Eric rode beside Philip toward the wood that bordered the castle's land. He had the child tucked against him, blocked from the wind, but something else was picking at his mind. He shouted over the wind to Philip.
"She must know!"
"What!" he hollered back
"She must know we have the baby, why else would she be trying to get at Marcus?"
Philip looked at him sharply, his look saying he found it a little doubtful. "How would she know?"
They slowed as they reached the edge of the wood, and Eric swung down with the child, as Philip hopped down and moved towards the trees.
"Ariel!" Eric blurted out suddenly, "she was the only one who knew we were going for the baby, what if she-" he broke off, and Philip turned back.
"I'm sure she'd fine." he spoke it reassuringly, but the gaze that held Eric's mirrored his thoughts. "Come on," Philip waved him forward, "We have to get the child safe."
Eric looked at the tiny girl in his arms, and moved after Philip into the tree. Both began to feel it when they crossed the first magical barrier, that unnatural desire to go back, but Philip had warned Eric this would happen and they pushed on. The baby began to cry as the feeling strengthened, and Eric tried to soothe her, eyes turning constantly in the trees. It looked like a normal wood, just denser, darker, but he knew of the magic that lurked unseen. They walked slowly forward, neither certain when the forest around them might suddenly turn against, keeping them out.
Aurora hummed softly, settled in a little shaft of sunlight by the window. Tiny dust fairies, far smaller than most, scattered in the beam of light. There was a gentle breeze, and she pulled her cloak closer to her. It was the shawl Belle had sent for her, and she scarcely took it off these days. It was as soft as rose petals, and the same deep, startling shade. It even smelled faintly of roses, as if it had been washed in rose water.
She shifted in her seat, turning her attention back to her book. She was trying to get through at least one of the ones Marcus had brought. The thought of Marcus caused a blush to settle over her cheeks and she lifted the shawl to hide a smile from the ped at her feet.
Constant was knitting, it was a large, lumpy job, but Aurora had wanted to teach it something to keep it entertained while she read.
She turned a page, deciding she would stop at the bottom of the next, when a fairie landed with a flurry on the sill beside her. It chirped in agitation, and Aurora snapped her book closed as she turned to it.
"Yes?" she asked, assuming some argument had come up between the fairie, but she saw with some surprise that this was a fairy she had never seen before. It chattered to her anxiously, and Aurora tried to understand. She had learned much of fairy language, but those here still took care to speak a mite slowly.
"Philip... The wood, what are you saying?"
The fairy chittered and hopped, before repeating the message much slower. Aurora scrambled to her feet,
"Oh yes, of course," she looked about frantic a moment, meet Philip, she was going to get to see her brother! Marcus had been true to his word, she knew he would be, and Aurora rashly through off her gown and tried to pull on the armour Marcus had given her. It looked awkward and too thin as she tried to figure out which way was up, but when she finally stepped into it, it slipped on as if a second skin. She could hardly feel it, and she knew were she to take the amulet off, she would never even see it.
She stared for a moment at the faint glossing of line on each fingertip, there was a clasp at her throat, and it followed the line of her neck and formed an arch on each cheek. Aurora stepped quickly back into her gown, pulling it on effortlessly over the armour, and scampered to the door, calling a happy "Hurry up" to Constant who was caught in a mess of yarn.
She ran almost laughing down the path, feeling a wild air of freedom. She was nearing the end of the magic here, and Aurora's stepped slowed. Not much farther and she would reach that inbetween place where magic still flowed but was not quite strong enough to protect her completely. The armour, she remembered, would protect her from almost anything, but that one word gave her pause. Almost.
Still she had been trapped in this wood for so long, only hearing from her brother in letters, and she was so impatient to see him again that she marched boldly forward, only to stop at the strangest sound.
Something cried in the trees.
It sounded almost like an infant's cry, but that could hardly be possible. She crept forward slowly, and began to hear voices in the trees. A man spoke, a voice she did not recognize, not Marcus or Philip, but when his companion answered, Aurora cried out in joy, for it was Philip's voice! She burst forward, round the path through the wood, and there, before her, was her brother.
"Philip!"
Philip's head whipped around at the sound of his name, and he gaped at Aurora, joy spreading across his face.
"Aurora!" he ran to her, stopping just short of gathering her in a hug. He was too wary of the curse to risk somehow scratching her. She understood, eyes shining she reached out to clasp his hand, almost speechless.
How much older she looked since last he saw her, no longer that frightened girl, but a bright, confident young woman. He thought how his father would have loved to have seen her like this, full of light despite everything that had happened, and his own throat closed with emotion.
The baby had quieted a moment, but now its cries rose again, and Aurora's eyes were drawn, bewildered toward the sound.
"Captain Eric," she said, recognizing the man finally, "Why do you have a baby with you?"
She watched as the captain of the guard held out the crying infant, "She's for you."
"Wha- what?" She stammered, eyes turning to Philip in confusion, and he nodded, looking solemn. She saw then the lines that had formed around his eyes, the weight that the cares of the past years had put on him.
"The enchantress wants this child. Here, with you, is the only place it can stay hidden until we find a way to stop her."
Mouth opened a little in astonishment, Aurora let Eric pass her the child, looking back and forth between the two.
"Of course I want to help, but," she stared at the girl, swallowing thickly, what in heaven's name was she to do with a baby?
"Just take her and keep her with you. The same magic that protects and provides for you will do the same for her."
Aurora nodded, staring into the scrunched-up face, trying to think over her cries.
"Does she have a name?"
"Snow." It was Eric who answered, before sending Philip a look, "Now we must go."
Aurora started, panic building as she looked at them. But she had only just seen him! Now he had to go, and Eric, she wanted so much to tell him how thankful she was for what he had done for Philip, and now they were leaving?
"I'm sorry, Aurora, but we must," Philip said, backing away, "Please, take care, and I promise we will see each other again soon."
With a parting smile he turned, and followed Eric back out through the trees.
Aurora frowned down at the crying child.
"Well, Snow." she shifted the child to one arm, "I suppose it's just me and you." She went to return toward the cabin, but stopped when Constant pulled at her skirt, gesturing towards the baby, it solemnly shook its head.
"What?" she asked, before she realized. Snow had no magic, she would not be allowed deeper into the woods. Aurora stared at where the men had disappeared, why hadn't they thought of that sooner?
Constant waved a stumpy arm and pointed at the amulet that hung from her neck,
"But this couldn't work," Aurora said, her free hand rising to touch it, "It's been spelled to me."
Constant turned its head, and nodded to something behind Aurora. A few nymphs scampered up, shyly. They had seen often this lady from the cabin but had never been brave enough to say hello. Now the ped was waving at them, ordering them forward, and as part of the King's guard, the nymph knew they must obey.
Carefully they scampered up the skirts, murmuring at the scaled lights beneath the material; they had heard of the river nymphs gift to this woman. They reached her shoulders, hopping a little when the child suddenly cried louder, before each laying their hands on the amulet.
It was a moment before they released it and scampered down.
"Thank you!" Arora called to them, before lifting the amulet and settling it carefully against the girl's skin.
Instantly the light of magic around her dimmed, and Aurora blinked, realizing now that as long as this child remained, she would be spending her time in darkness.
She looked down into the little face and smiled, it was worth, she knew, if it kept this child safe.
