Azkadellia arrived under cover of night. La Bonita Carnivale dropped her off at the docks; she was the great ship's sole passenger.

Her passage had been fairly miserable. She sailed Lake Finaqua in smaller crafts, little sailboats and dinghies, but this was a giant ship and the Sleepless Sea wasn't nearly as calm as the lake waters. She didn't much enjoy traveling by water this way, not that she planned a return trip to the shores of another reality.

For better or worse, Haven was her home now.

She followed Bluebeard's directions to the mayor's office. The doors were locked; wasn't that just her luck? She paced out front for a bit, biting her lip and wringing her hands ever so slightly. A wicked giggle, which would probably be more aptly described as a delighted cackle, filled the air near her left shoulder.

"Looking lost, ain't she pretty. You've landed yourself in Haven city."

She turned on the spot, horrified to find that no one was there. "Who speaks?" she asked, terrifying herself for a moment in that she sounded so much like the witch.

"Jumping. Jittery. A little bit twittery."

A horrible grin made entirely of shiny, perfectly white teeth appeared slowly near the stoop of the mayor's office. Vivid pink stripes formed in a trail down the figure's spine, followed by purple that filled in the blank spaces. It was a cat and easily the strangest cat Azkadellia had ever seen.

"Are you the mayor?" she asked warily, taking one step closer to the amazing appearing cat.

"In a sense, innocence. You're a treasure."

She frowned at the creature. Riddles really weren't her strong suit. Now if this cat had chosen to speak in the ancient language, that was something she could grasp. "I'm supposed to speak with you about lodgings and employment."

"In good measure. Where should you be? In a tower or up a tree?" The Chesire Cat walked in a lazy circle on all fours before settling again on the stoop, one arm extended forward, its head resting idly and quirked to the side.

Azkadellia thought the cat's position disconcerting, its head crooked so. "I grew up in a castle," she offered weakly, not sure the cat would understand that she was trying to help it.

"In the sky or by the sea? The north tower's the place to be."

"North tower," she repeated and made a mental note.

The cat's paw stretched, claws flexing out and then in. It was an almost comfortable gesture. "Now for employment. For which are you meant?"

She shrugged and pursed her lips. She didn't trust this creature enough to reveal any of her abilities or secrets.

The cat noticed her hesitation. "I'll pick a J-O-B. Something special, you'll see." The cat wrinkled its pink nose and tapped it with its front paw. It stretched upward, spine reaching a height entirely impossible for a cat with such girth. "I'll send word. Maybe by bird."

Now this was just absurd. The very thought of which sent Azkadellia into a fit of giggles. The cat's rhyming had chased into her head and she was almost stuck in a loop of it. "Can you help me find my way?"

Now the cat smirked and the stripes started to fade. "Walk to your right, turn left, then straight ahead. You'll find the castle proper and upstairs to the north you'll find a bed."

"What's your name?" she thought to ask before the cat disappeared completely.

"I'm known as the Chesire Cat," it replied with a hint of personal pride. "Who is it that I'm looking at?"

"Azkadellia of the O.Z."

That alarmingly toothy smile was all that was left. "Azkadellia, no longer of the O.Z., welcome to Haven City." With another cackle, less disturbing now that she knew who made the sound, the cat had disappeared entirely.

She followed its directions, walking to the right until she came upon a left turn. This avenue was deeply quiet at this time of night. A few candles lit the windows, but she couldn't sense any movement or life afoot. She assumed for the moment that all was peacefully asleep.

The castle appeared in the distance, a monolith among the tangled side streets she passed and the smaller dwellings haphazardly lined up along the avenue. She arrived with sore feet and heavy hands, her packed bags slowing her travel. She wasn't looking forward to climbing the stairs.

Her first concern was getting inside the building. There was a drowsy guard at the post, but she appeared to be expecting her arrival. "Not too hard to find, eh?" she asked.

"Not too hard," Azkadee replied quietly and waited while the woman jingled some keys around and made her way out of the post.

The guard unlocked a small side door near the main gate and showed Azkadellia in. "I'll show you up to the tower. Imagine you're in the mood for sleep after dealing with the cat."

Azkadellia nodded gratefully and followed the woman across the inner courtyard and up to the main castle. The woman saluted two standing suits of armor, which startled Azkadee when they saluted back. Another door unlocked, a large foyer to cross and a double helix staircase to climb. Her room was small, but decidedly comfortable.

The guard left her to it. She set her heavy bags down near the light wooden dresser and crossed to the window. It had a fairly clear view of the northern shore and the gates she'd just come from. Always facing the past. Like I could ever change it.

She looked away, checking her thoughts back in place. Her new bed was already made, clean lilac bedding with a fluffy looking white pillow. She took off her traveling jacket and decided that she didn't need to undress for bed tonight. Flopping down she rolled onto her stomach. The bed was a little softer than she liked, but that was something she could sort out tomorrow. Sleep beckoned and she could no longer ignore it.