"Yes sir" and he vanished as quickly as he had come, leaving the other man behind to think and plan.

"I would get you... " the black cloaked man said as he disappeared as well.

-------

Jareth quietly laid on his back, with his stomach facing the sky as he gazed into the starry night sky.

He heard little noise, it was a movement, he quickly got up and picked his bow, by the time he scanned the area...

"Ohhh, it's just her" Astrid stirred in her sleep, thereby making the noise he heard earlier.

He turned to his side facing her, he now had a clearer view of her face. He gaze fell on her face, as he watched carefully all her features.

"Indeed she is beautiful" he thought.

He let his gaze trail down her neck, downwards her body and brought his gaze back to her lips, letting it linger there.

After what seemed to be like eternity, he finally drifted off to sleep.

---

Morning came and they all woke up one after the other.

Astrid woke up first before the beasts opened their eyes, Jareth on the other hand seemed to sleep soundly.

Unfortunately for him, he slept late as his thoughts went on a rampage.

Quietly, Astrid made her way to his side and bent in front of him. She was already planning something mischievous.

She bent her head low to his ear and screamed with all her might in his ear.

Alarmed, Jareth opened his eyes and before registering what was happening, made to sit up and get into a defensive mode, but all these never happened as he heard a different sound entirely.

As soon as she screamed, she was about withdrawing her face when he sprang his head up and his forehead met her just a little below her lips.

"Ouch"

He looked around and noticed it was a false alarm.

He turned to look at her with anger in his eyes, she was now sitting at his side as she pressed her fingers on where their bodies met.

"Good morning" she said amidst the pain she felt.

"What should I say? I am angry but seeing as it kind of backfired, yeah I am glad" he said ignoring her pained expression.

"Not fair."

"Serves you right for being d.a.m.n so mischievous. You've got powers, heal yourself. I would not apologize."

He said to Astrid as he got up, then turned away from her. He quickly turned around to face her, "Oh and be fast, we leave in the next minute" then he walked away.

By the time he got to a certain distance from where she sat on the ground...

"Ouch!"

'That never gets old, does it? Once beaten, twice shy" she began laughing feeling as though the heavens loved her.

"Why haven't you done away with the barrier since you woke up first?"

"Well it didn't occur to me, I felt like waking you up first" she replied nonchalantly.

"Astrid... " there was anger laced in his tone but she shrugged it off.

"Okay, he is angry. Remove the barrier" that familiar feminine voice sounded in her mind again.

"Okay okay, stop doing that without a warning" she telepathically communicated with the beast as they could talk to each other with their mind.

"Astrid... He needs to relieve himself, let the barrier go" White-Fire informed her.

"Very well" she said a spell and it barrier disappeared.

Jareth cast a glance at her once, before disappearing into the near by bush to answer nature's call.

---

From a distance not too far, on a tree stood the black cloaked man and young man from earlier.

"Good, the barrier has been removed"

"Sir, we attack soon, it's seems as though the Elf is going somewhere. What better opportunity is there than this?" The young boy chipped in to his leader.

"Shh, I would attack at a time of my own choosing and volition."

He watched as Jareth left and after a minute of making sure he was gone, he signaled the boy.

"Get the rest, we attack soon, on my count"'

"Yes sir" and the boy disappeared from his side.

In a another minute, up to ten different men appeared on the tree.

Seeing this, the black cloaked man smiled, already feeling victorious at the unforseen battle.

"We move in... " he stops fast in his sentence as he saw an all too familiar silhouette walking towards the group of beasts and girl.

"d.a.m.n"

Just then, Jareth looks up at their direction as if sensing something, but couldn't see anyone as they disappeared from there as soon as he returned.

-----------******------------

h.e.l.lo my lovely readers.... Well I didn't want to do a separate chapter for my every extra 10000 views.

I want to say a big thank you to all those who have been supporting this novel so far...

Please your comments, votes and reviews are highly needed.

This author needs the feedbacks... So please... Let me know in the comment section... Give some pointers... It motivates a writer... Don't do silent reading please..

Well that being said, stay safe and healthy...

Love, author.