And, after many, many, many, many, many days, an update! I bet you all hate
me for putting this on hold for so long, but I got caught up in my other
stories. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I can't possibly express how sorry I
am for letting you wait for so long, but here it is.
**'
"I know you fell helpless now,
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road, that's the same road
That I'm on."
- Road That I'm On, 3 Doors Down
.
Malon wrapped her cloak tighter around her. After only a few days in the desert, she had grown used to the temperature, and was therefore shocked by the chill of Hyrule Field. They should reach the Castle Town by nightfall, which was only hours away, and she was more nervous than she'd care to admit. Of course, she'd known before they'd set out that there would be fighting, but she was afraid all the same. It wasn't herself she feared for either, it was Sheik.
It wasn't that she doubted his capabilities, or his skill, she knew he was both capable and skilled enough to take care of himself. But a stray arrow didn't need skill to find its mark. It only took luck for the owner of it. She wished there was anything she could do to stop this brewing war, but there wasn't. she couldn't exactly share her thoughts with the Gerudo's; no matter how much she liked them, they were a warrior people after all, and were probably excited at the prospect of a war. She was in the middle of a crowd, and still she felt alone. And she felt to damn helpless.
She sighed. She had changed, and she didn't know whether she liked it or not. The girl she had been a few weeks ago would have been terrified at the thought of a war. She still was, but now she could deal with it if it came her way. Nabooru had spent hours together with Kalira trying to drill Malon for the upcoming war. They had told her of what happened, and had let her read books on war found in their extensive library, books written not by heroes, but by survivors. And she never thought of war as glorious again.
It had only been a little over two weeks, but she was a different person now than she was then, almost as if she had stared a whole new life. And in a way, she had. She no longer lived at Lon Lon Ranch, her father Talon was dead, she had been saved by a man known as Sheik, and she had travelled to the deserts and back, learning how to fight for herself. She had lost some innocence, but gained a lot of knowledge, and as many said, knowledge is power. The wise knew what to do, and knowing what to do was comforting. Or it would have been if it wasn't so damn lonely.
*****'
Sheik surveyed his troops once again, sighing in defeat. If Nabooru didn't come soon, they were as good as dead. He had never seen any troops quite as badly trained as these. If he were to take on any kind of raiders with them, he'd better pray to the Goddesses, because this was bad. Really bad. They couldn't even harm the straw dummies for Farore's sake!
"Troops dismissed." He called, waving a hand at them absentmindedly.
He climbed up on the walls, desperately trying to see any sign of Nabooru, as he had been for the better part of the day. His troops still though him to be a freakish outsider who had no place in commanding the Hylian army, and he had stared to plot their demise. Thus far, he had come up with; 1) chucking them off the bridge leading to Gerudo Fortress, 2) forcing them to listen to Link prattle on about nothing at all until their inner organs jumped up and strangled their brains. Needless to say, he hadn't been trying very hard, although the part about strangling their brains was kind of good...
He felt lonely without anyone to talk to. Sure, there was Zelda, but he hadn't seen her in years, and there was a reason for that; they didn't really have anything in common that they could talk about. Then there was always Link of course, but only if he was feeling really, really suicidal. He missed Nabooru, Kalira, and even Malon. He was getting impatient, and not only because of the lack of people to talk to, but the fact that the raiders hadn't moved one inch since he came to the Castle Town. It was almost as if the were planning something. He didn't know what, but it was something.
It was said that some people had a sixth sense and knew when it was going to rain. He had something like it, only he knew when it was going to be fighting in the near future, and that sense was practically setting off alarms in his head loud enough to wake the dead. The trouble was, he didn't know when the attack would come, and even if he did, he would have nothing to defend himself with. And it made him feel so damn helpless.
Suddenly, a glint of sunlight reflecting off some piece of metal alerted him that someone was coming up the road to the castle. He squinted, trying to see who or what it was, and nearly fell off the wall. It was not someone, but several someone's, and they were carrying the Gerudo War banner. Barely suppressing a victory cry, he jumped down the stairs and ran towards the gate, ignoring the curious looks he got from the Hylian soldiers and whatever servants were out in the courtyard.
The Gerudo had finally come, and they had brought every able-bodied fighter in the Fortress with them.
***'
Malon tried to keep her head down when they entered the market place. There were so many people here that knew how she looked like, if not who she was, and she couldn't afford to be recognized right now. These people doubtlessly knew about the Ranch being burned to the ground, and would ask her about her father and where she had been, and she couldn't handle that right now. She had never really gotten over her father's death; instead, she had opted to forget about it until later when she would have time to handle it. She couldn't fall apart now, she just couldn't.
So, she kept her head down, and followed Nabooru's lead towards the castle, even though she had been there countless times before while delivering milk to the castle kitchens. Nabooru didn't seem to realize that her newest recruit was hiding as much as possible of her fact in her cloak, and cheerily prepared to ask the gate guard to let them in. The trouble was, there was no gate guard. This puzzled them, especially Malon, who couldn't remember a time when the gate hadn't been manned.
They didn't need to dwell on this for long, though, as a blue-and-white streak of lightning came bolting down the road from the palace. Castle. Whatever.
"Sheik, you little brat!" Nabooru yelled at him, for it was indeed Sheik, and waved an arm in the air in a typical Nabooru gesture that would have looked ridiculous if it was any one else, but only looked natural with her.
"Nabooru! What the hell took you so long?" Sheik yelled back, skittering to a stop beside Nabooru's horse.
"We didn't get your bloody latter till three days ago, and getting fighters organized isn't done quickly, twit. But now we're here, so why don't we get cracking?"
But Sheik wasn't listening anymore. He had spotted Malon. He walked up to her horse, took the reins, and proceeded to swing himself up behind her. He did not look happy.
"Hey, Sheik, what are you doing? Too tired to walk another step?" Nabooru tried, lamely, to joke.
He turned his head to glare at her, and set off towards the castle without another word. Malon put her head in her hands, and suppressed a groan. This was not a good day. She did not want to look at Sheik's face; she didn't want to know what she'd find there. What could possibly have made him so angry?
What did she do wrong?
**'
"I know you fell helpless now,
And I know you feel alone
That's the same road, that's the same road
That I'm on."
- Road That I'm On, 3 Doors Down
.
Malon wrapped her cloak tighter around her. After only a few days in the desert, she had grown used to the temperature, and was therefore shocked by the chill of Hyrule Field. They should reach the Castle Town by nightfall, which was only hours away, and she was more nervous than she'd care to admit. Of course, she'd known before they'd set out that there would be fighting, but she was afraid all the same. It wasn't herself she feared for either, it was Sheik.
It wasn't that she doubted his capabilities, or his skill, she knew he was both capable and skilled enough to take care of himself. But a stray arrow didn't need skill to find its mark. It only took luck for the owner of it. She wished there was anything she could do to stop this brewing war, but there wasn't. she couldn't exactly share her thoughts with the Gerudo's; no matter how much she liked them, they were a warrior people after all, and were probably excited at the prospect of a war. She was in the middle of a crowd, and still she felt alone. And she felt to damn helpless.
She sighed. She had changed, and she didn't know whether she liked it or not. The girl she had been a few weeks ago would have been terrified at the thought of a war. She still was, but now she could deal with it if it came her way. Nabooru had spent hours together with Kalira trying to drill Malon for the upcoming war. They had told her of what happened, and had let her read books on war found in their extensive library, books written not by heroes, but by survivors. And she never thought of war as glorious again.
It had only been a little over two weeks, but she was a different person now than she was then, almost as if she had stared a whole new life. And in a way, she had. She no longer lived at Lon Lon Ranch, her father Talon was dead, she had been saved by a man known as Sheik, and she had travelled to the deserts and back, learning how to fight for herself. She had lost some innocence, but gained a lot of knowledge, and as many said, knowledge is power. The wise knew what to do, and knowing what to do was comforting. Or it would have been if it wasn't so damn lonely.
*****'
Sheik surveyed his troops once again, sighing in defeat. If Nabooru didn't come soon, they were as good as dead. He had never seen any troops quite as badly trained as these. If he were to take on any kind of raiders with them, he'd better pray to the Goddesses, because this was bad. Really bad. They couldn't even harm the straw dummies for Farore's sake!
"Troops dismissed." He called, waving a hand at them absentmindedly.
He climbed up on the walls, desperately trying to see any sign of Nabooru, as he had been for the better part of the day. His troops still though him to be a freakish outsider who had no place in commanding the Hylian army, and he had stared to plot their demise. Thus far, he had come up with; 1) chucking them off the bridge leading to Gerudo Fortress, 2) forcing them to listen to Link prattle on about nothing at all until their inner organs jumped up and strangled their brains. Needless to say, he hadn't been trying very hard, although the part about strangling their brains was kind of good...
He felt lonely without anyone to talk to. Sure, there was Zelda, but he hadn't seen her in years, and there was a reason for that; they didn't really have anything in common that they could talk about. Then there was always Link of course, but only if he was feeling really, really suicidal. He missed Nabooru, Kalira, and even Malon. He was getting impatient, and not only because of the lack of people to talk to, but the fact that the raiders hadn't moved one inch since he came to the Castle Town. It was almost as if the were planning something. He didn't know what, but it was something.
It was said that some people had a sixth sense and knew when it was going to rain. He had something like it, only he knew when it was going to be fighting in the near future, and that sense was practically setting off alarms in his head loud enough to wake the dead. The trouble was, he didn't know when the attack would come, and even if he did, he would have nothing to defend himself with. And it made him feel so damn helpless.
Suddenly, a glint of sunlight reflecting off some piece of metal alerted him that someone was coming up the road to the castle. He squinted, trying to see who or what it was, and nearly fell off the wall. It was not someone, but several someone's, and they were carrying the Gerudo War banner. Barely suppressing a victory cry, he jumped down the stairs and ran towards the gate, ignoring the curious looks he got from the Hylian soldiers and whatever servants were out in the courtyard.
The Gerudo had finally come, and they had brought every able-bodied fighter in the Fortress with them.
***'
Malon tried to keep her head down when they entered the market place. There were so many people here that knew how she looked like, if not who she was, and she couldn't afford to be recognized right now. These people doubtlessly knew about the Ranch being burned to the ground, and would ask her about her father and where she had been, and she couldn't handle that right now. She had never really gotten over her father's death; instead, she had opted to forget about it until later when she would have time to handle it. She couldn't fall apart now, she just couldn't.
So, she kept her head down, and followed Nabooru's lead towards the castle, even though she had been there countless times before while delivering milk to the castle kitchens. Nabooru didn't seem to realize that her newest recruit was hiding as much as possible of her fact in her cloak, and cheerily prepared to ask the gate guard to let them in. The trouble was, there was no gate guard. This puzzled them, especially Malon, who couldn't remember a time when the gate hadn't been manned.
They didn't need to dwell on this for long, though, as a blue-and-white streak of lightning came bolting down the road from the palace. Castle. Whatever.
"Sheik, you little brat!" Nabooru yelled at him, for it was indeed Sheik, and waved an arm in the air in a typical Nabooru gesture that would have looked ridiculous if it was any one else, but only looked natural with her.
"Nabooru! What the hell took you so long?" Sheik yelled back, skittering to a stop beside Nabooru's horse.
"We didn't get your bloody latter till three days ago, and getting fighters organized isn't done quickly, twit. But now we're here, so why don't we get cracking?"
But Sheik wasn't listening anymore. He had spotted Malon. He walked up to her horse, took the reins, and proceeded to swing himself up behind her. He did not look happy.
"Hey, Sheik, what are you doing? Too tired to walk another step?" Nabooru tried, lamely, to joke.
He turned his head to glare at her, and set off towards the castle without another word. Malon put her head in her hands, and suppressed a groan. This was not a good day. She did not want to look at Sheik's face; she didn't want to know what she'd find there. What could possibly have made him so angry?
What did she do wrong?