A/N: Mmmm, some great comments after my last update – thanks guys, it really means a lot that you're engaging with the story. I am soooooo not worthy…
Coming up: Spencer throws his weight around (again, seems to be a pattern with him), Pan takes an interest in our travellers, and Belle gets some unwelcome news…
Gold, Emma and Regina walked in silence back to the shore. Emma would not meet the eyes of the others; she felt almost like a conspirator, as though it had been her actions that would eventually drive Tamara mad. A part of her, a dark, secret part, snarled that the bitch deserved it, but Emma was uncomfortable with wishing such a horrible fate on another person. She tried to put it from her mind; nothing could bring Neal back, and nothing could undo what Gold had done, short of the man himself. She wasn't about to press the issue. As they broke from the treeline, she noticed Mary Margaret, David, Lily and Hook making their way towards them.
"The prisoners have been released," said Regina coldly, and the others nodded. Emma was glad she didn't have to say anything.
"So," said Hook brightly. "Which direction are we headed in?"
"We need to head for the hills to the north," said Lily, pointing to a darkened ridge beyond the trees. Gold fingered the eyeballs in his pocket, remembering the direction they had pointed in, and nodded to himself.
"What's north?" asked David, and Lily grinned.
"Your boy will have been taken by the Lost Ones by now," she said. "They have several hideouts scattered across the islands, and they change where they stay, but I know where their main camp is. It's as good a place as any to start looking."
"You mentioned fairies," said Mary Margaret, her brow wrinkling in curiosity. "Back when we found out he couldn't be tracked by magic."
Lily sucked her teeth, pondering. "It's just a feeling," she said reluctantly. "If magic couldn't find him – sometimes Pan likes to get fairies to work for him. Let's say they owe him favours, or want something from him." She scowled. "Most of the time he'll take something from them and then make them do his bidding to get it back."
"So he blackmails them," said Emma flatly. "He sounds a real prince."
"He's a bloody demon," said Hook unexpectedly. "Don't let yourselves be fooled just because he has the face of a boy. That's a good way to die." He grimaced. "Believe me, I know. I've seen it happen to some of my crew, to my friends." He inhaled deeply, as though steeling himself against an invisible foe. "If you ever have him at your mercy, don't stay your hand. It could be the last act of weakness you ever suffer."
"The Captain's right," said Gold, mouth twisting as though he'd eaten something unpleasant. "Pan and his boys will kill you as soon as look at you. This place," he gestured to the land around them, "can turn your own mind against you. They'll use it to their advantage."
David raised an eyebrow at Emma, and she shrugged uncomfortably.
"Whoever the hell they are, they have my son," said Regina bluntly. "So I suggest we stop talking and start moving."
"First, we get in touch with Storybrooke," said David firmly. "We let them know what we've found out."
Regina grumbled slightly, but nodded agreement, and Gold waved his hand to summon the Mirror to them.
Alex drummed his fingers on the table nervously, looking at his phone. Belle had promised to bring him her laptop, so that he could access the internet in more comfort, but at present the message on the screen of his phone was causing him some difficulty. He had explained the situation; that he was in danger and had been hidden for his own protection. The message back from the Home Office was short and to the point: Waiting for instructions. We need more information. Send back pictures and intelligence, or consider your position. Alex had never thought of himself as a field agent; he had enjoyed cracking codes and hacking people's emails from the safety of the office. He had been convinced to accompany the field party as it would be good for his career, but so far all he had seen was an ordinary town full of ordinary people, some of whom were very nice. He was aware that he was becoming particularly attached to Ruby, and was starting to feel guilty about lying to her. Still, if he wanted to progress within the Home Office and gain access to the more interesting knowledge they possessed… He snatched up his jacket and slipped out of the door of the cabin, shoving his phone into his pocket. He had overheard Ruby and Belle talk about the Council meeting at six. If they considered him to be safely out of the way, they may have lowered their guard enough for him to do some spying.
"This meeting of the Storybrooke Town Council will come to order," announced Mother Superior, calmly. The town hall was packed, Storybrookers sitting in the rows of chairs in front of the stage, upon which sat all six members of the Council. Archie stood up.
"The first order of business…" he began, and was immediately interrupted by Spencer leaping to his feet.
"The first order of business is the safety and security of this town," he barked. He drew himself up to his full height. "You may be aware that we have a stranger amongst us," he went on, looking around the hall. Worried murmurs followed his announcement. "What you may not be aware of is that this so-called Council refuses to take the necessary actions to protect you from him."
"If by that you mean that we refuse to let you kill an innocent young man for no reason," said Belle dryly. "Then, yes, you're correct."
Spencer scowled. "Innocence is entirely relative, my dear," he said condescendingly. "I'm sure that, compared to your lover, he's a veritable angel."
Belle flushed, partly with embarrassment and partly with anger.
"What are we going to do about him?" someone called, and Spencer smiled.
"Well, we all remember what happened the last time strangers came to town," he declared. There was a chorus of affirmations and a ripple of nods throughout the crowd. "We've all seen him wandering the town, poking his nose into things that don't concern him. I suggest we deal with this threat swiftly."
Belle was shocked at the number of the townsfolk that were nodding along with Spencer. She traded alarmed glances with Archie, and he nodded curtly.
"This threat is no longer an issue," he said loudly. "The man in question has left the town." It wasn't really a lie; he had certainly left the town, just not the area of Storybrooke itself.
"Well, that should fix it, then." Belle recognised Mr Tillman, from the garage. "He won't be able to get back in or lead others to us. Problem solved."
Belle bit her lip. To her right Ruby looked equally anxious. Spencer was watching them curiously.
"When you say he's left the town," he said. "Where did he go? Did you see him cross the line?" He noticed Archie hesitate, and jabbed a finger at him. "There! He's lying to us! That man is still here!" He swung around, fixing the townsfolk with a baleful glare. "He could be up to anything! He could have brought another trigger to destroy this place! We have no clue who he is or what he wants! If this Council is serious about protecting you, it needs to let me deal with him!"
There were shouts of agreement, although some people were shaking their heads.
"We've seen what happens when you deal with people, Spencer!" spat Leroy, his lip curling. "You're a goddamn tyrant! I may not want the boy here, but he ain't done no harm that I can see. Quit trying to be King all over again – you were never any good at it back home."
Spencer bristled. "So speaks the rebel and traitor that helped to overthrow two legitimate rulers," he sneered. "In the Enchanted Forest I would have had your head stuck on a spike above my castle walls, dwarf! Now, I don't need your help to deal with this problem. Who's with me?"
Belle was unpleasantly surprised at the number of people standing. Many of them, she suspected, had been Spencer's own guards in their former lives.
"We won't tell you where he is," said Ruby defiantly, and Spencer smiled.
"I wouldn't expect you to," he said mildly. "But we'll hunt him down nonetheless. There are only so many places he can hide." He turned and swept from the room, a crowd of perhaps thirty townsfolk following him out. The Council exchanged glances.
"I have to warn him," said Ruby, scrambling to her feet. "I have to tell him to get out."
"I could come," offered Belle, but Ruby shook her head, unfastening her cloak.
"You'd slow me down," she said bluntly. "I can outrun them this way." She sprinted down the hall and out of the door, and Mother Superior sighed.
"Continue, Archie," she said, attempting to be calm as they dealt with the more mundane business of running the town. Granny leant towards Belle.
"Spencer's right about one thing," she murmured. "The boy's been all over town – his scent's everywhere. I hope Ruby can narrow it down enough to track him."
Beneath the stage, hidden behind some boxes, mobile phone set to record the meeting, Alex shivered with shock and fear at the harsh realities of Storybrooke and the danger he was now facing.
Henry and Kerby made camp beside a stream that provided water for tea and a fat brown trout for their dinner. Henry had watched, fascinated, as the girl reached into the stream and seemed to hook out the fish with ease. She had offered to teach him the trick, and he was eager to try, managing to tickle one of the fish up onto the bank after only a few attempts. Clapping with delight, Kerby flicked the fish back into the water, and proceeded to clean the one she had caught. It was cooking beside the fire with some sort of fresh greens that Henry thought might be similar to spinach, when she frowned, sighed, and clutched at her chest.
"What's wrong?" he asked, and she shot him an apologetic look.
"I have to go somewhere, just for a short while," she explained. "Eat up, you'll be safe here." She stood, flicking her hand around the area in which they were camped, and turned away.
"You can do magic." Henry stated it as fact, and she stiffened, her shoulders sagging slightly.
"A little," she said, over her shoulder, and Henry noticed the sadness in her voice. "Enough to keep us safe and undetected." And with that, she melted into the undergrowth.
Ruby moved as a wolf through the darkness of the forests surrounding Storybrooke, the scent of Spencer and his followers sharp in her nostrils. She loved being the wolf; her senses were heightened, her experiences of the world around her richer because of it, and the memories when she awoke the next day pleasantly primal. The only downside, as she saw it, was a desire to eat more meat than she could stomach for a few days afterwards, although with the ready supply of good food at Granny's, she decided it could have been a worse fate. She slunk forwards, belly low to the ground, as she listened to the men ahead of her, heard their shouts back and forth and smelled the torches some of them carried. The human part of her brain wondered idly if any of them were carrying pitchforks.
"Fan out, men!" barked Spencer. "My guess is those idiot women hid him out here somewhere. Gold has a cabin – I suggest we check there first in case his concubine thought it was a good hiding-place."
Ruby growled low in her throat, itching to rush at the man and tear out his windpipe. The rain was starting to fall, soft on her fur, its clean scent filling her nostrils and blocking that of the men ahead. She shook the water from her muzzle, flicking her tail and skirting around the group to get ahead of them. She growled as she realised that they were heading straight for the cabin, and decided that this was the time to make a stand. The men at the front of the hunting party started as the bushes rustled and Ruby turned to face them, rising up to her full height, throwing back her head and letting out a plaintive howl.
Alex stumbled through the woods towards the cabin, shivering as the rain soaked him. He had crawled from beneath the town hall stage as soon as the hall had emptied, brushing dust and cobwebs from himself, and had immediately raced back up the track that led into the forest. He had kept a sharp eye tuned to his surroundings, but had heard townsfolk shouting to one another that 'King George' had gone to the warehouses by the docks to search for him. Taking the opportunity presented, he ran as fast as he could towards the woods. He would take his few belongings, and leave. The Home Office couldn't seriously expect him to stay if his life was in danger.
Belle slipped into her chair with a sigh and let her head roll back. Ruby had not returned or made contact, and she was anxious for her friend. She still had work to do, however, so she pushed herself upright and reached for a book wearily. She had read everything she could find on portals, which wasn't much, and had moved on to magic beans. Mother Superior had told her that, in order to reach a particular world, you had to think of it as you threw the bean. There was no telling which world Tamara had been thinking of when she threw the bean that had resulted in Baelfire's disappearance. Belle pondered whether it would be Neverland, but she elected not to share her thoughts with Rumple at this stage. She didn't want to distract him when he was already in danger.
"Belle." His voice, coming from the mirror on the table beside her, made her jump. Her lips curved upwards in a smile as she turned the mirror to face her, but her expression changed as she saw his face.
"Rumple?" she asked anxiously. "What's wrong?"
He grimaced. "Nothing. This place – it gets inside your head." He smiled sadly. "You look beautiful."
"I look tired," she corrected with a smile. "I'm not sleeping well. But I'm glad you're here." She touched the image of his face. His answering smile was brief.
"I'm afraid this is more of a business call," he apologised. "We obtained some information. From Greg and Tamara."
Belle frowned suspiciously. "When you say you 'obtained' it, what do you mean?"
He actually had the nerve to clutch at his chest and look affronted, which made her raise her eyebrow with a fond, if rueful, smile.
"I didn't kill them," he said patiently. "The Prince here can vouch for me. He's going to run through it all with you." He stepped back to let David into Belle's field of vision.
"It's true, Belle," announced David, rolling his eyes at Rumple. "Good, old-fashioned hunger did the trick. A few days without food and they were falling over themselves to tell us everything. We released them earlier today."
David's open, honest face reassured Belle that he was telling the truth. Rumple's expression, however, was carefully neutral, which made her frown slightly, thinking that there was probably more to this story. She decided that there were more important things to worry about with the clock ticking on their conversation.
"Information?" she prompted, and David held up a few sheets of paper.
"Everything they knew about this Home Office they work for, along with names, email addresses and details of other missions," he said, satisfied. "Turns out they were pretty far down the pecking-order, so there are no names above their own level, but hopefully it'll mean you guys aren't flying completely blind."
"Hold on, let me get a pen," said Belle absently. She picked up the nearest one to her and began to write down the names that David was reeling out. "Yeah…yeah…got it…uh huh…wait!" She looked up, shocked. "Repeat that last one?"
David shuffled the pieces of paper. "Alex Talbot," he confirmed. "Belle? What's up?"
Belle sighed, pain creasing her features. "I think we have a problem."
"What do you want?" Kerby's voice was flat and hard, her arms folded, as she glared at the figure in front of her. He had the form of a teenage boy, but she could see beneath to what he really was. The thought made her shiver slightly, and he smiled knowingly.
"Hardly the sort of greeting I would expect from such a loyal servant," he said airily, and she scowled.
"You said I had to do your bidding," she said bitterly. "Politeness wasn't part of the deal. What do you want of me?"
Pan made a face as though he were pondering the matter, walking slowly towards her, hands clasped behind his back. "I need you to use some of your magic to create a distraction for me," he said simply. He held up a small, round plaque between finger and thumb, and Kerby reached for it cautiously. It was made of stone, flattened and with a fluted edge. On one side was a carving of stylised flames; on the other, a grinning, evil face that made Kerby shiver.
"You'll need to channel your magic through that to achieve what I want," added Pan. "There are people on this island who shouldn't be here, so we're going to have some fun with them."
"None of you should be here," interrupted Kerby acidly, and he waved a dismissive hand.
"Let's not spilt hairs," he said calmly. "Do this for me, and you'll be one step closer to getting what you want." He grinned at her. "If you can find the boy as well, we just might be able to reach an accord."
Her heart ached with hope and longing. "You mean you'll release me? Before my time?" Her eyes brimmed with tears, shining midnight-blue in the darkness.
"Of course," he said gently, raising an eyebrow, a slanted smile creeping across his face. "Why would I lie?"
"I still say they were lying," announced Regina, for what felt like the twentieth time since they had made camp. They had walked for several hours before dusk closed in around them, and were stretched out on the ground beside a crackling fire, eating the all-too-familiar dried meat and biscuits.
"They weren't," said Gold wearily, unconsciously feeling for the eyeballs in his pocket. "And Lily knows the way. Try to relax Regina. You know what happens when you get too uptight." He grinned suddenly. "You know, you shouldn't have killed Sheriff Graham. I imagine you're missing his brainwashed ardour. You really ought to find some sort of – release. Surely it's not beyond your abilities." He picked through the forest debris on the ground before him, and held up a tiny, forked twig, eyebrows quirking. "I can show you a spell that will turn this into something very – satisfying."
She glared at him, eyes flashing, and he rolled his own at her.
"Cut it out, you two," sighed Mary Margaret, throwing some more wood on the fire. The blaze was growing nicely, sending out a pleasing heat.
"So we're stuck out here for another night," snapped Regina, trying to get comfortable on the patch of ground she'd staked a claim to.
"Make the most of it, love," said Hook lazily, from his position against a tree. "Rest when it's quiet, fight when it isn't. Right now, it's quiet." He opened one eye, looking at her. "Relatively, I mean."
The fire sparked loudly, and Mary Margaret suddenly fell backwards with a cry as a gout of flame licked up from it, the fire suddenly growing to twice its size. David pulled her out of the way as the others got to their feet warily.
"I didn't do it," insisted Regina hotly, as they all looked at her.
"I'd like to go on record and say that I blame Hook and his 'it's quiet' comment for this," said David grimly.
Gold was staring at the flames, frowning. "There's something wrong here," he said slowly.
"The noise," said Mary Margaret suddenly. "The animals and insects – I can't hear anything, can you?"
The others listened uneasily to the deathly-quiet jungle around them, and Gold's frown deepened. Suddenly he straightened up, and with a flick of his wrist his cane and the Mirror disappeared. He walked backwards from the fire, his limp gone. "Get up!" he snapped. "We need to get out of here!" He pulled Lily to her feet, ignoring her protests and shoving the small pack she had carried at her. A roar from the flames made them all turn, and Emma shivered as the sound became more like a growl. Shapes were moving within the fire, forms of deepest black writhing and growing, and a plume of flame rose up, the shadows within taking the shape of giant dogs. Emma's eyes widened in horror.
"Run!" bellowed Gold, and dragged Lily along behind him as he took his own advice. The others followed, David bringing up the rear. Glancing over his shoulder he could see three dogs the size of horses stepping out of the fire and shaking their heads, long-limbed and deep-chested, fire seeming to drip from their jaws. Their bodies appeared to be made of bones and sinew, as though they were partly rotten, flesh barely clinging to the skeleton beneath. Fire rippled below the surface of their coal-black skin and in their eyes, as though they had been spat from the netherworld. They lifted their heads in unison and howled, the stench of blood, sulphur and decay wafting from them, and as one they fixed their eyes on those fleeing before them, muzzles lifted to catch the scent of their prey. Gold crashed through the forest, unseeing, shivering at the blood-soaked howls behind him. Hellhounds. Of all the things he never thought he'd see again…
"Running water!" he shouted over his shoulder. "We need to cross running water to stop them. Then I can cast the spell to banish them."
"Understood!" yelled Emma, and they increased their pace. Emma could see Lily ahead of her through the trees, Gold having moved out of her line of sight. Who would have thought the guy could move so fast when he wanted to? She heard the sound of a river ahead of her, and her heart leapt. She looked over her shoulder at Regina.
"The river!" she shouted, and squawked in surprise as she ran full-tilt into a thick hedge that had appeared from nowhere. She grunted as Regina ploughed into her before realising her mistake.
"What the hell?" she said, terrified, and looked behind her urgently. Another hedge, this one of bristling blackthorn bushes. Regina lifted her arms and blasted the hedge in front of them aside, but when Emma tried to take a step forward it appeared in the same place. She made a quick decision.
"This way!" she shouted, cutting to the right. "We'll find them again, but we have to get out of here!" She sprinted on, Regina panting behind her. David, Mary Margaret and Hook almost hit the hedge of blackthorn before turned away to follow the hill down to the east. The hellhounds chased after them for a while before something seemed to cause them to change direction. Two of the creatures peeled off in different directions, one following each party of humans. Some distance to the north, Gold and Lily were half way across the narrow river as they realised they were no longer being followed by their companions. Lily gasped and halted, one foot on the stone poking from the fast-slowing stream. She craned her neck, looking in vain for the others as she bobbed up and down on her toes nervously. Gold frowned, a pace in front of her, his breathing heavy with exertion. It had been a long time since he'd run anywhere, but using magic to teleport to some unknown place seemed unwise when they were clearly being observed by unfriendly eyes.
"Are the others…?" asked Lily, frightened, and Gold shook his head slowly, feeling the air around him.
"Magic," he said softly. "It appears that Pan has decided to take notice of us. Divide and rule." His tone was wry. "I hope the others find a safe path." He took her hand again, giving it a comforting squeeze, and led her across to the bank on the other side.
"You knew what those things were," said Lily, curiously, as they walked up the steep bank to the safety of the trees. He nodded grimly, eyes scouring the undergrowth for hidden dangers.
"Hellhounds," he explained. "Brought from the underworld with magic. Hard to kill, because they don't belong in this world, and they're not truly alive." He shot her a confident grin. "But it's by no means impossible. I need about twenty minutes to prepare a spell that will banish them. The river will hold them at bay in the meantime."
Lily watched the opposite bank worriedly while he walked off a little way and reached into his jacket to check their bearing. The eyeballs swivelled in his palm, pointing ahead of them, and he smiled, pocketing them once more.
"Let me know if anything stirs," he called, combing the forest floor for what he needed to prepare the banishing spell. He quickly wandered out of sight, but ensured that he was within hearing distance in case she should call out. Lily watched the shadows, ears straining, almost afraid to blink.
"Well, good evening, Princess." A sly voice made her jump, and Lily turned to see a boy of about her own age melting from the undergrowth. He was tall, with light brown hair grown shaggily to his shoulders. "Pan will be so pleased I found you. Did you know your entire village is looking for you?" He was smirking at her, and Lily balled her fists, looking around frantically for a weapon.
"What do you want with me?" she demanded, playing for time, and the boy's grin widened.
"Your father has been using that power of his to keep the Lost Boys out of your miserable patch of jungle for too many years," he remarked carelessly. "Of course, we never had anything as valuable as you to bargain with before."
"Well, I think I may have lost my value," she said bitterly. "And if you've heard the rumours you'll know why."
"Rumour has it," said the boy, settling back on his heels, "that you've been kidnapped. But I can see that you're merely hiding in the woods like a snivelling coward. I thought better of the daughter of a chief."
She glared at him, wondering if she could simply make a break and run for it. She poised on the balls of her feet, and the boy moved quicker than she thought possible, tripping her and pinning her beneath him. Lily screamed and wriggled, fists flailing ineffectually. Suddenly the boy's weight was removed from her and she heard him cry out as he thudded against a tree.
"I believe the young lady is disinclined to accompany you," she heard Gold say in a low hiss, and she sagged with relief. She pushed herself up on her hands into a sitting position. The boy was pinned against a tree trunk with Gold's hands on his throat, the purple light of magic restraining him.
"What does the Dark One want with a redskin girl?" gasped the boy, glaring at Gold, and he grinned widely, pushing his face up close to his captive's. The boy gulped, jaw wobbling slightly under Gold's intense stare. Gold tightened his grip.
"She's under my protection," he breathed. "And if you touch her again, I will peel off your skin and make you dance for me. Do we understand one another, boy?"
The boy nodded furiously, and Gold released him, letting him tumble to the floor and lurch away, whisking through the bushes to the left and out of sight. Gold brushed off his jacket and turned to Lily, who was scrambling back from him, her eyes wide.
"Y-you're the Dark One?" she stammered.
He nodded cautiously. "I am."
"I didn't know that the Dark One was a man," she said, her lip trembling. "I thought it was – a demon. All the legends say so."
His expression was wry. "I suppose it depends on your point of view."
She swallowed hard. "You kill fairies," she said, almost accusingly, and he nodded.
"From time to time." He eyed her curiously. "You have nothing to fear from me."
"Why should I believe you?" Her expression was guarded, and he regretted her finding out his true nature.
"Because I made a deal to protect you," he said gently, holding out his hand to help her up. "And I always honour my agreements."
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded, and grasped his hand. At that point, a hideous growl was heard from across the river, and she gasped as Gold looked suddenly wary. One of the hellhounds had found its prey.
A/N: Ooooh! So the gang is now divided. How will this affect them?