Chapter 3: Relief
Slowly, day-by-day, I watch Link recover. His strength gains with each morning sunrise. His experience with the storm damaged him terribly: as well as taking all the former power from his muscles he was unable to speak for a few days following our forbidden kiss.
The little pieces of his boat were all washed up eventually, and they scatter the island for no one has gathered them all yet. I know that Link cannot stay forever, and I dread the day he leaves. Since the night we kissed, we have hardly touched. I bring him food and water and clean him up when he bleeds. Quill bathes him and changes his clothes - he knows about our feelings for each other and does not allow me to see him as often as I'd like.
My wedding day approaches, and the Chief keeps trying to speak to me. But I avoid him whenever I see him, slipping into Link's room or my chambers. I do not want to the think about the future anymore.
Komali has not been speaking to me, the petulant young man that he is. I do not care: but soon as Link is well I do not know what I will do. After bathing and changing my clothes, I go back into his room to find him sitting upright on the edge of the bed. It is now the fifth day since Komali and I rescued him.
His eyes shine with strength, and as I sit on the chair he takes my hand and whispers quickly, "Tonight I will go. I cannot stay and wait for Tetra to catch up with me."
I try to conceal my sadness and disappointment, but fail spectacularly. Link's gaze softens, and he pulls me so I sit on the bed. He speaks delicately into my ear; "I am feigning this lack of strength so as to be with you as long as possible. However, Quill knows. He will expel me from this island tomorrow, I am sure of it. So tonight I will go. May I borrow a boat?"
I cannot speak: if I speak I will cry, so I nod. He runs his hand through my loose hair and I cling to the arm that is around me. I cannot hold back a sob; my shoulders shake. He holds me whilst I shed my tears. He takes my chin and lifts it so we gaze into each other's eyes. I murmur, "Without you I will not live: I want to be with you before I die."
His eyes widen slightly in surprise, "Do you want me?"
"You know I do."
I pull at my belt, and my night robe falls open, exposing honey-browned skin, tanned by the harsh sun of this world. He gasps in approval and astonishment. His long fingers run down my bare body and I shiver delightedly under his touch. I tug at his tunic neck longingly, and he sits still whilst I pull it from his head. His hair falls over his face, and I take it from his eyes, wondering at the softness of it.
He draws off his leggings and we slip into the bed together, confident that we will not be disturbed. The sounds of the Rito in sleep drift from the upper rooms. Moonlight streams in through the window as our bodies rush towards each other with the urgency of youth.
He enters me gently, and the rush of passion is incredible. His uncovered skin sets me on fire, and my heart races like the wings of the tiny birds. We kiss many times in the cool stillness of the night.
***
In the centre of the night, when Medli and I are simply lying beside one another after the night's event, I realise it is time. I move to get up, but Medli's hand is at my chest, pulling me down. I smile sadly and move my head to her neck, kissing her gently, "I have to go."
I sit up and pull on my trousers regretfully, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and threatening to fall. I do not want to leave her: my being is full of her, her warmth as I lay with her, the silkiness of her hair against my chest, her sweet scent filling my nostrils and mouth, the taste of her tan skin as I kissed her, the exquisite passion as I went into her.
Medli lies flat under the sheets. Her chest rises and falls in silent sobs. Inside I am glad she feels this way about me, but I cannot bear to see her upset. I steal back onto the bed, staying above the sheets, and embrace her again. She sniffs quietly and wills her tears away.
She rises without pulling the sheet over her, and I cannot tear my eyes from her body. I wrench my gaze away and gather my sword, shield, and a small sack of food and sling it over my shoulder. She launches herself out of the bed and clings to me, "Link, let me come with you. I cannot stay here with nothing but memory."
I grin in the moonlight and she smiles in return; my heart leaps. She dresses hurriedly in travelling clothes and disappears for a moment to gather a small sack of her own possessions. She is back again suddenly, and together, hand in hand, we slip from the halls of the Rito like shadows.
We run along the shore and take a small boat from the bay. I set the sail and the craft skims into the night on a westerly wind. Medli is weeping for her fiancée, and I know she will always love me now. Tears melt down my face for the pirate girl I once loved too, but now we have each other.
***
I concentrate on looking out for the land in the deep blue of night over the ocean. The moon glints off the crests of wavelets, and silver fish dart at the disturbance our boat makes. I raise my hands to my neck and remove my necklace. Link meets my gaze and without breaking his eye contact, I release the pendant from my fingers. It disappears into the calm ocean with barely a splash.
Link smiles wryly and takes the ring from his finger. He looks at it thoughtfully for a few seconds, then flips it overboard as one would a rupee. I reach for his hand and our fingers interlace.
***
Far back, on Dragon Roost Island, Komali slips down the slope to find Link and Medli gone. His mind works quickly. Still in his nightshirt, the Prince flaps out into the night sky, swooping higher and higher, circling the mountain. He spies, in the distance, a small boat swiftly moving towards Windfall.
The Prince's tears trickle down his face, soaking into the hem of his shirt. Anguished sobs wreck his throat as he mourns the girl he loved. Despair takes him and he drives himself higher into the sky with a haunting, echoing cry of pain and misery. At last when he can flap no more, the Rito perches on the lip of the crater and sits, weeping and weeping until his tears are exhausted.
He takes the necklace from about his neck, stares at it through the tears that splinter his vision into a thousand worlds, and throws the locket from him.
The pendant sails through the air and lands with a small muted splash in the vast ocean, where it sinks right to the very bottom.
Forgotten.
THE END.
***
Brought to you by the medlink federation. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medlink/
Slowly, day-by-day, I watch Link recover. His strength gains with each morning sunrise. His experience with the storm damaged him terribly: as well as taking all the former power from his muscles he was unable to speak for a few days following our forbidden kiss.
The little pieces of his boat were all washed up eventually, and they scatter the island for no one has gathered them all yet. I know that Link cannot stay forever, and I dread the day he leaves. Since the night we kissed, we have hardly touched. I bring him food and water and clean him up when he bleeds. Quill bathes him and changes his clothes - he knows about our feelings for each other and does not allow me to see him as often as I'd like.
My wedding day approaches, and the Chief keeps trying to speak to me. But I avoid him whenever I see him, slipping into Link's room or my chambers. I do not want to the think about the future anymore.
Komali has not been speaking to me, the petulant young man that he is. I do not care: but soon as Link is well I do not know what I will do. After bathing and changing my clothes, I go back into his room to find him sitting upright on the edge of the bed. It is now the fifth day since Komali and I rescued him.
His eyes shine with strength, and as I sit on the chair he takes my hand and whispers quickly, "Tonight I will go. I cannot stay and wait for Tetra to catch up with me."
I try to conceal my sadness and disappointment, but fail spectacularly. Link's gaze softens, and he pulls me so I sit on the bed. He speaks delicately into my ear; "I am feigning this lack of strength so as to be with you as long as possible. However, Quill knows. He will expel me from this island tomorrow, I am sure of it. So tonight I will go. May I borrow a boat?"
I cannot speak: if I speak I will cry, so I nod. He runs his hand through my loose hair and I cling to the arm that is around me. I cannot hold back a sob; my shoulders shake. He holds me whilst I shed my tears. He takes my chin and lifts it so we gaze into each other's eyes. I murmur, "Without you I will not live: I want to be with you before I die."
His eyes widen slightly in surprise, "Do you want me?"
"You know I do."
I pull at my belt, and my night robe falls open, exposing honey-browned skin, tanned by the harsh sun of this world. He gasps in approval and astonishment. His long fingers run down my bare body and I shiver delightedly under his touch. I tug at his tunic neck longingly, and he sits still whilst I pull it from his head. His hair falls over his face, and I take it from his eyes, wondering at the softness of it.
He draws off his leggings and we slip into the bed together, confident that we will not be disturbed. The sounds of the Rito in sleep drift from the upper rooms. Moonlight streams in through the window as our bodies rush towards each other with the urgency of youth.
He enters me gently, and the rush of passion is incredible. His uncovered skin sets me on fire, and my heart races like the wings of the tiny birds. We kiss many times in the cool stillness of the night.
***
In the centre of the night, when Medli and I are simply lying beside one another after the night's event, I realise it is time. I move to get up, but Medli's hand is at my chest, pulling me down. I smile sadly and move my head to her neck, kissing her gently, "I have to go."
I sit up and pull on my trousers regretfully, tears gathering at the corners of my eyes and threatening to fall. I do not want to leave her: my being is full of her, her warmth as I lay with her, the silkiness of her hair against my chest, her sweet scent filling my nostrils and mouth, the taste of her tan skin as I kissed her, the exquisite passion as I went into her.
Medli lies flat under the sheets. Her chest rises and falls in silent sobs. Inside I am glad she feels this way about me, but I cannot bear to see her upset. I steal back onto the bed, staying above the sheets, and embrace her again. She sniffs quietly and wills her tears away.
She rises without pulling the sheet over her, and I cannot tear my eyes from her body. I wrench my gaze away and gather my sword, shield, and a small sack of food and sling it over my shoulder. She launches herself out of the bed and clings to me, "Link, let me come with you. I cannot stay here with nothing but memory."
I grin in the moonlight and she smiles in return; my heart leaps. She dresses hurriedly in travelling clothes and disappears for a moment to gather a small sack of her own possessions. She is back again suddenly, and together, hand in hand, we slip from the halls of the Rito like shadows.
We run along the shore and take a small boat from the bay. I set the sail and the craft skims into the night on a westerly wind. Medli is weeping for her fiancée, and I know she will always love me now. Tears melt down my face for the pirate girl I once loved too, but now we have each other.
***
I concentrate on looking out for the land in the deep blue of night over the ocean. The moon glints off the crests of wavelets, and silver fish dart at the disturbance our boat makes. I raise my hands to my neck and remove my necklace. Link meets my gaze and without breaking his eye contact, I release the pendant from my fingers. It disappears into the calm ocean with barely a splash.
Link smiles wryly and takes the ring from his finger. He looks at it thoughtfully for a few seconds, then flips it overboard as one would a rupee. I reach for his hand and our fingers interlace.
***
Far back, on Dragon Roost Island, Komali slips down the slope to find Link and Medli gone. His mind works quickly. Still in his nightshirt, the Prince flaps out into the night sky, swooping higher and higher, circling the mountain. He spies, in the distance, a small boat swiftly moving towards Windfall.
The Prince's tears trickle down his face, soaking into the hem of his shirt. Anguished sobs wreck his throat as he mourns the girl he loved. Despair takes him and he drives himself higher into the sky with a haunting, echoing cry of pain and misery. At last when he can flap no more, the Rito perches on the lip of the crater and sits, weeping and weeping until his tears are exhausted.
He takes the necklace from about his neck, stares at it through the tears that splinter his vision into a thousand worlds, and throws the locket from him.
The pendant sails through the air and lands with a small muted splash in the vast ocean, where it sinks right to the very bottom.
Forgotten.
THE END.
***
Brought to you by the medlink federation. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/medlink/