Hey guys, apologies for the long wait. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews and support from all of you, I hope you enjoy the next arc of chapters. I have a pretty solid plan for this, I thought long and hard about where it was going, and I hope you like it. As usual, forgive any mistakes, leave a review if you like. There may be continuity errors, I'm not sure, but forgive those. Any questions or ideas are welcomed, though I can't guarantee they will be implemented. I'll try to update faster too.
"… So when I said we should take the horses, this wasn't exactly what I meant," sighed Belle as she stepped over a traveller's limp body that was sprawled out in front of her. Belle's hands still tingled from the bolt of energy she had loosed to dislodge him from his saddle.
"It got the job done," replied Regina, looking down her nose at the man slumped against her legs. With a dull thump, she had kicked him to the leaf-strewn floor and strode around him carelessly. Mulan flipped her sword around gracefully and sheathed it, having dealt with the final two travellers - both of them snoring at her feet.
"Yes, but we could have been more subtle," lamented Belle as she hoisted herself up onto the nearest horse. The man on the ground groaned loudly, momentarily distracting her. They had chanced upon a group of young travellers, and after a whispered discussion from the cover of pine trees, Regina had decided that their need for transportation trumped that of a group of 'lackwits' from the nearby village.
"It's not like we killed them," interjected Mulan, expertly climbing a chestnut mare and rifling through the pack tied to her saddle. "They'll wake up and just find they only have one horse."
Belle nodded as she tugged on the reins. "I guess." Though she felt a twinge of guilt for beating up a group of teenagers, Ruby was definitely more important. The sooner they got to the town, the sooner they could find her. A tiny niggling voice at the back of her mind added, If there is anything to be found.
Approaching the bustling town, Belle allowed her mind to travel back to her past – when she had walked roads like these, on the hunt for adventure; those days when she wandered with only a dagger and a book to guide her. It was what she wanted, it was her choice. But she had to admit that it did get lonely. But now, as she glanced to the pair riding to her left, she felt a small smile spread across her face. She had always lived a sheltered life, and didn't really have many friends, even when she was out adventuring. Ruby had been the first to change that, and the other two followed. And she was so grateful.
Regina seemed lost in thought, hands gripping the reins loosely. She didn't seem to suffer from the same little nervous flutter that Belle felt. Although, being able to blast any attacker to smithereens would probably drive someone's confidence up a notch, she mused, twirling a nearby branch with magic, just to make sure she still could - much like finding comfort in having her dagger on her belt. Mulan too, looked cool and collected, though her eyes darted around the woodland path as they approached the gates at long last, searching for danger. She was glad that she had the other two women on her side, especially when Ruby's life was hanging in the balance.
"We're here," said Mulan suddenly, startling Belle a little. Belle steeled herself as they trotted towards the town gates. The sun was just descending over the distant horizon, casting orange and pink hues over the snow-capped mountains. Belle wrapped her coat tighter around herself to fend off the cold. Her breath fogged up in front of her as they trotted into the thoroughfare. Regina took the lead, riding a little in front of the other two. Belle looked to Mulan, who gave her a nod of encouragement. With hardened resolve, Belle followed Regina into the courtyard, which was busy, even at this late hour.
"Okay, here's the plan," said Regina, slipping down from the horse and handing a nearby stable-boy a handful of coins she had found in the saddlebags. "We should split up. We'll each take a direction and ask around if anyone's seen the hunters. We'll meet back here in an hour and see if we've come up with anything, and then go from there." Regina spoke with an easy authority, which would make sense, thought Belle. She was both the Queen and the Mayor, so she was used to leading. And they had all been to this land before, they knew what the people were like. "Be careful, and if you run into trouble, we'll meet at that stone that looks like a skull we passed a while ago. Got it?"
Belle and Mulan nodded before they parted ways, each woman taking a road leading away from the busy square.
Wading through the sea of people, surrounded by the clanging of metal, the shouts of vendors and the clopping of horses' hooves was threatening to overwhelm her as she tried to keep focused on the task at hand. At each stall, she would stop and yell over the noise, enquiring after the hunters. Most were close to shutting up shop for the day, and just wanted Belle to move on so they could go home.
"Sorry, love. Ain't seen no hunters 'round 'ere."
"Hunters? Nah, dear. Not recently. We get our meat from traders down south."
"What? I can't hear you over the rabble! Hunters? I ain't seen none. But if it's meat you're wanting, we got some for only fifteen gold! Best deal in town. No? Hey, lady! Wait! I swear it's fresh! Fresh-ish!"
Soon, after a number of failures, she struck gold at the blacksmith's around the corner. She wandered inside, grateful of the wave of warmth that greeted her as soon as she opened the door. Slipping inside, she looked around, taking in the small workshop, walls lined with swords and axes, a large furnace radiating heat from the far side. A tall woman with long, red hair tied back in a bun was pounding a glowing piece of metal with a hammer. She didn't seem to notice Belle stepping closer until the brunette cleared her throat loudly. Her head shot up, grey eyes locking onto Belle's with such intensity that Belle nearly took a step back.
"Can I help you?" she asked curtly, slamming the hammer onto the metal again. Belle watched the sparks fly nervously as she replied.
"I'm searching for a group of hunters who passed through this town a couple of days ago. Have you seen them?"
The red-head paused, regarding Belle curiously. "Yeah, I seen them," she nodded slowly. "Bunch of guys came through here. They wanted a set of strong manacles, for some kind of animal. Paid a pretty penny for 'em, too."
Her relief must have shown on Belle's face, as the blacksmith tossed the hammer onto the bench and stood up straight, her long, messy braid swinging over her shoulder as she place her hands on her hips.
"Did they mention where they were going at all?" she asked, trying to remain calm. All she knew was that the hunters had indeed been through here. And they had manacles, which meant they probably wanted to subdue Ruby. So she was still alive. Probably.
"Why do you want to know?" asked the red-head curiously, swinging her hammer back and forth between her hands. Belle took a deep breath, tasting the soot and smoke on her tongue.
"They took something from me," she said, her eyes blazing for a moment. There was a slight shift in the air around them as Belle struggled to control her temper. "I want them to pay."
"Alright," said the red-head carefully, eyeing Belle warily. "Well, they didn't mention anything while they were here," said the red-head with a shake of her head. Belle felt her hope drain out as she visibly deflated, her arms coming up to wrap around her chest. "Sorry, lady."
"Thank you, anyway" smiled Belle, though it didn't reach her eyes. She turned and headed towards the door, preparing herself to leave the comforting warmth and brave the cold, uncertain road ahead. She hoped desperately that Mulan and Regina had more luck as she turned the door handle. Every hour that went by, the more she was haunted by thoughts of Ruby lost and alone, Ruby in pain. Ruby dead –
"Hey, wait!" came a shout from behind her. Belle turned, the door half-open. A cold breeze attacked her face – the darkness had truly closed in around them now. The red-head stood, leaning against her work bench – her pale skin was covered in smudges of soot and grime, but Belle could see hints of freckles underneath. She was tall, her muscles in her arms defined from her work, but was still feminine. "I think I may –" she paused, scratching her head. "I think I know where the hunters are holed up, if that helps?"
Belle's eyes widened. "Uh… yes," she said slowly, closing the door. She marshalled her emotions and willed her heart to slow down. This could be a trick. She looked very much like an outsider, and desperate people would take advantage if they thought she was naïve to the workings of this land. However, she was stronger than she was the last time she was here. She had magic. And a purpose. In short, anyone who got in her way would regret it. If they lived.
Regina rolled her eyes as yet another innkeeper had no news for her. For the past half an hour, she had been turned away with no more answers than she had started with. The sun had set properly, plunging the streets into darkness. The cold threatened to seep through her coat, but it wasn't too bad. If she got too cold, magic would solve the problem, but she didn't want to burn herself out in case she got into trouble later. Trudging down the street, her thoughts went to Storybrooke, or, more specifically, Emma and Henry. She was beginning to wonder if leaving was the best idea. Of course, she would help Belle. They had become friends, both of them outcasts in a town where everyone was connected through the two idiots. She couldn't let Belle come through alone. And she didn't want anything to happen to Ruby either. There weren't many people Regina could have a decent conversation with – probably because they both were regarded as monsters at one point. Still, she couldn't help but worry about what would happen if she didn't return. Just looking at her history, things tended not to go her way, and this was probably no different. She had only just begun to enjoy life in Storybrooke. Her tenuous friendship with Emma had slowly grown into something more as they worked together, and discovered they didn't need to be enemies. Life was good. And here she was leaping through portals just as things were going well. Before Regina could get into the psychological ramifications of her choices, she was startled by a rustling noise nearby. She took in a sharp breath, bringing her hand out of her pocket and lighting it up with a flick of her fingers. A shadow scurried away from the light, darting around the corner. Regina sighed heavily and followed, the flame crackling in her hand.
"Who's there?" she said smoothly. She could deal with whatever this was. She was the Evil Queen, after all.
Mulan had had no luck as she asked the townspeople, knocking on their doors only to have them slammed in her face with muttered apologies. She hadn't expected this quest to be easy, so she accepted it. They would uncover information soon enough. The chill swept over her as the sun faded from the sky, but she shrugged it off. Her boots clacked against the cobbled ground as she turned a corner, heading towards the north wall. She passed a tavern she had visited about ten minutes beforehand. She grinned, flexing her fingers, remembering the look on the drunk guy's face before she had punched him for making a derogatory comment about her physique. Continuing on, she was still smirking as she entered an alleyway. The hour was almost up, so she decided to head back to the stable. Suddenly, something flickered beside her. She froze, her face hardening as she reached out with her senses, her hand grasping the hilt of her sword. Maybe a rat?
For several seconds, the silence pressed heavily against her, threatening to squeeze her in its icy grasp. If she were a normal person, she would carry on, thinking she was just jumpy. But Mulan knew there was something here. Her instincts were telling her it was something… something wrong. Drawing the sword, she heard more skittering from the darkness at the end of the alleyway. She advanced slowly and quietly, eyes narrowed like a cat's. Something fell, a loud thump making Mulan's fingers tighten on the hilt. Pressing herself up against the wall, she took a deep breath before she spun around the corner, sword raised and ready. The silver moonlight shone down on the road, illuminating the shadows, revealing the cause of the scurrying noise. Mulan's eyes widened as she lowered the sword, taking an involuntary step backwards in horror.
"What the hell are you?"