Desperation
Desperation
By
Lady MoonHawke
It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
-Thoreau
“Well, brother. To what do I owe the dubious pleasure of this...unexpected visit?”
Starlight grimaced. He did not relish being here, but this was possibly the one person who could, and might, help him. But he would have to play it carefully. His brother was not one to do what he didn’t think of himself. “Just visiting,” he said blandly, dropping into chair. “I understand you had quite a pretty prospect get away not long ago.” The words were sour in his mouth. The months with Aurora had shown him how much more than property a woman could be. Still, his brother had not yet found the right woman, and any gentler reference to the gentle sex would earn only his scorn.
“So I did, so I did. Quite a nice one, too. But high-spirited, a little too high spirited. I understand you picked up quite an attractive lady as well.”
“Aurora, my new chatelaine. She’s really quite amazing,” Starlight replied.
“Really? Well, in that case, when do I get to meet her?”
“Don’t really know that I want to share her with the rest of you louts. You’re all rather spoiled in my opinion, and I don’t want her to think that I may turn out like the rest of you. She’s rather particular,” Starlight said with a hint of pride.
“And a mortal, I suppose, as well. When will you get over this foolish obsession with them and take your rightful place with us?”
“You were insufferable before. Am I supposed to assume that 10 centuries has changed you somehow? And wasn’t your last failure a mortal as well?”
“I’ve sworn off mortal women as a serious pastime. They are entirely too complicated and difficult. And we were children then. All children play pranks on each other.”
“You and Lyscius threw me out a window. What kind of prank is that?” Starlight grumbled.
“What are you griping about? You lived.”
“It wasn’t your intention when you did it,” Starlight replied.
His brother leaned forward in his stone chair. “All, right, Starlight, you didn’t come here to reminisce. Out with it. What do you want?”
Starlight sighed. He didn’t want to get into his objective this way, but he was going with or without his brother’s help, so his decision was academic at this point. “Someone has kidnapped Aurora, and I’m going after her. I wanted to know if you would help me.”
“Me? An insufferable, spoiled lout? Why would you want my help?” his brother asked tauntingly.
“I don’t know who has her. She was taken from the town while I was in the outlying districts, and by the time I returned, too many travelers had obscured any trail her captors might have left. I need your help to locate her, then I’ll go and get her back.”
“Why not just pick another mortal? They’re all the same, after all.”
Starlight stared at the floor and muttered something under his breath.
“What was that, brother? I didn’t quite catch you,” said his brother.
He looked up. “She carries my heir beneath her heart. I can’t just abandon her to fate.”
“Ah, I see. So you want my assistance as a matter of loyalty to the family line. As opposed to fraternal love.” He considered a moment. “I think something can be done, if you can do something for me in return.”
“Money? Land? Men? Name your price, and I’ll meet it.”
My price isn’t anything so...ordinary. I do this out of family loyalty, and so you will do something out of that same loyalty as well. This heir you are expecting, is it to be a man-child or a girl?”
“We don’t know. Aurora asked me not to look. She doesn’t want to spoil the surprise.”
“Well, that makes it all the more interesting, doesn’t it? In that case, we’ll put it this way. The first son she brings forth of our line will bear my name, not yours. In return, I will divine her location, and go with you to assure her safe return. After all, OUR heir must be assiduously protected, if you agree, that is.”
Starlight gritted his teeth. He could succeed without his brother’s help, but by then it may be too late for Aurora and the baby. The demodification had given her a 50/50 chance to carry to term and deliver well, and a lot depended on her being safe and rested during the last months. Will had assured her that her first delivery would set the tone for any later pregnancies, so it was vital that everything the could be done to help Aurora was. She had told Starlight of Krysten’s nightmare of a miscarriage, due in part to her modification, and also to bad placement of the baby before birth. He didn’t quite understand all of what Aurora had told him, but it was enough to turn his stomach and make him fear for her health during the last months. Anything that he could do to return her sooner, he had to do, no matter how distasteful. “All right,” he said. “Our first son will be named for you, in exchange for you assistance in locating and returning my chatelaine to my care. Satisfied?”
The King of the Goblins smile. “Very. I’m certain your son will make an excellent Jareth.” He turned slightly and picked a round crystal out of a pile on the windowsill, and rolled it dexterously from hand to hand. “Tell me about her,” he said, concentrating on the crystal’s motion.
Starlight thought a moment. “She’s not quite my height, but taller than most women, slightly built, long black hair, brown eyes.”
“No, no, no. She’s not going to be locked up somewhere thinking about how tall she is compared to you or the color of her eyes. Tell me about her soul.”
Starlight sighed. “She’s proud, and brave. I don’t think I’ve seen a woman with more courage. She survived losing her sister and boyfriend in the space of a year, then went and made peace with a father she hadn’t seen in 20 years.”
“Well, there are easier emotions to fix on. What is preying most on her mind now?”
“Being held captive, I would imagine. That’s rather an obvious question, Jareth. I thought you would know the answer.”
“There is more than one female being held captive at this exact moment, I can assure you. I need something that would be causing her concern and is unique,” he explained patiently.
“There are some questions about whether or not she will be able to carry to term. A friend of hers just lost a baby, and they were in the same medical situation, so she was worried about that. It’s the reason she chose to stay at the castle instead of coming with me on the inspection.” He shook his head. “I should have insisted that she go. I could have protected her if she’d been with me.”
“You had no way of knowing. Don’t beat yourself up over what you cannot change. Plan how you are going to get her back instead. She’s being held there,” he said, waving one hand, and casting an image of a fortress onto the mirror on the wall.
Starlight went to study it. The castle sat on the edge of a cliff, with one road approaching its front gate. Towers soared from its back wall, and the land around was clear and rocky for miles, preventing any kind of surprise attack. “It’s going to be a rough one,” he said. “We’re going to be exposed the whole time. There’s nothing I like about it from an attacking point of view. It must be a dream to defend, though,” he said clinically. “Can you put her in the glass?” he asked turning around.
Jareth nodded, and the image shimmered, then, slowly, a female form replaced the building. It was hazy and indistinct, but definitely Aurora. She lay sleeping in bed, and a wedge of a room that told Starlight she was confined in a tower. He reached out to touch her face, but his fingers met only cold glass. “Hang in there, Angel. I’m coming for you.” The figure stirred in her sleep as though she had heard and Starlight looked away. “Let it go,” he said. “I have to concentrate on other things now.”
Aurora stared out the wind-hole, and cursed the limited view once again. Designed to let in light and air but not enemies during an attack, it was little more than a narrow slit, flaring out toward the interior. There was plenty of room in the nook to stand, but very little to see. The river surged muddy and powerful at the foot of the cliff, and on its distant bank she could make out miles of fields, then forest. No help would come from that direction, she knew. The ground was too open, and the river much too wide and choppy to allow a crossing. She counted the days and weeks on her fingers again, trying to calculate how long she had been held captive here, how long they had been traveling and, most importantly, how much longer her pregnancy had to run. She was desperate to get home before her condition became obvious, else Baron Oltrain take it into his head to marry her out of hand and declare her child to be his as well. She fought down panic as she thought of that again. She had already promised herself that it would not come to pass that way. She would throw herself into the river and kill them both before anyone other than Starlight could lay claim to his child. Aurora sighed. The numbers had not shifted in her favor. At HawkHaven, Will at confirmed her suspicion; that she had conceived on her birthday. Now, eight weeks later, Aurora knew with each new dawn that her time was running out. Will had told her that a good outcome for her baby depended on her being relaxed and comfortable through the last months, the months Krysten had been denied due to her miscarriage. In a way, it was probably for the best that Krysten had lost the baby, Aurora reflected. Krysten and Jonathan had never had any serious feelings for each other, and to subject a child to parents who were apathetic seemed terribly cruel. Krysten would be a wonderful mother, of that Aurora had no doubt, but the child would have to be conceived in love rather than a school-girl fantasy. The thought made tears spring to Aurora’s eyes. She had held her love for Starlight in check for months, looking for signs that he loved her as well. Ironically enough, she had her proof when she had awakened after her birthday stark naked in his bed. He’d offered her a robe and marriage in one breath, and she had laughed and accepted both, and signed the betrothal agreement before eating breakfast. Then she’d started to feel ill, and Starlight had insisted that she go back to HawkHaven and determine what was wrong with her. She had been ecstatic when Will had told her, and Starlight had been twice as enthused as she had, and promptly sent her to rest, determined that she wouldn’t stir a muscle until the baby was safely arrived. He had only relented when she had produced Will’s written instruction, detailing the minimum he expected her to do, with an upward limit of anything she felt like. He had held firm about her going on progress with him, however. If she insisted on going with him, he simply would not go, and Aurora knew well enough that he had to go to examine the accounts at the other estates. So it was with a heavy heart that she had waved good-bye from the courtyard, then lightly tripped down to the town the next day to keep herself occupied. She had visited a number of mercers looking for new cloth, then ducked into the inn to avoid a sudden rainstorm. From then on, her memories were hazy for a time. She had been seated with a visiting baron, appropriate company for the lady of the castle, and had sipped sparingly from a goblet of well-watered wine. For some reason, she had become very sleepy, and she remembered distantly being helped...somewhere. Then she had fallen completely asleep, and had awaked in the room, famished and parched. Food and water had been provided, but no explanations, until yesterday. She had found the Baron’s plan cold, but logical, at least, for this time period. He had informed her that he would marry her as soon as she gave her consent. Her imprisonment would end only with the celebration of their marriage, and she could hope for no rescue, as no one knew him or where he was from. The priest would come every Lord’s day to hear her confession and say Mass, and the baron would visit as his schedule permitted, but aside from that, she was alone. No servant would speak to her or acknowledge her; no man-at-arms would defend her. Her only hope, he’d said, was to accept her situation and be content, and the sooner, the better. Aurora turned away from the window, tired of brooding again. There had to be some way to escape from this tower. She paced into the other room of her prison, where the window was wider, designed to have a genuine view, but there was nothing different to look at. _Even if I could get down to the foot of the tower, there’s nothing, not even a path. It just goes right into the river,_ she thought. She pressed her hands to her belly, hoping to feel some confirmation that all was well, but she knew it was too soon to feel any reassuring movement. “That bastard won’t claim you, baby,” she whispered fiercely, “I promise you that. If we have to, we’ll die together.” She dropped her hands and continued to stare out the window as the bolt locking the outer door rattled and was drawn back. She ignored the shuffling servants who placed something on the table then left, then waited for the sound of the bolt being shot, but instead, the door opened again, and someone strode into the room. From the gait, she could only guess that it was the baron, and her surmise was proved when he spoke.
“Well, my lady, have you reached a decision regarding my offer?”
Aurora thought quickly. To be hostile would only increase her torment, but she could not bring herself to accept his offer and then hope for his death when Starlight came. Somewhere, there was a fine line she could walk to gain more freedom but give nothing in return. All she had to do was find it. “I fear I cannot accept your generous offer, Lord Baron. I am betrothed already, as I told you yesterday. I cannot have two husbands.”
“A betrothal is not binding, my lady. Affix your mark to a new one, and the old becomes as nothing. Surely you know this.”
“Lord Baron, I swore that I would marry Lord Starlight. Surely you would not have me break my word of honor. Perhaps you should return me to Lord Starlight’s land. I can make my way back to the castle from there, and this whole dishonorable business can be put into the past.”
Oltrain grabbed her by the elbow and spun her around. “You are aware, Lady Aurora, that I can drag you before the priest and marry you, will you, nil you? It is only to make you happy that I even ask if you are ready.”
_Uh-oh,_ she thought. _He’s getting ready to do things his way._ “But would it be a true marriage, Lord Baron, if I did not give consent before the priest? It would seem to me a sin,” she said, placing her free hand on his arm. Her skin crawled as she touched him, but she pressed on. “I cannot impinge upon my honor, and to enter into such a union in sin would surely violate it.”
“Bah!” Oltrain exclaimed, releasing her and striding away. “All men know that women have no honor. They act as pleases them, swearing lightly and breaking their word at the turn of the wind. Why should you be any different?”
“I assure you, Lord Baron, that my word means a great deal to me. Perhaps my feelings in this matter seems strange to you, but I assure you they will not change. It would be an offense against God to violate my oath.” She hoped Oltrain was a religious man. Maybe he would back off if she kept invoking the wrath of God.
He seemed to relent a bit. “I see. It is not me you fear but God. Well, God is a woman’s concern more than a man’s. Perhaps the priest can unravel the twisted fragments of the female mind. I have no patience for it.” With that, he turned and left.
Aurora stared at the closed door, now securely bolted. “”Looks like that was my round.” She looked down at the stew the servant had brought. “Blech. I hate mutton. Oh, well. Too proud to beg is too proud to choose.” She sat down and began to eat.
The servant caught up with Starlight in upper bailey. “Someone askin’ entrance at the gate, sire,” he said, tugging at a forelock. Starlight waved him away and went down to the gate. There, the guards merely looked confused when he asked about the visitor.
“But you sent a servant to summon me here,” Starlight insisted.
“We sent no servant, my lord, nor was there any visitor here,” the guard replied.
Starlight felt a tap at his shoulder and whirled around, dagger drawn and at the ready. Mentally he cursed for leaving his sword inside, but then, a person ought to be safe enough walking around in his own castle. He let the dagger down when he recognized Jareth. “Don’t DO that,” he said, exasperated. “I suppose you were the sniveling servant, as well?”
“Hardly sniveling, brother. And you were SO domestic, just waving an unknown servant off without so much as a glance. Don’t you pay attention anymore?” replied Jareth.
“I don’t live with six older brothers all hot to see blood spilled anymore. I have my lands, my people, and I will have my family back. Right now, that’s all I want and need.”
“You forget, brother. To have your little family, you need me also. I hope that doesn’t throw your little portrait off too badly,” said Jareth, smirking.
Starlight studied him a moment. “You know, Jareth, you might be happier if you would stop kidnapping children to meet women. There are better ways to accomplish these goals, and one can only have so many goblins.”
“You can never have too many goblins, especially when you’re their king. I’ll meet you up at the keep,” he said, and disappeared from sight.
“I’d rather deal with the goblins,” Starlight muttered, and hiked back to the building at the center of the castle.
He found Jareth lounging in the chair of state, legs thrown over one arm and a goblet in one hand. “Make yourself at home,” Starlight said sourly, leaning on the fireplace mantle. He would be damned if he would sit below his brother in his own home. A servant came over and offered Starlight a cup of warmed cider, and he found himself looking carefully, being sure he recognized her. It was, quite surprisingly, the girl who had been assigned to serve Aurora personally. “What are you doing down here, Frida? You’re supposed to be up in the women’s quarters, not working in the kitchens.”
She ducked her head shyly. “Head cook said I should come down to the kitchen, since her ladyship isn’t here anymore.” She scrubbed her eyes with the back of one hand. “She said I didn’t deserve to stay at all, that I should be thrown back into the gutter where her ladyship found me.” She burst into tears. “Please, sir, don’t throw me out. I’ll work anywhere in the castle. Please, I haven’t touched a thing that wasn’t mine without permission. Don’t throw me out!” she wailed.
Starlight’s heart was breaking. This poor child was one of Aurora’s projects; a girl saved from the lash for stealing a loaf of bread by a moment’s kindness. “Go back up to the women’s quarters. I’ll speak to Cook about assigning tasks. From now on, you take directions from her ladyship or myself. Go on, now. I’ll speak to you later.” He patted her gently on the head, and she disappeared.
“You are becoming too soft-hearted,” sneered Jareth. “First the heir’s mother, now a puling serving wench.” Then his expression changed, taking a calculating turn. “Or will the wench warm your bed while Aurora is gone?” He found himself suspended in midair, his brother’s hand slowly choking off his air. “Careful, brother,” he gasped. “One wrong move will cost you your beloved’s location.”
Starlight eased back on his grip, and slowly lowered Jareth to the floor. “Understand one thing, brother, then we will never speak of this again. Aurora is my betrothed wife, and while she lives, I will touch neither fine lady nor base-born whore. No other woman has a place in my heart or bed.” He tossed his brother away lightly, and walked to the other end of the hall.
Jareth smoothed his doublet and followed. “Nice to know you haven’t gone completely native, ‘Light. What have you got there?” he asked.
Starlight was pouring over a map of local domains. “I’m trying to figure which of these admirable neighbors of mine has bought himself a war.” He turned it this way and that, trying to reconcile the drawing with the image Jareth had shown him. “I can’t make heads or tails of this. Can you?”
Jareth cast it a glance. “No. I don’t do cartography. Why don’t we just transport the army there without this mundane nonsense?”
“Because I haven’t been there before, and I need to know where it is in relation to me for the spell to work. We’re also talking about too many troops on my end to transfer effectively, plus however many goblins you plan on bringing. How many are you bringing, anyway?” Starlight asked.
“Don’t worry about the goblins. They’ll stay in my labyrinth until we need them, then I’ll unleash them at the start of the battle. No fuss, no muss. Just instant soldiers, assuming we can get them all pointed in the same direction. They’re frightfully stupid, you know.”
“Then why are you their king? Wouldn’t you like some brighter subjects?” Starlight asked.
“Sheer numbers, brother mine. I’d rather have 100,000 idiots to rule than 100 smart men. The smart men might start trying to overthrow me. Then I’d be banging on your door, wanting to move in, and no one would be happy.” He studied the map a moment. “Who’s over here?” he asked, tapping an area marked with a keep, but no name.
“I’m not sure. The holder I knew died, and they had to trace the male line back quite a way to find an heir. I got bored with it after a while and stopped paying attention.”
“So you’ve never met the man? Have you ever been there?” Jareth asked.
“No. What difference does that make? I haven’t been to quite a few of these places, but that doesn’t mean Aurora is there,” Starlight argued.
“I know that, but it’s something to keep in mind. I think what we need is some kind of distinguishing feature of the land around that castle. Give me something reflective.” Starlight handed him a polished metal tray, and Jareth wiped a few crumbs from its face. He set it down on the table and stroked its surface for a moment. When he withdrew his hand, it clouded for an instant, the cleared, showing the castle they had seen before. “I’m going to try to show a bit more this time,” he said, and the picture began to rotate slowly. This time, the deep river gorge was revealed, showing the castle right at the edge of the cliff. Rising from the precipice was the back wall. Guard towers sat squat at the corners, and in the center rose a spire of stone fitted with arrow loops and narrow windows.
“Let’s get a better look at that river,” said Starlight, glancing between the map and the tray. The picture shifted slightly, taking in a better view of the rushing water. It moved swiftly between the steep canyon walls. “Now, follow it for a way,” he said, putting finger on his map for reference.
“Up-stream or down?” Jareth asked between gritted teeth. Holding the image this long was difficult enough, and moving was twice as hard.
“Up,” replied Starlight. The image began to blur and shift, running up stream away from the castle. Starlight tracked along the map, following a line across various holdings.
“Slow down now,” Starlight said. “I don’t want to miss anything. Get closer to the water if you can.”
“‘Follow the river, brother; get close to the river, brother; slow down, brother.” I’m doing this for your benefit, you know. You don’t have to get so snippy.”
Starlight ignored him, staring intently at the reflection. “Stop!” he exclaimed suddenly. “Look at that.” He indicated a blurry brown object at the water’s edge.
“What is it?” Jareth asked wearily, leaning on the table’s edge.
“It’s Aurora’s water wheel. I built it to turn something for her. It sits right at the bottom of the castle. Run up the bank there,” he said, stabbing a finger at the image. It shifted slowly until the battlements were clear, along with the black and silver pennants snapping in the breeze. He turned back to the map as Jareth let the picture fade. Starlight stabbed his dagger through a point on the map, pinning it to the table beneath. “She’s there.”
Jareth read the spidery script under the tiny ink rendering of a castle. “Oltrain,” he intoned. “How many day’s march?”
“Two, once the men are ready to go. I’ll be able to collect from these keeps as we go,” Starlight said, pointing. “These two are held by my vassals, so no problem there. This one will be difficult,” he said, indicating a third. “It’s not remotely tied to me, and I’m not on the best of terms with the holder. He would be within his right to refuse me passage with a large army at my back, and he might well decide to warn Oltrain that I’m coming.”
“Do you really think Oltrain doesn’t expect you? No one is that stupid, brother, at least, no one who manages to hold a castle.”
Aurora lay down quickly on the floor as she heard the servant coming up the stairs. More days had passed without any sight or sound of rescue, and she was becoming desperate to leave. Perhaps this was a foolish plan, but it was the best she could devise. She closed her eyes as the door opened, and feigned unconsciousness. She heard a gasp, and the tray dropped to the floor. Feet ran out the door, and most importantly, the door was neither shut nor locked. Aurora rose quietly and crept to the door. There was a distant clamoring of voices, but the tower was quiet. She stole softly down the stairs and into the passageway. The noise was louder now, and she moved quietly away from it, hoping to find a cloak or blanket to disguise herself, then a postern gate, and make good her escape. Torches were set irregularly into wall sconces, and she moved from one to the next, then into what seemed to another tower. There, a soldier’s cloak hung on a peg, and she grabbed it swiftly and put it on, pulling the hood over her head. She slipped out the other door and glided down another passageway, becoming more and more reassured of her escape with every step. A small bolted door in what she reasoned was the outer wall gave her even more hope, and she worked the stiff bolt frantically, wincing with every squeal from the rusted metal. Finally, it was free of the wall, and she raced out into the cool evening darkness, and straight into Oltrain’s arms.
She found herself hauled back into the castle and up to the tower, with little attention paid to the courtesies usually offered a lady, and the point of a sharp knife against her throat as insurance that she would not try to run again. She stumbled along as best she could, desperate to avoid a prick to some vital spot, lest it spill her lifeblood in a crimson pool on the floor. He threw her past the guards now standing watch by the door, and slammed it behind him. Aurora could hear heavy bars drop down, bolting them in, and she cowered from him, her eyes never leaving the bared blade in his hand.
“You seem to be possessing of an overweening pride, my lady; a condition I will be overjoyed to correct on the morrow. I have run out of patience with you, and will bring you before the priest to say the blessing. Once you are well wedded and bedded, it should be no great difficulty to force that prig Starlight to disgorge any lands and moneys in your dowry.” He chucked her under the chin. “I think I’ll enjoy being well assured that our union is consummated while you scream beneath me,” he sneered. At this, Aurora lashed out, raking her nails across Oltrain’s face and leaving four bloody gashes across his cheek. H slapped her in return, knocking her head into the high wooden chairback. Spots exploded in front of her eyes, and then she knew nothing.
Dawn broke still and chilly over the hastily constructed encampment. A cloudy night and some careful magic had allowed Starlight and his army to approach unseen, and now, as the sun rose, chaos could be heard coming from the walls of the besieged castle. Starlight stood just outside his tent, watching the men organize themselves into units. He fitted his helmet over his head and checked his sword in its scabbard. Satisfied, he made his way over to his horse, a huge, black war-trained destrier, a foul-tempered animal that routinely reared and bit. There he found Jareth, holding the animal’s bridle and speaking soothingly to him. Starlight was surprised that the animal was taking the company so well. Usually, he was the only person who could handle the high-strung stallion. “Well, if it isn’t two of the worst-tempered creatures on the planet,” he said jestingly.
“I think we understand each other, your horse and I. No one else really understands us, do they?” he cooed. The destrier snorted and shook his head gently.
“You’re a pair, that’s for certain. How do you want to deploy your goblins?” Starlight asked, squinting at the stronghold in the distance.
“Well, I rather thought I’d just drop them into the middle of the thing and let your troops mop up whatever runs out. Should keep down casualties for your men on the outside,” he said.
“You’re going to lose an awful lot at that rate. You could wait until we get the gate open and then let them in,” Starlight suggested.
“Goblins do not play well with others. They might take it into their heads to attack your men rather than Oltrain’s and then we’d have a real mess. Besides, they’re so stupid that they only enjoy two things in life; fighting and breeding. I could lose three-quarters of the group I’m sending in and still have a hoard in three years. I will have to go in with them, though. They don’t know your lady from anyone else in the castle, and it will take them years to teach them the difference. I, on the other hand, know the difference, and can bring her out during the disturbance with no one the wiser,” Jareth said smugly, buffing his nails on his velvet doublet.
“You’re going to go in there and pull my wife out? I don’t think so. She’s my responsibility, and I’ll go in after her,” Starlight insisted.
“You’re going to be too busy managing this moving meat grinder out here, and besides, you’ll never reach her before the goblins do. They’re going to be everywhere at once, and I’m the only one who can control them. There’s a small postern gate there,” he said, pointing to one side of the castle. “Try to stay in its general vicinity, and I’ll bring her out there. Now get to work,” he said, and vanished.
Aurora awoke in bed with no memory of how she had gotten there. Her head was pounding and her arm hurt, but nothing else seemed injured. She moved to get out of bed and heard a clinking sound. A shackle was around her ankle, and it was chained to a ring around the post of the bed. There was no way either would come off. Aurora tested her range and found that she could barely reach the door to the outer room. It was closed now and bolted. She tugged experimentally on the bed a few times, and found that it hopelessly outweighed her. A disturbance outside drew her to the narrow window, where she could see very little, except for the bodies floating away down the river. “Well,” she said to herself, “Oltrain seems to have run out of time.” She heard some noise at the outer door. “Maybe I have, too. Well, I’m not going without a fight.” She ran quickly to the large candlestick supporting the nightcandle. The stick was four feet of wrought iron, and boasted a six-inch spike on the top designed to hold a candle firmly through the night. She quickly discarded the candle into the fireplace, and hefted the stick. It was a bit heavier than she was accustomed to, but would make an excellent weapon. She stood back from the door, the candlestick behind her, one hand securely around it. The door to her chamber opened, and Aurora was slightly surprised. Instead of Oltrain, a tall, thin man slipped in, and quickly shut the door behind him. He was blond like Starlight’s, but his eyes were an almost non-existent blue, like Jonathan’s, and he also shared with Jonathan a disdainful expression.
“Lady Aurora, I presume? We have to move quickly if you’re going to survive,” he said, gesturing slightly. The shackle dropped from her ankle.
Aurora brought forward the candlestick, brandishing it threateningly.. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m not going to let Oltrain take me, so just get out of my way.” She circled, jabbing dangerously with the spike. Jareth dodged quickly.
“Lady, I care nothing for Oltrain, but I will not let you die here. Now come with me this instant,” he ordered, holding out a hand. She was so like Sarah, headstrong and impulsive. Sometimes these mortal women seemed to be more trouble than they were worth. Still in all, he had made a pact with his brother, and that was paramount.
Aurora ignored his offer, and slipped around and out the door to the other room. The door to the passageway was shut, and she didn’t have the time to try it. She climbed up onto the windowseat and looked out. The river still raged below, now dyed red with blood. She pressed one hand to her midsection. “It’s fitting, child,” she said softly. “No one will take your father’s honor from us.” She braced herself to jump when a hand grabbed her wrist.
Jareth looked at her. “Lady Aurora, it is irrelevant to me what you do to yourself, but I cannot allow you to do this to my brother’s child. Now get out of that window and come with me.”
Aurora yanked her arm back, but couldn’t break his grip. “The child isn’t Oltrain’s, and I’ll not be some whore in his family’s house. Leave me go before I am forced to do you some hurt.”
Jareth smiled indulgently and shook his head. “I am no kin of the toad who held this castle. My family are a little more...extraordinary in their abilities. Starlight is holding the postern gate safe for us, and if you want to see him again, you must come now.”
Aurora jumped out of the window. “You could have just said so in the first place,” she said, heading for the door. It swung open without any help. “Show off,” she muttered, and ran down the stairs.
Starlight stood near the small door, fending off terrified castle folk, and growing more edgy by the moment. The screaming had gone on for quite some time now, and there was no sign of either Jareth or Aurora. He spun around when the door creaked, but it was not his brother. A short, rotund man slipped out, and Starlight recognized him at once. “Oltrain!” he thundered, and the baron cowered. “You brought this on yourself, you fool. You should have left her alone. She’s MINE!” He swung his sword furiously, but Oltrain managed to drop below it and grab an abandoned weapon. He jumped up, slashing wildly, and Starlight parried without effort. The door creaked again, though neither noticed, and Jareth slipped out, followed by Aurora. She pressed herself quickly against the wall to stay out of the way and observed the fight. Oltrain was badly overmatched, and before long, Starlight had him on his knees, bleeding from a dozen small wounds. He looked over and saw Aurora near the wall, gazing at Oltrain indifferently. He raised his sword higher, still looking at Aurora, and saw her nod. With a negligent swing, he removed Oltrain’s head, and left the corpse in the grass. He cleaned and sheathed his blade, then came over and gathered Aurora to him. “I’m so sorry, Angel. I never should have left you.” He pulled her back to look at her, taking in the livid welt across her cheek. “Are you all right? I’ll kill him again if he’s defiled you. Is the baby well?”
Aurora leaned into him again. “He didn’t get a chance to touch me, although you couldn’t have cut it much closer. He wanted to haul my in front of the priest today, then have his way with me. I was going to jump out the window, but you brother finally got around to telling me you were here.” Starlight looked over her head at Jareth.
He shrugged. “I didn’t think it was quite the time to explain all the details of the operation. Now, if you have no further need of me, I’ll collect my goblins and go. Don’t forget, brother, we have an agreement.” He shimmered and vanished.
Aurora stared at the place he had been. “What is he talking about?” she asked tiredly.
He stroked her hair. “It’s a long story, Angel. I’ll explain on the way home.” He led her carefully through the carnage, away from the empty castle, toward home.
*THE END*
SilverHawks, Narnia characters, Labyrinth characters, Beauty and the Beast characters and Gargoyles characters are the properties of their respective owners, and are used without permission. These stories are not for sale, and no money is being made from them. Original stories are the property of Lady Moonhawke, as are any original characters. Krysten Barter (AKA Krysten Merino / Skyedansuer) is the property of Lady Razorsharp, and is used with permission.
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