A/N: I have to apologize because I posted this chapter once before but I didn't feel like it was quite right and it kept bugging me. I realized what was wrong with it, so I took it down to fix it. ...And totally rewrote it. Ha. Anyway for those of you who read the first version of Ch.10, I hope this is all kinds of better! Oh, also the awesome new character in that chapter will be coming back, so if you liked him, don't worry! He's pretty important, so he'll be returning. Thanks!
Labyrinthlover30: Aw, thanks! ^_^ It makes my day reading your reviews and knowing that what I've written gives happiness to others. I'm glad to hear she's doing so much better! Still lotsa prayers happening over here. Hope you continue to feel better, too! I unfortunately had to see a dr. because my headaches have come back. Turns out it's another severe sinus infection (stuff tends to get trapped up in my sinuses) but the majority of it is just on one side of my head. I'm taking antibiotics right now but if they don't work I'll have to have surgery again. I'm hoping I don't have to because the last one was a beast! Anyway, writing helps distract from the pain, which is great and is something I love doing, so two birds with one stone, yes? XD Anyway! Still plugging along.
Disclaimer: I claim nothing but happiness in being able to share this story. ;)
Blind
Chapter Ten: Preparing a path and making a choice
Jareth returned to the castle beyond the goblin city about an hour after he'd left, though it felt like ages to him. He kept worrying about how much time he'd have left with Sarah. Instead of going to the library, the king went to his study after sending Seth to the oubliette and speaking to La. From one of the top shelves of the bookcase in his study, he pulled an old folded piece of yellowed parchment and opened it against the top of his desk. The complete map of the Labyrinth lay before him. Parts of it moved on the map as it did in real time. Things were different from Sarah's time here, being it was Seth's run. Each runner has their own version of the Labyrinth they must face-which meant Jareth had to study up in order to properly prepare each time. The king stared hard at the map. What else could he do to delay the boy?
He looked over Seth's Labyrinth with calculating eyes. A lake, a valley, and a lone encampment belonging to an old witch named Helga, were amongst the twisting and turning corridors of the maze that filled in everything in between. He frowned. With how the maze was moving, Seth might get to the castle sooner than Jareth had initially anticipated. The lake was the most likely place he'd end up in next. The lake was where, in this situation, the mermaids and the dryads resided. Things could go very well for Seth if the dryads decided to help him. But they were terribly shy, and would probably run at the first glimpse of him.
Good news for Jareth.
The mermaids he might not even be able to speak to. But mermaids are curious to a fault. Should Seth somehow speak to one, the mermaid might just help him, purely for the adventure.
Less than good news.
Jareth contemplated adding to the path placed before the teenager, and in the end he decided on moving the lake, the elderly witch Helga's camp, and the valley in that order, before Seth. He hoped the sly old Witch would be enough to hinder their progress a little longer if the lake wasn't enough. But, only time would tell, and the king would be wise to visit her before moving her land. An angry, occasionally senile sorceress, was hardly the kind of person you want to make angry. Jareth folded the map and put it away on its shelf. He conjured a crystal, dropped it to the ground, and vanished from his study.
Jareth appeared outside a camp comprised of small tents in a semi-circle. A pot bubbled above a fire that burned low at the camp's center, casting up wisps of smoke into the air.
"Helga?" He called.
A rattle of cutlery sounded from inside one of the nearby tents, and an elderly woman with curly white hair in a loose bun, brown eyes, and a healthy dose of wrinkles, bustled out of it. She had a bowl full of recently cut vegetables in one arm, and an old twisted walking stick in the opposite hand. "Jareth!" She croaked happily, her Scandinavian accent lilting her words. "You have not visited in some time!" She looked him over once with a shrewd gaze and her smile fell as she hobbled up to him. "You look thin since last I saw you." Her eyes brightened. "You found your Sarah?" Jareth nodded, but didn't look particularly happy. A frown graced Helga's wrinkled face. "Is that why you are so thin? I do not think she would want a stick for a husband." Helga prodded Jareth's torso with a gnarled finger, clearly disapproving his likeness to a stick.
Jareth went redder in the face than he cared to admit, and cleared his throat, staring stoically at the bubbling pot. "She's not my Sarah, and I very much doubt she wants me for a husband."
The slightly hunched over witch cast him a sly look. "Oh? And how would you know this?" She questioned, dumping the bowl of vegetables into the pot without her eyes leaving Jareth's. "Did you ask her?"
Jareth scowled. "I don't need to. I know she hates me."
Helga chortled. "You shouldn't assume such things." She set the bowl down and shook a finger at him. "I believe she'll come around if given the chance, and if you give the right amount of effort." The old woman added pointedly.
Jareth came to stand across from her at the pot as she started stirring it. "I've been trying to think of what else I can do for her." He said, eyes gazing down at the mix of vegetables. "I'd like to read to her-but I'm afraid if I do, she'll discover I'm Aaron. I'll lose her all over again." Jareth's jaw clenched and he cast a sour look at the soup.
Helga studied her king sadly. "Perhaps. But I think if you do, you'll discover more than you might imagine. It could be well worth the trying-certainly if she shares your affections. You'll never know, unless you try." As the witch said this, she sprinkled herbs into the water and mixed them in. A savory scent wafted up from it and Jareth couldn't help leaning forward a little to smell some more of it. She always made the most fantastic soups.
Jareth came back to the present, and had a dry thought. 'Could.' It was one of those unknown, ever present words. Still, his heart thumped faster in hope at the idea. If he could remind her of their time together at the library while he was Aaron, perhaps she would warm to him sooner. "I suppose…" Jareth said, and Helga smiled at his confirmation.
"Good. Now, what's all this about you wanting to move my camp?" She questioned, and Jareth nodded, unperturbed by her knowledge of the fact. Helga was gifted in foresight, though it wasn't exact. She'd known he was coming, but not exactly when.
"Our new Runner, Seth, will be heading this way over the next hour or two. Stall him as long as you see fit, but not more than two hours-three at the very most."
"You want him to win?" Helga asked, though it was more of a statement, and her already wrinkled brow wrinkled further.
Jareth scowled and his mismatched gaze burned with determination. "I can't take her away from her family, Helga. I won't cause her additional pain. She's suffered more than enough already."
Helga smiled at him, pride of her king glowing in her brown eyes. "I understand. I will be sure to do my best."
Jareth's posture eased. "Thank you, Helga." He twisted his hand before him, a crystal appearing there, and he paused, looking sideways at the pot and Helga. "You'll… save me some of that soup, won't you?"
Helga displayed a sad smile. "I think you will not want it. I will make you some better soup another day." Jareth pursed his lips anxiously at her mention of his next task.
"Of course." He murmured. Jareth would try. He would read to Sarah, and whatever came of it, he would do all he could so that she would be happy. His deception would be a mighty blow to her, now that she'd tentatively begun to trust him. He hoped somehow, someday, she'd be able to forgive him. All he could do was his best, and hope.
Sarah and her friends were laughing at a tale about Didymus and Ludo's training experiences. The two brothers were jointly recounting it when Jareth returned. He sounded cheerful, but there was a hint of anxiousness when he greeted them, and her friends took that as their cue to leave. After a round of hugs and promises to keep in touch, they left. Jareth then proposed an idea that had Sarah in equal parts bewildered and intrigued. "I know you like reading, and I was wondering if you would like me to read to you?" Sarah was unsure, and Jareth must've seen it, for he went on. "I have many stories here not found in your world-perhaps you would like to hear one?" This piqued Sarah's interest at once. Stories from a real fairy tale land? Ones no one in her world even knew about? That was beyond fascinating, and Sarah agreed with a nod.
"What story did you have in mind?"
Jareth's voice held relief in it, and he replied while getting up from his chair beside her. "I think perhaps the Dragon Chronicles? They're actually more of a history book, changed into story form. It's a very interesting read."
Sarah nodded again, this time with a little more enthusiasm. "It sounds interesting!" She agreed, and Jareth's voice was touched by a smile.
"Excellent! I'll go and fetch it." Sarah jumped when he gently took up her hand and laid a softer than silk kiss on the back of it. "I won't be but a moment." He carefully released her hand, and strode with smooth steps towards the books. His footsteps grew quieter abruptly and she recognized it as being the same sound as when someone in the library at home stepped behind a shelf. She listened until the steps faded entirely, and then began imagining what the book would be like. She wondered if the dragons had a monarchy, or were more like tribes. Sarah wondered if they were intelligent beings or more animal, run by instincts and the will to survive. She wondered about many things about the book and its occupants, and all of this made her realize how thirsty she had become, and she remembered her tea from earlier.
It was probably cold now. Scooting forward in her seat, her hands slowly moved toward the low table and she found the edge of it with her wrists. The table was higher than she remembered, and she slid the backs of her hands against the edge until the ends of her fingers could touch it, then slid them up on top of the table. Her cup and saucer she found immediately, and feeling relieved, Sarah lifted them carefully to herself. She discovered that not only was her tea cold, but there was barely a sip left in the cup.
Returning both the cup and saucer to the table, Sarah's hands sought out and found the teapot. It was still hot, and rather heavy. It must have been one of the extra teapots Jareth had had brought in for her friends. The thought made her surprisingly happy, and her heart warmed just a little. He'd been kind enough to not only invite her friends, but to also prepare plenty of food for them. Sarah found herself grateful, too, and she decided she'd thank Jareth again for what he had done for her.
While thinking this, Sarah began filling her cup. The teapot was getting heavy, however, and when she set it down, she hadn't realized how high she'd lifted it. The teapot tilted and fell sideways, the lid coming off. Tea spilled from the top and from the spout, scalding her hands and wrists. Sarah yelped and pulled her hands away, momentarily forgetting about the teapot. She remembered it too late, and reached forward to catch the crystal pot. Her hands brushed the side of it, her hands smacking the table. The teapot fell to the marble floor with a thunderous crash, and crystal teapot pieces and hot tea splayed the floor and her shoes, some splashing onto her jean-covered shins.
The tea soaked right through into the thin material of her worn tennis shoes, getting into her shoes and sinking into her socks. The heat from the tea sank in and was trapped in the confined space, making it that much more painful. Sarah frantically reached down to untie her tennis shoe laces. She worked them off her feet, half unlaced, and discarded the shoes and pulled her socks off. The marble where her feet had been was now covered in crystal shards and tea-something which one of Sarah's toes discovered when she went to put her foot back down. Pulling her feet up onto the seat, Sarah tugged at the hem of her pant legs to keep the fabric from touching her skin. She did this gingerly, avoiding moving her hands too much.
She was thinking of calling Jareth when a familiar collection of sounds came toward her. A padding of paws and clicking of claws, a tongue lolling out and a cold wet snout. It was a dog of some kind, and it was poking her arm with its wet nose, and then it whined.
"Um, Hello." Sarah said to it, not sure what else to do. The dog's breath had a strange scent like water-soaked wood, and it breezed across her face. Whining again, it walked around in front of her. Sarah remembered the mess on the ground and put her arms out to stop the animal. "No, wait!" The dog paused, its odd fur brushing against her hand. The fur felt odd, like dulled wooden toothpicks. Was the dog-made of wood?
Dipping its head down, it licked the palm of her hand as though to reassure her, then nuzzled that same hand and stepped under it. The broken teapot pieces crunched underneath its paws but the dog didn't seem to notice. It settled down to sit before her and sniffed at her feet. The wooden animal began whining again in concern, and very lightly prodded her toes with its nose. "I spilled tea on them." She explained. Sarah's new companion licked her toes but stopped when she hissed in pain. "It's fine! They're fine!" She said in a hurry. It must not have been convinced, because it nuzzled her hand again and rested its head on the seat by her legs. Sarah sat still, listening to it begin to whine again.
It was such a strange animal. Was it Jareth's dog? She had no idea he even liked them. But then, the two hadn't exactly been on speaking terms over the past ten years. If it was his dog, what was it doing here? How had she not met it before when Jareth was present? It seemed like the animal would have come begging for a bite of the cream puffs, if not to be by his master and to inspect the stranger in his home. Had it been asleep? That made sense. It could be that she woke it up when she dropped the teapot.
The wooden ear on the dog popped up, brushing against Sarah's leg. Lifting its head carefully, it turned away from Sarah and barked a short sort of rhythm. Falling silent, it waited with an air of expectancy, and Sarah's eyebrows pulled together in question. What was it doing? It huffed and barked the same rhythm again. Facing Sarah, it then licked her hand as though to reassure her. Swift footfalls sounded, quiet at first, then abruptly louder.
"Guardian, what's-?" Jareth got that far and faltered in his steps. It took half a second for him to take in the situation, and faster than she thought possible, he hurried forward. Guardian moved to the side of her chair and Sarah felt the air before her fill up with a thick mist of magic. The crystal pieces of the teapot scrambled across the marble floor with various tinkling sounds. It sounded like the teapot was piecing itself back together. At last it stopped and the magic faded away.
Sarah burst out apologetically. "Jareth, I'm so sorry-I dropped the teapot when I was trying to get more tea, and-"
"It's just a teapot, Sarah. It's not worth worrying about." Jareth said, and his tone was kind. He lifted the aforementioned pot and set it back down on the table, and beside it he set down something heavy. She could only assume it was the book he'd gone to get for her. "I'm far more concerned about you." He finished seriously. Sarah's heart beat a little faster at his words, and she frowned internally. What was wrong with her?
"Stars above Sarah, you've been burned!" Jareth exclaimed. His voice was heavy with concern, and he at once knelt down at her feet. Sarah's face flooded with color and she attempted to hide her feet from him.
"It's not that bad." Sarah insisted in a rush about her feet, reaching to cover them with her hands. Jareth gently but firmly took hold of her arms beneath the wrists to stop her hands from touching the burns on her feet.
"Sarah, these burns are serious. You need medical attention."
Sarah's stomach sank. "They're that bad?"
"Yes." Jareth hesitated and took a deep breath. "I can heal the burns, if you'll allow me to?" Jareth waited for her response, and at last Sarah nodded her consent-urged on by the pain radiating up her limbs from her injuries. Maybe it really was worse than she thought.
"Ok."
"I'll need to hold your feet one at a time. May I?" He questioned, and Sarah slid one foot forward off of the armchair. "Thank you." He said, and one of his boots tapped the ground when he lifted one knee. Sarah only knew that was what he did because of the shift in the air between them, and how there suddenly seemed to be less of it. With great delicacy he guided her foot to rest just above his knee, where he could inspect it better. "Is that comfortable for you? Or do you need me to move back?"
Sarah shook her head negatively. "It's fine there." Jareth hummed in response and brought his attention back to her foot. His hands were smooth and soft, and a little cool. They were soothing to her poor foot, and Sarah found herself relaxing little by little back into the armchair. "So…" Sarah paused, thoughtfully listening to Guardian's quiet breathing. Had the dog fallen asleep? Jareth's fingers slowed but continued to tend to her foot while she gathered her thoughts. "What exactly is Guardian?"
Jareth worked his fingers up along the side of her foot, pausing at the hem of her pant leg. "Your pants are wet here-did the tea get your legs?"
Sarah nodded. "Yes, just on the front."
Jareth lifted the fabric enough to see the skin beneath and a grimace accompanied his words. "It's burned you there, too. May I roll up the pant legs to get to the burns?"
Sarah nodded once more. "Yes." While Jareth rolled up the stiff fabric, Sarah continued speaking. "So what about Guardian? Is that your dog's name?" Jareth ran his fingers slowly down either side of the burn on her leg, and the heat trapped by the burn beneath her skin began to gradually cool.
Jareth replied quietly, focused on what he was doing. "Guarding is what he does, it isn't his name. It's just what I call him. I don't know what his name is." Jareth's cool hands stopped at the junction where her ankle and shin met and rested on his leg, sort of sandwiching her foot between them. "I grew him from one of the trees in the castle garden; he was made specifically to protect and assist others. His coming to your aid and calling me are no coincidence." Jareth adjusted his hands around the sides of her foot, and it began to cool there, too. "He sensed your distress and came to help and keep you safe."
Sarah's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Why did you make him a guardian?"
Jareth was silent, and he lifted his hands to cool the top of her foot. "I find my people are in need of extra protection when I am not readily available. The guardian is under an enchantment that makes it easier for him to sense when someone's in danger."
Sarah thought on this and asked her next question. "How is it that you don't know his name?"
"He hasn't told me it yet."
Sarah stared in Jareth's direction. "What do you mean? Can he talk?"
Jareth chuckled. "Not in a language you can understand. I can understand the barks and other sounds he makes because I have a connection with him from creating him."
Jareth stopped talking to murmur something under his breath, and he hovered his hands above her foot. It began to itch and cool, irritating and relieving at the same time-which left her feeling a bit odd. Sarah recognized the itch as meaning that her burn was healing, but Jareth must have added the cooling to help lessen the intensity of the itch.
"I tend to let newly born magical beings choose their own names-unless they ask me to name them. Mirra is one who asked me to name her. Tick-Tock, on the other hand, named himself when he was still young. He wishes now that he'd waited a bit longer to do it. Ah, youth." Jareth sighed, amusement woven in his words. Sarah smiled a little at the story. That sounded like Tick-Tock, from what Sarah had gathered of his personality from their first meeting.
"When was the guardian born?"
Jareth hummed. "I'd say he's about a year old, now. He's made of wood, as I'm sure you noticed-I hope you didn't catch a sliver from him?"
At his concerned tone, Sarah hurriedly shook her head in the negative. "No, I didn't get any slivers." She was, however, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of the guardian dog being made of wood.
"That's good." Jareth seemed relieved. "He's supposed to be well polished; though I often catch him rolling around on the ground." He chuckled. "But perhaps that helps smooth away any chances of slivers."
Sarah giggled at this, imagining the guardian rolling about on the ground with his tongue lolling out and looking perfectly pleased with himself. "He's a good dog." She said.
"He is," Jareth agreed, and lifted his hands above her leg. With a slow sweeping motion, he brought his hands down over her leg and foot, almost as though he were scooping snow off of a railing. The coolness evaporated and left her skin tingling and pain-free.
"There. How does that feel?" He asked.
Sarah wiggled her toes experimentally-slowly and with caution at first-and then faster when she discovered the pain was gone. A residual soreness remained, but it felt infinitely better than it had before. "A lot better! Thank you, Jareth."
Jareth's smiling voice-one Sarah was now becoming accustomed to-responded graciously. "Of course, Sarah. I'm glad I can help." Jareth rolled Sarah's pant leg back down and she lowered it carefully to the ground. He went over Sarah's other foot and leg, running through the same process with the same results. Sarah could not begin to express how grateful she was for his help. The burns were more painful than she'd admitted to him in the beginning, and she was glad he had insisted on aiding her. Jareth next worked on Sarah's hands, and while he was finishing up her second one, Sarah haltingly spoke up.
"Jareth, I was wondering about my family," Jareth slowed in working on Sarah's hand and she pressed on. "I was wondering how they're doing. We've been here a while now, and I'm worried about them. Is there any way you can look in on them for me? Please?"
Jareth stopped and lowered Sarah's hand so he was holding it in his on his knee. "Sarah, you need only ever ask." Jareth said, then waved his free hand and Sarah felt the magic appear and form something small. She realized it was a crystal when Jareth held it between them and the magic shifted inside. "Who did you want to look in on first?"
"Toby, then my Dad and Karen, and-" Sarah stopped and shifted in her seat, going a little pink in the face before finishing. "-Aaron, from the library." The air around Jareth grew a bit tenser, but he nonetheless answered.
"Very well." Only a few seconds passed, and Jareth began to describe what he was seeing. "Young Toby is sitting in a mathematics class. He looks healthy-though understandably bored." Jareth said, amused.
Sarah relaxed further into her armchair and smiled. "That's good. Yeah, he's never been a big fan of math." Her smile faded a little when she nodded toward the crystal. "How are Dad and Karen?" The air moved between them as Jareth twisted his wrist again, and the magic seemed to roil on itself before becoming still again.
"Your father is working at his job, and…" He turned the crystal again. "..Karen appears to be making cupcakes. Both of them seem very well." Sarah's shoulders eased and she nodded.
"And Aaron?.." She queried. Jareth was tense again. He replied with the smallest touch of a frown on his lips.
"Just a moment." He said. The crystal was twirled again with his wrist, and Jareth spoke once it had settled. "The library's occupants are fast asleep. They won't wake until you and the boy Seth return."
Sarah looked alarmed. "What? Why is that?"
Jareth explained. "Because it's such a public space, filled with a group that would notice two people disappearing from amongst them. You needn't worry, it's only part of the wishing spell. They will be fine."
Sarah frowned, shaking her head. "But what if someone comes into the library and sees them all asleep?"
Jareth flicked his wrist and the crystal vanished. "No one will." Jareth said, and Sarah began to reply in disbelief when Jareth continued. "Sarah, do you remember how your time here and the time in your world differed? How you spent several hours here, but only a few in your world went by?" He paused until Sarah nodded slowly in understanding. "The same thing is true in this instance. But because of where you and Seth were upon your moment of disappearance, the wishing spell made everyone fall asleep, and adjusted the time here to pass much swifter than where they are. The time here seems to move normally, but in reality we're moving much faster than your world. Only a handful of minutes will go by there." Jareth reassured her. "No one will know you were gone."
Sarah thought on this, feeling a little better, but then remembered Aaron. "But what about Aaron? Was he alright?" Jareth didn't immediately respond, and lifted Sarah's hand to continue healing it.
"Aaron is fine. He has sweet dreams about your angelic smile, I believe." Jareth said matter-of-factly, and Sarah's face blushed all over again.
"R-Really?" She asked timidly, and she felt Jareth's gaze on her face before he chuckled.
"Any man would, Sarah." Jareth began sweetly. "Your smile lights up the hearts of all those who behold it." After having said this, Jareth's free hand swept over the top of hers in almost a caress. She blushed at his words-and might have felt more uncomfortable about the caress-if he hadn't also pulled the pain away with it. "There, your burns are all healed." He murmured, sounding relieved, and he placed his hand atop of hers lightly before cradling it in both of his and speaking to her. "How does it feel? Does it hurt at all?"
Sarah flexed her fingers there on his hand, then lifted her hand carefully to move her wrist and see if any pain remained. Like the other burn sites it was sore, but the pain was gone. "It's amazing," Sarah said. "It feels like I had the burns weeks ago instead of just minutes ago."
Sarah fell into an abrupt silence, feeling suddenly bad about how she had treated him since her arrival. Her reactions to him were perfectly justified considering their history; but in realizing just how much he'd done for her, Sarah discovered she hadn't been fair. He was looking for a second chance now she was there. A chance to show her he was a good man, and she'd been too stuck in the past to accept it.
A lump formed in her throat and pursing her lips, her eyes began to sting. He'd been so kind, and she'd treated him so badly. She swallowed the lump, taking a shaky breath. "I'm so sorry, Jareth. I've been so mean to you, and you've been trying to help me all whole time." Her voice shook despite her efforts to keep herself calm, and her hands moved to cover her trembling lips.
Jareth placed his hands comfortingly on her arms. Sarah found herself relaxing under his touch, and at the same time she broke down even more. An intense, indecisive air came off of Jareth, and his fingers couldn't seem to decide if they wanted to hold her tighter or let her go. "Sarah-" Jareth began and then stopped.
He took a quiet breath and started over. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Sarah." His own voice wavered, and it was so faint that she almost missed it. "After your first visit here, you have every right to be as mean to me as you like." Sarah sniffed and one of Jareth's hands released her only to return with a well made handkerchief. She could feel the intricate design sewn into it as he brushed it against the back of her hand for her to take. In a more cheerful tone, he said. "Here, take this and dab away your tears." It changed so that it bordered on teasingly stern. "I won't have you sad while in my home." Sarah took the handkerchief gratefully and let a small laugh out amongst her tears.
"Thank you-thank you so much for all you've done."
Jareth's soft, kind voice smiled. "Of course, Sarah."
A/N: Hopefully you guys liked the chapter! I like it much more this way than it was previously. Also a moment of unintentional rhyming at one point in this chapter. X'D Also please don't hate me for ending the chapter here. I'll get on the next one asap! It'll either be in Jareth's perspective of this chapter, or part of Seth's continuing journey.
Disclaimer: Just. Nope. Don't own it.