Snow White and the Seven Guns: Part 2

It had been sometime later but she began to stir awake and, slowly but surely, work up. She was laying upon a bed- no, several beds. Oddly, she could feel the gaps in-between them. She looked around the room. It looked like it was built out of the rocks... no into the rocks. It was light and surprisingly warm, set with a few hanging pictures.
Just then she felt seven sets of eyes staring at her. Looking about she saw those seven set of eyes staring at her through thick clumps of hair. Except one that was fairly hairless. And it didn't look to be all there anyway. There was a sudden yelp from both parties as they all tried to find some foolish place to hide from each other. And with one or two, themselves.
She peered out from under the sheets, looking around for those clumps of hair that ran off, trying to hide.
'Uh...' Started Snow White. She wasn't exactly sure how to address them. How would you? Perhaps like anyone else?
'Um... hello?' She called out, questioningly in hopes of a response of something. Hopefully, one of them.
'Oh, hallo.' Said one of them. It took a moment but she recognised the cheery voice. One of the small men stepped out from behind a curtain. Short, stocky but gave off a kind and friendly disposition. She wasn't sure but she could swear he was smiling. It was hard to tell with all the hair. 'So sorry about going into hiding, we're not used to having visitors. And about that little shock I gave ya back there. I supposes it was my fault from appearing out of no-where like that. How you feeling? Not hurt or anything are ya?'
'Oh, no. I'm perfectly fin-'
'I told ya before and I'll tell ye again. We shouldn't of brought her down here 'azrhrho.' One of the others stepped-out, snapping the words as he spoke. This time from a large pot.
'She'll be nothing but trouble. We should get rid of her right now.' He seemed quite the opposite to the other one, mean and ill tempered. Seemed like a bad case of the grumps.
'Now, now brother Kh'lrho, it's likely she's just lost. There's no harm in letting her rest for a day or two and we can help her be on her way. Now do you see any big problems with this?' Now a third on had come out from hiding, this time from behind a corner. He seemed smart, and not just because of the glasses he wore. He walked with distinguish.
'I still don't like it Turzi.' Said Kh'lrho, disgruntled.
'Never you mind. Now young lady, as just heard, my name is 'azrhrho. Myself and my brother dwarf's work here at this mine. May we ask what you were doing down here?' She became panicked. She was on the run from the queen. Sentenced to death. Could she tell them that? Would they turn her in? What was she to do?
'By the looks of- *yawn*- things, I'd say she was on the run.' This came from underneath the beds.
'Probably in some sort of... troub-zzzzzz.' And whatever it was, had fallen asleep. All the other dwarfs where looking at her. Curious, judgemental or, with one of them, wasn't exactly sure what had just transpired. And was now looking at its shoe with the most puzzled look on its face. Then promptly fell over.
'Well...' She began. '...it seems, that... well... the queen, she-' She stopped. They talking among themselves. Whatever it was they were talking about, it seemed important. Worryingly important.
'Her? Nah, that can't be right.' Spoke the easily annoyed dwarf Kh'lrho. 'She's as thin as a twig. How can she possibly wield them? They'd likely snap her arms in two.'
'Um...' She started and then, almost immediately, was interrupted.
'Well could trai- ah, trai- a-achoo! *Sniff.* Oh... What was I saying? Oh yeah. We could train her. Can't be that hard, right?' 'azrhrho handed the red nose dwarf what looked like a flannel.
'I think brother Thraajo right. If she is indeed the one then we can train her to use them the right way.' Turzi thought about it all for a moment and then turn to the beardless dwarf, who was trying to wear both of his shoes on his head, side-by-side and wasn't having much luck.
'Oh brother Turrhao, may we possibly have a moment of your time, if we may?' Turrhao stopped his balancing act and turned to face Turzi, letting both his shoes hit the floor.
'Do you remember it Turrhao? Do you remember the prophecy you had?' He tilted his head to side and raised one of his hands to his mouth.
'The one about a girl wielding the...?' Turrhao nodded vigorously. He didn't have them often, but when he had a vision, he could never forget them. Like how you ride a bike for the first time. You never forget how you do it, unless something traumatic happens. Even then it's not very likely.
He waved his hands about, almost franticly, like he was trying to do some sort of interpretive dance. Of what was anyone's guess? But Turzi knew exactly what he's was saying. Or rather, what he was flailing.
'She must be one.' Said Turzi with utmost confidence. 'Dark short hair. Tall and slender. Hunted by a wicked queen out of reasons kept to herself. Tell me, was it a hunter who let you go?'
She was a bit startled by all this but finally she managed to get the word “Yes” out. They were looking pleased about all this, except Kh'lrho, but it looked like he'd never been pleased about anything before in his life and thus, didn't know how. Most of them turned to face that last dwarf who had been trying to stay out of sight of Snow White. By crouching down a lot. It obviously wasn't good for his knees.
'Brother Poazth'wa'n?' Said Turzi, like he had just taken command of a whole army. And likely had at one point. 'Would you be so kind as to come forwards please? So you can give the lady her first task?' Poazth'wa'n stood up straight enough to make a plank of wood jealous. If they could get jealous that is.
'Oh... of course.' He said shyly. As Snow White turned to look at him, he was already out door and up a path waiting. She looked towards the other dwarfs.
'This is all very sudden. Could you please explain to me what is happening? Everything going so fast.' 'azrhrho stepped up to her and in calm manner said
'All will be explained if you are indeed the one we are waiting for.'
Somehow she found herself half-way up a set of stairs coming up to a pedestal. With something embedded into it. She had no recognition of how she got there, just that something was drawing her to it, like an invisible force was guiding her to it. She stopped and looked around to where she was.
Underneath the stairs and where the pedestal hanged was river of lava. Almost a pool of it was forming as the lava cut away at sides of the rocks.
The sight, the height and the general smell of sulphur was making her dizzy. She dropped down on to her knees. The whole outcrop was unstable. It was falling apart, almost swaying from some unseen wind. Small parts were falling into the lava below. Each one made a small but distinguishable plop as they fell in.
This was start to become too much for her. And it hadn't finished yet. The fact that she had no recollection of how she got up here, much-less making her way to this part of the cave, was beginning to weigh in and take a hold of her mind.
She tried to move her legs but they stubbornly refused to accept her as their owner. Even her own arms wanted nothing to do with her. Stuck, alone and unable to go anywhere, she desperately wanted to get away from where she was.
'I-is there a problem?' It was Poazth'wa'n. He spoke in a quiet voice, almost to the point that the words themselves were trying to hide. Snow White scanned the cavern, looking for the source of the voice.
'Where are you?'
'Oh, uhh... don't mind me. Just make your way up the stairs.... Pretend I'm not here.' A wash of realisation came over her as she realised what he had said but she just could not realise what had just transpired. Was he being serious or was just trying to lighten the mood? And failing miserably.
'Please help me, I can't get down. My body just won't move. Please you must help me.' She was pleading with all her heart. Feeling all alone up there, she was ready to burst into tears.
'Oh, I wish I could, I really do but I'm not allowed to. Not until you get it.' She looked up towards the path she thought they came up. And then, the stairs. They weren't dauntingly tall or lead that far high-up, but it did make her nervous. She turned to face the path again where she was sure the voice was coming from.
'How am I supposed to go up there when nothing will move for me?'
'Oh, that because you're trying to go back down when you're supposed to-' There was a verbal smack as he clasped his hands over his mouth. 'Oops... Uh, any chance you didn't catch that?'
Go up? Go up to possible- no, certain death? Up the crumbling staircase to the platform that's hanging over the lake of... If she wasn't scared now, fear had gotten a wet towel and was slowly dragging it down her back.
No, she wasn't going to stay here, stuck forever. She wasn't going to let it happen. She realised what it is she must do to get down. She had to move. And if that meant moving her legs by hand, then she'd do it one by one. Slowly but surely she stood up and looked towards where the pedestal stood. If she couldn't make her way down one way, she would do it another. And, very slowly and very carefully, made her way up the stairs
Finally she had reach the top of the stairs and was now looking at the pedestal and whatever it was that had been jammed in to it. To her, what was embedded, looked like a door handle. But with some fancy things sticking out. She grabbed a hold of it and twisted it. Like you would do with any door handle.
There was a horrifying sound of stone and metal grinding against each other and instantly, she let go. Poazth'wa'n called out to her.  From behind a rock.
'You have pull it out.' He said weakly. Like he was worried that if raised his voice any higher, the ceiling might collapse. Cautiously and with the utmost care, pulled out the handle and sure enough it slid out without any effort. She wasn't sure what it was she had just pulled out. It looked like, well, it still looked like a door handle with some things sticking out of it.
'A door handle? You made me come up here for a door handle?' Poazth'wa'n peered out from behind his rock.
'It's not a “door” handle lady Snow, it's a gun handle.' A gun handle she thought. She had heard of guns before. Capable of felling someone in a single shot. They were deadly, dangerous and unsafe. But this... this was just a handle. With a few extra bits. And it fitted in her hand... perfectly.
It felt oddly comfortable and familiar, like she held once before. It was strangely curious item. Slowly, it was sending thought's to gathering inside her head. Slowly enough that she didn't notice. Not at first anyway. But fast enough to of some use. Later on, at least.
'H-how is it?' Poazth'wa'n said with quiet curiosity. 'Does it feel, well, right?' As she walked down she held it up to get some better light on it. Upon closer inspection she could see symbols engraved on both sides of the handle.
'There are some symbol on sides but I can't make out. What do they mean?' Poazth'wa'n slowly came out from behind the rock he'd been staying at.
'Oh, those will be the dwarven runes of our family’s name. If you place your thumb over the rune that has my name and say it aloud, the weapon will form into its true shape. Let me point out my rune so you get an idea of how it works.' Carefully approaching, picking his steps wisely, he looked for the rune and then pointed it out for her.
'Now, uh....’ He stopped, went bright red and turned around. She thought it was kind of cute. 'Uh... just say my name, Poazth'wa'n.'
'Okay.' Like she was instructed, she held her thumb over his rune and said aloud, “Poazth'wa'n!” Just then, the gun handle glowed brightly and then began to take shape. As the light dimmed, the shape began to reveal itself. It was rifle. With a telescopic scope. And a silencer.
A sniper rifle had formed. The length of the gun was from her neck to ground. It had a beautiful wooden and polished stock with intricate engravings. The metal itself had a wonderful sheen to it with a chrome finish. Curiously there was no place for the bullets to go. Almost as if it had no use for them and thus, will never need them. But to her, well, she had no clue what it was.