CHAPTER 10
They got to Draíocht after nightfall. Sarah went in, got a room for the night, she helped Brie inside and boarded the horses. Sarah returned and she fed Azrael and they went down for dinner.
The gossip was that the inn in Saor was closed because a man was killing the inn owners and selling patrons to the Ogre and Centaurs. They say a good man beat them bloody and sent him packing while rescuing a tiny girl the man was abusing.
One man said that it was still snowing hard in the mountains to and from the passage to Crúb. That was what would impact their trip. Sarah and Brie were finishing eating and drinking their wine when a big man sat down next to Brianna's side.
He ordered an ale and said to Brianna, "You be awful little fer a man. Ye don' even be half growed."
Sarah said in her low voice, "That's because my little one is young. What of it?"
The man said, "I've nothin' bad ter say bout' yer lil' one. Just noticed how small he be. I be the blacksmith ye brought tha horses in ta." Sarah backed off.
He said, "Ye boys headin' ta Crúb way?"
Sarah, "Yes."
He said, "I be thinkin' ye need be stayin' somewhars ta wait out the snow between storms. It be takin' em' three ta four days ta clear it. They be mighty powerful dis tima year. On ye way down that other side thar be lil' caves, find one ta fit yer horses, cuz it be two days ta the next town of Gabhar." Sarah realized he spoke the same as the blacksmith Barney said, but more about how the storms worked there.
Sarah said, "Thank you for your help. I like to keep my little one safe."
He said, "Ye be welcome."
Sarah and Brie went up to the room and locked the door. They took a hot bath and washed their hair and clothes. Brie and Sarah played with Azrael. He was yipping and grunting and trying to bite Sarah's finger and she felt little teeth coming in.
Sarah said, "He's getting his baby milk teeth at the four week old mark for pups. I'm going to see if I can make him some meat ground up like gruel tomorrow night. I'll have to see if I can find a bone, a lamb hoof or a ball of leather for him to play and chew on somewhere. I don't want him chewing on our bags and clothes. I'm going to teach him to chew only his toys."
Brie said, "How'd ye know bout' wolves?"
Sarah said, "We have domesticated ones where I came from. They call them dogs. There are wild wolves too, but domesticated means, they are tamed ones that are used to people. After thousands of years they changed and my people loved them. Some are trained to help keep wolves from your sheep and animals in farms."
Brie said yawning, "Ye come from a very different place. I'd love to have me own pet one day an have ye teach me bout' raisen em'." Sarah thought of the cat she saw in the Goblin City. Sarah got up and stoked the fire and they climbed in bed with the blankets piled high.
Sarah said, "Maybe, we can get you a kitten in the spring when the cats have babies."
Brie smiled, rolled over and said, "I love ye, Sar. Ye don' be mean ta me an don' talk ta me like I be a stupid dirtball. Ye be always explainin' things sos I can understand. Ye treat me like me parents did. I wish ye could be me mother. I never had a sister or brother."
Sarah faced her in bed and said, "I love you too, my little Brie. I get to be your big sister and you get not just a motherly love, but a friend wrapped in it together, my sweet girl." Brie wrapped her arm around Sarah and put her head on her shoulder being careful of Azrael. Sarah rubbed her head. Sarah thought about the horrors this little girl has been through and the gift she bestowed upon her by trusting her so much. She doesn't want to let her down ever. Sarah wants to build her up to be a strong and confident young woman. Sarah loved her too, because she would definitely fight a room full of wild tigers to save her. That's how she knew.
—--Day 35
The next morning Brie got her period and Sarah gave her a couple folded towel rags and they washed out her panties and hung them in front of the fire on the screen. Sarah said they would stay three days in the next town and she would get her more rags and look for things for Azrael too. They got dressed and fed Azrael. They went down to eat breakfast and then see if her panties were dry by the time the horses were brought up. Sarah packed up their horses and got Brie in the saddle. Sarah mounted up and they headed southwest to the town of Eireaball.
It snowed lightly and they stopped under some trees to go to the bathroom and eat lunch. Brie was achy and sore from riding with her period and they stepped up the horses to get to the town faster.
They arrive at dusk and Sarah gets Brie and their stuff inside and takes the horses to board them. She comes back and unlocks the door and a chair is blocking the door.
Sarah says softly through the door, "Brie, baby girl, open the door." She hears a shuffling and the chair is moved. Sarah opens the door to find Brie in a corner hugging her knees and crying and the pouch on her lap while Azrael cries too. What on earth happened in the short time she was gone? Sarah locked the door and put the chair under it. Sarah slung her cloak and gloves on the bed and got down on the floor. She petted her head and took Azrael out of his pouch cooing and shushing him.
Sarah said, "Brie honey, what happened while I was gone?"
Brie sniffled, "A man tried ta comin tha room with a key, cuz ye locked me in. I hurried an blocked that door with a chair. He be yellin' ta open tha door or he be breakin' it down and throw me out." Sarah was pissed off. She knew the innkeeper must not have seen her bring Brie in and was going to rifle through her belongings for gold while she boarded the horses.
Sarah put on her cloak and gloves and pulled her knife. Sarah said, "I'll be downstairs and you may hear a ruckus but don't come out until I come back. You put that chair under the door until you know it's me."
Brie said, "I don' want ye ta get hurt, Sar."
Sarah caressed her face and said, "Oh, baby girl, that man is going to get a big hurt on him when I'm through." Sarah kissed Brie's tear stained cheeks. She stepped out the door and waited until the chair was under the doorknob. Sarah went downstairs. She went to the bar and grabbed the human innkeeper and threw him across the room smashing into the wall with such strength she didn't know she had. The room went silent.
Sarah roared, "You dare try to enter my room when I'm boarding my horse under a lock and key after I paid your filthy thieving arse over two gold!!!! Didn't know I brought my little one with me and is scared half to death!!!! I'll slit your fucking throat for this you mother fucker!!!" Sarah seized his cowering body and threw him across the room smashing a table.
Sarah yelled, "Is this bastard the owner or a worker?!!!" A man stepped forward and said, "He be here fer the job."
Sarah shouted, "Can someone get the owner in here?!!" A man darted out the doors and Sarah was kicking the shit out of the guy while she waited.
A man walked into the inn and said, "See here, what's going on!" It was the blacksmith.
Sarah said loudly, "I swear this piece of filth tried to enter my paid for locked room, while I was boarding the horses with you! He used his key to gain entry to steal my bags or search them for gold! He didn't know my little one was with me and locked in there all alone and scared to death! He threatened through the door! My little one was crying in a corner frightened! I came down to slit this vile thing's throat!" The innkeeper scrambled up to get away. Sarah grabbed him, twisting his collar and had him up against the wall. Sarah kneed him in the balls and held the knife to his throat.
The man screamed, "Didn't do nuthin'! He be lying!"
Sarah said, "Everything I told you is the truth on this I swear." Sarah pushed her head back and revealed her head and looked in the blacksmith's eyes. The room gasped.
The blacksmith said, "Slit his throat out back by the gully. Let the wolves have em'. Markus! Ye be me innkeeper and hire another cook."
The guy screamed, "No! No! I be innocent!"
Sarah put up her hood, punched the man in his gut, grabbed him by the nape of his hair and dragged him out behind the inn to the edge of the gully. He struggled and screamed, "I got money! I'll pay ye a hundred gold!"
Sarah said, "Good to know I'll tell the blacksmith to pilfer your belongings for his and everyone's missing money. Sarah cut off his pants and shirt.
She said, "I 'wish' you to be a human woman and sold to Centaurs." It was a good sentence. The guy changed into a woman, screamed and disappeared. Sarah went through his pockets and found a ton of coins and a couple keys.
She went into the tavern and the blacksmith was still there. He turned to her and asked, "It be done?" Sarah nodded and handed him the big pocket full of coins and two keys.
Sarah said, "I think you need to go through his room. He was trying to bribe me with a hundred gold to spare him."
The blacksmith said, "Let's both go."
Sarah said, "Can I bring my little one a meal and say everything is ok?"
He nodded yes and said, "Markus, give the lass a plate and wine." Markus gave her a plate and a cup of wine.
Sarah went upstairs with the blacksmith and knocked on the door and said, "Honey, I have dinner for you and wine. Open the door baby. I'll be busy for a little while and have dinner when I get back." The blacksmith saw the little human girl all terrified. Sarah handed her the plate and wine kissing her cheek. Sarah locked the door, turned and stood there until she heard the chair go under the door.
They walked up to the guys room and they began searching everything. They found weapons, jewelry, leather goods, and a bag of coins.
Sarah stopped and said, "There is more." She searched the walls and floors. She found a suspicious looking wall and floorboard. She pried up the floorboard and found three big bags of gold, a big bag of silver and a big bag of coppers. She opened the wall and found a big bag of jewelry, six big bags of gold, two big bags of silver.
Sarah sat back and said, "My name is Sar."
The blacksmith was in shock and said, "Me name be Cal."
Sarah said, "Cal, this did not come from just here. I stopped a guy from doing this in Saor in the Fairy Kingdom. He was killing people or selling them to the Ogres and Centaurs. How long has this hoarder been here?" She looked at Cal.
He said flabbergasted, "Bout' six months."
Sarah said, "This is way more than six months. I swear to you a fifty-fifty split. I'll count it all so you know how much it all is. I paid to be here for three nights. I'm not going anywhere and I promise my honesty."
The blacksmith put his hand on her shoulder and said, "I believe yer an honest an good woman, Sar. I never met a fae tendin' ta a human child and with dark hair. Ye talk funny too."
Sarah said, "I come from very very far away. I was raised by humans. I found that child being raped and beaten by that vile fae creature in Saor. She's mine now to raise and love. I'll kill anyone who tried to harm her."
He said, "I believe ye would. Keep tha jewelry. I be takin' tha weapons ta resell just leave em' on tha bed. I'll see ye tomorrow, but help ye put tha bags in yer room." Sarah stood up and shook his hand. They grabbed arm loads of bags.
Sarah knocked on the door and said, "Open the door, baby." Brie cracked the door and backed up.
Sarah said, "This is Cal, little one. He and I found another thieving hoarder and I'm going to count and split it up. Hold the door open so we can transfer it in here, little love." They hauled all 13 bags of coins and one of jewelry.
Sarah said to Cal, "You might want to check the other rooms tomorrow to make sure he hasn't been hoarding possessions or more in them. You better find a safe place nobody would think of for this." Cal nodded and shook her hand again and went downstairs. Sarah looked at all the money on her bed and sighed.
Brie said, "Go eat, Sar. I be ok, just knock an I move tha chair. I fed Azrael." Sarah took off her cloak and gloves. She kissed Brie on the head and held her.
Sarah said, "I love you, little one." She kissed the top of her head.
Sarah smiled and said, "They know we are girls. We can dress like girls tomorrow and the next day." Brie smiled big. Sarah went down to eat. When she came back they locked the door and put the chair under the door. Sarah and Brie got undressed and Sarah got to counting the first nine bags of gold.
Brie asked, "Ye be splitting it with Cal?" Sarah nodded yes. She was writing it down with her pen and paper from last time in her saddlebag.
Brie said, "Sar, it be so much more than tha Dirtball had." Sarah started laughing hard. Brie started laughing too.
Sarah said, "Oh Brie, that was so funny. See, he was the Dirtball. Never you, my sweet girl, never you."
Sarah got six bags of gold tallied to 4800 before getting in the bed and moving the other bags over to the side of the bed on the floor. Sarah thought they were going to have way more than three or four thousand added to the almost six thousand gold in her locket. This lucky ring is amazing.