AN: Greenchimes is a lifesaver, again, helping to get my brain to function properly. I am so grateful to her for keeping the flame of my creativity alive. Sorry if the timing of the scenes is confusing, but just know for each of them, it starts off immediately following when we last saw them, respectively. This has a brief moment that makes it rated M.
Chapter 10: Some Steps Forward, Some Setbacks Part 2
Mere moments after having taken the sleeping potion, Jareth found himself dreaming with Sarah and again found himself leaving her as confused as ever. Why was she so tired all the time? At first, he didn't think it could be true that she was sleeping as much as she indicated. If she wasn't ill, as she claimed, there was no reason he could perceive that she would need so much rest. But she was sleeping as much as she said since he found himself dozing again just a short time later, all because he had connected himself to Sarah's sleeping patterns. It made him frustrated, in more ways than one.
Jareth didn't like that he had to do it, and he admitted he had to do it a lot lately, but sometimes he had to take matters, or rather a matter, into his own hands. He would have preferred Sarah, the push and pull of her warmth against him, but all he got of her lately were kisses. Granted, it was those kisses that led to this situation. He didn't blame her for denying him as he did not want to cause her embarrassment as she was with her friends. Yet it caused him great pride knowing that his ministrations within the dreams could work screams out of her in the waking world on a regular basis. He hoped her desire would resolve the issue soon.
And then, he found himself dreaming with Sarah a third time in less than twenty six hours. At first, he thought he was nodding off from sheer boredom since he was sitting on his throne holding civil court for the goblins-something he did occasionally to appease squabbles between his subjects. It was rather mindless, for their disputes consisted of stolen ale, missing cutlery, and other mundane quarrels. He found his mind drifting and it became difficult to keep his eyes open. He didn't associate it with the sleeping spell until he caught the scent of peaches and felt the warm body resting against his chest.
Jareth leaned into Sarah's neck, running his nose across her skin a moment, relishing her smell and the feel of her presence. She hummed in appreciation of his actions, making him grin. As she was in front of him, he leaned forward as he gently pulled her by the jaw, turning her to better share a kiss. He pressed his tongue against the seam of her lips and she enthusiastically reciprocated, which pleased him. If she was playfully battling her tongue against his, she must be feeling better now compared to their first dreaming that day where she had been asleep in her sleep. Hearing her voice thrum deep in her throat in appreciation stirred him. Gods, he wanted her. He wanted to be even closer, to feel her softness, be one with her. Slowly, he stroked his hand down her arm and across her chest, easing his hand under the vest and blouse, that for some reason was already unbuttoned and open. He started to feel the buxom curve of her soft bare breast as he moved to place his fingers...
Just as unexpectedly as the dream had begun, he found himself jerked awake by screaming goblins who had started a brawl.
Not caring to deal with the brabble, he shouted across the room to get the attention of a tall, gangly goblin who wisely stayed to the side, away from the dispute. This robed personage was one of the five more intelligent goblins who made up the Goblin Council. Jareth gladly handed off his courtly duties to the goblin, who seemed honored to take on the task.
Before his rising problem became obvious to his subjects, Jareth swiftly escaped to his study, and just in time too. He wasn't about to be taunted by the miscreant pests for his state of discomfort. His heart was pounding and his breathing was starting to get heavy as he made his way over to his lounge chair. As soon as he hit the cushion, his hands flew to unlace his breeches. Flashes of the way Sarah had felt against him, her voice thrumming from the back of her throat reverberating against his lips reaffirmed how much he needed her. They hadn't been intimate in forty-one days, and yes, he was counting. At the moment, he had to take care of the issue himself, again.
As he gripped his cock, he let the images of his wife permeate his mind to help bring him to completion: the touch of Sarah's fingers, the feel of her lips engulfing him, her tongue lapping at him, the bounce of her breasts as she took her pleasure, their softness within his hands, the sounds Sarah made just before she found release against his tongue as he feasted on her, her taste. With each memory, his hand moved faster until he shouted out as his seed spilled over his hand and onto his stomach. The release eased his need, but only just. It wasn't the first time he'd had to self-indulge, nor would it likely be his last. Without Sarah there, what else was he supposed to do?
Having a soak in the tub was the next tick off Jareth's list of must-do activities, although it was often during his relaxation that his thoughts would wander to Sarah and his problem would resurface. He did not need a repeat of this, so as he let the warmth of the water ease his muscles, he forced his mind away from Sarah, difficult though it was. His thoughts circled around something that was brought to his attention during court: the howler beast and his mate were teaching their offspring how to vocalize and move rocks. He really didn't want to have to take time to intervene, yet he knew he had to or the damage to his kingdom could be lasting.
When he found the female howler wandering the maze years ago, he had a feeling it was because the Labyrinth was playing matchmaker. Sure enough, within several months of her arrival, three cubs were born. He knew he might one day regret the beast having a mate; it was bad enough with just the two of them using their abilities. Now, he'd have to find time to instruct Ludo on more appropriate areas to educate his young so a potential avalanche could be avoided.
But the time for that discussion could wait. He currently didn't have the patience for it. Jareth felt like a restless adolescent uncontrollably pining after the object of his affections. He couldn't keep his mind off Sarah.
Jareth wanted to check on her in person as soon as he could and would have done it that very moment, however a damn wish pulled him away.
This time, one of the books had made it to a village of a poorer economic status than he had witnessed in at least a century. The girl was young, too young, and bearing the child had been strenuous on her body. He could sense she hadn't long to live. In no way could she run for the babe, even if she wanted to, which she did not. Seeing her made him contemplate murder on the men who held this girl, and others like her, against their will for their own pleasures. That such evil existed was appalling.
As he took the child from the frightened girl, he could only apologize. Apologize for her misfortune. Apologize that even though he was a king who commanded thousands, he could do nothing to reverse her situation. The Goblin King could only keep the wishers who failed, not those who never accepted the challenge in the first place. Other than taking the child, there was nothing more he could do for her.
One thing he could do was give the child a better life. The babe was healthy and whole; no need to let the magic of the Labyrinth transform it into a goblin. In good conscience, he could not let that happen. There were human colonies scattered throughout the kingdoms Underground that could raise him. Long before Jareth became monarch of the Labyrinth, a predecessor had also been empathetic to the plights of the Wishers. They negotiated sanctuaries for the humans to live in peace in the dwarf, elf, and fae kingdoms. If the wished away children were to remain in the Labyrinth more than thirteen hours, the magic of the Labyrinth would cause the metamorphosis from human to goblin. In his reign, he had never found the need to seek out the colonies, until now. In one of the colonies, the babe would live safe and free, a life his mother would never know. Her ordeal made Jareth sick in his soul.
When he returned to the castle, the babe quietly whimpering in his arms, he barked for the Goblin Council to attend him. He would let them decide in which of the colonies the child would reside. Weary in his soul from the experience, he left the babe with them.
He went straight to his bedroom, but once there, he hesitated. This was where he went for sanctuary, to be away from his cares, yet his anger fumed beneath his skin and he wanted nothing more than to tear everything apart. He stomped to the doors of the balcony and threw them open, wanting the warm breeze of the fresh air to wisp away the wretched feeling, but it didn't help. Turning back into the room, he shouted in frustration and formed a crystal in his hands for the sheer satisfaction of hurling it against a wall and watching it shatter. Pacing the room also did little to calm his nerves. He desired the cleansing that only Sarah's embrace could give.
With a flick of his wrist, he changed into a plain billowy shirt and tan breeches and lay upon his bed, hoping that sleep would reach him. Being mid-day, he dare not wear night clothes as, with how the day had been going, he was bound to be called back by the Goblin Council soon. They may be superior in intelligence than other goblins, but they were still goblins and often bothered him to make final decisions on even monotonous concerns. After many minutes he was still wide awake. Shit. Had putting the enchantment upon himself cursed him to only sleep when Sarah slept?
If he couldn't sleep to be near her, the second best thing would be to venture above and seek her out. Even if it was as an owl, as long as he could be near her, it would help.
Jareth fully expected to find himself soaring above her father's home when he popped into her world; she had said the necklace was damaged. Instead, he discovered he was hovering above a fairground. Sarah must have had the mirror-locket fixed rather quickly by the original artisan. What he didn't expect was being unable to spot Sarah amongst the crowd. The magic pulled him to a booth where a woman had a litter of kittens at her feet and many metal trinkets for sale; obviously the artisan. But Sarah was nowhere to be seen. And with Sarah not performing, he couldn't just stick to the stages to try to spot her. She was an elusive moving target in such an environment. So all he could do was fly around and keep searching. But, truth be told, after all the events of the day, he had neither the will nor the energy to go blindly flying about. He found rest in a tree that had a good amount of foot traffic below and a view of the large jousting field. If he remembered correctly from his other faire visits, all performers made their way to the field for the final performance of the day, so it was his best bet to stay put and watch for her from there.
The opposite of flying is quite a strange sensation when one is accustomed to going up rather than plummeting down. After the sensation of falling came the inevitable sensation of pain.
Ringing ears accompanied the horrid pain emanating from his skull, as well as his shoulder and back as he found himself face down in the mud. Coming to terms with this unexpected sudden turn of events, he attempted to lift his head from the slodgey mush. He fought the resistance in the muscles of his back as he used his hands to push himself up off the ground.
"Hey, bud," a rugged young man offered a hand to help him to his feet. "Had one too many drinks?"
"I am not inebriated." Jareth growled as he took the offered appendage. He examined his ruined clothing and frowned. "Although, I do seem to be in a sorry state."
"You might be able to get some of that out at the Royal privy by the Peacock Pavillion. There's running water there." The overly helpful fellow suggested.
"Perhaps, but on foot, I do not know the way."
"No prob. I was heading back that way myself. I'll show you. Come on."
Jareth was slightly amused by the chummy nature of this tall stranger and wondered what the man would want in return. He kept up pace with the man's longer stride. "I cannot pay you for your assistance."
"I never said I wanted to be paid. I wouldn't expect you to be able to find your own way. I couldn't just leave you to fend for yourself." He laughed.
"To what end?" Jareth asked, unaccustomed to charity.
"As you said, you're in a sorry state, and I have a mind to help. I figure you're a patron and not part of the show. You're wearing suede pants from what, an early 19th century style? And a poet's shirt from the cover of a romance novel. And the heels on your boots...not for riding horses or long distances. So, thus, a guest, not cast."
"Ah, but you also are not in proper faire attire, so am I to assume you also are just a visitor and not a performer?" Jareth countered. He'd visited Sarah at the faires often enough to have a sense of appropriate attire, and this man was in modern apparel in his jeans and green T-shirt..
"Neither, really. I'm one of the food vendors. Beverages, to be exact. Once you get cleaned up, I'll give you a drink, on the house."
Jareth nodded in acceptance. As they walked, he observed this overly-friendly person. Taller than him by at least three inches; dark eyes, dark hair, but fair skin. He was probably an Adonis to women. But he also looked familiar. Maybe he had seen him at the fairs before when he was observing Sarah.
"I am in search of a young woman named Sarah. She frequents these faires." Jareth started.
"Sarah?" The man gave him a cautious eye before stating, "I know of four Sarahs. What does she do at the fair? Maybe I can narrow it down."
"She typically performs with a pool of water, but she isn't performing today. Perhaps you would also know her by her performance troupe, Peaches and Flo. They call themselves washing wenches, although their costumes bely their beauty. Her partner is Cassandra Wallard."
"Cass Snyder. Sure, I know Cassie better than anybody," he said, lifting his left hand and pointing to the ring on his finger.
"Ah, yes, the taking on of the husband's last name in your culture. So, you're Ryan then." Jareth remembered the name Sarah gave to her friend's husband earlier that morning.
"Yeah, how did you know?" His pace slowed.
"As I said, our wives perform together. She's spoken of you." Jareth tried to remain diplomatic and unemotional.
"Your wife?"
"My Sarah. She and Cassandra seem thick as thieves. I assumed you knew her as she's lived with your wife for over two years, and thus yourself. Am I mistaken?"
"Of course I know her." The man stopped walking abruptly and put a flat hand against Jareth's chest, bringing him to a halt. Ryan squinted at Jareth, giving him a thorough look over. "Hang on...blonde hair, blue eyes...right, both are blue I think. British accent, looking for Sarah." He glanced away a moment, mumbling the word 'baby' a few times under his breath before snapping his fingers. "Is your last name Tyton?"
Jareth was quite taken aback by this man's deduction. No one in either world other than Sarah knew his surname. He took a step back to remove Ryan's hold. "How do you know that name?"
"Holy shit! You're Sarah's baby daddy from the mini portrait! Christ, I should have seen it sooner. You look just like it. Man, they're going to freak! Wait, weren't you gone because your visa expired? Don't those take a year for the reapplication to be approved?"
"I do wish you would speak plainly. I abhor riddles." Jareth growled. "Where is Sarah?"
Ryan clapped a hand onto Jareth's shoulder and pulled him to continue following him. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."
Jareth removed his arm from Ryan's hold. "Do you or do you not know the location of my wife?" The annoyance in Jareth's tone must have been too harsh, for the man seemed to trip over his next words.
"Yes. Yes, she's here at the faire. I drove her here myself."
"Then, lead on." He said with less aggression.
Jareth wondered how Cassandra could have the patience to marry such a long-winded person; the man never stopped talking.
"So, you're Sarah's husband from England. And you married Sarah Mid-winter, around February?"
Jareth pulled off his left glove to show the man his own ring of claiming, "I did."
"I should have known who you were. I've seen the portrait necklace Sarah often wears of you. Seeing you in person is strange." After a moment of walking through the crowd in silence, Ryan said, "You really gave my wife some fancy gems for our wedding. She never takes those earrings off. They have a kind of unusual fluorescence. I wanna send them to a geologist friend to find out what type of stone it is, but Cass won't let me. Do you know what it is?"
"I don't, as it was inherited. Again, lead on." Jareth snapped, annoyed that this man kept going off on tangents.
"Oh, right." Ryan said. "Last I saw of her was when she was at our booth this morning. She left her stuff there, so if anything, she'll be back by the end of the faire. Did you come here to surprise her? Boy, does she have a surprise for you. But I'll let her show you that herself. 'Cause I know you don't know. My wife told me everything. I mean, what else are you going to do on two three-hour flights?" Then the man looked quizzical. "How did you know she would be here at the faire? Even she didn't know she would be coming here until this morning."
Thoroughly confused by the man's insistent babbling and ever-changing subjects, Jareth merely continued to follow this strange fellow so he could at least remove the muck from his clothing. All the while, he scanned the crowd for signs of Sarah. Muddied or not, he would go to her the moment he spotted her.
"Alright, here's the privy. I'll go get the girls. If we're not here when you come out, just hang out by that tree." Ryan pointed to an oak with a wooden bench surrounding the trunk.
Jareth grasped Ryan's arm before he could turn to leave. "You assure me you'll bring Sarah here, now?"
"Chill. I give you my word. But I can't help if she hasn't returned yet." Ryan answered, realizing how serious Jareth was. He then gave an optimistic grin before slapping Jareth's arm in comradery. "Go on, get cleaned up. I'll be back in five minutes, tops."
Stepping into the privy and not following Cassandra's husband had been a mistake, Jareth determined the moment he looked in his eyes through the reflection of a mirror. He didn't care if Sarah saw him filthy and disheveled, he just wanted to see her; especially now that he was in the form of his birth and in the same vicinity as her. Seven years he'd been confined to the form of his soul animal when near Sarah. Now, being flesh instead of feathers, knowing she was near made his heart soar. Why had he not just stayed with Ryan?
Jareth raced out of the privy to see if he could spot the man, but could not amongst the sea of bodies that was the crowd. All he could do now was trust the man's assured enthusiasm was honest and that in mere minutes, he would be with his wife in reality for the first time in seven years. He returned to a sink within, resolved to make himself somewhat presentable.
Cassie didn't know if she wanted to cry or giggle with glee at seeing her best friend disappear to venture into a magical world. Crying was her first instinct, for she probably would never see Sarah again. But she was elated that Sarah was going to be able to live her dreams and be with her king after so many years of trying. Sarah's hormones had gotten the best of her during her pregnancy, so whenever she was upset, she had used Cassie's shoulder to cry on. Especially after having tried to send the letter about the baby and her Underground friends got hurt in the process. Or when she had made the decision to leave the necklace at her dad's house; that night Sarah ate a whole quart of ice cream by herself as Cassie didn't want to gain any weight before her wedding. Now, Cassie laughed to herself as she was the sole person in existence that knew of Sarah's new journey Underground.
"Cass!"
She wiped the tears from her eyes before turning towards where she heard the voice of her husband calling. She found Ryan to be running towards her. Odd, he rarely was in a hurry for anything.
"Cass, he's here." Ryan panted slightly out of breath when he came to a stop before her.
"He who?"
"Sarah's husband." He swept the area with his eyes, leaning slightly down to look into their booth. "Where is Sarah?"
"She isn't here." Cassie shook her head to rethink what Ryan had first stated. "What do you mean Sarah's husband is here?"
"He knew about what she does at the faire as a well-wench. He knows you by your real name, not just Flo. And he's got the same face as the guy on that necklace she wears."
"Jareth? Jareth is here?"
"Is that his first name? All I know is he confirmed his last name was Tyton."
Cassie stared at him a moment as the information registered, then shouted, "OF ALL THE SHITTY THINGS TO HAPPEN! Sarah just left!"
"What do you mean Sarah left? We drove her here. Who did she leave with?"
"God, just, take me to him." Cassie started pushing on Ryan to go back the way he had come.
"Where is she, Cass?" Ryan said, his tone more serious.
"Geez, I don't know, okay. It's more complicated than I want to explain right now. Let's just find Jareth." She used her hand to indicate for him to lead the way.
Cassie took heavy, decisive steps in a quick march as she followed her husband. "Where are we going, Ry?"
"Just around the corner. I left him to clean up in the East privy."
"Clean up?"
"Yeah, he fell face first in the mud over by Roselawn Field. I saw him tumble right out of a tree. He says he wasn't drunk, but who even climbs a tree during a faire if they aren't working it?"
"He fell out of a tree? Holy shit." Cassie had an idea as to why: An owl magically turned human the moment his wife left this world and he lost a battle with gravity.
"Great, he must not be cleaned up yet." Ryan said when the privy came in view. "I told him to meet me under the oak, and he's not there."
"Would you go in and see if he is still in there?" Cassie asked.
Ryan nodded and headed into the privy. Cassie went to sit on the bench under the oak tree, contemplating what she would say to both men. Neither would be easy discussions, and neither did she want to have such interactions in public. But, she didn't seem to have any other choice at the moment.
She heard footsteps coming close and looked up to see Ryan with a blonde man following closely behind. She rose as they stopped in front of her. She could easily see how Sarah had fallen hard for the king. Blue eyes-Sarah never mentioned they were different-sharp jaw, regal posture, and pure lean muscle, if his neckline was anything to go by. His hair, at the moment, was slick back against his head. His clothes were quite wet, the white shirt now stained brown in places.
They stared at each other a moment, putting the face to the person they had heard so many stories about.
Jareth nodded his head, "Cassandra."
"Jareth...Your Majesty. I'm not sure which to call you." She bent her knees in a half curtsy.
He didn't acknowledge her concern. "Where is Sarah?"
"Um...uh...can we sit down?" She said, nervous. "Oh wait, you're a king, so I can't sit unless you say I can. Right?"
He looked momentarily to the sky before saying, "Sit." Then, he moved to place a shoulder to lean against the tree. "Now, tell me where my wife is."
Cassie had a feeling that beneath his patient stance of expectation, inside he must be festering with annoyance having to wait for her response. Ryan took a seat beside her and she suddenly worried about what she was going to say. How much she was willing to say, to prevent Ryan from asking questions, because who wouldn't in this situation? She realized she didn't want to explain any of it to her husband and she'd have to be cryptic.
"She's gone, like, not on this Earth. Gone. She was asked to do a thing and it just so happens to be Underground, and so since she wanted to get to you, she went with them. But now you're here and it's really awkward." It all came spilling out of her in one breath, her hands moving with her as she emphasized her words.
"Well, to better our understanding, repeat yourself in greater detail." Jareth emphasized, "Slowly."
Cassie nodded. "There was a woman with silver hair and pointy ears and eyes that looked straight through me. And the guy, he looked rather normal, actually. Anyway, they said they came from Underground because they have a task that only someone who has beaten the Labyrinth can do. And you know how Sarah can be rash in jumping in feet first off the deep end."
Jareth shook his head, unfamiliar with the phrase.
"She leaps before she looks." When he still looked confused, Cassie sighed. "Sarah makes rash decisions without seeing the big picture, and boy was this one. They offered her what she's always wanted, a chance to be Underground. To be with you."
"What is it they want her to do?" Jareth asked.
"I'm not sure. Nobody said. I wonder if she put it in the letter. Come on, follow me." Cassie didn't look back as she rose and started for the booth.
Jareth thought the Snyders were made for each other. Both of them talked in circles he couldn't comprehend but was supposed to follow. Sarah's friend led him behind the beverage booth, her husband following them closely behind, uncharacteristically quiet. Cassie crouched next to a contraption on the ground: it looked like an uneven basket of gray plastic lined with an odd pink padding. In the center of it was a folded piece of orange paper. Cassandra handed the flyer to him.
"Here. I haven't read it yet, so I don't know if Sarah put what she will be doing."
Jareth read the words and his heart ached, for he wished what Sarah wrote to be true. "It is a farewell to her family. She told them she'll be with me. But why, when I haven't seen her?"
"Optimism, I guess. It's the final outcome she's hoping for. She belongs with you, and it's the first time a real chance presented itself." Cass laughed, "I don't blame her for taking it. If I were kept away from Ryan, I would fight tooth and nail to get to him."
Jareth thrust the letter back towards her, "I must leave."
"Wait!" Cassie jumped. "Please, don't go yet." She moved to a bag on the ground, then pulled out a hand held box with a circular glass lens and aperture on the front. "I want to take your photograph."
Before he knew it, Jareth had a bright light flash in his eyes and he blinked to try to remove the spots that blurred his vision.
"Oh, sorry! I forgot to turn off the flash." She handed the camera to her husband.
"What did you do?" Jareth brought his hand to cover his eyes a moment.
"I took your picture." She scoffed, as if it should be obvious. "I did it with Sarah too. I can print out the photos and hang them up on my wall so I can remember you in case I never see you again." Her eyes began to water as she thought her next question. "Will I ever see Sarah again?"
"I cannot promise that which I do not know. It will be my intention to let her return whenever she desires. But I honestly do not know if it will be possible. Before knowing Sarah, I could only traverse the veil between our worlds at the will of the Labyrinth. She hasn't been the only one trying to find a way for her to come to me. I have spent many exhausting weeks reading ancient texts, having discussions with beings with more magic than I could fathom possessing, and still I have found no way beyond that which the Labyrinth allows. So to even contemplate returning Sarah to you...I think I'd like to keep her a while before trying." He slightly grinned, a wolfish glint in his eye. "Besides, I have to find her first."
Cassie nodded, then moved in to hug Jareth. "Give this to Sarah for me. Tell her I love her forever."
Jareth returned the embrace he was given, realizing this might be the only time to thank the person whom Sarah loved as much as family. Unable to look Cassie in the eye since his chin rested on her head, he looked towards Ryan. "I must thank you both for supporting my wife and giving her a safe home after she completed her education. I am indebted to you for allowing her to help arrange your nuptials. She didn't get to plan her own. Seeing the joy emanating from her as she told me stories of your kindness brought me much comfort during our time apart."
Cassie squeezed him harder a moment before pulling back and returning to her husband's side. "Now, you go home. Find Sarah. And you take care of that…"
Just then, a loud ruckus started as one of the monarchs of the faire was being escorted by an entourage in front of the booth, the fanfare drowning out all other sounds.
"Wow. Okay then." Cassie blinked hard and reopened her eyes as she falsely laughed and looked straight into Jareth's eyes. "Sarah was right about something not wanting you to know probably the most important thing in your life."
Jareth cocked his head in confused contemplation of what her words might mean.
"Well, don't just stand there. Go. Go find Sarah and officially make her your queen." Cassie encouraged, pulling her husband closer to her.
"Be well." Jareth nodded his farewell and transformed into the owl.
As he flew away, he heard Cassie's bewildered husband ask, "What the hell just happened?"
Something wasn't right.
Sarah's heart sank with caution and fear as she observed the landscape around her, and before she realized it, the words escaped her lips, "Where are we?"
Sarah worried she had somehow been taken to Tatooine rather than somewhere within the Labyrinth. It was the exact opposite of the environment she had just left. Autumn in New York was humid and cool, yet temperate. Here, a dry smell permeated the dust-infused air. A heated wind blew across this desert. The sand dunes were interrupted by random boulders and escarpments. A barren landscape void of anything green as far as the eye could see. Everything living hid during the heat of the day, and everything once living was long dead, the husks of vegetation baked in the unforgiving sun. The only place she remembered there being sand was when she first stepped foot Underground, outside the Labyrinth.
The elven woman answered, "The dunes on the edge of the Great Howling Wastes."
Panic instantly gripped Sarah, and she quickly asked, "Are we in the Labyrinth?"
"No."
Sarah's ears started to ring as her heart rate increased as she gazed wildly at the view before her. "Where is it?"
"There, behind you."
Sarah turned to find her kingdom gleaming on the horizon. Her home; the place she had ventured to hundreds of times in her dreams but only once in reality. Seeing it before her was a relief, and yet she was still disheartened as it looked to be a few miles away.
"I don't understand. Why aren't we in the Labyrinth when that's where I wished us to be?"
"Magic can be guided, but not always controlled." The elf stated, a bit aloof as she avoided looking at Sarah. "There were two opposing magics at work to bring us here. The magic of our mirror and the magic of the Labyrinth, which kept us from arriving within its walls. The mirror is enchanted to return us from where we originated, and the Labyrinth fights fiercely from allowing intruders, which is why we sought to find you in the first place. It's our hope that your direct touch will allow the gate to open."
"Your hope? You mean you aren't sure I can do it?" Sarah's tone was low as she tried to not be angry.
"Ain't never been anything like this tried before." The man stated, then shrugged. "Gotta start somewhere."
Sarah nodded, even though she barely understood. She tried to hold back the onset of panic she felt bubbling inside her. She knew she had been impulsive in going with them, but their panic at being stuck in her world made her rush the decision; to not go with them could mean the difference of never finding a way Underground. What if it was her only chance? She had blindly gone with these people, all because they said they could get her into the Labyrinth and that was all that mattered.
But now, they said they weren't certain they could enter the Labyrinth, and it scared some sense into her. She didn't even know who they were. In her hasty desire of getting to the Underground, she realized there were a lot of questions she'd never asked. What was their end goal?Were they conspiring to hurt the Labyrinth or someone within? Were these people enemies to her kingdom? Would they harm her once they knew she was the Queen of the Goblins? Were they trying to use her to hurt the Labyrinth? Did they want to hurt Jareth?
She was so desperate to be Underground that she hadn't considered there could be consequences. The important thing, at the moment, was she was closer to being with Jareth in person than she had been in seven years.
She adjusted the two bags on her shoulders and made sure her baby was in a comfortable position in the sling on her chest. She took a few deep breaths to center herself, then took her first step on this new adventure.
"Where are ya goin', Peaches?" The man called after her.
Sarah jerked in surprise. For one, she was startled that she was called by name, even if it were only her nickname, and secondly, it was obvious where she was going. "I'm here to get into the Labyrinth, right?"
"Yes, Wisher, but that is after we've rested and had a meal. Let us begin our journey refreshed and properly supplied. Come." The elf woman turned and headed towards the boulders.
"But…" Sarah watched as both of them headed in the opposite direction of where she desperately wanted to be. "No. I'm not going away from where I want to go. It's right there. The sun is still up. We could be there by nightfall."
"To what end? Between here and there is dry, harsh terrain we're not equipped ta travel. Whereas just ten minutes that way is food, shelter for a good rest, and the comrades who are to journey into the maze with us." The man pointed away from the Labyrinth, towards an alcove of the ravine where smoke could be seen rising.
Sarah stiffened. "There are more of you? How many? Why?" God, she prayed she wasn't leading in an army meant to infiltrate the Labyrinth and take over the Goblin City.
"Just three more."
Okay, five of them wasn't an army. And just glancing back at the maze made her exhausted. It had already been a long day, and sleeping did seem like a good idea. Perhaps it would be best to take their advice, and hopefully learn more about their expectations.
"You promise we'll be in the Labyrinth tomorrow?" Sarah asked as she wrapped her arms protectively around her daughter.
"Yes. Ya' sound just as eager as us to get there." The man joked.
Sarah started walking towards the supposed camp and threw over her shoulder after she passed him. "Maybe I am."
He just laughed.
AN2: This chapter could have been longer, but after discussing it with Greenchimes, I decided where it ends is a good transition point for the next phase of this saga. For the names of the different places in the New York Renaissance Faire, I used the online 2019 map, but still imagine it is 1993 (I try to be timeline accurate with the year the movie came out). And, in case you've ever wondered who I imagine Cassie to be, I picture Kat Dennings. And Ryan I picture as Jonathan or Drew Scott of Property Brothers.
