A/N: Well... Chapter 8. Here it is at last. But before I let you read it, I'd like to have a few words.
For the past three chapters, I have gotten zero reviews. None. Nada. I'm not saying that I have to get ten reviews a chapter, but one would be nice, people! If I don't get any reviews, I'll think that no one wants to read this and I'll take it down.
With that said, I'd like to start a new policy.
If you've read the chapter, send me a review with the word "bump" in it. That's it. B-U-M-P. Simple, no? You don't have to be a member; I accept anonymous reviews. You don't even have to put your real name, any symbol or letter or number will do. All I ask, though, is for some kind of acknowledgement that this story is being read. If you want to put a comment on the text, feel free. But if you can't think of anything to say, then just type the simple word above. I need to know if this has an audience. If there is no audience, it becomes pointless for this to stay up.
I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt one last time. For the past couple chapters, I've updated on a weekday. I haven't been very regular about updating either. But now you have no excuse. You have all weekend to get your reviews out. Now that that's out of the way, let the chapter commence.
Chapter 8
I'm running very fast. After I realized that the leader of the swordsmen could put me out of business for good, I high-tailed it out of there, dragging the girl along for the ride.
I try and lose him through all of the twists and turns of the castle, but with the extra weight of the girl, it's just not happening. He's still on our tail, and closing the gap quickly. Any minute now he'll be within firing range. This point is emphasized by an arrow whizzing by my leg. I put on an extra burst of speed. I don't care where I'm going, as long as it's away from him.
Another arrow flies by my side, and I realize we're probably not going to make it. I put this thought out of my head, and run as fast as I can. I can see the main hallway from here, just a little ways away from where I am. As I desperately try to outrun our pursuer, I try to think of which way it is to the infirmary. I decide to run left. I turn the corner, not slowing down, and run smack dab into someone. I look and see it's the princess.
"Run!" I shout, looking over my shoulder. She decides to take my advice, and we both set off at hyper-speed down the hallway. I look over my shoulder to see that no one's following us. I stop to catch my breath. Bad move. As I start walking again, I feel something bite into my leg. I look behind me, and see the guy aiming another arrow at me from the safety of the last hallway. I break into a run again, but I'm hindered by the biting pain in my shin. I pull level with Zelda, and she looks at my leg. I see her come to a quick decision. She leans over and yanks the arrow out of my leg. I almost cry out, but hold it in, and we finally make it to the infirmary. The nurse takes one look at us, and takes the girl out of my hands, getting to work trying to save her. I collapse into the nearest chair.
"Link, what happened back there?" I don't react to her calling me Link anymore. "Guy, fired arrow her, ran, saw you, got here." Zelda gives me time to overcome my shock so I can speak in coherent sentences.
"Now, try that again."
"There was this guy. He's the guy that leads the brotherhood of swordsmen."
"Link! I thought we told you not to see him!"
"Too bad. I did anyway. This girl was the one supposed to train me. It turned out she's an assassin sent to kill him. He overheard her telling me, and shot her with an arrow. I charged him, and managed to knock him over, buying us time to get out of there. I ran, carrying her, and tried to lose him in this gaping monstrosity you call Hyrule Castle. I finally made it to the main hall when I saw you. Then we ran all the way here."
She holds up the arrow she pulled out of my leg. "Where does this fit into the equation?"
"I stopped to catch my breath in the main hallway, and he shot my leg."
"Link, I don't want to hold you back from what you feel you need to do, but I'd really rather you not get involved with these people. They seem a bad lot."
"I won't, Zelda. I've learned my lesson."
"Let's hope." She pulls a chair up in front of me, with a bandage in her hand. "Now, on to more important matters. Give me your leg for a moment."
"Oh no you don't. You're not coming anywhere near me with that." I start to stand up, but Zelda pushes me back into my chair.
"Don't be silly. We have to dress the wound. Now, let me see your leg."
"No."
"Come on, Link! We don't have time for this!"
"I won't!"
"Don't make me order you!"
I stubbornly wrap my legs around the chair legs. "Just try it."
She sighs. Good. She's not coming near me with that bandage. "I suppose we could just let it get infected and fall off." She smiles at me.
"Fine! But be careful," I say. She hands me something to drink.
"If you're going to be such a baby about it, then go to sleep." I drink the potion and immediately feel very tired...
I'm lying awake in a bed in the infirmary. There's someone sitting asleep in the chair next to me. I wonder what time it is? I look out the window. It's still very dark outside. It must be night still. I look over at the person in the chair, expecting to see Zelda, but I see the girl I saved instead. She had a rough time of it, but she looks pretty good considering. I sit up. I feel fine, really. I quietly get out of bed, testing my weight on my leg. It feels fine. Whatever Zelda did to it, she did a good job. I gently lift the sleeping girl out of the chair, and put her in the bed I had been sleeping in. I lean over her. I hope she survives. She opens her eyes slightly.
"Who-"
"Shhh. Don't try to talk." I pull the blankets around her. "Comfy?" She nods. "Good." I sit in the chair, and watch her fall back asleep. I then blush, thinking about Zelda, and what she might think if she knew that I was watching other girls fall asleep. She'd probably tease the living daylights out of me. I look back at the girl, recounting the events of the day. If I concentrate hard enough, it doesn't all seem like a blur. No, I take that back. It's all still a blur, no matter how hard I concentrate. I definitely know that I shouldn't hang around that brotherhood thing now. I should've listened the first time. But I didn't, and it got someone in trouble. On the other hand, the guy probably would've found out anyway, and things may have been worse for the girl. And I might've never met her. I wonder who she is...
I look around me, surprised that it's light in the room. I must have dozed off some time in the night. I look over at the girl, and am surprised to see that she's looking back.
"About time you woke up." I stare at her. She doesn't look like she took an arrow in the back at all. Her dark black hair cascades over her shoulders, and she looks at me with warmth in those normally cold, gray eyes.
"How long have you been waiting for me?" I ask.
"A while now. You sleep like a rock!" she says.
"No she hasn't," says a voice from across the room. It's Zelda. "She's only been awake for about five minutes."
I distinctly hear the girl mutter spoilsport.
"Well, what time is it then?" I ask.
"Time for breakfast," answers Zelda.
"No, first, we have to find out who our unexpected visitor is." I want to know who this girl is.
"I'm Mellie, a Sheikah sorceress." She looks at me. "And you've repaid your debt."
I give a start. "Back up. What did I owe you?"
"I saved your life." She's staring at me like I should know this.
"When did you save my life? I think I would remember something like that."
"When you were lying cursed in your bedroom. I lent you some of my energy, and used the counter curse to break Ganon's hold on you."
I stare at her. "I'll take your word for it."
Zelda smiles from across the room. "It certainly would explain a lot of things, like why the curse was suddenly lifted, and it ensures that she's on our side. You are on our side, right?"
Mellie nods. "What's for breakfast, Princess?"
As Zelda starts telling Mellie about several things, which include breakfast and my quest, I drift off into a daydream. I really miss my home, but I think I'm getting used to staying here. I've finally managed to learn the route from my bedroom to the great hall. I watch Zelda and Mellie, both arguing about something. I think Mellie wants to come with me. I don't mind. The more people around me that know how to use a sword the better. I watch as Mellie focuses on her hand for a moment, and am amazed that a shining sphere of light appears there. She tosses it up into the air, muttering some words under her breath, and it disappears in midair. I clap.
"Thanks. It's really a simple spell. I could teach it to you if you like," she says modestly.
"That's okay. I've got enough things to learn already."
Zelda looks at me like she doesn't want to say what she's thinking. "Speaking of which, the Gerudo have offered to teach you the art of horseback archery. They should be arriving here tomorrow."
Great. Like I need another thing to learn. "Well, I'm going down to breakfast. You two coming?"
Mellie gets up right away. "I'm starved! I've always wondered what the castle food is like."
Zelda laughs, and stands as well. Zelda and Mellie talk as we go to breakfast. I lag behind, keeping them in sight. I still don't know my way around the castle. As we walk into the great hall, I'm immediately assaulted by the wonderful smells of breakfast. I'm so glad they don't usually serve oatmeal here.
"Come on guys. Let's get seats before they all fill up." I walk to the table, and we sit down, Zelda in the middle. Zelda and Mellie are talking again. Girls. They never seem to shut up. I lose myself in the delicious smells of breakfast, and soon I'm daydreaming again...
"Beat that!" Zelda's just changed her appearance with a snap of her fingers. She looks like my sister. Her hair's red, and she's wearing earth clothes. The girls are having a contest of sorts. It's more like showing off in front of me. Mellie's already done some pretty impressive stuff, like she summoned a fairy spirit, and made it fly around my room. Navi liked that. She's taken to hiding under my hat, only coming out when something cool is going on. Zelda turned herself invisible, and snuck up behind me and stole my hat. I only complemented her once she gave it back. Mellie's just surrounded herself with a shield of fire.
"Ha! I'd like to see something more impressive than that."
"Give me a minute." Zelda's concentrating hard. I wonder what she's doing. Mellie looks over at me, and gasps.
"Where'd he go?" she exclaims. I look down at me, and am surprised to see, well, nothing. Zelda's turned me invisible!
"ZELDA! Change me back! NOW!" Zelda looks at Mellie and bursts out laughing. After a while, Mellie does the same. I'm standing there in a rage.
"Zelda! I'm gonna get you for this! You change me back right now, or I'll... I'll..."
Zelda stops laughing for a second. "What'll you do, Link?"
"I'll, um, go through your underwear drawer!"
Zelda looks petrified. "You wouldn't."
"Try me." I run to the door, open it, and slam it shut again. Zelda looks horrified. She recovers and runs out of the room, screaming at me that she'll skin me alive if I try it. Mellie's there, helpless with laughter on the floor. I look down, and can see myself again. Zelda comes back in, looking like she really could skin me alive. Mellie just laughs harder. Zelda's absolutely livid.
"LINK! THAT ISN'T FUNNY! DON'T YOU EVER, EVER TRY THAT AGAIN!" Zelda's screaming at me at the top of her lungs, and Mellie's laughing with all of her heart. It's very loud right now. I've got my fingers in my ears, but Zelda just takes that as a sign of my trying to ignore her, which is partly true, and storms out of the room, her face scarlet. Mellie looks up at me, trying to catch her breath.
"You two... You're hilarious... I've never... seen anyone... fight like that... You really... drive her crazy..."
"No I don't. She knows she loves me." I smile and resume my seat on the bed. "So, can you beat turning me invisible?"
Mellie smiles. "Of course I can." She concentrates very hard, and bites her upper lip. At first I think she's just concentrating, but when she holds her stomach and bends over, I realize she's in pain.
"Mellie!" I rush over to her, and make the mistake of putting my hand on her shoulder. A surge of magic flows through my hand, and I jerk it away. Mellie's glaring at me for some reason.
"What? What'd I do?" I ask. She continues to glare at me, and goes to sit on my bed.
"You broke my concentration." I look puzzled.
"But you looked like something was wrong."
"It always affects me like that." She mutters something under her breath, and glares at me again.
"You act like it's my fault."
"It is." She turns away from me.
"What were you doing anyway?"
"The locator spell." She catches my puzzled look and elaborates. "It's for trying to find someone."
"Oh. Who were you trying to find?"
She doesn't look at me for a while. After a time, she speaks. "Beware the Gerudo tomorrow."
"Why? That still doesn't answer who you were trying to find."
"Just take my word for it."
I turn around, realizing that I'm not gonna get a straight answer out of Mellie. As I walk down the hall to Zelda's room to apologize, Mellie's warning repeats in my head. 'Beware the Gerudo...'