SILENT PARTNER
A Once Upon A Time Tale
DISCLAIMER: I do not own O.U.A.T. nor am I any part of the show, except being a fan. The views and opinions expressed in this fanfic are mine alone and do not reflect the views of Disney/ABC, etc. The only characters that I claim ownership of are Lynae, Darius, and Idrus and any others that you, the reader, have not heard of or seen in a Disney film. Still, I hope you enjoy this tale because I worked hard on it. It is set after the Skin Deep episode and after Snow and James are wed; but before Rumplestiltskin is tricked by Ella/Cinderella into signing the contract with the special quill. Please review after reading and tell me what you think because I love criticism (***cough*** SADIST! **cough, cough***). Even if you hate it, say so, just be respectful.
Chapter 1
Mercy
She was running; her breaths ragged and visible in the chilly night air... her heart hammered in her chest. She was being chased through the dark, but by what she did not know. When one senses danger, one does not stop to see what it is…you just run. She could hear its paws hitting the ground, breaking twigs and crunching dry leaves. She could hear its jaws snapping whenever it felt it was close enough; hear it snarl in anger because she made it chase her. She danced around trees and jumped through brushes, hoping to trip it up.
It worked…on herself.
She stumbled over the jutted root of a tree, landed face first in dirt and leaves. She slid, then tumbled sideways down an incline, passing over stones and fallen branches, scratching her hands and arms, hurting her knees and elbows. She got dirt in her eyes, mouth and hair, yet she continues to roll, gaining speed, toppling over any obstacles. By the time she hits the bottom, she was exceptionally dizzy and thoroughly bruised.
She doesn't have time to count her injuries or register her pain. An incensed growl had her scrambling to her feet. The first thing she sees when she blinks dirt out of her eyes is a two-story gate and a courtyard beyond.
Please don't be locked! She prayed, racing toward whatever salvation that gate promised.
It wasn't.
She did not take the time to shut it behind her. She beat a path up the trail leading to a doorway. Behind her she heard the thing smash into the half-open metal gate. A yelp of fright escaped her throat. She tripped over the last step, faltered the rest of the way across the covered entrance and fell into the castle door. It opened against her weight. She scrambled into a dimly lit foyer, slammed the access closed and threw the latch. Mere seconds later, the creature banged into it and roared, infuriated that its prey had eluded it.
She screamed and backed away in fear. She could hear the thing sniffing at the base of the door. She continued to retreat, bumping her right hip on a large round table in the center of the room. She barely registered this new ache or the other pains racking her body. She just kept going backwards…
…until she bumped into something that wasn't the far wall...
Simultaneously, she screamed and spun around. In the dim light of the foyer, she beheld a man: tall, slim, dressed in the best vestments money could buy. His hair was shoulder-length and wavy; his skin mortar-gray; his irises wide and an unusual brownish-gray color. The man's facial features were a stark and frightening contrast to the refinement of his clothing.
He stared down at her hard and unblinking. "What are you doing in my house?" His voice was low and abrasive…he was not pleased to have a visitor. She backed away from him.
"There's something out there," she whimpered, wagging a shaky finger at the front entrance.
"What?" he grated, demanding her to speak up and repeat herself with just that one word. She took a breath and tried again.
"There's something out there!" she repeated. "It chased me through the woods and I ran in here to hide."
The man looked her over from top to bottom. He saw a brown-skinned, woman with an average figure and light-brown eyes. Her black hair fell past her shoulders and had twigs and leaves caught in it. She was covered in dirt and grime. She looked like she'd just gone one round with the Evil Queen and gotten out alive. He sneered at her haggard appearance, walking past her to the large double doors.
Her eyes widened. "What are you doing?"
The man stopped and turned his entire body around to face her. He had an expression on his face that clearly stated he did not owe her an explanation. "You said there was something out there." he said, his voice going from hard and cross to a high-pitched sneer. "I'm going to check." He started for the door again.
"No!" she screeched, running up behind him and grabbing his arm. The man froze, his eyes dropping briefly to her hands above his wrist and then to her eyes. He gave her a look of death. "You have to believe me." she went on despite the look. "If you open the door it'll kill us both!"
The man's mottled gray forehead crinkled in a frown. "You must not know who I am, do you, dearie?" he asked dangerously. No, she didn't, but if he opened that door, ignorance would be the least of their problems.
"Please don't go out there." She begged, but the man snatched away from her. He headed for the door, his back straight, his stride confident. He flicked his hand in the air. The latch lifted of its own accord and the doors swung open. He took several steps out onto the portico until he was standing in the moonlight.
The woman's heart was pounding in her chest. She cowered behind the table and braced for the imminent attack. She watched the man look left and right. All seemed peaceful and safe in the courtyard beyond the entryway. The only sound was the close rumble of thunder and the wind whipping through the treetops. Finally satisfied that nothing was amiss, the gray man turned on his boot heel and walked back into the castle.
"There's nothing out there," he reported, his voice quite nasally. He came to a stop at the round table, scowling at her, irritated by her presence. Outside, a light pattering of rain began to fall.
"There was!" the woman insisted. "Something chased me through the woods."
The gray-skinned man grinned evilly. "And did you actually see this so-called monster?" He gestured vividly with his hands as he spoke.
"No, I was too busy running. But I heard it growling and-"
"Is it possible…" he interrupted, holding up a black-tipped index finger. "…that you only heard thunder?" Just as he said that, a loud clap of thunder rocked the air. She yelped, but the gray man didn't bat an eyelash. The rain came down heavier and heavier.
"No!" she contended. "It was real. I saw its shadow under the door."
"Clouds passing over the full moon can give the illusion of moving shadows." He explained, dropping his hand. His head was cocked to the side. He was daring her to disagree, which she did.
"It wasn't clouds!" she shrieked, stamping her foot. "It was a monster!"
The man rolled his eyes. "So you keep saying." He put a finger to his lips, then pointed the digit at her. When he spoke his voice was low and menacing. "I'm going to give you a one time opportunity that few ever receive after annoying me." He turned half his body around and indicated toward the still open front entry. "Go."
Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "You're putting me out? In that?" She pointed out the door.
He grinned and nodded vigorously. "Looks like I am, yeah." He trilled merrily.
"But it's pouring out!"
"Is it?" The gray man glanced dramatically outside. He threw a hand over his mouth in fake surprise. "I never would have guessed."
The woman did not appreciate being mocked. "Have you no mercy?"
He dropped his hand. "No." he replied firmly and lilted a laugh.
Disgusted with his inhumanity, the woman tore her eyes from him, came from around the table and ran outside. As she passed him, the gray-skinned man got a whiff of her odor. It gave him pause because he'd smelled something like it before…when his son...
By the time the brown-skinned woman made it past his doorway, her cheeks were wet with tears; and by the time she reached the end of the covered patio, she was balling like a baby. Her head was buried in one hand, the other was tucked under an armpit. She was inches from the down pour and wetness clung to the back of her hand and her arms. She didn't care, though. In a little while the creature would claim her and all her problems would be over. Her shoulders shook with her sobs.
"Well, don't cry on me." a whiny voice said behind her. The woman lifted her head from her hands to glance over her left shoulder. The slim, gray man was standing there looking down at her with mild repugnance.
The woman sniffed. "You throw me out in the dark and the rain with a monster lurking about…what do you expect me to do?" She turned from him and broke down again. The man smirked in displeasure. He hated criers. He hated everyone now that he thought about it.
Well…almost everyone.
"All right." The man sighed, rubbing his palms together. "I'm in the business of making deals, so I'll make one with you." His voice was childish and whiny. The woman half-turned her body to look at him. "I'll give you sanctuary, but…" he held up both index fingers for emphasis, then pointed them at her chest. "You must do a favor," he pointed to his own torso. "-for me."
The woman wiped her face and nose with her hands. "What favor?"
The man dropped his hands to his side and leaned in closer, his expression unreadable.
"Come inside," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "It's freezing out here and you must be starving." Without another word, he spun on his heel and walked back into his castle. She watched him, not sure if she should accept his offer without knowing what the favor would be. A loud crack of thunder accompanied by a bolt of lightning- plus her fear that the monster was still out there- made up her mind for her.
She turned her back on the dreadful weather and re-entered the castle.