Male: Eric The Huntsman

Series: Snow White And The Huntsman

Kagome frowned as she made her way through the forest, something was off, she could fell it in her very bones. She weaved her way through he trees and underbrush, her knee length green tunic like dress snagging only lightly. Her soft brown leather boots, over black leggings, muffled her steps as she navigated her way through the woods she had come to call home.

Her breath came out in small puffs, winter was approaching and bringing with it bone chilling cold, her pale skin was flushed as her body shivered at the low temperature. Her hair was pulled back from her pale angular face, tied by a leather string to keep it out of her dark blue eyes. Her arrows rattled lightly in their old leather quiver, the hawk feathers of her arrows shifting lightly in the breeze.

She had been born and raised in the small village boarding the 'wicked forest' which was said to hold monsters and more. She scoffed at those rumors, it could be dangerous but only to those it did not like. She was one of the very few that it had welcomed into its depths and had shown her its secrets, she would be ever grateful for that.

After the Queen had come into power, killing the King to do so, the kingdom had fallen into darkness. Women young and old were gathered and brought to her castle and were never seen again. She had fled, being but twelve at the time, into the forest, carnage and screams echoing behind her. She had not wanted to flee, wanting to stay with her mother and father but her mother had been captured and her father slain, his dying words telling her to run.

It had almost seemed like a life time ago, she was now in her late twenties and the 'witch of the wicked forest', she was fine with that. People left her alone, she liked to be alone, yet there was someone in her forest and she knew she should look into it. So with hastened steps, hoping it was not anyone under the banner of the Queen, she made her way towards the disturbance.

She could smell the ale and hear his bodily fictions far before she saw him, he let out a loud drunken belch as she came upon him, hiding in the brush to observe the intrude her. He was no doubt a huntsman; he wore weathered dark brown leather, carried an axe as well as other hunting knives and was haggard looking. He had dark brown almost black hair pulled back into a small pony tail, the rest of his hair flowing down to rest above his shoulders. His hair was matted and just as dirty as the rest of him, he was unshaven and drunk out of his mind.

She watched him for a few more minutes; he took a sloppy drink from a leather flask, ale trailing down his chin, trying to decide what to do. Most of the time she would leave drunkards be, let the forest do as it pleased with them. Yet, event though he was drunk off his ass, literally sitting on the cold hard ground, she could sense a deep sadness from within him. Her own sadness seemed to echo his, and with a sigh her mind was made up.

Her feet made the barest of sounds and she was surprised when light blue eyes narrowed in her direction. She paused only for a moment before approaching him, keeping his gaze. He laughed lightly. "I must be drunk to see such a vision in such a cursed forest." She arched an eyebrow at him and nudged him with her foot. "I assure you I am real, as is the danger you are in."

He merely took another swig of his ale and leaned back against a tree, looking ready to pass out. He cracked an eye open at her. "Are you not also in danger? Wandering these woods alone." She shrugged her shoulders, feeling a slight headache creep up on her, not used to dealing with people, let alone drunk ones. "No more so then anything else that lives here."

He gave a light hearted chuckled. "Would you be the witch of these woods?" He looked her over head to toe and laughed some more running a hand through his tangled and mattered hair. "You look like no witch I've ever seen."

She cocked her hip as she stared down at him, hating to be leered at like a piece of meat, but he was drunk. "I am no more a witch then you are a noble." She took the jab, his leer still fresh in her mind. He sat up a bit, slightly unbalanced. "How do you know I'm not a noble?" She merely gave him a blank stare and he let out a hearty laugh. "Ah, point taken!"

She shook her head as other things in the forest started to take notice of the intruder and with a sigh she crouched before and leveled him with a cool stare. "If you wish to live I suggest moving your drunken self elsewhere…other things are taking notice and they are not as nice as I." She watched as the mirth fled from his eyes and was replaced with pain and bitterness.

"…You same seeking death." It was a statement not a question and they both knew it. He merely grunted and took a swig form his now almost empty flask. She sighed, many often came to the forest to meet their ends, though none had come in such a manner. Drunk and still drinking merely as they waited for their end to find them, waiting to greet it like an old friend.

With a sigh she stood up, ready to leave him to his fate, for who was she to deny him something he had chosen and for his own reasons. She paused as he made a small sound, she craned her neck to look at him one brow arched. "Yes?"

He furrowed his eyebrows at the young lass, no younger than him then by five years or so. He had not expected to meet the 'witch of the forest' let alone for her to be such an innocent fair looking young woman, or so serene surrounded by such darkness. "You do not wish stop me?" It was an innocent and curious question.

"Who am I to stop you, a mere stranger, from doing what you want. I'm sure you have your reasons, but I would not like to get caught up in them." It was true, she was perfectly fine living in her hut alone surrounded by the forest that protected her. She had no want or need to get tangled up in this strangers affairs.

Hr couldn't help the gut busting laugh that escaped him, she was so blunt! Unlike the other women he had met who talked in riddles and played with a man like he was a toy, a puppet whose strings they could pull and tangle and then toss them to the side when they were bored.

Kagome stared at the man, wondering if he had gone mad, if so then she would take her leave now. Nothing was more dangerous than a drunken mad man. With a shake of her head she began to walk away, sighing when she noticed the havens had opened up and snow was lightly falling, turning the world around her white.

A small soft smile pulled at her lips, she loved the snow, it made everything white…pure. She paused in her steps when she heard light ones following after her. With dread settling in her stomach she turned around and saw the mad drunkard. "What do you want?"

He grinned as he staggered over to her, his footsteps almost inaudible. "You intrigue me." He paused as she glared at him, his mirth falling lightly. "You remind me of my wife…she too was a spit fire." She sighed, now knowing the reason he so wished to meet his end. "I am not her." She would give him no illusions, even if she felt her heart throb at his pain she was no one but herself.

He nodded, his face grim. "I know, even so you intrigue me. " His words held no hidden meaning, just a tint of awe. He had not planned for things to end up this way, he had planned to get drunk and fall prey to whatever lurked in the woods. Not to meet a young woman who reminded him of his late wife, Sara, who made him second guess his choice with no more than a few sentences.

Kagome sighed, knowing he would do as he pleased no matter what she said, it was his way she could tell, and with a small nod of her head she began leading him towards her home. "Follow me drunkard, tell me your tale." He followed after her. "I am a huntsman, young witch." He smiled in mirth as she grumbled under her breath.