The Adepts of Kolima Forest
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AU. Snow had always felt so alone since her mother passed away. Her father had gone to fight in the war, and her stepmother had never seemed to love her. Now, she wanted to kill her. So she escaped to a cottage hidden deep in the forest of Kolima, not knowing that among the seven Adepts, she would find true friendship and forge bonds strong enough to save the world.
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Written for Raitei, this is a second tale from the collection of Golden Sun Fairytales we are going to make. Heaven help us finish writing our long fics that are always being left alone because we procastinate. ^^;
I don't own Golden Sun, nor do I own Snow White.
…Oh, um, Snow IS a character from Golden Sun. She'll change her name in the next chapter. And um, Piers is not the prince of the story. ^^;
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Chapter I: Snow
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Queen Marian sat by the window, her fingers working nimbly as she embroidered a lovely white handkerchief. She sighed as she worked, wishing she had a child for whom she could knit sweaters, but she had never yet conceived a baby since she married the King of Imil.
As she looked out of the window at the brilliant blue sky, the peaceful ocean, and the pure white snow, Queen Marian smiled at the beauty of the world, and wished wistfully that she had a daughter who could share this magnificent sight with her. A daughter who could look up at the azure sky and chuckle with happiness. A daughter who could sail on the sea during summers. A daughter who could play in the snow that piled up in the castle yard, and wave at her mother as she sat sewing by the window.
"I wish, oh I wish, that I could have a child with hair as blue as the sky, eyes shining like the sea, and skin as white as snow," she murmured.
Fate must have heard her, for in the following year, she gave birth to a daughter. The newborn child had hair as blue as the sky, eyes that shone like sunlight on the sea, and skin nearly as white as snow, but for the rosy pink that gave her a healthy, happy appearance. And all of Imil cheered, for at last their kingdom had an heir.
"She must be named Snow, for the stars say that it is a lucky name for the princess," Akafubu announced. He was an old shaman who lived in the castle since King Arthur's grandparents were around. No one knew what he really was, but showed him respect, for they knew he had magical skills and arts no one could comprehend.
Queen Marian sighed then, she would prefer a nice, ordinary name; like 'Mia', for instance. But King Arthur listened to Akafubu, so the little princess was named Snow.
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It was Snow's first birthday, and she was lying in her cradle.
"My dear little daughter, you shall have everything of the best," Queen Marian said. So she gave her a beautiful jewelled bracelet and clasped it around her wrist.
Snow gurgled happily and raised her tiny fingers to her mother.
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It was Snow's second birthday, and she was crawling around her room. Queen Marian smiled as she reached for a beautiful white sash that was hanging from her table. Holding tightly on to the sash, she stood up for the first time, before the sash and her wobbly legs gave way, and she sat down suddenly on the floor. The sash fell around her.
"My clever little daughter. You will become as beautiful as the sash you hold," Queen Marian said.
Snow giggled and wrapped the sash clumsily around herself.
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It was Snow's third birthday, and she was running out into the yard. Her nurse, Izumo, ran after her, calling.
"Princess, Princess! It is dangerous out in the snow! Come back, come back!"
But Snow ran on, laughing delightedly, as she saw the servants' children skating on the frozen pond.
"I play too!" she declared, jumping out onto the surface of the pond. The other children stopped in horror as she slid right out to the middle of the pond, where the ice was thinner than the edges. Cracks appeared upon the ice, crunching alarmingly. Queen Marian came running out, and she gave a scream of terror when she saw Snow sitting in the middle of thousands of tiny cracks.
"Come back, come back!" she wailed, leaping forward. Half a dozen servants grabbed her arms at once, protesting that it was not safe, and Her Majesty must not put herself in danger. Under their helpless eyes, water seeped through the cracks and began to soak through Snow's clothes.
Snow shivered slightly, then raised one mittened hand and brought it down onto the sinking ice with a plop. Suddenly, the water around her froze solid, leaving her safely seated on the surface.
Queen Marian collapsed onto the ground, giddy with relief and happiness. Snow had inherited Psynergy from her grandparents.
"My talented little daughter, you will be a master of Water Psynergy one day," Queen Marian said.
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It was Snow's fourth birthday, and she was standing by her mother's armchair, her eyes wide with worry.
"Mother? Will you be able to play with me today?" she asked. Queen Marian smiled weakly at her.
"Not today, my dear. The doctor says that I must not go out today, for the weather is cold, and I am weak."
Snow's lips quivered, and she looked down. "But it's my birthday."
"Oh, my darling daughter…" Queen Marian sighed. Her slender fingers reached for a flowered comb from the table, and she lifted Snow onto her lap.
"Let me comb your hair, my dear, darling child. You will look beautiful on your birthday, as you greet Father when he returns. Then he will smile at you and call you his pride, won't he?" she said with a loving smile. Her fingers shook slightly as she drew the comb through Snow's long blue hair, working the tangles out gently.
"Father says he's going to read to me the stories of the old virtues," Snow said, happy again. Queen Marian let the silky blue hair slide through her hands.
"Yes, my daughter. You will grow up with all the old virtues, and become a splendid princess," Queen Marian whispered.
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It was Snow's fifth birthday, and she was standing beside her mother's bed, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Mother!! Mother!!"
"Don't cry, my darling. I want to see you smile before I go," Queen Marian whispered. She slipped her an apple from the basket beside them, and tried to smile. "Here, let us eat happily."
"I don't want you to go!" Snow protested, knocking the apple aside as she hugged her mother close.
"Be good, Snow… be good…"
"But Mother…!!"
"Hush, my dear… Grow up strong… Look after your father, and our people…" Queen Marian coughed. Though her hair looked dead and her skin was lifeless, her eyes were filled with overflowing love as she looked at her only daughter, and her trembling fingers were gentle as she stroked her hair.
"I don't want to be alone, Mother…"
"Mother will be here by you always, so be good… because…"
The door flew open, and King Arthur rushed in, a wild look on his face.
Queen Marian smiled faintly.
"Because I love you."
She spoke no more.
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It was Snow's sixth birthday, and she was hiding behind the door in King Arthur's study.
"This cannot go on, Your Majesty," Akafubu insisted. "The Princess is not yet old enough to assume the duties of the late Queen, yet someone must be able to run the castle properly."
King Arthur sighed, running his fingers through his black beard.
"Very well, Akafubu. I will marry again."
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It was Snow's seventh birthday, and she stood quietly in the hall, dressed in a richly embroidered dress of white. King Arthur nodded formally as he led the lady with purple hair forward.
She was very beautiful. Long, shiny purple hair coiled on her head. Bright purple eyes that shone like the stars. High cheekbones and a finely chiseled nose, and deep red lips. She was like a goddess, one that smelt of violets.
"Princess Snow, this is Lady McCoy. She will soon become our new Queen… your new mother."
"Good day to you, Princess Snow," Lady McCoy said in a voice as silken as the skin of a snake.
Snow gave her a friendly smile and curtsied prettily. She did not notice how Lady McCoy watched her graceful movement with a hard eye.
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It was Snow's eighth birthday, and she knelt down in the courtyard, drawing patterns in the snow. She had no more lessons, for the Queen had thought that it was a waste to spend money hiring a governess, when Snow had already learnt how to read and write, and do sums.
"A princess does not need to learn astronomy, nor does she need to work scientific experiments," the Queen declared. "She must instead have music and dancing lessons."
But none of the music and dancing instructors that came to the castle impressed the Queen, so no one had been hired, and Snow had nothing to do.
As she looked into the chicken yard, she saw that their drinking trough was empty. Raising one hand, she made a tiny raincloud appear, and droplets of water began to fill the trough. When the trough was full, she stepped back, satisfied, but the cloud still did not disappear, until she waved her hands again about ten times.
If Queen Marian was still alive, she would be able to teach her to control her Psynergy. Snow sighed, and turned to go.
Then she saw the admiring eyes of three children before her. They dashed forward and grabbed her hands, pulling her to the kitchen.
"Princess, you can use Psynergy too!"
"Wait till Ma hears about it!"
Ma was the head baker, Minnie, with a little Psynergy in her blood and practicality in her veins. She popped a bun into Snow's mouth, gave her a rolling pin and told her to make herself useful. Snow stood and copied Minnie's actions, and at the end of the day, had a birthday cake made by herself.
She felt warmed that day, not by the kitchen, but by kindness.
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It was Snow's ninth birthday, and she was polishing the bannisters of the great hall. It was best to make them as shiny and as slippery as she could, because then she could slide down them later on with Susa and Kushinada. As long as the Queen didn't spot them.
But then Susa popped his head around the corner. "Pst! Snow! She's coming! Hide quickly!"
Snow grabbed the duster and the jar of polish and slipped under the staircase at once. But there were already people underneath it.
"Happy birthday, Snow!" they chanted. Uzume pushed a simple but delicious looking cake towards her.
"Minnie and I baked it together," she said with a gentle smile. Minnie beamed. Susa pushed a strong, well-made broom into her hands, while Kushinada put a little sewing kit into her lap.
"It's not much, I know, compared to all those royal gifts from the nobles you've got upstairs," Kushinada said anxiously.
"But we wanted to give you something useful, you know?" Susa added. "I made the entire broom myself, see."
Snow grinned happily.
"This is the best birthday I've ever had. Thank you."
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It was Snow's twelfth birthday, and she was standing before her father among a group of others summoned.
"It is official. Troops from Prox are marching here even as we speak," King Arthur said heavily. "I will bring our army to face them. We cannot fight near Imil, or our people will get caught up in the battle as well."
He named the captains who would be travelling with him to fight the Proxian army. The rest, he added, would remain in Imil to protect the people.
"The Queen will be in charge while I am away. Listen to her. Seek her opinion in the decisions you make. Akafubu will advise her," he said. Akafubu bowed low, as the Queen nodded, her beautiful face grave.
The King turned to leave, then paused in front of Snow. He had not spoken to her since he put her in the Queen's care.
"You look more and more like your mother each day, my daughter," he murmured. Giving her a swift one-armed hug, he put her down and swished out of the room before his feelings got the better of him. Snow watched as his cape disappeared out of the door.
It would be a long, terrible war, she knew.
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It was Snow's fourteenth birthday, and she was hiding behind the curtain in the great hall with the other awed servants. The Queen was seated on the throne, with a long line of merchants before her. She raised a beautiful amethyst necklace and admired it, before dropping a bag of gold into the waiting hands of the merchant before her. He bowed and left, jiggling the bag.
As a second merchant stepped forward with a lovely dress, and a third with a silken fan, Snow watched the gold of the treasury drain away.
She wished she was clever enough to argue with the Queen.
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It was Snow's sixteenth birthday, and she was cleaning the great hall with Kushinada and Susa. The Queen had had yet another of her big balls the day before, to show off her new gown, her new cape, her newest collection of rubies, and the crown which had had its blue sapphires replaced by amethysts, because "they match my eyes". All the nobles were impressed, and each of them told the Queen how beautiful she was.
Having lived all her life among artificial beauty, Snow was feeling rather tired of it. She felt that the golden light of the sunset, the green lawns of the gardens, and the crystal waves of the ocean was far lovelier than her stepmother.
But no one argued with the Queen, or they would end up like that butcher who had dared to criticise the Queen's fan.
Hung up above the city gates.
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It was Snow's seventeenth birthday, and she was out pruning the garden with Uzume. The Queen frowned as she watched from her window, for it was not proper to have a princess prune the garden, and any passing nobles would assume it was the Queen's fault.
She made a note to tell Akafubu, when the shaman knocked and entered the room, dressed in his usual brightly coloured robes.
"What a coincidence, have you learnt to read my mind?" she asked carelessly. Akafubu bowed low, then motioned for two men to carry a wrapped parcel into the room. They set it down, then bowed themselves out.
"This, Your Majesty, is a magic mirror. It has a spirit in it that will always tell you the truth," Akafubu announced. "It is a gift from my people of Kibombo, and I hope you will like it."
He bowed again, then exited. Curious, the Queen unwrapped the brown parcel to reveal a large, shining mirror. It had an intricately carved frame of silver, and purple kunzites set at the top. Twin phoenixes flew up either side, wings spread, tails entwining at the bottom. It was beautiful, and the Queen smiled with satisfaction.
She hung it up on the wall in place of her old, plain mirror. Standing back, she gave a nod and allowed her thoughts to wander to what Akafubu had said about magic…
"Oh it couldn't be," she said with a tinkling laugh. "I always thought that old man was not sane."
Tossing her head up, placing her hands on her hips, she tilted her head towards the mirror.
"Mirror,
mirror, on the wall
Who in this land is fairest of all?"
Nothing happened, and she chuckled knowingly. Then a purple light filled the surface of the mirror, before the silhouette of a face appeared on it.
The Queen fell backwards onto her bed, her eyes wide with shock. Then the face spoke.
"You, my Queen, are fairest of all."
It was a quiet, girlish voice that spoke. The Queen was recovering from her surprise.
"You are telling the truth?"
"I am not allowed to lie, for the magic that keeps me here makes me tell the truth," came the reply.
Satisfied with this answer, the Queen smiled.
Akafubu was truly a wizard.
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It was Snow's eighteenth birthday, and she was sitting in the garden carving a sculpture out of ice. She made a perfectly shaped replica of Kushinada and a swan, and smiled upon her masterpiece. The merchants walking by were enchanted by her youthful beauty and the look of happiness in her face as she sat by her statues of crystal.
When the Queen accepted a purple sapphire from one merchant, he offered her a lovely blue turquoise necklace as well.
"T'would go well with Princess Snow's eyes," he explained eagerly, hoping to be well paid. "She's grown up to be so beautiful, hasn't she, Your Majesty?"
The Queen pursed up her lips without speaking. The man was thrown from the castle with all his wares, and warned never to return.
The next day, Snow was confined to the keep of the castle. Not knowing why, she sat down in the music room and tried not to cry. Uzume snuck in to play for her on the harpsichord, and soon Snow was happy again, dancing for her friend with graceful gestures she learned from the water.
Young Lord Madra, who was passing by, was drawn to her sweet face and happy smile. He watched as she talked to Uzume, chuckling softly. So he went to the Queen and asked for her hand in marriage.
"For she is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," he declared.
That day, the Queen stripped him of his lands.
The next day, Snow was confined to her room. Izumo tried to comfort her, but she could not stop crying.
"What did I do wrong? What have I done to deserve this?" she sobbed.
"Princess, please stop crying," Izumo pleaded.
"She will not let me out! Not see Kushinada, or Susa, or Uzume, or Minnie…" Snow gulped. "I will be all alone… again…"
"No, you won't, Princess! Old Izumo will be here! Do stop crying, Princess!"
But Snow continued to cry. She had not cried since Queen Marian passed away, and all the feelings of being abandoned then came flooding in now. She had no mother, her father was away, and now her only friends in the world were forbidden to her. Loneliness overwhelmed her, and she cried as if her heart had broken, as indeed it had.
She cried so hard that the servants whispered among themselves. She cried so hard that Izumo was at a loss of what to do. She cried so hard that the ladies who had never liked her said sneeringly that she was acting like a child rather than an eighteen year old woman.
Until the Queen came in.
"Stop that noise at once!" she commanded.
Snow's cries softened to a whimper.
"You are acting like a spoilt baby. You should take your punishment gracefully, and without complaint, like a princess."
"But what have I done to deserve this punishment? What did I do wrong?" Snow asked. The Queen did not answer. She turned to Izumo.
"You have failed to teach the Princess how to behave. Pack your things and leave immediately," she ordered. Izumo's eyes widened in fear.
"No, no! You cannot dismiss Izumo! She has been my nurse all these years, and…" Snow protested.
"You are too big for a nurse now. Behave yourself," the Queen said stiffly. Then she left the room.
Izumo looked away. Then she smiled at the princess.
"Be good, Princess," she said. Then she fled from the room.
Snow lay down and cried softly. She knew then that it was useless to defy the Queen, or the people she loved would suffer.
From then on, she lived like a puppet, staying in her room, eating because she had to. She obeyed all of the Queen's commands whenever the Queen visited her, which was rare.
"Stand up straight."
"Look ahead."
"Keep your eyes modestly lowered."
She was fated to obey the Queen in whatever she did. For the rest of her life.
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It was spring, and the Queen was wearing her new spring clothes.
"Mirror,
mirror on the wall,
Who in this land is fairest of all?"
The Queen smiled as she sat in her favourite armchair, waiting expectantly for the answer.
The spirit in the mirror sighed. She knew what was being done to the princess, and she didn't like it. She knew what would be done to the princess if she gave this answer today. But already her lips were opening to reply, and she hated herself as she spoke.
"You, my Queen, are fair; it is
true.
But kind young Snow is fairer than you."
Fire flashed in the Queen's eyes. She stood up abruptly, hatred marring her beautiful face.
"So! That sly little fox wants to be fairer than me?" she hissed. "It will be centuries before she can hope to win me!"
She swept out of the room. The spirit of the mirror watched her go, then buried her violet eyes in her hands and cried.
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Snow was sitting quietly in her room, embroidering a dove onto her new bedspread, when the door opened, and the Queen came in.
She stood up at once, putting aside the bedspread, and curtsied to the Queen, keeping her eyes lowered.
Then the Queen stepped closer and enveloped her in a hug. Snow's eyes flickered with surprise at the touch.
"My dear, I'm afraid… I've been wrong," the Queen said softly. She pulled back and smiled a charming smile at her stepdaughter, taking her hands in both of her own.
"I shouldn't have kept you hidden in here. You've become so pale, so miserable…" The Queen hesitated, then squeezed her hands. "But now it will change."
Snow stared at her, still stunned. She did not know what to say, for this… this kind lady was not who her stepmother had always been.
"Young girls require sunlight, and fresh air, and fun, not a lifetime of being locked up. I see that now. Please forgive my foolishness, and I hope you will accept my apologies," the Queen said. Again, her kind, charming smile. It had been so long since anyone smiled at Snow, and she felt something warm in her heart stir.
"Of course, my Queen. It is forgiven and forgotten," she said readily. The smile widened, and became, if possible, even lovelier.
"Splendid! My dear girl, I have arranged for you to have a picnic in the forest today. It should be fun, to go out and breathe the fresh air, and feel the sunlight on your face, and watch the baby deer as they dance with their mothers!"
"Out… into the forest? Away from the castle?" Snow gasped. The Queen beamed.
"Yes, yes! It will open a whole new world to you, wouldn't it? I need to talk to the farmers today, but I have hired an escort for you, and he will look after you! You need have no fear, Princess Snow, and I hope you will enjoy yourself today."
The Queen waved a maid in, who set a pretty but sturdy dress on Snow's bed. Snow immediately saw that it was made of tougher material than the silks and satins she had been made to wear. This was for the outdoors. The kind consideration of her stepmother finally pierced her bewildered mind, and she smiled for the first time at the Queen.
"Thank you, my Queen," she said softly, her eyes shining with hope. The Queen smiled back.
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Piers stroked the head of his horse thoughtfully. It was not often that one was invited by the Queen to take the Princess out. In fact, he was pretty certain that there was a rule about having a chaperone somewhere. But he had been paid well, and his lunch for the day had been provided, and he would be able to go to the beautiful woods of Kolima, so he was happy.
The Queen came out of the gates towards him, leading a young girl by the hand. She was dressed in warm, sturdy clothes, so he knew she had to be the Princess Snow that no other commoner had ever seen.
Blue eyes. Blue hair. Like his own. Piers saw the Princess give a start when she saw him. Evidently, she was surprised at his appearance too.
Could she be a Mercury Adept like himself? Not every human with blue hair and eyes had Psynergy, but there was a chance. Adepts were not very well liked by normal humans, because they feared their powers, so Piers had always kept his abilities hidden.
He bowed as the Queen introduced him to her daughter, and she nodded graciously at him. Then a grey mare was led up by the stablemaster, and as Piers made to assist her in mounting, the Princess put one foot in her stirrup and sprang lightly up to sit sidesaddle. She smiled at Piers for the help she did not need, and took hold of her reins.
So this was not one of those silly ladies that giggled. The day had just gotten brighter. Piers vaulted onto his own horse, and led the way out of Imil, wondering if Princess Snow could hold an intelligent conversation.
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Piers was a very nice young man, riding at her pace and inquiring after her health. And he had blue hair and blue eyes like her own. Like Queen Marian's. Snow had never seen anyone else with blue hair and blue eyes.
She kept quiet as they rode through the countryside, her eyes taking in everything around her. Snow had never been out of the castle, so she had only heard of and read about the whole new world that she was now in. She watched in fascination as the farmers hoed their land. She watched as the dairy ladies drove their cows along. She watched as they left Imil, and went past the town of Bilibin.
She watched as the townspeople walked around, chattering noisily. She watched as the merchants and traders bargained about food and wares. She watched the troubadours play a lively jig, as dancers swayed around with silken scarves. She watched as a magician took a rabbit from his hat.
Piers smiled at the wonder on her face.
"It is the first time Your Highness has been out of the castle, hasn't it?" he asked.
"Yes. It is all so new and exciting," she replied. Then she turned to watch a fire-eater, and gasped as he swallowed the fire. Not because it was a wonderful trick, but because she could see the circles of Psynergy surround the man.
"That… Psy… He…" she muttered, pulling her mare to a stop. Piers eyed her thoughtfully.
"Princess, can you see his Psynergy?" he asked.
"Yes, but I don't understand. I thought Psynergy was only to create wa…" Snow stopped suddenly. She stared at Piers, startled. Piers smiled, then nudged her mare on.
"I, too am an adept, Princess. You need not worry about speaking with me."
They rode on in silence until they came to the Kolima Forest. It was extremely large, with beautiful trees of green. Warm golden light flitted through the canopy of leaves, casting a comfortable glow around the entire forest. Even their horses whinnied with pleasure as they trotted through the woods.
When they reached an empty clearing, Piers stopped his palomino mare and dismounted. Spreading a large piece of cloth on the ground, he took the lunch basket from his saddle and motioned for Snow to sit down. Unsaddling both horses, he gave each one a gentle pat on the rump, and they moved away to crop the long, lush green grass of the forest.
"Won't they get lost?" Snow asked.
"They'll come when they're called, don't worry," Piers replied.
They ate in comfortable silence at first. The food prepared by Kushinada and the other cooks were delicious. Rabbits came out to play near them, deer bounded past them, and small birds came to peck up the crumbs. It was a setting straight from a fairytale, and Snow felt peaceful and happy as butterflies fluttered around her.
Piers
finished first and lay down with a grunt. Something rustled in his
pocket then, and he remembered the piece of parchment that the Queen
had given him when she handed half his payment over.
"Read
it when you get to the forest,"
she had instructed. Piers reached into his pocket, when an acorn
landed on his nose.
He sat up in a hurry, forgetting all about the note, and saw Snow grinning at him.
"Don't go to sleep, lazybones," she said. "I'd like to talk for a while."
"Um, sure," Piers said, rubbing his nose. "What would you like to talk about?"
"Just now, that fire-eater… He was using Psynergy, wasn't he?" she said hesitantly. "But I thought Psynergy was made only to create water, and ice."
Aha, thought Piers. "What you speak of, Princess, is the Water Psynergy. You and I are Mercury Adepts. But there are Adepts of other elements. That fire-eater was one of them."
"Other elements?" Snow repeated.
"That's right. This world is made of all four elements; Fire, Water, Wind and Earth. There are Adepts that draw power from each of the elements; Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus respectively. We all have different abilities from each other," Piers explained.
"Oh."
A rabbit ran over Snow's lap and disappeared into the bushes.
"What kinds of Psynergy do you know?" Snow asked. "I can freeze things, and make it rain, and heal little wounds, but that's all."
"Frost, Douse, and Ply," Piers recited. "I can do that, and create diamonds of ice, and cure poisons…"
"Will you show me?" Snow asked eagerly. Just then, Piers stood up, his eyes grim.
"Quiet, Princess. Something's not right," he said. Puzzled, Snow obeyed, moving behind him. Piers scanned the trees of the forest.
"What's wrong?" Snow whispered.
"The animals. They're gone. It's too quiet," he murmured, eyes still scanning furiously for any sign of movement.
There! It crashed into the clearing suddenly with a large roar, standing on both hindlegs.
"A Mauler!" Piers reached towards his saddle and pulled a sword out of his sheath with one swift movement. Racing towards the bear, he struck at its left hindleg. Blood spilled from the cut as the Mauler roared in anger.
"Piers!"
"Stay away, Princess!" Kolima Forest was usually peaceful and safe, but once in a while, monsters like this would show up. Piers slashed at it again, but his first attack had missed a vital spot, and the Mauler was on its guard. It smacked his sword away with one mighty paw and knocked him to the ground. Piers cursed under his breath as he rolled away to safety before the Mauler could squash him.
Then he noticed that the note from the Queen had fallen from his pocket. It was lying open in front of him.
"Kill the princess. Bring me back her heart and her liver."
Piers froze.
"Piers! Behind you!" Snow waved her hands frantically. The water from the grass below the Mauler froze suddenly, and the Mauler tripped. Piers rolled away again and raised his hands. More ice froze, trapping the Mauler to the ground.
"Princess…" he gasped. "Run."
"What?"
"Run, now!! You'll be killed otherwise!"
"But you did it, the bear's not moving any…"
"The Queen's after your life!"
The bear thrashed its forepaws and howled in agony.
"She can't be," Snow said numbly.
"It's true!! She wants me to bring her your heart and liver. Run away, Princess, before it's too late!" Piers yelled. The Mauler broke free of the ice and leapt to its feet.
Snow took one step backwards.
"But…"
"Run!"
As the Mauler charged at Piers, Snow turned and ran, deep into the forest of Kolima.
"Diamond Dust!"
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She ran. Not knowing where she was going, not knowing what she was going to do, she simply ran. Having believed that the Queen was kind, that the Queen understood her… Having had her hopes raised, she did not know how to react to the betrayal.
Snow did not want to think, so she ran. Her mind blank, her heart empty of all except fear, she simply ran on. The forest grew darker as she ran deeper. The trees became taller, like a tower. The calls of the animals had disappeared, and the sinister silence grew louder.
More trees flashed before her eyes, and when everything became black, Snow collapsed.
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"Awaken, little one."
"Awaken."
Snow blinked, and opened her eyes. She saw branches, leaves, and a face. She was cradled by hard roots and soft grass.
"Where… where am I?" she whispered. Then all the thoughts came flooding to her.
Snow wept. She sat up and covered her face with her hands. The Queen had betrayed her. No, she had never wanted her for a daughter in the first place. She had been kind and friendly because she wanted Snow to go to the forest, so that she could kill Snow.
And now…
Snow was alone again. Alone, without a home, for she could not return to the castle. Alone, without a family, because she had no family. Alone, without friends, for her friends were back at the castle.
"Little one, why are you crying?"
Snow flinched at the sound. She lowered her hands and looked around fearfully. There was not a single living soul in sight. Who had spoken to her?
"Here, little one. Up here," The voice sounded amused, but kind. Snow looked up. A face was smiling at her from the tree trunk.
She nearly screamed, but her voice stuck in her throat.
"Don't be afraid of me, little one. I am Laurel, a spirit of the forest. I guarded you while you were sleeping. Will you tell me why you are weeping so sadly?"
Her eyes were kind, and her lips were smiling. Snow wanted to disbelieve her, wanted to run away from her, because she didn't believe that anyone could be kind to her, after being deceived by the Queen. But somehow, she knew that Laurel was truly good. That Laurel's smile was genuine, that her soulful green eyes were as gentle as they seemed. That she had nothing to fear from this beautiful tree.
So she talked to Laurel about her escape from her stepmother. She told Laurel that she had had everything taken away from her; her friends, her nurse, her home. She talked about her loneliness, her sudden hopefulness this morning, the desolate despair later when she realised that the Queen did not love her. She had never felt so alone, so tired, and so confused, before. And she was hungry too, she realised.
"I… wonder what death is like," she whispered. "I don't like it, because Mother looked so tired when she approached it."
"Your time is not up, little one. Not yet. Dry your eyes and listen to me," Laurel said gently. One thin branch brushed a teardrop from Snow's face.
"Not far from here, deep in the forest, there is a home waiting for you. It has food and a comfortable bed, and friends too, if you are willing. All you have to do is believe, and keep on hoping."
Laurel's branches raised Snow from her roots.
"Go, little one. Life may seem terribly weary, but storms will always pass, and the sun will shine again. Go safely on. The trees of Kolima Forest bless you."
Snow nodded, a little dazed.
"Why… Why are you helping me?" she asked.
Laurel smiled. "Why do I help my saplings grow? Why does the wind blow?"
Snow walked on in the direction Laurel pointed.
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It was a cottage, built from stone, with a straw thatched roof. A little stable and a small pen lay on one side of it, and a wooden shed lay on the other side. Situated in a beautiful little clearing, it had a sandy path from the front door to the little wooden bridge across the silvery stream some distance away. The path from the bridge disappeared into the trees.
She walked down the path cautiously and knocked on the door of the cottage.
"H-hello? Anybody home?" she called. When she received no reply, she took hold of the iron doorknob and turned---and to her surprise, it opened.
Stepping in, Snow found herself in a quaint little room with a wooden table and seven wooden chairs. A hearth was sitting unlit in one corner, an empty pot hanging over it. A wooden cupboard stood in another corner. A third cabinet was put up high on the wall with several shelves. A wooden staircase leading to the second floor loomed in the last corner.
On the table were seven empty wooden bowls, each with a wooden spoon inside. Seven wooden cups were placed beside them, and in the very middle of the table, one big wooden bowl had seven rolls of bread in them.
Feeling hungry, Snow reached eagerly for the bread, then stopped, knowing that it would be thievery if she just ate them. But her stomach was growling after all that running, and the bread looked so tasty…
She removed the jewelled bracelet her mother had given her and placed it beside the bowl, wishing she had something else to pay for eating. Then she took one roll of bread and began to eat. It was delicious, and she took another. Then another.
When she had eaten four rolls of bread, she felt tired. Apologising silently to the absent owners of the cottage, she stepped cautiously up the staircase and peered at the seven beds squeezed together on the second floor. It looked small compared to her large room back at the castle, but Snow felt glad that it was different. She lay down on the first bed she saw, which was as soft as snow, and closed her eyes wearily.
When the owners returned, she would apologise for the intrusion.
When the owners returned, she would ask if she could stay.
When the owners returned…
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Seven lighted candles moved through the front door.
"What the…! Hey, look at the table! Some of our bread's gone!"
"Garet, look at this! It's a jewel bracelet!"
"Aha! I knew someone came in when we were out. Those footsteps on the grass explained everything!"
"Hmm…Who with a jewel bracelet would come in here?"
"Maybe it's someone who got lost in the forest, and needed a place to stay."
"You think whoever it is is still around?"
"There aren't any footsteps leading out."
"So you think he could be hiding in here still?!"
"Is it a burglar? Is it a burglar?"
Snow stirred unsteadily as she heard the unfamiliar voices. It was so warm. So comfortable.
Where was she?
She opened her eyes and blinked, just as a startled face appeared above her.
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Um, well. Yeah. My beginnings are always kind of… strange, I know.
Please give me your opinions! Do you like the NPCs I've put in here? How is the flow of the story? Did I write the 'old fairytale style' properly?
Raitei, I hope you've enjoyed this. Guess what pairing it's going to be? =D
Daidairo