By sunset, they reached a place they all thought would be good to set up camp. It was quite far from Celieria city. It also had a river Ellysetta and Rain both agreed David and Emma were welcome to drink out of. In the distance, David could also spot a small mountain range.

David still couldn't get over how much this land reminded him of the Enchanted Forest. The countryside was full of farmland. He could imagine his mother's cabin over the mountains, with the sheep waiting for him. The nobles rode by in horses, just like they did at home. David remembered all the afternoons he and Snow had in the Enchanted Forest, riding their horses. Maybe once they found their family, he and Snow would be able to ride one of these horses before they left, he thought with a smile.

"We should be in Elvia by tomorrow," Ellysetta told them. The border is the mountain range beyond the Tival River." She pointed to the river running directly in front of them. "So," she continued, looking at Emma and David, "Are you ready to try healing weaves again?"

Emma nodded, obviously still a little nervous. "I need to practice this," she said, looking at David. He nodded, slowly. He wished Emma wouldn't push herself beyond her comfort zone for his sake. The burns hurt, but it's not like he couldn't live with them. Still, she and Ellysetta were right about one thing. She needed to practice her magic and healing him was an opportunity to do so.

"Wait," Emma paused. "Should we really do this here? You said Celierians didn't like or trust magic. Aren't we still in Celieria?" David frowned. He doubted her concerns were real, since Ellysetta said it would be okay. But it bothered him that she might be looking for an excuse not to have to try magic. Maybe he should have told her no, after all. She appeared to be more uncomfortable than he had thought.

Ellysetta shook her head. "It's okay. We are still in Celieria, but this isn't a populated area. We aren't likely to be running into any Celierians here."

Emma looked even more nervous at that. "But we could right? Someone may just be walking along or riding by on a horse?"

Ellysetta looked at Emma like she was paranoid. "At this time of day? It will be dark in another couple of hours." She shook her head.

"But it's not dark now," Emma persisted.

Ellysetta sighed. "I still think you're worried for nothing. But I also know you're never going to be able to weave magic well if you're not confident in yourself. And thanks to your fears, right now you're not." She thought for a minute, then called, "Bel, Galen, come here for a chime."

Bel, who had been talking to Rain, and Galen, who had been munching on berries, immediately rushed to her aid. "Feyreisa!" They exclaimed, together.

"I'd like you to be "look out" for our group. Let us know if any strangers are nearby. Try to use Spirit weaves to see if you can notice people you can't see, too. Bel, you take that side." Ellysetta pointed to the side next to the river and the small mountain range in the distance. "Galen, you take that side," She pointed in the opposite direction. Ellysetta turned back to Emma. "We should be all set now."

Emma nodded reluctantly. David turned to his daughter and the other woman with his feet square and a determined look on his face. He looked like he was about to start a duel. In some ways, he was. He had decided he wasn't going to let Emma practice magic on him if she was this uncomfortable, and he didn't care what arguments they gave him, "No." he told them firmly. "Emma, it's obvious you're really nervous about this. Too nervous, I think for this. My burns are livable. They'll be fine, just like they were when I got them in Storybrooke. I can't have you doing this for me when you're this scared."

At the word "scared" Emma's eyes flashed. Maybe he shouldn't have used that word. It was apparent Emma never liked to admit she was scared. His suggestion was making her angrier. In that way, she was a lot like her mother. "I'm not scared of magic, David! I've done magic before, you know that. I'll be fine now that we have those two," she gestured to Bel and Galen, "looking out for strangers."

As angry as Emma was at him right now, he still couldn't agree to let her do this. Because she was afraid, even if she didn't want to admit it. "I know you've done it before, Emma, but that was when you had to. You don't have to do this. I'll be fine." He used his "calming the sheep" voice again.

Emma shook her head and sighed. "Yes, David I do have to do this. I need to learn how to use my magic properly. Haven't we talked about this already? And I really hate to see you hurting so much. They do hurt, and I know that, even though you're trying to pretend otherwise."

David shook his head and squared his feet again. She was not going to win this. He wasn't going to let her scare herself to death for him. "I'm not sure I agree with that. But even if it were true, why must you do it now? Why don't you wait until it doesn't…" He paused. He didn't want to use the word 'scare' again. "bother you so much," David finished.

Emma shook her head, just as determined as he was. "But what if I make a mistake with my magic before I know how to use it properly? Don't you remember what Ellysetta said happened to her because she couldn't control her magic? She ruined a state dinner! And aren't you the one who said my magic could help us finding the rest of our family?"

Darn it, he really hated when his own words were thrown back at him. It made it so much harder to argue. "Yes, that's true…I did…but I'm sure they wouldn't want you to do something unless you're comfortable with it, either. And you don't know you'll make a mistake like Ellysetta did."

Just then, Ellysetta who had been quietly observing the argument, stepped in. "David, you really need to let her practice", she said as gently as possible. "I can almost guarantee something will happen if she doesn't learn to control her magic, although I don't know if it will be on the scale mine was. And Emma's not going to become more comfortable with magic unless she starts practicing. I know how nervous it can make you," she added to Emma. "I was scared when Rain first started teaching me. But the more you try it, the more comfortable you'll be."

Ellysetta made a lot of sense, he had to admit. Maybe it was in Emma's best interest to let her practice healing, as nervous as she was. He just couldn't be sure. "Well… I just don't want her to be uncomfortable. Why does it bother you so much, now, anyway? "he added, turning back to Emma. "You seemed okay with learning before."

She sighed. "Just because I realized it was necessary doesn't mean I was comfortable with it, David. And what Ellysetta said about magic in Celieria only made me more…nervous." She seemed okay with using that word to describe her feelings, David noticed. "But now we have Bel and Galen to help with that. I'll be fine."

So, she had been uncomfortable with practicing magic before? Had he pushed her into something she wasn't ready for? "Emma, please make sure you're ready for this. If I encouraged you to do something you weren't ready before, I'm sorry."

Emma grabbed his hand. "David, you encouraged me before because it was the right thing to do. Whether it was protecting our family from Regina and Cora or learning how to use it properly from someone who has the type of magic I do." She gestured to Ellysetta. "Sometimes the right thing is hard. Like when you helped me with Neal, even though I know you wanted to get out, because we had Henry."

David didn't need to be reminded of another time where he'd placed his daughter in harm's way. Although, thinking back as hard as it had been, he knew that getting Neal back for Emma was the right thing to do. David still didn't like to think of Emma with a boyfriend, but he had been right for Emma. He knew that. Still, that had been different. There were other people to protect her, if she needed it besides him. "Yeah…that's true…but there were other people to help if something happened. Snow, and even Gold or Regina, to a certain extent. Here, it's just me and you."

But Emma shook her head. "That's not true, David. I know we haven't known these people for very long, but they've been a big help to us. Ellysetta says Bel and Galen will be able to tell if strangers come by, and I believe her. Didn't we decide these people were more trustworthy than Gold and Regina?" She smiled gratefully at Ellysetta.

Charming 's feet had lost their firm stance. He wasn't so sure he was right anymore. Emma was coming up with good arguments why she needed to use magic to heal him. Why did his daughter have to be so smart, anyway?

Emma, obviously noticing his uncertainty, decided to try another point. "Listen I know you don't want to hear this, but I need to try to heal you. Not just because I need to practice magic, and not just because I care about you when you're in pain, although those are both true. But because I promised Mary Margaret I'd take care of you." David bristled. He really didn't like to hear his daughter talk about taking care of him. He should take care of her. That's what prompted this protective streak in the first place.

"Look," Emma continued, noticing the look on his face. "I know you don't want me to have to take care of you. But this isn't about me. This is about Mary Margaret. Do you know hard it was for her to leave you while you were unconscious?"

David paused for a minute. He had an idea how hard it would be for Snow to leave him like that, because he knew how hard it would be for him if it had been her. Actually, Snow was a lot stronger than he was, because he could have never left her.

"She knew I could get rid of that shadow thing and heal you, so you'd wake up, David," Emma continued. "And she couldn't. So, I promised her I'd take care of you for her. And she still wanted to stay with you. Desperately. I knew that. But I had her go with the rest of them to take care of Henry for me. Because there's no one I trust with Henry more than her. So, I need to take care of you for her, and know she's taking care of Henry, do you understand?"

David nodded. He understood. He understood how much faith Emma had to have to let someone else take care of Henry for her, even if it was Henry's grandmother. And he knew how much faith his wife had in their daughter to take care of him. Emma was right. She needed to try. "Okay," he finally agreed, staring at Emma. "Hey," he added. "You've made me proud." He smiled. Emma looked at her shoes. She obviously still didn't take compliments well. They'd have to work on that.

Then they both looked at Ellysetta. "Okay, we're ready," they told her at the same time.

Ellysetta smiled at both of them. "And I'm proud of you both for agreeing to try this. Just because it's necessary doesn't mean it easy to accept. I know that too. I was there, once."

"Okay, Emma, give me your hands," she asked as gently as possible, obviously trying to make easier for both of them. Charming was grateful she was here. He didn't think there was anyone better to help Emma practice magic than Ellysetta. Here was a woman who seemed to understand how overwhelming learning how to practice magic could be. Here was a woman who appeared to use good magic, instead of dark magic. And not only that, but all of Emma's magical powers were powers Ellysetta also had. Emma had been right. They weren't really alone. Not when they had these people, these new friends to help.

Emma took a deep breath and held out her hands to Ellysetta, who grasped them carefully. "Now, clear your mind and focus on me. Think about how you trusted me enough to teach you. Enough to defend me to David. Think about why you want to be able to practice magic." It was quite for a few minutes as Emma appeared to do what Ellysetta asked.

"Good." Ellysetta responded eventually. "Now put your hands in front of the spot that needs healing."

David and Emma looked at each other uncomfortably. How close did she have to get? He hoped he could keep his pants on! If not, he didn't care what the price was; the burn would stay! "Can she do it…over clothing?" he asked nervously.

Ellysetta nodded. "It would be easier, since she's just learning, for her to do it directly, but she can do it over clothing." Thank goodness. There was mercy in this world.

Emma grimaced, obviously still not liking the idea of her hands being near his bottom. But she placed them in that direction anyway. "Now focus your magic on closing the scars." Emma focused for several minutes. Finally, David felt something change. The scar wasn't gone, by any means, but if felt different.

He discretely went around a bush far away from company where he could check the scar without prying eyes. He was right. It was faded. The scar looked and felt more like the burn on his hand than a burn he had only obtained yesterday. Smiling, he returned to Emma and Ellysetta. "It's better. You did it Emma! You did magic without it being life and death!"

Ellysetta smiled at Emma as well. "That's great. And you know what? That means you can weave Earth, too, at least some level of it. Because those were physical wounds."

Emma, unfortunately, didn't look so pleased. "Okay, so I guess I have Earth magic, too. That's another thing for me to learn." She sounded overwhelmed again. "And I don't understand why you guys think that was so great. I may have healed some of it, David, but I know the burn is still there. Last time I was able to hear your wounds, it was the same thing. I healed enough for you to wake up and make it to the portal, but not enough to cure them completely."

David put his hand on Emma's arm. He hoped she wouldn't push him away. Their relationship was progressing but still… "Emma, it doesn't matter that you didn't heal me completely. I told you before, the burns aren't life – threatening. It feels better because of what you did. You followed Ellysetta's instructions and were able to use some magic, consciously."

Ellysetta smiled at Emma. "I agree. It's going to take time for you to use magic consciously, Emma. Remember this is the first time you were able to do so. You'll only improve. I remember when I was learning how to consciously do magic. I could never get it to do exactly what I wanted it to, either." With a chuckle she added. "There was one time I tried to heal my father from a burn. Instead, I gave him a whole new head of hair!" She laughed for a couple of minutes.

Emma relaxed after hearing Ellysetta's story, chuckling. David laughed as well. After they calmed down, Ellysetta added, "Another thing you need to realize is all of us have different strengths within our magic. Earth may not be your strongest magic," she added carefully.

Emma nodded. David looked at her and asked, "Hey, are you hungry? Let's see what we have to eat tonight." Emma smiled, and they walked to the food.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning they all headed west. Ellysetta and Rain promised they would soon reach the long mountain range that served as the border between Celieria and Elvia. Rain was a little less than enthusiastic than Ellysetta, although he continued to walk next to her, in the front. Honestly, sometimes seeing the two of them together made him ache with missing Snow. When were they going to find her? And Henry, too of course.

Tajik, on the other hand, was very reluctant. He had accepted that they must go to Elvia, of course, but he had been dragging his feet since they had set out this morning. David looked back at him. As anxious as he was to talk to this elf who may know where the rest of his family was, he was concerned about Tajik. As Emma had said yesterday, these people weren't strangers anymore. They were friends. And David was worried about his new friend.

After making sure Emma was okay, David headed back to Tajik. "Hi there," he said to the man as he approached. "You look like you could use someone to walk with."

"Why aren't you up front?" the man grumbled. "I thought you'd want to see Hawksheart as soon as possible to help find your family. Don't be surprised if he says no," Tajik warned. It might be a problem for The Dance." He all but spat out the word.

"Oh, believe me, I am." David replied. "But that doesn't mean I can't walk with you, too. And if he says, no, he says no," he shrugged. "We'll just have to find another way. But I need to try this first. Emma and I both need to try."

Tajik nodded.

Looking up at him, David asked, "Why you don't like him so much?"

"I hate him," Tajik practically growled. "He caused my love, Aliya to die. And he caused 1000 of torment for my sister, Elfeya. All in the name of The Dance."

"What is The Dance anyway?" said David, trying to understand more. "I'm guessing it's not a body movement at a party."

Tajik, as irritable as he was about going to Elvia, chuckled at that. "No, it not. At least not to the elves. Elves have foresight about what will be and what might be. They call it The Dance. And Hawksheart has the most knowledge of this foresight of all the elves. Everything he does, everything he has done is to make The Dance come out the way he wants it to. And he doesn't care who he hurts or who gets in his way in order to achieve that."

David nodded, understanding a little bit more. This Hawksheart sounded like Rumplestiltskin. At least he was used to dealing with someone like that back in their land. Although thinking about the imp reminded him of what Emma had told him, about how he had manipulated the love he and Snow had for each other to help cast the Curse. As soon as he saw that man again he was getting a fist right in the face, for starters. To Tajik, he said. "We have a man like that were I'm from too. I'm used to it. Don't worry about it."

Tajik continued, opening up. "You have to understand, elves, even Hawksheart, are incapable of dark magic. But he's the most cold and unfeeling person in this world." David nodded again, surprised. This Hawksheart wasn't exactly like the imp, then. Rumplestiltskin was almost all dark. That's why they called him "the Dark One."

"You said Hawksheart caused your sister torment somehow," said David, still trying to understand so he could help the man. "What did you mean by that?"

Tajik bristled at that. "Elfeya is my sister, and Ellysetta's mother. She was captured in the Mage Wars a thousand years ago, and she and her mate spent all of that time in captivity with that evil. They were only released two months ago when the High Mage was finally killed. Hawksheart knew that. He knew where she was the entire time and he did nothing to save her! Nothing to help her as she and her mate were tormented over and over!" he snarled as he finished explaining.

David nodded, understanding a little better why the man hated the elf so much.

Tajik snarled again. "I'm doing this because the Feyreisa insists. I know it's something you feel you need to do, and I appreciate that, but I wouldn't be here if it weren't for Ellysetta. I don't want to have anything to do with Hawksheart."

David smiled at the man. "I appreciate that Tajik, believe me I do. And I've told you before, I know what it's like to have to work with people you hate. Back in our land, there is a woman named Regina. For years, she wanted my wife dead, and almost succeeded multiple times. When that didn't work, she tried to keep us permanently separated with a Curse that took us from our land. Just last month, she was still trying to rip out her heart! And not only that, but she tried to kill my daughter, too. And yet, she's also my grandson, Henry's adoptive mother. Despite everything, he still loves her, so we have to have her in our lives."

Tajik looked at David with new respect. "Thanks for sharing that. Despite my problems with Hawksheart, I suppose I should be grateful I don't have to see him regularly. Let me ask you something. Do you ever beat this Regina up? And if not, how do you avoid it? A big part of me wants to attack Hawksheart for what he did, even if he has more magic than I do and would probably squash me. But the Feyreisa has forbidden it."

David nodded, understanding. "I have to resist the urge hit Regina a lot, yes. Even resist killing her sometimes. As for how do I avoid it? Well, I think of what Henry would think. I love my grandson, and unfortunately, he still loves her. I think of what my wife would think, who is always telling me to be careful about Regina. And Regina has powerful magic, too. Quite frankly, if I tried to get physical with her, I'd be dead. And my wife, my daughter, and my grandson would be without me."

"Tajik nodded. "Thanks. Although I have to say, a big part of me envies you. You're lucky even though Regina tried to kill your wife a lot, and even though she's missing right now, you still have her. I lost Aliya."

"I'm sorry about that, friend." He slapped his shoulder lightly. "And I know how lucky I am to have Snow. That's why I'm always going to find her."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Emma walked right behind Ellysetta and Rain. In the distance, she could see mountains. Emma assumed they were the mountains that were supposed to serve as the border between Celieria and Elvia. Her body tensed with nervous excitement. Would they see Henry soon? And Mary Margaret? What about Neal? She wanted to see them all so badly. She hoped this elf they were going to see would be more helpful than King Dorian had been.

Where was David, anyway? Usually they walked together, or at least near each other. She glanced around her and found him walking with the man named Tajik, one of Ellysetta's guards. He and David seemed deep in discussion, so Emma decided to let them be. At least he seemed to be making friends with these new allies. A part of Emma would like to be friends with Ellysetta; they did seem to have a lot in common. But Ellysetta had made it clear in Celieria that she didn't want to be friends. She was only saying that to the king so they would get what they wanted.

Whatever. Emma looked ahead. She didn't need anyone. Never had and never would. Except Henry, of course. She had to have Henry back. His warm smile. His head full of dark hair. His wide – eyed curiosity. As she concentrated on Henry, a young man suddenly ran up to them.

"Are you guys looking for someone?" he asked excitedly. "A boy, maybe?" Emma eyes welled up. Henry? Was Henry nearby after all? "I can take you to him but can only be the two women. The rest of you won't fit." Emma nodded immediately. Was Henry trapped? They had to get him out right away! The others however, looked at the young man warily.

Rain, in particular, looked at the man very suspiciously. "You know Fey would never let a Shei'dalin, especially the Feyreisa, go anywhere without at least her mate or her guards. No."

Emma shook her head violently. But if Henry was trapped…"I'll go with him by myself!" she screamed.

David, who had approached the group with Tajik by now, shook his head. "Emma…" he said nervously.

Oh, not the over – protective thing again! She thought she had laid that to rest yesterday! "David, I'll do what I need to do to get Henry. If I'm the only one who can go, so be it." He nodded, reluctantly.

The young man, however, seemed less than pleased about this. "But we may need the Feyreisa…what if we need magic…"

Rain shook his head firmly again, but Emma looked at the man strangely. She hadn't noticed it before because she had been too excited and scarred about Henry, but there was something off about this man. Ellysetta had said she truthspeaking was one of her powers as well. If she called her magic as Ellysetta had taught her and put her hand on the man, she should be able to do it. She paused attempted to gather her magic. Then she placed her hand carefully on the man's shoulder. He didn't resist her, since he didn't see her as a threat at all.

"Why do you insist on the… Feyreisa going with you? Without her guards?"

The man gulped and obviously struggled against the magic. Emma knew she succeeded in… "calling", as Ellysetta would say. In a way she felt sorry for him, having been on the receiving end of being involuntarily truthspoken before. It was painful. But if this man had been using her son to trick them in some way…

"I wanted to kidnap the Feyreisa…I was going…force…her…to heal…me…I…have…a brain tumor. I had heard rumors the Feyreisa was traveling with two strangers looking for a boy. I thought if….I ….told you I had found him…but he was in danger….you would both come, without thinking….I didn't know…you were a Shei'dalin, too. You look Celierian." With that, Emma released him and the young man fell to his knees crying.

There was a part of Emma who still felt sorry for him. It was too bad he had a brain tumor. But that he pretended he had found her son and said Henry was in danger, just so he could get to Ellysetta… She shook her head. Tears or no tears, she wanted nothing to do with him. She walked away.

Rain, on the other hand, knew exactly what to do with the man. He stepped in front of him. "You know what the penalty is for trying to kidnap Shei'dalins to force them to heal against their will, right?" The man nodded and tried to run. Rain quickly appeared to "call" magic, and suddenly, the man was unable to move. "And do you know how much worse it is when you attack the Feyreisa? Especially if you try to run away?" Rain looked murderous. "You're lucky I don't give you to the tairen! I'm sure you'd be a tasty meal for them." The man nodded again. "You said you were dying. So it shouldn't matter if I speed up the process," With that, he removed one of his red daggers from his pack and drove it into the man's throat. "Let's get out of here," he said to the others.

They all walked off. Emma and David looked at Rain warily. Naturally, the man had been a creep who wanted to kidnap Ellysetta and use her magic for his own gain. How did he plan on doing that,anyway? Not to mention the way the man had played with Emma's head and heart by pretending he had found Henry, trapped somewhere! Still… that kind of brutality? Emma hadn't known her new companion was capable of that.

As soon as they were out of the way of the dead man, however, Rain and Ellysetta's guards looked at her reverently. "We owe you our thanks, Emma. It was your truthspeaking that revealed what that man planned to do with Ellysetta."

Emma looked at them nervously. She wasn't used to people looking at her with that much respect, much less people she still didn't know very well. Especially since she had just seen one of them kill a man. "Yes, but…you said she couldn't go with the creep anyway. What difference did it make?"

"It's still better to know what his plans were. He could have tired a different way to get to the Feyreisa later. Or another shei'dalin for that matter. And what about what he might do to you if you had gone with him? He didn't know you had magic, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have hurt you," Tajik added. David looked at the man gratefully, obviously thankful Tajik was concerned about Ellysetta and Emma.

"I couldn't have truthspoken him that easily, Emma," Ellysetta added from Rain's arms. It was weird, seeing him like that. Not five minutes ago, he was killing someone, and now he was all lovey – dovey with his woman? Whatever. "He would have expected it, so I couldn't have gotten close enough to him. Not until it was too late for me, that is."

Emma paused. "But what do you mean, too late? Couldn't you use your own magic to defend yourself?

Ellysetta sighed snuggling up against Rain. "I don't know. I don't know whether his plan was to blackmail me with someone, you maybe, or if he planned to use sel'dor to bind my magic until he needed me to heal him."

"The point is, he intended the Feyreisa harm. If you hadn't stopped him, he could have harmed another. You are to be honored," Rain stated warmly. Emma had the feeling he would act differently to her now. He had been helping them because Ellysetta had wanted to, but Rain had often behaved coldly to them. Now he wanted to help.

"I'm proud of you for doing that yourself, too", Ellysetta added. "I didn't tell you should truthspeak that man. You decided it on your own. And although you've had truthspeaking powers to a degree before, you've never done it to that extent."

Emma shrugged. "There was just something…off about how he insisted you had to come with him. And the way he tried to use Henry to play with my emotions..." Emma practically snarled. "I needed to know what he was really up too."

"We all needed to know what he was up to, Emma. You were just the only one who could do something about it without raising his suspicions. I'm glad I have you as a friend." Ellysetta smiled and the rest of the group smiled in agreement.

Emma paused, surprised. Despite all the praise she was getting, the word "friend" still didn't make sense. "But…we're not really friends. I know you just said that to get King Dorian to help us. I appreciate it, because he might not have at least given us beds to sleep in. But you don't have to say that anymore. He's not here."

Ellysetta looked at Emma, shocked. "Emma I've thought of you as a friend for a while now. I did say that to King Dorian partly so he would help you, yes. But I also hoped we would become friends. And that desire has only increased in the last few days. Helping you with your magic…I see so much of myself in you. Finding your family, it's important to me too, especially when I remember a couple of months ago when I lost my sisters. I want to help you. I want to get to know you. And that's only increased now that you've helped me, too."

Emma looked at Ellysetta with new eyes. This confident woman really wanted to be her friend? And she really believed Emma had helped her? "Okay," Emma said softly. "I can try being your friend. Like I have told you before, I don't trust people easily. And I haven't had much experience with people wanting to be my friend. That's why, when you said that to King Dorian, it was easier to assume it was a ploy. But...maybe we can be friends."

Ellysetta nodded with a big smile. "I think we definitely can." In the background, she could see David smiled as well, obviously glad to see her opening up to someone.

As they walked on to the mountains, Ellysetta added, "Oh, and speaking as a friend and as an instructor of magic, beware of sel'dor while you're here. It can look like black rope or it can be on the tip of a sword. I don't think it would burn you, because you're not Fey, but it would bind your magic. It's used to be in possession of Eld, the enemy of the Fey, but a lot of mortals who don't like magic, or are looking for personal gain, like that other man from before, have obtained it."

Emma nodded. That was good to know. She sighed. She didn't know how she would ever be comfortable performing magic. Still, if something here could stop her from using it if she needed to use magic, she should know about it.

"By the way, as an instructor, I was impressed at how well you truthspoke that man without any help."

Emma shrugged. "I have seen it done before. And I've had enough practice to know how to summon…or "call" I think you say, my magic. Besides, it was about Henry, too."

"Still, to truthspeak him so completely without any help…How long have you been able to tell when people are lying Emma?"

"All my life," Emma replied, matter – of –fact. "I never really thought of it as magic especially since I grew up in a land where magic didn't exist. But…I did notice my ability to detect lies was beyond normal, I suppose." She chuckled. "I used to call it my 'superpower.'"

Ellysetta nodded. "Truthspeaking is probably your strongest magic, then. Use it to your advantage, Emma."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Soon, their group crossed over the mountains and into Elvia. The land was covered by forest. "Deep Woods", Ellysetta called it. The forest had trees so thick and tall you could barely see the sun peeking out. Birds flew overhead. Something moved underwater in the river nearby. It was making Emma a little nervous. She had never really been a "woods person," despite how often she had to search for people in them in Storybrooke, being the sheriff. At least she was familiar with the woods in Storybrooke. And her experience with Mary Margaret in the Enchanted Forest, with Ogres and people trying to kill them at every turn, hadn't really endeared her to forests.

As they grew closer to where Ellysetta said Lord Hawksheart would be, she asked Tajik whether he would rather wait outside. There was, of course, no reason he had to follow. Ellysetta certainly wasn't in danger from Lord Hawksheart. As much as it hurt Tajik and Rain to admit that, they both knew, at least this time, it was true. And if he wasn't going to control his temper around Lord Hawksheart, it would be better for him to wait outside. Emma got the impression this Lord Hawksheart was a lot more powerful than King Dorian. "Does he have magic?" she asked her companions.

"Not the same kind of magic a Fey does, or you do," Rain added, smiling. He really was being so much warmer to her since she had helped save Ellysetta from the would – be kidnapper. "But yes, elves have magic. And no one has more magic than Hawksheart. Be careful around him." Emma nodded. All these magical creatures were overwhelming. She felt like there were more magical beings here than in Storybrooke.

Meanwhile, Tajik was still deciding what to do about Lord Hawksheart. Finally he looked at Ellysetta and at David. "I'll come with you." It seemed Tajik had bonded quite a bit with David, and somehow, still felt the need to protect Ellysetta.

Ellysetta nodded as they entered the elf city of Navahele. Emma's mouth dropped open in shock. Ellysetta had said elves lived in the woods, but she figured that meant little house in the woods. Cabins, perhaps. Instead, the elves literally lived inside the trees. She shook her head in disbelief.

Ellysetta smiled at Emma and David. "Stay here. We're going to have to go to Lord Hawksheart by ourselves for a few minutes, to see if he will speak to you, like we did with King Dorian."

Emma and David nodded. "Good luck getting him to say yes", Tajik grumbled as they walked off.

Unlike Emma, David seemed to get a kick out of the elfish woods. Grinning, he glanced around him in wonder. "I really hope my wife is here somewhere" he said to the others. "She'd love this. Having spent so many years living in the forest herself…" Emma wasn't really acquainted with that part of Mary Margaret, but with what Henry's book had said about Snow White, she supposed David was right.

Wherever Mary Margaret was, Emma was sure she was taking care of Henry. She could depend on her for that. And since she was used to forests and magic, unlike Emma, she was sure Henry was fine. Actually Henry could very well be having the time of his life in this magical world. Wait, was that actually a unicorn? It disappeared behind a tree before Emma got another good look at it, but she supposed, with all the other magic here, it could be possible.

It was too much. Would they ever go back to Storybrooke?

Just then, Rain and Ellysetta returned to the group. "Lord Hawksheart has agreed to see you," Rain said to Emma and David. "Good luck with him." By his tone of voice, he didn't have much faith in the elf king. Emma and David both knew they had to try, anyway.

Tajik nodded in agreement with that statement. Ellysetta looked at Tajik and added, "Lord Hawksheart says that if you enter his dwelling you will remember to treat him with respect. And I remind you that you will do it on my behalf as well." Tajik sighed and nodded. David patted the man on the back in support.

With that, they all headed for the largest tree in all the forest that also served as Lord Hawksheart's palace. It was quite different than Celieria's palace with fine things and riches everywhere. Maybe Lord Hawksheart would be less of a snob, then. As they stepped inside the tree, Emma realized it was much bigger than it looked on the inside. It looked thicker around than any tree she had ever seen from the outside, but she still didn't know how they would fit ten people in it. Once inside, however, it was easy

"Hello, visitors," said a deep voice from the corner, and they all turned toward it. This was Lord Hawksheart. He had a different accent than the rest of their companions. He normally spoke elfish, Emma supposed. He was extremely tall and well – muscled around the arms. He had shiny blond hair that was decorated with hawk feathers and leaves. The nature theme, Emma supposed.

"Though I told you would see you again last time, I admit I am surprised to see you here again, kingsman", Lord Hawksheart said to Tajik.

"I didn't come for you, elf king," he replied sharply. Despite the fact that he had promised Ellysetta he would treat Lord Hawksheart with respect, his tone showed his hate for the king. "I came for Ellysetta, again. And for my new friends," he added gesturing to David and Emma.

"Ah, yes, our visitors," Lord Hawksheart greeted them again. "Theirs is a Verse I did not See until they appeared in our land. That hasn't happened in a long time. It is unsettling to me." He looked straight into both Emma and David's eyes, making Emma feel like he was seeing into her soul. Perhaps he was. Rain did say he possessed powerful magic. At least it wasn't as painful as truthspeaking. Or being thrown by Regina's magic, for that matter.

David, obviously used to magic users trying to intimidate him, looked straight back at Lord Hawksheart. "We are looking for the rest of our family. In particular, Emma's son, about ten years old, and my wife, a woman my age with black hair. They would appeared in this world just before we did." It hurt that David didn't seem to care about finding Neal. He had helped her get him back, didn't he? Shouldn't he be on the "particular" list, too? It had never occurred to Emma that when they talked about finding the rest of their family, they weren't necessarily talking about the same people.

Lord Hawksheart, however, looked back at David and replied, "I have Seen no other worlders but you two, World Traveler."

David's face fell, but as was typical for him, he did not give up. "Could you look again? Maybe you missed something. Or maybe now that we are here, you will see more?"

Lord Hawksheart looked at David sternly. "I do not miss Verses of the Dance, World Traveler. Not even new Verses, such as your own. Accept what it is."

David shook his head, not accepting it.

Emma however, wanted to know about Neal. The elf king had said there were no other worlders in this land, but David hadn't specifically asked about Neal. She wanted to be sure. "We're also looking for a man, about my age, with a mustache. He's my son's father."

But Hawksheart replied firmly, "No. There have been no more other worlders in this land. I have already said as much to your father, Second World Traveler." Everyone in the group gasped at that. How did he know? And why did he have to mention it?

The elf king continued. "If you World Travelers are going to be in my kingdom, you need to treat me with respect, just as I have told my kinsmen," he raised his eyes toward Tajik who grunted. "That means listening to me. I will say this one more time. You are the only World Travelers in this land. The ones you seek are not in this world. You are the only World Travelers we have had in a long time."

"I will offer you loggings in Elvia for the night, if you wish," the Elf king continued, but Emma barely heard him. Henry wasn't in this world? At all? And neither was Mary Margaret? Or Neal? Would she ever see them again? Was there any portals in this land at all? Emma had never been a crier. When a person had a life as hard as she did, crying didn't come easily. But at the thought of never seeing Henry again, tears rolled down her face.

She quickly wiped them away, but new tears rained down as Emma thought of Mary Margaret and Neal.

She had spent so much time not thinking of her as a mother lately, she had forgotten how much she wanted one. Neal, too of course. She just rescued him from Neverland's seductive magic only to have him disappear from her life completely?

The tears fell even faster.

Beside her, David, no Dad was crying just as much as she was. How could they ever accept this?

Everyone else walked out of Lord Hawksheart's tree, as Emma and David continued to cry. Emma's eyes were blurry, so she couldn't see very well, but it looked as if Ellysetta was crying, too. That was weird. She understood they were friends, but still…

Rain looked at Ellysetta and they seemed to have one of those "conversations with their eyes." "No, Rain." Ellysetta said firmly. "I'm not leaving them. I'm going to find a way to help them. Get them back to their world, maybe. And you should never say such a thing! Do you remember how Emma helped me before?"

Rain nodded, looking guilty. "But if there is no way… their pain…"

Ellysetta paused and looked at both Emma and David, who had run out of tears for the moment. "What did Lord Hawksheart mean by there haven't been any world travelers for a long time. Have there been people from your world here before?"