~Chapter 3~

Rapunzel

"Let me go, I just want to go home." I said.

"Oh, so you do speak." The man replied.

He let go of me and I threw down my hood.

"How do I know you're not one of them?" I asked.

This was my first time on the outside, I had no idea how people converse or how to tell a criminal from anyone else. My imagination had many ideas thanks to my countless years of reading, but those were all stories after all. I didn't know how to possibly separate fact from fiction. The man looked at me curiously and I wondered whether I could fight him, but that very idea made me ill. I didn't know the first thing about hand-to-hand combat.

"I'm just trying to help you. I saw where they took your mother," he said. "If you don't want my help, I'll just go on my merry way."

I glanced just over my shoulder and I saw the ivy that concealed the path back to the tower just a few paces away. Mother wanted me home and safe, but if there was a chance I could help her, I had to take it.

"We're both getting soaking standing here in the rain, so what's it to be Blondie?"

"Take me to my mother," I replied, "And my name is Rapunzel."

He shrugged with a wry smile.

"I think I like Blondie better. I'm Flynn, Flynn Rider."

We immediately turned around and he dropped my arm and lead me back toward the way I had ran from. Since leaving the tower, I felt like I had done nothing, but run around in circles. I hadn't seen a town or village yet. Though as we continued walking, I saw out of the corner of my eye one floating light rising in the sky. The more we moved north, the more that began to appear, even the rain wouldn't stop their magnificent display.

"So beautiful," I muttered, "It's so nice, seeing them up close."

"What?" Flynn questioned, "The lanterns?"

I could hear Pascal making a noise of enjoyment as he rested on my shoulder.

"Lanterns?" I clarified, "Something in my gut told me that they weren't stars."

He looked at me curiously raising his brow. Was it in mockery or surprise? I wasn't entirely sure.

"You don't get out much, do you?" He asked.

"My mother is very strict." I reasoned with a casual shrug.

He kept walking but stopped as I was stumbling over loose pieces of my hair that had come undone.

"Why keep it so long? It seems like a nuisance to you, Blondie."

"Please stop calling me that, I told you my name." I insisted.

"Sorry, old habits." He said.

I rolled my eyes, we just met, it was hardly a habit. Though he seemed kind enough to me. Mother made the world out to be a horrific place even though she went outside every day. I figured there had to be some good on the outside and here was a random stranger helping me out.

"We're getting close to the kingdom. See that bridge over there?" He said.

I nodded.

"Corona is just on the other side. I think I have an idea about your hair."

I quickly tensed.

"I'm not cutting it."

He shook his head.

"Calm down, nothing like that. I know a trio of sisters who love to braid hair. They seem to be good at it too. I call them the Ginger Sisters."

"You have a thing about identifying people by their hair color, huh?"

Flynn shrugged.

"Makes it easier for me."

The rain finally started letting up, which was a welcome change. I could see a break in the trees up ahead where we found ourselves on a shoreline. Just as Flynn said, a long stone bridge separated the forest from the kingdom. Nearly a day's journey away and yet it still felt so close by. No wonder mother didn't want me wandering outside. Coming in contact with people would be a certainty. Nonetheless, it didn't negate the fact that I wanted to see more of what was outside the tower. The world is so big after all. Plus Flynn showed me there is good in people. Mother was wrong about people. Flynn offered me his hand as he noticed my trepidation moving closer toward the bridge.

"So are you alone, Flynn? Do you go with anyone to see those lanterns?"

"I have my brothers, no parents."

"Oh I'm sorry, that must be hard."

"I'm not here to promote my sob story. It is what it is." He shrugged.

There were more people on the bridge looking out on the water as the lanterns floated all about. I wanted to stop and just watch, but then I thought of the danger mother was in and that alarm urged me to keep moving.

"How do you know where my mother was taken?"

"Most kidnappers put people on ships to get them out of the kingdom selling them into servitude or something similar. It's illegal in Corona, but not in other places. Your mother is healthy and would make a valuable commodity."

The matter-of-fact way he discussed what I would call slavery was sickening.

"A person isn't a commodity, something to be bought and sold for."

"I agree." He said, "Come on, let's find those sisters so we can do something about that hair of yours."

Upon crossing over the bridge, my eyes were met with bright colors of purple and gold. The kingdom crest was a large golden sun that was clearly identified everywhere my eyes looked. People we walked by greeted me with a friendly smile and some men even tipped their hats toward me. I didn't understand.

"Strange greetings, are people so friendly?" I asked Flynn.

He was looking around cautiously himself looking nervous.

"Are you lost?"

Flynn shook his head quickly. We stopped in front of a water fountain where three red-headed girls with braids were sitting in a line on the stones of the fountain. Flynn strolled right up to greet them and I cautiously pulled down my hood. All three of their eyes lit up at the sight of my hair. I took out the ropes barely holding onto my hair at this point and the sisters went to work. There were three of them and I don't think any of them were older than ten. The whole of my hair was braided in no time and it was less bothersome and heavy for me rather than the way mother secured it haphazardly earlier.

"Thank you, girls," I told them once my hair was all done.

The three girls asked me a bunch of questions about my hair and even my name, but I didn't answer them directly. Flynn saw that I was uncomfortable and we went on our way. By now the lanterns were slowly lowering from the skyline. Flynn led me down the main street toward the docks. There were numerous docks and the path circled around under a stone bridge and led right back into the city, one big loop, at least from what it looked like. I put up my hood still nervous of mother's warning and I avoided looking at anyone unnecessarily.

"I know you're worried about your mother, but you should try to blend in at least. You really don't have to keep your hood up, besides the rain stopped."

Flynn reached for my hood trying to yank it down but I slapped his hand away.

"Don't!" I warned.

Flynn held up his hands defensively apologizing quickly. Pascal coming to my defense marched off my shoulder, down my arm, and glared at Flynn. He stuck his tongue out clearly annoyed.

"Woah," Flynn looked at him in surprise, "How long have you had the lizard?"

"Chameleon," I corrected, "Pascal is my friend."

"You're friends with a chameleon?" Flynn smirked as if to mock me.

I crossed my arms and returned Pascal to my shoulder.

"Yeah, you should try making friends sometime. Maybe then you'll be a little nicer."

I let the comment hang out there before I replayed it in my head. It was too harsh and I pulled my hood down further shielding my face from my immediate embarrassment.

"I deserved that," Was all he replied.

"J-Just take me to my mother." I muttered.

As we passed the docks, there were many different boats in the harbor of all shapes and sizes. Not many people were around and that made it easier for me, but in a kingdom this size surely there would be more people.

"The thugs who seized your mother camp on the other side of this bridge." Flynn pointed out. Adrenaline coursed through me and I took off running.

"So when we rescue my mother, I know she'll want to thank you," I shouted in between heavy panting. No answer came and I looked back thinking somehow I outran Flynn, but he was gone. I called his name several times. Silence. What a jerk, he ditched me! I was already on the other side of the bridge-tunnel and tried to spy a makeshift camp or something of the like. There were a few remaining cottages and homes around the outskirts of town, but it dumped out into the forest again. Nervously I walked my way forward when I heard a slight noise I stopped nervously. I listened and looked around me, but there was nothing. Mother's stories clearly made me paranoid. As I tried to step forward, something yanked at my ankles pulling tight. A rope gripped my feet knocking me flat on my back. I was pulled viciously screaming as I was yanked back into the tunnel under the bridge. I screamed for mother and even screamed for Flynn. My head hit a few rocks and I tried to grab anything to stop myself, but there was nothing for me to do so. When I stopped, there were two hulking shadows in the dark standing in front of me.

"What do you want? Let me go!" I cried.

"I'm curious how much someone would pay for a woman who can heal." A deep voice replied. My eyes widened in sheer terror and before I could try to fight these men off, a sweet scent hit my nose, and I felt immediately sleepy. As my eyes closed, a cloth was tied around my mouth.