The Tale of the Labyrinth By Eamane-Shu

Hoggle and Sarah walked through the castle gardens. Hoggle was talking to Sarah intently on how he planned to build a new cottage by the entrance to the Labyrinth, but she was lost in her own thoughts. The sun was shining and Sarah thought it was a beautiful day, she had never seen the Labyrinth in this light before. The gardens were a huge expanse of smooth, lush green grass, with trees, flowers and streams running through it at random intervals. They were set on a hill above the Labyrinth, which Sarah could see in the bright daylight, as opposed to the dim, murky skies that had been present on her last visit. On the clear day she could see the lands beyond the Labyrinth, a great plateau of grasslands, empty and barren. But on the horizon she could see something glinting in the sunlight.

Sarah suddenly interrupted Hoggle.

“What’s that blinking in the sunlight?”

“Where?” Asked Hoggle grumpily, not happy about the interruption.

“Over there” pointed Sarah “Out on the horizon”

“Oh, that’s just Threasedene.” Seeing the confused look on Sarah’s face, “The chief city of the Goblin Realm. Though there’s no goblins there” He added. “It’s where the King holds his court. The Labyrinth just happened to be in the Goblin Realm, so King Serehen decided about ten thousand years ago, to build a castle and a city here, bung all the goblins in the city, and not have them causing havoc across the entire country. I’ve never been to Threasedene personally”.

“Why not” asked Sarah, trying to get as much information from Hoggle as possible.

“They don’t like the Labyrinth folk out there too much, so we don’t tend to go very often. With the exception of Jareth and Danae of course, but with them being royalty an all they don’t really count as Labyrinth folk.”

“Do you know Danae?” Sarah asked, wanting to know as much about her companion in advance.

“Not really” replied Hoggle “Only by reputation – why you askin?”

“Jareth wants me to be her companion”

“Well good luck to ya”

“What do you mean?” Asked Sarah who now felt apprehensive

“Well you know how Jareth is always threatening folk with a quick swim in the bog of eternal stench?”

Sarah nodded and Hoggle continued. “Well to my knowledge he’s never actually followed through on the threat, not to say that he wouldn’t. But if someone has been in the bog everyone suffers when they’re around. Well Jareth hasn’t thrown anyone in the bog, however Danae has, I’m not sure of the circumstances but she got cross and into the bog he went.”

“What happened to him?”

“Well Jareth had to banish him from the Kingdom, he smelt that bad. But I’m warning you now missy, don’t do anything to make that girl lose her temper or you’ll regret it, and don’t think if you smell like that I’ll have anything more to do with ya, and further more I’m going to- ”

But what Hoggle was going to do Sarah never got to hear, as Camille appeared with a basket of food.

“Off you go now Hoggle” she ordered good naturedly “It’s time for Sarah to have some lunch and you should get back to work.”

“Of course Camille” Hoggle nodded to Sarah, and trotted off into the Labyrinth whistling.

“That’s better” Said Camille to Sarah warmly. “Just us girls. I thought as it was such a nice day, you would like a picnic in the gardens, and I thought I’d join you, seeing as I’m to be your new Ladies maid and we don’t know the first thing about each other.”

“I’d like that” smiled Sarah warmly

“Are you looking forward to your outing with Danae later?” Camile enquired, as she laid down a soft white linen blanket on the floor and sat down. She then opened the basket and started to unpack the food.

“I guess so” said Sarah now sitting, “I’ve heard very mixed accounts of her, and I don’t really know what to expect from her.”

“Meaning you heard about her throwing the goblin into the bog?” smiled Camille “I was nursemaid to Danae, and to Jareth before that. They are both very alike you know. Strong willed, and very proud, but I’ve never been able to decide which one of them has the worst temper.”

“What do you mean?” asked Sarah confused.

“Understand that I’ve known both of them since the cradle, they are the closest thing to my own children, and they are very alike, with the exception of their tempers. Danae has a very hot temper, and she is very quick to anger, which the goblin who broke her favourite doll when she was 47 soon found out, and the number of times she’s thrown her breakfast tray at me when I’ve told her off is uncountable, however although Danae is quick to anger she is quick to forget her anger. But Jareth’s temper is the opposite, it takes time to come through. And it’s so cold. When he gets angry, there is no forgiveness, and his wrath is terrible. But it takes a lot to get Jareth truly angry”

“Oh” said Sarah. Picking up some freshly baked warm bread and covering it with cheese.

“Don’t you worry about Danae though m’dear” said Camille as she popped a grape into her mouth, “She’s really a dear sweet girl when you get to know her, although I think she’s a bit lonely, even more so since I moved out of her apartments in the castle, but she’s growing up and she cannot have a nurse with her forever.”

“But why do I need a nurse?” Asked Sarah confused

“You don’t need a nurse, but Jareth wanted someone he could trust to make sure you settle into Fae society properly. And those ladies in waiting of Danae’s are not exactly known for having any good sense”

Sarah could see Danae approaching through the gardens, she had changed out of her britches and now had on the same white dress that she had worn earlier, her red hair shimmered in the sunlight, and Sarah had never seen anyone look so beautiful. When Danae spotted the twosome on the grass, she started running over until she reached them and threw herself on the blanket next to Camille, who immediately started scolding her for such unladylike behaviour, much to Sarah’s and Danae’s amusement, when Camille seemed to have given up, Danae kissed her on the cheek, bid her farewell and grabbed Sarah’s hand and pulled her up.

Immediately they were standing in the middle of the Goblin City. It hadn’t changed much since Sarah’s last visit, although the damage caused by Ludo’s rocks had been repaired. Danae led her through a back street, and Sarah found herself in the middle of a huge market, jugglers and fire eaters lined the streets. She could see gypsies reading palms, tarot cards and tea leaves. Then there was the market itself, hundreds upon hundreds of stalls selling everything from pots and pans to exquisite pearl jewellery.

“The first thing we need to get for you I think would be fabric” Danae smiled at her, “The market only comes to the Goblin City twice a year, the rest of the time we have to go to Threasedene” She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper, “So what we’ll do is buy about half the stuff we need, then Jareth will have no option but to take us to Threasedene in a month or so.” Sarah laughed at Danae’s blatant manipulation of Jareth, and suspected that the Goblin King was not at all clued up when it came to his sisters wants, or her methods for achieving them for that matter. As Sarah and Danae walked to each stall the merchants bowed and offered them the finest fabrics Sarah had ever seen. Danae picked out more fabric than Sarah could imagine, of all colours of the rainbow, rich golds, heavenly silvers, blues the colour of the sky, wines, pinks, yellows and greens all in soft silk, shimmering satins, rich velvets and lace so fine it looked as if it had been spun by spiders. Danae laughed at Sarah’s wonder and just ordered it to be packed off to the castle.

“Well now, we should visit the dress maker, who can get your measurements, and then you will have a dress for tomorrow.”

“Is that back at the castle?” Sarah asked, as she was now feeling rather tired.

“No she just lives in a house across the street” replied Danae, firmly leading the way.

As they crossed the street Sarah could hear the wailing of a crying child, while a shouting match was coming from another house two doors down. “She may not live in the nicest of areas but she’s the best dressmaker in the Goblin City, though that isn’t saying much. Kylie will make a few dresses for each of us and I will send the rest to Threasdene, where the best dressmakers in the Underground reside.”

Danae knocked on the door of a rickety old cottage and a woman came out, when Sarah first looked upon her she thought she was young, but then she saw the redness of her palms and the lines around her eyes and mouth, she looked at Danae, almost coldly and said with the utmost respect “What can I do for you your highness”, Danae and Sarah entered the cottage, and stood in a small workshop, while Danae repeated her instructions regarding Sarah to the woman, Sarah stood feeling rather out of place. The woman, Kylie, Sarah thought her name was never even looked at her as she started to measure Sarah and only spoke to her to mutter instructions like “arms up” and “stand up straight”. Sarah was secretly relieved when the whole ordeal was over and Danae announced that it was time to go home, she smiled at Sarah and offered her hand, and when Sarah took it she found herself with Danae in the throne room.

Aldous was waiting for them. “Danae, the King requires your presence in the study immediately”. Seeing the concerned look on his face, she ran off down the corridor straight away.

“His majesty says you should come along too.” Said Aldous to Sarah quietly, and he turned and walked down the corridor that Danae had just ran through, Sarah followed silently.

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