Hatter

The Hatter

Beginning

Dark eyes looked out from the shadows and on to a young beauty. The beauty was the most beautiful creature the figure had ever laid eyes on. She had emerald green eyes that sparked when she fought; she had dark curls that cascaded down past her shoulders. The beauty was courted by many all over Underland. But it was also known all across Underland that her heart was alas taken by the red queen’s hatter.

The unknown figure watched the beauty walk down the white cobble stone path. Following behind the woman was a small chubby toddler with dark curls and lavender eyes; the two walked under the lamps light and a man stepped out of the shadows with death like grey eyes. The man was taller than her, had black hair darker than night, and was wearing a White hood to cover his body. The woman grabbed the toddlers arm and pulled her behind her skirts to keep her from the man’s view.

"Ammara." He said as he walked closer to the woman. Ammara took a tighter hold on the child's arm to where she was whimpering in pain; as the man got closer and Ammara looked him in the face. He was a knight for the white ones, the rouge knights who torture and torment all who live in Underland under the red queen’s kingdom. Thanos was the leader of the white ones and the most horrible creature alive his name even meant death in the old language. "Ah I see you have someone with you, isn't she the spitting image you?" Thanos kneeled down and played with one of the child's curls, as he went to stroke the toddler’s face Ammara pulled her behind her again and glared at the knight. "Don't you dare touch her!"

"Tsk, such outspoken wench aren’t you?" said as he stood up and toward over Ammara, Thanos started circling around the two. Getting closer to Ammara each time ; as Thanos got inches away from her face he stopped and lifted his hand to stroke her beautiful face.

"STOP! Get away from you Thanos!" A man yelled as he stepped in to the lamps light away from the dark shadows. As Ammara saw the man she sighed in relief, and started to stroke the frightened toddler’s hair.

Chuckling Thanos turned away from Ammara and turned to the man and walked closer to him. The man had blond hair that went to his neck and lavender eyes that could only been seen when he looked up from his black top hat." And why should I? Who is going to stop me? Are you Narsir?" Narsir looked at Thanos who was a eye to eye with him, and stood up straight to tower over him. “She’s my wife, Thanos you know this! You and your knights aren’t supposed to be in the Red queen’s kingdom, you were banished with the rest of your kind. Now Leave and I won’t let the royal army know you and your bag of scum lackeys are here." Narsir looked in to Thanos grey eyes and turned to grab his wife and child, as he turned his back Thanos attacked him and knocked him out with one swift hit.

The little girl started screaming as she saw her father fall unconscious, the screams echoed off the village and attacked the attention of the villagers. The villagers came running towards the screams and Thanos threw Narsir over his shoulder and laid him on his white horse. Walking in front of Ammara he leaned in closed and whispered in her ear. “I will be back for you and your daughter; to make sure one of you is either my bride or the bride of my first born son. If you don't come with me willingly then i will kill Narsir in front of your daughter. “Thanos leaned away from Amara’s ear and kissed her check as tears streamed down her beautiful face. Thanos turned away and got on his horse and road away; all that was left was Narsirs family crying and a black top hat that lay on the ground with the ribbon ripped slightly. And from the darkness a promise was heard....

“Until we meet again Ammara..."

  

The Journey

Sixteen Years Later.

“How does it feel knowing your barley alive?” A menacing voice boomed in to the dark; a bloody scream echoed off the dark walls as a bloody hand scrapped across the floor and a man screamed. “HATTER!!!” 

Jolting awake I looked around and I remembered I was lying under the shroom plum; in the little meadow with the plums covering the entire field some small and some 100 feet tall. Off in the distance you could see the red kingdom and my small village, which a young prince now rules after the king, died the last time the spider lilies trees were in bloom.  Looking up in to the sky I jumped up when seeing that the sun was now turning lavender. "I'm late! Mother will kill me." Rushing away I cut through the spider lilies trees and along the broken cobble stone. 

Rushing down the hill I see mother pacing along the villages edge. She spots me and run to me meet me, as I try to slow down so I don't knock her down." Hatter you’re late! I told you be here BEFORE the sun turned lavender not AFTER!" 

"I know mother; I'm sorry I feel asleep under a shroom plum in the meadow." I gasp out as I try to catch my breath. Before I have the chance to breathe mother grabs my hand and pulls me towards our little house above the village’s hat shop. 

"Why did you need me so early again, Mother?" I ask as I follow her up the steps.

"We have to get you back to your lessons; if you’re going to take over the hat shop and take over your father’s job as the red queen’s hatter, we need to get you back to your lessons." Mother said as she pulled me in to the study and towards my desk. 

"Mother, you've already had me work today!" Pulling my hand out of her grasp and I back away as she turns towards me again. "I’ve spent hours working; but what if I don't want to be a hatter? I never want to be anything like Narsirs! That traitor left us! If it wasn't for grandfather we would have starved. I will never be anything like that no good-." 

"Hatter!" An old voice said behind me; turning around I saw grandfather. Looking at him I realized how young he looked for how old he is. Grandfather was a little over my 5`8 and had red hair that curled to his shoulders. He has a dark grey top hat with a red ribbon; he still had a muscular build even though he was 105.   

"Grandfather?" I say quietly.

"You will not disrespect your mother or my son, is that clear?" Looking down at my hands I play with my black ring and say quietly. "Yes grandfather." Looking in to his eyes I see them soften. "Ammara, leave Hatter alone for today she’s worked hard enough." Smiling I look up at him as he pulls me in to a hug. "Thank you grandfather." I whisper in to his ear as he hugs me harder. "Anytime." He whispers back to me as he lets me go. 

Walking out of the study and in to my room which was on the other side of the house. Our little house has two bedrooms, a study, a kitchen, and a small den. It was above grandfathers hat shop; Narsirs use to work there before he worked for the red  queen. After Narsirs left us when i was little; my mother started working there for money. Our village has only hat shop in the red kingdom; though ever since the late king died there wasn't any money to really spend on hats. The prince after he took over the red kingdom, he raised the taxes on the villagers to pay for his pets. 

The prince had exotic animals from all seven kingdoms. Valoops from the orange kingdom, Meerks from the yellow kingdom, Yalow’s from the green kingdom, Snatchers from the blue kingdom, and Wallocks from the violet kingdom. The seven kingdoms were named after the time of the day the suns color is when the sun light hits the towers of the kingdom. It was said that before the prince took over the red kingdom that all seven kingdoms got along and were at peace; but when the prince came in to power and became selfish the other kingdoms peace between the red kingdom and them vanished. Now the kingdoms fight and create war and turmoil across all of Underland. 

Walking in to my room I look in the mirror and in to my lavender eyes. `I do look like him Narsirs ...  my father. I have his curly black hair` My hair is to my shoulders, I have my mother’s figure and Narsirs features. I pick up the picture of my mother and him it was from when they were teenagers when they first met. Looking at Narsirs I notice that I’m wearing clothes like him too. `My clothes are like his too. Only difference is he’s wearing a blue waist coat and knee pants and I’m wearing black with chains going to my knees. Our socks are the same too. One black and blue stripped sock and one black and green checkered sock. IM NOTHING LIKE HIM AND I WILL NEVER BE LIKE THAT TRAITOR!!!` 

Slamming the picture down I walk to the window, opening it I climb out and start climbing up towards the roof. Getting to the roof I sit on the old wood and hug my knees; as I lay my head against my arms I see a black paw attacking my green ribbon attached to my black top hat. Looking down I see its Ataroa, lifting my head I start to pet him and scratch behind his ear making him purr. Picking him up and setting him in my lap I stroke his back and laugh as his black and orange strips spike up as I scratch his ears. "Oh Ataroa what am I going to do? Mother wants me to be a hatter and so does grandfather but I don’t want to be. I want to be a knight; I want to have adventures and be in control of my life and do something with it!" I groan. 

"Why don’t you tell them?" A small voice comes from my lap. Ataroa looks up at me and puts his paw on my cheek. "Tell them, they might understand." Ataroa says again. Laughing I shake my head. "I forgot you could talk again. Sorry. You know I can’t do that Ataroa they won’t understand; they never do." Ataroa shakes his head and tries to get comfortable in my lap." You know you have gotten more orange strips then when I first found you." Laughing as I remember the first time I met Ataroa.

************************************************

“I need to get back to mother before she freaks out and thinks I ran away." I say as I cut through an alley. "Hey! Watch where you’re stepping!" A small voice said. “What?" looking down, a black and orange stripped kitten was laying on a basket. Crouching down I pet the kitten and mutter to myself. 

"I swear I heard someone. Hmm I guess I’m imagining it. Hey kitty, where’s your home? You look lost and hungry." 

"Scratch behind my ears if you’re going to crouch there and almost runs me over." The kitten said. 

"What? You can talk?" I gasp and step back away from the kitten. 

"Hey I was being scratched here! And yes I can talk, it’s what people do." the kitten said and jumped on to a shroom plum. 

"How can you talk?" 

"I just can I have been doing it since I was born."

"But you’re just a kitten?"

"And you’re just a little girl and you can talk."

The kitten tried to get closer to me, so I could pet it but it slipped on a small pool of water the collected on to the shroom plum. "Ahhh!" the kitten yelled. I quickly cached him before he could fall. 

"Whoa kitty, easy there." I say as I put him back on the shroom plant. Swatting my hand with his paw he said. "I have a name other than kitty." 

"Oh I’m sorry. What your name?"

"Ataroa."

"What an interesting name, I’m Hatter. Nice to meet you Ataroa" 

"Hatter hmm, how did you get that name?"

"It’s typical for people to name their kids names that they hope the children to be. So I got hatter 

Because my father was a hatter and him and my mother wanted me to be one too."

"Was a hatter?"

"He left us when I was little. Anyway Ataroa I better get going my mother will start to worry."

"Here hatter let me walk you home." 

"OK..."

**********************************************

"Do you remember how after you walked me home that one day when I was ten you kept visiting, until I finally just told you to sleep at my house?"

"Yea, you remember how big of a fit you mother had when she first met me?" Ataroa pawed at my ribbon to my top hat as he stood against my chest. "Ataroa I told you to stop doing that this hat is special and its old plus it’s a family heir loom."

"Yea, yea you got the hat from your mother for your tenth birthday and it’s been your family for generations and its tradition to give each child a top hat on their tenth birthday. Yada Yada Yada. I know Hatter you have said that to me thousands of times. It’s not my fault it’s the color green that attracts my attention and makes me want to pounce on it. "

"Ataroa you know that this is special to me”

Sighing I lay back on the cool wood, and look up at the light pink sky and slowly scratch Ataroa`s ears. Ataroa leans against me and starts to purr steadily until his purrs turn in to quiet snores.

“All I want is to be myself. My true self and to follow my heart and be a knight, to make sure I’m nothing like Narsirs." I whisper in to the cool air. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Waking up with a start the once pink sky is now almost pitch dark. Standing up I look for Ataroa but he’s nowhere in sight.

Walking back to above my window, I stop because I hear an odd noise coming from below me and where our front window is.  "Ammara, it’s come the time to either give her to me or for me to kill her.” An unknown voice said

"No! No! She’s too young she’s still a baby! You can’t take her! You won’t take her!" Mother cried to the stranger. 

“There was a promise made to you many years ago and now it’s time to honor it or there will not be a happy ending for him."

"No! She isn't ready!! You can’t take her!"

"I can and I will! If you don’t give her to me I will fulfill my promise." The voice boomed. 

Laying on my stomach and leaning over the edge all I could see of the stranger was a midnight head of hair and white armor.

“She’s not here, she left hours ago, your too late.” Grandfather said gleefully. Suddenly two armored men came up behind him and put a strange looking device next to his ears, a loud pop was heard and grandfather screamed and fell unconscious.

The stranger was tall and past her were two men holding my unconscious grandfather and my struggling mother.  

My mother looked past the stranger and saw me; the look in her eyes will be one I will never forget. Fear, shocking breath taking fear, never in my life have I ever seen her look so terrified.

“Run” mother mouthed.

Shaking my head no, I started over the edge, keeping my eyes on her I tried to slip down next to the window so I was in the shadows and no one could see me but her.

“Ammara I will ask you one more time, where is Hatter?” The man said

“Farren, I don’t know; and even if I did I wouldn’t tell the man who killed my daughters’ father.”

Gasping, I clasp a hand over my mouth and hide in the shadows.

“What was that?” Farren turned and looked by the window.

“Sir, it’s time to go.” An unknown voice said.

Farren looked away from the window and I poked my head out and watched.

“Fine, but take Ammara.”

“What about the man?”

“Kill him.”

“NOO!!!” I scream I rush out of the shadows and in through the window.

The man known as Farren turned and looked at me.

“Well, well, well look who we have here.” Farren stalked close to me and stopped when he was barley an inch away from me.

“Hatter, I presume. You look like a spitting image of Ammara when she was younger.” Farren said as his gloved hand fingered one of my midnight curls.

Behind Farren my mother tried to struggle out of the hands of her guards.

“Farren, please no don’t take her! Take me instead, please.” Mother said hurriedly still fighting against the armored men. Farren turned away from me and walked over to mother.

“She left, she’s gone, you said well does she look gone to you” Farren yelled and struck mother a cross the cheek. Running forward I knelt down next to mother and helped her to her feet.

“Run, Hatter to the Red Queen.” Mother whispered as I helped her up.

“I won’t leave you.” Whispering in her ear.

Farren grasped my upper arm and wrenched me away from mother.

Looking at my feet I couldn’t leave her, I couldn’t leave my mother is all I could think of.

“Take me Farren, please.”

“No, it Hatter who he wants.” Farren said ominously

The armored men stayed like statues until one finally spoke to break the silence. “Come, let’s leave.”

Looking up I saw mother plead with me one last time, I swallowed and nodded.

Bring my elbow up I elbow him in the ribs, Farren doubles over and I rush to the window.

“Run, Hatter! Go!” Mother yelled.

“Get her! Don’t let her escape!” Farren yelled at his men. But it was too late I was already out the window and falling to the cobble stone. Landing on my feet I stagger to move forward. I made it to the barn and grabbed my horse quickly I mount her and rode off. As I’m riding under a street lamp something black falls on the horse. Ataroa looks up and smile.

I keep riding away from the village and in to the unknown.

The Red Palace

Riding through the spider lily bushes, Ataroa kept trying to keep me from breaking down and crying.

Ataroa was on my hat trying to hold on because Aziza wouldn’t let him on her back for long periods of time.

“Do I have to ride on your hat my paws are slipping?”

“It’s not my fault you stick your claws in to Aziza’s back, besides you’re the one with your claws in my top hat.” I said as we rode through the woods.

“She will be fine, Hatter; Ammara is a strong woman. You know she is, how else would she deal with you for long periods of time?” Aziza grunted out as she rode on getting more distance between us and the men who had mother.

“Hatter? I think we lost them do you think we can slow down?” Aziza said between breathes.

“Aww, is the poor horsey tired?” Ataroa