Chapter 2

The sandy path lead into rugged terrain laced with sharp rocks and the occasional minor landslide. Crisp, mountain breezes sailed down through the amber, late afternoon skies cooling the travelers down as the sun finally began to rest for the night. Mountainous walls made a fairly easy path to follow, though no one knew exactly where the end would appear.

"Ugh . . . we have been going on for hours . . . can't we take a break?" complained Saeli. Despite her pleas, Traela continued to glide along the mountain pass.

"Yes . . . it is getting quite dark out. We should prepare camp with whatever we find here . . . " advised Caelin. "You do have food . . . right Traela?" At last, Traela had stopped and faced the two companions. Assuming that the sudden halt meant that they could finally camp, Caelin turned around to find any source of wood to make a fire or shelter.

"C-CAELIN, HURRY!" shrieked Saeli. Annoyed that he had to stop looking for shelter, Caelin snapped around. "What Sae-GAH!". Five men stood, dotted around the mountain walls, ready to pounce on their targets. Each of them wielded a silver-bladed scimitar with plain, golden hilts strapped to their waist. The only clothing they wore were long, silky white pants and a cream-colored sash around their waist, revealing much of their dark-tanned skin.

Surrounded from both the right and left, the escorts had virtually no way out. "Heh . . . a few Zora, eh? What are you scum doin' all the way out here?". The one who spoke jumped nimbly down from his mountain perch right in front of Caelin. He cocked his head back moving his long, red hair out of his eyes and glared maliciously at his prey.

"None of your business mongrel . . . back off!" retaliated Caelin.

"Heh . . . a feisty one here . . . let me show you what happens when you talk back to your elders kid!" In a flash, the warrior whipped out his sword, the last bit of sun reflecting off of the blade as it dropped halfway down, almost to Caelin's shoulder.

"Hmph . . . you really showed me something there now didn't you . . . vermin. . . .", replied Caelin sarcastically. The butt of his staff jammed into the attacker's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. The former predator fell to the ground in shock, sword still in hand, leaving his viewers on the mountains stunned. Showing no mercy, Caelin gripped his staff, quickly lifted the downed warrior's legs up with his own, and snapped his staff down with unparalleled speed.

"Gahahgh!" cried Caelin's foe as both of his legs violently whipped down, snapping both kneecaps, mangling his legs. Realizing that his legs were immobilized, he started to drag himself away with his hands when his life ended abruptly with a swift blow to his neck with the butt of Caelin's staff.

"So, any of you want to come down here and try it again? Come on, anyone?".

"Caelin," whispered Saeli, "shhh! Don't say anything! They still outnumber us four to three!". Reacting to Caelin's arrogant remarks, the warriors all leaped down at once, landing around Caelin. Saying nothing, they all unsheathed their swords and went in for the kill.

Hastily thinking of a way to escape, Caelin held his staff horizontally and plowed through two of the men blocking his path. One of the other men pursued him, only to be stopped short by an arrow pinning his foot to the ground.

"Wha-?" Oh, that's right! Forgot about your bow Saeli! Nice work! Let's finish them off, hm?". Enthusiastically leaping into battle again, Caelin vaulted over the pinned man's with his staff and dealt a swift kick to the oncoming swordsman, briefly stunning him. The arrow-shot warrior grabbed Caelin's staff, leaving Caelin in midair after his kick. Laughing, he pulled the arrow out of his foot and ran towards Caelin with his own staff. Not having enough time to string her bow, Saeli ran towards that man assaulting Caelin, gripped an arrow out of her quiver, and leaped over her target sliding the arrow smoothly through his neck.

Quickly grabbing his staff from the fallen warrior, Caelin sighed in aggravation as the two men previously knocked out began to collect themselves. Saeli had already sprinted over to one of the nearly-conscious men and shot him through at point-blank range. Swiftly retrieving her arrow from the man's chest, so as not to risk another fight, she stabbed the other viciously through the skull.

"Your friend is disgustingly brutal there . . . eh Zora . . . ". A deadly voice came from behind Caelin as he watched Saeli take the two men's lives so ferociously.

"Eh? Wha-..." Caelin's words were cut short by a mind-numbing pain shooting throughout every nerve within his body. Slowly looking down, he viewed a menacing sword thrust through his stomach, stained crimson by his blood. It was as if time had stopped as he looked blankly at his murderer's weapon.

Violently twisting his scimitar out of Caelin's gut, the assassin ran off up the mountain side. The near-death Zora fell to the ground on all fours gasping for air, every breath being another stab through his chest.

"Hehe, all of them are gone Caelin! Let's g-...C-Caelin?" Saeli rushed over to her beloved friend's side catching sight of the horrid gash that had ripped through his stomach. "Caelin...what happened? We got them all! Who could've done this?"

"D-dmn ambush...party...They w-were...Ger–Gerudo. T-the other...one...be-behind me...H-He didn't...stay down when I ki-kicked him...", replied Caelin weakly. Unable to speak an longer, he dropped onto the ground face-first, overcome with pain.

"We need to get you to a healer...we need to go back." Using the sashes from the fallen warriors, Saeli wrapped them up and tried to prevent any more bleeding, though she knew that it was useless. Saeli cowered under Caelin's weight as she tried to lift him. Despite Caelin's intellectual and slightly sarcastic personality, he had an excellent build; one that was extraordinary for a young Zora his age which only added to the weight Saeli had to bear.

Saeli started to walk at a normal pace after getting use to the weight. After a few feet, however, something she thought of made her heart sink to the bottom of her soul. "Traela! Traela, where are you!" Saeli searched frantically around for the ambassador that she hadn't seen since the Gerudo came. Every direction she looked, mountains stared solemnly back at her. She ran back and forth to see which direction she had gone, but it was hopeless.

"I...I can't believe this is happening...everything is...falling apart...". In despair, Saeli placed Caelin down on the ground and sat down with her face in her hands.

"I can't go back...everyone will hate me if I told them that the ambassador is gone...Caelin's dead...nothing is left...". Saeli, with tears flowing down her face, picked Caelin up once again and started down the path they were originally taking in hopes of finding Traela down the way. "I must make it to Hyrule...with Traela or not...I need to save Caelin. There should be someone who can help me..."

The once shining afternoon sky was shrouded by night's black veil. Diamonds glimmered in the sky accompanied by the eternal moon that shone down upon the young Zora. Saeli carried Caelin across he back as she made her way down the endless rocky pathway, deciding not to rest until she reaches Hyrule. Though her petite looks don't suggest it she is honored by many of her age group as excellent on the battlefield. Her build is considerably inferior to that of Caelin's or Trem's, but she is surprisingly resilient when it comes to endurance.

"No sign of Traela anywhere...maybe she finally made it out of this mountain pass...", whispered Saeli to herself. Just as she said it, the end of the pass had, at last, come. "Hah! That part's over with...I can even see the castle!" At the end of the mountain pass, a steep hill lead down the vast plains that surrounded Hyrule Castle. "Okay, hold on Caelin!", said Saeli, as if Caelin had actually heard it. Saeli slid down the surprisingly smooth hill on her feet and landed smartly on the plush grass.

The sun's rays started to gleam from behind the young Zora displaying brilliant blends of lilac and turquoise, crimson and tangerine, all the colors of the prism. An alluring sea of viridian lay before her as she made her way across the plains. Transparent clouds soared above her being shot through by the celestial rays of the ever-rising sun.

"Ah...Hyrule...luckily it wasn't too far away...Caelin...how are you doing?", asked Saeli, pretending Caelin was conscious. She laid Caelin onto the soft grass and checked if he had awoken yet. The side of her face pressed down onto his chest. "Good...he is breathing. Caelin, are you awake?"

"Eh...Sael? Hey...where are we?" replied Caelin weakly

"We are almost to the castle Caelin...don't talk. You must conserve your energy." Swiftly picking up Caelin again, she made her way to the castle, sped on by the hope that her friend will stay alive for a bit longer.

"Eh? A Zora? Why would one of them be out here at this early hour?", asked a guard at Hyrule's drawbridge.

"Heh...don't know mate, but it's comin' pretty fast...think we should lower the drawbridge?" replied the other guard.

"We should see what it wants first..."

Saeli ran up to the guards panting, growing weak due to the friend she carried on her back. "Please...let the bridge down...I need to get in...for healer...need to help friend...here.". Saeli motioned to her back showing the guards Caelin.

"Hmm...okay...go in. You'll find a healer down the block...name's Lara Prakle. Don't cause no trouble now..."

With the guards hand singnal, the drawbridge opened revealing the town square. Saeli rushed in unaware of the throngs of people bustling about in the streets. Not caring about any of the beauteous scenery that encircled the town square, about any of the curses and comments people made after she smacked into them, Saeli sprinted down the street and ran into the building, plainly marked "Inn". She walked briskly up to the innkeeper who was quite surprised to see a Zora within Hyrule town square.

"How may I help you?", asked the innkeeper.

"Lara...Prakle", breathed Saeli.

"Ah...Lady Prakle...she is in her room upstairs, she isn'-...". Saeli turned away and sped up the stairs, leaving the innkeeper mouth agape.

Once upstairs, Saeli glared at all the doors that she would have to check. Deciding to make it easier, at the top of her lungs, Saeli yelled "LADY PRAKLE!". The door right in front of her burst open exposing a small, gray-haired, elderly woman, no taller than four feet. She wore a plain brown robe with matching slippers and a jade waistband that bore a ribbon hanging down just past her knee. A beryl overlay covered in archaic markings laid over her ochre robe.

"WHAT?" screamed the old woman in a raspy voice.

"Please...I need you to help me...my friend...we were attacked...need you...to heal him...". Noticing the wounded Zora on her back, Lara ushered her in quickly, closing the door behind her.

"Lay him down on the bed child...this wound is serious...he is lucky to be alive so far."

That day was spent in Lady Prakle's room, mixing herbs to soothe the pain and to hinder any more bleeding. Saeli fell asleep as soon as she sat down offering no help to the woman.

"Poor child...carried this boy so far...I only hope these remedies work...".