CHAPTER 3

—--day 6

The next evening Sarah rode into Gorias and it was a lively town with much happening around her. It was six o'clock and dinnertime but there were people all around going from here to there. Sarah found a decent looking inn and took her belongings into the inn. She asked the fae innkeeper for a room for a week and he said she got the last room. He was a handsome man with medium colored blonde hair with startling green eyes with a ring of darker around his irises. He was tall and wearing a black cloth vest, green moss colored poets shirt with black pants.

She took her bags up to room twelve at the end of the hall. It had running water and flushing toilets. She locked the door and went to board Dathúil.

When she came back she saw her room door open and pulled her knife and stealthy snuck up behind him and put both arms behind his back. She learned through common sense that fae need hands to cast spells.

She whispered in his ear, "Your dead fae. How dare you enter my room to steal, you are a cowardly bastard." Sarah held both of his hands behind his back. She then held the knife close to his neck by the carotid artery. He had found the bag with the jewelry. Sarah checked his pockets and took everything he had of hers and his off of him leaving it in her room on the floor.

She whispered in his ear, "Now it's time for you to get humiliated. Come on jackass up on your feet. I 'wish' this fae had no magic and couldn't commit another crime for the rest of his life." The man screamed, started crying and sniveling, feeling the magic torn from his body. Sarah locked her door and wished it secured. She thought, 'I guess it taught me a lesson to not forget to wish the rooms and places I stay at secure from now on.'

She shoved the man down stairs and said as everyone looked at her as she kicked the legs out from under the man until he was kneeling in front of her. Sarah said in her low voice, "This fool was rummaging through my bags stealing while I was boarding my horse. He didn't think I'd be back so quickly." She kicked the guy in the kidney with her boot and said, "Did you stupid? Answer me!" He whined no.

Sarah said, "To whom or where did this idiot belong to or come from?"

The innkeeper said amusedly, "He rented the room next to yours alone, two days ago. Tomorrow's the beginning of the festival and he must have been here to pinch pockets and steal from my patrons." The fae innkeeper was drying off a washed glass.

Sarah said, "I suggest anyone renting a room upstairs check and make sure your items are still there before I take my restitution out on him." She heard chairs move against the wooden floor as people went to their rooms. The innkeeper told her the government didn't involve itself in petty crimes so the local people deal with the justice themselves. People came down and reported a list of things taken and some were fine with everything intact. Sarah asked the innkeeper to come help her locate everything the thief had. They found everyone's belongings and the innkeeper returned them to the patrons.

He came back and found Sarah had rounded up everything of value the man had which fit in a valise bag and the fae was immobilized. He had four bags of jewelry, four bags of gold, a big bag of cut stones, twenty five pocket watches and a jewelry box. She took his purse and all the things he had on himself.

Sarah said, "I 'wish' for anything else that is of value in this room to be put at my feet." A floorboards flew off and six bags came out, a wall panel popped off with eight bags flew out, and four items from behind the flushing toilet. The innkeeper was in shock.

Sarah incredulously asked, "How long have you had this place?"

The fae said, "Eight years."

Sarah said, "I will help you here and find everything stashed in each room that doesn't belong to the patrons? In return I want only 25% of it. I want 100% of this imbecile's stuff though. I'm just glad everyone else got their stuff back." The fae innkeeper pulled down her hood and gasped at her beautiful face and dark hair with blue green eye markings. She looked at him sternly.

The innkeeper put it back up and covered her face like before. He grinned. He never saw such a capable fae woman with wish magic. Only the Goblin King possessed such magic. She talked funny too. He wondered where she came from?

Sarah said,"Now that your curiosity is satisfied, is that ok?"

The innkeeper chuckled and said, "That's more than fair. My name is Yarrow." He reached out to shake her hand.

Sarah said, "Haras." She shook his hand and said, "I swear my honesty to count it up and split it up." The fae was so intrigued by her honesty.

He smiled and said, "Of course, that will be fine. Thank you, Haras. Now what do we do with this idiot?"

Sarah said, "I made sure he has no magic and can't commit a crime again. I guess let him hightail it out the door and you keep your room money."

The innkeeper nodded and said, "That sounds fair. A fae without magic is a human that just looks like a fae." Sarah nodded. She and Yarrow put the bags on the bed in her room from the fae thief and put the rest on the floor of her room. Sarah had a feeling she was going to be counting forever if one room revealed that much stashed in the floor and walls.

—--day 9

Three days later, Sarah had cleared the entire inn, including the tavern, kitchen and store rooms. She counted over 29,710 gold, 6,724 silver, 17 bags of jewelry, four jewelry boxes, two large bags of cut stones. Sarah split it all up. Hers was 7,427.5 gold, 2,681 silver, 4 1 4 bags of jewelry with a large bag of cut gemstones. Yarrow had 22,282.5 gold, 8,043 silver, 12 bags of jewelry, a large bag of cut gemstones, once all four jewelry boxes were emptied. Sarah kept the biggest jewelry box and kept the items she liked in it once she went through her share.

Sarah had a total of 12,850 gold, 3,200 silver, 150 copper coins in her necklace and now 7 bags of jewelry to sell. She bagged up everything for Yarrow's cut and that totaled 44 bags in gold, 16 bags of silver 12 of jewelry. Sarah helped Yarrow move over the bags to his room where he took off a wall panel and put his entire stash of gold and silver in the wall. He removed the wall panel in his built-in closet to put the jewelry but it would only hold ten bags.

He closed it up and said, "Here Haras, take these two and three quarter bags for yourself. You are an honest and fine woman. I will be selling the jewelry around town after you leave." Sarah took the bags from him and walked back into her room and put it on the bed.

Sarah said, "While you're doing that, think about getting a magical infinite space item to keep all that coin in and sleep with it always on you like a talisman. Ask around privately to the jewelers you sell to who may have one."

Yarrow looked surprised at her and asked, "Is that how to do it? That I never thought of that before. There is bound to be one available in a capital city. You're brilliant!" Sarah blushed.

Sarah said, "Just making sure you're safe. Try to do some nice things with some of that and make this the best place to stay in town." Yarrow reached out and kissed Sarah on the lips. It took her by surprise and she started kissing him back.

Yarrow broke the kiss and said, "You're the only woman I have ever trusted in my life. Stay here with me, Haras?"

Sarah said, "I can't because I have to follow my path. Besides, I'll make sure you're going to be alright. I 'wish' you love, prosperity and happiness for the rest of your life." She kissed him on her tiptoes.

He held her close to his body and said, "You're the most amazing woman I have ever met. I'll miss you, my sweet wonderful friend and never forget you as long as I live." He hugged her and put his head on her shoulder. Sarah, with a tear in her eye, held him and patted him on his back and head. He was a really nice man. She was so thankful for running into these kind hearted men so far. She knew if she stayed she would never see the rest of this world and she wanted to see more, even Jareth and her friends were where she was headed after the Fairy Kingdom. She wanted one day to see the Pixie, Elven, Unicorn, and Highland Kingdoms also. Yarrow let go of her and kissed her lips one more before he went downstairs to the tavern.

Sarah started sorting out everything of the previous and new items. She had a total of ten bags of jewelry to get rid of. She pulled out the sets of jewelry in them and put the chains to the side. There was so much. Sarah kept a few nice sets and pieces of jewelry. Then put the expensive in a pile and mid-range in another. She started making small bags of a mix of each to take to each jeweler. It took her the last few days to get rid of it as different people until it was all liquidated. She collected 17,539 gold for it all. Sarah had 30,389 gold now. She was astounded by the total.

Sarah used her last day to restock on anything at the market and bakery. She got candied roasted nuts, pastry and cookies from the bakery. She got fresh updates on her fruit and vegetables. Sarah was packed up and ready the night before.

She had taken a long soaking bath and washed her hair perfectly clean. It felt good to be clean all week. She washed her clothes and had them up drying and air drying her hair. There was a knock on the door. It was Yarrow. He smiled at her and she let him in, smiling back.

Yarrow said, "I see you're all ready to go in the morning. I'm going to miss you, Haras."

Sarah said, "I know. I'll miss you too."

Yarrow said softly, "You sure are pretty with your hair down. It's so long. Can I touch it?" She nodded. He reached out and ran his fingers through it with both hands. He captured her lips and started kissing her passionately. His other hand left her hair and pushed her body against his. Sarah didn't know what to do. She knew he wanted to make love to her but it would just be harder to leave. Sarah broke the kiss and pushed away from him. His hands fell to his side and was inquisitively looking at her.

Sarah said, "If we continue it will just make it harder to leave in the morning and I don't want to cause both of us more problems that are already there. You're a wonderful person and I know your perfect mate for you is out there. I wished for her for you. So, I'm not like other fae that have sex at the drop of a coin, I noticed. Not that I think that of you. It's just that I have very strong emotions when I do that with someone and can't turn them off so easily. I don't want to leave with a broken heart because I have to leave now no matter what happens. I hope you understand what I mean?"

He nodded his head and said, "I do understand and I know that you are right. You are so very different from anyone I have ever known. It is like you're a person with a destiny. I hope you find everything you wished for me also one day. You have made me a very wealthy man and if I invest I can make this inn grand. It's all because of you helping me. Who knew there was money stashed everywhere? Frankly, I wonder how many other inns have that same issue?"

Sarah giggled and said, "I'll be checking every room I stay in from now on." They both laughed.

Yarrow kissed her once more and said, "I'll see you in the morning, sweet Haras." Sarah waved goodbye and locked the door. She laid down after putting another log on the fire with the screen up.