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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒

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Their footsteps pounding against the dirt path behind her filled Indigo's ears as she continued to weave through the trees at a speed that she never knew she could accomplish. Fear pulsed through her veins at the thought of being captured by the guards in red while she jumped over a log. She barely avoided falling on her face before she regained her bearings and sprinted through a stream and toward the outskirts of Wonderland. The brown-haired girl's hand clutched the strap of the bag on her shoulder before the sound of shouting met her ears.

They were coming from all sides and getting closer.

The panic within her did nothing but grow as she looked around the clearing for any means of escape before her eyes landed on a large bush right next to the base of a tree. Indigo's feet ran towards the plant without her having to tell them to before she slid under the bush and out of sight. Just as she finished adjusting herself so she wouldn't be seen, the group of guards that had been chasing her for what felt like forever came into view.

Her attention stayed glued to the group of men and the young boy who was traveling with them as they looked around in all directions for any sign of which way the girl went. They checked for broken branches and footprints in the dirt after looking up in the trees to see if she climbed up one to evade them. Just as Indigo thought they were about to move on, the shortest guard and the boy with him turned in her direction before their eyes landed directly on her. Their matching brown eyes observed her as a million thoughts ran through their heads. The young girl's mind was on overdrive while her attention stayed glued to them. It wasn't long after that when she realized her only way of escaping was squeezing through the back of the bush and sprinting away from the group of men.

Just as she was about to go through with her plans, she heard the words the brunette man said to his colleagues. "I suggest we split up to cover more ground. Kaden and I can go this way and the rest of you can go that way."

Indigo didn't move an inch as the remaining men, who seemed to be of higher rank than the speaker, had an inaudible conversation amongst themselves. While they talked, the man who saw her grabbed the boy's arm before inching over a bit to block their view of the girl's hiding place. What felt like an eternity passed of the girl staring at the group with fear in her eyes while the two brunette males stood there with an unamused look on their faces. Finally, the guards agreed to go in different directions in search of the girl before they vanished. That left Indigo with the man and boy who were either saving her life or wanting to take the glory of her capture for themselves.

A cocky smirk formed on the younger brunette's face as he slowly made his way over to where the young girl was hiding, completely unaware of Indigo reaching into her small bag. When he was within reach, the curly-haired girl jumped out before placing her dagger against the boy's neck. One pair of eyes bore into the other as both Wonderlandians studied their opponent, waiting to see who was going to make the next move. Before another clear thought could run through Indigo's head, his companion managed to take the dagger from her hands and away from the young boy's neck. Indigo tried to run away from the situation she found herself stuck in, only for a hand to wrap around her wrist and force her against the tree behind her. Not even a second after that passed when the dagger was placed at her throat.

"Please, don't take me back to the Queen. I haven't eaten in days and I really had no idea they were hers," Indigo pleaded with the man, causing his eyebrows to slightly furrow in an immediate response to her words.

The emotionless look on the brunette man's face slowly turned to confusion as he studied the curly-haired girl in front of him. He then glanced down at the boy at his side, who was wearing the same look as his older comrade. When he looked back to the curly-haired girl, his eyes scanned over the terror plastered onto her face one last time. It wasn't long after that when it occurred to him that neither he nor his brother were told what this child did to earn the wrath of the Queen of Hearts.

"You had no idea what was hers?" Kaden asked the young girl while his older brother kept the metal object near her neck.

No words passed over Indigo's lips as she slowly reached into her small bag and pulled out two bright red apples. The man's eyes left hers and traveled down to the pieces of fruit before they flashed back up to meet her gaze once again. The next thing the young girl knew, the dagger was taken away from her neck and placed back in the palm of her hand. Indigo's feet stayed glued to where she stood while the man took a few steps away from her to try and give her a sense of security.

"What are you still standing around here for? Get moving," the brunette man told her, only to find her staring back at him with a skeptical look on her face and an eyebrow quirked.

"And why should I trust the Knave of Hearts? You're practically at the Queen's beck and call," Indigo responded, receiving a shocked expression from the brothers in response as her grip tightened around the dagger in her hand.

"You know who I am?"

"Everyone in Wonderland knows who you are, Will Scarlet. And everyone knows that your heart belongs to that woman so you have to do exactly what she says," the girl hissed before her eyes traveled to the younger brunette standing next to him, "I have no clue who you are."

The confusion that once filled the brunette man was transferred to the curly-haired girl when a small smile appeared on Will's face. While Indigo tried to figure out what caused the sudden change in his expression, the man in front of her leaned back against the tree behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. "Well, then, it's a good thing I was simply told to 'go with the guards and find the girl.' I found you, Indigo Lark. Now be on your way before I change my mind."

The brown-eyed girl sent the brothers one last skeptical look before she sprinted toward the place that few dared to go. The outskirts of Wonderland.

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Hours passed since Indigo left the Knave of Hearts and the young boy in the middle of the Wonderlandian forest. Ever since she set foot on the dead brush that filled the outer rim of the realm, the curly-haired girl hadn't seen any sign of life other than a few dodo birds and the occasional talking flower. Most people would hate the silence but Indigo wasn't like most people. She thrived in solitude and would prefer to be alone for the rest of her life than in the presence of others. Every person she met found her odd or would try to change how she acted to suit their needs, making the young girl see that she was better off alone.

After taking a small break on top of a hill while eating one of her stolen apples, the young girl continued her journey to get as far away from the Queen of Heart's castle as she could. She wove through dead trees and hopped over fallen longs before climbing over a small pile of rocks and landing not-so-gracefully on her feet. Once she regained her bearings, her brown eyes left the dead earth beneath her to scan her surroundings in search of shelter for the night. To her surprise, she spotted a single small house in the distance. Hope flooded through her body at the thought of sleeping in an actual house for the first time in a long time before she began her journey toward the small structure.

Just as she crossed the dried-up stream that once flowed through the entire outskirts of Wonderland, Indigo felt the ground beneath her disappear before she landed facedown on the dirt floor. As soon as her brain comprehended what happened, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked around. Her blood soon ran cold when she found herself sitting at the bottom of a pit with her only exit being just out of reach. Before she could even begin to think of a way out of her predicament, whistling cut through the silence that filled the outskirts of Wonderland. It wasn't long before a man with piercing blue eyes and a top hat covering his raven hair appeared out of nowhere and peered down at her.

"Well. Well. What do we have here?" he questioned in a tone that made chills run through every inch of Indigo's body. A large smile appeared on his lips as he took off his hat and bowed toward the young girl. "Jefferson Tarrant's the name. What is a girl like you doing down there?"

"Uh, I'm Indigo. And I fell."

"Let's get you out of there, shall we?"

Before she could even think about forming a response, the man disappeared as quickly as he came. While she waited for him to return, Indigo brought her legs up to her chest then rested her head on her knees and stared down at the dirt clumps near her feet. Silence surrounded her once again as she used the toes of her shoes to break up the soil in an attempt to calm down the nerves fighting against her. Right as she smashed the last dirt clump, a rope fell into the hole before she turned her attention back to the sky to find Jefferson smiling down at her.

Hesitation flowed through every inch of her body before Indigo let out a long sigh and got to her feet. Her feet slowly took her across the pit then her hands clasped the rope and she began to climb. As soon as she found herself back on the brown brush, Jefferson let the rope fall into the hole before he slung an arm around the Lark girl's shoulder and escorted her toward the small house.

After arriving at their destination, the pair walked through the door before the raven-haired man forced Indigo to sit down at the small dining table. Not even a second after that passed when he disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared with a tray in his hands. The smile on his face did nothing but grow as he sat down across from her. The girl's eyes followed Jefferson's movements as he picked up an old-looking teapot and poured the hot liquid into two matching teacups. Once he was satisfied with his work, he placed one of the cups in front of Indigo before taking a long sip of his drink while keeping his gaze glued to the young girl.

"Isn't it a little early for tea?" Indigo questioned as she looked away from the cup in front of her to meet Jefferson's eyes, only for him to send the girl a small smirk.

"There's one significant thing you must learn," he responded while leaning across the table so that he was just inches away from the brunette girl's face before whispering, "it's always tea time."

Indigo just stared at the man, who sat back down in his chair to resume drinking his tea. It wasn't long before she found herself looking at the cup sitting in front of her once again. After watching the steam rise from the teacup for a moment longer, a small smile formed on her face. The Lark girl soon took the piece of china into her hands and brought it to her lips to take a long sip of the drink.

"Finally. I thought I was gonna have to drink both cups myself."

Indigo looked back up at Jefferson to find him sitting in the same position and a look on his face that made it seem like he never opened his mouth. Confusion made its way back into the young girl's veins as she looked back down at the tea in her hands. It was at that moment that she realized just how unnatural the drink truly looked. All emotion faded from her as soon as she pieced together why the coloring looked so familiar before her attention went back to Jefferson to test her theory.

"What kinda tea is this anyway?" Indigo thought, making sure to keep her mouth shut while keeping her eyes glued to the bored-looking man.

His immediate response to her question was a shrug before he placed his cup on the table in front of him. After using the spoon on the tray to mix what was left of the tea in his cup, Jefferson looked back up at the girl to find her looking back at him with a hint of panic in his eyes. Her reaction caused him to let out a small sigh. "It's not poisoned if that's what you're thinking. I've been making tea long enough to know which leaves to avoid. The ones I used for this batch had a bit of a purple tint. I don't know the name of it but I've had it many times before."

That was all it took to confirm Indigo's suspicions of the tea and how Jefferson was able to hear the question she never spoke aloud. All her life, she was warned to avoid eating or drinking any part of the Purple Peel due to its magical qualities that connected people in unexplainable ways.

And now Indigo had a permanent telepathic bond with none other than the Mad Hatter.

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