Sorry about how long it took me to update this, but you may be better off expecting it to be just as long in the future too. As i treat my other fanfictions with more importance than this one. Sorry but it's true.
Chapter 2.
"So what do you intend to do with him?" Impa asked calmly as Zelda took a sip of some cool clean water. "We cannot spend forever debating the fate of a young man in the dungeons, not when we have a war on our hands." Impa continued to stand, despite the seat the princess offered her. To Impa old habits died hard, and a sitting person was vulnerable.
"I realsie that Impa, I am not foolish." Impa wisely remained silent. Not foolish, she thought to herself as she watched the princess, Just young and idealistic. Never a good combination in this situation. "What would you do in my place?" The princess asked curiously, Impa answered instantly.
"I would sentance him to death, as an example to the people. So they would know what the fate for a traitor is."
"But we don't know if he's a traitor, he could be-" Impa interrupted easily.
"That would not stop me your highness." Zelda's eyes were wide when she heard those words.
"What do you mean..." She asked quietly, her eys narrowing in suspicion.
"Whether he is innocent or not, the message to the people would be the same. They would know no more than was told to them, if we said he was a traitor he would be seen as one. And they would know not to do the same. Regardless of his true alleigance." The princesses eyes had grown wider, and her mouth was open slightly.
"You would kill an innocent man just to prove a point?" Impa nodded without hesitating.
"I would neither enjoy it nor defend it, but harsh times call for harsher measures. It might boost dwindling morale and restore lost faith in the Royal family." Impa sighed to herself as the princess paced anxiously around the room, seemingly looking for anything else to occupy her attention. In truth Impa hoped the princess would disregard her advice, but it was what she would have done.
"It is lucky for him then Impa, that the decision is not yours." The princess stated calmly after a long wait, Impa made no movement.
"Indeed." Was her reply, the sheikah not allowing any emotion into her voice. The princess looked to reply when Impa held a quick hand up for silence. Zelda snapped her mouth shut. Impa strained her ears to catch at the sound which had barely reached her, she heard it again. A soft rustling of fabric, an even softer pad of feet as someone approached the room. She listened to the gait, listening to the rythem of the person's footsteps, and smiled.
"Sheik has returned it seems." She commented, a moment before the door opened and the young sheikah walked into the room, sketching a quick bow to Zelda and nodding at Impa. The young man was dressed in tight fitting rags that hugged his body whilst at the same time hiding his features from view. His lower and upper face were covered from view by more fabric, only his red eyes and two tufts of light blonde hair which fell over his face were visible. A large red eye was blazoned on his chest, the symbol of the sheikah, and the eye of truth.
"My boy, you have the caution of a child. We heard of your approach from miles away. A true sheikah does not reveal himself until he wishes to be known." Impa scolded, whilst mentally smiling. he had become much more adept in truth, his near silent footfalls almost escaping her notice. Sheik seemed to recognise her mock-scolding for what it was for he gave her a mock imperious look.
"Obviously I wished to be known to you then." He quipped back whilst Impa shook her head and muttered, "Obviously," in a sarcastic voice. Zelda laughed delightedly at their easy manner.
"What task did she set you Sheik?" Zelda asked with a smile. The Sheikah boy looked at her and shook his head in a woeful manner.
"You know her Zelda. I had to sneak into the centre of one of the main camps near the wall. Once there I had to poison a well and then get out again. It was a nightmare..." He added petulantly, "Plenty of dead bodies around, so i dragged what must have been a three day old carcass to the well and dumped it in. Anyone who drinks from that well will soon know about it." Impa noticed that Zelda's face was white. She turned to look at Impa.
"You poisoned a well! But... but... anyone who drinks from it... they'll be in agony for days, ... before they die." Impa raised an eyebrow as if to ask what her point was. Sooner or later Zelda would have to realise that they were at war here. That poisoned well would soon be a god send for the Hylian army. Especially when a large portion of the Gerudo army drank from it. "I understand... I don't like it, but I understand."
"Remember Zelda, that you need not like it, very few do. But we must do this if we are to survive."
"So..." Sheik interrupted, "What are we doing here? In Zelda's room?"
"The princess requires advice on a matter of security. We came here to discuss it." Sheik raised a blonde eyebrow indicating for her to continue. "A young man was caught in the city with no form of ID, in fact we can't find any trace of who he is. It's believed he may not be a citizen of Hyrule.
"Gerudo?" He asked.
"He doesn't look like one!" Zelda quickly interrupted, coming to the man's defence.
"Known many have you?" Sheik retorted, making Impa smile slightly. Zelda threw her arms in the air angrily.
"Why are you all against me! You and Impa are both so determined to see him swing! He could be innocent and I will not kill an innocent man."
"Why don't we ask him?" Sheik suggested. Imap snorted loudly.
"Of course Sheik we'll just bring him up here and ask him if he's a Gerudo." She replied sarcastically, when she looked at Zelda she wished she'd kept her mouth shut.
He sat up as he heard the metal door open, scraping loudly agsint the stone floor. Sitting still the man wished he had remained prone, pretending to be asleep, but that would be hopeless now. Instead he climbed to his feet and waited for the guard to enter. The guard was dressed in ceremonial armour but his manner showed that he trained rigorously, the sword strapped to his waist was more than just decoration.
"Come on." The man grated, indicating that he should walk outside of the cell and into the ring of steel made by four other guards outside. The young man complied, walking purposefully and calmly out, his blue eyes darting for anything that could help improve his situation.
He span around, catching the metal door and slamming it closed, trapping the man inside, dodging to the side to avoid an attack from a guard he stepped past the point a spear and into arm's reach of the man who wielded it. Spinning around the confused guard he snapped his neck whilst drawing the man's own sword agaisnt his companions. The falling body prevented any others from attacking him as he swayed to the one guard left seperated from his friends, a blistering attack and he fell dead.
The sword flew from the man's hand as he sent it spiralling into another guard's chest, the last one was dispatched by a sword he had grabbed from the second dead guard. He was free, trapped in the cells with four dead bodies and a trapped guard screaming for aid, already he could hear the footsteps as the garrison prepared to corner him and kill him. Like a trapped animal he fought savagely, but press of numbers ended him, as three attacked him at once, one getting past his guard as he struggled to hold the other two off. A searing pain in his leg as he fell, two more in his chest as they finished him.
"Wake up." The guard commanded angrily as he prodded the man in the back pointing him in the direction he wanted him to go. The man was strangely complient, following their orders without any indication that he wished to be doing otherwise. Inside the man was calm, searching for an escape, they entered the main courtyard.
Dodge to the side, duck below a clumsy grab and sprint towards the open gates. The doors could not be closed quickly enough to prevent him escaping as he dashed through the small gap and out into the path leading into the city. Already he could hear orders being cried out as he ducked and weaved down the path to make a more difficult target of himself. A guard from the city got in his way, spear held out horizontally to prevent him from passing, it was the work of a moment to dispatch him. But a pain in his back told him that moment of fighting had been all the archer on the wall had needed.
The archer patrolled slowly, looking bored as hell. But his competence was easily seen by the way his hand flexed on the bow grip.
Their trip through the courtyard was uneventful.
They were not leading him to be executed, the man knew that would be done outside, he had after all seen the gallows on a hill. So escape need not be now, like a wolf he could be patient, biding his time until the perfect moment to strike came. Fleeing with the speed of the wind or fighting with the ferocity of a bear. The time would come.
But not before I get my weapons back... I can't just leave them here.Yes, his weapons... They had been with him since he was young after all, the only link to his past, to who he was. Even if they did not originally belong to him, even if he had no idea who his parents were, who he had once been called. They had been in his possession, they had been with him, surely that meant something. They were all he had.
"In here." A guard spoke, pushing open a single oaken door and waiting outside, the man raised an eyebrow confused. "The princess wishes to speak with you,... alone... we will wait outside so if we hear anything..." He understood. Stepping inside calmly the man let his eyes dart around as the door was closed behind him.
The princess, sitting on a bed, beautiful as she had been when he had last seen her. A tall woman dressed in black segmented armour, the one who had been by her side when he had been dragged forwards. Her redy eyes focused on his. leaning against a wall, next to a window, a young blonde haired man dressed in tight fitting blue and white rags. His red eyes visible over a veil which covered the lower portion of his face. His eyes were calm, and his manner relaxed, but the warrior could see the young Sheikah's hands tapping against hie upper arm, where he had no doubt a knife was concealed. Or some other such throwing weapon.
The tension in the room was electrifying, there was no trust here, only awareness.
Leap forwards, try to grab the princess and hold her as a hostage, a flash of silver as something embeds itself in the side of his head, the young man by the window looking at him. His eyes crinkled as if he were smiling under his veil.
He looked toward the princess, waiting to hear what she wanted to hear from him.
A leap to the side, too close to the silver haired woman for the young Sheikah to use his tools. Reach for one of her swords as he throws a fist towards her face to distract her. A flaring pain in his stomach as she kicks him and a snapping in his arm as it breaks. Followed by a trip to the gallows or some such...
So instead he stood still. Waiting.
"What is your name?" The young princess asked, motioning him towards a chair, it was situated in the centre of the room, he remained standing. She didn't miss a beat, not even showing any anger at him for refusing her gesture, nor any discomfort. "My name is Zelda Harkinian, this is Impa," She pointed to the red eyed silver haired woman, "and this is Sheik," The red eyed blonde haired boy. "We have told you our names, won't you tell us yours?"
He stood still, thinking to himself. What would be the harm? Could she use it against him? No, of course she couldn't. Why not co-operate? It couldn't do him any harm. He spoke, just as she was about to ask something else.
"Link." She seemed to jump at the sound of his voice, and in a way he did too. It was a tool he hadn't used often. Living alone rarely gave him any reason to, well he wasn't alone, but he didn't need to use his voice for her. So hearing his own voice was like a shock, it was strong and deep. And the tone pleased him. Well done, his mind commented sarcastically, I'm glad you're pleased.
"A beautiful name..." The princess mused, then heard what she had said for she clamped a hand over her mouth and blushed. Link raised an eyebrow to himself, outwardly remaining calm. The name probably wasn't his real one, it was a name that had been given to him so long ago by Saria, the young Kokiri who had raised him. but she was gone now, dead and gone as the forest fell to the Gerudo and the inhabitants were slaughtered.
"What was your purpose here?" The woman, Impa declared. Link didn't take his eyes from the princess's blue ones as he thought to himself. What had brought him here? Supplies? No, foolish, he needed nothing that he could not hunt for in the wild. Companionship? Hardly, he had lived alone so long he no longer yearned for any more than he had. Boredom? Could life in hyrule field ever be called that?
"I don't know." He answered truthfully as a result. There was a deep sigh from the princess, perhaps at his evasiveness. Although in truth he was telling the truth, she thought he was refusing to speak.
"Sheik? Show Link to a room nearby and place a guard on it whilst we think this over?" The young Sheikah nodded and led Link away, neither saying a word as they headed for a room.
Indeed his position was now better than it had been, but somehow Link couldn't help but think that his meeting with the princess might have gone better...
Umm well that's it, please review this, if i get loads of reviews then i might be persuaded to update this a little more regularly.