Eh….hello? (big anime sweat drop) I…I know I have update in a very long time…four months to be exact…and I'm very sorry. But I shall give my excuses…okay, well there have been TONS of homework lately, been VERY busy with basketball and other activities, major writer's block…also LAZINESS. Yes, that last one is the major though. Well, I've made this my second longest chapter(it's also somewhat confusing) as an apology…sort of…well enjoy, and don't forget to review. XD
- Chapter 9 -
Gale gaped at Kitara as a loud tearing noise reached his ears, nearly causing him to scream. He caught his tattered tunic that was thrown at him, still staring unbelievably at Kitara as she wrapped strips of cloth around her bloody hand and wrist. She shifted her gaze to him.
"What?" she asked, "Stop looking at me like that."
He still seemed to be at a loss of words. "How was that urgent?" he asked, trying hard not to lose it. "That was my best tunic, and you didn't even ask me."
She gave him a look. "No. But you gave it to me anyways."
"I could have bled to death, and I'm certainly not ready to die," Kitara simply stated, finishing off with a quick tug. "Besides, it wasn't even that great. I'll make you a better one." She set her daggers in a pouch on a belt around her waist and jumped off the boulder. The runaway princess walked over to Gale and looked up at him with a small smile on her face. Without warning she wrapped her arms around the much taller boy and uttered two simple words, "Thank you…" Letting go she added, "…for understanding."
Kitara walked backwards and melted with the shadows as she was taught, disappearing. Gale smiled to himself as he too began to walk back to the Fortress, satisfied at Kitara's new attitude. "She's learning."
Give it to me!
I don't know what you're talking about! Leave me alone!
Not until you give it to me. I'll haunt you for as long as I wish until you hand it over!
I told you! I don't know what you are talking about! What is it do you want?
Don't play dumb with me princess, I know you're secret.
What? What secret? I have no secrets that you haven't yet pried.
Such a liar you are! You have many secrets my dear girl.
You only said one. What is this secret of me that you know oh so well about?
That is for me to know and time to reveal to you.
Stop talking in riddles! I'm sick of you! Go away!
Tut tut, princess…watch that temper of yours.
I hate you.
Hate is a strong word my dear.
Apparently not strong enough! I-HATE-YOU! Get that through your head and leave me alone!
For now…as you wish. Rise and shine princess, the goddesses have pity on you. We shall meet again soon.
Kitara sat up in her bed and angrily put down her fist against the bed. Around a year ago, some spirit occasionally visited her in her sleep asking for something. Now it had began to come more frequently as if getting desperate.
She glanced out the window to see that the sun had not risen yet as dawn. Kitara pushed away the thin sheets that covered her from the cool night. The girl quickly slipped on her white Gerudo training uniform and strapped her two curved swords to her back and multiple daggers to her waist.
The princess exited the fortress to find many of the Gerudos already started to begin their day. She automatically began tying up her waist long hair up in a high pony tail as she walked. The few mothers that existed in this race tended to their mischievous daughters, while the younger women were being tutored in their skills as a warrior by the elder.
Kitara searched the wide dessert plain for Gale. She strolled across and jumped down to the lower part of the hideout and walked toward the valley and found some younger girls taking pictures of water back to the fortress. She rolled her eyes at herself, suddenly realizing he had gone out to the Dessert Colossus. Kitara hurried back to the fortress.
She stood before the large steel gates that block the entrance way to the Haunted Wasteland, a vast desert in a constant sand storm that seemed to meet no end. Kitara called up to the current guard that stood one of the towers that held the gates. She looked down at Kitara with distaste, but opened the gates to let her pass. Few of the Gerudo had not yet accepted a Hylian into their race, and always eyed her with cold expressions. Nonetheless they acted to like her only to please their King. Kitara walked forward.
The gates immediately dropped shut when she was clearly on the other side with a thud. Kitara eyed the river of sand with wearily. She took a step back and sprinted with inhuman speed toward it. As she neared the roaring river her feet lifted from the ground with a strong push of her legs, sending her over with ease. Kitara landed with a foot or two to spare.
Standing up, the girl sprinted toward the first flag and was immediately caught off balance by the fierce wind. Kitara cursed under her breath as grabbed the pole that held the bellowing flag to steady herself. She strained to see the next flag as grains of desert sand found their way into her eyes. The girl quickly ran over to the next one, clutching it as well. She had not crossed the desert in a long time, and was now unsteady as she pushed ahead.
Kitara continued to follow the flags until she reached an odd shaped building. Past this virtual checkpoint, there were only few flags that which to guide her. Only her memory could serve.
After seemingly endless wander through the desert the princess spotted something faintly red bellowing in the wind. She rushed toward it. As Kitara passed the poles, the wind immediately subdued. She sighed and caught her breath, then hastily ran into the Temple.
Kitara saw Gale kneeling in an empty section of the room near the center. His expression seemed to be a troubled one. She silently walked toward him. "What brings you here?" he asked without looking up.
The girl slowly tilted her head to one side as she considered the question not really knowing the answer. It was ignored. "What troubles you?"
The Gerudo king stood up and looked into her eyes. "You will leave us soon," his voice seems sorrowful, but this time Kitara took no notice.
"What?" she asked shocked, "But-but I'm not ready! I'm only thirteen! You can't just throw me out! I-"
He listened to her complaints patiently. When she was done he added, "that's what my sister and many of the others said also…but I think you're ready. Besides, to get out of here, you have to pass a test…"
"Is it my final one…?"
"No. You final test might take you years to complete…but to actually pass that final test you must get it done in two years." He smiled. "But this test is to see whether or not you're ready to take the final one…it's pretty easy, you should have no problem with it."
Kitara took relief to his words but looked at him quizzingly. "Why are you acting all weird? And serious?"
He shrugged, and said to her, "Now let's get back to the fortress…your test starts at dusk." The girl followed him back through the desert. Upon returning, they again sparred, this time each wielding two blades.
"I'll win this time." Kitara held them out in opposite directions at arm's length and did a quick single spin at her opponent. Gale jumped back, barely evading. He swung one blade up vertically and clashed with hers. Kitara's face strained from the impact and her wounded hand stung; he was, after all, male, stronger, and older. She sent the active blade away and brought the free one down. Gale retracted and jumped back in, his swords in an X formation and aimed at her abdomen.
Kitara jumped up as he pulled at the blades and pointed both swords to the ground toward him. He quickly turned on his back and slashed his weapons horizontally, pushing her aside. Kitara rolled as she landed, setting herself on her feet. Completely steadied herself, she coiled her right arm back at an alarming angle and launched one of her swords at Gale, but he moved out of the way, missing the projectile by mere inches.
"Common, I know you've been taught better," he stated simply with a quick look over his shoulder as the blade struck a lone nearby tree with a splintering crack. It was slightly withered, and the sword easily punctured the other side. Kitara growled and charged at him, her feet swift. Gale prepared a counter attack, crouching, but she ran on and halted at the tree. Kitara pulled it out just as her sparring partner came thundering toward her.
Her scimitars flashed in front of her on the blink of an eye and caught the other swords before they struck her face. "Aaarrghh!" Kitara winced from the impact. Gale pushed harder making her face twist from the strain.
"Come on Kiva!" He pushed her harder.
Kitara's eyes flashed with a sudden burst of energy. She pushed him away and knocked both of the weapons out of his hands. Her opponent gasped as his swords landed on the ground with a clink, yards away from him. She smirked in satisfaction in her accomplishment.
His situation seemed even more hopeless when Kitara began to charge toward him in lightening speed. Gale crouched with his arms in front of him and gauntlets ready to deflect her oncoming attacks. Instead of striking, Kitara slid under him and kicked his unprotected back before he could react to her sudden move. Gale hit the tree with a thud and crack.
Quickly turning around to get back into the fight, his throat was met with two crossed scimitars. Kitara's eyes bore into his curiously for a moment before standing back up from her crouched position. She stuck her tongue out at him, hands on her hips. "I win." She offered her hand, grinning wildly.
Gale smirked and pulled her down with him. "Ah! Ow…" Kitara pushed him away and frowned. "Don't…don't do that."
He gave her an odd look but didn't ask. "Come on. You better get ready for this test. You can bring three things along with you. Meet me at the bridge when you're ready." Gale left, not waiting for an answer.
Kitara stuck out her lower lip, pondering her confusion. She silently went to her quarters to prepare for this oh so mysterious test. Once inside her room Kitara stripped out of her white training clothes and in turn slipped on a bright red outfit. Most away test required you to where red; it increased the difficulty by making the wearer appear as a large red target.
Three. "Three things…" Kitara looked over her collection of weapons deciding what to bring. She selected a light scimitar and strapped it to her back and her prized golden hilted dagger she had brought on the night of her runaway; that at her hips.
She sighed. What else? Kitara closed her eyes and picked up a random hilt. She opened her eyes to find herself holding an old rusted knife. Her mouth set in a thin line distastefully. She threw it aside, grabbing a water skin instead and rushed out to meet Gale at the bridge that crossed over to Hyrule Field.
Kitara found him there standing alone. He gave her a wide smile and asked slyly, "Ready Princess?" His name for her made her flush. Princess…no one's called me that in a long time…
Well? How was this? Hopefully I will update sooner next time…heh heh. Because I have a relatively good idea on what I'm gonna write about next chapter…so yes, please do review and I am sincerely very sorry. And as for you, Lumerian-Girl, I hope that I have not caused you to go mad…or all you other readers…
I've also been thinking for sometime now if I should change my title...I kinda sorta noticed that it isn't exactly very original...so I was thinking, Her Highness, the Assassin. What do you think?
Bye-Bye, Miya.
PS- I shall TRY to not take nearly as long to update…no promises though…just plz, plz be patient with me.
