"I wasn't lying! It's Hook's fault! You were poisoned because of him!"
"Because of him," Wendy murmured. "Not by him."
Peter started to say something else, and then he just darted into the air, expertly dodging tree branches and erupting out into the open sky.
Wendy sighed and turned away. The Wolf would take Alice to the rebel camp once he was certain she could be trusted; she would meet up with her there soon.
She walked back to where she had left Hook and Smee, and gave the all-clear. Hook came out, but from Smee all she heard was a near-frantic rustling.
"Could one of you please help?" he asked. "This seems to be a thorn bush and I'm indescribably uncomfortable right now."
***
He almost fell into the rowboat. Snickering and righting his bottle, Smee lowered himself down until he was about six feet or so above the water. Even in his drunken state, he knew that any closer would be a mistake. The mermaids allowed them passage to and from the shore, but anyone dallying in the rowboat was considered fair game.
"Good evening," he said cheerfully, deciding that sitting up was far too much work right now. He stretched out in the rowboat, his feet dangling over one end, and began to talk, as he had on so many other nights.
He didn't know if she listened all the time. On occasion she made a comment. He considered it high praise when he told a story that actually made her laugh.
She was silent tonight, but he knew she was there. The night felt more quiet when she came closer to listen.
If he was sober, he'd try to keep in mind that was because she was enough of a predator that the very seabirds stilled when she was near, but right now it was enough to stare at the moon and imagine her down in the water, listening.
"You . . . you remind me of the moon," he said. "Really beautiful and really far away. But you look like you're close."
"I am close," she purred.
Though he couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice, he still shook his head. "Nah. I go down there and you'll prolly drown me. S'what everybody says. You going to drown me?"
"I can say whatever I wish. In the end, there's only one way to find out."
"I know." He sighed deeply. "Wish I could at least give you a hug, though. Would like to do more than that, don't get me wrong, but not without asking you first and I don't remember asking that."
"And if my answer was yes?"
He sat up quickly, knocking his bottle over again and smacking his forehead against a lopsided oar handle. "Really?"
"As I said . . . only one way to know for sure. And since we both know you're never going to do that--"
"Did you just dare me?"
"What? No. I was merely pointing out that it would be a foolish thing to do."
"Nuh-uh. You just dared me. And I don't ever turn down a dare."
"What are--"
The splash of him hitting the water right in front of her cut off her last two words.
He yelped. "That is cold! Ooop. Forgot how to swim, I think. Should've taken off my boots first, might've been a good idea . . . oh. Hi."
"Hello," she said, and then he couldn't even care that he was sinking because she was in his arms, her mouth on his.
He wanted to stay with her, thought he might happily drown, but then she was pushing him up, into the chilly night air again, guiding his hands to the shallow holds on the side of the ship. "Get back on deck, you imbecile."
"I love you, too," he whispered dreamily.
As soon as he made it back into the rowboat, Hook and two of the others hauled him up to deck level. "Smee, you lovesick fool," Hook grumbled. "You went in the water? Do I have to tie you to the mast again?"
"She kissed me!"
"Ohhh dear. So I'll have to chain you to the mast."
"Yes sir, you will." He took a drink, looped an arm around the Captain, and gave him a loud kiss on the cheek.
"What in the--" he complained, wiping at his cheek. "Smee!"
He just laughed, drunk and soaking wet and higher than a kite. "Goodnight, sir!"
***
This was a foolish idea, Beauty thought, as she paced back and forth in front of her shack. She crossed her arms tightly, looking out into the woods.
He could be standing ten feet away and you wouldn't see him out there, she told herself. So what would the point be in looking for him? All you would do is get yourself lost.
Still, it had been three days with no sign of him. And though nothing had ever bothered her here, she'd heard many tales of how dangerous this forest could be.
"And even if something did happen, what could you do about it?" she asked herself. "You're no healer and you're certainly no fighter."
It was true. She couldn't be of any help, so there was no point putting herself into a troublesome situation. Especially for a man who was essentially a stranger.
Her mind made up, she went into the shack. She'd set up a trap, catch a rabbit for dinner, and--
And she wasn't picking up the trap. She was getting the small satchel she'd made from a torn piece of her skirt, putting some berries and dried meat strips into it.
"Perfect," she whispered. "Just perfect." But she couldn't make herself unpack.
"If you can hear me, you had best answer!" she yelled. "Because if I get killed trying to find you, I will put such a curse on you that it'll make mine look kindhearted!" Granted, she had no magical abilities, but there was no need to tell him that.
There was no answer.
"He's moved on," she told herself as she picked a direction and slowly moved deeper into the trees. "Got tired of talking to something that doesn't even look like it should be capable of speech and who can blame him? He's probably hoping whatever you have isn't contagious. You--"
Then she realized that she was about to get herself well and truly lost.
Her heart rate now fully kicked up, she turned back toward her home, resisting the urge to just flee to the safety it represented. Instead she ripped an already-ragged piece of fabric from her sleeve, tying it around a slender tree branch.
There, she thought, feeling absurdly proud of herself for the simple task. She just needed to keep doing that as she searched and--
"And then before too long you'll be wandering around the woods stark naked," she muttered. "Won't that be splendid."
She walked silently-- or at least tried to, the leaves rustled so loudly she was certain they could hear them back in her Village, and every third step it seemed she stepped on a branch, and twigs and vines insisted on getting caught in her fur. And maybe cursing at these annoyances wasn't the best way to keep quiet, but it made her feel better.
***
“Stay here.”
“You know,” Alice said, as she regarded the tiny excuse for a cabin, “I'm getting really tired of hearing that.”
The man turned and gave her a look, and Alice crossed her arms. “The whole big-intimidating-guy thing doesn't work on me.”
He smiled, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. There was too much worry there. “So I've gathered.”
“Look, you're not sure where your friend is; I get that. I can help you find her.”
“Not with the way you clomp through the forest.”
“I do not 'clomp'!” Then she sighed. “Okay, maybe a little. So what am I supposed to do if you don't come back?”
“I will.”
“Hey. I asked a question. What if you don't?”
“One of the Seven come by every week to help make sure she stays safe. Leave four stacked rocks in front of the cabin. He'll come out, and take you back to the White Rabbit.”
***
"Hello!" Beauty finally shouted, after both of her long sleeves were nearly gone. "Can anyone hear me! I'm looking for . . .”
Now what was she supposed to say? She wasn't sure if she knew his true name. Barely knew his face. ". . . a man," she finally said. "He has brown eyes. I think." She'd only gotten a brief glimpse of them soon after he'd taken the kni
fe from her, just before she'd raced to her shelter.
Still nothing. The urge to stamp her foot in frustration was overwhelming. "Someone had best answer me right now!"
"I've got brown eyes," a voice said, from a short distance to her right. "You maybe looking for me?"
Beauty froze, wondering what she was supposed to do. She could see a silhouette off in the trees now, and then a second one joined it. "No," she said. "I-- I don't know you." She instinctively knew that showing fear would be the wrong thing to do, that running wasn't an option when they were so close, but neither could she make herself stare directly at them, looking as she did. Compromising, she held her ground, keeping her gaze locked on the forest floor. "Have you seen anyone else out here?"
"Not for several days," the second man said. "What exactly are you?"
She shrugged. Saying that her name was Beauty would only elicit deserved scorn.
"You don't want to answer that, then how about this?" the first man asked. "What are you hiding out here?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"People come out here when they want to hide things," he said. "So what is it? Gold? Silver? Potions?"
"I don't have anything."
"We'll see," the second man said. "Where do you live?"
"I-- I don't live out here," Beauty said. "My friend does. I'm only looking for him."
"See, I'm pretty good at telling when people are lying. But even if I was horrible at it, I'd know you're lying now." Beauty risked a quick glance up, saw him grin at his friend. "What else you suppose she's lying about?"
She started to tell them to just go away and leave her alone, but then a deep growl behind her had her yelping in surprise. She turned, saw other silhouettes in the forest now. But these weren't human.
The first wolf moved closer, hackles raised and teeth bared. She couldn't move, couldn't even close her eyes against the sight of the predator. But it didn't even glance her way. It just moved up beside her, snarling at the two thieves.
Then the second came forward, and a third, until the entire pack surrounded her. The thieves backed away slowly, faces so drained of color that Beauty might've believed they'd just been turned to Shadows. When they were almost out of sight, they turned and ran.
After the sounds of their desperate race through the forest faded, the wolves relaxed. One of them bumped its head against her hand, and Beauty tentatively reached out and gave its head a pat, half-expecting to lose at least two or three fingers for the gesture. The wolf didn't seem to mind. It simply moved behind her, leaning against her legs. She stumbled forward, and saw the fabric around the tree directly in front of her. She realized, feeling dazed, that the animal had just motioned her back towards her home.
"I . . . look, you have to understand that I've walked a great distance today." And now she was talking to animals as if they were supposed to understand her. She'd truly lost her mind. "I came out here looking for him and I'm not leaving until I find him."
The wolf whined, then bumped into her legs again.
"I'm going to get eaten, I just know it," Beauty muttered. Then she sat down on the ground. "I mean it. I'm staying."
Until now, she had not known that an animal could look at her as if she was an idiot.
The wolf finally turned away, then moved a few paces off into the trees and flopped to the ground with a quiet whuffing noise. Most other members of the pack didn't lie down, but they did remain nearby.
She watched them for over an hour, still amazed that they were allowing her to be so close. If he did come back to her shack again, she decided, she could never tell him about this. She hardly believed it and she was living it.
Beauty debated about calling out for him again, hesitated. Look what had happened the last time, she thought. But if she stayed silent, how was he supposed to know she was here?
The questions in her mind stopped momentarily when she heard a soft yipping sound. Searching for the source of it, she saw three wolf pups, rolling around in the dirt about ten feet away.
"Ohhh," she murmured, grinning and reaching out her hand before she could think better of it. "Come here?"
One of the pups raced back to its mother, but the other two bounded up to her, sniffing at her hand. Then the larger pup pounced on its sibling, and they began rolling around again. She smiled, reaching out to pat one of them. It responded by playfully attacking her hand, and she laughed, patting at the other one, too. Soon enough the third pup left its mother's side and came to play as well.
Then a moment later, the pups stopped tussling and froze, looking up. Beauty followed their gaze, peering into the trees, but she saw nothing.
The pups ran away from her, going to take shelter behind the bigger wolves as they crept back into the forest, and she decided now might be a fine time to follow their example. She quietly moved, hid behind a tree. And a moment later she heard footsteps. Whispered voices.
Had the thieves come back?
She listened, straining to make out how many voices there were, how many sets of footsteps. She was so focused on these sounds that when Wolf's voice suddenly rang out, she flinched.
"Good evening, gentlemen!"
Beauty peered out, saw two men wearing dark slacks and deep red shirts aiming their crossbows at her friend. Worse than thieves. Hunters for the Queen.
"I believe you may have gotten lost," Wolf continued. "I'll be happy to escort you back to your Village."
"Y'hear that?" one of the hunters asked the other. "We've gotta be close if they're sending out guards."
Wolf smiled. "Do you really think we'd be that predictable?"
"Bluffing," the other hunter said. "Shoot him and let's go take care of the rest of the traitors."
Beauty bit her lip, wondering if she should pick up a rock or a stick and throw it off into the trees as a distraction, but before she could even turn her gaze to the ground they fired.
And hit the tree Wolf had been standing in front of mere seconds before.
He regarded the embedded arrows, and then turned back to the men. Though he was still smiling, there was something dangerous, something feral about it now. "That was a mistake."
The hunters aimed again, but he strode forward as if they held nothing of consequence, swatting the crossbows out of their hands. The first hunter who'd spoken threw a punch; Wolf ducked it and then rose up with a punch of his own, hitting the man under the chin and sending him sprawling to the ground. The other hunter he shoved away with such force that his back slammed into the tree she was hiding behind, making it shake.
Unable to hold back a gasp, she ducked away from that tree and took shelter behind a nearby bush instead, wrapping her arms around herself as looked back out at the fight.
The hunters were getting to their feet, cursing and glaring at Wolf, and then both of them froze as he began to glow.
Forgetting that she was supposed to be hiding, she leaned forward, staring in shock as he disappeared into the yellow-green light. Finally she was forced to glance away and scrub at her eyes, the glow too much of a difference from the forest's shadows. When she looked back, he was gone. A wolf stood in his place; its ears flattened and its teeth bared.
One of the hunters screamed and ran, abandoning his companion and his crossbow. The other hunter scrambled for his weapon, and the wolf darted in front of him, snarling. Then, just for an instant, the furious animal glanced to the side and its eyes locked on her.
She ducked back down behind the bush, her heart hammering. She heard footsteps approaching her slowly, realized when the hunter came into sight that he was backing away, his hands raised. He backed up right past her, and then he glanced over at her very briefly, confusion and then disgust flashing across his face before he returned his gaze to the wolf.
"Psst," he whispered. "C'mon! That thing'll tear you apart!"
Though a part of her dearly wanted to listen, wanted to run back to her temporary home and pretend tonight had never happened, she shook her head.
&n
bsp; "Suit yourself," he murmured, and then he took off after his companion. Beauty stared after him, breathing hard.
When she finally felt able to move again, she peered out around the tree, half afraid she'd come face-to-face with a snarling animal. Instead, she found the man she'd gotten used to, still several feet away from her hiding place, buttoning what he could of his newly-torn shirt.
He met her eyes, and though he gave her a smile she'd felt uncertainty on her own face too many times lately to not recognize it on his.
She remembered people in her Village being scared to go out into the woods at night because they could hear the wolves howling. That the most favored hunters were the ones with multiple wolf pelts for sale and heads up on their walls. All her life she'd heard of wolves as vicious, heartless. And she realized she wasn't the only one who would be greeted with screams of fright back home.
Beauty emerged from behind the tree, and his eyes glinted at her, reflecting with the wolf's gold before the last of it faded.
"I thought . . . I thought you just couldn't leave the forest," she said. "I didn't--" She looked away, trying to gather her thoughts. She had questions, so many of them, and she knew if she tried to say that he hadn't frightened her at all with that display that he'd rightly call her a liar. But she wasn't frightened now, and surely that counted for something.
Still, it had been a mistake to come out here. He was fine; most certainly had not needed any help from her, and all she should be worried about was getting back to where nobody could see her. Which was precisely where she should've stayed in the first place.
It was a strong inner voice, convincing. But for once, it wasn't the strongest.
Using the last ounces of her willpower, she kept herself where she was, within clear sight, and looked up at him. "Thank you," she managed. Then she turned and fled, vowing to not leave the darkness of her cabin for at least another season.
And though she didn't see it, didn't realize what had happened, as she spoke the words a clump of fur on the back of her head shifted, elongated, turned back into a lock of chestnut hair.
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