A/N: Sorry for the really long hiatus, several conventions came up and I was asked to do quite a few prop and costume commissions. Updates will be back to the regular Mondays.

Chapter 7

The sun lazily set over the sea and sent glittering facets over the waves. Lirali had rowed out on the water until the waves no longer buffeted her boat constantly and had been watching her line cautiously as it bobbed in the water. Kael's legs hung over the edge of the boat to touch the water and stared up at the red and gold evening sky. When he was not staring off into nothing, he went back to work on another lure to put in a pile he had started. Occasionally, he would steal a glance at Lirali out of the corner of his eye and smile to himself. It had been two days since they had traveled together and it seemed like the entire affair had warmed her up considerably to him. She had not been nearly as hesitant when she saw him and had even invited him along on her boat. There had been snippets of conversation before she had gone silent and he had started to enjoy the quiet between them. It was not awkward in the least and she seemed relaxed, but he had laughed when she jumped the few times he had moved around to get comfortable in the boat. He finished another lure and dropped it in the pile and tucked his hands behind his head to relax. Kael started to reminisce about the trip to the mountains when he remembered the amber he had given her.

"Hey, I meant to ask while we were in the village, but how much did that amber go for?" He asked. Lirali was jolted out of her concentration and looked at him curiously until she remembered. She looked away embarrassed.

"I… I forgot it was in my bag." She admitted. He scoffed and gave her a look.

"Really? That's too bad, it's worth so much I thought it'd be the first thing on your mind." He said. Lirali was suddenly upset with him.

"I was too focused on other things. It just happened." She said with irritation in her tone. He looked at her in surprise, then paused a moment and suspected that it had something to do with whatever had caused her to cry. Now it was eating him up inside all over again, finding her in tears and not allowed to know the reason. Kael wanted more than anything to find out what had done it, but he was not an idiot. He had made enough mistakes with women to know that if they did not want to share something, it was best to leave it alone until they wanted to. After a long silence, she sighed and he looked at her curiously.

"I'm sorry… I'm not angry at you, I'm angry at myself. I should have remembered before we left, but I was so focused on getting Norali home and getting the milk order. Plus, I was heartbroken about the job." She explained.

"Not qualified?" He asked.

"No, I wasn't there in time." She groaned. He pulled his legs back into the boat and sat up to take her hand and squeeze it. She looked at him and he gave her a half smile.

"It'll be okay. You'll get the next one. Keep telling yourself that." He said. She smiled and nodded.

"Thank you Kael…" She said then turned back to her line as he lounged in the boat again. With a sigh, she reeled in the empty hook and gave up on any fish for the evening. Putting her rod aside, she carefully glanced over at Kael. He was still staring up into the darkening sky and she tried to keep the sheepish tone out of her voice.

"I really mean it. Thank you for being patient with me." She started. He looked at her curiously.

"I promised I wouldn't push at you, remember?" He said and she nodded.

"I know, I know, but that's not all I mean." She continued and he sat up to listen. She swallowed and stared at her shoes. "I… don't have anyone to talk to… about my life I mean."

"Heh, I'd expect you to be surrounded by people." He teased but she did not smile.

"That's not the case for me. Normally, I'm happy to be indulged by work because most of my clients aren't human." She explained. "I'm not… someone desirable in town." Kael was confused.

"You live in Clock Town?" He asked. She nodded. "Oh. I didn't want to assume anything, but I honestly thought you were one of the pirates." She looked up at him with instant hurt in her eyes and he quickly backtracked.

"I didn't mean to assume! You just don't talk about yourself much and I had no idea where you came from. When I met you, I couldn't really help it." He tried, her eyes still hurt. "Come on Lirali, you can't blame me for that…" He reached for her but she pulled away and he took his hand back.

"I'm not a pirate. I'm… I'm only a half blood." She sniffed and her voice lowered. "And not enough of either one to be accepted by the Gerudo or the people in Clock Town." Kael started to understand why Lirali had been so guarded. Even among Zoras, the pirates were known for being not only an all female group, but a very beautiful group to boot.

"You had a tough childhood, huh?" He asked and she nodded weakly. "And it probably only worsened when you grew up too?" She nodded again and her hands balled into fists. He grumbled angrily and she looked up in shock.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought this up…" She said quickly and he raised a hand to silence her.

"I'm not angry with you, I'm angry with those people and how they must have treated you. Still treat you." He hissed. She bit at her bottom lip.

"It's alright. I was usually fine just being on my own. I had work to occupy me and then when Norali was born I could take care of her." She explained. "I'm used to being on my own now." Kael was not convinced and reached for her again. Even when she flinched he took her hands.

"Well, you're not on your own now. I'm your friend and I'm not ever going to hurt you." He said, his tone serious. Lirali was taken aback, his expression solemn but clearly protective. It made her want to hug him, but she felt unsure and quickly tried to change the subject.

"A-anyway, don't worry about me. I'll be fine and I can just sell the amber next time, but it'll be awhile until I can afford to go again." She said and pulled her hands away.

"Why? You usually seem so confident about your money. What changed?" He asked, his demeanor changing since he knew she felt uncomfortable talking about herself.

"My stepmother started charging rent to try and push me out of the house. I'm out five hundred every month, plus the expense of maintaining my boat and any repairs I need to do, then there's my monthly mailbox fee. And sometimes I have to rent carts or other means of transport when my boat isn't enough." She explained. Kael looked surprised.

"Wow. How the hell do you pay for all that?" He asked. Lirali shrugged.

"When the pirates send me an order list, they give me a huge pay off and I save whatever is left over. But now my savings are going to rent and it's going to disappear quickly. The pirates only send a list every two months unless something happens so I can't rely on them. So I'm out hunting for work and I have to fight other delivery parties." She continued. "Normally, I can snag a few jobs that are regular clients, but the big paying clients want a better looking service," she grumbled, "especially with the Carnival approaching." Kael contemplated her dilemma, the amber at the back of his mind.

"What if you sold stuff on the side?" He suggested. She looked at him.

"Like what? I don't keep the stuff I collect." She objected.

"Not that. What if you sold discarded stuff? Like the amber?" He explained. Lirali shrugged after she thought it over.

"That's all I have though. Plus, I don't have the time or the means to collect anything." She answered. He grinned.

"Leave that to me. I find valuable stuff while fishing all the time. I don't mind splitting with you." He said. Lirali considered his suggested then smiled.

"Alright. A forty-sixty split then." She said. He gave her a less than enthusiastic look.

"I get the sixty, right?" He smirked and her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"No, I do. I have to do all the running around." She quipped. He sat up and frowned.

"Hey, you don't know how dangerous it is to dive where I have to sometimes." He argued but she was unmoved and crossed her arms.

"I have to deal with bandits, roaming monsters, and dangerous terrain or waterways." She insisted. He leaned forward and met her indignant glare.

"I almost get eaten by monsters on a daily basis or caught in unstable currents that can break bones." He said firmly, but Lirali was not convinced. The two glared at each other for a long time.

"You won't let up will you?" She muttered and he shook his head.

"Not a chance." He answered curtly. She sighed in frustration.

"Fine. Fifty-fifty down the middle. Fair?" She asked and he smiled.

"Deal." He said and held out a hand. She shook it firmly and squeezed harder than she should have. He only laughed and pulled his hand away.

"Then let's get started tonight." He said and stood up slowly as the boat wobbled.

"Tonight?" Lirali asked and he nodded before diving into the water. He surfaced and pulled up alongside her.

"Tonight. I have a lot of junk put aside back home that I wanted to sell later but now you can do it. I'll meet you here tomorrow night and drop it all off. While you're in town or out working you can find potential buyers." He explained. Lirali understood and gave him a small smile.

"Alright, I'll see what I can do." She said and he smiled wider.

"Hand me your rope and I'll pull you to shore. I'd feel bad if I left you out here." He held out a hand and she tossed him the rope. As he disappeared under the water to tug her boat back to the cove, Lirali started going over clients that would be willing to buy from her. It was too late to go asking outside buyers for the night, but there was the Curiosity Shop. She was not fond of the owner, but he bought just about anything so it was a good place to start.

The sun had set completely when Kael had finished helping her pull her boat ashore. He had gone back to his home and she was soon past the gates and in Clock Town. It would be another two hours before the Curiosity Shop would be open, so Lirali took her time to wander through the decorated town. Every day more and more shops opened up while street peddlers began to line the walkways. The nights were normally quiet save for the barking of stray dogs, but now it had become a noisy city, something she had never been comfortable around. Lirali made her way into the main square and the sound of hammering and clattering wood met her ears. The carpenters had started work on the tower and bridge that would lead to the clock tower when it opened at midnight to celebrate the defining moment of the Carnival of Time. Lirali had seen it many times as child, but it had been several years since the last time she had gone to the festival. This year would be no different in her mind. She would of course go long enough to satisfy Norali's wishes, but then excuse herself with some kind of feigned ailment so she could hide in her room. For the rest of the night, she would watch the fireworks from her window and say her own prayers for the new year. If the carnival held any meaning for Lirali, it was a series of payments from vendors that needed transport. When she had returned from the mountains and then the ranch, her mailbox had been stuffed with a number of odd jobs. They would be enough to put a dent in Milla's rent and she might even have enough to save after expenses were taken care of. As Lirali pondered over finances, she realized she had entered the North district and was pleasantly surprised to see that it had been re-landscaped for the festival. It was overgrown with flowers and round shrubs and had been redesigned to look like a small maze. She was just tall enough to look over the still growing hedges and decided to try and solve the maze to waste time. It was a simple enough puzzle that had four outcomes; the playground, the fairy fountain combined with a game area for Scrubs, the path to the Southern Swamp, and finally the way back into the main square. It was an addition she was not familiar with and she had trouble stifling her curiosity to try it once it was finished.

It's just a maze. Just go once with Nori then home. She chided herself. Lirali wandered through the maze one last time and reentered the square. Enough time had passed, so she made her way back to the West district for the shop. The window was now dimly lit and Lirali cautiously slipped inside. She had never been fond of the shop since most of the items looked liked they belonged in much more affluent stores and she had heard rumors that thieves often sold their stolen wares to the man who owned it. Despite her unease, Lirali made her way to the gated counter and smiled pleasantly at the man in shades behind it.

"Evenin'," he said, "not much I'm selling tonight, but feel free to have a look." She made a passing glance then looked back at the salesman.

"Actually I was hoping to sell to you." She explained. His eyebrows perked up in interest.

"Oh really? What'd you have in mind?" He asked. Lirali slid the amber out of her pocket and let him have a clear look. He eagerly reached out when he realized what it was.

"May I… have a closer look?" He asked with an oiled tone. She instinctively held it out of reach.

"Maybe. What can I get for it?" She asked and his mood changed instantly.

"What're you askin'?" He grumbled.

"Five hundred." She replied and he balked.

"No way. Three hundred." He hissed.

"Fine," she said and turned away, "I'll find another shop."

"Hey, stop!" He snapped and she looked back at him. "Four hundred twenty-five." He tried. She crossed her arms.

"Five hundred ten." She replied curtly and saw an angry vein pulse in his face.

"That's not haggling! You're supposed to lower!" He barked and she shrugged.

"I'll keep raising it until you understand I'm not handing it over for less than five hundred rupees." She said simply. He ran his hands angrily through his thinned hair. He grumbled for several minutes then crossed his arms.

"Fine. Five hundred and that's it." He muttered. She grinned and returned to the counter.

"Thank you so much," she said sweetly as he counted the amount into a bag and handed it to her, "by the way, if you're willing to haggle with me again I can bring more valuable items in the future." She hinted. He looked up at her with renewed interest and she handed him the amber to fuel his curiosity. He turned the smooth stone around in the light for a long time and gave her a toothy grin.

"I might be." He replied and she turned away to leave the shop.

Kael had returned to the undersea cavern before the sun had fully set and been able to avoid dealing with some of the more dangerous sea creatures that often slowed him down when he returned late. He entered the long tunnel that led to the cavern and resurfaced after the maze of passages ended. His feet sank in the soft black sand of the underground beach and he made his way toward the small village carved into the rocky walls. The blue glow of torches lit up the village dimly and there were other Zoras still milling about despite the hour. He did not want to be waylaid by any familiar faces since he had a mission in mind to complete. Internally, he was cataloguing all of the items he had gathered over the years to give to Lirali when he saw her again. It would be too much of a hassle to force her to come to the Hall and gather them herself and he had no intention of burdening her more than he already had. He skipped steps as he made his way up to the level he lived on high above the village. All the homes had been carved into the walls and stacked upon each other in rows much like a set of apartments. He made his way through the narrow alleys between the houses until he finally reached his own. Once inside, he quickly went to his room and started gathering the items. Unfortunately, what he thought would take hours took less than thirty minutes and he was left with extreme boredom once he had boxed everything up. He left the room to lounge in the sitting area and stretched out on the floor to stare out the large front window at the glittering ceiling of the cavern. He pretended it was the stars he was looking at and tried to fall asleep, but his mind was too anxious to rest. Lirali was flooding his thoughts again and thinking about her brought him nothing but longing. The distance between them had lessened, but it was still too much for him. He wanted to be closer to her than he had with anyone else and he hated that he felt so impatient despite his promise to wait for her. His agitation was so great he did not even notice his friend Luka had entered the house. Kael was so deeply engrossed in his thoughts he could barely hear his name being called. He remembered the first time Lirali had said his name and he wanted to hear it again and again ever since. The way her mouth moved made him want to know more and more how it would feel to kiss her. More than likely it would not be any different from any other woman he had kissed, but part of him knew that because of how he felt about her it would be all the sweeter. He heard his name yelled again, this time in anger and accompanied with a kick to his arm. Jolted out of his thoughts, he realized Luka was home and looked up at his roommate in surprise. Kael quickly tried to calm the fire that had been slowly building in his loins but he thought of Lirali's lips kissing in places that made his heart thump fiercely and he rolled away to hide his reaction casually.

"Hey Luka, what are you doing back so soon?" He asked as he propped his head up on his hand and kept his back to his friend. Luka was no longer surprised but suspicious.

"What's with you and why are you lying on the floor? Are you spacing out again?" He replied and dropped his knapsack to the side as he kicked the door shut. Kael shook his head.

"Nothing. No reason. Just thinking." He answered and quickly sat forward when he realized how ridiculous he must look staring at the wall. Luka was not convinced and plopped down onto one of the chairs to relax. He looked up and stared at his friend again.

"You've been like this for weeks. Did something happen?" He asked. When Kael felt his body had calmed down enough, he stood up and sat in the chair opposite his friend with a cheerful smile.

"I'm just preoccupied." He answered as he kept looking out the window.

"What's her name?" Luka asked and Kael was shocked.

"Who's name?" He said, more forcefully than he had intended as he glared at Luka. Luka scoffed and leaned back in the chair with his hands behind his head.

"I'm not stupid, ya know. Plus we've been friends since we were kids. I can tell when a girl is on your mind. Who is it?" He asked again nonchalantly. Kael was annoyed that he had been so easily read.

"No one you know." He answered cryptically and hoped Luka would drop it. On the contrary, Luka's curiosity was piqued and he looked at his friend with interest.

"Oh? Not from the Bay? Where's she from? The mountains? I've heard there's some fresh water areas that Zoras have started flocking to." He started, but Kael cut him off.

"I said it's no one you know. Leave it alone." He warned and gave him a dirty look. "You have a nasty habit of going after any girls that I happen to like." Luka laughed and put up his hands in defense.

"C'mon Kael, I never went for the ones you were serious about. Honestly!" He pleaded, but Kael still glared at him. Luka sighed.

"I'm being serious. You've been distant for awhile, not just from me, so I was wondering what kind of girl it was that could distract you so much," he shrugged and shook his head with a laugh, "especially when Solana is around and trying everything to get back with you." For a moment, Kael had no idea what Luka meant, and then he remembered Solana. Lirali had so thoroughly rooted herself in his thoughts that he had completely forgotten his former flame. Kael had not thought about the exceptionally attractive Zora in a long time. He remembered she came from a wealthy family and was an impressive songstress. When she had first come to the village, he had competed with other males for her attention and finally won her only to have his heart thoroughly stomped on with her flighty and selfish personality. It made him ill to think about it since now she could not seem to leave him alone.

"Why should I think about her? She had her chance and pushed me to the side." He muttered and Luka smirked.

"Open season then?" He teased and Kael grimaced.

"You can try for her if you want, but I wouldn't recommend it." He warned.

"Maybe I'll ask her to the Carnival." He thought out loud. "I'd rather get with a Zora girl this year instead of a human one. They get weird about it afterwards." He shuddered. Kael looked up in surprise.

"The Carnival? When is it?" He asked suddenly. Luka chewed at his lip as he tried to remember the date.

"I think it's two weeks away, last I checked." He answered and Kael drifted back into his deeper thoughts. He wondered if Lirali had planned to attend since she had family who no doubt celebrated it, but he kept entertaining the thought of asking her out and showing her a night she would never forget. Luka had noticed his friend had gone silent.

"Going to ask your mystery girl?" He asked, pulling Kael out of his thoughts again.

"I don't have a girl." Kael insisted.

"You suck at lying. What's her name?" Luka grinned.

"I said there's no one. Leave it." He snapped and looked away in annoyance. Luka rolled his eyes.

"Stop acting like a little kid that has a stupid crush. Last I checked, you were an adult so tell me her name or I'll keep bothering you." Luka grumbled. Kael was silent for a long moment then sighed.

"Her name is Lirali." He answered and Luka smiled.

"Cute name, kinda sexy too. Does it match her?" He continued and Kael wanted to kick himself for giving in. He knew now that it was started, Luka would not stop asking until he was satisfied so he decided to tread carefully. He did not want to describe her in ways that would make Luka look for her and try to woo her. Since he knew Lirali was too smart to fall for Luka's charms, he still had a feeling she would be bothered by a strange man suddenly appearing in her life.

"If I tell you, don't go snooping around to find her. I'm serious." Kael warned and Luka slapped a hand over his heart.

"I promise to not find and seduce your current conquest away from you." He teased and Kael grimaced. He sat back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling as he started to think about Lirali.

"She's cute when she's happy about something, but most of the time she's got this lonely but attractive look about her. It makes me want to sweep her off her feet every time I see it. Her eyes are like gold dust and she's got a mouth that is made for kissing." He said and remembered some of his earlier fantasies. "She doesn't have a voice like most girls; it's low and soft with a hint of sadness. She's got a feisty side too, if she doesn't like something she sure as hell will let you know." Luka rolled his eyes and slumped in his seat.

"Ugh, Kael you sound so lame right now." He groaned. "Her body. That's what I'm interested in."

"Curvy in all the right places." He smiled and Luka grinned again.

"There ya go." He chuckled. "Have you slept with her yet?" Kael gave him a dirty look.

"I might be in love with this girl, idiot. Why would I blow it all by doing that? And besides," he sighed and dropped his head back, "she's too closed off to even think about sex right now." Luka was confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The way she acts around men. I can tell some gutter trash hurt her in the past and it pisses me off because I want to get closer to her but thanks to that scumbag she's more guarded than the Stone Tower in the Ikana kingdom." He muttered. Luka sat forward in thought as his hands folded in front of his mouth, and gave Kael a sympathetic look.

"Yeesh, now you really have to tread carefully. Do you really love her?" He asked after a long pause. Kael had never really thought about what Lirali meant to him. In the beginning it had been infatuation, but in the short time he had gotten to know her he found himself wanting more than just her body. He wanted to be a piece of her life that meant something. More than anything, he loved seeing her at the cove to greet him when he was done working and felt miserable when she was not there.

"I don't know. I don't think it's love, but I know I wouldn't leave the next morning once I'd had her. I'd want to stay and hold her…" He said finally. Luka gave a knowing smirk.

"Sounds like love to me." He teased but Kael scoffed.

"Even if it is, it won't matter." He groaned.

"What's that mean?"

"There's… boundaries." Kael said, deliberately being cryptic. Luka grimaced.

"Like what?" He asked and Kael struggled to find a way to explain it without giving away Lirali being a human. It was not uncommon for Zoras and humans to experiment with other races, but it was not the kind of relationship that was pursued in the light of day.

"Uh, it's a class thing." He answered.

"Class? So what! If you're this obsessed with her, it shouldn't matter and she shouldn't care either if she feels the same way." Luka said. "And if she's so guarded take your time and let her come to you." He urged. Kael gave a half smile when he realized that Lirali had indeed started to slowly open up to him.

"Ask her to the Carnival." Luka suggested and Kael smiled wider.

"Maybe."