It's Only Forever (a labyrinth fanfic)

Chapter 7

Jarrod POV: 

The little old dwarf looked up at me and jumped, "Your majesty! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

I leaned against the wall nonchalantly, "Well Higgle,"

"Hoggle."

"What you can do is help me out with another favor."

Heggle looked uncertain, "What do you want me to do?"

"It's about Sarah." I was stalling and I knew it. I mean, how are you supposed to casually start a conversation about someone. You can't really just go up to them and say ' hey tell me everything you know about so and so'.

Hogworth angrily shook his head, "Oh no you don't. You're not dragging me into another plot to harm the little lady."

I smirked, "And what's your connection with her that makes you so concerned?"

"For your information, Sarah is my friend."

A pang of jealousy shot through my heart and I became defensive, "I'm not asking you to harm her, Hogbrain."

"Hoggle." The dwarf said before looking up at me, "What do you want of her anyway? You know she left for a reason and I can tell you that she ain't ever coming back."

"I know she left." I snapped. It still hurt like vinegar on a fresh wound to be reminded that she had chosen her hellish life over me.

Hedgewart rolled his eyes and picked up his fairy spray, "Well then why are you traipsin' on back here? Want to even the score after she beat you at your own game?"

He chuckled and began walking off in search of fairies. Now I've never been good at letting things go and I am the sorest loser there is. So I stalked over to where Hengle was taking aim at a fairy and grabbed him by his ear.

"Listen to me," I growled, "You may think that just because you accompanied the only person who's ever beat me that you can do whatever you like but you're wrong. I am the King and I am the one who makes the rules. I say it you do it. That's how it works. So I suggest that you refrain from your foolish side remarks. If you find that impossible then you can drown in the Bog of Eternal Stench along with your precious jewels."

Higsworth was whimpering by this point although I wasn't sure if it was from my threat or the pressure I was putting on his ear, "No more comments. Hoggle promises."

I threw him onto the dusty ground, "Good."

Hogmish clumsily pulled himself to his feet and rubbed his ear, "Well what is is that you want me to do than?"

I had almost forgotten what I was doing here. Now that I'd remembered though, my nerve melted faster than a snowflake on a tongue. I dragged the toe of my boot across the earth, drawing a line as if it would protect me from the unending doom I was about to give myself. I sniffed and looked over at the pond then at a fairy. I rolled my shoulders back and let them drop, "When you were going through the labyrinth..." I paused. This was going to sound so weird, "What did you say?"

Hoghead fiddled with his fairy spray, "Well I said lots of things I suppose. But nothin' bad about you mind you. All good."

That wasn't really the answer I was hoping for, "What did Sarah say?"

Higpole twisted his head to look up at me with one eye, "Well she didn't say much about you. She may have called you a few names but nothin' worth mentionin'." 

I placed a hand over my eyes, this wasn't going well, "I don't want to know what she said about me Hogmole."

"Hoggle." Hogspole looked very irritated but soon fixed his expression to something that was refreashingly neutral, "Well if you don't want to hear about what she said about you then what do you want to know?"

I scuffed my boot into the dirt again and attempted to make a hole, "Anything she said."

Higgil grunted, "I don't know nothin' about her weaknesses so it's no good asking me."

I widened my eyes in frustration, was everyone this stupid?

"Intrests Hoghoul-"

"Hoggle!"

"Think intrests! Hobbies, ideas, dreams, opinions, favorite things." I'd begun pacing. Suddenly I spun around to face Higstin, "What does she think is fun?"

Hogskin eyed me suspiciously, "Fun?"

"Yeah, like what does she enjoy doing?"

Huggle shrugged and hobbled towards another fairy, "What makes you think we talked?"

"You mean that in thirteen hours, she didn't say a word about herself?" I said. Herggle sprayed a fairy and did a little step dance, "Fairy number one hundred and twenty."

I gave him about ten seconds of happy time before I became impatient, "Hargle-"

"Hoggle." The dwarf said as he stopped his dance. I rolled my eyes, "Hoggle, whatever. Tell me about Sarah. Did she mention anything?"

"Maybe." Hogshole said deceptively. I'd had enough of him not telling me what I wanted to know. I reached down and ripped the dwarf's collection of jewels from his side and held them just above his head. Heggal did not react well to his, "Give thems back! You have no right! Thems mine! I'll never tell you anything unless you give them back!"

I held up a finger to shush him, "First, tell me about Sarah."

Hoggul glared at me before finally giving in, "What do you want to know?"

I leaned back against the wall. What did I want to know? I pursed my lips, "What did she like to do?"

Hyggle plopped onto the ground and grumbled, "She talked about books a lot."

"What kind?" I said. The dwarf shrugged, "Sounded mostly like fairy tales to me."

I nodded and slid to a sitting position across from him. My hands toyed with his jewels, "So all she liked to do was read?"

Hengal frowned, "She told me about dressing up. Oh and she had lots of stuffed animals."

I thought of my pillow stash back at the castle.

"She also said she liked to dance. Solve riddles. Didn't like taking care of babies."

I nodded, "What about favorite foods, colors, places?"

Hergil shrugged, "Seemed to have a thing for blue but I ain't sure. I don't know nothin' about places or foods either. Now may I have my jewels back?"

I bit my lip, it seemed like I wasn't going to get anything else out of the dwarf so I stood up and threw him his gems before disappearing, "I'll be back Hedgel."

"It's Hoggle!"