Chapter 17. Celtic Christmas
Sarah watched the town fade into the horizon as they pulled away from the station. The train was crowded with travelers going home for the long Winter break. Sarah had understood that Jareth would not be at the station, he was busy with work, but she had the necklace to remind her of his devotions. She attributed the silence of the Irish girl to the separation from her beloved Conner.
Karen took no notice as she was monopolizing the conversation as the girls entered the family car. She pointed out the decorations in town and some new shops that had opened on Main Street. She pulled into the drive telling the girls they would love how the street looked at night with all the lights blazing.
Sarah looked at the decorations that Karen had added to the parlor, and wondered if there'd be room for the family on Christmas morning. Karen came up behind her, and whispered in her stepdaughter's ear. "I went overboard, didn't I?"
Sarah jumped nervously. "Karen, don't do that."
Her stepmother laughed at her jitters. It was then she saw the necklace of shooting stars. "This is nice, is it new?"
"It was a present." She confided to the older woman.
Karen was glad Robert was still at the office, she wanted to know more about what was going on with Sarah without Robert intimidating her into careful silence. "From Jareth?"
Sarah nodded and blushed. "Yes." She looked worried suddenly. "Don't tell Daddy."
Her stepmother nodded, "You can tell him when your ready… besides Sarah, Daddy won't notice…he's a guy," She sighed. "I could wear a diamond tiara to bed and he'd never notice unless it poked him in the eye."
Sarah giggled at the thought of Karen in a tiara going to bed.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The tree lights were on, burning softly when Sarah began to place things on the tree skirt. She had waited until everyone had gone to bed to sneak down to the parlor and place her gifts to the family under the tree. There was one gift under the tree that she was sure she'd be taking back to school, the gift for Jareth. Placing under the tree was her way of making him a small part of her holiday traditions.
Riha had heard Sarah leave the bedroom, and when she didn't come back the girl pulled on her robe to make sure Sarah was alright. She found Sarah sitting in the parlor with the tree, and looking out at the fresh snow falling outside. "Sarah, darlin' are ye alright?"
Sarah nodded and motioned the Irish girl over to see the beauty of the new fallen snow and the peaceful neighborhood that Sarah had grown up in. Standing side by side, they watched in peace as the snow began to blow softly about. "It's so beautiful, isn't it?" Sarah asked.
Riha nodded, "We don't have snow like this in the village I'm from. We get snow… but not like this."
Sarah leaned her head on her cousin's shoulder. "What do you do when you're home?"
"Oh a few days before Christmas we go out looking for Holly and Ivy to decorate the house, lots of Holly over the mantel. Evergreens boughs of course are everywhere… My parents still make paper garlands and paper ornaments with little wishes written on them… There's Mistletoe hanging in doorways, and Holly and Ivy over the entry of the house. My uncle has a farm so we get fresh eggs and hens and other things from him. If dinner is at my mother's, it's a fine roast, it it's at my uncles it's a goose. My grandmother makes the Christmas cake…it's wonderful… there's candles everywhere, in windows and on tables, on the mantel… There's songs and games… And the dinner… OH Sarah, fresh hens and goose from my Uncle Thomas' farm, boiled potatoes with skins on… and jams that my mother an aunt spent putting up all fall…. It's a wonderful time." Riha reminisced with a soft smile on her face.
"It sounds wonderful." Sarah agreed. "I hope you won't miss it too much."
"Oh Darlin' I'm only too happy to be here." Riha moved toward the couch and sat down looking at the tree. "Your traditions may not be mine, but they are just as lovely. And it's so kind of you to include me."
"You're family." Sarah said stoutly. "If I were going to school in Ireland you'd do the same for me." She looked at the parlor. "Karen really out did herself this year. I think she must have used every decoration we had stored in the attic." She pointed to the little nativity on the mantle. "That was mine when I was three."
Riha pulled her feet up under her. "And were you the one to steal down to the parlor long before dawn?"
Sarah laughed. "Guilty." She curled up in the big arm chair. "Daddy would find me asleep in here with the tree on and the music playing on his stereo…." The memory gave Sarah a sad feeling. "I use to think there were angels and pixies in the tree."
"I use to think the Holly could sing on its own," Riha confessed. "I would sit in the parlor before dawn waiting to hear it…I'd fall asleep and my Da would wake me up and tell me I'd missed it."
The girls watched as the darkness of night turned to soft light of day. Sarah and Riha went to the kitchen, and started the coffee and began the preparations for the other's to rise. It would be hours until that happened, but Sarah could not go back to bed. Riha stayed up to keep her company. Sarah wondered what Jareth was doing, and felt sad that they were apart. She knew it would be weeks before she'd see him again. He had told her there was no vacation from work for a man in the building trades.
Riha handed a mug of coffee with a cinnamon stick in it to Sarah. "Merry Christmas, Sarah."
"Thank you, Riha." She sipped the coffee. "This is nice." She sat at the kitchen table and watched the snow falling outside. "What is Conner doing today? Do he and his mother celebrate Christmas as well as Soltice?"
"Oh yes," Riha said smiling at her. "They will have a lovely Christmas dinner; the shop is closed for the holiday. He told me that they go to visit friends and family… He'll be very busy with the things his mother is planning."
"So, you're hand-fasted…" Sarah reached over to finger the ring her cousin now wore. "And have you told your family?"
"Not yet." She sighed. "But Conner is already looking into the immigration papers we'll be needing to sign."
"You're not going back to Ireland at all, are you?"
"No." Riha said firmly. "I'll be making my home with Conner, his mother thinks we should wed right after I graduate."
"And what do you think?"
"I think I'd like to wait, at least until my year of hand fasting is up." The girl sighed. "I like the idea of being engaged…and I don't want to miss a bit of it." She was tapping her toe to a rhythm in her head.
Sarah looked at the girl's foot. "What are you doing?"
Riha laughed, "Dancin' in my head." She closed her eyes. "I've got songs from home playing up here."
"Show me." Sarah challenged.
Riha began to sing an old tune, as she did she left her chair and took Sarha's hand. The girls began to dace about the kitchen. Soon both girls were laughing and spinning about.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Toby opened his presents with the excitement only a child could express. He tore though boxes and paper as if they didn't exist, to get to the heart of the gifts. He was delighted with each thing, be it toy or something to wear. Robert and Karen watched with pleasure as the girls opened the gifts they'd been given. Soon there was only one gift left under the tree, the one to Jareth.
Sarah and Riha picked up the paper that had been tossed wildly by Toby and cleaned up the parlor. Soon everything was as Karen liked it, neat as a pin. Karen called Riha to the phone as Conner was on the line wanting to speak to his darlin'.
Sarah had dressed in her day clothes and took Merlin out for his walk. She knew Riha was going to be a while on the phone. She was enjoying walking in the new fallen snow. The town was quiet, and she headed for the park. The swans were not in the frozen pond having gone away to winter somewhere, but they would return, they always did. Sarah loved the park, but it brought strange thoughts, memories that would not come clear. Merlin barked as if he saw something, something playing tricks in the grove of trees. Sarah suddenly felt as if she was being watched from all the trees, and it gave her the willies. Her feeling of safety suddenly vanished, like smoke on a windy day. She turned, gripping the leash firmly and was going to flee. Strong leather clad hands reached out and gripped her shoulders. Sarah looked up, mismatched eyes peered back.
"Merry Christmas." He whispered lowering his face to hers.
"Jareth." She gasped in surprise. "You're here."
"Only for a few short hours…" He said taking the dog's leash from her hands.
Sarah wound her arms about him. "This is the nicest Christmas present you could have given me."
"Oh," he teased. "Does that mean you don't want the gift in the car?" The girl with green eyes laughed.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Robert looked up from his paper as Sarah entered the front hall, he saw the man who followed his daughter and the dog in carrying packages in his arm. He frowned, "Mr. King." He stood to greet the man who Robert considered an interloper.
"I do hope you'll forgive me for coming uninvited and unannounced, but I'll not be able to see Sarah for weeks." He offered his hand to the girl's father. "There's some things I need to see to and they will take all my time."
Robert looked at the hand, half heartedly he accepted it. "Oh really, that's too bad." He said not meaning a word.
Jareth looked at him unflinchingly. "Some responsibilities have to come before pleasure. Sarah understands, but I didn't want the holiday to pass without my being able to see her at least once."
Robert nodded. "Well, you're here, so do come in."
Karen entered from the kitchen and her eyes widened at the sight of Mr. King. Jareth smiled over at her and walked over calmly. "This is for you, Mrs. Williams." He handed a package to the woman. Toby was standing behind his mother peering out at the man. "And this," he handed a box to the boy. "Is for you, young man." One gift was left in Jareth's hand. "This is yours." He handed it to Sarah.
Sarah looked at it and smiled. "I've a gift for you under our tree."
"Do you?" He asked gently.
The girl nodded and rushed over to the tree to retrieve the gift and give it to the man who was being watched carefully by her father. She placed the box in Jareth's hands and whispered. "Merry Christmas, Jareth."
"Open your gift." He said as he looked at the pretty paper she'd chosen for his gift.
Sarah opened the box, within, covered in light tissue was a crystal angel music box. Sarah looked at him. "It's beautiful… it's so…. Unusual."
"I'm glad you like it." He placed a kiss at her forehead.
"Open yours." she said softly.
He removed the ribbon and the paper with care, as he lifted the lid off the box he smiled. He lifted the medallion out of the box. "Sarah, how thoughtful… a protection medallion." He looked at the design on the front of the silver pendant. "The Celtic trefoil Knot." He mused, then turning over the medallion he blinked, he saw the design on the reverse side but didn't comment. He looked over at the girl, his face held an expression that seemed for a moment dazed and confused. He whispered. "Thank you, Sarah." Robert cleared his throat and left the room. Jareth reached out his hand to the girl drew her closer, as her body brushed against his he smiled down into her eyes. "You do know you're standing under mistletoe don't you?" He asked.
Sarah looked up to the sprig hanging and smiled. "So I am."
Jareth watched her for a moment with eyes dancing with wicked delight. "Cait Sidhe," He crooned, "Kiss me."
Sarah leaned up, her lips brushing easily against those of the man holding the medallion.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Gilgamesh shook his head, "Something has changed."
Lilith nodded. "But what?"
The Old Babylonian shrugged. "What ever it is we'd best not interfere more than we have."
The Queen of the Night and Air, drew her robes close. "We must leave them to the universe now…" She agreed and walked away from the vision. She looked at the throne room of the Goblin King's castle. "He should be on his throne… we can not hide his absence much longer."