A/N: Well, having seen Sunday night's episode I am all kinds of happy! Thanks to all who followed and favourited.
Loop: thank you for the loves!
Erik'sTrueAngel: yes, you guessed it!
The Prince's Phoenix, RaFire, ArielSprite, deweymay, Doctor12Holmes, ecinspired, orthankg1, morgananne16, spacecats, rumbeller25, AngelOfMusic44, crazykat77, The Auburn Girl, Kiri Huo Ziv, paulawer, OneMagician, Twyla Mercedes, JustBFree, karolprado: loved all your comments, hope you like what's to come. Oh, fair warning for smut, by the way.
The Seer continued to smile at Gold as his mouth fell open. It wasn't often that he was lost for words, but this was about as big a surprise as he had ever had, except that time when Belle had been underneath his counter in the shop…
"You – are Midas's source?" he asked incredulously. "How..?" He cut off at her urgent frown, and she jerked her eyes at the ceiling. He understood. They could be heard.
"I see many things," she said. "The past. The future. What will be. What may be. That is my gift, and also my curse." She curled her lip as she looked around the room.
"How did you come to be here?" he asked, hoping she would understand that he didn't mean simply in this day and age. She smiled.
"I got careless," she said. "When you're as – experienced – as I am, you occasionally take things for granted. A mistake I will not make again, I assure you."
"How long have you been here?" he asked, and her smile grew.
"A very long time." She put her head to the side. "I'm told that you may need convincing that I can do the things that are said of me."
Not bloody likely, he thought, but straightened. She was offering to read his future. "And what exactly can you do, dearie?"
"Hmm." She straightened up, and walked towards him slowly, her hips swaying. Gold resisted the urge to step back, and she smiled. "It is difficult to convince someone that their future will come to pass, as they have yet to experience it. Let me tell you instead of your past. And your present."
"Go on," said Gold suspiciously.
"I see a woman with dark hair and blue eyes. She holds your heart in her hands."
Gold frowned, not wishing anyone listening to know of the depth of his feelings for Belle.
"Midas could easily have told you about my girlfriend," he said coldly, and her smile widened.
"You tried to forget about her, to put her from your mind," she said tauntingly. "You betrayed her love. You stopped believing in her, before death and loss broke through that ridiculous wall you threw up. Did he tell me that?"
Gold bristled. It might be true, but he did not appreciate hearing it.
"That'll do, I didn't come here for parlour-games!" he snapped. "Why did you tell Midas I am the only one who can get him what he seeks?" He tried to put some meaning into the question, to ask her to reveal why she would tell Midas such a thing, but she simply smiled again.
"I tell what I see," she said. "I saw you coming here. I see you holding the object in the future. I had to tell the truth."
He nodded slowly. She had known that revealing this truth would get the two of them to meet. She wanted to escape, he was sure, but he was not certain how he could accomplish that. Not right now, at least.
"And you can see my future, can you?" he asked, trying to put as much disdain in his voice as he would have had, had he not known her visions were true.
"Indeed," she said, still smiling at him. "The question is, do you have the strength to do what is necessary?"
"Strange that you can't see that," he said dryly, and she shrugged.
"The future is a strange thing," she said. "I cannot see all of it. Some of it is written. Some of it can change. I know the difference. All is not lost, for you."
"What does that mean?" he snapped. "Stop speaking in riddles and tell me something I can use!"
The Seer was unmoved by his tone, walking around him in a slow circle that was making his skin itch with insecurity. He didn't like having her behind him.
"I will tell you three things," she said suddenly. "The first is that the box holds the key. The second is that you must not let your desire for revenge blind you to the truth. And the third is that you can destroy your enemy, but there will be a price. A terrible price."
"How very cryptic," he said, his mouth twisting. "What exactly am I supposed to do with that information?"
She smiled at him, and suddenly whipped the silk handkerchief from his suit pocket, reaching up with it to dab his forehead.
"Uncertainty does not become you," she said, refolding the silk square and tucking it back into his pocket once more. Gold heard the slightest rustle of paper as she did so, and looked at her curiously. There was a slight heaviness in his pocket, and he resisted the urge to pat it. She held his eyes for a moment before turning away.
"I believe you have what you came for, Spinner," she said, moving to sit back down on her chair like a queen dismissing a servant. Gold opened his mouth, closed it again, and turned back towards the door, his mind whirling.
"She's quite something, isn't she?" said King cheerfully, locking the door after Gold had emerged. "My father introduced me to her. I must say that she looks remarkably good, considering all the years she's been here. Not my type, however. Too strange."
"And how long has she been here?" asked Gold. King shrugged as they made their way back towards the stairs.
"Oh, a while. I'm not sure. My father only introduced us around ten years ago, before he died. I must say that her gift has proved to be extremely useful to me. She tells me which stocks to buy, when a business might be ripe for takeover. Not to mention who is about to betray me." His eyes caught and held Gold's for a second. "She tells me you can be trusted, however. The only reason that I put up with your insufferable rudeness."
"I'm flattered," said Gold dryly, thinking that the Seer had clearly developed the ability over the years to lie through her teeth. "Are we done, here?"
The taller man sighed, and turned to face him as they slowed to a halt. "You have the information you sought. I will await your part of the deal most eagerly."
Gold nodded abruptly. "I'll be in touch," he said curtly, and allowed one of King's henchmen to lead him back down to the casino floor.
He walked out into the cold night air, his breath misting before him as he tried to calm his whirling mind. She had been the last person he had ever expected to see again. She was clearly using him for her own purposes, but he didn't object to that; he would happily think of a way to get her out if it got him what he wanted. She had already given him some information, and, if he was not mistaken, something else. He waited until he was out of sight of the casino before reaching into his suit pocket and carefully drawing out his handkerchief. He heard the rustle of paper again, and opened it up. In the midst of the red silk lay a heavy ring, set with a gold-coloured stone, wound with a slip of paper. He unfurled it, to see six words written in flowing, looping script. Use the knowledge at your disposal.
Gold returned the ring to his pocket, along with the slip of paper, and tucked the silk square back on top, his expression thoughtful. Bloody woman always did speak in riddles. He looked at his watch, pushing away the idea of calling Belle at this late hour. He would speak to her in the morning. He turned towards the street and hailed a cab, his thoughts turning to Belle, and the first time they had encountered the Seer. Neither of them had known what they were letting themselves in for, but he didn't regret any of it.
As the Seer urged the people to celebrate, tension seemed to go out of the assembled crowd, and someone started drumming. Other drums soon joined in, and Elena was aware that a tea made from the mushrooms that grew in the forest was being passed around. She refastened the laces of her dress with trembling fingers, waving away the mushroom tea when it was passed to her. She was shaking, and not in the mood for anything that made her head more confused than it already was. Doc had sat down with a thump on the stone, and was looking a little dazed. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and jumped. Cerin was looking down at her, his face suddenly gentle. Of course. Joined as one. She knew what that meant.
"Come with me," he said softly, and held out his hand. She took it, still trembling, and tried not to see how her father looked at her with pain and loss as she passed, as she was led into the small cave she had been in earlier that day. Cerin lit the lamps, depressions in the rock filled with animal grease and lit with moss wicks.
Elena bit her lip nervously and shifted from foot to foot, unsure what he wanted her to do. He seemed to notice her discomfort, for he came towards her slowly, as though he might frighten her with any sudden movement. He was standing fairly close to her, and she could smell his scent, musk and smoke and deerskin. It was pleasant, surprisingly so.
"I realise that this is not what you wanted," he said, surprising her. "I don't suppose I'm your idea of a suitable mate, but I would like to try to make you happy, if you'll let me."
"I…" She broke off, unsure of what to say. It wasn't the way she had imagined her life turning out, to be sure, but she was not sorry that she had been paired with him. Forever, though. Forever was a long time. She looked up, and was touched by the uncertainty on his face, the insecurity of having been an outsider for so long. She had a sudden urge to touch his face, but didn't. She wanted to know how it felt, though. She could see the tiny bristles on his cheeks where he needed to shave with the thin flint blades all the men used. She wondered if it was soft, or if it would scratch her when they kissed. Thinking about kissing him made her blush again. She decided to give him some encouragement. Strange, that she should be worrying about his insecurities, when she hadn't a clue what she was doing. It seemed right, though.
"I'm not unhappy," she said gently. "And I don't think you're unsuitable at all. In fact, I think we're probably far better suited than I would be with any of the men my father would have chosen."
He let out a slightly choked, disbelieving laugh, and stared at her for a long moment, his brown eyes deep and searching. She dropped her gaze, suddenly shy.
"I haven't done this before," she admitted, scratching her arm awkwardly. "I don't know what you want me to do."
He made a sound of vexation, running an agitated hand through his soft brown hair. "This isn't how I wanted it to be, rushed like this," he muttered. He reached out with hesitant hands and touched her shoulders, his grip warm and somehow reassuring.
"I'd like to kiss you," he said quietly, and she took a breath, looking up at him uncertainly.
"Alright," she said, remembering how he had said that she needed kissing. He smiled as he lifted his hands to cup her face. She closed her eyes, thinking how different he looked when he smiled, when he smiled like that, all warmth and contentment, rather than the smiles he gave to others. Those were smiles that held their secrets, or laughed behind their backs. His fingers caressed her smooth cheeks gently, and tilted her face up slightly so that he could press his lips to hers. Elena felt herself rise up on her toes, warmth flooding through her and pooling in her groin, her mouth opening in surprise. She let out a tiny noise as his tongue gently probed inside, and clutched at his forearms. He pulled her gently against him, her chest pressed to his as he deepened the kiss. Eventually he pulled back, his eyes gleaming at her with that same, warm smile. She found that she was a little breathless, but she remembered what was supposed to happen. She toed out of her soft boots and looked down, fumbling with the laces of her dress.
"Let me do that," he said quietly, and she nodded as he reached for her, pulling slowly at the laces, his breathing quickening as the pale skin of the inner slopes of her breasts was revealed. He pulled open the laces at the sides in the same way, loosening the dress so that it could be removed, and motioned to her to raise her arms. She blushed as he bent down and lifted the dress over her head, arms instinctively flying up to cross over her breasts, the left one still with the bloody symbol on it, drying to a sticky dark brown. He pulled free the stick that was holding her curls up out of her face, letting them cascade down over her shoulders in shiny waves. She was breathing heavily, nervous and unsure, and his eyes roamed over her, over her rounded hips and her small waist, and the nest of curls at the top of her thighs. He looked at her for what seemed like a long time, his eyes darker than they had been, then nodded at the pile of furs.
"Lie down, my beauty," he said gently, and she hesitated. She recalled what Renna had said about horses, and got on her hands and knees on the furs, biting her lip as she waited. His soft chuckle made her blush again. She was doing it wrong, she knew it!
"Well, we could do it that way if you want," he said, sounding amused. "But I think I'd far rather see your lovely face. Turn around."
Elena rolled to the side, her cheeks still afire, and hugged her knees to her chest as she sat there, her dark curls falling over her face. He was unlacing his tunic, still watching her.
"Do you know what to expect?" he asked, pulling the soft skin over his head so that he was clad only in his trousers. She could see the hardness of him through the tight deerskin, and swallowed.
"Yes," she said uncertainly. "You have to put – that," her hand gestured to his groin. "inside me." She still wasn't sure how that would work, and briefly wished that she'd had time to question Mara; she had not seen her friend since the Seer had arrived. Her eyes roamed over Cerin's torso as he folded his tunic and tossed it onto one of the willow shelves. He was lean and hard, thin ropes of muscle banding his arms and chest, so different from the thick slabs of flesh that Goren and the other hunters had. He had hardly any hair on his upper body, which was tanned from working in the sun. She decided that she liked how he looked.
"Well, I suppose that is what will happen, putting it very bluntly," he agreed, seeming amused.
"Will it hurt?" she asked, and he grimaced, as though he wished she hadn't asked that.
"It may," he admitted, bending to tug off his boots, then standing up once more, unlacing his trousers. "I will try my best not to hurt you, but it may. At least the first time."
He peeled off the trousers, and straightened up. Elena gasped at the sight of him, naked and hard. There was no way this was going to work! She shook her head wordlessly, scuttling backwards a little.
"I – I don't see how…" she faltered, and he looked down at himself with a puzzled smile.
"Don't be afraid," he said soothingly, as he climbed onto the furs beside her. "Try to relax."
She thought that that was easier said than done, but then he was kissing her again, and she found herself pressing against him as his hands stroked over her skin, cupping her breasts, sliding over the smooth curve of her hip. There was a strange, tight feeling in her belly, almost as though she was hungry for something. Experimentally, she slid her hand around his waist, feeling the heat of his skin, and then let the hand stroke up his chest. She ran her thumb over the small dark bud of his nipple, marvelling at how it hardened to her touch. He seemed to enjoy it, his kisses became a little more intense, and his hands cupped her buttocks, pulling her against him. His mouth left hers, trailing down her neck and making her gasp at the sensation, and he rolled her onto her back, leaning over her as he moved down. His lips fastened gently over her right nipple, and she let out a small cry of surprise, her fingers twisting in his hair. He suckled her gently, making the ache in her belly deepen. His stubble rasped pleasantly against her skin.
"Is that alright?" he asked, his breath warm. "Are you comfortable?"
She nodded vigorously, wanting him to taste her again, but instead he moved back up to cup her face, his tongue parting her lips. She touched his own tongue with hers, excited by the sensation, and felt his hand slide down over her breast and between her thighs, his fingers gently pushing into her dark curls. She gasped as she felt wetness there, now on his fingertips, and moaned as he stroked in between her soft folds, his fingers wet with her fluids.
"There, my beauty," he whispered, smiling at her look of surprise. "Is that good?"
"Yes," she gasped, her eyebrows shooting upwards as he slipped the tip of his finger inside her, feeling the tight wetness of her. His thumb stroked against her, making her arch her back and pull him closer. That felt…it felt… She let out another moan as he stroked rhythmically, and pulled his head down for another kiss, wanting something from him but unsure how to ask for it. She could feel the hard heat of him against her thigh, and realised that was what she wanted. She was still unsure how it would fit inside her, when even his finger seemed to stretch her, but she decided that she wanted to find out. She decided to be brave.
"I'm ready," she said softly, and he smiled, pulling out his finger and kissing her gently before kneeling at her feet. She had drawn her knees up, still a little awkward, and he put his hands on them, gently pushing them apart and gazing down at her as she was opened to him. She tried not to look at him, as she was still nervous about that part of him, that part that had to go inside her, but he simply lay down between her legs, and although she could feel him against her, he distracted her with kisses.
He was supporting himself on his elbows on the furs, stroking her hair back from her face with gentle hands, and she could feel her breathing quicken further, her heart pounding in her chest as if she had been running across the valley. She could smell her own scent on him, mixed with his, and pressed herself up against him as he gently nipped at her neck, sending shivers through her body. He reached down between them, and she felt him at her entrance, the hard, blunt head of him, sliding against her and making her gasp. There was a moment of fumbling, when she wasn't sure what was happening, and then she felt him enter her, pushing slowly inside, stretching her, moving deeper into her. A little more, then he seemed to press up against something. It was too much, she had known it. She had known it wouldn't fit! She opened her mouth to tell him so, and then he suddenly thrust into her, and she felt a sharp pain that made her cry out.
"I'm sorry, Elena!" he whispered urgently, kissing her. "I'm so sorry, my love. That's it, that's the worst of it over. It won't hurt again, I promise."
She sobbed a little, and he shushed her, kissing her gently, wiping the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. He had not moved, but she felt that he was fully inside her now. It was a strange sensation, this intrusion into her body.
"Is that it?" she asked tremulously. It seemed like a lot of trouble for very little reward, to her, but he smiled.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently, and she nodded. It had hurt, but the pain was fading to a dull throb. He kissed her gently, his tongue softly stroking against hers as he held her, arms sliding up to cup her face. His fingers plunged into her hair as he licked down her neck to her pulse point, gently sucking on the tender flesh. Elena gasped, pushing up into him, and felt him smile against her neck.
He began to move, his hips thrusting against her, and she let her head fall back as she felt him sliding in and out of her, moaning at the sensation. Now, that was better! That felt good. She could even forget about the pain she had experienced when he was making her feel that way. The muscles in her belly were contracting and tightening, her breath coming in pants, her fingers digging into his shoulder blades as he moved, as he bent his head to cover her mouth with his. His hair was hanging in her face, brushing softly against her cheeks, and she reached up to run her hands through it, pulling on it as she moaned. There was an unfamiliar feeling building within her, rising up through her body, and she needed him to move faster, to help her get – something. She moved her hips against his more quickly, running her nails down his spine and making him groan into her neck. He seemed to be tensing and stiffening, his grip tightening, and he gripped the backs of her knees, pulling them upwards so that he could push deeper into her. The increased depth and pressure against her made her eyes widen, and she felt the strange sensation build, growing more and more intense as she quickened their pace, moving her hips faster. She suddenly cried out as white light burst behind her eyelids, her entire body shaking as she bucked against him. This was incredible, this feeling – she could understand now why mated couples spent so much time alone in the woods.
"Oh, my beautiful girl," he breathed, kissing up to her ear as she continued to let out soft cries. "Mine. Forever mine."
She fell back into the soft furs, gasping and panting, her entire body warm and loose and tingling all the way down to her toes. Her hands stroked over his shoulders, the nails digging in to hold him near her. He was moving more quickly now, hard within her, and suddenly threw his head back with a shout as his skin pebbled all over his back and buttocks. She felt him pulse, followed by a rush of heat as he spilled himself inside her. She clung to him, kissing his chest and neck, tugging at his skin with her lips and teeth as he groaned. Then his movements slowed, and he relaxed down onto her, pushing his face into the hollow between her neck and shoulder and heaving deep, calming breaths. She wrapped her arms around him, a thin slick of sweat between them, wincing at the stinging between her legs that was noticeable now the pleasure had faded. They both lay in silence for a moment, catching their breath, and eventually he pushed himself up on his elbows and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. She smiled up at him.
"I liked it," she said shyly, and his face broke into a wide, warm grin.
"So did I."
"Is there blood?" The voice of the Seer made them both jump, and Elena blushed fiercely as she saw the woman over his shoulder, staring down at them completely unembarrassed.
"How long were you there?" demanded Cerin, his eyes furious. The woman simply sniffed.
"Please. I know a man finishing when I hear it. I was outside until then. Glad to hear that you gave your mate her own pleasure first. Few men bother with such a thing."
"What do you want?" he asked coldly, and she smiled.
"As I said, I need to finish the spell, now that you two have been joined. Is there blood?"
Elena wasn't sure what she meant, but Cerin appeared to. He reached down between them and withdrew bloodied fingers. The Seer appeared to let out a breath she had been holding.
"You chose well," she said, satisfied. "I was worried there wouldn't be a girl here that could keep her legs together long enough for you to break her in, from what I hear from their snivelling parents. Now, quickly! You must draw the symbol on her forehead, and she must draw it on your breast."
Cerin only jerked a puzzled eyebrow at her before he turned back to Elena and drew the three spirals surrounded by a circle on her forehead. She realised that it was her blood, from what they had done. At least that wouldn't happen again. The blood felt cool and tacky on her forehead.
"Now you," said the Seer sharply.
Blushing, she reached her hand down between them, where he was still buried within her, although he was soft now. There was wetness there, his and hers, and she checked that she had blood on her fingers as she drew the hand up to his chest, trying to recreate the symbol there. The Seer was muttering those strange words to herself again, and as the circle was completed, the mark seemed to sink into the skin and disappear. Elena gasped, and an intake of breath from Cerin and the loss of the cool wetness on her forehead told her that her own mark had also disappeared.
"You are bound together for all time," said the Seer, with satisfaction in her voice. "Dress quickly, I must finish the rest." She ducked out of the cave in a swirl of skirts and Elena fell back again with a sigh. Cerin gave her a gentle kiss, then pulled out of her, standing up and moving to the side of the cave.
"I have some water here," he said, picking up a full water-skin. "You'll want to clean yourself, I expect."
She pushed herself up on her elbows, looking down with a little dismay at the blood on her thighs. She took the water and some soft leather from him with a grateful smile, sneaking looks at him as he gave himself a quick scrub and then scrabbled on the floor for his trousers. She liked his body, she decided, so different from hers, hard and lean where hers was soft and yielding. She wondered if it was the Seer's spell or the magic they had created together that caused her to suddenly feel so irretrievably bound to him. He flashed her a toothy grin as he tugged the trousers up past his hips, and she found herself smiling back. She felt a coil of heat start in her belly once more, and realised with surprise that she desired him. She wanted to do it again. They still needed to save the tribe from whatever terrible fate the Seer had foreseen, but she knew they would get the chance to be together again before long. There would be time for that. There would be time for everything.
Belle stretched luxuriously, a warm, wide smile on her face. For once, her dreams had been pleasant. More than pleasant; she could still feel the throb in her loins from the memory of their first encounter. He had been so sweet, so caring; she had known then that she had made the right decision. Not just for the tribe, but for herself. She stretched out her arm to reach for Gold, but encountered cold sheets. Somewhat groggily, she recalled that she was in her own bed, and he was in Boston. She hoped that he was safe. She raised her head to look at the clock, and saw with a sigh that it was approaching eight in the morning. She expected that he would be up now, and turned over, reaching for her phone.
The phone rang for some time before he picked up, his voice slurred and a little hoarse with sleep.
"Sorry, I thought you'd be awake," said Belle contritely.
"No matter," he said, sounding a little more like himself. "A long night, that was all. I came to bed around four."
"Then I'll let you sleep," she said gently. "I'll see you tonight?"
"Seven sharp," he agreed. "I love you." There was a click as he put down the phone.
Belle fell back against the pillows with a sigh. She had agreed to meet Ruby for lunch and go for a wax and pedicure, and so she pushed back the covers and dragged herself to the shower to prepare for the day.
She arrived at Granny's just as Ruby was finishing up her shift, and slid into a seat as Ruby shot her an apologetic look and took off her little apron.
"Give me ten minutes, I'm just going to get the smell of diner out of me," she called, jogging out of the door. Belle ordered a coffee while she waited, waving at Snow as she entered, looking somewhat harassed with a pile of papers under her arm.
"Parent-teacher night's coming up," she explained, smiling gratefully as Granny set a coffee in front of her without needing to be asked. "I have some prep to do."
"So I see," said Belle, amused. "And I thought my end of term reports were bad enough."
"It's worse when they're ten," Snow grumbled, pushing the papers aside as she picked up her coffee. She quirked an eyebrow at Belle as she took a sip. "Are you here for lunch?"
Belle nodded. "Rubes and I have a waxing appointment and pedicure. Want to join us?"
Snow giggled. "Yes on the lunch, no on the rest, I'm afraid. I really need to get started on this stuff. I have a date with David tonight." She was beaming, and Belle returned the grin.
"Out in public, no shame, no secrets?" she said, amused. "That's definitely something worth celebrating."
Snow squeezed her hand affectionately. "What about you? Is Gold back tonight?"
"Yes," said Belle, with a grin. "And we'll be staying in, thank you very much. Ruby has a date with Billy, and Emma's working, so I guess we're all busy."
Snow took another drink of her coffee, seeming to relax a little as she sank into the seat. She nudged Belle.
"You didn't finish telling us what happened," she said. "What was the second part of the spell?"
Belle almost choked on her coffee. "You believe me?"
"Of course." Snow seemed surprised she'd asked. "My parents used to talk about past-life stuff all the time. They didn't know who they were, or anything, but they definitely believed in it." She pursed her lips. "Plus, try to look at it in a scientific way. If energy can't be created or destroyed, but only transformed, then what happens to the soul when a human dies? It has to go somewhere, right?"
"I – guess," said Belle uncertainly.
"I'm certain I had a past life with David," Snow continued thoughtfully. "I can't promise you'll convince Emma, but Ruby's on the fence at the moment."
Belle grunted. "Typical. Anyway, you did have a past life. We used to be friends, right back at the start."
Snow leant on the table eagerly. "Really? What was I called? Was I with David? Was I nice or a bitch? Did I club woolly mammoths or something?"
Belle giggled. "Yes. Your name was Mara. Yes, you and David were doing it like bunnies. You were lovely. And no, we mostly ate deer and buffalo. And we killed carnivorous animals for their furs, but we never ate them. You were a good shot with a sling, so you took out a lot of birds and rabbits."
"Wow!" breathed Snow, a faraway look in her eyes. "I wish I could remember."
Belle smiled a little sadly. She wished that, too.
"Hey, guys." Emma's voice made them look up, as she entered the diner in her uniform. "You having lunch? I have to get to work in an hour, but I thought I might find you here." She turned towards the bar. "Coffee, please, Granny!"
Ruby barged through the doorway in a flurry of red and black, looking somewhat less frazzled than she had when she'd left.
"Okay, what did I miss?" she demanded, a little breathlessly, plonking herself down next to Belle. Snow drank the last of her coffee.
"Belle was just going to tell us the rest of the story about how she and Gold wound up together."
Ruby grinned. "Oh, that's right, you were about to have sex with him. So, tell us about it, Belle." She batted her eyelashes innocently.
Belle rolled her eyes. "I am not giving you a graphic account of our time together. Not in the middle of Granny's. You'll have to settle for the PG-13 version."
Ruby heaved a dramatic sigh. "Okay, skip to the boring stuff! You can give me the gory details later."
Belle glared at her, and Ruby giggled as Snow sent her a reproving look.
Emma was looking at Belle with a curious expression on her face. "Okay, but I'm ordering food first. Who else wants a burger?"
Food ordered, and drinks refreshed, Belle wet her throat to begin her tale again.
Cerin and Elena emerged from the cave to see that the rest of the tribe had lost themselves in the sound of drums and the narcotic effects of the mushroom tea. There was wild dancing around the fire pit, and couples were kissing and fondling in full view of everyone. A few appeared to have sneaked off for more privacy, and Belle was amused to see that Mara and Deric were not among the dancers.
The Seer stepping out onto the flat stone seemed to quieten the revellers, and she raised her hands for silence. The drums stopped, and several of the couples sneaked back to the crowd forming around the fire. Cerin and Elena joined Doc on the platform, and the Seer looked out across the crowd of people.
"The three have been joined," she announced. "Now I must give them the tools of their awakening." She picked up the small bowl of their blood that she had taken earlier, and fished in it with her fingertips, pulling out a stone as she muttered in the strange language she had been using throughout the ritual. Blood dripped from it, but Elena could see that it was black in colour. The Seer dropped the stone into a small leather pouch tied with a long cord, and hung it around Doc's neck.
"You have the sight," she said loudly. "You will see the shapes of things to come, to make ready for what you must face. You will be born with the knowledge of your past, and will use the stone to wake the others. You are the Seer."
There was a chorus of whispered mutters through the assembled crowd, like a breeze rustling dead leaves. The Seer moved to stand before Cerin, and plucked another stone from the bowl. She held it up, ribbons of red spooling down her arm, and Elena thought that the stone might be a light blue colour. It was difficult to make out in the flickering light of the fire and burning torches that surrounded them. The Seer dropped the stone into another pouch, and hung this around Cerin's neck.
"You have the words," she intoned. "You will bend others to your will, and use words to trap them, like a spider using threads to draw in its prey. You will want for nothing, but you will often stand alone. You will use the stone to wake your mate. You are the Spinner."
More murmurs at that, and a few knowing looks between tribespeople who had gotten the poor end of a deal with Cerin in the past. He simply grinned, and winked at Elena, making her roll her eyes. The Seer moved to stand in front of her, and she gulped slightly as the woman lifted out the third stone, holding it up for all to see. Elena glimpsed that the stone was red, just as it was dropped into a third pouch and hung around her neck. It felt heavier than it ought to.
"You have the hunger," announced the Seer. "You will seek out knowledge in all its forms, to better know your enemy and help your people. You will find your strength in your love for others. You will use the stone to wake yourself. You are the Scholar."
Scholar. It was not a word that Elena was familiar with, and, by the confused noises around her, nor were the others. The Seer noticed her puzzled look, and smiled.
"It is a term that will be used in the future to describe a seeker of knowledge," she explained, and Elena nodded. Her eyes caught the edge of a small leather pouch around the Seer's neck, in amongst the beads and bones. She wondered what stone it held, and what that did. Cerin's hand crept around hers, and she laced her fingers through his, grateful for the reassurance.
"The three are bound together for all time, and will save the people from the darkness to come," said the Seer, her voice loud. "Tomorrow, they must leave their people to face the trials they must endure, for all our sakes."
There was some shocked whispering at that, and Elena's heart was heavy. She did not want to leave her family and friends, her people. But she knew what it was that she had agreed to. She squeezed Cerin's hand and he seemed to understand, releasing her so that she could go to her father.
The chief looked about as sorrowful as she had ever seen him, and wrapped his arms around her tightly, murmuring how he loved her and would miss her. She decided that she would say final goodbyes in the morning, as she was feeling far too upset to do it right then, and made her way slowly back to her cave. She was unsure what to pack; she decided upon a change of clothing, a thick fur to keep out the wind and some smaller items like her collection of flint and bone tools, waterskins, several lengths of twine made from sinew and her powdered paints.
She carried her small bundle of things to Cerin's cave, and found him packing. He ran an eye over what she had brought, and offered her one of his pairs of tight-fitting trousers to add to it. She would have to let the laces out a little around the hips, and they would be too long, but that could be fixed. She packed them, grateful to him, and he suddenly hesitated, looking at her uncertainly.
"I have something for you," he said, and reached underneath a pile of folded skins, pulling out a bundle of something. Elena took it, puzzled. It was about two hands wide, and consisted of piece after piece of skin scraped so fine the light could be seen through it. The pieces were stitched together at one side, so that they could be turned one at a time, and on the top and bottom was a piece of thicker hide, bound to the rest with thin strips of leather, to protect the whole.
"What is this?" she asked, confused. He gave her a gentle smile, and took her shoulders, drawing her out into the corridor where he had spoken to her yesterday. The paintings she had done gleamed on the rock walls, their colours bright in the flickering light of the torches.
"I thought you might want to take some of this with you," he said, with a grin, and she gasped in realisation. She could paint on these pieces of skin! She could carry knowledge with her, and add to it as she went! She gazed up at him, sudden tears pricking her eyelids.
"How did you know..?" she began, and he shrugged.
"That you would need it?" he asked, and grinned wickedly. "Do you think your tribe is the only one with a Seer? Why do you think I came here? Do you think I enjoy being generally despised by the tribe I chose to stay with for the past couple of years?"
"Actually, yes," she said, and he chuckled.
"I was looking for you for many years," he confided. "I knew it was important to find you, just not how important. Our Seer could see what you would need, and that I would be the one to make it for you." He shrugged. "It's a small enough thing, all considered."
She wanted to tell him that it wasn't a small thing at all, but was curious about something he had said.
"How did you know I was the one you needed to find?" she asked, and his smile grew.
"She said I'd know when I saw you," he said, with a chuckle. "I'd been to many tribes, staying a month or so here and there, until I came to this one. It was a summer's day, and you were standing by the stream with one of those big hunters that's all muscle and no brains. You couldn't have seen more than twelve summers, but you were wagging your finger at him, all puffed up like a porcupine, the idiot kicking his boots around like a sulky child." His eyes glinted at the memory. "And I loved you for it. I knew then, that it would be you. I just had to wait."
Elena swallowed hard, and, in a moment of impulsiveness, kissed him. He held her close, responding enthusiastically, until she had to pull back, her breathing erratic.
"Let's go back to your cave," she said, somewhat unsteadily. "I want to make the most of a comfortable bed while we can."
His smile turned wicked.
A/N: So, that's how it all started. Hope you enjoyed, please let me know if so.
Next time: Gold goes home, Belle is made aware of the Seer's return, and the three go out into the woods.