I had been running for quite some time, taking turns in what I hoped was the direction of the castle. So far I had only seen more and more of the identical stone passages. My mind began to half hope that there were no creatures, traps, or holes to run into, but I also began to worry that since I had yet to run into any opposition, that I was heading in the wrong direction. I paused and spent a good half minute trying to catch up with my breath. The empty hallways I had been running through were strangely quiet. It was unsettling that the only sound that dared tread upon the silence was the ever constant wind whistling over the walls, and my obnoxious gasping. The clouds in the patch of sky I could see were a warm sticky orange with patches of purple sky between them, heralding the oncoming evening.

I thought about my current plan: running down passages and dodging around corners. All things considered I had had better ideas. Time was ticking away; I could feel the minutes slipping past as I desperately tried to make them wait so I could think. The walls were too high to see over but perhaps if I climbed them I could make a half guess at whether I was headed in the right direction.

I examined the wall to my right, boulders were wedged between gravel and jagged smaller rocks, I could climb that. So I started up the wall. I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of the climb as I placed my hands and feet carefully. I grinned triumphantly and looked to the top to see how much farther I had to go. Confusion descended, I hadn't even gained an inch. I scrambled to climb faster but the top never got any closer!

"Are you kidding me?" I bellowed at the wall before me and stepping back to the ground.

"Obviously not!" a voice boomed in front of me, "I don't' see any children around you. But if you can't keep track of one, why should there be any more put in your charge?" it growled.

"Excuse me?" I asked. The voice seemed to come from the wall I had just tried to climb.

"As well you should!" a feminine voice reprimanded from behind. I turned to find the wall behind me looked no different, though I was sure it had spoken.

"How would you like it if someone tried to climb your face?" a pinched tenor voice came from my left where a wall had materialized.

"I…I…" I tried to begin.

"You what?" a deep bass voice joined the others and I found myself boxed in by another wall on my right.

"I'm sorry." I said searching the walls for a face to apologize to.

"Sure she is." The pinched voice mocked.

"Who is she anyway?" the bass grumbled.

"Oh be nice Henry," The female voice spoke again addressing the bass voiced wall, "Her name is Kara and she's trying win back the little girl his majesty took this afternoon." A chorus of OH's accompanied the informal introduction.

The pinched voice grumbled, "Still doesn't give the right to throw manners to the wind."

"Yes," The first wall griped, "She ought to have asked at least."

"Look," I said turning from wall to wall, "I'm terribly sorry I tried to climb you I was only trying to see if I was headed in the right direction." My claustrophobia was closing in as I became more aware of how trapped I was.

"You still should have requested our permission." Henry said stiffly.

"I had no idea you were alive." I explained.

"That is no excuse!" the pinched voice said.

"Taking us for granted weren't you." Henry moaned, "Never thought for one second how important we are to this whole labyrinth did you. Why, it wouldn't even be here if we weren't around to create it. Then where would the challenge be? You would be plum out of luck is what!" He bellowed.

"I apologize." I took a deep bow, "I never imagined I was in the presence of such gifted and brilliant walls, which have created such an elaborate and creative challenge." That was laying it on a bit thick, but if it got me out of there who was going to care?

"That's more like it." Henry puffed.

"Oh hush!" The female voice said again. "Don't you listen to him honey; he's full of nothing but hot air!"

"I am not!" Henry piped, steam escaping from between his stones.

I held back a snicker as the other walls complained about the moisture, worrying over mold and moss. I cleared my throat and asked, "Excuse me, but I'm running very tight on time. Since we've established why I'm here, may I ask for your help?"

"Uh..."

"Well…"

"I don't know…"

"Please?" I said, batting my eyelashes.

"Well you see missy, we can only help you if you ask the right question." The first wall boomed.

"The right question?" I asked slightly confused.

"Yes."

"Alright then…" I bit my lip and paced in a small circle. "Will you just part for me and let me get straight to the castle?"

"Nope"

"Na-ah"

"No"

"Ok then." I tapped my lips with my finger. "Will you show me the way through the labyrinth?"

"Pretty sure that one is against the rules to." The pinched voice piped.

"How about this then," I smiled, "May I please climb one of you so I can see where the castle is?"

There was silence for a moment.

"Well?" Henry boomed, "She did ask nicely and it's not against any rule I can remember."

"Oh alright," The first well conceded, "Come on, climb up." As the wall spoke the stone began to shift and move to create a staircase of sorts.

"Thank you." I smiled and began to ascend the wall. A gust of wind caught me in the face as I crested the wall. I squinted against the breeze searching the horizon. I climbed higher and the wind threatened to tip me off the wall. I gripped the wall tightly while I took in my surroundings. Winding walls stretched as far as I could see. I assumed I must have been moving forward since I could no longer see where I had started. The bowl of sky above me was hazy, the sun dangled lazily just above the horizon. I searched for something, anything, which would direct me towards my impossible goal. A shape peeked from behind the dusty air, with another gust of wind my vision cleared to reveal a large crescent shaped building. It was dark and jagged against the orange sky the towers climbed high on one side and only half as high on the other giving the castle the appearance of a dark crescent moon bobbing in the distance.

I scanned the labyrinth that reached out past me to the castle looking for some way of directing myself. When no immediate answer presented itself I rubbed my hand over my jaw, wiping away the dust, and thought. I fingered the stones in the wall beneath me; the tops of the walls were wide and flat. "If I walk on top of the walls will it be more dangerous than walking with in the labyrinth?" I asked the wall I was crouched on.

"Depends on what you consider dangerous." The wall said as I climbed on top of it, testing my balance on the stones.

"That's a risk I'm willing to run." I mumbled to myself. "Thank you again!" I said as I began to walk carefully away from the talking walls and towards the castle.

Jareth cursed under his breath, she'd be here with in the next three hours if he let her continue moving along the tops of the walls! He dissolved the crystal in his hand, closing his gloved fingers around it. His lips twitched in thought. He couldn't just let her walk here. Having her arrive there would cause far too many problems on his part. A whole magically legal mess. He couldn't make Anna go home unless she unwished her own wish. But he had been counting on Kara never making it here so he would not need to deal with that. "It's still early in the game." He grinned, "after all where would the fun be if there were no challenge on my part."

He stood, unsettling the napping goblins who were stretched out on the back of his throne and curled round the base. "Flannel!" He yelled above the din, the goblins had taken to lighting each other's tails on fire and smashing eggs on ceiling.

"Friggle? Flipper? Fuzzbucket?" Jareth called trying to nail the name.

" Majesty?" a tiny feathered creature peeped near his left boot.

" Yes! FriggleFlagin," Jareth said pointing at the startled creature, "You are the one I need."

"My name is Flanders Majesty." The goblin corrected.

"Whatever," Jareth said waving it away, "Flabby I need you to set the fire flyers out."

The tiny thing shuffled its feet beneath Jareth's gaze, "But majesty knows it could take days to rein them in again and the whole while they burn, and make everything extra stinky like ashes." Flanders complained.

"Oh come, come Froggiggle!" Jareth said crossing his arms.

"Flanders!"

"Of all the…" Jareth mumbled catching the tiny thing by its throat, "You'll get down there and set those fire flyers out or you'll spend the next century in the isolation box! Am I clear?" The goblin lost a few feathers as it nodded quickly. Jareth set it back on its feet, "I need that girl stopped. Sending the fire flyers out will at least keep her in the labyrinth instead of on top of it. Now go!"

"Alright! I go! I go!" Flanders fluttered off.

Jareth strode after him out of the throne room and made his way in long strides to the top tower. Once there he settled on the window sill. His cat like eyes flitted over the maze which stretched before him. Five more hours to go….

If anyone has anything to say about the way I have casted Jareth please feel free. No flames please! But any suggestions are helpful. Thanks for reading!