I return to you! =) Thank you all so much for the support you've given this story. I know its taking me a lot longer to post chapters, but I'm hoping that the fact that I'm making them longer will help me compensate a little. Thank you all for the wonder reviews and encouragement and most of all, your patience. I'm proud to have a story that so many of you like =D Shall we continue into our tale? -
Mirana was sitting on her throne, looking feral, if that was at all possible for the White Queen. Her glass clad feet were placed on the floor together and her hands clutched the arm rests. Her expression was altogether quite feirce as she glared into her throne room. "Imbeciles!" She spat, "How difficult could it possibly be to find a teenaged girl and a criminal?"
"I'm sorry, your majesty, we will expand our searches." Said a chess peice before turning and leaving the room with a flick of Mirana's wrist.
'Teenaged girl?' She thought, watching the royal. Then she noticed Tarrant entering the room from behind the large curtains as Stayne had for Iracebeth's beck and call. "Your highness," He lisped darkly, taking her hand and giving it a chaste kiss. "Why would we need to find her? It is not as if your sister could come to over throw you." His white hand grabbed one side of the throne and he swung his weight to the other side, his face ending up very near her majesty's. Mirana's black lips turned up into a smile. Her eyes were glassed over in a strange mixture of emotions, but none of them seemed more strong than the evident lust in her usually soft orbs.
"How very true, love." She replied, turning her face to see his. His magenta lips broke into a grin, "She can wait, my lovely queen." He said lowly, almost growling. She watched as their lips met and tears filled her eyes.
Mirana cackled wickedly, "Of course! Alice is a big girl, she can find her way home as easily as a lost dog."
Alice? Alice... That name. Why was it so familiar? She closed her eyes as tears streamed from her eyes, down her trembling cheeks. The name... Alice? Wasn't that what she was called? She stepped out from behind the pillar and tripped on the large carpet. "My queen, I'm here!" Alice announced, wiping her tears. "I'm Alice!"
Tarrant chortled with joy, "No you aren't. Alice is about," He made a jesture with his hand, "this tall. She's got long curly yellow hair, and she most certainly isn't a rabbit." Mirana tapped his hand lightly and gave him a small chuckle.
"Oh, Nivens, I can always look to you to make me laugh, but as you can tell, I am busy." Tarrant's lips caressed Mirana's cheek gently and she giggled girlishly, "Very busy. If you don't mind-" and she waved her hand, as if that would finish her sentence. Alice trembled more as she watched Mirana's arm snake around the hatter -HER Hatter's- neck to pull him down and kiss her lips more comfortably.
Alice cried harder until the Hatter turned to her with an angered expression. "Don't you ever listen, putrid animal?" He growled in his scottish brogue that shook Alice to her very core. Tarrant came forth at an alarming pace and drew forth his claymore, raising it in a fighting stance.
Alice awoke in a cold sweat. She was physically shaking and it was very visible. How long had it been now? A week? A few days? She was unsure. Very little light came into the back of the cave where she was kept. Alice could taste her salty sweet tears as she felt her last shreds of hope leaving her. 'Tarrant isn't coming, Alice.' She heard her inner voice saying. 'You thought he'd save you, but how is he supposed to find you when you don't even know where you are? No, you have to find a way out of this yourself.' It told her. Sadly, Alice could feel the voice was right somewhere in her mind. "Shut up! He will come!" She whimpered, still believing this in her heart. She looked at the top of her cell door, where there were bars. She could see faint light drizzling in -most likely moon light. She remembered Century saying something about going somewhere before she drifted off to sleep, but she hadn't fully been listening. She just wanted to be with Tarrant, to have his arms around her. Nothing more could sooth her sadened soul.
She pulled the furs off of her body and threw them at the door, moving to draw her legs up to her chest. She grew very frightened when she felt something warm moving at her feet. She drew her leg away swiftly and suddenly felt agony in her ankle. She yelped and jump, scrambling to move away, but failing as her body was still groggy with sleep and shock. She drew her leg into the light and saw the large gashes across her bone. She glanced back at the place in which she had fallen asleep at the sound of hissing. Her eyes widened as she saw the head of a snake, but the eight legs of a large black spider approaching her. She moved quickly as it's forked tongue flicked out to taste the air. Eight beady eyes blinked at her and she saw them all through her tears. Panic seized her body as she made her way to the cell door. "Help!" She screamed, hoping someone would hear her. At this point she'd rather be Century's best friend than being eaten by this strange creature. Alas, no one was around to hear her.
The creature etched closer to her and she screamed once more in fear. The snake's head struck at her toes. She could feel the blood welling up on her wound. Alice pushed herself up and clutched the bars of the cell door. She used what strength she had left to hoist her weight up, pushing her feet against the frame. She cried at the pain that washed over her entire leg.
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
His heart raced violently in his chest as he followed her. Her soft halo of blonde curls bounded in the breeze through the woods. She was running, not happily as he had so often wanted to see her, but terrified. He had tried to ask her what was wrong and how he could help, but the only thing she could do was scream and run. Her warm brown eyes were clouded over with panic as she trembled in his arms and grabbed his sleeve to pull him along. At some point he had been released and had even slowed his pace from her hurried sprint. Alice was now a long way ahead of him, and he was in an area of Underland that he could not recall having been in before.
"Alice!" His voice was strong and worried, as he lept over a fallen tree branch and stumbled a little. He looked around, but his lovely Alice was no where to be seen. He slowly and cautiously stepped forward, looking for her. He peeked behind trees and tried to keep his steps as quiet as possible, but the leaves beneath his feet just made that so impossible. With every step of his shoe he heard the screams of a thousand leaf particals. He looked up at the fiery colored tree tops and found himself remembering this place. He looked back at the woods he'd come from to find them looking completely different. He rose a wild brow before turning back to the familiarity of the land before him. He walked slowly, as he had when he'd recited the Jabberwocky prophecy for tiny Alice.
He took the time to remember her tiny form on his shoulder. She had looked just as beautiful that size as she had in her right proper Alice size. He felt the snapping of twigs and it caused an eerie aura to wrap around him. He suddenly felt gooseflesh rising acros his arms. "Alice?" He called out loudly, cupping his hands around his mouth to magnify the sound. He heard heavy breathing, but could not tell where it was from. "Alice!" He shouted again, hearing the hyperventalation radiating from all around him.
"Alice, please come out! Its just me! You're safe with me," He called.
With a few more steps he suddenly heard a loud feminine scream that forced his eyes too fill with tears. Alice. He broke into a sprint as she cleared the rest of the pathway to his clan's previous home. He could Stayne, his filthy hands on Alice's throat. His knees were on her arms to hold her down and he was grinning as he strangled her. "No! Please, don't!" She cried from beneath him.
Fury and rage blinded him as he reached Stayne a moment too late. Alice's body went still and dirt covered her collar. Hatred coursed through him as he pushed Stayne back into the trees, pinning him to one. "How could you?" He shouted before his voice failed. A lump rose in his throat as he growled at the bastard who dared touch his love. Tarrant drew back and punched Stayne square in the jaw, feeling it dislocate. Tears of his emotions ran from his eyes as he tossed Stayne to the ground and looked back at Alice.
Confusion consumed the mad man when he saw Stayne where Alice had been. He looked back at the man'd just punched and realization hit him. Alice was crumpled on the ground, sobbing as she held her jaw -not Stayne. Tarrant knelt down next to his angel and tried to apologize, but she scrambled away from him. "Alice," He whispered, reaching a hand out to her.
She slapped his hand away, "I hate you!" She screamed, pulling herself up to stand before darting away.
Tarrant was wretched from sleep by the harsh words of his dear Alice. He thrust himself back down against the pillows hatefully. He turned to face the wall and pounded it once, leaving a rather large indention. He found himself too shaken to return to sleep.
Tarrant pulled himself up and out of the bed, not bothering to dress as he pushed open the door that led to Alice's room. It looked just as she had left it. His ran his pale fingers over the bed post as he sat down in front of the window, looking out at the pale crescent moon. 'Damn moon,' He thought. 'Taunting me once more -further reminding me that my Alice isn't here -one more night that I can't have her and know she is safe.'
He cursed the moon and stood, drawing the curtains. He couldn't bare to look at the rest of the world. It held no beauty without his Alice. He stretched his muscles and went back to his own room, looking in the mirror. Even though there were no wounds, he felt a pain in his chest. It throbbed with every pulsation that sent blood through his body.
He sat back on his bed, burrying his face in his hands. This was the last straw. He needed to find Alice, and waiting for her to return as Mirana had instructed was getting to him. "I have to help them search for her, your majesty!" He'd said pleadingly, but Mirana knew she couldn't trust him to return the magician who had taken her to her alive. "No, Tarrant. What good could it possibly do to have you running into some wicked beast and getting yourself killed, so that we have to relay more bad news onto our beloved Champion of your death? I think not. If a week passes and she has still not been returned or found, then and only then will I permit you to go out and help with the search. Until then, you are to remain here in the palace."
He growled deep in his throat. Tomorrow will be the seventh day that Alice would have been gone. He swore internally that there would not be an eigth.
~~~**Tarrant X Alice**~~~
Century returned to his cave after a few hours of being at the market. He was amazed that the Queen's men would only search for the champion in her jurisdiction. It was not unlike the royals to send search parties all the way out to the outlands. He shrugged and carried his foods and newest fur into the cave, only to hear a series of whimpering. A quizical expression crossed his face as he put down his things before noticing the small hands wrapped around the bars of the cell door. He opened it carefully, suprised to see Alice clutching the door for dear life! He looked at the floor and jumped back as the reason for her terror scurried out to greet him. He looked around for something -anything- to defend himself with.
The small snake/spider thing followed him over the to mirror and he grabbed his wooden staff from above it. He brought the wood down on the snake head and watched it bleed and go slack before releasing the breath he hadn't realized he was holding in.
He looked back at Alice and went to her. He lifted her into his arms, suprised by how easily she clung to him. He set her on the ground and moved her hair from her face, looking into her glassy eyes. "Alice? Alice! Did that thing bite you?" He asked worriedly.
She gave a limp nod as she rolled her head to the side. He examined her swiftly, lifting her arms and looking at her exposed skin. He noticed the wounds on her legs and his eyes widened. He went to the wash bin and pulled the porcelin bowl that held water out, grabbing two clothes, and rushed it to her. He rinsed the would and discovered that her bone was very evident. "Oh shit!" He groaned.
"Alice?" He asked, looking at her. She looked horrible. Her face was even paler and had contracted a sickly green tint in the moonlight. "Alice, listen to me. We have to get your blood flowing. You have to move around."
She nodded and he pulled her up, walking over to the mirror. "Mirror, I need a cure, quickly!" He shouted.
The mirror showed a creature that looked very familiar. He nodded, putting Alice down gently. He took the vorpal blade and disappeared. He found himself back at the large baren tree. "Iracebeth!" He growled. A cloacked figure drew up from beside the tree and pulled her hood down. Her hair shaggily hung by her chin as she looked at him, obviously displeased. "I need blood from your Jabberwockey." He announced quickly.
She lowered her eyebrows, "Why in hell would you need that?"
"Alice was bit by a cave crawler and the mirror fortells that blood from your beast is the only cure."
The red head shrugged, "Let her die. It makes no difference in my opinion. Won't we have to kill her later anyways?"
Century growled, "Now I see how you were so easily over thrown! IF Alice dies now, the madman will be of no use to us. He'll just be an empty shell of a man -no anger or hate, just lacking emotions! Now give me the damn blood!" He cursed.
She gaped at him in disbelief, "Absolutely not!" She slapped him across the face, "You will do right in remembering who I am when you address me." She glowered at him.
Century rolled his eyes pushed her to the side, making his way to the beast that slept beside the tree. She pulled on his cloak, attempting to pull him away from the large dragon-like creature. "Don't you lay a hand on my Jabberwocky! That is my pet and if you harm her than you will not live long enough to regret it!" She shouted.
The beast stirred and noticed the disturbance. She gave an apologetic look and yawned. Jabberwocky babies could be the cutest things when they first awoke, but Century had no time to fawn over its adorableness tonight. "Listen, a girl needs your help and without her, you will never have that better home I promised you. Will you help me help her?" Century asked softly.
The jabberwockey nodded and licked his face, her tail going berserk as it flew back in forth in a puppylike manner. He went to her tail and took the vorpal sword in hand. Iracebeth took her pet's head between her arms and stroked between its eyes as he cut a small wound into the scales. The baby hissed and fire shot from her mouth towards the oracle at her tail. He filled his small cup with the liquid and rubbed her tail, as if to sooth her. He petted her head as he saw large tears plopping down next to Iracebeth's feet. "Thank you." And then he fled back to Alice.
She had fallen over and was simply on the dirt floor of the cave. Century lifted her foot and spread the Jabberwockey blood over the wound. She groaned and tried to move away, but his grip was tight and he was not going to let her injure herself further.
"Alice, come on. You have to deal with this. Its the only way to draw out the poison." He begged. She stilled, whether out of unconsiousness or out of obediance, he had no idea, but he was glad. He dressed her wounds carefully. She was so tiny, all of her muchness having fled from her physical form. He pitied her greatly. Century pulled her up to his chest and lifted her, setting her on what could be called a sofa, but was so terribly worn that it was very uncomfortable to the consious.
He lit a small fire in the pit that was the middle of the cave floor and sat on the dirt floor with his back pressed against the sofa, praying to all the magicks that she would be alright.
Ending once again. Whew, that took a while, but I hope its a satisfactory dosage for now. I'll be back soon with another chapter (Soon meaning probably later this week or next week and no later). I know you think this thing is never going to end -but it will. A good 5 chapters or so should draw its conclusion. To recap with Alice and Tarrant's dreams, they are both starting to lose hope, and loosing hope means that they lose what they love most. Alice's worst fear is that Tarrant won't return her love. Tarrant's worse fear would be that his madness would progress to a point where he might hurt Alice. That's all for today :) Don't forget to review!
