Sarah called again through her vanity mirror, "Hooogggllle?" Where is he? she asked herself. She wanted to show him the dress that she was going to wear to the Rennaisance Festival in the park tomorrow. She was planning on taking him to go see A Midsummers Night Dream that the festival was producing on behalf that tomorrow was Midsummers Day. It was one of the few days a year that Hoggle was able to go Above Ground. No one at the festival would think twice about seeing a girl with an actual dwarf. They probably would assume he is just one of the play actors among many portraying mythical beings and creatures. She really wanted to get his opinion on the maiden's dress that she had picked out for herself and if it needed any last minute embelishments.
Perhaps he is busy, he did say he was helping with the MIdsummer Festival that is being held in the Goblin City tomorrow.
What a lot of fun it must be to celebrate among the lively creatures of the Underground...save for one, the Goblin King. He seemed a little sadistic and selfish. If anything happened contrary to the way he liked he would likely ruin the festivities for everyone.
Thoughts of him loomed up in her mind. Familliar unanswered questions of 'what if' resurfaced. She recalled his serious and odd eyes. Staring into her, wanting to unlock her.
The young woman shook her head to stop the straying thoughts. I cant keep thinking like that! I cant keep thinking of him! It had been over four years since her stint into the Labyrinth. There had not been a day go by that in some form or fashion that her thoughts would stray to that event. It changed her life forever. The wonder and mystique of the mythical world was proven factual. All that she was taught to believe was turned on it's ear. The lessons of physics and biology that she learned while attending school were contrary. As well as ideals on theology and evolution were conflicting. She learned early not to say too much about her points of view on any of the subject matters. Not long after her return from the Labyrith, people gave her odd looks when she would mention anything about or in comparison to the place. One night she heard her parents discuss in hushed tones downstairs of their concern for her wild imagination and her sudden change of attitue, especially to them and Toby. They discussed the possiblilty that she might be delusional and needed thereapy. How could they think that she was delusional? From that time foreward she was guarded about revealing anything concerning the Labyrinth. She kept her mirror to mirror visits with her friends to hushed tones. Only on the days that the veil between the Above Ground and the Underground was thinnest that she would get excited due to the opportunity that her friends could come and visit. Once she took all three: Ludo, Sir Didymus and Hoggle, Trick or Treating on Holloween. Sarah insisted that she would take Toby out that year and was soon joined by the enormous Rock Caller, the corrageous fox-terrier knight astride his sheep dog steed and the always cantankerous dwarf. Homeowners were taken aback to see a little boy dressed as a cowboy standing next to a great hairy...something, yelling 'trick or treat'. No one seemed the wiser, it was deffinately a night to remember.
This year on Midsummer's Day, only Hoggle was able to attend. Sir Didymus was preoccupied with his new post that he swore to uphold steadfastly and could not attend. Ludo apparently had succumbed to the Rock Caller migration that happened once every one hundered years or so. Sarah thought it would be an adventure if she were to go with Ludo on the migration. To see where they come from, and see all sorts of Rock Callers. Ludo was the only one in the region of the Labyrinth. The gentle giant tried to convey to his friend in his basic vocabulary that other Rock Callers lived in adjacent lands. She will miss his gentleness and Didymus' exuberance to everything this summer. Perhaps she and Hoggle would build a stronger bond at this event. She longed to show off the Above Ground to him. Alas, they can't do the same for her. They all deemed it not safe for her to return. The only means that they knew of were for her to enter the Underground was to use the "Right Words". Although the Goblin King had granted her certain powers, the ability to enter the Underground at will was not one of them.
The young woman heaved a sigh of mild frustration. Her outfit would have to do she decided since Hoggle was not responding to her attempts to contact him. He must be pretty busy, she guessed. Oh well, she will see him in the morning. She carefully removed the period inspired attire carefully and hung it up with care. She was excitedly planning out tomorrow's events in her mind as she began her nightly routine for bed. She really wanted to show Hoggle everything at the festival. It was going to be so much fun!
Little did she know that she was not the only one making plans for tomorrow. The Goblin King was hatching his own itinerary for tomorrow's festivities. He grinned at all the delicious scenarios that hatched in his mind. Oh tomorrow was going to be fun indeed. The girl and her friends were so naive thinking that he wouldn't ever find out about their little secret rendezvous.