Love Potion No. 9
Ch.2: Twisted Knickers
Author's Note: No smut or fluff in this one, but some silliness. Next chapter we'll get into more of the 'good stuff' ;)
When Sarah was a child and read stories of witches and magic, somehow, a woman in jeans and a David Bowie t-shirt working with herbs and oils in a three-legged iron dutch oven, set in the coals of a large stone fireplace, was not what she pictured. Despite the way she might appear to others, Sarah knew that looks were deceiving, particularly when it came to magic.
Intent on the other hand, was everything.
Her breath was slow and steady as she meticulously cut the sage for the spell she was working, murmured words of intent mingling softly with the sound of the knife against the yew chopping block, the combination of sounds forming an almost hypnotic melody, appropriate for the work being done.
"Chosaint ar an ceann a mbeidh idir é an charm , ó siúd ar mian leo a dhéanamh orthu díobháil," Sarah chanted repeatedly, until her voice provided a simple drone for the music of the knife and the bubbling of the iron pot nestled in the indoor firepit of the kitchen hearth.
Her deep brown hair was plaited in twists of three, then wound in an simple knot at the back of her head with silver and white ribbons, the ribbons being the most ornate thing about her, while doing their job of keeping the heavy tresses out of the way as she worked. Reaching over Sarah picked up a pinch of ground cloves and dropped them in the bubbling pot, carefully stirring the pot seven times clockwise as she worked. Still chanting, she reached up and plucked a hair from her head and dropped it into the pot, smiling as a small puff of smoke rose from the brackish surface. Then he picked up the small iron lid and covered the pot tightly, before sitting aside to cool. It was only when the spell was complete that she looked up at the small woman waiting patiently by the door.
To the general view, the slender figure by the door appeared to be a young woman dressed as if she were attending a renaissance faire or a play, but Sarah knew better. Even before she discovered she had 'Fae sight', Sarah could sense when magical beings were near, it was only after her run through the Labyrinth that she discovered that she could now see them as well. Pixies, such as Jerra could be seen by humans, although most humans only saw them as sublimely beautiful people. Yet with the Fae sight, Sarah could see the sharply pointed ears, faint shimmer of pearlescent glitter that preternaturally colored the angular cheekbones and otherworldly shade of purple eyes that peeked at her from within the solemn face of her friend and business partner.
"Okay Jerra, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Sarah asked, rinsing her hands in water from the spring fed pump that ran into the granite sink of her workspace. "I sent as many protection charms as I could with the last order. I never dreamed they'd be so popular with the castle goblins."
Jerra sighed and perched on the stool near the production counter, shaking her head. "It isn't production numbers and demand you need to be concerned with. It's the King."
Pursing her lips, Sarah leaned thoughtfully against the counter as she dried her hands on a simple white linen towel, then wrapped it around her head as a kerchief, tucking her hair up securely under it. "Why? Has he come to see you?" she asked, pouring tea from the pristine teapot on the counter and handing it to Jerra. "Drink this, it will help with the tension."
"Bogdamnit, Sarah…you must take this seriously!" Jerra grumbled.
"Yes, yes…I know. Jar…. Um…'He' discovered a bunch of castle goblins with pouch charms," Sarah said, ignoring the way Jerra cringed as she almost mentioned the Goblin King by name. "Has there been any word from the castle about it? I mean, business is still good. So, what's the problem?"
Sipping her tea, Jerra rolled her eyes. "Look Sarah, I love a good bit of mischief as much as the next Pixie, but we can't forget who runs the kingdom. We still don't know what he'd do if he knew you were involved in the Underground in any way."
"But selling a few charms and amulets isn't illegal," Sarah protested. "Besides, we got Linieve to check the laws of the kingdom, and there isn't a law against imported goods, which is technically what you are selling on my behalf. You are licensed by the crown to run your stall and travelling cart within the Labyrinthian kingdom. So there isn't a problem. Believe me, I haven't forgotten who holds the power over the Goblin Kingdom," Sarah huffed, while her mind piped up – But He doesn't have power over me.
Jerra looked thoughtful but nodded. "Okay, technically there is no problem. I'm a scout for the crown, so travelling Above is acceptable, but really, there are no rules about importing Aboveground materials or selling them within the borders of the realm," she said, flipping her hand and conjuring a small pot of sugar, then adding several teaspoonful to her tea, much to Sarah's chagrin.
Sarah sat down on the other chair and shook her head, "If you wanted sugar, you could have asked. Besides, this lavender and chamomile tea, it is best taken plain or with a smidge of honey, otherwise you won't get the full de-stressing benefits."
Jerra's purple eyes narrowed to points at that, "I won't be getting any de-stressing benefits until you listen to me and take the issue seriously."
With a dismissive wave, Sarah sipped her tea. "Look, in this instance, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission. If you petition the crown for a ruling on importing Aboveground merchandise, much less magical merchandise, you will give 'His Mighty Tight-Pantedness' cause to become suspicious."
"Hah! And the fact that the goblins actually smell…good hasn't already aroused suspicion?" Jerra snapped back, while accepting the honey-oatcake, from the hand painted ceramic plate that Sarah offered her.
Putting the plate back on the table, Sarah picked up an oatcake and drizzled more lavender honey on it, before shrugging. "I've smelled them au natural. Believe me, I'm doing 'Him' a favor in that regard and won't apologize for it," she countered, biting into the delicately spiced treat.
"Fine," Jerra sighed with a resolute nod. "But let's try to reduce our profile a bit. Is there anything you can do other than charm pouches that smell?"
Flicking her tongue out to catch a stray drop of honey that was threatening to drop from the cake, Sarah nodded and gave her friend a cheeky grin. "Actually, I've been thinking about that. I can switch out charm bags for amulets and other types of charms – provided you can make sure the buyers follow directions and don't try to wear or eat them."
"When your biggest buyers for that type of thing are goblins, I can make no promises. I'm not a miracle worker," Jerra laughed.
~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~
Hoggle was hung over. Of course, it wasn't like this was the first time he had ever been hung over, but in all of his years, he couldn't remember ever being this badly hung over. The last thing he remembered was dancing in the streets with the others during the Lady Sarah Victory party, watching Gleep streak through the crowded square of the Goblin's Den area of the Goblin City. Gleep streaking, in and of itself, wasn't unusual. The little twerp was well-known for it. What was most disturbing and hilarious was the fact that this particular time, he was wearing a pair of glittery knickers on his head that he swore up and down belonged to Jareth. How Gleep had gotten hold of them in the first place was a mystery. Hoggle rather hoped that if they were Jareth's, that Gleep had merely swiped them from the laundry – after they had been washed of course, although knowing Gleep, they had probably been nicked before washing.
At that thought, Hoggle's stomach churned – both from the effects of the hang-over and the thought of Gleep and the glittery (potentially in need of washing) knickers. Rolling from his small bed, Hoggle rushed outside, a gnarled hand clamped over his mouth until he hit his knees by the rose bushes and retched. With a groan, Hoggle wiped his mouth, his eyes shut tight as he leaned against the wall of his house.
"I say…Brother Hoggle, you look frightfully ill," chirped Sir Didymus, cheerfully riding up the front path on the back of his faithful sheepdog steed. "Halt, Ambrosious," he demanded, then slid from the small leather saddle. Didymus hobbled the rest of the way up the path, leaning heavily on the twisted walking stick that Hoggle had gifted him with the previous Yule.
Cracking an eyelid against the bright sunlight, Hoggle glared at his friend. "A'course I look ill… blasted Mountain Troll Ale…does it every time," he grunted, reaching up to mop his forehead with his handkerchief. His hand stopped before he could mop the sweat from his brow, as Hoggle was distracted by the look of the cloth in his hand. Hoggle blinked blearily at it, watching it glitter and shimmer in the mid-morning sunlight.
"My word, Brother, but your handkerchief is far more sparkly than your usual variety," commented Sir Didymus. "In fact, it looks rather like…" But Didymus was cut off before he could continue, as Hoggle gave an indignant squawk and flung the cloth away from himself.
"Jareth's knickers!" squeaked Hoggle, scrabbling away from the offending item, where it now hung entangled in the thorns of the nearby rosebush, the silvery cloth shimmering and casting a fine shower of glitter upon the roses, branches, thorns and ground.
Didymus's muzzle twitched merrily, the long red-gold strands of fur dancing as he fought down the laughter that threatened.
"St. Gaswint's whiskers!" muttered Hoggle, his stomach churning uncomfortably again at the realization of what he had not only been holding, but wiped his mouth with. "Bogdamnit! How did those get into my pocket?!"
It was at this point that the rose bush shook, and a pair of small red boots, followed by a naked goblin arse appeared under it. Didymus gasped in surprise, "I say!" while Hoggle squawked again, his eyes wide in disgust and horror as Gleep backed out from under the bush, naked except for the red boots.
"My knickers!" he said, grabbing the knickers and putting them back on his head, then turning around and grinning at Didymus and Hoggle, one of the leg holes catching around Gleep's pointed green ear, so that the rest of the sparkly material hung (somewhat jauntily) down the side of Gleep's head. "Where'dya find them Hoggle, mate? We was looking for 'em last night."
Hoggle threw up his hands and groaned intelligibly, as he ran into his house, suddenly feeling the need to bathe in the bog or set fire to his hands and face to get the feel of the sparkly material from his skin. Unlike his brother in arms, Sir Didymus merely nodded sagely, "Well now, Gleep…surely it is time to return the King's… um…drawers…back to where you found them before he realizes they are missing?"
Gleep pouted, his tiny fists sitting upon his hips as he stood up straight, still glaring at the fox-goblin. "I found them. They'z mine!"
"Well then… perhaps you should put them on properly, lad? You are…well… quite naked still," suggested Didymus. Unfortunately, Didymus's suggestion fell on deaf ears, as Gleep took that as something to be proud of and gave a rather unsightly wriggle which made certain bits of his anatomy bob and wriggle in a way that made Didymus feel rather ill and unsettled. Deciding that perhaps a show of authority was in order, Didymus drew himself to his full (and still rather diminutive) height and poked Gleep in the bare chest with the end of his staff. "You are out of uniform, my lad. Get out of my sight and back to the barracks immediately, or you'll find yourself cleaning the bog sand with a toothbrush for the next fortnight!" Didymus barked, pleased when Gleep's eyes widened and the little goblin raced down the path toward town. "In hindsight, perhaps I should have demanded he put some clothes on first," mused Didymus, watching the naked ass of the streaking goblin disappear around a curve in the path.
An hour later, Didymus had Hoggle calmed down somewhat, and the two friends were settled in Hoggle's small cottage drinking tea mugs of strong herbal tea. The two drank in companionable silence for some time, before Hoggle gave a deep sigh, his bushy eyebrows drooping.
"Do ya miss her, mate?" he muttered, his voice more gravelly than usual.
Didymus gently tugged at his ginger colored whiskers and nodded, peering sadly into the depths of his earthenware mug, the steam serving to mask the mist his eyes seemed to suddenly produce. "Aye, Hoggle…I do."
Seeing the sadness in his friend's face, Hoggle's head dropped further, "I-I had hoped she might find her way back. She's a special one, she is…" Hoggle sighed, only looking up when a small furry paw patted his hand as it clasped the pocket-watch on the table.
"If anyone could find their way to this world, it's our Sarah," the old fox-goblin said quietly. "Someday, brother Hoggle. Some day she will return to all us. Of this I am sure."
A person might be forgiven for thinking that Didymus was a dottering old fool, who was merely saying that to make his friend feel better, but Hoggle could see that the little knight did believe his beloved lady would someday find her way back to the Underground and her friends. Deep down, Hoggle hoped his friend was right. While their lives did not change much when the portals closed to Sarah, Hoggle feelt that life seemed just a bit less 'bright' without her.
Several silent minutes passed as the two friends lost themselves in their own thoughts and their tea, until they were interrupted by a soft knocking at the front door. Hoggle frowned, he rarely had visitors – at least those who knocked. Didymus would just come in, as would Ludo. And when 'the Rat' visited, he just poofed in and got glitter into every nook and cranny of the little cottage. Sitting his mug down, Hoggle made his way to the cheerful yellow door of the cottage, a door which served as a daily reminder of Sarah, since she was the one who insisted that his home needed a bit of 'color' and had taken it upon herself to bring the paint from the Above. At the time, he'd been secretly thrilled that she cared enough to do such a thing, although when he found out she smuggled Aboveground paint into the Underground to do it, his sense of doubt flared up. The color was indeed bright, but using 'foreign' paint meant that it was a shade of yellow unmatchable by any goblin product – and he was regularly asked about it by others, which posed a problem. Deep down, Hoggle knew that someday, someone would get suspicious about the mysteriously, unreplicatable yellow on his door, and they'd begin to ask some nosy and extremely difficult question. But despite the potential trouble the cheerful golden door might caught, Hoggle just couldn't bring himself to paint it any other color.
Biting his bulbous lower lip, Hoggle peered through the little peephole in the door, then sighed in relief seeing the pretty purple eyed pixie standing outside. He opened the door and smiled, as Didymus greeted her warmly from his comfortable chair by the hearth.
"Ahh…Jerra…welcome dear woman," the fox-goblin said, pushing his old legs to stand.
Jerra smiled at Didymus, waving her free hand as she walked into the cottage, "We're old friends, you and I, Sir Didymus. Remain seated and rest your bones," she said, leaning over to give the little knight a gentle kiss upon his cheek.
Hoggle winced as Jerra entered his home, his faded brown eyes taking in the dirty dishes by his little sink, the dust that coated the books upon his only shelf, and the layer of grime and grease that clung to the inside of the windows. He wasn't used to having females in his house – females other than Sarah at least. Still preoccupied by the messy state of his house, he didn't notice when Jerra turned and smiled at him.
"Do stop worrying about your home, Hoggle. I deal with goblins day in and day out, believe me, your home is immaculate compared to some of the homes I see," she said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Please, return to your seat and your tea. There is no need to stand on ceremony for the likes of me."
Looking unconvinced, Hoggle nudged the dusty floor with the toe of his shoe, "Um…would you like some tea?"
Jerra smiled and shook her head, as she drew the only other chair toward where Didymus sat. For a moment Hoggle wanted to tell her not to sit in the overstuffed floral chair, his heart aching as she settled against the threadbare material and the faded pink velvet cushion that adorned the seat. It wasn't that the chair was particularly fancy, although it was the nicest bit of furniture he owned. In fact, he hadn't even bought it himself. Sarah had. She had found it in a junk shop near the castle when she was 16 and convinced the shopkeeper to part with it in exchange for some discarded Halloween decorations from the Aboveground. Then she had managed to talk a group of castle goblins to abandon their tasks and carry it to his house for her – something they happily did. Even though it was just a beat up, cast off, likely from the castle, Sarah loved that chair.
As if sensing Hoggle's inner turmoil, Didymus piped up, "So, what brings you by today, Jerra? I'd have thought you'd have your cart at the Goblin Market."
"My apprentice is at the stall this morning, while I make deliveries," Jerra replied.
"I'm not expecting any deliveries," Hoggle protested, sitting down in his chair again, as he eyed Jerra with confusion.
Jerra merely smiled, her purple eyes sparkling. "Ahh…but you do, Hoggle. Both of you do in fact, so it is just lucky you happened to both be here," she said with a grin. "A patron who wishes to remain anonymous has purchased some small items and asked that they be delivered to you personally. So, here I am," she explained, pulling the embroidered cloth from her basket and proceeding to rummage around inside it.
"An anonymous gifter? How unusual," Didymus mused, tugging nervously upon his whispers. "I say… so you'll not tell us who did this?"
Shaking her head, Jerra pulled out two small white pouches, handing one to Didymus and laying the other upon the small table in front of Hoggle. Frowning slightly, Hoggle's eyes narrowed as he looked warily at the small pouch. It appeared to be made of linen, but not the coarse unbleached stuff common in the Goblin City.
"That's not goblin cloth," he muttered, refusing to touch the small pouch.
Didymus nodded in agreement, turning the pouch over in his paws. "Indeed, 'tis far finer weave than is found in goblin stores." Turning his gaze back to Jerra, Sir Didymus arched a ginger eyebrow and pinned her with a stern look. "This looks as fine a linen as the shirts worn by the king and other nobles, where would a simple merchant gain access to such cloth?"
The pixie smiled and patted Didymus' knee. "Rest assured, there is nothing illegal about the linen used or the contents of the pouch, Sir Didymus. Nothing that would cause trouble for a knight of the realm and the Captain of the Guard," she said, ignoring the prickle she felt at the lie. True, the linen and contents were legal in and of themselves, but how the whole item came to be in the Underground was more of a 'grey area' when it came to legality.
"What is it?" demanded Hoggle, nudging the pouch on the table with a stubby finger, then pulling his hand back quickly, as if he expected the pouch to turn into a snake or something.
"It is a simple protection charm," Jerra replied, smiling at the suspicious old dwarf. "I've sold out of them the last month, but held these two back for you both."
Sir Didymus looked up, his fuzzy maw pulling tight over his teeth. "I know about these. The castle horde had a bunch of them and His Majesty found out about them. He seemed quite…interested in them, Jerra," he murmured.
Jerra heard the warning in his words and nodded, "I heard. For the charm to work it must be on your person, but it is best to keep it out of sight. I suggest tucking it in your boot, or inside your shirt. Against your skin would be best."
At this, Hoggle's frown deepened. "I'll have no truck with something that could get me into more hassle with the king," he grumbled with a cranky shake of his head.
"Just…trust me, Hoggle," Jerra said quietly, her tone and words so like Sarah's they gave Hoggle pause. Didymus too was struck by the way she sounded like Sarah. "These are a gift from someone who cares about you."
As one, the old friends nodded silently. Didymus tucked the pouch into his boot, while Hoggle gingerly picked his up and slid it into his shirt, where it lay against his chest. For a moment, he could have sworn he felt the pouch give off a gentle warmth, before the feeling faded. Jerra smiled when they accepted the gifts, then pulled two small metal items from her basket.
"These are amulets," she explained, handing Hoggle one shaped like circular knotwork, while Sir Didymus's was in the shape of a knotwork goblet.
"Wha-what do they do?" asked Hoggle, suspiciously running a gnarled finger over his amulet.
Jerra paused a moment, gathering her thoughts. She had been instructed not to reveal the true nature of the amulets, but as a pixie under license from the king as a merchant of magical supplies and artifacts, she was bespelled so as to be unable to lie to a customer. True, there were generally loopholes, and in this instance, neither Hoggle nor Sir Didymus were actually a 'customer' of hers in the legal sense of an exchange of goods and services – but, she had known them since she first arrived in the kingdom and was loathe to outright lie to either of them.
"Hoggle, yours is for luck and security," she said, twisting the truth in such a way that she was not 'exactly' lying to him, since really, finding love and companionship were really a matter of luck and security. "Sir Didymus, yours is for peace and good health," she continued, happy that she didn't have to lie about the purpose of Sir Didymus' amulet.
Smiling, Didymus slipped the cord of his amulet over his head. "I am honored that someone would wish such things for me."
As expected, Hoggle was less receptive to the idea, skeptically turning the item over in his hand, his mind whirring as he examined the small metal circle.
True…one such as me could always use a bit more luck and security is a hard thing to come by when yer surrounded by brainless goblins most of the time. An' o'course, a little luck and security where Jareth is concerned won't hurt neither – Hoggle thought, then picked up the amulet and hung it around his neck, but hid it securely under the old brown scarf tied about his throat.
Pleased that the gifts were accepted, Jerra covered her basket and stood to leave, but before she could open her mouth to say her goodbyes, a chiming sound echoed in the cottage, making Hoggle groan. In the next instant, the Goblin King appeared between Jerra and the others, a fine haze of silver glitter shimmering in the air around him. Immaculate as always, the king brushed a bit of glitter off the shoulder of his leather jacket, sneering at Hoggle as the glitter fluttered to the dusty wooden floor of the cottage. Jerra watched Hoggle's face turn red, marveling at the way the diminutive dwarf managed to keep from blustering angrily at the king. Then the king turned and his mismatched eyes caught hers, making her flush in embarrassment.
"Ah…Jerra…imagine my surprise in finding you here of all places," he said, his voice a quiet purr.
"Um…you…you were looking for me, Sire?" she managed to say, sounding more calm at that revelation than she felt.
The Goblin King nodded, his feathery hair bobbing slightly at the movement. "Indeed I was, as I find myself needing to have a quiet word with you on both business and kingdom matters. Although, finding you in the presence of two of my trusted advisors is rather…convenient…given the matters we must discuss." Three throats clicked and gulped nervously, while the Goblin King silently regarded the dwarf, the fox-goblin and the pixie.
"Convenient, Your Majesty?" Sir Didymus asked, tugging slightly at the collar that hid his amulet. "And why is that?"
Jareth pulled a crystal from the air, taking his time to examine it, before glancing up at the others, his pale eyes narrowing, as his lips curled into a supercilious smirk. Turning his hand over, he dropped the crystal upon the floor where it shattered, a regal chair appearing behind him. The Goblin King adjusted his gloves as he sat upon the chair, swinging his left leg over the arm and propping his head upon his right hand.
"Convenient, Didymus, because Jerra is clearly involved in some potentially, 'questionable' sales activities, which could have a negative impact on both herself and the kingdom as a whole," he drawled, flicking a bit of glitter from his arm, much to the irritation of Hoggle.
"I…I…" Jerra began, feeling her blood run cold as the Goblin King arched an eyebrow and looked once more in her direction.
"Youhave been selling hedge witch magic to the populace," Jareth said, then snapped his fingers and the two pouches Hoggle and Sir Didymus had secreted upon their bodies appeared in his open palm. "And you two," he growled, casting a dark glance their way. "I wouldn't have thought you'd stoop to such things, when you are employed by the king himself. My magic is greater, as you well know…so tell me…why would you do such a thing?"
Hoggle glared at the king, while Sir Didymus' whiskers twitched.
"They were gifts, Your Majesty," replied Didymus, watching the king warily as he opened one of the pouches and sniffed the contents.
"Nutmeg, mint and sage," he murmured, then poked a leather gloved finger into the pouch. "If I had to guess, I'd say this was a protection pouch. Am I right?"
Didymus nodded, while Hoggle fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I am not familiar with this stone…what is it, Jerra?" he asked, sounding genuinely interested, then smiled at the nervous look on Jerra's face. He could see the momentary look of panic in her lilac eyes. "Don't bother trying to lie to me, Jerra. You are a pixie, your magical skill lies potions and Underground nature magic, not Aboveground hedge witchery. You don't know what the stone is, because you didn't create the pouches, did you?"
Groaning inwardly, Jerra shook her head. "No, Sire…I did not," she whispered, hanging her head as her heart raced in her chest, her fingers twisting into the pale green linen of her skirt.
The Goblin King nodded, pursing his lips. "I thought as much. This is human magic, which means that there is an undocumented human in the kingdom…."
At that, Hoggle's eyes widened and he gasped softly, his voice almost inaudible, "Sarah…"
Jerra felt her heart clench in her chest, cursing herself for not seeking a proper importing contract with the crown, despite Sarah's objections. Before she could react, the Goblin King was out of his chair and hand hauled Hoggle from his own chair, with a gloved hand fisted in Hoggle's shirt.
"What of Sarah?" he demanded, his tone hard and insistent. "Has she returned to us…the kingdom?" he asked, quickly trying to cover for his slip up.
"No…no, Your Majesty. My brother misspoke, Sire…he just…we both… we…" the fox-goblin sighed. "We miss her is all, Sire."
Jareth's expression shifted momentarily, his pale eyes flickering with a deep sadness before they reverted back to his customary aloof expression. He dropped Hoggle back into his chair, then turned to look at the pixie, who shrank back a bit in her chair. His lips twisted at her reaction. Yes, there was clearly something the pixie was hiding from him.
"So tell me, Jerra… you are either aware of an undocumented human in the kingdom or you are importing items from the Aboveground without consent of the crown," he purred, dangling one of the white pouches upon a gloved finger and examining it closely. Something about the pouch felt familiar to him, but he couldn't place why. Turning his eyes to Jerra once more, he smirked. "I think it is time that you…how do the Abovegrounders put it?" he chuckled, then, placed his hand on her shoulder. "Oh yes…that's it…it is time for you to come clean, my girl."
With that, Jareth and Jerra disappeared, leaving a cascade of glitter falling upon the cottage floor.
"Damn and blast that rat and his bloody glitter," grumbled Hoggle, then gently ran his finger over the white pouch that had appeared back on the table in front of him, his brown eyes stinging slightly as he felt the faint stirring of a magic he hadn't felt in over a year. "Sarah…" he whispered, then looked at Didymus who was gazing at his pouch with awe as well.
Translations:
1: Protect the one who bears this charm, from those who wish to do them harm.
Author's Note: As always...please review!