A/N: First off, this is my first time writing so bear with me. LOl. I feel like I've creeped long enough on here to finally put out a story of my own. This story is SwanQueen but I feel like Regina needs some kind of actual support system.
So I took the liberty of creating an OC to keep her company until then, so that means there will be friendship before SQ goodness.
And maybe some OC/? romance? I haven't decided with whom yet, but it will happen..maybe. So since there is an OC, this will be AU.

Disclaimer: I regret to inform you that none of this belongs to me.

-Enchanted Forest, Sometime ago-

It was a crisp Autumn afternoon, the leaves had just begun to change color and were lightly rustling in the playful breeze. Amongst these trees is where a young girl found solace and sanctuary from her mother's scorn..if only for a few precious moments. That is why she finds herself running breathlessly through the trees, desperate to get away after another one of her mother's intense "lessons". As soon as she reached the grove she felt relief flood her system. That is until she heard a twig snap, 'What was that? Did someone manage to follow me here?!' these thoughts and others swirled around her brain in a maelstrom of panic and distress. The rustling of leaves coming from the bushes across from her signals the intruder's arrival. She turns to face what lie ahead with bated breath, when suddenly out of the bushes bursts a stag followed by a blur of tan skin and untamed hair. Unable to control herself, the young lady lets out a yelp of shock. The yelp manages to startle both the predator and the prey. The eyes of the huntress snap to meet hers, and the young girl is left slightly breathless at the sight of her counterpart's fierce grey eyes. The stag takes advantage of its pursuer's distraction and bounds off in another direction, free to live for another day.

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She sighed in annoyance, she'd been tracking this buck for nearly 3 1/2 miles and now she had to factor in the slight breeze to make sure she remained undetected and that her aim was true. The seasons were changing which meant she needed to stock up on her meat supply before the game became scarce and the weather too frigid to hunt in, well successfully anyway. She also made an effort to mark-quietly as possible of course-a tree she passed by so after the kill she would have some inkling of where to go, one could easily get lost in these woods. Movement in the corner of her eye focused her attention on the task at hand. Taking a few cleansing breaths she nocks her arrow and pulls back on the string, keeping her aim steady she finds the area where she knows the heart of the beast lies. She takes a few extra seconds to get into a more comfortable position, when the breeze abruptly changes course, carrying her scent right into the nostrils of the stag.
Startled the animal's head shoots up from the grass it was feasting on, in search of the predator it had scented.

Their eyes meet for the briefest of seconds before the buck takes off. Cursing under her breath at her hesitance she gives chase, hoping to get another opportunity to dispatch the creature. But alas, the fates did not have a successful hunt in the cards for the young huntress, she followed the buck into a clearing and heard the most peculiar sound. Shocked and slightly agitated that someone dare intrude on her hunt she whips her head in the direction of the noise and finds herself glaring into frightened brown orbs.

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For what felt like hours neither said a word, they both just stared at each other, one with a mixture of shock and awe, and the other with curiosity tinged with annoyance. It was the former that finally broke the scilence. "Who are you and why are you in my grove?" try as she might, arrogance still seeped into her tone. When she received no answer, she looked up to find herself being examined by the slightly taller girl, who had her head tilted to the side as her eyes trekked around her slim frame. Feeling it was only fair, she too started her own examination. The girl in front of her was wearing what appeared to be an assortment of animal furs and deer hide as clothing. 'A Child of the Forrest perhaps? Oh! Or maybe even a Nymph?' She soon found herself slightly marveling at muscles and scars that were showing and marring otherwise lovely tanned skin and wondering if there were more being hidden by the clothing. Her eyes next target was the stranger's face, even underneath all of the dirt and grime a person could easily tell she had an exotic beauty. Finally, she looked at the young woman's hair, full of leaves and more or less unkempt save for a small braid resting on her shoulder decorated with a bright red feather hanging on the end. There was something about it that gave the interloper an untamable aura that intrigued her for unknown reasons. With that in mind, she cleared her throat and asked a different question."What is your name?"

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This was the most surprised she'd been in a long time. Usually she wasn't the biggest fan of surprises, but as she looked at this girl she decided that not all surprises were bad. She couldn't help the need to study the stranger before her. They looked to be about the same age she surmised, due to the height difference she would say the girl was about thirteen summers compared to her fifteen. But there was something else there, something different about this girl. She focused her attention solely on th being in front of her, letting the world slowly drift away, and that's when she sensed it..magic!
To say she was shocked was an understatement, it was not very common for a human to be born with natural magic. Being only half human herself she was able to wield magic with relative ease but for a full human to have magic ready to be tapped into? It was simply unheard of! 'Maybe that is why I find her so interesting. No, there is more to it than simple curiosity.' As her gaze drifted across the younger girl's body she had to hold in a shudder when taking in the dress and corset she was wearing. 'I will never understand the need for such devices.', her thoughts were interrupted by the younger girl's voice. It was a hard battle, but she managed not to roll her eyes at the attempted imperious tone thinly veiled behind the questions. Instead of responding she continued her almost lazy perusal of the lithe form hidden by the dress. Her olive-toned skin was practically flawless, save for a scar above her upper lip. Her hair fell in hypnotic waves around her shoulders, but what caught the huntress' attention were those deep brown pools so expressive and full of emotion that it almost stole the breath from her lungs. The overwhelming urge to get to know this girl was nearly unbearable. Her eyes slowly rose to meet the other girl's, she licked her slightly dry lips before replying "Rune.",the still unnamed girl smiled slightly after that and she returned her smile with one of her own. Then after a beat she asked,"And you? What are you called?" The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding "Regina...my name is Regina."