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 feigned 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.
Grench had setup her coach by the West exit of the plaza. The goblins and Sarah followed Skrit to the house of the cloth vendor so they could question him about the enchantress. Zurita joined them so she could help them search every nook and cranny for info. Grench sat at the front of her coach and looked as imposing and threatening as she could in order to deter early onlookers.
The Regent was not deterred though and he stood in front of Grench. "I want the dancer to perform for me." Grench huffed and rummaged thru her belongings and pulled out a black glossy box. When she opened it a melody played with a dancer in the middle. The Regent huffed, "Not a toy! Your dancer from last night!" Grench closed her box and crossed her arms, "No. My dancer only dances at night and today will be no exception, not even for you." The Regent was going to have Grench's coach torn apart when a ruckus erupted in the east side of the city. The Regent walked over to the disturbance but vowed to return to continue his conversation with Grench. A couple of the goblins had been dispatched in order to keep the Regent busy until it was time for the festivities to begin.
Sarah had Zurita sprinkle the vendor with sleeping dust that Grench had and they had ransacked his house and found nothing so far, which was the most disturbing piece. The house was bare except for a couple of dishes but there were no stores of food and only a chair in the main room. Everyone left thru the back door and after the festivities they would come back to conduct a thorough interview.
Jareth's desire to reach his destination sooner had been a disaster, their wagon had a broken wheel and it hadn't stopped raining in three days. They had been stuck in a small town waiting for the weather to clear but everyone told him it would be a couple more days before the weather was fine again for travel. Ever since his encounter at the riverbank with that bird he had wanted nothing but thoughts of her banished. Now standing here under a full moon with the rain beating mercilessly against the window pane it only augmented his memory.
Grench told Sarah that she was the third act that night so she prepared her in her longest and thickest shimmering gown to twirl and sway to the music. Grench needed Sarah to dance and shine under the full moon tonight. Her image would reflect upon its surface like a mirror and it would carry it across the night to whoever happened to be under its spell tonight.
Sarah heard the strings of the song Grench had selected. The goblins were playing air instruments and Sir Didymus was playing his string instrument. The goblins were all in heavy long cloaks so people wouldn't recognize them. So far in the days they had traveled they had been fortunate enough to not be seen or to fast to be truly caught when they were causing mischief, it wouldn't do them any good if word reached the enchantress that goblins were on the move and more importantly on her trail.
As the moon shined down upon the show miles away at the inn Jareth also gazed upon it as well and was enthralled by its pale beauty. There she was again the raven haired monster that had caused him all this pain but she appeared to be in pain to. The sorrowful melody that she was dancing to was almost as unbearable as the pain he was feeling.
The enchantress felt her spells being tested and turned to see Jareth staring out the window towards the moon. She quickly went to him and drew the blinds so as to draw his attention away and began to sing to him trying to bring his attention back to her. That's when she heard the melody playing and the mist that always seemed to surround his eyes began to clear. She saw the mirror behind Jareth begin to swirl, no this couldn't happen at a worse time she thought to herself. She needed to something quick and so she played her last card. She looked deep into Jareth's mismatched eyes and began a new song, a chant that carried her strongest spell, a spell of love that would bind him to her. If she lost in this gamble she would take him down with her. Her employer would be quite upset by this turn of events but he would be more cross if she returned empty handed.
She sang louder her melody going from a simple whisper to her a louder chant as she began to dance with Jareth across the room trying to ensure that her spell took hold of him. She chanced a quick look at the mirror and saw that it had coalesced and the song that she had heard in the background had begun to fade. She glanced back to Jareth and looked deep into his eyes and was satisfied that her spell had taken a hold of him. His eyes were clouded over once more and so she led him to the bed and bade him sleep. Jareth didn't need much encouragement he felt exhausted. His mind heavy with sleep he closed his eyes and was lost to the world until daybreak.
As Sarah neared the end of her song she knew that whatever magic Grench was trying to work had partially succeeded. The magic's she was trying to work were more like locator spells but with much subtly involved. They did need to alert their prey that they were being pursued if possible not at all until they had accomplished their goal and were safely on the road back to the Goblin Kingdom. Sarah ended her dance with a flash, a puff of smoke and a disappearing act. All that had witnessed her dance were silent for only a moment and then the applause began. The following act began their performance at the north end of the arena and the crowds turned to see the next act. The Regent left his seat as inconspicuously as he could and made his way to Grench, "I want to see her now." Grench led the Regent to the back of her coach and showed him a tall and slender cabinet with a glass door. Inside lay the dancer asleep with her arms at her side. She looked as though she was sleeping and the Regent couldn't help but open the case. As he touched her he recoiled as if burned, "She's cold. What magic is this?" Grench closed the case that held the dancer and pushed it up onto the coach. "No trick, magic. Dancer made of paper and nothing more." Grench walked to the front of her coach and climbed up to her seat. They had accomplished what they wanted, to find out more of his Highness whereabouts and with tonight's dance and spell they had achieved that. There was no need to go back to the vendor and the sleep induced by the dust wouldn't wear off until the next morning that gave them at least a day and tonight to catch up to where they were going.
Grench started the horses on a slow pace as they excited the festivities but once granted passage through the city's gate she began to quicken their pace and as they were clear from the city's view she turned the reigns over to Sarah. Everything in the coach had been tied down securely to ensure that it didn't topple over as Grench worked a small spell to give the horses the stamina they would need to survive the night. Sarah planned to make good time and she was willing to drive the horses to exhaustion if that was what it took to get to Jareth before another day went by.
The morning started overcast but he rain had stopped the predictions of the inn keeper that it would be three days for it to clear had proved wrong and the enchantress was busy ensuring their coach was ready to go as soon as she lifted the sleeping spell from Jareth. Last nights attempts from his subjects to reach him had failed but the sooner she got him to her employer the sooner she would be at peace. They were still another five sunrises from their destination in a leisure pace and while she wanted to increase the pace of their travel she couldn't risk her spells being compromised once more. As long as the weather held they would travel as long as the daylight allowed and then make camp for the night as the last possible minutes. They could probably travel the remaining distance in three possibly four days and this assignment would be over.
The night had been uneventful for Sarah's troupe and as such they had made great timing. Grench pulled on Sarah's sleeve and pointed to the side of the road towards the sounds of a stream. While Sarah hated to stop she knew everyone needed a break, especially the horses they would be no good to her dead. She slowed them to a gallop and they walked towards the stream to have their fill of water. Immediately Didymus began to unload the horses food and directed the goblins to remove the harnesses from the horses but to keep the ropes wrapped loosely around their necks as they led them towards a small glade and tied them to the tree trunks. They would rest as long as possible before they continued their trek. While they had not risked traveling during the daylight before they would risk it now that they were so close to their quarry. Soon they would be upon the enchantress and at that point she hoped many questions would be answered, especially the who was behind the plan to conquer the Labyrinth.