6

Shadowy Protector

The bullies tormenting continued every day, until Belle could hardly stand to wake up in the morning to go to school, for she was always afraid that something mean or humiliating would be done to her before or during recess. Cora was a master at tripping her so it looked like an accident, and she often came home with skinned elbows and knees, leading the other kids to believe she was clumsy and they refused to pick her for games like chase and "run, sheep, run". Bo always managed to spill something on Belle—like ink or paint when they had art lessons, thus reinforcing the perception that she was a fumblefingered child.

It was the same with Rumple, only him they called cripple and made fun of his shyness. Felix always pretended to limp along and George called him "gimp" and made him give them all the nice tarts and pumpkin muffins and cookies Aimee and his aunts baked for him for lunch every day. They also enjoyed rubbing mud on Rumple's clothes and in his hair, and Rumple hated being dirty, and he would grow frantic to wash it off and often make things worse.

Aimee would sigh and scold softly, "You should be more careful, Rumple. You're putting holes in all your clothes . . .though I suppose that's normal for a growing boy."

"Yes, Mama," Rumple muttered, looking at his feet, wanting to cry and tell her everything that George and Felix were doing, but he didn't dare. He didn't want all his fingernails ripped out and he'd seen both boys rip the wings off living butterflies at recess, so he knew they wouldn't care about ripping off his fingernails . . or Belle's either.

He would have liked school except the continuing tormenting was making him sick to his stomach and he could hardly eat breakfast the morning he had to go to school. Concerned, Aimee had Lauren make him up a tonic and it tasted so gross Rumple nearly threw up. The next day he made sure to hide the uneaten food on his plate in his napkin and then throw it into the bushes when he left the cottage to walk to the schoolhouse.

After a week of this treatment, Rumple began to wonder if he'd spend the rest of his schooldays a mass of quivering nerves . . .a coward like his papa.

Belle too was starting at shadows and as they walked to school again, she jumped when the wind blew some leaves across their path. "Sorry, Rumple," she muttered. "I just . . thought I heard them coming."

"I know," he said, looking around warily. "But they make a lot more noise."

"Like hungry monsters," Belle said fearfully. She gripped Rumple's hand because it gave her courage.

"Why didn't your Vision come true yet?" Rumple muttered.

"I . . dunno," Belle said quietly. "Maybe . . .it wasn't real."

"Maybe it takes time," Rumple whispered back comfortingly.

She nodded. If that was the case, she wished it would hurry up.

They had nearly reached the bend in the path to the schoolhouse when George ran up behind Rumple and shoved him to the ground. "Trip much, gimpy?" he laughed harshly.

Rumple yelped as he hit the ground, skinning his knees and his stick went flying.

"Aww! Did the wimy gimp fall down?" drawled Felix, his handsome face curled in a sneer.

"Wimpy Gimpy Rumpy!" chanted Cora and Bo nastily.

"Now give us your sweets . . .before we shove that stick up your ass!" Felix growled.

"I . . .I . . ." Rumple fumbled in his satchel for the bag of muffins Aimee had given him, hoping it wasn't crushed in the fall.

"Hurry up!" ordered George, and kicked Rumple in the ribs.

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" Belle cried. "We didn't do anything to you!"

"Yeah you did!" Cora smirked. "You exist!"

"So do you!" Belle returned spiritedly. "An' what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means—witch freak—that you oughta been drowned at birth like unwanted kittens!" Bo shouted, and yanked Belle's ponytail.

Belle hollered and tried to pull away, but Bo was stronger and she knocked Belle onto the ground. "Gimme your lunch . . .and whatever else you brought today, freak!"

Belle's eyes were filled with tears. "I hope your hair falls out!" she cried, and went to get her lunch sack.

The four bullies were laughing as they took their victims dessert and Felix spit in Rumple's butter and jam sandwich before he threw it at the other boy, saying, "Nice lunch your mama packed, ain't it? Oh, I forgot, you ain't got a mama, 'cause you're a bastard whose mama croaked after she looked at you!"

"That's not true! My mama was sick, that's why she died!" Rumple cried, tears stinging his eyes at the cruel implication. Aunt Lauren had said so . .. and she never lied to him. "My aunt said so!"

"Then she lies, gimp!" Felix sneered and they turned to run off.

When out of the shadows of the woods beside the path came a loud menacing growl.

George froze. "Uh . . what was . . .that?"

"I dunno . .. sounded like . . a wild animal!" shivered Felix, still clutching Rumple's muffins.

The growl was repeated, louder this time.

"I think it's coming after us!" wailed Cora, clutching her satchel and Belle's hair ribbon that she'd ripped from her hair.

Two green eyes suddenly appeared in the brush and the sharp deadly snarl drifted out of the shadows.

Suddenly a soft voice spoke, singing almost, yet it's tone was deadly cold and dreadfully scary.

"Stupid children, where are you going?

What are you doing, this fine summer's day?

Wicked children, why do you torment one of your own,

Can you not find another game to play?"

"Ahhh!" screamed Bo Peep. "It's a monster!"

"A monster indeed . . .one that takes wicked children

And skins them and hangs them upon the door.

To make a fine coat to wear in the winter,

Oh such a fine thing, to keep out the snow!"

The children, including Belle and Rumple, were now paralyzed with dread.

"P-Please . . don't hurt us!" bawled George.

"Hurt you? Why not?" asked the voice, sounding like a rather curious child. "You have hurt others, why shouldn't I take you and skin you alive?"

"Noo!" wailed Felix. "We didn't!"

The voice made a tisking noise. "Now, now, don't you lie. Liars get their tongues ripped out before they're skinned, don't you see? So tell the truth, don't lie to me!"

Cora began sniveling. "Okay! We . . . we were mean to the freak and her little gimp friend!"

"Yeah but who cares?" added George.

"Me!" giggled the monster and something swirled in the shadows of the trees and the green eyes glittered and the snarl became more pronounced.

"G-George, shut up! Before it . . . eats us!" Felix whined.

"I want my mama!" Bo burst into tears.

Belle squeezed Rumple's hand and whispered, "Maybe it's a good monster."

Rumple was too scared to say anything and just nodded.

"Naughty girl, now you cry? Before you didn't give a fig! Stick a finger in your eye!" the shadow went on. "Do you think that I don't know . . .what you did . . .now you shall reap what you sow . . ."

"No! Please! We'll give you anything!" wailed George, now terrified to the marrow of his bones. "Just don't skin me!"

The shadow snorted. "Not so brave, are you now, when something stronger has got you down? Little brat, promise me . . .never to touch these two again . . .then we'll see . . .I might not come and skin you . . ."

The four started yammering and bleating like young shoats in front of the slaughterhouse, pleading for mercy. They shoved their ill-gotten gains back at their victims desperately.

"Oh, mercy, mercy, mercy me!" singsonged the voice, still with icy cold disdain. "If ever I see you four again attack these two just because you can . . . look out your windows and look out your doors, for the shadows that gather and creep on all fours, as dusk falls so shall you, if you break your word to me . . .skinned shall you be and hung upon the door . . so all may know what happens to . . .wicked little children!"

On that last pronouncement, the voice scaled into a high-pitched vicious giggle, accompanied by a low howl.

George, Cora, Felix, and Bo ran screeching away, running home to hide in their closets and under the bed from the evil shadow monster.

Belle went to help Rumple up, going to fetch his walking stick, which was lying in the middle of the path, when the eyes suddenly resolved themselves into a large wolf-like animal, black as a moonless night, who came and sat down before them.

The little girl froze. "You . . . you're the . . shadow monster?" she gulped, her hand wrapped around Rumple's stick.

"No, that would be me," answered the voice and the shadows swirled and rippled and flickered into a medium-sized man dressed all in gray, boots, pants, tunic, and an odd shimmering shadowy cloak. He looked to be around thirty or so, with slightly curling hair of a nearly black hue and a face of high cheekbones and sharp edges.

He was slightly smaller than average, lithe like a hunting cat, with the same restless energy, and his skin was pale as parchment. His only truly arresting feature were his eyes, they were a deep purple hue, like dusk transplanted into human form. He came and laid a hand upon the wolf-like creature, whose head came up to his chest.

"This is Nyx, you would call her a hybrid, she is part dog and part dread wolf. She won't harm you . . . unless you threaten me." The stranger chuckled.

He picked up the stick and came towards Rumple. "Come up from there, lad." He handed the stick to Rumple with his right hand.

Rumple scrambled to his feet, staring up at the man in awe. "You . . .saved us. You're not a monster, like they thought."

One side of the man's mouth quirked in amusement. "The shadows hide many things, lad. Friend and foe sometimes. I am just a man now . . though once . . once I was a bit more. Be that as it may, I was glad to help."

"Why?" Rumple asked suspiciously.

"Because I have been where you are now, long and long ago," the other replied easily. "And I have never tolerated bullies. In any shape or form."

Belle looked him up and down. "I don't remember you. Have you always been here?"

"No. I am recently arrived. I have retired from my previous line of work and come here to get some peace and quiet. I live in the cottage with the smoky purple trim near the schoolhouse. I was out for a little walk when I heard those wicked bullies tormenting you."

"Thanks for your help, sir," said Belle politely. "Umm . . what's your name?"

The man paused before he answered, almost as if he was unsure of his answer. Then he said quietly, "The name my mother gave me is Bey. Bey Starfall. But you can call me Bey."

"I'm Belle. Belle Avignon." She held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you."

"And I'm Rumplestiltskin Spinner," Rumple said cautiously. "But you can just call me Rumple."

He shook both children's hands. "Well met."

"Would you really have skinned them?" Rumple blurted.

Bey chuckled, low and deep. "'Tis what they think . . . and sometimes, lad, a little misinformation can save you a great deal of pain and heartache."

They began to walk with their shadowy protector down the path to the schoolhouse.

"I just don't know why they're always picking on us," Belle said mournfully. "I can't help if I was born with the Sight."

"And I can't help my leg," Rumple said.

Bey paused, then said, "Children can be intolerant vicious brats. And it's easy for them to look at you and see someone different and label you as someone that's beneath them. It's a trait that breeds with ignorance and continues because people don't stamp it out when they can."

They had almost reached the schoolhouse and Miss Mack was about to ring the bell, when Bey said, "Now go, you two and don't worry about those other four."

"But . .. what if they decided to get someone else to hurt us?" Rumple whimpered, still thinking of Gaston and his tongs.

"Hmm . . .you're right. Tell you what. Come over to my house for tea, you two, and we'll talk about me helping you to defend yourself against those who will hurt you."

"Really? When?" asked Belle excitedly.

"After school."

The bell began ringing.

Bey stood back and watched as Rumple and Belle trotted into the schoolyard, then he swirled his cloak about him and vanished from view.

Seconds later, he and Nyx were trotting through the trees back to their new home.

As he put the kettle on for tea, figuring a cup would be just right to soothe the ache in his left arm, he looked down at the wolf-dog beside his chair. "Well, Nyx, now I know I've truly retired. I haven't gone by Bey since I was ten years old and learned how to walk in shadow and silence."

Nyx wagged her tail, understanding.

The man now known as Bey rubbed his left arm, partially paralyzed as a result of being poisoned over a year ago. It was that as much as the death of his former monarch and the succession of a new one that had led to his decision to leave the life he had once led and cross two kingdoms to come here, to this hamlet within the Enchanted Forest. His long lean fingers traced the tattoo he bore on his left wrist, hidden by his sleeve.

It was of a dagger, curled around his wrist. The symbol of his old order. I shall be a dagger pointed at the heart of your enemies, for as long as you shall live. His mind spun back to the pledge he had made over twenty years ago to a young king. That king was now in his grave, dead of a sudden lung ailment, though some said his heart had followed his wife years before when she had died bearing him a son and heir. But his monarch's death had freed Bey from his obligation at last.

His opposite hand circled his wrist and the violet eyes darkened. The dagger was the symbol of what he had been, and his last name was an indication of his being born a royal bastard. Where he had come from, such a status was not scorned, rather the legitimate blood royals used their illegitimate kin, making them bound to the throne by teaching them a trade—the art of silence and shadow, the way of the dagger, making them into assassins who protected their monarch and thus were never able to revolt against him. Five Daggers had been in service when Bey had left . . . five royal bastards like him, cousins and half-siblings, for the Highstar line had always been prolific lovers. They would have to choose a new one to take his place.

Only he had been the best of them all. The legend from whom all Daggers were told to aspire to, his name whispered in fear into the dark, to scare little boys and girls into good behavior, and miscreants into thinking twice about attacking his monarch. A grim smile twisted his lips as the kettle began to whistle.

As he poured the boiling water over the tea leaves he reflected that at least no one from his past would ever think of searching for him here, for who would suspect the notorious mage assassin once known as the Dark One to be here in Hearthstone?

A/N: so what did you think of Bey Starfall and Nyx?