WHO: Sarah Williams, Ludo, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius, other denizens of the Labyrinth; briefly, Peter Petrelli WHERE: the Labyrinth, in Jareth's Kingdom WHEN: Outside regular time. WHAT: Separated, but not alone, the challenges continue. RATING: PG-13 STATUS: log; COMPLETED! NOTES: Ludo written by no_savior, Sir Didymus and Ambrosius by walks_again
All told, it took Sarah nearly ten minutes to get underway from the spot Peter had disappeared from so suddenly. Some of that had been spent shedding silent tears born of a combination of a great deal of fear for him and some worry for herself. Frustration had followed, first at crying over the first two, then over the fact that asking the spot on the ground to swallow her up, stomping on it to try and make it open, begging with it to take her to Peter and even breaking out her patented 'this is a piece of cake' - which she'd vowed to avoid using before she'd even left the hotel - had all been for naught. She realized the last was likely ineffective because she didn't have the youthful, arrogant certainty behind it this time.
The rest of the time had been the debate as to what to do next. She was certain that Peter would realize there was no going back along whatever way he'd just traveled and the only way to continue, to find each other again, was to go on. Sarah's metaphorical money was on him reaching this realization after attempting to actually go back that way. It was that thought that had finally banished all traces of the tears she hated, replaced by a small smile. She knew he would attempt to move the walls themselves if he thought it was a chance at finding her again.
And they would find each other again. Just as she had said to Peter, it was how it had happened during her first time in the Labyrinth. Even if there were so many changes in this place, some things still had and would stay the same. She fully believed this would be one of those things.
But more than any expectation of the way things should be in a place where rules were flimsy at best, this was she and Peter. Just as they'd once found their way to each other in Los Angeles, drawn together by that once inexplicable, always fiercely treasured connection, they would do so again in this place.
And once she found him, she was grabbing on and not letting go ever again.
Minutes passed as she made her way through the hedge walls, each turn taking her further from that spot she'd parted with Peter, but she held on to the belief that each step was a step closer. When she wandered into a green-walled, seemingly dead end, she didn't know that the minutes-brief break from danger was up. When the hedge opposite her parted to form an arch, she still didn't.
It became crystal clear, however, when she stepped into that arch and the hedge closed around her, trapping her but not muffling the scream she let out as it did.
Ludo was a simple creature. He was large, and he was slow - traits that commonly went hand in hand. It took time for his limbs to receive messages from his brain, given the distance that they had to travel. And because he was simple, Ludo didn't have the capacity to feel too many emotions at once. Many of the more confusing ones had been abandoned long ago, the ones that made him feel anxious or unhappy. Simple creature, simple pleasures.
He didn't know anything of life outside the labyrinth. But he liked the parts of it that had the green leaves, and the grass. It was softer there, and his friends the rocks seemed to like it there as well. It was in the leafy areas that he had met Sarah. And Sarah was a friend. Sarah was always a friend.
He knew it had been a long time since he had last seen Sarah, but the exact measure of how long was lost on him. Some things, however, he could never forget, and never would. Like the sound of Sarah screaming. That was a sound he didn't like. It was a sound that made him bellow, calling up the rocks to help him find her. Because if Sarah was screaming, then she needed his help, and Ludo would always come to help her.
It wasn't long before he was running through the maze, following the pebbles as they led his way. He trusted the rocks, and they had never led him astray before. But when his path was stopped by a hedge, in a place where the rocks said Sarah's scream had come from, Ludo was confused. He slowed and stopped, walking carefully over to the odd lump in the hedges. They sounded funny, not like leaves at all. Ludo tilted his head, then extended one hand and poked at the lump of vines.
Sarah's first reaction to the entire thing was an understandable flare of panic, not because her body was trapped but because the hedge was covering her entirely, including the area in front of her face. Despite that, her scream was still healthy and she could hear it echo, which informed at least a part of her brain that air was still to be had. She wasn't going to suffocate. She hoped.
But this was bad. She fought against the hedge, kicking her legs out as she shoved to the sides, but the hedge shoved mercilessly harder as branches and vines wove around her body, drawing her kicked out legs back together. This was obviously not a relative of Peter's new friend Squishy and it was bad.
Fearing it might work like quicksand, Sarah stopped struggling against the press of leaves and branches and vines, only to scream again when their movements quickened. Panicking then in earnest, she shoved her arms upward as hard as she could, hands nearly to her face when the hedge closed around her entirely. She was lucky she wasn't claustrophobic, but having her hands close enough to her face to try and push the leaves away from it kept her from developing the phobia on the spot.
Moving was harder now, as it seemed that while this wasn't a relative of Squishy, it was definitely related to the hedge that had cut her hand, for little thorns were poking her across parts of her body every time she attempted a small shift. That, thankfully, annoyed her enough that she could try to get a grip on herself.
And then something poked her.
She screamed again, but this time it was one of anger instead of panic. If she had just been trapped in a hedge only to be assaulted by goblin guards, she was going to throttle someone. Angry now, she wriggled her fingers in front of her, trying to part the leaves to see out as she cursed the thorns pricking at her.
It was her!
"Sa-rah!" Ludo raised his arms and hugged the lump of leaves that had sounded like Sarah. She should be inside, right? "Sa-rah, out?" Why would she wrap herself up in leaves like that?
Then one of the vines latched onto his arm. Ludo frowned, puzzled at it. Another lashed at his other arm, and that one hurt, with the thorns snagging into his fur. Ludo let out a pained grunt, and pulled his arms back. The vines snapped under his strength, and he pulled away easily.
They hurt. Why did Sarah want to wear the vines? Why didn't she... oh.
"Bad," Ludo said, as realization dawned. "Bad leaf!" He wrapped one arm around Sarah, who was cocooned in her bundle of vines, and started to tug, hitting the plant with his free hand when it refused to let go. Once the connecting branches had snapped or fled, Ludo carried Sarah a bit further away, and began to gently pull off the branches still wrapped around her. They had hurt him when they pulled too fast, so he made sure to pull them away from Sarah slowly. She didn't have fur like he did to protect her from the sharp bits.
Once her face was exposed, Ludo forgot his task for a moment, his face arranging itself into an overjoyed smile. "Sa-rah!" he cried, and hugged her tightly to him. "Friend!"
Oww. The relief at hearing the very familiar voice was countered by the fact the very sharp thorns were being buried in her skin. That was going to leave a mark, many little marks in fact. Still, Sarah really didn't care beyond her initial groan of pain, because what was outside her cocoon of awful was Ludo.
"Out, yes! Ludo, please get me out!" she said, but the instruction was lost in the muffle of leaves and fur, and then only leaves as the hedge objected strongly to losing its newest acquisition. She still couldn't see what was going on and could only guess at the grunt and then the sounds of greenery breaking. If this hedge was hurting him, she was going to set it on fire when she was free.
And then she was moving. Still wrapped in stabby little vines and branches, but definitely in motion. Though Ludo was careful, Sarah made the mistake of trying to help free herself, a mistake she quickly corrected when it meant scratches and deeper thorn stabbing.
It was no more than a moment of facial freedom, her view that only of one beaming, furry face, and then she was being hugged again. While hugs from Ludo were on her list of Favorite Things, these demonic little vines and branches were not a part of it.
"Oww, oww. Ludo, yes, friend! I love you, oww, I've missed you so much, but oww, oww, these things hurt."
Ludo stopped squeezing when Sarah's cries were pained. His delight was quickly replaced with worry, and he resumed the delicate act of removing the strips of vine from her, ever so gently prodding each one to ensure that the thorns were away from her skin before pulling the rest of it away.
He worked slowly, all his concentration devoted to the task. Luckily, he was working to free her hands first, since that was where most of her skin was exposed. Pebbles were gathering around them, but for the moment they remained unnoticed.
There was a level of patience Sarah had for Ludo that wasn't granted to most any other, one she didn't consciously give attention to possessing, as it was simply how things were. Had anyone else - or nearly anyone else, there were exceptions - freed her this slowly, she likely would have gotten restless.
But not with him. However, once her hands were finally free, she could assist him while he continued. She took less care with herself than Ludo did because she was eager to get free, not just to be on her way but to give Ludo the hug he deserved, the hug she desperately wanted to have occurring right now. She was scratched and pierced in far too many places, but only a scant few scratches would require any sort of Band-aid. Mostly, she was itching to dig out the antiseptic swabs in case those thorns were out to turn her into some kind of half-woman, half-plant. While there was at least one other in Los Angeles, she really didn't want to be another one.
Sarah's side of her body was free of vines and such before Ludo's side, so she was left inspecting her skin and wishing she hadn't worn shorts and a tank top, or at least kept the sweatshirt on. But, it couldn't be helped.
Then, finally, she was at least free to embrace Ludo tightly. "I really have missed you," she whispered, closing her eyes and reveling in the hug. This was no creation of Jim Henson's, this was the warm, alive and far larger real Ludo, and she really didn't want to let go right now.
The rumble that began deep in Ludo's chest would have been considered a purr if it had been born in the gut of a much smaller creature. For one his size, it resembled more of a growl - only if you didn't know Ludo. This was a sound of infinite happiness, when nothing other than complete satisfaction with the world existed in Ludo's mind. It was far more rare than it had any right to be, but sitting here, with Sarah safe in his arms and hugging him back, Ludo was happy.
The rumbling deepened, and he tugged her closer to him, his innate gentleness carefully guiding his strength so it wouldn't harm her in the least, only keep her safe. Sarah was Ludo's friend, and she was a precious friend. The times he had to hold her like this were so few, that he knew, more than he had the ability to express, that each one should be treasured.
Sadly, he also knew when that time had passed, and he needed to let her go. "Ludo miss Sa-rah." His grip loosened, and he looked down at his friend. "Sa-rah big."
That sound was so wonderful to hear that Sarah did tear up again, these ones not falling but definitely blurring her vision a moment. Of the three, Ludo was the one she had seen the least over the years, as they all didn't always appear when she called for them - it depended on who was close enough to answer the call, or could be found in time when she made contact. Even those times of calling them had dwindled the longer she was away from home, as visiting her family didn't necessarily guarantee her privacy long enough to make contact. There were times, like right now, that she wished she'd been brave enough to risk moving the mirror, but even the potential for accidental breakage was too much of a risk.
"I know, it's been too long," she said softly as she looked up at him, reaching up on tiptoe to kiss the very underside of his jaw, which was all she could reach - even 'big' - without him stooping, then her fingers found the spot just to the left of the place she had kissed, half an inch back and completely into his fur, and scratched it. "I'm sorry it has been so long, I've been," the pause to simplify for him was barely perceptible, that act also all but natural, "very far away. Further than I usually am. I couldn't come see any of you." She smiled at Ludo. "But I'm happy there. I'm much happier than I was before."
She knew he would follow enough of what she was saying to understand her meaning, especially the important parts.
"But I need your help," she said, expression serious. "Jareth took someone very important to me, someone he shouldn't have taken because he wasn't wished away to the goblins. His name is Peter and he's lost in the Labyrinth now too. I need to find him. Will you help me?"
The rumbling had nearly started up again when Sarah rubbed his jaw, but Ludo tried hard to concentrate on what she was saying instead. "Happy. Good." He liked when Sarah was happy. He had seen her sometimes when she had been sad, and those had not been... well, any time with Sarah had been special, but those memories were bittersweet. Happy Sarah made a happy Ludo, and even the darker places in the labyrinth had seemed a bit brighter when he could remember those times.
When she said the word 'help', Ludo blinked, and looked at her, focusing entirely on what she was asking. When he tried, when he listened, he could understand things very well. Hoggle often talked too fast, and Didymus used so many words that it was often hard for Ludo to know which ones were important. Sarah had a way of explaining that was easier for him to grasp.
"Pe-ter. Peter Sa-rah friend." Ludo nodded his head. "Ludo help Sa-rah. Help Sa-rah friend."
Sarah nodded, all but beaming at Ludo, as she knew he would understand, but it still touched her when her friends agreed to do things for her. "Thank you," she said, hugging him fiercely again for a moment before slowly drawing back. Now wasn't the time to stand here and hug, and it was with a heavy heart she realized there might never be that kind of time again once she and Peter had been returned home.
She couldn't think about that now, or anytime soon. Clearing her throat, she focused on him again with the same seriousness.
"Have you see Hoggle?" she asked, though she realized it was likely a stretch. She doubted the dwarf had gone to Ludo to sulk. "I saw him earlier but I haven't seen him since."
Ludo jumped to his feet, then paused. Hoggle. He remembered the dwarf, of course. Another friend, even though Hoggle didn't like hugs and always seemed unhappy. Ludo frowned, and shook his head. It had been a long time since he had seen the dwarf, and too long ago to know where he could be.
Ludo rubbed at his head, trying to think. Someone could help them search, right? Ludo wasn't good at searching, he forgot where he was going and where he had been. "Bro-ther?" He had never quite managed Sir Didymus' name, but the fox had said that they were brothers, and that was close enough for Ludo. He knew where to find Didymus anyway, and Didymus was much better at the searching than Ludo was. "Help look."
Waiting patiently for Ludo to sort through what was necessary to answer her question, Sarah dug out the pack of antiseptic swaps and set to work on spots on her skin that had been pierced or scratched. It was times like this - which, admittedly, weren't times that hardly ever happened - that she was glad of the fact she managed to retain a somewhat sensible mindset despite the fantastical. Antiseptic in a magical Labyrinth. Heidi would appreciate the sense behind it.
She paused when Ludo spoke, briefly permitting both he and her a moment of distraction to scratch his chin while she grinned at him.
"That is a very, very good idea, good job," she said when she'd drawn her hand back again. "Let's go find Sir Didymus. Maybe he can smell Peter out somehow."
All right, so his sense of smell was a mystery to Sarah, given that he could think the Bog smelled good rather than even more horrible than anything she could have ever imagined, but it was keen in the sense he could follow his nose. Willing to try anything, the hand Peter had been holding, despite the several scratches, was left only to Band-aids, rather than antiseptic as well.
After slapping other Band-aids into place, Sarah reached out and took Ludo's hand with her other hand. "Now let's go find Sir Didymus."
A bright, happy grin settled on Ludo's face. She liked his idea! Ludo nearly purred again when she praised him. While she used the smelly cloth to clean herself up, Ludo used the time to talk to the rocks. They were his friends and his guides. He could find his way to Didymus on his own, but many times when he tried, he got distracted. He didn't mind for himself, but Sarah didn't have time for that.
When Sarah was ready, her hand in his, Ludo nodded. He howled, the tone low, and the pebbles around their feet rolled in a few circles, then down the path that would lead them to the Bog, where Didymus lived.
Smiling at the pebbles that rolled away, Sarah nodded and started to follow them, the conversation between the two of them different than if it had been Hoggle or Didymus, as there would have been more talking with those two. With Ludo, there were pauses of companionable silence between Sarah's simplified explanations of what had happened to her in the time since she'd last spoken to any of them, and they were silences that suited their specific friendship.
"And he has a brother - and a sister - and nephews and nieces. A bigger family than I ever had, and they've all found their way there too," she explained, tossing Ludo another smile. "They're all wonderful."
These creatures in the Labyrinth were, in many ways, more family that most of the members of her own family and she wanted at least one of them to know that she'd finally found the things she'd been searching for all these years - people who loved her for who she was, not who they expected her to be. She'd found a place to belong, instead of always being on the edge of it all, holding back everything that wasn't 'normal' about her. She didn't want Ludo or Hoggle or Didymus or any of the other creatures that had sometimes popped up to worry about her happiness when they couldn't see her anymore.
Besides, talking passed the time necessary to travel.
Ludo liked to listen. Sarah told him a lot, and she explain things slowly and easily for him. It was something that others didn't take the time to do, but when she told him things, he could remember them. He didn't need to talk much, just listen. And what she was saying made him happy. Sarah was happy, and that was important. There were times that Ludo would miss her, and would think back on the memories of their talks. This was a memory he was going to savor, so that he could remember she was happy.
And she seemed very happy to talk about her friend, Peter. Ludo hoped he could help her to find Peter. He was too simple a creature to feel jealousy, but he was loyal and protective, and meeting this person who had made Sarah so happy would be good. To make sure he was the right person to keep Sarah safe.
With the rocks leading the way, the path stayed away from any major dangers. Talking passed the time, and soon enough, the all too distinctive odor of the Bog of Eternal Stench was drifting close.
As they went along, Sarah hoped Peter was avoiding most of the major dangers as well. Despite his earlier frequent jokes and not taking much of this seriously, she knew he took her seriously, and had from the very first time she'd told him about the part of her life that had ended up in a movie, and so would remember what had happened to her then and how much more dangerous this place was now. Still, she was worried and that worry increased the longer they were apart in this place, but she covered that with the talk so that Ludo wouldn't take on her worry too.
As they neared the Bog, Sarah tugged her sweatshirt back on in order to keep the neck of it over her nose and leave her hands free. It didn't much help.
"Ugh!" It smelled worse that she'd remembered and she had been pretty certain the memory of that had been seared in her brain forever. And it wasn't even in sight yet, this was just the smell that was reaching them.
"Dear God, please don't drop Peter in the Bog," she muttered to herself. She'd nearly landed in it twice herself, so it wasn't a stretch.
Ludo's nose was already wrinkled as far as it could go. "Smell bad," he agreed. He liked seeing Didymus, but he didn't look forward to the Bog. Never. Even the pebbles that had been guiding their way stopped short of entering the Bog. Ludo thanked them anyway. He knew how to find the tree from here. The boulders that had replaced the fallen bridge were still there, having committed themselves to the Eternal Stench to help Ludo and Sarah when the old bridge had fallen.
Ludo led the way for Sarah, his slow, measured steps along the path quiet despite his size. So long as they didn't touch the swamp, the smell would stay in the Bog. His pace was slow, but the strides long. It didn't take long at all to find the tree. The roots Ludo had crushed when he first met Didymus had been carefully reconstructed, to give Didymus his front door again.
Even when they'd reached the tree, Sarah didn't let go of Ludo's hand. Though she'd clamped the fingers of her other hand around her nose over the sweatshirt, she reluctantly - very reluctantly - let go of her nose and pulled down the sweatshirt so her face wasn't obscured. The last thing she needed right now was to be mistaken for some kind of bandit or other threat that would provoke the valiant knight living in this tree.
"Sir Didymus?" she called out, looking around with an eagerness she didn't bother to hide. "It's Sarah, and I need your help."
Sir Didymus had been grooming Ambrosious when the familiar female voice rang out. His noble, but infuriatingly cowardly sheepdog steed barelled off for his hiding places, leaving Didymus no time for persuit without leaving the bridge unguarded. He bounded over the roots cheerily--Ambrosious could be lectured later! His lady in need, and it was his knightly responsibility to see it was fufilled, and double-quick!
"What trickery is this!" Didymus branded his falstaff, slashing at the air with it, "Here is Sir Ludo, my noble brother, with a lady in distress, but she is not who she claims! My Lady Sarah was never so tall and thus attired; and whatever wooly deception thou hast pulled over sweet Sir Ludo's eyes, cannot clog my nose!" He sniffed the air determinedly, once, twice and again.
Somewhere between the second and third whiff, Sir Didymus had looked breifly embarassed. "Oh. It is my lady."
Ludo watched Sir Didymus brandish his staff, but waited. He wasn't sure why Didymus was confused, since the fox's flowery verse was often too far over Ludo's understanding, but he was sure that the mistake would be caught soon. Didymus was his brother, after all. Ludo didn't want to fight with his brother.
As expected, Didymus settled down. Ludo gestured to Sarah. "Ludo help Sa-rah. Find Sa-rah friend. Help Ludo and Sa-rah?"
Despite how amusing it was, Sarah valiantly did not laugh at the second mention of the fact she'd grown. She was beginning to realize that, despite the fact their visits had dwindled in number in recent years, perhaps there was a part of her friends - her adopted family - that would always think of her the way they first knew her, just as humans did too. But it had been too long since the last time she had seen him and she was dying to hug him too.
First, however, the formalities befitting a knight and a lady, and for that she did release Ludo's hand. Despite the fact she was wearing shorts, Sarah affected the grip of invisible skirts and swept a curtsy, the smile on her face attesting to her enjoyment of it. After she had, she dropped to her knees and pulled him close for a hug. This one didn't linger, just as the others hadn't been allowed for time constraints, but it was still fierce and heartfelt.
When she let him go, blinking was required, but she smiled brightly at Didymus just the same.
"I need your help - we," she included Ludo, "need your help to find someone very important to me. His name is Peter and he is," her lips quirked in remembrance of the distinction she'd once made to Jareth as to what she wanted and needed, "a great knight who has won my favor. Jareth cheated and took him, even though he wasn't wished away to the goblins, and now I have to find him inside the Labyrinth so we can both go home."
"Forgive my disbelieving you, my lady--My lady!" Sir Didymus had been so tickled by the curtsey and so in the middle of his apology and responding bow that the hug caught him most unknightfuly off-guard. He recovered before the embrace ended, patting Sarah's back with one pleased paw. "Of course, of course! Whatever the mission, I am sworn to do thee service. My nose is keen and I am no coward who shirks from duty!"
His bushy brows went up upon further description of the task that lay before them. "A knight, taken through deception and dishonesty?--And the one who holds my lady's favour besides? Why, the very villiany of it!" He was working himself into one of his knightly tizzys, falstaff slicing through the air like an angry, one-bladed scissor. "Waitest thou not until the Labyrinth is completed for Jareth's dues, I shall take him here and now!" Yipping, snarling and bobbing, he bounced around the bridge, shouting to the sky, "Show thy face! It is a lesson in fair play that thou needest, and I shall be the one to teach it!"
"Sir Didymus!" Sarah rose, trying to get the fox's attention. "Jareth can't hear you, he's not in the Labyrinth right now. And we don't want him here until after we find Peter."
It was as though speaking Peter's name brought his very voice to her.
I'm okay, Sarah. Me and Hoggle are coming to find you. We're coming.
Confused for a moment, Sarah looked up and around for Peter, then realized her mistake and was even more confused. He shouldn't be able to do that!
Peter?
It wasn't loud, for she was half-afraid it might hurt him somehow if she yelled his name, but when no answer came, anxiety motivated her to take the chance.
PETER!
She waited, breath held and then there it was, his voice again. She pushed aside the part plaguing her, the concern that he had the abilities back and the fact the details behind their loss were fuzzy to her, and focused.
I'm okay. I love you. We're okay. Hoggle helped me. We're okay.
"He's with Hoggle!" She turned to Ludo and Sir Didymus, a smile breaking out. "Peter's with Hoggle. They're okay." The two would be easier to find together, especially with Hoggle to lead the way in their direction while they all moved toward Peter and Hoggle.
Ludo was swept up by her clear excitement. "Hoggle! Okay!" He nodded his head, bouncing a bit on his feet. "Where Hoggle? Find Hoggle? Find Pe-ter?" He was all ready to start moving. Even the pebbles around his feet were spinning in circles in anticipation.
Though Sarah heard Ludo, her attention was now inward, focusing hard on reaching Peter and hearing him in return.
Oh, thank God you're both all right, I was so worried. She readjusted her sweatshirt over her nose, as the stench was distracting. Do you know where you are? We're - I have Ludo and Sir Didymus with me - on our way to find you. And I will find you. I love you.
She waited for his answer, far longer that she would have liked, but it finally came.
Outside a garden. Stay away from the garden. Trust me, and stay away from it. Where are you?
The answer was mildly frustrating to Sarah, as she wanted to be with him now, and the sooner that happened, the better. If it's all the same to you, could you possibly move away from the garden so we can all stay away from it and I can get to you? And we're in the Bog. She made a face, likely confusing Ludo and Sir Didymus further with the silence. Well, not in it, but by it, and -- Peter, how is your telepathy back?
She still couldn't remember why it was missing, only that it was.
"I'm delighted that you are to be reunited with your Knight, My Lady." Sir Didymus, being of good knightly stock, did not inquire as to why she was making all manner of strange faces between exclimations of jubilation. The knightly instincts that were kept within that stockroom of chivalry, however, did find themselves burdened with the passing curiosity of how it was she came by that information without communication from an outside source.
He would never suspect a true Lady of sorcery, but with all the talk of THE WITCH that had been floating about in passing times, he worried that attempts to boggle and deceive her might occur.
"No time for dillying--Ambrosious!--or dallying--Ambrosious!--or dwaddling!" He tapped his small foot impatiently, and finally gave up tapping for additional beckoning in slightly higher volumes. "Ambrosio--Ah, Ambrosious, good boy," Didymus praised the cowardly steed as he settled onto his mount, and brandishing his falstaff towards the path out of the Bog, though there was no way of knowing if that was the direction Sarah would lead them and said, "Let us be off; Sir Peter awaits!"
Before she could respond to Sir Didymus, Sarah received her answer from Peter.
Not sure yet, but my head is protesting. We'll head towards you. I love you, Sarah.
She was forming the words in response when she felt the connection close, that familiar brush against her mind gone as she sighed.
"Well, they're on their way to find us, which means we need to stay put," she said as she focused on Ludo and Sir Didymus, then belatedly realizing an explanation was in order, she smiled. "Peter has certain abilities, he can speak mind to mind," she explained, tapping her head. "That's how I heard him."
Waiting was the last thing she wanted to do right now, especially with the Bog stench to complicate matters, but it was still the best plan.
"So, we wait," she said, moving to scratch under Ludo's chin before settling down with a great deal of resignation next to Sir Didymus - the resignation not for the company, but because of the smell. At least this would allow her a chance to catch up with Sir Didymus a bit.
Ludo didn't understand. Speaking mind to mind? Minds didn't have mouths, right? The explanation puzzled him, and he tilted his head at Sarah, not understanding.
But understanding was a long way from accepting, and that he did without protest.
Well, perhaps one protest.
"Smell bad," he said, wrinkling up his face to show his displeasure. But when Sarah settled down, he did as well, curling his feet under him and lowing himself to the ground slowly and gently, as not to harm any creatures or insects that might be caught under his girth.
"Hopefully it won't be long," Sarah said, reaching out to pat Ludo's hand. Though if it was possible to will someone to hurry, sans telepathy, she was certainly doing that right now.
Pinching her nose through the layers of fabric, she turned to Sir Didymus with a smile - eyes only, as the rest of her face was concealed - and proceeded to tell the fox about things since they had last spoken. To listen to the second telling of her life recently, one would think it was another adventure. In reality, it truly was.