Chapter Twenty Two - School days
"Is he gone?" said a small voice from behind the door.
"Yes. You can come out now." said Sarah and noticed the opposite wall lose its
buzzing blue energy. Arian poke her head around the door, followed about half way
down with Hoggle doing a similar action.
"I'm sorry." said the girl and looked at the floor "That was so irresponsible of me."
"You were scared and angry. It's understandable." Sarah assured.
"I can't believe it." said Arian "You made him leave! You really must be the champion
of the Labyrinth."
"Hey! Don't forget about yourself and that whole force field thing. That was
amazing!" cried Sarah and changed the subject. She thought it would be best not to
tell the girl about the little deal she had made with the Goblin King. Not yet at any
rate.
"I wasn't sure it would work." Arian admitted. "I used to believe my father could do
anything. That he was the best. Then Hogswald told me about you and everything
changed."
"It's Hoggle!" grunted the little dwarf angrily.
"You still care though, don't you?" said Sarah, it wasn't really a question.
"Of course I do! You can't live with someone for fourteen years and not care." said the
girl.
Sarah sighed and looked at the unhappy creature who sat opposite her. "You know.
What you're going through is perfectly normal. When you reach a certain age you
begin to realise your parents faults. We always judge them and sometimes we're able
to forgive them."
Arian nodded. "You're right. I need to get this mess sorted out."
"Well that's good because he's coming back tomorrow..." said Sarah. Arian opened her
mouth to protest but she cut her off. "You don't have to go back, I just figured you two
needed a nice long talk." The young girl eventually consented to her friend's
suggestion if not a little grudgingly.
Looking up at the clock, Sarah noticed that it was already eight thirty and that she was
late for work.
"Christ! Arian. Look I've got to go now. Do you think you and Hoggle will be ok on
your own." she said, rushing around searching for her files and notes.
"Are you going to the school?" said Arian and her eyes lit up. "Can I come?"
Sarah hesitated. She really didn't need the extra trouble but the girl seemed so eager to
go. If only her other students were like that. Besides, she would go back to the
Labyrinth eventually so she might as well make the most of her visit.
"I guess there'd be no harm in you coming." she said after a while. "I could just say
your an exchange student or something."
"Fantastic. Do you want me to be French or Italian?" cried Arian happily.
"Er... surprise me! Now let's go."
They were about to go out the door when a gruff little voice piped up.
"Hey! What about me?" said Hoggle.
"Sorry Hoggle." said Sarah "But people here aren't used to seeing dwarves. It might be
a bit risky."
"Unless..." said Arian with a disturbingly familiar evil grin. She whipped out her
notepad and scribbled down a few lines. Hoggle suddenly disappeared and was
replaced by a short, stocky young boy of about fourteen years of age. He definitely
looked human but there was still a certain Hogglishness about him.
"Hoggle?" said Sarah with shock "How did you...? What was that!?"
Arian smiled proudly and showed her the description she had written. "That...is what
is going to save the Labyrinth."
"Is he gone?" said a small voice from behind the door.
"Yes. You can come out now." said Sarah and noticed the opposite wall lose its
buzzing blue energy. Arian poke her head around the door, followed about half way
down with Hoggle doing a similar action.
"I'm sorry." said the girl and looked at the floor "That was so irresponsible of me."
"You were scared and angry. It's understandable." Sarah assured.
"I can't believe it." said Arian "You made him leave! You really must be the champion
of the Labyrinth."
"Hey! Don't forget about yourself and that whole force field thing. That was
amazing!" cried Sarah and changed the subject. She thought it would be best not to
tell the girl about the little deal she had made with the Goblin King. Not yet at any
rate.
"I wasn't sure it would work." Arian admitted. "I used to believe my father could do
anything. That he was the best. Then Hogswald told me about you and everything
changed."
"It's Hoggle!" grunted the little dwarf angrily.
"You still care though, don't you?" said Sarah, it wasn't really a question.
"Of course I do! You can't live with someone for fourteen years and not care." said the
girl.
Sarah sighed and looked at the unhappy creature who sat opposite her. "You know.
What you're going through is perfectly normal. When you reach a certain age you
begin to realise your parents faults. We always judge them and sometimes we're able
to forgive them."
Arian nodded. "You're right. I need to get this mess sorted out."
"Well that's good because he's coming back tomorrow..." said Sarah. Arian opened her
mouth to protest but she cut her off. "You don't have to go back, I just figured you two
needed a nice long talk." The young girl eventually consented to her friend's
suggestion if not a little grudgingly.
Looking up at the clock, Sarah noticed that it was already eight thirty and that she was
late for work.
"Christ! Arian. Look I've got to go now. Do you think you and Hoggle will be ok on
your own." she said, rushing around searching for her files and notes.
"Are you going to the school?" said Arian and her eyes lit up. "Can I come?"
Sarah hesitated. She really didn't need the extra trouble but the girl seemed so eager to
go. If only her other students were like that. Besides, she would go back to the
Labyrinth eventually so she might as well make the most of her visit.
"I guess there'd be no harm in you coming." she said after a while. "I could just say
your an exchange student or something."
"Fantastic. Do you want me to be French or Italian?" cried Arian happily.
"Er... surprise me! Now let's go."
They were about to go out the door when a gruff little voice piped up.
"Hey! What about me?" said Hoggle.
"Sorry Hoggle." said Sarah "But people here aren't used to seeing dwarves. It might be
a bit risky."
"Unless..." said Arian with a disturbingly familiar evil grin. She whipped out her
notepad and scribbled down a few lines. Hoggle suddenly disappeared and was
replaced by a short, stocky young boy of about fourteen years of age. He definitely
looked human but there was still a certain Hogglishness about him.
"Hoggle?" said Sarah with shock "How did you...? What was that!?"
Arian smiled proudly and showed her the description she had written. "That...is what
is going to save the Labyrinth."