CHAPTER 17
Sarah and Brie were dressed as girls. They left the room in their cloaks and took Azrael outside to potty. They came back in and ordered lunch. They began eating a handmade pastry sandwich with mutton, potatoes, carrots, onion and gravy inside. Sarah thought they called them Pasties in her world, but they call them hand pies here.
Brie said, "This be good. I never be eaten this before."
Sarah said, "They call them Pasties where I come from. These are very savory here and taste better too. Let's go find a bakery and get more cookies and pastry to keep in the room."
Brie giggled and said, "I be liken that ye love ta eat, Sar."
Sarah said smiling, "I do love to eat and I love to burn off extra food practice fighting too. I have had to fight for real since being here so I burn it off and just eat like normal."
Brie asked, "Ye be teachin' me ta fight when I be stronger?"
Sarah petted her head and said, "I will. In the meantime, I'll fight for you, my little one." Brie laid her head on Sarah's shoulder.
Brie said, "I love ye, Sar." Azrael 'Yipped' in Sarah's lap. She gave him a piece of tender mutton from her sandwich. He licked and chewed it.
Sarah said, "Yes, Azrael we love you too." Brie giggled and resumed eating.
After they were done, they put up their hoods, put on their gloves and walked hand in hand with Azrael in his bag to the local bakery. Sarah walked in and her nose was assaulted with that familiar smell of nuts, sugar and butter. It was like from that bakery Nance had in Cleite. The winter nut mix of a praline type. She devoured those nuts on the road and they were a big bag of them.
The counter clerk said, "What can I be doin' fer ya?"
Sarah said, "I would like a great big bag of those candied nuts, please. They smell so irresistible." The woman smiled
The woman said, "They be sellin' out quick." She started bagging up the large bag of nuts and weighing them on scales. Sarah got a dozen different pastries and two dozen of four kinds of cookies.
The clerk said, "eight silver, two coppers." Sarah gave her the money.
Sarah asked, "How often do you make candied nuts?" Sarah popped one in Brie's mouth and then her own.
The clerk said, "Ever Wednesday."
Sarah said, "We will be back for more. Thank you." The woman smiled. Sarah and Brie were walking down the street and noticed they were being followed. Sarah had Brie take the food inside the inn with Azrael on his leash. She told her to sit at the counter with the innkeeper and she will be inside in a moment. Brie did as told. Sarah pulled her knife and walked around a building and around back casually. She waited for him around the corner.
The man came around the corner and Sarah had her knife to his throat and arm twisted behind his back.
She said, "Why are you following me?" The man said nothing. Sarah twisted his arm and he screamed.
She said, "I'll ask one last time and I'll do permanent damage. Why are you following me?" He struggled. She twisted his arm, breaking one of the bones in his forearm. He screamed.
He said panting, "I be a spy fer the Pixie Kingdom. I be told ta follow ye."
Sarah said menacingly, "I only got here hours ago. Why are you following me?"
The man said, "If I be tellin' I be dead."
Sarah said, "You're dead anyway if you don't."
The man said, "The Lady Arabella be havin' me track ye."
Sarah said, "Why?"
The man said, "She be not wantin' ye ta get in her way ta tha King's bed an throne."
Sarah said, "I 'wish' the Goblin King were here right now." After a minute, Jareth appeared seeing Sarah restraining a man.
Jareth said, "What's going on, Sarah?"
Sarah said, "This is a spy for Lady Arabella, whoever that is, he has been tailing me. He told me she wanted me followed to keep tabs that I don't interfere with her getting in your bed and taking the throne. I assume she intends to marry you or kill you. Who can tell in the Underground. What do you want to do with her spy in your kingdom?"
Jareth said, "Sarah, slit his throat for me? I'll get rid of him. It's the risk they run doing this job of spying." She did as asked and shoved his body away. She was cutting off his money pouch and searched his body for whatever she could find. She found a crystal and a huge bag of money in his coat. Sarah gave the crystal to Jareth. He did a magic location spell on it and found it was definitely lady Arabella's crystal. He used it to contact her.
Last Arabella said blaise, "What is it spy?"
Jareth said, "Your spy is dead. I am reporting you to King Cyran of the Pixie Kingdom for sending in your spies and threatening the peaceful alliance between us. Arabella, never and I mean ever, talk to me or even look at me or I will have King Cyran behead you for treason."
Lady Arabella said, "But Jareth darling I would never…"
Jareth cut her off shouting, "Yes, you did! I'm done socially with you! I don't want you and never have, even if you were the last fae in the Underground! I have told you to back off, now you are done!" He smashed the crystal against a tree. Sarah jumped with wide eyes. He was angry at Arabella's gaul and audacity to play pawns with Sarah and Brie. He approached Sarah and she took a step back. He stopped.
Jareth said, "Please don't be afraid of me when I'm angry. It's not directed at you, precious. I promised to never hurt you. I'm just sick and tired of the court liason plotting by cruel and devious fae women for my throne." Sarah reached out to hand him both bags of coins.
Jareth cocked his head at her honesty knowing that she didn't need it but neither did he. He said, "Give it away or keep it, sweet Sarah. I'm sure you would like to be kind to others." He reached out and touched Sarah's cheek.
She let him touch her and said, "I do like to help people. So do you, when you get the time."
He put his hand down and said, "Not like you, but you're right. I do try from time to time." He sighed and waved his hand and the spy disappeared. "Come Sarah, your little girl will be worried and I must return to the castle and contact King Cyran." He walked her down the space between buildings. When they got out front, he took her hand and kissed it and disappeared.
Sarah went inside and Brie ran into her arms. Sarah calmed her saying, "I found a spy spying on his majesty's kingdom and us. He has been dealt with by the king." She kissed her head. Sarah sat at the counter and said, "Can we have a tea each, please? Would you like a pastry too and join us? My name is Sar and this is my child Brie."
He was blown over by her thoughtfulness and kind offer. He got three hot teas and Sarah put down two coppers. He picked a minced nut filled one and he said, "Me name be Elion. Thank ye fer tha pastry."
Sarah said, "Your welcome. I found this out behind your building by yer back door area." She put the small purse down on the counter. He opened it and dumped it out. It had thirty pieces of gold, twenty one silver and 13 coppers. He couldn't believe her honesty.
He offered and asked, "I be splitting it with ye?"
Sarah said, "No, you keep that. We are blessed and have plenty. I just wanted to let you know. It's all yours." He scooped it up and put it all back inside the pouch and re-tied the strings on it from being cut. He put it in his shirt.
He said, "Yer an honest woman. Thank ye." Sarah smiled and sipped her tea. Brie looked over at Sarah wondering if the money was from the spy it came from. Sar was one to help others. She knew that was why she gave it to him.
Elion asked, "Ye be a fae but have a little human girl and ye treat her like yer own child. That not be unusual fer wish aways, but she be changed to fae ifin' it be by tha king."
Sarah said, "I don't own her, but I claimed her and she claimed me. She is a loving beautiful girl and I would kill anyone that hurt her. She is mine to love and protect. She and my pup were rescued and I wouldn't trade them for anything in this world."
Elion asked, "Yer dark hair and tha way ye talk be not fae."
Sarah said, "I came from a place very far away from here and they talked differently like me and they have dark hair."
Elion asked, "What appened' ta tha wolf pup?" Sarah told him.
Elion said, "Tha be awful. They be killin' tha maw fer tha gold. He be ta young though." Azrael put his paws up on Sarah's lap. She lifted him up. He nuzzled her neck sticking his head in her hair on her shoulder like a puppy hug.
Elion said smiling, "He knows, don' he?"
Sarah held him, pet him and was scratching his ears. She said, "He knows everything we say. He lived in a fur pouch next to my heart and slept on my neck most of his eight weeks of life. He knows everything. I am just learning his language."
Elion smiled and said, "He knows yer pack leader." Sarah nodded and kissed Azrael's head.
Sarah stood up and took the packages and put Azrael on the floor. She said, "We will be down for dinner. Nice to meet you Elion." Sarah and Brie went up to the room and Sarah laid down with Brie and Azrael for a nap.
After a while, Sarah got up and put their night clothes out, she put up the cloth line and got their things settled in the room for bathing. She stopped and realized that it was that time of the month again. Sarah said, "I 'wish' I had ten boxes of tampons from my world." Magically they appeared in front of her. Sarah jumped and gasped.
Sarah said, "I'm going to have to be careful of that. The results were necessary but, I wasn't thinking and said it out loud. Oops." Brie looked at the box wondering what they were. Sarah explained. Brie nodded her head.
They went downstairs and got dinner. The room was busy and a band was set up in a corner. They were getting ready to play. Sarah and Brie ate their food up at the counter.
—--
Jareth decided to look in on Sarah's evening. He recognized her pendant. He now knew she was the woman at the joust at the Flower Festival.
—--
Sarah whispered in Brie's ear, "Dare me to go up and sing after I eat?" Brie turned and looked at her surprised.
Brie asked, "Sar, ye be knowin' how ta sing?" Sarah nodded yes.
Brie asked, "Sing fer me, mama Sar."
Sarah grinned, "You'll hate it or like it, my little one. Don't be sparing my feelings either. I need to know the truth."
Brie said, "I will. I promise, Sar."
They finished eating and Sarah went up to the band. She asked, "Do you have a singer?" The band had an elf, a fae, and three humans.
The elf said, "No, do you know how?"
Sarah smiled at him and said, "Yes, but my songs are from somewhere else far far away from here. It is where I come from. If I give you a beat, tempo and melody can you play it and join in?"
The prideful elf said, "Of course, we can play anything." Sarah gave them the tune, putting it to the beat. They started. Sarah sang:
"All Souls Night" by Loreena McKennitt
-
Bonfires dot the rolling hills
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
Moving to the pagan sound
-
Somewhere in a hidden memory
Images float before my eyes
Of fragrant nights of straw and of bonfires
And dancing till the next sunrise
-
I can see lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night
-
Figures of cornstalks bend in the shadows
Held up tall as the flames leap high
The green knight holds the holly bush
To mark where the old year passes by
-
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night
-
Bonfires dot the rolling hillsides
Figures dance around and around
To drums that pulse out echoes of darkness
And moving to the pagan sound
-
Standing on the bridge that crosses
The river that goes out to the sea
The wind is full of a thousand voices
They pass by the bridge and me
-
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night
-
I can see the lights in the distance
Trembling in the dark cloak of night
Candles and lanterns are dancing, dancing
A waltz on All Souls Night
—--
She danced, twirled, dipped and swayed while singing in her own little world. The room was astonished because they had never heard a song like that before. They all applauded. The band loved it.
The elf said, "You have another one?"
Sarah smiled at him and gave him another tune.The elf sent their money collector that was sitting at a near table.
—--
"The Bonny Swans" by Loreena McKennitt
-
A farmer there lived in the north country
A hey ho and me bonny o
And he had daughters one, two, three
The swans swim so bonny o
These daughters they walked by the river's brim
A hey ho and me bonny o
The eldest pushed the youngest in
The swans swim so bonny o
-
Oh sister, oh sister, pray lend me your hand
A hey ho and me bonny o
And I will give you house and land
The swans swim so bonny o
I'll give you neither hand nor glove
A hey ho and me bonny o
Unless you give me your own true love
The swans swim so bonny o
-
Sometimes she sank, sometimes she swam
A hey ho and me bonny o
Until she came to a miller's dam
The swans swim so bonny o
The miller's daughter, dressed in red
A hey ho and me bonny o
She went for some water to make her bread
The swans swim so bonny o
-
O father, o daddy, here swims a swan
A hey ho and me bonny o
It's very like a gentle woman
The swans swim so bonny o
They laid her on the bank to dry
A hey ho and me bonny o
There came a harper passing by
The swans swim so bonny o
-
He made harp pins of her fingers fair
A hey ho and me bonny o
He made harp strings of her golden hair
The swans swim so bonny o
He made a harp of her breast bone
A hey ho and me bonny o
And straight it began to play alone
The swans swim so bonny o
-
He brought it to her father's hall
A hey ho and me bonny o
And there was the court assembled all
The swans swim so bonny o
He laid the harp upon the stone
A hey ho and me bonny o
And straight it began to play alone
The swans swim so bonny o
-
There does sit my father, the King
A hey ho and me bonny o
And yonder sits my mother the Queen
The swans swim so bonny o
And there does sit my brother Hugh
A hey ho and me bonny o
And by him William, sweet and true
The swans swim so bonny o
-
And there does sit my false sister Anne
A hey ho and me bonny o
Who drowned me for the sake of a man
The swans swim so bonny o
—--
Jareth was impressed he never heard those songs before. His Sarah had the voice of an angel. She sang beautifully. He was glad he could spend time with her and the child tomorrow, but the healer first. He popped his crystal.
—--
The inn filled up fast as time went by. She sang about five more songs and thanked the band for letting sing.
The elf said, "You have a lovely voice and your songs are so new to us. You inspire us to play differently and yet more."
Sarah said, "Well you are true artists, thank you again. It was fun." She bowed to them and went back to sit by Brie. The innkeeper was busy filling drink orders. He was happy with the extra business she drew. They must have heard it from outside.
Brie said excitedly, "Ye sounded lovely, Sar! It be so nice and pretty. They be songs from where ye come from?"
Sarah said, "Yes, every one of them."
Some people came up and thanked her for singing. Sarah turned back to Brie. Brie was holding a sleepy Azrael. Sarah took him from Brie and put him on her shoulder and cuddled him. They both went to the room.