~~~~~~~~~~~~Johanna - Salazen Grum~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My elder brother, soon-to-be-sister-in-law, the Queen, Absolem, Chess, Mally, Uncle Calgary, Alick, and I were meeting in the only remaining room of the castle, discussing what we were to do.
"This is horrible! We can't fight the Medusa, it's impossible!" I argued slamming my fist on the table, I no longer know why I do it, probably for dramatic effect or to make my point heard. There were a few murmurs of agreement from guards in and outside of the room.
"Only if you believe it is," Tarrant and Alice said together, Tarrant smirked and Alice blushed a becoming shade of pink. I would have to remember that shade later. But for now we must discuss what is to be done.
"There must be some way," the worried Queen muttered.
"There is," we turned to look at Absolem whom had remained silent until now.
"What was that, Absolem?" Alick asked uncertain if he had said anything at all.
"I said, 'their is'! The shield of Persues." He said solemly.
"The same one that was created by Underland herself centuries ago when the Medusa began terrorizing her people, that was used by Persues to drive her off?"
"Yes, the very same one."
"I thought that one was just a myth, a legend not actual history." I said and raised my hand to my chin.
"Not all myths and legends are fake Johanna, you should realize this by now. This is the truth."
"No offence Absolem, but we have all heard the stories since we were young. I don't think you'd expect us to believe in that fable," Chess complained.
I became angry, I had learned long ago that Absolem never lied and always told us the truth, "Chess you guddlers scut! What if it is the truth?" Chess shrank away from me, "What if it's the only way to fight and we don't take that chance? What will happen then? During the last war you were left alone because you were hiding from the Reds! Now however you don't have that luxury! If you don't fight with us I'll kill you!" My eyes turned red and my whole body began shaking with fury. Tarrant and Alick had to step foward and had to physically restrain me as I cursed the foulest words I knew.
"Johanna Greer Hightopp, calm down!" Tarrant hissed in my ear.
"I'm fine!" I snapped pulling my arms away from them and to my body.
"Where is it Absolem?" We all turned awaiting the answer to Alice's question.
He studied us for a long moment, "On the border of the Outlands and Underland. It will be a difficult journey and the only one who can find it is you Alice." We all looked at her, "It is up to you to find the shield and prepare for the Day when the Red Queen will do battle with the Medusa. The Athena day."
"Then let us prepare. Who is willing to help me?" Tarrant, Alick, Mally, Uncle Calgary, Chess, and I stepped forward. Alice nodded, "Good. Then let's figure this out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven of us stood alone around the table looking at the map, "Calgary and Tarrant, you'll take this route." I pointed it out on the map. "Mally, Alick and I will go this way," I indicated our path on the map. "Alice, you and Chess will go this way. This route leads to the place the shield was seen last." Alice nodded and Chess's smile grew. "Calgary, take the bandersnatch with you. Mally, Alick, and I will go by horse. Alice, you and chess go on foot. You must be dressed as an Underlandian peasant." She nodded. "Calgary, once you have reached the borders, camp there for the night then return to Salazen Grum. Don't go to help either Alice or us! Understood?"
Sadly Tarrant nodded, I knew this plan could be the end of him, it was very common here in Underland to die of a broken heart and if anything happened to Alice, Tarrant couldn't live with himself. After I came back Tarrant had literally been beating himself just for letting her leave. It had taken us days to stop him, and weeks to convince him it wasn't his fault. That she had chosen that path. Finally he snapped, he had to see her, to make sure she was keeping her promises. I'd only let him go on one condition: he takes some others with him.
"Then lets' get ready." We split up and made preparations. If the plan worked the red knights would follow us and not Alice. I could only hope that would work.
~~~~~~~~~~~~Tarrant - Tugley wood~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She knew this plan would kill me. She knew the pain it would cause me, not knowing where My Alice was. But she knew what she was doing.
"If things go badly," she said, "Chess will have to lead them away and Alice will have to run to the shield. Don't worry Big-Brother," she had said to me taking in my sad appearance, "If she makes it to the temple she'll be perfectly safe. No one other than the bearer of the Vorpal blade is allowed to enter. She'll be fine! I'll see you when we reunite." She had said before kissing my cheek and mounting her horse.
Alice had done the same, "Stay safe love," she told me before placing a kiss on my lips. I touched the spot blushing lightly.
"I will if you will," I promised. She smiled and set out.
"Let's go Gradh éan!" I growled at my uncle and reluctantly climbed onto the bandersnatch and set out.
That was nearly a day ago, I had received no word of Alice or my sister. I was becoming worried; it was not like Johanna to not send some kind of message.
Just then there was a coarse, rough, cawing, "Tarrant and Gabreal Hightopp? Are you Tarrant and Gabreal Hightopp?" Came the scratchy sound of a small eagle.
"Aye we are, what do you want?" My uncle asked the eagle.
"Johanna Hightopp sends word. 'She is fine and asked me to check in on you and Alice and report how things are'. Alice is fine as well. I must warn you though; a group of red men are following you! Can you hide from them?"
"Aye we can, thank you Mr. Eagle." He nodded and left. The bandersnatch took off at a frightening speed, I had to clutch tightly to my hat to keep from losing it.
~~~~~~~~~Johanna - Border~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Eagle, Chris, had just given us word that the others were safe. Now at dusk Alick, Mally, and I - Mally being asleep (naturally) - sat around the campfire.
"How did you escape from the Reds?" I asked as I spread out my bedding.
"Easy, they never check their prisoners for pishalver, that and half barrel hinges don't hurt either." I couldn't help but laugh at the stupidity of our enemy. "Now it's my turn, why are you fighting in this war instead of staying at home with 'bairns' as your family calls them?" Alick had suddenly asked from his perch on a rock.
"Because I missed the last war," I snapped sarcastically. I was always defensive about my reasons.
He looked at me skeptically, "Are you sure?"
"Of course," I growled, "A woman ought to be sure of herself! You've known me for how many years exactly?" Again with the snapping!
"You're not married are you?" He said bluntly
"What makes you say that?" I snapped suddenly terribly interested in poking the fire.
"I can see it in your eyes. You're lonely; you only have your family. But you don't have an intimate love. I know how hard it is Johanna."
I snickered, "So you're trying to make yourself into a suitor to attempt to swoon me? Ah, spare it for some other 'fair maiden' Alick!"
"I most certainly am not! I was only being curious, after all I haven't seen you for years!"
"Curiosity killed the rat," I mumbled.
"I apologies if this subject is not something you wish to speak on." She hastened to say.
"Just forget it and go to sleep! We have a long ride tomorrow and I don't want to have to pick you up because you feel asleep on your horse!" I said lying down and turning onto my side.
"Good night," Alick said after a long unforgiving silence.
I know I shouldn't have been so hard on him but why couldn't he just wake up and realize that I loved him? I wanted to shake him, scream in his face until and force him to realize what I was saying, "I love you Alick, and I've loved you since we first met nearly twenty years ago. All this time and you haven't figured out that I love you? I'm waiting for you to tell me you love me too and to mean it! If time permitted I'd wait for you forever! But then I can't wait on you forever, I'm not some princess locked up in a tower waiting to be saved at your convenience. Please Alick, wake up, wake up and realize that it's you I'm waiting for. That's why I never married when I was above. I love you Alick, please realize that and please, love me back; that's all I want."
I cried in my sleep that night and all the next day I spoke to Mally and only Mally. After reaching Salazen Grum Alick had tried to apologies again, I waved him off and was about to tell him where to stick it when the Queen and my Mother came to greet us. Tarrant and Calgary had arrived just before us, now we just had to wait for Alice and Chess.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Alice~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Temple was carved into a mountain side, there were windows and a large door of brass but other than that there was little to be seen. We stood there and stared at it for a moment then I walked forward.
"Well then, let's go!" I stepped forward and chess followed, but as soon as he came within reach of the door green energy shot out of it and pushed him away.
"The doors won't open for me Alice, I'm afraid you're on your own." Chess said sadly.
I nodded and breathed deeply before opening the doors and walking in. The room was dark, but upon stepping in the large room torches lit themselves and the room was illuminated. A long red carpet with gold trim was on the ground and stretched out of sight. Torches were spaced evenly along both walls and the ceiling was huge and high up, there were cracked paintings on the walls of past champions and others that had been favored in Underland that had wielded the Vorpal Blade and the Shield of Persues. There was no furniture other than a few tall candle stick holders.
Even though I wore no shoes my steps echoed like cannon fire with every step I took. I swear I could hear voices whispering all around me.
"She killed the Jabberwocky…She tamed the wild Bandersnatch, the horrible creature that has terrorized our people for generations… I hope Underland blesses her…saved our country and people and she isn't even from Underland…She fell in love with a Hightopp… Jonah Hightopp, the seer and the last Clan Keeper for the Hightopps, himself proclaimed that for generations to come Underland would sing of her many deed, he also said that she would continue to serve and protect Underland until her dying breath on a battle field flowing with the blood of her enemies."
That last comment frightened me a little, how soon would that be if it actually were to happen?
It was at least twenty minutes of walking later until I arrived at a series of steps leading to a platform where the shield stood on display. Before I could go up the first step, rumbling shook the entire building and the painting of knights and other warriors suddenly came alive and jumped away from their pictures and jumped at me, there were six of them in total.
"Who are you to take the shield of the greatest warrior Persues away from it's safe haven?" The tallest of the knights asked, pointing his long sword at me.
"I am Alice Kingsleigh. I need to use the shield to defeat the Medusa of legend. Who are you to stop me?" I wish I felt as confident as I sounded.
One of the guards, the tallest wore shinning silver armor and carried a long sword and had blonde hair and brown eyes. The second wore what looked similar to Tarrant's battle tartan and had red hair and the same green eyes. The third was female and had long brown hair and topaz eyes. The fourth was also female and had black hair and oddly enough, her eyes were orange. The Next to last male had white hair and gold eyes. The last of the men was the second tallest and had brown eyes and blonde hair that seemed to glow.
"I am Slone the knight of the Calder Clan, these are my companions, Neely the Warrior of the Hightopp Clan, Champion Saoirse, Sile the guardian, Murphy the Sea Guardian, and Nevin the Saint. We are the guardians of the shield and past guardians of Underland. What is your tittle that allows you to take the sword?" He said a little calmer.
I swallowed and looked him straight in the eye, "I am Alice Kingsleigh, the White Queen's Champion. My fiancé and his friend and sister and descendants of yours I believe."
Slone looked surprised, he and Neely looked at each other. "Is this true? We do not now, we cannot leave this temple or else our bodies will deteriorate, it has been centuries since our time of life." Neely said softly and scratched his head.
"I honestly don't care, how can we be sure she is worthy of the shield?" Murphy snapped.
"She is going to be a Hightopp, she is more than trustworthy!" Neely growled at him and snapped his hand out to hit his arm.
"Ouch, what the heck was that for Hightopp?" She cried, rubbing her reddening arm.
"Quiet you two, I'm tired of your arguing! She could not have gotten in if she was not a champion of the chosen queen of Underland. The legends spoken by the seer and saganstitute Johan himself, whom, Neely, your descendant Johanna is named after, was that she would do more than any of us to protect Underland even though it was not her come to defend until she had married into the Hightopp Clan!" Sile said, taking up the role of the voice of reason.
"But he is dead, he died on Horvendush Day, one of the few who died too might I mention!" Murphy declared.
"But if what Alice says is true than his descendant who is named for him carries on his position and legend with the help of her brother and the Son of Calder and Alice. Therefor she is the right one! She is the one of legend and will free our people and succeed where we cannot help; Alice, take the shield with our blessings, Underland shall bless you for your help." Sile said and stood aside.
The others agreed and stepped aside to let me take the shield. The silver shining surface seemed to be calling for me. Neely suddenly placed his hand on my shoulder, "Alice, when combined with the power of the Vorpal blade and the champions armor, you will be harder to defeat. If you are to hold tightly to the sword and keep the shield with you their combined powers will enable you to withstand the power of the Medusa. Just hold on to them." He cautioned. I lifted the shield and swallowed hard, I could feel it's power coursing through the ancient metal.
"Alice, how is my descendant doing as the White Queen?" The seemingly shy Saoirse asked me timidly. I smiled and placed my free hand on her shoulder.
"She is doing very well, she is perfect for her calling," I reassured and with a final thanks, I left the small temple.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Johanna~~~~~~~~
We've been waiting for two hours and there was no sign of Alice.
Four hours, no Alice to clear calm our shaking nerves.
Eight hours, still no Alice and the sun will be setting soon.
Sixteen hours straight with not a single sign of our beloved champion.
Eighteen hours, and Tarrant hasn't stopped pacing.
Twenty hours, "Where the devil is she?" He screamed, tearing at his hair.
Twenty-two hours and we had nothing. Not even that annoying guddler's scut Chess had graced us with his appearance.
Twenty-four hours, we're all worried for her.
Twenty-six hours now, we're going mad…er!
Twenty-eight hours, some have completely lost their minds with fear and worry.
Thirty hours, Tarrant has been pacing for twenty-two hours straight and he's ready to go out and search for her.
Thirty-two hours, "Some ones approaching us!" We ran to the gates - literally tripping over each other in our haste- and there was Alice.
We all cheered and Tarrant ran to embrace her.
"Alice is back! She has the shield! We're saved!" One of my nieces shouted in joy, my cousin – her father – lifted her high in the air and laughed loudly in jubilation.
I doubt I have ever been so relieved in my life! "I'm sorry for taking so long! It was a little harder to get the shield than one would think; there was a lot of arguing!" she chuckled.
Okay, so this one took a long time. Sorry for the delay in getting it up. It took me a while to do all the parts, I completely changed the story Johanna told to them in an earlier chapter and then I added the part where Alice gets the shield in this chapter.