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Crystalline Dreams
by: Dreamspinner and Delilah

Chapter 5



    Delilah shivered slightly as she hurried down the hallway. She could still feel Jareth's cold fingers wrapped about her arm and she rubbed at the arm absently as though trying to erase the feeling from her skin. She cocked her head listening for any sound that would betray Dreamspinner's passing. After the two of them had tried to leave Jareth's presence she had been held back while Dreamspinner had forged ahead. She didn't like the way the woman had looked after helping her get
a new set of clothes and Jareth's appearance seemed to have sent her over the edge. Dreamspinner could need her help. Besides, she didn't want to be left alone in this creepy place. Unfortunately she had no idea where Dreampinner's room was supposed to be and with her pathetic sense of direction she was soon turned about with no idea as to where she was. She ran past a few doors and slid to a stop when she heard voices. She walked cautiously to a pair of large wooden doors. Pressing her ear to it she could barely make out the sound of Dreamspinner speaking to someone. She knocked to allow her presence to be known and also to prove that it wasn't Jareth. Jareth probably didn't even know what it meant to knock. She stepped into the room and caught her breath.
    Dreamspinner was propped up by a pile of pillows and seemed half asleep. Next to her sat the woman who had so mysteriously disappeared when Jareth had appeared. Genna smiled slightly and motioned her over. Taking small steps Delilah gathered the bottom of her dress and sat on the corner to watch her new found friend. After a few silent moments she took in a breath to address the violet-hued woman.
"Is she all right?"
Dreamspinner shook herself awake, annoyed at being ignored, "I'm fine. Just a little tired."
Genna nodded in agreement. "Some rest will take care of you, but if you keep over exerting yourself you will need more than rest to get better."
"How'd you get rid of Jareth?" Dreamspinner asked wishing to change the subject.
Delilah sniffed in disdain. "His royal pain in my side annoyed me so I left."
Genna raised an eyebrow at this. "You challenged him and he let you leave?"
"Yeah. But he's up to something and will probably make me eat my words before all this is done," Delilah sighed and looked down at her folded hands, "I don't mean to be angry at him but there's just something about him that makes me snap whenever I'm near him. I think it's his hair."
Both girls laughed at this while Genna watched quietly. Dreamspinner leaned back and closed her eyes with a chuckle that turned to a cough. Genna reached out and placed a hand on her forehead and pushed gently. Somehow the pile of pillows seemed lower and Dreamspinner was soon laying down breathing slowly in sleep. Delilah blinked and shook her head sure that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Genna turned towards her and took her hand helping her up off the bed.
"The childling needs rest to regain her strength. The hour draws late and you should probably sleep as well." She paused when she saw Delilah shiver.
Noticing the woman's silence Delilah blushed slightly at her reaction, "I don't think I can sleep in this place. It's too creepy."
Genna nodded knowingly. "Sleep will come, and tomorrow will bring new adventures for you," she reassured as she lead Delilah out the door and down the hall back towards her room.
Delilah shook her head. "That's what I'm worried about."
They turned a corner and as a result didn't see a cape appear out of nowhere bringing with it a man. Jareth glanced about the hall to make sure that no one had observed his coming and silently walked into the darkened room with stealthy steps. It was time that he and Dreamspinner had a talk.

********

    Dreamspinner floated and drifted in the whirls and eddies of quiet dreamtime. She saw her cottage and her loom which called to her with an urgency that she had never before experienced. Landing softly by the front door, she slowly pushed it open to see a Gwydion slumped forward in his chair, head in his hands. She approached him very carefully, gently placing a timid hand on his shoulder.
He spun around and looked at her as if seeing an apparition, "Dreamspinner, my love? Is it you? I have waited so long...," and she fell unresisting into his embrace. As he kissed her possessively... she sensed something was terribly wrong... she pushed herself from him and backed up, quite startled. He cried out to her in great pain, and she jolted awake to find Jareth holding her tightly, her head resting on his chest.
"What..." she watched him curiously as she shook the veil of sleep from her mind. She brushed her fingertips across her still-tingling lips. His arms were around her, and she struggled in vain to get out of his grasp.
"Please... it is not what you think..." he seemed at a loss for words.
"What is it then?"
"You were having a bad dream, and I thought you might feel better if someone held you. You felt safe in my arms for a while-I sensed it! I did not mean any harm." he was looking very awkward. She tried to pull away, but he held onto her more tightly, "Listen! I meant no harm! I'll prove it!" and he pulled her closer, caressing her cheek lightly. She felt a jolt of magic accompanying the caress and her weakness suddenly draining away. Her power surged in response to his, and she looked deep
within. She saw the ley lines of power that surrounded and penetrated the castle.... the Labyrinth was one huge magical node! Overwhelmed, she collapsed.
"See?" he said calmly, "Look at what I am offering you."
"What are you offering me?" this was very confusing. She was getting to be very afraid.
"Power."
"I don't need your power," she whispered.
"Maybe."
She looked into his eyes... and did not like what she saw there. Panicked, she fought her way out of his embrace. This time, he let her go.

    Dreamspinner ran for her life. She was down the stairs and out the castle before Jareth could figure out what direction she had taken. On and on she ran, through the twists and turns of the hellish nighttime labyrinth. The full moon did its best to light her way. She finally reached the labyrinth gates... and pushed as hard as she could to try to open them, but to no avail. She kicked and screamed at them- cursed them, and beat her fists on the doors until her tender skin broke and bled. Jareth watched this in silence.
"Are you quite finished?" he asked softly.
Dreamspinner spun around, tears coursing down her pale cheeks, "Let me out! I want out!"
He glided out of the shadows to offer her his handkerchief. She warily backed away from him, her eyes following every move he made. He thought about making a fake lunge at her, just to add some humor to the situation, but decided against it, for his audience did not seem to be in a very receptive mood at the moment.
He held out his hands, palms upward, as if to receive a child, "Please, come
back to the castle. I promise there will be no more nocturnal visits, okay?" Her silence was beginning to concern him. She regarded him silently for a moment, and he felt the currents of magic swirling around her...
"GWYDION!!!!" she screamed. He felt the ancient magic erupting around them, the
shadows began shaping itself into forms. Jareth stared at her in total disbelief.
Out of the darkness stepped a tall man. His shadowed mount pawed the moist earth, destroying all it touched. The man wordlessly reached out to Dreamspinner, who threw herself into his embrace. The dark elf smiled malevolently at Jareth over the top of Dreamspinner's head, gently stroking her bright hair.
"Jareth..." the man hissed.
Jareth took a defiant step forward, "That child is under *my* protection! How dare you interfere?! Dreamspinner, that one is not who he is pretending to be- look at him! Really look at him!" Jareth cried in earnest. She must listen! Dreamspinner slowly looked up into the man's dark eyes, and realized that this creature was not her
husband. "Open your mind to me," she whispered.
The dark lord softly sighed as if in regret, "No child, I cannot. You are too weak from the summoning. It would tear you apart." his grip on her tightened possessively. Sensing her dilemma, Jareth allowed the gate to open behind them, hoping she would run. She saw this and twisted out of the dark one's grasp, and bolted onward into the night.
The dark-lord glared at Jareth, "So brother, another game? I think you have met your match in that one. Maybe I'll send my men out to collect her. She may prove useful."
"Gwydion is out there, you know. And she will find him. When she does, it will be you that will suffer." Jareth's calm voice sliced through the night.
"She called, I came...what of it?"
"Do you even know what role you are playing? You are a fool! When Gwydion hears of this, he and his men will hunt you down. You shall wish for death, but they will not give it to you. You will beg for it. I sense them on their way now." Jareth spoke with cold certainty. He sent a part of his awareness out to quest for Dreamspinner's presence...ah..there. She was running along the paths she knew by heart. She would reach her cottage soon, and would be safe enough with Gwydion.
    Jareth glared at the intruder, summoning his power, and blasted his brother with enough force to keep him realm-bound for a long time. The dark-one disappeared with a howl, shadows and darkness compressing inward until nothing remained of his foul presence. Jareth sniffed in disdain, then transformed into an owl to hunt down Dreamspinner.

    Dreamspinner ran onward, a stitch tearing at her side. In the distance, she heard the sound of a hunting horn. Terrified, she ran away from it, gasping for breath. Cursing, she realized that she was in the center of a great circular clearing in the forest, which was not a very defensible position to be in. The riders soon caught up with her, and the antlered leader reigned in the great stallion he rode near her. She thought she was going to faint, her frightened gasps of breath quite audible over the jingling and squeaks of the leather tacks and harnesses. The man dismounted carefully, slowly removed his antlered helm to reveal the handsome face she knew so well, and gently stretched out his hand to her.
"Oh, Gwydion," she sobbed, and fell into his embrace.
He held his dear one close to him, scooping her up into his arms, "I'm here, bright-one, I'm here." He held her tightly, then set her down briefly so he could mount his steed. He aided her to mount into position behind him. Dreamspinner wrapped her arms tightly round his waist, and he clasped her hands in his gloved one, "Home, dearest?" he asked. "Yes... home," came her soft reply.
They reached the cottage in but a whisper of time.
    Genna was standing in the doorway, a look of barely contained rage coloring her pale features, "I am sorry I left you, childling. If I had known that other one was skulking about, I would never have gone." She crossed over to them, and reached up to aid Dreamspinner to dismount. She fell from the saddle, Genna caught her, and motioned for Gwydion to hurry up and get them all inside. Gwydion dismounted and with a mental command, dismissed his men. He took his pale wife from Genna's
arms, and gently carried her into their cottage. He sat down in the wing backed chair by the hearth, Dreamspinner safe in his embrace.
"Genna, we must go and get Delilah. I'm worried about her." Dreamspinner tried to rise, but Gwydion held her tighter, unwilling to let her go now that he had finally found her.
Genna pursed her lips and sighed, "I'll go, childling... you are safe here. I will not risk your safety again."

********



    Delilah sighed and rolled over for what seemed like the millionth time. There was something wrong, she could smell it but she couldn't for the life of her figure out what that thing was. Why was she feeling so paranoid?
"It could be because you've been dragged to some strange Labyrinth by a king who seems to be nothing more then a six foot ten year old who seems to get a strange enjoyment at your expenses," came the reply from her subconscious. She shook her head to dispel the thoughts. Once again she wished she could go find Dreamspinner but Genna's words still rang through her mind. Dreamspinner needed rest and she didn't need to be bothered by a woman who was jumping at her own shadow.
Sighing she rolled over and looked out the window which stood open at the end of her room. She gasped and sat up.
There was something floating just outside her window. And it was glowing.
Delilah blinked a few times hoping that it was just the moon glinting off of her eyes but it wasn't. Gulping she slowly rose from the bed and crept towards the window. Her long nightgown whispered as it dragged across the floor. She had forgotten to ask for a new wardrobe and had been forced to use what Jareth had provided which wasn't very good for movement. Delilah was too entranced to notice, however. She walked forward and after a pause slowly stepped into the light. She gasped
and titled her head back as the light touched her skin and it's warmth seemed to seep into her. A quiet voice seemed to be whispering something into her mind but she couldn't make out the words, only that she wished desperately to do anything the voice told her to.
    Minutes passed slowly as Delilah stood there smiling faintly in the glow. She didn't notice when her legs gave out and she fell. Something kept her from hitting the ground and she lay there nestled in the arms of whatever kept her above the ground. Muttering something under her breath she closed her eyes and breathed in contentment. This was where she was meant to be. This was where she belonged. And this was where she always wanted to be. She frowned in her sleep when the glow began to fade and when it disappeared the nightmares began.

~~~~on to Chapter 6