(Author's note: *puffs and pants* this story will be the death of me!)
Chapter X
When Sarah returned to the alcove there was no sign of Lynden. Ludo was barely conscious, his head lolling against the wall and his breathing slow. He emitted a soft lowing noise that could only have been gratitude at his friend's return. Sarah knelt beside him and set the pile of tarkenast leaves next to her. She wrinkled her brow as she looked from the plants to the beast's injuries and brushed a hand through her hair, sighing in annoyance.
"I wish I knew where she was," she grumbled. "I don't have a clue what to do and there's not enough time."
The answer came from the direction of the stream.
"He needs to eat them."
Sarah looked out towards the still waters and called, "Lynden? That you?"
There was no reply this time. She tapped Ludo on the cheek to keep him awake and she took up a handful of the dark blue leaves with a few golden flowers. Aiding him in opening his jaws, she pushed them into his mouth and closed it for him.
"Come on Ludo, there's a good boy. Chew them up," she coaxed.
Ludo grunted and there was a minute movement within his mouth.
"Pla-," he began then swallowed. "Plant taste bad."
"It's okay, it'll make you better," Sarah soothed. "Here, you must eat a bit more." She shovelled in another couple of handfuls despite his grimacing. "Do even the flowers taste horrible?"
Ludo shook his head.
"Ludo not want more," he said finally.
Sarah nodded and took his furry hand, smiling as it engulfed her whole wrist in the process.
"Well at least it's doing some good. Come on, Ludo, we have to get going. Can you walk?"
Her friend pondered a moment - an agonisingly long moment, Sarah thought - then, with an almighty heave, pulled himself to his feet. He staggered unsteadily out of the alcove alongside his companion.
Sarah stood at the edge of the path and scoured the water.
"Lynden? Are you there?" she addressed the cavern. Still there was no answer. "If you are, we're very thankful for what you've done for us, for Ludo especially. We can't stay here, but you're welcome to come with us. Lynden?"
"What?" The voice did not betray Lynden's whereabouts. Strangely, it carried an undertone of hostility.
"Are you all right?" The stream did not allow a single deviant ripple. "Lynden, we have to go. I don't have time to-."
"Then go," Lynden hissed from the dark.
"I hope we meet again," Sarah said quietly, anxious to leave and stay at the same time. "Jareth will pay for what he did to you."
That said, she led Ludo out of the cavern and continued along the winding path, banking on the notion that there was another way out at the end.
Once Lynden was sure the coast was clear, she emerged from the stream, blended perfectly with the natural water. The torchlight flickered within her pellucid body and diluted her with the rage she was unable to express. She bowed her head in thought, the outlines of her eyes turning down at the ends in sadness. Then, she dove back into the stream and sped off with the course of the current.
Sarah and Ludo had emerged from the caverns and found themselves in the centre of a vast swampland. Exotic trees smothered in lichen boasted their years across murky puddles, fat flies with ridiculously big bodies for their puny wings zigzagged lazily about the reeds, and birds twittered in the distance.
The two friends rested a little while on a sturdy log situated on a wishbone-shaped area of firm ground. The beast had regained much of his strength, his wound no longer bleeding. Sarah took off her mud-coated shoes and began to massage her aching toes as she kept an eye on the swamp.
"It can't be far now, Ludo," she said, her gurgling stomach agreeing. This was close to the place where she had eaten the drugged peach that Hoggle had given her. Poor Hoggle. She hoped that he was all right. Why hadn't Jareth shown him to her? Even mentioned his name?
Sarah's thoughts were disturbed when Ludo started to growl.
"Ludo? What's-."
She stopped. A creature was watching them from the edge of the swamp. Familiar clear eyes lay behind a shroud of dirt and dry leaves. It had only just seemed to notice the debris clinging to its body and was now making an effort to shake it off.
The leafy mass sighed. "Don't suppose you could give me a hand?"
Ludo stopped growling and perked up at the voice. Sarah smiled and made her way over to the figure. In parting the twigs about its head, she uncovered the liquid face of Lynden.
"Decided to join us after all?" Sarah giggled, peeling off what appeared to be half the forest from her friend's surface.
Lynden nodded, rustling as she did. "Urgh, I can separate from the mud. That's easy. It's just these damn things! I'm always getting leaves stuck to me."
Still picking bits off the girl here and there, Sarah sat once again on the log, in between Ludo and Lynden. There were a few moments of awkward silence, then...
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier," Lynden said.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you had a good reason," Sarah replied. "You saved our lives. We had no right to ask any more."
Lynden shook her head and allowed her child voice to sound clearly above her typical watery tone.
"Do you remember when I said I knew your name but couldn't tell you why?" She looked to Sarah for her cue to continue. "I knew because the water knew." Sarah was puzzled. "Whenever a mortal drinks from the water in the Labyrinth, they share their experiences with it. Every drop in the Underground is connected to me. I hold the memories and thoughts of nearly every creature that needs to drink to survive here." She hesitated. "Although, some drink for the mere pleasure of it."
Sarah was intrigued.
"Then you knew I'd been here before? You know why I'm here again," she implored. Her eyes widened. "You know...what happened in the cavern?"
Lynden rested her chin in her hands, which was an odd sight since her fingertips melted into her face.
"I know a lot more than that."
Sarah frowned inquisitively.
"I sensed your feelings." Lynden continued before Sarah could interject, "But I know it's just a spell. I know. Only, that's not what bothered me. What *is* bothering me is the King."
"Jareth?" Sarah's expression creased with bewilderment. "Why? What does he have to do with anything?" She chided herself. What *didn't* involve him?
"Jareth may not be mortal but he still drinks the water. Though he's always managed to create a sort of block to prevent his thoughts and desires from spilling into the stream. Until recently." Lynden lifted her face to the sky, craning her neck as if it were pressured with unwanted knowledge. "He was careless the last time his lips met the water. Sometimes I think he does it just to spite me. He knows I can feel his magic. It's dark and painful, but now the waters carry messages that are deafening. One message. The strongest want that Jareth possesses is screaming within every particle of the Labyrinth."
Sarah had been holding her breath, letting it slip out with her question. "And what does the Goblin King want?"
"You truly do not know?" Lynden replied with despair and disbelief.
Sarah shook her head uncertainly. She felt the dread envelop her as she observed the awful syllable forming at her friend's translucent mouth.
"You."
Chapter X
When Sarah returned to the alcove there was no sign of Lynden. Ludo was barely conscious, his head lolling against the wall and his breathing slow. He emitted a soft lowing noise that could only have been gratitude at his friend's return. Sarah knelt beside him and set the pile of tarkenast leaves next to her. She wrinkled her brow as she looked from the plants to the beast's injuries and brushed a hand through her hair, sighing in annoyance.
"I wish I knew where she was," she grumbled. "I don't have a clue what to do and there's not enough time."
The answer came from the direction of the stream.
"He needs to eat them."
Sarah looked out towards the still waters and called, "Lynden? That you?"
There was no reply this time. She tapped Ludo on the cheek to keep him awake and she took up a handful of the dark blue leaves with a few golden flowers. Aiding him in opening his jaws, she pushed them into his mouth and closed it for him.
"Come on Ludo, there's a good boy. Chew them up," she coaxed.
Ludo grunted and there was a minute movement within his mouth.
"Pla-," he began then swallowed. "Plant taste bad."
"It's okay, it'll make you better," Sarah soothed. "Here, you must eat a bit more." She shovelled in another couple of handfuls despite his grimacing. "Do even the flowers taste horrible?"
Ludo shook his head.
"Ludo not want more," he said finally.
Sarah nodded and took his furry hand, smiling as it engulfed her whole wrist in the process.
"Well at least it's doing some good. Come on, Ludo, we have to get going. Can you walk?"
Her friend pondered a moment - an agonisingly long moment, Sarah thought - then, with an almighty heave, pulled himself to his feet. He staggered unsteadily out of the alcove alongside his companion.
Sarah stood at the edge of the path and scoured the water.
"Lynden? Are you there?" she addressed the cavern. Still there was no answer. "If you are, we're very thankful for what you've done for us, for Ludo especially. We can't stay here, but you're welcome to come with us. Lynden?"
"What?" The voice did not betray Lynden's whereabouts. Strangely, it carried an undertone of hostility.
"Are you all right?" The stream did not allow a single deviant ripple. "Lynden, we have to go. I don't have time to-."
"Then go," Lynden hissed from the dark.
"I hope we meet again," Sarah said quietly, anxious to leave and stay at the same time. "Jareth will pay for what he did to you."
That said, she led Ludo out of the cavern and continued along the winding path, banking on the notion that there was another way out at the end.
Once Lynden was sure the coast was clear, she emerged from the stream, blended perfectly with the natural water. The torchlight flickered within her pellucid body and diluted her with the rage she was unable to express. She bowed her head in thought, the outlines of her eyes turning down at the ends in sadness. Then, she dove back into the stream and sped off with the course of the current.
Sarah and Ludo had emerged from the caverns and found themselves in the centre of a vast swampland. Exotic trees smothered in lichen boasted their years across murky puddles, fat flies with ridiculously big bodies for their puny wings zigzagged lazily about the reeds, and birds twittered in the distance.
The two friends rested a little while on a sturdy log situated on a wishbone-shaped area of firm ground. The beast had regained much of his strength, his wound no longer bleeding. Sarah took off her mud-coated shoes and began to massage her aching toes as she kept an eye on the swamp.
"It can't be far now, Ludo," she said, her gurgling stomach agreeing. This was close to the place where she had eaten the drugged peach that Hoggle had given her. Poor Hoggle. She hoped that he was all right. Why hadn't Jareth shown him to her? Even mentioned his name?
Sarah's thoughts were disturbed when Ludo started to growl.
"Ludo? What's-."
She stopped. A creature was watching them from the edge of the swamp. Familiar clear eyes lay behind a shroud of dirt and dry leaves. It had only just seemed to notice the debris clinging to its body and was now making an effort to shake it off.
The leafy mass sighed. "Don't suppose you could give me a hand?"
Ludo stopped growling and perked up at the voice. Sarah smiled and made her way over to the figure. In parting the twigs about its head, she uncovered the liquid face of Lynden.
"Decided to join us after all?" Sarah giggled, peeling off what appeared to be half the forest from her friend's surface.
Lynden nodded, rustling as she did. "Urgh, I can separate from the mud. That's easy. It's just these damn things! I'm always getting leaves stuck to me."
Still picking bits off the girl here and there, Sarah sat once again on the log, in between Ludo and Lynden. There were a few moments of awkward silence, then...
"I'm sorry for how I acted earlier," Lynden said.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure you had a good reason," Sarah replied. "You saved our lives. We had no right to ask any more."
Lynden shook her head and allowed her child voice to sound clearly above her typical watery tone.
"Do you remember when I said I knew your name but couldn't tell you why?" She looked to Sarah for her cue to continue. "I knew because the water knew." Sarah was puzzled. "Whenever a mortal drinks from the water in the Labyrinth, they share their experiences with it. Every drop in the Underground is connected to me. I hold the memories and thoughts of nearly every creature that needs to drink to survive here." She hesitated. "Although, some drink for the mere pleasure of it."
Sarah was intrigued.
"Then you knew I'd been here before? You know why I'm here again," she implored. Her eyes widened. "You know...what happened in the cavern?"
Lynden rested her chin in her hands, which was an odd sight since her fingertips melted into her face.
"I know a lot more than that."
Sarah frowned inquisitively.
"I sensed your feelings." Lynden continued before Sarah could interject, "But I know it's just a spell. I know. Only, that's not what bothered me. What *is* bothering me is the King."
"Jareth?" Sarah's expression creased with bewilderment. "Why? What does he have to do with anything?" She chided herself. What *didn't* involve him?
"Jareth may not be mortal but he still drinks the water. Though he's always managed to create a sort of block to prevent his thoughts and desires from spilling into the stream. Until recently." Lynden lifted her face to the sky, craning her neck as if it were pressured with unwanted knowledge. "He was careless the last time his lips met the water. Sometimes I think he does it just to spite me. He knows I can feel his magic. It's dark and painful, but now the waters carry messages that are deafening. One message. The strongest want that Jareth possesses is screaming within every particle of the Labyrinth."
Sarah had been holding her breath, letting it slip out with her question. "And what does the Goblin King want?"
"You truly do not know?" Lynden replied with despair and disbelief.
Sarah shook her head uncertainly. She felt the dread envelop her as she observed the awful syllable forming at her friend's translucent mouth.
"You."