*~*Author's Note: Holy. Crap. I posted just 200 + odd words last night - late last night - and I woke to 187 messages in my inbox. You guys love me *tears up*, You really do! LOL. Seriously, thanks guys. Ask and ye shall recieve. Any who, here's the next installment. The Map I drew of Underland; you'll need it, is located in my profile. Don't mock my non-existant artistic skills *~*
Alice's rooms were, well, white. Honestly now, what did you expect? Why couldn't there be color, she wondered aloud, as she crawled into the massive bed beneath the crisp sheets. A lovely yellow, she thought, would spruce the place up just right. Or perhaps a pretty cornflower blue, indigo, or cotton candy pink. Oh perhaps, her tired mind murmured, a startlingly bright green - a green that was becoming more and more ingrained in her heart each day.
Alice woke groggy and oh-so-very sore. Apparently tangling with an enraged Jabberwocky was not good for your muscles. With a sigh (and a few muttered curses) Alice slid out of bed and made her way delicately into the attached bath. There was nothing, in her opinion, that a hot bath couldn't cure. After a good long soak, she ventured out of her rooms, intending to poke around the castle a bit. That was of course, after she dashed down to the kitchen for something to take the pang from her belly.
There, she found the March Hare, battier, and in a more foul mood, than ever. He was hopping around erratically, muttering under his breath and occasionally tossing a plate or cup to the floor and giggling manically when it shattered. Alice ducked an incoming saucer, before grabbing the Hare - gently - by the shoulders.
"Coddy-whackin-bogut-jabbin-jabberwocky- Alice!" He muttered, stopping abruptly when he recognized her.
"Hare!" Alice said firmly. "Calm down, my friend; you'll hurt yourself."
He immediately stopped his squirming, with great effort, and Alice released him, scooping up a scone from the low table beside her, and backing away in a hasty retreat. She gave a half-hearted wave before hurrying from the room. She heard a dish shatter and she sighed, shaking her head as she walked on.
She left the castle and began to wander aimlessly through the gardens, nibbling on her scone as an after thought. She'd made the decision to stay in Underland - at least for the time being - and she wondered just exactly what she was going to do here. Was it like her homeland? Would she need a job, or a house, or the like? Did people marry here? And where, exactly, was here? And while we're on the topic of questions, what of, then, the Mad Hatter? Was he mad, or was he, perhaps, simply eccentric? Alice paused to lean in and sniff at an exquisite white rose. She was appalled to find that it had no scent. A rose with no scent! What good was a rose with no sweet scent? None at all!
That got Alice thinking about the White Queen. So regal, so poised, so calm, so...fake? There had to be more to her, Alice thought harshly. No one could possibly be that benign. We all possess dark sides, she thought, and perhaps the Queen is trying - too hard - to hide hers away. Oh she was kind, absolutely, and Alice called her an ally without hesitation, but, still, there was something just so slightly off about her if you thought about it.
Alice plopped herself gracelessly onto a (white) bench. She couldn't stay here at the castle, she though glumly; she'd go mad for the lack of color. Wonderland, or Underland - whatever the bloody hell it was called - was full of color, and excitement, and adventure, and Alice was dying for a bit of it. It was then that her musing were presently interrupted.
"A farkle for your thoughts?" Hatter asked quietly, settling down beside Alice.
"What's a farkle?" Alice asked, smiling.
"I haven't the foggiest," the Hatter replied with a grin.
Alice laughed. "Oh, Hatter," she began, sliding closer and dropping her head onto his shoulder. "I've got to get away from this castle - I miss colors. And I want to see all of Underland. How large is it?"
The Hatter thought a moment before answering. "You know, I'm not quite sure. I don't think anyone is. I suppose it would go on forever - as far as you can imagine. No one's ever mapped it exactly."
Alice considered this. "Well is any of it mapped?"
"Of course. There's Sutter, Sieve, Sieth, Southdom, Suda, Sum, Soup," he ticked off slowly.
"Soup?" interrupted Alice.
"Soup." the Hatter repeated matter-of-factly. "Those are the area's of the South. Then Neighby, Norton, Neive, Naught, Norse, and Niddleby in the North. Whampton, Wave, Withel, Warton, Wieve, and Widdledom in the West. And Ere, Evan, Eist, and Eveshire in the East."
Alice regarded him speculatively. "And where, exactly, are we?"
"At the White Castle," he said slowly.
Alice laughed. "On the map, silly, where is the White Castle located?"
"Oh," the Hatter laughed. "We're slightly South of Niddleby, the most Southern of the Northern towns."
"I see, and where are you from, Hatter?" Alice asked.
The Hatter was quiet a moment. "Eist, I think, though I can't be sure anymore."
"Then we go to Eist!" Alice cried excitedly.
The Hatter frowned, his eyes flashing to orange. "You want to go back to where I came from?"
"Indeed! What a grand adventure it will be!" Alice cried, clapping her hands together animatedly. "How else will we recover your true name, besides?"
The Hatter pursed his lips, his eyes fading to a brilliant yellow. "But, I dare say, my friend, I must have left my home with good reason!"
"Perhaps," Alice allowed, patting his knee affectionately. "But you won't know until you've found out!"
The Hatter considered her riddle for a moment, before breaking into a great smile, his eyes back to their usual shocking green. "Of course, you're right, Dear Alice. We shall make the trip, and what a trip it shall be! When shall we set off?"
"Immediately." Alice said happily, rising to her feet.
"This instant!" agreed the Hatter, hopping lithely foot to foot.
Alice giggled. "Let us first pack provisions, though."
The Hatter stopped jumping, smoothing his face out in mock seriousness. "Yes, of course, provisions." He agreed, offering his arm to Alice.
She wound her arm through his and allowed him to lead her back to the castle where they made ready for their great adventure.
Not much later, Alice and the Hatter were packed to go. They'd received both the Queen's blessing and two of her best horses for their journey. The March Hare, after the Hatter calmed him a bit, packed some rations for their adventure - some root vegetables and, unknown to the Queen, some dried meats.
Bayard had agreed to accompany them as far as the Mumput River, where they would cross and head due south to Ere, before heading east across the Drumdard Swamps and into Eist. Alice was giddy with excitement; the Hatter was more reserved that usual. They mounted their respective horses and with a regal wave from the Queen, they set off.
They rode for hours, Alice staring in wonder at the odd sort of plants and animals they crossed paths with along the way. There were flowers of every color, and a few in colors she had no name for. There were beasts large and small - though they weren't beasts - she supposed- if they could carry on a conversation with her, were they? She marveled at the lushness of this place, quite pleased she'd decided to stay on. For now, anyway.
The Hatter remained quite silent for the most part, speaking only when spoken to, and even then, vaguely. Alice would exclaim over this or that and he would answer with a quiet; "Hmm, what? Oh, yes...quite lovely." Alice and Bayard exchanged many a worried glances.
Upon reaching a clearing of breathtaking beauty along the bank of a small stream, Alice decided that they may as well rest for the night. Bayard moved to drink the sparkling water while Alice led the horses to drink as well before tying them to a low branch. Hatter sat down in the center of the clearing.
"Hatter," Alice said softly, coming to him and sitting down beside him. "You've been so quiet; whatever is the matter?"
Hatter looked over at her and smiled softly. "Nothing, my good friend, I've just been trying to remember."
"Oh," Alice said thoughtfully. "And what, if anything, have you recalled?" she asked, turning and stretching out, laying her head in his lap.
The Hatter looked down at her with half closed eyes and brushed a whisp of hair from her face. "I remember bits and pieces," he said. "These lands seem very familiar to me. This clearing, especially."
"It's a lovely place," she murmured.
"Indeed, the loveliest," he agreed, gazing at her face.
They were silent a long while; Bayard, curled beside Alice, began to snore. That prompted Alice and the Hatter to rise and gather their sleeping rolls, and they spread them out beside each other, leaving Bayard between them.
"Goodnight, my sweetest friend," Alice called softly across the snoring mound of fur.
"Goodnight, sweet Alice." The Hatter replied.
And for a long time they both laid awake silently, listening to the babbling of the brook and the heavy breath of Bayard. Neither could sleep easily that night, knowing the other was just an arm's reach - and a pile of fur - away.
The first light of morning brought about a very discombobulated Hatter. It wasn't just waking up in a strange place, on the ground, next to a mountain of snoring fur, but the fact that at this very moment Alice was bathing in the stream. The two horses held a sheet gingerly between their teeth to conceal Alice's nakedness, but the way the light played behind, lit her form into a clear shadow on the cloth. A very clear shadow. Hatter swallowed loudly and forced his gaze away, peeking, then finally flipping onto his stomach and burying his face in the pillow. He would not peep.
Bayard woke just then, took in the site of Alice, the position of the Hatter and snorted quietly. The Hatter cautiously peeked up at the hound.
"Pretty little thing, ain't she?" Bayard murmured quietly.
The Hatter narrowed his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said pointedly before stuffing his face back into the pillows. He only agreed to raise his head again when Alice came over to touch his shoulder and call his name softly.
"Are you proper?" he asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.
Alice laughed. "That depends on your definition of proper," she said. "By my mother's standards - definitely not. By mine, absolutely."
The Hatter raised his head slowly. Alice was dressed in a pair of short pants and a man's button down shirt, un-tucked, which touched her knees. Her golden curls fell wildly, damp, around her face and her skin glowed radiantly in
the early morning sun. "Oh..." he laughed. "Oh, my. No, my dear, you're absolutely not proper at all. I love it!"
Alice's face flushed with pleasure at the compliment and she stood tall, preening for the Hatter's laughter.
After a breakfast of crusty bread, and fresh stream caught fish the party was on their way again. They went along that way for six days and five nights before reaching Mumput River. Sometimes the Hatter would be animated, peppering Alice with riddles, poems, and nonsensical musings, and at times he seemed withdrawn, contemplative, and moody. His eyes often changed with his moods, as did, Alice swore, the shade of his hair. She did her best to keep the banter lighthearted, and often succeeded in pulling the Hatter out of his dismal moods.
After six long days of travel, the small group reached the banks of Mumput and Bayard and the horses prepared to return to the white castle. The swamps of Dumdard were dangerous lands and the horses had no intentions of trying to navigate through the treacherous murky pools. Exchanging good byes and good lucks, Alice dropped to her knees and threw her arms about Bayard, nuzzling into his neck.
"Thank you, for everything." she whispered into his fur.
He gave a happy yelp and licked her clear from jaw to forehead. Giggling, Alice stood at her Hatter's side and watched the three animals disappear back the way they'd come.
"And so the Adventure begins!" Alice crowed excitedly, twining her hand with his, and peering across the river into the foggy swamp.
Hatter glanced down at their twined hands and a corner of his lips lifted in a ghost of a smile. "So it would seem," he murmured.