Chapter 6
The Hunt
Marjorie and Mark had stayed at the Labyrinth Kingdom for over a week and Sarah had thoroughly enjoyed the company of her best friend. Every day they would go on a morning run through the park, which was quite extensive, and Sarah would take her to the gym for some mock fighting.
Marjorie was quite fit herself and had been taken karate lessons since she was ten years old, as well as long distance running. Her hippie parents were into running and had inspired her early on. She always said running and working out unclutters the mind and gets rid of all the trash that is in there. How true. Sarah always felt better after a vigorous workout herself.
Jareth still had important business as a king, and during this time of year he had quite a few audiences and meetings. He was also dealing with increased security at the labyrinth as the winter holiday season drew closer. He was getting quite tired of it.
"Any more meetings with goblin merchants about increasing imports of Surface World products like eggnog, coffee, chocolates, and fireworks, and I am going to jump into the Bog of Eternal Stench myself", he complained to Sarah one night after dinner.
"They are all wanting to import what is called a Troll doll. What on earth is that all about?" He put his head into his hands and sighed.
"Oh please don't jump into the bog, honey", Sarah laughed, "I wouldn't let you come any closer than twenty feet of me. Think about the consequences."
"You got a point there", he replied, still sighing. Sarah smiled softly and put her arms around him.
"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She looked at him with a seductive smirk. Jareth looked up with renewed life in his eyes.
"Well, come to think of it. There is something that would help." He started to fidget around with her neckline, opening a button on her blouse.
"Why don't we 'talk' about it in our private quarters?" Sarah replied, took his hand and teleported up into the bedroom.
After Marjorie and Mark had returned to the Surface World, Sarah felt like a part of her was missing. She hadn't realized how much she needed Marjorie's company. Jareth had forwarded their request for stay at the kingdom to the Council of the Elders and the High Goblin council. It was in their hands now, and he was sure several hearings would be coming forth soon.
Jareth understood the bond Sarah and Marjorie had, and he also knew that Sarah was terrified of losing Marjorie if she was going to age, get old, and die in the Surface World, while Sarah stayed behind, still young, in the Underground, having to live eternity without her soul sister.
Sarah had endured so much loss and suffering already, and Jareth wanted to do everything he could to spare her any more. If it was in his powers to safe Marjorie and Mark that fate, he was going to make it happen. Unfortunately this was up entirely to the two councils. All he could do was plead their case with them the best he could.
The pre winter solstice hunt was coming up in a week. It was a huge tradition in the kingdom and Jareth had always led a party every year until he brought Sarah down to his world. He had been preoccupied with her, and then the boys, these past three years. This year he fully planned to attend, and he wanted Sarah with him.
For several months already he had been instructing her in the finer art of shooting a bow and arrow. Tradition demanded that all game be killed via this weapon. No magic, no swords, no crystal balls, it was fair game for the prey. The only other weapon allowed was a small handheld dagger. Sarah was excited to be included, and put all her efforts into learning this new art of weaponry.
She had gotten pretty good and on most days managed to shoot bullseye five times in a row at a moving target. Jareth had already bought her the outfit for the traditional hunt back in the spring, he had been so excited about the prospect.
He had gone over with her on the rituals and the job each hunter had. Hers was to flush out the game as it was her first hunt. She had to proof herself first to be included in the main group, to which Jareth belonged and was the leader of.
"So, I'm relegated to the back?" She had complained with a pouting face. "I have gotten a lot better with this bow, and I can hit as good as any of your front line hunters.
"It's your first hunt, babe", Jareth replied softly, "and flushing out the game is one of the most important jobs. Without a flusher we can't shoot it. This is all about team work, precious, and I'm sure you'll be doing really great. And a flusher is actually in the very front, not back."
He tried to sound confident and gave her a smile as he tilted his head.
"Ok, I'll be greatest flusher you've ever had. I promise you that", she answered with determination.
"That's my girl", Jareth smiled proudly and gave her a kiss.
The night before the hunt, Sarah could barely sleep. How Jareth could just go to sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, she didn't understand. She tossed and turned, got up and checked her equipment, went back to bed, tossed and turned again, got up again to check her equipment. Finally, Jareth having been woken up for the tenth time, snapped his fingers and waved his hand. Sarah went to sleep immediately.
"Sweet dreams, precious", he said with a smirk, snuggled up to her and went back to sleep.
"You put a sleeping spell on me, didn't you?"
Sarah huffed at Jareth the next morning when he woke her up. He was already fully dressed and stood over her with a cup of coffee and a cinnamon roll.
"I had to, babe, because you were driving me crazy, and not in a good way this time. I got you breakfast", he added quickly with a grin and held the cinnamon roll up to her face as a peace offering. Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Peace offering accepted", she replied and jumped out of bed to get ready.
Within thirty minutes both of them were ready to go. Aria and Aviana were both on duty for the next three days and Jareth had even allowed Marjorie to come by for those days to help out. She had insisted and her argument could not be countered.
"I gave you 260 hours of free babysitting, cash some in for crying out loud before they become teenagers." She had a point. Seemed like everybody was happy, and Sarah and Jareth went to meet the rest of the hunters outside the northern forest of the Labyrinth.
The northern forest was a safe zone and no magic was allowed in that area for anyone. From the beginning of the Underground, the area had been deemed off limit to any kind of magic, and magic did not work there as the ancient elders had made sure of that. Mara was not permitted to be inside the northern forest and she took her place outside the zone.
"I'll be waiting here", she told Sarah. "If you need help and can make it out of the zone, blow the fae flute. Do not get in trouble inside the zone. I cannot go in there."
There were five groups and each group consisted of five hunters, with two in each group being flushers. Sarah didn't recognize any of the young hunters in her group, but they were all elite elven guards. Faron and Kaden were leading groups of their own as well.
"Arman, Aden and, Bethan", Jareth introduced the fellow hunters, who saluted Sarah by putting their fists across their chests and bowing their heads.
After the introductions, they all assembled at the already made camp. Everything was quite primitive. There was a nice warm campfire with four animal skin tents around it in a circle. The snow had been removed from the camp side, to make it easier to walk as it was quite deep in places.
Jareth called Sarah over into the group huddle. His face had been painted white with several green and brown stripes running down his cheeks and chin.
"War paint", he grinned looking at Sarah's confused face. "I forgot to tell you about that one."
Bethan started to apply the paint to Sarah's face who held still so he would not mess up. Jareth applied the stripes in green.
"No brown"? Sarah asked.
"You make your first kill, you get brown stripes", Jareth replied with a smirk. "You look pretty good. Like a real huntress", he stepped back to proudly judge his work. The other hunters nodded in agreement.
Next came a headdress that consisted of dangling white feathers and animal fur. It kept her head nice warm as a cold wind blew in and stirred up some of the snow. Everybody already wore their fae stag robes to keep them warm and blend into the environment, as fae stags were solid white except for a black mark on their forehead.
They were roughly the size of big mature elk with extraordinary large antlers that bend forward to impale the attacker. They also had sharp canine teeth the length of a wolf' that were able to cut the throat of anyone coming too close. Those were not your ordinary deer by no means.
Jareth had warned Sarah about the dangers, and told her to follow Bethan's signals and never to stand up and run.
"If it comes at you and attacks, lay as flat on the ground as you can and be still. They won't run over you if they can't see you. Their sense of smell and sight is very poor, but they have excellent hearing."
Sarah nodded in silence.
After each hunter had been dressed in their hunting garb they took their bows and daggers and went into the deep forest.
Jareth led them on a long snowy path up a hillside and then through a ravine down into a valley. They stopped when they entered the outskirts of the valley and took a look around. Below them was a large open field and Sarah could barely make out some movement of some large animals. All the hunters crouched down and Sarah followed suit.
Jareth nodded to Sarah and Bethan.
"You know what to do. Let us circle them and get to the other side. We'll give you the signal and then you start moving them towards us." Before he turned to leave he gave Sarah a quick kiss and winked at her.
"Not exactly protocol, as I'm not in the habit of kissing my hunters, but you're special, babe. Be careful." He left to join up with Aden and Arman.
Bethan and Sarah sat down behind a large boulder and waited in silence. Bethan smiled at her every once in a while. He looked very young and Sarah wondered how old he was
Sarah hadn't heard anything, but Bethan put his hand on her arm and nodded. Apparently the signal had been given. Elves have excellent hearing and it must have been a high pitch tone not audible to human or fae ears. They stood up and slowly walked down the slope. As they got within two hundred yards Bethan dropped to the ground and Sarah followed suit.
Very slowly they crept on their bellies and elbows towards the herd of fae stags. The closer they got to them the more Sarah got nervous. The animals grew bigger and bigger and there were at least twenty of them. It was a bachelor group of all stags with enormous antlers, which looked very dangerous.
One of the larger outside stags snorted and stomped his front foot. Bethan immediately froze and laid still on the ground, and so did Sarah. She looked at him with wide open eyes, and she knew, he could tell she was afraid.
The stag started to come towards them snorting ever so often. It was almost directly over Sarah, snorting and stomping and her heart was beating so loud, she was sure the stag would hear it. She closed her eyes as Bethan's fingers found hers and held them. She knew then he was every bit as scared as she was.
The stag snorted and gave a deep grunting sound and the entire herd took off and raced down the valley back into the thick forest. Sarah started to breathe again as Bethan let go of her fingers and slowly stood up.
"They are gone and won't be back again until tomorrow. The hunt is over for the day", he helped Sarah get up and smiled. "Pretty good for a beginner", he grinned and Sarah gave him a bewildered look.
She was surprised that a young guard would call her, the queen, a beginner. She figured during the hunt all bets were off.
"I won't be one after this hunt is over, and I bag one of them", she announced with as much confidence as she could muster and staggered behind Bethan back up the slope.
Jareth, Arman and Aden were already waiting on them. Jareth looked at Sarah with relief on his face. He grabbed her behind her head and pulled her in to him.
"That was dicey for a few moments. I was getting really worried, but you did great. I'm proud of you. Most novice hunters would have run, you didn't."
Sarah told Jareth what Bethan had said to her and Jareth laughed.
"He gave you a big compliment then. Take it and run with it. He usually doesn't speak that highly of novices."
They made their way back to the camp and put up their weapons, as they sat around the fire which they had re-stoked. Arman handed out some warm drinks Sarah didn't know what they were, but she drank it anyway as it warmed her up nicely. Aden disappeared for a few minutes with his bow and returned with two large rabbits.
As they prepared the food, Jareth came over to Sarah and sat down with her.
"Having fun yet?" he jokingly asked. Sarah still had the warm drink in her hand which she sipped at regular intervals.
"Actually, yes I am. Especially with you being here." She smiled at him as he took her hand and held it.
"You're definitely nicer to look at than these guys", he smirked.
"Who are they? Tell me about them", Sarah inquired as she took another sip.
Jareth put his arm around Sarah as she leaned against his chest.
"Well, Arman and Aden are two of my best of the best elite elven guards. They've been with me since the goblork wars. We've been through a lot of scrimmages and fights together. I trust them with my life", he looked into Sarah's eyes when he said that and squeezed her tight.
"Bethan, he's newer, still a kid, but he's good. He'll make a fine elite guard one of these centuries. He's only eighty years old, about fifteen for a human, but he's been on these hunt every year for the past thirty."
"My god," Sarah whispered, "he is just a kid". She didn't tell Jareth that he had grabbed her fingertips and was every bit as scared as she was. He needed to appear brave for Jareth, and she was not going to spoil that for him.
The evening progressed nicely with the cooked rabbits, which tasted wonderful, especially when one is starving. The guys were sitting around laughing and joking around. Sarah sat a bit off to the side. She didn't want to interrupt their male bonding being the only female, and she had brought her drawing book. She wanted to draw the scene to have as a memory.
Jareth glanced over to her every now and then as to make sure she was ok, but she always smiled at him and motioned for him to stay with the guys.
It was close to midnight before everyone turned into their respective little huts. Jareth came over to Sarah and she followed him into their shelter. It was slightly bigger than the others, but other than that looked identical. It was covered with fae stag hides and there were also hides spread out on the ground. A small in ground coal fire was burning that provided warmth. Sarah thought it looked very cozy.
Jareth started to undress and slipped under the stag hides.
"Take all our clothes off?" Sarah wondered. "Won't we be cold?"
Jareth laughed and invited her to join him under the covers.
"Babe, ever heard of body warmth?"
Sarah followed his example, took off all her clothes and joined Jareth under the hides. Surprisingly it was nice warm and soft.
"This is quite nice", she said with surprise and a big smile. Jareth wrapped his arm around her and kissed her gently.
"I'll see you tomorrow, babe."
"What? No love making? No, 'I want a special audience'?" Sarah asked bewildered. Jareth laughed out loud and squeezed her.
"Not during a hunting trip with the guys. But I'll make sure to schedule a special trip just for us soon."
With that he closed his eyes and went to sleep.
It was still dark when the camp stirred and Sarah woke up groggily. Jareth was already halfway dressed.
"Time to go. We need to get into that valley and in position before the sun rises. There's no wind today, perfect hunting day."
He appeared eager and left the hut in a hurry. Sarah did the best to catch up with him.
The weather was a lot nicer today. It was sunny and the wind had laid down. She even started to sweat some in her garb, but didn't dare taking anything off in case it was against protocol or some sacred code.
They made good time despite the dark. Jareth led the party and everyone seemed to know the way by heart. She was at the very end and had tied herself to Bethan to make sure she didn't get lost. He had only given her a grin, but helped her to tie herself to him.
Sarah couldn't make anything out in the valley when they arrived. Everybody was dead silent, and how they communicated with those few hand signals was quite impressive to her. Jareth looked like a powerful leader and he was. She wanted to burst with pride watching him take command.
Bethan and she once again sat behind the boulder. He handed her a stick of jerky as he was chewing on another one. Sarah was grateful as her stomach began to make funny noises and she didn't think that was helpful to the hunt.
They sat silently for some time as the sun began to rise and flooded the valley with a soft golden glow. The snow glistened and she could make out a huge herd of fae stags. This one was at least three times as large, and many does were assembled as well. Bethan gave her the signal to move.
Like the day before, they slowly crept towards the herd, and this time, there was no snorting. The herd kept on grazing and didn't seem to be on high alert. Sarah heaved a sigh of relief. They were so close now, and some of the deer were no more than an arm's length away. That's when Bethan jumped up and started yelling and waving his arms. Sarah followed suit.
The entire herd took off as it were one single animal, right towards Jareth and his hunters. Bethan and Sarah ran after the herd, waving their arms and yelling. It was quite exhausting in the deep snow and Sarah felt like she was running with cement blocks on her feet. They spread out to their right and left to prevent the herd from turning around and sneaking passed them.
Arrows started to zoom through the air and one big stag fell right in front of Sarah. Bethan yelled at her to keep going. Her legs were about to give out and her lungs hurt from the rapid breathing of the cold air.
More arrows flew through the air and another stag fell along with a doe. Bethan took his own bow and shot at a stag running away. He hit and the stag fell. Bethan shot one more time and the stag did no longer move.
Sarah had taken her eyes of the herd to watch Bethan and didn't realize one stag running toward her with an arrow stuck in its side. The animal was snorting blood and struggling to breathe, but its eyes were glowing yellow with hate. It had its eyes fixed on Sarah, and she just now saw it.
Her eyes opened wide and she started to run again, in the opposite direction. Bethan realized what was happening and tried to distract the stag with another arrow. Even though the arrow hit the animal in the neck, it kept coming at Sarah.
"Help", she yelled and tried to jump to the side. The stag passed her and then stopped and turned towards her again. Bethan came running at her, but he was too far away, and so were the other three hunters. Sarah could see them out of the corner of their eyes, with Jareth yelling something at her.
Sarah turned and ran again with the stag close behind her. She jumped behind a boulder and the stag flew passed her. Her breathing was rapid and her lungs felt like they were going to explode. She peeked around the bolder and the stag was waiting on her with pawning hooves.
She unhinged her bow, notched an arrow and took a few deep breaths. This was it. She stepped out just as the stag leaped forward, pulled back on her bow and let go of the arrow. The animal knocked her off her feet and into the snow. She landed with a thud, but luckily the deep snow had dampened her fall.
She looked around and the stag was on its knees in front of her, no more than five feet away. Blood ran from its chest where Sarah's arrow had hit it. She was more afraid than ever, but she removed her dagger from its hilt and stepped towards the stag. The large deer tried one more time to charge her but Sarah had already stuck her dagger right into its throat. The stag collapsed on the ground with a gurgle.
It took another minute before the rest of the hunting party had reached Sarah. Jareth ran up to her and looked her up and down before he hugged her and held her tight.
"Sarah", was all he could mutter and his voice was shaky. Sarah knew he had been scared for her life and was shaken deeply.
"I killed it", she replied, "I did it Jareth, I killed a stag."
She looked at him with big shimmering eyes and an excited face. Arman, Aden, and Bethan broke out into a victory yell and held their bows up into the air. Jareth blew on a horn. It was the signal of a new hunter bringing down the first prey.
His eyes glistened with pride when he looked at Sarah, and then he kissed her. Against protocol, in front of his elite guards, he kissed her passionately, and he did not care. The guards turned their backs with a smile.
"Now the hard work begins", he said clearing his throat after he let go of her. "We have to take care of all this meat. Skinning, quartering, and bringing it back to the camp. We have five deer to take care off so we better get started."
He handed her back her dagger. "Here, you'll need that for your stag." He grinned and followed his hunters to the other fallen deer.
Sarah was completely worn out when it was time to go back to the castle. For the past two days she had skinned, quartered, deboned, and loaded up meat. She hadn't even had the change to wash up and blood was all over her. Before they left Arman came over to her and handed her a piece of meat.
"What is it?" Sarah asked slightly disgusted.
"Part of the heart of your stag. It's your initiation into the hunter's tribe. Eat it", Jareth replied with a serious face.
Sarah made a grimace but took the meat and put it in her mouth. She had to close her eyes when she swallowed it.
Jareth stepped forward and put one brown stripe on her face.
"Now you are one of us. Welcome into the tribe."
He beamed with pride and his eyes sparkled excitedly. Sarah smiled back and the other hunters started performing their yell again and then congratulating Sarah as if she was one of the guys and not their queen.
She felt awesome and didn't' know whether to laugh or cry. She opted for laughing, as hunters did not cry.
