Regina fell through the portal and landed with a soft thud on the damp forest floor, with Hook landing on a fern a moment later. She got up and brushed dirt off her skirt. She had dressed for the occasion with plain brown skirt and fur-lined vest, so she'd blend in better. Hook was back in his usual leather garb and was acting as annoying as usual. Regina wondered yet again why she bothered letting him join her on this mission. The Charmings had agreed to watch Henry while she came after Emma, on the condition that she brings someone else with her as extra protection. No amount of insulting his guy-liner, intellect or fighting skills would deter Hook from joining her once they suggested the horrible idea. She knew she'd make much better time on her own. Since Robin had to stay with Roland it was easy to convince him not to come with her, at least. He was only beginning understanding that she meant what she said on their walk last week. One week. That's how long it took for her to find a clue in Henry's story book about Emma's whereabouts after she had disappeared. She was in a parallel universe that they could only reach through the Enchanted Forest. The book mentioned a magical item hidden deep in the woods beyond the mountains that could transport them to another land. In this land, the darkest and most powerful magic in the Universe was caged for all eternity… Or so the book said.
Regina decided to go on a quest to save the one imprisoned. If it hadn't been for Hook being slightly useful in spite of his irritating habits, she would have found a way to ditch the pirate. But he'd produced a secret he'd hidden away. He had failed to mention to Emma, or anyone else for that matter, that when he traded his boat for a magic bean to create the portal to travel back to Storybrooke, he traded his ship for not one, but two beans. One he used to get to Storybrooke and he had saved one in case Emma rejected him—in case he wanted to go back to steal the Jolly Roger and return to his life of piracy. He didn't exactly say the last part, but Regina inferred the rest. She knew he had commitment issues, but she didn't realize how deep they ran until she found out about the second bean. He always seemed to have a secret back-up plan to help him run when things got tough. Emma definitely deserved better, Dark One or not. In the meantime, she had to put up with him until she was able to speak with her Savior. No matter what Emma was now, she had been referring to her as my Savior in her mind all week. The Charmings' unending line of "hope" bullshit was really getting in her head. The odd pairing of Queen and pirate set off through the woods towards the towering white-capped mountains in the west, both believing they were heading towards their true love.
Regina had finally procured them two horses along their path, after Hook's incessant complaining about why she couldn't just "poof" them over the mountains. At least riding a horse took enough of Hook's focus to keep his mouth shut. This welcome silence finally gave Regina time to reflect on everything that led up to her falling for the blonde princess. She hadn't really thought about it before, but she realized now that she had fallen for Emma immediately, right there in front of her own house, the day Henry brought her home to Storybrooke. Then she'd fallen for her a thousand times since. She had saved Regina in more ways than one, from the fire, the wraith, from a town that rejected her, and finally, from herself. Emma reminded Regina what love truly was every day since the first day they met. She began thinking of all the things she'd say to Emma when they reached her. She would have to use ironclad reasoning, since she'd be trying to convince the Dark One to give up her power. She knew how tantalizing all that power and darkness could be for a person. The most powerful drug in the Universe, the Queen pondered, besides Emma Swan, that is. She chuckled a little at her own joke, and played it off as though she was clucking at the horse to urge it on faster. "Hurry up, pirate. At the rate you're going on that horse, we won't reach Emma until the next Dark Ages—which could be sooner rather than later if we don't free her from the darkness in time."
They traveled on in silence for a while before Hook interrupted her reverie. "How is it that you, your Majesty, have found yourself so attached to Blondie that you are now willing to cross whole realms just to reach her? It wasn't too long ago that you would have stopped at nothing to end her existence simply for being borne of her parents. What changed between you two? You no longer wish to be Henry's only mother?" Regina caught herself bristling at his bluntness. Does he honestly think I'd tell him before Emma?
She jumped off her horse with ease and strutted towards the stream to fill up their canteens. "No," she kept her answer short, hoping he'd leave the questions alone. She needn't worry, though. Her attempt to evade questioning was interrupted as three arrows simultaneously buzzed through the air above Regina's head as she bent over the stream, each hitting their marks, effectively pinning Hook to a tree and immobilizing him before he could reach for his sword. "I knew the only way you'd be useful is if I wrapped a worm around your left appendage and threw you in the ocean to catch us dinner," she mocked before turning around to face their assailant, "Who's there? Come out before I burn down the trees you're hiding in," the Queen threatened as she conjured a fireball in her hand.
With more bravery than Regina was used to from citizens of the Enchanted Forest, a young girl with a head of fiery red curls appeared from the dense foliage. "Who the hell are you?" Hook exclaimed, still struggling against the arrows that ensnared him.
"I could ask you the same thing," retorted the redhead, with as much fire in her voice as in her hair, "and what are you doing in my forest?" Her accent was heavy and trilling.
Regina balked. She liked this girl. Her lack of fear reminded her of Emma. She almost smiled as she explained, "I'm Regina. This fish bait over here is Hook," gesturing halfheartedly in Killian's direction. "We're looking for a way between worlds—a magical item that acts as a gateway, if you will."
"Regina!" Hook seemed shocked that she'd share their objective so freely with this stranger. This Regina was indifferent. She wasn't about to waste time beating around the bush.
The young spitfire seemed reassured by the knee-jerk honesty. "I'm Merida. I know this land like me own hand. I can show you the way to a place of magic. But, I'll warn ye, it won't be easy."
"Well, neither is anything that's worth my time," Regina said quietly, earning her a sidelong glance from the immobilized pirate. The comment seemed to shake him out of his stunned silence. "Great, now that we've all made friends, would someone mind very much helping me out of this mess?" Merida glanced at Regina and rolled her eyes before turning to deftly pull all three arrows out of the tree and Hook's jacket, leaving several holes in the thick leather. The dark-haired woman finished filling up their water containers and hopped up on her horse. She was just about to ask their new guide who she'd rather ride with when Merida turned towards the brush she'd emerged from and whistled. A stocky horse with shaggy hair clomped out from the greenery. At the redhead's bidding, the tall horse lowered himself so the girl could swing herself up lightly onto his back. With as much experience with horses as Regina had, she'd never been able to train a horse like that. She allowed herself to be slightly impressed.
Hook finally managed to gain a semblance of control over his own mount, and they set off at a clip towards the base of the mountains. They reached a canyon between two mountains within a day, thanks to Merida's knowledge of the region's topography. "We have to find the Sampo," the girl said suddenly, breaking the silence that hung in the mist.
"The what?" asked Regina, her eyebrow cocked at the same angle of the mountain's peak.
"The Sampo," Merida continued, "is a magical item that has been enchanted to bring good fortune to those with the sense to find it. Trouble is, nobody knows what it is, so it's a bit tricky to look for a non-descript item."
"What makes you think our little band of misfits can find it, then?" prompted the Queen as she let a wave of helplessness wash over her.
"The legend says that the item was hidden in the mouth of the Crone whose tears turn to flame at day's end. But only the rightful wielder of the Sampo will be able to find what they seek. The first part of the riddle's easy. I've climbed the Crone's tooth once before and drank from the Fire Falls."
Regina couldn't help but feel her hopefulness ebb, "And you think that one of us is the rightful wielder of this… Whatever it is?" she stopped for a moment, considering something. "What are you getting out of helping us on our quest anyways?" Regina's eyes narrowed as she tried to read behind the redhead's mask of bravado. Maybe she was going soft with all of this loving Emma nonsense. Since when was she blinded by a Tunnel of Love vision? Focus, Regina. Emma needs you to be her Savior now. There is no room for stupid mistakes.
Merida's eyes shifted between the Queen and the pirate as she fumbled for words to explain what brought her to their side. "Well, I sort of asked a witch for help to change my fate so that I wouldn't be forced to marry a man I didn't choose. She gave me an enchanted pastry that turned me mum into a bear, along with my brothers. We sorted that out and they all changed back, but the curse left a mark on me family. Da was forever changed from seeing his wife as a bear. He used to be the mighty Bear King, who could hunt and kill any beast that ravaged his lands. After the curse, he couldn't bring himself to kill anything, and his subjects started calling him weak and threatened to wage war to take our lands and divide them. We were forced out of our castle. My family went to live in solitude with our cousins in the south, where it's peaceful. They have my little brothers to think of. I chose to stay up north where the magic flows more freely. I've heard legends of a magician named Merlin. I've been searching for a way to find him so I can beg him to help me unite my father's lands once more in peace.
"How do you see yourself achieving that?" Regina said, barely holding back a smirk, "by giving your father back his courage? This is Merlin we're talking about, not the Wizard of Oz."
"No," Merida huffed, "I wish to take my father's place at the throne. Usually, that position requires that I marry someone from a neighboring kingdom in order to gain my birthright to the crown. However, I do not wish to marry. I just wish to end the war between my people. Every day, more people are fighting with their neighbors for food because nobody is monitoring trade between the clans. Every day, more people are starving, injured or killed. I can't stop until I end the chaos in my kingdom."
There was a pause while Merida assessed the pair's reactions to her story. Hook was the first one to speak up. "Sounds good, love. We'll help you if you help us, then, is it? Well, what are we waiting for?" he said curtly and turned to Regina, who, blinking her eyes rapidly as she processed this new information said, "Yes, well… Since we seem to be going to the same place, it can't hurt to keep going."