Chapter 3
Impossible was the only word that came to her mind.
Unthinkable.
Inconceivable.
Why? How? What?
She continued tapping at the ice with her awl and hammer. Thin cracks spread about the ice, but there were no dents, or anything else that gave her hope. She didn't dare work close to any of the frozen bodies, for fear that her hand might slip and cut one of them. She didn't care to see anymore red ice.
Naturally, her father simply stayed put, rooted to his throne, still maintaining order. She doubted that he even cared. Ruto cursed under her breath, regretting the day she'd begun this task.
"I wonder if there's any hope for the Zoras. If there's any way to save them now. Or if this entire mission is a fool's errand, and I am merely trying to succeed while attempting the..." she broke off, and continued chiseling away at the ice. This would get her no where, and she knew it. But what else was there to do?
Sighing, she stood up. Long ago she'd heard of a place far away from her sheltered homeland. There were towering buildings, bustling shops, and vibrant, animated crowds of people. She's heard of games, and magical potions. Possibly, one that would cure the Zoras of this dreadful fate...
She sprang into a run, stepping out from Zoras Domain. For the second time in her life she felt fear. It coursed through her, making her every step steady and careful. One thing she always could depend on was that her life was safe. Now, she was not even sure of that. And the places far away could hold new dangers, new threats, and simply new things. Things she'd never heard of, never experienced. She breathed heavily as her foot first touched the warm, dry soil of Hyrule Field.
And she didn't pause for a moment until she saw the drawbridge that lead to the market.
Ruto halted, gasping for her breath. "I never realized," she mumbled, "just how vast Hyrule really is." She cocked her head to the side, realizing that the drawbridge was creaking upwards, towards the tangy, melting shades of the sunset.
It slammed shut with a loud thwack, leaving her stranded. She bit her lip, waiting for it to come back down. The moon bathed everything in its cool light, making her shiver a bit, although it wasn't cold at all. Every sound seemed to grow in the open air of the night.
"What was that?" Ruto backed up a step, hearing a faint clattering, like metal and wood. She could vaguely make out the silhouettes of some raggedly clad figures approaching her. But there were no words, just the same, continuous, uncanny sound echoing with their every step. "Who's there?" she whispered, making every attempt to remain still.
She could now tell that there were two of them. And upon hearing her voice they both jolted up, sniffing the air and growling. She'd heard of these, long ago, but never had she believed the tales. "Stalchilds..." she gasped.
Stalchilds were the ghostly skeletons slaughtered by Ganondorf. It was said that they came out every night, only in pairs. Then, they tried to obliterate any unfortunate soul stranded in the darkness of the night. Trying to let them taste the true horror of death. Ruto pressed her body against one of the stone posts that housed the drawbridge, praying that they wouldn't see her, praying that she'd live...
One of them limped over to her, swiping at the air. She could see how bedraggled it was, and she felt a pang of pity for it. It was not by its choice that it crawled from the bare earth by night to feast on mortals. Once, it to had been alive, and it had been killed defending its own people. Ironically, now it would kill its own people. She stifled a scream as she felt its bone clad fingers claw against her leg.
"I have no weapon against it," Ruto murmured, "But it's so ancient..." Hesitantly, she kicked at its knees. The creature snarled angrily, and backed up. Ruto glanced about desperately, and grabbed a long deku stick that was situated only a foot away from her. Yes, they made poor weapons, but she didn't have the time to be meticulous. She recoiled in horror as two more clawed their way from the ground.
"If only I could make my way to the path. I've heard they can't reach me there. Because so many pure souls have tread on it, it frightens them away," she edged a step farther from them. One approached her again, ferociously mumbling in an old language. She hit it sharply on the skull, snapping her stick in two, but causing the skeleton to crumble to dust at her feet.
"Get back," she growled, waving the broken stick in the air, "I'm warning you, I'm very good with weapons," she continued to pace about, every time bringing herself closer to the path. Well, she was good with sharp icicles...sort of. Her foot buried itself in the course sand that made the Hyrulian pathways. She breathed a sigh of relief, as she pulled her entire body there as well. Exhausted, she sat down, drawing her knees up to her chest. She smirked as the Stalchilds viciously clawed at the ground, burrowing back into the depths from which they'd sprung.
* * * *
The crowing of a rooster echoed through the silent air, filling the air with the rising sun and the crisp morning skies. Ruto stretched, her eyes flittering open. Relief flowed through her. Relief that those creatures were gone, relief she'd made it to her destination, relief that she was alive. She stood up quickly, shook her head clear, and waited patiently as the bridge lowered.
The creaking of the drawbridge sounded, and she rushed across it immediately. Any fears of this foreign town had vanished, as she clutched the strand that held her life only a night ago. She sauntered inside, trying to remain inconspicuous. But upon seeing the canty array of colors, the scenic designs and structures, and the groups of people clad in garments she'd never before fathomed; she promptly froze, her eyes glued to every image that made the town.
No one seemed to even note her presence, something she was not used to, and yet she relished. Charily, she opened a random door and stepped inside.
It was...antic. A young man was positioned behind a long counter, and behind him eldritch remedies and artifacts were stacked en masse. Dust settled on a pile of crystal bottles, all empty and cracked. The walls were all empty, save a few lopsided shelves. Ruto approached the counter warily.
"I'm in need of a potion," she croaked, her voice timid.
The man's eyes skimmed her briefly, "You're a Zora?" he grinned. "Alright, what do you need?"
"I need to melt..." she broke off, "I want to get rid of some ice."
"Why would you need to do that?" he scoffed.
"Because my..." she glared at him, skeptically. "I might slip," she continued tartly.
"We don't have anything that melts ice, but you might try some salt."
Ruto raised her eyebrow, narked by his sarcastic phrases. "It's not your usual ice," she muttered, "I need something stronger."
"Red ice?" he asked.
"You know of it?" she breathed, feeling alleviation.
"Of course. I know of all those occult forces out there. That's why I'm in this business."
Ruto bit her lip, temptation pulling her in two directions. Should she tell this stranger of the Zoras, risking all that she held close? But perchance he could help her, and her people might not be trapped everlastingly...
"My land has been frozen. And the Zoras are trapped beneath the ice. I want to get them out," her tone was so even that it was chilling.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "And I won't tell anyone. I can tell you don't want many to know of this."
"What do I do?" she implored, her voice shaking.
"No magic will help you, or your land. But I do know what might. I've heard of a chosen one, the one responsible for Hyrule's salvation..."
"He will not help me," Ruto grimaced, drumming her slender fingers on the wood. She stood somber for a moment, ruminating what she should do, how she should do it...suddenly, her eyes flashed with life. "But I know one who can."
She sported towards the door. "Maybe we'll meet again someday," she called, never once turning back.
Because that was the past. And all she wanted now was the future.
