Chapter one: Running Towards Fate

Evening

west portion of the Enchanted Forest

1oo miles from the castle

The girl ran.

Faster and faster she pushed herself; already losing any hind sight of direction on her moral compass. Her bare, small feet caught sideways on a snaggle root protruding from the forest floor. She fell. The forest becoming a hypotonic array of colors as the sky became the ground and the ground the sky. She bit her cheek, tasting blood, as she held in a yelp. Pushing her chopped and uneven nails into the earth's soil, she pushed herself up to her feet. Blood and dirt smeared across her face as she wiped her haggard brow.

Yaowllllll

Fear gripped her has she heard the bay of the hounds' bark behind her. She imagined their black, blood caked muzzles, their pointy red crimson eyes that could hold any grown man to the spot in which he stood, their razor trimmed claws that could shred a hapless victim and the teeth that could cut through a grown man's arm. She looked around her, but all she could see for miles and miles onward was tree after tree. It seemed the old Birchwood and Oaks shared in their own private joke as their arms danced in the wind, watching from knurled and hollowed sockets in their faces as she feel to their ploys.

"There she is!"

Snow's back went rigid with ice cold fear upon hearing the deep voice of Samuel, the captain of the guard. The man sat tall and proud on his chest-nut brown stallion. He led an assemblage of his most trusted warriors. She slid behind a tree just as she felt a breath of air pass by her cheek. A goes fletched arrow smacked home in the tree she had hid behind with a loud thump. Flecks of auburn bark sprinkled onto the ground and bit into Snow's pale flesh like ants. She held her breathing, praying to the Lord her mother had so conveniently prayed to when she had dragged Snow to the alter every Sunday morning for mass.

"Kenneth, take your men and barricade us in. I do not want her slipping pass us!" Samuel, Captain of the queen's guards commanded in his grate like tone.

Samuel came down off his horse. His armored Solleret, a piece of armor that covered the knights' foot, rusted with battle field gore, crunched in the leaves. Snow peeked out from behind the tree she hid behind, taking in Samuel for the first time with her eyes instead of just hearing his voice.

He was a tall man, about eleven and a half hands-breadth high. His hair was pitch black and swept up past his ears in a military style cut. His skin was pale and unblemished with no pockmarks or scars visible on the flesh. He was a handsome man to be sure, the only thing that diminished his attention given to him by the ladies was the fact he did not have a left eye.

He had earned this causality when he was eighteen years old and serving the old king, by his father's side, in the army when the kingdom had went to war. Samuel, wanting to prove himself to his king and father had rode in with the front line, and in doing so, messed up the count for the attack sequencing killing a handful of men. And a foe's lance had flown through the mess, taking advantage and sliced opened Samuel's face. The punishment was his father banishing him from his name and the king, Snow's father was not a harsh man, but measure's had to be taken and de-ranked Samuel back to squire. He had been banished from his family, de-ranked, and lost his eye all in one day, and since then he had turned sour and vile taking pleasure in other's pain. And to take vengeance on all who made him look a fool he killed his father then betrayed the King, but he was not yet satisfied.

One

Snow breathed out and her mind whirled. She knew there was no way she would be able to run and outrun the men that surrounded her and the captain. She would be shot down with arrows if she dared tried. Not to kill her, no, but enough for her to fall and stumble, to make her legs unable to ever work again.

Two

Snow looked on the ground. The only choice she had was to fight. She knew how to fight, she was not some noble royalty who sat in a circle of ladies in waiting all day sewing until her fingers went numb, no she handled a needle, but it was a bigger and much larger needle. It had been a long time since she last handled any weapon and seeing how she did not have one now, she would have to make do.

Three

The raven haired girl picked up a rock by her feet. It was the size of both her hands and she had to use all her strength to lift it. It was jagged and cut, and, she knew, if she aimed just right, deadly.

Fou-

He was upon her.

Snow stepped back a few feet, raising the rock up, ready to charge. The captain smirked, and titled his head to one side his hollow eye hole a black void on his face. He charged at Snow his armored wrist guard swiping up at her. The force of his movement and the needle pointed spike came close to Snow's cheek, caused Snow to stumble back and land hard on the ground. She drew in breath in a sharp hiss as her back hit the ground. She was dazed.

"Come now princess," Samuel said as he leaned over her, his breath smelling faintly of red wine, "stop playing soldier and come home, back to your cage little bird. No harm will come to you, I promise."

"Over my dead body!" Snow spat.

"Fortunate for you, I have orders not to kill you, but," he said as he withdrew a small dagger from the sheath on his left leg, "no one will look to closely at a few scratches….a princess running in a forest….such a foolish thing…you'll hurt yourself!"

He swung down in a fast motion….and Snow thrusted her rock upwards deflecting the knife-edge. This bought her a few mere moments to roll on her side and up to her feet. She regained her balanced and controlled her breathing. All the lessons taught to her by her instructor coming back to her. The captain in his struggle dropped the dagger and Snow picked it up, this time causing the guard to be at the end of the cold metal.

The captain pulled out another blade, a short rapier hidden on his persons…then they danced.

Snow hurled herself forward and swung the sword upwards, the blade flashing in the evening purple lit dappled sun. The captain blocked and delivered a sideways blow: Steel clang against steel. Snow counted her paces, careful not slip on the forest ground. Samuel fought like a man living with only vengeance in every breath he took. Every swing was heavy and while controlled to an extent he reflected in his eyes he lusted for a taste of blood.

Samuel came at snow hoping to knock her to the ground and force the dagger away from her pale hands; he could see she was becoming tired from the perspiration that gathered on her hairline. Easily deflecting a faint blow, he chopped down at her legs. The swing was too tight in the course and swung past the intend mark, but snow was not fast enough. The blade cut a line in her cheek. Blood begin to trickle, red on white. Losing her footing she stumbled backwards. She was losing, she knew, as the captain begun to swing left and right, hard and heavy; it was taking everything she had to deflect, to stab outwards, and to dodge right and left.

The dagger spun out of her hand and he connected the blades. She was weaponless.

He laughed, "Seems I caught the little bird! I hope this, my dear, taught you a lesson. You are a doll and should be kept up on a shelf where you can cause no harm to you or others. Now come, your queen wishes to see you."

"She is not my queen," Snow said holding her chin up high," she is a vile woman and has no place on my father's throne. She killed my mother and then my father. She is a monster."

Samuel stuck her across her face. "Hold your tongue."

The slapped burned and snow glared and backed against the tree behind her. She knew she would have to go back, there was no escape now. How she wished she could be free from-

-the ground gave away. Snow went tumbling down into the ground. Past roots and muddy smelling soil she went. Then she stopped. Only she didn't really stop, but feel into a pool of water. Her tunic came up around her from the pressure and her vision went black. Her nose came clogged with water and from the sharp cold of the landing she let out a hiss of air, bubbles sprung up around her, tickling her.

The last thing she recalled while trying to swim upwards was her foot getting caught in something….something plant like…then realizing she was drowning.

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