The world was shattering.
A million million shards of glass, fragmenting and bursting into a million more, again and again. A shattering caused by a scream, a scream that was once a song but now just a scream, one raw, sustained note of agony, of grief, of despair.
On and on the scream went, and the world shattered with it.
Alice woke up.
For a moment she just lay there, on her comfy, plush bed, buried in blankets with her head cushioned by a dozen pillows, eyes open wide, staring at the wall of her tent.
It took her five long, slow breaths to return to the waking world. Five long, slow breaths to realize she wasn’t sprawled out like she usually slept, but curled up into a tight little ball, as close in on herself as she could possibly be. It took another five long, slow breaths to start to loosen that ball, to stretch and relax taut, aching muscles.
And to realize that she was not alone.
In her bed was a new softness. A different softness from the plush blankets, the downy pillows, the cushy mattress.
This softness was fluffy. Warm. Alive.
And then she saw him. Curled up beside her, against her, head against her chest, tail draped across her.
Flynn.
When her eyes finally focused on him, he lifted his head, gazing back at her with gentle, pale blue eyes.
Alice looked away for a moment, at the door of her tent. But it was buttoned closed. So then…
“Did you… come for me?” Alice asked. “Did you unbutton the door and then button it closed again all by yourself?” After seeing Flynn in action, she was starting to believe he was capable of anything.
Flynn gazed back at her. His left ear twitched, and his nose did a tiny little wrinkling and unwrinkling.
Cute.
“I wish I understood you like your… owner?” Alice’s statement turned into a question. “Master? Friend?” At “friend,” Flynn’s tail wagged, and Alice smiled. “Friend, then. I wish I understood you like he does. But you came here for me. Didn’t you?” She pulled away from Flynn slightly, slid halfway out of the covers, sitting up against the pillows. She held out her hands between her and Flynn, palms upward. “Touch my left hand for yes, and my right hand for no. Did you come because you thought I needed comfort?”
Flynn’s tail wagged. He nosed forward, cheerfully touching her left hand.
“Well, then,” Alice said, her heart in her throat for a moment, her voice catching. She swallowed, shook her head, then smiled. “All right. Does Tobias know you came for me?” Flynn nosed her right hand. “Is he even awake yet?” A nose against her right hand. “You came all by yourself?” A nose against her left hand.
Alice found herself laughing, and yet her eyes stung with tears that she blinked rapidly away. “You really are a wonder, aren’t you, sweet doggy?” She stroked Flynn’s face, and he eagerly rolled over, presenting his tummy to her, with the long, faint scar that ran along it. Alice petted his tummy happily, and he stretched, sprawling, eagerly accepting her affection.
“How did you know?” Alice murmured, softly, really only to herself. She sighed.
I don’t need comforting. But, if you’re willing…
I shall gratefully accept.
“Can this be our secret?” Alice asked. “Can you refrain from letting anyone else in on you coming to be so nice to me?”
Flynn twisted one way, then the other, and Alice wasn’t sure what exactly he was trying to do. But then he managed to roll, and get his legs under him, recovering his usual agile poise. And he went through all of that effort so that he could stick his nose out to touch Alice’s left hand.
And then he promptly rolled over again, eager for tummy rubs.
“Well,” Alice said, obliging him. “If anyone was to doubt your intelligence before now — and I don’t know how they possibly could — that would surely dispel their foolish skepticism. You’re brilliant!” When Flynn’s tongue lolled out of his mouth, and his tail wagged even as he was on his back, Alice laughed. “And you simply love to be loved, don’t you? What a delight you are. Even if you did come in here to comfort me, you…”
Alice trailed off. Because she realized, as she was sitting here on her bed, smothering Flynn in endless affection, that showing affection to him somehow provided comfort and joy to her.
Is this what having a dog is like? I knew they were lovely creatures, loyal and sweet and kind, but I never realized…
I simply must ask Mister Carroll for a dog upon my return. There’s no way I could possibly live without one, now.
“Well,” Alice said, navigating her way out of her massive bed. Flynn happily followed her. “I suppose I should get dressed, and then we can see what’s going on outside. Half a moment, please, Flynn. I’ll be right back.”
And while she was in her own little section of the tent, she closed her eyes for a moment and, in the privacy of her own heart, offered up a prayer.
Dressed and fully awake, with all worries and fears cast far afield thanks to Flynn’s cheerful kindness, Alice rejoined her tail-wagging companion and flung open the canvas door of her tent.
The sun had not yet risen. That was a disappointment. Being this awake, this happy, just didn’t fit with a still-dark sky. But there were hints of light in the sky, suggesting that dawn was not far off — closer than it seemed from within the thick walls of trees around their clearing. That was a comfort.
Surprisingly, Tobias was still asleep. It was like he hadn’t moved at all overnight, still on his side, looking strangely vulnerable even with one hand lightly resting on his sheathed sword.
Guinevere was also asleep, and Alice had to fight not to laugh at the Promised Queen’s appearance. Sprawled out as much as she possibly could be within a restrictive sleeping bag, she lay on her stomach, her head tilted to the side, mouth hanging open, drool forming a not-insignificant puddle on her pillow. One arm was draped over Ava, who slept in a much more dignified way, curled up in a neat ball. At the opening of Alice’s tent door, Ava lifted her head, ears perked, eyes bright as she watched Alice and Flynn.
Sheena was not asleep. She wasn’t even here. But her belongings were still here, aside from her sword, which suggested she’d gone off somewhere with Akko for morning training.
What to do, what to do…
“I suppose we could make breakfast,” Alice said. “It might endear myself to my traveling companions, having a meal ready for them as soon as they awaken — or as soon as Sheena returns from training.” She looked down at Flynn for encouragement, and he gazed up at her, wagging his tail. Alice smiled, and started back into her tent…
But Flynn didn’t follow.
“What is it?” she asked, looking back at him. Flynn wagged his tail, watching her with alert eagerness… but he wasn’t following her.
Alice placed her hands on her hips. “Now, Flynn,” she said. “You know I don’t understand you like Tobias does. If there’s something you want, you’ll have to find an effective way to tell me.”
Flynn watched her a moment longer, then suddenly darted off, bounding playfully past Tobias, where Tobias’ pack was. Flynn nosed it open, fished inside…
And came out with a blue ball in his mouth.
“Ah,” Alice said, raising an eyebrow. “You want to play, do you?” Seeing Alice and Flynn in such agreement, Ava couldn’t contain herself, and rolled out from under Guinevere’s arm — the Promised Queen didn’t seem to mind, lazily snoozing away — and padded over to them, tail wagging. “Flynn, it looks like we won’t be alone. Do you have another ball for Ava?” Flynn let out a very soft, yet quite playful “wuff!” and then tossed his head, releasing the ball in a perfect arc right to Alice. It was the easiest catch she’d ever made, and she gazed wide-eyed at him. “You really are a wonder.”
Flynn trotted over with a second ball from Tobias’ pack, this one red, placed it at Ava’s feet, and then looked at Alice, tail wagging, eager for his ball.
“Not here,” Alice said, giggling. “Come on, you two. Let’s find somewhere we won’t bother the sleepers.”
They found the clearing where Tobias had played with Flynn the previous night, and there Alice stood in the center and threw the balls to the dogs, laughed and cheered as they ran them back to her, and threw them again. On and on the process went. Alice couldn’t throw nearly as far or precisely as Tobias, but neither Flynn nor Ava seemed to mind. They were happy as could be, bounding to and fro, just chasing and returning the balls. Ava, a third bigger than Flynn, was nowhere near as agile as him, and yet when they both ran flat-out, Alice realized they were about equal in speed. It took Ava a bit longer to reach her top speed than Flynn, and she couldn’t turn as sharply as him, but she wasn’t a slouch in the physical department.
“The Promised Queen takes excellent care of you, doesn’t she?” Alice asked, petting Ava’s face. She was quite different from Flynn. Flynn seemed to run on pure joy, always so exuberant, charismatic, energetic. Ava was sweet and gentle, calm and placid — though she could show tremendous enthusiasm when playing. The way she leaned into Alice when Alice hugged her warmed her heart in a way nothing else could.
“What a lovely pair you two make,” Alice said, smiling at the canines. “You’re about the same age, aren’t you? You could have even been from the same litter. Although I suppose you’re a bit too different to be siblings, hmm?” She paused, then, and sighed. Shaking her head, she stepped back, ready to throw the red ball. “Shall we go one more round?”
They went five more rounds, and then both dogs were suitably tired out, and no doubt hungry. Alice walked back to the camp with them, bouncing on her feet, humming a merry tune. Yes, there really was nothing quite like starting the day with playtime, was there? It had been… well, longer than she could even remember since the last time she’d played with someone else. Mister Carroll didn’t count. He was too much of a grown-up to really play with her. And while dogs weren’t people, well…
They were wonderful playmates.
Back at camp, Tobias was awake, sitting cross-legged on the grass, setting out a dish half-full of crunchy food for Flynn. Flynn excitedly trotted over, but sat first, waiting until Tobias invited him to eat. While Flynn ate, Tobias looked at Alice. “You three have fun?” he asked.
“Immeasurably,” Alice said, smiling. She watched as Ava padded over to the still-sleeping Guinevere and sat beside her, patiently waiting. “How long should we allow the princess to sleep?”
“I won’t be held responsible for waking her up,” Tobias said. He caught the look in Alice’s eyes and shook his head. “Don’t even think about it.”
“What?” Alice asked, feigning innocence. “I’m just thinking about her poor, sweet doggy who’s oh-so hungry for breakfast.”
“Let Ava sort things out,” Tobias said. He looked over at Ava, who was now very, very gently nosing at Guinevere’s shoulder. “They’ll be fine. Where’s Sheena?”
“I haven’t seen her,” Alice said. “Probably off training somewhere.”
“Probably,” Tobias said. “We should think about breakfast for humans.”
“I was just thinking that!” Alice said, smiling. “Let me show you just what facilities I have available to us.”
She led the way into her tent, and then to the far side, into the kitchen. Here, against surprisingly stiff canvas walls was a full-service stove and oven, a faucet with running water, and ample countertop space. Flinging open the doors to the cupboards, Alice watched with delight the slight flickerings of surprise in Tobias’ eyes. “Impressed, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Definitely,” Tobias said. “What’s on the menu?”
They ended up sorting out a breakfast menu together, Alice asking lots of questions, not letting Tobias give her total control.
I’m curious about what he likes, and what he’s capable of. If I don’t push, he’ll keep things concealed. He likes his secrets, and I can respect that, but he can be too guarded about ordinary things.
I simply won’t allow that.
Their collaborative breakfast special turned out fantastic, and Alice was quite impressed with Tobias’ skill in the kitchen. He had dexterous, steady hands that served him well in mixing up and spooning out batter, flipping crepes, slicing fruit, and folding omelets. They were just about finished cooking when Flynn came trotting in, tail and nose both high, wagging and sniffing respectively.
“Is he allowed to have human food?” Alice asked.
“It’s not ideal,” Tobias said, but there was humor in his voice, and a slight quirk of his lips, an almost-smile. “But as long as he only has tiny tastes now and then, it’s all right.”
“Can I?” Alice asked.
“Yes,” Tobias said. “Thanks for asking.”
Of course, when Alice tried to give Flynn a bite, Tobias asked her to choose a much smaller portion. But she did get to have Flynn not only pluck a tiny crepe-crumb from her fingers, but also lick taste-remnants off of her fingers, too.
Yes, dogs are quite wonderful, aren’t they?
When they exited the tent bearing trays of food, plates, and silverware, Guinevere was up, sitting with Ava while Ava ate her breakfast. Her hair was sticking up in places, but she’d clearly put some work into fixing it — those red tresses had been an absolutely wild disaster when she’d still been asleep. And Sheena was back, sitting in the grass playing with Akko. It was an interesting game, the small squirrel-rabbit creature darting in and around Sheena’s hands, with her constantly changing her hands’ position and formations. She made tunnels for him to squeeze through, or hurdles for him to leap, or towers to climb. Sometimes, when landing from a jump or coming down from a climb, Akko would tuck into the most adorable little roll, almost a perfect ball that would suddenly unfold, sprawling out, gazing up at Sheena with those big, bright eyes, soaking up the attention. He was such a tiny thing, maybe half as big as the smallest squirrels in Ars Moran, and far too cute for words.
“Breakfast is served, my darling companions!” Alice proclaimed, setting things out in the center of their campsite.
“Must you be so loud?” Guinevere asked softly, in a slightly raspy voice. Her eyes were only half-open, her mouth refusing to even hint at a smile. “And so cheerful?”
“Ooh, do we have someone who isn’t fond of mornings in our party?” Alice asked, practically bouncing with delight.
“I shall remind you that I have a sword and I know how to use it,” Guinevere said, though without venom or fire in her voice. She was clearly too tired for emotions.
“Let’s just eat,” Tobias said, and Alice thought she saw him roll his eyes.
Oh, I do believe there’s a bit of sass hidden behind my knight-protector’s stoic façade. Yes, he’s far more fun than he lets on.
“Thank you for the meal,” Sheena said, taking a seat around the small table. Alice had folding chairs, but she quite liked sitting on the grass, so she hadn’t brought them out. She was happy to see that Sheena and Tobias didn’t mind sitting on the ground, either. And Guinevere — well, Guinevere wasn’t very pleased with anything right now, so who knew what she actually preferred once she was awake? Both Sheena and Tobias pressed their hands together and bowed their heads, eyes closed in prayer before eating. Guinevere, too, though she remained on her sleeping bag far from the rest of the group, offered up a silent prayer before partaking.
Alice, meanwhile, waited patiently. When they were finished, she piled food onto her plate and dug in happily. Guinevere trudged over, Ava excitedly following her every move, and once she’d filled her plate, she trudged back to her sleeping bag to eat in relative solitude. Ava lay down beside her, curled up, interested not in human food, but in providing companionship for her friend.
While Alice, Tobias, and Sheena ate around the table, Akko darted here and there, never resting. “He can’t eat our food, can he?” Alice asked, remembering Sheena’s remarks about Akko’s diet.
“No, but he won’t try to steal anything, so you needn’t worry,” Sheena said. “He just has a great deal of energy in the mornings. He’s having fun acquainting himself with our arrangement.”
Meanwhile, Tobias gave Flynn a T-shaped bone of a hard, synthetic material to chew on. Once Flynn had something else to occupy his jaws, he completely lost interest in the humans and their food.
“What’s our plan for today, then?” Alice asked, the first one finished eating. She’d been famished, but then, she’d also awoken earliest, aside from Sheena. She was used to having breakfast at home immediately upon waking, so today was already a large disruption of routine.
But she was happy about that. A disruption of routine was exactly what one needed, now and then. It kept life interesting.
“We took western roads, trying to create the appearance of heading towards Eltaris Inlet,” Tobias said. “If anyone could follow our tracks so far, they’ll think that’s where we’re going. And it would make sense. The fastest way out of Saoirse’s lands isn’t by land, but by boat.”
“But we aren’t going to take a boat, are we?” Alice asked, feeling her spirits sink a little. Boarding a ship would have been a perfect way to escape these lands, to start the next chapter of their journey with the fresh, salty breeze tossing their hair, waves beneath them, the endless ocean before them, a mysterious horizon beyond.
“It’s too obvious,” Tobias said, “and she’ll lock down the harbor before we can get there. We’re heading east, instead. There are numerous roads that lead beyond her borders — too many for her to watch and block off all of them, especially if she doesn’t realize we’re going that way. It’s a bit of a trek, but if we make good progress today, we can be in safer lands by tomorrow night.”
“What exactly is ‘good progress’?” Alice asked. “Not all of us are hardy travelers accustomed to walking the wild Wonderian roads.”
“I was adjusting expectations based on present company,” Tobias said. “If we can reach the Sixth by evening, we’ll be making excellent time. But the Eighth would also be far enough.”
“The Sixth?” Sheena asked. “The Eighth? Are these the names of landmarks?”
“Towns,” Tobias said. Finished with breakfast, he placed his plate and silverware on the table and started to rise. But Flynn picked up on his intentions sooner. Leaving his bone behind and trotting to the far side of the camp, he did a very impressive maneuver — a bit of a headbutt, with a duck and small hop — and came back with Tobias’ rucksack balanced on his back. When he reached Tobias, he shifted his weight ever so slightly, depositing the bag at Tobias’ feet.
“Is there anything he can’t do?” Alice asked, gazing in wonder.
“Nothing important,” Tobias said, stroking Flynn’s face with one hand while he fished inside his bag with the other.
I’m sure you noticed us watching you last night. We know just how much you love Flynn, and how much you can really smile. So why continue to suppress your joy and affection in front of us?
“Here we go,” Tobias said, pulling out a map and spreading it on the grass. Guinevere, over on her sleeping bag, looked a bit curious — but tiredness and grumpiness overrode curiosity, and she remained where she was, silently eating.
The map was a map of Southern Wonderia, giving Alice her first real sense of place since she’d arrived in the Queen of Hearts’ lands. Like Guinevere, she’d never actually heard of the Queen of Hearts before yesterday, so she hadn’t known exactly where in Wonderia she was. But now she could place it, seeing landmarks she knew, like the Aching Heights, Slumbering Swamp, Rudumpkin, and the distant Library. “I never realized just how close I’d come to the Queen — I mean Saoirse’s — lands before,” she said. Her eyes didn’t miss the slight stiffening of Guinevere’s posture at the “accidental” usage of Saoirse’s title.
“Her neighbors don’t like to acknowledge her presence, if they can help it,” Tobias said. Now he indicated places within Saoirse’s lands. The palace was dead-center, and Eltaris Inlet wasn’t actually all that far to the northwest, a watery passage that led out into the wider Southern Sea. “But we aren’t going that way. We’ll skirt the edges of the ruby-ore mountains. There are ten towns in all in Saoirse’s lands, each numbered. The Tenth is closest to her palace, along with the Ninth and the Seventh.”
“She just skips over eight?” Alice asked.
“Everyone has numerical preferences,” Tobias said with a shrug. “Most towns are to the east, rather than west. Here’s the Fifth, then the Third, the Fourth, then the Eighth. If we make it that far today, we’ll still have a good chance of leaving this place by tomorrow night. But going further, if we reach the Sixth, then we just have the Second and the First between us and freedom.”
“So we should set out right away, shouldn’t we?” Guinevere asked. After food and a long drink of water, her voice wasn’t so raspy from sleep, and her eyes were — well, not completely open, but more than halfway now, so that was an improvement.
“We’ll make sure we’re all ready to go,” Tobias said. “It’s still early. And we’ll need to plan for at least a short stop for lunch. That’s where we’ll also consider our progress and plan on where we’ll camp for the night. But yeah, let’s start cleaning and packing up. Do whatever you need to do to be awake and ready for a long day of walking.”
“Morning stretches are essential!” Alice said, hopping to her feet. “I was so busy playing with Flynn and Ava that I skipped over my own morning routine.” She smirked over at Guinevere. “Care to join me? You look like you could stand to loosen up.”
“I refuse,” Guinevere said, glaring. There was some of yesterday’s fire. Alice giggled, and started stretching on the spot, running through her usual playful routine. In between stretches, she watched as the others got ready. Tobias threw the ball with Flynn, casual and playful tosses rather than the very specific “exercises” of last night, in between checking and packing up his gear. Sometimes Flynn tossed the ball back to him rather than running it back, and even when it seemed like Tobias wasn’t paying attention, he always managed to catch it rather than get hit by it. Sheena, having already done, well, whatever it is she did as a morning routine, spent more time packing and playing with Akko than anything else.
Guinevere, meanwhile, took Ava with her off into the trees, disappearing from the rest of the group. Alice so wanted to follow them, but…
I suppose I’ll leave them be. For now. Her morning routine’s probably much more boring than the rest of us, anyway. I’d rather get up extra early tomorrow morning and try to follow Sheena, see what she does to prepare for the day. That would be much more exciting!
When Alice was done stretching, she started cleaning up dishes, and in moments Tobias was there, helping her. Alice smiled, saying nothing.
He’s awfully polite. And multi-talented. Yes, I finally got a proper knight-protector. One I can count on for far more than just the mandates of the job.
Packing went smoothly and swiftly, and Alice finished by returning her cottage-tent back to its ordinary canvas sheet form with a simple bright, cheerful song. Once that was done, all her belongings back in her trunk, she turned around and —
Ah. Of course she’s holding us up.
Guinevere had returned, her hair tied back in a ponytail beneath a short-brimmed cap, her sword belted at her side, her clothes unrumpled, her eyes… well, still tired, but not exhausted and grumpy anymore. But she hadn’t finished packing, while the rest of them had. Alice watched as Guinevere rolled up her sleeping bag and re-packed her rucksack. When Guinevere was done and stood, shouldering her bag, she saw everyone else watching her and her lips tightened into something not unlike a pout.
“What?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.
“Oh, just waiting for our Queen,” Alice said, smirking. “Come on, then!” she continued, before Guinevere could start up with her. “Tobias, lead the way, please. And Flynn, of course. Onward!”
Onward they went, with the whole world before them. Leaving their clearing behind, they started off over sparsely wooded country. They soon came near to winding, red-brick roads, and after Tobias, Flynn, Sheena, and Akko scanned the area, they decided that they could risk walking the roads for a while. It would make faster progress, and Alice, though she was quite content walking the rougher countryside, was glad to spend some time on tamed, flat, even roads.
Better yet, here on the roads she got a much better view of the landscape. It wasn’t all hills and woods and roses, not one bit. There was an industrialism to the land that she’d only caught distant glimpses of from the ridge where she’d arrived in Wonderia, and back then she’d been paying more attention to teasing Guinevere than surveying the landscape. Now she spied several tall towers that spat into the air, rather than smoke, something thinner, more vaporous — steam, perhaps. At one point on their walk, they crossed railroad tracks that intersected their road, and Alice thought she could distantly hear a train’s whistle.
And to the left, distant but growing closer, were the ruby-ore mountains. Their slopes were mostly green, and Alice couldn’t be sure if trees from this distance were hard to make out, or if that was the color of the mountains themselves. But their peaks were red, like one would expect from the name. There were signs of tunnels bored into those mountains, and tracks descending from them to the base, but Alice couldn’t see the very bottoms of the mountains, or make out details, from this distance.
It's all certainly intriguing, though. A queen who murdered her sisters and stole their lands… is she trying to expand further? What is it like for the people living here? At a glance, the countryside is beautiful.
But if it’s like Saoirse’s beauty, perhaps it’s only skin-deep.
The road was flat and even, and they were on a long straightaway stretch, so Alice turned around and started walking backwards. All the better to see the rest of her traveling companions with — while she and Tobias took the lead just behind Flynn, Guinevere, Ava, and Sheena walked along behind them. And Akko, well — Akko was everywhere, really. He occasionally spent time riding on Sheena’s shoulder, or nestled inside the folds of her shirt, but the majority of their journey he was darting to and fro, scampering all over the place.
“What’s your story, Sheena?” Alice asked. At the sound of his best friend’s name, Akko poked his cute little head up from the tall grass beside the road, ears tall and alert. “You were imprisoned by Saoirse not long before we were. How did you end up on her bad side?”
“I took a door into Wonderia, not knowing where it would lead,” Sheena said. “I was unfamiliar with these lands, so when I saw a palace, I thought that must be the most prominent locale in the region, and hoped I could get some information from the local ruler of how to proceed. When I was asked to bow before Saoirse and pay her tribute to continue through her lands, I refused. So she had me imprisoned.”
“You didn’t try to fight your way out?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. “But you’re so skillful!”
“I didn’t like my odds,” Sheena said. “I was too unfamiliar with the card soldiers, the layout of the palace, and the lands beyond to try making a break for it and risk greater retribution. So I trusted Akko to help me plan an escape.” Akko scampered over, clambering up to her shoulder, and Sheena smiled as he nuzzled against her cheek. “Yes, you were magnificent. Thank you very much.”
“He certainly pulled through,” Alice said, smiling. “But what brought you to Wonderia to begin with? To find Elysia, of course, and you’d rather not say what your deepest wish is, I understand that. But can’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?”
“I’ve spent my entire life in Taiyoushi, the capital city of Haruo,” Sheena said. “I trained to be a Sword Dancer almost from birth — as soon as I was reliably walking, I was being taught to dance and sing in the traditional methods, and soon after began receiving instruction in the sword.”
“You were learning your skills when you were still a baby?” Alice asked, eyes wide. “No wonder you’re so impressive.”
“It is the way of my family,” Sheena said. “All women in my family in every generation have trained to be Sword Dancers, while the men are trained in non-combat arts and governance. That greatly simplifies our traditions, but it’s the best way of explaining to outsiders.”
“Fascinating,” Alice said. She eyed Tobias. “You must have been training to wield a sword since you were in diapers, too, then? You’re just as impressive as she is.”
“I’ve lived a more… eclectic lifestyle,” Tobias said. There was that guardedness again, the walls always up. “I didn’t start learning to wield a sword as young as she did, but I did start very young.”
“But you’ve both faced real combat on numerous occasions, too, haven’t you?” Guinevere asked with undisguised curiosity. “Initiative and instinct like yours aren’t honed in the training hall.”
“I’ve seen my fair share of real combat,” Tobias said.
“As have I,” Sheena said.
Alice sighed. Of course they weren’t going to elaborate without her help. “And?” she asked. “Come on, then. Share some details! We can’t really get to know each other through only the most basic outlines of our life stories, can we?”
“Not everyone is as open to sharing as you are,” Guinevere said, glaring. “And why don’t you share first, if that’s what you expect from everyone else?”
“Well my life can’t be all that interesting compared to the rest of you,” Alice said, rolling her eyes. “I’m only a child, after all. I’ve had far less time to experience the world than the rest of you have.”
“I’m sure we’ll all get plenty of chances to learn a lot about each other,” Tobias said. “There’s no need to rush things.”
“And there might be more interesting things to talk about than our life stories,” Guinevere said. She looked at Sheena. “I was wondering… I know that our training is far different, but if you’d be willing to give me some instruction in the sword, I’d be far better prepared for any dangers we might face in the future. If you’re willing, of course. I don’t mean to presume.”
Intriguing. She presents herself with such haughty airs, but she isn’t all pomp and arrogant circumstance. There’s more to our Queen than meets the eye.
“If you desire it, I can assist you,” Sheena said. “But I think Tobias would be a more adequate instructor. He seems to have an understanding of court fencing, whereas I do not.”
“I could stand to broaden my horizons,” Guinevere said quickly. “That’s, well, that’s exactly the point of asking you. To gain understanding beyond what I’ve been taught.”
Alice watched Tobias as Guinevere and Sheena carried on. Tobias had been ready to say something as soon as Sheena recommended him. But he’d shut down right away when Guinevere had clearly been uninterested in his input.
Would he like to help her, and is disappointed that he was rebuffed? Or was he resigned to do his best and is now relieved that he isn’t going to be called upon?
It seems like… a bit of both? Yes, a bit of both. Interesting.
Alice couldn’t help but be interested in the interactions between her knight-protector and the Promised Queen. They shared looks, now and then, that told a story Alice couldn’t read — yet. Ostensibly they had never met, and Alice was inclined to trust that assessment, but there was definitely something there.
I’ll find out what connects the two of you, one day. As long as you both continue to travel with me, that is! And why wouldn’t you? Guinevere talks big, but she would be despondent all by herself — even if she does have a very sweet doggy.
They stopped for lunch off the road, finding a shallow glen with a stream winding its way between the hills. They descended down a path, Alice taking special care to watch her step — the path was a bit more treacherous here, with rocks jutting out in strange places — to a shaded spot by the stream, beneath trees that should block them from view from distant surveyors. Alice took a moment, standing by the stream, to just look at everything. Much of Saoirse’s lands felt expertly, intentionally manicured, with not a single blade of grass out of place or too long or short compared to its neighbors. But here, the land finally felt like wilderness. It wasn’t as rugged as many other landscapes in Wonderia, but it felt much more like the Wonderia Alice knew than the rest of Saoirse’s lands had. There was a beauty to the chaos here, to the way that the grass grew in different clumps of varying shades of green, not all adopting a unified color or length. The red roses here felt truly natural and free, with one massive, puffy bush of roses that had a single high stem shooting up from the wild tangles, like an adorably awkwardly skinny, thorny tree, topped with a single, slightly wilted, red rose blossom. Rocks of different colors and sizes jutted out by the stream, or even in the stream in places, diverting the water and altering the current in fascinating ways.
There was just so much variance. Alice’s eyes would never get bored here; every new glance found something wholly unique and different to stave off dreadful monotony.
But as Alice was looking over the entire glen, watching the stream, the rocks, the water, her gaze tracked farther upstream. Farther past where Tobias had chosen to break for lunch, in the opposite direction from whence they’d come, there was something… odd in the stream. Half in the water, half out. It took Alice a moment watching to realize it was a person.
A person lying facedown, their head in the water. Dead? Or alive? The question piqued Alice’s curiosity, and she almost started off upstream alone to find out.
But then, what would be the point in having a knight-protector?
“Tobias!” Alice called, turning to find him feeding Flynn. “There’s a person upstream, lying in the water. I do believe we should investigate.”
“Let’s go,” Tobias said. Flynn polished off his food, and Tobias nodded, just a tiny head-tilt, towards the far side of the stream. “Recon.” Flynn happily dashed off, nimbly leaping the stream and starting up the far side.
“A person?” Guinevere asked, she and Ava, along with Sheena and Akko, following Tobias and Alice. Tobias only took a few steps before he started hurrying, racing ahead too fast for Alice to keep up with. Sheena raced right alongside him, though, and they leapt across the stream and reached the fallen stranger long before Alice and Guinevere caught up.
“Still alive,” Tobias said, turning the stranger over. It was a young woman, with short-cropped blonde hair and grey-green eyes that fluttered open. She coughed, sputtering, and then winced in pain.
It was then that Alice saw the blood.
Sticking through the young woman’s stomach was a crossbow bolt. Blood pooled around the wound, staining her clothing. Alice was no expert, but she didn’t think the young woman had long to live. It awoke a strange feeling in her, a sudden, brief panic that made her shudder. But then it was gone, as suddenly as it had arrived.
“Leave it,” the stranger said, brushing her hand against Tobias’ when he reached towards the protruding weapon. She coughed, her voice ragged and hoarse. “The Fourth… my parents… help. Please…”
She gasped. Her eyes fluttered closed, and did not open again.
“She’s… dead?” Guinevere asked, her voice taut, strained. She looked at Tobias, at Sheena, hope, desperate hope, flickering in her eyes. Tobias nodded.
“She was attacked,” Sheena said.
“Are we in danger?” Guinevere asked, her gaze suddenly darting up and down the glen.
“No,” Tobias said, and there was something dark in his voice. He touched the dead stranger’s face, closed his eyes, and said something too softly for Alice to hear. Then he stood, looking up the hill. “But the people of the Fourth are.”
“You’re going to run off and save the day, aren’t you?” Alice asked, smiling.
“Whatever there is left of it to save,” Tobias said darkly. “Flynn?”
Flynn emerged at the crest of the nearest hill. Standing up top there, he looked down at Tobias and did… something. Alice could follow his movements, but they seemed like natural fidgeting, just idle movements. She couldn’t parse their meaning.
“There are still lives left,” Tobias said, already sprinting up the hill before he’d finished speaking. “Guinevere, protect Alice!”
“Which would be easy,” Guinevere said, casting a look at Alice. “Only you’re thinking of going up there, too, aren’t you?”
“Aren’t you?” Alice asked, grinning at her.
To her delight, Guinevere very nearly smiled back at her. “Yes,” she said. “If there are lives to save… then I have a responsibility to be near the danger, as well.”
“Then we haven’t a moment to lose!” Alice said. Tobias had already crested the hill, and Sheena wasn’t far behind him. Alice and Guinevere couldn’t climb the slopes anywhere near as fast as those two, but they set off nonetheless, as fast as they could.
Towards exactly what, in Alice’s opinion, all good adventures were made of.
Towards danger!