Emma was the first to awake the next morning. She rose quietly, stoked the fire back to its former glory and splashed water on her face as a way of waking herself up. What happened last night? She asked herself as she relived the experience. A shudder snuck its way up her spine and she tossed a nervous glance to the brunette bundled in the bed. But an inexplicable smile stole over her face and she resolved to herself that whatever it had been, she would not be awkward about it this morning.
Regina had made it clear that she was not the traditional relationship type. That was just fine with Emma who didn't even know if she fully understood what a traditional relationship was. She and Neal had been…whatever. But even now, so soon after his death it felt, she felt a flutter of something for the woman that had so aggressively attempted to conquer her the night previous. Regina was an amazing lover, but Emma knew deep in her gut that wasn't all she wanted of the brunette.
The woman on the bed stirred, and the blonde realized with a jolt that she was still naked. Acting quickly, she grabbed her shirt, trousers, and boots before arranging them appropriately. Emma went about setting out their breakfast and making tea so that by the time Regina was fully awake and had wiped the sleep from her eyes, the blonde had stepped out to brush down and saddle up the mare.
The brunette rose from the bed and dressed leisurely; taking time to admire the slight soreness in her body. The blonde had definitely won that round. However, Regina found that she didn't mind. The experience had been more than satisfying and submitting to the blonde's unexpected talent had been quite enjoyable. This would not, of course, stop her from destroying the woman later, but it did inform her as to what Emma Swan was capable of. And the way Regina saw it: knowledge was power.
The blonde stomped back in, shaking the early morning mist from her hair and clothes. She watched as Regina placed a bit of biscuit and preserves in her mouth before pursing her lips to blow on the hot tea before her. She tried not to be mesmerized by the woman's mouth. Especially when she could picture it doing such wicked, wicked things-
"Miss Swan? Is Venus ready to go?"
"Yes." Emma tore her green gaze away and looked at the woman who knew exactly what the blonde had just been thinking. "She's been brushed and saddled and she is prancing around like a spring colt." The brunette smiled warmly as the blonde tore into a piece of jerky. "We're close now to Komodo, right."
"Kiamo Ko." The woman corrected half-heartedly. Honestly, it's not that difficult of a name. "Another day and a half at the most."
"Well, let's get cracking." Emma flipped her hair back out of her face and braided it deftly down her back. "Daylight is burning, woman."
"I'll show you burning." Regina mumbled to her back as she disappeared out of the door. The brunette rose, nevertheless and strode over to snuff out the fire, gather her bag, and was out the door after her. She watched as Emma switched something around in her boot. "Pebble in your heel, dear?"
"No, I've stashed a short blade on my ankle; just in case."
"That would be the first place they would look; beside, we haven't run into trouble yet." The brunette pointed out as she added her bag to Venus's load.
"Not yet, but this is always the point in the story that some enemy materializes out of the blue to disrupt the heroes' journey."
Regina swung herself lithely atop the horse and looked down at the blonde, offering an arm. Emma took it and pulled herself astride before easily slipping her hands around the woman's hips. The brunette tried to ignore just how it made her pulse quicken. "Real life doesn't often work like that."
"Doesn't it?" Emma laughed and Regina smiled wryly.
"I suppose if you're from our land, life is complicated. But there is no over-all plot here. We're not in a storybook, Miss Swan." She clucked her tongue and rocked forward authoritatively to get the mare moving on strong, powerful legs.
"That's the way it always works." Emma said staunchly. "The heroes get close to their goal and that's when the bad guy, that has been stalking them the whole time, shows up at last and foils their plans."
"You sound like Henry." The brunette laughed and then stopped because it hurt to think about their son.
Emma leaned into her and squeezed her hips gently. "We're going to get him back, Regina. He's strong and smart. We're both damaged, but he's got the best of both of us in him: your will to survive and my suspicious nature. He's fine and we'll bring him home."
The brunette resisted the urge to turn and bury her face in the woman's shoulder. But she didn't pull away when Emma kissed her lightly on the back of neck. "So long as we aren't detained by whatever queen rules here; she would be the badguy in this story, would she not?"
"Yeah, she would. But you know what Henry would say? That good always wins."
"Yes, he would say that." Regina smiled at her son's voice echoed in his mother's mouth and they road on.
As the terrain became rockier, they cut a meandering path around the boulders and jagged teeth of the land. Regina considered Emma's words in her head. Surely they weren't being stalked? She would have detected any magical form of espionage. But what about other forms? She pondered as a large, black bird swooped rather low, cawing morosely at them. She turned to her blonde companion to point this out when Emma's hands tightened on her hips.
Regina stiffened when the woman leaned in and brushed her lips along the outside shell of her ear. Tingling sensations shot up her spine and spread out among her limbs; lighting a particular fire in her belly. "Dreaming again, Miss Swan?"
"You wish." Came the quip and the brunette fought against gulping obviously.
"Then perhaps you would care to explain just what it is you are doing."
"When I tell you, send Venus into a gallop."
Regina stiffened again and cast a glance about her nervously. "Why?"
Emma switched ears and kissed up the woman's graceful neck with gusto. "Because we're about to be ambushed." She explained succinctly. "I needed to tell you without being obvious."
"That's a poor excuse for groping me." The brunette said but shifted her weight on the mare. Venus quirked her ears in response to the transition and tossed her head slightly as though signaling to the women she was reading them loud and clear. "Where are the badguys lurking?" She asked with no small amount of irony in her tone.
"Just around this bend."
"So we will be simply running through them?"
"Something like that." Emma muttered. "Ready." She ran her hands up the woman's taut stomach and breathed heavily in her ear and was rewarded with a quick intake of breath from the brunette.
"Yes." Came the terse reply.
"Let's go." She growled and hung on as Regina snapped the horse into a full gallop.
Venus took off like a bolt of lightning. Strong, able legs stretching and contracting like well-oiled pistons. Pounding the ground with force and dexterity; working herself into a perfect, gliding rhythm as the women astride her braced themselves to be jumped.
Just as Emma had said, as the palomino rounded the corner, a dozen men accosted them. Venus's solid body connected with three of them and knocked them backward into the narrow rock corridor that had risen ominously before them. One man grabbed the saddle foolishly and Regina placed a palm on his face before blasting him backward. Suddenly, a hand grabbed the back of the blonde's tunic and she was toppling backward off the horse.
Rolling to the side to avoid Venus's dangerous hooves, she hit the ground and transitioned into a barrel roll before drawing her sword and turning to face eight very gruff looking men. Fear tickled the back of her throat as she heard Regina turn back around. But before she could signal to the brunette, one man rushed her and the blonde was forced to bring her sword up and block a blow that surely would have severed her head. He strained forward and forced the blade down where it sliced a shallow cut along her clavicle and caused her to gasp.
Gritting her teeth and shoving the man back angrily, Emma struck out and sunk the blade into his shoulder. The man looked at her in shock and stumbled back against the rock. Before his comrades had the chance to revenge the attack, however, Regina was upon them and she was furious. She waved a hand and the remaining seven attackers were thrown twenty feet before they crumpled to the ground and did not rise.
"How dare you!" The brunette raged as she turned to the blonde's attacker and raised her hand in a choking claw. The man scratched at his neck where Emma could see small finger compressions appearing.
"Regina, wait!" She shouted and ran over to the man. "We need information! Don't Force Choke the life out of him!"
The brunette turned to her with vengeance swirling in her eyes, but when the brown pair took in the cut on her pale flesh, she dropped the man and stepped back. "Explain yourself pig." She spat.
He looked from one woman to the next with wary reverence in his eyes. "The Queen sent us."
"Who is this queen?"
"Queen Francis, it was she that overthrew the Ozma."
"With magic?"
He shook his head and rubbed his throat. "No, the Queen did not have magic then."
"But she does now?"
The man looked at the blonde menacingly as if to say, Like I'd tell you. But Regina brought up her hand again and spoke very quietly. "Sixty seconds of this and you'll lay dead at my feet-"
"Whoa, Xena." Emma cut in and she relented once more. "Just fucking tell us, dude. I can't always stop her." She jerked her thumb to the brunette who threw her a withering glance.
"She overthrew the government by force and then, with the Grimmerie, stole magic."
"Stole magic?" Emma blurted and turned to Regina. "You can't do that!" She practically shouted. "Right, Regina? She can't do that."
The brunette however, eyed him quietly. "Stole it from Rain? From the Ozma's lover?" He nodded slowly. "And…what? She can't be using magic any longer or this land wouldn't be so combustible." But he remained silent and Regina squeezed. "59…58…57…"
"She no longer has it!" he gasped out and sank to all fours as he regained his oxygen.
"But the Grimmerie, she's still in possession of the magic book."
"Yes." He confirmed.
"This complicates matters." The brunette said more to herself than anyone. She released the man and he sat back on his knees in relief. Then with a flick of her hand, she shoved his head backward onto the rock and knocked him out.
"Was that necessary?" Emma winced.
"It is if we don't want him running to his queen immediately." She said with pursed lips. "And he marked you." She placed her palm on the woman's collar bone and Emma felt it warm instantly. When Regina pulled away there was a faint, pink strip of new skin. "I'm the only one allowed to do that." The witch said and jumped astride the horse once more. "Now, let us be gone, we've dawdled too much here as it is." She said to a smirking Emma.