*PART 2*

~*~Chapter 9~*~

The Road

"It's a dangerous business, Frodo,

going out your front door.

You step onto the road, and if you don't

keep your feet, there's no telling where you

might be swept off to."

-The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The week sped by without so much as a spare moment for Sarah to lament the impending doom that would forever seal her fate.

No one spoke of what had transpired on that night that Robert, shaking and distressed, emerged from the wintry night. No one dared to glance at the rose, sitting in a clay cup atop the mantelpiece, a silent reminder of the payment owed by the Williams' folly.

Tension, despair, fear and anger were palpable, though none dared voice them aloud. The pained expressions, tears, and furrowed brows spoke volumes in their stead.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The morning woke, cool and grey, the snow sparkling in the pale sunlight. Breakfast was a quiet affair, no one daring to look up from their oatmeal for fear of bursting into tears.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Sarah stood in her small attic from looking at what was soon to be her old life. Her bed was carefully made, the worn quilt smoothed out, the pillows plumped. Her dresser had been emptied, it's admittedly meager contents packed into a rucksack that stood by the open door. Sarah sighed and walked slowly over to the window, taking in the view one last time. She spoke quietly to herself.

"No use being frightened or remorseful now, Sarah. What's done is done. I must be brave. For Karen and Toby and Papa…"

She broke down, quietly letting the tears fall down her face.

"Sarah?" Her father called quietly up the stairs, his voice full of a false cheeriness.

Sobering, Sarah quickly wiped the tears from her face, grabbed her rucksack, and looked around once more, whispering quietly to the room.

"I'm closing a chapter of my life. Just wait."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The horses were saddled and packed sooner than Sarah had hoped. Sarah quietly left the cottage, fastening a cloak around her shoulders, and walking over to where her family and the horses stood waiting in the snow.

Karen hugged Sarah fiercely, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Be brave, my dear Sarah."

Toby was next, the crimson rose clutched in his little hand. Silently, he handed the flower over to Sarah, who in turn tucked it into the breast pocket of her cloak.

"I'm gonna miss you Sarah," the little boy croaked sullenly, his eyes red from crying.

"And I you, Toby dearest!" said Sarah fondly, sweeping her brother up into a hug. "Take care of Karen and Papa, will you?"

Sarah set Toby down.

"No more tears. Promise?"

"I promise." The little boy set his jaw firmly in determination.

"It's time Sarah."

Her father beckoned her over to the horses.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Appledore cottage disappeared from view as Sarah and Robert rode silently into the forest, heading due west.

Shortly after mid-day, the pair arrived at the doors to the Labyrinth, iced with glassy frost, shining in the noon light.

"Here we are," Robert sighed, "the Labyrinth."

He smiled weakly at his daughter as they dismounted.

"This is where I must say goodbye, m'dear."

Sarah gave a quiet sob and embraced her father.

Robert softly stroked Sarah's hair, murmuring to her.

"Sarah, you're sure that you want to do this? If you have changed your mind, I shall gladly go in your stead…"

Sarah looked sharply up at her father.

"No Papa, I am going. As I have said before, Karen and Toby need you more than I."

"I had hoped that I might change your mind, and that you would let me go instead of you."

"I'm more stubborn than you give me credit for, Papa," Sarah teased.

"So you are."

He tweaked her nose, sighing as he did so.

"I suppose that this is goodbye, my dear Sarah. Be brave and do not fear. I will…I will miss you desperately. We all will."

"Goodbye, Papa."

Sarah let go of her father and mounted Greatheart once more. She turned to wave cheerfully at her father, before riding through the double doors into the misty depths of the Labyrinth.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

Greatheart seemed to know his way through the Labyrinth, though Sarah was thoroughly confused.

"Nothing is as it seems in this place," sighed Sarah, looking around at the strange wonder that surrounded her.

Through corridors of yellow stone and hedges of green the girl and her horse travelled, until at last they reached their destination: the castle at the center of the Labyrinth.

Glancing at the gathering clouds, Sarah urged Greatheart through the gates and onto the castle grounds, not wishing to tarry if it were to storm.

Sarah gasped as she saw the castle, dark and imposing against the turbulent skies. Rain began to drizzle down as Sarah pointed Greatheart in the direction of what she hoped was the stables. Dismounting, Sarah led the horse into a stall, a neat and comfortable place for her dear friend. After removing Greatheart's saddle and bridle, Sarah lingered in the stables, brushing the horse over and over again, soothing both her and the beast's nerves.

The rain pounded down harder as Sarah filled the carved manger with clean, sweet hay in a laboriously slow manner.

This is it, Sarah. Here to face your destiny in this strange place…

Sarah stamped her foot.

It's just not fair! Why does the Goblin King think that he can order my family and I around…to most of the people in Bracknell Fen, he is just a fairy tale!

Because, said a sensibly rational voice in another part of Sarah's head, he is the Goblin King. A magician, terribly powerful and cruel. A fae of the highest nobility, as the stories go. He could turn you into a toad with the blink of an eye.

Nostrils flaring, Sarah sat down roughly on an upturned bucket.

I don't know how I'll ever be able to make it through this…Well, I suppose that there is no through, there is just this for all eternity.

Sarah snorted, startling Greatheart, who was busily chewing his way through a mouthful of hay.

Maybe if I am lucky he'll just eat my heart and have done with it.

A slow rumbling murmur of thunder interrupted Sarah's thoughts.

"I suppose I must face him eventually," Sarah mused, a hint of anxiety tingeing her forced calm.

"Off I go..."

She rose delicately from the bucket, dusting off her dress and patting Greatheart on the nose before striding over to the door.

"Into the belly of the beast."

Letting out a humorless chuckle, Sarah left her sanctuary, and ventured out into the wet dusk.

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

The castle became more and more imposing with each step Sarah took.

Upon reaching the doors of the castle, Sarah's knees were quite shaky, and her heart beat out a furious tempo in her chest. Taking the slightly-wilted rose from the breast pocket of her cloak, Sarah sucked in a deep, steadying breath and pushed open one of the great doors to the castle.

Stepping into the foyer, Sarah furtively looked around the great room, half-expecting to see her captor pop out from behind a column.

Candlelight made the shadows in the room dance and sway, sending Sarah's heart into overtime.

"Hello?" Sarah called out timidly, nervously fiddling with the rose in her hand.

The only response Sarah received was a faint echo of her words, and more rumbling thunder, louder than before.

Unsure of what to do, Sarah crept forward, right up to the marble staircase that was the centerpiece in the room. Running her hand along the delicately-carved banister, Sarah gathered her courage and began to climb the stairs.

The stairs alighted to yet another foyer, this one smaller, with a pair of doors which sat primly in front of Sarah. A strange feeling crept over Sarah. Some small part of her felt that she should go through these doors, and face whatever lay beyond. Not knowing what else to do, Sarah heeded these feelings, and entered the room.

The throne room stretched out before her, a funny, round room, with a sunken pit in the center, and, naturally, a throne on the far side. Windows lined the curved wall behind the throne, French doors leading to the balcony beyond.

Other than that, the room was empty.

"Ugh!" Sarah's already frayed nerves snapped.

Of ALL the places you would think to find a king, the throne room would be high on that list…but no, I've got a king who hides from his prisoner!

I wish that this stupid Goblin King would just come and get it over with!

Sarah stormed around the pit to the throne, glaring at it disdainfully.

"Torment me, eat my heart, throw me in the dungeons, whatever you desire, it doesn't matter to me anymore!"

"Here."

Sarah dropped the rose onto the throne, and spun away angrily, walking towards the doors of the throne room.

"It's what my father stole, returned to you now. I hope this will suffice since you don't deign to meet your captive."

Sarah paused as she reached the doors leading back out to the grand staircase, worry and fear niggling at her mind.

Suppose I do leave and he decides that he does want me. I can't just go home and have him come to Appledore…what if he decides to take Toby too!

"Ooh! I wish that the Goblin King would come!" Sarah cried in desperation, "Right now!"

Lightning split the sky, accompanied by a booming crescendo of thunder as the rain lashed against the dark windows.

Sarah spun around, eyes wild.

Crash!

The doors to the balcony were flung open with yet another crash of lightning, as a great, white owl flew through the open doors, alighting on the back of the throne.

Sarah smothered a gasp and took a step back as she recognized the owl, which transfigured into the shape of a man, cloaked and dangerous, who spoke in a voice laced with magic and danger.

"Be careful what you wish for."

*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*

AN: Thus begins part 2! Woo! After a lot of procrastination, I finally got this chapter written! It wasn't exactly hard to do, I just kept getting distracted, by ideas for what I want to happen! This resulted in me writing out a scene (long enough to be a chapter!) after I had a little "brain-blast." Needless to say, this scene practically wrote itself, unlike this chapter.

On a sort of random note, I just realized that probably most of my readers have not read or do not know of the existence of the book "Labyrinth" by A.C.H. Smith, written after (I believe) the movie as tie-in merchandise. I use quotes from it occasionally in this fic (ie: "I'm closing a chapter of my life. Just wait.") and I thought that I should post the link to an online copy of it for those who want to read it! ( )

Thanks to those who have been reading and reviewing, I really, really, really appreciate it! It helps me out so much, and motivates me to keep writing when I have an artistic block!

Disclaimer: Labyrinth and its characters do not belong to me. Quotes from the movie belong to Henson, Froud, and Lucas. Quotes from the book belong to A.C.H. Smith.

The name "Greatheart" belongs to Robin McKinley, who features a horse with the same name in her book "Beauty."