The Hand of Din
by Wyna Hiros
Disclaimers and the ilk: I don't own Zelda 64 or the characters: no money is made off this. This story and all original side-characters/monsters and locations, however, are my property and may not be used without my permission. If you'd like to archive it (or whatever), please see the contact information on my profile. I don't bite.
Misc: I forget if I've mentioned it here, but unless I add/remove chapters, Aceilux is looking to be at a (tentative) 19 chapters total in length. Thanks to Kinneas for helping me out on this chapter.
The Hand of Din
I was led up several winding bridges, up the spiral. There weren't any gates to keep the path secure, and the view down was dizzying. We'd gone up several levels, and my legs, already strained from the march to Snowhead, were starting to tingle when the guide stopped in front of a large wood door. The other Sheikah only nodded towards it, and left.
I pushed them open. The room was slightly larger than the one they'd given us, and more well-lit than the Queen's chambers back home. It didn't have any of the elegance either. It was modest, with the only luxury being a balcony that overlooked the city below. There were torchs, some relics that someone had deemed valuable enough to haul along each move. Against the wall there was a chair upon a small dias, flanked with animal skin tapestries. The chair was occuppied.
"Your Grace."
I knelt on the ground, palms flat on the ground, thumb to thumb, forefinger to forefinger. I didn't bow as low as protocol demanded, however.
I only did that for Her Highness.
There wasn't an immediate answer to the greeting. My eyes flicked up from the ground, although I didn't lift my head all the way back up.
Now that I had a chance to look, I was puzzled but what I saw. The figure on the throne had no face cover and wore the flowing skirts of the station, a tabard with the All-Seeing Eye stretching down past the knees. That in itself wasn't out of of the ordinary. The High Priestess was a dark brown, much tanner than I was, with white hair that fell around the shoulders like snow. And there were strange white markings that swirled all over, covering the arms and chest...
A completely flat, masculine chest.
The High Priestesses were always female. I'd heard that the current one was female.
Had I heard wrong?
But he(?) was wearing the sacred gauntlet - the Hand of Din - on his left hand: it represented a link to that very goddess. There was no question that this was the High Priestess.
There was a whisp of fabric. I jerked with surprise when he suddenly rose from the chair and knelt down in front of me. The High Priestess was close, so close it was dangerously to a kiss, breath fluttering on my cheek I hazarded a glance into his eyes. The irises were white, barely ringed around the edges with an unnatural blue, and seemed to stare past me. The hand not covered by the gauntlet was lifted, fingers tracing the rounded shape of my ear, memorizing the shape.
He was blind.
"Ah, one of our brothers from the Haunted Wastelands... are you the last of them?" the High Priestess asked. The voice was not that of a male, like I'd expected, but not completely female any more either. Somehow, the High Priestess had become both.
I nodded slowly, although I averted my eyes again.
"The few brothers and sisters that came from the Western Wastes told me of a decimated tribe in the desert. I had hoped it wasn't true."
The High Priestess rose finally, withdrawing her/his hand. She/he seated her/himself once again, crossing the mismatched arms on her/his lap. I sat back on my heels.
"You aren't here on the summons, are you?" she/he asked.
"No," a sudden realization struck me then. "...It was you. You called the rest of us back from Her Majesty's side."
The Priestess sighed. "Yes. I've disgraced them. But I had no choice. "
"Why?"
She/he spread both hands, as if to shrug. "It was Din's will."
A non-committal answer. I was already stepping far beyond my bounds just by questioning her/his order and it wasn't my place to do so. The High Priestess, in that one motion, made that clear. I wasn't going to be completely satisfied with that either, but there was no way Her/His Grace was going to tell me no matter how much I pressed the issue. I'd have to ask other questions then.
"The Ambria-Freians in the valley claim that you've killed their own. Without warning or explanation. Why? Are you intent on dragging our people into a war with them?"
It was more disrespectful than allowed, but I didn't care much at this point. The High Priestess shook her/his head.
"That was unfortunate. A mistake," she/he replied. "We thought that their party was infected with the plague and that they'd sent him up to infect the rest of us. The leader was displaying the cough and the pinkened eyes."
Our laws mandated than an Infected Sheikah could be put down without consequence. But the Ambria-Freians weren't Sheikah. They didn't know our laws. Nothing could excuse what they'd done to my people, but... they should've had a warning.
"When we realized our mistake, it was too late. They are set on wiping us out if they can," Her/His Grace continued. "We must kill in return, to defend ourselves. But we will last them out up here."
I frowned, wondering at the wisdom of that last part. Up here, and especially with part of the trade road blocked, the Sheikah had far less access to trade and goods... while those in Ambria-Scoud had access to their farmlands and the other towns. If anyone was going to outlast the other, it would be Ambria-Scoud and the rest of that kingdom.
But my foremost concern was with the Queen and the mission she'd bestowed upon me. I couldn't get further involved in this, even though I very much liked the thought of going back to Ambria-Scoud and imbedding a knife into Brand's jugular...
"I'm sorry," I said.
She/he only waved it off, "Apologies won't get anyone anywhere. And you aren't here on my summons or because of the problem with our neighbors. The Sage of Wisdom must have business this far."
It was strange to hear Her Majesty still refered to as that. Habit on the High Priestess' part, most likely. I didn't know how good Her Grace's contacts were. Impa, along with the Queen, had established an impressive network of spies back during the Dark King's reign. I wasn't even going to guess how much the High Priestess a knew or didn't know.
So I told Her Grace about the prophecy and my orders to stop it. I told her/him about the Temple of the Sun and Faneer's instruction. The High Priestess sat very still, seeming to look off into space. But from her/his body language, I could tell that the High Priestess was listening and interpreting the prophcy.
When I finished, I found that those alien eyes were staring at me all of a sudden. I couldn't help but get the impression that while she/he couldn't see our world the way I did, she/he was seeing it on a different plane. I had to be careful.
"And you were told you would get the answers you seek here," she/he finished.
"Yes."
She/he rose and went to the balcony, motioning for me to do the same. The stone had been fashioned into crude railing, upon which the High Priestess rested her/his mismatched hands. I joined her/him.
Several levels down across from us, I could see Link teaching Tatl and Tael what had to be a Kokiri game. Other Sheikah were moving below us on some unnamed business. No one noticed us watching.
"The mortal races of Hyrule all ask the same questions," the High Priestess stared down with those white eyes of her/his, into the rushing black water far down below. " They want to know the 'whats', the 'wheres', the 'hows', and the 'whos'... but they never ask why something or someone is, why things are they like they are, why things are done that way. Just 'how' or 'when', 'what' is it..."
"It's not relevant," I said.
"But it is. The 'why' is very often the most important question no one asks," the blind gaze turned to me. "Do you see what I'm getting at?"
I didn't.
She/he didn't say anything, just kept staring at me, clearly seeing something I was not. Uncomfortably, I looked back down to where Link was. He was gesturing animatedly, a large grin on his face. The children were laughing. A sudden pang of longing struck me, to be there next to him and not next to the Hand of Din as she/he all but searched my soul inside and out. But things had always been duty and business first for me. Even if I'd been offered the option, I would've turned it down.
The moment was over; the High Priestess turned away from the balcony and gave a loud snap. I started. Several attendants seemed to appear suddenly out of the walls. They weren't dressed like any of the other Sheikah: these ones wore strange plates that covered their eyes, marked with the All Seeing Eye, their lower faces half-exposed, and clad in white. They'd been standing so motionlessly that I'd mistaken them for statues.
The High Priestess waited until the last one filed out and shut the door after himself before she/he did the unthinkable. She/he removed the sacred gauntlet from her/his left arm, and set it aside.
I stared. Where Din's Hand had covered her/his arm, the skin was shriveled and withered with atrophy, skeletal and almost bone-white compared to the rest of her/his body. The High Priestess, sensing my reaction, swiftly hid the wounded arm under a sleeve.
"I want to show you something," she/he said.
We went down several levels towards the bottom of the spiral city. Despite the apparent blindness, the High Priestess never tripped or stumbled once.
We passed a squad of heavily armed guards: the most show of force I'd seen so far in the city-fortress. They carried vicious looking axes and halberds, swords strapped to their hips, and a curved throwing dagger to each of their right thighs. There were twelve stationed at this entrance, and two more standing against the inner walls of the stairwell. I could feel their eyes on us as we swept past.
What exactly was down here?
We paused near a door, over which iron bars had been laid and somehow welded shut. It looked like it was made of several feet of solid stone.
"This particular river runs down the Llambahden and empties out into a desert far from here, through these lower caverns," she/he pointed at the grating in the rock, through which the water sluiced, and then towards the door. "This area is off-limits."
I stepped closer to the blocked entryway, puzzled as to what necessitated such measures in security, when I caught the smell. The stench of death was emanating from beyond the door, stiflingly strong. I paled.
"There are Infected here..." I looked to the High Priestess, my mouth going dry with fear. "You let them live."
She/he looked down.
"Our laws have always been explicit on the matter: execution on sight to prevent any further spread," she/he said. "But they are a pitiful people. I only wish for the Infected to live their last moments with what dignity can be given to them, rather than hunted like animals. "
"You risk infecting the rest of the population," I pointed out.
"We are a dying race, het'vahrar. It's inevitable that we'll be going the way of the infected, if not immediately," she/he sighed.
"Your compassion's a weakness," was all I could say. The idea that even one of the infected - much less a number of them - was near was enough to send chills down my spine. A single touch from one of them was a death sentence: all it took was an exchange of body fluids... and that included the oil on their skin.
The High Priestess laughed softly. "Spoken like a true Sheikah. I have not been able to rid myself of that fatal flaw.. .but I've yet to see any Sheikah that has managed to be without some weakness. It's an impossible dream, and one must learn to accept that they will spend their lifetime never reaching it."
I didn't have an answer to that, just looked back the door that stood as the only barrier between us and certain death.
"Rest your fears. This is no secret from the others here and no one is allowed access in or out, as you saw on the way here," and she/he pointed with the mangled hand towards a tunnel, nearly hidden from sight by one of the rock formations. "This wasn't what I needed to show you. There's little time."
We continued walking. The path had leveled out now that we were at the bottom, the sound of roaring water echoing throughout the passageways. We crossed a stone bridge. There were two more flights of stairs, and then nothing. We stopped at a dead end. The path had dropped us off in front of a large wall. The majority of its surfacewas taken up by a stone tablet that was nearly two stories in height. It was in the same style as those in the Temple of the Sun: different scenes flowing into each other on a single surface. It looked chaotic at first, almost violent. Other than the tablet, there was nothing else here.
The High Priestess gestured towards the wall. "This was a gift from Faneer to one of the Priestesses before me, back when he still cared about the outside world."
She/he beckoned me closer. With the uninjured hand, she/he pointed out a particular scene nestled amongst the others: it showed an imposing man wearing a skull head-dress of a large boar, with an army of thousands behind him. At his feet, bowing to their master, were two immense dogs. The next section had them mauling several masked people, and moving through the panels, ripping more to shreds. Their victims varied; many were masked and cloaked, while others appeared to be normal people and soldiers. But the two groups were seperated, never mingling, by a ray of light. This divider was broken several times to show the dogs crossing them to each group. Jumping back and forth...
"This is what I wanted you to see," the High Priestess started. She/he was staring at the wall, almost as if she/he were reliving it. A hand traced out parts of the wall as she spoke, following along. "Long ago, during the Great War when Ganon was alive and not merely a spirit, he was given two pets: a gift from a loyal servant. They were hell hounds, brothers; one called Makimah, the other called Kimaki. During Ganon's rise to power, they were responsible for the deaths of many," she/he fell silent for a second. "The Sages - the ones that had survived - managed to trap and seal them both within Taldahroth."
"The City of the Damned?" The place was hovering that line between reality and nearly forgotten as myth. I'd only last heard of it as an abandoned Garo stronghold that the Dark King had failed to claim.
The High Priestess nodded, stared thoughtfully at the tablets. I waited for her/him to continue.
"They are dimension jumpers. This is what your Queen saw," the High Priestess finally said. "They can easily move from this world to the Sacred Realm and back: this threatens the safety of the Sages and the Queen. If Makimah and Kimaki should manage as so much a step beyond Taldahroth's boundaries, they will be able to make their jump for their first targets. Should that happen, there will be no way to save them."
"They would come after you as well afterwards, wouldn't they?"
"You're just as keen-sighted as they say," and she/he gave a small nod. "I would have stepped forward to try to save the Sages regardless, but... I do fear for myself as well. Ganon's orders to Makimah and Kimaki had been to hunt down those that opposed him the most. They would continue from where they last left off."
Something wasn't right. About these entire situation.
"Why has the seal weakened now?" I asked. "The Sages' powers don't just crumble over time. Not without reason."
"I don't know," there was only honesty in her/his voice and face. Despite her connection to Din, she/he was in the dark about this and the uneasiness practically reeked off the High Priestess. After that, she/he didn't say anything for several long minutes, just studying the wall thoughtfully.
She/he was nearly as hard to read as Impa was at times. I shifted my weight, uncertain if I had been dismissed or not. For all I knew, it was a cue that it was over; my question had been answered. I was about to take my leave when the High Priestess suddenly spoke, her/his question seemingly out of the blue.
"Do you know of where the Betrayal took place?" She asked.
The Great Betrayal. Years before my time, but even I knew the story well enough, "It took place in the Region of the Wind's Road. The Royal Family sent our ancestors ahead to hold the Pass, promising to back them up. But they didn't. The Hylian Army hung back while we were slaughtered by Ganon's forces."
"And it was only after our brethren weakened and drove the first waves back when the Royal Family's army stepped in to attack the retreating mass," the High Priestess had a far away look in her/his eye as she/he continued where I had trailed off. "They stepped over our dying in their pursuit. It was an assured victory then. A resoundingly successful campaign."
I watched her/his face, wondering why she/he had asked. It was common knowledge to any Sheikah and the very reason that our sign - the All-Seeing Eye - bore a bloody tear coming from it from then on. I had mentioned it briefly to Link years ago, but I hadn't thought about it since.
The Hand of Din blinked and the distant look was gone. She/he turned to me. "I'm asking you this because the Pass of Tahlr-Hadras may be important to you. I pray that you won't need it."
"What do you mean?"
"One of the our shamans, as he lay dying, wanted to still save Hyrule. He performed a blood curse on the Pass."
My eyebrows furrowed. "Those're forbidden."
"Yes, and he condemned himself to an eternity in hell for it. But it helped ensure that even Ganondorf was unable to rally more troops from outside of central Hyrule recently. The few Sheikah that survived the Betrayal back then left a warning in the Pass about the blood curse, in the form of a pillar," the High Priestess was speaking now with an urgency that made me uneasy. "You must listen to it carefully. Commit it to memory."
The Sheikah she spoke next was archaic, foreign-sounding, barely intelligible at first. I could only get a rough gist of what she said. What I understood disturbed me.
"Abarashou shii, weianto maseanu wo...
doshte, a-nu.
Abarasha shen, furueru wahr ajaa Leen.
soshte e, tellaan feeyaht.
N-da nai, antayen, yo rinlaii.
N-dahn lim, n-dahn sietya.
Trrya, Yeenya, Felnya.
Zho, abdah-nai."
"Remember these words, het'vahrar... and take the Pass back if something seems amiss."
I stared her/him in the face for the first time, forcing myself to meet the High Priestess' eyes. I had the sudden, unshakeable feeling that the other Sheikah had done something she/he wasn't supposed to, but against who and why, I couldn't be sure.
"I don't understand why I would need to know this."
The High Priestess wouldn't meet my gaze. "I apologize, but I no longer have any more time to spare you. I have others I must attend to. We must return.."
I returned to our shared room feeling somewhat disgruntled. The High Priestess'd given me answers but had opened up even more questions in the process. I couldn't place it but there was the strange feeling that something I couldn't quite put a name to was shifting around us. Something far less tangible than swords and traps and faces. It was something I couldn't see with my own eyes, but whatever it was, it had a hand in the way things were playing out. That uncertain feeling had been at the back of my mind ever since I left the castle, and only grew worse as I drew closer to the end.
Had the seal actually weakened? Or had someone tampered with it?
To my disappointment, Link wasn't there. He probably wasn't able to extricate himself from Tael and Tatl's clutches. I could only imagine the questions he was being bombarded with.
Even if Link was willing to lend an ear, I doubted he could help with this. Out of the two of us, I knew far more about the seals and barriers on the temples. What Link knew was the traps and evils inside of them, but even back then, he hadn't been aware of the wards preventing most people from entering them until I'd pointed them out.
Someone had dropped off new weapons for me while I was gone. I was sharpening them when Link returned, with a knock. He came in looking worn out, but there was definitely more color to his cheeks than before, although part of it might've been from over-heating. He hadn't had a chance to remove the coat yet. From the looks of it, Tael and Tatl must've run him all over the city.
"Aveil said you were in here," Link said. He was looking at the short sword next to me on the bed and the one across my lap. "Where'd you get those?
"One of the others probably left it for me. They might've repaired your equipment as well. Did you check your room yet?"
"Nope, not yet." Link turned, and began stripping off the heavy overcoat, head bowed as he undid the clasps one by one. I watched his shoulders shift as he worked. Neither of us spoke for a few moments, the quiet that hung between us broken only by the sound of the clasps and shifting fabric and rough slide of stone on metal.
This was just like Ambria-Scoud. The familiarity was potentially dangerous. I didn't want either of us getting too comfortable here. It might be a small break, but I still had a orders to carry out.
"I know what this 'darkness from the east" is now," I said.
Link paused, hand stilling in the process of removing the Ambria-Freian overcoat. "You do?"
"Hell hounds."
The coat was dropped unceremoniously into a pile that was half on the chair and half on the floor. Link stretched.
"Never heard of that," he replied. "Did she say what it was?"
I hadn't exactly seen one in person either or heard of them, other than the images on that wall below Ephell. But I doubted Faneer would outright lie in the duty that the Three bestowed upon them. I hadn't missed that hint of fear in the High Priestess' voice either. The hell hounds were very real.
"The Priestess mentioned something about dimension-jumping." I answered.Their past nor their master didn't seem as relevant at the moment. Better to keep it simple. "We have to make sure they don't step foot outside of where they're confined."
I trailed off, distracted. Link had just worked out the kink in a shoulder. I couldn't stop myself from staring: the movement had been surprisingly graceful, almost liquid.
At the pause, Link turned, cocked his head at me. He'd caught me staring, but decided to let it go with a small grin, instead choosing to change the subject.
"What're you gonna to do after we take these things out?" Link asked.
"That's if we get back," I pointed out. "There's never a guarantee of survival. You know that."
He grumbled something. I could've sworn I caught the words "taking", "fun" and "of it". I rolled my eyes a little. This optimism couldn't last forever. Maybe Link had gotten so far with it just fine, but he was only going to hurt himself if he didn't get more realistic about it. It was inevitable, and I didn't want to see it happen to him.
"Don't look too much into the future. It's only going to lead to disappointment one day, " I added.
I didn't see why he liked to talk about hypothetical "ifs" so much. I'd always seen it as placing too much hope on the future. What mattered was what happened now, and being realistic about it.
The only thing I absolutely had to do for her Highness was put a stop to the prophecy. She hadn't said it expressly, but we both understood the part of the order not spoken: I'd stop it, even if it cost me my life in the process.
There was just a heavy silence. Link was studying me. He drew close. For a moment, I thought he was going to sit on the bed - we'd climbed through a good portion of the Snowden with very little rest.
Instead, I was surprised to find Link's lips on mine.
There was a possibility that right now would be the only chance to do this. I had enough to deal with outside and watching our backs that anything else was out of the question. But there wasn't any threat here or fear of being discovered.
The slight delay in a response from me had Link starting to pull away, doubt making him suddenly uncertain of the impulsive move. I buried my fingers into his tunic and pulled him back before he could give up and walk off. I just barely had the presence of mind to drop the blades to the side of the bed.
I hadn't exactly gone extremely far either, but as it stood now, I'd still had far more experience than Link in the matter, period. I took the lead, my hand lingering over a covered nipple, before slowly ghosting downwards, towards his stomach. He let out a soft gasp.
Link was still standing, which could make things awkward for both of us. We'd both suffered enough injuries just to get this far, and there wasn't any point in disrupting the healing process. It didn't take much to get him to move, just leaning back slowly while denying him the contact he kept trying to get. I don't think Link even realized that he'd changed positions just to keep in contact with my mouth until he'd knelt on the bed, half over me. When he did, he took one look around, then back at me, and shook his head. There wasn't any stopping the small, amused grin on his face.
" 'Distract the target with one thing...use that moment of weakness to get to your goal?' " he whispered.
Even after all these years, he hadn't forgotten that lesson I tried to give him on stealth. The lesson hadn't ever seemed to sink in though and I'd given up trying any further with him on it.
I didn't get a chance to reply, other than a small, uneven chuckle: Link closed the centimeters between our mouths, and this time I let him. That thrill I got at just the contact was electric. It also wasn't enough. I greedily deepened the kiss, sliding my tongue past his lips.
Link was proving himself a quick learner, following where I was leading him for now, but also getting the courage to take his own initiative. He might not've had any of the experience I possessed, but he knew what felt right and what he liked. And he definitely made up for the lack of experience with sheer enthusiasm.
Link's hand had suddenly slid down and was cupping the growing bulge between my legs, tightening and slackening, rubbing and gripping, as our kisses grew harder, more hungry, my hips begin to jerk forward to meet his hand. Every now and then I could feel an answering hardness pressed against my hip.
The next several minutes was a blur, just heat and skin sliding over skin and pressure right where I needed it most, even when I was doing my damndest to find out just what sounds I could pull out of him were. He was plunging on ahead and I'd be damned if I was going to let him all the work.
... I might've bitten him in the process. Judging from the strangled groan, he didn't entirely mind that either.
It was a miracle in itself, but I somehow managed to pull off most of my clothes. Link couldn't seem to keep his hands or eyes off, even as he hurriedly started working on the belt around his waist.
I stared, a hand stroking my erection. Physically, Link seemed completely untouched by those years he'd spent unconscious: as fit as he'd been during the Dark Years, no sign of the years or lack of activity taking its toll. It didn't seem natural.
But Link had always treaded that line before.
That train of thought was very quickly dropped. Link's eyes, the irises black in the bad light, had fastened on where my hands had gone to work , and he choked back a moan.
...Don't...
I stiffened ever so slightly at the feeling. It wasn't even words, just this sense that I shouldn't be doing this. Not that it was outright wrong either, only that it had to do with something I'd never expected to question in Link's company; my safety.
Clearly the years had caught up to me, instead of Link. All the time spent watching over my shoulder for most of my life was finally having its effect. It was unacceptable. There were very few I trusted, and I wasn't about to have that number diminish even further, and not over some unfounded hesitation.
I ignored it, chosing instead to pull Link back down. He was taking too long - and how much of that was on purpose? - and I much preferred having him pressed against me. I'd solve the problem of the clothes soon.
Well, after Link finished what he was doing.
That strange feeling was creeping through the haze of arousal and actually starting to nag. It was irritating enough that it actually started distracting me, even as I pulled my legs up around him. Link was breathing hard against my neck, and every now and then, I'd feel his lips and occassional teeth grazing against my jaw. I closed my eyes, tried to shut out that distraction.
...Stop...
It didn't work. And I wasn't going to dismiss it that easily.
I was saved from making the choice that instinct told me I had to, but my mind and body most certainly didn't. There was a sharp knock on the door. Link paused, his breath warm against my mouth, hips crushed against mine, my hands in the process of just starting to pull his leggings down.
His eyes, half-shadowed by the dim room, flicked back to me as if expecting me to help him decide whether or not to answer it.
I only gave a shrug. A small part of me was hoping he'd ignore it.
Link actually managed a breathless laugh at the expression on my face before he slowly lifted himself off me. The effort it took for him to do it was clearly a massive one. He was already straightening himself out, brushing his hair and clothes back into place, and taking some very deep breaths to try and calm himself down. There was another knock, this time a little impatient.
Link shot me a look that was both one of regret and an apology before he pushed open the curtains to the landing. I heard the door open. The curtain blocked whoever the messenger was, but it only muffled sound just barely.
The messenger's Hylian was almost flawless. "The High Priestess has requested your presence--"
I didn't hear Link's answer, but I didn't need to. He and I were alike in a good number of ways, and he placed duty before anything else. The door closing only confirmed it. I hadn't expected anything different.
I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly irritated at myself. If that messenger hadn't shown up, what then? Instinct had served me well in the past, but I was pretty sure there was no (good) reason for it to rear up now. There weren't any enemies around, no danger as long as we were here. It was when we left Ephell that we'd be in danger again.
Instinct or is it just paranoia and doubt?
I'd been hit hard once before during the Dark Years, all because I'd dropped my guard. I hadn't lied when I briefly told Link about being ambushed while scouting. The two incidents were connected, and I was damned lucky to have come away with just a whip scar. I easily could've been killed...
But Link was different, and I wasn't about to have the same thing happen to me with him. There was no reason for this sudden doubt.
With a vicious curse, I propped myself up on my elbows, one of my hands sliding down past my stomach...
I only saw glimpses of Link after that. He visited the High Priestess a lot and seemed too drained to do anything beyond eat and sleep when he came back. I didn't ask him what they talked about. If the High Priestess had wanted it to be my business, I would've been invited.
I settled on occupying myself with helping the others around the city, or going on the few scouting parties or entertaining the children. I had to fend off Kafei several times. He was dead-set on making it a personal mission to convince me to remain here, about how I should take a cue from the Sages and that the vows meant nothing...
I tuned it out. I already had what I needed and I wanted to leave already. It was just a matter of waiting for Link to finish.
Several days passed before Link was ready. Anju'd seen to it that we had our supplies restocked. Link made sure to say goodbye to the twins, but other than that, we headed out without a farewell. The other Sheikah were too involved in the business with Ambria-Scoud and we were too busy with the mission to be of any help.
The High Priestess'd sent me directions earlier to the exit that would let us out closest to our destination. The instructions as to how to get to the Damned City were vague at best: she hadn't ever been there herself, and neither had any of the Sheikah in the city. I had the feeling that she somehow knew I was going to be relying on Link to help pinpoint it.
Although the exit wasn't near any of the main paths, it wasn't too hard to get there, but as it we got there, we found that leaving wasn't going to be so easy. Our way was blocked. Our way had closed down to a long tunnel and Kafei was standing near the end of it, looking more like a concrite child than a Sheikah warrior.
"I can't let you go," he called out as we approached.
I stared at the other Sheikah. My eyes narrowed. "Step aside, Kafei."
He shook his head furiously. Whatever composure he'd built up for this confrontation was very quickly draining. "No. I won't. You don't see it, do you? How can you continue to serve that woman?!"
My jaw clenched and I knew my face had darkened, a hand twitching involuntarily towards one of my daggers, as if wanting more than anything to silence him. I managed to stop it in time, and instead fixed him with a particularly brutal glare that clearly told him that he was pushing my limits. "Kafei..."
He ignored the warning in my voice and hurried on, "How can you be so blind? Can't you see she's ruining the land! Can't you see that she's dragging everyone down?! The woman is a menace. I won't let you do it!"
My hand now landed on the hilt of the daggers, a very clear threat, my jaw tightening even further.
"Her Highness is doing her best in these hard times. And I intend to be there for her as I have before." I said slowly, coldly. "Unlike you."
Kafei flinched, but didn't move. I took a step forward and glared down at him. "I don't need to answer to the likes of you - you wear that face cover when you no longer have a right to keep it on," I continued. "You're nothing but a traitor as far as I'm concerned. A deserter who turned tail and left Her. No better than an exile."
He said nothing, looking away, face paling. I'd hit some nerves. Link was looking from me to him and back, a look of concern and confusion his face.
I took a step forward. "Now step aside. Don't make me ask again. "
He looked up, meeting my stare and shook his head furiously. My hand tightened on the dagger hilt, ready to just run this obstacle through if it came to it and be on my way...
And I paused at this thought, stilling.
"An obstacle"...
Was that what it was coming down to? That this boy'd become nothing more than an object in the way, instead of a kinsman (no matter how dishonored). That I was willing to forget the laws of our people? Had it ceased to mean so little to me?
Link was right. I'd changed and not for the better. A shiver went through me, a chill of quiet horror and shame at what I'd nearly done, and I hurriedly dropped my hand from the weapon.
"Kafei."
He stiffened at the sound and was on the ground immediately, bowing, averting his face. I glanced back down the passage at the source of the voice. The High Priestess - for once rid of her/his guards- was walking slowly towards us. The gauntlet was back on her/his arm. Link was openly staring, as Her Grace came to a stop in front of the prostrate boy.
"Rise, Kafei, and look at me," She/He commanded. Reluctantly he did so, a flash of fear going across his face at the last part of the command, knowing that this was rarely ever asked.
"Do not impede them," She/He said softly.
Kafei started to protest but the High Priestess gave him a Glance. "I've given them permission to pass through the rest of the Llambadehn mountains unmolested," she/he added firmly.
His frown deepened, unhappily. She/he turned to us and a smile graced his/her face, though for a moment it seemed uneasy. "They have my blessings on their mission. Both of them."
Kafei's mouth flew shut. He was staring, confused now, at the High Priestess. I ignored him and bowed low. "Thank you, Your Grace."
The moment of uncertainty in the High Priestess was gone and the smile slowly faded: she/he caught my gaze and held it. "It is Din's wish that you continue and succeed in your mission. Do not disappoint her."
: To be continued...:
Completed: 6/12/07
Feedback etc is always appreciated.