"Sarah, wait!" She stopped. It had felt good, being able to follow a path. And with that she already knew what he wanted to say. "Where do you want to go Sarah? What do you want to do?" She smiled at him. "What shall be my epic quest, you mean?
They had been walking for quite some time, and Hoggles good mode had gone away about an hour ago. Now Hoggle looked annoyed. "I don't know what that means, but I know, I haven't gotten the faintest idea of where we are, or where we are going with that egg."
Sarah looked up to the sky. What did she want to do? She had been running and hiding for so long, it felt strange to be a little bit safer. To be able to move around in this way. Then she realized what she needed to do. To be safe. To keep the egg safe.
"Hoggle?"
"Yes Sarah"
"Why do all the creatures hunt me?"
He looked surprised at her.
"You mean you don't know?" She shook her head. "All this time and you don't know"
She pushed him gently. "Get on with it grumpy!
"My name is not Grumpy" he murmured.
She sat down on a rock next to the path. "Spit it out"
Up ahead the path forked into two paths. She didn't want to make a decision just yet.
Hoggle looked at her for a moment, as if he doubted if he should or not. But then he shook his shoulder and sat down next to her.
"Do you know how we came to be?" She looked at hm stooped for a minute and then started laughing. "You mean the big bang?"
He looked annoyed and shook his head. "No stupid, we, in the underground." She shook her head.
"We live by imagination. We take form from dreams, and stories. The more dreams, stories, and imagination we have around us, the more powerful we get. Look at Jareth for example. He is really old, and with the dreams he has collected, he was able to create the goblin kingdom." She stared at her. "He created a world?" Hoggle shook his head. "It's not as simple as that, and I have never understood magic, but yes, in a way." There has always been a struggle. You see, the more dreams you have, the more you can create. But the only way to get dreams is from people. People like you..." She stared at him. "So, you steal dreams?" He murmured. "Not all of us. Magic users. And most of our people connected with your world is there to get more power. So yes, it's not so weird that they would want your dreams." She touched the scar on her arm. "But why would they try for my life? And why don't they haunt all people?" Hoggle squirmed. "Well…. There are certain rules you have to follow."
Sarah couldn't help it. She laughed. "Or what? You get in fairy-tale jail?" Hoggle jumped up. "I don't know Sarah. I aint never knew much to begin with. I was supposed to stay in the labyrinth and spray fairies." Sarah was curious. "So why didn't you? Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't want you to. But why?" Hoggle looked annoyed. "Don't you get it? It's part of the rules. You released me. And that is why other would want to get you."
Sarah sat for a moment thinking. "So how can I stop them? How can I make everyone stop chasing me?"
"You either need to get your own magic, or you need to pledge your allegiance to one of the kingdoms. "
What kingdoms are there?
More that you can count. There used to be more, but it's all chaotic, it's ever changing. The more powerful the ruler, the more changing."
She thought about that for a moment. The ever-changing world of power hungry magic folks.
"You could always go to Jareth."
She stared at him.
"Don't be silly."
"You already conquered him. It made him a lot weaker. There were some that tried to overrule him, because he failed. But he's too old for that."
Sarah shook her head. She didn't want to think about the butterflies in her stomach every time she heard his name. He was all she ever dreamed about. Everything she had ever wanted when she was younger. But she had moved passed that. There were more important things then handsome goblin kings. Things like family. Like Toby. Pain. She pushed the thought of her brother as far away from her as she could. She couldn't go to the goblin king. Not after everything she had to give up. Not now.
"There must be another way!"
"There's always another way."
Both she and Hoggle jumped in the air by the sound of a voice behind them. They looked into the forest behind them, but there was nothing there.
"Who's there?" Sarah pretended that she didn't notice she shrill sound of her voice. Really heroine like of you Sarah…
A smile popped up in the middle of nowhere. Sarah almost laughed aloud at the ridiculous sight. And then a head popped up around the smile. A cat's head. A Cheshire cats head.
"Hello…" She said hesitantly. She didn't trust anyone, and Hoggle elbowed her to prove just that. She put her hand on his shoulder.
"I know." She whispered to him.
The cat smiled at her. And then the rest of his body turned up.
"There is always a way, but where do you want to go?"
"Not outside this path, if that is what you mean."
His smile broadened.
"Of course. "
He jumped onto the path and turned to the crossroad.
"As I overheard your conversation, it would be the path of power that you seek, correct?"
She bit her lip. How much could she say to this cat. She looked at Hoggle, who violently shook his head at her. But on the other hand, Hoggle had betrayed her. Hoggle had not wanted to help him. And look at them now. That helped her decide. She took a deep breath and turned towards the cat.
"Not power per say. I just want enough power to be left alone.
The cat took a step towards her.
"Power you have, and the more power you have, the more they will want to take it from you."
Sarah twisted her mouth.
"Power to fight back then."
"Aah, that's another question then. "
He used his paw to point in on directing.
"To the left, you will find your way to a sword that might be able to help you in your struggle." He moved his paw and pointed to the right.
"And to the left, you will find a mirror, that might do the same." He examined his paw and started to wash it.
"Where do you want to go?"
A memory flashed before her eyes. Of a blue worm in a labyrinth far from here.
She thought about her own mirror, that had helped her before, and silently sent her thanks to the witch.
"Well… I already have a mirror…" She cat continued licking his paws, but she could feel him looking at her.
"What do you say Hoggle? The only problem is, I have no idea how to use a sword…"
He cat laughed.
"Well, this particular sword won't be a problem in that case." He jumped a butterfly at the right path. "Will you have much against if I join you in your path? It has been a long time, since I found something interesting in these woods."
Sarah thought about the goats they had met earlier, and wondered what he qualified as interesting
"Of course, you are welcome to join us. "
She could feel Hoggle tense up beside her. "Come on Hoggle, it might do us some good.".
The cat smiled
"Excellent! Shall we?"
Sarah took Hoggles hand and turned left.
"Let's go friends."
Well hot diddely darn. An update!?
I'm back after a long, long hiatus. If any of you who read my story before, are still interested in following it. Beware that I have changed a few things in previous chapters. Both spelling errors, but also some things that wll hopefully make the story go a little bit smooother, and a little bit in the same bogging direction.
