I'm back with another fanfiction! This one has been in planning for such a long time now. I've really been looking forward to starting this one, and now I can finally write it! I hope you guys are going to enjoy this as much as I am!
A quick note: This story probably won't be updated as often as City Boy was. This is for two reasons. One, I've just entered into my final exam period. I've got a lot of studying to do, and as much as I hate it, that has to take priority. Secondly, my beta reader and I have just set up a new system. It's a longer, more in depth process. This means that chapters will probably be posted slower, but should be of better quality!
PLEASE NOTE: This story has a strong emphasis on travellers and traveller culture. You should know that I have friends who were, and some who still are, travellers. I doubt it will be an issue, but I say this for full disclosure. I care nothing for abusive reviews about 'pikeys' or 'gyppos' or anything of the sort. That's racist and any accounts found to be posting such reviews will be reported without hesitation.
All credit for the cover art goes to DreamlessWings of Deviant Art! Go check her out! Thank you to Princess Zelda-figure skater for beta reading!
Without further hesitation… onwards to the story!
FESTIVAL OF HYLIA
Chapter One - Temporary Home
"And here we are…" Impa says, a small smile setting across her face as she pulls the car to a stop. "Welcome to Kakariko."
I blink a couple of times, trying to get my lazy eyes to focus on my surroundings. After sitting in the back seat of a range rover for the past six hours, I'm finding it a little difficult to acclimatise. It's been one hell of a ride, that's for sure. We must have been on the road for four days after we left the Kokiri forest. We spent nights staying at various camping sites and sleeping in the back of a truck while Impa continued to drive… but we're finally here. Kakariko, it's the home of the Festival of Hylia.
I've been looking forward to this for months. It's such a special occasion, and only takes place once every ten years. It's said to be on the anniversary of the death of Demise. Many thousands of years ago, a brave hero took sword in hand and slayed the evil Demon that threatened to take over Hyrule. And now, ages later, we celebrate his victory with the largest festival this decade will ever see.
At least, that's what Impa has told me. I don't know for certain, I've never been to the Festival of Hylia before. But according to Impa, it's immense. Sheikah and Twili from all over the land travel to the town of Kakariko and come together to celebrate. Music is played and fireworks released. We sing songs around burning bonfires and feast upon special foods. I've travelled all over Hyrule; so naturally, I've been to many festivals. But according to Impa, I'll never go anywhere as special as this ever again.
"Hurry up Zelda!" Sheik says, pulling my car door open. "You've got to give me a hand carrying this stuff. I can't take it all!"
"Yeah, sorry!" I laugh, snapping out of my dizzy day dream. "I must have drifted off for a moment there."
"Too right!" he says, stepping aside and helping me to clamber out of the car. He slams the heavy metal door shut behind me as the two of us make our way around the car. A trailer is strung off the back of the vehicle, holding all our possessions. Bags, boxes, tepee poles and large pieces of fabric are all strapped into the metal trailer. I feel a small smile spread over my lips as I remember that everything I own sits in this trailer.
"Zel, seriously!" Sheik says, poking me with one of the tepee poles. "Stop day dreaming! We have lots to do today!"
"I know, I know, I can't help it!" I reply. "Come on, you should know what I'm like by now!"
"All too well," he quips. "Now come on, let's get to work. You and Mum can start tying all the poles together; I'll get the cover ready."
I give him an understanding nod, pulling some of the poles from the trailer and grabbing a thick piece of rope. I really meant it when I said that I can't help it. It's a nasty habit of mine. Sometimes I slip off into my own little daydreams. I start wondering about the strangest things. I've found myself telling countless 'what if' stories in my head. I've pondered the implications of things that I know will never happen in a thousand years. I've dreamt of alternate universes and virtual realities. There are hundreds of fantasy novellas created from pure imagination that have just come to me in the middle of a boring daily task. It's strange… Sheik calls it a curse, but I prefer to think of it as a gift.
But whilst my mind begins to wonder, I set my experienced hands to work. For the last eight years of my life, I have been doing these same things. Constructing and deconstructing a tepee have become basic knowledge to me. My able fingers know exactly how to tie the ropes and line the poles. They understand the inner working of the tepee complex and how best to fit the fabric. Impa taught me all the ways to unfold and unravel this fabric and wood until a marvellous structure stands before you, as it does now.
A history of art, culture, and beauty seeps through the very material of the tepee. Waxed ink has been etched onto the fabric, depicting every location we've visited of this vast land. We've travelled right from the frosty heights of Snowpeak Mountain in the Eldin province, to the lush paradise in Faron Woods. We've visited many villages and towns. We've marvelled at the highest towers of the Gerudo palace, and been humbled by the natural beauty of the Zora Domain. And now we reside here, in the town of Kakariko.
I turn to look at Sheik, who's kneeling on the ground, busily pinning the corners of the fabric into place. He's seen so much more than I have… he'd been travelling for eight years before I even met him. He visited the very heights of Death Mountain and looked into the raging magma within. He's spent nights in the Sacred Grove, where the Master Sword of a legendary hero once lay. On one occasion, he even set up camp right outside the cave of ordeals in the Gerudo desert. Though the doorway is now caved in completely, forbidding entrance into the cavern complex.
That's one of the things that I really admire about Sheik. He's so well lived. He's done a lot of stuff in the seventeen years that he's been alive, and seen many things. Yet, somehow, he doesn't let this change him. He's always been so laid back and casual about everything. I don't think I've ever seen him get emotional, angry, or upset over anything. Still, that doesn't make him boring. The thing about Sheik is that he could easily boast about his travels, but he doesn't. Instead, he chooses to flaunt his skills with a ukulele or guitar and sing with his silky smooth voice. He never refuses a chance to get up and bust a move, and loves to tell corny jokes. He's a boy obsessed with music, and he likes to tell everyone all about it.
I watch him now, humming as he straightens out the fabric of the tepee. You wouldn't know all the things he's seen just by looking at him. He seems like an ordinary boy. He wears loose fitting blue jeans and a thick black jumper. His blond hair falls lazily around his face, contrasting wildly with his blood red eyes. Sure, he's distinguishable. On the upper side of his left arm, he's got a Sheikah mark tattoo. Not to mention the triforce tattooed onto the back of his left hand. But he doesn't come off as someone special. I only realised that side of him after we started travelling together.
See; the thing about Sheik and Impa is that I'm not really related to them. They're kind of like my surrogate family. They're both Sheikahs. Most of the time, I can pass by without people realising that I'm a Hylian, because we look rather similar to Sheikah. Still; every now and then someone notices. One give away is that it's extremely rare for a Sheikah to have blue eyes like mine. They're usually red, amber, gold or brown. Also, Sheikahs have skills. Each is trained in martial arts from pretty much birth, so they have defence mechanisms that I just can't seem to master. Despite this, most people either don't notice or don't seem to care about me being Hylian. The majority of travellers are either Sheikah or Twili, but I'm able to blend in pretty easily.
Impa has been my guardian since I was eight years old. That's when I first started travelling with her. She took me under her wing and I'm eternally grateful to her for that. She was there for me through the worst of my life, and I'll never forget her kindness. It wasn't just her though… Sheik stepped up too. He took care of me. He was nine years old at the time, thus older and cooler than me. He used to sing me songs while playing his ukulele. He taught me how to plait leather bracelets and where all the best secret hiding places were. He made it his mission to distract me from the horrible thoughts until I could adjust to what had happened. Thanks to them both, I eventually settled into traveller life.
And now here I am, eight years later. The upside to being a traveller is that people can relate to you. Out in the rest of the world, there's an awkward taboo about someone's personal history, but that's not the case here. People listen to your stories, even if you're a complete stranger. Then they laugh and dance and sing with you until your throat and feet ache and you've forgotten all your troubles. That's what I truly love about my traveller life.
I'm suddenly dragged back to reality as I feel a sharp pain prick in my ear. I gasp, blinking rapidly as I dive a little to the left. I snap my head to the right to see Sheik chortling to himself as he claps me on the back. A small smile spreads across my face as I watch him. Of course it was Sheik! Who else was it going to be? I should have known better than to let my mind wander whilst he's around.
"Come on Zel. Get your head out of the clouds, the tepee is finished!" he says fondly.
I carefully study my reflection in the long thin mirror. Nervous jet black pupils stare back at me, resting in a bed of indigo-blue iris. I blink a couple of times, trying to distract attention away from my worn expression. What can I say? Sleeping in the back of a car for four days really takes it out of me. Dark circles reside under my eyes, giving away just how tired I am. I really can't wait for tonight: I'll be able to sleep in a sleeping bag again! Believe me; it beats being squashed up next to Sheik in the back seat.
I turn my body away from the mirror, trying to get a better look at myself. My long golden plait swings around my back as I turn. Its ribbons are begging to run loose… darn. I'll have to get Impa to fix it for me later this evening. I reach up, carefully fingering and thumbing each one of the teal ribbons as I work them out of my hair. Occasionally, my grip catches on fly-away strands of hair, making me wince in pain. But eventually, the ribbons are all out. I fold them together and slip them into my pocket whilst my hair falls loose around my shoulders. I really can't be bothered to fix it right now.
Back when I used to live in a house, I couldn't go anywhere without at least glancing at a mirror. Yet now, it's a completely different story. Travelling and being on the road results in a comfortable slip of appearance on my part. When I'm out and about with Sheik and Impa, I lose interest in what I look like. I somehow suddenly forget the scattering of freckles that run across my nose and cheeks. I lose interest in my fly away hair and oversized ears. And I forget that I have a little bit of an overbite. Even now as I watch that smiling blonde in the mirror, she looks comfortable wearing scruffy clothes. Loose fitting jeans and a pink long sleeved fleece aren't exactly on-trend, but she doesn't care.
"Are you done yet Zelda?" Sheik calls from the other side of the privacy partition.
"Just one moment," I reply.
That's one downside to sleeping in a tepee: there's hardly any privacy. It's all one large circular tent, meaning that there are no corners and nowhere to hide. True, it means that no one gets left out, but it also means that you can't have any alone time. Constant company can get a little grating after a while. These wooden privacy partitions are the closest thing I get to my own space, so I make the most of it whilst I can use them.
"Yeah, well you might want to hurry up," he says, "there's someone here that you'll want to see!"
I pause, frowning. "Who?"
"Hey Zelda," comes a bright, cheerful, voice from the other side of the partition. A sharp gasp runs along my windpipe as the sudden realisation dawns on me. My eyes grow wide with shock and I rush to shove the partition aside. I'd recognise that voice anywhere. Like I could ever forget! As my line of sight to the rest of the tepee is cleared, I find exactly what I was hoping for. Sheik is stood, grinning like a kid in a candy store as he watches my reaction. And there, just to his left, she stands.
Long auburn hair falls in impossibly soft curls around her shoulders. Two thin plaits run along the sides of her head, keeping her hair out of her face. Her bright red eyes glimmer in the dulled light as she laughs a little at my reaction. She lifts her pale arms to shoulder height, beckoning for me to hug her because she knows how much I've missed her. Dark lips curl into smile as I run right over and we meet in a tight embrace.
"Midna!" I exclaim, allowing her scent to flood my nostrils. Oh that smell… it makes me reminisce about all the time we've spent together. Memories begin swarming in mind of days long passed. Like the three of us sitting by the shores of Lake Hylia scratching our names into the sand, or dancing on the wooden bridge to the Gerudo Valley with her. My fondest memory though, is when we watched the sun set from the outmost edge of Hyrule field.
See, Midna's family are travellers too. She's spent her whole life rattling around in the back of a beat up campervan with her parents and brother Zant. Between all the tribal festivals, location scouting and soul searching, they sometimes visit festivals like this. When that happens, our paths normally cross. I've gotten so used to seeing her at these big events, that over time she's become my best friend.
Midna's what I like to call a free spirit. She lives in the moment, without a care in the world. She's not the kind of girl who worries about her future. She doesn't stress about not having a boyfriend or what she's doing with her life. She never questions anything or anyone, and I adore that about her. I think that I really need to be more like Midna. She's so calm and relaxed; she just rolls with the punches. I wish I could do that.
"It's good to see you too Zellie," she laughs as we break apart. She rests her warm hands on my forearms, still smiling.
"How've you been?" I ask. "It's been too long since we last saw each other."
"Two months," Sheik says, his hands lazily slung in the pockets of his jeans. He's trying his best to act calm and casual, like her doesn't really care… but I know the truth. I know he's crushing on Midna, big time. I've seen the way he looks at her. It's been the same ever since Midna and I started being friends because Sheik was always there too. He acts up, shows off, and tries his best to get her attention. Not to mention all the long lingering looks he gives her whilst she's walking away… he's totally smitten.
"I know," she replies. "Oh goddess… look I'm sorry but I really have to go. I promised Zant that I'd give him another guitar lesson today. I really should make a move… but I promise we'll catch up properly later, ok?"
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit disappointed, but I guess these things can't be helped. "No problem," I reply. "I'll see you this evening then at the bonfire?"
"Sounds great!" she says, giving my arm a gentle squeeze before turning and heading towards the exit of the tepee. The light fabric of her long skirt ruffles around her ankles as she leaves. And I can't help but notice Sheik staring. His mouth hangs open a little bit, a smile just tugging at the very corners of his lips. He's not doing a very good job of hiding his feelings is he? I grin as I pinch his side, watching him squirm.
"What was that for?" he asks.
"You were practically drooling!" I laugh.
He looks down a little, clearly embarrassed. "Wasn't…" he mumbles.
I roll my eyes, turning away from him and heading towards the exit. "Say whatever you want to Sheik, it won't change the facts!"
