Ch 10.
Sarah did not open her eyes again before midday. Drew had been on the lookout for a stream where they could water the horses and refill their water bottles. He was trying to remember what food was left in the ration bag that he had taken from the lookout when she moaned and squirmed, and he nearly dropped her. He halted the horses and slid out of the saddle, bringing Sarah down with him. He carried her over to a grassy shaded area just off of the road and laid her on the ground, then took the horses over to the stream. When he came back to her, she was flushed and sweating. He sat down in front of her and pulled her into a sitting position. Putting the water bottle to her lips, he poured a trickle of water into her mouth. She spluttered and spat it out.
"Come on, my Lady, you need to drink." He urged her. He poured a little more into her mouth and she swallowed. He felt her forehead. She was burning up with fever. He gave her a little more water then eased her back on the ground. He pulled open the cloak at her shoulder.
The bandages were completely soaked in blood. He gently unwrapped them to take a look at the wound. It was still oozing blood, and the skin around it was pink and angry looking. Drew sighed. It was obvious that infection had set in.
He rocked back on his heels and thought. The infection had set in so fast that it was likely that she would not last until he got her home. He stroked her sweat sodden hair back from her face. She was so beautiful. She moaned gently and pressed her face into his hand. He hesitated, then bent down and gently kissed her. Before he could pull back, she started to return the kiss with such passion that he could not resist. He lost himself, her lips sweet and hot, passionate under his. He suddenly broke away and stared down at her, cupping her face in his hand.
"I love you, my Lady."
She smiled and nuzzled into his touch. "Jareth....."
"Well, well, well, isn't this sweet?"
Drew turned to see Hrap and six other men standing over him. Hrap grinned menacingly.
"You've given us an awful lot of trouble, Drew, not to mention annoying our Master no end!" Hrap paced towards him. "We've wasted most of the day hunting you down, and when we get here, what do we see? You playing kissy- face with our hostage. Is that how she convinced you to free her? Is she that good a screw that you would desert your friends for her?"
Drew could hear Sarah thrashing around on the ground behind him. He feverently hoped that she would become lucid enough to be of some help, but he knew that it was a vain hope. He unsheathed his hunting knife and stood up.
"You are not going to take her, and you are not going to kill her. She is going home."
Hrap laughed. "And just how are you going to stop us when you're dead? Who's going to stop us then?"
"That would be me."
They all turned to the sound of the quietly deadly voice. A tall blonde man dressed in black stepped out from the shadows beneath the trees and crossed his arms over his chest. Drew gasped in surprise.
King Jareth!
Drew snuck a quick peek at Sarah. She had twisted her way out of the cloak and laid atop the red velvet. Understanding suddenly clicked in Drew's mind. Of course! The cloak had been making Sarah invisible to Jareth's magic! Now that she had uncovered herself, he had been able to find her.
He turned back to face Jareth. Rage radiated off of him, made all the more frightening by him being so still. Hrap and the other guys had looked the King up and down, and had obviously decided that he was no threat to them, as they had all drawn their knives and were glaring at him.
"What's it to you?" Hrap snarled. Jareth just looked at him. It was obviously unnerving the other man, because he charged at the still figure. Jareth flicked his hand and Hrap disappeared in mid lunge. He flicked his hand again and the others disappeared. Then he turned to Drew.
Drew dropped his knife. "Please, can you heal her?" He gestured to Sarah's prone figure. Jareth's attention switched from Drew to her, and instantly his expression changed to concern.
"What happened?" Jareth rushed to Sarah's side and gathered her into his arms. She moaned at the movement, and her eyelashes fluttered. "Jareth...?" She whispered.
Jareth stood up in one smooth movement. Sarah dangled from his arms like a rag doll. He glared at Drew.
"Don't go anywhere!" He snapped. "I'll be back to deal with you soon."
Then he disappeared, taking Sarah with him.
Drew swallowed hard and let out a shuddering sigh. He had been sure that he would have gone the way of Hrap and the others. He didn't know what Jareth had in store for him, but he was fairly certain that it would be a far bit more pleasant than what he had done to them. He looked around the clearing, then went and picked up the wine bag. If he was going to have to wait, he might as well be comfortable.
Sarah did not open her eyes again before midday. Drew had been on the lookout for a stream where they could water the horses and refill their water bottles. He was trying to remember what food was left in the ration bag that he had taken from the lookout when she moaned and squirmed, and he nearly dropped her. He halted the horses and slid out of the saddle, bringing Sarah down with him. He carried her over to a grassy shaded area just off of the road and laid her on the ground, then took the horses over to the stream. When he came back to her, she was flushed and sweating. He sat down in front of her and pulled her into a sitting position. Putting the water bottle to her lips, he poured a trickle of water into her mouth. She spluttered and spat it out.
"Come on, my Lady, you need to drink." He urged her. He poured a little more into her mouth and she swallowed. He felt her forehead. She was burning up with fever. He gave her a little more water then eased her back on the ground. He pulled open the cloak at her shoulder.
The bandages were completely soaked in blood. He gently unwrapped them to take a look at the wound. It was still oozing blood, and the skin around it was pink and angry looking. Drew sighed. It was obvious that infection had set in.
He rocked back on his heels and thought. The infection had set in so fast that it was likely that she would not last until he got her home. He stroked her sweat sodden hair back from her face. She was so beautiful. She moaned gently and pressed her face into his hand. He hesitated, then bent down and gently kissed her. Before he could pull back, she started to return the kiss with such passion that he could not resist. He lost himself, her lips sweet and hot, passionate under his. He suddenly broke away and stared down at her, cupping her face in his hand.
"I love you, my Lady."
She smiled and nuzzled into his touch. "Jareth....."
"Well, well, well, isn't this sweet?"
Drew turned to see Hrap and six other men standing over him. Hrap grinned menacingly.
"You've given us an awful lot of trouble, Drew, not to mention annoying our Master no end!" Hrap paced towards him. "We've wasted most of the day hunting you down, and when we get here, what do we see? You playing kissy- face with our hostage. Is that how she convinced you to free her? Is she that good a screw that you would desert your friends for her?"
Drew could hear Sarah thrashing around on the ground behind him. He feverently hoped that she would become lucid enough to be of some help, but he knew that it was a vain hope. He unsheathed his hunting knife and stood up.
"You are not going to take her, and you are not going to kill her. She is going home."
Hrap laughed. "And just how are you going to stop us when you're dead? Who's going to stop us then?"
"That would be me."
They all turned to the sound of the quietly deadly voice. A tall blonde man dressed in black stepped out from the shadows beneath the trees and crossed his arms over his chest. Drew gasped in surprise.
King Jareth!
Drew snuck a quick peek at Sarah. She had twisted her way out of the cloak and laid atop the red velvet. Understanding suddenly clicked in Drew's mind. Of course! The cloak had been making Sarah invisible to Jareth's magic! Now that she had uncovered herself, he had been able to find her.
He turned back to face Jareth. Rage radiated off of him, made all the more frightening by him being so still. Hrap and the other guys had looked the King up and down, and had obviously decided that he was no threat to them, as they had all drawn their knives and were glaring at him.
"What's it to you?" Hrap snarled. Jareth just looked at him. It was obviously unnerving the other man, because he charged at the still figure. Jareth flicked his hand and Hrap disappeared in mid lunge. He flicked his hand again and the others disappeared. Then he turned to Drew.
Drew dropped his knife. "Please, can you heal her?" He gestured to Sarah's prone figure. Jareth's attention switched from Drew to her, and instantly his expression changed to concern.
"What happened?" Jareth rushed to Sarah's side and gathered her into his arms. She moaned at the movement, and her eyelashes fluttered. "Jareth...?" She whispered.
Jareth stood up in one smooth movement. Sarah dangled from his arms like a rag doll. He glared at Drew.
"Don't go anywhere!" He snapped. "I'll be back to deal with you soon."
Then he disappeared, taking Sarah with him.
Drew swallowed hard and let out a shuddering sigh. He had been sure that he would have gone the way of Hrap and the others. He didn't know what Jareth had in store for him, but he was fairly certain that it would be a far bit more pleasant than what he had done to them. He looked around the clearing, then went and picked up the wine bag. If he was going to have to wait, he might as well be comfortable.