Snow White and the Huntsman: Revenge From the Grave

Chapter 6

Three Suns and three Moons passed through the sky, and Snow still had not left her chamber or spoken a single word to anyone. Greta coaxed her to eat and drink and she did not resist, but neither did she make an effort on her own. Like a babe, Greta cared for Snow and all the while William was at her side. William had been in every day to see her and spent hours talking about anything and everything. Everything, except the deaths of the children. When he ran out of things to talk about he read from nameless novels just to fill the room with sound instead of the eerie dead silence. By the end of the fourth day William was at his wits end. He had no idea how to get Snow to return to the land of the living. She may as well have never awakened from her deathly slumber for all the life she was living now. Eric had been scouring the countryside for any signs and clues to track Ravenna, questioning everyone he came into contact with.

Eric was like a man possessed in his efforts, and only stopped for a few hours at a time to eat, rest, and change horses. William had tried several times to get him to give it up, the trail had gone cold two days ago. Eric wouldn't listen though. Upon seeing the state that Ravenna's actions had put Snow in, Eric had gathered as many men as he could muster and sped off into the lands. Missives back and forth between them had kept them each informed of the others progress. Eric's progress in his search for Ravenna, and William's progress with Snow. Neither had any luck.

As the sun was setting on the fourth day, Eric rode into the courtyard of the castle, spent and covered in grime from the road. He needed a bath. A hot meal wouldn't be a stab in eye either. Passing his steed to a young stable boy who ran up to greet him, he strode up the steps and into the castle heading straight to the kitchen. Izzy, the head cook, smacked Eric's fingers and pinched his arse several times for daring to sully her kitchen and dip his dirty fingers into her slaved over concoctions. Laughing, Eric made his escape with a platter full of roast duck smothered in au jus with pearl onions, half a loaf of fresh French bread with butter and honey, rosemary basted new potatoes, and a cranberry and apple compote with cloves. Passing a servant on his way to his room licking his fingers of duck grease, he requested hot water for a bath. The servant curtsied and scurried off to fetch help in gathering the hot water that was kept steaming in the scullery for when the castle occupants had need of it.

Eric was using his bread to sop up the last of the juice from his plate when three maids came in carrying two buckets each of steaming hot water. When they left, Eric gratefully sank into the still torrid water, slightly singing his skin and he didn't care. After quickly washing his hair and body he relaxed back and thought about the last few days. He had never hated anyone with as much passion as he did Ravenna. He couldn't wait to find her. He planned to use his axe and remove her head from her shoulders. "Let's see her come back from that." He spoke out loud to no one. Thinking of Ravenna brought to mind Snow and the last time he saw her. She was tucked up in her bed, looking like a helpless child and staring straight up at the ceiling without acknowledging anyone else in the room. He had hated seeing her that way. He'd sworn to himself he wouldn't look upon her again until he had brought her Ravenna's head. Now, days later, he knew that would be impossible. He had to see her. Every day that went by and he didn't look upon her face was pure torture. Thinking of her now, the urge to see her built like a stoked fire, rising and lapping in his gut until he rose from the water and quickly tossed on a pair of black breeches and a white linin shirt he left untied at the throat, then hurried to Snow's chamber.

The sun had set making the floor cool against Eric's bare feet as he reached the chamber door separating him from Snow and he didn't bother to knock as he pushed it open and entered. William was droning on from some tome and Greta was pouring a bucket of hot water in to the tub in Snow's chamber. He stared at Snow who didn't seem to have changed position since he last saw her. The difference was in her face. Her cheeks were slightly sunken and her eyes were glazed. Purple tinged her eyes and if he couldn't see her breath rising and falling in her chest he would have thought her spirit already gone. Anger suddenly filled his heart at the futility of it all. He would not let Ravenna win by default and how dare Snow for not putting up a fight.