Author's notes: Hello everyone! Thanks so much for all the awesome reviews, alerts, and favorites!

On the alert/favorite front, thanks to Islandcutie, penguinsrpals, Azure83, LavendaK, jesuisperdu, marblau, PrincessAndula, purplefeather21, allymcnally, Sweet Tangerine 89, thingsleftunsaid, TheatreAddict, Sea-Glass88, MangaGrl2665, libfulknot, GrangersTwin666, EzraFitzLove, Addled2, Duskykins, and pinkalli.

On the review front, super thanks to Addled2, crystalstars88, LenaLove, Hafthand, Islandcutie, scorpio17910, Pleuvoire, bokworm, emmmz, X, al5654, PS (I totally agree with you on the speech front, btw), Fire Element13, NUNICHAN, and piper!

Hope you guys like this chapter. It's a little longer because it'll probably be a few days before I can update again. Let me know what you think! Thanks again for reading this story. :)

Through this night I wander

It's morning that I dread

Another day of knowing of

The path I fear to tread

Into the sea of waking dreams

I follow without pride

Nothing stands between us here

And I won't be denied

- Possession, Sarah McLachlan

The girl's long stent in the prison was beginning to show its effects. The fastest way out of the Dark Forest and into the realm of Duke Hammond was through the Snowy Mountains, but when they started climbing the foothills, the girl's stamina began to wain. After the third rest, the huntsman grew frustrated and took her by the hand. She was tired, but they had to keep moving. She followed obediently as he pulled her along, like Orpheus leading his doomed bride from the underworld.

When she stumbled, he gathered her up in his arms and continued onward. She apologized for being so weak, but there was nothing that could be done about it. The girl had lived the last seven years of her life in a small cage, and expecting her to now be able to literally climb mountains was out of the question. He knew she would trudge alongside him if she could, but her current physical weakness did not diminish her defiant inner strength.

She was breathing a bit shallowly, she was so light that it worried him. She needed to be getting more food in her if she was to maintain her health. Still, even though he didn't want to admit it, it made him feel an unusual sense of calm to hold her near. The change in scenery was also helping to put a spring in his step. The vegetation was growing more lushly and every once in awhile, he would even see a flower blooming wildly from the dark, woody vines. It filled his heart with happiness to know they would soon be able to put the Dark Forest and everything in it behind them.

He continued up the hill and just as he reached the top, the ground began to shift. Panic filled his heart. He tried to keep his balance and step backwards, but he wasn't fast enough, and before he could even throw the girl to safety, the ground caved in and they were both tumbling down. When he landed, the girl flew out of his arms and rolled along the cavern floor to rest at the opposite wall. Debris rained down upon him until he was sure he was going to be crushed. He pushed up with his body, but he couldn't free himself, and when he finally got enough rock and dirt out of the way with his one free arm to see what was going on, he almost choked with terror.

Just a few yards away, a troll was staring down at him, as if it were trying to decide whether or not it would be worth it to unearth this unexpected snack.

The huntsman tried to hold his breath and not move, but his eyes darted furiously to try and find the girl. Had the troll already dispatched her and moved on to him? They were terrifying beasts, known for their strength and not much else. Few saw a troll and lived to tell the tale.

Just then, he heard the girl behind the troll and he cursed silently. Why wasn't she running? If the situation hadn't been so dire, her next action might have been humorous.

She roared at the troll.

The troll turned its attention away from the huntsman, and the huntsman cursed. He started yelling at the beast to reclaim its attention to no avail. He scrambled and found a rock within reach that he lobbed at the creature's head.

That got its attention, and made it angry.

The troll straightened to its true height, nearly 15 feet tall, and a terrible roar erupted from its mouth. It turned back to the huntsman, which had sort of been his plan. However, now that he was thinking about it, the huntsman realized there was no way he could possibly fight against the beast. He only had one arm free and the other arm and his axe were buried beneath debris.

The troll charged, but the huntsman heard a chain clanking and as suddenly as he began moving, the beast was jerked back. The troll lunged again, and again his advance was halted. The huntsman saw a blur of motion and before he knew it, the girl was at his side frantically trying to remove some of the debris pinning him down.

"It's chained to the far wall," she whispered as she rolled a large stone away, "but I don't know how long the chain will hold." She continued to work as quickly as she could to free his other arm.

The troll charged again at the pair, but again was yanked back by the chain. Panic spread through the huntsman's heart. "Girl, you must listen to me: leave me here. You have to run." He tried to grab hold of her arm to shake some sense into her, but she moved out of his range and continued digging him out.

"I won't," she almost sobbed. "I won't leave you!"

"You don't owe me anything!" He managed to grab her shoulder and pull her close to him. "Now just go!" he shouted, wanting to do more, to say goodbye in a better way, but knowing there was no time.

The troll charged a third time, and the chain snapped. He continued barreling towards them. In a split second, the girl closed her eyes and threw herself on top of the huntsman. He held her as best he could with one arm and braced for impact.

"HALT."

Out of nowhere, a terrifying and booming voice sounded. The troll did indeed skid to a stop right before reaching them. The girl screamed when someone grabbed her, and the huntsman refused to let go. "My, my," the same voice prodded, except this time it was at a normal volume. "Who have you caught for us today, Richard?"

Somehow, the huntsman did not have enough strength to hold on and the girl was pulled from his grasp. With his view no longer obstructed, he could take in the scene: the troll stood in the center of the cavern, for all intents and purposes looking contrite, and a small man, just a bit shorter than the girl in front of him, was looking at her as if he had seen a ghost.

"It...it can't be." The dwarf shook his head as if to clear his vision and looked at the girl again. "Milady, is it really you?"

She stared back at him, then quickly looked over to the huntsman before turning back to the dwarf. The huntsman saw a trace of fear in her eyes. "You know who I am?"

The dwarf had seen the fear and looked back to the huntsman with a malevolent look in his eye. "Is this man harming you, milady?"

She rushed in between the dwarf and the huntsman. "No! He is my protector. Please help him!"

The dwarf eyed the pair, then suddenly relaxed. "Very well. Milady, come over here so you are out of the way. Richard, please dig the man up...gently."

At this command, the troll moved towards the huntsman quickly and began digging the man up. He was surprised to say the least, but he was also trying to hear the conversation the girl and the dwarf were having. It was in hushed tones, however, and he couldn't make out a word. The tone of voice was unmistakable, though: the little man was trying to suppress his happiness and excitement at meeting the girl.

Once the huntsman had been exhumed, the girl thanked "Richard" for his help as the dwarf beckoned for the two to follow him. "The Council of the Seven will surely want to meet with you, milady," the little man said. "There will be a feast tonight! All will join in celebration!"

The girl asked about Richard, who was apparently a tamed troll a group of dwarf miners had stumbled upon when he was just a baby. It wasn't uncommon for dwarves to rescue these orphans and put them to work in the mines. A troll's strength, tenacity, and durability could be a godsend should a mine collapse.

The huntsman was plenty confused at this point, which was getting frustrating. Ever since he had met the girl, he felt like he was part of a giant puzzle and he was missing a significant amount of the pieces. "Oy, dwarf, I thought your kind had been lost."

"Then our plan has been working," the dwarf said, almost giddily. "We live underneath the Dark Forest now, where the Black Queen's magic cannot reach us."

The three walked through a long and winding tunnel, then under a grand archway carved out of stone, and finally into a cavern that had caved in long ago. It was incredibly huge, and the sun filtered in to the green plants that covered the ground. There were pools of clear water that were fed by underground springs and small chambers built along the walls of rock. It was hard to believe they were anywhere near the Dark Forest.

"Wait here while I alert the Council," the dwarf said, then ran off as quickly as his short little legs could carry him. The huntsman saw many other dwarves looking on curiously at the pair. Some of the children were pointing and chattering away.

Realizing that for the moment, they were alone, the huntsman and the girl looked at each other. Without warning, the girl threw her arms around the huntsman's neck and leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, relieved that she was alright, that they were both still alive.

"Why didn't you run, Girl?" the huntsman practically growled with anger born of worry.

"I couldn't," she whispered. "I couldn't leave you there to die." She held onto him tighter. "I'm sorry."

A warm feeling thawed within the huntsman's chest at hearing the girl's words. "I'm just glad you're safe now." He let out a heavy breath and continued to hold her.

The girl pulled away and looked up at him and it seemed as though she was going to say something, but before she could, there was a great commotion from the most ornate dwelling in the cavern and a very round dwarf started heralding the dwarves.

"The Pale Lady and her protector have arrived! Please prepare for the feast tonight! Show the two all the kindness they deserve!" With that, he retreated back into the dwelling. The other dwarves, however, began happily proclaiming things the huntsman could not quite make out. Four female dwarves exited the dwelling and walked directly toward the two, followed by three male dwarves. The women stopped just in front of them and the youngest woman, apparently blind, addressed the girl directly.

"Milady, we apologize. We do not have much clothing that will fit you. We offer it to you, though, that you may refresh yourself before the feast." The dwarf that was speaking continued in a slightly quieter voice. "We also request an audience with you so that we may discuss certain issues in private."

The girl looked up at the huntsman. He felt no danger here, so he shrugged. She smiled and went with the small women.

By the time the women were pulling the girl away, the men dwarves had reached the huntsman. They looked as if appraising him. "Come, noble knight. We have much to discuss."

The huntsman almost laughed. "I'm afraid you misunderstand. I am not a knight, nor do I possess a drop of noble blood."

The dwarves conferred amongst themselves. Then the man the huntsman assumed to be the leader spoke again. "It is you, sir, who seems to have misunderstood. We know much of what is happening and have been waiting for the promises of change for a very long time. Please come with us so that we may speak before the feast."

Again, the huntsman felt no threat, so he agreed to go along with them. The dwarves led him back into the ornate dwelling. The inside of the dwelling was simple and several tables surrounded a great fire. The dwarves entered first without a problem, but the huntsman had to bow his head in order to fit. The dwarves sat in chairs near the fire, but they were small and the huntsman doubted they would support his weight, so he sat instead upon a rug in front of them. The dwarf who spoke before addressed him again.

"The girl you protect, she is very special," the dwarf started. "It is imperative that you guard her with your life, but do not get attached. I know it will be hard for you, but you will be separated soon, and there is nothing you can do to prevent it."

The huntsman regarded the dwarf's words skeptically. "My goodness. Have you all gone and convinced yourselves that you're elves? Last time I checked, dwarves weren't particularly talented in the arts of clairvoyance."

The dwarf replied coolly, "Only a fool separates the sum of nature into its weaker parts. From Ask and Embla, who were made by our kind, down to the very nature of the dark forest, we have had a hand in its creation. Even all the stories in the world flow from the same source. From Odin to Zeus to Osiris to Buddha to Christ, we remember and worship all in the pantheon of the gods. The ancient races could very well be viewed as one and the same. Is it so strange that those who devote so much time to the past would not see patterns pointing to a certain future?"

"Wait," the huntsman replied. "One and the same? So there is no difference between you and me?"

The dwarf chuckled good naturedly. "There is no difference between me and you, between the green trees that grow down here in our cavern and the twisted ones that grow in the Dark Forest, even between the lowest beggar and the highest king. All is life. But...you men are young and have forgotten much, and this might be a concept too large for you to understand at the moment, so let me just tell you this: we have talents, knowledge, and skills that we keep to ourselves. If you want to disregard what we have said, do so at your own peril."

It was the huntsman's turn to chuckle. "I do everything at my own peril, dwarf."

"Fair enough. But if you insist on endeavoring in the Pale Lady's service, I have one bit of advice." The dwarf then told the huntsman of an ancient tale. "Long ago, there were two families who lived next to each other. Though they were at war, the daughter of one family and the son of the other happened to meet by chance through a hole in the fence separating their houses. They fell in love and agreed to meet in secret on the hillside above their houses. The girl got there first, but saw a lion with a bloody mouth. She ran away, leaving her veil. When the boy got to the meeting place, he saw the lion, now chewing on his beloved's veil. He assumed the worse and killed himself, falling on his own sword. The girl returned to find her beloved dead and she killed herself on the same sword." The dwarf ended the story and held the huntsman's gaze.

The story left the huntsman feeling very uncomfortable. He didn't see why they were telling him a tragic story about star-crossed lovers. "Lovely tale, but you're speaking in riddles, dwarf. What does it have to do with me?"

The dwarf sighed. "Whatever happens, do not fall on your sword, soldier."

The huntsman froze. "How...did you know I was a soldier?"

The dwarf smiled at the huntsman's reaction. "We have talents, but we also have eyes, and some things are obvious."

The huntsman attended the feast, and it was grand, and the food was delicious, but he felt unsettled that the girl was nowhere to be found. As he was helping himself to a third serving of food, a young skinny dwarf jostled him and he nearly dropped his food on the table. The dwarf sat next to him, entirely too close for comfort. Before he could say anything, however, the dwarf spoke.

"So, how do you like my new clothes?"

The huntsman was surprised by the fact that the girl's voice was coming from underneath the typical dwarf battle clothing. The person in front of him looked like a very skinny dwarf of the warrior class: leather pants, a pouch, a thick woolen shirt, a vest, leather gauntlets, and a long piece of fabric that completely concealed the face. She pulled back the fabric so that he could see what was underneath.

The huntsman was quite literally struck speechless. He knew the girl was pretty, but she had definitely benefitted more than he thought she would from a bath and running a comb through her hair.

The girl frowned slightly. "That bad?"

Somehow he found the ability to formulate words again. "You look...quite fetching as a male."

She rolled her eyes. "Huntsman, your compliments are worse than your jokes."

He couldn't stop looking at her, but she clearly didn't have the same problem with him, since she reached for a plate and piled it high with food. "I haven't seen a feast like this since I was very young."

The huntsman laughed. "Well, don't get used to it. We've got a lot of travelling ahead of us." He saw that she was still putting food on her plate. "And don't eat too quickly," he admonished. "You don't want to get sick."

She rolled her eyes again and placed the plate before her. She said a quick, silent prayer, then tucked into her meal. She savored the first bite and let out a small moan. Then she practically shoveled the food into her mouth. "This is," bite, "the best food," bite, "I've had," bite, "in years." swallow.

He laughed again. "Your table manners are almost as terrible as mine." He was happy to see she had a healthy appetite, though. After a while, he turned his attention to his own food. "What did you talk to the women dwarves about?"

The girl swallowed. "All kinds of things! And they gave me presents as well!" She grabbed a cup of water and took out a small vial of powder. "Like this." She dropped a little bit of the powder into the water and stirred it around with her finger. The water turned bright red.

"What is that?" the huntsman asked, looking at the liquid cautiously.

"It's a potion that aids your strength!" She downed the tonic straight away. When she finished, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "It's made from the blood of monstrous river-dwelling reptiles. It's sweet, too! I already feel stronger. I'll probably be able to climb the foothills on my own tomorrow."

Before the huntsman could respond, she pulled out a simple four-sided knife, about half a foot in length. "And they gave me this! It's a traditional dwarf dagger. Not much to look at, but you know it's strong if it's made by the dwarves."

He couldn't help but be worried that the girl had a knife now, but things had changed since they first met and he tried to relax. "Anything else?"

The girl's expression darkened, but the look passed before he could comment on it. She pulled out a small black pouch. "They gave me this. They said it was a bit of the Dark Forest." She held the bag like it might bite her, then quickly stowed it away again.

"What are you supposed to do with that?" the huntsman asked as he ate.

The girl frowned. "I think they expect me to fight someone I can't possibly win against." She sat quietly for a moment, but then her smile returned. "But there's no sense in worrying about it right now when there's so much delicious food to eat!" And with that, she returned to her plate and ate every last bit she had served herself.

After the feast, the whole community gathered around the bonfire they had erected in the center of the cavern. The huntsman and the girl followed suit. When all were gathered, the blind woman dwarf from earlier stood to address everyone. An expectant hush fell over the crowd.

"We have been waiting for a promise of change, and today that promise has arrived. The Pale Lady and her knight bring these glad tidings to us today. It will not be easy to undo all that has been done, but with patience and fortitude, it will happen. Where is milady?" the dwarf asked, reaching her hands out toward the crowd. A dwarf sitting next to the girl gently took her hand and led her to the blind woman. The dwarf put the girl's hand in the woman's hand and retreated. "Ah...you are here." The woman turned her face up to the sky. "The Black Queen still searches for you. She sends her forces in all directions to find you. You will be her undoing."

The huntsman was rattled and the girl looked startled at this revelation.

"How can you know such things?" asked the girl.

The woman turned her face towards the girl. "The Black Queen is arrogant. She does not know that when she touches her enemies with magic, it creates a link. As long as one flows like water, she will never know you're there. The only other she is aware of is her brother, the blond guard. Beware this man, for she knows all that he sees." The woman now took both of the girl's hands in hers. "She believes you are the only one who can undo her, and there is powerful strength in faith. This belief will be her undoing, and you will bring it about."

The woman then turned to the crowd. "Lift your voices to the gods and sing their praises!"

With that, the crowd erupted in a rousing, boisterous song in a foreign tongue, but it did not lift the huntsman's spirits. He was left with even more unanswered questions.

The dwarves sang until the moon was no longer visible from the bottom of the cavern. A place had been made up by the fire for the huntsman, but the girl was ushered inside to spend the night. The huntsman was exhausted, but he could not sleep. He hadn't drunk anything all day in an effort to remain alert in case danger broke out, but now he wished he hadn't been so cautious. He needed something to calm his mind. The dwarves were always maddening. They constantly spoke in riddles. It was enough to drive anybody mad.

He heard someone approaching quietly and turned to see who it was. In the firelight, he could make out the slim figure of the girl in her battle clothing as she knelt down beside him.

"Move over," she demanded quietly.

He had to smile. "What are you doing out here?

She knelt down next to him and shrugged. "Can't sleep inside. I'd rather lie under the stars. Mind if I join you?

He made room for her and waited for her to come closer. "How can I deny you, milady? You certainly tamed them quickly."

She lay down next to him and looked up at the sky. She had a strange expression on her face. "They just know their place."

Now that she was close to him and they were alone, he again lost himself as he gazed at her face. And they must have used a fragrance in her hair because the scent was intoxicating. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply without meaning to. When he opened them, she was facing him, and her eyebrow was raised.

"God," he breathed, "you smell so much better after you've taken a bath."

She laughed. "You smell so much better when you haven't been drinking."

"Touché," he replied, grinning. She turned her gaze back to the sky. He wanted to ask her so many questions about what had happened during the evening, but she spoke before he could broach the topic.

"I've never felt...this free before."

"Neither have I," he admitted.

"Really?" she asked. "But you're a huntsman. You make your living from being in the wilderness."

He shrugged. "I guess...there's just something about being around you."

She looked back at him, her face serious. "You don't even know my name."

He felt vulnerable under her gaze. "I know enough about you to...let you this close. What more is there?"

She looked away. "There might be a lot more. Things could change."

"Things always change," he sighed, "but that's not necessarily a bad thing."

She rolled over so that her head was resting on his shoulder. "I hope you're right."

He raised his arm so that it wasn't pinned down, allowing her to get closer, knowingly disregarding the advice he'd received earlier. "Stop worrying and go to sleep."

Edit 6/23/2012: Thanks for reading! I will be posting an update in a few days. Just had to mention this to people who cared.

(Possible spoiler alert for next movie?)
One of the issues I had with the movie is that William's love is portrayed somehow as less than that of the huntsman. Not really sure why, but whatever. I was doing some research for future chapters and was looking at name meanings. Checked out William. It means "protector." Then, on a whim...I checked out Eric, the supposed name of the huntsman that we NEVER HEAR IN THE ENTIRE MOVIE. I think they might have decided they were going to name him when they decided they were going to be making a sequel, because...the name Eric means "honorable ruler."

Yeah...so if you were wondering how the love triangle was going to go...it seems to be going in "Eric's" favor with William playing second fiddle, but always by the queen's side...as a protector, see? Because of his name. ::shakes head disappointedly::

Edit 6/24/2012: hlee0890 just let me know that the name Eric IS used in the movie at least once. When Snow White and the huntsman are trapped by the dwarfs, one of the dwarfs asks if Snow White is "Eric's protege." So he is actually named "Eric" during the continuity of SWatH.

Edit 6/27/2012: Horserider has let me know that the huntsman's name is Eric in the novelization of the movie, so he was clearly named before the movie was released. I just wonder why his name is only used once, and kind of in reference to someone else, for the whole movie. Oh well. :)