Sweet Dreams

Alice awoke to the sound of lovely chirping birds and the feeling of warmth that peered through the small window that overshadowed her bed. She slowly blinked and after debating weather or not she wanted to get up, she finally came to her own self conclusion. Rubbing the crumbs from her eyes she sat up in full glory. She collected the prospects of her mind as she sat up underneath the warm patched blanket. Her hair laid on her head in a tangle mess and drool had dried up on the side of her mouth.

Alice looked about the small room and noticed her clothes, once thrown across the floor as she rushed to get into bed, were neatly folded on top of a small dresser. Alice threw back the covers and stepped from out of of her bed. Going to the small chester to unravel her neatly folded clothes. She looked over the garments.

"Their clean. Did someone wash them?" she asked rhetorically.

She folded her dress over her arm as she noticed her shoes and tights and even her bow were clean and placed next to her dress.

Someone must have really taken their time. she thought to herself. "It is only kind of me that I should thank them."

Alice made haste to remove the thin white night gown that she was wearing and quickly changed into her cleaned and pressed clothing. Throwing on her tights first and then her gown. Once done she made her way to the door only to turn around and sprint back to the chester having forgotten her precious blue bow. Taking a deep sigh of relief, she returned back to the door.

She slowly opened the wooden door as she peered from out the corner of it. Looking around for any signs of awoken life. Feeling brave, she took a step out and into the hallway from which she slowly made her way down of. Before long she arrived at a staircase and walked down slowly. Keeping her head turn to see what there was to be seen as her view became slowly unobstructed by the wall.

The stairs led to a rather large seating room where large windows aligned the walls and tables seated talkative guests. Women, dressed in recognizable maid attire, worked in scrubbing the floors, cooking over in the large fire place or at best, chatting it up with flirtatious men who engaged in small drinks.

"What in the world?"

Alice however, could not at all turn a blind eye to their vibrant heads.

The men but mostly the women, each had hair of vibrant and varying degrees of color. Some had beautiful golden or brown locks to the less gaudy black and long grey that was not confined to those who were up in age. But most however, were like that of a rainbow having spilled over onto their crowns.

Having red, yellow and even perhaps the most ridiculous in her eyes, blue and green hair and beards. As some looked towards her way, their eyes as well took share in the color specturm. Having eyes that mismatched their hair with one fella who gazed her way having red hair and a beard with blue vibrant eyes.

Alice was nervous as eyes turned her way even though they quickly looked only to scan her up and down and continue with what they were doing. Alice sought not to make eye contact and looked around for a suitable seat to call her own. As her eyes darted around the place, she saw nearby by one of the large windows, a small table and two chairs that sat all alone. The sun rays beaming onto it as if to call her to it.

She quickly made her way over to the table and sat down facing the gatherings of people who filled the area of joy and laughter. She glanced outside the windows and saw how the beautiful blades of clean cut grass danced under the sun and how some flowers sprung into bloom before them.

"Its beautiful...." she muttered to herself. Lost in a trance as she viewed the scenery before her.

Houses could be seen outside with vines growing up along the sides and grazing sheep roaming freely made the landscape look all to serene and country like. Reminding her of the more mountainous parts of her home country.

Alice took in a deep breath as she gazed outside the window. "I still want to give my thanks. I need to find that lady who allowed me to stay here." Alice only remembered the lady faintly due to her being in a daze from being awoken when first coming to the inn but she remembered the key features of her and that was of course, her hair and brightly colored eyes.

Alice stood up a little from her chair with her palms on the table as she moved her head and eyes across the floor bed.

"How in the world am I'm suppose to find this person when everyone has brightly colored hair?"

Alice stood for awhile darting her eyes across the entire view of the lounging area before finally giving up.

She blew through her nose. "It looks like I'm going to have to ask around then."

Alice pushed her seat away and walked a little before stopping. Analyzing the wide crowd as to see who would be best in approaching for answers. She made her way to a young looking man who sat at a table with other men who looked as young as him as well as much older. Most of the older men had mugs, some spilling over in foam, filled with beer while the young men sought to entertain one of the women who was sitting on their table who wore a bonnet but had lovely dark green eyes.

She approached the young man from behind slowly as to not startle him. The woman noticed her first.

"E-excuse me."

The men, seeing how the woman's attention was diverted away from them turned their bodies and faces to face the young girl.

"Um..I am looking for a young woman. She has bright yellow hair almost golden with vibrant blue eyes."

The young man of the table, having green hair and a small unshaven stubble on his upper lip spoke up.

"A young lady with bright yellow hair and vibrant blue eyes?"

"Y-yes."

"That's almost most of the women here in Irisosa!"

"Not to mention most of the men as well!" Another man with a long green beard said next to him. Having in his hand a mug filled with beer. The men of the table busted in laughter and the woman couldn't help but laugh with them, albeit delicately so.

Alice's face contorted into a frown. "Ahem. Look, I need to find her."

"And what for my young dear?" the lady of the table sung. She sounded almost as drunk as the men of the table. Smiling about in Alice's face.

"Like before..." Alice gritted through her teeth. "...I need to thank her."

"And thank her for what?"

"For allowing me to stay here...at the inn."

"Ohhhhh~." The woman sung. "Thats what your looking for her for. I'm sorry but you will do much better in giving a better explanation than simply 'yellow hair and bright blue eyes'. Nearly all of the people in Amarillo have brightly colored yellow hair."

"You guys don't. You men and women all have different colors of hair."

"This is Anne's Tavern dearie. Everybody from around Irisosa attends here every year annually to gather for the annual city market. Amarillo hosts it every year around these quarters.

"Are these men traders or merchants then?"

"Yep. Early to the party as they say. Having came three days earlier to have first picks. You never know what goodies people may sell at the traders market. Be it food or rare antiques. "

"I see. Unfortunately however, I have no better description of the lady whom I seek to find."

"You will do better asking some one else then but I doubt with your description they can give much either."

"I know." she said defeated. "Do excuse me but thank you for the advice."

"Your welcome dearie." she smiled and waved a hand to Alice as she walked away.

"Great, now what do I do? I can't remember anything else about her nor know anything else about her."

Alice, now more accustomed to being in the tavern around strangers, begun to walk about the place as the voices of the men and women, though mostly the men, begun to grow louder. Taking the woman's advice, she went about the tavern asking some strangers as to who they may known to be whom she was trying to describe.

Alice knew mostly that it was futile but tried anyway. Giving it the benefit of the doubt. unfortunately, most of her answers were the same. They either shook their heads or went about their drunken ways. Mostly annoying Alice as how such liquids could be so appealing. Alice gave a deep breath of defeat but noticed the bartender dressed in black. Standing behind the counter as to attend the needs of the clean and empty beer mugs which Alice seem to note to be its icon.

She approached the bar and took a seat. Taking in the tall man who wore long black pants and vest with a long sleeve ruffled shirt. His hat was long and tall and black. He was clean cut with a very well groomed mustache that was curled at the ends. On his rather tall hat however, stood a wide plate to which he balanced several cups stacked up on his head for small and light drinks. He seemed like such a sophisticated and educated young man that Alice wondered if he got this job because he had nothing left.

"H-hello sir." Alice said nervously. graciously blocking the urge to ask him as to why he was balancing a bunch of cups on his head on such a large plate.

The man raised an eyebrow and gave her a side look as he polished one of the glasses with a white towel. When no response was given, she opened her mouth to speak.

"I unfortunately don't have much to describe with but is there a lady here that has yellow hair and vibrant blue eyes?"

"Almost all the people of Amarillo has yellow hair and many others have 'vibrant blue eyes'. Such colored eyes are quite common. If your looking for someone than I can't help you on that alone. Are you looking for someone who works here specifically or someone in all of Amarillo?"

"Um...someone who works here specifically?"

"You don't sound all that confident."

"Because I really don't know."

"Then how can you expect me to help you?"

"Listen, I came here free. Its a long story but a young woman gave me a free night stay here last night. I merely want to acknowledge her generosity."

"Now then that's something I can work on."

"Hm?"

"If a woman gave you a free night stay with vibrant blue eyes and yellow hair, more than likely you are probably looking for the boss of this place. Or at least the one in charge currently."

"Yeah, I believe so."

"Her name is Amberline. She left out of the tavern quite a while ago to do some grocery shopping at the local market for tonight's annual trader's feast. She should be back shortly since it's been awhile."

"Oh, okay. Just great."

Alice stomach rumbled as she laid sulking.

"Oh dear."

"What seems to be the matter?"

"Oh, uh, well, sir I must admit that I am quite-"

It rumbled again. This time louder.

"-Starve. Do you guys offer bed and breakfast?"

"Well then, if lady Amberline has desired you stay free than surely you are to eat. And yes, we do offer breakfast free of stay. Just not dinner."

"Well if that's the case, may I have something to eat then?"

"No, I am afraid not."

"And why is that?"

"Because we have nothing to offer."

"You told me that you all serve bed and breakfast."

"And we do madam just that we cannot serve if we have nothing to serve."

"And why is that I may ask?"

The men merely pointed to the collection of boisterous men and women in the lounging area. Alice turned about in her seat to see what he was pointing to.

"You have them to thank for eating up everything."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No ma'am I am afraid that I am not 'kidding you'. These men and women as well can clear out a whole market worth of food in a day."

The man bend himself over to Alice's ear. "That is why madam, that we tell our guests to get up early."

"Excuse me for being exhausted!"

The man pulled himself away.

"But do tell me sir, you have absolutely nothing?"

"I don't have absolutely nothing." The man dug in his pocket to unveil before Alice a silver antique watch. "After all I do have this watch of mine that shows twelve o'clock am."

"Watch-do you mean pm?"

"No dearie, I do mean twelve am."

Alice furrowed her eyebrows in confusion at the man's reading of time. "If it was surely to be 'twelve am' sir I am sure that it would be dark outside."

"And I do surely madam do tell that you must be mad."

"Mad? Excuse me I am quite sane."

"Sane people here do not say that it would be dark at 'twelve am'. Are you from here?"

"That I must answer as to no."

"That explains everything then but still, if it is twelve am day then so it is throughout all of Wonderland."

"What?" Alice shook her head. She was beginning to get annoyed and all of this rambling was beginning to give her headache."Listen, is there anything I can eat?"

The man sat down the beer mug on the counter.

"Excuse me for now but allow me to see what I can salvage for you young madam."

The man left Alice and went behind the wall where the beer mugs stood at as behind them was a kitchen where all types of silverware could be heard clashing and being washed.

"Well that was odd." Alice spoke once he was out of sight.