It doesn't take long to leave the firelight completely behind, and then I'm walking in nearly total darkness. A shaft of moonlight breaks through the branches here and there, and it's just barely enough to keep me on the trail. To distract myself from thoughts of wolves and bears, I hum. It's tuneless and, well, bad sounding, but I don't care because it helps block out the utter quietness of my surroundings. There's not even a breath of wind to rustle the trees.
I hear chiming a split-second before a too-familiar ball of light shoves itself in my face, with a shout of "Hey!" The shock makes me yelp, though mercifully not too loudly, and I slap a hand over my mouth reflexively.
As a sidenote, I think I've been blinded for life.
"What is wrong with you!" I hiss when I can see again. However, I end up saying it in Common, thus necessitating a repeat of the question in Ancient.
"I should be asking you that question," the fairy shoots back. "Do you know how dangerous it is to walk alone in these woods?"
"Well, I notice your friend has no problem doing so." Okay, that was a really bad point. But it slipped out before I could stop it.
Navi flashes from blue to white. If I had to guess I'd say that means she's stunned. "Link can take care of himself," she informs me. "You can't. Not out here, anyway." Wow, way to be blunt.
"You don't know that," I say. "And why should it matter to you, anyway?"
She ignores that. "Please just come back, Beryl. We promised we'd help you-"
"I don't recall hearing anyone promise anything," I cut her off. "And I don't see why either one of you would care about helping me. Now." I cross my arms and stare right at her. I can vaguely see the outline of her body in its sphere of blue. "Are you going to try to stop me?"
"I'm four inches tall," she points out dully, then floats aside. "Fine. But you might as well know, if Link wants to find you, he will, no problem. So I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."
"Don't count on it," I reply, and start walking again. She doesn't follow, and starts back the way I came, if her too-rapidly receding glow is any indication. Nothing left now but to prove I know what I'm doing. That'd be easy, except for the fact that I truly don't.
I slow to a stop and glance around nervously. Suddenly I'm not sure I made the right choice. But I'm not about to go back now. I grab my knife out of my bag, then keep going. But I'm exhausted after walking all day, something I never did before. Eventually I feel like I can't take another step, and even though it hasn't been very long since I started out, I leave the path and try to find a safe spot to spend the rest of the night. Not far from the trail is a bunch of close-growing bushes with a hollow space in the middle. No one should be able to see me from the path. Besides the fact that it's dark, I mean.
Again, I use my pack as a pillow, but keep the knife out where I can grab it quickly if need be. Hopefully that won't be necessary. But, better safe than sorry.
A yawn escapes me that nearly cracks my jaw. Even the usual strangling feeling from so many layers doesn't matter tonight. I have just enough time to be glad that warming spell is still in effect, despite being so far from the source, before falling dead asleep.
He opens the door for me, and at the sight of the darkened room beyond, I feel suddenly terrified. I try not to let it show, but my rapidly increasing heartbeat is so loud, I'm sure he must be able to hear it.
But he told me he loved me. I believe him, don't I? I shouldn't be nervous.
I give him a little smile, with as much confidence as I can muster, as I step past him. The door shuts behind me and then the room is gradually lit up.
Huh. I wonder how many teenage guys have dimmers on their lights? But in the half light he settles on, I can see that this does not look like any guy's room I've ever seen. There are flower arrangements everywhere, and the bed is made up in black, gray, and...purple?
"This is your room?" I hope my voice sounds steadier than I think it does.
"No." The word is spoken directly in my ear and it makes me jump. I turn to face him. I hadn't noticed he'd gotten so close. "But that doesn't matter."
I'm a little creeped out that he wants to do this in what must be his parents' room, but before I can tell him so, he kisses me. Not in the way he always has before. It's rough and I don't like it. I push him away and try to hide my shock by glaring. "What do you think you're doing?" I demand.
"What? You said you wanted this." Did I? I really can't remember. For a moment, while I struggle to find a response, he just watches me.
I hate it when people stare at me.
"You're not backing out now, are you?" The way he says it makes me shiver. When I find my voice, all I can do is stammer.
"Well- I- I mean, I don't know if this...is a good idea..." I trail off and take a step back.
He shrugs, glancing around the room. "My parents are on vacation. My brother is gone for the night. I don't know what better time there'll ever be than this." He takes a step forward. Closer. I step back. "Come on, Ella. I won't let you back out."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I say sharply, and take another step back. My heel hits the wall. I hadn't realized I'd moved so far back.
"I mean..." Another step. "Don't worry. Just put yourself in my hands." He lays a hand on each of my arms. "You won't be sorry." This can't be the same guy I spent every spare minute with this past month. That boy cared how I felt, and he made me laugh, and he made me feel special. But I get it now. It was just an act. He was playing me, and I was stupid enough to fall for it. What about after, will he just dump me and move on to his next target?
He kisses me again, and I know I don't want it. But when I try to push him away again, nothing happens. With a rising sense of panic, I struggle to move my arms, legs, anything, but I'm frozen against the wall. There's something nagging at me, in the back of my mind. I get this feeling, like something should have happened by now that hasn't... My phone! It should be ringing! Linda, she should have called me by now!
Hands move to my waist and the hem of my shirt, pulling it up-
A hand clamps down over my mouth, jerking me into wakefulness. Another grabs my right wrist, preventing me from using my knife to defend myself. A scream is rising in my throat and I'm about to start thrashing around in an attempt to throw off my assailant when a man's voice, quiet but threatening, whispers, "Don't move. Don't make a sound and you won't be hurt." I don't believe that for a second, but force myself to remain still anyway. When I don't struggle, he speaks again.
"Get up. Don't try to make a break for it. You won't get far." I nod, since that's the only sign of agreement I can give, and the hands disappear, taking my knife with them. Though all I want to do is burst into tears, I follow the orders given, cursing myself for ever deciding to make this trip in the first place. Why couldn't I have just waited for the fall?
Once clear of the bushes, I get slowly to my feet. It's still dark, but the man-actually, I can see now it's two men-holds a lit lantern that allows me to make out what they look like. Thirties, maybe forties, both dark-haired and alike enough to be brothers.
"Wh-What do you want?" My voice trembles a little and breaks on the last word, drawing darkly amused smiles from the two, what, bandits? I can only hope that's all they are. I take a step back and my hands clench into fists. This is reminding me too much of my dream.
Neither of them bothers to answer my question. The closer one, I assume the one who woke me, steps forward and reaches a hand toward me.
A whistling noise catches my attention, and then the first criminal crumples to the ground with a gasped-out exhalation, dropping his lantern. A few words that I assume to be curses - such words were never included in my language lessons - follow from his partner. A second later, he too gasps and drops to the dirt.
Instead of trying to figure out what happened to them - I've a feeling I can guess, anyway - I take advantage of the distraction to stumble back and away. Just a few steps takes me back to the trail, and since I'm not looking where I'm going, one more makes me crash into something. Whatever it is is warm and apparently big, since the impact doesn't seem to affect it.
As I try to regain my balance, I hear an animalistic snort and the familiar blue light enters my swimming vision. Bringing my hand up to rub my head, I glare at her. "Don't you dare say I told you so." The fairy gives no response except a quick flutter of her shimmering wings.
Noticing the silence from behind me, I hope it doesn't mean what I think it might. Even if those men were about to do something horrible. I shudder at the thought. What did I do to deserve all of this?
In spite of what just happened, I sputter out, "He didn't kill them?" I can't help flinching as I receive an answer. It definitely does not come from Navi.
"No, I did not kill them. They're just unconscious." Hm. Well, he doesn't sound too happy. It's not like I asked for his help, though. But I just say "Oh" as I turn to face him. He stands only a few feet away, holding a lantern. Probably one of the bandits'.
"Well, thanks, I guess." I'm about to tell him that I can go on from here alone, but he cuts me off.
"Thanks, you guess? Do you realize that you could very well have been killed? What were you trying to prove, heading off alone?"
"Nothing," I say, a bit taken aback. That's the most I've heard him say since I met him. "I just didn't want to trouble you anymore." Not exactly the truth, but good enough. "I can find my way on my own." Even as I say it, I'm starting to doubt it's true.
Link doesn't deny the possibility, however. "Maybe. But it's not just about finding your way. What if you run into more like them?" He gestures back into the trees. I feel another shiver course through me. "I don't know what it's like where you come from, but this sort of thing is not uncommon here."
I hate feeling defeated. But I guess I have no choice. Feeling like a little kid who's just received a scolding, I nod, once. I hear him sigh, and then he asks, "Are you all right?"
No, not really. But I only say, "Fine," and turn away so he can't see that my eyes are starting to water.
He sighs again. "We'd better get moving, then."
For a moment, I just stare at him. "What? It's still dark. And, and what about them?" I wave a hand at the trees, back to the scene of the almost-crime.
"The sun is starting to rise." I glance around quickly, and it is a little easier to make out the shapes of the trees now. I must have been asleep for a while then, but I still feel really tired. And now that I can focus more, I'm starting to feel nauseous again.
Gods, I don't know how I'll explain that one.
As I think of these things, Link is still talking. "I'm not sure what to do about them. I guess we'll just have to leave them where they are." Oh, that's just great. First he's Mister Know-it-all and now he decides to be wishy-washy.
"But what if they attack someone else?" I demand.
"That's not very likely right now." I'm sure I don't want to know what that means. "I'll warn anyone we come across, though."
"Whatever," I mumble. It shouldn't matter to me, as long as I get home safely. "I'll just go get my pack," I say as I start forward to my previous hiding place.
"No." He holds up a hand, stopping me before I can get more than a few steps. "I'll go get it. You mount up," and he points at the horse standing behind me, apparently not joking.
"What?" I squeak. "Why?"
"Because if we ride we'll be able to make it to town before nightfall." Oh, no. It's bad enough to have to ride single, but double? I don't think so.
"I don't have to ride! I can walk faster." Even as I say it, I know there's no way I can travel at any greater pace than I did yesterday. Not only do I feel sick, but I'm starting to get dizzy as well.
"We still won't make it, unless you feel like jogging the whole way." He sounds puzzled by my reluctance to ride. I don't know why. I already said that I don't like animals.
One last objection. "But won't carrying both of us be too much for her?"
"Oh, don't worry about Epona," the fairy pipes up. I'd forgotten she was even here. "She's probably one of the toughest horses in the world." As if she can understand, said horse bobs her head up and down with a snort, her white forelock flipping along with the motion. No choice, then, besides flat-out refusal. How he'd react to that, I don't know, but I'd rather not find out.
"Fine," I agree quietly. Link smiles at me, and I'm glad for the fact that it's still fairly dark because it hides the flush in my cheeks as he does so. He really does have a nice smile. Then he heads back into the trees.
A nice smile... But Kevin's was too, and he still turned out to be like every other guy in school. Even this long after the fact, I can't believe I was stupid enough to fall for that act. I should have listened to Linda. Letting out a sigh, I turn my attention to the task of actually getting on the rather huge horse. Honestly, how am I expected to pull myself up there? I don't think my foot will even reach the stirrup!
Looking sideways at Navi, who hovers by Epona's head, I ask, "Any way you could fly me up there?" She giggles in a twinkly way.
"No, sorry!" Perfect. Swallowing against another wave of nausea, I cross my arms and contemplate this problem. Just a moment later, however, footsteps signal Link's return.
"Um," I say. "I don't think I can get up there on my own."
There's no need to go into any detail as to how I finally end up riding a horse for the first time in my life. Suffice it to say that it's uncomfortable and involves contact I never would have made, had I any other options. I don't even get to sit in the back. Oh, no, that would have been too easy. So we're off, with me sitting ramrod straight to avoid making anymore contact than necessary.
I really can't wait for this nightmare to end.