A Little Dust

The thing Thumbelina loved most of all was skimming her toes over the water as her wings fluttered, leaving behind a trail of fairy dust. It tickled her feet and she would giggle in delight. Most called her reckless. And they were right.

For the fairies were disappearing one by one, snatched up in jars and never seen again. If a fairy flew in the daylight, they were easily spotted skipping about through the fields and lakes. Those pesky mermaids usually shouted their presence if they strayed too far into the lagoon and they even tried to catch them.

And at night, the fairies left behind a glow of glittering dust, always leading their captors right to the flower buds they curled up in, or the hollow of a tree, or the cap of a mushroom. No time was safe for a fairy but Thumbelina would dare her chances and go skimming over the water just as the dawn approached and the flowers opened their petals to the sunlight.

Thumbelina and all the other fairies were no bigger than a man’s thumb, making the island all the more vast and mysterious. She wanted to explore every corner, every crevice, every tree, but even she didn’t dare to go so far from the safety of their field. If Thumbelina was ever spotted out in the island, she would be all alone. After the young son of the king and queen of the fairies was stolen away one evening, they ordered a decree that no fairy was to ever lead a man to their field. Their elder son never quite forgave himself for the loss of his brother.

And so, she remained close by, sometimes treading a tiny bit further.

And one day, she found that she wasn’t always alone on her escapades. The first time she’d caught of glimpse of Prince Rowan following just behind her as she skipped across the pebbles, her wings nearly gave out and she almost plummeted to the water. He’d caught her by the arm to keep her from either drowning or being snatched by a mermaid’s hands.

This brought a sour note to her escapades. The fairies had lost one prince and if they lost another well…

Thumbelina would be torn asunder for she couldn’t help but be in love with him. Even though he had harmlessly teased her since they were children. Even though she knew there were many more fairies lovelier than herself that he could choose. Even though he became distant when his brother was taken.

Even if she hadn’t had a moment with him since that fateful night, her heart still gave a flutter at the touch of his skin on hers. But then he had to ruin it by dragging her back to the flowers.

That didn’t stop her, of course, and she slipped away the following morning. Rowan slipped away as well, keeping his distance but never out of sight. She sometimes wondered if he revealed her daily capering to the king and queen but nothing was ever done to stop her.

“You’re going to end up in a jar one day,” Rowan reminded her, darting in front of her and flying backwards. His hair was the orange of a lily’s stamen and his face freckled like there was pollen forever dotting his cheeks.

“And you’re going to get in trouble with the king and queen for being out of your flower before sunrise,” Thumbelina quipped back, not slowing down. She flew a little higher so that her feet wouldn’t drag in the water and alert the mermaids to their presence.

But it was too late. Just as the prince was about to return some other retort, a pair of hands rose from the waves. Thumbelina barreled into him, knocking him just out of reach. The two fairies nearly careened into the water, but the prince righted himself and rose higher, pulling Thumbelina into his arms. A drop of salt spray threatened to douse them as the mermaid leapt from the water, trying to catch them.

Rowan held Thumbelina tighter, zagging away from the mermaid and back to the shore of the island. His landing in the grass was nothing short of a crash and they toppled to the ground. Thumbelina came to a stop atop the prince.

A tiny petal fluttered from the flower band crowning her head, her thick hair draped over her shoulders. Rowan brushed away a strand of her yellow hair and stared up at her.

“Good thing I came along,” he remarked. “Or you’d be in the hand of a mermaid.”

Thumbelina rolled her eyes and moved off of him. “I saved you.”

“You nearly knocked us both into the water,” the prince said as he sat up. He leaned back on his arms while Thumbelina fixed her dress.

Her next words were lost when a lantern dropped around her. Rowan leapt to his feet and banged his fists on the glass, his screams muted. Distracted by her imprisonment, he didn’t see the hand before it snatched him. He was dropped into another lantern, the lid snapped shut.

Thumbelina’s own prison was lifted and the lid secured as she toppled around. An old man brought the lantern close to his face so that she could see every deep crease and every whiskery hair.

“Gotcha.”

***

The two lanterns were shoved into sacks and Thumbelina jostled around her prison with each thunderous step of her captor. Bruises darkened her knees and elbows, her ankle catching on the metal along the corner.

The swish of grass soon turned to the crunch of sand, which then turned to the creak of wood and the sack was set down. The lantern was lifted out and placed onto a table in a dark lit room. The prince was set next to her and he looked just as disheveled as she was.

Several faces looked at the fairies, paying special attention to Rowan. The tiny gold circlet gave him away in an instant and she wondered if it was pride or ignorance that made him refuse to part with it, even on their dangerous early morning flights.

“Tell the Captain,” the old man ordered. He lingered behind a moment while the rest of the men filed from the room. His eyes looked tired and worn as he stared at the two fairies. A slow exhale escaped his mouth, rustling the whiskers of his beard. “Soon,” he muttered to himself then left the room.

Thumbelina pressed against the glass, looking over the prince. He had a knot on his forehead and tiny cuts along his palms, but otherwise looked no worse than she was.

After confirming that he wasn’t broken, she tore a strip from her dress and tied it around her ankle. Tiny streaks of red lined the bottom of the lantern, smeared around by her dress. The prince took notice and he nearly slammed into the glass.

“You’re hurt,” he had to shout to be heard.

“No more than you,” she shouted back.

She fluttered to the top of the lantern and tried at the lid. It wouldn’t give and she had no way of unlatching it from the inside.

“This is why we don’t go galivanting around the island,” Rowan said as he looked for his own escape.

“You didn’t have to follow me,” Thumbelina shouted through gritted teeth. She squeezed her arms around the screw, trying to twist it loose. “It’s clearly you they want, seeing as how you are the prince of fairies.”

“But they captured both of us, didn’t they?”

Thumbelina’s grip slackened a bit, her heart hammering hard as if to punish her for her foolishness. She should have realized her longing for adventure could never outweigh the safety of the prince. With more resolve, she pressed her feet firmly against the glass, despite the pain.  With slow steps, the screw began to budge. Her wings fluttered, filling the lantern with dust. Finally, the screw clattered to the bottom. She pushed the cap off and began pulling herself out. Until her hips reached the rim and she couldn’t quite fit.

With a huff, she slouched forward, trying to wriggle through. Heat rushed to her cheeks, knowing that the prince watched her.

“I don’t think you’re going to fit,” he remarked.

Thumbelina collapsed against the top of the lantern, her legs dangling and wings fluttering uselessly. “Got any better ideas?”

“This is precisely why everyone calls you reckless,” Rowan said, searching his own lantern. The cap was sealed shut and didn’t budge one bit.

“If you really think so, then why go along with me?” Thumbelina snapped.

“Because I was worried you’d end up in this exact predicament!” he yelled.

Thumbelina stilled and looked at the prince. He avoided her eyes, arms crossed over his chest like he was pouting.

“You were worried?” she asked.

“After my brother was taken, I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you too.” Her cheeks turned a brighter shade of red. “And even though I knew the risk, I wanted to spend those mornings alone with you but . . . you never seemed to want the same.”

“Because you were taking that risk. What does it matter if I’m snatched away? You’re the prince.”

“It matters to me.”

She dropped her eyes. They had once been so close but the loss of the younger prince had wretched them apart. Thumbelina remained daring and careless while Rowan learned fear and caution. Her own trepidation about the prince following her had blinded her to the fact that Rowan was trying to return to the way things were before. What she thought was him spying on her was in fact a desperate endeavor to get her attention.

“And even though you wouldn’t laugh as much when you knew I was around, I still wanted you to know that I was. I hoped that at least once you’d be happy to see me. Or even sing for me like you sang for that frog.”

Thumbelina’s stomach did a leap. She thought she’d been alone when she was singing. It was painfully embarrassing for her to do it in front of anyone, let alone the prince. Especially after another fairy had put her singing to shame with her voice that sounded like the delicate tinkling of bells. And even though that fairy had vanished several weeks ago, Thumbelina still didn’t dare to sing in front of an audience.

“I wasn’t singing for the frog. He caught me singing and decided I’d make for a pretty wife.”

Rowan sucked in his lips, fighting back a laugh.

Thumbelina continued trying to wriggle her way through with more fervency. “I’m going to get us out of here. And if I promise not to go venturing out anymore, will you do the same?”

Rowan lowered his eyes. “Without you there with me, I have no reason to.”

“Rowan,” Thumbelina began but said nothing more, for a hook slammed against the wood and dragged, cutting a line into the table. Thumbelina froze, her heart nearly beating out of her chest.

A tall man glowered down at her. He wore a faded coat with loose seams and missing buttons. The sleeves were too short, showing off how his arm suddenly ended in the metal hooked appendage.

He picked up the lantern cap and inspected the thing that had inadequately confined the fairy. “A little escape artist, aren’t you?” he asked.

A tiny clink drew his attention to the other lantern. Rowan tapped his needle thin sword against the glass.

The man drew a smile across his hairy face. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about you, little prince. You’re the one we need.”

Thumbelina sneered at being disregarded so quickly. “If he’s the one you need, then there’s no reason to keep me then,” she bargained.

“Oh no, my dear,” he said with the shake of his head. “I need all of you fairies. You see, I need my ship to fly. And that requires a lot more fairy dust that either you or your little prince can provide.” He moved his hook around the back of her neck. “But, I can’t have you escaping.”

Thumbelina screamed as her wings were torn from her back. He handled them delicately, wrapping them into a satin cloth and tucking them into his coat. Frantic clangs came from the other lantern.

“You can have them back when my ship is ready to fly.” He pressed his thumb on the top of her head and pushed her back into the lantern.

Her head slammed against the bottom, her lungs struggling as the wind was knocked from her. Without her wings, there was no need to replace the cap.

“Mr. Smee, I expect routine check-ins on our little guests to make sure the prince doesn’t get the same idea.”

“Ay, Captain,” the old man said.

Once more, the fairies were left alone. Thumbelina lay there for a long time, unable to shout back to Rowan who frantically called out her name. She thought of the younger prince, how the king and queen were distraught by his capture. How the fairies had never been the same since. Losing Rowan was a blow she couldn’t even bring herself to imagine. She had gotten him into this. She had to be the one to get him out of it. Even if it meant her own life in exchange.

She noticed a gentle sway to the floor beneath her and could barely make out the sound of water and a planned formed in her head.

Slowly, she sat up. A ceaseless ringing deafened the sound of Rowan’s voice. Her ankle objected to her movements but she walked to the pane nearest the edge of the table. Peering over, she figured she was close enough to give it a go. Backing away to the other side, she readied herself before charging and slamming her shoulder into the glass. The lantern jerked forward a tiny bit.

“Thumbelina, stop!” Rowan yelled. “The fall will kill you.”

She ignored him, moving her lantern inch by inch. Eventually, it teetered on the edge. Just before the final run, she looked at the prince.

“I’ll come back for you.”

“Don’t!” he tried one last time, but she charged and sent the lantern careening to the floor.

Thumbelina braced herself against the metal rim for the impact. The glass shattered across the floor and blood pooled in her mouth from biting her tongue. She scrambled to her feet and scurried beneath the table as footsteps shook the floorboards. The door flung open and shouts raised across the ship. She wriggled through the first crack she could find and plummeted into the cold water below.

***

Thumbelina shivered as she waited for the dark of night. She found refuge in the petals of a water lily but her soaked dress refused to dry and it clung to her salt covered skin.

Fear gripped her entire body with each bellowing shout and each splash of the water. Sometimes, her lily pad rocked as a body waded too close and she would hold her breath even though it made no difference. Eventually, the search seemed to have abandoned the water and moved to land and Thumbelina emerged.

She could barely see the light from the crow’s nest of the ship through the reeds. A black flag flapped in the wind, the empty eyes of the skull watching over the island. Snapping one of the reeds, Thumbelina rowed her lily pad closer to the shore and climbed onto solid ground.

Lights dotted the forest and she climbed the stalk of a mushroom. Pushing and tearing her way through it’s gills, she pulled herself into the cap. She stripped off her wet dress, bundled it under her head, and closed her eyes.

She had two options. Well, three actually but that third one meant she never got her wings or the prince back and she refused to even consider it. Her other options were to return to the fairies, telling the king and queen that their son had been captured by that horrid captain, but that would just give the man exactly what he wanted. And so, she really only had one option.

Find the boy called Peter.

***

Thumbelina woke early and put her dress back on. Patches were still too wet and where it had dried, it was stiff and itchy. Before sliding from her refuge, she broke off a few pieces from the mushroom, stuffing them into her pockets. She munched on a piece as she ventured through the grass.

Birds fluttered overhead, searching for their own early morning meal. If Thumbelina ever hoped of making it anywhere on the island, she needed wings. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she called to the birds.

A young swallow heard her call and swooped down to her. It cocked its head as it looked over the wingless fairy.

“Where are you wings?” he asked.

“A pirate took them,” Thumbelina explained. “He also took the prince and I need to get help. Do you know where I can find a boy named Peter?”

The swallow shook his head. “No one knows where he lives, but I can take you to a place he usually goes.”

“Please,” Thumbelina exclaimed. “The fairies will be forever in your debt for your help.”

The swallow bowed, allowing Thumbelina to climb onto his back. She held on tight to his feathers and a rush of wind hit her as the swallow flapped his wings and lifted them high in the sky.

She munched on another piece of mushroom as her eyes roved over the island below. Never had she seen so much of it and there were new things in every direction. Ahead of them, the land rose high to meet the clouds. To her left, a rock sat among the waves of the sea, shaped eerily like the skull on the pirates’ flag. There were many strange trees and animals, which she only caught glimpses of before the swallow flew into the canopy of the forest.

Thumbelina suddenly cupped her ears, wincing at the sound of a high-pitched whine. Something slammed into the swallow’s body and Thumbelina heard bones shatter. The bird went slack and plummeted to the ground. She held on tight, trying to keep the body from spiraling and crushing her underneath it.

She squeezed her legs as the impact came.

“Mr. Swallow?” she asked, but the bird was silent and still.

The ground beneath her shook violently and she hid beneath the dead bird. Two boys loomed over, identical in face and matched in the orange furred foxes draped around their shoulders. They looked nothing like the pirates who wore properly stitched, albeit worn out, clothing. These boys wore things handmade by taking what they could from the land. It wasn’t much different from the leaf-sewn and feather-lined clothes of the fairies.

She poked her head from beneath the bird as the boys argued.

“It was my rock,” one yelled, “So it’s my bird.”

“Fine, it’s too small to feed anyone anyway,” the other teased.

This made the first boy go red in the face. “You’re the one that killed such a small thing. I’m going to get something big enough to feed the whole tree!”

“Pardon me,” Thumbelina shouted to get their attention.

The boys looked at the bird who’d supposedly spoken to them. They knelt as Thumbelina climbed atop the bird’s back.

“I’m looking for a boy named Peter. Are either of you him?”

They exchanged a glance. “And what are you?”

“You dummy, she’s a fairy!”

“Dummy, fairies have wings.”

Thumbelina crossed her arms as they argued. “My wings were stolen,” she finally shouted. “Along with the fairy prince. That’s why I’m looking for Peter.”

“Wait,” the first boy said, leaning closer to Thumbelina. Dirt clung to his face, like he hadn’t washed himself in ages. “Who took your wings?”

“A pirate,” she answered.

The other boy leaned even closer and was even filthier than the other. “Did this pirate have a hook for a hand?”

“Yes. I hear that Peter is the only one who can best this pirate.”

The first boy suddenly snatched Thumbelina into his hand and she fell to her knees. The other boy stuffed the dead swallow into his jacket. The boy’s other hand closed over her and she tumbled around as they began running through the forest. Their shouts nearly deafened her.

“Peter! Peter! We found a fairy!” they both rang out, like it was a nursery rhyme. “A fairy without wings looking for Peter!”

“A little gentler, please!” Thumbelina shouted desperately, but they couldn’t hear her over their own voices.

The boy carrying her slammed down and went careening downwards, flinging Thumbelina violently. Finally, he came to a stop and opened his hands.

She rubbed her head as she stood, holding the boy’s finger to steady herself. They were in a dark room lit only by lanterns. It seemed as if the walls were made of wood and a stump of a tree sat in the center. The boy practically dropped her onto the stump.

“Peter, Peter!” the boys continued to shout, now marching around the room, kicking up animal furs and scattered bones.

Thumbelina pressed her hands over her ears. “Not so loud,” she begged, but the boys, if they could even hear her, ignored her. They shouted and paraded until more boys began to slide into the room one by one. They varied in height and appearance, but they were all boys and they were all as dirty as the identical boys. Finally, a boy, just a hair’s breadth taller than the rest slid into the room and the shouting finally quieted.

The boy wore a green cap over his auburn hair and stood with his fists on his hips. “You keep on shouting like that and you’ll lure every pirate to our tree,” he scolded.

The boys, unfazed by the chastisement, both pointed at Thumbelina.

“We found a fairy,” one began.

“Without her wings,” the other finished.

“Captain Hook stole them.”

“And she wants your help to save the prince of fairies.”

The boy, who Thumbelina finally realized to be Peter, raised his brows, piqued by the story. He walked to the tree stump where she stood and knelt down. He looked so very young that Thumbelina questioned if the stories were true. Surely such a boy wasn’t responsible for the hook now resting on that pirate’s arm.

Peter tapped Thumbelina with a finger, nearly pushing her over, as if confirming that she was indeed alive. “The prince of fairies, huh? How did Hook manage to catch such a prize?”

“The pirates are always catching fairies,” Thumbelina said. She didn’t want to admit that it was her recklessness that was the cause of the prince’s capture.

Every boy in the room raised their voice, their words muddled together so Thumbelina couldn’t understand what they said. Peter shushed them.

“Those nasty pirates are always causing trouble on my island. And why did you think to come to me?”

“Everyone on the island knows that the captain of the pirates is afraid of the boy named Peter,” she explained.

Peter’s eyes alighted. “That’s right, he is!” he shouted, drawing his dagger and raising it to the sky. Again, Thumbelina frowned. Such a small weapon for such a large adversary seemed impossible. And then, it all made sense.

In his excitement, Peter rose from the ground and flew about the room, fighting an imaginary pirate with his dagger.

Peter could fly.

***

Three days passed and no one seemed in a hurry to go after the pirates. Thumbelina was given a tiny notch in the tree to sleep in and she filled it with petals and soft leaves to emulate her flower back in the field.

“I found you some wings!” one of the younger boys shouted, throwing down a pair of butterfly wings before Thumbelina. She recoiled from the crumpled wings, torn from the rough handling. The boy waited for her to take them.

With a deep breath, she pushed the wings away. “I need my wings,” she explained. “These won’t work. None will. So please, don’t go stealing anymore wings.”

The boy snatched the wings and put them back into his pocket. He glared at Thumbelina for her ungratefulness and stomped away.

Peter lounged on a pile of furs, playing a tune on his flute.

“How much longer must we wait?” she asked, growing impatient by his lack of urgency. Every day that the prince was missing would bring worry to the fairies and more risk of the pirates finding their field.

Peter ignored her, starting his song over.

“Peter!”

He stopped and frowned at her. “I’m not in the mood to play with the pirates today.”

“I’m not asking you to play with them. I came for help in saving the prince.”

Peter sat up with a great sigh and scratched his stomach. He yawned, he stretched, he did everything but get up.

“If you save the fairy prince, the fairies will be forever in your debt,” she bargained.

“Oh fine,” Peter relented and stood. He suddenly flew from the tree without taking any of the boys with him.

“Wait!” Thumbelina shouted, but he was gone, leaving her among the other boys who were somehow more rampant and wild than him.

When a rare moment of calm settled in the tree, Thumbelina climbed atop the stump in the center where the identical boys leaned on either side of it.

“How does Peter fly?” she asked.

The boys turned to her. Their hands and mouths were sticky with honey coated apples which they smeared across their pants, adding to the stains.

“Fairy dust, of course,” one answered.

“Does that mean Peter captures fairies too?”

They both shook their heads. The other boy licked a finger and said, “Peter is a friend of the fairies. They help him fly.”

Thumbelina chewed her lip. She’d never heard of a fairy helping anyone to fly. It was always said that a fairy was caught and fairy dust shaken out of them.

“Can you fly?”

One nodded, the other shook his head. The one who nodded stuck his pinky his ear and scratched. “When Peter wants to play with the pirates, he lets us fly.”

“And the fairies give you fairy dust as well?”

“Peter shares it.”

The sound of rambunctious play caught their attention and the boys leapt to their feet and darted out of the tree before she could ask any more questions. She’d come to learn that it was difficult to keep any of the boys’ attentions for longer than a few moments.

Hours passed before Peter returned. He slid into the tree, crowing loudly to summon the boys. Thumbelina had to hold her ears but poked her head from her hollow nonetheless. She looked for any sign that he’d freed the prince. But instead of the fairy, Peter brought with him a wide-eyed girl.

***

“We’re going to go play with the mermaids!” Peter exclaimed, causing a ruckus from the boys.

“Mermaids?” the girl named Wendy asked, her eyes alight with wonder. She clasped her hands over her chest, as if in prayer to Peter.

Peter ate it up. He stuck his hand into the pouch at his waist and a glittering dust fell from his fingers. He sprinkled it over her head, as well as on the boys. One by one, they floated into the air.

“What about the pirates?” Thumbelina asked, getting tired of reminding Peter that he was supposed to help her. But once again, her voice couldn’t be heard over the whoops and hollering. And one by one, the boys flew from the tree, following behind Peter who took the hand of Wendy and whisked her away.

Thumbelina sunk down, crossing her arms across her chest. Worry ate away at her. She knew nothing of Rowan and what the pirates were doing to him. She didn’t even know how many more fairies had been captured. If Peter continued to refuse to help her, she would have to try a different option.

***

In the days since Thumbelina had gone, not much changed for the fairy prince. He remained in his lantern cell, fed pieces of food dropped in through the cracked lid by the old man he’d come to know was named Smee, affectionately called Mr. Smee by the Captain. Rowan ate the stale bread, the sour plums, the squishy apples. He quickly learned that this wasn’t prisoner’s food. It was what everyone on the ship ate.

He asked many questions which were unanswered. Had they found Thumbelina? Did they know where the other fairies were? Were they using him as ransom?

Mr. Smee took to eating with the prince, as it seemed that the old man was growing more and more tired. Each time he stood, more bones creaked and it took him a little longer to shuffle to the door.

“Why does the Captain want the ship to fly?” Rowan finally asked.

Mr. Smee looked up from his plate of stew. Only vegetables floated in the bowl and Rowan had never seen meat on any of the plates. For his meal, Mr. Smee had nearly dumped some of the stew into the lantern before coming to his senses and instead slipped in a carrot and a few peas.

Rowan sat with a pea between his arms, chomping through it.

“Because we want to go home,” the old man admitted.

Rowan frowned and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Why do you need to fly to get home? You have a ship.”

A hook rested on Mr. Smee’s shoulder. “Because that is how we came to be on the island.” The Captain looked at Rowan with much of the same expression as the old man: exhaustion. “This island is not our home,” he explained.

“So you used the fairies to get here and now you want to go back? Seems like you deserve to stay.”

“Oh no, it wasn’t the fairies that brought us,” Hook said, taking a seat. He removed his extravagant hat, revealing the balding of his hair. “It was a boy who promised us a dream that never came true.”

Rowan scooted closer to the glass and bit another mouthful of his pea.

“We come from another land, far away from here that can only be reached by flight. Each of us came from different places, different circumstances, yet we were all considered lost boys. My father was taken by an evil creature that lured men into the sea, leaving my mother and I to fend for ourselves in that harsh world. I had to become an apprentice for a bitter old drunk of a shipbuilder. And that’s when I met a boy who could fly.

“He told me wild tales of an island filled with fairies and mermaids and endless games. I would never grow up and I would never have to work again. How could I not follow him? He had a sack of glittering dust which he sprinkled over me and I could fly side by side with him. I lived many days on this island, playing and never having a care in the world. Peter would bring new boys and we would fight the pirates and swim with mermaids and catch the fairies.”

Rowan squeezed the pea, spilling juices over his clothing.

“Peter always kept the fairies to himself. He would only let us fly if it suited his needs. One day, a boy tried to steal the fairy dust. He wanted to go home and see his father and mother again. Peter shot him from the sky with an arrow. That was the day I realized I missed my mother. That was also the day I began to grow up. When my head hit the roof of our little home, Peter cast me out to the pirates, relegating me to the other side of his play matches. I did eventually sneak back. I wanted to get the fairy dust for myself and fly home. I didn’t want to be Peter’s villain. He cut clean through my wrist before I could escape with the satchel.”

He raised the hook to the glow of the candlelight. It gleamed, the only well-kept thing about him. The tip of it was sharpened to a deadly point, ready for its revenge.

“And what happens when you go home?” Rowan asked.

Hook let out a long sigh and pat Mr. Smee on the shoulder with his hand. “I hope to find my mother alive. Mr. Smee will look for his sister. We just want to see our families again.”

“If the fairies help you, what then?”

“Then you are free as well,” Hook said. “No longer will you live in fear of Peter or his lost boys snatching you up in jars, stealing you away for your fairy dust. The other world is big, much bigger than this little island. The fairies can go anywhere and never see another man again.”

Rowan narrowed his eyes. “The pirates are the ones catching the fairies. Peter rescues them.”

Hook shook his head. “I haven’t caught a fairy since I was a lost boy myself. You and the other are the first we’ve caught.”

“But you’re pirates. You are the villains.”

“By who’s word?”

“The birds and the animals and the bugs. They all say to watch out for the pirates.”

“Because Peter is king of the island,” Hook said wearily. “You may be prince of the fairies, but the island is Peter’s and Peter’s alone. Who tries to catch you when you venture into the lagoon? The very same mermaids that swim with Peter.”

Rowan’ fingers sunk through the soft flesh of the pea.

“A king never lets himself be called the villain in his domain,” Hook said.

“If we help you, you vow to set the fairies free?” Rowan asked.

Hook nodded. “I have no more strength to fly like Peter does. I am becoming an old man. My whole crew is. We’re weary of magic and are glad to never see it again once we return home.”

Rowan stood, wiping his hands on his shirt. “If you want help, you’ll need to let me go.”

Hook’s lips lifted in a crooked smile. “Clever little prince, I know your games. I open this lid and you fly back home.”

“You’re right, but I will also return with every fairy on the island. So long as you keep to your vow, we will get you home and we will be free to roam the land as we wish.”

Hook leaned closer, eyeing the fairy for any tricks or lies. “I will not release you, but you may guide my men to the fairies.”

Rowan shook his head. “No, the fairies will come of their own free will.”

“I’m not a fool,” Hook argued.

“You don’t understand,” Rowan began. “Thumbelina escaped. She would go to the only person on the island that you fear. Any moment now, Peter will come for me. Would you rather let me gather the fairies on my own or let Peter come and take me for himself?”

“How can I trust that you will keep your word?”

“You have something I want. In exchange for the fairies, you return Thumbelina’s wings. You can not leave the island until she and I return. My parents won’t allow you to leave me behind.”

Hook looked to Mr. Smee. The old man was fading more and more each day. He didn’t have much time left. With a heavy sigh, Hook unlatched the lantern and Rowan raced away.

***

Thumbelina was once again left alone in the hollow tree, forgotten by the children who had a new plaything. Time was running shorter and shorter and Thumbelina was growing weary of waiting. But there was nothing she could do. There was only one way out of the tree and that was the same way one came in. And Thumbelina couldn’t reach it.

She kicked a broken stick that had been used in one of the many fights the boys had had. Her stomach knitted in worry for Rowan.

During her days of waiting, she had mulled over his words, considering their every meaning, until she could no longer deny that he was as much in love with her as she was with him. In any other circumstance, she would be joyous but it only left her racked with guilt.

She was much too reckless. But she wasn’t giving up yet.

There was a crack in the floor that had caught her eye more than once and with the tree empty, she slipped through and went tumbling down.

She sat up with a groan, rubbing her back. Blinking until her eyes adjusted to the dark, she looked over the room and gasped. She kicked away the body that lay sprawled at her feet and she scrambled against the wall. A scream was trapped in her throat, her breath coming fast and panicked.

Bodies lay scattered all over the small nook, wings crushed and flattened, limbs contorted in grotesque angles, blood staining faces and torsos. Among them, the fairy with the voice like a bell would never utter a sound again.

A squeak startled Thumbelina and she caught the flick of a tail as it disappeared down a tunnel. She made to follow, but the sound of the boys returning made her scramble back through the crack.

Thumbelina climbed back into the main room just as Wendy slid into the room. She was completely drenched and shivering and Thumbelina realized that the dress Wendy wore was not suitable for any of Peter’s adventures. It was thin and certainly no good soaking wet.

Peter appeared after her. “They were only playing,” he said in the boyish voice in which there was only one answer for everything: playing.

“They nearly drowned me!” Wendy shouted. Tears streaked down her cheeks which she wiped away with the heel of her palm.

Peter moved in front of her but she ducked around him. Anger flashed across his face and Thumbelina hid beneath a fur. She was knocked to the ground when Peter stomped his foot.

“Maybe you’ll like playing with the pirates then,” he said.

Thumbelina’s heart leapt. Now Peter was ready to rescue the prince but she now knew that he would end up another body that Peter collected. As whoops and hollers raised in the tree and Peter distributed their wide array of weapons for their raid on the pirates, Thumbelina slipped back through the crack.

She went to the tunnel and poked her head through. “Hello? Please, can you help me get outside?”

A few minutes passed before the mouse returned. She sniffed Thumbelina then nudged her into the tunnel.

“Thank you,” Thumbelina said. “I have to hurry, the fairy prince is in danger.”

The mouse squeaked and said, “Don’t worry about the fairy prince. Mr. Mole will take very good care of you.”

Thumbelina stopped and the mouse nearly pushed her to the ground. “Mr. Mole?”

“Oh yes, dear. I told him I finally found a fairy for him that wasn’t yet dead. And a pretty one at that. He asked me to fetch you. He doesn’t see so well, since he lives deep underground, but he’s always wanted a little fairy for a wife.”

Thumbelina stumbled as the mouse resumed pushing her forward. “Wait, I’m not staying with the mole!” She thought of the irony of it all. First a toad and now a mole. Rowan would surely never stop teasing her for this.

A deep, earthy smell filled the tunnel. The mouse perked her ears. “Over here, Mr. Mole! I found her.”

“I am not a trinket for the mole to keep!” Thumbelina shouted and took off running down the opposite tunnel of the smell. This was certainly the last time she would be asking for help. It seemed to only result in yet another prison. She followed the warmer paths, hoping for a hint of daylight. Behind her, the mole and the mouse pursued, shouting for her.

Finally, a ray of light appeared and she climbed back into the outside world. After days in the tree, she soaked up the sun and fresh air. But only for a moment, for Peter was nearby and raising hell for their raid on the pirates.

***

Coaxing the fairies to help the pirates took longer than Rowan wanted. Every moment spent trying to convince his father and mother to trust him was another moment that Thumbelina was in danger. But eventually, he managed to convince them with the promise of safety and freedom. Once that was dealt with, he flew with speed to find Thumbelina.

He shouted her name over and over again, his eyes scanning every which way, looking for her brilliant yellow hair. Many times, he swooped down to scoop up what he thought to be Thumbelina only to hold a flower or a bumble bee in his arms. He had to fly fast to escape the irritated bee.

He was getting deeper and deeper into the forest and further from the pirates. They would wait for him. They had to, for the king and queen wouldn’t lose another son. But every moment they were delayed, the greater the chance that Peter would learn of their plans and there was no way Peter would let the pirates and the fairies escape.

“Thumbelina!” he screamed.

“Down here!” came a reply.

She stood on the root of a tree, waving her arms. Rowan dove down and knocked into her so hard, they were thrown to the ground. But he didn’t let go as they rolled to a stop in the grass.

“You’re safe,” he said.

“How did you escape?” she asked at the same time.

Rowan shook his head. “There’s a lot to tell you. But the short answer is that the pirates only captured us so that they can leave the island. Hook and Mr. Smee, they just want to escape Peter.”

She paled. “Peter is going to the pirates now. I asked him for help in rescuing you.”

“We can’t trust Peter,” he began.

“I know, I found the missing fairies in his tree. I was trying to get to you first.”

In the distance, Peter crowed. The sky darkened as Peter and the boys took to the sky. Wendy was in the middle.

“Come, we have to go now.”

Rowan lifted Thumbelina into his arms and started racing to the pirates.

Her arms wrapped around him and she allowed herself a moment to smile at the familiar smell of him and the sensation of being in his arms. She tucked her head against his shoulder. “If every fairy leaves the island, then the other children will never escape,” she whispered.

Rowan sunk a little lower but didn’t slow. “But then he won’t bring any more to the island. Besides, they’ve lasted this long haven’t they?” He didn’t want to mention what happed to the boys who grew up on the island.

Thumbelina shook her head. “There’s a girl. Peter only brought her today. Rowan, she won’t survive his games for long. The mermaids nearly drowned her already.”

“Thumbelina, if we don’t escape now, I don’t think we ever will.”

“Please.”

Rowan sighed. “The ship should be ready soon. Maybe we can distract Peter and somehow get the girl to go on ahead.”

A boom sounded in the distance and the ground beneath them suddenly exploded in an eruption of dirt and wood and rocks. Rowan fought against the wind and rose higher. At the edge of the forest, Peter and the boys hovered while the pirates loaded more cannons. Peter taunted them, letting the pirates take aim and dodging at the last second. The boys cheered him on but Wendy hung back.

Rowan dropped on her shoulder, startling her.

“Wendy,” Thumbelina shouted over the whoops and explosions. “Do you want to go home?”

The girl looked around her. Another cannonball hit much closer to her and she covered her ears. The fairies did as well. A piece of wood sliced her leg and tears welled up in her eyes.

“I want my mom and dad,” she whispered.

Rowan leapt up, still carrying Thumbelina. “When Peter isn’t looking, fly straight for the pirate ship.”

“But they’re firing at us!”

“I promise they’ll take you home,” Thumbelina said.

Hands suddenly closed around Rowan and Thumbelina. One of the identical boys had spotted them and he called for Peter. They were dropped into a lantern and Peter brought it close to his eye.

“Ha, hah!” he shouted, flipping in delight. “I’ve got the fairy prince!”

Thumbelina and Rowan tumbled around, elbowing and kneeing each other. Finally, they found some steadiness when Peter hung the lantern to his belt. He flew high and pressed his fists to his hips.

“Look, Captain Hook! I win!”

Another cannon fired and he moved with barely a hair’s breadth to spare him. Thumbelina held onto Rowan to keep from flinging against the glass. Peter continued taunting but it wouldn’t be long before he noticed the fairies moving around the ship, dousing it in dust.

Thumbelina looked up at the screw. “Help me up.”

Rowan lifted her and she wrapped her arms around the screw. He did the same and they slowly unscrewed the cap.

“Once he’s over the water,” she instructed and he nodded. They watched Peter get nearer and nearer to the ship, waiting for the exact moment he’d cross the shore.

“Hey!” Peter yelled, finally seeing the fairies.

“Now!”

Thumbelina and Rowan gave a final twist and the lantern detached from the cap hooked at Peter’s belt. Rowan pulled Thumbelina tight against him as they plummeted to the water.

In that moment, Wendy knocked into Peter, stealing his sack of fairy dust and flying as fast as she could for the pirates. Peter screamed and threatened her but in his excitement of that day, he had forgotten to re-dust himself and he was sinking lower and lower.

The lantern hit the water and sunk as water flooded in. Thumbelina and Rowan wrestled with the lid but as they landed in the sand, the last bit of water filled the lantern.

It was lucky for the two fairies that a certain frog had seen the mass exodus of fairies and had heard Rowan calling out for Thumbelina. They were also lucky that despite the exhaustion after chasing the fairies all around the island, he still had the strength to leap into the water and pull the lantern to the surface and open the lid.

Rowan and Thumbelina climbed out, coughing for air.

“My pretty Thumbelina,” the frog crooned.

She smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. “Thank you, Mr. Frog.”

Rowan bowed then lifted Thumbelina once more and they flew for the pirate ship. Shimmering dust covered the deck and once the prince landed among the fairies, the sails were unfurled and the ship lifted into the sky.

Cheers erupted, pirates and fairies alike waving a final goodbye to the boy in the distance. Peter kicked at the water, hurling stones and globs of sand in their direction but there was not a fairy left to give him the magic of flight ever again.

Wendy poured out the sack of fairy dust and the ship rose higher towards the clouds. Mr. Smee hobbled to the bow and the wind whipped his tears back. Captain Hook took his place at the helm and Rowan carried Thumbelina to the wheel. She stood with arms crossed.

“I believe you have something of mine.”

“Of course, my dear.” He reached into his pocket and unfurled the silk cloth. He offered her the well-kept wings.

With her wings back, Thumbelina could finally allow her weary legs relief. She fluttered to Hook’s shoulder and sat.

“Where do we go now?”

“We follow the stars,” Hook explained. “And sail until morning.”

Rowan joined her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Can we explore this new world together?”

She smiled and entwined her fingers with his. “Without you, I’d have no reason to.”

A song broke out among the pirates and the fairies. Even Hook joined along the instruments with his tuneless voice and Wendy danced among the fairies. As the sun rose along the horizon, a land both new and familiar to those aboard the flying ship came into view.