Everyone in the Labyrinth had a job. Rather they liked it or not, each being had a role to play. Many grumbled about their positions, but there were a few, like Sir Didymus and Wyrm, who loved their places in the scheme. As Queen, Sarah watched over all of her subjects and tried her best to steer their King, her beloved husband, in the right directions whenever a situation arose. She had come, over the years, to care for all of them, but there was still one subject, who went unnoticed and unbothered by all but the girls who traversed through the Labyrinth, with whom she had yet to reconnect since her early days.
She had not seen this particular Gnome since her own early days, first solving the Labyrinth. She had never actually made his acquaintance then, but she had heard of him on occasions since. She knew the marks had to be changed, and she still remembered how frustrated she had been when she'd discovered her marks had been being changed. And then Jareth had explained to her one day that the Labyrinth was designed in such a way that every mark she had made on its "floor" had actually been on this one Gnome's door.
And now, Sarah had come back to his door. She'd placed her gift and hurriedly walked away, going as far as she could without actually losing sight of the door. Sure enough, as soon as her footsteps faded, the stone slid out of place, and a tiny man appeared. Profanities, something to do about an aardvark oddly enough, spewed from his mouth, but they silenced with a surprised squeak when his eyes fell upon the tiny, holly wreath she'd crafted and left for him.
She watched as he carefully lifted the wreath and tested its tiny boughs with his gnarled fingers. His head lifted, and he looked this way and that several times before spotting her. Sarah smiled tentatively. He held up the wreath in question but did not speak. She nodded and called out, "Merry Christmas."
From the distance, she saw his face light up. What once had been dark became light. The features of an old man lifted into a much younger soul. He clutched the wreath hurriedly to his chest and darted back into his hideaway, sliding the stone firmly back into place behind him.
Sarah smiled. Once, she would have thought that a rude reaction to her gift, but that had been long ago, before she'd come to know the Labyrinth's subjects. The Gnome was pleased, she could tell, and maybe it would bring a touch of warmth to his cold, dark, and dank home. Maybe this Christmas, he wouldn't feel quite as alone.
Maybe he'd even come for the party, but when she mentioned this to Hoggle later, the Dwarf just snarled, "Bah!" His hands waved dismissively. "He never comes out." But maybe he'd at least be a little happier, and a little less lonely this Christmas.
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ninetydegrees
Gift
2024-12-17 23:10 (UTC)Everyone in the Labyrinth had a job. Rather they liked it or not, each being had a role to play. Many grumbled about their positions, but there were a few, like Sir Didymus and Wyrm, who loved their places in the scheme. As Queen, Sarah watched over all of her subjects and tried her best to steer their King, her beloved husband, in the right directions whenever a situation arose. She had come, over the years, to care for all of them, but there was still one subject, who went unnoticed and unbothered by all but the girls who traversed through the Labyrinth, with whom she had yet to reconnect since her early days.
She had not seen this particular Gnome since her own early days, first solving the Labyrinth. She had never actually made his acquaintance then, but she had heard of him on occasions since. She knew the marks had to be changed, and she still remembered how frustrated she had been when she'd discovered her marks had been being changed. And then Jareth had explained to her one day that the Labyrinth was designed in such a way that every mark she had made on its "floor" had actually been on this one Gnome's door.
And now, Sarah had come back to his door. She'd placed her gift and hurriedly walked away, going as far as she could without actually losing sight of the door. Sure enough, as soon as her footsteps faded, the stone slid out of place, and a tiny man appeared. Profanities, something to do about an aardvark oddly enough, spewed from his mouth, but they silenced with a surprised squeak when his eyes fell upon the tiny, holly wreath she'd crafted and left for him.
She watched as he carefully lifted the wreath and tested its tiny boughs with his gnarled fingers. His head lifted, and he looked this way and that several times before spotting her. Sarah smiled tentatively. He held up the wreath in question but did not speak. She nodded and called out, "Merry Christmas."
From the distance, she saw his face light up. What once had been dark became light. The features of an old man lifted into a much younger soul. He clutched the wreath hurriedly to his chest and darted back into his hideaway, sliding the stone firmly back into place behind him.
Sarah smiled. Once, she would have thought that a rude reaction to her gift, but that had been long ago, before she'd come to know the Labyrinth's subjects. The Gnome was pleased, she could tell, and maybe it would bring a touch of warmth to his cold, dark, and dank home. Maybe this Christmas, he wouldn't feel quite as alone.
Maybe he'd even come for the party, but when she mentioned this to Hoggle later, the Dwarf just snarled, "Bah!" His hands waved dismissively. "He never comes out." But maybe he'd at least be a little happier, and a little less lonely this Christmas.
The End