Of Monsters and Men

Chapter 4

Back at home, I'm making some coffee for us after heating and plating our food from Grannie's.
Sebastian walks into the kitchen, sighing. "Mon amour, you did not tell me you had a room that could summon rain!" He laughs, walking up behind me, his one hand gently brushing against my back.
I pause, thinking about what he could mean, then chuckle. "You mean the shower?" I ask, "In the bathroom?"
"Oui!" He says, "You can even change the temperature! It is incredible!"
I laugh a little more. "Believe me, dear, there is much, much more about here that will astound you..." I mutter. I look at him, smiling softly. I adjust the collar of the shirt he borrowed, pressing it flat a little. "We'll have to get you some clothes of your own," I say, "find a style that suits you,"
He chuckles. "Don't want me stealing yours all of the time?" He teases.
I roll my eyes a little. "Eat your food," I say, gesturing to the table where his food waits, "I'll be right there with drinks,"
He nods, going to the table and sitting down. "Mon amour..." he says, "...I...I am sorry for wandering away earlier...I..."
"Don't be," I say, pouring two mugs of coffee and walking them over to the table, "I know I told you not to, but...I just didn't want to lose track of you. You did what you had to, what your instincts told you. I'm not cross with you, I was just...worried, is all,"
He nods, accepting the coffee, and taking a sip. He grimaces, and chokes down the sip. "Sacre bleu..." he mutters, coughing a little, "...bitter..."
I chuckle. "I'll get some milk and sugar for you," I say, setting my own mug down and getting the sugar from the counter and milk from the fridge. "I prefer mine black, maybe with a little bit of sugar," I say, "but...it's an acquired taste, that's for sure..."
He chuckles, and adds a generous amount of sugar to his coffee, and some of the milk as well. He takes another sip and nods. "Better," he chuckles, "so, mon amour...what have you been doing here, in this new world?" He looks at me as he eats his food, crimson eyes glittering in the small amount of light filtering in from the windows.
I find myself just staring into his eyes for a minute. I blink, pulling myself from the daze, and clear my throat. "I own a pawn shop," I say, cutting into my own eggs, "and...quite a bit of property here in Story Brooke. I'm fairly well off here,"
He nods. "What is...Pawn shop?" He asks, tilting his head a little.
"People sell things to me," I say between bites, "trade them in for money when they're desperate. Or bring things to me they want to know the value of,"
"And...they call you...Gold?" He asks, raising an eyebrow.
I nod. "That would be left over from the Curse," I say, taking a sip of coffee, "the one that brought us here. We all had different names that...well, somewhat related to who we were in the Forest. I spun straw into gold," I tilt my head a little.
He nods again. He takes a deep breath and yawns a little, slightly covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "...Sacre bleu..." he mutters.
I smile softly. "Tired?" I ask, "it's only...11 in the morning,"
"I am relatively nocturnal, mon amour," he says, sleepily, "I suppose the...statue reset my habits, so to speak?"
I nod a little. "We can sleep after we eat, if you like," I say.
He pauses, and looks at me. "...we?" He says, perking up a little,"do...do you not have things to do during the day?"
"I'm not leaving you alone," I say, pointing my fork at him, "not even in sleep. Not until you're good and comfortable here, at the very least..."
He nods, smiling softly. "How long has it been?" He asks, "since we slept next to each other?"
I smile a little, thinking back.
Back to the Forest.
Before he was caught by Snow and Charming, an attempt to draw me out or something of the like.
To the Caravan, when everything seemed right with the world.
"A little over thirty years..." I mutter, "...so, a good long time..."
He nods, and gently reaches across the table, taking my hand. He runs his thumb across the back of my hand.
I smile. I look at the burn marks on his wrists, left over from the bindings Snow and Charming had him in. I sigh. "They don't fool me with the 'we didn't know' act..." I mutter, "why would they have used those kinds of shackles if they didn't know it would hurt you?"
He sighs. "In the past, mon amour," he says, "I hold no ill will, neither should you,"
I sigh, tilting my head a little bit.
We finished our food in silence, him still holding my hand, not looking away from me.
As I finish, I stand up, grabbing my plate. "When you're finished, walk your plate to the sink," I instruct him.
He nods, quickly finishing his food, then grabbing his dishes, following me.
I place my dishes in the sink, and roll my sleeves up again to wash them.
As I grab the sponge, Sebastian sets his dishes next to the sink, on the counter.
He gently touches my back, and stands behind me. He hugs me from behind, holding me close, burying his face in my neck. He takes a deep breath, and smiles. "I had almost forgotten your scent..." he mutters in French, "...I've dearly missed the sound of your heart, my love..."
I smile softly. I pause. "Seb," I mutter, "...if...if need be...you know that I'm always here...as a...source, let's say,"
He lifts his head, and looks at me. "What do you mean, mon amour?" he asks.
I look at him, not sure how to put it. "For...your hunger," I mutter.
He looks a little surprised, then guilty. "I would never ask you..." he mutters.
"I know that," I say, "but...I offered the same back in the Forest...when we first met, and I found out about your hunger..."
He sighs again, nodding.
I can see in his eyes the hunger hasn't fully been quenched. 'Didn't expect it to be...' I think, '...he only had a deer...that wouldn't satisfy for long...' "Should I...save dishes for later?" I ask, softly.
He takes a deep, shaking breath, and nods a little, a kind of pleading look in his eyes.
I nod, setting the sponge down.
He pulls me toward him again, resting his forehead on the back of my head, his hands on my waist, one hand gripping my belt.
I gasp softly, a soft blush dusting my face. "Sebastian..." I mutter, gasping a little again as he starts to kiss my neck.
"Oui, mon amour?" He whispers between kisses.
"Not in the kitchen," I say, "Living or bed room, preferably,"
He nods a little, letting go of me, but keeping hold of my belt. He pulls me with him, toward the hall that leads to the master bedroom.
I laugh a little, following him.
He smiles, and laughs a little as well, but it turns into a kind of shaky breath. He inhales softly, a soft kind of growl sound, and pulls me toward him.
"Woah!" I manage as he pushes me against the wall in the hall, his hands gripping my waist again. I grip his shoulders as he starts kissing my neck again. I raise one of my hands to his head, gripping his hair as his hands start to hurriedly undo my belt. "Sebastian~..." I whisper, gasping as his hands slide into my trousers.
He takes a deep, shaking, growling breath. "I'm sorry, mon amour~..." he mutters, "...I just...can't help myself...I have missed you..."
I smile, gasping again as he pushes himself against me. I bite my lip a little, letting out a soft moan. "Sebastian..." I mutter, "...remember...gently,"
He chuckles softly, nodding. "I will try, mon amour..." he purrs, "...you know how I can get carried away..."
I nod a little. "At least take me somewhere I can sit, love..." I mutter, nuzzling into his shoulder a little.
He nods a little.
I gently move around him, grabbing both of his hands, and pulling him to the bedroom.
---
I wipe my brow with my sleeve, taking a deep breath.
I'm sheltered by trees, at the edge of the field where Rumple's farmhouse is.
The house itself is a good bit away, and somewhat to the left of it from my angle is a coop and a smaller building, for the sheep and chickens.
I reach to the pile of logs next to me and grab one, placing it on the stump in front of me that I have been using to split them. I grab the ax, wrench it from the stump, and raise it, when I hear someone yell from across the field.
"SEBASTIAN!" Baelfire's panicked voice echoes through the pasture.
I look up, and see him, on the ground, by the hutch the sheep take shelter in.
I then look at another young man tearing across the field, carrying a lamb in his arms.
I grit my teeth, grab my hat, and put it on before dashing after the young man, leaving the cover of trees.
Even after vaulting over three fences, ax still in hand, it doesn't take me too long to catch up to the young man.
He looks over his shoulder, maybe to look back at Baelfire in order to gloat, but he sees me. A look of terror shows in his eyes, and in shock, he drops the lamb.
The lamb lets out a surprised yell, but catches itself easily, bounding back toward the rest of the sheep.
Using the blunt side of the ax, I swing at the young man's legs to trip him. I make contact with his knee, and he yells.
He tumbles to the ground, through the mud of the farm field, making a sizable indent in the soil.
Using the momentum of my swing, I spin, and stick the ax in a nearby fence. I skid to a stop, breathing heavily, though not as heavily as the young man.
He slowly rolls himself to his back as I approach him, standing over him, and he stares up at me. He has a terrified look on his face, as if he's looking up at the Devil himself.
I stare down at him, not showing anything on my face. I reach down, grabbing his tunic, making him whimper in fear. I pull him up to his feet, still not saying a word.
"Sebastian!" Baelfire says, breathless, behind me, catching up to us, "I got the...knights...they're...on their way..."
I nod a little. I look at him. "Has the lamb returned to its mother?" I ask him.
He nods. He looks a little scared of the boy I'm holding.
I nod a little. "Then..." I say, turning the young man, and grabbing both of his wrists, holding them in one hand, "...let us get him to your house to greet the knights, oui?" I grab the ax from the fence, and start to push the young man back toward the farm house.
Baelfire follows me. "You're really fast, Sebastian!" He says, "I could barely keep track of you!"
I smile a little. "Merci, mon cher," I say, "I am rather glad I am as fast as I am, or I would have never caught up with our unwanted guest here..." I jostle the young man a little.
He winces. "I think you hurt my knee with the ax..." he mutters.
"You're walking," I say, bluntly, "You'll live,"
By the time we arrive at the farmhouse, Rumple is standing at the doorway of the house, and knights are approaching down the road on horseback.
"Bae?" He asks, looking confused, "Sebastian? I heard a commotion, what happened?" He looks up as the knights arrive at the house. He takes a nervous step back into the house.
I take the young man that we caught toward the knights.
"What's this?" The man in front asks, looking somewhat surprised. He looks toward the farmhouse. "Odd company you're keeping, Worm..." he sneers.
I glance over at Rumple, whose head is hanging low, not looking up at the man. "Who I am is unimportant," I say, turning to the knight, "we caught this young man attempting to steal one of our lambs,"
"Is that so...?" The man says, though sounds unimpressed or disinterested that this is what he was summoned for. He leans forward, looking at the young man I'm holding. "Tell me, boy:" he says, "how old are you?"
The boy doesnt' look up at him. He's silent for a good long moment, then sighs. "Sixteen..." he mutters.
The man's eyebrows raise. "Dodger and a thief..." he mutters, "...you'll be coming with me then, to the front line,"
The boy's head snaps up to look at the man. As other knights dismount their horses and grab him, he turns to look at me, desperately. "Please!" He pleads, struggling against the knights, "Please, sir, it's me Mam! She's sick, and I just wanted to sell the lamb for some coin to get medicine for her, honest! She can't be left on her own! She'll die if I go to the War!"
My heart starts to sink, and suddenly I'm no longer looking at the young man.
I see an image of my younger self, kicking and swearing as I was drafted into the King's army.
Please! I can't leave her! Mama!
I grit my teeth and ball my fists. "Where is your house, garçon?" I ask, approaching as they force him onto a horse.
He looks shocked. "What?" He asks.
"Your house," I say, "I will visit and care for your mother in your absence. She will not die, you have my word,"
"Not that it's worth much," the main knight scoffs.
I glare at him, but look back at the boy. "You have my word as a soldier, your mother will not die," I say, placing a hand on the young man's knee.
He looks at me, stunned. "Down the road in that direction," he says, pointing down the road, "it has a stream and large willow tree in front, and a garden in the back, though nothing but weeds grow in it now. Her name is Maeve, and she's blind. Tell her..." he takes a deep breath, "...tell her that Kenneth loves her, and is sorry,"
I nod a little. I back away, watching as all but the leading knight ride away, down the road.
He looks at me, and then looks at Rumple. "I'd watch this one if I were you, Coward," he says, "you hear me? Nothing good comes from befriending the Dark One's Attack Dog,"
Rumple looks up in shock, then looks at me. "W-what?" He mutters, then his eyes flick to behind me.
I grit my teeth, and look at the knight. "I am no one's dog..." I growl, "...that creature no longer has rule over m-"
Suddenly it feels like a thread is pulled through my lips, sewing them together.
I try to pull them apart, panic rising in my chest as I raise my hands to my mouth and pull at my lips. I look around and, in the distance, see a cloaked figure, watching me.
Their lower face is just barely visible, and I can see they're smiling.
Tears well up in my eyes, and my knees shake a little.
He puts a hand out, flat in front of him, palm to the ground. He pushes it toward the ground, and I see him mouth something.
Kneel.
In an instant, I drop to my knees in the mud.
Instead of having them at my mouth, my hands now grip my throat.
He raises both of his hands, as if he were gripping my throat, and starts to curl his fingers.
Squeeze.
At the same time as his fingers, my own hands start to squeeze my throat, constricting my breathing. I cough, most of the air escaping my nose since my mouth is still stuck shut. Tears drip from my eyes as my vision blurs from the strangulation.
Then, suddenly, it stops.
I gasp, able to move my mouth now, and I scramble to my feet, nearly toppling over the fence behind me.
The knight looks at me, both horrified and amused. "Looks like he disagrees with you," he muses.
I take deep, shaking breaths, my ears ringing. I watch as he rides down the road. Shakily, I go through the gate in front of the house. I hurry toward the front door, and squeeze past Rumple.
"Sebastian?" He asks, "Wh-what happened? What was going on? Are you alright?"
I fall to my knees by the hearth, and curl up, my forehead nearly touching the ground. I remove my hat and throw it to the side, and then grip my head, squeezing my eyes shut. I take deep, shaking, breaths, trying to calm myself down. I jump a little as I feel someone sit on the ground next to me.
Rumple looks at me, worried. "It's just me..." he mutters, gently, almost hesitantly, resting a hand on my shoulder, "...it's alright..."
I take a deep, shaking breath. I grit my teeth, and move my hands to the ground. I grip at the wood, my claws making small marks. "I am no one's dog..." I mutter, repeating it softly.
He sighs softly. "Is that...who you escaped?" He mutters, softly.
I shakingly nod. "I have been in the endentures of the Dark One for...as long as I can remember..." I mutter, "...those like me...afflicted with what I am...we exist, ageless, for...incredible amounts of time,"
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Sebastian..." he mutters, "...how old are you?"
I take a deep breath. "Two hundred and thirty-seven," I mutter, "it has been two centuries since I was...cursed..."
He sighs. "Two hundred years at his mercy..." he mutters, "...two hundred years with your hunger...no sunlight...what a horrific existence..."
I nod a little, looking at the ground.
He pauses. "Er...I..." he mutters, "I mean no offense..."
"I am not offended, mon ami," I mutter, "I thank you for your...sympathy,"
He nods.
There is a brief, comfortable silence between us.
"I was about to start making dinner," he says, "would you like to help?"
I nod a little. I stand, and help him to his feet, handing him his cane.
---
Later that night, I lie awake on my bed-roll by the hearth, watching the fire-light dance across the ceiling.
'I told myself, never again...' I think, '...not after Theodor...I couldn't bear losing Rumple as well...'
I take a deep breath, and turn my head, looking into the fire. I watch the flames dance and lick at the wood, turning it black.
Images of a farmhouse on fire, screams from villagers and shouts of soldiers ring in my ears.
SEBASTIAN! SEBASTIAN, RUN!
Where's the beast?! Find him! Burn the whole village if you have to!
SEBASTIAN!
Sebastian!
"Sebastian?" Rumple's voice rings out from the corner of the hut his bed is in.
I sit up and turn to him, seeing he's also sitting up in bed.
He's mostly obscured in shadow, the firelight just barely reaching him. Worry shines in his eyes.
"Oui, mon ami?" I say, my voice shaking a little.
"Are you alright?" He asks.
I sigh. I'm not sure what to answer.
He frowns a little, and gestures for me to come over to him.
I stand and carefully walk to him, sitting on the edge of his bed.
He looks at me, worried.
I sigh. "I...I was from a small village," I say, "somewhat...north east from here, I believe? I have...lost track of where I am, to be completely honest..."
He nods. "A...a different kingdom, I presume?" He asks.
I nod. "Our king...he was...obsessed with an...artifact," I say, "one guarded, heralded by..." I clench my jaw a little.
He inhales sharply, but nods. He gently sets a shaking hand on mine.
I look at our hands, a faint smile flickering across my face, but feeling my heart sink. I take a deep breath. "This...obsession of our monarch...it leached into many generations, boiling down to a centuries long war," I say, "I...I can't even remember who it was against. Anyone who stood in his way...there were some who believed it was our king, great-great grandson, I believe, of the king who discovered the artifact, they believed it was his birthright to find this artifact and bring our kingdom to its golden age. There were others, like my village, who believed...maybe this crusade should end,"
He furrowed his eyebrows, and nodded a little.
"My...my family, my people, in our history we were...nomadic," I say, "when I was a boy, my father, mother, and many others, had a kind of...caravan that they would travel the kingdom in, selling wares, offering work in our trades...it was how we were..."
His eyes widen a little, and nods. "You're one of the Wander-Folk..." he mutters, a tone of awe in his voice.
I smile a little, and nod. "When I was...about Baelfire's age," I say, "we were forced to...stay put. It wasn't safe for us to travel anymore, what with the skirmishes happening. We found a village who often welcomed us, and we stayed. Father started a farm, and a business. He was a cobbler, and Mother was a seamstress. I helped on the farm, and had started to apprentice in my Father's work," I smile softly, then grit my teeth. "Then...came the day the soldiers came," I mutter.
His grip on my hand tightens a little.
I take a deep breath. "They...they stormed houses, took those of us, male and female, of 'proper age' to fight," I say, bitterly, "I fought the soldiers who tried to take me away. I fought to the point where three soldiers had to pull me to the cart they packed us in. They took us to a remote camp, trained us...I made good friends there, but...after our first battle..." I take a deep breath, "...I never saw any of them again,"
He takes a shuddering breath. "What happened?" He mutters.
I squeeze my eyes shut, picturing that day.
It's still clear in my mind as if it were yesterday.
"We...we were surrounded," I mutter, "they put us, the new recruits, on the front line. The soldiers we were fighting, there were soldiers in their front line as young as us. I'm sure none of us really wanted to fight, but were forced to. For king and country..." I growl a little.
He gently rubs his thumb across the back of my hand, quelling my rage just slightly.
I take a deep breath. "In the first charge, I was able to dodge most attacks against me..." I mutter, "...My goal was to live. Not to fight, not to win: survive. I ended up being cornered by an enemy soldier, as young as I was. I was sure that moment would be my last, but...neither of us really seemed like we wanted to kill anyone...he spared me...I always wonder what happened to him..."
Rumple nods a little. "You obviously survived..." he mutters, "...what happened after that?"
"I spent most of my adulthood in the army..." I mutter, "...I eventually was taken under the wing of a cavalry captain, after he saw me fight on the battlefield. Said I had potential. He trained me, and, through the years, I climbed the ranks of the cavalry, until, eventually, I became a captain myself. My men, my brothers in arms, respected me to the point where they'd go to the ends of the earth if I asked them..." I sigh. "And...that was our undoing..." I say, voice fraught with regret.
Rumple furrows his eyebrows. "What happened?" He asks, softly.
I take a deep breath. "Our king and his generals...they found where they assumed the Dark One to live..." I mutter, "...they sent all of their forces to the fortress, and...my men and I, being one of the specially trained teams of the army...we breached the doors first. We found where the Dark One was in the fortress, and...she was waiting for us..."
He looks confused. "She?" He mutters, softly.
I nod. "She...she knew we were coming," I say, "my men...they followed every order of mine, and she...she drew me closer to her, promising an accord, promising a peaceful outcome. 'No more death,' she said, 'no more killing. That is what you want, is it not?'" I take a deep breath. I ball my fist, and close my eyes. "I was tricked," I hissed, "once I was within reach, she...she placed a hand over my heart, and I...I felt it stop. I was sure I was dead, but when I woke, I...I..." I take a deep breath.
He watches me intently, cautiously.
I grit my teeth. "When I woke...my men were laying dead at my feet," I mutter, "...throats torn open...the taste of their blood on my tongue..." I take a deep, shaking breath.
The sound of Rumple's heart speeds up a little, but he nods. "You..." he mutters, then takes a deep breath.
"I killed them..." I mutter, my voice cracking a little, "...twelve men...twelve men I trained, carefully chose, formed a bond with...all gone, and...it was my fault..." I take a deep, shaking breath, tears streaming down my face. "That was the beginning of my imprisonment..." I mutter, "...the beginning of two hundred years of hell..."
Rumple sighs. "Stars above..." he mutters, "...and, because the Dark One created you..."
"They have control over me, oui," I say, nodding, "for most of my time, they used me as...well, as the Knight had said: as an attack dog of sorts...someone they wanted out of the way, but couldn't be bothered to do it themselves? They sent me..." I grit my teeth.
Rumple sighs. "How...how did you escape?" He asks.
I pause. "With help..." I mutter, thinking of Theodor, "...a kind farmer helped me, but...fell victim to other tricks of the Dark One...he sacrificed himself so I could go free..."
Rumple sighs. "I...I'm so sorry..." he mutters, "...you...you don't deserve any of what has happened to you..."
I look at him, seeing tears on his face. I gently reach over to him, and wipe his tears. "You don't need to apologize, mon ami..." I mutter, "...you hold no fault. I appreciate you listening to my story..." I start to stand up, but pause.
He keeps hold of my hand, almost hesitantly letting go of it.
I pause, and take his hand again. I carefully kneel on the bed, and lean toward him.
The din of his heartbeat quickens, but not in fear.
In excitement.
I smile softly, and lean towards him until my face is next to his. "Do you wish for me to stay?" I mutter, softly.
He pauses, turning toward me, slightly. He softly clears his throat. "I just..." he mutters, then clears his throat again, "...I don't like the thought of you sleeping alone after today's events...no one should be alone after something like that..."
I pause, my heart aching a little. 'He's kind...' I think, '...just a matter of time until He finds a way to use that against him...against me...maybe I shouldn't,'
Rumple watches me, and his grip tightens on my hand. "Stay..." he mutters, softly.
I smile, nodding. "As you wish..." I mutter, and gently wrap my arms around him as he moves a little to let me lay next to him.