A Mermaid's Tail

DISCLAIMER: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its fabulous characters. All recognizable players, dialogue, and/or magic spells belong to ABC and Disney.

Chapter 12

"Snow…Snow wake up."

Snow White scrunched her face and reluctantly opened her eyes. Red was kneeling in front of her, smiling with a look of mock-disproval on her face.

"You feel asleep here," Red explained, lightly touching Snow's shoulder.

Something shifted on Snow's lap and she looked down. It was Ariel's head in her lap and the girl was sleeping peacefully.

Now I remember, Snow reflected with the fuzz of early morning thoughts.

Red and Snow had been taking turns checking on the mermaid at night. Even though it had been two days, two anxious-filled days, there still remained much uncertainty about the girl's health. But she seemed to be healing. The combined efforts of the medicine Red had gathered, Snow's attentiveness, and some inhuman strength had gotten her through the worst of the illness. Though she slept much, waking only long enough to gulp down some soup and medicine, Snow was very pleased that the fever had broken.

Last night, it had been Snow's turn to check on the mermaid and she had found her sobbing in her sleep. Disregarding her own rest, Snow had pulled Ariel's shoulders and head into her lap and held her tight, letting the poor girl cry her grief out. When the mermaid had shuddered in Snow's arms, she embraced tighter, feeling for the first time since her father had died gentle warmth in her heart. While absently stroking a protective hand over Ariel's brow which, after some time, finally relaxed into peaceful bliss, Snow had fallen asleep too. Sitting cross-legged with a mermaid's head in her lap, leaning against the walls of the cabin was not the most comfortable place to spend the night, but at least she had comforted the girl enough to get her back to sleep.

Red shook her head. "You were supposed to wake me too remember?"

"I know," Snow said as she gently extracted herself from being Ariel's pillow. "I guess I got distracted." She stood up and rolled her shoulders and neck to stretch out stiff muscles.

Red smiled and knelt down next to the sleeping mermaid while Snow made her way to the kitchen. "I think she'll make it," Red said, patting the girl's head kindly, "I really think you saved her."

"We both saved her Red," Snow corrected as she got out the breakfast bread and the old kettle to make tea.

Red rose and came over to the kitchen table, giving Snow a somewhat amused look.

"What?" she asked, cocking her head and smiling at Red.

Red grinned a little too. "I have to admit, when I walked in and saw you two…you actually looked like a mother cradling a child. You're going to be a great mother one day Snow."

Snow could not help the small smirk of disbelief. "Oh sure," she replied, "but maybe only if I had a fully-grown child. I wouldn't know how to be a good mother."

It was true. She'd spent most of her childhood burdened by the memories of her own dead mother, long nights of a distracted father, no one to teach her how to raise a family. The recollection of her mother had been a constant note of comparison that her father brought up party to party, ball to ball. But a memory was not enough. She wouldn't know how to be a good mother, even if she tried.

"Anything is possible," Red said with a glint in her eyes. "Once you take back the kingdom—" Red stopped when she saw the stricken look on Snow's face; she had forgotten that this was a touchy subject. "I'm sorry Snow," Red said quietly.

Snow shrugged and resumed her focus on the bread, seemingly unaffected.

"Are you really going to be satisfied with hiding in the woods for the rest of your life? You're the rightful ruler," Red pointed out in a stronger tone than before.

Snow glanced up. "I know that Red," she said with a sad sigh. "But I'm not going up against Regina. She has her magic, those knights, and the whole kingdom against me. I would lose."

"I would stand by you Snow...so would many others."

"No! I will not risk your life like that. I'm not going to take back the kingdom!" Snow flushed with an anxiety and fear that Red easily saw. Then she softened her voice, composing herself. "I just can't. The only thing that matters is that the kingdom has a fair and just ruler, not who sits on the throne."

Red glanced down at the sleeping mermaid on the floor. "After what the queen did here, I really don't think she will rule fairly Snow. If she's willing to let her men string up a girl and leave her to die."

Snow grimaced. She did not have an answer for that and the silence that followed was very awkward. In her heart of hearts, she knew her beloved kingdom and her subjects was suffering at the hands of the Evil Queen. Their welfare was her responsibility, and yet she hid in the forest like an outlaw. The guilt of that knowledge weighed her down, but there was really nothing she could do about it now. Not while she had such a bounty on her.

Red finally spoke up, thankfully changing the subject. "Snow...I think I'll take a trip to the village today."

Snow's brow wrinkled with worry as she glanced up at her friend. "Red are you sure? It's a long journey and we really can manage without supplies for a while."

"We need a few things now," Red said firmly, "I don't have anything that she can wear"—Red cocked her head towards the mermaid—"and neither do you. We need to start feeding her more solid things too."

"Well if she stays awake long enough, I would love that." Snow studied the too-thin frame of the sleeping girl. "Maybe a few supplies are not a bad idea."

Red grabbed a hunk of the bread, stuffed it into her mouth and made for her red cloak that hung on the wall.

"Are you leaving now?"

Red brushed crumbs from her fingers onto her red skirt and reached for her hood. "It'll be a long walk. I think I can make there and back by tonight," she mumbled through a full mouth.

Snow chewed on her own bread and took the kettle off of the fire hook. Pouring a generous portion of hot water into two old mugs with tea leaves, she handed a drink to Red. "Alright. I think I'll go out too. Go hunting and see if I can get some meat for us." She nodded towards the mermaid. "And her too."

"Why go hunting? The ponds are not frozen yet, you could get some fish." Red fastened her hood ties and sipped the tea at the same time.

Snow raised her eyebrows. "Red, I'm not sure feeding her fish is appropriate," she replied. "At any rate, you know I am a terrible fisherman."

Red paused, her face flushed with embarrassment at the un-intended ignorance. "Guess you're right." She turned from the table, looking down at the mermaid with fondness. "What do you suppose made the queen's men do this anyway?"

Snow shrugged. "They sounded like they wanted something from her." Well, no. Her stepmother wanted something. Snow had questioned why the Evil Queen had not simply taken the heart of the mermaid and forced whatever it was out of her. It had always been her preferred method of power. Still, this had the same end goal. She wondered how a mermaid had gotten caught by the queen's men in the first place. Was she captured at sea? Dragged in from a net? Did she miss her family?

Snow studied the mermaid and remembered how she had walked, clumsily and jerkily, her eyes fixated on her feet. "I don't think she's had those legs for very long."

"Well, she's our responsibility now." Red nodded firmly. Snow smiled gratefully, she truly could not have asked for a better friend.

"Good luck Snow." Red set her empty mug down and reached towards the doorknob.

"Be safe."

The wolf-girl adjusted her famous red hood. "Always." And then she was gone.

Snow sighed and finished the last of her tea. Retrieving the cool, wet cloth, she knelt down and started mopping the mermaid's forehead and temples. Those dirty rope that the knights had used on her had caused an infection to spread rapidly, but now, the girl seemed to have slept off the last of the fever. She was getting better. Snow wished she were awake so that she could personally reassure the teenager.

"You're going to live...Ariel," she said softly.

The mermaid continued to sleep, but Snow continued to talk. She was not sure why, it just seemed the right thing to do. "I'm so sorry this happened to you," she said as she leaned over and dunked the cloth in a pail of clean water filled with healing herbs. "The Queen she...she wants to hurt others. I wish she would only try to hurt me." She drew the mermaid's blanket down, lifted her thin wrists, and carefully removed the old bandages. With a gentle touch, she began cleaning the wounds. "If you stay wake long enough, I'd really like to thank you for saving my life."

The girl's thin eyelids danced, as if trying to open, trying to reach out. Ariel had not been fully conscious for some time now, but even as Snow waited patiently, the eyelids stilled again. Snow laid the cloth down and drew back the blanket even further, exposing the mermaid's bare back. The sunburn was much better than it had been but it still needed attention. Snow applied some ointment to her palms, warmed it with a few strokes of her hands, and, ever so gently, began applying it to the mermaid's back.

"That's such a pretty name, by the way." She finished and then tucked the blanket back over. "Ariel, the mermaid."

…

From the window, Rumplestiltskin watched with amusement, bordering on annoyance, the entrance of Regina's caravan of black knights into his castle grounds. This was her second visit in less than a week and although it was a little flattering, he really had more important things to do rather than just sit around and talk about fish-people. As such, he set down his tea cup and tossed a polite apology to his seated guest the moment he heard the queen open his front entrance. "I do apologize my dear, but it looks like we will be interrupted briefly."

Regina strode into the room, her dark eyes glaring daggers that dared anyone to give her an excuse to show her wrath. "Rumplestiltskin," she said curtly as a greeting, her hand waving to close the double doors behind her.

The Dark One rose from the handsomely-set tea table by the window, fluttering his hands in an elaborate bow. His typical-shrilly voice bordered on exasperation, "And what, may I ask, brings you here to my home once more? You do realize that I am a very busy man and have no time to banter about such trivialities as mermaids."

The unanwered question hung in the air between the two rivals of magic. Regina's seething silence was all Rumplestiltskin needed for an answer and it gave him a glint of self-satisfaction to know that the woman was so incompetent she could not keep a single mermaid captive. He left the tea table and strode towards Regina, smirking as only he could.

"The mermaid has escaped" Regina finally admitted it. "My clumsy guards were thwarted by a simple thief in the forest." She knew the later part was not true, her guards had clearly seen who it was. But she was not about to admit who it was that had freed the mermaid to Rumplestiltskin.

"My dear," he crooned, turning towards the seated figure whose back was to Regina, so far silent throughout their exchange "Have you ever been able to not control one of your flock?"

A woman leaned sideways into view, delicately placing her tea cup into its saucer before folding her hands over crossed legs. As she came into her line of sight, Regina could not help her surprise as she observed the stranger's otherworldly beauty. Her dark, crimson-colored hair curtained down one bare shoulder, contrasting drastically against the skin-tight black dress that accentuated her curves, both upper and lower. The long slender legs, crossed over on another, seemed to drift right up into her dress and Regina's eyes could not help but follow the flesh lines.

"My good sir, what kind of a queen would I be if I let my prisoners escape?" the acquiescence in her syrupy tone was keenly felt. "A true queen knows how to hit her targets in their soft spots."

"Allow me to introduce Ursula," said Rumplestiltskin to Regina, casually gesturing towards the exquisite creature. "The queen of the sea."

The two women of magical power barely acknowledged each other, a slight dip of the head on both ends. As slippery as one of her pet eels, Ursula slid out of her gilded chair and stood, her blood-red lips curling into a pitying smile that so irked Regina. This one is full of herself, she thought. But there was no time to dither on such nonsenses. She needed information and she knew that this woman, this other queen, would provide it.

"Have you lost your 'little mermaid'?" Ursula cooed.

"Yes," Regina's answer was curt, no-nonsense. "How do you suggest I get her back?"

"Well," said Ursula casually, picking up her tea cup again. "We were just in the middle of a discussion on magical sea properties." Rumplestiltskin nodded in confirmation. "If you care to join, I'd be more than happy to…"

"I'm afraid I've not time for a tea party right now."

"Oh, whhhaaattt a shame," Ursula pouted, leaning in too closely and drawing the tip of one finger over Regina's right arm. The movement was far too personal for her and she stepped back at once, eyes blazing with fury.

"You know," Ursula continued, unhindered by Regina's obvious rejections to her advances. "There are some tales that say mermaids have no souls, that we are merely the product of a combination of dark magic and sea foam."

Rumplestiltskin flashed a devilish grin as he watched the show, easing himself down into a chair for a more comfortable position.

"However," Ursula ran a tongue over her lips. Regina was shocked to see that the article was narrow and forked, rather like a snake's. "There are also those that say when a mermaid finds love, not the silly romantic teenage dreams, but real love. The kind of love that requires time and effort and sacrifice…well, her very heart will weep at the thought of losing that love."

Regina smiled coyly, more than ready to play the game. "And I'm looking for that particular mermaid."

"Yes, there seems to be a lot of that going around," Ursula said with amusement. "If I had known that little mermaid would be this popular…I would never have simply settled for just this." She twirled a lock of red hair in her pointing finger, pouting slightly with her lower lip.

"And how do I know that this mermaid even has a true love?"

"Oh she has a true love alright," Ursula exclaimed, slowly stroking the rim of the teacup with her fingers. Even that simple movement was too sensual and Regina forced herself not to look disgusted. "She risked her life to protect him. And I know just where to find him."

…

The numbing pain in her arm jolted Ariel awake. Her eyelids were so heavy but they gradually slid open at her command. Wtih great effort she sat up slowly, touching her aching shoulder with her one good hand. The bandage had come undone, tangling into her right fingers. She tried to pull it free but the pain of movement forced her hand steady. For a long time, she sat on her pile of blankets, holding her head in her hand as she caught her breath. Her whole arm throbbed painfully.

Feels like a shark biting my bones. For a second, the pain made her very queasy. She curled her bare legs closer, folding them under her chin as she looked around. Where was she…oh, yes, the cabin in the woods. That woman - Snow White according to the queen's poster - must have brought her here.

It was late afternoon and the small cabin was lighter than Ariel had remembered. It carried a pleasant smell, like well-packed earth. She saw the small hearth, table, chairs, and a door of thick sturdy oak, obviously well-made. The worn cupboard was leaning against the wall, and there were dishes inside. The walls and corners were still in darkness, but a small fire crackled merrily in the hearth, providing a sense of home.

After taking it all in, she decided to try and stand up. With a lot of groaning and grunting, she worked her legs a part. Putting weight on her legs made her gasp in pain so she crawled, mermaid-style, across the dirt floor to the table. Ariel gripped the edge for support, hissing with pain when she forgot her broken arm, and tried to pull herself to her feet with only one hand. She put more weight on her aching feet and pulled herself all the way up with the aid of the table. Once on her wobbly legs, she grinned triumphantly. She was actually on her own two legs, and she had done it all by herself! No matter how many times she would do it, getting to her feet was always an accomplishment. She stepped awkwardly around the table, using it as an anchor. The cabin was much smaller than the one she had shared with John, Jenny, and Eric. There seemed to be only a common room with the attached kitchen, a sleeping quarter, and another smaller room.

Ariel eased herself slowly down on one of the kitchen stools, still glancing around. Where am I now? Where is that woman who saved me?

These unanswered questions buzzed most-annoyingly in her head. The emptiness of the room, the fact that she was all alone, was beginning to unnerve her. If she stayed inside nothing would happen. But if she went out, maybe she could get some sense of location. Walking unsteadily, holding her broken arm close to her body, her outstretched fingers found the solid door and then the latch. Pushing it open, she was surprised at the onslaught of cold that assaulted her quivering body. Her shirt was long gone, ripped to shreds by the queen's men, and now she had no other covering. Ariel threw a blanket over her shoulders and wrapped it around her body, covering as much of herself as possible for the warmth. Then, she stepped past the threshold out into the world. The cold of the ground shot through her feet like a blow, but she kept moving forward. The first few steps were tricky, having no shoes made the frost-covered ground worse. But the forest was a charming green with trees growing so thick, their roots climbed over each other. The air smelled like cold wind. Frozen water puddled along the depressions in the roots and rocks.

It was all very wonderful to look at but still Ariel had no idea what was going on. I want some answers. I need to know how. She tightened her hold on her blanket wrap as another scarier thought came to her. Maybe that other woman is in service to the queen? Another way to get my tears.

The crack of a twig resounded, as loud as a small boom, to her left. Sound traveled so differently above the water, there was so much noise and no way to block it out. Ariel's sensitive hearing always left her puzzled when she was able to hear things so far away, like the sound of soft boots heading right to the cabin.

Ariel's small frame quivered, ready to take action. It could be a danger, one of the queen's men. I should do something!

She stalked a little a ways from the cabin, hoping to find some cover where she could hide. The sound of footsteps drew nearer. Just in time she threw herself down in a patch of long grass behind an uprooted tree that overshadowed the ground. She lifted her head, peering cautiously through the foliage.

When she saw nothing, Ariel began to think herself very foolish. Scared by a little sound in the forest? But there it was again, followed by…a cloak dragging on the ground?

It must be someone in league with queen. What other human would be out here with a large cloak? Ariel thought that the wait seemed to last forever, though the shadows from the sun had barely shifted by the time the woman stepped in front of the tree where Ariel hid. The same burn of adrenaline that had gotten her to fight her sisters in the water coursed through her veins, making her heart pound hard. She held her breath so that the woman in a red dress could not hear her.

Now or never. Fear and excitement quickened her heartbeat again as she clenched her one good fist. She would take the woman down quickly, using her mermaid strength.

...

Holding the basket tightly, Red cocked her head and listened hard. Again, she felt the sensation that she was being watched. She glanced around. The woods were as she had left them, the same dazzling green in the tall-reaching trees and slightly frost-laden ground. So why did she feel apprehensive? Red stood perfectly still, trying to figure out why she felt someone's eyes on her. She had learned long ago to trust the wolf, to listen to its instincts, and to not question whenever her eyes and ears felt something was amiss. So what was wrong?

Red was still motionless when something lunged out at her, pushing her back and then pinning her to a tree. She dropped the basket she had been carrying at the feel of a small hand wrapping around her throat, choking her. Red could not breathe in the girl's grip, the small fingers were closing into her very neck bones.

"Ariel…please wait!" she gasped out.

"How do you know my name?!" the mermaid tightened her hold briefly. Her blue eyes flashed bravado anger, but Red could smell her fear. The scents of fear and fish were an odd combination.

"Because I'm friends with Snow…," Red stammered as quickly as she could, knowing she would likely not get another chance. She was losing air fast. "I'm not here to hurt you!"

The death grip on her throat suddenly ceased as the shorter girl let go and stepped back, shocked. Red lurched forward, coughing and gasping for air.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I thought you were…" Ariel breathed. The young mermaid ducked her head.

Despite her very sore throat, Red found herself slightly amused. The girl, who had almost throttled her to death, suddenly looked too shy to speak. She could hardly believe this skinny, hundred-pound nothing possessed such a strength.

"I didn't expect to find you out here," Red rubbed her throat, trying to get her voice back. "You've been sleeping for so long I thought…You're stronger than you look." She flushed as she coughed lightly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sneak up and frighten you."

The mermaid's beautiful blue eyes stared up at her from under the shadow of matted red hair. "You didn't, I heard you coming-" She dipped her head, then tried again, apparently overcoming her shyness. "I thought you were with the queen."

Red smiled. "An honest mistake," she managed to croak out.

Ariel seemed to study her for a moment. "My name is Ariel," she said bashfully, holding out her right hand in its makeshift cast for a traditional human-handshake.

Red stopped rubbing her sore neck and took Ariel's hand gently, making sure she did not squeeze the broken article. "Pleased to meet you Ariel. I'm Red."

As introductions were being made, Red's dark hazel eyes could not help but shift downward. She saw that the mermaid had lost her blanket covering in their brief struggle and now stood in front of Red, showing no signs of modesty, without anything on. It was not as though Red had never seen a girl naked before, but the setting of the Enchanted Forest seemed to accentuate the fact.

Ariel was perfectly aware that Red continued to stare at her. At first she could not figure out what was wrong, but then she remembered the human ban against nudity. Apparently the same principle applied to women and men. She glanced down, then hugged her body with one arm, trying to cover herself politely. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you…"

"Offend?" Red managed a grin. "No that's not it at all, it's just—I'm not really sure actually. It must be a human thing."

Not that I'm really a human, she added in her own head.

Red shrugged off her cloak, draping it gently over Ariel's shoulders where it clashed horribly with her red hair. But it was warm and had a nice animal-like smell that Ariel could not quite place. She poked her arms through the holes, trying to immitate Red's movement when she had removed her own arms. She'd never tried on a cloak before. As Red knelt to gather the strewn articles she had dropped, the mermaid sniffed the cloak heavily.

"This cloak," her eyes were almost dreamy. "It's magical isn't it?"

Red tucked the bottle of wine next to the loaf of bread and stood up. "What makes you say that?"

Ariel was playing with the hood, flipping it up and down over her head, giggling like a child. "This is amazing! Such an invention."

"Why do you say that the hood is magical?" It came out more strongly than Red intended, and Ariel shrank down a little. She softened her tone. "I just want to make sure—you're not wrong but I don't want others to know."

Ariel stroked the red material, silently scolding herself for giving away the fact that she could see magic. "I'm sorry, I can't explain it." She bowed her head.

But Red had seen that look before, when she first discovered Snow in her chicken coop, mid egg-snatching. It was a look of wariness and anxiety, the look of one who was being hunted. "You don't trust me yet do you?" She asked the mermaid, but didn't wait for an answer. "Hey, hey, it's alright. I know. Snow told me."

Ariel glanced up, trying unsuccessfully to still her fear.

"Hey, I know you're scared." Red said, her voice gentle. "But I want you to know that I'm a friend and I will not hurt you."

A moment passed before the mermaid answered. "The humans who took me, they will want to find me again won't they?" asked Ariel. She had grown quiet, enveloped in Red's cloak that was far too big for her. "They are not going to let this go."

Red started to reach out towards the girl but then stopped, uncertain. Red would have like to have given Ariel a reassuring hug, but she was not sure how mermaids felt about embraces. Red knew this must be hard, she herself had known the fear of being hunted like an animal. Ariel would need help, but to trust humans after what had been done to her…well, she could understand the mermaid's hesitancy. "We'll keep you safe from the queen's men. I promise."

Ariel hugged the warm red cloak tighter, feeling the soft cloth bringing her some comfort. She didn't know how to respond. Too many emotions filled her up: confusion, fear, gratitude, and the unanswered questions from before. She still didn't know what circumstances had brought her there, in the middle of the Enchanted Forest, but mayhap she would get some answers. Later.

"Well...Ariel. We better go," Red said, her forehead lined as she looked up at the sky. "It looks like we might get a storm soon. We should head back, get you dressed."

Surprised, Ariel glanced down at the cloak she was wearing.

Red laughed. "It certainly brings out your hair but I really need that. You can borrow it for now."

…

By the time Snow got back to the cabin, Ariel was gone. Snow sat at the kitchen table, worried about where the mermaid could have run off too.

After seeing Red off and finishing her own breakfast, Snow had gotten out Red's bow and quiver of arrows intent on finding a meal. She knew Red always craved meat after every Wolfstime, but their time with the mermaid had postponed any hunting trips. Now with their guest recovering, moreso than they expected apparently, Snow had thought some fresh meat would be good for the three of them. She had not anticipated the mermaid being well enough to leave though.

Her sense of anxiety caused her to not question the small scratch at the door. She leaped from the stool, more than eager to see Red or the mermaid Ariel.

She quickly unlatched the door, it swung open…and a white wolf stood at the threshold.

A beautiful wolf with a pure white pelage, but a wolf none the less. Standing right outside her door, staring fixatedly up at Snow. Snow felt her heart hiccup at the sight of the large canines, folding over the flesh of a fish, held firmly in the beast's mouth. If it was even possible, she felt even more flabbergasted when the animal simply gave her an acknowledging nod of the head, then trotted past her into the cabin as if it was home. Backing away in fear, Snow gasped as the wolf walked right into the kitchen to deposit its load of fish onto one of the stools. Then it ducked underneath the table, sniffing the ground curiously.

After only a few seconds of standing like that, Snow reached for the spear leaning against the outside door frame. Red always insisted she was best at this weapon and now she prayed that her friend was right. Less than a second later, the white shape re-emerged from under the table…and the Princess Snow White charged and raised her spear.

But before she could swing it, the wolf leaped away with a small yelp. Dodging under her legs, the animal came up right beside her. Scooting backwards, Snow kept the point fixed on the intruder. So long as she kept her back to the cabin walls, the wolf could only attack her from the front and side. Snow dropped her knees into a lunge, thrusting out with the spear. Her attack missed, but the wolf lost its footing as it tried to scramble away, yipping the whole way.

Whoa, easy there! I'm not an enemy! If it was not impossible, Snow could have sworn the she understood that last small yap.

She spun the weapon around her body and swung the end in a lower arch, aiming for the legs of the wolf. The creature jumped over the weapon, colliding with one of the kitchen stools as it leapt, cat-like, into the air and landed on the kitchen table. Snow pulled herself up again, jabbing twice with her spear. The wolf ducked to the side both times, its forepaws nearly on the edge of the table, nails scrapping the old wood as the animal fought to find balance on the wobbly article.

Snow attention was suddenly drawn to those large white paws, reaching to grip the table edges as if they were arms and hands. And suddenly, they were arms. Even as Snow watched, the white fur dissolved into human skin. The narrowed canine skull expanded, changing color as it did. The wolf was gone… and a girl, almost a young woman, now crouched on the kitchen table.

A girl with her arms outstretched, gripping the edge of the tables just as the wolf had done. Kneeling in a spring position, she raised her head and fixed onto Snow's eyes. They were a mesmerizing golden color, being a shade lighter than anything Snow had ever seen before. They reminded Snow of the soft light of the sunrise in a clear morning sky. So unusual, Snow thought in her haze of confusion.

Before she could try and process this further, the stranger spoke up. "Please wait!"

Snow leveled her spear back up. She was very annoyed that her attention had been shifted and immediately re-launched herself into the offensive. Her last encounter with wolf-people had left her wary, she had almost been ripped a part.

"I'm a friend!" The wolf-turned-girl yelped out. She looked more than ready to bolt, but remained crouching on the kitchen table. Snow was not sure this was because she was too afraid of the spear to move, or simply taking advantage of the higher ground.

"I came to see Red…I was sure that it was the right place," she spoke in hurried, anxious tones. "I didn't mean to scare you! I thought for sure Red told you that…"

"Wait wait, slow down." Snow shook her head lightly, trying to process the stammering. "You know Red?"

"Yes! Now please, will you put that thing down? I don't like weapons."

Snow loosened her grip on the spear, but she was not about to relinquish it until she got to the bottom of this. "Are you from Anita's pack?"

The young one cocked her head, making a confused noise in her throat that reminded Snow of the whine of a small dog. "No, I don't know any 'Anita'. Who is she?"

"Ummm, well that's complicated—but how do you know Red?" Snow asked.

"We met in the woods. I followed her scent here, hoping to see her den. "

The young woman slowly eased herself down onto the floor, warily keeping an eye on Snow's spear point. When she stood on two legs, she was below Snow's own height, but her features were very appealing. Shorter and well-trimmed, but certainly strong, if those sturdy shoulders were any indications. The evening sun shone on her very light brown skin. She wore men's trousers tucked into calf-high boots, a tight leather vest, and a white shirt, a little too large, was draped over her shoulders and tied at the elbows, revealing firm forearms. Her choppy dark hair hung down slightly past her shoulder blades, contrasting against the white shirt. Despite the fact that Snow had seen her as a wolf only a minute ago, there appeared to be nothing abnormal about her appearance. Except the eyes, Snow thought. The light amber hue was a anomoly that differed with the rest of her darker features.

The girl suddenly yelped and stared even harder at Snow. Her odd eyes grew amazingly wider. "You! You're her aren't you? The Princess Snow White?" She seemed to have momentarily forgotten her fear, leaning forward and ignoring the spear. "That's strange. Your lips are not as red as blood."

Snow fought a smile at this change of pace. "Now who told you that? Surely Red did not…"

"No, a blue bird told me your story. I've met a few that have traveled wide and they told me your tale. I loved it! It was so exciting!" she exclaimed enthuisiastically. "You're very famous where I come from."

Snow was not sure if she was more surprise to hear: that she had a fan club or that this stranger had heard her story from her feathered friends. She glanced through the window at the trees, feeling inexplicitly overwhelmed at this new pressure of living up to a reputation among her forest subjects. Her blue birds had been her constant companions since childhood, trusted compatriots and worthy messengers when the need arose. At any rate, her statement gave Snow a slight bout of reassurance that the stranger was trustworthy. If her blue birds had indeed talked to her…after a pause, Snow finally lowered the spear.

The young one relaxed noticeably, her shoulders sagging with relief and a small sigh left her lips. Then she smiled good-naturedly. "You know, you're not what I expected. Your name among the humans may be the 'Fairest of them all',—" Snow flinched, she always had hated that label. "—but I think you should be known as the most 'Fearless of them all'."

Snow chuckled softly as she rested the spear on the ground and crossed her arms. Coming from the enthuisiastic young one, it sounded like a very nice compliment and she smiled.

"I get to meet Princess Snow White. This is exciting!" The girl glanced around the cabin. "So where is Red? I brought food to share." She gestured at the two fish lying on the kitchen stool.

"Red is out right now."

"Oh," she said, sounding a little disappointed. Then she turned back to Snow, her head cocked curiously. "Can I ask you something? Why did the Evil Queen send a huntsman to cut out your heart? Wouldn't it have been easier to simply kill you herself?"

Snow was a little surprised. No one, not even Red, had ever asked such personal questions. It was very—forward.

"That's…also complicated," She shook her head and cringed, "Did the birds tell you that?"

"Yes." The young one noticed Snow distress. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that it was… I just loved to hear the stories," she continued timidly, desperate not to scare away her heroine away.

Having been raised in a pack, Rain the wolf had always been taught that mankind was unworthy of her concerns. Wolves had a very prejudicial view of mankind, regarding them as lower creatures of no consequence. But her own experiences with humans - their singular compassions and kindnesses - had caused her to seek out the tales of humans, to find out for herself if these intolerant views of humans were true or not. What she had found instead—stories of adventure, excitement, danger— all the things a wolf was not supposed to wish for. But she dreamed of having a life of such ventures.

"No it's alright," Snow quickly reassured her. Then she had her own questions. "How is it that I could understand you as a wolf? I've never been able to…and why can you be human?"

The questions came rapidly, one after the other, and the young wolf looked perplexed. "Umm…that's a long story," she finally replied, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. She looked almost nervous, as if her own tale could never measure up to Snow's story.

"Well I would love to hear it," Snow said with a smile, leaning the spear against the wall and holding up her hands to show no more spear-thrusting was coming.

The girl blinked, gaping at her role model who had just asked to hear her own tale. Then she beamed. "I can tell it to you. I can tell you about the prince, then his horse, and then the golden mermaid. But she only gave me her voice, the Blue Fairy granted my wish…" She rambled on, clearly unconcerned by how in cohesive and disjointed it all sounded to Snow. The young one may have listened to many tales, but did not seem to have much experience telling them.

Snow was about to ask her to slow down and start from the beginning when suddenly Rain cocked her head and sniffed the air, as an animal would. "Why do I smell the ocean?"

Boot steps resounded from behind the oak door. Snow reached for her spear again, while the girl crouched down, ready to spring. But then a familiar voice called out. "Snow, could you open the door? My hands are full."

Happy Solstice everyone! This is the first day of a new season of light; a day of endless possibilities, new adventures to be had, the official first day of winter.

For those fanatical fairytale fans like myself- yes, Rain the wolf is based on a character from the German fairytale "The Golden Mermaid" re-told by Andrew Lange in his Green Fairybook. More details soon I promise.

A grateful nod of thanks for Nikstlitslepmur for providing inspiring words for this particular chapter and a Christmas chapter is right around the corner!

Reviews are stockings hung by the chimney with care ;)

-sgcycle