AN: Just to say, I am very proud of this chapter for some reason. I just like the way it reads…probably just me being weird though…
Chapter Six: The Warden for the Three
Six Days
Almost a month had passed since the Gerudo's visit to their Valley. The new summer sun beat down on Loraefin's woven grass hat and over Balius's coarse coat of black hair. Laelaps laid lazily in his shadow with her tongue lolled out from panting. Her rusty golden coat that had faded with age was dusty and shedding now that summer was upon them.
Gabriel and Acantha still happily skipped along the edge of the small forest that lines the canyon walls while Styx was not far off sniffing at something in the ground. Loraefin wiped her brow with her sleeve and shifted her sitting position on Balius's bare back. She didn't have the heart to put a hot saddle on him today; it would have just made him unruly and disagreeable.
The goats she had been sent out to watch grazed slowly nearby, about two dozen of them all together. Balius pranced impatiently, making Laelaps get up less she wanted to be trampled. Loraefin steered him into the shade of the trees so he could cool down and take advantage of the cold creek that ran with the forest line from Lake Avernus. She dismounted and patted Balius on his broad neck before he bent down to slurp greedily at the water. Stretching, she sat down on the bank and threw her head back, stretching her stiff neck.
Off in the distance she could see people moving around in the village and for a moment resented being the only one sent out to tend the livestock. She was twenty now, why couldn't Witt or even Galvin do it? Galvin was fourteen and much more suited to the task. Then on the other hand Loraefin did enjoy the time to herself. But that's what it always seemed to be now, time to herself. Even she had noticed her self-isolation from her family lately. Times were changing though…things had changed.
Laelaps, who was lying against Loraefin's leg, had perked up suddenly and went poking around the large rocks down the bank. She barked once and was then silent, but she didn't return. Loraefin looked after her but didn't see where she went to exactly. Normally she wouldn't bother to worry, but there was something odd about her bark that made Loraefin get up and follow her. Gabriel, who was the only other dog nearby got up and followed her as well, letting Styx take his place watching the herd. Briskly Loraefin walked down the bank calling Laelaps's name, but she still didn't see her dog.
"Laelaps!" Loraefin shouted again just as she came around the largest rock. She stopped suddenly, staring at the man who was scratching her dog behind the ears. He was familiar, but she couldn't place him. His strong features and prominent jaw line should have made him an easy face to remember. Loraefin's expression must have been very bewildered because the man raised a hand in signs of peace as she drew the small dagger at her waist.
"I mean you no harm," he spoke softly with a deep, rich voice. "Now put that down. I'm guessing she's yours? Friendly girl she is." Loraefin watched him wearily with narrowed eyes in silence. Laelaps seemed to like him enough, and Loraefin knew well enough to trust her dog's instincts.
"Where did you come from?" She asked the man still with a firm grip on her dagger's hilt, hoping that Laelaps would come away and to her. Loraefin was far from trusting strange men she met now and she was ready to defend herself at a moment's notice. If he had weapon or no, he would not touch her while he was living.
Gabriel, with his thin gray tail, stayed by Loraefin's legs, but did not make any motion against the man. The man didn't stand up, though knowing she was a woman of great compassion, he also knew she had been deeply hurt, and would not hesitate to strike at him if he came to near. Indeed looking upon her now reminded him of a she-wolf backed into a corner, bristling and bearing her fangs. He'd been watching her for a long time.
"From over the mountains in the north," he replied, still stroking Laelaps's wiry coat. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me, my folk have a tendency to live little in the memories of others, but we have met before." Loraefin raised an eyebrow and pinched her small, full lips into a contemplative expression, trying to recall his face.
The man smiled, which looked like quite a challenge given his hard features and now he stood, slowly at first for he did tower over her in height, to greet her properly, bowing deeply. Loraefin was weary, but something in his eyes said she had nothing to fear from him and thus placed her knife back into its sheath. Good, I am winning her trust…thought he.
"I'm Orion. You were with the Hero of Time and two others of your line when I last saw you a year ago. Do you remember?" Loraefin's eyes shot open in surprise.
"Yes! You brought us to the town market!" She watched his curious brown-red eyes looking directly into her own and it made her shiver. They were the color of red earth, deep, turbulent, and filled with hidden wisdom that both enraptured her and made her fearful. The breeze had seemed to stop as did all sound other than the babbling stream at Loraefin's feet, who's sound had became very distinctive and musical.
She could not hear the goats, nor Balius, or the dogs barking, not more than a dozen strides away from where she was hidden behind the rocks. Orion's stare kept her motionless and indeed kept nature motionless as well. A single leaf floated down from above, blown off from one of the Oal trees, and fell silently into the water, then was swept away within moments.
Loraefin studied him now as he sat before her; white hair was tied back in a tight ponytail at the base of his head and his clothes were dark, covering his entire body with only head and hands showing flesh. He had odd markings tattooed beneath his eyes that Loraefin didn't think were there before.
"You're a Sheikah." She remarked, remembering whom else she knew who wore the marks.
"Aye, Yes," Orion answered her with a bit of amusement, if that was possible, "I supposed you'd figure that one out quick enough now."
"I only knew because of those marks," Loraefin pointed a finger at him "I only know one other…"
"Impa, yes," he took out a short black pipe and filled it with some sort of dried leaves from an old pouch at his waist. Laelaps yawned and lay down in the sun next to the creek with Gabriel sniffing around her. She licked Gabriel on the nose before he went exploring further on. "How is the Shadow Sage?"
"I… I wouldn't know. I have only spoken with her once and that was a year ago." Orion puffed at his pipe as if not watching her.
"I would have thought that one ordained by the Goddesses would be of particular interest to a Sage." It was now that he looked up at her with his eyes keener than before. Loraefin's expression turned grim and her jaw was set tightly against her teeth.
"What do you want?" The voice came out low in her throat and was deep and heavy, burdened with a secret weight. Orion raised an eyebrow.
"To help you, if I can. For this reason alone was I sent here…Do you trust me?"
This last comment struck Loraefin more odd than the rest for some reason. Do you trust me; she repeated the words in her head.
"No," was the first word to come from her lips and she decided that it was as good of answer as any, clearly Orion had more convincing to do. With another puff of his pipe Orion settled down in a squat on the ground.
"Your visions," he waved his hand cautiously, cupping his palm and closing his eyes, lowering his hand and pointed his open palm toward a log sitting at his feet. It ignited into a warm fire that sputtered at first and then crackled merrily as he raised his eyes to look upon her. "What are they of?"
Loraefin stared paralyzed into the fire's warmth. Her eyes fluttered up to his and he could see her tremble.
"Who are you?" Her voice wavered, remembering the frightful images of her visions.
"It's not important, what is important is you trust me."
"Kantes!" Loraefin shot up eyes alight with rage. "Tereth rou!? Trust? How dare you speak to me of trust!" She turned away from him in disgust and never wanted to see him again, thinking he was playing her for a fool.
"Eth'ne bar neetat Loraefin!" Orion's voice spoke sharply and with venom in her grandmother's tongue and rose to the level of thunder within her ears. The force caused her to stumble and draw out her dagger again, whirling around to face him. Her hands shook violently and her voice quavered with raw, turbulent emotions.
"Do not speak so to me in my grandmother's language," Loraefin's voice was but a squeak of its former self. "I can turn from you if I choose, and if you try and stop me, I will kill you." Her own words frightened her. I will kill you; she had spoken these words in jest many times, but never had thought herself capable of meaning it. "I do not know who you are save your name, or what you want, and I do not care to. Leave my valley, and do not come back here."
Orion eyed her skeptically and that infuriated Loraefin even more. With a flip of his wrist the dagger was pulled out of Loraefin's hands by an unseen force and thrown with a dull thud into the heart of an old tree where it was left protruding out.
"There," said Orion slowly, "if you are quite done perhaps we get on with this." The unseen force again appeared and with a gentle, but forceful hand pushed the frightened young woman to her knees so she would sit.
"Now," his voice was beginning to sound a bit ragged, "if you do not trust me, then fine, but I will have you listen whether you do or not." With a heavy sigh he smoked the last bit of stuff from his pipe and set it on the ground. The fire on the log at his feet had burned out as quickly as it had appeared.
Loraefin did not bother to struggle, for though the force was not there, she could feel a trace of it, as if someone had their hands resting lightly on her shoulders. Orion stared at her a long time before he finally decided to speak.
"I was sent here to be your guide. You do not know what power you wield within your veins and someone with such a task ahead of them as you should not bear the burden entirely alone. I am here to prepare you for your destiny, for one such as yours determines the balance of all of our worlds."
He felt pity for her as he saw the fierce determination in her eyes mixed with such fear. The Gerudo strength was vibrant with her and he could see it plainly. She was a vessel in which the Gods were using like a pawn for a hidden task, but what a confused pawn they had chosen! She had such a small view of the world, had grown up sheltered within this little valley, and now struggling with what culture to be accepted in!
Already she had enough inner turmoil and now to have the weight of the Goddesses thrust upon her! But, he thought with a sigh, he was not one to question the Gods. They had set him out on a path of his own: to be the guardian of the one selected by the Three, the savior from evil, and the one to be sacrificed to it.
Hero: Well, there it is for now! I have more, but am still tweaking with it. It's very hard to write Ganondorf, is what I have to say…I mean, he's evil, but how do you make him seem wicked and not make it corny? I don't know…I hope I portrayed emotions alright with this one, it's also difficult to be able the think what your reaction would be if you just found out that you were to play some huge role with fate. What would you do?