Firstly Happy Birthday Mandy!!! I hope this is up to scratch.
Secondly screamin_psiren, good point. I addressed it in this chapter and made a slight amendment to the last. Just for you (^_~)
Lastly, a big, big, big thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers. Where would I be without you guys? Well maybe asleep instead of posting at 5 am to make y'all happy but that wouldn't be any fun now would it. (^_~) Enjoy!
The goblin shrieked and kicked in Hunter's grasp but it was far too small too get close, never mind do any real damage. Hunter looked bored at first but after a minute or so had passed and the goblin was still struggling he gave up on the patient approach and snarled at the goblin, baring his fangs. The goblin stopped what it was doing rather abruptly.
"Much better," Hunter said pleasantly.
Now that the little spectacle was over, Kara emerged from behind the wall, pausing to bend over and retrieve Susan when the frantic squeaks reminded her she was there. She coloured slightly as it dawned on her what it must be like from the mouse every time she and Hunter threw themselves at each other. She must have got crushed in the forest, Kara thought with horror as she placed Susan gently on her shoulder.
"Now," Hunter was saying to the goblin. "We need to get into the city."
"What's that got to do with me?" the goblin demanded.
"You are going to take us in," Hunter answered as if explaining something to a very small child.
"How am I supposed to do that then?" it demanded.
Kara looked at Hunter expectantly.
"You are going to walk with us to the gate and you are going to tell the gate keeper that we have business at the castle and that you are our escort. Is that clear?"
The goblin didn't answer right away so Hunter shook it a little. "Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," it squeaked. "Please let go of me nose!"
Hunter dropped the goblin rather unceremoniously on the road. "If you try anything, you'll be dead before you know what's happening. Do we understand one another?"
"Yes sir," it answered again.
Kara felt almost sorry for it as it scurried to resume its walk, staying a few paces ahead of them.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" She asked Hunter.
He shrugged. "You have to be harsh with goblins otherwise they never do a damn thing you say."
"No?"
"No. They'd just laugh and then maybe hurt you, at the very least they'd torment you."
"Oh," was all Kara could think to say. Hunter took her hand and they followed the goblin in silence to the gates.
"Who's there?" demanded a voice from the top.
"Name's Dill. I'm supposed to escort these two to the castle," he told the gate keeper jerking a thumb back at Hunter and Kara.
"There's three of them," said the gate keeper.
"What?"
"You forgot Susan," Kara whispered.
"Who?" the goblin demanded.
"The mouse. On my shoulder," Kara answered, pointing.
"Oh fine. These three then!" he yelled up to the gate keeper. The gate keeper shrugged and with a metallic shriek the gates began to swing open.
"Come right through!" the gate keeper shouted.
The goblin went through first and Kara shrugged and followed, Hunter in step beside her. Once through they both began to run, leaving the goblin behind.
"Aren't you meant to go with them?" asked the gate keeper.
The goblin shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be fine," he answered and sauntered off in a different direction.
***
Jareth was lounging across his throne when one of the goblins came rushing into the room. Tripping over his own feet he landed in a heap on the floor at Jareth's feet.
"Sir...the girl!"
"What of her?" Jareth enquired, sounding decidedly bored.
"She's through the gates...nearly at the castle!" the goblin answered fearfully.
"Thank god for that!" Jareth exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I was beginning to think she would never get here!"
"Right so I'll gather some troops and we'll..." the goblin trailed off as what his King had said penetrated his brain. "Wait, you don't want us to..."
"No, of course I don't," Jareth said, annoyance plain in his voice. "I can't wait till she gets here and I can get rid of that oaf!" He said, indicating the heap on the far side of the room that was Arron. "Now go away!" He told the rather confused goblin, who quickly scurried out of the room.
***
Kara paused to glance at a clock on the side of a tower, yanking Hunter to a stop beside her. An hour and a half to reach the castle and...well do whatever she would have to do there. An hour and a half before she would leave Hunter.
"What's wrong?" Hunter asked, noting her shield had just been flung up again. Forcing him away from her mind.
"It's nothing," she answered and smiled weakly. "I was just checking the time."
"Oh..." was all that Hunter said.
"Do we have to run?" She asked looking around. "I mean it's not as if anyone is actually trying to stop us."
"No, I guess...I guess there's no sense in rushing," Hunter answered her quietly, something odd flashing in the depths of his eyes. Kara swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away. She began walking and Hunter followed. Susan looked at them both from her perch and said nothing.
They approached the castle and Kara looked at it slightly awed. "It's, its jus...wow," she said unable to find the right words.
Hunter smiled faintly, "You should see where I live," he told her his voice tinged with pride.
Kara glanced at him but didn't say anything. They walked straight through the castle gates and Hunter looked warily around. "Your boss must be a major pain in the ass," he remarked quietly.
"He is," Kara answered with a small shrug.
"So why are you rescuing him?"
Kara shrugged again. "I couldn't leave him. It wouldn't have been right. Fun, but not right."
Hunter nodded, leading her up a long flight of stairs. They passed closed doors and empty rooms. The whole castle was eerily quiet. Half way up the second flight of stairs Kara asked, "Where are we going?"
"Throne room," Hunter told her. "Seems like the logical choice."
"How do you know where the throne room is?" she asked though she suspected she already knew the answer.
"I've been here before," Hunter told her.
He led her up another two flights of stairs and down a long corridor until they found themselves standing outside a set of huge double doors, made of dark wood.
"This is it," Hunter told her. His words sounded chillingly final.
She nodded her head and straightened her shoulders, resolved to walk in and do what she had to do. She was going to kill whoever had given her a conscience. She'd just decided it was their fault. If she didn't have one she would never have come into the Labyrinth and wouldn't be facing saying goodbye to the man she loved. Wait did I just say loved, she thought. Then she smiled sadly. What was the point of pretending she didn't? She'd never believed in love at first sight, nor had she believed people could fall in love in a matter of hours but then she'd never really believed in the Labyrinth in the first place, and here she was. Something in her had been drawn to Hunter from the first and that something was insisting that she shouldn't leave him. Suppressing a sigh she pushed the thought aside. She would save Arron first. Then she'd deal with this.
She took a step towards the door, but Hunter grabbed her arm preventing her from moving. She turned to face him and the kiss was swift and hard. She clung to him, her resolve almost crumbling then and there but he released her. A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips and she stood looking at him bewildered for a moment and finding it incredibly difficult to get her body to turn and walk through the doors to the throne room. Sensing her indecision Hunter took her hand and they approached them together.
Kara reached out with her free hand and pushed at the doors. The swung inwards silently and revealed a marble hall, bare save for the red carpet, sparkling with glitter and an imposing black throne at the far end.
Jareth was lounging across the throne, waiting for them.
Hunter squeezed her hand before wordlessly releasing it. He reached up and Susan scampered from her shoulder to his hand and he moved away from her, indicating she had to do this little bit without them by her side. Kara straightened some more and squared her shoulders. Looking a lot like someone who was about to do battle she walked with purpose to the throne and gazed at Jareth, who remained unfazed. He stared coolly down at her, tapping his riding crop absently against his thigh.
She took a deep breath and said the only thing that would come to mind. "Um...through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...." she began but Jareth cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"There's no need, I've already sent him back." Kara's jaw nearly hit the ground. "How on earth do you get through a day without killing that man? You really should have let me turn him into a goblin, you know or at least I could have tossed him in an oubliette." Jareth was smirking now.
"Oh," Kara said feeling quite deflated. She looked around, feeling decidedly lost. Shouldn't that have taken longer? "Well.um.I guess I should go." She glanced at Hunter but quickly looked away again without meeting his eyes. She didn't want to see what was in them. She hadn't expected this moment to come so quickly. She wanted more time. She blinked and turned around slowly. Facing Hunter though still not quite meeting his eyes.
"Well...um...goodbye...I guess," her voice was little more than a whisper and she realised she was trying very hard not to cry. Hunter reached up a hand to caress her face but stopped himself before he actually touched her, his hand fell away and he couldn't look at her anymore. She turned away from them both and looked back at Jareth. Waiting.
"Go back down the hall, you'll see a large black door. If you walk through it you will find yourself back in your office," he told her not unkindly.
"Thanks," her voice came out slightly trembling. She walked to the door of the throne room and paused, turning back to Jareth, "If I ever change my mind and decide he is too much of an ass to deal with."
"Just say the words," Jareth promised her.
"Thanks," her eyes flicked to Hunter but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring resolutely at the wall. Ask me to stay, a small voice whispered in side her head but when she saw he wasn't going to say anything she turned and walked out of the door, a few steps into the hall, her tears began to run freely down her cheeks. Something tore inside of her and she leaned against the wall and sobbed. She was leaving something in that room that she was going to need to go on living. She stayed like that for a long time.
Secondly screamin_psiren, good point. I addressed it in this chapter and made a slight amendment to the last. Just for you (^_~)
Lastly, a big, big, big thank you to all my loyal readers and reviewers. Where would I be without you guys? Well maybe asleep instead of posting at 5 am to make y'all happy but that wouldn't be any fun now would it. (^_~) Enjoy!
The goblin shrieked and kicked in Hunter's grasp but it was far too small too get close, never mind do any real damage. Hunter looked bored at first but after a minute or so had passed and the goblin was still struggling he gave up on the patient approach and snarled at the goblin, baring his fangs. The goblin stopped what it was doing rather abruptly.
"Much better," Hunter said pleasantly.
Now that the little spectacle was over, Kara emerged from behind the wall, pausing to bend over and retrieve Susan when the frantic squeaks reminded her she was there. She coloured slightly as it dawned on her what it must be like from the mouse every time she and Hunter threw themselves at each other. She must have got crushed in the forest, Kara thought with horror as she placed Susan gently on her shoulder.
"Now," Hunter was saying to the goblin. "We need to get into the city."
"What's that got to do with me?" the goblin demanded.
"You are going to take us in," Hunter answered as if explaining something to a very small child.
"How am I supposed to do that then?" it demanded.
Kara looked at Hunter expectantly.
"You are going to walk with us to the gate and you are going to tell the gate keeper that we have business at the castle and that you are our escort. Is that clear?"
The goblin didn't answer right away so Hunter shook it a little. "Is that clear?"
"Yes sir," it squeaked. "Please let go of me nose!"
Hunter dropped the goblin rather unceremoniously on the road. "If you try anything, you'll be dead before you know what's happening. Do we understand one another?"
"Yes sir," it answered again.
Kara felt almost sorry for it as it scurried to resume its walk, staying a few paces ahead of them.
"Don't you think that was a little harsh?" She asked Hunter.
He shrugged. "You have to be harsh with goblins otherwise they never do a damn thing you say."
"No?"
"No. They'd just laugh and then maybe hurt you, at the very least they'd torment you."
"Oh," was all Kara could think to say. Hunter took her hand and they followed the goblin in silence to the gates.
"Who's there?" demanded a voice from the top.
"Name's Dill. I'm supposed to escort these two to the castle," he told the gate keeper jerking a thumb back at Hunter and Kara.
"There's three of them," said the gate keeper.
"What?"
"You forgot Susan," Kara whispered.
"Who?" the goblin demanded.
"The mouse. On my shoulder," Kara answered, pointing.
"Oh fine. These three then!" he yelled up to the gate keeper. The gate keeper shrugged and with a metallic shriek the gates began to swing open.
"Come right through!" the gate keeper shouted.
The goblin went through first and Kara shrugged and followed, Hunter in step beside her. Once through they both began to run, leaving the goblin behind.
"Aren't you meant to go with them?" asked the gate keeper.
The goblin shrugged. "I'm sure they'll be fine," he answered and sauntered off in a different direction.
***
Jareth was lounging across his throne when one of the goblins came rushing into the room. Tripping over his own feet he landed in a heap on the floor at Jareth's feet.
"Sir...the girl!"
"What of her?" Jareth enquired, sounding decidedly bored.
"She's through the gates...nearly at the castle!" the goblin answered fearfully.
"Thank god for that!" Jareth exclaimed, jumping to his feet. "I was beginning to think she would never get here!"
"Right so I'll gather some troops and we'll..." the goblin trailed off as what his King had said penetrated his brain. "Wait, you don't want us to..."
"No, of course I don't," Jareth said, annoyance plain in his voice. "I can't wait till she gets here and I can get rid of that oaf!" He said, indicating the heap on the far side of the room that was Arron. "Now go away!" He told the rather confused goblin, who quickly scurried out of the room.
***
Kara paused to glance at a clock on the side of a tower, yanking Hunter to a stop beside her. An hour and a half to reach the castle and...well do whatever she would have to do there. An hour and a half before she would leave Hunter.
"What's wrong?" Hunter asked, noting her shield had just been flung up again. Forcing him away from her mind.
"It's nothing," she answered and smiled weakly. "I was just checking the time."
"Oh..." was all that Hunter said.
"Do we have to run?" She asked looking around. "I mean it's not as if anyone is actually trying to stop us."
"No, I guess...I guess there's no sense in rushing," Hunter answered her quietly, something odd flashing in the depths of his eyes. Kara swallowed the lump in her throat and turned away. She began walking and Hunter followed. Susan looked at them both from her perch and said nothing.
They approached the castle and Kara looked at it slightly awed. "It's, its jus...wow," she said unable to find the right words.
Hunter smiled faintly, "You should see where I live," he told her his voice tinged with pride.
Kara glanced at him but didn't say anything. They walked straight through the castle gates and Hunter looked warily around. "Your boss must be a major pain in the ass," he remarked quietly.
"He is," Kara answered with a small shrug.
"So why are you rescuing him?"
Kara shrugged again. "I couldn't leave him. It wouldn't have been right. Fun, but not right."
Hunter nodded, leading her up a long flight of stairs. They passed closed doors and empty rooms. The whole castle was eerily quiet. Half way up the second flight of stairs Kara asked, "Where are we going?"
"Throne room," Hunter told her. "Seems like the logical choice."
"How do you know where the throne room is?" she asked though she suspected she already knew the answer.
"I've been here before," Hunter told her.
He led her up another two flights of stairs and down a long corridor until they found themselves standing outside a set of huge double doors, made of dark wood.
"This is it," Hunter told her. His words sounded chillingly final.
She nodded her head and straightened her shoulders, resolved to walk in and do what she had to do. She was going to kill whoever had given her a conscience. She'd just decided it was their fault. If she didn't have one she would never have come into the Labyrinth and wouldn't be facing saying goodbye to the man she loved. Wait did I just say loved, she thought. Then she smiled sadly. What was the point of pretending she didn't? She'd never believed in love at first sight, nor had she believed people could fall in love in a matter of hours but then she'd never really believed in the Labyrinth in the first place, and here she was. Something in her had been drawn to Hunter from the first and that something was insisting that she shouldn't leave him. Suppressing a sigh she pushed the thought aside. She would save Arron first. Then she'd deal with this.
She took a step towards the door, but Hunter grabbed her arm preventing her from moving. She turned to face him and the kiss was swift and hard. She clung to him, her resolve almost crumbling then and there but he released her. A small gasp of surprise escaped her lips and she stood looking at him bewildered for a moment and finding it incredibly difficult to get her body to turn and walk through the doors to the throne room. Sensing her indecision Hunter took her hand and they approached them together.
Kara reached out with her free hand and pushed at the doors. The swung inwards silently and revealed a marble hall, bare save for the red carpet, sparkling with glitter and an imposing black throne at the far end.
Jareth was lounging across the throne, waiting for them.
Hunter squeezed her hand before wordlessly releasing it. He reached up and Susan scampered from her shoulder to his hand and he moved away from her, indicating she had to do this little bit without them by her side. Kara straightened some more and squared her shoulders. Looking a lot like someone who was about to do battle she walked with purpose to the throne and gazed at Jareth, who remained unfazed. He stared coolly down at her, tapping his riding crop absently against his thigh.
She took a deep breath and said the only thing that would come to mind. "Um...through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered...." she began but Jareth cut her off with a wave of his hand.
"There's no need, I've already sent him back." Kara's jaw nearly hit the ground. "How on earth do you get through a day without killing that man? You really should have let me turn him into a goblin, you know or at least I could have tossed him in an oubliette." Jareth was smirking now.
"Oh," Kara said feeling quite deflated. She looked around, feeling decidedly lost. Shouldn't that have taken longer? "Well.um.I guess I should go." She glanced at Hunter but quickly looked away again without meeting his eyes. She didn't want to see what was in them. She hadn't expected this moment to come so quickly. She wanted more time. She blinked and turned around slowly. Facing Hunter though still not quite meeting his eyes.
"Well...um...goodbye...I guess," her voice was little more than a whisper and she realised she was trying very hard not to cry. Hunter reached up a hand to caress her face but stopped himself before he actually touched her, his hand fell away and he couldn't look at her anymore. She turned away from them both and looked back at Jareth. Waiting.
"Go back down the hall, you'll see a large black door. If you walk through it you will find yourself back in your office," he told her not unkindly.
"Thanks," her voice came out slightly trembling. She walked to the door of the throne room and paused, turning back to Jareth, "If I ever change my mind and decide he is too much of an ass to deal with."
"Just say the words," Jareth promised her.
"Thanks," her eyes flicked to Hunter but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring resolutely at the wall. Ask me to stay, a small voice whispered in side her head but when she saw he wasn't going to say anything she turned and walked out of the door, a few steps into the hall, her tears began to run freely down her cheeks. Something tore inside of her and she leaned against the wall and sobbed. She was leaving something in that room that she was going to need to go on living. She stayed like that for a long time.