Alice and Pierrot wandered about the Forest for quite some time. Thankfully, the mirror had not taken them back to the Flowers. Instead, it dropped them in a random spot amongst the trees, and it took a moment for Alice to finally regain her bearings. As they walked, Alice and the strange, faded man engaged in light conversation. He did not ask any more about the Queen. Rather, he asked about Alice.

"And that's why Tart is as small as he is," Alice concluded, after telling Pierrot about her hedgehog friend.

"Intriguing," Pierrot said, tickling the critter's chin. "He's precious. Have you ever had a pet before?"

"No, Mr. Ferret preferred to eat small animals, not form bonds with them."

"What was his favorite meal?"

"He quite enjoyed mice prepared in various ways. Although, when he could get his paws on a rabbit, it was quite the celebration."

"I'm guessing you did not share his particular taste in food."

"No, not really. We did both like dodo. And sweets. We both loved cake."

"What is your favorite cake?"

"Chocolate," Alice replied quickly.

Pierrot laughed. "No hesitation there."

"Chocolate is the ultimate sweet. Honestly, you could cover field mice in chocolate, and I would be tempted to eat them. In fact, Mr. Ferret once did that when he first took me in."

"Really?"

Alice nodded. "Yes, he wasn't sure what to feed me, having only ever fed himself. He couldn't get me to eat the mice, so he smothered them in chocolate."

Alice laughed fondly at the memory. Fortunately, Mr. Ferret soon learned that Alice preferred her food to be decapitated, skinned, and cooked.

"He sounds like he was a very warm and loving individual," Pierrot said.

Alice smiled sadly. "He was. I miss him very much."

"Losing someone you love is a pain that never fully disappears."

"I think that's only right. If it were to disappear, I would worry that I would forget him."

"I don't think you can ever truly forget someone you love."

Alice glanced up at Pierrot's sad eyes. "Have you lost a loved one?"

"I've lost many loved ones." He gave her a smile. "But I've gained some as well. I'm always very happy to meet new friends like yourself."

"You may not be so happy once you get to know me. I'm quite a bit of trouble."

"The best people are."

Alice winced as she stepped on a stone. When the Bandersnatch bit off her foot, it had taken half of her boot as well. Now all she had was the bit from her ankle to her knee, leaving her bare foot quite vulnerable to cuts and bruises.

"I wish we would find the others soon," Alice said. "I mean, it's good to break in my new foot, but I'm not sure how much longer I can continue on like this."

"Allow me to help."

Before Alice could even protest, Pierrot had scooped her up into his arms. With a sharp intake of breath, Alice steadied herself by wrapping her arms around his neck. She glared up at him, irritated by his amused grin.

"I don't much like being carted around like a damsel in distress."

"I was thinking more like a princess. Or a queen."

He raised his eyebrows at the suggestion, and Alice grimaced.

"Well, I could put you down," Pierrot said, "but that would mean you'd still have to walk about with a missing shoe. It is, of course, entirely up to you."

Alice thought for a moment and decided her foot ached too much to refuse his kindness, as embarrassing as it was. "Very well. And thank you, I suppose."

Pierrot gave another smile and continued to walk with little difficulty despite her added weight. "Mind you, I mean no disrespect. With both feet shod, I'm sure you are more than capable of walking for hours on your own."

"And I did not mean to be so rude. You just took me by surprise."

"I tend to do that."

There was a lag in the conversation, and Alice thought back to the meadow and the well.

"What will the Sisters do with the items I gave them?" she asked.

"Who knows? They're rather unpredictable. They could use them for something completely innocent or something terribly sinister."

Her mind wandered to her smol and the small, wooden box that was stashed away inside. Had that also been payment for treacle? Was there something housed within it? And why had it appeared to her?

What could be inside?

She glanced down at Pierrot. She couldn't ask him. If he found out she had stolen something from those creepy little girls, he would likely disapprove. Most upright citizens were against thievery, petty or otherwise. But Alice got the feeling that stealing from the Sisters had been more akin to stealing from the Queen. Her stomach sunk a bit thinking about the consequences that could follow. It seemed that Mr. Ferret's death had done little to teach her caution. How ashamed of her he would be.

"I beam, shine, and sparkle white. I brighten the day with a single light. I charm and enchant one and all. I can counter even the darkest pall."

Alice was pulled away from her grim thoughts by Pierrot's nonsensical words. She furrowed her brow in question.

"It's a riddle," he explained. "I beam, shine, and sparkle white. I brighten the day with a single light. I charm and enchant one and all. I can counter even the darkest pall. What am I?"

Another jokester. Alice refrained from rolling her eyes and thought about the riddle. The sun? A teapot? A candlestick holder?

Her eyes darted to Pierrot who flashed her a bright smile. Then it dawned on her.

"A smile," she said.

His smile deepened, revealing dimples in his cheeks. "Very good."

Alice could not help but return the grin. "Why the sudden urge to spout riddles?"

"Well, you were looking rather forlorn there for a moment. I wanted to lift your spirits."

A warm sensation spread throughout Alice's body. "Thank you. I was feeling a bit down."

"Is there anything I can do to help keep you up?"

"Well, you are already holding me up off the ground, so I think you're doing all you can."

A grin from the clown. "And your spirits?"

"Quite risen thanks to your smile."

He gave a laugh, and it was so contagious that Alice could not help but join in.

"Well, well, well, aren't we a happy bunch?"

Alice's heart skipped a beat, and she stopped mid-laugh, thinking they had been caught by the Queen's men. Relief flooded over her when she saw that it was only Hatta with Mary Ann and Haigha close behind. The hatter raised one eyebrow as he looked from Alice to Pierrot and back to Alice.

"Hatta," Alice breathed. "Thank goodness it's only you. You scared me half to death."

"I'll try to do a more thorough job next time." Hatta's eyes focused on Pierrot. "Who is your little friend here?"

"Pierrot," Pierrot introduced himself. "Hatta, I assume?"

The hatter narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"I told him about you," Alice interceded quickly. "About all of you. And our mission."

Fire seemed to blaze behind Hatta's eyes as he glared at Alice. "You told him what?"

"I assure you, good sir, I mean no ill will," Pierrot said.

"He wants to help," Alice added.

Hatta's eye twitched, and the madness in his expression began to intensify. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?"

Alice opened her mouth to protest his ridiculous word puzzles, but Pierrot responded rather quickly. "Because they both have quills dipped in ink."

His answer clearly unnerved Hatta, as he stepped back and blinked several times. Finally, with a shake of his head, his expression returned to mocking indifference. Eyeing Alice, he asked, "What would your little guard think of you being in the arms of another?"

Alice's face reddened, and she became very defensive. "Well, what was I supposed to do? The Bandersnatch took off half of my boot when it took my foot, and it was becoming very difficult walk."

"You mean this boot?" Hatta asked, holding something out to her.

It was her boot.

Inside of which was her severed foot.

A sickening wave went through her stomach, and she worried she was about to upchuck the treacle she drank earlier. "You have my foot?" she whispered in disgust.

"When I regained consciousness, I found a dead Bandersnatch with your foot sticking between its teeth. You were nowhere in sight. I took the foot thinking we may be able to reattach it should we find you alive." His eyes darted to her bare, right foot. "But I see this foot must belong to someone else."

"No, it's mine."

"And whose is that?" Hatta asked, pointing to her treacle-grown limb.

"Mine as well," she said, admiring her new appendage.

"How could that be?" Mary Ann whispered.

"It grew back," Alice said.

"Feet do that?" Haigha wondered in astonishment.

"Treacle does," Alice said.

Hatta's face betrayed his surprise. "Treacle? You've been to the treacle well?"

"Yes. In fact, that's—"

"—how we met," Pierrot interrupted. Hatta turned his attention to him. "I was lost here in the Forest when I saw a girl appear out of thin air. She explained to me how she had been to the treacle well through a mirror and was only now returning. When I asked about her bare foot, she told me about the Bandersnatch as well as your mission. Being rather discontent with the Queen myself, I begged her to let me join the rebellion. I demonstrated to her my sleight of hand and convinced her that my skills could be useful in overthrowing the ruthless monarch."

Alice stared at Pierrot, confused by his lie, but for some reason, she did not call him out on it.

"Why do you want to overthrow the Queen?" questioned Hatta.

The sadness in Pierrot's eyes deepened. "It is because of the Queen that a lady very dear to my heart is no more. I want to give the Queen what she deserves."

After another intense glare, Hatta raised his eyebrows and pulled the remainder of Alice's boot off of her leg. "Allow me to fix this so that our new comrade will not have his hands quite so full," he said as he retreated further into the Forest.

Haigha followed after him, but Mary Ann approached Alice. With a smile, she held out Alice's hat. It must have fallen off during her battle with the Bandersnatch.

"I am very relieved to see you alive, Alice," she said with great sincerity. She turned to Pierrot and gave a respectful smile. "Welcome to the rebellion, Sir Pierrot."

She then scampered off after the hatter and the hare. Pierrot moved to follow, but Alice placed a hand on his chest, drawing his eyes to her.

"Why did you lie?" she whispered.

He hesitated. "I can't explain just now. But believe me, it is better that they not know that I came from the treacle well."

"Why?"

"They may not trust me."

Alice's eyes wandered back and forth as she began to second guess her own decision to trust him. "Should they not?"

He gave a soft, reassuring smile. "Trust, my dear Alice, that we have the same desire: to see an end to the Queen's heartlessness."

For a tense, anxious moment, Alice almost jumped out of his arms and ran back to the others. But something in his eyes convinced her otherwise. There was a warm glow behind them, almost like sunlight. It captivated and intrigued her. Pierrot was certainly hiding something, but Alice was sure that it was nothing that would harm any of them.

At least she hoped it wasn't.