AN: Hello readers! I am sorry for the time it has taken to get this update ready! Life has been busy lately and the third trimester of pregnancy is slowing me down a bit more than I had hoped. But I hope you enjoy this installment! Please read and review! :)
The rest of the morning went by smoothly. The group moved out of the Whispering Woods as quickly as they could, and by midday they were back in the Open Lands. Sarah started to feel able to shake off the frightening events of the previous day and the disturbing nightmares of that morning as the bright sunlight washed over her and she listened to the happy chatter of her friends. As they walked the goblins hopped and danced in little circles and sang funny traveling songs. Hoggle tried to look cross but Sarah caught him chuckling a few times at their antics.
"I didn't know that goblins liked to sing," Sarah commented to Bumper.
"Goblins love singing more than anything, Lady Sarah!" Bumper exclaimed. "Well, except maybe playing tricks. Or drinking ale."
"Don't forget chicken races," Stumps chimed in.
"Oh yeah." Bumper looked thoughtful for a second. "Well, anyway, goblins like singing a lot."
"I coulda told you that," Hoggle grumbled. "Can't get 'em to shut up sometimes when I'm working in the gardens in the Labyrinth."
"Indeed," replied Didymus. "Sometimes Ambrosius and I can hear the music from the castle all the way in our cabin by the Bog."
"King teaches us lots of songs," Stumps said cheerfully.
"The King does?" Sarah asked, incredulous.
"Sure Lady," Bumper replied. "Sings songs for the little ones too."
"You mean for the wished-aways?" Sarah asked.
"Yep," Bumper nodded. "Keeps the babies happy."
Sarah suddenly remembered Toby's picture. "Did the King sing a song for – for Toby? For my baby brother?"
"Oh yeah, that was a great one!" Stumps chortled.
"Dance magic dance!" Bumper yelled. Both goblins dissolved into peals of laughter.
Hoggle and Ludo exchanged glances and just shrugged. Sarah looked thoughtful.
"If you have never heard the King sing, my Lady, I hope you have the opportunity someday," Didymus said. "He is a most gifted singer."
"Oh, I – well, yes. I mean I have. I mean he is," Sarah stammered, suddenly turning red.
"Why, did His Majesty sing when you were running the Labyrinth, my Lady?" Didymus asked, surprised.
"Yes. A couple of times, actually," Sarah said hesitantly. "Once right at the end, after I left you all in the throne room. And once when – when I got separated from all of you for a while. In the forest."
"Hey yeah, you never did tell us what happened then, Sarah," Hoggle spoke up.
"Yeah," Ludo chimed in.
Sarah hesitated. She had never told anyone about her ballroom dream. "Well, I took a bite of the peach, and then it was like I was trapped…trapped in some kind of dream," Sarah said slowly.
"What was the dream like?" Didymus asked.
"I was in a ballroom. I had this long white dress on…it was actually really beautiful," Sarah said. "The ballroom was beautiful too. There were all these dancers, and crystals were hung all over the room. But I was so confused. I knew I was looking for something, but I couldn't remember what it was," Sarah said.
"The Crystal Ballroom," Didymus said softly.
"It's a real place?" Sarah asked incredulously.
"It was," Didymus said mysteriously.
"Then what happened?" Hoggle asked at the same time. Sarah wanted to press Didymus further, but she answered Hoggle instead.
"Well, I realized that I was trapped inside of a crystal. So I picked up a chair and just kind of smashed my way out," Sarah said. She knew she was glossing over the details, but she couldn't help wanting to keep some of the dream private.
Didymus looked impressed. "Well done, my Lady," he said admiringly. "Crystal illusions can be very convincing."
"It was," Sarah admitted. "It nearly made me run out of time." Hoggle grunted and looked grim.
"Sawah bwave," Ludo commented proudly.
"I don't know if brave is really the right word for it, but thanks anyway Ludo," Sarah smiled.
"Will you sing us the song from your dream, Lady?" Bumper asked plaintively. "We love new songs."
"Oh, I don't know – I'm not really much of a singer," Sarah protested. Suddenly she wasn't even sure she could remember the words, though she could remember they were full of romance. She hummed a little to herself. The melody came back to her as an echo, sweet and soft. Surprised, Sarah looked up and realized that they were approaching something like a canyon, with a silvery ribbon of river running through the middle of it. The stony walls of the canyon were silver, and even the green leaves of the nearby trees and grasses had a silvery glow.
"My Lady, do you hear the music?" Didymus asked, uncharacteristically quiet. "We have reached the Silver Ravine."
Back at the Castle Beyond the Goblin City, Jareth was busy feeling thoroughly disgusted with himself. He had returned to the castle to deal with his royal duties, but truth be told he hadn't been able to think of anything but the little ragtag group and their quest all day long. Over and over again, he would start to focus on a task, then find his mind wandering. Before he knew it, he had formed a crystal and was peering inside for a glimpse of Sarah. As soon as he realized what he was doing, he would throw the crystal at the wall and watch as it smashed into a million pieces, much to both the alarm and the delight of the nearby goblins. Jareth threw himself down into his throne and ran his fingers through his hair until it stood on end, shaking his head in frustration.
"Oh, I'm a disaster," he groaned, resting his forehead in his hand, when suddenly he heard a voice.
"King?" One of his goblins was tugging on the edge of his cape.
Jareth peered at the goblin. "Yes, Nix, what do you want?"
"Um. Are you okay?" Nix asked.
"Why do you ask?" Jareth replied stiffly.
"Oh, um…no reason," Nix said hurriedly "You know, just maybe the groaning and the yelling and the hair ruffling. And that," he said, pointing at the pile of crystal shards in the corner of the throne room. A few other goblins crept up to the throne and nodded anxiously in agreement.
Jareth groaned again and waved his hand. The pile of shards was gone. He looked down at the worried goblins now gathered around his throne.
"Are all of you really worried about me?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes King!" they chorused. "What's wrong?"
Jareth sighed. "Oh, my fine fellows. Nothing is wrong. It's just been a long day. Now go on and let me have some peace this evening." He tried to say this last part gruffly, but he was rather touched at his goblins' concern for him.
"Okay King, whatever you say," the goblins agreed, even though a few hesitated. Jareth smiled slightly and tossed a crystal in the air above them. It burst in the air, turning into a rain of candy.
"YAAAAAAY!" the goblins yelled, catching the candy midair and crawling on top of one other. They all rushed out of the room with their prizes to go enjoy and celebrate the favor of their King and leave him in the peace and quiet he had asked for.
As the goblins dispersed, Jareth said to himself. "What's wrong? I've just gotten my hopes up, that's all." He was tired. It had been a trying day and there was always that nagging little power drain from reordering time for Sarah's family. He thought about the Crystal Ballroom he remembered from his youth, filled with dancers and festivities of all kinds. He thought about long nights spent dancing with others of his kind, laughing and talking. He thought about Sarah in a white dress.
Sighing, he formed one more crystal. This time he allowed himself watch for a moment. The scene inside was all silver.
"The Silver Ravine," he murmured, peering more closely. "Well done."
Suddenly he sat up quickly. He had noticed something in the corner of the image.
"Wait, Sarah – it's a trap!" he cried to the empty room.
Sarah was utterly transfixed by the landscape around them. In the late afternoon sun, the very ground and rocks they stood on seemed to sparkle and glow in silvery shapes. Beautiful shimmery green and purple flowers had popped up everywhere she looked, and as they got closer to the edge of the ravine she was fascinated by the silvery water rolling beneath them.
"It's so beautiful," she sighed happily.
"It is indeed, my Lady," Didymus agreed heartily. "I must say, I have often heard of this place, but this is my first time to see it with my own eyes. The descriptions have not done it justice, isn't that right, Ambrosius?" Even Hoggle was gazing around in awe.
"Sir Didymus, does anyone live in the ravine?" Sarah asked.
"Not that I know of, my Lady," he replied. "Though it has great beauty, there is nothing here that is edible, and the water below is not safe."
"Why not?" Hoggle asked, confused.
"There are rumors that unfriendly creatures live in the water, my brother," Didymus answered. "Of course, I would not be afraid to fight such creatures, but on a daily basis it might make living here somewhat challenging."
"I'll say!" Hoggle snorted.
"If no one lives here, then where is the music coming from?" Sarah asked. She still heard the melody she had hummed echoing back to her faintly, along with other delicate strains that the wind seemed to catch and bring to her ears.
"I do not know, my Lady," Didymus said. "Perhaps the winds as they blow through the ravine form a melody?"
"No, that's not it," Hoggle said, unsatisfied. "Plus, don't ya think it's louder over there? Like it's comin' from that direction?"
Sure enough, when Sarah turned her head the way Hoggle indicated, it did seem like she could hear the song a bit clearer.
"Yeah, that's definitely it!" Hoggle said enthusiastically. He began to walk toward the music, his eyes wide. He hopped off of the traveler's path and began climbing over the silvery rocks.
"Wait a minute, Sir Hoggle," Didymus called after him. "I don't believe we are supposed to leave the path."
"That's the wrong way!" Bumper and Stumps cried, waving the map. Hoggle kept going.
"Hoggle!" Sarah cried, alarm in her voice. He was far from them now, clambering over rocks. Sir Didymus began to chase after him on Ambrosius.
"Hoggle!" he cried. "Come back to the path!"
Sarah saw the cord just as it was too late. Before she could even cry out, Hoggle had triggered the trap, and he and Sir Didymus were caught in a silvery net high above the rocks.
"Oh no!" Sarah cried, clutching Ludo's paw. "What do we do now?"