Shaya

Chapter 3 - In the forest

Rapunzel thought her heart would never calm. It seemed that it wanted to jump out of her chest, although she was already far away from the Queen's castle. She never felt so agitated before, not even before her first battle.

Her horse was galloping nimbly between the trees, but her armor was too noisy for her mission. She pulled the reins, stopping the animal. She dismounted and began getting off her pectoral. After a while she had got off the main of the armor, and worn a leather one that had taken from the big bags tied to the saddle. She found a shrub and hid the metal armor under it, covering it with other plants. She signed the point with a little incision on a tree next to the bush, then she mounted back on the white stallion and spurred him.

It took her two days to find Snow's refuge. Rapunzel asked herself why the hell Regina's guards couldn't find her before. Perhaps they did. Maybe they just didn't want to kill the Princess. And they died for this.
A rumor charged up her horse. He neighed, nervous. A hoof thumped the ground. Rapunzel looked around, but none was there. The morning light seeped through the foliages, coloring the forest with a soft yellow light. There was silence. Too much.
A growl raised from behind a oak. A big black wolf jumped in from there, menacingly snarling at her. Her horse stepped back, shivering. Se jumped down from him and let him go, hands up, eyes on the wolf. It wasn't a normal one. It was just too big to be it. And its eyes... The wolf growled again, biting the air between them as a warning.
" Don't worry mate, I'm not gonna hurt you." Rapunzel softly said, slowly lowering her left hand. She undid the knot that held her sword to her belt, eyed fixed in the wolf's. The beast growled louder. " No, no, don't you worry. Look. " The sword fell down, hitting a root with a metallic sound. The wolf raised its ears. She smiled. " See? I'm you friend, Child of the Moon." The wolf stepped back and widened its eyes. It was surprised. Rapunzel laughed softly. " It is not so difficult to recognize you guys. You're enormous!" she laughed again, pleased to see the wolf wag briefly its tail. She returned serious and continued. " I'm here because I'm searching Snow White..." The wolf's ears lowered back. " ...Regina sent me here..." It restarted snarling. "... but I'm here just to impede Snow White's death!" she quickly finished, surprising again the animal. " I know you can feel if I'm lying. "
The wolf sniffed the air, yellow eyes inside blue ones. Then it suddenly turned and walked away. Rapunzel smiled and grabbed the sword before following it.

" Red? Why are you still..." A beautiful voice reached her ears before the unexpected aspect of the princess could hit her eyes. She seemed nothing more than a bandit. Suddenly, an arrow pointed at her chest. " Who are you?" the girl spelled angrily, causing her smirk.
" Rapunzel. Your guard has already checked my intentions."
Snow White looked at the wolf. Something passed between them. When the wolf entered trotting in the refuge Snow reluctantly lowered her bow. " Rapunzel lived a hundred years ago."
" Mh, a little less. But, don't worry, I can understand the confusion. "
" What do you want?"
" Warn you. You have to leave this place, I found you in just two days. Second, you're still alive just because I killed the assassin Regina was sending here. Third, I can protect you only once. When I'll leave, find an army and prepare: I probably can't stop her. She'll try again."
Snow was looking at her like if she was crazy. " Are you going back to her?"
Something passed in the warrior's eyes. " Aye. Perhaps I can't stop her, but I can try."
" She will kill you!"
Rapunzel saddened. " Aye, probably. "
The bandit princess looked speechless. " What... W-why are you doing this? If you know she's too powerful to fight her..."
" Never talked 'bout fighting, Princess." the warrior murmured glancing down, leaving Snow really speechless. She evidently couldn't think another way to stop the Queen.
" How..."
" Words!" a third voice exclaimed, coming out from the refuge. A tall, slender woman appeared, dark and wild hair cornering her cute face. She seemed amused, and eyed Rapunzel with a strange look she didn't understand. " You know, they can be useful sometimes. Isn't it?"
Rapunzel quietly laughed. Snow frowned and alternated her gaze between the two women: she was confused, as her big eyes and uncertain voice witnessed. " She won't listen..."
" Perhaps. But I have to try."
" Why? If you're doing this to save me, stop! I don't..."
" With all due respect Princess, I'm not. " The questioning look on Snow's face pushed Rapunzel to continue. " I have my reasons, Snow White. Don't worry about me."
The warrior sighed and looked around, enjoying the beautiful sight of the forest. " What's your name, Child of the Moon?" she asked after a little, curiously eying the taller girl. The werewolf smiled.
" Red. "
Rapunzel bowed. " Honored to know you. "
The girl seemed embarrassed, and slightly blushed. " Oh, well, uhm, the honor is mine...? "
Rapunzel tilted her head before looking back at Snow White. The Princess, as awakened by her gaze, repeatedly blinked, swallowing. She was staring at the warrior. Rapunzel snorted, smiling at her.
" Aye, mine might even be an unusual outfit for a woman, but your appearance is surprising too, Princess."
She stifled a laughter. " I can imagine. Oh, and, about Red, she's not my guard! She's a friend."
Rapunzel nodded, noticing the grateful look Red gave to Snow. " Aye, I understood it by the way she growled the moment I named Regina." she laughed, causing the bitter hilarity of the others
Snow stopped laughing before Red, and gazed at her. " I... don't know. There's something familiar about you..."
Rapunzel's lips stretched into the tiniest of the smiles. " I saw you once, and I don't know if you saw me too. You, your father and Regina were on a carriage, visiting the people, years ago. Perhaps you spotted me there. "
The princess narrowed her eyes, thinking. " Maybe." she murmured, and then, suddenly, saddened. It seemed that thoughts hit her mind as poisoned arrows. " Don't come back to palace. She'll rip your heart out of your chest if you don't bring me to her!"
But Rapunzel laughed, making her widen her eyes. She really couldn't understand her, and that was a good thing.
" Milady, I need you help!" the warrior said loudly towards Red instead of replying to her. The werewolf raised her eyebrows at that naming.
" What?"
" You have to wound me. Or you, Princess. With your bow. "
" What?!" they asked together.
Rapunzel laughed. " I can't just go back to the "Evil Queen" all together and expect to stay alive. I need an explanation for my failure. "
Snow opened her mouth to protest, but Rapunzel's face stopped her. She wasn't worried at all, and she cared to show it.
It apparently convinced Snow as she took an arrow from her case and went closer to the woman. Snow looked into her eyes, and the mercenary studied her in turn, digging in those grey-green lights, and finding only fear, confusion, pain. Rapunzel took the arrow from her hand, delicately but firmly, and suddenly pushed it through her left shoulder, quickly wounding herself. She passed the shoulder part to part with a slight growl of pain, tears in her narrowed eyes, and eyed Snow with a suffering smile. " Would you mind takin' it off?"
" Oh, sure! Sorry, I was..." the woman replied, hurrying to go behind her and finally taking the arrow's edge. " Are you ready?"
" No. Do it."
She pulled with all her force and the arrow got easily off in a moment. Rapunzel held back the scream. Red appeared at her side with a leather flask full of fresh water. She thanked her with a nod, and Red tried to smile.
" You're crazy..."
" That's possible. However, I need you to punch me in my face. I need a bruise, at least." Shaya said while ripping a slice of her own shirt and beginning to bend the wound. It hurt like hell, but it was bearable.
" It's not necessary Rapunzel..." Snow intervened while cleaning the arrow from her blood. Rapunzel glanced at her: she was pale, and visibly worried. Cute little girl, she wondered how did she managed to stay alive for so long with Regina on her heels.
" No, but it makes everything much more credible. And I need it to be. "
The two royals locked gaze for a while, the one trying to convince the other.
" When you're ready, Child of the Moon." Shaya said without ceasing to look in Snow White's eyes.
Red punched hard Rapunzel on her cheek, making her falter back. The warrior laughed after a moment of confusion. " Wow! Nice right!" she laughed again, a gloved hand against the hit cheek. " Never make her go mad at you, Princess, I warn you!"
Snow finally laughed with her, and Red did, too. She had managed to ease the situation, in the end.
" Well thank you for your help, ladies. " Rapunzel said with a tilt of her head. " I have to go now. The more I stay here, the more the Queen gets nervous. And that is exactly what I don't want her to be when I come back to the castle." she smirked.
" Your horse is east, less than half an hour away." Red said with a sneer, immediately returned by the warrior.
" Rapunzel please, change your mind! Please! She will..."
" Kill me, you must have said this a million times today, Snow White. If you do it once again, I swear that I'll bring you to her. That could be worse that bringing her just your heart, as she asked, I remind you! " Shaya archly threatened her, and yet she saw her shiver in awe. Rapunzel shook her head sighing and smiled in reassurance to the Princess. " Don't worry for me. Worry for yourself: it is your heart that she wants. Ask for protection, find allies! Or she'll catch you, sooner or later. Trust me, Snow White: she won't stop until she'll have your heart in her hand. Unless I manage stopping her first, but I don't think so, so find your army! Everyone wants to help you, it won't be that difficult. Now I have to go. Goodbye, ladies." She kneeled quickly and turned, ready to go, but Snow's voice stopped her.
" You're not doing it for me, nor for you, nor for Prince James, I suppose. " Rapunzel turned her head, a wiping the fear away from her eyes. She didn't have to know. None had to know.
" And not even for money, I guess. There's only another person you can do this for. "
Rapunzel held her breath.
" Regina herself. You're trying to save her, aren't you?"
Rapunzel sighed as the deep, dark emotion she felt in her chest passed through her look. She glanced down, a weird smirk on her lips. She could feel their curious stares on her.
" Maybe I'm doing it for the Enchanted Forest's people. Haven't you thought about that?" Smart smile, narrowed eyes. But Snow didn't believe her, she saw it.
" You could kill Regina if you wanted, isn't it? If you could kill the assassin and stay alive, I believe you can kill her too. So, that would be perfect for the people. But you didn't. Therefore, you must have another reason to let her live, and let her kill you. And there's only one reason I can think about..."
Snow had walked towards her while talking, and now she was right in front of her. Rapunzel towered over her. She suddenly became so serious to frighten her. " You're smarter than Regina thinks, but you know nothing, trust me. " She paused, glancing at Red. Sure that she wouldn't betray her, she looked back at Snow White. " I have to go." she said before turning and rapidly walking away.

Snow's eyes followed her figure until they could, then leaned on Red. " I was right, isn't it? She's trying to protect her."
Red pursued her lips. " Dunno. Maybe. However, she's right: you need protection, more than I can give you. And we have to move."
" Yeah, right." Snow distractedly agreed. She sadly eyed the forest, the point where the warrior disappeared a minute before. She knew she had just watched a convinct going toward the gallows