The Fox Princess And Her White Dog

11: This is Where I Leave You

In the total darkness, Chow Chow coughed a rattling cough and wheezed for air. Sparks flared as he frantically snapped his fingers to create another fireball, and when the first fireball flickered back to life, Snow gasped upon seeing the pain etched on his pallid face.

"Are you alright?" she squeaked in alarm.

"Yeah, just. . . something stuck in my throat," he said, with his hand still over his mouth.

"That didn't sound too good."

"It's nothing. Don't worry. Just give me a second." He leaned his head against the cave wall with his eyes closed. When his hand fell into his lap, his palm was covered in blood. 

"You're hurt!" she exclaimed.

"Old injury. Don't worry, I'll be fine," he replied wanly. He cleaned his hand with the bloodied handkerchief, and fished out a black bottle from the front of his robes. "I just. . . need this, and I'll be fine."

Snow watched him pour out a few red pills onto his palm, and tilt his head back to swallow them in one gulp. Whatever happened to you? How did you. . .

A memory nudged in the back of her mind. Bloodstained skies. Chow Chow, floating over azure waters with his robes billowing around him, and turning to her saying, "No time to explain! You have to go!"

She fixed him a hard stare. "Before you sent me away, you said they're coming. Who's they?" When he looked back at her in silence, she grasped him by the lapels of his robes. "Answer me." 

"Princess–"

"Tell me! Please, tell me. Something happened to you."

"Nothing happened. Don't worry about me," he said weakly, not meeting her gaze.

"Stop saying that!" She looked down and saw the cloud patterns on the sleeves of his outer robe. Why didn't I notice this earlier? I've seen this pattern many times before – I've rested my forehead on this exact same sleeve, when. . .

The sound of chains dragging against courtyard tiles and howls of pain which made her hair stand on end, echoed in her mind. She inhaled sharply.

There was something else too.

A person, chained up in a dungeon darker than night.

Was that you too?

She pushed back his sleeve. "Snow!" he cried, drawing back his hand, but it was too late. Her whole body went cold when she saw the purplish bruise encircling his wrist, where the manacle had dug into his skin.

She looked up at him in horror. "That was you. You're the one I've been dreaming about."

"What?"

"I was there! I was there when you fought all those soldiers, and when they captured you, and they. . ." Hot tears welled up in her eyes and flowed down her cheeks.

"Princess!" he said, distressed by her tears.

"Why! Why didn't you tell me? I would never have left if I knew they'd do that to you!" she cried, her voice brittle from the grief she felt for him.

He looked at her with a sorrowful expression on his face. "I didn't think it would be that bad."

"You!" She beat his chest angrily with her fists.

"Ow." 

"It was all my fault! My fault. . ." She covered her face with her hands, and felt his arms go around her heaving shoulders.

"Don't cry, Princess, please don't cry," he said soothingly. 

"Chow Chow. . . I'm sorry. . . I'm so sorry," she choked between sobs.