At the center of infinite nothingness and endless time, he floated.
If he were able to pace, he would have. Like a trapped animal, with a fury that only multiplies to fill the void drowning him. Unbearable hate of the one person that he wants to destroy, bit by bit. Torture and strain until he called for mercy, then even more he would scream...
A pain undelivered, biding his time until he could face that one person once again.
He is smart, still, in the rare moments the ferocity ebbs. He knows he cannot reach his vengeance with anger, but with planning. With an intelligence....so he pauses once more and he thinks. An escape that is impossible, unreachable alone. He needs someone, something.
Rage threatens to overcome him again, frustration of unmarked solitude and not one solution. He roars, and if he could, he would have charged the nearest object and torn it to pieces.
He needs an out, and he needs it to come soon.
Chapter One - A Curious Invitation
When Queen Zelda asked Sheik to come to Hyrule, the warrior had been thoughtful.
The day was beautiful, a glorious sun shining down on the flowering trees and brilliant green grasses from high above. The gentle flow of the small stream along Kakariko that empties into the Zora Domain trickled steadily as it did every other day, adding a familiar noise to the atmosphere. The air was crisp and clean, and as Sheik's horse trotted along the fields of Hyrule, the normally serious and wise Sheikah had a sudden urge to speed along the tall grasses and laugh. The corners of his lips turned up slightly at the thought.
A slight breeze gained strength, letting the leaves rustle in their own type of melody. Sheik wished he had brought his harp, and Link's ocarina would have blended in perfectly to create a melodious harmony. It had been too long since he had seen his friend.
His daily routine was starting to get more than a little boring. Living among his people had its advantages, and the small amount of Sheikah that remained from a once great empire of protectors and warriors had now dwindled to almost nothing. Slowly their numbers were increasing, and it heartened the young Sheikah to see it. But living in a village, helping out with the small troubles that a town inevitably has, was just too much for his warrior spirit. Sheik wondered of Link felt the same.
He had decided to travel, go out beyond Hyrule and it's neighboring countries. Yet somehow Zelda's messenger had found him, telling him nothing more than Zelda had sent for him.
Sheik's light musings once again turned to his original question, the reason for his summon. True, his visits to Hyrule have been few and far between.
"Only in times of great joy or great sorrow" Sheik muttered beneath the preliminary turban that always covered half of his face and hair. "Perhaps she misses my company? I always was a talker." Sheik grinned again at his own joke, and his horse snorted.
As Hyrule castle came up into view, a feeling he hadn't felt in some time swelled within his chest. A true, carefree joy. Time had stretched in the few years since the great battle that had banished Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm. The Sheikah was looking forward to seeing his friends again.
Jota, the guard at the bridge to Hyrule Marketplace, was an attentive man. His job was to watch for travelers and townsfolk, judging character and personality. "A curious face is bound for mischief" was his motto. Often he looked over the bridge, eyes squinting against the sun, searching for a figure. But mostly his post was down on the ground, greeting visitors.
Yet this particular day, Jota was listening to his fellow guard Huron as he spoke in an increasing pace about their resident Hero made Captain. There wasn't a person in Hyrule Market Town who didn't know Link. Less than a quarter had actually seen him though, as he preferred not to be recognized. Usually sneaking in wrapped in a cloak or through the castle the back way.
"They say he's seven feet tall and huge, so strong he could break that stone building back there." Huron was babbling while Jota listened, pretending not to be as interested as he actually was. "But today Link was made Commander of the Hyrulian army. I actually got to see him - he looks like no more than a boy! I thought to myself, he defeated Ganondorf?"
"I heard he had magical powers, like Queen Zelda" Jota said, forgetting to act like he didn't care. "He can conjure up fire and ice out of thin air"
"No no," Corrected Huron, "He has magical knives that burn or freeze at will."
"Why would he have magical knives if he can wield the Master Sword?"
Huron didn't have an answer, so he ignored the question. "Anyway, some of the other men are a bit angry that they're going to be trained by someone half their age. He's calling for all soldiers, even senior officers, to report for a physical test to see how they perform and if they're in top shape"
Both guards glanced down to their stomachs, which were beginning to hang out more than they should.
"Was he like they said?" Jota asked
"Quiet as a mouse. Just smiled, waved and left."
"You think he can actually train men?"
Huron shrugged. "Well, he is the Hero of Time."
The clip clop of hooves interrupted the guard's conversation, and Jota hurriedly climbed up the gate to look over at who was arriving. As the figure came into plain view, Jota grinned as he recognized the man.
"Master Sheik!" Jota called up over the wall, smiling as he saw an answering wave.
The Sheikah didn't come often, but Jota knew him as an important man. One of Queen Zelda's most trusted advisors, but as kind as they come. The guard had no word against the Sheika, and hopped down from his perch. Huron in the meantime had hurried back to his post, not wanting to be caught off duty.
The arrival sounds increased, and Sheik came, crossing the bridge to jump of his horse and lead him in.
"Hello, Jota" Sheik greeted warmly, his deep voice always comforting and familiar. "How do you fare today?"
"Good as ever, Master Sheik" Jota replied. "What brings you here today? Come to see Sir Link's ceremony?"
Sheik's eyebrows rose a bit. "Actually, I wasn't exactly told what I was called for, but I seemed to have missed this news. Ceremony for what exactly?"
"Ah you don't know, then? Sir Link's been made Commander of the Hyrulian army."
Sheik smiled again under his mask, amused at the news. "Has he now..."
~*~
"Link, if you pace any more you'll wear down my floor."
Link looked up at Zelda's voice with a half grin, eyes glancing down to see if there really was any damage done.
"Oh. Yes, sorry."
Zelda smiled softly. "I'm sure you'll do fine in your new position." Link appreciated the effort.
It had been three years since Zelda had been made Queen with still no King at her side, yet no person could say her wrong. She ruled with all the care that her father had before her, knowing in the ways of politics and law with the wisdom of the Sages behind her. She was almost always busy, and Link appreciated her taking the time to be with him this one day.
He just wished she didn't make such a big deal out of it. He shrugged.
Truthfully, it wasn't his new position that was making him nervous. It had been happening since the morning ....a gut feeling that he couldn't quite place. A feeling of something coming, and it was driving him mad because he didn't know what to think of it.
Zelda had said it was only nerves. Link didn't think so.
Link sighed. "I don't think its that. I mean, I am a bit nervous, but right now that's not the problem." His eyes met Zelda's. "Can't you feel it?"
Zelda paused, her lips forming a frown, rising from her seat to walk to the window. "Link, every day I have a feeling of dismay. There is a lot of evil in the world, and sometimes it pushes against my skull, trying to conquer me. I may be the leader of the sages, but there are some things even I cannot control." She turned to Link. "But if I paid attention to every one of those feelings, how could I rule with a steady hand?"
"But do you feel something now?" Link's eyes pleaded for her to meet him half way. To say that he wasn't crazy, and there was something happening.
Zelda looked away once more. "All right, Link. Search this feeling out ....but don't forget your duty, as hero of time, as commander and as a person. Don't burn yourself out on this."
Link nodded, turning to leave.
"Link." Zelda called, and he looked back to her. "I hope to the Goddesses that your instincts are wrong this one time."
Link pursed his lips, and with a tight nod, left the room.
~*~
Sheik had never liked crowds. Perhaps it was in his blood as a Sheikah, always in solitude and peace. The bustling and shouts of Hyrule Market always put him a bit off. Such a change from his own small, slow village.
A dog yelped in high-pitched pain as his horse nearly trampled it to death, almost making Sheik jump clean from the saddle....only his warrior's training kept him from making a total fool of himself. Yet even that couldn't completely help him when he saw a decidedly angry, fat woman stomping straight for him.
"Oh! I'm so sorry....I didn't see your dog, madam." With words of apology, Sheik made a run for it - not exactly wanting to hear her reply, breathing a sigh of relief as the market melted away into the entrance gate of the castle.
~*~
The soft clouds curling along the warm breeze had just begun to match the violet in her eyes when Sanzhari Bahati pulled her lathered mare before Hyrule Castle Town.
Just in time.
Her eldest daughter's stallion was twice again as fast, but four times as willful....she could have ended up at the Zora's River, or the Lost Woods, or trailing after a wild filly. Instead, Kadassa had whipped like a storm gust from the Valley since first light across the endless field of green, barely asking for rest, as though her rider's urgency were her own. Sanzhari stroked the heavy mane, soft and liquid silver like the moonglow it resembled, as she whispered her gratitude.
The mare whickered, immediately dipping her graceful neck to lap the cool water circling the high walls. Sanzhari spared one moment more for a last grateful caress, then raced across the drawbridge. She shared her mount's aches and thirst, but her only relief was inside.
Jota had learned long ago not to question this Gerudo, and raised a hand to keep Huron from making the same mistake he once did, carefully disguising his grimace. They busied themselves by raising the bridge for the night as she pushed purposefully through to the lingering crowd still packing the Market.
Many gazes followed her as she pressed on....some admiring her lean, confident lines, most suspicious of the ancestry her sleek, richly browned skin and glorious crimson hair marked. Hands plainly reached to check purses at her passing or guard them against her approach. This time, she chose to ignore them all, their typical Hylian ignorance, their typical Hylian rudeness, keeping her own eyes fixed on the small shop tucked into the farthest corner. Almost there....
She broke into another short run, then a broad gleaming grin as she seized the doorknob.
She muttered a bewildered curse under her breath as it refused to turn, then noticed the small sign tacked to the door, written in precise, familiar script.
Will reopen in a fortnight.
He'd sent for her to meet him here! She'd been thrilled with the rare correspondence, and even rarer permission to leave her Lady's duties. Now....she did not have a fortnight!
Questioning the reluctant neighboring shopkeepers shot down the small hope he still remained in town.
....it could only be another junk hunt....
She almost knew it the instant she rattled the locked door. He probably would never have left his homeland in the first place if not for that....it was the force that drove and possessed him. The last one nearly killed him....he'd learned nothing!
But....what about her?
If not that, then what...?
She sighed, and absentmindedly fussed with her long, molten mantle of hair as she thought, frown deepening with the approaching dusk.
~*~
Gray eyes wide with curiosity and excitement drank in all they could. Yet only one word came to the mind of the raven-haired young man as he explored the marketplace of Hyrule....
Loud.
Trevor could have added his delighted laughter. The energy practically flowed off the townspeople as they argued and haggled away. Children echoed the joy in his heart, chasing around a frightened cucco, and a rather large woman cuddled her small, whimpering dog. It was endearing, he thought.
Maybe I could learn to live in a place like this....
He wasn't the type to think such a thing idly. A constant traveller for six years since the tender age of ten, Trevor liked to think of himself as an adventurer. Searching the world to find his purpose, or maybe simply find a place he felt he could belong....
Never dwelling on gloomy thoughts for long, Trevor dismissed them easily for the beauty of the day and a bright smile on his face as he entered a nearby shop.
"Hello!" he greeted cheerily. The burly storekeeper grunted in return.
Must be one of those strong silent types.
Trevor only beamed brighter. "I'd like to buy 30 arrows, please."
The massive man growled something and reached behind the counter to grab the bundle of arrows, then growled again as he took the rupees that Trevor happily provided.
"Thank you, sir." And with a wink, he slipped the arrows into his quiver and left.
The storekeeper raised a bushy brow at the smiling young man, involuntarily cracking a broken grin in return.
A thoughtful sort, Trevor wasn't known for discourtesy....he always made sure to keep watch for a person in need of help. But the crisp evening air and the excitement must have captured his senses, for he failed to notice a particularly tall Gerudo woman....and proceeded to crash directly into her.
"OOF!"
Both were driven to the cobblestones. Wincing, he looked up, and offered his hand to her even as he struggled to rise himself .
"I'm so sorry....I don't know what I was thinking!"
"Perhaps you were not thinking." Dismissing his hand, only her guarded sunset eyes took his widened gray as she rose fluidly and fast to her bare feet. Actually, this had happened with another once before, though not so spectacularly clumsy....a ruse as that one sought to put his hands anywhere he could in the collision.
A boy, younger than Jwahir. If that was his intention, he would be scolded with words instead of blades....but it did seem genuine embarrassment flushed his pale cheeks.
Still, always so hard to read Hylians....
Trevor grinned sheepishly, and though not deterred by the harshness smoldering in the woman's eyes, he only blushed deeper under their scrutiny. She thought he was....oh. The implication and the uncharacteristic clumsiness madeTrevor long to stick his head in the ground.
Had he dared to linger on her, he would have been awed by her beauty. The older woman's exotic eyes and the brilliant hair wreathing her proud, golden-skinned face was a living work of art. But he was sure if he said anything of it, he'd find out just how sharp those shiny scimitars crossed on her back were.
"My husband sent word I should meet him here, at his shop." Her words were more warning than explanation. There was challenge in her low voice, as well....many in Hyrule thought her beloved lunatic. One dubious reaction would be a gauntlet thrown regardless of age.
If the boy's reddened cheeks were yet questionable, his utterly blank gaze as he listened and nodded was not. Newly-arrived to the town, then. Perhaps....
"But all I found....was this." She held out the crumpled square of parchment that had been tacked on the shop door, small, neat letters almost smudged beyond reading. "I will not wait another fortnight."
She looked lost while she tried to smooth the parchment, reproach draining from her face as worry flooded back.
"Perhaps you saw him in your journey here? A Hylian, with hair red as my own, a pack on his back nearly big as he is? He....smiles a lot."
Trying to describe him was nearly a physical blow. Just the sight of him was ever enough to take her breath away and leave a shiver of pleasure. Beneath the fine flame hair and a smooth, clear brow, upswept cheekbones and slanting eyes were framed by a graceful, angular jawline and warmed with a calm smile that together somehow soothed and enflamed her senses all at once. Each lean line like a dream surely ready to fade....he seemed one, so many years ago. Her only one....how Nabooru had laughed that morn, when she nervously asked permission to marry the prisoner she'd brought in that night....
The change from hardened warrior to worried wife was almost a suprise to Trevor, yet he instantly felt empathetic. She seemed to love this man very much. Trevor wondered if this was how having loved ones was like. Beneath the dread, there was also a warmth of feeling one could not hope to describe. He saw this written clearly on the woman's face.
"He sells masks, but he is a much better thief than I. He stole my heart....and I will never wish to steal it back." Sadness choked those soft words, shadowed her elegant features like a black veil.
She shook it off in an impatient motion and a forced smile, shocking white against her deeply olive skin.
"Your forgiveness. I am Sanzhari Bahati, of the Gerudo, as you can see."
Very glad to have escaped her wrath, Trevor smiled terrifically in return, sensing her own was not as genuine as she hoped it to look. Maybe a good bit of his infamous charisma would make the woman feel better.
"It IS pretty obvious. Gerudos are known for a temper as fiery as their hair....I was afraid for a moment you were going to chop me into Cucco patties!" He winked and laughed. "My name is Trevor, and I don't really come from anywhere." A hint of wildness glinted in his eyes as he finished.
Wait....hadn't she said masks?
He'd cursed heartily in more than a few tongues....some recognizable and some not, as he stepped on something with a loud crack in his hurry to drink from the river. Lifting his boot as he backed away, he revealed a now-broken mask, hidden in the tall grasses.
It was made beautifully, he thought as he bent to gather what he could, finely polished and lovingly painted. The three largest pieces fit mostly together to recreate a burning sun. He could almost feel the warmth.
Thirst replaced by the regret he'd destroyed a thing someone worked so hard on, he stuffed the fragments in his pack and resumed his trek, deciding to see if it could be fixed somewhere, someday.
Shaking out of his memory, sheepishness again came to his face as he reached around his back to gently pull out the splintered mask.
"It seems I'm just a total oaf today....I accidentally broke this mask along the stream by Kakariko. Perhaps it belonged to your husband?"
Suddenly, he realized what he may suggest, and his expression withered, mouth working uselessly.
Her long fingers trembled with her heart as she reached stiffly for the fragments he offered.
"....this....this is all you saw...?"
Trevor nodded numbly. He could guess it did indeed belonged to her husband.
"When...?"
Mind and body a sickened whirl, her breath barely choked from the tight dryness of her throat as her gaze left the youth's to wheel around the square. The crowds had gone with the faded dusk. Too many questions....too much time!
Without another word, she gave her failing legs to the agony of fear bursting her, darting past him for the gates.
Trevor's brows shot up as she wrenched away, and he gaped after her flight. Her true turmoil had shone through whatever barriers she was attempting to hold. His heart went out to her....he had to help her....but she was quickly departing. VERY quickly.
After a moment's indecision, he called out, and tore off behind her.
"Wait!"
The guards had long closed the drawbridge, and she'd not waste a second arguing it open. She exploded in an incredible leap against the high wall, and skimmed up the rough stones with the ease of a spider on its silk. Dark skin, darker clothing, she all but melted into the night sky as she soon stood at the top. Only a brief flash of her radiant hair, limned in the moonlight, told she'd leapt off to the moat below.
If he were able to pace, he would have. Like a trapped animal, with a fury that only multiplies to fill the void drowning him. Unbearable hate of the one person that he wants to destroy, bit by bit. Torture and strain until he called for mercy, then even more he would scream...
A pain undelivered, biding his time until he could face that one person once again.
He is smart, still, in the rare moments the ferocity ebbs. He knows he cannot reach his vengeance with anger, but with planning. With an intelligence....so he pauses once more and he thinks. An escape that is impossible, unreachable alone. He needs someone, something.
Rage threatens to overcome him again, frustration of unmarked solitude and not one solution. He roars, and if he could, he would have charged the nearest object and torn it to pieces.
He needs an out, and he needs it to come soon.
Chapter One - A Curious Invitation
When Queen Zelda asked Sheik to come to Hyrule, the warrior had been thoughtful.
The day was beautiful, a glorious sun shining down on the flowering trees and brilliant green grasses from high above. The gentle flow of the small stream along Kakariko that empties into the Zora Domain trickled steadily as it did every other day, adding a familiar noise to the atmosphere. The air was crisp and clean, and as Sheik's horse trotted along the fields of Hyrule, the normally serious and wise Sheikah had a sudden urge to speed along the tall grasses and laugh. The corners of his lips turned up slightly at the thought.
A slight breeze gained strength, letting the leaves rustle in their own type of melody. Sheik wished he had brought his harp, and Link's ocarina would have blended in perfectly to create a melodious harmony. It had been too long since he had seen his friend.
His daily routine was starting to get more than a little boring. Living among his people had its advantages, and the small amount of Sheikah that remained from a once great empire of protectors and warriors had now dwindled to almost nothing. Slowly their numbers were increasing, and it heartened the young Sheikah to see it. But living in a village, helping out with the small troubles that a town inevitably has, was just too much for his warrior spirit. Sheik wondered of Link felt the same.
He had decided to travel, go out beyond Hyrule and it's neighboring countries. Yet somehow Zelda's messenger had found him, telling him nothing more than Zelda had sent for him.
Sheik's light musings once again turned to his original question, the reason for his summon. True, his visits to Hyrule have been few and far between.
"Only in times of great joy or great sorrow" Sheik muttered beneath the preliminary turban that always covered half of his face and hair. "Perhaps she misses my company? I always was a talker." Sheik grinned again at his own joke, and his horse snorted.
As Hyrule castle came up into view, a feeling he hadn't felt in some time swelled within his chest. A true, carefree joy. Time had stretched in the few years since the great battle that had banished Ganondorf into the Sacred Realm. The Sheikah was looking forward to seeing his friends again.
Jota, the guard at the bridge to Hyrule Marketplace, was an attentive man. His job was to watch for travelers and townsfolk, judging character and personality. "A curious face is bound for mischief" was his motto. Often he looked over the bridge, eyes squinting against the sun, searching for a figure. But mostly his post was down on the ground, greeting visitors.
Yet this particular day, Jota was listening to his fellow guard Huron as he spoke in an increasing pace about their resident Hero made Captain. There wasn't a person in Hyrule Market Town who didn't know Link. Less than a quarter had actually seen him though, as he preferred not to be recognized. Usually sneaking in wrapped in a cloak or through the castle the back way.
"They say he's seven feet tall and huge, so strong he could break that stone building back there." Huron was babbling while Jota listened, pretending not to be as interested as he actually was. "But today Link was made Commander of the Hyrulian army. I actually got to see him - he looks like no more than a boy! I thought to myself, he defeated Ganondorf?"
"I heard he had magical powers, like Queen Zelda" Jota said, forgetting to act like he didn't care. "He can conjure up fire and ice out of thin air"
"No no," Corrected Huron, "He has magical knives that burn or freeze at will."
"Why would he have magical knives if he can wield the Master Sword?"
Huron didn't have an answer, so he ignored the question. "Anyway, some of the other men are a bit angry that they're going to be trained by someone half their age. He's calling for all soldiers, even senior officers, to report for a physical test to see how they perform and if they're in top shape"
Both guards glanced down to their stomachs, which were beginning to hang out more than they should.
"Was he like they said?" Jota asked
"Quiet as a mouse. Just smiled, waved and left."
"You think he can actually train men?"
Huron shrugged. "Well, he is the Hero of Time."
The clip clop of hooves interrupted the guard's conversation, and Jota hurriedly climbed up the gate to look over at who was arriving. As the figure came into plain view, Jota grinned as he recognized the man.
"Master Sheik!" Jota called up over the wall, smiling as he saw an answering wave.
The Sheikah didn't come often, but Jota knew him as an important man. One of Queen Zelda's most trusted advisors, but as kind as they come. The guard had no word against the Sheika, and hopped down from his perch. Huron in the meantime had hurried back to his post, not wanting to be caught off duty.
The arrival sounds increased, and Sheik came, crossing the bridge to jump of his horse and lead him in.
"Hello, Jota" Sheik greeted warmly, his deep voice always comforting and familiar. "How do you fare today?"
"Good as ever, Master Sheik" Jota replied. "What brings you here today? Come to see Sir Link's ceremony?"
Sheik's eyebrows rose a bit. "Actually, I wasn't exactly told what I was called for, but I seemed to have missed this news. Ceremony for what exactly?"
"Ah you don't know, then? Sir Link's been made Commander of the Hyrulian army."
Sheik smiled again under his mask, amused at the news. "Has he now..."
~*~
"Link, if you pace any more you'll wear down my floor."
Link looked up at Zelda's voice with a half grin, eyes glancing down to see if there really was any damage done.
"Oh. Yes, sorry."
Zelda smiled softly. "I'm sure you'll do fine in your new position." Link appreciated the effort.
It had been three years since Zelda had been made Queen with still no King at her side, yet no person could say her wrong. She ruled with all the care that her father had before her, knowing in the ways of politics and law with the wisdom of the Sages behind her. She was almost always busy, and Link appreciated her taking the time to be with him this one day.
He just wished she didn't make such a big deal out of it. He shrugged.
Truthfully, it wasn't his new position that was making him nervous. It had been happening since the morning ....a gut feeling that he couldn't quite place. A feeling of something coming, and it was driving him mad because he didn't know what to think of it.
Zelda had said it was only nerves. Link didn't think so.
Link sighed. "I don't think its that. I mean, I am a bit nervous, but right now that's not the problem." His eyes met Zelda's. "Can't you feel it?"
Zelda paused, her lips forming a frown, rising from her seat to walk to the window. "Link, every day I have a feeling of dismay. There is a lot of evil in the world, and sometimes it pushes against my skull, trying to conquer me. I may be the leader of the sages, but there are some things even I cannot control." She turned to Link. "But if I paid attention to every one of those feelings, how could I rule with a steady hand?"
"But do you feel something now?" Link's eyes pleaded for her to meet him half way. To say that he wasn't crazy, and there was something happening.
Zelda looked away once more. "All right, Link. Search this feeling out ....but don't forget your duty, as hero of time, as commander and as a person. Don't burn yourself out on this."
Link nodded, turning to leave.
"Link." Zelda called, and he looked back to her. "I hope to the Goddesses that your instincts are wrong this one time."
Link pursed his lips, and with a tight nod, left the room.
~*~
Sheik had never liked crowds. Perhaps it was in his blood as a Sheikah, always in solitude and peace. The bustling and shouts of Hyrule Market always put him a bit off. Such a change from his own small, slow village.
A dog yelped in high-pitched pain as his horse nearly trampled it to death, almost making Sheik jump clean from the saddle....only his warrior's training kept him from making a total fool of himself. Yet even that couldn't completely help him when he saw a decidedly angry, fat woman stomping straight for him.
"Oh! I'm so sorry....I didn't see your dog, madam." With words of apology, Sheik made a run for it - not exactly wanting to hear her reply, breathing a sigh of relief as the market melted away into the entrance gate of the castle.
~*~
The soft clouds curling along the warm breeze had just begun to match the violet in her eyes when Sanzhari Bahati pulled her lathered mare before Hyrule Castle Town.
Just in time.
Her eldest daughter's stallion was twice again as fast, but four times as willful....she could have ended up at the Zora's River, or the Lost Woods, or trailing after a wild filly. Instead, Kadassa had whipped like a storm gust from the Valley since first light across the endless field of green, barely asking for rest, as though her rider's urgency were her own. Sanzhari stroked the heavy mane, soft and liquid silver like the moonglow it resembled, as she whispered her gratitude.
The mare whickered, immediately dipping her graceful neck to lap the cool water circling the high walls. Sanzhari spared one moment more for a last grateful caress, then raced across the drawbridge. She shared her mount's aches and thirst, but her only relief was inside.
Jota had learned long ago not to question this Gerudo, and raised a hand to keep Huron from making the same mistake he once did, carefully disguising his grimace. They busied themselves by raising the bridge for the night as she pushed purposefully through to the lingering crowd still packing the Market.
Many gazes followed her as she pressed on....some admiring her lean, confident lines, most suspicious of the ancestry her sleek, richly browned skin and glorious crimson hair marked. Hands plainly reached to check purses at her passing or guard them against her approach. This time, she chose to ignore them all, their typical Hylian ignorance, their typical Hylian rudeness, keeping her own eyes fixed on the small shop tucked into the farthest corner. Almost there....
She broke into another short run, then a broad gleaming grin as she seized the doorknob.
She muttered a bewildered curse under her breath as it refused to turn, then noticed the small sign tacked to the door, written in precise, familiar script.
Will reopen in a fortnight.
He'd sent for her to meet him here! She'd been thrilled with the rare correspondence, and even rarer permission to leave her Lady's duties. Now....she did not have a fortnight!
Questioning the reluctant neighboring shopkeepers shot down the small hope he still remained in town.
....it could only be another junk hunt....
She almost knew it the instant she rattled the locked door. He probably would never have left his homeland in the first place if not for that....it was the force that drove and possessed him. The last one nearly killed him....he'd learned nothing!
But....what about her?
If not that, then what...?
She sighed, and absentmindedly fussed with her long, molten mantle of hair as she thought, frown deepening with the approaching dusk.
~*~
Gray eyes wide with curiosity and excitement drank in all they could. Yet only one word came to the mind of the raven-haired young man as he explored the marketplace of Hyrule....
Loud.
Trevor could have added his delighted laughter. The energy practically flowed off the townspeople as they argued and haggled away. Children echoed the joy in his heart, chasing around a frightened cucco, and a rather large woman cuddled her small, whimpering dog. It was endearing, he thought.
Maybe I could learn to live in a place like this....
He wasn't the type to think such a thing idly. A constant traveller for six years since the tender age of ten, Trevor liked to think of himself as an adventurer. Searching the world to find his purpose, or maybe simply find a place he felt he could belong....
Never dwelling on gloomy thoughts for long, Trevor dismissed them easily for the beauty of the day and a bright smile on his face as he entered a nearby shop.
"Hello!" he greeted cheerily. The burly storekeeper grunted in return.
Must be one of those strong silent types.
Trevor only beamed brighter. "I'd like to buy 30 arrows, please."
The massive man growled something and reached behind the counter to grab the bundle of arrows, then growled again as he took the rupees that Trevor happily provided.
"Thank you, sir." And with a wink, he slipped the arrows into his quiver and left.
The storekeeper raised a bushy brow at the smiling young man, involuntarily cracking a broken grin in return.
A thoughtful sort, Trevor wasn't known for discourtesy....he always made sure to keep watch for a person in need of help. But the crisp evening air and the excitement must have captured his senses, for he failed to notice a particularly tall Gerudo woman....and proceeded to crash directly into her.
"OOF!"
Both were driven to the cobblestones. Wincing, he looked up, and offered his hand to her even as he struggled to rise himself .
"I'm so sorry....I don't know what I was thinking!"
"Perhaps you were not thinking." Dismissing his hand, only her guarded sunset eyes took his widened gray as she rose fluidly and fast to her bare feet. Actually, this had happened with another once before, though not so spectacularly clumsy....a ruse as that one sought to put his hands anywhere he could in the collision.
A boy, younger than Jwahir. If that was his intention, he would be scolded with words instead of blades....but it did seem genuine embarrassment flushed his pale cheeks.
Still, always so hard to read Hylians....
Trevor grinned sheepishly, and though not deterred by the harshness smoldering in the woman's eyes, he only blushed deeper under their scrutiny. She thought he was....oh. The implication and the uncharacteristic clumsiness madeTrevor long to stick his head in the ground.
Had he dared to linger on her, he would have been awed by her beauty. The older woman's exotic eyes and the brilliant hair wreathing her proud, golden-skinned face was a living work of art. But he was sure if he said anything of it, he'd find out just how sharp those shiny scimitars crossed on her back were.
"My husband sent word I should meet him here, at his shop." Her words were more warning than explanation. There was challenge in her low voice, as well....many in Hyrule thought her beloved lunatic. One dubious reaction would be a gauntlet thrown regardless of age.
If the boy's reddened cheeks were yet questionable, his utterly blank gaze as he listened and nodded was not. Newly-arrived to the town, then. Perhaps....
"But all I found....was this." She held out the crumpled square of parchment that had been tacked on the shop door, small, neat letters almost smudged beyond reading. "I will not wait another fortnight."
She looked lost while she tried to smooth the parchment, reproach draining from her face as worry flooded back.
"Perhaps you saw him in your journey here? A Hylian, with hair red as my own, a pack on his back nearly big as he is? He....smiles a lot."
Trying to describe him was nearly a physical blow. Just the sight of him was ever enough to take her breath away and leave a shiver of pleasure. Beneath the fine flame hair and a smooth, clear brow, upswept cheekbones and slanting eyes were framed by a graceful, angular jawline and warmed with a calm smile that together somehow soothed and enflamed her senses all at once. Each lean line like a dream surely ready to fade....he seemed one, so many years ago. Her only one....how Nabooru had laughed that morn, when she nervously asked permission to marry the prisoner she'd brought in that night....
The change from hardened warrior to worried wife was almost a suprise to Trevor, yet he instantly felt empathetic. She seemed to love this man very much. Trevor wondered if this was how having loved ones was like. Beneath the dread, there was also a warmth of feeling one could not hope to describe. He saw this written clearly on the woman's face.
"He sells masks, but he is a much better thief than I. He stole my heart....and I will never wish to steal it back." Sadness choked those soft words, shadowed her elegant features like a black veil.
She shook it off in an impatient motion and a forced smile, shocking white against her deeply olive skin.
"Your forgiveness. I am Sanzhari Bahati, of the Gerudo, as you can see."
Very glad to have escaped her wrath, Trevor smiled terrifically in return, sensing her own was not as genuine as she hoped it to look. Maybe a good bit of his infamous charisma would make the woman feel better.
"It IS pretty obvious. Gerudos are known for a temper as fiery as their hair....I was afraid for a moment you were going to chop me into Cucco patties!" He winked and laughed. "My name is Trevor, and I don't really come from anywhere." A hint of wildness glinted in his eyes as he finished.
Wait....hadn't she said masks?
He'd cursed heartily in more than a few tongues....some recognizable and some not, as he stepped on something with a loud crack in his hurry to drink from the river. Lifting his boot as he backed away, he revealed a now-broken mask, hidden in the tall grasses.
It was made beautifully, he thought as he bent to gather what he could, finely polished and lovingly painted. The three largest pieces fit mostly together to recreate a burning sun. He could almost feel the warmth.
Thirst replaced by the regret he'd destroyed a thing someone worked so hard on, he stuffed the fragments in his pack and resumed his trek, deciding to see if it could be fixed somewhere, someday.
Shaking out of his memory, sheepishness again came to his face as he reached around his back to gently pull out the splintered mask.
"It seems I'm just a total oaf today....I accidentally broke this mask along the stream by Kakariko. Perhaps it belonged to your husband?"
Suddenly, he realized what he may suggest, and his expression withered, mouth working uselessly.
Her long fingers trembled with her heart as she reached stiffly for the fragments he offered.
"....this....this is all you saw...?"
Trevor nodded numbly. He could guess it did indeed belonged to her husband.
"When...?"
Mind and body a sickened whirl, her breath barely choked from the tight dryness of her throat as her gaze left the youth's to wheel around the square. The crowds had gone with the faded dusk. Too many questions....too much time!
Without another word, she gave her failing legs to the agony of fear bursting her, darting past him for the gates.
Trevor's brows shot up as she wrenched away, and he gaped after her flight. Her true turmoil had shone through whatever barriers she was attempting to hold. His heart went out to her....he had to help her....but she was quickly departing. VERY quickly.
After a moment's indecision, he called out, and tore off behind her.
"Wait!"
The guards had long closed the drawbridge, and she'd not waste a second arguing it open. She exploded in an incredible leap against the high wall, and skimmed up the rough stones with the ease of a spider on its silk. Dark skin, darker clothing, she all but melted into the night sky as she soon stood at the top. Only a brief flash of her radiant hair, limned in the moonlight, told she'd leapt off to the moat below.