Chapter Sixteen Watch For Me by Moonlight

Alannah awoke to numbing, bone aching cold. She blinked slowly, her mind still fuzzy from the effects of the sleeping draught. Slowly, awareness began to filter back into her eyes, and she whimpered with fear, looking around at the room she was imprisoned in. It was small, and barren of any furniture. The stone walls radiated cold, and she could feel where dripping water had frozen against the masonry. The only light came from a small window set high in the wall. Suddenly, her eyes fell on a part of the wall that was not stone, but wood. She stared at it uncomprehendingly before realizing it was a door.

With a sob, she ran towards it, and was suddenly yanked off her feet. She landed on the cold stone floor with a cry of pain. The realization that she was shackled to the wall hit her, and she began sobbing and shaking.

The door opened, and Alannah drew back against the glare. She watched as a blurred figure came towards her, stopping just beyond the reach of the chain. Alannah whimpered as her vision slowly cleared, revealing Lord Maxwell. He smiled at Alannah.

"How nice to see that you are finally awake, Lady Alannah. Did you have a good sleep?"

Alannah trembled with fear and cold. "Let me go. Please. Let me go."

Maxwell chuckled darkly. "I am afraid I cannot do that. You see, I intend to hold on to what I consider most precious, and you my beauty, are very precious to me."

He reached out and ran his hand along her cheek. "Very precious."

Alannah shuddered and pulled away. "What are you going to do to me?"

Maxwell smiled enigmatically. "Why, nothing. I'm not going to lay a hand on you."

Alannah gazed at him in incomprehension. "Then what…"

Maxwell smiled, and Alannah's blood froze. "It's quite simple. All you have to do is agree to be mine. Then I unshackle you, and we can start a new life far away. Just say the word, and you can be free."

Alannah glared at him in hatred. "Never."

Maxwell sadly shook his head. "I can see this is going to take a while. No matter, starvation and cold are great persuaders. I'm sure that in a few days, you will come around to me."

He turned to leave and paused as he heard Alannah speak in a flat voice.

"He will find me."

Maxwell turned and looked at her, a slight smile on his face. She was gazing at him with flat hate.

"Ilosivic will find me, and when he does….he will kill you."

Maxwell gently shook his head. "He won't. You see, I've been planning this for some time. We are hidden much too well for anyone to find us." He turned and walked out of the door, shutting it and leaving Alannah alone in her dark prison.

She curled up into a ball, and began sobbing. 'Please…find me.'

Stayne sat in the main hall of Marmoreal, listening with numbed horror to the reports of the returning search party. Tarrant stepped forward, and sighed before addressing Mirana.

"Majesty, we have covered every acre of the Outlands and Witzend. We even scoured the Tulgey Wood. There is absolutely no sign of the Lady Alannah or her kidnapper. A few of the soldiers even walked through Salazen Grum, to no avail. The parties that I sent to Snud have not yet returned, nor has the party that Alice accompanied to Queast. Perhaps they will have better news."

Mirana nodded solemnly. "Thank you Tarrant. You may go and get some food if you like."

Tarrant bowed, and then left the room. Mirana glided over to Stayne and sat next to him. "The other search parties may have more luck."

Stayne laughed brokenly. "And if they don't? If they can't find her?" He leapt to his feet and began stalking back and forth. Mirana watched him sadly.

"Stayne, I know you feel helpless but..." she fell silent as Stayne wheeled on her, grief and rage on his face.

"HELPLESS?! THE WOMAN I LOVE HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY A MADMAN, AND I SIT HERE WAITING FOR SEARCH PARTIES TO RETURN!!"

He sank to his knees, sobbing brokenly. Mirana went over to where he knelt and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I know. But I have my entire army out searching for her, and I'm sure by now news of her kidnapping has reached the ears of every Underlander. Sooner or later, someone will come forward with useful news. We. Will. Find. Her."

Stayne took a deep, shuddering breath, and then looked at Mirana in determination. "I want to go look for her. I cannot just sit here and wait. I owe her more than that. I have to find her."

Mirana looked at him thoughtfully. He gazed back, anger and determination in his face.

Mirana smiled gently. "Go to the armory and find yourself a weapon. When Tarrant resumes his search you can go with him."

Stayne sighed in relief. "Thank you, Your Majesty." He climbed to his feet and set off for the armory. He selected a double bladed sword and thrust it into his belt, then took off for the main hall at a dead run. Tarrant was waiting for him, and he smiled wickedly at Stayne.

"Let's go find yer lady love."

Alannah had lost track of time in her prison. The cold had pierced her bones, and she could hear her teeth rattle as she trembled. Her dress had become soaked by the water that constantly dripped from the walls. She curled up tighter, trying desperately to salvage any warmth she could. She rocked back and forth, sobbing quietly. After Maxwell had left her, she had begun screaming for help as loud as she could. It didn't take her long to realize that there was no one around to hear, and she had screamed in anguish before collapsing in a heap on the floor.

Now she gazed with dull eyes at the window set high in the wall, watching blankly as the moonlight filtered through, making patterns on the nearby wall. She began to softly sing to herself.

"Look for me by moonlight/watch for me by moonlight/come to me by moonlight".

She blinked, her eyes heavy with sleep. "Come to me by moonlight..." Her eyelids drooped, and she fell into a restless sleep.

She was shocked awake what seemed like minutes later when a bucket of ice cold water was tossed over her. The pain was so immense that the breath was knocked out of her, and she scooted frantically towards the wall, sobbing breathlessly. Maxwell smiled at her.

"No falling asleep, now."

Alannah ignored him, and began humming quietly to herself. Maxwell stepped forward and grabbed Alannah's chin roughly, forcing her head around. "Look at me, you worthless baggage. I am going to ask the same question I did this morning. All you have to do is say 'yes'. Will you agree to be mine?"

Alannah shuddered for breath. "No." She yelped in pain as Maxwell slapped her. He stood up and walked out, speaking over his shoulder.

"Then you can stay here for a bit longer." The door slammed shut, and Alannah shook with sobs. "Ilosivic, please…please find me.", she muttered over and over.

Stayne came walking out of the Tulgey Wood, a helpless look on his face. Tarrant opened his mouth to inform him that a search party had already been in there, but thought better of it. Stayne took a deep breath before speaking.

"No…sign. I even checked the cave the Jabberwock used to live in. Nothing." He sighed in despair. "If we don't find her…"

Tarrant gazed at him in sympathy. He knew that he should despise Stayne for what he had done. He could still feel the scar from where Stayne's sword had sliced his cheek open in the Red Queen's dungeons. He had hated the Knave for betraying his friends and working for the bloody Red Queen. But looking at him, Tarrant realized that he no longer felt any hatred towards him. Instead, he felt a deep sympathy. He knew that had it been Alice who had been kidnapped, he would be as mad with fear and rage as Stayne was.

"There's one place we didn't think to look. The Duchess's house is still standing. But it's a long ways from here."

Stayne looked at Tarrant in confusion. "I thought the Duchess died years ago."

Tarrant nodded. "She did, but she built her house so well that it has remained intact. However, nobody ever goes there anymore except…" his eyes suddenly lit up. "CHESHIRE!!"

Stayne gawped at Tarrant, who began laughing. "Chessur used to belong to the Duchess! He told me once that he goes back to the house every week to revisit his memories. If Alannah's there, then there's a good chance of Chess spotting her!"

Alannah sang softly to herself, gazing blankly at the wall. She thought it was morning, but she was too numb with cold and hunger to lift her head. She had stopped shaking, and now she was beginning to slip into delirium. She kept singing, trying desperately to hold on. She suddenly stopped singing, gazing at the wall, where a strange cloud had begun to form. The cloud slowly began to coalesce into a shape, and Alannah found herself looking into the green eyes of the Cheshire Cat.

Chessur stared in shock at the young woman chained to the wall. She was deathly pale, and he could see that her dress was soaking wet. Her eyes were dull and blank. He floated over to her, then reached out and gently touched her shoulder, drawing back with a hiss of pain at how cold her skin was. "Miss? Can you hear me?"

Alannah slowly turned her head, and stared at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. She nodded numbly.

Chessur gazed at her sadly. "How did you come to be here, and what is your name?"

Alannah took a deep breath. "Alannah. I was…kidnapped. Lord Maxwell did it. Where's….Ilosivic?"

Chessur shook his head in sympathy. "I don't know, but I will do my best to find him. Is there any message you want me to take to him?"

Alannah nodded weakly. "Watch for me by moonlight. He'll….know."

Chessur nodded. "Very well. I promise, the next time you see me it will be when you are rescued." He vanished, and slowly floated up to the window and away. Alannah gazed after him.

Stayne was walking back to the palace when a cry from Tarrant made him turn. Floating in the air was the Cheshire Cat, looking more serious than Stayne had ever seen him. Chessur floated over to Stayne, who nearly collapsed upon hearing him speak.

"I found her."

Stayne staggered, and Tarrant bore him up. He shot him a grateful look before turning to Chessur. "Is she alive?"

Chessur sighed sadly. "She is, but I don't know how for how much longer. She gave me a message to give to you, one she said you would understand. 'Watch for me by moonlight.'"

Stayne moaned. "It's from a song of hers. It's about someone's lover dying to save them."

Tarrant looked grim. "Then we had better get on the move. We may not have much time. Chess, you know the way better than either of us, so you can lead. Stayne, are you ready?"

Stayne breathed deeply. He nodded, and the three of them set off.

Stayne smiled grimly as the rest of the song ran through his mind. 'Though hell should bar the way.'