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Chapter 2 – Day 0: The runaway

"We'll leave now. We must head north, to Snowland." Gaston informed.

The bravest knight of whole Armithil was a man of few words. Belle looked at her husband to be and wondered what kind of relationship they would have once they were married. Gaston was beyond doubt the most eligible man of the kingdom. All girls were in love with him for his handsome dark looks and gallant ways. But Belle would often wonder if there was more to him than his military façade. She hoped Gaston was more than the soldier. More than someone following and giving orders. More than just physical strength. The knight seldom revealed emotions, and when he did, they were always related to a tournament or war. He was always strictly kind and polite towards her, that she had to admit. But she never felt like he was courting her. Belle shivered as the thought occurred that he would marry only to fulfill his duty in giving the kingdom strong and healthy children.

Belle and Gaston rode like the wind. Night had fallen and Belle welcomed the cool air. The wind played with her hair. The fast galloping helped her to put the day's events in a row. She hoped with all her heart her father had been spared, but highly doubt it. Belle blessed the fact Gaston rode with his back to her and was too concentrated with the road to notice tears falling from her blue orbs. Belle knew she had to be brave. She knew she had to be strong. Once they would pass the frontiers, they would enter Snowland and ask help to their strongest ally. King Leopold was not only in possession of a strong and trustworthy army, but was also a good friend and counselor. Belle knew she could count with him and his daughter, Snow White. She could count with them for anything. As rulers and as friends. And so Belle focused on that thought, slowly finding her strength and bravery back.

Gaston rode fast and diligently, his goal to reach the frontiers as soon as possible. But he suddenly stopped the horse. The animal, startled with the sudden change, bounced complainingly. As soon as the horse calmed down, Gaston dismounted.

"What's going on?" Belle asked, still mounted. But as she looked forward, her heart froze. There were lights and voices at the end of the road. Her heart started pounding madly. Fear took over her when the prospect of them being enemies hit her. Seeing Gaston's reaction, he thought the exact same thing. When the voices came nearer, the mighty knight turned to her and assisted Belle in dismounting.

"Hide in the woods. Run. Never stop. Whatever you hear, never turn back!" Gaston spoke urgently, guiding the princess to the edge of the road pointing to where the trees became thicker.

"No!" She had left her father, let an innocent woman take her place; she would not sacrifice the kingdom's most valuable knight too. "Come with me."

"It's too risky." He turned seeing the lights becoming stronger. "You must go alone. For now. I will find you. I promise. Now go. Go!"

Belle, hearing the urgent command, quickly entered the forest. She ran deeper into the woods, furthering herself from sounds of shouting and metal clashing. They quickly faded away in the air of the night. Soon all she could hear was the sound of the wind in the trees, the twigs cracking underneath her running feet, her irregular breathing. Belle ran as fast as she could. But it was too dark. She barely could make anything out. She stumbled on dead branches and stones, collided with trees. See looked around trying to find an orientation point. There was no moon in the sky and the stars were little help for her guidance. Belle felt fear fill her chest. She was lost. Lost and alone in a large dark forest. Her breathing became faster as panic set her heart to race. The scared beauty couldn't think. Her body worked in it's on, her feet taking her to an unknown destiny. And so, she run and run. Suddenly she missed a step. The ground underneath her vanished and she fell. Belle rolled helplessly down a hill, letting out a scream of fright. She tried to grab anything on her way, anything that could stop her from continuing her downwards rolling, without success. She felt a sharp pain on her side and short after the world became even darker than it already was.

"Papa, this feels wrong." A boy, in his early teens spoke as he accompanied the uneven pace of his father. "Maybe I should fight. I'm not afraid."

"No Bae. There is no honor in fighting the Ogre Wars." The boy's father stopped, lightening his son's face with a torch to see him better. "It's a sacrifice." Bae saw the untamed fear in his father eyes, the same one every time the Ogre Wars were subject of conversation. There was simply no discussion to it. His father adjusted his wooden staff and restarted the journey.

Bae followed obediently. He loved and respected his father. And for this he followed him. But it didn't mean he didn't question him. The teenager could not understand the reason for his father uncontrollable fear towards the Wars. Bae knew the stories. They were horrible and frightening. But it felt wrong to run away and leave the other children to fight a war that was his too. Lost in his thoughts, Bae didn't notice his father had stopped suddenly, so he stumbled against him. When he looked at the man, he saw pure terror on his face. Bae looked in the direction of his father's gaze and saw the lights at the end of the path.

"Quickly, hide!" The father urged, pushing the boy behind a large tree. He tried to keep his fears to a low level, but despair was increasing as the lights came nearer. He knew he was panicking. His mind started racing. Not my boy! Not my boy! Not my boy! He closed his eyes, trying to stabilize his breathing. But nightmarish images appeared before him. He could see his boy being dragged away from him. His boy being brought to the forest in an overlarge metal armor, holding a too heavy sword. His boy before the ogres. His boy… He quickly opened his eyes with a gasp, the last image fortunately never appearing. Fingers softly pressed his arm.

"Papa, they are leaving." The father looked at the direction of the lights, and seeing them fading in the darkness, almost cried from relieve. But he knew they weren't safe. Not yet.

"Come Bae, we have to go off the road."

Father and son walked into the dark woods, parallel to the road. The father was experienced and guided Bae to a lower part of the woods, so even their torch's faint light couldn't be seen from the road. They walked a while, taking in the silence of the night when suddenly they heard a scream not so far away. They both froze and stared at one and other, with the same incredulous expression.

"It was a woman's voice!" Bae finally said.

"She's falling down the hill." The father pointed at the direction from where a stumbling could be heard. A second yell followed and then, short after, the stumbling stopped. "She reached the bottom of the hill! Come on, we must help her."

Bae run on front of his father, his young and agile legs bringing him quickly to the spot where the sound came from. His father, lame from the left leg, strolled with some difficulty but determinately. And so he reached Bae quite soon, who was already bending over an unconscious woman. He illuminated the lying form. The light revealed the fallen victim to be young, her clothes covered in dirt and hair messy with leaves and thin twigs intertwined in it. The father stretched his arm and illuminated better the surroundings. He saw some glittering nearby at the right side and smiled, finding what he searched.

"Bae, we're next to the river. Fetch me some water." The boy immediately obeyed, while the father crouched as far as his body would allow, so he could somehow assist the girl. Bae came with the can of water. The father sprinkled some drops of the cold water on the young woman's face, in hope it would wake her up. Both males gasped softly when her lips released a small moan of complaint. The young woman opened her eyes with some difficulty. She stared amazed at the two new faces staring anxiously down at her.

"How are you, dearie? It was quite a fall you had." The man spoke, in a strange accent and soft voice. The young woman tried to get up, but flinched when she felt a sharp pain on her right side.

"Outch!" Her hand instinctively sought the origin of the pain. It trembled when she saw blood on it.

"May I look at it? I might be able to help." The man spoke again, worry present on his tone. The woman, still feeling confused, looked warily at the newcomers. "I'm sorry for forgetting my manners." The man apologetically said. "I am Rumpelstiltskin and this is my son, Baelfire." The young woman looked better at their faces and relaxed a bit. They appeared to be sympathetic and honest. "And you are?" The man asked. Belle, she thought. But then her father's voice came to her mind.

"Trust nobody."

She forced a small smile.

"I am Linda."

"Linda." Rumpelstiltskin repeated, making her new given name sound nice. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Linda means in Portuguese Beauty/Belle, therefore the choice in this name.

Hope you enjoyed the new chapter.