A/N: I.. may have had fun with this one.. :) technically, there's a short chapter there at the bottom but.. it's so short.. I just added it here instead.
~Adorable Giant~
Emma knew this beast. She felt a kinship in him. He had kind blue eyes against that reddish brown fur. She could see a smile - not that it was actually smiling, but she could see it in his eyes. Something mischievous. As if it had thoughts, and found something funny.
She could absolutely see it's intelligence. Remembering her own horses and how she communicated with them, she closed her eyes in an attempt to communicate with this new beasty. Unsure of what, exactly, to say, she simply opened her heart and reached out with her mind. A rustle broke her concentration, and she felt fear rise up from somewhere deep inside. Could it be possible, this fear belonged to the beast?
She opened her eyes, turning to see Killian, looking entirely different to her. He was only a few yards away, and his expression was blank. His eyes flickered to her for a fraction of a second, before locking onto the beast. The sweat on his brow gave him away. He was apprehensive. She noticed the fish hanging from his hook, which struck her as funny enough that she absentmindedly held a hand to her mouth to keep from laughing, her other hand fingering the pendant she had found around her neck. She never did find out where it came from, but she had a notion of it's origins.
If only she'd seen Killian and his hooked fish in a different circumstance. She would have to tease him about it later.
"Emma…" He said in an exceedingly calm voice. "Please back away from it."
"Jones, he's okay."
His eyes moved again, this time piercing her soul. Had he been a stranger… hell, even knowing him, that look terrified her. "You know not what you speak. Back. Away. Slowly." That calm in his voice was beyond her realm of belief. She could see his fear through the windows to his soul, feel it in her core as if she had reached him like she had the beast.
She smiled apologetically at the red beauty, taking a slow step back. The creature seemed to understand more than she anticipated it to, as it made a loud crying groan and slowly moved one leg, and then another, until he was directly in front of her.
In a huff, the beast was sitting fully at her feet.
Emma and Killian exchanged looks. Gone was his blank expression, replaced with wonder.
"What have you done with him?" He accused.
"Me? I've done nothing!"
As if wanting to be heard, the beast let out another noise, sounding like a cross between a neigh and a moo, with a hint of mirth while looking accusingly from one to the other. Was it mocking them? If she didn't know better, she'd have called it sarcasm.
"What should I name you, hmm?" She murmured to herself, amused at the whole situation despite the dreaded pirate behind her.
"Emma, you've got to be joking. You can't simply keep a Centicore as a pet!"
"Centicore?" She looked at him in confusion.
His laugh was completely void of humor. "Naturally, you've no idea what he is."
"I have no prejudice against him, if that's what you mean."
His brow raised with a hint of censure, and she felt what was coming.
"Emma. He's dangerous."
She removed her eyes from that blasted pirate to the adorable giant, who was shaking his mane in disdain at the conversation. Or, least, that was her translation. She wondered silently if she could touch him, and the look in the beast's eyes was response enough. So she did.
"Stop! Bloody nightmare, Emma-"
She knelt beside him, holding her hand out, allowing him to smell her. He seemed pleased, and she was brave enough to touch his reddish brown fur.
"See, Jones? He's fine."
She didn't chance a look behind her, though she could feel his burning glare. She enjoyed it a little too much. She had the notion that she could ride this Centicore, and considering it's size, so could Killian. It would definitely speed up the process of travel since having lost their horses. Plus, he would hate it.
"Emma, I beg of you, leave him alone."
With a glint in her eye, she looked back at him.
"Well, I may have an idea." She began mischievously. "But you might not be fond of it."
-x-x-x-
Fond, he was not. Though, he had to say, this thing was much faster than a horse, and they were trespassing through never ending mud which would have been a disaster both on foot or while riding horses. Her stubbornness won, and he was no longer able to grumble. This was not a suicidal idea after all. How could he live with her now that she had been proven right?
The centicore was twice as fast as a horse, at least, though he suspected they were not traveling at his top speeds. But they were making up the time they had lost. In fact, if this beast kept up the current pace, they might just make it to their destination before dark. Perfect timing to call on a reportedly haunted place.
~Green Seas~
Belle had rarely ever been on a ship before. Her kingdom had little need for them, being as far away inland as one could get from the sea. That being said, she felt nauseated now, having been on one for the better part of the day.
She didn't have her 'sea legs' they said, laughing at her as she rushed to the railing ever so often.
None of her traveling companions seemed to have the same predicament. Red seemed tense, to say the least, nearly clawing at the deck to keep as much of her body plastered there as possible, but Graham was diligent in taking care of the huntress. Little could be done for Belle.
She had thought herself lucky when a physician was found aboard, but he did not have the necessary tools to assist her. His tea was the only thing keeping her from completely turning green, however, and she would have to take it.
She couldn't even sit still long enough to read a book. It was a miserable trip.
It had better be worth it.
Thank you for reading!
