Belle collapsed in the snow and sobbed with relief, gasping for breath as she coughed back her pain. Her leg was badly bruised and until now she hadn't noticed the blood leaking past the thin fabric of her dress, a large brown stain was most noticeable on her side, but the bite wasn't deep. Even so, Belle winced as she stood up, and then she noticed her legs, streaked with blood, diluted from the snow and the pain unnoticeable what with the numbing powers of the icy air. As carefully as she could, she brought Philippe down from his rearing state and soothed him 'til his nature became at last quiescent. He moaned softly into her pale palm, and nuzzled her hair, making it stand on end. Gently, she pushed him away, and ran her hand through her straggled hair, caked with blood and soaked through by the snow and icy water they had confronted. She now turned to he beast, and turned away rather quickly. His eyes were closed, his mouth curled into an ugly sneer that made him look all the more fearsome. He was sprawled on the snow, blood leaking profusely from a cut in his arm – he had many more, but this was the most serious.
Belle bit her lip and wondered what to do. She couldn't help him. Not after he had forced her away so violently. But then… what had brought him to save her? What was it in his heart that had encouraged him to come back to her?
Her heart softened and for a moment she truly would have gone to him, if it hadn't been for some selfish voice at the back of her mind.
'You can take him back, yes. Of course you can. But you can't bring him out of that skin. You can't melt a beast like him. No reward, just foul breath and growling.'
She turned away stubbornly, meaning to haul herself back onto Philippe's back, but that was the moment he stirred.
His moan brought her whirling around, for it was undeniably a moan of agony, everything in his eyes said it as they rolled back into his skull.
Then the focused on her, and Belle saw him: truly vulnerable and afraid. Belle saw his paw twitch, and his large, thick furred fingers reach out to her desperately, wanting her to come to him, rescue him.
Then his head lay back, his eyes shut and he slipped back into unconsciousness.
Belle turned back to the saddle and sobbed into it, cursing everything with all her heart. 'NO!' she yelled aloud.
'Not this! This isn't my burden! NOT MINE! DO you hear?' but the sound of her voice echoing around the clearing confirmed the answer to that.
She felt another sob rise in her, and she let it out, a cold despairing sound.
But she knew already. If she left him alone, she wouldn't live with herself. Not ever. She would mourn the demise of a beast, and nothing she could think of would be more shameful. Sighing with a heavy heart, she stumbled to him, and fell at his side.
Enough she told her delirious heart. Just help him and be done with it.
Gently, Belle unclasped the catches on her cloak, and laid it over him…
Hey all! I am most very sorry… I truly will make this longer, but I thought I'd add this little bit in answer to your reviews. (Lovely as always and I thank you very muchly.)
CrimsonEnchantress: Well, hello again ( nice to here from you!) thanks for the comments, very much appreciated. Here are the translated chapter titles so far:
L'Aile d'ouest means "the west wing" in French.
Les Loups means "the wolves"
And Cupabilité et Decision means "complications and decision…
As for The book "Beauty" – yes, I have seen and heard of it and would love to read it….
Ahem, also thanks to everyone has reviewed. I will stop being a pain in the butt and get on with writing this thing!
