Knight looked around, watching for any signs of danger as he made his way through the forest. Each soldier was spread out ten meters. The foliage was large and thick, making it easy for an ambush. Knight gripped his large square shield and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. He felt something grab his hand and he looked over his shoulder. A girl, about his age, was holding onto his arm and looking around. Knight took his hand off his sword and held her hand. She had long golden hair with a band in it, dark blue eyes, and wore a blue and white dress. "The Queen has been looking forward to seeing you again." Knight said, trying to comfort the girl.
The girl looked up at Knight. "Really," She asked with a smile.
"Of course. She is very fond of you. Especially the stories you tell."
"I can say the same of her." A small rocking-horsefly flew in front of her and neighed. The girl smiled and the insect went away. "This world is still very unknown to me. Many things I find strange seem to be the norm for you." Knight looked to his left and saw Captain Bartholomew nod toward him. Knight looked ahead and crouched down. The girl did the same. Knight placed the girl against a tree and moved some foliage to cover her.
"I'll be back," He told her. Knight unslung his crossbow and put his shield on his back. He laid on his stomach and crawled through the grass. Nothing moved. Knight crawled forward ten steps and stopped. No, there was something. Knight saw a bush rustle and slowly moved toward it. He reached into it and wrapped his hand around something skinny. He pulled it out and aimed his crossbow at a pink flamingo.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" The bird said. Knight aimed his bow over his shoulder at one of the soldiers. "Talk," Knight said.
"We found two boys, Sir." Knight handed the flamingo to the soldier. Knight walked over to the Captain and two soldiers who cornered the two boys against a tree. They were wearing ragged dark red clothes.
"Names," The Captain asked. The two boys held each other and stared at them. Knight put his helmet visor up and looked down at them. The boys stared at him. They were scared but who wouldn't be? "Names," Bartholomew demanded. A soldier tried to pull one of the two away from each other but they struggled to hang onto each other.
"This one's Tweedledum and the other is Tweedledee." Knight said as he walked over and crossed his arms. "Where did you come from?" The brothers whispered to each other. The Captain kicked Tweedledum.
"We came from Hatter's," They said in unison. Knight sighed and the Captain sheathed his sword. Knight flicked his hand and the soldiers lowered their bows. The brothers scrambled away and the bird scrambled after. Knight looked around.
"What do you think, Sir," Bartholomew questioned.
Knight looked at the ground with his eyes closed. "Cheshire." A large gray cat that appeared to not have eaten in months appeared. Its eyes were large and green and its teeth were white and sharp with spots of blood in them. "Follow them," Knight told him.
"And why, may I ask, would I do that?"
"It involves Alice's protection and you are obliged to protect her." The cat rolled its eyes and faded into a black smoke. Knight walked back to the tree where he had left Alice. He helped her up and told the Captain to look over her. He and five soldiers went in the same direction as the Tweeds. They traveled over hills, through forests, past lakes, until they reached a small awkward house in the middle of nowhere. Knight and his group walked down. A table set up with tea and cakes and other sweets lined the table. Knight walked past it and knocked on the door of the house. "What?!" The lower half of the door opened. A brown hare holding a spoon ran out and started hitting Knight with it. "Go away! We are not ready yet!"
"Where's Hatter?" Knight asked.
"Hatter?..." The Hare threw the spoon and hit one of the soldiers in the head. "Don't talk to me about Hatter! I don't even want to mention his name! That dunderhead!" The Hare slammed the door close and Knight heard loud crashes of glass. Knight walked around to the side of the house and kicked a small door.
"Go away!" A small voice said. Knight kicked it again. "I said go away!" Knight kicked it again and the door broke. "What?!" A small white mouse walked out and Knight grabbed it.
"Where's Hatter?"
The Mouse's eyes grew wide. "No! I won't tell you." One of the soldiers unlatched one of the small glass vials on his belt and shook it around. "What is that," The mouse inquired worridly. The soldier walked over to the table and held it over. "What is he going to do?" The soldier dropped the vile and fire spread over the table. The Mouse started to squirm but Knight squeezed tighter. The Mouse tried to bite his hand but only dug into the metal glove.
"Tell me where Hatter is or I burn your house down."
"Technically you wouldn't be burning our house down!" The Hare yelled from a window. He threw a salt shaker and hit the soldier again. Knight turned back to the Mouse. It was still trying to get free.
"Where, Mouse?"
"I don't know!"
The Hare threw a cup at Knight. "Don't you tell him! You good for nothing traitor!" Knight squeezed the mouse so that it was suffocating.
"He... He... He's heading to the White Castle!" Knight dropped it and looked to his left. He and the soldiers left. As soon as they were in the treeline Cheshire appeared.
"The Tweeds were heading to the gnome mines. I already told the Captain but, unfortunately-" Knight heard the gallop of horses and hid behind a tree. A group of cavalrymen came through the trees and Knight waved them over.
"We're here to retrieve you, Sir."
"What's going on?"
"Alice's convoy was attacked."
The girl looked up at Knight. "Really," She asked with a smile.
"Of course. She is very fond of you. Especially the stories you tell."
"I can say the same of her." A small rocking-horsefly flew in front of her and neighed. The girl smiled and the insect went away. "This world is still very unknown to me. Many things I find strange seem to be the norm for you." Knight looked to his left and saw Captain Bartholomew nod toward him. Knight looked ahead and crouched down. The girl did the same. Knight placed the girl against a tree and moved some foliage to cover her.
"I'll be back," He told her. Knight unslung his crossbow and put his shield on his back. He laid on his stomach and crawled through the grass. Nothing moved. Knight crawled forward ten steps and stopped. No, there was something. Knight saw a bush rustle and slowly moved toward it. He reached into it and wrapped his hand around something skinny. He pulled it out and aimed his crossbow at a pink flamingo.
"Please! Don't hurt me!" The bird said. Knight aimed his bow over his shoulder at one of the soldiers. "Talk," Knight said.
"We found two boys, Sir." Knight handed the flamingo to the soldier. Knight walked over to the Captain and two soldiers who cornered the two boys against a tree. They were wearing ragged dark red clothes.
"Names," The Captain asked. The two boys held each other and stared at them. Knight put his helmet visor up and looked down at them. The boys stared at him. They were scared but who wouldn't be? "Names," Bartholomew demanded. A soldier tried to pull one of the two away from each other but they struggled to hang onto each other.
"This one's Tweedledum and the other is Tweedledee." Knight said as he walked over and crossed his arms. "Where did you come from?" The brothers whispered to each other. The Captain kicked Tweedledum.
"We came from Hatter's," They said in unison. Knight sighed and the Captain sheathed his sword. Knight flicked his hand and the soldiers lowered their bows. The brothers scrambled away and the bird scrambled after. Knight looked around.
"What do you think, Sir," Bartholomew questioned.
Knight looked at the ground with his eyes closed. "Cheshire." A large gray cat that appeared to not have eaten in months appeared. Its eyes were large and green and its teeth were white and sharp with spots of blood in them. "Follow them," Knight told him.
"And why, may I ask, would I do that?"
"It involves Alice's protection and you are obliged to protect her." The cat rolled its eyes and faded into a black smoke. Knight walked back to the tree where he had left Alice. He helped her up and told the Captain to look over her. He and five soldiers went in the same direction as the Tweeds. They traveled over hills, through forests, past lakes, until they reached a small awkward house in the middle of nowhere. Knight and his group walked down. A table set up with tea and cakes and other sweets lined the table. Knight walked past it and knocked on the door of the house. "What?!" The lower half of the door opened. A brown hare holding a spoon ran out and started hitting Knight with it. "Go away! We are not ready yet!"
"Where's Hatter?" Knight asked.
"Hatter?..." The Hare threw the spoon and hit one of the soldiers in the head. "Don't talk to me about Hatter! I don't even want to mention his name! That dunderhead!" The Hare slammed the door close and Knight heard loud crashes of glass. Knight walked around to the side of the house and kicked a small door.
"Go away!" A small voice said. Knight kicked it again. "I said go away!" Knight kicked it again and the door broke. "What?!" A small white mouse walked out and Knight grabbed it.
"Where's Hatter?"
The Mouse's eyes grew wide. "No! I won't tell you." One of the soldiers unlatched one of the small glass vials on his belt and shook it around. "What is that," The mouse inquired worridly. The soldier walked over to the table and held it over. "What is he going to do?" The soldier dropped the vile and fire spread over the table. The Mouse started to squirm but Knight squeezed tighter. The Mouse tried to bite his hand but only dug into the metal glove.
"Tell me where Hatter is or I burn your house down."
"Technically you wouldn't be burning our house down!" The Hare yelled from a window. He threw a salt shaker and hit the soldier again. Knight turned back to the Mouse. It was still trying to get free.
"Where, Mouse?"
"I don't know!"
The Hare threw a cup at Knight. "Don't you tell him! You good for nothing traitor!" Knight squeezed the mouse so that it was suffocating.
"He... He... He's heading to the White Castle!" Knight dropped it and looked to his left. He and the soldiers left. As soon as they were in the treeline Cheshire appeared.
"The Tweeds were heading to the gnome mines. I already told the Captain but, unfortunately-" Knight heard the gallop of horses and hid behind a tree. A group of cavalrymen came through the trees and Knight waved them over.
"We're here to retrieve you, Sir."
"What's going on?"
"Alice's convoy was attacked."