226 She's Not Free

"Oh, so you are the miscreants, the wrong doers, traitors, perhaps?" Jareth asked with a hint of laughter in his tone.

"And what would you know about us elf? For all I know, you have been living and enjoying your life, what do you know about being called a traitor, a thief and be cast out from amongst your people, your race?!"

"Do not talk to him like that!" Astrid yelled.

All eyes turned to look at her. She looked so frail like a porcelain plate that could break if not handled with care, but the audacity and authority in her voice, betrayed her appearance.

The tall man furrowed his brows at her as he took this chance to asses her from head to knee. "Why shouldn't I, huh? What are you going to do about it?"

"Just because you think something is as it is, doesn't mean it is. Assumptions are wrong and they can kill. You think because he looks this way he hasn't had it tough? The whole Elven kingdom think of him as a traitor."

At the same time, all their gazes swept from Astrid to Jareth, looking at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Is that true? What crime did you commit to that extent, I wonder?" the man said, crossing his hands in front of him as he awaited Jareth's answer. "What? Suddenly you have gone mute? What happened to be bravery you sowed us just now."

Just as Jareth was to reply his useless effort at sarcasm, Astrid spoke up, beating him to it.

"Let's just say for helping someone he shouldn't have helped."

"Why am I not surprised. I was about to come to that, seeing an elf and a human journeying together. And you," he said, raising his chin to Astrid.

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"What about me?"

"What offense did you commit?" he asked, piquing the interest of everyone.

No one believed she was capable of killing an ant, so they had wondered what she must have done to be considered an outcast like them.

Not that she ever voiced out that she was one, but seeing her with Jareth, they had guessed she was the one he helped that branded him a traitor.

"I killed a man that were about raping me and my aunt killed a soldier, that was about the same situation," Astrid half lied.

It wasn't a complete lie, seeing as that was the truth, but not the entire truth. They didn't need to know much, just this was enough, she hoped.

"There was no way the King would have spared us, especially after taking the life of a soldier. So we ran."

"Where is your aunt now?" the man asked, still considering whether to believe her or not.

"She died from an arrow wound as she fled the kingdom."

No one said anything, they were all in a daze and dumbfounded on what to make of the story.

"I am sorry for what you went through," the man apologized, shocking everyone present.

'Wait, did he just apologize to me?!'

Astrid could barely believe her ears just now. Why was he apologizing to her? Was it due to her loss or her ordeal? She couldn't tell. Nevertheless, she behaved as though she wasn't bothered, showing no form of emotion on her face as she stared blanking at him.

"Thanks."

"Anyways, since you are outcasts like us, you are welcomed to stay here," The man gestured with his hands spread at his sides. "But," he continued, his eyes darting from Astrid to Jareth, "You must first earn the right to be amongst us and considered our equal."

'I knew it, there's always a catch. Nothing good comes easy right? Who told him we needed a place to stay anyway?' Jareth thought, his mind now finally getting back to work.

"How so? What do we need to do?" Jareth asked catching them unaware with his question.

It was not that he wanted to stay here, but they needed to gain their trust before escaping because from the look of things, they may not let them out.

"We would get there. There is no hurry."

"Why? What if we do not want to stay here?" Astrid asked, her eyes narrowed as she looked at the man in front of her closely.

He finally let his hands down and took two steps closer to her, bending down in front of her face. "You have somewhere better to go to?"

His deep and calm voice with a hint of a mischievous laughter, resounded in her ears. She didn't say anything, she only looked back into his eyes, not backing down from his intimidating look.

"I intend to explore the world and not be cooked up in one place."

"Hahha ahha…"

As soon as she finished her sentence, a loud roar of laughter erupted, carrying a stinging sound into her ears and Jareth's because when she turned to look at him, she saw him wince and tilted his head to the side, using his shoulder to block one of his ear.

At that moment, she felt said for him. His senses were heightened and if she felt their laughter was stinging and annoying, what then would he feel?

She shot him an apologetic look and he smiled back at her before shaking his head slightly and mouthed, 'Don't reject the offer,' at her. She nodded and returned her gaze back to the men.

"What's so funny?" Astrid asked, feigning ignorance.

"You are. You and your dream," it was the first man that replied her. She shifted her gaze to his direction and shot him a disapproving look.

She never liked him, well never liked any of them, but this man in particular gave her the creep. He was making a fuss seeing her and Jareth close together. Was he jealous or something? Even if he was jealous, he'd never be half the elf Jareth was and her heart belonged to him and her beast.

Those were the kind of thoughts running through her mind when he winked at her and stared at her body lustfully.

Jareth caught sight of this and got pissed off. 'What is he staring at? Why is he giving her that look?' he felt like punching the man in the face and gorging his eyes out for staring at Astrid lustfully.

"What do you think is left in the magic realm for you to explore?" The second man asked her, pulling her attention back to him now.

"Fortland is gone and so is the sorcerer's kingdom. The other part f the world is void, empty," the second man chipped in.

"Do not get him wrong when he says void. Brad just like to put it that way. There are animals, plants and the likes but no being. They all vanished into thin air years ago. At least since you are quite young, you never witnessed it, but you should have heard about it." The first man added, further buttressing on the point the second in command made.

"Haven't you heard the tale?" he asked, his face now turning serious.

"I have."

"Then why do you still want to venture out into the void when you can be with people of like mind here?"

Normally, the leader wouldn't even bother in convincing anyone. If they felt they could survive the void with dangerous beasts and creatures lurking around, then by all means they should.

But this time around he did and although Astrid and Jareth didn't know why, the others knew. In this their small village, there were only a few women here, with the proportion at 80 to 20 percent.

They needed more ladies and if they could find one as pretty as Astrid, who would pass up on that chance to keep her, than let her be eaten by a beast, so they thought.

Little did they know that she was more than just a pretty girl, she was something much more, more than their sorry lives could ever imagine.

"Fine, we would stay." Astrid rolled her eyes at him. This was what they wanted right? For them to stay.

"You don't really have a choice, pretty," the second man said.

Jareth frowned at his words and spoke up."What do you mean by that?"

"You would soon find out," he spat back at Jareth, giving him a deadly glare.

"I thought you said you are free here. So why don't I have a choice?" Astrid shot back at them.

"What he means is that, as outcasts, not many ladies are found in such a place, we have fewer ladies here. And I, Clive, I have my eyes set on you, we all do."

'Insolent beasts,' Jareth said in his mind, his hands clenched at his back into a fist hearing them shamelessly talk about their desire.

"Seeing as you are young and free, you can be mine, if you like."

"She's not free!"