Once Upon A Time ~ Book 1

Chapter 56 - A Storm's Coming

Mary Margaret walked briskly on a footpath through the woods.
She then stopped suddenly when she heard the sound of a bird coeing in the trees. She walked down the steep, earthen ground, following the sound. She neared a tree and behind it she saw a white dove caught in some wire.
"Hey." she said bending down. She attempted to unwrap the wire from around her. "How did you manage to get youself....... Come on. It's okay." she picked her up carefully, the bird still wrapped in the wire.

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Mary Margaret stood in the animal shelter I'm front of the vet, who was holding the dove. David stood next to him.
"Well, the good news is, no broken bones..... She was just a little dehydrated." said the vet.
David smiled at her.
"But I got her some fluids and she should be just fine."
"And the bad news?"
"Well, this is a North Atlantic dove. It's a migratory species, very unique among American doves. They tend to firm strong, monogamous bonds, meaning......"
"If I don't get her back to her flock, she'll be alone forever." she interrupted.
"Well, it's a long shot, but the alternative....." he placed her in a cage. "........she'll heal but she won't be happy here."
"I'll take my chances. Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome. Good luck." he said and walked away.
Mary Margaret took the cage from the counter.
"Mary Margaret, there's a storm coming. You really shouldn't go out there." said David.
"Well, the storm's coming tomorrow. And if I wait, she could be lost forever. Completely alone. No one deserves that."
"Then let me drive you."
"I don't need your help, David. I'll be fine." and she walked out of the animal shelter.
David sighed and picked up one of the doves white feathers that she had left behind on the counter.

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Emma packed the boot of the sherif's car with storm equipment. In the front of the car the Storybrooke radio wad on.
"Storybrooke has seen wind gusts of up to fifty miles an hour. Your best bet is to stay in the house.........."
Suddenly the radio went off. Emma looked around to the front of the car to see Regina.
"If you're looking to blame me for the storm, I think you're taking things a bit far now." said Emma.
"I need you to look into something, Sherif."
Emma continued filling up the boot with equipment.
"Someone's in town. Someone new."
"Yeah. I know. I gave him directions to Granny's the other night."
"You talked to him? What did he say?"
"He asked for directions. What's the big deal? Who is he?"
"I don't know. I've asked around, but no one seems to know anything....... There's something about him. Something firmilure."
"He must be one of the untold millions you cursed."
"What?" she said confused.
"Oh, you know, the curse. Henry's whole thing."
"Sherif, I need you to find out who he is. What he wants. And what he's doing here."
"You know, as hard as you tried to find one in my case, there is no law against visiting Storybrooke."
"Thus isn't about the law, Miss. Swan. You're gonna do this because I asked you to. And because you'll see it's the right thing to do."
Emma closed the boot. "And why is that?"
"Because he was in front of my house. Taking a particular interest in the one thing we both care about. Henry."
"I'll look into him."

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Mary Margaret drove through the forest, the bird in the cage next to her.

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Snow sat on an old tree trunk in the middle of a flowered meadow, stared at the little bottle of liquid that would cure her heartbreak.
Suddenly a dove flew onto her hand. Snow stared at it then noticed a little scroll attached to its foot. She took the scroll and the bird flew off.
She slipped the bottle back into her belt and opened the scroll. Written on it was a letter. She read the letter.

Dearest Snow,
I've not heard from you since out meeting, and can only assume you found the happiness you so desired. But I must let you know, not a day goes by that I have not thought of you. In two days time, I'm ti be married. Come to me before then. Come to me and show me you feel the same, and we can be together forever. And if you don't, I'll have my answer.

Snow's smile grew on her face by each word she read. By they end of the letter, her face was gleaming and tear stained. She held the letter to her chest and breathed deeply.

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Mary Margaret still drove through the woods. She then began to slow down as she saw a sign ahead reading road closed. She stopped the car.
"Well, the flock can't be much further. West have to beat this storm." said Mary Margaret to the bird. "They're waiting for you."
She took the cage, stepped outside and pulled up her hood.

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Snow stood in the courtyard of King George's castle, her hood up, hiding her face.
A man dressed in fine cloths stood in the middle of the courtyard, throwing orders to the gaurds and peasants.
"Why aren't you at the stables yet? Must I have a gaurd drag you there? And you, go with him. King George's carraige must be spotless fir tomorrow's journey." he said to the peasants.
Snow quickly walked towards the man, a basket of yellow flowers in her arms.
"Flowers for Prince James from the kingdom of Midas." she said, her head bowed.
The man looked at the scroll on his hand, then looked back at Snow.
"Top of the northeast spire. Take the service stairwell or the guards will toss you over the walls." he said.
Snow nodded and walked to the service stairwell.

Snow walked through the castle and into a room. She hide the flowers in the corner and pulled off her cloak. She then took the letter from her belt and began to walked down the corridor.
Suddenly she herd some doors open and she hide behind a pillar, but dropped the letter on the floor, she quickly grabbed the letter and hide again.
Charming walked into the room and Snow sneaked around the other side of the pillar. She peeked behind it and watched him walk down the corridor. But just as she was going to go to him a hand grasped her mouth. A gaurd pulled her away.

The gaurd pulled her through the dungeons. He then reached a cell and pushed her in, locking the door.
"Wait. I'm a Royal emissary." said Snow, clinging to the bars.
He looked at the letter in his hand. "Sure you are. The King will decide your fate.
He walked away and Snow shook and kicked the bars. She climbed up the bars. She circled the cell looking around, trying to find a way to escape. She then began to climb the stone walls, but as reached the top she fell back on the hard ground.
Someone whistled in the cell next to her. She said up and looked into the cell.
"Who's there?" she asked.
From the shadows a drawf steped into the light.
"What are you looking at, sister?" he said.
Snow stood up.
"Tryed it all. Steel gets stronger as we grow weaker."
"Well, I am not giving up." she said, trying to pick the lock open.
"Give it time. Grumpy."
"I'm not grumpy. I'm focused." she said rowling her eyes.
"No. My name. Grumpy." he leaned against the bars of his cell.
She raised her eyebrows.
"And I'm telling you, there's no way out."
"Well, I'm Snow. And I'll find one."
"You say so."
"There's someone out there for me. Someone I love very much and I will not lose him." she searched through the hay on the ground.
"Love, huh? Good luck with that."
"Yeah, what do you know about that." she shook the door again.
"It's why I'm stuck in this hole."
Snow grunted and rested her head against the stone wall.
"I had it bad."
Snow looked up at him and listened.
"She was beautiful as a fairy...... but I lost her. I was desperate to get her back........ So I came up with a plan....... I worked at the diamond mines. I traded all my wages to the foreman for a diamond to propose...... But I got swindled. It was a stolen rock and I took the blame. I am no thief...... but they think I am. I should known better, but I wasn't thinking clearly. All cause of love...... Now, here I am, trapped, with no way out."
"I know a way out." said a voice outside the cells.
Grumpy and Snow looked up and from the shadows another dwarf, dress in black sneaked towards Grumpy's cell. The dwarf came to a halt in front of the bars and pulled down his bandana.
"Stealthy?" said Grumpy, surprised as a smile creeped up his face.
"You ready to go home?" h unlocking the lock.
"How did you get in here?"
"Doc whipped up a sleeping gas, knocked all the gaurds out cold. The rest arebwaiting with transport."
"There's more of you?" said Snow, leaning against the bars of her cell too.
Stealthy looked around at Snow. "Who's that? She pretty."
"No one. Come on, let's go." said Grumpy stepping out of the cell and beginning to walk away.
"Grumpy.......good luck." sais Snow.
Grumpy stopped in his tracks.
"I hope you get your love back."
Grumpy hesitated and thought. Stealthy shook his head.
"Son of a........" muttered Grumpy. "Give me that." he grabbed the keys from Stealthy's had. He walked go Snow's cell and began to unlock the lock.
Snow looked at him in disbelieve.
"Come on."
Snow smiled happily and they quickly ran from the dungeons.