Chapter 2 - Reunion

Later that same evening, I was going in my workshop, the place I use to make the various equipments: I had to finish the war tack for Diablo, hoping to never make him use it.

But, surprisingly, I didn't found my lab: I found numerous hats, on the floor, on my old writing desk,… I entered and saw the saddle I was working on, in a corner, almost broke: I felt my eyes becoming dark orange and my Outlandish lisp raising.

"May I help you?" a voice called.

"Wha' happen'd teh mye workshop? Tha' saddle: Ah've work'd for a week on tha' saddle!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't think it's my fault!"

"'nd tis…" I took from the ground the draw of a raven of time long ago "Tis was made by a pers'n who was VERY close teh meh!"

"Wait! Where did you get that?" the voice asked. I didn't even look at who was I talking to.

"It was made by…" I said as I lifted my gaze to see the man: electric orange hair, bright green eyes, strange colored dark circles. Just like me: his face was just a little more damaged because of the mercury. Just like twins: "…my twin brother…".

He seemed to feel, fear, sadness, confusion, all together. In fact, his eyes became gold.

"Tarrant…?" I asked him, tears filling my eyes, as I laid a hand on his left cheek "Is that you…?"

"I think so, Tean!" he said, voiceless. In a moment, he was embracing me tightly and spinning me around. I closed my eyes, letting myself melt in his arms, tears finally escaped and ran down my cheeks, his own wetting my temples. He placed me on the ground, still holding me, his right hand caressing my hair.

I pulled back to face him: that same, bright, gap-toothed smile which I've missed so badly! That green in his eyes, which I feared to stare at when I looked myself in the mirror, because it reminded me of him too much. His pale skin which became dark pink on the cheeks. And this mad electric orange hair!

"Your hair was longer the last time I saw it!" I giggled, drying the tears under his eyes with my fingers.

"Well, I do believe that a lot of thing had changed in me while the Time was still passing-" he said, before his grin disappeared "What are you doing here? How did you get in? It's dangerous!"

"Wait, wait! I live here since a few month after the Horunvendush Day, I'm the Queen's horse trainer. Or the Knave's, because the Queen never rides... So, the question is: what are YOU doing here?"

He looked around us, as someone could hear him. Then, he came nearer to my ear and whispered to me: "Alice, THE Alice, you remember?"

"Aye, I do. The Champion"

"Exactly: she is in Underland. While trying to protect her, I was captured. She's here in the castle, looking for the Vorpal Sword, she's the Queen's favorite. But the problem, is that the Queen wants just her head and luckily, she doesn't know who Alice really is, aye?"

Did I have to be happy or worried?

"All clear. I'll just keep my mouth close" I finally said.

"Good girl!" he added rubbing the my head "I'll better finish here before the Bloody Big Head arrives!" he said going back to the hat he was working on.

"Sure, so I'll let you work Hatter! But first…" I said following him and kissing his cheek "You couldn't go to work without it, right?"

"Obvious…" he learned me into another hug and whispered "I promised that I would have reached you, didn't I?"

"You did… I missed you, Tarrant…"

"I love you lill' sister…" I moaned at this.

"I'll better go! Bye! Love you!" I said, remembering that I had to say goodnight to the horses.

I came out of the room and walked down the stairs, where I met Uhm, well, Alice.

"Hello Uhm!" I said.

"Hello" she answered.

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"Ah'm seh, seh serry… look a' wha' he hes done…" I whimpered cleaning the wounds of a whip on Diablo's body. That bloody Knave had decided that my horse should have paid for my refuse. Diablo was so shocked and scared that he had tried to attack me when I had first tried to touch him. He was bleeding all over and trembling as a wet chick, but his ears were low against his nape, bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth.

I had brought him out to the fountain were I was beginning to put bandages on the cuts.

"There were four men keeping me still with… ropes and stuff… and Stayne was whipping me so hard! And he kept repeating 'Ask your dear trainer why I'm doing this!'"

"All this is going to finish" I said, than I whispered: "The Alice, is here, in the castle! Looking for the Vorpal Sword! The Oracolum was right again!"

"So… will she be the White Queen's Champion?" he asked.

"I very hope so! If anyone ever tries to touch you again I'll kill them, by the way"