WOO-HOO!!! a new chapter!! exciting, ain't it? anywho, remember link and
zel r in a fight b/c she saw him in the lagoon w/ saria earlier...doing
something. but not doing something. u know? oi. i hope u remember. but i'll
shut up now.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"All right everyone," Zelda said the next morning, addressing her three fellow volunteers. "Today we'll be making our way out of this cursed mountain and back on the trail to our destination. Now, who has the map?"
"I do," Link answered, pulling it out of his pack. "We'll have to go down that way to get out of this mountain range, and then scale another hill to get back to our original trailway."
The four of them crowded around the map, fingering routes and trying to decide the best way to get out.
"Don't be an idiot, Link," Zelda scolded him. "If we go THAT way, we'll end up near the water trenches. And it doesn't seem like there would be much of a walkway, so the chance of falling into the water is very high."
"Oh, I didn't think of that," Link whispered, not wanting to start an arguement.
"Okay, so why don't we go that way?" Malon suggested, pointing to a trail that led downwards. "It'll get us to--"
"Yeah, that looks good," Saria agreed, nodding. "It seems by far the safest route. Everyone for it?"
"All right," Zelda sighed, as Link folded up the map. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Oh wait, I forgot....I don't have a horse." She glanced at the others. Malon and Saria looked over at Link, and there was a clear look of resentment between him and Zelda.
"You can use my horse, Princess," Saria offered. "I'll, um--"
"You can ride with me, Saria," Link said, getting on Epona and extending a hand. "Then, I think, we'll all be accounted for."
"Thank you," Zelda and Saria both said, getting onto their respective horses. "Now, where was that trail we were going to use?" the former asked.
"This way," Malon answered, nudging her horse and going off to their right. The other three followed.
Saria sat numbly behind Link, barely aware that her arms were around his waist. A couple days ago she'd be having the time of her life right now, but all she could feel was guilt. Being caught in the act by the Princess of Hyrule was an unbearable thought--especially since Saria had been trying to get some affection from her man.
Glancing over at the Princess, Saria tried to imagine what Zelda was thinking. All she could see was an independant, strong, brave (and a little bloody) young woman, determined to accomplish her goal. But she was also distraught, angry, and looking as if she was trying to hold back....tears.
Suddenly, Zelda looked over at Saria, who quickly turned away. Saria knew that the Princess could have her beheaded for trying to seduce her lover. She shivered, wishing that she had never betrayed such a powerful figure's trust.
Zelda grimaced and turned her attention back on riding. 'That forest monkey really owes me,' she thought to herself. 'I could slaughter her for this treachery against me! And look how tightly she's holding onto Link, as if....as if....'
Well, Zelda's mind was sort of playing tricks on her. As it was previously mentioned, Saria was barely holding onto Link at all. If she got bumped or they came to a sudden stop, she'd probably be sent whirling off.
And speak of the devil, that's exactly what happened. Malon came to a sudden halt, which made Zelda stop abruptly, and caused Link to also yank on his reins. These subsequent actions made the un-suspecting Saria go flying backwards.
"You should follow the little lady's example," said a dark voice. "Get off those horses of yours."
Zelda stared at the speaker: a particularly small, dumpy, moblin. Without any hesitation, the three others slowly got off their horses and glared at the hold-up.
"'At's right," the moblin laughed. "Guess you just weren't expecting the sudden stop, eh? I see you ain't got any weapons on ya." He gently pulled on the horses' reins, bringing them closer to him.
"That's where you're wrong!" Malon cried, taking a dagger out of its hiding place in her boot.
"Oh, hold on, missy," the moblin laughed. "You don't want to be messing around with me, I don't think."
"Why not?" Saria asked. "We outnumber you!"
"Are you sure about that?" the moblin asked coolly. Right on cue, almost one hundred moblins appeared out of almost no where, crawling out of the woods, and from behind the rocks. The head moblin smirked as his backup encompassed the four intrepid warriors, who were actually rather nervous right now.
Malon dropped her dagger to the ground, mostly from shock. She looked at the others, who seemed to be equally dumbstruck.
"You seem to know what I was going to ask next," the head moblin chuckled. "All right, the lot of you--drop those weapons." The four of them remained still. Sighing, the moblin sent three of his armed guards forward.
Each moblin took a pack off the horses' saddles, and continued to frisk the others. Saria stiffly handed over her bow and her arrow. Zelda watched with pain as a moblin carried Link's sword to his leader. Her eyes widened as a moblin suddenly approached her with a large club and swung it over her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zelda woke up hours later with a groan. She sat up slowly, putting a hand quickly to her head. "Ow...."
"You hurting, Princess?" a nearby moblin asked. "At least you're awake now, we were worried for a while there!" He laughed hoarsely.
"Aren't they going to tie us up?" Malon muttered to Link, who was seated by Saria. "Do they trust us not to run away?"
"Basically," Link sighed. "It would be stupid and tactless of us to try to escape in this present state. They'd kill us too quickly, there are too many of them."
"Thanks for the analysis," Zelda muttered sarcastically.
Link glared at her. "Your welcome, Rip Van Winkle."
She stared at him icily. "I'll let that one pass me by, Link. But I wasn't sleeping, you know. In case you didn't notice, I was unconcious thanks to the moblin who bashed me over the head with a big stick."
"Gee, I guess I DIDN'T notice," Link said. "I was too busy making sure nobody hurt Saria."
At that point, a moblin walked up to Malon and grabbed her shoulder roughly. "Get up, young missy." Slowly, the rancher got to her feet and stared at the moblin. He continued, saying, "the leader wants to adress you about something he thinks you'll find rather interesting."
"Why me?" Malon asked indignantly.
Grinning, the moblin glanced briefly at the scar on Malon's arm: the one that had been left there ever since their encounter with a lone moblin in the woods. She stared at him, then he began to drag her away.
Zelda gasped suddenly.
"What is it?" Saria asked.
The Princess slapped her forehead and gritted her teeth. "Oh, we are such idiots!"
"Hey, speak for yourself," Link muttered.
"Shut up, Link!" Zelda cried. "This is serious! The moblins and the horses! Don't you two see by now?! It's the moblins who have done something to the horses to make them turn....evil, possessed! Link, you said that there was a moblin attack in town, and it made all the horses go crazy! Then my horse in the woods a couple days ago went insane after it got clawed by that moblin!"
"Malon!" Saria breathed suddenly. "Oh my Godesses!"
Link stared at both of the women, who were looking quite concerned. Then he understood what Saria had implied. "Guys, hold on a second. Each time the moblins touched the horses, they became evil, like... instantaneously. Malon got bitten a few days ago. If she was going to go mad like them, wouldn't it have already happened?"
Saria looked distractedly down at the ground. This new information was sinking into her mind, and it was horrifying her. The moblins were the ones who were making the horses lose their minds.... they were using some kind of magic....
"Perhaps you're right about Malon," Zelda said stiffly. "But we can't know for sure. Maybe the magic the moblins use works faster on horses than-- "
"But that doesn't make much sense, does it?" Link asked.
"It makes some sense!" Zelda retorted.
Saria shivered and let out a quiet, stifled sob. Zelda and Link both turned towards her as she rubbed her arms to keep warm. "Please, Nayru, don't let anything have happened to my sister."
"Don't worry about it, Saria," Link said comfortingly, putting an arm around her. "I'm sure Malon will be fine."
"She won't!" Saria insisted, burying her face into Link's shoulder, causing Zelda to flush with jealousy. But immediately she removed herself from his body, saying, "Link, you smell absolutely awful."
Link rolled his eyes. "I don't think we should be worrying about that sort of thing right now. Besides, we've been down here two days, and not a chance to b--"
"Two days?!" Zelda asked in shock. "Is THAT how long I was out?!"
"Yeah," Link answered nonchalantly.
Another moblin approached them from the mist, this time adressing Saria. "The leader says he'd like you to come speak with him," he said. "Now."
Numbly, Saria got to her feet, glanced behind her, and followed the moblin into the darkness and the mist. This left Link and Zelda awkwardly by themselves.
She looked over at him mournfully. Zelda missed the way Link used to cradle her in his arms, kiss her passionately, and yes, even how he danced with her. But that was all over now--they were through.
Then Link looked up and saw her staring at him. She quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed. "Zelda--"
"No," she said quietly but firmly. "We can't talk about that sort of thing right now. We have much more important things to think about right now."
"Like what?" Link asked with exasperation.
"Like WHAT?!" Zelda repeated with fury. "Maybe that our two friends are in danger, and that the four of us could lose our lives at any moment!!"
"That's why we have to get this thing straightened out now," Link said quietly, moving closer to the Princess. "I could not have either of us die and you not knowing the truth of what happened."
"We've already gone over this, Link," Zelda whispered. "We are done."
"But Zel, you don't know what happened back there. I swear to you, I was telling you the truth yesterday."
The Princess started to cry silently against her will. "But Link, I know what I saw! And what you said contrasted completely with that!"
"Zelda," Link said, taking her hand. She shook out of his grasp, and he sighed and went on. "Please, believe me. Don't be stubborn."
"Link, I'm not being stubborn! I'm just calling you a liar."
"No, you are being stubborn," Link persisted. "You just saw Saria and I in an unusual situataion.... she was taking advantage of me, and I was much too scared to get away. If I really had any courage at all, I'd have pushed her off immediately."
"Then you call yourself a coward?" Zelda asked callously. "You, a hero, call yourself a coward?"
Link stared at her solemnly. Then he nodded. "Yes, I do. Real bravery is to be able to confront anybody and tell them to leave you alone. I can do that with ReDeads, Wolfos, and any other monster out there. But I lack the courage to do it to my friends."
"That's really not a very good excuse," Zelda told him.
"Maybe not, in your eyes," Link continued. "But I have not done anything wrong."
"Oh, of course not!" Zelda said mockingly. "Toying with the heart of a Princess is no crime at all. Have you no shame?"
Turning away, Link shook his head. Why couldn't she just trust him? Just a little bit? At all?
"I loved you, Link! And you used me!"
"No, Zelda!" Link said back. "If you really and truly loved me, you would believe what I saying to you right now!"
She reached out and slapped him smartly across the face. They glared at each other darkly. Their battle would have gone on, but suddenly they saw Saria running towards them, heaving deep breaths.
"Link, Princess!" she called out to them. But a moblin was in hot pursuit of her, and flung himself ontop of Saria, crashing her to the ground. He grabbed both of her wrists and stood behind her.
"Saria!" Link and Zelda both said, getting to their feet.
"It's Malon!" Saria cried, tears coursing down her cheeks. "Malon!"
"Oh no," Zelda breathed, mostly to herself.
Then a whole gang of moblins came into the small area, leaving Link, Zelda and a struggling Saria in the middle of a semi-circle.
Then a moblin reached out and grabbed Zelda from behind. She screamed at him but could do little as he bound her hands together behind her back. Link turned furiously towards the moblin and reached for his sword--only to remember that it had been taken by the moblins already.
"Sorry, hero," said the lead moblin. "But we've got other plans for you. I think our newest little member would like to do the honors."
Zelda screamed as she saw a flash of red dart out of the group of moblins, running up to Link and grabbing his wrists.
"Malon!" he gasped.
Malon nodded, grinning devilishly. Only she was not herself. One could only see the whites of her eyes, and her whole body was shaking violently. Link and Zelda stared at her in terror. She gestured in front of her, using her head.
"She wants you to look down there," a moblin told Link.
Nodding, Malon moved Link forward a few feet, then came to a stop. The mist cleared up a bit, and he could see they were standing over a cliff. One that was placed over a large pool of water, complete with a waterfall. It was then that he realized they were all in the spot where he and Zelda had been a couple nights ago.
You remember, where they had danced together for the first time.
"Hope you enjoy swimming, boy," one moblin said. Malon turned to him and he nodded. Then, without hesitation, she tossed Link off the edge of the cliff.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: dun dun DUNNNN!!!! yes, a cliffie!! (get it? cliff, cliffhanger? ha ha haaa!!!) i'll try 2 update soon.
in the mean time, plz answer this question in ur reviews (or try 2):
when i first registered 4 this site, which of the following pennames was NOT--I repeat, WAS NOT--considered (3 i wanted 2 use, one i never thought of)
1. Anonymous
2. Forte Sweeney
3. Meryl Streep's No. 1 Fan
4. Virgina Woolf's apprentice
goooooooooooooood luck!!! c ya real soon!!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"All right everyone," Zelda said the next morning, addressing her three fellow volunteers. "Today we'll be making our way out of this cursed mountain and back on the trail to our destination. Now, who has the map?"
"I do," Link answered, pulling it out of his pack. "We'll have to go down that way to get out of this mountain range, and then scale another hill to get back to our original trailway."
The four of them crowded around the map, fingering routes and trying to decide the best way to get out.
"Don't be an idiot, Link," Zelda scolded him. "If we go THAT way, we'll end up near the water trenches. And it doesn't seem like there would be much of a walkway, so the chance of falling into the water is very high."
"Oh, I didn't think of that," Link whispered, not wanting to start an arguement.
"Okay, so why don't we go that way?" Malon suggested, pointing to a trail that led downwards. "It'll get us to--"
"Yeah, that looks good," Saria agreed, nodding. "It seems by far the safest route. Everyone for it?"
"All right," Zelda sighed, as Link folded up the map. "C'mon, let's get out of here. Oh wait, I forgot....I don't have a horse." She glanced at the others. Malon and Saria looked over at Link, and there was a clear look of resentment between him and Zelda.
"You can use my horse, Princess," Saria offered. "I'll, um--"
"You can ride with me, Saria," Link said, getting on Epona and extending a hand. "Then, I think, we'll all be accounted for."
"Thank you," Zelda and Saria both said, getting onto their respective horses. "Now, where was that trail we were going to use?" the former asked.
"This way," Malon answered, nudging her horse and going off to their right. The other three followed.
Saria sat numbly behind Link, barely aware that her arms were around his waist. A couple days ago she'd be having the time of her life right now, but all she could feel was guilt. Being caught in the act by the Princess of Hyrule was an unbearable thought--especially since Saria had been trying to get some affection from her man.
Glancing over at the Princess, Saria tried to imagine what Zelda was thinking. All she could see was an independant, strong, brave (and a little bloody) young woman, determined to accomplish her goal. But she was also distraught, angry, and looking as if she was trying to hold back....tears.
Suddenly, Zelda looked over at Saria, who quickly turned away. Saria knew that the Princess could have her beheaded for trying to seduce her lover. She shivered, wishing that she had never betrayed such a powerful figure's trust.
Zelda grimaced and turned her attention back on riding. 'That forest monkey really owes me,' she thought to herself. 'I could slaughter her for this treachery against me! And look how tightly she's holding onto Link, as if....as if....'
Well, Zelda's mind was sort of playing tricks on her. As it was previously mentioned, Saria was barely holding onto Link at all. If she got bumped or they came to a sudden stop, she'd probably be sent whirling off.
And speak of the devil, that's exactly what happened. Malon came to a sudden halt, which made Zelda stop abruptly, and caused Link to also yank on his reins. These subsequent actions made the un-suspecting Saria go flying backwards.
"You should follow the little lady's example," said a dark voice. "Get off those horses of yours."
Zelda stared at the speaker: a particularly small, dumpy, moblin. Without any hesitation, the three others slowly got off their horses and glared at the hold-up.
"'At's right," the moblin laughed. "Guess you just weren't expecting the sudden stop, eh? I see you ain't got any weapons on ya." He gently pulled on the horses' reins, bringing them closer to him.
"That's where you're wrong!" Malon cried, taking a dagger out of its hiding place in her boot.
"Oh, hold on, missy," the moblin laughed. "You don't want to be messing around with me, I don't think."
"Why not?" Saria asked. "We outnumber you!"
"Are you sure about that?" the moblin asked coolly. Right on cue, almost one hundred moblins appeared out of almost no where, crawling out of the woods, and from behind the rocks. The head moblin smirked as his backup encompassed the four intrepid warriors, who were actually rather nervous right now.
Malon dropped her dagger to the ground, mostly from shock. She looked at the others, who seemed to be equally dumbstruck.
"You seem to know what I was going to ask next," the head moblin chuckled. "All right, the lot of you--drop those weapons." The four of them remained still. Sighing, the moblin sent three of his armed guards forward.
Each moblin took a pack off the horses' saddles, and continued to frisk the others. Saria stiffly handed over her bow and her arrow. Zelda watched with pain as a moblin carried Link's sword to his leader. Her eyes widened as a moblin suddenly approached her with a large club and swung it over her head.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Zelda woke up hours later with a groan. She sat up slowly, putting a hand quickly to her head. "Ow...."
"You hurting, Princess?" a nearby moblin asked. "At least you're awake now, we were worried for a while there!" He laughed hoarsely.
"Aren't they going to tie us up?" Malon muttered to Link, who was seated by Saria. "Do they trust us not to run away?"
"Basically," Link sighed. "It would be stupid and tactless of us to try to escape in this present state. They'd kill us too quickly, there are too many of them."
"Thanks for the analysis," Zelda muttered sarcastically.
Link glared at her. "Your welcome, Rip Van Winkle."
She stared at him icily. "I'll let that one pass me by, Link. But I wasn't sleeping, you know. In case you didn't notice, I was unconcious thanks to the moblin who bashed me over the head with a big stick."
"Gee, I guess I DIDN'T notice," Link said. "I was too busy making sure nobody hurt Saria."
At that point, a moblin walked up to Malon and grabbed her shoulder roughly. "Get up, young missy." Slowly, the rancher got to her feet and stared at the moblin. He continued, saying, "the leader wants to adress you about something he thinks you'll find rather interesting."
"Why me?" Malon asked indignantly.
Grinning, the moblin glanced briefly at the scar on Malon's arm: the one that had been left there ever since their encounter with a lone moblin in the woods. She stared at him, then he began to drag her away.
Zelda gasped suddenly.
"What is it?" Saria asked.
The Princess slapped her forehead and gritted her teeth. "Oh, we are such idiots!"
"Hey, speak for yourself," Link muttered.
"Shut up, Link!" Zelda cried. "This is serious! The moblins and the horses! Don't you two see by now?! It's the moblins who have done something to the horses to make them turn....evil, possessed! Link, you said that there was a moblin attack in town, and it made all the horses go crazy! Then my horse in the woods a couple days ago went insane after it got clawed by that moblin!"
"Malon!" Saria breathed suddenly. "Oh my Godesses!"
Link stared at both of the women, who were looking quite concerned. Then he understood what Saria had implied. "Guys, hold on a second. Each time the moblins touched the horses, they became evil, like... instantaneously. Malon got bitten a few days ago. If she was going to go mad like them, wouldn't it have already happened?"
Saria looked distractedly down at the ground. This new information was sinking into her mind, and it was horrifying her. The moblins were the ones who were making the horses lose their minds.... they were using some kind of magic....
"Perhaps you're right about Malon," Zelda said stiffly. "But we can't know for sure. Maybe the magic the moblins use works faster on horses than-- "
"But that doesn't make much sense, does it?" Link asked.
"It makes some sense!" Zelda retorted.
Saria shivered and let out a quiet, stifled sob. Zelda and Link both turned towards her as she rubbed her arms to keep warm. "Please, Nayru, don't let anything have happened to my sister."
"Don't worry about it, Saria," Link said comfortingly, putting an arm around her. "I'm sure Malon will be fine."
"She won't!" Saria insisted, burying her face into Link's shoulder, causing Zelda to flush with jealousy. But immediately she removed herself from his body, saying, "Link, you smell absolutely awful."
Link rolled his eyes. "I don't think we should be worrying about that sort of thing right now. Besides, we've been down here two days, and not a chance to b--"
"Two days?!" Zelda asked in shock. "Is THAT how long I was out?!"
"Yeah," Link answered nonchalantly.
Another moblin approached them from the mist, this time adressing Saria. "The leader says he'd like you to come speak with him," he said. "Now."
Numbly, Saria got to her feet, glanced behind her, and followed the moblin into the darkness and the mist. This left Link and Zelda awkwardly by themselves.
She looked over at him mournfully. Zelda missed the way Link used to cradle her in his arms, kiss her passionately, and yes, even how he danced with her. But that was all over now--they were through.
Then Link looked up and saw her staring at him. She quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed. "Zelda--"
"No," she said quietly but firmly. "We can't talk about that sort of thing right now. We have much more important things to think about right now."
"Like what?" Link asked with exasperation.
"Like WHAT?!" Zelda repeated with fury. "Maybe that our two friends are in danger, and that the four of us could lose our lives at any moment!!"
"That's why we have to get this thing straightened out now," Link said quietly, moving closer to the Princess. "I could not have either of us die and you not knowing the truth of what happened."
"We've already gone over this, Link," Zelda whispered. "We are done."
"But Zel, you don't know what happened back there. I swear to you, I was telling you the truth yesterday."
The Princess started to cry silently against her will. "But Link, I know what I saw! And what you said contrasted completely with that!"
"Zelda," Link said, taking her hand. She shook out of his grasp, and he sighed and went on. "Please, believe me. Don't be stubborn."
"Link, I'm not being stubborn! I'm just calling you a liar."
"No, you are being stubborn," Link persisted. "You just saw Saria and I in an unusual situataion.... she was taking advantage of me, and I was much too scared to get away. If I really had any courage at all, I'd have pushed her off immediately."
"Then you call yourself a coward?" Zelda asked callously. "You, a hero, call yourself a coward?"
Link stared at her solemnly. Then he nodded. "Yes, I do. Real bravery is to be able to confront anybody and tell them to leave you alone. I can do that with ReDeads, Wolfos, and any other monster out there. But I lack the courage to do it to my friends."
"That's really not a very good excuse," Zelda told him.
"Maybe not, in your eyes," Link continued. "But I have not done anything wrong."
"Oh, of course not!" Zelda said mockingly. "Toying with the heart of a Princess is no crime at all. Have you no shame?"
Turning away, Link shook his head. Why couldn't she just trust him? Just a little bit? At all?
"I loved you, Link! And you used me!"
"No, Zelda!" Link said back. "If you really and truly loved me, you would believe what I saying to you right now!"
She reached out and slapped him smartly across the face. They glared at each other darkly. Their battle would have gone on, but suddenly they saw Saria running towards them, heaving deep breaths.
"Link, Princess!" she called out to them. But a moblin was in hot pursuit of her, and flung himself ontop of Saria, crashing her to the ground. He grabbed both of her wrists and stood behind her.
"Saria!" Link and Zelda both said, getting to their feet.
"It's Malon!" Saria cried, tears coursing down her cheeks. "Malon!"
"Oh no," Zelda breathed, mostly to herself.
Then a whole gang of moblins came into the small area, leaving Link, Zelda and a struggling Saria in the middle of a semi-circle.
Then a moblin reached out and grabbed Zelda from behind. She screamed at him but could do little as he bound her hands together behind her back. Link turned furiously towards the moblin and reached for his sword--only to remember that it had been taken by the moblins already.
"Sorry, hero," said the lead moblin. "But we've got other plans for you. I think our newest little member would like to do the honors."
Zelda screamed as she saw a flash of red dart out of the group of moblins, running up to Link and grabbing his wrists.
"Malon!" he gasped.
Malon nodded, grinning devilishly. Only she was not herself. One could only see the whites of her eyes, and her whole body was shaking violently. Link and Zelda stared at her in terror. She gestured in front of her, using her head.
"She wants you to look down there," a moblin told Link.
Nodding, Malon moved Link forward a few feet, then came to a stop. The mist cleared up a bit, and he could see they were standing over a cliff. One that was placed over a large pool of water, complete with a waterfall. It was then that he realized they were all in the spot where he and Zelda had been a couple nights ago.
You remember, where they had danced together for the first time.
"Hope you enjoy swimming, boy," one moblin said. Malon turned to him and he nodded. Then, without hesitation, she tossed Link off the edge of the cliff.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: dun dun DUNNNN!!!! yes, a cliffie!! (get it? cliff, cliffhanger? ha ha haaa!!!) i'll try 2 update soon.
in the mean time, plz answer this question in ur reviews (or try 2):
when i first registered 4 this site, which of the following pennames was NOT--I repeat, WAS NOT--considered (3 i wanted 2 use, one i never thought of)
1. Anonymous
2. Forte Sweeney
3. Meryl Streep's No. 1 Fan
4. Virgina Woolf's apprentice
goooooooooooooood luck!!! c ya real soon!!
