Chapter Five: To Face the World
After Lycus had left the house, Loraefin and Link settled down on the table to try and give their conversation a better chance this time. Now that Loraefin had had that outburst, Link no longer feared that she would be so quick to catch her temper. Even now though she looked too tired to even try and yell. She sat with shoulders slumped and her hands folded limply in her lap in a manner common to most, but not Loraefin. The edges of her mouth formed a frown, her hair looked as if she hadn't even tried that day, and the most unlike feature of her was the absence of laughter. Loraefin told him that Re'ale, Pamiea and the other elders were gone to the Meeting Hall to discuss some things about what had happened. She wasn't sure what was going to come of it and Link could hear a bit of doubt in her voice that he had not heard before. Had she been regretting what she did? Loraefin left upstairs for a moment and brought down something clutched in her hand. She opened her fingers and lay the object down on the table in front of Link. The deep amber stone sparkled in its silver and brass casing; Link wasn't sure if he was supposed to pick it up.
"My Crest," Loraefin said solemnly with her parched voice, "my grandmothers almost took it away, but they said they could not take away something I had earned, especially this." She picked it up herself and skimmed her thumb over the stone. "I'm afraid to wear it outside, I shouldn't be, but I am." Loraefin looked up and stared at him, her lips curving into a little smile.
"It suits you," Navi piped up, flying and landing on Loraefin's hand, her glow illuminating the metal.
"I'd like to think so Navi, but that doesn't change how I feel," the young woman put it back down on the table between them. She rubbed her palm over her throat and Link could hear her swallow as if her saliva were scratching itself down. "Everything is different now, I'm not sure what I've done anymore."
The front door opened and Joshuan came puffing in with little Alari tagging along behind him. Loraefin looked at him with a bit of apprehensiveness in her eyes and her brother grinned enthusiastically and gasped to catch his breath. Alari ran to her and jumped up and down wildly, grabbing onto her skirt and smiling just like Joshuan.
"Fin, you gotta come," Joshuan panted in Gerudo, motioning her with his hand. Alari took her by her skirt and started to pull her to the door.
"Joshuan what is this?" Her voice cracked and let Alari drag her along.
"Pamiea's called a town meeting, we're going to…well come on and you'll see!" He laughed and pushed her out the door. "Link, Navi come on!"
***
The hall was crowded and noisy as everyone tried to find a place to sit or stand. The elders were seated along the long table in the front where Pamiea and Link had had their first conference all that time ago. Link tried to stick to the back out of sight as Alari and Joshuan pushed Loraefin up to the front. Link could see Megeara's red hair up front meet with Loraefin's brown as everyone settled down. Slowly, quiet settled over the room and Mattue stood gazing out over everyone. Pamiea sat beside him as her partner commanded silence. Link could feel the hair on the back of his neck lift on its own and he shivered from a non-existent chill.
"My family," Mattue began and the last few conversations were vanquished. "We, as the eldest in the village, have been keeping council for sometime on the future of us, this village. Since recent events," he paused for a moment and glanced down at Loraefin and his granddaughter Megeara with a bemused grin, "the issue has been pushed to the surface again and we feel it is time for a decision to be made." Megeara and Loraefin's breath caught in their throats and Alari, who already knew the news, jumped up and down excitedly.
"What is it?" Loraefin's uncle Jefftren asked, putting an arm around his wife and daughter, Lycus's twin. Link could see Lycus' ruddy red hair standing by his father, nodding in agreement.
"Patients Jefftren," Mattue smiled, "we will get to that." Now Pamiea stood alongside her husband and waited for the murmurs to quiet once again. Though not a tall woman, she commanded an enormous stature.
"The decision must be made together, we all must agree one way or the other," she said. "Consider the outcomes first and weigh what is important to you before you make it though." Re'ale and Usa looked down at their granddaughter with pride now and her grandfather smiled as Pamiea continued. "Murieope has been secluded for many years now, almost all of you have not seen the outside before, have never seen Hyrule where you come from. Tonight we make the choice whether to stay hidden or join the world again. Our children are curious and no matter how we try," she paused and Megeara held herself higher, "we will not be able to keep them contained for much longer, nor will their children. As Mattue said, the time has come and we must choose."