CHAPTER 17
Elora asked, "You keep them warm traveling in that pouch?"
Sarah laughed and said, "Yes, I got them a proper fur lined pouch to stay in while I travel. I give them a bottle of milk for lunch when I am on the road, but they eat cooked chopped meat with milk."
Elora said, "You are a kind person to take such good care of your animals." Sarah said thank you. The tea was boiling in the pot.
Sarah said, "Do you have a cup and a spoon? I have tea and honey?"
Elora smiled and asked, "Can I bring a couple of friends to share tea?"
Sarah smiled and said, "Of course you can." Elora zoomed out and got her friends and a cup. When the three of them zoomed back. There were two blonde fairies. All three were in different gossamer fabric dresses of different colors.
Elora said, pointing to the dark blonde fairy, "This is Zenthea. Zenthea, this is the Labyrinth Champion, Lady Sarah." Zenthea nodded at Sarah. She was wearing a blue gossamer dress.
Elora said, pointing to the light blonde fairy, "This is Dalanna. Dalanna, the Labyrinth Champion, Lady Sarah." She was wearing a pink gossamer dress that flowed as they moved. All three fairies had long flowing lovey hair with little flowers wreaths on their heads
Sarah said, "Pleased to meet you all." They all had large acorns for cups. Sarah said, "Let me get us tea and sit wherever you like." She filled each of their cups and had them dip their spoons into the honey jar. Sarah did her cup too, after them. Her barley and vegetables with meat were boiling away cooking, and she added a bit of thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. The cave was getting warm and comfortable. Sarah took off her cloak and waistcoat.
Sarah made up the kitten's dinner in their two bowls. She called softly, "Magus, Merlin, dinner! Come, eat babies." The kittens ran out and mewed, then ate.
The fairies all said, "Aww…"
Sarah said fondly, "They are my cuddle bug boys, all snuggled up to my chin and neck at night when we sleep. They are very sweet." The fairies loved that Sarah was such a kind woman.
The dark blonde fairy, Zenthea, said, "Most humans are afraid of us."
The light haired fairy, Dalanna, said, "Most fae ignore or dismiss us too."
Sarah said, "That's rude. Everyone deserves respect. I was taught manners. I don't like people who treat others without value." The fairies all smiled at her.
Zenthea asked, "Do you know that you have fairy venom in you, Lady Sarah?" Sarah looked at her in surprise.
Sarah said, "I was bitten thirteen years ago outside the labyrinth before my run. I was trying to help a tiny fairy after she was sprayed with some kind of insect repellent. She bit my finger and flew away."
Elora asked, "Did she have white hair?" Sarah nodded and said yes. "Then it was a queen. No wonder you were infected. It must have laid dormant in you until you came back from Aboveground. Magic stimulates the growth of the venom in your blood."
Sarah asked curiously, "What will happen once it is through me?"
Dalanna said, "You will turn fae because of your human attributes. Being you are already fae, it will increase your capacity and enhance you." Sarah looked at them wide eyed.
Sarah said, surprised, "How soon do you think it will happen?"
Zenthea said, "Any day now in the next few days."
Sarah earnestly said, "I appreciate you all telling me about it. It would have shocked me to have it happen and not know." The fairies smiled.
Dalanna said, "You are very special, Lady Sarah. You are so very different from everyone else in the Underground. You are not mean or manipulative like some people. They take without asking. They try to get you to give them something in return. You don't do that. You are special that way."
Elora said, "Someone approaches. Stay here, Lady Sarah, for now."
Sarah said, "Can I listen?" Elora smiled and nodded yes.
The three men rode towards the pool. They were fae. One said, "Go into the cave and see who's in there. Take whatever you can from them. If it is a green eyed dark haired female fae or any human, capture them." A blonde fae man in a black cloak dismounted while one of them held his horse's halter.
Elora flew in his face and said, "You are not permitted in our pool's vicinity." The fae swatted her, knocking her to the ground, hitting a rock. She didn't get back up.
Dalanna flew at him, casting a spell. The fae's legs were glued to the ground. He cast a freezing spell on her, and she fell to the ground. Zenthea flew at him and bound his hands, casting a freezing spell on him. His friends dismounted and started casting to strike her as she dodged crystals being thrown at her. Sarah had enough. Sarah put on her waistcoat and wished her eyes and hair back to normal, and then wished for all the fae men's arms bound and legs glued to the ground. The fae men were shouting, but bound.
Sarah walked out of the cave and picked up her two fairy friends gently into her arms to protect them.
Zenthea flew to Sarah's shoulder and asked, "Are they ok?"
Sarah said, "They will be. I 'wish' these two fairies in my arms were in perfect health." They both woke up among the shouting and cursing the fae men were doing while struggling.
Elora said weakly. "Thank you, Sarah."
Delanna said softly, "Yes, thank you, Sarah."
Sarah said, "If you don't mind, let me deal with them. They are after me, so it seems, and I changed back to my original colors. I'm sick of being afraid of capture." The fairies flew up in the air.
Sarah smiled evilly and said, "As for you three. Shut up! Here's what's going to happen. I am going to teach you a lesson you'll never forget. I will change you into naked human females and introduce you to your centaur lovers."
The fae men scoffed at her, and the leader said, "You won't touch us fae filth. You can't do anything because the High King sanctions us."
Sarah sauntered over to him and said, "Normally you would be right, but I'm fed up with you sick bastards. I have magic. This time you're wrong. You have been set up by the High King for not telling you. I am the Labyrinth Champion, Lady Sarah, and I have wish magic. You are not hunting for a free chance to sell to the ogres and centaurs. If you find me. I am fully capable of making you into whatever. Are you ready to meet your centaur lovers?" They started begging her not to.
The leader was scared now. Sarah said, "I 'wish' these three fae men were turned into naked human females and being sold to the centaurs." They screamed when they changed and then disappeared.
Sarah said, "I 'wish' all of the three fae men's belongings were put in a pile in the cave, except the horses and tack." Sarah grabbed the reins of the three horses and led them to the shelter to unsaddle them, and the three fairies widened the shelter for her. She took their three saddlebags.
Sarah went back into the cave and the kittens were mewing like crazy. Sarah sat down the saddlebags. She said, "It's ok, my little babies." They ran to her, and she scooped them up, cuddling them. The fairies were following her back to the cave. She cuddled the kittens, and they started to purr.
Sarah asked, "If I go through everything, would you like anything in your share of money and such?" The fairies looked at her, stunned.
Sarah asked, "What?"
Dalanna, wide eyed, said, "You really would share with us?"
Sarah said, "Of course I would. I'm your friend, right? I think we have become friends. I would never say it if I didn't mean it." They beamed smiles at her. Sarah ate her meal and cleaned up. She made more tea and poured everyone a cup with honey. Sarah started going through everything she found. There was 5134 gold, 1428 silver, 56 coppers, two gold pocket watches, thirteen pocket watches, three jewelry boxes, four bags of jewelry. She wished away the tents, blankets, and clothes to the people who need them most.
The fairies and Sarah looked over everything. The fairies took what they wanted, a piece of jewelry each, and told Sarah to keep the rest. Sarah picked out a few pieces to put in her jewelry box.
Sarah wished for three small diamonds out of her locket and gave each of them one. The fairies were holding them up, looking at them like prisms in the light.
Sarah said, "Everytime you look at them, you will think of me and remember." The fairies emphatically claim they will always remember her.
Sarah said, "That's good because you are my favorite fairies, due to the last one bit me. It may have been for the greater good though. I figure that it causes change that just leads you to the next change on the path of life."
Zenthea said, "That is very insightful. I like that."
Elora said, "Well, we will leave you now to get rest and see you in the morning."
Sarah said, "Thank you, and have a nice evening, ladies." They smiled and waved at her as they left.
—--52 days
Sarah woke up and went out to go to the bathroom in the woods. She saddled the horses, which took a while because there were six of them. She fed them each a carrot, an apple, and a couple of handfuls of sweet feed each. They had their breakfast, so Sarah went into the cave and got the fire going and made tea and fed the kittens. The fairies came in and visited, and she shared tea with them and her walnut raisin oatmeal cookies. They were all smiles.
Sarah seriously said, "I'll miss you ladies."
Elora said, "We will miss you, too. I want you to have this to remember us by." She handed her a crystal flower that looked like a purple tiger lily. It had purple instead of orange and white spots instead of black. It was beautiful and very reflective and had a very glossy glow on it.
Sarah said, "This is so very beautiful. I want to avoid breaking it."
Zenthea smiled and said, "It won't break. It's a magical lily."
Sarah said, looking it over, "It is so very appreciated. I'll treasure it always." She placed her lily into her jewelry box safely and zipped up her duffle bag. She started moving out her stuff, packing it on her horses, the one behind Shadow too, so he didn't have to carry everything. Sarah went back and broke down the tent.
Sarah said, "I will wish everything away to make everything as it was when I came here."
Elora said, "Thank you, Lady Sarah." Sarah wished the bucket, wood, rocks, soot, trough and hay to disappear. She had her kittens in her pouch and was ready to go. She mounted Shadow.
Sarah said, waving, "Goodbye, dear friends. Blessed be." They waved at her as she left.
