~ Disclaimer ~ Nope, don't own 'em. Not a one. It all belongs to Myamoto,
whom we all know and love. ^_^
Okay, this may get to be really rough but I'm going to be gone for like three weeks after today so I may as well get to work, eh?
Link: And while she's gone, I'll be your humble host!
Without me, you would not get out of bed!
Link: This is true.
Anyway, dedication (I'm so glad I can do this ^_^) go out to a nice lot of people. First off there is CrysSton16, then Shadow Knight, and Jelie36, lastly GSfreak. (Yes, GSfreak, this story is to Wolfos what Majora's Mask was to masks. And Shadow Knight, thanks for the advice.)
Thank you for reviewing so, of course, this one is for all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~
~ Recovery and a Run Around ~
After the attack, they wasted no more time in getting back to the home. Gramps drove the wagon around to the back and unhitched the mare. Link quickly threw some hay out for her and Epona then joined Crystal in carrying Shekro back inside.
Link lit a few candles and set them in the upper corners of the room, trying to bring as much light unto Shekro as he could. Shekro was soaked wet and nearly unconscious.
Crystal set her hand over the wolf's ribs to feel his heartbeat and breathing. His heart was beating weakly but his breathing was not labored. Crystal opened one of his eyes and looked into it. He was tired, so very tired.
"Sorry, Shekro, but you can't go to sleep now. Grandpa, get me some hot water and clean rags, please." He nodded. He thought his daughter to be imagining that she could "read" animals but he knew she was wise in the ways of healing.
Link knelt on the side opposite Crystal. He was wishing he had a fairy but it was no use to wish. He wondered what the hot water was for but he knew about the rags. Crystal was checking the wound under the wolf's front leg but to her surprise, there was nothing to the wound. The fur was even growing back again.
"Link, remind me. How long has it been since this wound was made?" Crystal was checking and re-checking the once wounded area. Link looked up at her, seeing confusion and a tinge of fear in her eyes. "The day before today. Just before we met, I think. Shekro was attacked by-"
Crystal waved her hand to stop him. "I know how it was attacked. Take a look here and tell me what you see of the wound." Link leaned far over to get a closer look. To his surprise, there was nothing to it at all. "What does it mean?" Link asked. Crystal shook her head in wonder. "I think there is more to our friend than meets the eye."
~~~~~~~
Crystal never left Shekro's side as she nursed his other wounds. Link stood watch outside as when the rain let up, it was obvious that night had fallen. Link peered suspiciously into each of the shadows surrounding the house but there was no stirring or rustling. Or growling in the dark.
Day broke and Link knew there was going to be no problems from the Wolfos in the woods. He went back inside to find Crystal sleeping in a corner, Shekro nearby and sleeping soundly, his fur was dried and petted down. Link smiled slightly. Having gone a good three days in a row without sleep, he was still not tired.
He walked quietly through the house and found Gramps in a bed also sleeping. The room was too big for only one person, however and he noticed a second bed also in the room. Link walked over to it and stole the blanket from on top of it. The blanket was not too thick by any means but it would help keep her warm until the sun rose into the sky.
He set the blanket over Crystal and around her shoulders then leaned against the wall opposite of her. He had nothing to do but wait until she woke up.
~~~~~~~
Crystal soon awoke in high spirits. Shekro was going to be fine and ready to run about later that very day if his recovery kept up it's pace. She admitted to herself that she was surprised the young wolf would heal up so quickly but happy for it nonetheless.
She looked around the room, finally discovering the blanket set over her sometime in her sleep. She smiled and reminded herself to thank Grandpa for it. She always knew there was a sweet grandfather and still in there somewhere. He could be tough as leather sometimes or a cold calculator.
Sometimes he would go back to his youth when he was fearless and ruthless swordsman. She remembered his teaching her a lot but not all he knew and still resented that somewhat. But then, even Andrake was denied his full teachings.
This lessened Crystal's despise of him. It became obvious that he wanted to take his skills to the grave. But then they would be lost to the world. It made no sense to her.
She began looking for either him or Link to discover them both eating their breakfast of eggs and drinking milk. Link looked up at her, a smile on his face. "I discovered that I really like eggs!"
Crystal laughed, "You never had eggs before? I'm surprised."
Link shook his head, "I have had cuckoo eggs but never these kings. There is much more flavor in these." Crystal decided not to question him but a thought suddenly welled up in her to where she slammed her hand on the table and nearly yelled at Link, "Aright, I have not forgotten that promise I made to put you in your place, Link. Today, I'm going to live up to it."
Link, caught off guard by the sudden mood swing, began to choke on the milk he had tried to swallow. He ended up breathing it. Gramps swatted him hard on the back. Link coughed and gasped until his head hit the tabletop. Fortunately, Gramps had moved the boy's plate from in front of him.
Crystal did not give in to his pitiful choking display. She turned on Gramps, "So, after he is done.choking, can we go?"
Gramps made sure Link was okay, then shrugged and said, "Go ahead but stay in the field and away from Wolfos territory. Be home by noon. Got that?" Crystal nodded.
Link cleared his throat as best he could and took another drink of milk to soothe the continuing itch. He wondered how the girl planned to "put him in his place".
They went outside together and walked clear of the house in the forest. Link remembered about the rule to catch Crystal and pin her so he walked lightly, wondering if she would simply begin to dash across the field as Andrake had, or try another tactic. If she could run like Andrake, or even somewhat like him, then Link could very well be in trouble in living up to his challenge.
Crystal held up one finger to Link and said, "How about we make a wager?"
Link already didn't like the sound of it. "What wager?" Crystal grinned, "If you can catch and pin me, then I'll let you go find your friend. Now, if I catch you off guard and pin you, then you have to agree to stay and be my sparing partner. Deal?" She set out her hand.
Link smiled carefully, seeing a picture of either of them pinning the other didn't look too innocent to him. He wondered how it would work. Nonetheless, he gripped her hand firmly. A playful spark played on Crystal's lips. Link watched as she suddenly dashed off to the side and he immediately gave chase.
Crystal was fast, but not near as fast as Andrake had been. He was slowly gaining on her but she changed direction dramatically. Link tried to follow the direction change but one of his boots slipped in the dewy grass. He caught himself on his other foot and looked up at where Crystal went. She laughed and stood confidently at a respectable distance away and on a sudden incline of a hill.
Neither was breathing too hard just yet. This chase was going to get interesting. He grinned as she shouted, "Girls always were the more agile ones!"
"I'll make you eat those words!" Link yelled as he lunged to his feet and got into a dash toward her once again. Crystal stood still and Link got a bad feeling about the situation. Crystal jumped to the side just as Link was a couple of feet away and Link tried to stop as he saw she had been standing on the grassy lip of a cliff.
Link waved his arms as he balanced on the edge, trying desperately to regain his footing but with Crystal standing calmly beside him, he knew she would not let him stay atop the cliff ledge for long. With one finger and an evil grin on her face, Crystal pushed him over the edge.
Link yelled in anger and fear as he was sent tumbling down the steep dirt slope. He grabbed a bush hanging off the side and looked down. He was still a good seven feet from the grass. He looked up at the bush. His rib was hurting on a rock he was pressed against as he dangled.
Crystal was on her hands and knees on the ledge. Link scanned the rim but could not see a good point to hookshot onto. With up being no good, down was the only option left to him.
Link let go with one hand and swiveled around until his boots were against the slope. With a yell of defiance, he stood on the cliff and began to run as fast as he was falling until he stopped on the grass.
Crystal clapped in applause, "Good job but I'm still on high." Link looked up at her with a less than friendly look. He could have gotten hurt and she knew it! Link gave a sharp sigh but kept his trunk card for when he would need it. He began to walk to the side of the cliff, judging the gentler slope that led to the top where Crystal waited.
Link began to run. The work being nothing to him and he quickly reached the top. Not to his surprise, Crystal was gone. He looked around quickly and saw that she had gone down the other side of the hill. She stood at the base of the grass slope and looked up at him with a friendly gaze before setting off at a gentle run across the field.
Link shrugged and set his shield before him face down. He backed up, and settled the butterflies growing in his stomach. He had tried this before with less than desirable effects. He took a deep breath, knew that if this worked, there was no way Crystal could get away from him.
Then with one last look straight at the straps on the shield. He began to run at it and jumped onto it, sliding his boots into the looped straps. Sure enough, he skimmed down the cliff, holding both arms out for balance, he flew through the wet grass and slick mud from the previous rains.
Crystal was still running casually, she could not hear the sound of the shield flying through the grass until it struck a stone. The shield jumped with Link easily riding the jump out to continue his pursuit. Crystal yelled in surprise but leaped to the side, this time diving into the grass, as Link jumped up in the air and caught his shield from under him to land on his feet.
With a triumphant grin, he began running back at Crystal as she scrambled to her feet and began to dash. She glanced over her shoulder to see Link within earshot. She yelled as she looked forward, "That was real clever, Link. But it's going to take more than that to catch me!" She ran harder, slowly outdistancing him.
Link stared in disbelief and began to run harder himself. Still he could not catch her as they began to run up another gentle hill. The forest was in the distance as Link stopped running. It was time to call on his trunk card. He let Crystal keep on running and began to whistle a tune. It was a tune that summoned up images of a farm and fields to his mind. It was Epona's song.
Sure enough, Epona seemed to appear out of nowhere. Link smiled warmly and said, "Well, girl. We're on the hunt once again. Are you ready?" Epona reared happily and pawed the ground. Link laughed at her enthusiasm and leaped onto her back. Seizing her mane with one hand, Link yelled, "HYAH!" and they began to thunder across the field.
From Epona's back, Link could see Crystal clearly and she could see him. "You sneaky little cheat!" She yelled but was smiling in appreciation on his seriousness of the chase. She knew Link was not going to let her get away from his challenge. Link watched with a sudden feeling of de ja vu as she raised her fist and threw down a small nut. Link and Epona charged around the smoke but Crystal was not to be found.
Link then heard a shrill whistle in the distance. He turned Epona to the sound and spurred her on. When they grew closer to the source of the sound, they found the clever Crystal with her own trunk card. Link stopped Epona and grinned in amusement. He didn't know she had a mount as well.
Crystal sat on the bare back of a golden stallion. She tossed her head, letting her hair fall behind her back once again. Link felt his heart stop as he saw her. Her green tunic and off-white colors matched the golden creature majestically.
They smiled to each other then Crystal trotted closer, then let the creature gently gallop. She sat with utmost confidence as she clutched the flowing gold mane of the powerful palomino. "Well, Link. Shall we continue?"
Link thought his heart was trying to escape his chest but he answered with a confident grin, "Lead the way."
~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that is what I can offer for now. Hope I don't disappoint anyone with the chase anyway.
For now, I'm taking a short vacation so if there are new readers, I usually update much sooner. You get the picture.
Someone once asked why do I hate Katie so much. Perhaps it's a no-no but I based her off of a spoiled litte brat with the same name.
Until next time!
Okay, this may get to be really rough but I'm going to be gone for like three weeks after today so I may as well get to work, eh?
Link: And while she's gone, I'll be your humble host!
Without me, you would not get out of bed!
Link: This is true.
Anyway, dedication (I'm so glad I can do this ^_^) go out to a nice lot of people. First off there is CrysSton16, then Shadow Knight, and Jelie36, lastly GSfreak. (Yes, GSfreak, this story is to Wolfos what Majora's Mask was to masks. And Shadow Knight, thanks for the advice.)
Thank you for reviewing so, of course, this one is for all of you.
~~~~~~~~~~
~ Recovery and a Run Around ~
After the attack, they wasted no more time in getting back to the home. Gramps drove the wagon around to the back and unhitched the mare. Link quickly threw some hay out for her and Epona then joined Crystal in carrying Shekro back inside.
Link lit a few candles and set them in the upper corners of the room, trying to bring as much light unto Shekro as he could. Shekro was soaked wet and nearly unconscious.
Crystal set her hand over the wolf's ribs to feel his heartbeat and breathing. His heart was beating weakly but his breathing was not labored. Crystal opened one of his eyes and looked into it. He was tired, so very tired.
"Sorry, Shekro, but you can't go to sleep now. Grandpa, get me some hot water and clean rags, please." He nodded. He thought his daughter to be imagining that she could "read" animals but he knew she was wise in the ways of healing.
Link knelt on the side opposite Crystal. He was wishing he had a fairy but it was no use to wish. He wondered what the hot water was for but he knew about the rags. Crystal was checking the wound under the wolf's front leg but to her surprise, there was nothing to the wound. The fur was even growing back again.
"Link, remind me. How long has it been since this wound was made?" Crystal was checking and re-checking the once wounded area. Link looked up at her, seeing confusion and a tinge of fear in her eyes. "The day before today. Just before we met, I think. Shekro was attacked by-"
Crystal waved her hand to stop him. "I know how it was attacked. Take a look here and tell me what you see of the wound." Link leaned far over to get a closer look. To his surprise, there was nothing to it at all. "What does it mean?" Link asked. Crystal shook her head in wonder. "I think there is more to our friend than meets the eye."
~~~~~~~
Crystal never left Shekro's side as she nursed his other wounds. Link stood watch outside as when the rain let up, it was obvious that night had fallen. Link peered suspiciously into each of the shadows surrounding the house but there was no stirring or rustling. Or growling in the dark.
Day broke and Link knew there was going to be no problems from the Wolfos in the woods. He went back inside to find Crystal sleeping in a corner, Shekro nearby and sleeping soundly, his fur was dried and petted down. Link smiled slightly. Having gone a good three days in a row without sleep, he was still not tired.
He walked quietly through the house and found Gramps in a bed also sleeping. The room was too big for only one person, however and he noticed a second bed also in the room. Link walked over to it and stole the blanket from on top of it. The blanket was not too thick by any means but it would help keep her warm until the sun rose into the sky.
He set the blanket over Crystal and around her shoulders then leaned against the wall opposite of her. He had nothing to do but wait until she woke up.
~~~~~~~
Crystal soon awoke in high spirits. Shekro was going to be fine and ready to run about later that very day if his recovery kept up it's pace. She admitted to herself that she was surprised the young wolf would heal up so quickly but happy for it nonetheless.
She looked around the room, finally discovering the blanket set over her sometime in her sleep. She smiled and reminded herself to thank Grandpa for it. She always knew there was a sweet grandfather and still in there somewhere. He could be tough as leather sometimes or a cold calculator.
Sometimes he would go back to his youth when he was fearless and ruthless swordsman. She remembered his teaching her a lot but not all he knew and still resented that somewhat. But then, even Andrake was denied his full teachings.
This lessened Crystal's despise of him. It became obvious that he wanted to take his skills to the grave. But then they would be lost to the world. It made no sense to her.
She began looking for either him or Link to discover them both eating their breakfast of eggs and drinking milk. Link looked up at her, a smile on his face. "I discovered that I really like eggs!"
Crystal laughed, "You never had eggs before? I'm surprised."
Link shook his head, "I have had cuckoo eggs but never these kings. There is much more flavor in these." Crystal decided not to question him but a thought suddenly welled up in her to where she slammed her hand on the table and nearly yelled at Link, "Aright, I have not forgotten that promise I made to put you in your place, Link. Today, I'm going to live up to it."
Link, caught off guard by the sudden mood swing, began to choke on the milk he had tried to swallow. He ended up breathing it. Gramps swatted him hard on the back. Link coughed and gasped until his head hit the tabletop. Fortunately, Gramps had moved the boy's plate from in front of him.
Crystal did not give in to his pitiful choking display. She turned on Gramps, "So, after he is done.choking, can we go?"
Gramps made sure Link was okay, then shrugged and said, "Go ahead but stay in the field and away from Wolfos territory. Be home by noon. Got that?" Crystal nodded.
Link cleared his throat as best he could and took another drink of milk to soothe the continuing itch. He wondered how the girl planned to "put him in his place".
They went outside together and walked clear of the house in the forest. Link remembered about the rule to catch Crystal and pin her so he walked lightly, wondering if she would simply begin to dash across the field as Andrake had, or try another tactic. If she could run like Andrake, or even somewhat like him, then Link could very well be in trouble in living up to his challenge.
Crystal held up one finger to Link and said, "How about we make a wager?"
Link already didn't like the sound of it. "What wager?" Crystal grinned, "If you can catch and pin me, then I'll let you go find your friend. Now, if I catch you off guard and pin you, then you have to agree to stay and be my sparing partner. Deal?" She set out her hand.
Link smiled carefully, seeing a picture of either of them pinning the other didn't look too innocent to him. He wondered how it would work. Nonetheless, he gripped her hand firmly. A playful spark played on Crystal's lips. Link watched as she suddenly dashed off to the side and he immediately gave chase.
Crystal was fast, but not near as fast as Andrake had been. He was slowly gaining on her but she changed direction dramatically. Link tried to follow the direction change but one of his boots slipped in the dewy grass. He caught himself on his other foot and looked up at where Crystal went. She laughed and stood confidently at a respectable distance away and on a sudden incline of a hill.
Neither was breathing too hard just yet. This chase was going to get interesting. He grinned as she shouted, "Girls always were the more agile ones!"
"I'll make you eat those words!" Link yelled as he lunged to his feet and got into a dash toward her once again. Crystal stood still and Link got a bad feeling about the situation. Crystal jumped to the side just as Link was a couple of feet away and Link tried to stop as he saw she had been standing on the grassy lip of a cliff.
Link waved his arms as he balanced on the edge, trying desperately to regain his footing but with Crystal standing calmly beside him, he knew she would not let him stay atop the cliff ledge for long. With one finger and an evil grin on her face, Crystal pushed him over the edge.
Link yelled in anger and fear as he was sent tumbling down the steep dirt slope. He grabbed a bush hanging off the side and looked down. He was still a good seven feet from the grass. He looked up at the bush. His rib was hurting on a rock he was pressed against as he dangled.
Crystal was on her hands and knees on the ledge. Link scanned the rim but could not see a good point to hookshot onto. With up being no good, down was the only option left to him.
Link let go with one hand and swiveled around until his boots were against the slope. With a yell of defiance, he stood on the cliff and began to run as fast as he was falling until he stopped on the grass.
Crystal clapped in applause, "Good job but I'm still on high." Link looked up at her with a less than friendly look. He could have gotten hurt and she knew it! Link gave a sharp sigh but kept his trunk card for when he would need it. He began to walk to the side of the cliff, judging the gentler slope that led to the top where Crystal waited.
Link began to run. The work being nothing to him and he quickly reached the top. Not to his surprise, Crystal was gone. He looked around quickly and saw that she had gone down the other side of the hill. She stood at the base of the grass slope and looked up at him with a friendly gaze before setting off at a gentle run across the field.
Link shrugged and set his shield before him face down. He backed up, and settled the butterflies growing in his stomach. He had tried this before with less than desirable effects. He took a deep breath, knew that if this worked, there was no way Crystal could get away from him.
Then with one last look straight at the straps on the shield. He began to run at it and jumped onto it, sliding his boots into the looped straps. Sure enough, he skimmed down the cliff, holding both arms out for balance, he flew through the wet grass and slick mud from the previous rains.
Crystal was still running casually, she could not hear the sound of the shield flying through the grass until it struck a stone. The shield jumped with Link easily riding the jump out to continue his pursuit. Crystal yelled in surprise but leaped to the side, this time diving into the grass, as Link jumped up in the air and caught his shield from under him to land on his feet.
With a triumphant grin, he began running back at Crystal as she scrambled to her feet and began to dash. She glanced over her shoulder to see Link within earshot. She yelled as she looked forward, "That was real clever, Link. But it's going to take more than that to catch me!" She ran harder, slowly outdistancing him.
Link stared in disbelief and began to run harder himself. Still he could not catch her as they began to run up another gentle hill. The forest was in the distance as Link stopped running. It was time to call on his trunk card. He let Crystal keep on running and began to whistle a tune. It was a tune that summoned up images of a farm and fields to his mind. It was Epona's song.
Sure enough, Epona seemed to appear out of nowhere. Link smiled warmly and said, "Well, girl. We're on the hunt once again. Are you ready?" Epona reared happily and pawed the ground. Link laughed at her enthusiasm and leaped onto her back. Seizing her mane with one hand, Link yelled, "HYAH!" and they began to thunder across the field.
From Epona's back, Link could see Crystal clearly and she could see him. "You sneaky little cheat!" She yelled but was smiling in appreciation on his seriousness of the chase. She knew Link was not going to let her get away from his challenge. Link watched with a sudden feeling of de ja vu as she raised her fist and threw down a small nut. Link and Epona charged around the smoke but Crystal was not to be found.
Link then heard a shrill whistle in the distance. He turned Epona to the sound and spurred her on. When they grew closer to the source of the sound, they found the clever Crystal with her own trunk card. Link stopped Epona and grinned in amusement. He didn't know she had a mount as well.
Crystal sat on the bare back of a golden stallion. She tossed her head, letting her hair fall behind her back once again. Link felt his heart stop as he saw her. Her green tunic and off-white colors matched the golden creature majestically.
They smiled to each other then Crystal trotted closer, then let the creature gently gallop. She sat with utmost confidence as she clutched the flowing gold mane of the powerful palomino. "Well, Link. Shall we continue?"
Link thought his heart was trying to escape his chest but he answered with a confident grin, "Lead the way."
~~~~~~~~~~
Well, that is what I can offer for now. Hope I don't disappoint anyone with the chase anyway.
For now, I'm taking a short vacation so if there are new readers, I usually update much sooner. You get the picture.
Someone once asked why do I hate Katie so much. Perhaps it's a no-no but I based her off of a spoiled litte brat with the same name.
Until next time!
