CHAPTER 4
—--Day 15
In the morning, Sarah woke up and did her morning routine. She folded all her clothes and put them in the large leather tote bags. She had all her bags ready to leave. She put on a well fed Azrael in a pouch and her cloak and gloves. She went down for breakfast and tea. Once she was finished she went and saddled Nathrach and brought him up to the inn. She got her bags and turned her key in and thanked the tavern proprietor. She packed up and secured her horse and rode him southwest to the town of Cleite. She was told that Cleite was two days away.
On the way, Sarah started singing Celtic tunes she loved:
—--
'The Mummers' Dance', Song by Loreena McKennitt
-
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh
-
When in the springtime of the year
When the trees are crowned with leaves
When the ash and oak, and the birch and yew
Are dressed in ribbons fair
-
When owls call the breathless moon
In the blue veil of the night
The shadows of the trees appear
Amidst the lantern light
-
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
Now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
-
Who will go down to the shady groves
And summon the shadows there
And tie a ribbon on those sheltering arms
In the springtime of the year
-
The songs of birds seem to fill the wood
That when the fiddler plays
All their voices can be heard
Long past their woodland days
-
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
And now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
-
And so they linked their hands and danced
'Round in circles and in rows
And so the journey of the night descends
When all the shades are gone
-
A garland gay we bring you here
And at your door we stand
It is a sprout well budded out
The work of our Lord's hand
-
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
And now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
-
We've been rambling all the night
And some time of this day
And now returning back again
We bring a garland gay
—--
'Stolen Child', Song by Loreena McKennitt
-
Where dips the rocky highland
Of Sleuth Wood in the lake
There lies a leafy island
Where flapping herons wake
The drowsy water-rats
There we've hid our faery vats
Full of berries
And of reddest stolen cherries.
-
Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand.
-
Where the wave of moonlight glosses
The dim grey sands with light
By far off furthest Roses
We foot it all the night
Weaving olden dances
Mingling hands and mingling glances
Till the moon has taken flight
To and fro we leap
And chase the frothy bubbles
Whilst the world is full of troubles
And is anxious in its sleep.
-
Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand
-
Where the wandering water gushes
From the hills above Glen-Car
In pools among the rushes
That scarce could bathe a star
We seek for slumbering trout
And whispering in their ears
Give them unquiet dreams
Leaning softly out
From ferns that drop their tears
Over the young streams.
-
Come away, O human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand
-
Away with us he's going
The solemn-eyed
He'll hear no more the lowing
Of the calves on the warm hillside
Or the kettle on the hob
Sing peace into his breast
Or see the brown mice bob
Round and round the oatmeal chest.
-
For he comes, the human child
To the waters and the wild
With a faery hand in hand
For the world's more full of weeping
Than you can understand.
—--
Sarah sang and hummed until she found a good campsite next to a brook and she shot a rabbit on the way already skinned and gutted. She set up her tent and unloaded the horse and she brushed him down. She stowed all the gear in the tent and staked her horse down by the brook to drink and munch on dead grass. She got a small bag of sweet feed and gave him a couple handfuls. She went out foraging for wood and kindling. She gathered enough wood for a nice fire for tomorrow morning also. She found rocks and wild onions and wild carrots in the woods. She walked along the brook and got a few more rocks for her fire. She washed and prepared her rabbit and vegetables on a cleaned slab stone she found by the brook. She put the rabbit on a spit after seasoning it and rubbing a little oil on it. She boiled a pot of water and made barley with her wild onions, wild carrots, dried mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. It all smelled very fragrant.
The pup cried out and Sarah fed him while cooking. She stopped and picked up a leaf and made him go potty. It took a few leaves. She put Azrael back in his pouch and finished cooking. She saved the rabbit legs in a plastic bag for later in the morning. She had a cup of tea and was singing to herself, until she finally went to bed and cuddled her pup.
—--
Jareth was looking for a campsite and smelled a wonderful smell of cooking on the breeze. It made him hungry. He found a place in the woods and set up his camp, tent and fire instantly with magic. Later that night while he laid in bed, he swore heard Celtic singing in the wind. It lulled him to sleep dreaming of big green eyes. Jareth would break camp early and head back to the Goblin Kingdom.
—--Day 16
Sarah woke up, went to the bathroom and took care of Azrael's needs. She ate one of her rabbit legs with honey on a slice of bread with a cup of tea. She saddled the horse, broke down the tent and packed up and secured everything. She made sure the fire was out and mounted Nathrach. She continued southwest to get to Cleite.
When Sarah rode into Cleite it was quiet. She went to the inn and unloaded everything and walked in.
Sarah asked the nice looking thirty year old human innkeeper, "Do you have a room for a couple nights?"
The innkeeper said, "Six silver a night, twelve silver fer two nights. Dinner be four coppers an drinks be two cept' fer tea." Sarah paid one gold and two silver.
Sarah said, "What room?"
The innkeeper gave her a key and said, "Room seven." Sarah took her baggage up to room seven. It was a decent room. She locked up everything and took her horse to the stable.
The forty year old looking blacksmith said, "How long ye stayin'?"
Sarah said, "Two nights."
The blacksmith said, "That be eight coppers." Sarah gave it to him. She thanked him and unsaddled Nathrach. She patted him and went back to the inn.
She went upstairs and got settled in. She started a fire and took off her weapons, belt and boots. She figured the town was quiet because they must have gone to the festival. She laid down on the bed and Azrael wiggled out of the pouch and was headed for her his little eyes were open now and not focused yet. He grunted and squirmed his way to her, but didn't cry out or whimper. He just wanted her.
She cuddled him and said, "You're a sweet baby, Azrael. You're a little mama's boy. I hope you grow up to be beautiful like your mother was." She kissed his little head and took a short nap.
She put Azrael in his pouch and put on her belt, knife, gloves and cloak , then went down to get dinner.
Sarah asked, "What do you have for dinner and wine, please?" The innkeeper looked at her funny.
He said, "We have Shepard's Pie with mutton. Why are you so polite and you talk funny too?" Sarah laid down six coppers.
Sarah said, "I'm from very far away. Being polite costs you nothing, but is respectful to yourself and others by using it." The innkeeper poured her wine and took the money and went to get her a plate of food.
The innkeeper said, "Never heard tha before but makes sense. Tha fae talk funny like ye, where ye come from?" He sat down the plate with a fork.
Sarah said , "Far far away. Everyone went to the festival in Blaáth?"
The innkeeper said, "Yeah, wish I were thar, cuz it be dead here."
Sarah said, "Geez, thanks a lot. I'm still alive and kicking. I just came from there. I wouldn't have a place to stay if you didn't stay behind." The innkeeper chuckled.
The innkeeper said, "Me name is Samuel. Whatcha do at tha festival?" He put his hand to shake hers.
She put her hand out and shook it and said, "My name's Sar. I watched a joust of the Goblin King and the Unicorn King. I entered the archery contest and won. I had a pepper onion sausage with an ale and watched some fools gamble."
Samuel said, "Ye won the archery contest? How much was the purse?"
Sarah said, "First prize was fifty gold."
Samuel asked, "Where did ye rank?"
Sarah said, "First prize " His eyes bugged out.
Samuel asked, "How many entered?"
Sarah said, "About a hundred and fifty. It took forever to qualify with that many people."
Samuel said, "Still be somethin' ta beat out everbody. They all be seasoned hunters. Where ye learn ta shoot like tha'?"
Sarah said, "I took lessons from a professional competitor. He won many, many contests over decades. I think he is the bravest man I have ever known." She was thinking of her Uncle Kenny. When she came to Ireland he started teaching her everything she ever wanted to know. She got along better with him than her cousins or anyone else in her life. He was a Royal Marine Commando. He had been everywhere. He taught her archery, shooting, and survival training. She took to it like a duck takes to water. It all came so easy and it wasn't easy.
Samuel said, "Don't think I be knowin' anyone like tha. Someone ta respect like tha'."
Sarah said, "It's a blessing when you do. They give you something nobody else can. Self-reliance and self-respect. There is nothing like that feeling inside. It builds you up from where others tear you down and then they can't do it ever again. Like I said, a blessing."
Samuel was fascinated listening to he, though. Samuel asked, "So why ye hide yer face? I ask cuz yer all covered up."
Sarah didn't know what to say, so she took down her hood and looked him in the eye.
He said, "Oh my, yer a girl."
Sarah laughed and said, "You don't miss much, do ya?" He grinned.
He asked, "You really win that contest?"
Sarah said, "Every word I said is the honest truth. I did pose as a young man. I did it though. I can out shoot anyone, especially in a real contest. I have to travel carefully, so don't tell on me ok?"
Samuel chuckled, "Who be ere' ta tell?" Sarah laughed. He thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Suddenly, Azrael cried out hungry. She took out his bottle and pulled him up but inside her cloak. She puts him on his back and nurses him. Samuel slid over and watched the pup drink.
Samuel asked, "Is that a black wolf pup?" Sarah nodded.
He asked, "Where ya buy em'?"
Sarah said, "I didn't. I was camping overnight and there was a fight way off between a man and a wolf. The next morning I found a mother wolf dead, the man was dead and crushed two pups under his fat belly and this one survived. I scooped him up trying to get meat broth in him until I could get him to the next town to get milk."
He said, "Tha be terrible tha he killed tha ma fer her pups an died killin' two of um'. The mite be lucky ta have ya thar."
Sarah said, "Yeah, I know. He was calling out for a mother that could never come help him. If I hadn't been there when I was he would have died, all helpless. He'll be just fine now. His name is Azrael."
Samuel asked, "What's that mean?"
Sarah said, "Dark angel." It actually was the name of the angel of death, but she didn't see it that way. An angel is an angel, no matter his job.
Samuel said, "It suits a wolf ta be called tha. They be a wild animal, even ifin ye can train em'." Sarah nodded. Azrael was full and she put him back in his pouch.
Sarah smiled and asked, "Can I have another wine, Samuel?" She pulled two coppers out.
Samuel sat a wine in front of her and said, "I be glad ye stopped in, Sar. I be bored ta death with nobody ta talk ta."
Sarah laughed, "I got the best seat in the house then." He laughed.
He said, "Sar, ye got that only seat in tha house." She giggled.
Sarah asked, "How long is the festival?"
He said, "Five days. This be day three."
Sarah smiled, "I'll be here to get you through it, hopefully without getting bored of me, I hope."
Samuel smiled and said, "Doncha be worryin'. It be me boring ya." She laughed.