Of Diviners and Goblins
Chapter V
By Sailor Northstar
Disclaimer: Um, any Forgotten Realms characters you run into in this chapter don't belong to me. Labyrinth doesn't belong to me. Galadrea and Anshii and this story do, though. Enjoy!
Nightime fell over the walled town of Nesme, and the majority of it's residents slept quietly, safe in the knowledge that their defenders, the Riders, would protect them. Yet, one resident's sleep was disturbed, but the danger that was disturbing her was not one that was easily defeated.
Moaning, she felt his arms tighten around her waist in anger once again. Her breathing coming faster, her heart rate increasing, the sleeper twisted underneath the rough linen blanket. Again, she felt his hand on her bare shoulder, gently massaging the soreness out of the bruised muscle. Her hands unconsciously curled into fists and the blanket wound tighter around her. Struggling, with a final moan, the sleeper awakened.
Sitting up, Galadrea was startled to find herself alone in her room. Fallen back into the soft bed, she closed her eyes and muttered several various, and imaginative, opinions of Jareth's ancestry and personal habits. Damn him to the lowest level of the Abyss! This is his idea of payback, the miserable bastard! Realizing that she wasn't going to get any sleep any time soon, Galadrea rose and began getting dressed. As she did so, an evil thought gripped her, and her lovely mouth curled in a vindictive grin. Grabbing her bags, she headed out the room's door.
If I can't get any sleep, then HE isn't going to get any either!
Upon leaving Galadrea to her rest, Jareth had returned to his own chamber feeling very pleased with the results he had gotten. Didn't I warn you about payback, my dear? he silently asked Galadrea. Chuckling at the thought of what Gala's dreams were going to put her through tonight, the Goblin King prepared for sleep himself.
Later that night, or rather, insanely early that morning, Jareth was awakened by the vibrations of several forceful beatings on his door. Grumbling and vowing revenge on who-so-ever had the nerve to disturb his sleep, Jareth stumbled over to the door and opened it. He needn't have bothered. Just as he reached the door, it flew open and Galadrea fairly skipped into his room. Before he could form the barest question, she was talking.
"GOOD MORNING, HANDSOME!" she announced to the entire inn at the top of her voice, in an unholy, cheerful voice. Yet, the expression in her eyes was one of malevolent glee. "Well, come on!" she continued, looking at him quizically as he picked himself up off the floor, having stumbled and falled backwards when she opened the door. "It's almost sunrise, and we've got a long day's ride ahead of us! The farmers are already up, and I've found a second horse, so we can go as soon as you get dressed and get your stuff together. The innkeep is sooooo nice to fix us an early breakfast, eh? See you down there!" And with that, the pretty bundle of misery was gone, skipping down the hall like a child.
As Jareth incredulously stuck his head out into the corridor, he could hear various curses and shouts of those who had also been greeted with Galadrea's early-morning awakening. Shutting the door, Jareth simply stood there for a minute, getting his thoughts in order. Gritting his teeth, he started preparing for the journey.
"I think I'm going to kill her..."
"...I mean, isn't it so relieving to not have to share the same horse?" she asked, as they both headed into the mountains. Again, for about the eighth time in the past 5 hours, Jareth closed his eyes and prayed for the torment to end. Doesn't she EVER shut up?! he asked of whoever happened to be listening. If anyone was, they didn't bother replying.
"Jareth? You okay over there? Is your jaw sore from last night?" she asked, seeming anxious. He responded with a very nasty death glare. Normally, those around him tended to run for the hills when he leveled that type of glare at someone. But not Gala. Oh no, that would have been too normal. Gala smiled back and went back to chattering. Finally, he could take it no more.
"WILL YOU SHUT UP FOR ONE BLOODY MINUTE!?" he shouted at the top of his lungs. Galadrea stopped talking and reined her horse in, letting him come up even with her.
"Gee, I'm sooo sorry, Jareth!" she said in a mocking voice. "I didn't know you woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." The King of the Goblins reached over suddenly and grabbed her chin. Astonished, Galadrea had a brief moment of panic that perhaps she had pushed him too far.
"Let's get one thing straight, MAGE. From now on, no more early awakenings, understand?" Looking into her eyes, Jareth was faintly gratified to see a hint of fear in Gala's liquid gold, bottomless pools. Waiting, he held her head until she barely nodded. "Good. Now that that's settled, let's continue shall we?"
His voice returning to normal, the king held Galadrea's gaze with his own. "Another thing. You deliberatly started that brawl last night in the tavern."
Galadrea broke in, "You enjoyed it!"
"In hindsight, I now realize that it was one of the most stupid things I've ever done. I should have let you get pounded. I won't make the same mistake again. Should you ever, and I mean EVER, do something like this again, I will personally tie you up, throw you over a horse, and get directions from someone else," he said, his eyes narrowing as he assumed his cold, aloof and arrogant mask again. Galadrea gulped and nodded, her eyes never leaving his. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until Gala could bear it no more. Flushing, she lowered her gaze to the road.
With a stiff, yet elegant gesture, the King of the Goblins motioned Galadrea foward. As they continued on, Jareth was pleased with the way things had turned out. The infernal woman was finally learning some respect for him. It felt good to be in control again. Then, as if to mock him, the sky opened up in torrential fury.
For some reason, he suddenly had the feeling that someone somewhere was laughing at him...
The rain continued on through the day and then into the night. Inside the magical shelter, Galadrea and Jareth stayed as far away from each other as they could. Gala was in the midst of a sulk worthy of the Goblin King, while said king was going nuts from not being able to translate a new spell. Several times he looked over at Galadrea as if to ask something, but then thought better of it.
Gala on the other hand was well aware of Jareth's difficulties. Hiding her pleasure at his frustration, she continued to pretend to sulk. It was as if the friendly companion she had started out with had disappeared to be replaced by the snot-nosed, handsome, cruel devil who had taunted her throughout her time in the Labyrinth. Let him suffer, she thought. Why should it be any easier for him to grasp spells than it was for me?
The tense silence dragged on for the rest of the night. The next morning was thoroughly miserable. Both of the companions were cranky, and the foul weather wasn't helping. As they plodded along on their mounts, they kept their heads covered with their cloaks, hiding their eyes from each other. Finally, the silence became more than Galadrea could bear.
"We're almost there, your majesty," she said tonelessly, pointing at a rock face that had the form of a dragon engraved upon it. Underneath the dragon was a harp and a crescent moon.
Jareth flinched at the return to formal titles, and wondered why. It used to make him furious when Gala said his name, but now it was reversed. Why? And why did he miss the strange truce they had struck in that shelter several nights ago? Hiding his confusion, he reached out and touched the harp and moon engraving. "What do they mean?" he asked, putting as much mockery in his tone as possible. Galadrea didn't even turn towards him.
"Anshii's personal symbol is a silver dragon in flight. The harp-and-moon insignia under it is the crest of the Harpers, a semi-secret force for good in the Realms. Anshii is one of their number." Galadrea could feel Jareth's inquisitive gaze boring into her back.
"A silver dragon?" he asked, cruel amusement in his voice. "Isn't that a little arrogant for an offworlder, who has only been studying magic for, how long? Two years? Who does she think she is?" Jareth said, scorn creeping into his velvety voice.
Gala frowned, then a slight grin graced the corner of her mouth. "Oh, if she's around, you'll find out. She has an almost inborn ability for magic, which gives her a great head start on most mages."
The King frowned in thought. Wondering what he was thinking, but still upset with him, Gala turned away and nudged her mare onwards. As they came through a gap, Jareth caught his breath in wonder. A brilliant green valley stretched out before them, and there, not even a mile away, was a bustling village. Automatically letting his horse follow Gala's, he turned his attention back to the valley, which reminded him strangely of the valley that held the Tower of Illumination.
Turning his gaze back to Gala, he was on the verge of asking if the village was their destination when she suddenly turned her horse off the road and into the forest. Swearing under his breath at her sudden change in direction, he followed, and found himself on a well-hidden path.
"We're almost there," Gala said, her voice relaxed and friendly. She had stopped her mare and was looking back at him, a strange expression on her face. Jareth, still annoyed with her, missed the expression, and wondered about Gala's sudden change in tone. An alarm bell went off in his head.
Uneasy, Jareth allowed Galadrea to continue to lead, and soon they found themselves in an idyllic forest clearing. A pretty cottage, with an elegant and well-manicured garden, sat in the middle. Galadrea dismounted, and Jareth followed suit. Together they led their horses into the clearing, Galadrea stopping to lightly tap a small stone ornament. Distantly, his mind identified it as Earth- oriental. A strange feeling came over him and he took a closer look at the garden. A word whispered itself into his consciousness as his stomach suddenly dropped. Zen.
As if on cue, a huge shadow fell over the clearing. Both of the horses went crazy, and it was all Jareth could do to keep a hold of the reins. Looking up, he watched in growing horror as a huge silver dragon swept down into the clearing. Jareth looked over to see if Galadrea was okay, and was amazed to see that she had complete control over her mare and was actually waving and smiling at the dragon. Something about this isn't right, Jareth thought. Just as he thought he couldn't get any more confused, another strange thing happened.
The majestic silver beast began to shudder, and to Jareth's astonishment the dragon began to shrink in size. As it got smaller, the features began to take on a human shape, and suddenly the pieces all fell together. "Good gods..."he whispered as the transformation ceased, revealing an almost heart-wrenchingly familiar figure. Glancing over at him, Galadrea smirked.
"Jareth, King of the Goblins, allow me to introduce to you my friend and old travelling companion, Anshii Martin. Anshii, the guy gawking at you is--"
"The ruler of the Underground and the Labyrinth," Anshii replied, her voice soft, yet carrying in the dead stillness of the glade. Recovering, Jareth looked Anshii over. No, it wasn't who he thought it was, though she very much resembled HER. As if reading his mind, Which she probably is,Anshii continued.
"No, I am not my cousin," she said, a sad smile gracing her pretty features. Jareth realized that Anshii couldn't have been a year older than Galadrea. To further add to his shock, Anshii was dressed in a pair of faded jeans with a t-shirt underneath a letter-jacket. A letter jacket for god's sake! he thought. As he began making comparisons between Her and Anshii, he realized that they were not as much alike as Anshii had seemed at first. For one thing, Anshii was quite short, and slightly heavyset. Her hair was dark brown and frizzy, kept under control by a tie at the back of her neck. Pretty, but not really anything special. And the aura of magical power she exuded...
Galadrea and Anshii shared a glance, and waited for Jareth to come out of his daze. Galadrea chuckled at Jareth's discomfort, and wondered what he was thinking. Anshii suddenly grinned and walked right up to Jareth.
"Sarah told me all about you, Jareth," she said, holding out her hand. Absently, Jareth took it. "Well, come on in and have something to eat. Then, I'll see what I can do to help you," Anshii said as she motioned towards the cottage.
Coming out of his daze, Jareth pelted Anshii with questions. "For one thing, how come you are still alive? Sarah's been...gone...for almost a full century now. Yet, you're still alive. How..." Jareth's voice faded off as Anshii leveled a serious look at him.
"When I was somehow transported to Toril, I was not only sent through the dimensions, but through time as well," she said, putting down her glass. "Sarah and I were quite close, sharing the same taste in books and other things. It was only natural for her to tell me everything that happened. But one thing, how did you get caught up with this rake, Gala?" she said, leaning forward on the table, a pleased smile on her face.
While Jareth tried to find a suitable response, Galadrea jumped in. "Well, I was at the final stage of my research project, Indros interrupted me. I lost my concentration and the spell backfired. I was so angry at the loss of two whole years worth of research that I wished that goblins would come and take him away so that I could get some work done." Galadrea's voice became suddenly dry and amused. "Imagine MY surprise when it actually worked."
"Surprised?!" Jareth finally got out. "You hit me in the jaw, and nearly fried my head!" he exclaimed angrily. Then, he turned to Anshii as if begging for sympathy. "This BRAT then proceeded to destroy the front gates to the Labyrinth, and nearly demolish the goblin city!"
Gala broke in, "It wasn't my fault, Your Majesty! It was YOU who sent the entire goblin army to chase me around the city. I just defended myself!" the young mage complained.
"Yeah, with plenty of fireballs you did! You incinerated a good portion of my army!" Jareth returned quickly. Anshii looked back and forth between the two as they leaned over the table at each other. Quietly amused, the master diviner let the two go on arguing for another few minutes, before she began to chuckle.
"So you two, when's the wedding?" she asked, before laughing again. Aghast, Galadrea and Jareth looked at each other, then back at Anshii, then at each other again.
"She's lost it," was Galadrea's conclusion.
Jareth nodded, and both gazed at Anshii until she calmed down again. "I'm sorry, but you two just seemed to resemble a married couple," was her excuse. It was all she could do to keep her laughter under control as both Gala and Jareth leveled Death Glares at her. Shaking her head, Anshii continued.
"As much as I enjoy the visit you two, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help you. Jareth, your power was taken away by an avatar, and not just any avatar, but the avatar of Mystra, goddess of all magic none the less," she said, noticing the despair that settled over Jareth's sharp features.
"But Anshii, there must be something that can be done," Gala remarked, while Jareth sank back in his chair in despair. Anshii held up her hand.
"Now now, you two! Don't lose hope. I said that there wasn't anything I MYSELF could do. Though I follow Mystra, and am a member of the Harpers, I'm pretty low on the totem pole. To get your powers back, you'd probably have to go to one of the Seven Sisters," the little diviner replied.
"The Seven Sisters? But no one knows who they are!" exclaimed Galadrea, while Jareth sat forward, a look of deep concentration on his face.
"Anshii, anything you could give me would be helpful," he said softly, turning all of his charm on her. Anshii put up an eyebrow, and thought to herself that Sarah had been right. The King WAS a charmer.
"Save it for your victims, Jareth," she replied wryly. "Your charms won't work on me. If you would give me a minute, I was going to tell you the name of one of the sisters you might consult. You have two choices. You can choose to venture to the kingdom of Aglarond, far to the northwest, and consult the Symbul, a woman of almost unlimited magical power. She is the most involved with the plots of the goddess. However, Lady Alustriel, the ruler of Silverymoon, which is only about three day's ride from here, is far more approachable, and the odds are you'll be able to get in touch with her easily. The Symbul tends to dissappear for years on end, caught up in Realm-spanning plots.
All in all, I would suggest Alustriel. She and I have had our differences, but she is, in my opinion, your best option. As one of those with the direct ear of Mystra, the ruler of Silverymoon will be the most sympathetic."
Silence reigned for several minutes as both Jareth and Galadrea chewed on the information that Anshii had provided. Before either could speak, a soft rap came on the front door. "Yes, its open!" Anshii called, and two figures entered. One was a tall, statuesque, auburn haired woman, who wore a traveling cloak and a sword. Her companion was shocking to say the least. Galadrea's face twisted in disgust.
"A Drow!"
To her surprise, Galadrea found herself forced back into her seat by Anshii. "Gala! You will mind your manners in my house," Anshii said, levelling a deadly glare at her friend. Jareth sat back to observe. Anshii turned back to the couple, the auburn-haired woman having placed her hand on her sword. The drow elf just stood there, a stoic expression on his face. Anshii smiled.
"Drizzt, Cattie-brie, it's good to see you! I'm sorry about my friends rudeness, but she rarely leaves her valley sanctuary," she said, a small sad smile on her face. Drizzt's expression cleared and he smiled, transforming his face from deadly to playful. So THAT'S a black elf, Jareth thought. He had been wondering about the strange, dark race of underground elves that he had found mentioned in some old tomes. The woman's face relaxed, but her hand stayed near her sword.
"It's not a problem, Anshii, I'm used to it. I suppose it is quite startling for those who haven't seen me before," the elf replied, casually pulling up a seat.
"Suren we be need'n yer advice, Anshii," the woman, Cattie-brie spoke, also taking a seat beside Drizzt. Galadrea finally got her breath back.
"Drizzt? As in Drizzt Do'Urdan and THE Cattie-brie, only daughter of King Bruenor, ruler of Mithril Hall?" she gasped, awe plain in her voice. Drizzt and Cattie-brie exchanged an amused look, though Cattie-brie, the king noticed, couldn't have been any older than Anshii.
"Yes, Gala, these are the two you couldn't stop asking me about," Anshii replied, amusement in her voice. "Drizzt, Cattie-brie, this is Galadrea, a fellow diviner from the Tower of Illumination. The man sitting over here is Jareth, her travelling companion."
"Pleased to make your aquaintances," Drizzt said, warmth and curiosity apparent in his voice. Galadrea didn't respond, lost in the haze of hero worship as she was.
Jareth nodded. "A pleasure," he said, smiling a bit. Standing up, he walked over and tapped Galadrea on the head. "Well? Wake up," he said, exasperation tinged with amusement in his voice.
"Huh? Oh! Right! Sorry," Gala said, smiling ruefully. She also stood up, and turned to Anshii. "Thank's for your help, Anshii. We've got to get going. The sooner we solve HIS problem, the more peace and quiet I'll get!" she said, twitching her head at Jareth. In response, Drizzt, Cattie-brie, and Anshii smiled, amused. "It was a real honor getting to meet the two of you," Gala finished, breathlessly as Jareth almost dragged her out of the cottage.
"Good luck, you two!" Anshii called, waving. Total silence reigned inside the cottage after the two had left. Drizzt cocked his head as if listening to something. Anshii and Cattie-brie looked at him questioningly. Drizzt suddenly grinned madly, and then blushed.
"My, that's quite a vocabulary your diviner friend has Anshii!" Laughter broke out amongst them, and lasted for a long, long time. Fortunately, neither Jareth or Galadrea heard them.
Oh! Can I stay and talk to Drizzt? I'm a huge fan of his!