"Here I am, here I remain."
Duke Leto Atreides (Frank Herbert's awesome book, Dune)
Don't own Zelda...you'll get these quotes in time if you haven't already...
Ch. 23: Master
The sun beat down on the little boat, watching its movements with interest. Airaen wiped the perspiration from her face as she sat, watching the sail intently, thinking, I'm placing all my faith in memory to sail! Ridiculous!
Noon had come and gone, opening into late afternoon. She sighed, thought, I must keep the sun setting directly in front of me and rising at my back...
"Detail, detail, detail," she said aloud, "is there ever an end to it?"
She had at first been amazed at the sea, the life that dwelt beneath the waves. Then she had cried aloud in joy when she saw a dolphin leap out of the water and come crashing back to its home once more, diving beneath the waves in sporadic movements, an odd game.
But that had been a day ago, lost in the past along with everything she had left behind. She looked again out to the seemingly endless sea, the constant horizon, felt Time flowing on the rocking motion of the ocean. It made her dizzy to think of the eternity of Time, thought, How my father could have manipulated those two time frames to his will, wrapping those dimensions around his little finger is maddening...cost-effect of such a thing! What power my father had once! The manipulation of Time itself! Incredible!
She felt herself sway dangerously, overwhelmed by the thought. Leaning against the sail post, she breathed deeply, trying to compose herself, then sat down again, taking a quick sip of water from her waterskin.
She remembered an old Hyrule saying: "Time is always constant, but it's how you use the Time that determines how long it stays constant."
Sighing, she tended to the sail again.
"And we swear loyalty to her Royal Highness and her court," the newly appointed guard said as he kneeled.
Zelda concealed a yawn as she sat straight on the throne. She studied the new guard and his two companions. They dressed in the formal attire of the guard, but she noticed there was something different about them, something that set them apart. Link did not trust them, but she was not one to turn away extra help or a job for someone.
The new guards stood and bowed. Zelda nodded to them, then watched them walk away, the one who had spoken especially.
Link, concealed in the shadows, studied the three men, narrowing his eyes at them as they passed. There's something not right about those guys, he thought earnestly. He looked over at Zelda, catching her steady gaze. A brief understanding passed between them; Link relaxed, thinking, Trust is a thing.
The wind was picking up again, whipping the sail relentlessly. Airaen felt afraid at its sudden strength, aware of how far away she was from home, lost in the middle of nowhere with no true idea of where she was going. For a brief instant she felt like a child again, how she had been even before her journey. It was exhilarating and depressing at the same time, the want of security. She shrugged it off and tended to the sail again as the sun set ahead of her.
Not knowing what else to do in the oncoming darkness, she lay on the bottom of the boat and went to sleep, wrapping her cloak around her.
Her dream that night was odd. She was searching for something back at the Ranch, but had either given up or had forgotten for what she was looking for in the first place.
Zelda had always saw the garden as a comfort, but that morning she felt nothing of the sort. Sighing, she sat down at the fountain, putting her chin in her hands, lost in thought. Too many things to do today and not enough time to do it all in, she thought with a heavy sigh. She longed for the freedom of the open road, the serenity of the blue sky. I could always run off on my own when I was a child, back when I was only a princess. But now I'm the Queen.
It was a bothersome nuisance, the responsibility.
"You skipped breakfast again today."
The voice startled her. Turning, she saw Link standing beside her, his arms crossed. "I didn't even hear you coming," she said with a smile.
"You skipped breakfast and you barely touched dinner last night," Link said with a sense of agitation.
She sighed, said, "I told you, I don't feel well." There was agitation in her voice.
Link tapped his foot impatiently. "Uh huh...I've seen you lie more effectively to a subject. You're worried about her, aren't you?"
"And you're not?" she retorted, then regretted her words as she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. "Sorry...I'm just agitated."
Link sat down next to her, placing a reassuring arm around her, then kissed her on the cheek. "It comes natural, the worrying."
What is that?
Airaen walked to the front of the boat, squinting her eyes against the glare of light from the sun that glinted off the water to discern the dark mass in front of her. It troubled her that she couldn't see what it was; she found it as a weakness in herself. She leaned far over the prow, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. Then she realized it for what it was.
An island! I've found it at last.
She moved back to the sail, guiding it towards the newly found island, a smile of triumph clear on her face. The wind picked up, pushing the little boat onward as the island reared up before her.
The rising sun was at her back.
Cold water gripped at her ankles as Airaen jumped from the boat, wading behind it to push onto the shore. The boat rocked in her hands, but she pushed it nonetheless. A loud grating sound signaled that it had hit the shore. Wiping the perspiration from her brow, she walked to the side of the boat and studied the beach in front of her, still remaining in the water.
The sun was at her back.
The beach was deserted, save for a lonely shack some hundred feet to her right. It looked as if it had faired many a tempest and a good beating, but still remained the look of security. Smiling, she waded onto shore, then made her way over to the shack.
Her boots squeaked a little from being wet, making her giggle childishly at the sound. She removed them, shook them, then placed them in her pack. The sand felt warm and reassuring under her bare feet. As she walked, she looked back to see the fine footprints in the sand, a lonely but firm trace of a traveler's passing. She smiled, then moved on.
The steps leading to the rickety old door to the shack creaked and groaned as she made her way up them, her bare feet grating against them. As she stood in front of the door, she felt an uncertainty, a doubt in her prescient vision that pulled her hand away from the door. I never saw the face, she thought, The presence, yes...but never the face.
She pushed doubt aside and knocked on the door...
"You have the full report, then?" Zelda asked as she looked up at the servant, who stood poised in a half bow, eyes riveted to the floor.
"Yes, My Lady...a troop of twenty guards went to Gerudo Valley as you requested. We just now received the messenger. No movement at all there, Your Highness...all is deserted," the servant said.
Zelda leaned forward, narrowing her eyes as she placed her chin in her hands. "And the Desert? Did they check that as well?"
The servant shook her head. "No, Highness. They were unable to get through the sandstorm...a few nearly died trying to cross that river of sand. They can't pass it, I'm afraid."
Zelda closed her eyes, said, "Thank you...that will be all for now."
Bowing, the servant exited.
Zelda sighed, leaning back in her chair as she stared at the ceiling, thought, I just can't figure it out...if Ganon is truly alive still, as Airaen said, he must be at the Desert Temple. If they can't get through the desert...I know Link can.
The door creaked ominously inward, allowing sunlight to flood into the darkness. "Hello?" Airaen asked tentatively, staring into the gloom.
All was deserted.
Damn it all, she thought, what now?
Flutter...flutter...sand shifting...
The sound reached her ears, making her turn to its direction. Looking to her right, she saw, or thought she saw, the glimmer of something moving on the beach...it disappeared, reappeared, disappeared, reappeared...she couldn't figure what it was. Curious, she leaped off the stairs, landing gracefully in the sand, then moved slowly, cautiously, towards the thing.
As she grew closer, she could feel her awareness kicking in automatically, checking the environment around her...the shifting of heat...moisture...pressure...air...it surrounded her, oppressed her.
What is that thing? she asked herself as she watched the shadow of something moving continuously in the sand some fifteen feet from her. It's so...so fast, she thought, eyes wide in awe. "What is it?" she asked allowed.
Then the movement stopped.
A muscular man with a gray-colored beard stood in front of her, thin, fabric-like pants and a sleeve-less, short-cropped, v-neck tunic on, all a navy-blue with a black sash around his waist; his skin was of the darkest pigment she had ever seen. He held a staff in his hand, a stern, wary look plain on his face.
He narrowed his eyes at her, asked in a calm, strong voice, "Who are you? Friend or foe?"
Though she felt the threat of fear coming, she forced herself to be calm, replied, "I am Airaen...I seek a teacher."
The old man raised an eyebrow at her, said, "A teacher, you say? You are looking in the wrong place, little child. I am no teacher."
Shouldering his staff, he turned and moved off down the beach.
Desperate, she called out, "Wait! You don't understand...you are supposed to be my teacher."
He turned to look at her, then laughed a deep laugh, then placed his staff in the sand, saying, "You are a bold one! 'Supposed to be your teacher' is it? And what makes you think such a thing?"
She shrugged, said, "Because I know it..."
He raised his eyebrow at her, his mirth gone as he looked sternly at her. "I sense no cockiness from you...certainty, yes, but no arrogance. You are a strange one, Airaen. And you expect me to just take you under my wing, just like that? First and foremost, I have never taught anyone, and secondly, I don't waste my time with amateurs."
He turned to leave once more, when Airaen said, calmly, "But I know you are Master Ahrima...taught by your own master, Arin. You are learned in the art of foichagi, are you not?"
Startled, he turned to her, head cocked to one side. "You are a not from this land, I can see by your fair skin...and how you know that name, as well as foichagi, is far beyond me; my master was its creator. But, ah, now, you have caught my interest." He moved towards her until he stood right in front of her, studying her face. "Hmm...I wonder if you are the one..."
Before she could respond, he was gone. Startled, she forced calmness on herself once more, stretching her awareness, sensing the danger. A sound to her left!
She threw her arm up, blocked the man's blow, her hand shaking as she felt his strength.
Then he was gone again. "Very good," the man's voice rang out, "for an amateur."
She forced the sting of the remark out of her mind, focusing her awareness again.
Silence.
Where are you? Where are you?
She looked around frantically, sensing nothing in the air, no sound...nothing. "Where are you?" she called out, fear plain in her voice.
"Here."
She turned around just in time to get a kick to her stomach, sending her flying onto her back, her pack thrown off. Wincing, she lay on her back, squinting in the sunlight. "You..." she panted, a small grin on her face, "you bested me."
The old man leaned over her, blocking the sunlight. "You have a gift, I'll give you that. I see your potential." He reached out, pulled her up by the hand.
She dusted her self off, rubbing her stomach. "So, you'll...?"
The old man crossed his arms, gazing at her for a moment, then said, "Aye, I'll take you as my Fadiya, my student."
She smiled triumphantly, then threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"
Stiffening, he pushed her away, said, "There will be none of that, Fadiya! I will teach you for as long as I see fit, and it will be hard...the hardest time you've ever known. From now on, you will call me 'Master.' Master and pupil..."
She nodded, her face serious. "I'll work hard, Master, I swear."
"Words!" Ahrima yelled harshly, startling her. "You know nothing! You say, but will you do? That is the true student! How will I know you'll work hard, Fadiya?"
She clutched her right fist, aware of the scar under her hand, aware of her purpose. "Because, Master...because I must; I have to account for my destiny, Master."
&&
Woo...ch. 23 is finished...sorry it was a little short, but I had to do it! winks Until next time!
Don't own Zelda...you'll get these quotes in time if you haven't already...
Ch. 23: Master
The sun beat down on the little boat, watching its movements with interest. Airaen wiped the perspiration from her face as she sat, watching the sail intently, thinking, I'm placing all my faith in memory to sail! Ridiculous!
Noon had come and gone, opening into late afternoon. She sighed, thought, I must keep the sun setting directly in front of me and rising at my back...
"Detail, detail, detail," she said aloud, "is there ever an end to it?"
She had at first been amazed at the sea, the life that dwelt beneath the waves. Then she had cried aloud in joy when she saw a dolphin leap out of the water and come crashing back to its home once more, diving beneath the waves in sporadic movements, an odd game.
But that had been a day ago, lost in the past along with everything she had left behind. She looked again out to the seemingly endless sea, the constant horizon, felt Time flowing on the rocking motion of the ocean. It made her dizzy to think of the eternity of Time, thought, How my father could have manipulated those two time frames to his will, wrapping those dimensions around his little finger is maddening...cost-effect of such a thing! What power my father had once! The manipulation of Time itself! Incredible!
She felt herself sway dangerously, overwhelmed by the thought. Leaning against the sail post, she breathed deeply, trying to compose herself, then sat down again, taking a quick sip of water from her waterskin.
She remembered an old Hyrule saying: "Time is always constant, but it's how you use the Time that determines how long it stays constant."
Sighing, she tended to the sail again.
"And we swear loyalty to her Royal Highness and her court," the newly appointed guard said as he kneeled.
Zelda concealed a yawn as she sat straight on the throne. She studied the new guard and his two companions. They dressed in the formal attire of the guard, but she noticed there was something different about them, something that set them apart. Link did not trust them, but she was not one to turn away extra help or a job for someone.
The new guards stood and bowed. Zelda nodded to them, then watched them walk away, the one who had spoken especially.
Link, concealed in the shadows, studied the three men, narrowing his eyes at them as they passed. There's something not right about those guys, he thought earnestly. He looked over at Zelda, catching her steady gaze. A brief understanding passed between them; Link relaxed, thinking, Trust is a thing.
The wind was picking up again, whipping the sail relentlessly. Airaen felt afraid at its sudden strength, aware of how far away she was from home, lost in the middle of nowhere with no true idea of where she was going. For a brief instant she felt like a child again, how she had been even before her journey. It was exhilarating and depressing at the same time, the want of security. She shrugged it off and tended to the sail again as the sun set ahead of her.
Not knowing what else to do in the oncoming darkness, she lay on the bottom of the boat and went to sleep, wrapping her cloak around her.
Her dream that night was odd. She was searching for something back at the Ranch, but had either given up or had forgotten for what she was looking for in the first place.
Zelda had always saw the garden as a comfort, but that morning she felt nothing of the sort. Sighing, she sat down at the fountain, putting her chin in her hands, lost in thought. Too many things to do today and not enough time to do it all in, she thought with a heavy sigh. She longed for the freedom of the open road, the serenity of the blue sky. I could always run off on my own when I was a child, back when I was only a princess. But now I'm the Queen.
It was a bothersome nuisance, the responsibility.
"You skipped breakfast again today."
The voice startled her. Turning, she saw Link standing beside her, his arms crossed. "I didn't even hear you coming," she said with a smile.
"You skipped breakfast and you barely touched dinner last night," Link said with a sense of agitation.
She sighed, said, "I told you, I don't feel well." There was agitation in her voice.
Link tapped his foot impatiently. "Uh huh...I've seen you lie more effectively to a subject. You're worried about her, aren't you?"
"And you're not?" she retorted, then regretted her words as she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. "Sorry...I'm just agitated."
Link sat down next to her, placing a reassuring arm around her, then kissed her on the cheek. "It comes natural, the worrying."
What is that?
Airaen walked to the front of the boat, squinting her eyes against the glare of light from the sun that glinted off the water to discern the dark mass in front of her. It troubled her that she couldn't see what it was; she found it as a weakness in herself. She leaned far over the prow, shielding her eyes from the glare of the sun. Then she realized it for what it was.
An island! I've found it at last.
She moved back to the sail, guiding it towards the newly found island, a smile of triumph clear on her face. The wind picked up, pushing the little boat onward as the island reared up before her.
The rising sun was at her back.
Cold water gripped at her ankles as Airaen jumped from the boat, wading behind it to push onto the shore. The boat rocked in her hands, but she pushed it nonetheless. A loud grating sound signaled that it had hit the shore. Wiping the perspiration from her brow, she walked to the side of the boat and studied the beach in front of her, still remaining in the water.
The sun was at her back.
The beach was deserted, save for a lonely shack some hundred feet to her right. It looked as if it had faired many a tempest and a good beating, but still remained the look of security. Smiling, she waded onto shore, then made her way over to the shack.
Her boots squeaked a little from being wet, making her giggle childishly at the sound. She removed them, shook them, then placed them in her pack. The sand felt warm and reassuring under her bare feet. As she walked, she looked back to see the fine footprints in the sand, a lonely but firm trace of a traveler's passing. She smiled, then moved on.
The steps leading to the rickety old door to the shack creaked and groaned as she made her way up them, her bare feet grating against them. As she stood in front of the door, she felt an uncertainty, a doubt in her prescient vision that pulled her hand away from the door. I never saw the face, she thought, The presence, yes...but never the face.
She pushed doubt aside and knocked on the door...
"You have the full report, then?" Zelda asked as she looked up at the servant, who stood poised in a half bow, eyes riveted to the floor.
"Yes, My Lady...a troop of twenty guards went to Gerudo Valley as you requested. We just now received the messenger. No movement at all there, Your Highness...all is deserted," the servant said.
Zelda leaned forward, narrowing her eyes as she placed her chin in her hands. "And the Desert? Did they check that as well?"
The servant shook her head. "No, Highness. They were unable to get through the sandstorm...a few nearly died trying to cross that river of sand. They can't pass it, I'm afraid."
Zelda closed her eyes, said, "Thank you...that will be all for now."
Bowing, the servant exited.
Zelda sighed, leaning back in her chair as she stared at the ceiling, thought, I just can't figure it out...if Ganon is truly alive still, as Airaen said, he must be at the Desert Temple. If they can't get through the desert...I know Link can.
The door creaked ominously inward, allowing sunlight to flood into the darkness. "Hello?" Airaen asked tentatively, staring into the gloom.
All was deserted.
Damn it all, she thought, what now?
Flutter...flutter...sand shifting...
The sound reached her ears, making her turn to its direction. Looking to her right, she saw, or thought she saw, the glimmer of something moving on the beach...it disappeared, reappeared, disappeared, reappeared...she couldn't figure what it was. Curious, she leaped off the stairs, landing gracefully in the sand, then moved slowly, cautiously, towards the thing.
As she grew closer, she could feel her awareness kicking in automatically, checking the environment around her...the shifting of heat...moisture...pressure...air...it surrounded her, oppressed her.
What is that thing? she asked herself as she watched the shadow of something moving continuously in the sand some fifteen feet from her. It's so...so fast, she thought, eyes wide in awe. "What is it?" she asked allowed.
Then the movement stopped.
A muscular man with a gray-colored beard stood in front of her, thin, fabric-like pants and a sleeve-less, short-cropped, v-neck tunic on, all a navy-blue with a black sash around his waist; his skin was of the darkest pigment she had ever seen. He held a staff in his hand, a stern, wary look plain on his face.
He narrowed his eyes at her, asked in a calm, strong voice, "Who are you? Friend or foe?"
Though she felt the threat of fear coming, she forced herself to be calm, replied, "I am Airaen...I seek a teacher."
The old man raised an eyebrow at her, said, "A teacher, you say? You are looking in the wrong place, little child. I am no teacher."
Shouldering his staff, he turned and moved off down the beach.
Desperate, she called out, "Wait! You don't understand...you are supposed to be my teacher."
He turned to look at her, then laughed a deep laugh, then placed his staff in the sand, saying, "You are a bold one! 'Supposed to be your teacher' is it? And what makes you think such a thing?"
She shrugged, said, "Because I know it..."
He raised his eyebrow at her, his mirth gone as he looked sternly at her. "I sense no cockiness from you...certainty, yes, but no arrogance. You are a strange one, Airaen. And you expect me to just take you under my wing, just like that? First and foremost, I have never taught anyone, and secondly, I don't waste my time with amateurs."
He turned to leave once more, when Airaen said, calmly, "But I know you are Master Ahrima...taught by your own master, Arin. You are learned in the art of foichagi, are you not?"
Startled, he turned to her, head cocked to one side. "You are a not from this land, I can see by your fair skin...and how you know that name, as well as foichagi, is far beyond me; my master was its creator. But, ah, now, you have caught my interest." He moved towards her until he stood right in front of her, studying her face. "Hmm...I wonder if you are the one..."
Before she could respond, he was gone. Startled, she forced calmness on herself once more, stretching her awareness, sensing the danger. A sound to her left!
She threw her arm up, blocked the man's blow, her hand shaking as she felt his strength.
Then he was gone again. "Very good," the man's voice rang out, "for an amateur."
She forced the sting of the remark out of her mind, focusing her awareness again.
Silence.
Where are you? Where are you?
She looked around frantically, sensing nothing in the air, no sound...nothing. "Where are you?" she called out, fear plain in her voice.
"Here."
She turned around just in time to get a kick to her stomach, sending her flying onto her back, her pack thrown off. Wincing, she lay on her back, squinting in the sunlight. "You..." she panted, a small grin on her face, "you bested me."
The old man leaned over her, blocking the sunlight. "You have a gift, I'll give you that. I see your potential." He reached out, pulled her up by the hand.
She dusted her self off, rubbing her stomach. "So, you'll...?"
The old man crossed his arms, gazing at her for a moment, then said, "Aye, I'll take you as my Fadiya, my student."
She smiled triumphantly, then threw her arms around him. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"
Stiffening, he pushed her away, said, "There will be none of that, Fadiya! I will teach you for as long as I see fit, and it will be hard...the hardest time you've ever known. From now on, you will call me 'Master.' Master and pupil..."
She nodded, her face serious. "I'll work hard, Master, I swear."
"Words!" Ahrima yelled harshly, startling her. "You know nothing! You say, but will you do? That is the true student! How will I know you'll work hard, Fadiya?"
She clutched her right fist, aware of the scar under her hand, aware of her purpose. "Because, Master...because I must; I have to account for my destiny, Master."
&&
Woo...ch. 23 is finished...sorry it was a little short, but I had to do it! winks Until next time!