CHAPTER THREE: snow falls

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

"So, whose turn is it?" Rocky White questioned her older sister.

"Mine," Snow answered before jumping from the tree, landing on the carriage.  Snow quickly took the patch from the carriage before running off. She had taken a horse, whistling loudly.

Rocky jumped down, swinging her legs over the horse. "I swear you have a suicide wish," Rocky muttered. She turned, only to see that the prince was beside them.

He tackled them both off of the horse. Rocky reached for her bow and arrow, pointing it at the man as Snow hit him upside down. Snow then ran forward, pulling her younger sister towards the horse.

"You can't hide from me! Wherever you are, I will find you!" The man yelled.  
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Ashley glared at the man that sat with Mary Margret as the man was staring at Ruby. "What a fucking disgusting pig," she muttered, before smiling brightly. The dark haired girl had lifted up a mug of coffee, walking over to the table.

"Ruby," Mary called.

"Yes, Mary Margret?" Ruby questioned.

"Check please," Mary lowly spoke.

Ashley pretends to stumble, spilling the hot coffee on Dr.Whale.  Then man immediately stood up, yelling in surprise and pain. 

"Oh, my god! I am so sorry!" Ashley fakes worry. "I didn't mean to do that! Are you okay?"

Dr. Whale turns to her, if it was to yell at her, she fought down a smile. But, immediately glared when she saw the look on the man's face.

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Ashley had thought about going to the hospital, volunteer there. But she had a lot of homework to catch up on. She swore that her professors knew when she was struggling and decided to add onto the pressure. Lucky, she had her classes all online.

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Rocky followed Snow in the dark, both holding a lantern. They started to gather their stolen belongings, before exiting out of the tree that they made to hide. As they took steps, suddenly they were pulled off of the ground. Both yelled surprised and fearful.

When suddenly, they heard a laugh. "I told you I'd find you. No matter what you do, I will always find you."

"You make it a habit of abducting woman? And minors?" Rocky questioned.

"Is this the only way you can catch a woman? By entrapping her?" Snow asked at the same time.

"It's the only way to catch thieving scum." The prince replied.

Rocky gasped aloud, dramatically. "How dare you?"

"Aren't you a real 'prince charming'." Snow scoffed.

"I have a name, you know." Charming told her.

"Don't care. Charming suits you. Now cut us down, Charming," Snow demanded.

"I'll release you, when you return the leather pouch you stole with my jewels."

"Not the jewelry type."

"Indeed. I noticed."

"Hey!" Rocky yelled, offended.

"What is that supposed to mean? Are you insulting us?" Snow questioned.

"No, quite right. My apologies. How dare I cast aspersions at the people who robbed me? Where are my jewels?"

"Oh, now you're framing us for such an awful act?" Rocky sarcastically asked. "Oh, let me guess, everyone looks-a-like if they live in the woods."

The prince sighed, seemingly annoyed.

Snow White smiled proudly at her little sister. "I sold them." She confessed.

"What?"

"what do you care? Don't you have a palace full of treasures somewhere?"

"These were special. Among them was a ring that belonged to my mother. A ring I was about to give-"

"The nag with the bad attitude? That's what this is about?" Snow questioned.

"She's my fiancée."

"Now I feel bad. Bad enough you have to marry her."
"Good luck with that. You must be getting something impressive to have agreed to that union."

Charming, shocked that both would insult his fiancé. "Excuse me?"

"Now, I feel worst. He has hearing issues!" Rocky sarcastically stated.

"I know how this works. True love? It doesn't exist. It's all arranged marriages and business transactions. There's no such thing as love at first sight or first kiss. Let me guess – her kingdom wants to take over yours and this is, what, a last ditch effort to avoid war?" Snow questioned, smiling.

"This is not a takeover. It's a merger, and quite frankly, it's none of your business. Now, this is what's going to happen." The two sister hummed in question. "I'm going to cut you down and you will take me to whoever has my jewels and then, you're going to get my ring back."

Snow White hummed again. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you don't want me to tell anyone who you really are," The prince takes out a piece of paper. It's a wanted poster for Snow White, and then another one, for Rocky. "Snow White. Rocky White. Help me get my ring back, or I turn you over to the Queen's forces. And I have a feeling the Queen's not as charming as I am."

Rocky glared at him.

"Well. I wouldn't want to stand in the way of your getting true love." Snow replied.

Charming cut the two lose.

"You prick," Rocky groaned, rolling off of her sister.
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Ashley was working at Granny's Dinner. She didn't recognize the woman with blond-hair, sitting with Henry. Ashley walked up to the two, smiling. "Anything I can get you?"

"This is my birth mom, Emma," Henry introduced, before he turned to Emma, gesturing to Ashley. "She's Rocky. Snow White's younger sister."

Ashleylaughed. "Right."

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

They walked across a large tree, that had fallen over.

"God, I hate this," Rocky complained.

Charming reached a hand out to help her walk as he had with Snow.

"If this is a trap, I will pull you down with me," Rocky threatened.

"I thought you weren't the jewelry type. What's the around your neck?" Charming questioned Snow.

"Don't worry about it," Snow answered.

But, Charming reached over, pulling out away from a her. Snow and Rocky both immediately reached for it.

"Careful! It's a weapon," Snow warned.

"What, dust? What kind of weapon is dust?" Charming questioned.

"Fairy dust," Snow corrected, reaching over for it, only for it to be pulled back.

"I thought that was a good thing?"

"If we got it from a good fairy," Rocky says. "This stuff? Is deadly. You can use it on someone to easily squash them."

The prince pulled the necklace away again.

"I will shot you," Rocky warned, lifting up her bow and arrow.

"Then why didn't you use it on me?" The Prince questioned, pushing it into his jacket.

"Cause you're not worth it. Rocky, don't," Snow ordered. "It's very hard to come by. I'm saving it for a special someone."

"Ah, the Queen. You got a lot of anger there, don't you, Snow?"

"The charges on our posters are lies. It didn't stop her from sending her huntsman to rip out out hearts." Snow says.

"What happened?"

"Well, not everyone is a soulless royal. He took pity on us and let is go.We've been hiding in the forest ever since. Trying to amass enough fortune to leave this place. Escape to another realm. Somewhere isolated. Where we can never be hurt."

"Sounds lonely."

"No. Because I've got Snow," Rocky grinned. "And she's got me."

"No lonelier than an arranged marriage," Snow shot back at the Prince.

"At least I don't prey on the innocent."

"Up until now, we've only ever stolen from the Queen. I thought your carriage was one of hers. No one else ever uses that road."

"I took the scenic route."

"Clearly," Rocky sarcastically muttered. "All we were doing, is trying to survive. She wants us dead."

The sisters turns around, beginning to walk again.

"So, what did you do to incur that much wrath?" The prince asked.

"She blames me for ruining her life." Snow says.

"Did you?"

"Yes," They continue on until they come to a river. "I'm thirsty. May I?"

"Sure. Make it quick," Charming told.

The three bent down, Snow and Rocky cupping their hands.

They both take a drink from the river. While Prince Charming has his back turned, Snow White hits him and then pushes him into the river. She digs through the bag to find the pouch. Snow White then grabs Rocky's hands pulling the younger one with her and runs back into the forest.

They both pause at the road, looking back before running forward, they turned, seeing the different paths. But, as they do, they are stopped by four of the Evil Queen's guards. "Huh. Look who we found."

The guards began to surround the two, one getting off of his horse. "There's nowhere to hide. The Queen wants your heart. And we're not going to disappoint her."

Rocky pointed her bow and arrow at the guard in front of them.
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Ashley sighed in annoyance, Dr.Whale had returned.

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Despite shooting on of the guards, one of the other two guards had grabbed Snow, putting her in front of himself. So, Rocky couldn't shoot him.
And the third one grabbed her, dropping her arrow.

"No!" Snow yelled when Rocky was shoved up against a tree.

"Snow!"  Rocky yelled

The soldier walked up Snow. "Hold her still," he held a knife up.  When a knife was thrown into the air, hitting the guard in the back. The guard fell, and immediately the other two released the sisters, going to the prince. The sisters ran off, reaching out for the horse.

Rocky had turned briefly, pointing her arrow at the guard that the prince was fighting. But before she could release it, she was pulled off the ground.

"Rocky!" Snow yelled, reaching out to try and grab her sister from the guard.

Rocky had dropped her bow and arrow, as the man had pulled her arm up. Snow quickly jumped into the other horse, following after.

When, the guard dropped. Snow ignored the horse she had stolen, jumping off it as ran forward to her little sister. She pulled Rocky off of the horse before pulling her into a hug.

Charming had ran forward to the two. "Are you okay?"

"You...you saved us," Snow panted.

"It seemed like the honorable thing to do," He replied. "Are you ready?"

"For what?" Snow asked as Rocky pulled back from the hug.

"My jewels," the prince replied.

"Right. You've got a wedding to get to," Snow speaks. "The trolls we sold them too are just behind the next ridge. We need to be careful."

"What? Of trolls?"

"You've clearly never met one," Rocky scoffed, crossing her arms. "Where's my bow and arrow?"

Charming handed her the second set that he carried, her's. "Aren't they just little people?"

"You're thinking of dwarves. Show a little respect. They'll cut your hand off sooner than they'll shake it."

"Well, then let's get this over with."

"Yes, we've both got places to be. So, let's go. "

"You have your lonely little corner of solitude to find?"

"And you have a ringless fiancée to appease."

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Ashley had tried to find Mary Margaret. She had no clue why she needed to see the other woman, her older sister.

]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Snow had went onto the same horse Rocky had, before all three hoped off the horses, sending them off.

"Trolls don't like horses," Snow informed Charming. "We walk from here. Follow me. Keep quiet."

They walk towards the bridge, very soon being on top of the stone. Snow walks towards the right wall of it.

"Where are they?" Charming asked.

Snow chuckled, breathing out more then an actual laugh. She placed the gold onto the stone wall. "They're here."

A troll had began to climb up the stone wall, multiple before jumping over and landing at he end of the bridge. At one end, we're two trolls, and the one, just one. 

"It's fine." Snow calls out when charming had turned, clearly preparing to fight. "I know them."

"Why you here? I though we were done," one of the trolls speaks.

"I want to make another trade." Snow says.

"I'm not talking in front of this guy. Who is he?"

"Technically, you are taking in front of him," Rocky says, sarcastic tone.

The troll glared at the younger one, immediately, Snow reached out, pulling her younger sister to her. 

"Who is this guy?" The troll asked.

"No. He's with us." Snow continued.

"That's good. With you. Well, that makes it all fine."

"He's no one. Look, I want to buy back the jewels I sold you."

"Who is he?"

"I said don't worry about it," Snow had pushed Rocky behind her, even as she walked closer to block off charming. "Look, I'll give you back all of your money. You just give me the ring. You can keep everything else."

The trolls snarl lowly, nodding to each other. The roll that Snow is speaking to, nods his her in her direction to one of the ones standing next to charming. 

"Thank you. We appreciate the help," Charming tells the trolls, immediately reaching out to gather the item.

"He's to eager," the troll quickly says, making the second one pull the satchel back and away from the prince.  "This is a setup."

"You've got to-" Rocky goes to complain, about to insult the man. 

"It's not!" Snow denied, lying.

"He's a Royal! Hold him!"

"Let her go!"

"S!" Rocky yelled out, jumping forward and going to grab her sister, only she was pulled back, an arm wrapping around her throat.

"R!" Snow yelled back. "No! You can trust me. Look, you can trust me." Snow begs, as the trolls had backed Charming to one of the walls of the bridge, and Rocky to the same one, only inches away from the prince. "If I wanted to set you up, I would have. Don't hurt them."

"The time for dealing is done. Search him." The troll holding Snow demanded.

"Ugly, stupid, moth-" Rocky began to insult the trolls, only to be interrupted as the trolls had lifted a glass vial from the prince. He tossed Snow, making the others release both Charming and Rocky. Rocky moved forward to catch her sister.

Of course, a troll had just held his sword towards the girl, before grabbing Snow again, and pressing the sword against her throat. The other troll began to laugh, holding up two posters, the posters with Snow and Rocky's face printed on it. The troll chuckled, an ugly sound. 

"Are you choking?" Rocky questioned. "You sound like you're choking."

"Snow and Rocky White. Quite a reward." The troll held up the papers.  "Take them."

Rocky glared at the prince, annoyed, she rolled her eyes. He could have left that with the horses.

But, before he trolls moved, the prince had picked up the dropped sword, jumping at the trolls that held the sisters.  He had hit them, making the two let the sisters go, but, the third troll, the one who held the paper, had moved forward. Only, the prince easily dodged the attack.

"Go! I'm right behind you!" The prince told the two sisters.

Snow grabbed Rocky's hand before running to the edge of the bridge. She paused to pick up the fairy dust.

"Follow us! They don't know the first like we do," Snow tells the prince, only to turn around and see that he is no longer behind them.

"How far are our weapons?" Rocky questioned.

The two had ran back, Snow throwing the fairy dust onto the troll, of course, the troll had turned into a easy to kill creature. A cockroach. Rocky quickly took the vial, throwing it at the other troll, before using the last bit on the last troll.

"Can I step on them?" Rocky asked, glaring down at the disgusting creatures.

"You saved me," The prince told the two.

"It was the honorable thing to do," Snow replied.

"What about your special someone?"

"Gross!" Rocky exclaimed when it crawled on her foot, immediately stepping on it.

Snow shrugged, looking at the empty glass in her sister's hand. "I'll think of something else."

Rocky threw the empty necklace on the ground.

"Thank you," the prince breathed out.

"Anyway," Snow spoke again. "how could we let Prince Charming die?"

"I told you, I have a name."

Rocky glanced back and forth at the two. As they both began to pack up what the arrived with.

"It's James," The Prince says.

"It's nice to meet you, James," Snow smiled. "We should go. There maybe more of them coming."

They walked off the bridge, James stepped on the cockroach before grabbing the food on the stone.
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

Mary Margaret was apparently searching for the normally comatose patient. Who had woken up, and headed towards the woods.
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

"Stop looking at him," Rocky lowly said, shouldering her older sister.

James turned, smiling at the woman, who turned and nervously laughed after being caught in looking at the man.

"So..." James reached into his pocket. "You probably want this."

"Right, the gold. Thank you," Snow puts it into her bag, then reaching out and handing prince the small bag. "And you can't get married without this."

James opened it, shaking the bag so that the belongings fall into his hand. He lifts up the ring, then glanced at Snow. "I know, not your style."

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Snow removed the ring from his hand. And then slipped the ring onto her finger. She then holds her hand out, examining it. She paused, ignoring the feeling of eyes watching her. Both the prince and her younger sister. "Yeah, not me at all." She removes the ring. "I'm sure your fiancée will love it." Then reached out and handed it to him.

"Yeah. You know, if you need more, you can have the rest," James tells the two. "The ring is all I require."

"No, I'm good. Thanks," Snow replied, the glanced at her sister.

Rocky smiled. "It more fun to steal them from the Queen, than to accept handouts.

"We all got what we wanted," Snow says, gesturing to the pouch of coins.

"Well, wherever you're going, be careful. If you need anything..."

"You'll find me." Snow finished.

"Always."

"I almost believe that."

Should I leave? Rocky found herself thinking. Then Snow lifted up the bag, swinging it over her shoulder.

"Well, goodbye, Snow White," James says,
Looking at the older of the sisters, before looking to the younger one. "Rocky White."

"Goodbye, Prince Charming," Snow smiled, tone playful.

"I told you. It's James."

"No, still like Charming better." She smiled before walking off.

Rocky following by her side, after a second, Snow had looked back at the prince.
]|I{•------» 𐒡Ꮧ೯Ꮛ & 𐒡𐒀𐒜𐒐Ꮝ «------•}I|[

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