Chapter 28

Sarah's P.O.V

Sarah darted through the trees as fast as she could, tangled roots tripping her as she went. She could sense her pursuer gaining on her with each step.

Up ahead the tress thinned and Sarah could see an empty stretch of land beyond. She picked up speed desperate to put more distance between her and her tormenter.

Without warning the ground opened up beneath her and Sarah went crashing through the undergrowth. With a thump and a cry of pain Sarah landed at the bottom of a pit. Wincing with pain she looked up at the opening she had fallen through a few feet above her.

She could hear foot step approaching, Sarah held her breath in fear, as a hooded figure leaned over the hole to look down at her.

"Letting your dreams run away with you again I see." a familiar sounding voice stated.

Sarah gasped in shock.

"Alana?" She asked hesitantly.

"Who else?" the witch replied, reaching down a hand to help Sarah up.

"You scared me!" Sarah accused.

"It's your dream Sarah, you scared you." Alana told her as she pulled her out of the pit.

"That makes no sense you know." Sarah replied, brushing dirt off herself.

Alana only shrugged,

"It would if you were a Witch." was all Alana said before sitting down on a giant tree root that protruded from the ground. " You look awful by the way."

"You'd look awful too if you'd spent most of the day with the Goblin King." Sarah huffed as she sat down opposite the Witch.

Alana nodded in agreement.

"What has his high and mighty done now?" the Witch asked, picking at the ragged edge of her cloak.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Sarah muttered.

The Witch studded Sarah closely.

"Your worried you might have feelings for him aren't you?" She asked.

"No!...Yes...Maybe. Oh I don't know. Everything is so confusing!"

Alana cocked her head to the side.

"You know," she said, " a problem shared is a problem half-ed."

Sarah was silent a for a few minutes, biting her bottom lip worriedly.

"Jareth took me to the Mystic grove today." Sarah began.

"Ahh, that place, is very beautiful. I haven't seen it in a long while"

"It was," Sarah continued, "I saw a Unicorn." Sarah reached down and picked up a fallen leaf and began twisting absently through fingers.

"That's quite the honor, Unicorn sightings are few and far between. They're very shy and won't appear to just anyone you know." Alana informed her.

Sarah nodded

"I stroked it and my mind went hazy. It was so strange, and I couldn't think clearly and I..." Sarah faltered, her fingers began shedding the leaf mercilessly.

"And you?" Alana pressed.

"I may have kissed him." Sarah whispered.

"Is that it?" Alana asked, sounding almost disappointed.

"Yes." Sarah said, sounding confused.

"By the look on your face I thought you'd slept with him." Alana admitted.

"What!" Sarah gasped astounded, "No he's my enemy, I don't even like him!"

"You don't have to like someone to be attracted to them Sarah. You wouldn't believe how many people who hate each other often end up as bed fellows. You can love and hate someone at the same time you know."

Sarah shook her head.

" How can anyone love someone they hate?"

"I did once." Alana whispered.

"What?" Sarah was shocked, "Who?"

A soft chuckle came from the hood.

"It was a long time ago, back when Witches still lived above ground. I was so young back then. He was human, who lived in a village not far from my home."

"We had grown close over the years, he would regularly come and collect herbs for his Grandmother, who health was ailing. Then he started to visit me almost every other day. He would bring me small gifts he had made, a small bird of curved wood and bracelet he'd bought from a passing trader. In turn I showed him the secrets of my world. We were happy together, but nothing last forever."

"In the south a group had formed, a bad of men who claimed their god had charged them with a Holy order, they must cleanse the world of evil. They traveled throughout the land murdering my people as they went. They called us devil worshipers and spilled our blood without mercy never giving us fair trail or leniency. They even killed humans who had been wrongfully accused. Back then just being accused of being a Witch was a death sentence."

"I new it would not be long before they reached my home, only the strongest of my kind could stand against them, and I knew I didn't have the power nor the training to defend myself. I was frighted, but my love turned to me and insisted that I would be safe, he told me he would travel to these men and talk with them, he would explain to them that Witches were not evil and tell them of all the good my kind had done over the centuries. I trusted him with my whole heart and never doubted him for a moment."

"Months passed and I had no word of him, yet news still came of the men as they traveled closer and closer to my Village, burning and killing as they went. I remember the day as if it was yesterday, a group of men rode into the town square, covered in tarnished armor that glittered in the weak sunlight. A woman rode with them dressed more finely than anyone in the village ever had. Her long golden hair flowed to her waist and you surveyed the crowed before her with disdain"

"I knew who they were instantly, they had haunted my nightmares for months. But what happened next caused me more pain than any torture at their hands ever could. The leader of the men took of his helm and reveled his face. It was the man I loved. At first I thought their must be some kind of mistake. But as I listened to him tell the crowed how he had traveled to these men, spoken with them and been enlightened my their wisdom and purity. He'd been offered land and wealth if he joined their holy crusade against my kind. He'd even married one of the leaders daughter to show his loyalty to them. He motioned to the woman who had accompanied them."

"My heart shattered into a thousand pieces and I screamed. I demanded to know how he could have betrayed me? How he could have turned away from the woman he loved? His face had turned white from shock and fear, he hadn't expected me to be there. The woman, his wife, rode up next to him and glared at me with pure hatred and jealousy in her eyes. She demanded that to show his love for her that he kill me instantly."

"Part of me hoped that he would refuse, that he would tell the woman, that he lover me and not her. But he didn't, he drew his sword and pointed at me. Something broke in me then, power flooded my veins and rage filled my heart."

"As he and his men advanced towards me, blades drawn, I conjured up a great storm. The woman's horse bolted in fright carrying her off. I summoned bolts of lightning down from the sky. His companions where struck and killed instantly but my love was thrown backwards."

"I slowly advanced towards him, he was struggling to get up due to the heavy armor he wore. I stopped as I stood over, conjured fire to my hand, I planned to burn him alive in his battered metal suit, that he had worn as he murdered my people. But as I looked down at him I didn't see the man he had become I saw all the wonderful times we'd had together, us laughing and talking, him holding me and telling me he loved me. I hated him for betraying wanted to kill him for it, but, I couldn't, a small part of me still loved him and refused to let me do it."

"Instead I cursed him, he had broken my heart and stolen my happiness so in return I cursed that he would never know true love or happiness in his new life."

"What happened next?" Sarah asked quietly, wiping away a few tears.

"I never saw him again," Alana shrugged, " Shortly after that we fled down here."

"That's a sad story, didn't you ever fall in love again?" Sarah asked

"I had a few trysts with some Fae warriors over the centuries, but they're too manipulative and selfish to form a lasting attraction with."

"Do you think I could fall in love with Jareth?" Sarah queried

"This is the underground, anything is possible." Alana said.

"Do you think I will fall in love with him?" Sarah pressed.

"Not unless you lose your sanity, didn't you hear me say Fae's were manipulative and selfish? Sure they're handsome and can be charming but trust me Sarah, when it comes to Fae & Human relationships only the Fae get a happily ever after."

"So what should I do?" Sarah demanded.

"It was just a kiss Sarah, it doesn't mean anything unless you let it. Stick to the plan, find an item that was made with Jareth's magic, I'll use it to open a portal and use the remnants of the magic to form a protection spell that will prevent Jareth from coming after you."

"But that's just it I can't find anything. I've been searching for that peach for days, the junk fields are filled with all kind of things, it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack!"

"Why would you want to find a needle in a haystack?" Alana queried.

"Alana! I need help, I've even got Goblins looking and still nothing. I don't know what else to try."

"Hmm perhaps your just not wishing hard enough to find it?" Alana suggested.

" Whats that superposed to mean?" Sarah demanded.

"A clue, you are the champion of the Labyrinth, it should be easy enough to work out."

"A clue? Why can't you just tell me?"

"Because the worthwhile things in life are the things you work for and I'm tired, after rescuing you friends today and fending off nightmares I'm struggling to stay in your mind."

Sarah heart leaped.

" You found them? Are they ok?" Sarah fired the questions at the witch.

"They're fine Sarah, a little shaken but nothing time won't cure. You friend Hoggle isn't very trusting of me...he was convinced I was some trick of the Goblin King."

Sarah smiled.

"It takes him time to warm up to people." Sarah told her. " How did you find them so quickly?"

"I acquired a rare item, known as a pointer, it will lead you to anything you wish to find."

"Wish I had one." Sarah grumbled.

"Don't worry Sarah, I'm sure you'll find the peach." Allana told her.

Sarah smiled weakly then frowned as something Allana had said registered.

"What do you mean 'acquired' " She wanted to know.

The witch shifted uneasily.

"I may have borrowed it with out permission." she admitted.

"You what?" Sarah sputtered.

"In my defense she stole it first so my stealing it really isn't so bad." Allana insisted.

"Who did you steal it from?" Sarah wanted to know.

"A witch."Allana shrugged.

"Will she come after you?" Sarah asked.

"Not till she figures out the one I left in it's place is a fake, which could be a decade or two, Sophri prefers to preserve magic items than use them."

Sarah took a deep breath, she dearly hoped this wouldn't back fire on them.

Allana's form began to flicker like a light bulb on the blink.

"Whats going on?" She asked.

"My strength is waning, I can't stay much longer." Allana informed her.

"Will you tell my friends I miss them?" Sarah requested.

"Of course." Allana said.

"And you won't tell them I kissed Jareth will you?"

A low chuckle came from the hood

"My lips are sealed." the Witch replied.

"Good." Sarah said leaning back against the trunk of the tree she sat beneath and closed her eyes.

"One more thing Sarah," Sarah's' eyes snapped back open and fixed on the slowly fading from, " I told you that the Fae were manipulative, Jareth will stop at nothing to try and get you to fall in love with him. You should be on your guard."

With that Allana vanished.

"Don't worry," Sarah whispered, "I will be."