Again, I apologize for the shortness of previous chapter. This one is quite a bit longer, the longest one I ever wrote in this story. Hope you enjoy it. I'm not very satisfied with the ending, though. Might change it up later.

VII

For days they travel through the forest. Eric and William always flanking Snow. Eric always leading them through the safest places. Whenever they rest, William teaches her the art of bow and arrow, and Eric teaches her to handle her sword even better.

"Everyone, cover your mouth and nose!" Eric suddenly yells and Snow covers herself with the sleeve of Eric's leather shirt he gave her when it got cold a while ago. For a moment, she lets his scent penetrate her nose and she closes her eyes, savoring it. Ever since their battle has been fought, he is clean. His shirt always washed, his hair always brushed. A surprising improvement. It makes him younger somehow. Snow looks at him from the corner of her eyes, and she sees that he's turning back to his old, filthy self, but she doesn't mind. His shirts are always clean. And that scent is what makes her shiver. Because that scent is his. It is just pure him. It makes her feel safe.

But it also reminds her of that night that she spent with him. And that makes her feel guilty. Guilty towards William. Guilty towards Eric. She gave him false hope that night. Hope she crushed immediately after that.

"Milady?" Muir stops next to her, and Snow notices she has stopped. "Is there something wrong?" Quert holds Muir's reigns and guides his horse, and both have their shirts in front of their mouths and noses.

Snow wants to say 'no'. But there is something wrong. She feels that there's something lurking in the shadows, always watching them. "There's something wrong. Eric! William!" Both men hurry towards her.

"Snow? What's wrong?"

Snow turns her horse around, squinting her eyes against the rising pollen. It burns her eyes and her lungs, but the hallucinating effect does not occur. "There's something…" But before her sentence is finished, they are ambushed. People fall from the trees, jumping on top of the dwarves and the two men next to her. "Eric!" she yells involuntarily, when the Huntsman falls to the ground in a weird angle with a small figure on top of him. She demounts her horse and pulls out her bow and an arrow. "Get off him or I'll shoot you!" William rises next to her, pressing a small knife to the throat of the person who jumped him. He nods appreciatively at her, and she feels a little proud that she's finally holding the bow right. But the person does not get up from Eric. He lifts a knife, lets it shimmer in the little sunlight that creeps through the leaves and brings it down. Snow White screams and releases the arrow, the sound of it flying through the air chills her to her bones, and then it hits its target. A low grunt and then the attacker rolls off of the Huntsman. He's dead. She can see it's a he now, fairly young, not ugly either. Bile fills her mouth and she has to fight to not throw up. She just killed a young man. He probably has a mother, a father, brothers, sisters. Perhaps even a wife. And she has killed him.

Trying not to think about it, she runs over to the Huntsman, dropping to her knees beside him. He hasn't risen yet, which is fairly odd, seeing that William and the Dwarves are engaged in heavy fighting. Eric normally would not miss it for the world. "Eric? Are you alright?" He opens his eyes and smiles at her.

"You did it. Well done."

She doesn't agree, but this is not a time for arguing with him. "Yes, yes, but are you alright?"

"Dislocated shoulder." he grumbles. "It's not bad, you only have to help me get up." He puts an arm around her shoulder and smirks a little. Snow rolls her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, Huntsman." she says, letting him have his support on her and pulling him to his feet.

He laughs and then his face distorts in pain. "Careful with the goods, there, sweetheart." Snow rolls her eyes again. She doesn't like his innuendoes. At all.

Suddenly, all the fun disappears out of his eyes. "Snow, behind you!"

In a lightning-fast reflex, Snow grabs an arrow from its sheath, aligns it with her bow while turning and shoots it right at the person who is running towards her. He slumps together not a feet away from her. Her heart beats violently. Another person dead because of her. She turns to the Huntsman, who is watching her with admiration and surprise. "What?" she spits.

He shakes his head. One arm hangs uselessly at his side. "Nothing. That was just…pretty amazing what you just did."

She blushes and smiles. "Thank you. Now, how do we mend your arm?"

He grabs his dislocated shoulder, closes his eyes, bites his lip and then gives it a sharp push. Snow cringes and gasps at the crack that it gives, but then Eric is already opening his eyes and smiling. "Like that."

"Does that not hurt?" she asks, a bit repulsed.

He shrugs, taking out his axes and turning to the fight. "A bit. Come on, we've got to help, milady."

Snow takes out her sword and follows the Huntsman quickly into battle. She may be Queen, but she will not stand by and watch how her friends fight. If there's a fight and if she can help, she will. Dodging the sword that gets swung at her, she raises her own and it slides right through the man's body. Another man dead. If she could only stop this madness.

Then she gets an idea. "Eric, William! I need your help!" Both men make their way towards her, fighting though the dwarves. They are outnumbered by far. "Have you seen some kind of a leader?"

Eric nods, throwing his axe into the chest of an attacker and wrenches it loose after a moment or two. "Yes. The man that is fighting Quert and Muir. About Muir, how in the world is he able to fight?"

"He may not see, you moron, but he can hear better than all of us put together." growls Gort, while fending off two attackers at once. "And maybe you could do something for yourself, instead of standing there, chatting."

While Gort holds his tirade, he can't see another man sneaking up on him. Only when he feels an arrow whizzing past his ear, he turns just in time to see the man sinking to his knees, an arrow sticking out of his chest. Snow has the bow still aimed at where the man once stood, her hands trembling. "You were saying?" says the Huntsman to Gort, who turns red and leaves the three of them alone to aid his fellow dwarves in battle. Snow lowers her bow in dismay. Three men. How could she? "What is your plan, my Queen?" asks Eric, while throwing an axe over her shoulder, killing another man.

"Could you stop killing?" begs Snow, but Eric shakes his head.

"Sorry, sweetheart. If these men kill me – or worse, kill you – I would hate myself forever. Especially if they kill you." At his words, Snow's heart swells, but she doesn't let it on. It'll only give him hope. And that kind of hope can destroy everything he ever stood for, in the battle for her heart. It can destroy her friendship with both William and Eric. Which she doesn't want.

Wait a minute. Did he just call her sweetheart? Bastard.

It would be so much easier if she could just feel for William what the entire kingdom wants her to feel for him.

"Alright, fine. But we need to capture that leader. We could hold him hostage to make the others stop attacking." She seeks for approval, but both men don't answer. Both are already running towards the man fighting with Muir. Rolling her eyes at their eagerness, she pulls out her sword and starts slashing at enemies that keep pouring from the trees and the bushes.

"Take the Queen!" someone shouts, and at that, Eric and William turn and shout something at their Queen, but thanks to a roar from above her, she can't hear. She looks up and sees a glimpse of body falling from the tree on top of her, and then she passes out.

"We've got them!"

A scoff. "Right. It's not like you're forgetting anything." Is that William?

"What?" a harsh voice responds and Snow's hair is yanked upwards. Pain.

"I wouldn't do that, if I were you." says William, not sounding uncomfortable or worried at all. What in the name of the Lord is going on here?

"Why?"

"Because I'm right behind you, you idiot." That's definitely Eric. Only he can sound so relaxed and angry at the same time.

A scream. A thud. Several more screams. Total silence.

"Snow? My Queen?"

Snow groans at the pain in her head and she closes her eyes harder. She doesn't want to wake up from this painless dream. "Go away."

A chuckle. "Milady, you have to wake up."

Then everything rushes back to her, lightning fast. The attackers. The killings. The man dropping on top of her. The strange dream with the harsh voice. Her eyes fly open, and she finds herself looking at a thick foliage. Eric's voice comes from right beside her when he says, "Welcome back to the world of the living, your Highness."

She looks sideways and when she meets his eyes, she can't contain herself. She flies around his neck, now realizing that the dream had not been a dream at all. It had been real. He'd saved her. "Thank you." she murmurs.

"It was William's idea." says Eric, humbly. "When you were caught, everyone surrendered to avoid losses at our side. But William pushed me into the bushes, warning me to stay put until he gave a signal. When he did, I could attacker those men pretty easily. It was over fairly quickly. I let most of them go, but some of them refused." He looks down, away from my eyes and she already know what he's going to say. "I'm sorry, Snow. I had to. Their bodies have been buried properly, don't worry about that."

Snow shakes her head, resigning to the fact some had to die. She doesn't like it. One bit. But it could not be avoided. Then she hugs William tightly. "That was a brilliant idea, William. Thank you."

"Anytime." says he, rubbing her back. "Are you feeling better?"

She releases him and starts looking around more. Counting the dwarves. Beith. Muir. Quert. Coll. Gort. Nion. Wait. That is six. "Where's…where is Duir?"

Eric and William both lower their eyes and shake their heads. "I'm sorry, Snow." whispers William.

No. No, no, no, no. Not another dead body. "No. No, please. God, no. No, no, no." She buries her head in her hands and starts to cry. "This can't be happening." Two strong arms wrap around her and start rocking her.

"It's okay." William. How can he say that? It most certainly is not okay! "I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to say." His arms are warm around her body and she leans into that warmth. She doesn't care. She needs this warmth. Burying her face in his chest, she cries softly. Softly, because the dwarves do not need to see her crying.

"It was." sounds Eric's calm voice.

"Eric…" the Queen begs, but her voice is too feeble, too drown out by the tears to stop both men from launching themselves in another fight.

William tightens his arms around her as if to protect her from the Huntsman. "Huntsman, not now. Can you not see that your Queen is upset?"

"What have I done?" Snow White whispers. "This is all my fault. All those dead…I never should've brought them here…we should turn back." Shaking her head in William's chest, she takes a gulp of air to steady herself. But it doesn't work. Tears keep flowing.

She feels Eric moving closer to them, and William half-turns away from him, shielding her from him with his body. But Eric presses on and then his big, warm hand rests on her back. "Snow? Look at me." William sputters at his demanding tone, but Eric ignores him. "Look at me."

Reluctantly, but unable to resist his soft but commanding voice, the Queen lifts her head and looks at him. His eyes graze over her. She knows she should feel uncomfortable at his touch, but she doesn't. It is actually kind of pleasant. "Duir died fighting for you. He gave everything of himself for everything you stand for. Do not taint his memory. Keep doing what you're doing. He would've wanted you to."

Snow sits up straight and wipes her eyes furiously. "Duir died defending me while I did nothing! It's not fair. I should be the one that died!"

Both Eric and William go rigid. "No!" says William, who refuses to let her go. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that again! I just got you back. Don't let me lose you again."

Snow shakes her head. "So many people have died for me. I never wanted that."

Eric nods and sighs deeply, this making him look more serious than he ever is. "I know. But they did. All of your people, everyone here, me, and if I may speak for you, sir William, William here too. We are all willing to go to whatever end to bring peace. To end this war. To keep you on that throne. Don't give up. It would only shame the memory of all those who've died for this cause."

Snow White lets the silence that follows Eric true words engulf her. He is right, of course. He is always right. How can a Huntsman be so clever and true in his heart? She would've never thought that the first time she'd met him, with his shirt crumpled and dirty, and him smelling like sweat and alcohol. But his eyes are clear now, resting upon her with love and admiration in them. He's meaning every single word he says. "You're right." whispers Snow. "You are absolutely right. I apologize for losing myself in sorrow like that."

Then Eric surprises all of them, including himself, by leaning in and pressing a kiss on her lips. Tender, caring, not demanding anything. William jumps up, causing Snow to topple backwards, for she had still been leaning in his arms. "What do you think you are doing?"

The Huntsman smiles at Snow, a sad and comforting smile at once, and she knows it wasn't a love-kiss. It was a comfort-kiss. A proud kiss. A kiss that can happen between two friends. Family. Then he rises, meeting William's enraged glare, but not before extending his hand towards the Queen and helping her to her feet. "I was expressing how proud I am of her. She is just eighteen and already handling the problems in her Kingdom – excuse me, Queendom. That had nothing to do with my feelings towards her. Please don't tell me you don't feel that too." There's a hint of contempt in his voice, but his face betrays nothing else.

William sighs and shakes his head. "Oh, I can't believe I'm actually falling for this." He takes Snow by her shoulders, turns her presses his lips against her cheek. "I am proud of you, Snow. You should know that." Then he turns back to Eric, anger crossing his face. "That is how you kiss someone when you're proud of them." Then he walks towards the dwarves, who are all surrounding Coll, whom Duir followed everywhere. Coll looks defeated and pained. He just lost his brother. No wonder he is so upset.

Eric turns to Snow, an apologetic look on his face, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his pants. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have."

"I know it was not meant that way." says Snow, smiling. She walks up to him, puts a hand on her shoulder, pushes herself up and pulls him down so that her lips brush past his ear. "But he is right. What he did was how you kiss someone when you're proud of them."

He softly puts his hand on her back and she shivers. "I know." She looks up to him, eyes wide with shock. He knows? He did it on purpose? He grins, a grin that gives her heart a day's job to keep beating. "I told William it was because I'm proud. And it partly was. But I know I can trust you enough to tell you that it was a bit more than just pride."

Snow shakes her head. "I thought you said you could wait."

He rolls his eyes. "Alright. So I have a little difficulty adjusting to the situation at hand. What are you going to do?" He brings his face closer to hers, his eyes swallowing her deep into his soul. Her breath stops. "Sue me?"

Snow swallows hard and takes a much-needed gasp. "Don't forget I am still your Queen. I can have your head for less." Is she threatening him now? Can she sink any lower?

He smiles, not the least bit worried by her threat. "No, you like me too much for that." Then he turns away and starts walking towards the dwarves as well, and Snow takes a much-needed breath. When did she start holding it in?

God, what is he doing to her? Her heart is beating frantically in her chest, and she can't figure out why. Is it fear? Excitement? She doesn't know. Beating herself up inside, she walks over to Coll and kneels down beside him. "Coll?"

The blond Dwarf looks up to her, tears in his eyes, tears he tries to fight desperately. While he just lost his brother, he still tries to be the toughest of all. "I apologize, my Queen." he grumbles.

Snow shakes her head, her face confused, but in reality, she knows what he's apologizing for. His crying. "For what, Coll?"

"For losing myself like this. I – I shouldn't."

Now Snow sighs. "That's right. You shouldn't. You shouldn't apologize. You just lost your brother! You have every right to feel sad."

The dwarves retreat a bit, leaving Coll and Snow alone. Snow holds out her arms, and now that the other dwarves aren't there to see it, he launches himself in her arms and seeks comfort in her warm embrace. "I miss him, milady." he says softly and Snow nods, silent tears now streaking her own cheeks. "I miss him so much."

"I know." says the Queen. "I do, too." She stokes his tangled hair and rocks him until he calms down enough to sit up straight. "But we have to go on. For Duir. He died to protect you. To protect all of us, to ensure that we go on. Let's do just that." The dwarf looks up in her face, tears slowly drying, and his expression turning steady.

"Yes! I will follow you everywhere, milady. Duir would have wanted me to."

Snow smiles at him and stands up, brushing dirt from her knees. She is glad that she chose her "forest"-dress, as her dresser had called it without trying to hide his contempt for it. It is short enough to not be in the way when in a fight and long enough to protect her knees and upper legs. She takes her horse's reigns and starts towards the direction they originally intended to go. Why is her head throbbing like that? "Alright. We continue! Eric, how much longer until we reach the edge of the forest?"

"Two days, at most." says Eric, appearing from behind a tree and putting his axes back in their holders. "But we're not continuing."

Snow raises her brows, surprised at how he so easily keeps opposing her. "Excuse me, but…"

But now William puts his hand on her shoulder and she looks up to him, only to find him with the same expression as Eric. "He's right. Too much has happened. We rest for the rest of the day. And no, even your power as Queen won't stop that."

Snow looks around, and sees that the dwarves are still drowned in grief, and Eric's eyes are heavy with sleep. William, behind her, is fighting a yawn. And when she starts to look inside herself, she finds herself tired and worn. Her head is still throbbing. "Alright. We'll stay. Only for one day. We have to get to that village. And fast. We don't know what the rebels are doing with the people there." She gets her horse back to its place by the trees and sits down. Her head is throbbing more severely now. "Eric?" she calls softly. He crouches down next to her, a worried look in his eyes. "What happened? I mean, what did they do to me?"

He frowns and puts a hand on the back of her head. His fingers trace her skull lightly and then they find the source of the pain, enhancing in times three. She flinches, and Eric pulls back, concern plastering his face. "They hit you over the head. Hard. Then they yanked at your hair to show you off. But…you've got a huge bump on your head, it's almost abnormal."

Snow's head turned heavy and she moaned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that they hit you pretty hard. It means that you should lie down." He guides her down and she lies her head softly on his arm. "Does anyone have any clue on how to treat a bump?" he calls over her head, and then Snow feels his fingers on her forehead, stroking her hair out of her face. But she can't see. Her eyes won't open. "You're going to be alright. You hear me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Alright?"

She nods. "Where's William? And the dwarves, where are they?"

"They are right here, sweetheart. Don't worry."

She feels someone crouch beside her and put a hand on her forehead. "What's the matter with her?" It is William. She smiles softly and she can almost hear him smile.

Eric sighs above her. "I think it is a minor concussion, but I'm not certain. She needs to rest for now."

William growls and Snow can feel him sitting down next to her and Eric. Which makes her a little uncomfortable, because she's not far from slipping away into the unconscious world – in Eric's arms. "And is there a way for her to do that not lying in your arms?"

Above her, Eric groans. "Come on, Sir William. This has nothing to do with me or you. I am just taking care of my Queen. Anyone else would do that."

"William. Please." Snow says softly, and she feels both men look down on her. She opens her eyes and the entire foliage swims before her eyes. She closes them quickly, pinching the bridge of her nose against the headache that grows. "Just…don't fight. Not now."

He puts a hand on her forehead and then recoils, gasping. "She has a fever." he says, now honestly sounding worried. Now she feels Eric's hand on her forehead and he gasps too.

"Oh Snow." he says, stroking her hair back. Now Snow really is beginning to feel the effects of the fever. She feels so cold, but her body is sweating heavily, mimicking the effects of extreme heat. "Here, Snow." Eric puts his blanket over her, and then William puts his own over her.

"No." she protests feebly, trying to push off the blankets. They both need their blankets, at night it can turn cold.

"Yes, Snow. You need to sweat this out quickly." says Eric.

"But…but you…" She can barely get her words out right.

William puts his hand over her mouth, she can feel it is his hand. It's a bit smaller than Eric's, softer, privileged by his life in court. "You have to, Snow. We will not take no for an answer."

Snow smiles. "Why is…" She swallows heavily. "Why is it that you two always agree on something when it isn't really important…but don't when it comes to important matters?"

She hears Eric chuckle and he holds her tightly against his chest. "You mean, we agree on everything that concerns your safety?"

She coughs and Eric helps her drink some water. "Maybe." She feels uncomfortably hot right now, with the two blankets wrapped around her and Eric holding her against his warm body.

"Go to sleep, my Queen. We will watch over you." Eric strokes her hair and face and, with his heartbeat near her ear, she cannot not fall asleep. Therefore she sleeps within minutes. Her sleep is restless, neither awake nor sleeping. But all that time, Eric is there, holding her, soothing her when she thrashes away from a feverish nightmare. But rest is far away from her, and not planning on visiting her anytime soon. So she just tries to get her sleep, at least for the times she is able to get it, and all that time she feels Eric holding her, stroking her, soothing her, warming her up until the point she doesn't want to be warmed.

"It is going to be okay, Snow." she hears whispering next to her. She opens her eyes, lazily, to find Eric lying next to her. It's dark around, but the fire is still smoldering softly, emitting just enough light for her to see him. He smiles softly at her. "I am going to take care of you. You won't be sick for long." She opens her mouth, but her voice doesn't work. So instead of verbally thanking him, she leans forward, kissing his cheek. He nods, acknowledging that he's understood. "Go back to sleep, my Queen. I will not let anything happen to you." He strokes her eyelids closed and she sighs, snuggling against his chest. His scent washes over her and for the first time that night, she is actually able to sleep a few hours.