Alaia Skyhawk: It's been a while, I know, but I got stuck into Path of Restoration after playing Dawn of the New World gave me some ideas.
I don't own the Zelda series or anything associated with it. I do however own this story and any OCs, so please don't steal them.
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Chapter 6: A Quest Begins
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"So this is goodbye for now then... Good luck, Arkai, and watch yourself."
Taleen and Alana regarded him from atop their Eponasians, the convoy still moving along the road south; passing the junction with the westbound road that Arkai would be taking. He was sat atop Anami, the mare impatient to get moving again but also knowing that her new temporary master wanted to say farewell to the ranch girl and the champion's niece.
He sighed.
"Yeah, I guess it is. You all look after yourselves as well. I don't want to pass by Castle Town in four weeks time only to hear you got mugged by bandits or something."
Alana laughed as Taleen grinned wickedly.
"I think it's more likely that you'll hear about us beating up the bandits. Keep up that sword practice and maybe you'll beat me in a sparring match someday."
The pair of them turned, galloping after the convoy to lead from the front again, leaving him sat there watching them go. Nudging Anami with a heel, he sighed.
"Time for us to go as well, I guess. It's just you and me from here on out." Anami snorted, as she turned and set off at a steady lope down the western road, Arkai having to grab the saddle to steady himself. "Hey! What's the rush?" He tugged on the reins to get her to slow down, but she kept going. "Anami!"
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A soot black nose appeared in his field of view, his sheathed sword held daintily in the mare's teeth. She eyed him as he glared back.
"After what you did to me today, do you seriously think I want to practice with that thing right now?" She nudged him, whickering as he began to grumble. "My legs feel like they've been frozen at an angle, my rear feels like it's been pounded, and my back feels like I've been lugging barrels around all day. I am not in the mood for this, Anami."
She nudged him again, a little more urgently this time, as with a roll of an eye and a flicked back ear she glanced behind herself into the twilight shadows.
"Hhnnnn!"
Arkai scowled.
"What is up with you? Anyone would think you were trying to tell me something is coming..."
"Yahhh!"
The potential hero leapt to his feet as a mob of several bandits came charging out of the darkness, blades raised with obvious intentions. He grabbed his sword from Anami's mouth drawing it from its sheath and scrabbling for his shield while the mare turned to give him some time.
One of the bandits rushed towards her, but then began to make a panicked attempt to stop as she dropped down into a crouch on her rear legs and lashed out with her fore hooves. They took him in the head and shoulder, the bandit crumpling to the floor. She dropped to four legs again and spun, kicking out her hind legs at another man and sending him flying as the now armed Arkai darted past her towards the rest of the attacking force.
One of them made an overhead swing at him, but without really thinking he side stepped it and slammed his shield into the side of the man's face while blocking a swing from another on his left using his sword. He then, following the drills Taran had taught him, proceeded to disarm and then wound the second man while the first slumped to the ground in a daze.
The bandits broke and run, one of them grabbing the dazed man and dragging him stumbling away.
Arkai watched them go, rather stunned.
"Wow, they were really bad swordsmen... I mean, I'm a raw beginner and I just beat the crap out of two of them..." He headed towards his seat by the fire, wincing a little since he was still sore from riding a loping horse for most of the day. "Well at least I feel a little looser now after that." He blinked and then paused, looking down at the sword in his hand and the fleck of red on the end of it. He then changed direction, heading for his saddlebags. "On second thoughts I'll clean this and then practice for a bit. It'll loosen me up some more and improve my sword work too, two birds with one stone. I got lucky that those guys were so bad with weapons, might not get that lucky again."
He pulled the kit for tending his sword from his bags, cleaning the blade and then heading to a spot a short distance away, and away from the two dead bandits that Anami had felled, beginning to practice his sword drills while the mare watched him in bemused silence... The guy pulls off a perfectly timed move to incapacitate one man while blocking another, and then disarms the other guy in three passes... and calls himself a 'raw beginner'. She sighed, it could be worse... He could have still been complaining about his cramping legs...
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Alaia Skyhawk: Short I know, but bar a possible scene at Grey Tor on his way back towards Hyrule Castle Town there's nothing I can really add on this stretch since it's just Arkai, Anami, his sword practice, and a long open road until he gets to Lake Hylia. I'd have given myself major writer's block to try and add any more, which would have meant delaying updates on this fic even longer. Anyways, next chapter will be longer! Fun with Ruto! Yay!