Yes I know, most people are wondering "Did she forget about this story?" The answer is no! I have not! lol, merely just the fact that this chapter is so long, and I had a bit of creative stifling around the middle of it because I had no idea where I was going with it...So please bear with me! Trust me! There is a central plot!


"Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" the Mad Hatter asked, his eyes fading from orange to its usual vibrant green. His expression was sad and confused, and two big hands were on either side of his face.

I woke up and could feel the tears sliding down my face. I knew that riddle anywhere…I was the one that thought it up…It had no actual answer but the significance was too large to be just coincidental. My Father was feeling a pain from my disappearance…but how could he have forgotten my name? If he would've said it, no one would know who he was talking about except himself and a few others…ok, maybe a more than a few.

He couldn't have forgotten me could he?

I must've lain there for much longer than usual because the youngest of the pack, Faol, came over to lick my tears away. He laid his head on top of my face, obscuring the moon and stars. I felt a malevolent giggle force its way out as Faol brought his head back and nudged my face with his snout. I looked in his amber glow of eyes and understood.

The hunt was going to start soon and they needed me to keep to the trees to make sure they were the only predator and not to fall prey.

I got up to my feet and Faol's tail swished back and forth in excitement. The rest of the wolves could talk, but he chose his own sign language. Faol was the only one out of the pack to see his parents slain by the Jabberwocky, he was just a pup but he was experiencing a traumatic event at the time that caused him to be so scared he couldn't talk. Using words at least.

"Okay," I said, scratching Faol behind the ears. I looked up and saw 12 pairs of yellow dots gleaming in the shadows of the oasis, shadowed away from the shine of the moon.

"Are you ready?" asked Macti're, who looked more like a fox than a wolf, with reddish-silver fur instead of the usual grey.

I reached back for an arrow and heard the soft nock as it clicked onto the bowstring, "Ready if you all are."

They made their ways through the tunnels in the foliage while I took my stance up to the tree I had climbed earlier. The vines created a safety net for me as I dived off the tree's top. I made my way though them without the usual trouble of getting caught in them.

I jumped from there to the first cliff edge I found and keeping close to the edge, followed the mass of grey fur, and was keeping a close eye in the air and in all directions for them.

Jumped from the edge of the cliff to the mountain path edge. I pulled back the bowstring with the arrow and let it fly. The arrow went straight through the Bandersnatch's eye – piercing deep through to the brain, killing it instantly – as it was racing after the same thing the pack was after. A couple of raths had stumbled their way through here. They were big enough to satisfy me and the pack for the night. Varg and Vilkas were two brothers, both were midnight black furred, making them easier to hide in the shadows, but harder for me to keep track of, had both pounced on the two. I skidded to a stop and kept watch as I could hear the snap of the two necks of the pig-like creatures. I had to look away, but still flinched every time the pack made a kill. I never knew why, seeing as I could slay the other creatures, but that was to protect…not to eat.

Lupul and Lupus, two other brothers, but were the original grey and white, helped Varg and Vilkas bind the two raths and tied them to the racks attached to the backs of Lucos and Ruv to take them back.

I almost lost my senses when I forgot to keep watch, because at the moment a Jubjub bird came up and caught me from behind. Its claws were digging into my shoulders painfully when I finally got an arrow through its neck. It didn't die at once, but it did drop me along with bleeding all over me as well. I tried to find a tree limb to grab on to; else I would go splat on the ground. I was lucky to hit a vine hanging lopsided from a tree at the top of the canopy. I swung to meet the wolves, who were still getting the second rath in the cage when a large roar sounded out opposite of where I was looking. I turned around to look behind me and found a Bandersnatch prowling its way up to us. It glared straight at me and I noticed that I probably killed a relative of it. I carefully made my way to Ruv to help attach the second rath securely.

"When I tell you to, flee for the oasis," I said, turning my back on the pack.

"But Marvela, what about you?" Lupul asked his voice low with concern.

"I'll be right behind you," I said, and saw the gleam of the moon in the Bandersnatch's eyes told me it was time, "NOW!"

They all took off, and it wasn't till the Bandersnatch charged its way at me did I realize there were two others with it.

Suddenly my plan to shoot the first one down heroically didn't seem so according. I took off after the pack, shooting arrows blindly in the direction of the chasers.

Once the pack turned up to the cliff I decided to throw the Banders off the path. I jumped over a clump of dense foliage on the ground and chanced it to turn around. I had an arrow already hooked and ready to go. I was running out of them as it was so I had to make sure my precision was accurate.

Only two Bandersnatches were left, apparently one of them was struck down at my sheer dumb luck. One of the very-much-alive Banders was in mid leap and headed toward me. I could see my reflection in its eye when the arrow went through it as well. I didn't know why I always aimed for the eyes, but it always felt like a simple accomplishment to hit such a small target.

The last of the three roared as it reared on its hind legs and towered over me. I felt for another arrow and found that I had no more left.

"Oh dear…" I said, feeling my face grow paler (if that were even possible) in the shadow of the Bandersnatch, "I'm totally gallymoggers for this…"

I then made for the tree next to me and began to climb as the Bandersnatch leapt for me. I thought I was actually lucky again, until I felt the pain in my leg as the claws of the Bander caught me. I yelled in pain, but gripped to the tree even more.

Then I heard the howl of one of the pack members. There were three blurs of grey, red, and black as Vyusher, Farkas, and Wulf tackled into the beast.

"C'mon Marvel," U'lfur urged, and I saw that he had my bundle of arrows with him; "We have to take it down!"

I took an arrow and aimed. I gave the signal whistle that told the three around it to scamper. I let loose the arrow as the Bandersnatch looked straight at me and roared. The arrow went straight through the roof of his mouth and through the top of his skull, right between the eyes. The Bander fell forward, its tongue hanging loose from its mouth as the gleam in its eyes dulled.

I felt the pain in my leg intensify, and I looked to see the scratches were extremely bad. I remember Chessur telling me that one way to prevent fester and petrify was to have someone with vanishing abilities…or saliva of the Bandersnatch that caused the scratch. I pulled a dagger from my blood-covered boot and cut the tongue from the Bander and tied it around the wound. It was quite unorthodox but it'll have to do.

U'lfur came up and helped me up and worked as a crutch to get me back to the oasis. My leg felt like it was in shreds and didn't work as a leg…more like strips of meat hanging from drying racks. I knew that was only the mental effect, because my leg was fully intact physically.

It was painfully slow and I was very anxious getting back to the sanctuary, considering that I wasn't able to protect. Nothing came for us though thankfully. Once we did get back to the sanctuary I sat as the wolves prepared the dinner on the fire that I helped lit.

Faol was the only one who would approach me…he was the most naïve of the wolves, but also the most comforting…and he was only a pup and was still learning. I scratched him behind the ears and he leaned up against me.

"If only Chess were here…he'd be quite a lot of help," I said…talking more to myself, but Faol snorted in understanding. We were out in the middle of the Outlands…no one knew I was even alive anyways…except for bluddy behg hid and her stooges, and that didn't ever help her.

I then noticed that the wolves around the fire froze, and I soon noticed why. There was a shifting in the air right above the fire, making the smoke travel straight toward me. Suddenly a pair of familiar turquoise-blue eyes with slit pupils looked at me with that unforgettable grin.

I didn't need the rest of him to appear before smiling in disbelief, yet relief, "Chessur!"

The wolves around me growled…except Faol. He was staring at Chess with curiosity in his amber eyes.

"No, don't attack! He's a friend!" I said, and they obeyed and sat but their eyes wouldn't leave the revealing form of the Cheshire Cat – just in case.

"How did you find me? What's going on in Underland? How is my father?" I couldn't help it…the questions started to spill of their own accord.

"It would only help to answer one question, and the answer to that is, I felt drawn like a ray of sunlight draws the flowers for food," Chess replied.

"Can you help me? I was…" I struggled with the tongue of the Bander and took my dagger out and cut it off, "Scratched…"

"Yes, of course, anything for an old friend," Chess had said, and he disappeared and I felt a tingling in my leg as his smoke wound around it. When he came to rest on my shoulders – his weight a comfort – I looked and seen that the scratch had healed; a scar in its place.

"So…tell me of what you've been through," Chess said, stretching out to push his furry face against my cheek, "You seem to have accomplished much, but I would like to hear the whole story beginning from your whereabouts on Horunvendush Day…"

So I started to tell my tale of how I was tossed into the Outlands, saved the wolves as cubs, and how we've been living since…it took most of the night, but it was of great relief to finally tell a connection to the inland of my travels.

That night I had slept well…no visionary dreams…until the pink tinges turned red in the night sky to show a new morning was on its way.


Reviews would be much appreciated! :) Thanks for reading and staying with it!