A Bunny's Tales

“Gideon. I’m not sure I can ever forgive him for what he did to m-me and my family…” She didn’t like saying she had negative feelings towards someone but… if anyone deserved it… well it was Gideon. “I t-try not to dislike people but I- guess if I had to pick someone else it would be that one girl… W-who had the knife in the forest… but not really… because I don’t know her… but sh-she scared me…”

Gideon wasn’t dumb, he could tell his obviously uncomfortable the child was. She always seemed shy but he was sure she was - what was the word… ah, ‘traumatized’ by being forced into spying on her family by the threat of violence on her family. That was so long ago, though, he’d have thought she’d have gotten over it. He did have a thing about scaring rabbits, didn’t he… Excluding her sister. There was good reason why that one was his favorite.

“Why am I hiding myself? Look at yourself, darling. I expect to see half of the village looking at me like that if I take down this hood and the other half would probably start a mob without my guard here,” he told her in a condescending hush. 

Honestly, that was a worst case scenario, as he knew he had some supporters while he fought this war, but he was’t willing to chance it.

“Perhaps you should think twice before you blackmail people.... Not many take too kindly to that.” The words flew from Alyse’s lips before she really had time to think them through. The long standing anger taking over her fear of the man for just a moment. Perhaps it was knowing that she could probably get away right now. That he was hiding, alone out here in the woods where she could just run. 

However, that didn’t stop her hands from flying to cover her mouth, after she’d said it. Her cheeks brightening in a blush. “S-sorry... I -... no... I - I mean it.” She said but realizing she’d already done the hardest part. Saying what she wanted to say. “It’s n-no way to earn the trust of the people you’re supposed to be ruling over. Supposed to be keeping safe... I hope you know that now...” She wouldn’t ever fall for it again. Not after all the trouble the it’d caused her. 

She was ready to run again, a simple shift and off she could go but she also wanted to wait- to actually see if he would respond to her question. Perhaps she’d learned just a bit from her mother and Cilla after all.

“Hush, now, dear,” he whispered as he stepped closer to the rabbit, glancing at the crowd around them to be sure no one overheard them.

“No guard, no banners, no crown… If I wanted everyone to know who I was, don’t you think I’d have brought all of that along with me?”

Immediately she nodded and stopped speaking. Not that she ever spoke very loudly... so thankfully she doubted anyone had over heard... but she still didn’t like him being here. Why was he even in the woodland any way? She’d severed her ties with his deal, and now honestly seemed a bit of a hypocrite... with his battle against the mers and now he was married to one. With one as a child as well. She wouldn’t say that out loud, but it certainly didn’t make her any more fond of him.

“S-sorry.” Alyse took a step back, not wishing to be very close to him. Not only was he in a position of power, she wasn’t terribly fond of their history. “Why... are you here? Why are you... hiding who you are?”

The girl he’d collided into was hardly large enough to force him to stop, but his movement in his surprise had been enough to knock his hood back enough to illuminate his face just briefly before he pulled it back down. 

“No worries, dear. Pardon me.”

He fully intended to push past the young girl and be on his way again, but his eyes caught up to him just a moment later. His gaze fell on her again as he took a small step back, not entirely certain if she was who he thought she was.

The moment his hood slipped back slightly, Alyse’s eyes widened and a small gasp left her lips. Shit shit shit shit. Just ran on repeat through her mind. Of course she’d have to run into the one person she wanted to see the absolute least in all  of Wonderland right now. Okay, maybe not the least... she was sure there were even less pleasant people than The Crimson King... but it still didn’t make her happy to see him. 

“Sorry y-your Majesty. I didn’t... I didn’t realize. I’m gonna.. go...” Her voice trailed off. She was well aware their previous encounter probably left more of a mark on her life than his... and a small part of her hoped that through the years since and his faked death he wouldn’t really remember her.

Gideon kept his hood pulled up just above his eyes, letting the long shadows from the evening sky keep his identity concealed as he walked alone among the crowd in the Woodland. 

He’d been trying. He really had. The Mer seemed to be at bay for now but, at any moment, the sickness could fade out and then where would they be?

The people of the Woodland just seemed so peaceful now… Far less frantic than when he had last been out her. And just for nostalgia’s sake, it seemed Gideon was mindlessly making his way toward the old bakery.

Alyse was taking her usual stroll through the Woodland. She tried to get out, but with everything going on it made her very nervous. Especially the sickness. Despite it’s helpful nature in the war, Alyse did not want to get sick. She didn’t like the idea of being stuck in one form or the other. She liked her rabbit form, it was quite literally second nature.

However, she tried to force herself out of the house every day. Even if it wasn’t a day she worked, she’d take a walk through the woods. Today was one of those days.

There were a fair few people around... something Alyse was trying to get better about. It had her nervous though- thankfully she recognized many of the faces. Her arms wrapped around herself as she walked. Her eyes scanning everywhere but the figure that she walked right into. “Oh my teas, I’m so sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to...” She had immediately taken a few steps back, thankfully there wasn’t much force behind Alyse and she didn’t think too much damage could be done... but she still was concerned that the person could be angry.

Laurie nodded for the young woman, glad she normally had a gentle nature so she shouldn’t frighten the other. “They are. They can be quite cute, or silly, or even, if done terribly, slightly frightening,” she laughed softly at the thought of some of the scarecrows she had seen. “I prefer the cute ones, myself. I even like to make them in pairs, so they’re never alone.”

"I think I’d like the cute ones too... and pairs!” She couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the idea. She liked it. Standing out in a field alone all day didn’t exactly seem like the most fun life. So clearly making a second one was a good option. “But- how can hay be scary? Maybe I’ve never see one but it seems ... kind of a silly thing to be scary?” And this was coming from Alyse who was scared of a lot of things.

“I’d like that,” They’d been so close once upon a time, the three of them. She wished she knew when all of that ended. She’d like to get back there, if she could. To a time when their family got along. She’d liked to be able to share everything with Alyse again, she’d like to grab a drink with Alistair, have a civilized conversation with their father, laugh at Whitney’s jokes. She loved her life with Reed, but she missed the bond she had with her siblings. She missed her them, her best friends. 

“I’ve missed you too,” She reached out to Alyse for a hug. She didn’t want to cry, but she could feel it coming on. She’d definitely have cried at least once by the end of this conversation

"Me too.” She nodded gently. Alyse too missed the three of them. She missed talking to Cilla about everything and well sometimes just nothing. Sometimes just the clouds passing by. Sometimes just whatever they happened to be looking at. She missed awkwardly following her brother into town. Alyse missed when her family was whole. Some part of her wanted to try to fix that. Another wasn’t sure if she could.

And then Cilla was pulling her in for a hug. Alyse hugged her back, tightly. A smile on her face but also a sadness tugging at her heart. Really realizing in that moment how much she missed her sister.

The voice made her turn around slowly, a soft smile on her face. “I was thinking about it. It could be entertaining to make, at the very least,” she laughed quietly as she studied the woman with soft eyes. Laurie’s hand shifted to her side to smooth out a twinge that she had come to learn were normal. Growing pains, she reminded herself when fear threatened. Instead, she focused on her visitor, grateful for the distraction. “Are you familiar with them?”

"Could be.” Alse said softly. Giving a little shrug. She was nervously looking over the field, her toes curling and uncurling in her shoes. Tilting her head at the next question. “Uh- not... not really... I’ve just heard of them... They’re like... hay right? With clothes?” Running a hand through her hair she tried to recall. She hadn’t spent a ton of time on farms or any such thing.

Standing on the edge of a field, Laurie studied her handiwork for the day. Wind rustled the crop that was just starting to reach her chest. The crisp, clean air brought a small smile to her face. Hearing someone behind her, she spoke, “This area should be fine. The far side, though, it needs more attention. Uneven feeding, I’m wondering if a flock of birds is helping themselves.”

Alyse hadn’t meant to stumble onto someone’s land, especially not when she was standing out on the edge of the field. But here she was, frozen for a moment after the woman spoke. She wasn’t even in rabbit form so she could run away. Instead she was human, but now her attention flickered to the plants she was talking about. “Perhaps... you should get a scare crow?”

Great going Cilla, how about you shove the other foot in your mouth too while you’re at it? She had no idea that the two of them broke up, she had no idea about anything going on in her sister’s life. The last time she’d really spoken to anyone was when she admitted to Alistair that she and Reed had gotten married. That was probably not a topic she should mention now that she knew. 

“Alyse I’m so sorry, I-” She wasn’t really sure what to say, wasn’t really sure what exactly she should be apologizing for. There were a few things she could choose from. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” She should have known. She couldn’t pin point the exact time she and her siblings started to drift apart, but she was sure it was her own fault. “I’d love the company.”

Alyse wasn’t going to hold it against her. She knew full well that Cilla had no reason to know. She hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with the information anyway. The only ones who really knew were their parents and Alistair and that was because she moved back home. It wouldn’t be very convenient for her to continue living with Merce after all. 

“It’s okay. I promise.” She gave a gentle smile and nodded. “I know you didn’t and really, it was a mutual decision. It’s bittersweet. I’ll miss him... but familiarity isn’t a reason to stay with someone.” She wanted love... She wanted what she felt when her and Merce first got together... or well back together. “I’ve come to terms with it. We both have.” She was convinced Merce and herself were there to help each other grow. But perhaps not end up together.“Let’s take the long way... and just talk? I miss you.”

It had been a long day, and everyone Alistair had run into while he was out seemed to be in a bad mood. The wererabbit had only barely avoided getting into a fistfight with an extremely irritable market vendor, so Alistair was looking forward to a relaxing conversation with his family. Except no one was home. He didn’t know where his parents were, but when he noticed a few snapped twigs leading into the forest he could make a good guess of where Alyse was.   “It’s just me.” He called once his sister came into view. “I didn’t scare you, did I?”

If there was anywhere you could find Isaiah, it was in the forests. Because out here, he could wander through the trees and pretend it was the water. He could skip through the trees and laugh like a complete idiot without anyone judging him. Now, with everything happening, he wondered if he should just leave. The water was right there, begging him to go back onto it, but he couldn’t do it, not without someone to help him sail the boat. He was a navigator without a captain.

But with everyone panicking and the world seeming to fall apart, he wasn’t sure where he fit in or if he could do something to help. As someone who spent their entire life sailing across the seas and knowing exactly where he was going, Isaiah didn’t have a clue where he was going. His mind was wandering places he didn’t want it to go. But because of this, he didn’t realize there was someone else in the woods. Snapping his head, he looked in the direction of the sound he’d heard, of the possible attacker. He moved toward the voice and poked his head around a tree. “You have super hearing. I was trying real hard to be quiet.” 

Coming out from around the tree, he gave her a grin. “You been out here long?”

Alyse’s heart stopped for a moment of the brief pause before seeing the young man peek out from behind the tree. But he seemed nice enough... so far... She’d thought someone else had been out here. There was a stillness to the forest when you were the only on in the area. A stillness that had been lacking. The birds were quieter than usual. Or maybe Alyse was just paranoid. Who’s to know. Either way, whether she was imagining things or the fact was that there was actually someone else out here. Someone else who was speaking to her now.

However his first comment earned a little laugh. “I have been told that before... yes.” It was a rabbit thing really... Plus she knew the natural groans of the trees fairly well from being around so often.

When he continued she listened and smiled back politely. “I don’t live far, actually. So yes... I suppose I’ve been out here a while.” She gave a little nervous chuckle. “Have you?” She tilted her head to the side curiously. She didn’t recognize him... but it seemed like there were a lot of new faces around the woods in the past year or so.

Despite catching Julieta sneaking up on her, this girl hardly seemed interested in the imminent danger. Her voice was so soft, Julieta couldn’t tell if it was out or carelessness or shyness. Either one seemed useless in the forest.

Clear the other girl wasn’t any threat, but Julieta certainly was, so she approached the stranger with easy confidence, twirling a knife in one hand to bring better attention to the situation.

“Lost, darling?”

Alyse tensed. “N-no... I live nearby... Close enough they’ll hear me... s-scream.” She’d been so good about being out and leaving the house. She’d been working perfectly fine. She’d been doing okay... Why did this woman have to come along... Why did she have to make Alyse want to just run away. “Please don’t hurt me... I don’t have anything on me...” She motioned to herself. A dress with hardly anything for pockets on her. She hadn’t been planning on going out of the forest.

She couldn’t deal with this. Despite trying to keep a distance between them she was panicking inwardly. Darting around a tree she shifted quickly on the other side and took off running. She wasn’t about to stick around to get stabbed. Nope.