I'll tell you now that I am no longer responsible for any action on the part of the Reshephim. They insist on having their say and I can't seem to get rid of them. Oh, well. Recommended listening today: Gotita de Amor by Tatiana. Have fun!
Ladymage ;)
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Part 28 ~ Getting to Know You
The Fae was busy contemplating the various unpleasant things he could do to that upstart mortal when he felt a small tug on his sleeve. Startled, he looked up, then down. Then further down.
A round little girl, no more then seven years old stood next to him, looking up at him with large, dark eyes. "Juega conmigo," she demanded.
"I beg your pardon?" Jareth couldn't understand what she was asking, but was suitably offended by her commanding tone. He was further astonished at her temerity when she tugged on his sleeve again and repeated the same words.
"She wants you to play with her," commented a voice in only slightly accented English. A boy of maybe twelve knelt next to the girl, speaking to her softly. He grinned up at the blond stranger. "She says she doesn't care if you can't understand her."
"Well, you may tell her that I do mind and furthermore, I have no intention of playing with anyone," Jareth replied haughtily. The boy glanced at him before rapidly translating.
The little girl's face became stubborn. She grabbed the Fae's hand and pulled. Hard. "Juega conmigo!" she repeated. "Ahora!" The last word increased in volume as she continued repeating it. "Now! Now!! NOW!!"
How was he supposed to deal with this? One could not apply the same rules to unruly children as one could to unruly goblins. At least, not after Sarah had threatened him. He rather imagined that if he did anything to the child he would find himself disembowelled as well as punctured. To an immortal, the thought is extremely unpleasant. Jareth looked to the boy for a cue. He shrugged helplessly, twitching the end of his ponytail back over his shoulder.
"What can you do?" he said. "She's my cousin, Teresa. My aunt spoils her."
Trying to ignore the girl now trying to yank his arm out of its socket, he asked curiously, "But wouldn't her mother keep her away from strangers?"
The boy looked surprised. "Strangers? Sir, you're sitting on the madrina's doorstep. Whatever you are, you aren't a stranger." At Jareth's blank look, he added, "Anyone can explain it to you. But go play with her now. Five minutes." With that, the boy vanished and Jareth was left to deal with little Teresa, who was continuing to demonstrate her remarkable vocal capacity. Sighing, he let the tiny girl pull him to his feet.
"All right, all right," he glared at her. "What do you want?" she giggled and pulled him to a wagon a few feet away.
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"Ay, mijita," Libertad spoke softly, her arms holding her grandchild close, "I am so sorry I did not tell you."
"Why didn't you?" Sarah pulled slightly back to look her grandmother in the face. "Abuela, why didn't you tell me that I could do this?"
"Because, mi nina, I could not stay and you could not come with me. You were just a little girl, too young to handle such power on your own. And your mother had left and Karen was beginning to take her place in your father's heart. It would have been too easy for you to slip beyond what is good into the evil side of magic. Perhaps I should have left the caravan. . ."
"No," Sarah told her fiercely. "Even then, I knew you had to leave. Both of us would have been miserable if you stayed. At least you had a good reason for what you did. I had no excuse for what happened beyond losing my temper and reacting like a spoiled child."
"But I do not think you are a child any longer, mija," Libertad looked deeply into her eyes. "You have grown up, I think."
"I don't think so. I still feel like a child, lost and scared and ignorant."
"But once you realized there was no other way, you faced up to the consequences of your actions and did everything you could to make things right. That is what growing up means, my dear. Not that you know everything, but that you know what is right, and do that in spite of everything."
"But I don't know what's right, Abuela!" Sarah wailed. "I don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do about it."
"That's why you're asking your older and wiser grandmother, dear," Libertad replied, smiling. Sarah gave a small chuckle in spite of herself.
"So what should I do, abuela?" she asked in a child's voice.
"Well, I think tonight both of you need to eat and rest. Tomorrow, we'll figure out what both you and Jareth are capable of magically. That I think I and the caravan can help you with. As for you and Jareth, hija, the two of you must work it out on your own.
"Now come; let's go outside and see what can be made of this Goblin King of yours."
The pair went to the door and opened it. They were surprised to find it damp, with a few hailstones scattered over it. What they did not find was the blond Fae they had expected.
"Drat it!" Sarah muttered. "I guess I lost control again. Sorry, Abuela."
"Not a problem, love," her grandmother assured her. "The rain will be good for us. The question is, where has your old Fae gone to?"
"I have no idea, but he better remember what I told him," the girl growled.
Libertad looked at her, surprised and amused. "My dear, what did you tell him?"
Sarah blushed. "I told him that if he got out of line, I'd hang him by his toes and use him for target practice," she admitted.
"Come, then," her grandmother chuckled. "Let's see if we'll have a new dartboard."
"Madrina?" The same boy who had talked to Jareth reappeared.
"Si, Carlito?" Sarah noticed the boy's round face and long hair, his bright blue shirt and black pants.
"Madrina, the man who was here went to play with Teresa. They are near my aunt's wagon."
Sarah choked.
"Gracias, Carlito," Libertad answered carefully. "We'll go get him." The boy grinned and ran off.
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"Did you tell them?" A second boy, identical to the first save for that he wore a red shirt hissed.
"Yes, of course I did, Adrien," Carlito answered quietly. Both gave wide grins.
"I can't wait," Adrien commented.
"Well, come on then," Carlito urged. "Mother's already been laughing for the past twenty minutes."
The two sprinted in the direction of the wagon, so intent on their destination that they forgot what they were doing and began, just a little, to glow.
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Laughter floated through the air, growing louder as the two women approached the wagon. Sarah glanced sideways at her grandmother. Together, they walked silently toward the far side.
"Tag, you're it!" A bright giggle escaped as the little girl darted away from the Goblin Lord, who appeared as immaculately attired as usual. Except for a smudge on his nose, which he didn't seem to have noticed.
"I'll get you for that one," he threatened as she ran from him laughing. Sarah started forward, to be stopped by her grandmother's arm. Startled, she looked at the older woman, to see her motion for Sarah to keep still.
Jareth began to run towards the girl, who glanced back to see where he was. What she did not see was a little hump of grass in front of her feet. Teresa tripped and began falling heavily. Quicker than thought, Jareth made a motion with his hand, magically catching the girl and setting her back on her feet. She blinked for a few moments, then ran back to the tall Fae.
"Gracias, Senor Jareth!" she shouted, attaching herself to his leg.
Sarah watched in astonishment as some expression passed rapidly over his face, leaving behind one of his sardonic grins. Gently, he touched the girl on her shoulder.
"Tag. You're it."
