The three of them sat in Norine's kitchen as she made up more bowls of soup and put the kettle on. It was a little cramped considering the house was constructed with a single weasel in mind, and poor Ace really had to stoop to avoid hitting the ceiling. But they made the best of it since Norine didn't exactly give them the option of leaving. Thus far she hadn't proven to be a threat, but something about the glint in her eyes told Alice that she could very well become one.

"Who is this weasel?" Ace whispered to Alice, eyeing Norine as she busied herself at the stove.

Alice shrugged. "I'm not sure. I fell down here and she invited me in for dinner."

Ina leaned in to join the conversation. "Why were you out here in the first place? Weren't you supposed to be in your tent back at the camp?"

"Ahh, yeah, well, about that—"

"Telling secrets?" asked Norine as she returned with cups of tea.

The three of them quickly sat upright, resulting in Ace whacking his head on the ceiling and letting out a hiss of pain. Chuckling softly, Norine pulled up another chair and took a seat. Alice, Ace, and Ina exchanged worried glances as they nervously held their uneaten soup and undrinken tea.

"So, it seems your friend here has been telling some fibs," Norine said as she pulled a flask out of a pouch hanging at her hip. Uncapping it, she poured a generous amount into her tea, stirring it well before taking a sip. "I'm hoping you all won't do the same?"

Turning his gaze to Alice, Ace raised his eyebrows. "Really? Again?"

Alice gave a guilty smile. "Well, to be fair, I didn't know if she might be affiliated with the Black Swans, so I didn't want to put myself in danger."

"Oh, I am," Norine said, taking another sip of her tea.

The room went silent for a spell. Then, when Norine's words had sunk in, Ina moved for her knives, and Ace gripped the hilt of his sword. Alice dug her hand into her pocket and held her watch tightly.

Norine's eyes crinkled as she smiled and chuckled once more. "No need to get all defensive. I was a part of the Black Swans. But it's been quite a few years since I left them."

Ina squinted at her. "You do look vaguely familiar," she said.

Listing her head, Norine looked Ina up and down before recognition dawned on her face. "Oh. You're Dodgson's girl."

Deflating slightly, Ina averted her eyes. "It's not something I tend to brag about."

"You've grown up. I almost didn't recognize you."

"So wait, did you become part of the Black Swans after they broke away from the Swans or were you a Swan who followed after Dodgson?" asked Alice.

Turning her attention to Alice, Norine's whiskers twitched. "Now you are very easy to recognize."

Alice drew back. "Pardon?"

"I thought you looked like her when I first saw you. And then the way you rattled off those lies as if it were second nature. At that point, there was no doubt in my mind that you were her daughter. And this curiosity of yours just cinches it."

Heart pounding, Alice swallowed hard. "Whose daughter?"

Staring her straight in the eye, Norine replied, "Queen Alice Chataway's daughter."

Hearing her mother's name spoken with such reverence unnerved her, as it always did. These people truly loved her mother. Admired her. Nearly worshipped her. How was she supposed to live up to her reputation?

"She was infamous for spinning lies as well," Norine went on. "Quite well, in fact. I remember she once had one of the Swans convinced that she could summon Bandersnatches. Poor salamander was a paranoid mess after that. But he was careful not to get on her bad side, so it worked to her benefit."

"So you were part of the Swans before you joined the Black Swans," Ace said.

Crossing her legs, Norine pulled out her flask again. Rather than add its contents to the tea, though, she took a long swig of it before speaking. "Yes. I was one of the Swans. However, when Dodgson became the King, I did as so many others did and followed after him. As far as we understood, he was our new leader as well as the new ruler of our hierarchy. He deserved our respect and support.

"However, as time went on, some became suspicious of him and began to question the rightfulness of his title. Bill, in particular I remember, became very vocal about it. It wasn't long before the tribe split and Dodgson decided to start his own group."

"And you became a part of that group," Ace said.

She nodded. "I did."

"So what happened? Why aren't you with them now?" asked Alice.

"It became clear to me after a while that Dodgson was not the King we had all thought he would be. Every decision he made was in his own self-interest. And then when he began trying to form divisions between the different tribes, I knew I was finished with him."

"Why didn't you go back to the Swans?" Ina asked.

Norine focused her attention on her. "I considered it, but then I saw the way they treated Dodgson's daughter who by that time had defected. I wanted no part of a group that would blame an innocent girl for her father's devious doings."

Ina cast her eyes downward. "I can't really fault them for that. For all they knew, I was simply trying to infiltrate their ranks."

"You were only twelve."

Ina shrugged.

"So I decided to pull away from thievery altogether," Norine continued, turning to Ace and Alice. "Well, perhaps not altogether. I do still pilfer things here and there, mostly necessities. Mostly food and alcohol."

She took another swig of her flask. Alice cleared her throat. "If you wanted to get away from that life, why did you settle down here? Why not move somewhere else?" she asked.

Norine wiped her mouth. "This place has always been my home, even before I was with the Swans. I'm not about to be chased out of it."

Alice, Ace, and Ina exchanged glances before Alice turned back to Norine. "All right, so you weren't happy with the Swans' actions. But does that mean you harbor ill-will towards them now?"

The corners of Norine's mouth turned up in a smile. "If you mean to ask if I plan to harm you three, the answer is 'no.' Unlike the Swans, I don't heap cruelty upon the innocent."

"So you'll let us go?"

"Of course. I have no intentions of keeping you here forever." She eyed their untouched tea. "And I didn't poison that, by the way. My, you're a suspicious bunch. Probably for the best, though. So hard to decide who to trust nowadays."

Alice took a sip of her tea and thought for a moment. "If you don't plan on taking us prisoner, why did you insist we stay?"

The weasel's expression softened. "While I am not pleased with the Swans as they are now, I loved them dearly when your mother was still alive. Seeing you brought back the memories of those days. I simply wished to bask in nostalgia for a while longer."

"And what are your feelings towards the Black Swans?"

"A vile group of miscreants. I may be unhappy with the Swans, but I am disgusted by Dodgson and his crew." She eyed Alice. "I'm sure you're aware that he killed your mother? Or so the rumors say."

Alice nodded. "I am."

"A shame. She was a wonderful person. Terrifying at times, but wonderful nonetheless. Her infamy will live on for years to come."

Taking a deep breath, Alice gripped her skirts and leaned forward. "What if I were to tell you that we're going to overthrow the Black Swans?"

Norine continued to calmly drink her tea. "I assumed as much."

Blinking in surprise, Alice sat back. "You did?"

"Of course. Why else would the missing Heir of Alice Chataway be running about this forest with Dodgson's estranged daughter?"

"Oh. Well, would you be willing to join us? We could certainly use someone who is so familiar with the area as well as with both groups."

Norine shook her head. "No. Like I said, I am done with working within the hierarchy of thieves. It's not what it used to be."

"But if we succeed, it will be," Ina said.

"Perhaps. But I've become disillusioned with the whole business. I have no desire to return to it."

Shoulders slumping, Alice glanced at Ina, seeing a flash of disappointment behind her eyes. It would have been nice to have gained another ally who had experience with both the Swans and Dodgson's tribe. But Norine was obviously set in her ways.

"However," Norine said, putting her teacup down, "that's not to say that if the need arose I wouldn't be willing to assist Alice Chataway's Heir and Dodgson's estranged daughter, as well as their fetching young mister."

She winked at Ace, and Alice held back a laugh as he began to blush.

"Thank you," she said to the weasel. "We appreciate your generous offer."

"I wish you success, I really do. It's going to take something of a miracle to make things right again. As of now, it seems impossible."

Alice gave a crooked smile, Pierrot's words echoing in her head. "Impossible is my specialty," she said.

Norine smiled at her. "My, the resemblance is uncanny. If anyone can succeed in this, it's you," she said softly.

Her gaze was intense and distant. Becoming uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Alice cleared her throat and turned away. "Well, we should probably get back to our camp before the others storm the Black Swans and begin the battle prematurely."

Norine snapped out of her daze. "Yes, yes, of course. Allow me to show you out."

They set their bowls and cups aside and followed Norine down another hallway. A set of stairs led up a tunnel and ended at a green door. Setting her lantern on a small table, Norine turned to them.

"Easier to go out the front door," she said. "Have a safe trip back. And remember, if you three are in need of assistance, my door is always open. Just please, try not to break my furniture."

Smiling Alice took Norine's paws and gave them a squeeze. "Thank you. We greatly appreciate your support."

Norine hesitated before she leaned forward and whispered in Alice's ear, "Do you have her pocket watch?"

The question stunned Alice into silence.

Norine took that as confirmation. "Keep it close. Time is Dodgson's greatest enemy. He'll do anything to defeat him."

Pulling back, Norine raised her brows and turned away. Alice watched her go, still confused as to how Norine had obtained that information about the watch. Had her mother told her? Was it just a guess? A clever guess if that were the case. And what about Time? How was he connected in all of this? Was the watch truly a gift from him?

Ace gently took hold of her arm, pulling her out of her thoughts. "You all right?" he asked.

She nodded, throwing a glance after Norine who had already disappeared around the bend. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine." She turned to the stairs. "We should get going. Bill must be furious by now."

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AN: I've changed "gang" to "tribe," so now the thieves are divided up into different tribes. Just sounded a bit more whimsical.