Blood and Apples

Chapter 3

Three days had past since the queen's meeting with the Count and nothing had occurred to Snow, no angry lecture, no punishment of any sort, though she was relieved, Snow still found herself unsettled by this lack of attention.

Snow sat in the kitchen on a little stool peeling some potatoes before Rosa wondered in.

"There ye are Snow, good thing I found ya, ye've been requested"

"Request? By who?"

"The queen of course, she needs ye to pick some wild flowers" Rosa stated placing another sack of potatoes in the wooden bench.

"Wild flowers?" Snow asked, it seemed very out of the ordinary.

"The queen just might want some flowers who am I to ask, don't need to worry she's assigned a huntsman to come with ye, can't have ye going all be yeself" Rosa chuckled.

"A huntsman? Are you sure Rosa this doesn't sound like the queen"

"I wouldn't suggest defying the queen young missy, lord knows she not all that happy with ye, best just do what she says and stay out of view"

"I suppose you're right?" Snow agreed weakly.

"Of course I am, now off to it, don't dordle" Rosa said clapping her hands at Snow until she was off the wooden stool and running towards the stables where she was to meet the huntsman assigned to her.
It didn't take them long gather their horses and start riding off out of the palace walls and towards the forest, Snow couldn't shake the strange feeling she was getting in her stomach but of course she did her best and kept riding with a pleasant grin on her face.

Snow White spent most of the afternoon picking wild flowers of all flowers just outside the forest's boarder while the Huntsman watched from a far. A familiar screech caught Snow's attention an once she looked up she spotted the owner. The little tired bat from three days ago, hanging happily from a tree.

"Well hello there little friend, didn't think I'd see you again" the bat screeched back as if it her trying to communicate.

"I'm glad to see you're feeling better" the bat screeched again. Snow just giggled before noticing a large shadow slowly appearing from behind her, she quickly spun around to see the huntsman with a large dagger ready to strike her down.
Snow fell to the floor from shock but the screeching bat flew forward to the huntsman distracting him long enough for Snow to run into the forest.
With every running step Snow took a bunch of twigs and branches to her face leaving scratches in her face, but she didn't stop not even when a few branches caught her dress pulling holes into it. She huffed trying to keep a fast pace but her legs were starting to burn.

"Snow White!" A low booming voice called out echoing though the forest.

"There is no point in running! You're only making this more difficult for both of us" the huntsman called. Snow felt like she couldn't breath, the air becoming colder as the run was starting to set.

"I really didn't want to kill you princess! But the ordered me to! It's either your head or mine!" He voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere it made focusing even more difficult until Snow found herself running straight into the mountain of a man.
The huntsman gripped Snow's little arms tightly as she tried desperately to pull away.

"Please! Let me go!" She pleaded as Snow was thrown to the floor hard.

"Sorry princess, but I have to" he said pulling out his large dagger once more. Snow couldn't help the tears dripping down her face as she help her bruised arm praying for and help.

"Look away if you must" the huntsman warned, Snow did exactly that, shutting her eyes tight and turning her face away eating for the final end. Her body trembled with fear of waiting for the sharp pain that she expected to come.
And yet there was nothing, no sharp pain, no cold hand of death ready to take her, just Snow's shaky breath.
Snow felt a large gust of wind hit her before hearing painful gasp. She quickly opened her eyes and looking up but the huntsman was no longer standing above her but now painfully pinned to a dark tree being held up by a mysterious figure covered with a long black cape.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The deep voice asked squeezing the huntsman throat tighter. Snow couldn't help but recognise the dark looming voice from the sudden stranger, the voice that has been stuck in her mind since she met him.

"C-count?" Snow asked but her voice was little below a whisper.

"I've found myself awake to a beautiful night to hear some dirty deer humper making a awful noise" The stranger continued glaring at the huntsman as his eyes started to glow red.

"W-what are y-you" the huntsman gasped with horrific shock.

"You won't have to worry about that much longer" the stranger said suddenly squeezing the man's throat until the forest was filled with a choking noise and painful screams. Snow was once again shaking at the sight of the man trying to kill her being killed in front of her.
The painful cries came to a halt as the body hit the ground hard, the huntsman's eyes pointing from his head has blood poured from the faint gash in his neck. The stranger merely chuckled before licking the blood from his fingers, Snow felt her heart thundering light thunder while her vision slowly become blurry.
The stranger turned around revealing his pale face almost glowing under the moon light.

"Look who it is? Lovely to see you again... princess" The count smirked as blood dribbled down his chin. Snow White could barely see straight as her vision darkened until she could see nothing and felt the dark ground under her. She was out.