Disclaimer: I do not own Snow White & The Huntsman.
Chapter 2 – The Eight Dwarves
As they continued on their journey, Eric was pleased to see that the distance that was usually between them as they walked had thinned considerably, she apparently wasn't against the kiss, but followed his lead in not making a big deal out of it. All the same the closeness pleased them both. They walked awhile longer until they came upon a small lake and were met by women in boats, all pointing arrows in their direction; Eric immediately pushed Snow behind him in case they should loose one of those arrows.
"Only demons or spirits pass through the Dark Forest." The one woman, who was clearly their leader, said. "Which are you?"
"We are fugitives from the Queen." Eric answered.
"We mean you no harm." Snow added, peeking around from behind the Huntsman. Upon laying eyes on Snow, the woman's entire countenance changed and they were immediately invited to join them in their village; if Eric noticed the sudden shift he didn't comment on it.
"Where are the men?" Eric asked as they rowed into the village, only women being visible, though it appeared that the entire village came out upon hearing there were newcomers.
"Gone." Came the simple reply. A little girl, who could be no older then eight or nine, offered her hand to Snow to assist her out of the boat when they docked. Snow smiled up at her and accepted her hand, though ensured the girl did not feel any of her weight. Shortly after their arrival, Eric and Snow split up, Snow to play with Lily, the little girl who'd helped her out of the boat, while her mother Anna, the woman who was the village's leader, led the Huntsman away upon hearing he had been injured and nor properly treated. Eric groaned as she put a kind of paste on the stab wound, but left his complaining at that, grateful that he, and especially Snow, were receiving help.
"You got anything to drink?" Eric asked, receiving a cold glare in return.
"You have travelled far." Anna replied, ignoring his request for a drink beyond her glare. "And carried a great burden."
"I've had worse jobs." Eric answered. "Anyway, she's not that heavy." Anna stopped in her movements and shot him an incredulous look. Eric took the moment to pull his shirt down, deciding that if the paste needed to be spread more he'd do it himself.
"You don't know who she is." Anna said, it wasn't a question.
"What do you mean?" Eric asked, to which Anna merely smiled. "Why? Who is she?" His disbelief when Anna told him was paramount and he stumbled in a daze across the village to the dock Snow and Lily were sitting on, wrapping a doll made of straw in a piece of material for a dress.
"Your mother wants to see you." He told Lily, though his eyes did not leave Snow. The little girl obediently collected her things and went off, leaving the two alone. Snow watched as Eric gingerly took a seat, further from her then she would have expected, given the kiss they'd shared.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked finally. "W-what? Cause I'd think it too difficult a task? You'd be right." Snow had no doubt that he spoke of who she truly was, and now with him knowing, there was no reason to hide anything from him, or her reasoning for hiding the truth in the first place.
"I did not trust you." She mumbled. "I-I mean I did, or I would not have gone off with you in the first place-"
"You didn't really have much of a choice." He countered.
"No." She agreed. "But had I thought you would simply kill me given the chance I would have taken my chances alone with the forest, not placed my life in your hands."
"So why didn't you tell me?"
"I trusted you with Snow's life, with the life of a commoner-" His laugh cut her off as he shook his head.
"I never thought you a commoner." He said. "I told you that first night I you're you to be some noble lady, your speech was too pretty to be otherwise."
"But there is a difference between some unknown noble lady, and the heir to King Magnus' throne. I trusted you with my life, not with the life-"
"Of the Princess?" He interrupted again. "Good. That's probably the first smart thing you've done since I met you."
"But I do trust you…now." She said, looking him in the eyes begging him to believe her, and more importantly, though she refused to admit it, not to leave her. "You may have been blindsided by losing whatever it was that Finn promised you originally, but when he returned, when he had all those men who would kill you, when the troll came…you had every opportunity to leave me and save yourself, yet you nearly gave your life for me."
"And that is supposed to prove I would not hand you over now I know who you are?"
"I believe it does." She murmured. "You cannot return from death, yet you would give your life for an unknown girl. You had already been offered a reward, you had a chance to live, you could have handed me over at any time yet you protected me. What does it matter if I am that unknown girl or a princess?"
"It matters a great deal." He countered. "Y-you are the rightful Queen for God's sake! I-I belittled you, bullied you, held you in my arms, kissed you, the Queen…" Snow smiled softly at him as her point was proven.
"You speak now of propriety?" She asked in jest. "I see that that is what matters a great deal now that you know who I am: propriety. You not once mentioned the danger you are in, how Ravenna will do anything she can to see to my end, and the end of anyone who helped me. You did not speak of gaining a higher reward, or what you would do, that you would hand me over to her, if I refused. You worry that I am shocked by your behaviour towards me, not in any doubt that you would forsake me." Eric had no response to that for she was right. Not once since the very beginning, had it crossed his mind to hand her over, knowing she was the Princess, the rightful Queen, made no difference to him in that regard.
"I'm sorry." Snow murmured. "For not telling you sooner." Eric merely nodded, not trusting his voice as he stood and walked off, needing time alone to think. Snow sighed as he walked away from her but knew he had every right too; her only hope was that he'd return. Heading back into the village proper, Snow was greeted with much enthusiasm. It seemed everyone here knew who she was and were determined to make her stay here as luxurious as possible, though she would not allow any of them to either put themselves out or treat her specially, though on that last count it was a lost battle. For the first time since she was a young girl was she being treated like a princess, and it not only felt weird, but she very much felt like a fraud. She was a princess by birth, but she'd done nothing for these people, her people, had done nothing to deserve their love and respect. She spent the remainder of the day doing what she could to make up for that, though she knew helping gut fish and mend clothes would never be enough. As night fell, the Huntsman returned to the hut they were both to share with Anna and Lily, his presence giving Snow peace of mind that he'd not desert her. She had no idea that's exactly what he'd intended to do, not because he was angry at her and no longer wanted to be near her, but because he believed she'd be safer without him, for everything he ever cared for was taken from him. He'd even gathered his things and started on his way as she'd helped some of the women prepare dinner, but had been unable to leave her. He felt that his heart broke with every step he took and so convinced himself that as she was in danger either way, being with him could not really cause any harm, but he could do all he could to protect her. He had his chance in the middle of the night when Finn and his men came upon them. The village was set alight and none new how they'd been followed.
"No! We have to help them!" Snow cried as he tried to pull her away and towards the reeds surrounding the village where they could escape. Although he wished nothing more then to throw her over his shoulder and take her to safety, he knew she was right; it seemed the longer he stayed with her, the more his conscience returned, for he'd never have thought twice about leaving even as few as three days ago. But they stayed and helped the women of the village to their boats, glad that Finn and his men were on horses and the water was far too deep to traverse. If they made it to the deep water they'd be safe. Eric and Snow split up as they helped the women to the two sets of boats on either side of the village. Eric had the smaller crowd and so saw them to safety rather quickly, which was quite lucky, for upon arriving at the other set boats he was met by a frantic Anna.
"He took her!" She cried and Eric felt himself pale.
"W-what?" He asked.
"One of the men attacking the village, he took her that way!" Anna pointed and Eric nodded, pulling out his axe and taking off at a run.
"Go!" He called over his shoulder. "I'll see her to safety." Anna nodded and the woman pushed off, rowing as fast as they could as Eric's feet did the same, hoping to reach Snow before it was too late. He didn't know if he was more lucky or enraged by the sight that greeted him not twenty feet away. The man that had taken Snow lay atop her struggling form, which would be where the rage came from, but the fact that she still struggled meant she was alive. This man had obviously decided to do with her as he pleased before taking her to Finn, which was lucky for Eric as it meant he could easily free Snow, but unlucky for the man as he did not know his life was at an end until it was over.
"Come on!" Eric said, hauling Snow to her feet and taking off into the reeds, not letting go of her hand and they ran. They stayed in the water, heading up river and leaving no trail for Finn to follow until they were far into the woods and day had well and truly started. Only then did Eric allow them to stop.
"We should never have been there." Snow sobbed suddenly. "Their home is destroyed, who knows if they all got away, and it is all because of us…no…because of me…" She continued to cry and so Eric did the only thing he could and pulled her to him, setting her in his lap and holding her close, allowing her to cry.
"It's alright." He murmured over and over again, willing her tears to end. She clung to him as she cried, and eventually she calmed down, though she did not release him, though he was by no means complaining.
"Eric…" She murmured after a moment, continuing when she received a grunt in acknowledgement. "That man…the one who…who lay atop me back at the village," Eric stiffened at the mention of that man and held her that much tighter.
"What about him?" He growled finally.
"He said he would have his fun with me before handing me over to Finn…what did he mean?" Now Eric stiffened for an entirely different reason; this was not the kind of discussion you had with someone, let alone a princess.
"You-" he cleared his throat. "You really don't know?" He felt her shake her head against his chest, for she still clung to him while he held her close, and sighed wondering how to explain such a thing.
"He…well, he…it matters not." He finished lamely. Snow finally pulled her head away to look up at him.
"Obviously it does if you killed him for it and grew all tense upon it being mentioned."
"I-I do not know if I'm the right one to explain such things to you. It is far from appropriate."
"Again with propriety. When will you learn that after years as Ravenna's prisoner propriety matters not to me?" She asked. "And how could you not be the right one to explain such things when you're all I've got." She mumbled that last sentence but he heard it none the less and sighed, knowing she was right, but still not willing to explain it to her, or at least not all.
"Your virtue would not have been safe with him, he would have taken it forcefully, ignoring any protests you gave him. It would have been far from pleasant for you, to say the least, and let us leave it at that."
"He would have raped me?!" She gasped.
"Thanks be to God that you know of what I speak…" He mumbled, not having relished the thought of explaining things any further but knowing that she would both not stop pestering him if he didn't, and that it would probably be in her best interests to know, for should they get set upon again, and with the Queen after them it was likely, it may happen again, and the Huntsman was besieged by the image of her all but welcoming the man in her innocence until it was too late.
"Of course I know." She said in disgust at the mere thought of it. "Years ago, one of my mother's maids was raped by a guardsman, and though I was but a young girl at the time, my mother still explained things, at least enough for me to know what it meant."
"You're still a young girl." Eric countered.
"I may yet be young but I am a woman grown." Eric didn't fight her on that one, having felt the lust reserved for women, not girls, directed at her. They remained in silence for a bit, each lost in their own thoughts, and the ease and comfort of being, and having her, in his arms.
"Eric?" Snow asked after a moment. He grunted in acknowledgement and looked obediently down at her only for her press upwards and bring her lips to his. Eric was momentarily stunned, never having expected her to do such a thing, their kiss from the other day had been initiated by him and that was before he knew she was the Princess. When he felt her arms wrap around his neck, allowing her to deepen the kiss, he came out of his shock and pulled away.
"Your Highness we-"
"Snow." She stressed. "My name is Snow, or Snow White if you must use my full name. Nothing has changed, Eric, I'm still me."
"That's where you're wrong." He said, going to pull her arms from around him only for her to hold fast. He debated if he should force her to let go, there was no doubt of who was physically stronger of the two of them, but a part of him didn't want to. "Things have changed, Your Highness," He stressed now. "You're the Princess, the rightful Queen, my Queen, and this is not only highly inappropriate it could see me killed, a lowly huntsman laying his hands on the rightful Queen."
"I have said many times that I care not for propriety, and no one shall do a thing to you, I shall not allow it. But I will admit you are right, something has changed, but not because of my birth. You said I am your Queen, and though I know you meant it as in you are a citizen of this kingdom, it holds truth in another manner: I am yours, Eric. Your Queen, your Snow, simply yours."
"No." He said plainly, though in truth he felt his heart swell at her pronouncement. "You are not mine, you never will be mine. You're the Princess who will be Queen. You'll marry a prince or some other man of high standing and you shall forget all about me once I have seen you safely to the Duke's castle."
"Never. I could never forget you." She said, sorrow lacing her voice at him even saying that. "And I am yours Eric. I may be innocent of many things having been locked away in a tower for ten years, but I know my heart, it is the only thing I have always been certain of. I love you Eric." She whispered. "I cannot explain how I have come to do so so quickly, but I have."
"You speak of fairy stories and things that do not exist." He protested, though his protests grew weak upon hearing her say she loved him. "People do not fall in love at first sight, such magic does not exist."
"If Ravenna's dark magic exists why cannot such good magic exist?"
"I-I don't know." He admitted.
"If you do not love me that is one thing, but do not deny me if you do." Eric wanted to protest more but Snow had taken his silence for what it was, that he could not say he didn't love her, and so had leaned up to kiss him once more. This time he did not pull away, becoming an active participant instead. Eventually they ended up lying down, her atop him, as they drew even closer. It was when her hands reached for his vest and began pulling it off that he next paused.
"Snow." He said huskily. "We can't."
"Why?"
"You don't know what you're doing. As you said you've been locked in a tower for ten years, you only know what your mother told you before then and I will not-"
"You're highly mistaken if you think that's all I know." She said with a blush, earning an inquisitive look. "I may not have known what that man meant by 'fun,' but I often heard the guards talk of one woman or another that they were with, and they were often very…descriptive." Eric's eyebrows shot up at that.
"And you continued to listen?" He asked.
"I was locked in a tower." She reminded him. "Where was I to go? It was not as if I sought them out." His shock abated somewhat knowing she was right and if they stood within hearing distance of her cell then there would be little she could do. He didn't know if it pleased him or not that she knew more then just what her mother had told her.
"Still…it is not something you can take back and-"
"If you say one word about me being too young, or a princess, or any such thing I will smack you." She warned, and he wisely kept his mouth shut for that was exactly what he was going to say.
"There are so many reasons we should not do this." He said instead.
"Yet the reasons that matter are the reasons we should." He didn't know if that was entirely true but he gave up protesting, and gave in to her. He initiated the kiss this time and she practically melted in to it. After awhile of simply kissing with no other actions on her part Eric realized that while she knew what was supposed to happen, she wasn't at all sure how to go about it. The guards she'd overheard had almost certainly spoken of tavern wenches or other worldly women, not innocent virgins, and Eric could guess the kinds of things she'd heard, knowing none of them would be close to what took place here between them. Taking control, he slowly switched their positions, laying her back against the ground, glad that if nothing else there was some grass to cushion her; the further they got from the Queen, the more lively the land got. He brought his hands up and undid the laces of her dress, pulling the material apart. He realized that he was probably taking things fast, possibly too fast, but with her safety always being in the forefront of his mind he was well aware that they were out in the open and never more vulnerable then they were now; he also knew he would not be able to wait long. Once he felt she was sufficiently prepared, he pulled back to look her in the eyes.
"There's no going back from his." He warned her one last time.
"I know." She said, looking him straight in the eyes in return and telling him to continue.
"This will hurt the first time." He said, taking a guess that the pain a woman felt upon losing her maidenhead was not something her mother had explained to such a young child, nor was it something the guards had spoken of. Her brow knit together confirming that he was right, but he didn't give her more time to dwell on it and tense up.
"I'm sorry." He murmured at her surprised cry of pain, kissing away a tear that had escaped. "It couldn't be helped, it hurts the first time for all women, but only the first time if the man is not a bastard or completely inept, I promise you." Snow nodded and he slowly felt her relax again as the pain quickly left her being replaced by other sensations. Once finished, he collapsed next to her, pulling her to him and running a hand gently over her hair as they both regained their breathing. When it became easier, Eric leaned down and gently kissed her.
"I cannot believe you seduced me." He said in amusement. "A young, innocent thing like you seduced me. Well, not so innocent anymore." He amended, what with her virginity now gone.
"I have no regrets." She assured him and he kissed her once more before sitting up and fixing himself, lacing his breeches back up before doing the same with Snow's dress.
"We feel hot now, but the cold will soon creep back." He explained his actions. She nodded thankfully and made to stand but found her legs could not support her for they felt like jelly. Seeing she was about to fall, Eric caught her and swung her up into his arms, a satisfied smirk on his face.
"You'll feel yourself again soon." He said. "You are not in too much pain?" He then asked hesitantly, sure that it could not only have been his skill that made her stumble.
"No. I-I am not sure how I feel but it is far from pain." She replied.
"I'm glad. Rest now. I'll get us a little further before we stop for the night."
"You can't carry me, I'm too heavy." She protested, moving to get down but finding he wouldn't let her.
"You weigh nothing, such a tiny thing as you." He said with a laugh. "I'll be fine. Now rest." He gently ordered, kissing her once more and watching as she sighed contentedly before laying her head against his shoulder and promptly falling asleep. He stared at her for a moment, all his doubts about that they had done returning. She had wanted it, it was true, and had even said she did not regret it, but would she feel that way when she woke? And what would he do when she re-took the throne and married some prince, as he was certain she still would. He pondered all of this as he walked. Night was just beginning to fall when Eric felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Stopping, he quickly woke Snow, put her on her feet, glad to see they supported her once more, and took out his axe, preparing for a battle. He didn't expect the low blow that came, a blade hitting his leg, enough to hurt but not truly injure him. He looked for his assailant and found it to be a dwarf who did not even quite come up to his waist.
"What…?" He mumbled, pushing the man away instead of attacking. The man, however, had other plans for not only did he come at the Huntsman again, but he brought his friends, all eight of them setting upon them. Eric did what he could to protect Snow but with eight against one and these being opponents he'd never fought before, it wasn't that easy.
"Leave him!" Snow cried when they managed to push Eric to the ground, one of them hitting him over the head, knocking him out. "No Eric!" She tried to reach him but the dwarves didn't allow it, two of them easily subduing her and binding her hands while the others dragged Eric to the nearest tree and bound him to it. The blow to Eric's head must not have been too hard for he awoke quite fast, looking frantically to Snow and seeing they were both at the dwarves mercy.
"Well this is our lucky day." One of the dwarves said. Eric turned his attention to him and groaned. "The hedge-pig I loathe most in the world lands right in our lap."
"Come on Beith." He said, apparently knowing this dwarf. "Is this how you treat a friend?"
"No, no, no, you puttock." Beith answered, approaching him. "This is how I treat a 'friend.' " He hit Eric with the blunt side of his sword, laughing when the Huntsman groaned.
"Eric!" Snow could help but gasp.
"She's pretty." One of the dwarves said of her, drawing the others' attention.
"And who is this?" Beith asked, looking to Snow. "Is this an errant apprentice or captive? Or whore?" He turned back to the Huntsman and wagged his eyebrows. "For if she is-"
"She's not a whore!" Eric barked, fighting against his bonds and nearly succeeding in breaking them. "And if you lay even one finger on her…" He let his threat stand, knowing Beith well enough for the dwarf for know any threats he made while not piss drunk were never hollow.
"This man is helping me." Snow interjected, ignoring Beith's crudeness and hoping to diffuse the situation.
"We should kill them both." A third dwarf suggested.
"Yeah, he's caused us nothing but trouble." Another agreed, the others not far behind.
"Skewer him and leave her to rot. I don't like killing girls."
"I do." The third one returned.
"Oh, good."
"Leave her alone Duir!" A dwarf who'd stood in the background, his face covered by a mask, ordered.
"He's got nothing." The dwarf that had gone to search Eric announced. "One silver coin and an empty codpiece." Which he then threw at Eric.
"Two days we sat here." Duir said. "What for? Nothing!" He hit the Huntsman with a stick. "We should have stayed by the river. What a waste of time!"
"Cut us lose Beith." Eric said. "I have gold I can pay you. It's just not here, it's hidden back in the woods." Neither Beith nor the other dwarves believed him. They began bickering amongst themselves, the Huntsman yelling alongside them trying to get them to set him and Snow free. For her part, Snow was practically forgotten as they bickered, but she wasn't going to allow that to stand and so whistled piercingly, making them all stop.
"Tell them the truth Eric. There's no time." She said. Eric raised an eyebrow at her thinking that they'd had no time about an hour ago either, yet that hadn't stopped them from coming together, but he refrained from actually saying that.
"I have to take her to Hammond's." He settled on half the truth. "She's not safe here."
"Well my little heart bleeds for you." One dwarf sneered before turning to his companions. "We should chop them up and feed them to the wolves." The dwarves all agreed but Beith knew there was something Eric wasn't telling them.
"Who is she?" He asked.
"She's worth a lot of gold to me." He replied, feeling the need to dart his eyes to Snow to ensure she knew he did not mean it, not anymore. "Which I am happy to share with you stupid little dwarves-" They didn't take too kindly to that and began beating him once more.
"Gold is worth nothing to any one of you if you are all dead!" Snow yelled, getting them to stop hitting her Huntsman. "The Queen's men hunt us! They're very close!"
"Shut up." They didn't believe her.
"You have love for the Queen?" She guessed, though apparently wrong.
"We have no love for the Queen." Beith spat out.
"Then you fight against her?" Eric wondered where she was going with this. He didn't trust these dwarves.
"No one fights against the Queen." Duir told her.
"We lost everything when the King died." One of them added. "We fight only for ourselves!"
"My father was King Magnus." She told them. Their disbelief didn't come immediately, for while the Queen being after you was a common excuse, being the King's daughter had yet to be heard.
"Muir…?" Beith muttered, turning to the dwarf with the mask, who finally removed it, revealing an old blind man. "Does she speak the truth."
"Yes." He said. "She is of the blood. She is destined, Beith." The dwarves were in shock, though none of them doubted Muir. "I see an end to the darkness." Anything else that might be said was interrupted as a horse whined not far off.
"Riders!" Duir called.
"They found us!" Snow said. "Cut us lose or we'll all be killed. Please!"
"I don't like this Beith, it smells like trouble." Duir said.
"You'll have your weight in gold if you free us, I give you my word!"
"Shut up Princess." One of them muttered.
"Queen's riders! And they're coming this way!" The riders could now be seen through the trees.
"We'll take her but not him." Beith decided, getting to dwarves to haul Snow to her feet and begin to pull her away, leaving Eric tied to the tree.
"What?!" Snow cried. "No!" She began to cry and struggle in earnest, two dwarves no longer being enough to handle her as she fought to get back to Eric. "No, please! Please don't leave him! I'll do anything!" Beith looked to her seeing the tears streaming down her face.
"Oh hell!" He growled, unable to see her so sad for some unknown reason. "Bring him!" He ordered finally. "And hurry!" The dwarves did as he said, clearly he was their leader, and cut the Huntsman loose, pulling him along to a wall of vines where Snow and the other dwarves had already disappeared. The vines proved to be hiding not a wall of stone but a cavern which led a beautiful forest filled with greenery and life, in stark contrast to the forest they'd just come from which had been almost entirely dead; it was as if Ravenna's evil had not reached this place. When they were far enough away from the cavern, and Ravenna's men, Eric pushed two dwarves, the two who had been leading Snow, aside and turned her towards him, looking her over for injury as he untied her, the dwarves having neglected to do so.
"You alright?" he asked quietly. Snow nodded and smiled at him in thanks as she rubbed her wrists where they were red from the coarse rope. Eric then sent a look, he managed only a half glare, at Beith before continuing on, keeping Snow close. They passed by all sorts of creatures, both magical and not, though they were all magical to Snow and Eric, neither of them having seen such life in many years.
"Blasted fairy music." Duir muttered as indeed some tinkling chimes played together in some sort of tune could be heard.
"It seems you are wrong about fairy stories and good magic not being real." Snow shot at Eric, smiling to herself as she did.
"I learned that before now." He replied, a playful smirk on his face, though he was sure to be quiet and not draw the dwarves' attention. "Nearly two hours ago to be exact." Snow shot him a slightly incredulous look at his daring reference to their time together, but otherwise let it go.
"Where are we?" She directed to the dwarves instead, wanting to get off the current topic lest her blush give them away.
"They call it Sanctuary, my lady." Said the one who had called her pretty earlier. "It's the home of the fairies." Snow smiled as a fairy actually flew passed her and every man there who saw it felt themselves smiled alongside her, though they tried to hide it. They arrived at a clearing with large rocks that formed a rough circle with a fire pit in the middle. Beith told the others to set up camp while Snow, unable to help herself, explored in glee, smiling and laughing at every creature she came upon. It took forever for the camp to get set up for everyone kept looking up at her, her joy infectious. The camp though,did eventually get set up and Snow returned to help cook, though her skill was meagre at best. They officially met all the dwarves during this time instead of just hearing their names. Their eight dwarves were Beith, Muir, Gort, Nion, Duir, Gus, Coll and Quert. Beith was their leader while Muir was like a wise man, the oldest of them, and completely respected and trusted by them all. As night fell, a roaring fire was made and everyone sat comfortably around it, Snow and Eric feeling like this was heaven, not only was there soft grass to sleep on, but there was a warm fire and it wasn't raining. Gus began to play on a violin he had and the mood turned easy and calm, people talking quietly or simply sitting there enjoying the night. Snow and Eric were sitting apart, not wanting to draw attention to themselves, and following that end, and also her own desire to speak to him, Snow got up and went over to Muir.
"That seat's not taken, if that's what you were about to ask." He said as she approached.
"I want to thank you." She murmured.
"It's only a log." He laughed. "There's no need to thank me."
"No, for before. For defending me."
"Your father was a good man. The kingdom prospered. Our people prospered."
"There were more of you." She said sadly, realizing they were the last of the dwarves in all the kingdom.
"Yeah, the men you see before you, and many many more, used to go down into the caves." Gort added. "We were noble gold miners because we could see the light in the darkness. When we returned to the surface, there was nothing. The land was blackened. Everything, everyone was gone. Was dead." Snow felt her heart break a little bit hearing that. To do down into the caves with things were light, then to return to darkness and death must have been terrible.
"That was the month your father died." Muir said.
"I am so sorry."
"As am I, Princess. As am I. Son, play a happy song." He directed to Quert who began to sing, Duir joining him. Snow smiled softly at them before turning to face Gus who had come over.
"I know I'm a bit gicky," He said. "But, would you care for a dance?"
"I'd be honoured Gus." Her smile turned genuine and she accepted his hand as he led her to the other end of the fire, which was clear. The two began to dance, what dance no one knew, but they seemed to be having fun.
"So what's in it for you?" Beith asked the Huntsman as he came up to him, sitting next to him.
"What' are you talking about?" Eric asked.
"I'm talking about the girl." He said as if it was obvious. "Is it really just the gold?" The two men stared at her as she danced and feeling eyes on her Snow turned their way, smiling at both of them, though it reached her eyes when they landed on her Huntsman. "Well I think that answers that question."
"If I'd had any sense I'd have abandoned her long ago." Eric said, trying to redirect the conversation.
"Muir says she's destined." Beith allowed the change for now. "Question is, Huntsman, for what?"
"For greatness." He answered truthfully. Beith left him then and the evening wound down shortly after. Snow came and sat by him, spending the rest of the night by his side and giving her a logical explanation for making her bed there as well, much to Eric's amusement, though he was by no means complaining.
A/N - I know I'm probably moving things a bit fast with their relationship, but...
Review please!