Rest and Joy, long overdue
Link
They remained amidst the newly birthed meadow under the faded guardian of all life for untold minutes, tightly embraced, both so enveloped and inspired by relief that they were prone to sudden, unexplained fits of either giggling or sobbing. There was no thought about their great accomplishment, their triumph… not yet. For now, all their fatigued minds could process was that, indeed, their first monumental task was over… and they had survived.
Link's head was racing around itself, images of his beloved so terribly hurt, chased by the incomparable comfort of seeing her healed… Time after time his heart began pounding, spurred on by the memory of the horrid injury, which was lodged in his mind like a thorn… and time and time again he gazed at her arm, tenderly brushed over it, still terribly afraid that he might cause pain… and his palpitations slowed… He had to make sure… a thousand times he had to make sure that she was unharmed… He could never quite believe his own eyes, no matter how often he saw her perfect, ivory skin, the dread of finding it all to be an illusion still too close. Every time he looked, let his fingers trail over it, he became a little surer, the wound in his soul closed a little more…
He knew he was a fool… and her tiny, knowing smile insinuated such… but… it was time he needed… to understand that his failure to protect her was rectified. His gaze wandered to her shoulder, to the charred edge of the fabric of her blouse, where the sleeve had been singed away within a second… Goddess above… she had been lost! He doubted there was a healer in this world who could have treated such an injury… He had been about to lose her!
…But the Great Deku Tree had saved her… and, therefore, him as well…
More and more his heartbeat slowed, the storm of fear in his head calmed… and with every passing second terror and loss was replaced by serenity and wonderful, profound glee. He would not waste this moment or the hard earned days of respite that would certainly follow with pointless self-doubt, brooding and angst. He had been shown, more than markedly, that this time, this infinitely precious time would be better spent with the things, the people, that mattered most…
Zelda
Sitting amidst grass and flowers… Link's arms around her and hers around him, resting, for once, in the certainty that they didn't need to haste, that no dreadful fate would befall anyone when they simply relaxed for a minute… It was… sublime…
Vaguely, Zelda wondered why the grave injury and the staggering agony had left so little of a lasting effect on her psyche… Truthfully, she could not remember much… The torturous minutes were blurry at best… a mercy, surely…
Still, shouldn't her heart stutter and race at the horrible prospect of either being disfigured at best, or dead at worst?
She could acutely sense her sweet knight, the little fool, fret again and again over her, felt his heartbeat go to near fibrillation as his own mind played tricks on him… and she delighted, no less foolishly, over the childlike joy clearly painted on his adorable face whenever he made sure that, indeed, her arm was still there.
Were the wounds of a loved one so much more devastating than one's own? An odd dynamic… yet one that she could, sadly, confirm.
Slowly but surely the anxiety that gnawed at Link's core was curbed, beaten by the immeasurable relief of them both surviving. And so her own tension flaked off her soul in big chunks in the strange, raw, almost melancholy peace that often followed such turbulent, perilous episodes. And with intensity fading, weariness crept into her mind, making her spirits light and her eyelids heavy… Both of them felt themselves lulled ever closer to slumber in their warm embrace, leaning on each other, enveloped by the incredibly subtle, but no less soothing concerto of blooming nature around them.
Link's head sunk heavily onto her shoulder… she could feel his lips nibble softly on the sensitive skin on the nape of her neck.
"We should go…" he simply said… she could hear by his scratchy voice how close he was to falling asleep… there was very little holding her back too. Part of her wanted nothing more than to just sink into a thoughtless slumber right here, in his arms… but then again… this was rather like the Deku Tree's grave… hardly a good place for resting.
Cumbersomely, her strong knight fought against his exhaustion and stood, then offered his hand to pull herself up. Her legs were shaky… they threatened to refuse their service, as did her slightly spinning head… With a last look back towards the deceased Tree, saying their silent farewell to the perished Guardian of Life itself, they made their way out of the temple. There was no real grief any more… just vague sorrow… Possibly that was due to their tired brains lacking the energy for mourning at the moment, but the Tree's words, painfully few as they were, had been both encouraging and wonderfully comforting.
The path out through the ruined common room of the children of the forest was all a blur… Link led her by the hand, for which she was thankful… She suspected, had he not, she might have just stood still and fallen asleep. Vaguely she remembered passing through the dragon room and hearing it creak to rest with a very final sound… she doubted it would ever open again.
It was dark out by now… Through the thick roots they could catch only glimpses of a clear, starry night. She continued to follow his lead while ensuring her feet didn't stumble over themselves took all her concentration.
Only when her guide stopped and she realized the four Rito standing in their way did her mind wrest itself out of its stupor. Though her heart warmed when she saw who it was that greeted them.
Veneli waited for them with the youthful impatience of a boy who had to wait entirely too long. He was flanked by three warriors, all with an expression somewhere between wariness and awe.
"We saw the dragon!" the boy blurted out, obviously nearly bursting with curiosity. "It flew straight into the sky, a long serpent shining so brightly in all hues of green! The whole forest was bathed in its light for a whole minute!" He was practically vibrating with excitement.
Both Link and she had to smile at the wonder in the lad's eyes. It did sound like a marvellous sight.
"Veneli, how is your father?" her protector asked before she could.
A tiny shadow of embarrassment passed over the young Rito's face, but his voice was very controlled. "It appears that his arm was broken during battle." he stated, understandably avoiding to go into detail just who his father was battling. "Other than that, he is already on the mend. He deeply regrets that, due to his injury, he cannot personally welcome you… so he has sent me to do so in his stead." A wide, genuine smile showed around the boy's beak. He took a step back, then bowed in the flamboyant fashion of his people. "It is my privilege to invite you to our home in the Ancient Guardian's high branches. The Rito would be honoured if they could welcome the two heroes of one of our most ancient legends." The words were spoken grandly and honestly, though Veneli couldn't resist shooting them a wry smirk. The two other birds bowed as well, albeit in the more practical way of the warrior.
"We humbly accept your people's generous offer!" Zelda replied, doing her best not to slur. The only image her mind conjured up at hearing the young lad's invitation was the wonderfully soft bed in their erstwhile prison-cell… But after a second, the deeper meaning finally bloomed in her soul. Her sore eyes gazed over the three warriors… one of them was part of the party that had initially apprehended them… There had been the same hostility in this one's eyes than in all the others', the same fear… Now there was hopeful joy, tentative excitement even… They had won more than the struggle within the Deku Tree Temple… They had won the friendship of a people that had not a day ago twitched to end their lives… They had won so much more than a mindless battle…
Her eyelids fluttered shut and a wave of vertigo made her reel... She might have fallen had Link's ever quick hand not shot around her… When she reopened her eyes, she saw his befuddled expression, no doubt caused by the perfectly serene smile that graced her face. As the last blemish of worry had now been cleansed in the blazing fire of their victory, the remaining tension puffed away, leaving her a like a floppy, giggling empty shell… that filled quickly with so much pure delight that her exhausted mind and body couldn't keep up.
"Are you alright?!" Veneli's startled voice rang and she heard him and the others flutter close. "Are you hurt? Kotto, fly up and tell them to prepare a-"
"No, no! Don't worry, I… I'm just tired…" she muttered, unable to stop herself from grinning like a lunatic. Link's magnificent eyes sparkled as he looked at her, quite amused… and full of glee… He understood as well… he felt it too, realized where the real triumph lay.
The boy through a questioning gaze at her knight, obviously wondering whether she was quite alright in the head… A justified query at the moment…
"Not to worry, Veneli! We're just very tired, as she said… and extremely glad that we are welcomed by the Rito… more than we can ever say…" Link explained, his gorgeous deep blue orbs never stopping to look lovingly at hers… Goddess above, if she were to melt right now, with that feeling in her chest and that sight as her last, she would accept it without the faintest regret…
"Well, if you say so…" the lad shook his head, but started smirking again. "I suppose I can see that you must be tired… you two look horrid! And… frankly, you smell even worse!" he chuckled, hid his beak behind his wing and retreated to a respectful distance. Ever the charmer… The two heroes just laughed and shrugged acceptingly at each other.
"Good thing, then, that we don't smell each other…" she observed.
"Mhm… might simply finish us off…" her sausage-knight replied dryly.
"Well, once you two have wallowed in your stench enough, I have the dubious pleasure of accompanying you up. Unless… you would like another ride on our rescue platform?" the little rascal asked with perfect childlike innocence.
"I think we'll pass…" she muttered, exhaustion slowly winning over the excitement of accomplishment again.
"Bah, you're no fun right now. Come, my father is waiting!" he scoffed in jest, then invited them to follow him towards the elevator up to the village.
Holding on to each other for support, both Link and she wobbled over, sometimes sharing glances, grinning like fools or giggling like madmen. More than once Veneli turned around, raised his eyebrow and shook his head… Zelda suspected he probably wondered by now, whether welcoming those two bedlamites had been a good choice… and promptly sniggered at the thought of stepping in front of an entire Rito entourage, pompous and serious as they all were, just to break down laughing directly in front of them… Not a very princess-like idea… but for the first time ever, she found she simply didn't care… for the first time, there was not a care in the world…
The slow, swingy ride upwards was spent in near silence, although Zelda could clearly see the burning curiosity in Veneli's eyes. More than once she sensed him nearly launching into a flood of questions, only to stop himself at the last second. She loved him for it… What child wouldn't itch to be the first to hear a story such as theirs… but he curbed his urge, seeing their fatigue… and that they were in their own world right now, anyway. Zelda was fighting a losing battle against sleep… more than once her head sunk forward and then snapped back… she was feeling wonderfully warm, snuggled against Link's chest, his arms around her, his chin on her shoulder…
The platform reached the top and the thick chains loudly clicked to a stop. Her sweet knight jumped up and pulled her with him. Where on earth did he take his energy from?
Then she saw why he would be so excited… A tall Rito with silvery plumage greeted them on the steps further up. She saw that he walked a little laboriously and his wing was in a sling… still, even at night, she could see the pride with which he carried himself… and his cordial smile.
"Finally! Ah, that is a relief to see my other two saviours… I was beginning to fear… Are… are you two alright? You look hurt!" Tamali greeted them, then immediately stepped forward with concern as he saw their undoubtedly frightful state.
"If they were, father, I would have sent someone up to make preparations…" Veneli mumbled, slightly indignant.
"Thank you for your concern. I assure you we just look a mess…" she promised.
"And smell one, as we've been kindly informed…" Link added with select evenness, directing a mild smile at the boy.
Tamali picked up on the subtle hint immediately and shot his son a stern glare. Then he looked back at them, a mixture of deep regret and genuine thankfulness on his features. "My friends… if I even have the right to call you that… I have been informed of what has transpired during my… absence…" His expression turned substantially harder. "I cannot apologize enough for the actions of my men. They were afraid and leaderless, but that is not nearly sufficient excuse. Then you were held as prisoners… All because of my-" The rooster's sombre confession was cut off.
"Commander Tamali. I assure you, from the bottom of my heart, if you provide us with a bath and a bed, every single transgression against us will be forgiven and forgotten." Link interrupted, a hint of jest only lending more earnestness to his request.
Thankfully, the silver warrior was rather amused by the interjection… and didn't fault him for breaking in on what seemed like a genuine apology. On the contrary, he seemed relieved by Link's openhearted reaction. "I believe I have taken your subtle cue." he chuckled. "Sorry. Here you are, visibly exhausted, and I bother you even further. Though do not think you have so easily escaped this topic. I do mean to make it up to you!" Neither Link nor she knew what to answer, so they both just awkwardly shuffled around.
"Thankfully, I have asked my people to stay at their homes… or you would hardly be able to make a single step for a whole flight of curious gawkers would stumble over themselves to catch a look of you. But now, come! I'll lead you to your nest."
Zelda couldn't even remember the path back towards the guest-house on the other side of the village… Even though it had to lead over the same dreadfully swinging, creaking bridges and walkways as last time, it seemed her mind was now too fatigued to even care about such an inconsequential thing as gravity. The last thing she could recall was Tamali telling them to rest for as long as they desired, that all else would follow once they had awoken, as well as her own unspoken vow to do just that.
Half an hour later, when a young Rito girl entered their sphere to bring them a little midnight snack, she only found two wholly un-wakeable Hylians, tightly embraced on the bed, who hadn't even had the strength to put anything on after they had washed… and by the look of things, they hadn't even managed to dry off…
She respectfully left, closing the door as silently as she could…
Link
Awakening came slowly, tentatively guiding his mind from dream into reality without haste. With his eyes still closed he could feel his torso being caressed by early rays of the sun… he was pleasantly warm, even though a cool breeze gently brushed over his skin. All around him was the strangely relaxing creaking of wood that was beginning to heat in the warming rays of light… He knew immediately where he was, much to his own surprise… In the end, when he had brought his beloved to bed, he had been so tired that every movement had hurt. Hardly a second could have passed between his head hitting the pillow and him falling asleep… possibly he had simply collapsed beside her, he wouldn't be surprised…
Carefully, he opened his eyes, hoping that all that had transpired hadn't just been a fabulous dream. He had to blink a couple of times to dispel the murky goo in front of his vision… then involuntarily jerked back.
…not quite what he had expected… About five centimetres in front of his nose was… a foot. Proudly taking over all of his view… Briefly his sleep-addled mind wondered if it could be his own, and was actually afraid some nightly acrobatics might have tied his whole body into a knot… Then he realized this particular specimen was quite a bit too small… and delicate… and adorable…
Smiling in evil glee, he tentatively moved his hand upwards, erected his index finger, the most effective weapon for this situation and very gently began to tickle her soft sole.
The reaction was immediate and ridiculously cute. Her leg twitched, then squirmed out of the way as from somewhere above his head came a series of unintelligible, very grumpy sounding mumbles that abated into a tiny, rapturing snore. No doubt he now had a few vicious curses weighing on his soul now, cast by whatever sinister sorceress she was in her dreams…
He turned his head to look up, amused at the nightly travels this princess carried out… and found himself face to 'face' with two beautifully rounded, ivory globes…
Link basically jumped from lying down to perfectly upright at the foot of the bed with unheard of speed, startled to his very core. A perplexed and delighted shout of a laugh escaped him before he clapped his hands over his mouth. Poising in complete motionlessness, he stared at his blonde angel in all her… bareness… Thankfully, his brief burst of giggling hadn't even caused the merest twitch in her log-like slumber…
But why was she…
Link looked down on himself… Oh, yeah… another little chuckle escaped his lips as he gazed at both of them in all their natural glory. Indeed, they both had been teetering on the edge of complete oblivion yesterday…
His eyes trailed over the magnificent form in front of him, so enticingly close, so painfully out of reach. The elegant line from her neck to her shoulder… Her slim but still seductive waist… which led to her undoubtedly luscious, firm rear… and her long, shapely legs… He could only see her from the back, but it was more than enough to send his brain into all kinds of conditions… and not only his brain…
The temptation to softly sidle up against her, feel her tender skin on his, slowly wake her with kiss after kiss became nearly irresistible. Some of his organs that occasionally usurped rational thought practically demanded he do it… But his actual reason dictated a no.
Twice now he had endangered her slumber, but it had remained unimpressed… It was obvious she needed a little more… No wonder after yesterday's madness!
With great effort he turned around, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, thought even better of it, turned back and very tenderly put the blanket over her. He couldn't just leave her so exposed, could he? In no small part because it might actually drive him mad… Despite his best intentions he couldn't resist giving her the tiniest kiss on the very tip of her long ear. Her shoulders squirmed a bit at the little tickle, but an adorable smile grew on her face for a few seconds before she sunk back into deeper strata of slumber.
Now he finally turned away, stepped over to the large balcony-like window and attempted to calm his raging hormones.
The view was magnificent! Two hundred metres above ground, a verdant see of trees below, gently waving in the wind and finally crashing against the sheer cliffs of the far mountains. The last remnants of morning mist in the air playfully wove the sunlight into a faint rainbow that seemed to span the entire plain… The September sun was still hot on his skin, while the constant lofty breeze was pleasantly cool… not long now and autumn would start its conquest of the world in earnest.
A Rito flew past quite closely by the window he was standing at… still quite nude… His hands automatically twitched to cover himself, but the big bird was already out of his vision again… Link chuckled and shook his head... admittedly, he hadn't considered that, even though from this vantage point there was no other nest visible, for one of the winged people everything was in sight. He had to imagine one of them, just merrily flying by, probably gawking at the strange guests, and suddenly be viciously and mercilessly assaulted by utter nudity… He had to stifle a laugh as he could almost hear the startled squawk and hysterical fluttering…
Stepping back into the relative gloom of the round bedchamber he decided that, maybe, it would be best if he got dressed… Think of the children!
A glance at the bed revealed that Zelda was still lost in the arms of Morpheus, but had once again tossed herself around and was now facing him, her long hair almost covering her entire face. Goddess, how he wished she would finally wake up, just so he could talk to her again… celebrate this glorious day by simply being together…
Link gazed around the quite large room, trying to find something to distract himself with. He actually really liked the Rito architecture, he had to admit. The spherical nests that were high enough for three levels provided an interesting sense of space. He suspected the lower floor was just for storage, the large middle level had the fireplace, bed and other furniture and a ladder led up to a circular upper floor, the hole in the middle to allow the smoke to leave through the ceiling, naturally.
There were windows everywhere some small, others, like the one he had just exposed himself through, were even Goron-sized. Most of them were currently shut... He went on a quest to open them all, just out of interest… As he thought… With an impressed smile he looked around once again. Now the whole living area truly made the impression of a platform magically hovering in the air as he could look outside every which way seeing nothing but lofty heights. A magnificent view… although you certainly couldn't be acrophobic, or else this would be hell…
A soft, almost hesitant knock threw him out of his reverie. His hand twitched to where his sword would normally be, before he, once again, remembered that he was just in his undies. Inwardly shaking his head at his jumpiness he hastened for the door… he hoped he wouldn't at some point turn out completely paranoid.
He opened the door and his heart made a leap of joy. Not because of the two young Rito girls that nervously stepped from foot to foot, but because of the tray one of them was holding. The thing was practically overflowing with fruit, fresh bread, butter, salt and other goodies that let Link's mouth salivate.
The girls' eyes turned wide, they looked just about ready to flee. He must have made quite a picture, standing there in just his trunks, predatory look in his eyes, slobbering like a Hinox.
"Err… sorry… I only realized just how hungry I am…" he mumbled, feeling his face turn quite warm.
Luckily, the girls started giggling instead of panicky escaping. "Here you are, sir! We hope it's to your liking!" she squeaked most adorably as she handed her tray over to his hands trembling in anticipation.
"Thank you. It looks magnificent!" he slavered, his stomach painfully jumping up and down, almost as if it meant to just climb up and do the eating itself to save time.
The little Ritos laughed with honest glee and squirmed around with slightly coy coquettishness. He got the feeling that something burned on their beaks.
"S-Sir? Can I ask you something?" the one who hadn't been holding the tray finally had the courage to twitter.
"Please, just call me Link!" he immediately asked. Being called 'Sir' made his skin crawl. The two chicks glanced at each other and giggled sheepishly, which made him smirk.
"I-Is it true? That you freed the dragon?" she peeped, eyes wide in anticipation.
"Well… it's a bit complicated, but yes, I suppose it is…" he replied, still a bit unsure himself.
"And that Veneli helped you save his dad?" the other chimed in, to which the first kid immediately scoffed. "Veneli said so… He is such a dork! It can't be true, can it? He's just making stuff up!" And still, there was this slight hope in her voice that it might actually be the truth.
"It sure is!" Link replied with a sly grin. "We couldn't have done it without him!"
"Seriously?!" both screeched in unison. The glanced at each other again, giggled very girlishly, then fluttered off as one, yelling "Bye mister Link!" over their shoulders.
With a eyebrow-raised smirk he suspected he had a pretty good idea what those two actually were interested in…
However… No more distractions! Culinary emergency!
Closing the door with his foot he basically ran back into the main room and placed the tray on the table.
For about .5 of a nanosecond he wondered whether now he should wake his princess… but another, closer look at the feast in front of him told him just how much she probably needed a few more minutes of sleep.
His hands trembling in anticipation he tore off a large chunk of bread. There were nuts in it! His love for the Rito suddenly knew no bounds!
His first bite was just on the way to his mouth when…
"Mwuhmmm… 's tha' food?" his favourite royal pronounced with all the refined elocution of an Octorok.
Farore's mercy! What have I done to deserve such cruel torment?!
Despite the delicious smelling bread almost touching his lips, he put it down again through sheer force of will… and his stomach gave a roar of fury.
"Oh now you wake up! When I have food! Not when I give you a kiss, though… Only for a meal!" he grumbled in mock anger as he swallowed whole boat-loads of spit.
"Important things are important… others aren't." she countered, wholly unmoved by his words. She rolled herself closer to the edge of the bed, still locked in that delightful state where she was still too drowsy to care about noble poise. She was just about to stand up when, at last, she realized something felt a tad odd… and that it might be a bad idea to just peel out of the sheets.
Link had to suppress an impish giggle as he could see the half-slumbering gears in her head sluggishly begin to turn. He could also pinpoint the exact moment when everything clicked into place.
"Errmmm…" she errmm-ed, sitting up, still tightly wrapped up in blanket, gazing around.
Link watched her every move with decidedly malicious glee. "Could it be that you have a conundrum, dear Zelda?" he asked sweetly and, just as her gaze returned to him, finally bit into his buttered bread with delicious slowness.
Her face turned impressively sour. "I seem to have a certain deficiency in vestment, as I am positive you are aware…" she growled, still trying to scan the room for any trace of her clothes.
"My, my… and with all the windows so widely open! How absolutely uncouth of you, princess…" He took another large bite from the truly magnificent bread, sighed and smacked in obvious ecstasy. "An' wif food so close too! 's a shame!" he pronounced with his mouth dangerously full.
Her mouth made subconscious chewing motions as her eyes were at rapt attention on his lips. "Link… please! I… I'm naked!" she whispered with almost heartrending desperation… almost…
"So? If you want some of it before I eat it all up, go ahead and stand up! I believe, I've seen it all before…" he replied, letting pure nastiness flow through him… And, naturally, it didn't mean he wouldn't be delighted to see it all again!
Zelda's expression turned as murderous as her skin turned red… he was surprised he didn't immediately turn into a jet of flame. With admirably regal composure and posture she ascended, the blanket wound tightly around her shoulders, yet leaving an exhilarating amount of legs uncovered.
For the second time today he felt his blood rush through his veins as she elegantly strode over, her eyes hard, her lips so tightly pressed together they were nearly white. He was not a 100% sure whether he hadn't gone too far and genuinely upset her… he liked living on the edge…
As gracefully as if she were wearing a perfect ball gown, she sat down beside him, her eyes beginning to sparkle as she saw all the little culinary jewels in front of her.
"Fiend!" she spat at him with the most lovely pout. "I can't even eat like this!" Her hands were indeed busy with keeping herself covered… though it wouldn't be unmanageable… "You can start making your impudence up to me by feeding me! Quickly!" she snapped. He could hear her tummy growling even through the thick fabric…
With an enraptured giggle, and shedding all pretence of aloofness, he jumped to his new task with absolute enthusiasm. Grinning like a complete fool, he slathered butter on a generous piece of bread, sprinkled salt on it and reached it over to Zelda's mouth, which was already forming a playful smirk, despite her best efforts to appear inexorable. Her obvious delight at devouring the little morsel proffered by his hand filled his heart with sparkling glee.
A soft, long sigh of contentment escaped her luscious lips after the piece of bread had completely disappeared in surprising speed. He felt he had to be thankful he hadn't lost a finger to her voracious appetite.
"Hhhhmmm… very well. You may yet live to see another day…" she pronounced with great mercy. She shifted a tiny bit on her chair, which had the enchanting side effect of the blanket slipping just the tiniest bit over her shoulder. Link's insides turned rather butterfly-infested and he swallowed as his mouth suddenly appeared dry. The strangely delayed realization that, one arm-reach away, he had a very attractive and, indeed, very very naked Zelda beside him. The little shimmer of skin on her shoulder aroused certain appetites that dwarfed even those for food… and that was not an easy accomplishment.
Judging by the blonde minx' smug grin, she had a pretty good idea of what he was thinking… and why he suddenly seemed to shift around rather uncomfortably.
"Is something the matter?" she asked with the perfect innocence of an angel. He had the sneaking suspicion that the accidental, revealing slipping of fabric had not been quite as accidental as initially assumed… How amazingly demonic! Apparently she enjoyed seeing him in this predicament! …as he had enjoyed hers, his second thoughts added justifiably.
"Oh, you know… sometimes the tension just overwhelms me. An old ailment... that you seem to cause quite regularly." he replied, with an honourable attempt to keep his voice completely steady as he resisted the urge to squirm his lower body away from direct attention.
"Am I to understand that I am the reason for all your ills?" she countered and, with admirable self-control, kept her gaze steady at his face… not that she needed a closer look to know what was going on.
"Certainly the ones most discomforting. Quite frankly, you should be ashamed." he replied, a wide smile on his lips despite all adversities. Goddess, how he had missed this! Their little bouts of wit were without a doubt in his mind the… second most fun thing he knew. And lately, there had been so little time to just let it flow… so little time for it all to happen naturally, without constant worry for every lost second… For the first time in weeks… their minds were free…
They stared at each other, each enjoying the other's attempt to keep mischievous smiles from flashing on their lips.
"Very well…" Zelda finally said and re-concealed her beautiful shoulder with a casual motion. "I shall torment you no longer then. I will not be responsible for your pudendal intumescence from this day forth."
He knew he had lost… He could see in her eyes that she knew that he'd lost… Only one thing to do, then: Receiving the consolation prize!
Slowly, to let everything find its place indolently, he arose and walked over to her with a slightly bashful smirk. During their almost saucy conversation a fetching shimmer of red had appeared on her cheeks… Her crystal clear, sky-blue eyes followed his every move, looking both nervous and longing… Goddess above, but she was beautiful…
Link bent over so he was on one lever with her. Exceedingly gently, he took her face between his hands, the feeling of her skin alone sending pure pleasure through his brain. Without a moment of hesitation, heart hammering in his chest, he pressed his lips against hers. Zelda answered his call, kissing him back with heated ferocity. He knew she couldn't use her arms right now, as the blanket would slip… She used her feet, encompassing his legs, letting her calves brush against his, pulling him even closer. Those tiny, adorable squeaks in her throat were back… If he wasn't careful, he would devour her right then and there…
After an all too short eternity he retreated just a little, just enough so he could speak with their noses still touching.
"What is a little torment… against being with you?"
He had just enough time to see the eternal light in her eyes sparkle to new heights before she smashed her searching mouth against his again…
With sudden bafflement, and a distinct jerk in his loins, he felt her arms firmly embrace his head, as if holding on for dear life. He pulled her up so they both were standing… felt the soft skin of her chest against his as she pressed herself against him…
Within a second their already fierce kiss turned a lot more urgent, more hungry, lost all of its innocence. His hands travelled down her shoulders, delighted in their gentle shiver his contact elicited. Ever further down he travelled, his plan to remove the pesky blanket that was still wedged between their lower bodies, denying him access to all the marvellous rest. He wanted it all!
His fingers found the hem, dug a little deeper on the inside so they reached her hip. The little noises from her mouth got even higher, more thronging.
He gripped the fabric, ready to tear it off!
Knocking on the door…
Both exploded away from each other, startled, though in a heroic reflex action he raised the blanket back up instead of removing it, covering her once again.
Utterly out of breath, they stared at each other for a second, confusion about being interrupted slowly turning to mild anger. Each saw it all too clearly in the glazed, hungry eyes of their opposite: "What utter, degenerate demon would interrupt them NOW?!"
"My lady? Sir? Are you decent?" a young Rito-woman's voice sounded muffled through the door.
Both gazed at the door, then back at each other. Link looked down at them both, his hands on the thin fabric the only thing that safeguarded Zelda's honour. He looked back up with an exceedingly doubtful expression, making a very flushed princess giggle very un-princesslike.
"Hardly?" he shouted back, not bother to hide a certain irritation from his tone, making her laugh even harder.
"Uhm…" the girl uhm-ed, obviously taken a little bit aback. "I… was asked to see, whether you would had recovered and… if you now wished to meet the High Chieftain and… but I can come back later…" She had that certain hopeful tone of voice that you couldn't really be mad at.
Link sighed, gazing deeply into his beloved's eyes… the regret in them was almost palpable, but it also meant that she had already decided to postpone the thing they were so close to finally accomplishing again.
"You know… people with more sense than us would politely, yet firmly, ask her to flutter where there grew no feathers…" he moaned, silently enough.
"People with more sense wouldn't even be on a quest such as ours…" she replied dryly.
"We could refuse… I could name a few favours they owe us…" he muttered, stalling for time, mainly so he could keep holding her in his arms.
"We could and they'd have to accept it… but it would be rude… and we have just earned their friendship. Let's not strain it already, hm?" she suggested, though he could sense just how much her own diplomacy-mode annoyed her currently.
With a final deep look into each other's eyes they tried, and mostly failed, to curb their raging hormones. Still, they separated, though not before she tormented him a tiny bit more by leaning in to kiss his earlobe and, almost inaudibly, whisper "Later!".
She turned quickly, whipping her silky hair against his body and face… granting him yet another whiff of her intoxicating scent… By the goddess… she knew how to play him like a fiddle… And he enjoyed it more than was probably healthy.
Taking a deep breath to finally get all decidedly naughty thoughts from his glowing mind, he averted his gaze from her. A sudden realization flashed through his brain, which he acknowledged with a click of his tongue. He had opened every single shutter of every single window before his little blonde demon-angel had awoken, opening the entire room to the world outside… Well… he certainly hadn't closed any of them ere their hanky-panky had started… As much as he unjustly hated the Rito woman at their door right now, he had to admit it was probably a good thing she had interrupted them when she did.
"We'll be out in five minutes!" he yelled, morosely starting to get dressed.
Zelda
'Five Minutes!' her inner self grumbled. Only a boy could possibly think that a girl could get presentable in five minutes! Thankfully she was in the surprisingly liberating position of simply not having much of anything to perform cosmetics… But at least her hair shouldn't be jutting off at all angles, ready to stab someone!
Link, this complete, adorable fool, had watched her the entire time as she brushed it with that dumb grin of his that made the butterflies in her belly dance. Also, he had continued to occasionally provide her with a piece of fruit she could nibble from his fingers, much to both her stomach's and her soul's delight. Naturally she had remained scantily clothed as long as possible… Had to keep him interested, didn't she? Also, it would be unfair if only she felt… hot.
So, finally after ten minutes they emerged presentably and were greeted by a slightly flustered young Rito woman with orange plumage. She could be 16 or 30, it was hard to tell with the bird people… though her nervously excited demeanour made it rather obvious that she was closer to the former.
"There you are, erm… I mean, err, thank you for coming! Really, there is no rush, I mean it! It's just, Commander Tamali wanted to make sure you were alright and I fear he might worry if I take too long to report and…" she babbled without surfacing for air.
"Easy. He saw us when we arrived, he knows we aren't gravely injured. Feel free to start breathing again whenever you like!" Link chuckled and the girl gasped a little giggle of relief. "Besides… it's not like you disturbed us during anything important…" You had to know him well to be able to tell that his pleasant smile was a cleverly disguised dirty smirk. Zelda knew he was joking of course… still, some of her inner thoughts played with the idea of shoving him off the walkway.
"Sorry… right! Let me start again. I'm Puee, the high Chieftain would like your company at your earliest convenience, but stresses that he understands, if you need more rest. If you would like to meet him now, I would be happy to guide you to the grand nest."
Zelda gazed at Link, saw his rather perplexed expression and had to suppress a chuckle. The suddenly very stilted, 'political-guest-talk' had apparently taken her poor country knight aback. Just this once, she jumped in to save him.
"We would be honoured to meet him now. Lead on!" she told her, her regal-friendly voice somewhat disturbed by the strain of not breaking down laughing.
The young woman nodded and led the way back down towards the gargantuan trunk of the Deku Tree. Both Link and Zelda took little time to be completely exulted by the sight of the village. Up till now they had only seen it at night or from very far away… Every one of the spherical nests had a different colour, making the whole town look like a sparkling toy box that would conjure a smile on every child in the world. The purposefully rickety and contorted looking wooden gangways too were a lot more interesting than they had seemed in the dark. There was hardly a piece of timber that wasn't artfully carved into some shape or form… it appeared as if every homeowner here took pride in decorating the metres of walkway in front of his or her nest… At one point they actually saw a Rito-father teach his son how to use rasp and file to create smooth form out of simple wood. When the boy spotted them, his eye got wide and he whispered something to his guardian, who nodded and smiled. The starry-eyed look of adulation the child then showed warmed her heart more than she wanted to admit.
The two heroes couldn't stop marvelling at the village, constantly orbited by dozens of Rito, ascending and landing incessantly, their magnificent plumage a smaller reflection of their beautiful nests… The many branches of the Tree, thick and thin, added extra contrast to the whole image of the unique cityscape, so tightly clutching onto the four mighty limbs of wood. Even the nerve-wracking crossing between those naturally formed 'alleyways' was filled with enjoyment for her as there was so much to look at, she completely forgot to look down. Link, naturally, annoyingly, danced over the swinging bridge as if it were second nature…
Their guide took a while to thaw, but her curious questions and his knight's talkative, easygoing way quickly opened her up. She spoke vividly of how, in a single night, she had felt the mood in town change, how forced grins had turned to relieved smiles, how normally feuding people had greeted each other again, how even her cranky grandmother had taken a few steps out of the nest… She pointed at the particularly involved squiggles she had painted on the outer wall of her home when they passed it incidentally. She told them fervently how dreadfully boring this village could be and how she was absolutely convinced she was old enough to finally fly out into the world, even if her parents thought otherwise.
Zelda could feel the girl's excitement at being able to speak so freely to them, who she more than once called 'the heroes'… It amused her how, within a day, the inhabitant's disposition had changed from complete, fearful mistrust to a whole new spectrum between neutral curiosity and the occasional peak of awe. How malleable, how fragile people's minds were… Now it would be on them to firmly cement the fickle favour in the Ritos' hearts and turn it into genuine trust. The more she thought about it, the more she wondered whether their real task was less the awakening of dragons and more the unification of Hyrule's often disagreeing or even feuding peoples under a common cause…
"What are you thinking about?" Link's gentle voice softly pulled her from her pondering. She hadn't even realized that she had stopped walking during her musings, looking dreamily at the High Chieftain's home…
She replied to his smile with her own. "I'll tell you later…"
He nodded, took her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers and leading her further. For a brief, stupid moment her heart jumped, old reflexes telling her that such a show of affection were an absolute impossibility for a princess… especially with someone alien to court…
'Idiot!' she chided herself. 'You're not in your cage now! Enjoy it! Show the world that this boy is yours and that no-one gets to touch him! …At least those parts that didn't live it the abhorred corset of court ceremonial…' Her thoughts conjured a silly little grin on her lips. Her hand squeezed his a little tighter… Mine! Mine alone!
They reached the palatial nest which, bathed in sunlight, really did look quite resplendent. Four perfectly white spheres forming a sort-of circle, all loosely connected by more walkways or bridges, with a smaller, fifth one a little higher on the trunk… Almost like its own compact district within the larger village… The two banners that hung from the front nest, which served as entrance and 'throne room', looked truly magnificent at day. The many coloured feathers of all inhabitants shimmered in the light and gently danced in the breeze, depicting one, close-knit community.
It all had seemed foreboding, forbidding even, when they were first lead here… Today it appeared welcoming and warm… and it had very little to do with the time of day…
Once again they were bidden to wait in the sitting room before the actual throne room as Puee vanished further in. Like before, both teens stood or sat around, quite unsure what to do while waiting… though now fretting nervousness was replaced with curious anticipation.
"So… how clearly shall we communicate a certain level of 'Told-you-so' to the old owl?" Link suddenly whispered into her ear.
She couldn't suppress a certain gloating smirk as she continued to inspect a wooden sculpture of a swooping hawk she hadn't even noticed last time. "If you manage to do so without seeming like a juvenile jackass, be my guest!" she answered. Then, her grin turning quite impish, she couldn't resist adding "On second thought… better you refrain from speaking under these conditions…"
"Why you little…" he growled and poked two pointed fingers into her sides, just where he knew it had the most effect. She squeaked dreadfully loudly before she could clasp her hand over her mouth. "Stop that!" she hissed, gazing around and listening for anyone running towards them.
"I'm sorry, but as I am a mere juvenile jackass, I simply don't have the capacity of resisting something that makes such a beautiful sound!" he cooed with that adorable, stupid grin of his. For a second she was very close to poking a spot of his anatomy that might make him squeak just as exquisitely. He was, thankfully, saved by the loud crash of a door in the large room ahead.
A few hustling footsteps later Veneli slid around the corner into their view, eyes wide with excitement.
"Finally! What were you two doing all this time?!" he squawked, practically bouncing up and down, all pretence at noble adulthood gone for the moment.
Link and Zelda shared a very brief glance, both their lips curling into a slightly sheepish smile as they thought of the thing they hadn't been able to do.
"What's so funny? Come on! Everyone's waiting!" the boy twittered, grinning as he darted forward, took both their hands and pulled them away.
They allowed themselves to be yanked through the empty throne room and further back, across what looked like a beautifully kept courtyard full of raised beds of flowers, vegetables and fruit.
"Easy there, feathers!" Link chuckled as the boy seemed to get increasingly antsy the closer they got to the nest directly adjacent to the Tree's trunk, the largest of them all.
"I just want to know already!" he moaned as he ripped the door open.
"Hm…" her protector hummed with a pose of theatrical pondering. "I wonder if we shouldn't suggest that you be removed from the chamber until we're done recounting what happened… It really isn't a story a kid should hear… What do you think, Zelda?"
"Quite." she nodded earnestly as she gazed into the wide eyes of the young Rito. "Maybe in a few years you'll be ready to stomach it…"
Poor Veneli stared at them both, his gaze twitching back and forth until neither Link nor she could hold back her laughter any more. The teased lad's feathers puffed up in implacable, youthful indignation. "That was so mean! You are… I should've… Bah!" he stomped his foot, caught between exasperation and approaching giggling fit. "What did you really fight in the Ancient Guardian?! The true evil seems to be standing right here!"
"Well, we're certainly not telling you!" Link stated with the most gentle, cruel smile she had ever seen.
Before Veneli could retort, however, a silvery white figure appeared in the already opened doorway, gazing at the three of them with amused interest. "I'm afraid I must ask you to stop teasing my son…" he pronounced, a smirk playing around his beak. "Do you have any idea how hard it was to get him to sleep yesterday? I feel he will simply explode if he has to wait any longer!"
Both of the questionable heroes looked at the tall warrior with a slightly sheepish expression, but he didn't torment them for long. "Come in! I thought inviting you to my home would be more appropriate than a plump audience, considering…" he explained as he led them further in. The main room was like a larger version of the guest house they currently inhabited. In here the Rito wood-working skills truly shined. It was unpretentious, yet of incredibly high standard, as far as she could tell… Floor, gallery, balustrade, furniture… there was not a single nail in sight, it all looked so pristine, so seamless, as if it had grown from nature itself. With a strange twitch in her mind she realized she had, not long ago, actually seen furnishings that had been grown… and, weirdly, they had looked less smooth, less complete. In the middle, as per usual for Rito architecture, was the large hearth, currently unlit as enough light filtered in form the many windows all around. Zelda couldn't help but grin, her mouth slightly open… She adored the bird-people's way of living, so open… so free… endless vastness all around…
Link too marvelled at the large chamber, probably more at the pure craftsmanship than the clever way it played with the natural sunlight… She could always count on his interest when there was some handicraft to explore or something to tinker with.
"I'll go help grandpa!" Veneli yelled, already storming off into another room.
Tamali went over to a small table where a tray with two fine silver cups had been prepared ahead of time. Zelda noticed with increasing sympathy that, even though this man was the de facto leader of all Rito warriors, he was not above serving drinks himself… It was a kind of simplicity that, to her, seemed so much nobler than the infinitely factitious demeanour at the Hyrule court.
Link quickly went over to accept the two cups with a word of thanks, handing one to her. Good manners, too, were a painful rarity among hylian nobility, she reflected, awarding her gallant a proud smile.
"I apologize, I fear I am a rather poor host… My wife and I had decided to let you sleep for as long as you wished, undisturbed… It appears my dear son, however, had sparks on his feathers and asked Puee to come get you… claiming to have my authority, no less… That is why we were a tad surprised when the girl announced that you were standing at the door…" He sighed with the expression fathers struggling with their offspring had everywhere around the world. Zelda was currently struggling with the news that it was that insolent brat that had single-handedly cost Link and her their… moment… and judging by her knights suddenly forced grin he was planning to award their dear friend with a resounding knock on the head.
"I hope you don't hold it against him… He's at that age…" Tamali asked cautiously, misunderstanding both their slightly pained countenance… Hopefully he misunderstood, Zelda thought, turning red just a bit.
"It's quite alright!" she replied
"I already noticed yesterday how he was positively vibrating with curiosity!" Link added, both rallying. Their host seemed somewhat relieved.
The door through which the boy had vanished reopened and a stunningly beautiful Rito woman emerged, her feathers a strong pink and incredibly smooth. Behind her High Chieftain Komali lumbered through, closely followed by the little delinquent.
The woman wasted no time when she spotted them and strode over purposefully… For a brief instant Zelda was unsure what she was about to do, then she spotted the wet shimmer in her eyes. In a very un-Rito-like gesture she spread her wings and hugged both perplexed, blonde teens firmly to her chest before they could utter even a squeak.
"Veneli told me… what you did…" she spoke in a soft, hushed tone as she squeezed them even harder. She released them a second after but left her hands on Link and Zelda's shoulder. Both of them must have looked quite baffled, as the obviously moved hen gave a slight chuckle. "Pardon me… Unexpected from a Rito, I know, especially one you've never met…"
Indeed, what might be a perfectly normal, enthusiastic show of gratitude for a Hylian, or more devastatingly, a Goron, was a quite unusual display of emotion from a proud member of the warriors of the winds.
"Well, as you have now been rather exceptionally introduced to my wife, Saki, I think it is time we stopped standing around, shuffling our feet." Tamali suggested with a low laugh, eyebrow raised.
"Not quite…" Komali's bass resounded through the room and everyone shot him a surprised look. The large bird's dark yellow eyes gave nothing away as he slowly approached and just like before, she had trouble reading him.
"Father, I would…" the younger warrior began but was cut short by a commandingly raised wing.
"No, you would not. It should not fall to the children to excuse the failings of the old. Before we can truly welcome our guests, this old fool needs to atone." he rumbled, then set his gaze back at the two heroes, his expression now mellowed and mournful. Beside her, she could hear Link exhale a silent breath of sudden tension dispelled. "This is a good day… a day of triumph… a day of relief for our people… and I do not remember when last we had one of those… I will not have it soured by my not addressing my shortcomings."
"High Chieftain, we do not-"
"My lord, there is no-" they both spoke at once, but were silenced by him once again raising his huge wing.
"I know what you would say… ones so young… and so pure… are quick to forgive, maybe to a fault… But I am old, my ways rigid… Proper apologies must be offered." He took a hesitant step forward, glanced at both of them briefly, a slight quiver to his beak… Zelda's heart went out to this poor, aged warrior, felt the shame gnaw at his soul, saw it reflected in his suddenly so very vulnerable eyes…
He bowed so deeply that instinctively Link's hand shot forward to catch him, but he stopped himself just in time. "As both High Chieftain and simple warrior of the winds, I, Komali, beg for your forgiveness. The men and women in my care attacked you unjustly and I failed to stop them. When you were brought before me, I treated you as my enemy… even though, in my heart, I knew you were not. And yet my cowardice forbade me from listening to my instinct, as I should have." The deep sorrow and regret in his voice made Zelda's eyes burn with compassion. She gazed at her beloved, who looked himself wrought up with startled empathy, his hand still hovering over the large owl's shoulder, twitching to lend supportive strength. His eyes found hers, both commiseration and a strange sort of rue mirrored in their sad glow. They both didn't want this… Link least of all! She knew he remembered well just how angry he'd been, all the hateful things he had said because of his own guilt with what had nearly happened… because of the dark thoughts that had plagued him… She could see in those beautiful eyes of his that, in truth, he felt like he should apologize himself…
Both of them felt their very core ripple at the sombre display… An old, innocent man, whose only failing was that the heavy responsibility and fear for his people had clouded his judgement, being so desolate, feeling he so desperately ask for forgiveness…
"Then... when, after our first encounter… it was brought to me that you had vanished… and…" His voice failed him, but he rallied quickly. "And with you… my grandson…"
Zelda's gut turned cold and she gasped in shock. Farore's mercy… she hadn't even considered how their sudden disappearance must have looked to the already distraught tribe-father…
"When I heard… when I feared that I might have failed to protect even my dear Veneli, I… such a stark, cold hatred burned within me and… without thinking I… I ordered my warriors to… to…"
She could see Tamali reaching out his hand to comfort his father but it was Link's that gripped the old owl's shoulder in understanding firmness. Her knight's eyes were wide but sympathetic, dry but deeply moved… It was a simple gesture, but one that said everything.
"High Chieftain, there is nothing else that needs to be said. What else were you to think? Sadly, we had no other option than to accept Veneli's help in fleeing, as time wasn't on our side… and I have to admit that in my focus to drive out the evil within the Tree, I did not think how the three of us gone must have looked…" Link spoke slowly, carefully. Zelda's soul thrummed with his own sorrow for what they had caused, even if it turned out to lead to good. He swallowed as the aged leader stood back up straight, surprise in his eyes. "I, too, have to ask for your forgiveness… for making you fear that you had lost everything…" He didn't bow… yet the tone of his voice left no question about his sincerity.
They gazed at each other for a long time… Link had to reach quite high for his hand to remain on the other's shoulder. Slowly, Komali rested his large, winged hand on the youth's arm…
Zelda felt a smile curl on her lips… a silent one, filled with a sad kind of joy. Two warriors, one young and full of vigour, the other old and tired with experience… not even of the same race, and only barely emerged from a senseless enmity caused by a Threat whose true evil lay in spreading fear and hate… and still, despite all that separated them, there was an understanding in their sombre expressions that transcended simple words.
The old leader's gaze lowered. He shook his head and snorted a humourless laugh. "Imagine my shame, my utter disgrace at seeing my grandson emerge from the Ancient Guardian with my son... unharmed… finally telling me that it was you that not only saved him, but enabled his father's rescue…" he rumbled, his spirit bent under his heavy guilt… Zelda could not overstate her respect for him. At court, the people she trusted to admit a mistake, let alone genuinely ask forgiveness for a possibly grave error of judgement, she could count on one hand… What an amazing leader he must have been in his prime…
Thankfully, her valiant knight intervened before he could sink further into despair. "High Chieftain Komali, listen to me! You have more than adequately explained. And even though I do not consider yours a fault that requires such strong words as 'disgrace', I will not insult you by saying something mindless and shallow. So, my lord, with all my heart, I accept your apology, fully and without restrictions." His words might border on pompous, but with eyes as earnest and honest as Link's, even the corny could sound elevating.
She stepped to her beloved's side and took his hand in hers. "As do I!" she assured. His sincere gaze fell on her, making her shiver just slightly… She adored this look on him, so much strength and yet so much kindness… "We may indeed both be quick to forgive, my lord, but do not let that subtract from our candour. Let us consider this matter settled, all shadows driven out from between us… and let us enjoy this day together." Her words were calm, but rife with conviction… and hope that it could come true.
Everyone looked tensely at High Chieftain Komali, the leader of the Rito in Hyrule, maybe even beyond, to make a response. All eyes, both the heroes and his family's, were resting on him, who has already laden all blame, all guilt on his own shoulders and had carried it with honour… Now the choice was his…
After what felt like eternity, the slightly unnerving stare from dark yellow irises mellowed and a warm smile slowly found its way onto the big owl's features… so timidly and hesitantly as if it had been a dreadfully long time since he'd had reason to genuinely show it to the world.
"I think truer words have ne'er been spoken…" he rumbled, relief shining from his eyes. He set them upon Zelda, who felt joy fizzing up from her stomach. "News had reached my ears about the princess of Hyrule, fair as her matron deity Nayru…" She felt her cheeks redden at the unexpected praise. "It appears you have also been kissed by her wisdom…"
Then his gaze came to rest upon Link once more, a hint of respect sparking in it. "And I see Farore's kindness in this young man… You could not have chosen better, my lady."
When before her cheeks had been warm, now they could ignite a wildfire. The two teens keenly tried to avoid each other's eyes, though she could see out of the corner of her eyes that her chosen had assumed a lovely shade of crimson.
The old owl laughed a good, hearty laugh that seemed to vibrate the whole house and infected all with glee. "Children, despite all! You give this ancient rooster hope for the future!" he chuckled enigmatically. "Now I shall make way for you young ones to talk among yourselves. This crinkle-feathered old poultry has wasted enough time already! I will take care of preparations, son! This, at least, I should still be able to oversee without catastrophe! I am sure my grandson will later recount everything in great detail!" and with a low giggle, and a very un-Rito-like ruffling of both hylians' hair, he strode from the room, his gait suddenly 20 years younger.
The two young heroes looked after him, then at each other, feeling strangely elated.
"It has been a long time since I have seen my father this joyful…" Tamali muttered, pride in his gaze. "He feels the strength of his mind wane as the darkness waxes… It has been his greatest sorrow of late…" A small sigh escaped him. "I feel you have lifted a tremendous weight from his shoulders, even though I don't quite know how…"
"What did he mean by 'preparations'?" Link asked, ever quick to notice details.
"It will all be explained later." The silver-feathered Rito replied mysteriously. "Now, judging by the way my dear son is fidgeting, I believe we have about 10 seconds before he goes the way of the bomb-flower!"
"I am NOT fidgeting!" Veneli yelled, ceasing his fidgeting. Thankfully he was a good enough sport to join the laughter he had caused.
With the tense atmosphere somewhat eased through the boy's unwitting joke they sat down at last. As was Rito style they all took one of the thick, vibrantly coloured pillows that lay about and huddled together. Zelda had to smile when Link went a little out of his way to choose a bright green one… then raised an eyebrow when she realized she had subconsciously gravitated towards one of the colour blue. Poor Veneli still stood when all others already sat, gazing around undecidedly with his cushion in hand… A lad on the cusp of puberty, torn between the childlike desire to sit with his parents and the growing wish to be grouped with other adults… She was hesitant whether she should say anything, but thankfully her own sweetheart, experienced due to siblings and probably having lived through that phase himself, offered him a place to his right. A good choice, as it turned out, for Veneli's resulting happy grin was quite contagious.
Saki turned out to be an amazing host. She produced multiple little bowls of nuts, berries and tiny little pieces of bread, baked to a pleasing crispness and Zelda didn't even catch where she had gotten them from. Well versed in Rito custom thanks to many tutors drilling it into her brain, she refilled their hosts' cups to full, then waited for Tamali to fill theirs. Link shot her a thankful glance… Judging by his almost frightened expression, it seemed that Meera, his mother, had been similarly strict in instilling respect for etiquette… but it wasn't really surprising that his brain had thrown out such pointless information as 'Poultry-Table-Manners' in a display of good mental hygiene. With a suppressed chuckle his way, she had to draw the comparison between him guiding her through dark, perilous dungeons while she reciprocated by protecting him through state banquets. Hard to tell which was more fraught with danger…
She took a piece of the proffered bread-cookie to show that they had settled down sufficiently to begin discourse, and Link followed suit. The crispy things were quite delicious, salty and with a slight taste of garlic. She had to stop herself from making a very un-regal display of grabbing a handful and shoving them into her mouth… The breakfast, while marvellous, had been cut dreadfully short as sudden canoodling had overpowered ordinary hunger…
"Now…" Saki began, brushing her fingers through her gorgeous pink feathers. "I fear that, even if my husband would like continue shifting attention towards his son, he too will have a severe case of the fidgets, if we don't dismiss all this pesky protocol soon… and so will I!"
Tamali gazed at his wife in a slightly pouty way hilariously similar to Veneli's own snoot. Then he chuckled, shrugged and the sparkly curiosity his eyes now showed admitted just how right she was.
"True enough… I could hardly sleep either… Please, enlighten us!" he asked, leaning forward, the respected warrior suddenly eager like a child.
And so they did, in tandem, recounting all from Link's vision through the Master Sword to their last, mournful farewell to the Deku Tree. They spoke without interruption, alternating whenever one of them had something to add, six eyes glued to their mouths in fascination. They detailed as much as they could about the Threat, deciding that not only were these people undoubtedly not on Its side, but also that the more good men and women knew about the encroaching darkness, the earlier everyone could start to resist… and the quicker the Queen of Light and her Protector's daunting quest would stop being so frighteningly lonely.
Link spoke at great length about how Veneli's trust essentially saved their mission twice, first to cross the great rift, then to escape their imprisonment. He had a respectful hand on the lad's shoulder when he explained how he stood up to his father, lost in diabolic mind control, described how his courage and power overcame the witch's fell magic. The usually quite loud boy had his head lowered. Zelda could feel the waves of both fiery pride and profound embarrassment radiating from him. It didn't help when Link, at last, proclaimed "This one is going to be a magnificent warrior, and quite soon…", fondly brushing over his head… the poor boy looked ready to sink into the ground while simultaneously deeply enjoying the older fighter's attention. She caught Saki's gaze and they both had to smirk knowingly. It seemed her dearest had won quite a staunch admirer…
They recounted what they had seen further into the Tree… Only Tamali had ever been allowed access and they could see by his horrified eyes how deeply disturbed he felt at their description of all the vile filth that had afflicted his Ancient Guardian. Link went into detail of the dangers they had encountered and how they beat him, not embellishing but also leaving almost nothing out… A clear case of harmless bravado, she thought, amused and thoroughly enjoying it, despite the still vivid memory of the terror she felt during it. Both roosters, young and old, were listening intently, gasping and cooing in perfect unison at just the right time. Another brief glance was shared between Saki and her, leading to another stifled giggle. Boys!
In the end, she finished the tale when she noticed her beloved's voice nearly cracking as it came to the Deku Tree's heroic rescue of her life… and His last minute on this earth. She, too, had to combat her tears…
There was a long silence after they had finished, filled to the brim with intense thought, wonder and grief.
"So the Ancient Guardian is no more…" Tamali stated at last, eyes downcast. "I thought I felt as much… as if His life passed when the dragon erupted from it."
"But you said there was a seedling, correct? A descendant?" Saki wanted to know, her wing around her husband.
The two heroes nodded glumly.
"Then it is natures way… Not even Komali remembers ever seeing a leaf on the Guardian's branches… It appears the time simply had come…" she muttered with brittle hope in her voice. "I am happy for you… and envious… that you got to speak to such a divine creature… and that you found closure…" Her words were kind, but they caused many a worry to resurface.
"There were so many questions we wanted to ask… so many answers that are now lost…" Link lamented. "About this magic we both seem to have… how we can learn to use it… What the Threat is… What our ultimate goal is, even…"
"Magic for the Rito is something innate but extremely individual… Nobody learns it the same way, nobody draws it from the same place…" Tamali explained thoughtfully. "Sometimes, due to life-changing events, one road to ones sorcery might forever close and another path needs to be found… One individual might approach his potential through pure instinct, banging his or her head until the way to success is stumbled over… Someone else will attempt through clever thought, self-control and smart exercises. I have not seen Hylians exhibit magical abilities, but I see no reason why it would be different for you." He looked at them, both fascinated by his explication. Then he shrugged. "As for the other things…"
"Well…" the pink feathered hen began, cocking her head. "It appears you two have been most resourceful and equally successful in your efforts, even without someone to guide you… and it appears your task is ordained by the Goddesses… I am sure that, if you were in need of it, the Ancient Guardian would have used his last minute to explain…"
Zelda looked at her Link, who despite her words had an unsatisfied and morose expression on his face. She understood him all too well… it was infuriating to have met a being who was present during the last cycle, if that's indeed what was happening, and still the answers they desperately sought had been denied to them. "More dumb luck, then…" he grumbled, scratching his chin unhappily.
"Now, after all the colossal adversities you already overcame, don't think of yourselves as just lucky! Or guided by divine providence, for that matter! You have earned every bit of your success!" the experienced said strictly.
"And besides…" Veneli suddenly piped up. "Based on what you told, the Guardian's sprout might have inherited his father's knowledge, right? So all you have to do is find him!" Both Zelda and Link felt a smile creep on their faces. There was a simple, childlike logic to his statement that was nevertheless absolutely true… and strangely heartening.
"Very good point!" her knight agreed, nodding appreciatively at the lad, who grinned in delight. "I wonder if our path will bring us mysteriously to the sprout's location, what do you think, du… Zelda?"
She had to smirk at his nearly using his favourite nickname for her, 'dumpling'. Hardly an appropriate titling for the next supreme ruler of Hyrule… She couldn't care less if she tried!
"I would not be surprised in the least…" she stated honestly, reaching for his hand and squeezed. Then felt her face turn quite hot when Saki shot her a wicked grin.
"Hmm… as we are here in the centre of Rito activity in these lands, we get a lot of news on all different kinds of events…" Tamali explained. "I will spread the word that I want tidings on newly grown forests in remote, hard to access locations… If I should hear of a promising spot, I will try to get the knowledge to you."
Both of them were momentarily speechless and gazed at the silver Rito with wide eyes. None of them had, up until now, truly realized just how valuable befriending the warriors of the skies truly was. They nearly stumbled over their own tongues, trying to thank the seasoned warchief for his help. He only chuckled.
"What, did you think we considered board and lodge adequate reward for saving my son and me, purging evil from our most holy sanctuary and preventing the possible doom of all Rito on the Guardian's branches?" He gave them a look as if he doubted their sanity. "There is very little politics here, my lady, sir knight. We try to keep life simpler. You have earned the firm friendship of my people and may count on our help… especially now that you have entrusted us with the knowledge of such grave danger… What manner of warriors would we be otherwise?" There was an iron determination both in his voice and his gaze… The same in his wife's steely glare and the curt nod she awarded Zelda's questioning look. A thousand rocks seemed to roll off her heart. Could it truly be this easy? She was used to difficile manoeuvring, constant power games and near daily treachery among the Hylian nobility, a terribly depressing gamble of fleeting alliances, false promises and the itching feeling in one's neck you got when a poisoned blade was hovering over it… She had very rarely been in the limelight of politics back in the Heartlands, given that the king, her o so benign father, hardly thought of her as capable to facilitate even the simplest of agreements… Yet, simply being in his retinue, feeling the hostile thoughts of those lusting for power, or the hungry leers of others, hoping for her hand in marriage, had been enough for a timid eight year old girl to have near constant nightly panic attacks.
And here? She knew the Rito were more tribal in nature, kept mostly to themselves and wanted very little part in the lives of other races. They were proud to a fault, quick to anger and slow to trust… But her heart told her unmistakably that, when Tamali uttered this straightforward pledge, there was no hint of wiles, no inkling of treachery in it. Nobody, not even Link, could possibly understand how immensely encouraging it made her feel… and why she went positively weepy with relief.
"Are… are you alright?" Veneli asked, a worried look on his face.
She smiled at him brightly, eyes swimming in tears. Link sensed her complex cocktail of emotions, maybe even understood a little… He smiled softly, reached behind her and gently stroked and massaged her neck in his caring way.
She giggled, partly of the almost foolish happiness bubbling in her belly, partly of embarrassment, and wiped her eyes and nose with a cloth a slightly befuddled Tamali handed her. "In that case…" she laughed between little squeaks of giggle-sobs, "…let us stop with titles or 'ladies' and 'knights'. I'm Zelda, plain and simple!"
Both the silver feathered warrior and his magnificent wife grinned heartily.
"Tamali, plain and simple!"
"Saki, plain and simple!"
"Well then, Veneli, plain and simple!"
"Sir Link of the right honourable house Andrésson, 1st of his name, anointed knight and lord protector of… Zelda. Plain and simple!"
Startled silence… then raucous laughter rang through the entire nest.
Link
They had separated not long after, following both Tamali's and Saki's insistence that they had already appropriated quite enough of their time and that they should go out and enjoy the day instead of being caught in here. The silver feathered rooster explained that, when they were still sleeping, he and Komali had held a large gathering with nearly all the village's Rito, where they had in broad strokes explained what had happened… and that their Hylian guests were to thank for it. "A lot of these men and women haven't had any interactions with anybody who isn't of the feathered folk…" Tamali had explained. "I vouch for their friendliness… after what you've done, not one of them would be rude. But they may be shy or even a bit uncomfortable. Don't let that worry you, just be yourselves and their curiosity will quickly outweigh whatever reservations they might have!"
Link had wondered about the drastic change in emotional atmosphere he had felt when they were led here by Puee... It appeared that the warchief had, more or less, staked his good name for them… A great gift to be sure! Now they needed to live up to it!
Veneli had jumped up immediately, eager to once again serve as their guide, though in a rather different setting than their nightly escape. However, his hopeful endeavours were mercilessly crushed by his mother, as is the loving way of mothers everywhere. "You agreed to help with preparations, downy!" she reminded him strictly, tapping on his beak.
"Don't call me that in front of…" he hissed under his breath, shooting his mom a dirty look. Link had to stifle a smirk… he vividly remembered the hundreds of times he had shot his dear mother such a gaze bespeaking hellfire, for example when she had dared to squash him in one of her bone-crushing, full-bosomed embrace right in front of Ric and Mart… Naturally, the hoped-for effect failed to happen as it always did, and she just smiled with a completely non-threatening, cocked eyebrow.
"Well, the almost half grown warrior has agreed to help with preparations. Leave those two a little time alone, they'll need it!" she chuckled with an all too knowing brief glance at him. Whatever magic was in him, the very first spell he vowed to learn would be one that kept his bloody face from turning red like a tomato!
The last thing Saki wished to know before they left their hospitality was how long they planned to stay. The two teens had shard a hopeful, hesitant look before Zelda had timidly asked for, maybe, four days… After that had nearly caused an outrage with the pink-feathered woman, they had settled for the middle… a week.
Grinning, their heads buzzing with the immense possibility of one whole week of carefree sojourn, they stepped out of the front door back into the main 'street' of the village. It was about noon, many of the villagers were still walking or flying about, but the morning bustle had obviously already faded.
Link gazed at his Zelda, who had her eyes closed, her neck outstretched so her face could bathe in the still hot September sun. There was a calm serenity in her features that he had seen only so preciously rarely… He thought he knew how she felt… They had overcome the first true obstacle, one that, at one point, had seemed impossibly high… But not only that! Try as she might, his cute little princess was still a monarch and she couldn't help thinking that way. Having formed such a strong bond of respect and friendship with Hyrule's most solitary people was an invaluable feat. One that, as far as he knew, no other ruler had managed.
On one hand he wanted to let her have that moment in the sun, alone with her thoughts… in the middle of a busy street… But after another five seconds, the temptation was simply too much. He made his most prized grimace: Lips tucked between his teeth, cheeks inflated and cross-eyed. His natural beauty sufficiently enhanced, he stepped right in front of her so his face was only centimetres away from hers, effectively stealing the sun from her. Due to his impressive squint, he couldn't quite see her reaction… But hearing a gloriously disturbed "Wueargh!" from her delicate lips was sweet enough. After the initial shock she burst out laughing, which put an end to his brittle composure. His own giggles erupted as well, though he had to be careful not to spit at her.
"A marked improvement, o you faithful sun block, you." she growled in the most adorable way. "Next you should learn to turn your nose upside down. Let me help!" And her fingers, surprisingly quick, pinched his nose and twisted until a congested squeak escaped his mouth. It didn't hurt… just…
"Could it be that I interrupted a moment?" he asked carefully, his voice strangely missing most of its usual timbre. She didn't usually resort to such acts of nasal violence, so he was actually a bit worried that he might have made her angry.
"M-hmm…" she hummed, nodding, her lips pressed together to a strict line… but to his relief, there was humour in her eyes.
"I probably should refrain from stealing sunlight from you, then?" he peeped, as her fingers squeezed a tiny bit stronger.
"Mmm-hmmmmm!" she nodded slowly, obviously satisfied that her lesson was taking fruit.
With ladylike delicacy she released his tender olfactory organ and watched with apparent glee as his face twisted around a few times in its recovered freedom. "Sorry… I didn't mean to…" he began, but was interrupted by her stepping on her toes and kissing the tip of his nose. "If anyone may step between me and the sun, it would be you…" she said softly. Link's heart suddenly jumped into his throat as he beheld her radiant smile, the sudden lively pink hue on her cheeks, the divine sparkle in her big, sky-blue eyes… The incomparable light in them that, just for this time-stopping, magical moment, seemed to shine for him alone, conjured torrents of butterflies in his stomach… Had she really just said that? He could see the pink on her cheeks slowly turn to a fiery red, but she didn't look away… she held his gaze captive with those crystal clear seats of her soul…
His mind was gone, blasted away by her words, her earth shattering smile and her incredible beauty.
…She had said it, hadn't she? He knew, out of all of natures wonders, the one she loved the most by far was daytime's fiery source of life… and she had just, in a way, told him that…
She slowly lifted her right index finger and, with an amused wry smile, pushed his mouth closed. …He hadn't even realized that it had hung open…
She held his gaze for another second, the mixture of girlish shyness and complete conviction in her own words making his brain fume in hopeless confusion and ecstasy. Then she once again stood on tip-toes and gave him a marvellously tender, but dreadfully short kiss.
"Now, come on! I want to explore!" she giggled, danced happily around him and almost skipped along the branch-street.
Link looked after her, needing another second for his thoroughly scrambled mind to reassemble. His hand wandered to his lips that still remembered her taste. Slowly his conscious thought managed to return from whatever ethereal plane she had catapulted them. There was absolutely no way this delightful little minx didn't know how utterly she had just unbalanced him! But, there was also no way she would use such phenomenally meaningful words just to play with his poor brain. A single, disbelieving laugh escaped his mouth, making even more of the passing Rito look, but he didn't care. Still he couldn't quite understand what had just happened, not in all its depth… For now it was enough that it filled him with boundless joy.
Her magnificent golden hair was almost gone from his sight when, finally, he managed to rediscover his still numb feet and slowly started to walk after her…
They reached the main plaza, an impressive stretch of wooden surface, given that it had to be erected on a massive branch two hundred metres above ground. Naturally therefore, it was rather a lot longer than it was wide. Other than that, it looked like a completely normal market place. Surrounded by the ubiquitous spherical nests in a hundred different colours that matched so well the exotically hued plumages of their owners, it made for a magnificent sight. There were only about 15 different stalls, but it seemed these few meant to trump each other with their opulence. They were all decorated so densely and intricately that Link wondered whether any of them had ever just crashed through the wooden floor.
"Link! Look there!" Zelda exclaimed, her eyes shining brightly. Already she hustled towards the first stall. Link grinned as he followed suit at an only slightly more measured pace. He felt reminded of their date when he had smuggled her out of the castle and into Hyrule City proper. Goddess above, he loved that enthusiastic side of her when there was a constant smile on her stunning face and she squeaked with glee. Her incredible elation at seeing all the things this world had to offer was a sight he hoped would never fade… If he could, he would show her every last marvel in Hyrule and beyond, so he could bask in the miraculous light she brought into every day… and his soul.
He rejoined her as she stood bent over basket over basket of fresh fruit, most were familiar, some looked fascinatingly foreign while a few more looked so ridiculous they simply had to be fake!
"Have you ever seen anything like this?" she whispered excitedly, pointing at a bright pink thing with dark yellow turned-down spines.
He shook his head, which only seemed to tickle her more. "I had hoped you would surprise me with your agrarian education, princess!" he chuckled, bending down to place a quick peck on her cheek.
She smirked at him wryly. "My studies in that field have not yet been that fructiferous."
"You are forgiven." he pronounced with a merciful nod. "Let us attempt, then, to fructify them."
"Err… may I offer our esteemed Hylian guests something? A little taste, perhaps?" a slightly unsure, yet melodic voice spoke over their heads. The master of this stall, a Rito woman of indeterminate age with a plumage of rich green, had finished with her other customer and was now eying them with a mixture of uncertainty and friendly interest.
The two shared a brief glance, then Link rose to speak. "Greetings! We would love to! Although…" he chuckled and threw a demonstrative look over the close to hundred different kinds of fruit. "…one doesn't even know where to begin! I'm not exaggerating when I say, I haven't seen such richness in Hyrule City market!"
He seemed to have hit the exactly right note… The hen seemed to nearly burst with pride. She launched into a veritable torrent of explanation. How through the Rito's blessed gift of flight even a comparatively small town was able to offer an impressive array of wares, how the Ancient Guardian's proximity seemed to keep fresh produce from spoiling for weeks, that High Chieftain Komali came by her stall near every day and she thought he had that certain glint in his eye when he spoke to her… She detailed where she had already been, where some of the more impressive pieces that adorned her hut came from… For example, one nasty looking yellowish tooth she proudly pronounced to be a Molduga's canine, which didn't tell Link anything, but which sent Zelda into a coughing fit. All the while the woman grabbed different pieces of her inventory and, with impressive speed, cut them to snackable pieces.
"But oh! Where are my manners! Here I am waffling when I should be serving! Here, this one you must try!"
To both their delight, she had picked the very peculiar fruit they had just marvelled at. The inside was yet another surprise. A homogenous, milky white substance, interrupted only with tiny black seeds, hardly larger than grains of sand.
"Ooh, it looks more like a piece of art than something edible!" Zelda gushed as she took a thumb-sized piece from the tray. Link was a little bit sceptical. The thing's gaudiness made him suspect that it could impossibly keep with its taste the promise it made with its looks.
They popped their morsels into their mouths at once, looking at each other as they chewed. The hoped for revelation failed to happen…
"Not sweet…" he began.
"Not sour…" she continued.
"Not a lot, to be honest…" he finished.
The stall-lady, thankfully, didn't seem perturbed at all. Rather, she seemed quite pleased with herself, like someone who had made a particularly well-done joke.
"What's this rather fraudulent fruit called?" Zelda asked, for which she earned a wide smile.
"Well, considering what you two have accomplished, I couldn't pass this opportunity up!" She leaned forward conspiratorially and whispered: "It's a… Dragon fruit!"
The two heroes had themselves a slightly forced chuckle, seeing how pleased the proprietor seemed with herself, and nodded appreciatively. "How very appropriate!" Link commented. "No wonder we were drawn to it. Shame that its taste seems to have flown away with the real one…"
"Granted, it's not as strong a taste as it should be…" the Rito admitted, slightly put out. "But it works well in salads and such!" she rallied, immediately back into sales-mode.
"I believe you could make quite a hefty heap of rupees with this in Hyrule City…" Link mused.
Zelda immediately seized on the idea, as he knew she would. "Quite! There is a flourishing market for showy, tasteless things that are essentially functionless, once you pass the inner wall. Just make sure to impress how utterly rare and costly something is and they'll buy it all, pretending to genuinely enjoy it."
The Rito looked at them with the predatory eyes of a saleswoman who could already smell bags of rupees. Link had to stifle a giggle. Judging by that lady's expression, they had just launched a tremendous fad among Hylian nobility…
As thanks, she offered each of them free choice of three items. All protests were quelled quite vigorously by her, saying that she insisted after all they had done. So, a bit hesitantly, Zelda picked out three things she had never tasted before. He did the same with two. Then, as the last one, he timidly asked for one of the apples she had on display. He knew it was silly… and maybe a bit childish… to take something so common when he could choose among dozens of little wonders, but… when he saw the ripe, yellow and red skins of a whole tray of his favourite… it reminded him so strongly of home…
He was sure he was being a dolt when the smell of the proffered fruit nearly forced tears to his eyes… and for a second he wished he could just be back in Ord, helping his family harvest the colourful abundance for which their village was known for… They must be nearly ripe, if they weren't already…
He felt Zelda's small hand gently stroke his lower back, softly pulling back out of his reverie. She gazed at him with that tender smile that seemed to make sure whether he was alright. He smiled back, though homesickness might have made it a bit unsteady…
They said their goodbyes to the friendly marketer, who seemed rather eager to close shop early today.
Their next stop, only about ten steps away, seemed to be a stall peddling wooden objects of art. There store itself was already quite incredibly artistic. One side of the window was framed by an incredibly lifelike carving of a tree, most likely the Ancient Guardian… Yes, it had to be! Link grinned as he spotted, high on its branches, a miniature version of this very village, complete with a few intricate bridges and walkways. The other side was a depiction of a Rito warrior, his spear an anchor point for one long branch of the tree to snake around. The whole thing was quite a piece, an artful frame for the store, as well as loving depiction of the relationship the winged people had with their lofty home.
The proprietor gazed at them, obviously prideful at their interest, yet also apparently too shy to hail them. A light blue feathered rooster with a surprisingly stocky build for one of the Rito, who were usually slim as a beanpole.
"This is amazing craftsmanship!" Link opened up conversation, running a hand down the tree's carved bark, genuinely impressed. Despite still being a mere apprentice to his father, he liked to think he was a craftsman himself…
"Did you make it yourself?" Zelda asked, equally fascinated with the wooden warrior's spear.
"I… helped my father, back in the day." he explained, both hesitant and excited at once, giving him the look of a man who wanted to vibrate his feathers off.
"I was responsible for the tree's branches and some of the village…" He sputtered into a nervous giggle. "I remember… I clumsily broke off one of the fine bridges you see just there… I think my old da chased me three times around the Guardian's trunk, screaming things at me I don't think I can ever repeat… I still hear the townspeople laughing at us…"
Both teens laughed heartily at the image that conjured, which seemed to set the anxious man a little at ease.
Link purveyed his wares, his eyes glowing with the sense of discovery. There were numerous items that struck his fancy, some for their shapes, others simply for the impressive craftsmanship. All were wooden, both large and small… most were lacquered or painted in some way… Those weren't the ones he was interested in, he preferred the simpler ones, like…
In an artful little casket his questing fingers found something that intrigued him quite a bit. A small drake, fashioned from olive wood, maybe, a little smaller than his thumb.
'You'd think I had quite enough of dragons for a lifetime…' he thought, amused at himself as he brought the little bauble close to his eye. It was incredibly finely crafted, despite it being only about 5 centimetres in length, you could see tiny scales carved into its body, which curved elegantly around itself, just like the real one had… flowing majestically through the air…
"How much is it?" he heard Zelda's bright voice ask beside him, making him look up in confusion.
"A pretty piece, yes… takes a long time fashion something this fine. Tell you what!" the marketer announced in the archetypical voice of businessmen, which exuded so much 'pure trustworthiness' it made your hairs stand on end. "Since you are honoured guests of the High Chieftain and have driven evil from out home, I am willing to part with it for 20 rupees. But I cannot go any-"
"Seventeen!" Zelda shot in between before he could so much as open his mouth.
"Done!" the stall-master yelled happily. "Pleasure doing business with you! Wait a second, I'll just get you…"
"What are you doing?!" Link hissed, approaching panic as the man rummaged somewhere below his table. It had all gone so quick he hadn't been able to keep up!
"Getting you something!" she answered smugly, taking the little wyrm from his frozen fingers.
"B-But… But you can't… you don't have to…" he stammered, feeling quite lost all of a sudden.
"But I want to! I know you would never have allowed yourself to it, no matter how much you liked it, so I did it for you… my sweet knight…" she whispered the last thing into his ear, then gave him a quick peck on his cheek, which did decidedly not help his already stunned state.
She inspected it closely, a little grin on her perfect lips. "It really is pretty… no wonder you wanted it… your eyes just lit up so adorably…" she mumbled when she refocused on him, her light blush causing him to go fiery red.
"But… I didn't bring any money!" he breathed urgently, his gaze darting between her and the proprietor's bushy tail feathers… the rest was still hidden below his display racks.
"Well Iiii did!" she stated her elegant nose raised a little with an air of superiority. "I, Princess Zelda, ruler of this country, sort of, in my boundless mercy present you with this little treasure that has caught your fancy. This is my will and the will of my people! Resistance is futile!"
"You said something?" the stocky Rito asked, re-emerging from his dive in his wares.
"No." she stated, not missing a beat. "Just nonsense!"
"Ah. Well, here you go, I found something. It is a necklace, after all…"
He deftly snatched the dragon from her fingers and quickly threaded the thin leather strap through a miniscule metal ring Link hadn't even noticed before. Nearly bouncing with glee she took it back, took both ends into her hands and swiftly slung them around his neck. His head still a little numb from surprise, he took a little to bend forward to make it easier… enjoying the accidental hug he was receiving as she tied a knot behind his head. When she stepped back, she gave him another brief kiss on the cheek, followed by an all too short caress with her hand over his jaw.
Feeling like a complete dunce, he fingered his new jewel, bringing it as far up as the strap would allow so he could look at it again. To say that he was befuddled would be like saying the Deku Tree was a bit on the large side… His face must indeed have been humorously stupid, because his princess released one of her high, clear laughs, which never failed to make his insides feel all warm and fuzzy.
"Buh…" he uttered, powerfully eloquent as ever.
Zelda in the meantime had produced a red rupee and had received 3 green ones back. When she looked back at him, still frozen in place, she giggled, then sighed while shaking her head.
"Come along, you hero, you. Let's find a place to eat our fruits before they spoil in this heat!" she laughed and grabbed his free arm.
"Right…" he managed, his eyes still transfixed on… his little dragon… He still needed to get his head wrapped around that. He had never owned anything like this… all he had was useful in some way, he had never seriously thought about buying anything frivolous like jewellery. He had liked this little thing a lot and he had to admit that his fingers had itched with the thought of getting it… But, had he been by himself, he would have put it back down, knowing that feelings of regret would only have lasted maybe a day. And now… a few almost casual words and motions from her and he knew he wouldn't ever part with it. Ever.
Zelda
Despite only having explored about a tenth of the market stalls, she had decided to go somewhere quieter for now. Her adorable, flustered knight hadn't seemed capable of exploration any longer, she mused, giggling to herself at her success.
They had walked all the way along the 'main street', the most developed branch of the Deku Tree, which wound its way gracefully through, over and under eye-pleasing bunches of the spherical nests. Their walk had ended at the large landing platform they had been dumped on with the nausea inducing rescue net on their first eve here… when all had been different…
It was a beautiful spot, already past the point where the peculiar buildings sprouted like weird fruit, so the view was next to unimpeded. That, however, also meant that the view downwards was rather unimpeded, as Zelda had to rediscover quite stomach-churningly…
Thankfully, the platform was surrounded by banisters on two sides, so she had found a compromise between her death-defying lust to dangle her feet over a terrifying abyss and her slightly more reasonable sense of self-preservation… which some people seemed to lack. So, with one leg on each side of one of the posts, she dug in with Link right next to her doing the same. It was early afternoon and in the September sun all colours seemed particularly vibrant. A few of the trees far down there already sported a few yellow leaves, but they didn't disturb the magnificent view. On the contrary, they seemed like the perfect dashes of imperfection in an otherwise too homogenous palette of verdant hues… The breeze was pleasant, as it was a warm day with a still strong sun… she loved the feeling of wind playing idly with her hair…
Every once in a while she would catch him as he brought his new bauble up to look at it with a slightly worrying look. Then she felt warm streams of delight bundle in her belly at his relieved, happy expression when he found that it was still there. She hadn't ever seen him wear anything that could even remotely be construed as jewellery. On one hand she appreciated that deeply, having always harboured a deep distaste, and distrust, of men that adorned themselves more than even most women would. But then again, she suspected that he simply never even owned anything of the sort. And when she had seen him gaze at this particular piece, his eyes coming alive with both childlike wonder and that tiny, underlying pit of regret bespeaking a boy who, in the past, could never allow himself to want something like it… Simply put, she had wanted, with all her soul, to be the one who gifted him his first little precious, utterly useless possession. And seeing him check every 5 minutes, to make sure that he hadn't, magically, lost it, and the boyish grin of glee he got when he beheld it… to her, they were absolutely priceless.
She was already done with her snack when Link took his apple in his hand. For a few seconds he seemed completely lost in his own world when he beheld it. She remembered how he had picked apples for her, back when they were in Ord… They had been very sour still, but he had said he enjoyed them in this unripe state as well…
He seemed to realize that she stared at him, and their gazes met. His eyes, those honest, deep blue wonders she adored to no end, seemed so open and vulnerable for a second. If she had wanted, she could probably gaze deep into his soul… naturally, she did not.
He smiled, a shimmer of red appearing on his cheeks and on his handsome nose. "Sorry…"
"What for?" she wondered genuinely.
"I'm being silly..." he muttered enigmatically, looking back at the fruit in his hand.
She didn't pry, knowing that this thoughtful, sensitive side of him needed to be handled with care.
"From that impressive stall, I could have taken everything… I have eaten apples a million times in my life, so much sometimes that I couldn't even stand their sight for weeks…" he began slowly. "And yet, when I saw a whole tray of them, I… I just couldn't resist…"
"They remind you of home…" she said very softly. It wasn't a question, it didn't need to be.
He nodded after a second, his beautiful eyes never leaving the fruit he held. "It's so silly… I don't even know where this one came from… could be anywhere… But right now, at home, harvesting season would begin." He chuckled, his face filled with bittersweet nostalgia. "I always, always hated it as a child. I wanted to eat them, surely, but harvest them? Yuck! …especially when, once, I fell from one of the trees… Just once, mind you!" he clarified with an erected index finger. "My ever careful mother, from that day on, forced me to use a ladder… Me! A ladder!"
There was so much indignant outrage bulging from his voice that she had to suppress a laugh.
He shook his head, chuckling. "And right now? When I saw that apple, smelled it among all the other delicacies, for just a moment I wanted nothing more than be with them… Watch my brother and sister try to steal away from work, as I have done more often than I can count… Hear my sweet mother yell at them so fiercely they try to flee into the canopy like startled cats… Share an amused look with my father… and do the incredibly, mindnumbingly monotonous work of pull on apple, set into basket, fill basket, carry it down ladder, grab new basket, shift ladder, climb back up. All day."
Almost as if on its own accord, her hand snaked its way to his back, softly stroking it and gently ruffling his long-ish hair above his neck. He slightly leaned into her caress, purring adorably like a cat. "I never knew I could be this home-sick…" he finished, finally looking back at her. She continued her petting, lost in the magnificent blue of his eyes… and the incredible feeling his honesty and trust sparked within her soul. She understood… she understood so well… in a way…
"And what…" she uttered, ever so tenderly. "…what about all this is even remotely silly?"
A tiny bit of surprise, then a little, lopsided smile. "Hm. Maybe you're right…"
"I don't really have a home like you do, Link…" she began, shocking herself a bit with the sudden confession. He too, seemed perplexed… but it seemed like it was her turn to show him a bit of her inmost being… something that was still terribly difficult for her, even to him… especially to him, despite his being one of only two people she could even consider opening up to. The fear of rejection, something she had experienced uncountable times in her young life, was compounded by how dearly she wanted his love. But right now was one of those rare moments… and she needed every one of those.
"I don't have a family like you, for that matter… Or friends, or, or… a village full of people that might have a genuine smile on their faces when I come their way… I have Sally, my one true, irreplaceable friend, who has kept me from madness more often than there are stars in the sky. But she, too, has her schooling, obligations… travels where she has to accompany her father… In short, the time we could actually be together, freely, was never enough… and sometimes interrupted by months. My father… well you got to know him. The others…" she made a vague, dismissive motion with her free hand. "To them I was either work, a nuisance, both or, at worst, someone you simply had to be friendly to, someone you had to smile at, or it would have repercussions. When Sally was gone, do you know how most conversations went? 'A princess should not ask such things.' 'I should leave that matter to others, my lady!' Or my personal favourite: 'If you say so, your highness.'. I felt like the dumbest, most worthless speck of dirt on everyone's heels…"
She shook her head as she gazed out into the unfathomable expanse, as usual searching for the horizon. She knew Link was staring at her, startled probably, at that sudden outburst of painful history.
A sad chuckle forced itself out through her lips. "And yet…" She gazed back into his eyes… alarmed, but sympathetic, open… filling her with strength… "And yet there are moments when all I can think of is falling into my bed, sitting in the library, reading, playing some mindless game with one of the maids… Talking with my father… Sometimes I miss it so much it makes my stomach cramp in need…"
She had to smile in the face of the ridiculousness she had just said. "There is absolutely no reason for you to feel silly… for me, however…"
It was out, all of it… a big, smoke-filled bubble of choking anger that had for years dislodged her soul had burst and she had managed to breathe it all out. Immediately, though, she felt bad… He had shared an incredibly intimate moment with her and she had seized it away from him so she could stand in the limelight… And she had inadvertently told him that his worries weighed far less than hers, despite her not having meant it like that at all. His eyes were still wide… he swallowed… A cold shiver ran down her spine. Please, goddess of mercy, don't let him understand my words in that way! They weren't meant like this! I'm such a fool! She had, in the beginning, truly just wanted to tell him that he wasn't being a dolt for yearning to be back at such a wonderful place! Then her own emotions had spiralled out of control, had demanded to be shared with him!
He looked away… For a tiny, blood freezing instant she thought he might just get up and leave, feeling that she hadn't taken his own trust seriously…
His hands tightly encompassed the apple and to her amazement, he pulled it apart into two perfect halves. Momentarily she was completely baffled by that feat, until he quietly handed her one of them.
She took it into both of her palms, confused for a moment… and amazed…
"You seem to have forgotten…" he spoke softly. "Hyrule Castle may not be it… but you do have a home, Zelda…" He looked back up at her, questioningly. "Or do you think I would return to it without you?"
For a second she just stared at him, clutching her half of his apple, as his meaning clicked into place with glacial slowness…
Then she lunged at him.
Link
They had meant to make a wild dash for their nest… they had failed. It perched on the other side of the village… Their resistance was spent after less than half the way.
In the countless meandering paths of this village they had come across a particularly out-of-the-way nook, which seemed to serve as an outside storage. Link wouldn't even have noticed, but Zelda had grabbed his hand, had pulled him in… and his body had reacted on its own.
His whole front was pressed against her as tightly as he could, his hands gently on her neck, his thumbs on the delightful softness of her cheeks, his lips so desperately devouring hers… Neither of them had stopped for air for at least a minute, sighing, panting, gasping at each other in ever increasing urgency. His mind was blank, washed away by her touch, her incredible scent. He couldn't even feel the floor under his feet any more… it simply didn't matter. He was still vaguely aware that they were indeed very much in the open, hidden, maybe, behind a few boxes, but anyone could fly above them… and he mostly knew that what very soon would follow was best not done in public… But these weak thoughts were hopelessly overruled by everything else.
He felt her slim hands course through his hair, down over his face, further down over his chest… By the goddess, he needed to feel her hands on his bare skin, all this damn cloth was in the bloody way!
Her tongue sought entry into his mouth, which he granted gladly. They wrestled for a while, probing, entangling, feeling each other like never before. His own fingers searched lower, along her thin blouse all the way to her belt, which they invaded just enough that they felt the first tantalizing hint of hot flesh. She sighed into his lips, he could feel her whole body tremble against her. His manhood throbbed, wedged between him and her heavily breathing belly. Her hands quested on, closer… ever closer to where every fibre of him wanted them…
"There you are!"
They exploded away from each other, both gasping for air, both their bodies screaming in red hot protest. Through glassy eyes they perceived the evildoer, their enemy, undoubtedly the biggest villain to ever exist…
"Veneli!" Zelda panted, her face crimson, her fingers racing to make sure someone hadn't dislodged vital parts of clothing. Link was still torn whether he wanted to hide his… everything or whether he wanted murder the boy, so not to leave any witness… his brain said one thing, his body another…
"What were you to doing?" the child asked, but he didn't look like he actually cared. "I've been looking all over for you! We're about to start!"
It took a good second before his Zelda-addled mind had reconstituted enough to make sense of… words… "Start with what?" he managed, barely.
"Well, your festival, of course! In your honour! What did you think we were preparing?!" he asked, incredulous how anyone could be so slow.
Part of him wanted to ask him to take his festival and shove it in his cloaca… and judging by Zelda's frankly sanguinary expression, she was close to doing something far more drastic. But, naturally, sense won over rampant emotion, most of which was pure lust.
"I see…" she breathed, running her fingers through her hair, still quite exasperated. "Where do we go?"
"The main plaza! Most are already gathered there and the firebox has been assembled. Come on, let's go!" he almost bubbled with enthusiasm. His luck he was cute, it snuffed most of Link's fire…
"Right then… lead the way!"
They arrived shortly after, eliciting a rising cheer from the amassed Rito once they noticed. Both had had sufficient time to calm down… and to quell any murderous thoughts towards an innocent boy who had chosen a very bad moment… Still, Link was glad he had found them when he had… and not, say, two minutes later… THAT would have been hard to explain…
With a weird, drastic shift in priority, he suddenly noticed that he was currently striding through a large crowd, all facing her and him, cheering, clapping, shouting so loudly it nearly felt oppressive.
"Our heroes!" a massive voice announced, dwarfing all others. Komali had risen above them all and, as if on command, the villagers formed a corridor between him and them. "Our friends! Rito! What is this slack-feathered welcome?! Let us hear a real cheer from you!"
Another enormous wave of rejoicing thundered against them. Grinning from ear to ear, Link felt both amazing and deeply uncomfortable… he was not used to something like this… His only consolation was that his beautiful princess seemed just as happily unsure where to put her hands. Her smile was resplendent… with good reason, almost all eyes were on her, shining brighter than the sun. Following a sudden, potentially disastrous urge, his brain probably still swimming in hormones, he pulled her towards him by her waist and placed a swift but deep kiss on her lips.
The cheer escalated even further, followed by hundreds of loud whoops and whistles that only Rito could pull off. For a split second, Zelda looked furious! Then an adorable girlish giggle enchanted both her and him.
Suddenly, the ground shifted away from them as dozens of wings picked them up and, under ear-splitting jubilation, carried them towards the High Chieftain, who clapped with the best of them… Veneli, too, was picked up while they were at it… the boy seemed to have the time of his life.
None too gently, they were once again set down, right in front of Komali, his son Tamali and Saki, the warchief's wife. All three smiled genially, stepped forward and arranged themselves so that, when they grabbed the two Hylian's hands, they formed one six strong chain: Saki, Veneli, Link, Komali, Zelda, Tamali, all connected, arms raised.
"Hear Rito of this sacred village in the arms of our Ancient Guardian." The High Chieftain roared, silencing the raucous crowd with impressive speed. "Our beloved protector, the mighty tree upon which we have for so long roosted… is no more…"
The news sunk into the assembled people's minds with the dreadful slowness a ship sank underwater… There were a lot of hens and roosters gazing at their neighbours, confused at first, dismayed at last. Link's stomach spasmed uncomfortably. Would they maybe riot now? Call them frauds and throw them out in a fit of grief?
"But, my friends! We knew this day would come. Even if we didn't want to believe it, it was inevitable. A great, powerful spirit has passed on… So, let this evening also be one for grief for a friend lost…" The old bird made a dramatic pause… he really was a gifted orator.
"But!" he suddenly barked, yanking all back out of their reverie. "Grief should only be a little part in today's proceedings! A tiny blemish on this golden eve, reminding us all just how bright life surrounding us all really is. And for that, I pass to my son, who will soon step into my clawprints. I give you Tamali!"
Another cheer ran through the swarm, more subdued, but a good deal more eager as well… They were desperate to hear good news, now that they had been thoroughly devastated. Link was impressed… Komali's plan was simple, yet brilliant… Shoulder all the bad news himself, as he was old and would not lead for much longer. Then, let his son and successor reap all the glory by allowing him to rebuild morale, making him seem like the saviour… to give his leadership a considerable head-start. Very crafty…
"Warriors of the Winds, hear me!" Tamali began, his voice lighter, younger, but certainly not lacking in strength. "These sombre faces ill suit you! What has happened to the stout-hearted fighters whose ferociousness in battle could make Zoras dive for the depths and Gorons burry underground? Have heart! Or did you think we would release you into this night with nothing bad poor tidings?"
A few hesitant, but hopeful laughs… The warchief was doing well…
"These mighty branches won't fall on your heads overnight! Your children, your children's children, and even beyond will still have a home here, but… If that is not enough for you, maybe we truly have gone soft, so far up, so safe in the Guardian's arms… If that is the case, I shall release the fixations of my nest the following day and leave, for I refuse to be Chieftain of people who have forgotten what it means to be Rito!"
Aggressive, Link thought… and most interesting.
"So tell me, ducklings! Have we gone soft in the last centuries?!"
A resounding, a scandalized "NO!" hit them like a wall.
"Are we still the mighty, invincible Warriors of the Winds, steel in our wings and stormy gales in our hearts?!"
"YES!" even louder this time.
"Good! We can stay, then." Tamali joked, to a thunderous laugh of all. He too was a master of speech… he had his people incited to the point where they would laugh at even the most lukewarm of jests.
"Now I finally recognize you again, my people! Now, you are ready for my part of the news! The guardian is dead, aye! But! It is thanks to these two wonderful, I'd almost say, Rito-esque Hylians that I don't fret AT! ALL!"
At their mention, Komali yanked both their hands in the air, nearly lifting them both off the ground. The strange, very typically Rito compliment caused both of them to grin in amusement.
"Why is that? Not only have they vanquished the evil that had infested our Guardian, ensuring our safety for years, decades, maybe even centuries to come, NO! They also managed to learn that our beloved Ancient Guardian has a seedling! A sprout! An offspring to take root and grow and watch over life and nature as its great parent before! Who knows? If, at one point, we decide as a people to leave this place behind, maybe we'll just find another enormous tree to roost in!"
Another round of laughter and applause.
"Brothers and sisters, but that is not all! Not only have these magnificent Hylians done all that… I know you've already come to the same conclusion, but let me say it again for those of you that are a tad slow!"
Yet more good natured jeering.
"These two, the mighty Link and the brilliant Zelda, are the very heroes of one of our most treasured legends! Don't believe me?" he asked in mock indignation.
"They're two, boy and girl… I assume you can tell that even though they're embarrassingly featherless…"
The two heroes shared a wry grin at the, frankly, scandalous merriment the bird-brains had at that.
"They fought a great evil and… oh, what was it again? Oh yes! They woke the eternal Farosh, dragon of our patron deity Farore! Even to you thick-skulled Rito it should be obvious now!"
An enormous cascade of whoops, cheers and yells erupted from the crowd, which soon evolved into a ear-splitting, belly-rumbling chant of "Heroes! Heroes! Heroes!"
Good thing both their hands were held firmly by their hosts… Link, despite once again having a magnificently stupid grin plastered to his face was ready to hide behind a rock… Zelda held herself with regal poise… but he could tell how fluttery she was by the slight trembles on her lip.
With a gentle waving of his arms, and therefore the princess', Tamali once again restored order. "Now, my dear brothers and sisters! One more thing before we begin! These two have done tremendous things… for us and the entire world. But there quest is not yet done…" he too left a dramatic pause… all assembled Rito seemed to scoot closer so they wouldn't miss a thing.
"This dark terror that had us by the beak was only one of the evils these brave souls have to combat. The legend they fulfil speaks of MANY a great peril they must overcome. Their path will be fraught with shadow, their courage and wisdom challenged time and time again…"
An unhappy murmur went through the swarm… Despite the probably accurate depiction of their future, Link felt his spirits slowly rise.
"Rito! I think that I speak for all of us when I say: We honour our debts! We honour our friends! I have, without the slightest hesitation, chosen my way forward! I choose to aid our newest comrades in arms, whether it be with the strength of my spear, the power of aeromancy, or the force of my mind! …well, two of those, most likely…" he joked, followed by another uproar of laughter.
Tamali let a few seconds pass before he finished with all his vigour. "Warriors of the Wind! When the time comes and our friends are in need… ARE YOU WITH ME?!"
The cacophony that resounded quaked the entire branch they stood on and was reflected back from the mighty trunk of the Deku Tree.
When finally it had died down, Link wasn't ashamed to have a tear in his eye… of joy, relief… of not being alone in their colossal struggle any longer…
"You are true fighters, worthy of the storm of Farore! Now, enough bloody words! Light the fire, eat until you burst and have fun!"
A final cheer went around, then they all gathered around a massive iron basin, five times five metres, which had already been filled to twice Link's height with wood. The whole thing was erected in the very middle of the plaza, the stalls carried out of the way. The smith's apprentice worried, as all of the floor was wooden and such a fire would produce enormous heat… but he assumed that this wasn't the first time they were doing such a thing.
A few of the Rito brought great buckets and tipped them out over the planks surrounding the firebox, drenching the wood. Many more such containers were left standing around, ready to be used to douse any errant flames, it seemed.
A few more brought a handful of torches which were stuck into the pile of wood in very deliberate looking spots. When they were done, Komali for the first time let go of their hands and strode a few measured steps forward. Then, with feathers aglow, he flicked his wing in an almost casual way and a whirlwind sprung to life above the huge bonfire, tousling feathers and hair alike. At once the fire from the torches was pulled upwards, goaded by the irresistible draw of wind, causing magnificent streaks of flame to spiral all the way to the top, setting the pile alight in mere moments.
A round of 'ooh's and 'aah's was heard all around. They, too, were eager to see a bit of aeromancy… It appeared, talent such as Komali's, Tamali's and Veneli's were indeed a rarity.
Once the fire was lit and its mighty heat felt on plumage and skin, hundreds of pillows were brought out, as well as at least a gross of tablets and trays, filled to the brim with mouth-watering delicacies.
Link and Zelda found that dozens of their hosts brought them their cushions until they could both lounge any way they wanted… a sign of respect, as Tamali explained.
The feast lasted hours, each family had contributed at least one dish which meant they were faced with an impossible amount of foods and choices… Even when two had made the same, their different recipes still meant that you got a completely new sensation.
There were myriads of pastries, filled vegetables, meat, fish or all at once. There were whole trays brimming with hundreds of tiny fishes you ate whole, tender meats in often nutty or fruity sauces, casseroles, pies… In short, everything except poultry was eaten with great gusto. Even a formidable appetite as Link's, or Zelda's for that matter, had to capitulate at some point… however their effort was very well received with the crowd and drew some good natured nasty jokes on them, quite a few of them from Tamali and Saki respectively.
When, at last, all the magnificent fare had been safely stowed in all their combined stomachs, it was well past sundown. Once, Zelda had tried to pry into their host's mind for more information on the legend they ostensibly fulfilled, seeing as a tale this old, spun by a people this secret might shed some heretofore unobtainable knowledge on their task or the Threat. Tamali, however had kindly, but firmly refused her. "The time for great words has come and gone. Tonight is meant solely for idleness, mindlessness and/or humour. So is our tradition. We will talk at large on another date!"
And so, seeing that indeed, everybody was simply enjoying feasting, company and, indeed, good mindless fun, they too could be happy with that.
They had intriguing conversations with all members of Tamali's family, always about things of the past, or enjoyable little frivolities. Though, as the night progressed, both noticed that the fatigue of the past days had not been completely dispelled by just one good night's sleep.
They spent the time snuggled against each other more often than not, happily together, surrounded by a gently waving sea of cheerful exuberance. Occasionally, either of them would bestow a little kiss or a soft caress to the other, for no reason other than to make the other feel at ease. Calm though as they would seem, both of them were still quite aware of the tempest that had gripped them earlier… And a few gazes at the right time made it clear that the fiery appetite had merely been suspended… and not in the least bit calmed.
That, too, seemed to be noticed by some and would have been the source for quite some raunchy amusement… though with this, Saki had let loose a particularly nasty glance all around which had quelled all such merriment with rigorous efficiency.
At some point during the night, Link had completely lost track of time and Veneli had slumbered motionlessly for at least an hour, Zelda stirred. "I think I will go to our nest now…" she whispered in his ear.
"Is something wrong? Are you feeling alright?" he asked, worried for a moment.
She answered with a peculiar smile that made something in him flutter. "Everything is just fine…" she sang sweetly, pecked him on the cheek and rose from his embrace. Without another look back, she strode off towards their quarter.
He gazed after her, slightly baffled. It had been nice sitting together, pleasantly full with a hundred delicacies, silently watching their surprisingly rambunctious Rito hosts party while they were in their safe, sleepy, happy bubble.
Why would she leave so abruptly? Slightly sleep-addled he was beginning to feel like he had missed something…
To his own surprise, his stomach was declaring that he had mysteriously found more room that needed filling. Laggardly, he stood up for the first time in hours, stretching deliciously until the bones in his back cracked. The cool night air brought some wakefulness back from the void in his head. Most of the feathered swarm had already gone to sleep, it seemed… Some had elected to fall asleep where they had lounged, which filled the considerably more quiet air with an interesting concerto of strangely melodic snores.
Now if only he could get his hands on one more filled tray…
"Well, look who's risen from the dead!" he heard Tamali's voice from behind. He turned around, grinning tiredly.
"Not for long, I fear… my body is making it pretty clear what it thinks about another sleepless night…." he detailed, unable to keep himself from yawning.
"Not all that surprising…" Tamali grumbled genially, before a slightly wolfish grin appeared around his beak. "Though I have a feeling your body might change its mind…"
"Hmm…" Link hummed noncommittally, not quite understanding the warchief's meaning. Again this odd feeling of forgetting something…
The rooster looked at him with a clear hint of confusion for a second, then understanding seemed to dawn on his face… The tired teen wished he could say the same for himself. Tamali sighed and put an almost fatherly wing around his shoulders. "Haahhh, I keep forgetting just how young you both are…" he chuckled, apparently enjoying himself on his behalf. "Go to bed, Sir Link, first of his name blablabla… Or, I should rather say, go to your nest… the bed will be optional…"
Now it was our currently not all that smart hero's turn to look befuddled. Was he insinuating he would be sleeping on the floor?
"Go! Off with you! You don't let a woman wait for too long. I will not bother you until after midday tomorrow!" Tamali laughed and gave him a friendly push in the right direction.
Still a bit dazed from lack of rest, Link was a tad miffed for being so suddenly ejected from the feast, even though it was just the dregs that were left…
Nevertheless, he followed the man's advice and strolled unhurriedly towards the highest of the four built-up branches. That nagging feeling would not leave him alone!
At last, he reached their nest on the very rim of the village, the night's breeze quite strong here and cool enough that he felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. He tried to open the door and found, to his surprise, that it was locked.
His eyebrows in a tousle, he knocked. Why had Zelda barred herself in? Had he made her angry? Was that what Tamali had tried to say so vexingly cryptically?
It only took three seconds before he heard the latch being removed and the door opened. She pulled it just wide enough that her blonde head poked forth, the rest she kept hidden behind the gate.
"There you are!" she sighed, relief obvious in her voice. Her arm reached around, grabbed and pulled him in quite forcefully.
Now he was really confused!
The door clicked back into place as he turned around and…
There she stood…
She was wearing his earring… that was all…
A part of him realized he was staring with his mouth open at the unspeakable wonder in front of him… but his mind, it seemed, had simply given up and left at that unexpected sight…
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten me…" she mumbled. Even in the darkness he could see how red she had gotten, and she was squirming ever so slightly under his gaze, as if the courage that had enabled her to show herself so fascinatingly undraped was now in peril.
A lot of things shot through his dizzy mind… a lot of things he could have said… "Forget you? Never!" or "Haven't I shown you enough that you're unforgettable…"
He said none of them. Instead, he did the one sensible thing: Run to her with the haste of a hundred lifetimes and kiss her like there was no tomorrow…
The last sane thought he had as she melted into his arms was a 'Thank you' to Tamali, who, it seemed, had already repaid saving his life in full.
Wow, this was not easy to write… some parts of it at least…
The discussion with the main Rito family was what took by far the longest, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
This is kinda meant as a closure and feel-good chapter...
Also, I get to tease all of you a little bit, which is, frankly, a fun thing to do…
I believe it's pretty obvious what next chapter will be about. Hope you enjoy that too. (Or not, if that's not your thing)
