~Chapter 3: I'll go wherever you will go~
"Ok, fess' up buster." Sarah tried to sound a little threatening and domineering, but Jareth' smile made her look away, trying to compose herself as it seemed to turn her into a giddy schoolgirl.
"Oh, do I detect an attitude Sarah?" He stopped and looked on at the wall in front of them, feeling his hand against one of the bricks, as if searching for something.
"Can you really blame me, oh great and powerful king?" Sarah noted the differences in the small 'garden' where she had first met Hoggle, on her first visit here. Now, no flowers grew and there weren't even any pesky fairies hovering in the air to bite her.
It seemed so...dead.
She shuddered at the usage of that word and turned back to Jareth, whose arms were spread out along the wall, whispering words Sarah could just barely hear, but not understand for the life of her.
Suddenly, the entrance to the Labyrinth creaked open as it did before, though Sarah was a little worried at how it had taken Jareth what seemed a spell and much of his energy -judging by his exasperated expression- when it had taken Hoggle only to point at it.
"Magic has changed Sarah," Jareth regained his composure and gestured for her, "ladies first. And I promise, I shall explain."
Taking his word for it, she stepped in, for the second time and found herself in the long stretch either side.
"Now I know if we go either way it won't matter, but," she hovered around, waiting for Jareth to shut the entrance behind them, "where is the closest...you know...'secret passage'?"
Jareth smiled at her and tapped one leather clad finger on the tip of her nose, amused when she did not swipe at his hand, but still crinkled her nose in annoyance at him.
"My dear, they were never secret passages," he began to walk off in the same direction she had taken before, "they were always in plain sight, for those that looked properly."
Sarah groaned and cast her eyes upwards.
"Please tell me I won't have to put up with cryptic Curtis all the way here?" She ignored Jareth' chuckle and decided to distract him again, "so come on, spill."
"Magic word?" Jareth did not stop, nor did he turn to address her, but Sarah could tell he was smiling, even if her eyes were not on his head.
'Eyes. Up. Now, young lady.'
"Jareth, you promised." She hoped that was her best warning tone. Even if it wasn't, it seemed to work anyway, with Jareth sighing and slowing down his pace so Sarah could walk beside him steadily.
"My dear, there are certain rules that need to be explained to you right now," Jareth looked ahead, his cool expression gazing at the eternal stretch before them, "before I tell you why we are on this quest, the first thing you need to know is that the rules have changed. We cannot take the secret passages."
"What?" Sarah placed her hand on his arm to stop him and turn him to look at her, "Why? What did you do?"
Jareth looked affronted.
"Why do you think it is something I have done?!" His voice cracked slightly at the way she accused him.
Sarah tried not to laugh, but she still cracked a brief grin.
"Look," she removed her hand and stepped away from him, "you blamed me for 'opening the door' or whatever it was, I have every right to blame you for something you have not told me about."
Jareth went to speak but seemed to catch himself as his eyes narrowed at her. He relented and signed.
"Touché, well played Sarah." He didn't really mean it, he just preferred not to get into an argument right now. And she and he both knew, that they'd have something major to talk about later, but she'd be damned if they done it just as their journey began.
"Very well," Jareth continued walking again, picking up where he last was, "we cannot take the passages for some simple reasons. One; that would obviously be cheating."
"Obviously." Sarah was slightly amused, but smiled when she had to stop over a large log and Jareth' hand came out to offer her assistance.
"Number two; every place you had previously visited within this place has been infected. It is strange, it is as if...if the infection is linked to you in such a way, in knows where you have been. My magic protected everywhere else, but the heaviest spread is where you and your little friends travelled."
"Infection?" Sarah was getting worried now. Had there been a deadly outbreak? Was it linked to her?
'But how could such a place get sick?'
"This disease, illness, infection, whatever you may call it," he turned to her again and carefully manoeuvred her away from a peace of wood she had been about to step on, "is something we had long ago. Something we have not seen for centuries and it was securely locked away. Or so we thought."
"But can't you destroy it?"
Jareth sighed and seemed to stiffen, his shoulders slumping ever so slightly.
"I have tried, but as of yet, my magic does not work upon it."
Sarah did not feel the need to jibe at him. This was a serious situation. And every moment wasted with bickering instead of getting along was going to cause trouble for everyone, not just her friends, but the Labyrinth itself.
"Ok...why EXACTLY are we taking this way again though?" Sarah still didn't understand why they were retracing her exact steps, "we can just go through one of the little nooks and onto the same path, surely?"
"Because the passageway you took is in front of the home of a good friend of ours," Jareth winked at her and flashed her a fang, "and he has a message for us."
"Yer' Majesty!" A familiar voice squeaked up from a corner after a short while and Sarah glanced down immediately to find the small creature sitting upon the same wall she had seen it on all those years ago, "I'm so 'appy to see yer' safe return! And why, isn't it the little Miss! Finally come back for the cuppa' tea?"
Sarah, neglecting any formalities Jareth and the worm had, immediately stooped down to become level with him and smiled politely.
"Hello Mr. Worm," she placed her hand along the wall next to him, steadying herself as she balanced on her feet, "it's been a long time."
"Ye', that it 'as miss, that it 'as. Have you come to help us, Miss?" Mr. Worm had definitely changed and the years had not been as kind to him. His blue hair was a little longer, but now, no longer a deep blue like the sky, but lightened to a pale blue, with streaks off white. And the closer Sarah looked, the more the little details of old age where beginning to creep up on him.
"I've come to help, yes." She carefully put out her hand and placed her index finger against his back, hoping that he wouldn't be offended if it was taken as a term of pity. Mr. Worm looked very pleased, and his large eyes sparkled at her with something that made her just wish they were the same size, so she could give him a hug.
She felt Jareth' form close against hers as he knelt just behind her and he pressed his hand against her back to steady her as she pulled back to allow him to speak.
She was pleasantly surprised when he didn't move as if to let her up, but merely, allowed her to lean against him as he spoke to the worm.
"Old friend, what news do you bring me? Has their been any change?"
Mr. Worm nodded briskly.
"Yer' majesty, great news from the front. Sir Didymus himself sent one of yer' goblins to tell me and everything!"
"Didymus?! Is he ok then?" Sarah stiffened against Jareth, but the calming hand at her back began to rub circles against her spine, soothing her in an affectionate caress.
"Everything will be explained soon Sarah," Jareth switched his attention back to the worm, "On you go dear friend, relay the message for us."
"The hen is in the nest."
Sarah, who had been slightly leaning against Jareth for support, suddenly found her balance thrown off when he pulled away from her.
"Then the plan is in action! Well done sir," Jareth gripped Sarah' shoulders and hoisted her to her feet, bowing his head to Mr. Worm, "return home and tell your wife that we shall indeed pop by for some tea, much later of course."
"Certainly yer' majesty," he bowed his head in return and gave Sarah a wink, "it was a pleasure seeing you again miss."
"And you old friend," quickly shrugging out of Jareth' grip, she stooped back down and planted a soft kiss, on the tuft of his top hair, "tell your wife I'm looking forward to that cup of tea."
Allowing Jareth to guide them, she easily found herself facing the same wall and turning to the path that led them deeper inside the Labyrinth.
"Jareth, what did he mean by, 'the hen was in the nest'? Cryptic clues again?"
"Nonsense my dear," Jareth' smile made her insides do that flipping thing again and she had to distance herself from him, lest she be sorry, "A clever thought out code for our regiment surrounding the castle. The only inhabitants now are the skilled goblins and hens my dear."
"What? Like the actual hens we encountered before?" Sarah seemed like this conversation could not get any more perplex.
"The same ones my dear. Some of my best spies are hens."
"Right." Then again, she could be proved wrong.
"Oh hush now," he winked at her, "I can hear the cogs going in your mind. Surely hens that spy aren't the most surprising element within my little Labyrinth?"
"Oh, I don't know," Sarah put her hands around her, sensing a chill in the air, "I'm sure you can pull some more surprises out of those extravagant sleeves of yours."
The walls around them echoed with Jareth' laughter and Sarah felt another chill run through her, though not from the cold.
'So far so good.'
As they walked on in mutual silence, Sarah observed the walls and the large, gaping holes where walls once stood.
Literally, gaping craters, enough to easily jump into, where littered from large to small around their path and Sarah began to slow her pace down, noticing that Jareth observed her.
"Is it safe?" She gulped down and tentatively walked alongside him
"Only if you steer clear of it," Jareth reached out and looped his strong arm around her waist, "Is my company really so bad that you'd consider jumping into the oubliette' beneath to escape?"
Sarah relaxed slightly and found her hands coming up to rest against his shoulders, testing the now familiar feeling of him close to her.
"You're not as bad as you think you may be, Goblin King," Sarah pursed her lips together thoughtfully, "in fact, though it pains me to admit it, you're quite good company."
Although it wasn't purposeful, she cast her glance downwards and then, back to him, giving her the 'battering' effect, which Jareth couldn't help but chuckle at.
As his head drew closer down to hers, Sarah felt her heart and stomach flutter and the earth shift around her.
In fact, when she placed her weight from one foot to the other, she felt something crumble beneath her and she jolted back in horror when, in another second, she found the ground gone from beneath her.
Everything seemed to move so quickly, yet she could see it clearly as if looking at it from another' eyes.
The ground beneath her gave way and she began to descend. But Jareth' grip on her was too quick, and though the earth gave way underneath him, he did not let her go.
Wherever Sarah was falling, Jareth wasn't letting go. She pressed her face against his chest as he held her tight, and willed herself not to faint as the air whooshed passed both of them and the earth, consumed them into the depths of the Labyrinth.
