"I won't stay behind again!" Snow declared, her eyes hard.

Grumpy looked up at her. "You would be recognized."

Snow stopped sewing up the tear in her dress. "I can't stay behind again."

"You're safe."

"I don't want to be safe, I want to help! And staying here by myself while you do everything is not what I should be doing."

Grumpy gazed at her. "Stay."

"Grumpy!" Snow snapped, her voice no longer sounding like her usual soft self.

"One more time," Grumpy said. "I knows how you can help. You ain't gonna like it much, but I'll do it. I gots to get some things for you. If you listen, you can go next time."

So Snow settled down, comforted by the promise, and finished sewing up her purple dress. She had to admit that it wasn't ideal. It was clearly something nobility would wear, but she had nothing else to put on. Once the sewing was done, she decided to work on her stamina. She cast a fire in front of her then lifted it up and focused on it. Between holding it steady and manipulating it in different ways, her control and her stamina were being enhanced. That's how she spent her afternoon.

Grumpy returned at sunset with several unusual items. He set them down and they ate supper, talking about her magic. When they were done eating, Grumpy stared at Snow.

"You wanna help?"

"Yes."

"Won't be pleasant."

"It's my duty to my kingdom and future husband," Snow replied.

"'Atta girl," Grumpy said approvingly. "Then stand up."

Snow did so, and Grumpy pulled a pair of trousers and a plain shirt out of the pile. "Try these on." He passed over the pants.

Snow stared at the pants for a moment before obeying. Grumpy turned his eyes away as she lifted her dress to pull them up. She'd never worn trousers before and she found the cloth around her legs to be strange. "Now what?"

Grumpy looked at her and unraveled a wide piece of cloth. "I'm gonna bind your breasts."

Neither of them moved as Snow stared at him. "What?"

"You're gonna be a boy, and boys don't have breasts. I wrap this around your chest real tight and you'll look like a boy. We cut your hair, use stuff to hide your girlie features, and teach you how to be a boy. Then you can walk right into town with me, and nobody will know you're even a girl, let alone the princess."

Snow looked down at herself. She didn't know how she could ever look like a boy. "Are you sure?"

"You don't have to say yes. You could stay by the fire while I go into the next town."

That was all Snow needed to hear. "Very well. How do we do this?"

"Take off your dress and whatever else you got on except the pants. Turn away and kneel down." Grumpy faced away to give her a bit of privacy.

Snow obeyed, and Grumpy turned back to her when she had her back to him. He placed the edge of the cloth evenly on her upper back then handed her the rest of it. "Wrap it once. Make sure your breasts are covered."

Snow obeyed again.

"Take a big breath in and hold it."

She did so. Grumpy took the cloth from her other side and wrapped it around until it was over the edge on her back.

"Brace yourself. Ready?"

Snow nodded, and Grumpy jerked the cloth so tight against her skin that she thought she would burst from the pressure. She screamed in surprise and felt Grumpy seal the cloth together with magic. He stepped back and went around to look at her, squinting critically at his work.

"Shirt on," he said, summoning it and tossing it to her.

She obeyed. "I can hardly breathe," she wheezed.

"'Cause you screamed and let out all the air. Next time, hold your breath til I'm done. It'll be easier to breathe."

Snow shivered and nodded. "What now?"

"Gotta cut your hair," Grumpy said, and there was regret in his eyes.

Snow touched the long hair that she had always wanted, but her face was set. "You can do it?"

"Yep."

"Then what do I do?"

"Sit down."

Grumpy pulled out his knife and sharpened it with his magic. He stood behind her and gathered her soft hair in his hand. "No goin' back after this."

"There's no going back anyway," Snow said.

Grumpy was proud of her, and he raised his knife and made the first cut. Her long locks fell away, and she looked closer to the way she'd looked when she'd first come to them. He handed her the hair then placed his hand on her head and started cutting more.

Snow sat still with her chin held high, but she couldn't help the tears that trickled down her cheeks. It was silly to cry over hair, which she knew would grow back, but the tears fell anyway. Grumpy said nothing when he came around and saw her face. He stared at her, appraising her again.

"Better. Gotta hide your girlie features."

"Proceed," Snow whispered.

Grumpy pulled out some stuff from his pack then gently wiped the tears away and began to paint her face. She closed her eyes and let him.

When he stood back, Grumpy grinned. "Well, Kasper, it's nice to meet you."

Snow smiled. "I suppose I can't go by Snow while disguised."

"Nope. If anybody asks, you're Kasper Beckett. Drill that name into your head until you hardly remember your own."

Snow nodded. "How do I look?"

"See for yourself," Grumpy said, and he waved his hand.

A reflective surface appeared so that Snow could see her whole body. Trembling, she stood and walked over to look at herself. What she saw surprised her. A boy stood there staring back at her. He had cropped, messy hair and a dirty face, and his body had no sign of the girlish figure she knew she possessed. Only her eyes were the same. She didn't know what to think. How had Grumpy disguised her so well?

"How?" She asked, and she was startled to hear her own voice come out of Kasper's mouth.

"Done it too many times to count," Grumpy replied. "Lots of girls in the thieves guild. But having young girls alone on the street can be dangerous. So we disguise them as boys and they move around freely. Lasts until they can't pass no more. By then, they're usually so spry and clever that they can escape the dangers."

Snow finally turned away from the stranger in the mirror. "What now?"

"Gonna teach you how to walk, talk, and act like a street boy. No more bein' nice, no more prim and proper, and you damn well better start usin' that sharp tongue of yours."

Snow paused then spoke, her voice deeper and rougher than usual. "Aw, that's stupid."

Grumpy grinned. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Snow learned quickly, and her ability to blend was astounding. None of his other girls had ever learned so fast, and Snow teased him about having more than one when he mentioned that. But then, as they traveled through the towns and cities over the next five days, she met a few and began to realize many things about Grumpy.

Bella was the first one she met. When she saw Grumpy, she threw herself on him and kissed him in the middle of the street, shouting for joy. Grumpy swatted at her and pushed her away as several men laughed. His face was still burning when they got to the den, but he didn't scold her. He looked touched and pleased by the reception, and they started chatting just as easily as if they hadn't been apart for fifteen years.

As soon as Bella turned her attention to Snow, she grinned. "Kasper, I presume?"

Snow was startled and nodded.

"I thought you were a girl. I can usually tell, but I've been in the business for a long time. Don't worry about most people noticing."

"But how do you know?" Snow asked, and she clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized she hadn't disguised her voice.

Grumpy sniggered. "You don't have to pretend in the dens. You're still Kasper, though."

"Ooh, disguised identity? What have you gotten into this time, Ivan?"

"Don't call me that, Bells," Grumpy said, scowling. "The name's Grumpy, and you'll do well to remember that."

"What an odd name," Bella said.

"It's a Dwarf name. Estodien clan."

"How in the world did you get a new name? And how does it fit you so well?"

That launched Grumpy into the story of how he came to the cottage of the six brothers. Snow listened eagerly, because this time he told the whole story, including how he'd ended up wounded in the middle of a forest ten miles from Castell. Bella listened with the softest look on her face as Grumpy described the brothers. Snow knew why. He spoke of them tenderly, but also a bit sadly, as if that part of his life was over. She needed to find out why Grumpy thought that.

They left the next morning, and Bella and several other thieves gave them small gifts. They were only odds and ends, things of very little value, but Grumpy carefully stored them in a magic pouch that he kept in a magic pocket in his pack. Then he kissed Bella, waved to the others, and he and Snow left.

In the next town, Snow found another woman who had been one of Grumpy's girls. Laila fawned over him, too, flitting around like an excited bird as she loaded their bags with good food and treats. Snow was reminded of Happy, and she was sad they couldn't stay and talk more, but they left the town the same day they arrived. As they did, Grumpy commented that the thieves must be congregated in Findersland because of Snow's wedding and the visitors that would come.

"They'd migrate down to Raverra when it was time. There'd be some good pickin's in that crowd," Grumpy said.

"Do you miss that life?" Snow asked.

"You miss Grimhilde?"

Snow gave him a look and made a rude gesture.

Grumpy shoved her playfully. "Watch it, Kas!" he said slyly. "We still have to practice magic today. Would be a shame if it got a little outta hand."

Snow rolled her eyes and made an even more rude gesture.

Grumpy laughed again, and they continued on. He did get her back that night, though she didn't regret it. It was fun to be able to be rude when her entire life she'd been taught to sit down and be ladylike. Still, she missed her long hair and her beautiful dresses. But duty before beauty, as her mother used to say. At least her father said she'd say that. Still, she knew it was right, so she set aside her desires as they went on searching for any scrap of information about the library.

Kofi, the third one of Grumpy's girls, was a very dark-skinned woman with bright eyes, and Snow had never seen anybody like her. She was proud and so very beautiful, and she told Snow she was from a country far away. She had been brought by a slaver then abandoned when she was ill. Grumpy had found her and taken care of her, teaching her the language and how to survive on the streets.

"I owe him my life," Kofi said, smiling at him.

"You owe me nothing, Titi,"Grumpy said gently.

Kofi's eyes filled with tears and she kissed Grumpy and wept. She waited on them in the den and got them anything they needed. The next day she saw them off.

"Alheri, Ivan."

"Na gode, Titi," Grumpy murmured back. "And my name is Grumpy now, remember?"

Kofi laughed. "It fits."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so grumpy, ha ha," he said dryly but he grinned.

He and Snow turned to leave, but Kofi gasped. "Wait! Ivan, ah, Grumpy!"

"Eh?" They turned back.

Kofi swallowed. "Are you going to Alirgos?"

"Next stop, why?"

"Don't stay there overnight."

"Why?"

"Emil was heading that way two days ago. He has business there for Calida."

Grumpy nodded. "Thanks," he said, turning away. "Let's go, Kas."

"Thanks, girlie," Snow said, mimicking Grumpy.

Grumpy shoved her. "Practice," he warned, but he was smiling again.

"Worth it," Snow mocked back.

They both laughed as they left, but Grumpy's joy quickly faded. Emil. Why him? Out of the whole guild, why did it have to be him?

"Who's Emil?" Snow asked.

She knew him too well if she knew what his silence meant.

"One of the thieves."

"Why does he scare you?"

"I ain't scared!" Grumpy spat. Snow waited, and he swallowed. "Oh! He's the one who branded me when I was thirteen. And no, I don't wanna talk about it."

"You don't have to."

Grumpy looked up at Snow and his expression went soft. Her eyes were so kind and compassionate, and in that moment he realized something astounding. As she smiled at him, he shook his head and smiled back, wondering just how Snow White, the princess of Germonia herself, had come to be one of his girls.