Chapter 10 – Closer
The thousand stars of heaven's field were reflected in the great lake. It was like a second sky, so vast and clear. It was so far across that mountains stretched along its west side; and it was difficult to see the other side, because it was just so far away. The moon was full tonight, but was stained a faint red colour; Link felt as though it was an omen.
Their small campfire burned brightly, illuminating all of their faces with an orange glow, whilst ashes and embers were blown slowly up into the sky in smoke that trailed across towards the lake. Jerra and Vuto were still away, and the others were not willing to go to sleep yet, they felt unsafe. So they sat on some fallen logs from the nearby wood, and watched the flames flicker.
Link was sitting sharpening his sword viciously. He was not hiding the fact that something was bothering him all that well. Furiously he scraped his sharpening stone against the steel blade. But his eyes were not on what he was doing, he kept looking across to Karak and Zelda who were sitting together near the other side of the fire. They talking and laughing together like they had been in Ulaku, and once again Link was frustrated. A number of times Karak had had his hand on Zelda, and a number of times she had been touching him. Link could see was going on just as well as the next fool could.
He looked away angrily and swung his sword at the air, giving it a couple of jabs in front of him. They looked his way for a moment then returned to each other. Link kept pretending he was tending to his sword, scraping it so furiously though that some sparks even flew off it.
A soft hand placed itself on his shoulder. "Hi Link." Yerra stepped over the log and sat down beside him.
He looked at her and smiled, relieved that there was something to draw away his attention. "Hey Yerra, how are you?"
"I'm doing alright..." She seemed quite distant this evening, and her skin looked paler than usual.
"Good," said Link glancing back to Zelda.
"You have feelings for her don't you?"
"Wha-" Link spun back to Yerra; she grinning at him. "I er-"
"Oh come on Link, its so obvious."
"It is? I mean...you think I have feelings for her?"
"Of course, I wasn't born yesterday."
Link looked at Yerra curiously, lit by the yellow light of the fire she was very beautiful this evening. "Does she know?"
"I don't think so. Prophetic dreamer she may be, but her intuition is a little off sometimes."
"Right."
"But you don't see yourself ever being with her do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have feelings for her, but you never act upon them. I can only assume that it's because you are either too close to her as a friend that she's almost family...or maybe because you are intimidated by the fact that she's a princess."
"Something like that. Doesn't seem to be a problem for Karak though, I mean just look at him." Yerra did not look at him though; she kept her eyes fixed on Link.
She put her hand on his, "Maybe though, what you're looking for is closer than you think." She moved closer and leaned against him. He knew what she was doing, and he didn't protest, it felt right somehow. He looked at her with a deep emotion and moved in closer to her, he rested his forehead up against hers. She giggled and he laughed as well, this was nice, this was wonderful. Their noses touched, and now Zelda as far from his mind as she possibly could be.
"We've to go!" Vuto ran straight into the middle of the camp, shouting. "Get your stuff and lets go. Yerra turned her head away to speak to him, and Link then turned towards him as well. Jerra appeared as well, sweating, out of breath.
"What's going on?" Asked Karak, who was on his feet already?
"Wild men, they...they're right behind us. We've got to go now!" Vuto and Jerra had already put their packs on, and were stamping out the fire. In desperation he threw his water canteen over it, which pretty much did the job.
"We'll need that water!" Screeched Jerra.
"We're right near the lake!"
"Oh yeah."
Link, Yerra, Zelda and Karak had put on their packs now, completely stunned by the sudden disturbance.
"Come on! Let's go!" Vuto and Jerra took off in the rough direction of the mountains. Seeing the urgency of the situation, the others hurried after, there would be time for questions later.
The thousand stars of heaven's field were reflected in the great lake. It was like a second sky, so vast and clear. It was so far across that mountains stretched along its west side; and it was difficult to see the other side, because it was just so far away. The moon was full tonight, but was stained a faint red colour; Link felt as though it was an omen.
Their small campfire burned brightly, illuminating all of their faces with an orange glow, whilst ashes and embers were blown slowly up into the sky in smoke that trailed across towards the lake. Jerra and Vuto were still away, and the others were not willing to go to sleep yet, they felt unsafe. So they sat on some fallen logs from the nearby wood, and watched the flames flicker.
Link was sitting sharpening his sword viciously. He was not hiding the fact that something was bothering him all that well. Furiously he scraped his sharpening stone against the steel blade. But his eyes were not on what he was doing, he kept looking across to Karak and Zelda who were sitting together near the other side of the fire. They talking and laughing together like they had been in Ulaku, and once again Link was frustrated. A number of times Karak had had his hand on Zelda, and a number of times she had been touching him. Link could see was going on just as well as the next fool could.
He looked away angrily and swung his sword at the air, giving it a couple of jabs in front of him. They looked his way for a moment then returned to each other. Link kept pretending he was tending to his sword, scraping it so furiously though that some sparks even flew off it.
A soft hand placed itself on his shoulder. "Hi Link." Yerra stepped over the log and sat down beside him.
He looked at her and smiled, relieved that there was something to draw away his attention. "Hey Yerra, how are you?"
"I'm doing alright..." She seemed quite distant this evening, and her skin looked paler than usual.
"Good," said Link glancing back to Zelda.
"You have feelings for her don't you?"
"Wha-" Link spun back to Yerra; she grinning at him. "I er-"
"Oh come on Link, its so obvious."
"It is? I mean...you think I have feelings for her?"
"Of course, I wasn't born yesterday."
Link looked at Yerra curiously, lit by the yellow light of the fire she was very beautiful this evening. "Does she know?"
"I don't think so. Prophetic dreamer she may be, but her intuition is a little off sometimes."
"Right."
"But you don't see yourself ever being with her do you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You have feelings for her, but you never act upon them. I can only assume that it's because you are either too close to her as a friend that she's almost family...or maybe because you are intimidated by the fact that she's a princess."
"Something like that. Doesn't seem to be a problem for Karak though, I mean just look at him." Yerra did not look at him though; she kept her eyes fixed on Link.
She put her hand on his, "Maybe though, what you're looking for is closer than you think." She moved closer and leaned against him. He knew what she was doing, and he didn't protest, it felt right somehow. He looked at her with a deep emotion and moved in closer to her, he rested his forehead up against hers. She giggled and he laughed as well, this was nice, this was wonderful. Their noses touched, and now Zelda as far from his mind as she possibly could be.
"We've to go!" Vuto ran straight into the middle of the camp, shouting. "Get your stuff and lets go. Yerra turned her head away to speak to him, and Link then turned towards him as well. Jerra appeared as well, sweating, out of breath.
"What's going on?" Asked Karak, who was on his feet already?
"Wild men, they...they're right behind us. We've got to go now!" Vuto and Jerra had already put their packs on, and were stamping out the fire. In desperation he threw his water canteen over it, which pretty much did the job.
"We'll need that water!" Screeched Jerra.
"We're right near the lake!"
"Oh yeah."
Link, Yerra, Zelda and Karak had put on their packs now, completely stunned by the sudden disturbance.
"Come on! Let's go!" Vuto and Jerra took off in the rough direction of the mountains. Seeing the urgency of the situation, the others hurried after, there would be time for questions later.