Chapter Seven
"The sun has risen, friend! Push yourself off the ground and prepare yourself for another day!"
Toby groaned, his face crinkling in disgust as he tried to wet his tongue. It felt as though he hadn't had a drink in days, and that the very grass he'd been laying on had also been stuffed into his mouth. Blinking gritty eyes, he focused his gaze on Fif -- who, to his irritation, looked every bit as energetic as the day before -- and then pushed himself wearily to his feet. Fif canted his head slightly and pursed his lips.
"Pardon the impertinence, but you should really consider having a drink, at least," the fae told him matter-of-factly. "You look wretched."
"Thanks a lot," Toby grumbled, patting his messy blond hair self-consciously. After stretching a bit, he bent down to retrieve his pack and then reached into his pocket for the compass stone…which was no longer there. But how could that be? Hadn't he put it there before going to sleep the night before? Panicked, Toby dropped to the ground and pushed the thick grass aside, casting about hastily for Everlind's gift. It had to be around there somewhere!
"What are you doing?" Fif demanded, chuckling. "Have you gone mad?"
"The compass stone," Toby said. "I lost it. I don't know what happened to it!" He looked up. "How am I supposed to get to Og'Mael if I don't know which direction to go?"
Fif's laughter did nothing to soothe Toby's anxiety. He was about to snap something mean when the fae exclaimed, "Friend, do you forget with whom you're traveling? Forget that silly rock! All we need do is follow this stream, and we'll reach those gnomes!" He chortled. "You silly humans, always needing maps and compasses to find your way…"
By this point, Toby had stopped his search, realizing that Fif was right. He still didn't like the idea of leaving the compass stone behind -- wherever it had disappeared to -- but at least he wouldn't get lost. After one last glance at the ground, Toby shouldered his pack and followed Fif along the stream…making sure not to look down at it, lest his thirst get the better of him.
Sleep had made him feel better, but only marginally so. Occasionally, his stomach would start cramping with hunger, and his mouth and throat were hopelessly dry. How long could a person go on without water? he wondered. He couldn't just stop to sleep every few hours, even if it allowed him to keep going that much longer. Right now, things weren't too bad…but who knew when that would change? He'd never tried starving himself before. But if anorexics could do it, why couldn't he?
Shouldn't think about that anymore, he finally decided, even though food was all his thoughts seemed to turn to. Taking a few quick steps to catch up with Fif, he asked, "How much longer 'til we get to Og'Mael?"
"Oh, we've still got quite a ways to go," Fif replied. Not hearing an immediate response, he looked over at Toby and his eyes glittered knowingly. "In other words, at some point or another, you're going to have to eat."
"People can live awhile without eating," Toby muttered rebelliously.
"How long can they go without drinking, then?" Silence. "That's what I thought. The choice is yours, friend, but as I said: I can save you from others wishing you harm, but I can't help you from killing yourself. It's your choice as to what you do…But tell me now if you plan on wasting away, because if you do I'm not going to waste my time leading you around Faerie."
"I won't die…but that's all I'm saying," Toby stated. Fif shrugged and smiled.
"Good enough! In that case, hurry up! We're barely making any ground at all at this snail's pace!"
"Everlind!"
Ryo's head snapped up, seeing Puck storm angrily into the room. He watched as his servant -- and mistress -- also looked up in surprise. What could have gotten his father's aid so obviously angry? The little fae's face was twisted in an expression of pure fury, something that very rarely happened with such a jovial creature. Whatever had happened, it must have been bad.
"Puck," the prince called out, his voice that of cool disinterest. "Kindly remember where you are. Though you may be a favorite of my father, nonetheless you are in my quarters. I do not appreciate you terrorizing my servants."
Puck bowed, looking only slightly chagrined. "Terribly sorry, Prince Ryo," he murmured. "I only wanted to have a word with Everlind. She has left the kitchen in a horrible mess, and I intend to see that she clean it up. If, of course, such an idea is agreeable to His Highness."
For several moments, Ryo stared suspiciously at Puck. Was this a trick? The little imp was often trying to cause mischief with palace servants, though as of yet he'd stepped lightly around the royal prince. Had he become so bold as to forget such caution? After deeming such an idea ridiculous, Ryo turned to his servant. "Everlind," he said severely, "go with Puck. And when you have finished, return to me." He saw her amethyst eyes darken to a dusky hue and stifled the sly smile that threatened to curve his lips. She gave a small curtsy and then left the room with Puck.
"Puck, you have been terribly mistaken," Everlind protested, once out of earshot of the prince. "I was in the kitchen, but only for a few moments! And of course I cleaned up after myself! Now I will be in terrible trouble with Prince Ryo! How could you do such a thing to me?"
Instead of replying, Puck ducked down a little-used corridor and dragged the fae girl after him. He could sense her curiosity and dismay, but didn't risk saying anything to her until he was sure they were alone. Damn Queen Sarah and her tricks, he thought irritably, his eyes trained alertly to the shadows. If I get caught, I will take her to death with me!
His thoughts were interrupted when Everlind yanked her arm out of his grasp and stopped moving. "I do not know where you're taking me, but I demand to know what is going on. And I'll not go a step farther until you tell me."
Puck sighed, glanced around him one more time, and then shrugged. If he was going to get caught, he'd be caught. No amount of secrecy would be able to help him. "It's about the boy," he said without preamble. Everlind's expression went from surprise to cold indifference in a matter of seconds.
"Has he died, then?" she inquired. "Prince Ryo said he would. He laughed at me for going so far as to give provisions to the boy, since he would never eat them. I reckon he's starved himself to death; I am certain I scared him enough into staying away from the food."
"Are you so coldhearted, then, that you care not whether he lives or dies?" Puck fought the impulse to violently shake Everlind. He knew she was a fickle creature, but he'd hoped there was some warmth in her heart! His hopes were shattered at her next words:
"I hope he has died."
At that moment, Puck did more than shake her: he slapped her. Hard. Before her cry of pain had even faded from the air he snapped, "You disgust me. I came to you thinking to find an ally, but you fooled us all. You are as shallow as your master."
Through watery eyes, Everlind glared balefully at him. "Why do you care so much for a mortal boy? I've never seen you show so much compassion for one before."
"Have you ever seen the Goblin King become angry? Well and truly angry?" Puck had the pleasure of seeing the fae girl look less sure of herself. "'Tis not a pleasant event, I assure you. And his wife is just like him. To make them both angry would bring such wrath down upon our realm…but why should you care about that, either? You are obviously not in a position that requires worrying." He gave a mocking bow. "Sorry to have taken up your valuable time with the prince. Pray, go back to him now before he grows lonely and his bed grows cold." He stalked off to the sound of Everlind's angry spluttering.
How could he have been so wrong in judging her character? Puck had thought his biggest problem would be Ryo; he'd never even imagined that the true problem would be with Everlind herself. Yet she'd proven herself to be every bit as cold and cruel as her master, and while this angered Puck, it also disappointed him. He'd thought her to be a cute, inquisitive little thing, much resembling the nickname she'd been given from her brother before she came to the palace. Could she have changed so much in her time here, or had she always been this way? Even Puck wasn't so unfeeling toward the world, much as he made himself appear so!
"'Tis lucky I said nothing about wishing to help young Toby," Puck decided, his temperament still stormy. "Without a doubt, she would have run back to Ryo directly and told him everything!" He frowned and sighed. "What am I to tell Queen Sarah now? She will do everything in her power to make my life miserable…as if it isn't miserable enough already! Blast that boy; can't he even wish correctly?"
"Ohhhhh, I wish this stupid quest was OVER already!" Toby shouted in frustration. Fif stepped away and then watched him with humorous expectation, as though pretending Toby's wish would come true yet knowing it wouldn't. When nothing happened, Toby slumped and continued walking.
"Your wishing magic doesn't have quite the same effect here as it does in other realms," the fae explained, falling in step with Toby. "Stop being so glum! I assure you, this will all be over before you know it. You shall return a triumphant hero!"
Toby looked over with a disbelieving expression. "How would you know?" he demanded crankily. "You said you haven't even been this way in a long time. Are you sure we're even going the right way? We could be going back to Oberon's place for all I know…"
Fif tsked. "You are wearing down, and becoming grouchy in the process. Who is the native of this land, and who is the newcomer? I'd like to think that I know my way around here a far sight better than you do…therefore, kindly be silent if you have nothing cheerful to say and let me do the leading." He chuckled. "You remind me of some of the young children I have seen in your world: 'Are we there yet?'" Toby decided not to reply to that comment.
The land grew more forested as they continued on, and it became dark even before night fell. That little globe of light appeared at Fif's shoulder, and without even a gesture he sent it further ahead of him to illuminate the path. As grumpy as Toby was, he couldn't help but be thankful for the fae's magic. Without it, they'd be stumbling around in the darkness, and would probably land themselves in quite a heap of trouble. From a few feet away, the stream continued its soft burbling but instead of being a comfort, Toby found the sound to be a constant irritance. Nonetheless, it was the best assurance he had that they were still going in the right direction.
After awhile, though, he just stopped paying attention to the things around him. Trusting that Fif would continue to follow the stream, Toby turned his thoughts inward and focused merely on putting one foot ahead of the other. He'd stopped feeling hunger pains hours ago, and even his thirst had become tolerable…but he was just so tired. How was it possible to become so fatigued so fast? It hadn't been that long since the last time he'd eaten! The pack of provisions Everlind had provided was becoming more of a burden with each step. Why was he keeping it, when he refused to consume anything inside of it? Without even another thought, Toby let the pack slip effortlessly from his shoulders. It landed with a dull thud on the ground, but he never even looked back at it.
The darkness of night enveloped him soothingly, tempting him to give up for the day and take a well-needed rest. Even the sounds of insects and animals in the trees became a lullaby, and he longed to close his eyes in response. Sleep would be so wonderful, so welcome…
"Fif, stop," he said at last. Several hours had passed since the last time he'd spoken, and Fif was a little startled to hear his voice again. Before the guide could even reply, Toby was already making himself comfortable on the ground. "It's night. I'm going to sleep. Wake me up in the morning." Sweet oblivion followed.
The last thing he expected upon waking was to find himself somewhere completely different than where he'd fallen asleep…and to be surrounded by so many alien faces. Despite his lingering fatigue, Toby leapt up immediately in alarm…only to be thrown to the ground again by the strange people surrounding him. They began talking rapidly to one another in a foreign language, but Toby was certain he heard the word 'faerie' in there somewhere. He had to quash initial outrage, thinking he was being insulted, before he realized what they must be talking about: to them, he looked like a denizen of Faerie. Hadn't Oberon said he could pass for one?
These must be gnomes, Toby thought, studying each face slowly. They certainly didn't look as grotesque as he thought they would. All of them were exceedingly pale, with light skin and varying shades of light blond hair. Their eyes, at least, ranged in color from brown to gray…though he noticed that a few had the strange golden eyes that Everlind had once spoke of. They truly were a magnificent and unusual color, though he wasn't in the presence of mind to sit there and study them.
"Where's Fif?" Toby demanded, cringing when the gnomes sent murderous glances his way. He decided that whatever had happened to the fae, the same fate was probably about to befall him as well. So then why did it seem as though they were discussing something? If they were going to kill him, wouldn't they just grab him up and have done with it?
Sarah, he pleaded silently. Please, help me!
Sarah froze, spoon dropping from nerveless fingers as an expression of pure horror twisted her features. Jareth looked up in alarm, heart pounding when he looked at his wife. "Sarah, what is it?" he demanded, getting up as if to help her in some way. Sarah's hazel eyes continued to stare straight ahead, but her lips began moving…and what she had to say filled Jareth with the same fear that was shown on her face.
"Toby," she said. "He's been captured. By the elves."
"Get off me!" Toby shouted, thrashing frantically in an attempt to get the gnomes off of him. Despite their frail appearance, however, the creatures had immense strength. Toby was soon held fast, and no amount of struggling would help him escape. If anything, his struggles only served to incense the gnomes further, and who knew what they'd do if provoked. They were already proving themselves to be rather hostile. Hadn't Oberon said that the gnomes this close to Faerie's borders would be friendly?
"Dirty fae," one of the gnomes spat, glaring at Toby with such hatred that he actually shivered. If looks could kill, that glare would definitely be lethal. "You have as little sense as the rest of your filthy kind."
His accent was thick, and understanding his words at times was difficult. Toby did, however, understand the word 'fae', and realized that the gnome was addressing him as though he was fae instead of mortal. His earlier suspicions had been correct, then. But judging by the hostile manner in which he was being treated, wouldn't it be better to tell them that he wasn't a denizen of Faerie? Not if these guys are friends with the Unseelie Court, he reminded himself quickly. There was no way he was going to be turned into some evil faerie's plaything!
"C'mon, guys," he cajoled, attempting a weak laugh. "I was just minding my own business! I didn't mean to do anything wrong! If you let me go, I promise I'll leave and never come back."
"Oh, you won't be coming back," the gnome said, smiling coldly. The other gnomes chuckled. "You'll be dead."
Toby squeaked fearfully. "Dead?" he repeated, his voice still embarrassingly high-pitched. His mind flashed back to a moment years ago when he'd faced death, that time at the hands of a very ugly-looking monster. These creatures weren't nearly as fearsome to look at, yet Toby felt more afraid now than he ever had when faced with the Nightmares. "I thought you guys were friendly with the faeries this close to the border!"
The gnome sneered. "We are not friendly with your kind, no matter how close to Faerie's borders we are," he stated. "The fae have always believed they can control us, as though their magic is somehow more powerful than ours. We will not be ruled by them any longer!"
"But…King Oberon never mentioned any problems with gnomes before…"
"Pah! Gnomes are creatures lacking in any real intelligence. They willingly follow anyone who proves himself to be more powerful and more intelligent than they."
Here, Toby quirked a brow, his face registering bewilderment. Had he heard the gnome's words correctly? The accent, strangely, was becoming easier to understand, but still…why would anyone put down his own race? Unless they really were that stupid, but Toby couldn't imagine anyone being silly enough to make fun of themselves. "You guys are gnomes though, aren't you?" he asked hesitantly.
A roar of anger erupted from all those present, and the air crackled with power. Suddenly, such pain coursed through Toby's entire being that he thought he was being torn apart. Every muscle contracted, yet he was being held fast and couldn't so much as curl up into a ball. His lungs worked for air that couldn't pass through constricted passages, and his heart beat hard and fast in his chest. The creatures hovering above him were fierce and terrible, but he could barely see them through pain-clouded eyes. Throwing back his head, Toby howled in pure, excruciating pain. As he fell gratefully into unconsciousness, he was vaguely aware that his heart had stopped beating…
"I can't sense him anymore." Sarah's voice was filled with sudden panic. She turned to her husband, hazel eyes wide and frightened. "Jareth, I can't sense my brother anymore. Even when I haven't always known where he was, I've at least felt something there. But it's gone. I think the elves…I think they…"
Jareth placed a hand over Sarah's mouth, forbidding her to say what they were both thinking. His angular face was set in a firm expression, but his eyes were gentle. "The magic of the elves has always interfered with that of the fae," he told her softly, hoping to calm her. "They will not have harmed Toby so quickly. I believe they will first attempt to use him as a bargaining tool against Oberon."
"But he's not from Faerie!" Sarah protested, pulling Jareth's hand away from her mouth. "No matter how desperate they are, they'd never think of using a mortal to bargain with the king of the fae! They'd know Oberon wouldn't care!"
"They may not know he's mortal," the Goblin King pointed out. "We must hope for the best until we find out otherwise. However, I have had enough of this foolish game. It is time I had a talk with Oberon."
"I'm coming with you," Sarah announced, standing up to follow her husband. Jareth opened his mouth as though to object, but after looking at her face he sighed and nodded. While he spoke with Oberon, perhaps she would have luck with Titania…or Puck. Sarah had always seemed better able to deal with the mischievous fae than Jareth had. Maybe she fed his ego more than anyone else he'd ever met; she'd certainly made enough of a commotion the first time they were introduced, prattling on about some play she'd read in school. At that moment, Puck's face had lit up, and Jareth still swore to this day that the little man's chest had puffed up proudly. He'd been even more insufferable since then.
Faerie etiquette dictated that Jareth and Sarah travel by conventional means to visit Oberon. Though it wasn't unusual for someone to suddenly appear in your living quarters, for formal matters such as these one was expected to ride by horse…with a full retinue of servants and nobles, of course. Oberon was most likely expecting the rulers of the Underground to take this route, and therefore knew that by the time they reached his castle, Toby would be too far gone to call back. Jareth was never the sort to placidly adhere to Faerie's rules at the best of times, and today he was even less inclined to do so. Oberon was, by and large, a pompous bastard. It would do him good to have unexpected visitors suddenly appear on his doorstep.
"Be ready in an hour, my queen," Jareth said, his tone suddenly all formality. Sarah, accustomed by now to her husband's mercurial temperament, merely nodded.
"Who do you want to come with us?"
"Bring a handmaiden if you require one, but otherwise tell no one. We are not taking the time to bring a parade with us." There was a slight tone of disgust in his voice for such Faerie rituals. Though Sarah had enjoyed the Rade that passed through the Underground last year, Jareth thought the whole idea silly. Thus, another reason why they'd be transporting themselves directly to Oberon's castle, as opposed to parading themselves about beforehand.
A relieved look passed over Sarah's face at her husband's announcement. It was times like these that she was grateful she wasn't married to someone who insisted on following rules and etiquette. Well, for the most part, anyway. Like any other Fae, Jareth had an unpredictable temperament, and could be formal or rebellious by turns. This time, thankfully, he'd decided to be rebellious. A Rade would have taken far too much time, and Sarah feared right now that time was something of which they'd just run out. Why had they taken this long to begin with? They should have been banging on Oberon's door long before this point!
"I don't need anything," Sarah stated flatly. "As far as I'm concerned, we can leave this instant. But I'll wait while you do what needs to be done here in the castle."
Despite the somberness of the situation, Jareth smiled softly at his wife. No matter what happened, he could always count on her fire, and that encouraged him. He said nothing in return, merely nodded and hastened out of the room. The sooner he took care of castle affairs, the sooner they could leave and settle other matters. Oberon would rue the day he crossed the king and queen of the Underground.
Notes: I know, it's been forever since I've updated this thing! I've run into a bit of a stumbling block, unfortunately...and I have this fear that since the story is about Toby, people aren't quite as interested in it as they would if it was about Sarah and Jareth, hehe! Understandable, but not the best motivation for storywriting! So, as much as I tend to hate this statement, if you like what you're reading, please don't hesitate to review! I'm not fishing for compliments, I just want to make sure there are actually people reading this thing, hehehe :P