"What do you mean you've found it?" Snow demanded.
The brothers had never seen Snow quite like this before. In response to her question about where to search for the library next, Grumpy told her that he'd found it. Snow was none too happy.
"That is not what you were supposed to talk about, Grumpy!" she snapped.
"Mmhm."
"Don't you 'mmhm' me!"
"Mmhm."
"Oh! You are such a dick!" Snow shouted, stomping her foot.
Grumpy smirked as Doc nearly had a conniption. "Snow White, that's no way for a lady to squawk, urm, talk!"
"She ain't supposed to be a lady, Doc," Grumpy said. "She's supposed to be a rascal. And that was pretty good."
The fact that Grumpy had defended her angered her even more. "Did you or did you not do as I said?"
"Yep."
"And?"
"I gots gold sickness," Grumpy said.
Silence. Bastian frowned at him. "I thought that only happens to dragons?"
"Used to be that way," Sleepy said. "But somebody stole a dragon's beatin' heart and figgered out how to turn it into a curse."
"How does it work?" Bastian asked.
"I…" Sleepy trailed off, unsure of how to answer.
Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere, Bastian turned to Grumpy. "You know much?"
"Not about curses," Grumpy admitted. "I don't curse people and I ain't gonna start. But the library'll have stuff about it. Killin' two birds with one stone."
"I can think of a better place to put that stone," Snow said acidly.
Doc didn't like to see Snow so angry, and he opened his mouth to try and settle things, but Bastian sat down beside him.
"Don't. You'll only make it worse."
"Watch it, girlie," Grumpy warned.
"Bite me," she snarled.
Grumpy gave her a look and shrugged. "If that's what you want."
He waved his hand and there was an explosion of green light around Snow. To their astonishment, a sheet of crystal had formed around her. She swore, hitting the crystal with her fist.
"Let me out!" she shrieked, her voice muted.
"Bite me," Grumpy retorted.
There was a pause then a concussive thud, which hurt their ears and made their hair stand on end. Pink erupted out of the green crystal, shattering it, and Snow looked angrier than they'd ever seen her.
"You bastard!"
Grumpy was unbothered. "Mmhm."
Snow gave a cry of rage and spun on her heel to walk away. Bashful stood up, but Grumpy spoke.
"Leave her be."
"But Snow…" Bashful glanced toward her retreating back.
"You wanna get bit?" Grumpy challenged.
Bashful hesitated then sat back down. "Why'd you do that?"
"And don't say you don't know," Sneezy groused.
Grumpy snorted. "I do knows. She's riled cuz of what happened to us, but that don't mean she gets to act like that, even if she is a rascal."
"Your girls always have fire," Bastian said, amused. "You should really choose them more carefully."
"I don't choose nobody," Grumpy fired back. "They just won't go away, so I'm stuck with 'em."
The brothers all laughed at that. Grumpy finished the tent then casually waved his hand. Green sparks flew from his fingertips then coalesced into a ball of fire, which flew into the center of their camp and hovered above the grass. Dopey clapped his hands, glee on his face. Pointing at the fire, he turned to ask Grumpy a question, but he stopped when he saw the wary look on his face. Doc nodded at Dopey as he hesitated.
"Go on."
Dopey looked reluctant then scuffed his boot as he apologized to Grumpy for what had happened in the garden. Grumpy relaxed.
"Didn't think to tell you. And it's not my own magic. But yeah, Snow has natural magic, too. I've been teachin' her so she don't hurt nobody."
Dopey nodded and held out his arms hopefully. Grumpy rolled his eyes but walked over to hug him. Dopey squeezed him tightly then let him go. He pointed at the fire again.
"Aw, I done told you fire's easy a hundred times," Grumpy said.
Dopey shrugged and wiggled his ears, his eyes shining. Grumpy tugged his hat over his eyes.
"Never thought you'd be domesticated, Ivan," Bastian teased, watching with dancing eyes.
Grumpy snapped immediately, and the back of Bastian's shirt rose up and over his head in a cloud of sparks.
"Hey!"
"Grumpy," the Dwarf replied, slowly and clearly.
Bastian tugged his shirt back down and righted it. "Is that what you're going for? Because you didn't tell William that name."
Grumpy flushed and shrugged as he sat down between Bashful and Doc. Bashful peered at him.
"Why didn't you come back to the castle with us?"
There was a pause. "I thought you didn't want me to," he said quietly. "After what I done to Sneezy, I thought you finally realized that I was trouble and didn't want… didn't want me no more. So's I left."
"Why would you think something stupid like that?" Bashful asked. He didn't expect an answer. Grumpy never answered questions like that. So when he did, it stunned all of the Dwarfs.
"'Cause Calida said I wasn't worth nothin'," he said. "And why would anybody want somethin' like me?" His shoulders slumped and he stared into the fire.
"You are a somebody, not a something," Doc said sternly. "And there are twenty, erm, plenty of reasons to want you."
"Like what?" Grumpy asked. He looked at Doc with such despair in his eyes that it broke the brothers' hearts.
Bashful threw an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. "You're real good at minin'."
Grumpy shook his head. "Anybody can do that."
"You can cook real good," Happy said.
"That ain't impressive. Only Sneezy can't cook."
Dopey wiggled his ears and told him that he was fun to be around.
"That's cuz you ain't gots no sense. They's fun too, anyhow."
Sleepy leaned forward. "You're good at tellin' stories."
"They gots you for that."
Sneezy sneezed, wiping his eyes. "You're always so kind to folks, even ones who're stupid enough to mess with a mama wolf."
Grumpy opened his mouth but could find nothing to say. He closed his mouth and shifted.
"I ain't," he finally muttered.
"You spend almost all your coin on orphans and thieves and you don't care a whit if they even thank you," Bashful said.
Grumpy flushed and stayed silent. Dopey clapped and he glanced up and watched the young Dwarf point out that he protected people, whether they were aware of it or not, and he pulled out his aquamarine and tossed it over. Grumpy caught it from reflex and stared at it.
"Not to mention you're so clever and stick, erm, quick, and you have skills we don't have," Doc said. "Including your magic."
Grumpy looked at his hand then flexed it. Green lights sparkled as the magic dripped from his fingertips, disappearing before it hit the ground. Doc took Grumpy's hand.
"There are a thousand other seasons, ah, reasons for us to want you around. We aren't a family without you, Grumpy. And we won't take stow, ah, throw, erm, go—ugh!—no for an answer."
Doc flushed and adjusted his glasses. Grumpy could tell he was embarrassed, but he had no reason to be. Grumpy found his speech impediment to be endearing. It was something Doc was only truly comfortable sharing with the family. Sometimes, though, when it got bad, he still turned shy.
"Then I guess there ain't no reason to leave again," Grumpy said, smiling at Doc. Then he raised his eyes. "Got it outta you?"
Snow approached, looking tired. "I'm sorry," she said, sitting down.
"Mmhm."
She smiled even as she hit his arm. "You're still a dick."
"Snow!" Doc exclaimed, this time a bit harsher. "That's enough!"
Snow turned to him. "You know it's true."
Sneezy laughed. "Course it is! That's why he's our Grumpy!"
Grumpy flushed as Snow giggled. "What're we doin' now, Snow?"
"We found the library, so we go there."
"We won't be able to stay inside the whole time though," Bastian said. "We need a place to stay. A safer place than this. I bet Emil's on his way back with his friends."
Grumpy shuddered and stood up abruptly. "You're right. We gotta go."
"But where?" Snow asked.
Grumpy looked around, trying to think through the sudden spike of terror that washed over him.
"I have an idea," Bastian said. "If you're still connected there, we could flash to Cliffside. Calida's in Raverra for the royal wedding."
"What's Cliffside?" Snow asked.
"A hub for the thieves guild. It's in western Germonia," Grumpy said. He tapped his thigh. "I'm still connected. Never got the chance to break the spell."
"But how will we get there?" Snow asked. "That's too far away for us to flash to. It's got to be fifty miles just to get to the border."
"That don't matter. I gots a portal there," Grumpy said.
"And that does what, exactly?"
"It means it don't matter how far away it is. We can get there and it's as easy as that." Grumpy snapped pointedly, and green sparks burst from his fingers. "You can make portals only if you weave a series of spells together, and you have to be in the same spot for months to do it right. But once you gots it done, you can travel there any time you want with only a touch of magic."
"Would we be safe?" Snow asked.
Grumpy turned to Bastian. "You're sure that bitch ain't gonna be there?"
"As sure as I can be," Bastian replied.
"Then, yeah, Snow. We'd be safe. Safer than here, anyhow." He reached up and subconsciously rubbed his shoulder as it burned.
"Let's pack up then," Snow said.
They did so, taking down all of the tents they'd set up then packed their bags. Grumpy was a bit nervous about showing the brothers Cliffside, but that's what Snow wanted, so he'd obey her. Once everything was packed, Grumpy waved his hand. The shield Snow had put up shattered, and the fire burst into sparkling green magic and was absorbed into him. He heaved his pack up higher on his shoulders.
"Ready, Snow?" Grumpy asked.
"When you are," she replied.
Grumpy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, going very still. The world faded away to darkness and he sent his magic out to look for the gateway. He found it and focused.
"Grab on," he commanded.
Everybody crowded around him and touched him. When they were all ready, Grumpy connected to the gate, and the world exploded around them. They were sucked through what seemed to be a tunnel full of green light and mist. They couldn't see or even breathe as they traveled so fast their stomachs were left behind. Just when they thought they'd suffocate, their feet found purchase on the ground again and they gasped in air like drowning men.
"That was awful!" Sneezy panted, his eyes wild.
"You get used to it," Bastian said. He stood up straight and gestured around. "Welcome to Cliffside."
The brothers all turned their eyes to see the room and stiffened. Dozens of people were staring at them, all comically frozen in the middle of whatever task they had been doing. Every eye was focused on Grumpy and not one of the humans moved. Doc grabbed Grumpy, unable to speak. Grumpy patted his arm then turned and made the most vulgar gesture he knew, much to Doc's dismay. Before he could ask what the hell Grumpy was thinking, a woman shouted.
"Ivan's back!"
Then the entire room burst to life and swarmed toward them.