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Chapter 19

The Rescue

Jareth and his fae guards held a meeting around the campfire to discuss the next action in their rescue. They were divided on how to proceed.

"Let's get enough provisions and torches and we can go in there and trace their path." Aden and Arman suggested, but Faron waved them off.

"You'll never find their trail. This cave is part of the shifting rock cavern system. It changes every thirteen hours. Their trail would not even exist anymore and we may get lost as well."

Jareth listened to both sides in silence with a solemn face.

They were so close to his beloved Sarah and Bethan, and yet so far away. She was given to him and taken away again at the same time. He was downhearted and frustrated.

In the meantime the other two hunting parties had shown up as well. Jareth wanted the area surveyed and send out all the scouts to see if there were any other entrances anywhere close by where Sarah and Bethan may have exited.

The search was suspended when it got dark. Jareth had ordered camp to be established with plenty of fires and guards. This part of the woods was not safe and he hated being here for that long. Their activities may have drawn all sorts of creatures that usually avoided them. Time would tell, but he would not leave here without finding his Sarah.

He sat a little ways off from the main campfire and pulled Sarah's feather band out of his jacket pocket. He held it gingerly in his hands and kept looking at her little drawing of her heart around his name as he traced it with his finger.

"May I join you?" Faron said and sat down without waiting on an answer. Jareth kept looking at the feather band with teary eyes. Faron glanced over at the band.

"Sarah's?" He asked already knowing the answer. Jareth nodded silently.

"That girl loves you more than anything in this universe. It's that love that will guide her back to you. She will do anything she possibly can do to come back to you Jareth. If she can walk, she'll walk, if she can only crawl she will crawl, but she will fight to come back to you. I know this in my heart, and I think you do too."

Again Jareth only nodded in silence never taking his eyes of her little drawing on her feather band. Faron heaved a big sigh, tapped Jareth on his shoulders and walked back to the main campfire. He knew, Jareth had to work this out on his own.

The next morning Jareth still sat at the same spot with Sarah's band in his hand. He had fallen asleep sometime during the night sitting there. Faron gently woke him up.

"Jareth, it is daylight. You must get something to eat." Faron tapped him on his shoulders.

Jareth opened his eyes and looked around groggy and tired. It had been nearly morning before he had fallen asleep. He buried his head in his hands and groaned.

"Ok, old man", he grumbled quietly, "I'll join you for breakfast." He got up and followed Faron to the main campfire.

His guards and hunters were already assembled, eating breakfast and checking their weapons. Everyone was gung ho to start the search for Sarah and Bethan again. The party was still split over which action to take and Jareth finally called a vote.

He did not want to split up the group into two separate groups. It was too dangerous. He found it of utmost importance to stick together, and since nobody seemed to be able to come to an agreement he held a secret vote. One by one the hunters and guards put their vote into a bowl. The goblins abstained from voting. Faron tallied it at the end.

"Ok, out of thirty seven votes, thirty votes are for searching the woods and hills for the queen and Bethan, and only seven votes to enter the cave and follow their trail. I guess this is settled then."

Faron sat back down.

Jareth looked relieved and quietly thanked Faron for coming up with this great idea. The guards and hunters paired up and spread out across the area. Jareth entered the cave one more time with Faron and looked at the frozen pond. The cave walls had already shifted and the entire system looked differently.

"We all would've been lost in here, had we not followed your advice, Faron", Jareth whispered low. "I only hope Sarah and Bethan found a way out by now. If they haven't..." He couldn't finish the sentence and walked back out.


Sarah and Bethan had rested for the night on a small butte that was surrounded by thick brush. Paradox had let them there for safe harbor during the night.

Sarah had managed to make a campfire from a tiny bit of tar and material that had been left in Bethan's fire starter kit. She had made Bethan as comfortable as she could, which really wasn't all that much. He was in bad shape and needed medical help as soon as possible. Paradox had helped Sarah to find a plant that would numb his pain and instructed her on how to brew it as a tea.

Bethan drank the entire cup and was soon sleeping. Sarah made sure he was warm and gave him her cape for extra comfort. He deserved it for everything he had done for her. She moved closer to the fire and warmed her hands.

"If you are female, why is your name Paradox?" Sarah asked with great interest. "Paradox is a male name."

"Well, herein lies the paradox", she replied and Sarah couldn't help but to chuckle.

"Oh that's a good one", she laughed and Paradox joined in the laugh.

"I guess my parents thought it would be really funny." She shook her mane and ate some more grass.

"Well, I like the name. It fits you. Be proud of it." Sarah declared and patted her on her withers. Paradox whinnied and kept eating.

Sarah laid down and stared at the starry sky. She couldn't help but to think of Jareth. He must be sick with worries by now and she wished there would be a way to send him a message that she was ok. Her heart yearned for him and a tear ran down her cheek as she thought of him.

"I'll see you tomorrow, honey. And when we get home I'll make love to you all night in that bathtub of yours."

She smiled a sad smile thinking about how much he would love to hear that and closed her eyes. Paradox stood watch over her as she chewed her grass, and her body was perfectly silhouetted against the sky in the full moon light.

When Sarah woke up Paradox stood over her with a bloody horn.

"What the?" Sarah jumped up and looked at her frazzled. "Are you hurt?" Sarah asked worriedly. Paradox shook her head and snorted.

"No, but I got you breakfast." She looked over towards a dead rabbit that had been stabbed in the chest and laid next to the campfire on a flat stone.

"You hunt?" Sarah asked with utter surprise. She got up and picked up the dead rabbit.

"Not usually, but you two need to eat or you won't make it back. You are getting weak, especially this one", she pointed at Bethan. "The boy needs some protein. And you could use some too."

With that statement she went back to grazing.

Sarah stood there with the dead rabbit in her hand and looked at her with amazement.

"I'm not going to cook it for you, your highness", Paradox said sarcastically and kept on grazing.

Sarah shook her head and proceeded to skin and gut the rabbit and cook it over the open fire. When Bethan woke up Sarah had the rabbit finished and had already cut him some bite size pieces. She handed him the small bowl.

"Here eat. Paradox got this for us. She's a pretty good huntress." Bethan looked at the Einhorn as if he had lost his mind.

"She hunts?" he asked in utter surprise.

"Why is everyone so surprised about that?" Paradox rolled her eyes, shook her mane and kept on grazing as she swooshed her tail around.

Bethan felt a bit better this morning. The tea had really helped with his pain and he had managed to get in a full night of sleep. And now, Sarah had cooked him this rabbit and even cut it up for him. He was touched by the personal attention from his queen.

"Too bad she is married, I so could go for her", he thought to himself as he kept eating his rabbit and drinking the fresh tea Sarah had brewed for him. He smiled at Sarah as she smiled back at him.

While Bethan finished up his breakfast, Sarah kept breaking camp. She wanted to get going. Bethan needed medical attention as soon as possible, and she yearned to get back to Jareth. He had to go crazy with worry by now. Paradox laid down for Bethan again and Sarah helped him up on her back as they started their journey back home.


Jareth kept pacing the camp. He put serious tracks around the main campfire as he kept circling it for hours.

"Will you sit down and relax?" Faron asked him impatiently. "You are driving me crazy with your pacing around. It's not going to bring her back any sooner, but it'll drive you, and me, even nuttier. Now sit down!" This time he said it in a very demanding voice and Jareth sat down immediately.

"No need to get all huffy", he said looking surprised at Faron over his tone.

Every once in a while a searcher came back, but never with any positive news and Jareth grew grumpier and grumpier. It was already noon and nothing had been found. Not even any new feathers. The searchers had come back to regroup.

A few had gone out to shoot some small game for lunch and dinner and sat around the fires. They had just started to eat when an earsplitting roar came from the thicket in the woods.

Everyone jumped up and grabbed their bows and daggers and established a circle formation with bows drawn and arrows notched towards the outside of the circle.

"Wood trolls", Jareth whispered with a hint of fright and gave his troops the signal to be absolutely quiet. They stood there silently, not moving a muscle. The only thing that was heard was the crackling of the fire. The goblins had sought refuge in the cave and had even shoveled snow in front of the entrance to conceal it. The entire camp had fallen silent.


Ceres grew tired of waiting at the outskirts of the northern forest. The party was overdue. They should have returned by now and he knew something was not right. He knew those woods, he had lived in them for three hundred years, and he didn't like this feeling inside of him.

"Where are you going?" Mara asked as he started to trot into the forest. "We can't go in there. It is forbidden."

Ceres stopped and turned around slowly.

"It is not forbidden to go in there. It is only forbidden to use magic. I have lived here for three hundred years. I know these woods in and out. The party is not back, they are in trouble, and I am going to go and help them. Stay or come, it is your choice. I have made mine", and he bounced away into the thicket.

"Wait for me", Mara shouted and ran after him. "How do you know where to go?" She inquired keeping pace with him.

"There is only one place where they would go to hunt goblin razorbacks, and that's the Shifting Cave Hills. If they ran into trouble there they definitely will need our help. Wood trolls roam that area.

"Wood trolls?" Mara nearly passed out at the mention of wood trolls.

Wood trolls were nasty creatures. They were not like the bridge trolls that lived around Goblin City and the other communities, protecting the bridges from goblin explosions.

Wood trolls were mean and aggressive. They stood about seven feet tall, broad shouldered with round ugly heads and bulging eyes. Their favorite dish were humanoids, whether they were fae or elves, it didn't matter. They liked them all the same, with just a dash of paprika and salt and a few tubers on the side.

Ceres put it in overdrive and Mara did her best to keep up with his pace. He was bigger and stronger and could run much faster, but she was determined not to fall behind. Sarah's life may be in danger, and that thought alone made her keep up.


Sarah had walked the entire time next to Paradox and her feet started to seriously hurt. The crawling and hiking around on the jagged rocks in the cave had done their job. She had blisters on both feet and each step became more painful. Her left knee had also swollen up from a nasty slip down one of the ledges in the cave. Her body was close to giving out.

Bethan was fast asleep on Paradox's back and Sarah did her best to keep him from sliding off.

"I want you to get on my back as well", Paradox demanded as Sarah straightened Bethan out for the umpteenth time.

"I'm fine", Sarah argued and did her best to hide her pain.

"You forget I can read your mind, princess, I mean, your queenly highness. Now get on my back before I have to lift you up there with my horn", Paradox wasn't playing around.

Sarah sighed, and after she had found a high enough boulder, she clambered up on her back and sat behind Bethan. She wrapped one arm around Bethan's body to hold him in place, and held on to Paradox' mane with her other hand.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Paradox asked Sarah.

"What do you mean? I'm riding one now aren't I?" She wasn't quite sure what Paradox was getting at.

"Well, hang on. If we want to get to your people before dark we're going to have to increase the pace."

Now Sarah understood what Paradox was getting at. She clamped down with her legs and held on tight to the mane. Paradox increased her pace to a slight trot and then a soft canter. Sarah felt like she was in a rocking chair. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced on a horse before. After a couple of minutes of cantering Paradox whinnied and went into a full gallop as Sarah hung on for dear life.


Jareth and his men held their silent positions and were waiting. The attack was coming, it was only a question when. He gave the hand signal to draw the bows and hold position. In his mind he counted down the numbers, five...four... three...two. He didn't get to one, when the attack started.

"Fire", Jareth yelled and the arrows flew in all directions hitting their targets dead on. Several wood trolls fell right where they stood as more charged out of the thicket. The twelve fae guards from the base who had brought in the goblin rescue crew had their swords with them and were send out to repel the close up attack as the hunters notched arrows again and fired at will.

Jareth' elven hunters were like ghostly shadows, flying around with lightning speed disrupting the wood trolls' attacks and felling several with swift dagger strikes. Jareth and Faron had taken up position by the fires and kept shooting their arrows. Jareth was an expert marksman as every single arrow hit its target with precision.

"I only have five arrows left", Jareth yelled at Faron who was covering his back.

"Same here", Faron shouted back. "We need to find a better position. This is going to get ugly very soon."

They both ran amongst the fighting and took to slightly higher ground where they could fire the last five arrows each.

"That makes ten more dead wood trolls. Daggers out", Jareth yelled at Faron and both charged at the attackers for hand to hand combat.

Ceres heard the battle cry and ran even faster, but so did Mara. They arrived just as Jareth had shot his last arrow. Ceres went to protect Jareth, but he commanded them to help out his hunters.

"I need you both to fight any and all you can. Do not worry about me. That is an order", He looked sternly at Ceres, and Ceres nodded and joined the battle.

The wood trolls were not a fan of fae wolves and some were hesitant to take on such large combatants. Ceres and Mara didn't give them a choice and charged ahead together.

Jareth had his hands full with an extra-large wood troll who seemed to be the leader. Faron was nowhere to be seen and Jareth did not have the time to look for him. He was sure he was somewhere in the middle of the battle. It had become each for their own.


Paradox's ears had picked up the battle noise and she flew across the terrain.

"Take the arrows out of Bethan's quiver and get ready to fire", she instructed Sarah. Trust in me when I say you can let go of me and concentrate fully on the shooting."

Sarah took a deep breath and let go of her mane. To her surprise she did not slide off her back. She sat on it as if she was sitting in a solid chair that was slightly rocking. There were no balancing issues. She took all of Bethan's remaining arrows and put them lengthwise in her mouth as she notched one arrow and drew back her bow.

As Paradox ran past one wood troll Sarah let go of the arrow and hit the troll in the back of the head. She was long gone before the troll hit the ground dead. Paradox stopped behind a big boulder and Bethan slid off her back and hid behind it. He was in no condition to fight and he knew it. He had his dagger in his hands and bid Sarah farewell as he crouched down low to the ground and nearly disappeared.

Paradox galloped into battle again as Sarah notched the second arrow. Again she drew and the troll fell dead to the ground. They fought their way closer to the battle field and she was desperately looking for Jareth.

She saw Ceres and Mara chasing after a dozen wood trolls who had decided they had enough and were on the run. The hunters were going after them as more and more trolls started to withdraw.

"Where is Jareth?" she wondered anxiously. She kept looking and shooting. A few of the hunters had spotted her by now and were dumbstruck seeing their queen riding an Einhorn into battle. She still had her hunter's paint on her face and part of her feathers in her hair. She looked like the embodiment of a fierce warrior queen.

Finally she spotted Jareth in a secluded corner fighting for his life. She pointed at the duel and Paradox galloped as fast as she could. Sarah stopped right behind the wood troll. Jareth lay on the floor, his dagger stuck in the troll's chest, but the troll didn't seem to care as he raised his axe.

Before he could swing it at Jareth, Sarah's arrow hit him square in the middle of the head. He stopped, stood silent for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground. Jareth had just enough time to roll to the side and out of his way as he came crashing down next to him.

Jareth looked at the troll and then he looked up at the Einhorn with a stunned face. On top of the Einhorn sat Sarah with bow in hand looking down at him. She looked like a true warrior with a fearsome look in her eyes that gave way to a gentle soft glow as soon as their eyes met.

"Jareth", she cried out, slid off Paradox's back and ran to him. Jareth was back on his feet when she reached him and embraced him. Jareth flung his arms around her body and lifted her off the ground.

"Precious", he whispered, "I was so worried about you."

No more words were spoken after that as he kissed her with a fire of passion she hadn't felt before. They forgot the world around them as the only thing that existed for them at that moment was each other. Sarah would not let go of him, and he came back for her kiss passionately multiple times, hungry for her lips.

"Damn", Paradox whispered, "what a kiss." She shook her mane and whinnied, which slowly pulled Sarah and Jareth back out of their world and into reality. As Jareth let go of Sarah he could only stare at the Einhorn with disbelief.

"I thought they were extinct?" he whispered.

"May I introduce Paradox? She saved our lives and brought us back here. Bethan is behind the big boulder. He needs medical care immediately."

Arman and Aden immediately rushed to the boulder and pulled Bethan out from behind it. Faron went over to him and guided them to bring him to the fire so he could take a look at him.

The rest of the guards and hunters cheered in unison and raised their bows. The battle had been won without any casualties and the queen had been safely returned. Now it was time to gather the meat of the slain razorbacks from the hunts and head for home.