The Game in Wonderland

need to react so sharply! You're confusing me, and I can't think of a rhyme!
Sofia did not immediately understand where the voice was coming from, but then she raised her head and saw the person who was talking to her. A young man was sitting on a tree branch, swinging his leg. He was tall and thin. His old jacket was hanging on him, and his trousers were too big. He had shaggy brown hair, blue eyes, and freckles on his nose. His features were sharp, and his chin was almost triangular. Maybe it seemed that way because he was very thin, but such a trait was very remarkable. In his hands, the young man held a pen and a piece of paper on which he was diligently writing something. Sofia narrowed her eyes and said:
- The poet!
- What a discovery!- The young man said sarcastically, - And I didn't even know!
After that, he started writing again. Sofia flushed with indignation. How can he?! Right in front of her. Then Sofia walked around the tree so as to get out of the sight of the National Poet. She pulled out her dagger and began to climb the tree trunk diligently. The poet was so carried away with writing a new creation that he did not even pay attention to the fact that Sofia was no longer under the tree. Meanwhile, the girl was already very close.
-Hello!- she shouted, pinning the poet to a tree, and putting a dagger to his throat.
-Hush, hush,- the young man said with a grin, -A dangerous toy.
- What a discovery!- Sofia mimicked.
- But that's not fair anymore! That's my phrase!
- Soon no one will know about it. What's your rhyme? Will pay soon? Well, that's good!
- Not in rhymes, but in poems! Ignoramus!- The poet was indignant.
- I don't care. That's what you're going to tell Her Majesty.
- This fool is unlikely to understand, - the young man grinned.
Sofia did not respond to this. First of all, she didn't really disagree with this statement. She didn't think the queen was very smart. Secondly, she didn't want to argue with this vile young man.
- Hey! Look who I've brought!- Sofia shouted to her friends who were waiting for her.
All four of them jumped up at once. Edward's eyes twinkled.
- You're finally caught!- He gloated, - Now you will surely be executed! Hanged or quartered.
- How many options! And you're glad, Sir Edward! Does it hurt to face the truth? Is that why you don't like my works? Don't you really want to make yourself look bad? You're trying in vain! Everything has already come out,- after that he laughed loudly.
- What's his name, you say? Caroline asked.
- I'll tell you myself, - said the poet, smiling a charming smile, - The People's Prince Shelt is at your service!- At that moment, the amulet caught his eye. Fear flashed in his eyes, but he quickly overcame it.
- We will take him on a trip with us. Now we have no time to transfer him anywhere, we have more important things to do,- Sofia said, -Mikhail, tie him up, but tighter!
- Why me?- Mikhail asked, startled.
- Brave man!- Shelt said, laughing, - A good squad!
Mikhail blushed. This remark confused him, so he took the rope from Sofia's hands and walked over to Shelt. He just shook his head. Mikhail somehow coped with the rope, and the friends continued on their way. Shelt rode the same horse as Sofia, although Edward was against it. Sofia, again, without listening to anyone, took Shelt with her.
Chapter 8
For two days the squad rode without incident. Very rarely did they find black chess weapons, but the enemies themselves were nowhere to be found. Once they came across a burned-out village of black chess. The poet lowered his eyes and said, "They’re crazy." Sofia was annoyed by this behavior, but she quickly forgot about this incident. Shelt drove sullen all day after that. In the evening, Sofia went for a walk, leaving the prisoner in Agatha's care.
- Dear girl, could you untie me? I'd like to talk to Sofia or... Caroline, if I remember correctly.
- Yes, that's right. I do not know if I can untie you. Sofia will be angry,- Agatha said good-naturedly.
Shelt looked her straight in the eye. Agatha was confused. For some reason, she believed this young man. She didn't know why, but she believed. In the end, she untied him. Shelt decided to talk to Sofia first, as he decided that it would be easier with her than with Caroline. He wasn't used to talking to princesses.
Sofia was walking calmly when Shelt jumped up to her from behind. Sofia was amazed– how could Agatha untie him?!
- What do you need?- Sofia asked sternly. Looking at her, Shelt became timid.
- I wanted to talk to you. It's about the amulet. You're not going to take him to a big Mountain, are you?
- Of course we're going to! What kind of question is that?-  Sofia was surprised.
- You can't do that! The White Queen wants to destroy the Black pieces! This cannot be allowed,- Shelt began.
- Can't evil be destroyed? Sofia said with a chuckle.
- Evil? You perceive the world around you and the people around you too strangely. Sofia, not everything dark is evil, not everything bright is good. The white figures aren't as fluffy as you think! They have such sins behind their souls that the black figures did not even dream of! Haven't you noticed Edward's strange behavior?
Sofia was discouraged. What should she do? She was really bothered by Edward's behavior in some situations, but she also had no intention of believing Shelt about the Black Queen and her servants. Then Sofia turned to him, saying:
- What do you want from me?
- Faith, Sofia, only faith. Do not carry the amulet to the mountain, otherwise innocent people will suffer.
Sofia lowered her eyes. She didn't know what to do. This was a situation in which she was powerless.
-I'll think about it,- Sofia said slowly.
Shelt looked her straight in the eye.
- Think fast. There is little time left. I'll go talk to Caroline,- he said.
- It's useless. Caroline is loyal to Her Majesty, she won't even let you near her,- Sofia said. She was quite sure of it.
"Well, then I'll go back to Agatha,- Shelt replied with a smile.
- I'll walk you out!- Sofia came to her senses. She didn't trust this young man.
He just grinned. Together they reached the squad. Edward immediately jumped up to Sofia.
- What is he doing running around without a leash? What is it?" he asked, glancing at Shelt.
"I'm not an animal like you,- Shelt replied.
- Shut up! Edward shouted, -Sofia, we need to talk.
They moved a little further away so that no one would interfere
- Don’t talk with him. I bet he's already told you some nasty things about me and the queen!
- No, not at all!- Sofia lied. For some reason, she had more sympathy for Shelt than for Edward.
- Well, look, don't believe anything. He's lying all the time!
Sofia nodded, but she remembered Shelt's words about  Edward’s strange behavior. She noted that as soon as Edward began to guess that Shelt might have told something that Sophia did not know about his life, he became worried. Of course, Sophia didn't believe Shelt, but she also didn't believe Edward, especially after noting this strange little oddity. Now she was faced with another problem – the problem of trust.
The bright disk of the sun sank below the horizon again. Despite the darkness, the party continued on their way to the Big Mountain. They passed through a huge field, and, tired of such a difficult transition, decided to make a halt on a small hillock located close to the edge of a dense forest. This forest was one of the biggest obstacles in the way of the detachment. It was too dense and was full of the most dangerous and bloodthirsty creatures – forest trolls. Forest and mountain trolls (Sofia defeated the mountain troll in the cave) were very different. The forest ones were twice as big and stronger than the mountain ones. They had long sharp claws and fangs. Usually, forest trolls knocked the victim down and drowned him in a nearby pond. Usually, forest trolls went hunting at night, making a loud roar at the same time. That's exactly the kind of roar that friends heard.
-We should stay away from the forest,- Edward said, looking back at the forest, -They don't come out of the forest, so we're safe here.
After saying that, he looked at Sofia. She turned away, and Edward explained that she understood everything. How was he supposed to know that Sofia was thinking again: what if she tried? She had dealt with that troll, why not try to put this one down? Moreover, Sofia was confident that she could handle this creature. And when she does, her fame will be assured... You bet! The forest troll is one of the most dangerous creatures in this world. The only problem is her companions. There's no way they're going to let her go. So, you need to leave late at night, when everyone goes to bed. Sofia lay down on the ground and pretended to be asleep. Then the others, having calmed down, also went to bed. As soon as the girl heard the snoring, she quietly got up, took the sword and walked towards the forest. There was another roar, and Sofia followed the sound, first pulling her sword out of its scabbard. Finally, this beautiful sword of the winner will be useful for a real battle! Finally, Sofia noticed the huge creature. It was him–the troll! Then the girl decided to act quickly. She jumped out of the bushes with a loud scream and rushed at the troll. However, he reacted no less quickly. Of course, because this is his prey! Sofia and the troll locked in a fierce battle. The girl swung the sword very smartly, but her opponent did not lag behind and repelled all her attacks with his sharp claws. Soon, to her horror, Sophia began to weaken. It was as if the sword had become so heavy! The troll pushed Sofia back to the tree, and she barely fought back. Suddenly, the monster struck her so hard that the sword flew off to the side, and three bloody stripes now adorned Sofia's face. The girl screamed in pain, clutching her face. The troll took advantage of this, grabbed her and dragged her somewhere. There was a river not far from this place, where the troll dipped Sofia as soon as they reached it. She began to kick, tried to surface, but the attempts were in vain. The girl was already beginning to lose consciousness when the troll suddenly released her, and someone strong began to pull her ashore. She's alive!
                                                                        …
Agatha woke up to a loud roar. She already knew it was a troll. She turned over on her other side. Something is wrong... Someone is missing...
- Sofia!- Agatha cried, -Get up! Sofia has gone to fight the troll!
All four jumped up as if stung. Immediately gathering, the squad hurried to the noise of the battle. They arrived at the moment when the troll was dragging Sofia to the river. They found their friend in the bloody footprints (Agatha managed to grab her sword). When Agatha saw that the troll was drowning Sofia, she was so scared that she grabbed her old sword, which was given to her, and quickly flew up to the troll. Without hesitation, she plunged it into the monster's head with all her might. The troll howled and fell to the ground. After that, Agatha forcefully dragged Sofia to the shore.
- Sofia! Sofia! Do you hear that?- Agatha screamed, but Sofia no longer heard anything, she was unconscious, but alive.
                                                                       …
A bright light hit Sofia's eyes. She stood up carefully, her head was aching and dizzy. The girl began to slowly recall the events of the previous evening. Her thoughts were confused. She remembered about the troll, about the sword, about the icy water... Something else. Sofia took off and rushed to the river, where she had almost been killed the day before. She looked into the water surface, seeing the terrible stripes on her face – the mark of a forest troll. The girl turned away. Now she had to show herself to her friends. She was ashamed, but she still went to the place where they had set up camp. She found one Shelt near the things. He grinned and glanced at her, but he didn't say a word.
- Where is everyone?- Sofia asked curtly.
- Celebrating Agatha's victory. Her first victory!- Shelt replied just as briefly. Sofia lowered her eyes. Shelt couldn't even imagine how much pain his words brought.
Sofia walked a little further into the forest. Her friends were there. When Agatha saw her friend, she asked how she was feeling and invited her to join the party. Sofia smiled, congratulated Agatha and quietly settled down on the sidelines, watching her defeat. No one paid attention to her anymore, no one needed her. Sofia quickly realized this and went back to her things. Her only consolation now was the sword and crown, which reminded her of her past victories. When Sofia touched the sword, it crumbled. The same thing happened to the crown. Sofia fell to her knees and clearly realized that she was no longer the winner, Agatha took her place. There's nothing holding her here anymore, she's not needed, she's an extra burden for friends, so she needs to leave. It's decided, she'll leave today! Sophia turned her attention to Shelt, who had been watching her all this time. It was as if he could read her mind, but he didn't say a single word. Sophia looked away. It's decided, she's leaving!
For the rest of the day, the girl drove in a daze. She didn't think much about anything, didn't look anywhere. The only thing she did was just drift with the flow of time. She hadn't said a word all day.
- Maybe she's sick. She probably hasn't recovered yet, but we dragged her on her way,- Agatha whispered excitedly to Caroline.
- She's fine. It's just that our great winner can't accept the fact that she's no longer the leader here,- Caroline said casually.
Agatha was not satisfied with this explanation, so she tried to find out at least something from Sofia, but she was silent, saying that she was just tired. Edward has now taken the place of the leader. Everyone except Sophia and Shelt obeyed him unconditionally. The knight was unhappy that his power did not extend to the two of them. Edward drove up to Sofia a couple of times, asked how she was, but did not receive an answer. Then he pestered Shelt with stupid questions about how he likes being in captivity. However, he soon had to leave the poet behind, due to the fact that he gave a very sarcastic answer:
- It's very good for me. How do you feel about being in Agatha's place? Do you like it? Well, if that's the case, then when else will such an opportunity present itself – she defeated the forest troll, and you took the place of the first? And you didn't have to strain yourself!
Edward was offended, but he didn't bother Shelt anymore. Sofia couldn't help but wonder how Shelt managed to hit people in the most painful places so accurately. The day passed unnoticed and here we are again halting. Today, Sofia was the first to lie down again, but today there was no danger nearby, so the rest of the participants of the hike lay down after her with a calm soul.
In the dead of night, Sofia woke up. She already knew for sure that she was leaving. Now it occurred to her that it would be ugly if she just left. But she can't stay away either... Waking someone up was just stupid. Now she took the bag from Agatha, took out a piece of paper and a pen that her friend had brought from the city, and wrote a farewell letter. It was very short, but it was enough to say goodbye. The girl left a message in the place where she had just been lying. After that, she got up, looked around, sighed heavily and was about to leave when she suddenly realized that she no longer had a weapon. That's when her old sword caught her eye. Sofia took the sword without a twinge of conscience and quickly walked away from the place of lodging. She decided not to take the horse, so that less food would go away. A new adventure began, in which Sofia was left alone with herself...
Chapter 9
The night passed for Sofia barely noticeably. The weather has noticeably worsened. The cold wind blew directly into his face, and the sharp snow almost cut his skin. The girl was walking very fast. Suddenly she stopped. All this fuss again! When did everything change? It was so good at the beginning, where did she take the wrong turn? Her dream was turning into hell– she was completely alone, broken, worthless. Sofia suddenly realized that she was nobody without her awards and victories. Without wins, she doesn't feel confident at all... Sophia shivered from the cold. Now she began to feel the cold even more strongly, just like in the real world. Sofia shuddered–she had forgotten that she was in a fictional world! What a curse! The thought of the real world made her feel even worse.
- You didn't go far!- A mocking but soothing voice was heard. Sofia turned around. Shelt was riding towards her on her horse, which she had left at the camp.
- What are you doing here? Who let you go?- Sofia asked in a completely indifferent voice.
- I got rid of it myself. I realized this morning that you were going to leave, so I prepared well. Sofia, the camp is probably already worried. You should be getting back by now. You've been pampered, and that's enough.
-I'm not coming back,- Sofia said, -I won't survive such a disgrace. If I return to them, it will be only after I restore my status.
-Seriously,- muttered Shelt, -in that case, I'll have to go with you to prevent any more nonsense on your part.
Sofia nervously shrugged her shoulders–she still didn't have enough Shelt in her life! Well, she has to take him, because he won't come off! Sofia didn't say anything, just nodded her head to the side.
- Maybe on horseback? Shelt asked, but Sophia shook her head. Shelt had to get off his horse, get his supplies, and send the animal back to camp. He was sure that the horse would find its way back.
Sofia was walking so fast that Shelt almost had to run.
- Sofia, wait! I'm a poet, not a marathon runner!
The girl