Ariana in Underland

Chapter 5

Leaves and the remains of branches grew more abundant the deeper they went into their journey. The opposite could be said for the amount of noise. The cheerful chirps and bustling sounds were the normal background sound of Underland. Door sized creatures would be seen flying in the sky. Teeth clacking together to chew. Dishes being passed around and the murmuring of conversations.

This was the reason the two were on guard. It was unnoticeable to a person who didn't know him very well and was not watching closely, but the cat was indeed alert. His ears were pointed down lazily, but the tilt of his head wiped away any delusions that he was not attentive to his surroundings. The cat's acquaintance was poised for anything. It might not have seemed that way to the naked eye because of the girl he was carrying, but the arm he was holding the girl's shoulder with was positioned so that he could arm himself within seconds.

The girl mentioned however, was far from the vigilant state her companions were in. Ariana's head lolled back and forth, an expression of displeasure on her face as she shifted and squirmed in her resting place for a more comfy spot. She pressed deeper into the bed, face burrowing in the crook she had found with content. Little happy sighs escaped her parted lips. The place she was sleeping in, while a bit lumpy, had a wonderfully warm scent that cocooned her in it gently. It reminded her of a loving embrace.

The 'resting place' on the other hand, would vehemently disagree. The constant rolling the girl did irked him. One wrong move and the girl - Ariana's warm sigh brushed against the neck of one pale and agitated male. The male's arms tensed, legs coming to a halt. That was the only sign given as he dropped the girl unceremoniously.

Said girl landed in a clumsy array of her own limbs, a yelp resounding in the empty forest as she tried to regain her bearings. Her eyes landed on Cecil, who stood above her arrogantly. "What was that for?" Ariana hissed, her peaceful mood shot.

"You were becoming a hindrance, so I took it upon myself to rectify the situation." He stated.

Ariana, in her state of anger, grabbed a rock that always seemed to conveniently be in her presence whenever she was angry. She aimed it at Prince Icicle, as she had dubbed him in her mind. Her target being his snooty head. He avoided the rock with only the tilt of his head. "Cat, control the girl," Cecil ordered.

"He'll control me the day," she paused for a name nonexistent to come to her, "frubjubs sprout wings and fly!"

"Then it's a good thing frubjubs have been flying since the b of beginning," Cheshire half purred half growled out, satisfaction oozing out. That smile, which she had quickly come to learn, was an omen. An omen that signaled the start of her torture at the hands of a cat. Ariana fought a shiver. Her mood had been given a 160 turn. The thought of the cat being able to order her around...He would give her some lousy directions to the torture he would come up with, and the next hour, she'd be dead because he'd 'forget' that there were Ariana-eating creatures along the way.

"I was kidding." Ariana decided now would be a great time to leave the ground that had sharp branches with deadliness akin to broken glass. She leaned forward, her weight resting on her right hand. She pushed herself up, halfway off the ground when a twisting, burning pain spiked in her left leg.

Cecil had made the decision to lift the girl off the ground at the speed she was going. When she would finally stand up, the sun would have been setting if left to her own devices. The girl let out a low hiss that was only heard by him. He surveyed the girl's leg. It was obviously damaged and he forbid the thought of completing his task late. He frowned at that, though it was only in his mind would he show his displeasure. No, the girl had delayed him long enough.

Ariana barely had time to make a sound before she was lifted off the ground and carried bridal style. She lay in his arms tensely, fighting down a blush. "You don't have to do this," she mumbled. He simply ignored her, his face wiped of almost all emotion except the ever present confidence and calm. Her entire body felt warm, and it annoyed her that she would react this way. This is - normal - though. I mean, I've never interacted with a guy this way, and a total stranger at that. It's completely normal to feel embarrassed in this situation. She calmed herself down with that thought, relaxing in his arms as he walked, Cheshire having wisely chosen to shut his big, bird eating mouth after a look from her.