Description: A young hylian gets trapped in a blizzard. Will she be able to find her way home, or be lost in the snow forever?
Disclaimer: Nayla, her father, Rydin and the mountain fox spirit are mine. Hyrule, the Hylian race, and the rest of the characters/creatures are not.
AN: This is something I wrote a few years ago, in response to a challenge that I just never finished. My Muse told me to draw a character, write a description, and write a story.
The sky overhead was pitch black.
The wind howling like a trapped animal. All around, the snow fell so thick; it was impossible to keep one's eyes open for longer then a few seconds. Compared to the noise the storm made, the soft crunch of fresh snow under boots went completely unheard.
A young girl walked against the wind, her hair whipping around her face. She had one arm wrapped protectively around her torso, and the other held out, attempting to keep the snow out of her eyes. The girl was trapped and lost in that blizzard. She opened her mouth and screamed out, but she couldn't even hear herself over the wind.
…
Nayla opened her eyes startled, and sat up. She was safe and sound, still in her bed. Her quilt was wrapped so tightly around her body, she was over heating, instead of being cold. Letting out a groan she untangled herself, and stretched; her muscles complaining from the position she'd spent the night in.
'That same dream again.' She thought with a yawn, throwing her legs over the side of the bed. She sniffed the air gently, and inhaled the smell of hot pancakes, floating up through the floorboards.
She stuffed her feet into her fur slippers, and lit a candle, holding it up so she could see outside the window. It was still dark out and snow was falling like usual. Dispite that, her room was as warm as ever, and she stripped from he sweat-soaked nightclothes without a care, cleaning herself with a washcloth from the bowl on her nightstand.
Almost the moment she was done, a thick voice called out her name, announcing breakfast was ready. Sighing, pleased, she pulled on her thickest pair of black pants, and a white turtleneck, before racing out of her room and down the stairs.
"Morning Papa." She said, jumping the last three steps, and landing with a thud.
The man that stood at the stove, looked over at her. Regol, her father, was a very large man. Larger then the most humans, and as strong as an ox. Back when they lived in Castle Town, he worked as a hired hand, doing just about anything. Lifting, moving, guardsman… but despite his size, he was a very gentle man. He was also very much a pushover, who spoiled his daughter rotten.
"Good morning, NayNay." He greeted, placing a large plate of food on the table. "Did you sleep well?"
Nayla pulled out the chair and sat down. She had her father's coarse brown hair, and high cheekbones, as well as how large certain aspects of her body were. Broad shoulders, wide hips, and large breasts. They certainly hadn't come from her mother. From her, she had gotten a small nose, pale skin, and green eyes. Her mother had used to tease her, before she'd gotten sick, that Nayla was a perfect mix. Small like a Hylian, yet big like a Human.
No one could figure out where she got her particular dislike of people.
Nayla hatedpeople. Before she had been able to walk, she hadn't even let her brother hold her. She'd squirm and scream, kicking until she got released. When she had gotten older, she'd had a hard time befriending anyone, except the occasional Goron, who reminded her of her father. Following her mother's death, she had grown even more violent, and insisted that they move somewhere where she didn't have to be around anyone.
So Regol had packed up the few things they owned and moved out there, to Snowpeak. It was a snowy mountain that could be found off the Zora domain, but it was so out of the way, and so cold, that very few people wanted to visit, let alone live there. The house was small, with barely four rooms, but it was snug tight. With a large fireplace, and even larger special-weather windows to looked out into the storm.
Nayla crossed her arms and leaned back. "I slept fine Papa, but I asked you not to call me that. I'm not a horse." She shoved one of the golden treats into her mouth, poring syrup onto the rest.
"You shouldn't eat so fast." He said calmly, handing her a glass of orange juice he'd finished unfreezing.
Nayla spoke through the butchered batter. "You worry to much."
The stairs creaked behind her, and Nayla turned around, her eyes narrowing with distaste. "Was anyone going to wake me up?" Came a voice.
Regol looked at him and cleared his throat. "I… forgot you were here, Son."
Rydin, her older brother of three years, walked around, and sat down in their father's chair. There were only two chairs, so it wasn't like he had much of a choise, but it still irritated her to see the other sitting in her fathers place.
"I swear." He complained. "I'm gone for two years, and you both completely forget I even exist."
Rydin took after their mother in size, but other wise he didn't really look like any of them. He had a rounded face, and blond hair, with rather little muscle mass. Nayla didn't like him. He talked so much! Yet, there was something about him that often made him invisible. He rarely made a sound when he moved, and had an annoying habit of using his ability to sneak up on people. He liked people, so when they'd moved to the mountain, he'd stayed in Town. He was doing well for himself as a rather renowned tracker for the Kings guards. She still didn't like him.
Their father looked sad, which didn't suit a man of his size. "I didn't forget you exist." He argued.
"I did." Nayla grumbled, stuffing her mouth with food.
"That's very ladylike Sis." Rydin said, reaching over and pulling on one of her pointed ears. She yelped, but did nothing else other then glare at him. The moment he released her, she returned to her food.
"Are you hungry?" Regol asked, handing him a plate, but not quite as loaded as Naylas was.
"Why don't I get as much?" He asked, pointing at her plate, like he'd been gypped.
"Because you won't eat it all." Was his answer. "Nayla has an strong metabolism. She'll need her strength if she's going out."
"Out?" Rydin asked, looking at the window. "In this weather?"
The man huffed. "I try to tell her, but she does as she pleases." He sat down on the couch and began eating.
Finished with her own food, Nayla stood up abruptly. "I will be going now." She told her father only, then grabbed the red and white jacket off the coat hanger, and pulled it on. She pulled the loose strands of her hair back in a tie.
Regol nodded, understanding. "The weather it traitorous." He warned. "Don't stray too far."
"I won't go farther then normal." She replied, stuffing her feet into fur-limed boots, that were made for movement over snow.
"You want me to go with you?" Rydin asked with a toothy grin. "I can keep you out of trouble."
The girl twitched. "I don't need such a thing!" She snapped, opening the door, and storming into the storm.
Rydin jumped as the door slammed shut. The sound echoed through the house for a moment, and he pouted at his father. "She still hates me…" He whined, childishly.
The man nodded, agreeing but sympathetic. "I do believe that's partially your fault however."
…
Nayla hurried away from the house, her temper improving with each step. It was like the snow was cooling her down. The dark storm clouds blocked all but enough sunlight to see by, but that was normal. She liked it better that way, as well. Cold and alone. After a few minutes of trudging through the snow, she came to a mostly frozen lake and jumped across the ice pieces, completely focused. She had learned the hard way what it was like to slip into the frozen water and she was sure if her father hadn't been there, she never would have made it out.
However that had only been the very first time she'd tried to cross. Since then, she'd made that journey hundreds of times: twice a day, almost everyday. The snow powdered her hair and she brushed her bangs out of her eyes, although they didn't stay that way. A howl in the distance made her freeze in her tracks. Slowly she bent down, reaching for the knife, hidden in her right boot. Wolfo's were becoming rather common in the area, and the number of times she encountered them had increased. Most of time, however, the most she had to worry about was a couple of bored Ice Keeses.
She relaxed as the call faded in the distance, and continued on. It took over an hour of climbing to reach the top of the mountain. The trek wasn't difficult, after how long she had been doing it. Once there, she bolted with full force and slammed her shoulder into the large tree that rested there. The vibrations caused a great iced over leaf to drop to the ground in front of her.
She jumped forward, planting both feet on the ice. The momentum set the ice in motion and she was on her way.
The path took an immediate dip, leaving her stomach behind as it picked up just enough speed for her to make the initial jump. The gaping hole passed under her, and it felt like flying! She hit the ground with a soft sound, and leaned forward, gaining as much speed as she could. The wind racked through her hair and whipped her bangs around. She took the most dangerous path she could, thrilled each second she was off the ground, adrenalin coursing through her veins.
She crossed the broken bridge with ease, inhaled at the next sharp drop. She went faster until the ice sailed off a small jump and suddenly she was gliding over the top of towering evergreens, like a bird. She bounced off the snow that had gathered on the top, maintaining altitude as long as she could, spinning around in the air a few times before landing. The fresh snow was the best to sled over. Provided the most speed and was the most attractive to look at.
She felt an explosion of freedom inside as she rounded the last bend; tasting the air, smelling the snow, embracing the chill! It was, as always, too early when the ice shattered against the stone pathway in front of an old, ruined mansion, and she found herself bound to solid ground. The place was interesting, and she had explored it a few times herself. A strange snow creature named Yeto lived there with his wife Yeta. They were the ones who taught her to board, and they were often out when the weather was nice enough. However Yeta had gotten sick a little while before, and Nayla hadn't seen either of them in a while.
She almost thought about knocking on the door and seeing if they would answer. Almost. They weren't Humans, or Hylians, or Zoras, who she disliked immediately, but she still preferred her own company to theirs.
The pathway back was different from the way down. There was a small tunnel that went right through the mountain and opened up at the top. She had a suspicious that the yetis had made it; too make getting back easier, since there were so many obstacles to climb back up. It was pitch black, but unnaturally straightforward, and it kept her out of the wind. She took it back up and sledded down a few more times before the weather took a turn for the worse and she decided to head home.
The wind started howling on its own, a different hollowed sound then the monsters of the mountain made. The snow became violent flurries. She scowled at how fast the storm had advanced. It wasn't her first blizzard, and it wouldn't be the last one. As long as she made it home, or got to shelter. Based on the amount of visibility, how long she had been gone, and how much body heat she still contained, she was pretty confident she could make it to the house. At least until a minor miscalculation, had her step on the edge of the walkway, and the snow gave out beneath her. She didn't have enough time to do more then gasp, before she was rolling, downhill, in the snow. She felt the ground disappear beneath her and almost screamed, but she landed with a 'plop' before the sound could pass her lips.
A chill ran up her back. Both from her face, which had landed in the frozen water, and from sudden fear. She pushed herself up. Where was she? She jumped up and reached up. She had fallen far enough that she couldn't touch the top. Her heart beat increased a little as she took hold of a rock, and tried to climb up. She hadn't brought her climbing gloves. The ones she wore were too large and couldn't grip anything. She ripped them off, but the sharp icy rocks didn't agree with her hands, no matter how callous they were. She couldn't make it back up.
She turned around trying to make out any familiar landmark. She knew most of the mountain paths. She knew a lot of paths that weren't real paths. But she didn't know every inch of the mountain. There were little caves, and dugouts, that they had left a couple of supplies inside in the events one of them had gotten caught in a storm, but that was useless unless she knew where they were.
She took a deep breath, and slowly pressed out with her foot. Once she was sure wherever she was would hold her, she slowly started walking. The mountain twisted and turned so much, and with so many sudden chasms that could catch one off guard, she wasn't entirely sure which way she had to go. With the wind, and the snow, before long, she wasn't even sure she was going the right way. She never got turned around on her normal paths. Her feet had memorized them so well; it wasn't like her to walk off. She supposed it was bound to have happened at some point.
'This might be what I get for being so careless…' She thought. One day she would learn to listen to her father. One day. It still wasn't going to be that day. She pulled out her dagger and kept it in hand. Who knew what she was going to meet in that storm.
She kept walking, checking every area that seemed suspicious, before walking over it. Before long, she realized it would have been better to stay close to the wall of the mountain, she didn't even remember a large field near where she had been. Maybe it would have been a good idea to build an igloo out of snow. But she didn't have anything to start a fire with.
Stumbling a bit, and starting to shake from the cold, she noticed something in the distance. Something green. At first she thought it was a tree, or something. Then she immediately realized she wouldn't have been able to see a tree. It was too dark.
'Some sort of green fire, maybe?' She almost tripped, breaking into a run. It wasn't exactly glowing, she could just see it. When she got closer, the color jolted to the left, then the right. She stopped, bringing up the knife. Was it a monster? She edged closer, more cautiously.
It wasn't a person, that was sure. She stopped again when she was close enough to make out its shape. It was some sort of small animal. She moved even closer to the creature that was watching her. It appeared to be a… fox? She saw foxes all the time in the mountain, and hunted them regularly. But she hadn't seen anything like that. The thing wasn't white, or orange like normal foxes. It was green. Kind of a bright green. Its underbelly was white, but the tip of its ears, tail and its feet were blue.
She dropped to her knees. "No way…" She whispered.
The fox was the mountain spirit her father had told her about. The one that supposedly 'guided' those who'd lost their way in the mountains. There was a shrine dedicated to it on the other side. She had always thought it was just a story.
The animal tilted its head, and then jumped away, sending snow flying.
"W-Wait!" She yelled, scrambling after it. The fox was faster then her, but it stopped every few minutes and looked back. When she got close enough, it ran ahead. It lead her down a couple of slops, and around a base she didn't recognize. She turned the corner, and the fox had disappeared.
She looked around. "Mountain Spirit… where did you-?" She placed her hand on the wall, and the wall gave way. It was one of their safe caves. She dug through the snow, and sealed it back up behind her, digging through pots until she found some matches and had enough to light a fire. She almost burned herself trying to get her hands warmed up again.
Each cave was outfitted with enough wood, food, and other items to last four days. She pulled off her outer layer of wet clothes, pulling a fur blanket around her shoulders and sat down. She placed a slab of meat by the fire to defrost it and smirked. She would be fine through the blizzard. And as soon as it was over, she would pack for a journey, and travel to the mountain spirits temple, and pay it homage and thanks.
She chuckled as she realized her father would see it as a right of passage. All she knew was she had a dept to pay back. Embraced by the warmth of the fire, she fell asleep dreaming about her new journey.
My original plan for this character, was for her to have a major role in the sequel to A Wolfs Story, but I don't think I'm going to get around to that story so this will be the last time you see her.
This takes place during Twilight Princess. And the fox is the fire temple boss from The Links Return.
Tell me what you think.
LoZ © Not me.
Characters © Mine.