It was a stormy night at sea and Alice Kingsleigh was feeling restless on her good ship, The Wonder. she got up from her bed to check on her mother in the adjacent quarters next to hers, trying to keep her balance on the listing ship.
Mother? are you awake? " She said as she opened the door gently, waking her mother from her slumber.
" I am now, Dear. did you need something? " Helen Kingsleigh yawned tiredly, rubbing her eyes.
" No mum, I was just checking up on you, The storm's getting worse outside." Alice told her.
" Is it? well, I suppose we'll wait until tomorrow to sail to Siam then. Goodnight, Dear! " Helen bid her daughter goodnight and went back to sleep.
" Good Night Mother. " Alice responded in kind.
Alice smiled and closed the door and went back to her Captain's Quarters to try get some sleep.
She was about to craw into her bed when she notice a familiar dormouse sleeping soundly on her pillow.
" Mally? what are you doing here? " Alice asked ecstatically, Happy to see one of her wonderland friends again.
Mallymkun looked up and her eyes widened, she jumped off the pillow and into Alice's hand, hugging her wrist.
" I just thought I'd drop by and see you, It's been awhile you know! " She told her while she rubbed her eyes.
" How is everyone, Mally? " Alice asked the tired mouse.
" They're doing fine Alice, Hatter misses you the most especially. " Mally answered her, holding her little mouse tail in her hands.
" That's good to hear..*yawn* I'm going to get some sleep, Mally. you're welcome to stay for the night if you want? " Alice offered.
" I'd Love too! " Mally then jumped out of Alice's hand and curled up on her pillow until she picked her up.
" I'm sorry Mally, but I don't want to crush you. I have a empty teacup you can sleep in. " Alice went to her desk and placed Mallymkun inside.
" It's fine, Alice...and Thank you. " She said gratefully.
Mallymkun then curled up and slowly drifted to sleep as Alice turned off her lantern to do the same.
The next day, Alice woke up, stretched, and got dressed in her uniform to start her day. She walked over to her desk to see Mallymkun still sleeping in her teacup.
She gently poked the little mouse with her finger to wake her up, her little ears twitching by the contact.
" Oi, stop that, Cheshire, you bloody git! " Mally growled in her sleep.
" Mally, it's me, Alice. " Alice corrected her, a bit taken aback by the mouse-woman's... " unique " vocabulary.
" Oh dear, I'm so sorry, Alice...forgive me! " Mally apologized.
" It's alright, Mally. " Alice assured her. " Would you like to join me on my rounds on my ship? " She offered.
" That would be lovely, See the other world by your point of view? " Mally guessed.
" Yes, something like that. " Alice held down her palm so that Mally could climb up it to get to her shoulder.
Alice and Mally left the Captain's quarters to survey the ship and it's hearty crew as they prepared it to set sail to Siam...in the hopes that a dragon would not attack them whist their travel, god forbid if they have to whistle it away..
" Who are those wankers? " Mally asked confused.
" They are my crew, you rude little thing! " Alice whispered as she reprimanded her.
" Right, right...so, you're a captain? " Mally asked her.
" Yes, I inherited this ship after my father,..well. " Alice stopped before grief settled it's way in.
Mally instantly knew what she was referring to and raised her paw for comfort.
" My condolences, Alice. " she told her.
" It's alright, Mally. " Alice wiped her eyes and swallowed her grief, she then resumed her patrols around the ship, making sure her crew were doing their assigned job properly.
" Evening, Captain " a crew member greeted. " Everything's in ship shape! "
Mally resisted the urge to snicker at the obvious pun.
" Thank you, Jasper. " Alice nodded her approval and left Jasper to tend to his work.
She made her way up the steps towards the ships wheel, steadily holding it in place to keep it on course, the wood creaking against the crashing waves.
Mally made her way down Alice's arm and jumped on the railing in front of the wheel to get a better view of the large blanket of blue.
She stared at the ocean waves as they moved around the Wonder as it sailed, gobsmacked by the beauty...only for a cannonball to soar overhead.
" Captain, there are pirates ahead! " a crew member shouted as he and the rest of the crew rushed to get the cannon's ready to fire at the opposing ship.
" I see them, prepare to defend, men! " Alice ordered, drawing her rapier and pistol.
Mally scurried down the railing and drew her tiny sword.
" Need some assistance, Mate? " She asked Alice, grinning and holding out her sword for her to tap it, only for Alice to tap it with her finger.
" Yes. " Alice whispered to Mally, lest her crew would think she's mad for taking to herself or to a mouse.
With that, Alice and Mally joined the crew in defending the Wonder, picking off the pirates as they tried to take the ship and it's cargo, The cannon's blasting holes into the other ship's hull.
Alice shot at a pirate as he tried to swing and stab her, knocking him off his rope and into the ocean below.
She then turned her attention to find Mally and check on her well being, making sure to defend her crew from attackers in her search.
It didn't take long until she heard a pirate scream out in pain and saw him clutch his eye socket that she found the little mouse, her sword glistening with blood.
Tossing that pirate overboard, Alice then noticed Mally jump onto a pirate, who was about to stab Jasper in the face with his sword.
Mally climbed up the back of the pirate's head and onto his forehead, stabbing his eye out and giving Jasper a opportunity to toss his would be attacker over the railing.
" Praise be, I just got saved by a mouse...I must be bonkers." He told himself.
After dispatching the pirates, the Wonder's crew and Alice got to work tossing bodies off the ship and watching the pirate ship sink beneath the waves.
" That was a close call gents, We will sail ahead as planned! " Alice announced to her crew, relived that none of them got slaughtered with Mally's help.
Speaking of which, she felt the mouse's paws scurry up her leg, on her stomach, on her chest and out of her shirt collar. trying not to make herself laugh by the ticklish feeling.
" Whew! that was a doozy, do you get that kind of welcome often? I thought Iracebeth was horrible! " Mally whispered.
Alice shook her head no and placed her hands on the ship's wheel.
" I see... At least everyone made it okay. " Mally told her as she placed her sword back in it's sheath.
Jasper went up to Alice, still shaken from his encounter and confused by Mally saving him.
" Captain...I just want to make sure that I'm not mad or anything, But I think a mouse saved me from that pirate just then. " He explained to her.
Alice looked down at Mally and smiled.
" Yes Jasper, you're correct, a mouse did save your life. " She confirmed his story, patting Mally on the head, much to her disgruntlement at being treated like a common pet.
" Oh. " Jasper said, examining at the white mouse a little closely, befuddled by her bravery and bellicose against the pirates, like she's done this before.
He nodded towards Alice and Mally and continued on with his duties.
" You okay, Alice? " Mally asked her.
" Yes, Mally. I'm fine, thank you for asking. " Alice told her, adjusting her hat.
" It's quite nice out here, I wish Wonderland was this beautiful at times. " Mally sighed, moving her toes and drumming her fingers on Alice's shoulder.
" I'd tend to be a bad luck charm for Wonderland folk, aren't I ? " Alice self deprecated, chuckling to herself.
" Yeah...you are... " Mally awkwardly tugged her collar in response, remembering the times that Alice visited Wonderland, neither of them being exactly joyful or magical.
The Wonder sailed into the docks of Siam, the crew lowering the anchor and dropping the bridge down onto it, so that Alice and Helen, (along with Mallymkun tucked safely in her pocket.) could deliver the trade goods to the trading company, and rent a room for a couple of days to rest.
After delivering the ship's goods to the trading company, Alice and her mother gave the crew take a much needed break off while they searched for a hotel to stay at.
" The shipping foreman said that the nearest hotel is beside a pub at the lower end of the dock, Are you sure could make the journey, Mother? " Alice asked Helen, who was suffering from sea legs, using one of the nearby lantern post to hold herself up.
" Yes, Alice. I'm not that old, you know! " She grumbled in response. " I watched from the window of you and the crew holding off those pirates, I was worried that they might throw you overboard. " She then pulled Alice in an protective embrace. " I almost lost you in that asylum, I'm not going to lose my only daughter to some rowdy ruffians, Even if I have to take them on myself! "
Alice rolled her eyes and simply nodded her head in agreement.
" And I would appreciate your valiant efforts, Mother. " She laughed.
Mally smirked as she overhead the heartwarming conversation within her friend's pocket. " I would do the same for you, Alice " she sighed.