Chapter Twelve
Fera took a step forward and her body began to stretch. The dwarves watched in horror as her hair lengthened and darkened, her figure became taller and slimmer, her skin became fairer and younger-looking and her face turned to an evil expression. The red lips curled into a smirk and she stared hard- faced at them through cold dark eyes. Her eyebrows were arched and she placed her hands on her hips after smoothing down a long dark dress.
"The witch!" one of the dwarves gasped.
"So you're the evil stepmother!" Warryn spat at her angrily.
"Very good, yes," she nodded slightly, still with the same malicious smile on her lips.
"What have you done to Snow White?" Alberic demanded, while the others stood behind him.
"Nothing that you should worry about," the witch broadened her smile, showing very white teeth, "for you will soon meet the same end."
Alberic glanced over at Lady Snow's limp form, sprawled over the grass and felt a surge of anger run through him. This witch had taken away almost everyone he had ever loved and now she had taken away the one lady the dwarves cared about most. He turned around to look at his brothers and cousins and saw they were thinking the same thoughts; they were looking back at him with determination. Alberic turned around back to face the witch.
"I think not," he said in the most angry tone he could muster, "No, I-we- think it is time to end years of falling back, years of watching our fathers perish before us, years of watching you make all our loved ones suffer."
The witch let out a cackle, "I'd like to see the seven of you little rats try!"
The dwarves drew closer together and stared back at her with almost tangible hatred. For one moment, there was a flash of fear flickering in her face expression.
"After her!" Alberic shouted and the dwarves charged. The witch was too fast for them and was already a good deal into the forest. The clouds from the north were closing in, the wet wind from the early morning smelled strongly of oncoming rain. The dwarves soon felt drops falling as they ran blindly through the trees, determined to avenge Lady Snow. The witch was but a glimpse of flying skirts ahead of them. But they knew where she was headed.
On and on they trailed behind her, picking up stones and flailing them as hard as their little arms could throw them forward. The rain was getting harder and harder and soon it was getting harder and harder to see. Alberic had to keep using magic to keep his glasses from fogging up. The ground was getting rockier and the dwarves kept tripping over stray stones in the pathway as it inclined. The witch was heading just where they wanted her.
As the rain beat hard on their backs and made it so they had to shout at one another, they relentlessly followed the witch up the side of a mountain.
"You little brats!" they heard her screaming from above them as a sudden clap of thunder shook the ground, "give up, you'll never win!"
"How do you know?" Warryn screamed back, "You keep running away!"
His words seemed to be lost in the howling wind. They trampled up the mountainside and found the witch waiting for them at a steep ledge. She looked angrier than they had ever seen her before, her hair up on end and she was struggling for breath.
"You-" she panted, "-you thought you could keep Meg alive, thought you could keep her safe! Well, evil will always conquer because good is too weak!"
She thrust her hands out in front of her and before the dwarves had time to wonder who Meg was, she had grabbed Samsen by the neck and held him in the air as rain poured down her face.
"NO!" Alberic screamed, but she had already flung him across the ledge and sent him skidding across the hard ground and over the edge. Warryn ran at her with Martin behind him, but she spread her fingers and shot bright yellow light at them, like the lightening flashing in the sky, and they collapsed. The other remaining dwarves circled around her, tightening their fists. As they stepped nearer to her, they pushed her closer to the edge, the plan seemed to be working.
"You fools!" she screamed at them. Then a flash of lightening hit the ledge and a huge chunk of it broke off, sending the witch into her doom thousands of feet below. They could hear her screams and curses echoing, fading away into the wind.
Fera took a step forward and her body began to stretch. The dwarves watched in horror as her hair lengthened and darkened, her figure became taller and slimmer, her skin became fairer and younger-looking and her face turned to an evil expression. The red lips curled into a smirk and she stared hard- faced at them through cold dark eyes. Her eyebrows were arched and she placed her hands on her hips after smoothing down a long dark dress.
"The witch!" one of the dwarves gasped.
"So you're the evil stepmother!" Warryn spat at her angrily.
"Very good, yes," she nodded slightly, still with the same malicious smile on her lips.
"What have you done to Snow White?" Alberic demanded, while the others stood behind him.
"Nothing that you should worry about," the witch broadened her smile, showing very white teeth, "for you will soon meet the same end."
Alberic glanced over at Lady Snow's limp form, sprawled over the grass and felt a surge of anger run through him. This witch had taken away almost everyone he had ever loved and now she had taken away the one lady the dwarves cared about most. He turned around to look at his brothers and cousins and saw they were thinking the same thoughts; they were looking back at him with determination. Alberic turned around back to face the witch.
"I think not," he said in the most angry tone he could muster, "No, I-we- think it is time to end years of falling back, years of watching our fathers perish before us, years of watching you make all our loved ones suffer."
The witch let out a cackle, "I'd like to see the seven of you little rats try!"
The dwarves drew closer together and stared back at her with almost tangible hatred. For one moment, there was a flash of fear flickering in her face expression.
"After her!" Alberic shouted and the dwarves charged. The witch was too fast for them and was already a good deal into the forest. The clouds from the north were closing in, the wet wind from the early morning smelled strongly of oncoming rain. The dwarves soon felt drops falling as they ran blindly through the trees, determined to avenge Lady Snow. The witch was but a glimpse of flying skirts ahead of them. But they knew where she was headed.
On and on they trailed behind her, picking up stones and flailing them as hard as their little arms could throw them forward. The rain was getting harder and harder and soon it was getting harder and harder to see. Alberic had to keep using magic to keep his glasses from fogging up. The ground was getting rockier and the dwarves kept tripping over stray stones in the pathway as it inclined. The witch was heading just where they wanted her.
As the rain beat hard on their backs and made it so they had to shout at one another, they relentlessly followed the witch up the side of a mountain.
"You little brats!" they heard her screaming from above them as a sudden clap of thunder shook the ground, "give up, you'll never win!"
"How do you know?" Warryn screamed back, "You keep running away!"
His words seemed to be lost in the howling wind. They trampled up the mountainside and found the witch waiting for them at a steep ledge. She looked angrier than they had ever seen her before, her hair up on end and she was struggling for breath.
"You-" she panted, "-you thought you could keep Meg alive, thought you could keep her safe! Well, evil will always conquer because good is too weak!"
She thrust her hands out in front of her and before the dwarves had time to wonder who Meg was, she had grabbed Samsen by the neck and held him in the air as rain poured down her face.
"NO!" Alberic screamed, but she had already flung him across the ledge and sent him skidding across the hard ground and over the edge. Warryn ran at her with Martin behind him, but she spread her fingers and shot bright yellow light at them, like the lightening flashing in the sky, and they collapsed. The other remaining dwarves circled around her, tightening their fists. As they stepped nearer to her, they pushed her closer to the edge, the plan seemed to be working.
"You fools!" she screamed at them. Then a flash of lightening hit the ledge and a huge chunk of it broke off, sending the witch into her doom thousands of feet below. They could hear her screams and curses echoing, fading away into the wind.