CHAPTER 2
Later that morning early, Jareth went to the dungeon and found it empty with the door still locked.
Jareth hollered, "Guards!" At least six guards came running to him. He shouted in frustration, "Where is my human female prisoner! Who was on guard last night??! Didn't you do a check in rounds?!"
The one guard said, "She was there last night on the bench laying down last I saw on the end of my shift. Dannel and Garren took over last night." Jareth was pissed off.
Jareth sneered saying, "Get them here now!"
When the two guards from the night shift arrived they were shaking in their boots, Jareth demanded, "When did the prisoner disappear?"
The guard Garren said, "She was there on the last of my rounds. Dannel and I switch back and forth between us."
Jareth growled and spat, "What time was that?"
Garren meekly said, "Three in the morning. We switched at five."
Jareth looked at Dannel, his eyes were big and he was about to pee his pants. Jareth asked in a nasty tone, "So, was she there at four?"
Darrel said nervously, "I thought I saw her there." Jareth threw a crystal at him and he vanished, being dropped into the Bog Of Eternal Stench.
Jareth asked, "Who was on at five o'clock? It's five twenty now." The two dayshift guards came up and said it was them. Jareth said incredulously, "You didn't raise the alarm?"
The one guard said, "We were about to do our rounds when you came up, your majesty."
Jareth growled and was trying to see Sarah in his crystal but it was solid black. He tried a location spell and nothing happened. In his frustration and anger he threw it at the guards and stomped off to do a labyrinth search flying over as an owl.
Jareth transformed and flew over the labyrinth looking for signs of her. He figured she had a two and a half hour head start. He knew that the maze was dangerous and she was susceptible to any number of traps and threats. He was flying over but could not see the black figure hopping quickly from one wall to the next, traveling north on top of the labyrinth.
When Jareth landed he marched down into the catacombs and up to the well of green mist.
Gaia saided, "My king."
Jareth said cryptically, "I have brought the champion from above back to be mine."
Gaia said, "I am sorry my king she is forfeit. You brought a titled Lady to the Underground. She is the only human that is both."
Jareth said in complete disbelief, "So, what does this matter? She is a human."
Gaia said, "It is against my laws to take my champion, unless she willingly swears fealty to your kingdom. The champion has not done that. If you had consulted me before you took it upon yourself to remove her from all she knows and try to enslave her. I would have explained this, but you did not. My champion is no slave to anyone and I am her guardian now. You will do well to forget her. She no longer is destined to be your queen and bows to no one at this time."
Jareth exploded and screamed in a rage. He shouted accusingly, "NOT MY QUEEN??!!! How can you say that?! You changed her destiny?!"
Gaia said, "No I did not, my king. You did it by breaking my laws." Jareth was fuming.
He never expected losing Sarah completely by a rash decision. Jareth turned and stormed out of the catacombs before vanishing back to his castle's informal throne room. He sat on his throne pinching the bridge of his nose thinking about everything and becoming more and more depressed. He just ruined all he wanted.
—--
Sarah stopped and ate a granola bar in her bugout bag and drank from a bottle of water she had in the kit. She was four hours into this journey to find the edge of the maze. She never realized how huge it was. The look from the top looks like it goes on forever. She thought there had to be an edge coming up soon.
Sarah thought, 'Oh Gaia, I should have asked you how long this would take.'
Gaia replied in her head, 'It's not much further, my champion.'
Sarah thought, 'Is this how we communicate now?'
Gaia said, 'Yes, my champion. Say my name and I will hear your thoughts.'
Sarah thought, 'Thank you Gaia, I don't feel so all alone now.'
Gaia said, 'Be safe my champion.'
Sarah started traveling again, until she finally reached the edge of the maze. Sarah used her grappling hook and lowered herself down the wall. She started running across a field, stopped and said, "I 'wish' for a beautiful solid black stallion with a kind intelligent temperament and a full tack in black leather. A horse wearing full tack was standing next to her.
Sarah walked up to it and said, "You're a beautiful boy. My name is Sarah. Will you be my new friend?" She put out her hand to touch his muzzle. He nickered and groaned.
Sarah slowly petted his head and asked, "Can I name you? How about I call you Shadow. Is that name ok?" The horse snorted and put his head up and down.
Sarah giggled and said, "I can see you are a brilliant horse. I think I'm gonna love you." The horse put its head on her shoulder and groaned.
She patted his neck and nose. "You're such a lovely horse. I'm gonna need to run quickly away from here and need your help. I am thanking you in advance, Shadow." The horse whinnied.
Sarah tied down her gear to the saddle and mounted the horse. She leaned down and patted his neck. She turned him to the north and gave him a little nudge and they were flying across the field.
After a few hours, Sarah had him slow down to a halt and she spotted rabbits in the underbrush. She took out her longbow and quiver of arrows from her bug out bag and got down off the horse. Sarah hooked the bow string and fastened her sling to it being she was going to have to use it more often. She took aim and shot a rabbit. She gutted and skinned it leaving the head, skin and entrails for the local wildlife. She tied a string on it and hung it to drain off below the saddle.
As evening came, Sarah looked for a good place to camp. She found a clump of trees by a brook. She set up her round disk pop up tent, put the gear inside, and unsaddled Shadow and staked him by the water and dead grass. She collected wood, kindling and rocks for her fire. She got a fire going and pulled out two small pots for hot water and a teabag for her cup with a spoon. She scavenged for nuts, berries and wild carrots on the cold ground and bushes. She put them into a pot of rice with her roasted rabbit on a homemade spit.
Sarah wondered if there were inns or taverns to rent a room from in the towns and cities like anywhere else. That night she used a gallon plastic bag in her gear for her leftovers for morning. She slept with one eye open and her gun next to her hand and head.
—--
Jareth was upset about changing Sarah's destiny. He thought about how to circumvent and try to get her back. There was no way unless he could charm her and woo her like any other female. He remembered her face behind the cell door. He never saw her so enraged, screaming obscenities at him with emerald angry eyes flaring. She was growling and screaming that she hated him and would never forgive him. He tossed and turned all night.
—--Day 3
The next morning, Sarah went out in the woods to go to the bathroom, she washed her hands in the stream and started the fire back up. She made tea and ate her leftovers out of the bag. She thought about currency to survive here. She would need enough to supply herself and buy clothing to blend in.
Sarah said, "I 'wish' that I had a bag of the best currency used in the Underground." A black leather bag materialized next to her. She reached over and put it between her legs. She took twenty five gold coins out of it and put them in her front jeans pockets. She took it into the tent and counted it. There were 475 gold coins. Sarah put five more in her pocket and split it up in gallon plastic bags as 235 in each of the saddle bags that came with the full tack on the horse. Sarah took items from her duffle bag and put them around covering it. She was making it tight so as not to jingle. She had fifteen gold in each pocket of her jeans.
Sarah packed up everything and saddled the horse tying everything down. She rode on for the rest of the day. As evening set in she spotted a town up ahead. She kept her voice low and her face back in her hood not looking at anyone straight on. She was paranoid to draw attention. There was a busy tavern or inn. Sarah went to the blacksmith to board her horse.
The man was human big with salt and pepper hair in a leather apron. Hpe asked, "Whatcha need, boy?"
Sarah said, "Board for two nights."
He looked her up and down and said, "Ye checked in at the inn yet?" Sarah shook her head no.
He said, "Ye better check ifin' they be havin' a room first. We be havin' a fae weddin' today an may be full up."
Sarah took Shadow to the inn and tethered him to the post outside. She went inside and asked for a room for two nights. The fae innkeeper said he had one left for eight silver. Sarah gave him two gold and he gave her back four silver coins and a key to room eleven. Sarah went back out and took the horse back to the blacksmith and gave him a silver coin. He gave her back two copper coins. Now, she knew the currency exchange.
Sarah unsaddled Shadow and hung his tack on a peg on the wall. She took her baggage and walked back into the inn and up to room eleven. Sarah locked the door and put a chair by the fire under the doorknob. It blocked the keyhole and added extra security.
Sarah said, "I 'wish' that nobody could enter my room until after I remove my belongings tomorrow morning." She took off her cloak, gloves and belt and laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. It was raucous downstairs.
Suddenly, someone smashed into her door shouting, "You're gonna pick locks you bastard, pick up your teeth instead!"
Sarah got up and put everything back on quickly and moved the chair. Looking through the keyhole two men were fighting in the hallway. Sarah watched the one man the fae innkeeper made a crystal ball appear in his hand and smashed it into the human man's face. The human man screamed and vanished. Sarah opened the door and looked at the fae man. He had dark blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail, very tall and slender with green jade eyes. He was bleeding from a cut on his lip.
Sarah blinked in surprise and looked in the face of the fae and asked concerned, "Are you ok? You're bleeding." He got a bit of a look at her face under the hood and thought he saw the prettiest human woman with emerald green eyes.
He smiled at her and said, "I'm just fine. I just eliminated a thief that snuck up here whilst everyone was busy. Come down for dinner. I'll get you a plate 'on the house', it's a wedding feast after all." Sarah smiled at him and nodded. She locked the door and followed him downstairs. He was in a poet's straight white shirt with lacings open and loose black pants with black boots. He had her sit at the counter and got her a big plate of food and wine, even a piece of cake.
The innkeeper got close and asked loudly over the crowd, "What's your name? I'm Malcolm. Welcome to the town of Adharc (horn)." He put his hand out. Sarah was thinking of a name to call herself and decided on mixing up the spelling.
Sarah said, "Ashar, but you can call me Ash." She shook his hand. He smiled at her and looked around and said, "Excuse me."
He shouted, "Get your ass down from there and get out of my inn!" Another person was trying to sneak up the stairs. Malcolm threw a crystal and the guy disappeared. Sarah shook her head and thought, 'When will people learn?'
The food was good and Sarah ate every bite. She was very hungry. She hoped to find a market, clothing and leather maker tomorrow. Malcolm became busy keeping people under control as they got drunk.
Sarah went up to her room and there was a tub, pump, kettle and a privy. Sarah made a fire and heated a kettle of water for a bath. She took off her cloak, hung it on a peg and strung her grappling hook rope around the room to make a clothesline. Sarah took a bath, washed her hair and her dirty clothes. She just wanted the sweat and dirt off her skin and hair for now. She dumped the tub out the window.
When her hair was finally dry, she fell asleep hard in the bed. She was completely exhausted from two harrowing days.
