Still don't own Zelda.
*Author's note: First of all, a grand thank you to my first reviewer, who
will remain anonymous for privacy. Due to that one's question regarding
Airaen's mother, I apologize for any misunderstanding. *grovels on floor*
Secondly, to answer that question, though I may have, through some
laziness, made it sound like Malon was Airaen's mother, she is not. Again,
sorry for the mixup! However, I promise, all will be revealed very soon,
so I beg for your patience. Again, thank you for reading, and a special
thanks to my reviewer!
**
Ch. 5: The Lady Zelda
Airaen rode around the main road, making her own path around the rim of the hills near Zora's Domain. Night had fallen again, and the air seemed still. She rode on. As she came upon the river leading to the land of the Zora's, she heard a trample of hooves, and saw the glow of torches. Panicking, Airaen pushed Perigan as close to the hills as possible. After getting off the horse, she crept down and kept her eyes on the group of men holding the torches. They were speaking to each other, and apparently were annoyed with the leader.
"Arr, Strega, we've been this way before! After that damnable Ranch, we ain't come across nothin' but grass and dirt! Let's turn in afore I get really mad."
But Strega would not be cast aside: "You heard the Boss! Ganon said to find and kill that child, and that's what we're gonna do! I'm captain, so you lot's gotta do what I say, or I'll report you!" But the Patrol would not listen and turned their horses away, with shouts of Report my ass! and You'll have more luck trying to fight off that damn woman at the Ranch! at the captain. With a growl, Strega made to follow, when, upon turning, stopped. He was looking right at Airaen's hiding place!
Heart pounding, Airaen tried to crawl away, but Strega had seen her. "Oy, boys! I found something!" But the patrol men were too far down the road to hear. Grumbling about incompetence, he set off at a quick gallop towards Airaen. Terrified, she leapt up and, drawing her sword, made to charge, until Gate stopped her.
"Fool!", he hissed, "Stand your ground and wait for the right moment!" Airaen nodded and stood in one of the fighting stances she had seen her father do in his fighting workouts: bent knees, sword behind the back parallel to the ground, free arm out in front with palm down. Strega could now see her clearly.
"Aye! It's you! I knew I'd find your sorry ass! Prepare to die, child!", he called, and charged at her. Narrowing her eyes, Airaen bent even lower, and, just as Strega began to swing his sword, dug her toes into the ground and leapt away. Grabbing the dirt, she pushed herself up and drove her sword home into the man's side. The horse panicked upon seeing its assailant, reared, kicking Strega off, and galloped out of sight. Strega was dead before he even hit the ground.
Panting, Airaen pulled her bloody sword from the carcass and backed away, eyes wide with fear. "I just killed a man. I just killed a man. Oh, shit, I just killed him," she whispered. However, Gate flew over to her, laughing.
"Well done, Airaen! I half expected you to fall flat on your face most of the time, but I see you're more skilled than I thought. I doubt even the Deku Tree saw such skill in you as well. Oh, my, are you alright?", he asked upon seeing Airaen's white face. "Your first kill, eh? Don't worry. You did the right thing. It's kill or be killed from now on, child, so I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it." But Airaen only sat down and put her face in her hands. "It's alright, Airaen! Don't cry now! You'll be fine, but we mustn't stay here for long. Those men will be looking for their captain, and I doubt they'll be happy when they find him, so hurry up! It's best if we follow the river to Hyrule castle and travel at least by day once we reach the Castle Gate."
Slowly, but surely, Airaen managed to get up, and, with a last look at the dead man, climbed onto Perigan and set off at a gallop towards the river.
**
The next few days of riding were uneventful, and Airaen's mood improved. They reached the river in excellent timing, and rode alongside it, only stopping for short rests. Finally, they reached the Castle Gate just before nightfall, for the Gate always closed after sunset. Though exhausted, the companions continued on, traveling through the market, and then onto the gate leading to Hyrule castle. They were almost thrown out before Airaen remembered the pendant, to which Gate was fixed on killing Airaen very soon. Perigan was forced to remain outside the gate. There, the guards led Airaen, followed closely by Gate, into the Castle.
The wooden doors closed quietly behind Airaen as she stepped into the warm and cozy throne room. She looked around in a childlike awe at the draperies, stain-glass windows, and beautiful carpet bearing the Royal Crest, the Triforce. Her eyes slowly made their way to the throne, and there, she beheld the Lady Zelda, ruler of Hyrule. Blonde hair and of a fair complexion, Airaen could not help but stare at the Lady's haunting beauty. But mostly, Zelda's eyes transfixed her. They were of the fiercest blue Airaen had ever seen, and seemed to reach into her very soul. Though it made her shiver, she could not bear to look away. The guards around Airaen motioned her forward.
Not knowing exactly what to do, Airaen stood, panicked, holding her hand behind her head, her face beat red. "Kneel down, idiot," Gate whispered in her ear.
Immediately, Airaen almost fell down flat in her haste to kneel before the Lady. "Er, um.m-my Lady Zelda," she stammered, feeling more of a fool than ever. However, Zelda only laughed politely.
"Hello, little child, and who might you be?", Zelda asked, her sweet voice calming Airaen. Strangely, the voice, to her, sounded familiar, as if from a forgotten dream.
"Um, I am Airaen, daughter of Link, the Hero of Time. I bring word to the Lady Zelda that Link has been captured by Ganondorf of the Gerudo!", she said. Gasps were heard from the guards, but the Lady Zelda was surprisingly calm. When nothing was done or said, Airaen, forgetting her place again, cried, "Don't you care?! My father has been captured! They might try and kill him! Don't tell me I have to explain this crap to you again! We've got to save him, or he'll die!" Many of the guards, at this rude outburst, made to stand up in a fit of rage and arrest the child, but a piercing stare from Zelda silenced them.
"I see that you do not have the same patience as your father had. It is more to my own thinking, when I was your age. But, patience, dear child! Your father will be saved, but you must be patient!", Zelda said.
Airaen only grew angrier, and tears began to fall on her face: "We can't just sit here! If you're not going to do something, then I will!!" And she turned to leave.
But Zelda stood, and cried, "Airaen!" The word seemed choked with the threat of tears, a word long since been lost and then found again unexpectedly. At the calling of her name, Airaen froze, staring dumbfounded into Zelda's face. "Do not think, child," Zelda continued, the threat of tears in her voice gone, "that I do not care for Link. I do, more than you know. But I ask for your patience. I know your unrest, for nearly all of my life I was always impatient, but you must trust me. We will help your father as soon as possible, but now you must be patient." She walked over to Airaen and knelt in front of her with a smile. "Come," she said, rising and holding her hand out to Airaen, "We have much to discuss."
**
Ch. 5: The Lady Zelda
Airaen rode around the main road, making her own path around the rim of the hills near Zora's Domain. Night had fallen again, and the air seemed still. She rode on. As she came upon the river leading to the land of the Zora's, she heard a trample of hooves, and saw the glow of torches. Panicking, Airaen pushed Perigan as close to the hills as possible. After getting off the horse, she crept down and kept her eyes on the group of men holding the torches. They were speaking to each other, and apparently were annoyed with the leader.
"Arr, Strega, we've been this way before! After that damnable Ranch, we ain't come across nothin' but grass and dirt! Let's turn in afore I get really mad."
But Strega would not be cast aside: "You heard the Boss! Ganon said to find and kill that child, and that's what we're gonna do! I'm captain, so you lot's gotta do what I say, or I'll report you!" But the Patrol would not listen and turned their horses away, with shouts of Report my ass! and You'll have more luck trying to fight off that damn woman at the Ranch! at the captain. With a growl, Strega made to follow, when, upon turning, stopped. He was looking right at Airaen's hiding place!
Heart pounding, Airaen tried to crawl away, but Strega had seen her. "Oy, boys! I found something!" But the patrol men were too far down the road to hear. Grumbling about incompetence, he set off at a quick gallop towards Airaen. Terrified, she leapt up and, drawing her sword, made to charge, until Gate stopped her.
"Fool!", he hissed, "Stand your ground and wait for the right moment!" Airaen nodded and stood in one of the fighting stances she had seen her father do in his fighting workouts: bent knees, sword behind the back parallel to the ground, free arm out in front with palm down. Strega could now see her clearly.
"Aye! It's you! I knew I'd find your sorry ass! Prepare to die, child!", he called, and charged at her. Narrowing her eyes, Airaen bent even lower, and, just as Strega began to swing his sword, dug her toes into the ground and leapt away. Grabbing the dirt, she pushed herself up and drove her sword home into the man's side. The horse panicked upon seeing its assailant, reared, kicking Strega off, and galloped out of sight. Strega was dead before he even hit the ground.
Panting, Airaen pulled her bloody sword from the carcass and backed away, eyes wide with fear. "I just killed a man. I just killed a man. Oh, shit, I just killed him," she whispered. However, Gate flew over to her, laughing.
"Well done, Airaen! I half expected you to fall flat on your face most of the time, but I see you're more skilled than I thought. I doubt even the Deku Tree saw such skill in you as well. Oh, my, are you alright?", he asked upon seeing Airaen's white face. "Your first kill, eh? Don't worry. You did the right thing. It's kill or be killed from now on, child, so I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it." But Airaen only sat down and put her face in her hands. "It's alright, Airaen! Don't cry now! You'll be fine, but we mustn't stay here for long. Those men will be looking for their captain, and I doubt they'll be happy when they find him, so hurry up! It's best if we follow the river to Hyrule castle and travel at least by day once we reach the Castle Gate."
Slowly, but surely, Airaen managed to get up, and, with a last look at the dead man, climbed onto Perigan and set off at a gallop towards the river.
**
The next few days of riding were uneventful, and Airaen's mood improved. They reached the river in excellent timing, and rode alongside it, only stopping for short rests. Finally, they reached the Castle Gate just before nightfall, for the Gate always closed after sunset. Though exhausted, the companions continued on, traveling through the market, and then onto the gate leading to Hyrule castle. They were almost thrown out before Airaen remembered the pendant, to which Gate was fixed on killing Airaen very soon. Perigan was forced to remain outside the gate. There, the guards led Airaen, followed closely by Gate, into the Castle.
The wooden doors closed quietly behind Airaen as she stepped into the warm and cozy throne room. She looked around in a childlike awe at the draperies, stain-glass windows, and beautiful carpet bearing the Royal Crest, the Triforce. Her eyes slowly made their way to the throne, and there, she beheld the Lady Zelda, ruler of Hyrule. Blonde hair and of a fair complexion, Airaen could not help but stare at the Lady's haunting beauty. But mostly, Zelda's eyes transfixed her. They were of the fiercest blue Airaen had ever seen, and seemed to reach into her very soul. Though it made her shiver, she could not bear to look away. The guards around Airaen motioned her forward.
Not knowing exactly what to do, Airaen stood, panicked, holding her hand behind her head, her face beat red. "Kneel down, idiot," Gate whispered in her ear.
Immediately, Airaen almost fell down flat in her haste to kneel before the Lady. "Er, um.m-my Lady Zelda," she stammered, feeling more of a fool than ever. However, Zelda only laughed politely.
"Hello, little child, and who might you be?", Zelda asked, her sweet voice calming Airaen. Strangely, the voice, to her, sounded familiar, as if from a forgotten dream.
"Um, I am Airaen, daughter of Link, the Hero of Time. I bring word to the Lady Zelda that Link has been captured by Ganondorf of the Gerudo!", she said. Gasps were heard from the guards, but the Lady Zelda was surprisingly calm. When nothing was done or said, Airaen, forgetting her place again, cried, "Don't you care?! My father has been captured! They might try and kill him! Don't tell me I have to explain this crap to you again! We've got to save him, or he'll die!" Many of the guards, at this rude outburst, made to stand up in a fit of rage and arrest the child, but a piercing stare from Zelda silenced them.
"I see that you do not have the same patience as your father had. It is more to my own thinking, when I was your age. But, patience, dear child! Your father will be saved, but you must be patient!", Zelda said.
Airaen only grew angrier, and tears began to fall on her face: "We can't just sit here! If you're not going to do something, then I will!!" And she turned to leave.
But Zelda stood, and cried, "Airaen!" The word seemed choked with the threat of tears, a word long since been lost and then found again unexpectedly. At the calling of her name, Airaen froze, staring dumbfounded into Zelda's face. "Do not think, child," Zelda continued, the threat of tears in her voice gone, "that I do not care for Link. I do, more than you know. But I ask for your patience. I know your unrest, for nearly all of my life I was always impatient, but you must trust me. We will help your father as soon as possible, but now you must be patient." She walked over to Airaen and knelt in front of her with a smile. "Come," she said, rising and holding her hand out to Airaen, "We have much to discuss."