And we're back to the tale of Dane and Snow White. Things look bleak for the two, but don't fret. Everything will go just peachy in no time. Now on with the story.
Now armed with the Huntsman's knife, he was ready to face whatever was out there in the forest and defend Snow White. He dashed through the trees, the shrubs, the logs, hightailing through Mother Nature's boldest creations to try and reach Snow before any wild, dangerous animal does, hoping he's not too late. Fortunately, he wasn't for he had finally found Snow White collapsed in a clearing, lying on her stomach on the ground and sobbing miserably. Dane felt sympathetic towards her. The girl must've been absolutely terrified.
As he approached her, the many animals in the forest witness the scene unfold with all of them feeling equally sympathetic. Most of them slowly and carefully came close to the scared girl with Dane. He placed a comforting hand on her back to let her know that she was safe now and that there was nothing to be afraid of. And when Snow lifted her head up, she unexpectedly came face-to-face with a bunny rabbit.
"Oh!" She yelped in surprise, startled by it before all the animals all rushed from the scene to hide from the two humans.
"Please don't run away." Snow White begged.
The forest critters peaked their heads out as she spoke to them in her most understanding voice possible.
"It's okay. We won't hurt you." explained Dane calmly and the same rabbit hopped over to him, sniffing him curiously.
"I'm awfully sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean to frighten you. But you don't know what I've been through. All because I was afraid. I'm so ashamed of the fuss I've made."
"Don't worry about, Snow." Dane placed a hand on her shoulder while holding the bunny in his other arm, the critter feeling comfortable in his embrace. "You and them have every right to be afraid. It's okay to be afraid."
"Thanks for understanding, Dane Abel." Snow thanked graciously, placing a hand over his and leaning her head on it with a contented hum. They both looked up to see the same baby bluebird that Snow White helped out earlier with it's two parents.
"What do you do when things go wrong?" asked Snow White.
To answer her question, the two parent birds both whistled a tune together in unison.
"Oh!" Snow White exclaimed with delight. "You sing a song!"
The mature bluebirds nodded and tweeted a response to the graceful girl before them. Snow White played along with gusto, humming the similar tune along with them. Dane's heart warmed up at the sound of Snow White's singing. The baby bird mirrored her melody, then she sang back to him, as did the bird who flew down to her and she held out her index finger for him to land on as she brought the melody up to speed.
The little bird picked up with a tune of his own, only to end with a loud, off-key, high-pitched tweet that made the elder parent's wince from the ear-splitting noise. The little bird winced as well, feeling embarrassed from that awful ending, but both Snow and Dane laughed. And then, Snow White suddenly broke into song.
"~ With a smile and a song
Life is just like a bright, sunny day
Your cares fade away
When your heart is young. ~"
Some birds perched on a stag's antlers tweeted harmoniously to sing alongside Snow's singing as a backup chorus. Then, despite not having a knack for singing, Dane eagerly join in on the song by singing the next very.
"~ With a smile and a song
All the world seems to waken anew
Rejoicing with you
And the song is sung. ~"
The two's heartfelt song attached the animals toward them and Dane placed the bunny back down and let other little critters climb on him and get a closer look at him. A lone chipmunk came over to Snow White. But when Snow slowly brought her hand down to pet it, the poor thing chickened out and scurried away in seconds.
"~ There's no use in grumbling
When raindrops come tumbling
Remember you're the one
Who can fill the world with sunshine. ~"
Snow sang beautifully, petting some more creatures before Dane took over.
"~ When you smile and you sing
Everything is in tune and it's spring
And life flows along
With a smile and a song. ~"
He and Snow White ended the final verse together in perfect unison and with that, the animals of the forest all applauded their performance with a series of tweets and whatnot of excitement and rapture.
"Feel happy now, Snow?" asked Dane.
"Oh, I sure do, indeed." She smiled, bringing a smile on Dane's lips in the process. "I'm sure we'll get along somehow. Everything is going to be alright."
"Well, I don't know about you, but we should probably find some shelter." Dane reminded her, silently letting her know about her wicked stepmother out to get them. "If only there was someplace for us to sleep."
"You're right, Dane Abel." Snow nodded, turning to the animals. "We can't sleep in the ground like you. Or in a tree the way you do. And I'm sure no nest would possibly be big enough for us."
"Maybe they know where we can stay." Dane suggested, to which the birds tweeted in response and nodded.
"You do?" Snow White asked hopefully, lighting up and returning to her feet with Dane. The birds tweeted again, confirming their knowledge of this place. "Would you take us there?"
"Hey, uh, Snow? Not to be rude or anything, but are you sure you want to just follow a bunch of animals?" Dane asked in concern.
"I don't see any reason not to, Dane Abel." Snow answered simply as she grabbed ahold of his hand while the birds pulled on her cape and Dane's shirt, leading them to what Dane hopes is a shelter.
Dane, however, tries blowing the birds off him before they flew toward the direction of the deer and rodents leading them all to what he believes will be the Dwarves' cottage. Heh, it's kind of weird. Having just read the story less than a day ago, finding the girl in it hot and now here, he is being part of it. But where was the prince, though? Maybe Snow White met her prince earlier before, but then why did she have the same startled reaction to Dane as she would with the prince?
On one hand, if she didn't than maybe. But what about the sleeping curse? Dane shook that thought out of his head. He can't think about what could happen. Protecting Snow White and keeping her safe is what needs to happen. After about an hour or two of walking through the forest Dane and Snow White come to a stop, now back in another dark section of the forest. The animals soon push the brush of trees out of the way, bringing not only the light, but revealing a small two story cottage with a river lying nearby.
"Oh, it's adorable! Just like a doll's house." Snow White exclaimed in adoration of the tiny home.
"Yeah, I guess it's cute." Dane said casually before looking around for the owner.
"Come along, Dane Abel." Snow White called running over to the cottage.
"Snow, wait!" Dane tries following, but trips on a log that was in front of the bush. "We don't know who lives here."
"Well, there's no harm in taking a peek." Snow White explained matter-of-factly before wiping off the dusty window to check from outside. Dane followed her example and brushed back the dust to peer inside to see only the darkness. Not a single soul to be seen.
"Ooh! It's dark inside." She said to both Dane and the animals. Dane was a little nervous for this girl and how quickly she is just jumping ahead to live there, despite being aware that somebody could already live there. For all they know, it could be a psychopathic recluse living away from civilization who hates outsiders and would torture or kill anyone who trespasses. But Dane knew he was just being paranoid and a bit overprotective. This had to be where the Dwarves lived.
"Snow, you can't just assume no one's living there." He explained wisely before stepping in front of the door. "And we can't just break into this house."
"I understand, but I only wish to know who lives here so we may make a good impression for them."
We? He thinks, smiling and blushing somewhat. He moves out of the way, noticing how Snow White fluffs up her hair before knocking on the door. As expected, there was no such answer. She rapped at the door again. Still no answer. Not even a little peep from inside.
"Guess there's no one home." She shrugged and reached for the knob to slowly open the door ajar to peek her head in. Dane peek in as well.
"Hello? May we come in?" Snow White asked to no one in particular.
"I guess we go in." Dane says awkwardly.
No going back now. Slowly making their way into the house, Dane takes the knife from his pocket, before he shushes the animals who seem to want to join in on the breaking and entering. Please don't let anyone live here. PLEASE don't have anyone live. Though quite frankly with how dusty, dirt-covered and just overall messy this place is, he'd be surprise if anyone actually is still living here. Clothes were lying around, mining supplies just left out for someone to trip over and dust, dust, dust everywhere!
"Ohh!" He heard Snow White say in what sounds fear, running out to where he heard her! Her yelp scared the wits out of the animals, who jumped, startled, and dashed out of the cottage in a split second from the possible threat. Surely enough, it was only a tiny chair carved in the shape of an owl.
"What a cute little chair." Snow White commented cheerfully, taking a seat in it.
"Oh, thank god!" Dane said relieved, but yet rather annoyed at how she almost gave him a heart attack.
"Please be careful of how you say the Lord's name, Dane Abel." Snow lectured softly before motioning him over. "Come over, Dane Abel. Look, why, there's seven little chairs. Must be seven little children."
Dane bit his lip, wanting to tell her it's actually dwarves rather than kids. But she'd probably find that far-fetched.
"Or just really tiny people?"
"Well, whoever they are they are also very untidy based on the table here. Look, a pickax, a stocking too, and a shoe. And just look at that fireplace. It's covered with dust! And look, cobwebs everywhere." She listed out the filth. "My, my, my! What a pile of dirty dishes. And just look at that broom."
That item used for sweeping has been overtaken with dust and spiderwebs, looking like it hasn't been used for years.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk! Why, they've never swept this room." remarked Snow White.
"Well, maybe they're out doing something and they're too busy to clean up the house?" Dane defended, shrugging his shoulders.
"Even so, you'd think their mother would-" She stops upon realizing why the house must look like this. "Maybe they have no mother! Then, they're orphans."
"A group of orphan children living together in a cottage in the middle of the woods under no adult supervision." Dane pointed out while observing the huge mess all around and thought it could be a possibility. "That would make a lot of sense."
"Maybe they were left to fend for themselves and look after this place on their own." added a despondent Snow White.
Dane puts a comforting hand on her shoulder saying, "That's too bad, Snow."
"Oh, Dane Abel, these poor little ones." She mourned for the "children" before perking up to a bright idea that just might work.
"I know. We'll clean the house and surprise them." The princess excitedly told Dane.
"Then maybe they'll let us stay." Dane added before remembering the other animals present. "All of us."
"Inspired!" Snow White chirped excitedly as she took off her cape to let the birds hang up. She then gestured to different groups of animals to give them their chores. "Now you wash the dishes, you tidy up the room, you clean the fireplace and I'll use the broom."
"What can I do?" asked Dane.
"We'll take turns sweeping together!" answered Snow White.
The birds all whistled a tune one at a time before the cleaning began. Snow sang along during the labor while Dane couldn't resist singing along with her. Of course, the place was filthy. If you were to sweep at anything, you'd get a cloud full of dust and it possibly take a while to get it clean. Dane hasn't seen a place this dirty and untidy since Elijah's bedroom. The animals all got busy spiffing up the place. Dust was cleared up and swept by Snow White and Dane, the fireplace was being clear of the soot and burnt firewood, the dishes were being washed, but Snow White noticed that they were doing it incorrectly.
"Oh! No, no, no, no. Put them in the tub." Snow instructed them and they did just that.
Placing the dishes into the tube and using a pump shaped like a human face to pour water into it. Meanwhile, two squirrels were sneakily sweeping some dust under a rug to hide it. Although, Dane catches them in the act.
"Uh-uh, you two. That's not were it goes." He reminded them strictly.
Then they tried sweeping it into a mouse hole as an alternative. It seemed to have done the trick at first, until the mouse inside expressed it's annoyance for bringing dust bunnies into it's abode by kicking it all out, scaring the squirrels under the rug. The mouse scolded them for a second before kicking some dust in their faces. More dusting and dusting, they went. It was like the place had been abandoned for centuries. Then there was the cobwebs. Squirrels were twirling them done with their tails and one was taking his time, rolling it piecemeal into a ball until he came face-to-face with the web's maker. He ran away just in time to avoid a bite from the spider.
And now the clothes were next. Dane and Snow White gathered up all the clothes and placed them on the stag from head to toe and also it's antlers. Then the animals brought them outside to wash and clean them in the river. They will certainly be clean in no time. Dane found it intriguing to see animals cleaning and washing clothes.
"~ Oh, whistle while you work. ~" Snow sang to a bird perched onto her finger, which sang back, before she got back to sweeping while Dane used a rag to wipe some more areas.
"Dane Abel, may I ask you a question?" She queried.
"Where I come from, we don't address each other by our full names. So just call me Dane." He reminded her with a flat tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dane. I don't mean to pry, but I'm just curious. What did you mean you said I'm not the first girl to run away from you?" asked Snow White curiously, but seriously.
Dane sighed, not comfortable with this subject. But he answered, "Long ago, when I was in middle school, I tried to ask a girl out to the prom dance, but none of them would want to go with me. They saw me as perverted and weird that they, instead, bully me, send me rude remarks and even insult me. But there was this one girl that I dated who was part of a group of popular girls. But they pulled a prank on me to make the whole school think I was a rapist. I was placed in an asylum for three months. Women still view me as a rapist and a pervert, doing whatever it takes to humiliate me and make me look bad."
Snow White was struck silent by the depressing information, nevermind the strange terminology. "Perversion?" "rapist?" That couldn't possibly be Dane! He said he didn't do it, though. Why would anyone be so cruel as to say or do that? Dane stopped what he was doing as well as he watched her reaction. Her face remained blank and he knew this was a lot of information to take in.
"You know what, maybe I should just go outside." Dane suggested dejectedly, hurrying over to the door before a hand grabs his wrist.
"I believe you, Dane." Snow White said sincerely, looking him in eye as he slowly takes his hand off the handle.
"You do?" He said in disbelief, though he wasn't sure why he was surprised by her response.
"You've been nothing but kind and gentle to me since we've met, if you had wanted to harm me, you would've done so by now." Snow White explained, giving him a comforting smile. "I just don't understand why anyone would say and do those things to you."
"People can be awful sometimes, Snow." Dane stated simply.
"I suppose." Snow White looked downwards. "I just believe in the good in everyone."
"People aren't always like that, you know? I mean, your own stepmom just tried to kill you-" He stopped as he looked at Snow White tear running down her cheek.
"I know that. I thought someday we could've-...But it's done. I don't want to talk about it anymore." She faltered.
The two remained silent for a while as they continued to work on cleaning with Dane contemplating leaving after for what he said to Snow White. He looked around the cottage with cobwebs no longer in sight, dishes and silverware cleaned and organized into the cupboard properly, clothes having been washed and are hanging to dry. All seems good as he grabbed the broom to make his way out, feeling as though Snow White would be happier with his cynicism ruining things.
Sweeping the broom over towards the door, he opens it up, seeing the daylight starting to set before brushing the dust out once again. The pinkish sky slowly shifting into orange told him that if he went out now he'd have to deal with a night in the woods. Closing the door, he looks back to where Snow White was setting up a cauldron in the fireplace.
Putting the broom aside, he rushes over to help with what she's doing.
"Snow, hey, do you need-"
"Oh yes, thank you, Dane. Could you go outside a get a few herbs from the forest, let the animals sniff them so you won't pick anything poisonous." Snow instructed cheerfully as if their previous conversation didn't happen.
"Uh, yeah, okay." He awkwardly answered as he began to walk out the door.
"Oh, and Dane?"
"Yeah?"
"If there's ever a 'prom dance', may I go with you?" Snow asked somewhat confused as she said "prom dance".
Dane stopped in his tracks when she asked that, turning around to look directly in her eye.
"What did you say?"
"Well, I know you said that girls turned you down for the "prom dance" and whatever it is. If you'd want to, than I'd love to accompany you." Snow White suggested.
Dane frowned somewhat of what he believed is her asking him on a pity date, except...
"Uh, Snow, you do know what a 'prom' is right?" He asked just to make sure.
Unsurprisingly, the young princess shook her head.
"Oh, boy." Dane sighed. "Well, where I'm from, proms and dances are like a ball where guys, like boys my age, go and uh, court women." He explained to the girl.
Snow White nodded with a smile on her face in understanding before putting a hand on his shoulder. They both give a reassuring smile as he heads out to get herbs from the forest while she was boiling the water in the cauldron.
That concludes part two of this story. Stay tuned for the next part soon.