Author's Notes: I. Have. The BEST Reviewers!
Seriously, the last two comments I got are what gave me the inspiration to finish this chapter, and start on the next one (So everyone owes them a big thank you)!
In other news, I had hoped to give you this chapter as a Christmas present but became deathly ill a week into my winter break. So ya. that didn't happen. Honestly, today is the first day I've felt semi-human since. Did I mention my dumb butt refused to go back to the doctor after I got worse? Ya. I should not be allowed to take care of myself when sick. In one last update, This Scribe is currently facing punishment from His Magisty for failing to inform him of the scheming between Sarah and the Eclridch a few chapters ago, you know, when I kinda... died. Let's hope His Majesty pulls the stick out of his you know were before forcing me to work with him again because... ugh. Immortal just do not get sickness.
Credit to whom credit is due
I own nothing but this delicious peach tea
-Wild-is-good
Chapter 9
Sarah shivered a bit at the change of air as she stepped out of her car and into the chilly air surrounding her childhood home. She had all of five seconds to bask in the nostalgia of the crisp autumn breeze before two furry shapes barreled into her with the combined force of a freight train. Merlin and Toby clung to her, both yipping in joy.
Sarah laughed, hugging both dog and boy happily before extracting herself from their death grip.
"Wow, Toby! For a second there I couldn't tell who was the dog and who was the boy!" Sarah teased, ruffling her little brother's mop of curly blond hair.
The six-year-old beamed up at her. "Mom says the same thing!"
Sarah narrowed her eyes at him playfully. "Then maybe you should do something about it, champ."
"Never!" The child squealed throwing his arms up into the air and running around his sister in circles, to the dismay of a slightly exhausted looking Karen. Sarah smiled and laughed, before kneeling to love on her puppy. Merlin wuffled, burying his nose in her chest as his mistress spoiled him with affection.
Karen crossed the yard to her kneeling step-daughter, watching her son run around in hyper-spastic circles chanting "Never" at the top of his lounges. The two women shared a look, before Karen sighed in defeat.
"I don't know where he gets stuff like that from." The older of the two women said shaking her head.
Sarah knew exactly where he got it, seeing as how her brother's favorite playmates were goblins, but choose not to voice this and instead rose to hug her mother figure.
"He's just a kid, they don't have to get it from anywhere," Sarah said conversationally as she pulled away.
Karen gave her a slightly pained look before looking at her son and sighing in defeat again. "I just hope he grows out of it soon. I don't know how much more of this insanity I can take."
'Don't hold your breath' was all Sarah could think, but she said "Put him in sports. Give him some way to burn off all that extra energy."
Karen gave her another exasperated look. "He says he wants to learn how to use a sword! I've tried to see if he wanted to do any normal sports like baseball or soccer but he refuses to do anything like that, saying that he only wants to learn sword fighting."
Sarah gave her a sympathetic smile while mentally noteing to convince Didymus to teach Toby swordplay for Christmas. To Karen, she said "Have him join martial arts. They teach stuff like that," at Karen's horrified look Sarah swiftly finished "but not for a long time! He would learn how to defend himself in a controlled environment that burns off all that extra energy and then maybe someday move on to stuff like that."
Karen looked slightly less horrified and considered it for a moment. "Hmm, maybe…" She trailed off as Merlin interrupted them with a bark, deciding that it was time he got his mistress's attention back.
Sarah smiled and pet him even as Karen made another sound of exasperation.
"I swear it's like he knew you were coming, he and Toby been bouncing around underfoot all week." The older Williams women gave the dog a disparaging look. "I had to chase him off the couch in the front room more than once today and he's been whining at the front door since this morning!"
The dog in question looked completely unrepentant under Karen's scathing looks, instead gazing up devotedly at his long-lost mistress. Sarah hid her smile from Karen and loved on he favorite pooch some more, kissing him on the nose before stepping inside the old Victorian house.
Sarah barely sidestepped in time as Toby came screaming through chasing Quck, (who had decided to ride in the car with her), around the house.
Karen went after him, trying in vain to calm the calamity that was Tobias Williams before he destroyed any more furniture. As the little boy equivalent of a hurricane ran up the stairs he was scooped up by his father who had been drawn out of his study by the ruckus.
"Sarah, you're home!" The eldest Williams man said, beaming down at his beloved daughter. He walked down the flight of stairs, reminding Toby that running in the house was against the rules before setting him down and squeezing Sarah in a daddy hug.
"How's school, hun?" The man asked, releasing her.
"Good, daddy! I've made some interesting friends this year."
Robert gave his daughter a probing look. Reading it, Sarah laughed.
"None of that kind of interesting, daddy."
Karen piped up just then.
"Not that it would be a problem, Sweetie!" She shot her husband a quitting look. "You should have dates at your age. We wouldn't mind at all if you brought someone home for Christmas."
The look on Mr. Williams face clearly said that he disagreed, but the man wisely kept his mouth shut. Sarah smiled sympathetically at her father; Karen looked at them both in exasperation. Robert quickly spoke up to defuse the situation.
"Sarah dear, why don't you go put your things up in the guest bedroom?"
Sarah smiled and pecked him on the cheek. "Sure thing, Dad."
~~~~~~~J/S~~~~~~~
At six o'clock that Thursday, the Williams and the Dossin( Karen's side of the family)men lay splayed out on the family room floor, groaning at their overly full bellies while their smug wives looked on. Even Toby looked a little sluggish as he sat playing with his toy men. Aunt Kathy and Karen exchanged self-congratulatory looks at the state of their husbands.
Sarah stood in the archway, leaning cross-legged on the wall and feeling pleasantly full herself as she watched the family thanksgiving after dinner scene play itself out. She, of course, had nothing to do with this sport like ritual, as she had been banned from the kitchen by family consensus for every major holiday since age 17.
After her go through the Labyrinth she had tried to be more active with her adopted families life, but while the sentiment was appreciated, they had all soon come to the decision that she was beyond hope of teaching when it came to all matters cooking.
Kornof and Merlin stood next to her knee, looking a little dazed themselves. Her aunts and cousins made a point to spoil Merlin with dropped treats as they made the food in the kitchen, and Kornof was more than happy to help him eat them all.
Sarah watched as her family happily poked and teased each other, altogether thankful to be here with them. The distant memory of wishing for someone to take her away rung in the back of her mind, making her mentally wince.
"I fall to see what a Goblin King would find so attractive about a child like that. I was a brat."
Sarah mentally shrugged her shoulders, there was no accounting for an Othånas taste.
"Speaking of taste..."
Sarah carefully snuck into the kitchen and filled up one great big plate full of delicious leftover. Coming back to the corner, she held up two strips of turkey to get Kornof's and Merlin's attention.
"Go jump on Uncle Gilbert to make a distraction, kay?" She whispered. The dog wuffled in agreement, but at the altogether too happy look on the goblin's face she added hastily "And don't hurt anybody!" Looking a little disappointed, Kornof nodded before both raced back into the family room and jumped on the poor bloated man's stomach, licking his face and generally causing a ruckus.
In the midst of the noisy confusion, Sarah slipped quietly upstairs and into the safety of her old room, locking the door behind her. Setting the food down, she walked in front of the new full-length mirror Karen had put in. Karen had completely redone the room after Sarah left for college. Before the Labyrinth the very idea of it changing would have given Sarah fits, but now she could sit back and admire the decorating skills of her adoptive mother.
"Guy's, I've got something for you!"
In the mirror, three comforting faces materialized.
"My Lady, what is that delicious smell?!" Didymus asked taking a good long whiff of the air. Despite his seeming immunity to the Bog, the small knight really did have a fantastic sense of smell. Sarah smiled.
"Why don't the three of you come through and find out?" she encouraged
Her friends came through the mirror one by one, Ludo giving her a big hug as soon as he made it to her side. She hugged him back joyfully before handing him a large drumstick from the plate. Ludo hummed his thanks and pleasure before digging into the treat.
Sarah would be lying if she said it hadn't surprised her when she found out that Ludo was a scavenger carnivore, or that it hadn't made her feel a little uncomfortable. But, she had quickly gotten over it for the sake of her sweet furry friend.
As she served Didymus his portion, Hoggle gave the food a suspicious side-eye.
"Ya didn't cook any of it, right Sarah?" He asked, squinting at her.
Sarah stuck out her tongue handing him his portion of the plate.
"No, you know as well as I do that I've been banned from the kitchen for years."
Hoggle made an exaggerated sound of relief as accepted his plate.
"Good, justs checkin!"
Hoggle had tried her cooking ones and had teasingly sworn she was trying to poison him in revenge for delivering Jareth's peach.
" 'is iz good!" the dwarf said through a mouth half full of casserole.
"Friend Hoggle! Manners! Don't speak with your mouth full!" Didymus scolded. Ludo lowed in agreement, but it came out a bit muffled because his mouth was full too.
Hoggle scoffed at the knight, waving him off as he continued to stuff his face.
Sarah reclined back on the bed, contentedly watching her friends' antics. Her thoughts drifted with her eyes as she gazed out the window to the colorful autumn outside. She watched Ludo happily crunching away at the bone of the drumstick in the reflection.
Her gaze drifted past the reflection in the window to the houses and trees outside.
She would also be lying if she said she wasn't scared to see Jar- the Goblin King soon. A fact she had again neglected to tell Hoggle.
"So, Sarah. Whens you meetin' up with the Rat?"
Sarah startled, head whipping around to meet her grouchiest friend's eyes.
"Indeed, my Lady! When do you plan on seeing the King? He is most eager to see you again!" Didymus piped up, his eyes sparkling. Ludo turned to look at her curiously as well, still chewing the bone in his mouth.
Sarah just looked at them started for a moment.
Then smiled defeatedly.
"I can't keep anything from you guys, can I?"
Hoggle pinned her with a hard look.
"We'res your friends, Sarah. You shouldn't want to."
Didymus nodded."Indeed, my lady. How can we assist you as good friends should if you do not come to us?"
Sarah felt like hanging her head in shame. They were right.
"I'm sorry guys," She said in a contrite voice, " Your right."
Hoggle sniffed. "Course we are."
Sarah smiled at her friends' backward way of saying I forgive you.
"I was planning on heading out after dessert. I'll take Merlin with me as cover."
They all nodded at her.
"Remember-" Didymus started
"If Sawah needs frwends-" Ludo lowed gently.
"For any reason at all-" Hoggle went on emphatically.
"I'll call." Sarah finished with a smile. "Thanks, guys."
The three inhabitants of the Underground smiled back at her, content to know their friend would do as she said.
~~~~~J/S~~~~~
Merlin contentedly trotted at Sarah's side as the two of them meandered through the park. It had been a full year since she had last been here, and the pleasant feeling of nostalgia trickled down around her.
She had spent the better part of her childhood in this park. Wet sparkling springs, hunting fairies, and toadstools. Long summer days spent taming dragons and rescuing princesses. Cool windy autumn questing for hobgoblin in the leaf litter. Chilling white winters battling snow monsters on the ice.
Sarah smiled longingly as Merlin left her side to play in the piles of leaves some poor overworked gardener raked together.
She glanced left and right with a sly expression before diving right in after him.
Both girl and dog breached the cover of the leaves in a spray of cracklings colors. They splashed around the leaf litter laughing and barking for a minute before Sarah decided that both herself and her pup were adequately dirty for a meeting with foreign royalty and had better stop while they were ahead. Merlin shook himself off, getting rid of the worst of the evidence on himself, but Sarah was less than satisfied.
With a mischievous grin she muttered a spell, waving a hand first at herself, then her pup. Merlin jumped and yelped as the foreign sensation of magic remove any trace of their early action.
"I saw that." Came an amused, silken bariton from behind her.
Sarah whirled to see the Goblin King, leaning predatorily against a tree less than five feet away from her. She fought to keep the look of calm friendliness in place as a shiver of instinctual fear slithered its way down her back.
She belatedly realized that her interaction with other Othånas had not prepared her to deal with their king.
She had expected to be able to say he was exactly like she remembered.
She was wrong.
Memory had toned down his image into one acceptable to the human mind. The Goblin King was anything but.
He radiated power. Lithe, ethereal power. The kind that moved stars and time with impunity. His magic seemed an actual presence in the air, swirling and churning. She could see it, in her mind's eye, could sense it, feel it around her. It almost felt like it was bubbling up, pushing against the fabric of the visible, just this side of being seen. It made the world around her warp the way hot air or steam did.
As for the… 'man'… himself….
He looked like sex. Personified.
His hair was different. It was still wild, to be sure, but now it was cut much closer to his head. He had two long strands left, flowing down to rest some inches below his clavicle. The newly shortened hair still seemed to fly in the face of gravity, however.
They exposed his ears, sharp and pointed. They matched his smile. He had fangs, grinning out at her from a smile that reminded her of exactly what he wasn't; Human.
'Did all the goblins have teeth that sharp?'
He had markings on his face. She had at first mistook them for makeup, until she had been thoroughly corrected after their encounter in the tunnels. Soft white covered his eyelids, dark streaks coming up from the corners of his eyes to come just shy of meeting his upswept brows.
His outfit caught her attention for a fleeting moment, but it was enough to make her knees beg to be allowed to buckle.
'Absolutely NOT!'
'But please! Come on, we're only human, do you See those pants?!'
"Sarah Williams don't you DARE let him see you sweat! You are an actress, bog-damn it, you will not be reduced to this!"
He wore dark colors head to toe. He had on a similar outfit to the one he wore in the tunnels, save this one had a black overcoat. The dark silver poet shirt he had on underneath it gaped open carelessly revealing toned skin.
Was he glowing? Or was that just her mind trying to make sense of the swirl, maddening presence of his magic? She quickly tore her gaze away from his chest, meeting his eyes.
Which was a mistake.
His eyes were…. terrible. They were two-toned jewels. Not because of their color, but because of their depth. They held millennia after millennia in them, refracting and bouncing them back out the same way a cut diamond did. Knowledge, cunning, and age seemed to swirl behind the silted irises. Power, physical, social and magical seemed to flow from them, taking the form of wisps of light in the dark shade of the trees he stood under.
It was terrible. They made her feel small and weak. Insubstantial.
She remembered now why she had been so afraid of him. Why the thought of sending him those first flowers had nearly stopped her heart. Why she had never faulted Hoggle for his confession.
"I'm a coward, and Jareth scares me."
Merlin was whimpering behind her, initially knowing the danger that the predator before them posed.
All this she took in in the course of three long seconds, but then again that was all the time she needed to come to her conclusion. Her palms grew damp, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
Jareth, King the Goblins, was terrifying.
Author's notes: So Shout OUt to my BETA Mickeydawn! This is the first chapter they've gone over and helped me with and I think you can really see it! Tell me what you guys think! And seriously, thank you for the reviews. They really are very nice 3.
PS: Mwahaha I do believe this is my first real cliffy.