~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Note: If you are easily offended please skip the third part of chapter 8. I have read far worse in detail but it does hint at some acts that can cause others to blush. If you do skip it you can still pick up the story easily in part 4)

Crystalline Dreams
by: Dreamspinner and Delilah
Chapter 8


    The sun sank into the horizon darkening the dusty red sky to a violet then black. Two moons rose up over the walls of the Labyrinth. The third would follow soon the paths of its sisters. The creatures of the Labyrinth settled and fell into the realm of sleep as all movement stopped. The castle, however, was another matter. Goblins lay huddled together on the floor keeping warm and taking comfort in each other. Jareth tossed restlessly in his sleep, his guilt following him into slumber. His hand lashed out and knocked over a nearby table but he still did not awaken. There was no release for him. His dreams would play out eventually and they were for him alone to deal with.
    In another wing of the castle Dreamspinner sighed as she stared out into the night. She wished absently for her loom to give herself something to do. She could sense Jareth's discomfort and something else she couldn't pin point. The disruption caused by nightmares hung heavily on the castle but she didn't know who was being plagued. There was nothing she could do right now in any case. Gwydion called softly for her and she sighed and turned from the window. Joining him in the large
bed she rested her head against him and allowed herself to be taken in by an old friend.
    Genna stood at the highest point of the castle and allowed the breeze to blow her hair. She couldn't sleep. This life was too new and too real for her. She had wished for this every moment since her creation. She wouldn't waste it now in sleep. Wondering what it would feel like to play with the wind she tightened her legs underneath her body and leapt into the air spreading her gossamer wings. She gasped as she was lifted upwards and she closed her eyes taking in the sensation. She allowed the wind to carry her where it may.
    Delilah closed her door and winced as darkness swept over her body and disabled her vision. She suddenly felt a tugging and wearily she shuffled across the floor and collapsed onto her bed. The mark on her neck began to burn as she drifted off to sleep. Shadows came out of no where to grab and pull at her legs and clothes. She screamed and shied away from them. Barren trees rose up into the air mocking her with their height and gauntness. She took a step back and felt her foot sink down
into something warm up to her ankle. Glancing down she watched as the mud worked its way up her leg. She cried out again and pulled away. Hands came up from the ground and pulled at her trying to force her to the ground. Not knowing what else to do she ran tears blinding her eyes. She was always running. She couldn't stop.
If she did she was dead.


********


    Dreamspinner startled awake, reflexively grabbing onto Gwydion, who held her comfortingly and murmured soft soothing syllables into her ear. She tilted her face upward so she could look him in the eye, "Something is *very* wrong here. The dreamplains are disturbed and new horrors roam in places they do not belong. Some clumsy idiot is attempting to distort the very fabric of dreamtime. They are creating much darkness, my love," she said as her lower lip trembled.
Gwydion nodded sagely, "I saw as you did, beloved. The question remains still as to who would be capable of such a thing. And who would be foolhardy enough to tamper with anything belonging to the twilight realm?"
"I know not, but I have a funny feeling that Bane is somehow involved. If this keeps up, eventually no innocent dreamer will be safe. I cannot allow that. I should have unraveled that dark weaving long ago," Dreamspinner shook her vibrant tresses, trying to clear her mind of the darkness she had witnessed in dreamtime. Someone was feeding the nightmares, giving them strength. Balance in all things was a law older than time, but when one force out stepped its boundaries, someone always
came along and righted the scales. Some dark creature had overstepped the primal boundaries of what was acceptable, and therefore, must be eliminated or rendered harmless. A small line of worry appeared between her auburn brows. Gwydion noticed his wife's dark reverie had caused her bright wings to become visible, which was not a good sign, and decided to somehow change her thoughts for a moment- this could wait until the morning when she was safely rested. Gwydion held her all the more closely, smoothing the ruffled feathers of her wings.
"They are so bright," he mused, "And I am the only one privileged enough to see them. But to touch...!" She smiled serenely at his awe-filled words and whispered softly, "I love you." He smiled gently and murmured, "I love you too, my bright angel. I will guard your rest. You must sleep, bright-one, as there is a good chance your services will be greatly needed before this all is ended."
Dreamspinner nodded in weary agreement, then received Gwydion's soft loving kiss before dropping her head back down on his chest. Gwydion allowed his awareness to encompass them both, shielding his lover from any outer disturbances. Dreamspinner snuggled up closer to him, and he stroked her fiery hair absently with is hand, allowing his mind to retrace the events of the past few days. Something was not right in all of this- his instincts fairly blared a warning before they entered
the castle. He looked down at the peacefully sleeping face of his wife, gently smoothing a wayward red-gold curl from her cheek, and sighed. As much as he would like to believe the contrary, he knew the rottenness of the situation wasn't coming from Jareth- especially after his mental assessment of him during the incident concerning Delilah....Delilah... now what was it about that poor woman? Something was wrong.... he couldn't quite place the taint that surrounded her... it was vaguely
familiar, but intangible when he tried to grasp it....

********

(It gets a little romancy here so if you are easily offended do skip this
section and pick up on part four)


    Gwydion kept vigil over his sleeping wife until she stirred restlessly against him, awakening slowly. He smiled at her little stretches done with such feline grace, for it amused him to watch her morning routine.
"Come on, sleepy, rise and shine!" he chuckled warmly. A soft knocking was heard, and a elven lass skipped into the room with a large breakfast tray.
"Good morn, M'lord, M'lady,"she said as she placed the tray on the mahogany and cypress checkered table by the window, then curtsied gracefully, and skipped out of the room singing.
Dreamspinner groaned when Gwydion left their bed, and she curled up in the warm spot where he had been. He smirked, and poured her a cup of steaming herbal tea taunting, "Lookie what I have...it's your favorite...but you can't have it unless you get up." Sending him a rueful smile, she slipped out of her comfy spot in the bed and joined him for breakfast. He wordlessly procured a nice fluffy robe to swaddle her in as he shooed her to her seat. She gratefully accepted the nice cup of tea he handed to her. After taking a cautious sip, Dreamspinner gratefully placed her hands round the
warm mug saying, "Ummm... quite nice, actually. This brew is very fine." Dreamspinner sighed as the warmth of the tea suffused her form. Gwydion pulled up a chair beside her and they both settled in for a hearty breakfast.
After they were finished, Dreamspinner wistfully glanced at the tub in the alcove... and Gwydion smilingly rose to draw her bath, sending her a teasing smile, "My love, your bathing ritual is a truly a marvel to behold!" She smiled back at him impishly.
"Join me," she coyly retorted. He felt his desire surge with hers, and they both made preparations to join with the other in the oldest dance of all. She gently lead him to the marvelous tub, and they tenderly disrobed one another, taking great care and pleasure in the simplicity of the act. With a gentle sigh, they slipped into the tub, she carefully pulled him to sit in front of her so she could lather his hair, teasing it into fantastic shapes before allowing him to duck underwater and rinse. She lathered a soft sponge and slowly moved it across his now-flushed skin. Her luxuriously smooth hands gently traced little patterns on his damp flesh, calling forth feelings of exquisite ecstasy. He turned in her embrace, fully aroused now, and she welcomed him. He crushed her to him, marveling at the woman who was his wife, grateful to the fates for allowing him the gift of her. Their gentle thoughts and multifaceted feelings were laid bare to one another as they joined, a true joining of the spirit as well as of the flesh. How she loved him! He was in awe of such love. So giving, so
miraculous was it to him. Their thoughts were fused within one another's, pleasures shared and ecstasy combined to a point of unworldly intensity due to their communal spirit bonding- strong, deeply rooted, and unbreakable.

********


    Jareth watched all of this from his study after calling forth his scrying crystal. He hated Gwydion for his happiness and he knew it. She was so strong, so powerful, so innocent- but so surprisingly wise. Jareth envied Gwydion with a passion beyond what was reasonable, for her magical gifts were also quite unique and formidable. What a conquest she would have been! He was very well aware of her abilities- the main one that caught his interest was her ability to amplify a person's natural magical gifts...which made her most desirable in any sorcerer's court. Her arcane gifts were also quite strong- when he had shown her the magical node beneath his castle, it had blazed in welcome. Her ability to weave dreamcrystals was an added plus too. His feelings toward her husband were becoming increasingly more destructive, no matter how much he wished otherwise. Gwydion was an old friend as well, even though their relationship was more akin to one like forever quarreling brothers. He did not wish to hurt or anger Dreamspinner, for she had always accepted him for what he truly was. Such calm acceptance was hardly ever given so freely, and never without expecting something in return.
    Jareth sighed and banished the crystal, unable to watch them anymore. If only Genna would have stayed, for she was the closest thing to an equal he'd ever had. He knew he had butchered that situation, and his regrets ran deeply within him. But he knew himself well enough to know that Genna would never have been happy with him. He was too used to being obeyed, and Genna would wish death upon herself before ever bowing to him. He feared Delilah was akin to Genna in that regard. How that woman tried his patience!

********


    Delilah jerked herself awake with a start. Red sunlight spilled in from the window and she winced as it flashed across her eyes. She felt a great pressure on her chest but she forced it away and rose shakily. Her feet touched the stone floor and she tottered slightly as she made her way towards the bathroom. She only filled the bath tub out part way fearful that she would fall asleep in her present condition and end up drowning herself. She purposely used cold water hoping to shock her system into full awareness but all she managed to achieve was exhausted and freezing. Too
tired to even mumble under her breath in annoyance she worked her way towards the closet and pulled it open. She put on the first thing she managed to close her hand on never realizing that the outfits had changed slightly so that they were no longer the ball gowns that once inhabited the closet but were rather dresses used for everyday use at a castle. She collapsed heavily into a chair and tried to cover up the whiteness of her face with makeup. The discolored rims under her eyes stayed but at
least they were far less noticeable. She wondered why she felt this way but chalked it up to the labyrinth itself. She always did have problems sleeping in another place and the thirteen hours this place ran on was probably taking it's toll on her. At least she wasn't suffering from insomnia. She hated wondering about in the middle of the night trying to sleep.
    The chiming of a clock caused her to start and turn. The door stood closed before her and she sighed figuring it was about time she made an appearance before anyone came looking. She played with the high neck collar of the dress as she slowly pulled the door open and started out. An elf skipped back at her sudden appearance almost dropping the tray she was carrying. Delilah almost didn't notice her until she spoke.
"Don't you want to eat?" The elf asked as she started down the hall.
Delilah paused and looked at the food. It repulsed her. "No, I'm not hungry, thanks anyway." She turned her back on the confused girl and walked away keeping slightly in the shadows. The sun's rays irritated her skin and she absently shied out of the bright light that hurt her eyes. The elven girl made an obscure movement with her hand not trusting anyone who acted so strangely and strayed from the
light.

*******


    Justarus ambled through the woods away from the dark castle that he found himself spending most of his time at. He hated being enclosed in such a way but it was something he had to do to keep up with Bane. He knew that king too well to expect him to keep anyone updated on his plans, even his allies. A sound caused him to pause and he grinned. A deer was nearby and he sniffed the air. He enjoyed his true form far more than that of a human. Human senses were so dull, it was amazing that they had managed to survive this long. The deer was nearer now and his jowls wetted with saliva and his teeth ached wishing to be sunk into tender flesh. He stalked his way through the underbrush making sure he stayed down wind of the creature who had paused to taste some newly grown grass. He could see the heat coming off the animal's body and as he came closer he reveled in the smell of venison. He would feast well tonight and forget all about that petty king with his petty problems. He tightened his hind legs and sprung towards the grazing animal. All the deer saw was a flash of black before the huge wolf was latched onto it's throat, teeth lodged firmly in the muscle. The deer shrieked in agony and fell under the wolf's tremendous weight before breathing it's last and allowing it's head to sink to the ground. Justarus reveled in the smell of blood and the sensational high
that came with killing another creature. He was so caught up in the thrill and taste of the kill that he didn't notice the sound of another intruder until the hunter was almost upon him.

*******


    Finn reigned his steed to a stop and glanced about. The deer had passed through here and recently by the looks of the prints in the ground and the broken branches. He singled to his companions with a whistle hoping that the deer would assume a nearby bird had produced the noise.
A responding whistle rang out and he smiled. This was going to be his deer. He quickly checked his bow before nudging the horse forward. His horse made no sound even though it walked over dried leaves that had fallen once the temperature began to drop. Ahead the trees parted and he could make out a small clearing.            Hurrying the horse forward he pulled an arrow free of the quiver attached
to his back and fitted it loosely against the bow string. As the horse emerged from the tree line he lifted the bow and took aim expecting to see the deer grazing from the grass. He was not ready when he found what was left of the deer strewn about the glade with a large hairy creature black as night laying next to the largest mound of flesh. A gasp escaped his lips and he foolishly lowered the bow.
    The wolf whipped it's head around and glared at him with angry eyes. Blood dripped from the muzzle and pieces of meat hung from the jowls. The intelligent eyes narrowed and the wolf growled deeply as it began to step towards the stunned elf determined to teach him a lesson in intruding upon another's fun. Justarus recognized the steed the elf sat upon and allowed his rage to wash over him.
He hated Gwydion's hunters with a passion that bordered on obsession. He had once been run out of the forest by the hunters who disapproved of his pleasure in blood sport claiming that he killed with no other reason then to enjoy the death of others. He had been able to return when Bane had managed to get Gwydion and the hunters under his spell but with them free again he had to be careful to cover his tracks, and that meant that this elf could not return to tell the others of his presence. With a snarled howl he bounded towards the elf watching the arrow and bow in his hands.
   The sudden rush of the wolf shook Finn out of his stunned state and he quickly raised the bow and let the arrow fly. The wolf easily bounded out of the arrow's way with a leap to the left before continuing towards it's newest target. The horse reared and kicked out at the nipping animal and when the wolf scored a hit on it's flank the horse jumped into a cantor with a sudden jerk. The wolf noticed that for a critical moment Finn was caught off balanced and it took full advantage of that time
to grab at the elf's leg and pull him down off the horse's back. Justarus leapt for the exposed throat but was stopped by a powerful kick by the horse. He yelped as he was flung across the glade and he was unable to twist enough to land on his feet. His side connected with the hard earth and the air was forced from his lungs. He struggled to his feet and turned towards the earth gasping for air. Finn had
managed to cock another arrow and aiming it with practice ease he let the missile fly. Justarus leapt sideways but was still struck in the leg by the arrow. He snarled and leapt as Finn readied another arrow taking the elf to the ground. He found his muzzle clamped shut by strong hands and he whipped his head about trying to loosen the hold. He kicked with his hind legs digging sharp nails into the elf's stomach. The smell of blood renewed his struggles and he finally managed to slip free of the elf's hold. The sound of shouts coming from the other end of the glade forced him to cut his play over and scoring a brief bite on Finn's shoulder he turned and ran, disappearing among the shadows.
    He may not have killed the elf directly as he wished to but the elf was still dead anyway. The poison in his saliva would soon begin to work it's way through the elf's body and if the antidote wasn't administered soon he would die very painfully. He paused and glanced back towards the glade once he was at higher ground and grinned as he saw that already the poison was taking effect. Finn's body shook uncontrollably and his sharp ears picked up only mumbled ramblings as he began
to lose consciousness. By the time his companions put two and two together and came up with him the elf would be dead and they would all be Bane's servants. Then the forest would be his once more.

~~~~on to Chapter 9