Standard disclaimer: If you recognize it -- I don't own it.
Authors note: I'm trying to hone my skill at evil cliffhangers, let me know how well I'm doing.
--Onaree--
Chapter Three
Cliondna and Jareth were sitting in the garden, talking of how all the changes were nearly complete, when the sky unexpectedly darkened.
Jareth seemed to ignore the sky but Cliondna became very anxious, constantly looking around. "What is happening, Jareth?"
He casually looked at the sky, "It seems that we will have a storm tonight." Jareth continued with the previous conversations, "It seems that everything is nearly completed. Not more than a week's more, don't you think Clio?"
"A storm," she asked anxiously, "Are you sure?"
"Of course, it is the season for them."
"Shouldn't we go inside, Jareth?"
"I see no reason to, Clio, I doubt it will arrive till evening."
"Good. What were you saying?"
"That the preparations seems to be nearly completed." Jareth responded but noticed that she was seemingly total distracted by the darkening sky. While storms in the Underground can be very dangerous, everyone knew to take shelter from the storm's wild magic. And the place with the strongest wards would be the castle and by extension the royal apartments. She should have the least fear of them.
"Why are you so disturbed by the storm's approach, Clio?" Jareth asked gently.
Cliondna looked at Jareth briefly before staring at her hands. "I, I was once caught out in a storm. I've been terrified of them ever since."
Jareth raised an eyebrow at this unlikely event. "And how did you come by being shelter less in a storm? I have yet to see one that did not come in slowly enough to find *some* shelter."
Nervously twisting her napkin in her hand, Cliondna tried to evade the question. "I'd really rather not speak about it."
"As you wish." Dropping the subject, for the moment, as she saw Urk marching up to him. "You have something to report?"
Urk pulled himself up to his full three foot 6 inch height and said, "The room is ready now and the builders say that the city will be done by the end of the week. Only the bridge is left. Sir."
"And why isn't the bridge finished?" Jareth asked crossly.
Starting to fidget, Urk tried to think of the best way to explain. "Well, ah, your Majesty. Umm, ah, you only sent Zek and Eek to work on it so...."
Jareth now remember his earlier actions and resisted smiling. Keeping a grim look on his face he too sweetly inquired, "How much work is to be done?"
Urk starts shuffle slowly backwards from the king. Jareth suddenly grabs his shoulder and hold him in place. "Most of it, s-s-sire." Urk stammered.
"And why is that?"
"Well, Sir Didymus spends most of his time shouting at Zek and Eek. Not much work gets done that way."
Jareth releases Urk and also releases the smile he has been repressing. "So what does the betting pool have to say about the situation?"
"Ah... what betting pool?"
Chuckling heartily, Jareth responds. "Goblins not betting, the next thing you'll tell me that they've also given up drinking."
Urk relaxed, "Well it is about even between Didymus killing Zek and Eek in frustration, or shouting so much he has a stroke." Urk leans in conspiratorially. "Personally, I put money on him having a stroke, he being so excitable. But Nek thinks that only means he'll use his sword on them. He knows he's wanted to kill them more than once."
Jareth and Clio both start laughing merrily as Jareth waves away Urk who bows before leaving.
Cliondna tries to get her breath. "What are you going to do about your bridge?"
Shrugging, Jareth countered. "Little, it isn't a priority."
"How can a bridge not be important?" Cliondna, clearly confused asked.
"It is across the bog of eternal stench, not exactly a well travelled route."
"Oh," still not understanding. "Then why do you need a bridge?"
"It has its uses." Jareth answers, smiling enigmatically.
Jareth, looking up at the sky, holds his hand out to Cliondna, "We should be getting inside before the storm breaks." He looks up at the sky again. "It looks to be a very bad one." They
leave the garden and go into the castle.
That evening Jareth and Cliondna slept, or rather Jareth slept and lay half awake and starting at every green-orange flash of lightening and boom of thunder.
Cliondna lay with her head on Jareth's chest and his arms around her unable to sleep. Just as she almost dropped into sleep, she was jolted awake by a scrabbling noise and snickering. She tried to ignore it, but it seemed to occur more and more frequently. And when something furry tried to cuddle up against her, she panicked. "Jareth, wake up, something is wrong."
Looking around the room, Jareth found nothing amiss. Unless you count the dozen of three goblins trying to hide themselves in every nook and crannies of the room, and failing. Not to mention one tiny puff ball of a goblin with puppy dog eyes and feet like and eagle's sitting on the bed beside Cliondna. "I see nothing out of the ordinary."
"What about this!" As she gestured toward the goblin next to her.
Jareth holds his hands out towards the little goblins who jumps into them. He holds it close and lightly pets it while it purrs. "Now, Neeka, you know the rules. Not in my bed, hmmm."
Neeka cuddles closer into his arms and purrs louder. Jareth relents with a smile. "Oh all right, but at the foot of the bed." Neeka jumps downs from his arms, scrambling to the foot of the bed and hauling up an end of the sheet, wraps the corner around herself.
Cliondna is aghast. "Jareth! How can you let these creatures in here."
"The storm frightens them. They know that I would not leave myself undefended from the storm so to their minds this is the safest place." Jareth tells her dispassionately.
"Why don't you just forbid them in your chamber?" she ask testily.
"With goblins, you work with what they will actually do-- not what they should. Strictly speaking they are forbidden from my chamber, but they still will enter during storms, so I forbid them from my bed rather than my bedchamber."
"Yes, but what about that creature?" Pointing to Neeka sleeping quietly on the foot side corner of the bed.
"She is only a baby. Her mother is very sick and her father, Urk, is one of my palace guards. I let him keep her in he castle so that the kitchen gardeners can take care of her. She is a sweet child, and I don't see any reason to be upset by her." Jareth huffily answered.
While they were arguing, Urk was creeping up on the corner of the bed where Neeka slept and tried to pull her away without being noticed.
Unfortunately for him, Jareth did notice. "Urk, leave her and go to sleep." Urk nodded and went back to his place with several other guards. Jareth then turn to Cliondna, "And you too, sleep."
She shuddered, "I can't sleep with these creatures in the room."
Jareth hiding his angry with indifference answered, "Then sleep elsewhere." Then lay back down, closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Cliondna also lay back down to sleep, but well away from Jareth.
The next morning, Cliondna awoke to find the chamber empty of goblins and Jareth already dressed. "I'm sorry for last night, those storms put me all out of sorts. I should never have snapped at you."
Jareth gave her a wry smile. "I understand, they can be vexing if you are unused to them." He pulled his cloak out from the wardrobe and put it on.
"I hope you don't mind, my brother has asked to visit us." Cliondna started.
"I fear I will miss him." he explained. "I must ride out and see what damage was done by the storm. And then I have some other business I must attend to."
Coyly she asked, "My I ride out with you?"
"No, go back to sleep. I know how little you had last night." Jareth answers before he strides out of his chamber.
After he had left, Cliondna punched the bed with her fist. "Damn."
Jareth, enjoyed the feel of the wind on his face as he rode thru his domain. He nodded to his subjects that appeared as he rode.
Soon he came to an area with many tree branches on the ground and small bushes that were uprooted by the violence of the storm. Jareth moved his horse off the path and into the centre of the destruction. He had only gone a few yards when an old man appeared out from the trees.
"Your Majesty, I need your help." He came up to Jareth's horse and took hold of its noseband.
"Lead the way." Jareth commanded the man, who, using his hold on the noseband, lead Jareth's horse to a small clearing nearby.
It contained a small cottage, a good sized garden with herbs and vegetables growing on it and a barn.
The barn was the obvious source of concern. A large tree had fallen on the roof, collapsing it into the structure.
"You see my problem, sire." he said as he pointed to the damaged barn.
Jareth dismounted from his horse and toured the barn's site. Examining it from all sides. While he did this, the old man motioned to one of the women in the doorway of the house. The younger one ran out with a chair that she placed near to where Jareth had left his horse. After he had finished examining the barn Jareth sat down on the chair provided. He motioned his hand and a small parchment appeared. "I understand that as part of your family allotment your son and two grandson's are at work on the city."
"Yes sire, but if you could dismiss them from that service so that they may repair our barn. Rain often follows storms and we cannot afford to loose its contents."
Jareth listened patiently, pondered then answered his plea. "I will not dismiss their service, but I will defer it till another time." Jareth produced a crystal which he sent floating off towards the goblin city. "They should arrive within the hour." He mounted his horse, but before riding off he produced another crystal which he threw towards the damaged barn and galloped off. Where it landed appeared a small stack of lumber.
While Jareth was riding his kingdom. Cliondna's brother had arrived for his visit.
"Clio, my dear sister. Things must be going well." Finavarra smiled at her. "When do you think the contracts may be signed. Everything is nearly prepared."
"Things, as you say Fin, are in fact not going well. He is, as ever he has been, as unpredictable as his labyrinth." Cliondna said with a pout as she slumped in her chair.
"What makes you think that. Usually he has tired of company by now." Finavarra challenged.
Cliondna ticked off points on her fingers. "He seems less interested as these projects near completion. He speaks of his plan but won't tell me what he has planned. He didn't want me to ride out with him when he toured his kingdom to inspect the damage the storm brought."
While good points, Finavarra wasn't about to be detoured. "But what of that wondrous room he has been preparing?
"Oh yes, that chamber," she said sourly, "at first he wanted so much advice on it. He hung on my every word. Made many changes based on my advice. But the more it was completed the less he wished me to visit it. I gave the hired needle workers many ideas for dress but I have only seen three completed dress." she ranted, catching her breath before continuing. "He hasn't actually barred me from the room but he has used more subtle means of keeping me out. But I found a way in when he wasn't around and do you know what I found, do you?" Cliondna slumped at the end of her tirade.
Finavarra had become caught up in his sisters story. "What?"
"Among other things, a closet full of dress. And none were to my measurements."
Before Finavarra could respond, Jareth stomped in, obviously very upset. He flopped down upon his throne, completely ignoring Cliondna and Finavarra.
"Did things not go well on your tour?" Cliondna asked sweetly.
"Yes actually. Very little damage. Most downed or uprooted trees. There was a damaged barn but that was because a tree had fallen on it. All in all, a good result." Jareth informed her coming slightly out of his blue funk.
"Then what has upset you?"
"My other *business* did not go as well as I had hoped." Jareth became upset again thinking how things went.
Finavarra, ever the optimist, tried to encourage the two of them. "Well, I must be going soon."
Distracted Jareth responded, "Yes, I'm sure both of you will be wishing to leave for home soon. I shall see you another time Fin," before getting up and striding out of the room. "I have plans to make." And he was gone. Both Cliondna and her brother both stared at his retreating back.
Sarah, still very much asleep, was being nudged into a lighter sleep by a weight on her chest. Groggily he pushed at it and mumbled, "Get off, Merlin." But the weight stayed put. Coming a little more awake she pushed harder and said "Merlin, will you get off me?"
Her eyes flew open and she was instantly awake when a deeply amused male voice responded, "No and my name isn't Merlin."
Authors note: I'm trying to hone my skill at evil cliffhangers, let me know how well I'm doing.
--Onaree--
Chapter Three
Cliondna and Jareth were sitting in the garden, talking of how all the changes were nearly complete, when the sky unexpectedly darkened.
Jareth seemed to ignore the sky but Cliondna became very anxious, constantly looking around. "What is happening, Jareth?"
He casually looked at the sky, "It seems that we will have a storm tonight." Jareth continued with the previous conversations, "It seems that everything is nearly completed. Not more than a week's more, don't you think Clio?"
"A storm," she asked anxiously, "Are you sure?"
"Of course, it is the season for them."
"Shouldn't we go inside, Jareth?"
"I see no reason to, Clio, I doubt it will arrive till evening."
"Good. What were you saying?"
"That the preparations seems to be nearly completed." Jareth responded but noticed that she was seemingly total distracted by the darkening sky. While storms in the Underground can be very dangerous, everyone knew to take shelter from the storm's wild magic. And the place with the strongest wards would be the castle and by extension the royal apartments. She should have the least fear of them.
"Why are you so disturbed by the storm's approach, Clio?" Jareth asked gently.
Cliondna looked at Jareth briefly before staring at her hands. "I, I was once caught out in a storm. I've been terrified of them ever since."
Jareth raised an eyebrow at this unlikely event. "And how did you come by being shelter less in a storm? I have yet to see one that did not come in slowly enough to find *some* shelter."
Nervously twisting her napkin in her hand, Cliondna tried to evade the question. "I'd really rather not speak about it."
"As you wish." Dropping the subject, for the moment, as she saw Urk marching up to him. "You have something to report?"
Urk pulled himself up to his full three foot 6 inch height and said, "The room is ready now and the builders say that the city will be done by the end of the week. Only the bridge is left. Sir."
"And why isn't the bridge finished?" Jareth asked crossly.
Starting to fidget, Urk tried to think of the best way to explain. "Well, ah, your Majesty. Umm, ah, you only sent Zek and Eek to work on it so...."
Jareth now remember his earlier actions and resisted smiling. Keeping a grim look on his face he too sweetly inquired, "How much work is to be done?"
Urk starts shuffle slowly backwards from the king. Jareth suddenly grabs his shoulder and hold him in place. "Most of it, s-s-sire." Urk stammered.
"And why is that?"
"Well, Sir Didymus spends most of his time shouting at Zek and Eek. Not much work gets done that way."
Jareth releases Urk and also releases the smile he has been repressing. "So what does the betting pool have to say about the situation?"
"Ah... what betting pool?"
Chuckling heartily, Jareth responds. "Goblins not betting, the next thing you'll tell me that they've also given up drinking."
Urk relaxed, "Well it is about even between Didymus killing Zek and Eek in frustration, or shouting so much he has a stroke." Urk leans in conspiratorially. "Personally, I put money on him having a stroke, he being so excitable. But Nek thinks that only means he'll use his sword on them. He knows he's wanted to kill them more than once."
Jareth and Clio both start laughing merrily as Jareth waves away Urk who bows before leaving.
Cliondna tries to get her breath. "What are you going to do about your bridge?"
Shrugging, Jareth countered. "Little, it isn't a priority."
"How can a bridge not be important?" Cliondna, clearly confused asked.
"It is across the bog of eternal stench, not exactly a well travelled route."
"Oh," still not understanding. "Then why do you need a bridge?"
"It has its uses." Jareth answers, smiling enigmatically.
Jareth, looking up at the sky, holds his hand out to Cliondna, "We should be getting inside before the storm breaks." He looks up at the sky again. "It looks to be a very bad one." They
leave the garden and go into the castle.
That evening Jareth and Cliondna slept, or rather Jareth slept and lay half awake and starting at every green-orange flash of lightening and boom of thunder.
Cliondna lay with her head on Jareth's chest and his arms around her unable to sleep. Just as she almost dropped into sleep, she was jolted awake by a scrabbling noise and snickering. She tried to ignore it, but it seemed to occur more and more frequently. And when something furry tried to cuddle up against her, she panicked. "Jareth, wake up, something is wrong."
Looking around the room, Jareth found nothing amiss. Unless you count the dozen of three goblins trying to hide themselves in every nook and crannies of the room, and failing. Not to mention one tiny puff ball of a goblin with puppy dog eyes and feet like and eagle's sitting on the bed beside Cliondna. "I see nothing out of the ordinary."
"What about this!" As she gestured toward the goblin next to her.
Jareth holds his hands out towards the little goblins who jumps into them. He holds it close and lightly pets it while it purrs. "Now, Neeka, you know the rules. Not in my bed, hmmm."
Neeka cuddles closer into his arms and purrs louder. Jareth relents with a smile. "Oh all right, but at the foot of the bed." Neeka jumps downs from his arms, scrambling to the foot of the bed and hauling up an end of the sheet, wraps the corner around herself.
Cliondna is aghast. "Jareth! How can you let these creatures in here."
"The storm frightens them. They know that I would not leave myself undefended from the storm so to their minds this is the safest place." Jareth tells her dispassionately.
"Why don't you just forbid them in your chamber?" she ask testily.
"With goblins, you work with what they will actually do-- not what they should. Strictly speaking they are forbidden from my chamber, but they still will enter during storms, so I forbid them from my bed rather than my bedchamber."
"Yes, but what about that creature?" Pointing to Neeka sleeping quietly on the foot side corner of the bed.
"She is only a baby. Her mother is very sick and her father, Urk, is one of my palace guards. I let him keep her in he castle so that the kitchen gardeners can take care of her. She is a sweet child, and I don't see any reason to be upset by her." Jareth huffily answered.
While they were arguing, Urk was creeping up on the corner of the bed where Neeka slept and tried to pull her away without being noticed.
Unfortunately for him, Jareth did notice. "Urk, leave her and go to sleep." Urk nodded and went back to his place with several other guards. Jareth then turn to Cliondna, "And you too, sleep."
She shuddered, "I can't sleep with these creatures in the room."
Jareth hiding his angry with indifference answered, "Then sleep elsewhere." Then lay back down, closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Cliondna also lay back down to sleep, but well away from Jareth.
The next morning, Cliondna awoke to find the chamber empty of goblins and Jareth already dressed. "I'm sorry for last night, those storms put me all out of sorts. I should never have snapped at you."
Jareth gave her a wry smile. "I understand, they can be vexing if you are unused to them." He pulled his cloak out from the wardrobe and put it on.
"I hope you don't mind, my brother has asked to visit us." Cliondna started.
"I fear I will miss him." he explained. "I must ride out and see what damage was done by the storm. And then I have some other business I must attend to."
Coyly she asked, "My I ride out with you?"
"No, go back to sleep. I know how little you had last night." Jareth answers before he strides out of his chamber.
After he had left, Cliondna punched the bed with her fist. "Damn."
Jareth, enjoyed the feel of the wind on his face as he rode thru his domain. He nodded to his subjects that appeared as he rode.
Soon he came to an area with many tree branches on the ground and small bushes that were uprooted by the violence of the storm. Jareth moved his horse off the path and into the centre of the destruction. He had only gone a few yards when an old man appeared out from the trees.
"Your Majesty, I need your help." He came up to Jareth's horse and took hold of its noseband.
"Lead the way." Jareth commanded the man, who, using his hold on the noseband, lead Jareth's horse to a small clearing nearby.
It contained a small cottage, a good sized garden with herbs and vegetables growing on it and a barn.
The barn was the obvious source of concern. A large tree had fallen on the roof, collapsing it into the structure.
"You see my problem, sire." he said as he pointed to the damaged barn.
Jareth dismounted from his horse and toured the barn's site. Examining it from all sides. While he did this, the old man motioned to one of the women in the doorway of the house. The younger one ran out with a chair that she placed near to where Jareth had left his horse. After he had finished examining the barn Jareth sat down on the chair provided. He motioned his hand and a small parchment appeared. "I understand that as part of your family allotment your son and two grandson's are at work on the city."
"Yes sire, but if you could dismiss them from that service so that they may repair our barn. Rain often follows storms and we cannot afford to loose its contents."
Jareth listened patiently, pondered then answered his plea. "I will not dismiss their service, but I will defer it till another time." Jareth produced a crystal which he sent floating off towards the goblin city. "They should arrive within the hour." He mounted his horse, but before riding off he produced another crystal which he threw towards the damaged barn and galloped off. Where it landed appeared a small stack of lumber.
While Jareth was riding his kingdom. Cliondna's brother had arrived for his visit.
"Clio, my dear sister. Things must be going well." Finavarra smiled at her. "When do you think the contracts may be signed. Everything is nearly prepared."
"Things, as you say Fin, are in fact not going well. He is, as ever he has been, as unpredictable as his labyrinth." Cliondna said with a pout as she slumped in her chair.
"What makes you think that. Usually he has tired of company by now." Finavarra challenged.
Cliondna ticked off points on her fingers. "He seems less interested as these projects near completion. He speaks of his plan but won't tell me what he has planned. He didn't want me to ride out with him when he toured his kingdom to inspect the damage the storm brought."
While good points, Finavarra wasn't about to be detoured. "But what of that wondrous room he has been preparing?
"Oh yes, that chamber," she said sourly, "at first he wanted so much advice on it. He hung on my every word. Made many changes based on my advice. But the more it was completed the less he wished me to visit it. I gave the hired needle workers many ideas for dress but I have only seen three completed dress." she ranted, catching her breath before continuing. "He hasn't actually barred me from the room but he has used more subtle means of keeping me out. But I found a way in when he wasn't around and do you know what I found, do you?" Cliondna slumped at the end of her tirade.
Finavarra had become caught up in his sisters story. "What?"
"Among other things, a closet full of dress. And none were to my measurements."
Before Finavarra could respond, Jareth stomped in, obviously very upset. He flopped down upon his throne, completely ignoring Cliondna and Finavarra.
"Did things not go well on your tour?" Cliondna asked sweetly.
"Yes actually. Very little damage. Most downed or uprooted trees. There was a damaged barn but that was because a tree had fallen on it. All in all, a good result." Jareth informed her coming slightly out of his blue funk.
"Then what has upset you?"
"My other *business* did not go as well as I had hoped." Jareth became upset again thinking how things went.
Finavarra, ever the optimist, tried to encourage the two of them. "Well, I must be going soon."
Distracted Jareth responded, "Yes, I'm sure both of you will be wishing to leave for home soon. I shall see you another time Fin," before getting up and striding out of the room. "I have plans to make." And he was gone. Both Cliondna and her brother both stared at his retreating back.
Sarah, still very much asleep, was being nudged into a lighter sleep by a weight on her chest. Groggily he pushed at it and mumbled, "Get off, Merlin." But the weight stayed put. Coming a little more awake she pushed harder and said "Merlin, will you get off me?"
Her eyes flew open and she was instantly awake when a deeply amused male voice responded, "No and my name isn't Merlin."