AU- This one goes out to everyone who's been reviewing this story. It
really keeps me going! Beware typos, once I finish this sucker, I'll go
back through and polish it up but right now I'm more concerned with keeping
the story moving at a pace considerate to the reader. I know I don't like
being kept weeks and weeks for a new chapter, it adds to the suspense I
know. I'll try and keep writing fast so everyone won't go into withdrawal
(Yes, I'm talking to you Deborah!)
***
Chapter Four: In Which There is Much Meaningful Conversation and Plot Development
***
Sarah chewed on her lower lips, listening to Gawain talk about her world right now... she was really beginning to wonder why she'd wanted to stay.
"Now, take you for instance..." Gawain continued. "You're a different sort of Mortal. You're trying to fight your way out of there. I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from?"
Sarah winced and nodded. She saw, she saw it too well indeed. "Yes. I was... drowning I think. I used to dream a lot when I was young. I wanted to be a famous actress... like my mother. I lost that somewhere..." she wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't remember when..."
Gawain nodded sympathetically and would have done something like hug her... but he knew Jareth. Doing such a thing was tantamount to suicide. "Jareth told me you are a Bard?" he tried instead. "I am one too."
Sarah blinked stupidly. "Huh?" she hazarded. "I don't sing..."
"A storyteller." Gawain clarified. "A person who creates stories and tells them to others."
"Oh!" comprehension dawned. "You mean my novels!" Sarah cried.
"You -whats-?"
Sarah blushed. "I write stories down on paper and give them to someone who makes a lot of copies for people to read. They pay for the copies and I get a percentage of every book sold."
Gawain frowned. "Sounds damned impersonal to me, if not impractical. What if someone doesn't know how to read?"
Sarah shrugged. "We don't have that problem where I come from. Everyone is taught to read, and those who can't have either bigger problems or just don't want to extend themselves... much like your sorcerers."
Gawain nodded. "That I can understand, maybe your world isn't as bad as I thought it was."
"Close, but not -as- bad." Sarah agreed. "It does have it's high and lows, but doesn't every place?"
"I think that we are going to get along, Sarah Williams, I really do." Gawain chortled. "I really do."
"Then how about my next clue?" Sarah implored.
Gawain grinned. "Of course, we're looking for the sigil embossed on your rucksack. Jareth has assigned that symbol to you, it's as good as your name now."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'm not even an Aquarius, I'm an Aries."
"In your world, dear." Gawain corrected her gently. "The Underground dances to a different melody. Here, you're an Aquarius. Thus your sigil."
"Gee, I hope it isn't another person." Sarah mused. "If all my clues were by word of mouth, that would be awkward."
Gawain shrugged. "There's a village over the rise. I suggest we go there for a rest. It's been a long walk and some hot food would be appreciated."
Sarah hazarded a small smile. "I hope they have a hot bath there. It would be nice to soak out some of the sore spots."
Gawain grinned. "Of course they do, I happen to be on the greatest of terms with the Inn keep of the Boar's Head! I'm sure he'd be glad to give us whatever we like!"
***
Sarah barely dodged a stone ware mug. The raving red-haired maniac who'd thrown it thankfully hadn't noticed her. Gawain wasn't so fortunate, if anything he was the source of the woman's fury.
The Bard was currently cornered by who Sarah assumed was the Innkeeper. She was an astoundingly small woman with red hair as bright as a new minted penny with eyes the fresh green of new leaves. She was dressed in a slightly worn yet well mended and clean homespun dress. She wore a clean white apron over it tied about the waits with a cheery blue sash embroidered with tiny yellow flowers. She was also throwing just about anything she could get her tiny hands on at Gawain, who had dodged them all so far.
"I'd stand back, if I was you Missy." One of the patrons, an old man with a shock of white hair and a soldier's uniform cautioned her. "The Bard's been gone a long time and Jesse's blood is up. No doubt she's decided he's been cuckolding her."
Sarah blinked. "Are they married?"
The old man shrugged. "As much as the Bard is to anything or anyone. I suppose that's what keeps him coming back here month after month. He's got the wandering feet, mind you. give him a moment and he'll put that silver tongue of his to good use. You just take a seat."
He pulled out a chair at his own table and Sarah gratefully sat down. From the looks of things over on the other side of the tavern, she'd be having a long wait.
"So what brings you to Thistledown?" the old man asked her as he took his own seat.
"I'm on a... quest you might say." She said absently as she took in the rest of the tavern. The town outside had been vaguely reminiscent of the Goblin city only in a human sized scale and built in wood and thatch instead of slate and stone. The only paths were the ones worn by feet over years and years of inhabitation.
The Boar's Head was clean and bright with white washed walls and embroidered table cloths on the seven or so round tables scattered along the walls and the floor. Each table seated about four and most of them were full.
A girl in a bright cheap skirt and embroidered bodice made her way through the throng, easily dodging a few playful pinches and slaps. She stopped at Sarah's table and gave a nod to the old man. "Good evening Captain!" she chirped.
"G'day Molly." He answered gruffly. "could I get another pint?"
"Of course." She said warmly and turned to Sarah. "What can I get for you love?"
Sarah smiled. "I just came through the Night Ring, do you have anything..."
"That isn't cold trail food?" Molly intuited. "Of course, love! There a nice mutton stew in a bread trencher and comes with cheese, white or yellow, or a half-chicken with some of the root vegetables cooked till they're soft and that comes with a few slices of bread, brown, white, and black." She paused for breath. "The mutton stew is three coppers and the half-chicken is four."
"Get the stew!" the Captain whispered conspiratorially. "The chicken's greasy and the root vegetables are just mush!"
Molly made a face. "Traitor!" she sighed. "He is right though, love. The mutton's better and the stews just been finished a moment ago."
"The stew then. I don't suppose you know where I could get a hot bath and maybe a place to sleep for a while?"
Molly made a sympathetic moue. "Of course, you must not have stopped to rest in the Night Ring. Nasty place, that. Of course dear, the rooms up the stairs are a half silver a night and a bath is included just grab a towel from your room when its free and hang up the privacy sign."
Sarah nodded. "A full silver for two rooms then?"
"Two rooms?" Molly blinked in confusion until... "Oh! You're here with Gawain?" she nodded to where Gawain had succeeded in getting Jesse to stop throwing things and was talking to her in a low soothing tone.
"Yes, a friend of mine hired him as a guide for me." Sarah clarified, not wanting to start a rumor and disturb Jesse.
"Ah!" Molly nodded approvingly. "you're friend chooses well, I'll wager that the Bard knows Leihaedrielle like the back of his hand. You'll be in safe hands." She smiled at Sarah again. "I'll just go put in your order and get the keys for your rooms..." she held out a hand expectantly.
Sarah took the hint and doled out a silver coin and three coppers which went into a small padlocked wooden box on Molly's hip. Molly bobbed a small curtsey and whisked off to the kitchen.
Sarah took another glance at Gawain. Apparently his 'silver tongue' had done its work. The red-haired Jesse was showering his face with kisses. She shook her head disparagingly, if she ever got into a relationship like that she sincerely hoped someone would just shoot her.
The captain followed her gaze. "Humph. Record time too." He chortled. HE smiled and ran a blue veined hand through his wild white hair. Sarah froze.
Drawn in black henna across his knuckles was the two rippled lines that symbolized Aquarius.
The captain stilled his hand and glanced at his knuckles. "You're the young Lady Lord Jareth asked me to look for?"
Sarah grinned. "yes! I am Sarah Williams!"
The captain put his hand down and shook his head. "I rather thought so, your clothing has the look of Jareth around it. I suppose he supplied it?"
"Among other things." Sarah sighed. "Do you have my next clue?"
The captain nodded. "Indeed I do, little Lady. The Goblin King told me to tell you to 'Go to the Cloak and Dagger in Thornesbury and to ask for RoseBud'."
"Thornesbury, eh?" Sarah frowned. "Is that in the Sunset Strip?"
The Captain shook his head. "No, it's all the way out into the Day Break."
Sarah made a face. "How far?"
"I'd say the trip would be able four hour's walk." The Captain shrugged. "But with Gawain it could be less."
"Sarah!"
She turned to Gawain who had his arm around Jesse's waist and was leading her over to the table where she and the Captain were. Jesse was watching her cautiously. Sarah could practically feel herself being weighed and measured.
"This is the Lady I was telling you about, love." Gawain said cheerfully. "The Goblin King himself hired me as her guide!"
Jesse snorted. "I'll believe that when I hear it from her own lips, I don't trust you! The truth has too broad a definition for you sometimes."
"Hello, you are Jesse?" Sarah ventured.
Jesse nodded, sending her red curls bobbing. "I am, you are?"
"Sarah, Sarah Williams." Sarah held out a hand that Jesse shook firmly, revealing a strength that Sarah wouldn't have paired with her slight frame.
Jesse seated herself across from Sarah with a barely polite nod in the Captain's direction. "What is this quest you're on? Tell me everything, I want to hear it from your own lips."
Sarah blinked and glanced at Gawain. "Is it safe? I mean, talking about it in the open?"
Gawain shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."
She turned back to Jesse. "All right then. I'm from the Aboveground , Jareth and I made a wager..."
Jesse gasped when Sarah used Jareth's first name, but she ignored it. "If I can follow his trail of clues to the very end without giving up he'll arrange for me to live in the Underground on my own terms. If I give up, its under his terms." She shrugged. "That's about it. Gawain had my first clue, and the Captain had my second."
Gawain blinked. "You found it already? Where? Where are we going next?"
"Thornesbury it seems."
***
End Chapter Four
***
AU, okay this one's kinda crappy, I know. I'm kinda nervous because of this up and coming surgery of mine. I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out, All four at once. Everyone has been telling me about when they got there, and it hasn't been helping much. I hope it didn't affect the story too much, I hate it when innocent bystanders get hurt!
Well, I'm going to try and put out all the chapters I can before Monday. I'll be kind of out of it until Tuesday, or so I'm told and I don't want to leave any of you hanging.
D.D.
***
Chapter Four: In Which There is Much Meaningful Conversation and Plot Development
***
Sarah chewed on her lower lips, listening to Gawain talk about her world right now... she was really beginning to wonder why she'd wanted to stay.
"Now, take you for instance..." Gawain continued. "You're a different sort of Mortal. You're trying to fight your way out of there. I'm sure you can see where I'm coming from?"
Sarah winced and nodded. She saw, she saw it too well indeed. "Yes. I was... drowning I think. I used to dream a lot when I was young. I wanted to be a famous actress... like my mother. I lost that somewhere..." she wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't remember when..."
Gawain nodded sympathetically and would have done something like hug her... but he knew Jareth. Doing such a thing was tantamount to suicide. "Jareth told me you are a Bard?" he tried instead. "I am one too."
Sarah blinked stupidly. "Huh?" she hazarded. "I don't sing..."
"A storyteller." Gawain clarified. "A person who creates stories and tells them to others."
"Oh!" comprehension dawned. "You mean my novels!" Sarah cried.
"You -whats-?"
Sarah blushed. "I write stories down on paper and give them to someone who makes a lot of copies for people to read. They pay for the copies and I get a percentage of every book sold."
Gawain frowned. "Sounds damned impersonal to me, if not impractical. What if someone doesn't know how to read?"
Sarah shrugged. "We don't have that problem where I come from. Everyone is taught to read, and those who can't have either bigger problems or just don't want to extend themselves... much like your sorcerers."
Gawain nodded. "That I can understand, maybe your world isn't as bad as I thought it was."
"Close, but not -as- bad." Sarah agreed. "It does have it's high and lows, but doesn't every place?"
"I think that we are going to get along, Sarah Williams, I really do." Gawain chortled. "I really do."
"Then how about my next clue?" Sarah implored.
Gawain grinned. "Of course, we're looking for the sigil embossed on your rucksack. Jareth has assigned that symbol to you, it's as good as your name now."
Sarah rolled her eyes. "I'm not even an Aquarius, I'm an Aries."
"In your world, dear." Gawain corrected her gently. "The Underground dances to a different melody. Here, you're an Aquarius. Thus your sigil."
"Gee, I hope it isn't another person." Sarah mused. "If all my clues were by word of mouth, that would be awkward."
Gawain shrugged. "There's a village over the rise. I suggest we go there for a rest. It's been a long walk and some hot food would be appreciated."
Sarah hazarded a small smile. "I hope they have a hot bath there. It would be nice to soak out some of the sore spots."
Gawain grinned. "Of course they do, I happen to be on the greatest of terms with the Inn keep of the Boar's Head! I'm sure he'd be glad to give us whatever we like!"
***
Sarah barely dodged a stone ware mug. The raving red-haired maniac who'd thrown it thankfully hadn't noticed her. Gawain wasn't so fortunate, if anything he was the source of the woman's fury.
The Bard was currently cornered by who Sarah assumed was the Innkeeper. She was an astoundingly small woman with red hair as bright as a new minted penny with eyes the fresh green of new leaves. She was dressed in a slightly worn yet well mended and clean homespun dress. She wore a clean white apron over it tied about the waits with a cheery blue sash embroidered with tiny yellow flowers. She was also throwing just about anything she could get her tiny hands on at Gawain, who had dodged them all so far.
"I'd stand back, if I was you Missy." One of the patrons, an old man with a shock of white hair and a soldier's uniform cautioned her. "The Bard's been gone a long time and Jesse's blood is up. No doubt she's decided he's been cuckolding her."
Sarah blinked. "Are they married?"
The old man shrugged. "As much as the Bard is to anything or anyone. I suppose that's what keeps him coming back here month after month. He's got the wandering feet, mind you. give him a moment and he'll put that silver tongue of his to good use. You just take a seat."
He pulled out a chair at his own table and Sarah gratefully sat down. From the looks of things over on the other side of the tavern, she'd be having a long wait.
"So what brings you to Thistledown?" the old man asked her as he took his own seat.
"I'm on a... quest you might say." She said absently as she took in the rest of the tavern. The town outside had been vaguely reminiscent of the Goblin city only in a human sized scale and built in wood and thatch instead of slate and stone. The only paths were the ones worn by feet over years and years of inhabitation.
The Boar's Head was clean and bright with white washed walls and embroidered table cloths on the seven or so round tables scattered along the walls and the floor. Each table seated about four and most of them were full.
A girl in a bright cheap skirt and embroidered bodice made her way through the throng, easily dodging a few playful pinches and slaps. She stopped at Sarah's table and gave a nod to the old man. "Good evening Captain!" she chirped.
"G'day Molly." He answered gruffly. "could I get another pint?"
"Of course." She said warmly and turned to Sarah. "What can I get for you love?"
Sarah smiled. "I just came through the Night Ring, do you have anything..."
"That isn't cold trail food?" Molly intuited. "Of course, love! There a nice mutton stew in a bread trencher and comes with cheese, white or yellow, or a half-chicken with some of the root vegetables cooked till they're soft and that comes with a few slices of bread, brown, white, and black." She paused for breath. "The mutton stew is three coppers and the half-chicken is four."
"Get the stew!" the Captain whispered conspiratorially. "The chicken's greasy and the root vegetables are just mush!"
Molly made a face. "Traitor!" she sighed. "He is right though, love. The mutton's better and the stews just been finished a moment ago."
"The stew then. I don't suppose you know where I could get a hot bath and maybe a place to sleep for a while?"
Molly made a sympathetic moue. "Of course, you must not have stopped to rest in the Night Ring. Nasty place, that. Of course dear, the rooms up the stairs are a half silver a night and a bath is included just grab a towel from your room when its free and hang up the privacy sign."
Sarah nodded. "A full silver for two rooms then?"
"Two rooms?" Molly blinked in confusion until... "Oh! You're here with Gawain?" she nodded to where Gawain had succeeded in getting Jesse to stop throwing things and was talking to her in a low soothing tone.
"Yes, a friend of mine hired him as a guide for me." Sarah clarified, not wanting to start a rumor and disturb Jesse.
"Ah!" Molly nodded approvingly. "you're friend chooses well, I'll wager that the Bard knows Leihaedrielle like the back of his hand. You'll be in safe hands." She smiled at Sarah again. "I'll just go put in your order and get the keys for your rooms..." she held out a hand expectantly.
Sarah took the hint and doled out a silver coin and three coppers which went into a small padlocked wooden box on Molly's hip. Molly bobbed a small curtsey and whisked off to the kitchen.
Sarah took another glance at Gawain. Apparently his 'silver tongue' had done its work. The red-haired Jesse was showering his face with kisses. She shook her head disparagingly, if she ever got into a relationship like that she sincerely hoped someone would just shoot her.
The captain followed her gaze. "Humph. Record time too." He chortled. HE smiled and ran a blue veined hand through his wild white hair. Sarah froze.
Drawn in black henna across his knuckles was the two rippled lines that symbolized Aquarius.
The captain stilled his hand and glanced at his knuckles. "You're the young Lady Lord Jareth asked me to look for?"
Sarah grinned. "yes! I am Sarah Williams!"
The captain put his hand down and shook his head. "I rather thought so, your clothing has the look of Jareth around it. I suppose he supplied it?"
"Among other things." Sarah sighed. "Do you have my next clue?"
The captain nodded. "Indeed I do, little Lady. The Goblin King told me to tell you to 'Go to the Cloak and Dagger in Thornesbury and to ask for RoseBud'."
"Thornesbury, eh?" Sarah frowned. "Is that in the Sunset Strip?"
The Captain shook his head. "No, it's all the way out into the Day Break."
Sarah made a face. "How far?"
"I'd say the trip would be able four hour's walk." The Captain shrugged. "But with Gawain it could be less."
"Sarah!"
She turned to Gawain who had his arm around Jesse's waist and was leading her over to the table where she and the Captain were. Jesse was watching her cautiously. Sarah could practically feel herself being weighed and measured.
"This is the Lady I was telling you about, love." Gawain said cheerfully. "The Goblin King himself hired me as her guide!"
Jesse snorted. "I'll believe that when I hear it from her own lips, I don't trust you! The truth has too broad a definition for you sometimes."
"Hello, you are Jesse?" Sarah ventured.
Jesse nodded, sending her red curls bobbing. "I am, you are?"
"Sarah, Sarah Williams." Sarah held out a hand that Jesse shook firmly, revealing a strength that Sarah wouldn't have paired with her slight frame.
Jesse seated herself across from Sarah with a barely polite nod in the Captain's direction. "What is this quest you're on? Tell me everything, I want to hear it from your own lips."
Sarah blinked and glanced at Gawain. "Is it safe? I mean, talking about it in the open?"
Gawain shrugged. "Couldn't hurt."
She turned back to Jesse. "All right then. I'm from the Aboveground , Jareth and I made a wager..."
Jesse gasped when Sarah used Jareth's first name, but she ignored it. "If I can follow his trail of clues to the very end without giving up he'll arrange for me to live in the Underground on my own terms. If I give up, its under his terms." She shrugged. "That's about it. Gawain had my first clue, and the Captain had my second."
Gawain blinked. "You found it already? Where? Where are we going next?"
"Thornesbury it seems."
***
End Chapter Four
***
AU, okay this one's kinda crappy, I know. I'm kinda nervous because of this up and coming surgery of mine. I'm getting my wisdom teeth taken out, All four at once. Everyone has been telling me about when they got there, and it hasn't been helping much. I hope it didn't affect the story too much, I hate it when innocent bystanders get hurt!
Well, I'm going to try and put out all the chapters I can before Monday. I'll be kind of out of it until Tuesday, or so I'm told and I don't want to leave any of you hanging.
D.D.
