Continued from Ch. 3
Fingers tightened and squeezed Kylyu, constricting slowly, crushing the witch. Kylyu screamed and shrunk, cursing Snow White, writhing with all that she had been. Snow White reached into the witch's chest and grasped a beating heart.
Kylyu's eyes widened as her vision faded. Snow White bit into the dark muscle, blood pouring down her chin, then spewed it onto Kylyu's dying face.
Crumbling ash drifted from Snow White's hands, the remnants of Kylyu. The staff dropped onto stones, resounding through the cavern. Snow White grasped it tightly, her power burning and cleansing it of Kylyu.
"I dare not leave this behind." Snow White staggered to her feet with quaking legs. Drained of nearly all strength, Snow sensed Anam covering her with the last of her own energy.
They dragged Gunther to the cottage, where Snow White collapsed. In moments, Snow found herself by the hearth, while buckets of cool water flowed over her. Gunther lay quietly by the fire, a bowl of stew beside him.
Anam draped herself onto Snow White. Sleep now. Sleep. Snow fell into a deep slumber, knowing the staff was standing silently by the hearth
Darkness dropped quickly, leaving a starless sky ominous with heavy silence. Anam** hovered protectively around Snow White as she paced in the dwarfs' cottage. Through a swirling mist, Anam whispered, There she be. There she waits. For you. Snow White wrapped Anam tightly about her, "Yes, Anam. Close by. Soon. Final, an end."
For the weeks Snow had dwelt in the cottage, all seven had returned at dusk from their old mine. One night ago, only six returned. Last night, only five. Now four exhausted dwarfs trudged into sight, ducking into a warm cottage.
Karl? Petra? There was no surprise. Both were unstable and filled with anger, but Gunther?
"Where's Gunther? Where?" Her frantic question vibrated in their stone cottage. Four remaining dwarfs shrugged their shoulders, but blanched and pale faces showed more. One whispered. "Couldn't see, But some'n grabbed 'im. Stole "im away."
Anam soaked into Snow White as she tore open the door and raced into a velvet night. Save, you will not. Has them all.
Flickering lamps reflected veins of gold, illuminating a path into the mine. Snow groped her way along jagged walls. Down there, she is. And deep it is. The wall had been a sealed wall of boulders which now opened with a grating groan, showering shards of granite to reveal itself.
Pebbles tumbled down a dark path leading to a cavern where shadows bounced through and off the boulders. Sobbing and groaning seeped from a far corner. Stumbling became running as Snow White emerged into a massive cavern where wall no longer glittered with gold, but were coated with blood still oozing over stone.
**Gaelic:
Aingeal (ine-gull) : spirit being
Cailleach (kile-yuh) Kylyu: witch
Anam (ahn-uhm) : immortal, non-material part of a person
