"Open Eyes" (Merlin X Snow White )/Art Gallery

The Basket(28)

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Chapter 28: The Basket

Snow Whites Pov

"Bloody Hell" 

A tingling sensation similar to pain went through my ears at hearing such terrible language. Merlin had been cruising ever since we left the garden. It all started when we were on our way back to the Fearless Sevens Cottage. When we came back from gathering vegetables, Merlin came to find that the carriage we originally came in, was...well, it was missing. It was likely that the horses went back to the castle. The wizard had bristled with anger swearing he had tied up the horses to the post, ready for our departure. But they were gone. Only leaving behind deep indents in the dirt leading off towards which they came.

When we went to go and find Hans, he was loading his own wooden wagon to the side of the cottage. The chef had somehow managed to fill the back of the wagon with baked bread, stocking it to the brim. A generous amount of hey at the bottom of the cart to cushion the scrumptious food. 

Merlin had asked Hans if the farmers market could be skipped for today as to be able to use the cart as a mode of transportation.  Hans laughed at the idea of ever missing the farmers market, insisting that we could all fit into his wooden wagon. Merlin and I looked at each other skeptically and then back to the wagon uneasily. The wooden block looked like it could barely handle one person let alone three, with its worn-out wooden wheels and rickety seat. 

After gingerly sitting down on the front seat, I nearly cried as the seat gave a loud creaking sound under my weight. The old grey horse that was going to pull us, looked back in frights, making me utterly mortified and ready to just walk all the way to the kingdom. Eventually, after much convincing, Merlin convinced me to get back on the wagon. 

During the ride, I was terrified that the wood would break. At one point I wanted to offer to pull the darn thing. Merlin and I were clutching onto each other in the front seat as the horse's tail kept smacking our knees. The road was merciless with its large bumps and rocks along the way to Golden Goose Ave. It seemed like the whole world was against us, handing us a stubborn old horse, rough terrain, and forest critters running in front of our wagon. Poor Hans clung to the edges while sitting on the ledge of the wagon, trying with all his might to stay in his seat.

Tree branches hung low in the luscious green forest, having us ducking our heads as to not get whacked. The day was bright and the route brightly lit but the beauty of the forest was lost to us as we struggled during the ride. The sorcerer was constantly fuming under his breath the whole way to town. I couldn't hear all that he said since I was concentrating to not fly off. Sometime during this, Merlin's hand had shot out to grip onto my side and clutched at my dress. Usually, id be overwhelmed at our close proximity but as we both held onto each other my fear overruled any embarrassment.

Somehow we manage to get to the Framers Market in one peace and with the wagon intact. My back and sides ached from the tight clenching of at leach a good hour. I groaned in pain as I held back the urge to rub my bum from sitting onto a lat wooden seat. Merlin wasn't much better off, the man looked disheveled with his wrinkled clothes at where I clutched, his wind-blown hair, and hey sticking in the back of his clothes.  

Eventually, our eyes locked to each other from taking in one another. He gave a boyish smile as he looked me up and down. He hopped off his seat and limped on the first step, trying to correct his shaky legs. The wizard gave an apologetic look as he fixed my hair, patted down my fluffed up locks, and briefly combing me with his fingers. I did the same for him as he took out pieces of hay and I brushed off his clothes. I was tugging down his shirt, straightening the wrinkles out of his nice blue suit.