Well here's another chapter for your reading enjoyment. ^_^ I've been writing as fast as I can manage, trying to get these out for you guys...and you're liking them! *sob* I'm so happy. Everybody says that the chapters are too short, but...that's all part of my plan!! Mwa ha ha! I write 'em short a) for effect and b) so that I don't kill myself writing (if it takes me this long to upload, just imagine how long it'd be if the chapters weren't so teeney!!).
This chapter's a particularly short one, though. Sorry guys, I'll try to make the next one longer.
* * *
Escape
I had never felt so lost. In all my life, someone had always been by my side, be it Impa or my father. Now I was alone in a village of strangers, cared for by people I barely knew, people badly equipped to defend me if Ganondorf ever decided to make an attempt on my life. For the first time since the day I was born, I knew true fear.
I lived in Kakariko for a month. Every day I waited with pathetic hope for Impa to come back, to renounce her duties as a sage and be my nursemaid once more. She never returned. Sick with fear for both Impa and myself, I became a pale, withdrawn shadow of my former self, eating little and sleeping less. The headman and his wife, in whose house I resided, cared for me as best they could, trying to get me to eat fattening stews while we, all three of us, waited with bated breath for news from the castle.
My people quietly returned to their homes in the castle town after the oracle assured them once more that they were in no danger for several years. She warned them, however, to get their affairs in order and make plans to move away, for eventually the evil that shadowed the castle would sweep to the town as well. The word from the castle town was that Ganondorf was rebuilding the glorious Hylian palace in his own, twisted image. The thought of it made me sick and furious. How dare this dark man, to whom we had done nothing, make the Hylian kingdom suffer?
For a month we all waited, tensely, helplessly, for something to occur. Then it did.
It was barely dawn when a squad of soldiers from the castle came galloping into the village. The soldiers, especially, were our eyes and ears from the castle. They guarded, they watched, and they most of all knew what was going on.
"Ganondorf's coming to the village today," a soldier gasped in between gulps of water to the headman as his wife and I listened intently. "'Inspecting it' was the phrase he used, but I bet you he's coming to find the princess. He hinted as much."
"Why does he want me so badly?" I whispered, terrified. "What have I ever done to him?"
The village headman looked at his wife. "Kalen-"
His wife nodded. "I'll take care of her." She took me by the elbow and led me gently into her house, closing the door behind us.
"What's going to happen to me?" I cried as she unlocked and began rummaging in a trunk of old clothes.
"Change into this, quickly," Kalen ordered, tossing me a peasant's dress in just my size. "Good thing I saved these clothes after our daughter got too big for 'em. You have to leave, Your Highness."
I did as she commanded, shedding the nightdress I had worn day in and day out for the last few weeks, ever since my flight from the castle, and pulled on the simple shift with shaking fingers. "Where can I go?" Then I answered my own question. "Impa told me, the Temple of Time-"
Kalen shook her head vigorously. "You can't risk meeting Ganondorf on the way. He's coming from just that direction." Finding a brown woolen cloak in her trunk, she tugged it around my shoulders, then swept up my discarded dress and locked it away. "Go to the Goron City and find Darunia. He'll know what to do."
It was the best plan either of us could have come up with. Darunia, king of the Gorons, was a sworn brother of my father, and my closest living relative. I rarely saw him, but if I managed to convince him that I was the princess, he would be obliged to help me.
Kalen led me out of her house and to the foot of the Death Mountain trail. As the soldier on guard opened the gate, she kissed my cheek and tugged the hood of the cloak up to conceal my face. "Goddesses be with you, Your Highness," she whispered. "Go quickly, now."
She gave me a gentle nudge toward the trail, then turned and hurried back to the village, leaving me to face the great mountain alone.
* * *
The journey was simple enough. I dolefully followed the single, winding trail that would lead me to the Goron City, and eventually, if I continued on, to the volcanic summit itself. I did not run -I was too out of shape to hurry- but I did not take my time about it, either. I was well aware that Ganondorf might be following me up the mountain this very moment.
Gorons lazed about on the sides of the trail, watching me curiously as I went by. They did not get visitors up here very much, I knew, but they were creatures of few words. They said nothing to me, but a few of them got to their feet and followed as I made my way steadily into the scooped bowl of the Goron City, lying in the very heart of Death Mountain.
The city was comfortably cool and dry. I made my way down winding staircases that would have bewildered almost anyone, only I had been here before. Emerging onto the lower level, I crossed the sandy floor to stand, with an honor guard of Gorons at my back, before the entrance to Darunia's chambers.
* * *
Continued in Chapter 9: Owl