The Game in Wonderland

forces cannot exist separately!
- Since I'm the strongest player, I can do what I want without asking permission!
Sofia raised her head and headed deeper into the cave. In the darkness, she noticed a faint glow. The girl decided to check what it could be. As she got closer, she noticed that it wasn't the whole cave. The glow came from a rather narrow passage. Then Sofia went there. It turned out that the tunnel led to a huge room filled with jewels. Sofia called her companions.
- Take it apart! Don't let such a good thing go to waste!- Sofia said.
-Are you sure this is the right thing to do? After all, it's not ours,- Mikhail asked uncertainly.
-It's troll gold,- Edward said, -they say it brings trouble.
- Stop talking nonsense! If you don't want it, don't take it, but I'll take my reward,- Sofia said coldly and went downstairs.
Without thinking twice, Caroline and Edward went down to get Sofia. Mikhail and Agatha exchanged glances and also went downstairs to find something that might be useful to them on their journey. Sofia had already been there by then and was inspecting the treasures. There were a lot of things, but not much useful. Sofia didn't care much about jewelry and dresses, so she quickly passed by them. Suddenly, something caught Sophia's eye. She looked back and saw a huge throne. On it laid a beautiful golden sword and a small crown. Sofia liked them very much. Taking the sword, she read the following words on it: "To the winner." His eyes glittered. She has achieved what she wanted – she is a winner. Sofia took off her old sword and put a new one in its place. Then she picked up the crown. It was golden with red stones that sparkled brightly in the light. After putting on all this wealth, Sofia went to the mirror. It's amazing!
- Sofia! Come on, hurry up!- Caroline called.
Sofia took the old sword and went to her friends.
-It's beautiful,- Caroline said, looking at her friend. She herself collected a lot of dresses and jewelry.
Sofia walked up to Agatha and held out her old sword:
- Take it. You'll need it.
Agatha took it. She obviously did not understand, like everyone else, why Sofia decided to give the sword to her, because Agatha was not distinguished by the ability to wield a sword. Sofia didn't say anything, but only walked to the exit of the cave of the dead troll.
By that time, the storm had subsided, and the first rays of sunlight were already visible on the horizon. Sofia pulled out her new blade again. It glittered, blinding Sophia. She was overjoyed. It was her first victory! Agatha followed her out and noticed her admiring the sword. Agatha's face took on a serious expression. Of course, the girl was happy for her friend, but recent events have made her think seriously. Agatha suddenly realized that Sofia would stop at almost nothing to win a victory. She may even sacrifice herself for laurels. This scared Agatha. She approached Sofia, saying:
- Sooner or later, any victory is replaced by defeat. Don't forget, Sofia! No offense, but your victory today was an accident. A happy accident.
- So what? I won! This is the most important thing. And whether it's an accident or not, it doesn't matter!
-Sofia, no,- Agatha tried to object, but Sofia had already gone downstairs.
-It's not going to do any good,- Agatha thought and hurried after her friend.
Chapter 7
Sofia was racing at full speed, as if trying to outrun someone invisible. The squad could barely keep up with her. Everyone seemed to find such a change in her strange. She used to be more careful and careful, but the victory over the troll in the cave inspired her. In the afternoon, the friends stopped to rest for a while. The journey tired them so much that all five fell into a serene sleep. They all woke up at once from incomprehensible screams and the creaking of cart wheels.
- What is it?- Mikhail was scared.
- Don't be afraid. These are just wandering tribes. They won't do us any harm,- Edward said.
The first carts appeared from behind the trees. Noticing the travelers, the carts stopped, and people in colored costumes got out of them.
- Would you like to warm up, dear travelers?- the woman asked, coming up to them, - My name is Laurie. Come here.
The guys looked at each other, got up at once and went to the carts. Laurie led them to the nearest campfire, which had already been lit. They all sat around him. Sofia felt a pleasant warmth, because she was so cold while sleeping. She noticed that since she found herself here, she has become more aware of everything that happens to her here: pain, cold. Strange. Laurie put more wood on the fire and sat down next to them.
- As I understand it, you are the travelers who carry the amulet of life? What is it?- she asked.
The friends exchanged glances again. It was useless to deny it–she already knew everything.
- Yes, but how did you know?- Edward asked.
-The whole kingdom is talking about it,- Laurie explained. At the same time, she looked at Edward strangely. It was obvious that she disliked Edward,- so which one of you is the guardian?
Caroline leaned forward.
-Princess, you are honored,- Laurie said with a smile, -Since you have such an important mission, I would really like to talk to you all. Individually, of course.
-Of course,- Agatha said for everyone.
-Then I'll start with the keeper of the amulet. Caroline, let's go to the cart.
Caroline stood up and proudly followed Laurie. At that moment, something pricked Sophia again.  “But this is my place”-, she thought.
                                                                       …
-Well, honey, you've got a heavy burden. Are you heading to the Big Mountain? Did the Queen tell you that?- Lori asked, -I can't tell you everything, but I can give you some guidance. Remember, Caroline, that the lives of hundreds of people depend on your decision. I see that you are a smart and kind girl in your own way and will never allow innocent people to get hurt. Do not give the amulet to anyone until you are sure that this is the person who deserves to be trusted. Do you understand?
Caroline nodded. She didn't understand a lot of things, but she was able to catch some of them.
- Call Sofia. We're going to have a long conversation with her,- Laurie said.
A few minutes later, Sofia was there. Laurie looked at her.
- Sit down, Sofia. You have such a beautiful sword. Probably from the troll's cave,- Lori said.
- How do you know?
- I know a lot. The sword is really beautiful and very comfortable, but you must carefully remember that any victory is replaced by defeat one day. These things had many owners, but they all sank into oblivion after their defeat.
- That's not going to happen to me!- Sofia declared, proudly lifting her nose.
- They all said that, but in the end, they came to one thing. You've got a habit of holding your nose up too high, but one day life will bring it down. You should know that.
Sofia looked at Laurie. She didn't understand why she needed to be afraid or what. She's a winner, and that's the most important thing.
- I warned you. You attacked very bravely, because before that you were the loser. Don't look at me so surprised, you lost when Caroline became the guardian. You're giving too much thought to the championship, but it's not going to get you anywhere, Sofia. It won't do your friends any good either.
Sofia pursed her lips. Laurie had told the truth, but the truth was bitter. Sofia was not ready to accept this, and therefore flew out of the carriage without saying anything. Laurie had to call Agatha herself.
- Well, Agatha, you have less courage than Sofia, but nature has given you more intelligence. You probably see what's going on with your friend and where it can lead you all. Watch her, watch her closely. After Sofia found the crown and the sword, she felt her full strength, and after that she became doubly dangerous. I'm not saying she can betray or anything like that. No, it's just that now Sofia has forgotten that there is another force for any force. She is your strongest player, and your weak point. If you do not restrain her temper, then she can cause such troubles that it is better not to think about it.
- Yes, I know about it. I've already noticed that Sofia has changed,- Agatha said sadly, -I'm trying to restrain her ardor, but it's getting harder, and after the incident in the cave, it's completely impossible.
- You're the only one who can influence her.
- Who are you carrying the amulet to? Laurie asked suddenly.
- There is a wizard on the Big Mountain. That's what Her Majesty told us to do.
Laurie nodded, saying:
- That's what I understood... Her Majesty... You can go now. Agatha, remember, not everyone in our world is judged fairly. A lot of people are condemned for no reason, by those who themselves need to be judged. Call Mikhail.
Agatha did not understand what was being said, but she remembered the phrase. Mikhail climbed into the cart next. Laurie greeted him good-naturedly, as she saw that he was pretty scared.
- Mikhail, I'm glad to see you! Sit down, don't be afraid. I won't keep you long. It's time for you to be independent, but you're still waiting for help from others. No one will help you here, you have to cope on your own! You can go now.
-Should I call Ed-d-dward?- Mikhail stammered.
- No!- Laurie said sternly, - I won't let him in here.
Mikhail shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care about all these things, or the game in general. He wanted to get home as soon as possible and watch his favorite TV series. How quietly he had lived before Sophia had dragged them into this business!
Immediately after the conversation, the small group moved on. Sophia and Edward were the most offended. Edward was angry because he was neglected, and Sofia had another problem. She didn't want to admit the truth, but at the same time, deep down, she knew that constant thoughts of victory would ruin the whole thing. She didn't want to admit that she was obsessed with these thoughts, she wasn't ready for this truth. The guys were driving pretty fast, because time was pushing them. They were all very surprised why they hadn't met the enemy yet. Each of them was sure that they were being chased, but for some reason they did not notice any signs of their presence.
In the late afternoon, Edward noticed horse tracks in the snow. Yes, it was them–enemy horses. It means that very soon they will come face to face with them. But they had no idea that it would happen so soon. That evening, when the travelers were resting, Edward heard some rustling in the bushes. Suddenly, knights in black armor jumped out from behind the trees. They had black swords in their hands. Fortunately, the friends reacted quickly and attacked first. The Black Knights had no idea that the tired travelers would fight so fiercely. Sofia knocked down enemies with amazing speed and agility, Edward did not lag behind her, Agatha, who mastered her weapon, also did not stand aside, Caroline fought back not so recklessly, but also quite quickly. Mikhail distinguished himself this time too: he still could not shoot a bow or wield a dagger well, so he beat enemies with whatever he had to – with sticks or a pipe. When most of the knights were beaten, the sound of hooves was heard.
- Get on the horses! Edward shouted, -Hurry up!
- Why? We'll beat them in no time!- Sofia objected.
- Don't be a fool, Sofia!-  Edward shouted, grabbing her by the collar and putting her on a horse.
The squad rode at a furious gallop, and soon broke away from the chase.
- Why did we leave?- Sofia asked with displeasure, -We beat the walkers! Why not defeat the cavalry for more fear?
- Because the ones we defeated were pawns, but the ones you wanted to contact are stronger pieces!
Sofia sighed, but didn't argue. There was nothing to think about it now anyway, everything had already been missed. Sophia thought their retreat was stupid, but there was nothing she could do about it. Muttering an expletive in Edward's direction, Sofia set off. Until the evening, she was overcome by thoughts that she could win and inspire fear in her enemies, but this did not happen because of the cowardice of Edward and the others! It's an abomination!
- Sofia! Wait a minute!- Edward shouted, -That's enough for today. We're all tired, and it's better not to go into this forest at night.
- Why?- Mikhail asked. He was afraid of this world and wouldn’t want to face something dangerous.
- This is the Forest of the People. The so-called people's poet lives in it! He was given the nickname Pet of the Pawns.
- What does he do?- Sofia asked, glancing at the tops of the dark trees.
- He mostly writes pamphlets about the Queen or about her closest advisers and favorites. Sometimes he raids the houses of famous citizens, but this happens rarely,- Edward explained, -Recently he staged a whole riot right in the city. The royal troops pacified the rioters, but they could not catch the Poet. Now a considerable sum has been set for his head, and great glory will go to whoever catches him.
Sofia shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't interested in such fame. It would not be difficult to catch the pathetic poet, but now they had another mission. The girl put down her sword and went to bed thinking about how they would continue their journey tomorrow. She didn't think about the National Poet anymore.
                                                                                    …
Sofia woke up in a good mood in the morning. As usual, she got up first, while the others were still sleeping peacefully. At first, the girl did not understand what was wrong, but then she suddenly noticed that some sheets of paper were lying around them. Sofia picked up the one closest to her. There were the following lines:
Stubbornness will ruin,
 Stubbornness will kill.
 Stubbornness will drive you to your own grave.
 If a person is stubborn,
 He will never accept the advice of a wise man,
 And he will do everything as he sees fit.
 He will pay for his stubbornness soon,
 And what is not for him to choose.
Sofia thought about it. Strange. She picked up the next piece of paper and read:
The wisest man will never say that he’s a wise man,
 But the stupid one keeps saying it everywhere.
 He's convincing, he wants to prove that he's worth something,
 Although, in fact, he is a worthless.
 But a smart person can also become a donkey if he gets into an argument with such a fool,
 And without realizing it, he eventually becomes even worse than them.
 And it's good for the stupid,
 The fewer smart people in the world, the better live they among us.
Sofia frowned. It looks like a riot. The third piece of paper said the following:
He found a skeleton in a friend's closet
 And he told the world about him.
 But the world does not suspect,
 What does his closet know of such skeletons,
 That it would be better for them not to come out into the light.
For some reason, these seemingly innocent lines infuriated Sofia. She jumped up to her friends, shook them and asked:
- Who wrote this?!
- Without shoving any rubbish under the nose!- said the sleepy Mikhail, - What is this all about?
- I want to ask you that!- Sofia shouted back.
-Let me read it,- Mikhail said calmly... He told ... knows... come out. I don't understand. Did you write that?
Sofia shot him a menacing look, after which Mikhail did not dare to say anything more.
- Where did you find this?- Edward asked after reading all the poems.
Sofia just pointed at the ground. Edward, after taking a good look at the entire area, found an envelope. On it was scrawled obliquely: "Greetings from the angry People!".
- This is a Poet. He usually leaves similar inscriptions on envelopes, emphasizing his belonging to this case.
- Then, rather, into the forest. I have a feeling that very, very soon he will have nothing to sign his poems with, and indeed, in general, to write them! I'll take care of that!- Sofia said angrily, mounted her horse and galloped off towards the forest.
It was still early, but it turned out that the poet had made sure that his creations were scattered to all the nearby villages. The few people they met pointed at the squad with their fingers and whispered to each other. Some of them even giggled and did not hide the fact that they were reading the Poet's pamphlets. This made Sofia very angry, but there was nothing she could do. She had a new goal: to meet the man who wrote this filth and shake the spirit out of him. Edward was also in a bad mood because of these poems. Caroline and Agatha did not see anything terrible in these verses, so they did not feel any emotions about it. Mikhail didn't care either, as usual.
In the afternoon, the squad stopped to rest for a while. Then Sofia decided to take a little walk through the forest in order to distract herself from all the obsessive thoughts that were overwhelming her. Moving away from the place where they stopped, Sofia sat down on the trunk of a felled tree and immersed herself in her thoughts. How hard this game is for her. How bad she feels! The Poet's poems had hurt Sofia, so now she was determined to deal with him.
- Did you like my poems? Unfortunately, I had very little time, and I did not have time to finish a few more poems that would undoubtedly have delighted you and your friends. Do not worry, they will be with you soon!- A clear voice sounded above Sofia's head. The girl quickly jumped up and drew her sword, -There's no