Chapter Eleven: Shadows in the Night

                        Now was the time. The new moon was only two days away. They must make haste, already they had tarried too long. In the middle of the night, Orion had come for her. He came through the front door, but no one knew his movements; he was a Sheikah, silent and as invisible as a shadow. Up the stairs and to the left the small bedroom was dimly lit since the absence of the light of the moon.

The brother lay sleeping in front of the old Sheikah, and the young woman was shrouded in shadows against the other wall. As he leaned over her bed, he watched her sleep peacefully for a few moments. Would no one know of the great deed she was going to do? That most of all made Orion's temper flare. No one would know, because no one would understand. Why would the life of this woman make any difference in the balance of good and evil?

 Gingerly he lifted her, so smooth and deft were his movements that she did not even stir, and without looking back at the young man again, Orion carried her out. In the dead of the night every sound was sharp and the vibrations of the parents' breathing in the adjoining room seemed to chase Orion down the stairs. As he passed the hearth, one of the dogs lifted its head, emitting a low growl as it sensed a passing shadow. But Orion was gone before the animal could determine what was wrong.

She started to finally stir when the cool night air began to hit her face. It was then that she noticed the landscape was passing around her. Her gaze shot upwards, but before she fully awoke another blackness passed over her and sent her back to her dreams. As he neared the glen of trees he heard a familiar sound next to him, only one that a trained Sheikah could hear. Another young man came out of the shadows near the waiting horses. His face was dispirited and sorrowful as Orion drew closer and closer, holding the young woman in his arms. The two men regarded one another silently. Orion set his charge on the soft ground before turning to his companion with an analyzing stare.

            "You've been too long, but that cannot be helped now." His expression was serious, trying to hide the painful grief within his heart. "Was it worth it? Did you satisfy your curiosity?" Orion gazed at the young man as he kneeled over the sleeping body, wrapping her in a warm blanket.

            "Yes," he answered kneeling too. "I see you haven't wasted any time in my absence. For that I ask your forgiveness." At this Orion simply frowned and let his hand rest on the young woman's chest as it rose and fell with shallow breathing.

            "It is not my time to waste," he looked far older than his years as he said this. "Now come, we must leave here before daylight arrives. Ciaràn, she will ride with you. I will help you with her onto Vandac. Mount first." With that the young woman's body was secured against the young Sheikah's heart, propped up though her head hung limply on her chest. When she would finally awake, she would have traveled far from her home, far from her family, and would fully come to understand that she would never see it or them again. 

***

                                Zelda lay awake, still clutching the weather beaten scarf that had magically fallen into her lap that night. She could not stop holding it, staring at it, inhaling the scent of it. She was almost afraid that she would breath all of the smell out and then lose another memory of her beloved again. The waning moon gave a dim light to the room, but the fire in the hearth gave her all the light she needed to examine the cloth again and again. She put it up to her face, remembering the feel when she wore one quite similar while in hiding from Ganondorf. What was this, some sort of madness that had come over her? Had her mind created this beautiful gift out of thin air?

 There came the faintest knock at the door and a young woman's head peeked into the room. When she saw Zelda awake, her eyes went wide and she immediately closed the door again. Zelda threw the covers off and swung her feet over the edge of the bed to rest them on the floor.

"No, no, it's okay. Please, come back in good lady," Zelda said in a calming manner and soon the girl's head appeared in the doorway again, followed by the rest of her.

"Pardon me, Princess, I thought you would be sleeping. I have a message for you, from the leader of the Gerudo. She's come a long way to speak with you. She's only just arrived." Said the servant quietly and steadily. Zelda got fully up now, and employed the young woman to come in.

"I thank you for the message. She's just arrived you say? Do you know what she's come for?" Zelda was now up and about and putting on a robe. 

"Nay, Lady. She rode in with two others but no word has been said to me of what she's here for, only to come and fetch you." 

"I see," Zelda's golden hair shimmered in the firelight. "Will you help me dress so that I may go down and meet with her?"

"Surely, Milady, but wouldn't you like me ta' call in your maidservants for you?"

"Nay, I think we can manage, hm? I do not want to wake them and since you are already here, may I ask your service?" The girl nodded and Zelda continued. "Good, now come, hand me my dress lying across the chair there, if you would be so kind."

In several minutes Zelda was gliding downstairs, her new young maid in her wake. The girl looked to be about sixteen years of age and had large, curious hazel eyes and deep, rich brown hair. Her quiet, polite countenance appealed to Zelda as she also appreciated her services in the middle of the night. She asked the girl her name, which she received the reply 'Malayia Campbell'.

"Was not your brother, Rook, just married to Talon the ranch owner's daughter?" Zelda asked, hoping to engage the young woman in conversation. Malayia's hazel eyes lit up with a smile.

"Oh, yes, to Malon, my new sister." She said. "I am honored that you know of that, Milady."

"She and he are dear friends of a friend of mine, and I've heard high things about your brother and his work with our horses."

It was not long before Zelda's skirt swirled into the chamber Tiamra and her companions had been taken to. The Gerudo stood and pressed their arm to their chest in salute, and Tiamra turned and watched Zelda from the fireplace. The room was warm, even for a summer night, and Zelda could hear the summer crickets singing out in the meadows and woods bordering this side of the castle. With a royal nod Zelda dismissed Malayia and sent a guard with her as well so that she might not be wandering at these hours alone and unattended through the dark halls, while the three remaining guards took their places outside and inside the chamber.

"Tiamra, a pleasure as always," Zelda bowed her head politely, her crown of golden locks still as brilliant in the firelight as ever.

"Princess Zelda, my apologies for calling on you at such a late hour," Tiamra bowed respectfully as well, "but we have been riding since the news came this morning and we were committed to seeing you as soon as possible."

"If it is important news, should you not have sought my father instead of me?" Zelda's curiosity was aroused to say the least now. The present leader of the Gerudo walked straight up to Zelda and held her gaze levelly. Tiamra's golden eyes sparkled and her smooth, tan skin, firm with muscle, glowed in the fire's light.

"Not news of this kind," said Tiamra in a low, serious voice. "This I knew I must seek your council for. I would have sought Nabooru first, naturally, but messages are from her, not to her I fear. I could not contact her, so I knew I must come to you."

                Tiamra now walked back to the table and to a leather-riding bag sitting there. The other two Gerudo watched her reverently as the lid flap was thrown back, and an object was taken out of it. Zelda gasped in shock as the package was finally revealed.

"Sweet Naryu…" Zelda tried to compose herself, "what devilry are you bringing in here?"

"Nothing more than is necessary, I assure you," Tiamra surprisingly chuckled and stood back from the table. Zelda gulped hard and boldly approached Tiamra's 'news', now lying exposed on the table. Tiamra and the other Gerudo watched with interest for the princess's assessment of the dark body of the bird, torn apart by arrows. Zelda tried to keep the look of disgust away until she could look from the bird. She knew the Gerudo were…less than ladylike, but bringing her a dead carcass in the middle of the night and claiming it as important news befuddled her.

"Would you like to explain this, Tiamra?" Zelda composed herself again and took a seat in the high backed chair sitting directly in front of the bird and across from her. Tiamra now eyed the bird with irritancy and Zelda noticed her upper lip curled slightly.

"These…gouys, demon birds they are, have been gathering in great multitudes out at the Desert Colossus. A few are always to be expected, but my sisters have reported more than four hundred have grown in the past three days. This one was taken yesterday, after a band of our most skilled archers left to take care of the problem…They are still trapped in the Spirit Temple as we speak for those damn birds swarmed on them like a wave…only two of our sisters made it back to the Fortress and they brought this."

                Tiamra pointed to the bloodied bird detestably and attempted to rein in her anger. Zelda stared at it again too, then back to the Gerudo leader.

"I see…or rather it is perhaps I don't. Why bring news of an animal problem to me Tiamra?" Asked Zelda curiously. Tiamra stood still before the fire and examined whether the princess was joking or not. It surprised her to find Zelda's question sincere.

"The problem is, your Highness, that these birds have always been omens of bad tidings. They are…drawn, it has been said, to places of trouble. Now I know that there have been events arising in Hyrule that cannot be explained, and are of a terrible nature in themselves and I thought that this omen," she again pointed to the bird, "should be brought to your attention as well."

"Do you think there is something amiss concerning the Spirit Temple? Would not Nabooru have sensed it if there was?" Zelda continued. Tiamra shook her head.

"I do not know, I have not had the fortune with speaking with my sister for some time. All I know is this…" And Tiamra leaned over the table as well as the arrow-wound riddled bird and brought her face very close to Zelda's. The Hylian guards stood apprehensively concerning this move, but Zelda did not move away from her and kept her pale violet eyes locked on Tiamra's golden ones. The fire crackled behind them during the Gerudo's pause and was the only sound in the room other than the sweet hum of the crickets outside. When Tiamra continued, her voice was low and grave.

"All I know is that these birds are not gathered out at our Temple for nothing. I know that birds such as they were once the servants to a fallen king, one who allowed himself to be consumed with the dark arts. I know that the land is ailing and I know that the look you gave now tells me you have been fearing what I've just said."

AN: I love the Gerudo, they're just so cool…Don't get irritated at me! I'll be bringing this all to a head in the next…6 chapters or so…Funny thing is, I've been brewing this story in my head for, jeez, years (scary, I was fourteen I believe when I started this…And I'm 6 months away from 18 now…wow) so I've known where I was going with it like the back of my hand. From this point on (after this story I mean) I'm kinda winging it…I mean, I've got ideas and all, but only really set ones for the story right after this one. I need to start thinking…