The Truth
Finn's face became gaunt as each hour passed he remained confined in his cell; deprived of any food or water. He wondered how much longer his body would last him until finally resigning and leaving him for dead. It would probably take a few more days, he thought. But he wished the time could come now, without suffering and without pain. He wasn't particularly surprised when his sister had left him to die, he knew the time would come eventually.
Their relationship, growing up, had whirled itself into such intricacies, that it was now hard to unwind. After their mother's death, Ravenna was blessed with the power to maintain her beauty forever, at the cost of young women's lives. Her beauty and power, however, was fabricated. The day Snow White was born, was the day that the truest form of pure blood emerged. It was his sister's defeat, as well as his sisters saviour. From then on, she schemed to kill the young girl with his help.
She conjured the best defences that she could find - the dark army - and with this aid, they were able to infiltrate the kingdom of Tabor. Nevertheless, King Magnus was ready, and he was prepared to die to save the life of his daughter. The day that his sister invaded was known as the Queen's Massacres. Thousands died protecting the castle – innocent lives, children, the defenceless, people of all ages. And all felt an emptiness once the young girl disappeared. Many wept over the princesses demise, but Ravenna always knew the girl remained alive, for had she died, she would sense it in her soul as a mother could sense her child's danger. They were bound from the day Snow White was born.
Following Snow White's escape from the Queen's Massacres, Ravenna became ill. Finn knew that she wouldn't stop until she had Snow White's heart in her hand. From then on, a distance grew between them. The only thing that Ravenna lived for was Snow White. Her love for him grew smaller as she became mad, and he knew it wouldn't be long before she would snap. It looked as though he wouldn't see the day that his sister would possess Snow White's heart. Until two nights ago when Ravenna had the girl in her hands, and she took to a more literal binding. They had been bound by their blood, but now they were bound by their souls.
"Finn," a weary voice spoke from behind the barred door, disrupting his thoughts. A frail women stood in the doorway, her hair greying and her skin permeated with wrinkles.
"Sister?" He questioned, eyeing the old woman. Her face appeared grieved and filled with sorrow.
"I'm here to apologize," she divulged, as she unlocked the door, freeing Finn. "I've been a terrible sister and without you I would have nothing. I've realized that now." Finn was no longer sure if this was a dream or if this was actuality. Ravenna would never admit to being wrong. "Please, come with me and have dinner," she requested, to which Finn could not object.
The dining table was filled with lustrous items, consisting of a turkey, peas, potatoes, and corn. His mouth watered at the very sight. He seated himself and dug in without any further rest. After they were finished, Ravenna revealed the true reason of his release.
"There is something I must ask of you," she said, staring into her brother's eyes.
"Anything," he retorted, happy to even be alive.
"I request that you proceed to the dark forest and find me Snow White." Finn's eyed widened at his sister's words. "Two guards will accompany you with your travels, but as you know, the dark army cannot set foot past the forest walls. You will be accompanied by men that I have found suitable."
"I'd die out there," he quickly retorted.
"If you'd prefer, we could lock you back up in the tower for you to die there," Ravenna suggested, raising herself from the dining room table and acquiring the guards to accompany Finn on his journey.
The caverns which led to the dwarfs' home was now in sight of Snow White and the Huntsman. Snow's stomach turned in excitement and a large grin filled her face, as she picked up her pace. Eric dragged along behind her.
"Do you remember what to do?" He asked, his voice stern. Snow White sighed.
"Yes, yes," she said. "We've been over this about a hundred times."
"Well I'm not the dwarfs' favourite person at the moment. I don't need the little fellers coming out in attack, and trying to kill me."
The caves in which Snow White and Eric ambled through were wet and dark. Drops of water could be heard echoing in the near distance. They walked by a mound of mud in which Snow White had fallen into the last time she ventured through the cave. A time in which Eric was her enemy, her destroyer. She smiled at how much had changed since that morning Beith taught her to use her dagger. Merely thinking about the times, which felt so long ago, brought jitters through her body. "Hurry up," she ordered Eric, who continued to leisurely pace behind her. "You should be excited to meet the dwarfs, they're wonderful people. They are my family, you know."
"Yes, I should be very excited to be walking to my termination," Eric retorted sarcastically to which Snow White replied with a glare.
The spacious hut that the eight dwarfs occupied was filled with tedium. Following Muir and Beith's return from the dark forest the night before, each and every one of them felt bleakness take over their tiny bodies. Muir informed the other dwarfs of the strange sorcerers words as Beith silently mourned in the corner of the room. Some of the dwarfs, including Coll, Nion, and Duir, insisted that the sorceror was mistaken. They couldn't believe that they had been sheltering the Kings daughter for all those years, unknowingly. They never thought that a princess would come along their hut. The other dwarfs stood silently, following Beith's impression, and merely a day later, everything rather stayed the same.
A sudden knock broke the silence that infected the home of the dwarfs. Gus looked around, baffled, counting the others around the room to make sure all eight were home. "Who could that be?" Quert asked, waiting for a reply from the blind dwarf, Muir.
"It was probably the wind," Coll replied. But another knock followed, even more strenuous than the last.
"I'll get it," Gort grumbled, his voice even more raspy than usual. "Just a bunch of pansies," he added, mumbling under his breath, but his remark was heard by all, regardless. He twisted the knob to the small, wooden door and it swung open wide, displaying the young princess they all longed for, Snow White.
Each and every dwarf stood silent, gaping at the marvel before them, feeling blessed by the wonderful bewilderment. They admired her long, ebony hair, her fair, pale skin, all the things that they felt to have taken for granted, while she remained with them prior to her abduction. The quiet was suddenly disrupted as every one of the dwarfs rushed to Snow White, with shouts and cries, breaking the distress.
"Wait, wait," Snow White shouted with a smile, chuckling at the dwarfs' reactions. "I've missed you all so very much, but there's something you must know before we get to talking," she said, sternly, recollecting what the Huntsman had said to her earlier. "I haven't come back alone, and I'd like for you to welcome someone new to our home." The many faces turned from joy to confusion as Eric revealed himself in the doorway to their home.
"Kill him!" Gort ordered, as the dwarfs' charged viciously towards the Huntsman. Their attempt was unsuccessful, however, for Snow White positioned herself in front of the sizeable man, as a barrier.
"Stop!" Snow cried, remaining ahead of Eric. "This is the man whom I am speaking of, Eric." Snow White had to take a second to catch her breath before she continued. "He was ordered by the Queen to take hold of me as prisoner, but once he discovered who I was, he assisted me in escape and finding my way back home, so that I may proceed to live amongst you, and ask you all something of great importance to me." The dwarfs listened intently as she talked, even Eric intrigued as to where Snow White was going with this.
"Being away from home, I've witnessed many atrocities, many things I thought I'd only had nightmares about. But the world has opened my eyes, and I now know there must be a change. I am here to ask each and every one of you for your assistance in bringing an end to Queen Ravenna and her army." Snow White's words brought awe to the men that surrounded her, followed by a moment of hesitation.
"It's impossible," Gus declared. "No one can stand a chance against her. She's indestructible." Snow White shook her head.
"She is not indestructible," she clarified. "Not without my heart." An emptiness fell upon the dwarfs.
"She is right," Eric stated after taking in Snow White's words. "The Queen has taken too many lives because of a senseless fear brought upon the citizens of Tabor. It is time that we make a stand before it is too late." Eric thought of his wife, Sara, who died under the Queen's hands. "We can either die waiting for the fateful time to come, or die fighting for the change that needs to take form." Snow White gave Eric a look of thanks for supporting her remarks. The dwarfs turned their glance to Muir in hope that he would dispute their request.
"I must say that," the dwarf paused in hesitancy, "Snow White and Eric are correct." The other dwarfs looked at their leader in utter disappointment. "Nonetheless, this is a discussion that can wait. For now, Snow White and our new guest should get bathed after days of travel. Quert will prepare a supper for tonight and Coll will assist me in making a cot for Eric."
"And I will go get some ale for the bunch of us tonight," Gort insisted, making his way out of the room.
Snow White settled herself in a warm, soapy bath. She scrubbed her body, washing away the grime that stuck to her like sap from a tree. It had been days since she last washed herself, and the water gave her comfort like a blanket in the cold. Following her bath, she proceeded to her room, which persisted the exact same way she had left it. She slipped into a light night gown while her clothes were being washed by Nion and Duir. By the time she finished changing and brushing her hair, Eric was already in the kitchen, washed and groomed.
He laughed with the other dwarfs, likely from an indecent joke made by Coll. Snow White realized now that she had never really taken the time to look at the man who had helped her through all those days. She admired Eric's broad smile, and his stubbly face. His long, hazel hair that was tied back into a ponytail. His pleasant, animated eyes which gleamed in the light. He gave Snow White a sense of security, his presence like an ease of its own. "What are you doing princess?" Quert promptly asked, causing Snow White to break her trance-like state. She looked at the small dwarf in confusion, missing what he had said. "Dinner's ready," he noted. "Come on and eat." Snow White timidly made her way to the lengthy dining room table to join the others.
They ate a delicious feast of food while Snow White and Eric told the dwarfs of their experiences with Ravenna, and the horrid fire that they experienced in the now demolished village of Fenland. Snow White thought of Anna and her daughter, hoping that she wouldn't despise her for bringing that pain upon those innocent people. They all began to drink their ale, even Snow White who hadn't truly found a liking to the taste, and Nion began to play the banjo. Gus and Snow White danced to the music as the liquor slowly began to come over her.
Eric sat at the dining room table, picking at a cold chicken leg, accompanied by Muir and Coll. "I've got to use the loo," Coll announced departing himself from the dining room table, leaving Eric and Muir alone. Eric smiled as he watched Snow White dance with the dwarf, happiness consuming her body.
"There's something you must know, Huntsman," Muir said through the loud, beating music. Eric looked at him in recognition before he continued. "Beith and I were hunting in the dark forest the other night," the blind dwarf began, "and we come across a sorcerer who informed us about some troubling news involving Snow White." The Huntsman looked at the dwarf in concern. "You see, it seems as though, while she was seized by the Queen, she performed a spell. A binding spell."
"What does that mean?" The Huntsman asked, wanting to know what the dwarf knew.
"The other dwarfs, they don't want to help take down the Queen for no reason. The Queen has essentially bound her soul to Snow White's. If we kill Ravenna, she goes down with her." Eric took a moment of silence to let the information seep in. He gazed up at Snow White who danced joyously with Gus. She smiled at him, to which he couldn't bring himself to smile back. Snow White was leading them to her death.
Crows cawed throughout Queen Ravenna's castle in warning, as she briskly made her way to the throne room. It had now been hours since her brother departed the castle grounds to find Snow White in the dark forest. In that time, she consumed the lives of nearly ten young, beautiful girls, to replenish her own looks and power. She raised her posture as she entered the throne room where two guards stood behind a figure with a sack over his head and their hands tied behind their back.
"Remove the bag," Ravenna ordered, after comfortably positioning herself in her colossal throne. The two guards violently pulled off the sack revealing the son of Duke Hammond with a cloth tied around his face, preventing him to talk. "Ah, William," Ravenna said, joyfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" William, unable to speak, remained positioned on his knees. "Remove the cloth!" Ravenna irately ordered to the guards. The guard untied the knot and briskly pulled the cloth away from William's face. He took a moment to catch his breath.
"Where is Snow White?" He asked, infuriated.
"I'm afraid you're too little too late," the Queen informed with a forged pout on her face. "But you," she said, before pausing. "You can come to great use for me. Take him to the dungeons," she ordered her guards as William screamed in repulse. A new wave of satisfaction took over the Queen as William's cries departed the room.
Eric carried Snow White's light-headed body to her bedroom, after the effects of the ale began to really sink in. She drank merely one glass, compared to the Huntsman's five, but her unfamiliar body wasn't used to the liquor. He gently placed her slim figure on the cushioned bed and made his way back to the door. "Wait," Snow White muttered before he withdrew. The Huntsman turned around to see Snow White already up from her bed.
"You should get some rest," he suggested, but she began to make her way towards him.
"Thank you," she said, now simply an inch away from Eric's body.
"There's no reason to-" His sentence was cut off by her lips touching his. His instinct told him to pull away, but his body grasped her even closer to his, and his lips kissed even stronger. She held his rough, muscular form, before her hands moved up and tousled his hair. Her lips tasted sweet and he knew now that they had begun, he could not bring himself to stop.