Chapter 52. Catch 22
A dark cloud was heading furiously toward the tower. Sarah could feel its approach long before she actually saw it. The hair on the nape of her neck was standing, and she knew it was more than the residual effect left by the summons that had just come. Jareth was on the other side of the veil, and she felt strangely lopsided and unhinged for the first time in his absence. It was so close to how she'd felt for so long on the other side. Something she'd not been subject to for months now living in the Underground. The feelings of discomfort and anxiety drove Sarah to begin to pace.
Daisy watched her pace, "You'll wear a path in the stones, Lady Sarah." She warned.
"So be it," muttered the Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan. Something in the air caught Daisy's attention, she sprung into a defensive stance, pulling her sword just before a flash of light hit her and crushed her to the ground. Sarah hissed like a cat and then howled like a banshee at the intruder.
"Still yourself, fool! There is little time and we should not waste it," ordered the Fae woman who found she could not hold up the glamour upon entering the tower. "I come to offer freedom," Circe added in a sinister way; "And your brother's life."
"Toby?" Sarah winced, "Toby?"
Disdainfully Circe advanced on the human girl. "He's in danger, an old danger that was meant for you, Sarah Williams… and only I can help you. Come with me, I'll take you out of this tower and to a place where you can re enter your realm and save the child." She held out her hand to Sarah. "Come quickly, before I am found out! There is no time to waste."
"Toby," Sarah gripped the extended hand without caring about what the consequences were. Daisy, stunned but alive looked on, watching and unable to stop them. "Take me to him," Sarah commanded as if she knew something more about it already.
"Don't you even wish to know what the danger is," challenged the catalyst.
"I know what the danger is," Sarah growled. "Daniels!" She followed Circe out the window and jumped onto the back of the winged beast. "Let's go." Circe laughed as she took the steed away from the tower, away from the castle and toward the windswept hill that stood on the border.
Daisy laid breathing heavily for a moment, and then with every bit of strength in her goblin body, she pulled herself inch by inch across the floor toward the window. "Sarah, no…trap…" she rasped; every fiber in her understood, something was very wrong. The creature that came in the widow looked like Miss Winderspire, but couldn't possibly have been. It has shape shifted, but eyes out of focus Daisy didn't see who it truly was. She only knew she needed to sound the alarm.
--
Della scrubbed herself free of the residual of Talagon. The urgency would not leave her and she shook the sands off before preening and making sure her plumage was fully clean. She wanted to be back on her way to the Goblin King's castle. She had a feeling she was needed.
Swiftly she went to the Matron, "I must return to the Goblin King's castle, something is wrong." She said urgently.
"You know this?" Iris asked not doubting her daughter's words.
"I do," Della turned to the breeze coming in the rookery. "I'm needed."
"Go my daughter," commanded the Matron of the Rook. "Keep our faith with the Goblin King." Della let out a war cry as she ran to the opening spreading her wings.
--
Tanya focused, keeping her mind moving in one direction. Jareth needed her, and she would be strong for him. She needed to warn him, to save him. Slowly the bonds that had been place by a spell upon her shattered and the spell broken. "Little fool am I?" She rose from the ground eyes flashing with fire, "We'll see who the real fool is." Moving quickly she headed back toward the corrals where the winged horses her father bred were kept. She had not expected the carnage that awaited her there. All of the horses in the corral were slain, and her personal mount was missing. The stable hands were unconscious, but still breathing.
Tanya fretted; Circe had butchered the horses with little care for the carnage left behind. The young Fae woman had never seen anything like it, and it filled her with fear. If the daughter of Talagon could slaughter defenseless creatures like this, what else was she capable of? Placing a hand over the mark left by Jareth she decided to take action and damn the consequences. Her father had never allowed her transport herself via a portal, but she felt that this was an emergency and he would understand. She focused, opened a portal to the Goblin Kingdom and stepped thought.
--
Sarah refrained from touching the woman seated with her on the winged horse. Even being this close was painful to Sarah. Circe either unaware or uncaring urged the stolen winged beast on, until she reached the windswept hill outside the Labyrinth. She reigned in the beast that also seemed to wish to escape her presences. Once they'd landed and Sarah had jumped from the winged beasts back, Circe dismounted. She pointed to the place where the dead tree stood. "Here is where we part, Sarah Williams." With a dramatic flick of her wrist she opened a portal. "Your brother is on the other side, save him if you can." She challenged.
"I know you," Sarah's voice was a low rumble. "You're that daughter of Talagon… the one they call Circe."
Simpering and thinking she'd no need to disguise herself the other answered willingly. "Yes, I am, what of it?"
Closing her eyes and absorbing as much of the living being of the Labyrinth as she dared, Sarah growled a threat. "Whatever it is you've done, I shall stop you." Her green eyes opened, afire and filled with power. "I shall save Toby, and when I return."
"You won't be returning," Circe laughed. "Hurry now, before the portal closes."
Sarah glared at her foe. "I shall return." She declared before heading into the portal.
Circe closed the opening between the fabrics of the worlds. She gave little thought to what she thought were useless threats by the mortal. She had bigger fish to fry, and looked at Tanya's winged horse. She tied the beast to the dead tree and left it there, as a clue. Spreading her cloak like wings she vanished from the hillside.
--
Daisy crawled as far across the floor as she could, inching her way toward the opening. With every reserve she had she dug her fingers into the stones of the wall and pulled herself up into the opening. She had hoped the air would revive her, but found that whatever it was that the intruder had hit her with didn't seem to be breaking. She gasped for air as she rested momentarily on the ledge, planning on calling for her griffin. Leaning forward to sound the call, she could not keep her balance and began to topple over the edge and down ward. In mid fall great talons reached out and snatched her from a certain death.
"Hang on Runt," a voice commanded.
Taking a breath, Daisy looked up and faintly smiled. "Don't drop me, Birdie." She wheezed lightly.
Della looked down and frowned, "You look like hell," she shook her head. "I take a few days off and everything goes to hell…"
"Sarah," Daisy said through her pain, "They took Sarah."
"Shit," Della growled. "Where's the King?"
"Away," gasped Daisy still fighting for air. "Need healer… now, birdie…now."
Della winged her way to the turret where the old healer would be.
--
Daniels stood over the boy who'd been delivered to him by agents who now lay dead in the outer chamber of what was left of the asylum. They had found the boy on the playground at his school and had no trouble in maneuvering him away from the crowd. They had drugged him, and transported him to the asylum without problems. Now he lay on a slab, looking lifeless and helpless. Daniels hoped he'd awaken soon, or he'd miss the show.
--
Circe returned to a darkened estate, no signs of any servants or her father, and the smell of death was in the air. She entered the fortress and looked about, "Father," she called out with only her own echo answering. She'd never known such quiet in this house, and it was not something she wanted to become accustomed to. She moved from room to room on the main floor and found not one servant.
Moving down to the dungeon she saw that the harpy had been moved. She knew her father had prepared a cell in a tower room for the beastly creature. 'He must be there,' she thought to herself and hurried to the stairs that would take her to the upper floor. The door of the prepared chamber was off its hinges and smashed up looking more like fire wood than a door. On the floor was a line of blood and gore, and the stench of death was so strong it pushed Circe back. She headed back down to the lower level hurriedly, certain that the blood had belonged to her father and the carnage up there had been of the harpy's making.
Talagon's death was not something that Circe was able to mourn. He had been an albatross about her neck, and his death freed her. But the lack of any servants about was something she found disturbing. Surely they would not just run off, would they? She moved to a part of the house she'd stayed away from, the scullery and the rooms where the servants worked. Here she found the same quiet as in the rest of the house.
"Where did everyone go?" she asked aloud.
"Gone," a voice in a dark corner answered. "All gone to pay homage to the Goblin King."
Circe's eyes scoured the dark corner. "Pay homage to the Goblin King?" she repeated. "Why?"
"He is the new master of this house, and all its contents, furnishings, and people included." The owner of the voice ventured forward, a bent and disfigured figure of a man. He was old and had been one of the servants who her father had kept here in servitude that was more like slavery. "The harpy laid claim to the lands and possessions of our lord in the name of the Goblin King just before she slung your father's dead carcass over her shoulder and flew away."
"She what?" Circe gasped in disbelieve.
"Everything here now is forfeit," the old man cackled. "Everything your father hoarded now belongs to the Goblin he hated so." Old hands, crippled up with knotted joints pulled his ragged garments about him with more dignity than the Lord Talagon had ever shown. "All who could have gone headed toward the lands of the Goblin King to ask for his mercy. I would have gone too, had I not been so ill fit to travel." He looked about the dark and lonely room. "Alas here I wait, until my new lord had need of me."
"You have no new lord," barked Circe. "I am mistress of this house!"
"NO," the bent and broken man disagreed. "You would be mistress here had your father not died at the hands of the harpy. As it is, you have no more status than the rest of us." He cackled again. "Not so high and mighty now are you missy?"
Circe screamed in disbelief and despair. "This can't be."
--
Goblins gathered in the dark places, watching and waiting. They could feel the coming of a powerful force, and awaited it. The boy was sleeping, and seemed to be in no immediate danger. They kept a watchful eye on the man who hovered over the boy. If he got too close they would act, with or without the powerful being on its way.
Sarah found her feet, and landed like a cat, crouched and sniffing the air. A rumble gathered in the back of her throat. The rumble was answered by others, and Sarah knew there were goblins on this side of the fabric. "Come to me," she hissed. Dark forms gathered about her and she looked at them. "Keep watch on the boy, this man is mine." Her eyes glowed in the darkness, no longer looking human. The goblins at her feet all took a collected deep breath and awaited her orders.
--
Ghillie Dhu's face showed real concern. "Had you not been wearing Goblin armor you might not be with us," he informed the Captain of the guards. "The magic used was meant to destroy, not disable." He looked over at the discarded breastplate that he'd removed from Daisy. "You'd best replace that before you do anything else."
Donatien came into the infirmary, robes flying about him as he rushed in. "I was just informed you were here," he said moving to Daisy's side. "Are you alright?"
"Bruised and battered," she answered finding the ribs that had broken were painful when she spoke. "They've taken Sarah," she growled.
"Taken Sarah," Donatien repeated blinking. "Who's taken her, and where?"
"Woman," Daisy breathed. "Dressed like the little Winderspire, but not her."
Della shrugged, "I got here just in time to prevent this one from being a greasy spot at the base of the tower." She frowned. "Where's the King?"
"Summons," The Master of the Guild answered.
"And our lord Baron?" Della looked about expecting the flirtatious man to pop in.
"Under lock and key for his own safety," Daisy supplied; "You've missed a great deal while you were off being held captive." She teased her partner with a pained expression on her goblin face. "The King is baiting traps and it seems some of his chosen rats have taken the bait…"
"One rat won't be taking anymore bait," Della announced proudly. "Talagon is no more."
Donatien snickered behind his fingers. "The King said he'd bitten off more than he could chew by taking a harpy captive."
"I was not the first he'd taken," Della informed the small group present. She looked over at the healer. "He had knowledge of the harpy liking for fresh goat, drugged one and had it tangled in brambles… all I smelt was the blood," she explained. "The bastard tried to stave me into being his trained bird." Ghillie Dhu moved toward the harpy who held a hand up, to halt him. "I prefer not to be your patient."
Ghillie Dhu nodded, "You will seek the healer of your flock?"
"I have seen the healer, when I delivered the fresh meat to the flock," She smiled wickedly. "Best use that windbag was ever put to. I wonder what his daughter will do once she finds I've laid claim to all the lands of the Talagon in the name of the Goblin King…" she mused happily.
The laugh drew a pained cough from Daisy. "Oh that hurts." The healer returned to her side to begin to bandage up her sides to hold them until they could properly heal. "We must alert the king," she sighed.
"On a summons;" Donatien scoffed.
"Daisy is right," Della agreed. "That bastard was part of the plot that took the first Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan. He boasted to me of how they murdered her, as if it were nothing. He boasted of the shame he brought to my flock, and for that alone I was eager to kill him." Her tone was husky as she spoke. "He boasted of how he and others would make sport of the Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan, using her like a common whore… they don't understand the translation, the title does not translate into the Fae tongue the way it does in Goblin."
Sadly Daisy looked at her armor, "I can't wear that, it's too damaged." She looked at the man who in time would be her husband. "I need a new one, could you…."
"Wait here," he answered. "I'll get it myself, and then we should go to the throne room to wait for the King."
"Wait," Daisy said gritting her teeth to the pain. "Double the guards on the Baron and his lady. If I know anything, I know they will be the next targets, under arrest or not."
"As you suggest," Donatien said sweeping out of the room.
Della placed a hand on the arm of her partner, "Ten to one, Circe comes here demanding the King give her back the lands."
Shaking her head, and taking a coin from her purse Daisy simpered. "She'll make a plea to the High King, and play dumb to her father's actions."
"Bet taken," Della produced a coin of her own.
--
Like an avenging angel, Circe moved to head off the servants who were making a mass migration. She stood in their path blocking their movement. "Return to your duties." She ordered with her arms outstretched and electricity dancing off her fingers. "Or suffer the consequences."
"We answer to a new master," challenged one of the lesser servants.
"You'll answer to no one," cried the Fae woman as she struck down the helpless man. "Anyone else wish to challenge me?" Seeing no escape they turned and walked back toward the fortress. Circe looked over her shoulder toward the boundary of her lands. Some of the servants had already made it across the border. She would collect them later, she promised herself. As it was, she needed to herd these fools back and put the fear of her into them. If they thought her father was hard to please, she was going to show them what a real master was. "You'll just have to wait, Goblin King." She growled.
--
Daisy bandaged and braced in a new armor walked with care toward the circular throne room. The true seat of power in the castle, not that showy thing the King used to throw others off his scent. Della walked at her side, her talons making scraping sounds on the stone tiles beneath her clawed feet. Donatien kept pace with them, while keeping an eye on his wife to be. He would not want her to feel he was hovering but he could not take his eyes off her. He knew how close he'd come to losing her. The weapon's mater and leather master were both in the throne room awaiting them, as well as Philo and Lutin. Daisy turned to Philo, "We may have to move the Baron," she said thoughtfully. "Everyone will expect him to be in the dungeon, it may not be safe for him, or the woman."
"We are moving them now," Philo stated.
"Good," Daisy winced, and was helped to a seat beside the throne. "See to it that their location is kept secret." She looked up, the air was changing. "He comes," she announced. All the inhabitants of the chamber could feel the changes in the air. All eyes turned to where Daisy instinctually looked.
Jareth appeared, holding a child that looked battered and broken. Goblins came through the portal with him, they too were battle scared. The King's face was full of anger and frustrations, as he called for the goblins who would take the child to the nursery. "There's no runner," he announced handing over the child to the creatures that would see to its needs. "I'll be down to check in as soon as I have rested." He had not seen Daisy and the others gathered at the foot of his throne. When he turned and saw the gathering one word escaped his lips. "Sarah."
--
Sarah and the goblins that were with her moved seamlessly toward the buildings, one with the shadows. She leaned into the dark shapes of boulders and broken bits of building. "I know this place," she hissed.
"What will you do?" one goblin asked wide eyed.
"What I must," she answered feeling out of place in this realm. "I will save Toby."
"King not going to be happy," another goblin observed.
"I know," Sarah sighed. "But we are between a rock and a hard place. King is on summons, and I'm here… Either I save him, or we lose the boy… and that's not acceptable, never was." She lamented.
"We await your orders," the first goblin at her side said.
"Wait here, until I call for you…" Sarah whispered. "Right now I wish I had the power of glamour…" she huffed. "Oh well, here goes." Sarah motioned the goblin horde back, she smoothed her robes and she moved magnificently toward the opening of the ruins.
"She moves like a…" the goblin was at a loss for words.
"Like a Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan," one offered.
"Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan," the others repeated.
--
Tanya's portal opened and she stepped through, and found that she'd transported to the front gate of the castle. Rushing toward the heavy doors she quickly began to pound on the door. "Alert the King," she cried out. "There's a plot against him!"
Guards opened the gate, dressed in heavy goblin armor and looking fearsome. She entered when the guard motioned for her to, and she followed her escort up to a room she'd never seen, the circular room. There she found Jareth in conference with members of his household. "Jareth," she rushed toward him. "There's a terrible plot against you, and they are trying to make it look like I'm behind it."
The Goblin King caught her easily in his arms. "Calm yourself, Tanya." He commanded her gently. "Tell me what you know."
"I was in our garden," she breathed out. "Circe, the daughter of Talagon appeared out of nowhere and offered me her friendship. I didn't trust her; however I thought it best to find out what she was up to. She said she was in possession of information of danger to the brother of your Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan, that I should use this information to rid myself of her interference. I told her I would do nothing to help her, and that the Tagaan or Rhuukarlaan was your business. I told her I had no intentions of angering you and she then used a spell on me to render me bound and unable to even call out." She began to tear up, "She told me she was going to use my own horse so people here would think it was I who had come here uninvited." Tanya remembered the scene at her father's stables. "She slaughtered all my father's horses… the entire herd and the grooms as well."
Jareth comforted the girl. "You were right to come to me," he assured her. "Daisy you were right, it was not Tanya who injured you and took Sarah."
"You believe me?" the girl sounded reassured.
Nodding Jareth motioned for the girl to be seated on the stair of his throne's dais. "Daisy, I will take over for now," he instructed. "I've goblins watching the boy at all times." He reached out his hand, instantly a crystal formed. "Tonti…" he called. "Tonti…" there was no answer, and the crystal remained dark.