Okay, I'm just gonna explain something to y'all that I probably haven't explained before…
The way I write my stories is I handwrite them in a notebook first and then I type it up on the compy for you to enjoy ('cause let's face it, my left-handed chicken scratch is virtually illegible, LOL). Another thing, I space out the chapters I upload because I want to catch up in the notebook. For instance, I haven't uploaded for a little bit because I hadn't written much in the notebook for a while, so I had to slow down to catch up ^_^. Tee-hee! I hope I explained that well enough. Now, then—enough talking!
I believe they were just about to catch a ride with the old lady!
"Why, you're one of the most beautiful women I've ever met, and that's not saying much for you."—Groucho Marx, Animal Crackers (very funny, everyone should see it)
Chapter 12: Natella and Adeline
"King Jareth," the old woman responded respectfully but warily, "You should not have come here. Your death sits on that island and he knows you're coming."
Okay, now Sarah was frightened. The old woman turned her eyes on her and she slowly went over to her; if there was a graceful way to limp, she had it.
The ferrier stopped; she was a quarter-head shorter than Sarah and she looked into her eyes.
"What is your name, child?" she asked, her voice warmer now that she'd spoken more. Sarah blinked.
"S-Sarah," she answered, "Um…nice to meet you." The old one chuckled.
"Indeed," she said, "The child who defeated the Labyrinth; you've chosen well, my Lord Jareth—so polite, so pretty."
Sarah didn't know what she meant by "chosen well," but this wasn't the time for that.
"The honor is mine, Sarah," she bowed with her arms out, "I am Natella the Mariner, Ferry Woman of the Black Lake. It will be my pleasure to welcome you aboard my poor vessel." She motioned her hand to the big black boat that rode low in the water, just close enough for a mermaid to tug any one of them overboard.
Sarah brushed the thought aside as quickly as it had come; she couldn't think about that! She had a mission!
"Well," she chirped to her goblin friends, "Come on, guys! Unicorns don't rescue themselves!"
She marched briskly onto the boat with Hoggle and Didymus/Ambrosious close behind; Ludo followed shortly, then Jareth, then Natella.
"All aboard," she called, her voice rich as chocolate as she shoved off. It amazed Sarah that such an old, frail-looking woman had the strength to row a boat with so much weight, i.e. Ludo.
"Please situate yourselves on the floor," said Natella as she rowed effortlessly, "Try to even out your weight, but keep away from the sides—the mermaids are jumping tonight and they know I have passengers."
Jareth tensed up inside as the boat glided smoothly over the glossy water, polished with moonlight that wavered behind them. He wasn't sure how he was going to help Sarah without interfering in her mission. Sir Didymus was tough and brave, albeit annoying and overzealous; Hoggle could hold his own, he guessed, but Ludo made him curious: The yeti could call rocks, and gargoyles were basically living stone. What would happen if he howled at a gargoyle?
Ludo himself was nervous and fidgeted, curling his lips at the dark water. Sarah noticed and held his arm comfortingly.
"It's all right, Ludo," she said gently, "Don't be nervous." And she hummed a soft song while stroking his fur and that seemed to calm him down.
Jareth froze in his stance—leaning against the tall back end of the boat with his arms folded—and stared in disbelief at the back of Sarah's head. He knew this song!
"Tickle my tail and tangle my hair," said a slightly shrill female voice, "A virgin's song is in the air!"
'Oh, goblins,' Jareth thought as he rolled his eyes closed, 'Why did they have to surface now?'
Sarah looked curiously to starboard (right) and saw the owner of the voice: A pearly skinned woman was swimming next to them with her thick black hair floating behind her down to her bottom, her dark teal eyes on Sarah with her pale lips smiling over her diamond-white, razor sharp teeth! Sarah was amazed! Jareth, on the other hand, wanted to turn invisible; maybe if he didn't move, she wouldn't notice.
"You're a mermaid, aren't you?" asked Sarah in awe.
"Yeah, that's right." She flipped out the flimsy blue fins of her tail to illustrate, then stopped and sniffed the air.
"I smell goblins," she said quickly and looked at her friends. "Oh, my gosh. That means…" She whipped her head back and saw Jareth, her eyes flying wide.
'D—it,' he thought irritably, 'I was afraid of this.' Her girlish scream was like a cross between a seagull and a dolphin. Sarah covered her ears and ducked against Ludo, who shielded her with one arm and his head with the other, groaning in pain. Hoggle plopped on his bottom with his ears covered, stomping a foot on the floor in frustration. Ambrosious whined and howled while his master just stared incredulously at the mermaid, no doubt wondering why she was screaming like that. It didn't seem to bother him or Natella; if it bothered his king, he wasn't showing it a wit.
"HOLY CRAP, IT'S THE GOBLIN KING!" she burst with her hands on her face before diving back into the water. Jareth released the breath he was holding and massaged his forehead and nose bridge with his thumb and finger.
"This is precisely why I rule goblins and not mermaids," he mumbled, then asked, "Is everyone all right?"
"Ugh," Sarah grunted as she sat up, "What was that all about?" Jareth walked over to her and sat down beside her.
"Even in this world, I have something my brother doesn't…" he told her vexingly. She looked curiously at him and heard the splashes of about half a dozen mermaids popping their heads out of the water in a group fit of giggles and squeaks very close to their boat, wearing all sorts of necklaces and bracelets made of pearls strung on reeds and (strangely enough) seaweed.
"Oh, my gosh, it is him!" said one.
"Hi, Jareth!" some of them waved and smiled, reminding Sarah of cheerleaders.
"…A fan club," he finished blandly. Sarah snorted back a laugh.
"I, uh," her voice trembled as she tried not to giggle, "I didn't know you had one."
'She finds it amusing?' he thought weirdly, 'Well, at least she's not jealous…not that there's a reason to be.'
"King Jareth!" chirped a blonde mermaid as they swam with the boat, "Will you sing for us today? You know us mermaids—we love music, and we haven't heard the sound of your voice in such a long time." She sighed coquettishly to illustrate her point and some of the others agreed.
"Watch this," Jareth whispered mischievously to Sarah before leaning over to make eye contact with the mermaid who had spoken.
"I'm sorry, ladies," he said sweetly, "but I'm so overwhelmed at your exceeding beauty that my voice fails me entirely; no song in the world could match your loveliness." This sent them into a fresh giggle fest and they flitted about the water like fish; the blond propped herself on the boat on her elbows with her long hair covering her chest.
"Even if you don't sing, Your Highness," she said, "your speaking voice is sweet enough for us."
CLANG! Natella's heavy metal pole connected with the side of the mermaid's head, but it had about as much impact on her as if someone had smacked her with a hand.
"Ow!" she cried, annoyed as she rubbed her head, "Natella!" Sarah had her mouth covered with shock as she looked at the mermaid, then at the old woman, who was holding her long pole like a headmaster with a yardstick.
"Don't 'Natella' me, Julia!" she scolded, "You know the rules! Hands and tails in the water at all times! I don't care who I'm toting! Now back off! Shoo!"
Julia the mermaid grumbled and slid back; when the rowing resumed, she smiled slyly and tossed Jareth a seaweed-and-pearl bracelet. Sarah crawled over to the side.
"Are you okay?" she asked, still freaked out about the pole-whacking.
"Eh," she shrugged, "It's no big. So…who are you, may I ask?"
"I'm Sarah," she answered. Julia slowed to a glide with wide eyes.
"Not the Sarah?" she said shockingly, "Not the you-have-no-power-over-me Sarah?" Sarah blushed uncomfortably and sensed their conversation attracting the attention of the Goblin King.
"Um, yeah," she shrugged, "That was me." Julia stared at her again, then slowly narrowed her eyes and dove back into the water, splashing Sarah with her black tail.
"Tramp!" she called as she swam off a little ways. Sarah sat there, wet and confused, until she heard the Goblin King's laughter behind her. She spun her head back to glare at him.
"That's not funny!" she sputtered.
"On the contrary, love," he chuckled, "From where I'm sitting, it's quite humorous." Even so, he tossed her a crystal that turned into a towel, which flopped over her face. She tore it off.
"Thanks," she said stiffly.
"I wouldn't worry about Julia too much," said a younger voice from the water, "She's just jealous."
Sarah turned to see a mermaid that looked 12 or 14 years old with long, pale orange hair and dark blue eyes with a somewhat rosier glow than the others and a nearly flat chest; she also had a sweeter smile than the others.
"Jealous?" Sarah asked, "Of what?"
"Of you being the thief of the Goblin King's heart," she answered, which made Sarah hold her towel up to her face in embarrassment.
"What's wrong?" asked the mermaid as she swam closer without touching the boat, "Did I say something to embarrass you? I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay," she smiled in spite of herself, "You're fine. My name's Sarah, by the way."
"I know," said the mermaid, "It's nice to meet you. I'm Addie; it's short for Adeline, just like the song!" Sarah giggled and leaned on the railing.
"So what's it like living here?" she asked, "Do you like it?"
"Oh, I don't live here," Addie answered, "I'm just visiting from my home under the ocean; I live in the sea kingdom Aquarius! But this lake isn't bad for a quiet weekend. I'm going back home soon for school. I'll be in ninth grade this year! What grade are you in?"
"12th," Sarah replied, "I'm a high school senior this year."
"Wow," said Addie, "Is it true you humans have a prom in high school where you dance and wear beautiful dresses?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "Don't you guys have something like that?"
"Well, yeah," said the mermaid, "We have the Pearl Ball, but we just twirl around in circles holding hands. I've seen humans dance before, and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen! Someday I want to dance at a high school prom!"
"And I bet you'll be wonderful at it, if Hans Christian Andersen is right about mermaids," said Sarah, "Maybe I'll invite you to my prom!" The young mermaid's face lit up.
"I'd love that," she sparkled. They both then heard splashing, giggling, and a dog whining. They looked port; some of the other mermaids were splashing Ambrosious!
"Cease and desist!" Sir Didymus was shouting as he brandished his staff at them, "Stop this, I say! Stop it at once! My loyal steed is very sensitive about getting wet!"
"Daughters!" Natella shouted sharply, "What have I told you about teasing the passengers? If I have to stop this boat, I know some tail fins that are going to get clipped!"
Sarah got up and went over to Didymus and Ambrosious.
"Sir Didymus," she asked, "Are you and Ambrosious oka—"
The wind was suddenly knocked out of her when Julia shot out of the water, tackled her like a football player, and dove back into the lake with her in an arch. She was swiftly followed by three other cheering mermaids, one of which was the black-haired one that had first spoken.
"Sarah!" Addie shrieked and dove after them, "No!"
"Sarah!" Hoggle cried out.
"SARAH!" Ludo bellowed.
"My lady!" shouted Didymus as he jumped for it, "Fear not, my lady! I shall save thee!"
Plunk! A few mermaids swam in a frenzy to surround the spot where Sir Didymus had jumped in; he surfaced in a fit of barking and took them all on.
Jareth hadn't said anything; the second Sarah's body had hit the water, he was after her in a heartbeat. He was thankful he could hold his breath for a long time (half an hour) and could swim almost as fast as a mermaid could. Only a mermaid could swim faster than a Fae.
That being said, let's switch over to Addie for a minute; she was flipping her fins as fast as she could to get to her new friend before her freshwater cousins did something terrible to her!
"Julia!" she called, "Elaine! Don't take her any further down! It's too deep down here!"
It was true; they were nearly at the bottom of the lake, and Sarah hadn't been given a chance to take a breath before this!
"Please, stop!" she pleaded as she fish-lined it to them, "She'll drown if you keep her down here!"
"Exactly!" spat Julia, "She deserves it after the way she treated King Jareth! Besides…" She smiled evilly at Sarah, who was clinging to consciousness by a thread.
"I hear virgins taste pretty good." She showed her white sharp teeth, brighter underwater.
"NO!" Addie screamed and snatched Sarah around the waist and flitted with her behind Jareth, who stared daggers at the mermaids. His anger could even be felt in the stifling silence of the water and they were afraid to move. Seizing an opportunity, Addie quickly pinched Sarah's nose, cupped her chin, and breathed into her, mouth-to-mouth; the borrowed air filled Sarah's lungs like a waterfall on a forest fire and she opened her eyes and covered her nose and mouth to keep the air in.
"Are you okay, Sarah?" Addie asked anxiously. Sarah looked her in the eye and nodded vigorously and Addie knew she couldn't hold that breath for too long.
"King Jareth!" she called. Jareth quickly swam over to them and grabbed Sarah.
"Hurry and get her up top!" said Addie, "I'll hold them off!" Jareth nodded and kicked upward as fast as his legs could propel him while Sarah kept holding her face with her eyes pinched shut, huddled against the Goblin King.
Just when she thought she couldn't hold it anymore, they broke the surface and Sarah gulped the cold night air, then coughed it back out because the cold hurt her lungs. She kept coughing and gulping after Jareth hoisted her back onto the boat and rolled himself over the side, where he lay on his back to catch his breath while Sarah was tended to by Hoggle and Ludo. Didymus was still giving his mermaid opponents a good thrashing from inside the boat (all the while calling them "ruffians, hooligans, and juvenile delinquents") while Ambrosious barked at his side like a cheerleader.
Sarah hugged Hoggle limply and shivered. Presently, her coughs turned into sobs and she hung her head down with her hair plastered against her shirt. Jareth knelt behind her and gently touched her. Hearing her sob like that put a lump in his own throat; she'd nearly drowned! He'd nearly lost her again!
"Sarah…" he murmured, his voice almost cracking. He swallowed. "It's all right." He brought her into his arms, her head still down and burrowed into the little dip between his shoulder and collarbone. He rubbed her back and rocked a little.
"It's all right, Sarah," he said softly, "You're safe. You're surrounded by people who love you. Shh, it's all right."
"I never…" she panted, "want to meet…any more of your fan girls…ever again." In spite of himself, Jareth laughed with relief.
"Join the club," he said ironically as Addie surfaced.
"Are you okay, Sarah?" she asked.
"Yes," Sarah answered, "Thank you, Addie. You saved my life." She tightened her grip on Jareth's sleeve and quietly added to him, "You both did."
Tiny droplets dripped slowly from Jareth's hair and onto her head or his shirt or wherever they happened to fall, his clothes soaked to his skin; he looked at Addie, who still watched Sarah fearfully. Behind her, the older mermaids surfaced in random spots and in somber silence.
"What is your name, child?" Jareth asked formally and quietly. Sarah looked at her.
"Adeline, sir," the mermaid bowed shortly. Sarah saw Jareth smile fondly at Addie, recognizing it as the way he always smiled at Toby.
'What's he going to do?' she wondered. The other mermaids were obviously thinking the same thing.
"Sweet Adeline," Jareth spoke up, "you have the gratitude of the Goblin King. You shall be greatly rewarded for what you've done."
The mermaids whispered amongst themselves as Addie's eyes widened.
"Please, sir!" she objected with an embarrassed blush, "I don't ask for a reward, I just want Sarah to be safe!"
"You wouldn't refuse me the honor of giving you a token of my appreciation, would you?" asked the Goblin King.
"Well…no," Addie half-smiled sheepishly, "I suppose not."
"Then don't," he smiled, summoning a crystal, "Here. When spring arrives under the sea, swim to the surface at sunset on the third day and make your fondest wish and it will come true."
Eyes sparkling and mouth agape, Addie held out her small pale hand to accept the Goblin King's gift. She held it and stared at its full moon luster with humility.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she breathed with her head bowed, "I—I am honored!" The other mermaids grumbled jealously as the boat continued on its way.
"But Your Majesty!" Julia objected as she glided alongside them to starboard, "Isn't this the girl who bested the Labyrinth and rejected you for a baby?"
"The same," he answered stonily with his jaw set.
"So why are you here with her now?" she demanded, "How could you possibly have forgiven her for that?"
The Goblin King was silent for some time, still holding Sarah in his arms.
'I've been wondering that myself,' Sarah thought. Finally, he sighed.
"Because part of loving someone," he said with his eyes closed, "is forgiving them, no matter what…being there for them, even if they don't know it. (He cupped her wet head and leaned over her.) At least…that's what I've always thought."
Suddenly feeling awkward and a little ashamed, Julia and the mermaids that had attacked began to back off, leaving Addie to swim alongside Natella's boat as it glided over the glassy black lake to the dark castle that loomed treacherously over them.
Inside the dark audience chamber, the slim king lounged across his hard black throne carved from the same stone as his castle. He held a Queen of Hearts that acted as a magic mirror, showing him the approach of his hated brother and the young adult that had ensnared his heart.
He narrowed his eyes in confusion: What did Jareth see in that girl? She was a high school student barely come of age—a child! She couldn't even fight off those obnoxious mermaids! She wasn't that pretty, either, with her dull green eyes and her gaunt hair and freckles that showed up in the water. And what was she wearing? Jeans and a shirt? Heaven forbid! No wonder Jemna was so fond of her!
"Sire," spoke his captain of the guard in a low bass voice, "shall I prepare the gauntlet?" The king thought for a moment and nodded.
"While you're at it," he added, "extend an invitation to His Majesty; I should very much like to see my dear brother again." The captain bowed with a fist to his chest and strode out of the room. The king turned his attention back to his card.
"Soon, brother," he smiled sickly, "we shall see if your princess is worth her mettle."
With a wicked laugh, he stood up and flung the card at a candle, neatly slicing off the top half, still lit.
Author's Review:
There's actually a small history behind Natella, but it's not part of this story…
Natella actually used to be one of the mermaids that lived in the lake, but Jathan needed a ferry woman to give rides across the lake and the only thing that can handle the strength and annoying girlishness of a lake mermaid is a lake mermaid! So Natella took the job because she was the most mature and calm. Hooray!
Did you guys notice the reference to the old song "Sweet Adeline?" I hope so; it's cute! Addie's adorable! And don't ask me how she was able to give underwater CPR. IT'S MAGIC.
And I think that's it for this time. See ya!