A Rare Breed
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By: The Dragon's daughter
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*Disclaimer* this is getting pretty old.
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AU-
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Chapter Four
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Sarah awoke the next morning to musty blankets both from the broom closet and from Hoggle's den, eyes dry and gummy from crying herself to sleep, and the sight of Jareth's shiny high heeled boots.
She rolled over and looked up at him. "What time is it?" she croaked and frowned because her throat was sore.
"8 something ungodly in the morning." he replied glibly and knelt beside her. "You look awful, dear." he said in a kinder tone. "Were you crying? You look like you were."
Sarah nodded numbly. "A little… maybe a lot. I think it's out of my system now. I can't really afford to let myself dwell on it."
"That's my little trooper." Jareth praised her. He summoned a crystal and reformed it into a pewter goblet, which he handed to her. "Drink, you'll feel better for it."
Sarah took it without question and tossed back the contents. She gasped as warmth pervaded her body and all the aches and pains she'd accrued from sleeping on the stone floor vanished.
"What was that?" she asked, handing the goblet back.
Jareth banished it and helped her up. "A little of this, a little of that. It's a potion of my own devising. It's time for a few lessons about your new home and a few improvements around here."
Sarah blinked but obeyed, really if she couldn't trust Jareth now then she really had no one to trust. He released her hands somewhat reluctantly and began pacing around the Oubliette, glancing at the walls.
When she started to ask what he was doing, he stopped and pressed his hand again a blank space of wall. "Here will do nicely." he said out loud.
Energy pulsed into the wall from his hand and the stone rippled underneath it. Sarah gasped as the ripple widened until it was a little higher than her head and extended about three feet into the floor.
The stone reshaped itself into a deep basin the floor and an elegant fountain built into the wall that resembled a woman in flowing robes holding out a large saucer. After a few seconds, there was a gurgle and water started flowing through the statue, collecting in the saucer and falling down into the basin in the floor.
"It's Circe poisoning the ocean, isn't it?" Sarah guessed as she recognized the stature; it was a replica of a painting she'd seen in an art museum once and had loved ever since.
"You had a fondness for that painting, if I recall." Jareth smiled at her over his shoulder. "It's big enough to bathe in and will be a good source of fresh water for you, but that's not the purpose I intended it for." he held out his hand. "the potion I gave you awoke certain powers inside you that you gained when you defeated the Labyrinth."
Sarah blinked. "I have powers?"
He nodded. "However since you didn't stay in the Labyrinth, they went dormant. The power I will teach you today will be your own personal brand of travel. I can move through air, since I am a Fae and all Fae are closely linked with the air element. However, humans vary." he grinned cockily. "I spent most of last night divining your nature and have discovered you to be a woman of water."
"I'm a Cancer, Jareth." Sarah told him dubiously. "I could have told you that."
He scowled momentarily. "Yes well, this is different." However he said it so testily that Sarah suspected it wasn't.
He held out his hand. "This is actually very simple. Just concentrate on where you want to go and your magic will take you to the nearest clean water source. There's an underground river that branches all over the Labyrinth so there won't be much problem with that."
Sarah glanced back at Toby who hadn't woken up yet.. "What about Toby?"
Jareth glanced back and pursed his lips, then he snapped his fingers and a small goblin appeared with a squeal.
"Watch the child." he commanded it as it groveled before him. "and don't make a mess."
He turned back to Sarah. "We'll have to make this quick. He'll do his best, but they get distracted so very easily."
She nodded and looked dubiously at the now nearly full fountain. "Um… I concentrate and do what?"
"Just touch the water, I'll follow you." Jareth coached gently.
Sarah swallowed, closed her eyes, and thought hard on the fountain she'd seen in the Town Square of the Goblin City. Then she reached out and touched the water…
There was a odd, cool, flowing sensation and she was standing in the middle of a group of gawking goblins and feeling slightly woozy. Glitter sprinkled down beside her and suddenly Jareth was there as well.
"Bravo!" he praised her. "Brilliant work, and the first time as well!"
Sarah blushed, she wasn't used to effusive praise. At her house she was either blamed, ignored, or tolerated. "Ah… thanks." she gasped as his arm closed around her waist.
"I'll handle the return trip, you'll get used to the travel method after a while."
Then they were back in the Oubliette.
The goblin leapt to attention as they appeared. Jareth gestured for it to be at ease.
"Congratulations on mastery of your first Feat." he pushed her hair back. "I must go now and attend to my duties, but I shall return soon. Is there anything you need before then?"
"Hoggle's taking me to the junk yard to find furniture today." Sarah told him. "If you could tell me what to do about food though…"
Jareth frowned. "A definite issue." he pondered for a moment. "I will send for supplies, but you'll have to find your own method of supporting yourself soon. I will look through my library to see what you can do. Until then, you'll be taken care of."
Sarah nodded. "Thank you, Jareth. Do you know if there's a…uh… fresh water source near the Junk Yard?"
He nodded. "Several and if your concentrate, you'll be able to take things with you. A word of warning, don't be afraid to assert your claim on a bit of something or other from one of the Junk Collectors. They have claim laws." He glanced around. "Winter is coming as well and this place will become bitterly cold. Talk to Hoggle, he'll arrange for a dwarfish stone smith to put in a fireplace." He dropped a kiss on her forehead. "Adieu, my dear. Work calls."
He and the Goblin vanished just in time for Toby to come to life and demand sustenance.
***
Toby was a warm weight in the sling around her neck as Sarah and Hoggle sorted through the vast reaches of the Junk Yard. There was no shortage of cribs and larger furniture, seeing as the Junk Collectors couldn't carry them on their backs.
Sarah found and took home a lovely hand carved crib that could eventually be converted into a child's bed. Hoggle discovered a twin sized bed that could accommodate Sarah that had a bookshelf built into the headboard and drawers under it. There was no mattress but Hoggle told her they could stuff one special.
"Ye'll want a lot of storage available in that place." he advised her when they came upon a large armoire and worktable. The armoire was half drawers and the work table had storage pace under the desk top and a cabinet that was built over it.
Sarah transported them all home while Hoggle scavenged up a bunch of cups, plates, and various oddities.
After the furniture was arranged to their mutual approval, Sarah broached the subject of a fireplace with Hoggle. This made him thoughtful and he disappeared for several hours to return with a grimy, soot smeared dwarf who made all sorts of measurements and estimations before sitting down with Sarah to haggle their method of repayment.
"What can ye do?" was the first question he asked.
Sarah thought hard. "I can read and write in English." Hoggle had told her what a rare talent reading and writing were. "I can also translate a little French, I can do mathematics up to basic algebra, and I know Aboveground History. I can move things and people through fresh water, although not too often in one day."
"Ye new at the transporting?" the dwarf guessed and she nodded. "Ye'll improve. Can ye teach young'uns? That reading, writing, an' figuring?"
"I… guess so. I've never taught before." she hazarded.
The dwarf shrugged. "Me kin's kinder are good children. They's of an age to be learning regular like, but none of their Aunts nor N'uncles can spare time for it. Ye look of the type they'd respect; a real Lady. If ye'd teach our kinder then we'd see fit ta build ye a fireplace, smoke and ember ward it, put in some cabinets, and after that we'd pay ye in coin fer every month a'lessons."
Hoggle looked pensive. "How much coin?" he asked cautiously. "Lessons is rare. Ye should charge no less 6 silver a month." he said as an aside to Sarah.
"Six silver!!!" The sooty dwarf exploded. "Three is more than generous!"
"Eight is a bargain! The missy's worth ten!" Hoggle shot back.
"Four." The sooty one countered.
"Five." Hoggle replied.
"Done." Sooty spat on his palm and held it out to Sarah. "Shake on it?"
"Um…"
Hoggle cuffed Sooty upside the head. "Didn't yer mother teach ye how to treat a Lady!?"
Sarah watched as Sooty blushed under the layer of grime on his face. He started to wipe his hand off but Sarah stopped him by spitting into her own palm and sealing the deal.
She grinned. "I might as well accustom myself to this world." she said and Sooty grinned back.
"Ye'll do right well, I'd say." he replied and so it was arranged; lessons would occur every other day. The dwarfs would supply their children with their own slates, pens and paper. They'd parley with the elves for wooden lap desks, since the wood elves were best at wood craft. The dwarves would also supply Sarah with a larger slate that she could write on with chalk so she could demonstrate for the children.
Before he left through the portable door, Sooty asked her about her defenses.
"Defenses? What do I need to defend against?" Sarah asked in confusion.
"Not much," Sooty, whose name was actually Quoyle, admitted. "Sometimes a challenger come through from a less nice world, wielding sword or spell. Occasionally something nasty'll get into the Labyrinth and do damage before Lord Jareth kills it. Still, seein' as our kinder will be here we'd like to know they're defended."
Sarah pondered that. "Well. I could ask the Helping Hands not to let anyone down and take the door off the wall. I could also evacuate the children through the fountain… Jareth says I have other powers from defeating the Labyrinth, but I cannot use them yet."
Quoyle nodded. "Its good enough for now," he cast an eye towards the covered hole in the ceiling. "but the Helping Hands may not remember not to drop someone in the middle of your parlor. They is helpful, but they ain't so smart. Ye ken?"
"I understand." Sarah agreed.
Toby grumbled from Sarah's shoulder and she bounced him once or twice on her back to show she remembered he was there. Quoyle peered up at the baby. "That yours?"
"He's my baby brother." she explained. "Our stepmother wished us away."
He looked sympathetic. "That be rough. Sometimes human'folk make me wonder. I could ne'er wish off me kinder." he shook his head. "Yer welcome 'ere, Ma'am. I'll see ye when I bring the kinder fer their lessons two weeks from now."
Sarah let him out the portable door and (after putting Toby into his laundry basket) collapsed into a soft armchair that Hoggle had found freshly dumped, the damp from the rain the day before hadn't gotten to it. It was one of the few things in the Oubliette that wasn't wood or metal. Nothing kept very well in the Junk Yard where it was exposed to all kinds of weather. The wood warped, the metal rusted, but the cloth things got it worst of all. There wasn't a piece of decent cloth to be had in the area.
Hoggle had told her that clothes, linens, and things had to be traded for from the Blind Spinsters in the Hedge Maze.
"I wonder if they have any kids to teach." Sarah wondered.
"Nah," Hoggle shook his head and scratched the back of his neck. "They is Spinsters, never married, no kids. Ye could wait for yer first month's pay from the Dwarves or ye could find something else to do." he cocked his head. "I tell ye whot, if ye can make up sachets and such what smells good they'll trade heavy for that. Ye can sew it up ye self or ye can take it to a seamstress. I reckon there's one a few tunnels over."
"I need a clock too." she murmured with a glance at her watch, which would eventually run out of batteries. "It can wait though. I need a mattress for the bed and blankets of my own." she got up and sorted through her leather bag until she came up with a bottle of perfume. "How much do you think this'll get me?" she asked as she handed it to Hoggle.
The dwarf took it and sniffed it carefully. His eye brows rose. "Smells right nice. Tha whole thing'd get ya some stuff, but a little vial would get ya the blankets ya need if you ain't picky 'bout pretty colors. Another vial'd get ya the mattress."
"I don't have any vials." Sarah started to say but Hoggle took something out of his pocket with a great grin stretched across his face.
He set a wooden tray of slender glass vials with wax stoppers on the low table between their chairs. He added a little eye dropper to them. Sarah grinned and picked up a vial.
"Hoggle, you're amazing!" she praised him.
"Aren't I though?" he preened.
***
One vial got Sarah feather down mattresses for both her bed and Toby's crib and thick, several fluffy quilts, and the smoothest linens she'd ever laid hands on. The Spinsters had liked the perfume even more than Hoggle had guessed, they'd even promised her another knitted throw made special.
A willowy man had appeared at her 'door' earlier that morning with the desks the Dwarves had commissioned; they were gorgeous things with leafs carved up the side. They were stackable and came with their own little cushions. At first she'd thought the glossy smooth wood had been varnished, but then Eronol (the elf who'd delivered the desks) had informed her that they'd actually just been sanded that smooth.
Sarah could see where they'd earned their reputation as wonderful woodworkers.
Toby was napping on Sarah's bed when Eronol arrived, he'd awakened long enough to look up at the man, make a sleepy noise and pass right back out.
The elf gave him an indulgent smile. "One rarely sees children of his age among my people, we are slow to breed and quick to mature. Who, may I ask, is the lucky father?"
Sarah noticed his eyes stray towards her bed which was so obviously meant for one. "He's my brother. Our stepmother wished us away." she explained.
Pity flashed in the elf's ancient eyes. "I shall never understand Mortals." he murmured. "My condolences, although for all intents and purposes you are his mother now and that is no cause for sorrow." he leaned over Toby and ran light fingertips over the tot's downy head. "Every child is a pure miracle."
"He is." Sarah agreed, although she held private doubts about the road ahead of her. What kind of mother would she make? Was she even ready for this? Shouldn't she have gotten a chance at her own life first?
Eronol glanced up as though he had heard her thoughts. "You are young for this responsibility." it wasn't a question.
She nodded. "It doesn't matter." she murmured but the elf shook his head.
Eronol placed one hand on her shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Sarah had never been overly fond of being touched by strange people, but the Elf carried himself in such a manner that she couldn't find it in herself to begrudge him.
"Clan always matters." he told her in a fatherly tone, belied by his youthful face. "You cannot accredit yourself with the blame of this fiasco. The Labyrinth would not have accepted you if it had sensed a taint in your soul. You have sanctuary here and friends merely waiting to make your acquaintance."
"I didn't see the Labyrinth that way when I first came here." Sarah admitted.
The elf chuckled and released her shoulder. "You'll find, Ailee Milatha, that the Labyrinth -and its king- are whatever it is you need most. Once you needed a challenge and a villain, now you need a home the other half of your soul."
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End Chapter Four