Parsley: Merriment
Are you going to Scarborough Faire?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lived there.
She once was a true love of mine.
Have her make me a cambric shirt
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Without no seams, nor fine needle work.
Then she'll be a true love of mine.
Tell her to weave it in a sycamore wood lane.
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Gather it up in a basket of flowers
Then she'll be a true love of mine
Have her wash it in yonder dry well
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Where water ne'er sprung, nor drop of rain fell.
Then she'll be a true love of mine...
Sarah smiled as she watched the many people fill the lane. From pirates to fairies, and everything in between. She loved this time of year, it was still hot from the lingering summer but the leaves were already starting to turn the ideal shade of copper. It was the perfect weather for a faire.
A few small children dressed as princesses and knights ran past her as she made her way to the large fountain that graced the front courtyard. Smoothing out the wrinkles in her costume, Sarah sat on the edge just listening to the falling of the water and the windy sound of the pan-pipe.
She did this every year, sat on that very spot and simply listened. The first time she had done it was when she was ten. It had been her first time to the faire and she was overwhelmed by the amount of people, both actors and patrons that roamed the lanes. Her father had already gone off to fine one of the pubs, he never did like the faire.
No, it was her mother who had insisted on the family going. She had pulled out the costume that she had worn in one of her first plays and altered it to fit Sarah's small body. She had delighted in running through the shire as a princess, to this day it was a favorite of all her ren-characters.
This year though she had dared to dress as one of the few characters she had once refused to ever be. She had written a list years ago, back when she was fifteen and all she had wanted to do was forget. Forget that she had ever wished her brother away, forget that she knew fairies existed. But most of all to forget him.
She sighed as she stood, people walking past her taking pictures believing her to be one of the many actors. Not that she minded, she thought her goblin costume to be rather well put together herself.
Her skin was smudged with dirt, her hair mussed and housing an array of bells, bones and coins. Two horns poked through her mass of curls, and various trinkets hung from her torn leather and linen dress. She even decided to carry a perfect round crystal.
The sun began to peak over the topmost edge of the front gate, sending warm beams across the fountain. Sarah knew if she didn't get moving soon the shire would heat up before she even had a chance to take cover beneath the more wooded areas.
Leaving the cobbled courtyard, she entered the shire, her sandal covered feet moving carefully over dirt and woodchips. Children laughed and danced with the fairies, who dusted them with shimmering dust. Couples walked hand in hand, being stopped every now and then by the street characters to be teased.
One of the more comical characters, a young man dressed in torn breeches and a tunic, skin and hair covered in dirt and mud, ran after the pretty young girls trying to kiss them. Sarah laughed as one such girl dressed in green velvet tried to lifted her heavy costume so she could escape the man. Giggles and clapping sounded through the shops as she failed and was left with a huge muddy lip print across her cheek, the dirt covered man wriggling his eyebrows at her as he left to find another victim.
The privy cleaner ran past Sarah carrying his shovel and a sign around his neck advertising; "Dung for Sale!". All in all, the shire simply exuded merriment.
Most of the day was spent browsing through stores, buying trinkets and jewelry, and watching the various shows throughout the stages in the shire. As the day was nearing the end Sarah wondered to the edge of the Enchanted Forest.
The archway towered high above her, sheer cloth hung in veils and wrapped around the structure inviting all the mortals to enter the fae realm. She had yet to enter the forest for years now, it was silly she knew. It was only another stage filled with humans dressed as fairies, but she could hardly keep herself from feeling weary about the place.
Finally gathering the courage she walked past the gateway and walked amongst the trampled lanes, peeking into the fairy houses and listening to Merryweather the nymph play her pan-pipe. It was strange how much the little forest reminded her of the Labyrinth.
Walking along the edge, allowing her mind to wonder to times gone by, she halted right before she entered a lone pathway leaning away from the rest of the shire. A gentle hand rested against her arm.
Looking down she noticed a sprite of a child, no more than seven Sarah figured. She was dressed as an elf. Her ears were pointed and looked as if dipped in sparkles. She wore a dress of the thinnest cream silk, and her skin shimmered almost gold. But it was her eyes that captured her attention.
They were the deepest green, and if you looked closely Sarah could have sworn gold stars were swimming in them.
"Go on Goblin, do not be shy." She nodded towards the path with a grin on her little lips.
"Where does it lead?" Sarah could only see past the first three trees before the path faded into darkness.
"Past the Veil and to His Majesty, but surely you know that Goblin. Go on, The Warren awaits its Champion." The little girl pushed her a little further onto the path. Sarah looked up to find an old wooden plaque declaring in faded letters a challenge to all who wish to traverse the Warren.
She knew it was not unusual for ren-faires to have mazes. Swallowing her fear she took another step forward, it was just a faire game, nothing to be worried about. Once past the first three trees she looked back and watched with wide eyes as the little girl shimmered into thin air. Sarah looked out in front of her with a sense of dread, and there just as she knew it would be was the Labyrinth.
She turned hoping to enter back into the faire only to find herself staring out at the Barren Lands.
A laugh, cheering, and music drifted around her.
"Welcome home Sarah." She closed her eyes as a strong lithe body wrapped around her own.
"Impossible…" A whispered word was all she was able to speak before she was silenced by a pair of silken lips.
"No, Sarah, never." He softly laughed as he lead her down the hill side to the waiting party below.
Author's Notes: Just a bit of a side project I have had in the works for awhile. I have always loved Scarborough Faire, and thought it fitted in nicely with my idea of the Underground.
Each of the chapters are actually just short stories that are totally unrelated. The only thing that will match will be that each story will have a Renaissance/Medieval theme.
There will be four short stories in all, each set to the theme of the meaning of the herb used for the title.
Author's Notes for Parsley: While I really haven't given a location for the faire Sarah attends here, the layout and characters are based after the KC Ren-Fest in Bonner Springs Kansas, though sadly there is no labyrinth in the Enchanted Forest. :(
Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth, and the Lyrics are Traditional.