Hey guys! I know it's been quite a while since I've done anything with Stranded, and I really truly deeply apologize for that. Summer got busy. College life got busy. And now here I am, a long time later, finally with a little break where I was able to look at this again and figure out if it was ready to be posted or not. Obviously I do think it's ready, so that's why I'm sharing it with you guys.
I hope you enjoy! And now, I'll let you get right to it! Don't be afraid to rate and review! I'd love the feedback! ^.^
Haven: Aren't you forgetting something?
Oh! Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or any of its characters. All rights go to their rightful owners. I only own my OC's Haven and Farani/Fern.
The Enchanted Forest was a mysterious place, full of magic and creatures that the people were aware of. They knew when to go out, what to avoid, and how to prepare for if they found themselves in a situation facing a beast that couldn't be reasoned with. There was also a group of people known as 'Hunters' who took jobs from the people and were sent to deal with the creatures who couldn't be reasoned with. The problem with this, however, is that some creatures and magical beings were innocent. The people just considered them to be 'scary' and 'threatening' to their daily existence.
One of these magical beings, was the young woman known as Haven. The young griffin knew she was being hunted, but she had a duty to fulfill, so that didn't slow her down in the least. However, this hunt had been going on for a few years now, and it was starting to get tiring with how often they would show up trying to catch her so she would stop 'terrorizing' the people of various kingdoms. There were people like Snow White and Prince Charming that protected her when they had the chance, but most of the time she was on her own.
Deep within the forest, was where she currently resided. Hiding, shrouded under her cloak while also using the bushes to keep herself disguised. The Hunters were currently on her tail, having tracked her from the sea to forest. It had only been three weeks since she was rescued by the one named Killian Jones, and though she was thankful for the rescue, she had to get back to work for Snow and Charming. Her feet quietly carried her over dead and fallen leaves, as she attempted to sneak around the group that was spread out in a line, searching for her. The 'girl' hidden as a 'monster.'
There was one pointed towards her, crossbow and nets at the ready. She froze. She knew better than to risk moving, but her mind was on auto-pilot, and her feet were already starting to move slowly, carrying her back behind the trunk of a giant tree. What she couldn't account for, however, was the twig that she stepped over, but was now dangerously close to snapping, drawing attention. Her foot fell on the twig, and it snapped in the rather quiet forest, causing all eyes to fly towards her position. Damn...
She'd been spotted, found, she knew it. She had to have been. What more was there to do? She remained frozen for a moment, hoping that they would just think it were a pine cone falling, and move on. To her displeasure, two of the four hunters moved forward to take the lead, scanning the area. Where do you go now, Haven? You dolt.
Haven started to prepare herself, knowing she would have to bolt at any given moment. Steady...
A couple steps closer. A longer, quieter, breath drawn. Stay calm...
Someone's voice snapped their attention to the back of the group, revealing a fifth member to Haven's field of vision. Strange, she hadn't seen him there earlier. "Oi! I think I saw something!"
Why did the voice sound... so familiar? Haven blinked, shaking her head to rid herself of the thought. Now was her chance to get behind the tree while their backs were turned, and she took it. "Where?!"
She heard the Hunters shouting commands at the fifth member, and he pointed in some random direction. "It went that way!"
Again... there was that hint of familiarity. She didn't know anyone other than those who were sided with Snow. Wait... The only person outside of that group was... That couldn't be possible.
Running footsteps receded from her position, going in the direction the 'member' pointed out. He waited until the other members had left completely before walking over to the tree that Haven had chosen to hide behind. "You can come out now."
She didn't trust the familiar voice that was saying it was okay. Her heart quickened as she heard his footsteps getting closer, and once they reached the tree, she started to slowly slip around the trunk. Maybe... just maybe she could sneak past him and this whole ordeal would be done with. Well, until another day came when the Hunters found her again. She was close to reaching the point where she could just break out in a run, but her fault was that she had stopped listening to the footsteps. They had quickened, anticipating that she was attempting to make an escape.
Haven's heart felt like it was in her throat, her nerves on edge. Her blue eyes quickly scanned the small clearing before she started to dart forward, finally, she could put this behind her and move on until-
Something grasped her arm and pulled her back, and when she nearly screamed in surprise a hand was placed over her mouth, silencing her. Her breath quickened as her hand shot up to her mouth, tightly grasping the wrist of the man who had grabbed her. She felt his chest against her back, and his breath lingering by her ear as he lowered his head. "T'would be best if you stayed quiet, love. We wouldn't want the Hunters coming back."
She recognized that voice, it was definitely Killian Jones, but he sounded a little different. Like he had changed entirely from the man she had met when she nearly drowned. In all honesty, she felt tempted to bite his hand, but before she could put the thought into action he moved his hand away, and let the grip on her arm fall free. "You're either really stupid... Or... well... Really stupid." Haven hissed, stepping away from her rescuer once again and turning to face him, glaring into his blue eyes.
Killian scoffed, a smirk playing at his lips and tugging the corners up. He licked his bottom lip, not sure how to respond to the griffin, whom just three weeks ago, had seemed so shy and reserved. His best guess was that, like himself, she had changed. Or she had always been this way, fiery and un-trusting of people. "Not even a small 'Thank you' aye?"
She fell silent, caught off guard by how he had once again saved her life. If he had really wanted too, he could've just pointed them towards her, and it would have all been over. "Okay... well... Thank you, sir..."
He smiled kindly, folding an arm over his waist and bowing slightly, as if he were speaking to royalty. "You are welcome, mi'lady."
Once he was done with his antics, she then proceeded to make her retort about how he was an idiot for saving her. Knowing that it could have costed him dearly for interrupting such an important hunt. "You're still a dolt." She stated rashly, crossing her arms over her chest for but a mere moment before she took her chance to start walking away to her next destination, wherever that may be.
Killian froze a moment, not understanding this girl in the least, but his feet picked up and followed after her. "And why's that, lass?"
She kept walking, her stubborn pride not allowing her to stop and talk to him like a normal human being. So instead, she kept walking, and responded coldly, almost as if she didn't care about his feelings. Even though, for some reason, she felt different with him. There was a spark of emotion in her heart that did care about how Killian was feeling right now. However, she refused to let it show, just like how she refused she could never fall in love due to her oath. "You saved me back there. Again. Why'd you do it?"
"Do I really need a reason?"
He stopped for the briefest of seconds. "I don't understand. Why is it that saving you is such a problem now? It wasn't that way when I pulled you from the sea."
She bit her tongue, not wanting to speak of her insecurities and how they physically stopped her from being kind to him or making any kind of sense with the how and why. There was a reason to trust him, he saved her life twice now, but she still had her doubts. "It's not a problem- well- it is, but it isn't!" She huffed, stopping in her tracks and spinning around to face him as he stopped a couple feet behind her.
He shook his head with a smirk. "You're not making sense, lass-"
Haven growled lowly, hating being called 'lass' or 'love,' and wanting to swiftly correct him. "Haven!"
"Sorry, love?"
"It's... Haven..."
She stated in a calmer tone, watching as a sly smirk crossed his lips. Oh how she wished she could smack him, but she had some semblance of decency as to reign her emotions in and keep them under control. Her eyes scanned over him, looking for any sign of a hidden weapon, seeing as she still didn't trust him. She was pulled from her search as Killian stepped forward towards her. She snapped to attention, and took a quick step back in retaliation to him moving forward. "I know what your name is, love. I'm just more curious about why you are acting so strangely."
"Strangely? You don't know the half of it."
"Care to explain then?"
"Not really, no."
"Lovely conversation." Killian muttered, having noticed that Haven fell silent as she quickly twirled around, continuing onward, forgetting to finish her inspection to make sure the pirate was safe and not intending harm.
He didn't know why he proceeded to follow her, there was just something in his heart saying he shouldn't leave her alone. Especially with the Hunters so close on her trail, and her almost being caught by them. There was a few moments silence between the two before Haven stopped, looking over her shoulder at him. Her eyes narrowed into a glare, questioning in appearance. He offered a smirk in response to her glare, causing her to step around once more to face him.
"Okay... what is it. Why are you still following me?"
"Do you plan on gaining my trust just to capture me and throw me in a cage? Huh?"
Before Killian could get a word in, she took off again, going on a small rant about what his plans could be. "Or do you plan on cornering me somewhere so the Hunters can torture me for no reason whatsoever?"
He shook his head disbelievingly. "I don't plan on breaking your trust, H. I just..."
She continued his sentence after his words dropped off, wanting to give a gentle push for what he was going to say. "You just...?"
Killian sighed, and it was clear to them both that whatever he was going to say was either forgotten or some words that wouldn't be best to share. Words like 'care' were what crossed his mind. He did indeed care for the griffin, but how was he supposed to act on such a feeling? He barely even knew her, and vice-versa. How could they enter this with just a couple words such as 'I care about you?'
No. It had to take time. How much time was uncertain. Sure he had a small spark with Haven, and he wanted to act on those feelings, but he also wanted to get to know her better. See if she was something that he could risk his life for. To see perchance if she would do the same- rescue him like he rescued her. Risk her life, put it all on the line, just to help him out. "Nevermind, love." He had to continue when she raised a brow in a suspicious yet silent questioning, "It seems the words slipped me mind."
Haven shrugged, not believing it to be the truth, but she let it slide. Everyone had their reasons for keeping things hidden. "Very well then." She nodded, accepting his word before turning back around to the trail that she was making for herself, heading away from civilization and the like. "If we're done here, then I really must be going."
Killian watched her starting to walk away, but she stopped and looked over her shoulder, looking for an answer to her question. He realized he still hadn't spoken, and he nodded. "Right. Of course. I hope you don't mind if I tag along for a bit. It appears to me that I've lost my crew."
That probably wasn't the best answer as she glared at him, clearly not amused. It was almost like she knew that he was lying. Simply put because the pirate indeed was lying. He knew where his crew and ship was. He just wanted to make sure that Haven got to where she needed to go. Yet it seemed like he wasn't going to get this chance. Not today at least.
Haven's eyes may not have continued to hold the glare, but her voice was harsh and rather fed up. "I don't have time for this right now. There's a town by the sea not even a days journey from here- I bet that's where your crew is. Now if you would please stop following me, that would be fantastic!"
Her words were harsher than she meant for them to be, leaving Killian speechless- without a way to respond. Had he bothered her that much? Immediate guilt twisted her gut to where it was uncomfortable to stand there looking at him, trying to keep her composure. After a painfully silent minute he spoke up, not sounding hurt, but... confused? "If that's what you wish, lass."
When he turned and started to walk in the direction of the town, she felt the guilt weigh even heavier on her soul. Why was it that she had to be so cruel under stress? It's not like she really meant it. Killian seemed like a fine man, there was nothing wrong with him. Hell, he saved her life twice now! If that doesn't prove a man's worth, than what would? It was her turn to be speechless. Watching him walk away. Gods know how long she stood there, watching him fade out of view like a shadow disappearing to join the night. How was she supposed to feel? Standing there, her mind trying to form words to call him back- even going as far as to think about shouting an apology. However, she didn't do it. It would only fall on deaf ears. There was no one there anymore. She was left truly and utterly alone. There was one thing she knew for certain about this feeling. It was absolutely painful.
Time passed as usual, and Haven was on yet another job to try and locate the one and only Rumpelstiltskin. Apparently Cinderella made a deal with the imp in order to go to the ball. Well, that deal was coming due, and Ella wanted to be able to keep her child and not give it up to the sick dastard. Haven's mission was quite simple. All she had to do was keep him distracted long enough for Charming and Snow to find the magical quill that would freeze Rumpelstiltskin and prevent him from using magic... until they were able to get him to his prison at least.
It had been at least a month since Haven had seen or even heard from Killian. That last encounter had actually been the last for a while now, and the guilt still pinned her down. She needed to find him so she could apologize. As a matter of fact, after this mission, she was going to go portal-jumping until she did find him. Screw her oath, she couldn't keep going knowing that she was so harsh all those weeks ago.
Her time flying passed faster than she thought, and as she looked down she saw the castle where Rumpelstiltskin was surely hiding out. He knew she was coming, and as she swooped down on her giant wings and shifted back to her human form the massive front doors opened wide. She dusted off her cloak, which still clung onto some black feathers, but she soon gave up with a huff as she cautiously strolled forward past the entrance. As soon as she was past the doors, they slammed shut behind her. Did she find it strange? Not in the least. She was used to magic, and she could feel that it was being used. Especially on the doors.
Rumpelstiltskin made his grand appearance with a giggle as a plume of smoke appeared in front of Haven while she was looking around. Her gaze shifted to the smoke and she stepped back quickly, slightly startled by his sudden entrance. He cackled as he appeared from the smoke, sickly gold colored skin catching the dim light. It made her sick. How could one go from a coward to a power-hungry evil-doer? How could let his son go? Even after all of this- the mad grab for power- he was still a coward. The one thing that should have been more important, he let go of. It made her sick to her core.
"What's the meaning of this visit, dearie? Need help stopping a war?" He grinned, eyes looking over her still feather-coated cloak. He knew she wasn't going to make a deal, but he still felt tempted to nab at the very least one feather.
No one knew why he needed what he did. Why he asked for such strange things that to ordinary people, wouldn't matter. Yet to Haven, she knew it was for something in the future. Something bad. Something that she wouldn't want to take part in. "Just came to talk... you know, I heard about what happened with your son some time back." She stopped, grinning as she saw how his features fell and his fingers twitched.
"How dare you bring that up." He hissed stepping towards her threateningly. She however didn't move. He was trying to intimidate her- something that wouldn't work so easily.
"Oh, I just bring it up because I've heard that he's in a better world now. With a better family. People who actually care for him. They haven't abandoned him for power!"
What was anger diminished into the imps usual unsettling cheery attitude as he skipped over to a small round table that sat in the center of the hall. "Is that so?"
"Well... good for him!" He giggled giddily, not letting Haven get the chance to speak.
She started to feel like he was also stalling for time. For what she wasn't sure. All she did know was that it had to be bad. Perhaps she picked the wrong subject to start off on as a conversation, but did she care? Not really. Her mind was somewhere else. Did Rumpelstiltskin know this? Somehow the imp most definitely knew, and he acted on it, turning the topic onto her more recent blunder. "Speaking of losses. You seem to have lost someone fairly recently. Isn't that right, dearie?"
"No, that's not even close-"
"Or more like, you pushed them away."
Haven bit her lower lip, not wanting to answer him, but she knew that he already knew the answer. Which is why he giggled. This time it bothered her. He had managed to get under her skin. That was a problem indeed.
By this time she figured that she could just leave and Snow and Charming would be fine, but Rumple had other plans. He snapped his fingers, causing the doors to lock as soon as she attempted to stride quickly towards them. She froze in place, closing her eyes, guessing what could be coming next. She was in no place of power where she knew she would be able to escape. So what more was there to do besides accepting her fate?
"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere, dearie! I have a deal to keep with some hunters that came through! They seemed quite interested in one particular little birdy!" He mocked her, wagging a finger in her face as she turned back around to face him, glaring daggers at him. She should have known that this would have been a trap. In the end, it would be worth it, though. Because just like she was soon to be trapped, Rumpelstiltskin was also soon to be caught and put in a prison.
It was worth it... She kept telling herself, even as a small group of hunters came filing in through the front doors that conveniently unlocked to let them in before closing once more. Her gaze shifted to that of an older man, who was and had been the leader of this hunt for the time she's been on the wanted list. She stood tall as he walked forward to the front of the group, but then proceeded up to the griffin, sizing up his prize.
"You're not so tough." He sneered, displeased.
Haven grinned, canting her head to the side, shooting back a smart remark. "You should see me when I'm angry."
The older man, who appeared in his forties, smirked. "Where's your jolly sailor bold? Did he figure you're not worth it? Did he see you as the monster you are?"
There it was again. That pain in her chest that made this an even harder question to answer. Which is why she merely spat a different truth in the man's face. "...The only monster I see here is you."
The man roughly snatched her chin in his hand, forcing her gaze on him as he glowered at her. "You didn't answer my question."
She smirked as the air fell still, and he released her chin, motioning for someone to come up to them. "Because it's none of your business." She responded simply, continuing to glare at her soon to be captor whilst also watching a young man prepare the shackles that were brought up.
As much as she kept telling herself it would be worth it, she couldn't help the small shred of hopelessness that slipped into her being. What if Snow and Charming didn't notice she was gone? What if they didn't try to help her? What if she'd never see the sun again? Gods know she loved feeling the sun on her wings.
The shackles were brought up, and the widely known Rumpelstiltskin bounded forward to the man with the shackles. The older man who stood in front of Haven turned to look at the so called Dark One. "What is it you want in payment? Gold? Jewels?"
The imp giggled. "I don't need any of that, dearie. I need..." his eyes went over to Haven's cloak, and his eyes lit up like that of a child when they saw something they liked. "Her cloak."
Haven growled, knowing he was trying to go for her feathers, but as she tried to lunge for the imp and release her griffin, something stopped her. The shackles had been placed around her wrists, and they glimmered with a purple light, showing they were enchanted to prevent Haven from shifting. She continued to growl as she knew exactly who put the enchantments on the most otherwise useless piece of irons.
Rumpelstiltskin giddily skipped over to Haven and plucked her cloak from her shoulders. She looked over herself, seeing her white ruffled blouse, black pants, and black boots. The leader grinned, grabbing the chain of the shackles roughly, forcing her to snap her eyes up in a piercing glare as a low growl reverberated in her chest. This caused the group to laugh as if they were in a grand hall, watching a jester perform.
"The great griffin bound in shackles with a mere enchantment. Who would've thought it could be taken down so easily."
Haven lost her glare, and her eyes softened and the growl diminished. Is this what it was like? Being captured, forced into whatever life these hunters wished? What would happen to her? Would she ever see him again?
At this rate, she doubted she'd see anyone ever again besides the faces of her captors. There was one thing that truly confused her. Why did she care so much about seeing him again? It's not like they left off on a great note. He probably didn't even want to see her. That was all if she somehow managed to get free.
"Come on, girl. Time to go." He yanked on the chain, pulling her forward with a stumbling step.
She didn't resist or try to fight. She knew how hopeless it would be. There was no point. As she was being dragged out, she looked over her shoulder, watching as Rumpelstiltskin happily plucked out five of her feathers from the cloak that once was hers. She didn't have much time to think on it before she was pulled outside.
The day was cold, with the wind and the cloud coverage, it made her shiver. She wasn't used to being in her human form for cold days. Oh how she missed her other form. It's what she used on the harsh winter nights when she had no other way to keep warm. Now it was what she missed most, especially considering she felt bare without her cloak.
There were at least six horses, two attached to a carriage that pulled a cart that was meant for carrying other four horses were for the more important members of the group. The forty-year old man hopped up on his steed, and brought it to the side of her small cage as she was thrown in like some kind of item. Nothing of true importance. As the group got on their horses, there were at least two that remained on the ground to walk beside the cart behind the horses. Haven could do nothing but watch as she was locked in the cage, just like she was trapped in her human form. If only she could fight back, then maybe she'd have a chance to get away.
Her thoughts wandered to the one pirate who had shown her kindness, even when she herself was being rude. With everything going on in Snow and Charming's life, there was no way they would get the news that Haven had been captured in time to do anything. She was starting to place her hope in even the smallest of things as the cart lurched forward on their trek to go who knows where.
As she started to 'settle' in as much as she could, something sharp poked her leg, and as she shifted her hands up to look over her legs she spotted the cause of what had poked her. One of her black feathers had managed to stick to her. She greedily plucked it from her pants and held it in the palm of her hands, staring at it. There was still a bit of magic that she could use. As far as she knew, the shackles only prevented her from shifting. The spell she had in mind was simple, and it didn't take much energy. Haven closed her fingers around the feather as she bowed her head, closing her eyes as her lips moved in a silent enchantment. The words said, her eyes opened, and a smile lifted her lips up. She still had little hope, but this was her best option.
With a short intake of breath, Haven blew the feather up into the air, watching as it floated up into the sky, swaying back and forth. After a few moments it disappeared from sight, and with it, her smile had fallen. Her hope had left with the feather; she prayed that it would have enough magic to carry it through a portal... to wherever he was... and give him the message she enchanted it with. With a sigh she slumped back against the uncomfortable wood, waiting for the destination. To see what fate was in store for herself.
Not much time had passed before they arrived at a place she had never seen before. Most likely because she was never one to stray far from her mission. She went where she was needed. Where she had to go to take the fight to the Evil Queen in order to cause at least some damage. Apparently they didn't want her to memorize too much of where she was going because as soon as they pulled her out from the cart they tied a piece of black cloth over her eyes. What felt like hours was actually minutes before she was thrown into yet another cell, dark and cold. Colder than the world outside.
She made no sound as she was roughly thrown into the cell. As she hit the ground she reached her hands up and removed the blind-fold; her eyes saw nothing but pitch black, and even with taking a few moments for her vision to clear, it didn't improve much. She could see the grey walls and floor of her cell, and she could feel that it was made of stone, hence why it was so cold. She could barely see past the bars of the cell, down the hallway, or to any of the other cells. The two that had thrown her in chuckled with malicious intent as they closed the cell door, locking her in that dreaded place. Wherever she was- she had a bad feeling.
Haven huffed, shifting to a more comfortable sitting position. Her thoughts started to wander, but not for long as a voice called to her. Weak. Curious. "What are... you in here for?"
Her brows furrowed together at the voice, and she crawled to a stand, careful not to trip herself with the shackles still attached to her wrists. She went to the cell door and grasped the steel bars. Trying to peer out to see who had called out to her. She responded coolly, hopefully to detect where the voice was coming from. "You first. What are you and why'd these dolts lock you away?"
There was a quiet moment. Making Haven shift uneasily. Maybe she should have answered her question first.
Whoever else was there laughed dryly. Almost painfully. "I'm a Pegasus... and uh... apparently the townspeople thought I was kidnapping their children... When it was quite the opposite. I was protecting them."
"Let me guess... the real culprit was pretty obvious?"
"...Yes... But that witch managed to convince them I was the one doing wrong."
Haven scoffed, not being able to help the fact that she was growling lowly. "How pathetic... a creature as beautiful as a Pegasus... locked away in a dammed cell because ordinary people can't see the good. They always look at the bad."
The Pegasus could be heard shifting, but Haven remained silent, listening as she spoke. "Well... ordinary people don't understand us... They're afraid of whatever magic we possess."
"Yeah... Ain't that the truth..."
Haven admitted with a huff as she let go of the bars and leaned against the nearest wall before sinking down to the floor. There was a silence that settled between the two before once again it was broken with another question. "What about you?"
She almost forgot to answer the question until it was mentioned. A smile slipped across her lips as she told her short little introduction. "I'm a Griffin, and... I'm here because the people complained enough... managed to convince the hunters to track me down."
Haven shrugged with a slight chuckle. Forgetting the little detail of her name, but seeing as the Pegasus didn't mention her own name, she figured she'd leave it out. However as a few more minutes passed she was surprised when the conversation was started again.
"My uh... my name is Farani."
A smile crossed Haven's lips again as she shifted to where her back was against the wall, and her legs curled up under her. It was uncomfortable, but the best she could do in a stone prison. "Haven. I would say it's nice to meet you Farani, but we're both locked up in our own cells. Not to mention it's really dark. I can barely see a thing."
Farani chuckled dryly. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Either way... it's nice to have someone else to talk to... besides myself."
Haven shifted again, finding it increasingly difficult to find any sort of comfort as the cold seeped into her bones. She pushed aside her own selfish thoughts of trying to get warm, and instead focused on what Farani had just said. "Haven't there been others? I mean, didn't there use to be others here?"
The silence was long and painful as Haven waited in suspense for the answer to that question. She wanted to know what her fate might be if she were here too long, but she also didn't want to know. Yet, her curiosity only continued to grow as to why they were the only two in cages. Were there others that were in a different portion of this prison? Or were they really the only two? When the Pegasus spoke, Haven pulled herself out of her thoughts and perked up to listen. Though, deep down, she was also formulating a plan on how to escape if it ever came to it. If her 'knight in shining armor' didn't save her first.
"There used to be quite a few kept in this prison... but over the past few months everyone has slowly disappeared."
Farani fell quiet, and Haven glared out into the darkness, fists clenching up. The Pegasus finally found her voice again and continued from where she left off. "Not all of the creatures here were evil. Most of them were good- innocent."
Haven could hear her voice getting choked up, but still she continued on, telling the story. "I don't know what happened... but what I do know is that almost every night I could hear them torturing the good, innocent, ones. Their screams echoed down the halls... It was like they meant for me to hear everything... and then... after several sleepless nights... they started coming to my cell... and torturing me without much reason other than they were drunk."
The silence that fell over the dark abyss was unsettling as well as painful. Apart from Farani's quiet sniffles, Haven couldn't hear much else. This wasn't right. All the pain these people were inflicting- it wasn't right. If she ever got free, she swore that she'd tear apart the people that had caused so much pain. The Griffin took in a slow breath, calming her rage-induced thoughts of inflicting pain on these crazed monsters. Instead, she looked to comfort the Pegasus to the best of her abilities.
"Hey... it's okay..." She paused, trying to think of something to say, but really, she wasn't used to having to help with these types of situations. She was more used to traversing the lands in search of a way to stop the Evil Queen. "Do you... have anyone you care about...?"
Haven tensed as she thought she heard Farani choke on a sob. Again she felt as if she'd asked the wrong question. Yet once again she was proven wrong as Farani spoke up. "Yes... I was with him the day I was captured and brought here."
"He fought so hard to stop them from taking me... but he was knocked unconscious in the end."
Haven bit her bottom lip, not knowing what to say besides that she was sorry. However, sorry wasn't going to get them out of this prison. "I'm sure he's out there looking for you."
"I'd like to hold onto that hope... truly... but when you've been in here as long as I have, that hope is hard to hang on to."
"At least five months, right?"
"Yeah..."
The griffin sighed, "We're going to get out of here, Farani. I promise you that."
Her promise was soon interrupted as the doors to the hellish prison squeaked open harshly, making Haven cringe. For the briefest of moments light shone in to the hall, illuminating where Farani and Haven were compared to the others cell, but there wasn't much light to see any identifiable features.
There were a couple dark chuckles as footsteps descended down the hallway, stopping in front of Farani's cell only a couple blocks down from Haven on the opposite side of the hallway. The griffin could see in her peripheral vision as a dark shadow moved towards where she had been hearing Farani's voice. She heard it first, however. The scrambling motions to get away.
"Don't make promises you can't keep."
The Pegasus whimpered as the door was unlocked and swung open, and the footsteps entered. "Please! I did nothing to you!"
Farani tried to beg, but even with her heart-wrenching pleading, the man still slapped her across her cheek. "Shut up!"
Haven growled, springing to her feet, grasping the bars till her hands hurt. She rattled the chains on her shackles to gain the man's attention. "OI! Leave her alone!"
He laughed, uncaring. "Why should I? She's a monster, just like you."
An animalistic growl escaped her throat. "I said... leave her alone..."
"And pick on someone your own size... a 'monster' to a monster." She should have left it alone, but her heart told her she needed to protect her prison-made-friend. No matter her own thoughts on love, she couldn't very well see a couple torn apart. One way or another... Haven was going to make sure Farani could see her love again. Some day soon.
The silhouette of the man could be seen coming out of Farani's cell, closing the door, and locking her back in. Haven could hear Farani shifting back to the bars, looking towards where the man was going. "Haven, what have you done?"
"I promised you that I'd get you out of this place. What I didn't tell you was that promise starts now. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you."
Whoever the man was, laughed, a sickening laugh that made Haven's previously built up hope slowly dwindle away. "Oh, that's sweet. You're such a hero." He mocked, knowing that he could get under the griffin's skin with a few carefully picked words.
Haven didn't respond. There would be no point in it. She was a goner. Taking Farani's punishment for herself was bad enough, but what she didn't know was that she would soon be receiving her own 'punishments' on top of that.
The griffin saw the shadow of a man step in front of her cell, a white toothy grin standing on the other side, taunting her. Oh how she wished she could smack that smile off his face. Instead, she merely glared at her captor, a fire burning deep within, forcing her to not break so easily. It was almost like the man could see this fire. This will that burned in Haven to keep fighting and not give up.
Keys rattled as the right one for her cell was found and placed in the lock. The hinges of the cell swung the door open, and in entered the one who would be torturing Haven for as long as she was trapped here. Her heart was filled with dread, but she had to remain strong. Or at least appear like she was stronger than what she made everyone else believe. The man grinned, his lips moved, but Haven only caught a few words that resonated and told her that the sooner she got out, the better.
"I'm going to enjoy watching that fire in your eyes die out."
To some... a girl with magic would be 'terrifying' or 'frightening.' This however, wasn't the case for a certain pirate who was sailing on the seas once more. He found a certain griffin intriguing. He wanted to get to know more about her, but she had snapped and sent him on his way. If she was truly that enraged with his presence, then why did he feel like going after her still? The more his mind pondered this, the more distracted he got.
He barely even noticed when a black feather had drifted down from the sky and landed at his feet. When he finally cleared his mind of his thoughts and looked down, he was confused. How did a feather get all the way out here?
The pirate cast his gaze immediately to the sky, but saw nothing. Strange. There wasn't a single bird in sight. Nor was there a bird with black feathers. Unless he was thinking about a certain griffin's feather. That would change the way he thought entirely.
Of course, Haven was the first thing on his mind, but he didn't think of the possibility of her being in trouble. Simply put, Killian didn't give the feather a second glance, figuring it was just some random feather that had gotten caught in the breeze and somehow managed to land on his ship. In the middle of nowhere. A peculiar thought, but not one he dwelled on.
However, fate or whatever it was, decided to give him a nudge. Telling him to look back down at the feather. To even pick it up. With another confused glance he looked down, wondering what urged him to grab it. He finally conceded to this feeling and bent down, grabbing the feather within two of his fingers. The memories of Haven's capture flashed through his vision. He had no idea where she was, but he knew one thing. Once again he was going to have to save her. He wondered to himself how many times he would have to do this before she would trust him. Before she would start to figure out that he could be trusted.
He brushed those thoughts aside, gripping the feather in his hand. Blue eyes wandered past his rugged black hair to the deck where his crew wasn't really working. Mainly just bustling about with small tasks. His eyes then glanced out towards the wide expanse of the sea, surrounding his ship. A smirk tugged his lips upwards as he felt a certain tug, he realized that his gaze stopped moving, and where he was currently looking was where he felt he was supposed to go. Be it to find the next clue on where Haven was, or to actually find her. However, he knew that this time it wouldn't be easy. This time, he'd have to fight.
