Well, I'm getting up to speed with updating again...sorry it took so
freakishly long for ch. 14...I hope I didn't keep all of you waiting in
suspense or anything...*looks around frantically*...well, not only have I been
busy with school, I've also been on a grand and noble quest...TO CLAIM LEGEND
OF ZELDA CHRONICLES AS MY OWN! MUAHAHAHAHAHHAHAAA...sorry...I don't own
Zelda...=*(
**
Ch. 15- Lost and Found
The fire crackled in the campsite, disturbing the stillness of the night. Somewhere off in the distance, an owl hooted in triumph over its prey. Airaen shivered slightly, but not from the cold. "So," Roh was saying to Icarn, his mentor, and now his most trusted confidant and captain, "we'll try to pour into the valley as quickly as possible to form ranks...shields first, then archers, shields, archers, and so on, with the cavalry in the back. Find any faults?"
"Ah," Icarn said with a grim smile, "your father's favorite move, my Lord. Aye, a good one, especially as a diversion. Nay, I don't find any faults in it. How do you plan on knowing when to get out of the valley?"
"Airaen will come back along the path with the Queen and Link. We'll have someone waiting for them there who will shoot a fire arrow into the sky when she comes back. We'll then retreat through the path again and block it off," Roh said as he gazed into the fire. Airaen watched him from beneath her traveling cloak as she lay on the ground.
"Whereabouts are we now, Roh?" Gate asked, floating above. From his pocket, Roh drew out an ancient map.
Narrowing his eyes as he gazed at it, he said, "Hm...a little past the
Lake."
Gate flew down for a better look. After a slight pause, he said, "You're right...all that in just one day's riding? Airaen and I took more than that, and there were only two of us! How is that possible?"
Icarn grinned. "Aye, but you've never ridden with the warriors of Sidar, now have you? Speed is our greatest ally, and also our trademark. Besides, we're all wanting a fight after all this time, especially for a bit of revenge on that evil bastard." Icarn slammed his fist into his open hand for emphasis; Roh remained silent, though Airaen noted how the map shook slightly in his hand.
"At this rate," Roh said, desperately trying to keep his composure, "we'll reach the Valley in a day."
"A day?" Gate asked as he hovered above Roh's head once more.
Roh nodded. "See how this path loops around Lake Hylia, and then reaches these mountains?" he said as he traced his finger along the indicated path on the map, "The terrain is pretty rocky and slightly steep, since we have to cut in through these mountains. So, if we travel as fast as we did today, we'll reach the Valley in a day, most likely the afternoon after tomorrow."
"And the path Airaen and I are supposed to take is located where?" Gate asked as he flew in once again for a better look at the old map. "I certainly don't see it here."
"Ah," Roh said with a smile, "that's a secret; you'll know when you see it." Airaen rolled over with the fire to her back, feeling as if the darkness of the night was enshrouding them.
**
"Aye, look lively now, you lumps! Here's yer stinking food," the guard said as he shoved the "food" through the cell door. The two crusts of bread bounced noiselessly on the stone floor and came to a rest near Link's feet as he lay with his back against the wall adjacent to the cell door. "'Ey, and here's yer water, too," the guard continued as he tossed a flask of bitter-tasting water into the cell as well. The guard turned and left, muttering, "I don't even know why Ganon's willin' ter even keep those two alive, anyway, ya know."
All sense of his own pride nearly gone, Link reached for the flask and bread crusts, his body barely able to move from hunger and his bruises. Grabbing them, he slowly crawled over to where Zelda lay sleeping near the far wall. Gingerly, he placed her head in his lap as he leaned against the wall, gently running his hands through her dirty hair. Slowly, she stirred and opened one eye to gaze up at him. "Food's here," he whispered, showing the bread and flask. Shrugging, Zelda closed her eyes again. "Come on, love, you've got to eat something," he whispered, his voice betraying desperation. Zelda refused to move. "Please, don't make me force you to eat. You've barely eaten anything since our pleasant conversation with Ganon..."
Sighing heavily, she sat up and leaned against the well next to him. After a moment, Link leaned over and looked at her quietly. Sighing again, she said, "All right, all right, I'll eat." She ate the crust of bread slowly so as to savor it, and drank a little from the flask, then gave it back to Link. He also tried to get her to eat his bit of bread, but she refused. Frowning, Link ate his and drank.
Zelda stared up at the ceiling and closed her eyes; her heart felt as if it were caught in an icy grip. After a time, Link drew her into his lap again and held her gently against his chest, remembering with a pang to his heart how he had held his own child in similar fashion. Wanting to remain strong for his love, he held back tears and held her tighter. "There's still some hope left," he whispered into her ear, though his heart said otherwise. What hope do I have when my own child is hunted? What hope do I have when I can do nothing but wait here?, he thought miserably. "There is some hope," he whispered again as tears fell down his face; he couldn't fight it anymore.
Zelda said nothing, but only held on to Link's shirt as if the world depended on it.
**
"These dark clouds just came out of nowhere, huh, Airaen?" Roh asked as they rode next to each other. The company had been traveling since dawn, but had, unfortunately, not gone very far, for the ground, upon leaving the area close to Lake Hylia and coming near the mountains, had become rocky and steep.
"Hm...?" Airaen wasn't listening, simply staring straight ahead of her. Roh turned to her and made to say something, but decided against it. His horse stumbled over a rather nasty looking rock, but managed to remain balanced. Gritting his teeth, he stared up at the sun, now clouded over and glowing red. Red for blood, he thought miserably. Though it was only late afternoon, it was as dark as dusk.
The sound of hooves came from behind as Icarn rode up on his own horse, carefully maneuvering through the rocky terrain. "My Lord," he said as he came up behind Roh, "the horses can't be going any further. This path is taking a rather hard toll on 'em."
Roh looked behind him at the long line of men moving at a slower pace. Sighing, he said, "We'll keep going till we reach the beginning of the path through the mountains. There should be a good campsite there."
"As you wish, Lord," Icarn said and turned away to spread the order. We're almost there, Roh thought.
**
Though it was only a few miles, the steeper path slowed down the company to a crawl. By the time they had reached the entrance to the path into the mountains, the sun was setting. Fires were set up as the company made camp. Gate had been too preoccupied with the arrangements to notice that Airaen was gone. Panicking slightly, he searched desperately around for her, flying through camp after camp before he searched among the large boulders.
Behind a rather large and isolated boulder, he found her sitting with her back against it, her arms behind her head and her eyes closed. "There you are!" he said breathlessly as he flew towards her. Airaen opened one eye to look at him, then closed it again. "I've been searching all over for you, and now I find you here taking a pleasant little nap! How nice for you," he continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Grinning, she leaned forward, crossing her legs Indian-style, and placed her chin in her hands, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, come off it, Gate. We all know stress isn't a good thing, especially for you," she grinned, holding back her own laughter.
"And what have you been doing here so far away from everyone, besides nearly killing me with worry?!" he answered.
"Nothing, really. Just thinking," she replied as she sat back again.
"About what?" the fairy asked. Airaen closed her eyes again, the grin never leaving her face.
"That, little fairy, is a complete secret."
**
The night passed by without much event or disturbance; because they were so near the Valley, the company remained quiet, telling stories softly to each other around the campfire and drinking while they sharpened their weapons and tested their shields and bows. Airaen had returned an hour after sunset, stealing quietly into Roh's campsite and sitting down close to the fire. Roh was absorbed in a conversation with Icarn and Gate regarding the events that would take place tomorrow, knowing full well they would reach their destination no later than early afternoon. Surprisingly, Airaen felt calm and composed; she knew what she had to do and smiled inwardly at it. Yawning, she ate a bit of salted pork, an apple, and some water, and then, wrapping her cloak about her and placing her sheathed sword next to her, she lay down and went to sleep with her back to the fire.
**
The long line of warriors passed through the mountain along the narrow path, three men abreast in a row. Airaen rode a few horses behind Roh, who rode in the very front, her head down with her face covered slightly by her hood that she now wore. It was as dark as dusk though it was only late morning. The dark clouds above them seemed to sit on top of the mountains that surrounded them. All were silent. Not a horse snorted, nor a man coughed. Airaen gripped Perigan's rein tightly as she went over what she had decided to do last night. Lost in her own thoughts, she barely heard the order to halt as they came upon the end of the path. Looking up, she saw the tiny, scraggly path she would take up into the mountain. "Well, child," Gate whispered in her ear, "are you ready?"
Without answering, she got off Perigan, and, securing the Master Sword across her back, she stole quietly past the revered stares and towards the path. As she stepped onto it, Roh caught her eye; the look he gave her was either one of pity or of concern. Of the two she knew not, but pressed doggedly onward without any visible reply.
The path was much steeper than it had first appeared, and it was a miracle that a stray rock did not go bounding down the path in a tempest of noise begun by her careless footing. Thankful that the path dug deeply into the mountainside like a deep trench, she crawled upwards, using her hands to increase her speed. Presently, and without her being aware of it, the path began to bend towards the right as it reached the top, then straightened completely as it continued on around the entire vicinity of the Valley to touch the ground once more towards the far side of that Valley. As she reached the top, she got down on all fours to avoid being seen, for the protection she had once had was nearly gone; she only needed to stand up to be seen by the guards that ever circled the Fortress. And guards there were: hundreds per level of the fortress, hundreds more inside, and some thousand scattered about in the desert or around the Fortress, and still more that hunted, now in vain, for the child of Link and Ganon's bane.
Finally, after about an hour of this, though it had seemed mere seconds to her, she reached a point in the path where the rooftop of the Fortress touched the mountain in such a way that she could easily slide down to it. Knowing full well she could be seen, she and Gate, who floated near to the ground, hid behind a rather large piece of rock and peered out towards where she knew Roh and the others were hiding and waited, her heart beating in her throat. The silence was deafening.
**
"What now, Lord?" Icarn whispered as he came up behind Roh. "It's been about an hour now, and I'm sure the girl is there; lucky for us that this path is cleverly concealed, but how do you plan on beginning this?" Motioning for him to be silent, Roh rode forward, then stopped and sent intricate messages with his hands in his family's battle hand signals. Immediately, but silently, each fighter strode forward to make his place, spanning out of the ravine and quickly forming rows. As this was going on, Roh urged Stilfala forward.
At that moment, two guards, laughing and drinking, came forward with torches on their usual round about the perimeter of the Valley. Apparently, one of them, a nasty and ratty-looking man, had just told a joke to his companion. As the joker stepped forward near Roh, he looked up, squinting at the odd shape that had suddenly appeared in his line of vision. Finally discerning that this was no ordinary boulder, and upon looking past the figure at the host of men armed to the teeth, he gave a sharp cry and made to draw his sword. He went no further as an arrow, shot from Icarn, lodged itself in his throat. As the guard went down with a sickening gurgle, blood squirting from his neck, his companion ran with full speed, blowing at a war horn he had had strapped to his belt. The note echoed from the rock, rousing the Fortress guards. As the guard came up the steps that had been cut into the rock and came in full few of the Fortress, he waved his hands about, crying, "We're under attack! There are men he-" He fell forward, an arrow in his back. There was a rousing cry as the warriors from Sidar ran up the stairs, brandishing their shields and firing a wave of arrows into the unsuspecting guards.
Riut, a captain, heard the battle cry and threw himself inside the protective doorway in the Fortress as the wave of arrows struck into where his men had sat in comfort around a fire. As he flew inside, an arrow hit his calf, and he roared in pain as he hit the ground inside while the arrows continued to fly by. There were cries of surprise and shrieks of death as each arrow found its target. Growling in rage, he roared out, "Form some ranks and fight back, you idiots! Under attack! All those inside the Fortress, empty out! Attack! Attack on the Fortress!"
There was a roar as men from inside the Fortress grabbed their weapons and ran out to meet their assailants. As he made his way through the Fortress, Riut pushed through the mass of fighters still trying to get out to the battlefield. Limping along, he finally made it to the throne room, where Ganon sat on his throne with an amused look on his face. "My Lord," he gasped as pain shot through his leg, "we're..."
"Under attack, I know," Ganon finished for him. Grinning, he said, "Form some ranks out there and give a good slaughter, captain. Oh, and do try to get that arrow out; it's disgusting."
**
"Come on, Airaen! The Fortress is emptying; now is our chance!" Gate cried. Pushing herself up, Airaen slid down off the mountainside and onto the rooftop with a soft thud, then crouched down, trying her hardest to avert her eyes from the battle. Quickly, she half crawled, half ran across the rooftop to her left, then stopped as she realized the fault in her plan.
"Um...Gate? Where exactly would my parents be around here?"
Gate nearly flew into her. "What...? DIN'S ASS, YOU'RE RIGHT!"
"Shut the hell up, you moron! Do you want us to be found out?" she hissed, whacking him. Cursing softly under her breath, she whispered, "Well, shit. We might as well just pick somewhere to start and hope for the best." She moved off to the right and to the edge of the rooftop and looked down. "Hey, there's some vine stuff here that I can climb down," she whispered to him with a grin. Testing it first with her foot, she secured her footing, then hastily climbed down until she reached the lower level, yet another rooftop. Thankfully, in front of her and not twenty feet away, a building the size of a small house lay on top of the roof she now stood on. There was an open doorway in that building that, upon further inspection, led downwards and slightly to the left. Peering in, she saw that it was completely deserted. "Look, Gate," she whispered to him, "our luck is turning out better than I expected!"
**
Cries and sudden flashes of light seeped in through the cell window. Awakened by it, Zelda turned her head upwards as she stared past Link's upturned face. "What is that?" she asked him, listening as carefully as she could.
Link shook his head. "I don't know, but I wish I knew," he said, trying in vain to crane his neck upwards towards the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on down below. Red light flashed upon the mountainside that lay some five feet to the right of the window. "Goddess," Link swore, "What the hell is going on out there?!"
"Quiet in there!" came a voice, followed by the dark silhouette of the guard. "Shut yer mouth, or I'll have you beaten to a pulp, you little shit!"
Anger coursing through him, he retorted, "If I smelled as bad as you do, that insult would fit me perfectly!"
"That's it! I've had it with you! I don't care what the hell Ganon says! I didn't want this goddam job, I wanna fight, and I'm not gonna let some asshole talk to me like that!" He unlocked the door and kicked it open, brandishing a whip. Link pulled Zelda behind him as he tried desperately to stand, but his legs, weakened from lack of food and beatings, would not obey. Gritting his teeth, he decided he would drag this guard down with him to let Zelda escape.
Just as the guard was about to step into the cell, there was a loud cry. "Don't you touch them!" came a voice. Whirling, the guard drew his sword in his other hand, desperately trying to figure out where the voice was coming from in the hallway. There was a flash of blue light as something small hit him painfully in the side of the head. The world spinning before him, he barely had time to recover before a milky-blue blade slashed across his throat, spilling his lifeblood as he hit the floor, dead.
Airaen sheathed her sword and stepped over the body without a second thought towards it as she peered into the open cell. "Gate, shed some light, will you?"
"What do I look like to you, Airaen? Your own personal torch?" Gate retorted.
Link started at the name; Zelda held a gasp. As he staggered to his feet and helped Zelda up, he croaked out, "Airaen? Airaen, child, is that really you?" As the fairy flew into the cell, Link beheld his daughter for the first time since his capture. "My goddess," he whistled, "you've grown a bit more without my permission, haven't you?"
Tears falling down her face, she was barely able to whisper, "I found you," before she ran sobbing into his arms. "You....you big jerk!" she cried amid sobs, "You told me you would never leave me without telling me! You promised!" Link smiled as tears formed in his eyes. Airaen held onto his ragged shirt, her cloak thrown back.
"I missed you," he said with a laugh as he pulled her back to get a better look at her as she wiped her tears away on her sleeve. She was thinner than he had last seen her, and she held a stern gaze in her bright, purple eyes. When she smiled at him, he was relieved to find the same little Airaen he had watched chasing butterflies in the field when she was just a small child.
"Airaen, we should get going," Gate said. Airaen's widened, then she clapped her hands in frustration.
"Shit, I forgot! We've gotta get out of here as quick as we can! Roh's waiting for us to get out of here!" she cried.
"Is that what's going on out there?" Zelda asked quietly, then involuntarily sneezed, shivering slightly in the cold cell.
Airaen, frowning, moved over to her mother and placed her cloak about Zelda's shoulders. When Zelda tried to object, Airaen shrugged, saying, "You looked cold." Then, she turned away. Looking down at her feet, Zelda wrapped the cloak about her tightly.
"Well?" Link asked with a smile on his face, "What's the plan?" Plan. Airaen remembered what she had promised herself last evening, despite warnings from...them. She turned and was about to say something when loud voices came echoing down the hallway.
"'Ey, where in the hell's that guard? Wasn't it Yitch's turn today? Garn, mates, we ain't got the time fer this...those bastard Sidar men are crafty...Rafa's already been killed, and he was a skilled fighter, ya know! Aye, Yitch! Where the hell you hidin', boy?!"
Shit, Airaen thought. Putting a finger to her lips to keep the rest quiet, she moved over to the cell door and peered out. Five men were coming down the hallway to the right. Great, and that's where we needed to go to get out...Well, I wanted to go along with my own plan, so I guess I can start a bit early...
"Gate," she whispered softly as she leaned against the door. As the fairy flew over to her, she whispered, "I want you to take them out of here as quickly as you can. Try to find an exit somehow, ok? No matter what happens, you get them out of here, got it?"
"Ok," the fairy whispered back, "but what do you plan on doing? We can't take those guards on with your parents barely able to do anything."
"What is this?!" one of the guards called out. "Shit!! Yitch is dead! Something's wrong here!"
Airaen grinned: "Just leave that all up to me. Now go on, I'll catch up." Gate made to protest, when she cut him off, saying, "Gate, I'm of royal blood, and I order you to do as I say." Growling, Gate flew over and motioned for Link and Zelda to follow him out.
Zelda gave a questioning look when she noticed Airaen wasn't following them out. "Just follow Gate, I'll catch up. Oh, and," she grabbed Zelda's hand before she left, "be careful...momma..." Airaen grinned and pushed her out, ignoring Zelda's look of surprise, and then horror as she realized exactly what her daughter planned to do.
"AIRAEN!" she cried out, but her daughter was already running away from her to face the five guards. Link made to follow her, but Gate pulled at his shirt.
"Hey! It's the prisoners, and some kid! Get 'em!" one of the guards called as the group emerged out of the cell.
"Come on! She knows what she's doing...come on, she ordered me to get you guys out of here, and I can't go back on a princess' order!" Gate cried and pushed both Link and Zelda away, Link cursing under his breath. Looking back before he followed the two, Gate called out, "You better not get killed, child, or it'll be my head!" Then turned the corner of the hallway and was gone down the stairs.
Airaen grinned, then met her opponents. One of the guards, an evil one name Tui bearing a large sword, said, "Get outta the way, kid! I dunno who the hell you are, but we want those prisoners back...Ganon's orders, kid, SO MOVE!"
Airaen wouldn't budge as she stood in the middle of the hallway, the grin still on her face. "You talk, or somethin', kid?" Tui asked.
"Sorry," Airaen said, "but my mother told me never to talk to idiots like you."
"You little shit! Get her, boys!" Tui yelled, then he, along with his companions, charged at her. She smiled. So, they told me how to do it yesterday...what was it?, she thought, Ohh, yeah...focus your energy into one part of your body, then release... She held up her hand and focused on her energy within. As the men charged at her, she felt a tingling sensation form at her hand, then a glowing orb began to appear at her palm. The men stopped, gazing at the golden light the child held. "What the hell...is that?!" one of them yelled, fear plain in his eyes.
Focusing with all she had, Airaen cried out, "Finesa miyo!" The spell shot from her hand in a blinding flash, erupting in an explosion as it hit the guards head on, barely giving them enough time to scream before they were reduced to ashes. The spell continued until it hit the wall at the far end, ripping a hole. Airaen's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow...I guess Nayru was right in saying that that was a good spell," she said with a half laugh. Now on to step two, she thought with a smile and ran down to the end of the hallway, gingerly stepping over the ashes of the guards, then turned right and raced down the corridor.
**
"What the hell was that?!" Roh cried as he looked up from the carnage. An explosion to his left brought his attention to the newly formed hole in the Fortress near the rooftop. A cry from an enemy brought him back to his senses. As he crouched down and drove his sword into his assailant's belly, he thought, Goddess, that better not be where Airaen is.
**
Zelda stopped, panting, and looked back. The explosion had sounded so near. "Gate," she said, "we need to go back! She might be in trouble!"
"Airaen said for me to take you and Link to safety, and you know I can't back out of an order from those of royal blood..."
"Well," Zelda retorted, anger plain on her face, "I order that you turn us back to help her, then!"
Gate was at a loss. "Look, m'Lady, I really can't do this...but...it's just...Airaen's a Bearer, and since fairy's are sort of the servants of the Triforce and the Goddesses, she really has more authority than you do, begging your sincerest pardon, Lady..."
Zelda stamped her foot in frustration. "I don't give a damn! She's my daughter, and I'm going to help her!" She turned to go, but Link picked her up at the last moment and began carrying her onwards the way they had been going. "Let me go, Link! I said let me go! Don't you care about her! Hey!"
Grim-faced, Link replied, "We can't interfere with destiny, love...you and I both know that more than anyone..."
**
Airaen raced along the corridor, letting her own feet guide her to her destination. She had lost count of how many times she had turned from corridor to corridor, but all she knew was that she was going down. And to her destination. She smiled again, surprised that she could feel both excited and calm at the same time. I've got to do this, she thought, I've got to.
She skidded to a halt as an odd sensation came to her, as if a warm breeze were passing through her body, sending a tingling sensation up her arms. Oddly enough, though she didn't understand why, she knew exactly what it meant. Sighing, she grinned and crossed her arms in a relaxed position.
"Took you long enough," came a voice.
"I had to finish rescuing my parents first. They were my first priority. But now that they're safe, I would also like to ask a favor of you...order your men to stop fighting."
"They'll stop once we begin. They love to watch me fight."
"Is that so, Ganon? How very interesting..." she replied.
"Oh? Interesting, you say, girl-child?" Ganon said as he stepped forth. "You know what I want, child. Those Triforce pieces you bear were not meant to be yours. They're mine!"
"Take it from me, then!" Airaen answered, and drew the Master Sword out, her grin gone. The Sword gleamed, eager, as much as she was, for the fight ahead. "If you're as tough as you say, come take them from an inexperienced Bearer!"
Ganon laughed a cold, cruel laugh that echoed off the stones. "Kid, I like your attitude...so like your parents! I'm going to enjoy this so much!" He drew his own black sword and leaped at her.
My longest chapter ever!! I'm so happy! Yes, my patient readers...A CLIFFHANGER! MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! But I do promise you that this next chapter will be very exciting, fun, and a bit surprising...oh, and don't worry if you're incredibly confused right now...all will be explained in time! ^ ^
**
Ch. 15- Lost and Found
The fire crackled in the campsite, disturbing the stillness of the night. Somewhere off in the distance, an owl hooted in triumph over its prey. Airaen shivered slightly, but not from the cold. "So," Roh was saying to Icarn, his mentor, and now his most trusted confidant and captain, "we'll try to pour into the valley as quickly as possible to form ranks...shields first, then archers, shields, archers, and so on, with the cavalry in the back. Find any faults?"
"Ah," Icarn said with a grim smile, "your father's favorite move, my Lord. Aye, a good one, especially as a diversion. Nay, I don't find any faults in it. How do you plan on knowing when to get out of the valley?"
"Airaen will come back along the path with the Queen and Link. We'll have someone waiting for them there who will shoot a fire arrow into the sky when she comes back. We'll then retreat through the path again and block it off," Roh said as he gazed into the fire. Airaen watched him from beneath her traveling cloak as she lay on the ground.
"Whereabouts are we now, Roh?" Gate asked, floating above. From his pocket, Roh drew out an ancient map.
Narrowing his eyes as he gazed at it, he said, "Hm...a little past the
Lake."
Gate flew down for a better look. After a slight pause, he said, "You're right...all that in just one day's riding? Airaen and I took more than that, and there were only two of us! How is that possible?"
Icarn grinned. "Aye, but you've never ridden with the warriors of Sidar, now have you? Speed is our greatest ally, and also our trademark. Besides, we're all wanting a fight after all this time, especially for a bit of revenge on that evil bastard." Icarn slammed his fist into his open hand for emphasis; Roh remained silent, though Airaen noted how the map shook slightly in his hand.
"At this rate," Roh said, desperately trying to keep his composure, "we'll reach the Valley in a day."
"A day?" Gate asked as he hovered above Roh's head once more.
Roh nodded. "See how this path loops around Lake Hylia, and then reaches these mountains?" he said as he traced his finger along the indicated path on the map, "The terrain is pretty rocky and slightly steep, since we have to cut in through these mountains. So, if we travel as fast as we did today, we'll reach the Valley in a day, most likely the afternoon after tomorrow."
"And the path Airaen and I are supposed to take is located where?" Gate asked as he flew in once again for a better look at the old map. "I certainly don't see it here."
"Ah," Roh said with a smile, "that's a secret; you'll know when you see it." Airaen rolled over with the fire to her back, feeling as if the darkness of the night was enshrouding them.
**
"Aye, look lively now, you lumps! Here's yer stinking food," the guard said as he shoved the "food" through the cell door. The two crusts of bread bounced noiselessly on the stone floor and came to a rest near Link's feet as he lay with his back against the wall adjacent to the cell door. "'Ey, and here's yer water, too," the guard continued as he tossed a flask of bitter-tasting water into the cell as well. The guard turned and left, muttering, "I don't even know why Ganon's willin' ter even keep those two alive, anyway, ya know."
All sense of his own pride nearly gone, Link reached for the flask and bread crusts, his body barely able to move from hunger and his bruises. Grabbing them, he slowly crawled over to where Zelda lay sleeping near the far wall. Gingerly, he placed her head in his lap as he leaned against the wall, gently running his hands through her dirty hair. Slowly, she stirred and opened one eye to gaze up at him. "Food's here," he whispered, showing the bread and flask. Shrugging, Zelda closed her eyes again. "Come on, love, you've got to eat something," he whispered, his voice betraying desperation. Zelda refused to move. "Please, don't make me force you to eat. You've barely eaten anything since our pleasant conversation with Ganon..."
Sighing heavily, she sat up and leaned against the well next to him. After a moment, Link leaned over and looked at her quietly. Sighing again, she said, "All right, all right, I'll eat." She ate the crust of bread slowly so as to savor it, and drank a little from the flask, then gave it back to Link. He also tried to get her to eat his bit of bread, but she refused. Frowning, Link ate his and drank.
Zelda stared up at the ceiling and closed her eyes; her heart felt as if it were caught in an icy grip. After a time, Link drew her into his lap again and held her gently against his chest, remembering with a pang to his heart how he had held his own child in similar fashion. Wanting to remain strong for his love, he held back tears and held her tighter. "There's still some hope left," he whispered into her ear, though his heart said otherwise. What hope do I have when my own child is hunted? What hope do I have when I can do nothing but wait here?, he thought miserably. "There is some hope," he whispered again as tears fell down his face; he couldn't fight it anymore.
Zelda said nothing, but only held on to Link's shirt as if the world depended on it.
**
"These dark clouds just came out of nowhere, huh, Airaen?" Roh asked as they rode next to each other. The company had been traveling since dawn, but had, unfortunately, not gone very far, for the ground, upon leaving the area close to Lake Hylia and coming near the mountains, had become rocky and steep.
"Hm...?" Airaen wasn't listening, simply staring straight ahead of her. Roh turned to her and made to say something, but decided against it. His horse stumbled over a rather nasty looking rock, but managed to remain balanced. Gritting his teeth, he stared up at the sun, now clouded over and glowing red. Red for blood, he thought miserably. Though it was only late afternoon, it was as dark as dusk.
The sound of hooves came from behind as Icarn rode up on his own horse, carefully maneuvering through the rocky terrain. "My Lord," he said as he came up behind Roh, "the horses can't be going any further. This path is taking a rather hard toll on 'em."
Roh looked behind him at the long line of men moving at a slower pace. Sighing, he said, "We'll keep going till we reach the beginning of the path through the mountains. There should be a good campsite there."
"As you wish, Lord," Icarn said and turned away to spread the order. We're almost there, Roh thought.
**
Though it was only a few miles, the steeper path slowed down the company to a crawl. By the time they had reached the entrance to the path into the mountains, the sun was setting. Fires were set up as the company made camp. Gate had been too preoccupied with the arrangements to notice that Airaen was gone. Panicking slightly, he searched desperately around for her, flying through camp after camp before he searched among the large boulders.
Behind a rather large and isolated boulder, he found her sitting with her back against it, her arms behind her head and her eyes closed. "There you are!" he said breathlessly as he flew towards her. Airaen opened one eye to look at him, then closed it again. "I've been searching all over for you, and now I find you here taking a pleasant little nap! How nice for you," he continued, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Grinning, she leaned forward, crossing her legs Indian-style, and placed her chin in her hands, looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, come off it, Gate. We all know stress isn't a good thing, especially for you," she grinned, holding back her own laughter.
"And what have you been doing here so far away from everyone, besides nearly killing me with worry?!" he answered.
"Nothing, really. Just thinking," she replied as she sat back again.
"About what?" the fairy asked. Airaen closed her eyes again, the grin never leaving her face.
"That, little fairy, is a complete secret."
**
The night passed by without much event or disturbance; because they were so near the Valley, the company remained quiet, telling stories softly to each other around the campfire and drinking while they sharpened their weapons and tested their shields and bows. Airaen had returned an hour after sunset, stealing quietly into Roh's campsite and sitting down close to the fire. Roh was absorbed in a conversation with Icarn and Gate regarding the events that would take place tomorrow, knowing full well they would reach their destination no later than early afternoon. Surprisingly, Airaen felt calm and composed; she knew what she had to do and smiled inwardly at it. Yawning, she ate a bit of salted pork, an apple, and some water, and then, wrapping her cloak about her and placing her sheathed sword next to her, she lay down and went to sleep with her back to the fire.
**
The long line of warriors passed through the mountain along the narrow path, three men abreast in a row. Airaen rode a few horses behind Roh, who rode in the very front, her head down with her face covered slightly by her hood that she now wore. It was as dark as dusk though it was only late morning. The dark clouds above them seemed to sit on top of the mountains that surrounded them. All were silent. Not a horse snorted, nor a man coughed. Airaen gripped Perigan's rein tightly as she went over what she had decided to do last night. Lost in her own thoughts, she barely heard the order to halt as they came upon the end of the path. Looking up, she saw the tiny, scraggly path she would take up into the mountain. "Well, child," Gate whispered in her ear, "are you ready?"
Without answering, she got off Perigan, and, securing the Master Sword across her back, she stole quietly past the revered stares and towards the path. As she stepped onto it, Roh caught her eye; the look he gave her was either one of pity or of concern. Of the two she knew not, but pressed doggedly onward without any visible reply.
The path was much steeper than it had first appeared, and it was a miracle that a stray rock did not go bounding down the path in a tempest of noise begun by her careless footing. Thankful that the path dug deeply into the mountainside like a deep trench, she crawled upwards, using her hands to increase her speed. Presently, and without her being aware of it, the path began to bend towards the right as it reached the top, then straightened completely as it continued on around the entire vicinity of the Valley to touch the ground once more towards the far side of that Valley. As she reached the top, she got down on all fours to avoid being seen, for the protection she had once had was nearly gone; she only needed to stand up to be seen by the guards that ever circled the Fortress. And guards there were: hundreds per level of the fortress, hundreds more inside, and some thousand scattered about in the desert or around the Fortress, and still more that hunted, now in vain, for the child of Link and Ganon's bane.
Finally, after about an hour of this, though it had seemed mere seconds to her, she reached a point in the path where the rooftop of the Fortress touched the mountain in such a way that she could easily slide down to it. Knowing full well she could be seen, she and Gate, who floated near to the ground, hid behind a rather large piece of rock and peered out towards where she knew Roh and the others were hiding and waited, her heart beating in her throat. The silence was deafening.
**
"What now, Lord?" Icarn whispered as he came up behind Roh. "It's been about an hour now, and I'm sure the girl is there; lucky for us that this path is cleverly concealed, but how do you plan on beginning this?" Motioning for him to be silent, Roh rode forward, then stopped and sent intricate messages with his hands in his family's battle hand signals. Immediately, but silently, each fighter strode forward to make his place, spanning out of the ravine and quickly forming rows. As this was going on, Roh urged Stilfala forward.
At that moment, two guards, laughing and drinking, came forward with torches on their usual round about the perimeter of the Valley. Apparently, one of them, a nasty and ratty-looking man, had just told a joke to his companion. As the joker stepped forward near Roh, he looked up, squinting at the odd shape that had suddenly appeared in his line of vision. Finally discerning that this was no ordinary boulder, and upon looking past the figure at the host of men armed to the teeth, he gave a sharp cry and made to draw his sword. He went no further as an arrow, shot from Icarn, lodged itself in his throat. As the guard went down with a sickening gurgle, blood squirting from his neck, his companion ran with full speed, blowing at a war horn he had had strapped to his belt. The note echoed from the rock, rousing the Fortress guards. As the guard came up the steps that had been cut into the rock and came in full few of the Fortress, he waved his hands about, crying, "We're under attack! There are men he-" He fell forward, an arrow in his back. There was a rousing cry as the warriors from Sidar ran up the stairs, brandishing their shields and firing a wave of arrows into the unsuspecting guards.
Riut, a captain, heard the battle cry and threw himself inside the protective doorway in the Fortress as the wave of arrows struck into where his men had sat in comfort around a fire. As he flew inside, an arrow hit his calf, and he roared in pain as he hit the ground inside while the arrows continued to fly by. There were cries of surprise and shrieks of death as each arrow found its target. Growling in rage, he roared out, "Form some ranks and fight back, you idiots! Under attack! All those inside the Fortress, empty out! Attack! Attack on the Fortress!"
There was a roar as men from inside the Fortress grabbed their weapons and ran out to meet their assailants. As he made his way through the Fortress, Riut pushed through the mass of fighters still trying to get out to the battlefield. Limping along, he finally made it to the throne room, where Ganon sat on his throne with an amused look on his face. "My Lord," he gasped as pain shot through his leg, "we're..."
"Under attack, I know," Ganon finished for him. Grinning, he said, "Form some ranks out there and give a good slaughter, captain. Oh, and do try to get that arrow out; it's disgusting."
**
"Come on, Airaen! The Fortress is emptying; now is our chance!" Gate cried. Pushing herself up, Airaen slid down off the mountainside and onto the rooftop with a soft thud, then crouched down, trying her hardest to avert her eyes from the battle. Quickly, she half crawled, half ran across the rooftop to her left, then stopped as she realized the fault in her plan.
"Um...Gate? Where exactly would my parents be around here?"
Gate nearly flew into her. "What...? DIN'S ASS, YOU'RE RIGHT!"
"Shut the hell up, you moron! Do you want us to be found out?" she hissed, whacking him. Cursing softly under her breath, she whispered, "Well, shit. We might as well just pick somewhere to start and hope for the best." She moved off to the right and to the edge of the rooftop and looked down. "Hey, there's some vine stuff here that I can climb down," she whispered to him with a grin. Testing it first with her foot, she secured her footing, then hastily climbed down until she reached the lower level, yet another rooftop. Thankfully, in front of her and not twenty feet away, a building the size of a small house lay on top of the roof she now stood on. There was an open doorway in that building that, upon further inspection, led downwards and slightly to the left. Peering in, she saw that it was completely deserted. "Look, Gate," she whispered to him, "our luck is turning out better than I expected!"
**
Cries and sudden flashes of light seeped in through the cell window. Awakened by it, Zelda turned her head upwards as she stared past Link's upturned face. "What is that?" she asked him, listening as carefully as she could.
Link shook his head. "I don't know, but I wish I knew," he said, trying in vain to crane his neck upwards towards the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever was going on down below. Red light flashed upon the mountainside that lay some five feet to the right of the window. "Goddess," Link swore, "What the hell is going on out there?!"
"Quiet in there!" came a voice, followed by the dark silhouette of the guard. "Shut yer mouth, or I'll have you beaten to a pulp, you little shit!"
Anger coursing through him, he retorted, "If I smelled as bad as you do, that insult would fit me perfectly!"
"That's it! I've had it with you! I don't care what the hell Ganon says! I didn't want this goddam job, I wanna fight, and I'm not gonna let some asshole talk to me like that!" He unlocked the door and kicked it open, brandishing a whip. Link pulled Zelda behind him as he tried desperately to stand, but his legs, weakened from lack of food and beatings, would not obey. Gritting his teeth, he decided he would drag this guard down with him to let Zelda escape.
Just as the guard was about to step into the cell, there was a loud cry. "Don't you touch them!" came a voice. Whirling, the guard drew his sword in his other hand, desperately trying to figure out where the voice was coming from in the hallway. There was a flash of blue light as something small hit him painfully in the side of the head. The world spinning before him, he barely had time to recover before a milky-blue blade slashed across his throat, spilling his lifeblood as he hit the floor, dead.
Airaen sheathed her sword and stepped over the body without a second thought towards it as she peered into the open cell. "Gate, shed some light, will you?"
"What do I look like to you, Airaen? Your own personal torch?" Gate retorted.
Link started at the name; Zelda held a gasp. As he staggered to his feet and helped Zelda up, he croaked out, "Airaen? Airaen, child, is that really you?" As the fairy flew into the cell, Link beheld his daughter for the first time since his capture. "My goddess," he whistled, "you've grown a bit more without my permission, haven't you?"
Tears falling down her face, she was barely able to whisper, "I found you," before she ran sobbing into his arms. "You....you big jerk!" she cried amid sobs, "You told me you would never leave me without telling me! You promised!" Link smiled as tears formed in his eyes. Airaen held onto his ragged shirt, her cloak thrown back.
"I missed you," he said with a laugh as he pulled her back to get a better look at her as she wiped her tears away on her sleeve. She was thinner than he had last seen her, and she held a stern gaze in her bright, purple eyes. When she smiled at him, he was relieved to find the same little Airaen he had watched chasing butterflies in the field when she was just a small child.
"Airaen, we should get going," Gate said. Airaen's widened, then she clapped her hands in frustration.
"Shit, I forgot! We've gotta get out of here as quick as we can! Roh's waiting for us to get out of here!" she cried.
"Is that what's going on out there?" Zelda asked quietly, then involuntarily sneezed, shivering slightly in the cold cell.
Airaen, frowning, moved over to her mother and placed her cloak about Zelda's shoulders. When Zelda tried to object, Airaen shrugged, saying, "You looked cold." Then, she turned away. Looking down at her feet, Zelda wrapped the cloak about her tightly.
"Well?" Link asked with a smile on his face, "What's the plan?" Plan. Airaen remembered what she had promised herself last evening, despite warnings from...them. She turned and was about to say something when loud voices came echoing down the hallway.
"'Ey, where in the hell's that guard? Wasn't it Yitch's turn today? Garn, mates, we ain't got the time fer this...those bastard Sidar men are crafty...Rafa's already been killed, and he was a skilled fighter, ya know! Aye, Yitch! Where the hell you hidin', boy?!"
Shit, Airaen thought. Putting a finger to her lips to keep the rest quiet, she moved over to the cell door and peered out. Five men were coming down the hallway to the right. Great, and that's where we needed to go to get out...Well, I wanted to go along with my own plan, so I guess I can start a bit early...
"Gate," she whispered softly as she leaned against the door. As the fairy flew over to her, she whispered, "I want you to take them out of here as quickly as you can. Try to find an exit somehow, ok? No matter what happens, you get them out of here, got it?"
"Ok," the fairy whispered back, "but what do you plan on doing? We can't take those guards on with your parents barely able to do anything."
"What is this?!" one of the guards called out. "Shit!! Yitch is dead! Something's wrong here!"
Airaen grinned: "Just leave that all up to me. Now go on, I'll catch up." Gate made to protest, when she cut him off, saying, "Gate, I'm of royal blood, and I order you to do as I say." Growling, Gate flew over and motioned for Link and Zelda to follow him out.
Zelda gave a questioning look when she noticed Airaen wasn't following them out. "Just follow Gate, I'll catch up. Oh, and," she grabbed Zelda's hand before she left, "be careful...momma..." Airaen grinned and pushed her out, ignoring Zelda's look of surprise, and then horror as she realized exactly what her daughter planned to do.
"AIRAEN!" she cried out, but her daughter was already running away from her to face the five guards. Link made to follow her, but Gate pulled at his shirt.
"Hey! It's the prisoners, and some kid! Get 'em!" one of the guards called as the group emerged out of the cell.
"Come on! She knows what she's doing...come on, she ordered me to get you guys out of here, and I can't go back on a princess' order!" Gate cried and pushed both Link and Zelda away, Link cursing under his breath. Looking back before he followed the two, Gate called out, "You better not get killed, child, or it'll be my head!" Then turned the corner of the hallway and was gone down the stairs.
Airaen grinned, then met her opponents. One of the guards, an evil one name Tui bearing a large sword, said, "Get outta the way, kid! I dunno who the hell you are, but we want those prisoners back...Ganon's orders, kid, SO MOVE!"
Airaen wouldn't budge as she stood in the middle of the hallway, the grin still on her face. "You talk, or somethin', kid?" Tui asked.
"Sorry," Airaen said, "but my mother told me never to talk to idiots like you."
"You little shit! Get her, boys!" Tui yelled, then he, along with his companions, charged at her. She smiled. So, they told me how to do it yesterday...what was it?, she thought, Ohh, yeah...focus your energy into one part of your body, then release... She held up her hand and focused on her energy within. As the men charged at her, she felt a tingling sensation form at her hand, then a glowing orb began to appear at her palm. The men stopped, gazing at the golden light the child held. "What the hell...is that?!" one of them yelled, fear plain in his eyes.
Focusing with all she had, Airaen cried out, "Finesa miyo!" The spell shot from her hand in a blinding flash, erupting in an explosion as it hit the guards head on, barely giving them enough time to scream before they were reduced to ashes. The spell continued until it hit the wall at the far end, ripping a hole. Airaen's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow...I guess Nayru was right in saying that that was a good spell," she said with a half laugh. Now on to step two, she thought with a smile and ran down to the end of the hallway, gingerly stepping over the ashes of the guards, then turned right and raced down the corridor.
**
"What the hell was that?!" Roh cried as he looked up from the carnage. An explosion to his left brought his attention to the newly formed hole in the Fortress near the rooftop. A cry from an enemy brought him back to his senses. As he crouched down and drove his sword into his assailant's belly, he thought, Goddess, that better not be where Airaen is.
**
Zelda stopped, panting, and looked back. The explosion had sounded so near. "Gate," she said, "we need to go back! She might be in trouble!"
"Airaen said for me to take you and Link to safety, and you know I can't back out of an order from those of royal blood..."
"Well," Zelda retorted, anger plain on her face, "I order that you turn us back to help her, then!"
Gate was at a loss. "Look, m'Lady, I really can't do this...but...it's just...Airaen's a Bearer, and since fairy's are sort of the servants of the Triforce and the Goddesses, she really has more authority than you do, begging your sincerest pardon, Lady..."
Zelda stamped her foot in frustration. "I don't give a damn! She's my daughter, and I'm going to help her!" She turned to go, but Link picked her up at the last moment and began carrying her onwards the way they had been going. "Let me go, Link! I said let me go! Don't you care about her! Hey!"
Grim-faced, Link replied, "We can't interfere with destiny, love...you and I both know that more than anyone..."
**
Airaen raced along the corridor, letting her own feet guide her to her destination. She had lost count of how many times she had turned from corridor to corridor, but all she knew was that she was going down. And to her destination. She smiled again, surprised that she could feel both excited and calm at the same time. I've got to do this, she thought, I've got to.
She skidded to a halt as an odd sensation came to her, as if a warm breeze were passing through her body, sending a tingling sensation up her arms. Oddly enough, though she didn't understand why, she knew exactly what it meant. Sighing, she grinned and crossed her arms in a relaxed position.
"Took you long enough," came a voice.
"I had to finish rescuing my parents first. They were my first priority. But now that they're safe, I would also like to ask a favor of you...order your men to stop fighting."
"They'll stop once we begin. They love to watch me fight."
"Is that so, Ganon? How very interesting..." she replied.
"Oh? Interesting, you say, girl-child?" Ganon said as he stepped forth. "You know what I want, child. Those Triforce pieces you bear were not meant to be yours. They're mine!"
"Take it from me, then!" Airaen answered, and drew the Master Sword out, her grin gone. The Sword gleamed, eager, as much as she was, for the fight ahead. "If you're as tough as you say, come take them from an inexperienced Bearer!"
Ganon laughed a cold, cruel laugh that echoed off the stones. "Kid, I like your attitude...so like your parents! I'm going to enjoy this so much!" He drew his own black sword and leaped at her.
My longest chapter ever!! I'm so happy! Yes, my patient readers...A CLIFFHANGER! MUAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAAA!!!! But I do promise you that this next chapter will be very exciting, fun, and a bit surprising...oh, and don't worry if you're incredibly confused right now...all will be explained in time! ^ ^