Chapter 5 – Shadows On Death Mountain
Karak reached up to the ledge above him, straining himself to get up. He leaped up and grabbed it and pulled himself over the edge strenuously. He checked back over the cliff edge and signalled to Jerra that he was up. The rocky red mountain was a hard climb, but this would be the last vertical climb they would have to make. The other four were quite far below him on a path that ran the base of the mountain. They had already attempted to follow this path north but it had failed on them, as it led straight to a sheer drop.
Jerra began climbing, and he noticed that she was far better at it than he had been. He looked out west over Hylia; the sun was sinking quite low now, and was almost hidden behind he western mountains. They would have to stop to rest soon enough. Soon Jerra, and then Yerra had made their way up to the top, and now Link watched as Zelda began the climb. She moved cautiously up the ledge, taking her time. Link looked around also, and noticed how late it was getting; the clouds in the west were lit up in shades of red and pink and orange as the sun set. It was an inspiring sight.
Link turned around to face Zelda and the cliff again, but for a fleeting second, something caught his eye further down the mountain. He ran to the edge of the path and looked down over the mountain slope to the green fields and the river, but there was nothing there. Then, as he was about to turn back around, he saw something dart under a rocky overhang; a blurred shadowy figure that he could not make out. But then it was gone. Feeling uncertain, he turned to the cliff wall and began his own ascent.
A short while later, the five were once again moving northwards along the Death Mountain road. Zelda was deep in conversation with Jerra and Yerra.
"So why were you two out here in the first place? Why did you leave the Gerudo Desert?"
"We were exiled by Queen Balaea." Replied Jerra, "She said we weren't fit to be in her kingdom. Its because we're of the house of Grimal."
"You were exiled?"
"Yeah. And then she sent that Zora assassin after us to try and kill us. She's a sick-minded queen. You see, our mother should have inherited the throne after King Dragmire and Commander Nabooru mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. The house of Grimal was the most closely related family to the house of Dragmire."
Yerra took over speaking here, "Queen Balaea was Nabooru's second in command though, so when Nabooru vanished she took control of the army. It was because of this that she was able to seize the throne. Derra Grimal, our mother was in line by blood...but that wasn't going to stand up to Balaea Saiatra."
"So she took the throne?" Asked Zelda.
"Yeah." Answered Jerra.
"But why exactly were you exiled? Was it just you two?"
"Um, yes. It was just us two. We er, we made quite a lot of trouble for the queen. We didn't accept her rule quite as well as others..."
"I see."
"But hey, it doesn't matter." Said Yerra. "The two of us are exploring now!"
"...With an assassin on our trail..." Added Jerra.
Link and Karak were left together to talk as they walked for the rest of the evening. Link still didn't know what Karak needed to talk to him about, so he asked now. "Karak?"
"Yeah?"
"You still haven't talked to me about whatever it was you wanted."
"I know." He looked across at Link. "Its hard is all. I'm not sure how to tell you."
"Why?"
"It complicated...and I'm concerned about the consequences of me telling you."
Link was confused. How could this stranger possibly have something that could be so bad to tell him? "Well...alright. Whenever you feel ready. I'll be ale to listen." Link suddenly heard something behind him. Some rocks were slipping from the slope down to the path. Somebody was there... "Hey Karak, catch up to the girls. Tell them to make camp at the nearest possible place."
"Why? What's up?"
"Because its late, that's why." Replied Link, scanning the mountain up and down. "Go on. I have to check something."
"What?"
"Just go, alright!?" He snapped angrily.
"Sure, calm down, I'm going." Karak turned away slightly annoyed and quickened his pace. Link watched him go, and then backtracked along the path. He was not going to let whatever was following them do any harm; he was going to deal with it. If it was that Zora, he was going to make sure he couldn't bother the Grimal sisters any more. He would regret getting on the wrong side of Link al'Ryak.
Karak reached up to the ledge above him, straining himself to get up. He leaped up and grabbed it and pulled himself over the edge strenuously. He checked back over the cliff edge and signalled to Jerra that he was up. The rocky red mountain was a hard climb, but this would be the last vertical climb they would have to make. The other four were quite far below him on a path that ran the base of the mountain. They had already attempted to follow this path north but it had failed on them, as it led straight to a sheer drop.
Jerra began climbing, and he noticed that she was far better at it than he had been. He looked out west over Hylia; the sun was sinking quite low now, and was almost hidden behind he western mountains. They would have to stop to rest soon enough. Soon Jerra, and then Yerra had made their way up to the top, and now Link watched as Zelda began the climb. She moved cautiously up the ledge, taking her time. Link looked around also, and noticed how late it was getting; the clouds in the west were lit up in shades of red and pink and orange as the sun set. It was an inspiring sight.
Link turned around to face Zelda and the cliff again, but for a fleeting second, something caught his eye further down the mountain. He ran to the edge of the path and looked down over the mountain slope to the green fields and the river, but there was nothing there. Then, as he was about to turn back around, he saw something dart under a rocky overhang; a blurred shadowy figure that he could not make out. But then it was gone. Feeling uncertain, he turned to the cliff wall and began his own ascent.
A short while later, the five were once again moving northwards along the Death Mountain road. Zelda was deep in conversation with Jerra and Yerra.
"So why were you two out here in the first place? Why did you leave the Gerudo Desert?"
"We were exiled by Queen Balaea." Replied Jerra, "She said we weren't fit to be in her kingdom. Its because we're of the house of Grimal."
"You were exiled?"
"Yeah. And then she sent that Zora assassin after us to try and kill us. She's a sick-minded queen. You see, our mother should have inherited the throne after King Dragmire and Commander Nabooru mysteriously disappeared seven years ago. The house of Grimal was the most closely related family to the house of Dragmire."
Yerra took over speaking here, "Queen Balaea was Nabooru's second in command though, so when Nabooru vanished she took control of the army. It was because of this that she was able to seize the throne. Derra Grimal, our mother was in line by blood...but that wasn't going to stand up to Balaea Saiatra."
"So she took the throne?" Asked Zelda.
"Yeah." Answered Jerra.
"But why exactly were you exiled? Was it just you two?"
"Um, yes. It was just us two. We er, we made quite a lot of trouble for the queen. We didn't accept her rule quite as well as others..."
"I see."
"But hey, it doesn't matter." Said Yerra. "The two of us are exploring now!"
"...With an assassin on our trail..." Added Jerra.
Link and Karak were left together to talk as they walked for the rest of the evening. Link still didn't know what Karak needed to talk to him about, so he asked now. "Karak?"
"Yeah?"
"You still haven't talked to me about whatever it was you wanted."
"I know." He looked across at Link. "Its hard is all. I'm not sure how to tell you."
"Why?"
"It complicated...and I'm concerned about the consequences of me telling you."
Link was confused. How could this stranger possibly have something that could be so bad to tell him? "Well...alright. Whenever you feel ready. I'll be ale to listen." Link suddenly heard something behind him. Some rocks were slipping from the slope down to the path. Somebody was there... "Hey Karak, catch up to the girls. Tell them to make camp at the nearest possible place."
"Why? What's up?"
"Because its late, that's why." Replied Link, scanning the mountain up and down. "Go on. I have to check something."
"What?"
"Just go, alright!?" He snapped angrily.
"Sure, calm down, I'm going." Karak turned away slightly annoyed and quickened his pace. Link watched him go, and then backtracked along the path. He was not going to let whatever was following them do any harm; he was going to deal with it. If it was that Zora, he was going to make sure he couldn't bother the Grimal sisters any more. He would regret getting on the wrong side of Link al'Ryak.