All right, I know I say pretty much the same thing at the beginning of every chapter, but I really can't thank you all enough for reading and reviewing and favoriting. When I started this fanfic, I didn't expect it to get much attention, so I'm honored that you all have taken the time to read my writing. :) Thank you so, so, so much.

Chapter Four

"Keep going," Snow told her horse. The animal's breath was coming in wheezes, yet it did not slow; continued faithfully on. But the queen's guards were still pursuing, and Snow knew in her heart that eventually her horse would not be able to outrun them.

She looked ahead at a line of trees that seemed to be the start of a forest. If she could reach it, then she could send the horse off and hide herself.

Truthfully, she did not want to enter the forest. Even from here, it looked black and dead and completely menacing, as though it would swallow up every living soul stupid enough to venture in. But Snow was desperate, and couldn't bear the thought of being captured and taken back to the palace. After all, the forest couldn't possibly be worse than the wrath of the queen, could it?

"Just to the trees," she whispered. "It's not that far."

It may have not been far, but it was not easy either. Thick mud pulled the horse down, as though it wanted them to keep out of the forest as long as possible. Still they pressed on.

"That's it. Almost th–"

The horse sank into a particularly deep patch of mud, and Snow pitched forward onto the ground. The horse whinnied in fear, stuck. It thrashed about, spraying mud all over Snow. She reached out to it. "Come on. Try your hardest."

More thrashing, more mud spraying. But no success in freeing itself. The guards were fast approaching, and there was nothing Snow could do. She looked at the horse one last time. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She stood and raced for the cover of the trees.

She supposed the forest may have once been beautiful, long ago. The trees were large, and in a happier time, they would be green and covered in flowers. But now the forest was black and foul, and Snow could not hear any normal forest creatures. No birds sang, no squirrels chittered. It could be the home of Death itself, Snow thought.

She looked back through the tangle of trees and vines. The guards slowed their horses, and eventually stopped them altogether. They wouldn't follow, she realized. Part of her thought it a good thing, but the other part of her was filled with dread. The guards could face the queen empty-handed, even though they knew she practiced black magic, but they would not face the forest.

Snow continued on, shaking. The wind passing through the branches of the dead trees sounded ghostly and hollow. Something shrieked nearby, and Snow gasped and ran in the opposite direction of it.

Her foot snagged on a tree root, and she fell forward onto the ground. A nearby plant spewed black spores out at her, and she coughed violently before she was able to stand again.

Her head spun. What was wrong with the world? She stumbled forward and fell again. Before her eyes, the ground changed. It seemed to be made up of ... dead birds? Rats? A scream built in Snow's throat, but she managed to hold it back and continue on.

Hissssss.

Snow whirled around to see the source of the noise. Wraith! To her horror, she fell toward it ... and realized nothing was there. But the ground was all wrong again; huge black ants crawled all around her and up onto her arms.

"Ugh!" she spluttered, and rose up once more.

The trees reached for her as she ran, and she just knew they were going to take hold of her throat and choke her in their branches. "No, no!" she cried, covering her face and continuing to run.

She heard the shrieking of bats, and then they were swarming her. She shut her eyes and swatted blindly at them before she tripped and fell to the ground once more.

This time, however, she did not rise up. She lay there and wept, tired and confused and scared, hoping for death to come quickly.

"How is it that an innocent young girl makes a fool of my brother!" Queen Ravenna shrieked. Snow White had been missing for over a week, and Ravenna did not let one moment slip by without expressing to Finn exactly how she felt about it. "And with only a nail. If she'd had a sword, she'd have taken my kingdom! And you let her slip. You swore to protect me; swore! And now there's no one I can trust. No loyalty whatsoever, not even from you! WHERE IS SHE?"

Finn swallowed. "She was ... she was chased into the Dark Forest. The men lost her there."

Ravenna smacked him across the face, knocking him over. "She is of no use to me lost in the Dark Forest. I. Need. Her. Heart! You failed me, Finn. Failed me!"

Finn sat up, enraged. "I have given all to you; done all for you!"

Ravenna was taken aback by his sudden outburst. "And have I not done all for you?"

Brother and sister were silent for a moment, and Ravenna knelt down next to her brother. "I have no powers in the Dark Forest," she said in a soothing voice, as if talking to a puppy or kitten or some other small, scared animal. "I need you to find me someone who knows it; someone who can hunt her down. Can you do that for me?"

"Well, there is one man I know of. Eric, the huntsman. But ever since his wife's death, he has been a drunkard–"

"Then I suppose he'll have to stay sober for a while. Bring him to me, Finn."

"Yes, sister."

"Where is my money? You promised to pay it back in two weeks, Eric, and it has been three." Raffer dealt Eric a blow that sent him crashing through the thin wall of the tavern, and onto the street.

Eric stood. No one hit him and got away with it. Drink still half full in his right hand, he punched with his left ... and missed Raffer completely, falling face-first into a puddle of mud.

"You lying thief! I want my money!" Raffer yelled.

Eric drank the last of his ale, then clonked Raffer on the head with the mug. Raffer shoved him into a watering trough, and the small crowd that had been forming cheered.

The world was suddenly a blur to Eric, and he found that he couldn't breathe. Why was that? Oh, water. As he was sitting up, the cheers of the crowd stopped as suddenly as they had started, and Eric found himself staring at two guards and the queen's brother, Finn. "The queen demands your presence," said Finn.

Eric laughed. "But can't you see that I'm having a bath?"

Finn and the guards did not laugh. Wordlessly, the guards took hold of Eric's arms and dragged him out of the trough, forcing him to walk once his feet touched the ground.

"Have I done something wrong?" Eric asked.

"That is for you to find out," Finn replied.

And so, Eric was brought before Queen Ravenna. She sat on her dark throne and studied Eric for a few moments. "My brother tells me you are a widower. A drunkard." She paused. "And one of few who has ventured into the Dark Forest."

"Aye."

The queen cleared her throat. "One of my prisoners has escaped there."

"Then he's dead."

"She."

Eric scoffed and tried to contain his laughter. "Then she is certainly dead."

The queen looked at her brother and nodded, and Finn nodded back. Eric wondered what that exchanged gesture had meant. Then the queen turned back to Eric. "Find her, and bring her to me."

What? She had to be joking. But she had said it so plainly, without blinking an eye, and Eric knew that she was serious. "No. I've been to that Forest, and I am not going back."

"You will be rewarded."

"Oh, really? Well, what good is gold to me if I'm lying dead with the crows pecking at my eyes?"

The queen was silent. Eric studied her. "Why is the prisoner ... this girl ... of such value to you?" He asked. The queen looked at him, fury in her eyes. "That is none of your concern, huntsman. You will do this for me."

Eric raised an eyebrow. "And ... if I refuse?"

"To his knees," the queen said.

The guards pushed him down so he knelt before the queen, who smiled ever so slightly. "Ah, I know what it is you want," she said. She leaned forward. "You miss your wife!"

"Do not speak of her," Eric growled.

She chuckled and looked at her brother, then back at Eric. "You know I posses powers greater than you can fathom. If you bring me the girl, then I will bring back your wife," she said. Leaning back, she whispered, "A life for a life."

Eric considered for a moment. He would do anything to have Sara back; anything. Even venture into the Dark Forest again. He looked the queen in the eye.

"I'll do it."

Sorry for keeping you waiting, but I was so busy. Saturday was a surprise party for a friend, Sunday was Father's Day, Monday was piano lessons, and yesterday we went to see the War Horse stageplay. Anyways ... please review! You know the rules. ;P