Chapter 4:
Zelda had said goodbye to Link in the afternoon after he'd had a good amount of time to talk with Ayeve about his land. It was so amusing to watch the Kokiri's eyes light up like he was seven again. Then he left to help Saria with something, as she'd called through Navi a little forcefully to connect. It was actually funny and odd to hear Navi's voice change completely.
Since then she hadn't seen Ayeve though.
After much searching she became convinced he wasn't within the castle. Why would he leave if what he saught was protection from Amyko? Then again... he didn't want to impede on them, he also didn't seem to confident of the protection they had to offer. Impa had told her Ayeve had kept the shoulder bag in which the holy relic he carried was.
This Amyko really does scare him. Then again she knows how to beat him probably. Zelda walked briskly now, her full skirt flying as a cool breeze entered the outside corridor. By pure accident the princess saw a flash of sun golden hair within the courtyard trees.
"Ayeve?" Zelda made her way through the marble gravel pathways toward the priest, "I've been looking all over for you. You sure know how to slip passed people unseen."
"Higness." Ayeve bowed, his eyes not meeting hers, "Is there something you wish of me?"
She thought a moment before shrugging, "Well nothing at the moment... uh what are you doing?"
"I am trying to find a place of peace to meditate. To center myself. So far your Grove seemed the best. But I did not want to intrude."
"Oh no no! Please you may enter there whenever you like."
"It is your place to find solace, not mine." Ayeve turned when he felt a buzz of wings against his cheek. One of the ruby throated hummingbirds had gathered enough caurage to approach. The priest's graceful movements when he lifted his hand towards the tiny creature didn't phase it till he brushed his index finger against its feet. It landed obediantly for a few seconds looking curiously at them both, blinking its beedy little eyes before flitting off to find a flower. The sun was warm, the air just moist enough to make the weather perfect. Not a cloud within miles.
"May I ask something of you."Ayeve said.
"Well of course."
"Are you trained in the art of battle?"
Now this Zelda had never answered in words. For seven years the princess had recieved the elite training of the Sheikah people in defense of Ganandorf. In so much, that she was more like the race themselves if not for her inability to meld completely with the shadows. Zelda still continued this training with Impa in secret, feeling as if she didn't, the teachings would die.
"Yes I am, although, my father doesn't exactly approve of it. Not 'proper protocal' as he puts it."
Ayeve cracked a smile, "Pity. In my country the women are trained atleast the basics of battle. Would you, if your guardian permit, mind if I tried my skills against yours?"
Zelda cocked one brow, "Me against a High Priest? Ah... well I could use a new kind of workout. It would put something new in my day." she smiled, "I'll go get Impa, she can be the supervisor. Although I don't think we'll be able to do it here. I'll let you know when I figure everything out." her Higness left the courtyard in a hurry.
Ayeve watched Zelda until she was out of sight. Then sat down on the emerald green grass crosslegged, and began to center himself. His mind was wandering, with all this noise around, the songs that were either rattled or uncertain. Some sweet and beautiful, strong, such as the lands' princess. Her soul sang with the might of a warrior and the gentleness of a mother. Her companian, the Sage of Shadow however... her song was uncertain. Yet at the same time confident, eerie. Waving between the chaos and the calm. The protector of the land, Link was his name, his was incomplete. There were many that were powerful, some simple and good, but not perfected. It was all such a racket to his inner ears.
One thing was certain though, Amyko was probably using it to her advantage. That sly priestess was good at finding the faults and using them in any way big and little.
OOO
Impa thought it a fine idea and told Zelda that they'd make a trip to Lake Hylia for a little privacy from her father. So after Zelda's late afternoon lessons the three of them took up some steads and headed out towards the lake. They would have just enough time to have a few sparring matches before having to return so that they wouldn't be caught out at night. Zelda had traded her gown in for more suitable clothing she could move in without resistance.
They picked a spot where the ground wasn't too soft, and the grass wasn't overgrown. Ayeve's eyes explored the lake and its contents of stone ruins that the Zoran people used. Dragonflies flitted about the long grass at the shallow ends of the lake, tadpoles wiggled around trying to find cover from the cruel world. A few ducks swam along grazing their beaks along the surface eating any floating plant they could find. The smell of fresh water and grass filled the air.
"High Priest?" Impa caught his attention, "What weapon are you using? Your scabbard is empty."
In anwser to their questioning eyes. Ayeve made a swift horizontal motion across his chest as if striking with a sword. A flare of golden crimson light trailed with his right hand while it reached down to his scabbard. When the priest closed his fingers over a none existent handle the light writhed and solidified with the drawing. Ayeve's blade was different from the Hylian ones. Instead of a straight broad blade it was curved like a thin crescent moon, light, the metal dark red.
"This is what my people call a katana. Each blade is crafted within a year to perfection. All to the priests are unique and fit them. I believe the main weapon used here is called a bastard sword." he held it up so they could see. The sunlight flash on its liquid seeming surface. Impa examined the weapon with as much interest as Zelda.
"Ah now I feel silly with mine."
"No tool of battle is silly. I'll admit I made a mistake in my youth and was knocked out cold with a club. I lost my memory of that day, I had to take the healer's word for what happened." if his voice could be any more calm, it was now.
"He's right Zelda. Come, let us see how you fair against him." Impa stood back enough and told them the restrictions of ground. The no killing was an obvious rule. Zelda drew forth two long filigreed blades about as long as each of her arms. They were light and meant for stabbing, these were called rapiers.
Impa dropped her hand, "Begin."
Priest and Princess crouched slightly and began to pace eachother in a tight circle. Zelda mentally kicked herself for looking at Ayeve's face first. One of the first rules of fighting was never look your oponent in the face, you can't see all his movements if you did that. Plus there was the chance you could be intimidated. Instead you had to look just below their chest, the center of all major movements was there. The rest was periphreal vision. One thing bothered Zelda however, the look in her oponent's eyes was different from before.
The princess didn't have time to think about details however, for in the blink of an eye Ayeve made his move. He bent low and made an L movement toward her, his blade held in front of him to slash her stomach. She managed to block it by spinning away then came down with both blades. Zelda felt so slow already against him. Ayeve mirrored her move of evasion but thrust one foot out and tripped her. The instant she regained her balance she felt warm vibrating metal against the back of her neck.
"Has she been practicing lately?" Ayeve asked Impa without looking.
The Sage sighed heavily, "Not as of late, we've been busy with other matters."
"You still should practice on your own, princess." They reset for another match, "I'm sure your guardian has told you to." Zelda didn't bother trying making up an excuse.
The matches that followed were fleeting. Ayeve was obviously taking it easy on her inexperience but not by much. Zelda found that even though they were both on the balls of their feet, Ayeve bounced very slightly, never really letting his heels remain on the ground or stay in the air. This made his movements to evade or kick faster than hers. His style with the sword however was what got her the most. It was straight to the point yet with liquid swift movements unlike the hacking motions her people made. Ayeve's people's soul purpose must be in the art of battle. The High Priest read her every moves like he would read in a child's book. But her muscles relaxed, refreshed their memory of movement of Sheikah and she came close once or twice to slicing Ayeve.
She sighed heavily trying to catch her breath, "Amazing what - not practicing for awhile does to you."
"A long while. I think this Golden Age is softening us up too much." Impa said. Her grey eyes shifted to Ayeve who was still watching Zelda calmly, prepared. He hadn't even broken a sweat.
"I believe we should return. Perhaps, Sage Impa, sometime I could fight you."
Impa nodded, "Perhaps, should you stay long enough."
As Ayeve sheathed his katana it broke away into particles of light that followed and merged with his skin. Zelda watched his face closely, comparing the moments she'd saw it during battle to the now. The priest of the Phoenix Order always seemed very calm, during battle though he seemed beyond distant. Like he was seperated from the physical plain almost. It was hard to explain.
"You fight well, Princess Zelda." Ayeve commented, "But you should obey your teacher's advice of practicing on your own. You have great potential at becoming a warrior. Although I sense that you already are one, you just want to burry it." Zelda blinked in surprise, there was some truth in it yes. The times when she was Sheik had not been pleasant.
"Yes, before our Golden Age began, I was for seven years in darkness along with my people. It during those years that I was a Sheikah Warrior. But I... "
"You should not put aside your fighting abilities just because it brought you pain in your past or because of this Golden Age." Ayeve lectured, his tone was almost to scolding, "Fighting is not a bad thing. Not all the time. Besides it helping you focus, it keeps you ready for what might come."
Zelda felt as if she'd just disapointed Impa which she hated more than disapointing her own father, "I - I apalogize. I promise not to let my guard down."
"No need for apalogies Princess. It was simply a slip in mind. You should not let battle be your darkness inside." Ayeve looked at her directly for the first time, the Sage of Wisdom felt like he was searching her for the answer she was to say. Instead Zelda hung her head.
A hand grabbed her chin forcing her to look up, "Don't give in to self pity so easily Zelda. You are stronger than this." Impa scolded, "You don't have to bring out the hardened Sheik that you became during the Ganan's reign. But the priest is right, you should not completely set aside all your abilities. That goes for all of us especially us sages. Even a Golden Age brought from the Triforce will only last so long." Ayeve watched in silent agreement. Zelda faught down her emotions that had settled nicely in the softness of the past few years and nodded confidently, "Yes ma'am." and with that she went to get the horses grazing nearby.
"You feel you are slipping, even as a Sage." Ayeve said.
Impa folded her arms watching her princess, "Yes I do. At first I didn't think of it. But now I'm glad you brought this to my attention. We should not get fat and comfortable while in the future passed the gold there lies obsidian."
"Here."
The Sage glanced over her shoulder to find Ayeve extending his arm out, his sleeve sliding far enough back to show a clenched fist. Curious, Impa held her hand under his and he opened his slender fingers dropping a something in hers. The beads on the string were clear round quartz. The pendant seemed to be made of a hard substance with a pearly surface. It was a circle of two merging sides, one black as night with a small circle of white, and the other white with a small circle of black.
"We call it a Yin Yang, it suits you more than me."
Impa looked at the gift, to Ayeve then back the pendant a few times before closing her fingers around it. She didn't know whether to take it as a silent insult or something else.
Ayeve's face was unreadable, "You don't approve."
"It's not that it's - ."
"Impa! Ayeve! We must hurry home now!" Zelda called.
OOO
"Say Impa." Zelda began to ask as she sat in front of her mirror in her room brushing her thick hair.
"I haven't the desire nor the time to watch over our guest."
Zelda made a face indirectly through the mirror at the other sage, "And why not?"
"Must I repeat myself." Impa stood from the bed post she was leaning on and strode over to the fireplace where a fire was blazing pleasantly to ward off the night chill.
"If I didn't know better," Zelda said as she finished her before bed grooming, "I'd think you - ."
"Finish that sentence and I'll have you locked in a room with your father while he wants to talk."
Zelda gave a look of mock horror before plopping down on her soft bed, "You wouldn't do that now would ya Impa?"
"I can and will if you continue to think such idiotic ideas." the glow from the fire made her a silhuette in the Royal's inviting chamber of soft and dark blues lined in silver and gold. Zelda found it a little scary at times as she watched Impa. One moment she would be standing in complete light and the next darkness. But then again it was always Impa because of her Sheikah blood.
"Impa?"
"Yes my dear?"
"What do you think?"
"Of what?"
Zelda rolled over so that she could scrunch up a pillow to hold her chin, "Of another coming darkness. Of Ayeve and what he's trying to protect all the way over here in our land not his."
"I'll admit it does seem a little odd. But then again we do not have major holy orders and beasts that do not die completely roaming about freely. Amyko is most likely a large threat if he left home."
"Only to bring the threat here. Seems a little unlike a priest." she fiddled with the edge of her pillow.
"He left to protect his own people. Have you been having visions?" Impa stepped forward.
Zelda shook her head against her pillow, "No, I sleep well these nights. No darkness to come... yet anyway. Perhaps in seven or more years the Age will die."
"And probably a new hero to take Link's place." Impa fingered Ayeve's gift in one hand, the beads wrapped around four of her fingers, "Sleep Zelda, tomarrow is going to be busy."
OOO
Beautiful summer's day as usual. Impa felt the need to contact all the sages to remind them if not for her own comfort. With the Court, upcomming meetings would bring Link back to help with errands. She felt a small amount of pity for the boy for it was becoming a boring tedious job. For those that lived on adrenaline it was sometimes hard to settle back into a 'normal' life. But, atleast to Impa, the people were selfish in a way. It always had to be them who had to give them comfort. Them to save those who would not stand their ground. Too afraid for their own lives and too weak to hold out. Impa had her duties though, and she would not defy those she was loyal to.
With Zelda's new permission about her Grove, Ayeve sat meditating in a circle of red roses. The scent of the flowers and trickling of fountains reminded him of the sanctum back home. For a few moments Ayeve would've forgotten he wasn't home had the flowers not been so strong. He sometimes did his rituals but some could only be completed at the Order. Others however only required giving praise to the great birds of fire and their Father the sun. Praying, then the Holy Song to complete the simple part.
All of a sudden a small sound brought him out of mediation. It wasn't anything around his present location however. Ayeve stood up swiftly and listened. Stretching out his senses beyond the walls of the Market to the woods of the Kokiri.
"Heh. You've done well to track me this far inland."
Well I hope that wasn't completely off to the side. Okie dokie review please and thank you!