Sarah was pulled up to safety by Hoggle, scaling the wall as quickly as possible while the Fireys' heads flew trying to tempt her. Hoggle batted them away and brought Sarah up.

Sarah looked down and she saw the owl in the tree. She whispered a thank you to it and it flew off, heading towards the castle.

"Thank you, Hoggle."

"No need to thank me..." Hoggle said as he looked at Sarah...

"You will give her that peach, Hoggle..." Jareth said.

"Would it hurt her?"

"Oh, why the concern?" Jareth said as he looked to him, making Hoggle cower in fear.

"It's... j-just I don't want to hurt the little lady..."

"Oh? Is it that you fell in love with her?"

"N-n-no! No Jareth sir... y-y-er highness..."

Jareth just laughed it off. "Do you really think she would love a little scab like you? You are a goblin, a troll, a repulsive little thing!"

"...I-I..."

"You will give her that peach..."

"Yes... sir..."

The terrifying moment he had with Jareth danced through Hoggle's head. He didn't want to hurt Sarah in the least bit.

Sarah and Hoggle continued on there way, Hoggle being sure to stay away from Sarah.

"If she kissed you, I'll turn you into a prince... the Prince of the land of Stench!" Were Jareth's words that echoed in Hoggle's head.

"I'm so thankful I could kiss you!" And she did... even thought Hoggle said no and struggled to get out of her grasp.

The kiss triggered a trap door that lead straight into The Bog of Eternal Stench. Suddenly they were sliding down, but thank goodness there was a root that Sarah grabbed and then she grabbed her friend before they could land.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roselea went back into the castle and checked back with Sarah. Her crystal revealed Sarah being helped up by Hoggle. Roselea breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad to see Sarah safe.

But this feeling felt weird... why did she even care about her? This was treason! She actually feared the safety of the runner. She never did that before. Well... She never really hated the runner before either.

Roselea looked at the crystal for awhile. She never really hated anything... She was always happy, kind, and considerate. But here she was being just like her father when a runner comes along. Defensive, cruel, ruthless, cunning, and angry.

Roselea thought for awhile, then made the crystal go away. She paced a bit, thinking and questioning. She cares for her father and her kingdom... But now she can't help but share this kindness to her foe?

She puzzled. Roselea needed to figure out why she changed so much. She was committing a crime against her kingdom. Her father would be very mad at her.

Roselea thought and thought. How was she to get rid of Sarah and the babe?

She had to get rid of them some way and some how before her father became too attached...

She had noticed her father was taking a liking to Toby as well as Sarah. He kept checking up on the girl... what did this mean? Roselea kept puzzling to herself and pacing back and forth.

Suddenly, Jareth arrived from the Labyrinth and was standing in front of Roselea.

"And what are you doing, my little rose?"

Roselea looked up and innocently smiled. "Just got back from the Labyrinth. I was trying to slow down our runner."

"By going to the Fireys? I told you those creatures were bad news."

"Well I thought they could help me... But instead they helped a little but they wanted to harm her."

"And did they?"

"No. Sarah ran away fast enough then I came back here." Roselea lied a little. She didn't want her father knowing she helped the runner.

"Well good, but next time you better listen. I didn't raise you to make rash decisions. You are a smart girl, but sometimes you hide yourself under a facade..." He looked into his daughter's silver eyes and held her cheek.

"You've been different since the runner came."

"I know Father... But I just want you to win." Roselea said as they went back to the throne room.

"I know. But don't be stressed. I've won lots of times. No runner will stop me." Jareth said as he sat back down in his chair.

Roselea sat down on her throne next to her father's and she thought, "I think this runner is different... She has too much determination to lose..."

Roselea kept this thought to herself as her father went by the window and started making crystals float in the air out the window.

Her father was up to something...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sarah and Hoggle were now sliding on the edge of the wall. The little bit of ledge they had they made sure to not fall. Especially since they were right above the most disgusting bog of all. The Bog of Eternal Stench.

The smell was terrible. It was 100 times worst than the worst smell you can think of then multiply it by pi to the 1000th power then add 42 and you got the worst stench in the entire realm that is this book series ( which is quite expansive).

Hoggle and Sarah, thankfully, landed on Ludo and was safely down on the ground. Sarah was glad to see her furry friend again. Hoggle was startled by the big beast but then was calmed down by Sarah.

"Smell bad!" Ludo said as he tries to cover his nose.

Sarah and Hoggle plugged their noses and nodded. They needed to get out of there before they couldn't smell anything anymore.

Sarah and friends then started to walk and found a bridge, but then a little fox jumped out and blocked their way.

"Hault! You shall not pass!" The little fox said, dressed in knightly clothing complete with a little wooden sword-like stick.

Hoggle ignored the fox and found a way to run to the bridge and go across. The fox then made sure that Sarah and Ludo did not pass. This is where Sarah had to try to talk to the fox. Maybe he would let her and her friend thought if she talked to him

Sarah looked at the little fox. "Why not?"

"Because I have made a sacred oath to guard this bridge with my life!"

Ludo then started to whine about the smell, which caused the little fox to start attacking Ludo.

The fox would climb him, hit him, and even bite poor Ludo. The gigantic creature tried to flatten the little fox with a branch.

The fox then retreated into part of the tree and Ludo smacked it and it broke. The fox was done for...

Until he popped back up in the hole of the tree and smiled at Ludo.

"Well done fine sir! I have never had a perfect match in battle. Hence forth we shall be brothers!" The little fox said as Ludo brought him down.

Then the fox came up to Sarah.

"Oh! Where are my manners. My name is Sir Didymus, my lady." He said as he bowed to her.

"My name is Sarah and your brother is Ludo. Now, may we cross your bridge?"

"I am afraid not, my lady. I have an oath to keep, and I must keep that oath. It is my sworn duty."

"What is the oath you took?" Sarah asked the knightly fox. 

"No one may cross this bridge without my permission."

Sarah then thought for a moment. She thought of one simple thing that may work. 

"If that is so... may we have your permission?"

The fox looked at her, a little dumbfounded and thought.

"...yes?"