Phew, that's the longest chapter I've written up until now. I hope I can cheer you up with this one because the past ones were so short. It's day time mostly so…don't expect that much fluff…I'm sorry, I want to make it as realistic as possible, so our Dark Link really needs his time to warm up to the idea of falling in love and everything. But let's think positive! He does get used to Saria being around, that means if she is not around him he'll…well not feel 'uneasy' but he will notice her absence and it will start to bother him in the future - that's the plan! Hooray~
Chapter 10 – A web of Lies
Saria lifted her arms in the air and started to laugh as she run into the open field. She had never seen so much space! There were no trees expect here and there a few lonely ones. So much grass and green, and paths and such a wide field to run and play, no wonder Link has been so excited as he told her about the beautiful Hyrule Field for the first time. It was breathtaking in her opinion. Her aching legs were ignored quickly. The Kokiri couldn't help but laugh and giggle as she run in big circles happily, the Kokiri Village was a bit small and filled with their tiny houses the forest was drunken with trees and bushes so that you never could see far. It was the first time she ever saw some place like this.
The girl stopped and turned to her companion who followed her with quiet and slow steps. He still looked as uninterested as ever, the new scenery didn't affect him at all. Her mind suddenly hushed her for her silly reaction and made her wait for the older one to catch up. She blushed and felt embarrassed for her sudden burst of childish laughing and giggling. It made her feel so silly in contrast to his adult like behavior. Saria felt that the sage in her disturbed her actions and immature character since the beginning. In the past she was known for being clever and mature in the village. But only now she really felt mature, thanks to the wise mind in her head.
"Where do we go now to?" The green haired girl asked.
The shadow man looked around the field once and then glanced towards her.
"The name was 'Ordah', wasn't it?"
"Yes." She nodded. "But in the book was not written where they have lived…" Saria furrowed her brow in thought.
The Kokiri had not predicted that they would not know where this family lived at all. She hadn't thought this far. How would they find this stone and the family which had kept it in the end? This was really a terrible situation. She crossed her arms thoughtfully. They could search in every village and town but who knows how long it would take? It's as if they had to knock on every single door and ask about the whereabouts of the 'Ordah' family.
Saria blinked as an idea hit her. "How about we find the list?"
The dark haired young man raised one of his eyebrows in question.
"Well…" She started to explain. "In the village we always had a list with all the names of us on it. So if we had a group meeting to discuss a festival we could check that everybody was there. In which house we were living was on it, too." She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. "Doesn't something like this exist her as well?"
Saria could see how his eyes lit up as he seemed to realize something. She was right and the sage couldn't be any more proud of it. "In the town's library must be a record of their people." He murmured.
The girl turned towards the castle and its town. The way was far from here, the two of them would never reach it in time. One night was too short for such a long trip. Saria looked at up to his thoughtful glance in the distance until he responded her look with one of his cool ones. He thought the same thing as she did. They will have to visit the closest village first and find shelter for the coming day before they would be able to go to the big town.
"Let's hurry." He said calmly and they both set a quick pace.
The night wouldn't wait for them. Saria was surprised as her companion started to move with long strides, he was obviously thinking about the consequences if they take too long. The little girl didn't want to imagine what would happen to him if the sun rays touch him. That fear even stopped him as he chased her the first time they met. They have to hurry, she thought and she started to jog to be able to keep up with his long legs. Suddenly she was scared of the coming sunrise even if she didn't have to. The goosebumps on her arms wouldn't disappear for a second. Her heart hammered against her flat chest. They hurried down the pale dry way which leads the way through the green grass.
However the night sky above them got brighter and the dark onyx blue turned into a pale lilac gleam. The twinkling stars lost their shine and the moon tried to vanish behind a few White Mountains in the very distance. They wouldn't reach the village in time, she thought alarmed. The morning was close, in one or maybe if they were lucky two hours the sun would appear. No tree or other shadow source was close by where her companion could hide to save himself. What should they do? Her eyes looked from right to left and lit up as a cart appeared not far away. Her eyes were only able to see it because a small clamped lantern shined softly.
The black horse which draw it with ease started to quicken its pace while the bottle of hays on the back of the wooden cart slipped from side to side and jumped with every little jolt. It outran them fast, in a few mere minutes the proud animal came to a halt next to them. The dark haired man stopped in front of her and she dutifully followed suit. A brown haired old man with a short bristly beard looked at them in surprise. His clothes were pretty colorful in Sarias opinion. Brown thick boots, pale blue linen pants, and a deep scarlet brown cloth which he had wrapped around his dark orange long sleeved shirt and secured with a leather belt graced his chubby figure. The Kokiri has never seen such an old person up until now.
"Travelers?" His curious voice perked up.
The green haired girl suddenly felt unsecure. She never was confronted with someone who was old and obviously an adult. Her companion was still young even if looked like a…well, young man. She stepped back and used no one else than the in black clothed shadow as a shield between her and the stranger. The older resident of this kingdom blinked at her shy attitude and started to smile warmly at her, however as he finally got a good look at the face of the older one he seemed to be surprised.
"Red eyes…?" He mumbled quietly and his smile got even brighter. "Sir Christo, is that you?"
"Sir…Christo…?" She could hear him mumble the unknown name with slight interest.
"We've awaited your arrival for days! Our mayor Nelan was worried because the royal family was getting nervous." His greasy brown locks trembled with his laugh. "The whole Kingdom waited patiently!"
The little girl could literally feel how her 'shield' held his lips in a firm line. She could only hope that he stayed calm and would not be impolite to the stranger. It would help nobody if he started to get angry. But who was this sir Christo, she wondered. The stranger said something about his red eyes; does that mean there are other people out there with such an unnatural eye color?
"I apologize for my impoliteness." The stranger said as both of them stayed quiet. "My name is Robero, a farmer from Lanar Village." He pointed towards the very small town which was not far from here. "I believe you must be tired as well as your…young and beautiful escort." His beard shook with his light laughter and her nerves calm as he obviously tried to make her feel more comfortable. "How about I give you two a ride to our inn?"
If he would take us with him we could still find shelter in time, Saria thought. But he thought that the shadow man was a person called sir Christo, it would be a lie if they just went along. She furrowed her brow in worry to give this nice man false hopes were not a good deed at all. However as she opened her mouth to explain that he had mistaken she got roughly interrupted by no one else than the pale young man beside her.
"…Alright. But hurry, we are tired from the long march." He answered coldly.
Robero was not faced by his tune and smiled as he gestured them to sit beside him before he took the straps in his big hands ready to signal the horse to go on. His green eyes even gleamed with sympathy as if he felt bad for the long march they had absolved. But that had nothing to do with him; he should not be faced with such feelings as guiltiness. Saria stared to her companion with confused big eyes, though in return he only sends her one of his glares.
"Just stay quiet and play along." He murmured.
The Kokiri let her head sunk and she followed quietly; she could understand that he wanted to be sure to be safe from the sun. But still it was never good to lie. She climbed carefully onto the cart and sat down beside the young adult who had crossed his arms casually. Robero swung the straps once and the horse neighed and started to gallop in a quick space towards the village called Lanar. Even though the sage felt bad about lying she still felt relieved that they would find shelter before the dawn of a new day arrived.
And a creature like a horse was never seen by her eyes before either.
"Sir Christo." Robero started to speak and his voice trembled with the movement of the cart. "May I ask why you were traveling by feet? I thought that that you would be visiting us with a carriage or on a horse and with a more intimidating escort." The girl felt more and more bad that this nice man still believed all this.
"I prefer being alone, even on travels." He murmured this sentence with such ease.
Saria felt somehow hurt to hear him lying so fluently. Her chest aches, the great Deku Tree always told them to be honest.
"But why such a young escort, isn't it dangerous for the little girl?" Robero glanced to the small Kokiri who tried desperately to stare at the horse in admiration instead of worrying any further.
"She is…trustworthy. And taught well in the art of magic." His pale skin nearly glowed she thought as his face did not even flinch once. Maybe she should feel praised? But she wasn't sure; he was able to lie without blinking once.
The farmer smiled at her and she noticed his calm warm eyes. "At such young age? I'm impressed."
"Yeah…" Saria thought that her voice cracked slightly. Though Robero didn't seem to realize it or maybe he only guessed that she was nervous.
"I feel honored to be the first one you meet, sir Christo. Our kingdom of Pael is a peaceful place, I'm sure you will enjoy your stay."
So that's the name of this kingdom. She hadn't translated the name because it didn't seem to fit the word a little dictionary presented her. The clever book wanted to push the word sky into her translation. But no one would call its kingdom 'sky'. That would be silly. Slowly her eyes left the black colored horse alone and they looked at the face of her companion. He listened carefully and paid attention to Robero's words. Saria wondered if he did that so he could still play the role of this sir Christo properly. However she somehow felt a bit jealous that he would never pay their conversations such mindfulness.
"Ah." The brown haired farmer took a deep breath. "I haven't even asked for your name, little lady. Forgive me."
The Kokiri blushed and shook her head. "No need! Really. My…my name is Saria." She smiled politely.
"Saria? What a wonderful name! I have never heard of it before. Is it a common name of your column?"
Column…?
"I'm not…from a column." The green haired girl mumbled honestly and she could feel the glare of her companion.
"Ah, I see." His eyes glanced towards the road. The village got closer and closer. "Have you lived long with the column then?"
Saria opened her mouth to answer but the red eyed young man stopped her briefly. "We took her with us a few years ago. She originally lived in the kingdom of Hyrule." His voice was cold as ice.
"Hyrule?" Robero laughed softly. "How interesting! The kingdom in the south, we never really shared contact with them even though they are so close. A real shame, we do share the same blood. But I should have expected that, she does have blue eyes instead of red ones."
Her mind noted quickly the information about the stranger named sir Christo Robero offered. He seemed to live in a column so she guessed that they travelled through many regions. And somehow it appears that the unnatural eye color was their trademark. Wasn't that weird? Why would this kingdom await this person so eagerly? Finally they reached the village and the horse slowed its steps to move through the broad path which parted the village. Big houses made out of mostly wood surrounded them but the streets remained empty. No wonder really, if you remembered how early it must be.
The cart they sat on came to a halt in front of a big house, which was taller than the one beside it. It had a deep red roof and a thick sign graced the front where you could read 'Lanar Inn' in big letters. Two lanterns clung onto the wooden wall; the flame in them was small and nearly died. Robero nodded towards it.
"Here it is. Just tell Thelma your name, you will of course sleep and eat here without paying." He smiled warmly.
Saria bit her lip. "You don't have to." She said guiltily. She didn't know if she had enough rupees in her small bag but still. "You really don't."
Robero laughed and waved with his hand to dismiss her complain. "We don't have often visitors here, so do not worry. We feel happy to receive your presence." He turned towards the dark haired young man. "Sir Christo, if you allow I will send a hawk to inform the royal family. They will greet you as soon as they can."
She could literally see how his dull red eyes lit up. "Yeah, do that." Then he suddenly stood up and gestured her to do the same. Saria did as she was told and jumped off the cart. Her companion followed quickly and already walked towards the Inn without saying a word. The girl furrowed her brow and looked towards Robero once more. A smile graced her round childish face.
"Thanks for the ride. I would like to see the horse once more…if I can." Her blue eyes studied the animal curiously.
"Of course." The farmer laughed. "Venyl will be happy. She is a good girl." As if to answer her owners compliment neighed the black horse once. "Sleep well, young lady." He swung the strap in his hands again and the horse called Venyl started to move slowly again. Saria would have loved to wait until he disappeared to not be impolite but a certain shadow had already left her behind and stepped into the Inn without her. She hurried after him fast. Inside of this building it was warm. Tables and chairs graced the spacious room and the dark haired young man stood at a counter where he talked to an older woman. Saria looked around carefully while she walked over to them.
Pictures clung on to the walls, flowers stood in jars on the tables and here and there a carpet owned a place on the ground. It gave you a nice feeling. It was warm and calmed down your nerves. Even if it was empty at this moment, the Kokiri was sure that it was lively in the afternoon.
"Sir Christo? Finally you show your precious face." The woman smiled cheekily leaning onto the counter.
Her red locks were pinned up so that they would not disturb her tanned slightly chubby face. She had purple colored eye lids which seemed to be some kind of powder or something like that. Her hazelnut brown eyes stared at his red ones until she noticed the small girl next to him. Her smile widened and she wiggled an eyebrow at him. Somehow Saria felt that she resembled Nabooru in a weird way.
"And you took a cute little lady with you. Is she the reason why we had to wait so long? Well…" The woman called Thelma leaned towards Saria and her eyes twinkled with delight. Her cleavage was hidden behind a yellow colored cloth, but still the Kokiri was puzzled that it seemed to be so big in contrast to her flat chest. "I can surely understand why."
"Just give me a room. I'm tired." He answered gruffly.
The little girl was worried that the nice woman could feel hurt but she brushed it off and shook with her shoulders. "Don't be such a killjoy." The middle-aged woman whined playfully as she handed him a key. The pale young man took a hold of the little cool metal as the innkeeper leaned closer to him without letting go of the little thing. "Or she will surely run away from you." Her whisper was so soft and quiet that Saria couldn't hear it, so she only watched both of them confused. It sure was a disadvantage to be so small. The imposter instead only glared at the redhead and snatched the key away, his face showed how irritated he was and it only made Thelma happier.
"I wish you two a good night, or better a good morning." She laughed and smiled towards the green haired girl. "If you ever get hungry, don't be shy and tell me. I will fix you something quick." She winked playfully.
"Thank you." Saria smiled warmly until the only manly attender left for the stairs which lead to the upper floor next to the counter.
Thelma smiled amusedly. "On the first floor the second door on your left."
The shadow only made a small sound of acknowledgment before he disappeared. The Kokiri furrowed her brow and wondered if he had such a bad mood because of the approaching sun. It was even worse than usual, she thought. In the end she thanked the older woman once more for letting them stay here for free before she hurried after him. Her small feet took two steps at one time until she reached the so called first floor where on every side were doors lined up. Her companion had already opened the door and gestured her to come closer.
"Go in and close the curtains." He commanded.
She did was she was told and tried to hide the two windows as best as she could behind the thick red clothes. The room all in all was small but comfy. Two beds found their place against the walls where the windows were, in between them a small table with an unlit candle. A small chest of drawers was on the left side of the room and offered you a place for your clothes and on the opposite side you found a desk with one chair. A mirror graced the wall next to the door so that Saria could stare at herself for the first time in days. Her hair was kinda messy, she noted and slightly embarrassed she started to comb it with her fingers. Her cloths weren't that dirty but still she could use a bath and a chance to clean them.
It was her first time as well to see such a place. In Kokiri Village everybody had their own small houses. Their beds were carved out of wood; here they looked a lot bigger and angular. As if they were built out of wood pieces instead of carved into a big stump, an Inn was a place where many people could stay at for a short time. She had understood it that far. But it was still so interesting.
"Go and rest." His voice awoke her from her trance and she finally let go of the curtains.
He sat down on one of the beds and took of his black boots and hat. She nodded and did the same on the other bed. Her leather boots were muddy and she was thankful to finally free her feet after this long march. However she was surprised that she wasn't tired at all. Maybe she was too excited. Or the fear she felt if they wouldn't find shelter in time was still present in her veins where the blood rushed through. Still she climbed thankfully under the soft blanket and adjusted to the strange feeling. Her bed in the Village back then had never been this soft and in the temple she only had blankets to sleep on.
"Hey." She turned towards him and listened to the sounds the blankets and pillow made as she moved.
"What?" He lay down too but on top of the blanket with his arms crossed behind his head.
"Why did you lie?" Saria asked carefully.
"It was easier." He answered. "The royal family awaits this 'Christo' so they will allow me access to their library as well. We will find the record of their residents like this." A short silence returned until he broke it again. "And this farmer took us with him. It was a tight situation with the sunrise."
The Kokiri blinked a few times. "Don't you feel bad?"
"Why should I?" His red eyes pierced through her own ones as he looked at her.
"About lying. It's bad."
"Who cares?" He still shared the eye contact with her.
"I do." She said. "Lying is bad. It hurts people."
He continued to look at her but stayed quiet. It made Saria nervous so she opened her mouth again. "You should be honest with the people around you."
"Lying makes it easier." Was his only answer and she sighed. "Get used to it." He mumbled.
She was of course not able to change his mind or opinion about something. So she accepted it slowly and stared at his red colored eyes, they seem to glow in the darkened room. The curtains were thick enough to keep the sunshine out which slowly reached this land. The girl started to like his eyes. Red was a really pretty color. And it made her relax even through her heart was excited and nervous at the same time. She had left the forest, she had seen a huge field, she is in a new kingdom and met two real adults already. And the horse Venyl, Saria wanted to see it again. She had never seen such an animal before only heard about it from Link.
"Robero promised me that I could see his horse tomorrow once more." She started to say. "Is that alright?" Saria knew that he would have to stay here because of the daylight.
"I don't care. Do what you want." He answered but she smiled no less.
"Okay."
"…but…" He stopped briefly. "If something happens to you it's your own fault. And if I suddenly want to leave this village at night it's your own fault as well if you are too late or too tired to come along."
"Okay." The Kokiri felt a lot better. It felt like he was warning her to come here before the sun sets, as if he was worried. "And don't hurt Thelma or someone else." She said and she could feel how his eyes focused her.
"…why not." He sounded nonchalant.
"Thelma is a nice person just like Robero. Please don't hurt anyone here. They are good people."
She could hear a sigh. "You think that everybody is nice and good. The world isn't like that at all." He explained while her dark blue eyes searched for his.
"But it's still alright to believe in it, isn't it? Every person has a good spot in its heart."
Silence returned for a while until Saria started to question herself if she had said something illogical. But then he suddenly spoke again.
"You're so naïve." And it was not a compliment she guessed.
"Maybe." The girl smiled slightly, he sounded a bit annoyed but not angry.
"You're always talking about moronic stuff…It gives me the chills." He mumbled so quietly that she first thought it was her imagination. So she really was able tickle some kind of emotion out of him? She felt proud. Finally their eye contact broke and he closed his eyes slowly, ending their conversation in process.
She was only able to experience this all thanks to him. This so called 'sir Christo'. She giggled breathlessly, he said he had no name and didn't make an effort to choose or get one. But for a lie he is quick to accept it and to react to it, even if the name is unknown to him.
Finally Saria closed her eyes as well and enjoyed the comfortable warmth which embraced her body. As long as he was there she could sleep peacefully, she thought. Because thanks to him she was able to be here and see this world, she could relax. Her lips formed into a soft smile and her breath slowed down. When she wakes up he will be here as well. Everything was fine. Thelma was a wonderful person, Robero, too.
"Good night…" Saria mumbled.
"Good rest." Was his only answer.
She didn't know which time it was but the sun shined brightly as she sat at one of the tables in the main room of the Inn. The windows were big and let any sun ray in; it was no wonder that her companion didn't leave the room for a second. Saria had brought him his food and then he was obviously more than thankful to be left alone. Thelma scolded him for letting the Kokiri eat here alone but the little girl didn't mind. She slowly habituated to his character. It wasn't easy but with time she got the hang out of it.
The middle-aged lady sat down on the other side of the big table and smiled as Saria started to chew on the food a bit nervously. The big room wasn't empty anymore and here and there a few groups gathered to eat dinner as well. Travelers mostly, the Innkeeper told her. Lanar Village was quite popular because it was cheaper than the Inn in Castle Town and from here you could reach the other villages and the big town easier. However, the Kokiri couldn't get over the fact that so many adults existed. She felt a bit insecure they were so tall. She felt fine with the shadow but it was only him and her. Now she really felt small.
The vegetables tasted great, she thought to distract herself. But as she tried the other thing on her plate her eyes went wide and she stared at Thelma excited.
"What is that?" The green haired girl started to smile brightly.
"Ah, it's meat." The older woman smiled warmly and rested her head on one of her hands.
"From fish?"
"No." Thelma shook her head. "It's from a pig. But don't worry; we do not let the animals suffer. But we need to eat meat as well to stay healthy."
Saria nodded. That's the same as the great Deku Tree had told her. But a pig? She never ate that before. It was delicious. The girl continued to chew on her food as a question made its way into her head.
"Lady Thelma?" The Kokiri started to ask.
"Yes?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Her smile was daring and her eyes gleamed. "But only if I can ask you something as well."
"Sure!" Saria chirped happily. "Um, are you related to the women in the deserts?" The sage couldn't forget the resemblance between the Inn keeper and Nabooru.
Thelma laughed for a moment and touched her fire-red hair proudly. "Is it that obvious? My grandmother is a Gerudo; she left the kingdom of Hyrule as she met my grandfather. That's why I'm a lot paler than the average Gerudos." Saria smiled and listened attentively. She didn't expect such an interesting background. "However, now it's my turn."
Her brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight and made her look a lot younger, in Sarias opinion she was a pretty person. She admired her strong and playful appearance.
"How can you get along with that killjoy?" She sighed dramatically. "He doesn't seem to be an ideal lover."
"Lover?" The Kokiri mumbled puzzled. What was that? "Well, he has a rough behavior…but…he can be nice, too. It just…takes time to notice…it." The girl suddenly felt unsure how to describe him. She nibbled on the fork with a thoughtful expression. She was convinced that he was nice, sometimes at least.
Thelma chuckled. "Really?"
"Yeah." Her blue eyes were big and round as she looked at the older woman. "So…what's a lover?"
The eyes of the Innkeeper widened. "You don't know what that is?"
Saria shook her head carefully. Was that bad?
The redhead started to laugh loudly and even had to wipe a few tears away. It puzzled the sage only more and more until she even stopped eating and waited for the Gerudo offspring to finally stop laughing. Why was it so funny that she didn't know what that meant? What was a lover anyway?
"By the blue sky, how innocent are you?" Her grin was lovely. "I bet our sir Christo didn't let anyone close to you so he could keep you all to himself."
The Kokiri stared at her. Why should the shadow man do that?
"Well, a lover or better – let's call it boyfriend is someone you are very close with. Someone who makes you happy and you want this person to be happy, too. Someone you love."
"Love?" She had heard that before. The great Deku Tree said always that he loved them like his children. And Fado told her always that she loved her like a sister. The Kokiri thought hard. Maybe that was it; the sage had always wanted Fado to be happy, too. Yeah, that had to be it. Saria was sure of it, and she wanted the shadow man to find this stone. She wanted to help fulfill his wish. So…in the end she wanted him to happy too, right? So did she love him as well?
Confused Saria blinked at the Innkeeper. "So…I love him…eh…Christo?"
Thelma didn't seem satisfied with her answer. "You don't sound confident…so you don't love him?"
"I don't know…I guess." The Kokiri didn't even understand the meaning of love itself. It seemed to be complicated and complex.
The redhead smiled. "You'll understand with time, I bet. Just take it easy, I'm always so curious. Don't mind my pushy opinion."
"No, no." Saria smiled blushing. "It's nice to talk with you. I'm happy."
Thelma didn't know just how fortunate the young girl was. She was always lonely, alone in her temple waiting, praying. Day in and day out. Now she met the shadow man, Robero and Thelma. Saria couldn't be any happier; it was nice to be together with other people. And interesting to see all those adults, so many people suddenly surrounded her. It was as if the years back then were only a mere nightmare which haunted her desperately.
"I'm happy." The green haired girl echoed.
"You're such a cutie." The Gerudo offspring chuckled. "Come on eat up, sweetie. Robero told me this morning that you wanted to see Venyl today."
"Yes!" Saria exclaimed excitedly and she continued to eat her delicious meal.
….
"Ah there you are, little lady." The farmer smiled at her.
Saria walked over to him relieved to finally see a familiar face. As she left the Inn with the description that the ranch is behind the Inn itself, the Kokiri had to walk past a few houses and many people she didn't know. Many of them glanced at her and whispered behind her back curiously. She hoped that they didn't think ill of her, they were only excited she guessed because they all awaited this sir Christo.
The ranch was huge. In the distance she could see a few barns and stables. A fence circled around animals she had never seen which were white with black colored spots on them. Next to them a fence trapped smaller pink colored animals in it. They had much space and seemed to be happy even if they were living captured by persons. Next to those she finally saw Robero who tended to his trusty horse Venyl. He noticed her fast and greeted her warmly.
"Did you sleep well? It is afternoon already." He brushed the black beauty cautiously.
"Yes, thank you." Saria could feel her self esteem burst in this comfortable atmosphere. "Are horses always that big?"
"Why yes, if they are grown up they are. But colts are of course a lot smaller." His brown locks were greasy because of sweat. He had worked hard since morning, she guessed.
"Colts?" The Kokiri stared curiously at Venyl.
"Colts are the children of horses called like." He smiled. "You haven't seen animals much before?"
"No." Saria said honestly. "Only Wolfos and birds…and fishes." Bugs weren't needed to be mentioned she thought.
Robero's eyes widened. "Wolfos? That sounds dangerous."
"Well, if we left them alone they left us alone as well." The Deku Tree told them that and he said the truth, as long as they wouldn't be mean to them they would leave them alone.
The old man laughed softly and gave her a sign to come closer. "Then how about you pet her? My Venyl is not dangerous at all."
"Really?" Her blue eyes gleamed. "I can?"
"Yes, of course."
Eager the Kokiri walked closer to the huge animal and slowly she petted the long neck of the animal. It felt warm and strong; its fur was short and reflected the sun carefully. It wasn't as soft as it she thought it would be but it felt amazing. The proud animal neighed and pressed her nose against Sarias face. She gasped softly in surprise but started to giggle as she stroked Venyl's forehead. She was a kindhearted giant.
"She loves you already." Robero laughed loudly and petted the horse strongly. "Ah." He turned away from her and the horse. "Vincent, there you are."
"Sorry, sir Robero. But Dora is not really in a good mood to-"A voice of young boy halted suddenly. "Who are you?"
The sage turned around not letting go once of Venyl and stared into a pair of dark brown eyes. In front of her stood a young boy who seemed to be around her age, at least in appearance. His dirty blond hair was ruffled but still kept a charming boyish touch to it. He wore black pants and a simple white shirt which seemed to be a size too big for him.
"This is Saria, she is Sir Christos escort." The farmer introduced her in a friendly manner. "Saria, this is Vincent. He is my apprentice. He wants to take over my ranch here when I retire."
Vincent waited obviously for a sign from Robero before he held out his right hand for her to take. He grimaced slightly and as the Kokiri shook his hand she wondered if he didn't like her. He was a bit taller than her and his skin was slightly tanned by the sun.
"How about you show her a bit around, Vin? I bet Saria would love that."
"What?" His face quickly relaxed as he looked at the farmer. "But what about the sheep? I need to feed them!"
"I will do that, don't worry. Have fun you two." Robero's smile was warm and he petted Vincent's head as if he was his own child after that he left for one of the barns.
The green haired girl stood there a bit dumbfounded, she had not seen another child besides the Kokiris and Link. It was a first. The boy scratched the back of head and blushed, embarrassed that the old farmer treated him like a small kid. He coughed a few times until finally he found the courage to look Saria in the eyes.
"So. You are Sir Christo's escort?" His voice was pleasant. A bit high and not as deep as the ones the adults had.
"Yeah…" She answered.
"Shouldn't he have some warrior with him? Someone who is strong?" He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow.
"I am strong." Saria complained. "I, I can use magic!"
"As if! As if! You're lying!" He leaned forward, his eyes were suddenly fierce.
"I'm not!" Saria balled her fists. Why was he so mean?
"Then prove it!" Vincent's grin showed that he was sure he would win this little disagreement.
The Kokiri refrained from saying more. She didn't want to use magic; she couldn't control it very well. Last time she nearly blew up herself with her companion together. It wouldn't be safe, it just wouldn't be. The blonde seemed satisfied with her mute answer.
"I knew it. You were lying!"
Saria glared at the young boy. "Fine!" She said bravely. "I will do it!"
Vincent stared at her surprised. The Kokiri lifted her hands and held them out in front of her. She closed her eyes and started to concentrate. She only had to use very little, very, very little of her magic. It wasn't easy to control the power but she had to make sure that it was not at least something dangerous. She didn't have to fight right now, she needed something softer. Something harmless…the sage felt a little fire in her guts which tickled her slightly. The blood rushed through her veins, her body felt warm.
The young apprentice gasped loudly and she opened her eyes quickly. Her hands glowed in a yellow, orange light. But as quick as it appeared, it vanished as well. Proudly the green haired girl smiled at him. But she still was surprised as he burst into excited laughter.
"You really can use magic! You really can! Amazing! Amazing!" His grin was big and exposed small white teeth.
"I told you so!" Saria started to smile.
"You're not so bad for a…" Vincent scratched the back of his head again. "…you know, a girl."
Was that a compliment? The Kokiri wasn't that sure.
"Wanna see the chickens? They are always fun to make fun of!" His attitude suddenly brightened by miles towards her.
"What are Chickens?"
"Don't you know them?" The little boy seemed to be surprised. "They are small and white and lay eggs, you know."
"No." Saria said honestly.
"Weird." His dark brown eyes stared at her intently. "You're weird, just like your hair."
The sage grabbed her head in worry. "My hair is weird…?"
"I have never seen someone with green hair before, so it's weird." His grin didn't falter. "But it's not bad."
Well, now she felt better. Saria had never even thought that she could be weird. But Vincent was right, she had never seen someone with green hair either. But if he said it wasn't bad, then she believed him. The boy started to walk towards the stables and told her to come along. She followed him with quick steps until she was able to walk side by side with the apprentice.
"I wonder when the royal family will reply." Vincent suddenly said. "Robero send them a letter you know? Because they want to meet Sir Christo since long ago."
"Why?" The sage regretted it fast. Her companion will be angry with her if she blew their cover.
"Don't you know?" The blonde furrowed his brow doubtfully. "Your column wanted to settle down somewhere and they decided that our kingdom would be a nice place to live. At least your leader thought about it, our king wants to discuss this with Sir Christo, the messenger. It would be great for us, really great, you know?" His explanation puzzled her.
"But why would it be so great?" She was too curious to stop asking.
"You haven't lived long with the column, have you? Robero said that." He pushed a few blonde strands away from his eyes.
Saria shook her head softly. She didn't want to lie but she didn't want to disappoint her companion either who still waited at the Inn.
"The column is made out of people who are…uh…how do call them…ah yes. Shiekah!" The boy grinned at her.
Shiekah? Wasn't her friend Impa one of them?
"You know, there is this story about them." Vincent started to say. "They swore to protect the royal family of the kingdom of Hyrule. But the royal family betrayed them once and somehow in result the Shiekah were banned from their kingdom. Since then they traveled as a column across the land to never return to their original home."
Ah, that would make sense. At least Saria thought that.
"But after all those years they wanted to settle down again. It's a great honor, Robero said, that they had interest to live in our kingdom. A really great honor for us."
That made sense as well. That's why the nice farmer wanted to help them so badly.
"You probably already knew that!" He laughed. "But I'm surprised that they took you with them! I thought they would always stick with one's kind expect the royal family of Hyrule, I mean."
"Yeah…I guess, I was lucky." The Kokiri didn't feel good.
"Why did they take you with them? You know, why did you leave Hyrule?" Vincent was curious and his habit to repeat a word or a phrase made him adorable.
"It's…how should I put it." Saria wanted to at least keep her lie light. "I wasn't able to stay there anymore. So I left it behind."
"Haha! Like the Shiekah! Maybe that's why they took you with them!"
"Maybe."
"And Sir Christo? Why has he only taken you with him?"
"Eh…" Oh boy, what could she say…? "He trusts me the most, he said." Her mouth felt dry. "And I can use magic…so yeah."
Both of them finally reached the stable and the blonde boy pushed the door open. Saria was relieved that this ended their conversation naturally. She already felt the thin strings of lies tugging at her arms and legs. The sounds of bird like animals reached her ears and excited she peeked over his shoulder. Many white birds were rushing across the room as they stepped into the stable; they were surprised about the intruders.
Vincent closed the door and started to chase a small chicken with an evil grin on his face. The poor animal screeched and started to run away. The blonde waved at Saria to hurry.
"Come on! This one is most difficult to catch! I bet I'll catch it first! I bet!"
The Kokiri had missed this easy way to start a game with someone else. She started to laugh and her legs moved on their own.
"We'll see!"
She never once was able to catch this little cheeky chicken.