AN: A labor of love poppets and as such, I think you should review I work for y'all, I'm just asking for a little love back

Underland

Iracebeth was tired. Her feet were aching, she hadn't eaten in a very long time, and she wasn't quite sure where she was. This entire endeavor was beginning to look like a fool's errand. If Stayne had just listened to her, he'd be alive and probably already be telling Mirana by now. Ugh, damn the man!

Iracebeth knew she should be grateful, he had saved her life, but right now she was mad. Mad at him, at Mirana, at the mystery soldier, at all of Underland! But most of all, she was mad at herself. Besides, she was always better at being angry then being sad.

As she continued on her way, hoping she was going in the right direction she wanted to scream in frustration. Due to the whole, "No one would show her any kindness," edict that her sister had proclaim, no being that she passed would tell her if she was going in the right direction. For all she knew she was going in the opposite direction. In fact, based on her luck, she probably was. Iracebeth tripped over a meandering tree branch, and as she landed on her face she let out a scream. Her face grew red and contorted in rage and she thrashed on the ground kicking and slamming her tiny fists into the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Iracebeth sensed the heartbeat coming, before it got so close, but she expected it to simply continue on its as so many more had done. With some surprise she realized it had stop, and was standing above her. She didn't need to look to see it wasn't the Stranger from earlier; the heart beat was far too calm. She lay there a bit longer and then looked up. It was a Deer.

"Great. Look, I am sorry if I ordered you beheaded, and well since you are a Deer you probably died protecting someone, so all in all, I am sorry I am sure you were a right merry chap, but please could you hold off on the vengeance bit a second. I need to get to Marmoreal to warn my sister. I would just tell you and be done with it, but your lot doesn't talk so that would be a bit silly," Iracebeth pulled herself up and looked at the Deer. It was a huge beast, one of the biggest she ever had seen but what put her off were the eyes. The Deer were reincarnations of Noble Warriors, any Underlandian who had made the ultimate sacrifice for either Land or Queen, or even family. They never spoke, simply walked about Underland, a silent protector as such, and rarely became involved in the lives of the living. The eyes though, they were supposed to be the very eyes they had when they were alive and as such, Iracebeth expected to see anger, hate, disgust and instead she saw compassion, and a bit of love. They almost looked like Stayne's, except he would never get to be a Deer; she had polluted his soul too much for him to get a chance to be such a noble beast.

The Deer looked at her for a moment then turned towards the east. Iracebeth stared back at it, wondering if perhaps somehow the Deer would be immune to Mirana's decree, for no one really understood how the Deer worked. The Deer became impatient and gently butted his head against her shoulders and then looked back towards the east. Was it telling her where to go?

"Are you leading me?" Iracebeth questioned becoming more and more confused. The Deer looked back at her as if she was stupid and she could almost hear Stayne's voice in her head to not look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Alright, I am trusting you. But know this, if you are leading me astray, you have doomed Underland," Iracebeth warned, summoning what little Queenly authority she had left in her voice to warn the beast. The Deer simply stared back, a daring look in its eyes. Iracebeth took a deep breath and then followed after the Deer hoping it was not a trick.

AN: Sigh…ok so I added a bit of Celtic Folklore to the story I was told stories about how the Deer were noble warriors who have passed sent back to protect the land for the generations after them…so I hope no one minds well I am glad that this chapter is over, and sorry if y'all feel like I distorted her character….