Mhmmmhmhmhmhhm evil, anticipatory laughter
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Zelda was warm.
She didn't open her eyes, wanting to savor it even as questions ran through her mind. She could have sworn she'd been cold before; hadn't she been shivering?
She nestled into the warmth, feeling it shift around her. A clump of something cold fell on her shoulder with the movement, and she grimaced, finally opening her eyes.
It took a few minutes for it to set in. She was surrounded by snow--on either side, below, and above her. Had . . . had she fallen into a hole? No.
She remembered what happened in a blast of terrifying clarity. The Talus, the pale man, the ridge falling down on them, burying them . . . Link diving for her . . .
She gasped. Link! Where was he? Had he survived the crash? She tried to sit up, but a low whine made her freeze.
Somehow, in her earlier assessment, she'd failed to notice the large, black and gray lump that was keeping her from freezing to death. The lump that was moving.
Zelda's breathing started to speed up, and she forced herself to keep calm. The bulky shape began to move, another long, low whine coming from it. It was obviously an animal of some kind. Zelda's heart raced. She was literally pressed against it--surprising it with sudden movements wasn't the best choice.
So she slowly began to back away, though soon that plan forced her to stop. The fragile cage of snow around her shook with every movement, clumps of it falling down here and there. Zelda swore under her breath; what the hell was she supposed to do? Sit here and wait to be buried, or sit here and wait to be eaten?
The logical part of her mind told her that the animal--whatever it was--had undoubtedly saved her life. If it hadn't kept her warm, she would have frozen to death long before now. But perhaps she'd fallen into its den during the avalanche. Not to mention, she had no idea how much time had passed. Perhaps she'd only been knocked out for a short time, and now the beast was awakening due to the noise and her scent.
Zelda forced herself to keep her lips sealed as the beast slowly huffed and snorted, getting to its feet. Even through her fear, she couldn't help studying it.
Its movements seemed to be slow and measured--uncharacteristic for animals, to say the least. Its fur was mostly black and gray, though it had a spiky, black mane. Strange markings swirled on its sides, but Zelda couldn't be sure in the dim light. Its tail was bushy, swishing back and forth on the ground.
It turned, and Zelda had to hold in a gasp. Its eyes . . .
The brightest blue she'd ever seen, flecks of black and gray dotted here and there around the pupil. Stranger still, blue hoops hung from its ears.
It--the wolf, she realized--looked her right in the eyes and lowered its head, huffing gently. Zelda stared at it, mesmerized. This beast is like no wolf I've ever heard of, she thought. There was something familiar about it too, something about its eyes, maybe . . . Then she froze.
Its eyes. No wolf had blue eyes that bright, that . . . intelligent, and they certainly didn't wear earrings. And she knew only one person who wore blue hoops.
That's impossible, she thought firmly, ignoring the urge to stroke the wolf's nose. Link cannot turn into a wolf.
The idea was absurd, but a part of Zelda knew it was true, in the same way she'd known the Talus was about to attack. Her mind raged with itself, denying the possibility but finding no other explanation.
How could it even be possible? she thought, staring desperately into the wolf's eyes. Give me a sign, she begged. Something--anything to prove I'm not losing my mind.
The wolf raised its head, cocked it at an angle, and Zelda swore to the Goddesses amusement flickered in its eyes.
You hate open-backed dresses.
Zelda clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from screaming. How . . . that wasn't her voice! That was . . .
"Link?" she whispered.
The wolf pawed the ground, letting out a short bark. Zelda slowly lowered her hands; her fear fading to be replaced by confusion, wonder, and a dozen other emotions.
She had a thousand questions. How had he heard her? How does he turn into a wolf? Why hadn't he told her?
Link seemed to sense her impending interrogation, because he snorted impatiently and stepped forward until he was nose-to-nose with her. We have to go, he said, amazingly, in her head. I know you're confused, but this dome is going to collapse soon. Get as far from the center as you can, okay?
Reality returned abruptly, and Zelda nodded. Link was right. First they made sure they survived this--she'd been thinking that far too much lately--and then she could begin to process what was before her.
She crawled to the very edge of the small hole they were in, which she realized now Link must have dug so she wasn't buried. She watched, shivering, as Link hopped up on his hind legs, pawing at the dome above. It took several swipes of his paw, but finally the snow fell in a great pile. Afternoon sunshine blasted through. Link hopped out of the way in time, then clambered over the pile, growling as his hind foot fell through once.
The moment he was out, he stuck his head through the opening and barked at her. Zelda was already climbing over the snowpile, stumbling awkwardly; Link leaned in and seized the hood of her jacket in his jaws, hauling her out.
It was a bit of a struggle; the snow offered no solid footholds, and there were no trees or branches to provide handholds. Link's feet sank into the deep snow as he pulled her out, and once they were out, they both collapsed a few feet from the hole.
Link gave them no time to recover. Come on. This ground is unstable. He circled around Zelda as she got to her feet, teeth chattering. "I hate this mountain," she muttered, yanking her hood on.
Link barked, his laugh echoing in her head. He wound his way in front of her, shaking himself. He sent a look back at her when she didn't move and shook himself again. Zelda stared at him.
Link sighed in her head. Must I explain everything? Hold on to my scruff.
Zelda swiped at his ear, and his head whipped around to nip at her hand with a sharp yip of indignation. Zelda laughed; Link was just as expressive as a wolf as he was as a human, it seemed.
Her amusement faded quickly, though; the sun was setting, and if the mountain was as cold as it was during the day, she did not want to spend the night here. She grabbed Link's scruff and they set off through the deep snow.
Zelda had no idea where they were, no matter how hard she tried to get her bearings. The landscape around them was a barren blanket of white, gray mountain sides appearing here and there through snowdrifts. There didn't seem to be a path anywhere, so how did Link know where he was going? And where were they going?
Then she realized. He was a wolf; his senses of direction and smell were far superior to a human's. He could probably smell where the others were.
A pang went through her heart. She had no idea where the others had gone, if they'd survived. That attack had separated everyone.
Don't worry about the others, Link said, letting out a whine. They're fine. I sent them ahead to Highfort.
Zelda was shocked. Do they know about you?
Link glanced back at her, blue eyes unreadable. No. I'd rather it stay that way.
Zelda clamped her lips together. Okay.
She kept her wonderings about him to herself, though she wondered just how to herself they would be. It seemed Link could sense her thoughts, so what was stopping him from knowing what she was thinking all the time?
Zelda entertained this train of thought to distract from the encroaching cold, seeping even through her boots. The snow was so high in some places that clumps of it fell into the small spaces between her pants and boots, making her feet much colder. The wind turned feral, blasting snow and freezing air into her face. Her eyes watered and her nose ran. She could hardly feel her ears.
Link trudged ahead, the snow so high that it was level with his muzzle. He plowed through it, his body making a trench that Zelda could follow in.
She didn't know how long they struggled, but she knew the sun was just about to set below the horizon by the way the light was changing. The gold from hours earlier had changed to deep orange and red, and was now darkening into blue.
Zelda couldn't feel her feet, so when she lurched forward and fell into the snow, she guessed she'd stepped into a hole. She tried to push herself out of it, but her hands were frozen, and her body didn't want to move anymore.
Footsteps sounded, and there were hands on her wrists, hauling her to her feet. She leaned heavily against Link, not questioning why he'd transformed back, for he could have dragged her out with his strong jaws. She didn't have room for questions--her mind was consumed with cold.
Link swept her up and she curled against his chest, feeling his heart beat under his heavy winter clothes. She tried to apologize, but her mouth was slow and didn't want to form the words. Her voice was stuck in her throat.
Exhaustion and cold lulled her to sleep, and she imagined she was anywhere but this awful mountain. A field came to mind, the grass golden-green, up to their ankles and covered in wildflowers. The harsh wind faded to a warm, gentle breeze, and the white sky turned blue.
. . . Zelda, a voice said. It sounded like Link's. Zelda, what . . . you doing . . .?
Trying to sleep, she thought, nestling into his chest--
--the grass, savoring the way it itched at her skin. Link's voice was far away, but it came closer every second. Make . . . a perfect target . . .
Something cold blasted into her face, and she sputtered, lurching upright. Link was laughing, holding his stomach. Snarling, Zelda wiped the water off her face and chucked the bucket at Link. He ducked, still laughing. "I told you! You make a perfect target."
Hissing, Zelda launched herself at him with a feral grin, and they tumbled in the soft--
--snow, their gasps lost in the wind. Zelda crawled to the nearest snowbank and laid there, desperate for breath--
She held her stomach, eyes watering. "You couldn't just . . . let me sleep, could you . . ."
Link threw himself down beside her, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling in the sun. "I can't . . . you have to stay awake, you know."
Zelda chuckled. For what? she asked.
I can't . . . you have . . . stay awake . . .
Zelda closed her eyes, smiling, and nestled once again in the--
--snow, her body trembling. She was going to die here, she realized. Hands pulled her close, and a blast of heat warmed her chest. She huddled greedily into it, eyes scanning blearily the horizon. A lump sat in the distance, dark against a darker sky. She was blinded by the snow, bright amid the deep shadows.
"We were so close," Link murmured, voice so quiet.
Zelda pressed her face to him, trying desperately to recall her dream, but it was just out of her reach, teasing her.
We were so close, she thought.
Shouts sounded in the distance, barely audible. Zelda watched tiny dark shapes bob above the snow, even smaller flares of light illuminating them. Her eyelids were heavy.
So close . . .
The shouts came closer. But not close enough.
Zelda shut her eyes.
/
"How is she?"
"Hypothermia, same as him. I don't know how long they were out there, but it was long enough. Another hour and they would be beyond help."
A shuddering breath. "Thank you. You have done the empire a great service. How can we repay you?"
The response faded as the owners of the voices walked away. Zelda cracked her eyes open, her vision filling with warm candlelight and blurred hues of gold, red and brown.
For a split second she had the wild fear she was back on Fire Mountain. But then her mind cleared, and her eyes focused. She took a few moments to get her bearings.
She was in a bed, soft cotton bedclothes warming her under at least three blankets. The room was spacious, decorated with intricately woven tapestries. Candles sat in small silver dishes all over, fixed in place with their own wax. A few tables were scattered here and there, covered with books and dozens of maps and paper. Where am I?
Zelda moved the covers off gingerly and felt her hand sting. Hissing, she lifted it.
What in Nayru's name . . .
The back of her left hand was covered in angry, red scratches, some so harsh they'd started bleeding. She lifted the covers wildly, ignoring the way her vision spotted and shivers wracked her body. Was there an animal in her bed?
But no . . . as she lifted her shaking hands, she saw that the fingernails of her right were caked in blood. Zelda stared, feeling sick. Had she done this to herself? Did she have some sort of rash?
She inspected her left hand again, holding it close to the candle on the table beside her bed. There didn't seem to be any irritation; no bites, no welts beyond what she'd done herself. Perhaps the covers had tickled her in her sleep? But--
A knock came at the door seconds before it opened. Zelda thrust her hands under the covers as a woman in military garb entered. She looked surprised at seeing Zelda awake. "Your Majesty," she said, bowing. "I'm glad to see you are awake."
Another woman entered behind her, raven hair pulled into a bun and slim figure beneath her white coat. A doctor, Zelda guessed.
The woman smiled. "Empress. Sergeant Nara is right; you had us worried there for a while."
Zelda stared, her memory returning at a snail's pace. The doctor's smile faded. "Your Majesty, would you mind if I came closer?"
Slowly, Zelda nodded. What was this woman talking about?
The doctor approached until she was at Zelda's feet, kneeling so she was almost eye level. "Your Majesty--may I call you Zelda?"
Zelda nodded. "Zelda, you may not remember, but you almost froze to death on Snowpeak. You're lucky Captain Link was with you, and the same goes for him. Without each other, you both would have died."
"Patrols found you and brought you here, to Highfort," the woman continued, searching Zelda's eyes. "We had to put you in hot baths immediately . . . that was a mistake." She grimaced, taking a deep breath.
"Your heart stopped. The shock of going from freezing to such hot temperatures . . . your body couldn't take it. We took you out immediately and resuscitated you, but it was a close call. On behalf of the soldiers of Highfort, I would like to apologize. Please forgive us."
Zelda blinked owlishly, still taking it in. Her heart had stopped . . . she'd died. She was dead--for seconds only, but still. Ganondorf would have had a field day if he knew, she thought.
She snorted, the sharp sound jerking the doctor's head up. "It's all right," she croaked, voice hoarse from disuse. "It seems like every time I set foot on a mountain, I'm either dead or close to it. Please, continue."
The doctor and Sergeant Nara looked seriously worried at that statement, but she cleared her throat nonetheless. "Very well. After that, you behaved . . . strangely. You slept for hours on end, and every time we tried to feed you or give you water, you dissolved into fits. No one could get close."
Indeed, Sergeant Nara had remained a safe distance away the whole exchange. Zelda listened, fascinated but trying not to look it. "Whenever you were awake, you remembered nothing, and you were unable to move much. We assumed it was part of your recovery, but it worried us. And now, today, thankfully, it seems you are on the way to recovery."
The doctor smiled, as if that would lessen the blow her story had dealt to Zelda. She nodded, plastering a smile on, and for the first time she noticed how sore she was. Her muscles ached fiercely, and her ribcage felt bruised. I guess that's what dying does to you, she thought wryly.
She dismissed Nara and the doctor; as they closed the door, Zelda lay back against the headboard and stared up at the ceiling. A violent shiver wracked her body, so she burrowed back beneath the blankets, and soon she was unconscious.
/
Fires raged.
Screams of the dying roared in her head; they raced past her, shrieking with sick glee, raising crude clubs and macabre sickles. They cornered a young woman against a wall. Blood sprayed.
It flicked against Zelda's face as she fell, right into a puddle of red, soaking the green fields. "No," she begged, though the voice was not hers. Soft and feminine and strong, it echoed in the plains, bathed in red. "Please, not this. Anything but this!"
A child came running at her, tears mixing with the blood on her face, in her gold locks. Zelda reached out for her, but she was too late--
Blood spattered on Zelda's face, into her eyes. A scream built up in her throat as she gazed desperately around, watching the slaughter and powerless to stop it. No.
Ahead, in the distance, a figure was battling a monstrous creature. He was thrown down, but he kept getting up, golden hair flashing.
"You will know death." Zelda sobbed, crawling forward to that figure. She could see his eyes now--brightest blue, his sword a beam of light. The monster threw him to the ground again. And again, he got to his feet.
"You will know despair." He swung his blade, but it went wide, leaving his chest exposed. Zelda screamed as a hole was punched right through him. Red splattered the ground, and he fell. He did not get back up again.
Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood. Her own scream was lost in the cacophony, the slaughter endless. She covered her ears, but it made no difference.
"Thousands will die by his hand, and beasts of old will awake." Zelda dragged herself through the gore, her legs useless, cut at the ankles, but something grabbed her by the hair and lifted her. Claws dug into her scalp.
She looked into the monster's face and had to hold back a scream. Its bulbous eyes flicked back and forth, a forked tongue licking her face. It shook her violently, then threw her against a wall, covered in the remains of soldiers. Fires burned all around her. Smoke blinded her, choked her. She coughed, unable to see through her streaming eyes--
Then it was there, and it raised its boomerang, gleaming in the fire--
"For he heralds a new age of darkness."
The boomerang fell. Laughter boomed across the field--
Golden eyes flashed--
Zelda screamed--
--lurching upright in her bed, the echoes bouncing around the halls of the wintry castle. She was soaked in sweat, her chest heaving. She threw the sheets off, searching her body for fresh wounds, holding her shaking hands to her face.
Thumps sounded outside her door; Zelda sobbed, her face streaked with tears as a figure burst through and rushed to her side. "Zelda! What's--"
"Stay back!" she shrieked. They stopped abruptly, a foot from the bed, and the dull light of the moon illuminated their blue eyes. Zelda wept silently, her chest hitching, and she deflated, crumpling in on herself. She buried her hands in her face, her mind replaying that nightmare over and over--the moment he fell.
He's not dead, she told herself firmly. He's not dead. He's here--he's alive.
Link came around the bed and climbed in, holding her to him, stroking her hair. She sobbed into his chest, burrowing against him as harsh voices filled the doorway. They got louder when Link responded, trying to force their way--
You will know despair--
"Get out!" she shrieked, throwing the candle Link had brought. The figures ducked, silent now. Zelda fell back against the headboard, deaf to Link's words. She shut her eyes, tears streaming--all she could hear was that voice, those monsters, all she could see was that death.
She covered her ears and screamed and screamed, but the slaughter never stopped.
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:)
REVIEW REPLIES.
To Oracle of Hylia: I loved the dye shop haha. Poor link indeed :(
To Ultimate blazer: tell me about it (muahaha) almost all of them! We still got a few to go. Your welcome!
To Generala: all of them haha. There were a bunch. I adored Revali tbh, he was a snooty birb but lovable lol. Mustache? If you meant the guy in the field, well, he's not too important honestly, but I did get a laugh about Ingo! Maybe he'll have a cameo lmaoo. Oh jeez XD. I better watch my back!
I'm glad you all enjoyed, and I hope this makes you feel appropriately shooketh HAHA. See y'all Thursday, and thanks to all who review favorite and follow! Love ya.
Later~
