A/N: Yolo! Hope everyone like the last chapter! I sure did! :D and yeah, Link's a softie…
Chapter 29: Through the mountains we go!
The wind, of course, kept on getting stronger and stronger each second and it didn't really help the fact that I was nearly frozen. I couldn't feel my legs, fingers/hands or anything at all!
We need to find a shelter and fast!
"Ashei…" I mumbled, trying to come back to "life".
"Ashei." I said, a bit more fiercely.
I only heard a soft, quiet moan. At least, that still gives me a sign that she was still alive.
I'll admit. This is way worse than Arbiter's Grounds.
I hate the cold. I hate being frostbitten. I can change into a wolf but that would be too risky. I'm not exactly sure just how well she would respond or any other people would, in this matter.
They would either scream, run away or possibly try to kill me…
I know Rusl nearly did.
"We have to try and find shelter. It's too risky like this."
"But I'm so cold." she shivered.
"I know but we have to try. Please? For me?"
I had also noticed that the blood had stopped flowing. I would've thought that it was probably "frozen". Slowly but surely, I de-attached myself from Ashei then I picked her up in a bridal style and started to trek the horrid snowy path, hoping to find shelter. Any shelter would be good.
I stumbled a bit when the harsh wind blew me to the side but I regained my balance quickly. I bit my lower lip when I spotted a wall though it had a hole underneath it, indicating that it could be dug.
Great. How am I supposed to transform into a wolf?
I sighed though after I took a peek at Ashei, she looked like she had fallen back to sleep.
Forgive me, Ashei.
I quietly told Midna to transform me into a wolf. Of course, she disapproved of this but I told that it was the only way. Reluctantly, she transformed me and I started to move towards Ashei who I placed on the ground.
Carefully, I pushed her using my muzzle and occasionally, my paws. Slowly, she was at the hole and I let out a wolf sigh when I realized that I had to drag her into the hole in a not so pretty way.
Oh, I'm going to get an earful. However, I figured it out that she still doesn't know that I can transform into a wolf. So that's good, right?
I gently dug my teeth into her forearm and started to drag her into the hole. I'm sorry, Ashei. I'm sorry. After digging and a lot more dragging, we were inside the place that looked like no blizzard can come in. There was a ladder, followed by vines that were attached to the ceiling so I started to think that maybe it was a good idea to get to a higher point.
Just in case.
Once I was transformed back into a human (this is tiring), I grunted when I placed Ashei on my back like a piggyback. So, with one hand holding her, I started to climb the ladder. I only reached the first step until I mentally scolded myself for being so stupid.
I could've just use the clawshot to get myself up there.
I did just that while carefully balancing Ashei.
I walked from a not so wider path until I reached a semi-circle area. It had platform hills so that I could climb up but I rested Ashei by putting her down and having her leaning on me when I sat down.
It was a long time since Ashei had finally woke up. She looked like a zombie if anything since her skin was so pale. It was as if the warmth that was once in her body was now removed and she can no longer feel any warmth. Just coldness.
Okay, so I might've exaggerated a little bit I'm just telling you what I see.
Ashei shivered as she clung to my tunic as if her life was depending on it.
"Li…Link?" she quivered.
I smiled. "Hey. Long time no see." I replied in attempt to cheer her up.
She weakly smirked. "Shut…up."
I chuckled, softly. "How are you feeling?"
"I feel like I had been brought back from the dead." she answered, flatly which caused me to laugh.
"So um…are you ready to move?" I asked.
She paused, staring at the ground. "I don't know. I feel like I'm ready to move but at the same time, I'm not." she answered then gazed at my piercing eyes. She sighed.
"I'm sorry, Link."
I blinked with surprise. If anything, Ashei wasn't exactly the type of person to apologize.
"For what?"
"For running off like that." I can tell she was struggling. "None of this would have happen if I wasn't so blind."
I cracked a smile. "Guess you can say things happen for a reason."
"Yeah. Which, in the end, gets you killed in the end."
I flinched.
A long, silent pause.
"But I think I'm okay now. I can move, yeah?" Ashei struggled a bit and she used the wall for support until she no longer needs it. "See?"
I shook my head while at the same time, admiring her courage and the 'not giving up' thing.
If anything, she's more of a warrior than I am.
But you're the Hero of Time. That's what makes you so different from everyone else.
I slightly made a face that was between a frown and a sad one. I just wish that my life was back to normal.
"Well alright. If you're sure that you can go, then let's go. But just one more thing." I said, eyeing her as she grunted when climbed the tall-ish cliff.
"What?" she grunted when got to the top.
I rolled my eyes. "Just take it easy."
"Yeah, whatever. I got this."
I shook my head, my eyes holding an amused look before I went to follow her.
We finally got out of the cave-like (more of a tunnel-ish) place and we were once again back in the forsaken blizzard.
"Link!"
"What?" I whirled around, just in time to see us getting pen. I knew what was coming and it was the one and only…the shadow beasts.
Big surprise there.
Ashei drew out her sword as she eyed the environment around her. Slowly, she walked back to me so that both of our backs where touching one another.
"Do you know what's coming?"
"Yeah. Shadow beasts."
"The what?"
Right on cue, there were at least three shadow beasts that fell from the sky. Each of them dropped on the ground clumsily before they were on their feet. Ashei gaped at the strange creatures that stood before us. The beasts surrounded us in the best way they can.
"Um you take the ones on the right and I take the one on the left?" she said though it was more of a question-like sentence.
"I don't think you should fight. I mean, you're still healing." I replied but then we both ducked down at the same time in order to avoid the claw that was trying to swipe at us.
"So you think I'm weak?" she asked, angrily before hitting the creature that came behind me.
"No. I just think that you should rest for a while." I insisted.
She shot me a glare. Ashei was about to speak but because of the creature that came at her side, she was forced to do a somersault to avoid the attack. I then came behind the beast and sliced it.
"I can fight." she snapped and then, she stabbed her sword in the creature's chest, ending it. "See?"
"Um…" I shifted, nervously. "I should tell you that these beasts—"
A loud ear-piercing screech came as we covered our ears. Ashei stared numbly at the beast she killed but was suddenly alive again. The girl shot me a dirty, hatred kind of look.
I laughed, nervously while cowering from the look.
"You mean to tell me that these beasts can be brought back alive from the screech?!" she yelled. "Link! When I get my hands on you!"
"Ashei, I tried—"I tried to tell her but she grabbed me and pressed me against the wall. I gulped when her blade was pressed against my throat.
"What the hell, Link? What else to I need to know about these creatures?" she asked, fiercely.
"That's it. I swear. In order to defeat them, we have to kill them all at once." I responded.
She glared at me for about five minutes until Ashei decided to let go of me. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I massaged my sore throat.
"Was that really necessary?" I asked.
"Yes." she replied, bitterly.
I widen my eyes when I saw the beast was about to attack the unaware Ashei.
"Ashei, look out!"
I tackled her to the side, just in time. The breeze from the claw had narrowly struck me. We fell to the ground with a thud before I scrambled back up and pulled my sword out. I drew the sword into the beast's chest that made the creature to wail in pain.
Ashei also scrambled up and went to kill the other two. However, when she killed the second one, the last beast was about to screech until a sword was driven into its chest, ending it before it could even let out a screech.
Finally, the last creature fell down after the sword was removed from its body. I nodded with satisfaction as I cleaned the black blood from my sword while Ashei was watching the beasts being broken into particles then was shot into the air through a portal.
"Those are some really weird creatures." she muttered.
As soon as Ashei turned around, she gasped as her eyes were glued to whatever caught her attention. I followed her gasp and soon found myself the same position as her.
No one spoke for a while until Ashei broke the silence.
"It's the beast. It's the yeti." she whispered, furiously. I caught the gleam in her eyes which held excitement.
"Come on. Come on!" she stated, running up to the creature.
"Ashei, wait up!" I replied back then went to catch up with her.
The beast sensed something since he turned around and saw two humans. I panted when I finally got up to Ashei who was staring at the yeti with wide eyes. It was exactly as how the story described it. Other than the fact that it was big and has fur, the face was nearly in a form of a human though it had long sharp fangs. One of his hands was holding the infamous Reekfish which seemed to move at the side helplessly.
"Uh! Whoa-ho!" the creature boomed when it spotted us. "I heard ruckus, and uh! Just humans! I see humans not often, uh? Why humans come to snow?"
"I really want to see you up close. I only got a glimpse of you so I thought—or rather we—thought that hey, we should climb up the Snowpeak Mountain." Ashei spoke, in an excited voice.
"O-h! I see. You are definitely lucky to meet me! Humans made a long trip. Stop at my house." with that, the giant smashed his fist at the tree which knocked down an ice board and then, the yeti hopped on it and rode away.
"Oh…my…Goddesses!" she squealed. "Can you believe it, Link?! We had met a real live yeti! Not that the legends were false because I knew the Zoras wouldn't lie but ha!"
I jumped back with startle.
"This will show Shad!"
"Show what?" I asked, stupidly.
She threw me an aggravated look. "It will show Shad that I was right and he was wrong! Goddesses, Link! You can be so thick-headed!"
I scowled.
"Anyways…let's go! Let's go!" she urged me then stopped as she gasped. "We are actually going to go to a yeti's house! Do they even live at a house? I mean, just wow! Isn't this fantastic?" she rambled as she did climbed a tree and got the ice board.
"Whee." I replied, dully.
"Heads up!"
"OW!" I yelled as something hard bumped onto my head and fell down on the ground in front of me. I glared at Ashei who gave a sheepish look as I massaged my head.
"Was that necessary?" I frowned.
She shrugged as if she didn't care. "I did say heads up, yeah?" Ashei took an ice board for herself.
I swear…she reminds me a lot like Midna. Rude, sarcastic and just plain cruel.
"Catch me!" she suddenly yelled out.
"Wait, what?"
Oomph!
I suddenly found myself on the ground then I looked at Ashei who flashed a bright smile at me.
"Thanks for the soft landing." she patted at my chest before scrambling up and hopped on the ice board.
I grunted then blinked. "Hey, wait up!"
I scrambled up so that I could go on the ice board—or whatever the real name is called—and went after Ashei. That chick is crazier than I thought. I smirked when I saw a ramp coming up and noticed that Ashei didn't use it so when it came up, I used it to give me a great lift off.
I went on the tree top after tree top until I landed right beside Ashei who glared at me. I gave a cheeky smile before my shoulder got a painful punch.
Ow.
Then, there came a small gap followed by a platform then another gap. I went first because I gave myself a speed. The first gap was successful as I was on the platform but the second gap wasn't that great since the moment I had landed on the platform, I had tripped over something (since there was probably something loose underneath the snow). Because of that, I was thrown ahead while inside my mind, I was panicking.
There was no way I could make this jump. When the edge of the cliff came close, I just grabbed it barely since my lower body was dangling off the edge while I felt myself slipping.
Panicking, I tried to pull myself up but I couldn't because it was too slippery and just when I thought that I was doom, something grabbed my hand and dragged me as if I was a sleigh.
"What—woah!" I exclaimed when something grabbed my hand and started to drag me.
I looked up to see Ashei but I could tell she was smirking even though I couldn't see her face. When we came near at the end, we both flew off the ledge until we landed on the "lower" snowy path.
Mind you, that hurts.
I'm just happy that this was over.
Ashei laughed as she whooped with excitement.
"I totally whooped her ass, Link, yeah?" she laughed as she got off her board.
I grunted, getting up and brushed the snow off.
"Yeah, whatever."
She smirked. "Aw, don't be such a grumpy pants!"
I gave a glare before stomping away until I halted in my tracks and gaped at the building that stood before me.
"What's the matter—holy Hylia!" Ashei gaped at the building.
"A mansion." I replied, numbly.
"Well, he certainly got a nice place…for a beast-man, yeah?"
After staring at the huge mansion, we walked to the house and went inside.
A/N: hehe, I had fun writing this XD see? Even the most "serious" people can have fun! See you in the next chapter! And…Ashei won't like Link one bit. R&R! Toodles!
