Part Two
"The females of all species are most dangerous when they appear to retreat."
The 'something' presented itself a few hours later. Sarah, resigned to her temporary fate, had curled up in one of the spacious window seats overlooking the Goblin City with a good book and a cup of tea. The story was good, but today it wasn't holding her attention too well, and she let her thoughts wander. She idly watched the bustling crowds of goblins below her.
Her eyes drifted from rooftop to rooftop and then along the wall of the city itself...and suddenly snapped back to the rooftop just below her window. It was about a twenty foot drop...but about three feet below the window was a ledge, and about eight feet down another ledge...which would make the drop to the rooftop about nine feet...that wasn't really so bad...if she was very careful...
Jareth's dream...*Oh, come on. It was just a dream; even Jareth was going to dismiss it until I annoyed him.* A flash of frustration flared at the thought-*it wasn't like I did anything wrong! I was just...expressing concern! Of course, I did provoke him-but by that token, he provoked me too! Why didn't he just tell me in the first place?! He had no real cause to lock me in here.* She nodded firmly to herself, mind made up. Right then.
She glanced all around the hallway-no one in sight. Well, what was she waiting for? She'd be back by sunset anyway.
Carefully, she sat on the edge of the window and set her feet on the ledge. Good. It was firm. She hoped the second ledge was too...she wouldn't exactly get a chance to test it. She smoothed her hair back nervously, glad she'd opted for practical clothes today-forest green pants, a light green tunic, leather vest and boots, and her hair was pulled up out of her face. *I would look much more silly dangling here in a dress...not to mention much less decent...*
She sat on the rocky outcropping, feet hanging off into space, and suddenly the rooftop looked MUCH farther away than it had from her safe window...well, no going back now...
She turned slowly, grasping the ledge with her hands, and carefully allowed her body to suspend out into space. Stretched to her full length like this, the second ledge was only about two feet below her feet. And if she missed it when she fell...*it might make me a bit sore for a few days,* she thought dryly, ignoring the fact that if she missed she might well not feel anything. Ever. Again.
With a deep breath, Sarah willed her fingers to let go-
-she fell, scraping against the rough stone wall and then-
-her foot hit the ledge below, she scrambled for purchase with her other foot, and her hands clawed at the wall-
-with a sickening lurch, she felt gravity claim her body, her foot missed the ledge and banged painfully on a smooth stone beneath it-
-beneath it?!-
-and with a scream, she toppled and plunged into the empty air-
-and felt a harsh jolt in her shoulder as her fingers caught the passing ledge.
Sarah found herself dangling by one hand over the remaining space above the rooftop, sporting scraped shins and fingers and a large bruise on her left foot, but alive nonetheless!
With a gasp, she closed her eyes and let herself drop the remaining distance-only a few feet-and came to a jarring landing on the rooftop.
She sat there, stunned for a minute, then gave a shuddering breath of relief. I should have used the pendant, she thought, but then Jareth would have known I was using it, wouldn't he? And besides, once I was falling...I didn't even think about it. I didn't think at all. Well, I certainly have no intention of doing that again.
A few minutes later, she was on the ground (Oh, sweet, wonderful, glorious ground!) and making her way through the shadows of the Goblin City streets toward Hetta's house.
"The couch, eh?" Jareth raised an amused eyebrow at the dwarf.
"Well, sir, she's just a bit upset at ye, she'll come around by the end o' the day. Women is always like that." Hoggle shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't really afraid of Jareth anymore, but he was still the King-and Hoggle's commander-and therefore Hoggle was duty-bound to answer his questions. Even when the questions were of a sensitive nature-and Sarah was definitely a delicate subject between Hoggle and Jareth.
"What else did she tell you, then, Hogbrain?"
"Hoggle."
"Yes."
"Well, nothin' really. Just a lot o' ranting an' then asked me about Hetta and how were we all doin'."
"I see. You may go back to your duties, Hoggle, I won't detain you further."
"Uh. Yeah, thanks." Hoggle bobbed his head and made his way out of the chamber. "My duties. Gotta see to them Nightmares," he shuddered a little. "They gets restless sometimes."
Jareth watched him go, and the casual mask faded. He didn't really like confining his wife to the castle, whatever she may think, but the nagging feeling that she was in danger wouldn't leave him. He had scanned the crystal for an hour that morning, searching for a cause to his anxiety-a few fireys were falling to pieces in one of their wild never-ending parties, a snipper-bearer was busy harassing a maze-monster, a few fights among the goblins-but nothing out of the usual. He'd checked on Sarah (reading somewhere) but she seemed fine too. Considerably put out with him, of course-oh, there would be a blazing row this evening, of that he was sure. So then WHAT was bothering him so much? A dream? Really just a simple dream? A dream he'd only had once, to boot. Was he overreacting?
He remembered the sound of Sarah's broken voice, the almost desperate need to get to her, and the sickening flash of pain that had swept over him... Jareth frowned and shook his head like a swimmer resurfacing. No. It wasn't a chance he was willing to take.
He tossed the crystal up and caught it again, staring into its depths...but everything was as it should be...except...
He sat upright in his throne, looking into the crystal with new intensity.
No!
What in the Undergound was *this?*
It couldn't be! There was no way!
It could. There was.
Jareth swore suddenly in every language he knew (which were many) and abruptly the crystal vanished. He surged to his feet, roaring at the top of his lungs. "Guards! Guards! Hoggle! Get in here!" He magically amplified his voice to echo in every corner of the castle and it's grounds, and within minutes the throne room was filled with armored goblins.
"My Lord?" Someone yelled.
"Enemies are flying over the Labyrinth from the south! To arms! Now!" He opened his arms and began to transform into his owl shape - and froze as a cold shadow swept through his body, paralyzing him. He had time for one thought before the darkness claimed him.
Too late.
"The females of all species are most dangerous when they appear to retreat."
The 'something' presented itself a few hours later. Sarah, resigned to her temporary fate, had curled up in one of the spacious window seats overlooking the Goblin City with a good book and a cup of tea. The story was good, but today it wasn't holding her attention too well, and she let her thoughts wander. She idly watched the bustling crowds of goblins below her.
Her eyes drifted from rooftop to rooftop and then along the wall of the city itself...and suddenly snapped back to the rooftop just below her window. It was about a twenty foot drop...but about three feet below the window was a ledge, and about eight feet down another ledge...which would make the drop to the rooftop about nine feet...that wasn't really so bad...if she was very careful...
Jareth's dream...*Oh, come on. It was just a dream; even Jareth was going to dismiss it until I annoyed him.* A flash of frustration flared at the thought-*it wasn't like I did anything wrong! I was just...expressing concern! Of course, I did provoke him-but by that token, he provoked me too! Why didn't he just tell me in the first place?! He had no real cause to lock me in here.* She nodded firmly to herself, mind made up. Right then.
She glanced all around the hallway-no one in sight. Well, what was she waiting for? She'd be back by sunset anyway.
Carefully, she sat on the edge of the window and set her feet on the ledge. Good. It was firm. She hoped the second ledge was too...she wouldn't exactly get a chance to test it. She smoothed her hair back nervously, glad she'd opted for practical clothes today-forest green pants, a light green tunic, leather vest and boots, and her hair was pulled up out of her face. *I would look much more silly dangling here in a dress...not to mention much less decent...*
She sat on the rocky outcropping, feet hanging off into space, and suddenly the rooftop looked MUCH farther away than it had from her safe window...well, no going back now...
She turned slowly, grasping the ledge with her hands, and carefully allowed her body to suspend out into space. Stretched to her full length like this, the second ledge was only about two feet below her feet. And if she missed it when she fell...*it might make me a bit sore for a few days,* she thought dryly, ignoring the fact that if she missed she might well not feel anything. Ever. Again.
With a deep breath, Sarah willed her fingers to let go-
-she fell, scraping against the rough stone wall and then-
-her foot hit the ledge below, she scrambled for purchase with her other foot, and her hands clawed at the wall-
-with a sickening lurch, she felt gravity claim her body, her foot missed the ledge and banged painfully on a smooth stone beneath it-
-beneath it?!-
-and with a scream, she toppled and plunged into the empty air-
-and felt a harsh jolt in her shoulder as her fingers caught the passing ledge.
Sarah found herself dangling by one hand over the remaining space above the rooftop, sporting scraped shins and fingers and a large bruise on her left foot, but alive nonetheless!
With a gasp, she closed her eyes and let herself drop the remaining distance-only a few feet-and came to a jarring landing on the rooftop.
She sat there, stunned for a minute, then gave a shuddering breath of relief. I should have used the pendant, she thought, but then Jareth would have known I was using it, wouldn't he? And besides, once I was falling...I didn't even think about it. I didn't think at all. Well, I certainly have no intention of doing that again.
A few minutes later, she was on the ground (Oh, sweet, wonderful, glorious ground!) and making her way through the shadows of the Goblin City streets toward Hetta's house.
"The couch, eh?" Jareth raised an amused eyebrow at the dwarf.
"Well, sir, she's just a bit upset at ye, she'll come around by the end o' the day. Women is always like that." Hoggle shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't really afraid of Jareth anymore, but he was still the King-and Hoggle's commander-and therefore Hoggle was duty-bound to answer his questions. Even when the questions were of a sensitive nature-and Sarah was definitely a delicate subject between Hoggle and Jareth.
"What else did she tell you, then, Hogbrain?"
"Hoggle."
"Yes."
"Well, nothin' really. Just a lot o' ranting an' then asked me about Hetta and how were we all doin'."
"I see. You may go back to your duties, Hoggle, I won't detain you further."
"Uh. Yeah, thanks." Hoggle bobbed his head and made his way out of the chamber. "My duties. Gotta see to them Nightmares," he shuddered a little. "They gets restless sometimes."
Jareth watched him go, and the casual mask faded. He didn't really like confining his wife to the castle, whatever she may think, but the nagging feeling that she was in danger wouldn't leave him. He had scanned the crystal for an hour that morning, searching for a cause to his anxiety-a few fireys were falling to pieces in one of their wild never-ending parties, a snipper-bearer was busy harassing a maze-monster, a few fights among the goblins-but nothing out of the usual. He'd checked on Sarah (reading somewhere) but she seemed fine too. Considerably put out with him, of course-oh, there would be a blazing row this evening, of that he was sure. So then WHAT was bothering him so much? A dream? Really just a simple dream? A dream he'd only had once, to boot. Was he overreacting?
He remembered the sound of Sarah's broken voice, the almost desperate need to get to her, and the sickening flash of pain that had swept over him... Jareth frowned and shook his head like a swimmer resurfacing. No. It wasn't a chance he was willing to take.
He tossed the crystal up and caught it again, staring into its depths...but everything was as it should be...except...
He sat upright in his throne, looking into the crystal with new intensity.
No!
What in the Undergound was *this?*
It couldn't be! There was no way!
It could. There was.
Jareth swore suddenly in every language he knew (which were many) and abruptly the crystal vanished. He surged to his feet, roaring at the top of his lungs. "Guards! Guards! Hoggle! Get in here!" He magically amplified his voice to echo in every corner of the castle and it's grounds, and within minutes the throne room was filled with armored goblins.
"My Lord?" Someone yelled.
"Enemies are flying over the Labyrinth from the south! To arms! Now!" He opened his arms and began to transform into his owl shape - and froze as a cold shadow swept through his body, paralyzing him. He had time for one thought before the darkness claimed him.
Too late.