The Green-Eyed Witch

Chapter 7: Deepening Bonds and Exploring Magic

Author's Disclaimer: I own nothing. All credit goes to Henson and kiyomi-chan16. Also, as Fireshifter pointed out, yes, I totally based Arthur on Gaston. I have no shame. I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

-SJ-

"Good morning, Jareth."

Her nightly companion began their morning ritual by flying to her for cuddles and grooming.

She had numerous nightmares when he was absent, and then the nightmares of fire dissipated when he returned. His first night back, he had waited patiently for her outside when she woke up. After that, she brought him inside with her. He showed his appreciation by bringing new plants each time he visited, as though apologizing for disappearing.

Their routine wasn't interrupted until the next bonfire. The day before, several girls visited her in the barn, inviting her. The next day,, Arthur and Henry visited, and Arthur even brought Sarah a gift.

"Are you coming tonight, Sarah? They're my best stories," said Arthur after greeting Robert and Irene.

"Yes," replied Sarah, trying to hide her lack of desire to go. Behind her, she heard screeching, and she knew she'd have to talk to Jareth again. She didn't understand his hated of Arthur.

"Good," said Arthur smugly before handing her a small basket. "This is the last of my family's crop of peaches. You should consider yourself lucky to get these."

"Thank you! I didn't know there were any left. I love peaches," said Sarah, genuinely happy for once as she took the small basket.

Arthur stared at her upon seeing a real smile. He left silently, despite his friend teasing him the whole way.

"See, Sarah? Arthur can be nice," said Irene, giving Sarah a meaningful look.

"It's the first nice thing I've ever seen him do," allowed Sarah. When Irene started to look aghast, she added, "Did you miss how he said it? Condescending, self-centered jerk."

Irene wisely chose to remain silent as Sarah took the basket into the barn. Once inside, Jareth's screeches were ear-splitting.

"Enough! I know you hate him," said Sarah, trying to calm him down before her father found them. "He's only temporary, gone in no time. We can at least enjoy this - hey! Don't bite me!"

She had picked up the first peach, only for Jareth to snap at her, making her drop it.

"That's a terrible waste of - ew! Oh ugh!" cried Sarah, noticing the bruising and mold on the side of the dropped peach. The other peaches in the basket were in a similar state, making her grimace as she begrudgingly took them outside to her personal growing area.

"You were right, Jareth. I don't know how you knew that, but thank you," she said as she grabbed a bucket of water and a shovel.

Jareth screeched lightly from a nearby branch while she planted the rotted peaches in an empty area, not wanting to waste them. Come springtime, they would bloom after being activated by the cold winter.

"At least I got a peach tree or two out of this," she reasoned, trying to see something positive about Arthur. Jareth chuffed and flew to her window in preparation. He hated all her ideas for clothing and hair except for her plainest gown, so eventually she sent him away. He didn't appear again until she was in the village, picking at her braids unimpeded. Irene had insisted that she try something different, just to be like all the other girls in the village for a change, but it was too cold for that style. Jareth at least commiserated with her.

"This is the last bonfire they'll have this year. It's getting too cold, and I know they stop once it starts snowing. The sooner, the better," said Sarah, petting Jareth until she was close. "Wish me luck that I can survive another night of torture with him. I'll see you later."

She pressed a quick kiss on the side of Jareth's head, making him linger longer to live in the moment. With a silent flap of his wings, he was gone, blending into the night. Just like the first bonfire, Sarah sat on the edge and let the girls discuss local gossip until the boys appeared. She added in where Irene's knowledge allowed, and all the girls loved her new hairstyle.

The best thing about the boys showing up was that they brought food with them, some hot cider and caramel apples. The caramel was tangy and sweet, and the apples firm and juicy, just as she liked them. The food also prevented her from having to talk. As it turned out, it was absolutely necessary for her to be occupied, lest she wring the neck of Arthur.

"I've caught almost every wild animal around here, except for a bear. I think I've scared them off enough to prevent them from attacking us. I've been setting rope and net traps all over the forest. A bear, or something else equally big, did get caught in one a couple months back, but somehow it escaped."

Then Sarah realized that Arthur was the reason why Ludo had been caught. She seethed, crushing the rest of the apple in her hand before reaching for another one to fill her mouth.

"I almost caught a third deer that day while hunting in the forest. I would've had it, were it not for some stupid, white owl screeching and scaring away my deer. I shot that thing down just to spite it. I never found the owl, though."

Sarah thought that she couldn't get angrier than the injustice done to Ludo, the gentlest of creatures.

She was wrong.

"How dare you shoot down an innocent owl! How do you know it wasn't searching for food?" shouted Sarah, standing up.

All turned to face her, Arthur not prepared for the fiery eyes and temper she unleashed. She threw the rest of her apple into the fire and stalked toward the hunter until she towered above him, he seated on a low, wooden bench.

"You have some nerve picking on a small animal like that! How would you like it if someone much bigger than you just shot at you for fun?" she continued, shoving at him. "A true hunter takes only what is needed, trying to preserve the balance of life. You are not a hunter. You are a lazy coward."

She stormed away, all awestruck until one of the guys said, "Now I know what you see in her. She's fierce."

"She's a wild animal, and I intend to hunt her down and tame her," said Arthur proudly when Sarah was out of earshot. "She'll be my greatest capture yet. No one's ever said no to me, except her."

Sarah had never run so fast. Between numerous ideas involving placing poison ivy in Arthur's home and a need to remove herself from the taint of Arthur, she almost could've beaten Jareth.

"Jareth? Now I know why you hate him so much," she said, her voice growing softer. "I hate him, even more than I hate fevers and winter. Or, maybe just as much."

A moment later, Jareth flew from the darkness until he was in the doorway in front of her.

"Oh, Jareth, I'm so sorry," she said, reaching for him. He landed on her shoulder, and she headed to her bedroom, one hand on him for comfort.

"Sarah, you're back early-"

"I hate him! I never want to speak to Arthur again as long as I live!" screamed Sarah before rushing to her room.

"I think he's made an impression on her," said Robert, nodding encouragingly. "That's a good sign."

"Within a few weeks, we should see a reversal," said Irene, growing more hopeful. "There's such a fine line between love and hate."

Sarah rolled her eyes at their vain hopes. She knew the truth; there was no way Arthur could redeem himself in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jareth. I knew he was bad, but not that bad," said Sarah softly as Jareth hopped into her lap where she was bent toward him. "I didn't know he was the one to injure you. I'm going to get him back for you. No one's hurting my owl and getting away with it."

On this occasion, Jareth showed his affection in a new way; he pressed against her midsection, both wings extending around her. She doubted she would ever get this close to a hug from him again, so she did her best to respond in kind, seeking his comfort and forgiveness. After he remained there a few heartbeats, he made his way to his favorite spot on her, her right shoulder.

"What would you like me to do to him, Jareth? Make him break out in a rash so no girl ever looks at him again?"

Jareth screeched in delight, and Sarah decided to journey to the forest on the morrow. When all her chores were done the next day, she bundled herself tightly in several layers of clothing before putting on her cloak. Then, the pair ventured out with her favorite wicker basket. She wasn't sure how much poison ivy would be left, but she was determined. After visiting three spots that usually had poison ivy, Sarah finally found some. It still wasn't as much as she wanted, so she turned to Jareth.

"Where can we find more poison ivy?"

He screeched before flying forward. In that moment, Sarah was thankful that Jareth hailed from the Goblin Kingdom: it allowed them to communicate freely, just like she could with the goblins. Her three friends could all talk; no doubt all the animals from there could talk or at least understand her, allowing her to have the special relationship she had with Jareth. Sarah's feet crunched down on numerous brown leaves and kicked several pinecones before Jareth finally led her to another patch of poison ivy that hadn't died yet.

"Thank you, Jareth. Our revenge shall be complete now. I'm going to leave him a present he won't forget. Let's go home before we freeze."

Over the course of three days, Jareth continued collecting items Sarah needed to finish her revenge gift. After soaking a new shirt in a bath of poison ivy and some of her father's spirits, Sarah wrapped the rest of the unused leaves in with a fresh loaf of bread. Her book gave specific instructions of how to deal with poison ivy when used in special tinctures, and so she washed everything else touched by the plant thoroughly after disposing of anything that wasn't needed that had touched the leaves and bath water. The tainted loaf was left in the basket that Arthur had given her, and Sarah left it at the front door, ready to wait.

"Sarah, have you heard the news?" asked a shocked Irene, returning from the village.

"No, I've been here all day with Toby. What news is it?" she asked, restraining herself as she stirred over the hearth.

"Elder Richard and Arthur were almost poisoned! Apparently, someone left a loaf of bread from the baker for the family, and Arthur found it. He had just taken his first bite when he found poison ivy inside the basket as well!"

"That's awful!" cried Sarah, trying hard not to laugh as she glanced at Irene.

"It is. What's worse is that Arthur now has a terrible rash from it, and Elder Richard received one in the process of removing the dreaded plant from his home. Who would do such a thing?"

"I can't imagine. Perhaps one of the boys is jealous of his looks or wants Elder Richard dead?" asked Sarah, turning to face the pot of stew to avoid breaking the charade.

"I hope not! What is this village coming to?" sighed Irene with upturned hands before finding her husband.

Sarah waited until Irene was outside to cackle. Step one of her plan had worked; now she just had to wait to implement step two. When she went out to the barn later, she regaled her dastardly plan to the trio and how well it had worked so far. Jareth screeched in satisfaction and puffed out his chest as she mentioned that both father and son had caught a rash. Three days later, Sarah heard from Irene that no one had gone to visit Arthur's family since they had found the poison ivy, so she "volunteered" to pay them a visit. Both Robert and Irene thanked her profusely and sent her over with food and uninfected blankets.

When she knocked on the door, Arthur stuck his head out the open door quickly, a nasty rash on his forehead that was worse from scratching it too much.

"Sarah? What brings you here?"

"No one's seen you in a few days. I wanted to make sure you were doing well. I brought some presents from my family," she said in dulcet, almost whiny tones.

"Thank you. What's in there?" he asked, sticking his head out further.

"I'll only tell if you show me how much you've healed," said Sarah sweetly, wanting to see her triumph. "I promise there are lots of goodies."

"Fine. Just don't tell anyone," he said, stepping into the doorway. Every bit of skin Sarah could see had a red rash covering it. Even as he stood there, he tried to subtly itch at various spots on his body, and Sarah was delighted.

She wanted to screech with joy, but she settled for pulling back the cover of the basket and showing him her special shirt. "That's not too bad. You'll be better in no time. I saw this a day ago and thought you might like it. My family also has some blankets and food for you here. I hope you'll use all of them."

"With pleasure," he said, taking the shirt and burying his face in it.

Sarah had to think of an injured Ludo to prevent herself from grinning smugly.

"Thank you, Sarah. You're the best part of this dreadful day," said Arthur before closing the door.

Sarah scurried back to the barn to celebrate; at moments like that, she was glad that she was not allergic to poison ivy. She whooped with triumph two weeks later when she was told that Arthur was still somehow infected with the rash, despite removing all infected cloth in the house. Later that day, Sarah was leaving the barn with her friends and Jareth when she noticed that it was snowing.

"It's the first snow of the year, and I'm actually happy to have it for once. This is the strangest start to winter," mused Sarah, sticking out her tongue to capture the big, fluffy flakes.

"Why is milady happy?" asked Sir Didymus, all of them having heard of her immense hate for winter.

"Because my nemesis is stuck inside and won't come out in this weather. No one will, nor will they want to talk to me. I'll finally be released from my village duties so I can focus on all of your and my healing. It's going to be so quiet," said Sarah, twirling in a circle with her arms thrown wide. "I can hardly wait."

She was right. Everyone in the village hunkered down and started burning their large supply of wood during the next three months. Irene made all necessary visits for food and supplies since she knew who had surpluses of items, and Robert made the occasional trip to talk to the elders. Sarah was allowed to stay home and take care of Toby, which she did happily. She knitted and made warm clothes for herself and Toby, occasionally making something for the other two.

"Sarah, what is that red and white striped clothing Toby is wearing?" asked Robert one day.

"I had an idea that it would be better if Toby had each individual limb covered with cloth, besides the normal layers since he gets so cold. All the leftover cloth I had was this red and white fabric. I also made him a little red cap," she said, putting on the cap. "What do you think? I think he looks adorable."

"He does," agreed Robert, giving both of his children a fond look. He stepped closer to Sarah after she put down her half-brother. "You've been so attentive to all of his needs lately, and you've proven how much you've grown by volunteering at village events and giving attention to Arthur. You've earned my trust. Go ahead and practice your healing arts here in the home as much as you like. It'll be warmer than the barn."

"Thank you, Dad!" cried Sarah, looping her arms around his neck. "You won't regret it."

Sarah still went into the barn to spend time with her friends and take care of Jareth, but she couldn't help but wonder how it was that Jareth always managed to get back inside after spending the night with her, despite all the doors and windows being locked. She couldn't help but wonder if his king or her friends were involved somehow. The more experimental healing and repeating of instructions she still did inside the barn, but everything else she performed inside the warm house.

At first, no one disturbed or watched her as she practiced. As the weeks went by, both Robert and Irene grew curious, each taking turns to observe. Robert always got a glassy look in his eye when he watched, so he never stayed long. Sarah understood; she was becoming more like her mother. Irene was different. She seemed utterly fascinated when she finally allowed herself to watch. Over time, she sat closer and closer, and eventually Sarah even let Irene read the book. She took the time to explain the various abilities of each plant used in her spells, which gained her far more traction with Irene than she would ever know or guess. Over the course of the two months that Irene watched and learned, Irene also got to witness Sarah gain new pages to read, completing the book.

"At last! It's full," said Sarah joyfully, getting up when she flipped all the way to the end.

"Congratulations, Sarah," said Irene, hugging her tightly. "This is incredible. I knew you were powerful after seeing what you did for Toby, but this has opened my eyes. You've healed two horses since then, despite just learning those two spells. Just imagine all you can do after learning all of these new spells. Even the fae will come to you for help."

"Do you really think so?" asked Sarah, momentarily distracted from her book by the mention of the fae. "I thought they were immortal."

"My understanding from all that I've read is that they simply live for a very long time. Some use their magic to live longer or stay stronger than average. The books I've read say that the fae fight amongst themselves regularly and need healers for wounds."

"I'd love to learn more about their history, or just about them in general," sighed Sarah before turning back to her book.

"You would?" asked Irene, making Sarah pause. "Why? Do you want to appear more strange?"

"I don't care if I appear strange or not. I know I do already. I'd rather learn more about what I'm actually interested in," replied Sarah.

"If that's the case, then we'll sit down and discuss fae history tomorrow night after dinner. I can tell you what I know of fae after that," said Irene, relieved to have someone to discuss it with.

Those discussion cemented the blooming friendship between Sarah and her step-mother, and all were happy to see it. It only added to the general goodwill that reigned in the home at that time, and it allowed Sarah even more freedom when she finally decided to ask to go out into the forests on adventures with Toby. For a week, the family walked out together, going over the paths that Sarah wanted to take. Toby was bundled in as many layers as Sarah could stuff him in before placing him in a wrap that sat on the front of her.

When her father was satisfied that Toby was ready, he and Sarah were allowed to roam free in the forest. Jareth always accompanied her, and on the days that her trio of friends visited, they also joined her in blazing new trails deeper in the forest.

"Why don't ye let the little guy out to play and move around?" asked Hoggle, pointing at a happy Toby.

"Because he's capable of walking easily on his own. I don't want him to wander off and get injured if I get distracted," said Sarah, patting her half-brother's head.

"Sarah!"

"That's right, Toby. I'm Sarah, and this is Hoggle-"

"Hogger!"

"Hoggle," sighed the dwarf, exasperated. Even the baby couldn't pronounce his name right.

"And this is Ludo and Sir Didymus," finished Sarah, pointing to each of her friends. Toby already knew the names of the goblins that played with him each day now that Sarah came to sit with him and asked for their names. Sarah was trying again to teach her friends' names to Toby.

"Toby fwiend," said Ludo, grinning and making Toby reach for his horns.

"Oh look, Toby! It's a squirrel," cooed Sarah, pointing to a random squirrel scampering up a tree trunk.

"Squir!" cried Toby, reaching for the squirrel.

"I wish this one would talk. I'd love Toby to see a talking animal so he's more prepared than I was," said Sarah, looking off in the distance.

"No ye don't. If the animal's talkin' to ye, that means it's a fae for sure," said Hoggle, dismissing her hopes without thinking.

"Do all fae talk as animals?" asked Sarah curiously as Jareth flew off of her shoulder, landing on a nearby branch.

"No. They can, but some choose not to," said Hoggle, looking uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Why?" asked Sarah, her focus on him.

Hoggle hesitated to answer when all of a sudden, his eyes widened. "Didymus, where are ye going?"

"I think I hear a stream nearby. I thought they were all frozen," said Sir Didymus, waving for them to follow. "Let us explore."

"Let's go, Toby.".

Both Hoggle and the owl sighed in relief as Sarah ran off, distracted. The distraction did not last forever, though. When Sarah arrived home, she decided to ask Irene about the truth of Hoggle's statement, worrying Jareth by making sure he stayed outside for the night.

"What do you know of familiars and their relation to the fae?" asked Sarah after dinner.

"It is said that familiars come from spirits or the fae," replied Irene, sitting back in her chair as Sarah settled close by with two blankets around the hearth.

"So by Jareth agreeing to be my familiar and bringing me things, he proves he is a spirit or fae within animal form," said an awed Sarah at learning the truth.

She hadn't wanted it to be true. The fact that Jareth came from the Goblin Kingdom was odd. She could have assumed he was just an ordinary owl her whole life were it not for his eyes and odd ways of interacting with her that told her he understood.

"If he led you to a fairy circle, then there is a very high likelihood that he is a fae taking an animal form," said Irene, giving Sarah a compassionate look. "Does that surprise you?"

"Yes, a little. He seemed so ordinary besides a few things," replied Sarah, growing introspective for a moment before brightening up and asking, "Do all familiars talk? Do they understand what is asked of them? Is there a reason a familiar won't talk?"

"Easy, Sarah. One question at a time," said Irene, liking Sarah's eagerness. "Yes, all familiars I've heard of talk, but only to the person they help."

"Jareth has never spoken to me," pouted Sarah.

"That's most peculiar. He understands you since he keeps helping you. All the books I've read say that he should. Have you tried asking him point blank?" asked Irene, scratching her head.

"No. I'm rather worried and curious why he won't talk to me. I'll ask him tomorrow," replied Sarah, slightly appeased by the idea as she looked toward the barn.

"Unless he has lost his voice, there is no reason for him not to talk. How else can he negotiate with you?"

Sarah paused before asking in an alarmed voice, "What do you mean by negotiate? Why should we negotiate?"

"Why does he stay? What does he gain from this arrangement, Sarah? Surely you don't think he does it from the goodness of his heart, do you?" asked Irene patiently. "You'll be disappointed when he up and leaves one day with that attitude."

"I, I didn't know about any of that," said Sarah, now worried about losing Jareth. "I thought familiars did nice things, like help witches."

"Shows what you know," said Irene wryly. "No, my dear, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. You should go negotiate with him tomorrow. Make him talk. It's for the best. I don't want you to become heartbroken."

"I will. Thank you, Irene," said Sarah, trying to keep a brave face as she got up to go to bed. She stopped when she got to the hallway. "What about my saving him? Is that healing debt enough to keep him forever?"

"Most likely not," said Irene, getting up and hugging Sarah. "I'm sorry you have to find out this way, but that animal is not what you think it is. Fae are cunning, magical folk. Be careful. There's a reason why your father warned you against him. He is more peculiar than most with those eyes."

"That's one of my favorite things about him!" wailed Sarah, now worried as she accepted the comfort of Irene. As she remembered his eyes, she remembered someone else who had the same eyes. "Irene, I'm beginning to wonder if Jareth is related to the Goblin King somehow. They have the same eyes, and I think I heard the king talking in the barn recently."

Sarah still didn't understand the word bogging, but now she wondered about the aforementioned escape routes. Had he been getting in through the holes in the barn to visit Jareth? But why do that if he took a human shape? He could just unlock and open the door. Sarah's head continued to spin.

"Related how?" asked Irene, pulling back to give Sarah a hard look. "Sarah, if you think they are, you should talk to him if Jareth refuses. You need to know how long to expect to keep Jareth. Will you promise me to do that?"

"I will," said Sarah solemnly. In a softer tone, she added, "I feel a little betrayed by Jareth now. Why won't he talk to me? Doesn't he trust me after all I've done for him?"

"It's hard to say. The fae are fickle, cruel beings sometimes. Get some rest, Sarah. You're going to need it," said Irene, gripping Sarah's shoulder tightly.

When she was in bed, Sarah whispered, "Jareth, don't leave me." With that, she fell into a fitful sleep.

As much as she hated not knowing, she had already come too far with Jareth. In that moment of learning the truth, she knew she had become attached to Jareth. She had gotten used to having him beside her. It was easy to talk to him, and he anticipated all her needs. No one else understood her like he did, and she knew exactly what he liked, not to mention understood his moods. She thought she had been doing a good job of not becoming attached to animals, as she had with everything else on her farm. She was wrong; she had developed something more for Jareth. Even though it was crazy to think it was love, she didn't understand why she felt so horrible about the whole situation otherwise. There was no reason to, and yet she did.

Between the sense of betrayal she felt and her fear of losing Jareth, she hardly slept that night. Had she known that Jareth was just as worried about her from being denied entrance inside the home, she might have slept a little easier.

-SJ-

Author's Notes: Thanks so much for reading! Sorry about the terrible ending spot.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story so far! I appreciate all of your support. Also, I can finally send PM's again! It is a glorious day.

Guest 2019: You are most welcome! I'm trying to update weekly with smallish chapters (at least for me), and sometimes that means cutting a chapter short, like this one...Oh, I'm so glad you like Owl!Jareth. He is fun and cute in that form. Oh yes, he would be quite frustrated being forced to watch that! But he knows how to fix it, should he choose to. Thanks so much for reading! I really appreciate it!