*******************Cailean*****************************************************

"Just a little longer, just a little longer," I told myself. It was the only way to keep from going as mad as those accursed Hightopp twins that had managed to escape us yet again. After it was discovered that they had escaped the Red Queen's new castle I had been sent to find them. The search parties I had sent out searched everywhere to find them, but they were too clever.

The Hatter with his strength and mad perspective, and that little 'Composer' with her ability to know what people are thinking and agile speed. But mostly that accursed champion who was the cause for all of this! Her and her mad ideas, and lists of impossible things, and her stubbornness. The Knave of Hearts has promised that if I could capture them I would get to keep the twins as slaves for as long as I liked.

Our plan was this: I would disguise myself as the Champion's sister and would gather all the information I could. Then Stayne and the others would ambush the people she was closest at the most convenient time. Meanwhile the Red Queen - Underland curse her forever - would lead an army to Marmoreal and take the crown, crushing all resistance and taking a few prisoners. Then right before Alice's eyes, we would kill all those precious and close to her one by one in slow and agonizing ways. She would then be killed and Stayne would marry the Queen. Stayne and I had other plans: on they're wedding night he would kill her and take me to wed and make me the new queen of Underland.

My plan however was exactly the same except, after the wedding there would be a terrible 'accident' in which Stayne was killed shortly after.

At first things were better than expected, even after The Champion and the twins escaped. But now things had taken a turn for the worse. They had escaped from Marmoreal, after doing some 'interrogating' I found that the twins uncle was a blacksmith who had put half-barrel hinges on the cell doors because as the dungeon was being built his niece, nephew and children would manage to get locked up in the cells. It was also so that if a fire or flood occurred the prisoners' lives could be saved. Curse that blasted man! And curse the White Queen! She too had managed to escape us! But we would catch them! And they would pay with their lives!

Many of the White Queen's knights were pathetic and eager to give away information if it meant saving their own skins, they were killed. Her commanders however were much too strong to act like the miserable vermin that the lower ranks were. I'll admit, that Alick Calder and his friends are certainly strong and loyal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Johanna – Middle of Gummer Slough~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"They're catching up to us!" I called just loud enough for my companions to hear. "We have to hide!"

Tarrant turned to me, "An' where do you suppose we dew dhat?" His Outlandish brogue began to slip; it was a sign that he was getting frustrated. With Alice around it wasn't very often that he had a fit of madness.

"Up there!" Alice pointed to a large multi colored tree. If I recall from my studies correctly it was called an Ampad Tree they were known for their multiple colors surrounding their trunks, branches, roots, and leaves.

I nodded, "It should work, and it's better than nothing and getting caught!"

"Alice, you go first, I'll lift you up. You help Johanna and I'll follow. Got it?" We nodded and silently Tarrant lifted Alice by the waist, she had no trouble after that. I was a different matter, my skirt caught and I needed Alice to rip it off leaving me in my men's' trousers.

When I was safely up Tarrant had a sudden spark of genius – by his standards, by mine it was purely idiotic! He grabbed the torn cloth of my cream white skirt and ripped his black, white, yellow, green, pink, and orange ascot. He ran the opposite direction of where we were headed and disappeared. He started coming back when he stopped. Why? Why did he stop? I listened with my mind – a neat little gift of mine, of course it doesn't compare to Tarrant's perceptive sight! – At least twenty images flooded my head. They were just down the trail from us!

"Get down!" Tarrant hurried to do as I said, as he ran to us he tripped and fell right into the murky water of the marsh. He fell under and came up for air miraculously his hat wasn't wet. He took it and threw it to me; taking a dangerous risk I reached out of the bushes and grabbed it. I rushed to pull myself back into our cover; Tarrant took in a big breath and ducked under the water. He swam to the cattails; there he stayed low and hid.

The twenty figures came into view, nineteen male and one female. They searched all over, but still did not look in the flame orange and yellow cattails. I felt Alice tense up next to me she was scared. I looked to the marsh again to see why, to my disgust. One of the guards was relieving himself downstream from Tarrant almost right next to where he was hidden! Several were right underneath us looking around as if scared a demon might pop out and kill them. One of the guards found Tarrant's torn ascot and my skirt, he showed it to the female, the men didn't look too happily on the prospect of going in another direction that just lead further into the swamp.

"The female whose skirt this belongs to is probably half naked." The woman said casually. The men perked up and ran in that direction as fast as possible. I rolled my eyes and suppressed the urge to vomit. One word came to my mind – of course this is not the real word but I couldn't say the other one, it's too 'rude' – perverts. After a while I listened with my mind again, not a single one was anywhere near us.

I nodded, "They're gone." Alice jumped down and I – cautiously – followed suit. Tarrant came up from the bog, soaking wet. We needed to get him out of those clothes and dried off or else he'd get sick.

"Let's go!" We followed Tarrant to Thackery's windmill, "Wait here." He went inside to change his clothing leaving Alice and I alone to wait for our turns. We would need different clothing for what was to come soon.

"I do apologies for ruining your 'moment' with Tarrant, but I had to remind you that you were not alone." She nodded blushing again. "Am I forgiven?" She smiled and hugged me whispering her forgiveness. If only it would be this easy with Tarrant!

~~~~~~~~~Helen – Tugley wood~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I weapt, my baby girl was imprisoned and lost somewhere in this mad world. And from what that 'Oraculum' had said my daughter Margaret was to be executed along with half the Hightopp clan. Today's pictures had changed, today my baby girl had escaped, the picture showed two women hiding in a tree and a man hiding in a bog as soldiers searched for them. My eldest was shown standing next to Lowell and shouting something as the castle behind her fell and guards ran.

Mirana had said that if she knows Tarrant, the man I later learned was my daughter's secret fiancé, they would be going to a place called Witzend. So she and I had left for this oddly named place. As a precaution, her crown was left with the blue butterfly Absolem and her dress changed to that of a low peasant.

We walked for hours, along the way Mirana had told of what Alice had done for them on her third trip and what her sister, The Red Queen Iracabeth had done. I must say it is a tragic thing. I can see why so many people would be loyal and willing to risk their lives for my daughter. Especially the Hatter. Tarrant loved her for who she is, not her beauty or because she's – supposed to be – a proper lady. He loves her, and I feel that I can no longer deny them my blessing.

When we arrived to the ghostly village I got my first glimpse of many things. 1, the remains of a once proud family's village. The only things left were dust, charred wood, and crushed dreams. 2, the destruction caused by a mad and revengeful Queen. 3, what their future would have been had it not been for my free spirited daughter.

Shortly after us three human figures entered the other side of the clearing, "Mother!" One shouted as she ran to me.

"Alice?" I met my daughter half way and hugged her to me tightly. I pulled back to look her over, "Alice Kingsleigh, where have you been?"

"It's a long story Mother. A very long story."

Someone cleared her throat; I released my daughter and looked at the other woman. I was surprised to find that it was Greer. "We must apologies for deceiving you Mrs. Kingsleigh."

The man cut in, Tarrant I believe. "Yes, yes. And Alice wouldn't be here now and I'm not sure how that would be, but she'd be here anyway thanks to that scurvy knave, but at least she's with us which is good and no' tha' slurking urpal barlommack egg brimni-"

"Tarrant!" Four voices crowed cutting the mad man's ramble. Eyes bordering red he closed them and shook his head vigorously.

"Knave…Alice…Fez…" He shook his head and squeaked out, "I'm fine"

Greer smiled and shook her head, "Hatters" she sighed.

~~~~~~~Calgary – Salazen Grum~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Surrounded," I whispered softly. My wife on my right grabbed my hand.

"Either we get out… or we die out like we should. As a family, a clan, the Hightopps." She told me. Gratefully I squeezed her hand. I needed her courage desperately.

"Calgary Hightopp, you are the head of your clan. I therefore order you to surrender the freedom of you and your kinsmen! If you refuse then you will be killed!"

I stepped forward letting go of my beloved's hand knowing that for what I was about to say I would be killed, "I cannot. I am not the Laird. And the Laird is not here; therefore I cannot surrender. Now let us go and there will be no fighting or blood shed!"

Stayne growled, "Kill the Hightopps! Leave no one alive!" he sneered. Shouting in Outlandish I ordered for the women and children to stand back and for the men to come forward. We faced our enemies, all knowing full well that we were about to face a blood filled demise.