The Storm
A wretched storm was approaching outside Duke Hammond's castle. Rain had been pouring violently since the morning, leaving the sky outside grey and monotonous. The gale would soon near the icy mountains, and pass through the dark forest. In due course it would emerge over the Queen's castle. William stood outside the castle walls, drenching in his final day as an unwed man. Tomorrow he would be waiting at the end of the aisle, for his soon to be wife, Greta. Thunder roared high above him in the sky, followed by a harsh wind. His hair and clothes were soaked from the rainfall, and his fingers were numbly cold. His horse wearily sat in his stable across the lot, his fur also having been soaked. William decided it'd be best to make his way back inside, as good as being sick and no longer able to wed sounded. But it seemed as though nothing could get him out now. He was in too deep.
The castle was nearly empty as a result of the storm. Many of the people had returned back to the villages to keep sheltered by their homes. Greta had gone back to her father's Kingdom to prepare for the ceremony the following day. William passed through the irradiated halls of the castle, arriving at the main hall where a large, steel table sat in the centre. Before going forward, a whispering infused his ears, sparking his curiosity. William returned back into the hall and drifted down the stairs which brought him to his father's study. A roaring fire exemplified the room. Duke Hammond and one the guards faintly conversed as if trying to conceal something. Peering through the crack of the door, William positioned his head closer, trying to hear more clear.
"It cannot be possible," his father spoke. "She can't have survived all those years on her own, its blasphemy." Duke Hammond appeared baffled through the cracks. The fireplace at the other end of the room warmed William's face, and produced monstrous shadows behind his father and the guard. "It's all just a conspiracy," he continued. "People are saying she's back because they yearn for hope. For knowing that somehow, maybe everything will end up fine. Well it won't," Duke Hammond said, slightly raising his voice. "There isn't a point wasting time with this news."
"It isn't false," the guard persisted. "The Queen is in possession of the girl and she intends to kill her. I'm sure you are aware of what that means." William's father was frozen, unresponsive to the guard. "Snow White lives, my King. We must save her." William's mouth gaped wide at the sound of Snow White's name. Impossible, he thought. Snow White was dead, all these years, she can't have been alive. He questioned himself, everything he knew. It's what he had told himself over and over again, Snow White was dead. Yet somewhere, deep inside the throbbing of his heart, he knew she still lived.
"Its too late!" William's father bellowed. "She will be dead by the time any of us can save her, and travelling through these storms is fatal enough itself." William became enraged by his father's words. "We must move on as if nothings changed. The world will crumble upon itself, regardless of our attempts. Now we must attend to tomorrow's plans." William clambered back up the stairs, before he heard another word. He didn't care about any noise he made, there wasn't much time. He heard his father shout his name from below, now aware that William had eavesdropped on their discussion.
William entered his room and hastily gathered a few of his belongings. He could hear his father's footsteps tread through the hallway, behind his door. "William!" His father bellowed, as he entered his son's room. "You are forbidden to go anywhere!" He proclaimed. Disregarding his father's words, William proceeded until his father grasped his shoulder.
"Stop it," William retorted with rage. "I am going, whether you approve of it or not. I'm not going to sit hear and let her suffer beneath the Queen. She needs me. I'm not going to let her go, not again."
"It's suicide!" Duke Hammond cried.
"Then so be it," William said, his voice stern. Drops of water ran down his face from his wet hair. "I'd rather die than live another day of this misery." He left his father speechless, grabbing his bow and arrow before departing the room.
Outside, the storm continued to seethe. William darted across the field and to the stables, where his horse sat, awaiting him. He unlocked the gate and hopped onto the horse's back. The horse galloped through the vigourous winds and rigid rainfall, commencing to Queen Ravenna's castle.
Finn made his way to the tower to detain Snow White and the Huntsman. He possessed an axe which was secured in his belt in case the prisoners were unwilling to cooperate. Two guards from the Queen's dark army trailed behind him, if any mishaps happened to take place. They were well secured. Finn longed for the day that his sister attained Snow White's heart and held supreme power. After their death, they would move from kingdom to kingdom, conquering the lands, and eventually living in a utopia of absolute rule. He approached the cell's door, on the highest tower of the castle and unlocked it with his key. He entered the room where Snow White and the Huntsman stood, while the two guards remained outside the door. Behind the window of the cell, the storm could be seen approaching.
The man that set foot into the cell brought a blood-curdling image to Snow White's head. A devilish smile sat on his face, one that she had seen many times before. "The Queen is ready for you," Finn said as he neared Snow White's composed body. He grabbed the shackles that secured Snow White to the Huntsman and began to lead them from the room.
"Your hand," said the Huntsman, looking at Finn's damaged arm. "I see that it's been crippled." Finn halted, glancing at the Huntsman curiously.
"Why exactly does my cripple interest you?" he asked in return. Eric gave Snow White a reassuring look before he continued.
"Because I'm the one who did it," he said watching Finn's eye's fill with fury. "Ten years ago during Ravenna's massacres when you had Snow White in your hand. I am the cause of your suffering, your incapability." The Huntsman gave Finn a smile as he began to pull the axe out from his belt.
"My sister needs Snow White for herself, but you," he said eyeing the Huntsman. "You are all mine." Finn swung the axe in the direction of Eric and Snow White. They sprung backwards in retaliation, as he stormed towards them once again. "Face your demise," he said, as he swung once again, but fell short, only inches away from his face. Snow White and Eric were cornered as Finn elevated the axe above his head, ready to mutilate the Huntsman as he did to him. He swung down as Eric pulled Snow White closer to the axe, causing it to strike the shackles which crumbled to the ground. Eric charged at Finn, now free from Snow White. He drove him up against the wall, putting pressure on his axe-baring hand, causing the weapon to plummet to the ground. The sound of metal hitting the ground provoked the two guards from the dark army to enter the room.
As Eric held Finn up against the wall, Snow White proceeded to the axe and grasped it in her hand. Beith had instructed Snow White how to handle an axe before, but her skills would be shoddy under this anxiety. As the two guards embarked to capture Snow White, she whirled the axe through the air, thrashing one of the guards who shattered into millions of pieces. Snow White was staggered by her accomplishment. She had never used her skills in real combat before. Through Snow White's arrogance, the second guard seized the axe out of her hands and threw it to the ground. She looked at him, dumbfounded, and was ordered by Eric to run.
The Huntsman hurled Finn across the room as Snow White darted from the room, followed by the second guard. Everything had turned out slightly messier than Eric had anticipated, but they still had a chance to get out of this muddle. Finn gradually lifted himself from the ground, his head aching from pounding against the wall. The Huntsman ominously neared him and grabbed Finn's head with his massive hands. "You are a sick human being," Eric declared, as he pummelled the man's head into the pavement of the ground. Finn sat, unconscious on the ground as the Huntsman snatched the axe and went after Snow White.
The storm outside was becoming more and more tumultuous as the winds grew harsher and the rain turned harder, falling like bullets to the ground. Snow White ran through the corridors of the castle which were wet from the rain that entered the cracks of the ceiling. Her main goal now was to evade the second guard who continued to pursue her. The castle consisted of many hidden rooms and passages in which she wasn't familiar with. Perhaps had she regained her memory she would remember, she thought. But this wasn't the time for hoping.
The silence of the eerie guard whom chased her caused Snow White to consistently look back and watch as he neared closer and closer to her. His face was obscured by coal-black cloth and a cool bitterness seeped from his figure. It didn't appear to be human, more like something manifested from the practises of dark magic. The corridors in which Snow White ran through felt like a maze. After bolting down stairs the from the soaring towering, she hadn't managed to progress any lower. It seemed as though she merely ran in a circle, things beginning to appear familiar as though experiencing déjà vu. She began to search for any hidden passages, any way out of this plight. In the distance, as the hall began to curve, Snow White observed a small opening of the ground. It would be a tight squeeze, but the guard wouldn't be able to manage to get through behind her. Her tired sprint became more arduous as the opening came closer. She let her body fall, slipping across the glossy floor and into the crevice.
Snow White descended through an immense pit until pummelling to the ground. Her Body ached as she hoisted herself. Her vision was obscured in the dark room. She made her way to the edge of the strange room in search of a door, but before one came upon her path, a large fire ignited in the centre of the area, illuminating the stony walls and vast space. A tremendous window revealed the murky sky in which lightning flickered and thunder stormed. The rain thrashed, rigid against the glass, in front of a dark figure which stood in front of the window, admiring the terror in the sky. Snow White began to reach for the nail hidden in her clothing. The silhouette revolved, revealing itself to be Ravenna, donning a gown made up of feathers from a raven's wing. It seemed as though to even stare into her death-filled eyes was fatal itself. Snow White was frozen in terror, unable to grasp the spike.
"Thank you for coming," Ravenna said, knowing that Snow White didn't have the choice to begin with. "I should know by now to never depend on my piteous brother to get the job done. But now we can finally begin," She uttered, letting out a sigh of relief. Queen Ravenna sauntered around the crater of fire and towards Snow White's fearful body. In her hand, she held a small blade engraved with crystals and jewels. As she inched towards the young girl's quivering body, the smell of death infused her nose. It was one in which she longed for, one in which satisfied her needs. "This will merely hurt a little bit," she informed, as she took hold of Snow White's hand and pricked her wrist with the blade. Three drops of blood plunged to the ground. Ravenna's hand felt smooth like porcelain and filled Snow White's warm veins with ice. The Queen began to murmur something which Snow White could not comprehend.
"In hoc die," Queen Ravenna began. "Pulcherrima sanguinem iungant. Et sanguinem immortalitas dabitur." Snow White felt her soul begin to tremble within her body, as though to escape the conjuration which Ravenna spoke. "Nos tenetur aeternum!" Ravenna shrieked, as blood salivated from her mouth. The gash in Snow White's wrist now writhed in pain, before disappearing before her eyes. The thunder outside roared unlike Snow White had ever heard before. Ravenna's breathing became deep as she backed away from Snow White's body and into the raging fire. "Come," Ravenna whispered, commanding Snow White. She began towards Queen Ravenna's smouldering body, as though in a trance. It was as if she walked towards peace, a peace disguised by death. Before Snow White was able to enter the fire in which Ravenna awaited her, an axe soared through the air, plunging into the Queen's chest.
Out of the paralysing trance, Snow White glanced back to witness Eric's beaten face. "Come on!" He shouted as Ravenna peered at him in anger, extracting the blade from her chest. Snow White hurtled to the Huntsman and grabbed his rough hand before they continued through the castle.
Ravenna's wound swiftly healed as she made her way after the prisoners. She called her guards along the way and packs of soldiers from the dark army began to fill the halls. "Snow White won't get away this time," She whispered under her breath, as she watched the army infiltrate the courtyard. "I need her heart beating," She informed the soulless knights as they made their way to seize Snow White and the Huntsman.
The wind and rain thrashed into Snow White's face like branches swinging violently on a tree. The Huntsman and her had managed to escape the walls of the castle, only to be confined by the gates to freedom. Around them, stone walls encircled the fortress, as a barrier from the treacherous cliffs into the ocean. Those barriers now barricaded their way to safety. They desperately searched for a way out as the dark army came through the castle walls. "What do we do?" Snow White asked as she gasped for breath. The Huntsman narrowed his eyes as an arrow scarcely soared passed his head. The two of them began to run without any further contemplation. The mud from the ground splattered across Snow White and Eric as they sprinted through the courtyard, arrows trailing not far behind them. "Look," Snow White said, pointing to a trail of water falling into the sewer. They gave each other a quick glance of accord before making their way to the ditch.
"You first!" Instructed the Huntsman, and Snow White dived into the trench, Eric not far behind her. At the bottom of the drain sat an overflowing amount of water which discharged into an opening just ahead of them. They trudged through the water to witness the monstrous waves of the ocean hitting the rocky barrier of the castle below them. The expected calmness of the ocean was disrupted by the storm. "We have to jump," He said looking at Snow White's startled face. "Together," he said, as he took Snow White's hand in his and leaped off the elevated cliff.
They dropped into the hazardous waters below them as the ocean filled Snow White's lungs and she fell into unconsciousness.