Ch 7.
She was stood by the side of the stream, looking back towards the camp, when he walked up to her. The distant fire reflected in her eyes as she looked at him.
"I'm sorry." She offered quietly. "I didn't know that it was you. I thought it was that pig Captain."
He smiled weakly at her and gestured for her to turn around. He untied her wrists and put the twine in his pocket. She rubbed her wrists to get the blood circulating again, then turned and smiled at him. His heart lurched in his chest. He had never seen someone so beautiful, even a Fae. Where the Fae ladies were ethereal and dream-like, she was more earthy and real. When she smiled at him like that....
He pushed the thought out of his head. "What do you know about Danvar and Aspen?" He asked her, a little more roughly than normal. She tipped her head to one side as she thought. She still rubbed her wrists.
"Danvar and Aspen have been at each other's throats for as long as I've know." She said slowly. "They are always petitioning the High King over their arguments, and it's normally about petty things like boundary-lines. Their kingdoms are right next to each other, and they share fertile grazing lands, half a forest and a goldmine on their boundaries, I think." She looked at him. "I've only met them once or twice. Aspen was lovely; he pinched my cheek and told me that I reminded him of his granddaughter. She's my best friend." She smiled at the memory, and then shivered. "I didn't like Danvar, though. He gave me the creeps. He just seemed so.... slimy."
Drew smiled at her description, and then grew serious. "From what I can piece together, Danvar was going to have you killed and put somewhere in Aspen's kingdom so that the blame would be put on him."
Sarah looked at him in horror. "Of course! Aspen would be put to death and his kingdom would go to the crown as the price for treason against the High King. Danvar could then buy it from the crown at a reduced price." She put her hand to her mouth. "Cateryn wouldn't be able to speak to me again!" At Drew's questioning look, she explained. "Cateryn is my best friend, and as Aspen's granddaughter, she would be classed as a traitor, too. It wouldn't help that I was visiting her when I was taken."
Drew shook his head. "Why would killing you be classed as treason?"
Sarah looked at him in surprise. "Jareth is heir to the High Throne. I thought you knew!" She smiled at his expression. "Wow, for a mercenary, you really don't know a lot about politics, do you?"
He shrugged. "I don't really need to know what the squabbles between the nobles are about to find work."
Her eyes grew a little colder. "I guess not." She looked away, back to the camp and sighed. "So, do you have a plan to get us out of here?"
Drew was a little taken aback by her change in attitude, but he refused to show it. "Our best bet is to leave now," he said. "Most of the men have drunk themselves into a stupor, so the quicker we leave, the less likely they are to hear us."
Sarah nodded. "Let's get to it. The sooner I'm out of here, the happier I'll be."
They rounded up their horses, and Sarah held them as Drew quietly made his way over to where the saddlery had been put. His luck had held. The man who was supposed to be watching the horses was snoring against a few of the saddles. A bag of wine was lying opened at his feet. Drew grinned and gently moved the man so that he was lying on the ground, then took what he needed.
They saddled the horses in silence, trying to muffle the sounds of the tack jingling. They also wrapped the horses' hooves to muffle the noise when they rode. Suddenly, Drew stopped.
"Sarah, I will be back in a second. I have to grab my stuff."
Sarah nodded, whispering "be careful." Drew crept back towards the camp. The fire had died down, and no-one seemed to be moving. Drew carefully made his way between the prone bodies to where he had dumped his stuff, and carefully shouldered his saddlebags. As he walked back to where he had left Sarah, he passed the fire. He glanced quickly at the men sleeping there, and his eye caught a flash of red. He turned his head and saw the red velvet cloak. An impulse made him stop and grab it. The soft fabric slid through his fingers and he had to bundle it up to carry it.
He walked back to Sarah without incident. She looked questioningly at the cloak in his hands. He glanced at her, and realised that her dress was torn to such a state that it was just about indecent. He threw the cloak towards her. "Put this on." She grabbed it as it came towards her and swept it around her in one fluid motion. The gold symbols glinted in the distant firelight. Well, he thought, at least if she wore it, Danvar would not be able to scry them out and tell his band of men where they had gone to.
"Let's go."
She was stood by the side of the stream, looking back towards the camp, when he walked up to her. The distant fire reflected in her eyes as she looked at him.
"I'm sorry." She offered quietly. "I didn't know that it was you. I thought it was that pig Captain."
He smiled weakly at her and gestured for her to turn around. He untied her wrists and put the twine in his pocket. She rubbed her wrists to get the blood circulating again, then turned and smiled at him. His heart lurched in his chest. He had never seen someone so beautiful, even a Fae. Where the Fae ladies were ethereal and dream-like, she was more earthy and real. When she smiled at him like that....
He pushed the thought out of his head. "What do you know about Danvar and Aspen?" He asked her, a little more roughly than normal. She tipped her head to one side as she thought. She still rubbed her wrists.
"Danvar and Aspen have been at each other's throats for as long as I've know." She said slowly. "They are always petitioning the High King over their arguments, and it's normally about petty things like boundary-lines. Their kingdoms are right next to each other, and they share fertile grazing lands, half a forest and a goldmine on their boundaries, I think." She looked at him. "I've only met them once or twice. Aspen was lovely; he pinched my cheek and told me that I reminded him of his granddaughter. She's my best friend." She smiled at the memory, and then shivered. "I didn't like Danvar, though. He gave me the creeps. He just seemed so.... slimy."
Drew smiled at her description, and then grew serious. "From what I can piece together, Danvar was going to have you killed and put somewhere in Aspen's kingdom so that the blame would be put on him."
Sarah looked at him in horror. "Of course! Aspen would be put to death and his kingdom would go to the crown as the price for treason against the High King. Danvar could then buy it from the crown at a reduced price." She put her hand to her mouth. "Cateryn wouldn't be able to speak to me again!" At Drew's questioning look, she explained. "Cateryn is my best friend, and as Aspen's granddaughter, she would be classed as a traitor, too. It wouldn't help that I was visiting her when I was taken."
Drew shook his head. "Why would killing you be classed as treason?"
Sarah looked at him in surprise. "Jareth is heir to the High Throne. I thought you knew!" She smiled at his expression. "Wow, for a mercenary, you really don't know a lot about politics, do you?"
He shrugged. "I don't really need to know what the squabbles between the nobles are about to find work."
Her eyes grew a little colder. "I guess not." She looked away, back to the camp and sighed. "So, do you have a plan to get us out of here?"
Drew was a little taken aback by her change in attitude, but he refused to show it. "Our best bet is to leave now," he said. "Most of the men have drunk themselves into a stupor, so the quicker we leave, the less likely they are to hear us."
Sarah nodded. "Let's get to it. The sooner I'm out of here, the happier I'll be."
They rounded up their horses, and Sarah held them as Drew quietly made his way over to where the saddlery had been put. His luck had held. The man who was supposed to be watching the horses was snoring against a few of the saddles. A bag of wine was lying opened at his feet. Drew grinned and gently moved the man so that he was lying on the ground, then took what he needed.
They saddled the horses in silence, trying to muffle the sounds of the tack jingling. They also wrapped the horses' hooves to muffle the noise when they rode. Suddenly, Drew stopped.
"Sarah, I will be back in a second. I have to grab my stuff."
Sarah nodded, whispering "be careful." Drew crept back towards the camp. The fire had died down, and no-one seemed to be moving. Drew carefully made his way between the prone bodies to where he had dumped his stuff, and carefully shouldered his saddlebags. As he walked back to where he had left Sarah, he passed the fire. He glanced quickly at the men sleeping there, and his eye caught a flash of red. He turned his head and saw the red velvet cloak. An impulse made him stop and grab it. The soft fabric slid through his fingers and he had to bundle it up to carry it.
He walked back to Sarah without incident. She looked questioningly at the cloak in his hands. He glanced at her, and realised that her dress was torn to such a state that it was just about indecent. He threw the cloak towards her. "Put this on." She grabbed it as it came towards her and swept it around her in one fluid motion. The gold symbols glinted in the distant firelight. Well, he thought, at least if she wore it, Danvar would not be able to scry them out and tell his band of men where they had gone to.
"Let's go."