CHAPTER 7

—--Day 20

Sarah woke up in the morning to two cuddle bugs all knotted up under her chin. She was surprised that they weren't waking her up this morning. 'Poor babies. All that growing must tucker them out,' she thought.

Sarah scratched behind their little flat ears and they yawned so cute. She got up and went to the bathroom, fed and tended to them. She got dressed in her dark blue blouse and the same black skirt and corset. She brushed her teeth and brushed out her braided hair.

When she went downstairs, everyone was staring at her again. Sarah spun around and said, "Oh my, I haven't grown another tail again, have I?" People chuckled.

Devon smiled at her and said, "Good morning, Ash."

Sarah said, "Well, good morning, Devon. How has your morning been so far?" Sarah sat at the counter.

He smiled big at her friendly manners and said, "Better now that you are here to brighten it up. Breakfast and tea?"

Sarah smiled greatly and said, "Yes, please. Do you have any honey?" He nodded at her and went to the kitchen. Devon came back with tea and honey with a spoon. He went back and got her a plate of eggs, steak, hot cakes and toast with butter and jam. Sarah was in heaven.

She remembered that she hadn't had a good pancake in so long. The last time was at the International House of Pancakes (IHOP) in Stamford, Connecticut. She missed her life before but, life moves on and things change. She misses toilet paper too but for other reasons. Tree moss just isn't the same, it scratches your butt.

Sarah enjoyed her breakfast with all the amenities. She got another tea and relaxed after eating, enjoying talking to the people around her. They were all very friendly fae people. She was surprised there weren't any humans here, but good thing with that butthead following her up here.

Sarah wanted to go visit for a while with Shadow and give him a good brushing out today. After breakfast, Sarah went up and got her cloak and curry brush. She took two bottles of milk for the kittens in a small drawstring bag on her belt just in case.

Sarah went into the barn and up to Shadow. She said softly, "Hey there, my handsome stallion. How have you been? I came to give you a comb out." He nickered and snorted.

She took out the brush and started brushing him singing softly an old Jim Croce song "Time In A Bottle". Shadow would nicker softly. The fae blacksmith watched her as she walked behind the horse with no fear of being kicked and started brushing out his tail. The fae man thought such a high spirited horse would be skittish and hurt the girl, but he didn't even flinch.

Sarah said standing behind him working her way around him quietly, "I 'wish' I had three apples." She was holding three apples in her hand and put two in her inside pocket. She took out her knife and started cutting it up into quarters.

Sarah said, "I have a treat for you, sweet Shadow. I have apples for you." Shadow nickered and looked over at her. She held out an apple piece in her hand and ate one for herself.

Sarah said chewing, "Good stuff, huh?" She gave him another piece and her piece of core.

Sarah said, "You know I can't forget you out here by yourself. You're my brilliant friend and the best horse ever." She gave him another piece of apple. There was a barrel by his stall and Sarah sat on it and cut up another apple feeding it to him until she ate a half and the rest to Shadow. Sarah stood up and kissed his nose. Shadow hugged her resting his head on her shoulder and groaned.

She reached up and scratched his ear and said, "I love you too."

Sarah said, "I'll come visit you everyday, Shadow. I'll bring something special each time so you're not too bored." Sarah waved at him as she left. The horse watched her go back to the inn. The blacksmith smiled at the pretty dark haired fae girl. He thought it was peculiar that she talked to her horse like he was a person who understands her completely. He could tell the horse loved her in return though.

Throughout the rest of week Sarah visited Shadow and brought him carrots, sugar cubes and apples. She got her four leather balls from the cobbler and stocked up on food. She sang at the inn for a couple nights all the Celtic songs by Lorena McKennitt and a few traditional ones she could remember. They all seemed to enjoy themselves and Sarah had fun. The fae that followed her up there left on the third day before the second music night so she didn't have to see him again.

Sarah was headed to the capital city of the Unicorn Kingdom Íonachta (purity). They were having the annual winter festival there and she would make it in time to spend a week there during it. It was two days away and she would have to camp both nights, first at the base of the mountain. Devon told her there were a couple caves at the base for a good campsite. She appreciated him telling her.

—--Day 25

Sarah was ready and had Shadow saddled and packed up. She said goodbye to everyone and headed out down the mountain.

After spending the night in a cave, Sarah was looking for a place to camp before dark the next night. She found a dense forest and camped inside a rock outcropping that had enough pine trees next to it that the branches blocked any snow that may fall. Sarah wished for wood, kindling, campfire stones, hay and a bucket of water that would not freeze or run out for Shadow and herself. Sarah bought a saltlick on a rope for Shadow. She had a bag of sweet feed and a bag of apples she had been feeding him.

Sarah had the camp set up and her water supply was topped off. She started cooking dinner after feeding the kittens. She was sitting by the fire and cooking another rabbit. She took the breasts and back legs this time leaving the rest for the wildlife. Sarah was cooking it in a lightweight skillet she had from her kit. The barley and vegetables were simmering and the rabbit smelled great Sarah spotted people walking up to her site and took the food off the fire and pulled her gun.

Three fae men slowly approached her campsite and she hollered, "That's far enough! What do you want?!" They stopped after a step or two more.

The one fae man in a brown cloak with the hood down said, "We were just wanting to share your fire, lad. That's all." They started walking a bit closer. They were all dressed for the road travel and they all had long blonde hair of one shade or another.

Sarah yelled, "No, I think between the three of you, you could make your own even if you were stupid. Besides, your fae and can create your own."

The same fae leader guy said, "I guess you're right about that. Why don't you share your meal with us?"

Sarah said, "You know what I think? I think you want to out number me and rob me. That's what I think."

The guy chuckled and said leaning down to try to look under her hood at her but she was far enough away from the fire to be shadowed. He said, "Are you a human, fae or elf under that hood boy?"

Sarah said, "Wouldn't you like to know? I'll bet your planning on selling me if I'm human, robbing me if I'm either elf or human. But what will you do if I'm fae?"

The fae leader chuckled again and said, "Over power you and rob you any way. You got it all figured out don't you? Just hand over your money and take down that hood."

Sarah said, "I have got an even better idea, wanna hear it?"

The smug fae leader said, "Ok, what's your idea?"

Sarah said, "I 'wish' that all three of you hands were bound behind your backs." Suddenly, the fae could move their hands.

The three of them started yelling, "What is going on?!"

"Hey, how is he doing that?!"

"Let us go you little bastard!"

Sarah said, "I 'wish' that all of you were sitting and couldn't move from that spot." They were all bitching and complaining when their butts hit the ground.

Sarah shouted, "Shut up! All three of you!" She took down her hood and they gasped.

The third fae said, "A fae with dark hair and a woman?"

Sarah heard horses off at a distance to the left. She went in that direction and brought all three horses up to the fire and tethered them to a couple branches. She took their saddlebags, bags hanging from the saddles, sat them by the fire and sat down putting her food back on the fire to finish cooking it.

The leader fae asked, "How can you be fae and have dark hair and wield wish magic? Only the Goblin King has wish magic. Everyone knows that." Sarah ignored him and continued to cook her food.

The second fae in a black coat and hat said to the leader, "Manny, what is she gonna do with our saddlebags?"

The leader said, "Shut up!"

Sarah scolded, "That's not very nice."

The third one said, "What are you gonna do then?"

Sarah smiled in the light of the fire and said, "I'm gonna rob you, like you were gonna do me. Then, I'm gonna make a wish. You will all become naked human women being sold to the centaurs. Then you can see what it feels like to be forced impregnated by a giant horse thingy. Then I'll take you horses with me and sell them to a blacksmith."

The three fae started yelling, pleading and belly aching about how she could do that to her own kind.

Sarah shouted like scolding a bunch of children, "Shut up! What did you think I would do let you continue to rob people and sell humans?! You're not my kind. I come from very very far away and have the magic of wishes. I don't prey on innocent people like you do, even on your own kind! So none of you have a leg to stand on with me changing my mind! You will not continue to do this! You damned yourselves by being greedy and stupid by not getting legitimate jobs! You could have been earning an honest living! So just shut the hell up!" Sarah took her food off the fire and started eating it. They watched her as she ate and bagged up her leftovers and stored it.

Sarah sat down and went through their bags one by one. She took all jewelry, coins and whatever she wanted, throwing the saddlebags to the side as she went. She went up to each of them and took anything of value off of them and cut their purses off. She sat down and counted all the money and bagged all the jewelry which was a lot even in bags hanging from their saddles. They had over 627 gold, 106 silver, 56 coppers and four big bags of jewelry in total between them. They were not starving. Sarah took it all into the tent and dumped the 620 gold and 100 silver into her ring. She left a purse of the leftover coins in the tent.

Sarah came out and said, "Are you ready to meet your centaur lovers?" The men started to cry.

Sarah said, "I 'wish' these three fae men were stripped of their magic and turned into female humans." The three fae changed. They screamed looking at each other.

Sarah said, "Now you're the hunted. I'll spare you the centaurs but you'll have to avoid that on your own." They gasped.

Sarah said, "I 'wish' these three women were in the town of Práis (the abandoned town) and had their hands unbound." All three disappeared. Sarah went through everything on the saddles and dumped everything in a pile that she didn't want and put the empty saddlebags back on the three horses. Sarah threw more wood on the fire, fed the kittens and went to bed. She slept all night.