Disclaimer: I don't disclaim to do a proper disclaimer
a/n love ya folks!! Sorry this took me so long to get out, I'm going into finals week at school so it's been busy and schtuff.
Chapter 5: worst name for a bird…ever…
"Go on…"
Sarah expected a series of reactions from him, even that he would try to deny it, but he just stood there making a motion with his hand to show he was obviously expecting more. He was searching her face impatiently with a sharp eyebrow raised. "Well??"
"Well what?"
"Go on."
What the hell was he talking about? "Go on what?!"
"Continue with your proposition for me."
Now it was Sarah's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"I have a proposition?"
His quizzical face turned suddenly sour. It made his beautiful un-matching eyes seem to glow slightly. It made her wonder if possibly he had heat vision among his talents. Actually, that was a rather silly thought. If he did she imagined she'd be rather toasty right now.
"Are you mocking me, Sarah? That isn't wise-I'll have you know. I'm not feeling particularly generous this morning..."
And with a sneer he added quietly "…like yesterday."
The wet denim of her jacket was thick and unresponsive and felt like she was wearing cardboard. Briefly she wondered what the water had done to her hair, but it was probably better to focus on the pissy magic user in front of her instead.
"I'm mock free Jareth. I swear I just have no idea what you're talking about."
"No idea?" He inquired pleasantly.
"Nope."
"Oh well then…"And then the pleasant went up in volume. "…You mean to tell me that you came here…trespassing even…to my world after you just used me up and spit me back out yesterday after I had given you NOTHING BUT WHAT YOU WANTED-"
"Hey wait a minute!" But he was going on.
"-and offered so much more to you, which you also batted away, without a single plan to save your lovely behind?!"
"Eh?!"
"What did you think was going to happen? Did you think I would say 'let us let begones be begones for free?"
What? For free? Meaning he would for a price?
Oh Lord, he couldn't be serious…
"Ah…well…oh Lord…actually, I wasn't using much thinking… this trip was going to be a purely in-and-out deal… You see, I just wanted to help my friends!"
The goblin king leaned back a smiled a mean little smile.
"What a pity… and now you've only caused them more grief. Oh dear, can you be even called a friend anymore?"
"No… Jareth leave them alone…"
"Why?"
"Because! It was-"
"Come on, now Sarah! Why should I? Hmmm? Hmm?" He came back and faced her closely. "What do you propose?"
His smile was happy again.
He was bullying her she realized, because he was right. He was the one with the power here. Both her and her friends were at his mercy.
But still…
Looking at him squarely for a second she inhaled
Before she
'proposed'…
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She woke up in a daze. In her foggy mind she realized she was somewhere near the middle of the Labyrinth. Not too far from here was where she had first met Ludo...
But why was she here?
Oh riiight… now it came back to her.
Maybe she had went too far with Jareth…
In fact, now that she thought about it, what she told him to do was anatomically impossible and very, very rude to the sensitive goblin king.
Obviously he didn't find it as amusing as she did.
Still, she had meant it. She had never been the type to take abuse, and that attitude had doubled since yesterday.
"I made a funny…heh heh."
She knew she was going to treasure that memory.
Ow. The stone tiles were even more uncomfortable to sleep on than the sand.
Her entire body felt stiff and sore and her clothes seemed dirty because they had been wet and she had been laying on the filthy ground…it caused crusty issues.
But at least she knew where to go.
"Hob forest. The most dangerous place in the Labyrinth, where my friends decided to go…
…hiding from Jareth who can get there 99 faster than me... and undoubtedly will."
Getting up and swinging her bag onto her shoulder she started. "Okie dokie. Let's rock."
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About a half a mile in a direction she hoped was the right one, she honestly had no idea where to find this forest, she heard voices. They were coming from about ten feet away. She couldn't see them because of the high bushes, but she heard:
"Will you Pleeease be quiet!"
What? That sounded familiar to Sarah. It took her a second but once she heard the squawky voice that argued with it she knew they belonged to none other than the old man and his bird hat.
Exhilaration filled her and she bounded through the hedges onto where they were still arguing. Clearly she startled them because they both screamed when she crashed out into their clearing.
"Hi!" She gasped excitedly. She was as happy to see them as if they had been her friends. She didn't even know if she was lost and that was almost worst than actually being lost, but she was certain these two would help her.
"You again! We just saw ya dinnit we??" The bird-hat squeaked.
"Young woman…" The old man added slowly.
"Hello, both of you. I need help real bad. Can you tell me where to find-"
"Nope! Can't help you, no, no, not at all." Bird-hat interrupted.
"Heelp yoou young womaan…" The old man began. Again, slowly.
"What do you mean you can't help me? You don't even know what I'm going to ask!"
The bird began a hysterical nervous laugh. "Don't matter. Can't help you. King demands it. We heard what happened to some of those who help you yesterday. Curses we did too, but I take it back! We don't help you no more! So you just git!"
"What?! Are you serious?!"
"Waant to heelp yoou young womaan…" The old man offered.
"Damn right. Not gonna do it. Now beat it! The king's not gonna look at us nosiree… we ain't done nothin'!"
"You dirty little coward. I'm trying to save my friends right now!"
She approached them shaking her head furiously. "I need to know which way is Hob forest. That's it."
"Too bad! Ha ha! Actually, even if I could I wouldn't tell you how to get there… that's the worst place…"
"Doesn't matter. My friends need me. And right now I really need your help. Time is kind of an issue. Let's just say, I want to get there before they receive some royal company."
"Oh waa waa waa! They broke the rules. According to me they had it a comin'! His highness ain't never had a girlfriend before. They was stupid to interfere.."
"Pecker!" The old man spoke up. The tone in his voice made even Sarah's retort die on her tongue. "Be quiiet!"
The bird 'hmph-ed' but promptly shut up.
Some horrid thought flicked through her mind, but she ignored it for now. The old man turned and looked wisely at Sarah.
"Waant to heelp you young womaan, but cannot the way yoou hoped."
"Because of what Jareth said? Please, I doubt he'll even know."
"I saaaid not the way you hoped. I can help."
Sarah sat down slowly and listened. She knew this was important (and probably going to take a while) and she couldn't be distracted on what the bird-hat's horrible name was in British slang.
Seriously…
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a/n
Oooh three guesses on what the old man is going to suggest? Sarah's not going to like it that's for sure.
Ha ha
Love ya folks!
Next chapter: You suck, you suck, and you suck too.