So, after having been looking forward to the movie for months I watched it several times by now - and I think it rocks! Thus, I decided to set my first fanfic in the SWATH verse. Although I totally root for the Snow/Eric-romance, their relationship won't play a role in this story - for it is settled in earlier years, whilst Snow was locked up in the Tower. I hope you enjoy this dark story. Reviews very welcome, of course! ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters from Snow White and the Huntsman.
A Guide in the Darkness - Chapter 1
When they came for her, she wasn't as unprepared as they might have wished. Since being neither blind nor deaf she was well aware of the growing number of young girls and women gone missing from neighbouring villages – never to be seen again. So instead of going quietly with the two dark-clad knights that came in the front and back door of the humble but cosy house she shared with her husband she fought them viciously until one of the burly men ended up howling on the floor – with a hunting knife imbedded deep into his calf. The other however managed to effectively knock her out cold with a mighty blow against her temple.
Which was why she found herself slowly regaining consciousness whilst being dragged rather harshly through an eerily dark tunnel. Through the throbbing ache in her head she heard the constant sound of water dripping down roughly hewn stone walls, and the smell of something decaying in one of the dark alcoves caused her stomach to churn dangerously. She clamped her mouth shut against the nausea that threatened to overwhelm her and forbid her brain to do the math on what this inhospitable environment meant for her immediate future.
So when they opened a squeaking iron door and shoved her unceremoniously to the ground of the small cell she knew but didn't consciously acknowledge the fact that despite all the efforts that she and her husband had put into laying low and staying under the radar she had been caught by the most devastating power this kingdom had ever known: Queen Ravenna.
'You're in shock or mentally damaged from the concussion', she told herself inwardly – 'that's why you are not screaming your head of in desperate denial but are seemingly calmly calculating your chances to get out of this situation.' Her inner self had a good laugh at this mental inventory while she took in what 'this situation' really meant: The Queens guards had captured her – along with some other girls of her remote village. Without a single word, let alone any explanation, they had locked her up in a dungeon cell of about six square metres with no window, a smelly bucket in one corner and an old rag for a cot. The only source of light was a torch outside her cell that flickered in the stream of cold air that constantly blew through the gloomy tunnel. Soon she shivered from the breeze – and, although she would not admit it to herself, from the realization that despite she had heard of many girls being captured by the Queen she knew of none who ever came back.
This was the point where she literally felt her protective inner walls shatter – and though she fought it with all her heart a devastating desperation hit her like ton of bricks: She would die inside these cruel stone walls! - Without anybody knowing … without anybody caring … without ever seeing him again! Her chest heaved rapidly with heavy panting that grew panicky by the minute. Soon she knew she would drown in a wave of desperation – never to resurface.
While she silently fought against the overwhelming depression and the temptation of losing herself in its promise of blissfull nothingness a tiny sound registered through her inner turmoil. She managed to drag herself out of the whirling chaos of her mind – using the sound as a guide, willing her chattering teeth to stop and her ragged breathing to calm in order to identify what that strange tune was and where it came from.
Her first impression was that of a very small animal in very deep pain. But when she had calmed enough to really listen she recognized that in fact it wasn't a mere sound – it was words that the air flow dragged to her. Which meant that it wasn't animals – it was a human voice she heard! Which in turn meant she was not alone down here! Upon this realization she couldn't help but feel immensely relieved. Forcing herself to fully get a grip she was soon able to make out single words – which did nothing to help her keep the feeling of relief much longer: The voice was childlike. It sounded scared and hopeless. It only repeated one word: „Help!"
