CHAPTER 11
Sarah said, "I 'wish' that these two men talking about killing me would freeze in place, not move, their horses would stop and stand there until I lead them away." Sarah led Shadow out of the forest and they went up to the thieves.
Sarah said, "You two are a couple murdering bastards. I'll just be relieving you of everything and turning you into human women, sending you away to another place, broke and stupid as you are. I'm not letting you continue killing and robbing people anymore."
Sarah cut off their purse's and pushed them out of the saddle on the ground. She searched their pockets and took everything.
Sarah said, "I 'wish' that these two men could never commit a crime again, were turned into human women, freed to move and sent to the town of Práis. She was tossing useless things and taking the horses with empty saddlebags. The robbers had a bag of jewelry and other odds and ends.
Sarah tied one horse behind the other and took them with her to the town of Mhaisiúil (fancy). She stopped and fed all the horses an apple and a handful of feed. She fed a bottle to the kittens, had them go to the bathroom and kissed their heads.
Sarah made it to the town of Mhaisiúil at night. She went to the fae blacksmith and sold him the two horses and tack and boarded Shadow for two days.
Sarah went into the inn with her gear and asked, "Can I get a room for the next two nights?"
The fae innkeeper was very handsome, he had green vivid eyes and dark blonde hair in a ponytail. Sarah was surprised because most fae looked good but some were especially attractive to her. He looked her up and down critically and said, "Seven silver a night, meals five and drinks three. Room eight." Sarah gave him fourteen silver to get some coins out of her purse.
Sarah went up to her room, got settled in, setting up the kittens and feeding them. She wanted a good bath. That port town made her feel dirty. She got out everything for bathing, put the kittens in the pouch and went downstairs to get dinner.
Sarah sat down at the only place at the counter and asked the fae innkeeper, "Can I get dinner and wine, please?" The fae looked at her funny and went and got her wine. He handed it to her and went back and brought her a roast mutton dinner with potatoes and spinach. As soon as he put it down the kittens both popped up out of the pouch mewing.
The fae innkeeper looked at them and laughed. Sarah started laughing too. She said chastising them both, "You two had your dinner. This is my dinner."
The innkeeper said, "Are those little cathwyllt kittens?"
Sarah said, "Yes, extra hungry little kittens tonight. I found them at a week old in the woods while camping. Their mother was killed by some animal." She cut tiny pieces of mutton for each of them and they purred like crazy. Sarah took a bite of her dinner and it was very tasty.
The fae bent down and looked down under her hood. He said, "You don't have to hide under there. My name is Keynan."
Sarah said, "My name is Ash. I travel in disguise for security."
He said, "I can understand that, Ash, but you're safe here. I'll watch out for you." Sarah moved her hood back a bit and looked up at him. He gasped.
Keynan said, "I understand now. You're not just a regular looking fae. Where are you from, Ash?"
Sarah said quietly and moved her hood forward, "I'm from very very far away."
Keynan said, "Your people have dark hair?" Sarah nodded. The kittens mewed again. Sarah scratched their ears and gave them little pieces of potatoes with meat juice on it. They licked it off her finger, as she ate.
Sarah said, "No more for you two. You're going to make Keynan think I don't feed you enough." Magus turned around and reached up, putting his paw to her chin. Sarah smiled and rubbed his little head and kissed it. They both popped back inside. Sarah continued to eat. Keynan thought she was a lovely gentle woman different from the fae women he had met.
Suddenly, a big human man the size of a lumberjack with a thick black beard sat down next to Sarah and shoved her with his elbow in her ribs. Sarah tried to move away from him.
The big huge man said, "Give me a refill instead of talking to this little pipsqueak. He ain't nothing important." He elbowed her again. Sarah had enough. Sarah stood up and the beast grabbed her upper arm and tried to break or crush it in his huge hand.
He said, "Where ya think ye be going there, runt!" Sarah got out of his grip.
Keynan shouted, "Get out of my inn!" The kittens started to mew in fear.
Sarah fast as lightning slammed the man's head into the counter and backed out of the way. The man came up with a bloody nose and roared. He stood up about damn near seven feet tall and thick as a wall. He went to grab Sarah and she dodged him and kicked him square in the balls. He went down to his knees with a roar of pain and Sarah jumped up and kicked him in the face with the heel of her boot and punched him in the gut pushing him backwards on the floor. He was out like a light. The room was silent. Sarah stepped around him, slammed down her wine and was grabbing her arm that was in excruciating pain as she hissed and marched up the stairs to her room. The kittens were mewing in fear.
Sarah unlocked the door, locked it and sat on the bed. The kittens were mewing like crazy frightened. Sarah sat the kitten's pouch on the bed and took off her cloak and gloves. Her arm was throbbing in pain. She pulled her braid out of her shirt.
There was a knock at the door. Sarah shakely asked, "Who is it?"
The man said, "It's Keynan." Sarah opened the door and let him in. Sarah sat back down on the bed and the kittens ran out of the pouch and crawled in her lap. She was patting on them with her good arm.
Keynan had another plate of food and wine. He sat the tray down on a little table and said, "Ash, why aren't you healing yourself by now?"
Sarah said in pain and tears in her eyes, about to start to cry, "Because I don't know how."
Keynan cast a spell on her arm and said angrily, "That bastard broke your arm!" He created a crystal and put it to her arm and it was absorbed into her body. Sarah started feeling better but sore.
Keynan asked, "Is the pain going away? I'm glad I came and checked on you." Sarah nodded looking down. He lifted her chin and said, "Don't be ashamed that you don't know how to heal yourself. Why don't you know how, Ash?"
Sarah said, "I was raised by humans and don't know magic. I had a couple friends in Íonachta that taught me some rudimentary magic, but that's all they had time for."
Keynan said, "Why don't you stay a week instead and I'll teach you some more magic and how to heal yourself so it never happens again. Ok?" Sarah looked up at him with tears in her eyes. He leaned in and kissed her mouth. She shied away blushing afterwards.
Keynan apologized, "I'm sorry. You're just so pretty and I lost my head." Sarah giggled and wiped her eyes. She picked up her kittens and cuddled them to her neck. They had calmed down and started purring.
Keynan said, "Consider my offer and I'll see you in the morning, Ash." He got up and went to the door.
Sarah said earnestly, "Thank you very much, Keynan." He smiled at her and left. Sarah locked the door and hung a washcloth on the doorknob. There was no chair to block the door.
Sarah lit a fire and put the kettle on for hot water. She filled the tub and got out her laundry to do tomorrow. Her arm still ached and hoped it would be better by morning. Sarah ate dinner, shared bits with the kittens and drank her wine. She took a hot bath and relaxed in the water, washed her hair and dried it. She was exhausted and went right to sleep.
—--
Jareth had been back in the Goblin Kingdom for four days now. He was glad to see Sarah again, dance with her and try to make amends some more. He almost told her he loved her when Alwin walked up, spiriting Sarah away. While he danced with her the two times, he longed to kiss her pretty lips and did. She was extraordinarily beautiful at the ball in dark ruby red with her dark hair. He was so surprised to see her as a fae. He wouldn't have believed it if they hadn't announced her proper title when she arrived. He hoped that she would contact him soon. He really would like to start courting her formally. His father would then get off his back.
Jareth was waiting for a wish-a-way to go to the above and find out who shutdown Sarah's mirror. His magical signature should be the only one on her vanity mirror. He would have to do a location spell to find it there in Connecticut.
—--Day 36
The next morning, Sarah woke up to having her eyelid licked with little whiskers and wet noses on her face. She started giggling at the little pair of darlings as they purred up a storm waking her up. She picked them up and flipped on her stomach kissing their little faces and rubbing their tummies. They loved putting their paws on her face when she would kiss them.
Sarah said, "I love you so much my little boys. You're so sweet I could eat you up." Sarah got up and went to the bathroom, brushed her teeth, brushed out her hair and got dressed as a girl.
When she went downstairs for breakfast, she sat at the counter and Keynan came out of the kitchen and froze, blinking at her. The room of about ten people was silent staring at her.
He smiled real big and said, "Good morning, Ash. How are you this morning?" He brought one of the patrons their breakfast.
Sarah said, "Good morning, Keynan. I'm just fine, thank you."
Keynan walked back and asked, "Breakfast and tea?"
Sarah smiled, nodded and asked. "Do you have honey?" He smiled and came back with tea, a spoon and a honey jar.
Sarah said, "Thank you." He took her hand which surprised her and kissed it. She blushed prettily. Keynan was highly attracted to her. The rest of the people eating were watching the two interact. He brought her a breakfast of eggs, steak, potato cakes and toast. The kittens popped up again like on a timer and Sarah started giggling at them. She gave them a taste of egg and then a taste of meat. They licked their lips.
Sarah said, "What, do you two want to taste all your food and mine too?" Keynan chuckled and petted the kittens on their heads.
One lady whispered to another so that nobody could hear it, "Keynan hasn't been interested in any one in the last three years since his wife Alyssa went to the fade from losing her baby. This girl is really rare, dark haired and pretty. I hope she treats him right. She seems different. He's such a nice man."
The other lady whispered back, not so quietly, "My niece, Leela, won't be too happy that he's interested in another girl than herself. She's been after him for the last few years. She will be jealous of competition." Sarah heard that. She wasn't planning on getting involved with anyone. Just friends.
Sarah wanted to get a bigger bag for the kittens they were getting pretty big for regular cats and they would be bigger anyway. Sarah figured them to weigh a couple pounds each. She wanted a shoulder strap bag so the kittens could sit between her legs on the saddle in the pouch staying warm in her cloak.
After breakfast, Sarah went to the cobbler, it started snowing pretty steady. Sarah asked the cobbler about a larger fur lined bag and described what she wanted to do with it. He said that he had the perfect thing in the back. He came out with a 16x20 inch fur bag. It gave them some growing room. She told him she wanted it. He measured her for the strap so she could ride with it without bowing over too much and would sit on the saddle on the bottom. Sarah wore the new bag under her cloak for the kittens.
Sarah went to the blacksmith to visit Shadow and wished for a couple carrots. She went up to Shadow and hugged him and said, "Hi handsome, brought you a treat." The horse nickered. Sarah took the curry brush out of her pocket and started brushing him down as he munched on a piece of carrot.
When she moved behind him she started brushing out his tail. The fae blacksmith said, "Be careful girl! He will kick you!"
Sarah smiled at the blacksmith continuing and said, "No, he won't. We love each other. He knows it's me and trusts me like I trust him. He and I are family. He is a brilliant stallion." Sarah came around and gave him another piece of carrot and brushed out his mane and neck. She looked at all his hooves to make sure he was still in good condition.
Sarah said, "Everything is perfect, Shadow, you are the most handsome horse in the Underground." Sarah hugged him and he sighed hugging her back as she petted him. Sarah gave him a piece of the other carrot.
Sarah said, "We may stay here a week, Shadow. What do you think? Is it ok with you? I'll bring you treats and we can stay out of the snow for a while." Shadow nickered and bobbed his head up and down.
Sarah giggled and said, "I thought you'd agree. Good. Do you need anything?" The horse stuck his head out and shook his mane side to side.
Sarah said, "Ok then. Here's the last piece of carrot. I'll see you again real soon, sweetheart." She kissed his nose and gave him the carrot piece. The horse nickered and watched her as his head followed her. She walked to the market and bakery. The blacksmith thought that was the darnedest thing he ever saw. The girl was carrying on a conversation with the horse like a person and it answered her.
