Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Once Upon a Time. This is story is not intended for profit, just as a tribute to the amazing writing, characters, and intricate plots therein.

Additional Disclaimer: Any dialogue you recognize comes directly from the show. Also, shout-out to Robert Frost! "A walk through the woods on a snowy evening" is the poem, if you can't place the reference. What can I say? I'm a Lit nerd.

As always, props to my beta, Willofthewisp!

Chapter 6—Enemies and Allies


As the purple smoke cleared, Killian took in his new surroundings. They were now standing in a deep valley surrounded by barren deciduous trees rather than the stately evergreens of the high mountain ridge upon which they previously stood before the Crocodile did his magic trick. Almost before he had a chance to regain his balance from the unexpected teleportation, David squared up to him, glaring.

"I think maybe we need to discuss your history with Rumpelstiltskin," he said in a tone that implied it was the farthest thing from an actual suggestion. "You haven't been very forthcoming, and that, back there, is definitely something we should know about."

"Could say the same to you, mate," Killian pointed out. "How did you get mixed up in his capture all those years ago?"

Then another thought struck him. Killian turned to Henry with narrowed eyes. "And you—your mother is the Evil Queen? I recall you saying that you had lost your mother. Instead, she's the woman whose knights have been dogging our heels this whole journey. That might have been important to know. So what is this, some sort of rebellion against her because you don't like your bedtime?"

"No!" Henry objected, shaking his head hard. "It's not like that at all. Regina may have taken me in, but she's not my mother. She doesn't want to raise me. She doesn't love me! She wants someone to adore her, to need her. It's not the same thing."

"All I'm hearing is a spoiled child whining," Killian snapped while David, arms crossed, appeared to be studying the boy through narrowed eyes.

"You don't know anything about it!" the lad protested, his face scrunched in rebellion. "There were nannies who got me dressed and fed me and taught me. And once a day, they would bring me to Regina's solarium for her to inspect me. And I was supposed to be loving and—and grateful! And if I ever complained that I wanted to go outside to play, or have friends, or learn to swordfight, then I was an ungrateful child who didn't know what was best for myself, so instead I just got more toys or lessons or dessert instead of love or freedom. The Evil Queen is not my mother. She's my jailer."

A bit melodramatic, perhaps, but in essence Killian could not detect a lie in Henry's speech. And he was good at ferreting out lies. He would be less than half the skilled pirate he was if he could not tell when someone was trying to cheat him. Henry had told the truth. It was not a childhood Killian could relate to, but perhaps a gilded cage was as bad as the dockside slums where he had lived when he was young. Doubtful, but Killian admitted the possibility out of respect for Henry.

"So you undertook this quest to teach her a lesson?" he asked as gently as possible.

"No," Henry said. He breathed a mighty sigh and muttered, "You wouldn't understand."

"You went looking for someone to love you," David said.

Henry stiffened, his face wooden. Then he blinked rapidly, his shoulders hunched, and refused to answer. David sighed and shook his head. He turned his attention from Henry, allowing the boy a moment to regroup. Unfortunately, his attention focused on Killian as his next order of business.

"Now you, Jones. What could you have done to the Dark One to make him hate you so much? Even I didn't rate that much loathing, and I would think locking him in a cell was pretty bad."

"You already knew I had a history with the Dark One," Killian said. "Why are you so concerned about it now?"

"I thought your history was the usual," David explained. "A deal gone wrong. But that? That was personal. You said you've been in Neverland since 'she' died. Who was she?"

Killian shook his head and tried to smile. He wasn't sure a true smile actually appeared, but he gave it his best. "Not your concern, mate. I'll allow you your history if you allow me mine. Shall we head on?"

He tried to step away, intending to put distance between himself and the questions as well as continue on their journey. But David grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop. When Killian faced the shepherd, he could hear David's teeth grinding.

"The hell it's not my concern!" David snapped. "It is definitely our concern if it means that we have a powerful and potentially antagonistic sorcerer supposedly helping us who suddenly decides that you're not worth keeping around. Henry made a deal with him for you. You owe us an explanation."

When Killian hesitated again, David released his arm and stepped back and took a breath to calm himself. "Look, we're a three man…no." He frowned. "Make that a two man, one boy army."

They both ignored Henry's offended, "Hey!"

"And we don't know exactly what we're up against with this curse Regina placed on the Princess," he continued. "We can't afford to lose you to the Dark One's whims."

Killian pressed his lips together, thinking. David had a point. And, after all, his tête-à-tête with the Crocodile had surely given his companions enough clues to piece together a rough idea of his history with Rumpelstiltskin.

"Think of it this way," Henry added. "You'll have more people to watch your back when he comes after you."

With a faint, self-deprecating chuckle, Killian was forced to concede they were right. He nodded once. "Very well. The Dark One thinks I stole his wife."

The look on David's face was comical—a mix of confusion, disbelief, and horrified bafflement. Henry wasn't much better. Killian nearly laughed.

"His wife?" David asked.

"Aye." Killian nodded. Then he gestured into the forest with his good hand. "Do you think we might walk as I tell this delightful tale? We've miles to go before we sleep."

Henry adjusted his knapsack, and David slid his thumb behind the strap of his back to redistribute the load before they both nodded, and the three started off.

"You were saying about Ru—The Dark One's wife?" David prompted, belatedly remembering the Crocodile could hear his name across the realms when spoken.

Killian cleared his throat to give himself another moment to settle his heartrate. He gritted his teeth and resigned himself to sharing at least part of the story. Now that he had started this journey, he was loathe to abandon it and the companions he had made.

"Before he was the Dark One, he was just a man," Killian began. "A puny, cowardly man, at that. His wife—"

"Let me guess," David interrupted. "Milah?"

"Right in one. Milah," Killian admitted. He took a deep breath, not sure if he fought off the memory of her death or fought for a clear vision of the face that had been slowly fading over the centuries. Oh, he knew the facts: dark hair, fair skin, grey-green eyes, and high cheekbones. But the details, the exact configuration of her features had blurred over time, and that fact made her all the more difficult to speak about, because he felt so bloody guilty. How could he possibly forget her?

"She was unhappy in her marriage. I met her in a tavern near the docks one day when my ship was in the port near her home to resupply and undertake some repairs. Milah was…like a captive wildfire. She diced, and she drank, and she laughed with her whole body. She was stunning."

He swallowed, pushing down the pain of the memory as he cleared away the underbrush they waded through with more force than necessary.

"The day we were set to leave, I found Milah at the docks, just staring at the ships. I only intended to bid her farewell. She begged me to take her with us, to smuggle her out on the ship. She swore she would do anything if I'd only take her with us. I agreed. When her husband showed up, I told him he was welcome to try and take her from me. The coward wouldn't even try, so I had him removed from my deck. The next time I saw Milah's husband, he was the Dark One."

"But by then you'd fallen in love with her," Henry guessed.

Killian glanced at the boy and saw his bright, open smile. It was free of judgment. Henry saw the romance and the adventure. It never occurred to him that there might have been darker or baser reasons for a pirate to want to keep a woman aboard his ship—not that that had been an issue with Milah. She could fight like a wildcat, even before he'd taught her how to use a weapon. The lad's acceptance returned a measure of peace to him, and he smiled at Henry's eagerness for the rest of the story.

"That I did, lad," he admitted. "Milah started out as a crewmember, though I'll admit to sharing my quarters with her from the outset. Even before she mastered the sword, she was a hellion in a fight. She was fearless, and she fought dirty. She cheated at dice better than anyone I'd ever met, and I made her teach me how. We fell in love and remained faithful for seven years. And then the Crocodile ripped her heart out in front of me and crushed it to dust before he took my hand. I've wanted to kill him ever since."

David and Henry allowed him a moment of silent walking to catch his breath. David even reached out and patted his shoulder. He chuckled a little, and said, "While I don't condone running off with someone who was already married, I do understand falling in love with a strong, stubborn woman."

When Killian raised an eyebrow in question, David pointed to a spot on his chin covered by his beard. "The first time I met my wife, she hit me in the face with a rock. I still have a scar."

He laughed, grateful for the shepherd's commiseration. He took a few deep breaths, wishing that he could smell the salt of the ocean rather than the musk of the forest. But deep breathing and continued movement helped to ease the pain until he could return it to its proper place in the corner of his mind. When he felt like he could speak again, Killian turned to David. "What about you? You were part of the team that caught the Dark One?"

"Yes, I was," he admitted. "He had made a deal with Princess Ella of the Eastern Kingdom, and was coming to collect his price—her first born child."

"What?"

"Ella made a deal with the Dark One without fully understanding the consequences," David explained. "The Dark One asked for her first born in return for upholding his end. We—that is, Prince Thomas, Princess Ella, and their allies from Saint-George—managed to trap him and confine him in a magic-dampening cell converted from an exhausted dwarf mine."

"From what the Crocodile said, he let you take him," Killian pointed out.

"Mm," David agreed. "I have no idea why he would do that, but I can believe it of him."

"He said something about it being useful to him at the time," Henry recalled. "Maybe he needed to hide somewhere that dampened magic, and then when he was safe, he could leave."

"The Dark One?" David asked skeptically. "Why would the Dark One need to hide from anything?"

"He mentioned something about a curse," Killian said.

"A curse that he would need protection from?" David mused.

"You did say the cell was made to dampen magic," he said. "Perhaps that includes magic from outside the cell?"

David was quiet as he thought it over. Killian had to admit, it was an uncomfortable prospect. What kind of curse would be so dark, do powerful, that the Dark One himself would seek protection from it?

Eventually, the shepherd sighed and shook his head.

"It hardly matters now, I suppose," David concluded. "Whatever was supposed to happen never occurred, and the Dark One is free now."

"And Princess Ella kept her daughter, but lost her husband," Henry said.

"And was subsequently banished from court by the King," David concluded. "It was quite a scandal."

Killian frowned. "Henry mentioned something about that before. Why would the King banish his own daughter?"

"Daughter-in-law," David corrected. "King Thomas the Elder blamed Ella for his son's disappearance. It was Ella who made the deal with the Dark One. The King felt that Ella should have been the one to pay the price, not Prince Thomas."

"A fair assessment," Killian said. "Though I doubt the Crocodile cared about being fair at the time."

"It seems harsh to me," David said, frowning.

"People make choices," he said. "Sometimes they're wrong choices, but you have to live with the consequences." He certainly had. "If this Ella-lass hadn't made a deal with the Dark One, then the Prince would still be alive and free. Sometimes the results of our actions, no matter how good our intentions may be, fall hard on those we love."

"But it's not fair," Henry protested, shaking his head.

Killian nodded. "I'll not argue that. It is harsh. It is ugly. It's in no way fair. But that is sometimes the way of things. Best to learn that lesson now, lad. It will save you heartache in the future."

Both of his companions wore mulish expressions, their jaws jutted out in stubborn refusal of his advice. They were both generous souls who kept an optimistic outlook on life, even David, who Killian felt should know better. As they walked on in an uncomfortable silence, Killian felt the muscles in his shoulders tighten under their judgment of his words. He could feel Henry's disappointment in him. David's discontent practically curdled the air around them.

The whole situation made him inclined to desert them now. Who were they to judge his opinions? The lad he could understand, not having lived out in the world. But David was a man grown. He had seen the way the world works.

Well, fine. Killian knew damn well what he was on about. It was a lesson he had learned over and over in his life. As a boy, he had been the one to bring home the illness that killed his mother but somehow released him after a few days of fever. Then in Neverland, he had goaded his brother into making a stupid gesture of faith in their king that had ended Liam's life. He had insulted and scorned a powerful sorcerer who killed his beloved in retribution. Killian knew what he was on about, and yet his companions refused to believe. More fools them.

Which was why it was such a surprise when David said, "You have a point."

Killian actually stopped. He tilted his head, lifted a brow, and asked, "What was that, mate?"

"Don't push it, Jones," the shepherd grumbled. "And keep moving. Weren't you the one who wanted to put as much distance between us and the Dark Castle as possible?"

Killian started forward again, a new smile on his face.

"But yes," David continued. "You're right. Too often we make choices for which those we love pay the price."

"But it shouldn't be like that," Henry protested. "It's not right."

"The people we love shouldn't be held accountable for our actions, true," David agreed. "But the world doesn't always do what it should. Which is why I think we should probably pick up the pace. I want as much distance between us and the Dark One as we can get before sundown."

"It probably won't help," Henry pointed out even as he scampered to keep up with the longer strides of the two men. "The Dark One can just appear wherever he wants."

"Well, it will make me feel better, anyway," David replied.

"I agree with the shepherd," Killian voted.

So off they trudged, the mood between them still a bit tense, but much improved with the airing of their pasts. They even managed to pick up their pace for the first few miles. They ate on the move when midday came around, but their luck in finding the magical short cut Rumpelstiltskin promised seemed to have left them. This time they were not so lucky in finding the wandering magical loop in the forest. And as a deeper blow to Killian's pride, David had been correct in his assessment of his and Henry's abilities to adjust to the thin mountain air. The boy was nearing exhaustion before the sun was even close to setting, and Killian was out of breath and losing stamina.

When they broke for the night, David took responsibility for setting up camp and standing first watch while Killian and Henry ate and turned in early. The next morning Killian, having taken over for David at midnight, woke his companions and parceled out breakfast of hard little apples, the last of the bread, and the refilled canteens.

"We seem to be getting low on provisions again," he observed. "We've only got some salted mutton and root vegetables left."

"Don't worry," Henry said. "We had luck yesterday, we'll have luck today, too. I can feel it."

"Has anyone ever told you that your unremittent optimism is a tad off-putting first thing in the morning?" Killian asked.

"Once or twice," the boy admitted with a smile.

"Let's head out," David directed. "We should be able to find some edible plants as we go. We can find a good stream, too, and fish for lunch."

"Glad you know your way about the forest mate," Killian admitted.

"See?" David smirked. "I knew you'd be glad I tagged along."

"As you said yesterday, mate, don't push your luck."

The trio walked on, deeper into the forest. Killian was not overly familiar with arboreal species, but even he could see that the types of trees were changing once again from thick-trunked, leafless oaks to a realm solely inhabited by drooping evergreens. Their spiny needles occasionally dripped cold snowmelt onto their shoulders. But by late morning, another of the seasonal shifts that occurred in the deep forest transformed the forest. At noon, the trio found a sun-warmed glade where summer-ripe berries still clung to bushes surrounding a small pond that flowed out into a sluggish little stream.

"This looks like a good spot to fish," David announced. "And I think I see some blueberries on the other side of the pond there. Henry, how about you go get us some dessert? I'll find a stick to use as a fishing pole."

"Find me one, too, mate," Killian said. "I'll start the fire going, and look for some bait."

"You know how to fish?" David asked.

"No need to sound so surprised," he replied. "I've lived aboard ship for most of my life. Of course I know how to fish, and usually for larger catches than we're likely to find here."

"Let me guess, the one that got away was thiiiiis big?" David joked as he held his hands far out to his sides, smirking at Killian.

Killian grinned back. "Nothing gets away from me, mate," he boasted. "I always catch what I angle for."

David shook his head and turned into the trees to search out a few branches suitable for their needs. Killian, meanwhile, pulled out the small shovel David had had the foresight to bring along in his pack and commenced to dig a fire pit. Any little squirming things he unearthed, Killian put into the shepherd's tin cup. Payback for doubting his fishing abilities. Once the hole was large enough and the cup contained a heavy handful of worms and grubs, Killian set some tinder, struck a spark with flint and his hook, and set a small blaze going for them to cook their supper.

Task complete, he stood, brushed his legs clean of dirt, and looked for his companions. Henry was still picking blueberries from the cluster of bushes across the little pond, although the stains Killian could see around the boy's mouth suggested at least half his haul was being ingested on the spot. And David…

David currently appeared to be in a staring match with a tree several feet away. Killian left the fire pit and joined him beside the tree the shepherd found so fascinating. "What have you found?"

David raised his free hand, the other holding three newly cut fishing poles, and brushed his fingers over a scar on the trunk of the tall evergreen. "What shape would you call that?"

Killian considered the mark. It was old, the exposed flesh of the tree already a dull grey-brown so that it nearly disappeared into the surrounding bark. It was not something he would have noticed as being out of the ordinary, but now that David had pointed it out, the mark was clearly deliberate.

"It looks like a hook," he said, holding up his own.

"Or a crescent moon, perhaps?" David suggested.

"Aye, that it could be. Do you know what it means?"

"I think so," David said. "It means I may know someone in the area. A friend. Someone who can help us, even if just to get us some more supplies."

With that, David set down the poles, and pulled off his jerkin and then his shirt. He took the cloth and rubbed it over the mark on the tree, paying special attention to rub the sweat-stained underarms into the grooves of the bark.

"Well, that's mildly disgusting," Killian observed. "Care to explain?"

"I'm leaving my scent," he explained, re-donning his clothes. "If she's in the area, my friend will be able to find me, and she can help us."

Killian smirked at him. "Old flame?"

The slightly nauseous expression on David's face was answer enough, but he reinforced it with an emphatic, "No! Gods, no. She's practically my sister."

"If you say so, mate," Killian said, chuckling.

"I most certainly do," he insisted. David even shuddered a tad as he picked up the dropped poles.

Killian chuckled at his discomfort. But in all seriousness, he asked, "You really think this friend of yours can, or will, help us?"

"I'm sure of it," the shepherd said as they walked back to camp where Henry now waited, adding more dry fuel to the fire Killian had built. "If nothing else, we can have venison for dinner for a few nights. She's…a very good hunter."

"A change of fare would be nice," Killian said, picking up the bait pail and ball of twine, again from the shepherd's supplies.

"It certainly wo—is that my cup?"


The three spent several hours of laughter and relaxation fishing and cooking their catch, though David was not best pleased with Killian's choice of bait bucket. All in all, though, Killian couldn't recall the last time he had such a fine afternoon. Not since Milah died, he was certain. Relaxation was hardly a common pastime on that accursed island. And friends were not a commodity a pirate tended to accumulate if he was successful.

But David's grumbling over his cup, their competitive boasting as they each tried to catch the biggest or the most fish, and Henry's green pallor when he watched Killian gut the trout with his hook were bright memories dropped into the dark pool of his long life, spreading ripples of contentment while they lasted, and finally lay shining like gems under the dark currents of his quest for vengeance.

They set off again a few hours before sunset, hoping to cover a few more miles before dark. Just like the day before, the magical short cut that was to take them into the eastern forest evaded them for another day. The laughter of midday returned to silence as they each focused on pushing through the undergrowth and trudging up an increasingly steep incline. They were now headed into the high Northern Mountains, and the terrain was more punishing than Killian had imagined. His feet and back ached from the trek. His satchel weighed down on his shoulder, causing a crick in his neck. But pride demanded that if David, who was physically older than he, could journey on without complaint, so could he.

In the end, much to Killian's relief, it was Henry who forced them to call a halt before sunset when his pace began to slow. David called a halt and tended to Henry's blisters while Killian set up camp. Henry was nearly asleep before he had finished the last of the meager dinner rations. As had become their custom, David took the first watch, and Killian stretched out atop his coat, using his satchel as a pillow.

As the embers died and a nearly full moon rode the treetops overhead, Killian mused over the comradery he had felt that afternoon. Had had not had mates he could just be himself with—Killian, not Hook, or even Captain—since his brother had died. He saw parts of himself as a boy in Henry. It was the hope and optimism that Henry carried with him, the belief that everything would work out for the best no matter what, that resonated with Killian. He remembered a time when he had believed that the world was full of adventure and joy, and he could not wait to face every challenge with Liam by his side. Henry's enthusiasm inspired Killian with an affection and protectiveness he had thought long-since quashed.

And David… David reminded him of Liam. Killian now realized that, quite unknowingly, he had allowed the shepherd to become the leader of their expedition. Part of it was his superior knowledge of the forest, but he acknowledged that a great deal of it was the confidence and fortitude that David possessed. Liam had been the same. His calm determination was the mortar that held them together after their father left them. Liam had kept Killian steady, making sure he ate and worked and kept his head down, as even as a child, Killian's temper got him into trouble. David, too, seemed to have an influence over Killian that quelled his anger and steadied his mind when he began to brood.

Frankly, it was disconcerting. He laid awake, staring at the sky for hours despite how weary his body was. If he allowed them to grind away his rage, what would be left of Milah's memory? If he was no longer Captain Hook, scourge of the high seas and terror of merchants everywhere, who was he? If he softened, how deeply could he be hurt?

He pushed the thoughts aside to deal with later. Instead, he called up Milah's image and focused on the last moments of her life to remind himself of his purpose. Then he forced himself to try and sleep, knowing that they still had a long way to go before they reached the Princess who Henry insisted had the power to make his dream of Rumpelstiltskin's death come true.

But seconds after he closed his eyes, the crack of twigs and rustle of leaves from all sides of camp announced the arrival of unexpected guests.

Killian and David were on their feet, swords in hand, in one heartbeat. They stood on either side of Henry who remained in the peaceful sleep of an exhausted child. The men kept their backs to one another as they faced the surrounding forest. Whoever was out there had stopped moving, but Killian strained to make out any noise to let him know where the newcomers were. For a long moment, Killian only heard their own breathing and the drumming of his pulse in his ears. Their guests remained quiet, waiting.

"Show yourselves!" David called out.

There was another beat of silence, and Killian adjusted his grip on the hilt of his sword. And then there was a rustle of movement in the trees.

"David?"

It was a woman's voice, a lovely mezzo-soprano coming from the left. Killian glanced behind him to find David lowering his sword slightly. The shepherd's brows lifted, and a hesitant smile touched the corners of his mouth behind the beard.

"Red?"

Red? Killian wondered if it was some kind of code. Was the appropriate response blood, roses, or rubies?

"Stand down," the woman called to her companions. A moment later she entered the rig of firelight and flung herself into David's waiting open arms. The two laughed and slapped one another on the back, and tears welled and dropped from the woman's eyes. "It is you! I thought you were dead!"

Killian lowered his weapon. From the surrounding forest a group of six men and women emerged into the ring of light around their banked fire. The oldest was a man with nearly white hair and a grizzled beard. The youngest was a girl of fourteen or so, unremarkable except for the eerie way the light from the campfire reflected in her eyes. The other four ranged in ages between the two, but they all had a feral look about them from their clothing which was tattered and darned in places, to the furtive movements they made as they sized up the men.

Henry muttered and opened his eyes, blinking at the new people around him.

"Go back to sleep, lad," Killian said. "David seems to have found us some allies, and appears to be having a happy reunion."

Henry rolled over to look at the shepherd, who was grasping the arms of the dark-haired leader of the hodgepodge forest band. The two smiled widely at one another, each refusing to let the other go. There were several inches between their bodies, however, and their posture did not strike Killian as particularly romantic, but their affection for one another was clear.

Finally remembering his own party, David turned, releasing one of the woman's arms, and gestured to Killian and the boy.

"Let me introduce you. This is Captain Jones, also called Hook."

Killian sheathed his sword and gave her a deep bow punctuated with a wink and a smile—a tactic he had used successfully on women for years. It was guaranteed to either annoy them greatly or entice them. "My lady."

"And the other is Henry, who has had a long journey and should probably be sleeping," David said, pointing to the lad.

"I'm awake now," Henry protested. "What's going on?"

"I found a marking on a tree by the pond we stopped at for lunch," David explained. "I recognized it, and hoped it meant that friends were in the area. It turns out I was right. Hook, Henry, this is my dear friend Red. She's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister."

Killian watched her face when David called her a sister, and was surprised to see that she neither blinked nor flinched. Apparently David had told the truth that there was nothing romantic between them. They both seemed content with a sibling relationship. It was not something he had ever personally had experience with—a platonic or familial relationship with a woman who was not actually related to him—but it seemed to be what these two had.

"Nice to meet you, Captain, Henry," Red said. "And these are my people: Govery, Tanner, Link, Mara, Jeb, and Fay."

Killian nodded his respects, but kept an eye on them as the little group found places together on the other side of the fire from him and Henry. There was something about them that set his teeth on edge and made him want to re-draw his sword as a precaution.

"Now tell me, what are you doing out here?" Red asked David. "The last time I saw you…well…."

"I didn't look too good, I'm sure," David replied, a bit ruefully.

Killian recalled David telling them that he had lost his family in the war. If that was the last time this Red person had seen the shepherd, no doubt he had looked rough. He remembered his own reflection in the weeks after both Liam's and Milah's deaths. "Haggard" and "unkempt" were only two of the words that could have been used to describe him, if not "crazed."

"After Grumpy and his brothers left," David explained, "I just…lost hope. Lost direction. I don't think I actually meant to leave camp. I remember I wanted to take a walk, clear my head. Then I guess I just…kept on walking. I didn't stop for a long time."

"Is that how you ended up here?" Red asked.

"Let's sit down," David suggested. "This is going to be a long story. Actually, it starts with Henry." He smiled at the boy as he and his friend took a seat. "So kid, you want to kick off story time?"

Henry sat up straighter, rubbing his eyes, and grinned. "Sure!"

As Henry launched into his tale of leaving home to seek out the lost Princess, Killian returned to his own spot by the fire. He let the boy's story flow over him, already familiar with it, and instead observed David's friend.

She was tall and lean. Though she looked to be about the same age as David—she was easily in her fifties—it was a well-kept middle age. Her hair was dark and curly, and except for lines of tension on her forehead and around her wide-spaced eyes, she still held onto the high-cheeked beauty of her youth. But, like her companions on the other side of the fire, her eyes caught the light strangely. If Killian had hackles, they would be raised.

Aside from her lovely face, there was nothing much remarkable about the woman that he could see. She was dressed in a plain, home-spun skirt and blouse with an embroidered bodice that had been mended in several places. The simple stitching provided her only ornamentation. Her boots were old leather, though they appeared well cared for. Her cloak, like her name, was red, and again it was only the embroidery of the cloak that offered her any decoration. She had no gold or silver jewelry, no precious stones, not even a murky amethyst. Except for the bright cloak, her clothing was all in the colors of the forest—green, brown, and grey.

When Henry was through with his part of the tale, David picked up with their meeting at his croft. Henry slowly lay back down, his determination to stay awake and be part of the discussion battling with his body's need for rest. But before David reached their meeting with the Dark One, the boy was asleep once more.

"The Dark One?" Red exclaimed. She case a wary look at David. "He couldn't have been too happy to see you."

"Actually, he seemed to save most of his venom for the Captain, here."

Red raised an eloquent brow at him. Killian responded with a smirk and a shrug. "The Dark One and I have a complicated history. Frankly, I'm as surprised as anyone that he let me live."

"Anyway," David continued. "He pointed us in this direction. He said that we should head toward a short-cut somewhere in this valley that will take us into the eastern part of the forest, then we are to head north to a mountain lake where…where he believes that the missing princess might be hiding from the Evil Queen."

Red grabbed his arm and leaned in, her expression intent. "You're looking for her again? You really think she's still alive?"

"If Henry's source is right—and I think he is—then yes."

Red was quiet a long moment, her gaze distant as she thought. She looked over to her friends who all waited for her response with an eerie, animalistic silence. Finally, she nodded. "We'll aide you in your search."

"We will?" challenged one the men—Tanner, Killian recalled. He was thickly muscled with heavy brows, and he had worn a scowl on his face since the moment he had entered the clearing with the others.

"Yes," Red affirmed with a sharp look at the man. "We will." Then she asked David, "What do you need?"

David smiled. "Right now, we need supplies. We're out of meat, bread, fruit, and vegetables. We've been fishing and foraging as we can, but I don't know the forest like…."

He stopped suddenly, voice breaking, and a deep wince cut across his face. Red reached out a hand and gently placed it over his.

"Well of course she knew the forest," Red said, her smile sad. "After all, I taught…Mary everything she knew." She patted David's hand before letting go. "Now, fresh game we can provide you with, obviously. We're not much for fruits or vegetables in my group."

The six men and women shared a chuckle with their leader. Then one of the men, the oldest, said, "We do know a few families in the forest that we trade with."

Red nodded. "The King's Road isn't too far from here, and there's an inn run by a woman named Gretel and her brother. We've traded with them before. In fact…Fay? Can you run ahead and see if The Compass has anything they can spare?"

The youngest of the foresters nodded to Red. The girl stood up, brushed off her skirt, and then loped off into the trees without a second thought. In seconds, she was lost into the shadows of the forest.

Killian frowned. "She's going now? In the middle of the night?"

"Don't worry about Fay," Red said, waving off his concern. "Nothing short of a bear could harm her. And even a bear would think twice."

"So you're really coming, then?" David asked her. "I don't know how long it will take to find her, and even when we do, we'll still have a fight on our hands. After she's freed, no doubt the Princess will want to take back the kingdom from Regina."

"All the more reason for us to join you, then," Red insisted. "Two men and a boy aren't much of an army. My pack knows this part of the forest, and you know from past experience that werewolves make formidable allies."

"Excuse me?" Killian exclaimed. "Werewolves?"

His hand had moved automatically to the hilt of his sword. An inch of the blade was already clear of the scabbard. Killian glanced over at the five remaining people—bloody werewolves—across the fire. The reflected firelight in their eyes made sense now. They had wolves' eyes.

"Calm down," David said. "Red has full control, and I'm certain her pack does as well, if she's leading them."

"They do," Red confirmed.

Killian clenched his jaw and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Apologies. I've never met one of your kind before, and the tales I've heard…well?" he said without releasing his grip on his sword.

"Understandable," Red acknowledged. "There are some pretty gruesome tales of pirates, too."

Killian raised a brow at her.

Red smiled in reply. "Come now, Captain, it wasn't that hard to figure out. You're hardly the image of a simple merchant."

Right there, Killian decided he liked her. He smiled without malice. Releasing his weapon, he held his hands out to his sides and offered as deep a bow as possible while sitting down. "You have me there, my lady. Well played."

He looked over at David to find the shepherd smirking at him. Apparently he was no good at subterfuge. It was why he usually never bothered.

"So, since you've decided to join our quest, as Henry calls it, what's your goal? What is your happy ending that this Princess is supposed to provide?" he asked. "Is it a cure for your curse? Amnesty for all lupine inhabitants of the kingdom?"

"No," Red said. "I'm not in this for a reward."

"Then why?"

"I knew the Princess's mother," she said. "She was the true queen of this realm. I'm doing this for her."

Her answer was a simple one, loyalty, and Killian believed her. Once, he had had it, too. He wondered if Red's loyalty would earn her the same reward that his him.


Author's Note: I have to admit, the fishing scene is one of my favorites from this fic. What did you think?

Next chapter, our intrepid questers have their first battle as they get closer to finding the Lost Princess!