AU- ugh, I can't believe it took me this long to get this out. Please don't stone me! It won't happen again, I promise.
Oh, and a big shout out goes to Ravyn and Robyn (the evil twins) You guys have been really hugely helpful listening to me prattle on about half baked story plots.
It's thanks to them that this is finally out!
And no, I haven't been on pain medication since last week! *blushes*
***
Chapter Ten: In Which Our Resident Rouge gets up and Tells a Story
Theme music; Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks
***
Flute music wound its way through the permanent evening air, casting a sort of spell on all those who listened.
Sarah and Eittene were curled up near a cheerily crackling fire while Gawain serenaded them with his flute. The ruddy light cast orange highlights over his dark features and turn his dusky forest toned clothes to fire hued finery.
Sarah's whole attention was on the bard, a small smile tugged at her lips as he let the melody flow into a tune that was familiar.
"You know Greensleeves in the Underground as well?" she asked in amusement.
Gawain broke off his concert, much to his audience's dismay. "What are you talking about? I've never heard that tune called `Greensleeves'. It's called Summer Cider."
Sarah frowned. "It's a famous song Aboveground, it's older than anything!"
Gawain snorted. "I suppose either a mortal Bard adapted it from a Fae or the other way around. That's interesting, though. Sing your version for me."
Sarah blushed. "Oh come on, I can't carry a tune in a bucket." She demurred. "Not even if it was strapped to a skateboard with a tractor to tow it."
Gawain chuckled. "Try, just let the music flow and don't try and hit any notes where you might think your voice will break."
Sarah's blushed deepened, but she straightened up and Eittene, who had been curled up next to her for warmth scuttle away to give her breathing room. She took a deep breath and rang out in a soft soprano that she never knew she had.
"Alas my love you do me wrong to cast me off discourteously,
when I have loved you so long, delighting in your company!
Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight!
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, alas my Lady Greensleeves!"
Gawain blinked... and then blinked again. "You call that not being able to carry a tune?" he burst out laughing at the chagrined look on Sarah's face. "Your melody is a little rusty.. I think from not singing often." He chuckled and lifted his flute threateningly. "I'll fix that though, a voice like yours ought to be put to use!"
Sarah giggled nervously. "Ah... we'll see."
" `We'll see' nothing!" Gawain burst out. "My parents were training my voice since it stopped cracking!" he said testily. "I'm serious about this, little Lady. We druids take music very seriously. Most of our spells are sung or chanted."
Sarah sensed a chance to turn the subject and escape being forced to sing. "Tell me about it. Growing up as a druid, I mean. I can't imagine anything further from being raised in the suburbs of California!"
Gawain blinked... and amazingly enough, a small shade of pink graced his weathered cheeks. "You... want to know about -me-?"
"Yes." Sarah clarified. "Where you grew up, who your parents are. I'd like to know, wouldn't you , Eittene?"
The boy looked from Sarah to Gawain and grinned. "Yeah, I don't reckon we've had our bedtime story tonight, have we Sarah?" he winked and nudged Sarah with his elbow. "You're the one who's been telling them until now." he grinned nastily at Gawain. "Now it's your turn!"
Gawain glared at the little boy. "You just want revenge for the night we left the inn when I made you wash!" he accused.
"Righto!" Eittene agreed. "Besides, could you reuse this face?" he sprung up and framed Sarah's heart shaped features with wiggling features. "Look cute!" he advised her.
Sarah obediently turned on the charm and presented Gawain with the most pathetic, neglected teary eyed, sick puppy dog face that man has known to this date.
"You're evil!" Gawain cried. "Both of you!" but he couldn't resist the onslaught. "Oh all RIGHT!!! Sit down, and shut up!"
Eittene and Sarah immediately sat down and watched him, their entire postures radiating rapt attention on the Bard.
"My god." He murmured. "There's two of them! They're multiplying!"
Gawain interrupted himself with a dramatic sigh. "All right, this isn't particularly entertaining, but if you insist... I was born, oh, roughly 34 human years ago."
"Wow!" Sarah whistled. "You don't look it!"
Gawain chuckled. "Druid magic slows down the aging process, remember? I stopped aging on my eighteenth birthday." He shook his head with a small smile. "but that's another story, as I was saying... You both know that Druid numbers grow slim since so few are attracted to the occupation, right? Good.
Well, I was born Aboveground to a mortal woman who was too young to want a baby..." a small flicker of pain shimmered briefly in his eyes before surging down below surface. "She got her hands on a copy of the spell that King Jareth was circulating in those days and wished me away. Jareth didn't know what to do with me, since my mother -actually- wanted me gone. He gave me to the Druids who protected Leihaedrielle's borders in those days, and I was raised among them.
My childhood was... mostly training. My entire clan considered me their responsibility so I was passed off regularly among the families, a few weeks in this house, a few weeks in that house... I suppose that's why I've never really been that comfortable staying in one place for too long. The Clan Elders themselves trained me in the magical arts and Jareth came to check on me often, he's like a surrogate big brother to me.
When I was old enough, I felt like I needed to repay the entire world for taking care of me the way it did... so I became a Ranger, that's a Druid who travels around and specializes in the offensive arts. Mainly Leihaedrielle is when I patrol, unless Jareth has a specific job for me... like body guarding you, Sarah." Gawain shrugged. "I sing for my supper and fight for my soul, it's what I do." He looked up to his audience.
Sarah had a hand up over her mouth in the classic gesture of feminine commiseration... but Eittene had an odd look in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you, midget?" Gawain asked leerily.
"It's just something I've noticed before, and your story makes it seem to make a bit of sense." He said. He looked at Sarah and back at Gawain. "You know you two look exactly alike, don't you?"
Sarah and Gawain blinked simultaneously. "No." They chorused and looked at each other. Silence reigned as they examined each other critically.
"That's just not possible!" Sarah said carefully.
"Is it?" Gawain wondered. "Jareth always said I take after my mother."
Sarah blanched. "So do I."
"Well that's just a fine coincedance!" Eittene chirped. "Long lost siblings reunite for the first time in..." he paused for some hasty mental calculations. "Twelve years!"
Sarah glared at Eittene. "We don't know for sure! The likelihood that..." she trailed off and looked worried. "My mother -did- leave my copy of Labyrinth behind when she ran off to be an actress... and it is something she would have done..."
Gawain scowled. "I know a way to find out for sure. Everyone gather around the fire!" He picked up his flute and stared into the red flames as Sarah and Eittene gathered on either side of him.
"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked cautiously.
"Scry into the past, our past. If we're only related in that we both came from the mortal plane then the fire will just show our meeting in the Night ring, if we're actually... the way Eittene says we are then we'll see the specifics about our mother."
Sarah swallowed as Gawain lifted the flute to his lips and began the spell.
***
Roughly thirteen miles away, in a small village named Ravens Loft on the very edge of the Night Ring a man with short platinum hair, and an odd burn mark on his forehead stood before the vanity in his inn room and cursed vilely. He was dressed in tight leather pants and a loose shirt with short sleeves that wrapped about him kimono style and left a goodly portion of his chest visible, displaying the ruby pendant resting on his sternum.
A short, stocky individual watched from beside the doorway as the man scowled at his permanently ruined profile.
"That little mortal witch broke my nose!" he cursed.
"Get over it, Cain." The short man advised, keeping a weather eye on the shuttered window. "She got in a lucky shot, you set yourself up for it by leaving yourself open. Anybody with any sense would have reacted the way she did."
Cain whirled on the figure. "I didn't hire you for your opinions or your conversation! If you have so little to do that you need to sit here and pester me about a slip of guard then you can go out and hunt those three down yourself!"
The short man left off his vigil. "You hired me to guard your body, not go slaughter little girls. You don't pay me enough for that." he snapped. "I don't feel the overwhelming urge to go running off to avenge your dignity."
Cain spat in the general direction of the wash basin. "I pay you just fine and if you don't want to exert yourself then keep your opinions to yourself!"
Cain crossed the room and threw himself onto the bed. "The little brat managed to summon both my... brother and that pet Bard of his. I had a report this evening, they left the town that my brother set his wards around and are now in the open. It's time to move now."
Cain's bodyguard frowned. "You aren't going to attack them by yourself again?"
Cain made a face and winced as it jarred his injured nose, a painful reminder of the girl's resourcefulness. "No." He hissed. "It is tempting and I doubt my idiot sorcerers would manage the job adequately either, they'd just take one look at the Druid and forget all about their mission." He scowled. "Maybe you will have to bestir yourself from my side."
"I am -not- a hired killer!" the Bodyguard snarled.
Cain fingered the pendant around his throat and the bodyguard's hand crept up to his throat.
"You'll be anything I say you are." Cain purred silkily. "You sold yourself into my service and now you're mine until I say otherwise."
***
End Chpater ten
***
Oh my god that was crappy! I'll do a better job next time! I'm sorry guys, this chapter was giving me grief.
Oh, and a big shout out goes to Ravyn and Robyn (the evil twins) You guys have been really hugely helpful listening to me prattle on about half baked story plots.
It's thanks to them that this is finally out!
And no, I haven't been on pain medication since last week! *blushes*
***
Chapter Ten: In Which Our Resident Rouge gets up and Tells a Story
Theme music; Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks
***
Flute music wound its way through the permanent evening air, casting a sort of spell on all those who listened.
Sarah and Eittene were curled up near a cheerily crackling fire while Gawain serenaded them with his flute. The ruddy light cast orange highlights over his dark features and turn his dusky forest toned clothes to fire hued finery.
Sarah's whole attention was on the bard, a small smile tugged at her lips as he let the melody flow into a tune that was familiar.
"You know Greensleeves in the Underground as well?" she asked in amusement.
Gawain broke off his concert, much to his audience's dismay. "What are you talking about? I've never heard that tune called `Greensleeves'. It's called Summer Cider."
Sarah frowned. "It's a famous song Aboveground, it's older than anything!"
Gawain snorted. "I suppose either a mortal Bard adapted it from a Fae or the other way around. That's interesting, though. Sing your version for me."
Sarah blushed. "Oh come on, I can't carry a tune in a bucket." She demurred. "Not even if it was strapped to a skateboard with a tractor to tow it."
Gawain chuckled. "Try, just let the music flow and don't try and hit any notes where you might think your voice will break."
Sarah's blushed deepened, but she straightened up and Eittene, who had been curled up next to her for warmth scuttle away to give her breathing room. She took a deep breath and rang out in a soft soprano that she never knew she had.
"Alas my love you do me wrong to cast me off discourteously,
when I have loved you so long, delighting in your company!
Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight!
Greensleeves was my heart of gold, alas my Lady Greensleeves!"
Gawain blinked... and then blinked again. "You call that not being able to carry a tune?" he burst out laughing at the chagrined look on Sarah's face. "Your melody is a little rusty.. I think from not singing often." He chuckled and lifted his flute threateningly. "I'll fix that though, a voice like yours ought to be put to use!"
Sarah giggled nervously. "Ah... we'll see."
" `We'll see' nothing!" Gawain burst out. "My parents were training my voice since it stopped cracking!" he said testily. "I'm serious about this, little Lady. We druids take music very seriously. Most of our spells are sung or chanted."
Sarah sensed a chance to turn the subject and escape being forced to sing. "Tell me about it. Growing up as a druid, I mean. I can't imagine anything further from being raised in the suburbs of California!"
Gawain blinked... and amazingly enough, a small shade of pink graced his weathered cheeks. "You... want to know about -me-?"
"Yes." Sarah clarified. "Where you grew up, who your parents are. I'd like to know, wouldn't you , Eittene?"
The boy looked from Sarah to Gawain and grinned. "Yeah, I don't reckon we've had our bedtime story tonight, have we Sarah?" he winked and nudged Sarah with his elbow. "You're the one who's been telling them until now." he grinned nastily at Gawain. "Now it's your turn!"
Gawain glared at the little boy. "You just want revenge for the night we left the inn when I made you wash!" he accused.
"Righto!" Eittene agreed. "Besides, could you reuse this face?" he sprung up and framed Sarah's heart shaped features with wiggling features. "Look cute!" he advised her.
Sarah obediently turned on the charm and presented Gawain with the most pathetic, neglected teary eyed, sick puppy dog face that man has known to this date.
"You're evil!" Gawain cried. "Both of you!" but he couldn't resist the onslaught. "Oh all RIGHT!!! Sit down, and shut up!"
Eittene and Sarah immediately sat down and watched him, their entire postures radiating rapt attention on the Bard.
"My god." He murmured. "There's two of them! They're multiplying!"
Gawain interrupted himself with a dramatic sigh. "All right, this isn't particularly entertaining, but if you insist... I was born, oh, roughly 34 human years ago."
"Wow!" Sarah whistled. "You don't look it!"
Gawain chuckled. "Druid magic slows down the aging process, remember? I stopped aging on my eighteenth birthday." He shook his head with a small smile. "but that's another story, as I was saying... You both know that Druid numbers grow slim since so few are attracted to the occupation, right? Good.
Well, I was born Aboveground to a mortal woman who was too young to want a baby..." a small flicker of pain shimmered briefly in his eyes before surging down below surface. "She got her hands on a copy of the spell that King Jareth was circulating in those days and wished me away. Jareth didn't know what to do with me, since my mother -actually- wanted me gone. He gave me to the Druids who protected Leihaedrielle's borders in those days, and I was raised among them.
My childhood was... mostly training. My entire clan considered me their responsibility so I was passed off regularly among the families, a few weeks in this house, a few weeks in that house... I suppose that's why I've never really been that comfortable staying in one place for too long. The Clan Elders themselves trained me in the magical arts and Jareth came to check on me often, he's like a surrogate big brother to me.
When I was old enough, I felt like I needed to repay the entire world for taking care of me the way it did... so I became a Ranger, that's a Druid who travels around and specializes in the offensive arts. Mainly Leihaedrielle is when I patrol, unless Jareth has a specific job for me... like body guarding you, Sarah." Gawain shrugged. "I sing for my supper and fight for my soul, it's what I do." He looked up to his audience.
Sarah had a hand up over her mouth in the classic gesture of feminine commiseration... but Eittene had an odd look in his eyes.
"What's wrong with you, midget?" Gawain asked leerily.
"It's just something I've noticed before, and your story makes it seem to make a bit of sense." He said. He looked at Sarah and back at Gawain. "You know you two look exactly alike, don't you?"
Sarah and Gawain blinked simultaneously. "No." They chorused and looked at each other. Silence reigned as they examined each other critically.
"That's just not possible!" Sarah said carefully.
"Is it?" Gawain wondered. "Jareth always said I take after my mother."
Sarah blanched. "So do I."
"Well that's just a fine coincedance!" Eittene chirped. "Long lost siblings reunite for the first time in..." he paused for some hasty mental calculations. "Twelve years!"
Sarah glared at Eittene. "We don't know for sure! The likelihood that..." she trailed off and looked worried. "My mother -did- leave my copy of Labyrinth behind when she ran off to be an actress... and it is something she would have done..."
Gawain scowled. "I know a way to find out for sure. Everyone gather around the fire!" He picked up his flute and stared into the red flames as Sarah and Eittene gathered on either side of him.
"What are you going to do?" Sarah asked cautiously.
"Scry into the past, our past. If we're only related in that we both came from the mortal plane then the fire will just show our meeting in the Night ring, if we're actually... the way Eittene says we are then we'll see the specifics about our mother."
Sarah swallowed as Gawain lifted the flute to his lips and began the spell.
***
Roughly thirteen miles away, in a small village named Ravens Loft on the very edge of the Night Ring a man with short platinum hair, and an odd burn mark on his forehead stood before the vanity in his inn room and cursed vilely. He was dressed in tight leather pants and a loose shirt with short sleeves that wrapped about him kimono style and left a goodly portion of his chest visible, displaying the ruby pendant resting on his sternum.
A short, stocky individual watched from beside the doorway as the man scowled at his permanently ruined profile.
"That little mortal witch broke my nose!" he cursed.
"Get over it, Cain." The short man advised, keeping a weather eye on the shuttered window. "She got in a lucky shot, you set yourself up for it by leaving yourself open. Anybody with any sense would have reacted the way she did."
Cain whirled on the figure. "I didn't hire you for your opinions or your conversation! If you have so little to do that you need to sit here and pester me about a slip of guard then you can go out and hunt those three down yourself!"
The short man left off his vigil. "You hired me to guard your body, not go slaughter little girls. You don't pay me enough for that." he snapped. "I don't feel the overwhelming urge to go running off to avenge your dignity."
Cain spat in the general direction of the wash basin. "I pay you just fine and if you don't want to exert yourself then keep your opinions to yourself!"
Cain crossed the room and threw himself onto the bed. "The little brat managed to summon both my... brother and that pet Bard of his. I had a report this evening, they left the town that my brother set his wards around and are now in the open. It's time to move now."
Cain's bodyguard frowned. "You aren't going to attack them by yourself again?"
Cain made a face and winced as it jarred his injured nose, a painful reminder of the girl's resourcefulness. "No." He hissed. "It is tempting and I doubt my idiot sorcerers would manage the job adequately either, they'd just take one look at the Druid and forget all about their mission." He scowled. "Maybe you will have to bestir yourself from my side."
"I am -not- a hired killer!" the Bodyguard snarled.
Cain fingered the pendant around his throat and the bodyguard's hand crept up to his throat.
"You'll be anything I say you are." Cain purred silkily. "You sold yourself into my service and now you're mine until I say otherwise."
***
End Chpater ten
***
Oh my god that was crappy! I'll do a better job next time! I'm sorry guys, this chapter was giving me grief.
