AN: So everyone likes the back in time thing? It will be explained in more detail at a later time. I was just afraid that everyone might think that it was a cheesy idea. After "One" I wanted to do an plot that no one had done before. Even though it's J/S I wanted them out of their own environments so that virtually anything can happen and no one really can guess what I am planning to do! And yes Lythandae, I like making Karen evil. Perhaps because I've been a bit angry with my own mom lately and story telling can be a good way to vent! Thanks for all of your reviews. Please keep them coming and enjoy chapter 5.
As always, special thanks to my wonderful beta, Scattered Logic. And also to Scattered Logic, The Hooded Crow, Lady Jamie and Alorin Danya for their comments, opinions and for helping to keep me inspired. Where would I be without you girls?
Chapter 5: The run-in
Sarah rolled over and stared at the woods that surrounded her. She could hear birds beginning to sing and she was grateful that morning had finally arrived. The previous night had been devoid of any restful sleep. Her mind had been too plagued with the horrific images that she had seen yesterday afternoon to get some decent shuteye. And what was worse was the fact that despite her hardest efforts, she had broken down and cried.
Hearing about battles in history class was one thing. The people who fought the war were long dead as you glanced at illustrations of battles and famous leaders in your textbook. You didn't know those people, didn't see their faces. You didn't know about the loved ones they had left behind or you didn't think about them. Watching those men die before Sarah's eyes had changed her outlook on reality. She had to remind herself that life could be brutal and death could come with no warning.
Sarah tried to keep telling herself that she needed to let go of her fantasies because the real world was harsh and cruel and it was time for her to take her place in it. But how could she let go of her childhood fantasies when a living breathing fairytale lay sleeping just a few yards away?
Once again she turned her head to gaze at the Goblin King. She was surprised to find that his eyes were open and he was gazing back at her. He stared at her intently and then looked away. She followed his gaze and sighed when she saw the dark clouds that had swallowed up the blue sky. Could things get any worse?
She huffed as the question was answered with rain sprinkling down. Luckily, it turned out to be a small shower and the clouds parted for the sun to break through several minutes later. But now all of the woods were wet, including the leaves and the branches they would need for a fire that night.
"Well, I needed a bath." Sarah tried to joke as she flipped back her damp hair. Jareth didn't reply and she looked over at him. He was still propped against a fallen log, his legs stretched out in front of him. His blond hair was matted to his face and his eyes looked tired. If Sarah didn't know any better she would say that he looked as tired as she felt.
She realized that this world must be so new to him and without his magic he truly was as vulnerable to the elements and life as she was, if not more so.
"I found you some breakfast." He told her dryly.
"Oh no! I think not. I don't eat mice!"
Jareth grinned despite his miserable mood. He was tired and hungry and being dripping wet did not help the situation. But remembering his light teasing yesterday did lift his spirits. "Won't you even look to see what I have found?" He feigned being hurt.
Sarah's growling stomach made the decision for her and she stood up and moved toward the Goblin King.
"They are very sweet tasting and I only hope that they are not poisonous." He gestured to his side and Sarah cried out when she saw what he had found.
Gathered in a large oak leaf were berries. "You found wild blueberries and raspberries! Oh, Jareth, I could kiss you!" Sarah immediately froze in place as she started to kneel down. Good God, had she just said that?
Jareth seemed to stop his motions as well and for a moment Sarah didn't even know if he was breathing. His mismatched eyes searched her face and a look of utter confusion swept over him. Time seemed to stand still for a few very awkward moments.
"I just meant…I that is…" Sarah mumbled.
"Just eat the berries." Jareth's voice was harsh as he turned from her and walked away, leaving Sarah to watch his back as he went. Jareth moved to a tree about 30 feet away and leaned his shoulder against it. With a deep sigh, he lowered his head and closed his eyes. Why did she say that she could kiss him? Sarah was his enemy and nothing more. He knew that he should do well to remember that. But why was it that he could not get the image of pressing his lips to hers from his mind?
He shook his head and, opening his eyes, his mask of arrogance slid firmly into place. He vowed that she would not confuse him again.
When Jareth turned to face Sarah, she noticed that he was suddenly all business again. The way he carried himself, his walk, his expression all had changed to the cold arrogance that she was used to. She cursed under her breath for saying what she had. It appeared that she could not joke around with him.
"We should scatter the evidence of our presence here and continue on. We didn't travel very far away from the battle that occurred yesterday."
Sarah bit her lip at the mention of the battle. For a moment the horrible images returned and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach.
"Finish your breakfast and we will move out," he told her.
"I'm not very hungry and since when did you become the boss?" she snapped. She hated the way that he ordered her around.
"I'm a King, Sarah, although this world is unfamiliar to me, my instincts still tell me what we should and should not do. Staying here too much longer is not a wise decision."
Sarah got to her feet. Her hazel eyes were flashing with anger. "And dumping us here in the first place wasn't a 'very wise decision' now was it, Goblin King?" She started grabbing the small stones from the fire pit that Jareth had created and she tossed them in different directions. Then she kicked at the burned leaves and sticks, and sprinkled wet leaves over them. Shooting a deadly glance at the Goblin King, she turned and walked away.
Jareth glared at her. When she acted like this, a spoiled child, he wished that he could teach her a lesson. But what could he do without magic?
They walked in silence for several hours. Sarah's anger seemed to grow by the second and she was seething by mid afternoon. Not looking where she was going, she tripped on one of the many rocks that littered the ground. She went sprawling forward and landed on her stomach. Jareth grinned, believing that she had received the lesson he had wished for, but his grin faded immediately when he saw her face.
Without his permission, one of his hands reached forward toward her face. She jerked away from him. "You're hurt," he told her.
Sarah gritted her teeth and turned away from him. "I'm fine!" She didn't want him to see the blush that was rapidly spreading across her face from embarrassment. How could she have been so careless, so damned clumsy? She had made a fool of herself in front of him.
"You're not fine," he persisted. "You've cut your face."
Sarah knew that his words were true because she could feel the cut stinging her cheek. "I've had cuts before. I'm fine!" She refused to look at him and it angered Jareth, but he let it go. Something else demanded his attention.
He heard it first and Sarah heard it immediately after. Voices. There was a hill a few short yards away and they walked to the edge, hiding behind trees and glancing down. There was a small road that wound through the woods and, not too far away, men on horseback rode toward them.
"Did you see the look on those idiot's faces?" One man asked.
Another laughed. "How could I miss it? The redcoats had no idea what to do. Picked the bastards clean all the way to Boston!"
"They'll think twice about messin' with us 'Americans'! Taxation without representation, my ass! Bah! Take that blow, King George!" A dark haired man laughed.
Several of the men laughed but one did not. His soft-spoken voice was barely heard above their banter. "King George is not going to take this attack on his men lightly. He'll send more soldiers and what will we do then?"
The man with dark hair and a very grungy appearance reined in his horse and stopped to look at the man who just spoken. "You changin' your mind about all of this, Jacob? You kill a few redcoats and suddenly you're scared like a little girl?"
"I never said that I was scared," Jacob shot back.
"You didn't have to, we can all see you shakin' like a leaf!" The other men joined in on the laughter.
"I'm merely suggesting that we take caution and skillfully plan our attacks instead of picking off soldiers at our leisure. We have no doubt just started a war. We should tread carefully."
"Oh, now you're going to use your big fancy words, school boy? I didn't see you protesting none when you was helping to dump the King's tea into the harbor two years ago this December."
"Yes, well."
"Yes, well, nothing! You didn't have no problem speaking out to the other colonists about how unfair the Quarterin' Act was, did ya? But you get a taste of blood and suddenly you turn into a yella belly?"
Sarah edged closer to the tree she was hiding behind to get a better position. The conversation intrigued her. The men had made reference to the Boston tea party as well as the law that forced colonists to give 'quarter' to British soldiers. Her foot slipped as she leaned against the tree, and she watched in horror as a rock the size of a softball rolled down the hill and landed right in the road.
"What the hell was that?" The man with the dark hair asked. Immediately, he and the others readied their guns. In a matter of seconds, a dozen or so hunting muskets were pointed in Sarah and Jareth's direction. "Who's there?" The man fired a warning shot that skimmed the tree Jareth was hiding behind. The musket ball startled Jareth as it ricocheted off the tree he was leaning against and traveled further into the woods. He lost his footing and tumbled down the hill to land right into the path of the men.
Jareth stood and attempted to brush the leaves, twigs and dirt from his clothing. Nothing appeared to be broken.
'Well, well, well. What have we here? A spy?" The dark haired man asked. He grinned revealing that he was missing several teeth.
"My companion and I have lost our way." Jareth told him. The Goblin King stood straight and tall. He refused to let these ruffians get the better of him.
Another man snickered. "Not just any spy, a British spy."
Sarah cringed from her hiding spot as they recognized Jareth's accent. She'd completely forgotten that he sounded English. She watched as the other men surrounded Jareth with their horses. There was nowhere for him to go.
"What the hell kinda clothes is he wearing?" One of the men asked. He picked at Jareth's leather jacket with the butt end of his musket. Jareth batted the weapon away from him and stood taller.
"You got a companion with ye, eh? Where is he?" The dark haired man asked.
"There is no one other than myself." Jareth lied. He knew that he could not escape from a dozen or so men without his magic. Changing into owl form was out of the question. They might shoot him with their weapons. He was trapped. If Sarah could get away undetected, there was a chance that things would be all right.
"You lyin' son of a bitch." The man who had been picking at Jareth's clothes swung and hit Jareth hard in the face with the end of his musket. Jareth staggered backward and gripped his jaw. When he removed his hand, he saw his own blood trickling down his gloved fingers.
"We'll just see about that companion of yours." The man with the dark hair used a long metal stick to load a musket ball into his musket. Raising the gun, he shot at one of the trees at the top of the hill. The musket ball barely missed Sarah's shoulder and she fell onto the ground with a cry as the impact of the ball sent tree bark scattering at her. "He's got a woman with him!"
"Probably another spy! They could be loyalists!" A man with dirty blond hair called out.
"Sarah, run!" Jareth cried out.
"Shut the hell up!" Sarah watched in horror as one of the men swung his musket at Jareth. It impacted the Goblin King's gut and he fell to the ground clutching his stomach and gasping for breath. He glanced up the hill to see that Sarah was still standing there. There was a look of fear and horror on her face. What was she waiting for? Why wasn't she leaving?
Rising to his knees he cried out, "RUN YOU FOOL!"
Sarah heard the men ready their muskets and she ran. She was trying so hard to get away that she kept tripping and nearly falling. Gunshots were heard and musket balls whizzed past her as others lodged themselves into nearby trees.
One of the men let out a snarling laugh and reined his horse toward the hill.
"Let her go, Ben! She ain't what's important right now. We should get this spy to the other colonists back in Concord. We'll send the dogs after her later. I have a feeling that she won't go far." The man with the dark hair turned to Jareth. "Get up, loyalist."
Jareth closed his eyes at the pain that engulfed his body.
"I said…git up!" The dark haired man pulled his foot out of the stirrup and kicked Jareth hard in the back. The Goblin King went sprawling, his face falling into the dirt road. "Tie 'im up and stick him on a horse. We're going to have some fun with this one."
Sarah watched from her hiding spot behind a tree as Jareth's hands were bound with rope and they forced him onto the back of a horse. Tears filled her eyes as she watched the men lead Jareth away. She bit her lip and stood as they continued down the road.
What was she going to do?