Title: The Dark One's Shadow
Rating: this part PG, fic will be NC-17
Paring:Rumbelle
Summary: Dark One!Belle is looking for something in a small village in the Frontlands, she finds it, but neither know what he will be.
A/N: prolog to a fic I've had bouncing around in my head for a few months. I'm upset and angry enough right not to be able to type it up. The rest will be in Rumpel's POV
The village could hardly be called that. It was on the edge of the front line of approaching ogres and most had fled. The only ones left were the ones that didn't have the means. Yet they still held a market day. The Dark One silently and invisibly moved down the lane, barely glancing at the worn-down and falling apart stalls. She knew something was here, something that she needed, but she didn't know what it was. It certainly wasn't the meager rationings on display.
The sound of a cart behind her, made her step to the side into a empty space between two stalls. The terrified squawk from the pile of rags has her spinning, magic crackling at the ready. The rags push themselves up so she can see that they are barely hanging onto the form of a man. He hunches back into the corner as his eyes widely search for danger. When he see her, he lets out a squeak and hunches further into himself.
She tilts her head and checks her glamor. She's still invisible. Her eyes narrow as she examines him more. His mousey brown hair is long, covering his face and starting to gray at the temples. The tread-bare rags don't cover enough of him so she can clearly see every one of his ribs. His right foot is twisted inward and swollen. And he is covered in bruises in varying stages of healing.
With small twitches of his head, his hair parts enough for him to meet her eyes. The jolt that goes through her when the meet has her frowning with the knowledge that what she was looking for was in front of her. She reached out and tip his chin up.
"Will you give yourself to me?" she asked, "Heart, mind, body and soul will be mine, to do with as I wish. And in return, I will give you what ever you want if it's in my power to give. Will you give yourself to me?"
She watched as thoughts passed behind his brown eyes and after a moment, he swallowed harshly and nodded.
"There is not much to give, but it's yours Milday."
"Good," she nodded and reached out a hand. He took it was her magic swept them away.