The Village
The walls of Queen Ravenna's castle were filled with silence following Snow White's escape. Finn remained in the highest tower, starved and draining of life. The Queen wouldn't kill her own brother, but she wouldn't stop him from dying either. She loved him unconditionally, but that was something she saw as a burden, rather than a blessing. Love was for fools, she always thought. Many kings had expressed their love for her time and time again, only to dismiss her after something better came along. She wouldn't fall for love again.
The sun was beginning to set as Ravenna deliberated what to do next. She was close to having Snow White's heart, but she wasn't left empty handed. The first part of the spell had worked, making things much easier. An idea registered in her mind as she made her way to the throne room and pulled out a map, placing it flatly on the ground. She pinched a blade into her skin, releasing three drops of blood onto the map of Tabor. "Invenire pulcherrima sanguinem," she spoke as the drops of blood formed together. "Find me Snow White," she whispered, as the blood moved across the map before stopping over the village of Fenland. Queen Ravenna smiled, triumphantly. "I've found you," she whispered.
The monstrous lake that Eric had come across once before, appeared before him and Snow White after hours of walking through the dark forest. A welcoming canoe sat at the end of the dock as it had before, but Eric now knew the real ploy behind this lake. "We should go around," he advised Snow White. "I've come through here before. It's faster, but it is dangerous." Snow White agreed, but before they moved along, she noticed something coming towards them in the distance.
A small boat floated along the shore with three women wearing burkas to cover their body and face. The boat emerged over the shallow waters right in front of Snow White and the Huntsman, who looked at it curiously. Inside, he noticed one of the women carrying a trumpet, and recalled the sea beast which emerged after a trumpet's call. "This is bad news," he told Snow White. "We should go."
"Wait," a woman's voice called from within the boat. Snow White and Eric turned to look at her as she uncovered her face from the cloth, revealing two scarred cheeks. "If you come with us we can provide you with food and rest for the night. It looks as though you need it."
"And then try and kill us?" Eric retorted. "I won't be going down there again."
"It was for our protection," the woman explained, recognizing Eric from before. "Ever since the Queen has come into power, we cannot trust anyone. Our children have died under the Queen's hands. We do anything to keep them safe." The Huntsman felt truth amongst her words. Any despiser of the Queen could be seen as a companion. "We've been given help from sorcerers to shield our village away from those who we do not want to see it. A thick fog manifests when someone comes to close, and a beast emerges from the waters to drive people away. Illusions are great deceivers." Eric recalled his horrible experience.
"And why exactly do you trust me enough to come through now?" Eric asked, puzzled.
"We don't," the woman quickly responded. "But her," she said, eyeing Snow White. "Only virtue runs through her veins, we can sense it. You're Snow White, aren't you?" The woman asked as Snow White blushed at the strange woman's words.
"I guess I am," Snow White answered, dubiously.
"You guess?" The woman asked confused.
"She doesn't remember anything about herself," the Huntsman notified and the woman looked at Snow White with peculiarity.
"Traumatic experiences often times make someone forget," the woman advised, persisting the wanderers to come with them. Snow White gave the Huntsman a look of concern, as her stomach grumbled.
"I guess we can go," he resolved as they hauled themselves up onto the boat and began their way through the mystic waters.
A village appeared before them which looked as though it hovered above the waters. Land began not too far along behind it. Young children played along the docks which stood as pathways across the water. Each child compromised familiar scars on their cheeks, which Snow White gazed at, intrigued. "What happened?" She asked, looking for an answer to her question. "Why does every one have scarred faces?" The woman who had identified herself as Anna, looked blankly ahead before responding.
"To keep them alive," she said, coldly. "So that Ravenna has no beauty to consume." Anna Shuddered as she spoke of the dreary reality of what life had become.
"What do you mean, 'no beauty to consume'?" Snow White asked. Anna eyed Snow White, realizing just how naive the young girl was.
"Ravenna consumes the lives of young, beautiful girls to rejuvenate herself," Anna apprised, as she watched Snow White's face drop with disheartenment. "It gives her strength and power, she would be weak without it." Snow White and Eric followed Anna and the other women off the boat, as she continued to listen to her words.
Snow White was nestled in a blanket after eating a mouth watering dinner provided by Anna and her family. Her and Eric scarfed down the food so quickly, they barely had any time to savour the taste. Eric was now slumped on the couch beside Snow White, immobile, only a light snore coming from his mouth to show that he was still alive. Anna continued to tell Snow White stories of the times children of the village were endangered. She explained that they were no longer able to leave the grounds of Fenland of fear that they would be killed by Ravenna's men. It was as though they were locked up in a prison.
Snow White was introduced to Anna's daughter, Lily, who was oblivious to life outside of the village. "I guard her with my life," Anna said, hugging her daughter tightly and giving her a kiss on the cheek to which Snow White smiled. She wished that she could remember her mother. All she knew of her was a face, and it seemed as though that's how it always would be.
"Where is her father?" Snow White asked.
"It's rare for him to be around," Anna said, saddened. "Falling in love with a warlock isn't always easy."
"He's a warlock?"
"Yes, but he prefers to be called a sorcerer," she said, laughing, as though remembering a special time. "The first time we met, I was charmed by him and he said to me, 'you and I are destined to be together.' I just laughed at him, but those darn warlocks can foresee what's coming." Anna smiled at the story and Snow White could see that she truly yearned for him. It made her think of the dwarfs who she would be seeing soon.
"Why hasn't anyone stopped the Queen?" Snow White anxiously asked. Anna could see that this question was on her mind for some time now.
"Well primarily because of her dark army, manifested by powerful magic," Anna informed her as Snow White recalled the lifeless guards who chased her through the castle. "They are feared by everyone."
"There must be some way," Snow White said, searching for an answer. "Why does she want me dead? I've done nothing to her." Anna looked at Snow White, questioning what to do next.
"You're heart," Anna began. "It is a way to make her immortal, a way to let her stop consuming the lives of young girls, a way to make her invincible." Snow White looked mortified.
"So if I give it to her, everyone will be safe?"
"You don't understand," Anna said, weary. "She will never stop. By giving her your heart, you give her a way to destroy Tabor and so forth. Death is her, and only the fairest blood can fully endow her." Purus Sanguinem, Snow White remembered. The words etched into her dagger, and into her mind. Fatigue suddenly fell upon her, the new information creating a heavy weight. "I'll get you a pillow," Anna said as she got up and left. The sun began to set when Anna returned to witness Snow White in a deep slumber, snuggling herself into Eric's sheltering body.
Ashes seeped through Ravenna's fingers as she approached the map of Tabor. She was now occupied in a room of the castle specifically designated for her incantations. A roaring fire, which grew in the centre of the room, exemplified all of her surroundings. The last time Ravenna was in this room, she bound herself to Snow White, but was unable to fully complete the spell. She could now finish what she started. All she needed was Snow White's heart.
The ashes fell through her fingers and piled onto the map over the spot labelled Fenland. The spell she was about to produce would drain most of her energy, which she ordinarily wouldn't attempt. However, once Snow White was dead, her powers would be regained forever. "Fiat ignis ardebit," she began, as the small pile of ashes began to flame. "Burn!" She screamed and felt the spell begin to manifest as her skin began to wrinkle. Her hair slowly faded from blonde to an old grey and her lips thinly curled. She looked in to a rusting mirror across the room and witnessed her true form – an elderly, frail woman.
Snow White slept in a deep sleep, the Huntsman embracing her figure right next to her. They had hardly slept the previous night while locked up in the Queen's tower, and were exhausted from the constant travels. Now, they both felt at peace, a feeling that hadn't come in a very long time.
Horrific images of Queen Ravenna's terror disturbed Snow White's peaceful sleep. She witnessed the lives of young women being taken from them, people suffering, and castle's being burned to the ground. The terror felt real, as though she was witnessing it first hand, as though she was looking into the past. Smoke enveloped her dreams, veiling the scarring images, and a burning scent penetrated her nose. Something wasn't right.
Snow White opened her eyes wide to the sight of Anna's hut suffused in smoke. Eric's arm slumped over her thin body, making it hard for her to move. "Wake up," she yelled, violently shaking the Huntsman's body. He groaned until opening his eyes and witnessing the smoke surrounding them. They immediately raised themselves up and warned Anna who slept in the other room.
"Lilly," she said, running past them, and to her daughter's rescue. A convulsing explosion transpired before them, causing the three of them to collapse to the floor. Anna was knocked unconscious. Snow White coughed, as the smoke grew thicker. It made the unfamiliar place even harder to distinguish.
"Take Anna," Snow White ordered the Huntsman. "I'm going to get Lilly." She ran through the disintegrating hut, before the Huntsman could protest. Fiery wood panels descended from the roof just falling short of Snow White's body. She entered Lilly's room, but her bed was vacant. "Lilly?" She shouted, searching for a place the young girl could hide. Outside she could see the townspeople running and screaming in terror. She knew that this fire was no accident. Snow White peered under the bed, finding Lilly's trembling body. "It's OK," Snow White said, attempting to comfort her. "I have you." She took hold of the young girl and held her tightly in her arms. Just at that moment, another explosion arose, causing Snow White to use her body as a barrier in protection. She winced as the glass from the window flew across the room and thrashed against her back.
Lilly's cries grew louder as Snow White continued through the burning hut, finally coming into contact with the brisk, night air. Her breathing became easier as the Huntsman approached her, Anna secure in his arms. "We have to get onto land," he advised her. "The docks will implode beneath are feet." She nodded in understanding, guiding Lilly into the shallow waters and the safety of land. Behind her, the entire village of Fenland collapsed into the water, the people having been left with nothing. Snow White's eyes filled with tears as she witnessed the tragedy before her. People cried around her, young children harmed from the explosions and fire, some lied lifeless on the ground. And the only person she could seem to blame was herself. She knew that she brought this terror upon these innocent townspeople. She was the cause of their suffering.
"We have to go," The Huntsman said, grabbing Snow White's arm and pulling her away from the misery.
"We have to help them," Snow White protested, trying to tug away from the Huntsman, but his force was too strong.
"They'll be better off without us," he said, continuing to pull her away. She stopped objecting, and wilfully followed by his side. He was right. "The dwarves aren't very far away now. We should be there in the morning." She hardly found any pleasure to his words. She missed the dwarves, but her guilt was too strong.
Queen Ravenna anxiously awaited for her beauty and power to be restored after Finn returned with Snow White's heart. She hoped that she had suffered through the inferno, dying painfully and slowly. The time went by leisurely as Ravenna waited for her immortality to arrive. She would wait the rest of the night, until the disappointing truth dawned upon her. Snow White remained alive.