Chapter Two: The Knight in the Night
A tint of blue fills the swaying grass of Forest Haven. There is a tall hill, and by its path, Zelda's car is stationed by the side.
A loud tap against the window forces the driver awake. She stirs, forcing her heavy eyelids open to stare at the tall shadow by her car. While one hand rose to turn the lights on above, the other reaches under her seat for a can of pepper. The lights turn on to reveal a smiling face sprayed with freckles. He leans in closer; he has a strong chin that is complemented with a pair of soft cheeks. "Hey," He says. "I'm guessing you're in need of a fix?" His voice isn't threatening, or too deep but inviting.
Zelda smiles softly, tapping the passenger seat until she finds her phone and is surprised to see that it is past midnight. "Oh goddess…" She whispers and this time, staring at the bar, she hopes to see a miracle but it remains at one bar.
"I noticed the broken tire," He says, pointing towards her right. "I noticed it as I walked here."
"I'm sorry," Zelda says quickly. "You seem like a really nice guy. I don't want to be rude or anything but it's in the middle of the night, you're suddenly here and I'm alone…" The man raises his eyebrows but quickly laughs as he realizes the gravity of the situation.
"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm Mido." He starts, ending the laugh with a brief chuckle. "I'm one of your grandmother's friends…If you can call us friends. I mean, yes we are friends it's just that, I don't know if you'd think that it was weird that I'm young and she's old… yeah, we're friends." Finishing his rant, Zelda surprisingly manages to keep a straight face.
"How do you… know my nana?" She asks slowly.
"Oh, Edna? Everyone in town knows each other."
"And why are you here in the middle of the night?"
"She called me and told me about her missing granddaughter. She said you'd be riding in a green Volkswagen." Zelda's calculating eyes finally determine that he's friendly and unlocks the door. "Alright, listen. I don't have a tire for you right now because I didn't bring one with me." He says, stepping back to give her space while she crawls out through the passenger's door.
Once Zelda is on the ground, she rubs a hand against her aching back before stretching. "We can move all your stuff in the back," He says, pointing at the wooden cart, dragged by two horses. "You can lock the door and I'll call Mutoh early in the morning to get your car fixed. He'll tow it back to Edna's for you."
"How early?" She asks, already opening her trunk and picking up her luggage.
"Six o'clock? Maybe seven." He follows her actions, taking her baggage and walks to the back of the cart. "He usually wakes up early so I'm sure he can get it in Edna's driveway before you wake up." Mido rests her baggage down to open the back entrance to the cart. "If you wake up late that is." He jokes, but receives no reply. While Zelda travels back and forth between her trunk to his cart, Mido begins to untie the rope that keeps the luggage on top of car free.
"What do you do?" Zelda asks after some silence.
"I'm just a farmer." He answers, placing the last of her luggage into the cart. He raises the bar to close the end.
"What do you grow?"
"We grow a lot of things but what we mainly grow is wheat." He tells her and waits by her side while she takes her purse and locks her car.
"A lot of work?"
"Yes, but thanks to technology, it can be managed by a small group."
"Oh, how small?" She asks, following him to the front of the cart. He climbs on top, raising a hand for her to take and she gladly accepts. His hands are hard, filled with callous and he easily pulls her up before shrugging.
"Well, currently. I'm living with two buddies of mine, we all operate the farm." He grabs the reigns and clicks his tongue. "Walk." He says loudly, and the horses obey. "So, you're Zelda right?" Zelda glances at Mido and nods. She's surprised that he isn't shivering due to his lack of cover: a pair of shorts and an athletic shirt. "How long has it been since you last came to Forest Haven?" Mido asks.
Zelda doesn't answer right away but when she does reply, he asks her to repeat because she is too quiet.
"Two full years." She answers louder. She had come by earlier, perhaps just past a year but she hadn't counted that as a visit. After all, she just came to pick something... or someone up.
"Oh? I should recognize you then, but I don't."
"Yeah…" She sighs; her eyes lower to stare at the ground below. The grains of dry dirt trail behind the wooden wheels. "I preferred to stay inside then…" She mutters.
"But I think I did see you though, from time to time. You looked really sad back then." She didn't reply to his comment. Once the silence started, it continued and both members didn't take notice nor agitate it with forced conversation but invited it as a time for thought. Zelda leans against the hard wooden seat, listens to the horse's clucking feet and inhales the cool air before falling asleep to the dark unlit shapes around her.
123
There is a loud muffle of cries, and a loud squeak that ended with a bang. Zelda raises her head, panic at first until she recalls the events of earlier. She's in front of the familiar white wooden house. "Zelda!" Edna says loudly, opening her arms and is forced to wait for her granddaughter to get down the cart. Once she is safe on ground, Edna smothered her in a hug.. "Oh, I called Daphnes. He said he'd come by but I'll quickly call back and tell him you're home." She marches back inside the house and Zelda, still half asleep has a hard time registering what Edna had just said.
So she continues to stare at the door, her mind wanders to the thought of a comfortable bed, wrapped within large puffy blankets and a soft pillow, cradled in warmth. The though struck fancy to her, and she found herself loosing balance until a strong hand held her still. Mido looks down and grins. "You okay there?" He asks, his other hand balancing a large suitcase on his shoulders.
"Huh?" She snaps out of her state. "Oh, sorry. Yes I'm okay." She walks to the back of the cart and grabs her suitcases.
Walking past the screen door and the wooden door, she walks to her right into the small living room. It smells thick of lavender and the furniture is over stuffed with floral print. Doyle's were lay rest on the sofa and the table. She can see her grandmother in the kitchen, talking on the phone and wrapping the cord around her finger. The kitchen has three entrances, one from the hallway, one from living room and the final door lead to the backyard.
Edna soon calls out for Zelda. The brunette stares at her shoes. What do I do with it? She wonders, her mind drunk of sleep before deciding to kick them off her feet and leaving them scattered near the front door. She quickly walks down the hallway and into the kitchen. The cold tile that touched her feet made her spine shiver, electrifying her body with energy. She takes the phone from her grandmother and can hear her mother asking for her. "Yes mom, right here… yes I'm okay. It was the tire… yeah, I used my extra one. Two tires flattened. Nana's friend Mido found me. Yes I'm okay and I'm sure nobody followed me here…"
"That should be everything." Mido says from the living room, forcing Edna to part with Zelda.
"Thank you so much Mido!" She says, placing a hand against the wall as she enters the living room.
"It's no problem, after all, you've done so much for us." He says, referring to his friends.
"Speaking of that, how is he?"
"He got better. After two years, I hadn't expected this fever attack to strike again… Good thing we still had some of your remedies.'
"When did it start?" She asks, guiding him into her kitchen. In the corner of the kitchen is a small table. She offers a seat that he takes and Edna places three mugs filled with hot water down on knitted coasters.
"Uhm, around eight to nineish?"
"Hm, so it's been five hours?"
"I think so." He says then takes a sip of the tea. "But before I left, he was getting better. He wasn't sweating buckets, nor did he tussle too much. His temperature did go down after the sponge bath."
"Hm." Edna begins to think loudly, looking at her tea before taking a sip. "I'd like to check on him still. The pattern of these fevers are very odd... realizing how sever the last fever was, I'd like to stay on the safe side and be by his side for now." She whispers, and Mido nods. He takes a giant sip of tea and by the time he and Edna finish their tea, Zelda is off the phone.
"I'd like to sleep!" Zelda exclaims, raising her arms over her head to stretch.
"Oh, go ahead dear." Edna says, taking the two empty cups and places them carefully in the sink.
"Aren't you going to sleep too?" Zelda asks slowly, glancing at Mido who didn't move from the kitchen chair. When he stared back at her, she averted the eye contact by shifting her view on the extra cup on the table. She walks to the table and takes the cup.
"No, no." Edna says, washing the cups quickly. Hearing the answer from her grandmother, Zelda masks her surprises by taking a sip of tea. The warm water tickle her throat, and she could feel it fall past her chest and resting in her empty stomach. She sighs with pure satisfaction and can feel her eyelids become less heavy.
"I've got to check up on a friend of mine." Edna says, placing the cups on the side to dry.
"I thought Cassiopia is the town doctor now." Zelda says, referring to her grandmother's past apprentice. She remembers the quiet girl who diligently followed her grandmother, asking questions and taking notes. That was two years ago and would often see her on her rare adventures to the living room.
"Yes, but she's a busy women now."
"What do you mean by that?"
"She's got herself a baby to take care of." Edna turns around slowly, yawning in her hand.
And my grandmother has to take care of herself, Zelda thought. So a young woman can't abandon her baby but a 79 year old woman with failing health can leave the comforts of her home in the middle of the night.
"Wow, good for her." Zelda forces herself to say. "Who's the father?"
"Clyde." The river man is his nickname. He had a home by the river and his income came from fishing.
"Ah, they were really cute together last time I was here." Zelda finishes her tea and places it in the sink. "Oh snap." Zelda says, clutching onto her stomach. "I forgot how badly I needed to use to washroom!" She says while running out the kitchen. "I'm also coming with you!" Her faint voice can be heard before the quick footsteps of her running up the stairs. She can't let a 79 year old woman leave her home unprotected.
"Where did you find Zelda?" Edna asks to fill the silence and sits across from Mido. His strong arm is propped against the table to support his head, and his glossy eyes finally focus on what he's staring at.
"Oh, I was headed to your home. She was just a mile away." He say before yawning loudly.
"How'd you convince her to come with you?"
"I just explained how I knew you, what you had told me, the description of the car."
"Oh," Both heads turn to the hallway entrance to see Zelda with a giant smile.
"Shall we go?" Zelda asks, linking arms with her grandmother once she is standing. Outside the house, the two females climb into the cart. Once the horses begin to move, Zelda asks Mido: "How would we get home?"
"You won't be getting home, you're going to be a guest at my house for the night. No big deal, it's not like your car was a better bed." Mido joked but it had not touched Zelda kindly, at all. She looks behind her, the white house is no longer seen under the row of trees.
"I wish you told me that before we left the house…" She mutters, shifting uncomfortably in her seat and wanting bad to take a warm shower and change into comfortable clothes.
As proud as Zelda is that her grandmother cares about others, times like these, it makes Zelda feel that Edna is being selfish. Hadn't she known that Zelda and the family wants her to stay healthy, meaning more sleep and less night outs? The bags under her eyes dragged her eyelids down, and she found that her mouth curved down wards naturally, and soon her head would follow. The ride felt worst as she lay her back against the hard wood bench. She turns over and tries different positions until she gives in, and lets out quiet dry sobs. She's being dramatic, she knew this much, but she's frustrated and tired.
Thankfully, Edna notices her granddaughter's situation and offers her lap as a pillow. Once Zelda lies against her grandmother, she felt the old womans heavy hand going through her hair. She then began to hum a song she had sung to Zelda when she was just a babe.
The cart came to a halt but Zelda's body refuses to get up. She drags her tired hands onto the seat to push herself up but lost balance as her head thumped in disapproval. She feels the water in her stomach come up her throat but she forces herself to swallow, leaving a bitter taste on the back of tongue. Jumping off the cart and helping her grandmother down, Mido invites them in the white country home or mansion. It was giant, Zelda thought. A family of 20 could live in this home.
The building felt eerie, it was awful quiet so that every step they took would creak under the old wood. It was clearly spacious, and right away it is the living room. Zelda inspects the space around her: the antlers placed on the walls and various medals relating to farming. The furniture is mainly wood but shaped and refined into complex patterns.
Following Mido up the stairs, the only door distinguishable in the long hallway is the one with two dogs lying beside it. The collie border and the Australian shepherd both raise their head, and their large glossy eyes stare at the three. Mido gives them a soft pat on the head as he walks into the door, while Zelda just gave the two dogs a smile.
Stepping out of the dimly lit hallway and into the room, she is immediately hit with a wave of heat and a mix of pungent smells. Smells of vomit and sweat that churned her own stomach, forcing her to place a fist against her mouth, and another hand over her stomach. She waits until her innards settle before continuing to step into the room.
"Get to windows open." Edna cackles before stepping at the end of the bed, blocking the view of the patient. Zelda watches Mido step out of the room before her eyes landed on a short female. Her hair the odd colour of green, and they both share a small glance, blue meets blue before the female disappears into the attached washroom.
"Take a seat Edna." The female says from the washroom, and once nana Edna walks from the end of the bed, the patient is seen. A man in rest is laid on the bed, his dirty blonde hair matted with sweat and his bare muscular chest is half covered by the thin blanket. His arms are sprawled beside him, and Zelda can hear his uneven breathing.
Zelda watches him, examines his face for a long time but is forced to look away as the female steps out of the washroom. Zelda knows the female is staring at her, and she tries not to create a scene out of the tense filled glare. Once the female is out, she leans close to the man on the bed to switch the wet towel on his head with another one before disappearing in washroom once more.
"He doesn't seem completely restless." Edna whispers, taking a temperature stick from a mug on the side table and places it in his mouth. "Saria," She says, catching the attention of the green haired female and she is now in full view of Edna. "How has he been?"
"He got better at around one o'clock." Saria says, glancing at Zelda before focusing on Mido who steps in with two chairs. She accepts one from Mido and gladly sits down. "And since then, he's gotten better." She smiles softly her eyes remaining on the sleeping male.
During the quiet examination, Mido breaks the silence by addressing Zelda to Saria.
"I know who she is." Saria mumbles and frowns as she is forced to stare at Zelda instead of the man on the bed. "Nice to meet you Zelda." Saria smiles but Zelda has a hard time reflecting the happiness due to her own tiredness and the earlier remark Saria had made. So far, Zelda thinks, Saria does not like her.
"Nice to meet you too. You must be Saria." The green haired nods, looking back at the man on the bed. "So… Who is he?" Zelda asks, staring at the man.
"Link." Mido answers for her. There is a moment of silence. "Say, Zelda. You must be tired. Let me get you settled in a guest room." He says while searching in the wooden cabinet.
"What are you doing?" Saria stands from her chair making Zelda grind her teeth at the uncomfortable squeal of the chair leg against the floor.
"Finding her something to wear, duh." Mido says, rolling his eyes.
"Why Link's clothes?" Saria asks, approaching him and grabs his arm. He turns to stare down at her and even Zelda is astonished by their height difference.
"Sorry to break it to you shorty but your clothing is too small for her and my clothing is too big for her. Link's will be fine."
"But-"
"Relax, I'll pick out something he doesn't usually wear." After digging in his closet, he pulls out old sweats and a t-shirt. He throws it at Zelda and signals her to follow as they step into the hallway. Three doors down from Links, and the room at the end of the hallway is the guest room, Mido says. Opening the door wide and turning the lights on to the very spacious room, he shows her the attached bathroom before leaving her alone. This room is the size of a master bed room, she thought and is a bigger room than the room she has at nana's.
Zelda throws Link's clothing on her bed before escaping into the bathroom where she finds dry towels hanging on the rack. Under the cabinet is a bag of feminine products stowed behind packages of toilet paper and inside the medicine cabinet are bottles of over the counter medicine: Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin, cough medicine, medicine for allergies and lotion. Taking the bottle of Tylenol she rests it on the counter by the new tooth brush and untouched toothpaste.
The cool water against her skin relaxes her instantly and she longs to stay in the shower but reminds herself of the comfortable bed outside. Stepping outside and drying her body, she cleans her teeth before swallowing one pill of Tylenol. Now inside the bedroom, Zelda clothes herself with Link's shirt and sweats. It smelled sweet, she thought blushing. It wasn't a blush of affection towards Link because she doesn't know him, but the thought of her ex-boyfriend. Moments when she'd wear his clothing.
She stares at the large bed, it's fluffed with layers of bedding and pillows and she stops herself from jumping on it. She had, after all, gone all this way to the home. She shouldn't waste her remaining energy on sleep but to help her grandmother. Walking outside on her toes, she creeps into the room where Link is. The dogs are now inside at the foot of Edna while Mido and Saria are out of sight. "Where are they?" Zelda whispers, catching her grandmother's attention.
"I told them to sleep. They need it." Link looks much better, his breathing is even and body is no longer glossy with sweat.
"You too nana, you're old and I don't want you getting sick." Zelda says and in response the old woman raises a hand to dismiss the truth.
"I'd rather die early doing something important then die old, staying in a crumbling home as I desperately try to hold my youth." These words were true to Edna's heart, Zelda can see this and testify to this by her actions from two years ago but it only made her angry. Why are you being so selfish? Zelda wants to shout out but does not. Can't you see we love you and don't ever want to see you go? Don't you see I need you? All these thoughts swarm her head and in a battle to fight tears, Zelda looses but before Edna could see, Zelda turns on her heel and goes to bed.
Wow! Chapter Three! After comparing reviews… I realized that my writing style doesn't appeal to a lot of people… So after reading Sister's Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (still reading it) and A Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. I loved the way they explained everything! The setting, the fluidity. So I tried to make it something like that lol. Which I think turned out much better.
As for the title. I like how it sounds lame.
Made changes, added more. Worked on tenses and explaination to Zelda's following is better explained.
As for that! Yay! Zelda finally gets rest! And she meets Link as promised! But you probably thought he was going to save her huh? Mwuahhaha.
And two years ago Zelda came to Forest Haven…. What do you think happened then?
Tell me what you guys think! I love hearing from you all. Cheers and God Bless.
I tried to write this chapter as quickly as possible, so message me if I got any mistakes = grammar/ past or present tense/ spelling/word choice!
Response to Reviews:
Richard: Thanks! I hope you continue to like it and find it interesting. :P
ScootinJack: Haha, I was hoping someone would notice Zelda's problem. I know, too bad. Good thing someone saved her. :P
Michie: Thanks. I hope everyone understands the setting!
Shadow: Thanks you!
Knight: Awesome, another Canadian! Then I'm sure you know those two books I mentioned above. Really good and recommended if you haven't read them. Sister's Brotheres is highly recommended over Heros walk. I'm on chapter five in Hero's Walk? The story and writing is amazing but the main character is annoying so far. Sisters Brother's thought, story, writing and characters are amazing.
