"Did she really have to kill them all?" Killian looked down at the small woman beside him, her hood billowing slightly in the warm breeze. When he didn't answer she moved to kneel beside a man who lay motionless on the ground his face contorted into an expression of horror. She inspected the gaping wound in his chest. The edges were ragged but there wasn't a drop of blood in sight. The cavity was hollow where his heart had been ripped out. "Cora didn't need to take all their hearts." She concluded bitterly as she stood wiping her hands on her pants.
"Aye. She's gone too far this time." Killian agreed somberly. She moved to stand beside the pirate again and together they looked out across the field littered with heartless corpses in the place of flowers. "I don't like this." Killian looked down, grabbing her hand in his good one. "I know love, but if I want to find my crocodile, and you, your family, then we must do it." He reminded her rationally. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." Killian chuckled at her stubbornness. While the scene before them was truly horrifying it was not the worst either had seen.
"They are coming. You know what you must do?" She asked, turning to face him. "Aye. I am to gain their trust and join them." She nodded. "And I am too..." She trailed off waiting to hear what her role would be in all of this. "You, love, are to stay close and get a reading on them. Find out the information we need, but remain out of sight." He explained staring into the shadow that shrouded her face from the hood she wore. He didn't have to see her face to know that she was frowning. She let out an irritated huff. "I don't like this." She repeated. "Nor I lass." They could hear multiple voices growing closer.
"Be careful Killian. We don't know these women." She warned me about glancing at the trees. Killian smiled cheerily. "Aw, are you concerned for me, love?" he teased. "Always." She answered honestly but her voice sounded teasing. "Don't worry, I am a pirate, love. I can take care of four women." She rolled her eyes at his slightly chauvinistic flirtatious tone. "You've been training your whole life for this moment, haven't you? The chance to play the innocent man who needs four women to fawn over him." He grinned excitedly. "Indeed." She shook her head, scoffing. "If you get into any trouble, which you will, I will be just up there ready to save your ass." She tapped the hilt of her sword to prove her point.
A twig snapped and saw a cloud of black rise from the trees on wings, Crows, alerting them that it would be moments before the visitors were upon them. "They're coming. Go." She nodded once before disappearing up into the tree above them. Killian looked around to find a suitable hiding place. He burrowed himself under the debris and several corpses holding his breath and waited.
The woman in the tree lounged lazily on a branch listening to the four women approaching, completely hidden from sight. "I don't know if I can do this. I'm not a very good liar." One said sounding uncomfortable with the idea of lying about something. "Oh, it's not really a lie, Aurora. Lancelot did die an honorable death, and Cora did escape. All true. Just leave the particulars to us." The woman peered down at the women recognizing them by the descriptions Cora had given her. It had been Snow White who had tried to reassure and comfort the frail looking Princess Aurora.
Mulan stopped as they approached the camp and spotted the empty guard tower, her suspicions growing. "Wait." The rest of the group came to stop beside her, following her gaze. "The tower...we always have sentries guarding the entrance." She glanced around and pulled her sword. "Stay close." Cautiously they entered the camp to see the corpses of their friends, people they had seen everyday, spoken too and probably broke bread with strewn across the field. "Oh my god." A blonde woman gasped in horror. Emma Swan. The savior.
"This can't be...our land...we were protected here, hidden. How did the ogres find us?" Mulan asked in disbelief pain coursing through her at the sight. They weren't as hidden as they had liked to believe. It had taken Killian, the woman and Cora less than a day to find their camp. "Ogres didn't do this." Snow announced pointing to the gaping holes in the bodies chests. "Cora did." She would have recognized his work anywhere. "Their hearts... They were ripped out. This is her magic, twisted and evil." She wasn't wrong. There were only two people known to rip the hearts out of their victims and only one of them was still in the Enchanted Forest. "We have to stop her!" Killian listened intently, waiting for his opportunity to make his presence known. Too soon and they would find it convenient, too late and it would be suspicious. It was a fine line.
"Too late. She killed them. She killed them all." Mulan muttered in defeat. For a warrior she gave up far more easily than either had thought she would. "Well, we have to stop her before she hurts someone else." Snow argued defiantly. Her own anger flaring and fueling her decision.
The woman's eyes shifted when Emma started yelling, "Hey! Hey! Look!" She rushed forward moving pieces of wood and the bodies, shoving them aside without even a blink of an eye. Aurora jumped in to help when she saw a hand waving from beneath the bodies relieved to find at least one survivor of the massacre that had taken place there. "There's someone under there!"
Finally, they freed Killian from his hiding place much to his relief. He didn't think he could lie there with the dead much longer. "He's alive!" Aurora let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. Killian blinked slowly and then his confused expression turned terrified. "Please..." he shook, scrambling back away from the women. "It's okay." Snow cooed comfortingly, kneeling down in front of him. "Please, help me." Emma and Aurora pulled him into a sitting position. "It's okay. You're safe now. We won't hurt you."
After the women helped him to his feet and over to a bench where he had collapsed dramatically, Emma went to find him some water. "Have you seen him before?" she asked Mulan as they slowly made their way back to Killian, suspicious of the man. She didn't trust him. "Yes, I've seen him around. He's a blacksmith. Came to our camp a couple months ago with a woman. I never saw her face, she always wore a scarf, covering it." she glanced around the bodies wondering if she was among them. "He said he lost his hand in an ogre attack." Mulan remembered. Killian and the woman hadn't expected anyone to recognize them, They had been careful about not revealing their identities and kept their interactions with people brief. That was certainly going to put a kink in their plan.
"Why would Cora leave a survivor?" Mulan asked. "It's messy. Doesn't make sense." Emma decided, something was definitely off. "You think he's lying?" Mulan didn't want to believe it. "I think Cora's tricked us before. I don't want that to happen again." They rejoined the group. "Here you go." She handed him the cup of water which he accepted and gulped down greedily. "I can't thank you enough for your kindness. Fortune, it seems, has seen fit to show me favor." The hooded woman watching rolled her eyes. Killian was really laying it on thick.
He drank down the remainder of the water sighing contentedly when it was gone. "An island full of corpses. You're the only one to escape. How exactly did that happen?" Emma questioned trying to sound like she was making conversation but the accusation was clear in her voice. The woman felt suspicion creep up inside her from her tree branch. "She attacked at night, slaughtered everyone in one fell swoop." He began to tremble again, tears gathering in his eyes. "When she started ripping out people's hearts, I hid under the bodies of those who had already been killed. Pretended to be dead myself. Mercifully, the ruse worked." Killian shivered pretending to remember the traumatic event. Truth was they hadn't even been there when it happened. They had arrived after Cora had murdered everyone.
"So much for fortune favors the brave." Emma mumbled, still not believing him. "It was all I could do to survive." He defended himself shakily. The blonde leaned in close so her nose was just inches from his and the smell of cinnamon and something artificial tickled his senses. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret..." she whispered. "I'm pretty good at knowing when people are lying to me." So that was the savior's gift? A truth detector? Not exactly exciting. Useful when given the time to utilize it but useless in a battle.
"I'm telling the truth." He affirmed holding her unwavering gaze. "We should leave here in case Cora decides to come back." Mulan suggested looking around uneasily. "We should start searching for a new portal back to Storybrooke. I only got about five minutes with my husband, not to mention my grandson." Snow added in agreement. "You have a grandson?" Killian asked, surprised. She didn't look old enough to have a child of her own let alone a grandchild. "Long story." she dismissed shaking her head. "Well, I know this land well. I can guide you..." Killian didn't even finish his sentence. Emma drew her dagger and grabbed a fist full of his hair, yanking his head back and held the blade to his throat.
The woman hiding in the tree shifted into a crouch ready to intervene but Killian glanced up to where she hid and shook his head so subtly none of the women noticed, telling her to stay hidden. Her heart pounded in her chest but she stayed put. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us who you really are." Emma growled pulling his head back even farther.
Mulan tied Killian to the base of the tree none of them knew the woman was hiding in, making sure the bindings were tight enough that he couldn't escape. Their instincts told them not to trust Killian. Their instincts weren't that far off. "I already told you. I'm just a blacksmith." he argued. "Sure you are." Emma turned toward the trees and placed her fingers to her lips letting out a loud whistle.
Was she mad? The ogres would hear that and come looking for their next meal. "You don't want to talk to us? Maybe, you'll talk to the ogres while they rip you limb from limb." As far as threats went it wasn't the most impressive, but it had been delivered with so much conviction they knew she wasn't bluffing. And here they had believed the four women were supposed to be the good guys, the hero's. "Come on." She turned to leave determined to leave him there to die a painful death. "
What if he is telling the truth?" Aurora asked hesitating, not wanting to be responsible for an innocent man's death if that's what he really was. "He's not." she sounded so sure that Aurora reluctantly moved to follow her, glancing back only a few times.
A soft thud sounded behind them and they spun around shocked to see a woman standing in front of Killian, a maroon scarf wrapped around her shoulders and pulled over her head shielding her face from their view, sword drawn and a bow on her back. The sword looked to be twice her size but with the ease she held it with, they knew it had been crafted for her. "Hero's leaving a man to die...how...realistic." The voice was soft yet raspy, reaching their ears with little effort, sounding less than impressed.
"Good for you. You bested me. I can count the number of people who've done that on one hand." Killian taunted unsurprised by the woman's presence only proving Emma's theory that he wasn't who he said he was. "That supposed to be funny?" Emma asked, stalking toward them her gaze flickering to the stump where his hand had once been. "Emma, that's the woman I saw with him." She glanced at Mulan having already guessed as much. "Who are you two?" she demanded.
"Killian Jones, but most people have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker... Hook." He introduced smiling devilishly at the women. If he hadn't been tied to the tree he probably would have thrown in a dramatic bow to go along with it. "Hook?" Snow sucked in a breath. The woman defending Killian could feel their unease and let a smile flicker to her lips. "Don't believe him? Check the satchel." She said nodding to the leather bag in Snow's hand. "As in Captain Hook?" Emma asked, her voice laced with disbelief. "Ah, so you've heard of me?" Killian asked, grinning cheekily.
Snow reached into the satchel hesitantly and pulled out a silver Hook that glinted menacingly in the afternoon light. "Who are you?" Emma looked to the hooded woman, her hostility growing, who paused deliberating on if she should give them her name. A name was a powerful thing. They could hear the Ogre approaching and felt the ground tremble with every step growing closer. "You better hurry up, they're getting closer." the blonde taunted. "So unless you want to be dinner, you better start talking." she snapped impatiently, her own fear rearing its head inside her.
"Anthanasia." The woman finally answered stiffly. That was all they needed to know. "Cora wanted us to gain your trust, so we could learn everything there was to know about your precious Storybrooke. She didn't want any surprises when she finally got over there." Anthanasia explained deciding honesty was the best tactic if the savior really was some sort of lie detector. "She can't get there. We destroyed the wardrobe." Emma argued almost smugly. "Ah, but the enchantment remains." Killian chuckled, confusing the women. "You can destroy the object but you can't destroy magic. Cora gathered the ashes. She's going to use them to open the portal." Anthanasia explained clearly knowing more about magic than the four women.
"Now, if you'll kindly cut me loose." Killian added, looking down at the ropes that still bound him to the tree pointedly. Anthanasia moved to cut him free when Mulan rushed forward. "I wouldn't if I were you, warrior." Anthanasia warned, whirling around and pointing the tip of the blade at the warrior's throat. "No. We should leave them here to die. To pay for all the lives that they took." Mulan spat in their direction. "That was Cora. Not us." Anthanasia reminded shifting her weight to the balls of her feet should the warrior get brave and attack.
"Let's go." Once more the women turned to leave. "We need them." Killian hissed. Anthanasia sighed, he was right. "You need us alive." She called in a sing-song voice. Emma's step faltered. "Why?" she asked. "Because, we all want the same thing... To get back to your land." Killian answered honestly. "You would say anything to save yourself. Why are we supposed to believe you now?" Emma asked, slitting her eyes at the two.
"Well besides you, using that nifty little gift of yours..." Emma glared at her. "We arranged for transport with Cora. But, seeing how resourceful you are, we'll offer you the same deal. We'll help you, if... you promise to take us along." Killian bargained not that he was really in any position to. The trees swayed and they heard the roar of the ogre not far off. They didn't have much time. A few minutes at best. If they were going to strike a deal it needed to be done quickly.
"How are you going to help us get home?" Emma was skeptical but they were running out of time and she was growing desperate. "The ashes will open a portal, but, to find your land, she needs more. There's an enchanted compass. Cora seeks it. We happen to know where it is. We'll help you obtain it before she does." Anthanasia explained quickly, keeping an eye on the tree line. "So, Cora won't make it to Storybrooke, and we'll be one step closer to getting home." The blonde began putting the pieces together. "Sounds too good to be true." Snow mumbled not liking it. "There's only one way to find out." Killian challenged impatiently. Emma ignored Snow and faced the two strangers. "You two tell me one thing and I had better believe it." she growled. "Why does Captain Hook and his hooded girlfriend want to go to Storybrooke?"
It was simple enough. "To find my family." Anthansia admitted. "To exact revenge on the man who took my hand...Rumplestiltskin." The ground shook, reminding them all the clock was ticking. Emma was still hesitant. "I hate to tell you, Savior. Whether you like it or not I will be freeing Killian from this tree before the Oger arrives. It's your choice on if I am taking you down first." Anthanasaia warned darkly.
"Fine, hurry up." Smugly Anthanasia wasted no time and spun swinging her blade at the rope holding the pirate with expert precision, they fell away instantly. "Ah, thanks, love." Killian righted himself stretching. "We don't have much time." She re-sheathed her sword and grabbed his hand. "We need to go, now!" She barked and the group took off running, making it out of sight and into the tree line just as the ogre burst through the trees with a hellacious roar. Even as they reached the tree line they didn't stop, jumping over roots and ducking under branches until they were far enough into the forest they could no longer hear the beast.
"That was too close." Snow gasped trying to catch her breath, bent over hands resting on her thighs. "You're losing your touch, your highness." Anthanasia teased not even winded by their run. Snow looked up at the woman confused. How had she known her name? Had she known the woman before the curse crashed across the Enchanted Forest? "You don't know me, nor I you. Just the tales I've heard of you." Snow's eyes widened. "How did you..." She knew she hadn't spoken aloud. "I know many things. You want to get to the portal so you can see your husband, Prince Charming, again. The Savior wishes to see her son, Henry. " They stared at her bewildered. "Now, shall we?" she asked gesturing for them to continue on. "Uh...yeah..."
"If you don't want them to know of your gift, love, I would stop answering questions they have yet to ask." Killian warned as they trudged through the forest. Anthanasia laughed. "But it is so much fun letting them think that I can read their minds. Can you imagine what they are thinking right now?" she grinned, enjoying their discomfort far more than she should have. "Aye, as fun as it might be, we can't trust them." The smile slipped, turning into a frown. She hated it when he was right. "I know. I am just not used to being around people who don't know of my gift." She admitted her voice was filled with sadness as she thought of her family. She missed them so very much. Killian reached out and squeezed her small hand. "We will find them, love."
"Up ahead. We'll find the compass just over the ridge." Killian called out. The women had placed the two strangers at the front where they could keep an eye on them. "Do you get the feeling they're leading us exactly where Cora wants us? That this whole thing is a trap?" Snow whispered walking beside her daughter glancing at the two uneasily. "It's definitely a trap. As long as we know they're trying to play us, we can..."
"Stay one step ahead of them." Snow finished her sentence. "Exactly." It was a solid plan for the most part. "Do you think they know we can hear them?" Anthanasia asked, sounding bored. Killian glanced over his shoulder at the women in question as they came to the edge of the forest. They spotted a gigantic beanstalk in the distance, winding its way up into the clouds. "Let me guess... the compass is up there." Emma asked, looking up at it. "Oh yeah." Anthanasia answered, smirking. Though her face was hidden they could hear a smile in her voice. "So, how do we get to it?" Anthanasia had thought the answer was obvious. "We climb." Emma stared at it in disbelief.
"It's not the climb you need to worry about. It's the giant at the top."