Chapter Eight: Welcome Committee Redux
"I am reluctantly impressed." The olive-skinned Fae said, arching an already pointed eyebrow.
"This isn't my first rodeo", Sarah quipped, helping Jareth lean against the wall. "Now are you going to let me go home, or not?"
The fourth, unfamiliar figure shuffled forward, scrutinising Sarah's face deeply. She was very old, with spiralling white hair piled high on her head and eyes the colour of sea foam. She beckoned Sarah closer. Sarah glanced over her shoulder at Jareth, who nodded, his expression inscrutable. Sarah crossed the space between them and stood before the Elder Fae.
"You are a curious child", the Fae said softly, "to wield the power that you do. To defeat a banished Fae in a land of goblins is one thing, but to free a prisoner from one of our prisons..."
"Piece of cake." Sarah's lips twitched and she heard Jareth chuckle behind her.
"Hmmm... indeed. A moment, if you will." She shuffled back to the other three and they murmured quietly together. The first one who had spoken became increasingly agitated, suddenly breaking off from the huddle and striding across the space to where Jareth was slumped against the wall.
"This is unacceptable!" he yelled. "He has no respect for our ways, our laws!"
Sarah sprinted after him, skidding in front of him and shielding Jareth with her body.
"Hey, what do you this you're doing?" she cried. "I won, right? I did everything that you asked."
"Foolish mortal child, you have no part in this." His eyes flashed angrily and his skin crackled. "Step aside."
"I have every part in this." She replied, drawing herself upwards. "My will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great."
"Your kingdom..." the younger Fae woman placed her hand on her companion's arm. "Banishment, perhaps?"
"No," Jareth croaked, "you already banished me once, to a city full of idiot creatures. I will not be banished again."
"You were made King by your last banishment, and the mess you made of that is why we are here now", she replied coolly. "You chose your Champion well, Jareth, but this time your punishment must be more fitting."
"You can't kill him. I beat you." Sarah lifted her chin defiantly, trying to add an extra threatening inch to her height.
"And him", the Elder Fae said with a smile. "A fitting Guardian, it would seem."
"You would keep them together?" the Fae man exclaimed, spinning on is heel to face her. "This is your decision?"
"Yep ok that sounds good, let's take it", Sarah said in a rush. She had been searching in her pockets for something to defend herself with, and had found her lighter and the stub of a black candle. "Lovely to meet you all, must be off."
She clicked the lighter and, amazingly, it lit. Looping her arm around Jareth's, she held the lighter to the candle, and with a crack and a flash they were gone.
"That is so rude", the Fae man said.