Tsunami
Regina eyed the blonde woman; they were still bordering Midas reigns albeit they were already coming closer to the last borders that marked the waters of the devious king. The men had been restless since she had needed to move all of them in such a short notice from Dragon's nest and a few murmurs here and there had needed to be taken care off.
Biting her lip she leant on the railing of the bridge, her eyes still looking at the princess who smiled at that moment at something that Tim had said to her. After their encounter against Hook the feeling that the woman was something else had keep nagging her.
She could remember the way she had defended herself, the way she seemed so at ease on her ship, working and learning quickly if she didn't understand an order. There was the same cocky way of looking at her, almost like a permanent smirk attached to her lips. Regina suspected that Emma's soft side, the terrorized one she had witnessed, wasn't something usual for the blonde and so she kept looking at her, curious of the woman she had promised to protect.
Because, she thought as she played with a coin between her fingers, her short tresses caressing her cheeks as she did so, she had not only promised to the blonde to move forward, not leaving her on Dragon's nest. She had also promised to keep her safe, indefinitely. She hadn't exactly a plan prepared and whereas the crew wasn't complaining openly she could already feel the stares every time she turned her back.
"Why?" She asked out loud.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" Graham said behind her, the man smirking a little when she turned. After what had happened on Dragon's nest the quarter master had kept an eye on the blonde, not leaving her alone if he was able to. His behavior had been noticed not only by the blonde but by a few other members of the crew as well but Regina didn't exactly question her second's ways. She knew how the man operated after all.
"Why are you sure I'm talking about her?" She retorted, making the werewolf scoff, his wolf-like eyes glowing under the grey clouds the weather had brought them that morning.
"You have that look in you" He finally answered back "You want to ask her something and it's obvious she is also doubting how she could try to talk with you"
"How do you know that?" The brunette said, trying to disguise the obvious curiosity on her voice.
"Because" Graham replied as Regina grabbed the helm, her hands tightening around the device. Normally it was Bacon the one who kept the ship during the daytime but Regina had ordered him to step aside, her nervousness making her feeling jittery in a very much need of doing something else than just barking orders. "She has been looking at you every time you have exited from that cabin of yours"
Regina growled as she heard the amused tone on the werewolf's voice. "I though you didn't like her" She muttered, smiling curtly when she saw how her second flinched a little.
"I don't think she is like her grandfather" He cautiously said.
"And definitely not like her mother" Regina conceded, sighing when Graham glanced at her. "She knows how to fight" She pointed out "She isn't like a spoiled princess thinking that she is entitled to everything"
Graham nodded at that, both of they knew that that was something Regina had first thought way before the ship had entered on Midas' waters but he knew that the woman also needed to say it so she let her be.
"That's actually something I would like to know more" Regina commented, casually "About her skills, about what exactly did she do before we grabbed her"
"Why?" Graham said, making Regina inhale deeply for a second, her tongue licking her lips. She couldn't admit to Graham that she wanted to know more about the blonde only because she desired to understand herself and her will to help her no matter what. She couldn't explain the man that she had actually found herself opening her eyes in the middle of the night with Daniel's silhouette in front of her eyes, the man's voice whispering on her ears words that still didn't hold any kind of significance for her but still kept coming. She couldn't and so she merely shrugged, unable to say anything else.
"She will be free in a few" The man finally said, tilting his head, his hands at his back, standing as tall as he was like he always did. "Ask her"
And so Regina nodded, leaving the helm away and letting Graham pick it up with a strong hold. "Call Bacon and told him that he can stop pretending to being helping the cook" Regina muttered "I need him on the bridge"
Nodding, Graham turned, his voice piercing the ship and making the short man rush with his face still dirty of some concoction the rest of the crew were probably going to taste in the next few hours.
Regina descended the stair, the sound of her boots against the deck's wood, a few men looking at her, curiously. She had barely touched the deck since the arrival of a certain blonde and so, when she finally stopped right behind the woman who kept helping Tim on his chorus, she could almost taste the way the crew kept their breaths, faint murmurs on the back of the ship making her almost desire to turn back and fulminate whoever that had talked.
"Princess" She said, making Emma turn around, startled. The blonde's wound was already healed, the scar that had left behind already fading away. "I believe you still have the sword you grabbed on the skirmish back at Dragon's nest."
Emma nodded, doubt on her eyes. Regina smiled, savoring the first seconds of control she was experiencing since the blonde had first laid a foot on her ship.
"I would want you to give it to me since you seem to not being able to carry it" She added, a smirk on her lips when she heard her men guffawing at that. She had obviously mocked the blonde and that was something all her men enjoyed. Graham's groan was heard but she kept looking solely at Emma. Tim had scurried away meanwhile and the blonde seemed furious.
"I know how to fight" She answered back. Their eyes still focused solely on each other. The tension between them eased up Regina's doubts; that kind of interaction was something she could control.
"Grab the sword and show it to me" She ordered. The blonde nodded and turned, entering to the crew's cabins and exiting seconds after with Hook's sword between her hands.
The crew had already created a circle in the middle of the deck, a few of them murmuring bets and jokes as Regina dragged out her sable from its scabbard.
It was far easy to understand herself by fighting against the blonde, a brutish move but something she could control at least and show as she feigned a salute she felt surer than ever of herself. Fighting had been something she had learnt too many years ago. Something she felt comfortable doing it.
When the swords finally meet Regina's sable glowed uncontrollably, Emma's arm trembling for a second against the brunette's vigor. Thinking that it was going to be a quick fight the brunette narrowed her eyes, her mouth opening slightly when the blonde moved her feet and managed to unbalance her enough to actually move her own sword upwards, breaking her stance and moving way too close for Regina to do any comfortable move.
Trapped, the brunette jumped at her right side, repositioning herself again and attacking Emma with a swift move, the blonde dodged her and moved. This time she bent her body a little to one side as she did it before answering her attack. Seeing an opening Regina moved her arm, briefly touching the guard of the sword for a second before Emma dodged again.
The situation kept repeating itself over and over again; Regina managing to come close enough to Emma to be sure that this time would be the one in where she finally managed to defeat the blonde but finally Emma moved at one of her sides, blocking the attack. The princess, however, didn't start an open attack as much as Regina desired so the brunette soon enough started to suspect that Emma was good on dodging but not on attacking and so she started to try to force the blonde in being her the one openly attacking her instead of the other way around.
Finally taking the hint and after minutes of idly playing, Emma jumped doing a semi-circle with her arm, opening herself just enough to create an entrance for Regina's sable who ended up dangerously close to Emma's chest as she halted.
Regina smiled, feeling a new found respect for the blonde. Looking at her limpid green eyes she nodded, breathing quickly as she tried to make her heart beat normally once again.
"You fight well" She commented, making the blonde grin; her eyes seeming only focused on the brunette's face, a blush spreading through her cheeks.
"When I was a child I insisted on being taught how to fight" She said, shrugging easily, her breathing as labored as Regina's. The crew had started to disperse but neither of them seemed to mind.
"And how is that you know your way around a ship?" Regina asked, making Emma look at her feet, the grip on her sword easing up.
"One of the few things my father taught me. However I didn't have the opportunity of try what I'd learnt until I started working to manage to keep traveling"
Regina smiled at that, satisfied with the answers. Extending her hand she shook Emma's firmly, her hand squeezing the paler's woman for a few more seconds it was needed, a blush also starting to spread through her cheeks when she heard Graham's cough from the forecastle.
"You can keep the sword" She finally said before leaving Emma alone on the deck. "You had earn it after all"
Graham grinned when she reunited with him on the bridge but neither of them said anything knowing too well that Bacon was too close of them.
"Shut up" The captain said once making Graham snicker and shook his head as Emma glanced at Regina one more time before resuming with her chores.
The blonde looked at the brunette pirate from the corner of her eyes, since their brief talk and battle in Midas' waters Regina had barely talked with her, her eyes always seeming to turn and look away whenever they were in close proximity to each other.
She didn't avoid being in the deck anymore though so as the brunette moved and barked orders with a deep frown on her eyes Emma returned to her duties, trying to look as diligent as any other of Regina's men.
"Wonder where she wants to deck the next time" A few men murmured after Regina walked close to them. Emma bite her bottom lip at that and ducked her head as she worked on the ropes, the esparto bruising her fingers as she did so. Many men hadn't liked how fast they had needed to abandon Midas' waters and murmurs were starting to appear here and there. Emma hadn't wanted to ask Graham- who kept his eyes on her like a hawk- what kind of explanation he had needed to tell to the men while both Regina and her had been talking but judging on the way the crew kept looking sourly at both their captain and second it seemed like the talk hadn't gone exactly well. After their battle the things had seemed to return back to normal but a few of the crew, the ones who had been punished after their compulsory flight, seemed to start complaining once again.
"I think is better if we just wait" Arch said on his calm voice. The read head man was seated on the deck, next to August, the master gunner, who grunted once as he polished the grip of one of his guns. "Sawbones is right, we need to wait and see what happens"
The other two men who had been murmuring looked at each other in clear disgust but didn't push the issue once August looked at them, his expression –strange and definitely queasy since one of his eyes was made of wood- making them turn and resume their jobs.
"Idiots" August mumbled before losing himself once again on his own work. Emma smiled at him for a second before returning to her duty feeling Graham's eyes on her back as she did so.
"They are just curious" Arch answered with a shrug. And, to be truthful, the crew wasn't the only one feeling curious; since their departure from Dragon's nest Rocinante has moved upwards, leaving behind Midas kingdom and starting to border some of the kingdoms near to what were fairy lands. Since Regina was also the sailing master almost no one could exactly tell where they were but the shift on the air when they had reached and crossed what was considered to be fairy water's was noticeable and had made the crew feel even more nervous. "I also thought that you were going to be gone by the time we departed Dragon's nest" The balding man said after a few more seconds of silence, his intelligent eyes making Emma swallow and nod, not knowing exactly what to answer to that.
"Drop it" August said at the man's right side, a brow arched as he picked up another of his guns, his finger pointing at the doctor who raised his hands while smiling. "The captain had a reason why we are still moving instead of returning back to the Dark One's reign. Consider it a gift."
"It's that what she does?" The blonde asked curiously, picking up the ropes she had been working on and scooting closer to the two men, one of her tresses escaping the messy ponytail she had made a few days ago with a leather strip. "Moving back and forth between the dark one's reign I mean"
August looked at Arch for a second before glancing at their surroundings. Here and there men worked together, a few of them chanting old songs that were accompanied from time to time with a laugh and applauses. Almost no one- except Graham who Emma was sure he was in fact listening to them- was paying them any attention.
"It's in her contract" August finally answered after he was sure that no one was near enough to eavesdrop. "It's what she needs to do"
The blonde frowned, many stories were known about Regina, about what she had done, but it was the first time the concept of contract had been even mentioned.
"But…" She started "They say that she is with the dark one because she managed to…"
"To what?" August interrupted her with a laugh, his brownish eyes glinting amusedly "To fool him? Those are nothing but tales that old people prefers to tell to the children instead of the truth"
"August…" Arch said warningly, looking at the younger man with a scowl. But Emma was already interested and she didn't want to let the conversation die.
"Then what happened?" She asked, making the two men look back at her, August with what looked to be a triumphant smile and Arch with a tired look on his eyes.
"She was sold to him" Arch finally said in a quiet murmur "Apparently she had a destiny prewritten even before her mother existed and The Dark One needed her"
"But things went south" August interrupted, shrugging as she grabbed another gun and started cleaning it, not even bothering to look at Arch when the doctor cleared his throat in annoyance. "What? Is not like we have anything else to tell"
Arch returned back to Emma, the blonde blinking slowly as she digested the information and suddenly remembering the way Regina had looked at her when they had talked to each other back on Dragon's nest.
"A prewritten fate…" She thought, nodding to herself. Unfortunately for her she couldn't ask anything else to the two men since Graham barked to them, making both Arch and August to stand up and leave her side.
The author looked at the fire and sighed, still not sure of what the creature was trying to explain.
"What are you trying to imply?" He finally asked a mockery tone on his voice "That our work is fruitless?"
The being, instead of answering, kept telling the story, the magic crackling as the voice filled the room once again.
Soon after Emma talked with the two men the blonde decided to approach Graham when Regina moved indoors, the man looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he feigned to be taken care of the shrouds but didn't say anything.
"Where are we going?" The blonde asked, moving closer towards Graham and refusing to move even when the man turned and looked at her. The blonde saw a few men looking at their direction but no one approached them.
"Somewhere" The man answered with a shrug, a defiant look on his eyes. There was something on his pupils that made Emma swallow, not quite sure of what to do next. The Quarter master smirked smugly when she didn't say anything and turned once again, his hands grabbing the ropes and testing them on the shrouds, not bothering to even look at her twice. Not until the blonde woman spoke again, her arms crossed over the loose shirt she wore making her look younger than her years.
"I think I deserve to know where I'm going to be abandoned"
The sentence made Graham snicker a little but kept silent until Emma turned, decided to go and find Regina herself if it was necessary.
"She won't say what you want to know" The dark haired man said, his hands grabbing the shrouds when a wave slightly bigger than the others crashed against the ship.
"And what do you think I'm going to ask?" Emma asked back. Not expecting an answer she returned to the main deck and crossed it, ready to finally talk with the other woman.
The brunette woman barely looked at her when she entered in the cabin, her eyes completely focused on the few maps that were strewed all over her desk like the blonde already suspected was a normal thing. It was considerably interesting the fact that the brunette pirate didn't seem to mind the constant disarray her quarters were in.
"Graham" She started, but when Emma didn't answer back she looked up, her eyes narrowing when she adjusted her eyes to the other woman's features. "Emma"
The way her name was pronounced, with a particular accent Emma couldn't exactly recognize, made the younger woman bit her bottom lip and blush her hands ironing her clothes nervously as she could feel the leather strip that kept her hair together suddenly feeling uncomfortable and too tight for her liking.
"I wanted to know" She said "Where are you going to drop me"
The pirate sighed and stood, the blonde finally closing the door behind her and being able to smell the liquor Regina had been drinking until then. Smiling faintly at that, she moved towards the older woman. The right hand of Regina was touching the sable that was across the table, between the maps, a faint purple glint visible even under the fainting lights of the sun, the rays starting to disappear from the other side of the horizon.
"There aren't many places in where we are able to drop you" Regina finally said, grabbing the still half-filled glass and drinking from it, a tired smile growing on her lips once she put the glass back on the table. Licking her lips she turned, giving her back to Emma. She was dressed in leather pants and tall boots, the well fitted blouse leaving almost nothing to imagination. The blonde looked down to her borrowed clothes and sighed, a blush threating to appear. Ever since she had talked with both Arch and August what they had told her seemed to be swirling inside her head, their words echoing over and over again.
"So?" She finally asked, clearing her throat as she took a step back when Regina looked at her, her hands tucked safely at her back as she looked at her carefully.
"I could drop you on the fairy kingdom" The brunette finally answered after a few more minutes of silence "It would be the best solution, and the easiest one. At least is that what Graham keeps telling me"
Turning, Regina looked at her, her face still, a strange look on her eyes as the blonde took another step towards her, the glow of the sable blade shining between the two of them.
Emma nodded, her own hands starting to play with the hem of her shirt, her green eyes noticing the way Regina's eyes seemed to glow as she looked at her. It was probably the alcohol and the faint light that now illuminated the place but the blonde was completely transfixed and needed a few seconds before answering to what Regina had just confided in her.
"That's what you are going to do?" She asked, her voice deeper than she had intended, her mind already going back to the day of the fight, the way Regina had fought against her, not letting her win, making her think, try to be better. Now it seemed just the same, making her try to understand her, fighting against the brunette for information.
The pirate shrugged, her lips forming a line as she put her fingers on the table, the scrapping sound of parchment making Emma look down at them; the drawings of the fairies' shoreline visible now for her as Regina moved around the maps, apparently not noticing the way Emma looked back at her.
"It would be for the better" The brunette finally answered "You are obviously searched and I doubt it would be a good idea to keep you around more than is necessary"
"Then why don't you go to the White Kingdom and put me on my parents' hands?" The green-eyed princess rebutted. That question alone made Regina snort, a cruel smile on her face.
"I don't want to be near that kingdom" She answered simply, a coldness on her voice that made Emma shiver and frown. She wasn't afraid of the older woman, she had never exactly be afraid per se, but that moment made her reconsider the little she knew about her and the things she had been discovering until now.
"They say that you've never been near the White kingdom in the years you have been a pirate" She finally said, momentarily forgetting what she and Regina were talking about.
The sentence made Regina look at her, her eyes hardening slightly as she abandoned the maps, her back straightening and even if Emma was taller than her she suddenly found herself unable to say anything, feeling minuscule against the sudden change on the demeanor of the pirate.
"That's what they say?" Regina finally asked, something close to amusement lacing her words.
The princess nodded, the pirate had the reputation of being restless, of changing constantly decks and cities, but she had rarely been seen on White's waters.
"I suppose is true" The brunette answered, making Emma look at her once again, awaken from her reverie by her voice. She looked gentler now, almost younger, and as she circled the table and propped up on the edge of the table Emma's eyes focused on the way she observed her, almost predatory, before smirking, an exquisite mask of nonchalance slipping in front of her features.
"Why?" She boldly asked, seeing the telltaling details of a woman being taught to be a noble on the way the brunette tilted her head, mussing her question as if she didn't know the answer.
"That's my story to tell" The brunette finally said, a warning on her voice and in the way her eyes glowed alongside with the blade of her sword.
Emma narrowed her eyes, she had been always against the lies and half-truths that had enclosed her ever since she had been born and maybe because of that or maybe because her so-called magic prowess she could see the blatant lies and feel when someone was being insincere.
Licking her lips and steeling herself for the probably whiplash she was going to get, she moved forwards, inches now the only thing that separated her from the brunette woman.
"You know my story" She reasoned.
"You were the one who told me" Regina replied, a glint of humor glowing on her pupils for a second before disappearing. The blonde bit back her answer to that, sighing and closing her eyes for a second, making Regina's eyes fall from her eyes to her lips during the milliseconds the blonde wasn't able to see her.
"August told me that you have a contract" The princess finally said, opening her eyes again. "With the dark one"
That made Regina look at her boots, uncomfortable. The mention of the contract was something that never failed to make her remember the woman she had once been, what she had lost, what she had needed to give in order to remain alive.
"I'm going to feed that man's tongue to the whales" She muttered, making Emma chuckle a little at the statement.
"I thought they weren't able to eat meat" She provided, making Regina laugh a little at that.
"They will make an exception"
The lighter tone of their conversation was soon forgotten as silence settled in, a sigh escaping the brunette's lips. It had been ages since she had been so thoughtfully questioned by someone who wasn't Graham but she didn't find in herself the will to feel angered by the blonde woman in front of her.
"Why aren't you sending me to the Dark One?" The blonde finally asked, worry echoing on her voice. Both women knew that the devious imp was probably the sovereign who would make the most lucrative deal for the pirate since his hate for the white crown was very well known in all the reigns of the forest. Having the heir of the throne could probably be the best thing Regina would ever be able to give to him.
It was strange, Emma mussed, until Arch and August hadn't told her about the contract the thought of being given to the dark one himself hadn't even crossed her mind.
But now…
Regina clenched her hands, now carefully crossed in front of her chest as she tried to find the best way to explain herself to the blonde. Something that was also strange on its own way since the princess would be the first human living to who she gave any explanation of why she did what she did.
Strangely she didn't mind it.
"I have a contract" She finally said smoothly "But that doesn't mean that I can't do as I please"
The way she said those last words made Emma tremble for a second, her eyes focused solely on Regina's brown ones.
"And why is that?"
The pirate shrugged once again, moving to her right and finally taking a few steps away from Emma's presence as she tried to arrange her ideas.
"I won't give you to the dark one" She provided, refusing to answer Emma's previous question. "He doesn't own me"
The blonde hummed, not knowing what more to say and considering the way Regina looked about to order her to abandon the cabin she realized that there wasn't anything else that she could say or do.
Turning, she approached the door, feeling a tingle when she passed across a few objects that shimmered with different kinds of magic reacting for a second before dying once again.
"Thank you" She said, opening the door and closing it without saying anything else, her voice cracking a little at the end.
As soon as she was alone again Regina let out a sigh. It had been years since she had thought consciously on the day she had given herself to the dark one, the part that she had fought hard to keep, the freedom she had believed was the only thing that could keep going. And now the thought of the little old piece of parchment was unable to leave her mind for more than a few seconds.
Besides, she thought as she walked towards the strange-looking quill that had reacted to the blonde's presence, there was definitely something else on the blonde. Even if it was something that she couldn't pinpoint.
"I'm impressed" Graham's voice filled the place seconds later, making Regina roll her eyes at the amusement present on the man's tone. "You haven't killed her, even if when I'm the one who interrupts you you always manage to told me that one day you are going to feed me to the sharks"
"I think that what you are doing right now is precisely that" She replied, a growl echoing on the back of her throat as she turned. The man was standing on the doorway, a lopsided smile parting his lips as she walked towards her table and seated, her sable glowing a little bit stronger as she placed the quill near her for a second.
"What are going to do?" Graham asked, entering inside the cabin and closing the door behind him in the same fashion Emma had done. Regina threw back her head, passing her fingers between her short tresses as she tried to find the best way to answer to that particular question.
"Fairy reigns would be the best option" She answered straightening on the chair and pointing at the maps she had been looking at when Emma had entered.
"But you don't want to make her go there" Graham added, a teasing tone that made the pirate grin his teeth on frustration.
"You know, for less than that there are captains who would get you killed" She said moodily making the other man laugh at that.
"You aren't exactly like other captains" He offered, scratching his stubble. His eyes glowed a little, the wolf's influence visible on him for a second. "And you aren't planning on leaving her on fairy reigns either"
Regina grabbed the helm of her sword for a second before relaxing; the magic infused on the blade responding at her touch and the sound of magic crackling against her skin could be heard on her cabin. Graham didn't even flinch at that although he looked at the woman warningly, knowing full well the kind of effect the burrowed magic of the blade had on the woman.
"I don't know what to do" Regina finally said, his eyes purple for a second "There is something that keeps telling me that I can't get ridded of her, not yet. And there is Hook back on Dragon's nest"
"You don't think that was a mere coincidence?" Graham asked, crossing his arms and tilting his head a little, a deep concern showing on his face for a second.
"I think it was" The woman answered, scratching her forehead, her hair shadowing her eyes as she shook her head. "But I doubt he is going to let Emma go so easily"
"We have one of the best ships in the entire forest" The quarter master said although that didn't help with Regina's obvious distress.
"He also has an enchanted ship" She pointed out "And Emma means a big gain if he manages to put his hands on her"
"So you are thinking about making him believe that we have let her go on the fairies kingdom in case he is following us" The man said, suddenly understanding what Regina had been planning to do.
The woman nodded, grabbing the glass and trying to drink from it, a disgusted look on her eyes as she realized that it was empty. Leaving the glass on the table with a thud and grabbing the bottle of the liquor she nodded, serving herself a healthy gulp before swallowing it down.
"I don't trust him" She provided "And traveling up north from the other side would mean the imp, something that I don't want to encounter"
"Do you think he would try to make you give Emma to him?" Graham asked, not even battering an eyelash as his captain proceeded to gulp down a second glass.
"For what I know about Emma what makes me think that there is more than what we can see is the fact that he hadn't contacted me yet. He is able to feel almost everything once someone crosses his borders."
"And the princess' presence isn't something that we could call normal" Graham finished for her, suddenly understanding a few things that for him had been obscure until now.
"Precisely" Regina finished "My contract stipulates that I need to get ridden of every ship that crosses his borders, what I do besides of that shouldn't be interesting for him and yet…"
"You wonder"
Regina nodded, sighing when she felt the pleasant buzz on the back of her head as she finished another glass.
"He told me once that I couldn't escape destiny" She said, a painful look on her eyes "That what I tried that day wouldn't work in the long run. Emma is in the same predicament now Graham and I don't believe that Rumplestiskin doesn't know anything about this fact"
The quarter master nodded, leaving the brunette's cabin soon after with worry starting to grow inside of him. There was definitely something about the princess, something that was making his captain tremble like he had never seen her before.
Far away from the Rocinante, inside the enchanted forest and near a sea with waters as dark as coal, a man giggled to himself as he eyed a certain wand he had robbed from a particular fairy too long ago to even matter anymore.
Everything was ready and as he caressed his clothes and let his pointy fingers caress the silk embroideries on his vest. He turned, happily whistling a tune as he crossed one of the hallways his castle possessed.
The dark kingdom was a particular one in where no soldiers or peasants lived in and the only thing that could be heard at night were the roars of the different monsters the imp had brought from wherever they were from. Manticore and basilisks fought over their piece of land and, every now and then, the cries of the ones who tried to cross the dark one's reign echoed on the tall walls of the castle, a castle that was more another reminder of the power its inhabitant possessed than anything else.
That was the reason why, as Rumplestiskin walked down the corridors, he didn't see anyone except his own shadow, his castle, alike his reign, only filled with the horrors he guarded.
Once he reached the throne room, which he also used as his personal lair, he waved the wand with closed eyes, nodding to himself when the object crackled and hummed, magic oozing out of it.
"Hello?" A voice broke his concentration, making him turn with a sinister smile that made the voice falter for a second. "Hi"
"Captain Hook" The dark one greeted, walking to the crystal ball in where the pirate's features were visible, a look of disgust flashing inside the man's pupils as he nodded, acknowledging the imp's use of his title.
"I've found them" He simply stated "Bordering the fairy reigns just as you said they would"
Rumplestiskin giggled at that, Regina was certainly intelligent and that had been one of the things he had found more enthralling about her. But after years of dealing with her the psyche of the woman had turned a little bit obvious for him and it hadn't been difficult to predict what the woman was going to do once she escaped Midas' waters.
"We are going to need a few days to reach them though" Hook said "There is a storm approaching and we aren't going to be able to move closer without entering in the middle of it"
"Just do the job as quick as possible" The imp said at that, narrowing his eyes that glowed darkly under the candles that lighted the room.
Hook nodded, fear lacing the words that he said to an already white ball, connection cut by the imp.
"Aye crocodile"
Turning and looking at his quarter master, Smee, he nodded, grabbing the telescope the short man offered to him.
Raising it carefully and adjusting it as best as he could he smiled when he saw the confirmation of what he had informed the dark one; Rocinante's silhouette rocking back and forth over the waves.
"Let's go" He said, his orders being followed soon after.