The Land of Tales~Chapter Two

This chapter didn't exactly turn out the way I had planned it too. But it was still rather fun to write. Please *gulps* tear it apart if you want too ^_^ It's rather long and I'm still contemplating whether I should split it into two or just leave it. It really doesn't contribute to the plot, only the ending does. But like I said. It didn't go the way I planned it to.

Chapter II:

I slid off of Trickster’s back and looked at the cottage. It really was booming inside. There were lights flashing in the windows and the music was blaring.

“You sure you don’t want to come in, Horseman?” I did use his real name every once in awhile. I honestly didn’t know which name he preferred.

He dismounted and turned to me. His fingers began to rapidly speak. I stared at his fingers, trying to keep track of what he was saying.

“You want to go eat an ox?” I asked. “What?”

If Coni had eyes, I could just see them rolling. He tied Trickster beside the other horses and pointed to the house.

“Ooh! You said you wanted to come in! Thank-you.”

He held his arm out and I hooked mine onto his. We strolled down the front walk and up to the cottage. I loved the gardens around the cottage. Snow prided herself when it came to flowers. There were lilacs on the inside of the white picket fence. Snapdragons, lilies, marigolds, pansies, poppies, irises, hollyhocks were scattered everywhere among statues, rocks paths and small ponds. There were so many flowers I couldn’t even name them all. The hollyhocks grew straight up the cottage walls. Vines even grew up the walls, making it look like a net with purple flowers.

“There are more flowers out here than in the clearing. I love Snow’s garden!” Coni didn’t say anything and just waited patiently for me to finish awing over the flowers. I did and knocked on the door as loud as I could. I tried again but the music was too loud.

Coni stepped past me and rang the doorbell. I rolled my eyes and gave him a shove. He gave my arm an affectionate pat and waited. Snow opened the door.

“Adara! You made it! Cindi and I weren’t sure if you would make it…and you brought Horseman. Nice to see you out of the tavern, the both of you,” she said.

“I couldn’t turn down an invite to your house, Snow. Your flowers are beautiful!” I said, dragging Coni into the house. I think he was already regretting his decision to come in.

Snow closed the door behind us. “What did you say?” she shouted, above the music.

“I said your flowers are beautiful!”

“What?”

I shook my head. “Nothing, Snow!”

Snow nodded and wandered off, disappearing into the crowd. When Cindi had said party, I expected something quiet, with tea. Not this hopping thing.

In one corner Dopey, Grouchy, Sleepy and Bashful were playing the instruments that were making so much noise. Grouchy was playing the drums, Dopey was rocking away on the guitar, Sleepy was falling asleep as he sawed the fiddle and Bashful was red in the face from playing the bagpipes.

“Oh Adara! You made it!” Cindi danced her way over and threw her arms around me. “So glad you could join us. And Horseman.” She placed her arms around him and I saw him tense. “Come, the party has just begun.”

“Is Prince Philip and Charming here?” I inquired as she led the two of us to a table where a bunch of food rested.

“Uh…no. I suppose Charming wants to make a dramatic entrance,” replied Cindi.

“And no doubly dragged Philip into,” Snow added, picking up a strawberry. I watched her take a large bite out of it. “These are so delicious.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Living with the dwarves has made you forget your manners, Snow?”

“Huh?” She popped the rest of the strawberry into her mouth. “Of course I haven’t forgotten my manners. I just choose not to use them. Anyone want anything? Horseman, would you like some blueberries?”

“Snow!” I cried, aghast. I hated when they did this. So mean.

“What? I was just trying to use my manners,” Snow snapped. She held the small blue bowl of berries up. “Well Horseman?”

He held his hands up in a way to say no.

Snow sighed and set the bowl back onto the table. “If you want. Why don’t you two go dance with Doc and Maybel?” She gestured to where the pair was dancing. I held in a laugh. Maybel was stooped over as they danced around.

“I can’t dance and I’m sure Coni can’t either,” I replied. I eyed Coni. “Can you dance?”

His fingers began to speak again. “As good as a headless person can,” is what they were saying.

“Fine. But I can’t dance to this slow of music. Can we change it?”

Snow clapped her hands together and the music stopped. “Dopey! Play your fastest song!”

Dopey grinned and began to strum wildly on the guitar. Bashful joined in soon after with the bagpipes. Snow turned to Coni and me. “Now you have music, so go dance! At least until my stupid brothers get here.”

Coni took my arm and led me to where Maybel was spinning Doc in circles. Bonnie took Happy’s hands and began to prance around the room with him. His feet were barely touching the ground as they twirled. Doc was having the same troubles with Maybel. Poor dwarves. Coni and I took each others hands and were just about to start dancing when the door burst open. The music stopped playing and everyone stared…except Coni.

Charming stood there, hands on his hips. His blonde hair was combed and parted in that momma boy way. He was such a pompous oaf.

“What is this? No music to welcome me?” he asked, strolling in. “Snow! Sister, how are you?”

Snow gave her brother a hug. “Good Charming. Where’s Philip?”

“Oh, I left him to take care of the horses. Horseman, you should watch your horse. It’s a vicious brute. Nearly took my head off,” Charming said, his voice ringing in the small cottage. He was taller than everyone except Coni.

“Trickster wouldn’t hurt a fly unless provoked, so shut it Charming,” I snapped. I looked up at Coni. “Ignore him. Trick is fine.”

“Are these the only ones you invited Snow?” Charming asked, ignoring my comment.

“No. Rapunzel and Beauty are supposed to be coming. Although Rapunzel said her grandmother was going to lock her in the tower again.”

Cinderella gave out an aggrieved sound. “Again? What did Zel do this time?”

“She chased off another prince,” piped up Grouchy.

“Then who am I supposed to dance with?” whined Charming, studying the room.

Bonnie dropped Happy and hurried over to him. “You can dance with me, Charming,” she slurred. Her front teeth were to big for her mouth. It was funny but I felt sorry for her.

“Ugh, no. I have no idea where Snow found you.” Charming’s green eyes swept over the room again. “But wherever that was, do return.”

“She’s my sister!” Cindi and Maybel cried.

“I can see the resemblance.”

The door opened again and two people strolled in. Prince Philip and Sleeping Beauty. Philip was dressed all in black and his hair was greased backwards. He was the exact opposite of Charming. Rugged, punkish and cool.

“Philip!” Cinderella swept passed everyone and embraced him.

“Hey Cindi. Look who I found sleeping in the lilacs.” Philip gave Beauty a gentle shove and she stumbled forwards.

“Again, Beauty? Can’t you at least make it to the door?” Snow asked. “Here, I’ll get you some coffee.”

“I’m sorry,” Beauty yawned as she staggered after Snow. “I’m just so tired. I didn’t even know I had fallen asleep until Philip woke me up.”

“Thanks for finding her Phil. She’s always falling asleep in the weirdest places,” Snow said over her shoulder as the two disappeared into the kitchen.

Philip raised a hand at her turned back and studied the rest of us guests. “Adara, Horseman. I didn’t know you two were coming.”

I looked at Coni and he turned to me. “Well, I invited Coni along.”

Philip strolled over to us. “Coni. You still calling him that childish name, Adara?” Charming inquired with a snort.

I raised an eyebrow. “Ten times better than Charming. But I suppose it suits you.”

Charming blushed lightly and battered his lashes in a very gay way. “Why thank-you.”

“I had a donkey when I was small. His name was Charming too. I always new the name Charming suited an ass.”

Everyone in the room snorted with laughter and Grumpy hit the drums in that joking way. Charming’s face turned a bright red but he smiled nonetheless.

“Very good joke, Adara. I’m surprised a blonde like you could make something up like that, that quick,” he responded.

I narrowed my eyes as Grumpy hit the drums again. I’ll admit I wasn’t the greatest at wit battles, but I hated when people thought blondes were dumb. Some are. Rapunzel and Charming both are examples of that.

“Look whose talking blondie,” I sneered. Coni put a hand on my shoulder as if to restrain me. But he only gave my skinny shoulders a gentle squeeze and then he let go. I honestly didn’t know how he did a lot of things without a head. “But, let’s forget this whole thing. Care for a dance Charming?”

“Wh-what? You’re asking me to dance with you?” he gasped. Yet a sly grin stole over his face as he said, “why not?”

I held my hand out to him and he took it. He waved a hand at Dopey who started playing again. Coni went and stood beside Philip to watch. Charming put a hand on my waist and we began to waltz around the room.

“Why are those two dancing? I thought they didn’t like each other?” I heard Snow ask. Charming dipped me down to the floor but I tightened my grip on him so I wouldn’t fall. I knew he was planning something because I sure was.

“Oh, they’re most likely going to do something mean to one another and completely ruin your party,” Cindi stated. “They did have a small battle of wits earlier.”

Charming grinned at me. I had to admit, he had a very lovely smile, but he was a vain loser nonetheless. There were three children in the royal family. Two boys and one girl. Yet, there were times when I was sure Charming was the girl and Snow was the second boy.

“Adara, I didn’t know you could dance,” Charming said.

I gave him a smile. “Neither did I.” I looked back down at our feet to make sure I wouldn’t get stepped on.

Everyone was staring at us as we danced around in circles. I kept a firm grip on Charming’s hand whenever he dipped me or spun me. I didn’t need him to let me go and I’d crash into something. That wouldn’t bode well for our pride and his face.

“Adara, can I ask you a question?”

“Like what?”

“Can I humiliate you in front of everyone?”

I let a laugh slip. Did he think I was stupid like the princesses who get locked in the towers? “How would you do that?” I just had to know.

A soft laugh escaped his lips. “Like this.” I felt his fingers on my back and I knew right then what he was going to do. My dress was laced up in the back. The lace was practically the only thing that kept it from falling to the floor. He was going to undo it for the whole room to see me.

“Charming? Can I humiliate you back?”

“How?”

“Like this.” I brought my leg up between his legs. As he groaned and doubled over, I grabbed his perfect hair in my hand and brought his face down onto my raised knee. I felt my dress slipping and I staggered over to Coni.

He pulled off his cloak and handed it to me. I wrapped it around me, amazed that he knew I was going to ask him for it.

“Adara! What the hell did you do that for?” Snow demanded. She didn’t look to angered, but I sort of ruined her party by beating her brother. Philip seemed amused, along with the dwarves. Cindi had her hands to her face and Beauty was passed out on the sofa.

“He undid the back of my dress! We both were trying to humiliate the other,” I responded with a shrug. “I didn’t want everyone to see me naked!”

“Charming! How could you even think of doing such a thing to my friend?” Snow shouted, putting her hands on her hips. “Sometimes you are the most arrogant of men! And you’re my brother!”

Charming climbed to his feet, holding a bleeding nose. There was blood seeping through the cracks of his fingers as he stared at us. “It was only a joke!” His voice sounded squeakier.

“I don’t care! That isn’t right!”

“Come on Charm. Let’s go get you cleaned up.” Philip grabbed his brother’s arm and led him out the door.

Snow sat down beside Beauty. “My party is ruined! What are we going to do now?”

Dopey began to quietly strum on the guitar. Grumpy set his drumsticks on a drum and stood up. “We could still do some dancing. And we did prepare all this food for a party. I’d be very grumpy if it all went to waste.”

“You’re always grumpy,” Doc replied. “Always. Hence your name.”

“Your name is Doc and you sure ain’t no doctor,” snapped Grumpy, stepping away from his drums. “You’re useless.”

“Oh ya?” Doc took a step towards Grumpy, hands on hips. There was going to be a dwarf fight.

“Ya!”

“Please, you’ve already had your wrestling match for today,” Snow pleaded, getting to her feet. “Not another one!”

The two ignored her and advanced towards one another. Dopey began to strum faster on the guitar. “Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!” chanted the others.

Grumpy pounced first. He hit Doc’s chest and the two of them both hit the ground with a grunt. Soon they were rolling around on the floor, punching, kicking and biting each other.

“Grumpy! Doc! You’re going to break another lamp!” Snow cried. She looked at the rest of us with a pleading look. The other dwarves, except Dopey, Sleepy and Sneezy who were playing the instruments, were cheering wildly. Sneezy had gotten a accordion from somewhere and was playing that. The three of them together were playing a fast paced jig to match the fight before them.

Grumpy rolled into an end table after a savage kick from Doc. The horse ornament atop it teetered and fell from the table. Snow gave out a cry and put her hands to her mouth as the brown horse plummeted down. Grumpy caught it expertly and shoved it back onto the table. After that was done he jumped into the air and both his feet hit Doc square in the chest. I had no idea the dwarves behaved like this in front of Snow.

“Stop it! And you guys stop egging them on!” Snow screamed.

Beauty jerked awake at her loud voice and spotted the wrestling dwarves. “Ooh! Mini wrestling! I love watching this!” she giggled, clapping her hands. “Go Grumpy!”

“Doc! Stop this fighting at once!” Maybel yelled, but the dwarf ignored her. This was so amusing to watch. But I felt sorry for Snow. She looked absolutely horrified.

“Go Grumpy!”

“Hit him Doc!”

“Gouge out his eyes!”

“Break his nose!”

“Knock out his teeth!”

These eggings were from Happy, Bonnie, Beauty, Bashful and Cindi.

I looked at Coni and tapped on his arm. His shoulders sagged and he strolled towards the fighting dwarves and grabbed the both of them ,one in each hand, by the scruff of the neck.

“Lemme at him Horseman!” Grumpy growled, swinging his fists at Doc.

“You headless idiot! Set me down so I can knock him out cold!”

The two dwarves began to thump on Coni, making his armour ring. He turned around and I opened the door. He dropped them on the path outside the door and shut it.

The door began to shake. “You can’t lock us out of our own house!” Grumpy shouted. I figured they were banging their fists from the noise the door was making.

“Thank-you Horseman. They’re so destructive.” Snow sat on the couch and put her face in her hands. “Stress me out they do.”

The three dwarves stopped playing their jig and looked mournfully at Snow. “We don’t mean to Miss White,” Sleepy said. “I suppose that’s just what happens when there are seven men and one woman living under one roof.”

Sneezy snorted with laughter and the rest of the dwarves broke into fits of laughter. “Ugh. These dwarves are so sick,” Snow said. “So what do you plan on doing Adara? Isn’t Surreal closed down for awhile now?”

I sighed. “Yes. Now I’m out of a job. At least until Sunny gets back on his feet. But I don’t know what to do.”

Coni nudged me and I remembered what he had said earlier. About wanting to find his head. I had no idea where we would start looking. No idea where to find it.

“Actually, Horseman and I were going to go look for his head.”

Snow sat up straighter. “What? It must be long gone. A little pile of dust by now,” she said.

Cindi peered at her nails. “Besides, where are you going to start looking?”

Dopey and Happy began to laugh wildly. Snow balled her hands into fists. “What is the matter now?” she shouted.

Happy held his large belly. “Dopey found a skull yesterday down at the riverbed,” he said. “It looked old but maybe it was the Horseman’s.”

“Really?” I asked. “Is it still there?”

“Well…no. That’s why we were laughing. That small little wooden guy who kept coming around here took it and headed off to Blissful Kingdom.”

“Pinocchio?” Snow cried, face turning white. She stood up, brushing off her purple dress, and hurried to the dwarf. “He was here?”

“Yes. But he left. With the head.”

“Why did he take the head?” Cindi inquired. Dopey dropped his guitar and doubled over, laughing.

Happy cleared his throat and tried to keep a straight face. “I told him it would draw the Good Fairy to him because that was the head of her dead husband. If the Good Fairy came to him she would turn him into a real boy!”

I threw my arms into the air. “There! Coni, pack your things. We’re heading to Blissful Kingdom to fetch your head.”

Coni pulled me into a hug and hurried out the door. Grumpy and Doc came back in, nasty expressions on their faces. They both sat down beside Beauty and crossed their arms.

“I should make you two weed the flowerbeds for acting so childish,” scolded Snow. She had one hand on her hip and was shaking a finger at the dwarves. They said nothing and so she turned to me. “Adara, you can’t go gallivanting off across the country for a head. You don’t even know if it is the Horseman’s.”

I nodded. She was right. But if it made Coni happy, then I would go along too. To be his eyes and to keep him out of trouble. He was one of the villains after all. “I know Snow, but what else are we supposed to do?”

Cindi made a huffing noise. “You’d think he’d be used to having no head. But if you plan on going through with this crazy idea, there is all this food from a ruined party.”

Snow laughed. “You’re right Cindi. Adara, we’ll pack some of this food for you and…er…Horseman.” I raised my eyebrows as a confused expression crossed her face. She then waved a hand. “Whatever. When you head out, stop by here and I’ll give you some food.”

“Thanks you two. You are very…supportive.”

“What are friends for?” Cindi asked. I went to give her a hug but she stepped away from me. “No Adara. Good dress. I don’t want it to get filthy.”

Note: This story is only here until I find my inspiration for The Faeries. It was gone somewhere and I am desperately searching for it *looks around room*. Do not worry, I will find it >_<