Alice let out a long moan as she tried to sit up. It was dark. And smelled earthy. And there were broken pieces of wood underneath her. Hissing at the aches in her body, she stood up and immediately knocked her head into the tunnel she was in, falling back onto the debris.

"I think you're a tad too tall for standing in here."

Alice tried to see who had spoken as she rubbed her head. "Pardon?"

There was a scraping sound and then a burst of light as someone lit a lantern, illuminating the face of a weasel.

"Oh, hello," Alice said.

The weasel glanced at the rubble beneath Alice and then back at her face. "You broke my dining table."

Looking down, Alice could indeed see that along with the splintered wood, there was a broken vase and some wilted flowers mixed into the mess, as well as a stained and torn tablecloth. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going and fell down a hole."

Heaving a sigh, the weasel stretched out a paw to her. "It's not the first time it's happened. Perhaps I should reconsider its placement. Come along, let me help you get cleaned up."

Alice took her paw and managed to rise to her feet, stooping so as not to hit the ceiling again. The weasel led her further down the tunnel and into a more brightly lit room. The ceiling was still rather low, but the weasel brought her to a chair and had her sit. While the weasel rifled through a drawer, Alice looked about the room. It appeared to be a kitchen. There were pots and pans hanging from the dirt walls, shelves that held spices and cookbooks, and a small stove atop which a pot was boiling.

"I apologize for the mess," the weasel said as she wet a rag and stirred the boiling pot. "I was just making some dinner when I heard you come crashing inside. I really need to move that table. Or get a door."

She returned and began dabbing at the dirt on Alice's face. "The drawbacks to living underground," Alice said.

"You've lived in tunnels before?"

"Sort of. For a short time. It was a bit chaotic but cozy."

"I'm rather partial to subterranean living myself." Tossing the rag into a bucket and returning to the stove, the weasel glanced over her shoulder. "Name's Norine, by the way. Norine Stoat."

Alice hesitated. "Tillie Inwood"

Norine eyed her suspiciously before returning her attention to the stove. "So what were you doing running about in the forest, Tillie Inwood?"

Not wanting to give away her true identity in case this Norine wasn't completely trustworthy, Alice did what she did best. She lied.

"See, my grandmother is very ill, and she lives here in the forest. So my mother sent me out to bring a basket of goods to her. But then this wolf showed up and started trying to sell me these flowers, and no matter how many times I told him I was on an important errand, he wouldn't leave me alone. So I had to run for it, and in my confusion, I didn't see the hole to your front door."

"Backdoor, actually. So where is this basket of goods?"

"I dropped it in my panic."

Norine concentrated on the pot. "Hmm, interesting. Didn't think anyone but thieves lived about these parts."

"Oh, my grandmother is a thief. Was. She's retired now."

"Really?" Norine glanced over at her. "Which tribe was she associated with?"

Alice shook her head. "No tribe. She was a loner."

Holding her gaze for longer than Alice felt comfortable with, Norine finally nodded and continued to stir the pot. "Dinner will be just a few more minutes. If you'd like, though, I made a bit of an appetizer. It's right there on the counter. Help yourself."

Glancing over at the counter, Alice saw half a dozen little field mice on a platter. She sniffed the air and caught the familiar scent of marinade. A soft smile spread across her face as memories of Mr. Ferret snacking on that very same treat played through her head.

"Oh, thank you, but I couldn't impose," Alice said. "You've been more than kind to me, considering I destroyed your dining table. I should really get out of your hair."

"It's dark out," Norine said as she opened a cabinet and retrieved two bowls. "You can't go wandering about now. You might run into more flower-peddling wolves."

Norine raised a brow at her. Alice schooled her expression into appreciation, but she got the feeling that the weasel did not believe her story. "That's very sweet of you."

Dishing out a green soup from the boiling pot, Norine handed a bowl and spoon to Alice before taking her own and sitting in a chair across from her. "Once morning breaks, I can escort you to your grandmother's. Wouldn't want you falling into anyone else's home and destroying their furniture."

Alice scooped up a spoonful of soup and smiled. "That's so kind of you. I'm most appreciative."

However, as they both supped on the soup that tasted very much like cake and cheese—and which was actually a rather delicious combination—Alice plotted how she would escape. The weasel seemed rather wily, so she would have to be clever about it. Perhaps she'd use her pocket watch and then scurry out the hole. While she didn't think Norine was looking to do her any harm, she was still suspicious of her and didn't want to stick around any longer than she needed to. Besides, Ace would begin to worry if he found out she was missing, and she had caused him enough trouble and worry to last a lifetime.

Tart nosed his way out of Alice's smol as soon as he smelled the soup. Norine saw him and licked her chops. "And what is that?"

"Oh, this is Tart. He's my pet hedgehog," Alice said, offering Tart a spoonful of soup.

"How'd he get so small?"

"Mishap with a dessert."

"Dessert?"

Nodding, Alice tickled Tart's chin. "Yes, but he was just so adorable, I couldn't help but keep him."

Norine stared at her for a moment as she stirred her soup. "So do you hail from Hickory Dickory?"

"I do."

"How long have you lived there?"

"Oh, quite some time."

"Since you were born?"

"Something like that. What is in this soup? It's simply divine."

A smile tugged at Norine's mouth, but she went along with the change in subject. "Secret recipe of mine. I'm a bit of a cook, amongst other things."

"Really? What else do you excel in?"

"Interrogation."

Gulping down a mouthful of soup, Alice gave a nervous smile. "Are you involved with the law?"

Shaking her head slowly, Norine's whiskers twitched. "No, not at all." She leaned forward. "So tell me, Tillie Inwood, why would you be afraid of a wolf when you have a number of smoke bombs on you?"

Blinking several times, Alice did her best to assume innocent confusion. "Smoke bombs?"

"Don't play dumb, my dear, I can smell them on you. What kind of a sweet granddaughter carries smoke bombs on her person?"

Alice's heart skittered. Before she could come up with another story, a loud crash came from the dining room. Putting aside their bowls, both Alice and Norine cautiously peeked through the doorway. The lantern was still there, giving off a low light. Someone moved about amidst the rubble, and as they tried to sit up, they hit their head on the low ceiling.

"Ouch!"

Alice froze. She recognized that voice. Grabbing the lantern, she stooped down and took several steps towards the broken table. The light illuminated the face of the person sitting on the floor, causing them to wince and shield their eyes.

"Ace?" Alice whispered.

Hearing her voice, he turned to her, eyebrows raised high in surprise. "Alice?"

Tossing the lantern aside, she threw her arms around him, knocking him over. "Oh, Ace, I'm so happy to see you."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She could feel him sigh in relief as he kissed the top of her head. "You're all right," he whispered. "Thank goodness you're all right."

As they laid there tangled in each other's arms, someone else came sliding down the hole. However, rather than crash onto the broken table, this person landed squarely on their feet and managed not to knock their head into the ceiling.

"Ace are you—Alice?"

Alice looked up and found Ina staring down at them. "Ina?"

Her stepsister's shoulders slumped as she let out a breath. "Thank goodness."

"I hate to interrupt this lovely reunion."

Ace and Alice sat up as they and Ina turned to find Norine holding the lantern Alice had abandoned. She drummed her claws against her hip as she stared at them sitting and standing on her ruined furniture. Ina moved to grab her knives, and even Ace stiffened under Alice's embrace.

"Alice, eh?" Norine said, setting her gaze on Alice.

Swallowing hard, Alice nodded.

A shadow of a smile played on Norine's mouth. "I thought you looked familiar. Well, come on in. I have enough soup for you all. I think we have a lot to discuss."