*Well this just gets better and better*
"Aren't you kind of early?" she asked. "I mean it's not like I've really done anything yet." Her torch relit itself revealing a frowning Jareth.
"That's not true," he countered. "You just dealt with a...uh..."
"You don't know what it's called?" Kara said in disbelief.
"I don't think anyone does."
Was she hearing things or did he sound apologetic?
"Well apart from the...whatever...I haven't done anything," she muttered.
"Hmm...well I suppose that's true," he conceded and was gone before she could blink.
"Does he do stuff like that a lot?" she asked the trembling mouse on her shoulder.
"Yes, quite often," she replied.
Kara moved forward resuming the journey at a brisk pace.
"Hey, slow down. You'll throw me off!" complained her tiny passenger.
"Oh...sorry." She slowed a little, but not much. After that thing she had no wish to stay in these caves any longer than she had to. The passage they were now in was lower than the first and she had to crouch low to get through it but it wasn't long before they could see light up ahead.
Yes! Nearly there! She thought.
"Hold on," she told Susan and began to walk faster. They burst forth at the edge of a fairytale forest. The trees were tall and green, Kara couldn't even begin to guess the height of some and there were those that had trunks she couldn't have wrapped her arms around if there had been ten of her. Looking up at the canopy the leaves made just over her head she couldn't imagine the leaves ever turning brown and gold with autumn's descent. The grass beneath her feet was springy and seemed to invite her to lie down and forget everything. Here and there scatterings of wild flowers added splashes of vivid colour to the picture. "It's beautiful," she breathed, drawing the scent of cool, clean air into her lungs. Such a contrast to the city she was used to!
"Isn't it though," said a strong male voice to her right that she didn't recognise. Her back went ramrod straight and she stood there trying to figure out if she should be worried or relieved by that.
"In this place it's hard to say," the voice replied with a barley concealed undercurrent of laughter.
She turned apprehensively to look at him. He was standing under the shade of a tall oak, on her left. It was impossible to see how she had missed him when she emerged from the cave. His blue eyes twinkled with mirth and he crossed his arms and leaned casually against the trunk. His dark hair was slightly long and fell into his eyes and he was wearing breeches and a white flowing shirt opened almost to his waist she noted as her eyes moved over him.
Period drama reject, she wondered.
She was about to open her mouth and say something to that effect but she never got the chance
"Hunter!" squeaked Susan, sounding angry and indignant. Kara blinked twice, but it was the only sign of surprise she gave at a mouse sounding anything. "Why you...you...oh I'm so angry, if I could I'd...I'd bite your nose you big bully!"
This sent the man now identified as Hunter into peals of laughter and Kara was hard pushed not to start grinning herself. It was hard not to find an angry mouse threatening to bite your nose funny.
"What's wrong?" she asked Susan instead.
"He's the reason I was in the caves! He knows I hate it there and he just disappeared and left me!" If mice could pout this one would have been doing so.
Kara arched an eyebrow at Hunter as if to say, 'well'?
Hunter came over and scratched Susan affectionately behind the ear. "I'm sorry Sue, it was a joke! I really honestly meant to get back sooner but..." he paused and shot a glance at Kara before continuing, "something important came up. I am sorry. Do you forgive me?" In response to his little speech Susan bit his finger. He yelled, shaking his hand hard in an attempt to shake her off but she hung on grimly. He began jumping up and down.
"Get her off me! Get her off!"
This time the situation was so comical Kara couldn't control her laughter and collapsed on the ground in a fit of giggles, unable to stop. Susan eventually let go and scurried across the grass to hide behind Kara's shoe. She poked her head over the top long enough to stick her tongue out at Hunter, before ducking back down.
Hunter snarled in Susan's direction and Kara's laughter stopped abruptly, partly because of Hunter's fierce expression and partly because she'd just noticed the two small fangs in his mouth. Her eyes went wide with shock and she emitted a small gasp. He turned to her frowning.
"What's the matter with you?" he demanded.
"You're a vampire?" she said not quite believing it.
"Yes, I am," he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Sorry, it's just...well I've never...we don't really have vampires where I come from," she finished sounding a little lost for the first time since this had all started.
He snorted, "Of course you do, you just don't know it." He smiled mischievously, "In fact I could name a few you would probably recognise." She looked at him, surprise registering on her face for the second time. He laughed.
"Wait a minute, its day light! How come you aren't a pile of dust?" She demanded.
He rolled his eyes, "Is that silly little myth still floating about out there!" He said derisively. "Let's get one thing straight, sunlight, holy objects, silver and stakes through the heart, all the product of deranged authors on earth. Ok?"
Kara simply nodded her head, not really sure what to say to that.
Susan crawled from her hiding place and back up Kara's arm.
"Now do you forgive me?" Hunter asked her.
She sniffed, "I suppose so."
"I'm glad that's settled," said Kara. "I really should get moving again."
"Oh, where are you going?" asked Hunter, suddenly interested.
"To the castle, I have to...uh...save my boss," she answered bashfully. Aware how absurd her quest was.
"Your...boss?" he said slowly, obviously finding that difficult to swallow.
She sighed, "Yes, it's a long story."
Hunter seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, staring at something unseen.
"I think I'll come with you," he announced suddenly. "There forest is no place for unescorted young maidens to be wondering."
Kara just looked at him, slightly bemused and not entirely convinced.
"Its ok, you can trust him," announced Susan, "Even if he is overly fond of bad practical jokes."
Kara shrugged, "Guess I'll take your word for it. Given my current circumstances I don't even see why I should find it strange."
Hunter beamed at them both. "Great, there's nothing better than spending time in the company of two such wonderful girls." He winked.
Kara rolled her eyes. "That's all very well for you, but apparently we have to spend time in the company of a walking cliché!"
Susan laughed. Hunter glowered.
The three of them entered the forest together.
***
In the castle Jareth's boots were making very firm, sharp clicks on the floor of a marbled hall as he strode along it with determination and purpose. He reached a set of double doors and threw them open with a resounding crash. A small hunched goblin fell from its perch on a tall ladder where it been re-shelving the libraries books (not an easy task since the library was fond of changing its shelving system whenever it got depressed which was often - it felt underused as libraries are wont to), landing with a muffled 'oomph!' as all the air went out of its small body.
"Ludovic!" Jareth imperiously summoned the goblin.
It took Ludovic three tries before he could speak. "Yes, your highness?" he enquired politely, still on the floor.
"You know the half snake half cat creature that lives in the Caves of Transition?"
"Why, yes sir, of course," Ludovic was now scrambling to his feet and dusting himself off. He promptly dropped back down to the ground, on his knees this time because he'd lost his glasses when he fell.
"What's it called?" Jareth asked, frowning.
"I...um...it's a...uh...you know, I really have no idea," Ludovic answered pausing his search I a vain effort to think. "I could look in the books though?" He offered helpfully.
"Yes...well...see to it then!" Jareth snapped, tugging at the hem of the silver frock coat he'd put on before coming to the library. The door slammed as he left and Ludovic jumped. A sharp crunching sound informing him he'd just found his glasses.
"Aren't you kind of early?" she asked. "I mean it's not like I've really done anything yet." Her torch relit itself revealing a frowning Jareth.
"That's not true," he countered. "You just dealt with a...uh..."
"You don't know what it's called?" Kara said in disbelief.
"I don't think anyone does."
Was she hearing things or did he sound apologetic?
"Well apart from the...whatever...I haven't done anything," she muttered.
"Hmm...well I suppose that's true," he conceded and was gone before she could blink.
"Does he do stuff like that a lot?" she asked the trembling mouse on her shoulder.
"Yes, quite often," she replied.
Kara moved forward resuming the journey at a brisk pace.
"Hey, slow down. You'll throw me off!" complained her tiny passenger.
"Oh...sorry." She slowed a little, but not much. After that thing she had no wish to stay in these caves any longer than she had to. The passage they were now in was lower than the first and she had to crouch low to get through it but it wasn't long before they could see light up ahead.
Yes! Nearly there! She thought.
"Hold on," she told Susan and began to walk faster. They burst forth at the edge of a fairytale forest. The trees were tall and green, Kara couldn't even begin to guess the height of some and there were those that had trunks she couldn't have wrapped her arms around if there had been ten of her. Looking up at the canopy the leaves made just over her head she couldn't imagine the leaves ever turning brown and gold with autumn's descent. The grass beneath her feet was springy and seemed to invite her to lie down and forget everything. Here and there scatterings of wild flowers added splashes of vivid colour to the picture. "It's beautiful," she breathed, drawing the scent of cool, clean air into her lungs. Such a contrast to the city she was used to!
"Isn't it though," said a strong male voice to her right that she didn't recognise. Her back went ramrod straight and she stood there trying to figure out if she should be worried or relieved by that.
"In this place it's hard to say," the voice replied with a barley concealed undercurrent of laughter.
She turned apprehensively to look at him. He was standing under the shade of a tall oak, on her left. It was impossible to see how she had missed him when she emerged from the cave. His blue eyes twinkled with mirth and he crossed his arms and leaned casually against the trunk. His dark hair was slightly long and fell into his eyes and he was wearing breeches and a white flowing shirt opened almost to his waist she noted as her eyes moved over him.
Period drama reject, she wondered.
She was about to open her mouth and say something to that effect but she never got the chance
"Hunter!" squeaked Susan, sounding angry and indignant. Kara blinked twice, but it was the only sign of surprise she gave at a mouse sounding anything. "Why you...you...oh I'm so angry, if I could I'd...I'd bite your nose you big bully!"
This sent the man now identified as Hunter into peals of laughter and Kara was hard pushed not to start grinning herself. It was hard not to find an angry mouse threatening to bite your nose funny.
"What's wrong?" she asked Susan instead.
"He's the reason I was in the caves! He knows I hate it there and he just disappeared and left me!" If mice could pout this one would have been doing so.
Kara arched an eyebrow at Hunter as if to say, 'well'?
Hunter came over and scratched Susan affectionately behind the ear. "I'm sorry Sue, it was a joke! I really honestly meant to get back sooner but..." he paused and shot a glance at Kara before continuing, "something important came up. I am sorry. Do you forgive me?" In response to his little speech Susan bit his finger. He yelled, shaking his hand hard in an attempt to shake her off but she hung on grimly. He began jumping up and down.
"Get her off me! Get her off!"
This time the situation was so comical Kara couldn't control her laughter and collapsed on the ground in a fit of giggles, unable to stop. Susan eventually let go and scurried across the grass to hide behind Kara's shoe. She poked her head over the top long enough to stick her tongue out at Hunter, before ducking back down.
Hunter snarled in Susan's direction and Kara's laughter stopped abruptly, partly because of Hunter's fierce expression and partly because she'd just noticed the two small fangs in his mouth. Her eyes went wide with shock and she emitted a small gasp. He turned to her frowning.
"What's the matter with you?" he demanded.
"You're a vampire?" she said not quite believing it.
"Yes, I am," he said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Sorry, it's just...well I've never...we don't really have vampires where I come from," she finished sounding a little lost for the first time since this had all started.
He snorted, "Of course you do, you just don't know it." He smiled mischievously, "In fact I could name a few you would probably recognise." She looked at him, surprise registering on her face for the second time. He laughed.
"Wait a minute, its day light! How come you aren't a pile of dust?" She demanded.
He rolled his eyes, "Is that silly little myth still floating about out there!" He said derisively. "Let's get one thing straight, sunlight, holy objects, silver and stakes through the heart, all the product of deranged authors on earth. Ok?"
Kara simply nodded her head, not really sure what to say to that.
Susan crawled from her hiding place and back up Kara's arm.
"Now do you forgive me?" Hunter asked her.
She sniffed, "I suppose so."
"I'm glad that's settled," said Kara. "I really should get moving again."
"Oh, where are you going?" asked Hunter, suddenly interested.
"To the castle, I have to...uh...save my boss," she answered bashfully. Aware how absurd her quest was.
"Your...boss?" he said slowly, obviously finding that difficult to swallow.
She sighed, "Yes, it's a long story."
Hunter seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, staring at something unseen.
"I think I'll come with you," he announced suddenly. "There forest is no place for unescorted young maidens to be wondering."
Kara just looked at him, slightly bemused and not entirely convinced.
"Its ok, you can trust him," announced Susan, "Even if he is overly fond of bad practical jokes."
Kara shrugged, "Guess I'll take your word for it. Given my current circumstances I don't even see why I should find it strange."
Hunter beamed at them both. "Great, there's nothing better than spending time in the company of two such wonderful girls." He winked.
Kara rolled her eyes. "That's all very well for you, but apparently we have to spend time in the company of a walking cliché!"
Susan laughed. Hunter glowered.
The three of them entered the forest together.
***
In the castle Jareth's boots were making very firm, sharp clicks on the floor of a marbled hall as he strode along it with determination and purpose. He reached a set of double doors and threw them open with a resounding crash. A small hunched goblin fell from its perch on a tall ladder where it been re-shelving the libraries books (not an easy task since the library was fond of changing its shelving system whenever it got depressed which was often - it felt underused as libraries are wont to), landing with a muffled 'oomph!' as all the air went out of its small body.
"Ludovic!" Jareth imperiously summoned the goblin.
It took Ludovic three tries before he could speak. "Yes, your highness?" he enquired politely, still on the floor.
"You know the half snake half cat creature that lives in the Caves of Transition?"
"Why, yes sir, of course," Ludovic was now scrambling to his feet and dusting himself off. He promptly dropped back down to the ground, on his knees this time because he'd lost his glasses when he fell.
"What's it called?" Jareth asked, frowning.
"I...um...it's a...uh...you know, I really have no idea," Ludovic answered pausing his search I a vain effort to think. "I could look in the books though?" He offered helpfully.
"Yes...well...see to it then!" Jareth snapped, tugging at the hem of the silver frock coat he'd put on before coming to the library. The door slammed as he left and Ludovic jumped. A sharp crunching sound informing him he'd just found his glasses.