The Fighter:
The sound of the early morning crowds bustling around Castletown woke me from my light sleep. I yawned, stretching a little which woke up my small friends. The cats one by one rose their heads and yawned just as I did. Yes, cats. Most nights I sleep here with the cats, just outside of Jovani's house and since he recently seems to have strangely disappeared, it became all the more convenient. That is, until it rained. Then I have to see if the bar is empty enough for me to get in to sleep or if I can break into the doctor's office for the night. Telma usually let's me stay in the bar when it rains, but when its crowded she can't let her customers see me.
The cats began meowing and purring as they rubbed against me. I pet their heads and smiled at them.
"Morning guys" I say and stand up, brushing the dirt off my back and legs. Time to start another day. I got my bag from its hiding spot under a vase and left the area, making my way to the small market a few streets away. Of course, as usual, there were guards on every corner to try to keep thieves and unwanted company away, but as usual, I always get in anyway.
Even though it was still kinda early, the street was already quite crowded which only made getting breakfast easier. I slipped on the black hood of my overcoat to hide my dark red hair then maneuvered my way past the guards and through the people, keeping my face hidden from view. I stopped by the produce and looked down the street. No one watching this way. I looked the other direction. All clear this way.
I looked both ways again then grabbed an apple out of a barrel and started walking down the street to the South gate. Everything was going just as planned as I pulled off my hood and took a bite from the sweet fruit. The sweetest ones were always in the second barrel.
"Hey! Stop right there! Thief!" A guard yells down the corridor, alerting the other soldiers of my presence. I bolted from my spot and hung a left, down an alley to head towards the East gate. The heavy footsteps of the guards sounded behind me as I ran as fast as I could down and and around the star tent, coming out by the East gate.
The yells of the guards were still too close for comfort so I ran out the gate and across the bridge, into Hyrule field. They usually don't follow me out here because of the monsters that hang around sometimes. Mostly the monsters keep away from the castle but now they've been seen a little too close for comfort. At least for the others they are. It's not so bad when you know how to deal with them.
When I was sure I wasn't being followed, I started walking down to a small area with old stone steps, cracked from the years of weather. By the third step, under a cloth, is where I keep my bow. I retrieved it from under the thin fabric along with a quiver holding a few arrows.
My father gave me this bow. It was his a long time ago before I lost him and my mom. He didn't mean to give it to me, and I hardly remember that day, but this bow will always be special to me. It's helped me more in life than other people have.
I fastened the quiver onto my back then put on the bow over that. The tight feeling of the bow hugging my chest was comforting, as it reminded me that it was there. That it would protect me. Now, we walk.
The walk to Hyrule field would be a little longer today because I didn't think to take the south gate. I don't mind that much though, it just means that I get to go by Lake Floria. I walked in silence for a while, soon crossing the giant bridge over the lake. Not much longer after that, the small path came to an end that opened up into south Hyrule Field.
The scenery was something out of a story. The large open area of nothing but grassy field, a small body of water south of here, and plenty of room to do whatever you wish. That's been my dream since I was eleven and I realized that no one in Castletown was going to accept me. That I'd always be alone, kicked to the side by everyone. So I decided that one day, I'd live here on my own.
A long day was ahead of me. About every six days, I run out of food in my bag so I have to hunt in the fields to get more. Trust me, it's not as bad as it sounds. I made my way to an area by the center of the field and took off my bag, moving a rock over the strap to keep it in place in case something happens.
The bag was empty, as it had been since yesterday morning. Only a few rupees in the side pocket that I'd gotten from townspeople who had thrown it as charity (it was only about fifteen rupees in all) to me and the old man who stands out by the East Gate. I have more money though, for emergencies, but I need food. And hunting doesn't cost anything.
I left my bag where I could find it later, secured under the rock and started off to the higher region of the field where large birds fly. Some birds were like the bokoblins and turned to dust when slayed, but others were good to eat. Those are part of what have been keeping me alive all these years.
Pulling my bow over my head, I notched an arrow and readied my bow, coming around the curve of the wall. The birds saw my approach and many of them took flight. I aimed and shot at the birds once, twice, three times before they were all too far away to reach. Nothing. All of the targets were monstrous look alikes. I traveled further around the wall, going higher with every turn, repeating the process until I reached the top of the large hill.
At the top, on the ledge, a single bird sat unmarked by dark symbols. As quietly as I could, I notched another arrow and pulled back the draw string as far ad I could. I took a deep breath in then out, and aimed at the bird. Then I released the string.
The arrow flew from the bow at such a speed that it whistled in the air around it. It found its mark in the chest of the bird, causing it to squawk in pain and fall off the edge of the hill. I rushed to the edge and looked over at the falling bird as it hit the harsh ground.
The trip back down the large hill was a pleasant one as I went to retrieve my food for the next few days. This time I was lucky. Most days I end up having to look all over Hyrule field, even going as far as Faron Woods but never further. In all my life I've never been out of walking distance of Castletown. Even when I know that no one there cares if I come back, I always do.
At the bottom of the hill, the bird layed dead with my arrow sticking out of its left breast. I picked up the lifeless body and removed the arrow, carrying both back to where I left my bag. It was still under the same rock, just as it was left. I removed my bow and quiver, setting them gently down beside the bag. The hardest part of all this was having to pluck the bird's feathers, remove the intestines, then cook the meat. It was definitely the lengthiest part, because without a knife I have to use an arrow head.
I started cleaning the bird as I hummed an old song that came to mind. One my mother would song to me when I was little that was sang by the gods many years ago. The old song had no words as far as I knew, for they had been forgotten for a long time. By the end of my tune the bird was stripped of its feathers and had been emptied of its insides. I set it down on the stone ground by the small body of water and washed he blood off my hands. By the water, some sticks layed in a bundle from my previous visits. It didn't take much to set them up in a makeshift stick spit to cook the large bird on.
I gathered wood and leaves to build a fire place then used two rocks to ignite my flame, placing the cooker over the heat. By this time the sun was already halfway across the sky as the day was winding down into afternoon hours. I leaned back on the grass to watch the clouds and think of things they resembled, occasionally sitting up to turn my food.
That's another thing about Hyrule Field. Without many trees to corrupt the view, watching the clouds is easier than ever. It was more of a habit than a hobby, really. Whenever I get bored or feel alone in Castletown I just look up and my imagination does the rest, turning big white clouds into people, animals, and stories in themselves.
After however long I sat there watching the clouds go by, my bird was cooked. I picked off and ate what I wanted then broke the rest up in pieces, putting them in my food bag. When that was done, I put out the fire and set the sticks aside for later use. As the sun began to set beside me I made my way back towards Castletown to carry on another few days of being treated as a nuisance.
I looked up at the castle in the distance and sighed. So much for peace, equality, and safety for everyone. Just then I noticed something strange around the tower. A loud boom sounded through the air and a dark aura surrounded the castle, slowly making its way around Castletown and spreading to the area around it. Run..
Without thinking, my legs began to carry me in the opposite direction, towards Faron woods as the ominous glow of the twilight consumed the land behind me. I ran as fast as I could through the unknown terrain, dodging trees whenever necessary, quickly moving across an old bridge from the twilight nipping at my heels. I veered off the path to the left hoping to somehow get an advantage in the race against the darkness, desperately trying to get away.
Just a little—A rock slipped under my foot and I fell down a steep hill, hitting various rocks, stumps, and other things on the way down. My head slammed fiercely against a rock before I finally fell into a river. The frigid water licked at my skin bringing cool bumps to appear on my body. I let the cool water carry me downstream, my head throbbing with pain the whole time. As black spots clouded my vision, I watched the mysterious aura consume the air above me before everything faded away into darkness. Goodbye life as I know it..