Chapter Two

Morning sunlight filled the room as a warm breeze swirled the lace curtains in small circles and Rumplestiltskin yawned, rolling onto his back. It had taken him two years before he was able to buy a bigger house just outside the village and one of the things he enjoyed about living there was the long walks that he, Belle and their son, Baelfire, would take on warm summer afternoons. Baelfire understood that his pa-pa had a leg that was poorly and he needed to stop on their walks so he would run ahead, finding interesting leaves or bugs for him to look at. Rumplestiltskin was a bit concerned when his son nearly fell in a stream as he tried to catch a fish and they spent an hour lying on their stomachs, watching the fish swimming by.

There was one thing he did hate. It was traveling so far to deliver the cloth or other orders the villages had sent him, but the best part was coming home to the open arms of his son and the smiling face of his wife.

A small smile moved across his face when he thought about how Baelfire would cover his eyes while sitting on his lap because Rumplestiltskin was kissing Belle, but then demand a kiss from his mama and a cuddle from his pa-pa.

Rubbing his face with his hands, Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes as he looked at the ceiling and placed his hands on his chest. The walls of the room were a light stone with wooden beams in the corners and outlined the walls. The floor was a hard wood and wooden beams held up the wooden ceiling. An iron chandelier hung from an iron chain with candles sitting in holders and he got nervous when Belle had to use the long taper to light the candles. A stone fireplace sat between the two windows to the right of the room and a large wardrobe sat between the two large windows to the left of the room. The furniture was a dark wood and the wooden bed had a large feather mattress. Sighing, he half closed his eyes when the wooden door opened and three year old Baelfire ran in the room, heading for the bed.

"Pa-pa!" he shouted as he climbed onto the wooden trunk at the foot of the bed, jumped into the air and landed on Rumplestiltskin's legs. Even after three years, Rumplestiltskin knew that bumping his right leg into something hurt and a dull pain roared up his leg, making him closed his eyes tightly. Baelfire slowly got off his legs while crawling along the bed and Rumplestiltskin covered his eyes with his hands. He was trying hard not to scream as he slowly lowered his hands and looked at his son. Tears were running down Baelfire's cheeks, making his heart hurt. Rumplestiltskin tilted his head to one side and reached over, stroking the side of Baelfire's head.

"Ouch," he said with a small smile and Baelfire sadly smiled back.

"Sorry, Pa-pa," he said softly and Rumplestiltskin pushed himself up into a sitting position. Holding his arms out, Rumplestiltskin nodded his head and Baelfire move closer to snuggle next to his side.

"What happened?" Belle said while coming in the room and Rumplestiltskin wrapped his arms around their son.

"I hurt Pa-pa," Baelfire said with a pout and pointed to Rumplestiltskin's right leg.

"He jumped on my legs," he said with a small shrug of his shoulder and Belle slightly smiled.

"I'm sure if was an accident," Belle said as she walked to the bed and sat on the edge.

"Yes, it was," Rumplestiltskin said. Snuggling closer, Baelfire placed his head on Rumplestiltskin's chest and Rumplestiltskin kissed the top of his son's head. "In fact, it's not hurting anymore."

"See?" Belle said and Baelfire looked up at Rumplestiltskin. Rumplestiltskin nodded his head while widening his eyes as he smiled and Baelfire lightly giggled. "Now I think we should allow Pa-pa to get up. He has delivers to make."

Baelfire carefully got off the bed when he walked to where the wooden staff was leaning against the door of the wardrobe and half dragged the wooden staff to the bed.

"Here, Pa-pa," he said as Rumplestiltskin softly laughed and moved the blankets back. With a small grunt after sitting up, he used the wooden staff to stand up and Baelfire smiled up at him. Patting Baelfire on the top of his head, he limped to the dressing screen and Belle led Baelfire out of the room.

The sun was shining as Rumplestiltskin limped along the dirt road and the wooden staff thumped on the ground. The journey to the village didn't take long, but he did mind walking alone and thought about the day he would take Baelfire with him on deliveries.

His mind drifted back to the time Belle had accompanied him on a delivery while pregnant with Baelfire and he thought she would deliver on the side of road. By the time they reached the village, she was clinging to him and he nearly toppled over. Some of the village women came running and took her to the healer as one of the women led him to a stool. It was only a few minutes before the healer came out and led him into the back room. His heart swelled when he thought how angelic she looked while holding their son and stopped, placing the side of his head on the wooden staff.

"My sweet angel," he whispered then looked up at the clear sky and closed his eyes, feeling the sun on his face. Opening his eyes, he watched the clouds floating overhead then lightly thumped the wooden staff on the dirt road and went on his way.

The sound of horses made him look straight ahead when he stopped and held onto the wooden staff. The horses came closer as he looked at the guards in their armor and helmets and the swords in scabbards and shields hung from the saddles of the horses.

"Stand aside," one of the guards demanded as Rumplestiltskin looked up at him with a defying look on his face and held the wooden staff tightly in his hands.

"The road is wide enough. Go around me," he said and the guard removed the sword from the scabbard connected to the saddle and pointed the sword at him.

"I should gut you where you stand," the guard said when the captain of the guard touched the guard's arm and looked at Rumplestiltskin.

"What is your name?" the captain of the guard asked and Rumplestiltskin limped closer, looking at him.

"I am Rumplestiltskin," he said with a bow and the captain of the guard's eyes widened.

"Rumple the Runt?" he asked and Rumplestiltskin sighed, rolling his eyes.

"If you have to call me that, then, yes, it's me," he said and the captain of the guard smiled.

"You know this beggar, Sir?" the guard asked.

"He is no beggar. He is a friend," the captain of the guard said then looked at the wooden staff. "How is your leg?"

"It has good days and bad days," Rumplestiltskin said as he looked down at his leg.

"I swear. If that battle hammer had been any larger, you would have lost your leg for sure."

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin sighed, leaning on the wooden staff.

"You were hit by a battle hammer?" one of the guards asked.

"Yes."

"Was it during the war?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin said and looked down shyly. "It was during battle practice. I slipped in the mud and the battle hammer flew into the air. I was lying on my back and didn't have time to move as it crashed down on my leg."

Hearing laughter when he told the story of his accident didn't bother him anymore and he shrugged his shoulders.

"Move around him." the captain of the guard said with a nod of his head to Rumplestiltskin and the horses moved around him. Waving, Rumplestiltskin watched the horses go around the corner then turned and slowly limped down the dirt road.

The village street was crowded as Rumplestiltskin made his way by the villagers and some villagers apologized for bumping into him after seeing the wooden staff. Rumplestiltskin nodded his head as he made his way down the street and the wooden staff clicked on the cobblestone. He had a large bag strapped around his left shoulder as he adjusted the strap and moved by one of the stalls selling caged chickens, ducks and geese and a large pig was tied to a stake embedded in the ground. He knew the pig was large enough to feed his family for a few months, but how he could manage to lead such a large animal home?

"Sir?" a soft voice asked as he saw a female figure in a tattered robe with a hood and the hood covered most of her face. "Please help me."

"What's the matter?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he moved closer and she looked toward the alleyway.

"This way," she said as she headed toward the opening to the alleyway and Rumplestiltskin leaned on the wooden staff. He had heard of thieves hiding out in alleyways as he watched her then she stopped and turned around. "Sir, please, I need help."

"How do I know you will not rob me?" he asked, limping closer and stopped near the opening to the alleyway.

"Sir, please," she said as she held her right hand out and Rumplestiltskin's eyes widened. A brown, human eye was in the palm of her right hand as the eye blinked and Rumplestiltskin backed up.

"You're…You are…," he said as he backed up then tripped over some baskets and landed hard on his bottom.

"Look where you're going!" the basket seller said then looked at what Rumplestiltskin was looking at and gasped. He helped Rumplestiltskin to his feet while calling for help when the woman ran down the alleyway and several villagers ran after her. Shaken, Rumplestiltskin panted while the basket seller helped him sit on a stool then went to get him a cup of water. "Here."

"That was…a seer," Rumplestiltskin said after taking the cup from the basket seller then took a drink of water and the basket seller nodded.

"She didn't touch you, did she?"

"No," Rumplestiltskin said with a shake of his head.

"That's good. I heard that if a seer touches you then you become her slave," the basket seller said and Rumplestiltskin sipped on some water. The basket seller helped him to his feet as Rumplestiltskin held onto the wooden staff and adjusted the strap over his shoulder. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yes," Rumplestiltskin said as he took two steps when a strong wave of dizziness swept through him and he closed his eyes, falling to the ground.

It was hard to focus after Rumplestiltskin opened his eyes. He watched the world fade in and out then clear and the candlelight flickered from the candle sitting in the pewter candlestick on the windowsill. The outside was dark as the glow from the candlelight cast an eerie light in the room and he turned his head to look at the ceiling. The walls of the room were a light stone with darker stone outlining the walls and the dark wood beams crossed overhead, holding up the stone ceiling. A stone fireplace sat between the windows and the fire softly crackled in his ears. The furniture was a soft wood and he was lying on a dark wood bed with a feather mattress.

"Where am I?" Rumplestiltskin whispered as the wooden door to the left of the room opened and someone walked in the room, making Rumplestiltskin look at them.

"Oh, you're awake," Belle said as she walked to the bed and he blinked his eyes a few times.

"Belle?" he asked as she sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the hair from his eyes. "What are you doing here? Where is here?"

"This is the healer's house and one of the villagers came and got us," she said and leaned closer to kiss his lips.

"Where's Bae?"

"He's sleeping over there," she said softly as she pointed to the small figure sleeping on a cot in the corner of the room. Rumplestiltskin sighed while Belle got up, walked around to the other side of the bed, slid her shoes off and carefully climbed on the bed, snuggling next to him. He wrapped his arms around her as she placed her head on his chest and listened to the soft thumping of his heart.

"Sorry for making you worry," he finally said and she gently stroked his side.

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"I fainted," he said, rolling his eyes.

"I would have fainted, too," she said and he lifted her chin up to look at her.

"Forgive me?" he asked and she smiled at him.

"Always," she said and he kissed her.

"I want to go home," he sighed as she placed her head on his shoulder and rested her hand on his stomach.

"The healer said we can go home tomorrow, but he wants you to rest for a day or so," Belle said, walking her fingers up his chest and he shivered.

"But I still have deliveries to make."

"Everyone in the village saw what happened and won't mind if you're late," she said then closed her eyes. "Besides, I would be devastated if something happened to you."

He watched her drift off to sleep while stroking her hair then he sighed and looked at the ceiling.

"I'm not going anywhere," he whispered as he closed his eyes, kissed the top of her head and drifted off to sleep.

The water dripped down the walls of the cave as the seer sat huddled by the fire and rocked back and forth.

The villagers were still hunting her.

She knew it was a mistake, but she had to talk to Rumplestiltskin.

He had to know the truth.

He had to….

The footsteps grew louder as the seer looked up and the hood she wore fell to her shoulders. Her long, black hair was stringy and flat against her head and the stitches that sealed her eyes shut were dark against her pale skin. The footsteps grew closer when she held her hands out and the eyes on the palms of her hands widened.

Standing before her on the other side of the fire was a figure dressed in a long, black cape with the hood pulled up and almost over the figure's face, a black leather waist coat, a black leather vest, a black silk shirt, black leather gloves, tight black leather trousers and black leather boots. The firelight seemed to sparkle on the figure's skin and the seer fell prone on the ground.

"Master, no, please," she begged as she sat up then moved back toward the cave wall. "I know you said not to go near him, but he has the right to know."

The seer's screams echoed into the night then faded when the figure emerged from the cave and looked up at the dark sky. The stars twinkled brightly as the figure's face softened and the figure looked straight ahead.

"No, he doesn't," the figure whispered then walked into the shadows, fading away.