It's strangely easy to get attached to strangers sometimes. Sarah supposed, everyone was a stranger at some point, but she hadn't been ready to part ways with Alana just yet.
Standing on the doorstep to the house she'd briefly stayed in, looking at the petite strawberry blonde it felt like she was saying goodbye to her family all over again. For the past few days Alana had been keen on spending time together. They had gone riding on horseback, spent evenings talking and Sarah had even given a few cooking lessons. Though admittedly a bit uptight a lot of the time, after a good meal and a drink or two, they could talk together about anything. They could talk about all the classic girl things like make-up, fashion and beauty routines. But they'd also talked about Sarah's experience with machinery and technology, which Alana found endlessly fascinating. Alana had even been reading along while Sarah was writing a letter to her family, going as far as offering to personally deliver it, an offer that Jareth swiftly refused as it was much easier for him to simply send it there.
Looking into those big dark brown eyes Sarah smiled fondly and moved to give her a firm hug. Alana hugged her back. "Be safe and courageous, Sarah. May your aim and your heart strike true."
"We'll speak again soon, Lana. I miss you already."
After pressing an affectionate kiss to Sarah's cheek she turned to Jareth. "Uuma scrios mani utae cael autien yasen llea gra er," Alana's tone had taken on a more playful note, that's all Sarah could tell.
Jareth conjured a small feather and blew it into her face, a mild agitation tightening his jaw. Alana spluttered and he turned to the brunette. "Allae'm autien. Are you ready to go, Sarah?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," Sarah said with a smile.
"Then let's go. We have long days ahead of us." He helped the brunette mount her horse after which she looked back one more time. The pale lady waved enthusiastically, her hair bouncing on her shoulders when she rose to the tips of her toes, bracing one hand on the doorframe. Once Jareth mounted they spurred their horses and made their way through the town to meet with the troops waiting for them in the grasslands. With a deep breath, Sarah steeled herself for the upcoming adventure.
—-
Being on the road in a land full of magic was thrilling. It was the first time roaming around without a direct threat hanging over her head. Whether it was her trip through the Labyrinth, her rather involuntary way of being thrust back into this world not even that long ago or their evacuation of the camp shortly after reuniting with Jareth.
She was happy to grab each and every opportunity to look around and spot wildlife. Most of the Regiment were rather businesslike, remaining silent and civil and not at all indulgent of her curiosities. Jareth wasn't disinterested, but he had business to attend to, leaving Sarah to lavish all questions and attention on Girvin, who was still stationed as her personal guard.
The two of them rode near the head of the group, just out of earshot from Jareth. Girvin was happily pointing out passing creatures whenever he spotted them. Even as a child the soldier considered himself an animal lover.
"Do you have mosquitos here?" So far, Sarah hadn't noticed any.
"Mosquitos? I think not, what are they?"
The woman shivered, thinking back to the high pitched buzzing from the little nuisances. "They make this horrible high pitched buzzing. When I went camping with my family there would be dozens around our tents. They sting you, which leaves a nasty and itchy bump."
"Dear Gods," Girvin looked at her with horror. "How big are they?"
Sarah giggled. "Oh, don't worry. They're tiny, like half an inch or so." She dismissively waved her hand. "They drink your blood too."
"Ah, yes! We call those fairies."
Thinking back to the start of her journey through the Labyrinth her head whipped back towards him. "They drink blood?" Instinctively she looked down at her finger, where she was bit years ago.
"Oh yes, gallons if you let them."
Sarah turned pale.
"Girvin, stop filling that poor girl's head with terrors and falsehoods or you'll be put on rations," Jareth sighed, surprising both of them that he had been listening in.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Girvin stated obediently, after which he looked at Sarah with a sly grin.
The woman had always been rather easily affected by playfulness, Girvin's gaiety was no different. "Oh, you sneaky... Don't make me bestow some sort of capital punishment on you, Girvin. I'll have you know that I have some close ties with the king!"
Girvin arched an eyebrow at her. "Using your political and personal ties as leverage to threaten a mere soldier? I can see why His Majesty fancies you so much."
"He's taught me a thing or two about manipulation for gain."
"I heard that," the blonde insisted, at which Sarah giggled.
—-
Six days later, Sarah had just about had it with wading through endless fields, forests and mountains. Day in and day out they moved onward. Were it not for the continuous discussions regarding their plans Sarah would have been convinced they were just wandering aimlessly.
Jareth had spent a decent amount of time instructing and talking to his men. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was to be consumed while traveling and breaks were kept to a very bare minimum. Late in the evenings, they would finally pitch their tents. Luckily the moonlight the past few days was quite bright, providing them with sufficient light to make camp, or they would have needed to resort to sleeping under the stars. Only Jareth and Sarah had their private tents, everyone else shared in pairs of two. Some men opted to sleep out in the open. It would allow them a near negligible amount of extra rest, plus a larger part of the rations if they kept watch throughout the night.
On occasion Sarah would see some wildlife. She'd seen deer, bearlike creatures, strange birds and stranger quadrupeds. Creatures that looked like aardvarks, overgrown mice, and crosses between dogs and cows. She might even have spotted a beast like Ludo, though it had been hard to tell between the dead thickets. Unfortunately, there had also been large insects, huge spiders and enormous bats. Especially last night the leather winged mammals had been prevalent, while the horses trudged through a stretch of muddy swampland. They swept past the First Regiment, weaving in between the horses and rustling the leaves of nearby trees with seemingly deliberate intent to spook their animals.
Girvin had explained a thing or two about the Altoga, the strange looking mammals. They had a tendency to hunt passively, following food sources diligently for weeks on end if hungry enough. While they would mainly aim for their rations, they'd been known to seek other opportunities. Yesterday, one of the horses had been bit by them, causing one of the soldiers to suddenly be flocked with about fifteen of the nasty animals. He was fine, but his horse had been in a panic and had suffered injuries.
Just as Sarah thought back to their pig-like snouts, she heard a nearby squeaking and rustling again. Her fingers curled around the dagger strapped to her thigh. A small gift from Girvin, just in case.
A black mass jumped from the trees ahead and flitted past her. While Gaeth hadn't minded too much before, he suddenly started thrashing, swinging its head backwards. Involuntarily Sarah let out a yelp, her head whipping around to look over her shoulder with one hand clutching her saddle.
Beady eyes shimmered in the darkness, a fuzzy face with large ears on top that tilted like satellites. Leathery claws tore at her pack, snagging and ripping the cloth. While it bit at the straps Sarah spotted teeth that looked all too much like serrated needles. Definitely not something she wanted to be at the receiving end of. Its hind legs clawed into Gaeth's rear, causing a stretch in the horse's skin as the bat's weight rested on it. It certainly looked very painful.
Wrangling the horse with a now more practiced skill, Gaeth calmed down enough for Sarah to swing at the creature, yelling in an attempt to chase it away. Her blade cut into one of its thinly webbed wings and tore a hole into it. The creature shrieked and jumped off the horse, unevenly flapping towards a tree where it hid in the canopy, disappearing into the darkness.
Once she was sure that the creature had left she sheathed her dagger. Looking back she saw a few holes in Gaeth's skin, droplets of blood trickled sporadically down his gray coat. It didn't look too bad at the moment, but she'd keep an eye on it. A calming breath escaped her lips and she petted Gaeth, who whinnied softly before moving on dutifully.
Jareth rushed up, moving to ride next to her. "Sarah, are you alright?"
"Too late, birdbrain. You'll get another shot to be my knight in shining armor." Sarah grinned up at him reassuringly. He didn't smile back though, instead frowning worriedly. Directing back towards the horn of the saddle she pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Those bastards probably tried to steal Feilim's bracelet. Can't say I blame them." She proudly held up a small leather strap bracelet, woven into a pattern.
The Goblin King chuckled, the tension slipping off his shoulders. "Are you aiming to make the entire regiment one?" He watched as Sarah leaned over in the saddle, handing the bracelet to one of the men and fastening it around his wrist. The man thanked her with a smile, studying it. It was fascinating to see these military trained troops, stoic like stern school teachers and broad like athletes, happily receiving such a small and simple gift. Each bracelet so far was unique - and exclusively well received.
"If I can help it. I seem to have more than enough time to reach that goal on this trip." While it carried a certain fatigue and sulky undertone, she kept a smile on her face.
"What is my place in line?" He made it sound rather dispassionate, looking at the path stretching out in front of them.
Sarah grinned. "You want one? I guess that places you firmly…" She pursed her lips, frowning as she looked up in thought. "Dead last."
"You dare serve your king last?" His voice was comically indignant. He narrowed his eyes to Girvin, who stifled a chuckle behind them.
"Yep! But I might be open to bribes... How much longer do we ride today, again?"
The Goblin King arched an eyebrow at her, then looked up at the sky. "We're making good progress. I'd wager that within a day or two we will reach the city."
"Can we settle before dinner today?" Sarah gave him her best puppy dog eyes, but he seemed hesitant. "Please, with a cherry on top? If His Majesty is gracious enough, I might let him skip one or two men in line..."
Jareth looked at her pleading hazel eyes, the fair skin underneath slightly tinted by the bags under her eyes. Looking ahead he spotted a clearing not too far away, illuminated by the last sliver of daylight. With a deep sigh he nodded. "Alright, Sarah. Today we will retire a little early." Sarah cheered gleefully while Jareth sent a sharp whistle ahead. The men instantly recognized it as the signal to settle for the day and headed for the clearing.
Three hours later they'd set up a large campfire. Some wildlife had been hunted, skinned and was now being prepared over the flames. While Sarah had no idea what it was, it smelled pretty damn good. It certainly beat rations.
Men were scattered across the clearing, setting up tents, resting and playing games among themselves. A few had brought instruments, playing a cheerful tune by the fire.
Sarah looked at the scene with a smile. The men were chanting and singing while dancing around the central part of the camp. Jareth was sitting next to her, calm and distant as always. One of the men bowed at Sarah, inviting her to join the dance. Although she was hesitant, it was hard not to be influenced by their contagiously jovial disposition. So with a smile she let herself be tugged into the circle, joining the men and trying her best to copy the steps. It was blissful to do something other than ride a horse or sleep for the first time in a week.
After dancing for a while and enjoying some dinner, she broke from the circle, turning to Jareth. He was occupying himself with one of his crystals, keeping to himself. The warm light of the campfire seeped through the crystal and scattered light across his features. Emboldened by the rest of the group she snagged the crystal out of his hand. Jareth was about to lash out, assuming it had been a soldier in need of some ration cuts. When Sarah's smile beamed down at him his anger was kept at bay. "Come on, Your Majesty. Join us."
"No, thank you," he said while he reached out to take back the orb.
Sarah pouted, playfully pulling the crystal back. "Oh, please? For me?" She held out her free hand.
With a sigh Jareth rose to his feet and tentatively joined.
It took a little while, but eventually the Goblin King's hesitation was gone and he was visibly enjoying himself. Almost the entire regiment was now present at the center. A lot were simply looking at their king like he'd grown a second head while others rejoiced at the monarch's exceedingly rare participation.
The brunette had deliberately stayed at a distance while dancing, teasing him even though he quite visibly was trying to interact with her more. Eventually Jareth tugged her towards him. While the majority of the steps so far were reminiscent of folk dancing, the moment Jareth gained a hold on her the steps shifted to something more like a waltz. Somehow he made it work on the music's rhythm. His face was entirely relaxed, if perhaps a little more stoic than it needed to be. However, there was a smile brewing just behind those regal features. His movements were in contrast energetic and unrestrained. Seeing the Goblin King like this gave him an undeniable boyish charm. His blue and brown eyes sparkled down at her. The emotion in them was like a small gateway to his true self, shielded away from the men around them. Her cheeks flushed when his hand gently squeezed hers.
In a moment of distraction Sarah felt a stick on the floor roll underneath her foot, her heart leaping into her throat. Her yelp caused the music to instantly fall away. Reflexively her hold on him tightened and his arm swiftly circled her waist, pressing her up against him. His eyes widened. A second later her mind caught up that she was still standing and in one piece. "I'm okay, I'm okay," she said reassuringly, giggling.
"Weak in the knees, Sarah?" He looked down at her with a teasing smile.
"Practically swooning, Your Majesty," she taunted.
His sharp teeth gleamed in the light, a grin stretching on his face and the arm around her waist tightening just the smallest bit. Whereas he had a tendency to have a rather penetrating and unwavering gaze, the look in his eyes currently felt like a completely different ballpark. It was almost as if the very stars sparkled in his eyes. She had never seen anyone look at her the way he did then. "How delightfully disarming you are, my darling." His baritone voice felt like silk on her skin, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Her hand, which had reflexively held on to his shoulder when she'd lost her footing, hesitantly moved to his neck. His smile faltered slightly.
They both flinched when a white flash and a loud bang tore them out of the moment. It was followed by a low rumbling that could be felt rolling underneath their feet. A weird tingling sensation skittered through her. Lightning.
"Oh shit," Sarah said with a laugh. "Let's set up the tents quickly before we all get soaked."
Jareth let go of her with a chuckle and she hurried to her pack. Quickly she unstrapped her tent supplies from her pack, hearing Jareth nearby give orders to the troops. One of the straps was already undone, chewed to bits by the bats. When the other strap came loose and the fabric of the tent folded out she cursed softly. Without effort she pushed her hand through a hole in her tent.
"Sarah, I have spot reserved for you next to Girvin's tent," Jareth said when he walked past her.
"Great. I just have a small problem, though." He turned around to face her and she held up the fly sheet which was riddled with holes. "One of those stupid bat-things tore at my pack today and shredded my tent."
"Oh dear." He couldn't help but chuckle, seeing her peer through the holes. "Come on, I'll take you to mine." Jareth held out his hand, pulled her to her feet and led her towards the tent, dodging soldiers that were hurriedly assisting one another like a well oiled machine.
Sarah held her pack above her head when thick droplets started to trickle down, another flash and rumble scattering through the camp. "Lovely, six days on horseback and now this."
Reaching Jareth's tent he held it open for her. "Be sure to secure the door inside so the storm won't intrude."
Moving into the tent she froze, turning around. "Wait, what about you?"
"I'll join one of my men."
"Jareth, these tents are barely enough for two people, let alone three."
"I'm sure something can be arranged. Otherwise, I'm sure there's a nice tree hollow I can perch in."
Rain started plummeting down. Sarah frowned at his wide grin, thinking of his owl form crammed into a tree in the middle of a storm, drenched and by himself. "Yeah, no. Get your butt in here." He opened his mouth to object but Sarah interrupted him. "In. Now."
The rain had already started to drench his hair and his shoulders, thick droplets dripping down his face and neck. He took one more look around before sighing and bending down to crawl into the tent. Quickly he closed the tent and summoned a crystal, which floated to the center top, offering them some light. "Should the storm die down I'll -"
"Oh, stop it, Jareth. It's just sharing a tent for a night. Need I remind you that we have slept in the same bed before?" The woman rolled her eyes.
"Okay, okay. Why don't you get comfortable? I'll give you some privacy. For as far as that means anything in a tent of this size."
Sarah smiled when he turned his back to her, sitting on his bedroll. While she removed some of her restrictive clothing and took out her own bedroll she grinned. "You know, this is going to be great. We can tell ghost stories and gossip. You won't believe what Aidan found in his pack the other day. It was quite scandalous."
"Great. I'm bored to tears already," he teased.
The woman giggled, putting aside her things and crawling under the blanket of her bedroll. Rain clattered outside, creating a rather comforting white noise in between the occasional clap of thunder. "All done, Your Majesty."
Jareth turned around towards his own pack, which was stuffed into the far corner of the tent. He took off his boots and armor, putting them aside and ruffling his hair as he moved to settle in his bedroll. His shirt was drenched and clinging to his shoulders, outlining its angles smoothly.
"Wow, those ten seconds of rain really got you," the woman remarked.
He looked down and up at her with a grin. "Oh, what a shame. I guess I'll just have to take it off, then. Lest I catch my death tonight."
With reddened cheeks, Sarah retreated a little more into her bedroll, looking away rather uncomfortably when he started peeling off the shirt. "What, your magic can't serve you now?"
"Tut-tut, Sarah. I need to conserve my resources where I can." His fingers plucked at the tips of his gloves and discarded them. He slipped into his bedroll, leaning on one arm and looking down at her. Sarah still uncomfortably refrained from looking at him. "So, about those ghost stories…"
"I do know one," she said while keeping her eyes firmly on the roof of the tent. He kept quiet patiently. "You know... There are many things to be afraid of, especially when the world is dark and all the light you have is that of the moon and the streetlamps. But perhaps, some day, you'll find something so disturbing that it might just keep you from sleeping forever…" Outside, another flash scattered in through the fibers of the tent, followed by an ominous rumble. "For me, it was a shape lurking by my window at night." Looking towards Jareth she could see a worried expression crease his forehead. "I was never sure when it would be there, looking at me through the window panes; the only barrier that kept it away from me. I never thought it might actually reach me, but then, one night…" Sarah looked at him again, her expression earnest. He propped himself up, a little more alert. "It came into my room. Into my home. I've never been the same after that night. Something happened that could never be erased. And worst of all…"
It was strange how his seriousness had started to overtake the atmosphere in the tent. It seemed to expand and push even against the walls of the tent as it lay heavy in the air. Her eyes briefly caught a glimmer in his amulet, something she hadn't seen in a while, before her eyes quickly moved to stare ahead of her distantly. "That shape… That otherworldly being… It wore tights."
The tension in the small tent burst like a bubble. A physical drop in tension Sarah could feel and even almost taste. She kept her expression earnest even when Jareth started to bristle. "I don't think I can ever un-see those horrors…"
"Why, you little…" In the blink of an eye he had thrust his hands under her blanket.
Sarah yelped when he started tickling her. Frantically she tried to push him off, squirming and bursting into laughter at his retaliation. His advances were unforgiving. Gasping for breath she found that he could not be kept at bay. He was grinning down at her rather wildly. "No, please, Your Majesty, have mercy," she cried, tears starting to form in the corners of her eyes. Distantly she felt thunder rumble through the ground underneath her. Her breath caught, his hands briefly making contact with her skin, producing a sharp spark. "Wow! Stop! Stop," she said sharply.
The Goblin King froze at her sudden serious tone, pulling his hands back. With wide eyes he looked at her. She swiftly huddled back into the bedroll, avoiding eye contact. "Sarah, are you alright? I didn't mean to hurt you."
The brunette shifted under her blanket, pulling her legs up protectively. Her fingertips touched the skin that now felt tingly and warm. She looked up at him, his blonde hair clinging to his forehead and temples, still wet from the rain. He eyed her worriedly, momentarily frozen.
The stressful way in which he hurried to reach for his gloves wasn't lost on her and guilt washed over her. Quickly she took one of his hands and he looked back at her. "No, please. I'm sorry. It's just…" She let go and awkwardly fumbled with the edge of her blanket. "You caught me a little off guard, that's all."
His shoulders lowered in relief. "I apologize, it was not my intent to distress you." He settled back on his bedroll, leaving the blanket off. Eyeing the brunette slowly inching further into the bedroll, hands fumbling with the blanket, the man smiled a little. He caught the jittery fingers of one of her hands and pulled it towards him.
Sarah blushed, feeling his warm fingers curled around hers. Her stomach fluttered when he pressed a gentle and lingering kiss to her fingers, his breath briefly brushing along them before moving away. Before she knew it her eyes moved down towards his still very much bare chest. Unmarred skin complimented by gentle lines of underlying muscle, adorned by the crescent shape of his amulet. The moment she realized she was staring she quickly looked back up at him, seeing him grin down at her. His hand moved to let her fingers rest against his cheek before he meaningfully guided it down towards his neck, where he let go to offer her to choose what to do next.
Sarah was rather worried that she was getting so red that she was starting to resemble a tomato. Nervously biting her lip, the woman tried to determine the best course of action. There was a giddy curiosity in her that wasn't adverse to finding out what that marble skin felt like, but there was also a nervous unease that would happily run back out into the storm instead. Her eyes rose from her fingertips to meet his gaze. He looked patient, a small smile curling around his lips. It was almost like he was daring her. She just wasn't sure if he was daring her to pull away or to continue.
The brunette steeled herself, then moved her hand to instead brush along the features of his face. Along his cheek up to his temple, with a pique in curiosity when her fingers brushed along his markings and his eyebrows. There was no texture or feel to the winged shapes, as if they were tattoos. But she could feel and see the hairs of his eyebrows. Gently she brushed some of the wet strands of hair out of his face, feeling somewhat relieved when his eyes slipped closed. Now that the intensity of Jareth's gaze was no longer on her she felt a little bit more confident. When she brushed along the length of his lips Sarah could see the muscles in his jaws flex, but he kept still. Hesitantly her fingertips came to rest on his chin. After several moments, they tipped over the edge, moving along to the side of his neck. Sarah could feel the muscles underneath work as he slightly adjusted his head. His Adam's apple bobbed briefly when she touched the sensitive skin. From the hollow of his throat she paused again. His eyes opened.
The look in his eyes was both breathtaking and rather scary. The way they had darkened, harboring an unspoken desire from just a simple touch, made her feel strangely powerful. It gave her confidence, and so her hand moved along his collarbone with a chase touch, before the woman extended her touch to her full palm. The heat coming off him seeped in through her skin. It created a contrast that made every other part of her feel cold. Before she knew it she'd shivered.
"Cold, Sarah?" Any coherent reply died on her lips. Especially when she felt his fingertips brush from her elbow to her hand, his hand coming to rest on hers. Her loss for words made him grin just a little bit wider still. "Turn around for me, would you, darling?"
Her stomach fluttered for a moment, then distrust bubbled up. "Why," she demanded.
"Indulge me," he insisted, his hand moving to bunch in her bedroll to tug her just a tad closer, so their bedrolls were snuggly aligned.
Now practically nose to nose with him she was suddenly all too keen to not have to face him for a moment. So, she rolled over, her back now to him. She heard him shift and her blanket was briefly lifted, then she felt a comforting warmth all along her back settling against her. Another clap of thunder raged through the evening. She felt its vibrations roll past underneath her. Somehow, it felt like it traveled up through him, pulsing along his skin. Her heart raced. From the corner of her eye she could see he had propped himself up on his elbow again, his jaw resting on his palm. "Is that better, Sarah?" He briefly touched her heated cheek, before his hand came to rest on her upper arm.
The brunette felt like somewhat of an idiot when all she could muster was a mute nod. He chuckled and his hand teased at the edge of her shirt by her shoulder. Ever so slightly his bare fingertips touched the sensitive skin. "Wonderful. If there is anything else I can do for you, don't hesitate to let me know."
She tucked her head. His warmth really was nice. Combined with the rain pouring outside it did make for a very cozy setting. Her breath caught when his fingers slipped further up her shoulder to her neck. Instantly goosebumps rose along the majority of her skin. Her body tensed in nervous anticipation. She didn't dare to move. After brushing her hair back from her neck Jareth moved his hand back down to her upper arm. "Tell me what you are thinking, Sarah."
Admittedly, Sarah currently wasn't thinking anything. Her mind was still fumbling over the fact he was so close. There was one thing that flitted through her mind that perhaps was a little too honest. Or too innocent. or both. It escaped her lips before she knew it. "You make me feel safe." One of her hands played with the edge of her blanket, her eyes nervously glued to it. The man leaned down to kiss her hair, lingering for just a moment.
Sarah kept quiet, her heart racing. A few moments passed, her gaze still focused on her fumbling. The rain pelting against the tent was all she could hear over her racing heart. Her fingers reflexively bunched in her blanket as she felt a brush of his lips on her neck. Her shoulders tensed. His hand came to rest on her fist scrunching her blanket. "Relax, Sarah."
It was easier said than done. His lips on the bare and sensitive skin brought a whole new sort of sensation to the table. A sensation that left her mouth feeling dry and filled her with jitters. His arm along hers felt comforting and warm, yet thrilling. Especially when his thumb brushed up and down her knuckles. He placed a kiss a little lower on her neck, followed by one lower still. She could feel his breath on her skin and her eyes slipped closed. In the midst of another kiss, Sarah took his hand. Jareth froze.
The woman swallowed heavily before finding her voice. "Jareth, I think I want you to stop…"
The man was still for a moment and Sarah could only wonder what he was thinking. "Very well," he said quietly.
She thought she heard a disheartened tone in his voice but she couldn't be certain. She felt bad. She didn't mean it to be a rejection. She was just painfully insecure and was still getting used to a more romantic relationship with Jareth. Turning around, she looked up at him. Quickly he leaned back into his hand. "I do apologize, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."
The brunette smiled up at him, pushing aside her bashfulness for his sake. "You didn't. It felt nice," she said softly. Briefly, his hand brushed her hair behind her shoulder, his bare fingers soft and warm. The gentle touch and his proximity felt more intimate than she'd expected it to. "But in the spirit of expanding on our boundaries..."
He watched her patiently.
Sarah took a calming breath and collected her courage, then leaned in. Just before her eyes slipped closed she could see his eyes widen. The moment her lips brushed against his, he froze. Completely. She could have sworn he even recoiled a little. Self awareness and self consciousness overcame her.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
A flutter of panic rose in her stomach and she pulled away. Thunder struck again and with her hand on his bare skin she was absolutely positive that somehow its resonance reached Jareth physically. The vibrations scattered across his skin from his core to his extremities. Uncomfortably she shifted back into her bedroll, avoiding eye contact. Feebly she stuttered, slithering under her blanket while he lay there still rather unresponsive. "I-I'm so sorry. I… I don't know why I did that."
Jareth cleared his throat. It was mildly comical though a saddening sight how she shut down on him. "Sarah, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to dishearten you." There was a soft mumbling from the blanket that he couldn't quite make out. She continued to curl up until she was so small and stowed away in the far corner below the cover that he could barely even make out her form anymore. "Come on out, drama queen. I won't bite," he said teasingly. More mumbling arose from the blanket. "Darling, I can't hear you from your little burrow. You'll have to come out if you want me to understand you." The bundle remained quiet and he laughed. "Okay, then I'm coming in."
Using his quick reflexes he sat up, reaching under the blanket and catching hold of her. In the blink of an eye Sarah found herself tugged out of her little lair of shame. Now she lay sprawled in a rather unflattering fashion against his chest. "There you are," he said cheerfully.
"Please just let me die in humiliation." Although a little exaggerated, she clearly was upset.
"Don't sell yourself short, Sarah. It wasn't that bad."
She wasn't really in the mood for his playful jabs and she was sure her expression was showing it. However, his mood remained cheerful and he pulled her against him. Sarah struggled, trying to wrestle her free arm in between them. She wasn't quite ready to be on eye level with his bare chest right now.
"Your Majesty!" Both of them looked towards the tent door. "I have urgent news from Caisnis."
The Goblin King cleared his throat and carefully put Sarah aside. He quickly opened the tent. A soldier offered him a hand to stand up, then handed him a letter.
Sarah looked at the two while the rain poured down on them. Throughout reading the letter Jareth visibly grew agitated. Once read he crushed the letter in one hand. "We ride for Caisnis and we will not stop until we get there."
"Yes, sire. Everyone is getting ready as we speak." The soldier bowed respectfully before walking off.
When The Goblin King turned around he was dressed in armor within the blink of an eye. He reached out for her hand, which she offered without hesitation. He pulled her to her feet and into the rain, magically dressing her, including a cape with a hood. "Jareth, what's going on?"
"It appears a neighboring group of traitors has trespassed." He swiftly collected his pack as well as Sarah's, leaving the tent. Hurrying to the horses they found them tacked up and ready. "Lucky for me, this seditious snake has been caught on my side of the border without a permit or invitation during court-endorsed war regulations and enforced border control." He helped her up on the horse and mounted his. "Which means that I don't have to play by the rules this time." There was a glint in his eye and a rather concerning smile on his face. With the soldiers joining their flanks, the Goblin King gave the order to ride into the night.
