She was focused, her right hand was holding a sword and her eyes were looking at an invisible enemy. Both feet on the ground, but her head was high in the clouds. Emma was training like every morning, breathing in the fresh air in her lungs. The sun was starting to rise, and the birds were singing a beautiful melody.
She had that routine where she got up early, went down by the river near her house, was washing herself quickly before anyone could have a chance to see her naked and when it was done, she could start her training. Feeling the water on her bare skin was one of the feelings Emma liked the most, and handling a sword. Those two feelings were important for her, so that's why she made sure every time to enjoy every second.
Handling a sword for the young girl was like meditation for her mind. Concentrated on a target that only her could see, her whole body was listening to what she was saying and all the energy she had was centered in the palm of her right hand. And finally the sword, made of wood, who kept knocking against a tree. And another. And another. For Emma, that type of exercise could have been compared to that feeling someone gets when they ate and they feel full. Well, she felt it each dawn.
The blond ponytail was waving from left to right. Emma was careful and was listening to every sound that her brain was analyzing without exception. The sound of her feet on the wet grass, the sound of her sword banging against the trees, the sound of her father screaming…
The sound of her father screaming.
"EMMA HELP!"
As soon as Emma's mind was back down on Earth, she immediately dropped her weapon. She started running in the direction of the yelling. When she arrived, the first thing she saw was her father with his hands on his back, who was still shouting from the pain.
"Dad, what happened here?! Are you OK?" Emma asked.
"Yeah," he responded with difficulties, due to the striking injury he just gained. "I was ready to go to the market so I started pushing the wheelbarrow but its wheel got stuck. I made a wrong move and I hurt my back. I hope the vegetables are OK, because we really need money…" Her father sobbed.
David Nolan, Emma's father, was, a long time ago, the bravest knight of them all. He was the best, and everyone knew it. He was respected. When he was travelling from villages to villages on the back of his horse, the only thing people could do was staring at him. He was, well, charming.
During a particular mission, at the time when the Queen Cora was still alive and reigning, he got caught in a snare on the troll's bridge. He was fighting for his life like he never did before. Suddenly, a mysterious person jumped out of nowhere and helped him beating the trolls. Thereafter, he only asked their name. The stranger removed their hood from their head and only said "Snow. Snow White."
"Emma," David started, "since you still don't have a husband, and you know I will never force you to have one, I would appreciate if you could help me from now on with the shop."
In the Enchanted Forest, it was a standard for a woman to marry a man before her twenties. But for Emma, it had never been a priority.
"You're 21, honey." Her dad continue. "It's time that you do something for a living and help me pay the rent for the house."
"I know dad." Emma answered. "I will help starting from now I promise. You know I will always love you and do my best for you."
"Thank you Emma. You could start by picking up the vegetables on the ground before the ants eat them all." He said with a smile on his face. And pain.
"But dad, your back, is it serious?..." Emma asked, afraid of what his father could respond.
"I don't know, I can't go see the doctor, we don't have enough money. The rest of it is for the house." He sobbed.
"I can go and talk to the man you're giving money to! I will!" She said with determination.
"No!" David almost shouted. " I already told you. The only person dealing with Rumplestiltskin is me."
"OK I get it… but you should have never made that deal with the Dark One years ago…" Her daughter responded, with a little bit of anger in her voice.
But he had no choice back then. He had to make that deal. Because of it, Emma is alive. And it's all that matters.
"We don't talk about that and you know it too. Now, let's go, the market is about to open."