Hatter and Alice Journey into the Netherworlds
By Ldynwaitin
Chapter Six – Haven ahead, trouble behind
Hatter woke up with a start. Rubbing his eyes he looked up. He saw through the bay window that the lights on the pillars were now glowing in a low light. They would be turning on soon. He could see that Sloan was asleep and Barret was now keeping watch. Looking down he saw Alice sleeping soundly, her head lying on his arm. The fingers on his hand was tingling, it fell asleep hours ago. Slowly he pulled his arm out. Cupping her hands under her head, she remained asleep. Quietly Hatter moved out of the bed. He quickly pulled his jacket on. Picking up his hat, he first ran his fingers through his hair, spiking it up just before he patted his hat on his head. Hearing a noise from behind Barret turned, he nodded a good morning, and Hatter smiled his greeting. Silently he walked out of the room, shaking his hand to get the sting out of it.
Closing the door to the guest room, he began to walk through the dark hallway. A wall lamp was the only light here. He saw ahead a strip of light peeking through the bottom of a door. As he walked towards it, he came to a large painting hanging on the wall. In this low light he was having a hard time making it out. Stepping closer, he was surprised to see the light growing stronger. Pitney was walking towards him, carrying a small lamp. He placed it down next to Hatter.
With the stronger light he was able to see what was on the painting. He grinned widely as he recognized who was on the painting.
"You told anything about him?" Pitney asked Hatter.
Hatter tilted his head, "Not much. Just bits and pieces, and of course what was written in the stories."
Pitney moved to stand by Hatters side. "He love old Wonderland, love it very much. When stoopid Queen came into power, and all turned their back to us, he only one that stood by our side. All Wonderland creatures knew they could depend on, The Hatter."
Hatter was actually surprised to hear his ancestor's name spoken with such reverence. From the stories his mother told him when he was a child, The Hatter was a name associated with madness.
"Then you knew him?"
Pitney's small hand moved up and stroked the old painting, "Knew him well, I miss him." Sighing he smiled up at Hatter. "You remind me of him. You accept seeing talking animals easily, that thanks to him. As you saw yesterday, most Overworlders fear us and have hard time accepting us. I glad to see you turn out just like him. I not see fear in eyes, but sparkle, and same mischievous smile. I get in many troubles with that smile." Stepping back, Pitney sighed again, "He was good friend. But enough talk of old times, time to make new ones." Clapping his hands the lamp on the wall blazed brighter. "Morning here, I think it time we get ready to go." Spinning around, Pitney grabbed his lamp on the floor. He walked away with a skip to his step. "Cannot wait, long time since I go on adventure. Hope not anything like last stoopid trip, took long time for quills to grow back."
Once everyone was awake and eating breakfast Hatter quietly stepped into Pitney's room. He saw him stuffing things into a backpack nearly his size. His bedroom was as cluttered as the first room they entered. It was a wonder anything was found in it.
"So many things I should take," Pitney told Hatter. He stepped up to a vine covered wall. Touching one of the leaves the vines parted to reveal shelves filled with bottles of every color and size. Reaching up Pitney began to pick several bottles from the shelves and stuff them into the sack. He hesitated on one bottle. "Think we may get elephant pox?"
"Not sure what that is, and really don't want to know, but I sure hope not," Hatter replied.
"You right, I stoopid, elephants not in season." Grabbing a few more bottles he jammed them into the backpack. He then struggled to close the overstuffed sack.
"Here, let me help you," Hatter insisted. As Hatter worked on closing the sack Pitney moved to a table and picked up one of many small knives that were stuck into it's thick wood. He placed it into a belt that hung from his tiny waist. It soon became lost in his many folds of loose stomach skin. Grinning proudly he declared, "I ready, we can start this grand adventure."
Hatter grimaced, "You sound like Cayto."
Pitney was grinning from ear to ear. "Now I know you are like The Hatter, Cayto good friend to him too."
"Pitney, what do you know about Cayto? All he's given me since the first day I met him was grief."
"There you go," Pitney said. "You know much as I do. Now we hurry, we have much walking to do to reach first haven." He called out for Daisy. Coming in he pointed to his backpack and asked if she could carry it for him. She gladly agreed, picking up the heavy sack with ease she strapped it on her back.
Once everyone was brought together, Pitney led them outside of the house. He then closed the windowed doors. Taking out a small key, he locked the doors. Once he took the key out thick vines grew out from the floor to cover the doors.
"That should protect house until I come back," Pitney said. He waddled up to a blank wall. Hatter could just make out a key hole in the solid stone wall. Sticking the same key in, small cracks began to appear in the wall. Hearing a scraping sound, Hatter saw a stone door sliding open.
"We hurry now, we two days walk and one day to do it." He ushered them all out of the courtyard. Pushing the door shut he used the key to lock it. The cracks disappeared until there was no sign left of the walls door.
"Which way do we go?" Jack asked the small hedgehog.
Pitney pointed ahead. "Go that way first, I tell when we need to turn. Make sure to stay near pillars, incase we need to hide from stoopid Bull-guards. I worry about large group of Overworlders being seen, but I hope for best." Daisy reached down and picked Pitney up. She gently placed him to sit on top of the backpack. From that high vantage point Pitney could see well ahead. Daisy knew he was to small to keep up with the others. She didn't mind carrying him, he practically weighed nothing to her.
"Hurry, we go now," Pitney urged them.
With Jack taking the lead Locke and Barret was just behind him. Rankin and Sloan took the rear. Keeping the others between them they began to march ahead, following Pitney's commands they would keep to the pillars.
It was several hours later that Alice noticed a change. The dirt ground was now blanketed in a dark green grass. The plain pillars were covered in vines. She even saw, though she had no idea how they grew, the trunks of trees.
"We closer to heart of Wonderland, Alter-Alice," she heard Pitney say from above. His eyes stared ahead, "From here on things as first Alice said, gets Curiousor and Curiousor."
It was just after they stopped for something to eat that Locke informed them that they were being followed. He pointed back the way they had come. "Someone's been following us, they've kept behind us for some time now."
"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Jack scolded him.
"I wanted to make sure, didn't want to alarm anyone. I don't know how, but each time we make a turn or twist, whatever it is, goes the same way. It's as if it knows exactly where we're going."
Pitney tiredly sighed, "It not the stoopid bull-guards, it just Lefty."
"You know he's been following us all this time?" Jack practically growled.
"He following us since we left my home."
"I'd bet my old tea shop that he's lookin' for me." Hatter looked back, his face flushed red with anger. "I guess he still has it in that tiny mind of his that he's going to take me in for that reward. Hang on," Hatter looked at Pitney. "Who's R.K.? I saw those initials on the wanted poster."
"I believe I may know the answer to that," Charlie admitted. "I think it may stand for The Red Knight."
"You right Charlie," Pitney said. "Red Knight powerful down here. He sheriff of Netherworlds, Bull-guards listen to him. He show up here over one hundred years ago as young man with Red Knight armor much to big for him. In time he grew into armor, and began to get respect from most creatures trapped here. He tell them what they want to hear. He set up the stoopid Bull-guards to enforce his rules. He the one that is looking for any Overworlders, especially descendants of founders, like Hatter. Not sure why he want them, that one reason I come with you."
"I wondered what happened to him," Charlie softly said.
"Charlie," Alice asked him. "That story you told me of the Knights final battle. Were there other pages there?"
"Yes Alice, the Red Knight of course had his page as well as the White. His name was, Reginald Collis Knorthrop. I called him Reggie, he was my best friend, and until now I thought he was killed in battle. After the Queen's army left I buried every knight that fell, Reggie's was the only body I could not find. Now I'm afraid I now know what happened to him. And I fear that he may be the reason for our trip."
"We talk about Red Knight later," Pitney told everyone. "For now we have to think of way to get rid of stoopid Lefty."
Alice looked back the way they came, "Should we confront Lefty, or keep going?"
"Bet Lefty mad, for what Daisy do," Pitney said.
"I'm not afraid of him," she made a large fist. "I made a promise to protect Hatter whenever he's down here, I aim to keep it."
"Is he alone?" Hatter asked Pitney and Locke. Both shook their heads. Locke's eyes narrowed as he gazed back, "I think there are at least five of them."
Pitney raised his head, the tip of his nose sniffed the air, he slowly nodded his head, "He right, five, with Lefty as one, and he very angry. I can smell it from here."
Jack pulled out a gun and checked it. "We either need to stand and fight, or hurry on to this haven Pitney is leading us to."
Barret was the first to give his vote, "I say we fight."
"Me too," Sloan chimed in.
"We have women here," Rankin began to say, until he received killer looks from the three women.
"We're not as helpless as you think," Alice said. "I saw Daisy take out a man with one punch while we couldn't even get him to work up a sweat."
The White Rabbits had to agree, if in another fight, they would want Daisy by their side.
"I think I need to lead him away from here, alone," Hatter suggested.
"That is not happening," Alice quickly vetoed him.
"Alice, it's me he's after, it could jeopardize all that we're trying to do to save Wonderland. If I lead him away, the rest of you could get to Haven safely."
"What if he catches you?" Alice refused to lose him again.
"He won't," Hatter brightly grinned. "I'm pretty good at hidin', been doing it all my life. I think I could doge him for a while, give you all enough time to get away. We don't have the time to play hide and seek while Wonderland may be fallin' down on our heads; we need to find out what is causing all that shaking. I've made up my mind, I need to go alone.
"I think coming this close to the heart of Wonderland has made you more like your ancestor. You're mad if you think we're going to let you separate from us."
"Hatter, we're from the Overworld as well," Jack tried to reason with him. "I'm sure he'd want to turn us in for the reward, especially me, after all my mother was the one that exiled everyone down here."
"Oh, don't worry about that," Pitney said. "He not want to take you in for reward, he'd just kill you. Everyone here hate the Queen."
"That makes me feel so much better," Jack sighed.
"You may be right, Jack," Hatter said. "But he was after my hide first, I'm the one to lead them away."
"Your hide is staying with us," Alice forcefully protested.
Locke stepped in between them. "Much as I love to see a lovers quarrel, you'd better make up your minds soon, each moment we stay here he's getting closer."
"Then it's settled, I'm goin'," Hatter was about to leave until Alice grabbed his arm.
"You won't be going anywhere without me by your side."
Hatter threw his arms in the air in frustration, "Alice, why can't you just do what I want for once."
Locke suddenly hissed a warning, he motioned them to be quiet. He silently mouthed, "Guards coming." Hatter and Jack peeked around the large pillar they were hiding behind. They saw ten Bull-guards marching towards them. With them was a different creature, it looked like a giant pig, but walked on two legs instead of four.
When they told Pitney his face lit up in worry. "He best tracking guard, very good nose. He find you stoopid Overworlders for sure." Opening the backpack Pitney practical dove into it. He rummaged for a few seconds before they heard him declare in triumph, "Found it." He crawled out of the backpack holding a bottle that held a grey powder. He handed it to Daisy. "Hurry Daisy, sprinkle all Overworlders, will help to hide scent."
Daisy quickly sprinkled the powder on everyone there. As she finished with the last one, Locke gave them all a warning to be quiet. Peering around the pillar he could see the Bull-guards had stopped just twenty feet from their pillar. They barked out an order to the tracking pig-guard. Lifting his head up, he began to sniff the air. He took in long breaths, after a few seconds his head came down. Looking at the Bull-guards he shook his head. Growling in frustration they began to march away from the pillar. It was when they were out of earshot that Locke gave them the all clear sign.
"That close," Pitney sighed. "Not want to tangle with stoopid Bull-guards, they got nasty bite."
"Pitney," Hatter rubbed the powder between his fingers. "Will this powder work on keeping Lefty from following us?"
"Don't know Hatter, not sure how he able to do that. Shame that guards not take other hand, those guards really hate him."
"Hold on Pitney, that's it," Hatter said, with a snap of his fingers. "The guards. We could sic them on Lefty,"
"That good idea, Hatter, and I know just how we do that."
Twenty minutes later Hatter saw Daisy running back to them with Pitney in her arms. He was unwrapping a bandage from his head. Both had pleased grins on their faces. "Daisy learn much from you, Hatter," Pitney said. "She know how to tell your untruths very good."
"Then it worked?" Hatter asked him.
"Work very well. At first Bull-Guards angry, want to know why we need their help. Stoopid Bull-guards also very lazy. I moan and groan and Daisy tell stoopid Bull-guards that she came to my house as Lefty was attacking me. She told them he wanted me to tell him if I see Overworlder, say he was special, say he was, The Hatter. Daisy tell them Lefty told her he took you prisoner, Hatter, and was bringing you in for reward but you get away."
"Then he'll be in trouble for hurting you?" Alice asked him.
"Silly Alter-Alice, he get in trouble with Bull-guards for letting Hatter get away," Pitney laughed. "Hatter big prize down here, any Netherworlder would want him."
"Told you I was special," Hatter proudly grinned.
Alice leaned on him. "I knew that the first time I saw you swivel in that chair."
"Let us go now, we got enough time now to reach haven. Stoopid Lefty going to have his hand full with those nasty Bull-guards."
Hatter walked with them, Alice practically clung to his side, her eyes twinkled with joy. Hatter was safe, for now. Hatter allowed her to think he was staying with them. But deep inside he knew sooner or later Lefty would catch up with them. He knew how tenacious and dangerous the man could be. His eyes now searched ahead, once there was a chance, an opening he would hang back and then lead Lefty away from his companions. His mind was now filled with thoughts of how he was going to elude Lefty while his friends find who or what was threatening Wonderland, and put a stop to it.
Daisy grinned widely as they marched on. She always worried about Pitney living alone. She wished she could bring him to the Overworld, but knew that was impossible. There was no way Moxie could hide a talking hedgehog for to long, especially Pitney. But for now, even though they were in great danger, she was happy he was happy.