CHAPTER 5
The blacksmith wandered in and stood in the middle of the room in shock looking at Sarah. He said, "An ere' I thought ye be bored by yer lonesome. I ye be a boy, lass?"
Samuel said, "I ask her not knowin' me self, why she be so covered up. I found a real beauty hidin' under tha cloak. Looky ere', she be savin' a black wolf pup. Someone done kilt the ma and two pups too in that woods. But tha ma wolf kilt the bastard fer it."
The blacksmith looked at her reaching in the pouch and showing him Azrael. He chuckled and said, "Aww… He were ta young ta be takin' from his ma. So sad he kilt a breedin' wolf like that. They be getting ard' ta find anymore. Tha last I be hearing' they be costin' three hundred gold."
Samuel said, "Mikal, she won the archery contest agin a hunderd' fifty."
Mikal said, "No way. A lassie?" Samuel nodded.
Sarah said, "They didn't know I was a woman. Once a month, I can shoot twice as far and punch twice as hard." They both looked at her with their mouths open for a minute in shock and then started to laugh. She just smiled at them.
Mikal put out his hand and shook hers. He said, "I be Mikal, nice ta meet ya."
Sarah said, "I'm Sar, nice to meet you too."
Mikal asked, "Where ya from Sar, ye talk funny."
Sarah said, "Far, far away. A place so far it takes four ships and six horses ta get here."
Mikal said, "Ye be alone then. I be understandin' why ye be hiding an being' a boy. Ifin' I were a woman alone. I be hidin' me wares too. Ye be careful out there by yer lonesome. Thar be dangerous people. They be sellin' female humans ta Centaurs and Ogres. It be wrong. They be hidin' ta snatch ye outside of other kingdoms. The Outland be tha worst. Tha High King won' stop em' either "
Sarah said, "I am very careful. It's just Samuel questioned me to death so being the town is mostly empty, I thought ok. Besides, you gentlemen are nice to talk to. I'll be here until the festival ends. Is there a bakery or is it shut down?" They both stood up taller being complimented.
Samuel said, "Nance be still in town. She makes the best breads and pastry." Sarah smiled, she loved pastry.
Sarah said, "Maybe I'll go visit her tomorrow. If she would like, maybe I can show her a few recipes I invented."
Samuel's eyes widened and asked, "You bake and cook, Sar?" Sarah nodded yes. "Will you marry me, Sar?" Mikal laughed so hard he coughed.
Mikal said, "Run girl. He be strapping' ye to a hot stove an ave' ye cooking ferever."
Samuel said, "Bet they be comin' ta eat at me inn everyday, if Sar be cookin'."
Sarah said, "I haven't cooked yet."
Samuel said, "If ye shoot, punch an kick harder and further. I bet you be cooking everone' under tha table. I be just fatter after." Sarah started laughing and they both joined in.
Sarah said, "It's getting late and I have been camping last night and rode all day yesterday and today. You have a good evening. Maybe Samuel will let me cook dinner tomorrow night?"
Samuel said, "Sure. I've warnin' ya, I might fall in love hard fer ya." She giggled and waved goodbye and went upstairs.
Mikal said, "That girl be someone special. She gots a destiny."
Samuel said, "Yeah, ta be me wife." They both laughed.
—--Day 17
The next day, Sarah put on her blue peasant blouse, black skirt, black leggings and black corset with black boots. She brushed out her hair and tied it back the sides with a black thong. She put on her owl necklace and blue stone earrings. She went down and sat at the counter. Samuel came out from the back and stopped dead.
He stared at her and said, "By the bloody stars! Yer beautiful." Sarah blushed.
He said, "What would ye like fer breakfast? How about me favorite, eggs, steak, fried potatoes an toast?"
Sarah said, "That sounds great and a hot tea." She put out five coppers. Samuel brought her hot tea. She sipped it while he cooked. It smelled wonderful to Sarah.
He came out after a while and sat down to eat with her. It was very good Sarah thought he even cooked the steak perfectly not bleeding or mooing off the plate. That is if it is beef. She never saw any cattle or pigs. Only fish, lamb, mutton, venison, rabbit, duck, and chicken.
Sarah asked, "Samuel, what kind of steak is this?"
Samuel said, "Mutton."
Sarah said, "It's really good." He smiled.
After breakfast with Samuel, she said she was going to chat with the Baker. Sarah went to the bakery and looked at all the lovely breads and pastries. She was glad she came full.
An older woman in her sixties came out of the back and said gruffly, "I didn't hear ya come in. Ye need anything?"
Sarah said, "Oh my yes, you have such lovely bread and pastries. Can I get a little bit of everything?" She looked up and smiled at the woman. The woman cracked her hard shell and smiled back.
Sarah said, "Samuel said you were a wonderful baker. He was right." The woman was smiling big at such a nice compliment. Sarah bought an egg bread and cheese bread. One of about ten pastries she had out, four different kinds of cookies.
Sarah said, "The bread and cookies I like traveling with. I am normally disguised as a young man or boy. I have to be careful traveling alone. There's not many people here so I'm not so worried. Is there a market for produce?"
The woman said, "Yes, I mind the store fer them while they be gone."
Sarah said, "I need more honey, garlic, dried mushrooms and things like that that don't spoil. I do like a couple of potatoes and a carrot now and then. It all goes great with rabbit and fish."
The woman said, "Me name be Nance. What be yer name, dearie?"
Sarah smiled and said, "My name is Sar. It's nice to meet you Nance. When you're not busy I wouldn't mind just taking a look at what they got." Sarah sniffed the air, something was smelling nutty and buttery. "Oh my, what is that lovely smell?"
Nance said, "It be toasted butternuts, black walnuts and chestnuts in sugar, molasses and butter." Sarah knew it was like a winter praline type instead of pecans.
Sarah said, "Can I buy some when they cool? I might have to buy them all." Sarah giggled.
Nance smiled and said, "Ye can buy all you want. After tha batch inside, I be making toffee. I be opening up tha store fer ye when I get this batch to cool. I can pull them in a few more minutes."
Sarah took out a cookie and said, "You take your time, I'll be enjoying a cookie." Nance smiled and wished her granddaughters were interested in baking and cooking like this girl. She was excited about talking about food.
Nance came out and took Sarah down two doors and opened the store. Sarah got several items to put in her backpack storage. She paid two gold, six silver and four coppers to the market. Sarah went back with Nance to her bakery and bought a big bag of toasted candied nuts. She said she was cooking for Samuel tonight because he wanted to taste her cooking. She kissed Nance on the cheek and waved goodbye when she left. Nance found ten gold coins stacked on the counter. She knew the sweet girl wanted her to have it. Nance smiled and felt happy to meet such a nice caring young woman.
Sarah came into the inn with all her packages. Samuel asked, "Whatcha got thar, Sar?"
Sarah said, "I just love Nance. She is such a good lady. I bought a little bit of everything and she opened the market so I could grab a few things for the road. She really is a nice lady. Wait, I already said that." Sarah smiled and giggled.
Samuel was shocked. Usually Nance isn't that accommodating. She was an excellent baker, but never very friendly. This girl was just good to and for everyone it seems. Nance opened Willem's market for her? Wow!
Sarah put a pastry and two cookies on the counter and said, "Here this is for you. I'm gonna go pack and reorganize my bags real fast and get ready for the morning." Samuel was not happy she was only here tonight. He would be happy if she never left. She was like a lively breath of fresh air around here and he is glad he missed the festival this year, or he never would have met her at all. He ate his pastry.
Sarah went upstairs and started adding and repacking her back pack. The pup cried and she fed him and was singing to him. She rubbed his belly and Azrael was happy with his mummy touching him.
Unknown to Sarah, her voice carried downstairs and Samuel listened to her sing. Yes, he would miss a girl like her.
Later on, Sarah went down and made Garlic and Herb Lamb Chops, Creamy Herb and Mushroom Barley, with sauteed Chard/Red Peppers/Shallots. Samuel had seconds and so did Mikal because he showed up for dinner also. It was a fun night for Sarah doing something so normal, like laughing and sharing a meal. After Samuel got down on his knees and proposed five times, Sarah went to bed, after helping wash up all the dishes. She cleaned as she cooked so it wasn't that bad.
—--
Two kingdoms away, Jareth got a call for a wish away. He had his advisor fill the roll while he stayed Aboveground and looked for Sarah. He found out that Sarah and her family moved away to Germany and Ireland. Jareth went to where Toby was under concealment so they couldn't see him.
He heard Toby mention Sarah to her father. Sarah's Father looked at him and said Sarah disappeared two and a half weeks ago. Her father complained about having to go pack up her stuff and sell her car and settle her job, bank accounts and insurance. Not once did he say he cared or felt bad she could be kidnapped or dead and he never mentioned anything. Jareth tried to see if he could see her up in the Aboveground from the Aboveground. Nope.
Her stepmother was a ranting bitch saying, Sarah is probably taking an unexpected vacation or with a boyfriend and irresponsibly never told anyone. Her father said that her car was abandoned at a dig location called Newgrange. She was at her job as a research archeologist. Jareth was confused. Jareth left and went back Underground and would explore there next time.
—--Day 18
Sarah was packed and ready to go. She left a stack of 10 gold coins on Mikal's work table by the forge and on Samuel's counter, when neither man was looking.
She hugged them and said, "I 'wish' you both all the happiness and prosperity life can give you, my friends." Unknown to Sarah, the magic swirled and made it so. Sarah mounted up and waved goodbye to them. Cleite was a very nice town, Sarah thought, even if the majority of the people were gone.
She headed south to the capital city of Sióg. It took a full day of riding to get there. She rode into a big city at dusk. The streets were all cobblestone and it took a while to find an inn. She found one with a stable close by. It was bustling with people drinking and eating. She walked in with her baggage and everyone stopped talking and looked at her.
She went up to the counter and said, "Can I get a room?"
The female fae innkeeper looked her up and down and said, "Eight silver a night. Meals six coppers, drinks three. Room five."
Sarah thought she wouldn't stay long here so she said, "Two nights, please."
The fae laughed and said out loud to the room full of people, "You hear that?! This boy said 'Please'! Isn't he just all fancy! Not sure your type is welcome here!" The room laughed at her. Sarah realized this place was a mistake. She turned around and walked out, put her baggage back on her horse and mounted up and left to find another inn. She found another inn quite a ways further in town. It was more subdued, less people crowding inside, but was nicer looking. There was a stable a block down from it.
Sarah walked up to the thirty five year old looking male fae innkeeper and said, "Do you have any rooms available?"
The innkeeper looked her over and said, "nine silver a night, meals six coppers, drinks three. Room six."
Sarah said, "Can I have three nights?"
The innkeeper said, "Two gold, seven silver." Sarah put down three gold. He gave her three silver and a key. Sarah went upstairs and put her bags in her room and locked it. She went down and took her horse to board at the stable.
The fifty year old looking human blacksmith looked up and asked, "Whada ye need?"
Sarah said, "Board for three nights?"
He said, "6 coppers a night." Sarah gave him two silver. He gave her back two coppers. She led him to the stall where she was told and unsaddled Nathrach. She brushed him down and patted him down. She whispered to him that he was a good boy. She scratched his ear and left. The pup cried out. She reached inside her cloak and got out the bottle and took Azrael out and started to feed him.
The blacksmith said, "Whad ye have thar?"
Sarah said, "My wolf pup."
The blacksmith came over and looked at him. He said, "A black one. Where ye buy em'?"
Sarah said, "I was camping and a man killed his mother and two littermates, before dying himself from injuries the mother wolf did. I found this one all alone crying for his mother."
The blacksmith said, "He looks bout' two week old."
Sarah said, "He is."
He asked, "What ye name em'?"
She said, "Azrael, dark angel." The man nodded.
He said, "They be sellin' them pups fer three hundred to four hundred gold. It be wrong." Sarah nodded.
Sarah said, "I know. He would have been with his family and free to run the forest when he grew up. I just hope he will be happy with just me." The blacksmith thought, maybe he would have a kind caring person to look after him.
He said, "He be happy cuz ye care." Sarah smiled. She put Azrael back in his pouch and thanked the blacksmith, making him smile. Sarah went to her room and settled in. She went down and had dinner, roast chicken and root vegetables with wine. She retired for the night. She started a fire, took a bath, washed her hair and clothes. She put on another log for the fire and put the screen up, climbed in bed, cuddled up to her pup and snuggled in the blankets.