Ghent felt very similar to a dog that misjudged its length of leash. Choking out a yell of sorts, he staggered backwards from the force of the pull, sputtering the beginnings of protest. 
	"But...but we'll be stuck here!" Ghent looked over Drust's arm helplessly, his hope of returning home fading faster than the portal's magic. "[i]Drust![/i]"
	The knight's stare of impending doom reminded Ghent of his place. Swallowing hard, he dropped his head and backed off.
	[i]Great. [/i]Ghent's thoughts were similar to Drust's, just more scattered and self centered. What if the portal closed for good? How would he survive? Drust was one twitch away from succumbing to the curse, if he hadn't already. The more time Ghent had to think, the less he liked his current predicament. The more he paced, the more he wanted to say something. It took all the restraint he had not to voice an opinion. The wait was torture.
	Occasionally, Ghent would stop pacing long enough to watch the portal, but this did nothing but add to his anxiety. The portal was dying, and Ghent was convinced he would die next. Drust would see to that. 
	Contrary to his fears, the portal didn't die. Not before giving off a telltale spark. Ghent started to pass Drust to get a better look, coming to an abrupt stop as the man barked the order to stay. Once more, Ghent felt similar to a dog. 
	Who was to come through? Judging by the sight of the portal, only one would make it to Wonderland. Ghent decided that he would prefer Elayra, or no one at all. Being trapped with Drust and Miles was a recipe for disaster.
	[i]Please be Elayra. Please be Elayra. [/i]Ghent stayed behind Drust, his posture tense. It was easier to tell himself that he’d come solely for her sake. 
	For the first time that day, they got a break. Elayra exited the portal without a second to spare.
	"Elayra!" Overcome with relief, Ghent blurted her name out loud without thinking. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat and jabbed a thumb towards Drust. "Glad you made it. Drust was worried." 
	After Elayra regained her footing, Ghent caught her questioning look. Nothing was said, but he knew what the look implied. 'I didn't do anything!' Ghent mouthed the words so the knight wouldn't hear. Drust was agitated well before his arrival; Ghent didn't want to be held accountable for the man's current state of mind. 
	Thankfully, Elayra's return to Wonderland seemed to calm Drust somewhat. As Elayra addressed what went on with the shadowmire, Ghent's eyebrows rose. The drunkard had more guts than he gave him credit for.  “Hope a bullet was enough. . .” If the shadowmire survived, chances were Miles did not. 
	While the two conversed, Ghent moved to stand across from them. The duo was now a trio, and he felt like a third wheel. An out of place, confused, still terribly overwhelmed third wheel. 
	"Well, that's just great." It sounded as if Ghent was responding to the news about the Red Queen, but instead he sniffed at his sleeve and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I smell like cigarettes."
	Despite what he'd been told about the Queen's evil, Ghent appeared foolishly unfazed by the mention of her being aware of their arrival.  She would have found out eventually, wouldn’t she? That was his logic. 
	"So, what's the plan?" Using two fingers, Ghent flicked away a leaf that clung to his damp hoodie. "Grab a few disguises? Lay low? Run for it?" He looked between the two, taken aback by their expressions. "What?"