A/N: I'm glad to have people already following and adding my story to their favorites! ^^ Please do not be afraid to leave me a review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon a Time, except for my own original characters.
The wind howled, bringing a gust of cold air with it. Night was approaching, the sky already losing its hint of orange. The cemetery was quiet. All the visitors had left and were on their way home. All but one.
Clarissa removed the old, withered flowers and replaced them with a dozen new ones. She wiped the tears from her eyes as she sat between two graves. On one side there was the grave of her mother. She would visit her mother every year and pay her respects, but now she had another reason to go to the cemetery.
"Sir Arnold, Beloved Husband & Father" read the tombstone. Clarissa couldn't stop the sobs that escaped from her lips. It had only been about a few weeks since her father departed from this life. He was a hero. He lost his life protecting the King. The evil Maleficent had sent her army to attack the kingdom. It was an unexpected assault; no one was prepared for it and after a long treacherous day, the kingdom won the battle. But so many lives were lost that day, including her father's.
She had her father buried next to her mother. Clarissa prayed that they were happy, finally able to be together again. She hoped they were both watching her from above, keeping her safe. A few more tears slid down her face and she quickly wiped them away.
"Goodbye," she whispered, "I'll come visit you both again soon."
With that said she stood up and headed home. The death of her father had left a huge hole in her chest. Both her parents were now dead, leaving her without a family. She was too old for an orphanage, she was a young woman. She could take care of herself. Since her father's death, Clarissa's days have consisted of cooking, cleaning, and reading. She did whatever she could to keep her mind of her father. For the past weeks, she had barely left the house, only leaving for necessary living essentials and to go visit the cemetery.
Once she arrived home, she started to prepare her supper. The house was empty and it constantly reminded her of how lonely she was. The only things to keep her company in the house were the diverse characters from her novels. Reading kept her sane; it helped her get through each day. It wasn't strong enough however to keep away her anxious thoughts. What would she do now? Where would she go from here?
Midway through her supper, a knock was heard coming from the front door. This puzzled her. "Who could it be? Especially so late in the evening." She murmured to herself.
To Clarissa's surprise, the moment she opened the door she was tackled with a hug.
"You're squeezing me too tight Aurora, I can't breathe."
Princess Aurora immediately let her friend go. "Sorry..."
Clarissa let out a small chuckle, something she hadn't done it awhile. "It's alright; so tell me what brings you here at this hour?"
"I have something for you," she turned around and walked toward her body guard. He stood by her door quietly; Clarissa didn't even notice he was there at all. In his arms he carried a long object covered in dark fabric. Aurora took it from his hands and commanded he stand outside the house. As he obeyed the order, Aurora returned to face Clarissa.
"This was your father's." she said while handing it over.
Clarissa's shaky hands held the heavy object and slowly began to unravel it. Underneath the fabric was her father's sword. She knew it was his sword because he had personally requested it to be made. It was his most prized possession. Gradually, she took the sword out if its' sheath. The blade was a stunning shade of silver, but what really made the sword stand out was the hilt. The golden handle had been beautifully crafted by a blacksmith who incorporated the three birthstones of her family. Each stone represented her father, mother, and herself. The stones followed in a vertical angle: Topaz, Amethyst, and Emerald.
Tears blurred her vision, but she tried her best not to cry in front of her friend. "I can't believe you were able to find it."
"One of the soldiers collected all the reusable swords from the battle and gave it to my father. I recognized it the moment I saw it." she explained, "I asked my father if I could personally return it to you tonight."
"Thank you. This means so much to me." Clarissa smiled and wiped away a tear.
Aurora took hold of her friend's hand and led her to the dinning table across the room. They sat down and Aurora caught glimpse of Clarissa's condition. Her natural hazel eyes were now red and puffy. She also had bags under her eyes indicating her lack of sleep. Her body was a giveaway, but she asked anyway.
"How have you been doing?"
"I've been alright," Clarissa sighed. "Just keeping myself busy around the house and reading some books from our library."
"That's it?"
Clarissa narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean that's it? If you haven't noticed I don't have much to do here." At her age, girls were busy working or raising a family. Due to her high status, she never worked a day in her life or needed to besides the simple house chores. Plus, there wasn't any man in the village that she had taken interest to.
"Then why are you here?" remarked Aurora.
"Excuse me?"
Aurora stood up and placed her palms on the table, staring at the blonde with an exciting look in her eyes. "You told me one day, not so long ago, that you dreamed of adventure. That you dreamed of traveling this world and seeing all of its wonders. Well, today is that day!"
"What?" her hazel eyes widened, "It's preposterous. You can't be serious."
"Why not? You said so yourself that there is nothing left for you here. This is your moment to go and discover who you are and what you want in life."
Clarissa shook her head, "I can't just leave. We might have won the battle that day, but Maleficent will strike again. It's not fair of me to leave you all behind."
"It's alright; we can take care of ourselves." Aurora reached out and squeezed Clarissa's hand. "It's time you focus a little more on yourself instead of others. Your parents would want you to live your life happy, not stuck in some lonely house."
Breathing in deeply, Clarissa let Aurora's words sink in. She's right. There was no better time than now. Her stomach however, thought otherwise. Now that the opportunity had arrived, she felt scared. Overwhelmed. Could she really make it out there on her own? But if she didn't try, she knew she'd regret it.
"I'll do it."
"Really?" beamed Aurora.
"Yes. I'll leave in the morning!" Clarissa smiled, excitement finally taking over.
Aurora embraced her, "Oh I'm so happy for you!" She pulled away and opened the small satchel on her side. She took out a small bag filled with gold coins. "Take this."
"Oh no, I couldn't. I should already have enough to get me on my way."
She shoved the bag in Clarissa's hands. "A little extra won't hurt."
Clarissa hugged the brunette one last time. "Thank you so much for being a great friend to me."
"Of course and when you return you must not forget to tell me all the stories of your grand adventure!"
"Obviously!"
The girls giggled and soon Aurora bid goodbye, leaving with her body guard back to the castle. Clarissa spent the rest of the night preparing for her journey. From her wardrobe she picked out a simple dress, one she could breathe in, a dark hooded cloak and boots. She managed to find a satchel big enough to fit some basic necessities like money, extra pair of clothes, etc… The rest she would get along her trip.
Before she went to bed, Clarissa stared at her father's sword. Having something to defend herself with sounded like a good idea. Since her father was skilled at wielding a sword, he would sometimes teach her lessons on how to handle one if the moment ever arose. She was merely a student in training, but at least she had some sort of knowledge on how to use it. Hopefully, she would never have to.
The next morning as the sun began it's ascend into the sky, Clarissa was already wide awake. She barely slept a wink last night due to her anticipation for today. Over her dress she placed on her packed satchel. Next she grabbed one of her father's baldrics and wore it over her right shoulder, attaching the sword by her waist. Lastly she put on her cloak, hoping she wouldn't catch too much attention.
Taking a deep breath, Clarissa stepped out of her house and locked the door. This is it. No turning back now. Shekept repeating to herself comforting words to calm her nerves. Before leaving her village, she made one final stop to the cemetery. She bid goodbye to her parents and prayed they'd help guide her.
And so begun her journey.
Clarissa headed south in direction of the nearest village. Port Rosewell, named after Aurora's nickname, was a village centered around fishing. It was located next to the ocean and had one of the largest docks in the Enchanted Forest. Clarissa hoped she could maybe find a ship that was headed toward any of the neighboring kingdoms. She really wanted to see the beauty of the different castles and possibly meet new people. Although it would be beautiful to see, she also kept in mind that the other lands also had danger lurking around. Stories about ogres, giants, and evil sorceress' that could rip a man's heart straight out of their chest floated their way into her village. Optimistically, she hoped she wouldn't encounter such things.
Something Clarissa didn't want to admit was that her heart felt rather blank. Besides her family and friends, she never really cared for anyone in a romantic way. Despite her age, she's never fallen in love before. That's what she really craved. She craved a connection. That feeling you got when you knew you were supposed to be with someone. She wanted what her father had with her mother and what Aurora now has with Prince Phillip. This wasn't what her adventure was about, but she sure wouldn't mind it.
The smell of the ocean confirmed her proximity to the village. Clarissa had been walking on foot for hours and she needed to rest. Arriving at Port Rosewell she smiled at the scene before her. The village was lively and bustling with people walking up and down the streets. This was the first time she's been to a village other than her own. Excitement ran through her veins, giving her the energy to explore the village.
The marketplace was filled with costumer and merchants selling their fresh catch of the day. She followed the smell of the ocean and ended up at her destination; the docks. Waves were heard crashing against the pier and the commotion that the hardworking fishermen were making didn't go unnoticed either. Clarissa stared at the ships roped to the bollards in awe. Never once has seen a ship so close before. It was amazing. As she walked along the docks, one ship clearly stood out from the rest. It was the largest one and the most complex. It had many sails, canons and a tall hull.
I wonder what this ship is used for. Doesn't really seem like a merchant's ship.
Clarissa looked around in hopes of finding someone who could help accomplish her first goal, finding a way to the other kingdoms. She walked toward a fishermen working on loading barrels into another ship. He kindly directed her to the Corporal's office who was in charge of most of the scheduling for the trade vessels. After speaking to the Corporal, she managed to work out a deal in order to travel along with one of the ships. Tomorrow morning she would leave on a ship carrying fish and a small group of passengers to a port located a few miles off the realm of King Maurice's castle. It's told that the castle is dazzling and the King has a daughter named Belle. It seemed like a good place to start.
This is great! I can't wait until tomorrow. Everything is turning out better than I expected.
As the sky darkened, Clarissa felt her stomach grumble. She hadn't eaten a proper meal since morning. Strolling around the village, she finally fell across a tavern. She sat at a quiet table in the corner and ordered herself a drink and a meal. Minutes passed and the semi-empty tavern grew into a loud crowded room. The later it got, the louder it became. Once Clarissa finished her meal, she thanked the maiden that was her server, but not before asking her a question.
"Do you know where I can find an inn?"
"Sure honey, the closest one is by the docks." The maiden answered. As Clarissa turned to leave, the maiden grabbed her arm. "Be careful though, these sailors love getting drunk."
She appreciated the advice. "Thank you, I will."
Leaving behind the noisy tavern, the streets were quite the polar opposite. A ghostly silence filled the air as Clarissa walked toward the docks in a hurry. The cold air hit her skin and she gripped her cloak tighter around her. She followed the cobblestone streets that were lightly lit by torches alongside the walls. The maiden's words had certainly gotten to her, making her turn to every noise she heard. Thankfully she saw the docks up ahead. She looked at the ships lined in and spotted the ship she saw earlier today still there. But without keeping her vision on the steps ahead, she accidently bumped into a strong silhouette. The impact was so strong that she had to take a step back in order to regain her balance, causing her hood to fall back.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry!" she exclaimed.
The man turned around and gave her a grotesque grin. His teeth were yellow; except for the ones he had missing. "Well well, what do we have here? What is such a pretty face like yours doing out so late?" He was tall and bulky, as if he were built with bricks. His clothes were ragged and worn out.
Clarissa didn't make eye contact with the man as she tried to walk around him. "Sorry, but I need to go to –" Before she could finish her sentence, she felt his hand on her shoulder.
"Don't leave; you should stay here with me." He crooned in her ear, his breath marred by alcohol. "I can show you a good time."
She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She knew she was in trouble. "Please let me go."
"What's wrong darling? You don't like me?"
"Stop it." Clarissa shrugged her shoulder in hopes of taking his hand off her. "I really do have to go."
This act however, only mad him angry. He tightened his grip on her and pushed her roughly against the nearest wall. She let out a small cry as she made contact with the wall.
"Aww come on, don't be like that. I only want to have a little fun." The man slurred, his thumb rubbing her forearm. "I haven't been with a woman in such a long time."
Terror began to consume her brain. How would she get out of this mess? All she wanted was to have a grand adventure; an adventure that she would never forget. Instead she ends up here. Her adventure was ending before it had even begun. No, I will not let this happen to me! Think Clarissa, think!
Summing up her bravery, Clarissa managed to shoot up her knee. With a yelp, the man released her for an instant to cradle his groin. She took this opportunity to dart forward and run, adrenaline pushing her legs as fast as they could go. She took a quick glance back and saw the man had begun to recover and started on her trail.
"Help!" she screamed. "Someone please help me!"
The streets were empty and as she realized no one was going to come to her aid, she continued running. She turned into a sharp corner, praying the man would keep going forward. However, not knowing this village, she walked into an alley that held no other way out.
Shit!
"There you are."
Clarissa gasped, turning around and facing the terrible man once again.
"Scared and trapped like a mouse. Where are you going to run off to now?" he croaked with the same disgusting grin on his face.
Sweat rolled down her face, but determination was still held in her eyes. He lunged forward, reaching for her, but instinct told her to fight. Without thinking, as if she were a natural, Clarissa drew out her father's sword.
The man shouted in pain as blood spilled from his hand and onto the cold floor. She cut three of his fingers off and they too were on the ground surrounded in a pool of blood. Clarissa held tightly to the sword with both hands, but her body couldn't stop shaking. She had never injured another person before, but yet she did not regret the decision. She had to defend herself.
But before she even had a chance to leave the scene, all of a sudden numerous men entered the alley way. As soon as she took a step forward, two men grabbed her arms at either side and held her in place. Her sword dropped to the ground, making a loud clank. The men were all grimy looking, their filthy clothes matching the quality of the man's whose fingers she had just cut off.
That's when realization hit her. They're pirates! It was the only explanation she could think of.
"Why must you always get yourselves into trouble? I take my eyes off you men for one minute and ruckus always ensures." commented a voice.
"Captain!" yelled the man holding his bloody hand.
A figure surfaced from within the group, stopping in the middle directly in front of her. He stood tall and looked younger than the rest of the men. He was dressed all in black except for the silver buttons on his coat and belt. Due to the darkness around her, she couldn't quite tell if his hair was black as well, but what clearly stood out to her were his piercing blue eyes. He must be the Captain.
"What seems to be the problem here?" he asked.
"That little whore sliced off my fingers! It's unforgivable!"
He chuckled, "Suck it up, mate. At least you still got your hand." Clarissa wondered what he could have possibly meant by that until she saw his left hand. It wasn't really a hand at all; it was replaced by a hook. He's Captain Hook, the ruthless pirate! she heard from stories told at the village. He continued, "and besides, I'm sure you got what you deserved for disobeying my orders."
"But Captain –"
Hook silenced him by raising his hand, "That's enough of your blabbering tonight."
"Aye Captain…."
"However," he began while keeping his blue eyes on Clarissa, "surely I will not let her go unpunished for making a mockery out of one of my men."
The pirates laughed to themselves, probably expecting her to receive a cruel penalty. Clarissa stayed quiet though with eyes wide open. She did not want to make the situation worse by speaking out and angering a mob of pirates.
The Captain looked at the ground and smiled. "What a beautiful sword," he admired while bending over to pick it up, "it looks like its quite valuable. I should be able to get a good price for it."
"No!" Clarissa cried out, finally speaking.
Intrigue filled Hook's eyes as a smirk fell on his lips. "And why not love? It seems like a rather fair bargain. I take the weapon you used to harm my mate and you keep your life."
"Please don't! I'll give you anything thing else! Anything you want!" Tears filled her eyes. That was the only thing she had left of her family. "Name it and you can have it!"
His smirk widened as he took a few steps forward, inches away from her face.
"You."
He gave a quick nod to someone behind her and that was all Clarissa remembered before her world was engulfed by darkness.
