Chapter 12- Under Pressure
"A land full of mortals?" Miriam squealed. Her dimples accented her smile at the pure ridiculousness of the idea. "Miss Sarah, there's no such thing! That's like those tales the elders tell about aero-planes and loco- loco- electric trains. They don't exist, Miss Sarah." The child's wide eyes met hers, as the girl explained this as one might explain to a child about monsters under the bed. "It's in your. . . imagination." Sarah grinned at Miriam, trying to not laugh.
"Ah, but in the aboveground, the people don't believe that YOU exist. They think that goblins and elves and dwarves are all fairy tales, made up stories." Miriam's eyes grew even wider at the idea. Then her face broke into a grin, and she laughed.
"You can't fool me, Miss Sarah. I know you're just teasing me." Laughing in exasperation, Sarah tickled the girl until she ran around the room, laughing wildly. Sarah sighed contentedly. This wasn't so bad. Despite her guilt about Mrs. Breanon, Sarah thought that she could learn to live in the castle, taking on the tasks that the goblin king had set for her.
After Miriam had expended some energy, she sat as Sarah began to go over lessons with her. At the Breanons, they had been covering mathematics. Luckily, the same rules applied in the underground as did aboveground. Miriam was exceptional at multiplication, although she struggled with long division. Sarah smiled; she had been the same way in school. Miriam was a dedicated child, and tried very hard, despite her difficulties.
Although there were those who were afraid of or angry with her, Sarah also had some allies in the castle. The women at the daycare took an almost instant liking to her. She found out that the daughter of Gragar, the head dwarf, was one of the charges of the service. Mia was a small, light haired dwarf. Despite her wrinkled appearance, she sported rosy cheeks and a small red nose. In short, she was adorable.
Sarah had been unofficially placed in charge of Mia, as well as the two Breanon children. Miriam would help her aunt in the mornings, while the kitchen staff cooked breakfast for his majesty, then would join Meril and Sarah in the daycare for her lessons. After they were finished, she had a short recess, and then rejoined her aunt to assist with the goblin king's dinner. Sarah found that her charges thrived on having a set schedule.
Miriam was, of course, completely accepting of Sarah. Meril took to her easily, as well. Dorian was the one wild card. Sarah couldn't tell whether his bleak attitude toward her was due to his age or any amount of bitterness toward her because of his mother's disappearance. Sarah couldn't blame him; she had been furious at the world when her mother had left her, long ago, and again when her father had died. She could understand the emotions associated with losing someone that you love.
During the evenings, Sarah spent one hour with the goblin king. Most of the hour was spent enjoying an amazing dinner, set out by the kitchen staff. Each meal seemed to outdo the last. Sarah tried to concentrate on her meal, but always became distracted by the man sitting near her. Dinner conversation was always sparse, consisting of Sarah's reports on her day and what goings-on she had observed. After dinner, they would walk through the corridors of the castle, and Sarah was able to explore some of the castle rooms. They would watch a full play performed by goblin children, or watch the stars moving in a room that was a kind of magical planetarium. Sarah enjoyed these strolls, but they always seemed to end too quickly. Jareth would bid her goodnight, and disappear.
Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus would pay her occasional visits. In the beginning, they were short visits, where Hoggle would look over his shoulder apprehensively, waiting for Jareth to fling them into the bog of stench. But as the months ran by, her friends would stay and talk with her longer, sometimes even venturing inside the daycare and helping her chase around miniscule people.
As the months continued to pile up, Sarah noticed that Hoggle also became more agitated. She could tell that something was bothering him, but he wouldn't confide in her, or in anyone. When she asked him about it, he simply claimed that he was tired from a long day of caretaking in the gardens surrounding the labyrinth. Sarah had her suspicions that something was going on, but simply nodded, accepting that her friend would tell all when he was ready.
Sarah enjoyed her visits with her friends, and even enjoyed helping Dorian and Miriam with their studies. On occasion, she was permitted to ride horseback through the countryside on Owl, the horse that Jareth had designated for her. With the underground wind blowing through her hair, Sarah could wish for nothing else.
Her pride and joy, however, was baby Meril. As he grew, month by month, he learned to pull himself along the ground with his arms, and then to crawl, hunching his little bottom in the air and moving his hands and knees. Most of the time his ultimate destination was a pile of blocks that another child had painstakingly stacked, or a piece of fruit that a child had left within reach; other times it was Sarah herself, and the bracelets and necklace that she wore. Everything seemed to be fair game for his mouth. Sarah felt she had a full time job just keeping watch over him and making sure he didn't choke on a newfound treasure.
Summer in the underground turned to fall. The wind became colder, and the sun gave off a yellowish glare instead of its pure white light. The labyrinth, too, seemed to shift with the season. When Sarah would watch it from a window high in the castle, she could see it shedding its greenery, and bright colors fading to yellow and brown. It had been 6 and a half months already; she was halfway through her trial period in the underground. She felt that she had made some progress with Jareth, and had not caused much more aggravation since the disappearance of Mrs. Breanon. Sighing hopefully, she focused on the children who had become her world.
Because of the change in the weather, Sarah's horseback rides had become less frequent. She spent the same amount of time with Dorian in the stables, going over his studies, but they would walk the horses, not ride them, and then comb the shivering animals. Without being able to talk about the animals, Sarah's conversations with Dorian suffered. Finally, one night, she convinced him to walk with her along the edge of the forest, to talk.
"I lost both of my parents, Dorian, I know how you feel." Sarah looked at the boy with sympathy in her eyes.
"I know," Dorian answered, looking down sullenly, "I just get so angry, at everyone. Why her? She never did anything to anyone. . ."
"I know," Sarah agreed, placing a hand on Dorian's shoulder. "The first time I visited this land, I learned an important lesson that I will never forget. As much as we might want it to, life is never fair. But in the long run, although we hate to hear it and can't see it happening, those experiences make us stronger. We build defenses against the bad things and learn to accept the good things more easily." Dorian had nodded, and Sarah felt that their relationship had changed for the better.
Over time, Dorian slowly warmed back up to Sarah. His studies were now in subjects that Sarah was unfamiliar with, such as Underground History. She read as many books as she could about the subject, but could see that Dorian was way ahead of her, having grown up with the stories and history of his home. One night, she journeyed toward the castle's library on a quest to find the answer to a question Dorian had asked her. As she walked through the halls, she thought about her new life.
Miriam had turned 9 the week before. Sarah had rallied her friends together and held an impromptu birthday party for her. They managed to find sweets and small trinkets to give the girl. Miriam had been overjoyed. Even Dorian had grinned at the antics of the hyperactive Sir Didymus and the goblins that the children and Sarah had befriended. Sarah smiled happily at the memory. She strolled down the castle corridors, blessed with a rare hour before she was to meet the goblin king for dinner. Picking her way through the now familiar hallways, she halted in front of a large set of glass and wooden doors. Pushing one open, she entered the castle library.
Sarah had always been fond of books and reading. She was able to lose herself easily in other worlds and ways of thinking. The books in the castle library ranged from histories of the underground and magical creatures, to fantastic stories packed with action and suspense. Whenever she could, Sarah would retreat to the library, reading what she could and learning more than she'd ever thought possible about the underground.
Trailing a finger along the book shelves, Sarah read the book titles to herself. Each leather bound story offered insight into her new environment and companions. Choosing an interesting looking volume, Sarah found a comfortable recliner, and situated herself there, snuggling into the book. As the light outside the window dimmed into evening, she lost herself on the grassy moors of a not so far away place.
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It was now or never, Hoggle thought. Jareth was sprawled on his throne, eyes closed in slumber. The castle healer, Wen, had confided once about a spell she would weave to help his majesty sleep. It calmed his mind and helped him to travel deeply into the land of dreams, she had said. Hoggle had acted indifferent, which only encouraged the woman to speak. She had told him the ingredients needed for the powder, as well as the words that must be muttered as they touched the monarch's brow.
Now, emerging from the shadows, Hoggle held up a pouch of the fine powder that he had created. Holding some in his hand, he rehearsed the words in his hand. Taking a deep breath, he crept toward the sleeping king, and, whispering the words as best he could, he blew the contents of the pouch over the king. Instantly, Jareth's brow relaxed. He was emerged now in dreams. Replacing the pouch upon his belt, Hoggle reached up and maneuvered the amulet over Jareth's head. Holding his breath, Hoggle finally was able to remove it and placed it in his pocket.
He wouldn't give it right to Grishnak, he had decided. He would wait and see if Sarah was returning to the aboveground before giving such a powerful gem to the hooded man. As quietly as possible, Hoggle left the throne room, wondering where he had finally found the courage to take on such dangerous adventures.
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Jareth wasn't in the dining room when she arrived. Sarah had purposely worn an emerald dress, which she knew brought out her eyes. She had caught Jareth staring at her more than once when she wore the outfit, and thought that it might jump start whatever he was suppressing within his heart.
After twenty minutes of waiting, Sarah searched out Jareth's throne room, and finally found him, fast asleep. She smiled softly as she watched his features. He looked so innocent and helpless, lying there, lost in his dreams. Then she frowned. Sleeping past dinner was not like him; he was very strict when it came to control over his schedule and behavior. Sarah approached him, feeling relief over seeing the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She noticed that something seemed different about him; most likely it was the effect of his intimidation being diminished, because of his slumbering state, but she couldn't shake the feeling, and couldn't put her finger on what it was.
Deciding not to invoke his anger at waking him, Sarah found a heavy blanket nearby, and draped it over the sleeping man. Realizing that he would not see her in the forest colored gown, she swallowed disappointment. She bravely stepped toward him, and reluctantly placed a small kiss upon his forehead before leaving the room and heading back to the daycare.
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Sarah rocked softly with Meril in her arms. She hummed a lullabye that she remembered her mother singing to her, in the early parts of her childhood. Meril's eyes fluttered and then closed. Already, Sarah thought, he was growing; soon he would be walking around on his chubby little legs, and giving the other children a run for their money. Rocking softly, the long days finally caught up with her, and Sarah fell into slumber, still holding Meril gently.
As she slept, a shadow fell upon the room. This shadow, however, had a solid form, and hands to steal the baby that slept within Sarah's arms. Softly, the shadow's owner crept from the room, closing the door gently behind it. Stealing a child from within the goblin king's very castle, now THAT was an accomplishment, the thief thought, as he escaped without incident from the castle.
From a doorway, a boy gasped, having witnessed the kidnapping of the child. He had not called out, despite his connection to the baby. Fear and apprehension kept him silent. Surely blame would not be cast upon the sleeping woman. He would keep silent, the boy vowed, and darted away into the castle.
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I'm happier with this chapter than I was with the last one. What do you think?
Phoebemoon- so glad you like it!
Neoshipper- Haha, yes, I thought naming the horse Sarah was just this sweet thing for him to do. . . but it made it very difficult to write around. And let me know if you want to do the beta reader thing!
Cherokeelady- Yes, we are nearing the end, and loose ends are being tied up! (Although I can't help creating new ones. . .) Thanks so much for the compliments!
Draegon-fire- and, once again, as soon as they get closer, I mix things up on you. *blush* sorry! Lol. . .
Illaona- Thank you so much for all the chapter reviews! I'm amazed that you think my story's a tear jerker. . . that's quite a compliment! Thank you!
Sarah- haha, no problem! I'll be posting the next chapter soon. It's almost completely written already!
PED-Sarah- Thank you! I definitely will!
Desdemona321- Hopefully that was a bit quicker this time! :- )
Jessica White- Thank you! And thanks for reading my other stories, also! Hoggle again in this chapter; hopefully he realizes what's going on before it's too late!
Diamond- Aw, thanks so much!
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