Madelaine// Gaston |1|

1

     Madelaine woke up the next morning after staying in the shelter someone so nicely let her sleep in the previous night. Her horse was outback, and she was ready to leave. Yet, she felt like she shouldn't leave.

     She contemplated it over breakfast. She paid the kind man, walking out back to her horse. Madelaine looked at her horse, clicking her tongue and mouth together to tell him that it was time for a carrot. She fed him quickly, then mounted him. Leaving was her best choice.

     Once she made it to the woods near her cottage, she got off her horse. She heard hooves in the distance, and quickly grabbed her bow, grabbing an arrow from it's holster as well. She hid behind a tree, waiting for the person to come around the corner.

     Of course, the hooves stopped, and two feet hit the ground hard, making Madelaine furrow her eyebrows. She notched the arrow, glancing around the tree to see the glare of a silver blade. She held her breath, hearing footsteps crunch towards her. Madelaine heard the sword cut into the tree, and it started to slide around. She maneuvered herself to face the person that had followed her, and he put her on the ground easily. Just by sweeping the legs.

     Madelaine, grabbed the fallen arrow, looking up at the man who had taken her down. She quickly watched as he bent over, kneeling in front of her.

     "I thought there was a bigger challenge, honestly," Gaston said, looking down at the girl. She glanced at his leg that he was resting on, and kicked it out from under him. She grabbed his own sword from the snow, and held it to his throat. Gaston held his hands up in surrender, staring at the fierce girl and smirking. "There it is."

     "Why did you follow me?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

     "Well I am a hero of the town, I came to see through that you made it home safely," Gaston lied, knowing in his mind that he just wanted to see her in the light.

     "And what about this Belle?" Madelaine asked, catching Gaston off guard. He had forgotten all about the beauty of the village, and had only been focused on Madelaine the entire night. Gaston didn't say a word, only swallowing. "Or am I that beautiful that you couldn't think about her?"

     "No," Gaston said, still feeling the blade at his throat. "I was staring at myself in the mirror." Madelaine furrowed her eyebrows, then burst out laughing. Gaston furrowed his eyebrows this time, seeing her smile made him somewhat happy.

     "I'm sorry, but that is the most narcissistic thing I've ever heard in my life," Madelaine said standing up. She leaned against the sword, letting Gaston stand. He looked down at his sword, Madelaine following his gaze. "Yeah, I don't wanna give it back now. Apparently I've defeated some type of hero for a village, might as well keep a memento."

     "Hilarious, but I'll have my sword back now," Gaston said holding his hand out. Madelaine sighed, handing back the sword. She grabbed her bow and arrow from the ground, about to leave, when she heard rustling. Gaston opened his mouth to say something, but Madelaine covered his mouth quickly.

     She slowly reached for an arrow, keeping her eyes set on the deer across the land. She notched the arrow, aiming right for the liver. She released, the deer hitting the ground the minute the arrow hit it.

     "Little tip, shut up while I hunt," she said, putting the bow behind her back to hang on the holster. Gaston watched as she got on her horse, rushing to the deer. She got down, waiting a minute. Deer's have played dead before on her, and she didn't want it to happen again. So she threw a rock, the deer not moving. Once Madelaine was sure it was dead, she grabbed the arrow, removing it from the deer's liver.