Chapter Thirteen:

Link could tell that Loraefin was very emotionally unstable now. She didn't say a word on the way up the trail. In the three days of his absence Link had scouted around and finally found the cave in which Pamiea spoke of. She was right when she said it was infested with Keese, he had killed as many as he could, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they returned. And now he had to protect himself and his new companion from them, sure they were small, but they hurt. The entrance of the tunnel was pitch black, but Link was prepared for this. On his first excursion he had found old hand torches a few yards in and a starter torch attached to the inside wall. Not wanting to waste his magic, or draw attention he lit the oil soaked rags on each end the old fashion way with his sword and a flint rock. He handed one to Loraefin.

"Here."

She wasn't paying attention. She was in her own little world, looking down on her hometown, wondering if she was ever to see it again, her family again.

"Loraefin," he said again, this time getting a response. She took the torch from his outstretched arm and followed him in. Her heart was beating wildly, she was afraid; she had to admit that to herself, she was afraid. Navi flew ahead a few paces, lighting the way with her glow.

"This way Link!" She squeaked. Though Navi never said, she was glad to be getting on with this quest. The three traveled deeper into the cave. They walked slowly, trying to prevent as much tripping as possible from the rocks that were scattered everywhere you walked. A Keese came screaming through the air and flew through Link's torch, turning it into a flying fireball.

"What is that?!" Loraefin screamed and ducked. Link gripped the hilt of the sword firmly and killed it, easy as pie.

"They're called Keese and we'll be seeing a lot more of them." He said straightforwardly as he pulled his shield down from its resting-place on his back. "Here, use this when we see another one."

She gulps "Another one?" Somehow she wasn't surprised. The trio had been walking around for about an hour when Loraefin finally spoke up. "Do you know where you're going?" They all stopped. "I feel like we've been walking around in circles."

Link was deep in thought. "I thought it was this way." He said under his breath. Unfortunately Loraefin heard.

"You thought it was this way? Link do you know where we are?"

"Of course I do," but of course he didn't.

"I knew it, we're lost," she said bluntly and mumbled the word he had heard her use on several occasions under her breath, "bre'kenaar". Link rolled his eyes and continued walking. But Loraefin stopped completely, she didn't move, barely breathed…"Link! Link!" She whispered. "What was that?" He turned around suddenly.

"What was what?"

"That! Didn't you hear it?"

"No."

"There it is again!" She hissed.

This time Link heard it though. It wasn't a Keese, he knew that right off, it was more of a shuffling noise…A Stalfos? No, no they wouldn't be here…A Dodongo? No, not that either…

"Megeara!" Loraefin screamed with joy and ran to embrace her. The flame of the torch illuminated the girl's red hair. She smiled and let out a quick laugh. "By Naryu I've missed you already! What…what are you doing here?"

Megeara smiles at her friend. "Um…I couldn't sleep?"

Loraefin roller her eyes and hugger her friend again. What could she say? She was sentimental.

"So…this is how you get out of here?" Megeara looked around with childish fascination. "It's um…nice."

"Nice if I could remember the way out of here," Link commented. Megeara looked at Loraefin and they both looked at Link whose back was facing them.

"How did you find us?" Loraefin asked.

"I followed you," she said.

"Meg, you know you can't come with us," Loraefin said sadly. Megeara gave a half smile.

"I know, I know, but I wanted to see you off," she spoke with a laugh, "besides, I can't sleep when something as important as this is happening now can I?" She glanced around the cavern and returned to Loraefin, "it's like them to hide this huh?"

"I think it's this way," Navi says as she quickly flies around a corner, her glow still visible on the wall. "Whoa! This place is huge!" She comments which somehow struck the others as funny. The cavern opened up to a gigantic underground room decorated in stalagmites and other strange rock formations.

"You're right, this place is big," Megeara acknowledges.

"Light! I see light!" Navi yells from the other side of the room. Megeara and Loraefin scurried down the deformed path to the bottom of the room and climbed up the other side. Link followed behind them. The two were standing in awe when he arrived, he looked out, not seeing anything special, he only surmised they were experiencing what he did when he left Kokiri Forest for the first time. The moon was sitting low on the horizon, sending silver rays across Hyrule Field. Fog had set in around Death Mountain so the peaks seemed to loom above the ground, suspended in mid air. Lon Lon Ranch was nothing but a shadowed figure on a hill, with Hyrule Castle lurking behind it. It was nothing like the two girls had ever seen before.

"It's so beautiful," Megeara said under her breath.

"I can't believe…we left the valley," Loraefin realized. "We left the valley."

***



  Loraefin knew that Megeara couldn't go with them, but to have to say good-bye again was a harder task than the first time. But that time had come for them to part again; Megeara had to be back home and in bed before daybreak. The two girls embraced each other again, only this time it was harder to let go.

"Take care of my family," Loraefin said quietly. "I know my parents won't take this well. If they ask about me, tell them I went willingly…and not to worry."

"Remember your promise to me Loraefin," Megeara smiled, all of her love for her friend showing, "you come back to us."

"I know. And hey, maybe I won't be gone for that long," she wiped a tear that escaped down her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm coming back. It's only a matter of time that's all."

"Summer, I expect you back at the end of the summer," Megeara teased. "Come Hell or high water, if you're not back by then…" She hugged her firmly. "I'm coming looking for you."

Loraefin looked her straight into her eyes and laughed.

"I'll be there."