As a child, Sarah Williams thought of herself as brave, daring, and terribly adventurous. She often boasted that if she came face-to-face with a ferocious dragon or some other sort of man-eating beast she wouldn't be remotely frightened. In fact, she claimed she would be able to defeat the foul creature without breaking a sweat.
However, to everyone else Sarah Williams was stubborn, single-minded, and out to make trouble. The neighbors had quickly learnt that any attempts to reason with her were futile. For one so young, she was stubborn as stubborn could be. So in the end everyone (Sarah's very own parents included) simply decided to let the child run free. To say it more accurately: they gave up.
All except for one.
"That really is quite dangerous, you know." A smooth, baritone voice drifted up with the cool spring breeze, reaching small ears high above.
Sarah didn't falter for a moment. She stayed steady, standing with her arms splayed out like a tightrope walker as she balanced on the branch of a tall tree. The other day she had spotted a bird's nest and decided it was her duty to investigate and make sure the new family was settling in well. They were the first winter birds to make their home in the neighborhood since the season began, and she didn't want them to feel excluded from the community.
"I'll be fine!" The answer came quickly—it was one she was used to giving.
"What, exactly, are you attempting to do?" There was a wry curiosity to the stranger's tone.
"I'm checking on the new bird family!" Sarah responded as she reached over her head and hoisted herself onto the branch just below the one holding the nest. "They just moved in."
"I see."
Silence fell for a moment. Sarah guessed the stranger had gone away and left her to her own devices, as they always did, and carefully inched closer to the nest.
"Sarah," The voice rang up from the ground again. She blinked, her eyes flickering away from her target for a moment. When she didn't see the source of the voice immediately, she looked forward again. "Do you know what species of bird makes that nest?"
"Nuh-uh."
Very slowly, Sarah raised herself onto her tip-toes. She was almost at eye level with the nest. If she could just get a little bit higher...
An ear-piercing screech disrupted the still air. A snowy white barn owl came shooting out of the nest and dove straight for Sarah, large talons outstretched and ready to deliver damage to the one who had dared intrude upon her family. Sarah gasped and reared back, losing her balance and falling from the tree.
She didn't scream as she fell, only squeezed her eyes shut and braced herself for impact. However, before she could hit the ground a strong pair of arms deftly snatched her out of the air. She was tucked carefully and safely into a warm, solid chest. Surprised, she looked up to peer at her rescuer.
Two mismatched eyes met her own. One iris was blown wide, making the surrounding color almost completely black. The other iris was nothing more than a pinpoint, and the color was a shocking electric blue.
Sarah quickly realized that this man was not one of her neighbors.
"I did warn you," the stranger drawled.
Sarah was stunned into speechlessness. This man was by far the strangest she had ever seen in her few living years. He wore a lot of makeup around his eyes (he even put it in his eyebrows!) and his hair was messy and wild, reminding her of a ferocious lion. He was captivating and, in Sarah's eyes, super cool looking. She wondered if he was a rock star. Or from a circus.
"Didn't your parents ever tell you it is very dangerous to disturb a bird's nest?" queried the stranger.
"Mommy and daddy don't talk to me all that much," she babbled amiably. "Mommy's always gone for her acting jobs and daddy works late nights at the office."
The handsome stranger's glossed lips pursed. "Who watches over you, then?"
"Merlin!" piped Sarah, pointing over her shoulder to a mass curled up in the shade at the base of a nearby tree.
The man raised a brow, glancing to the young sheepdog who raised his head upon hearing his name and wagged his tail. He stuck out a long, pink tongue and offered a friendly bark in greeting.
Shaking his head, the stranger tsked and gently lowered Sarah onto her feet. Now the little girl could get a good look at her rescuer.
He was even more strange-looking than she had initially thought. In addition to his otherworldly features he also wore a long, dark cape and midnight-encrusted armor. He posed with his hands on his hips, looking down at her over the bridge of a long, aquiline nose. She thought he was quite tall, but then again just about everyone seems tall when one is so little.
"Are you a prince?" she blurted, her tiny voice raised high in excitement.
The man chuckled humorously, shaking his head. "No, love. But you were rather close with your guess. Well done." With a gloved hand, he reached out and patted her head affectionately.
Reaching up, Sarah wrapped her tiny hands around his wrist. He watched her with a bemused expression as she maneuvered his hand down (he had to crouch slightly to accommodate) and inspected his gloves.
"What's this stuff?" she asked. His hand was facing upwards, fingers slightly curled, and she was tracing his palm with little fingers. When she held up her hand her skin glittered in the sunlight.
"Magic," he told her. Her eyes snapped up to meet his, shining brightly. "Well, the remnants of it. Where magic happens this substance is usually left behind."
"Show me! Show me! I wanna see the magic!" Sarah exclaimed with childish exuberance, clutching his wrist even tighter and bouncing like an overeager puppy.
"Be patient, pet," he chided, grinning toothily.
Instantly her mood changed. A dark cloud took over her expression, furrowing her brows. She pouted, jutting out her lower lip almost comically. "But I wanna see!" Balling her hands into tiny fists, she stomped her foot hard against the ground and raised her voice until she was shrieking. "Show me!"
His expression darkened, becoming hard. "Sarah," his deep tone held a warning edge that forced her to pause. "Do not command me. I shall show you my powers only when you prove to me that you are ready to witness them."
"But I am ready!" she whined petulantly, shoulders sagging.
"No, love. You're absolutely filthy. You've ruined your clothing playing around in the mud." The man raised a sculpted brow, shifting his booted heels as he regarded her clothing with obvious distaste.
Sarah looked down at herself. It was true that her well-worn overalls and undershirt were caked with dirt and mud. She had been playing since morning, and children her age rarely cared about keeping their clothing clean and hole-free.
"Come, come. Let's go and get you cleaned up." The stranger extended his hand to her in offering, palm up.
"I'm not supposed to let people I don't know come into the house," she said dubiously, now eyeing the offered hand warily, as if she had not been carefully studying it just moments before.
"It's nice to know your parents taught you something," he muttered, lips pursed and eyes flashing with barely concealed contempt.
"That's how people get robbed," she clarified in a robotic way, one that indicated that that particular lesson had been drilled into her mind again and again.
The man closed his eyes and expelled a sharp breath, reaching back up to pinch at the bridge of his nose. Sarah had seen her father do that many times before—it usually meant that he was annoyed about something. She wondered what was annoying the stranger.
After visibly collecting himself, the man tried again. "Well, Sarah, I am not a stranger to you. I am your friend. Now, let's get you cleaned up." Once again, he held out his hand in offering.
Overjoyed at finally making a friend, Sarah grinned and nodded quickly. She eagerly took the offered hand and asked in a bubbly voice, "What's your name?"
"Jareth," he responded. A small smile graced his thin lips as he regarded her with a bright twinkle in his eye before looking ahead and leading her back to her home.
Author's Note: Hello! My name is Jessica. Welcome, or if you are returning to this story, welcome back. I was inspired to create this story thanks to the art by imaginarium on Deviantart (the cover art for this story belongs to her)! I first wrote it in 2015 and finished publishing it here in 2016. It is now 2020, and my writing style has changed and grown over the years. When I re-read this story, I edited and added to it as I went. I'm sharing my changes now, hoping that you enjoy it whether this is your first read-through or you've returned for a re-read! :)