For several days I travel avoiding any signs of civilization for the fear of being discovered. I have a few close calls with some Ogres even but I use my magic to escape. I try to use my magic as little as possible because it drains my strength so easily but I have no choice but to use it. I drink water from whatever I can find and eat the bread from my pack. Whenever I turn in I try to read the book Belle wrote for me.

She wrote all about our times together outside the castle including the race with Gaston. She drew a picture of me at the finish line with Gaston behind me. He has a half gloating half shocked looked at his face. Some of the stories are the imaginative adventures that we went on but in her writing it makes me feel like we were really a part of the exploits. She wrote about our mother and the memories she has of her.

Every night before I go to bed I hold the book close to me and breathe in the scent of Belle until sleep and weariness overcome me. Eventually my bread supply was depleted and I would walk with an empty stomach. I fell asleep one night to a growling stomach with no hope of finding a village nearby. The last one I remember seeing was at least a day back and with my stamina nearly gone I don't think I could make it back to it.

When I woke up in the morning I was feeling even more exhausted than I went to sleep but I felt like there was something else wrong, like something was missing. I felt my cloak on me, my pack underneath me and Belle's book in my hands but there was still something that was missing. I also had the feeling that someone was watching me. I knew that I would not be able to fight them but I figured that I could use my magic to at least frighten them. I drew up the last reserves of my energy and carefully started to move.

"Good morning Dearie, you have been sleeping for some time. I wondered when you would awake."

I turn in the direction of Rumpelstiltskin's voice and see him sitting on a log a few feet away from me. I know that even if I was not weak I still would still be no match for him. He is more powerful than I could imagine.

"What are you doing here Rumpelstiltskin? This is not one of our usual training sessions. Besides I do not feel like practicing magic at the moment."

"I know that but I just wanted to wish you a belated birthday. I have a present for you."

He waves his hand and a feast fit for a king appears on a table in front of me. My mouth is watering at the sight of the food I just want to stuff my face but I am hesitant. I know that something would be up, as he taught me magic always comes with a price.

"What do you want from me for all this? You taught me never to expect something without giving something in return"

"For this I want nothing dearie. This is your birthday present from me but there is something I would like to have you do but I will talk of that later. Here have some soup the mushrooms in it are divine."

I hesitate for a few moments before I sit down and start to eat. I eat everything I can get my hands on except for the bread; I have had enough of it the past few days. He was right about the soup; the mushrooms are the ones that Belle wanted to use in the soup she was going to make for me.

As I am eating I notice Rumpelstiltskin fiddling with something in his hand. I stop eating to try and see what it is he has. He notices me looking at him and shows me the stone; I realize that it is my necklace. I reach for my neck and come back empty-handed.

"It's a beautiful stone don't you think? I have never seen one like it before and the cracks on the inside form a lovely picture. It's a shame that the thread broke though."

I knew that he wanted something in return how much of a fool could I have been to trust that the food came with no strings attached.

"Don't worry my dear, I am not going to keep the stone. What I want is for you to get back something of mine that I lost. If you are done eating I would love to make a deal with you."

My appetite disappeared the second I saw him with my necklace. I had eaten enough to fill my belly though. I nod my head yes and he waves his hand causing the food to disappear just as quickly as it came. I go to sit on the log next to him.

"Angel, I have lost something that I am afraid I cannot retrieve myself in return I will give you something that will be of great interest to you."

I do not think he could provide me with anything that I could want.

"What do you have for me in return if I help you?"

He flashes one of his impish smiles at me.

"I have taught you well, you are well aware that something cannot be gotten without something being given."

He waves his hand again and this time a book appears in his hand.

"This book will help you on your journey. It is a magical book about Ogres. It was difficult to procure but I am sure that it will be sufficient payment for you."

The instant he told me that it was about Ogres I knew I had to have it. I wanted to learn how to fight the Ogres so I could stop the war. I did not want anyone else to be lost to those monsters.

"What is it you want me to retrieve Rumpelstiltskin?"

"I knew you would want this. The item I have lost is something of great importance for me. I lost it when I was visiting some giants."

"What is it you want me to retrieve and where is it?"

He tells me that he lost a dagger and described to me the sheath it was in. He tells me that the place he has lost it is not far from here but that I would have to get there on my own. After I retrieve the dagger he wants me to bring it back to him.

I understood every direction he gave me and tried to make sure I remembered everything he told me. I had a feeling that I would be using magic and I felt stronger after the meal I just ate. I knew that he had given me the food to have me get my strength back so I could use magic to complete his errand but I don't want to push my luck.

Before I leave he gives me back my stone on a new thread. He pulls a golden thread from his pocket and uses it to rethread my necklace. He passes my necklace back to me and I put it around my neck. When I put it on I sense magic in the new thread but I have the feeling that he did not curse the thread only he infused some kind of other magic into it.

I carefully follow the directions he gave me until I get to the place he told me that the castle would be at. I thought he must have given me false directions or I forgot something because I see nothing but trees all around. I notice that one of the trees appears to be green. Upon closer inspection I notice that one of the trees is actually some kind of stalk, I think that it is a beanstalk. It appears to reach up into the sky, so high that I cannot see the top of it.

I figure that Rumpelstiltskin gave me the right directions but he neglected to mention having to climb a beanstalk to get to the castle. I feel like turning around and going to him to tell him that I can't do it but I know the stories of what happens when people break a deal with the Dark One. I can't decide if I am more afraid of heights or going back to Rumpelstiltskin and telling him that the deal was off. But I realize that thinking of heights doesn't scare me like it usually does. It is not like I have the courage to overcome my fear but I feel like my fear is kind of pushed to the side almost like I am not afraid of heights or at least I forgot I am. I feel power coming from the thread that Rumpelstiltskin gave me for my necklace. I suspect that he knew I was afraid of heights and put an enchantment on the thread to allow me to forget about my fear so I could climb the beanstalk. He neglected to tell me about the beanstalk because he knew I would never agree to the deal if I knew that I would have to climb it.

I decide that the only thing left for me to do is to retrieve the dagger he sent for me to collect. I start to climb the beanstalk anticipating that any moment my fear will come back to me and stop me. As I get higher up I grow more and more confident that whatever enchantment he placed on the thread is actually working. When I get to the top I see an enormous castle. I am in awe at size of the castle and the estate surrounding it. I guess that my father's castle might just fill up only one of the rooms in it. I see the doors of the castle open and I look for a place to hide.

I quickly duck behind a statue that is closest for me. I feel the thundering of fooststeps as one of the giants exits the castle. Before he can close the door I use my magic to run inside. He shuts the door and I look for another place to hide. I run into the first room I see and retreat to a corner. I know I could use my magic to become invisible but that takes a great deal of strength and even though I did regain some from Rumpelstiltskin's meal I still was weak. I know that it would take me ages to search for the dagger. I had to come up with a plan to find out the quickest way to find the dagger when two giants came. I knew I was hidden from view but I still backed further into the shadows just in case.

"Hey where is Anton?"

"I think he is playing with those human toys."

When he said toys I realized that they must be talking about weapons that they have found. I figure that if I can get one of these giants to lead me to that room I could find the dagger Rumpelstiltskin was looking for. I had an idea to get to that room but it would involve me sacrificing my cloak in order for the plan to work.

I took off my cloak and made sure to take Belle's book out of the pocket first. I tucked the book into the waistband of my pants. I carefully snuck up behind one of the giants and placed the cloak on the side of his foot. I used magic to transform the cloak into armor and then made myself invisible. As soon as the giant started to move again he kicked the armor.

"Look I think Anton has been taking the toys out of the room again. He is going to be in trouble if Abraham finds out. I better take this back."

He reaches to pick up the armor almost brushing up against me. I know that I should be afraid but it seems like my fear is still missing. He picks up the armor and starts to carry it away. I follow him trying to stay as close as possible but still cautious in case he decides to stop immediately.

He finally turns into another room and I enter right behind him. The room is filled with piles of treasures. I could not even begin to describe the vastness of the riches. The giant throws the armor onto a pile and then leaves shutting the door behind him.

Once he shuts the door I try to look around to make sure that I am alone. It is difficult to see because of the huge piles of treasure but once I am confident that I am alone I make myself visible again. I want to save my magic in case I need it. I am almost hypnotized by the sight of all the treasure.

I snap out of my daze when I am reminded of my task by my necklace. The thread is starting to feel a little cold around my neck. I look around again trying to focus on the description of the sheath that Rumpelstiltskin gave me. I find the dagger lying on top of a pile a little distance from me. I walk towards the pile and start to climb it.

When I get to the top I go to reach for the dagger.

"Who are you?"

I turn around to stare in the face of another giant. He is different from the others I have seen, I think that this is the one that they called Anton. My necklace is starting to feel even colder and I am starting to feel a little fear. I grab the dagger and start to run for the exit.

"Wait don't go, I am not going to hurt you."

I use my magic to speed myself up. I feel the dagger in my hands but I sense that there is a magic about it. I feel great power within it.

As I run I start to feel more and more afraid. The thread around my neck feels like ice by the time I get back to the stalk. All of my fear is back and I am nearly frozen from it.

I want to climb down the beanstalk but my knees are shaking and no matter how hard I try to will myself forward I cannot. I clip the dagger on my belt to try to free my hands when I brush up against Belle's book. I get some confidence in it enough to start to climb down the beanstalk.

As I start to climb down the beanstalk I still feel my fear and the cold thread around my neck but the feeling of Belle's book on my side pushes me forward. My descent is slow but steady even though I am afraid. I am moving slower than I did going up but when I get to the bottom I breathe a sigh of relief.

I just want to stay and rest but I feel the weight of the dagger on my side so I start to run back to Rumpelstiltskin. I use my magic to speed myself up again so that I can get as fast away from the beanstalk as possible. When I head back to Rumpelstiltskin he is still sitting on the log reading the book.

"I see that you have found it dearie. I guess you had quite a little adventure."

I unclip the dagger from my belt and hand it to him.

"Why is that dagger so important?"

"Ah, you see this dagger contains more than you can imagine. I am sure that you sensed the magic in it."

I nod my head yes.

"Just as heights are your weakness I guess you could say this is mine. I guess I neglected to tell you about the beanstalk. But I see that the thread I gave you helped. It is yours to keep but I have the feeling now that it will not work as it did before. Emotions tend to complicate magic. The thread will not break on you I can assure you that."

The thread was no longer cold but I no longer felt the magic that was in it before.

"As for your payment here is the book. You have journeyed far you know. I see that you have lost your cloak."

He hands me the book and waves his hand again. A new cloak appears in his hand, it is the color of the green forest.

"I suppose you need a new one. Take this cloak, I have no need for it. There are no strings attached."

I am suspicious but I know that I have no other option. The only cloak I brought with me was the one that I turned into armor. I take the cloak. It feels heavier than a normal cloak.

"Well dearie this is where we part ways. You must be tired make sure that you get a good rest tonight you have had a long day. Our paths will cross again."

With that he disappeared in purple smoke.

I start to inspect the cloak. When I open it up I notice that the inside is lined with the same golden thread that my necklace had. I detect small traces of magic in it but I do not detect any danger. Inside the cloak there is a small sack filled with something. I open it to find that is nearly overflowing with gold.

I am surprised that he would have given me this. The dagger must have meant more to him that I could have thought. When he said that it was his greatness weakness I realize that it is probably the only thing that could defeat him but I think I could never use it against him. He knows my great fear of heights and I suspect that he would use it against me if I ever tried to cross him.

I examine the rest of the cloak and find a canteen of water in one pocket and a cap in another. I try on the cap to find that it fits me perfectly.

I put the cloak on once I am done thoroughly examining it. I put Belle's book in the pocket closest to my heart. I put the book on Ogres in another pocket. I am careful to make sure that the cloak is fastened tight before I start to travel again.

I use my magic to speed myself up again. When I start to see signs of civilization I decide to follow them instead of running away from them. I slow down my pace to a brisk walk until I see a town.

"What are you doing out here alone boy?"

I turn towards the voice and see a soldier. I am afraid that he will recognize me and I will be trapped. I do not see any sign of my father's army on him but I still am wary. I realize that he called me boy, with the cap on and my style of clothing I could pass off as a boy. An idea comes into my mind.

"I-I-I was just looking for the inn."

"I can show you the way but tell me why you are here."

"I am traveling with my father. He went to scout ahead. He told me to stay at the inn and he would send for me in the morning."

I am scared that he would see through my lie. But I hope with my youth he would mistake me as a young boy not as a girl.

"Right this way. Is there a name I can call you by?"

I panic and try to think of a name and say the first that comes into my mind.

"I'm Sam."

The soldier only smiles and starts to lead me to the inn. He tells me a story while we walk. When we arrive at the inn he bids me farewell and warns me to be careful.

I walk into the inn almost bumping into the innkeeper.

"Who are you young boy and what business do you have here?"

I tell him the same story I told the soldier hoping that the lie will work on him. He doesn't question me but he tells me that I must pay. I tell him that I can and he leads me up to an empty room.

The bed is nothing more than a sack filled with hay laying on the floor but to me is a gift. On a box next to the bed is a candle that is half used. The innkeeper asks for his payment and I reach in and pull out the coins and pass it to him.

After he leaves I sit on the bed and look outside at the darkening sky. A little while later the innkeeper's wife comes in bringing me some food.

"Where are you going young one?"

"My father and I are traveling to meet my sister. She is to be wed in a fortnight."

When I am done eating she takes away the dishes and lights the candle. She wishes me a good night and to have pleasant dreams before she leaves.

I wait for some time to make sure that I am alone. When I am not visited again I start to ready myself for bed. I leave my cloak on and use it as a blanket. It is warmer than my old cloak.

I take out Belle's book and skim through it to I get to the part I was searching for.

One day when I was 4 years old I spent the day in the library with Belle and Gaston. It was raining so we couldn't do much. Belle wanted a book that was on a high shelf. Gaston offered to get it for her but I was already climbing the ladder.

When I got to the top I grabbed the book. When I looked down before I started to descend I froze. I was afraid and Belle saw my fear. She came to the bottom of the ladder to try to help me. She couldn't come up the ladder but she still called my name. Gaston being the arrogant one told me that I was a coward and laughed at me.

"Angel come on down. Don't worry I am here I will not let anything happen to you."

I want to climb down and go to her but I am frozen.

"B-B-Belle, I am afraid."

"Angel remember that we are on an adventure. You had to climb the cliff to get water for me. You have to climb down so that you can give it to me. We have been traveling for a long time."

She is trying to relax me by making me imagine that we are on a journey. Slowly I start to climb down the ladder even though I am still afraid. Belle's word gave me some confidence.

When I get to the bottom Belle picks me up into her arms and carries me over to a chair. She gently rocks me while I cry into her shoulder. She sings to me and strokes my hair. When I am done crying I go to pass her the book.

"Here is your water madam."

A small smile spreads across her face.

When I was at the beanstalk I thought of that day when I brushed my hand against Belle's book. She was the one who helped me through my fears. She was the one who helped me cross the gorge when the Ogre was chasing us.

I blow the candle out and sleep. When I wake up in the morning I am feeling well-rested and decide to continue my journey. I eat a small breakfast and bid farewell to the innkeeper and his wife telling them that my father told me to meet him at a certain place even if I did not any word from him. The innkeeper's wife packed me a small meal. She refused to take my money when I tried to pay she told me that I was a growing boy.