Chapter Three
The waters of lake Hylia closed over Riordan's head as he dove after Princess Ruto. She didn't look back to see if he kept up or not. This made him frown, 'Was I once like that? So filled with arrogance that . . . '
The answer was that he had been and he glanced at the sack he had tied to his belt. At one time, His arrogance would have made him refuse the delivery of a simple message. His tribe had gone to the Chieftain who was his father and the village Shaman. After hearing the tribe's problem, they'd summoned him before them. He grimaced as he remembered what had taken place next. The shaman had changed him into the form of a Hylian. The words of his shaman echoed through Riordan's skull, the only way you may return to the Rito and resume your rightful form, is to find one who is as arrogant as you. She must become so humble that she will give up whatever form she has for the form of a Rito and agree to be your mate. Riordan glanced at Ruto and grimaced. After several years, it seemed he'd found her. He wasn't certain that she'd ever become that humble.
'At least I wasn't cursed into the form of some monster.'
His strong arms cut through the water after her and he soon caught up to her. She glanced over at him and her eyes widened, "So, you also think you have Zoran blood in your veins?"
The blue tunic allowed him to speak underwater like the Zoras and he gave her a cheerful grin, "If a man can sing like a bird, does that mean he has Avian blood in him?"
Her eyes narrowed and she looked forward as they approached the entrance to a tunnel at the bottom of the lake. A smile played on his lips as they entered the dark tunnel. Swimming was the closest thing he found that could equal flying and so he did it often. His strong arms had once cut through air with the ease they now did with water. 'How I miss the skies . . . '
The darkness of the tunnel enclosed about them like some giant hand and Riordan stayed close to Ruto. She knew this area much better than he did and he hoped she wouldn't lead him astray. It didn't seem long before they saw a square of light up ahead and Ruto shot ahead of him. Riordan plowed through the water after her and soon emerged from the tunnel into a much smaller body of water.
Zoras frolicked in this water with carefree abandon and schools of fish darted past them. Ruto ignored these and headed for the surface and he hurried after her. Various Zoras looked at him and Princess Ruto. He could see the puzzlement on their faces as he swam past. He wondered what they would make of his true form if they saw it. His kind didn't come down to land often.
They broke through the surface and Ruto turned to him. She glared at him and he gave her a smile. Her eyes narrowed, "Wipe that smirk off your face."
He sighed and allowed the smile to fade, "It was not a smirk, your highness. Does your father approve of how you treat people?"
She crossed her arms, "I see no problem with how I treat people."
Shaking his head, He swam toward the place where the stone of the Zora's domain met the pool. He muttered to himself, "Now I know why my tribe was so upset with me . . . "
"HEY! YOU CAN'T JUST SWIM AWAY FROM ME!"
He glanced back to see her coming after him and shrugged, "I see nothing stopping me."
As he reached the stone lip and climbed out of the water, She stopped not far from him and glared up at him, "My will is what stops you!"
"Am I one of your subjects, your Highness?"
"That doesn't matter!"
He rolled his eyes and turned away from the water. He started walking away, when he heard her climb out of the water and come after him, "Do you have a hearing problem!"
He allowed her to catch up to him and glanced at her, "No, though at one time I was much like you."
She scowled at him, "You're not royalty."
He just held his tongue from telling her among his kind, he was considered a prince, "I meant so arrogant that I didn't take time to listen to others."
She crossed her arms, "You'd better control that tongue in front of father!"
She stalked off ahead of him and he followed behind her with folded arms. His expression lapsed into the stern one that all his kind wore and he actually found it a would have to learn that she couldn't treat people like this. He had learned that lesson during his first year of being land bound and after some villagers tried to stone him.
They made their way through the Zora's Domain and the Zoras who wandered about kept glancing toward them. Their expressions were as puzzled and filled with curiosity as their brethren in the pool.He made sure he stuck close to Ruto, so he wouldn't be mistaken as an intruder. She glanced over at him and he forced his face to assume the cheery look of a wandering minstrel.
Her brow furrowed, "Must you always be so cheery?"
"Must you always be so sour faced?"
"What did I tell you about that tongue!"
"We aren't in front of your beloved father yet."
She shook her head and turned away from him with a growl. The ramp, they were following, led past a doorway and on up. It soon took them to a large throne room where King Zora sat before an iron gate. A moat of water separated them from the king's high platform on which he sat. Riordan saw a ramp leading up the right side of the room while the water flowed through a tunnel on the left side. Ruto led him up the steps onto a raised dais and whispered, "This is where you must speak to him."
Riordan raised an eyebrow, "And must you speak to your father from here?"
She glared at him and started to cross her arms when King Zora spoke, "My dear little Ruto! You've returned!" Riordan just managed not to roll his eyes at the excited tone in the King's voice. He acted as though Ruto had been gone for weeks, "Have you already discovered a suitable gift, my dear?"
Riordan was forced to cover his mouth to keep a smile from showing as Ruto turned to her father, "I've discovered the location of a gift, Father."
King Zora shook back and forth with glee, "And this young man? Will he be fetching it for you?"
She stomped her foot and glared at her father, "I'm going myself! Why should I have someone else do it!"
Riordan's hand slid from his mouth and covered his eyes, 'Ruto, this isn't how you treat your father . . . '
"My dear Ruto, You have responsibilities here that cannot be neglected."
"You can find someone else to feed Lord Jabu-Jabu. I believe Laruto can do it just fine."
Riordan glanced up at King Zora and saw that he was oblivious to how she was acting. King Zora nodded, "I suppose she could . . . "
"Then It's settled, I'll just go find the Wind Waker and she can feed Lord Jabu-Jabu."
King Zora looked down at her, "My dear, you don't plan to go alone, do you?"
Riordan glanced up at him, "No, Your majesty. I plan to go with her and help her. I know quite a bit about Dragon Roost Mountain."
Her eyes widened in surprise, "You never said anything back at the old man's laboratory!"
King Zora studied him, "You know about the perils involved, then? And how to avoid them?"
"Quite well."
King Zora grinned, "well, then! My little Ruto should be perfectly safe with you along!"
Ruto stared at her father, "But . . . "
"Now hurry along, My dear. You know how I hate it when you're gone long . . . "
Riordan untied his rusack from his belt, "Wait one moment, Your majesty," He reached inside the rusack. It, like the rest of his clothing, had been kept dry by the tunic, "The old man wanted me to deliver this letter to you."
King Zora looked excited, "Is it in response to the question I posed him?"
Riordan winced at the crumpled condition of the envelope and shook his head, "I've got to get a regular delivery bag . . . " He looked up at King Zora with the letter in hand, "I'm just the messenger, your majesty."
The King looked at Ruto, "Could you please bring that letter up here, my dear?"
Ruto scowled at Riordan as she snatched the letter out of his hand. "Yes, Father!" Her eyes narrowed Riordan, "What did I tell you about that tongue!"
He grinned, "I kept it in check even if you don't think so. Now don't keep your father waiting."