I'm sorry this has taken so Very long, you'll get two Chapters this week, Hope you enjoy!
Sit, stay, Bad sarah.
Taking the out-stretched hand gingerly, Sarah tried to pull her self up when Mari briefly let go. Before she could say anything Mari had grabbed a better grip on Sarah's wrist and was yanking her to her feet. "Don't you know how to hold on to someone?" Mari asked incredulously. "Geez.!"
"What did you mean by common sense or your opinion of me? You hardly know me! Where are my friends from 13 years ago?"
"Don't you keep in touch with those you leave?" Mari sighed, "Hoghead," she scoffed.
"Don't call him that! It's rude!"
"You're not one to chastise me on my manners, Miss Williams. It's not smart. You'd never believe the things that we've seen, done, and been through. So Zip it!" Mari told her harshly. Her temper was getting out of hand, she realized, breathing deeply.
"Where did you say you were from? Your accent, it's very strange."
"Sarah, please, if you have a question ask it, but don't question my manners, I hate it. To answer your questions, I lived in Wales with my Grandmother from the time I, for a few years... But I'm from imperial Russia, and before you say anything, no, I will not tell you any specifics."
"That's why you're accent is so funny… it's a mix! You're Russian and English!" Mari rounded on her,
"NEVER call me English. Elspeth is English."
"British, English, they're the same thing."
"No, they're not. I'm Welsh, or British, if you like, but even that is a stretch." Call me English one more time and you'll regret it," Mari threatened blue eyes blazing. She breathed deeply again, "I haven't been this worked up since 1918. Don't ask or I let the vines take you."
"Huh?" was all she said before Mari pointed to vines wrapping around Sarah's ankles. "I have a way with plants here, that's why I took over as caretaker of the Gardens. So if you'll take care not to bug me too much I can lead you through the Labyrinth and get you home in one piece. Deal?"
"Will you still tell me about my friends?"
"If you promise not to interrupt." Mari said teasingly.
"I promise." Sarah said adopting an almost mocking tone of voice.
"First things first, I have a wicked temper so don't antagonize me for your own safety. Got it?"
"Got it. And the second thing?"
"You probably won't like what I'm going to tell you." She said before crouching down and unwrapping the vines around Sarah's ankles.
"Tell me anyway."
"Fine. Your precious Hogbrain— " she began, but was cut off when Sarah corrected her.
"Hoggle." Mari shot Sarah a glare before standing and continuing to walk.
"Actually, first off, what do you know about him?"
"He liked jewelry, he was a coward, and he worked in the gardens. What else do I need to know?"
"That he was a pervert, a stalker, and terribly fickle. He was also annoying, bothersome and a compulsive liar. I knew him from school; he'd always try to flirt with me. Then finally, one day I told him I'd wish him away and give myself to the Goblin King, he didn't believe me, so I did. And then His highness assigned Higgle to the gardens, hoping to keep him far away and out of trouble. And then YOU came along." She said.
"What did I do?" She asked.
"You, you blundered in and befriended him, and then he helped you get to the castle where you tried to Murder my King. Luckily for you he's got us and he's strong, but unfortunately for Huggle the King's last shred of patience had gone with the idiot's betrayal and Happily Hoggle was banished, I won't tell you where, you'd not be able to find him anyway. Now the fireies you met were partying teens nothing really happened to them, except that they grew up, they still love a good party but they're not the same as they were when you met them. And who else?"
"Ludo, and Sir Didymus, and the wise man with the bird for a hat."
"Ok Wise guy was just doing his job, you were looking for help he gave you advise for the price of your ring, he's still handing out advise where it is needed, but he's a little harder to find, his choice. Sir Didymus is still on Guard Duty, and Ludo, sweet, sweet Ludo, He was the only one who you didn't royally screw up. He missed you like crazy fell into a depression when he realized you weren't coming back. Nearly died a time or too, so we sent him to wander somewhere else, where he can be happy, surrounded by rag dolls of his friends, or at least, happier then he was here."
"And Him?"
"My King, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to discuss at this time, please check back later." Mari stopped and looked around, "let's see to get to Lana's we turn here, here and there then do a 180 over there walk to there and then do another 180 and turn left." She gave a definite nod before setting off again.
"How old are you? How long have you been here?"
"I'm 11." She said, before muttering, "Currently." "I've been here for a good long time. But today is not a day for my story. That day has long since past, you lose today then maybe you will one day learn my story but not today."
"Why?"
"Because you don't need to know it just yet. You don't need to understand me, should the time come that you do need to know about me then you may ask me again then, but no sooner."
"Oh. So this 'Lana' that we're going to see, who is she?"
"Only I call her that."
"What do I call her?"
"Your Ladyship." A voice said behind her, "Oh weary traveler, you took a wrong turn. Again." Sarah turned around to see a pretty young woman covered in chain mail and armor while attacking thick dark brown tresses with what looked like a very old comb.
"Oh, I was just following… her." She said gesturing toward the blonde who was no longer beside her.
"Following who, exactly?"
"Mary? No, Marie? No… sounded kinda like it though. She was Russian and English, she was about 4 feet tall, white blonde, big blue eyes, tan, blue and purple dress, barefoot, kinda rude…" and then Sarah added as an after thought, "She'll be really exotic looking when she grows up..." The brunette laughed,
"Mari! I should have known."
"Yes! That's it! Where is the shrimp anyway?"
"I don't know…"
"I'm here, I'm here! Belle got herself tangled in my hair." Mari said. "Sarah how many times must I tell you to not call me English!" with a heavy sigh she turned to the brunette, "Lana you remember Sarah Williams, Sarah this is Lady Alanna. Now I need to talk to her alone for a… bit…" She turned slowly to look at her longtime friend, "What…?" she said warily before she smacked herself on the forehead, "I keep forgetting. Alanna, it's me, I'm fine I'm good."
"You are 11."
"Yes, Can we…?" Mari gestured towards Sarah and Alanna opened and closed her mouth in a silent 'Ah.' of understanding.
"She doesn't know." Mari shook her head as they walked away from Sarah, "Stay there." Alanna ordered jabbing a finger at the spot where Sarah stood.
"Like Hell I will! I want my brother Back I don't have time to dillydally!"
"You will get lost without a guide." Alanna told her.
"You're dillydallying!"
"Dilly Dally Silly Sally. I'll be back in a minute just don't wander off." Mari said while Sarah crossed her arms and patted a foot suddenly impatient.
"Ugh, she's 28 and still acts such a child." Alanna snorted.
"You're one to talk. Mar, I thought you weren't going to ever go below 14, what happened?"
"I got bored, and I miss my family so I turned the clock a little farther back then usual, anyway forget me what about her?"
"What about her?"
"What are we going to do?"
"We'll do what we always do, we'll take her to the Lake." Mari was chewing on her thumbnail a bauble was carried on the sudden wind.
"Well Hell! I'm being summoned!" she said with a little laugh.
"Mari, stop standing here, Go!" Mari touched the crystal lightly and it and the wind reversed course and with that she ran to keep up. Sarah watched as the little blonde zoomed past.
"Mari?" and she started after her when Alanna caught her arm,
"Don't."
"Why not? If she's going to Jareth then I want to follow he has my brother."
"She does not know where she's going, she'll follow the crystal until it stops, She might not go to the castle and anyway the Labyrinth is a forever changing place as I thought you would have remembered from your last trip here 13 years ago."
"What does that have to do with anything? She'll see him and he has my brother. Now let go."
"No, I'm not letting you leave. Wait a minute what am I saying? I don't even like you!" Alanna dropped Sarah's arm, a little violently, almost throwing it away as though it burned her. Alanna brought her fingers to her mouth and gave a series of short and loud whistles and suddenly the ground began to shake. As Sarah turned to leave the ground stopped shaking and she walked straight into a large black nose.
"What the hell…?" Sarah breathed as she stepped back, taking in the sight of a roughly 6 foot tall dog who with one sniff immediately deemed Sarah as the enemy. When the dog began to let out an annoyed growl, her eyes fixed on Sarah, Alanna chastised her with a simple warning in her tone as she said her dog's name,
"Nettie…" When Alanna was ignored she snapped out, "Annette!" Annette was still focused on Sarah who was backing away and shrieking,
"It, it, it's Gonna EAT ME!"
"She, Not 'it', is Not going to eat you. She doesn't eat people, Nettie, down girl." Ignored by Annette once again Alanna walked over and gave a sharp tug on a floppy ear. "Annette!" she bit out sharply. "Be good. You don't eat people, do you?" she asked the big dog. Annette whined back and it sounded to Sarah as though she were saying 'for this one I'd make an exception.' For that she got a light smack on the nose. "Now Sarah since the trail has gone cold you should just stay here."
"You're name is Alanna, right?"
"Correct."
"Why is Annette so big?"
"Not sure, after Staying here in the Labyrinth with me she just sort've kept growing, so now I can ride around on her back."
"What's the deal with Mari? She's really odd."
"Nightengale had a hard time before coming here as far as I understand it. She lost her family in a night and was never quite the same, and you do realize that I'm not actually telling you anything since she obviously didn't want to tell you herself."
"Yeah I do now. So what's your story?"
"My story is that I have issues with my hair getting tangled, I play the harp, I'm the second oldest… technically." She said thinking of Mari's ability to change what she looked like and how Alanna' time period was earlier then both Mari and Elspeth, "I have a giant dog and I'm the guardian of the lake."
"How old are you?"
"Dunno, stopped counting after 200. I was 17 when I came here though, so I guess I'm 18." Sarah thought better about telling Alanna she didn't believe that she was over 200 years old.
"And Mari?"
"Technically I think she's 87 but at the same time she's 17. Elspeth left England in 1899 at 18 so she's technically 19 but also about 100 now."
"I don't believe you."
"Do the math, Mari left home in 1912, Elspeth in 1899."
"And you?"
"No. I like not knowing. I prefer my world of make-believe." She held up her crystal bauble and Sarah took a step back, "This way I can see Máiréad whenever I want."
"Your daughter?" Sarah asked gently, Alanna looked at her taken aback,
"Heavens no!" she laughed. "Lord, my daughter? She's my baby sister!"
"What happened to her?"
"Nothing. She grew up. Let's get off the topic." Alanna said not wanting to give Sarah any more info then she already had.
"It's really pretty here. Weeping willow trees, blue water, Glinting sunlight, it's pretty as a picture!"
"It also feels very nice." Alanna said as she took off her armor and chainmail and stood in just her plain white chemise, she took off her shoes and loosely braided her long dark hair and walked slowly into the cool lake waters. "Come on Sarah, join me for a swim." She said, Sarah not seeing the glint in Alanna's eyes that came and went faster then a blink. "The water's great…"