Thievery
Disclaimer: [Coughs] Blast! The mountain lair turned out to actually be in a volcano, and as you can see [waves hand at molten mess behind her]. Miyamoto managed to escape, the crafty devil, so they still aren't mine.....dang!
In the last chapter, we found out Sheik had a brother (who was gay – I had to get a gay Sheikah in somewhere!), and met his lover Artemis, cursed to be a child forevermore. We also left it on a whee bit of a cliffie hanger thing – though the more astute of you will have been able to figure out who the four creature/people/things are behind the Door of Time. Anyway, woo yay hoopla, and let's get on with the show! (There might be third person stuff again – might, not sure).
:: :: = Ganondorf's thoughts, [] = Alexis'/Blaise' thoughts and italics = memories
The beings whose shadows we had seen, blinked and stared at the weapon that had fallen from my grasp, before turning their attention to studying me. I had never truly known any of them all that well, but I still felt a great sense of happiness bearing down upon me as I looked back at each of them.
Those wide, nut-brown shoulders, and the great spiked beard, which ran down a broad, bare chest. Deeply set under a heavy brow, those small, smiling, beetle-black eyes.
The blue-green sylph-like figure, splaying battle fins menacingly, and yet somehow managing to maintain a complete elegance.
The squat body swathed in robes of red and yellow, also with a beard, though this one was not quite so long, nor spiked.
Lastly, the proud battle scarred body, wrapped in bands of light cotton and set off by a cascade of fiery hair.
And yet, even as the clattering of my sword on the floor was still dying away, I could find a flaw in the scene. [There are two missing] I thought, frowning as I tried to remember them. There was something – green clothes like Link had had, but different to him.....smaller, with longer hair. And the other one missing was strong and wise, with harsh eyes and armour that shone like the sun. [Eyes like Sheik's.]
All of this took only milli-seconds to register – names came flooding back, and relief overwhelmed me as I realised there was no imminent danger. "What.....how.....?" Sheik was stuttering, directing his questions to the sage of light, Rauru.
"We were trying to stop him," Rauru explained; we didn't even need the emphasis on 'him' to know who. "But he managed to get away!" He slammed a clenched fist into his open palm, and I flinched at the loud sound it made.
"C'mon old man, at least Impa and Saria managed to divert him a little," the Gerudo sage of spirit, whom I remembered at last as Nabooru, said sprightly.
"Yes, but where to exactly?" the scaled woman asked, crossing her arms over her ample chest.
"That, I'm afraid I can't answer," Nabooru conceded. "I just hope he lands as hard as we did," all four of them winced at once.
"Sir, excuse me, but what is all this about diverting?" Sheik asked, having managed to get over his shock at last. (I, however, was still dealing with it).
"Ah, well, since we couldn't prevent his escape from the realm; we have all become weak over the years..... We were trying to prevent him from landing quite so close to the other two Tri-force pieces – hopefully this will give us a little more time before we really have to start worrying." I looked around at the other three sages as Rauru said this, and I could see what he meant. All of them looked tired – not old as such, but just as though they had lived a long time..... if that makes sense?
"How much exactly can you tell us about his power now?" Sheik asked, moving over to sit on the third highest step on the pedestal where the Master Sword had once sat. "And how much will you be able to help us?"
"We're not sure....." Rauru admitted. "The second question is easy enough to answer – we can do nothing but advise you. Here, we have no power, and if we were to leave this sacred chamber," he snapped his fingers. "Gone."
"So, you can't leave here?" I asked, trying to clarify exactly what it was he meant. (It had taken me a lot longer than I had thought to get over my shock).
"In a word – yes," Darunia sighed, crossing his muscle-bound arms over his chest. "Impa and Saria, however, we don't know about."
"Well, they are both immortal," Nabooru pointed out, fiddling with a loose strand of hair. "Theoretically, they could leave whichever temple they landed in and be able to remove around with no trouble."
"Theoretically? I wish you sounded more sure," I said, sitting next to the Gerudo on the steps (consequently sitting as far away from Sheik as possible).
"Well, we can't be really – it's not like this kind of thing happens every day," Rauru boomed, yet again glancing at Sheik, who had stood up, and was moving back to stand in the shadows. He stopped there, and stared blankly at the floor, eyes half lidded. Rauru walked over to me, and whispered, "What's wrong with him?"
"I have no idea..... I'll just go and see." [Not that I really want to!] "Sheik?" He opened his eyes and looked at me sullenly. Rolling my remaining patience into a small ball at the pit of my stomach, I continued, lacing my voice with false care. "What's wrong?"
"Wrong?"
"Well, you have been standing looking comatose for a while, so I though I might ask....." I trailed off.
"Rauru, are you sure that you don't know where the other two may have landed? Or where he is?" Sheik called suddenly, looking over my shoulder and blatantly ignoring me. I stepped out of the way to let his past, and then took up his position in the shadows.
"I've already said my boy – I have no idea!"
"Damn," Sheik muttered. "We're going to have to do a reccy then."
"How? It's not exactly easy getting to the old temples anymore," Ruto said. I jumped, having almost forgotten she was there. "Especially since you don't have half the equipment you used to have.....and no hero of time either."
"What good would a hero of time be without the Master Sword, hmm? You seem to have forgotten it broke a long while ago now," Nabooru said scathingly.
"He would do a lot better than a bunch of Gerudoes trying to fight their way out of a paper bag would do!" Ruto retorted darkly, and the Spirit sage growled, curling her fists for a fight.
"Please, leave the catfights for the moment ladies," Darunia begged, holding Nabooru back easily. "Now, you two, what's your plan?" he looked at Sheik as he said this, and I snorted as Sheik tried to blather his way through. Then, he gave up, and reluctantly turned his head towards me in a gesture of helplessness.
"It's not really much of a plan. All we know is, we're going to use a pure carrier, with power, wisdom and courage in equal balance to collect the Tri- Force pieces in, and then we'll get them to wish the darkness away for good. Seems simple enough, right?" I ended lightly, and held my arms out wide to indicate I would gladly take any advice offered.
"As has often been said, 'It's the best plan we've got', so go for it." Ruto was still subdued, and I wondered how it was someone who had, from my experience of her, once been so vibrant and passionate, had become this deadpan creature before us. However, I couldn't dwell on it for long, as the echoing sound of the great doors all the way at the other end of the Temple being thrown open, reached our ears. The sages all disappeared in flashes of bright light, to become tiny shimmering orbs only slightly larger than a fairy, all of which flitted up to the stained glass window high above us.
Being closest to the ajar Door of Time, I shuffled over, and crouched down, so that I was hidden by the shadows, to look through. To my horror, I could see a small procession of people filing in, all of whom were wearing royal robes, and chatting away amicably. "Fuck!" I scrambled back, and then leant against the inside of the stone door, and began to push with all my might to try and seal up as much of the gap as possible, so it would be less obvious. Hopefully, if I pushed hard enough, I'd be able to do it before they got close enough to notice.
Sheik was still staring up at where the four orbs were hovering next to the window, and I wondered whether he'd flipped. "Sheik, help me!" I hissed, straining against the door, and not even managing to make it budge. He didn't move, and taking a quick glance around the door, I could clearly see the twin girls, Melissa and Anika, as well as the boy who looked so much like his grandfather, only hair making him different. "Please!" I hissed again, almost falling over my next attempt at trying to move the door.
Finally, finally, he moved, and came over to push his shoulder against the stone. It was, however, as I had feared, too late. "Father, look! The door!" It was Melissa, and I heard pattering footsteps, as she no doubt ran up to look through the gap. Panicking, I ran from the door, and dove behind the pedestal at the centre, crouching down so that I lay flat on the floor, and hopefully was obscured from view. I heard Sheik's soft footsteps leave the chamber, and then heard Melissa gasp, as she no doubt saw him exit. "Sheik! What were you doing in there?"
"Just conversing with the sages my lady," he answered politely. "My Lord – I need to speak with you," he then added quietly.
"Sounds serious," a frail voice chuckled. "Well, speak away then, old friend."
"No – I mean – I must speak to you in private."
"Ah – so it is serious then."
"I'm afraid so."
"Hmmm..... Son, perhaps you could trek with the others up the tower? You know where the holy books are, don't you?"
"Of course father, how could I forget?" another man's voice laughed heartily. "Come along everyone – will you be coming up later father?"
"Maybe – it all depends whether the old legs want to work today. If you don't see me in half an hour, assume me asleep."
"Oh, grandfather, you are an old loon," Melissa's voice stated, and then many sets of footsteps began to walk away, and chattering voices got quieter. After a few seconds, Sheik spoke again,
"Old friend, come with me into the chamber," there was the sound of stone grating on the floor as Sheik widened the gap for Link (for I knew it had to be him) to get through. I pressed myself even closer to the ground, and prayed. "There are things I need to discuss with you quite urgently."
"Ah – these visions you mean?" Link asked. "My poor children – grandchildren even; they too have been having nightmares recently." He let out a sigh. "It's Ganondorf, isn't it?"
"Ever the astute one – yes Link, it is. And he arrived back to the world today."
Link gasped. "No – surely not!"
"Aye – the sages too. But, it's not all this that is important," I cringed, and wished that the ground would open up and swallow me whole. "There's another – from that time."
"Another? But who?" Soft footsteps padded my way, and Sheik kicked me firmly.
"Ow!" I whimpered, and rolled over to look up at him. 'You bastard!' I mouthed angrily, before clambering clumsily to my feet. Link stared at me, screwing up his eyes as he obviously tried to see past the hair and different eyes to make out who I had once been. I stared at him too, also finding it hard to see the young man I'd known. He still stood tall enough, straight backed and proud. But, he held a walking stick, which he leant his left side upon heavily, and his face was heavily lined with wrinkles, hair a thick halo of pure white, and instead of that loveable hat, a small circlet of gold rested on his brow.
Sheik stood off the to the side, showing his remaining humanity by leaving Link and I semi-alone. "My Lord," I bowed, sweeping low to the floor. "An honour to see you again." To my surprise, the gesture was returned (in the form of a stiff, upper body bow), and a watery smile appeared on Link's face. The walking stick was forgotten, and he ambled forwards, embracing me with surprisingly strong arms for his age.
"You're alive! By the Goddesses, it's a miracle! How have you been? Where have you been? What's it been, fifty years? More?" He stopped, and let go, stepping backwards and looking at me with an expression of tenderness I never would have thought to exist for me here. Not after the way.....the way it all turned out.
"I – I..... I don't know which question to answer first really!" I stammered, smiling as well, and wiping the back of my hand across my eyes. "I'm well enough, and I've been in the angel world – what were the other questions?" He laughed softly, and then struck up a thoughtful pose, which induced me to laugh as well. "By all the demons, it's great to see you again!" I lowered my tone in an effort to stop Sheik from listening in. "But why aren't you angry at me? Not that I mind the fact you're not, but....."
"Angry? Why would I be angry? You did what you had to back then – Xenia explained it all to us." Looking around quickly, I saw that Sheik had actually left the room completely. Good.
"I only wish Sheik thought the same," I murmured, wrapping my arms around my torso tightly. Finally, the pent up emotions of the short time I'd been back in Hyrule got the better of me, and I plonked down in the steps, and put my head in my hands, allowing the tears to pour out thick and fast.
"Oh dear," Link slowly lowered himself down as well, joints popping as he did so. "It's been a while since I last comforted a crying maiden, but here goes," he said, trying to inject some humour into the situation. I smiled, but wasn't able to stop. He threw a sympathetic arm around my shoulder, and, forgetting his age, his station, and the absolute inappropriateness of the situation, I buried my head in his shoulder.
Finally, the tears ebbed away, and I was able to straighten up and wipe my face dry. "Sorry," I sniffed, smiling weakly. He just returned the smile and patted a sympathetic hand on my shoulder.
"There's no need to apologise. What are friends for after all?"
[I'm not quite sure anymore], I thought to myself, but just smiled at his wise face. "Enough of this – there are things we – I – need to explain to you. About the whole situation." [I may as well come clean about it – perhaps Loki was right. Link could help us.]
"Why is it things must always sounds so serious, I wonder?" he sighed heavily, and rose to his feet. "I'll just go and fetch Sheik."
"No!" I exclaimed, and he stared at me in surprise. "Uh – what I mean is – I would find it easier to talk to you, if he were not – well, here with us." Link raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless he sat back down, and awaited the news I had to tell.
Now that it came down to it, maybe I had been wrong – it did not seem half as hard as I had imagined it would be. Perhaps it was his acceptance of everything that made it so easy – his wise eyes and flickering grin, acknowledging all I told him of the adventures to come. Or perhaps it was just the plain fact that he did not seem to hold a grudge against me as Sheik did. Anyway, as soon as I had done explaining it all, Link just laughed lightly,
"Oh, is that all?" He stared at his hands, where I could see his Tri- Force piece glowing slightly. "And, it does explain why this has been playing up recently." He lifted the hand I had been staring at, and waved it. "Now shall I call Sheik back? I don't mean to be rude, but my old bones cannot abide sitting for too long."
"Oh, of course!" I jumped up, and extended a hand to help him – he of course batted it away and got up proudly by himself, groaning as he stood. Together, we walked from the sanctuary that had once held all the power of Hyrule, but now held only the weak Sages and the memories of a past long ago. Sheik was standing at the far end of the Temple, and I felt glad that he would not have been able to hear the conversation I had had with Link. I couldn't stand the thought of him listening in on us.
Link made his way towards the front pew, and leant heavily upon it, giving his stick arm a rest. "You go on – I'll be waiting here for my family." I took this as my dismissal, and bowed swiftly to him, before squaring my shoulders and going to join Sheik.
"Finally," Sheik sighed heavily, flexing his hands into and out of fists as I approached. "I thought you'd never get out of there – what were you trying to do? Wait until Link died of old age?" I was shocked by his callousness, and had to force my voice to remain quiet.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer. Let's just go and get Catherine, and get her ready for the battles ahead, hmm?"
"I doubt that child will ever be ready," he snorted, even as he for once followed me.
"No one ever is Sheik – hadn't you realised? Or are all the Sheikah so perfect?" I know it was a flippant remark, but I was both shaken and annoyed, which are never a good combination. Throwing open the great doors of the Temple, I was assaulted by a bright shaft of sunlight, and the loud sounds of the market outside, which was now in full swing after our couple of hours or so in the Temple.
As well as that, I found myself all of a sudden stumbling backwards, as a veritable army of black-cloaks began to swarm through the gates of the graveyard and make their way towards us. At their head was a middle-aged man carrying a large ivory staff, and swathed in the same black, though his robes were much more elaborate. Coupled with the sight of a woman much like Princess Zelda, I took him to be Aghanim, and her to be Thelia.
I then swiftly took both myself and Sheik flying back down the central aisle of the Temple, where a startled looking Link waited. "What on earth are you two so wound up about?" he quizzed, as I sought out hiding places.
"There's a bunch of those black-cloak fools coming along, with the Queen and that blasted sorcerer!" Sheik explained, finally goaded into co- operative action by the danger. "We must hide – Aghanim knows about Ganondorf, and he knows exactly whom will be trying to stop him – so he of course will be wanting to stop us."
"Alas – if only I still had some power over that stubborn woman!" Link said angrily. "When she was little, she was a treasure – used to call me 'uncle Link'." He smiled at the memory, and then scowled again – it was amazing just how vibrant and with it he had managed to remain. "But now, well, she's a real chore, and people aren't liking her much."
"You don't say," Sheik grinned, and Link copied the expression.
"Psst!"
"What the? Who said that?" Sheik looked around, and so did I. The noise seemed to have emanated from the Door of Time.
"Me, Nabooru you dolt! Get over here, and we can hide you!" Well, I didn't need telling twice! I'd seen enough cells in my lifetime not to relish going to another one! So, after bidding Link farewell for a second time, I rushed over to the great stone door, and found myself closely followed by Sheik; the sages managed to use what little power they had to slam the great door shut. And not too soon either – perhaps half a second after that, we could hear the sounds of dozens of shuffling feet enter the hall, and Link cry out,
"Hello there, Thelia my dear! I was wondering when you'd grace us with your presence this wonderful day."
"Yes, well, one did get rather held up along the way by some boorish oafs performing right in the centre of the street. Typical of the lower classes of course, to block thoroughfares like that, wouldn't you agree?" Thelia had a blustering, snobbish voice, which didn't suit her features at all. I could find a more suitable place for it in a modern-day world full of businesswomen, particularly, for some reason, lawyers. Not in a graceful, willowy queen of Hyrule!
"Mmm," Link answered, slightly disapprovingly. "Can I just query as to why you need this huge entourage?"
"To protect one of course! Dear Link, if you can't figure out things like that, one really does worry for you." Link mmmed again. "So, where are the rest of your family?"
"Already up in the library with the holy books, but don't worry, they will not have started without you."
"One should hope not; one shall leave one's guards here, but Aghanim shall come with one – now, come along Link, you must come too."
"Not today, I don't think Thelia. My old bones just can't climb as they used to."
"Ah, of course not, how silly of one. One will simply have to make up for you as well as oneself!" There was another 'mmm' from Link, and then two sets of footsteps plodded away. Having counted the times she had referred to herself as 'one', and added them together, I had come up with ten. Ten times in less than three minutes must have been some kind of record.....
"Blast it," Sheik cursed quietly. "Now we're stuck here until the bloody woman comes down and takes away all these sorcerers!" I blinked, and then realised his point. Oh. Great. Thanks. Just what I always wanted. Hours on end trapped in a confined space with a Sheikah, with whom my relationship has been nothing short of terrible. How simply marvellous. "Artemis will be beginning to wonder where we are," Sheik mused aloud, walking away from where he had been leaning upon the door, and going to sit again on the pedestal at the centre of the chamber.
"Don't be ridiculous – from what Impa told us of the lad, he's more patient than most. You'll have till at least sundown, and they'll be gone by then," Darunia assured Sheik, reappearing next to him on the steps. He too had his voice low, so that it would not carry to those on the other side of the door.
"Of course, I know that," he breathed shakily. "Just so long as Firen and Delia aren't sent, I'll be happy." He looked up to see me watching, and promptly amended his speech by adding, "After-all, it wouldn't do for any of us remaining Sheikah to put ourselves into unwarranted danger." I smiled internally, and backed off to allow him some room. He may not have showed it to me, but he had a heart. He just obviously hadn't used it often whilst I had been away.....
I shut my mind up before it could wander too far down that path, and went over to behind the pedestal again, leaning against one of the great marble columns that supported the roof above. Nabooru flickered into existence beside me, and smiled knowingly. "Been giving you the cold shoulder, has he?" she asked in a low voice. I just nodded, keeping an impassive face. "Well – it always seems to be the more volatile relationships that turn out good in the end." This time I smiled, and nudged her with my elbow. She just kept on smiling her knowing smile at me.
"I wouldn't hold you breath," I muttered.
"Wasn't planning on. I know things don't always go according to plan after all. As that very Sheikah showed. He was determined to hate you – he managed it for the first three years after you went, and then Malon went and gave him that portrait of you three." I raised an eyebrow so that she may continue – she leant to whisper in my ear so we wouldn't be overheard. "Since then, he's been having the usual mood-swings of his people – love/hate, hate/love – but I have to say, mostly love and tears."
"Rubbish!" I exclaimed in a low voice that still carried to the two on the other side of the pedestal who looked around at us. I just looked away embarrassed.
"Hey, I'm not saying anything's definite. Fifty years does change an awful lot. But, don't give up hope, hey kid?"
[Don't give up hope. It's a nice idea, but not for me.]
At long last, those bloody black-cloaks left with their queen, and Sheik and I were released from our imprisonment. I had a good mind to either whack him upside the head for being a complete bastard ever since I'd arrived (goaded into the idea by Ruto), or ravish him then and there in the central aisle (Nabooru's idea – she said it would be amusing). Funny – I'd always thought the advice would be the other way around for each of the women. Fifty years really did change people!
I refrained from hitting him, and also from the nymphomaniac-al idea of ravishing the man, favouring to just get on with the mission. [Mind you.....it might be nice, just so I could get him to shut up for once.....] I smirked at the idea, worried about my slightly depraved mind, and exited the Temple, this time bathed in late afternoon sun. Our horses were still waiting outside, and I was elated that they hadn't been stolen, or run off.
Climbing onto Nostawen's back, I wheeled her about and set off, again taking the lead. I was fed up of always being at the back of the group, so took this chance to feel important.....and get completely lost. [Bugger it!] Then, looking around, I realised what had disoriented me – of course, this was the right way.....it was just covered in a load of streamers – there was the gate in the distance. [Thank demons for small mercies.] I trotted to the drawbridge, closely followed by Sheik on his horse, and went over the wood and out into the field beyond.
Here, I slowed, and allowed Sheik to take the lead. "Finally – staring at the back-end of your horse was beginning to annoy me," he called as he rode past, picking up the speed.
"Well, staring at your back-end doesn't give me much pleasure either!" I called with a smirk, though I'm not sure whether he heard me or not against the force of the wind due to our speed. I like to think he did, just so I can imagine a shocked look on his face. It would all be incredibly amusing (at least in my mind). [I'm having as many mood swings as he does!] I realised. [Ah well, it makes a change to be feeling happy about something!] "Whee!" I grinned quietly to myself as Nostawen and I flew over a low fence, and then "Oof!" as we landed again. I never did get used to the landing part.
The sun was getting lower in the sky pretty quickly, and I began to get nervous, in case Sheik's friend really did send out a search for us. If they missed us in the gloom, then they'd go into town, and perhaps fall into trouble. It was now understandable why he was going so fast, in order to save them the bother.
"Sheik!" A woman's voice ripped through the darkening evening just as we began to make our way down the road towards the dilapidated old cottage we'd left Catherine in. "Sheik! Over here you ponce, and bring the bird with you!" I felt outraged at being called a 'bird', but Sheik being called a ponce made up for it. Sheik reeled off of the road, and I followed, Nostawen gracefully picking her way over the root-ridden ground.
"Thank the Goddesses, we thought you'd gone and gotten yourself eaten by a Wolfos or something," the woman spoke again, and I guessed her to be Delia. This was confirmed when Sheik answered her back.
"What kind of amateur do you think I am?" he called, jumping off of his horse and pushing his way past a huge tangle of brambles in order to get to wherever the woman was.
"Well, I don't know about you being an amateur, but you sure don't use your brains as much as you could, you great idiot!" I pushed my way through the last bramble fronds, swearing out loud as a particularly sharp barb cut a deep gash in my arm. "Ah, and this is the other girl, right?" The man looked at me, and smiled a lop-sided grin. I chose to be flattered rather than offended, since I wasn't getting all the attention I needed at that precise moment.
"What am I being called an idiot for, may I ask, oh supposedly wise Firen?"
"For Goddesses' sake lad, take a look at what's right at your feet!" I looked down, and gasped in synchronisation with him. Lying there on the ground was Catherine, a large gash running across her forehead, and bruises all over the skin we could see.
"'s just lucky we were in at the time, or the bastards would have managed to take the lass too!"
"Too?" Sheik echoed, and I could almost hear it as his heart sank. I put out an arm to comfort him, and then thought better of it. He wouldn't want that.....
"Aye," the woman spat, "they managed to get Artemis – though, no doubt the clever boy will give them the slip and be back before sun-up."
"Who are 'they'?" I asked, finally finding a spot to enter the conversation.
"The black-cloaks, who else?" Firen exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. "Trust me, they only won through sheer numbers – those people have barely enough power to light a candle, let alone take on a Sheikah. But put a whole lot of them together, and they can throw some pretty nasty spells at you." He pulled up the sleeve of his bodysuit (which, unlike Sheik's and Delia's, was dark brown), to show a vicious scar on his forearm.
"Ouch....."
"Exactly – but, our Artemis is more than a match for the buggers, isn't he Sheik?"
"Sheik?"
But he was gone. There was a struggle between horror, delight, and the practical side, in the fact that it would be a lot easier to do this mission with two experienced warriors, rather than one. Practicality won, but only just. I looked down at Catherine, and knew that she'd be OK – it was just a concussion as far as I could see. The black-cloaks wouldn't have wanted to harm the goods after all – Aghanim would probably delight in being able to draw out her death for as long as he could. Well, at least, if what I knew of super-villains was correct, he would.
[And I've met my fair share of villains in my time.]
"Oi, you!" Firen stalked over. "What's your name?"
"Blaise," I answered distractedly as I removed my cloak and dropped it onto Catherine with the other one already covering her. He gasped.
"The Blaise?"
"Yeah, the Blaise, or whatever. Was there the first rising, am back again. For some more info, let's see – the guy who just wandered off hates me, I'm very tired and very angry, and we need to go find him. Sound like a plan?" He seemed taken aback, and then he nodded.
"Eesh – are you sure you don't have some Gerudo blood in you or something?" Delia asked. "Because you do sound rather touchy."
"And you must have a death wish – speaking honestly's good, but you should learn when to hold your tongue. It seems to be a trait of your people to annoy other races."
"Oh really?"
"Mmmhmm!"
"Man, you two are spectacular," Firen mused aloud, and then jumped when he realised he had said it aloud. "I mean – when your angry that is....." I glared at him, and then broke out into laughter.
"Listen to me – sorry, I've known you five minutes and already you hate me. Let's start again."
"Good idea," Delia stuck out her hand, and I shook it. "Delia, of the house of Blizzard."
"Blaise.....from the – I'm not sure....." Firen snorted, and he too held out his hand. I took it, and he then suavely bought it to his lips and kissed the back of it. Delia smacked him upside the head, whilst I just snorted.
"I'm Firen, no house, no fancy extras," he said blearily, rubbing his head.
"Now that that's over, let's go find that bloody, Hylian loving ponce, shall we?" Delia said.
"Someone needs to look after the kid," Firen pointed out.
"Well, I'm no babysitter!" Delia countered.
"Neither am I." They looked at me.
"No way. You two can stay here and protect her – I'll go after ponce-boy." This gained a smirk from the both of them, and they reluctantly agreed. So, with that, I plunged back out onto the road, and using my intuition, made my way towards the cottage; maybe Sheik would go there to check for clues or something. [Suddenly, I'm beginning to call him ponce-boy in my mind. Demons, it feels good to finally have a degrading enough name for him.]
The cottage door was open; I say open. It was more slashed apart into tiny splinters and scattered about the floor, rather than open. However, small details needn't matter. The rug over the trapdoor was thrown back, and the door itself was still open, the flap sticking vertically into the air. I carefully walked down the steps into the pitch black, and tried to remember where we had turned and what passages we had taken when last here.
I didn't need to bother though – the path of destruction, now shown by the torches at regular intervals on the walls, lead me straight to the main body of the catacombs. And, lo and behold, there stood Sheik, high above on a wooden platform I hadn't noticed before, which made up a sort of second floor to the place. In his hands, he held a lyre. One that I remembered from oh so long ago – that time upon Death Mountain.....
An old tune came back to me from my childhood, and I sang it softly.
I paused to try and remember the next line, lifting my head and opening my eyes. To my shock, Sheik was sitting on the rocks across from me, listening intently. My cheeks surely went as scarlet as the tunic I wore. He seemed to realise that I had noticed him. "Goddesses, I'm sorry - I just heard you singing and had to see what it was. I've never heard it heard it before."
"It's just something from when I was growing up," I stuttered, my cheeks burning even darker if it were possible. "It's all right, I'll stop so you don't have to hear me butcher it."
"Hey, no - it was good! Could you - would you - finish it? I'd like to try and pick up the tune at least - I always like to add to my repertoire." I looked at him as though he was crazy, shrugged, and tried to remember where I had gotten. After a few seconds, the words came flooding back, and I carried on. Sheik sat on the rocks with his lyre, and plucked out a few notes as I carried on.
This flashed by in an instant, and I was shocked when he raised the lyre above his head, and threw it against the hard stonewall of the place, where it shattered. "Of – all – the – people – they – could – have – taken – why – did – they – take – him?!" he yelled, pausing between each word to punch his fist very hard against the wall that had so recently become the death of the lyre. I backed away, slightly afraid of the outburst, and afraid of what I might do if I stayed any longer. The urge to comfort someone in need would soon override common sense if it went on.
Sheik continued to throw things about, and then dropped down on both knees to the wooden floor, hands clasped together in front of him. "Goddesses, I swear, if you bring him back safe and well, I'll do anything.....anything at all. Just don't let him die. Not him – not that last thing dear to me." He opened his eyes, from which great tears were falling, and looked up to the roof of the catacombs desperately.
"Please. Don't let him die."
I turned around and fled, silent as a shadow. I was going to go and find Artemis.
OOOH! Crying-ness and everything. Even the hint of sexual undertones - well, all right, more than a hint. A down right mention of the word 'ravish'/'ravishing' more than once. I never was one for subtlety.
Want to say a thank you to ignorantly grinning and Kads (can I still call you that? Or have I been stricken from the nickname user list due to my horrific updating-ness?) Well, anyway, glad to know you people still like my stuff, and that I brightened up your evening. [Sniff] It's what I'm really doing this all for! [Dramatic crying of joy ensues.]
Soda – RR, even though I know I don't deserve it!
PS: If anything in the storyline isn't congruent, it will be due to the huge gap between posting the first five chapters, and all the chapters after them. I think it was about three months – maybe more. Sorry.....Hehehe
PPS: Sheik, come back here – I've still got some ravishing to do!
Sheik: O.o help me.....somebody!