Authors Notes: Hi everybody! I just wanted to apologize for not updating in such a long time. My internet broke down, and then I hit a deadly bout of depression and writers block, but I'm back now (I think). I should be updating more regularly, now that I remember my battle plan for this fic. If you read this-- thankyou, and if not-- shame on you.
Luv you all!
Thanks again, and as always: Please review!
Chapter Sixteen
Tara stared over the labyrinth in silence, letting herself absorb the task ahead of her with less than fear in her eyes. "It's so big..." She murmured to no one in particular as Damien worked at releasing the oversized wolves.
"It is." The fae agreed, hooking the carriage to a bent and whithered tree. "But never fear, my lady. I know these paths like you know the halls of the goblin castle, and as I stated, we are well guarded with the wolves with us."
Tara sighed, and shook her head, glancing at him. She didn't know the halls of the goblin castle very well. "I'm not afraid." She informed him anyway. Turning her gaze back toward hike at hand, she let the cool breeze flow through her hair, catching her skirt and pressing it against her legs. "There is nothing that can frighten me now."
For a moment Damien looked close to comforting her, but seemed to think better of it. He started down the hill at a surprisingly brisk pace for a fae who expected a human to keep up with him. Nonetheless, Tara did not complain. She walked behind him with her head held high, ignoring everything around her but maybe for the wolves which, despite her sudden bout of courage, thoroughly terrified her.
The walk to the castle was a long one, and the many turns through walls that apparently didn't really exist made Tara dizzy. She continued to follow, regardless, until finally she collapsed near the foot of a rather large statue, in the middle of an elegant garden.
"What is it!" Damien cried in concern, running to his human charge's side, and staring into her face.
"So...tired..." Tara hissed out, groaning with the effort of it. "Please... lets rest?"
The fae nodded, and half lifted her into his arms to set her sitting on the ledge that held the stone mammoth off the ground. "We're almost there." He reassured her as he sat beside her, and looked over the wolves of the darkest black in the Labyrinth. "We're in the city garden, now. Just north of us is the city itself, and then the castle.
Tara glared at him, but it wasn't at him that she meant to communicate her anger with-- it was his master. "If we're so damned close, then why doesn't Jareth come out and meet us?
"He is on his way, my lady." He pled, "Please do not be angry with his highness-- his powers have been severely restricted, but he is doing the best he can for you. He watched you all during your absense, and swore that if you came to any danger that he would break all laws to get to you. Of course, he couldn't do that. We had to lock him in the equivalent of a magic proof room to stop him. So please... do not be upset with him because of his temporary weakness. If he could be here, I'm sure he would, and as it is I'm sure he is rushing to your side."
"Touching." Growled a familiar voice, and Tara froze in her spot. She knew that voice. She dreaded and loved that voice at the same time.
She turned slowly around, only to see Jareth standing behind her beside the statue at her back. Despite herself, she rose her eyes to meet his. There was something there, within the eyes of the man she so feared-- something reassuring, something to thrilling, something she couldn't fight.
Before she even knew what she was doing, she had thrown herself into his arms, clinging despirately to his neck.
Jareth stood there, more confused than anything, for a moment. It didn't take him long to figure out what he was supposed to do, however, and soon his arms found their place comfortingly around her waist as he murmured sweet nothings that he knew he had no right to speak to a now weeping girl.
Damien calmly watched the scene, sighing with near disapproval as his lord ran slim, long fingers through the mane of black hair of his prize. Not once had he seen his lord keep a 'love' interest around for longer than a few years-- and to a fae, that might as well have been a week. But not once, either, had he held one as they cried; had he been forced in to restraints because of his need to rescue one of such women.
That was why he encouraged the relationship.
Suddenly, Tara threw herself from the king, only to sit at the foot of the statue again, face redder than a strawberry.
"Sorry." She muttered, staring at her knees, and pushing hair awkwardly out of her face before attempting to scrub away the remaining tear stains. She went silent as Jareth stared at her in total confusion. The woman was a mystery still... but they didn't have time to contemplate her wonders.
"Come." He commanded, lifting her up by her arm, and pulling her toward the black wolves, and thus the castle.
Damien stood to protest that she was too weak to continue yet, but before he could, Jareth had lifted the girl up entirely, and set her on top of the largest, and most powerful of the wolves. He watched in awe as she settled on the beast that not so long ago she had been terrified of, resting her cheek on his large neck, and wrapping her arms around such neck as if she was a child clinging to a teddy bear.
What amazed the dark haired fae more than the womans sudden attatchment to the creature, was the creatures affectionate attatchment to her. Under normal circomstances, anyone placed on that particular wolves back would have been on the ground, strewn into pieces in moments, but not Tara.
For Tara the wolf was still, but for the turn of his great head to ensure her stability.
Jareth leaned down to pat the wolf on his head, and whisper his destination-- the castle. Soon the wolf was off, guarded on all sides by at least one of his lesser companions.
"How...?" Damien wondered aloud, staring at his king.
"Did I force her to relax on the wolf? You and I both know the vast expanse of my magic." Jareth answered calmly, watching the wolves leave as if he were a man taken from all he ever loved. He sighed as they escaped his impressive eye sight, and started off to follow them.
"But why did Minionbane allow it?"
Jareth shook his head. "I do not have all the answers, Damien." he sighed, "The girl is like no other. That is the closest to an answer I can give."
He didn't wait for Damien to follow him. He walked toward the castle in silence.
Tara would reach the castle soon, safely, and the goblins would protect her from all evils. The cost of getting her there would be paid, and with her on the side of the Underground, the elves would be a small threat, if a threat at all.
Tara reached the Castle Beyond the Goblin City safely. It had occured to her long before she reached the towering structure what the creature she was riding on -was- but it had yet to harm her, at least, and she doubted she could get off of it anyway.
By the time they reached the castle, she had become quite comfortable with the animal.
"Lady Tara!" The familiar Stogblende cried out as the wolves made their way into their pen, far from the parts of the castle she had ever visitted. Protectively, the wolves gathered around the side of Minionbane that the little goblin was approaching, and he backed up swiftly.
"It's alright!" Tara tried to calm them, sitting up as well as she could on the wolf whos size reminded her more of a horse than anything else. "It's alright! He's good!"
As if on command, the wolves shied away from the goblin, and soon he was rushing to her side, and helping her dismount the creature that had kept her safe for such a time. She gave the wolf a farewell pat on his massive head, which he recieved with an affectionate lick at her hand before Stogblende managed to pull her into the inner castle.
"Xanthe and Crysandra." She questioned as she was dragged rushing through the hall, "Are they here!"
"No, m'lady!" The goblin huffed.
By the time they reached their destination (her room), Tara was out of breath. She slumped against the door that separated it from the rest of the castle, trying despirately to catch her breath.
"The king will be here at any minute!" Three suddenly appearing goblins cried, wiping off their hands on their aprons furiously.
Tara gasped as suddenly all three were upon her, measuring, and checking, and cleaning. She made a frantic move for the door-- all of this was too much so soon-- but it was already closed, and Stogblende was already gone.
"GET OFF OF ME!" She commanded suddenly, and the goblins scattered as if one of them had been hit. She glared around at them, pushing herself into a corner as far away from them as she could manage. "What's WRONG with you! Are you all mad!"
"We just want you to look presentable for the king, m'lady!" One of them defended, looking close to tears.
"I don't want to look presentable!" Tara nearly shrieked, "I've just made my way through the Labyrinth, after being rescued from being tortured by ELVES! I don't want makeup, I want sleep! GET OUT!"
The goblins looked hurt, but she was too far gone to care about that now. They left, just as they were ordered, and she made her way to her bed. She threw herself down on it, curled up over the covers, and fell into an instant sleep.
Crys looked over the child sleeping with her head against her chest in thought. The stinking flames of the stack of candy canes had long gone out, and though it was bitter cold, she said good riddance to them. She wished tiredly for some sign of Tara so that they may escape-- or even better, a sign of the world from whence she came. How had she gotten caught up in all of this? She had always been one to understand the workings of foreign worlds, of opposite dimensions, but now she was caught up in more than that: She was caught up in a war.
She glanced down again at the child, sleeping so soundly. For a moment she considered leaving without Tara. Starting off while the girl was asleep so that there would be no protests. But she knew that she couldn't. She couldn't just leave Tara in a place even worse than where she herself was, now.
She cast her gaze to the stars and murmured some prayer that no one would hear. She was doomed. They all were, and there was nothing that anyone could do. The elves had surely won.
REAL Authors Notes: Yep, that's chapter sixteen, I believe. I know it's short, but at least I cranked out something.
Please review!
Luv you all!
Bye!
