Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Zelda characters but the ones that are
of my creation are mine and I do own the rights to them.
Chapter Eight: Moonless Night
A middle-aged woman sat on some stone steps at the back of her beautiful garden. Her blond hair was wavy and went down past her shoulders. Clear blue eyes stared over a small finely cut nose. Her stubborn chin was cupped in her small hands that rested on her knees. The dress she wore was simple and the only thing that told anyone who she was was the thin silver circlet around her forehead.
This woman was Queen Zelda of Hyrule. She sighed as she watched the soft breeze play with the grass at the base of the steps. She had heard the news about the Tryul army making its way towards the castle from her husband, Link. Immediately she had wanted to send out troops to protect the small town of Laver but Link had said that the news was at least a week old. He explained that he hadn't known how to tell her.
Now people were gathering to the castle seeking refuge. People had been evacuated from their homes in hopes of making a stand at the castle. Another sigh escaped Zelda's lips and she closed her eyes.
And image behind her eyelids suddenly shimmered into view. It was a picture of three golden triangles set up so that they formed a bigger triangle. It was the Triforce. Suddenly her mind's eye started to zoom in on the Triforce until all that could be seen was the empty triangle that was framed in a golden glow. Zelda's brow furrowed as she tried to interpret the image that was now fading. There was no doubt in her mind that this was a prophecy that had been sent to her but it didn't make sense at all. The Triforce was obviously involved which meant that both she and Link were involved as well.
"Mother!" a loud voice broke through Zelda's concentration and the fading image disappeared completely. A tall youth with blond hair like his parent's walked into the garden. "Father says you need to stop brooding and come to dinner. It's not going to do you any good just thinking about it."
Zelda smiled at her son as he helped her up. Together they walked through the halls towards the dinning room. They entered and found Link already sitting down at the long wooden table. They too sat down in their proper places and gazed at the delicious food in front of them. A steaming roast was in the center surrounded by bowls of corn, carrots, and some potatoes. Zelda could feel her mouth watering but she didn't start to eat. Link and her son hadn't started either.
"Tearen, where's your brother?" Zelda asked. "I don't think I can wait for him much longer. I'm hungry." Tearen looked at his mother and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I don't see why we have to wait on Saith. He's always late for one reason or another so I say we dig in," Link said as he reached for some of the roast. He quickly withdrew his hand with a small protest as Zelda smacked his hand.
"We are going to wait for him, whether you like it or not," Zelda said sternly. She was a stickler for tradition.
Running footsteps could be heard a few minutes later. A tall youth rushed through the entryway of the room. His sandy blond hair was cut short and his blue eyes matched the rest of his family's. His muscles could clearly be seen through his red tunic. Unlike his little brother Tearen, he was a competent swordsman like his father. Tearen spent most of his days reading up on the laws of the kingdom.
"Saith, where have you been? You know we eat dinner at this time so why are you always late?" Zelda said chastising her son.
"Ian was showing me how he's setting up the defenses for the castle." Saith sat down and started to fill his plate. The rest of his family soon followed suit. Talk was quiet that evening. Everyone had something on their minds.
Zelda was trying to decipher the message that had been sent to her that evening. Tearen was mentally thrashing his older brother. Saith could always get away with anything if he said it had anything to do with his training. Since he was going to be the next king he got to do anything he wanted. Tearen didn't think that Saith would make a very good king but there was nothing he could do about it. Link was trying to picture where the Tryul army was at the moment. He hadn't gotten a message from any of the Sages on the position of the army. The messenger should have arrived at the palace by now.
Saith was thinking about his plan to get out of the palace tonight. He didn't want to stay and wait for the army to arrive. Instead he wanted to find the army now so that they could get the war over with. He didn't like waiting. In that respect he supposed he was like his father. He laughed to himself. He was surprised that his father had even taken the job of being king. From what his mother told him his father was just like himself. Saith had no desire to be king. All he wanted to do was go out on adventures. Why couldn't he have been the younger son? Tearen was just the sort of person to run a kingdom while he knew he would only screw things up.
Saith sighed to himself and quickly finished his meal. He still had to get ready.
"Mother? May I be excused?" Saith asked politely.
"Of course, dear." Saith pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining hall.
"Does he seem to be acting weird?" Link asked his wife.
"It's probably because he's a teenager," Zelda replied shrugging her shoulders. Everybody turned back to their meal.
~*~ Out on Hyrule Field~*~
A shadowy figure stumbled along through the darkness of the night. There was no moon out and the figure tripped several times. A sneeze issued from their nose and they were pulled forward towards the ground.
Lily moaned on the hard earth as she tried to pick herself up. The sword on her back made the task nearly impossible. She pulled her cloak tighter around body and started to make her way north again.
The grass underneath her feet was spinning and she felt light headed. Both feet were like blocks of lead and with every step she took they became harder and harder to lift. She was so cold that she felt like an icicle. Her nose was running and she knew that she had a fever but she put everything aside. She had to make it to the castle. She just had to.
~One more step, just one more step~ Lily kept thinking to herself. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing on the spot. Suddenly the sound of horse's hoofs came to her ears. They sounded distant but they were rapidly approaching her. Lily willed her arms to move for her sword but they didn't move. Instead she just peered through the darkness in the direction of the noise hoping to spot them before they spotted her.
Out of the gloom that was both the tiredness she was feeling and the darkness around her, came a horse as black as midnight and just as swift. For some reason Lily felt like she had seen this horse before. The rider on top was even more surprising than the horse. He was dressed in black and had a mask that covered every feature on his face except for his blue eyes. Quickly, he dismounted and drew his sword.
"Who are you?" he demanded in a low voice.
Lily just kept on staring at him like a thunderstruck deer. The words he had spoken echoed in her mind. They had no meaning to her and were just sounds coming from that strange piece of black clothe that moved. The man shifted in and out of her vision as the colors of the night started to blend together.
The man edged closer to the woman that stood before him. Her hair was disheveled and dirty. Her green eyes were cloudy and didn't seem to be taking in anything in front of her. He watched as she shivered when a slight breeze brushed her cheeks that were so flushed it was noticeable in the moonless night.
"Must. . .I must. . .get to the. . ." Lily's voice faded to a whisper. Her strength left her. She pitched forwards towards the man in front of her as she fell into the dark recesses of her mind that threatened to devour her.
The man heard the woman's words and watched as she fell towards him. He caught her easily in his grip before her head could hit the ground. She was shivering uncontrollably and her skin was hot to the touch. Grunting he threw her over his shoulder and headed back to his mount.
The horse nuzzled the unconscious woman as the man leaned her against the horse's side so that he could put his sword away.
"So you think she's trustworthy, Midnight?" he asked. The horse seemed to understand his question and kept on nuzzling her. He threw her onto the horse's back and climbed into the saddle. Turning Midnight around he headed back the way he came.
Two eyes that had no sockets watched the pair disappear into the night from high above. Smothered cursing could be heard as the eyes closed and faded so all that was left was the light from the shining stars in the sky.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
And that's Chapter Eight. I was hoping to make it a bit longer but I ran out of ideas and I wanted to save the next part for the next chapter. Now everyone should know who the man dressed in black was. If you don't then you're stupid. Also the horse is familiar for a reason and just who's eyes were in sky? Well I think it's pretty obvious but I know how the story goes. MUWAHAHAHA! (Don't even ask where that came from)
I would like to thank heath 999 for my first review for this story. Thanks a bunch you'll be receiving a check in the mail (you wish) and a review for one of your stories. Hope you liked the one I left you.
In the next chapter Lily makes it to the castle, explains what happened to her (she's sick and behind schedule for a reason) and makes some new friends. See ya next time!
Chapter Eight: Moonless Night
A middle-aged woman sat on some stone steps at the back of her beautiful garden. Her blond hair was wavy and went down past her shoulders. Clear blue eyes stared over a small finely cut nose. Her stubborn chin was cupped in her small hands that rested on her knees. The dress she wore was simple and the only thing that told anyone who she was was the thin silver circlet around her forehead.
This woman was Queen Zelda of Hyrule. She sighed as she watched the soft breeze play with the grass at the base of the steps. She had heard the news about the Tryul army making its way towards the castle from her husband, Link. Immediately she had wanted to send out troops to protect the small town of Laver but Link had said that the news was at least a week old. He explained that he hadn't known how to tell her.
Now people were gathering to the castle seeking refuge. People had been evacuated from their homes in hopes of making a stand at the castle. Another sigh escaped Zelda's lips and she closed her eyes.
And image behind her eyelids suddenly shimmered into view. It was a picture of three golden triangles set up so that they formed a bigger triangle. It was the Triforce. Suddenly her mind's eye started to zoom in on the Triforce until all that could be seen was the empty triangle that was framed in a golden glow. Zelda's brow furrowed as she tried to interpret the image that was now fading. There was no doubt in her mind that this was a prophecy that had been sent to her but it didn't make sense at all. The Triforce was obviously involved which meant that both she and Link were involved as well.
"Mother!" a loud voice broke through Zelda's concentration and the fading image disappeared completely. A tall youth with blond hair like his parent's walked into the garden. "Father says you need to stop brooding and come to dinner. It's not going to do you any good just thinking about it."
Zelda smiled at her son as he helped her up. Together they walked through the halls towards the dinning room. They entered and found Link already sitting down at the long wooden table. They too sat down in their proper places and gazed at the delicious food in front of them. A steaming roast was in the center surrounded by bowls of corn, carrots, and some potatoes. Zelda could feel her mouth watering but she didn't start to eat. Link and her son hadn't started either.
"Tearen, where's your brother?" Zelda asked. "I don't think I can wait for him much longer. I'm hungry." Tearen looked at his mother and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, I don't see why we have to wait on Saith. He's always late for one reason or another so I say we dig in," Link said as he reached for some of the roast. He quickly withdrew his hand with a small protest as Zelda smacked his hand.
"We are going to wait for him, whether you like it or not," Zelda said sternly. She was a stickler for tradition.
Running footsteps could be heard a few minutes later. A tall youth rushed through the entryway of the room. His sandy blond hair was cut short and his blue eyes matched the rest of his family's. His muscles could clearly be seen through his red tunic. Unlike his little brother Tearen, he was a competent swordsman like his father. Tearen spent most of his days reading up on the laws of the kingdom.
"Saith, where have you been? You know we eat dinner at this time so why are you always late?" Zelda said chastising her son.
"Ian was showing me how he's setting up the defenses for the castle." Saith sat down and started to fill his plate. The rest of his family soon followed suit. Talk was quiet that evening. Everyone had something on their minds.
Zelda was trying to decipher the message that had been sent to her that evening. Tearen was mentally thrashing his older brother. Saith could always get away with anything if he said it had anything to do with his training. Since he was going to be the next king he got to do anything he wanted. Tearen didn't think that Saith would make a very good king but there was nothing he could do about it. Link was trying to picture where the Tryul army was at the moment. He hadn't gotten a message from any of the Sages on the position of the army. The messenger should have arrived at the palace by now.
Saith was thinking about his plan to get out of the palace tonight. He didn't want to stay and wait for the army to arrive. Instead he wanted to find the army now so that they could get the war over with. He didn't like waiting. In that respect he supposed he was like his father. He laughed to himself. He was surprised that his father had even taken the job of being king. From what his mother told him his father was just like himself. Saith had no desire to be king. All he wanted to do was go out on adventures. Why couldn't he have been the younger son? Tearen was just the sort of person to run a kingdom while he knew he would only screw things up.
Saith sighed to himself and quickly finished his meal. He still had to get ready.
"Mother? May I be excused?" Saith asked politely.
"Of course, dear." Saith pushed back his chair and walked out of the dining hall.
"Does he seem to be acting weird?" Link asked his wife.
"It's probably because he's a teenager," Zelda replied shrugging her shoulders. Everybody turned back to their meal.
~*~ Out on Hyrule Field~*~
A shadowy figure stumbled along through the darkness of the night. There was no moon out and the figure tripped several times. A sneeze issued from their nose and they were pulled forward towards the ground.
Lily moaned on the hard earth as she tried to pick herself up. The sword on her back made the task nearly impossible. She pulled her cloak tighter around body and started to make her way north again.
The grass underneath her feet was spinning and she felt light headed. Both feet were like blocks of lead and with every step she took they became harder and harder to lift. She was so cold that she felt like an icicle. Her nose was running and she knew that she had a fever but she put everything aside. She had to make it to the castle. She just had to.
~One more step, just one more step~ Lily kept thinking to herself. It was all she could do to keep from collapsing on the spot. Suddenly the sound of horse's hoofs came to her ears. They sounded distant but they were rapidly approaching her. Lily willed her arms to move for her sword but they didn't move. Instead she just peered through the darkness in the direction of the noise hoping to spot them before they spotted her.
Out of the gloom that was both the tiredness she was feeling and the darkness around her, came a horse as black as midnight and just as swift. For some reason Lily felt like she had seen this horse before. The rider on top was even more surprising than the horse. He was dressed in black and had a mask that covered every feature on his face except for his blue eyes. Quickly, he dismounted and drew his sword.
"Who are you?" he demanded in a low voice.
Lily just kept on staring at him like a thunderstruck deer. The words he had spoken echoed in her mind. They had no meaning to her and were just sounds coming from that strange piece of black clothe that moved. The man shifted in and out of her vision as the colors of the night started to blend together.
The man edged closer to the woman that stood before him. Her hair was disheveled and dirty. Her green eyes were cloudy and didn't seem to be taking in anything in front of her. He watched as she shivered when a slight breeze brushed her cheeks that were so flushed it was noticeable in the moonless night.
"Must. . .I must. . .get to the. . ." Lily's voice faded to a whisper. Her strength left her. She pitched forwards towards the man in front of her as she fell into the dark recesses of her mind that threatened to devour her.
The man heard the woman's words and watched as she fell towards him. He caught her easily in his grip before her head could hit the ground. She was shivering uncontrollably and her skin was hot to the touch. Grunting he threw her over his shoulder and headed back to his mount.
The horse nuzzled the unconscious woman as the man leaned her against the horse's side so that he could put his sword away.
"So you think she's trustworthy, Midnight?" he asked. The horse seemed to understand his question and kept on nuzzling her. He threw her onto the horse's back and climbed into the saddle. Turning Midnight around he headed back the way he came.
Two eyes that had no sockets watched the pair disappear into the night from high above. Smothered cursing could be heard as the eyes closed and faded so all that was left was the light from the shining stars in the sky.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
And that's Chapter Eight. I was hoping to make it a bit longer but I ran out of ideas and I wanted to save the next part for the next chapter. Now everyone should know who the man dressed in black was. If you don't then you're stupid. Also the horse is familiar for a reason and just who's eyes were in sky? Well I think it's pretty obvious but I know how the story goes. MUWAHAHAHA! (Don't even ask where that came from)
I would like to thank heath 999 for my first review for this story. Thanks a bunch you'll be receiving a check in the mail (you wish) and a review for one of your stories. Hope you liked the one I left you.
In the next chapter Lily makes it to the castle, explains what happened to her (she's sick and behind schedule for a reason) and makes some new friends. See ya next time!