Chapter Three:
Link had been asked to wait outside for a moment as Pamiea and the other elders talked to Loraefin alone. Having left once, this conversation went a little smoother and Link was hoping for the best. He was not going to leave with her like they did last time; he did want to be welcomed back here again. There was some talk Loraefin had told him one time about revealing the valley to the 'outside' they called it. It was only talk she reminded him, but nonetheless whatever talk might have gone on must certainly be working in their favor this time. Link leaned up against the wall of Megeara's house where Pamiea had called the elders to meet. Loraefin had been in there by herself for some time now and Link was starting to wonder. The door creaked open and Loraefin stepped out, shutting it behind her. Her expression was that of skepticism and a bit of amusement. She looked at Link and tried to suppress a smile.
"Well?" Link asked anxiously.
"They agreed," she let the smile come forward.
"That's great news Fin!" He said, throwing his arms out excitedly.
"Some aren't so sure about me being associated with your dream, but they're letting me go anyway. It's strange; I wasn't expecting that reaction…I think because Pamiea believes you, that helped a lot. Everyone listens to her," Loraefin sighed contently. "There is a 'but' though…" Link's face dropped a bit.
"What kind of 'but' are we talking about here?" He asked.
"Megeara and Lolita have to come with me, I can't go otherwise. They don't want me going alone," she suppressed a laugh at the thought of Lolita flirting with Link the whole way. Link cocked his head to the side.
"But you won't be alone, you'll be with me," he said.
"That's their point," she replied and blushed.
***
They left from the valley the morning after next bright and early. Megeara and Lolita were bursting with excitement as they made their way through the tunnel. The sun hit them again with its warm golden rays and Hyrule Field was illuminated with its brilliance. Link told them that they had a pretty long walk ahead of them since he had not planned on having so many travel companions and did not arrange for extra horses. He had sent Epona back off to the ranch when he left her on the field, she knew her way by instinct and always went back there when she knew Link was not going to return for awhile. Traveling on foot, it would take them probably a day and a half of traveling, maybe two. He didn't have that kind of time to kill. Epona couldn't hold them all, she was a strong horse, but four people just wouldn't fit on her back, and no other horse in Hyrule was at his beckoned call nor could she have heard him from this distance anyhow.
Before he had left to Murieope, Link had arranged it with the king that Loraefin could stay at the castle during the arrival of the Sages. Hopefully two more people wouldn't be too much of a problem he thought. Anybody that saw them would think them just travelers from another country with business at the castle based on their looks. Lolita had very strong Gerudo features with her dark skin, round ears and large hazel eyes, though she did not have the typical Gerudo red hair. And Loraefin, though her features a little less dominant, was no doubt not a purebred Hylian. Megeara had the strongest Hylian features, though her round ears set her apart from the normal Hyrule Market shopper. But anyone that looked at them would just guess that they were from another country, most likely Cybil, which was south and down the coast of Hyrule. So Link didn't worry too much about it. Besides, he and Loraefin did not seem to have any problems the first time and at the rate they were going they weren't going to make it any time soon.
"So where's your place Link?" Lolita winked playfully at him. Link snapped out of his train of thought.
"Oh it's um…over there, in the forest," he mumbled. Lolita raised an eyebrow.
"So…is that where we're going to stay?" She winked again. "I'm up for it."
"Can't Lola, there is something about the forest…err, Link you told me about it once…Something about it being enchanted or something like that?" Loraefin tried to remember.
"Something like that," Link repeated with a laugh. "I can't explain it myself, it's a long story. Besides, my house is to small, it just fits Navi and myself." Lolita leaned over and whispered something in Gerudo to Megeara with a sly smile. Megeara rolled her eyes and whispered something back.
"Where is Navi?" Megeara asked. "I can't believe I didn't notice earlier, she's not with you."
"Navi doesn't like the cold, she thought it best if she stayed where she could keep warm. She's waiting for me back in Kokiri, I'll have to go get her before we go to Hyrule Castle Town."
"So, Lolita…what do you think of Hyrule so far?" Loraefin asked, turning to Lolita.
"It's a big field."
They had laughed at this and continued walking. Link knew very well that by the end of the day they would all be too tired to walk another one. He should have thought of it at the time, but maybe they could have tried to bring two of the horses out of the valley with them. The tunnel was wide but the horses were most likely to be frightened and wouldn't go through, which left them walking. Link once again droned out the chatter of the women and went on in silence, only giving a small sign every now and then that he was listening. The outskirts of the forest that created the line where the field started and ended on its southeastern boarder were coming up now. Link watched the tops of the trees absentmindedly until his eyes came to rest on a smudge of gray against the blue sky. The smoke seemed to be coming from a chimney, but as far as Link knew nobody lived out in this area. If it was a house, he thought, then maybe they would have horses they could use to ride to Hyrule Castle Town. He signaled to the others and changed directions, leaving them to run after and badger him with questions.
The smoke had not looked like it came from too deep within the woods, and Link with his keen nose could distinctly smell the scent of rabbit cooking. Trees grew up tall and broad all around them with melting snow dripping from the leaves; this forest was thought to be from when the Goddesses had created Hyrule. Link didn't know if he believed that, it seemed a bit of an exaggeration to him. In front of them loomed an old woodcutter's cabin nestled within two large tree trunks with splotches of dirty white snow still unthawed in the shadows. Rays of sunlight licked down between the branches around it, scattering the pale glimmer.
"Do you know who lives here Link?" Megeara whispered, drawing herself up to her full height beside him so they came shoulder and shoulder. Link shook his head.
"No, but look," he pointed over to the overhanging thatched animal stall off the side of the house to two dark colored horses there and a wagon. "Maybe we can borrow their horses, or at least they could give us a ride into town." The others nodded silently behind him and waited for him to knock at the door. Link gave it three sharp rasps and they paused for an answer. They could hear scuffling and muffled voices inside, but no one came to answer.
"Hello?" Link called through the open window that was placed to high for him to see into. "Is anyone there? Please, we were wondering if we might get a ride into town." When no one replied Link and the others circled around to the horses to see if they could find anyone there. There was no one, only the long stretch of forest and the faint gurgle of the creek nearby. Lolita had a chill go up her spine like someone was watching them and she quickly spun around to find a tall figure standing there staring at them. She gasped and her Gerudo brown eyes went wide and everyone else turned around to see what had frightened her. Megeara and Loraefin stumbled a step backward when they saw him and Loraefin bumped into Link, who was the only one who stood his ground.
"What are you doing here?" The man said with a low and rich voice. Link stepped forward and the man's eyes narrowed only for a moment, so quickly no one could catch it. He was a tall man, almost an entire head taller than Link with dark clothing and deep set, brown- red eyes. His hair, which was shorn close to his head except for a few longer strands by his slim elfin ears and sloping forehead, with a small, tightly tied ponytail at the base of his head that was so pale it could have been white. His broad features and piercing eyes made the girls nervous, not knowing what his intentions were though they tried not to show it.
"We're sorry for intruding, my name is Link and my friends and I were wondering if we could perhaps borrow your horses if you are not in need of them right away for a ride to town." Link spoke calmly, breaking a smile to try and show the man their good intentions. He stepped forward and extended his hand in a friendly gesture, but Link's reflexes were ready to grab the short sword he carried on his back for traveling in occasions like this. The man's eyes darted from face to face before he turned and walked back to the front of the cottage, giving a wave of his hand as a single motion to follow. He opened the old wooden door with a creak and led them inside without a word.
Another man, younger and more slender than the first was hunching by the fire but rose to his feet when he saw that his companion was not alone. He had the same, deep-set brown-red eyes as the first, but with straw colored hair and a boyish complexion, not at all like the hardened, chiseled face of his friend. But as he turned to face them, they could see the scarred marks that marred and stretched across the lower left side of his face. His eyes darted to the other man quickly and the man nodded unpretentiously.
"Please, sit down. I'm afraid we don't have much to offer you as food, we have only enough for ourselves this night." The man saw them seated and ladled himself out some water into his wooden tumbler and threw his head back quickly and drank it. "My name is Orion, and this," he pointed to the other man which was plain to see just barely that, "this is my companion Kiehs." The younger man nodded with an amused smile at the man, but was still silent.
"Yes, Kiehs, um…pleasure to meet you," Kiehs mumbled still with the amused grin as he stirred what was cooking in the pot over the fire. Orion sat down on an old stump that had been rolled in as a seat and the floorboards creaked beneath it. There was a long pause with no sound other than the crackling of the fire. Loraefin sat nervously fidgeting her fingers, but couldn't help but glance over at the younger man every now and then. He glanced up and caught her gaze once until he smiled and she had to look away from those unusual colored eyes of his that seemed to be able to search her soul or some such nonsense. The pink, misshapen skin of his scar stretched over onto his lips, making his smile all the more curious, and alluring. She had been so busy watching him that she had become unaware that the others were speaking.
"A ride into town you say?" Orion's tight lips curled into a smile as he glanced over to Kiehs who was just pouring what little was in the pot into two bowls. They had offered some to their guests, but they kindly turned them down. Kiehs handed Orion a bowl of the thin rabbit stew and sat down beside him beside the fire.
"Well, perhaps we can give you some help. This cabin," Orion lifted his hand and waved it nonchalantly about the room, "we found it abandoned here a few nights ago when the last winter storm blew in and we needed shelter. We are travelers you see. It appears to have been abandoned for some time, but there is a cart around the back that is still in good condition. I cannot allow you to take our horses, but we will accompany you into town. Kiehs and I were on our way to Kakariko and now that the storms have ceased for a while, we should be heading on ourselves."
"That's great!" Loraefin said excitedly. The older man gave her an amused smile and Loraefin quickly went silenced with embarrassment.
"We'd be most grateful Orion, walking it would take us at least another day and a half," Link accepted the water Kiehs had offered him and let the cup sit idly in his hand for a moment.
"What are you doing out here without horses anyhow?" Kiehs looked up curiously and Link shifted uncomfortably where he sat.
"Our horses were stolen while we were camping out on the field on our way back from Inis Morgen. We don't know where they are now." Link held Orion's stare with the firelight illuminating the man's dark features. Megeara and Loraefin nodded in agreement absentmindedly at the lie. Orion sniffed carelessly and slurped the last from his bowl and stood to lean against the old tattered fireplace.
"The Gerudo, most likely," he said with a deep rumbling voice. "They are known to be thieves. I would not doubt it was they who took your horses. Sadly they do not seem to know the meaning of honor." He turned halfway with a faint glimmer of a smirk on his lips. The color in Lolita's and Megeara's face flared momentarily as Megeara clenched her fists in her lap. Loraefin did not do anything for her temper was much more controllable than her friends, though she did wish to retaliate at that insult to her face, though he did not know he was making it. Though that smirk on his lips made her wonder…
Link had been asked to wait outside for a moment as Pamiea and the other elders talked to Loraefin alone. Having left once, this conversation went a little smoother and Link was hoping for the best. He was not going to leave with her like they did last time; he did want to be welcomed back here again. There was some talk Loraefin had told him one time about revealing the valley to the 'outside' they called it. It was only talk she reminded him, but nonetheless whatever talk might have gone on must certainly be working in their favor this time. Link leaned up against the wall of Megeara's house where Pamiea had called the elders to meet. Loraefin had been in there by herself for some time now and Link was starting to wonder. The door creaked open and Loraefin stepped out, shutting it behind her. Her expression was that of skepticism and a bit of amusement. She looked at Link and tried to suppress a smile.
"Well?" Link asked anxiously.
"They agreed," she let the smile come forward.
"That's great news Fin!" He said, throwing his arms out excitedly.
"Some aren't so sure about me being associated with your dream, but they're letting me go anyway. It's strange; I wasn't expecting that reaction…I think because Pamiea believes you, that helped a lot. Everyone listens to her," Loraefin sighed contently. "There is a 'but' though…" Link's face dropped a bit.
"What kind of 'but' are we talking about here?" He asked.
"Megeara and Lolita have to come with me, I can't go otherwise. They don't want me going alone," she suppressed a laugh at the thought of Lolita flirting with Link the whole way. Link cocked his head to the side.
"But you won't be alone, you'll be with me," he said.
"That's their point," she replied and blushed.
***
They left from the valley the morning after next bright and early. Megeara and Lolita were bursting with excitement as they made their way through the tunnel. The sun hit them again with its warm golden rays and Hyrule Field was illuminated with its brilliance. Link told them that they had a pretty long walk ahead of them since he had not planned on having so many travel companions and did not arrange for extra horses. He had sent Epona back off to the ranch when he left her on the field, she knew her way by instinct and always went back there when she knew Link was not going to return for awhile. Traveling on foot, it would take them probably a day and a half of traveling, maybe two. He didn't have that kind of time to kill. Epona couldn't hold them all, she was a strong horse, but four people just wouldn't fit on her back, and no other horse in Hyrule was at his beckoned call nor could she have heard him from this distance anyhow.
Before he had left to Murieope, Link had arranged it with the king that Loraefin could stay at the castle during the arrival of the Sages. Hopefully two more people wouldn't be too much of a problem he thought. Anybody that saw them would think them just travelers from another country with business at the castle based on their looks. Lolita had very strong Gerudo features with her dark skin, round ears and large hazel eyes, though she did not have the typical Gerudo red hair. And Loraefin, though her features a little less dominant, was no doubt not a purebred Hylian. Megeara had the strongest Hylian features, though her round ears set her apart from the normal Hyrule Market shopper. But anyone that looked at them would just guess that they were from another country, most likely Cybil, which was south and down the coast of Hyrule. So Link didn't worry too much about it. Besides, he and Loraefin did not seem to have any problems the first time and at the rate they were going they weren't going to make it any time soon.
"So where's your place Link?" Lolita winked playfully at him. Link snapped out of his train of thought.
"Oh it's um…over there, in the forest," he mumbled. Lolita raised an eyebrow.
"So…is that where we're going to stay?" She winked again. "I'm up for it."
"Can't Lola, there is something about the forest…err, Link you told me about it once…Something about it being enchanted or something like that?" Loraefin tried to remember.
"Something like that," Link repeated with a laugh. "I can't explain it myself, it's a long story. Besides, my house is to small, it just fits Navi and myself." Lolita leaned over and whispered something in Gerudo to Megeara with a sly smile. Megeara rolled her eyes and whispered something back.
"Where is Navi?" Megeara asked. "I can't believe I didn't notice earlier, she's not with you."
"Navi doesn't like the cold, she thought it best if she stayed where she could keep warm. She's waiting for me back in Kokiri, I'll have to go get her before we go to Hyrule Castle Town."
"So, Lolita…what do you think of Hyrule so far?" Loraefin asked, turning to Lolita.
"It's a big field."
They had laughed at this and continued walking. Link knew very well that by the end of the day they would all be too tired to walk another one. He should have thought of it at the time, but maybe they could have tried to bring two of the horses out of the valley with them. The tunnel was wide but the horses were most likely to be frightened and wouldn't go through, which left them walking. Link once again droned out the chatter of the women and went on in silence, only giving a small sign every now and then that he was listening. The outskirts of the forest that created the line where the field started and ended on its southeastern boarder were coming up now. Link watched the tops of the trees absentmindedly until his eyes came to rest on a smudge of gray against the blue sky. The smoke seemed to be coming from a chimney, but as far as Link knew nobody lived out in this area. If it was a house, he thought, then maybe they would have horses they could use to ride to Hyrule Castle Town. He signaled to the others and changed directions, leaving them to run after and badger him with questions.
The smoke had not looked like it came from too deep within the woods, and Link with his keen nose could distinctly smell the scent of rabbit cooking. Trees grew up tall and broad all around them with melting snow dripping from the leaves; this forest was thought to be from when the Goddesses had created Hyrule. Link didn't know if he believed that, it seemed a bit of an exaggeration to him. In front of them loomed an old woodcutter's cabin nestled within two large tree trunks with splotches of dirty white snow still unthawed in the shadows. Rays of sunlight licked down between the branches around it, scattering the pale glimmer.
"Do you know who lives here Link?" Megeara whispered, drawing herself up to her full height beside him so they came shoulder and shoulder. Link shook his head.
"No, but look," he pointed over to the overhanging thatched animal stall off the side of the house to two dark colored horses there and a wagon. "Maybe we can borrow their horses, or at least they could give us a ride into town." The others nodded silently behind him and waited for him to knock at the door. Link gave it three sharp rasps and they paused for an answer. They could hear scuffling and muffled voices inside, but no one came to answer.
"Hello?" Link called through the open window that was placed to high for him to see into. "Is anyone there? Please, we were wondering if we might get a ride into town." When no one replied Link and the others circled around to the horses to see if they could find anyone there. There was no one, only the long stretch of forest and the faint gurgle of the creek nearby. Lolita had a chill go up her spine like someone was watching them and she quickly spun around to find a tall figure standing there staring at them. She gasped and her Gerudo brown eyes went wide and everyone else turned around to see what had frightened her. Megeara and Loraefin stumbled a step backward when they saw him and Loraefin bumped into Link, who was the only one who stood his ground.
"What are you doing here?" The man said with a low and rich voice. Link stepped forward and the man's eyes narrowed only for a moment, so quickly no one could catch it. He was a tall man, almost an entire head taller than Link with dark clothing and deep set, brown- red eyes. His hair, which was shorn close to his head except for a few longer strands by his slim elfin ears and sloping forehead, with a small, tightly tied ponytail at the base of his head that was so pale it could have been white. His broad features and piercing eyes made the girls nervous, not knowing what his intentions were though they tried not to show it.
"We're sorry for intruding, my name is Link and my friends and I were wondering if we could perhaps borrow your horses if you are not in need of them right away for a ride to town." Link spoke calmly, breaking a smile to try and show the man their good intentions. He stepped forward and extended his hand in a friendly gesture, but Link's reflexes were ready to grab the short sword he carried on his back for traveling in occasions like this. The man's eyes darted from face to face before he turned and walked back to the front of the cottage, giving a wave of his hand as a single motion to follow. He opened the old wooden door with a creak and led them inside without a word.
Another man, younger and more slender than the first was hunching by the fire but rose to his feet when he saw that his companion was not alone. He had the same, deep-set brown-red eyes as the first, but with straw colored hair and a boyish complexion, not at all like the hardened, chiseled face of his friend. But as he turned to face them, they could see the scarred marks that marred and stretched across the lower left side of his face. His eyes darted to the other man quickly and the man nodded unpretentiously.
"Please, sit down. I'm afraid we don't have much to offer you as food, we have only enough for ourselves this night." The man saw them seated and ladled himself out some water into his wooden tumbler and threw his head back quickly and drank it. "My name is Orion, and this," he pointed to the other man which was plain to see just barely that, "this is my companion Kiehs." The younger man nodded with an amused smile at the man, but was still silent.
"Yes, Kiehs, um…pleasure to meet you," Kiehs mumbled still with the amused grin as he stirred what was cooking in the pot over the fire. Orion sat down on an old stump that had been rolled in as a seat and the floorboards creaked beneath it. There was a long pause with no sound other than the crackling of the fire. Loraefin sat nervously fidgeting her fingers, but couldn't help but glance over at the younger man every now and then. He glanced up and caught her gaze once until he smiled and she had to look away from those unusual colored eyes of his that seemed to be able to search her soul or some such nonsense. The pink, misshapen skin of his scar stretched over onto his lips, making his smile all the more curious, and alluring. She had been so busy watching him that she had become unaware that the others were speaking.
"A ride into town you say?" Orion's tight lips curled into a smile as he glanced over to Kiehs who was just pouring what little was in the pot into two bowls. They had offered some to their guests, but they kindly turned them down. Kiehs handed Orion a bowl of the thin rabbit stew and sat down beside him beside the fire.
"Well, perhaps we can give you some help. This cabin," Orion lifted his hand and waved it nonchalantly about the room, "we found it abandoned here a few nights ago when the last winter storm blew in and we needed shelter. We are travelers you see. It appears to have been abandoned for some time, but there is a cart around the back that is still in good condition. I cannot allow you to take our horses, but we will accompany you into town. Kiehs and I were on our way to Kakariko and now that the storms have ceased for a while, we should be heading on ourselves."
"That's great!" Loraefin said excitedly. The older man gave her an amused smile and Loraefin quickly went silenced with embarrassment.
"We'd be most grateful Orion, walking it would take us at least another day and a half," Link accepted the water Kiehs had offered him and let the cup sit idly in his hand for a moment.
"What are you doing out here without horses anyhow?" Kiehs looked up curiously and Link shifted uncomfortably where he sat.
"Our horses were stolen while we were camping out on the field on our way back from Inis Morgen. We don't know where they are now." Link held Orion's stare with the firelight illuminating the man's dark features. Megeara and Loraefin nodded in agreement absentmindedly at the lie. Orion sniffed carelessly and slurped the last from his bowl and stood to lean against the old tattered fireplace.
"The Gerudo, most likely," he said with a deep rumbling voice. "They are known to be thieves. I would not doubt it was they who took your horses. Sadly they do not seem to know the meaning of honor." He turned halfway with a faint glimmer of a smirk on his lips. The color in Lolita's and Megeara's face flared momentarily as Megeara clenched her fists in her lap. Loraefin did not do anything for her temper was much more controllable than her friends, though she did wish to retaliate at that insult to her face, though he did not know he was making it. Though that smirk on his lips made her wonder…