CHAPTER 4
The next morning, Sarah got up and said good morning to Aurora and went to the bathroom in the woods. She came back and washed her hands in the brook. Sarah started the fire again and made tea and ate her leftover meat wrapped in a piece of bread.
Sarah and Aurora headed out to the nearest place to go which is the town of Sásta. Before they got there, Sarah asked, "Do you want a stall in the barn or are you ok to roam? I can magic you up whatever you want while I shop."
Aurora said,"I will be just fine on my own. Thank you, Sarah. I'll roam into the woods. I hope you don't have any trouble with the fae being vulnerable for being a human. Be extremely careful not to let them see you are human. They could rape you to enchant you to be enamored with them and then you can never leave. You will be their slave."
Sarah said, "I'll keep my cowl hood up and as long as they don't mute me, I'll be Ok." Sarah hugged and kissed her out in front of the inn.
People were looking at her from everywhere. Sarah said she will look for her tomorrow and walked into the inn. She walked up to the counter and asked, "Can I get a room for two nights?" The innkeeper looked at her funny. The traveler seemed unusual. The innkeeper had dark blonde hair with blue eyes that were so pale they stood out from the ring of darker blue around the irises. He had on all black with a burgundy shirt and black vest.
He said looking her up and down, "Sure, seven silver a night. Meals are included." Sarah gave him two gold and got six silver back. He gave her the key to room three. She went and dropped off her bags and made a wish to secure her room from nobody but herself until she removed all her bags. She pulled out more money in another pocket to make sure she had enough on her. She went out and found a cobbler with two leather nice closing bags for clothes and leather drawstring bags of various sizes. Sarah went looking for clothes shops. She found a women's store and bought four skirts and blouses with two outside corsets. She found an infinite space ring with an onyx setting and a tiny key. She bought it for forty five gold. It was big enough for coins. She wore it on her index finger. She bought a twenty six hour pocket watch on a chain, soap, makeup, and perfume. She put it all in her one bag.
Sarah found the men's clothing store and bought two leather pants, two jerkins, and two leather waistcoats lined with wool in black and brown. She bought four cotton and linen shirts, three flannel nightshirts, four pairs of leggings with a pair of black boots with a silver buckle in the front. He had blankets and she bought two more wool ones.
Sarah brought everything back to the room. She started reorganizing it all. She ate dinner downstairs. The fae innkeeper kept asking intrusive questions like "Why are you always covered up? Are you hiding from someone?" It was starting to make her angry and made her wary of him. Sarah went up to her room and locked the door hanging a towel over the doorknob.
She took a hot bath and washed her hair and clothes while hanging them up on her braided leather rope she made when she was with Valira. Sarah dried her hair in front of the fire in her long men's flannel nightshirt which came to her mid calf and went to sleep.
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The next day Sarah ate in her room. She wished for hot tea and a full plate of eggs, steak, potatoes and buttered toast. She didn't look forward to eating downstairs. It was like the inquisition down there.
She went out and went to the cobbler and bought a waterskin, a small and large saddlebags, and a leather belt with rings on it. She bought two boot knives, a hunting knife and a long sword from the blacksmith. She went to the market and the bakery stocking up on the selection of fresh and dried foods they had which was a nice amount. Sarah bought pastry, breakfast cakes and a big bag of roasted caramelized nuts from the bakery. She got shelled nuts from the market too. Sarah had gotten a bag of apples and carrots for Aurora. She went into the woods and was looking for her. Aurora approached.
Sarah asked, "How are you doing?" She broke off a piece of carrot and gave it to her.
Aurora said, "I am fine. How about you?" Sarah told her about the intrusive questions the innkeeper kept asking her and gave her another piece.
Aurora said, "Even if he thinks you are a fae female, he might send friends to rob and do who knows what to you. We will be careful when we leave in the morning, Sarah. Fae highwaymen roam the countryside here." Sarah gave her the last piece of carrot.
Sarah hugged her and waved goodbye to her friend and went back to her room. She started reorganizing her food storage and saddlebags. The smallest set she was going to keep up front for her snacks and lunch, and the ones in back were to balance out her baggage. By evening Sarah ate some pastry and nuts. She then took a bath and washed up everything for the morning and went to bed.
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When morning came Sarah got ready to go packing up her dry clothes and getting dressed in her black leather outfit and the wide black belt with rings for hanging everything on. Sarah ate a breakfast cake and had a cup of tea. She got ready putting her fur coat on with a hood up and picked up all her gear. She took the key to the innkeeper. Sarah handed it to him and walked out. She went to the woods and Aurora approached. She saddled her and tied down her baggage.
Sarah mounted and said softly to her, "Let's play it safe if you sense anything or I do. Let's share it."
Aurora said sincerely, "That's good." They rode out of town. Sarah and Aurora got an hour outside of town and three men were headed towards them.
Aurora said warily, "They have intent for harm, Sarah." Sarah wished their hands tied behind their backs and their horses to stand still. The men started shouting and swearing. They were two redheads and a blonde fae. Sarah dismounted and muttered a wish so they must answer all her questions with the truth.
Sarah said nonchalantly, "So, gents, what were your intentions towards me?"
The one redhead said angrily, "We were going to rob and rape you and steal your unicorn."
Sarah spoke condescendingly, "Well sorry to say, you idiots are in some very big trouble. I wished that these three idiots standing here had no magic, and could not ever commit another crime." She took all of their money and valuables. She transferred it all on one horse and tied the one behind Aurora. All tents, clothes and camping supplies were left behind on the ground. Sarah released the men once she was gone for an hour. Sarah kept all valuables and weapons only. She shifted some of her bags off Aurora and they rode on. Sarah had already transferred all valuables to the horse behind Aurora but got a longer lead from the farmer for the horse behind her.
Aurora told Sarah, "We will come to the city of Murias which is the capital city of the Pixie Kingdom after two nights camping."
Sarah asked, "Ok, how many kingdoms are there?"
Aurora said, "There are nine. Pixie, Fairy, Unicorn, Goblin Kingdoms and the Highland Kingdom that are ruled by fae. The Elven, Dwarven, Ogre and Leprechaun Kingdoms are self-governing. The eight kingdoms surround the Highland Kingdom because the High King resides there with the Seelie Court."
Sarah asked curiously, "Why did the unicorns not rule their own kingdom?"
Aurora told her, "Long ago about two thousand years ago the last Unicorn King died in a battle against the Dwarven Kingdom. The amount of my kind was so few that the fae took over so we could replenish our herds. We are still not as many as there should be and scattered over the Kingdoms living in peace mostly exclusively away from people. The magic over us is if anyone in the Underground should kill one of us or enslave us they will instantly die."
Sarah was surprised and said, "Those fae men were going to try to capture you."
Aurora said ambivalently, "They lived another day thanks to you, though they will never have magic or commit a crime. The magic would have made them dead by now." Sarah thought they were stupid to even think to try that.
They rode until it was time to make camp. Sarah set up her site and got the fire going and secured the area. She cooked a tasty meal with no leftovers. She wished for Aurora a bunch of grasses, berries, wild onions. Sarah had a bale of hay and a watering trough that won't freeze. She fed the horse a carrot and apple. Sarah was happy munching away on her dinner too. She hugged Aurora and went to bed to go over her loot from the three robber idiots.
There were 2196 gold and 1048 silver in total coins. They had bags upon bags of jewelry, seven in total. Sarah dumped it in her lap one bag at a time. She separated the expensive from the mid range to the chains. She pulled out choice pieces for her new jewelry box they had on them. One was an interesting looking pocket watch that had two dials on it and one face had thirteen hours and the second one had twelve. After all was said and done, she put all of the jewelry into a valise bag she wished for. Sarah laid down and went to sleep.
—--
The next morning, Sarah woke up, put on her coat and boots and went to pee. She walked back to the fire pit and started a fire to heat her water in her pot for tea. Sarah also heated a pot for oatmeal. Sarah asked if Aurora likes oats and honey. She did so Sarah gave her one of the breakfast cakes with oats, nuts, dried fruit and honey.
Aurora said, "Those are tasty. I like them."
Sarah said, "Good, I can buy many more when we stop again and give you one a day and me too. Us girls have to watch our trim beautiful figures."
Aurora laughed and said, "I love how you are so inclusive. You are such fun, Sarah. I have never had a friend like you before. I am glad we met."
Sarah said, "I am too, Aurora." Sarah's oatmeal was ready and she enjoyed it with her tea with honey. Sarah wishes for more green grass and berries with tulip bulbs for Aurora. She would feed her a big carrot and an apple for lunch, but fed the horse one of each for now.
While they were traveling, Sarah asked, "How do you get by in the winter normally, Aurora?"
Aurora told her, "We have limited food supply and survive on hay and salt where we can find some and when it snows we have places to go in caves that grow large supplies of mushrooms and moss. It becomes a winter staple. As far as traveling, we hold up as well as horses, as long as we have water and food we are ok."
Sarah said, "I'll make a wish for all the food you will need. Just ask my dear friend and it's yours. I will never go hungry and neither will you if I can stop it. When I stay in town, I can wish you food out my room window. Just come up to it and I'll help you. I can get a stable stall for shelter when you want me to rent one. I will instruct them to not close your stall door. Just because I am inside does mean I forget about you. I even have a water pump in my room and a bucket. I have a rope if I'm on the second floor. It's not a burden. I want to help you because you are helping me so much. It's only fair."
Aurora said, "That is such a friendly thing to do for me. Thank you, Sarah. You make me love helping and take care of you in return." Sarah patted her neck as they rode along.
They rode on after a few hours, Sarah felt something niggling in the back of her mind. Sarah whispered, "Aurora, do you feel that? It's like picking at the back of my mind."
Aurora said quickly, "Block it. Put a barrier up between it and you in your mind. Think of an iron wall it will repel fae and witches." Sarah spotted a black raven or hawk jumping from tree to tree.
Sarah whispered, "There is a hawk or black raven hopping from tree to tree following us."
Aurora said, "That would be a fae from the clan of the raven in the Pixie Kingdom. They are mostly made up of the king's kin."
Sarah asked incredulously, "What is that idiot doing trying to read my mind?"
Aurora laughed and said, "Yes, the person must be curious why you are riding a unicorn and why I am letting you." Sarah giggled.
Sarah said fondly, "It's so simple but they can't comprehend honesty. How sad that is."
Aurora told Sarah, "You are one of a kind Sarah. Most humans are afraid of magic but you have no fear because you possess your own. We were told that the Aboveground was full of evil cruel people of ignorance, but you are not like that at all. You must be the best of the humans to come here so bravely alone and uncertain."
Sarah said sadly, "My world has a fair share of ignorant, cruel and selfish people. I can't say I haven't been selfish when I was a child. That's how my brother got wished away in the first place, but I sincerely didn't mean it."
Aurora said forgivingly, "We all make mistakes but it is how we go forward learning from them."
Sarah smiled and said, "That is very wise, my friend." The raven was still following them.
When it was time to find a campsite, Sarah set up her tent and unloaded the horses. She wished for a trough of water that never freezes and won't run out and a bale of hay. She staked the horse so she could eat and drink. Sarah started a fire and kept her hood up being the fae was following them. She started making dinner and tea. She wished a pile of food for Aurora and fed the horse a carrot and apple. Sarah wished the perimeter secured from outside dangers and so nobody but herself and Aurora could enter.
Sarah sat down and cooked a mutton cheese stew with vegetables and barley. It smelled so good with garlic and basil in it. She was eating her dinner when out of her peripheral view she saw the fae in his natural form at a distance watching her. Sarah ignored him and continued eating. The fae got closer when Sarah was done eating her dinner and whispered to Aurora.
Aurora said, "Yes I see him. He thinks you are vulnerable out in the open. He does not know of your barrier." Sarah nodded. He chose that moment to throw a crystal at her and it bounced off the barrier. Sarah mumbled a wish for the fae to have his hands bound, to pass through the barrier and sit opposite by her campfire.
The fae hollered and walked up to her camp and plopped down. Sarah said stoically, "Hello. You have been following us most of the day. Why are you following us?" The fae was all in black leather with green eyes and had black tips on his blonde hair. He was handsome and looked her age but who knows how old fae are anyways.