Running Out Of Time
Chapter 10
Storybrooke - Snow POV
Belle had gone home at around three in the afternoon and Rumpel had returned to take her place at Regina's bedside. He had begun the process of brewing a new potion to help the brunette but the final ingredient would have to soak for ten hours until it could be added. So until then they had to hope Regina's body fought the effects of her heart being drained without magical aid.
By five in the afternoon Snow had been sat at the brunette's side reading Milton's 'Paradise Lost' out loud for about an hour in the hope that Regina could hear her familiar voice and take comfort in it. After experiencing a sleeping potion herself Sow was doubtful it would work but she felt the need to do something.
Rumpel, who had been sat in the living area with Henry reading some sort of spell book came back in at five to check Regina's temperature yet again. However this time, unlike the previous times he shook his head and clicked his tongue indicating something was wrong.
"What is it?" Snow asked him as she placed a bookmark in the page she was on and placed the book down.
"Her temperature is starting to rise" Rumpel admitted as he went through the process of cleaning and restoring the thermometer again.
"We need to treat the symptoms. Her body will start to fever so we must endeavour to keep the fever down. I suggest we all wrap up warm and open the windows so she can get some cool fresh air. Make sure she keeps the blankets on but use damp cloths to try and lower the temperature."
Snow climbed to her feet as quickly as possible for a heavily pregnant woman and headed towards the living area of the apartment. Meanwhile Rumpel opened one of the large bedroom windows. Henry was still sat on the sofa reading the book. He had literally only stopped all day to eat, get a drink for him-self or go the toilet.
"Henry did you here that" Snow called across the room, "put your jumper back on and wrap the throw around you."
She knew he had heard her when he placed the book down and picked his jumper up from the other end of the sofa. Snow headed into the bathroom and found a couple of clean flannel cloth's that would be suitable to use on Regina. The former Evil Queen probably wouldn't appreciate the pastel pink colour of them if she was conscious but as it stood the brunette wouldn't know a thing about it.
After finding the cloth's Snow turned her attention to the kitchen. She routed around the cupboard until she found one of her large mixing bowls and began to fill it with cool water.
Once she'd filled it to about half way Snow turned the tap off and placed the bowl on the work surface. When she looked up she found that Henry was stood on the other side of the counter holding his book out to her. The page contained an illustration of Regina stood in front of her carriage dressed all in black bar a billowing purple cloak.
"I've been reading this book and I can't find one good thing about the person who is meant to have brought me up. I've spent time with her though…here…as the Mayor…as a friend of my moms. She was nice and friendly and kind."
Oh god Snow thought to herself, this was a really serious conversation he wanted to have with her and she did not want to mess this up. She was sure if she did then when Emma returned she would feel her daughter's wrath.
"Henry…" she managed to say his name before pausing. She wasn't sure how an earth to go about this conversation but luckily the boy gave her something to latch on to.
"My mom said that she is more than the book?" he asked desperately. His eyes implored her for answers and she took a deep breath before trying to give him some.
"Things happened back in the Enchanted Forest that shaped and changed us all" she explained, "here in Storybrooke we have found the chance to start again. You were the reason for Regina to turn her life around. I know right now it must be strange to hear but she loves you very much."
Henry's brow crinkled as he obviously thought deeply about her words but then he surprised Snow by placing the book down on the counter and picking up the bowl. She followed him through to the bedroom carrying the cloths and he placed the bowl down on the bedside table before retreating to the armchair furthest away from the bed. Rumpel, who had obviously overheard the conversation in the kitchen, headed back into the other part of the apartment to give them some privacy.
"Can you tell me about her?" Henry asked as Snow settled down in the chair right next to Regina's bed. She dampened one cloth in the water and laid it across the unconscious woman's brow. Her actions gave her a little time to compose her answer.
"I honestly don't know much about her early years Henry but how about we start with the first time Regina and I met?" Snow offered.
Henry nodded his head in response and brought his legs up onto the armchair so they were tucked underneath him. He pulled one of the fleece blankets around his shoulders; obviously ready to settle down and listen to some stories. Once he looked comfortable Snow began the tale of that first meeting.
"I was still a young girl, mourning the loss of a mother who meant the world to me. One day I was travelling with my father and some of his subjects when the horse I was riding ran off with me. It was galloping and I couldn't stop. I was so scared so I screamed and screamed. Then a young woman who had seen I was in trouble came galloping up alongside me and pulled me onto her horse. That woman…well she was Regina."
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The Enchanted Forest – Emma POV
Hook had been correct when he said they would reach the town before it went dark. He had led them to the local Inn where their horses had been stabled and they had been assigned two rooms. Now they were sat in the Inn with a jug sized portion of real ale each and a meal of roast pork and potatoes. The food was dry and plain and the ale was strong but it was better than nothing.
Conversation had been minimal between the two of them since there brief talk at lunch time. They had ridden in silence for the rest of the day and they were now eating in silence. So it surprised Emma when Hook suddenly grasped her wrist and spoke to her.
"Listen Swan try not to overreact about this but the Robin Hood of the past has just walked in."
Emma turned in her seat to see Robin and a couple of other men she didn't recognise standing by the bar. The outlaw was several years younger and more carefree looking than the man that now resided in Storybrooke with them.
In truth she was angry with the man she saw before her even though she knew it was irrational. This man had done nothing wrong yet and Emma knew more than anyone that life shaped people and their actions. Something had drove Robin Hood, the man who legendarily stole from the rich and gave to the poor, to help the Witch.
"You okay?" Hook asked as she observed the other man by the bar.
Robin and his friends made their way to a free table and sat down. Once the outlaw was comfortably sat on the stool he removed his coat and rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up. His lion tattoo was prominent even across the room and it reminded Emma of the conversation she had with Regina before she had taken the sleeping curse. The blond wasn't sure why learning that a man with a lion tattoo was fated to be Regina's true love bothered her so much. It filled her with the same tense and anxious feeling she had gotten when she saw Robin kiss the brunette outside Granny's. It was that feeling that felt a lot like jealousy.
"Yeah…actually I think I might try to talk to him" Emma replied, not even turning back to look at the Pirate.
"I doubt very much he can help us in this time Swan" Hook remarked. The man tugged on her arm so she turned to look at him again. She could see the nervous look in his eyes and she knew he feared she would do something drastic and cause a scene. Emma smiled reassuringly at him as she genuinely did just want to ask the outlaw a question.
"Wait here" she instructed the Pirate before getting up and leaving him sat at the table with no time to protest.
There was a space next to Robin available on the bench on which he was sat. Emma approached the table slowly and sat in the space so she was facing away from the table and the two friends opposite Robin.
"Hey" she directly greeted the outlaw. He put his drink down and sat up, nodding politely at her even though he was clearly confused by her sudden presence. "I'm sorry to bother you but I was wondering if I could ask you about your tattoo?"
He looked down at his own right arm and the large black lion tattoo.
"What about it?" he asked.
"I met someone else with an identical one once and it seems odd that two people should have such a distinctive design on the same arm" Emma explained. It was true enough for her story to be convincing.
"There a few other men like myself out there who have this mark but our numbers are dwindling" Robin replied solemnly. His answer gave little away but Emma pressed on.
"Men like you?" she enquired, trying to sound as innocent and girly as possible even though it made her feel like vomiting.
Robin glanced at his companions before bringing his leg over the bench and shuffling so he was sat facing the same way as her.
"Have you ever heard of the Panthera?" the outlaw asked, keeping his voice low. When she shook her head he sighed and continued. "They were an elite royal guard whose sole purpose was to protect the family of the King no matter what the cost. They were made up of the bravest and most noble born knights in the Kingdom. To earn the right to be one of these Knights a man must do something brave, selfless and honourable."
So Robin had been a royal Knight she mused and not just any old Knight. How had this man who by his own description must have been of noble birth ended up living rough in a forest with a band of outlaws? He was probably a man with an interesting story to tell but she was still far more interested in the mark he bore. It was a mark that looked incredibly similar to something she'd seen in a picture in Henry's precious book.
"The lion is the royal crest right?" Emma asked. When Robin looked at her suspiciously she felt the need to explain her ignorance. "I'm not from around here."
Robin reached behind him and grabbed his pot of ale. He took several deep swigs before placing the ale back down on the table.
"It was the original royal crest yes although the crest was altered when King Leopold married his first wife the Queen Ava" the outlaw explained. "The lion represents the warrior but the new crest also contains the flowers which represent peace and diplomacy. On the new crest the layout is significant…the lion is at the bottom and the flower at the top. It symbolises that although it is a kingdom of Warriors it is a peaceful kingdom which strives for peaceful settlements over war."
Emma had never had much time for the meaning of signs and symbols. The most exposure she had ever had to the field was watching the Da Vinci Code. However she understood how powerful the imagery on something like a royal crest could be. It was intriguing that Regina's supposed true love should not only bare the symbol of Snow White's family crest but also have been a guard who had possibly once been charged with guarding her. Irony just didn't cover it. It was nearly as ironic as the Saviour and the Evil Queen. Not that it was worth thinking about the possibility now she had lost the brunette. She would drive herself mad.
"And all these Panthera Knights were branded?" Emma enquired, redirecting her mind with some difficulty back to the present…or technically the past.
"Oh no" Robin chuckled as he corrected her, "this is no mortal mark. There was a spell cast by a Wizard from long ago which branded these Knight's upon their brave action."
Emma was totally taken off guard by the outlaw's explanation. It had surprised her enough to think that each soldier had been chosen and then given a tattoo to demarcate them as special but a magical mark well that was quite something else. There was probably a long and interesting story to be told about the initiation of the Knights and the Wizard Robin mentioned but Emma didn't have time for a history lesson. One thing she was curious about though was why Robin was no longer a member of this elite order.
"You speak of these Knight's in the past tense" Emma commented. "What happened to them?"
"They were disbanded several years ago by King Leopold" Robin replied. "It was said he feared the influence and power of these knights especially as magic chose these men not his royal highness. It's crazy if you ask me because now there are only average soldiers guarding the family and the citadel."
"Seriously?! You mean he has the same soldiers guarding him as he does patrolling this forest?" Emma exclaimed. "That is crazy."
When the outlaw nodded at her statement a plan started to form quickly in Emma's mind. If she wanted to prevent Zelena getting to Snow White then Emma needed to get close enough to her mother to protect her.
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The Enchanted Forest - Hook POV
Hook had sat patiently and waited for Emma to return to the table like she had ordered. Her conversation with the outlaw baffled him especially as it seemed so civil.
"What was that all about?" Hook asked as Emma took her seat opposite him again. She began to tuck into the remaining food on her plate even though it was most definitely cold by now.
"His tattoo" Emma replied between mouthfuls of cold potato.
Hook looked at the blond blankly. No matter how much he racked his brains he couldn't think of a reason why the outlaw's body art could be of any significance to them. She'd have to explain that one to him.
"And how exactly is Robin Hood's tattoo going to help us love?" he drawled.
The blond looked up at him and finished chewing her mouthful of food. Once her mouth was clear she smirked.
"It isn't" she stated.
Hook knew he must look completely dumbfounded because that is exactly how he felt. If there was no purpose to her actions then why did she go sit and talk to Robin. Unless the tattoo was in some way significant and she was hiding something from him. Hook didn't like that idea one little bit.
Suddenly Emma stopped devouring her cold food and put her cutlery down. Her eye line was drawn across the room again and when Hood looked in the same direction he found she was staring at the table where Robin was sat again.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, unable to hide his irritation in the blonde's new found interest in bloody Robin Hood.
"Can't you see that green light?" Emma muttered, her eyes never leaving the outlaw stood across the room to them.
Wonderful, Hook thought. Now she thinks the outlaw has a bloody halo or something. He knew something was stopping Emma from being with him but he didn't expect it to be someone; especially not some tree hugging forest inhibiting double crossing ponce.
It was only when Hook snuck another glance at the blond then he realised she was totally serious and actually quite concerned about something. Emma could see something magical that was hidden from the common man.
"What green light?" he asked the blond. "What can you see?"
The blonde's face shifted from confusion, to understanding and then a small smile appeared on her features.
"Pixie dust!" Emma suddenly exclaimed. The blond leapt up suddenly, her knees bashing into the table causing Hook to jump. Then before Hook had a chance to ask what the hell was going on Emma was dashing towards the door of the Inn. It took him several seconds to take in what had happened before he downed the last of his ale and followed Emma out at a more sedate pace.