First off, I have some reviewers to answer
Greaywords-girl: Oh god! I can't believe that I actually forgot to put in the credits on "In the Eyes of a Child" yeah, you guessed it. I had the story about 90% done for over a year, but I couldn't think of how to start it, then I read Bean's story "The Child" and I liked the opening so much that I kinda stole the idea. All in all it's a pretty good story, but I didn't like how he/she arranged a lot of the events, and how he/she ended the story. Personal opinion. Anyway, yeah, thanks for reminding me, else I don't think I would have ever noticed that I left it out.
Kaeru Shisho: True, she did bring his cure. sort of, but there's a twist. You'll find out about that soon. He isn't as cured as everyone might think. but I can't get into that or I'll give away a big part of the plot.
Deep Sea Dolphin: well, it goes back to a long long time ago, about three years ago, actually. When I fist wrote the story, it was intended to be nothing but a one shot. I had it up on my own little website (which no one ever visited so I let it be destroyed) for the longest time. But only out of the endless nagging from my friends did I begin to even debate the thought of making a story out of all the information that I left out of the first one-shot too keep it short enough to be a one shot. So that's all Unconditional really is, is a way to put all the stuff I came up about her and her own powers and on Zel's "cure". But again, I can't get into all of that right now, cause I'll ruin the story.
Now on to the tale...
Days passed to weeks that passed to months. The continual cycle seemed to never end. Travel, buy, sleep, work, train, and travel again. Her home long in the past behind her, no more then a memory, Hope opened her eyes to the early morning sun. They had stuck to the towns so far, the close together rural areas were never more then a half a day's travel between each other.
Hope understood why Zelgadis kept to these places, it was too dangerous for a child to travel in the thick of the wood, and he would never let her do anything dangerous. But today, she would ask. She was nearly nine after all, and she didn't want to be of a nuisance to Zelgadis and any traveling plans he may have had before he took her with him, effectively ending all possibilities.
She came down the steps of the Inn to find Zelgadis, as per usual, already up and having his morning cup of coffee. "Good morning, Zelgadis!" she beamed as she pulled herself into a chair.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, eyes soft, and continued to drink. This didn't bother Hope. He never said much in the morning. He never really said much of anything, really. But she had gotten long ago use to the sound of the world, and never was bothered.
"I was wondering... is this all that you do? Go from town to town doing work?" she asked, opening up her well-planed talk. She knew he wouldn't likely to answer, but she thought she'd give him a chance anyway.
"Till your stronger." was his simple reply.
"How much stronger, Zelgadis?" she asked, looking up at him with big red eyes that had yet to loose their excitement and innocence. "How will I know when I'm ready?"
He put down his mug and looked at her for a long moment. "Sigh! I was wondering how long it would take for your mother to come out in you. What you're longing for is a way to test what I've taught you, isn't it? You're wanting a Quest." he put the words in her mouth for her. Then he smiled, more to himself then her. "I was expecting this. I've been checking up for simple quests we could do. I think I've found a few."
"Really? What are they?" Hope asked, excited. This had been easier then she had anticipated.
"In Helarchen Creek I've heard that they are having problems with Giant Rats. The North Keep sewers have gremlins, and Riverwood is having problems with rabid wolves. Take your pick."
"Hmmm. Well, they all sound like they could be rather difficult to get around. Giant Rats are poison, and are way stronger then normal rats. But Gremlins come in bunches and are nastier fighters. And if a Rabid Wolf bites you, you'll get rabies too, not to mention that they're well over twice the size of the rats. So I think the rats in Helarchen Creek would be a good first."
"Alright. That'll be a good five or six day's travel from here..."
"No! If we cut through the fields, it will only be three days. That'll be easier."
"But, it's far more comfortable in a bed, and..."
"And it's also far more expensive. We'll get by fine in the fields! They're farmer's fields after all."
When he couldn't come up with a counter, he just said, "Fine. You're right, we can do better time if we cut strait across."
Sensing something was still off, Hope's brow furrowed. She realized something now that she brought up before the thought even fully formed in her head. "I haven't seen you at night before. You always just lock yourself up in your room come dusk. We really must get you out of your anti- social habits. And why are you always so covered up? Winters over, its spring, it'll be my birthday soon. But you still won't get rid of all those layers."
"Like I told you before. I am a monster, I cover myself to keep the world safe."
"I still don't know what that means. You never did give me a decent definition."
"You never have known, have you. I don't know how to explain it to you. Monsters are bad, scary things that don't deserve to live. But every time I tell you that you reply with--"
"But you said you're a monster, and you aren't like that! You're a nice man, Zelgadis, and you're kind and caring and polite and all sorts of other stuff like that! You aren't making any sense, and that's why I can't understand."
"You're too sweet to make sense of the darker things in life. But order breakfast now, and we'll head out."
"Oh, ok! Waiter!! Three pancakes, please! And an order of bacon, two eggs, a slice of ham, and a glass f milk!"
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. Maybe she was getting her mother's appetite after all? "Are you sure you can eat all that?" he asked, not sure if he was more concerned for her, or his wallet.
"No, of course not! Half of it's for you!" she said with a sweet smile.
Rolling his eyes, Zelgadis cracked a smirk. Sometimes he wondered if she really was Lina's. "I should have known." This was far from the first time that she had done some random act of kindness for some stranger. It was as if her body had no will of it's own and was being governed by some higher power. Like she was too good for her own good. How she could possibly be Lina's at moment's like that, he could never guess.
***
Hope watched as night drew closer, and Zelgadis seemed to get more and more tense. They were out in the middle of a field, far from any houses. The moon would be high in the sky by the time they managed to get to the house just viewable in the distance.
Out of the corner of his eye Zel watched Hope watching him curiously. It always unnerved him, that all knowing look in her eyes, like she could see right down into the depths of his soul and prick out his secrets one by one and examine them all until they were all hers to share as she wished. [Well, this would be the first one.] he mused to himself. [If she want's them, I'll give her the ones that I'm willing to give up first.]
"I think that we should stop for the night soon." He announced.
"Okay." Was her simple reply, as she stopped beside him and they began to take out their sleeping rolls and rations for the night's dinner.
"You were right, this morning, when you said that you hadn't seen me at night. Well, there's a reason for that." He told her, not really sure if he was doing the right thing. [What if she hates you after this? Nonsense, she's beyond all that... heh! To think a little kid's beyond what most adults cant get past. What a world we live in, no?]
When she had waited patiently long enough, she finally piped up and asked, "What's the reason?"
He hesitated. He hadn't meant to, but he just did. He couldn't admit it while looking into those bright red eyes that were so like her mother's. "I..." he couldn't tell her, but he couldn't lie. It was as if she would spot the lie a million miles away. "You'll see when the sun goes down." So. can anyone guess what he might be hiding? Come on people, at least TRY and guess! Who knows, you may even get a new idea in my head and make this go even faster. But the point is, is that if you show me that you're interested in my work; I'll work harder at it. If no one tells me that they're interested, then I think no one wants the story and I go on to come up with new plot lines. So the more reviews, the more of the story you'll get. Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?
Greaywords-girl: Oh god! I can't believe that I actually forgot to put in the credits on "In the Eyes of a Child" yeah, you guessed it. I had the story about 90% done for over a year, but I couldn't think of how to start it, then I read Bean's story "The Child" and I liked the opening so much that I kinda stole the idea. All in all it's a pretty good story, but I didn't like how he/she arranged a lot of the events, and how he/she ended the story. Personal opinion. Anyway, yeah, thanks for reminding me, else I don't think I would have ever noticed that I left it out.
Kaeru Shisho: True, she did bring his cure. sort of, but there's a twist. You'll find out about that soon. He isn't as cured as everyone might think. but I can't get into that or I'll give away a big part of the plot.
Deep Sea Dolphin: well, it goes back to a long long time ago, about three years ago, actually. When I fist wrote the story, it was intended to be nothing but a one shot. I had it up on my own little website (which no one ever visited so I let it be destroyed) for the longest time. But only out of the endless nagging from my friends did I begin to even debate the thought of making a story out of all the information that I left out of the first one-shot too keep it short enough to be a one shot. So that's all Unconditional really is, is a way to put all the stuff I came up about her and her own powers and on Zel's "cure". But again, I can't get into all of that right now, cause I'll ruin the story.
Now on to the tale...
Days passed to weeks that passed to months. The continual cycle seemed to never end. Travel, buy, sleep, work, train, and travel again. Her home long in the past behind her, no more then a memory, Hope opened her eyes to the early morning sun. They had stuck to the towns so far, the close together rural areas were never more then a half a day's travel between each other.
Hope understood why Zelgadis kept to these places, it was too dangerous for a child to travel in the thick of the wood, and he would never let her do anything dangerous. But today, she would ask. She was nearly nine after all, and she didn't want to be of a nuisance to Zelgadis and any traveling plans he may have had before he took her with him, effectively ending all possibilities.
She came down the steps of the Inn to find Zelgadis, as per usual, already up and having his morning cup of coffee. "Good morning, Zelgadis!" she beamed as she pulled herself into a chair.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, eyes soft, and continued to drink. This didn't bother Hope. He never said much in the morning. He never really said much of anything, really. But she had gotten long ago use to the sound of the world, and never was bothered.
"I was wondering... is this all that you do? Go from town to town doing work?" she asked, opening up her well-planed talk. She knew he wouldn't likely to answer, but she thought she'd give him a chance anyway.
"Till your stronger." was his simple reply.
"How much stronger, Zelgadis?" she asked, looking up at him with big red eyes that had yet to loose their excitement and innocence. "How will I know when I'm ready?"
He put down his mug and looked at her for a long moment. "Sigh! I was wondering how long it would take for your mother to come out in you. What you're longing for is a way to test what I've taught you, isn't it? You're wanting a Quest." he put the words in her mouth for her. Then he smiled, more to himself then her. "I was expecting this. I've been checking up for simple quests we could do. I think I've found a few."
"Really? What are they?" Hope asked, excited. This had been easier then she had anticipated.
"In Helarchen Creek I've heard that they are having problems with Giant Rats. The North Keep sewers have gremlins, and Riverwood is having problems with rabid wolves. Take your pick."
"Hmmm. Well, they all sound like they could be rather difficult to get around. Giant Rats are poison, and are way stronger then normal rats. But Gremlins come in bunches and are nastier fighters. And if a Rabid Wolf bites you, you'll get rabies too, not to mention that they're well over twice the size of the rats. So I think the rats in Helarchen Creek would be a good first."
"Alright. That'll be a good five or six day's travel from here..."
"No! If we cut through the fields, it will only be three days. That'll be easier."
"But, it's far more comfortable in a bed, and..."
"And it's also far more expensive. We'll get by fine in the fields! They're farmer's fields after all."
When he couldn't come up with a counter, he just said, "Fine. You're right, we can do better time if we cut strait across."
Sensing something was still off, Hope's brow furrowed. She realized something now that she brought up before the thought even fully formed in her head. "I haven't seen you at night before. You always just lock yourself up in your room come dusk. We really must get you out of your anti- social habits. And why are you always so covered up? Winters over, its spring, it'll be my birthday soon. But you still won't get rid of all those layers."
"Like I told you before. I am a monster, I cover myself to keep the world safe."
"I still don't know what that means. You never did give me a decent definition."
"You never have known, have you. I don't know how to explain it to you. Monsters are bad, scary things that don't deserve to live. But every time I tell you that you reply with--"
"But you said you're a monster, and you aren't like that! You're a nice man, Zelgadis, and you're kind and caring and polite and all sorts of other stuff like that! You aren't making any sense, and that's why I can't understand."
"You're too sweet to make sense of the darker things in life. But order breakfast now, and we'll head out."
"Oh, ok! Waiter!! Three pancakes, please! And an order of bacon, two eggs, a slice of ham, and a glass f milk!"
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. Maybe she was getting her mother's appetite after all? "Are you sure you can eat all that?" he asked, not sure if he was more concerned for her, or his wallet.
"No, of course not! Half of it's for you!" she said with a sweet smile.
Rolling his eyes, Zelgadis cracked a smirk. Sometimes he wondered if she really was Lina's. "I should have known." This was far from the first time that she had done some random act of kindness for some stranger. It was as if her body had no will of it's own and was being governed by some higher power. Like she was too good for her own good. How she could possibly be Lina's at moment's like that, he could never guess.
***
Hope watched as night drew closer, and Zelgadis seemed to get more and more tense. They were out in the middle of a field, far from any houses. The moon would be high in the sky by the time they managed to get to the house just viewable in the distance.
Out of the corner of his eye Zel watched Hope watching him curiously. It always unnerved him, that all knowing look in her eyes, like she could see right down into the depths of his soul and prick out his secrets one by one and examine them all until they were all hers to share as she wished. [Well, this would be the first one.] he mused to himself. [If she want's them, I'll give her the ones that I'm willing to give up first.]
"I think that we should stop for the night soon." He announced.
"Okay." Was her simple reply, as she stopped beside him and they began to take out their sleeping rolls and rations for the night's dinner.
"You were right, this morning, when you said that you hadn't seen me at night. Well, there's a reason for that." He told her, not really sure if he was doing the right thing. [What if she hates you after this? Nonsense, she's beyond all that... heh! To think a little kid's beyond what most adults cant get past. What a world we live in, no?]
When she had waited patiently long enough, she finally piped up and asked, "What's the reason?"
He hesitated. He hadn't meant to, but he just did. He couldn't admit it while looking into those bright red eyes that were so like her mother's. "I..." he couldn't tell her, but he couldn't lie. It was as if she would spot the lie a million miles away. "You'll see when the sun goes down." So. can anyone guess what he might be hiding? Come on people, at least TRY and guess! Who knows, you may even get a new idea in my head and make this go even faster. But the point is, is that if you show me that you're interested in my work; I'll work harder at it. If no one tells me that they're interested, then I think no one wants the story and I go on to come up with new plot lines. So the more reviews, the more of the story you'll get. Can anyone guess what's going to happen next?