"Sarah?", Hoggle walked cautiously into the throne room. Since Sarah had returned from the Southern lands she had retreated into the throne room and had asked all those with any knowledge of the surrounding lands to come in and educate her of what they knew. Fact or rumor it did not matter she was trying to form a plan and a map of the lands surrounding the Labyrinth. Jareth had spent a large portion of his reign insulated and that was costing her now. She did not want to leave the Labyrinth with so much as a hint of what or who was out there waiting to aid or hinder her mission to bring Jareth back to where he belonged. Hoggle took a seat against the wall and watched as Sarah dismissed the last of the day's visitors.
Sarah went to sit on the throne and covered her eyes with her hands and rubbed her eyes, "Hoggle, tomorrow I want to start talking with everyone who met with the enchantress. No matter how insignificant the contact I want to talk to them." Hoggle nodded and moved towards the throne room entrance to wave the servers in. Hoggle had been taking care of Sarah for the last three days since her return from the Southern lands. Making sure she rested and ate at regular intervals. It would do no one any good if she fell ill even before her journey began. So far no one else had attempted an assault on the Labyrinth and all those who lived with in the walls were even more vigilante of their surroundings ensuring that it stayed that way.
Sarah spent her days planning, organizing and all around ensuring that the mission she was going to launch was a success she spent her nights sleeping as close to the pool she had commissioned at the center of the throne room in order to look for Jareth. Tonight would be no different, "Hoggle, I've been searching for him by using my feelings and sometimes…sometimes I get glimpses of him but when he turns to look at me his stare is cold as ice. I think he hates me." Hoggle crossed his arms and scratched his chin, he was at a loss of words to help her thru this.
"Sarah yous shouldn't thinks that, he's…", Hoggle stopped talking when Sarah's whimpers began. Tears began to follow her whimpers as she stood and walked away from him to her make shift bed, "He hates me and I don't know really know why it hurts so much but it does." Sarah fell asleep and Hoggle stood and covered her up with her blankets. He went around the room and began to clear the mess and getting it organized he had a feeling that Sarah just as much as Jareth were going to need a lot of support.
It was exactly six sunsets from her return from the Southern lands and Sarah and her companions were finally leaving the Labyrinth walls. Her and her companions would travel by night only and hide during the day. Sarah was bringing Grench (The Garbage Lady), Sir Didymus, Zurita (Marita's twin), ever faithful Skrit and Frin and Freq (Fire Gang twins of Frim and Frep); along with a small troupe of goblins and a dozen and half of the best soldier goblins. The plan was simple sleep, rest and plan during the day deep in the wild in order to avoid detection but travel at night in order to avoid being seen as well. They would stop at certain cities in order to perform a show that included dance, acting, juggling, and anything else they could think of while the little goblins led by Skrit would mingle with the crowd to listen to their story's as they planted their own questions about the enchantress that may have passed thru recently.
The first night of travel Sarah, Grench and Sir Didymus took the reins of the stallions (not the Fire Stallions for they all now lived past the Southern lands and Paza was staying behind to be another level head along with Hoggle); and began a slow pace towards the West. Towards the East was a large expanse of water Sarah called an ocean for lack of information concerning what lay beyond it. The best educated guess was that the enchantress traveled east following the river since she had taken very little supplies with her. The castle workers had told her that they had tried to pack breads, fruits and dried meats for the journey but she ordered only minimum supplies so Sarah, Hoggle and Paza had deduced that she would supplement the king's diet with hunting and fishing from along the river banks. The first night they traveled along the river, while it had been months since the king's departure they hoped to find something out of place in their travel to signal that they were on the right track. Soon dawn was upon them and Sarah guided the stallions deep into the brush. Grench and Sir Didymus slept in the caravan after the supplies and the rest of the travelers had emptied out. Sarah stayed up a little longer by ensuring that everyone knew their roles. Skrit and a couple of the soldier goblins along with Zurita would travel further down the river on foot and scout the area for any signs of their king; they were to set-up a small camp and wait to be picked up by Sarah.
The first three nights and dawns went this way. Travel in the shadows of night but always keeping an ear and eye out for anything that might signal they were in the right track and Skrit scouting party during the day to search for any signs. It was on their fourth sunset after they had picked up Skrit and his scouting party that they came across the out skirts of a small city that seemed bustling with much activity for such a dark evening. Sarah climbed into the back of the caravan to don her costume and sat hidden in her cloak behind Grench. Grench knew what she and Didymus had to do and so he began to play his miniature violin. As Grench guided the caravan into the heart of the city she smiled and greeted those who looked up to the caravan, "Hello! Hello!" Grench guided the caravan to an empty spot between a cloth seller and a pot seller. She stepped down and approached the pot seller but kept a close watch on the silk merchant. "Hello! Hello! Why the festivities?" The pot merchant regarded her and seemed to weigh his options of answering the mingy woman or not, "It is the night before a new moon and we come to celebrate the end of the dark and the upcoming evening illumination. Tomorrow the Regent will host a party in the town square and there will be food and drink for everyone but tonight we work." Grench nodded her understanding and waved goodbye to the merchant; she stepped up and into her caravan to inform Sarah of what she had just heard and to decide what they were going to do, stay or go after the party." Sarah weighed her options and thought it best to stay one more night because with the square full of people wine would surely be flowing and full bellies make loose lips.
Sarah whispered her plan to Didymus and he hoped out of the caravan and woke up Frin and Freq for their first performance. Didymus, Frin and Freq started with a merry song about a maiden so fair and pure but with one problem she couldn't juggle and that's when they Frin and Freq began to juggle their heads along with the fruit Didymus had in his hands. People stopped and stared and once they got over their initial shock began to clap along with Didymus at the antics of Frin and Freq. After they juggled their heads back in place they bowed and hoped into the van and that is when everyone got their first glimpse of Grench, "Welcome! Welcome! To my little show! Now don't be shy the kiddies do need to eat and any trinket or coin will do." Grench held out a bag and some of the on lookers came forward and deposited what sounded like coins to her into the bag. "My next show is quite simple a dancer." Grench stepped out of the caravan and used her staff to move the people back, "Give the dancer some room." Didymus began to play his flute and Zurita flew out of the caravan and began to circle the open area Grench had opened. Frin and Frek came out and started running in circles as well and as such a small glowing ring of fire began to glow. The on lookers were mesmerized by the shimmering wings of Zurita and how the flames seemed so delicate. They were all shaken when from the caravan a large ball launched it self and landed in the middle of the ring extinguishing the lights. Frin, Freq and Zurita along with the spectators all stared at the cloaked figure.
Sarah waited until she heard the pitter patter of Skrit and his brethren scatter amongst the crowd before she stood to begin her routine. She had Didymus listen to some of her music before they had left the castle and had him learn five different songs. Tonight they were playing the simplest one so that the crowd would be interested enough to invite Grench to stay tomorrow for the banquet. As she swirled and danced to the tune Didymus played his flute she saw the crowd parting to the caravan's right and someone dressed in fine clothes stood at the front of the crowd. As Sarah's routine came to an end she descended to a crouched position and Grench moved in front of her to hide her from everyone's eyes. At this Skrit and his brethren began to clap and whistle and the crowd followed to mesmerize by the performance to notice the shadows that left them and gathered behind the caravan.
"Come come trinket or coin for the dancer they don't live off air only you know." Grench began to walk in front of the on lookers again holding out her bag as they began to deposit items into it. "Show all done. Goodbye. Goodbye." Sarah still sat in the same position where Grench had left her and was the first to notice the fine boots that stood in front of her. Grench had seen the man but ignored him as part of the plan. "Dancer. Dancer!" The Regent had seen the end of Sarah's performance and wished to have it repeated but the dancer was ignoring him, did the dancer not know who he was. He moved to grab the dancer when Grench came to stand next to him, "Nobody touches the dancer because if they touch the dancer they break the dancer." The Regent scoffed at Grench and went to grab Sarah but all he grasped was an empty cloak. The Regent whirled on Grench, "Nobody touches the Dancer. Only look at the Dancer but never touch." Grench moved to climb her caravan, "Old hag you will bring the dancer tomorrow to the festivities and she will entertain us." Grench nodded and gave the reins a small tap to lead the caravan out of the city so they could camp out in the wild for the rest of the night.
Sarah remained hidden under a pile of blankets and goblin bodies in the depths of the caravan so no one could see her. When they were a safe distance from the city she had Grench set-up camp so they could discuss what they had learned and plan for tomorrow. Skrit and his brethren told Sarah what they had learned from the cloth seller. His cloths were the same ones that the enchantress had used upon her visit so it was possible that she had come by this way or he was a close acquaintance of hers. They had also learned that because of the festivities the town would sleep for most of the day to prepare to be awake for most of the night. They would find the seller tomorrow and find out what he knew of the enchantress.