The Message

He took out the paper he rolled earlier on and put it in the pouch of the hawk and patted it.

"All right Thunder, go to Father".

With that, Jareth raised his arm and the hawk flew away high in the sky, then suddenly it flew back down and landed on Astrid's shoulders.

Astrid's POV

"I sent it on an errand earlier on before I met you, I'm about to send it on a message again" Jareth said answering my question ever so casually.

But something didn't feel right within me the moment he said those words.

"To where?" I asked trying to kill this uncertainty.

"My father".

As soon as he mentioned those words, I looked at him with an uncertain expression.

"Anything wrong?" I asked him after a long pause, still not understanding why I felt this way.

"I just want him to know I am doing fine".

He took out a paper from his pocket and put it in the pouch of the hawk and patted it.

"All right Thunder, go to Father" and immediately Thunder flew.

I wanted to ask him to let me see the note, but it would have sounded somehow, then Thunder was going and if I don't know what was in that letter, then I may not be able to calm or ease this uncertainty feeling.

I mean I trust him with my life, after all he has saved me twice, but I can't bring myself to trust any other person especially his father that I know nothing of.

Call me paranoid, but the one thing I don't want is for others to know my existence. I know it's not going my way and all, considering I made my existence known to the whole magical realm but I need to find my mother and my people before anything.

Besides, Jareth's the only other person I have trusted apart from Aunt Nerissa since this whole life of running started. I don't know why but in my heart, I feel it's alright to trust him. I hope I am not wrong though, but only one way to find out.

I reached out to the hawk in my mind and commanded it to come to me, then it flew right back at us and perched on my shoulders.

I took out the paper from its pouch and opened it. What I saw shocked me and it must have confused him too.

"... " I simply turned my head to look at him, with a shocked expression still evident on my face.

"The message... What is this?".

Jareth's POV

As I let Thunder go, it flew high and later came back down. I wasn't really sure why it came back, but I found out soon. The next thing I knew, it landed on her shoulders.

Why would it do that when I sent it on an errand? Then I saw her slowly lift her hands to take the paper from the pouch and opened it.

What's she doing? She can't just go about checking other people's message. I was about stopping her when I saw a shocked expression on her face.

I was confused. I mean what's in the note that got her shocked?. The next thing I know, she turned her head in my direction with the shocked expression still evident on her face.

"The message... What is this?".

Okay now I'm way confused. She walked up to me and passed me the note.

"How can you just write this? Father I am fine, no need to worry" she read out what I wrote.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked, not so sure about the error in it.

"What's wrong? Jareth are you close to your father at all? How can you send him just a few words? Of course that's enough to make him worry".

Now I finally understand, if only she knew. My father would understand no matter how much or how little I write to him.

"This won't do" I heard her say.

"What?".

"Add something to it".

"Something like what?".

"Something like umm, you are doing great and you are just going on a little adventure, see you soon".

"Hahhahha hahhha hhahha" I just couldn't help myself as I burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Her tiny voice rang out and I had to reduce the intensity of my laughter.

"Nothing. For reals Astrid... I am not a girl. That's what your kind do".

"My kind?".

"Don't get me wrong. I didn't mean it race wise, I meant girls, you are the ones attached not for us males".

"Whatever. This won't do, your pen and ink".

"What do you intend on doing?".

"Adding a small note".

I simply stared at her as she ignored me and went to get my pen and the ink. She scribbled something down and in a minute's time she was done.

She raised the note and showed it to me. I read it out loud.

"Father, I am fine, no need to worry. On a journey, would meet you soon".

"So what do you think?" She asked me with a smile on her face.

"It's short".

"At least better than yours".

She rolled the paper and put it in Thunder's pouch, before patting it to go and it obeyed.

It flew high into the sky and away from our view.

"Okay, shall we pack up and head out?" She asked me as she went to gather her things.

"All right, let's pack up, we have a long journey ahead of us".

*******

Author's POV

In the human kingdom, the king is seen sitting on his throne when the Grand Advisor entered.

"Your majesty" he said with a bow.

"Yes Gerald, any news?".

"Yes your majesty" another voice said.

They all turned to the direction if the voice.

"I see you've arrived" the king said back to the voice.

"Yes your majesty".

"Come forth".

And the owner of the voice came out of the shadows, shocking the Grand Advisor.

"You... Why did your voice... ".

"Shhh... " the owner of the voice hushed him.