Beyond the Tower

| Eighteen | Bitersweet Reunion

The trip to the dwarfs house brings new meaning to "Walk of Shame." My feet drag on the ground as I try my best to avoid going closer and closer. But it's futile; we've come this far and can't back out now. I've already been horrid enough, I can't afford to be worse.

"Are you alright?" asks Leon.

"No," I say. "I've failed them. She was their sister, their mother, their- I don't know. Everything. And I took her away."

"You didn't murder her. It wasn't your fault. They'll understand."

"Perhaps," I say, eyes trained straight ahead, not believing the lie that leaves my lips.

So we approach. It's early morning, before they usually leave for the mine. I planned for us to get here on purpose. I can't even fathom what their reactions would be like if they returned from a long hard day of work to find me without Snow. I don't even want to think of what their reactions will be now, when they're fresh and rested.

For a moment my raised fist hovers at the door as I contemplate knocking. After all, I did live here too, however short the time was. But of course, it never really was my home. Not like it was Snow's. Taking a deep breath, I lower my hand to the doorknob and mustering all the confidence that I don't have, push the door open and stride in like I used to. "Dwarfs?" I call, hesitantly. "Are you here?"

The next words I hear just about kill me. I can pinpoint one a thrilled little voice above the sudden hubbub calling, "Snow's back!"

His words are taken up as a cry, and before I know it, all the dwarfs have entered the room and are clustered around. Most of them have no hesitations in throwing themselves around me in a huge hug. But I notice, to my dismay, two of the grouchier ones hanging back, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Ivy," spits one, his pudgy arms folded. "Who are you with? He's not Snow. He's a he and Snow's a she for sure. Where is Snow?"

"Hey yeah," another remarks, giggling. "Snow isn't here!"

"Where's Snow?" asks a third, turning his huge pleading eyes up to me, his face coloring.

"I- I'm sorry," I finally manage to stammer. Leon puts his hand on my shoulder for support and it's all I can do not to cry. "It's my fault. I let her go when I should have kept her close. I knew it was dangerous, and I abandoned her. It's all my fault."

"What?" snaps the first one. "What's your fault?"

"Snow is dead," I finally choke out. "The queen of Mirshcon, her stepmother, killed her with a poisoned apple."

Dead silence.

Dead silence.

I can tell it takes a moment for my words to sink in. And when they do, the dwarfs slowly unlatch themselves from me, their smiles wiped away. Like moving through molasses, they slink to the other end of the room, glaring at me accusingly.

"You got Snow killed?" the first one finally spits out.

"Well, no," I say. "I mean, it's not like I wanted her to die I only-"

"You just said it was your fault!" shrieks a fourth, looking as though he might cry. The worst part is I've never seen this particular dwarf worked up before. If he's like this, I know it's bad.

"I know," I say, miserably. "I should have been watching better. I shouldn't have let her go off alone, in a place where the queen wanted her dead."

"Get out," says the grouchiest.

"I-"

"Save it. We don't want to hear it. We welcomed you into our house, and you stole away Snow, got her murdered. We don't welcome murderers. Get out. You're not welcome here anymore."