Champions Of Madness
By Detafo

Chapter One:
Welcome Home, Alice

Lady Marilla Ascot hated animals. She found them smelly and dirty creatures and would not tolerate them. She hated rabbits and cats, birds and dogs. Of course, this didn't stop her from having a nightly supper of fish or pheasant with her family. No, animals were only good for one thing, and that was to be eaten.

So, the night the howl of a bloodhound was heard across Ascot Estate, she ordered her footmen to find the dog and shoot it. Of course, the footmen were not as cold-hearted toward animals as their employer, but made an agreement that if they were to find the dog, they would just shoo it off the estate.

What nobody realised was that this particular bloodhound was not of the usual breed found in England, or indeed anywhere else in the Overland. This particular bloodhound was Bayard Hamar, messenger for the White Queen, Mirana or Marmoreal and currently steed to a three-inch tall Alice Kingsley and a dormouse named Mallymkun. He was a resident of what was known as Underland, a fantastical land below the surface of England – and perhaps other countries as well – where animals could talk, flowers would carry on conversations, magical creatures resided and everyone you talked to was suitably mad.

Bayard was on his way back to Underland from a quest to rescue Alice from where she was entrapped. Alice wasn't your usual resident of Underland. No, she was an Overlander, born and bred. But having been able to escape the 'real world' and end up in Underland since she was six years old, she was more a resident in the fantastic land than she ever was in England.

In England, she was accused of almost always having her head in the clouds, letting her imagination run wild with thoughts of flying and making up fantasy characters such as talking rabbits, strange little men with strange ways of talking, evil monarchs and fantastical creatures. In Underland, however, she'd come to realise that not only were all her imaginings true, but that rather than be accused of possessing such an active imagination, she was encouraged every step of the way.

Back to the happenings at hand, though.

Bayard Hamar was running as fast as he could toward the wooded area found at the bottom of the Ascot Estate. There, situated in the weathered roots of a dead tree, was a large rabbit hole. It was this rabbit hole that would take the bloodhound and his current passengers back to Underland. As he came running through the maze of hedges that housed the only path to the aforementioned tree, he lifted his ears to make sure that no one was following them. The humans that had given chase half-way across the courtyard had given up at the entrance to the maze, but that didn't mean that they would try again. Bayard never trusted humans that tried to chase him.

Slowing to a trot, he wandered to the base of the tree which was lighted by the moon that had just come out from behind a cloud. "Quickly." He said, panting after his long run. "Hold to my collar as tight as you can. I have to jump down the rabbit hole."

His two charges gripped to the collar as strongly as they could manage. With a slight whimper, Bayard leapt front first down the hole. Honestly, he hated falling almost as much as he hated being chased.

The fall seemed to last forever. Bayard couldn't tell because the cold air stung his big, brown eyes and made them water profusely. Suddenly, he felt his four feet connect with the soft, springy mattress of a brass bed. The grateful feeling of having all four feet on a (slightly) solid surface was short-lived, though, as the bed teetered on axis and tipped the dog unceremoniously off of it.

Soon after, there was a loud crash and a yelp of pain from Bayard as his forefeet crashed through the ceiling of the room at the bottom of the hole. The three companions fell in a heap on the black and white chequered floor, for the room had righted itself no more than thirty seconds previously.

With a groan, Alice managed to pick herself up off the floor and dust off her skirt. The room seemed monstrously large as she waited for her head to stop pounding. Seeing Bayard lying on the floor whimpering, she hurried over to his side.

"Bayard!" She said. "Bayard, are you all right?"

"Just winded…" Panted the dog. "Let me regain my senses before we go through the door to Snud."

"Of course…" Alice petted the dog's large ear as Mallymkun appeared at her side. "Mally! Oh, Mally, you're all right."

"Of course I am." The Dormouse said indignantly. "It takes more than a two-mile fall to stop me from being Mallymkun!" She waved her hatpin rapier about, causing Alice to dodge an accidental blow.

"Two miles? Is that how far we've fallen?" Alice asked. "I've often wondered…"

"Well, now you know." Mally said with a grin. "You all right, Bayard? Caught you breath?"

"That I have, little mouse." Bayard replied. "Now, we must make haste. The Queen will be waiting for us, wondering where we have gotten to!" Alice and Mallymkun nodded in agreement and climbed aboard Bayard's back once again.

"But how will we get through the door, Bayard? Mally and I are far too small to reach the doorknob, and you do not have hands!" Alice said worriedly.

"That's where I come in…" A voice replied from nowhere. Suddenly beside the door where once had been no one, there floated a large, gray tabby cat with an impossibly large grin on its face. He winked at the three travellers and extended his dexterous paws to turn the knob. The door swung open and he edged back to let them through. "After the Champion and her entourage." He said, his grin not moving.

"Chess! How on Earth did you get down here before we did?" Alice asked in amazement.

"You forget, Alice, I am one with evaporating skills… I disappeared after I saw you off up there and came down here to wait for you, because I knew that you would need someone to open the door." Chessur said, his maddening grin not moving an inch. "You can't say I don't give things forethought."

"You're perfectly right, Chessur." Alice agreed as Bayard began to walk through the door. "You will accompany us to Marmoreal, won't you? You did help save me after all."

"Ah, my acting skills can never go to waste." Chessur smiled. "Of course I'll accompany you." He floated through the doorway after them and let the entry close once again. As they walked, slowly so that Bayard could regain the energy he'd lost, Mallymkun expressed her anger at the man who had imprisoned Alice with the threat of having her committed to an asylum. For such a little mouse, she had a temper the size of a Bandersnatch.

Within a short space of time, they found themselves walking along the cheery blossom-lined paths that lead to Marmoreal. Mirana, the White Queen was waiting nervously at the gates to her kingdom with the Hatter at her side. Both visibly relaxed at the sight of the little band coming toward them. Mirana came forward, holding a little box that held a small square of Upelkuchen that would allow Alice to return to her normal size.

"Oh, Alice… we were so worried!" She said, kneeling on the ground to hand the little square of cake to the three-inch tall Champion. "But you're safe at last!" She raised a hand and a lady-in-waiting came forward, holding a large cloak. Alice took the cake thankfully and took a small bite, almost instantly feeling her little dress tighten around her and rip as she grew rapidly to her normal size.

The lady-in-waiting hurried to throw the cloak around the girl's shoulders so that she might protect her dignity and save some embarrassment from being seen without any clothes on. Alice nodded, before throwing herself into the Hatter's arms, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. "Oh, Tarrant!" She cried, burying her face in his shoulder. The Hatter's arms secured around her in a tight embrace. Kissing her hair, he silently held her as she cried, exchanging a Look with the Queen. Mirana, understanding the silent message, turned away from the scene and knelt down to pet Bayard.

"You've done Lady Alice and I a great service, Bayard." She said. "Go now, to your family… rest well." She leaned down and kissed the large dog between the ears. He looked up at her adoringly before trotting toward the gardens where his family's den was situated. "And Mallymkun." The Queen picked the dormouse up and looked at her. "Such a large amount of bravery for such a mouse." She kissed the mouse between the ears as well and smiled. If she could, Mallymkun would have blushed scarlet.

"Thank you, your Majesty." She said quietly. "Such a compliment is prided by one such as myself." She bowed to the Queen and hopped down from the Queen's hand. "If it pleases you, your Majesty… I may retire to my home in the woodshed?"

"Of course, Mallymkun." The Queen said kindly. "You must rest after your journey, too." She bid the mouse fairfarren and turned her gaze back to Tarrant and Alice. "If I may break up this little reunion, I might suggest that Alice be taken to her chambers to bathe and put on some real clothes?" She looked kindly upon them both. Alice looked at her with red-rimmed eyes and nodded silently, drawing the cloak around herself as Tarrant kept a protective hold around her as they began to walk toward the castle.

333

A little later, Alice was clothed in a nightgown and reclining under the covers of her bed in her chambers, situated in Tarrant's arms once more. It had taken some persuading from the lady-in-waiting assigned to Alice for Tarrant to finally relinquish his protective embrace so that his beloved could bathe, but now she was safe once again in his arms, listening to his whispered assurances that he would not let anything happen to her.

As soon as Mirana had contacted the Hatter about Alice's imprisonment, he'd immediately felt guilty for even letter Alice go. He knew it was not his fault and that she had chosen to go back to the Overland, but that did not stop him from feeling guilty that he had not been there to protect her. Perhaps he should have argued to accompany her? Surely this Hamish character wouldn't have tried this mad scheme if Tarrant himself had been there?

He had taken to stroking Alice's hair as it seemed to have a somewhat soothing effect on her. She had fallen silent, calmed from her tears as she listened to Tarrant recite Underland poetry to her in his thick Scottish brogue.

"Tarrant?" She said quietly, when he'd finished his recital of 'You Are Old, Father William', a poem she remembered the Tweedles performing for her on her second visit to Underland when she was very small.

"Aye?" Tarrant asked softly, pausing momentarily in his stroking of her hair.

"I'm glad to be back…" She snuggled further into his embrace. "With you."

"And I am happy that you're back with me, Alice…" He said softly. "Though you were gone only a short while… it felt like weeks had gone by." He rested his chin on top of her head.

"May I tell you a secret?" She whispered. Tarrant nodded. "Underland feels more like home than the Overland has in the last four years."

Tarrant smiled, tightening his embrace as he continued stroking her hair. "Welcome home, Alice."

"It's good to be home…" Alice murmured, her eyes drifting closed as the day's excitement got the better of her, lulling her to sleep along with the secure feeling that Tarrant's embrace provided her.

After a few minutes, Tarrant realised that Alice had fallen asleep and gently lifted one hand to remove his hat. It wasn't that he couldn't leave her to sleep; it was just that he didn't want to leave her alone. Sliding down the headboard gently so as not to wake the sleeping woman, he made them both comfortable, before drifting off to sleep, he arms still encircling Alice's frame in a protective embrace.