At the cry - more of a strangled yell, to be honest - Regina turned her horse around to see an armor-clad figure leap out from among the trees, sword in hand. Gods be damned, she should have just transported them to her castle with magic. Was it too much to ask for the wretched girl to suffer a little? She sighed and watched with a bored expression as the Warrior fought toward the cage where the demon's whore was crumpled on the floor, dagger clasped in her unconscious hand.

Trust her men to not check their prisoners for weapons. You would have thought they'd have learnt by now.

Regina's feet landed primly beside one another as she launched her right leg over her horse's back. The soldier had a companion now, a man in significantly less armor. Fools. They would both die, and poor, poor Belle would only suffer all the more. She raised her hand level to her head, a dark purple cloud swirling in her grasp. She hurled it at the carriage.

But that ridiculous soldier leaped in the way! An unexpected development, as his sword swung down in an arc and the magic was, somehow, hurtling back towards its creator. Barely deflecting it herself, Regina took stock of the situation.

Most of her guards were dead by now, not that she'd brought all that many with her, and that coward Claude was nowhere to be seen either. Only one, no two, of her guards were still in view, barely holding onto their swords as the second-arrival beat down upon them. The first had taken off his helmet so as to see better and was trying to break into the cage, Belle pressed into the far corner, the bars at the back. With a sword that powerful, it wouldn't take the man long at all. But then he flicked his head back to move his braid and Gods! It was a woman! Who taught these people to fight? A surprise rescue attempt... could this day get more frustrating?

Alas, it could. Because of course. Why not? That ridiculous fool-number-two had managed to chase away her other guards, and was protecting the woman (Gods!) as she broke Belle out. She recognized him as she finally got a good look at his face - her guards had probably handed the torch over to him - he was Prince Phillip, the True Love of Maelificent's plaything. And they had an unspoken vow not to meddle in each others business *cough*revenge*cough*. She couldn't kill him, or his companions, or the old dragon would be after her. Dammit.

Of course, Rumpelstiltskin was a part of that deal too, and he would never deliberately make himself dragon's-bait. Regina smiled. He wouldn't look for her here. And a simple spell would shield her aura from his magic. She could continue with her plan to inform him of her death (she was practically dying as it was), let that demon feel pain for once. Regina smiled wider. And Regina disappeared.