CHAPTER 4
She said, "Jareth, you scared the shit out of me again. Twice in my short lifetime is enough for anyone." She put her bow down and sat down putting her pot and pan back by the fire and reached for her hip clicking on the safety. Who was this person, how did they know his name? He had to find out. He stepped forward to stand beside her, squatted down curiously and reached out tugging down her hood.
He noticed she was so beautiful. He hadn't been stirred in his loins like this over a female in a while. Sex had become repetitive over the last century and it was annoying and frustrating at times. But, this little morsel of beauty was something different and new. He had toyed with human women before and then years ago tried to keep Sarah… He knew at that second who she was.
He in curious awe said, "Sarah?"
Why is she in the Underground? How the hell did she get here? He thought, 'Oh my beautiful Sarah, you will not escape me this time. You are definitely not a child anymore, but an irresistible beauty.' He didn't realize it was like a siren's call to his heart that drew him to camp at this spot. Her cooking smelled wonderful. He was getting hungry. She cooked the rabbit with herbs and seasonings in a pot. He wondered what kind of greeting he would get from her after all this time. At least she didn't want to kill him.
She was surprised when she heard a horse coming. Then she recognized him, the one fae she thought she would never see in a long time, but who was she kidding because she lived on the outskirts of his kingdom now.
Sarah emotionlessly said, "Hi, Jareth. How ya been?"
Jareth said curiously, "Hello Sarah. I've been alright. That rabbit smells really good. I have a bottle of wine to share if you share your rabbit meal with me?" She knew he just put out an olive branch of peace.
Sarah said, "Ok Jareth on one condition. You settle in and make your own camp."
Jareth said warily, "I thought you hated me and that's why you never contacted me or your friends."
Sarah cocked her head to the side and said, "Jareth I've never hated you. I contacted my friends one time and the mirror never worked again. So, I gave up and started focusing on my education and accelerated learning in Ireland and Scotland." He started creating his camp with magic.
He said, "What did you study in Ireland and Scotland?"
She said, "I got four master's degrees in Celtic Historical Studies, Ancient Britannic Languages, Anthropology of the North, and Archeology specialized in the British Isles. I was doing research for the University of Cambridge on Celtic and Anglo-Saxon ancient peoples."
He sat down with his bottle of wine and created a small low table between them. He created two wine glasses and opened the wine. He said, "You got four masteries?" She nodded and he poured the wine. "That's amazing. What have you learned about the ancient people there?"
She took a sip of wine and said, "That your people came and had a great influence on sciences, including architecture, the arts, and magic, including necromancy." He created a couple plates and cutlery. Sarah cut a couple pieces of fresh bread. Jareth thought it was great.
Jareth said, "This is a tasty meal Sarah. Thank you. Your facts are not too far off. My people did come to your world for a couple hundred years trying to teach them, but it didn't go so well and they could not perform magic; it was just academics. Nothing lasts forever. The humans couldn't wield magic and we believe they became intimidated and it instilled fear. But, others of my kind will say they were jealous of us. I personally think my people may have brought someone with a cruel heart and arrogance towards the non-magical humans. It would have accelerated the fear." She listened fascinated.
After a few moments of silence, Jareth asked, "Sarah, you seem to be handling living off the land well, most women I've known, human or fae, couldn't deal with living outdoors. I must ask. How did you find your way to the Underground? It's very unusual." She smiled and sipped her wine. It was a very good red wine with hints of raspberry.
She said, "Would you believe I tripped in a hole and found myself here?" He smiled and shook his head no.
She said, "I found a tattered book with the procedures and incantation spell."
He looked at her in shock. He said, "Where did you find the book?"
She didn't want to tell him everything but would say enough to satisfy him hopefully. She said, "It was in a very old bookstore I found one day in an obscure part of the city. It was small and falling apart. I had to seal the outer cover to contain it because the binding was letting go."
He said, "If what you say is true, then you would have to find a portal entry. I thought they had them all sealed. Sarah, I and my father are the only ones allowed to go to the Aboveground. I don't understand how a book with that kind of information in it could be there? It's been over 5,000 years since we had come back from the Aboveground and for 1,000 years or more my people were restricted from going to your world. Something strange has happened for that book to even exist up there. I'm glad it was you who found it and not someone unaware of our world's existence." Sarah thought it was odd in the back of her mind, also. She finished eating and asked Jareth if he could eat a little more so she wouldn't have leftovers. He agreed and they both finished the pot of food. She would have used a plastic baggie and ate it for breakfast but she had a jar of honey and the bread for breakfast. She went to the stream and scrubbed out her pot and utensils. She washed her hands with soap.
She walked back over and the dishes were gone. She went inside her tent and grabbed her towel, drying her pot and putting it and the bread back in the backpack.
When she came back out, she sat down and picked up her wine glass and stared into the fire. Jareth said, "You're very prepared coming here. How did you barter all of your new things?"
She smiled and said, "In the abandoned tunnel coming into your realm, I happened, by chance, upon a pot of gold stashed by some leprechaun somewhere. I filled my bags up and my pocket and left on foot to make an exit out the overgrown entrance."
He chuckled and said, "Only you would be so lucky to find gold coins from my world just waiting for you."
Sarah smiled, giggled and said, "Yeah funny how that happened. I bought a bunch of silver and gold jewelry to barter with and it was unnecessary."
Jareth asked, "Where were you headed too?"
Sarah said, "I was headed to Loch Gorm next. I wanted to see the human towns first. I started in Bhaile for a week and Àiteigin for three days. I've been in the Underground for almost two weeks now." He looked worried. She didn't know how dangerous Loch Gorm was to a lone female traveling like she was doing.
Jareth said, "That town is notorious for gambling, debauchery, kidnapping and thievery. If you're walking around with a full pot of gold on you, besides being a woman..." Sarah frowned at him. "You can't hide your pretty face and voice, Sarah. Clothes can only do so much. You haven't been traveling under kingdom protection either. One of my people from a less scrupulous kingdom could take possession of you and make you his handmaiden or press you into service."
Sarah said, "Which kingdoms allow that?"
Jareth filled her glass and his to again. He said, "Ogre, Centaur, Banshee, and Fairy." Sarah laid more wood on the fire. She was thinking with all the bad mouthing about the Fairy Kingdom she had heard from several people's conversations, that it was one place to avoid.
Sarah asked, "How many kingdoms are there here?"
Jareth said, "Thirteen. The High King's Place is in Murias the capitol of our realm. Then there is the Goblin, Fairy, Dwarven, Elven, Pixie, Mermaid, Unicorn, Dragon, Ogre, Leprechaun, Banshee, Centaur" She nodded in understanding.
Jareth said, "Sarah, why don't you come with me to my castle and stay. You could see your friends and see the real side of the Goblin City this time. It would be safer than being alone on the roads. I'll take you anywhere you want or need to go. I don't want anything bad to happen to you." He held up his hands to stop her from protesting. Her face looked alarmed.
He said, "I swear to you, I offer only friendship and no motive to harm you. I promise." She knew he meant it if he swore no harm to her. He was bound to that promise.
She calmed down and nodded her head, "Ok Jareth, I'll come stay at the castle and I hope to be able to come and go as I please?" He said yes to her.
Sarah said, "Ok then. Where were you heading this evening anyway?" He was happy she agreed and it thrilled him to have her near himself a little while longer.
He said, "I was finishing up a meeting with the Fairy Kingdom king about a dam to be built between our kingdoms. It was the finalization of the negotiation for the project. Half my people and half his are to work on it. It will help the families in my kingdom to have steady income coming in while working there."
He thought to himself, 'Yea, the king threw his simpering feather brained daughter, Emiline, at me. The cow even had the nerve to cup my balls through my clothes. How dare she touch my person without permission. She was so obviously wanting her own kingdom through marriage, but I said a firm no to the offer.'
Sarah said, "You treat your people and the harvesting caravan people well. You must be a very good king. I heard high praise in the inn's tavern listening to people speak of you."
He felt like that's high praise coming from her and said, "Thank you, I hope so, but I guess it depends on who you talk to." She giggled. He thought it sounded adorable.
Sarah yawned and swallowed the last of her wine. She said, "I guess it's time to rest. Goodnight Jareth." She banked the fire, went into her tent, took off her boots and climbed into her bedroll and had her head on her gold in the saddle bag. She kept her knife and gun under the top blanket by her head. She fell asleep.
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When morning came, she tended to her bathroom needs. Jareth wasn't up yet, so she took out two tea bags and her pot to make tea. She filled the pot with water and put more kindling on the banked coals and started a fire to boil the water. She took out the bread and cut off two pieces and put them on a plate. She put honey in both and the leftover rabbit that she put aside for breakfast. She brought it back to the fire. Jareth got up, said good morning and did his business in the woods. The water began to boil.
He came back and said, "How are you doing this morning?"
Sarah said, "I'm good. Can you conjure us two mugs for tea?" He did as she asked. He sat down by the warm fire with her. She added the tea bags and poured the hot water over it. She asked, "Would you like a little fresh honey with your tea?"
He said, "Yes, thank you it will be nice for a change. What else did you make there?"
She said, "I used the bread, honey and leftover rabbit from last night." She picked up her piece of bread, folded it in half and took a bite. It was good. Jareth watched her and did the same. He had never tried rabbit with honey and found it was savory and sweet. He sipped his tea and enjoyed his moments like these quietly with her by the fire.
Sarah asked, "So are we heading for the castle today?" He said yes. She quietly ate her breakfast with the tea.
After breaking camp, she packed up her horse that was staked out by the water on a patch of grass. She rubbed Spirit with her hand and said, "I know it's a bit heavy but we'll get you to a nice place where I can ride you freely for a while. You're a good boy, Spirit." She gave him a final pat and mounted him getting settled in.
Jareth said, "Ready?" She nodded. He said, "Good let's go. Follow me." He leads her to the road that leads from his northern border of his kingdom.