I Hate When They Call Me Snow White

This was madness.

I was perched up in a tree, listening to the increasing sounds of carriage wheels. I knew the plan forward and backwards and I knew some of the men were a bit apprehensive about my part of the plan. Before we left Stealthy patted me on the back and whispered a few words of advice.

“Try not to fall out of the tree,” he said smiling.

I adjusted the quiver on my back and looked around. Although I knew roughly where each of the men would be positioned, I still could not make out their shapes.

I tucked my bow between my legs and wiped my sweaty palms on my trousers. I prayed that my bow wouldn’t slip out of my hands. Finally the carriage made it on the to path.

It was a regal thing. A giant wooden monstrosity that was black lacquered and embellished with gold on the sides and wheels. It was hardly subtle in the forest making it an easy identifiable target. They must have realized that as well because riding behind the carriage were two soldiers.

The horses attached to the carriage started to become skittish as if they could sense the oncoming attack, but the driver paid no heed.

“Damn bloody beasts,” he cursed as he whipped them.

I knew Annis could not have been in the carriage, as the drive would not indulge in such language in front of a lady, but each sound was like an arrow to my heart. My father had always told me you could tell what kind of person someone was by how they treated their horse.

The horses, forced into submission, nervously continued on the path.

As the carriage neared the target spot, I raised my bow and steadied my hand with deep breaths. I squinted my eyes slightly in concentration as I watched the carriage get closer and closer.

“Please,” I said, looking at my arrow, praying I would not fail my comrades.

With a final breath, I released my arrow and watched it fly.

Right between the drivers legs.

He screamed and dropped the reins. The horses reared and the carriage jolted at an odd angle. In the midst of the sudden chaos, the soldiers paid no attention to the little men sneaking behind them and clubbing them over the heads. Knocked unconscious they sank to the ground and their respective horses charged off, fleeing from danger. The driver was thoroughly confused and panicking.

“What in the blazes is going on?” cried the passenger of the carriage, making his way out of the carriage.

In the quick moment I saw him, I registered that he was rather handsome with blonde hair and a boyish face.

Before the driver could answer him, he was interrupted by the sounds of shrill battle cries piercing the air and I watched as the rest of the dwarfs leaped from their hiding spots.

I wasted no time climbing down the tree. I heard savage grunts and a shrill scream. I watched as the driver passed out and then prince and his comrade (that emerged from the carriage as well) began to fight my men.

As I jumped down from the last branch and fell to the ground, I registered that the horses were still attached to the carriage and the blonde man, paying no attention to them, slashed his sword in a wide arc barely missing the horses. They reared and tried to free themselves.

I ran quickly as I could and went behind the horses and slashed their binds. No sooner did my blade make it through the harness, the horses shot off in panic.

I turned and was met with the point of a sword between my eyes.

My eyes traveled up the shining blade, to a big smooth hand, up a velvet covered arm, leading to a strong jaw, and finally resting on a pair of small green eyes.

Eyes that were widened in shock.

“A girl?” He said, his voice was pitched low.

He lowered his sword a fraction and I used it to my advantage. Immediately I swung my sword and efficiently knocked his away from me.

“Is she a dwarf as well?” Blondie’s comrade shouted while fighting off some of dwarfs.

I scowled at the knock against my height.

“I am not short, you oaf. I’m average,” I said hotly.

“That is plain to see,” Blondie smirked.

My eyes narrowed as I struck my sword out against him. He struck back and then we were dueling.

I was grunting and my arms ached. There was no doubt that he was an experienced swordsman. In a flurry of movement, he knocked my sword from my hands and pulled me against his body. He spun me around so my back was to his chest and he held his sword to my neck.

The majority of the dwarfs had been looting the carriage so the ones only fighting were Grumpy and Doc.

“Drop your weapons,” Blondie shouted.

He was gripping me around my waist. His hand incredibly close to my breast. I went red under the contact, but not from embarrassment. I was enraged.

Doc and Grumpy both stopped and stared at me. Doc looked worried and Grumpy looked irritated.

Doc immediately dropped his weapons. Grumpy glared at me for a moment longer before begrudgingly dropping his own sword.

The Comrade, as I’ve deemed him, immediately came behind Doc and knocked him to the ground.

At this I made to lung at the beast, but was restrained by my captor.

“Feisty one, aren’t you?” His posh accent slithering into my ear.

I turned my head away violently before I heard him continue.

“Perhaps later we can find out just how feisty you can get,” he said lewdly.

I looked at Grumpy expecting to find his glare on me, but surprised to find it on the Prince.

“Now that I have your cooperation, here’s what is going to happen,” the Blondie began nonchalantly, as if talking of his vacationing plans with friends, “You are going to return all that you stole from us, call back your fellow midgets and such, and your friend here,” he squeezed my waist tightly, “is going to come into the carriage with me and try to make me forget this whole thing ever happened,” he ended threateningly.

My body went cold and before I could move, I heard it.

A birdcall. A lark to be specific.

When I had questioned Stealthy, a few weeks ago, on why they chose a lark as their rescue call, as it was so distinctive, he looked at me with smiling eyes.

“They are poems I read as a child that speak of a lark who stands at the gates of heaven, singing it’s tune. It is a sign of hope. A telling of a new day,” he said softly.

He imitated the sound beautifully. It was truly a sound of salvation.

Blondie hardly paid the sound any attention, but I immediately looked at Grumpy, who indecipherably nodded his head.

Before my captor could get another word, I leaned my head forward, and remembering Sleepy’s advice to keep my chin tucked in, and reared my head back into Blondie’s face. Effectively crushing the lower half of his face and busting his lip open. He loosened his grip enough for me to drive my elbow in his gut and knock him to the ground.

All around me the sound of chaos ensued. The rest of my friends jumped from various hiding places and went on a full attack. With the help of Sneezy and Sleepy, who were both surprisingly able and lucid, we dragged Blondie and his companion to a nearby tree and tied them up while the others finished the looting.

“You’ll pay for this,” he spat at me.

“It’s a good thing I have all this gold then” I said grinning.

“You little bitch,” he snarled before he was knocked over the head and fell unconscious.

I looked up to see Grumpy had been the one to do it. I raised my eyebrows in surprise.

“I just didn’t wanna hear his voice anymore,” he grumbled.

I couldn’t help but smile.

His comrade had been gagged lightly and was sobbing uncontrollably.

“He’ll choke on his own snot,” I said frowning.

“Let him,” Grumpy said.

As we ran away, melting into the elusive woods I was filled with a giddiness.

We made it back to the cottage and Doc had ice on his head and a beer (which I had discovered that dwarfs were rather fond of) in his hand.

“Armie,” he said happily as he rushed forward to hug me.

“You did marvelously,” he congratulated.

I looked at him in shock.

“But Doc, it’s my fault you got knocked in the head. If I had been quicker with my sword none of that would have happened,” I said.

“Nonsense, as far as casualties go, this is very minor. You fought bravely,” he said kindly.

“Aye, she did,” Stealthy shouted, “did you see her bash him in the face? A true scrapper she is,” he finished jovially.

“To Armie,” Bashful cried, raising his cup.

Doc handed me a beer and raised his own with the rest of the men.

“To Armie,” they shouted back.

The men were in good spirits for the remainder of the day. It didn’t get quiet until very late into the night as I laid on my pallet staring into the fire.

I was happy I was able to help the men. We were going to go to town tomorrow to trade the gold we secured and I looked forward to helping the people.

But there was a tiny nagging voice in the back of my mind that sounded a lot like guilt. Imagine if my parents could see me now. I felt my eyes water at the prospect. My dear mother, would most likely faint to see her daughter in such an environment. My father...I couldn’t bear to finish the thought. I buried my face in my arm as I tried to muffle the sounds of my sniffles.

I heard someone behind me, but didn’t move. If it was one of the men, I didn’t want them to see my face.

I felt someone drape another blanket on me quietly before quickly walking away. I soon fell asleep after hoping to hear another lark promising a new day.

*Meanwhile…*

An invisible blade cut through the ropes that bound Prince Lucas and his comrade, Eustace, to the tree.

The Prince, who had long ago waken from his induced slumber, looked around cautiously.

“Who goes there?” he called out.

“Sire, perhaps it’s best if we just…” Eustace began before the Prince cut him off.

“Shut up, you ridiculous fool,” Lucas barked out.

“My, my, my...what a temper you have,” came a seductive voice from the shadows.

“Show yourself,” Lucas demanded.

To his surprise, a beautiful woman emerged from the shadows. With light hair and eyes she looked like a fallen angel. Her figure was defined in a tightly fitted dress that left little to the imagination. Her lips full and promising were tilted upwards in a teasing smirk.

“And how did you get yourself tied to a tree,” she purred coming closer to him.

Her smell alone dazzled him into a blind submission.

“ I was tied by a young girl and some men,” he said without thinking.

The beautiful lady laughed at this.

“A young girl?” she questioned.

“Yes, and a very ugly one at that,” he said scornfully.

“Pray, do tell what what the beast looked like,” woman continued to pry.

“She was short, small, entirely unassuming,” he said, scoffing.

“That’s it,” the woman said, her voice becoming dangerous.

Lucas shifted slightly. Becoming uncomfortable under the hard gaze of the mysterious lady, he continued,

“I remember long dark hair, and her eyes, they were...”

“Eyes,” the woman’s own eyes grew sharp as she looked intensely at the man, “What of her eyes?”

He shrank slightly under the intensity of her gaze.

“They...uh...their coloring...was very unusual,” he stammered.

“Unusual how?” her voice growing shriller.

“They were bright,” he said his voice breaking slightly, “not quite brown, brighter than that, almost amber or gold,” he finished.

To this the woman’s crystal eyes slitted and her face went dark.

“Where is this girl now?” she growled.

The Prince shifted uncomfortably.

“I do not know,” he began timidly before noticing the growing rage on the woman’s face and continuing, “but I vow to find her and make her pay,” he finished haughtly.

“But sire,” Eustace cried after a prolonged silence due to his mind numbing fear of the sorceress in front of them.

“Quiet,” Lucas shouted.

“How do you plan on finding her?” the woman questioned.

“I have a man who is known for his abilities,” the Prince said pompously.

“And who would that be,” came the skeptical reply.

“They call him the Huntsman,” the Prince smiled wickedly.

The woman’s eyes widened and her expression became smug.

“Come with me,” the woman ordered.

“Where?” Lucas questioned.

As beautiful as the woman was, he was not sure he wanted to go with her anywhere. There was a distinct aura of evil surrounding her.

“To my home, so you may call upon this Huntsman,” she said as she began walking away.

“But who are you?” Lucas shouted out while following behind her.

The woman turned around and smiled.

“I am Annis, the Queen,” she said darkly before leading both men into the shadows.