CHAPTER 2

Sarah stopped after riding for a while and went through the robbers coin purses and had gold, silver and it looked like copper coins.

Sarah said, "I 'wish' for a long medium gray light linen cloak for summer with a cowl hood." It appeared on her. She rode down the road and Sarah spotted a rabbit, but all she had was a knife. She dismounted and took aim to throw it. She got it, unbelievable. She gutted and skinned the rabbit leaving skin, entrails and the head for local wildlife. Sarah hung it from the end of a rope she had in her kit to let it drain. When she stopped to go to the bathroom, she was out foraging and found an abundance in summer of wild raspberries, elderberries and wild strawberries. There were plants that were edible like fat hen, plantain, white clover, chanterelle mushrooms and dandelions. She collected them all and put them in a plastic bag from her kit. She had to make camp for the night so she found a good place. Sarah collected wood, rocks from the brook for the fire pit. She got water and put on two pots to boil. She had salt and pepper in her kit with a bit of dry rice in a baggie. Sarah cleaned the greens, mushrooms and berries up in the brook. Then she found a slab to wash off and chop them up on. She put the rabbit on a homemade spit over the fire. She put the greens, mushrooms in the pot with the rice and added salt and pepper. Sarah was eating well tonight. She made a wish to make sure nothing can come into the perimeter of her horse and herself. She also wished the blanket was clean from the robbers. Sarah doubled it, laid down on it and went to sleep.

—--day 2

Sarah woke up and was confused for a moment until the memories came flooding back in her head. She looked around her and saw nothing but trees. She went out and went to the bathroom. She came back and washed her hands in the brook and filled her one pot up for tea. Her three teabags in her kit are down to one and her rice is gone. She needed groceries. Sarah drank her tea and ate her leftovers. She dumped the rest in the woods for the animals. Sarah reorganized the jewelry and money. She has too much of it in the valise.

Sarah packed up the horse and she had her cowl hood up riding off to wherever she could find a town. Around noon she came across a town with an inn. She watched for what kind of people lived there from the woods. It looked like all fae. Sarah curiously did the hand motions of Jareth that she remembered and low and behold she made a sea green crystal ball. It was so pretty. Sarah concentrated on popping it and it popped. She smiled. At least she could do that.

Sarah rode to the inn and got a room for two nights with a privy pump and tub. She thought how rustic it was for accommodations. She paid for seven silver a night. The money was gold, silver, and copper by the tens. Sarah boarded her horse for five coppers a day. Sarah went to her room where she dropped off her bags. She wished that nobody could come in her room for as long as her baggage was still in it. Sarah put the only chair under the door to block peeking through the keyholes. She grabbed the valise and started counting and separating the money. She counted the three bags of coins and purses. She had 827 gold, 455 silver and 153 copper coins. Sarah put 27 gold and 5 silver and 3 copper coins in her purse with 100 gold in a separate purse to wear under her shirt for supplies. She bagged up the rest in separate bags.

Sarah dumped out the jewelry bags and jewelry boxes. She started separating it all from expensive, medium and chains. She put aside choice pieces for herself to put in the biggest jewelry box. There were so many nice pieces they had in their boxes. Sarah had a full jewelry set of garnets, aquamarine, diamonds, emeralds, rubies and opals so far. She put the separated jewelry back in the valise with the bagged up coins. Sarah locked up and went to get food and talk to the fae innkeeper.

She sat down at a counter and the innkeeper asked, "What do you want?"

Sarah said, "Wine and lunch if you got it, thank you?" The fae looked at her funny.

He said, "One silver." Sarah put out a silver coin. He took it and poured her wine and went to the back kitchen off the bar area. He had a large pot pie with chicken. Sarah took a bite and groaned. It was so tasty.

The innkeeper chuckled at her reaction. He said, "My wife is a great cook."

Sarah said, "I would have to agree. This is the best chicken pie I have ever had."

He smiled and said, "I'll let her know." Sarah nodded.

He said, "I'm Jonell, my wife is Sillia." He put his hand out and Sarah shook it.

Sarah said, "My name is Haras."

Jonell said, "Welcome to Áiteile (another place). How long have you been in the Fairy Kingdom, Haras?"

Sarah said, "A little while. I'm from very far away."

Jonell said, "I can tell you talk like the fae here, but different. Least we understand each other. Did you come by ship?" Sarah nodded her head.

He said, "That is a far distance. You be careful out there, because they pinch human women and sell them to the centaurs. It's a terrible trade. Hope you're not human under there?" He looked down trying to see under the cowl hood. Sarah looked up and let him see. He gasped.

Jonell said, "I see why you are hiding, you're a dark haired royal fae. That would draw more attention than a female traveling alone." He reached out and pulled her hood over her face. "You be careful out there, Haras." Sarah nodded.

Sarah asked, "Can you give me directions through the Fairy Kingdom? It would help me navigate when I leave."

Jonell earnestly said, "Of course I will. I'll start today and write it all down and draw you a map of the kingdoms."

Sarah smiled and said, "Thank you. You're so kind. I appreciate your help." Jonell felt good helping the young woman trying to protect herself while traveling. She was polite and friendly even though she is a royal with eye markings. It made him smile. But a royal from where with that dark hair?

Sarah asked him where the market was. He told her and she left to go get what she needed to supply herself. She found the cobbler shop on the way and bought a couple bags to store clothes in and a waterskin bag. She went to the market and bought everything she could use like tea, dry meat, vegetables, dry mushrooms, spices, barley, nuts, cheese and fruit. Sarah was happy to have so many things to choose while traveling to eat properly at the end of summer. She will come back tomorrow and get any fresh ingredients. She bought a cloth shoulder strap shopping bag to carry it all.

Sarah stopped at the bakery and got pastries, a loaf of wheat bread, breakfast cakes and cookies. The breakfast cakes were full of nuts and berries packed in a disk stamped out cake. It was dense. Sarah took everything back to the room and went to the clothing shops. There was one for men and another for women. She went to the men's clothing shop and bought linen and cotton shirts, tunics, a cloth vests and light cotton pants in black and brown.

She went to the women's store and bought linen skirts that were three-quarter length, short sleeve blouses, underwear and outside corsets that tie in the front. Sarah got several bars of soap for washing herself or clothes and cloth for washcloths and towels. There was a hand carved mirror set with a brush and comb. She found a pair of soft strap-on leather shoes for women that tie up your calf. In the women's clothing shop, the woman had a magical solid silver oval pendant that had a secret door in the back with a keyhole for a tiny key on a separate chain. The door on the back was a 3x3 inch door. It opened and was an infinite space to store valuables. The lady dumped a handful of coins in it and dumped it back out. The front was all scrollwork around roses etched and a large oval faceted garnet in the center. Sarah bought it for 45 gold. It was exactly what she needed. The two silver chains hung between her breasts, well under her clothes.

She dropped off the things in her room and went back to the cobbler and bought a pair of black leather pirate looking boots with a silver buckle on top of the foot and folded down at the top. She also bought several sizes of drawstring leather bags and a wide black leather belt with metal rings that went around it for tying things to it like coin purse, knife, or sword. Sarah went to the black smith and bought a longsword, bow and arrow quiver with a dozen arrows, and a larger hunting knife. She was tired. She had a room full of goods to pack up for traveling. Sarah went to get dinner and then made hot water for a bath. She soaked in the tub and washed off the dirt from traveling. She was exhausted and put away her food by reorganizing her backpack because it was waterproof and perfect for her food.

—--day 3

The next day it rained but Sarah still got her last minute things. She got potatoes, carrots, green beans, kale, fresh cherries, blueberries, and apricots. She went back and spent the rest of the day organizing her baggage to condense it down to its smallest utilizing all of its space. Sarah also bought another blanket and a tent from the cobbler. The tent was a 7x5x5 ft tent with a canvas tarp for the floor, ten silver anchor spikes, and two extra dowels to put the rods together. It came with its own canvas bag. At the market she had found a little skillet, knife, fork and spoon with a small wooden cutting board and small skillet. Jonell came by and dropped off the directions and map. She thanked him and put fifty gold in his hand. He was shocked and surprised at her generosity. Sarah was all set to survive comfortably for now.

—--day 4

The next morning, Sarah went and got breakfast and brought Dathúil up to the inn. She brought down her baggage and packed up the horse after dropping off the key to Jonell and said goodbye to Sillia also. She was headed northeast, according to her compass she brought with that just happened to work the same way, to a city called Gorias. It was the capital city of the Fairy Kingdom and would take two days to get there.

Sarah rode and stopped for bathroom breaks and to eat a bit of lunch. She rode on until she came upon a good spot for camping under several trees clumped together that would shelter her. She staked her tent and unpacked the horse stowing her gear in the tent. Sarah unsaddle Dathúil and went foraging for wood, stones and found wild onions. She was dragging up all she needed and wished for a bucket of water that never gets dirty or runs out for her and Dathúil.

Sarah filled her waterskin back up and filled her two small pots for cooking. She cut up the dried chicken, kale and green beans and boiled them with barley. She added spices, wild onions, salt and pepper. Sarah boiled tea and let it all cool off. It looked like it was going to rain, so she wished the perimeter safe from all threats while she and Dathúil were camped here.

When the rain started, she had eaten, washed up and packed up her cooking equipment. She wished the tent was completely waterproof and put everything inside. Sarah tied the flap closed and laid down on her bedroll. There was thunder and lightning all night. Sarah slept through most of it.

—--day 5

Sarah woke up and stretched. She put on her boots and went to the bathroom. Everything was wet or muddy but it had stopped raining for now. She wiped down Dathúil, saddled him and packed him up. She wished the tent was dry and broken down in its own bag.

Sarah tied the tent down and rode on. She wished her cloak waterproof and spread it over her belongings as much as she could when it rained again. It was a dismal day, but she was glad there was no lighting or thunder. She spotted another rabbit and used her bow and arrow to kill it. This time, she did the same leaving the left over parts for the animals and bugs. She spotted a cave in an outcropping of rocks. It was obscure and unnoticeable but hopefully could take the horse inside too.

Sarah approached the cave and made a wish that all animals or creatures vacate the cave premises until they left. Many bugs and snakes left the cave. Sarah wished all dirt and cobwebs gone from the cave. Sarah cut away some of the vines covering the cave and went inside. She made a crystal and wished it to be lit brightly. She would keep it like a flashlight in her bags. The interior of the cave was perfect for Dathúil and herself. She led Dathúil inside to the back of the cave. She wished for a bale of hay and a water trough that never gets dirty or runs out. Sarah also wished for a day's worth of wood, kindling and stones for her fire pit.

She set up her tent and made her fire. She kept her crystal and searched the entire cave. In the far back corner was a large pile of rocks that looked stacked on purpose. Sarah moved the rocks off and gasped. There was a pot of gold. So, she moved the rest of the rocks and found two pots of gold and started giggling. She wished for a bucket and started counting. There was 2000 gold in one pot and 3000 in the second pot that was bigger. Sarah dumped it all in her necklace.

Sarah put more wood on the fire and started cooking. She started frying the rabbit breasts and legs in the small skillet and making tea and barley with wild dried mushrooms with cheese. She had a slice of bread and cut three pieces for the morning. Her dinner was very good and tasty. Sarah just couldn't get over the 5000 gold she found. It was truly a gift to find such a large amount. She wouldn't need to worry about money for a long while and she still had a ton of jewelry to liquidate. She slept hard that night after securing the cave.