It got worse. It got so much worse. I kicked and screamed and fought against the Hunters forcing me into some kind of net. It was as thin as a spider's web but withstood my desperate flailing as though it were made from steel wire. Somewhere beside me I could hear Didymus and Ambrosius snarling and yipping at the Hunters. I couldn't see what was happening. My sword was mixed up with me in the net, it's dazzling light all but blinding me. I could only assume that my friends were also being ensnared. The group of Hunters laughed and shouted back and for with one another, making jokes that compared us to wild animals.

"Let my friends go!" I screamed as my net and I were dragged roughly along the forest floor, "Let them go!"

My demand only brought forth more laughter.

"Unhand Milady at once and I shall allow thee to escape with thine lives!" Didymus' voice came from somewhere near me, full of gallantry and courage.

He shouted threats and challenges at our captors all the while as they dragged us through the forest. I bashed against rocks and roots and goodness only knows what else. I couldn't see for the intense glow still coming off the blade of my sword. It was tangled up in the thin netting with me. The spider's silk of the net wrapped around my limbs as we went. The fabric constricted around me, biting into my skin until finally we came to a jarring halt.

My vision swam before my eyes, distorted from the journey. Around me, voices and laughter blurred together as the world spun. I had no sense of direction. It had been lost somewhere along the way. The world beyond the net was filtered through the light from my cutlass. Ghostly figures faded in and out of view in the glimmering haze. My vision danced. No, everything danced. Fear latched onto me with an icy hold.

"Sarah."

The voice came from somewhere not quite within of me and not quite without. I shut my eyes against the laughing figures that slid about as the world teetered precariously on edge. If I opened them again, I was certain I'd be back in the Crystal Ballroom. Somehow I had slipped back there. I was sure of it. Gentle music was coming from the same place as the voice. A place in between my dreams and reality. I knew who the voice belong to. It was unmistakable.

"No." I whispered, gripping the ground below me with white-knuckled fists,"No. This is different. You're not in the Ballroom. You're disoriented, is all. This isn't the same."

"Sarah."

I took a slow breath and opened my eyes. My vision had stopped swaying. I was lying flat on my back, still tangled in the net, the cutlas somewhere beside me. I felt around for the weapon clumsily until my fingers smashed against the ornate hilt. Pain shot through my hand. I sat up, snatching up the sword. It was completely useless against the net. Thin as it was, it wouldn't yield against the blade. With absolutely no grace whatsoever, I worked at shoving the sword back into its sheath.

The instant the blade slid home I was plunged into complete pitch. The music vanished like a switch had been flipped. I blinked against the sudden darkness a few times. There looked to be a kind of campfire burning some ways ahead of me. The ghostly figures from before where now shadowy. They were either standing or sitting around the fire. I rubbed my eyes with my fingertips, desperate for clarity.

"Come on eyes." I mumbled to myself.

When I looked around again, more detail presented itself. The light of the fire slowly brought the surrounding forest into focus. This must have been the Hunters' camp. It certainly resembled one. Coloured tents of fine fabric created a wide circle around the central fire. Horses were tethered together on the far side, opposite from where I was now. There must have been at least fifteen Hunters in total. Their shapes, some dark silhouettes against the fire light, littered the camp Now that my wits had returned, I could only begin to imagine what they might do with us.

"Milady," Didymus squeaked from beside me, "art thou injured?"

"No." I shook my head, "A little bruised, maybe. But I'm alright. You're not hurt, are you? Is Ambrosius alright?"

"My faithful steed and I are yet unharmed." He explained from his place in the net beside mine, "We cannot allow these ruffians to keep us from our quest! I shall take them all, one after another, if I must!"

"Shh, Didymus." I hushed him gently, "You're very brave to say so. But give me a moment to think. I'm sure there's a way out of this."

"Anything for you, Milady." He nodded and shut his mouth tight.

Before I had time to even glance around the camp again a howling sound came from somewhere to my right. It was a low, reverberating, sound that rose in pitch as it carried on to its final note. I knew that howl. I whipped around to find the source. Not a meter out of reach, next to one of the tents in a net similar to mine, was a monstrous looking creature I knew as well as I knew myself. He had two great horns atop his head, long floppy ears that hung by either side of his kind face and thick reddish fur.

"Ludo!" I couldn't stop myself from calling out to him, "Oh, Ludo! There you are!"

"Sawah!" He replied in his low, rough but comforting voice, "Ludo miss Sawah."

"I missed you too." I stuck my fingers through the gaps in my net, trying to reach out to him despite my restraints.

"Sir Ludo!" Didymus called out beside me, "I see thou hath been captured as well, my most valiant brother in arms! Perhaps together we might break our bonds!"

Ludo let out another howl, happily agreeing.

"It would seem our newest bounty is acquainted with the beast we took this morning, Fabian." A woman remarked from where she sat by the fire.

The man who had been riding the black stallion strolled towards us, "It would appear so, Miranda. How fun for us!"

The nearer he came the stronger the scent of electricity and wild violets became. It was mixed with the musky smell of decaying plant life and brisk autumn winds. But it was there. The Hunters were Fae. What they might want with us, I didn't know. I was only certain that I didn't want to hang around long enough to find out.

The one called Fabian strolled closer, looking me over as though he were appraising my worth, "You know, friends, I do believe this is the little mortal bratling who caused all the trouble for that Royal Runt of a Ruler, Jareth."

Something defensive inside of me clicked into place. I glared at the man called Fabian through the gaps in the net. The protective urge was a strong presence in my chest. It came from high up on the left side, just under my ribs. I didn't want to think about it too much, but it was there. And it must have showed on my face.

Fabian laughed, a sharp sound like the crack of summer lightning, "She does not like my speaking ill of the King! Though, I heard when he offered you all he had you didn't hesitate to slight him and refuse. Is that true, mortal girl?"

He crouched down in front of me, laughter in his forest green eyes. If there hadn't been something inherently cruel about his face he might have been handsome. His wavy, gold-blonde, hair was swept back from his angular features. His thin mouth pulled into a smile that creased his face as he stared me down. I couldn't help but pull back from his sharp gaze.

"Oh, she blushes." He commented, running his long fingers across his mouth, "Could it be you've returned to accept His-Worthless-Majesty's proposal after all?"

Laughter from the other Hunters filled the air like a chorus of magpies.

Fabian made a show of examining my armour, "You seek to rescue your Love from his guaranteed destruction. I can assure you, mortal girl, that I would serve you as a far better Lover than he ever could."

Fury filled my veins and terror filled my stomach.

"Thou darest to speak to Milady in that way!? Philistine!" Didymus' outburst came like a tiny explosion, "Hold your tongue, Sir, or I shall see it removed!"

"Your pet is rather cute, Milady." Fabian remarked, mockingly, "But I can see you are not tempted by my offer. Shame. You are a rather delicious creature. I can see why Jareth, in all his imbecilic nature, would fancy a mortal like you."

"If I'm the one you want then let my friends go." I told him, my voice stronger than I thought it would be.

"And simply give up over half our quarry? I think not, mortal girl." He made a tsking sound with his tongue, amusement in his eyes.

"I'll trade you for them." I pressed, suddenly aware of all the junk I'd thrown into my backpack, "I have treasures from the mortal world that -"

"I want none of your trinkets." He dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

My mind raced for options, "Fine. I'll… I'll make you a deal."

At this his eyes lit up, "A deal?"

"That's right." I had him interested.

He rubbed his hand over his chin, playing hard to get, "What would this deal entail?"

"Ugh…" I was grasping at straws, "A game. We'll play a game. A riddle game. You ask me any riddle you want. If I get it right, you let me and my friends go. All four of us. With all our belongings. But if I get it wrong, if you win, we'll go with you without a fight."

"Milady!" Didymus protested, "You cannot trust these fiends!"

"Sawah!" Ludo joined, distressed.

"It's alright." I tried to sound convincing, "I know what I'm doing."

Fabian flashed me a crocodile's grin, "Let us play."

He released me from the net. The other Hunters closed in around us more tightly as Fabian paced back and forth, making a big show of selecting the riddle he'd ask. I knew I was in trouble. This was a dangerous game to be playing. And just because I'd outlined my terms neatly didn't mean he'd follow them in the way I wanted him to. But I couldn't see much else in the way of options. Whatever this lot had planned for us, it wouldn't be good. Of that, at least, I was certain. Finally, Fabian stopped pacing and turned to face me.

"I shall ask you three riddles, mortal girl." He said, his voice clear and confident.

"That's not - " I bit off my own sentence before I could say that word, "… what we agreed on."

"I never agreed to your terms." He shrugged, making the other Hunters cackle like crows around us, "You ask for so much. And offer so little in return. No, the game shall be the asking of three riddles. If you answer all correctly, I shall allow you and these creatures to go. But if you so much as answer one wrong, I shall keep you all as my quarry and do with you as I see fit."

Frustration made my voice go tight, "Fine. Let's play."

Fabian flashed me another wicked grin, "At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

Fabian smirked. The other Hunters laughed and joked around us. They didn't think I had a chance. But I could taste the answer on the tip of my tongue. It had to do with light, I was sure of it. Fireflies? Candles? No, that wasn't right. A candle's light was stolen by whomever snuffed it out. Fireflies were closer but… it didn't feel quite right.

"Stars." I answered, my voice soft but sure.

Fabian's face turned sour and the Hunters around us fell silent. I was right. The look in his eyes told me as much. I had to fight the smile trying to pry its way onto my face. It would do me no good getting over confident just because I had answered one question right.

"Well?" I asked, unable to stop myself from lifting my chin, "Is that right?"

"I should have known better than to ask you about the stars, mortal girl. I hear tell that you're well versed in their nature. Did the whey-faced Goblin King really change them 'round just for you?"

More laughter from the Hunters. The woman called Miranda tossed her head back, her long tresses of fiery red hair sweeping behind her shoulders, as she cackled like a blue-jay. The sound was harrowing. Fabian was trying to get me to lash out. To get angry and lose my focus. I might have done just that were I still a hot-headed teenager with the ego of a stage actress. But I had learned a thing or two about keeping my temper at bay since then. Besides, that was not the game I had agreed to play.

I took a breath and said, "Just ask the next question."

Fabian frowned, but did just that, "What is a bell that does not ring, yet its knell makes the angels sing?"

I knew this one.

"Bluebells." I replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Fabian, you fool!" Miranda snarled as she flew to her feet, "Asking her of stars and flowers? Things she knows and understands! What are you playing at? Do you want her to best you?!"

He turned on her, voice seething with rage, "This is not what we were promised! Did our Queen not tell us that the mortal girl would be quick to her temper and over confident in victory?! I handed her that first question thinking it would lead to her undoing. But there she sits, unchanged in her success!"

Miranda struck him, the back of her hand kissing his cheek in a sharp crack that echoed through the clearing. The entire forest held its breath as it waited on Fabian's next act. He didn't so much as move a muscle. He stood there, face turned and downcast with the momentum rendered by Miranda's blow. She glared at him down the length of her nose.

Her voice was gentle when she spoke to him, "Your tongue is clumsy. You speak carelessly and forget your place. We have done as our Queen asked. We have the girl. But your incompetence will lose her and that I cannot abide. I allowed you this task because you made the capture, but clearly I misjudged your capabilities. You are no longer my second. Cordelia?"

"Yes, Mistress?" A woman with dark hair and eyes like sapphires stepped forward out of the shadows.

"You shall take his place at my side." Miranda instructed, then she turned on me, "I shall ask the final question and finish this nonsense. We are wasting time."

"You can't." I forced the words past my lips in spite of the terror her amber gaze inflicted upon me, "It's against the rules."

"What," She demanded through gritted teeth, "do you mean by that, mortal girl?"

I swallowed hard and stood my ground, "I didn't agree to play with you. I agreed to play with him."

I pointed to where Fabian was still standing motionless. Against Miranda I wouldn't stand a chance. I only had to glance at her to know that. She was too calm, too calculating. A question from her would be outside my realm of ability to answer. I straightened my shoulders, trying to look confident, and held Miranda's gaze. My only chance at answering the third riddle correctly hinged on it coming from Fabian. And she knew that. Miranda pressed her lips together until they were little more than a thin scarlet line. I could almost see the gears of her imagination turning as she tried to find some loophole in the rules we had set. But I had her.

"Very well, mortal girl." Her voice was almost a growl, "Fabian shall ask you the final riddle, as agreed."

The relief I felt was gone in the time it took to blink. Miranda's lips parted and a predatory smile snaked across her features. Her disturbingly sharp teeth gleamed in the dancing firelight. She knew something I didn't. My heart plummeted within my chest, beating far faster than I believed any human heart should.

"After all," Miranda purred, "you made your deal with him. Not me. Fabian."

"Yes, Mistress?" He finally moved, turning to face her.

"Ask her something of which she has little understanding or I shall lead The Hunt carrying your head on a pike." She ordered, "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mistress." Fabian bowed deeply to her before turning back to look at me.

All of his former bravatto had vanished as though the slap dealt to him had stripped him of his showmanship. Fabian even looked different. His face seemed older somehow… tired. He stared down at me for what felt like a long time as he turned over possible questions. The other Hunters no longer laughed or sneered. Their circle stood silent as they waited. Even the trees seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation. My heart hammered in my ears.

Finally, he asked the last riddle, "If you break me, I do not stop working. If you touch me, I may be snared. If you lose me, nothing will matter. What am I?"

My mouth went dry. I had no idea what the answer might be. I had nothing. My floundering must have shown on my face because all of a sudden the clearing erupted into fits of howling laughter. Some of the Hunters took up a chant, with great enthusiasm, as though they had pre-rehearsed it.

"She doesn't know! She doesn't know!

It's so cruel to ask her of things she doesn't know!

How could she know? How could she know?

How could the mortal girl ever know?!"

Their peels of laughter rang through the forest and reverberated straight through me like a winter wind. Even Miranda tossed her head back in mirth as she cackled. Over the roar of noise I could only just hear Didymus shouting words of encouragement as well as continuing his threats of dueling for my honor. Ludo howled against the bone chilling racket, clamping his large hands over his floppy ears. Even Ambrosius whined and yelped. How could I possibly think when my head was swimming with all the noise? Shouts of 'she'll never be able to answer' and 'why, the very concept is foreign to her' and 'she hasn't a hope' broke over the endless ocean of sound. I shut my eyes tight, trying to concentrate.

"So then, mortal girl," Miranda's strong voice cut through the roar like a knife, "what say you? Have you an answer for us?"

The clearing settled into blessed silence at her question. I kept my eyes shut. I could do this. I just needed to find the answer within the question. That's the trick with riddles. The answer is always there from the beginning. You just have to sift through the nonsense until you find it.

'If you break me, I do not stop working. If you touch me, I may be snared. If you lose me, nothing will matter. What am I?'

What could break and keep working? What could be captured when touched? What would render everything pointless if it was lost? These were the questions the riddle presented me with. What didn't I understand? What concept was foreign to me? What was something I had little experience with? These were the clues the Hunters had unwittingly given to me. The answer was somewhere within them. My hands trembled with the knowledge that if I couldn't find the answer I would doom my friends along with myself. An icy hand reached into me and took hold of my heart.

Something panged in my chest. It was like the sun had broken over the horizon to thaw the fear clutching my insides. I understood. My eyes flew open and fell onto Fabian. He stared down at me with a look of burning hatred. He wanted me to fail spectacularly. Evidently, though, he was not someone who possessed a wide imagination. In all his mocking of me, he had clung to one subject and taken great joy in my reactions. I couldn't imagine him deviating from a subject that reaped so rich a reward.

"The Heart." The answer broke from my lips.

A cry of rage and anguish tore from Miranda's body as she flung herself to the ground. I jumped back. The Hunter called Cordelia dropped to her knees beside Miranda and draped herself over screaming woman, stroking her hair in a consoling sort of way. Fabian's face paled whiter than freshly fallen snow. He too collapsed to the ground but no one rushed to his aid. I watched as madness broke out all around me. Hunters cried out for answers, demanding to know if Miranda would really let my friends and I go or not. I didn't know what to do. My hand hovered over the hilt of my sword but I didn't know what I could do with it. It was useless against the nets that held my friends. I bit my lip as I watched the chaos quickly unfolding around me.

Miranda sat up suddenly, tossing Cordelia to one side, and thrusted an accusing finger in my direction, "You! You wretched mortal girl! You and that Miserable Fop of a King deserve one another! I hope you both rot!"

"We had a deal." I stood my ground, "Let my friends and I go."

At this an odd sort of half-smile quirked across Miranda's mouth, "That's right... The deal. Cordelia, release the mortal girl's companions."

Cordelia quickly did as she was told. My friends gathered around me once they were freed from the thin nets. Miranda did not move from where she had thrown herself. Instead she looked up at us from the ground, that odd little smile still on her lips. I swallowed hard. Once again I had the feeling that she knew something I didn't.

"As per your agreement with Fabian," She glanced over to where he was still laying in a heap not three feet from her, "you are free to go. But go quickly, mortal girl, for you did not make a deal with me. And my Hunters do so love The Hunt."

Adrenaline surged through my veins at her words. Without hesitation I drew my sword from it's sheth. Then, I flung myself into the trees. My friends followed, crashing through the underbrush of the forest along side me until they inevitably over took my pace. Ambrosius carried Didymus into the lead with ease, bounding over fallen logs and rocks as though it were the agility course he was born to run. Ludo ran down on all fours with surprising speed. When he realized I was falling behind, he slowed until we were neck in neck again.

"Ludo carry Sawah!" He called to me over the sound of his thunderous footfalls.

I could only nod, my breathing too occupied with pumping air to the rest of my body to be able to reply. He slowed even more and I threw myself at him. I managed to catch hold of his thick fur. The camp-fire scent of it filled my lungs. I managed to haul myself up onto his back despite the motion of his gate, which was much like a bear's. Each lumbering movement threatened to throw me off even once I was seated properly. I had to bend low and grip fistfulls of his fur to keep from being tossed backwards as we flew through the pitch black forest, my sword lighting our way.

Behind us I could hear the sound of horse hooves pounding the soft earth. A quick glance over my shoulder told me that the Hunters were nearly on our heels. Their eyes gleamed in the dark like wolves. I turned away from the harrowing sight and buried my face in Ludo's fur, holding on for dear life and hoping desperately that we would outpace our pursuers.