Perchance To...

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Sarah awoke sometime in the late morning. To find Jareth was having a talk with three of his goblins. They were two of the more vicious looking guards with Raggen perched on one of their shoulders.  They were out of their armor and unarmed.

She tried to stay still so they would not know she was awake. She strained to hear what they were saying.

"Don't *do* anything. Just wander around the forest." Jareth's voice admonished.

"Dat no fun," one of the gobs grumbled.

"Very well, try not to cause too much havoc. Just get some exercise. Take a nice long walk," Jareth again.

"You can count on us, boss," one of the larger goblins saluted.

"I doubt that, but you'll have to do," Jareth waved them away.  The three goblins stomped out the door, one thumbing his nose at the guards outside while the other hulking brute snapped his muzzle at one of the guards who gave a yelp and started to draw his sword.  The Goblins laughed as they disappeared down the hall.

"Good morning, Sarah," Jareth moved to sit on the edge of the bed, his slight smile telling her that he knew she had been eavesdropping.

"What are you planning?" She sat up in bed letting the covers fall. She had stripped to her under dress, which resembled a white nightgown. She blushed at Jareth's lingering and blatantly sexual gaze but decided pulling the sheets back up was letting him win.

It seemed moot when his gloved fingertips ghosted over her cheek and he leaned in to kiss her with a languid slowness gracing first her top lip, then her bottom with his attention before tilting his head and ran his tongue over her bottom lip.  The fingers that had brushed her cheek slid along her neck, just under her ear to cup her head.  She barely let in a gasp of breath and he was pressing on, his clever and often sharp tongue just brushing against the tip of her own before retreating.

He leaned back and took in Sarah's slightly dazed look and noted how her breath had quickened.  A self-satisfied smirk teased at the corner of his mouth.

He didn't realize his own eyes were darker, and  the hand still lingering on her neck had tremored for a moment before he let it slowly trail down her throat to trace along the edge of her chemise with such delicacy Sarah tried not to shiver or lean into him.

His eyes eventually got around to meeting hers.

"I asked what you were planning," Sarah arched a brow, letting him know that she was not so easily distracted.

He laughed at her show of stubborness.

"Oh, this and that. Nothing that can be openly discussed within these walls. I'm certain Gwyn is listening to everything."

"You could talk with them," Sarah pointed to the door the goblins had exited through, her feelings definitely bruised.

"Oh, did I? I told them to do something innocuous. It's only my understanding of their nature that makes it useful," Jareth gestured to a tray. "There is food, if you want to break your fast."

Sarah slipped out of bed and padded to the tray of eggs and bacon still hot, no doubt due to magic. "What about Puck?"

"What about him?" He asked innocently. Unfortunately for him, he was completely incapable of pulling off any look of innocence.

"He was here last night, and up to something. You aren't going to tell me anything, are you?" She bit into a piece of bacon.

"No," Jareth offered an insolent smile.

Soon enough Titania arrived with nine of her courtiers in tow. Sarah made her excuses and left in search of Sai, Ian and her friends.

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"They're a bit busy." Colleen ushered Sarah into the tent.

"Doing what?" Sarah looked around her friends' tent. It was decorated in a strange mix of Oriental and Celtic styles. A hanging of intricate Celtic knotwork provided the background for a lovely Oriental screen. A harp was propped next to a koto. Yet all blended to make an interesting whole, much like the couple they represented.

"Oh, this and that," Col smiled.

"There seems to be a lot of that going on today," Sarah gave Col a frustrated look.

"Your three friends are in Jareth's tent. Sai thought it would be ironic to place them there," Col tugged Sarah's arm and directed her to the tent in question.

Ludo pulled his face out of a huge bowl of something yellow and mushy to gave Sarah a smile that showed too many teeth. "Food good."

"I'm glad you like it, Ludo," Col patted his furred arm.

"Tis heavenly after the dreadful gruel we have known of late. Lady Sarah, glad to see thee again. Won't you join us?" Sir Didymus gestured to a large cushion. He was painfully thin, but he wore new set of Elizabethian era clothing in rich materials of crimson shades, and a red eye patch to match.

"I am so glad to see you all. You're looking better than you did last night," Sarah took the offered seat.

"A bath, clean clothing and good food cures many ills, m'lady. As does the beauteous Lady Mira." Didymus set aside his bowl. Ludo, on the other hand, shoved his face back into his.

"Where's Hoggle?" Sarah looked around.

"Still sleeping, methinks. Lady Mira told us we must sleep as much as we could. I must say, seems a bit slothful to me.  We should strike back at the brigands who so roughly treated the Lady Saishoku.  Indeed, to strike a fair maiden they should loose their hand.  I am quite willing to take the task."

" Saishoku and Ian don't need the additional trouble that would bring.  You are brave and noble, sir knight.  But sometimes the most noble thing to do is be patient.  I'm sure there was good reason for those orders to rest," Sarah admonished.

"Indeed." Col refilled Didymus's bowl of spice scented mush. "They all suffer from exhaustion. Even YOU, my dear sir knight. If you wish to help others you must first help yourself."

"Yes, well, I doeth feel better then I hath in years," he straightened his feathered cap.

Sarah took in his new and very fine apparel. "You look very dashing." She offered with a smile.

Didymus looked flustered. If he could blush through his fur, Sarah was sure he would.

She spent a few hours catching up with her old friends. They would not speak of the mines, but before that they had gotten along as a band of performers. Hoggle eventually came out. He seemed glad to see Sarah, but didn't want to hear anything about Jareth. Sarah supposed she couldn't really blame him.

She was finally chased out by Col, who insisted the three try to sleep a bit more. Poor Ludo hadn't waited for Col's admonitions. He'd fallen asleep an hour into the visit.

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Sai tipped the glass vial enough to let a few precious drops of clear fluid fall on the base of yet another tree. The vial was half-empty already and the smell of the stuff had risen the hairs on back of her neck from the start.

Not for the first time she damned her vulpine sense of smell and her baser animalistic instincts. It was a testament to her age and intellect that she could stomp down her reactions.

She eyed the rippling sky. The water was still bright and the shadows of larger fish could be seen swimming about. The sky itself rested some twenty feet above the tallest tree. She could see why Sarah seemed a bit edgy here. It had felt increasingly claustrophobic since the situation had become so dire.  Twenty feet over the treetops was not a lot of room for strigiformes to maneuver. 

She walked a bit further into the wood and allowed a few more drops to fall from the vial, this time on a rock. One of these diversions had to have some effect she mused.  And with both Puck and herself playing tricks, she was becoming more and more confident of Jareth's chances.

She turned quickly when she heard distant movement in the wood. She cocked her head to the side, listening for the noise again. Her nose caught the source of the scent.

She was smiling before Ian sauntered into view.

"You look busy," he grinned.

"And you?" She looked down at Ian's boots, identical to Jareth's.  Luckily they were of a size.

"Busy but in pain. How does he manage these damn heels?" He grimaced and sat on a nearby log. "What *are* you doing?"

"I went to the kennels after you left. Sure enough, there was a bitch in heat. Oberon's kennels are large enough that there usually is at least one at this time of year." Sai tipped the vial again.

"You know, I almost pity Gwyn's dogs." Ian's face showed his approval.

"It isn't their fault their master is a bastard, in every sense of the word." Sai pocketed the vial and turned to her husband with a pout. "But save your pity for me. This stuff has me feeling aggressive and possessive right now."

"Aggressive, eh?" His eyes sparkled with interest.

"Very." She shoved him backward off the log. "I feel like staking my claim. Do you have a problem with that?"

"None at all. Claim away."

"You know... you look sexy in heels," her grin was a blur before she tackled him.

The rest was lost in a haze of almost violent passion and flurry of activity that was sure to leave one more scent to confuse the hounds.

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Col had made Sarah take a nap as well, to Sarah's amusement. Her reasoning was valid. Sarah would not likely sleep that night.

When she awoke in Ian and Sai's tent she was aware of increased activity outside the canvas walls.

Peering outside she noticed people moving toward the castle and wished she had a watch. She hated not knowing the time, especially when it was slipping through her fingers.  Straightening her dress, she was about to leave when Sai and Ian returned looking rumpled and rather pleased with themselves.

"Where have you been?" Sarah looked from one to the other in exasperation.

They looked at each other and grinned. "Fooling around in the woods." Ian answered jauntily.

"I think I have splinters in my posterior," Sai pouted.

"It's almost time, isn't it?" Sarah was worried and looked it.

"Yes. Here," Sai gestured and Sarah felt the familiar warmth from the unicorn ring against her finger.  

When it gave her a hot jolt... it must mean malevolent magic was aimed at her.   But the warm tingle signaled benevolent or neutral spells.  That could be handy.

Looking down she found herself wearing a green dress decorated with embroidered leaves and twisting vines.  small silver owls were embroidered flying amongst the foliage.

Sai and Ian were also looking better dressed and much improved.

"If we hurry we can get in to see Jareth before the public idiocy begins." Sai took Sarah's hand and the three of them moved at a pace close to running.

They arrived just as Jareth was being escorted from his chambers.  He wore a loose shirt made up of hundreds of tattered pieces of cloth in various shades of green. It looked like he was wearing leaves. His tight breeches were streaked with differing shades of brown. His gloves and boots remained black.

He smiled at Sarah's appraisal. "I'm not about to make it easy for them, now am I?"

"I hope not." Sarah tried to smile back, but failed. She felt tears well in her eyes instead.

"With that get up you'll give me diabolical nightmares of being in the middle of a forest for a month." Sai moved forward with a wink and kissed Jareth's cheek.

"I suppose we should get going." Jareth gave his impatient guards a cool gaze.

Sarah stepped forward and pressed her lips to Jareth's. It was brief and sweet.  Pulling back she looked him in the eyes. "If you don't come back I'll have to kill you."

Jareth grinned and kissed her forehead. "Well then, I wouldn't want to get killed twice in one night. It would ruin my reputation."

The guards had decided enough was enough and closed in. They pulled Sarah and the others back and moved forward, making Jareth move with them if he did not want to be shoved for not walking quickly enough.

Sarah let the tears fall as she watched them move down the hall.

"Save your tears for when they're needed.  He doesn't need to spy you all red and splotchy for him.  It shows a distinct lack of faith." Sai offered up a hanky. "Let's get to the Great Hall. I hear Titania wants you by her side."

Sarah just hoped she could stop shaking and look reassuring for Jareth's sake.

Quietly she followed her friends into the throngs of people filling the Great Hall of Annwn.