Once Jacen had thrown out the possibility of some kind of monster draining them, all three men sunk into quiet contemplation.

A monster, thought Anduin. Something that could suck the magic right out of you, and right quickly.

This was not good. Anduin really wanted to debunk the idea, but the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. While it was almost second nature to blame the Fae for every calamity that occurred within the Goblin Kingdom, he had to admit, what Jacen said seemed to fit the facts much better.

"Maybe… maybe this is a wild animal of some kind," said Jacen. "One that feeds on magic. Or at least can detect it and drain it."

"That would explain the state of the cabin," replied Anduin. "It could sense the magic of the ward and drained it. Then busted in. After that, maybe it started moving down the mountain toward where we were flying over. If it can sense magic…"

"Yeah," said Toby. "If it sensed us flying over, it might have looked up at us. Saw a tasty magical treat."

For some reason, this made Jacen laugh. "Magically delicious…"

All of them descended into laughter at that. Anduin wiped the mirth from his eyes, "Well… whether it was a monster or the Fae, we need to think about weapons. I only have my dagger, and I can only use my left hand."

"Same, but I can use my right," said Toby.

Jacen nodded in agreement, "Yeah, I have my dagger. And my off hand is uninjured."

"Did you see any weapons in the loft, Tobes?"

Toby frowned in thought, "I saw a wood axe. The fishing poles. A couple of bows, which… none of us could pull in our condition. Some arrows. Rope." Suddenly, his expression grew bright. "I can whittle some throwing sticks. Maybe even fashion a couple of slings."

"Throwing sticks?" asked Jacen.

"Yeah, you take a curved piece of wood and cut a channel in it. You get some straight sticks and sharpen the end of them. Put them in the channel and use your arm to fling the stick like a dart… or an arrow. Cavemen used to use them back in the day."

Anduin smirked at him, "And what movie did you see that in?"

Toby smirked right back, "Quest for Fire."

Jacen whistled, "Damn, Tobes… we saw that, what… eighty years ago? And you remembered that?"

"I didn't just remember it… I actually tried it."

Anduin gave him a bright smile, "That's right! You set up that paper target near the archery range and practiced all summer after we saw that movie. I thought you were crazy."

"So did I," said Jacen, chuckling. "But… if the darts are sharp enough, and you aim for the face…"

"And it's one-handed," said Toby with a smile. "Which fits our situation neatly and will be helpful if we have to hunt for food. I can set some snares, too. Also… we can make blowguns."

Anduin raised a brow, "I'm almost afraid to ask… what the hell is a blowgun?"

"Remember Indiana Jones? Raiders of the Lost Ark? When Indy was in that temple with the gold idol… the natives that chased him used straws and blew little darts at him when he was trying to escape."

"What's a little dart going to do against a monster?" asked Jacen. "Or a Fae?"

"The darts had poison on the tips," replied Toby. "It's summertime, which means the Olandria plants are in bloom. They're all around this cabin. The nectar…"

"Oh, damn… that's a great idea, Tobes," said Anduin, grinning. "I mean, we'd have to aim for a soft spot… the face or something. We have to assume the monster has some kind of fur. They usually do."

"We can use the fishing poles… they're made of hollow aluminum tubes, in segments. We could cut them down to size," said Jacen. "But… what do we use for darts?"

"These," said Toby, shaking a small tin container. "Toothpicks. Apparently, our visitor didn't see a use for them. We cut them in half, soak the tips in Olandria nectar and we're in business."

"Okay, that's good," said Anduin, frowning in concentration. "But we're going to need something substantial, in case this thing gets up close and personal. We have a wood axe… maybe we should cut some spears? We can throw them as well as use them in hand-to-hand."

Jacen glanced out the window, "It's too dark to go looking for Olandria nectar or spear poles tonight. We should probably fix that door shut and barricade it. The windows too, just in case."

"Good idea," said Toby. "Let's get on it before the painkiller wears off."

Painkillers aside, all three of them were wiped out after their activity. Jacen was able to ambulate with the help of a tall piece of debris as a makeshift crutch… part of the former dining table. It wasn't perfect, but he at least felt like he could contribute to the situation at hand.

Said remains of the dining table were now wedged under the handle of the door. Toby had found a hammer and a few boxes of nails in the loft, and all three of them agreed that nailing themselves into the cabin for the night was an excellent idea. The windows were a bit more complicated to secure. Thankfully, while Dad had warded the cabin to include the windows, he also was something of a pack rat and tended to save things in case they are useful at a later time.

When they'd first built the cabin, back when Jacen was a toddler, they hadn't put glass in the windows and instead covered them at night with thick wooden panels. Toby found the panels up in the loft and spent a lot of effort trying to get them down. He tied one of the blankets around his neck so he would have his good hand free to climb the 'ladder', which amused Jacen and Anduin to no end. Toby just shook his head, enduring their jibes and references to 'the Caped Crusader', then used the blanket to lower the panels, just as he did with the first aid kit.

It took all three of them to wrestle the panels into place and hammer in the nails. By the time they were done, all three of them were hurting rather badly. No one really wanted food, but as it was unwise to take the painkiller on an empty stomach, they choked down some canned chili that had survived the rampage.

"Good thing the privy is here in the cabin," remarked Toby after they'd eaten.

"Not really," said Anduin with a pained laugh. "This place might get rather fragrant after that chili works its way through us."

This struck Jacen as utterly hilarious, and it took some minutes before he stopped laughing uncontrollably. Toby and Anduin had thought it was just as funny and laughed right along with him.

"We should set a watch schedule," said Anduin, once Jacen had calmed down. "Once we take those painkillers, I think I'm done for… at least for a few hours."

"I agree," said Toby. "You should take the last watch, Anduin. You're hurt worse than I am. Jace, maybe you take first? Once your watch is over, you can wake me and get some uninterrupted sleep."

"Okay. So… it's what, nine o'clock now? We'll be up another hour or two, I'm sure. I can be on watch until one, then wake you, Tobes."

Toby nodded, "Yeah, that sounds good. Then I'll wake Anduin at four. He can wake both of us at six."

"That's right after sunrise," said Anduin. "We can get the stuff we need for weapons at first light. Maybe even try to catch some fish and set some snares. We have some food in here, yes. But not much."

"Good idea," said Jacen as he handed Anduin the painkiller vial. After they'd passed it around, he sealed it and put it carefully back in the medical kit. After some time had passed, he could feel the throbbing pain fading into a dull ache.

He leaned his head back against the wall and sighed, "Too bad I'm not my father. I'd already have gotten us home."

Toby's eyes narrowed a bit at this, "Hardly. Whatever drained us would have drained your dad, too. He would have been in just as bad of shape as we are, maybe worse."

Jacen shrugged. Toby's eyes were still boring into him.

"Jareth is powerful, yes. Most powerful in all of Goblin history, sure. But Jace, did it ever occur to you that power is a double-edged sword?" Toby shook his head at him slowly, "He's spent over a thousand years being able to just wave a hand and make things go away. Or appear. He can transport at will, just like an Ughlánas. But what do you think would happen if that magic was taken away? Who do you think would come out better in a situation like this? Someone who's maybe come to depend on phenomenal magic power or someone who's used to doing with less?"

Anduin nodded in agreement, "I love your dad, you know I do. But… if I had to choose, for this situation, yeah… I'd rather it was you." At Jacen's incredulous look, he continued. "You think 'outside the box' as your mom would say. In that, you're a lot like Toby. He was human once, so he knows how to think like one. You were raised by one. Thinking up incredible things comes naturally to humans, and you both do that on the regular." He laughed shortly, "Maybe that's why after thousands of years, we now have a human Queen… a former human and the son of a human… Danu liked them way back when, enough to mix them into the Othánas bloodline. There must have been a reason then. Maybe there's a reason now."

"I guess I never thought of it that way. I just… can't imagine how I'm going to fill my father's shoes without disappointing everyone."

"Why would you be a disappointment?" asked Toby. "Sure, you don't have his level of power. But he doesn't have your common sense. Or your diplomatic ability. My sister opened the door to it, but how many trade agreements have we gotten, how many diplomatic channels have we established, because you can find affinity with other people, and use it to your advantage? Hell, Jace… the Fae actually like you. How much easier is it going to be for you as King of the Goblins? And by extension, for our people?"

"I… just never looked at it that way."

"Well, you should. Power isn't always the answer. Subtlety is sometimes a lot better, and your dad is about as subtle as a battle axe to the face."

"Speaking of power," said Anduin. "We have a little bit of magic back. Since it looks like we're stuck here, at least for tonight, do we want to put the door ward back on?"

Toby shook his head, "I don't know about that. Whatever sucked the magic out of us earlier could still be out there. We might attract it again."

"Not just that," said Jacen. "We've all used our powers to the limit before, in magic lessons. We should have more power than this after five or six hours. But my level is still really low. Almost like something is siphoning it off. Seems to me that whatever it is must still be nearby."

"At this rate… we're not going to get back enough to transport before our parents realize something's wrong and come up here," said Anduin, his voice reflecting a touch of dread.

They looked at each other in growing horror. Jacen's heart sank to somewhere near his feet. He couldn't help but picture Dad, Randel and Garthan flying up here… or even transporting… and whatever it was that ate magic then eating theirs…

They're all warriors, Jacen… and none of them injured.

Or would they be? Stripped of their magic, unable to transport out… and what if…

He had a horrible thought. What if… something happened to Dad up here… and himself?

His brain started whirling in a panic. It was a thought that had never occurred to him before… what would happen if he died? If… Dad died too? He could only imagine what Mom would be going through… but who would rule? Mom channeled Dad's power, not her own. Would she lose it if… she lost Dad? Garthan was once the heir, but… what about Karina? She was of Jareth's line, but she was a girl. A child. How would that even work?

"Jace? What's wrong? Your face just went white." Anduin was looking at him with concern.

"I was just thinking… what a risk that would be, having both me and Dad in a dangerous situation like this." He met their gaze solemnly. "If the worst happened, who would rule?"

Toby thought about it a moment, "Karina, obviously. Your mother would be Regent."

Jacen shook his head, "Mom would lose her power if Dad… died. Karina… she's a child still, and a girl."

Toby shrugged, "Women have ruled before."

"Above, yes. And she'd probably be good at it. But here? How would she lead the Army?"

"Randel would do that for her," said Anduin. "The only thing she couldn't do is ride out with the Army, and to be honest, your dad doesn't do that even now. Hell, in the Above… the leaders never fight directly in a war. That's what generals are for. It's a hell of a lot smarter than risking the monarch as they do here Below. With Randel to command the Army in the field, there's no reason why she couldn't be the Goblin Queen if it came to it."

"Unless Randel comes up here too," said Jacen, grimly.

"Look, we can't worry about things that haven't even happened yet and won't happen if we can figure out a way to get out of here," said Toby. "That's the key, right there. We've got to get back before they realize something is wrong and come after us. Once we get back, your dad can send out a hunting party with a couple of Ughlánas and find out what the hell happened."

"And that's another thing. I'm surprised that Tippy hasn't shown up," said Anduin, frowning slightly. "You know how she is, she's always there when someone's hurting or scared."

Jacen shook his head, "She's pregnant… I think she's about to give birth. Zee mentioned that he wants her to rest, this pregnancy has been a little hard on her. Besides… now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I want her or any other Ughlánas up here right now."

Toby's eyes were wide, "The magic drain… you're right. We don't know what it would do to an Ughlánas, their magic is so ingrained in them." He closed his eyes for a moment. "We have to make sure she doesn't pop over here… try to keep our pain under wraps for now, at least until we get our power back."

If we get it back, Jacen thought at he nodded grimly. It all hinges on that, doesn't it?

Author's Notes:

It should be noted that no one would have objected to Karina ruling just because she's a girl… Jacen's concern was about her age and the logistics of leading the Army, not the ability of a female to run the nation (he remarks that she'd be good at it, so no qualms there). Othánas women are superb leaders and administrators, and their societal structure is such that they are seen as naturally better at the day-to-day functions than the men are.

It's only due to Goblin biology that they are kept from military service, and it is seen as common sense, not as a bias (and it should be noted that the women agree with this, so there isn't any friction between the sexes on this issue). It also should be remembered that women are taught to fight from a young age, so they are far from helpless, but they just don't have the combat strength of the males and it would be foolish to put them in situations where they would be at a severe disadvantage.

But as Anduin pointed out, Jareth himself doesn't ride at the head of his own Army anymore, so Karina wouldn't have to either. And Anduin is well aware that the leaders Above delegate that responsibility to the generals that serve them. Karina not leading the Army in person was a non-issue as far as he was concerned. I always thought our medieval forebears were idiotic for requiring their kings to fight at the heads of their armies. Anduin would take it as a matter of course that the monarch would stay and command from Caladh, as did Toby, and the rest of the Kingdom would follow suit.