It was Hen Wen who spotted the girl first. Taran bent over the pond, slurping crystal water among the lilypads and dreaming about the daring exploits he would undertake if only he had a proper golden suit of armor.
"The greatest warrior in all Prydain!" he mumbled, trance-like as stared into the watery eyes of his reflection. "A true hero!"
When he remembered, first in his vision, and then in reality, that Hen Wen was an integral part of his mission, the pig had long disappeared.
"Just my luck," said Taran. He tramped around in the brush before deciding to circle back to the cottage, just in case Hen Wen had remembered about dinnertime. He could scarcely focus on anything but daydreams and dinnertime today, even though the sun had not yet peaked for the day and he had gobbled down exactly three bowls of burned porridge at breakfast an hour ago.
The boy stepped out of the glen and surveyed the little sun-spotted farm. A girl, no older than he was, and considerably smaller and paler, was sitting in front of Dallben's cottage. Hen Wen snuggled happily in her lap and Taran's plump ginger tomcat curled round her shoulders and both of them looked about to start purring, which was something the cat never did with Taran and something that Hen Wen was technically incapable of doing. Something between a pout and a sneer crossed Taran's face as he clomped down the hill to the house.
"Oh!" Snow White exclaimed. Hen Wen opened one eye and peered at her master, who was still unforgiven. "You must be the boy who is taking us to the cottage at the edge of the Forbidden Forest."
"Yeah right," said Taran. "You can't come, this is a mission only for Hen and me. Besides, the Horned King has his demon army prowling about these days. He already knows about us. It's far too dangerous for a girl like you."
Snow White laughed. She had survived an attempted murder, a forest of ghoulish trees, snapping crocodiles, colonies of screeching bats, the thunderous rage of her own bloody heart. She did not fear the dangers of the wide world; she invited them.
"He can't possibly be worse than my stepmother," she told Taran. "Come, we're wasting time. I'll tell you all about her on the way. And do try to hold Hen Wen's lead a little tighter this time. We wouldn't want to risk losing her again - even if she does have the protection of the greatest warrior in all Prydain."