CHAPTER 11

—--day 39

When morning came, Sarah went to get breakfast after feeding Gypsy. She and Beowulf went to the market with her cloth shopping bag and filled up on everything and Sarah went back to the inn and spent most of the day reorganizing everything as usual trying to condense it down. She found that Gypsy's eyes were opening. She was in another town where she had to keep to herself because

they thought her strange and her wolf a threat. Sarah figured it was because they were deep in a chicken kingdom. She was glad she was leaving in the morning.

During the night, she heard a racket downstairs inside the inn at about three in the morning. Sarah sat bolt up right in the bed.

Some man was screaming, "I am going to kill that damn wolf of his for killing my chickens!!!"

The innkeeper was telling him to calm down. The man charged up the stairs in his black clothes and coat. He started banging on Sarah's door. The pup started crying. She cuddled and cooed to her.

Sarah flung open the door and looked the man in the eyes and shouted, "Shut up!" The man looked at her and was stunned into shutting up. He did not expect a woman to answer the door or a dark haired royal fae.

Sarah loudly said, "What in the hell is your problem to come banging on doors and waking up the dead at this hour?! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

He calmed down and said, "All of my chickens were killed in the night."

Sarah said, "Did it eat all of the chickens or just one?"

The fae man said angry, "It just killed them all!"

Sarah said loudly, "Oh, so you thought it a good idea to come over here and wake everyone up and try to take out your anger on my half grown wolf and my pup? Are you stupid? We have been in a locked damn room and sleeping all night except for the two minutes I took him out on a leash at eleven at night to go to the bathroom before we went to bed. I recommend you go find your own wolf to take out your frustrations on but make sure he is good and bloody. For a wolf to have killed a whole coop of chickens instead of taking just one to eat. Is it not peculiar that it did not eat one? Have you severely angered people in your community? I wonder with that temper. Maybe they did it because you go off shooting off your mouth like you just did? You jumping to conclusions is your weakness. Now leave me the hell alone. I'm leaving in the morning so you can blame someone else after the morning." The innkeeper standing behind him was nodding his head.

Sarah slammed the door loudly and locked it. She cooed and cuddled Gypsy who was whimpering and shaking. Sarah kissed and cuddled her back to bed and laid down. The pup eventually calmed down, Sarah fed her and went to sleep wrapped in Sarah's warm hand.

—--day 40

When morning came, Sarah got ready and went downstairs to get two breakfasts on a tray. The innkeeper apologized to her for being ripped from her bed in the night. Sarah said there will be no more problems when she is gone within the hour and that the people were not very friendly here. She said she is glad to go. Sarah ate her breakfast and she and Beowulf went with all the baggage to drop the key off, head to the stables and packed up the horses. The rode out to camp overnight and go to the town of Cleitesicín (chicken feather)

As the evening wore on it began to rain. Sarah found a lush environment coming out of a cave. She told Beowulf to hunt for his dinner. Sarah dismounted and went inside with her lit crystal. It was a grotto with lush plants and a heated spring that glowed. It was so perfect but it made her on guard.

Sarah asked, "Is there someone else here? I'm sorry to intrude, but it is such a beautiful space and you must be so happy living here. I just wanted to stay overnight but if you say no, I will find somewhere else to go?" Out of the dimness of the space a fairy the size of a Barbie doll was behind Sarah watching her.

The fairy was dark blonde and in a glossimer blue dress. She said, "Most do not ask but take?" Sarah jumped and spun around.

Sarah after catching her breath said, "You startled me. I am not like others. I ask first."

The fairy said, "Humm… That remains to be seen." Sarah took down her hood and looked at the fairy.

The fairy gasped and said, "You are a dark haired fae and royal? Most fae are arrogant and cruel to us."

Sarah said, "I am neither. I come from very far away from here."

The fairy flew up to her and was looking at her eye markings and said, "You are from the tribe of Lugh, extinct three thousand years ago and the weapon of their tribe is the sword. How can you prove you are who you say you are?" All of a sudden Gypsy started crying. Sarah cooed and cuddled her.

Sarah said, "Please excuse me. She gets fussy and louder when I don't feed her right away. Sarah sat down and pulled Gypsy from the fur pouch. Sarah took out the bottle and started feeding her and rubbing little circles on her tummy. The fairy was fascinated watching her feed the pup.

Sarah said, "Her mother was killed by someone's foolish arrow and my half grown male wolf found them both. I took the baby and have been taking care of her. She started opening her little eyes yesterday. She is such a cute tiny baby."

The fairy asked, "Why would you care, you are a fae. Most only care about themselves or their offspring."

Sarah said, "I told you I'm not from here. I am Sarah the Labyrinth Champion from the Aboveground. I found a portal back to this world and fell through it. I then found a Pool Of Destiny in the cavern and fell through that to be judged worthy of my destiny. The mermaids gave me a potion to change me to a fae along with the fairy venom I have in my body from an insect size fairy queen I tried to help that bit me ten years ago."

The fairy asked, "Show me your scar?" Sarah held out her finger after switching hands to feed the pup.

The fairy said, "You are welcome to stay the night. Do not enter the pool though."

Sarah said, "I will provide what I need with my magic. I will even clean up after myself like I wasn't here."

The fairy smiled, saying, "That is fair and kind. My name is Lily."

Sarah said, "No, Lily, you are fair and kind to trust me. Will you have tea with me after I make my fire by the entrance so the smoke blows out?" The fairy smiled and nodded.

Sarah put Gypsy in her pouch and led the horses into the opening of the cavern and put them off to the side and wished for a bucket of clean water and hay. She filled her waterskin. Beowulf sat at the mouth of the cave with two rabbits and laid them down to yip. She looked at him and chuckled. He brought her dinner. Sarah patted his head thanking him and took the less chewed on one. She stepped out of the cave and butchered the rabbit. The only chewed part was the head. She had all that cut off anyway.

Sarah went back in the cave and set up her tent and put everything on the horses in there. She wished for wood, rocks and started a fire with a spit. She put the rabbit on and made two pots of water to make tea and boil her barley and vegetables. Sarah heard horses. She took her food off the fire and grabbed her sword and put her cowl up. Sarah stood at the mouth of the cave. Three fae men approached.

Sarah said in her lower voice, "That's far enough. What do you want?"

She saw the one fae get twitchy with his hand. The one fae with a tricorn black leather hat said, "We just smelled the fine cooking and wondered if you might share your fire and a meal." He was smiling sickeningly sweet.

Sarah muttered, "I 'wish' that these three fae were bound behind the back."

They started yelling, "What the hell happened?"

Sarah said, "First, any moron knows a fae can use magic to make a fire. I 'wish' for all three of these three fae's horses to come to the grotto entrance with all of the weapons and valuables on these three men to collect in a pile at my feet." All of the items on the men flew off of them to make a pile.

Sarah said, I 'wish' for these men to tell me the truth. What were your intentions for coming up here?"

The second fae said, "To rape and rob you, boy, then camp in here."

Sarah said, "Ok I'm sick of people like you preying on everyone you bump into. I 'wish' for these three fae men to be stripped of their magic, turned into human women, unbound and left naked with nothing in the middle of the Centaur Kingdom." They screamed and disappeared. Sarah led the horses to a spot outside the grotto and tethered to a tree limb. She unloaded all of them and unsaddled them bringing everything but the horses into the cave. Sarah wished the cave entrance secured around the horses not allowing anyone but herself, Lily and Beowulf to come and go. She put her meal back on the fire and listened to the rain.

Lily flew up to her and said, "They were going to cause you great harm and ruin my grotto."

Sarah said, "Yes, they were. I am sick of highwaymen preying on everyone. The Goblin Kingdom is rampant with them. I have stopped four in the Fairy Kingdom and 34 now in the Goblin Kingdom. King Jareth should send out more patrol soldiers."

Lily said, "I saw your sword, it is powerful and even more being you are Lugh." The tea was ready.

Sarah asked, "Do you have a cup and spoon your size? The tea is ready and I have honey." The fairy smiled and zoomed off and zoomed back. Sarah smiled and poured each of them a cup and held out the honey jar for Lily. She grinned and dipped her tiny spoon in it and then Sarah did hers.

Sarah stirred her barley vegetable mixture and the rabbit was almost done. She settled in for the night and fed Gypsy when she was ready to eat. She fed her horses an apple and carrot and went outside and set up a trough and bale of hay giving them each a carrot and apple. It was raining pretty hard at times but no lightning caused a problem.

Sarah went through everything the three robbers had. There were 7 bags of jewelry, 6 large bags of gold coins (3028), 67 silver coins, 21 copper coins , 3 boxes of jewelry, 2 small bags of cut gemstones, 2 small bags of gold nuggets, 13 pocket watches, 3 swords, 3 hunting knives, and 6 boot knives.

Sarah added the coin to her bracelet. She added the gemstones, nuggets, jewelry bags, jewelry boxes and pocket watches to her necklace. She was tired, stacked up all the empty saddlebags and condensed the leftover items to the bag she was putting the valuables in. Sarah wished away everything else to people that deserve them. Sarah went to bed.

—--day 41

When Sarah awoke there were tiny fairies flying by that looked like they were floating around her. They were very very small like sprites. But no bigger than a short fingernail. They were curious.

Sarah said, "Good morning, little ones." They tinkled like a tiny bell. Sarah sat up and put on her boots. She got up and went outside in the woods to go to the bathroom. Beowulf followed and went hunting afterward. She came back and washed her hands in Dathúil's and Àlainn's bucket that self cleans. Sarah lit the fire and started making tea. She brought the milk to the fire to feed Gypsy. Sarah pulled Gypsy out and started nursing her on her lap

Lily came out and saw the tiny fairies flying around Sarah playing with her hair and lighting on her shoulder. She sat feeding the pup.

Lily said, "They are fascinated by your hair and markings." Sarah smiled and looked up at her.

Sarah said, "It's ok, they don't bother me. I only would be bothered if they got hurt." Lily smiled and she couldn't get over how kind hearted Sarah is to all living things.

Sarah asked, "Would you like a cup of morning tea?" Lily got her cup and spoon and had tea with Sarah. Sarah shared her berries and a piece of her breakfast cake with her and started packing up. Once she had all the horses saddled and she stung them behind each other like before. Sarah wished away everything and left only footprints in Lily's grotto.

Sarah said, "Thank you. Lily, for giving me shelter from the rain. It was very kind of you. Be safe my friend and blessed be."

Lily said, "You are welcome, Sarah. Safe journeys to you, my friend. Blessed be to you too." Sarah waved goodbye and rode with her train of horses and her wolf following to the town of Cleitesicín (chicken feather).

Sarah got to the town at dusk. She went in and secured a room for two nights from a very handsome fae innkeeper. He had the most beautiful blue gray eyes and yellow blonde hair. He was miffed about Beowulf being with her but she got the room anyway.