LABYRINTH: Birds Fly Over The Rainbow

Chapter 22

Towards evening it started to snow. Sarah and Brie stepped up to get there faster. It was getting dark. Sarah asked if Brie wanted her own room or wanted to share. Brie said she wanted to share. Sarah smiled and said she didn't mind.

They got to Gáire and rode up to the inn. Sarah grabbed all her baggage and told her to stay until she settled the room and dropped off her baggage and would come help her next. Sarah unloaded Cróga and walked into the inn and got a room. She dropped off her stuff and locked it. She went out to get Brie. She helped her down and helped her with her bags and they got in the room. Sarah took Azure from her neck and put him on the bed. Sarah said get settled in and she'll board the horses.

When Sarah returned she saw Brie playing with Azure gigging like a child. It was so cute. Sarah took her cloak off and gloves and warmed up by the fire in a chair. Sarah was trying to get the chill off her fingers and toes.

Sarah said, "Thanks for making the fire, honey. I was freezing."

Brie said, "I know. Me too. I was wantin' ta warm up tha room fer ye an Azure. He be a darlin' kit." She giggled. Sarah was happy to see her acting like a child.

Sarah stood up and said, "He sure is." She walked over and sat on the bed with them and watched them play.

Sarah said, "Brie, what can I call you when we are acting like boys? I can't call you Brie or Brianna. How about Bri? That's a man's name."

Brianna looked pensive thinking and said, "It be very close to me name. Bri… hmm…ok. Sar, how long we be stayin' here?"

Sarah said, "I put in for three days, because I need directions through the Unicorn Kingdom. I think we need dinner now." Sarah fed Azure and made up his litter box and showed Brie how to do it. She put the screen up on the fireplace and Sarah kissed Azure's head and put him in his pouch around her neck. They put on their cloaks and gloves and pulled the hoods up to hide their faces. They locked the door and went downstairs. There were two seats at the counter and the place was busy. They sat down.

The innkeeper asked, "What ya need?"

Sarah said, "Two dinners and two wines, please." Sarah put one silver two coppers on the counter. He went and poured two cups of wine and sat it in front of them. He went and got two big bowls of lamb stew with spoons. Sarah and Brie ate heartily because it was a delicious stew. They had another wine and Sarah whispered that she wanted to listen to the gossip. Brie nodded.

Sarah heard one man talking to another about grain prices this winter and that the only kingdoms in the northwest that had good crops this year were the Goblin and Unicorn Kingdoms.

Another conversation was how King Jareth and King Folen were being hunted for husbands by six different royal women. He said they have been seen with them all at once at one event or another.

The other man said to him that the Goblin King sleeps with all the pretty ones, while the Unicorn King just sleeps with any of them. They laughed.

Another man said that the Unicorn Kingdom got hit with quite a bit of snow in the mountains and the passageways have the dwarves that live there trying to clear the roads.

His friend said the passage was cleared already according to a couple travelers coming from there yesterday.

Sarah patted Brie to finish up her wine and they went up to the room. Sarah locked the door and put a cloth over the keyhole. They hung up their cloaks and got undressed, put on a night shirt, washed their clothes and hung them up to dry in front of the fire. Sarah asked what she heard and Sarah told her what she heard. They went to bed with another log on the fire. The blacksmith in Gaire took pity on the two brothers traveling after their parents died. Brie was getting better at lying to help get directions.