Part 2 – The Mystery of Cheshire
Chapter 1: White Rabbit
Alice woke up in chains inside a large well decorated room, with red carpet that was incredibly smooth, and various tapestries that were hung around the room. There was a large blood red throne at the top of some small steps with a woman sitting on it her legs crossed. She wore a fluffy red dress that had a pink heart insignia engraved in the center of the chest. Her face was beautiful and her skin seemed very smooth, her hair had a dark orange tint to it and her eyes were dark.
The queen of hearts looked down at Alice from atop her throne; she looked intrigued by Alice's appearance and coldly starred her down. Alice quickly recognized the look the queen was giving her, it was judgment. She was judging Alice like a pet of hers had run away and been captured and returned to her.
Finally the queen spoke, "Tell me girl who are you and how did you escape my kingdom? Your dress is also of rather good quality I wish to know how you acquired it."
For a moment Alice thought about shouting at the queen telling her that she wasn't from her god forsaken kingdom. That she was from outside of it and lived in a free part of wonderland, but then she thought about March and Hatter. If the queen knew that others lived outside her kingdom she would probably go searching for them and if she found the cottage. Alice could not bear to think of what would happen if the queen of hearts found the cottage so she just stood there silent not answering the queen's questions.
The queen and Alice starred at each other in long silence until the queen grew bored and said, "Well then not talking. I suppose I shall just have to sweep those entire mountains to find out where your home is and who ever else dare mock me by dwelling in that chess kingdom ruins. In the mean time perhaps some time in the dungeon will loosen your tongue."
The queen waved her hand and some card soldiers grabbed Alice and dragged her away. When they arrived at the dungeon they opened the cell door and tossed Alice inside. Then they slammed it shut, locked it and marched away. The lighting in the dungeon was poor but Alice could see well enough to know that she was all alone in there.
Hatter, Cheshire, and March stood outside walls of the massive kingdom, also known as the house of cards. The walls were made of some red pinkish stuff that looked hard as rock but felt soft and rubbery. The only known way in or out was through the main gate but numerous card soldiers guarded it and fighting all of them would be suicide.
Instead their plan was to sneak in through some sort of secret passage hidden in the wall. White Rabbit was supposed to be showing them the way but he was no where to be found. Hatters paced back and forth frustrated at having to wait around.
"He's not here." Hatter said impatiently.
"These things take time I got word to him immediately but he said that it would be a while." Cheshire said. "We just have to stay put where he told us."
March sighed then said, "Hatter is right though this is taking longer than it should be for my brother. I mean what if some card soldiers spot us then what?"
"Then we kill them before they can bring reinforcements." Hatter replied.
Cheshire sighed but didn't say anything else; he just waited calmly for White Rabbit while Hatter continued pacing back and forth. Then just as everyone's patience was almost out the wall that they were all standing by started to make a fizzling sound and thin pink smoke began pouring out of it. Hatter and March starred at this strange development in the wall not sure what to make of it as the wall began to thin and soon a small hole came through. The wall continued to fizzle as more smoke was produced that disappeared quickly in the air and the wall was slowly eaten a way; the hole in it growing and growing.
The wall stopped disintegrating when it created an opening that was about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The side of the opening in the wall was strangely smooth and not jagged at all. The wall itself looked to be only about 2 feet thick, but whatever that red pinkish stuff was that made it up it seemed incredibly strong.
Hatter and March starred at the opening for a minute looking inside they could see some grass surrounded by two tall hedge bushes that lead forward and turned to the right at the end. They could not see anything else though and for a moment believed that it was a possible trap; with card soldiers hidden on the side of the wall opening. And then a White rabbit who looked a lot like March Hair popped his head through the hole and said, "Well then are you lot coming or not? We are on a tight schedule and my absence as well as this newly found hole will not go unnoticed for too long."
March followed through the hole immediately after his brother and when he was on the other side of the wall he grabbed his brother and hugged him tightly. White Rabbit laughed a little then pushed his brother away. "Now, now there will be time for that later brother." White Rabbit said.
Cheshire and Hatter followed through the hole shortly after and Hatter studied White Rabbit for a moment. He looked no different from the first time he saw him; tall, smooth white hair, a Red silk vest with one chest pocket and two normal pockets near the bottoms, and small spectacles that sat close to his eyes but were not fully pushed up. The next thing Hatter noticed was that they were in a hedge maze, one that seemed rather thick.
"Well than White," Hatter said. "Where is Alice?"
White sighed and pushed his glasses up to his eyes then said, "She is in the dungeon. But I have never been there nor do I know its exact location"
"So then we will split up as soon as you help us into the castle."
"Despite the dangers yes that is the best way to go about it. We can cover more ground and will be harder to notice. There will be guards everywhere so Hatter you and Cheshire will walk invisibly through the castle searching the east side. While me and my brother will walk with safe passage through the west side."
"Well that is a wonderful plan." Cheshire said. "But how exactly is it going to work, especially the part about me and Hatter walking invisibly through the castle?"
"If March is with me the guards will not give us question or the staff, we will only have to avoid the higher ups; which I know every one of their routines and schedules so it should not be too much of an issue. And as for you and Hatter, well I finally figured out the truth about you Cheshire… And I'm sure an invisibility cloak for Hatter shouldn't be too difficult."
Cheshire's eyes turned into narrow slights and he started to growl a deep furious growl that neither March nor Hatter have ever heard coming from him before. His front paws grew a little bigger, and thicker as his claws started coming out and looked sharper than ever. Cheshire slowly hovered closer to White, still growling deep and low; raising his right paw as if to strike his enemy down in an instant.
March stepped between them but Cheshire only grabbed him by the throat and moved him aside; making sure his grip was enough to keep him from talking but not too much to cut off his air. When White moved to help his brother Cheshire grabbed his throat with his other paw in a fast and unseen movement. "Where did you learn about that?" Cheshire asked in a low growl; his eyes completely fixed on White Rabbit and now glowing an iridescent purple.
Struggling a bit for air White said, "I've been working with the queen for over 20 years now, I have gotten close enough to her to learn all her secrets. Only the queen and she know of your existence, obviously they know nothing of your whereabouts though."
"Perhaps your usefulness has run-"
"Cheshire enough, were here to find Alice." Hatter interrupted. "We can discuss this later when Alice is safe once more."
Then Hatter ran off and turned to the right going deeper into the maze as Cheshire slowly let go of White; and March but kept his gaze set on White. For a moment the two looked like they were going to go right back at each others throats when the sound of steel clashing caught their attention.
Another clash of steel and the sound of Hatter yelping quickly forced them to move. They ran fast as they could, turned the corner and saw a Hatter on the ground with his weapons several feet away from him and a card soldier wielding a sword pointing it at his neck. Except this card soldier was not in the form of a rectangle like all the others, he was humanoid and bigger than them.
White sprung into immediate action and without sound leaped from his spot and launched himself straight at the soldier. The gap between them was about ten feet but despite that White made the jump with incredible speed as he put his feet in front of him and with extreme force collided with the soldier. The soldier went flying to the ground and slid for a few feet more.
Before the soldier could figure out what had just happened, White had already grabbed one of Hatters swords and launched up into the air. Then he dived straight down on the soldier with the blade impaling his head. Hatter lay on the ground starring at White in amazement; as the whole thing happened in mere seconds.
White stood up and walked over to Hatter who was being helped up by March and said, "That was a Jack of hearts. They are the best swordsmen in the entire kingdom here; there are only ten of them in all." Then White looked back to the slain Jack soldier. "Well nine now."
"That was amazing, how did you do that?" Hatter asked.
"Being a spy is the most dangerous job there is. I spend most of my free time training, in both weapon and empty handed combat. And over the last 20 years I have learned many things; though no one else knows it I am also stronger than any single card soldier there is."
"So if you're so strong why haven't you slain the queen and freed Wonderland from her tyranny?"
"Because she is better than me in combat. I have seen her face three jacks at once and defeat them with barley a scratch on her. Even if I can manage a surprise attack on her it would have to be a one shot kill anything less and she would regain herself and I would be done for. Besides that opportunity has never presented itself she's extremely cautious.
Anyways we have wasted enough time babbling here. That soldier was a Jack and his presence will be missed within minutes so we have to move fast if were going to find Alice and escape."
White handed Hatter his blade and grabbed the other one from the ground and handed that to him as well. Hatter sheathed the blades and they set off. They ran swiftly and as quietly as they could, White precisely navigating them through the maze with forehand knowledge of its layout. From time to time they would stop and hide behind a corner as a group of cards would march by.
They continued like this for a while only White knew exactly how close they were to the castle itself, to the others every part of the maze looked exactly the same. Finally they came to a straight path in the maze that led directly into the castle. The grass and maze stopped at a large opening to the castle which then continued on as part of the castle itself; there were no doors just an opening in the wall.
"The queen's internal defenses are rather weak." Hatter said.
"There was never any need for a barricade from the maze it's a one way in one way out situation." White said. "You'll find the queen's defenses are much greater inside and around the castles perimeter. Guards will be swarming all around the castle areas when they find that Jack dead, were going to use that confusion and chaos to walk straight out of the main gate.
Since our original escape route has been jeopardized this is the best course of action, the guards at the gate shouldn't give me any trouble so if you find Alice before us then wait at the main gate. If me and March find Alice before you we will wait for you at the gate; and remember Cheshire, Hatter it is most imperative that you not be seen by any card soldiers while inside the castle"
Then the four of them stepped inside the castle together and split up into two in search of Alice. All of them more nervous than they have ever been before in their lives; because if they make even the slightest mistake here they will all be dead.