Cursed Hearts

And the Silence Remained

As much as Ruby expected to despise the Enchanted Forest, she was hit with wonder when they entered the village nearest to where they appeared through the portal. Switching clothes had been easy, she just hoped that whomever owned the clothes wouldn't miss them them too much. In no time at all, she and Will seemed to blend in with everyone else. They walked hand in hand down a dirt road, soon surrounded by various flea market stands and shoppes. People were still out and about, despite the chill that was in the air.

"Babe- they have lamb kabobs! We have to get some!" Ruby exclaimed, feeling like a child again.

"The rich woman's lunch," Will replied, giving her a playful smile. "We don't have any money, but that hasn't stopped me before."

She observed through eyes of fascination as Will approached the street vender's wooden booth, acting with such casual ease as he began to barter with the man. Fishing something small out of his pocket, Will soon returned to her with two kabobs in his hand.

"For you, m'lady."

She curtsied playfully before taking one in her hand, taking a bite and moaning at the taste. "I really forgot about how good the food can be here. What'd you give that guy?"

Will gave her his matter-of-fact grin. "Dental floss. Knew it would come in handy for something."

They began walking down the street, eating and observing the villagers as they went. There was a smoky, earthy smell that hung in the air around them.

"We have to get an idea on where they are," Ruby said covertly, making Will feel like they were on a top secret mission. In a way, they were. "The only way to do that is to ask around, see what these locals know."

Will finished off his kabob and tossed the wooden stick off to the side. "Or, you could transform into a werewolf and... sniff them out. That's how it works, right?"

She jabbed his side with her elbow. "It isn't that easy. I need something to go off of."

Taking her hand in his, he tugged her off the dirt path and towards a small cluster of villagers. "Good morning," he announced cheerfully, receiving some odd looks, "my partner and I are on a quest to find a woman with magic around this realm. Have any of you heard rumors about where she is?"

Their eyes sparked with interest as soon as he said the word magic. "Oh, everyone's talking about it!" Someone responded, the voice belonging to a teenage girl. "My friend who lives in the nearby village says people there are too terrified to leave their house. We should be worried too, but people here love the spring festival too much to have it cancelled."

"Do you have any idea where she is?"

"Not a clue- she's slowly going to freeze us all to death, with the luck we have."

Will narrowed his eyes. "Doesn't really sound like something Zelena would do..."

"People are calling her the Ice Queen." Another villager chimed in, "and she better not stay- the last thing we need is another ruler with magic terrorizing everyone into submission."

Will and Ruby exchanged quick glances of confusion. "In what direction is Rumplestiltskin's castle?"

"About a days journey from here, due north. Why on earth do you two want to go up there?"

"Top secret information." Ruby said with a sly smile. "Thanks for the help."

She had to pry her boyfriend away from the group of villagers, knowing he could have chatted for hours about everything and nothing.