Jillian and the others gaped the group, too stunned at first to speak.

"Don't you have anything to say?" the older girl asked, smirking slightly.

"Were the bombs really necessary?" Saprky asked. As some of the kids surrounding the older girl laughed at this, Jillian noticed that Sparky had flinched as if expecting someone to strike him. Not out of fear, but as something that occured everytime he said something rude or midly annoying.

And Jillian had a pretty good idea who caused it.

The other girl, obviously not noticing this, beckoned to the crew. "Well, are you going to sit there and stare all day? Come on."

Robinson quirked an eyebrow. "You're just going to let us in? After you tried to kill us?"

The girl laughed in a condescending way. "We had to make sure you weren't adults. You are all nearly my age but you have darling children with you, so you're automatically allowed in." She smiled at Goose and Al, who didn't really smile back.

Sparky opened his mouth. "But Boulder isn't a-."

"Shut up," Rosie muttered, nudging him gently. Saprky instantly fell quiet.

The girl smiled again. "Come on, let's go in where its safe and I'll get you all some food and a nice place to sleep. How does that sound?"

Jillian nodded, pleased this was going so well. "Thank you." She pulled herself to her feet, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her injured knee. "We traveled so far and we really appreciate-."

"Children, why don't you follow me first," the girl said. She held out her hands to Al and Goose, who decided they had no choice but to take them. "And that other boy too."

Smalls glowered at her. "I'm not holding anyone's hand."

With that, the pirates followed the strangely maternal girl into the encampment. The pirates fell into step beside Jillian.

"How's your leg?" Robinson questions, his face clouded with worry.

"Its fine," Jillian said absently. "Just a scratch." Now that they were inside the encampment, she got a good look at the area. The tents and huts were bigger than she had initially thought and were made out of what appeared to be woven grass, wood, and stone.

There were about a hundred kids of all ages scattered around. A few looked at the newcomers with innocent curiosity while others glowered in distaste. They wore threadbare clothes, but appeared clean and healthy.

The leader stopped in the center and turned around to face them. "I'm Gretel," she said, tossing back a stray curl. "I welcome you to my sanctuary. A place for youth to be away from the hardships of the world and cruelty of adults."

Boulder coughed nervously and shuffled his feet.

"It is my mission to make sure all kids are safe, as why this place was created."

Robinson rasied his hand. "Didn't the Pied Piper force you and everyone else here against thier will to leave their town and come here?"

There was a long silence. The question seemed innocent enough, but he hard look he was giving the girl was watching to see how she'd react.

Gretel tried to cover up her surprise. "How did you-? Well, yes, that was the inital intent. We were given the opportunity to return home, as many did, but I decided to stay and turn this into the place I wanted." She rightened herself and gave them her own glare. "So what do you want?"

All the pirates looked at Jillian. "We came because we're trying to find somebody," she bagn slowly.

"Who?"

Jillian tried to word this in a way that didn't sound crazy. "I think he's my brother and-."

"You think?" Gretel interrupted. "Hon, the all kids here are from my village. And I have never seen you before. How could you possibly know your brother is here?"

Jillian grit her teeth. "Let me explain. I had this vision and-." She let out a frustrated sound as Gretel cut her off again by holding up her hand.

"Don't ever mention that here," she hissed. "Along with adults, the only other thing outlawed is anything associated with magic. So no talk of visions or anything else, got it?"

After that, Gretel showed them where they would be staying and then stormed off. Probably to boss around some poor kids. The group was unfortunately split up by age. Robinson and Boulder went to the oldest tent, although time would tell if the large man would be able to keep up the act of an older teenager. He did know how to be brooding, which was a common trait among the guys she'd met.

Smalls, to his disgust, was grouped with Goose and Al. He seemed to find it insulting that he was in their age range as his maturity (and violent tendancies) were a bit higher than their own. Jillian wouldn't be surprised if he would terrorize the other kids, throwing knives and singing highly questioanble sea songs that people by the likes of Sparky taught him.

Jillian, Rosie, and Sparky surveyed the hut they would be sharing with all the other sixteen year olds. There were around two dozen cots lined up along the sides and a few teens lounged around talking. Sunlight knifed its way through the cracks in the walls and carving lines on the people, walls, and floor.

"What a dump."

Jillian smacked Sparky on the back of the head. "Don't say that!" she scolded. "We at least have a roof over our heads."

"The roof leaks," a kid spoke up, a couple of beds away.

Sparky snorted. "You were saying?"

"Either way, " Jillian continued, after glaring at both him and the kid, "you should be nicer. If know you're still a bit upset after...well, umm what happened." She almost lost her nerve as the pirate glared venomously at her. "But that doesn't give you the right to be rude."

Rosie glanced back and forth, wondering if this was going to end badly. Instead of snapping, Sparky just lay down on the nearest cot and closed his eyes. "Wake me when you find your kin," he mumbled.

"You're not going to help?"

"Why should I? I've been dragged from the sea, treakked across this godforsaken continent, and almost died a couple of times. Nothing here benefits me and I want to sleep." With that, he turned on his side and was slient.

Jillian stood there for a moment then turned to Rosie, who had seated himself on another cot and was silently watching. "You want to come?" she asked him.

"No."

"Well, I'll see you both later then," she huffed. Turning around she marched out of the hut and strode across the area. After a few paces, she stopped. Jillian felt some guilt gnawing at her sides. She had almost expected them to want to help her, and that was a bit rude herself. Even grubby, teenage pirates needed a break sometimes. And she had brought up Eye-Eye, which hadn't been the best thing to do to Sparky or Rosie.

A hand grabbed her shoulder. Jillian shireked and whireld around, ready to flaze-freeze the creep.

"Woah! Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." It was the guy from the hut who had spoken. He grinned in an embarrassed sort of way and ran a hand thorugh his dark curls. "Sorry," he repeated.

Jillian chuchkled awkwardly, trying to calm her beating heart. "Yeah, its okay. I'm kinda jumpy so if someone sneaks up behind me they could get a blast right to the face."

"What?"

"Uhh, I mean a good punch," she said quickly, trying to cover up her slip. "You know, reflexes." She gave him a light punch to the shoulder. Jillian wanted to die from the awkwardness. To her relief, he merely laughed. "So what is it?" she asked.

"What is what?" the boy asked.

Jillian cocked an eyebrow. "You grabbed my shoulder for a reason."

"Oh! Yeah, I just wanted to see if you needed any help finding something you needed. You're new so its my duty to be helpful."

She smirked. "What you you're like an assistant?"

"No," he said poutily, "I'm second in command, though many like to forget I exist." He sighed dramstically. "I annoy them for some reason."

Jillian giggled. "Well I hope you figure that out. I better go." She began stepping away.

"Okay then," the boy said, waving. "I better go find my sister. See you."