Chapter 5- Home at Last?
Lady of Shallotte- A little bit longer, just for you!
Jareth had been correct. When he had told Sarah that the outskirts of the labyrinth were, in fact, beautiful, he had been understating them. The sun caressed the rolling hills, sparsely dotted with small cottages and thatched farms. Flowers of all varieties and colors were everywhere, creating a multi-colored landscape. The grass that poked up between them was wet with dew, and twinkled in the morning sunlight. Sarah's breath caught in her throat at the contrast between the dirty city streets that she had occupied just a day earlier, and the land which would now be her home. For 13 months, at least.
Gragar seemed to be quite the popular little dwarf; every time the two ran into someone, whether it were goblin, Fae, or other dwarf, the other party made sure to greet her companion heartily, and ask after his family. From these encounters, Sarah learned that Gragar had a wife and a daughter who lived with him in Jareth's castle. When she tried to inquire after them herself, however, Gragar answered shortly that he could not discuss such things with her. Eventually, she gave up and took to admiring the view.
After about an hour of walking, the pair found a footpath, which led through an archway and into a little village. Cottages formed a lopsided circle around a main square, where a wooden tower had been constructed. At the top of the tower was a clock, with 13 hours on each face. Four clock faces faced in each direction, North, South, East and West. At the bottom of the structure was a stone encased well. As Sarah and Gragar approached, they could see a short, human looking young woman drawing water with a wooden bucket. At the sight of the strangers, she almost dropped her bucket of water in her hurry to curtsy in front of them.
"Master Gragar, sir, what a pleasure!" The flustered woman would not make eye contact with the dwarf, but kept her head bowed submissively.
"Mornin', Miss Varania," Gragar said importantly. "'ow's the Missus Varania these days? 'as she managed to shake that fever?" Blushing, the girl smiled at him.
"Oh, yes, sir, she's feeling much better, the medicine that you brought from his majesty was just the thing. We are so obliged. . ." Gragar, not one to show emotion, dismissed the girl with a hand.
"Very well, Miss, very well. I trust the Breanons are awake and anticipating our arrival?" The girl nodded once again.
"Yes, sir. I believe Mrs. Breanon has been up half the night tidying for the occasion." Smiling again, she dared a swift glance at Sarah.
"A'right then, off we go." Curtsying again, the girl bowed as they passed. Leaving the small town square, they followed the footpath up a large hill and halfway down the other side. A small thatched cottage guarded the valley below. The footpath continued down into the valley, and followed a river that traced the outline of the countryside, but Gragar and Sarah stopped at the cottage door. Sarah noticed that the area below the cottage was thatched farmland, turned up as if after a harvest.
Gragar thumped with a large fist against the cottage door. Sarah winced; the entire quiet countryside must have heard the racket. A moment later, the door was flung open, and a small plump lady curtsied in front of them.
"Master Gragar!" The woman exclaimed and curtsied, much in the same way as the girl at the well. "We are so happy that you've arrived! And you must be Miss Sarah." The woman beamed in her direction, and Sarah couldn't help but smile. "Come in, come in! Have a nice spot of tea." The woman ushered them in, and Gragar meekly accepted, taking a seat by a fireplace in the center of the room.
"Much obliged, Mrs. Breanon," Gragar stated. He gestured for Sarah to sit on a bench in the corner of the room. Cheeks turning red, she did so. "I suppose that Jareth explained to you the bargain?" Gragar was saying. Mrs. Breanon nodded, still beaming.
"Oh, yes. I've been so looking for someone to help with little Meril, and Dorian and Miriam should be out playing in the sunshine and helping their father instead of being stuck inside with me. I understand that the girl has bargained to stay here in the underground, in return for hard work, so I believe this is an arrangement that helps us all." Gragar nodded, sipping the tea that Mrs. Breanon bestowed upon him. She also gave a cup to Sarah, who breathed a thank you to the hostess. As Gragar and Mrs. Breanon caught up on the news of the village, the front door opened, and a massive man filled the doorway.
"Oh, Mr. Breanon, wonderful!" Mrs. Breanon gushed. The small woman ran to her husband and pulled him by the elbow into the room. "Darling, you remember Gragar, of course, and this is Miss Sarah!" Mr. Breanon bowed to Gragar, who nodded his head briefly, then smiled a crooked smile at Sarah.
"Pleasure to meet you," he drawled, in a deep voice. Although his words welcomed her, Sarah got the distinct impression that the man would be happier if she hadn't been involved with his family.
"Well, I apologize, but I must be off," Gragar said, standing to leave. "Sarah, would you join me outside for a moment? I have some final instructions from his majesty for you." Sarah stood to follow the dwarf.
"Thank you so much for visiting, Master Gragar," Mrs. Breanon called to him. "Stop by any time! And thank his majesty for us! We are, as always, in his debt." Gragar smiled and gave a small wave as he exited the cottage. When outside with the door closed, he turned to Sarah. Reaching for his hand, he drew a small, round crystal from his pocket.
"A gift for you," he said. "If you are ever in a situation where you feel that you will be harmed, hold this in your palm and think of me, and I will come to your aid."
"Thank you," Sarah breathed. Perhaps the dwarf had softer sentiments than she had at first suspected. Grumbling to himself, Gragar snapped his fingers, and disappeared into the air. Sarah pocketed the crystal, then turned and opened the door once more, ready to face her future.
"Wonderful to have you here, dear," Mrs. Breanon exclaimed when she again entered the room. Sarah smiled. Mr. Breanon was nowhere to be seen; he must have left the cottage to return to work in the fields below the cottage.
"Thank you, Mrs. Breanon." The short woman laughed merrily, her eyes twinkling.
"And now you must meet the children," she said. At Mrs. Breanon's shouted command, two children appeared. They seemed to pop up from the woodwork. Sarah wondered vaguely if they had Jareth's ability to do magic. That might severely impede her caretaking. The oldest child, a boy, looked to be about 16 years old. He was tall and thin, with long hair tied in the back. His crooked smile matched that of his father. The boy's sister, about 8 or 9 years old, stood nervously with her hands behind her back. She had long, wavy blonde hair, bright green eyes, and dimples.
"Ah, children," Mrs. Breanon began. "This is Miss Sarah. She will be helping with your lessons and the housework." The boy and girl bowed and curtsied, respectively. "Sarah, I'd like you to meet Dorian," she gestured to the boy, "And Miriam." The little girl grinned up at her. Sarah grinned back.
"Pleasure to meet you both," she said. Sarah curtseyed politely. After a moment, Mrs. Breanon sent the children in different directions, off on tasks.
"Let me show you your room," she said, beaming at Sarah. Mrs. Breanon led her up a narrow staircase to the second floor of the cottage. A hall stretched from the stairway toward the back of the house. Off the hall, there were several doorways. "This is Miriam's room, Dorians, this is Mr. Breanon and my room, Meril's room is off of that. And this," she gestured for a final time to a room on the end of the hall, "is where you will be staying." Sarah followed the woman inside and looked around with wide eyes.
The room was not fancy, but offered a homey place for her to rest and relax. A bed with a duck feather mattress and warm wool blankets was positioned on one wall. A small bedside table sported a candleholder and candle, and a bureau leaned against the opposing wall. Upon the dresser was a small, handheld mirror, with an intricately carved handle. The mirror glistened in the sunlight that streamed through a window, and Sarah could see her own stormy eyes reflected upon its face. A bookshelf was situated in one corner, and offered a large number of worn, well-read books.
"It's a beautiful room, thank you," Sarah told her guardian. Mistress Breanon smiled, obviously taking the comment as a compliment.
"I'm glad you like it," the woman commented. "Now if you would be so good, Miss Sarah, I do need some assistance with little Meril. He is quite a handful. . ." Sarah grinned.
"Of course," she answered, and followed the woman out of the room.
Lowering her voice, Mrs. Breanon chattered about her youngest son as she entered the room she shared with her husband. The room was similar to Sarah's, but on a larger scale. Meril's room was small, little more than an alcove, donned with a crib, cradle, changing table, and small bookshelf with highly illustrated picture books upon it. Meril was in the crib, curled up into a little ball, in one corner. He had a plump thumb in his mouth, eyes screwed shut. Sarah fell in love with him with one glance.
"He's adorable!" she whispered. Meril chose that moment to offer a miniature yawn, stretching his baby fingers into the air. Almost on instinct, Sarah reached into the crib and placed her finger against his hand. The baby gripped her finger, and tried to negotiate it toward his mouth. Sleepily, he half opened his eyes, and, becoming alarmed at the unfamiliar face, screwed up his face to cry.
"Oh, hush, darling," Mrs. Breanon cooed, and lifted the boy into her arms. Back in the comfort of mama's arms, the baby ventured a toothless smile at Sarah. She grinned back; she knew they would be fast friends.
The day went by quickly with the work to be done. Dorian argued constantly that he would rather be fighting and working beside his father than learning silly things like reading and languages. Sarah had to convince him, with a twinkle in her eye, that reading and languages were things that young women thought VERY highly of. Blushing, not another word was spoken, and Dorian concentrated on his lessons. Miriam was more studious, but had a harder time with her lessons. She stumbled over her reading and mathematics. Not being especially good at math herself, Sarah had a hard time telling the girl how to approach the subject. But reading was her forte. The book that Miriam had to read was 'Don Quixote.' Smiling, Sarah had an idea, and asked Mrs. Breanon if she could call on her friends for some help. After informing her of her plan, Mrs. Breanon was overjoyed, and used a crystal to call Sarah's friend, Sir Didymus. The valiant knight appeared, overjoyed to see his friend.
"Lady Sarah!" Sarah hugged her friend, but told him quickly that they could not reunite at the moment. She had a task, and needed his help. "Anything for you, m'lady," Didymus replied. Sarah introduced Miriam to her tiny friend. The girl giggled shyly, and looked up to Sarah for explanation. Sarah asked Didymus if he was familiar with the story of Don Quixote. "Oh yes, m'lady! Such a valiant and noble knight as has not existed for some time! I truly wish that I may some day be as chivalrous as he!" Sarah grinned; this was exactly what she had hoped. Miriam was giving the animal a slightly strange look.
"And Sir Didymus," Sarah continued, "If someone were to insult your honor or the honor of the one you were sworn to protect-"
"I would run him through!" Didymus interrupted, leading Ambrosius on wild thrusts at an invisible enemy. He slashed through the air, shouting about defending honor and fighting to the death. Miriam was absolutely entranced.
"Thank you, Sir Didymus. Didymus!" Sarah stilled the animal with her hand. Sheepishly, he turned back to her. "You have illustrated my point perfectly," Sarah stated. "I believe that Miriam understands chivalry now." Didymus blushed with pleasure at the compliment.
"Most pleased to be of service, m'lady!" He bowed deeply, and took Sarah's hand, planting a kiss upon it. Grinning, Sarah curtsied.
"We're finished for now; I'll catch up with you later, noble sir!" And with another bow, Didymus disappeared. Miriam giggled when he was out of sight. "Now, Miss Miriam," Sarah grinned, "THAT is the way that Don Quixote was acting. He was so caught up in his mission of chivalry, that he would attack anything that he saw as an enemy, even windmills! And he had a friend,"
"Sancho?" the young girl offered excitedly.
"Yes, Sancho, very good!" Sarah praised. The girl beamed. "Sancho stood by Don Quixote, even when his actions were hurting other people. So you see, it's good to be a friend, as long as your friend isn't hurting others." Miriam nodded, and opened the book with new enthusiasm, eager to apply this new information to her reading. Sarah felt a strange surge of pride. The children were learning, and it was because of her! She felt something that she hadn't felt in a long time; needed.
Mrs. Breanon entered the room where the children and Sarah were seated a few hours later.
"It's so quiet in here! I wondered if the goblins had run off with you all." The mother winked at Sarah. "My my," she continued, "so hard at work studying! I'm very pleased with both of you! And with you, Miss Sarah, you must be an exceptional teacher." Sarah's cheeks turned red at the compliment. "Now hurry upstairs children, and wash up for dinner!"
Sarah's first meal in the Breanon household consisted of chicken, potatoes, and homemade bread. It was all delicious, and she praised Mrs. Breanon for her culinary skills. After the meal, Sarah and the children helped to clean the kitchen while Mrs. Breanon took the baby upstairs to put him to bed. Soon after, the children began to yawn, and they, followed by Sarah, journeyed upstairs to bed as well. Before retiring, Sarah spoke once more to her new caretakers.
"Thank you, both, for taking me into your home. I do hope that I will be sufficient help for you." Mr. Breanon simply grunted in her direction; Mrs. Breanon, however, smiled, and patted her on the arm.
"We're glad to have you, dear. You were a real help to me today; I think we'll get along just fine. Now hurry up to bed; early day tomorrow!" Nodding, Sarah ascended the staircase.
Exhausted from the long day of work, yet proud and happy that the family seemed to accept her, Sarah readied herself for bed. She examined the bookshelf that was in the corner of the room, and found a book that looked interesting to read. Positioning herself underneath the bedcovers, she leaned toward a candle that sat upon a table next to the bed, and began to read.
Candlelight flickered in the room. An hour later, Sarah yawned, finally looking up from the book she had been reading. Her eyes roamed the room, and came to rest on the old mirror, sitting casually atop the dresser. Images seemed to be flickering across its face. Startled, Sarah stood, grabbing a candle and its holder from the table by her bedside. She approached the mirror, picked it up, and peered into it.
A tall, golden haired monarch paced his throne room. He moved backward and forward in front of the gothic throne. Goblins ran about underneath, and he kicked them, laughing, when one would get in his way. Sighing, Sarah replaced the mirror on the dresser. She was the furthest thing from his mind. A tear ran down her nose to the pillow as she closed her eyes and fell into a restless sleep.
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I'm having such a difficult time keeping to the story background. I know that it will all be worth it in the end, but I, as much as you, just want Jareth to show up, declare his undying love for Sarah, and kiss her senseless. I promise you, if you remain patient, the story will be worth your while! (At least I hope so!) I have lots of Jareth/Sarah goodness planned. Let's just hope Jareth can get his act together! Lucky me, I'm unemployed, so I can write for you all. :-p
Missy 4- sorry I missed you in my earlier comments! Thanks for the input!
Darkfox – glad you liked it! I was amazed to find that, I had no idea that the song was used previously!
Tenoko- aww, thanks… oddly enough, I just read your fiction today, and it's wonderful! Definitely post another chapter asap! :-)
Crystalclear- thanks… hopefully this next section keeps with the goodness!
Lady of Shallotte- hahahahahahahaha. . . THANKS!
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