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The invitation had instructed them to cross into Findersland and head for the capitol city of Raverra, so the Dwarfs did. Grumpy thought the journey was much better with the brothers than with Heinrich the year before. But every time they went into a city or a town, he grew antsy. His eyes saw thieves working, and he warned off every single one with subtle signals. Nobody would hurt these brothers like he had ever again. But it was exhausting, and it would only get worse.

The brothers noticed how tense Grumpy was, and they saw his fear boil even closer to the surface. Every time others were around, he seemed to prepare himself to fight. He distrusted everybody besides the brothers. That didn't stop his usual generosity toward the street urchins they met, though. He always tossed coins to them, and they always looked so grateful. Grumpy never said anything about why he did it, but his actions weren't lost on them. They knew he was very familiar with hunger, and he always did his best to alleviate it wherever they went. In fact, he very rarely spent any coin on himself. It was bizarre but so very Grumpy that they didn't think twice about it.

When they approached the town that surrounded the castle, they slowed a bit. Though walled towns were nothing new, the Dwarfs were stunned by the wall. They stopped at a rise and stared at the stones. Grumpy squinted and pointed down to the gates.

"Guards are waitin' to take us in." He turned when they didn't answer. "What's wrong with you?"

"The wall is Dwarf made," Sleepy murmured. "A hundred years ago, the Delvers were saved by the king of Findersland, and in gratitude, the clan built a fortress wall around the town and castle to protect it from invaders. The wall withstood everythin' any invaders tried, and it is said to this day that the wall is enchanted. They drove the invaders back, and they have only expanded the kingdom from there." He paused then looked around, grinning. "And Snow's marryin' the prince of this kingdom!"

"Then let's go," Bashful said, and they hefted the packs higher on their backs and headed down the road.

There was a flurry of activity before their arrival, and they were suddenly surrounded by guards and marched into the city. As they passed through the gates, Grumpy knew at once that Sleepy had been correct. Deep magic radiated from the core of the wall, and he fought back a shiver as they walked into the streets.

When they saw the crowd gathering to watch their procession go by, Doc gasped and reached over to grab Grumpy's arm. He looked startled by the size of the city and the number of people staring at them. One look in his stressed eyes and Grumpy knew he didn't want to speak at all. He patted Doc's hand, and Bashful came up on his other side, looking just as frightened. Grumpy squeezed his arm, too, and he could feel the brothers crowding close as they were escorted into the throng of people that stood watching them.

There was a lot of talking and pointing, and children peeked out at them with big eyes. Bashful couldn't bear to keep looking around, and he lowered his eyes to the street. Even Doc looked away from the crowd. Grumpy was unbothered for himself, having been given the same kinds of looks his whole life, but he didn't like that the brothers were so uncomfortable. He was just considering what he could do when there was a loud scream.

"Halt! Thief!"

A bolt of panic erupted inside of Grumpy, and he instinctively tensed to run as his eyes scanned the humans for the source of the shout. Their escort closed around them to stop anybody from stealing from them. The guard who had spotted the thief ran after him. The crowd pushed the thief toward the guard, jeering, and the man snagged what appeared to be a boy. The thief struggled to break his grip, but Grumpy noticed the struggle was suspiciously useless. The guard reached for the thief's hood to reveal who was stealing as he pulled fruitlessly against his grip. Grumpy knew what it was to be a rabbit in a snare, and he wished that feeling on nobody. And to shame somebody in front of so many people? It reminded him of his public lashing, which had been the most humiliating moment of his life.

Without conscious thought, he released Doc and Bashful and barreled over, hitting the backs of the guard's knees. The man yelped and released the thief as he collapsed, and the thief crashed to the ground. Grumpy grabbed the thief and pulled them around. Their eyes met, and Grumpy saw what he'd knew he'd find. It was a young woman, a frightened young woman. She looked at him, terrified.

"Please," she whispered.

Grumpy used a sleight of hand to pull coins from his purse then shoved them in her sweaty fingers. "Run, girlie," he muttered, and he released her.

She obeyed instantly, bolting like a frightened rabbit into the silent crowd. The guard scrambled to his feet and moved to chase her, but Grumpy sidestepped and tripped him up. He hit the ground again then pushed to his knees.

"How dare you!" he snarled. "You let that thief get away."

Grumpy held his head up high and radiated anger. "What of it?" he snapped.

"I should arrest you!"

"You won't though, 'cause we're here for Snow," Grumpy said coldly. "And maybe if you showed some compassion, there wouldn't be any need for thievin', did you ever think a that?"

"Thieves don't deserve compassion!" the guard spat. "They deserve the noose!"

Grumpy stood as still as stone, but Bashful noticed the brief glimmer of pain in his eyes before he narrowed them, glaring at the man. Doc finally nudged Bashful, who walked over.

"Come on. Let's go see Snow," he murmured, grabbing Grumpy's arm.

Grumpy gave the man one last dirty look then went back over to the brothers, who were still crowded around each other. The crowd began to murmur as the guard stood and rejoined the group. Doc pulled Grumpy in, and they began to march through the streets. Grumpy was now in the center of the brothers, and he realized they were protecting him from the guards when they wouldn't let him through. Finally they got to the foot of the stairs leading up to the palace. The guards broke off to either side of them, and a trumpet sounded.

"Announcing the princess of Germonia, Snow White!"

The Dwarfs all took off their hats, giddy with excitement to see her. The doors to the palace opened and a hush fell over the crowd when Snow appeared. The Dwarfs all grinned when they saw what she was wearing. It was the dress Sleepy had made her as a parting gift. It was made of a rich blue cloth embroidered with gold and silver thread in fantastic designs, and the skirt was studded with perfect jewels. The tiara Doc had made for her glittered on her brow, and there was a collective gasp as she walked out. She walked gracefully down the stairs, a beaming smile on her face as her eyes lingered on her friends. She stopped above them, and they bowed.

"Arise," she said sweetly. "Welcome to Findersland, my brave Dwarfs. You are my honored guests."

Grumpy, knowing the brothers were too frightened to speak, took the initiative. "Honor's ours," he grunted. "About time for the weddin', Snow. What happen, that boy get cold feet for a year?"

There was a burst of shocked laughter from quite a few men in the crowd, but everybody else was stunned into silence. Doc looked utterly horrified, and he elbowed Grumpy's ribs. The rest of the brothers struggled not to burst out laughing at the whole situation. Snow took it all in stride, throwing her head back as her tinkling laughter rang out.

"We have plenty of time to discuss what's been happening since I left. If you will follow me, we shall get you settled. Come along!"

Grumpy didn't hesitate, and the brothers had to scramble to catch up once they realized they were going inside.

"Wait! Princess!"

The Dwarfs turned to see the guard Grumpy had tripped up twice. The brothers stiffened.

"Yes, Reuben?" Snow asked.

The guard looked surprised then unsure. "I must report some misbehavior from one of your guests."

Snow peered at him then turned to Grumpy. "What did you do?" she asked, looking amused.

"Who says it was me?" Grumpy retorted.

"Was it you?"

"Yep," Grumpy replied. "But that ain't the point."

Snow shook her head then turned to the guard. "What did he do?"

"We caught a thief and were going to arrest him, but this… Dwarf let him get away." He caught himself before he insulted her guest.

Snow raised her eyebrows, and Doc grabbed Grumpy again, suddenly wary. Grumpy was unconcerned.

"Oh. I see." Snow turned to Grumpy. "And did you give him something so that he can buy food?"

"Yep."

"Then what is the problem?" Snow asked the guard.

He looked bewildered. "He let the thief get away…"

"A little mercy goes a long way," Snow said in a clear voice. "I see nothing wrong with what my friend did. I only wonder if you were in a similar position, who would you rather catch you? Somebody who wishes to arrest you, or somebody who is willing to give up his hard-earned money so a thief can have a meal? Consider that, Reuben." She turned to the Dwarfs. "Come along."

The Dwarfs hurried up the stairs behind her. As soon as the massive doors shut behind them, they sagged in relief, and Snow turned to them. For a moment, she stared at them, a picture of beauty and grace. Then a wicked grin spread over her face, and she shook her head.

"What's so funny, Snow?" Happy asked.

"I should have known Grumpy would get into trouble," she laughed. "Oh how I've missed you all!"

With that, she plucked up Grumpy's hat and planted a kiss on his head. He yelped and swatted at her. "Dadgum it, woman!"

She laughed again then turned to give each of the brothers a kiss on the head. They all looked very pleased as they blushed.

"You're wearin' the dress I made you," Sleepy said fondly. "You look so pretty."

"Your hair is longer, too," Happy said. "Looks real nice."

"Oh, thank you," Snow said, brushing her fingers through her shoulder-length hair. "I've always wanted long hair. But my stepmother…" She trailed off and swallowed, and for a moment, she looked like a scared little girl again.

"May she rot in pieces," Grumpy said solemnly.

Doc turned and shoved him. "That's enough out of you! It was bad enough what you said out there! I thought you had more tense, erm, sense than that! You did the same blasted thing with Florián last fear, um, year!"

Grumpy gazed at him and shrugged. "What's the point of actin' different than we would any ol' time? They're gonna hate us anyhow."

"Now that's a little extreme," Doc began, but he snapped his mouth shut when he saw two well-dressed people coming toward them. Almost subconsciously, he stepped behind Grumpy and ducked. Bashful flushed up to his ears and the others looked frightened again. They huddled behind Grumpy as if seeking protection. Grumpy gazed at the humans dispassionately.

"Who're they?" he asked Snow.

She turned and stood up straighter then smiled. "May I present Florián's parents, the king and queen of Findersland. This is Ferdinand and Isabela."

Grumpy bowed, and the brothers followed suit. There was a long pause, and the brothers began to fidget. Grumpy didn't move, unwilling to give the queen the satisfaction of making him squirm. She finally spoke.

"You may rise, Dwarfs."

They did so, and they immediately saw disdain on the her face. The king looked interested.

"So you're the Dwarfs who protected Snow White?" Ferdinand asked, a sparkle in his eyes.

"Yep," Grumpy said. "Long story. Sleepy should tell it sometime."

Sleepy let out an undignified squeak, ducking his head. Grumpy was amused, and judging by the expression on Snow's face, she was, too.

"I would love to hear it. What do you say, dear?" the king asked, turning to his wife.

"I can't think of anything but how filthy these Dwarfs are." Isabela turned to Snow. "Please make sure they are presentable the next time they see us."

Grumpy was about to ask her how she'd look after traveling for two weeks, but Doc grabbed his hand and squeezed. Grumpy settled down. As much as he wanted to lash out, he knew Doc was already humiliated by what he'd said on the steps. Besides, she was the queen. As fun as it was, there was a limit, so he tamped it down and simply crossed his arms defiantly.

"Of course, Isabela," Snow said, curtsying. "I was just about to take them to their rooms."

"Certainly a servant would be better suited for that task," Isabela said.

"It would be my honor." Snow turned to them before the queen could respond. "If you please, come this way."

Grumpy scanned the king and queen as the brothers hurried down the hallway after Snow. He made no comment as the king peered at him with interest and the queen glared. Snorting, he finally turned and went after the group. He could feel the royals watching him just like all humans did, and he couldn't help the bitter thoughts swirling in his mind, sounding exactly like Calida.

'Welcome back, Ivan,' she said sweetly. 'Nothing's changed.'

Grumpy caught up with the others as Snow turned a corner. As soon as the king and queen were out of sight, Snow dropped her royal demeanor and sighed.

"I'm sorry about her," she said.

"Right pain in the rear," Grumpy said dryly.

"Grumpy!" Doc shouted, looking dismayed. But before he could begin a proper scolding, Snow sniggered.

"You don't even know how painful," she replied primly.

"Oh, I gots a guess or two," Grumpy replied, grinning.

Snow laughed, and the brothers noticed once again how close the two of them seemed. What had happened between them? And when? Somewhere in between walking out the door with her waving them off and her waking up, something had changed. But the way it had changed puzzled them to no end. How were they closer? The brothers had no answer, but they were determined to find out while in Findersland.

"Here are your rooms," Snow said, stopping outside a pair of doors. "I had them specially prepared for you." She pushed them open, and the Dwarfs couldn't believe what they saw. They walked into the room and looked around.

The main room was a parlor area with a large fireplace and rich wooden furniture settled in such a way as to encourage conversation. An enormous rug spread out across the stone floor in the middle of the room, so brightly colored that it dazzled their eyes. The walls were paneled with cherrywood, and beautiful oil paintings of forests and lakes and mountains hung around the room. The lavishness of their surroundings made all of them uncomfortable, even Grumpy. Several doors were set around the room leading to other rooms, and Snow gestured at them.

"There are three bedrooms and a washroom. Ring the bell pull if you need anything. I'll send in Rafael to prepare your washroom. Yes?"

The Dwarfs nodded dumbly, and Snow smiled, unable to help herself. "Welcome to palace life," she said, her eyes sparkling. "Now, settle in. And remember to ring if you need anything."

They nodded again, and she turned and left. As soon as the door shut, Grumpy snorted. "She knows dern well we ain't ringin' for nobody."

The brothers all chuckled and relaxed as they spread out and began looking around. The beauty and extravagance of the rooms astounded them.

"Golly, can we even touch things?" Bashful asked.

Grumpy snorted and shrugged out of his pack. He watched as the brothers found a velvet blanket, exclaiming over the soft cloth. While they were distracted, Grumpy turned and pulled out a small pouch. He could feel the magic radiating out of it, and he wanted to give the brothers their gifts now. They'd never understand the full impact of them, but he knew they would listen.

"Dopey."

Dopey looked up and Grumpy gestured him over. He reached into the pouch and pulled out a perfect aquamarine. Dopey clapped, getting the others' attention.

"I want you to keep this on you while we're here. It's for good luck."

"Oh, that's very nice," Doc said.

Grumpy reached in again and grabbed another gem. Instantly, he knew it was the garnet. "Happy."

Happy took the jewel and grinned. "Ooh. This one's perfect!"

He handed Bashful a white opal, Doc a diamond, Sleepy a sapphire, and Sneezy a ruby. Then he tucked the bag away.

"Promise you'll keep 'em on you while we ain't home?" he asked. The brothers all looked at him then tucked them into their pockets.

"If it'll make you feel better," Doc said.

"Thanks."

There was a knock on the door and a young man came in.

"Her highness said you wish for a bath?" he asked.

"Naw, but the queen wants us to have one," Grumpy said. "So do whatever it is you're here to do."

"Very good, sir."

Grumpy blinked at him then burst out laughing. The brothers were puzzled by this reaction.

"Ain't no reason to call me sir," Grumpy said. "What's your name?"

The man looked surprised. "Oh. I'm Rafael."

"Grumpy. We want to go on a walk with Snow. Sure hope it don't rain buckets, yep?"

Rafael's eyes went wide and he stared at Grumpy. "Oh, yes. That's very true. It should be clear, but I'll make sure. You can count on me."

Grumpy nodded. "Well, we don't wanna be cooped up here all day. Get us some rags."

"Rags?" Rafael asked. "You don't wish for a soak?"

"Seven of 'em?" Grumpy asked. "Ain't no point in that. Just fill it once and we'll scrub ourselves down."

Rafael sagged with relief and gave a real smile. "Snow said I'd like you, Grumpy."

"Glad to hear you're on her side."

"Her side is worth being on," Rafael said. "Excuse me, Grumpy."

Grumpy watched him hurry to draw a bath. He was satisfied by his answer. He had been right that Rafael knew the informant codes, and his assurance that he'd pass news along was good.

"It sure didn't look like rain today," Sneezy said.

"Just wanna be sure," Grumpy mumbled. "Ain't no point in ruinin' the dress Sleepy made her."

Sleepy nodded. "That cloth is dern hard to keep clean. I appreciate the thought."

Grumpy's lips tightened, and he looked away, ashamed of his lie. Bashful squinted at him, but Grumpy didn't notice.

"Here's your rags, Grumpy," Rafael said. He opened his mouth then paused and hesitated. "How many times, exactly?"

"Just once," Grumpy replied quickly, glancing at the brothers.

"Ah, well in that case, I should probably leave. Ring if you need anything."

"Yep."

Rafael left, closing the doors behind him.

"How many times what?" Sneezy asked, puzzled.

"Just once," Grumpy said.

Sneezy blinked. "No, what was he askin' for?"

"'Cause he wanted to know, I expect," Grumpy replied, irritation in his tone. "Now let's get washed and changed. Snow's expectin' us soon."

Grumpy turned away, but not fast enough to hide his grimace from Bashful. He hated how easily the runaround leaped from his tongue. The longer they were in the city, the more he recalled about his younger years. Just in the short trip to the palace, he'd seen hand signals from thieves pickpocketing and scouting, and it was scary how easily everything came rushing back to him. The coded messages were almost too much to bear.

By the time the brothers got to the washroom, Grumpy was already scrubbing himself. His back was to them, and in the sunlit washroom, his scars stood out vividly from his tanned skin. They'd never seen them so sharply before. It was proof that Grumpy had had a very hard life before he'd come to them. They still couldn't bring themselves to ask why he'd been whipped, and they knew enough about the brand to make them unwilling to put Grumpy through the pain of talking about such a traumatic event. They didn't dare bring it up. They'd seen him pass out far too many times just by getting too close to the forging fires.

Doc walked over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Grumpy jumped.

"What?"

So many questions wanted to come out, but he couldn't figure out where to start, even after twelve years. Doc only stared sadly at his friend.

"I'm okay, Doc. It was a long time ago," Grumpy said gently when he realized what was wrong.

Doc nodded. "I just…"

"Awful bright in here. I suppose they ain't so pretty," Grumpy mumbled.

"They ain't so bad," Sneezy said.

Grumpy smiled a little. "Liar."

Doc's fingers grazed the brand, and Grumpy shivered. "Aw, stop it. Get washed for Snow."

The brothers stripped down and began to wash, and the mood was subdued for once. Grumpy finished first and went back into the main room to grab his pack. He pulled on his good clothes, knowing they would get a lot of use, then made sure he was presentable. He even combed his beard, knowing Snow would like it. He was ready first and waited as the brothers quickly got ready, too. He and Dopey spoke while the others finished getting ready. When they were all done, Grumpy stood up and headed for the door.

"Where are we stowing, ah, going?" Doc asked.

"To find Snow," Grumpy replied, and before the brothers could protest, he left.

They hurried out after him, unwilling for him to be alone despite their reluctance to be out of their rooms. Grumpy strolled along without a care in the world, and they all looked around with interest at the fancy decorations and large, ornate rooms.

"Hail, Dwarfs!"

Grumpy paused to see Florián coming out of a room.

"What're you up to?" Grumpy asked casually.

"I was just coming to find you," Florián said. "Is it true Dwarfs can tell quality for gems and precious metals?"

"Yep," Grumpy said.

"Would you mind looking at something for me?"

"We're lookin' for Snow," Happy said.

"It's for her. Please, I have a suspicion that I have never been able to confirm. It should only take a few minutes."

"Sure, sonny," Bashful said kindly.

They were led through the hallways to a room guarded by two men in full armor. Florián spoke quietly to the two men, and they looked reluctant but allowed the Dwarfs to pass. Grumpy saw one of them scamper off, and he knew there'd be trouble. It was confirmed when he turned to see a jewel room. One glance around and Grumpy knew why Florián was suspicious.

"Who is sellin' you all this junk?" Grumpy asked.

Florián had been reaching for a jeweled crown, and the young man paused and turned to him. "Beg pardon?"

"You're right," Grumpy said, much to the brothers' bewilderment. "Awful. Almost every single one of them. Whoever it is is cheatin' you."

"What are you squawking, uh, talking about?" Doc asked, blushing fiercely as he glanced at the prince.

Grumpy reached over and plucked up what looked to be a gorgeous necklace. He handed it to Doc, who made a face. "Ah. That explains it."

The necklace was passed around as Florián approached. "So it is not good quality?"

"It's very poor, actually," Doc said carefully. "The ruby has a crystal flaw and the gold could stand to be refined a few more times."

"You know that? You hardly looked at it," Florián asked, and there was a sudden difference in his way of speaking. It was far less regal, but it helped Doc to relax a bit.

"Grumpy is the only one who can tell by sight," Sleepy said, yawning. "But we can touch them and know. It's a Dwarf thing."

Florián turned to Grumpy as the Dwarf put away the necklace. "Tell me the state of the jewel room."

"Hardly anythin' decent in here," Grumpy replied. "You've been conned."

"Is there anything worthwhile?" Florián asked.

Grumpy scanned the room carefully then pointed out ten pieces that were flawless. The rest, he said, weren't worth much. Out of the ten pieces that were flawless, four were exceedingly rare Dwarf-made pieces, the others were human-made but worth a hefty price.

"What are you doing in here?"

Florián and the Dwarfs turned to see the king and queen, who didn't look too pleased. Florián stood up straight.

"I told you not to trust Gabriel," Florián said reproachfully. "He and his family have been fleecing us. Hardly anything in here is worth anything. We need a new family to be our jewelers."

"We will discuss this later," Isabela said, glancing distastefully at the Dwarfs.

But Florián turned to Grumpy. "What about this?"

He pulled out a crown, and Grumpy scowled. "That better not be for Snow. It's hideous."

"What exactly is wrong with it?" Isabela demanded. "We spent plenty to have it made."

Grumpy stepped forward and scanned it. He could tell the queen was waiting for him to touch it so she could have a reason to pounce, but years of thieving plus his strange gift meant he could do it by sight alone. Without hesitation, he began describing exactly what was wrong with it in extensive detail. The more he talked, the more the brothers looked displeased. Florián grew more angry as the list continued.

"That's just what I can tell from here," Grumpy finally finished. "If we could touch it, we'd know more. But that sure ain't fit for a princess."

"You liar!" the queen said. "Gabriel wouldn't lie to us!"

"He and his whole family have been lying for years!" Florián retorted. "Grumpy just told me that most of what's in here is flawed! We have to find somebody else."

"They've been the Royal jewelers for over a century."

Grumpy snorted. "That explains why this junk is here."

The queen spun, her eyes flashing. "Shut up, dirt eater!"

The next thing Grumpy knew was a bone deep terror as his beard was yanked so hard that he stumbled forward. A startled yowl escaped his throat, and he scrambled frantically to get free. He heard a commotion, and hands tugged on him as somebody shouted. Grumpy was blinded by memories, and as soon as his beard was released, he bowled over the soothing hands and ran for his life. As far as he was concerned, he was fleeing not the queen, but Calida, and he knew he'd never escape her as her cackle echoed in his ears.

Grumpy managed to find his way out into the garden and to the center of a hedge maze. He curled up under a tree beside a statue and clutched at his beard, shivering and feeling ill as he fought back terrible memories. He could hear the brothers shouting for him, but he couldn't move, couldn't answer. He fought back the panic, trying to stop the tears. He was better than this!

Eventually, Dopey and Happy found him.

"Go get the others," Happy mumbled.

Dopey scampered away and Happy strolled over and sat down beside him. He hugged him. "You okay?"

Grumpy looked at him with large eyes, trying to say of course he was, but he burst into tears instead. He was so embarrassed, but he couldn't control himself. Happy tugged him close and held him. "It'll be okay," he soothed.

Grumpy hid his face in Happy's shirt and just cried as he fought back the terror that had been kindled by the queen. Dopey led the others to them, and Doc pulled Grumpy into a hug. He sat there and wept uncontrollably at their kindness while they just kept him company. He finally got ahold of himself and sat back, looking away.

"Sorry," he grunted, his voice small.

Bashful squeezed him. "'S'okay, Grumpy."

"I can't believe that witch did that!" Sneezy complained. "If she weren't a queen, I'd show her what for!"

Grumpy laughed softly. "She'd deserve it," he admitted. He ran his fingers through his beard and shivered, leaning into Doc. Doc was more than happy to squeeze him.

"Was the jewel-room really that sad, uh, bad?" he asked.

"Yep for both," Grumpy said. "Only ten good pieces in the whole room."

"That's a shame," Doc said. "If they have that much of such chore, erm, poor quality, they've lost a lot of money."

"From what they said, it's been generations of a swindle," Sleepy said.

"It ends with Snow's crown," Grumpy said tightly.

"Gonna need a forge to work in," Sneezy said, sniffling.

"Where are we gonna get the gold from?" Sleepy yawned.

"I'm sure the prince will help us," Doc said.

"He sure wasn't happy," Happy said.

"You didn't see the state of the jewel-room," Grumpy said.

A bird twittered near them, and Grumpy looked up to see the raven and a beautiful red bird arguing. He knew Snow was probably looking for them.

"Best find Snow," Grumpy said. "She'll start worryin' if we don't."

He stood up and Doc caught him. "Are you okay?"

The answer was no, but he couldn't say that. The brothers needed him now more than ever to protect them from thieves. He knew the codes, he knew the language, he could keep them safe. Nobody would ever steal from them again.

'Like you did,' Calida laughed.

"Grumpy?" Bashful asked. "What're you thinkin' about?"

"What?" Grumpy was surprised by how uneasy Bashful sounded.

"What were you thinkin' about?"

"Why?" Grumpy asked.

"'Cause you looked awful…" Bashful trailed off. The brothers all suddenly looked alarmed and peered at him.

"Yes, Grumpy, what were you drinking, ah, thinking about?" Doc asked anxiously.

They all gazed at him with something unidentifiable on their faces. They seemed concerned and warm and so eager to help.

'Such a pretty pocket watch. That will sell well. One hundred for that alone.'

Grumpy's eyes went wide and he turned away, terrified they'd see the memory of him digging the watch out of their pack as it passed through his mind's eye.

"Snow's waitin'. Gonna find her," Grumpy grumbled then bolted like a skittish animal.

Bashful watched him go, frustrated beyond belief. He turned and threw his hat down.

"Somethin's wrong," Sneezy growled. "'Cause I ain't never seen Grumpy look hunted afore."

"Whatever it is, I don't like it," Sleepy proclaimed, his alert eyes flashing like fire. "It ain't natural."

Dopey flinched, aching to explain to his brothers that no, it was natural. Natural magic was different than black magic. That didn't make Grumpy bad. He raised his hand and flashed the symbol for magic, hoping they'd ask. But no, as they'd done since the night Grumpy had first mistranslated what he and Dopey had done that day, they thought he wanted to have fun.

"Not now, Dopey," Doc sighed. "We need to bind, ah, find Grumpy. I don't like him being alone around here. He's not the test, um, best with humans.”

"He was pretty good with Snow," Happy said.

"And he ain't never had a problem with Rowan," Bashful added.

"It's only the ones that bite him first that he bites back," Sneezy pointed out. He sneezed. "Ugh, let's get outta this maze. My hay fever…"

They hurried through the maze to find Grumpy talking with Snow outside the entrance. She looked pleasant and very cheery, so they knew she didn't know what had happened. When she turned to look at them, they smiled even though they weren't so happy. Snow didn't need to know of their troubles with the queen. It would put a damper on the wedding preparations.

"Going through the maze?" Snow asked, beaming at them.

"We made it to the center," Sleepy yawned.

"But you didn't find the secret tunnel, did you?" Snow asked.

"The one under the statue?" Grumpy asked.

The brothers all looked at him. "There's a tunnel?" Sneezy asked blankly.

Sleepy's eyes lit up. "Like for sneakin' away durin' a siege?"

"I believe so. I've never been down there. None of the guards seem to know about it," Snow smiled at Grumpy. "I'm not surprised you found it."

Grumpy snorted and waved his hand dismissively. It had been radiating magic, and she knew very well that he'd known about it as soon as he'd passed through the invisible magic barrier at the entrance to the maze. The whole thing was set up with magic, the same kind that infused the wall around the city. That meant it probably came from the same Dwarfs that had built the wall. He was sure it was for exactly the purpose Sleepy had guessed.

"Don't be rude, Grumpy," Doc begged.

"Was it rude?" Snow asked.

"Naw, but he's right. The humans'll think so," Grumpy said.

Doc blinked, and Snow glanced around. "Is there anybody nearby?" she asked idly.

As the brothers looked around, the red bird fluttered up into the air, singing sweetly. Grumpy watched, and Dopey looked up to see the red bird and the raven. He frowned then looked down at Snow, who was looking up with an expression of concentration. He'd seen the same look on Grumpy's face when he was talking to animals. Dopey's eyes went wide and he jumped and grabbed Grumpy, gesturing wildly up at the air and pointing at Snow. Snow looked bewildered. She still didn't understand most of what Dopey said. Doc and the others looked concerned.

"Dopey? What's wrong?" Bashful asked, grabbing him.

Dopey stomped his foot and threw his hands in the air in frustration.

"Calm down and take a breath," Doc ordered.

Dopey glared but did so.

"Now what's wrong?" Happy asked. "Why are you so agitated?"

Dopey turned to Grumpy expectantly.

"What?" Grumpy grunted, crossing his arms.

Dopey placed his hands on his hips and looked serious.

"Oh, just ask already!"

Dopey pointed at Snow then raised his hand and wiggled his fingers.

The brothers were puzzled. Why was Dopey asking Grumpy if Snow wanted to play? But then Grumpy's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed.

"Ah…" He suddenly looked skittish again.

"What's his question?" Snow asked.

Grumpy squirmed, glancing between Snow and Dopey. Dopey narrowed his eyes and stomped his foot, pointing at him accusingly. Grumpy didn't look happy.

"I ain't gotta tell you nothin'!" Grumpy snapped looking away.

Dopey's mouth dropped open and he turned to Snow, looking astounded. He pointed at Snow then gestured at Grumpy and made the same hand sign, wiggling his fingers. Snow blinked.

"I'm sorry, Dopey. I don't understand," Snow said.

Dopey looked even more frustrated, and he turned and shoved Grumpy, shaking his finger in his face as he made wild gestures. The brothers had lost the entire thread of conversation, and none of his gestures made sense with no context. Whatever it was, Grumpy certainly seemed to understand. He flinched and began shifting backwards, looking guilty and ashamed as he was scolded. When Dopey stopped moving, the brothers were surprised by the fierce look on his face. Grumpy finally was able to look away, and he spoke tightly.

"No."

Dopey actually let out a yell, and he turned his back on Grumpy and crossed his arms. The brothers couldn't believe it. Never before had Dopey been angry with Grumpy, and they didn't even understand why he was so upset. Grumpy obviously wasn't going to explain.

"Dopey, calm down," Doc said.

Dopey looked his oldest brother in the eye and made the rudest gesture he knew. Unfortunately, Snow understood that one, and as her cheeks reddened, Doc reacted. He grabbed Dopey's hand and jerked it down.

"Don't you dare squawk, erm, stalk, ah! talk to me like that, Dopey!"

Dopey gave a solemn nod then turned to see Grumpy looking at him and made the same gesture. Grumpy flinched as Doc slapped his youngest brother upside the head, knocking his hat off.

"Do it again and you'll regret it," Bashful said seriously. "I don't care what you're fightin' about. Ain't polite nor proper, and Snow is right here. That ain't a sign she don't know."

Dopey glanced at Snow then shrugged and turned away, his expression hard. Grumpy wouldn't look at Dopey, and Snow was perplexed as to what had happened.

"I think a stroll would be a good idea," Snow said. "Come along and I'll show you the garden. I'm sure you'll love it, Bashful."

The Dwarfs followed her around as she gave a tour of the flowers and hedges and vegetables she was growing, and she was so cheerful. They were glad she was happy, but their relationship hadn't been so twisted up in years. Grumpy hovered beside Snow, and Dopey seemed determined to trip him up as often as possible. Grumpy said nothing as he went sprawling again, and Bashful yanked Dopey back by an ear.

"Enough," he said, his tone careful yet angry.

Dopey shrugged and crossed his arms, itching to tell Grumpy what he thought of him not telling him that Snow also had natural magic. He reined in his desire and trudged along, watching the raven and the red bird bickering. He'd seen that raven a lot recently. Grumpy would shout at it to go away sometimes, but never when Doc and the others were around. It had clearly followed them to Findersland, but why? Grumpy glanced at him, and Dopey scowled and made a subtle rude gesture that the others didn't notice.

Grumpy flinched and looked away. He had never even considered telling Dopey about Snow's magic. He could have and probably should have. Dopey had never once corrected the brothers' mistranslation of the magic sign, and he'd loyally kept Grumpy's secret for over a decade. A pit of dread settled in his stomach. Dopey could tell them, and he was so angry he just might. He had to warn Snow, just in case.

After the tour of the garden, Grumpy wandered over to sit down away from the brothers. Snow followed and settled beside him. He turned to admire her beauty. The spun gold and silver threads and the jewels on her dress sparkled in the sun, but it was her kindness and compassion that made her so fair. Grumpy swallowed.

"What's Dopey so angry about?" Snow asked, watching Bashful and Happy trying to get him to tell them why he was so mad.

"He, ah, he noticed you talkin' to Red up there," he muttered.

Snow pressed her lips together and paled. "Oh. I see." She paused. "And how does this involve you?"

"'Cause he thinks I shoulda told him about your magic," Grumpy said.

"And you didn't. Because of me?" she asked.

"A bit. But it ain't his business nohow."

"You know where I stand on this, Grumpy," Snow said. "You should tell them."

"Mmhm."

Grumpy began running his fingers through his beard. He thought about telling Snow what the queen did, but then he decided against it.

"They love you," Snow said softly.

Grumpy didn't notice Bashful had slipped around behind the tree as he replied. "Snow, they don't even know what I done. And they ain't never gonna forgive me for it. Now even Dopey's riled at me. I can't do nothin' right."

"I still say you should tell them," Snow said. "It's been twelve years."

"Yep. Twelve years." He sounded sad about it. "The first was the best. That was before I…"

Bashful was startled to hear Grumpy choke up, and he stopped talking. A clear bell sounded out, and Grumpy stood up. "Dinner?" he asked gruffly.

"Dinner," Snow confirmed. She stood up. "Think about it, Grumpy. They love you. You're only hurting everybody involved by not telling them." She raised her voice. "Dinner is ready! I can't wait for you to see what we have."

Bashful skittered back into a flowerbed and turned around, his heart hammering. Grumpy had done something then. That's what he was hiding. Dopey must have known something about it and was angry that he hadn't told them. He had to talk to Doc. They now had a timeline to work with. It was within the first year. He casually strolled over to Snow and followed her to dinner. He'd talk to them as soon as they had a moment alone. Perhaps another stroll in the hedge maze, without Grumpy, would give him the opportunity to share this new information with his brothers.

Bashful didn't get to speak with them that night, and the next morning they headed into the streets of Raverra to explore. He noticed it first. He was watching Grumpy carefully as they spent time in the city, hoping to glean more information about why he felt so guilty. The first few times he saw the hand sign, Bashful shrugged it off. But by the seventh time, Bashful knew he wasn't crazy. Grumpy was signaling to people. Very unsavory people. The kind that you didn't want to be associated with. None of them ever approached—in fact, most turned and hurried away, glancing back with wary curiosity—but the fact was that Grumpy was communicating with them. He didn't know what Grumpy was saying, but it clearly kept the humans away. For three hours, at least.

Bashful saw Grumpy make the hand signal at a burly man, who blinked at him. Grumpy's face went white as the man approached them. Doc pulled his brothers close when he noticed him approaching, but Grumpy tugged away and hurried over. Bashful squinted.

"He knows him," he said softly. "That human knows Grumpy."

Surprised, they all walked forward only to catch a quiet argument.

"—don't give a damn," Grumpy was saying. "Back off."

"Why won't you tell me?" the man insisted.

"Hello there," Doc said slowly and carefully.

Grumpy turned and gave them a warning look. The man peered between Grumpy and the brothers. "They kept you around? After what you did?"

Immediately, Grumpy jerked a knife out of his belt and began to twirl it as his face went blank. Doc and the others jumped back, startled by the abrupt change in their friend.

"Leave," Grumpy said softly.

"Did I hit a sore spot?" the man asked, and a gleam of mischief was in his eyes.

"How's your left knee?"

The man went pale and winced, stepping back. Grumpy continued to glare at him, slowly turning the blade.

"She wants to kill you for leaving," he finally managed.

"Let the bitch try," Grumpy snapped. "Now get."

"Or what?"

Grumpy threw the knife, and it stuck quivering in the counter behind the man. It came so close to him that the brothers were astounded it hadn't hit him. They watched fearfully as the man jumped away with a cry.

"You're mad!" he yelped. "I hope she does kill you, tunnel rat!"

"Maybe I'll make your knees match," Grumpy said thoughtfully, a dead look in his eyes that none of the brothers had seen before. It was scary how expressionless he was. Grumpy stared at the man before them as if he wasn't even a person, just an irritation that he wanted to go away.

The man seemed to see it, too, because he turned and hurried away. Grumpy snorted and reached over to jerk the knife out of the counter. The shopkeep was glaring at him, and Grumpy tossed a few coins onto the counter.

"Sorry," he said. Then he walked in the opposite direction from where the stranger had gone.

The brothers stood stock still for a moment then Bashful turned and shared all of his observations with his brothers.

Grumpy continued walking, not caring that he was alone. He wished he had been alone with that idiot Brock. He didn't want the brothers mixed up with him. Brock was the only thief stupid enough to walk right up and talk with him after he flashed him a severe warning to back off. He never was that bright.

Grumpy finally stopped to wait for the brothers, taking several deep breaths. How much had they heard? Did they suspect? He felt like he was going to be sick. Why was everything so difficult? Why couldn't he just relax? He looked around the streets and saw them in two ways. On the one hand, he saw a city that was bustling and bright, and the appeal to explore as a visitor was strong. On the other, he saw the underbelly working, saw the thieves and their gestures, the symbols the average citizen wouldn't even know meant anything. He screwed his eyes shut and rubbed at them. He didn't like being here. He wanted to go home.

A hand touched him, and Grumpy spun and pinned whoever it was by the throat, his knife in his hand before he could even think. He had reacted so fast that he didn't even realize who he was attacking until he saw Sneezy's terrified eyes staring at him. Grumpy jumped back and gazed at his knife, frightened by what he'd done. Sneezy reached up to touch his throat where a line of blood trickled from a thin cut, and the brothers stared at him in a new way. They looked leery, as if they didn't know if they could trust him.

'Not them! Not them! Oh, God, not them too!' Grumpy thought frantically. They had to know. They knew and they weren't happy. This was it.

He lowered his eyes and put his blade away, unable to say a word. Doc talked quietly to Sneezy, who swallowed and shivered but nodded. Bashful came over to Grumpy, his gentle eyes fearful.

"What happened?"

Grumpy shrugged and pressed his lips together. Bashful huffed but wrapped an arm around him. "You can tell us anythin'. You know that, right?"

Grumpy scoffed before he could stop himself. Bashful blinked at him and looked hurt.

"You can!" he insisted. Grumpy didn't look at him. "Oh! Why are you so difficult!" Bashful exclaimed, jerking Grumpy's hat over his eyes.

Doc came over. "Grumpy? What happened?" he asked.

Grumpy was too ashamed to answer. They wouldn't understand anyway.

"Grumpy, don't be like this," Happy said. "We just wanna help."

"Well you ain't!" Grumpy snapped. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"I don't really stare, um, care that you don't," Doc said. "You just weld, er, held Sneezy at knifepoint. What happened?"

Grumpy turned away, swallowing. 'Not now. Not like this…' he thought desperately. He couldn't worm his way out of this. He had to tell them. But how could he? Over twenty-five years of his life had been spent as a thief, stealing from others, and his fight-or-flight reflexes could be triggered by something as simple as an unexpected touch at the wrong moment. He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting back terror. Then Doc spoke.

"I don't see why you bother braying, ah, staying around if you don't even bust, erm, trust us after twelve years." There was a pause. "Let's go."

Grumpy opened his eyes to see them leaving. Even Dopey didn't look back. Grumpy stood there surrounded by people and wondered why they were all still smiling.

After a moment, he decided that he should probably get back to it. The twelve-year sabbatical had been nice, but it was time to work again. He walked down an alley until he was alone then threw out a sheet of silver magic. Stepping through, he was in their rooms. He waved his hand and his pack was repacked in a burst of magic. When everything had settled into place, he picked it up and threw out another sheet. He angled his magic to search for symbols, and when he finally found one, he stepped through and was suddenly behind an inn.

It was familiar to walk inside and flash a sign to the barkeep, who appeared puzzled by the Dwarf. Grumpy wasn't surprised. He was the only Dwarf in the thieves guild. Always had been. He went downstairs and saw everybody look at him. He flashed a sign and a rude hand gesture and made his way back to an unused bed. Nobody dared approach for thirty minutes. Then a boy did. It was always the younger ones. Like Dopey…

"Who are you?" he asked.

Grumpy looked up and answered without hesitation. "Name's Ivan."

"You're Ivan?" the boy exclaimed. "Hey guys! He really is Ivan!"

Interest appeared on all of the faces, and there was a rush as everybody hurried over to him. They all talked over each other, asking about various adventures, asking about his magic, asking if he'd come back for good.

As he started answering their questions, Grumpy realized that he'd never left. Not really. Calida's voice whispered to him, familiar and low, speaking a message that he knew now had been inevitable from the moment he'd stolen from the brothers.

'Welcome home, Ivan.'

'No need to say it,' Grumpy thought back. It was already like he'd never left. Once a thief, always a thief. He knew that now. It had just taken twelve years to figure it out.

'Good boy, Ivan. Good boy.'

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Snow tapped on the door, peering around for anybody who could be watching. She knew Isabela wouldn't like for her to be alone with the Dwarfs, and that despite the fact that she'd stayed with them for months. She couldn't be too careful; if one of the queen's servants saw her, there'd be hell to pay. The door cracked open and Snow was startled to see a very upset Sneezy. His eyes were red, as if he'd been crying, and he scrubbed at his face.

"Snow!" he gasped.

There was a yelp and a soft curse as the other Dwarfs scrambled around in the room. Doc pulled Sneezy back and peered around, looking for something. He wilted.

"Oh. It's just you."

"Can I come in?" she asked cautiously.

"Of course," Doc said, feigning cheer.

Snow walked inside and the door shut behind her. She looked around the room to see the brothers.

"Where's Grumpy?" she asked.

"We'd hoped he was with you," Sneezy said. Snow noticed him rub his throat and swallow, a fearful look in his eyes.

"No. I haven't seen him since breakfast this morning." Snow pressed her lips together and went to the window, peering out at the garden. She caught the bird's eye and it fluttered over, twittering and tilting its head. She held out her hand for it to land and began to stroke its feathers as she paced. The Dwarfs didn't look surprised at all. She'd always had a special touch with animals. But she caught Dopey's eyes and raised her eyebrows. He blushed and looked away, tracing a circle with his foot. He made a few gestures.

"Dopey says he's sorry," Bashful said. "For what he said yesterday."

"I'm not the one you should apologize to," Snow said.

Dopey looked angry and stomped his foot, gesturing wildly. Snow glanced over to the fireplace and focused for a moment. The wood popped and splintered, spreading embers across the stone floor, and the brothers turned in alarm to tend to it. While they were distracted, Snow waved her hand and pink sparkles burst out of her fingertips. Dopey gaped at her. Grumpy was never so open and bold about his magic use. By the time the brothers had tended to the fire, all signs of magic were gone, and she smiled at Doc.

"Thank you. Now where were we?"

"Dopey was paying, uh, saying something. What was it?" Doc turned to his youngest brother.

Dopey squinted at Snow and made a few quizzical gestures, wondering if she'd cast a spell to understand him. Snow smiled and nodded.

"Go on," she said, winking.

Dopey frowned at her and began to explain how he very well did have the right to be mad at Grumpy after what he'd done.

"You have no idea what he's done," Snow said, her expression grim.

The brothers all stiffened and stared at her. That sounded eerily like what that stranger had said.

"Do you know?" Doc asked quietly.

Snow didn't answer, turning back to Dopey. "Did you ever consider it might have been a request that he was honoring?"

Dopey blinked then shook his head sheepishly. He waved his hand and made several tired gestures.

"I assure you, he has far more on his mind than just you," Snow said. "He's jumpy here. I don't think he likes being back in the city. I can't blame him, but I can't agree either."

Bashful stared at her. "What did he do, Snow?" he begged. "It's tearin' us apart."

"What do you mean?"

"He pulled a knife on me," Sneezy said hoarsely, rubbing his neck. A thin cut could be seen before he lowered his chin again.

Snow didn't look surprised, but understanding. "I told you he's jumpy. He probably thought you'd hurt him," she said gently.

Sneezy shivered and rubbed his throat again. "But why would he react like that anyhow?"

"What do you know of his past?" Snow asked.

The brothers stared at her. "What do you know?" Doc asked.

"And when did you find out?" Bashful added.

Snow stared at them. "That's not my story to tell, I'm afraid." She went to the window and set the bird on the sill. "We need to find Grumpy. I don't like that he hasn't come back." Turning to the brothers, she stared seriously at them. "What happened? And please be honest."

The brothers explained the hand signals, the conversation with the strange man, and then Grumpy's violent reaction when they'd found him to question him.

"And we did mask, erm, ask questions," Doc said earnestly.

"But they weren't the ones we was meanin' to ask," Bashful said.

"So you are going to ask?" Snow asked.

They hesitated. "I don't knows if he'd like that," Sleepy said.

"Really? How interesting."

"Why?" Happy asked.

Snow tilted her head. "Because when he told me why he was whipped, he said you never ask about his past and that's why he never talks about it."

There was silence as the brothers went slack-jawed.

"You're kiddin', right?" Bashful asked.

"No."

"Why would he tell you about something like that?" Sleepy asked.

"Because I was surprised when I saw his scars and told him that Grimhilde whipped me, too. It was something we had in common." She scanned their faces. "I find starting with what you have in common to be a good way to get to know somebody." She paused. "May I tell you something that might upset you?"

Doc nodded.

"You've stayed in your safe little Dwarf world for many years," Snow said. "The cottage is where you spend most of your time. That's where Grumpy met you, and that is where he feels at home. But you are now in his territory. He grew up in cities. He knows the dangers. His reaction to what he perceived as an unknown threat is not an overreaction. I will tell you he's had a very hard life. Please, when he comes back, talk to him. Ask him your questions and keep prodding at him until he gives you an answer. He wants to tell you."

"But he's afraid," Bashful said, slumping. "And we done backed him into a corner. No wonder he didn't come back with us."

"What do you mean?"

Doc shrugged. "I wanted to continue the discussion at the malice, erm, palace and not in a public mace, ah, space, but when we looked back, he was gone."

"I'll send people out to look for him."

Dopey saw the bird nod and flutter away, and Snow turned back. "While we wait for news, how about a bite of supper?"

"Food sounds good," Happy said, rubbing his hands together. "I ain't never had vittles like I've had here!"

Snow smiled. "I'm very glad you like it. Ring for a servant, please."

Dopey hurried over to yank the bell pull. A couple minutes later, there was a polite knock and Rafael came in.

"Oh! Princess!" he exclaimed.

"Shh!" Snow hissed, flapping her hands. "Shut the door!"

"So sorry, miss!" Rafael whisper-shouted. "I didn't expect you here." He shut the door and walked over. "I wondered why they rang."

"You don't?" Snow asked in amusement.

"We ain't needed nothin'," Happy said hurriedly.

"Well, now we need supper. We will not be dining with the queen tonight."

"Why not?" Sleepy asked, more out of politeness than anything.

"If I see her, I shall slap her across the face," Snow said primly.

"What?" Doc asked. "Why?"

"Diego told me today what she did to Grumpy yesterday," she said. "I'm surprised that none of you told me."

"We didn't want to bother you," Bashful said, turning scarlet. "It's supposed to be a happy time. You're gonna get married and should be enjoyin' yourself."

"As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I care far more for you all and your well-being than myself. Please be honest. I have plenty of time to be happy once I'm married. But I won't get to see you often. And I want to be sure you're all still together by the end of this."

There was silence as that last sentence sunk in. Doc sucked in a breath and began to shake his head, tiny, frantic movements. His eyes hardened and his fists clenched."No. No, he won't," he said, his voice sounding childlike and petulant. "Grumpy won't leave. Not forever. I won't let him."

There was an odd note to Doc's tone, a sliver of panicked hysteria, and Snow knew that even if Grumpy did leave, they'd find him no matter what. Doc would not let Grumpy go. They were brothers in all but blood, and that reassured her. She turned the conversation to other topics as Rafael fetched dinner and they waited for Grumpy to come back.

Dopey jerked awake that night and began screaming at the top of his lungs as something burned him. Whatever it was, it was hotter than the forging fires he worked with in the winter. He thrashed and wailed, getting tangled in the blanket before he crashed to the floor. Despite the pain from landing, the young Dwarf twisted and writhed, screaming and slapping at his nightshirt pocket.

"What's happenin'?!" Sleepy cried from the next room.

Doc came running into the room and grasped Dopey. He saw what his youngest brother was doing and snatched whatever it was out of his pocket. He froze as a strong feeling burst inside his skull. Every nerve in his body lit up with the absolute certainty that they were in grave danger and had to get out of the castle.

"Get dressed! Now! Grab essentials! Move!"

Doc's voice was so serious and terrifying that the brothers scattered to obey without question, stumbling around in the mostly dark rooms. Doc looked at the aquamarine in his hand, unable to comprehend why it felt so strange, but another pulse from the gemstone and Doc began to dress. When he was done, he shoved the aquamarine into Dopey's hand and scrambled for the diamond Grumpy had given to him. After a moment, the urgency began to fade, but Dopey shoved at him frantically, so he kept searching.

The others had scrambled into their clothes by the time Doc finally found it in his good pants. He shoved the diamond into his pocket. The others all did the same with their own trinkets. They hurried to grab their packs and get everything together, frantic to get it done. When they were ready to go, they all looked at each other then stuck their hands in their pockets and grasped their stones.

Almost as one, they snuck out and kept quiet, the gemstones egging them on. Without talking, they all snuck through the halls, ducking past servants and guards. They finally made their way out into the garden and hustled for the hedge maze. It wasn't something they needed to discuss. Clutching at the gemstones, they stepped into the maze and everything stopped. The urgency was gone, and they suddenly had no idea why they were standing out in the middle of the royal gardens at the entrance of a hedge maze in the middle of the night. They peered at each other, embarrassed by what they'd done.

"Ah, best get back to stead, uh, bed," Doc said sheepishly.

They stepped out from the hedge maze and immediately felt the urgent pulse go through them. They all were compelled to step back into the hedge maze, where the feeling faded again.

"What's goin' on?" Sleepy asked, jittery and wide awake.

"I don't know," Doc said. He stepped out and the feeling returned. Stepping back into the maze, he noticed his hand grasping the diamond. He tugged it out of his pocket and frowned at it.

"Hold this," Doc said. He handed it to Bashful then stepped out of the maze again. This time, he felt no different. He turned and rejoined his brothers, taking the diamond back. "I think it's this. And the other gems that Grumpy stave, erm, gave us."

"How is that possible? They're just for good luck," Happy argued.

Dopey sucked in a breath and his eyes went wide. Grumpy had told him they weren't just for luck when he'd asked about it after they'd washed. They had the strongest protection spells he could make woven into them. Something dangerous was going to happen.

"Dopey? What is it?" Sneezy asked.

Dopey looked up, helpless to explain. But he didn't have the chance anyway. The entire castle suddenly lit up in a burst of magic. Doc and the brothers gazed in horror as screams began to fill the night, and the urgency returned. They all turned as one and wound their way to the center. Unlike when searching for Grumpy after his beard had been yanked by the queen, they didn't get lost. The gemstones showed them the way, and when they got to the center, they were almost dragged toward the statue.

Without thinking about it, Doc touched the base and gasped. "Oh," he breathed. "Oh, it's Dwarf-made. Oh my."

He was astounded at the strange workmanship beneath his hands. It was magic and stone woven together in a way that was foreign to him. Doc stepped back and opened the tunnel with a hidden switch that would be hard to find if one wasn't a Dwarf. The gems tugged them forward, and they obediently went in.

"Wait! Snow!" Sneezy exclaimed, and he turned to leave, but there was the sound of hostile voices.

"I heard them talking," somebody said. "She won't like that some escaped."

Without a choice, Sneezy swung the tunnel closed, and they all stepped back in the dark. They hardly dared to breathe. The gemstones tugged them down the tunnel, and they felt their way through the blackness, their only hope that whatever their luck charms were doing, they would protect them. As for Snow, they could do nothing for her. They had to focus on one thing at a time, and since Snow wasn't an option, they focused on Grumpy. Maybe he was still in the city and not in the castle. They had to find him, had to make sure he was safe. So they continued on in the the dark, grasping each other and praying that Grumpy was okay.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The live-wire sensation exploded across Grumpy like a bolt of lightning, and he jumped out of bed and started to get dressed.

"Get up!" he roared. "Get up and get dressed! There's gonna be trouble!"

He threw a ball of magic into the air, where it burst into light, flooding the room. The thieves were all up and moving as soon as they got any sort of bearing. Grumpy was dressed within a minute, and he jerked his boots on and stood up, grabbing his pack and slinging it on his back. William, the curious boy who had taken a special liking to him, hurried over.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't know yet," Grumpy said tightly. "But somethin' ain't right. I'm goin' to the castle to check on the princess." He looked around at the alert thieves. "Get outta here. Stay in the shadows, and find out what's goin' on. Don't speak to nobody, and no stealin'. It ain't the riot kind of bad." The thieves watched as Grumpy threw out a sheet of silver before stepping into it. They flooded up the stairs as soon as he was gone and scattered into the night.

Grumpy ended up inside the castle. He snuck down the hallways, his skin tingling. Something wicked was going on, and he swallowed nervously. He hoped he wouldn't run into the brothers. No doubt they didn't want to see him again. He wondered how the wedding would go, and immediately uninvited himself. They would get so much more out of the experience than he would.

"Halt! Who goes there!" a guard shouted. Grumpy stopped moving and focused. The guard came around the corner, his eyes sliding past the Dwarf without seeing him. He went back to his post, and Grumpy exhaled and relaxed his magic so that he became visible again. He didn't trust the guards, and he didn't want to be caught.

He quickly flashed into Snow's room and peered around. She wasn't there. He closed his eyes and sent out a wave of magic that outlined every single person in the castle for him. He saw her talking with the king and queen, and she was most unhappy. The feeling of danger was growing, so he decided to get to them.

Carefully peering through the sheet of magic, Grumpy found a secluded spot in the room where he wouldn't be seen then stepped through.

"Isabela, they're perfectly lovely men. I don't see why you're so angry about them," Snow was saying.

Grumpy peeked out to see Snow was very angry indeed. Her control was admirable, seeing as how even from there, Grumpy could sense her restraining her magic. He had never seen her so livid.

"They're Dwarfs, Snow," Isabela said acidly. "Do you know what Dwarfs do to young women?"

Bile rose in Grumpy's throat, and he cursed the queen in his head. How dare she suggest the brothers would do something so vile! And to Snow White? That beautiful girl, so kind and thoughtful, would never be treated that way by them, or anybody if he had anything to say about it. He wanted to slap the woman across the face. Snow shook a little, gritting her teeth.

"You're wrong," she said quietly. "You're wrong about them. And I won't stand you hurting them again."

"Hurt them?" Ferdinand asked. "How?"

"I know what you did to Grumpy."

Grumpy flinched. He'd hoped Snow wouldn't find out.

"What?" Isabela scoffed. "Pulling his beard? I see Dwarfs do it all the time."

"There's a difference between a tug and a jerk, though I suppose the second part is in your nature already."

Grumpy's eyes went wide and he grinned, holding back a laugh. There she was, the sassy girl he loved and cared for. She so rarely spoke frankly to anybody and he was proud to hear her stand up to the queen.

"I beg your pardon?" Isabela demanded.

There was a knock at the door, and Florián came inside, followed by a servant. Snow turned around and she jumped to her feet, looking ready to attack.

"Halt!" she boomed.

Florián stopped, looking startled. "Snow, my love? Whatever is the matter?"

"Who are you and what are your intentions?"

"Snow?" Florián asked. He turned to look at the servant. "It's just one of the servants."

"She's not a servant. I know them all. She's disguised herself as a servant."

Grumpy knew Snow was right. Dark magic poured off the innocent looking woman. She appeared to be about Calida's age, with dark eyes and smooth skin. Neither Grumpy nor Snow were fooled, and the Dwarf tensed and prepared himself for whatever was about to happen.

The woman stared at Snow in surprise. Then she smiled and closed the doors. "You are very astute, Princess. I did not know you possess magic."

Isabela, Ferdinand, and Florián looked at Snow in surprise. Though her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, she didn't relax.

"I do, and I don't care for your tone. What do you want?"

"I want what any girl wants," the woman said, and she pulled a small orb out of her pocket.

"What do you want?" Snow repeated.

"Oh, money. Fame." She turned to look at the royals. "And the crown of course."

"Guards!" Ferdinand shouted, suddenly aware that Snow had been right. But it was too late.

The woman hurled the orb at their feet, and there was an explosion of black light. Grumpy threw up a shield, his heart hammering.

"Snow!" he shouted, barreling out of hiding. The woman turned to him and her mouth fell open.

"You?!" she asked, stunned.

"Grumpy!" Snow called.

"Here, Snow!" Grumpy exclaimed. He could feel the black magic trying to burst his shield. It was strong, and even though Snow had clearly shielded herself too, she wouldn't be able to stave it off for long. They had to get out of there.

"No! No no no!" the woman screeched. "You stupid, filthy mongrel! You're going to die this time! I'll make sure of it!"

Grumpy ignored her, running toward the pink light that was Snow. He got to her only to see her pale and weak. Her magic was strong, but her stamina wasn't good. Grumpy ran through her shield and grabbed her hand, strengthening her magic with his own.

"Grumpy!" Snow sobbed, pointing, and he saw the king, queen, and prince had been turned to crystal.

The woman was preparing another spell, and Grumpy looked around. It was no good. They had to leave, had to get away. But there had to be something he could do about the royals. His eyes fell on the orb, and he threw his hand out, summoning it. It flew into his hand, and he threw out a silvery sheet, pushing it as far out of the city as he could without hurting himself. As the woman reached them, they vaulted through, and Grumpy crumpled and collapsed the portal so that they couldn't be followed.

They landed in a grassy field twenty miles away from the city. Grumpy shuddered and dropped to his knees, feeling lightheaded and dizzy. He'd never traveled that far before, and he could feel that he'd stretched his own magic to its limits. He turned to see Snow unconscious beside him, her eyes rolled back in her head. She was safe, and to Grumpy that was all that mattered in that moment. He cast the best protection charm he could on them before he passed out and knew no more.

Daylight came after a long, cold night, and Doc and the others were exhausted as they continued their search. They had come across a few people, most of them unsavory, but they no longer cared. Despite how many people Grumpy had signaled, nobody they talked to recognized Grumpy's name, and they turned away every time, disappointed. By the time the streets were bustling, they didn't know where else to look.

When they stopped to rest, Dopey pulled out the aquamarine and rolled it in his fingers. He felt awful. Grumpy had tried to talk to him the night after they'd fought, but he'd stuffed his fingers in his ears and turned away. Grumpy hadn't pushed, and he'd slept on the sofa, leaving the six brothers to split the three bedrooms. He should have let him talk. It hadn't been his secret to tell, and Dopey should have tried to understand.

'Grumpy,' Dopey thought, squeezing the gift that had saved their lives. 'We're sorry. Where are you? Please, where are you?'

The gem in his hand suddenly pulsed, and Dopey stood at once. None of his brothers saw him get up, and he was turning the corner before Doc shouted for him. After going through a maze of back alleys, Dopey ended up at a strange shop. He pushed inside and a bell chimed. A woman came out from the back. She had long chestnut hair pulled into a bun, and she narrowed her dark eyes.

"May I help you?"

Dopey held up the aquamarine, his eyes desperate. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he didn't know how or why. The woman looked bemused as she took the gem, but as soon as she touched it, her face twisted in shock. She snatched the gemstone and stared at it. The door suddenly burst open and Doc and the others ran inside. He looked around wildly then grabbed Dopey and pulled him to his side.

"Sorry, madam," he said. "We'll be stowing, uh, going now." Then he saw the aquamarine. "That's ours!"

The woman stared at them then slowly smiled. "Oh, it's yours, eh? A gift from a friend?"

"Yes. And we promised to steep, erm, keep them on us," Doc said, shaking Dopey.

"Well, we can't let you break your promise. Here you go, Dopey. Here's your charm. Don't lose it. It's very special."

Dopey touched the gem again then released it, pushing it toward her.

She raised her eyebrows. "I have permission?"

Dopey nodded fervently.

"Good. Then I will help you find Grumpy." She paused and looked intrigued before she went into the back. The brothers gaped after her, thoroughly bewildered. Dopey wrung his hands together, anxious to have the gemstone back. When the woman returned, she immediately handed it to him.

"You know why you need to keep this?"

Dopey nodded, clutching it against his chest.

"Do they?"

Dopey glanced at his brothers and shook his head.

"Then you must tell them. They need to hear it."

Dopey frowned but nodded. The woman then focused on the others. "Do you want to find Grumpy?"

Doc hesitated then nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Then I need a volunteer."

"For what?" Sneezy asked suspiciously.

"I have to cast a spell on one of you."

The brothers went silent again. Doc stared at the woman then looked at his brothers. She had known Grumpy's name, and Dopey's. She didn't try and keep the stone. But most importantly, it was the only hope they had. Not knowing what would happen, Doc stepped forward.

"I'll do it."

The brothers stared at him, too stunned to speak. Doc had been leery of magic since the day their uncle had told them their parents were cursed. Dopey grasped him and smiled, nodding excitedly. He looked so happy, but none of them knew why. Dopey turned to the lady and gestured several times.

"I'm sorry, Dopey. I can't understand you. It doesn't come naturally to me. I could if I practiced, but we have no time. Just tell them when you can. Now come here, my good Dwarf."

Doc obeyed, stepping closer. She came forward and peered at him.

"Do you have a charm, too?"

Doc pulled out his diamond, handing it over. She studied it then handed it to Dopey. Doc gulped, feeling unprotected, but he reminded himself it was for Grumpy.

"Hold still, Doc," she said.

Doc watched as she brought her hands up to her chest and held them there. Then glittering orange sparks began to drip from her fingers. Dopey jumped up and down, pointing frantically at her before wiggling his fingers in the gesture that they translated as fun or play. Before any of them could think on it, Doc was enveloped in a bright orange light, and he cried out in surprise at the overwhelming sensation.

"Doc!" several of his brothers shouted.

Then the light was gone and Doc stood there in a daze, blinking as he peered around. His eyes focused and he looked at the woman.

"Any payment?"

"Not for this. Consider it a debt repaid."

"Very well. Then thank you very such, ah, much. We'll be going now. Dopey, my diamond."

Dopey handed it over and Doc slipped it into his pocket. He bowed slightly to the woman then turned and left. They didn't speak as Doc led them unerringly back out into the streets, but he didn't stop there. He continued to walk, strolling as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"What're we doin'?" Bashful finally asked.

"Taking a walk," Doc replied.

"We need to find Grumpy," Sleepy said urgently.

"We will. Ah. Here."

Doc turned into a back alley and walked into an old inn. He looked around and saw a man sitting at a table, eating. The other men looked hostile, as if they knew they were intruders, but Doc made a beeline for the man at the table.

"Hello there. Can you help us bind, er, find Grumpy?"

The fact that Doc had walked up to talk to a stranger shook the brothers. He never did it unless he had to because of his speech impediment. But their shock at that was nothing compared to the shock of the man at the table. His eyes rose at Doc's voice and widened at seeing him, and the stranger gasped in a bite of bread. He coughed until his throat was cleared then stared at them in amazement.

"It… It's you," he said softly. "The brothers. You're looking for him? You mean he stayed?"

"Do we knows you?" Sneezy asked, wary of such a gruff-looking human.

"No. But I saw you that day. You didn't see me. He didn't want you to know about what he used to do."

"What did he used to do?" Bashful asked.

The man glanced around and the brothers became aware that the humans were getting up and held weapons. Doc didn't seem to care, and when the man flashed a hand signal like Grumpy had been doing, the room immediately settled. Bashful grew excited.

"Hey, that's what Grumpy was doin'! Except it was different."

"This one?" the man asked, signing again.

"Naw."

"How about this?"

"Not that one neither."

The man suddenly grinned. "Was it this one?"

"That's it!" Bashful was practically vibrating with excitement. "What's it mean?"

"In polite terms, it means back off before I slit your throat." He laughed. "Typical Ivan."

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, as they registered that the man hadn't called their friend Grumpy. Ivan? Who was Ivan? It took several moments for them to realize that not once in twelve years had they thought to ask Grumpy for his real name after they'd given him his Dwarf name. To them he was Grumpy, but to the man in front of them, he was an entirely different person.

Sneezy spoke first. "Ivan?" he asked in a voice full of wonder. He looked at the man then his brothers. "That's Grumpy's name, ain't it? His name was Ivan before he met us."

The man stopped laughing and stared at them, clearly bothered. "You don't know his name?"

"His name is Grumpy," Doc said pleasantly. "And we really seed, er, need to find him. But we need to get stout, ah, out of the city. We're all in grave danger, you see."

He was so matter of fact and cheery that none of the other Dwarfs thought the man would believe him. But he only shook his head, chuckling.

"Sounds like Ivan. He always gets into things. It's getting out that he has trouble with. Well, what kind of danger is it this time?"

Doc didn't care to answer that right then. "We need to find Grumpy," he repeated.

"Go downstairs. Make this sign." The man demonstrated and forced them to repeat it until they could all correctly do it. "Good. Go down, make the sign, and wait. I'll send feelers out to see if anybody knows where he is. I'll check the usual places."

He stood up to leave.

"What's your name?" Bashful asked, catching his arm.

The man grinned. "The name's Bastian Thistlewhite. And it's an honor to finally meet you."

"It is?" Sleepy asked.

"Yes. I never saw Ivan happier than that day in Castell when he was with you. He told me he loved you. He doesn't say that very much. I had hoped you would let him stay. Now I've got to go. Do as I said and don't make trouble. If anybody gives you a hard time, tell them you know Ivan. Use that name, not Grumpy. Nobody in the guild knows his Dwarf name. I'll be back by sunset."

The brothers watched him go then walked downstairs. They were surprised to find a large, spacious room. Beds lined the wall, and there were tables and crates of supplies spread across the center of the room. Several men turned to them, their hands straying to their belts. They carefully made the sign that Bastian had taught them. The men relaxed but stared at them curiously as they walked to the far side of the room and huddled together. As soon as they were settled, everybody turned to Doc and stared at him.

"How'd you do that?" Happy asked in awe.

"Do what?" Doc asked.

There was a bemused pause, and Bashful spoke. "How did you find this place? How did you know that Bastian knew Grumpy?"

"Oh, I didn't," Doc said.

Another pause. Sleepy leaned forward. "You walked right in here. Then you talked to him. You knew."

"I didn't," Doc insisted.

"Then how are we here?" Sneezy demanded.

Dopey slapped his thighs, and when his brothers looked at him, he met their eyes one at a time then lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. Nobody spoke or moved for several moments.

Doc looked at Dopey, his mind racing over what Dopey had been saying in the shop. Then he pulled out his diamond and stared at it. Surely not…

"Does Grumpy know magic?" he asked faintly.

Dopey's entire face lit up and he threw his hands in the air as he celebrated. They knew! They knew! No more lies! His brothers all pulled out their charms and stared at them.

"Magic?" Sleepy asked. He held out his sapphire. "This is magic?"

Dopey gestured slowly, carefully explaining that yes, the gemstones were gifts from Grumpy, who had used his magic to protect them. It was extremely powerful magic, and that was why they had been led out of the castle by the gems.

While Dopey told them this, the brothers reverted back to questioning every sentence, something they hadn't had to do since their brother was very young. But Dopey encouraged it, refusing to continue until they understood exactly what he wanted to say.

Sneezy stared at his ruby, sniffling from the dusty room. "So these saved us?"

Dopey nodded.

"How long have you known about his magic?" Sleepy asked.

Dopey shrugged and told them that he'd seen him do magic the day after he'd tried to run away. The looks on his brothers faces would have been comical if it hadn't been such a horrible betrayal.

"You knew this whole time, and you didn't spell, erm, tell us?" Doc asked.

Dopey blushed and looked away. He explained that he had tried many times, flashing the symbol for magic, but Grumpy had mistranslated the sign on purpose so they wouldn't know he did magic. Ever since, when Dopey talked about magic, they thought he was talking about having fun or playing or teasing. Because the context for magic wasn't there, they simply couldn't understand what he was saying.

Doc reached over and touched Dopey. "Why? Why did he lie? Why did he mistranslate the pine, um, sign? What reason is there for him to do that?"

Dopey took a deep breath and answered the question with the truth. Doc directly told him that they didn't like or approve of magic when he got there, so he had hidden it from them. But he hadn't expected to stay, and by the time he'd realized he wanted to, he couldn't back out without admitting what he'd done. He was afraid, Dopey explained, afraid that he would have been forced to leave. Sneezy hadn't liked him much at the time, and he was so desperate to stay that he couldn't bring himself to tell them. The months turned to years, and the fear must have gotten worse after whatever Grumpy had done.

"Wait, the magic ain't it?" Bashful asked.

Dopey hesitated then admitted he wasn't entirely sure, but he felt like it wasn't. He thought there was something more, something worse, that tortured Grumpy. It didn't make sense for him to worry so much about the magic when he'd so easily hidden it from them for so many years. Being full of natural magic didn't explain the tears, the pain, the regret that they'd been seeing. His older brothers agreed completely.

All this time, people had been trickling in, and they all talked about the Dwarfs with interest. Ivan was the only Dwarf they knew associated with the guild in any notable way, and the day he seemingly rejoined the guild, there were six others? By the time Bastian rejoined them, the entire room was focused on the group, who had been huddled together and murmuring for hours. Bastian walked right up to them, and the room fell silent as everybody watched.

Doc looked up when he saw Bastian approach. "Any news?"

"This is William," he said, pulling a boy forward. "He has news." He shook William's shoulders.

"Ivan came by the southwest inn yesterday and stayed overnight. But in the middle of the night, he roused us, telling us something was wrong. Of course we believed him because he's Ivan, and we've heard enough about him to know to listen. He just knows things, you know?"

"Yep," Sneezy said, and the brothers all smiled.

"Anyway, the last I heard and saw, he said he was going to check on the princess and left for the castle."

"Thank you, William," Bastian said. He turned to gaze around the room and flashed the hand signal that Grumpy had been using around the brothers. Instantly, everybody turned away and began to talk.

"Go on, Will. Go get something to eat," Bastian said.

When the boy had gone, Bastian sat with them and sighed. "Grumpy was right. Something's wrong."

"Of course something is song, ah, wrong," Doc said casually. "The castle was taken over in an attack in the middle of the plight, erm, night. The kingdom now has a new ruler."

"What?!" Bastian yelped. "What do you mean the kingdom has a new ruler?"

Everybody looked at them, and silence fell again. Doc spoke into the silence without hesitation, surprising his brothers again.

"Oh yes. We escaped from the hassle, uh, castle after the attack began. I don't know what happened to the king or queen or mince, um, prince, but I'm pretty sure Grumpy got out with Snow. That's why we need to find him."

Bastian stared at them then began to laugh. "Somehow life is never dull with Ivan around!" He stood up and turned to the room. "Gather for seven."

People immediately began to move with purpose, and Bastian turned back to the brothers.

"We've got to leave the city. Ivan wouldn't stay here if he and the princess are in immediate danger. Once we're out, we'll decide where to go."

"Perfect. When do we sleeve, ah, leave?" Doc asked.

"Tonight. So you'd better get some rest."

"Thank you," Doc said.

"Anything for Ivan," Bastian said. "Sleep if you can."

The brothers lay down as soon as Bastian left. Most of them were anxious, but Doc was not. Despite everything that had happened, how crazy their lives had suddenly become, he was full of a calm certainty. They would find Grumpy, and the one of the first things he would do would be to apologize for forcing Grumpy to hide his magic from them. He'd never meant to. He hadn't known then, but he did now. Yes, he didn't know much about magic, but if Grumpy could use it, it must not be that bad after all.

Grumpy woke first, sore and thirsty beyond anything, the sun high above him. His back ached from the heavy pack that he hadn't thought to shrug off, and he groaned as he shifted. Everything hurt. He hadn't used so much magic in years. Everybody had their limits, and he sure as sugar had found his again.

Stirring himself, he sat up and quickly pulled out a water skein, drinking until he was satisfied. Then he gingerly tested his magic. He would be fine if he took it easy. So Grumpy stood, took twenty paces out and began to circle, weaving a protective spell to replace the weak one he'd woven before passing out. That done, he threw out a ball of fire, which hovered above the grass, and he waited for Snow to wake up.

When she finally did, she looked bewildered, and she cried out when she tried to move.

"Easy, Snow," Grumpy said. "Bit by bit."

"What happened?" she whispered, tears in her eyes as she began to shift and test her muscles.

"That witch took over the kingdom, I expect. And now she'll be after us."

Snow groaned as she wobbled to her knees before sitting up. "So what now?"

"I gots to protect you, first off."

"And then?"

Grumpy stared at her, passing her the skein. "I ain't the one who just lost everythin' again." He leaned forward. "What do you think we should do, princess?"

Snow drank several large mouthfuls then looked at him sadly. "It doesn't matter, Grumpy. It truly doesn't. Nobody will listen to me. I'm just a girl, and I don't know what I'm doing."

"Mmhm." Grumpy peered at her.

"Did you know I haven't been coronated yet?" Snow asked. "I should be the queen of Germonia. But some of the council decided they didn't want a little girl to lead them, so they sent me away to get married to Florián so he could become king."

"Stupid of them. You're more capable than most men, Snow," Grumpy assured her.

"I love Florián, Grumpy," Snow said. "Please don't think otherwise, but I don't like being forced to marry to rule my own kingdom. But Isabela and Ferdinand approve…"

"And Florián?"

"He says he'll love me whether he's the crown ruler of Germonia or not."

"Smart boy," Grumpy said, grinning. "Knew I liked him."

"What do we do?"

"What do you want to do?" Grumpy insisted.

Snow hesitated. "I want to save Findersland. But I'm just one stupid little girl."

"You ain't stupid, you ain't little, and you ain't just a girl." He gestured at the orb he'd retrieved and summoned it, shuddering as he touched it.

"Black magic?" Snow asked.

"Yep. Ugly kind." He looked up at her. "If my princess commands it, I can try and figure out the spell so's we can reverse it. But that's up to you."

"Why me?"

"'Cause you're the daughter of a king," Grumpy said. "It's your duty to protect your kingdom and people."

"But Findersland isn't mine," Snow pointed out.

"Yep. But it's Florián's and he can't do much about it right now. They're lost if we don't do somethin', Snow."

Snow sat there, testing her muscles until she was sure she could stand. Then she stood and began to pace. She subconsciously made her way to the shield and touched it as she walked in a circle, trailing her hand over the surface like when Grumpy had taught her to strengthen the magic bubble around the cottage. Grumpy watched her without a word, allowing her to think.

When she stopped pacing and turned to look at Grumpy, he knew her decision before she spoke. Her proud face was hard and her eyes shone like glittering jewels, and Grumpy was awed that he was standing in the presence of such nobility.

"Well, if it is truly my decision, and you will follow me, then I order you to find out what magic was used."

Grumpy stood up and took off his hat, bowing low. "Yes, your majesty. And I would follow you anywhere."

Snow giggled. "You're silly."

Grumpy grinned and waved his hand. There was the sound of shattering glass, and the shield burst into pieces. Then he drew the fire back into his hand and it burst into magic, and he absorbed it. Snow stared with her mouth open.

"How did you do that?"

"Glad you're curious, 'cause you're gonna find out," Grumpy said. "Time for more lessons. You gotta have more stamina for your magic if we have any hope of beatin' that witch. We'll practice when we stop."

"But where are we going?"

"There's a magic library hidden somewhere. Should have all the information we need. Problem is, I ain't got the directions, and it could be anywhere from Findersland to Germonia to Rhindhaven."

"That's a lot of ground to cover," Snow said.

"Then let's get to it."

"But what about Doc and the others?"

Grumpy went quiet. "They'll be fine," he finally said.

"Did something happen?" Snow asked.

Grumpy heaved on his pack and turned away from Raverra. "This way."

He could feel Snow's eyes on him as they began to walk. She wanted to know, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her that the brothers no longer wanted him around. The thought made a cold numbness spread from his heart to the rest of him. Unwanted. Just like he'd always been. But it was for the best. They didn't need a cracked gem like him anyway.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Getting out of the city had been surprisingly difficult. There were guards swarming everywhere, and they had an odd, detached look in their eyes. Bastian knew then that the brothers were telling the truth. There was a secret coup that had taken down the crown, and now whoever had taken the crown was trying to seal in the city. Bastian sent the brothers through then went back and sent a message to the thieves to stay low and spread the news to the others. After that, he rejoined them and they hurried away, eager to put as much distance between them and Raverra as possible.

When they stopped to rest, Bastian finally lit a lantern, confident they were far enough to not draw attention. Then he pulled out a map and they all sat down.

"We need to head somewhere," Bastian told Doc. "The only question is where?"

Doc peered at the map, pursing his lips. Then he stood up and began doing something strange. He would walk a few steps in one direction, then shake his head and try another. Eventually he pointed to the southwest.

"That way, he said, and he sat back down. Bashful opened his mouth to ask if it was the magic then paused. Did Bastian know Grumpy could do magic? But Bastian grinned.

"You've been to a magic shop. Well, that's one way to find him. I've heard that he has very distinctive magic, being a Dwarf."

"So you know?" Happy asked.

Bastian's brow creased. "About Ivan's magic? Did you not?" he looked even warier now, as if he didn't want to say anything else.

"No. But we do now," Doc said pleasantly. "What are our plans?"

"Start walking until the magic tells you otherwise," Bastian said. He rolled up the map and handed Doc the lantern. "Lead the way, Doc."

So Doc did. They turned and began to walk. Doc seemed remarkably calm despite the fact that he didn't know what would happen next. He was always anxious over his brothers, and Grumpy wasn't an exception. But with the magic in his veins, he didn't care. He would find him. It was a certainty as deep as his certainty of a gem's quality when he touched it.

They walked until sunrise then had breakfast. It was good to rest, but they were subdued. Finally Bashful turned to Bastian.

"When did you meet Grumpy?" he asked.

"He was fifteen, I was twelve," Bastian said, tearing off a chunk of bread. "He was nice to me and stood up for me when Calida tried to beat me for a mistake. I talked with him and decided I liked him, even if he was a Dwarf."

"That's awful nice of you," Sleepy said coldly.

"Oh, I don't mean it like that," Bastian said. "But he was the only Dwarf in the guild, and there were so many odd stories about him. He could sense danger before it happened, was full of natural magic, and he wasn't exactly well-liked by most of the boys. But he was better at the job than the rest of us. His quota was easily met every time. It helped that he could tell the quality of jewels and gold before he swiped them."

Bashful choked on a drink of water and spat it out, staring at Bastian. "Swiped them?"

"Yeah," Bastian said. He stopped and stared at them. "He really didn't tell you anything?"

"He's told us a bit," Sleepy said.

"Not nearly enough," Sneezy groused.

"So… why did he tripe, erm, swipe them?" Doc asked.

Bastian hesitated. "Well…"

"We aren't going to peeve, ah, leave him," Doc said seriously.

There was a moment of silence as Bastian stared intently at the Dwarf before he sat back and nodded. "I believe you. Well, he was adopted by Calida when he was found as a boy. She's the head of the thieves guild, so naturally, Ivan was raised to be a thief. That was what he was before he met you. He was a thief, and a damn good one."

Sneezy sneezed and scrubbed his eyes, shooting a glare at some innocent flowers nearby. "That explains why he don't like touchin' jewels then."

Bastian raised his eyebrows. "Does it?" he asked, sounding uncertain.

"Maybe," Sleepy said, but he, too, sounded unsure.

There was quiet for a few minutes before Bashful spoke, his voice soft. "So he's a thief?"

"Was," Bastian corrected. "He told me that day in Castell that he was done. In fact, he quit the guild the next day. And you don't quit the guild."

Sleepy swallowed his last mouthful. "What's done with stolen stuff?"

"It's collected and then dispersed to wherever benefits us most," Bastian said.

"I guess that's why he said he couldn't find them."

"Find what?" Happy asked.

"Papa's treasures."

Bastian kept his face neutral. "He checked the stock and they weren't there," he said carefully. "I remember how angry he was. He turned and spoke to Calida like I'd never heard him speak to her before. When she tried to punish him, he lashed out. He'd never done that before. She was injured when she woke up and was livid that Ivan was gone. He was always docile around her before, but I think the missing treasures were the last straw. He told her to her face that he quit then took down the whole room in a blast. Then he left and went back to you. That was the last time I spoke to him. I never expected to see him again."

"Well, you'll get to be, erm, see him when we find him," Doc said. "Are we done eating?"

They all nodded and stood up, shouldering their packs again. Doc turned and walked several steps then changed direction slightly and set off. The others followed, Bastian bringing up the rear.

The human didn't know what to do. Ivan had told them almost nothing about his past. They hadn't known his name, they hadn't known he had magic, and they hadn't known of his job as a thief. From the little conversation they'd had, Bastian knew that the brothers didn't know that it wasn't a random thief who had stolen from them. It hadn't even crossed their minds when they found out Ivan was a thief. They trusted him. Bastian decided that he had no right to tell them about that. Only Ivan did.

'Grumpy,' he scolded himself.'He's not Ivan anymore. He's Grumpy.'

A doubt niggled in his mind though. William had called him Ivan, and he'd been puzzled when asked where Grumpy was. Grumpy hadn't told him his Dwarf name. Bastian was pretty sure that Grumpy had been detaching himself from that name. He watched the brothers walk ahead of him, and he desperately prayed that somehow they would understand why Grumpy had stolen from them. That was a lot to ask when even Grumpy himself didn't know why. But Doc had said they wouldn't leave him. He hoped they didn't change their minds or else Grumpy really would be gone. Ivan would be all that was left, and that was a fate that would lead Grumpy straight into a grave.

He'd said it himself twelve years ago: if they didn't want him, there was no point in living anymore.

"I won't stay behind again!" Snow declared, her eyes hard.

Grumpy looked up at her. "You would be recognized."

Snow stopped sewing up the tear in her dress. "I can't stay behind again."

"You're safe."

"I don't want to be safe, I want to help! And staying here by myself while you do everything is not what I should be doing."

Grumpy gazed at her. "Stay."

"Grumpy!" Snow snapped, her voice no longer sounding like her usual soft self.

"One more time," Grumpy said. "I knows how you can help. You ain't gonna like it much, but I'll do it. I gots to get some things for you. If you listen, you can go next time."

So Snow settled down, comforted by the promise, and finished sewing up her purple dress. She had to admit that it wasn't ideal. It was clearly something nobility would wear, but she had nothing else to put on. Once the sewing was done, she decided to work on her stamina. She cast a fire in front of her then lifted it up and focused on it. Between holding it steady and manipulating it in different ways, her control and her stamina were being enhanced. That's how she spent her afternoon.

Grumpy returned at sunset with several unusual items. He set them down and they ate supper, talking about her magic. When they were done eating, Grumpy stared at Snow.

"You wanna help?"

"Yes."

"Won't be pleasant."

"It's my duty to my kingdom and future husband," Snow replied.

"'Atta girl," Grumpy said approvingly. "Then stand up."

Snow did so, and Grumpy pulled a pair of trousers and a plain shirt out of the pile. "Try these on." He passed over the pants.

Snow stared at the pants for a moment before obeying. Grumpy turned his eyes away as she lifted her dress to pull them up. She'd never worn trousers before and she found the cloth around her legs to be strange. "Now what?"

Grumpy looked at her and unraveled a wide piece of cloth. "I'm gonna bind your breasts."

Neither of them moved as Snow stared at him. "What?"

"You're gonna be a boy, and boys don't have breasts. I wrap this around your chest real tight and you'll look like a boy. We cut your hair, use stuff to hide your girlie features, and teach you how to be a boy. Then you can walk right into town with me, and nobody will know you're even a girl, let alone the princess."

Snow looked down at herself. She didn't know how she could ever look like a boy. "Are you sure?"

"You don't have to say yes. You could stay by the fire while I go into the next town."

That was all Snow needed to hear. "Very well. How do we do this?"

"Take off your dress and whatever else you got on except the pants. Turn away and kneel down." Grumpy faced away to give her a bit of privacy.

Snow obeyed, and Grumpy turned back to her when she had her back to him. He placed the edge of the cloth evenly on her upper back then handed her the rest of it. "Wrap it once. Make sure your breasts are covered."

Snow obeyed again.

"Take a big breath in and hold it."

She did so. Grumpy took the cloth from her other side and wrapped it around until it was over the edge on her back.

"Brace yourself. Ready?"

Snow nodded, and Grumpy jerked the cloth so tight against her skin that she thought she would burst from the pressure. She screamed in surprise and felt Grumpy seal the cloth together with magic. He stepped back and went around to look at her, squinting critically at his work.

"Shirt on," he said, summoning it and tossing it to her.

She obeyed. "I can hardly breathe," she wheezed.

"'Cause you screamed and let out all the air. Next time, hold your breath til I'm done. It'll be easier to breathe."

Snow shivered and nodded. "What now?"

"Gotta cut your hair," Grumpy said, and there was regret in his eyes.

Snow touched the long hair that she had always wanted, but her face was set. "You can do it?"

"Yep."

"Then what do I do?"

"Sit down."

Grumpy pulled out his knife and sharpened it with his magic. He stood behind her and gathered her soft hair in his hand. "No goin' back after this."

"There's no going back anyway," Snow said.

Grumpy was proud of her, and he raised his knife and made the first cut. Her long locks fell away, and she looked closer to the way she'd looked when she'd first come to them. He handed her the hair then placed his hand on her head and started cutting more.

Snow sat still with her chin held high, but she couldn't help the tears that trickled down her cheeks. It was silly to cry over hair, which she knew would grow back, but the tears fell anyway. Grumpy said nothing when he came around and saw her face. He stared at her, appraising her again.

"Better. Gotta hide your girlie features."

"Proceed," Snow whispered.

Grumpy pulled out some stuff from his pack then gently wiped the tears away and began to paint her face. She closed her eyes and let him.

When he stood back, Grumpy grinned. "Well, Kasper, it's nice to meet you."

Snow smiled. "I suppose I can't go by Snow while disguised."

"Nope. If anybody asks, you're Kasper Beckett. Drill that name into your head until you hardly remember your own."

Snow nodded. "How do I look?"

"See for yourself," Grumpy said, and he waved his hand.

A reflective surface appeared so that Snow could see her whole body. Trembling, she stood and walked over to look at herself. What she saw surprised her. A boy stood there staring back at her. He had cropped, messy hair and a dirty face, and his body had no sign of the girlish figure she knew she possessed. Only her eyes were the same. She didn't know what to think. How had Grumpy disguised her so well?

"How?" She asked, and she was startled to hear her own voice come out of Kasper's mouth.

"Done it too many times to count," Grumpy replied. "Lots of girls in the thieves guild. But having young girls alone on the street can be dangerous. So we disguise them as boys and they move around freely. Lasts until they can't pass no more. By then, they're usually so spry and clever that they can escape the dangers."

Snow finally turned away from the stranger in the mirror. "What now?"

"Gonna teach you how to walk, talk, and act like a street boy. No more bein' nice, no more prim and proper, and you damn well better start usin' that sharp tongue of yours."

Snow paused then spoke, her voice deeper and rougher than usual. "Aw, that's stupid."

Grumpy grinned. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

Snow learned quickly, and her ability to blend was astounding. None of his other girls had ever learned so fast, and Snow teased him about having more than one when he mentioned that. But then, as they traveled through the towns and cities over the next five days, she met a few and began to realize many things about Grumpy.

Bella was the first one she met. When she saw Grumpy, she threw herself on him and kissed him in the middle of the street, shouting for joy. Grumpy swatted at her and pushed her away as several men laughed. His face was still burning when they got to the den, but he didn't scold her. He looked touched and pleased by the reception, and they started chatting just as easily as if they hadn't been apart for fifteen years.

As soon as Bella turned her attention to Snow, she grinned. "Kasper, I presume?"

Snow was startled and nodded.

"I thought you were a girl. I can usually tell, but I've been in the business for a long time. Don't worry about most people noticing."

"But how do you know?" Snow asked, and she clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized she hadn't disguised her voice.

Grumpy sniggered. "You don't have to pretend in the dens. You're still Kasper, though."

"Ooh, disguised identity? What have you gotten into this time, Ivan?"

"Don't call me that, Bells," Grumpy said, scowling. "The name's Grumpy, and you'll do well to remember that."

"What an odd name," Bella said.

"It's a Dwarf name. Estodien clan."

"How in the world did you get a new name? And how does it fit you so well?"

That launched Grumpy into the story of how he came to the cottage of the six brothers. Snow listened eagerly, because this time he told the whole story, including how he'd ended up wounded in the middle of a forest ten miles from Castell. Bella listened with the softest look on her face as Grumpy described the brothers. Snow knew why. He spoke of them tenderly, but also a bit sadly, as if that part of his life was over. She needed to find out why Grumpy thought that.

They left the next morning, and Bella and several other thieves gave them small gifts. They were only odds and ends, things of very little value, but Grumpy carefully stored them in a magic pouch that he kept in a magic pocket in his pack. Then he kissed Bella, waved to the others, and he and Snow left.

In the next town, Snow found another woman who had been one of Grumpy's girls. Laila fawned over him, too, flitting around like an excited bird as she loaded their bags with good food and treats. Snow was reminded of Happy, and she was sad they couldn't stay and talk more, but they left the town the same day they arrived. As they did, Grumpy commented that the thieves must be congregated in Findersland because of Snow's wedding and the visitors that would come.

"They'd migrate down to Raverra when it was time. There'd be some good pickin's in that crowd," Grumpy said.

"Do you miss that life?" Snow asked.

"You miss Grimhilde?"

Snow gave him a look and made a rude gesture.

Grumpy shoved her playfully. "Watch it, Kas!" he said slyly. "We still have to practice magic today. Would be a shame if it got a little outta hand."

Snow rolled her eyes and made an even more rude gesture.

Grumpy laughed again, and they continued on. He did get her back that night, though she didn't regret it. It was fun to be able to be rude when her entire life she'd been taught to sit down and be ladylike. Still, she missed her long hair and her beautiful dresses. But duty before beauty, as her mother used to say. At least her father said she'd say that. Still, she knew it was right, so she set aside her desires as they went on searching for any scrap of information about the library.

Kofi, the third one of Grumpy's girls, was a very dark-skinned woman with bright eyes, and Snow had never seen anybody like her. She was proud and so very beautiful, and she told Snow she was from a country far away. She had been brought by a slaver then abandoned when she was ill. Grumpy had found her and taken care of her, teaching her the language and how to survive on the streets.

"I owe him my life," Kofi said, smiling at him.

"You owe me nothing, Titi,"Grumpy said gently.

Kofi's eyes filled with tears and she kissed Grumpy and wept. She waited on them in the den and got them anything they needed. The next day she saw them off.

"Alheri, Ivan."

"Na gode, Titi," Grumpy murmured back. "And my name is Grumpy now, remember?"

Kofi laughed. "It fits."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm so grumpy, ha ha," he said dryly but he grinned.

He and Snow turned to leave, but Kofi gasped. "Wait! Ivan, ah, Grumpy!"

"Eh?" They turned back.

Kofi swallowed. "Are you going to Alirgos?"

"Next stop, why?"

"Don't stay there overnight."

"Why?"

"Emil was heading that way two days ago. He has business there for Calida."

Grumpy nodded. "Thanks," he said, turning away. "Let's go, Kas."

"Thanks, girlie," Snow said, mimicking Grumpy.

Grumpy shoved her. "Practice," he warned, but he was smiling again.

"Worth it," Snow mocked back.

They both laughed as they left, but Grumpy's joy quickly faded. Emil. Why him? Out of the whole guild, why did it have to be him?

"Who's Emil?" Snow asked.

She knew him too well if she knew what his silence meant.

"One of the thieves."

"Why does he scare you?"

"I ain't scared!" Grumpy spat. Snow waited, and he swallowed. "Oh! He's the one who branded me when I was thirteen. And no, I don't wanna talk about it."

"You don't have to."

Grumpy looked up at Snow and his expression went soft. Her eyes were so kind and compassionate, and in that moment he realized something astounding. As she smiled at him, he shook his head and smiled back, wondering just how Snow White, the princess of Germonia herself, had come to be one of his girls.

The brothers were learning more about Grumpy than ever before, but it wasn't enough. No matter what they gleaned from their conversations with Bastian, they were hungry for more. For so long, he'd hidden away, but they knew why now. A thief. He had been a thief. That was why he didn't like talking about his past. He was ashamed and afraid they wouldn't want him if they knew. But they weren't angry about it. They were relieved to finally understand. Bastian seemed puzzled by this, and as they traveled, he asked many questions. A week into their travels, he asked another.

"What's it like where you live?"

The brothers were pleased to describe the cottage and their simple lives. Bastian listened attentively.

"So you're miners?"

"No," Sleepy said, offended. "We ain't miners. We're Dwarfs."

"The difference is…?"

Sleepy's whole face lit up and he began a recitation of the history of Dwarf crafting, which lasted fifteen minutes. Bastian was very interested.

"The difference," Sleepy finished. "Is that we don't just mine. That ain't our job. That's only a part of what we do."

Bastian smiled. "And Grumpy works with you?"

"Yep," Bashful said. He puffed up. "I taught him what he knows."

"So that's where he got the money from."

"Money?" Happy asked.

"The money he had in Castell. He said it was his money. As a thief in the guild, what you steal is not yours. It goes to the guild, and in exchange for your work, you get lodging and food and protection."

Bashful snapped his fingers. "That's why he looked ready to cry when you gave the money to him, Doc. He'd never had his own before."

"He don't spend much on himself though," Happy said.

"He doesn't?" Bastian asked. "What does he spend it on? You?"

"Naw, he always gives most of it away to strangers," Happy said. "He'll walk right up to somebody on the street and give 'em gold, and then turn away while they stare like they're gonna break."

"Thieves and orphans," Bastian said. He smiled again. "Of course Ivan would spend his money on them. He knows what it means to be both."

They continued to hike, and Doc adjusted his direction again, turning sharply. It was a usual occurrence as he wound them through obstacles. They had started going southwest, but they had slowly shifted to a more southerly direction. The magic confused and delighted them. Dopey was the most comfortable out of the brothers with that particular aspect of their journey, but even he enjoyed seeing it in action.

After walking awhile longer, Doc stopped. "We're camping gear, ah, here."

This was not a usual occurrence. They usually hiked until sunset.

"Why?" Sneezy asked.

"I don't know," Doc replied.

Bastian and Dopey immediately shrugged off their packs and sat down. When Bastian began to get a tent out, Doc made a negative noise, and he stopped.

"What's it saying?" Bastian asked.

"Keep as much packed as possible."

"Sleeping under the stars it is," Bastian said. He pulled out his bedroll and watched Doc carefully. Doc made no move to stop him, so the others got out theirs, too. Then they wondered what to do next.

"Gather hocks, uh, rocks to stuff your pockets with," Doc said when they asked.

Even Dopey frowned at this and asked why.

"I don't know," Doc said.

"You say that no matter what we ask!" Sneezy exclaimed irritably.

"Because the answer hasn't changed," Doc said calmly. "Go on. Rocks."

"Do I need to do that?" Bastian asked.

"No. Sharpen your life, uh, knife please."

"Sure."

Bastian retrieved his knife and a whetstone and began to do as Doc wanted. The brothers didn't.

"You don't even know why you're doin' that," Sneezy said.

"Don't need to," Bastian replied, pouring oil on the stone.

"Why not?"

Bastian began to sharpen his knife. "If Ivan told you to do it, would you listen?"

"Course we would!" Happy exclaimed.

"Why?"

The brothers didn't answer for a minute. Then Bashful spoke. "Because he just knows."

"Doc is just like him right now because of the magic."

"But it don't make no sense!" Sneezy complained.

"To you. But it makes sense to you, doesn't it, Doc?"

"Yes. And no."

Bastian nodded. "I expect the 'no' is because you don't have natural magic. I've learned a lot from Ivan about it. It might never make sense to any of you. I sure don't understand it, and that's after years of being a part of Ivan's life. I've learned to just go with it. It's never good to fight magic. It can have devastating consequences. I've seen it before." He held up his knife and tested it on a blade of grass. Satisfied with its sharpness, he wiped the oil off and set the knife aside. "Better gather those rocks, or Doc will do it himself. He won't be able to help it."

So the brothers all got up and began hunting for rocks with no idea why they'd need them. Afterwards, they talked until supper, ate, then went to sleep.

Doc knew they would be seeing Grumpy soon, and despite his anticipation, he closed his eyes to sleep. As he drifted away, he couldn't help longing to see his brother again. Because Grumpy was their brother as far as any of them were concerned, and that was one of the first things they were going to tell him.

He woke up and roused the others at daybreak. They all got up, ate, and packed everything. Then Doc had them stuff their pockets with the rocks they'd gathered and they walked over a hill and down into a wooded valley. There were rock formations to one side of the path, a natural maze, but Doc didn't go toward them. He walked over and peered around the forested area by the path, walking this way and that before he made his decision.

"There," he said, pointing at a bush. "Bashful, you sit there. And don't move until you can't sit still anymore."

Bashful did so, and Doc nodded then spread the others out behind other bushes. He hid their supplies before he told them to start throwing when he gave the signal.

"And me?" Bastian asked.

"Up in that knee, erm, tree," Doc said, pointing over to the other side of the road a few yards down the way. "You'll know putt, ah, what to do."

"If you say so," he said cheerfully and went over to climb up.

Doc made sure none of them were visible then hid himself. Then they waited for whatever was going to happen.

Bashful picked at the grass, feeling silly because what did Doc even mean, when he couldn't sit still? He wasn't a kid anymore and could sit still for hours. He pulled out one of the rocks and studied it with his senses. It was stuffed with iron crystals, and he counted them. Then he did it again. He was on his third round and had just decided this was stupid when he heard people sprinting down the path. Bashful stiffened and steadied his breathing, waiting. As the footsteps were about to pass by, there was a crash and a grunt. A familiar grunt.

"Where are you going, tunnel rat?" a man asked, his tone mocking. "And who's your friend?"

Grumpy told him what he could do to himself, his voice high and wild.

"Kasper! I'm Kasper!" a boy suddenly cried. "Let him go!"

"Kasper, eh?"

"Don't you touch him!" Grumpy shrieked.

"Oh, I won't touch him, Ivan," the man laughed.

The laugh turned to a scream, and Bashful couldn't help but peek out. Grumpy was on the ground, and it was clear he'd just kicked the man in the nose. Bashful watched as Grumpy got up and sprinted toward a boy, who must have been Kasper. But the man grabbed his ankle and tripped him before he got too far. The human stood up and wiped the blood off his nose, gazing at Grumpy with the same dead look that Grumpy had given the stranger in the city.

Grumpy scrambled up, pushing the boy back against a tree, guarding him. Bashful gripped the rock tighter as the man approached them.

"I think, Ivan, you've forgotten your place," he said silkily. "Time for the other shoulder. Then you'll mind your manners."

Grumpy grasped his left shoulder, a terrified expression on his face.

Everything fell away from Bashful as he realized that the man in front of him was the one who had branded Grumpy. He was the reason Grumpy couldn't forge, the reason he sometimes woke up screaming in the middle of the night. He had hurt Grumpy, and he was threatening to do it again.

Bashful stood up and stepped out, a hellish expression on his face as he grasped the rock in a white-knuckled grip. "YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he roared, and he hurled the rock at the man's head.

Grumpy and Kasper looked at him, and their mouths fell open while the man spun to face Bashful only to get hit in the face. He yowled and stumbled back, and then Doc stood up.

"Now, men!" he shouted.

Bashful had already thrown another, cursing the man, his kin, and everything else he could think of. Rocks began flying, and Kasper grabbed Grumpy and they sprinted for cover amidst the rock formations. Bashful turned to his brothers when he noticed they were backing off.

"Don't miss him!" he shouted. "He's the one who done it! He branded Grumpy!"

Shock crossed all the brothers' faces before their expressions twisted into masks of rage. They drove the man back, all of them cursing and threatening, until he was backed against the tree that Bastian was hiding in. Bastian dropped down to pin him, holding his knife against his throat.

"You move, Emil, and I won't hesitate," Bastian purred. "I owe you. And so do these lovely men."

"They're not Men. They're Dwarfs." Emil spat the word out as if it disgusted him.

"Yeah? And you know what Dwarfs do to troublemakers?" Sleepy asked, his eyes bright.

Emil looked at him, his eyes panicked. "You wouldn't."

"Wanna find out?" Sneezy asked, grinning.

Emil looked at Bastian to see if they were bluffing. "I'd be interested to see that. Could I join you?" Bastian asked.

"Sure, sonny," Bashful said. "Me first." He stepped forward.

Emil wrenched himself out of Bastian's grip, which Bastian allowed, and he ran back down the path toward Alirgos. Bastian wiped down his blade.

"So what do Dwarfs do to troublemakers?" he asked casually.

Sleepy looked up at him and shrugged. "I dunno. Grumpy never done told us what he'd been told about Dwarfs."

"You don't want to know," Bastian said grimly. "From the horror stories she told him growing up, I swear Calida didn't want Grumpy to even talk to another Dwarf."

"We'd better go find him," Bashful said.

After retrieving their packs, they walked into the rock formations. Doc went in front, winding this way and that, humming to himself. He didn't need directions, even if the place was a maze. Suddenly, they heard Snow shouting.

"I said stay, damn you!" she bellowed, her voice fiercer than they had ever heard.

The brothers froze, and Bastian raised his eyebrows then smiled. "Ah. Kasper. Right."

"No, that was Snow," Bashful said tightly. "And she's spittin' fire. Somethin' ain't right."

Doc broke into a run. As he came to the end of the rocks, the magic finally eased away inside of him, settling into a satisfied contentment. There was Grumpy, standing with a boy who had to be Kasper. Grumpy looked over at Doc as they came out, and the satisfaction disappeared. The brothers all froze as they realized that Grumpy was more terrified of them than ever before. They had to fix this. Today. Now. And no was no longer an option.

When Snow grabbed his hand, Grumpy barely registered that rocks started flying. All of his focus was on Bashful, who looked ready to kill Emil where he stood. He thought idly that he'd never really liked getting on Bashful's bad side, but he decided to be more careful in the future because this was absolutely terrifying.

"Move!" Snow demanded, jerking him backward.

A rock hit his face, opening a cut along his cheek, and the pain brought him out of his stupor. He grasped Snow's hand and ran toward the rock formations, fear allowing him to practically fly. He had to get them away from Emil, no matter what. They twisted and turned through a maze of formations before finding a clearing where there were trees again.

"Stop," Snow gasped. "Can't…"

Grumpy obeyed, dropping to his knees as Snow hit the dirt. He felt sick as he tried to remember what had just happened. Emil… His shoulder, oh his shoulder! He grasped it as it burned, letting out a guttural noise. He had to get away, had to make sure he never felt that pain again.

"Grumpy! Grumpy, it's okay," Snow wheezed. She touched his knee and he grasped her hand, shivering from head to foot. He settled down at her touch, but then he heard shouting. He shook his head. The brothers. They were actually there.

"How did they find me?" Grumpy cried. "Why won't they just give up? I knows already! I knows I done wrong! What do they want from me?"

"They want you, you idiot!" Snow gasped, glaring at him. She rolled onto her knees and stood because it was easier to breathe in the binding. "All they want is you. Nothing else. They want you because you're their brother. I sincerely don't know how you haven't realized that they love you. They found us. They've come halfway across Findersland, and they're here! You know why? Because you're here. They are not going to stop until they have you, all of you. Now stand up!"

Grumpy reluctantly obeyed, glaring up at Snow. "Always hate it when they finally do find their voice," he said sourly. A shiver traveled up his spine, and he could sense his own magic heading toward them. Panic set in, and he turned. "Let's go," he said.

"No. We are staying here," Snow said.

They were getting closer.

"Snow, please," he begged, unable to keep his composure. "They're gonna kill me."

"They are going to talk to you, and you will do it."

Closer.

"I can't!" Grumpy moaned, and he turned to run.

"I said stay, damn you!" Snow ordered in a voice that shook him to his core. None of his other girls had ever sounded like that before. He couldn't disobey, and he stared at her hopelessly. Snow didn't bend despite his pleading gaze, but she did smile a little. "Here they come."

Grumpy turned to see the brothers come out of the rocks. Doc's face went from happy to alarmed and they paused for a moment before starting toward them. Grumpy was about to faint until the last man he'd expected to see came up behind them and grinned at him. He was so surprised that he snapped out of his terror. He grinned back at his old friend, his abrupt change startling everybody.

"I'll bite, you bastard. How'd you do it?" Grumpy asked.

"I didn't," Bastian laughed. He looked at Snow. "You must be Kasper."

"Ah, go boil your head," Snow taunted, using her disguised voice.

Bastian grinned. "Yep. You're a good one." He turned back to Grumpy. "And to answer your question, Ivan—"

"No," Grumpy said flatly.

"Grumpy then," Bastian said easily. "I didn't do anything. They just approached me in the eastern inn at Raverra and said they had to get out of the city and find you. They were pretty sure you had the princess, and they were right."

"Were we?" Doc asked, peering around. "Where's Snow? We lured, ah, heard her…"

Snow burst out laughing, and the brothers peered at her in astonishment. Doc cleaned his glasses to make sure he wasn't seeing things. "Snow! You're… you're a boy! How! What is going on!"

"He's bound you, hasn't he?" Bastian asked.

"Yes," Snow said in her usual, sweet voice. "And since we shall be staying here until I wish to do otherwise, I need to get out of it. Grumpy, assist me."

Grumpy followed her out of view and she pulled her shirt off and turned around. When she knelt, Grumpy unsealed the magic then turned and walked back. Bastian was still laughing at the brothers, and Grumpy stopped to watch.

"That was the best reaction I've ever seen!" he guffawed.

"You knew it was Snow?" Happy asked.

"Of course!" Bastian said. "All of his girls go by the name of Kasper." He looked over and grinned at Grumpy. "How did you get a princess?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Grumpy said dryly. "Don't make much sense if you ask me."

Bastian came over. "Been awhile, rock head."

"Eleven years, butterfingers," Grumpy retorted.

"Ugh, let it go! It was one time," Bastian complained.

"Yeah? And we got thumped 'cause of it."

"So you're Bastian, I presume?" Snow said, coming out as she tucked in her shirt.

"Yes, princess. At your service," he said, bowing.

Grumpy rolled his eyes. "He's a charmer, Snow," he warned.

"I'll keep that in mind," she said. "Arise, Bastian."

He did so. "May I be permitted to ask a question?"

"You may," Snow said.

"Why him?" Bastian asked, gesturing at Grumpy, and Snow and the brothers burst out laughing.

Later in his life, Grumpy decided that it was the history he and Bastian had with that particular joke that caused what happened next. He had asked that question a dozen times to a dozen girls, who all had various answers. By the time he'd gotten to Snow, Grumpy's reaction was as much a part of the joke as the question. So it was sheer reflex that made him do what he always had.

Grumpy threw out his hand, and a burst of green sparks erupted around Bastian, who was jerked by the ankle up into the air and dangled a foot off the ground. The brothers stopped laughing and gaped at the large, casual display of magic. Snow and Bastian only laughed harder.

"Stop it! Put him down!" Snow gasped, wiping at her eyes.

Grumpy was completely mortified, and he spun on his heel and cut off his magic. Snow stopped laughing as Bastian crashed to the ground with an oath.

"Ow! Ivan! What did you do that for?" Bastian demanded.

There was silence. Snow broke it after several long moments. "Bastian, please help me find a good place to camp. The rest of you shall stay here."

"Yes, princess," Bastian muttered, struggling to his feet. He winced and rubbed his arm.

"You will call me Kasper until I say otherwise."

"Yes, Kasper."

"Come along. You all stay here and talk."

Bastian strode over and offered his arm to Snow. She smiled and accepted. "You are a charmer. But I am engaged to a prince, so I suggest you watch yourself."

"I'd never hurt one of Ivan's girls," Bastian assured her solemnly. "He'd kill me himself."

Grumpy watched as they walked away. He could feel the brothers staring at him, and he wanted the earth to swallow him whole. He could do nothing as he stood rooted to the spot, waiting for whatever they had to say to him. After a painful silence, there were footsteps and Doc placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Grumpy?"

Grumpy didn't move.

"Can you book, ah, look at me?"

Nothing.

"Please?"

It took all the courage Grumpy had to look over at Doc. He flinched away as he did so, expecting anger, disgust, even hatred, but all he saw were the same warm, compassionate eyes he'd seen since the day he'd woken up in the cottage. Doc smiled encouragingly and pulled him into a tight hug.

"We were so worried," Doc murmured. "Why is it that we always have to pace, ah, chase you down, you silly fool?"

Grumpy couldn't relax into the embrace. Tears welled in his eyes and he squeezed them shut. This wouldn't last, and he wanted to savor it. He knew what Snow's command really meant. She wanted him to talk about the worst mistake of his life, but he couldn't admit it. Not with words. But words weren't all he had, and they knew that now. Pulling away, Grumpy turned around then waved his hand and wove a spell. The brothers watched until Grumpy flicked his fingers, and then green sparks burst in their vision…

…and he couldn't help but get out of bed. The jewelry called and sang to him, touching his heart like the siren's songs the sailors always spoke of. He had to touch them, to get them out…

…the diamond pocket watch, perfection itself for the firstborn, Doc's personal treasure from his father. It would fetch a hefty price, though no amount of money would be able to reach its true value…

…a brooch, gleaming gold with a perfect opal on one side, Bashful's gift, broken but worth so much to the family…

…a bracelet adorned with rubies, crafted from the finest gold, given to Sneezy to pass on to any girl he fancied, a symbol of his parents love and hope for the continued family line…

…a perfect sapphire ring, flawless in both gem and gold, a symbol of pride for Sleepy, binding him to the family and the Estodien clan…

…a garnet set in beautiful silver, making a ring that was different from all the others, made for Happy to symbolize his mother's love for him…

…the black market dealer's gleeful face when he saw the treasures, "I'll give you five hundred for all of them. Perfection, absolute perfection…

…stumbling back to the room, passing through his enchantments and getting into his nightshirt again. One of them stirred as he got into bed, and Calida whispered, 'Sleep. Make him sleep.' So he waved his hand, and Doc settled again…

The brothers all gasped as they sat up in the grass, peering around to see that they had fallen to the ground. They looked at each other in astonishment then saw Grumpy again, standing alone and cowed, ashamed of this one moment that had shifted their entire relationship. He was shaking, clutching his arms so hard that he was no doubt bruising himself.

"I knows it don't matter, but I'm sorry," Grumpy said hoarsely.

Doc got to his feet and approached, going around to face Grumpy. Grumpy couldn't look at him this time, and he kept his head bowed. Doc embraced him again, and Grumpy groaned and started weeping.

"Why don't you hate me?" he croaked. "Why? I done so much wrong. I'm a thief, Doc. A thief."

"We knows that," Sleepy said. "And you was a thief."

"Technically, it's were," Doc muttered. "But it's still in the last, ah, past."

Grumpy scoffed into Doc's shoulder. "I can do magic," he murmured.

"We knows that, too," Sneezy said.

"Yeah," Sleepy said reproachfully. "And I gots questions that you're gonna answer. Ain't never been able to ask questions about magic before. Uncle wouldn't let me."

Grumpy shook his head, still weeping uncontrollably. "Why won't you just hate me already?!" he shouted and sobbed harder.

"Hate you?" Bashful asked. "Why would we hate you?"

Grumpy pulled back and glared. "I stole your Pa's treasures, dammit!"

"Yeah, but you couldn't help it," Sleepy said.

"Yeah right," Grumpy scoffed, turning away. "Could so. Just didn't."

Sleepy gazed at him. Could he really not know? "Grumpy," he said slowly. "You realize you have gold sickness, right?"

Grumpy stiffened and spun around, staring at Sleepy as if he'd lost his mind. "What're you goin' on about?" he barked, his eyes wild.

The brothers glanced at each other. It was so obvious. Happy mentioned the most obvious point.

"She talked in your head," he said, making a face. "That ain't natural."

"It ain't?" Grumpy asked, thoroughly bewildered.

The question was so absurd that the brothers burst out laughing even as Sleepy pulled Grumpy over so they could all give him a hug.

"You're cursed, you daft fool," Sleepy said between laughs. "That's why you stole them. You've got gold sickness. I done told you about it a hundred times!"

Grumpy was still too stunned to really process what they were saying. Cursed? He was cursed? How did he not know this? He didn't know much about curses.

"The library," he muttered.

They pulled back. "Library?" Doc asked.

"Magic one. We're searchin' for it so we can break the spell on the prince and them. If we can find the blasted thing!"

"The Library of Moreseth?" Sleepy asked. "It's real?"

Grumpy looked at him, and he swiped at his cheeks, his eyes suddenly very bright. "You wouldn't happen to have the directions on how to get there?"

"Yep, but I don't see how it can help. Don't make no sense."

"Tell it," Grumpy ordered.

Sleepy was given room and he placed his hands behind his back and began his recital.

"Past the flowered glen of Fays,

And through the Elven wood,

Stands Moreseth the Library,

A force for magic good.

"If it be your sole desire

To find the ancient grounds

Face the east and northward go

Far past the fairy grounds.

"Once there, face south and then go west

Past Dwarfish mines of gold,

Where glitters every precious thing,

A fair sight to behold.

"Now northward turn and then head east

To find the glassy lake.

Go forty paces down below,

Beware of a mistake!

"Once there, take heart, you're nearly done

Just one more thing to do.

Look into your mirror there,

And take a step on through. "

Sleepy stopped and shrugged. "Don't make no sense."

"Course it does!" Grumpy exclaimed.

They were surprised to see his face aglow with pleasure, and he threw out his hand. A sheet of silver appeared in front of him, and they stared at it in astonishment. Grumpy turned to Sleepy.

"Say it again," he commanded.

Sleepy began the recital again, and Grumpy turned and focused on the silver. To their amazement, Grumpy followed the absurd instructions as the mirror reflected the very places in the poem. Sleepy was grinning by the end, and Grumpy peered into the sheet as he carefully counted forty paces. Suddenly, an old door appeared, and Grumpy looked triumphant.

"Found it," he said. "Snow'll be pleased."

"Do we go in?" Sleepy asked.

"Not til Snow says so," Grumpy said. He snapped off the magic, and the door faded, leaving no trace, then he stood there for a moment, feeling strange. "Gold sickness…" he whispered. He looked up at Sleepy. "You're sure?"

"Pretty sure," Sleepy said.

"But your Pa's treasures…" Grumpy looked at all of them, his face stricken.

Doc placed his hands on Grumpy's shoulders. "We would rather have you than all the treasures in the world, Grumpy. You're our brother, and nothing will change that."

Grumpy shook his head, and he looked amused as he scrubbed away tears again. "Been tryin' to shake you for twelve years. Guess there's no gettin' rid of you."

"Not a chance," Doc said. He paused as he looked Grumpy up and down. "So… what else can you stew, er, do with your magic?"

"Curious?" Grumpy teased.

"We don't knows much about it," Bashful said.

"You'll learn."

He turned and waved to Snow as she and Bastian approached. The others hadn't seen them coming, and Grumpy'd had his back to them. They weren't surprised though. He just knew things, and they knew why now. It still didn't make sense, but it didn't have to with Grumpy.

Snow walked over, beaming at Grumpy. "Now was that so bad?" she asked sweetly.

Grumpy stared at her then snapped his fingers. Snow was jerked into the air by her ankle.

"Grumpy!" she shrieked as everybody laughed.

"Watch your tongue, girlie," Grumpy said, and he turned to grab his pack. Only after it was settled did he wave his hand to ease Snow back to the ground. "Where are we campin'?"

She stood up, blushing ferociously, but she took it in stride. "This way. I've already set up the shield."

As they followed behind her, Doc slung an arm around Grumpy's shoulders. Grumpy looked at him, and Doc saw, to his utter delight. that for the first time in twelve years, Grumpy wasn't afraid at all.

"What do you mean you've found it?" Snow demanded.

The brothers had never seen Snow quite like this before. In response to her question about where to search for the library next, Grumpy told her that he'd found it. Snow was none too happy.

"That is not what you were supposed to talk about, Grumpy!" she snapped.

"Mmhm."

"Don't you 'mmhm' me!"

"Mmhm."

"Oh! You are such a dick!" Snow shouted, stomping her foot.

Grumpy smirked as Doc nearly had a conniption. "Snow White, that's no way for a lady to squawk, urm, talk!"

"She ain't supposed to be a lady, Doc," Grumpy said. "She's supposed to be a rascal. And that was pretty good."

The fact that Grumpy had defended her angered her even more. "Did you or did you not do as I said?"

"Yep."

"And?"

"I gots gold sickness," Grumpy said.

Silence. Bastian frowned at him. "I thought that only happens to dragons?"

"Used to be that way," Sleepy said. "But somebody stole a dragon's beatin' heart and figgered out how to turn it into a curse."

"How does it work?" Bastian asked.

"I…" Sleepy trailed off, unsure of how to answer.

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere, Bastian turned to Grumpy. "You know much?"

"Not about curses," Grumpy admitted. "I don't curse people and I ain't gonna start. But the library'll have stuff about it. Killin' two birds with one stone."

"I can think of a better place to put that stone," Snow said acidly.

Doc didn't like to see Snow so angry, and he opened his mouth to try and settle things, but Bastian sat down beside him.

"Don't. You'll only make it worse."

"Watch it, girlie," Grumpy warned.

"Bite me," she snarled.

Grumpy gave her a look and shrugged. "If that's what you want."

He waved his hand and there was an explosion of green light around Snow. To their astonishment, a sheet of crystal had formed around her. She swore, hitting the crystal with her fist.

"Let me out!" she shrieked, her voice muted.

"Bite me," Grumpy retorted.

There was a pause then a concussive thud, which hurt their ears and made their hair stand on end. Pink erupted out of the green crystal, shattering it, and Snow looked angrier than they'd ever seen her.

"You bastard!"

Grumpy was unbothered. "Mmhm."

Snow gave a cry of rage and spun on her heel to walk away. Bashful stood up, but Grumpy spoke.

"Leave her be."

"But Snow…" Bashful glanced toward her retreating back.

"You wanna get bit?" Grumpy challenged.

Bashful hesitated then sat back down. "Why'd you do that?"

"And don't say you don't know," Sneezy groused.

Grumpy snorted. "I do knows. She's riled cuz of what happened to us, but that don't mean she gets to act like that, even if she is a rascal."

"Your girls always have fire," Bastian said, amused. "You should really choose them more carefully."

"I don't choose nobody," Grumpy fired back. "They just won't go away, so I'm stuck with 'em."

The brothers all laughed at that. Grumpy finished the tent then casually waved his hand. Green sparks flew from his fingertips then coalesced into a ball of fire, which flew into the center of their camp and hovered above the grass. Dopey clapped his hands, glee on his face. Pointing at the fire, he turned to ask Grumpy a question, but he stopped when he saw the wary look on his face. Doc nodded at Dopey as he hesitated.

"Go on."

Dopey looked reluctant then scuffed his boot as he apologized to Grumpy for what had happened in the garden. Grumpy relaxed.

"Didn't think to tell you. And it's not my own magic. But yeah, Snow has natural magic, too. I've been teachin' her so she don't hurt nobody."

Dopey nodded and held out his arms hopefully. Grumpy rolled his eyes but walked over to hug him. Dopey squeezed him tightly then let him go. He pointed at the fire again.

"Aw, I done told you fire's easy a hundred times," Grumpy said.

Dopey shrugged and wiggled his ears, his eyes shining. Grumpy tugged his hat over his eyes.

"Never thought you'd be domesticated, Ivan," Bastian teased, watching with dancing eyes.

Grumpy snapped immediately, and the back of Bastian's shirt rose up and over his head in a cloud of sparks.

"Hey!"

"Grumpy," the Dwarf replied, slowly and clearly.

Bastian tugged his shirt back down and righted it. "Is that what you're going for? Because you didn't tell William that name."

Grumpy flushed and shrugged as he sat down between Bashful and Doc. Bashful peered at him.

"Why didn't you come back to the castle with us?"

There was a pause. "I thought you didn't want me to," he said quietly. "After what I done to Sneezy, I thought you finally realized that I was trouble and didn't want… didn't want me no more. So's I left."

"Why would you think something stupid like that?" Bashful asked. He didn't expect an answer. Grumpy never answered questions like that. So when he did, it stunned all of the Dwarfs.

"'Cause Calida said I wasn't worth nothin'," he said. "And why would anybody want somethin' like me?" His shoulders slumped and he stared into the fire.

"You are a somebody, not a something," Doc said sternly. "And there are twenty, erm, plenty of reasons to want you."

"Like what?" Grumpy asked. He looked at Doc with such despair in his eyes that it broke the brothers' hearts.

Bashful threw an arm around his shoulders and squeezed. "You're real good at minin'."

Grumpy shook his head. "Anybody can do that."

"You can cook real good," Happy said.

"That ain't impressive. Only Sneezy can't cook."

Dopey wiggled his ears and told him that he was fun to be around.

"That's cuz you ain't gots no sense. They's fun too, anyhow."

Sleepy leaned forward. "You're good at tellin' stories."

"They gots you for that."

Sneezy sneezed, wiping his eyes. "You're always so kind to folks, even ones who're stupid enough to mess with a mama wolf."

Grumpy opened his mouth but could find nothing to say. He closed his mouth and shifted.

"I ain't," he finally muttered.

"You spend almost all your coin on orphans and thieves and you don't care a whit if they even thank you," Bashful said.

Grumpy flushed and stayed silent. Dopey clapped and he glanced up and watched the young Dwarf point out that he protected people, whether they were aware of it or not, and he pulled out his aquamarine and tossed it over. Grumpy caught it from reflex and stared at it.

"Not to mention you're so clever and stick, erm, quick, and you have skills we don't have," Doc said. "Including your magic."

Grumpy looked at his hand then flexed it. Green lights sparkled as the magic dripped from his fingertips, disappearing before it hit the ground. Doc took Grumpy's hand.

"There are a thousand other seasons, ah, reasons for us to want you around. We aren't a family without you, Grumpy. And we won't take stow, ah, throw, erm, go—ugh!—no for an answer."

Doc flushed and adjusted his glasses. Grumpy could tell he was embarrassed, but he had no reason to be. Grumpy found his speech impediment to be endearing. It was something Doc was only truly comfortable sharing with the family. Sometimes, though, when it got bad, he still turned shy.

"Then I guess there ain't no reason to leave again," Grumpy said, smiling at Doc. Then he raised his eyes. "Got it outta you?"

Snow approached, looking tired. "I'm sorry," she said, sitting down.

"Mmhm."

She smiled even as she hit his arm. "You're still a dick."

"Snow!" Doc exclaimed, this time a bit harsher. "That's enough!"

Snow turned to him. "You know it's true."

Sneezy laughed. "Course it is! That's why he's our Grumpy!"

Grumpy flushed as Snow giggled. "What're we doin' now, Snow?"

"We found the library, so we go there."

"We won't be able to stay inside the whole time though," Bastian said. "We need a place to stay. A safer place than this. I bet Emil's on his way back with his friends."

Grumpy shuddered and stood up abruptly. "You're right. We gotta go."

"But where?" Snow asked.

Grumpy looked around, trying to think through the sudden spike of terror that washed over him.

"I have an idea," Bastian said. "If you're still connected there, we could flash to Cliffside. Calida's in Raverra for the royal wedding."

"What's Cliffside?" Snow asked.

"A hub for the thieves guild. It's in western Germonia," Grumpy said. He tapped his thigh. "I'm still connected. Never got the chance to break the spell."

"But how will we get there?" Snow asked. "That's too far away for us to flash to. It's got to be fifty miles just to get to the border."

"That don't matter. I gots a portal there," Grumpy said.

"And that does what, exactly?"

"It means it don't matter how far away it is. We can get there and it's as easy as that." Grumpy snapped pointedly, and green sparks burst from his fingers. "You can make portals only if you weave a series of spells together, and you have to be in the same spot for months to do it right. But once you gots it done, you can travel there any time you want with only a touch of magic."

"Would we be safe?" Snow asked.

Grumpy turned to Bastian. "You're sure that bitch ain't gonna be there?"

"As sure as I can be," Bastian replied.

"Then, yeah, Snow. We'd be safe. Safer than here, anyhow." He reached up and subconsciously rubbed his shoulder as it burned.

"Let's pack up then," Snow said.

They did so, taking down all of the tents they'd set up then packed their bags. Grumpy was a bit nervous about showing the brothers Cliffside, but that's what Snow wanted, so he'd obey her. Once everything was packed, Grumpy waved his hand. The shield Snow had put up shattered, and the fire burst into sparkling green magic and was absorbed into him. He heaved his pack up higher on his shoulders.

"Ready, Snow?" Grumpy asked.

"When you are," she replied.

Grumpy took a deep breath and closed his eyes, going very still. The world faded away to darkness and he sent his magic out to look for the gateway. He found it and focused.

"Grab on," he commanded.

Everybody crowded around him and touched him. When they were all ready, Grumpy connected to the gate, and the world exploded around them. They were sucked through what seemed to be a tunnel full of green light and mist. They couldn't see or even breathe as they traveled so fast their stomachs were left behind. Just when they thought they'd suffocate, their feet found purchase on the ground again and they gasped in air like drowning men.

"That was awful!" Sneezy panted, his eyes wild.

"You get used to it," Bastian said. He stood up straight and gestured around. "Welcome to Cliffside."

The brothers all turned their eyes to see the room and stiffened. Dozens of people were staring at them, all comically frozen in the middle of whatever task they had been doing. Every eye was focused on Grumpy and not one of the humans moved. Doc grabbed Grumpy, unable to speak. Grumpy patted his arm then turned and made the most vulgar gesture he knew, much to Doc's dismay. Before he could ask what the hell Grumpy was thinking, a woman shouted.

"Ivan's back!"

Then the entire room burst to life and swarmed toward them.

The brothers watched in horror as the mob of humans ran for them. Why had Grumpy insulted them like that?! Doc grabbed Grumpy in terror, but Grumpy glanced at him and winked then snapped his fingers. The crowd froze in a burst of green sparks as they reached them, unable to move anymore. After a moment, he snapped again, and they all unfroze, much calmer. The Dwarfs relaxed a little as the humans laughed good-naturedly. They didn't seem bothered by what Grumpy had done. They didn't even seem surprised that they'd just been frozen.

"Heya, rock head!" a wiry man said. "It's been a while."

"Yeah? Well I didn't wanna see your ugly mug again, Travis," Grumpy retorted. "Now stop botherin' us. We're stayin' for awhile, so your questions can wait. Now get!"

There was another laugh from the crowd, and many of them dispersed back to their tasks. A woman with grey hair came over and smiled at Snow.

"You must be one of Ivan's girls," she said, sounding amused. "You've got another one, Ivan?"

"Apparently," Grumpy grumbled. "I can't seem to stop gettin' more."

"Aw, you love me and you know it," Snow teased.

Grumpy flushed but smiled. "How's things been, Millie?"

"Crazy. Did you hear what happened in Raverra?"

"I was there for some of it," Grumpy said. "But I wanna hear what's goin' around."

"How long are you staying?" Millie asked.

"Dunno. Gots to do somethin' and figured we'd be safe here while we do it."

"Then we'll talk tomorrow. You all look like you've had quite a time. I can't wait to hear about it." Millie turned to Snow. "Are you bound, dear?"

"Not at the moment," Snow replied.

"Would you like to put on something more comfortable? We can wash your clothes and you can take a bath and rest."

"Oh, yes please," Snow said. She paused then looked at Grumpy. He nodded.

"Go on. Millie'll take care of you."

"Where will you stay?"

"My room," Grumpy replied. "Go on."

Snow followed Millie out of the room and down a hallway, leaving the Dwarfs standing there with Bastian. Bastian shrugged out of his pack and rolled his shoulders.

"I'm heading to my room. We'll talk tomorrow, Iv… Grumpy."

Grumpy nodded. "Yep." Bastian walked away and Grumpy glanced at the brothers. "This way."

He led them down a separate hallway. Bashful idly touched the wall, wondering what it was made of, and he got a shock.

"Are we in a mountain?" he blurted out.

"Naw. A cliff," Grumpy said. "Whole hub goes up and down lots of floors. Was built by somebody Calida knew."

After passing many doors, he finally stopped in front of a blank wall. For several moments he didn't move, then Doc cleared his throat.

"Well?"

Grumpy raised up his hand and traced a symbol on the stone. A glowing glyph appeared, burning bright green for a moment. Then a door materialized in the stone wall. Dopey tugged on him and asked him why the door wasn't there before.

"You really think I wanted Calida to be able to get in my room?" Grumpy asked, smiling a little. He hesitated for another brief moment before opening the door and leading them in.

It was like stepping back in time. Everything was just how he'd left it thirteen years before. The brothers followed him inside, and the door closed behind them, fading back into the stone. As they peered around his childhood room, Grumpy was suddenly overwhelmed by the awareness that the brothers were about to see more of himself than he'd ever expected to show them. He couldn't stand to be there anymore.

"I'll, ah, I'll go get some dinner for us," Grumpy muttered. "You can, I dunno, look around? If you want."

Before they could protest, he turned and flashed through a sheet of silver magic, leaving them alone. They stared at the place where Grumpy had vanished for a moment before they looked around again.

"It's so big," Bashful said softly.

"Bigger than our whole house," Sneezy said, sniffling.

They huddled there for a moment taking in the room full of Grumpy's past. They were almost afraid to touch anything just in case they were dreaming. Finally, Bashful could resist no longer, and he broke away from his brothers and began to walk around. They split up, spreading out across the large room.

Sleepy went to a work table tucked away in an alcove, and he was thrilled to see old tomes on it. Sitting in the chair, he scooted closer and reached for the nearest book. It was written in strange, runic characters, and he turned the heavy pages slowly, taking them in. A piece of parchment fell out of the pages, and Sleepy saw Grumpy's handwriting. Scanning the page, Sleepy realized at once that Grumpy had been trying to translate the books, and he squirmed excitedly at the few translated words. What stories were in these pages? He began leafing through the notes, seeing how far Grumpy had gotten and wondering if he wanted help with the project.

Happy and Sneezy were peering around a shelf that held dusty glass bottles. Happy picked one up and scrubbed it with his sleeve to reveal a vivid purple liquid.

"Potions?" Sneezy guessed then sneezed.

"Wonder what they do," Happy said.

"We'll have to ask," Sneezy said, tapping the bottle. He sneezed three more times, and Happy laughed and began cleaning away the dust.

Dopey found an old toy chest, and he opened it eagerly. He was disappointed that it had no toys, but there was plenty else to be interested by. He began digging through it, pulling out odds and ends that made no sense. He was respectful because he knew Grumpy wouldn't keep junk, but he couldn't figure out what the value of these items were.

When he pulled out a cloth, there was the distinct tinkle of a gemstone hitting the bottom of the chest. Dopey frowned and shifted things around until he saw a glimmer, and he pulled out a strangely colored opal. Ooh, now that kind of value he understood! He peered at it, appreciating the gem. It was so odd, looking like fire turned into stone, and he wondered where it came from. Then he saw a few more gems lying in other pieces of cloth, and he began unwinding them.

Bashful and Doc went straight for Grumpy's bed, which was unmade and covered with parchment and quills. A bottle of ink was on the bedside table, and they picked through the papers to see rough jewelry designs. They were crude, but that only made them more delightful. Grumpy refused to draw in front of them because of how well they could do it. They'd been taught by their father and uncle, except for Dopey, and they couldn't deny that they had far more skill than Grumpy. He just didn't understand that they'd had more time to do it, and he could do it too if he would just practice. But he had refused to draw anything for them, and they hadn't pushed.

"Look at this one," Bashful said, his voice soft.

Doc took the parchment in his hand and traced the edges, staring at the crude sketch of a necklace. It wasn't a bad design, and Doc squinted at it.

"Very nice," he said approvingly.

"Sorta," Bashful said then giggled and blushed when his brother looked at him.

"You know what I bean, uh, mean," Doc said. "It's a nice necklace, even if he couldn't quite capture it."

"A lot of these ain't bad," Bashful said, shuffling through the papers.

"Aw, they're awful."

They turned to see that Grumpy was back with food and drink.

"They're not," Doc argued, and the rest of the brothers looked over.

"Any of you could've done better." He set the food on a table.

"Because we've done it for years," Bashful insisted. "You just need to practice. But you never do."

"Don't wanna look stupid," Grumpy mumbled.

"I knows that," Bashful said. "But we won't think that nohow. Did I think you were stupid when I taught you how to mine?"

Grumpy shrugged, tapping the table anxiously. Bashful rolled his eyes and went over to grab some bread and cheese. He nudged Grumpy.

"They really ain't bad. Your designs, I mean."

"Calida said they'd never work," Grumpy muttered.

"She was wrong."

Grumpy shrugged again and looked over at Happy. "Want ham?"

Happy was over by the table in seconds. "You have pork!"

"Yep. Ain't bad. Ain't like your cookin' though."

Happy brightened at the compliment as they gathered around and ate. Once the food was gone, Grumpy had no excuse not to talk to them anymore. He glanced at them, unsure of where to start.

"What're those books?" Sleepy asked, pointing at the work table.

"Old human tales," Grumpy said.

"What were you doin' with 'em?"

"Teachin' myself runes so I could translate them. Didn't get very far. Never came back."

Sleepy nodded. "I figured. Still interested?"

Grumpy shrugged. "Don't know."

"I'll help."

"Yeah?" Grumpy glanced over at the books. "Maybe we could bring 'em back home. If you're really interested…?"

Sleepy's eyes danced. "Course I am, you idiot!"

"I'll pack 'em then."

"They look awful heavy," Smeezy said, eyeing them. "Who's gonna carry them?"

"I can make 'em lighter," Grumpy said. "Easy as that." He snapped and green sparks burst from his fingers, then he glanced at Happy. "'Cause pie still ain't easy for me."

Happy chuckled. "Snow tried to teach you when she taught me."

"Don't wanna make pie," Grumpy replied.

"What're those bottles?" Sneezy asked, pointing to the shelves.

"Potions. The few I knows how to make, anyhow."

"What do they do?" Sleepy asked.

Grumpy walked over, picked up a green potion and popped the cork. Before Doc could protest, he took a measured swallow, and there was a burst of golden light around him. He corked the bottle and set it aside.

"What did it do?" Bashful asked. "You look… different."

"Restorative draught," Grumpy said. He tapped his cheek, and the small cut that had been there was gone. "Not a very strong one, but you gotta start somewhere."

"That's pretty nifty!" Happy laughed. "What about that purple one?"

"Sleepin' potion. Not the one that Snow was under."

There was a brief pause as a new thought occurred to the brothers.

"Grumpy…" Doc said slowly. "You… Where did you flow, ah, go when we thought Snow was dead?"

"Guess you know I knew she wasn't dead," Grumpy said. He glanced at Sleepy. "You wanna see a story?"

"You mean hear?" Sleepy asked, his face lighting up.

"Nope."

He turned and walked to the middle of the floor and sat down, gesturing them over. They sat in a half circle in front of him, and he waved his hand. The room went completely dark and Grumpy spoke before the brothers could panic.

"Told you that apple was poison, but I knew more than that. You didn't ask how, so I didn't tell you."

"Snow was right," Bashful grumbled in the blackness.

"Shut up!" Sleepy ordered. "It's story time!"

"Ouch! That was me," Happy exclaimed.

"Enough!" Doc said. "Sit still!"

Dopey clapped, and Grumpy grinned as Sneezy began to sneeze and Sleepy shouted for quiet. He waved his hand and the brothers froze as images began playing in the dark. They settled down, and Sleepy sighed.

"Seein' stories play out? It… it's magic," he breathed.

Grumpy told his tale to the rapt brothers, who gazed around at flashes of memory, and fantastical moving pictures that acted out what had happened. When he was done, the brothers' faces were shining with delight, and they sat up as Grumpy waved his hand to light the fire. The flickering flames cast a warm glow over the brothers as they talked with wonder over all they had seen, but all too soon, Dopey let out a yawn and rubbed his eyes.

"Bed time?" Doc asked.

"If you wanna sleep, then sleep," Grumpy said. "Ain't no day or night in this place. Don't matter, at least. You can lose weeks in here if you're not payin' attention."

"Then I think bed is a good idea," Doc said. "How will we steep?"

"In hot water," Grumpy said. "Though I always called it washin'."

Doc turned red. "Oh, you know what I meant!"

"Yep. Gimme a bit and I'll sort it out. You can heat up water for steepin' over the fire."

Doc shoved him, embarrassed. Grumpy grinned then stood up and stretched. His eyes fell on the purple potion thoughtfully, then he shook his head and began to think on how to get more beds in the room. He'd be fine. He was okay. He had the brothers. That was enough.

But no. It wasn't.

Hours later, Grumpy sat up in bed with a hoarse shout, grasping his shoulder as it burned white hot. Confused images faded from his mind, and he sucked in a breath, shivering. He should have taken the stupid potion. Then he wouldn't have woken up the brothers. He could hear them moving around, and Grumpy sat still while his pulse slowed. Would they just go back to sleep?

"Grumpy? Is there tight, um, light? I don't know where you are."

"I'm fine," Grumpy grunted.

Silence. He huffed and threw out his hand. The fire burst to life in the fireplace, and the brothers began to move again. Bashful came over and sat on the edge of Grumpy's bed.

"Thought this might happen," he said softly.

"Should've taken the potion," he croaked. "I'm sorry."

"'S'okay, Grumpy," he said.

Grumpy rubbed at his shoulder frantically until Doc took his hand. "Breathe. It's okay. Just breathe. Let it fade."

Taking several deep breaths, Grumpy shuddered. "It hurts," he hissed. "I hate that bastard, Doc. I hate him so much."

"Of course you do," Doc said soothingly.

"I can't forge because of him," Grumpy groaned. Tears slipped out of his eyes. "I can't make Snow what she deserves. I can't do it, but I wanna do it. I just… just…"

Grumpy stopped talking and ground his teeth together as the burn persisted.

"Would the restorative draught help?" Sneezy asked hopefully.

"No," Grumpy said through gritted teeth.

Dopey crawled up in bed with him and lay down beside him, snuggling close. Grumpy gave a grimacing smile through his tears before squeezing Doc's hand. It took several more minutes before the feeling of fire faded and Grumpy could relax. He rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension then tenderly rubbed his left one.

"Better?" Doc asked.

"Yep." Grumpy got out of bed and padded over to the potion shelf to grab the purple potion. "But I'm still takin' the potion. I need sleep."

"You'll wake up?" Doc asked.

"Should only last for eight hours."

Doc nodded. "If you're sure."

Grumpy got back in bed then popped the cork and took a mouthful of the potion. Immediately the world became hazy, and he fumbled with the cork until Doc took it from him. He pressed Grumpy to lay down then pulled up the blankets and tucked him in.

"Fire…" Grumpy mumbled.

"Don't worry about it. Go to steep, ah, sleep."

Grumpy glanced up at Doc and stuck out his tongue playfully. Doc looked shocked then utterly delighted, and he reached over and pinched Grumpy's ear in retaliation. Grumpy turned over, chuckling himself to sleep as the brothers went back to bed. Home, he thought. This was home. Not Cliffside—that was a place Grumpy didn't care much about one way or the other—but the brothers in front of him. Wherever they were, that would be home.

Doc awoke several hours later, magic surging like electricity through his veins. He didn't move, peering into the darkness as there was a rustle of movement. Green light burst to life as Grumpy lit a fire and began to get dressed. His movements were odd, jerky and unnatural, and Doc knew the curse was at work. Grumpy's expression was dead, and when he was dressed, he padded over to the door and opened it by tracing the symbol. As soon as the door closed behind him, Doc burst out of bed and unshuttered the lantern.

"Up! Up now! Get dressed!"

The boom of his voice in the quiet room woke the others immediately, and the brothers all bounded from their beds and began pulling off their nightshirts and fumbling for their clothes. When they were dressed, Doc grabbed the lantern and led them to the door, talking as he went.

"Not a word once we sleeve, erm, leave. Don't let Grumpy see you."

"Where is he?" Sneezy demanded.

"Under his curse," Doc said. "Now hush and follow be, er, me."

He traced the symbol and they hurried into the hallway. Doc turned and ran in the opposite direction that he knew Grumpy had gone in. They hurried through the main hub, and Bastian saw the frantic look on Doc's face and knew there was trouble. He tailed them, determined to help.

Doc led them into a large room that housed supplies of all kinds. He gestured for them to hide. Bastian slipped in behind him, and Doc spun then looked relieved. He gestured for him to hide by the crates nearest the door and made gestures that nobody should move until he did. Then he hid himself in a dark corner and they waited. There was a soft noise and Snow's voice sounded out.

"What's all this about, Grumpy?"

There was no response as Grumpy led her inside. His expression was still dead, and Snow looked uneasy and frightened.

"Grumpy, that's enough! Answer me!"

"Grumpy?" a scathing voice scoffed. "What kind of a name is that? He didn't even get a decent Dwarf name."

Snow spun around and gasped. "Calida," she hissed, her eyes flashing.

"Hello, Snow White," Calida said. "You are quite the nuisance. Holda's been searching for you everywhere in Findersland. Yet here you are in Germonia. I suppose that was Ivan's doing."

Doc's entire world narrowed onto the woman who walked into the doorway. This was her. The woman who made Grumpy suffer for years. The one Sleepy said would have to die for Grumpy to live. As he scanned her beautiful face and long red hair, his heartbeat quickened and his pulse thundered in his ears so loud that it gave him a headache. He felt very sick all of a sudden, and he bit back a whimper, clenching his fists.

Calida strode over to Snow and peered at her, unimpressed. "Of course he'd disguise you as a boy. He has this thing for protecting girls. Holda should have guessed, but she hasn't spent enough time around him to know his tricks."

"You leave him alone!"

"Or what?" Calida scoffed. "You'll hurt me? I've got bad news for you, Princess." She held up a dark coin. "We know about your magic now, so Holda prepared me. You're too young to be able to burst the protection. You're mine. And so is Ivan."

Calida turned to Grumpy and began to walk around him. "Hasn't changed much," she said idly. "Beard's longer though."

She paused then reached over and yanked his beard hard. Grumpy made no noise as he spasmed and hit the floor, his eyes still blank. Calida laughed as Snow flushed with rage. Doc's eyes burned with tears of hatred. He'd never hated anybody, but this woman was different. Some primal part of him was outraged and terrified by Calida, but he couldn't figure out why as the right side of his head throbbed. The magic told him to stay still, but he wanted to make her pay.

"Don't you do that to him!" Snow spat, her eyes flashing.

"Or what?" Calida asked. "Your magic is useless against me."

Snow shivered and glanced at Grumpy. She did not back down despite not having an answer. "Touch him again and you'll regret it."

"Ivan dear," Calida purred. "Get up."

Grumpy pushed himself to his feet, his expression blank.

"Come to me, Ivan."

Grumpy plodded over and stopped beside Calida. Snow looked horrified.

"Grumpy?" she asked.

"Amazing what a good boy he can be sometimes," Calida said.

Doc felt like he was going to suffocate with rage. He peered around and grabbed a sturdy wooden rod. Gripping it in his hands, he took a deep breath and waited. Almost. He just had to wait for the right moment.

"Ivan," Calida said slowly. "Cast a shield. Make sure she cannot get through."

Grumpy obeyed, and the magic that dripped from his fingers was no longer green. It had a sickly red hue, and Snow's mouth dropped open. She looked around frantically as the shield sealed the room.

"Grumpy…" she squeaked.

"Ivan," Calida said emphatically. "Take out your knife."

He obeyed.

"Stop it…" Snow whispered.

"Make her kneel before me."

Snow cried out as she was forced to her knees in a burst of red sparks, and she scrabbled at the ground as she fought.

"Kill her."

Grumpy reached forward, and Doc tensed.

"Grumpy, I order you to stop!" Snow suddenly screamed, pink magic bursting out of her and washing over Grumpy.

He obeyed, and Calida's mouth dropped open. "Impossible!"

"Release me!" Snow boomed.

"No, Ivan! Keep her bound!" Calida snapped. Panic was on her face, and she gazed between Snow and Grumpy. "I'm done. Time to try again."

Before Snow could respond, Calida barreled forward and struck her. The force flung her back, and while she fell to the floor, Calida pulled a knife and turned to Grumpy. As she grabbed his beard and moved to slit his throat, Doc barreled out of hiding, letting out a bellow.

"Don't you touch my brother!"

Calida turned and the expression that twisted her face was nothing short of horrified. She released Grumpy and gaped at Doc, unable to move as he lashed out with the rod. She stumbled back as the others burst out of hiding, and her eyes swept the room.

"There's six of you?!" she shrieked. "No! Impossible! There were only five treasures!"

Doc stood threateningly in front of Grumpy, his expression so wild and angry that even his brothers paused when they saw it. Calida suddenly looked like she was trapped, and she turned and ran for the door. But the shield was still there, and she was shocked violently as she tried to push through.

"Ivan!"

"Grumpy!" Snow retorted.

"No! This will end my way! You will not take this away from us!" Calida roared.

Reaching up, she grabbed something in midair and twisted. Grumpy let out a screech of agony, and a golden chain appeared, pulsing as it spanned the room between them. Calida began to pull the chain away from her, and Grumpy screamed again, writhing.

"She's gonna break the curse and kill him!" Sleepy shouted.

Snow threw out her hands, and Calida laughed at her magic, but she had to focus on Snow instead of breaking the curse. The brothers gathered together, unsure of what to do, but Doc was finally filled with purpose.

"She wants to break the curse?" Doc asked. "Let's do it then." Tossing away his makeshift weapon, he grabbed Grumpy from behind.

"What do we do?" Sneezy demanded frantically.

"Pull it out," Sleepy exclaimed, and he grabbed the golden chain and yanked.

This time both Calida and Grumpy screamed. Doc tightened his grip. "Keep her busy, Snow!" he boomed. "Bastian, help her!"

"No! Stop it!" Calida sounded even more panicked as Bastian stepped out. "You can't do this!" She moved to break the curse again, but Snow lunged forward and shoved her magic out. Bastian hurried forward to help but was scalded by Snow's magic and was forced back.

The brothers all grasped the chain and began to pull. Grumpy screamed louder, and Doc cradled him. "It's okay, brother," he murmured. "Almost over. Hold on. It'll only hurt for a few moments."

Grumpy grasped his hand, tears streaming down his face as the brothers pulled. As they did, something started blooming at the end of the chain. They tugged and jerked as Calida and Snow wrestled; the protective coin worked only against magic, and with Calida shrieking in pain, Snow could easily hold her down as she fought both ways. Bastian stood ready to jump in, but his eyes continually flickered over to Grumpy and the brothers.

The thing being pulled out bloomed into something larger and larger, and Doc held Grumpy as still as he could. The cries of pain that burst from Grumpy tore at him, but he'd learned long ago when he studied under a doctor that pain often came before healing. He continued to murmur in Grumpy's ear as the thing finally unfurled itself to reveal a terrible dragon made of magic. It roared, and Calida finally kicked Snow away. She reached forward to grab the chain, intending to break it first, but with one final heave, there was a snap and Doc and Grumpy stumbled back and hit the floor as the curse was broken.

The dragon immediately turned into an inky black mass, but two golden eyes glinted as it roared and flew toward Calida. Calida screamed, and as the dragon reached her, it burst, filling the room with shadows. Nobody could see, and there was a long silence before Bastian spoke.

"Doc?"

"We need some tight, ah, light," Doc managed to say.

"I'll get it," Snow said shakily. "Give me a moment."

There was a long pause then pink fire scattered the shadows. Bastian hurried over to help Snow up. She took his hand gratefully, and he supported her as she struggled to stay standing. She had a black eye and claw marks from Calida's nails all up and down her arms. She ignored all of that as she staggered over to Doc and Grumpy.

"Is he dead?" she asked.

Doc blinked up at her, and he laid his fingers on Grumpy's neck. "No," he sighed. "It's not very long, erm, strong though. We need to get him to his bloom, uh, room. I'll assess him there." Happy and Sneezy gently lifted Grumpy off of Doc, who stood up on trembling legs. He adjusted his glasses then walked over to Snow. "Let me see, Snow."

"Snow?" a woman asked. "As in Snow White?"

The brothers and Bastian turned to see about twenty people staring into the room. Bastian noticed them staring where Calida had been, and he turned to see a dark lump on the ground. He went to check for a pulse as Snow stood up straight.

"So what if I am?" Snow asked.

"Easy, Kasper," Bastian said. He stood up and turned to her. "It's okay."

"Explain."

"That bitch is finally dead. That means we don't have to keep you a secret anymore. Calida was the one Grumpy wanted to protect you from. Everybody else left here at Cliffside is more loyal to him than they ever were to her."

"She made us suffer," Millie said. "He healed us when she did. Trust me, dear. We won't miss her. But we can't help him unless you let us in."

Snow considered them for a moment then walked over and ran her fingers over the shield. "I can't break this," she declared.

"Oh, great," Bastian began.

"But that is of little consequence," Snow finished.

She stepped back and threw out a mirror and they were suddenly staring at her as she stepped through and gestured for them to come in. As they passed through, Snow turned to Doc.

"What do you need?"

"First we need to get him to his room. We'll go from there." Doc turned to Bastian. "You don't leave Snow alone with anybody Grumpy wouldn't bust, ah, trust. Stay with her."

"Of course," Bastian said. He stepped over beside her as Doc and the brothers carried Grumpy out of the room and through the halls. By the time they'd gotten him to his room and settled him in bed, Grumpy had woken up a bit.

"What's happened?" he slurred, panic in his face. "What'd I steal?"

"You stole nothing, brother," Doc assured him. "Now sleep. We'll take care of you."

A funny look crossed Grumpy's face and he squinted at Doc, but he was so tired. The thought that seemed just out of reach fell away completely as Grumpy accepted Doc's promise, feeling assured and safe. Wherever the brothers were was home, after all, so he must be safe. He fell asleep, and no greed stirred in his heart. He was free.

Within three days, everything had settled into place. Grumpy finally figured out how to cast the countercurse, and he filled the orb with the spell and stored it in a magic pouch to hide its power. Sleepy finished up a beautiful dress for Snow, and she carefully packed it away for later use. Bastian rallied the rest of the thieves and the majority of them pledged loyalty to Snow. With Grumpy and Bastian coordinating things, the thieves began leaving in groups to gather intelligence and spread the news that Snow White was going to Altenfeld to be crowned queen. Once everything was ready, all that remained was to pack up and head out.

Grumpy gathered what he wanted of his belongings, knowing he would never come back to Cliffside again. He packed his potions, his magic books, the books Sleepy was interested in, his stupid drawings because Doc wanted him to, and a few odds and ends. While he was finishing up, Dopey walked over and held out the gems he'd pulled from the toy chest, his eyes full of questions.

"Go ahead and keep 'em," Grumpy said.

Dopey sat on the bed and swung his legs, peering at each gem. They were all very strange. He'd never seen any like them. He nudged Grumpy and gestured, asking why he'd kept them.

"They're odd," Grumpy said. "Just like me." He reached over and took the gems. He plucked up a red one and held it out. "You ever seen a red beryl before?"

Dopey shook his head.

"What about an orange opal?" Grumpy challenged, holding up an opal that looked like fire was flickering in its depths.

Dopey grinned and took it. That one was his favorite, and he told Grumpy so.

Grumpy raised his eyebrows. "You've got good taste, Dopey. That one's my favorite, too. It's the first one I ever got."

Dopey wiggled his ears, pleased to know this. Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Happy walked into the room, carrying the last of the supplies they needed to pack for the trip to Altenfeld. Dopey waved them over.

"What've you got there?" Happy asked when the sparkle of gems caught his eye.

Dopey grinned and held out the handful of gems. Bashful reached for the orange opal, peering at it. "Wow, this is so pretty! I ain't never seen one like this before."

"Is this a beryl?" Happy asked, holding the gem in his hand. "It's red! Ain't that somethin'!"

"Look at this one. It's jadeite, ain't it?" Sleepy asked.

"Guess so," Grumpy said. "Ain't got a name for most of these. Kofi gave me this one," he said, holding up a gorgeous yellow stone with a golden line splitting its center. "Said its from her country. Real valuable. And this one," he held up one of the richest blue stones they had ever seen. "Found this one while travelin'. Just sittin' there, pretty as could be."

He stared at the stones then took them all and handed them to Dopey. "Keep them if you want, but better pack them. Make sure they're safe."

Dopey nodded and hugged Grumpy tightly as everybody went back to their packing. Doc came in a few minutes later with Bastian.

"Almost fun, um, done?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

"I think I'm ready," Grumpy said. He looked around the room he'd grown up in and saw nothing else he wanted. "Yep. I'm ready. And good riddance to this place."

"We do have some good memories here, you know," Bastian said.

Grumpy glanced at him. "Guess so." He smiled a little. "I showed you how to swipe purses here."

Bastian laughed. "Yes, and I got so good that the others were all jealous. But they never practiced with somebody who had magic and could detect everything."

Grumpy smiled. "Yeah." He paused and looked down. "Good times, though it ain't exactly good in all senses."

"But that life is behind you now," Bashful said, looping his arm across his shoulders. "And we're proud of you for choosin' otherwise."

Grumpy smiled and swiped at his eyes. "That's enough outta you," he muttered, but Bashful smiled and shook him.

The door materialized again and Snow came through with Millie. Millie looked around curiously.

"So this is your room?" she asked.

"Yep," Grumpy said. "Gonna take the spells off it so anybody can come and go again."

Millie looked at Grumpy. "It's been good to see you again, Iv… I mean, Grumpy. I'll miss you."

Grumpy nodded. "It's been good to see you, too, Mills."

Millie smiled sadly. She was staying at Cliffside to help coordinate the thieves. She had others to help, but she clearly wanted to go with them. Snow touched her gently.

"Thank you for staying, Millie. You are a key part of our plan," Snow said. "You and all those who swore loyalty to me will be rewarded once it's all said and done."

"If you win," Millie said.

"Ah, well I have seven Dwarfs with me who will try their damndest to keep me alive."

"Snow," Doc said in exasperation.

Snow giggled, and Grumpy snickered. She'd been throwing out random curse words to mess with Doc, and though everybody else was amused, Doc was not. Still, he couldn't keep frowning with that beautiful, mischievous smile on her face, so he shook his head and sighed.

"You're impossible, Snow."

Everybody laughed, and Grumpy leaned forward. "That's the danger of girls, Doc," Grumpy said.

"Hm?" Doc turned to peer at him.

Grumpy grinned. "They can get anythin' they want. All they have to do is smile."

Doc harrumphed, but Snow poked Grumpy. "You should know. I've only met three of your girls. How many do you have exactly?"

Grumpy rolled his eyes to the ceiling and began to mutter under his breath. "Thirteen, includin' you, Snow," he finally said.

"Thirteen!" Snow squealed. "Well no wonder you always know how to talk to me."

"You've raised thirteen girls?" Sneezy asked, his eyes dancing with merriment.

"Raised?" Grumpy asked in alarm. "I wouldn't say that."

"I would," Bastian and Millie said at the same time. They glanced at each other and chuckled. Grumpy flushed.

"I just wanted to make sure they were okay," he said quietly.

"And you did. They're all still doing just fine. I even saw Adele in Raverra. She's got a shop there."

"Glad she can make an honest livin', at least," Grumpy said. He looked around again. "We ready, Snow?"

Snow took a deep breath and straightened up. "Millie, come bind me and paint my face, please."

"There ain't gonna be any fanfare if you go as a boy," Grumpy said.

"We're less likely to be stopped," Snow said. "I don't want any more delays. My fiancé is currently made of crystal. So I will go as a boy. Millie?"

"Of course, Princess," Millie said, curtsying. Snow followed her out, and the Dwarfs looked at each other.

"How exactly does binding shirk, um, work?" Doc asked.

Grumpy explained it, and Doc grimaced. "That doesn't sound healthy."

"It's better than what could happen if the wrong person knows the street kid is a girl," Grumpy said softly.

They all grimaced. "Good point," Doc mumbled.

"You do what you have to do when you're on the street," Grumpy said.

"And the things you're unwilling to do shrink as the years go by," Bastian added, his eyes sad.

The brothers stared at the two friends who had grown up in the dark underbelly of the kingdom, and they ached for them. They would never fully understand what Grumpy had been through, let alone Bastian, but they were no longer afraid to find out. Sneezy patted his shoulder, and Grumpy shook himself out.

"Well, let's go."

Raising his hands up, he shattered the spells on the room, and glittering green fragments rained down. The door was now completely visible, and there was a sense of strangeness around the room now, like it had been stripped bare. The feeling persisted even as they looked around to see that everything that Grumpy had left was still in place.

"It'll remember you," Sleepy said with certainty. "There'll be stories croppin' up about this place in a few years."

"Don't much care. Can't do nothin' about it," Grumpy said. "Come on. We'll wait at the entrance."

He wound them down several tunnels to a small room. Grumpy and Bastian leaned against the wall to wait for Snow. The others touched the walls, fascinated.

"There's a door," Doc said. He tapped the wall and leaned close. "It's not Dwarf made, but it is very well hidden."

"Magic," Grumpy said. He looked around, frowning. "Friend of Calida's made this place. Wonder if it's that bitch that took over Raverra. She had enough power to be able to cast this kind of spell."

"You think?" Doc asked, tapping the wall again and frowning.

"I don't know," Grumpy said. "But it wouldn't surprise me."

Snow came in looking like a boy, a pack on her back and a steely look in her eyes that made Grumpy grin. "Ready to go whip them idiots into their place?"

"It should be… interesting," Snow said, smiling.

"Are we ready, Kasper?" Bastian asked.

"You keep calling me Kasper," Snow said. "But everybody else calls me by my name now. Why don't you?"

"Because you said to call you Kasper until you say otherwise," Bastian said. "And you haven't said otherwise."

Snow laughed. "You may call me whatever is best in the moment. You I trust."

"Well, that's an honor, Snow. Thank you."

"Just remember your place in formal settings," she advised.

Bastian inclined his head then looked at the Dwarfs. "Are we ready?"

"More than," Doc said. He prodded the invisible door again. "Though how we get out, I'm not pure, um, sure."

"Like this," Grumpy said, and he traced a small hole then tapped it. "Keyhole, but without a key," he said as the door swung open.

"Nifty!" Sneezy exclaimed.

Grumpy smiled and stepped outside into what turned out to be a pleasant evening. Bastian and Grumpy were unbothered by the time of day, and they simply hiked their packs up and padded out into the twilight. Doc and the others joined in, bemused by how they had only woken up a couple hours ago. They had been sleeping during the day? They hadn't even known it.

"Alrighty, Snow, how do you wanna do this?" Grumpy asked.

"Direction of Altenfeld?" Snow asked.

Grumpy and Bastian both scanned the area then pointed east.

"How long would it take to get there?" Snow asked.

"Three days on foot to Castell," Grumpy said. "Then we'd have to go through the forest to your castle. That would take another two."

"Can we cut that time down with magic?"

"Yep. We could probably make it back to the cottage in two days time. Then it's a few miles' walk and a flash and we'd be there."

"We could stay at the cottage for a night," Snow mused. "That would be nice."

"Two," Grumpy said. "We could get you ready for your coronation. I could get a message to Heinrich, who would bring a procession for you. Then we'd ride over."

"Ride?" Sneezy asked, sounding nervous. "Ride what? Not a horse."

"Probably ponies for you Dwarfs, if that's not offensive," Snow said kindly.

"Horses are awful big," Happy said.

"Ponies it shall be then. Are we agreed?"

They all nodded, and Bastian and Grumpy led the way. "We'll go a mile before we flash forward, Snow. Gets all strange with the portal I made. Keeps pullin' me back to Cliffside."

"That is acceptable," Snow said.

They walked with purpose toward Altenfeld, determined that Snow would be queen no matter what. What happened was that the council that had formed after Grimhilde's death had swayed many of the nobles into the idea that a king would be better suited to rule Germonia. However, it was also true that according to the laws of the kingdom, Snow was the rightful ruler unless proven incompetent, and they hadn't given her the chance to prove anything.

Grumpy and Bastian had sent the runners out days before, spreading the news telling the people the story of Snow White and the seven Dwarfs who were escorting her to Altenfeld to be coronated. The nobles had sway over the government, but Grumpy knew they could steal the hearts of the people. He hadn't told anybody but Bastian everything he'd told the different runners, and Bastian would say nothing about it for his sake. Still, Grumpy didn't know if the people would come. He had told many stories, and their magic had been a part of them. He hadn't held back, but had it been a bad idea?

Snow White was the fairest and kindest maiden he had ever met. She loved everybody around her, and she was such a brilliant girl. But would the people see only the magic she was born with? Then a new thought occurred to Grumpy as they walked. Was magic really only for bad people? It was something he'd never wondered before, and he thought long and hard about it on their march toward Altenfeld.

Grumpy had been right, and two days later, they walked into Castell in the early afternoon. Grumpy assured them all that they could still get home by evening, so they relaxed and stopped for a good, hot dinner. They were left alone, and they were all grateful that Snow was still posing as a boy. They didn't want to be stopped and questioned, and the closer they were to Altenfeld, the more likely Snow was to be recognized.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Bastian asked after a filling meal at a familiar inn.

"I want to squawk, erm, talk to Rowan before we leave," Doc said. "He deserves to know."

"We can also go to the guild and find out what's going around," Bastian said.

Grumpy said nothing, but his face grew hot. He knew it was the right thing to do, but he also knew the others would finally hear the stories he'd spread about them. Bashful noticed his flushed face, and Grumpy glanced away from his sharp eyes.

"Better get to it, then. Rowan first. Guild second. Then I'll show you how I got in your way that night," Grumpy said.

"We're still glad you did," Happy said, beaming.

Grumpy smiled and they headed out into the streets. Grumpy wound his way to Rowan's shop without a second thought. They'd walked that path so many times over the years, and as they pushed into the shop and waited for their eyes to adjust, it was good to hear Rowan's cry of delight.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Dwarfs! Oh, with some friends?"

"Gotta talk fast. Sleepy, tell him what we're doing," Grumpy ordered.

Sleepy thought for a few moments then straightened up and explained everything that had happened, managing to get it all told in ten minutes. Rowan stood there, his brows drawn together and his mouth hanging open as he looked from face to face. Then he looked at the boy. Or what he thought was a boy.

"Are you really Snow White?" Rowan asked faintly.

"I am," Snow said, and her sweet voice left no doubt that she wasn't a boy.

Rowan quickly knelt down. "My princess," he murmured.

"Soon I will be queen," Snow said. "You may rise."

"So the rumors are true?" Rowan asked, his eyes shining. "You seven are the most incredible people I've ever met! And to think, I thought I knew you for over a decade."

Bashful stared at Rowan then glanced at Grumpy to see him blushing again. He quickly jumped in.

"We'll all be in Altenfeld in two days' time for Snow's coronation. If things go right, we'll be able to start gatherin' an army to march on Findersland."

Rowan gazed at him with wonder. "You're something else, Grumpy. You really are."

Grumpy shrugged, glancing around for a change of topic. He saw Rowan's magic coin hanging from the ceiling, and he snapped his fingers. Green sparks burst from his fingertips, and the coin raced for his hand. He caught it and clicked his tongue then flipped it into the air. Another cloud of sparkling magic burst around the coin, and Grumpy caught it then handed it over.

"Here. Keep this on you no matter what."

"Why…?" Rowan asked slowly, staring at him with new eyes.

"Because they can't kill you if you have it on you. We gotta go now."

Grumpy bolted out of the shop and began walking toward the guild. Bastian caught up, grinning. "I told you to tell them," he said.

"How?" Grumpy asked. "I still ain't used to this."

Doc and the others caught up, and Bashful opened his mouth to begin questioning him.

"Yes, I done told them stories to pass along," Grumpy said.

Bashful looked surprised then pleased by how simple it was to get the answer out of Grumpy. "Is that all?"

"Yep. But you might not like all of them."

"Well, no changing it now," Doc said. "Though next time, please flask, ah, ask."

Grumpy relaxed a little. "Sure."

"What did you say?"

Grumpy didn't answer, turning down an alley and squinting at doorways. Then he made another turn down an even darker alley. He muttered under his breath, counting doorways, then stopped by a curtained doorway.

"Bastian first. And she's a he, and he's Kasper," Grumpy said, pointing at Snow.

Grumpy and Bastian ducked inside and instantly made the same hand signals. The room relaxed, and all the men stared at Grumpy.

"Is it true you've rejoined the guild, Ivan?" a tall man asked.

"Nope."

"Oh. Is Calida dead?"

"Yep."

The man peered at the Dwarfs behind him. "Are these the brothers?"

"Yep."

"Are you staying?"

"We've got an hour," Grumpy said. "Then we gotta head out to meet the princess in Altenfeld. I wanna talk with you, Justin." He turned to the brothers. "Stay here. Do whatever you want. I'll be back and we'll leave."

Then Grumpy and Bastian hurried after Justin down some stairs, leaving the brothers and Snow with a room full of thieves. Snow walked over and sat down at a table, her eyes watching the room. That piqued the thieves' interest, and the brothers quickly joined her as the men began to murmur. Doc pressed a soothing hand over hers when he noticed her fingers trembling a little.

"Always scary when he does this," she said, pitching her voice low. "But at least you're here this time. Makes a load of difference."

"We'll protect you," Bashful promised, and the hellish glint came back into his eyes for a moment.

"So you're the brothers?" a burly man asked, scanning them.

"Yep," Sneezy said. He stood closest to the room, and he peered disdainfully around. "What's it to you?"

"Sneezy?" the man asked.

Sneezy blinked. "How'd you know my name?"

"Because you're the protective one," the man replied.

As Sneezy stood there dumbfounded, his brothers began to laugh.

"He's got you there," Happy hooted.

"And you're Happy!" somebody shouted. "You are, right?"

The brothers didn't know whether to be flattered or wary by how well-known they seemed to be.

"I certainly am, sonny," Happy said. He grinned. "You'll never guess who he is!" he teased, then poked Bashful's ribs.

As his face turned scarlet, the room erupted in laughter. "Bashful!" they called.

Bashful tugged his hat over his face and there was more laughter. Dopey pointed at himself, wiggling his ears.

"You must be Dopey!"' a young man called.

Dopey nodded, clapping. That left two others, and Sleepy was the most obvious. He was resting his head on his fist, struggling to stay awake. Another younger man grinned. "Tell us a story while you wait."

Sleepy blinked once and looked at him blearily then registered what he'd said. Instantly, his eyes brightened and he sat up. "What do you wanna hear?" he asked.

There was an explosion of laughter.

"You're Sleepy all right!" the young man called.

"What do you wanna hear?" Sleepy asked stubbornly.

"Tell them some Dwarf stories," Sneezy said. "Might as well teach them somethin' about Dwarfs."

"Which one?" Sleepy asked.

"The dragon's keep!" somebody shouted. "And the gold sickness!"

Sleepy stood up and got on the table then placed his hands behind his back as he began to recite the well-worn story. The room was quiet, and though a couple other thieves came in, nobody interrupted. As Sleepy was telling them how the dragon rose up to spit fire at the Dwarfs defending the keep, the fireplace in the room roared and a giant flame dragon came out, lunging forward as smoke poured from its mouth. The entire room screamed, and Sleepy tumbled backward into Snow's lap with a shriek. There was a pause as the dragon disappeared, smoke lingering behind it. Then they heard Bastian laughing.

"He got you! He got you!" he crowed.

Standing in the doorway between Bastian and Justin was Grumpy, grinning like a fool.

"What was that for?" Sleepy demanded.

"Makes it more interestin'." Grumpy said. "We'll have to practice after all this."

"You're gonna animate my stories with magic?" Sleepy asked, his eyes dancing as he scrambled back onto the table. "They used to do that all the time! Only the best storykeepers were given that chance!"

"You're the best I know," Grumpy replied. "Now finish up the story. Kasper, come here."

The room instantly went silent and every eye turned to Snow.

"Kasper?" Justin asked, narrowing his eyes. "You said you were meeting the princess in Altenfeld?"

"That's what I said," Grumpy replied as Doc led Snow over to Grumpy. "Finish the story, Sleepy, or they'll never hear the end of it."

So Sleepy finished the story as Snow disappeared down the stairs with Grumpy and Justin. Bastian joined the others and sat down to listen. He'd heard the story before because it was one of Grumpy's favorites, and he had asked to hear it three times since they'd reunited. Bastian understood why. The gold sickness matched Grumpy's afflictions almost perfectly, the only difference that Calida had been linked to Grumpy through the curse. When Justin came back up with Snow and Grumpy, he looked determined. The story was over and the room was buzzing about it. Justin placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled.

"Any who wish to swear fealty to the soon-to-be queen of Germonia, stay. Everybody else, get out and come back later. You have five minutes to decide."

The room went silent then the talk began again. Seven men eventually got up and walked out, leaving the other dozen sitting where they were.

"I thank you for your loyalty," Snow said in her usual voice. "You will be rewarded for this once I return home with my new husband."

Silence. Then a young man spoke, but it wasn't a man's voice. "You're the princess, aren't you?" the girl asked.

Snow smiled. "Yes, my dear. I am Snow White, daughter of King Friedrich of Germoania. I will be ruling in two days, and they can't stop me."

"Stop you? Who's trying to stop you?" the girl asked, outraged.

Snow explained how the council had twisted the nobles into preferring a new king rather than her because of Grimhilde's iron rule. "But as I said, that will not stop me. I will be queen, even if I have to clean house."

"You're good at that," Grumpy said, grinning. "Kept our place awful clean."

"You had the princess cleaning for you?" Justin asked, aghast.

"In exchange for their protection from Grimhilde, I would have done much more," Snow said. "I was already well used to cleaning and cooking. I was a slave in my own castle, after all."

More silence. Then the girl approached first and knelt down and swore an oath to Snow. One by one, the others joined in, and she asked for each of their names. Once the last oath had been sworn, Snow stood back.

"Please, stir up the people for me. It will be a hard thing to become queen with so much opposition in Altenfeld. I know of your networks and ways of spreading news. Please, do this for me."

"Yes, your highness," they promised.

"We gots to go now, Snow," Grumpy said.

"See you in Altenfeld," Bastian said.

"Course we will. You're comin' with us," Grumpy said.

Bastian was pleased to be included in helping Snow get ready for her coronation. He'd planned on hiking to Altenfeld and hoped to make it in time. He hadn't been sure he'd be welcome in the Dwarfs' home. It was a part of Grumpy's new life he'd thought to stay away from. But loyal Grumpy had invited him to go, so he would.

"Very well. Are you ready, Snow?"

"I am. Where are we going?"

"Outside Castell," Grumpy said. "We'll walk half a mile then flash forward. Should get home in an hour."

"Good." Snow looked around. "I trust you all to help me. Thank you."

With that, the room all bowed to Snow, who gave the gesture to rise. Then, her head held high, she walked out with the Dwarfs and Bastian. As soon as the curtain fell, there was an explosion of noise behind them as the thieves started talking.

"Let's go home," Grumpy said. "Can't wait to sleep in my own bed. Even if it's just a couple days."

"Lead the way," Bastian said.

Hiking his pack higher on his shoulders, Grumpy followed Doc this time as they headed for the gate. He glanced at Bastian, who smiled at him.

"Thanks for inviting me."

"You're welcome any time, butterfingers."

Bastian snorted then reached over and tugged Grumpy's hat over his eyes. Dopey laughed beside them then stuck his tongue out when Grumpy could see again.

"Doodlebug," Grumpy muttered under his breath.

Bastian smiled as Dopey clapped. It was strange seeing his old friend so domesticated. Strange but also wonderful. He wondered again about the cottage, and he couldn't wait to see it.

A portal opened just outside the shield, and Grumpy walked through first. He waited for the others then cut off his magic.

"Wow, you got real close!" Sneezy said.

"Can't get no closer with Bastian here," Grumpy said.

"Whyever not?" Doc asked.

Grumpy hesitated then turned and tapped the shield. It rippled into view, and there was stunned silence. Dopey skipped over and poked it, grinning. Out of the brothers, he alone knew that Grumpy had been shielding them like this.

"Give me a couple minutes. Need to recast it. Snow, help me. You're buzzin' anyhow."

Snow and Grumpy wove the spell together then cast it. The bubble flashed as it was strengthened and Snow began to check the spell. "You go on," she said, limping. "I would like a moment to myself. Then I want out of this binding."

Grumpy gestured them forward, and as they passed through, the bubble rippled, like disturbed water. The brothers peered at the shield, marveling at how much Grumpy cared for them. He had been showing it in so many ways they didn't even know about, and it touched them.

"You comin' or not?" Grumpy hollered.

Doc waved him away and continued to study the shield. Grumpy rolled his eyes then walked inside.

"Come on in, Bastian. You won't have to stoop once you're inside. Lucky for you, they growed up around humans and wanted to be welcoming to customers."

Bastian ducked inside then straightened and looked around. It was such a nice home, he thought at once. A large, spacious first story with a staircase leading up to another room. It was furnished simply but stuffed with what his mother had called love and his father had called character. Bastian turned to see Grumpy staring at him anxiously.

"I can see why you stayed," Bastian said, and he looked away and began walking around. "What's up there?"

"Bedroom."

"You don't mind sharing after having your own?"

"By the time it crossed my mind, I was already used to it," Grumpy said. He shrugged his pack off and stretched his aching back. "We'll have to make you somethin' to sleep on. Snow has her own bed upstairs."

"We could stuff a tick for him," Sleepy yawned, padding inside.

Dopey bounded over to Bastian and looked at him, throwing his arms out and wiggling his ears.

"He wants to know what you think," Grumpy translated.

"It's very nice," Bastian said softly. "Kind of like what I had before my folks died. A bit more rustic, but it's homey."

"What happened to your folks?" Sleepy asked.

"I don't know," Bastian said, picking up one of Sneezy's woodcarvings. "They never came home. I never knew where they were going. I stayed put until the new owners forced me out of the house and turned me onto the streets. As far as they were concerned, I could be somebody else's problem."

"I'm so sorry," Bashful said. "Gosh, we'd have raised you."

Grumpy snorted as he settled into his chair. "Make him into a human me?"

There was a pause then laughter as the reality of what Bashful had just proposed sank in. Bastian grinned. "If I'd turn out half as well as you did, I would have accepted in a heartbeat."

Grumpy scoffed then turned away to hide his pleased smile. Bashful saw it, though, and he giggled. Grumpy shot him a look. Snow walked inside, her face pale.

"Grumpy, please help me take this off," she begged. "I want to breathe."

"Can you make it upstairs?" Grumpy asked.

Snow shivered. "I think so."

"Come on then. Give me your pack. You can put on a dress and get comfortable. And tomorrow you can take a nice bath and rest while we get everything ready."

Snow and Grumpy disappeared upstairs. After a couple minutes, Grumpy came out and shut the door.

"She okay?" Bastian asked.

"She's worse than after we were chased by Emil," Grumpy said. He hesitated then knocked. "Doc's gonna look at it. See if he can help," he called.

Doc looked alarmed. "Is something song, erm, wrong?" he asked.

"Binding's hurt her," Bastian said. "She hasn't taken it off for almost three days. That's not good."

"I done told her to take it off last night," Grumpy said, coming down the stairs. "She didn't listen and now she knows why I told her to do that. Doc, take a look at her."

Doc hurried upstairs, knocked twice, then walked in and shut the door behind him. Bastian sighed.

"Every single one of your girls has done this."

"Yep," Grumpy said. "But only once."

"Once is enough."

Doc opened the door. "My kit?" he called.

"Is she okay?" Sneezy asked as Dopey grabbed the kit and hurried it up to Doc.

"She has very bad bruising," Doc said, taking the bag from his brother. "Nothing too terrible, but it's definitely painful."

"Tell her I'll pull out a restorative draught for her," Grumpy said, and he pulled his pack to him in a burst of magic.

"Thank you, Dopey," Doc said when he saw Dopey peering at him with concern. "She will be just fine."

He ducked back inside and shut the door. Dopey came back downstairs, and for awhile there was chatter as the Dwarfs made themselves comfortable and Bastian asked questions. By the time Snow and Doc came out, supper was cooking, a fire was roaring, and everybody was comfortable. They all looked over as Doc helped Snow down the stairs. She was pale with pain, and limped over to sink down on the hearth beside Grumpy, leaning her head in his lap and closing her eyes. Grumpy placed a hand on her head without thinking about it, stroking her hair.

"Want a chair?" Happy asked.

"Not right now," Snow whispered.

"I tried to tell you, Snow," Grumpy said gently.

"I know that now. And I'm very sorry I didn't listen."

"I pulled this out for you. Won't heal you all the way, but it's the best I can do." Grumpy handed over a bottle after popping the cork. "Two mouthfuls then give it back."

Snow nodded and took a deep breath before she sat up and took the bottle. She took two measured swallows then handed it back to Grumpy. A burst of golden light poured from her, and she looked relieved. "Oh, that's so much better," she sighed. "Thank you."

"Take it off whenever you can," Grumpy said. "You gots no need to stay that hidden away. We'll protect you, Snow."

"I just didn't want for you to have to bother with it," Snow said.

"Binding you takes two minutes," Grumpy said.

"But painting my face takes fifteen," Snow said.

"Makes no difference to me, Snow. I got time for you."

Snow stared at him them smiled. "You always know what to say."

"By the thirteenth girl, it's easy," Bastian teased.

"Naw. Ain't easy. Easier, maybe. But not easy," Grumpy said.

Snow accepted a chair when asked a second time, and Bashful and Sneezy helped her into it. She looked back at Happy. "I'm afraid you'll finally have to cook without me. I'm simply too tired."

"Then I'll make these vittles extra good," Happy said, winking at her.

After dinner, Grumpy sat down at the desk and pulled out some paper. Thinking carefully, he began to write a letter to Heinrich with a summary of their adventures and what Snow wanted him to do. He had the others read it over then handed the pen to Snow so she could sign. Snow wrote a message at the bottom of the page then signed it and blew on the ink. She folded it and handed it to Grumpy.

"Who are you sending?"

"Stupid raven," Grumpy said.

He stood up and marched into the yard, looking around. He brought his fingers up to his head and ran them along his ears and across his mouth.

"Oy! Stupid! Where are you? Got something for you to do!"

"Grumpy!" Snow exclaimed. "That's not nice! She's such a sweet thing."

A large raven fluttered over, cawing at Grumpy. Snow burst out laughing as Grumpy frowned at it. "Are too stupid. Done sided with that bitch Grimhilde, didn't you? Should be flyin' around with other birds and livin' away from people. But no. You won't listen and leave. So you're gonna take this to Heinrich. You know who he is?"

The raven landed and clicked its beak.

"Good. And take this to him, too."

Grumpy handed the raven the rolled up scroll, which it took in its beak. Then he held out a sapphire, which it took into its claw.

"Go on. Get," Grumpy ordered.

The raven flapped away, and Grumpy watched it go. "She's a right pain in the rear, Snow."

"She likes you," Snow said.

"Ain't no reason for that," Grumpy said. "I don't want no companion."

"I have a feeling she doesn't care and you don't have a choice at this point," Snow giggled.

"Don't I knows it. Well, we better relax. Should hear from Heinrich by tomorrow."

"Who plays the piano?" Bastian asked.

Everybody grinned and pointed at Grumpy, who turned red. "I picked up a skill or two since I left," he muttered.

"Music! Music!" Snow cried.

They all scrambled inside and spent a wonderful evening together. That night they turned in early, but they still woke late. Their nonstop travels had taken a toll on them, so they spent the day doing nothing and resting as much as possible. Heinrich's reply came back that evening. Grumpy read it and scoffed.

"He's havin' trouble with them, Snow," he said. "But he got the stable boys on his side, so the mounts will be comin' with him."

"Excellent. When?"

"Says he'll be here tomorrow in the early afternoon."

"Then I'll have time to get ready," Snow said. "I believe I'll take my bath tonight, please. And I would be very happy if the rest of you bathed, too. And we must wash your clothes. It's very important that you are all presentable. That would make it easier to sway the court."

"Whatever you want, Snow," Grumpy said.

So that night, they all bathed. Snow got to bathe alone while they took a walk outside, then she went upstairs to sleep while the men scrubbed themselves. They didn't linger downstairs, and Bastian settled on the tick they'd stuffed for him while the Dwarfs trooped upstairs and went to bed.

The next morning found Snow waking them at dawn. They had a lot to do and limited time, so they got busy. By the time Heinrich rode into the clearing with a procession, they were nearly ready. Grumpy came out to meet him with Bastian. The two humans stared at each other.

"Who are you?" Heinrich asked.

"Bastian Thistlewhite," Bastian replied.

"He's an old friend, Heinrich," Grumpy said. "He's safe."

Heinrich relaxed. "The princess?"

"Gettin' ready," Grumpy said. "She's puttin' on her coronation dress."

"Is she certain she will be crowned?" a girl asked.

Grumpy turned his attention to the procession. None of them wore the expensive clothes of nobility. They were all dressed simply, but they were neat and clean. The question of who they were was answered as Snow came outside.

"Oh, Princess, you look beautiful!" the girl cried.

"Sarah!" Snow looked thrilled. "Oh, Sarah dear, you came!"

"We did, Princess," a young man said. "We know we are only servants, but you deserve to be escorted."

"Thomas, this is more than I'd hoped for," Snow said.

"We owe this to you," Thomas replied. "We could do nothing with that wicked queen ruling us. Now that she is dead, we will serve you gladly."

Snow beamed at them, and then she turned to Heinrich. "Hello, Heinrich."

Heinrich knelt at once. "My princess."

"You have proven your loyalty again," she said. "You will be rewarded."

"If that would please you, your highness," Heinrich said. "Now would you give us the honor of escorting you to your coronation?"

"I would. Have you ponies for the Dwarfs?"

"I do, your highness."

Grumpy walked over and swung into the saddle of a black pony. He took the reins and settled in then looked at the brothers. They were intimidated, but Doc walked over and managed to get in his saddle. The others followed. Bastian helped Snow onto her horse then took the last free one. Heinrich got on his horse then turned them toward Altenfeld.

"Lead the way, Heinrich," Snow said.

Heinrich inclined his head then clicked his reins, and the horse moved forward. The procession started off toward the palace. By the end of the day, Snow would either be queen, or they would have an even bigger problem on their hands.

When they approached the castle, there was a call for them to halt. Heinrich glanced back at Snow.

"Announce me and my intention," Snow ordered.

Heinrich's voice rang out. "Princess Snow White comes for her coronation! Make way!"

The guards didn't shoot, but they stared uneasily at the procession as it went through the gates. The nobles stared at Snow with distrustful eyes as they passed into the town surrounding the castle.

Grumpy immediately recognized that their stop in Castell had produced an unintended effect. It seemed like the citizens had reached the castle the long way on their own to see the princess's coronation. The citizens realized that the seven Dwarfs that rode with her were the same ones that came to town several times a year, and the talking began. Cheers and shouts and questions were flung around as the streets buzzed.

When they reached the castle, Heinrich dismounted and helped Snow from her horse. They all walked up the stairs toward a group of men with hard eyes. Heinrich and Bastian stood between Snow and the council, and Grumpy and the Dwarfs flanked her.

"Step aside for the princess," Heinrich ordered the men.

They didn't move. "Where's your husband?" an older man asked.

"I have no husband at the moment," Snow said, projecting her voice with a tweak of magic. "My fiancé is currently made of crystal, but we are attempting to remedy that. Now step aside, Gunter. I shall be coronated."

"Princess, our kingdom needs a good hand to rule our people."

"You mean a man?" Snow asked coldly. "Because I am next in line for the throne. You have no right to strip away my authority and give it to somebody else."

"We've been under a woman's rule for far too long, your highness," a third man said. "Besides, what could you do against whatever foul spells are cast over Findersland?"

Snow tilted her head. "That's very funny, Leo."

There was silence as the council stared at Snow in bewilderment.

"Funny, your highness?" Leo repeated.

"Yes. I recall that you were once most loyal to the family. You promised me that when you and Father got back from the war, you would help me select a horse to raise for my very own. But that didn't happen, did it? You came back from war, but Father didn't. And I didn't get a horse. I got beatings. And starvation. And lashes. All while you were parroting everything Grimhilde wanted to hear just so you would be safe from her wrath. I had none of that protection. It took a man much braver than you to defy her, and in doing so he saved my life. He was loyal to my father by doing that. Where is your loyalty to my father? Did it die with him?"

Grumpy had often seen Calida wield information like this, and he was always astounded by how bitter it could be. Leo looked as if his entire world had just crumbled around him. The man, forty years older than Snow, bowed his head in shame.

Snow turned her eyes on the other men, who no longer looked confident in their decision. "You will coronate me. I know the law of the land. Or is this treason?"

A ripple of discontent started in the crowd. "No, princess," Leo finally said.

"We won't do it," another man said. "You want to save your fiancé, but what about our kingdom? I refuse to lead your troops."

Snow White smiled. "Oh, you needn't worry about that, Adrean. I'll lead them myself. I'm certainly not staying here and doing nothing."

The men hadn't expected that, and Adrean hesitated. "Battle is no place for a lady, Princess."

"A lady I may be, but I am also my father's daughter," Snow declared. "He would not have left our ally alone, as Grimhilde did. I intend to marry Florián and secure our alliance, but things have gone very poorly for them as of late. However, we will discuss this after my coronation."

Snow stared at them expectantly, and the men began to mumble. Then the crowd stirred, and the Dwarfs distinctly heard Rowan's voice.

"Well, is it treason or not?"

The crowd grew louder and the council began to look very nervous. There were jeers and calls for Snow to be crowned and declarations that the men were traitors to the crown. Snow simply stood and smiled at them. Finally, Leo knelt down.

"Forgive me for my cowardice, your highness," he said. "You will be queen, as your father wanted."

One by one the others knelt before her, and she waved her hand. The crowd was practically roaring now, unable to hear what was being said. Snow looked at Grumpy.

"Silence them," she ordered.

Grumpy turned, cocked his arm back, and threw a ball of sparking green magic in the air. It whistled as it streaked up into the sky and exploded in a shower of sparks. Instantly, everybody went silent as they gaped up at the sky before looking down at the Dwarf.

Snow smiled. "Thank you," she said, her voice magnified even more. "Prepare for my coronation. Today is now a holiday. We shall celebrate this day, for tomorrow we prepare for war!"

There was a cheer, and Snow turned and gestured for Heinrich and the men to follow. Grumpy, Bastian, and the brothers padded up into the castle after her. The servants who had accompanied them ran to their places as controlled chaos erupted throughout the whole town. Snow led the Dwarfs and Bastian to a parlor.

"Wait here. I must prepare," she said.

Then she left with Heinrich. Grumpy sat down on the plush couch with relief. "At least they didn't hang us," he said.

"It seems the people are for Snow," Bastian replied, gingerly seating himself, as if he was afraid to ruin the furniture.

"Thank goodness," Doc said, taking the seat beside Grumpy. Bashful took Grumpy's other side and leaned against him tiredly.

"There's so many people out there," he mumbled, his face turning pink at the memory of all those eyes on them.

"It's okay," Grumpy assured him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I got you."

Bashful smiled. "I knows that."

"Good."

They spent an hour waiting for Snow to return, and when she did, she gestured for them to follow.

"Quickly now," she said. "It's almost time. You are to stand beside me as honored witnesses. You needn't say or do anything, just watch. After that, we'll go and plan our next move while the people have their holiday."

"Sounds perfect, my leer, um, dear," Doc said. "Just tell us where to stand."

There was a flurry of activity as Snow guided them through the halls as she gave them very specific instructions. Grumpy realized that they were actually being given one of the most important roles in the ceremony, to guard Snow from harm during the whole thing. Usually the nobles would have been given the honor. Snow was making a clear point that they were not in her good graces at the moment.

"And then, after my vows, there will be food and drink, but we will take them in the war room with the rest of the council," Snow finished. "As long as you all do exactly as I said, this will go smoothly."

"We'll do our quest, ah, best," Doc promised.

"Ready, your highness?"

The Dwarfs stopped when they saw Heinrich, and Grumpy smirked. The man was wearing what had to be the fanciest clothes he'd ever worn, and he looked frightened. Snow had given him an important role too, no doubt.

"Yes. Lead the Dwarfs out to stand. They know what they are to do. Then you will begin the ceremony."

"Yes, your highness," Heinrich said, bowing. "Come along."

The Dwarfs followed and spread out as they were instructed to, not saying a word. The room was packed full of nobles and commoners alike, all murmuring together excitedly, but when they saw Heinrich and the Dwarfs, they stopped talking. Bashful wasn't the only one turning red as hundreds of people stared at them. Only Grumpy remained unaffected. He simply ignored them and stood between Doc and Sneezy and scanned the room. He noticed several troublemakers at once and kept an eye on them as the ceremony began.

Heinrich announced Snow and the priest who would be crowning her. Grumpy continued to scan the crowd as the ceremony continued. He couldn't understand a lot of the words they used, but that didn't matter. What mattered were the three troublemakers he'd marked making their way through the crowd. They were planning on disrupting the ceremony. Perhaps they didn't like the thought of Snow being queen. Or perhaps Calida had made plans before her death. Whatever it was, if they tried anything, Grumpy was ready.

As Snow was reaching to take a golden staff in her hand, one of the men reared back and threw a knife. Grumpy moved fast as he threw his hand out and green sparks exploded from his fingertips. In a blink, the knife stopped midair, and before the men could run, Grumpy cast a spell and yanked them up to the front with coils of green energy. The room went silent and Snow turned as Grumpy grabbed the knife and padded over.

"Attempted assassination," Grumpy said, and he held out the knife handle-first.

Snow smiled and snapped her fingers. Instantly, a guard came over and took the blade.

"Arrest them," she said. "They will answer for their crimes later. Thank you, Grumpy."

Grumpy went back to his spot and resumed scanning the room. The brothers were much more serious now, and all shyness was gone as they watched the crowd. Thankfully, Grumpy's handling of the first situation meant no others were attempted. The people were now wary of the magic-wielding Dwarf who was favored by the soon-to-be-queen, and they behaved.

"And thus, by the power of God Almighty, I crown thee Queen of Germonia." The priest placed the crown on Snow's brow, and she stood up and faced the room.

Heinrich stepped forward. "All hail Queen Snow White of Germonia!"

The crowd bowed as one, hailing her as their new queen. Snow smiled and held out her hands. "It is an honor to be your ruler. I hope to rule as my father did, not Grimhilde. Now, let the feast begin!"

There was another cheer, and Snow swept her eyes to the Dwarfs and gestured for them to follow. Heinrich scrambled after them, and Bastian was waiting out of view off to the side. He bowed low when Snow approached.

"Hail, your highness," Bastian said. "I live to serve you."

"You may rise, Bastian," Snow said. "Come. We must go to the war room."

Bastian followed obediently, stepping behind the Dwarfs and nodding at Heinrich. Heinrich nodded back, and they all headed down several hallways to a large room with a round table. Food was already there, carried by several servants. Snow touched one of them.

"Lucille, would you please fetch the council."

"Of course, your highness," she said with a curtsy.

"Let's eat," Snow said. "Then we need to talk war. Any ideas?"

"Yep," Grumpy said. "Involves you doin' magic and a lot of thieves."

"Really?" she asked.

"If we strike from within Raverra as well as without, they won't know where to focus," Grumpy said. "And the thieves are the only ones that have a chance to get in and out of that city right now. Besides that, the wall is magic and invaders can't get in."

Sleepy blinked. "It is?"

"Oh yes," Snow said solemnly. "It's very powerful and very different than mine. I don't know what we can do about it."

"Sleepy?" Grumpy asked. "What do you think?"

Sleepy stopped mid-yawn and sat up, scratching his head. "According to the stories I done heard," he said slowly. "Only a Dwarf could do anythin' with it. It's Dwarf magic. That's why it was such a precious gift. No human sorcerer or magician could stop it or affect it."

"But I ain't a human," Grumpy said. "Could I redirect it long enough to get everybody in the city?"

"Maybe a select group of soldiers," Snow said. "I don't want to turn an army loose in the city. It's far too easy to hurt innocents."

"The thieves could help with that, too," Bastian said. "It's a good plan."

"Let me think about it. I'm hungry. Let's eat."

They all got their food and ate, waiting for the council. Grumpy thought the plan was solid enough, with the main army being a distraction for the city's soldiers while the thieves infiltrated the palace. Whether or not the council would think so was a different matter. But Snow had held her own thus far, and Grumpy knew she could keep it up. It was only a matter of time before they marched, and once again, he was somehow in the thick of it.

Oh, the things he'd do for his girls.

There was little the council had to say against their plan, and with only a bit of arguing, they were convinced. The next few days the Dwarfs spent resting as runners were sent to every nearby city to request troops. Soon, men were pouring into Altenfeld, ready to fight for their queen. Snow made the most of it, regularly greeting those coming into the city, wearing her coronation dress and a beautiful crown that had been her mother's. Her beauty was something to behold, and the people were soon in her hand.

The day they were to depart dawned clear and fair, and the whole city was buzzing with activity as the final preparations were made. The Dwarfs were up at dawn, just as Snow had wanted, and they got ready then headed for a good breakfast. There were eggs, toast, bacon, and everything else they could have wanted, and they ate well for the journey. Bastian and Heinrich, who had quickly become good friends, joined them. It was good to see the two men get along, and Heinrich was very interested in the brothers. They didn't have much time before Snow came to get them, though, and Grumpy could see Heinrich was disappointed.

"You'll have plenty of time to talk when we get on the road," Grumpy assured him as they walked to the front doors.

"You just didn't speak of them much," Heinrich said. "And I've heard stories."

"We'd be fighted, ah, delighted to speak with you," Doc assured him.

They mounted their ponies and and set off under Snow's direction, the soldiers trailing behind. Despite what he'd said, that captain who had so boldly declared he wouldn't lead the army was present and trying to speak to Snow. She was pleasant but distant, and that left the two men and seven Dwarfs to talk, which they did all the way to the border. Heinrich was amenable to telling the tale of his adventure with Grumpy from his own point of view, so they listened with glee as Grumpy tried to ignore the discomfort gnawing at his gut. He didn't like hearing stories told about himself. It was strange. Still, he didn't stop it, and it grew less uncomfortable the longer Heinrich talked.

When the border came into view after several days of hard marching, Snow halted her forces and gestured for the Dwarfs, Heinrich, Bastian, and several officers to follow. She guided her horse forward, and they approached the gate.

"You're ready, Grumpy?" Snow asked.

"Yep," Grumpy said. "I follow your lead, your majesty."

"Then let us proceed," Snow said.

With a simple spell, Snow's voice boomed loud enough to be heard by everybody within a mile. "I am Snow White, Queen of Germonia! You shall let me pass! I come to protect my allies in Findersland!"

There was a scramble at the gate, and Grumpy slipped off of his pony as Bastian dropped off his horse and padded over to his old friend. Doc squeezed Grumpy's shoulder then stepped back as Bastian grasped the other one. As the first arrows fired, Grumpy and Bastian disappeared in a flash of silver and green. Snow simply scoffed and sat still on her horse as the arrows missed her and the others by several feet every time. The army began murmuring behind her, wondering no doubt why nothing was touching her and her entourage. Though the Dwarfs and Heinrich didn't seem surprised, the officers did, and they flinched at every shot. Snow simply sat there, waiting for Grumpy and Bastian.

After flashing across the border into the gatehouse, Bastian and Grumpy looked around to find themselves in a storage room. Grumpy took up the orb with the countercurse and held it tightly in his fist. Bastian whistled, and several guards came in to see what the noise was. Grumpy knew from their dazed looks that they were under the curse, so he sent a burst of magic into the orb then threw it down in front of them. The flash of light and pulse of magic stunned them, and Grumpy and Bastian had to blink several times before the world came back into focus. The gate guards in the room had lost their dazed looks, and they gazed at the two intruders in astonishment.

"What's going on? What are you doing here? State your business!" one of them said.

Grumpy pulled out a note and handed it over. "Message from Queen Snow White of Germonia."

The guards read it then looked at him. "Cursed?" one asked in a strangled voice.

"Not anymore," Bastian said, picking up the orb and tossing it to Grumpy. "But your companions are still under the spell and firing at the queen and her army."

"What do we do, sir?" another asked.

"Get me up there," Grumpy said, pointing up toward the top of the gate. "And I'll remove the spell on everybody we meet. Come on, Snow's waitin'."

"Yes, sir," they chorused, then turned and led the way up.

Grumpy continued to cast the countercurse on anybody he met, quickly refining his casts to be the most efficient. By the time they reached the top, most of the guards were aware and bewildered, but they followed their captain's orders, which were to get these strangers to the top.

When they got there, Grumpy tossed out the orb and made sure to capture the rest of the men with the spell. One more blinding burst of silver light, and silence reigned. Grumpy sent up a burst of green light then turned to the captain.

"We need to get through. Open the gates. Then we'll go down and speak to Snow,."

"Open the gates," the captain ordered, then the men trooped down the stairs and out of the gatehouse. Snow had reined in her horse by the door with the rest of the entourage as the army marched through the gates. She swung off the saddle as Grumpy and Bastian led the men over.

"Were they under the spell?" Snow asked Grumpy, her hand on the hilt of a knife.

"Yes, your highness," Grumpy said, bowing. "They won't fight anymore."

The men bowed low, and Snow nodded. "Arise. Tell me what you remember of the last month."

The men couldn't give her much after a messenger arrived from Raverra.

"I cannot remember the message, your majesty," the captain said. "But I do know that everything changed when the messenger got here."

"I see. You have done well to let me in. You may join the army to free your rulers if you so wish."

"I will come with a dozen fine men," the captain said. "It's all we can spare from here. For king and country, men!"

Snow waited for them to gather what they needed then brought the men to the front of the ranks.

"What are you doing, your highness?" Adrean asked.

Snow turned to him. "These men are defending their own kingdom, thus they deserve the honor of fighting first. We are their allies, yes, but they are citizens."

The men beamed at Snow as she gave the order to march. They stayed on the main road and went through several cities, gathering more men as they went. Those who were important enough in their communities had all been cast under Holda's spell, and they were absolutely outraged by the indignity. The ranks swelled as they continued on, with Snow up front. Her beautiful, fair face gave the men courage to march toward what could very well be another horrible spell or even death.

When Raverra finally came into view, Snow turned off the path and gave the orders to make camp. She brought her council, which now included Heinrich as well as the Dwarfs and Bastian to a secluded hill where they could observe Raverra.

"Alright, Bastian. Do you and Grumpy still think we can get in?" she asked, gazing at the impressive wall.

"Yes, your highness. We have ways in and out of just about every city that are hard to cover," Bastian said.

"And just why are you sneaking in and out of cities?"Adrean asked.

"That is none of your concern," Snow said firmly. "The important part is that he knows how to get in. We need Grumpy on top of that wall if we can get him there. The closer he is, the easier it will be for him to manipulate it."

"How can you trust him?" Adrean asked. "He's a Dwarf with magic."

"And I am a woman with magic," Snow said tartly. "His magic is not why I trust him. It's because he's a good man. The magic is just a part of him."

There was a long pause then Adrean spoke. "You have magic?"

"Yes," Snow said. "I was born with it."

Silence.

"Make sure everybody eats well, captain," Snow said. "In the morning, we begin our assault."

"Yes, your highness," Adrean said.

"The council is dismissed. Except for you, Heinrich. You stay."

Adrean and the rest of the council walked away, leaving Snow with the Dwarfs, Heinrich, and Bastian. Heinrich relaxed a little.

"Well, that's that. What's the plan?"

"You will be in charge out here. I don't trust Adrean," Snow said.

"What about you?" Heinrich asked.

"I am going with Grumpy and Bastian. You will stay with the others and lead the siege. When the command is given, a small contingent of soldiers are to come into the city, along with Doc and his brothers. I need two hundred men who will obey without question my order to not kill civilians. They are to defend them and subdue any opposition without killing anybody if they can help it. I need you to find me those men before bed tonight and bring them to me. I have special instructions for all of them."

"At once, your majesty," Heinrich said, and he bowed.

"You are dismissed."

Heinrich hurried away, muttering names under his breath. They watched him go, then Grumpy spoke.

"Want me to cut your hair again?"

"Would it help?"

"It would stay out of your eyes," Grumpy replied.

Snow brushed back the fringe of hair that kept falling over her eyes. "Then yes. Let's eat and then you can cut my hair. You have everything for my disguise?"

"Yep. Nobody will even recognize you as a boy. Until it's too late," Grumpy added with a grin.

"She's expecting me," Snow said softly. "And I bet she'll think I'm out here being protected. I want to surprise her. It gives us an edge."

"It does," Bastian agreed. "Now, food and rest. We have a big day tomorrow."

After they ate a good supper, Grumpy took out his knife and cut Snow's hair. She didn't cry this time, but she also wasn't very happy about it. Still, it no longer fell into her eyes, which had been a constant irritation for the whole march to Raverra. When he was done, Grumpy cleaned his knife then put it away, squinting critically at his work.

"It'll do," he said. He sat down and stretched, his eyes on the fire. Then he straightened and turned to Bastian. "Did you say Adele has a shop here?"

"Yep," Bastian said.

"Then I know where I'm sending you once we get through the wall. She can help."

"She can," Bastian said. "I'll get her and bring her into the thick of things. She'll do it for you."

"One of your girls?" Snow asked.

"Yep," Grumpy said. "Adele was a special case. It was more necessity than she wouldn't go away."

"She tried to go away," Bastian chuckled. "Several times. And you dragged her back every time."

"Damn straight. That girl needed help," Grumpy muttered.

"I can't wait to meet another one of your girls," Snow said.

"I can't wait to treat, ah, meet just one of them," Doc said.

"Didn't you meet her already?" Grumpy asked.

"Have we?" Doc asked.

Grumpy squinted at him then held out his hand. Green sparks flew from his fingertips and Doc gave a startled cry as something inside of him roiled.

"That's her magic, all right," Grumpy said. "She cast a spell on you. You have to have met her."

There was a long pause then Dopey began shaking with laughter. Happy joined in. "You mean that magic woman was one of your girls?" he asked gleefully.

"Well no wonder she was so friendly with us," Sneezy said. "She seemed to know you, anyhow. Said she'd help us find you."

"Probably sensed the magic in your stones," Grumpy said. "I gots real strange-feelin' magic, bein' a Dwarf."

"She threw, erm, knew who we were without asking," Doc said. "At least she knew my name."

"After she touched your diamond," Sleepy yawned. "Must be personal magic."

"I wove the spells specific for each of you, but they'll work with all of you," Grumpy said. "So that's how she knew."

Doc gazed at Grumpy for a few moments. "Thank you," he finally said.

"For what?"

"Protecting us. We had no idea what you were stewing, ah, doing."

Grumpy shrugged. "After what I done, I promised myself nobody would ever hurt you like I did again. I made sure of it."

There was contemplative silence for a few minutes before Snow stood. "We should rest. Grumpy, come to my tent before breakfast tomorrow morning. I want to be disguised before anybody else sees me."

"Sure." Grumpy stood up. "We're gonna set up our tents. Get me when those men are ready. I'll give them their gifts."

"Excellent. Now if you'll excuse me, I must talk with Adrean."

She walked away, her bright dress a spot of color amongst the soldiers. Their faces glowed with love and loyalty for their queen, who was out among them even on the battlefield.

"She's quite a woman," Bastian said.

"Yep," Grumpy said.

"Why do you get so many of them?"

"Oh, don't you start that again!" Grumpy exclaimed.

Doc watched with great amusement as Bastian teased Grumpy. He and the others could tell Grumpy didn't mind because he fired back at every quip. Then Doc turned his eyes to the city. Tomorrow, Grumpy would part from them to sneak into the city. The danger of their plan didn't escape him. Even if they all had some protection, there was still that witch Holda. Her magic could do damage to them and their protection charms, so the closer they got, the more danger they would be in, and they had to get as close as possible. Because Snow had decided what to do to punish her for trying to kill her. Her magic was so important to her, but it was learned. That meant that it could be taken away. To do that, they'd have to practically touch her.

Doc couldn't help but worry that after all their progress, Grumpy might be taken away from them. Permanently. But even he knew there was no going back now.

Grumpy was up early and made his way to Snow's tent to help her into her disguise. Doc followed him, curious to see the transformation. Snow was waiting patiently in a dress and a pair of trousers. Grumpy set out the supplies then turned to Snow, and she knelt down.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be," she sighed.

"Dress off then," Grumpy said.

Grumpy and Doc kept their eyes averted until she had settled back down then Grumpy picked up the binding cloth and aligned it. He handed it over to Snow, who filled her lungs as she wrapped the cloth securely and adjusted it. Grumpy took the cloth, lined it up, then tightened it and bound her with a burst of magic. She turned for Grumpy's appraisal, and he nodded and tossed her the shirt. Doc studied her form, amazed.

"That is undebtable, erm, incredible," he murmured.

"And uncomfortable," Snow said grimly.

"You listen here, Snow," Grumpy said sternly as she settled in for the rest of her disguise. "You get into any sort of scrap, you snap this bindin' open, you hear me? You could really hurt yourself if you don't. Broken ribs ain't fun."

"Yeah, yeah. You talk too much," Snow teased in her disguised voice.

Doc frowned for a moment, bewildered, then Grumpy snickered. "Watch it, girlie. And I mean it."

"I know," Snow said, her voice soft and low. "And I will if I get the chance. You know how feelings can affect our magic."

"They can?" Doc asked, watching as Grumpy began brushing something over Snow's lips to hide their rosy color.

"Yep," Grumpy said. "You get too scared, it's hard to concentrate enough to use your own magic. You get too angry, and it'll burst out. Usually it's one extreme or the other. Can vary person to person, and it can change as you get older."

"Your magic fascinates me," Doc admitted. "It feels foolish to have been so afraid of it for so long."

"Magic can be very dangerous, Doc," Grumpy said. "I've told Dopey a hundred times that I ain't gonna teach him magic because gettin' it wrong can be awful bad." He paused and squirmed a little. "And I didn't want to upset you. Because it would have."

"You're not throng, um, wrong," Doc said. "But if he's still interested, I would trust you to teach him well."

Grumpy flushed with pleasure, and he stepped back and squinted at Snow to try and hide it. "Okay, Kasper. You look fine. Yeah, Doc?"

"She looks like an entirely different person," Doc agreed.

"Good," Snow said, standing. "Let's go speak to the council. Then Grumpy, Bastian, and I need to get inside Raverra."

The three of them headed out for the meeting tent that served as the war room. Doc and Grumpy pushed inside, followed by Snow. As soon as Snow straightened, there was a snappish shout.

"Hey, you don't belong in here, boy!"

Grumpy came at him. "Don't you talk to the queen like that," he snarled.

"Queen?!" they all asked.

Snow smiled. "Yes, it is I, and I will hear nothing about it. I am going with Grumpy and Bastian to sneak inside the city. This is my disguise, and I'd say it's enough to fool anybody who doesn't know me, and many who do."

Heinrich chuckled as the others looked astounded. "I wondered why your hair was cut so short, your highness. But I'm not surprised. Grumpy disguised you, yes?"

"Yes, and you know where he learned it from?" Snow asked.

"Yes, your highness," Heinrich said. "What are your orders?"

"You make sure those selected soldiers have their gifts on them before you march. They must have them," Snow said firmly. "You will stay with Doc and the others and they will give you the cue to march toward the city. The two hundred soldiers will be up front and will await another cue from Doc to rush the gate. The rest of you will be a distraction out here. Draw as many guards as possible to the wall. Use any diversionary tactics necessary to keep them guessing."

"Yes, your highness," Heinrich said.

"Remember, this is more a show of force and a distraction than an actual war. I want as few casualties as possible."

"Yes, your highness," the council chorused. They hadn't been able to take their eyes off their disguised queen, trying to recognize the girl underneath. Only her keen, sparkling eyes betrayed her as royalty and not a street urchin.

"Judge not based on appearances," Adrean muttered to himself.

"Beg pardon?" Snow asked crisply.

"Forgive me for my doubts, my queen," Adrean said, speaking up. "I didn't realize how far you would go."

"Kinda funny, that," Grumpy said. "Considering who her Pa was."

The council stared at Snow as Adrean responded. "A mistake I will not make again, I assure you."

"You have your orders. We need to move before sunrise," Snow said. "Grumpy?"

"Just need to get Bastian, and we can go," Grumpy said. "We'll flash down near the wall then sneak through."

"Then let's get him."

Doc and Grumpy followed her out toward Bastian's tent. Bastian had removed everything from his pack by firelight and had selected what he wanted for the raid. Grumpy had done the same thing the night before, and he already had everything stored.

"Almost ready?"

"Just about," Bastian replied. He placed the last few items in his pockets then swept his eyes over his things. "That's it. I'm ready. When do we go?"

"Just have to get the countercurse," Grumpy said.

Doc was quiet as they made their way to the Dwarfs' tents. Everybody else was already up, even Sleepy, and they turned to gaze at the four of them as they walked over. Grumpy ducked into the tent he was sharing with Doc and Bashful while Doc rejoined his brothers.

The six of them watched as Grumpy came out, tucking a small magic pouch into his belt. There was so much stored in there, and Grumpy had suggested they help him clean it out when they get home. Just the fact that he was so open about his magic, the very thing he'd hidden from them for over a decade, reassured the brothers that things had changed permanently between them for the better. They knew about his past, too, including his theft of their dearest treasures, and that hadn't changed their love and affection for him. They still wanted to know more and to explain so many things that Grumpy needed to hear. With the battle looming before them that day, they realized that they might never get to tell him.

Doc stepped forward and touched Grumpy, who glanced at him. Then he softened and turned and hugged Doc.

"I'll see you soon."

"Will you?" Doc asked shakily.

There was no way of knowing what would happen, but Grumpy snorted and pulled out the seven gems he'd gathered as a young Dwarf and handed each of them one. He tucked the orange one back in his pocket without looking at it, and the others stared appreciatively at the gems.

"Different kind of spell than the others, but it should fit together to help keep us safe. And this time, I have one, too."

Doc relaxed a little, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that Grumpy was in danger. "Be safe?"

"Yes, mother hen," Grumpy teased.

Doc flushed and smiled a little, and Grumpy hugged him again. After saying goodbye, Grumpy took Snow's and Bastian's hands and stepped back. He cast the spell in front of him, searching for a sign along the wall, and then he found it.

"For queen and country," Grumpy said, grinning at the brothers.

"And clan and kin," Sleepy added. "Don't you forget you're a Dwarf, because it ain't a bad thing."

Grumpy nodded, swept his eyes over them one more time, then stepped into the sheet of silver. When the magic faded, he saw the secret tunnel and gestured Snow forward.

"Gonna be a bit of a crawl. Remember to breathe," he said softly.

They all dropped to their knees and slipped under the wall. They crawled for a minute or so then came up in a wide space. It was an old guardhouse built into the wall, and judging from the state of the room, it had been long forgotten by the crown. The thieves guild had made it their own storehouse, and several men looked up as they stood.

"Bastian! And… Ivan?" an older man said. He gaped. "You really are back!"

"Not quite," Grumpy said. "But we gotta do somethin' important. This here is the Queen of Germonia, Snow White. Call her Kasper."

The man began to laugh. "Another one! You have another girl! Are you ever going to stop?"

"Who knows? Now this is serious. We're gonna take down the woman who usurped the crown," Grumpy said.

The men leaned forward with interest. "Can we help?"

"I wouldn't have told you if you couldn't, Niall. Now spread the word to the thieves that we need to cause chaos. Controlled chaos. We need this city boiling, and tell them it's for Queen Snow White."

"But that would draw attention to us," Niall argued. "The guards are already strictly monitoring things."

"If they're arrested, I will take care of it personally," Snow promised. "But they should try not to purposefully kill anybody. We only need a distraction until it's time to start the siege."

"Siege!" Niall exclaimed. "What is going on?"

"War, my dear fellow," Snow said lightly. "Now I suggest you go. We need to get out of here and get our soldiers through the wall."

"We will," Grumpy said. "Get to it, Niall. And get as many people as possible. We need the city in an uproar."

Niall and the others grinned. "Sounds like fun."

"Let's move, Kas," Grumpy ordered.

Grumpy, Bastian, and Snow slipped into the streets and began making their way toward the gates. Snow's cocky stride had improved since she'd first posed as a boy, and nobody gave her a second glance. But people were giving Grumpy nervous glances. Bastian slowed.

"I'll be back in a minute," he mumbled.

Grumpy and Snow continued on, and now they noticed the guards coming toward them. "Snow? Plan B."

"Bastian?" she asked.

"I can give him half a minute. Somethin's wrong."

Bastian suddenly came running and grabbed his hand. The guards surged forward, and Grumpy snagged Snow and flashed them on top of the wall.

"Snow?" Grumpy asked.

"Yes."

Grumpy twanged his magic, and there was a call as the army began to march forward. The regiment of two hundred men were moving faster, and Grumpy shivered, suddenly unsure.

"I don't know, Snow. What if I can't do it?"

"Then we'll find another way," Snow said. "But you can. You're a Dwarf, Grumpy. And you've never been anything more or less."

Grumpy closed his eyes and reached his magic into the wall. A powerful wave of sensation engulfed him, and he was suddenly connected to magic that was like his own. It tangled with him and filled him with purpose. Protect, it said, and that's just what Grumpy intended to do. But this time the enemy was within the walls. Gathering the power into his hands, he relaxed and ordered the magic to let in the army. Wave after wave of sensation and history and memory passed over him as he saw flashes of other Dwarfs with magic as they built their families and clans and gave a precious gift to the Men who had given so much for them. It was never-ending, and he reveled in whatever was happening.

Snow's magic washed over him and snapped him out of it. Grumpy blinked and saw guards surging around them. Bastian was fighting with two men and Snow was shielding the three of them.

"They're through. Let's move!"

Grumpy nodded and dashed forward to help Bastian, Snow on his heels. Sliding between the legs of one of the men, Grumpy hit the backs of his knees and he crumpled. Pulling the orb out of hiding, he cast the countercurse and both men stiffened.

"What's going on?" one of them asked.

Grumpy, Snow, and Bastian didn't answer. Snagging both of them, Grumpy took a running leap off the wall. In a burst of silver and green, they flashed to the ground where the brothers were waiting with relieved smiles.

"No time, let's move!" Grumpy ordered when Doc looked ready to hug him. "Bastian, stay on Kasper's tail, you hear me? We've got to get inside, but she needs to stay hidden until we break them royals out of the spell. Kasper, stay with Bastian, and Bastian, go get Adele and bring her to the palace!"

Bastian and Snow took off running, and Grumpy turned to the brothers. "Where does the escape tunnel come out?"

"We couldn't open it back up," Sleepy argued. "It's one way."

Grumpy grinned and flexed his fingers. Green sparks burst from his hand. "Not for me," he said. "Now show me."

As chaos reigned around them, the Dwarfs all grinned at each other then they turned and ran through the crowd toward the secret tunnel that would lead them right into the palace gardens.

The siege, riot, and magic battle had taken all of an hour and a half, but going through the troops and settling them in where they could took the rest of the day. The sun was going down by the time Snow, Bastian, and the Dwarfs walked up the palace steps. The guards stepped out and held out their hands.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" Snow demanded.

"Oh, your highness!" they murmured and backed off.

"Thank you. Now resume your posts."

They did so and the party made their way up the steps, across the upper courtyard, and into the castle. As soon as they were spotted, a servant bustled over.

"The queen wishes to speak with you, princess," she said.

"Thank you, Olivia. And I am queen of Germonia now," Snow said kindly.

"So sorry, your highness," Olivia said and curtsied.

"Where are we meeting?" Snow asked.

"If you'll all follow me."

They did so, through the halls to the same parlor as the royals had been frozen in. Isabela was seated on a sofa and sipping tea, while Florián and his father talked by the fireplace. As soon as the party came in, they straightened and gazed intently at them.

"Thank you," Isabela said to Olivia, who curtsied again and left, shutting the doors behind her.

Florián hurried for Snow and embraced her. "Oh, Snow, you're okay."

Snow pulled away from him and cocked an eyebrow. "I should be saying that to you. I wasn't turned to crystal."

Florián grinned. "I suppose that's true. But what have you been doing? According to the servants, we've lost over a month of time. And look at you!"

Snow looked down at her boyish form then back up. "What about it?"

"You look nothing like yourself."

"Should probably take off that bindin'," Grumpy said. "And have Doc take a look at it. I'm sure you're bruised again."

"My ribs are rather tender," Snow admitted. "Doc? Please come with me to my room. I'll be back to speak with you, Florián, when I'm more comfortable."

Isabela stood up. "I'll have a servant fetch a proper doctor."

"No," Snow said firmly. "Doc will do just fine. Come along."

Doc followed her out, leaving the rest of the Dwarfs and Bastian with the royals. Isabela leveled an angry gaze on them.

"Who are you?" Florián asked Bastian.

"Bastian Thistlewhite, at your service," Bastian said, bowing. "I'm with him." He gestured at Grumpy.

"Why is it always you?" Florián asked, flashing his white teeth in an amused grin.

"I don't know," Grumpy said. "But I sure am tired of it."

Florián shook his head. "Can't blame you. Now what happened?"

"Sleepy can tell you," Grumpy said.

"Me?" Sleepy squeaked, suddenly wide awake.

"Yep. And I'll help."

It was only the promise of seeing the story play out with magic that got Sleepy to plod over to the fireplace and stand there, looking at the royals as if he would faint. Grumpy waved his hand and the smoke began to shimmer green as a wedding invitation flashed across the smoke. Having a firm place to start, Sleepy took a breath and began to talk. Just like Grumpy knew he would, Sleepy quickly lost himself in the telling of the tale. Nobody besides Grumpy noticed when Snow and Doc came back in, and they joined the crowd to listen as Sleepy captivated his audience.

Grumpy was grateful that Sleepy curated the story so that the bits about his past he wasn't keen on sharing with just anybody were brushed over with a featherlight stroke. Somehow he didn't think the king and queen would approve of his previous mode of employment, and there were some things he wanted to keep between himself and the brothers. Sleepy breezed through it while keeping up the suspense and intrigue until he finished with the defeat of Holda and her being turned over to Snow. When his voice faded, there was a long, thoughtful pause. Then Snow spoke, startling everybody.

"It all seems like such an adventure when you put it that way," Snow said. She hugged her ribs and winced. "It was much harder than the story makes it sound."

"Always is, Snow," Grumpy said. "But it's over now and you can get hitched."

"All the preparations were wasted," Isabela said irritably. "They were used for Holda to crown herself."

"Then we will simply begin again," Snow said.

"It will take weeks!" Isabela snapped.

"And I'm willing to wait that long, Isabela," Snow said, her eyes hard. "It took me over a month to free you from your crystal prison. I'm not giving up now just because you don't approve of me."

Isabela stared at Snow as Florián turned to his mother. "Still?" he demanded. "What more can you ask of her, Mother?"

Isabela didn't answer. Ferdinand came up behind her and embraced her. "It's hard to lose you, son."

Florián raised his eyebrows. "Is that what this is about?"

"We are not discussing that now," Isabela said, cutting her eyes at the Dwarfs.

"If it pleases you, Snow, we'll take our leave," Doc said carefully, taking the cue.

"Shall I call somebody to take you to your rooms?" Snow asked.

"Are we still in the same ones?" Grumpy asked.

"Yes."

"Then no."

Grumpy turned and cast out a sheet of silver. He gestured Bastian over, and he bowed to Snow before leaving. The brothers waved at the gaping royals before going through. Grumpy waited for a moment then turned to Snow.

"Don't you do nothin' else today," he said.

"Yes, mother hen," Snow teased.

Grumpy met her eyes then turned around to go through the portal. Just before he did, he snapped his fingers in a burst of green sparks, and Snow screamed in surprise.

"Grumpy!"

"Watch it, girlie," he teased back, and the last thing he heard before he cut off the portal was Florián laughing. The others had already shrugged out of their packs and were stretching and wincing. Grumpy padded over to the bell pull and tugged on it. Several minutes later, Rafael came in. He scanned them all then smiled.

"A bath?" he guessed.

"With rags," Grumpy agreed.

"Sure thing." He paused then looked around. "How many again?"

"No need to speak in code now," Grumpy said dismissively. "But keep me posted on the news."

Rafael relaxed. "That I can do. I can hardly keep all the codes straight. Don't have the best memory."

"Codes?" Sleepy asked with interest.

So while Rafael drew them a hot bath and gathered rags and soap, Grumpy and Bastian explained the code system that the underworld used.

"So it wasn't just thieves?" Sneezy asked.

"We have our own system, and it's far more complicated," Bastian said. "But there is a simple system that is agreed upon by most unsavory folk. Usually it's coded phrases, but the ones used depend on which kingdom you're in."

"Boy, that's nifty," Happy said, grinning.

"It is if you don't depend on it," Grumpy said softly.

Happy sobered a little. "I suppose that's true."

"Your bath is ready," Rafael said. "And may I ask who this man is?"

"Bastian. He's a friend," Grumpy said.

"And somebody is aware he's here?"

"Snow is," Doc said quickly. "But she's currently squeaking, ah, speaking with the king and queen." His cheeks went red and he scuffed his boot.

"Very good. Would you like supper?"

"Yes please!" Happy burst out.

"If it ain't too much trouble," Bashful added.

"It's my job, sir," Rafael said, smiling.

Bashful blushed. "Sir?" he mumbled, twisting his beard in his hands.

"Thanks. Supper would be nice," Grumpy said.

"Right away," Rafael said, and he left.

"Let's get washed," Grumpy said.

They all stripped off on the way to the washroom and scrubbed themselves thoroughly with hot water and soap. They were soon refreshed and in their nightshirts waiting for dinner. Bastian put on a spare pair of trousers, as he claimed he didn't have a nightshirt.

"Then what do you sleep in?" Bashful asked.

"He don't sleep in anythin' if he can help it," Grumpy said.

Bashful snapped his mouth shut and went red again as Bastian snickered. "Hey, when it's just you, why care?"

"Dwarfs don't think that way," Grumpy said.

"Fair enough, rockhead," Bastian conceded.

It was at that point that Rafael knocked before he wheeled in a cart full of food. "Will you need anything else?" he asked.

"No. Thanks," Grumpy said.

The servant left again and the group focused on getting a good, filling meal. The food was some of the best they'd ever had, and Happy in particular was very contented with the meal. After they ate, they lit a small fire and sat around talking. Bastian didn't join in, and during a lull in the conversation, Grumpy focused on him.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do now," Bastian said faintly.

"What do you mean?" Grumpy asked.

Bastian scoffed. "Look at me, Grumpy. I can't be a thief anymore. Without the guild's protection, I'm not risking my neck just to take what I never wanted to take in the first place. But what can I do? I'm no spring chicken. I'm too old to learn a skill, and I have nobody to teach me."

Bastian wilted and stared into the fire. Grumpy plopped down beside him. "I'll talk to Snow."

"No need. I'll figure something out," Bastian said quickly.

"No. You're gonna listen this time. You ain't the only one in this spot. There's got to be something she can do. Especially for you."

"Oh, come off it," Bastian muttered.

"What? You think she won't reward you for what you've done?" Grumpy challenged. "You've got another thing comin'. You helped her friends find us, helped us at Cliffside, escorted her to Castell, then to her coronation, then to Raverra. And then you helped her break into the city and restore her fiancé and his kingdom, and you protected her the whole time! You've got riches of some sort comin' your way, and you'd better start thinking of a favor if she asks one of you."

A shy smile crossed Bastian's face. "I guess you've got a point, rockhead."

"Anytime, butterfingers," Grumpy said, nudging him. "How were Snow's ribs, Doc?"

Doc shook his head. "Very badly bruised. She was still too excited to steal, ah, feel it. She'll need a potion, I'm sure."

"I'll make her a strong one," Grumpy said. "Me and Sleepy can go to the library right now."

"That would be best."

So Grumpy dug around in his pack until he found the right book then copied out the ingredients. Sleepy said his rhyme, and Grumpy hesitated and glanced back. "If you want to see…?"

Dopey grinned and nodded.

"If you don't mind," Bashful said.

"Keep your hands to yourselves outside, and you can each pick somethin' to read," Grumpy said. "No playin' or roughhousing."

"Deal," they agreed.

They spent half an hour at the library while Grumpy gathered ingredients for his potions, and the brothers were enthralled by the magic there. All sorts of folk were around, from Fey to Men to Dwarfs, and they watched as the various peoples talked and studied. By the time they got back, Snow was sitting there with Bastian. Grumpy greeted her then hurriedly set up his potion-making tools and promised he'd have something ready soon.

"I appreciate it," Snow said. She set aside her cup of tea and winced. "And that goes for all of you. I appreciate all you've done for me. You will be richly rewarded."

"Your happiness is reward enough, Snow," Grumpy said.

"Nonsense. And I want to start with you, Bastian. What would you like?"

Bastian hesitated. "I have something in mind… but it might be too much."

"Name it and we shall see," Snow said.

Bastian took a breath. "You know that I've never had a job. I have no skills in any trade or even in simple labor."

"And you want me to find you a place to train you in some skill?" Snow asked, her eyes shining.

"No. I mean, yes, but no," Bastian said. "I got to thinking about what would be a proper reward. And I think I'd like to ask if you'll find a place not just for myself, but for as many of us as are willing to work for a living."

Snow gazed at him. "What made you think to ask for that?"

Bastian grinned and gestured at Grumpy. "I asked myself what he'd ask for. He's the most selfless person I know."

Grumpy's face reddened, and he tugged his hat over his face as a ripple of affectionate laughter rang through the room.

"I think it's a reasonable request," Snow said. "We can compose a message that you can take to the guild as my personal messenger. And then, once all that is sorted, we'll get you a position."

Bastian lit up. "You are most gracious, your highness," he said.

"As for the rest of you, you may think on it. You may each make one request that I will try my damndest to grant."

"Snow White! A queen doesn't squawk, erm talk like that!" Doc cried in exasperation.

Snow gave a mischievous grin. "If you insist, Doc."

"I do, dadgum it," Doc muttered, flushing.

They all laughed and settled in for a nice chat as Grumpy carefully measured and crushed and mixed ingredients into a strong healing potion. For the first time in a very long time, things were restful. There were still many preparations to be made, sure, but for the moment, they had time to breathe and enjoy each other's company. So they did.

Over the next few days, Snow and Ferdinand rewarded their soldiers and allowed them to decide whether to stay or not. Many of the Germonians went back home, but a few stayed, including Heinrich, who Snow officially appointed as an advisor, giving him quite the promotion. He was sent to Germonia to get his family so that they could be her honored guests at her wedding, which would be held in three weeks' time. The rest of the council was sent home to make arrangements for as many people as wanted to see their queen be married. In the meantime, preparations were in order.

Florián took no time in procuring whatever Doc and the others needed to craft a crown that would be befitting of Snow instead of the trash his parents had unwittingly paid for. They were granted access to the palace forge, an honor that they intended to make full use of. Rolling up their sleeves, they set to work crafting a crown for Snow.

Though Grumpy wasn't willing to go into the forges with the brothers, that didn't mean he wasn't busy. He helped Bastian organize the thieves and talk to them about what they wanted to do with their lives now that they were free of the guild. Most of the younger thieves would be easy to place, as there was always a demand for young apprentices, but for thieves like Bastian, it would be a lot harder. Many of them had been thieves for so long that they didn't know what to do with themselves.

One day, Bastian came hurrying in with a grin, his eyes dancing. "I have great news."

"Eh?" Grumpy asked, glancing up from his notes.

"Zander's here!"

"Zander?" Grumpy asked. He thought for a moment. "That kid from Castell?"

Bastian burst out laughing and turned to call through the doorway. "Told you he'd remember you."

Zander came in, and he stared at Grumpy with wonder. "Guess it was worth it."

"What was?"

"Finding those treasures."

Grumpy looked up sharply. "Don't go jokin' about that."

"I'm not," Zander said, and he pulled out a roll of papers. "And I did you one better than that." He held out the papers. "When I promised them whatever they wanted made by Dwarfs, they gladly designed what they wanted in exchange for the treasures."

Grumpy dropped his notes and snagged the papers, his eyes roving over the information as he shuffled through them. There were four family names jotted down, and they lived in several different towns in Germonia, all wanting Dwarf-made jewelry. Another family lived in Findersland. That was the family with Doc's pocket watch. What they all wanted in return was extravagant, but he couldn't blame them.

"How am I supposed to make this?" Grumpy asked, wilting. Then he snapped his fingers. "I know what I'm askin' Snow for. Come on, both of you."

He hopped up and they headed for the palace. The guards nodded respectfully to Grumpy and Bastian, keeping an eye on Zander. Grumpy sent out a burst of magic to find her then hurried to her room and knocked. She answered, her smile becoming a bit cautious when she saw Zander.

"I need to talk to you," Grumpy said. "I know what I'm askin' for, but I need to explain."

"Go to the red parlor. I'll meet you there in ten minutes," Snow said.

Grumpy did so, tugging on the bell pull when he got there. As Zander stared around the fine room in wonder, a girl came to the door. "Yes, sir?" she asked Grumpy.

"We need tea," Grumpy said. "Whatever Snow likes best."

"Right away, sir," she said, curtsying.

Grumpy sat down and shuffled through the papers again. The designs were exquisite, and they would be simple for the brothers to follow. Crafting them was another matter entirely. But if Snow was willing to go along with his idea, he could give them the surprise of a lifetime. Depending on how the summer and autumn went, he might even be able to do it during the winter holidays.

Snow came in, followed by the servant girl pushing a cart with tea and snacks. "Thank you, Leila," she said. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, your highness," Leila said, and with another curtsy, she left.

Snow peered at Zander then turned to Grumpy. "Is your request to place him somewhere specific?"

"This is Zander," Grumpy said. "And he found their treasures."

Snow's mouth fell open and her eyes lit up. "Oh, did you really?" she asked. "Well certainly that deserves a reward!"

"Oh, no, miss! I mean, uh, your highness," Zander said quickly. "I don't know what we're doing here. He said to follow, and I followed."

"What is your request then, Grumpy?" Snow asked.

Grumpy handed over the papers, and Snow took the time to read the notes and take in the designs. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I'd like you to help me surprise them," Grumpy said. "Say those designs are from your friends, and they can make them themselves. Then you tell me to deliver them personally, I go off and trade them, then get home and surprise them."

Snow peered at Grumpy then laughed. "You needn't waste your request on that. I will gladly do this for you."

Grumpy relaxed. "Thanks. Let me see those." He scanned the papers carefully. "Ain't nothin' about their treasures on the designs," he said. He took out the pages of notes about the families then handed the designs over. "Give them out to them. That's one for each of them. Except Dopey."

"Did I miss one?" Zander asked in alarm.

"Naw. Dopey never got one. His pa died before he could make him what he wanted," Grumpy said.

"Oh. That's unfortunate," Zander said. He scratched his head. "What are you going to do for him if you can't surprise him like the others?"

Grumpy shrugged. "Don't know. I'll think of somethin'."

"I'll give these to them tonight, and I shall express my fervent desire to have these gifts be the best they can be," Snow said.

Grumpy grinned. "Sounds good, Snow." He sipped his tea. "Now you can reward Zander," he said.

"What?" Zander asked, flushing.

"Of course, of course," Snow said. "What sort of work would you like to do?"

"Work?" Zander asked blankly.

Bastian began to explain about the help Snow was giving the former thieves in rehabilitating now that the guild was gone, but Grumpy studied the notes, determined to memorize the information. The less he took out these notes, the better. He'd seal them away in the magic portion of his pack so the brothers wouldn't accidentally find them and ruin the surprise. It would be perfect.

After half an hour, Zander left with Bastian, assuring Snow he would think about what he'd like to do with the rest of his life. Snow leafed through the designs as Grumpy continued to silently study the notes.

"He found them," Snow said as she returned to the sofa. "He actually found them."

"I know," Grumpy said. "Didn't expect him to." He paused. "Persistent kid."

"Oh, he's not a kid anymore," Snow said.

"Nope. But he still is persistent," Grumpy replied. He sat back and rubbed his eyes, trying to conceal the tears that suddenly threatened to fall. "I can't believe he did this for me."

"Do you know why?" Snow asked.

Grumpy chuckled and looked at her. "I gave him money in Castell that day. He was dared to steal from me by some older gang members. Hazing thing. Anyhow, I stopped him and gave him some money instead of thrashin' him."

"That's very kind of you," Snow said sincerely. Her time at Cliffside had drastically changed her view on the lives that Grumpy and the other thieves' had lived and the codes they lived by. Thieving inside the guild was 'handled at the discretion of the wounded party,' as several people had told her during her stay. It was matter of fact, but it was ugly to Snow and the brothers. They didn't dare say anything about it. How could they?

"Guess it was," Grumpy said dismissively. "But I didn't expect this."

"You never know when an act of kindness will be returned," Snow said. "That's why you should be kind to everybody." She paused. "Father told me that. And I tried to be kind after he was gone. But sometimes…"

"I know," Grumpy said. "You're only human."

"Oh, and I suppose Dwarfs are different," Snow teased.

"Not really," Grumpy said absently as his eyes went back to the notes. "We're all a mess."

"That's true," Snow said.

They passed the afternoon talking about the designs, and Grumpy told her which treasure should be made by which brother. She listened attentively and agreed to everything, so by the time the brothers came in from their work in the forge, it was all planned.

They had stopped by their own rooms to wash before joining Snow and Grumpy for supper. Doc looked particularly happy, and he came over to kiss Snow's cheek.

"How are you today, my peer, erm, dear?" he asked.

"Very well. I met with some very important people today and have decided to grant some special requests. I was hoping you could help me fulfill them."

"Oh, we would be fighted, um, delighted to help. What is it?"

Snow handed out the designs, giving one to everybody but Dopey, who wilted a little in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, Dopey. I only received five. But I'm sure you'll be able to help."

The brothers all peered at the designs they'd been given while Dopey flitted from one to the other, peeking over their shoulders.

"Oh, gosh," Bashful breathed. "Look at this." His face turned red as he turned to Snow. "Tell me you didn't promise these soon?"

"I assured them the highest quality, so they are more than willing to wait," Snow said smoothly.

That eased the stress that had appeared on the brothers' faces as they'd studied intricate, delicate designs.

"That's good," Sneezy said, sniffling. "Because this will take a long time to get perfect."

"Gonna be trickier than your crystal and gold coffin," Sleepy muttered, running his fingers across the page.

"But it's possible?" Snow asked.

Grumpy held his breath. If even one of the designs wasn't viable, that would change all of his plans. The six brothers studied each design carefully, murmuring to each other. There was a final nod of agreement from all of them, then Doc turned to Snow.

"We would be honored to accept. Some of these will take more rhyme, uh, time. Are they all due together or is there a particular order we should adhere to?"

Snow shook her head. "Oh, all at once please. I'm going to send Grumpy to deliver them when they're all done. He wanted so badly to help."

Grumpy scoffed and flushed, crossing his arms as he looked away.

"As long as he promises to come home, I think that's a wonderful sting, erm, thing he can do to help," Doc agreed at once.

"Course I'm gonna come home, as long as you'll have me," Grumpy said.

"Then it's settled," Snow said. "I expect regular updates once we get home. But for now, let's ring for supper. Then I'll summon Leila and we'll see how the wedding preparations are going."

"Sounds good to me," Happy said, rubbing his hands together. "We've certainly worked up an appetite."

"Dopey?"

The youngest Dwarf bounded over and rang the bell. As they waited for the servant, Doc showed Grumpy the treasure he'd been given to make.

"It's a treasure fit for a wing, urm, king," he said. "I wonder what they're giving in return for this. Money wouldn't stew, ah, do."

"No," Grumpy agreed, hiding an eager smile. "It wouldn't do at all."

What they were offering was far more valuable than even these treasures, if the brothers only knew it. Grumpy wondered to himself just how he would keep this secret until he actually had the treasures in his grasp again. No matter what, he was going to do it. For the Dwarfs he considered to be his brothers.

As soon as they walked through the shield, the brothers all relaxed. Home. They were finally home again. Their stay in Raverra had been far more extended than any of them had anticipated. They didn't regret their adventure, considering how things had turned out so far. But that was the thing that bothered Grumpy. So far. They had been so busy helping Snow with the wedding preparations and the thieves' placement that they hadn't had time to really see how things were between them now. With a long stretch of downtime planned for the near future, they were going to have to find out, and it made Grumpy uneasy.

They barely made it to supper the first night before they slunk up and collapsed into their beds. Grumpy awoke first and could tell by the slant of the sun that it was already midday. He yawned and rolled out of bed then dug around for a pair of trousers and slipped them on before shrugging out of his nightshirt. He made coffee then headed out to the chicken-coop.

Grumpy had promised the brothers that he'd taken care of the chickens, and they had taken him at his word. The truth was that he'd sent them to one of Heinrich's friends in the village, so he pulled out a note he'd scribbled, tucked it, a few coins and several small gems into a pouch, then portaled it out and the chickens in. He settled them with a soothing spell then fed them and watered them. That done, he headed out to trap some game.

He enjoyed the mornings when he surprised the brothers with fresh meat. It was such a treat for them, and it gave him a chance to stretch his legs and strengthen his protection spell. He had managed to get several fat rabbits with his magic when he realized somebody was watching him. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned and saw Doc standing behind him.

"What in tarnation are you doin'?" he gasped, clutching at his chest.

Doc looked sheepish. "You left," he said softly.

Grumpy sighed and picked up the rabbits. "I ain't goin' nowhere, Doc."

Doc didn't answer. Grumpy looked up to see doubt on Doc's face. He scoffed. "Come on. How about fried rabbit for breakfast?"

"Oh, is that what you were stewing, ah. doing?" Doc asked, noticing the brace of rabbits. "That sounds excellent, actually."

"Thought I'd surprise you," Grumpy said, frowning at Doc.

"Come on. Let's get foam, um, home," Doc insisted, reaching out tentatively.

Grumpy didn't hesitate to wrap an arm across Doc's shoulders as they walked back home. Doc relaxed and looked pleased by the gesture. Grumpy was glad he could help, in some small way at least. He was unsure of where exactly he stood with the brothers now that they knew his secrets. Sure, they said they were fine, but that had been in the thick of an adventure. Now that they were back home and had time to think on it, would they change their minds? He couldn't help but worry.

When they got back, the others hadn't stirred yet, and Grumpy squinted at Doc as he sank into his chair and closed his eyes. "How'd you know I was gone?"

Doc opened his eyes and gestured vaguely at his middle. Grumpy frowned then scoffed. "Adele's spell of course. I should remove that."

"No!"

Grumpy's ears rang as Doc was suddenly wide awake. There was frantic movement upstairs and the door opened.

"What happened?" Sneezy demanded.

Grumpy's heart thundered in his ears as he turned away, too startled by Doc's vehement refusal to explain anything. Without a word, he started breakfast, and Doc went upstairs to talk to his brothers. Grumpy felt left out. He tried not to care. But the look on Doc's face had been just short of outraged at his question, and it reminded him of Calida. A hand touched his, and he didn't need to look to know Bashful was there.

"Caught some rabbit," he mumbled.

"He just doesn't want to lose you," Bashful said.

Grumpy grunted. "Ain't goin' nowhere and I done told him that ten minutes ago."

Bashful stared at him. "That ain't what's wrong then."

"Nope," Grumpy said.

"Then what is?"

"He'd rather a stranger take the spell off him, fine. I'll write to Adele tonight," Grumpy muttered. "Or maybe he'd let Snow do it."

"Is that what's got you riled?" Bashful asked, a relieved smile crossing his face. "Oh, Grumpy, I don't think that's what wrong."

"Then why get mad at me when I offered?" Grumpy snapped.

Bashful stroked his beard and shrugged. "I think he likes being' able to find you in case you run off again."

Grumpy's defensive posture relaxed. "Maybe," he said tightly.

"What's cookin?" Happy asked as he made it downstairs.

"Fried rabbit," Grumpy replied. "And whatever you want to make. Chickens are back and are fine."

"Where'd they end up?" Sneezy asked as he came plodding down.

"With somebody Heinrich knows," Grumpy said. "Paid them good."

"When?" Doc asked, bewildered.

"Before I left to get this," Grumpy said, holding up a piece of rabbit.

"Oh. So you didn't stow, erm, go anywhere?" Doc asked.

"Nope."

"I thought…" Doc frowned and looked embarrassed. "Oh, never mind."

Grumpy eyed him then pursed his lips and waved his hand. Doc yipped in surprise as the magic roiled inside of him. "Mmhm. It was just me usin' the portals. You can sense my magic use. I didn't go nowhere though. Just brought the chickens back and paid them folks for helpin'."

Relief made Doc sag and he smiled a little. "Sorry. I thought you were going somewhere. The bull, ah, pull was awfully far away."

Grumpy shrugged then turned back to making breakfast. Happy and Sleepy joined him and soon they had a table full of food, which they wasted no time in devouring. Afterwards, they unpacked their packs before settling around and resting. Even Dopey lacked his usual energy, and they dozed off and on throughout the day.

The brothers awoke that night to find supper being set on the table. It was dark outside, and they realized that they'd more than dozed for awhile.

"Gosh, thanks for makin' supper," Happy said, fighting back a yawn.

"You're all tuckered out. And I don't mind," Grumpy said. "Gave me somethin' to do."

"You didn't take a trap, erm, nap?" Doc asked in surprise.

"Nope. Couldn't sleep."

"Why not?" Sleepy yawned.

"Just couldn't."

They all stared at him. He was clearly bothered about something if it could keep him up after the last few weeks.

"What's wrong?" Bashful asked.

"Nothin'," Grumpy replied.

"Liar," Sneezy retorted.

"Food's ready. Let's eat."

"I don't drink, ah, think so," Doc said slowly.

"What now?" Grumpy asked.

"We're going to squawk, er, talk first. What's bothering you?"

Grumpy's face turned into a stoic mask, his usual response to probing questions. "Well, I'm hungry for one."

"We'll eat in a minute," Happy said.

Dopey nodded and crossed his arms, gesturing for Grumpy to talk.

"Don't want to."

"And we don't care," Sneezy said. "You've been fine up til now. Why are you acting skittish?"

"Ain't skittish," Grumpy argued.

"Yep. Sure," Sneezy said. "Bashful, take a guess since he ain't talkin'."

Grumpy flushed and crossed his arms defiantly as Bashful studied him. He considered everything he knew about Grumpy, from the first moments he'd gotten there to now. Then he nodded. "Why are you so afraid we don't want you?"

That certainly surprised Grumpy. He hadn't expected that question, and it terrified him because he'd never once mentioned anything about his many doubts about being wanted. "I don't know," he snapped, pinned to the spot by their burning gazes.

"You do too," Bashful argued. "And we want to know. So tell us why."

Grumpy felt trapped. He didn't want to say anything, but as the silence stretched on, he squirmed.

"Just tell us why, Grumpy," Bashful said gently, reaching out.

Grumpy stepped back, unable to take it, and the answer burst out of him. "Cause even my folks didn't want me, so why would anybody else!"

Shocked silence. Grumpy turned away and began pacing, but he continued to talk, hugging himself as he cried.

"And not only that, they were Dwarfs, who think family is the most important thing there is. And they still didn't want me! They left me alone and I was raised by a crazy bitch who didn't care a whit if I lived or died. She laughed when I took her whippin' and left without even seein' if I was okay. She thought Emil brandin' me was a good idea because it made me behave. She didn't want me either, and she made sure I knew it every day of my life. Nobody wants me, and they never have. So why would you?" Grumpy spun to them and threw their question back at them. "Why, huh? Why would you want me? Especially when I clearly ain't worth wantin'!"

Grumpy couldn't take their staring, so he turned away and shivered. Bashful reached out and took his hand. "Gosh, when you put it that way, it makes sense why you're so afraid of us."

"I ain't afraid," Grumpy muttered.

"Are too," Sneezy retorted, but he wrapped him in a hug. "It's okay, though. We ain't goin' nowhere any more than you."

Grumpy hid his face as hot tears streaked down his cheeks. "What if you change your minds?" he asked softly, hugging Sneezy back.

"How could we do that?" Doc asked. "You can't change who your kin is."

Grumpy peeked over to see Doc's solemn, warm eyes gazing at him with such compassion that it made his heart ache.

"I ain't your kin though."

There was a burst of laughter from around the room, but it was friendly.

"We say you are," Happy said.

"Yeah, and there's six of us and one of you," Sneezy said, pulling back to grin at Grumpy. "So you're gonna believe it or else."

Grumpy snorted and ducked his head to scrub at his eyes. "I got magic and you don't, so that evens things out."

"In some ways," Sleepy said. "But magic can't fight against everythin'."

"How do you figure that?" Grumpy asked.

"Because kin is stronger than magic," Sleepy explained. "All Dwarfs know not to mess with kin. Love is deeper than magic in general. It's somethin' they teach, and it's so important we know it now, even if magic is rarer. And I'd say we proved it by breakin' your curse."

Grumpy thought about that then nodded. Doc walked over and embraced him. "If you're really that worried about it, we'll let you stow, ah, know if we change our minds. But we won't."

"How do you know?" Grumpy asked.

"How do you know magic?" Doc asked. "How do you know a gem is flawed without touching it? How do you know how to tripe, uh, swipe a purse?"

"Those are all different," Grumpy said.

"Not really," Doc said. "Because I know we won't change our minds for the same reasons. And we will sell, er, tell you this as much as you need us to. Because we love you, brother."

Grumpy liked the sound of that. "Brother?" he asked. "You're sure?"

"Might as well be," Sneezy said. "Can't get rid of you."

"I've helped raise thirteen girls with the same excuse," Grumpy said, his eyes shining. "You ain't foolin' me with that. If you wanted me gone, you'd make it clear. You did for a few months anyhow."

Sneezy grinned. "Now you're gettin' it."

"For now," Grumpy said.

Dopey sprang over and embraced him, gesturing that they'd remind him if he ever needed it. Grumpy smiled and tugged Dopey's hat over his eyes.

"Thanks," Grumpy said. "Now let's eat. I need to sleep."

He scrubbed his eyes then sat down at the table. The others followed suit, and Grumpy watched the brothers as they piled their plates with food and started talking over each other. It was chaos, but it was home, and he loved them with a fierceness that could only come from being a Dwarf. He knew he'd found his kin, and he would never let them go.

Later that night, Grumpy awoke, his mind buzzing with an idea. He snuck downstairs and knelt down by the trunk that contained the brothers' designs for jewelry. He dug down to the very bottom before he found what he was looking for. It was the last thing the brothers' father had designed, and it had been for Dopey. Nobody had ever made it, not even Doc, because they didn't know what kinds of gems to use. They had talked off and on of their options but had never settled on anything.

Standing up, Grumpy hurried to the other side of the room where the keepsake chest was. He pulled it open and searched for the rare, odd gems that he had gifted to Dopey. Pulling the pouch out, he dumped them into his hand and studied them then looked back at the design. It would work with a few tweaks. He had time to work on it. The brothers were going to be working on Snow's request all throughout the summer and autumn. He could work around their time in the forge and use his magic to make Dopey the treasure his father never got the chance to give him. With that decided, Grumpy went back up to bed, excited for what was to come.

By the end of the year, he was determined that all six of them would have their very own treasure, even Dopey.