Chapter 9
Once there had been a manicured path here, nurtured by an aging man with a daughter that he adored. Once this path had been built of white gravel so that his daughter could easily identify it among the dirt of the forest. Once a girl had skipped along this path, happy and weightless of the worlds problems, from the start of the path near her cottage to the end where it conjoined with a much larger path.
Now it was being overrun with briars, thick around and sharp with thorns, growing high over the path like a malicious arch. White gravel was now coated in thick layers of dirt, masking it from eyes but not from the memories a girl had of its once flawlessness. Weaving between the briars was hardy sprouts of ivy, filling in the gaps between vines of briars, leaving no hope for moonlight to touch to the three fleeing bodies. Speed and silence were essential for a proper escape. One needed meld with the shadows and pray to a god of their choosing to pity them just enough to quiet their steps and speed their pace. This path, a path of a girls childhood, was being vicious to the beings trying desperately to hurry from the raging roars coming from the clamoring beast behind them. Roots curled around their boot tips just in time to trip them, thorns left bloody divots in their flesh after passing them by, gravel echoing through the silent night of forest. Everything was pressing in on them as their collaborating fear mounted with each long legged stride, desperation tainting their every breath.
Young Henry wasn't tall enough to keep up with the Queen running ahead of him, his little legs doing nothing but burdening her each time wayward vine caught his boot and tripped him. After another hard fall, gravel biting into his already tender, bloodied knees, he had vowed to just except that he couldn't keep up and didn't try to get up again. Cold from the forest floor beneath him permeated his overheated skin, soothing the fire burning in his every muscle and finally filling him with comfort after such a long time spent chasing a hope of escape. Yes, Queen Regina was simply to fast for him so he'd have to let her go but it would be okay because Emma would go with her and he'd stay here and enjoy this wonderful cold. But the cold was suddenly ripped from him when he was roughly swung into the air by a pair of strong arms and thrown over a hard shoulder, the tip of a kite shield digging into his ribcage from the awkward angle his body was in. Emma grunted from the extra weight but that was her only complaint, her grip strong around the boys hips to keep him on her shoulder as she ran to catch up with the shadow of the Queen up ahead. She was a regal whisper of an existence who could ride the wind in heels, somehow after such a long time spent living in a castle, this woman was a whisper. She ran in fine legs without pause, without even a glance back to check for her company following, heaving in crisp air and whimpering silently when thorn after thorn bit at her arms and face. Inside Emma, the part of her not being overrun by the extensive amount of fear coursing through her veins at the moment, was impressed at the beautiful display of stamina and athleticism, as impressive as a show hoarse proving itself for a critic. If they weren't all under threat of death if they were caught, then Emma would take her time to truly access the Queen in all her glory, especially from behind. As it was, there was a roaring and a series of snarls licking up the nape of her neck, leaving prickles of fear in its wake, to remind her why she couldn't do that just yet.
Each intake of air ripped through her lungs, stinging the spongy walls of her trachea all the way down until the cold curled around her bronchi and came out as burning puffs of fog into the black night. There was no time to dwell on just how bad the cold burned, or how the dryness of her lips was making the flesh crack, because all she could do was run. Run until finally she had caught the fleeting Queen and matched her stride, struggling and aching but never stopping and never letting go of Henry's body.
The Queen couldn't speak because every bit of oxygen she had was being used to fuel her overworked heart, her muscles, and her struggling lungs. She could still see, perceiving her surroundings for what they were, so that she knew she was leading herself and her party of two in the right direction and not astray. This was her path. The path her father had built her so that she could walk to the small schoolhouse within the city their cottage sat on the boarder of. Regina had walked this path twice a day, everyday, until Cora had made them rich through means of gold weaving, lies, and literal heart wrenching. She knew safely awaited them at the end of this road if they could reach it before death grabbed them in the form of a toothy maw. This road led to town, a small town built on the edge of a river, that would provide them with enough numbers and enough houses the dragon wouldn't, couldn't, find them. At least, that's what she hoped.
A child's scream filled the night air just before the sound of fire did. Bright color appeared everywhere around them like an explosion of blue sun, bathing the entire night with a flash of blue. Heat licked at her backside, singeing the ends of her silken hair and needled at her skin beneath the heavy layers of her dress and undergarments even as far away as she was from the dragon fire. Above and around her, water fizzled out of the briars leaving behind wilted husks of thorns and brown, wilted ivy just from the heat of the dragons fiery breath. Paths of fire remained, fueled by the many dry twigs, leaves, and other tree droppings littering the path. They had barely escaped the inferno the dragon had intended to swallow them in, by the power one legs stride. Emma wanted to check Henry over, frantic for the boys health, and afraid that the magic blue fire had burned him but she knew she had no time for that. She had to run for him and for her. When they reached safety, that was when she could fret. As it was, she was fairly certain she had been burnt if the slickness she felt running down the back of her thighs onto her calves and the brilliant pain accompanying it was anything to go by.
A new warmth circled her palm and this warmth was a pleasant reprieve from all the previous burning and heat. Regina's gripped Emma's hand hard and yanked with enough force Emma was sure the Queen had pulled her shoulder form its socket, leading the blonde through the maze of this path in the dark ahead where the blue fight light didn't touch. A sudden swoop in the path threw Emma off balance and, had it not been for Regina leading her, she would have stumbled over the slope down into the rushing creek below. Heavy breathing could be heard from the brunette Queen, along with a looped whisper of "almost there, please, almost there."
Lights signaled life up ahead, just a few paces ahead of them. Shabby wooden housing dotted the distance, boarding right on the edge of a cluttered river Emma couldn't quite see in the darkness. Boats of all sizes and shapes were docked in the harbor, some fairies, some war vestals from Leopold's armada, a few even looked like the olden pirate ships of old Belle had read Emma stories about. Later, like when she wasn't running for her life and being dragged along by a disheveled Queen, Emma would be sure to go look them over.
The sounds of chase stopped the moment Regina had pulled Emma into the town, forest floor changing to smooth, beaten dirt roads of a town. Just as the Queen had hoped, the dragon hadn't breached the city due to its large populous. A smart beast knew that two and a half humans were easy game but when humans grouped together, they had a potential to be dangerous. This didn't mean that the dragon would stop hunting them, not even in the slightest, this just bought them time to regroup was all.
Another hard yank brought Emma over the threshold of a tall building with wrap around railing on each terrace hanging off various window. The smell of animal and sweat permeated the stagnant air inside but Emma was to relieved to have finally stopped running to find it within herself to really care. Over the top of those vial smells was a faint scent of cooking meats and exotic spice, sending her stomach into a fit of roars that could outmatch the dragon. Regina threw her a rather nasty look for the sounds her body made but Emma noticed, she had yet to let go of her hand. The two just stood within the entryway of the teaming tavern, panting and shaking from exertion, with Henry still slumped over Emma's shoulder and their hands clasped tight. Shock seemed to leave them in this state for to long, allowing the sketchy crowd to scrutinize them, until one man in particular began leaning across his table to get a better look at the Queen. Emma snapped into action because Regina had become useless. She tensed up, her eyes wide with a juvenile fear in them of stranger that closely matched Henry's. Carefully, Emma set the boy back on his feet and shrugged off Red's cloak to drape it over Regina's bare shoulders that bad been ogled by a fellow behind them. With a flick of her wrist, she drew the hood over the Queen's head, hiding her entire face from view, and lead the veiled Queen towards the barkeep polishing classes behind the bar. Henry followed closely, sticking to her hip and even going as far as to dig his fingers into the strap holding her sword to her waist so that she wouldn't loose her in the crowd. Of course he would fear a crowd, this was the first time he had been in one. Likewise, Regina was terrified of crowds though not for the same reason as young Henry. Both of them clung to Emma like the tall, strong blonde was their lifeline.
"Hello," Emma spoke with purpose, her voice cold and sharp to get attention just like her Pops had taught her to do, "We need a room. I have gold to pay you with and I even have gold to pay you with if you can make our stay a quiet one. If you catch my meaning."
The Barkeep, a tall man with corded muscles rippling beneath his scar covered skin, sneered in Emma's direction, "We don't do that here, Girly. And definitely not for the likes of you."
Agitation flared when the mans words stung Emma's massive ego. She had been going through way to much shit lately to deal with this prick and his attitude. For one, she had just been chased through a fucking forest by a fucking dragon and she hasn't slept in-god how long has it been? She hadn't even been allotted any time to digest that fact, not to mention she was hungry and she always got extra cranky when she was hungry. So yeah, she was a little moody.
"Just what is that suppose to mean?" Her eyes narrowed at him but he seemed to take it in stride. He finished polishing the mug in his hand and set it down, draping the cloth atop it to place his palms flat on the counter. He leaned forward, his curly mustache twitching from the muscles beneath the hair constricting into a tight frown.
He jutted his chin towards Emma and Regina's clasped hands, "We don't house no criminals, no thugs, no renegades, and no lovers on the run. Looks like the two of you are more than one of those things. Scat won't cha? Your not welcome here."
"You can't do that!" Regina flung the hood away from her face to properly glare at the man, voice shrill with rage and lingering fear.
"I can and I will. My house, my rules. Now get out before I make you leave." He pointed towards the door. Emma glared hard at the man but still turned and began tugging both Henry and Regina behind her, sure to flick Regina's hood back up first, just in case. The trio stomped towards the door, minds whirling on everything that was happening to them within the span of a few short hours, and didn't bother to notice the man with a gleaming hook for a hand who was intently watching them as they left.
None of them were really in any kind of mindset to do anything other than wonder the streets until they found an empty stable that would accommodate them just fine. The adrenaline from before had wore off quickly and now they were just tired, from their near death and from not getting to sleep for the duration of the night. Henry scuttled to a corner of the small stable and dropped into a pile of hay, falling asleep instantly. Emma dug around in her pack for the scratchy blanket he had used once before while Regina rolled out Emma's only bedroll. A tiny hum of contentment slipped from Henry's lips when Emma tucked the blanket around him, sure to enclose his bare feet.
"Emma?" The blond hummed in response to Regina's quiet whisper, turning from Henry to see the brunette staring down at the bedroll with a mixture of distaste and distress.
"There is only one."
"Yeah. We'll have to share." Emma mumbled tiredly, already working on the fastenings of her boots to yank them away from her sore feet. She cringed when bolts of pain shot through her when bending over caused her trousers to chafe against the wounds on the back of her thighs.
"Share…a bed!?" The blonde could have swore that if Regina weren't so perfect at hiding how she truly felt about a situation, that she would have squeaked from the intimidation of sharing a bed instilled.
"Don't worry your majesty, I'm to tired to try anything. Maybe another night." She crawled on her hands and knees through the loose hay into the comforting embrace of her fur lined blankets, emitting a lovely sigh at the feel of the cool material caressing her mottled flesh. Tomorrow. She'd defiantly take a look at her burns or whatever tomorrow, right now she'd needed sleep.
Regina gaped, fingers twitching at her sides, "You can't be serious."
"C'mere Queeny. Come to bed."
"You presumptuous, insufferable brat! Don't call me 'Queeny' and do not think for a second I'm sharing that bed with you. Forfeit your comfort for the sake of mine, like a good peasant should for their queen, and give me the bedroll. You can go sleep with Henry." Regina made a point to walk towards the end of the bedroll and tug at the folded end until Emma came out of the blankets wrappings and was left lying in the hay. Now smiling, Regina tugged Red's cloak off her shoulders and let it flutter over Emma's body where she had careless cast it and crawled into the bedroll, turning her back to Emma and promptly falling asleep.
Emma wanted to fight Regina but found herself to tired so she just curled in on herself, thankful for the heat Red's cloak was giving her to stamp out the bitter cold of the night.
"Such a bitch, Queeny…" but Emma couldn't help that fact that she found Regina's bitchness to be an endearing trait.
Sorry guys! Sorry! I haven't forgotten you! In hindsight, I shouldn't have taken up the challenge of writing two stories at once. I know this chapter is shite but its…holy fuck its 3 in the morning!? I'm almost late! Ha…whelp…lets blame it on that kay? Next chapter I'll make it up to you guys but for now, I have a middle-of-the-fucking-night-glow-in-the-dark paintball gun challenge/war to attend! And to win!