Labyrinth 2- Return of The Queen

Chapter 23

Sarah walked onto the training field and headed straight for Hoggle, Sir Dydimus and Ludo. They were talking to the leader of the goblin army about tactics for the next training session. Although Hoggle wasn't going to be involved with the battle, he was to advise the best places to hide. After all, it was his speciality.

"Hey guys can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure you can Sarah." Hoggle replied. Sarah led them into the castle and stopped in a corridor.

"I need to tell you guys something. And you might not approve." Sarah told them, nervously chewing on her lip.

"What is it my lady?" Dydimus asked, dismounting from Ambroscious.

"You see I... Well I..."

"Sarah?" Ludo asked, confused.

"I am kind of, sort of courting Jareth.." She said quietly. Hoggle's mouth opened to form an O shape.

"But, but he is a monster! He stole your brother! He gave you the peach! He.. He.." Hoggle continued with a list of bad things Jareth had done.

"I know that Hoggle but I think he has changed... I think he loves me." She said quietly.

"Hmph!" Hoggle stormed off in a rage.

"Hoggle!" Sarah yelled but he had already gone.

"Ludo, go after, Hoggle." Ludo then slowly made his way down the corridor.

"My lady?" Sarah bent down and looked at her friend.

"Yes Dydimus?"

"Are you happy with the King?" Sarah smiled. "Yes, I'm very happy." Dydimus grinned showing all of his sharp teeth.

"Then I approve! But, if he hurts you in anyway my lady, I take an oath to make sure he suffers!" Sarah laughed a little at her friends loyalty.

"Thank you Dydimus, you are a true friend." He bowed at Sarah and then whistled to Ambroscious. "Come along Ambroscious, we must find my brother Sir Ludo and Sir Hoggle. My lady." He then left in the direction Hoggle and Ludo left in.

"Well, could've been worse."

Training continued with endurance laps and when Sarah came back, they moved onto an assault course.

"If you do find yourself in battle and needing to retreat, you will find it is not as easy as it looks. Sarah, as I recall you had a similar experience the last time you visited?" Sarah nodded and recalled trying to fend off and unprepared goblin army and even then it was difficult.

"Well, you can go first." Gloria watched as her friend gingerly took the first step onto a thin beam which had swinging axes. She stood next to Drake and lent over to him.

"She isn't going to get hurt is she?"

"Don't worry, if she gets hit she will be transported back to the start." Gloria sighed in relief as Sarah got passed the beam and made her way to the wall of swords. This was a wall that moved towards the pathway, with swords poking out of it. Although it went out again, the quicker you were, the less likely you were to get hit. Drake chuckled at Gloria's nervousness. "You will do great." Gloria raised her eyebrows at the next obstacle which was something resembling the cleaver which would try and catch you while you swung over a replica of the bog of eternal stench. Drake took her had, causing her too look at him. She hadn't noticed that his eyes were so much darker, a chocolate brown instead of the grey blue of Jareth's.

"If I didn't think you were ready I wouldn't let you go near this. I believe in you." Gloria smiled at him and then noticed Sarah had completed the course. She let go of his hand to clap at Sarah's achievement.

"3 minutes 40 seconds. That's very good for the first try." Drake told her. Gloria then stepped up to the start. She walked quickly along the beam. She watched the first axe and ran past it when it was raised. She watched the next two and ran along the beam, missing the last one by inches. She turned her focus to the wall of swords. It had just begun to move in so Gloria ran as fast as she could along the path which was about a meter wide. The wall had almost hit her when she ducked down before the sword could hit her.

'Made it!' She thought as she just got out of wall. Suddenly, she heard the spinning of the cleaver behind her. She saw the rope hanging 2 meters in front of her and she ran. Blood pumped through her body as she pushed it forward, willing herself to get to the rope. She reached out, her fingers brushing the rope as she jumped. She held onto the rope as if her life depended on it. She landed on the ramp over the bog.

'That's it.' She looked ahead to see a group of cannons lined up. She had missed this part as she was talking to, okay staring at Drake. "Come on Gloria." She ran through the cannons, ducking down as they fired furiously. She tripped at the last second and fell over the line and landed on a heap. Sarah, Lottie and Drake rushed over to her, shouting her name. She sat up coughing, "That was awesome." They all laughed, releasing the worry they had built up. "3 minutes 20. That's good." Drake told, her helping her up.

"Was that it?!" She replied.