Chapter 2
Becay ran. Black cloak whipping out behind her she drew in desperate gulps of air with Sarah last word driving her on. 'Go, go, go, go.' Pushing blindly past a pair of goblins she could barely hear their outraged cries above the sound of her own thumping feet. 'Go, go, go, go.' Passing the outlying wall to the Goblin City and darting into the forest she felt the branching pulling at her and she ran faster. 'Go, go, go, go.' Becay screamed as she was tackled to the ground. Twisting around she scratched out with her nails but hands encased her wrists and held them to the forest floor.
"Becay! Becay, stop. It's me Flick. Becay, where's Sarah? What's happened"
Becay forced herself to be calm and looked up into her friend's face. "We were- Let me up Flick, I need some air." Flick helped Becay to her feet and she told him what she knew and waited for his reaction.
The elf was thoughtful for a moment. "You sure she hasn't escaped, somehow got away."
"From the Goblin King! Flick think for once, the only reason I got away was because she covered for me. For all I know there could be a stack of goblins searching the forest for me this instance." The instance that it took for the latter part of the sentence to sink in Flick and Becay peered into the surrounding darkness and listened for any sounds. "Let's get back to base and tell Zail about this" said Becay and started walking.
Flick grabbed Becay's arm. "No. We can't tell him about this. We'll go and get Sarah now-"
"Flick, listen to yourself" Becay hissed and ripped her arm away from him. "Go and get Sarah? With goblins that are no doubt alert for any intruders? For all we know she could be already stuck in some oubliette or something worse." She let the last hang knowing that Flick's mind would provide enough horrible scenarios as hers was doing.
Slowly Flick admitted defeat and two disappeared into the night.
***
Jareth studied the girl sitting the chair before him. Indeed a girl no longer for the years had changed her into a beautiful woman. The last vestiges of her childhood features that she had possessed at 15 had given way to an appearance that would rival the beauty of any creature. It also seemed that she had grown within as well for where once there was a child's uncertainty there now stared back a confidence from those dark eyes. How many years had it been since this one had travelled his labyrinth in search for her brother? It must be four years now, so that would make Sarah 19.
A millions questions rampaged through his mind. How was she here in the Underground - without his knowledge no less? Why was she wandering about in his castle in the middle of the night? Who was she protecting when she grappled him to the ground?
Sarah stared at the Goblin King as he looked at her. She knew she gave the appearance of not being afraid of the fey but what she really wanted to do was bolt through the door to her right and run as far away as possible. After Jareth had realised who she was he had ordered goblins to search the grounds for her companion then without a word released her from the freezing spell and brought her to this room.
It was rather small but elegantly arranged. An empty fireplace was placed to her left with single candlesticks placed strategically along the mantle piece. The carpet beneath her feet was cream and Sarah almost wished she could touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Pictures of landscapes and creatures covered the walls and a desk lay slightly away form a wall so that the chair could be used. But Jareth had pulled the chair to sit on the other side of the desk for Sarah to sit in while he stood in from of her.
Sarah took a sharp intake of breath as Jareth finally moved towards her and hoped that he hadn't noticed. She sat still as he circled around behind her but she could not help but flinch when he pulled her hair free of the tie she had used to hold it back. The dark stands fell as far as her shoulders.
"You've cut it, it used it be so long." came the cultured voice.
Sarah didn't understand it. Where were the questions - the how, what, why and when. Then again, when had she ever understood him? If he wanted to talk about hair that was fine with her, there were much worse topics that he could bring up. would bring up. "The weight slowed me down, besides it's much easier to handle this way."
"Slowed you down, Sarah? Do you often make a habit of entering into another's home uninvited and then running out again?" Jareth ran his fingers through the thick hair, fighting the desire to take off his gloves and feel the silky strands with bare hands.
Sarah forced down a smirk. If only he knew. Looking towards the door she wondered it she could make it out before he caught her. If she did make it then she would have to deal with the guards. It would be hard but not impossible. Besides if all else failed she was safe in the knowledge that Flick would get help, or at least Becay would make him tell his father. She looked to the door again. She could make it.
"I wouldn't advise it Sarah, you wouldn't even reach the door before I dragged you back here. As it is, I would rather you stay where you are." Jareth smirked at her as he came around to stand in from of her again. "Now, my dear, what exactly were you doing in my castle?"
Sarah glared at him, one for reading her intention and two in a silent message that she wasn't going to say anything. There was no way she was going to put her friends in danger.
Jareth sighed. "You wouldn't make this easy would you."
Sarah said nothing.
"And I suppose you won't tell me who your friend was either."
Sarah watched him, unsure of what he would do.
"Can you tell me how you came to the Underground then, and then maybe we can work towards the harder questions?" grated Jareth determined to keep a hold of his temper.
Sarah gave a smile. "Now that I can do."
(Author's note: Please have patience with me. all will be revealed in the next chapter.)
Becay ran. Black cloak whipping out behind her she drew in desperate gulps of air with Sarah last word driving her on. 'Go, go, go, go.' Pushing blindly past a pair of goblins she could barely hear their outraged cries above the sound of her own thumping feet. 'Go, go, go, go.' Passing the outlying wall to the Goblin City and darting into the forest she felt the branching pulling at her and she ran faster. 'Go, go, go, go.' Becay screamed as she was tackled to the ground. Twisting around she scratched out with her nails but hands encased her wrists and held them to the forest floor.
"Becay! Becay, stop. It's me Flick. Becay, where's Sarah? What's happened"
Becay forced herself to be calm and looked up into her friend's face. "We were- Let me up Flick, I need some air." Flick helped Becay to her feet and she told him what she knew and waited for his reaction.
The elf was thoughtful for a moment. "You sure she hasn't escaped, somehow got away."
"From the Goblin King! Flick think for once, the only reason I got away was because she covered for me. For all I know there could be a stack of goblins searching the forest for me this instance." The instance that it took for the latter part of the sentence to sink in Flick and Becay peered into the surrounding darkness and listened for any sounds. "Let's get back to base and tell Zail about this" said Becay and started walking.
Flick grabbed Becay's arm. "No. We can't tell him about this. We'll go and get Sarah now-"
"Flick, listen to yourself" Becay hissed and ripped her arm away from him. "Go and get Sarah? With goblins that are no doubt alert for any intruders? For all we know she could be already stuck in some oubliette or something worse." She let the last hang knowing that Flick's mind would provide enough horrible scenarios as hers was doing.
Slowly Flick admitted defeat and two disappeared into the night.
***
Jareth studied the girl sitting the chair before him. Indeed a girl no longer for the years had changed her into a beautiful woman. The last vestiges of her childhood features that she had possessed at 15 had given way to an appearance that would rival the beauty of any creature. It also seemed that she had grown within as well for where once there was a child's uncertainty there now stared back a confidence from those dark eyes. How many years had it been since this one had travelled his labyrinth in search for her brother? It must be four years now, so that would make Sarah 19.
A millions questions rampaged through his mind. How was she here in the Underground - without his knowledge no less? Why was she wandering about in his castle in the middle of the night? Who was she protecting when she grappled him to the ground?
Sarah stared at the Goblin King as he looked at her. She knew she gave the appearance of not being afraid of the fey but what she really wanted to do was bolt through the door to her right and run as far away as possible. After Jareth had realised who she was he had ordered goblins to search the grounds for her companion then without a word released her from the freezing spell and brought her to this room.
It was rather small but elegantly arranged. An empty fireplace was placed to her left with single candlesticks placed strategically along the mantle piece. The carpet beneath her feet was cream and Sarah almost wished she could touch it to see if it was as soft as it looked. Pictures of landscapes and creatures covered the walls and a desk lay slightly away form a wall so that the chair could be used. But Jareth had pulled the chair to sit on the other side of the desk for Sarah to sit in while he stood in from of her.
Sarah took a sharp intake of breath as Jareth finally moved towards her and hoped that he hadn't noticed. She sat still as he circled around behind her but she could not help but flinch when he pulled her hair free of the tie she had used to hold it back. The dark stands fell as far as her shoulders.
"You've cut it, it used it be so long." came the cultured voice.
Sarah didn't understand it. Where were the questions - the how, what, why and when. Then again, when had she ever understood him? If he wanted to talk about hair that was fine with her, there were much worse topics that he could bring up. would bring up. "The weight slowed me down, besides it's much easier to handle this way."
"Slowed you down, Sarah? Do you often make a habit of entering into another's home uninvited and then running out again?" Jareth ran his fingers through the thick hair, fighting the desire to take off his gloves and feel the silky strands with bare hands.
Sarah forced down a smirk. If only he knew. Looking towards the door she wondered it she could make it out before he caught her. If she did make it then she would have to deal with the guards. It would be hard but not impossible. Besides if all else failed she was safe in the knowledge that Flick would get help, or at least Becay would make him tell his father. She looked to the door again. She could make it.
"I wouldn't advise it Sarah, you wouldn't even reach the door before I dragged you back here. As it is, I would rather you stay where you are." Jareth smirked at her as he came around to stand in from of her again. "Now, my dear, what exactly were you doing in my castle?"
Sarah glared at him, one for reading her intention and two in a silent message that she wasn't going to say anything. There was no way she was going to put her friends in danger.
Jareth sighed. "You wouldn't make this easy would you."
Sarah said nothing.
"And I suppose you won't tell me who your friend was either."
Sarah watched him, unsure of what he would do.
"Can you tell me how you came to the Underground then, and then maybe we can work towards the harder questions?" grated Jareth determined to keep a hold of his temper.
Sarah gave a smile. "Now that I can do."
(Author's note: Please have patience with me. all will be revealed in the next chapter.)