They lowered the ages to fourteen.
Fourteen.
How could one possibly think a boy of fourteen was man enough to fight a war?
How could one possibly think a child could fight an ogre?
Rumpelstiltskin dwelled in these troubling thoughts in the darkness of his poor home. His son, his only child, slept peacefully in his warm bed, while the world got madder by the passing minute.
How am I going to save him?
Rumpelstiltskin had futilely tried fleeing with his son. A sad attempt that not only ended as a miserable failure, but also brought unwanted truths to the light. Truths he had buried away from his son for many years. It had been humiliating. It had been painful. He wondered if the child still looked at him with innocent admiration or if he finally had come to understand the coward his father really was. The cripple sighed. He looked at the lying figure of his son sleeping so serenely. He wondered how Baelfire could even rest, knowing tomorrow was his birthday. Knowing his present was death. It took a while for the man to realize tears were cascading silently from his eyes. If Baelfire went to the war, the boy surely would be killed. Then he would die altogether. He would lose everything he loved and cared in his life. He would finally become dust.
"The Dark One can answer any request." The old beggar had told him. "But the Dark One always asks for a price. Most people usually regret later on. You probably should just accept reality. If it's your boy's fate to die, then you can do nothing against it."
The old man's words ringed in his head. How could he accept such a horrible fate for his son? He loved the boy more than anything in the world. Not only because he was his son, but because he was a great person. Intelligent, hard-worker, caring, cheerful and supportive. A child full of life and with a promising future. Well, he could forget about his future now. Rumpelstiltskin got up and paced a few steps to look closer at the face of the most important person in his life.
No price can be too high.
He had come to a decision. He would save his son. He was a desperate soul. Desperate enough to make a deal with the Dark One. Rumpelstiltskin got his cloak and silently stepped outside. The night was chilly, the sky clear and starry. He moved invisible, becoming one of the many shadows of the streets. After an hour, he reached the edge of the woods, a perfectly isolated place, where nobody would see or hear him. Even if he screamed.
He was scared. He was beyond scared. Terrified. Yet, the thought of losing his son made him desperate enough to ignore his fears and do the only brave thing he ever did in his entire life. He summoned the Dark One. Raising the torch in the air, Rumpelstiltskin spoke the words he had learned from childhood tales.
"Dark One. I summon thee."
There was silence. The only sound was the wind brushing the leaves of the trees.
"Dark One. I summon thee!" He tried louder.
Again no response. He sighed defeated. He was so pathetic, so insignificant, even the Dark One wouldn't bother to answer his desperate call. He slowly turned around and let out a scream of surprise. A hooded figure stood opposite him. The person was smaller than him, but then he knew size did not matter when one wielded dark magic.
"You…are the Dark One?" The cripple whispered, afraid his voice would disturb the silence that engulfed them. Of course he knew this person was the Dark One. But the non reaction from the other person made him make the question.
"Yes. You summoned me." Rumpelstiltskin was surprised to hear the voice was one of a woman. He had heard tales about the Dark One, about the creature's unbelievable evil and vile deeds. But a gender never was mentioned, so he always assumed it was a he. He nodded to the question that was actually a statement.
"T-The Ogres Wars…They are sending children to them. The age was lowered to fourteen." He spoke in a shaky voice, staring at the blackness under the hood. "My son is turning fourteen tomorrow."
"You wish me to save your son." Again, it was not a question.
"I wish you to stop these wars once and for all."
Rumpelstiltskin finally summoned his little courage to say what he really wanted. What he always had wanted. To put an end to the horrible wars, to the innocent and useless blood shedding, to the countless deaths. The Dark One was silent for some moments and finally drew back the hood. The creature did not look like anything Rumpelstiltskin had ever imagined. In his mind, the Dark One was a monstrosity, a being of ugliness, deformed and appalling. Instead, the Dark One was a beautiful young woman with dark curly long hair and clear eyes. Rumpelstiltskin had seen many beautiful women during his life, but none had a beauty that competed with the Dark One. He stared at her fascinated by her beauty and almost forgot whom he was dealing with.
"You wish me to put an end to the Ogre Wars and save all children, including your son?" This time it was clearly a question and all the cripple was able to do was nod. The Dark One frowned slightly. "It's quite an accomplishment you are asking for. My price will be high."
There was a moment of silent tension. The Dark One was clearly testing the willingness of this desperate soul. She already knew his answer, but needed him to understand this was truly what he wanted and, above all, to realize how far he would go to achieve it. Rumpelstiltskin hesitated for half a second. During this half a second he would give into his fears and leave the deal undone. During this half a second, the coward left his son and abandoned him to his fate. But it lasted only half a second.
"I'm just a poor spinner. I have nothing to give, no possessions, no richness…But I'll do anything you want."
"Anything?"
"Yes."
For the first time, the Dark One smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. It was one full of malice, one so misplaced in such beautiful features that it brought chills down the cripple's spine. She paced slowly and walked around the man's figure.
"Very well. My price is…you." Rumpelstiltskin stared confused at the woman. "I'll bring an end to the wars, save all the children, save your son…if you'll be mine."
"You mean…like a slave?" The Dark One stood again opposite him and smiled wickedly. "Why?"
"Let's say…I need a caretaker for my rather large estate. It will be forever."
Again, there was a heavy silence. The Dark One could see the doubts forming in the head of the miserable man. She could see his mind trying to reason with his despair. But she knew the love he felt for his son was stronger than anything else he felt.
"And the children, my son… they will all live?"
"You have my word."
"Then, you have mine. I will go with you forever… With one condition." The Dark One lifted an eyebrow. This was a curious man, daring to impose to her. But she listened. "I get to bid farewell to my son."
…
The Dark One stood outside Rumpelstiltskin's small house. She had put her hood back on, so if anybody crossed paths with her by chance, could not see her face. Yet, anyone that would walk in that street would think the sight was strange, a small figure of a hooded person standing like a statue on front of the spinner's home. But no one saw this image, because the village was still deep in sleep.
Inside, Rumpelstiltskin gathered all the strength and courage he could to wake up his son from his slumber and bring down the awful news. Except for the time he had to serve in the wars, Rumpelstiltskin and Baelfire were never separated. They were loyal to each other and were best friends, a relationship that envied many parents.
The cripple softly sat on the edge of his son's bed. With a trembling hand, he gently shook the boy's shoulder. Baelfire woke up. His eyes opened slowly and he blinked several times.
"Is it already morning?" The boy asked, feeling like he still could sleep another couple hours.
"No, my son. It's still night." Immediately Baelfire sensed something was wrong. He could hear it in his father's voice. He could see it in his pale and worried features.
"What happened, papa?"
"I made a deal with the Dark One." Baelfire's eyes widened terribly. He was silent for a few seconds, processing what his father had just said. He knew the tales of the Dark One and he knew they never ended well.
"Why, papa? Why?"
"I could not let you die." Rumpelstiltskin sadly said. He rested one hand on his son's cheek, memorizing each line and feature of his boy's face. He looked lovingly at his son, the only thing he was proud of in his life. "You'll be safe now. You and all children. You can grow up and have a future." Baelfire shook his head speechless. He feared for what his father would say next. He could sense the sadness and something even more horrible. "Son, you have to be strong. Remember the things I taught you. You know enough to on with your daily life. And you always have our neighbors to help you out."
"But there is still a lot you need to teach me!" Baelfire said between his first sobs. He could not accept it. This could not be farewell.
"I'm sorry…I made a deal. I made a deal to serve the Dark One forever." Baelfire stared shocked at his father.
"No! Papa, no!" He could see his father was heartbroken. He was sacrificing himself for him. But he didn't want that. He didn't want his father to leave him. "Please take me with you!"
"No, Bae. I would never condemn you to such a fate! I want you to have a life."
"I don't want to have a life without you!" At that moment here was a knock on the door. Rumpelstiltskin closed his eyes in agony. He knew it was the Dark One growing impatient. He knew he was taking more time than agreed. "Don't go!" The boy begged.
"I'm sorry, I must." The cripple got up, trying to ignore the way his son was clinging to his body. "Tomorrow the war will be over. And you will live." He sadly smiled, caressed his son's cheek and exited his house. His heart broke into thousand little pieces when he heard the voice of his son crying and imploring him not to go. Not to leave him. Once he closed the door behind him, shutting his son in the house, he faced the hooded figure.
"Finally." The Dark One spoke.
She grabbed the cripple's arm. The door flew open and Baelfire came just in time to watch his father turn into a strange dark smoke. In a second he was gone. Soon the village would wake up with the screams of the devastated boy whose father had traded his life to save his.