Sarah had Hoggle order the archers back outside the castle and await their next instructions. Sir Didymus plan to train them had been a fool hearted plan at first but now she was glad for his knightly ways because without his preparations they would not have a chance now, speaking of which where was he. "Hoggle where is Didymus?" Hoggle shrugged his soldiers and Ludo mimicked his action. Sarah grew concerned and dropped her sword belt and helmet and ran up the stairs. She hoped that what she was thinking wasn't true but she needed to confirm with Marita and her sisters.
Sarah burst into the throne room and the scene in the pool was just as she had feared. The mirror was facing a large open room of some sort and Didymus was on the ground, bound and gagged. His spirit was still strong because he was yelling and moving even in his confined state. Trumpets sounded outside and Sarah used the curtain to cover her face as she looked out the window.
Hoggle was at the front gate by himself and the archers were behind the doors. It would do no good for the enemy representatives to see what they were planning. Sarah had given Hoggle a locket as well and he was wearing it so she ran back to the pool to see and hear what was happening, at that moment Ludo and Paza entered and she shushed them and pointed towards the pool.
"We are here for your answer, Hoghead." Hoggle huffed and crossed his arms, "You are not the king of me. I's already told you that his majesty is busy and you are being ridiculous. Go play battle with someone else." The speaker stepped forward and punched Hoggle so hard he fell to the ground, "We shall meet at the southern fields and we will win." With that the entourage moved towards the path that was clear cut across the kingdom and thru the Labyrinth and led to its entrance at the southern fields. The Labyrinth doors shut closed behind them and the guards at the gate placed several beams to ensure no one got in.
Hoggle got up from the floor and dusted himself off and walked to the throne room. As soon as he entered Sarah enveloped him in a hug, "I am so sorry none of us could be out there but they can't know we are here, not yet at least." Hoggle patted her back and nodded his understanding. Soon this nightmare would be over and when Jareth return it would be like nothing had ever happened.
Sarah told Hoggle what they had all seen concerning Sir Didymus and led him to the pool to show him as she tried to speak with Marita. "Marita. Marita I know you can hear me. Fly to Didymus so I can tell him what to do." Marita and her sisters looked around the room to make sure no one was there and they flew as fast as their wings let them towards Didymus.
"Didymus I want you to listen very carefully and do exactly as I say." Didymus shook his head and Sarah began to tell him to behave. To not speak a word to his captor no matter how much his Don Quixote heart wanted to rebel against them. He would acquiesce into their belief that he accepted his fate as a prisoner and would be witness to the downfall of his kingdom. He would allow them to drag him to the Labyrinth's gate where he would see the demise of the Goblin King.
"Marita you and your sisters fly back now and when you arrive bring me the locket and stay at the front with the rest of your group. Marita and her sisters didn't need to be told twice and they flew twice as fast towards the Labyrinth. Sarah sat back and took a deep breath before placing the helmet and sword back on. When Marita arrived her and her sisters would not recognize the Labyrinth entrance. The southern entrance which had once been nothing but dry barren land had been transformed into a lush green garden and filled with every single deadly plant that the Labyrinth had to offer.
Sarah had the remaining Fire Gangs throw a party of the likes which they had never had before and they had sung and coaxed the forest to grow beyond their borders and while she had slept and rested the party had been a total success. Sarah was glad to see the hill that she had once stood upon was now covered in beautiful lush green grass, tall dense trees and bushes that provided the perfect cover for all the fairies and the goblin army.
When the enemy representatives had come and gone they had failed to notice what was going on around them due to their arrogance and belief that they would be able to conquer the Goblin Kingdom. What they knew for a fact was that Jareth wasn't there, but how would be a question that needed to be answered later; the fact now was that they believed that Jareth was the only magic wielder in his kingdom and while Sarah had no magic to speak of the Labyrinth inhabitants did and she told them what to do with these strengths to ensure the survival of all. They had performed beyond her expectations and she only hoped that their faith in her abilities to carry them thru this ordeal without their king would be well deserved.
"Paza I need you to send four of your brethren to the east and four more to west to monitor any activity. For now only the southern kingdoms appear to be the ones interested in battle but we don't want surprises from any other side." Paza nodded and closed his eyes in order to find out who of his brethren would be going to the designated points. Sarah turned next to Hoggle, "Hoggle I need you to send the archers that were with us in the dungeon to the front. Tell them to hide in the brush until we get there. The remaining archers split them into two equal parts. One set is to go northeast and the other northwest. They will cover the spots not being monitored now by the Fire Gangs and the Stallions. Once you've dispatched them put on your armor and tell the rest of the band goblins to put on theirs. Start the traveling with the bog caravans with the special balls from the armory to the front and stay behind the front wall by the gate of the Labyrinth entrance."
Hoggle nodded and as he was about to leave, "Sarah." He had meant to apologize for dragging her into all this but Sarah beat her to it by coming to his side and hugging him, "Hoggle it will be okay. I am still Sarah but desperate times call for desperate measures. Everything will not go back to the way it was but things will be rough for everyone for a while but there will be quite once more. And don't worry about me, all that I do I do for everyone here because you are all my family, I could do no less than my best." Sarah let go of Hoggle and stepped back so he could ensure her orders were carried. Next Sarah turned to Paza and Ludo, "Let's go to the front, Paza keep one of your brethren in the lower levels, another here to monitor the door and the pool and the last two to monitor the outside grounds. Anything comes up communicate it to me." Sarah looked at the throne room once more and thought she saw the ghost of the Goblin King smiling his sardonic smile but when she blinked he was gone. She needed to concentrate at the problem on hand the riddle that was the king will have to be solved when this battle was over.
Jareth was in bliss or at least he thought he was in bliss. His vacation had started several days ago or was it weeks. His intention for travel had been to forget but try as he might he couldn't remember what it was that he was trying to forget which meant his goal had been reached but then he couldn't quite remember where he was, where he was going or where he had been but he was content. If being here was being content; his companion was beautiful and she complied with all his requests and she was always willing to do as he pleased and they were traveling at a leisurely pace to wherever it was she was taking him.
She kept telling him that all his worries were in the past that they were forging a future together, a happy future. That afternoon as he lay by the river resting after having a full lunch and his companion asleep next to him he stared up into the sky and saw the clouds traveling across the sky. He kept asking himself what it was that he was trying to forget and decided to take a walk to clear his mind. What were these worry's he was trying to forget. A noise to his right startled him and he saw a black bird as night with green eyes staring deeply into his eyes. He stumbled back when a pain hit him square in the chest that he almost passed out from it. He was trying to forget her, Sarah his green eyed fine black haired beauty with skin so pale it resembled a bright full moon. Apparently his companion had not done a well enough job to help him forget but he would remedy that. They will travel faster to reach their destination so he could have her memory erased and this pain gone.
Sarah had Jareth's chariot pulled out from the armory and cleaned. It had been originally been designed to be pulled by four goblins but Paza volunteered to pull it for her since time was of the essence. Sarah had Skrit by her side on the chariot and he would ensure that her lances were ready and so was their bow and arrows when it came down to enter into the fray. Sarah sent one final plea that this battle would not take place and for Jareth to appear to put an end to it. She knew it was a hollow plea because he had not shown himself in all this time no matter how hard Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didiymus had tried to contact him. She felt the tears slide down her cheeks but she couldn't brush them away. They were arriving at the gate and she needed to compose herself, she needed to suppress all human emotion and compassion and get the job done for all those who depended on her.
Sarah arrived at the gate and found Marita waiting for her with her locket in hand. Marita had tears on her face, "Thank you. Thank you for what you've done to the outer wall. We will do as you ask." Marita dropped Sarah's locket into her outstretched hand and flew back to her sisters. "Paza I need to speak to everyone and the only way I can do that is if you can lead the chariot up and down the ranks, would you please do that." Paza stomped his feet and actually spoke to Sarah in front of everyone, "I have a better idea, have you ever ridden a Stallion?" Sarah shook her head, "Then for this one time I will allow you to ride me and my fire since it is of my creation and desire I shall call forth and it will not harm you. You riding into the fray upon a Stallion a flame will strike fear into the hearts of those who wish to destroy us." Sarah descended from her chariot and began to undo the straps that held it on Paza, "I will only agree if you are absolutely sure because you doing this is a great honor for all of us." "I think I can speak for all of us that no one could have done better in these dire circumstances."
Sarah climbed upon Paza's back and strapped her bow and arrows to her back. She pulled her sword out and began to wave it above her head. Sarah knew several things. She knew how to ride a horse because she took lessons in high school on the weekends but these lessons were simple trot lessons not lessons at full gallop so she was going to have to learn very quickly. Second she only knew how to hold a sword properly because there had been a duel scene in one of her school plays but she had no clue how to wield it. But an untrained hand was more deadly than a trained one. A trained hand would kill and untrained one would just cause a lot of damage. Lastly she was probably going to have to depend on her bow and arrows but she had never shot when riding a horse at full gallop so the sooner she brought this battle to an end the better.
Sarah directed Paza to begin walking the line of those assembled as she spoke, "Of course no one wanted this battle. Why should you risk your life when the best you can hope for is to go back to your home and go about your lives as before but we were ordered to war. The actions of those that are beyond this wall called to us and we had to denounce our pacifist ways and respond to those who are putting all our lives in danger." Sarah could see in their eyes that her words were striking a cord, "Today we are going to do what we have to do, they counted on us to be passive and we are going to prove them wrong because victory will be ours for without victory there will be nor survival and we are fighting for our right to exist. So who's with me!"
The deafening roar response from all those assembled put strength back into Sarah's heart. We will survive and be stronger for this and then we will find you Jareth and bring you back. This is where you belong no matter what may be going on between you and I. They are your people and they need you more than you or they can understand. "Hoggle. You, Paza and I will go first and ask for their surrender and when they refuse we will wait for them to make the first move. On my call the catapult attack will be first. Once we are clear the archers will be next with the fire." Next Sarah beckoned for Marita, "Marita you and your sisters will stay behind the wall and every time a fire starts you will help the Fire Gangs gather it and quench it." Sarah walked and looked into the eyes of the junkyard lady's eyes. "Anyone that is able to climb over the wall once they step on the ground you will suck them in and dump them in the oubliettes located below your home. Take this mirror so you can keep me apprised of how this is going. If there are more than you can handle bring them back here to where the catapults are and we will launch them across the wall." The goblin army was ready and wanted to join the fray first, "All of you will be next. I will lead you directly into battle as soon as the first wave of catapults is done." The goblin army stomped their lances on the ground.
Sarah had never imagined Jareth to have had an army of goblins who were intelligent enough to go into battle for she only remembered the silly attempts of those who guarded his castle courtyard on her first trip to the goblin city but he had a need for it once and had kept it up and now she was thankful that Sir Didymus had had the forethought to have them ready, she only hoped that they would be enough.
Sarah mounted Paza and had the gate opened to allow only them exit in single file. She didn't want to give the enemy a full view into the Labyrinth. Sarah looked up at the sky to ensure there were no birds flying up above but she only saw more Labyrinth inhabitants. The bird that sat upon the Wiseman's hat was not the only aerial species native to the Labyrinth and Sarah had struck up an agreement with them. If they kept the sky's clear from enemy spies they would have unrestricted access to the sky above the east and west of the Labyrinth but they were to be the first line of defense in that area, they had agreed wholeheartedly because they would be the only inhabitants in those areas as well along with the junkyard lady's and the small quieter creatures.
Sarah mounted upon Paza traveled no more than a thousand paces to where the enemy was standing. They had Sir Didymus on the ground and he was out cold. Sarah was infuriated, they didn't have to hurt him and Didymus had a bleeding gash on his forehead. Hoggle stepped forward first to retrieve Didymus but was stopped by an arrow. "Are you surrounding Hogshead and who is your new playmate?" Sarah looked at the speaker and almost lost her lunch, while Jareth pale skin and features were of sheer beauty this creature was distorted. His face looked like that of a pig and his right hand was nothing more than a stomp and when he proceeded to like her lips she knew the jig was up, they knew she was a woman or at least she hoped that was what his action signified.
"We are not here to surrender. Hoggle collect Didymus, and you prepare." Paza did not trust to turn his back on the attackers and simply walked backwards towards the gate. Sarah climbed off Paza and climbed the nearest ladder so she could be on top of the Labyrinth wall to signal their attack as soon as they started theirs. She would not be accused of starting this battle. While they had all the proof to the contrary she wasn't going to give them the chance to say that she took advantage somehow when the smoke settled.