Sarah began to tire quickly. She was no match for the Fae that kept hitting her and throwing her back onto the bed. He was going to rape her forcefully and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

Her last few attempts to struggle against him earned her a harsh slap across the face and a fist driven into her ribs. She heard rather than felt one of her ribs crack and then suddenly the pain overwhelmed her. She tried to curl herself into a protective ball but Dartaynian would not allow it. He was vicious and malicious and absolutely insane with his jealousy and anger.

He had managed to rip part of her dress from her and was attempting to pull off the rest. Squeezing her eyes shut as the tears cascaded down her cheeks, the pain reaching every part of her body, she knew it would all be over soon. He would forever scar her in more ways than one.

Suddenly there was a piercing almost battle like cry and the sick sound of metal crashing into flesh and bone. Hands no longer tried to pry her dress from her and teary eyed she gazed up to see Dartaynian roll over, lifeless onto the bed beside her.

"Take that asshole!" Lee's voice. Sarah began to cry as her eyes fell on Lee's form. Her friend was still dressed in her gown and she held a long metal pole that belonged to a candle holder. She had cracked Dartaynian across the back and head with it, but obviously she had not hit him hard enough. He was stirring on the bed beside Sarah.

"Oh god, look what he's done to you!" Lee cried. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw the shredded dress, the marks, cuts, gashes and bruises all over Sarah's face and body. "We have to get you out of here."

"We?" Sarah asked. She immediately regretted her decision to talk too soon. Her ribs and stomach protested violently and she managed to crawl to the edge of the bed to lose her dinner all over the beautiful hardwood floor.

"Good lord. Are you all right?" Sarah nodded slowly even though she felt worse than she had ever remembered feeling. Not even the fever rivaled the pain she now felt. "We?" she asked again. Had Jareth managed to find his way back?

"Yeah Loryian and I. He's a nice guy I met at the ball." Lee told Sarah trying to help steady her.

Sarah's head was spinning and she needed fresh air. "How did you find me?"

"We were trying to find a way to get me back to Jareth's after the ball finished since you two disappeared. After that little episode the ball seemed to end. We were walking down the hall and heard you screaming and we came as quickly as we could."

"And not a moment too soon." Sarah told her gazing hatefully at the body beside her.

"We have to get you out of here. Loryian would you help me carry her?"

"Let me carry her."

Sarah got a good look at this Loryian character as he took her gently into his arms. He was tall and thin like Jareth but with long dark brown hair instead of blond. He had kind green eyes and Sarah immediately liked him. She didn't have much time to really think about things as he carried her quickly out of the room with Lee beside him.

"Where the hell are we going?" Lee was suddenly frantic and Sarah knew why. Dartaynian had done more than just stir as they had fled the room. He had awakened and was calling for his guards, demanding that his attackers be arrested. "What are we going to do?"

"There is a stable just a short ways. We can borrow some horses and ride to the Goblin King's kingdom."

"Oh great, now we're stealing horses! What the hell, I just beaned the lord of this kingdom with a candle stand, stole his lady who he was attempting to rape and now to add to that, I'm a horse thief! I'm going to die a slow painful death if I'm caught."

Loryian chuckled, despite the situation and leaned over to give Lee a kiss on her cheek. "You worry too much, Lee." Lee blushed ten shades of red as she watched him continue on down a flight of stairs with Sarah in his arms. God she loved this guy and she hardly knew him.

Sarah smiled as she gazed back at her friend. There was something going on between this Loryian and Lee, but that would have to wait. She was feeling dizzy and she didn't know if she could even ride a horse. Loryian was trying to be careful as they rushed through halls, narrowing avoiding legions of guards that were now swarming the castle. Finally they made it to the stables. Loryian saddled three horses in record time.

He threw the reins of a dappled gelding into Lee's hands. "I do hope you know how to ride, ladies?"

"Pfft, the only horse I know how to ride is a carousel horse." Lee laughed. The horse before her was huge. His head, his entire body and his hooves was twice if not three times her size. Now was not the time to be afraid.

Loryian helped Sarah into the saddle of a quiet chestnut mare and then helped Lee onto the gelding. He leapt gracefully onto the back of a bay stallion. "We should split up. It will be more difficult for them to follow us with three sets of tracks."

"What about Sarah though? Are you going to be all right Sar to ride alone?"

Sarah nodded, forcing herself to sit up despite the horrible pain. She just kept thinking of seeing Jareth again. That alone might get her through this.

Loryian reined his horse in a circle and the dark bay stallion snorted and pawed, ready to go. "Head to the north. That's where you will find Jareth's kingdom. Don't stop for any reason. Ride until you have reached his domain. Understood?" He nudged the stallion forward not waiting for answers and Lee and Sarah following his actions managed to get their horses to move after his.

Guards filled the stable and they narrowly missed capture.

Sarah watched as Loryian and Lee galloped off in different paths, but headed due north. Adrenaline filled Sarah's veins and she kicked her horse, urging it to gallop. 'Head north and don't stop for any reason.' She would do this, she had to. She held the reins tightly in one hand and held onto the saddle with the other. Branches rushed wildly passed her, but she held steady. She did her best to ignore the horrible pain she felt throbbing in every part of her body.

She galloped on for what felt like hours. Her horse never seemed to tire, even though the mare was frothing at the bit and her chest and sides were lathered with sweat. Sarah felt her strength failing her the farther she rode. The adrenaline rush had long since worn off. Her body was protesting violently to the jerking movements of the horse. Perhaps if she knew how to ride properly this wouldn't be so bad, but she knew nothing of riding and she bounced in the saddle.

She rode on and on until she could bear it no longer. The pain was too great and she was too tired and weak from her struggle with Dartaynian. Her eyes rolled back as she passed out, tumbling over the neck of the horse. Her body rolled as it hit the ground and she finally landed stomach to the ground. Her horse stopped dead in it's tracks and having been trained to remain by it's fallen rider, munched on nearby grass.

* * *

Jareth paced his throne room. Sarah's cries had long since stopped ringing in his mind and he didn't know whether that was a good thing or a terribly bad thing. He prayed that she was all right and that Dartaynian had not taken out his anger and frustration on her. With a heavy sigh he gazed at the 13 hour clock across the room. It was well after 2 am. Using his magic he reappeared in his room. He knew that sleep would not come easily.

* * *

Hoggle hummed as he walked Bryer and Orn, his two dogs. The dwarf's mind had ventured to his friend Sarah many times. The Goblin King had returned to the castle without her and he wondered if she was all right. Hoggle had gone home immediately after Jareth and Sarah had fled the ball room. He had no desire to stick around with Dartaynian's subjects and friends. He had gone home right away. He prepared himself a meal and then decided to walk the dogs. It was late and even though he had already done his nightly check of the gate to the Labyrinth, he could not sleep. So he decided to walk it again, even at such a late hour and he brought his dogs along as well. They were nearly done with their second check when Orn began to bark and attempted to pull strongly in one direction.

"What is it boy?" Hoggle let the dog lead the way and ventured into the forest just outside the Labyrinth's gates. He let Orn's leash go and the dog rushed off and then stopped. A horse whinnied nervously at the large dog and then took off into the woods.

"Ah, just a stray horse. Musta got loose from a farm nearby. C'mon Orn." But the dog did not come to his master. Instead he whined and then pawed at something on the ground. There was something more than just the horse. Hoggle drew a knife from his belt, suddenly weary of the surrounding forest. Thieves and bandits often were found at night. He approached cautiously. His eyes widened as he drew nearer, his bushy brows rose. His hand flew to his mouth as he gasped.

"Oh me gosh.."

* * *

Lee panicked, wondering if she was still headed north. Everything looked the same. She suddenly heard the sound of hooves and her panic grew. She tried to force her horse to gallop faster, but he was already going top speed. The sound of hooves grew closer and she feared that Dartaynian had sent his guards out after them.

'Lee!" Her name! Oh god, someone knew her by name. She screamed as a bay horse galloped beside hers and then she cried with relief when she saw that it was Loryian who sat on its back. She pulled her horse to a stop, nearly flying over it's head.

'You scared the crap out of me! I thought that you were one of Dart's guards!" She cried out at him.

"I didn't mean to frighten you. We should be safe now. Have you seen Sarah?"

Lee shook her head. "Have you?"

Loryian frowned. "No, I haven't." He noticed that Lee was shaking, from the cold that had set in or fear, he did not know. 'Why don't you ride with me? We'll let your horse rest behind us and then switch later on." Lee nodded and she got down off her horse. Loryian dismounted as well and then helped her onto his horse. Just before he helped her up into the saddle she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek. There was nothing sexual or too intimate about the gesture. Just a simple light kiss.

"Thank you for helping us. You don't have to do this. We're going to get you into trouble."

Loryian blushed at her kiss and then quickly composed himself. He was no longer the stuttering Fae who had asked her for a dance. He had grown comfortable in Lee's presence all night and it showed. "I know that I don't have to do it, but I want to. Now up you go." Lee settled in the saddle with a smile and Loryian swung himself up behind her. He held the reins of Lee's horse in one hand and the reins of his horse in the other. "Let's go find, Sarah." He kicked the stallion and the horse half reared before tearing off into the night once again.

* * *

Jareth paced back and forth across his chambers. He had tried to sleep and he'd had a nightmare as soon as his eyes had shut. He was already going crazy without Sarah here with him and she was not even his. She would never be his and that pained him more than anything. He should have denied her request for a vacation and then he would not be feeling this way. But no.he would not change anything. Had things gone differently, Sarah might never have grown to like him and perhaps even love him.

There was a timid knock at his door and he grunted. Probably a drunk goblin who wandered into his hallway. He ignored the knock and continued his pacing. But the knock was heard again, and again and once again.

"Go away!" He roared. His emotions were becoming unstable.

"Begging yer pardon, yer majesty.."

Jareth swung the door open. "Hoggle?" He growled at the dwarf. Hoggle had removed his cap and he was fingering it nervously as the Goblin King glared down at him. "What the hell do you want at this time of the night?"

"You gotta come.." Hoggle swallowed and ventured a look at the King, regretting it when he saw cold angry eyes glaring back at him. He swallowed. "It's Sarah."

Jareth's breath caught in his throat. Something was wrong.

"We best go to me cottage?" Hoggle continued.

"Why?" Jareth demanded. He didn't want riddles or games. His heart couldn't take any more torture. He just wanted to see Sarah alive and well.

"Because we should." Hoggle said quietly. There was an underlying meaning in his tone.

Jareth had a thousand questions running through his mind. But he nodded and pulled forth a crystal. He and Hoggle disappeared moments later.

* * *

Loryian and Lee had switched horses. They were riding at a trot now, both horses exhausted from such a long hard run. They talked of the land above, Lee's world, that Lory (as Lee dubbed him) was fascinated by. The above ground was like a fairytale that the older Fae told to children. A land with vast technology, poetry, music, writing. So many different cultures. But Loryian knew the rules. Only a select few were ever allowed aboveground.

"You can't go there, but why could Jareth.?" Lee asked in confusion.

"Because Sarah summoned him. We can only go above ground if summoned, that includes Jareth. We're bound to certain rules, which we must follow."

Lee remembered that Jareth had mentioned breaking rules. "What happens if you break the rules?"

"You're sentenced to death."

"How horrible."

"Aye it may sound that way, but it keeps the peace. Only one ever broke the rules and lived to tell about it."

"And who was that? Must have been a special person."

"Aye that he is. Of course it's just a rumor, but The Goblin King is said to be the only one. It's said that he broke our most sacred law when he was very young."

"Really?" This was interesting. "What law did he break?"

"He ventured above ground without being summoned on more than one occasion and was finally caught."

"So why didn't they kill him? If he broke a big sacred law, why didn't they sentence him to death?" Not that Lee wanted Jareth to die. But why was he the special case?

"I've only heard stories passed on from mouth to mouth over the centuries."

"Centuries?"

Loryian chuckled as he pulled the horses to a walk. "Aye, the Fae are long lived, some of us immortal."

"I knew that." She fibbed. "So exactly how old are you?"

Loryian grinned. "How old do I look?"

"About 30 years old." Loryian smiled. "No?"

"Try 300 years old and then some."

Lee's jaw dropped as she mouthed the words 'three hundred'.

Loryian snickered. "But as I was saying about the Goblin King. I heard the reason he lived was because he knew a woman in the Seelie court." At Lee's confused expression he added. "Our court of wise and older Fae. Only certain Fae are destined for such an honorable position. Some say the Goblin King and the woman were lovers, others say they were only friends. But supposedly she managed to convince the court that they needed the Goblin King and instead of a death sentence a curse was placed on him."

"A curse?"

"Aye. I know nothing more than that. I mean this could all be untrue. Although Fae aren't into gossiping it does happen. Oh no."

"What?"

"Look ahead."

Lee did as Loryian told her and she gasped. "It's Sarah's horse!" Loryian pulled the gelding and the stallion to a halt and Lee jumped down searching desperately for Sarah. "Sarah?! SARAH! Where are you?"

Loryian dismounted and looked around. Sarah's mare was grazing beneath an ancient tree, but there was no sign of the mortal woman.

"I knew we should not have split up!" Lee cried. Tears stung her eyes and for the third time in her life she was afraid. She didn't want to be in this world anymore. She wanted to go home with Sarah and live a normal life again. She didn't want to steal horses and ride through the dark damp forest away from a man who had tried to rape her best friend. She wanted her phone and her beat up Buick Regal. She wanted to see Sarah reading her silly fantasy books.

She didn't even realize that she was crying until Loryian was there, gently wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"We'll find her.I promise you." He told her softly and carefully he took her into his arms. Lee held him tightly as she began to cry. She desperately hoped they would be able to find Sarah before someone else did.