Hello everyone!
I don't really have an intro a/n (do people even read these anyway?) except for, as always, a huge thank you to all of you for reading this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ. Only my OC's and crazy plot.
I couldn't sleep.
The high I experienced from my adrenaline rush crashed hard and I was exhausted.
But I couldn't sleep.
Every time I closed my eyes, the events of this morning kept replaying in my mind like an endless film loop: the bell, the fight, the aftermath, the bell, the fight, the aftermath…
I yawned and my eyes closed tight as a deep tiredness swept through my body. I thought that maybe this time, after what felt like hours of trying, I'd finally be able to drift off to sleep.
But I heard the bell wailing in my ears as I stood in the hallway, watching as a bokoblin lifted Calli off her feet by her throat; then Parker falling to his hands and knees while a large, black cloud rained glitter all over him, each speck of cold light winking in and out of existence as they fell screaming into the dark abyss of the gorge.
My eyes snapped open and the twisted memories and feelings of fear started to recede, only to be replaced once again by feelings of anger from what happened after…
Once the sun finally crested over the mountain top and the dark haze of the bokoblin dust vanished from the field, the First Line turned and headed back to the bridge.
I quickly moved away from the gorge and scanned the area for the others. I saw the three of them huddled to the side of a large boulder that was in front of the mountain wall. I raced over to them.
"Are you all okay?" I asked breathlessly as I dropped to my knees before them. They all nodded.
"Are you okay?" Charlie asked me, his eyes round as he searched my face.
I nodded back.
Charlie then grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into a one-armed hug (as he was still holding onto Calli with his other). My throat was pressed uncomfortably against his shoulder, but I didn't care and I sank further into his embrace. I felt Parker's arm wrap around my middle as he shifted over to me and leaned into my side, while Calli took hold of my left arm and hugged it close to her.
I wanted to stay forever in this awkward embrace, cloaked in the warmth of my friends. But we all broke apart as we heard footsteps approach us.
Telma and Shad stopped in front of us, both of them smiling.
"That was spectacular!" Shad exclaimed.
"It truly was. Well done, all of you," Telma beamed.
They're congratulating us...?
I glared at them. "Why didn't you come?" I questioned, my voice low and cold.
Their smiles fell as they looked at each other, both remaining silent.
I stood up and took a few steps to stand directly in front of them. "Why didn't you come? I called to you- both of you- but you didn't come. Why?"
"We are not supposed to leave our post, sweets," Telma answered matter-of-factly, but I heard a tiny trill of unease at her words.
I just stared at her unblinking, the corners of my vision becoming hazy.
"You're not supposed to leave your post…" I echoed back dryly. I blinked and my eyes cleared to see her head nodding rapidly.
I lost it.
"YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LEAVE YOUR POST?!"
Telma gasped as she jumped with shock from my outburst.
"How could you?" I accused as I advanced on her, pointing at her to single her out. My arm felt heavier than usual, almost lead-like, but I just attributed it to the fatigue that was hitting me and ignored it. The closer I got to her, the wider her guilty eyes became.
"I trusted you," I said, my voice cracking slightly as I realized how true my statement was. We may have only been here for a few days, but in that time I actually believed that she wouldn't let anything happen to us.
"Del?" I heard Renado say as he came up beside Telma. I looked at him and noticed that he was moving slowly, hands raised in front of his chest as he positioned himself between her and me.
I looked at him, confused.
What is he doing?
"Del, everything is alright. Please calm down," he said. His honey-smooth voice was like a balm, and a part of me wanted to listen and let his words soothe away the hurt; but I couldn't right now. Right now, I was too furious.
My hands began to twitch at my sides and my knees began to shake as my body started succumbing to the side effects of my adrenaline loss.
"Del? There is no need for that. Please, just calm down and drop the ax," Renado said softly.
Ax? What the hell is he talking about?
But I followed his gaze as he stared at my right hand.
Still gripped in my palm was the ax that I picked up not too long ago. Shocked, I raised the weapon and examined it; confusion giving way to realization as this was the reason that my arm felt weighed down.
I looked past the blade at Telma and saw that what I originally perceived as guilt was really just a misinterpretation. In reality, it was fear.
A part of me surged with a strange sort of satisfaction at her alarm; but the other part- the bigger part- felt shame and sadness that she thought I would actually hurt her.
I lowered the ax back to my side, but I didn't drop it.
"Good, Del. That is good. Now, release the ax," Renado coaxed.
"I- I can't. My hand won't let go," I said, my voice sounding small. I must have been holding onto the ax so tightly that my fingers had seized around the handle and I couldn't move them.
Suddenly, my hand was grasped and my skin started to tingle.
Surprised, I turned my head and saw that Link was standing next to me, raising my hand level with his chest.
My heart pounded and my stomach fluttered as I looked widely at him. He stared at me for a moment, his blue eyes bright in the sunlight. Then he lowered them to look at my hand and started to gently ease my stiff fingers off of the weapon. Once the ax was free he tossed it to Rusl, who was now standing across from him.
Link still held my hand in his, and as he slowly started to lower it back to my side his eyes met mine again. They weren't hard and guarded anymore, but soft and exposed as he looked at me.
There was a flash of something in those dark blue orbs that transfixed me; a flash of something that I knew very intimately. And my heart broke for him.
However, before I could rightly determine if what I saw was true, the flash was gone; masked so quickly that I couldn't be sure if what I saw was nothing more than my imagination.
"Thank you," I whispered, stunned yet grateful for his help.
He smiled softly and silently nodded.
I felt a tear slip down my cheek, which startled me as I never even noticed the slight blur to my vision.
Link's hand moved towards my cheek as if he was going to wipe it away, but he stopped, my eyes growing just as wide as his once he realized what he was doing. He then swiftly dropped his hand just as I quickly brushed the tear away with the back of mine.
"Del? Sweets?" Telma hesitantly called. "Will you allow me to-"
"No," I interrupted her sharply. Whatever realm of calmness Link was able to put me in vanished as I heard her voice again. "Just leave us alone. Please."
I turned around and faced my friends, who were now standing. The three of them were beaten and tired; Parker and Calli swaying lightly where they stood. I had to get them back to the inn before one of them collapsed.
"Let's go," I told them softly.
Charlie bent forward and picked Calli up bridal style. The movement caught her off guard and I saw her drop Parker's hand, only to search for it again as soon as she was adjusted in her boyfriend's arms.
I lead the way, walking at an angle to where I hoped the hidden entrance was. Thankfully, Fado chose that moment to step through the barrier and I bee-lined my way to it.
Once inside the shadowed safety of the mountain pass I saw that Zelda was walking swiftly our way, her bow swinging in her hand and her quiver- still full with arrows- strapped across her back. She stopped in front of us, concern written all over her beautiful face.
I continued to walk passed her.
"Del, wait! Please stop," she called, her serene voice echoing off the rocky walls.
I stopped, the others stopping too.
"Keep going. I'll catch up," I said to Charlie, who nodded and kept walking down the passageway. I turned back to face her.
"Del, if I can just-" she started, but I didn't let her continue.
"I thought we were safe here," I said, crestfallen. My voice no longer held any trace of anger as my exhaustion was making it too hard to fuel the emotion anymore.
"You are safe here," she responded, putting every ounce of her conviction into those words.
I wanted to believe her. Everything in my heart screamed at me to believe her as I recalled how her light arrow saved me earlier. But those arrows didn't follow me and they didn't help me again. All I could think about was how no one came when I cried out for help; how my hectic pleas to be saved fell on deaf ears.
At that moment, I realized just how alone the four of us really were. At that moment, I knew we had no one to protect us but ourselves.
"No. We're not," I said numbly and turned to catch up to my friends.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Parker, Calli, and Charlie were just passing the spring as I caught up to them.
"Everything okay?" Charlie asked as I came up beside him.
No, everything's not okay, I thought.
"Yeah, everything's fine," I said instead.
He nodded, then without letting go of Calli, jutted out his elbow. I smiled softly as he offered me his arm, and after slipping mine around the crook of his the four of us made our way to the inn in silence.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
As we entered the village I saw that there was a table set up just in front of the infirmary, where the pretty blonde lady we met last night was busy placing items on top of it. Her back was facing us but she turned around when she heard us approach. My eyes were automatically drawn to her stomach, which was large and round and I realized that she was pregnant. Then it dawned on me that this lady was Rusl's wife- however, I still couldn't remember her name.
"Oh my!" she exclaimed, placing a hand to her chest as she took in our appearances. Her eyes widened as they came to focus on Calli. "Bring her here," she said to Charlie.
Rusl's wife pulled out a chair, placed it to the side of the table and gestured for Charlie to set Calli down. He seemed reluctant to let her go, but then placed her gently on the chair, remaining close.
"Where are you hurt, darling?" Rusl's wife asked Calli.
"My neck," Calli croaked. She lifted her head to reveal the angry handprint, which was no longer red but black and purple. My heart squeezed painfully at the sight.
"Drink this, quick," Rusl's wife said, picking up a tiny glass bottle of red liquid out of a small chest, uncorked it and handed it to Calli. "Same for all of you. Take a bottle and drink it," she said over her shoulder to the rest of us.
I walked closer to the table to pick up a bottle and looked at the rest of the items. There were piles of clean cloths, jars of pungent creams, tools that looked like they were used for surgical purposes, a basin of water, and a few more small chests that were full with the tiny glass vials.
Parker and Charlie each drank one. They both made faces and shuddered as they swallowed the liquid. Apparently it didn't taste good.
I wasn't looking forward to tasting this stuff for myself, but I uncorked my bottle and tipped it upside down into my mouth. The liquid was cold and had a bit of a gelatinous feel to it. I swallowed and instantly regretted it. It was nasty. This stuff was beyond bitter and left behind a gritty feeling, like fine sand, in my mouth. But as soon as it hit my stomach heat filled my body, which started from my core, extending to the very tips of my fingers and toes, and then receded.
I felt better- much better. My hip wasn't throbbing with pain from where I fell on it, and my right hand wasn't cramped and sore anymore.
"This stuff is incredible," Parker said, examining his empty bottle. I was happy to see that the colour was returning to his face.
"Red Chu jelly," Rusl's wife said as she was gently cleaning Calli's neck with a wet cloth. "It helps heal minor injuries."
Parker and I looked at each other with wide eyes. "This is crazy," I whispered to him, awe and disbelief in my voice. He just nodded in agreement.
"Alright, my dear, I am finished," Rusl's wife said softly to Calli. I noticed that her bruised neck was no longer purple and black but a light pink; the edges of the handprint already starting to fade.
"Thank you," Calli said, her voice sounding normal again.
"Yes, thank you," I said and she turned to look at me.
"You are welcome," she smiled humbly. "I-" she began but cut herself off, looking past me as something caught her attention. All of a sudden her brown eyes filled with tears and relief washed over her pretty face.
I turned my head and looked over my shoulder to see that the Hyruleans were making their way over to the infirmary, Rusl waving at his wife as he led the way.
"We should go," I said to the others.
With the help of the Chu jelly Calli was stable on her feet again, and the four of us walked to the inn and up the ramp.
I pushed the door and held it open for the others. Just before I walked in after them I saw a group of people coming down the road from within the village. Malon, along with Ilia and Luda, were making their way to the medical table with all the Ordon children in tow.
Luda saw me and a wide smile grew on her face as she waved. I waved back before entering the inn.
The main floor was darker than before as the embers in the fireplace were no longer glowing; and I couldn't help shivering as I imagined vile creatures hiding in the shadows- the tiny, silver pinpricks of their eyes flashing in the pitchy corners of the walls.
I quickly headed to the stairs (the others right behind me) and climbed up the two flights of steps, entered the small corridor which curved into the long hallway, and walked through the third door on the right of my and Calli's room.
Charlie sat next to Calli on her bed, and Parker sat next to me on mine. How long we stayed here in silence, I didn't know. I don't think any of us had any idea of what to say.
Then Calli spoke, her small voice breaking the quiet. "So, I guess I've been officially welcomed to Hyrule."
We all gave her puzzled looks.
"What do you mean?" Charlie asked.
"Well... up until today, all of you've had near death experiences. And now that I've had mine... I guess I'm officially welcomed here," she explained with a shrug.
We all just stared at her. Then Parker started to chuckle.
Calli smiled and broke into a fit of giggles that made Parker laugh more and had me and Charlie laughing along with them.
Our laughter was uncontrollable.
We laughed to express our relief.
We laughed to hide our fear.
But most of all, we laughed to tell ourselves that everything was okay- when in truth, it wasn't.
Once we calmed down and all of us wiped away the tears that were streaming down our faces, Calli yawned, setting off a chain reaction from the rest of us.
"I'm so tired," she said, her voice low, almost like a whisper.
"We should get some sleep," Charlie said as he watched his girlfriend stifle another yawn.
Charlie shifted on the bed and Calli grabbed his arm. "You're not leaving, right?" she asked him.
"I'm not leaving," he said with a soft smile and kissed her temple. Calli laid down, Charlie lying down behind her and wrapped a protective arm around her middle, pulling her closer to his chest.
Then Parker started to move and slid to the edge of my bed.
"Where are you going?" I asked him curiously.
"Back to my room, I guess," he said with a light shrug.
"You're staying here."
"You don't mind?" he asked sheepishly.
I shook my head.
"Thanks. I... I don't really want to be alone," he said quietly.
Me neither.
"Lie down," I said and he did, turning to face the rock wall.
I let my growing exhaustion overtake my body and I fell onto the pillow next to Parker, my back up against his.
When we were little, just after our dads died, this was how Parker and I use to sleep when we were together: pressed back-to-back, so we always knew we had someone with us.
Right now, I needed that comfort.
I needed the reassurance that we were here together- that I wasn't alone in this.
I felt his breathing slow down and even out through my back, and as he slipped away into sleep my eyes started to close.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
But I couldn't sleep.
As hard as I tried, sleep kept evading me.
I watched as the sun through the skylight slowly moved across the room, my eyes closing every now and again, until they would snap open from vivid memories of this morning.
I think I was close to sleeping once, until I heard a soft knock on our door and Telma saying something about breakfast being ready. I opened my eyes to see her poking her head through the door, and saw the smile she had on her face fall as she stared at the four of us all in one room.
"Oh, my dears," she whispered. Tears welled up in her eyes as she witnessed the depth of our fear: how a bunch of teenagers opted to sleep in pairs, crammed onto tiny beds that hardly fit one, than sleep alone.
Her watery eyes looked to mine, searching for something (forgiveness? understanding?). I wasn't sure, but I just glared at her. She lowered her eyes to the ground and left the room, sniffling as she closed the door softly behind her.
I immediately felt bad for making her cry; and I still felt guilty for making her think that I was capable of hurting her. But I wasn't ready to apologize for my actions just yet. And I wasn't ready to forgive her for the lack of hers.
I remained in bed, still believing that I would have to fall asleep at some point- only to be proven wrong as I was jolted awake more times than I could count from flashes of dark creatures and dull blades.
It must have been almost noon (from the way the sunbeam through the ceiling was blazing in my face) when I finally gave up.
Admittedly, I was sick of the constant fear I was feeling every time I closed my eyes; but at some point during my struggle with sleep an idea crossed my mind, and it was plaguing me just as much as the memories were.
Slowly, I lifted myself up off the bed. I held my breath, hoping that I wouldn't wake Parker up. We were pressed so closely together and even the faintest twitch could be felt. When he didn't stir, I placed my feet on the floor and stood up, looking around.
Calli and I had a bad habit of tossing our clothes all over the place when we weren't using them, so I inwardly sighed as I couldn't see all of my clothing in one convenient place.
I didn't have the mental willpower to conduct a search, so I grabbed what was closest to me: Calli's light blue skirt, my yoga top, and the black boots I was given. Thankfully, I didn't have to search for my sports bra as it was on the floor, next to the tiny bedside table.
Gathering the clothes in my arms, I quietly snuck out of the room and made my way to the bathroom.
As I walked onto the second floor balcony I looked down below to see that the main floor was still empty. I got goosebumps at the quietness and quickly made my way into the bathroom and shut the door.
I looked at myself in the tiny mirror and groaned. My face was shiny from sweat and oil, and I had dark circles under my eyes. My black tresses were in a tangled mess, and without a brush it was a lost cause.
What a looker…
I used the toilet, then washed my hands and face- the cold water feeling wonderful and refreshing on my skin.
I really wanted to go to the hot spring to clean myself properly, but I wouldn't do that until my idea was set in motion. So I stripped out of my nightgown, grabbed a wad of toilet paper, and wetting it lightly washed as best I could under my arms, down my chest, and across my back. It wasn't the best cleaning job, but at least I didn't smell as bad.
Once my skin dried off a bit I put on the clothes that I grabbed. I laughed a little as I looked down at myself, thinking that Calli would faint if she saw me.
Her light blue skirt (which was snug around my hips so I had to pull it up to my waist) clashed horribly with my dark orange yoga top. Even my black sports bra (which was visible as my top was one of those ones that had overly long spaghetti straps and hung really low) couldn't mute the unfortunate mishmash of colour.
Looking back at myself in the mirror I gathered my tangled hair, and using the elastic I kept around my wrist, tied it into a messy bun at the top of my head.
I gave myself a once over and grimaced.
However, now wasn't the time to worry about my appearance, so I just accepted the horridness of my tousled look, then picked up my ruined nightgown and tossed it in the waste basket beside the sink. I needed a new one so there was no point in hanging on to it.
I left the bathroom and walked down the stairs. Once I was on the main floor I headed over to the front doors, but I paused as I heard muffled voices coming from the dining hall.
I quietly made my way over to the large opening in the back wall but froze when I heard that one of the voices belonged to Telma. The other voice was male, but it was so low that I was having a hard time figuring out who it was. However, from what I could hear of the pitch, Nobu came to mind.
I hoped it was him because he was the one I needed to talk to about my idea.
I walked into the room and saw Telma sitting on the left side of the hall, at the table closest to the entrance. However, it wasn't Nobu who was with her, but Rusl. He sat across from her, his back facing me, and cut himself off mid-sentence as he noticed Telma's surprised expression.
He turned his head to look over his shoulder and smiled when he saw me.
"Good morning. Or I should say, good afternoon," he said brightly.
"Afternoon," I said only for the sake of being polite. I wasn't mad at Rusl per se, but I was disappointed that he wasn't Nobu. "I'm looking for Nobu. Could you tell me where he is?" I asked him, completely ignoring eye contact with Telma.
"Nobu? He might still be patrolling along the mountain range," he answered, scratching his chin.
I could tell from his eyes that Rusl was curious about why I was looking for Nobu- but thankfully he didn't ask.
"Thanks," I said then spun on my heel to leave.
"Del, wait!" Telma called out and I surprised myself by stopping.
I turned back to face her, crossing my arms over my chest. She stood up from the bench and walked over to me. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she'd been crying all day.
I remained silent as I stared at her. She started ringing her hands nervously then took a deep, shuddering breath.
"I am so sorry. I never thought... I truly believed that there would be no danger. The bokoblin horde turned out to be larger than any of us expected. We... we have a battle strategy meant to keep everyone safe. It should have worked, but- no, that is no excuse. I should have sent the four of you back the moment I knew... I never should have let..." Her voice cracked and she stopped talking as a fresh wave of tears cascaded down her face.
My heart started to ache as I realized just how much blame she was putting on herself- and it was all because of me. I singled her out, accused her, and doubted her when she'd been nothing but good to us since we got here. What happened this morning wasn't entirely her fault, but I made her think that it was.
It was my turn to ask for her forgiveness. "Telma, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have acted the way that I did to you. It was unfair. I- I was just so scared."
I wanted to say more but she caught me off guard as she pulled me into a hug.
"Think nothing of it, sweets. All is forgiven," she whispered into my hair as she squeezed me close. I wrapped my arms around her thick waist and hugged her back for a moment before stepping away.
She was smiling at me, the three red dots under each eye becoming half-moons. I smiled back and was just about to turn around to leave the dining room when I remember something.
"Oh, Telma? About this morning with... with the ax... I- I just wanted to let you know that I would never hurt you," I explained.
Her smile became soft as she placed a hand on my shoulder and squeezed it lightly. It was a small gesture, but it told me that she believed me.
I waved a goodbye to Rusl then left the dining hall and exited the inn.
As I walked down the ramp I took a look around. There was no one in sight. If I didn't know any better I'd say that this village was abandoned- that's how quiet it was.
All we need are the tumbleweeds to roll by and we'd have ourselves a full blown ghost town!
The dark clouds from this morning were no longer in the sky, and the sun's rays were shining everywhere. But it was cooler today as a soft wind blew through the mountain and ruffled the skirt I was wearing.
To be honest, I wasn't sure where to begin looking for Nobu, and I wished that the tour yesterday included some of the mountain trails that were nearby so I at least had a place to start.
Letting out a puff of air, I decided that I would walk to the fork at the end of the village then play "Eeny Meeny Miny Mo" to decide which way to go from there.
The wind started to pick up a little as I neared the end of the road, and I had to shield my face when a particularly large gust blew dirt and dust into the air. However, I wasn't quite fast enough and some dust went up my nose, making me sneeze a few times.
"Goddesses bless you," I heard a voice say somewhere off to my right.
"Thank you," I said as I rubbed the tickle from my nose. I looked up to see Nobu- still clad in his knights armour (minus his helmet) - briskly walk past me as he headed back into the village. I stood where I was, stunned.
Ha! Talk about luck!
"Nobu! Wait up!" I called as I ran after him.
He stopped and waited for me, and only began to walk again after he gestured for me to take the lead and set the pace, to which he matched his to mine.
I was caught off guard by his display of gentlemanly behaviour and I smiled lightly, impressed.
"I wanted to ask you something," I said as I looked into his eyes- which were not as dark as I originally thought, but a nice, light brown. Somehow the change of colour softened the guarded edge that I saw as he stared back at me.
"My battle formation is a flawless system that would have worked if you would've remained at your post," he said defensively, assuming that that's what I wanted to talk to him about. My smile disappeared.
FLAWLESS?! What is he, an idiot?
I wanted to argue about his "flawless system", but that wasn't the reason I wanted to talk to him, and I didn't want to waste any time.
"I want you to teach me how to fight," I said straightforwardly.
"Excuse me?" he said with a cough that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
"Teach me how to fight," I said, enunciating each word for him.
The small upturn on his lips fell and his eyes turned cold.
"Please?" I added quickly.
He looked at me for what seemed like an eternity, then he said "No" and stared straight ahead. However, he remained in step with me as if he was escorting me to my destination and I glared at him, wanting him to stop being so polite.
"Why not?" I countered. When he didn't answer I stepped in front of him, making him stop.
He didn't move as we stood at the edge of the village road, but his eyes kept darting back and forth and I realized that he wanted to escape me. I just glared at him and cross my arms.
His eyes finally stopped shifting and looked at me. Then he sighed loudly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I don't have time for this," he said wearily.
"Then make time," I said forcefully. "Listen, what happened this morning wasn't right. You allowed four untrained, vulnerable teenagers to stand on a battle field and no one came to help us when we needed it."
"The fact that you and your friends are still alive tells me that you weren't in need of saving," he said matter-of-factly.
"That's not the point!" I cried indignantly.
"And what is the point?" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest as if I was annoying him.
Man, this guy's a real jackass!
"The point is if I don't learn to fight, if I don't learn to protect my friends, then who will?" I said as I voiced the fears that have been plaguing me since this morning.
He sighed loudly again. "You know, you and your friends are safe here. And if something like this ever happens again, you all will be protected. I give you my word as a Royal Knight of Hyrule."
I shook my head. "No, that's not good enough."
I must have deeply insulted him because his face contorted with both shock and anger.
But I continued. "Can you honestly tell me that if something like this happens again, and you had to choose between saving one of my friends or yours, that you'd choose mine? That any of you would choose mine?" I asked, searching his eyes for the truth.
His eyes darted a few times then his arms unfolded back to his sides as he looked away from me. And I knew I had him. I knew that he wouldn't think twice about saving us "interlopers" if he had to make that choice.
"So please, will you teach me?" I pleaded.
He looked at me again, but I couldn't read his eyes. It was as if he placed his visored helmet back on, blocking any and all emotions from being seen.
"I don't have time," he repeated. He started to walk passed me, but stopped to stand just behind my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he said and I thought I heard the tiniest trace of pity in his voice.
I heard his footsteps walking away and I turned to watch his retreating form head for Renado's hut then disappear through the back doors.
"God dammit!" I yelled to the sky. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to kick and scream and break and—
"You shouldn't swear at the gods," a voice said from somewhere behind me.
I yelped and turned, scanning the area for the owner of the voice.
Off to my left, sitting up against the wall of the first village house and covered in the shade was Link.
"It's not very oracle-like," he smirked.
"How long have you been sitting there?" I asked, startled.
"A while," he said with a shrug.
I just glared at him.
A small sigh escaped his lips as he raised a hand to reveal he was holding a thin book, which he then shook lightly for emphasis.
My glare widened into surprise. I wouldn't have pegged him as a reader and was actually pretty impressed that he was. I wanted to ask what the book was about, but I mentally shook my head at that out-of-the-blue thought.
"How much of that did you hear?" I demanded, crossing my arms.
"Enough," was all he said and then he fell silent, his eyes narrowing slightly as he stared at me.
In truth, my conversation with Nobu was nothing to be embarrassed about, but the way that Link was looking at me made me feel self-conscious.
My hackles rose.
"Oh, take a picture. It'll last longer," I snapped. Then I walked away as quickly as I could, giving myself a huge mental slap for that one.
Out of the plethora of witty statements at my disposal, I go and choose the most cliché? Awesome, Del...
However, I didn't make it very far with my escape as at that moment the back doors of Renado's hut banged open and an excited Shad came flying towards me.
"Del! Del, you have to come... I think I did it! I think I found something..." but his voice petered out as he ran out of breath.
"Shad slow down! Breathe," I prompted him before he passed out at my feet. After he took a few large gulps of air and the redness of his face lessened I asked, "Now, what did you find?"
"A weapon... A weapon that might have the ability to separate Ganon from the Triforce of Power."
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
I bursted through the back doors and into Renado's hut with Shad tight on my heels.
Looking around with wild and excited eyes I saw that Renado, Nobu, and Zelda were all standing around the table from last night's meeting, which was now placed in the middle of the room, over the empty fire pit. The sun was shining through the ceiling's wide smoke hole and illuminating a bunch of books and papers that were haphazardly strewn across the wooden surface.
Shad darted past me and walked swiftly to the table, his light auburn hair falling into his eyes as he was rapidly pulling books and organizing papers with a giant grin on his face.
I heard the doors close behind me and I turned my head to see that Link had entered the hut after us.
I looked back to the table then made my way over to it, my body becoming jittery with a nervous excitement.
"Where are your friends?" Renado asked, looking around as I stood beside him.
I blinked at him. "My friends…? My friends! Oh my god. They need to be here! They need to know!" I stammered in shock. I was so elated at the news that I completely forgot to get them.
"Calm down," he said with a light chuckle as he placed a warm hand on my shoulder. I realized that was becoming a theme with him today: trying to calm me down. I gave him an embarrassed smile as I took a calming breath.
"I'll go get them," I heard Link say. He was still standing close to the doors when I turned around to look at him.
"Oh, umm... thank you," I said, grateful that my voice didn't give away just how taken aback I was. His behaviour towards me today was a little unnerving; however, I gave him a small smile to show my appreciation.
"It's no big deal," he shrugged, tossing the book he was reading onto the bench in front of him. "You're so frantic as it is, you'd probably walk right pass the inn and start heading into the mountain before realizing where you were." His tone was nonchalant but his eyes gave away his amusement- which was no doubt at my frenzied state.
My face fell as my appreciation dissolved, and this time I did flip him off.
However, my prediction from yesterday was right as he stared at my gesture with confusion. I rolled my eyes and placed my hand back to my side, miffed that my action had no meaning here.
Link just shook his head then exited the hut.
I decided I wasn't going to be irritated by him at the moment and turned back to face the table.
Zelda was looking at me. Her smile was soft and warm but her eyes were troubled.
"I hope you slept well?" she asked, her serene voice floating over the table to me.
I paused, then said a non-committal "Sure." She looked as if she was hoping for me to say more, but I wasn't in the mood to offer her any reassurance about how I was doing after this morning- so I just turned and walked away.
I sat down on a bench to wait for Parker, Calli, and Charlie. However, I was too jittery and my legs wouldn't stop shaking. I got back up and started to pace.
"Del? How would you like to join me while I make some tea?" Renado asked.
I stopped walking to look at him. He was smiling patiently and I nodded my head. The distraction would be welcomed while I waited for my friends, and I followed him through the door under the left hand staircase and into the kitchen.
The room's layout was small and rectangular, with a modest design. In the back right corner, a bricked fireplace was built into the hut at an angle and connected to a long counter that ran the length of the back wall. A faucet with a hand pump was sitting over of a medium-sized sink that was carved into the middle of the stone counter top. Up against the left side wall was a tall, two-doored cupboard, opened to reveal cups, plates, bowls, and kitchen utensils. A bunch of pans and various dried herbs and flowers were attached to metal racks that were hanging from the ceiling over the sink. The kitchen had a pleasant, savory smell to it.
"Could you pass me a pot, please?" Renado asked, pointing to the cupboard.
I nodded.
As I walked over to it I noticed that nestled along the front wall was a low cot with a small pillow and blanket, and placed neatly on the ground beside it was another pillow sitting on top of a few folded sheets.
This must be where Renado and Luda sleep, I thought as I took a pot from the shelf.
I handed Renado the teapot and he placed it on the counter. He reached above him to tear a few different herbs from their stalks and tossed them into it. He then held the pot under the faucet as he pumped water to fill it up.
"I am sure you have been asked this many times already, but I want to know if you and your friends are alright?" he asked gently as he walked to the fireplace and hung the pot on a hanger then placed it over the flames.
"We'll be fine," I answered. My tone was soft, but that didn't conceal the edge that trimmed my words.
He nodded. He opened his mouth to say something else when I heard the doors of the hut squeak open. I bolted out of the tiny kitchen and back into the main room.
Calli and Charlie walked into the hut, followed by Parker and Link, then Telma and Rusl.
My friends looked well rested, and I was happy to see that they were smiling as they made their way over to me.
"That's my skirt," Calli said, pointing. "I looked everywhere for that."
"Sorry, I just grabbed what was closest to me," I said sheepishly. She was wearing her borrowed top but had to put on her jean shorts as I'm sure that my pants wouldn't fit her small figure very well.
Her eyes gave me a once over. "You look like a wreck," she said bluntly, just as Link walked behind her. He started to snicker as he headed for the table.
"Thanks," I deadpanned.
"Now that everyone's here that's supposed to be here, let's get this started before Shad faints from overexcitement," Nobu said, his tone barely containing his disinterest towards this meeting.
Jackass…
As Shad gave him a death glare I could've sworn I saw Zelda roll her eyes- but it must have been a trick of the light as her face was nothing but grace.
Renado returned from the kitchen, holding the teapot and a stack of cups. Realizing that there was no space on the table, he placed everything down on the nearest bench.
But the tea would be forgotten once we all gathered around the table, having to squish shoulder-to-shoulder as there wasn't enough room for the ten of us to stand comfortably.
"Shad," Zelda said with an incline of her head, prompting the scholar to begin.
"Yes, right! Since our meeting last night, I've been researching non-stop- even the fatigue I felt after the battle hasn't stopped me, not one bit!- and I've managed to come across a couple passages and even a few drawings of what I think might help us," he started in a rushed breath, his excitement peaking again. "Now, all of the writings I've found so far are in Old Hylian and, uh... regrettably, translating the ancient language is not my forte..." he petered out, embarrassment colouring his cheeks. "However! I was able to translate enough to have me believe that what I found might be what we're looking for," he finished, the redness of his cheeks vanishing as his chest puffed out and a triumphant smile blazed on his lips.
"Just get on with it," Nobu growled in annoyance.
Shad visibly deflated, his moment of pride ruined as his cheeks flared red once again. He cleared his throat and continued.
"From what I've been able to translate, many millennia ago- possibly dating as far back to the time of the goddess Hylia herself- there was a weapon that could save a soul from being consumed by demons, and-"
"Demons?" Calli squeaked, interrupting him.
"Yes," Zelda responded before Shad had a chance to answer. His eyes became slightly crestfallen as she continued. "There was a time, long before the rise of the Demon King Demise, where demons were able to slip through cracks in the Underworld to possess a human soul."
"Seriously?" Charlie asked in disbelief.
"Yes, yes!" Shad said quickly before anyone else could answer. "According to our history, demons were malignant shadow beings who fed off of chaos and destruction, but they had no corporeal bodies of their own, and as such could do little harm unless they were in possession of a human host."
"Were? As in past tense?"
Shad nodded at Charlie. "The shadow demons are no longer seen in our world as the goddess Hylia was able to completely seal them away in the Underworld during the Ancient Battle."
"Interesting, dear. But what about this weapon you mentioned?" Telma inquired hastily. Shad had a look about him that said he was getting ready to go into a history lesson about that particular battle and his focus needed to be reigned back in.
"Weapon... right, the weapon!" he said. I smiled in spite of myself at his ability to get so off track with his thoughts. He riffled through some loose papers on the table, yelling a triumphant "Ah ha!" as he pulled one out.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, is what I believe to be called the Glaive of Souls," he said with reverence, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he held up the paper to reveal a tiny drawing next to a bunch of Hylian characters. Everyone leaned in closer to get a better look.
It resembled a spear and I was slightly disappointed that it didn't look more... epic. The long blade and even longer staff were coloured black, and the piece in the middle that connected the other two was colourless, save a tiny black symbol on it that I couldn't quite make out.
I looked at Parker and raised a questioning brow, my eyes asking him if any of this was familiar to him. He just shrugged his shoulders lightly and shook his head.
"Now, who exactly made it and how exactly it works, I don't know. But what I do know is that from the few documentations that I have found about this weapon, it always refers to a time when demon possession of a living soul was a frequent occurrence," he continued.
"Do you know where to find this weapon?" Renado asked, shifting slightly as Telma was squished against his side. From the look on her face, I'd say she certainly didn't mind the closeness.
"That happens to be the regrettable part of my discovery. I found a passage that mentions- for reasons unknown- that the glaive was broken into pieces and hidden away. But I was able to decipher how many pieces there are, and-"
I burst out laughing- cutting shad off in the process- as an epiphany came careening into my mind. "Wait, wait! Let me guess. The glaive was broken into three pieces, right?" I asked, looking at Shad.
His eyes widened as he nodded slowly.
"And each piece is protected within a sacred temple that is hidden somewhere around Hyrule?" I was having a hard time holding back a new wave of giggles as I watched Shad's eyes protrude from their sockets. Parker even started to chuckle as he realized the connections I was making to the structure of the video games.
"How did you... how... what?" Shad stuttered as he looked back and forth between me and his papers.
"Del? Have the goddesses given you a vision of this weapon?" Telma asked in an excited whisper.
"Huh? Oh... right, yes. A vision," I said, chastising myself for forgetting about my "oracle" plan. Calli snickered softly beside me but then hissed in pain at I stepped on her foot.
"Why didn't you mention this before?" Nobu asked, his eyes hardening as he stared at me.
"Umm, well you see... it came to me in... in a dream," I covered quickly. "And after all the craziness from this morning I only just remembered about it," I finished lamely.
Nobu paused then nodded his head once accepting my explanation. However, the hard look in his eyes didn't disappear.
"Were you told were to find them?" Shad asked, his shock now replaced with blazing curiosity.
"Uh... no. All I remember seeing- in my dream- was three different objects sealed behind three different doors," I lied.
"Hmm," he mumbled as he raised a hand to rub his jaw. "Alright, I have more research to do." He started gathering all the papers and stacking books into his arms.
"Hang on. That's it?" Charlie asked dumbfounded as he watched Shad, arms overflowing with tomes, walk away from the table.
"For now. Only for now," Shad said in an almost sing-song voice as he bounded up the right-hand staircase to the library.
"Well, what do we do in the meantime?" Rusl asked, looking at Nobu.
"We focus on the war," he said with zealous.
For as much of a jerk I thought Nobu was, I did admire his dedication to fighting their war. I just wished he would transfer some of that passion into helping us get home.
"Even so," Zelda said, "we still do not have the means to win this war. I have no army and we lack suitable weapons. And the one weapon we truly need, we do not have." Her tone was steady, and even though it held no trace of accusation I knew what she meant.
"The Master Sword," I said, thinking out loud.
The silence became deafening and I looked up to see the Hyrulean's eyes shifting between Link and myself. I sighed in annoyance and turned to look at Link.
"Link," I started, hoping that I didn't sound as exasperated as I felt, "it's crucial that you get the sword so you-"
"If I'm going to get the Master Sword then I'm going to need more than just a location," he said, interrupting me.
"Oh... well... okay then," I said stunned. To be honest, I was expecting to have a full blown argument with him after the way he expressed his feelings about this the other day, so I was definitely thrown off by his change in attitude.
I watched as the corners of his mouth twitched as if he was trying not to laugh and I realized that it was because he was looking at me. I was confused until I felt that my mouth was hanging slightly open from shock. My cheeks started to burn as I closed my mouth with a snap.
"You... You're really going to go?" Nobu asked in astonishment.
Link let out a weary sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've tried once before, Nobu. But I never found anything." His voice was low and sounded slightly uncomfortable.
Huh, he actually did go looking for it...
"Perhaps Del should accompany you this time?" Telma suggested and my head immediately whipped in her direction. "After all, she is guided by the goddesses," she said, smiling brightly at me.
"Oh, ah... no, that's not a-" I began but was cut off again.
"You know, you might be right, Telma. Maybe... maybe I do need another set of eyes to help me find what I missed the last time," Link said.
My head whipped back to look at him.
He's not serious?
But as I watched him, his eyes remained on the table top as he thought. He actually looked like he genuinely believed this was a good idea; and something was growing in me that desperately wanted to be a part of this adventure.
"But I can't fight. I'll just be nothing but a problem," I said, hoping to convince him (and myself) that my tagging along was a bad idea.
His eyes flicked up to mine. "You won't". Then with a casual wave of his hand he said lightly, "And don't worry, I'll protect you."
Ha! Like you protected me this morning?
I snorted lightly, unconvinced. However, as I looked at him, his dark blue eyes changed and he gazed back with a gentle certainty. He was asking me to believe him; to trust him.
My skin started to tingle lightly as his surety dissolved away any hesitancy I still had about the idea, and I felt my cheeks become warm again. I took a deep, calming breath then said, "Sure, okay, I'll go with you to find the Master Sword."
Everyone started to talk all at once. Link gave me a small smile- but it was a real smile and my stomach started to flutter.
Parker was next to me within seconds, pulling me by my elbow away from the table.
"Del, what are you doing? You know this is a bad idea, right?" he whispered harshly.
"Of course I do," I whispered back as Calli and Charlie joined us. "But Link's finally going to get the Master Sword. He can't complete the temples, defeat Ganon and get the Triforce without it."
"I know, I know. But I'm just worried. I mean, things are different when you're battling the bad guys from the safety of your couch, but this... this is real. Something tells me that you don't come back to life if you die here," he said seriously.
A chill went up my spine but I just smiled. "It's just the Master Sword quest. How dangerous can that be?" I said with a light shrug.
"You're going to be safe, right?" Calli inquired, her light blue eyes round with concern.
To be honest, I didn't really know if I'd be completely safe. How could anyone ever really know that? But as I looked over at Link (who was talking to Rusl), something told me that I could trust his word- even if it was just for the moment.
"Yeah, I think so."
"I don't know. I feel like I need to go talk to him. Make sure he knows that there are people here that will hurt him if anything happens to you," Charlie said, cracking his knuckles as he stared at Link.
I quickly grabbed his arm and turned him to face me. "Whoa. Okay, I don't think so. You're not going to threaten Link."
"Why not? He needs to know that you're more important than him and-"
"More important?" I laughed. "He's their goddesses' Chosen Hero! Next to Zelda, there's no one more important than him. Besides, I'd be afraid of the gods smiting you if you tried."
"Ha! Yeah right," Charlie snorted. But I just stared him down until he finally relented, rolling his eyes. "Fine, I won't say anything. But if you get hurt I'll-"
"Yeah, yeah... You can try attacking him if that happens," I smirked and gave his shoulder a quick pat. He just scowled.
"Link? Del?" Zelda called and I walked back over to the table. "This is a wonderful change of events. I will make sure that everything is prepared for your departure, for tomorrow you both will set off in search of the Ruins of Rauru to find the Master Sword." Her voice sounded bright, as if filled with a renewed sense of hope.
"Ruins of Rauru?" Parker asked, echoing my thoughts. "Oh! You're talking about the Temple of Time, aren't you?"
Zelda looked curiously at Parker. "Yes, I believe the ruins were once referred to by that name. How did you know?" she asked.
"Uh... his-history books," Parker stammered quickly, his cheeks becoming bright red.
I just rolled my eyes in amusement at his reaction to her.
Zelda stared at him then nodded once, accepting his answer.
Suddenly, a bell rang and my heart froze in fear.
"Lunch time!" Telma called out and I relaxed as everyone started to head for the back doors. At this point, I doubted that I would ever be able to hear that bell and not think of danger.
"Thank god! I'm starving," Calli said with a giggle as she grabbed Charlie's hand, then grabbed Parker's and pulled the two of them behind her as she sped away.
"Del?" I heard Zelda call before I exited the hut. I turned around and came face-to-face with her. "Thank you," she said as she pulled me into a gentle hug. Startled by her actions I remained frozen where I was.
"For what?" I asked curiously, still in her embrace.
She pulled away and looked warmly into my eyes, and I was finally able to see the colour of hers. They were a stormy gray, each with a bloom of light blue strands stemming outwards from the pupils, which sparkled when they caught the light.
She just smiled then turned and headed for the left-hand staircase. Confused, I watched as she ascended the stairs and disappeared down the corridor, then heard the soft click of a door shutting close.
I remained where I was, trying to understand what just happened. When I came up with nothing I just shrugged then left the hut.
As I walked towards the village my name was called. I stopped and turned around to see that Nobu was pushing himself from the wall of the hut and came over to me.
Was he waiting for me?
"How? How did you do it?" he asked as he approached me, bewilderment on his face.
"You're gonna have to be a bit more specific than that," I said, eyeing him as I crossed my arms.
"How did you get Link to go after the Master Sword?" he clarified.
I gave him a baffled look. "I didn't-"
"For seven months," he said, interrupting me, "I've been trying to get Link to acknowledge his destiny. To become the hero he was born to be. And you're here for three days and you manage to persuade him to do so. How?" His voice was low, awe floating around his words as his eyes searched my face for an answer.
I just gave him a bewildered shrug and shook my head, not understanding what he thought I did. "Maybe Link finally came to his senses and realized that he was being an idiot? I don't know, but I can tell you that I didn't do anything to "persuade" him," I said, using air quotes to emphasize my point.
Nobu surprised me by chuckling lightly. He lowered his eyes to the ground and softly shook his head. "But you did. You did. And now we'll have a chance at winning this war."
He raised his eyes to me once again and the way his mouth was moving it seemed like he wanted to say more.
It had been a long time since I last ate and my stomach pinched with intense hunger; but I remained where I was, hoping that whatever else Nobu had to say he'd say it quickly before I felt the need to resort to cannibalism.
"I want to thank you. Somehow. I..." he paused, thinking. Suddenly, his demeanor changed- his posture straightening and his eyes sharpening as he composed himself into the Hylian knight that he was. "I'll teach you how to fight," he said finally.
My arms became loose and fell back to my sides as I stared at him in shock. "You- you will? You'll teach me? You'll actually teach me?" I asked as I felt a smile grow on my lips.
"I will," he said and I heard a promise uttered in those two words.
Oh my god! This is fantastic! I'll be able to keep my friends safe. I'll be able to keep myself safe. I-
"Wait, when will you train me? I'm going to help Link find the Master Sword tomorrow and if something really bad happens, I-"
But Nobu cut me off by raising his hand. "Meet me in the meadow in one hour and we'll begin your training."
"Are you telling me that you can train me in one day?" I asked skeptically- but I secretly hoped that he was some sort of teaching guru and actually could.
I saw his lips tighten and it looked like it took everything in him not to roll his eyes at me. "I can teach you the basics so you won't be completely unprotected. However, you'll still need to rely mostly on Link to keep you safe."
"Okay, yes I can do that," I said, nodding vigorously. My head started to get dizzy from all the excitement of today and I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself down.
Nobu was looking at me, mild concern etched across his brows; and I saw his posture shift as if he was preparing to catch me if I decided to faint.
I laughed.
"Thank you," I said sincerely, standing straight and holding out my hand to him.
Nobu took my hand and we shook. I could feel the hard calluses he had acquired from his years of training along his palm and fingers before he removed his hand from mine.
"Now, I suggest you eat something before we start. You're going to need your strength," he said with a hint of a smirk.
If I wasn't so relieved and excited about learning to fight I probably would have been a little worried about that smirk. But instead I nodded enthusiastically.
"Good," he said then turned and headed back into Renado's hut.
For a moment I stood where I was, then I flung both my arms into the air and punched a few times in celebration. Grinning like an idiot, I stopped and took another deep, calming breath before running all the way back to the inn.
Alright, we are progressing!
Not sure if anyone would find it interesting, but the scene between Link and Del by the village house was actually the very first idea I had when imagining this story. I couldn't wait to write it down and share it.
So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)
Please follow, review, and fave if you like what you're reading!
~lavender phoenix~