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Chapter Nine: In Which We finally Get Moving Again!

Theme music: Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears

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The black curtains were up again by the time Eittene and Sarah returned from their walk, thanks to Jareth's interruption they never did find the Waterfall where Gawain had reputedly been `purifying' himself.

It was just as well.

"We're back!" Sarah called cheerfully as she and Eittene knocked the trail dust off their shoes at the threshold of the inn. Gawain stuck his head out of the kitchen door, he was covered with a light smattering of flour.

"It's about time, where were you?" he asked, all in good humor. "Who's the kid?" he asked when his eyes lit on Eittene.

"A friend." Sarah said simply. "Have you met Gawain, Eittene?"

Eittene bowed politely. "We've met a time nor few. Never said nothing', more as I was meetin' his purse." He chuckled. "Doubt ye remember me."

Gawain's smile dimmed for a moment and then abruptly widened. "I recognize you!" he emerged from the kitchen dusting flour from his hands. "Your that lad with the light fingers who helped me get revenge on the High an' mighty nobleman who tossed lead into my collection cap!" he ruffled Eittene's hair. "You clean up right nice! Where'd you get off making the acquaintance of the Lady Sarah?"

"Not much nor anythin'." Eittene demurred. "Jus' some ladly curiosity about a Lady that led me ta gettin' washed up and `adopted' sommat."

Sarah smiled fondly at Eittene. "He helped me read a few signs and I... well, cleaned him up a bit."

"You read, then?" Gawain blinked in surprise. "Now that's a talent, what do you read?"

Eittene drew himself up proudly. "Well, afore me Mum an Da lit out on me I was tutored in Gaelish, Goblin, Laeherillian, Veltran, High Aristo, an' a smatterin' of ancient Aristo." He grinned cockily at Sarah. "I can speak em too. Me Mum an Da was scribes."

Gawain blew a long note of surprise. "Now that's a handy skill. I don't suppose you'd be adverse to taking the Lad along with us?" he looked up at Sarah. "We'll be needed his talents, I myself only know Laeherillian and High Aristo."

Sarah shrugged in confusion. "I don't even know what you two are talking about, I'm from Aboveground remember?"

Gawain smacked himself. "Right! I forgot, sorry about that. Eh, reading isn't such a common talent in the Underground. There's too many dialects in too small an area. It's because of the way the land's made up, it's always shifting in accordance to the flows of Magic in the earth. So travel from, oh say, the Velt Plains to the Labyrinth is a touch difficult. They're almost countries unto themselves, so they have different dialects. People write what they know and in the more populated area there's written script from all over. This lad says he can read and understand most of it, it would be a great help." he explained.

Sarah glanced at Eittene. "It's up to you. I already offered because I just want you around, but he is right. You'd be of great help."

Eittene chewed on the bottom of his lip. "Can't say as I mind. I planned on tagging along anyway, I do feel better `bout it now as I know I can do something useful." He shrugged. "Long as ye feed me and have a none too damp place to duck under when it rains, can't say as I have anything better to do. Beats the streets!"

Sarah grinned and hugged the boy. "That's wonderful!!" she glanced at the flour decorating Gawain's dark features. "What were doing in the kitchen just now?"

Gawain blushed. "Ah... well, you see... Jesse got a message from a friend, she's ill, so she and Molly went over to lend a hand."

"Were you cooking?" Sarah guessed.

Gawain shrugged. "Trying to anyway. I buried the evidence, hope you weren't hungry."

"Sarah shot a brace o' conies." Eittene volunteered, trying to peer around Gawain's bulk and into the kitchen, rather unsuccessfully. "We ate in the forest."

"I brought the leftovers." Sarah nodded to the cold rabbit dangling from her hand wrapped in wet leaves and twine. Seeing the light in Gawain's eyes she handed it over.

"Thank you!"

They retired to one of the trestle tables where Gawain preceded to dig into the rabbit. Sarah smothered a giggle at his gusto, he must have been really hungry.

"Ah!" Gawain sighed as he finished. "That helped. When did you plan on moving on?"

Sarah shrugged. "Well, I hoped to get Eittene fitted up with his own travel gear. We also need to wait until Jareth tells us that the whole incident with Cain is over."

Gawain sobered. "That's right." He murmured as he wiped his fingers off on a handkerchief that found its way back into his pocket. "Can't say that I like staying her though, it puts Jesse and Molly in the line of fire."

Sarah felt ice water trickle down her spine. "That's right, as long as Cain's free and after me then Jesse and Molly will be in danger as well because they're around me. Dammit!" she smacked herself in the middle of the forehead. "Dammit Sarah, how could you be so near sighted?"

"Now Sarah, you were just doing what Jareth wanted." Gawain consoled her. "It really is a good idea to stay here for a while."

Sarah shook her head. "No. I can't do that now that I know I'm risking them." She scowled at herself.. "and here I thought I'd grown up. I'll call Jareth and tell him we're moving on and why." She glanced at Eittene. "Are you sure you still want to tag along now that you know there's a psychotic ex-Fae lord out for my blood?"

Eittene shrugged. "I already agreed."

Sarah blinked as his ever present accent vanished. Eittene winked. "It's part of being a linguist. Besides, eventually Gawain here was going to remember that I had a different accent when we met." He shrugged. "Anyway, I figure that I should be up front and honest with you, now that we're going to be traveling together."

"Is that true, Gawain?" Sarah asked.

The Bard chuckled. "Well, actually I thought he'd just picked it up in the move from Dawn Circle to Sunset Strip." he shrugged. "But I can't say that I'm surprised. I was already wondering why a well educated child was out on the streets and talking like a guttersnipe."

Eittene made a face. "Look, I already told you..." he started with a red hot flush.

"Your parents left you." Sarah finished. "I know, dear. You don't have to worry about that. We're looking after you now, do you want to sleep in Gawain's room or mine?"

Eittene chuckled nastily. "I'll stay with you, I think Gawain might have a nocturnal visitor." He winked suggestively.

Gawain turned a dark red, but didn't dispute the fact.

Sarah shook her head. "In that case you go wash up in the kitchen while I set down the bedroll on the floor of my room."

Eittene's face fell. "No! I already had a bath today!"

Sarah's expression grew stern. "I'm not saying everywhere, but your face, hands, and teeth are to be scrubbed every morning and evening from now on unless you want to face my wrath. You'll also bathe whenever there's a bathtub regularly available... with soap!"

"I just might reconsider my decision..." Eittene muttered.

"Too late now!" Gawain assured him cheerfully. "You've got us whether you want us or not!" he gave Eittene a none too subtle shove in the direction of the kitchen.

"I'll see that he scrubs good and -Hard-, Sarah." He assured her. From the malicious grin on his face, Sarah suspected he was getting some of his own back in revenge on the boy.

She shook her head and took herself upstairs to fix up the promised bedroll. In the back of her head she was already estimating the cost of out-fitting the boy with the necessities; a bedroll, a knapsack, a good pair of walking shoes, possibly a knife... no, he could carry her spare.

It wasn't really too much of a surprise when she entered her room and found Jareth just in the act of setting down a child sized knapsack on her bed.

"Rumplestiltskin, Gotcha!" she murmured sarcastically as she walked past him. "Tell me, is there anything you -don't- think of?"

Jareth smiled unrepentantly. "Oh, all the time. I just make up for it by spying on you."

"Like I didn't already know that." Sarah sighed. "I suppose you already know we're moving on in the morning?"

"Of course I do." Jareth said seriously. "I can't say that I approve, but knowing you I'm lucky I got you to stay here as long as you have. Seriously Sarah, I -do- want you to stay here until my people track down Cain, but it's your choice whether or not you want to put yourself or the people around you in danger." He shook his head.

Sarah sat down on the bed and sighed. "I can't put Jesse and Molly in danger because of their hospitality."

Jareth carefully sat down beside her. "You know, you could end the entire game with just three little words." He said gently.

Sarah made a face. "I've never given up on a thing in my life Jareth. You know that!"

Jareth smiled. "Really? What about your dreams of being an actress?"

"Reality reared its ugly head, do you know what a cannibalistic business acting is?" Sarah said exasperatedly. "And it's not like I didn't -try-."

"True." Jareth allowed. "What about reuniting with your mother?"

"Again, reality-check." Sarah shook her head. "I did, and I found out what a superficial, vain, self-centered little piece of fluff she really was. I had better conversations with the Play Bills she sent me. Do you know she never wrote me one letter in my entire life that didn't involve her career? She never once asked me what I was doing in school, or if I'd met a boy I liked or if I got along with my stepmother... the only way I ever got her attention was by saying I wanted to be an actress." Sarah chuckled grimly. "You know I liked to act out scenes from my fairy tales and books, but I liked it private... Stages scare the living daylights out of me. I found I liked writing the scripts better, and novels even more than that!"

Jareth laid a comforting hand on her shoulder and Sarah covered it with her own. "Mom didn't understand why I didn't want the lime-light, she doesn't like to think that there are a hundred other people out there behind the scenes making the stuff that makes her look good." She shrugged again.

"Would it really be so bad, Sarah?" he asked quietly. "Living with me? You like me. That I know." He gently turned Sarah around to face him. "Would it be so hard to love me?"

The door opened to admit Eittene, dripping water and cursing like a mad thing. He stopped when he saw Sarah and Jareth on the bed. "Ah... am I interrupting anything?"

Jareth shook his head and chuckled. "No child, not at all. I was just dropping off a small gift for you." he nodded to the knapsack. "I've provided the things you'll need to travel with Sarah... ah, by the by, what happened to your accent?"

Eittene flushed. "Ah... nothing."

Jareth shrugged. "Well, I shall take my leave of you. I'll meet you again in Thornesbury after you've met Rosebud." He stole a glance at Sarah. "I think you two shall get along famously!" with that he vanished once again.

"I wish he wouldn't do that." Eittene muttered. Hi eyes widened in alarm as Sarah fell back onto the bed. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah." Sarah murmured. "As good as I'll ever be."

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End Chapter Nine

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AU- next chapter I'm going develop Gawain more, I feel like I've been neglecting him. Ah, you won't be hearing anything more from Bea until closer to the end. What I've got planned for her is going to fit into her own side story, it'll be good though, I promise! I just want to focus on Sarah's adventure, it's going to get complicated from here on in. Malcolm and Bea deserve their own happy ending. ;oP