Chapter 2
Jareth couldn't decide what was going on inside the womans' head.
She hadn't chanced her expression, or broken her stare. She had closed her mind so he couldn't read any more of her thoughts or emotions. All he really could do was to contain his own thoughts and put on a mask like expression equalling hers.
It wasn't until Arias limp arms fell to her sides that he realised that Tiani had been moving her lips and mumbled something in the childs ear. She had hypnotised the child to fall asleep.
"Wait here," was all she said as she went out with her sister. She came back a couple of minutes later and signalled him to follow her.
Downstairs she led him to the kitchen, and began searching through the kitchen cabinets, found a kettle, filled it with water and placed it on the stove.
"Would you like some coffee or tea?" she asked in a neutral tone, facing him. Choosing tea, he watched her getting the cups, tea-bags, sugar and a box of instant coffee, labelled Espresso. Feeling more and more un nerved from her composed movements he raised an even stronger wall around himself.
She didn't tremble a bit as she had brought him the fine porcelain cup and saucer, she didn't spill a drop of the water or show any signs of worry for her baby sister. She had been abducted by goblins, for crying out loud! Why wasn't she scared to death?
Filling her mug with generous amounts of the instant coffee, and filling it with water after filling his cup. Adding some sugar, she took a careful sip of the hot brew, and pulled a face.
"Blah. Tastes like oil" taking another, more generous sip, Jareth found it hard not to smirk.
"And why do you drink it then?" he inquired.
"Because," she emptied the cup and did another batch, "I wish to get to the bottom of this." Taking a new sip of the second cup she continued; "But after five hours on the road, freezing my butt of in the night air, I wouldn't be much of help in this little predicament. Therefore this," and raised the half full mug. "I am very keen on hearing your side of the story, and not falling asleep in the middle of it," She emptied it, placed it back on the table, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Jareth leaned back and wrinkled his nose disapprovingly at the sight of the cancer stick.
"Those things will kill you, you know," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, so does life, my friend. This is only quicker," she blew out the smoke before adding "or at least for everyone else," in a low voice to her self before raising it again as she continued "But I'm eager to know your side of this little mess. For starters: who the bloody hell are you, and what is your part in it?"
Drawing his breath the king began explaining.
"Well. for starters, I'm Jareth, King of Goblins, and ruler over the Labyrinth and its creatures.
"My part of this "little mess", as you put it, is quite simple: I get the children wished away, keep them until the wisher manages the Labyrinth, which they nearly never do, in which case I keep them and let them live Underground. Not all of them turn into goblins, but we use that as an excuse to deter too many to be wished away. If they manage it, they return home as if it was any other dream."
He relaxed a bit, and let some of the hopelessness surface. She still showed no emotion what so ever.
"When it comes to this case, the goblins on duty heard the words, but failed to see the situation. Aria had only been entertaining the child, with no intention to loose her sister," Sighing he continued.
"I didn't want to take your sister, but the rules require that everyone wished away by the words 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now' is to be taken. No matter what." He fell silent as she extinguished the bud and nodded.
"I see. so the only way to get Lara back is for Aria to run the Labyrinth?"
the voice was as calm as before and Jareth nodded. Leaning back and crossing her arms rather squeakily due to the leather jacket she said more determined,
"She won't be running it. I will never allow her to do it," standing up she walked over to the door, and before he had a chance to utter another word she had turned around and pierced him with a look of outmost determination.
"She's not going, because I am."
AN/: Don't stop. Keep reading!
Oh and don't forget to review!
TL
)O(
Jareth couldn't decide what was going on inside the womans' head.
She hadn't chanced her expression, or broken her stare. She had closed her mind so he couldn't read any more of her thoughts or emotions. All he really could do was to contain his own thoughts and put on a mask like expression equalling hers.
It wasn't until Arias limp arms fell to her sides that he realised that Tiani had been moving her lips and mumbled something in the childs ear. She had hypnotised the child to fall asleep.
"Wait here," was all she said as she went out with her sister. She came back a couple of minutes later and signalled him to follow her.
Downstairs she led him to the kitchen, and began searching through the kitchen cabinets, found a kettle, filled it with water and placed it on the stove.
"Would you like some coffee or tea?" she asked in a neutral tone, facing him. Choosing tea, he watched her getting the cups, tea-bags, sugar and a box of instant coffee, labelled Espresso. Feeling more and more un nerved from her composed movements he raised an even stronger wall around himself.
She didn't tremble a bit as she had brought him the fine porcelain cup and saucer, she didn't spill a drop of the water or show any signs of worry for her baby sister. She had been abducted by goblins, for crying out loud! Why wasn't she scared to death?
Filling her mug with generous amounts of the instant coffee, and filling it with water after filling his cup. Adding some sugar, she took a careful sip of the hot brew, and pulled a face.
"Blah. Tastes like oil" taking another, more generous sip, Jareth found it hard not to smirk.
"And why do you drink it then?" he inquired.
"Because," she emptied the cup and did another batch, "I wish to get to the bottom of this." Taking a new sip of the second cup she continued; "But after five hours on the road, freezing my butt of in the night air, I wouldn't be much of help in this little predicament. Therefore this," and raised the half full mug. "I am very keen on hearing your side of the story, and not falling asleep in the middle of it," She emptied it, placed it back on the table, pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Jareth leaned back and wrinkled his nose disapprovingly at the sight of the cancer stick.
"Those things will kill you, you know," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yeah, so does life, my friend. This is only quicker," she blew out the smoke before adding "or at least for everyone else," in a low voice to her self before raising it again as she continued "But I'm eager to know your side of this little mess. For starters: who the bloody hell are you, and what is your part in it?"
Drawing his breath the king began explaining.
"Well. for starters, I'm Jareth, King of Goblins, and ruler over the Labyrinth and its creatures.
"My part of this "little mess", as you put it, is quite simple: I get the children wished away, keep them until the wisher manages the Labyrinth, which they nearly never do, in which case I keep them and let them live Underground. Not all of them turn into goblins, but we use that as an excuse to deter too many to be wished away. If they manage it, they return home as if it was any other dream."
He relaxed a bit, and let some of the hopelessness surface. She still showed no emotion what so ever.
"When it comes to this case, the goblins on duty heard the words, but failed to see the situation. Aria had only been entertaining the child, with no intention to loose her sister," Sighing he continued.
"I didn't want to take your sister, but the rules require that everyone wished away by the words 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away right now' is to be taken. No matter what." He fell silent as she extinguished the bud and nodded.
"I see. so the only way to get Lara back is for Aria to run the Labyrinth?"
the voice was as calm as before and Jareth nodded. Leaning back and crossing her arms rather squeakily due to the leather jacket she said more determined,
"She won't be running it. I will never allow her to do it," standing up she walked over to the door, and before he had a chance to utter another word she had turned around and pierced him with a look of outmost determination.
"She's not going, because I am."
AN/: Don't stop. Keep reading!
Oh and don't forget to review!
TL
)O(