The Truths That Tie.
Chapter 4
Back Underground.
Several voices awoke Sarah from a groggy slumber. One was easily identified as Toby's, but the other two were foreign to her. She let a sigh out and could feel the aches in her body finally registering. Her entire being was sore and stiff, sending shooting pains along her limbs. Yet even without moving much, she felt the soft, heavy blanket draped over her. As well as the plush pillowed behind her head. Curiosity overriding her fear of moving took hold and she opened her eyes to view her surroundings.
A green and gold Victorian styled room was set before her. Thick carpets covered a smooth stone floor, an enormous fireplace blazed cheerfully on the far wall and a entire wall shelved with books. It was full furnished and had several doors leading off to somewhere. Her eyes trailed up to the ceiling, which proved to be nothing but glass, giving her a beautiful sky to see.
"Sarah, you're awake!" Tobys voice pulled her attention away. She mattress shifted lightly as Toby sat down. "How are you feeling?"
"Im…"Sarah mumbled, and looked past Toby at the two other people staring at her, if you could call then people. Toby caught her glaze, and placed his hand over hers.
"Sis listen, I had to. This was the only way to get you out of there. I didn't have a choice, and when he realized we were here…" Toby just shrugged, looking at her with a slightly shameful face.
Sarah tried to piece together everything Toby was telling her. She flipped threw everything she could remember, but fleeing from the hospital was a fuzzy blur, and then there was nothing but darkness before waking up here. Her mind went back to the little man that had entered her room first, like a light switch, it clicked.
"Hoggle," Sarah murmured. "Hoggle came to rescue me?" Sarah asked.
"That's what I was hoping for," one of the other people staring at her spoke up and stepped forward. "I've had you on a healing exlier for several days now, I was hoping it would un-fog your mind enough by now." The man leaned forward as if checking her face over, but Sarah reflexively leaned away from him. "Oh forgive my manners, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Zilo, head healer and sorcerer of His Majesty's court. I've been taking care of you for the past few days."
This man had long white hair that was sleeked back away from his face. Alabaster skin set off his unearthly red eyes. His pale grey robe added no to contrast to his appearance. Stepping up next to him came a younger girl, maybe Toby's age that was a spitting image of Zilo. Only her long white hair had several elaborate braids running threw it.
"I think I did a god amount of helping too Zilo," the girls musical voice chipped in. Zilo gave her a stern look, possibly for her butting into his conversation.
"As well as Reiko," Zilo slightly narrowed his eyes at her and spoke slowly. Reiko seemed to shrink back a tiny bit.
"Hoggle and the others, they all came to help," Toby took her attention back. "I went into your room. Mom had a lot of your things up there, including that mirror. I thought she had gotten rid of it. Any way, we had to get a new roof put on the house, so we had to move everything out of the attic, and your mirror got put back in room. So, I called for Hoggle." Toby shrugged again.
"So that means we're back in the Underground," Sarah stated.
Zilo and Reiko looked back at her with half smiles, and Toby just stared. Sarah looked around the grand room once more. She couldn't figure out where she was. This looked nothing like the goblin city she had seen before.
"So, where is this?"
"We're at the castle at the center of the Labyrinth," her brother answered her.
"I see," she scanned the room a third time, expecting to see The Goblin King appear from nowhere, but only the four where there.
Toby explained that Jareth had brought them to the castle several days ago, and how they had been hard at work healing Sarah. Zilo had been taking good care of her, along with his younger sister, Reiko. She played more of the lady in waiting, as Zilo did the healing. Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus had come by everyday to see if she had woken. Jareth had apparently not been seen since they day she was brought here by anyone other then Zilo.
"His Majesty does tend to stay busy, please don't take offence," Zilo defending his King. Sarah assumed Zilo was a very loyal person to The Goblin King. "As it were, I have several things I need to be getting to as well. Feel free to do as you wish, but do not over exert yourself."
Afterwards, Zilo bowed from the waist and exited the room, leaving her with Toby and Reiko. As soon as the door clicked closed, Reiko seemed to sigh out a breath of relief.
"Don't mind my brother too much, he's very formal," Reiko waved her hand in the general direction of the door. "Are you hungry or thirsty? Can I get you anything?"
"No I'm alright, really," Sarah answered as she sat up. She noted she was dressed in a pale lavender nightdress. Her hair and been washed and combed and her skin felt clean.
"Like I said, we took care of you," Reiko smiled sweetly at Sarah and tucked her feet up on the couch she was sitting on.
And she was taken care of over the next few weeks. She rarely had a moment alone, between Zilo checking in on her, Reiko running in and out all day, and Toby always hovering. It was nice to have the company though, she had felt alone for far too long. So when she did get that few moments alone, it always caused an array of emotions. Right before falling asleep at night was always the hardest. Yet during these few weeks, her friends came to visit whenever they could and she had gotten to explore much of the ever changing castle., once her legs were back up to pace. The Goblin King however, hadn't made a single appearance. Sarah had sworn she had caught a glimpse of him a time or two turning a corner in the hall, but when she turned the same corner, he was nowhere to be found.
The shifting rooms didn't help the situation much either. She always ended up in the place she had the intention of going to, but it never seemed like the same way. Reiko had explained this to Toby and Sarah shortly after they had arrived.
"The castle really does seem to have a mind of its own. The kitchen today could be the broom closet by morning, the spell is made to confuse people," Reiko glazed the wall with her hand as her, Sarah and Toby were making their way back to Sarah's room. "But as long a no ill will is intended, it leads you where you need to be…most of the time."
Sarah laughed at Reiko's remark. She had taken a quick fondness to her instantly, and she never appeared far behind Toby. Even if they constantly nit-picked at one another.
Sarah bid them both goodnight as she was left to her own room. She quickly bathed and changed into a night robe. Settling down, she let herself fall asleep quickly.
No sooner had her breathing slow then a sudden light breeze flow threw the room. The soft burning embers of the fireplace aided in casting the shadow of a man across Sarah's bed. The thick fur rugs muffled his boots as he approached the side of her bed. A leather gloved hand pushed a damp lock of hair out of her face.
"What am I to do with you now, precious?"
Thanks for waiting everyone! I had this chapter plus about 4 more written up. When I went back over them, I saw the story not moving how I wanted it to so, I trashed it all. XP. I know this one is pretty uneventful, BUT I had to get a few of these things out of the way so the good stuff can begin!