In a Crowd of Thousands

08

ENCHANTED FOREST - PAST

Rumpelstiltskin was spinning and Baelfire cried, "Papa, Papa! They've come for Morraine." Rumpelstiltskin grabbed his crane and he and Baelfire left the tent.

"No! No! Please!" Morraine's father begged.

Morraine's mother sobbed. "No! No! No!"

"No. No. Please! Please!"

"No. Don't take her! No. You can't take her. She's my baby. Don't take my baby."

"Nonsense. She is a fine, strong girl. She'll make a fine soldier," Hordor told them.

"It's a mistake," Morraine's father argued. "She's turning fourteen. Only fourteen."

"At the orders of the Duke! The Ogre Wars have taken their toll this season. More troops will turn the tie."

"They lowered the age again, Papa," Baelfire said.

"I know," Rumpelstiltskin replied.

"Take her,"  Hordor ordered. "She'll ride with me."

"No!" Morraine's mother yelled.

"No, you can't have her," Morraine's father argued.

Morraine's mother tried to attack Hordor with a knife. The Dark One strangled her and the father using magic. She was forced to stop.

"The Dark One seems to think I can," Hordor stated before he and Morraine left on horseback.

"My birthday is in three days," Baelfire said. "They'll come for me in three days."

"We'll find a way. We'll find a way," Rumpelstiltskin reassured, putting a protective arm around Baelfire.

Morraine's mother whined, "No!"

STORYBROOKE - PRESENT - MR. GOLD'S SHOP

Mr. Gold was covering a piece of cloth with the lanolin in the back room of his pawn shop.

Emma entered and called out, "Gold! In here?"

"Well, it is my shop," Mr. Gold answered.

Emma entered the back room. "Whoa! What is that?"

"Oh, this is lanolin -- used for waterproofing."

Dmitry's nose wrinkled. "It smells like livestock."

"Well, it is the reason why sheep's wool repels water."

"It stinks," Emma said. "Um, if there was a reason you called the Sheriff's Department... If you want to talk about that quickly-"

"Yes. Is there a particular Mr. Antonov is with you?"

"Or outside..."

Dmitry glanced at Emma. "She's afraid I'll cause trouble, or pickpocket someone. Which is rude, because that is far beneath me."

"I just wanted to, uh, express my condolences, really," Mr. Gold said with an amused smirk. "The sheriff was a good man. You're still wearing the deputy's badge. Well, he's been gone two weeks, now, and I believe that after two weeks of acting as sheriff, the job becomes yours. You'll have to wear the real thing."

"Yeah, I guess. I'm just not in a hurry," Emma replied. "So, um, thank you for the kind words."

Emma went to leave and exited the main part of the shop and Dmitry followed.

Mr. Gold followed. "I have his things."

"What?"

He walked over to a box on the counter. "The sheriff. He rented an apartment that I own. Another reason for my call, really. I wanted to offer you a keepsake."