"What are you doing?" Fili has been watching Bri walk slowly along the narrow path, running her hand along the wall as she goes.

"I'm lookin' for doorways."

"With your hand?"

"Well, in the movie, they were disguised. Now, I know the Labyrinth is bound to throw every curveball it can imagine at me, but sure as I assume it won't use a simple but effective trick from the movie, that's what it'll do. Don't you know what 'assume' does?"

"Placing an ass before you and me."

"Exactly, and I don't know about you, but I've done had more'n my share of dealing with asses already." Just then, Bri's hand hit air instead of wall. "Well, lookee there! Found a door!"

"Bri! Wait!" Fili is just exactly not fast enough to catch Bri as the trapdoor beneath her drops her on a chute with a loud wail. "Dammit!" Fili follows quickly before the trap could disappear.

The chute deposits him none too gently in a rocky area. All he can see are various amorphously shaped boulders and rocks, including a few well placed homages to the most famous face in the Goblin Kingdom. Though why Jareth is obsessed with the Thin White Duke, only he knows. Fili hears Bri's voice not too far from him.

"Welp, this is new." There stands Bri, baby still on her back, and diaper bag on her shoulder, studying the terrain carefully. "I guess we'll just pick a direction, and see if we can find a vantage point to get a bead on the castle?" She turns to regard Fili, a funny smile dancing at the corners of her lips. "I guess here's as good a place as any to figure if you're a help or a hinder. Which way you reckon we oughta head?"

Fili takes a moment to dust himself off and consider his options. Decision firmly in mind, he points East. "I'd say we try that way." He offers Bri his arm. "My lady?"

Bri, odd smile still in place, takes his arm with a small nod. "M'lord. I thank thee kindly."

They walk together in companionable silence for quite a while. Though they pass several large boulders, none are of a shape that lend themselves to climbing. They don't get discouraged, but keep an eye out. Every so often, they hear a skittering sound. It is never loud, and it never lasts long, but it occurs often enough to keep both adults uneasy. Mira, thankfully, is napping peacefully against Bri's back.

"Whatcha think that racket is we keep hearin'?" Bri asks, looking over her shoulder for the umpteenth time, hoping to catch a glimpse of the whatever it is.

"No clue. Haven't really had time to see much of the Labyrinth."

"Yeah, how come yer here, anyhow? All I know of the Labyrinth came from a movie. I know a bit more about you and your bunch thanks to Tolkien and Jackson, but it had nothin' at all to do with this place. Can you tell me that much?"

"Let's just say Jareth was very convincing in getting my uncle to watch this place while he went on honeymoon." Fili does not expect the laughing fit that inspired.

"Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, is babysitting Goblin City? Goblins? How in Hell? Oh come on! You have to tell me more! Who all's here?" Fili doesn't get a chance to answer Bri, when they turn around another boulder and hear an enraged voice.

"You Orc humping lumps of sod! Get off me!" Fili's eyes close in horror, while a wide snickering grin wraps itself around Bri's face.

"That sounded like…" Bri's grin threatens to split her face.

"It is." The resignation in Fili's voice is the final straw. Bri sniggers inelegantly.

"So the gang is all here." Her crow could rival Peter Pan's.

"Can't say." Fili's mouth closes with a snap as Bri continues to snigger.

"Stinker." Bri takes off as the colorful language gets so thick she swears she can see it in the air. She assumes that means she is getting close. As she rounds yet another rock pillar that looks like some avant garde post modern abstract piece, the most hilarious sight meets her eyes.

A besieged bald Dwarf perched atop a half eroded rock kicking at a group of rocks trying to climb up to him? Bri rubs her eyes. The image remains. There stands the brawny braw Dwalin, surrounded on all sides by rocks acting more or less like an unruly pack of puppies. One thing every redneck worth her salt knows is how to handle a pack of dogs. They'd revoke her license if she didn't.

"Heeyyyooooooooowup!" Fili ducks and covers. That had to be the loudest sound to ever assault his ears. Orc attacks were quieter. The entire pack of rolling rocks stops and turns to face the young woman standing arms akimbo and feet spread in a very commanding pose. "Heel!" The entire pack of rocks obediently rolls into position around her. "Good rocks, now stay!" A very firm finger points to the ground beside her. She then casually walks up to the glaring Dwarf still perched atop the mound. Fili thinks he might be falling in love.

"Hey there! Name's Bri. I think it's safe to come down now."

"All in the Labyrinth know who the runner be, lass. Just as I know ye know mine own name." The Dwarf jumps down, glaring death and dire retribution at the now immobile rocks near Fili.

"Oh good. Didn't want to put you off." Bri looks between the angry Dwarf and the rocks. "So, how did you wind up with all that attention anyhow?"

"Damme if I know. Damned things just swarmed me!" Even his beard seems to have gone into attack mode, bristling with Dwarven indignation.

"Looks like they were just wanting attention. Did you think if maybe you'd petted them, they might have calmed down?" Ooops, if anything, that seems to make it worse.

"Dwarves don't pet!" At which point, Bri feels someone kicking and wiggling on her back. Then Mira starts cooing and trying to reach the Dwarf. It was all Bri could do to keep from laughing. Time to let the Dwarf escape with what dignity he could.

"Listen, I'll stay here a bit to give you a head start to get out of their way, and you won't be bothered by pesky attention seeking rocks, or cooing babies." The Dwarf gives her a stiff nod and starts to move off. "It was nice to meet you, Dwalin, son of Fundin."

"And you, Briallen of Clan Davis Ye've passed this wee test, and ye'll be able o' call on me as ye need me. Just make sure it's the right time, as ye may only call on me once!"

Briallen walks back thoughtfully to Fili. "That was different…" Her thought doesn't get any further because suddenly she has a mouthful, and strong arms around her, and isn't that oh maaaaaaaaaiiiiiiii!

Thorin watches the red haired woman lean down and focus her unusual eyes on the crystal. The eyes are indeed mesmerizing, slanted and of the colour of the fire opal. Her coppered gold hair is gathered at the back of her head and held in place with a few pins, curls falling out of it, and she tucks them behind her ears in an obviously habitual action. She has a long elegant neck and delicate shoulders, pale radiant skin, and Thorin shifts on his settee. She sat near him as he offered to show her in a crystal ball how her champion was doing. Gentle aroma of lilac hits his nose, and he laments she is not a toddler. Mad emotions he has had buried for more than a century to resurface now, that was definitely not in his contract with the Goblin King!

The picture of his nephew and a young lass with enticing curves and hair of buckwheat honey colour marching through rocks appears, and the lass is gesturing and talking, when suddenly Fili spins her on one spot and his lips are pressed to hers. The redhead squeaks and grabs Thorin's forearm. She has strong hands, and he is trying to carefully move away from her, because she is bobbing on the settee, the fiery curls are dancing around her face, and he just noticed the bright red lips.

"Oh that is marvelous! Bri has always been a Fili girl!" She peeks into the crystal ball, Thorin doesn't dare. He assumes the dalliances are continuing, since she is now vigorously shaking his arm. "Oh dear! The bloke knows what he is doing! Oh Mira is awake. Hope Bri found the bottle in the fridge." Thorin looks as well. There is a redhaired babe strapped to the back of the woman currently tangling her fingers in the locks of his sister-son. The babe is merrily chewing on a rubber giraffe, while his nephew is performing similar acts on the woman's lips. Judging by her leg going around his, he is succeeding. A thought comes.

"A Fili girl?" He stuffs the crystal ball away, no plot development is to be expected for a while.

"Yep. As in a fangirl? She is a big fan of FF for him. No slash obviously, though the other day I caught her reading RagdollPrincess' smutty one shot with Dom!Fili, and that's a bit… uhem..." Nothing of what she says makes sense, but it might be blamed on the fact that instead of listening he is staring at her lips. "I myself am more for RagdollPrincess' multichapter of course. Kili there is just to die for. Such a character development, and threesome is glorious!" That gets his attention. She has just sighed wistfully. And she is not wearing a corset. And it was for his nephew. He even ignores the mentioning of the three part intimate act.

Thorin gets up and walks to the table to pour himself more wine. He doesn't want to, but astonishing jealousy is rising, and then there is a soft 'pop' sound in the air. He suspects he has just magicked something, the power of the Goblin King is uncomfortable, and he constantly feels like rubbing the back of his neck from some sort of nervous itch.

Suddenly a faint far away yell reaches his ears, "What did I do-o-o-o?"

"What was that?" The source of Thorin's frustration turns to the window, he notices smooth round knees and adorable toes, and Thorin clears his throat. He has a suspicion what the sounds was exactly.