CHAPTER 8
The kitten started crying. Her kitten was wiggling out of the pouch. She sat back on the bed, got the little bottle. She grabbed the bigger bottle of milk and filled the little one to the amount he drinks and re-corked the bigger bottle. She reached out and picked up the kitten because he had crawled out of his pouch and across the bed towards her. She picked it up and put it on her lap on his back. She started rubbing his tummy, the kit instantly relaxed and he started nursing. She hummed a tune and smiled at the kitten.
Jareth asked, "Why are you caring for a kit?"
She simply said, "Because his mummy abandoned him?"
Jareth said, "Don't you mean mommy in that American accent?"
She smiled and said , "Shhh… you'll confuse him. I'm just going with the place where he was born in, Sliabh."
Jareth smiled and asked, "How long have you been traveling in my kingdom?"
She said, "About a month now."
Jareth asked, "Where were you from before then?"
She said, "Don't want to tell you."
Jareth was confused by her answer and asked, "So, what did you mean when you said I don't miss much before? What were you talking about, that I was missing?"
She said, "You don't recognize me or remember me." Jareth looked at her real hard.
He said, "Where would we have met?"
She said, "I'm a little scared to say, you may hate me and I'm afraid you may try to hurt me." She stood up still feeding the kitten in her hand and backed away from him. He didn't want her afraid of him but he wanted answers.
Jareth said firmly, "Tell me."
Sarah took a deep breath. Here goes nothing she thought. I hope I won't starve in his dungeon for a while. "I was a runner eleven years ago."
Jareth was thinking and it dawned on him finally. His eyes widened. Sarah got very nervous. He said gruffly, "Why are you fae, Sarah? How did you get here? Why hasn't anybody heard from you in years?"
Sarah still stood back and said, "I don't know why I'm fae. I woke up after almost two weeks in the Underground this way. I came through an ancient portal when I was doing my job in research on investigating the ancient site of Dagda's Mound called Newgrange now in Ireland. I found a book with a ritual to pass through the portal. You never heard from me because I contacted Hoggle and Didymus one time and the mirror portal never worked again. I was out of sync after coming back from here. My body started changing subtly, three days after coming back. My eyes got brighter, my hair got brighter, my ears began to taper and I developed an eidetic memory. So, I sank myself into my studies. I lost my friends, family, Toby, and all of it. Everyone pushed me out, but Karen manipulated my father to cut me off completely and my father thought of me as an ingrate. I got a small inheritance from my grandmother so I paid for four high learning masters degrees in Archeology, Anthropology, Celtic Historical Studies and Ancient Britannic Languages. I moved to Ireland to get away from my family, get my education and got a job doing research for the universities. That's what has happened. I'm scared and don't know why I changed since I've been here and just stayed disguised as a young man not trying to be noticed while traveling." She stood silent for a while and let him absorb what she said.
Jareth was fit to be tied, someone cut off her communication to them from the start. Someone must have wanted him to hate her, or her to hate him, after her run. He would have to find out who. He thought she hated him. She was clever enough to get back in the Underground on her own, but her changing species was unusual after two weeks here.
Jareth said, "I will take you to my healer Orrian."
She said meekly, "You don't hate me?"
Jareth said, "I did for a long time, but it seems someone wanted me too, if they cut off the portal like you said. I'm not going to lie Sarah, but it did hurt that you wouldn't stay or ever want to talk to me again, but you were very young and probably thought it was a trick after your run."
She said, "That's exactly what I thought, but … later… I am so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I felt bad about it after I grew up. If it did hurt you, I hope one day you will forgive me. I am not like that 15 year old child now. I don't go out of my way to hurt anyone." Jareth was surprised at her acknowledgment of her mistake.
Jareth said, "Let's start over without miscommunication and misconceptions."
Sarah said, "I can do that. That is very magnanimous of you. I heard through gossip in the taverns on the way here you're seeing someone, a Lady Zilyana and a Princess Emiline. Are they pretty?" Sarah smiled at him.
Jareth laughed and said, "Funny how gossip spreads quickly. No, Lady Zilyana came over here a few times trying to persuade me to formally court her. She is one of those who wants to elevate her status from lady to queen. Princess Emiline won't leave me alone trying to pressure me and my parents to force me to marry her. I refuse both of them, but I'm still being badgered."
Sarah nodded and said, "I know the type. Over ambitious and probably vindictive. Well most status climbers are." Jareth chuckled. He loved how frank she was.
Jareth asked, "You can stay in the castle instead of the inn. I have plenty of room for you. I promise not to intrude on you again."
Sarah smiled because he promised and that made him, like swearing, to have to follow through. She said, "I'll stay at the inn for the next three days, it's paid for and we can be friends. After my time is up at the inn we can revisit coming to the castle, is this ok?" He nodded and agreed.
Jareth said, "You really have remarkably changed, Sarah. I did not recognize you, but I was looking at a fae not a human. There have been no dark hair fae since over five thousand years ago. You would be the first in the Underground but we will find out what is happening to you, ok? Come with me to see my healer, so he can examine you?"
She was hesitant to go to the castle but what choice did she have? She said, "Ok, but I have to take my kitten. He's too young, like nine days old, to be alone and not eat constantly." She put the pouch around her neck, grabbed the little bottle and refilled it and corked it and put the tiny bag hanging off the pouch. She kissed her kitten's head and put her sleeping kitten in it. She pulled her braid out of the back of her shirt, let it hang down her back, and put on her cloak with the hood down. He threw down a crystal and they disappeared.
When they reappeared they were in a room that smelled of herbs. A little old man elf with long gray hair in a ponytail going down his back looked up. Jareth said, "Can you find out why this fae woman changed into a fae from a human about two weeks ago?"
The healer said, puzzled, "Of course, sire." He had Sarah sit in a chair.
He started casting spells on her, some hurt but one hurt a lot. It burned in her veins. She closed her eyes and just endured. The kitten cried out from the pouch. It finally subsided and she opened her eyes to the elf. She pulled her kitten out. She pleaded and asked, "Is he ok? It didn't hurt him, did it?"
The healer was surprised at her concern over the young kit and said, "No, he should be ok. He must have sensed your pain being so close to your body. Most men couldn't take the pain of that analysis spell."
Sarah giggled, "Good thing, I'm not a man. Thank you kindly, Sir. How much do I owe you?" He just smiled and patted her arm.
Jareth said, blase, "You don't have to pay for anything." Sarah plucked three gold coins out of her pocket of her jeans nonchalantly and pressed it in his hand slyly and kissed the old elf's cheek and said thank you again.
The healer asked, "What are you feeding the kit?"
She said, "Three quarter goat's milk and one quarter unicorn milk. A man I met in Sliabh sold it to me in a stasis bottle for him. The kitten was abandoned because he was the runt." The elf nodded.
The elf was surprised at fae being so concerned for what they would consider a lower life form and said, "That's a rich mixture and actually very healthy for him. If you need more I know where to get some. My name is Orrian."
Sarah smiled up at him gratefully and said, "You can call me Sar or Sarah. That's very kind and generous of you to offer to help me take care of him. I'd like that very much when he consumes most of it." The elf was amazed at what a bright, caring and beautiful fae woman, she was. His people were caring about all nature but he never saw compassion like this but from his own kind.
Orrian had casted every spell he could think of and came up the same. He said, "Sire, Sarah is 100% fae, but her blood has iron in it and she is immune like a human. She also has a high fertility rate like a human. It's like she was a fae living up in the human world and just became immune to iron and wasn't affected by infertility. Perhaps, the reintroduction to magic affected her genes and reverted her back to the fae she naturally is. She may have appeared human, but was always fae. There is historical documentation on a dark haired fae tribe that stayed in Ireland in the Aboveground, after all the Tuatha De Danann left. Perhaps she's a direct descendant of them. You'll need a historical scholar to verify what I just said."
Jareth said, "Yes, I'll get more information from my parents."
Sarah smiled and said, "Thank you, Orrian." The elf smiled at her. He liked her sweet respectful manners.
Jareth said, "I can show you around the castle or let you settle into your room at the inn?"
Sarah said, "I really need to settle in and I'm kinda tired from traveling so much and camping for the last month. I need to relax for a while. I didn't have the chance to settle in with my bags, when that big guy started shit with me and damn near broke my arm in the inn. All I was wanting to do is hear a little local gossip and drink my wine."
Jareth said, "I'll send you back to your room." He made a crystal. "Are you ready?"
Sarah said, "Wait! How do I contact you?" He smiled because she wanted to see him again and made another crystal and handed it to her.
Jareth said, "Just say my name and I'll hear you. You know my name right? I noticed you haven't said it."
She smiled and said, "You never told me yourself and I didn't want to be disrespectful. I overheard Hoggle muttering it. Jareth, right?" He nodded and smiled. "I'm ready now." He dropped the crystal and Sarah was back in her room.
She started organizing her baggage and was tired and started a fire in the fireplace and laid down on the bed. The days were getting colder and colder. She looked out the window and saw it was snowing more. She was weary from today so far and perhaps using her new magic on her injury made her tired. She slept for a couple hours, when the kitten woke her up. She fed him and rubbed his tummy. His little umbilical cord fell off in the pouch. She picked it out and threw it in the fire.
When she was done feeding him she wiped his bottom gently trying to get him to potty. When he was done she kissed his head again and put him in his pouch. and wore the pouch around her neck. She straightened her clothes, brushed out her hair and let it hang with two hair combs to hold it back from her face. She took him with her down to the inn's tavern for supper.
She walked into the inn's tavern and it was full of people. She found a seat at the bar and asked for a glass of wine and dinner. The innkeeper poured her wine and brought her a bowl of a Hot Pot, a kind of a meat casserole with sliced potatoes on top. It was good and savory. She was still tired even after her nap. She wanted to find her friends tomorrow.
She asked the innkeeper, "Do you know where I can usually find Sir Didymus?"
The innkeeper said, "He guards tha front gate now."
She asked, "What about Hoggle?" She took a bite of her food.
The innkeeper said, "He's tha Royal Gardener."
She nodded and said, "Thank you, I'll be looking them both up tomorrow."
The innkeeper said, "Ye not be like most faes, they not be as polite as ye be."
She said, "I've been getting that a lot lately. I'm not like them at all. I was raised differently far, far away."
The innkeeper said, "I can tell. I be sorry bout' earlier, an what Jackle did to ya. He didn' hurt ya?"
She shook her head and said, "I healed myself. He cracked the bones in my forearm and deeply bruised it. I think I hurt him more in the long run."
The innkeeper laughed and said, "Me name be Lukas. It be nice ta meet ye." Sarah shook his hand.
She smiled and said, "Hi, Lukas, I'm Sar. Pleased to meet you, also."
Lukas said, "Ifin' ya stick round' we be havein' musicians comin' in this evenin'."
Sarah smiled and finished her food and wine and said, "That's nice, thank you, Lukas. I'd like that but I'm very road weary. I need to relax. I'm sure I'll listen while I am relaxing. Thank you for the meal, it was delicious. I'm going to retire for the evening." He nodded and smiled in understanding.
He said, "Ya have a good night." She got up, waved and left to go upstairs.
She opened the door and stoked the fire and put on a log. She took off her clothes and put on a long sleeve shirt and shorts. She made up the small bottle and put it up on the nightstand for Midnight when he woke up. She put her two blankets on the bed for extra warmth and crawled into the bed. She cuddled up putting her kitten next to her neck under her chin laying on her side and pulled the blankets high around them. The kitten snuggled into her and grunted and squeaked until it settled. She fell asleep. She woke up a few times to feed the kitten until morning comes.
—--32nd day
The kitten cried and woke her up. She fed him a bottle. He grunted as he nursed which made her smile while she rubbed his little body. She kissed him and put him in his pouch that she laid on and was heated up. She got up and went to the bathroom. She started the fire back up and through another small log on the fire. She got dressed in her black leggings, black skirt, burgundy long sleeve peasant blouse with the outer black corset. Tied up in the front. She wore her Aboveground black knee high boots with heavier socks she brought. She checked her money and added a few coins from her jeans last night and some from her saddlebags. She wanted to get a watch from a jeweler or watchmaker. The twenty six hour days made it hard for her to tell time. She put on her cloak and had her kitten around her neck with a bottle in the tiny bag for it on the pouch. She went downstairs to eat breakfast.
She said to Lukas, "So, how was your night? Can I have tea please and breakfast?"
He smiled and said, "Five coppers. It went well. Did ye get some sleep?" He went and came back with a cup of hot steaming tea. She put out the money.
Sarah said, "Yes, but only as long as my kitten would let me be." Lukas' eyebrows went up. She brought out Midnight and showed him. He chuckled.
He said, "Well looky thar. He's a tiny bit. His mum leave em'?" Sarah nodded. The kitten squealed and grunted. She put him back in the pouch.
Sarah said, "It's tough because he's eating little doses of milk, but every two to three hours." Lukas left and came back with Johnny cakes, eggs, fried potatoes, a small steak and toast.
Sarah thought wow a big steak and eggs breakfast with cakes. She said, "That looks delicious. Thank you, Lukas." She paid him a silver for such a nice breakfast.
She said, "That is the best breakfast I've seen in a while. Do ya have butter and jam or jelly or honey?" He nodded and gave her a lump of butter and a jar of honey.
She was in heaven fixing her Johnny cakes, toast, cut up her steak and ate until she was stuffed. It was all so good. She said, "This is just what I need for a cold snowy morning."
Lukas said, "Thar be only a bit of snow last night. It blew round' a bit so it's not so bad ter walk in."
Sarah said, "I got lucky the snow waited until I got here to fall. I hate camping in the snow. Can I get another tea, please?" He nodded and refilled her cup. She ate and drank tea. She closed all the clasps on her cloak leaving the top one open and the kitten safely snuggled inside next to her body. She put the hood up.
She put on her gloves and said, "Thank you for a wonderful meal, Lukas. See you later." She waved at him. She went out to find Sir Didymus at the gate.