Remember when I said I was gonna flesh out Hatter? Well, get ready for him to get buff. Er.. metaphorically. Existentially? Whatever. Enjoy.
The shrill whinny of one of the horses, likely Guinevere from the proximity of it, brought Alice back to the world. She jumped, arms tightening around the warm body she pressed against, and blinked her eyes into some semblance of focus. Hatter's chuckle shook him gently against her and he peered over his shoulder.
"Welcome back, sleepin' beauty," he grinned back at her. "Did you have a good kip?"
"I'm sorry," the girl apologized quickly, straightening up. He laid his arm over her hands as she started to pull away.
"Don't be. You needed it. You can go back to sleep, if you like, but Charlie says we're nearly there anyway," he said. "Where ever 'there' is."
Alice looked at the landscape around her, finding that they were presently riding across a vast, rolling meadow, heading towards a tall, thick stand of ancient looking trees. Turning her gaze left, then right, she gasped when she realized that what she had first taken as a cloud was, in fact, a white mushroom of truly epic proportions. Highlighted with gold that glinted in the late afternoon sunlight, the thing was tall enough that the top, itself, was shrouded in actual clouds like a mountain.
"Oh my God," she breathed in awe.
"What?" Hatter inquired. She pulled her hand from under his arm and pointed at the breathtaking sight, not comprehending how he could be so unmoved by it. The man just shrugged. "Oh, yeah. Impressive, isn't it?"
She nodded, wrapping her arm around him again. "I wish I had my camera."
"Your what?"
Alice goggled at his back. "What do you mean, what? A camera. You don't have cameras in Wonderland?"
Hatter shook his head. "Not that I'm aware of. What is it?"
"It's a little machine you use to take pictures; capture images of stuff," she explained quickly, just as quickly adding in disbelief, "How can you not have cameras? You've got beetle shaped jets and hand guns, for God's sake!"
The man sighed. "Whoever invented the cam-rah was in your world, remember? The Queen only allows the Suits to bring back technology that fulfills her own fancies."
She frowned, turning away from the awesome scene. "How do you keep a record of your experiences?" Her voice was soft and sad. She had never thought about how much photographs really meant before, they were so common in her world that she took them completely for granted. Without the snapshots, she would have long ago forgotten what her father looked like. Hatter lifted his hand and tapped his temple.
"In here," he said simply. The girl found herself wondering where his parents were; if he had any siblings, close friends, a lover. How long would he remember their faces once he left Wonderland behind? The thought made her chest ache and she was grateful when Charlie brought them to a stop before what looked like an impenetrable wall of foliage.
"Welcome," he said grandly, pulling back a curtain of some thick hanging moss. "To the Kingdom of the Knights."
For the second time in ten minutes, Alice was struck dumb by what her eyes beheld. A massive gorge ran between two mountains and on either side of the chasm lay a majestic ruined city. Gargantuan monoliths in the likeness of chess pieces rose up from among the lower structures, as if reigning over the kingdom. Two massive bridges spanned the gulf. All of it was overgrown with lush greenery, the remnants of a forgotten capitol, still glorious even in decay.
"Well, well. What do you know?" Hatter spoke softly. His tone was odd and, unable to see his face, Alice could not begin to guess what he was feeling.
They moved in silence through the city, Alice feeling she was trespassing on some sacred ground. Nothing moved in the city, save themselves and the occasional bird. It was like walking through a cemetery. The trio moved into an area that was more forest than city, darkened by the shadows of two colossal pieces - a knight and a bishop. This area had been fairly cleared of underbrush and a spacious corral was nestled amongst the trees, complete with roughly built lean-to to shelter the horses. Charlie dismounted first, chivalrously coming to help Alice down from her perch behind Hatter. With the horses unsaddled and turned loose into their enclosure, Sir Charles motioned for his guests to follow and headed down a well worn path.
"Before the war with the Queen of Hearts," the old knight suddenly spoke. "This was once the greatest city in the realm." Alice had no trouble believing that. In her mind, it was still infinitely greater than the deteriorated towers of the city she'd escaped from. "The Red King and his elected council ruled Wonderland with the wisdom of the ages."
"And she destroyed everything," Alice said, filled with sorrow, though the world was not her own.
"We lived in harmony for a thousand years," Charlie lamented softly. "But when the Queen came to power, everything that once was, was no more and the great city fell." The path opened into a clearing and he stopped again, looking back at the other two. "Believe it or not, this was once the throne room."
There was nothing there to indicate there had been a building in this place. The Queen must have razed it to splinters and dust. Now, the only structure in the space was what looked like a poorly built barn. In fact, the area looked like a redneck's front yard, complete with fire pit, hammock and bathtub standing out in the open. Why would Charlie choose to live here, instead of inside one of the buildings? Yes, they were in disrepair, but offered more protection from the elements than this pathetic collection.
"Sadly, all that's left now… is the throne." Alice and Hatter followed the man's gaze and there, presiding over his fallen kingdom, was the Red King: a ghastly collection of bones under an ornate crown, spindly fingers curled over the hilt of his sword, sitting on a marble throne.
"Jesus Christ," she whispered. And she thought the place had felt like a cemetery before. She wasn't horrified by the slain king, only felt a strong sense that she did not belong there.
"Come!" Charlie piped, suddenly chipper. "The sun shall be setting soon and there is much to do before nightfall." He scampered off down into the clearing, leaving the other two to follow.
Alice looked to her companion to gauge his reaction, but Hatter's eyes were miles away. "Hey," she spoke softly, calling him back to the here and now.
"Sorry, what?" he blinked, looking back at her. She might have been prying, but could hot help herself.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head, gesturing about them. "I grew up hearing stories about this city, about the ancient knights. Always thought the Queen had wiped it clean off the face of Wonderland."
"My lady!" Charlie called. It took Alice a moment to find him, standing beside the tub. "I'm sure you would like to bathe, as your harrowing flight has left you quite disheveled."
She had not even thought about what she must look like. Alice's hand flew to her hair, finding the bun hanging off her skull, tangled with strands of her hair that had come loose. One of the pencils she stole from Hatter had broken, but was still stuck in the mess in two pieces. She knew there was Jabberwock blood on her legs and could only image what her face looked like.
"Your vassal-"
"I've got a name, too, Charlie," the younger man interjected irritably.
"- and I shall fetch wood for the fire so you may see to your ablutions in privacy."
Charlie explained how the water reserve he'd built was heated by the sun during the day and fed the tub. He went on at length about his early warning systems and the other devices he had put in place to ensure her absolute safety no matter where she was in the city. Alice peeled of the coat Hatter had loaned her and, yuck, her dress was a horror, covered in dirt and stained with indigo. The old man clucked disapprovingly, like a mother hen.
"Justalice, if you would permit it, I would gladly clean your vestments for you. A lady should not be forced to don such soiled garb. You may disrobe in my chambers-" his chambers being the rickety barn he'd slapped together "-and, when I return, your finery shall be fine once more." The White Knight giggled, pleased with his own little play of words. He took her hand and led her into the structure. It was a lot like holding her grandfather's hand when she was younger, though Charlie had an unexpectedly firm grip.
There was a quaint brass bed with a multicolored quilt inside the barn. Against one of the three walls was an old fashioned modesty screen, with a white dressing gown thrown over the top. Charlie left her there and, after a moment's hesitation, Alice took off her dress. Her underwear and bra and even the damn chili pepper boxers were staying right where they were, thank you very much. The robe was surprisingly pristine, given the somewhat shabby condition of the rest of the knight's possessions. Clean, as well, and smelling vaguely of pine and fresh air.
When she came out, robe wrapped securely around her, Charlie snatched her filthy garment away and scampered off towards another path leading from the clearing. "Come, vassal!"
"It's 'Hatter', you old goat," the younger man insisted. "And I already said I wasn't going with you."
"Now, see here-"
"What do you mean you're not going with him?" Alice demanded. She wanted her bath, dammit.
"I'm not gonna just go and leave you here, alone, with all your kit off, am I?" Hatter scoffed with a scowl.
"Well, I'm not going to take a bath with you hanging around, that's for damn sure," Alice scowled right back.
"I won't look," he insisted, sounding insulted that she would suggest such a thing. She rolled her eyes.
"Charlie just said I'll be completely safe on my own."
"Oh, and I suppose we should just trust whatever Captain Clank says?"
"How dare you, sir!" Charlie piped in offense and was summarily ignored.
"If I need help, I'll just yell," Alice told him firmly. He didn't look convinced for a second.
"And if you fall asleep and go under? You could drown," he countered, acting as though it were an argument-winning point. She crossed her arms.
"You wouldn't be able to tell anyway, since you wouldn't be looking, remember?"
"What if you need someone to scrub your back?" He cajoled, going from a scowl to a teasing grin in a flash.
"Ugh!" she growled. The man was maddening. "Will you just go?!"
He just frowned silently and, finally, turned to follow Charlie out of the glade. She let out a huff of annoyance and turned to the water contraption. First plugging the tub's drain, Alice pulled the lever down and the water flowed through the piping and into the basin. It took a moment to untie the tangled laces of her boots, but that was fine; she wasn't in a rush. Only when she could no longer hear Charlie's constant singing, did she let the robe fall from her shoulders. Leaving her under things in place, she stepped into the bath. The water was just over lukewarm, but that was fine by her. Beside the tub was a basket, in which were a small cracked mirror and several lumpy cakes of soap. It was strong stuff, a little harsh on her skin, but smelled wonderfully clean and took the dirt and blood right off.
Her skin scrubbed thoroughly, Alice took stock of her injuries. One of her knees had split open without her realizing, probably when she fell in the speedboat, and both were bruised. There were more dark marks on her arms and legs, from her falls though the Looking Glass and into the pit. She took the pencils from her hair, pulling bits of twigs and leaves out as well. The soap was horrible on her locks, but she didn't really care at this point. She felt an overwhelming need to be clean. She got to her face last and, once she'd wiped the water from her eyes, picked up the mirror to have a look at the bruise Hatter said was forming on her throat.
It made her stomach clench to see the imprints of Dodo's fingers there, remembering the feeling of him squeezing, trying to end her. She shivered and the mirror tilted, displaying her split lip. It wasn't so bad, not the worst she'd ever had - and at Master Yakata's she'd gotten quite a few split lips. But, looking at the slight injury, she thought of the White Rabbit and Jack. Jack, who had only been trying to make her happy and look what happened? From Jack to Hatter - poor Hatter - and his wrecked Tea Shop… his wrecked life. Also, because of Alice. The Tea Shop… that poor man had been killed, for no reason at all. It was a nightmare and she was dead at the center of it. Soon enough, that metaphor might be literal.
The shaking started in her hands and spread quickly to the rest of her body. The girl, feeling small and frightened and alone, hugged her arms around herself. The tears came and would not stop, tearing harsh sobs from her already sore throat. She cried and cried, despite the fact that she knew Hatter could hear her from his hiding place somewhere just beyond the tree line. They'd only just met, but she knew him well enough already to understand that he would do what he wanted regardless of her wishes. Letting her think she'd won the argument was just the easiest way to deal with the situation. She could only hope he was a man of his word and hadn't ogled her in her bra and panties.
The water was cooling quickly and the last thing she ever wanted again was to be in cold water. Still sniffling and hiccupping, Alice pulled the plug and stood, wrapping herself in Charlie's dressing gown once more. The little nap on the back of Guinevere barely put a dent in her fatigue and her bones ached with weariness. As she flopped weakly onto Charlie's bed, she knew his sense of honor would keep him from getting irritated over her soaking the mattress with bathwater and the pillow with tears. Finally, exhaustion won out over histrionics and the deep oblivion of sleep rushed to embrace her once again. Just before she lost track of the world, Alice was sure she felt someone pull Charlie's tatty quilt gently over her and smooth her hair back from her face.
"Mom?" her voice was fuzzy and slurred. She could have sworn she heard someone chuckle, but sank into dreamless slumber and forgot all about it.
"Oi! Watch it! You almost got me with that, you know?"
Alice jerked awake, her body screaming in protest at the sudden movement. She lay still, trying to regain her bearings. It was dark wherever she was. Orange light flickered from somewhere nearby, casting dancing shadows against the wooden wall nearest her and the trees beyond. She was warm, she realized, though didn't understand why that should come as a surprise. Then it all came flooding back. The White Rabbit, Wonderland, Hatter. She was in the Kingdom of the Knights, in Charlie's ramshackle abode, in the old paladin's bed. It was surreal to wake up into a nightmare.
"Perhaps, if you didn't sit so close to the fire-"
"Just watch what you're doing, okay?"
Charlie and Hatter's voices traveled to her from the fire pit, which she now understood was the source of the amber glow. She contemplated just going back to sleep and escaping the very unreal reality she was trapped in for a few more hours. Taking a deep breath, the girl stretched - despite the vehement protestations of her sore muscles and various injuries - and brought a heavenly scent to her senses. Her nose had a direct link to her stomach, apparently, which came to life with an angry gurgle and immediately set to gnawing at her insides.
Alice slowly pushed herself upright and took a moment to flex her limbs this way and that, trying to work out some of the painful stiffness. As she got to her feet, she saw that her dress had been draped carefully over the modesty screen along with Hatter's borrow coat, the boots set neatly underneath. Her underthings were still a bit damp, as she had fallen asleep in them. All wrapped up in the dressing gown and quilt, they hadn't had a chance to really dry. That was acceptable, however, because she no longer felt that bone deep chill that had been riding her around all day since her dip in the lake.
The two men continued to bicker idly as she dressed, but their conversation ceased the instant they saw her emerge from the dwelling. A bright smile lit Charlie's face as he rushed to escort her to the fire. He had removed his cumbersome armor and was dressed only in a set of white long johns. Hatter had stood, himself, as well. Why, Alice wasn't sure, since the man had sat right back down again as she approached the pit. A huge bellows pumped on its own, feeding air into the fire. Another of Charlie's creations, no doubt. There was a spit suspended across the pit, a large slab of some meat roasting over the flames. It crackled and sizzled wonderfully, causing her stomach to sit up and beg like an eager pup.
"I trust you slept well, My lady," the knight said solicitously as he sat her down on a chunk of log that served as a stool.
"Yes, thank you," she responded. If Wonderland had been surreal before meeting the White Knight, now it was downright trippy. She looked across the fire to see Hatter looking back at her. "Was I asleep long?"
"A few hours," he informed her. "I was about to wake you for supper, but granddad almost skewered me with his long fork." He gestured to the instrument Charlie had just picked up - a long, two pronged fork of wrought iron.
"I did no such thing," Charlie insisted, dismissively. He used the fork and a great knife to cut meat from the slab and set it on a plate which rested on another wooden stool. When the old man turned back to the roast, Hatter snatched up the plate, carrying it around the fire to Alice. On his way, he pulled off a chunk of meat that looked so tender it all but fell apart in his fingers and quickly popped it into his mouth. Sucking in air to cool the burn from the too hot roast, he chewed quickly.
"Ah! Oh!" he complained before finally swallowing and handing the plate to Alice.
"Serves you right," she admonished, setting the dish on her knees.
"I had to make sure it wasn't poisoned." The Knight snorted in offense, but apparently didn't deem the comment worthy of retort. Alice smirked cynically.
"Bull. You just couldn't wait your turn," she snarked, drawing a wide grin from Hatter. He didn't contradict her, just bent over, reaching to steal another bit of meat. She slapped his hand lightly. "Get your own!"
He chuckled and followed her orders. Charlie, apparently, only had the one actual plate - which he had given to Alice - so the two men ate their dinner from lopsided dishes carved of wood. Talk about fiber. As for beverages (water), again, Alice got the only real piece of diningware, while Charlie drank out of what looked like a tin can and Hatter was stuck with the bottom of a broken bottle. The girl offered to let him share her goblet, worried he might cut himself on the glass edge, but he shook his head, asserting, "I'm more rugged than all that."
Beyond that, the girl ate in silence, focused on quieting her unruly gut. Hatter was uncharacteristically quiet as well, which left Charlie to fill void in conversation with expansive recountings of several of his more ingenious inventions. The beehive mousetrap, it turned out, was a honeycomb like contraption that could accommodate several rodents at a time. Thus, it was far more practical than your normal mousetrap, which only had one shot; more humane, as well, as the mice were not killed by the trap mechanism itself. She had to admit, that was pretty nifty.
Once her stomach was purring like a contented kitten, Alice turned to the Tea Shop owner. "Who do you think is leading the posse?" As he had mentioned he might know the identity of the Rabbit.
Hatter took his time chewing, swallowed and took a drink of water before answering. "A man called Mad March. He was the Queen's favorite assassin until a year ago."
"What happened a year ago?"
"She had him beheaded." Well, that sounded like the Queen of Hearts from the book, alright. Alice shook her head.
"I think I've been in Wonderland too long," she commented. At the younger man's questioning look, she shrugged. "I'm not even really surprised that someone who was killed a year ago is up and around, chasing after us."
He nodded. "It's not really a usual occurrence, anyway."
Charlie asked if anyone would want more of the meat. Both shook their heads.
"That was delicious, Charlie," Alice complemented with a smile. The man beamed. "What was it?"
"Barbequed borogove," he told her. "They're the devil to catch, but well worth the trouble. Don't you think?" She nodded. It had been incredibly rich and juicy, with just the tiniest hint of gaminess. Alice wouldn't mind having borogove once a week for the rest of her life.
"Shan't be long!" Charlie piped, scampering off into the darkness. Alice assumed he was going to relieve himself, but was too much of a gentleman to say so.
"You recognized him pretty fast. Did he always have a rabbit head?"
"No. He used to be a blonde, one of those page-boy haircuts." He shook his head with a snort.
"You knew him?"
Again, the man paused before answering. "Yeah. I knew him." He glanced at her and Alice could not keep the inquisitive look off her face. That wasn't true, she could have if she had wanted to, but she didn't want to. She felt she needed to know how her proclaimed ally knew the assassin who was trailing them. And, if she was perfectly honest with herself, she wanted to know about the enigmatic Hatter.
"His name was Matthew, Matt. We were in the Guard together," he began haltingly.
"The guard?"
"The Royal Guard."
"You were in the Royal Guard?" Alice blinked. Of all the things she might have expected, this was not one of them. He sighed shortly and she held up a hand of surrender, silently apologizing for interrupting him.
"We were seventeen, Matt and I. We were in the same unit and became a bit of a team. Friends. Partners in mischief. Along with Dormie, the little fellow who runs… ran the bidding room at the Tea Shop. At first, it was all watchin' over balls and guarding museums, patrolling places that didn't need patrolling. Then, everything started to change.
"Our unit began to back up others, raid teams sent in to clear out Resistance strongholds. Soon, it was us doing the clearing." The flare of firelight cast deep shadows over his eyes. Or maybe it wasn't the fire at all. "Matt started to change, too. He'd always had a mean streak, but not… he was losing control. One day he opened fire on a room full of Resistance prisoners. Seventeen men. That's when 'Matt' turned into 'Mad'. Everyone thought that was a good laugh, Mad and Hatter."
He shook his head, setting his plate down between his legs, and scrubbed a hand over his mouth and chin. "I couldn't stomach it. I started slackin' off. Pretending I didn't see people sneaking out the back of buildings as we went in the front, letting little things slip at pub before a raid, counting the days until my turn was up. M…" He stopped, running his tongue behind his bottom lip. "March was actually surprised I was leaving. He stayed in, of course; ended up going for special training. Dormie came with me, though.
"My work in the Guard got me the job at the Tea Shop. I contacted the Resistance and here we are." He spread his hands, indicating their current situation and location. He gave her the spectre of a smile that had nothing to do with levity and turned his gaze into the fire. Just when she thought she knew something about him, he blew her right back out of the water. She just couldn't see him as ever having been on the side of the Queen. Selfish, sleazy, conniving; yes, yes, and yes, but not that.
"I know what you're thinking," he said without looking up. "My father was a Suit, Alice. I just wanted to make him proud."
Christ. The bombshells just fell from his lips as easy as you please. She took a drink of water, because she could think of nothing else to do.
"Did you?"
He shook his head. "Dunno. He died a month after I committed."
"I'm sorry." She said it by reflex, but she also meant it. He nodded his acceptance of the formality.
"I like to think he's with my mum, now." His voice was so soft as he said it. Alice felt a burning lump in her throat. "She went out as I was coming in." She blinked rapidly, trying to keep the tears at bay. How could someone who spent all his time laughing have such a horrible and heartbreaking past?
"How about you?" he asked, his voice markedly brighter. "Mum and dad waiting for you back in the world of oysters?"
She swallowed, sniffing and quickly clearing the thickness from her throat. "Mom is. Dad… left when I was little."
"He ran out on you and your mum?" This brought the man's attention back to her and he finally turned his gaze from the fire. She shook her head and opened her mouth to say "No," but stopped. She couldn't make herself say "Yes", either. In the end, she shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe? He just vanished one day." The girl made a poof motion with her fingers. "One minute he was there and the next he was gone."
"That's gotta be hard on a kid."
She shrugged again. "I did okay. Mom was great. She is great." God, her mother had to be so worried. Alice wished she hadn't eaten so much as her stomach was tightening painfully around the heavy meal. Husband and daughter both vanishing without a trace? It wasn't fair. Carol didn't deserve that.
"Hey," Hatter called softly, concerned. "Don't think like that. You're going to see her again."
Alice let out a single, mirthless laugh, sniffled and wiped at her nose. "How do you always know what's in my head?"
He half smiled. "It's all over your face. I'd have to be blind not to see." She shook her head, poking at what little food was still on her plate - mostly bones and bits of gristle. He was good at reading people, that much was certain. Alice had never been so transparent as that before, so far as she knew.
"Can you see a way to make a deal with the White Rabbit? Because that would be a bit more useful."
He sighed, stabbing his fork into the food on his plate. It was then Alice noticed that he had barely touched his meal at all. He had to have some heavy thoughts on his mind to turn him off of borogove.
"I did say it was a long shot," he reminded her, standing and picking up his plate. He took hers as well and stacked them with the dirty cutlery on the other side of the fire. "But, as long as you've got that ring, you've got a chance."
Something was off with that statement. "You?" She cocked her head to the side. "What happened to 'we'?"
Hatter took a breath and shook his head. "I can't leave Alice. Wonderland is my home and I can't just abandon it, despite what I said." Half an hour ago, she would have viewed him as taking the first opportunity out of a bad situation and nothing more, but now, with her new understanding, she could see how he would feel he was abandoning his home, giving up on it when it most needed people like him. "I have to stay and fight."
She nodded. "What changed your mind?"
He spread his arms and looked about them. "Seeing all this. Look. This great kingdom and what.. What's become of it." He let his limbs fall. "It's a wake-up call, to be honest. My people," in true Hatter fashion, he started back around the campfire, unable to stand still. "The hundreds of refugees that are all hiding, underground, they're all counting on me."
A little taken aback by the high level of responsibility he took on himself, Alice frowned. "That's a little unrealistic, don't you think? It can't all be on you, Hatter."
"I still have to try," he insisted. "I can't just give up and run off like it all means nothing."
"You can't stay, either," she countered, not angry, but concerned. "You said it yourself, you're a target for the suits. And Dodo said he'd have you killed, so the Resistance wants you dead, too."
He at least acknowledged this point, nodding his head to the side. "Yeah. But, I'm thinking if I turn up with the ring, he might forgive me." She could tell by the expression that took over his face that he might not have meant to reveal that part of his plan to her just yet. Her shoulders tensed, jaw muscles tightening as her chin thrust out in anger.
"So, that's your plan?"
"Don't worry," he was quick to reassure her. "I'll get you home, safe and sound, first."
She wasn't reassured. Arms crossed, she already knew the answer he'd give, but asked anyway," And Jack?"
Hatter took a deep breath and let it out, he turned from her and stalked a few steps away, presumably to get his frustration under control. As it was, his voice was still sharp when he turned back. "You have to forget about Jack." Now she was the one who turned away, moving to put the fire between them as he tried in vain to convince her. "You'll never get him out of the casino alive and trying will only set of alarm bells. It'll make your escape impossible."
Alice tossed a couple logs into the fire to keep herself from tossing them at the infuriating man. "How many times do I have to say 'no' before you get it?"
"Just believe me, it'll be suicide," Hatter insisted. She did not respond to him, sitting down on the log-stool Charlie had been using during dinner. How could he think she'd abandon Jack? For all he said she was an open book, his level of reading comprehension was crap. He muttered something under his breath. This she looked up at. Whatever he muttered about her, he should have the balls to say to her face. "What?"
With a tired sigh, the man shook his head. "Nothing. Look, it's late," he walked around the pit and around her. "And we all need our rest." He leaned over in a partial bow she supposed was supposed to look charming or ingratiating. Didn't work. "We can.. argue about this tomorrow. Yeah?" She didn't answer and he gave up, turning and heading off into the shadows, leaving her alone by the fire with only her thoughts for company.