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: I've borrowed "tesseract" from Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, which also inspired the title of this chapter.
Author's Note: So, clearly Sunday's episode, "Birth," was OUaT's version of the Red Wedding from "Game of Thrones." I think it will take me the whole two week break just to recover! Thus, in order to comfort my shocked and grieving heart (and hopefully provide succor to yours, as well, dear readers) here's a new chapter.
Also, journey bread is a real thing. In ye olden times, it was a long-lasting, portable meal, kind of like a Lunchable today. It packed a bunch of calories (fruit, nuts, buttermilk, molasses, and sometimes even meat) into an easy-to-carry loaf. Like fruitcake, actually. You can find recipes for it online. Just search for Journey Bread or Journey Cake Recipes.
Also, Willofthewisp is amazing! Thank you for beta'ing, and good luck with merging the bomb dropped on Sunday into "Hearts and Monsters!"
Chapter 7: A Wrinkle in the Forest
The next morning the humans and werewolves set out at sunrise. Their first stop was at the site of the werewolf pack's home—an abandoned fort from centuries prior. The wolves had repaired some of the buildings for sleeping and storage. They gathered up another dozen water skeins and a huge supply of dried and salted meat. Fay, the littlest wolf, met up with them at mid-morning, bearing two sacks: one full of journey bread and the other of hearty fruits and root vegetables.
Fully provisioned, they set out. David and Red led the way, remaining close to one another, swapping stories. Killian and Henry followed far enough away that he could not make out the words of their conversation, and Henry chatted at him to fill the space. The rest of the wolves ranged out around them, which caused a tight knot in Killian's shoulders for the first few days.
Henry, however, loved having more people to talk to. With his eager openness, the lad was accepted by the newcomers little reservation. During their rest stops, Red positively doted on him. Henry revived the storytelling game, and it kept them all in good humor for days.
True to her word, Red and the pack kept them all in fresh game during their travels. Red herself found both edible and medicinal plants almost every yard. Most of them proved to be good traveling companions, and even taciturn Govery, the oldest wolf, warmed up enough to play a little wooden flute at night during dinner. The only fly in the ointment was Red's second-in-command, Tanner, who enjoyed grumbling at even the slightest provocation, refused to converse with the mere humans, and made pithy remarks just under his breath about every perceived delay. Red insisted the man stay to the front of the group as a scout, thus limiting the time he would have to spend around the rest of the travelers and allowing them a more pleasant journey.
Even so, it was nearly a full week before Killian noticed that the trees suddenly began to thin, and a distant sparkle of reflected sunlight shone from the side of one of the mountain peaks. He pulled his spyglass and adjusted it to focus on the distant glimmer. A thin waterfall plummeted down from a crack midway up the mountain, between two twisted little pines that clung to the rock-face. They must have finally found the magical loop the Crocodile promised, though it must have wandered farther from the Dark Castle than the reptilian bastard had thought.
Their luck held. In two hours, another magical tesseract deposited them halfway up the mountain, close enough to the falls that they had to shout to hear one another. The stones underfoot were slick with green slime, and moss grew thick on the nearby trees. The spray from the falls cast a mist over the entire area, making it hard to see, compounding the unease Killian felt at his loss of hearing caused by the deafening thunder of the falls. As a sailor, he knew the dangers that could lurk in a fog. Unsuspected rocks could be the least of their worries.
His peace of mind was not improved when wolves began jolting and starting, followed inevitably by a glance to the drop-off. He watched Mara and Govery cock their heads as if trying to pick up a sound from the forest that had caught their attention. Killian tried to listen for whatever they heard, but he could make out nothing over the rush and tumble of the falls.
"Wait!" one of the wolves, Tanner, called out.
"What is it?" Red asked, coming up from behind to join Tanner at the head of their party.
"It smells wrong," he reported. "I've never smelled anything like it before. It's like…" He stopped to sniff. "It smells like mildew and wet fur. And carrion."
"Not that surprising, mate," Killian pointed out, rolling his eyes. "The mist-drenched stone explains the scent of mildew. As for the carrion, I doubt you're the only predators around these parts. There's likely a bear's leftovers rotting nearby. And the wet fur…well?" He chuckled as he gestured toward the werewolf himself.
David elbowed him in the side and cut him a sharp glance. He had spent the days since the two groups had joined mediating the exchanges between Killian and the werewolf, but Killian could hardly help himself. During their week of travel, Killian's opinion of Tanner had solidified. He was abrasive and loud without the benefit of being intelligent, constantly complaining about the stench of humans scaring away the game, or swearing that he sensed some presence which turned out to be a squirrel. Killian had no respect for him and wondered how he had come to be Red's second at all. He could not help poking at him.
In response to the wet fur comment, Red narrowed her eyes at Killian while Tanner growled. "You're not as funny as you think you are," the lady said. She then turned to her packmate. "Tanner, do you smell anything else more distinct?"
Another moment of the man's petulance passed before he answered, "No. This isn't like anything I've ever smelled before."
"Well, we're in a part of the forest outside our territory," Red comforted him, patting Tanner's shoulder to help soothe his ego. "We'll keep an eye and a nose out for anything strange."
They proceeded more slowly, and Red stayed to the front, acting as vanguard with Tanner. Mara and Link lifted their noses to sniff the air, and the lady-wolf sneezed in response to whatever she smelled. Govery travelled just ahead of Killian, and he, too, scented the air, his thin lips pulling back over his teeth in a silent snarl as his eyes darted around them.
Leaving Henry at the rear of the group with the two youngest werewolves, Fay and Jeb, David remained close to Killian. From the frown on the shepherd's face, Killian knew he was in for another chastisement. It was becoming predictable.
"You shouldn't antagonize them," David scolded. "They're the only allies we have, and they've already helped us a great deal by providing supplies and protection at night."
"I wasn't intending to antagonize them all," Killian replied. "Tanner annoys me. Besides, the wolf isn't the only one who feels off in this place. I can't shake the feeling that something is hiding in this mist."
"Just try not to make an enemy of Tanner," David said. "Keep a clear head. We just need to make it to the top of the waterfall, and the mist will clear."
"I'll try, mate. I'll feel better when we're out of this damn fog."
The creeping unease had already increased in the last few minutes. Clouds had rolled in and hidden the sun, adding to the gloom. The entire path was monochrome gray, with the dim outline of the forest on right and a long drop on the left.
Suddenly, Killian spotted movement from the corner of his eye. From behind boulders along the path, down from the cliffs above on slimy ropes, and up from the chasm below, on clawed fingers and toes, came trolls. His heart slammed in his chest when he realized what he faced. Bridge trolls. The kind that liked to eat unwary travelers.
"Get them!" the lead troll bellowed, his voice like a rockslide.
"Bloody buggering hell," Killian swore as he pulled his sword.
"I second that," David answered while doing the same. He twisted back and shouted to Fay and Jeb, "Protect Henry!"
The two men ran forward to support the werewolves as the trolls, eight—no ten—no, thirteen of the creatures came at them fast. Killian had never actually seen a troll before, but he had heard stories of the grey-skinned, craggy brutes who preferred the rocky mountainous terrain of the Infinite Forest. They were as fearsome as the stories told, shaggy beasts, taller and broader than a man, and sporting sharp-toothed underbites. They carried clubs and crude swords they swung hard with their powerful arms.
The leader managed to clip the side of Tanner's head before David and Killian could reach them. Another troll drove Red back with a swipe at her midsection with its jagged blade. A third grappled with one of the other wolves, Mara, with its bare hands.
Once he was closer, even Killian could identify the stench that rolled off the bridge trolls. Just as the wolf had said: mildew, damp fur, and carrion. He parried the sword of a third troll just in time to duck under a swinging club of another. He could feel the tails of his long coat flaring out behind him as he spun around and drove his sword into the back of one of his assailants.
The troll howled as it fell face down and did not rise again.
The second troll—leaner than the dead one, with a bald head and a broken left tusk—glanced down at his fallen comrade. The death of his friend caused it to hesitate only a heartbeat before he came at Killian again. Killian noted the troll's shuffling gait, listing slightly harder and lower on the left. The troll was more cautious this time, but was still nowhere near as skilled as Killian. The pirate deflected two more blows until he swept under its arm, and drove the point of his hook into the troll's neck. A wet gurgle proceeded this one's death.
Killian wrenched the hook out of his opponent's throat, and turned to see if he could be of use anywhere else in the fight. David stood his ground mere steps away facing off with two of his own combatants. Somewhat to his shock, Mara picked up one of the trolls, held it above her head for a moment, and tossed it over the side of the cliff into the waterfall. He wondered if his own surprise had been as blatant as that of the troll when it had found itself lifted by such a dainty woman. Killian made a note not to disregard the strength of the werewolf pack. Or the speed, he thought as the wiry male, Link, became a deadly whirlwind, dismembering two trolls in seconds with his bare hands.
A whoosh caught his attention as a crossbow bolt flew past his head and sunk deep into the chest of a troll directly behind him. Killian watched the troll topple forward, a club still raised in its hand. He looked back toward the direction of the bolt, and saw Red with the crossbow in one hand while she threw her other fist into the face of a troll foolish enough to engage her in hand-to-hand combat.
One more troll slipped past the front line, and rushed to the rear of the group. Killian turned and saw the troll's target. Henry stood wide-eyed, pale, clutching one of the kitchen knives he had pilfered from the Jolly Roger, and alone while his companions were busy fending off their attackers.
The troll darted for the boy.
Killian sprinted after it.
The troll now blocked his view of the lad, but he heard Henry shout.
The troll raised his sword, elbow back and prepared for a skewering thrust.
Forsaking form and precision, Killian tackled the beast. The two tumbled to the ground with Killian on top. Unfortunately, he was at too bollixed-up an angle to use either sword or hook, and the troll outweighed him. They grappled a moment, but the troll flung him off. Killian went flying one way and his sword another. He landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him, his ears ringing, and his vision grey. It was only a moment, but it allowed the troll to advance again on Henry.
A snarl finally brought the world back to clarity. Killian blinked his eyes back into focus and watched the little wolf, Fay, launch herself between the troll and Henry, grabbing the meaty wrists of the troll and holding it off. Killian had not really believed Red when she boasted that even a bear would think twice about going against a werewolf, even a tiny one like the fourteen-year-old Fay. He believed her now. The waif held off her opponent, if not with ease then with an equal show of strength.
Killian rolled to his feet and spied his sword not far away. He dipped down, picked it up, and charged forward. He sunk his hook into the troll's thick shoulder muscle while he drove the point of his sword into its side. The beast yowled. Fay twisted the injured arm of the troll down, bringing it to one knee. Then she spun and kicked out, clipping its temple. The troll's eyes rolled back. It slumped to the ground, and Killian finished it off with a thrust to the heart.
"Retreat!"
He turned at the sound of the troll leader's voice. Those left standing—a mere five of the original baker's dozen—loped away, back down the side of the cliff. Killian looked around to assess the damage to his companions and was relieved to see it was minimal. Everyone—except Henry, thankfully—had blood on them. David's sword was stained in a manner indicating more slicing wounds were made than stab wounds. Tanner was clutching his arm to his chest, suggesting it might have been broken, but both of his hands had bloody knuckles. Red pressed her hand to her middle and struggled to catch her breath, but the expression on her face was anger rather than a great deal of pain. The other wolves had also sustained some damage, but everyone was alive and would heal.
Killian reached into his satchel and hooked out the scarf he had taken off when the climb up the mountains had overheated him. He did a quick, awkward cleaning of his blade before he sheathed it. With only the one hand, he would need to be seated before he could clean his sword properly.
Red called together her pack and David joined them. She was already in the process of dismantling her crossbow and he watched as she hid the weapon behind the folds of her scarlet cloak. He wondered what else she kept back there.
Killian, odd man out, went to check on Henry who still stood shock still off to the side. The boy was pale as milk. "Lad? You alright?"
"I…" Henry's breathing was too fast. "I think so."
He was shaking. Killian remembered his first battle. He had been older than Henry by six or seven years, after Liam had gotten him a post on a naval vessel, but he remembered the aftermath. Killian took Henry by the shoulder and led him to a boulder and made him sit.
"Lean forward and put your head between your knees, lad. Try to take deep, even breaths, or you're going to faint."
Henry did as he was told, his breath coming slower and slower. At first, the shaking got worse, but after a minute or two, it started to subside. "I just…I've never seen anything like that before. I've never been attacked."
"Well, you wanted an adventure," Killian pointed out. "What's an adventure without danger?"
"Yeah, but…I guess I just didn't think about what it would actually be like."
Killian looked up at the sound of footsteps and found David coming to join them.
"Henry? How you doing?"
"He's unharmed," Killian reported. "You can sit up now, lad. I think you're going to be fine." When Henry sat up, Killian gave him a smile and a nod. "You did well."
Henry shook his head, an irritated frown on his face. "I didn't do anything. I just stood there like an idiot."
"No," David said. "You did exactly what you should have done. You're the youngest, the least physically capable—"
"The weakest, you mean."
"Only because of your age and size," the shepherd insisted. "In another few years when you hit your growth spurt and start becoming a man, you'll be stronger. Until then, you did exactly what you should have. You stayed back and let those who can fight protect you."
"And you didn't cry, wet yourself, or vomit," Killian pointed out. "I've seen grown men in their first fight do all three."
That seemed to appease the boy a bit, and after a deep breath, he stood up. His knees shook a tad, but Henry straightened his spine and adjusted the knapsack on his back. He smiled up at the two men and said, "Okay. I'm okay."
"Good lad," Killian said.
They rejoined the wolves and circled up so that everyone had a view outside the circle so that they could watch one another's backs. He turned to David. "What do you think? Was it was a trap set by the Queen?"
David's brow furrowed in thought a moment before he shook his head. "Trolls aren't really known for working well with anyone except another troll. They're very family and clan-oriented."
"And enjoy human flesh, apparently," the other female wolf, Mara, said.
"I once had one tell me that human meat was the sweetest," David said dryly.
"Delightful," Killian murmured.
"The point is," David said, "trolls are motivated by greed and their stomachs."
"And somehow I can't see Queen Regina stooping to hire trolls to do her dirty work," Red offered. "Not when she has her Black Knights and her magic."
"So this was a random attack, you think?"
"It felt like an opportunity they couldn't pass up," the old werewolf Govery said. "If we were hunting and came across a herd of easy prey, we would attack, too."
"The path here is probably used more by mountain goats and deer that go to the falls to drink," Mara said. "I imagine that's what they normally eat."
"If we had been a group of simple humans, we might be dead," Red observed.
"Good thing we're not," Tanner said, scowling at the simple humans among them.
"And I am glad that Hook, Henry, and I have such strong allies," David said, nodding to Tanner. "If we had been alone, we would likely not have survived."
The compliment seemed to appease the surly wolf.
"Even so," Red advised, "we should proceed carefully. Link and Jeb, I want you two to run ahead and scout out the way. I don't want any more surprises. Use your eyes, your ears, and your noses."
The two young men nodded and quickly slipped into the shadows under the trees near their path. Dark, wiry Link disappeared easily. Jeb, barely out of his youth but more burly than his partner, was slower to fade into the forest. But within moments, both were gone from sight.
"Fay, I want you to stay with Henry at all times. Tanner, have Govery help you set and dress your arm. Then I want the two of you together at the rear of the group, guarding our backs in case the trolls decide to try again. I'll stay with David at the front, then Fay and Henry. Mara, I want you and the Captain to come next, followed by our rear guard."
Killian nodded his approval. Henry remained in the center, protected, and one wolf was paired with one swordsman in the center. They had a scout out there now, and a rear guard behind. It was smart, and he could have kicked himself for being so lax before. They should have been in formation the whole time. Apparently none of them had truly anticipated that there would be danger on this journey. It had been damn foolish of them, and they had nearly paid the price. He thanked whatever lucky star was watching over them that a few cuts, bruises, and one broken bone were all that they had suffered for their oversight.
They travelled more carefully the rest of the day. Link reported back to his pack leader occasionally that the way ahead was clear. They still kept their eyes and ears alert for any signs of attack, from any side. The forest along the mountainside was thinner than in the valley, but there was enough undergrowth to hide an enemy seeking to make a surprise assault. It was one of the things that set Killian's teeth on edge. At least on the water, you could see all sides of you and knew if you were going to be attacked with enough time to ready yourself. The forest offered too much cover for any enemies.
The clouds that had covered the sun since dawn finally moved off, and the mist from the waterfall was far behind them by the end of the day. The sinking sun set fire to the last of the clouds. Link had reported back to them that there was a small cave that would offer them some shelter for the night not far ahead. When they arrived, Killian was disappointed to see that the cave was more of a deep indention in the rock with a slight overhang to keep off dew. If it rained, they would still get wet.
The sky was clear, though. With a fire and the company, it was as safe and warm as anywhere else they had slept on this journey. They spent the first hour after sundown tending their wounds, cleaning weapons, and cooking the mountain goat that Link had killed and prepared for them as the rest of the party journeyed to meet their scout. The goat was tough and gamey, but with the roasted vegetables and toasted journey bread that had been provided by the wolves' ally, Gretel, it was a serviceable meal. They divided up sleeping shifts, and those who could went to sleep. Henry had nightmares. The next day, they started late as everyone was bruised and sore from yesterday's scuffle. When they finally moved out, the kept to formation and went slowly.
Early in the day, the scenery changed. The giant pines and fir of the forest below disappeared and small, twisted junipers took their place clinging to the mountain in thin soil. The predominant color of the mountains was the gray of the granite and shale around the valley cut by the stream they continued to follow broken by spikes of thorny green. Just before midday, Killian noticed David's preoccupation with a stretch of rough rock at about shoulder height.
"Something particularly interesting about the mountain, mate?" Killian asked.
"Something worrying about the debris on the mountain, actually," David replied.
Everyone came to a stop for a moment and scanned their surroundings. Nothing immediately evident of a threat, they all clustered around David. The shepherd pointed out a swath of the mountainside that appeared to have had a recent rockslide.
"What's so strange about that?" Killian asked. "Don't rockslides happen often in the mountains?"
"This wasn't a typical rockslide." David pointed out the horizontal line where the debris fell from. "A rock slide doesn't leave a smooth line like that. And look at the rocks that fell." He walked over to the rubble and sifted through the broken rocks until he found what he had apparently been looking for. David held it up so that everyone could get a good look while he rejoined them.
"See this? This isn't stone."
It was a grey, raggedly broken half circle. There was a slight ridge down the center, and when David flipped it over, Killian could see that the underside had an opalescent sheen, like the mother-of-pearl inside a plain clamshell.
The little wolf, Fay, leaned closer and sniffed. "It smells like…a snakeskin. But not."
"I've seen scales like this before," David said, "outside of a dragon's lair."
"Dragon?" It was a common exclamation, and Killian shared it with fully half the party with varying shades of surprise and concern. And excitement, in Henry's case.
"So you're saying there's a dragon around here?" Red asked.
"I think so," David confirmed. "I think it rubbed against the mountain to scratch."
"Is it close, you think?" Henry asked, bouncing on his toes.
"Let hope it isn't," Red said. "We were able to fight off the trolls, but I think a dragon is beyond our abilities."
"There aren't any other signs of a dragon," David mused. "Here's hoping it just stopped to scratch its back and then moved on."
"So we add looking up to our list of places to monitor for attack," Killian said.
The day was even more fraught with tension after their discovery. Not only did they have to watch for Black Knights who were searching for Henry as well as trolls who wanted a quick meal, now they also feared every shadow and rustle nearby for the threat of a giant winged lizard.
Around noon, Link reported back to the group that there was another waterfall ahead. Luckily, it was not as steep as the previous cascade. In comparison, it was merely a water-stumble, Killian was relieved to notice. They traversed the side of the waterfall and found that the scenery at the top changed almost immediately. Gone were the bare rock walls, the thin, loose soil, and the short, twisted scrub. In their place was a lush plateau full of grass and low bushes—blackberry it appeared. Further on, there were trees once again had taken root. They did not reach quite the height of their cousins down in the forest below, but they were an improvement over the poor, twisted stumps of trees back in the valley they left.
No lake, though. The stream meandered on. They still had some travelling to do before they reached the Princess, apparently.
They had just begun the debate on whether to stop for dinner or continue on to make the most of the daylight when Red lifted her face to the sky and sniffed. Hackles raised all around when a shadow from above flew over. All eyes looked up. Killian scanned the sky and thought he saw a winged figure disappear over the tops of the trees but could not make out what it was.
"Anyone see it?" David called.
"No," came the chorused reply.
"I thought I caught a glimpse of it," Killian offered. "But it was gone before I made it out."
"Alright, everyone be wary," David said. "Just because we haven't seen the dragon doesn't mean it isn't here."
Killian refrained from making a comment, mainly because he noticed that he, too, tended to state the obvious when addressing others. He figured it was from years of shouting orders at underlings, some of whom were too foolish to tie their own bootlaces much less take note of what seemed apparent to him.
Twice more the shadow passed over them. Twice more, none of the party was able to catch more than a glimpse of it. Either the dragon was high in the sky, judging by the size of the shadow, or they were being followed by something else entirely. It was certainly long and winged, but it seemed to know exactly how and when to pass them, flying at an angle to the sun, so that the body of the beast was out of sight behind the treeline before even the keen-eyed werewolves were able to spot the living creature in the wake of its shadow.
"That argues for intelligence, whatever it is," Killian mused.
"That it does," David agreed. "And despite popular stories, I've only ever known one intelligent dragon, and that was actually a sorceress with transformative abilities."
"So it may not be a dragon after all?" Killian asked.
"I honestly don't know."
"Comforting."
"Isn't it?"
They shared a grim smile.
Despite their worries, they passed unmolested into the trees. The sun set quickly when they once more had cover. They had just begun talk of making camp for the night when the werewolf Jeb ran back to report.
"We found it!"
"The lake?" Henry asked excitedly.
Jeb nodded. "It's not far. We can make it by sundown, maybe a bit after."
"Then let's go!" Henry exclaimed, starting to run.
He got two steps before Killian used his hook to snag the boy's knapsack—something he seemed to do a lot when Henry got an idea in his head. "Not so fast. We're still being followed, remember?"
"Hook is right," David said. "We can't let our guard down just because we've nearly reached our goal."
"If our luck now is like it was in the old days, we should probably be even more wary," Red supplied. "This is usually when our enemies like to lay traps."
"That means no running off," Killian clarified or the boy.
Fay came over and laid a consoling hand on Henry's shoulder. She smiled down at the younger boy and nodded. "A pack is strongest together."
Henry was disappointed, but he nodded that he understood. Together, cautiously, they continued on another hour. The sun sank rapidly, and a waning gibbous moon already hung in the eastern sky. Soon even Killian's fully human nose could smell the pooled water. It lacked the salinity he was accustomed to, but something about the scent still smelled more like home than the lofty pine boughs of the Enchanted Forest. Despite his own admonishments to Henry, Killian allowed the smell to lull him into a sense of peace and serenity.
They reached the lakeshore just as the sun made its final descent to the horizon. The second scout, Link, was seated on a crumbling log near the water's edge. When they approached, he stood and dusted off the seat of his trousers.
"This is it, isn't it?" Link asked. "This is where the Dark One sent you?"
"I believe so," David confirmed. "Rumpelstiltskin said to follow the stream to its origin, and the Princess would be here."
Killian looked around. The lake was a few hundred yards across and a bit longer, extending far off to their right where the glacier-capped mountain rose up into the clouds. From his minimal understanding of royalty, he assumed that there would be some kind of bower nearby that the Princess was holed up in…a hunting lodge, perhaps. Some remote castle. None was readily apparent, but pampered princesses were not known for roughing it.
"Should we try looking for her?" Mara asked.
"I think it might be best to wait for morning," Govery suggested with a differential nod to Red. "The humans' eyes will be better suited to a search then."
"Who needs the humans' eyes?" Tanner argued. "We have our noses and our ears. If anyone is here, we can find them in the dark as easily as the light."
Annoyed, Killian opened his mouth to advise the werewolf to play nicely with the humans who could easily kill him in his sleep, but stopped short when the shadow reappeared, flying over them much lower than before, still headed into the sinking sun, obscuring its form.
"The bloody thing is back," he cursed, drawing his sword.
Around him, others drew their weapons, as well. David had his sword, and Red had her crossbow out and assembled in a blink. The other wolves braced themselves, hands curled into claws and fists, teeth bared.
"No, wait!" Henry cried and darted out in front of them.
The shadow circled back, coming right for them, the rays of the sun shining behind it.
"Lad, move out of the way!" Killian called out as David shouted, "Henry, move!"
"No! Listen to me!" He held his hands up to stop them. "Rumpelstiltskin didn't say that the Princess would be here waiting for us, or that she would be here for us to find. He said that the Princess would be able to make herself known."
Red adjusted her grip on the crossbow, lowering it fractionally. David even relaxed his stance a tad. Though none of them took their eyes off the approaching shape that dipped closer and closer to the water.
The sun flashed once, causing Killian to blink, and in that instant, the shape touched down in the water. When the spots cleared from his eyes, Killian could make out the form of a swan beating its wings as it settled gracefully in the water only a few yards off shore. His heartbeat slowed from its anxious gallop as the bird paddled closer to them, tilting its head to eye each member of the party.
A swan. Hardly the threat he had been expecting. Killian could feel his sword arm relaxing, the point of his saber tilted toward the ground, as around him his companions likewise eased back from battle readiness.
The moment that the last rays of the sun died, leaving the silver glow of the moon to illuminate the lake's surface, a dark cloud of purple smoke enveloped the swan in a haze.
His grip on his sword tightened again, his inner thoughts echoing the shouts of dismay from the wolf pack. He recognized this smoke. Magic. Nothing good ever came from it. He fully expected a monster to appear and lunge for them any second.
Slowly, the swirl of purple smoke cleared. As it drifted away, a beautiful woman was revealed, dressed in a simple white gown, its hem in the water. A long cape as cerulean as the waters around a tropic isle hung from her shoulders. He heard Red gasp beside him.
Killian felt his own mouth open, perhaps to speak, but he could think of nothing to say.
This, then, must be the cursed Princess. All of Henry's stories were true. He could admit now with the proof standing in front of him that all this time, there had been a kernel of doubt in him. But here she stood, a swan into a princess.
She was lovely. And older than he had expected. Somehow he had gotten it into his head that she would be a young girl, perhaps just on the cusp of womanhood, barely older than Henry. But while she was still young—perhaps thirty—she was certainly no child. Her features were delicate in a round face with a stubborn chin. Her hair was long and golden, held back from her face by a twist of undyed fabric. Her eyes were some light color, but it was impossible to tell if they were green or blue in the deep twilight as she stared at each face in turn before coming to rest…on David.
"Emma?" he heard the shepherd choke out.
The Princess's face crumpled. "Father!"
The next instant she had picked up her skirts and splashed out of the water, into David's waiting arms.
Author's Note: She's here! Was it everything you hoped it would be? Killian and Emma actually get to speak to one another next chapter.
And finally, a huge thank you to my anonymous reviewers and those who are not logged in, as well! I do read your reviews, and I would reply directly if I could. Just know that I treasure every one! To answer a few people's questions: yes, CS is my end game, but it's a distant goal. Hang in there! There's already a sequel planned!
