A/N: Our story continues...
Sarah whirled around the area in circles, hands shaking. Her heart pounded in her ears and she began to hyperventilate. She felt like she was drowning. Her eyes stung.
"Jareth? Jareth?!" She called in an increasingly hysterical voice. "JARETH, WHERE ARE YOU?!"
She almost screamed when the bushes to her right trembled and an Arctic Fox burst through the leaves.
She fell to her knees as Jareth leapt into her waiting arms and cuddled against her chest. She frantically stroked the fox's white fur as tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Oh, Jareth!" She whispered brokenly, squeezing the Goblin King as if she was afraid he'd disappear again. "Jareth, Jareth, Jareth! Thank God!"
It was like a blanket of peace enveloped her at every pass of her hand across Jareth's soft back. That same feeling from before flooded her senses and suddenly…the night seemed brighter.
Warmer.
She pressed a soft kiss between his ears and gently rocked him back and forth.
"I, too, am pleased to see that you are unharmed, your majesty." Sir Didymus commented with a sweeping bow, beaming at the obvious display of affection between his lord and lady.
The pair didn't seem to notice him.
He cleared his throat.
"Er, my lady? Now that we are certain of his majesty's safety, perhaps we should discuss our next course of action?"
Sarah raised her head and slightly relaxed her hold on the Goblin King. She didn't even blush under the knight's scrutiny.
Somehow, she wasn't the least bit ashamed.
"We've got less than four hours to find a new Oubliette, then reach the Tunnels and find the treasure." Sarah sighed, deciding against telling Sir Didymus about Mya's 'update'.
"Since the Firey Forest is overrun and the closest way to the Stone Quarter is blocked off, I'm hoping you have a suggestion?" She asked cautiously.
"As a matter of fact, I have, my lady." The knight grinned. "On the other side of these woods, is a grove of trees that are actually secret doorways to various parts of the Labyrinth. It would be a marvelous way to save time."
"If we can get to them quick enough." Sarah reminded him, but eagerly stood to her feet. Not like they had any better ideas. "Lead the way."
Sarah chewed her lip anxiously.
The walk around to the other side of the Bog had taken a lot longer than she'd wanted it too. By the time they reached the edge of the place Sir Didymus had spoken of, both she and the knight were exhausted.
The grove was a cluster of several hundred strange trees with trunks as thick as Redwoods though they couldn't be more than a third of the height. Tall ryegrass covered the ground.
"Now we must be patient and thorough, my lady. Not all of these trees are doorways, there are only a few, so the portals can remain hidden. We will have to check every single one as we move through this grove."
"Alright, but, let's take a minute to rest." Sarah sighed, slumping her heavy shoulders. "I'll start on the right side, you'll take the left."
"Capital idea, my lady."
The trio crossed to the nearest tree and no sooner had they plopped down onto the roots and leaned their backs against the wood, when the trunk sunk in and spun around like a revolving door.
With a startled gasp, Sarah jumped up when she saw where the tree taken them. The lopsided cement structure, diminutive furniture and utensils made her mouth run dry.
"Oh my God," she moaned, "we're in the Goblin City!"
She shoved the tree-bark with all her might, but the wall refused to budge an inch.
"What are we gonna do?!" She asked in a panic. "We're right under Mya's nose! If she sees us here, who knows what she'll do to us this time!"
The distant sound of marching, captured the group's immediate attention.
Tiptoeing to the little window, Sarah knelt down and carefully moved the tattered curtain just enough for the whole group to see through.
A battalion of goblin guards were patrolling down the dirt road outside the house. Their faces were blank and a strange milky substance coated their eyes.
"Fie!" Sir Didymus spat. "Curse that wench! Mya has bewitched the goblin army…she is growing stronger."
Sarah crossed the room and fruitlessly pushed on the wall again.
"It's no use," she finally groaned, facing the knight, "if we're gonna get out of here, we have to go through the streets."
She stooped to, once again, gather Jareth into her arms.
"Aye, my lady!" Sir Didymus agreed excitedly, swishing his staff and striding determinedly towards the front door. "To the last I grapple with-mph!"
"Shh!" Sarah hissed, clamping a free hand around the knight's muzzle. "You're not going to grapple with anyone! We have to sneak out of the city without out anyone catching us!"
Sir Didymus twisted and squirmed until he freed his head.
"But, my lady-"
"Promise me you won't fight anyone, Sir Didymus."
"My lady, as a sworn knight and gentle-goblin, it is my duty to-"
"Please, Sir Didymus." Sarah begged, staring desperately into the knight's eyes.
"I know you're a warrior and I know you're not a coward, but we're tired and extremely outnumbered." She bit back a sniffle. "I've already lost Ludo and Hoggle so…just promise you'll be quiet and not fight. Swear it!"
Sir Didymus gazed back at the girl in sorrowful understanding for a long moment before nodding obediently.
"I swear on my life, dear lady, all will be well."
Satisfied, Sarah secured Jareth under her right arm and took Sir Didymus's hand. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she crept to the door and tentatively cracked it open. Seeing that the coast was clear, the group slipped out into the Goblin City.
Sarah ducked behind a barrel, barely avoiding being seen by a guard. The group had been at this for countless minutes. Darting between houses, behind barrels and vending carts, crawling down alleyways and under fences, dodging the brainwashed goblin soldiers.
Thankfully, it hadn't been too difficult. The closest they'd come to being caught had been when Sir Didymus spotted Ambrosias tied to a post, snarling and thrashing like he was rabid. She'd had to gag the knight again and physically restrain him with a bear-hug to keep him from rushing to his 'steed'.
She glanced nervously at Jareth for the thousandth time as she stealthily made her way around the far side of the barrel to the low stone wall beside it where Sir Didymus was waiting for her to catch up.
By now, Jareth was bound to transform any second and the light was sure to attract the attention of the goblins. There was no way they could hide it. Especially if he turned into something big.
She prayed that they were close to an exit. They had nothing but Sir Didymus's sense of smell and familiarity of the Goblin City's layout to rely on for direction.
"My lady," her friend said in a hushed tone once they'd reached the other end of the wall and crouched together behind an outhouse, "look yonder."
Peeking around the building, Sarah saw about twenty armed goblins pacing back and forth between them and a large alcove nestled inside the perimeter wall of the Goblin City.
"That passage is the only inconspicuous way out of this place." The knight informed her.
Sarah eyed the guards nervously.
"How are we going to get past them?"
The knight surreptitiously scanned the alley for something to toss that would make a loud noise. He cursed under his breath when he saw that none of Ludo's stones remained anywhere in the vicinity. He hadn't seen a single one as they were creeping through the city, either. The fairies must have forced the goblins to remove them, or maybe Mya cast a spell to make them vanish.
Frankly, it didn't matter, but it did leave them only one other option.
"I will create a distraction," he declared, "you and his majesty must go on without me."
"What?!" Sarah hissed in shock. "No! We are not leaving here without you!"
"We do not have the luxury of time to discuss the matter." He argued. "If we wait any longer, the king will change form again and alert the guards to our position. There is nothing here we can throw and even if there was, it is highly unlikely that all of them would leave to investigate."
"The only way to be sure, is to give them something living to chase." He emphasized, moving towards the edge of the shed.
"I won't let you!" Sarah growled, grabbing the knight's vest. "I won't lose anyone else! You promised you'd stay with me! You promised Ludo!"
Sir Didymus's eyes twinkled playfully.
"I swore that I all would be well, my lady. And I have every intention of fulfilling that oath, but you must trust me. I will not fight them, as you asked, I will simply lead them away so you can go on. You must complete our mission, my lady. Only you can save the Goblin King. He will protect you forever, dear Sarah. You are precious to him."
Stunned and completely numb, Sarah's grasp gradually loosened enough for him to step away.
"Once they are out of sight," the knight instructed, "run for it and do not look back. As you humans say, God speed, my lady."
Sarah stifled a panicked cry as Sir Didymus casually strolled out from behind the outhouse with as casual an air as if he was on a Sunday stroll.
"Hey, you!" She heard one of the goblins shout. "Halt in the name of Queen Mya!"
"My loyalty, and yours, in the right state of mind," Didymus's voice sneered, "lies with the Labyrinth's true king, Jareth. Queen Mya…is a harlot!"
"SEIZE HIM!" Another goblin voice screamed and the sound of tramping feet followed the order in an instant.
As soon as the sound faded, Sarah poked her head out to see the alcove completely deserted. With a gulp and a silent wish for Sir Didymus's safety, she clutched Jareth tightly and raced to the wall.
Once she rounded the only corner to the right and began sprinting down the long, narrow corridor revealed, Jareth began to glow.
A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews so far! Keep 'em coming, I love hearing your reactions.