More practice. It's also a bit of a taster of one of the upcoming dungeons. ^-^
Write an entry for an online blog which describes a time when you felt uncertain or unsure about a situation and how you overcame it.
Link walks ahead of me; striding forward, ready to conquer anything that stood in his way. The forest around us closes in, the trees forming thick wooden walls around us. The light gradually dims, until there's barely any at all. Link stops briefly to pull out his lantern. A small pool of light grows around him.
The flickering flame throws monstrous shadows onto the trunks of the trees. A twig becomes a terrible serpent, reared up and ready to strike with lightning fast speed and accuracy. A fluttering leaf becomes a huge eagle, bearing down from above, claws outstretched and ready to tear us limb from limb.
A chill has set in, sending a shudder down my spine. Yet still Link strides on. Lantern held high, shoulders square. He has the stature of a tree himself, one of the great forest denizens that surround us. Strong enough to withstand anything. Not like me.
Fear gnaws at my heart like a rat on an old bone. Icy tendrils of doubt worming their way into me like parasites, boring into my very soul.
"Link…" I call softly.
He stops and looks at me.
"I…don't want to…" I say weakly, my voice on the verge of cracking.
My mouth is dry, like it's full of dirt.
Around us tall trees look down on the scene like pious judges; their branches interwoven to make a thick ceiling, an impenetrable wall of darkness. The light of the lantern gives the darkness eyes, I feel watched, like prey that senses the proximity of a predator but is unable to find them.
He cocks his head to one side, eyes questioning.
"There's something here…something…I don't think I can…"
I've stopped mid-stride, paw hanging sometimes jerking forwards or backwards as my brain tells it one thing then the other, unable to decide whether to follow or to flee.
The air is heady with the scent of pine. It makes my thoughts muggy and slow. Everything is in sharp focus, everything fighting to gain attention from my eyes. My mind makes mountains out of molehills. Trees warp and grow into towering giants; the carpet of pine leaves a pit of snakes. I try to focus on Link. His features sharp and angular in the light of the lantern, give his face a menacing tone. I focus on his eyes. Deep fathomless pools of blue light, a whirlpool of intrinsic patterns, like scattered sapphires.
His eyes search me, looking for my fears; ready to chase them from my mind with the ferocity of a lion and the loyalty of a wolf.
"I'm…afraid…" I whimper.
It's so quiet here, that even my tiny voice sounds like a thunderclap, echoing through the trees like the forlorn cries of a lost lamb.
The pines leaves beneath me stab into the soft pads of my paws. I can't move, frozen in indecision and fear. In my mind, they become a bed of needles.
Link's fingers immediately find the horseshoe charm around his neck. I know people are relying on us. But why us? Why do we have to do the dangerous stuff?
But that horseshoe reminds me of home. I can smell the soft fresh-cut hay, blown in by a soft sweet breeze. The sound of the goats and children playing fills my mind. I can feel the warm summer light falling on my fur. The smell of warm milk and pumpkins is in the air, so tangible I can taste it. In my mind's eye, there is warmth, light and joy.
Something war, suddenly wraps round me. Link wraps his lean arms around my neck, hugging me close. He smells of pine too, but not this dark dank smell around us. It's the smell of fresh pine, in a forest full of life. Not this necropolis of trees around me. He pulls back and takes the horseshoe from his neck, putting it round my own.
His eyes say everything. Somebody has to protect them.
I know what I have to do. No matter how dark it gets, the stars will always shine. Suddenly, the eyes in the dark canopy above us look more like stars. My fear subsides, it hasn't left, it will never leave. But I'm in control now. Let the forest bare its fangs, for it will find mine's sharper.
As long as I have Link by me, nothing will stop me.
-*Silver*-