Three red-faced sprite girls with mossy hair chattered away by their bonfire. They laughed and sang and threw acorns into the flames, which popped and they cheered.
Sarah could feel all the blood rushing to her head as she hung by her throbbing ankles. She wondered, as she watched the girls, if she too would have a red face like them by the time she was let down.
"Sarah," Jareth whispered softly. The young woman gently turned her head toward him. She could see by the light of the fire that his scratches now bore dried blood and some bruising was forming.
"That was quite the attempt at chivalry," he commented, "Although I must say your plan could have used, well, more planning."
"You decide that this is the best time to make an issue out my botched rescue," she retorted. "Jareth what about getting us out of here?"
"Well I was so good at getting myself out of this mess. I suppose getting us both out will be a breeze," Jareth said flatly.
Sarah sighed and tried to free her hands from the twine, which bond them. No luck, only pain came from her efforts. "Jareth, I heard you say that these things are some kind of guardians for the Oracle?"
"Yes, that's right. Why do you have an idea?" He faintly raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"I was thinking that according to most situations, like in your labyrinth, guardians usually have a riddle or puzzle they ask. And if the person answers correctly they can go on their way."
"I suppose it's possible," he considered the idea a moment. Jareth knew that demands didn't work and he did have quite a few his own Dead Ends and Door Keepers had used riddles. Perhaps she was right and if she was, Sarah had gotten past all of his tricks and by passes, so maybe she could do it now. Why hadn't he thought of it? "Cleaver girl, give it a try."
Sarah smiled and Jareth felt a hundred times better just from seeing her lips curve. "Oh wood sprites," she called. "I have a proposition for you."
The three girls stopped their acorn throwing and came over to the two captives. "What that you say?" asked the first one. "Got a 'position?" she said poking at one of Jareth's wounds as he winced.
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I propose that you offer us a test, a riddle. If we can solve it to your satisfaction, you will let us both go free."
"Not only that, but rather, take us to the Oracle," added Jareth.
The mossy heads thought about it a moment, but then agreed. Wood sprites love mischief and games. This challenge should prove to be both for them, or at least more enjoyable than cutting down a couple of corpses in the morning.
"Good," said Sarah. "Now, tell us your riddle." She swallowed hoping that her head would stay clear enough to answer whatever they asked.
The middle sprite stepped forward and looked Sarah straight in the eye. "Only you, girlie, may answer." Sarah reluctantly nodded. Satisfied the sprite continued. "Our riddle is this: What is your companion's true form?"
"Excuse me?" asked Sarah with bewilderment. "What do you mean?"
"You have three tries, only," said the third girl. "And he may say nothing."
Jareth knew Sarah was cocky enough to believe she knew the answer. When her eyes lit up suddenly, Jareth knew it was all over. "Oh damn," he cursed.
"Hush!" Hissed the first sprite. "Say nothing!"
"Well…" Sarah thought she knew and was eager to say. So eager that she missed the pleading look on Jareth's face. "He's the Goblin King. So he must be a goblin," she stated proudly.
Jareth felt ill. The three red-faced girls shook their heads in unison. Sarah's enthusiasm wasn't crushed yet. "Ok, then you're some kind of Fairy, right?"
Had she forgotten their conversation where he said he had no idea where he'd come from? He rationalised that it was all the blood rushing in her brain and he would not kill her if they got out alive. He bit his tongue so to not yell at her. These were servants of the Oracle, himself. They alone would be privilege to knowing his past and the correct answer.
Sarah furrowed her brow. "Hmmm. I have one last chance to get this," she said to herself. She looked to Jareth and he looked helpless, which unnerved her. Then it came to her. She knew it was one of two answers. Then she chided herself for wasting her last silly answer.
Something inside her reminded her that Jareth himself didn't know. So either that was the answer and it was a trick question, or there really was an answer. But which should she say?
She took a chance and said them both. First she said, "Well, Jareth himself doesn't know, so how should I know?"
The girls didn't show any sign that that was it. So, taking a deep breath Sarah took her last guess. "An owl." That was it, plain and simple.
The sprites giggled and danced, hooking their arms and spinning. Sarah frantically looked back to Jareth who was now shaking his head. Then she remembered that she'd forgotten to make terms if they lost, but by the expression in Jareth's eyes the outlook wasn't good.
Suddenly, the creatures stopped their merriment and one pulled out a large blade as if from nowhere. She held it high above her head, bent her arm back and was ready to strike. As the arm came swiftly forward Sarah didn't even have time to breath let alone say goodbye to the man hanging next to her. She closed her eyes tightly as she heard the steal cut the air and slice into something hard. In a heartbeat Sarah fell to the ground.
A second later another blade was thrown and Jareth fell next to her. "Very good," said the middle wood sprite. "You must be one of the few who know." She winked at Jareth, then all three giggled and the forest grew dark and hazy.
Sarah was too confused to think. She had gotten it right? Then in a flash, the forest became a room. The room was more like a great hall decorated for a formal, royal event.
Jareth and Sarah were magically clean and dressed properly, Sarah's hair neatly up in a bun. Jareth wore blue velvet and all signs of his wounds were gone. Sarah also noticed the pain in her ankle was gone. Jareth whirled around and took her in his arms. Holding her tightly to him, she could hear his heart pounding.
"We did it. I don't believe it," he said spinning her. He then put Sarah back on her feet, however her knees were weak and she almost fell. Jareth caught her by the shoulders. "You cleaver little minx. I always knew you were the one to match anything this world could throw at you."
Sarah recovered her senses. She gazed into his mismatched eyes and felt strangely aware of how close she felt to this man she barely knew. "An owl?" She repeated.
"What?" He asked not quite catching her words.
"I said you were an owl. Is that your true form?" She looked at him oddly. Jareth moved a step back awkwardly.
"Yes, well. They were wood sprites, Sarah. Any animal form would be a true form to them. Nothing is truer than nature," he rationalised.
Sarah seemed satisfied for the moment, which was good because at that exact same moment a pair of grand doors swung open and a golden skinned man with wild red hair swaggered into the hall.
The golden figure approached. "How may I help you, Jareth the Nobody and Sarah the Somebody?" he asked in a powerful, yet kind, voice.
Sarah gasped in awe. "Are you the Oracle we've come so far to speak to?" she asked evenly.
"Yes, Sarah of New England. I am the Oracle," he confirmed with a grin.
TBC…
