Chapter 19
The three girls talked long into the night, exchanging stories about what it was like to keep house for seven dwarves and what it was like to live at court. The only thing Snow White didn’t want to talk about was her life before she came to stay with the dwarves, other than to say that her father had changed after he remarried. Even so, by the time they stopped talking, Annie felt so comfortable with Snow White that it seemed as if they had known each other for years.
Later, as Snow White and Gwendolyn fell asleep, Annie lay on a pallet on the floor beside her sister, thinking about Snow White. Although she acted like an ordinary girl, Snow White wasn’t ordinary at all. She was as beautiful as a princess, and when Annie had touched her to remove the necklace, the girl’s beauty had faded. Annie hadn’t seen Beldegard since they arrived at the cottage, and hadn’t had a chance to talk to Liam alone after he returned from hunting, so she resolved to talk to both of them as soon as she could and ask if any royal princesses were missing.
The next morning, Annie and Gwendolyn joined Snow White in the garden as she weeded between the vegetable rows. The three girls knelt side by side, tossing the weeds in an old basket. Gwendolyn was less diligent than the other two, missing half the weeds and not pulling out all the roots, but Annie was pleased that her sister was trying.
They worked in silence for a time, enjoying the songs of the birds in the nearby trees and the warmth of the sun on their faces as Quentin foraged and Rooster scratched the dirt at the end of the rows. Cat was already taking a nap, stretched out in the sunlight, while Dog was off exploring the trees near the cottage.
They had worked for nearly an hour, moving along the rows, when Annie sat up and stretched, trying to ease a cramp in her back. She was about to say something to her companions when she heard whimpering and something running through the forest.
“What’s that?” she asked, getting to her feet. Suddenly Dog came floundering out of the trees, slobbering and looking wild-eyed.
Annie raced toward Dog who was pawing at her mouth and whining. Something red flashed below her jaw and her whine grew louder. “It’s the necklace!” Annie cried even as she dropped to her knees beside Dog. The ruby necklace was wrapped around the dog’s lower jaw, squeezing so hard that it was smaller than a bracelet. Annie’s hand shot out and grabbed the necklace, which relaxed and stretched back to its normal size. Pulling the necklace from the dog’s mouth, she held it up to examine it. “Apparently this is too dangerous to leave lying around,” said Annie.
Stuffing the necklace into her pocket to deal with later, Annie examined Dog’s mouth, then ruffled her fur while the animal panted and tried to lick her. “Calm down!” Annie said, laughing. “You’re all right now!” She was too close for Dog to be able to talk, so she patted her one last time and looked around until she found a stick of just the right size. “If you want to play,” said Annie, “you should stay with sticks.” When Annie hurled the stick, Dog ran after it, barking, her tail wagging furiously.
The three girls worked together until the sun was high overhead. Annie let her mind wander, and though she had asked Snow White many questions the night before, she thought of one more. “Why did Cragery leave home when he did?” she asked as she tossed another weed in the basket.
“As I understand it,” said Snow White, “he worked in the family’s mine with his brothers for a time before deciding that he hated it, so he left home to get a job at the castle. He became the court jester, but he wasn’t very funny and people were mean to him. Finally he broke down, ranting that he was tired of all the short jokes, and left still wearing his pointy cap and jingly bells. It seems he took a valuable piece of the queen’s jewelry with him, but no one knew where he went, so they couldn’t track him down. His brothers didn’t hear from him for a long time, then a few years ago Hummfree received a letter. Hummfree never said—”
“Yoo-hoo! Anyone home?” called a voice from around the corner of the cottage. A horse nickered and Quentin raised his head, still chewing the leaf that stuck out of his mouth.
“Are the dwarves back?” asked Gwendolyn.
Snow White shook her head. “That was a woman’s voice. I’d better go see what she wants.”
“We’ll go with you,” said Annie, brushing off her knees as she stood.
Gwendolyn wiped her hair out of her eyes as she got to her feet, leaving a smudge of dirt on her no longer flawless forehead. She had been sitting so close to Annie that her beauty had faded, leaving her pretty rather than gorgeous.
Liam had gone hunting again, so the girls were the only ones there. Dog joined them as they hurried to the front of the cottage, where a young woman sitting on the bench seat of a tinker’s wagon waited with the reins in her hands, watching the door.
“May I help you?” Snow White said while Annie studied the stranger with growing concern. She had seen tinkers come to her parents’ castle, but none of them had looked like this. It was true that the woman was dressed in the rough gown and cap of a tinker’s wife, but her wagon looked fairly new and her horse wasn’t tired and worn like most tinkers’ horses. In fact, the horse was a lovely bay with bright eyes and a long, well-groomed tail and mane, more like a noble’s horse than a tinker’s.
The woman turned at the sound of Snow White’s voice and seemed surprised to see her. “It’s you! I mean… Hello! I’ve brought prime goods to show you. Pots and pans and some, uh…” The woman glanced at Annie and Gwendolyn, then turned away as if they were beneath her notice. “Say, is there anyone else here? Another young lady, perhaps a particularly beautiful one?”
“It’s just us,” Annie was quick to say. She could hear the same high-pitched hum that she’d heard when the old woman had been there the day before. There was magic present and it wasn’t the good kind.
“Are you sure?” said the woman, leaning forward to peer through the closest window.
“I’m sure,” said Annie. “And we don’t want to buy anything, so you needn’t wait.”
The woman glanced at Annie again, then back to where Gwendolyn was standing. Because she and Annie were no longer near each other, her beauty had begun to return. Annie saw the way the woman was looking at her sister, and hurried to stand between them.
“We’re quite sure,” said Annie. “You don’t have anything we need.”
Dog must have picked up on the tone of her voice, because she pinned back her ears and began to growl at the woman.
“But I have good sturdy pots and pans. I even have lovely combs for beautiful girls,” she said, glancing from Annie to where Dog stood with her hackles raised.
“Good day,” Annie said, and turned to herd Gwendolyn, Snow White, and Dog into the cottage. After closing and locking the door behind them, Annie peered out the window at the woman, who looked angry as she jerked at the reins and left.
When the woman was gone, Annie crouched down beside Dog. “I have a task for you. I want you and Cat to follow the woman. Stay as close to her as you can and see where she goes and what she does.” Glancing up at Snow White, she added, “That’s the same woman who gave you that necklace yesterday, I’m sure of it.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt it,” said Snow White. “Hardly anyone ever comes this way. Two strangers trying to sell me something within days of each other is too unusual to be a coincidence.”
Annie and Snow White were clearing the table after supper that night when they heard a soft tapping at the door. “I’ll get it,” Liam said as he set down the knife he’d been sharpening. When he opened the door a crack, Cat poked his head in, looked around, and sauntered over to Gwendolyn, who was sitting at the table embroidering napkins.
“I’m starving,” said Cat, rubbing against her legs. “Did you save me some supper?”
“Another enchanted animal?” Snow White asked in surprise. “Are all the animals you brought with you enchanted?”
“Not like the bear,” Annie told her. “Cat and the others were never human.”
“You told
her about Beldegard?” said Liam.
Annie glanced at him and shrugged. “She guessed.”
“About that food—” said Cat.
“Not until you tell me what you learned,” Annie told him.
Cat sighed and leaped up into Gwendolyn’s lap, where he shoved his head into her hand until she began to pet him. “Dog and I followed the woman to a castle, where they let her in without any questions,” said Cat. “From the way they jumped when she told them what to do, I’d say they were afraid of her. Anyway, she left the horse and cart in the courtyard and went up a lot of steps to a big, drafty tower room. Dog couldn’t get past the guard downstairs, but I followed her all the way to the top and slipped through the door behind her. I had a quick look around while she fiddled with the door lock. She had bottles full of little dead stuff, and a stack of old, dusty books that smelled bad, just like our master used to keep locked in his secret room. That woman is a witch, if you ask me.”
“Just tell us what you saw,” said Liam.
“I was still watching her when she stepped in front of a big, tall mirror. The frame was shiny gold, but the glass was dark and murky. ‘Mirror, mirror, on the wall,’ she said. ‘Who’s the fairest one of all?’”
Snow White looked outraged. “That’s why she wanted to kill me? Because she thinks I’m pretty?”
“Why was she talking to a mirror?” asked Gwendolyn.
“It wasn’t a regular mirror,” said Cat. “As soon as she asked it a question, a frightening face appeared, kind of floating in the glass. It was a woman’s face; she reminded me of the neighbor who used to yell when I sang outside her window at night.”
“And what did the face in the mirror do?” Annie asked.
“She looked annoyed and said, ‘What’s wrong? You got wax in your ears? I told you yesterday that Princess Gwendolyn, the most beautiful princess in all the kingdoms, has arrived in Helmswood.’”
Gwendolyn gasped and her hand stilled. “So now she’s after me?”
“Do you want me to finish telling you or not?” Cat asked.
“Sorry,” said Gwendolyn, and she resumed petting the cat.
“‘And where might I find this princess?’ the woman asked the mirror in a voice as sweet as honey.
“‘At the dwarves’ cottage, as I already told you,’ said the face in the mirror. ‘What’s the matter with you? Don’t you hear anything I say?’
“That’s when the witch’s face got red. She pointed a finger at the mirror and shouted, ‘I’d watch what I say if I were you! If you’re not careful, you’ll end up back in that dark little closet where I found you. I imagine the spiders and roaches will be happy to see you again. Or maybe I’ll drop you in the moat for a day or two. I hear it’s swarming with water snakes.’”
“So she’s threatening the face in her magic mirror?” said Annie.
“That’s what it sounded like,” said Cat. “But the face just laughed and said, ‘You think that would matter to me? At least then I wouldn’t have to answer the same questions over and over and could have some peace and quiet!’
“‘I’m warning you…,’ said the woman.
“‘Fine, be that way,’ the face told her. ‘Princess Gwendolyn is still at the dwarves’ cottage along with her sister, Annabelle.’ And then the face in the mirror moved over and Gwendolyn’s and Annie’s faces floated up like bubbles in a pond. It was kind of scary and I could feel the fur rising on my—”
“Cat! Just tell us what happened next!” said Liam.
“All right, all right! So, the woman said, ‘But I saw those girls! That Annabelle looks the same, but the other one isn’t nearly as beautiful as you say.’
“‘Probably because of Annabelle,’ said the face in the mirror. ‘She has the ability to—’
“‘I knew it!’ said the woman. ‘She’s a witch, too! I thought there was something different about her.’
“‘I never said—’ the face began, but the woman didn’t want to hear anything more it had to say.
“‘I’ll go back tomorrow morning wearing my best disguise,’ said the woman. ‘That girl won’t be able to hide her sister from me a second time.’
“The face tried again, saying, ‘But she isn’t—’
“‘Quiet! I know what I have to do!’ the woman shouted.
“‘Fine!’ said the face in the mirror. ‘If you don’t want to hear what I have to say, you can do whatever you want!’
“The woman walked away then and started making some stinky brew in an old metal pot. I left through the window as soon as I could and skedaddled back here.”
“You did an excellent job, Cat!” Annie told him. Gwendolyn began to scratch behind his ears and Annie could hear his purr all the way across the room.
“Where’s Dog?” asked Liam.
“She stayed behind to keep an eye on the woman,” Cat replied. “Dog was able to mingle with the other dogs in the castle and can go just about anywhere. I’m sure she’ll be back as soon as she has something important to tell you. A little to the left,” Cat said, turning his body and arching his neck into Gwendolyn’s hand.
Chapter 20
Annie, gwendolyn, and snow white were watching through the window for the woman when she showed up the next morning. For once, Liam hadn’t gone hunting; he joined them at the door when they heard an old woman’s wavery voice.
“Apples, fresh apples!” she cried from the walk leading up to the door.
“Doesn’t she realize that we usually don’t have visitors more than two or three times a year?” Snow White whispered to Annie. “I’d have to be a numskull not to be suspicious of a third visit in a row, even if she did change the way she looks. And she wants us to believe that she came all this way to sell a couple of apples?”
“I don’t think she thinks about things like that,” Annie whispered back.
“Have you had your breakfast yet?” the old woman called. “I have some nice fresh apples for sale!”
When Liam reached for the door, Annie shook her head. “I’ll handle this. She has magic, remember?” She opened the door and stepped outside, but before she could close it her friends piled out after her.
This time the witch looked like a stooped old woman with a heavily wrinkled face. Her washed-out blue eyes opened wide in surprise when she saw them, but she recovered quickly and said, “Oh, my, there’s so many of you! Well, that’s all right. I have plenty. And an extra nice one for you, beautiful girl.”
Gwendolyn had been standing close enough to Annie that her beauty had faded a little, but not as much as the day before. When the witch offered her the most perfect-looking apple in her basket, she took a step back.
Annie plucked the apple from the witch’s hand. The old woman scowled at her as Annie examined the apple with distaste. “That’s not for you!” the witch shrilled. “Give it to your sister!”
“How do you know she’s my sister?” Annie asked her.
The old woman spluttered as she glanced from one girl to the other. When Gwendolyn was beautiful, she and Annie didn’t look enough alike to make anyone think they were related. “I just… I thought…”
“Don’t worry, old woman,” said Annie. “You don’t need to bother coming up with a plausible lie. We know why you’re here and that this apple is poisoned.” Pulling her arm back, Annie hurled the apple at a tree so that the fruit smashed against the trunk. Turning back to the witch, she added, “Now leave and don’t come back, no matter what you make yourself look like!”
The witch glowered at Annie. “How dare you talk to me that way! Do you know what I could do to you?”
“Nothing!” growled a deep voice. “You leave them alone or I’ll do something you won’t like.”
Suddenly Beldegard was back, looking more ferocious than Annie had ever seen him. He stood at the edge of the forest, his lips curled in a snarl. When the witch glanced his way but didn’t move, he started toward her at a shambling run. He’d gone only a few steps when the witch flung aside her
basket of apples and dashed into the woods. The bear prince ran after her, crashing through the underbrush.
“He didn’t need to do that,” said Annie. “I could have handled the woman.”
Beldegard had yet to return when the dwarves arrived. The moment Snow White heard them, she ran out of the cottage and flung her arms around the oldest, then went from dwarf to dwarf, hugging each one in turn. Annie had followed her out of the cottage and was pleased to see that the seven dwarves seemed equally happy to see Snow White. They looked like nice people and even though Snow White was much taller than any of them and not related by blood, they behaved as if they were family.
It was easy to tell that the dwarves were related to one another, however. They all had the same-shape nose—straight with a little bump on the end, and the same strong chin, but some of them were handsome and some were not, some had long hair and some had short. The only dwarf with a beard was Cragery, the eighth dwarf, whom Snow White did not even try to hug.
The dwarf’s long, white beard hung almost to his feet. Both his beard and the mustache that curled around his lips were stained and spotted with food. Unlike his seven brothers, who looked at Annie with twinkling, friendly eyes, Cragery’s gaze was cold and hostile. He didn’t even seem to notice Snow White as he continued arguing with his brothers.
“I can’t believe you dragged me all the way home for that!” groused Cragery in a half-strangled voice.
“Grandfather said he was dying and wanted to see us all together one last time. Aren’t you glad he recovered?” said the dwarf with the stooped back and wrinkled face, who Annie thought must be Hummfree, the oldest of the brothers.
Cragery shrugged. “I don’t care one way or the other. He’s not leaving me anything in his will. He told me so yesterday! That old dwarf has hated me since the first day he saw me.”