The dwarfs felt uneasy after what happened. They watched the Brangomar Guard get slaughtered in front of them and were forced to destroy their own mine to imprison the Golden Guard. They knew the extent of my step-mother’s madness now. There were arguments, discussions, brawls, and infighting the more we traveled with a whole animal pack by our backs for the dwarfs could not afford abandoning them, and most of the time I would be taken care of by Peter Piper and Nory MacDonald. Jingleheimer would play his sitar for me at night for a lullaby and Yon Yonson would always help me set up tent along our travels, and even instruct me to do so for myself. I would consistently learn new things on the journey. Robin Redbreast would play with me and Mojo would watch over me while Poll Parrot was consistently in thought, nervousness, while Henry Foster just stood in the open. He would start to gaze into the distance as the sun would set and he would still be in the same place when dawn came. Sometimes I thought that he was an android by how he behaved. However, Magians behave like water and that’s what I took from him. His waves were unsteady and like the restless tide when he first met me, now they were calm and at reasonable pace, and I could not follow them at all.
“Snow White!”, Poll Parrot called for me. “Come.”, the dwarf gestured with his rifle and I would then look at Old MacDonald, who nodded his head and suggested for me to follow the Parrot.
I would accompany the dwarf into the forest as he used his rifle like a cane. He slowly moved through the woodlands and I feared he would abandon me out here or worse; shoot me. After the huntsman, paranoia had hit me and I couldn’t think quite straight. I knew I was a liability that the dwarfs could not afford. I thought Poll Parrot would tell me this for I always felt he lead the little dwarfs. I didn’t know why… I just had a feeling, a gut feeling.
“I trust Old MacDonald has taught you some of his finest cuisine and that Yon Yonson has given you the basics on being a girl scout, but that won’t be enough for your survival in the woodlands. In the woodlands there are two rules, you either hunt or be hunted.”, explained Poll Parrot and I looked down uncomfortably. “Err, sorry, lass, I am not good at this.”, the dwarf confused me.
“Look, lass, I know I was hard on ye on the first day I met ye, but ye have to understand…”, the dwarf tried to formulate a sentence. “Your father, you might never see him again. I don’t know your step-mother but he might either be imprisoned or worse…”, he continued to explain to me.
“Dead.”, I said it flat out to the dwarf whose eyebrows rose for it was clearly unexpected for him for this to come from a seven year old girl. “I know…”, I looked aside uneasily and he sighed.
“I know I might not see my father, my friends and even my Kingdom anymore. I know that I am alone, without home and what you’re most likely going to say…”, I started to tear up in my eyes as the dwarf kneeled down. “And what’s that lass?”, he questioned me immediately.
“That I am a liability you cannot afford?”, tears started to pour from my eyes as I was scared.
“No, no, no, lass, no…”, Poll Parrot repeated repeatedly. “We will not abandon ye, you have me word as a huntsman!”, he clued in on why I was giving him the weird eye after he said that.
“No, not that kind of a huntsman, lass!”, the dwarf raised his voice and I started to giggle before I let out a little laughter that made the dwarf smile. “I won’t take you to a forest just to shoot you and if I ever think about, I will shoot myself for you.”, I started to laugh even more that made the dwarf feel easier about the whole situation before he looked at me with searching eyes.
“Lass, I want you to know that from now on if I am ever hard on ye it’s because I want you to grow strong and resilient. Someday, you may face adversities so preposterous that even we, the seven dwarfs, will not be able to conceive them and I want you to be prepared so that if that day comes and we are not there that you pull through and make us proud.”, I then smiled at the dwarf and threw myself at him, giving him a hug and for a moment he didn’t know how to react.
He placed his rifle over the ground, hugged me, and patted my back as then we both knew where we stood. They would take me in and from that day on I would be raised by the seven dwarfs. The Kingdom of Brangomar, however, appeared to be in a sorry state and my father, even in his grave, fought for it. Before my father had died, he had sent a secret letter to the West Kingdom and alerted them off Rose Red’s treachery. It was for this reason that the army of the Snow Queen, Rose Red’s sister, stood defiantly against her and the war waged against the city’s gates. The Queen felt uneasy for some reason, as if she couldn’t breathe…
“Magic mirror on the wall…”, my step-mother once more called for her precious gift to answer. “Who has alerted my sister, the Snow Queen, off my evil schemes?”, she asked the mirror that would reply. “Why, your deceased ex-husband, the one and only Golden King, my Queen.”, the mirror replied and my step-mother looked down before she exhaled deeply.
“He must of suspected my treachery for quite some time then.”, my step-mother stated. “Yes, and he confirmed his doubts and worst fears with me, my queen.”, the mirror replied and the Queen of Roses then turned to face the mirror before taking a few steps forth, gasping for air…
“So you admit telling the Golden King of my treachery?”, asked the Queen. “Yes.”, the mirror said coldly. “The Golden King asked and I had answered him truly for I cannot lie, remember?”, the mirror then displayed an image of Elina Frostclaw herself, an image of the past.
“Magic Mirror, what do you do?”, asked the Golden King and then the mirror replied after transforming into the image of the Golden King, its voice turning to his to answer the Queen in the present. “I tell the truth if the right questions are asked, Golden King, and yet the people often ask the wrong questions.”, this would resonate even more with the Queen of Roses now and the magic mirror would then take on her form again before it would speak once again.
“Fear not, my queen.”, the mirror assured her. “I am now only bound to you and no one else.”, the magic mirror revealed and the Queen of Roses was astonished. “Really?”, she asked.
“Yes.”, replied the mirror. “For I was a gift to you and the Golden King…”, the mirror looked over to the side and into the direction where the Golden King himself, now a golden statue, lied on a bed brought to the trophy room that the Queen of Roses was transforming slowly, but ever so surely, into her own personal space and throne room.
The many rooms had a Golden Guard posted at each corner and the queen nearly fell over before the mirror itself would respond her even though she did not ask any question.
“You are laced up so tightly, my queen, perhaps you should loosen the laces?”, the Queen gasped for air and then fainted before she opened her eyes, surrounded by the Golden Guard and then she got up to see that she was right in front of the mirror where she had fainted before.
The red silky laced bodice she wore was lying on the ground for the guards had to strip her to get her some air and she reached for her neck, she was thankful she was still alive.
“You…”, the queen pointed at the mirror. “You have saved my life, why?”, asked the queen and the mirror then responded. “If you die, Queen of the Thorns and the Roses, my service shall be done and I shall cease to exist, and therefore I cannot afford you dying.”, the mirror stated and then my step-mother realized how truly valuable the magic mirror truly is now.
“Well, if that is the case…”, said Rose Red. “Tell me where Svetlana Brangomar is so that I may deal with her.”, said the Queen and then the mirror replied. “If you pursue her, you will die.”
“Nonsense, I have the Golden Guard at my back.”, the Queen explained. “Very well, my queen, as you wish.”, the magic mirror showed where I was to the queen who looked upon the mirror before gazing at me with delight but that delight soon turned to doubt and then fear.
“Wait…”, said my step-mother. “What do you mean that I will die if I pursue Snow White?”, my step-mother asked and then the magic mirror answered. “Your sister is a cunning foe and she is not dimwitted as you think. Even now, she gathers any liquid and any spell caster she can find to smelt your golden guard with ease and collect your golden liquid created by the magic of the Hand of Midas. You shall just be aiding in boosting her arsenal, not yours. The people are not loyal to you and the Golden Guard is limited.”, the Queen of Roses then realized the magic mirror was right and was distraught as she felt all sorts of emotions circulating in her head.
“You are right…”, she said to the magic mirror. “No wonder my laces were so tight, they tried to have me killed already.”, the Queen said with realization and the magic mirror’s figure bowed.
“I will lose everything…”, and for the first time my step-mother was afraid until the magic mirror would respond. “Not unless you seek new allies from beyond the stars.”, my step-mother then turned and faced the mirror, fully realizing what it was suggesting.
“You mean, seek an alliance with those who brought you to me in the first place?”, the queen asked and the magic mirror’s figure nodded its head. “Is this what you were made for?”, my step-mother asked. “To answer questions and…?”, the mirror then interrupted her question. “To answer questions, yes, but not to dictate your ways, my queen. You are having doubts, but I have already told you that without you I will not and cannot exist. Everything that has happened here and that will happen is because of your decisions and your decisions only. If you shall continue to doubt my loyalty, then I shall direct you to Snow White and pray you live another day.”, the mirror replied truthfully and my step-mother looked down, taking a deep breath.
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“Very well, magic mirror, then instruct me regarding these allies…”, said the Queen before she stepped closely and looked deeply into her own mere reflection. “Tell me everything there is to know about them.”, it was then that the magic mirror would respond to the Queen…
“That I cannot do, my queen.”, it stated. “And why’s that?”, asked the Queen of Thorns. “If my life means so much to your survival, why not tell me?”, the mirror did not answer until…
“Because even animated objects can feel fear.”, a familiar voice spoke to her and the icy chill of death crept up above my step-mother’s spine, and when she turned she saw the figure that had visited her before with the several members of the Golden Guard melted…
Meanwhile, further south to the Mountains of Sumeru; I would help with gathering buckets of water only for Old MacDonald to keep instructing me on how to cook. Little Robin Redbreast would climb vines and branches, often inviting me to climb up the trees and play with him and Puss in Boots. We would use the woodlands’ many rivers to bathe and Poll Potter then brought me a piece of stone that he would sharpen until he made a very sharp spear with it. He would then tie it for me and approach the waters where he would teach me how to catch fishes and he would even catch them with his hand until Henry Foster stood up, glaring at him and Poll Parrot ran away as I laughed at him. Henry Foster then glared at me and I looked at him as I dropped the spear, raising my hands and walking away backwards.
“Little elf, come here.”, said Peter Piper and I would approach the man. “This plant here is dying.”, the dwarf pointed towards a single red rose that reminded me off my step mother.
“My bees can pollinate, sure, but you can bring it new life.”, the dwarf explained and my tail reached for it, the tip of it opening and spreading wide before it released a pollen that turned the rose to black ash that fell apart before my very eyes.
“No, no, no!”, said Peter Piper. “Why did you do that?”, I looked astonished myself and I hid the tail behind my back. “I…”, I looked down ashamed. “I don’t know.”, I replied to the dwarf.
“Hmm, does a rose bring you any bad memories?”, the dwarf asked and I looked up to him. “My step-mother…”, the dwarf leaned forth. “Hmm?”, he looked at me with curiosity.
“Her name is Rose Brangomar and before she married my father… her name was Rose Red.”, Peter Piper then nodded his head and stood up. “That’s why.”, said the dwarf.
“Your mother is the cause. You associate her with red roses and when you thought emotionally about her, it was so traumatizing that you took all pollen away from the red rose and therefore its essence, allowing it to die. One thing is for certain, with faith and understanding we will learn how to work around that, but for now…”, the dwarf paused and looked at me seriously. “You will stay away from all my roses.”, Peter Piper stated and I bowed my head, agreeing with him.
It was then that from the waters a snake emerged to attack Poll Parrot, who was caught off guard, but Henry Foster rose from the water and held the snake in his currents that hissed at Parrot. The hunter reached for his rifle until I stepped in and shouted. “No!”, that stopped him.
It was then that my own tail would hiss, snarl and growl towards the snake that would hiss back towards me. My tail then made more hisses then it anything else…
“Stand down, snake, for the dwarf means you no harm.”, I could hear my own tail communicate with the aquatic cobra that would hiss back. “Then he should not be hunting in my part of the river! This is my territory!”, I then approached the dwarf and Poll Parrot looked worried.
“No, lass, that is an aquatic cobra. It is venomous!”, Poll Parrot warned and I dismissed his claims when my own tail hissed at him, and it was as if I was lost in a trance. “I’m sorry…”, I apologized to Poll Parrot before I would turn to face him.
“The cobra is angered that you are hunting its river. It claims this is its territory. Now give me just a moment…”, Poll Parrot looked surprised before I turned my head in thought and the tail would hear my own thoughts that it would share with the aquatic cobra.
“The rivers are rich and plentiful for everyone, little cobra, and we are here only for a day and after that this territory will be left alone and you can hunt all alone until your heart is content.”, I explained to the cobra who would then respond to me in a series of hisses.
“Very well…”, said the cobra. “I shall leave you and yours alone for the time being, but you better be gone soon before they come back.”, I didn’t know who the cobra spoke off. “They, who’s they?”, I asked and the cobra replied. “The very elves that protect this forest, like you, and their rezal companions. They left me behind to safe guard the river, but if they find out you’ve hunted on their territory…”, I then bowed my head to the cobra. “Understood.”, and replied.
“I will tell them to let you go now and we will be on our way.”, I stated and the cobra hissed back. “Very well, stranger.”, the cobra replied and I turned to face the waters.
“Let the cobra go.”, I requested off Henry Foster who did so immediately and Poll Parrot held his rifle close to him for he was worried for my safety, and then he was relaxed once he saw that the cobra had slithered away and had no intention to strike me down.
“You…”, said Peter. “You’ve communicated with animals before?”, asked Peter Piper and I turned to face him. “Yes.”, I replied. “But that is unusual for an elf who has been locked in for too long within a civilized nation.”, Peter Piper was right and I smiled when he said that.
“I didn’t have many companions growing up. My father would leave me in the castle gardens to play and I climbed trees where I would come about the birds that had their nests there. One day, I saw a bird with a broken wing and approached it only to notice it was frightened. It was my tail that spoke to it and convinced it that I had best intentions for it, and before I knew it…”, I paused as those very dear memories that are dearest to my heart. “All the birds began to chirp and sing in the gardens that I eventually had a whole flock.”, I explained to dwarfs present and Henry Foster transformed back into his ordinary form that made me realize it was good timing.
“The cobra warned me off elves, malfhi and off their rezal sisters who are quite territorial about their river. He said they would be returning soon.”, I explained and Poll Parrot smiled.
“We are truly blessed to have your gift then because the real ruler of the woodlands are not the dwarves but the elves themselves.”, Poll Parrot implied and I looked to Henry Foster who bowed his head to agree with what Poll Parrot and I had to say. “We should get moving.”, said Henry and I couldn’t have agreed more, and so we would travel further south into the mountains.
I would converse with Peter Piper regarding my tail and even Poll Parrot was far more curious about my anatomy due to what I did back there. Henry and Jingleheimer always kept watch with Old MacDonald and Yon Yonson carrying the heaviest of supplies. As for Robin Redbreast, I always wondered how the boy had so much energy. Mojo and he just kept chasing each other, playing hide and seek, climbing trees. They just worked well off of each other. It was then that we came to a secluded grove that didn’t look like much with a large creek running through it. I was in love with it from the very first moment I laid my eyes on it. I was particularly in love with this large dead tree there and the small open fields around it. Robin Redbreast pushed me forth while Old MacDonald looked at Poll Parrot that looked to the others with a smile.
“Let’s get to work.”, said Poll Parrot and so the dwarfs did.
We set up camp there during next and the very next day we began what would be our new home. The dwarfs started to knock down the trees that were either dead or dying before they would then chop down a few good ones before cutting them into pieces. We then started to build a new barn and Peter Piper found a little secluded grove with a small cave where he would begin cultivating a new garden. Jingleheimer would play his sitar and use his arcane magic to transport lumber as well as buckets of soils into several directions. Henry Foster would water the gardens and even lift heavy lumber with the pressure of his water magic. Old Nory MacDonald would always cook for us after a very hard working day and I would help him, but one day I wanted to do something different. I then saw Poll Parrot designing blueprints and then he looked at me only to gesture for me to come and watch as he explained what it was with Yon Yonson helping him to plan out the layout. When they showed me the picture, I didn’t really like it and I didn’t want to offend them but I think they noticed. When I left, the dwarves wondered why I behaved so and little did I know how truly they cared for me. I would join Peter Piper in the garden and he kept his roses away from me, and I couldn’t blame him for it. I would visit the barnyard animals who were always excited for me coming to feed them and I spoke to them.
“What did they say?”, asked Nory MacDonald. “I apologized to them for everything that has happened and for the move…”, I replied and he looked at me thoughtfully.
“You know, home is where the heart is, right?”, stated the dwarf. “I know.”, I replied. “Because they also said the same thing.”, the dwarf then shook me and hugged me as we both observed our animals with Mojo throwing a snowball at my head and Robin at MacDonald’s.
Jingleheimer played his tunes every day to support us with his magic and some fine music. Old MacDonald cooked his meals and took care of the stock. Peter Piper took care of our gardens and Robin Redbreast, as well as Mojo, would help him on occasion. Poll Parrot and Yon Yonson would present a layout plan to me that I clapped excitedly to and they were both so happy before they turned only to reach for their hammer, axes, and saws. They would dig into the earth with their shovels and I would bring them food before taking a shovel myself and help them. The chickens always wandered beside us and pecked at the worms that we found in the earth while Robin Redbreast would flatten the earth with me. They would then put a level, the measuring tool, to it and check it to make sure its straight and I would learn with each passing day. Henry Foster would help raise stuff and so would Jingleheimer, but we would also use rope to reel other equipment up into the great tree we surrounded by scaffolds. We raised our heads up, lifted the high loads, we took strength from each other and those who needed it the most. We build high walls and we built strong beams for we knew a new life was waiting for us even though we knew that danger was no stranger to this land as the eyes of my step-mother were upon this land but the war she had gotten into distracted her from looking all the way down here. Over the years I learned to cook, to hunt, to do carpentry, to play instruments, to garden, to appreciative what little I had in this life and once more rekindle my love to nature as I wouldn’t kill a rose anymore but rather grow them that Peter Piper was so excited about. I would even learn the arts of sorcery from Henry Foster whom I would use as my personal punching and kickboxing bag.
“Svetlana!”, and whenever they called, I would leave training behind and help them build our dream home, and our latest design included heavy stone.
When it was all set in stone and done, we all moved in and had our own portions of the house for ourselves. I got up every morning and super early to eat, drink, practice yoga, go for a run, fight Henry Foster and learn how to harness arcane magic from him and primal magic with the help of Peter Piper. Every night I would pack a meal, socialize, play music, gather wood for the stove oven, cook, prepare my own meals and the next morning I would go out again. I thought about my mother and father as the years went by and the Kingdom I had left behind, but I was content with what I had and refused to return to it. I was happy here and I would not trade it for anything.