I do not own Zelda. If I did, I wouldn't be taking the time to write
stories for web sites, I would probably be basking in the sun near a giant
swimming pool while the beautiful afternoon crawled by and I did whatever
really rich people do.
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While Zenk and his captains were straining to come up with an idea to free Ankor's zoras, Antia and Raker were relaxing inside their stronghold.
The army was still patrolling the perimeter of Hyrule Castle under the watchful eye of Foralin, the black goron. Arfan and a select few guarded the base of Death Mountain, preventing the gorons from sending any messengers to the hylian fortress, while Dak and ten others accompanied the two generals.
Antia poured a glass of wine for her comrade. "Thank you, my love," said Raker.
As they drank, Dak walked up to them. Though Antia was irritated with her brother for failing the mission, she motioned for him to sit down.
"Here you are, brother," she said. "Have some wine. Soon, the hylians will fall and the Gerudos will prevail. There is no use blaming you for mistakes that will make no difference. Besides, I have decided I want to kill the prince myself." She raised her glass, grinning. "Tomorrow, we will be the rulers of Hyrule! You and me, Raker, my dear brother Dak, the fearful Foralin, and even Captain Arfan shall be rewarded, as she has served me well. Here's a toast to the downfall of the hylians, and the rise of our superior race!"
After drinking, Dak returned to his chamber and Raker escorted Antia back to her room.
She hung her scythe on the wall and turned to the Desert General. "Fools, love, every one of them," she laughed. "My brother will live, but Foralin is not Gerudo and Arfan will one day challenge our authority. Therefor they must both die. But first, I will let them aid me in the final blow against the hylians."
Raker threw his sheathed sword to the pine floor. "How do I know you won't do the same to me?" he asked her.
Antia grinned at him. She laid down on her back on the straw mat and looked over at Raker with her misty blue eyes, her face gleaming in the dim moonlight. "Now why would I do that?" she whispered.
* * *
At that precise moment, Aridwyn was creeping silently away from Hyrule Castle. It was near impossible; the hillside was literally crawling with Gerudo warriors. Even though the young maiden was disguised as one of the desert thieves, she knew the trick wouldn't last long and it would be best not to be seen as she worked her way past the guards.
A movement to the left caught her eye. Quickly, she ducked behind a nearby maple tree.
"Where are we going, Foralin?" came the soft voice of a Gerudo. By her uniform Aridwyn could tell the speaker was some kind of captain.
But it was the dark form beside her that Aridwyn's wide blue eyes were fixed on. She had seen a few gorons in Hyrule Castle; before the Gerudo siege they had come and gone as they pleased. This was no normal goron. He was colored black from head to foot, and his glowing red eyes were the only way Aridwyn could see him in the dim light of the moon. His darkened features were expressionless as his sullen eyes darted right and left.
Aridwyn gulped. The goron turned and looked straight at the tree that the frightened maiden cowered behind.
Suddenly, a Gerudo guard ran up to the captain. "Banora reporting, Captain," she said loudly. Both the goron and his companion whipped around to face Banora.
It was all Aridwyn needed. As quietly as she could, she scampered away from the frightening goron and the army of Gerudo warriors, none of them aware that they had been bested by a single hylian maiden.
* * *
The guard looked up as another Gerudo walked into the room. "What's the report?" she said lazily.
Without stopping, the silent Gerudo drew her spear and ran it through the stomach of the guard. Two other guards cried in surprise and leapt at the warrior, swinging their swords. She quickly ducked under the blades and stabbed the Gerudos.
The silent warrior undid her face mask and started to cut the ropes that bound the zoras before her.
"Who are you?" Ankor asked.
She looked over at him and smiled. "I'm from Hyrule Castle," she whispered. "My name is Aridwyn."
Once all of the zoras were free, Aridwyn spoke to Ankor. "It would be impossible to get all of you back to the castle with those guards everywhere. Instead, we shall go to Death Mountain and stay with King Darronn's gorons until Prince Zenk does something about the siege."
Ankor nodded in approval, and they set out quietly, as to not awake the slumbering Gerudos in the nearby chambers.
* * *
Zenk and his captains would have loved to know that Ankor's zoras were free and safely making their way to Death Mountain. They had been conferring over dinner for the past two hours and no one could come up with a good plan. Tempers were running high and the atmosphere was miserable.
"They have our allies as captives, we're greatly outnumbered, and we don't even have a king," Zenk said gloomily.
Suddenly, Leen ran into the council hall, her bloodshot eyes glistening and her face stained with dried tears. "If it's any consolation at all, Prince," she cried, "the fool Aridwyn can't be found, so you won't have to worry about her messing thing up again!" Before anyone could say a word, she rushed from the room, sobbing.
"Who does that girl think she is, barging into the council room and insulting the prince?" Levin Baster said aloud.
Farhill glared at him. "She was just informing us, Baster. Why are you always the one complaining?"
Immediately, all of the captains started shouting and arguing.
"Quiet!" yelled Zenk, leaping to his feet. "Captains, right! You are acting like a bunch of fools! That's enough of this for tonight. Get to your chambers and we'll discuss our next move in the morning, because apparently you can't handle night council!" The prince's tone was so severe and his face so full of anger that no one dared argue.
Zenk collapsed into his bed and looked to the sky, dreading the coming of dawn and the rising of the sun.
* * *
King Darronn paced about his chamber on the lowest level of the city of the gorons atop Death Mountain. He sighed restlessly and awaited the coming of morning, each day bringing him closer to a war that was inevitable.
* * *
Queen Antia knew she was playing a dangerous game. Because Raker possessed sharp instincts and vicious fighting skills, she was apprehensive about trusting him. Ruling was always better alone, so she decided to sleep and wait for the new dawn to make her move.
* * *
Ankor, camped with Aridwyn and the rest of the zora survivors at the base of Death Mountain, looked to the purple sky. He laid down and remembered with sorrow the peaceful seasons that were no more, awaiting the day where they would begin their rocky ascent to the safety of Goron City.
* * *
Many were waiting to see what the new day would bring. Indeed, only one race was at ease, safely hidden within the protective boughs of a magical forest under the watchful eye of an ancient oak.
TO BE CONTINUED... You know the rule. Give me some reviews, and I'll give you some more chapters.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------
While Zenk and his captains were straining to come up with an idea to free Ankor's zoras, Antia and Raker were relaxing inside their stronghold.
The army was still patrolling the perimeter of Hyrule Castle under the watchful eye of Foralin, the black goron. Arfan and a select few guarded the base of Death Mountain, preventing the gorons from sending any messengers to the hylian fortress, while Dak and ten others accompanied the two generals.
Antia poured a glass of wine for her comrade. "Thank you, my love," said Raker.
As they drank, Dak walked up to them. Though Antia was irritated with her brother for failing the mission, she motioned for him to sit down.
"Here you are, brother," she said. "Have some wine. Soon, the hylians will fall and the Gerudos will prevail. There is no use blaming you for mistakes that will make no difference. Besides, I have decided I want to kill the prince myself." She raised her glass, grinning. "Tomorrow, we will be the rulers of Hyrule! You and me, Raker, my dear brother Dak, the fearful Foralin, and even Captain Arfan shall be rewarded, as she has served me well. Here's a toast to the downfall of the hylians, and the rise of our superior race!"
After drinking, Dak returned to his chamber and Raker escorted Antia back to her room.
She hung her scythe on the wall and turned to the Desert General. "Fools, love, every one of them," she laughed. "My brother will live, but Foralin is not Gerudo and Arfan will one day challenge our authority. Therefor they must both die. But first, I will let them aid me in the final blow against the hylians."
Raker threw his sheathed sword to the pine floor. "How do I know you won't do the same to me?" he asked her.
Antia grinned at him. She laid down on her back on the straw mat and looked over at Raker with her misty blue eyes, her face gleaming in the dim moonlight. "Now why would I do that?" she whispered.
* * *
At that precise moment, Aridwyn was creeping silently away from Hyrule Castle. It was near impossible; the hillside was literally crawling with Gerudo warriors. Even though the young maiden was disguised as one of the desert thieves, she knew the trick wouldn't last long and it would be best not to be seen as she worked her way past the guards.
A movement to the left caught her eye. Quickly, she ducked behind a nearby maple tree.
"Where are we going, Foralin?" came the soft voice of a Gerudo. By her uniform Aridwyn could tell the speaker was some kind of captain.
But it was the dark form beside her that Aridwyn's wide blue eyes were fixed on. She had seen a few gorons in Hyrule Castle; before the Gerudo siege they had come and gone as they pleased. This was no normal goron. He was colored black from head to foot, and his glowing red eyes were the only way Aridwyn could see him in the dim light of the moon. His darkened features were expressionless as his sullen eyes darted right and left.
Aridwyn gulped. The goron turned and looked straight at the tree that the frightened maiden cowered behind.
Suddenly, a Gerudo guard ran up to the captain. "Banora reporting, Captain," she said loudly. Both the goron and his companion whipped around to face Banora.
It was all Aridwyn needed. As quietly as she could, she scampered away from the frightening goron and the army of Gerudo warriors, none of them aware that they had been bested by a single hylian maiden.
* * *
The guard looked up as another Gerudo walked into the room. "What's the report?" she said lazily.
Without stopping, the silent Gerudo drew her spear and ran it through the stomach of the guard. Two other guards cried in surprise and leapt at the warrior, swinging their swords. She quickly ducked under the blades and stabbed the Gerudos.
The silent warrior undid her face mask and started to cut the ropes that bound the zoras before her.
"Who are you?" Ankor asked.
She looked over at him and smiled. "I'm from Hyrule Castle," she whispered. "My name is Aridwyn."
Once all of the zoras were free, Aridwyn spoke to Ankor. "It would be impossible to get all of you back to the castle with those guards everywhere. Instead, we shall go to Death Mountain and stay with King Darronn's gorons until Prince Zenk does something about the siege."
Ankor nodded in approval, and they set out quietly, as to not awake the slumbering Gerudos in the nearby chambers.
* * *
Zenk and his captains would have loved to know that Ankor's zoras were free and safely making their way to Death Mountain. They had been conferring over dinner for the past two hours and no one could come up with a good plan. Tempers were running high and the atmosphere was miserable.
"They have our allies as captives, we're greatly outnumbered, and we don't even have a king," Zenk said gloomily.
Suddenly, Leen ran into the council hall, her bloodshot eyes glistening and her face stained with dried tears. "If it's any consolation at all, Prince," she cried, "the fool Aridwyn can't be found, so you won't have to worry about her messing thing up again!" Before anyone could say a word, she rushed from the room, sobbing.
"Who does that girl think she is, barging into the council room and insulting the prince?" Levin Baster said aloud.
Farhill glared at him. "She was just informing us, Baster. Why are you always the one complaining?"
Immediately, all of the captains started shouting and arguing.
"Quiet!" yelled Zenk, leaping to his feet. "Captains, right! You are acting like a bunch of fools! That's enough of this for tonight. Get to your chambers and we'll discuss our next move in the morning, because apparently you can't handle night council!" The prince's tone was so severe and his face so full of anger that no one dared argue.
Zenk collapsed into his bed and looked to the sky, dreading the coming of dawn and the rising of the sun.
* * *
King Darronn paced about his chamber on the lowest level of the city of the gorons atop Death Mountain. He sighed restlessly and awaited the coming of morning, each day bringing him closer to a war that was inevitable.
* * *
Queen Antia knew she was playing a dangerous game. Because Raker possessed sharp instincts and vicious fighting skills, she was apprehensive about trusting him. Ruling was always better alone, so she decided to sleep and wait for the new dawn to make her move.
* * *
Ankor, camped with Aridwyn and the rest of the zora survivors at the base of Death Mountain, looked to the purple sky. He laid down and remembered with sorrow the peaceful seasons that were no more, awaiting the day where they would begin their rocky ascent to the safety of Goron City.
* * *
Many were waiting to see what the new day would bring. Indeed, only one race was at ease, safely hidden within the protective boughs of a magical forest under the watchful eye of an ancient oak.
TO BE CONTINUED... You know the rule. Give me some reviews, and I'll give you some more chapters.
