Sorry bout this chapter guys. It was a little short, ok not a little, really short, but it's been a long time since I've updated so I figured I might as well since I had this just sitting on my laptop collecting dust. I like the little cliffie at the end. It's suprising to say the least, but never mind that. I hope you enjoy the story. -Astra's Shadow
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Link sighed as he followed Luna toward the massive clearing in the center of the forest. He felt like he was walking toward an execution, trying to walk as slowly as possible while maintaining his dignity.
Luna gave the black and gray wolf a irritated look " Get your butt moving Pup." She growled as she prodded him foreward with her tail.
Link didn't reply, he just grunted and lengthened his stride, he really wasn't in the mood to exchange witty banter when he was walking to his death.
Well, he might not die. Might being the key word, killing another wolf? He was in over his head and he knew it.
" So who am I killing?" Link asked, the word kill felt odd against his tongue. Killing was for soldiers not for 10 year old boys turned wolves.
" That depends." Luna growled as both of them entered the broad clearing. Instantly a rain of howls and greetings reached their ears. A male storm of black, brown, gold, and white fur swirled around Link as he turned around to acknowledge and return greetings.
" Silence." Luna barked and the pack fell silent.
" Is this our new member?" A black haired wolf growled curiously, his unusual red eyes making him seem like a demon. His thick black bristly tail swung side to side in a metronome like rhythm.
" Yes." Luna said as she easily padded into the center of the clearing. The silence that proceeded every paw step was unsettling and Link felt eyes scanning him intently as he padded into the center of the clearing.
" Your right of passage begins now pup." Luna grunted as she looked at Link with what to him seemed like amused eyes.
" Choose you opponent well." Luna said as she stepped backwards.
Link looked at the circle of wolves around him, out of the frying pan and into the fire. How was he supposed to choose which one of these wolves he wanted to kill? Silence greeted his ears as he slowly took in the crowd, automatically taking note of the ones that stood proud in the front and those that sulked around the outer rims of the circle.
" You." He growled softly, his tail pointing at a white furred wolf with intense amber eyes. He had picked the one that he noticed had stood in the back and watched with amused eyes as he choose his opponent.
The white furred wolf stepped forward with a nonchalance that unnerved Link and for a moment he was tempted to see If he could withdraw his choice before he gritted his canines and faced the other wolf with burning blue eyes.
" Begin." Luna said softly as she stood to the side.
And as one, they lunged.
Pain. Agony. Those were the only two things he felt as he and the white haired wolf clashed. Everything was blank from his mind except for one sole thought, survival. Action and reaction, attack and defend.
White hot fangs raked down his back and he felt the warm spurt of blood as he retaliated with a swipe from his back legs. It had been almost ten minutes since they had started fighting. All the elegance and fluidity that Rusl had taught him earlier in the afternoon was forgotten entirely. Another gash, another spurt of blood.
Here, power reigned supreme. Speed was a close second and reaction time claimed the bronze. After a particularly viscious clash of fangs and claws, both of them stepped back with new wounds. It was interesting, in a way, how wolves fought one another. Viscious busrts of speed punctuated with new wounds each time they sprang apart.
Link locked blue eyes with his opponent, he knew that given the chance, this wolf would kill him, and if their positions were reversed he wouldn't hesitate to do the same. Back swipe with his hind legs, then a grab with his jaws for the other wolfs scruff before following up with a swipe from the front paws. He smacked the wolf over the head with the back swipe and managed to nick his throat with his fangs before he was sent sprawling with a viscous smack of a paw.
Link jumped to the side and rolled as the other wolf lunged at him. Link frowned slightly as he sprang back up, noticing his opponents labored and heavy breath. He was getting tired and how easily he had dodged that last lunge was an indication that he was also getting slower.
He surveyed the cuts and gashes over his body with a painful grimace. It definitely wasn't going to be pretty when he woke up the next morning. After nimbly dancing out of the way of the relentless white wolf for the hundredth time he smacked the wolf over the head with his paw in a move akin to a guillotine blade falling down.
With a meaty smack he thwacked the other wolf down to the ground. The white wolf reacted instinctively and retaliated with a swift swipe to the face with it's forepaws. BITCH. Was his only conscious thought as he struggled to get up on his legs and fixed his glare on the thing in front of him. His whole head was throbbing. How the hell did his opponent get up from that? Link heaved himself up and lunged.
The white wolf sidestepped and with a neatly aimed claw, tore a gash along the side of his body as he went past. Link spun around, his paws sent up a fountain of dust and lunged again. He was getting tired, oh so tired, this was going to end soon, one way or another.
And all to soon it did. His lunge took him directly into the other wolfs throat and acting on instinct he slammed his fangs shut and tore open two neat holes in the other wolf's throat.
Looking at the two rivulets of blood dripping down it's throat. He looked at his opponent. The fur, pristine and white and the beginning was now streaked with blood and dirt.
" Finish it."
Link started at the sudden voice. Definitely male and judging from the tone, younger than he was.
" What?" He asked, taken aback by the sudden bide for death.
" I lost, so I die. Finish it." The wolf repeated, locking eyes with Link. Amber met blue and Link felt his head dip once in acknowledgment before he buried his fangs into the wolfs throat.
He neatly removed the fangs and stared around the clearing. He could taste the blood on his fangs and he immediately spat it out of his mouth. The taste was horrible and it was made worse by the guilt that plagued his body.
Luna leapt of her comfortable perch on the tip of a boulder and landed neatly on the ground. " You pass." She commented simply.
Link shrugged and kept up his air of nonchalance. He knew full well that keeping that air of quiet confidence would probably be the only thing that would keep him alive. " I hope that's good." He commented as he watched the wolves around him eyes him warily.
"Of course it is." Luna growled amused as she regarded the body of the now dead silver wolf. " He had potential but you have even more. Congratulations and welcome to the pack."
Zelda yawned as she sat outside in the courtyard for lunch. She was munching on a sandwich, something that she had been told that the Kokiri made for quick meals. The moist ham and crisp lettuce was delicious and she eageraly devoured the meal with out her usual courtly grace.
Her classes were over for the day. Her politics and magic classes had gone quite well and now she had the rest of the day to her self. She felt her thoughts wander back to the farm boy she had seen just last night. Link was his name. Link... how interesting she mused as she rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn.
Link... she felt like she should know that name. Her left hand throbbed once as she flipped through the book she was reading. She settled down to read for the moment before looking at her fathers office. The twin mahogany doors were cracked open and she could see her fathers forehead pounding it self into the table.
Zelda rolled her eyes with a smirk on her face. It was nice to know that her father had a little bit of humanity in him, even if it was something like banging his head in frustration. The girl chuckled once before flipping a page and continuing to read.
King Leo looked out the doors of his study after a particularly intense session of head banging. " Well Farore and all." He muttered as he ran a finger over a chess board on his desk. His little Zelda was fond of playing the game, though she had never asked him once for a game. He looked out side for a moment and gave a sad smile as he watched her turn a page, her face calm and peaceful.
It was nice for once, to see his daughter look like a ordinary girl.
Thud! Impa nailed the driver of the wagon she had observed a few days earlier with a throwing knife and yanked his body out of the driver's seat and chucked him over to the side of the road. Impa nodded and looked over the cargo the man was carrying.
She really didn't know what to expect, money? Food? Supplies? Instead she was greeted with a couple dozen or so gallons of a creamy white liquid. Milk. Impa shrugged and with a terse command she had her warriors haul the stuff of the cart and toss them into the road.
The glass made an sound like wind chimes as they smashed one after another on the hard paved stone of the road. As white liquid splattered all over Impa looked warily at the lights that gleamed a couple hundred meters away, checking for guards, before ordering her troops to hide in the back and she herself took up the reins. She snapped them with a crisp flick of her wrist and they were off. She looked at the massive walls in front of her. Disguise was the best weapon and lying was the grindstone that sharpened it. Impa neatly lied her way through the guards by saying there had been a change of workers and after some pointless signature forging she slipped into the city.
Life was too easy sometimes she thought with a snicker as she drove the cart to a secluded corner and unloaded her warriors. With catlike reflexes all of them spread out through the village to avoid being detected. By her estimates this new way in had shortened the time it would take to take kakariko by about 5 months.
" Excuse me Miss, but it's a little late to be out here at night." A guard said politely, interrupting her musings as he held aloft a lantern " Thievery is pretty high in these parts."
" Thanks, But I can take care of myself." Impa said with a cocky grin as she vansihed into the shadows.
The guard shook his head slightly, " Women." He said softly as he resumed his rounds.
A tall crimson haired teenager dressed in a suit of clothes made out of light gray leather staggered his way into a bar. " I need some ale." He ordered as he plopped himself down onto one of the worn bar stools.
The bar tender raised an eyebrow at that but never the less slung over a mug of the foamy black concoction and resumed wiping down glasses with a grimy cloth.
" Thanks." The teen said as he sipped it slowly.
" You from around here kid?" The bartender asked curiously as he noticed the boys unusual orange hair and odd attire.
" No... I come from a place far to the east." The teen said softly as he tapped a drum beat on the hilt of a oddly curved sword sitting at his waist. He took another sip of his ale. " I'm looking for my father actually." He said.
The bartender smiled as he set the glass to the side and set to work on another one " Well I may be able to help you out there. What's his name."
".. Dronam actually." The teen said with a bitter smile which didn't go noticed by the bartender. " Bad dad?" He asked curiously.
" No... simply negligent." He said simply. A pair of patrons stumbled into the bar with a clang as the dor slammed shut behind them. Both of them settled themselves on stools in the corner and made their orders in a quick hushed tone.
The bartender hurridely dished out the drinks and passed the boy. " Dronam? Sorry kid can't say I've heard of him."
" Names Ganon, not kid." The boy said lightly as he took another chug of the alcoholic beverage in front of him.
The bartender shrugged " Pleasure." He said as he set another grimy glass down and got to work on another one. Day in and Day out he slaved on these things.
" Pleasures all Mine." Ganon said amused.
Hoping for at least three reviews this chappie but that's a high goal, I'm not that good of a writer yet lol.