king sent you for this plant?" Peter took the parchment, looking at it closely.
"You know it?" Uncle Liam asked.
"Dream shade. It's the deadliest plant on the island. Your king is really ruthless." Peter replied. I tensed up. No. That's not what we were told. I looked to Uncle Liam for answers.
"Nonsense." Uncle Liam snapped.
"It's medicine." Father spoke up.
"It's doom. Why fight a messy battle when you can kill a whole army with the sap of one plant?" Peter explained.
Father took a step back with Uncle Liam. I could still hear when he asked, "Is it possible the King would turn poison upon our enemies?" It struck a fear into my being.
"Don't be so gullible. This boy is playing games with us. And I'm quickly tiring of them." Uncle Liam snatched the parchment away. "Come, we should keep moving."
Father hesitated but began to follow after him. I stayed where I was, still watching Peter.
"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Pater said, his eyes moving from them to me. A smiled slipped onto his face. "I don't believe I caught your name."
"Lucy!" Father called out. I turned to look at him.
"Coming!" I replied. When I turned back, Peter had disappeared. Odd. I hadn't heard any footsteps. I jogged to catch up to where they were waiting for me.
"I told you not to wander off."
"I'm sorry, Father. I didn't mean to." I had let my idle curiosity with Peter distract me. I glanced back one last time at the spot he had previously been in.
"I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." Father embraced me, resting his chin on my head for a moment before we continued on in search of this plant.
We spent the remainder of the day searching for it. No one spoke about what Peter had said. We made a camp in the middle of the forest in a small clearing. Everyone seemed to be asleep but me. I stared at the fire. What if the King had lied? What if it was poison? What reason did Peter have to lie to us?
Music drew me out of my thoughts. In the middle of the woods? How bizarre this island was. I contemplated what to do. Should I go investigate?
"I can have you back before they wake up." Peter said, leaning casually against a tree.
"I can't." I didn't know this boy. It didn't matter how bad I wanted to go.
"Where's your sense of adventure, Lucy?"
"I came all the way here, to another realm."
"To sit at a camp?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I bit my lip. He was right. He held out his hand. "Break the rules. Rebel a little."
Without a second thought, I took his hand. I was growing tired of always being the good girl. Even if this was only for one night, I was doing what I wanted. I never understood, at least not now, why I had never done this before.