"Don't stray too far," Gold cautioned. "There is a plant that tends to grow on the cliffs around here that is really in your best interest to leave alone."

"Trust me, I'm not straying far from you for a while." Tina shook her head. "I haven't seen anything yet."

"And that's what worries me," Gold said. He looked around, studying what he could see of the island. "We should have at least come across the Lost Boys again."

"Unless they're avoiding us purposely," Tina said, looking around. "They could probably manage that easily enough."

"I have no doubt they could," Gold said. "And the fact that they have is worrisome, because it means we're being left alone for a reason. Likely, Pan wants to let Cora have her chance first before she's taken care of."

Tina shivered briefly at that. "So he wants to see if she can kill you, or at least wear you down enough to make you an easy target."

"I believe so, yes," Gold replied. "Not a bad strategy, really, and exactly something I would expect him to do."

Tina made a face. "So what do we do?" She looked over at him, still standing near the cliff.

"We find Rachel and her pirate and try to regroup," Gold said. "And then we find a way off of this blasted island." Even if he had to try to make a deal with Pan to do it. He had a vague idea of how to accomplish that, but he needed a bit more time to refine the plan.

"Good plan. Not going to be that easy." Tina sighed and looked around. "Well, guess we should start searching for them."

"Indeed," Gold murmured, looking around at the jungle around them. He growled a bit when he didn't see anything. "Damn this jungle..."

Tina blinked at that and glanced at him. "Think I can get information here like I do at home? With the plants?"

"You can certainly try," Gold replied. It wasn't a bad idea. "Just be careful, and ask about any plant you don't know before you touch it. I won't have you running into the Dreamshade by accident."

"That one should be fine to start with," Tina said, nodding to a fern. She put her fingers against the plant and closed her eyes, trying to get information out of it. It took only a few seconds for her to hiss and pull her fingers back.

"That one's not friendly."

"Not friendly how?" Gold asked, watching her. Tina shouldn't have any trouble with ferns, so it must be something about the island plants.

"It... snapped at me," she said, rubbing her fingers. "Like a flytrap or something. For a second I thought it would make me bleed."

"Let me see," Gold said, taking her hand. There was indeed a red welt rising on her fingers, and he waved a bit of healing magic over it. "There."

"Thanks." Tina grimaced. "This island has its own magic, and everything here has some of that magic. Or at least that's the impression I got from being bitten by a plant." She shook her head.

"I thought it might be something like that," Gold said, nodding. "This is Neverland, after all, it does have its own sort of magic."

Tina grumbled. "I could try again in a little bit," she said. "Maybe try a different approach."

"If it doesn't work a second time, I would stop," Gold said. "It was worth a try, but it is not worth you getting hurt over it."

Tina nodded reluctantly. If it didn't work, she'd find some other way to be useful.

Gold nodded encouragingly to her and gestured to another plant that should be harmless.

"See if you can make it obey," he said. "With your rather formidable will, it shouldn't be too hard once you get the hang of it."

Tina snorted and shook her head, though she did try again. This time she didn't pull back at the first bite, instead bending the plant to her will. Then she made a variety of facial expressions as she went through bullying the plant. Finally she blinked and pulled back her hand, which had another red welt on it.

"Couple of the Lost boys have been through this area, but not our pair."

Gold smiled.

"Very good," he said. "I had no doubts that you could manage." Taking her hand, he healed the second welt.