CHAPTER 13

—--Day 46

Sarah and Brie woke up and folded away their laundry. They got dressed in their girl clothes. Sarah was all in black and Brie was in a light blue long sleeve blouse, black skirt and a black corset. Sarah put one hundred gold in a bag that laid under her skirt. They fed Azrael, put on their cloaks and took their gloves. Sarah put Azrael's leash on and Sarah had put on his bag under her cloak. The girls walked down to get breakfast holding hands. They sat at the counter and Sarah put two pieces of silver on the counter.

She asked the dwarven innkeeper, "Good morning, Can we get two breakfasts and two teas, please?" He was always surprised at how polite she was.

He said, "Good morning." He gave her back four coppers. He went to the back and got two teas and a human woman brought out two plates of eggs, venison, potatoes and toast. Sarah thanked them.

He said, "Jassin was an ass last night. Sorry about that. He is set on getting you in his bed. Watch out, he's had almost every female or so."

Sarah giggled and said, "He better move on. I'm definitely not interested. It just makes me angry when people don't value others. It's not right to assume my little one, a human, just being with a fae makes her less and a servant is all he could come up with. My little girl human, fae, dwarven or elf, is just as special as any one to me. She's loving and lovely. I'm proud of her being mine. She came from a horrific place into my care. I love her and would fight anyone to keep her safe." The dwarf was amazed at this woman and how very different she is from any fae or anyone he has ever known. She rescued the child and the wolf from terrible situations and claimed them as family. She cares.

Azrael called out from the floor, "Grr…. Whoo…."

Sarah laughed and put him in her lap and fed him a bit of eggs. He licked his lips with yoke in them. "When are you going to understand that you ate your food and you're a spoiled little wild thing."

Brie gigged and said, "He thinks he is being left out when we eat and talk."

Sarah said, "I think you're right. I've practically carried him next to my heart in that pouch his whole life and he's smart enough to know that he's excluded on the floor. I'm just worried that when he's the size of a person will he still want to sit in my lap? He'll squash me." Sarah gave him another little piece of egg with yoke on it. Brie laughed. She continued to eat and drink with Azrael on her lap.

Sarah and Brie went to the store with a wolf pup that had his head and nose sticking up out of the bag, 'Whooing' at people now and then. Sarah got herself a pretty green outside corset that laces up at a ladies clothing store.

Sarah found exactly what she was looking for in a dwarven jewelry store. It was two powerful magically enchanted braided hammered polished silver torque bracelets with Celtic scrollwork on the ends with rounded in set gemstones. Sarah bought herself the black tourmaline to protect her from negative physical attacks and Brie got the crystal one to protect her from negative magical attacks. They both put them on and they self sized to their wrists. They were small enough to lay tight to the wrist and can be worn under gloves. It was costly but worth it.

The store dwarven clerk said they only had the two matching but different torques and they were unique. He said they have had them for years and don't sell fast because they cost forty gold each. He said they were the last two enchanted specifically by a very powerful wizard about three hundred years ago and were a set of seven originally with each different attributes. He said they would not tarnish and would always be pristine.

Sarah asked, "What were the other ones' attributes?"

He said, "Let's see if I remember correctly, it was magical protection, physical protection, love, luck, prosperity, invisibility, and elemental protection."

Sarah smiled at him and said, "That was very interesting. Thank you very much for the history of the pieces. Have a wonderful day." The dwarf smiled back at her and thought she was a very polite woman and not the fae he knew. Sarah took Brie's hand and they walked back to the inn.

On the way, Brie said, "Thank ye fer me pretty bracelet, Sar. Ye always be makin' sure I be safe. I love ye, Sar."

Sarah squeezed her hand and said, "I love you too, little one." The pup 'Whooed' from his bag. Sarah and Brie giggled.

Brie said, "It be like he knows."

Sarah said, "Black wolves are highly intelligent and he probably really does know." Sarah patted the bag and said, "I love you too, Azrael." He 'Yipped'. Sarah smiled. Sarah found a spot that was cleared and let Azrael play without a leash in the snow to see if he would pee or poop. He wobbly bounded around and peed and found a spot to poop. Sarah thought he was a smart pup just knowing what she wanted him to do. She covered the little spots with snow.

Sarah said, praising him, "You're a good boy, Azrael." She crouched down and patted him. He jumped up and danced on his back legs to be picked up. Sarah stayed squatted and opened the bag flap and he crawled inside.

Sarah stood up and looked at Brie and said, "See told you he is smart. He knew I offered him warmth when he wanted to get back inside from the cold."

Brie shook her head and said, "I never be lookin' at it like that, but now I be seeing him tellin' ya." Sarah took her hand and they went into the inn and up to the room to warm up.

They enjoyed their stay in Crúb. It was expensive but a friendly town. Sarah was a bit sick of Jassin trying to get in her panties but everyone else was nice.

Sarah made sure they were stocked with food and spices. They had to camp overnight and she hoped to find a deserted cave that fit the horses. Sarah was prepared to wish for wood and hay for the horses when they got to the campsite of a deserted cave that fit the horses inside. The night before their trip she bought six raw mutton chops because they aren't really all that big and a couple lambs hooves for Azrael to gnaw on soon. She put the chops in one of her gallon plastic zip close bags even though the butcher wrapped them up. She hung it out the window overnight and it froze them.

—--Day 52

She put the chops in her backpack before she took the baggage to the horses outside. They said their goodbyes to everyone the night before or in the morning when they were having breakfast. Sarah had in the jewelry leftover a large garnet bracelet. She knew dwarves loved gemstone jewelry, from what she knew from Hoggle.

When Tubeck brought their tea, she said, "Tubeck, I want you to have this to remember us by." He took it from her hand and was looking over the workmanship.

He looked at her and said, "This is a very well made piece. Are you sure? You could fetch a price for it?"

Sarah said, "I know. I just want you to know that you are a nice friend and we want you to remember us." He nodded, getting a little choked up.

He said, "I'll remember. I promise, Sar and Brie." Sarah and Brie smiled. They finished up eating and hugged Tubeck goodbye.

Sarah had Azrael's bottles refurbished in the meat mixture and had them strapped to her belt inside her cloak with the pup in the bag. She loaded the horses and got Brie and herself mounted on the horses. They waved goodbye and headed west down the mountain trail Sarah had Brie follow like last time. When it started to get dark Sarah was drawn to a hidden almost obscure cave entrance big enough hopefully to fit the horses. Sarah dismounted to go check inside. She gave her reins to Brie.

Sarah walked into the cave with a litup crystal like Kelvin showed her how to do. It wasn't huge but the perfect size. She tripped over something and it jingled. She picked herself up and thought, 'I just can't believe this. Another pot of gold? This little luck ring is amazing.' The cave was empty and perfect for their needs.

Sarah went out and dismounted Brie and they led each of their horses inside the cave. They had the horses at the back of the cave and set up the tent and got all their stuff inside but the saddles. Sarah showed Brie the pot of gold she found.

Brie giggled and said, "Only ye, Sar, coulda trip over gold. Seems ta follow us everwhere'." Sarah agreed.

They found rocks to surround a campfire by the front of the cave. Sara said, "I 'wish' for two days worth of constant firewood and kindling against that wall stacked neatly…" she pointed to the wall "… and a bale of hay with a clean watering trough that won't freeze, run out or get dirty, over there." She pointed to a spot near the horses. The items materialized in that order exactly as she specified. Brie was shocked and couldn't believe it. She just got to work with Sarah getting the wood and kindling set up and the horses settled in the back with hay.

The smoke reacted perfectly in the cave and drifted to the outside entrance. Sarah and Brie got the bedding made up and started making tea. Sarah had Azrael stay in the tent to eat his milk meat gruel. He listened well to Sarah, so later she had him sit in her lap while they cooked and ate. They seasoned the fried mutton chops in the little frying pan with a pot of barley, carrot, onion, mushrooms, salt, pepper, garlic and basil. They ate a hardy meal and Sarah bagged the leftovers for morning, a chop each and a little bit of barley medley. Sarah liked eating her seasoned meat with honey on bread slices for breakfast when she camped. The cave warmed up quite well. It was cold but not fridged. It started dumping snow outside. Sarah thought that if it was too bad and deep by morning they may be there for a while longer.

Sarah started counting the gold in the pot and dumping it in her locket in increments. It was a bigger pot than she had in the portal entrance. The pot total was 3850. The locket total now and after Sarah had taken out 100 gold for the shopping they did in Crúb, was 14,869 gold coins. Brie was amazed at how wealthy they were now.

After counting all the coins, they put more logs on the fire and left the tent flap open for the heat. The horses were tethered comfortably by the hay and water. Sarah, Brie and Azrael all went to sleep with five blankets to keep them warm. Brie and Azrael cuddled up to Sarah. They all kept nice and warm.

—--Day 53

When morning came there was two feet of snow outside. They didn't have that far to go to get off the mountain and to head southwest to Gabhar would take all day. Sarah decided to stay another day and night and would clear the path to the trail all the way down the mountain. They had enough food and time, so they were not in danger to stay. Sarah fed Azrael in his little bowl.

Sarah said, "Let's stay here another night and I'll clear the snow and trail tomorrow. It is not so bad here in this cave and we do have enough wood, hay and food to stay. I stocked dry different meats in our supplies and we have other things to eat. It's just there is two feet of snow out there and I like it being just us for a change. I'll tell you the truth about where I came from like I told you I would someday. Then, you will understand that I know many different things for a reason. Let's fix breakfast. I like to eat my leftover seasoned meat with honey on a slice of bread. I want you to try it. It's yummy with tea." Sarah started building the fire again and they had washed the pans out with a washcloth last night in the clear clean water trough.

Sarah put on water for tea and cut slices of bread putting honey on it. She arranged the meat on each slice of bread so it can be folded in half. She put half of the little bit of barley on top of it. The tea was ready and Sarah showed her how to eat it. Brie loved it with the sweet and savory.

Brie said, "I never tried this. It be good." Sarah smiled at her and they enjoyed their breakfast.

Sarah sat down with a blanket doubled and leaned against the wall with Azrael in her lap and under the blanket. Sarah told Brie everything and swore that every word was true. Brie asked questions and Sarah answered them. She told her about the Labyrinth, her journey and everything. She even told her about the gypsy in the Fairy Kingdom capital city of Sióg and what she told her. She showed her the scarf in her bags.

Sarah said, "I am learning about this place everyday from you and everyone we meet. So see, you know more about something than I do. I've only been here fifty three days, which is seven and a half weeks. Azrael is only seven weeks old. That's why you don't treat people like they are beneath you, because they may just know different things than you do and you may know more about things too. People should help each other but that is a dream in a place like this. I'll just have to do it one person at a time."

Brie sat quietly next to Sarah. Brie asked, "So yer real name be Sarah? Tha one who be tha Champion of tha Labyrinth an tha only one who ever won tha babe back from bein' wished? King Jareth tha Goblin King be in love with ye an wanted ye ta stay?" Sarah nodded yes to each question.

Brie asked, "Do ye think King Jareth be turnin' tha portal off tha fast cuz ye didn't stay?"

Sarah shrugged and said, "I don't know. He was upset when I said the last line. If he didn't cut off the portal, someone else did to make sure there was no communication between us all. I just assumed it was him but I was fifteen then and just thought it was him because he was the only magical person I knew. I'm twenty six now and my birthday has passed. I didn't even notice. I just wonder if he did it. I am enjoying my time here but I've seen good and really bad things. My world is that way too, a mix of both. Your way of life is just different, some is how we lived in our history and some is totally different. I learned history, archery, how to fight and survive on the land, that's why I am good at getting by."

Brie said, "Sar, ye twas human all yer life in a different world. It be amazin' ye found it back ere' an tha fairy bit ye made ye change. Ye be lucky ye be havin' nice fae teach ye magic."

Sarah said, "I have been lucky. They told me I had the wish magic and only the Goblin King had wish magic. It said in the book that I didn't mention any of this. You're the only one who knows the truth other than King Jareth." Brie was flattered that Sarah trusted her so much, but she did love her and she loved her back so much. She would never tell a soul the truth unless Sar told her too. She thought Sar was special and had a destiny.

Brie put another log on the fire and got her cookies and gave Sar one. Brie smiled and sat next to her, laying her head on her shoulder. She felt closer to Sar. Knowing that Sar was a human and looked like a fae, but had magic. She was the most amazing person she ever knew.

Sarah opened the blanket and wrapped Brie in her arms and blanket with Azrael napping in her crossed legs. Sarah kissed her head.

Brie laid her head on her shoulder and said, "I love ye so much, Sar. Ye being a human in a fae body, makes me know ye understand even more."

Sarah said, leaning her head against Brie's and said, "Thank you for being my sweet girl. I needed you." Brie got tears in her eyes because she felt needed for the first time in her life.

Brie whispered, "Needed you, too."