Still don't own anything.
Thanks for the reviews, everyone! And sorry for the delay; I'd have liked to have this chapter up sooner, but I got a surprise trip for my birthday and hijinks promptly ensued. Anyway, I'm doing my editing at three in the morning, so please be forgiving.
For a moment, Alice's heart stopped beating.
The next second, she scrambled to her knees beside him in the carpet of decaying leaves. He was lying awkwardly on his side, orange hair blazing madly, though it was dirty and tangled with leaves. Alice flipped him over, cradling his head in her lap, and fumbled frantically at his pale neck for a pulse.
Nothing. Oh God, his skin was cold as ice, and there was nothing!
No. No, she wouldn't accept this! Alice pressed her head to her friend's chest and held her breath, listening. At first she thought she was imagining things...but no, there it was! A thready heartbeat, a faint intake of air. He was weak, but he was alive!
Alive! Alice nearly collapsed in relief. For a moment, she'd thought...she didn't know what she would have done, if she really had lost him. But she didn't really have him back, not yet. "Hatter? Can you hear me?" she asked, bringing her face closer to his. There was no response.
"Tarrant?" she asked louder, shaking his shoulder a little harder than she'd meant. The only response was his head lolling limply to one side. Alice sat back, chewing her lip anxiously. Around her, the forest remained still and silent, the mist swirling in aimless white shapes on the edges of her vision. It was cold, and the sky was beginning to get darker; this was likely the single worst place in Underland for the two of them to be right now. She had to get him out of here. The question was, how on Earth was she meant to do that? The Hatter was quite thin, it was true, but she still highly doubted her ability to carry him anywhere.
"Well, I certainly can't drag you all the way to Marmoreal," she remarked to him wryly. Obviously he couldn't hear her, but it made her feel better to talk to someone nonetheless. "I'm certain you would know some way out of this. You always did just what you needed to help me, and yet here I am - " She paused to brush a few leaves from his hair, and had a sudden thought. "I don't suppose you still have..." Regardless of propriety, Alice unbuttoned his coat and fumbled about in the inner pockets until her fingers met glass. She drew out the small vial and held it up to the fading light. "Definitely Pishalver. Tarrant, you're brilliant."
This would make it much easier (and for once, he would be the one who was too small or too tall!) Holding her breath, Alice tipped the Hatter's head forward and carefully forced the potion between his lips, not daring to exhale until he had safely swallowed it. Immediately he began to shrink until his still form was engulfed by his coat - and his trousers, and all his other clothes...
Alice felt a hot blush creep across her cheeks. Perhaps she hadn't thought this all the way through...
She bundled his clothing around him as quickly and securely as possible, studiously avoiding actually looking down at him. She hadn't really looked around before; how could she see anything else with the Hatter lying at her feet? But now, a glint in the leaves nearby quickly caught her attention. Her work with the Hatter finished, she reached over and carefully cleared away some of the debris. A long sword greeted her, the cold steel blade shining despite its time spent on a damp forest floor. Alice picked it up and turned it this way and that, observing how it caught the fading light. The only time she'd ever seen the Hatter carry a sword was at the final battle on the Frabjous Day. He hadn't had one at all before that, even as dangerous as times were then. And now he'd brought one out here...
Suddenly tense again, Alice quickly buckled the belt around her own waist, sheathed the sword, and gathered the Hatter up, easily cradling him in one arm. She'd thought that she would feel better if she had a weapon, but now that she did, she felt even more uneasy. She didn't want to fight. She would if she had to, of course, but she fervently hoped that she didn't have to.
Alice began to leave, then stopped to glance around one last time. She had the strangest feeling that she was forgetting something. Her eyes roved across her dismal surroundings, and caught a glimpse of pink ribbon peeking out from under a bush. Alice smiled despite herself. Of course! Walking across the clearing, she retrieved the hat and fingered the worn brim for a moment before placing it firmly upon her own head. It was a bit big on her, maybe, but she felt better for wearing it.
The sun was almost completely down by now, and if the fog had made it hard to see, the night made it impossible. Several times on her way, Alice nearly walked right into a tree. But she kept going, holding the Hatter protectively with one hand and resting the other near the hilt of her sword. The usual night noises were completely absent, and her footsteps crunched unnaturally loud in the void. To fill the silence, Alice once again found herself talking to the Hatter. She told him more about the family she'd gone back for; she detailed her adventures in China; she even admitted, rather quietly, just how much she had missed Underland. He never once answered her. She hadn't expected anything else, of course, but...
At first, she dismissed it as simply her mind playing tricks on her. But then she stopped and listened quietly - and yes, there it was again! Noises, like crashing chinaware, and close. Alice's heart lifted and she picked up her pace. Perhaps the March Hare was still in residence?
Her eyes were adjusted enough to the dark that she could easily make out the shape of the table once she left the tree line. She could also make out the large creature standing on it, loudly scarfing down what were hopefully just some scones. It was much bigger than the March Hare. Alice paused, and clasped the hilt of the sword warily. "Hello?"
The beast immediately ceased eating and lifted its head, green-yellow eyes reflecting back what little light there was in the clearing. A low rumble started in its chest. Alice managed to fling herself out of the way just in time, as the creature leapt, claws swiping through the air where the girl's head had just been.
Alice quickly scrambled back to her feet and drew the sword, holding it firmly despite her pounding heart. The beast was clearly feline; it flashed long fangs and swiped at her with one clawed paw. Alice backed quickly away, holding Tarrant as close to her body as possible. "I don't want to fight you," she said quickly.
But the cat paid no mind, lunging forward. Alice flinched back instinctively, shielding the Hatter with her body. Instead, her shoulder took the blow. Alice cried out in pain; she could feel the blood flowing down her arm. She gritted her teeth. It didn't want to talk? So be it. She lashed out fiercely with her blade, and the cat yowled in pain.
Any other animal would have retreated then. But this one merely let out another feral snarl and lunged forward again. And again, Alice slashed it across the face, only to fall back in surprise when it swiped at her legs. She'd felt its blood on her arms; she wouldn't be surprised if she'd blinded the thing! It must be mad, to keep attacking! She spun hastily to dodge another attack, and knew that there was no way around this.
Better to get it over with, then. Moving quickly, she darted to the side and stabbed the beast one last time. It fell, but even with a sword buried in its side, it didn't die right away. It continued weakly growling and snapping at Alice where she stood, until finally it let out one rattling breath and lay still. Feeling sick to her stomach, Alice tugged the blade free and wiped it against the grass.
Everything after that was a bit of a blur. A length ripped from the tablecloth did perfectly well for a bandage. There were still some scones left, and she nibbled halfheartedly on one as she tried her best to rub some lingering blood spots out of the Hatter's coat. Somewhere amid the clutter, she found a box of matches, and after a few false starts lit a respectable campfire. The Hatter, she bundled up near the heat of the flames. He still felt cool, but his breathing sounded stronger; the terror in her stomach was beginning to fade. Satisfied that they were both as safe as they were going to be for the night, Alice dropped down onto the chill ground next to him. Her exhaustion quickly overcame her nerves, and she dropped off to sleep, only to dream of running through deep fog, followed everywhere by a pair of glowing red eyes.
Picturing Tiny!Hatter in my head just makes me giggle every time. Except that I kinda forgot until I was halfway through this that clothes don't shrink, too...oh, well. He's not very fun to write when he's out cold, though - quite the opposite. And for the interested, I imagine the cat to have been in fact a Eurasian Lynx. Had circumstances been different, he would have had a very posh British accent. Again...oh, well.
Next chapter: actually contains dialogue! Review, review, review!