A Mermaid's Tail

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its fabulous characters. All recognizable players, dialogue, and/or magic spells belong to ABC and Disney.

Chapter 10

The early morning tide gently folded over the sandy shore, again and again in it never-ending ebb and flow. The sea foam ticked her fins pleasantly but the teenager did not pause to relish in the sensations. This was the second occasion in her long lifetime she had stumbled onto a shore, under unconventional circumstances. No matter how many times though, it never got any easier.

She pulled herself slowly forward, moving as a seal does out of water. After leaving the shallows, Ariel twisted her body and lifted her remarkable emerald tail out of the water, placing it on the dry sand just shy of the last of the water lines. The scales sank into her flesh and the fins faded away and now, a half-naked teenager lay on the sand. With a surprising sense of dignity, Ariel slowly stood on her feet. Her bony knees wobbled with the effort and her leg muscles strained to adjust to the sudden shift in weight, but she was on a mission. She lurched away from the waterline, walking with arms outstretched for balance. With every small step he seemed on the verge of falling but she pushed herself hard because she had to learn to walk again, just like when she had first stumbled onto shore three months and a week ago.

Her appearance had changed since that time. Her shining red hair no longer cascaded all the way down her back. It had been unevenly shorn and now covered only her shoulder blades. She was a lot thinner now, her tight skin slightly outlining ribs and collarbone. The slightly bruised lips and healed cut over her left eye still remained as remnants of her first battle.

As Ariel stepped carefully along the sand, her concentration was so much on placing one foot in front of the other she did not notice she had company. Poor company.

Ariel was jerked to the side, one arm twisted behind her back in a black knight's grip as the rest of the troop surrounded her. The weather-beaten, scored face of another guard loomed before her, only inches above her own face. A heavy gauntlet patted the top of her head gently. "We finally found you," the knight said quietly. "You are more trouble than your worth." He almost sounded regretful.

She hissed a reply. The half-dozen burly men bored down upon her, securing her arms behind her back tightly with a strong, corded rope. She bucked, kicked, and even tried to head-butt her way out but one of them slammed his hand into the back of her neck hard. Momentarily stunned, she clenched her eyes and paused in her struggles.

"Enough!"

That voice…it couldn't be. Not here. Ariel blinked her eyes hard, trying to force herself to not believe what her eyes were seeing.

Queen Regina of the Kingdom of King Leopold, a top a magnificent bay stallion, clothed in a regal robe of white wolf skins lined with the dark feathers of ravens. She stared down at Ariel with a cold indifference, looking at her like she was some inferior creature of no consequence.

"My my, you are a hard one to find. And now I understand why," Regina said with an evil chuckle. "You are a mermaid. That explains so much and could be very useful to me now."

Ariel was forced to her knees by a blow to the back of her legs, but she thrust her chin out defiantly. Clenching her fists in the folds of her bonds, she tried to steady her anger and think of a way out of this predicament.

I just left the pod and now this! She couldn't help but think. Why do I have the worst luck? For once, the laments of a teenager were right on target.

The queen dismounted her steed, arching gracefully with the movement of one who had been around horses since childhood. She swayed over to the teenager, her arrogant features fixated on Ariel's face.

Ariel looked up fiercely at the queen from her knees. She was as beautifully dressed as always in a long, form-fitting dress of black silk embroidered with black roses that brought out her dark eyes. The long cloak draped over her shoulders provided warm as well as intimidation with its ruffled feathers and draping wolf faces with no eyes. Even her gloves were impressive, a starchy white with golden buttons. Ariel's only covering, a tattered stained shirt that hung to her thighs, greatly contrasted with Regina's elegance. The sparkles of scales caught her eyes and Ariel saw on her eye-level that the queen's boots were made of a scaley skin material. Monstrous.

Regina ignored the girl's roving eyes and leaned forward, placing a riding crop underneath her chin. She angled the girl's head upward, forcing the mermaid to look into her dark cold eyes. The blue eyes of the mermaid were as dark and fathomless as the deepest sea, completely dilated with anger or fear. Regina could not tell by her stoic expression.

"Hmmmm, it looks like you have been poorly received by your own kind." Regina noted the bruised face and hacked-apart hair. "Will you not speak? Tell me your name little mermaid?"

Don't call me that! Ariel turned her head sharply away from the protruding leather stick, and looked away.

"My my. Such defiance." Regina was completely unfazed. She looked as if she was expecting this reaction. "A strong one like you will do well as one of my cohorts."

What?! Ariel glanced back at the queen and narrowed her eyes at the odd statement. That did not sound good.

The queen's men hauled her roughly to her feet, keeping her arms pinned behind her back. She was so much shorter and skinnier than the queen, but she tried to straighten her back and keep her head up. Regina smiled and Ariel saw, even in the half-light of the early morning, the same glint of self-satisfaction in her eyes she'd seen when they'd met at the market.

"You don't say much do you?"

"Please, don't" Ariel quavered.

Regina grinned again. "So you can talk," she said. "Well then I'll explain something to you. As a creature of the sea, you have access to forms of magic that are unheard of in the Enchanted Forest. An entirely new world of magic is right under those waves. I've learned over the years to take advantage of any opportunity of power that comes my way."

Ariel breathed in deeply. "Please, Your Majesty. I'm no use to you. I cannot return to the sea."

"A polite teenager," Regina said ironically. "That is unusual."

Ariel was surprise at the ferocity in her own voice as she answered. "What do you want from me? Why are you doing this? Do you delight in causing people pain— " She spat out, her desperation rising. "—and hurting others? I only want to be left alone. Is that too much to ask? Even my family does not want me anymore! I have no one. No one wants me."

Her outburst seemed to fully expose the whole frustration and terror from the darkest corner of her soul out into the open. She had been banished by her pod, Eric had been taken away from her, and his memories of all the time she spent with him wiped away like dust. She did not even know if he was alive or dead. Her banishment was on pain of death so now Ariel had nowhere to go other than the surface world. And even that was not safe. Her condition was too weak to fight off a whole troop of veteran armored guards.

"I will not do as you command…"she stammered, trying hard not to betray her exhausted state. "You are evil…a monster. I will not serve you."

"Oh child!" the queen chortled was like cold ice. "Of course you will do as I command you to. Because you see…" she leaned dangerously close to Ariel and whispered as if sharing a secret. "I always…get what I want."

Intuition told her that something bad was about to happen. Ariel strained and tugged.

"Don't move mermaid!" Regina ordered and the black knights tightened their grip on the mermaid's arms behind her back. Her thin chest heaved up and down, heavy with breath. The Evil Queen approached her slowly, hovering her hand over where Ariel's heart pounded mercilessly. The mermaid half-expected the organ to leap right out of her chest and into the waiting hands of the evil woman.

Pain, like ice needles shattering from her heart, overwhelmed her as Regina's hand thrust through Ariel's chest with a sickening suction sound. Ariel saw the arm sticking into her chest and tried to scream, but not enough air was in her lungs. She couldn't breathe. Gods she could not breathe! She gasped as the pain rose up like a tidal wave, crushing her insides, sending chasms of agony through her legs, her back, even her fingers.

The queen smiled coldly down at the mermaid as she felt her fingers curl around her warm, beating prize. She prepared to pull it out, hold it triumphantly in front of the young one's face, and watch her cringe at the sight. But when she moved her arm back, the exit was blocked.

Regina tugged again and frowned. "Strange. This usually works."

She tried giving it a little more strength, really concentrating on the magic. Ariel felt agonizing thumps against her rib cage again and again as the queen tugged and tugged. She whimpered like a wounded animal, sweat pouring down her brow, the pain intensifying with each tug of the queen. But her heart stayed put. Finally, after a few more moments of excruciating torture, the queen slipped her hand out. Empty.

Ariel collapsed sideways onto the sand, shaking hard from what had almost just happened. She curled her bare legs into herself as her heart beat a staccato in her heaving chest, as hard as a hammer. So awful. Waves of nausea rolled over her, threatening to empty her stomach, so she clenched her teeth hard and slowly exhaled. Ariel would have gladly accepted death right at that moment if it would only cause the pain to stop.

She lay there, curled up in a pathetic ball on the wet sand, whimpering softly as Regina contemplated this predicament. A mermaid under her control had been her objective but it looked like that would not be happening. Perhaps she should have expected this. Mermaids were the sirens of legend, magical beings like fairies or ogres. Regina had once read about the difference between beings that use magic, like herself, from beings that are magical, like a fairy or a mermaid in this case. Clearly, the distinction gave the magical creatures some advantage over humans. At any rate, she could not take the young one's heart now. How disconcerting.

Ariel sat up, slowly but surely. Using just her legs, she pushed herself into a standing position. Blood was streaming down her nose and she looked deathly ill. But she was on her feet—swaying a little, but standing.

"Your Majesty?" One of the knights asked. "What just happened? Did it not work?"

The queen rolled her eyes in a very unladylike way. "I'm surrounded by idiots." Regina mused. "I cannot hope to accomplish anything here." She looked baffled for a moment as she turned back to her steed.

"It looks like we'll have to continue this conversation elsewhere mermaid." Regina mounted swiftly and reined her horse sideways so that she was directly over Ariel's head.

"Your Highness…what shall we do with her?" The knight Harold asked.

Regina was smiling again. She had just thought of something, something that she could take from the mermaid now. "Oh, yes, I know what I'd like from you. Since I cannot take your heart, at the very least you can give me…" she leaned over and twisted her hand in front of Ariel's face. A small, glass vial appeared in the palm of her hand with a puff of purple smoke. "…a tear."

Ariel's heart had recovered from the attempted extraction enough that she felt it lurched at the sound of the demand. A tear in the hands of this evil woman of magic could mean only one thing…an immortality spell. Queen Marina had once told her that magic from the glittering orb of a mermaid's tear was the primary ingredient in a magical potion to create immortality for humans. This was why mermaids do not cry, ever.

"You are insane." Ariel said softly, shaking her head from side to side. "And I will not help you. You might as well kill me now."

"How barbaric child! To make such a suggestion like that. What kind of person do you think I am?" Regina extended her arm and plopped the vial into the knight Harold's outstretched armored-hand.

"Take her to the lake. Make sure she does not escape. If you do not get a tear by tomorrow, bring her back to the castle." She commanded to her troop as she turned on her horse.

One of the burly soldiers placed his hand on his sword, his narrowed eyes silently daring Ariel to try and escape.

"It shall be done my queen," Harold said as he bowed his head. "But where shall you be?"

Regina did not bother to turn around. "I'm going to pay a visit to the Dark One about our 'little mermaid' here." She gave her steed a light kick, making sure she did not hurt him, and then galloped off on the sand.

Queen Regina departed as abruptly as she had arrived.

Snow White could not believe her good luck. She had snagged a fat one this time.

The past year she had lived in these woods, running from royalty, had taught her a lot about taking care of herself and surviving. It was a dangerous world Princess Snow White now lived in. The Queen wanted to rip her heart out and all of her black knights would not hesitate to do the same.

These days, it seemed that all she ever did was hide and run. The comforts of a soft living: a warm bed, the guarantee of a meal every day, sound shelter from the elements; all were luxuries from a distant past she barely remembered anymore. Laziness was a way to get yourself killed in the Enchanted Forest. Part of her strategy for the past year had been wandering, moving from place to place, never lingering, and never setting down roots. But hiding also mean survival and survival required food, like the plump rabbit she had just snared.

"Gotcha!" she whispered triumphantly as she grabbed the dead animal. Dinner would be very fulfilling tonight.

Snow placed the meal in a small leather bag and tied it to her belt. It was time to head back home, back to the cabin. She'd been hunting since early dawn and was more than ready to reap the rewards of a hot meal. Despite her fatigue she knew deep down that she was no longer the prim, delicate little thing she had been from her previous life. Life on the run, living in the forest had changed her and made her into a different woman. Her muscles were harder, her steps were strong, and she moved with a flow more becoming a hunter rather than a princess. Could she even go back to that life now? Most likely not, but Snow did not think badly of it. She'd accepted that she was likely going to spend the rest of her life as a vagabond. She supposed it was a fair trade. In exchange for living, her childhood dreams of having of happy endings, brand-new beginnings, and true love had to be forgotten. She'd come to terms with that long ago, or rather that is what she kept telling herself.

At least I have a family that I love and care about Snow thought with a warm, grateful smile. There's Red, Ella in the village, Granny, and Ti...

A foreign sound in the forest broke Snow's wandering thoughts. She frowned and tilted her face upward, instantly alert; the forest always held untold dangers. She turned her hooded head in the direction she thought she heard the sound.

There it is again-is that armor rattling? Her thoughts were alarmed now.

Instantly, Snow crouched to the forest floor, ready to spring and flee at a moment's notice. It could be the queen's men looking for her although she had not seen them this far south yet. Had they finally found her? After crouching for a few more minutes, her curiosity got the better of her. It might be better to know what she was up against. She rose and crept cautiously towards the noise. Silently scaling a small outcrop of a hillside on her stomach, Snow reached the summit and cautiously peered through the cover of a brush.

Her worst suspicions were confirmed. It was a whole troop of the black-clad knights of the Queen's court, their black plumed-helmets shining in the dark interior of the Enchanted Forest. Bright late-morning light reflected off of lethal-looking swords and spears, emphasizing the deadly nature of these men. But something else caught Snow's eyes, something that did not belong. Snow eased herself forward for a better look, being very careful not to make too much noise.

A girl?

A girl was swaying on the saddle of one of the ill-tempered black horses of the knights. Even from her high vantage point, Snow could see that something was terribly wrong. The girl's arms were bound behind her back and she was clad only in a long, white undershirt. Her bare legs wrapped tightly around the horse as she swayed precariously.

"We stop here!"

Snow was startled when the troop leader's voice rang out, strong and cruel. The large man marched over to the horse carrying the strange girl, reached up and grabbed her arm to pull her to the ground.

With her arms bound behind her back, the girl could not break the long fall. The shock of the ground must have shaken her deeply for she squeezed her eyes in pain, but did not make a sound. Snow was outraged. As the men surrounded their prize with ease, Snow could only grip her gloved hands in a fist at her burning fury. It was one thing for these men to hunt her down like an criminal, but to capture a young one and treat her like that! The cowards! And where were her clothes?

The girl (probably a teenager) eased herself upward clumsily to her knees. She did not show any emotion. Her face remained unreadable and passive while she stared down at the ground, as if contemplating her fate.

The leader of the troop drew a long rapier from his large belt and angled it towards the girl's face. Snow cocked her head to hear his words. "One last chance. Give us a tear and you will be released."

The girl was shivering hard on the ground, probably from cold and fear. She looked up and stared into the knight's face, a defiant glare in her eyes. Her red hair fell over her forehead, adding a darker intensity to her stare. Still she did not say a word.

Snow's blood boiled inside her veins as she watched. How could Regina command her men to do something like this? She had an uncontrollable urge to help this girl, save her somehow. It might have been suicidal; there were at least half-dozen men, all heavily armed, and Snow was still a wanted criminal. All of these men had likely served her father and would instantly recognize her as a hefty prize for the queen. But she couldn't just leave a young girl to this fate, no matter what the stakes.

Snow eased herself backwards, not taking her eyes of the group below. She crawled, elbows and knees, down the hill again. A closer position would help her hear better and allow her to determine where the knights would be taking the girl. But before she wandered too far, she paused as she remembered something. With an almost regretful sigh, she untied the bundle holding the rabbit for dinner on her belt, and left it behind as she crawled away. It would only slow her down and get in the way.

Saving this girl is much more important Snow confirmed to herself with a firm nod of the head. Some creature of the forest, a wolf likely, would get an unexpected free meal tonight.

Ariel awoke on the post in the late afternoon. She leaned her sore neck back a little, taking in the blazing ball of sun directly overhead as it burned her eyes. Most of her body, half-in the water, was human. But her fish-half lay underneath, the reason she was close to dying. Her top half was bare. The queen's men had ripped off her shirt earlier, probably to humiliate her and dry her out faster. She was tied to a heavy post by thick, knotted ropes around her wrists. Her exposed skin was tinged blue with cold, and she could not feel her fingers anymore. She didn't even have her long hair to offer some warmth to her back. Ursula had hacked most of it off.

Bet she'd love to see me now. She couldn't help but think as she leaned forward again, resting her cheek on her arms.

At any rate, she could not move very much. The ropes were too tight, only allowing her a small angle of movement with her tail. The post itself was in the water but chained to a large tree root. The edges of the ropes were so rough that ever so often when she shifted her weight, she saw a thin line of blood run down her wrists. She had spent most of the morning and early afternoon thrashing and pulling at the ropes and her arms now throbbed. She had even taken her fangs to the cords, and tried to gnaw at the ropes like a mouse. But her sharp incisors, perfect for slicing into flesh, were useless against strong cords. Her side ached from where she had fallen after the knight had pulled her off of the horse onto the ground.

If only she'd fought harder, maybe taken her teeth to those men as they forced her into the water. After they'd pulled her off the horse, the knights had her cornered with swords and spear leveled at her face. Ariel did not plead for any mercy, but she did struggle hard as they dragged her to the shores of a large lake and secured her wrists to a post. Then, they pushed her into the water, or rather half-in the water as her bonds prevented her tail from being fully submerged. Which was probably the point.

"Staked out in the sun to dry, only half-in the water. Not enough to live, but just enough to make the dying slow." The knight named Harold had explained to her. After he had told her this Ariel suddenly, in that moment, truly regretted that she never killed any humans before.

Now, she was trapped, with no way to escape. A sudden fury overcame her at her own helplessness. She bucked hard against her restraints, useless as the efforts were. Her tail ached as she flapped hard, using every last ounce of her strength, before sinking in defeat. The ropes and the chains were beyond even her mermaid strength.

"Still trying to get away?" Ariel jerked her head up to see one of the younger guards standing close on the lake shores. Had he been there the whole time? Even her exhaustion could not stop the shiver of revulsion that went through her.

"Bet you'd like some water mermaid?" The young man continued. Her lips were cracked and her throat was bone dry, but she did not even bother answering. He held out a wooden cup, filled to the brim with sweet, crystal clear water. "Here it is! Just give me one little tear and it's all yours." He shook the small glass vial the queen had created in front of Ariel's eyes.

Ariel suddenly found the strength to hiss and jolt forward as if lunging at the guard. Her restraints held her fast, but she did get the satisfaction of watching the foolish human boy fall on his backside in fear.

The boy stood high over her. "Monster!" He tried to cover his much-undignified scrambling with a strong, inflated shout. "Freak of nature! Die here then."

He huffed away, back towards where his compatriots gathered around a small cooking fire.

A freak? Had she any moisture left in her mouth, Ariel would have yelled right back at him. Called him what he truly was: a monster without a heart and a puppet to the queen.

She hardened her mouth and tried hard not to swallow. The steely glint in her deep blue eyes was starting to fade. Ariel leaned her dry head against the post, conscious of only the rawest emotions of grief and pain. She would die here, strung up on a post like an animal, and no one would care. Not a soul in the surface or the ocean world.

Won't be long now. She thought as she closed her eyes to rest again. I'm sorry Eric.

It was dark now except for the shinning winter moon. Snow had waited until the camp was quiet. Only one man was left to guard the fire and his back was turned to where the girl was secured. Snow could see that he was dozing, swaying against a tree stump that served as a head rest. A good sign.

Now or never she thought. The girl was in deathly danger and she needed Snow.

Snow drifted silently through the trees towards where she had seen the knights take the girl. Her steps were slow but quiet as a hunter. Although the lake shore was large, Snow knew where the girl was; she had watched carefully from the height of a tree earlier. She went through a tight cluster of saplings, making sure her cloak did not catch on anything as Red had taught her. After pausing to glance back towards the camp, she turned back towards the lake and abruptly stopped.

Snow had found what she sought, but it was not what she expected. She almost inhaled too quickly, catching herself just in time to prevent the loud gasp.

A mermaid-No, the girl Snow corrected herself-was suspended in the air by a sturdy post, hanging limply with her eyes closed. She was on one side, turned towards her left and Snow could clearly see the long fish-tail extending into the water. In the cold winter night, the girl wore no covering at all.

Snow stood there, baffled. When she'd come into the camp she hadn't any clear plan of exit in mind, just the idea of helping the girl and escaping with her somewhere. Escape. With a mermaid? It suddenly seemed ridiculously impossible.

Coming closer, Snow could clearly see the paling of the scales right below the girl's navel, the cracked dry lips, and sun-burnt back. She looked dreadfully ill.

I can't just leave her like this. Snow thought hurriedly. She had to move fast. The mermaid might die at any moment, but there was only one way to reach her. And it would not be pleasant.

Slipping into the lake, Snow stifled a cry of surprise as the cold water folded over her legs. It seemed so cold that it should have been frozen. She waded as fast as she could until she reached the post where the unconscious girl was tied. Up close, Snow could see that she had a lovely young face and beautiful features. But her eyes had dark circles underneath, and she seemed very underfed. Her spine ridged out like a stone line down her bare back. The knots looked monstrously large against her slender wrists. Had the girl been human, Snow would have guessed her to be in her mid to late-teens. Oh gods, she's just a child.

Taking off her gloves, doing her absolute best to work quietly, Snow slipped her dagger out of its sheath and began to work at the restraints. The cold night made her fingers so numb that she had to work very carefully, least she slip and cut the girl's wrists off. Snow's breaths came out in rapid puffs of mist as she sawed faster. She pushed herself to finish before the queen's men awoke. Finally, the last strand snapped free and the girl slumped forward into the post. Snow quickly caught her shoulders before her head went under the water.

Leaning over, Snow gently started to rub the young one's face, hoping to stir some life. "Wake up. You're free now." The girl remained still, Snow could not even see her breathing.

Snow scooped up a handful of water and brought the moisture to the girl's cracked lips. Perhaps she needed something to revive her? She looked so desperately thirsty. Snow repeated the process several times, and then used her hands to try and warm up the girl's cheeks with more gentle rubs. Snow White breathed warm air into her fingers, and massaged the thin bare shoulders.

"Come back…come back to me," she whispered urgently, feeling her hope dwindling. She gently rested the girl's head against her knees.

Then, Snow felt a faint movement under her hands.

The girl's eyes were easing open painfully slowly. She coughed lightly, and then struggled to raise her head. She looked very confused as her eyes slowly focused on Snow's smiling face. Those deep blue wells, they were completely unreadable to Snow's own eyes. The mermaid gave her one ragged stare of desperate, distraught fear then turned and splashed into the depths of the lake. Snow was so surprised; she nearly fell into deeper water herself. The movement had happened so fast, she barely had time to realize that the girl was awake before she swam away.

Ridiculous as the sentiment was, Snow felt disappointed she did not have a chance to talk to the mermaid. It might have been fascinating to converse with a creature of the sea, to hear her story. But after all, the girl had been a prisoner for so long she likely needed the relief of the water, and fast. It was only right that she swim away after being freed.

"Good luck" Snow whispered as she watched the shimmering mass move swiftly under the water.

She truly hoped that the girl would be alright. But dark red stains on Snow's sleeves, the mermaid's blood, reminded her that the mermaid was injured. Likely from that awful rope. She needed food, water, sleep, and warmth or else she would perish.

Nothing I can do now. Snow tried to convince herself but deep down, she needed to make sure the girl was alright. At least make sure she made it to the other side of the lake.

Still have a thing for making friends in unusual circumstances eh? She thought wryly to herself. First Red, then Ella, now…gods, I don't even know her name.

Snow straightened herself up in the water, tucking her dagger back into its sheath. She prepared to amble back up the muddy bank, and follow the streamline the mermaid had made. Focusing on pulling her soaked boots out of the mud, Snow concentrated hard on nothing but moving her feet. But when she glanced up, her heart froze.

The whole troop of the queen's men was standing right above her on the higher lake ground. Staring her down with all weapons unsheathed and pointed right at her.

Snow's dagger was out in a second but even she knew that it was a bluff. One dagger against a half-dozen men? She did not stand a chance. There was not even any place to flee; she was standing ankle-deep in a lake with the knights forming a semi-circle around her. Her heated breath fogged the air in front of her eyes as her breathing suddenly doubled in intensity.

"It seems that we have just lost our big fish," one knight spoke up with cockiness. "But we have reeled in an even bigger catch…Snow White herself."

Snow retreated back a little. She caught her breath when the cold water crept to her calves.

"Don't make things harder on yourself." The knight stepped closer still. "There is nowhere to run. You cannot swim like that thing you cut free does."—Thing?! She's a person! Snow bit her lip. — "The queen wanted its tear, but now…" he drew a small, lethal-looking knife. "We're going to give her your heart instead."

As she braced herself for a fight, Snow felt very stupid for getting herself caught sneaking right into an enemy's camp and freeing some random mermaid. But somehow, she did not regret it. She could not have left the girl to die. Even though it might cost her life now.

Cold water now rushed up to her thighs, she would soon be swimming.

As she stepped back further into the lake, her breath caught in her throat as she saw an odd ripple shimmer next to her right leg. Something was swimming in the water, a living thing moving around her. Something huge!

The knights must have recognized the scaley mass for they all raised their swords higher, pointed them at the thing in the water. Snow stepped backwards again, lost her footing in the lake mud, and nearly slipped fully into the lake.

It all happened so fast.

Something large rose out of the water, pushing itself upward with a surge of liquid. Whatever it was, it was directly behind Snow, so close that she felt the splashes soaking her green cloak. Snow had just jerked her head back to look over when she felt strong, thin arms circle her shoulders and chest. As the thing pulled her towards the lake, she heard the thwack of a large tail slapping the water's surface. Suddenly, she was aware that she really was starting to slip into the water, falling sideways while still in the arms of the creature.

Snow risked a quick look over her shoulder then. The face of the mermaid, wet with water and mud, loomed only centimeters from her own. Snow was not sure to be more afraid of the mermaid or the knights that were splashing into the lake after her. But then she saw something in the mermaid's eyes. Not the weariness of defeat as before, but the determined glint a righteous person feels for her mission.

Suddenly, the whole world reeled sideways as Snow felt the both of them lose their balanced and pitch headlong into the lake. She tried to scream as the force of the water folded over her head, but only a stream of bubbles came out. Even though her eyes were open she saw nothing but darkness as the mermaid pulled the both of them through the waters with strong pumps of her tail. The world felt like it had lost all stability as up and down, right and left blended together in a confusing chaos. She clawed and tried to fight against the currents and the strong grip of the mermaid. She struggled to lift her head to the surface, find the ground with her feet, anything! But nothing she did even caused the mermaid to miss a beat with her tail. They were both flying through the lake water, slicing through the liquid like the wind.

"After them!"

The guards quickly abandoned their futile roving through the water and scrambled back to the shore. Picking their way through the mud and brambles, several of the men lost their footing and slipped. The rest made it to camp and quickly grabbed their riding gear to mount the steeds.

"Faster you fools!" Harold's rugged voice rang over the scrambling sounds of chaos. "If we lose them both now—the queen will crush all of our hearts beneath her fingers! Get them!"

Mounting their steeds, the queen's elite tousled about, trying to turn their horses fast and begin the pursuit. Finally, they set off. Mud and clumps of grass flew upward as the horses galloped, hooves flying fast. The queen's men were on the move.

And the mermaid and the princess were still in grave danger.

Two chapters in two days-phew! I am on fire baby! ;)

Expect more adventures for Ariel, Snow, Red, Eric, Rumplestiltskin, and the whole gang soon enough.

Reviews are sugar and spice, and everything nice!