still in the fortress... youtube .com/playlist?list=PL9F059FDA30976A8E&feature=edit_ok
Chapter 2
The little black horse pounded away, trying to keep up with the regulation speed of the bigger horses. His speed put off the aim of the rider, but the teen had learned to compensate.
She pulled another arrow from the quiver at her side, and strung it quickly. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating fast, but the adrenaline pumping through her was improving her sight and reflexes.
She quickly compensated for the amount of motion, and the angle of her target, and then let loose the arrow.
It sailed through the air at a 45 degree angle to the direction she was travelling.
She paused to see if it connected, and upon hearing a resounding thunk as it hit her target, she quickly drew another arrow and repeated the process.
Once this arrow hit the next target she pulled Nero to a stop.
"Well done boy," she said leaning forward and petting him on the neck. "Now lets see how we did."
She turned and checked the row of targets she had been practicing on.
"Wow four out of five!" She cheered.
"What do you say, shall we go see Viera now?" She asked her horse. Nero nodded his head exaggeratedly.
"Well lets go!" she shouted and spurred him forward.
"What of Zelda. What do you know of her stance in this." Link asked tensely.
Telma sat back in her chair and sighed, but it was Nabooru who spoke.
"From what we have learned, things aren't going so well for her. She has sent us a few letters requesting aid, or help with delegations." She nodded towards a pile of scrolls and envelopes on the table. They all bore the royal seal, and there was more than a few.
"We are in no position to help unfortunately." Telma said.
"In no position?" Link asked. "Someone asks for aid, from the most well defended place in all of Hyrule and you are in no position?" He asked his voice rising slightly.
"Link you don't understand." Nabooru said.
"Of course I don't understand!" He practically yelled, almost rising out of his seat. "You would…" He held his tongue realising what he was going to say would have been too insulting.
He sighed. "Enlighten me."
Telma spoke up. "We do not have the supplies for an extended stay here, we need food, and soon water. And we need it from all parties. We aren't thieves any more, we need to remain trading. And to take sides would endanger everyone needlessly."
"I see." Link said simply. "I understand… I don't agree, But I understand."
Telma looked away from Link and Nabooru continued unfazed by his statement. "Now Link, as far as we understand, Zelda has been trying to keep the peace in Hyrule. But we haven't heard from her in a few weeks. So we don't know how things are going."
Link was thoughtful for a moment. "I've heard enough." He said pushing his chair back and standing up. "I will find out more later." He said turning to leave.
Telma almost leapt out of her chair. "Link wait!" she yelled. "We have to announce your return to the others."
Link stopped and hesitated. "I would like to be alone for a while, can we do it later?"
Telma turned to Nabooru, who in turn nodded her head.
"Yes, we will come and collect you later." Telma said.
Link bowed and exited through the open doors.
"That didn't go very well did it?" Telma asked aloud. "It went about as well as expected," Nabooru said. "Link was never really one for politics."
Nabooru started to leave. "He was never really one for crowds either…"
"Now young one." Viera was saying to the over excited teenager. "pay no attention to anything other than the targets. Anything else is just a distraction."
Neriss and Viera had invited some of the older Gerudo women to come and watch their star pupil practice on the circuit. About two dozen people were currently lined up along the entrance waiting patiently and talking amongst themselves. This was of course making the young girl quite nervous.
"But you always told me to be aware of your surroundings." She said to her trainer. "Yes that is true, but that is in real combat situations. This is for a high score. No one will be attacking you here."
The young girl laughed. "I guess I'm just a little nervous, I wasn't expecting so many people to be watching me."
Viera put her hand on her students leg, to get her attention. "Now, don't worry about them. Just concentrate on the task at hand and you will be fine."
Neriss who had walked up behind them spoke up. "Maybe you will beat the high score." She said matter of factly. The young girl turned to look at a great big score board at the opposite side of the circuit. There were ten names on it, and next to them their respective scores. She only recognised some of the names, the rest of them were older or had faded to be barely recognisable, She recognised her mothers near the bottom of the top ten, Telma's score was in the middle and then Neriss and Viera's in the fourth and third positions respectively. (As the archery teacher and the stable master, they were always competing with each other.) And finally second from the top was her own. There was one name above hers, but the difference in score was massive.
"That score is a fake, just something to aim for. You know that Neriss."
Neriss and Viera laughed. "Of course young one." Neriss said. "If that's what you believe."
The teen huffed at the use of her nickname. "Well, I'm just aiming to beat my own score anyway."
Neriss stepped forward. "I will give you two practice runs, and then I will score the last run. Okay?"
The teen nodded, then brushed her bright fringe out of her eyes.
"I'm ready."
Link had returned to his room, only briefly.
He had stopped just long enough to grab his cloak, and a few pieces of his equipment. Now he was standing outside the window of one of the highest rooms in the fortress.
He watched down below as the Gerudo went about their afternoon business.
'hmm' He thought aloud as he he spotted a couple of Hylians moving between two of the buildings. 'They weren't here last time I was here. Telma must be taking in more refugees than I thought.'
'And he is definitely new.' He thought as he spotted a Goron working, carrying a large load behind a couple of Gerudo women. 'things must be worse than I thought.'
Link turned away and headed to the end of the balcony. He faced towards the back of the fortress and withdrew a metallic device from under his cloak.
The entire living area of the fortress was situated under a giant cliff face outcropping, which suited Link perfectly.
He looked at the device, and ran a finger along its edge. This had to be the most useful device he owned, and he rarely went anywhere without it. It was called the hookshot, and he had kept it (or at least some version of it) with him on all his adventures.
It had saved his life more than a few times.
He checked it was properly loaded, as he often did, and clicked the safety off. Pointing the device upwards at an angle, he pulled the trigger.
A chain blasted out the end with a jolt, and attached itself into the solid rock via a hook on the end.
Link gave a tug on his hookshot, and satisfied it was secure, he stepped onto the ledge. He judged the angle to the rooftops opposite him, and stepped off the balcony. The Hylian free fell for a couple of seconds before swinging around in an arc, coming to land in a crouch perfectly on a far roof. He turned and gave a solid tug on the chain, before pressing the release switch. The chain quickly retracted, and came to a stop with a solid clack.
Link took off across the rooftops in the direction of the stables.
He quickly covered the first rooftop, and he climbed up an overgrown vine to reach the next one. He sprinted forward and leapt over the gap between the next two. He had done this so many times before he knew the way by instinct. He only stopped once, to drop down onto a lower roof before heading around to climb back onto the next one.
He paused only a moment at the top before running again.
'Just one more thing to do before I let Telma announce my arrival.' He thought as he ran. 'I just hope she doesn't think I've abandoned her.'
The Gerudo women gathered at the entrance to the circuit, clapped when the teenager hit a particularly hard target.
The young girl didn't notice, she was too busy notching her next arrow before she got too close to her next target. She drew the string and sighted down the arrow as she had been taught, keeping her left eye closed and sighting straight ahead with her right.
Using the arrow head as a guide, she lined up the next target. A bulls eye that hung on a high post at the back.
The young girl loosed the arrow, and watched its flight as she drew her next arrow.
Missed.
Completely.
She shook her head as she looked for her next target.
Gone.
Past her already.
She swore, quickly looking for the next target. She almost swore again when she realised she wouldn't have enough time to aim properly.
"Damn!" The teen yelled as she quickly loosed her next arrow. She barely saw it hit before she was out of time.
'Probably only just,' she thought as she drew another arrow. 'That'll cost me.'
The rest of her run went about the same, she would have to skip one of her intended targets every now and then to look ahead for a better aim.
The course itself had changed over the years. It was no longer a figure eight layout, but rather a large oval. There were four large targets on the outside of the straights, with eight smaller targets in front of them. (They found pots were too expensive to replace.) On the outside of the rounded ends were four more large targets, and three smaller higher ones behind those.
Bulls eyes were worth the most points, but harder targets were worth more.
Score runs no longer went by a limited number of arrows, rather it was by accumulative score over 3 laps, set to a certain time limit. (Running out of arrows still counted, but archers were allowed to carry as many as they wished.) With more targets, one had to be careful of trying to hit too many and miss, or to waste time aiming for more difficult ones and failing for score.
Strategy was a key element.
They pressed on.
Nero had run two laps already and he was running out of steam for the last one. He was managing to keep the pace, but it was getting harder for his rider to balance. This normally would have affected her aim, but she had ridden him enough before to compensate.
Even so her last lap didn't go as she planned, she missed a couple of easier targets that she would normally get, and missed some of the harder ones all together.
'I will just have to hope it was enough,' she thought as she crossed the finish, and slowed Nero to a stop near the track entrance.
All the onlookers were cheering and clapping.
The young girl beamed.
Viera ran over and gave Nero a bucket of water as his rider jumped off. "That was an amazing run!" Viera shouted over the noise. "As always young one!" The elder Gerudo clapped her on the shoulder.
"Thanks Viera." She said as Neriss walked over with the score sheet.
"Neriss!" The young girl exclaimed. "What was my score!"
"Two thousand, two hundred and sixty!" Neriss shouted so all could hear her. "You beat your score! By fifty points!" Everyone cheered.
The teen jumped up throwing her fist in the air and ran and hugged her horse. "Nero we did it!" She shouted throwing her arms around his neck.
The little horse nudged her with his muzzle and licked her, and the two of them jumped around each other before she hugged him again.
'This has to be the perfect day.' She thought.
The teenager smiled as she saw her mother standing amongst the onlookers. 'The perfect day…'
Link watched the crowd below cheer as the girl jumped around with the small black horse.
He had headed across the fortress, headed for the stables when he heard the commotion. He watched the last couple of laps as the girl beat her score.
'She's pretty good.' He thought, as he watched from his perch atop the circuits entrance.
'I wonder who she is.' Link sighed as he looked at all the people below, he had planned on getting to the stables without being spotted. But he realised that was going to have to wait.
"Sorry girl." He breathed. "I'll have to see you in the morning." He sighed again and pulled out his hookshot.
He fired it into the rocks behind him, and swung back up to the rooftops.
Quickly, he retraced his path towards the highest balcony, and using the hookshot once more, back up and into the fortress.
As he walked back inside he remembered back to the time he had broken in in a similar manner.
Years ago, during Gannondorf's reign.
Link dove across the doorway, rolling to a stop with his back against the crates. He quickly held his hand over his mouth to stifle his breathing.
That was too close, he had nearly run headlong into a Gerudo guard. He had sprinted into the room to avoid the guards outside, and nearly gotten himself caught again.
He had already been arrested and thrown in the secluded jail three times, he wasn't planning on doing it again.
If he gave himself away, they might discover his hookshot, and thus his means of escaping.
He was just starting to get his breathing under control when he heard voices.
"Did you hear something 'Relin?" One woman asked another.
"No, why?" Came a voice Link realised must have been 'Relin.
"I thought I heard something down the corridor." The first voice said.
"Well Kaelen, why don't you check it out?" came 'Relin's voice.
"Fine fine, I will." Kaelen said.
'Damn it!' Link thought. If she found him hiding here he would be at a major disadvantage, and would definitely be arrested.
He could hear wary footsteps slowly approaching him. Thinking quickly he rummaged through the satchel at his waist, looking for something that he could use to help him.
His hand came to rest on something small and very solid.
A Deku nut.
'perfect.' He thought, grabbing a couple of them. If picked at the right time, Deku nuts would flash brightly and crack loudly when struck on the ground. If someone is unlucky enough to look directly at them when they go off, they can cause severe disorientation.
Without looking he tossed one over his shoulder.
"What the?" exclaimed the Gerudo guard, right before there was aloud cracking noise. The wall opposite Link lit up, and he heard shouting. He looked over his shoulder to see Kaelen with her hands over her eyes, trying to shake the effects off.
Quickly, Link sprang from his hiding place and threw another Deku nut ahead of him into the main room. He had only heard two voices, so he hoped the Deku nuts would be enough distraction to give him time to incapacitate both of them.
He approached the first woman, and picked up the spear she had dropped in her confusion. The Hylian waited until she turned her head, before knocking her out with the butt of the the spear.
The woman dropped to the ground in a heap.
Link didn't have time to make sure she was out, he sprinted forward into the main room. The other Gerudo was bent over a table, trying to look in his direction. But her eyes were half blinded by the flash.
She was squinting as she levelled her spear in his direction.
Link jumped forward as she swung, and parried her slow strike with his borrowed spear. He used his momentum to swing forward with the butt end, and knock her out with a blow to her temple.
He caught her as she fell, and placed her gently next to the table.
Link stood and was about to wipe the sweat from his brow when he heard movement next to him. He lifted his spear just in time to deflect a blow aimed at his head. The borrowed weapon was jarred from his hands, and he had to dive out of the way to avoid the other end of his attackers spear, as the other Gerudo swung again for his head.
He remained crouched for a moment making sure she wasn't going to attack while he was down. 'She must have been completely around the corner, when the Deku nut went off.' He thought.
Link rose from his crouch and drew his sword and shield.
The Master sword gleamed in his left hand, its blade somehow reflecting light even in this dimly lit room.
His attacker hesitated. She was slightly taller than link and only a couple of years older. She seemed to recognise the weapon, for she didn't want to engage it.
She had darker red hair than the other Gerudo Link had seen, and she wore the vest of a blacksmith. Her custom spear attested to this fact.
She seemed to reach some conclusion in her head, because she shifted her stance, and tightened her grip on her weapon.
Link closed the distance between them first, he needed to end this fight quickly before any help arrived. The Gerudo woman took a step back, and swung the bottom of her staff up. Link stepped to the side at the last moment, and blocked with his shield as she took another step back and swung the bladed end down again. The Hylian stepped forward quickly and let the blow glance off his shield.
As her blade hit the ground, he spun around and struck out with the hilt of his sword. The Gerudo managed to recover in time, but she didn't have enough room to manoeuvre her spear.
She managed to block his attack, but not enough.
Link managed to throw his elbow out and catch her in the chin. Stars flashed before her eyes, as she crumpled to the ground.
The last thing she heard was Link apologising as he ran out the other side of the room.
Then everything went black.
Present time.
Link passed the room he had been attacked by the blacksmith in, on his way to the meeting room.
He smiled remembering the very next time he had met Viera.
She had demanded a rematch, in a more fair contest.
The fight that had ensued was a lot more evenly matched, and Link had only just managed to win the fight, and her respect.
Link put his mind to the present as he entered the grand room.
Nabooru and Telma were still there, and they both looked up as he entered.
"I'm ready." He said simply.
