Sorry.
They were out of Running Wind territory within a few hours.
Spitfire had taken the lead, and had Link not been in a panicked frenzy--he didn't fancy being ripped apart by ferocious cheetahs and a vengeful brother--he might have taken the time to admire her long legs, the muscles beneath those spots.
She'd led them into a swampy forest area. Link didn't particularly care for swamps, but at the moment, he wasn't being picky. He stepped over a fallen log and splashed through a muddy pond, huffing a laugh as Midna hissed and snarled at the bugs that harassed her.
Spitfire paid them no mind; the flies and mosquitos and gnats buzzed around her head and landed on her eyes and ears, but she merely flicked an ear and kept walking. Link supposed living on the plains made her a bit immune to the annoyances, but he himself couldn't stand it. They were constantly getting in his ears and landing on his eyes, so much that he'd favored half-closing them.
His jaws were another matter.
He needed to keep them open to keep track of the scents, but the flies unfortunately decided to fly right down his throat as a result. Midna had nearly pitched herself into a mudpot when Link had choked on a cloud of gnats.
She snorted with laughter even now, breaking off to hiss at Link when he flicked mud at her. She looked ahead at Spitfire, who trekked along as stoic as ever, never looking back, never breaking her silence.
Link wanted to talk to her. He wanted her to communicate with him, but she stayed ahead of them. It was frustrating.
Suddenly she stopped. They were in a small clearing of mostly solid earth, though huge roots and thousands of vines hid most of the ground from view. Spitfire sat in the middle of the circle, her golden eyes flicking between Link and Midna. For the first time, Link noticed black fur circling her eyes; in her human form, it would probably resemble the eye makeup some of the other wolf tribes used. Link had always thought it looked stupid, but on Spitfire, it brought out her gold irises, made her spots stand out more.
Link shifted on the ground, aware of those eyes on him. She shifted, tucking her legs under her, and started unbraiding her hair. Link and Midna shifted as well after sharing a glance.
But when he looked at Spitfire, his mouth went dry. She was sitting half-in a spot of sunshine, making her hair look like pure gold as she ran her fingers through it. Her eyes were indeed rimmed with black, like eyeshadow, but as far as Link could see--and he could see quite a lot; apparently the western tribes weren't big on covering up--there were no other spots like that.
So they must be her Marks, he figured. Then she spoke.
"So?"
Link blinked. He cleared his throat, Midna glaring at him. "So?"
Spitfire raised a brow. "What's the plan?" she asked, as if it was obvious.
Something in Link didn't like her tone. His brow twitched. "So we're back to being prickly, huh?"
A low growl slipped from her throat. Midna groaned loudly and flopped onto a root.
"You did drag me away from my village and my only family, while they're in the middle of a war," Spitfire said coolly.
"I'm sorry, did I force you to go? No, you did that yourself," Link shot back.
"I'm just giving credit where credit is due," Spitfire said, still cool as ever. Link wanted to change that.
"Oh yes, how generous of you. Always shedding the blame. Like at the House. I seem to recall you doing it there, too."
Spitfire narrowed her eyes. "You asked for it, mutt!"
"I'm pretty sure I would have remembered asking for a new pair of nuts!" Link snarled. He was shaking--why was he shaking? What was it with her? He was trying to help.
Spitfire leaned forward. "You want to try again right now?"
They were shouting, and unfortunately that had alerted two different anima--both of whom closed in.
"Go ahead and do it," Link hissed, standing up. "I dare you!"
"Just don't bitch when I crush them like grapes," Spitfire shot back, hands fisting.
They were so focused on each other that they hadn't noticed Midna stand up and look around, or her come between them, pulling on both their arms. "Hey! Cut it out!"
Spitfire's eyes flicked away, her hand fisted in Link's hoodie, and ripped out of Midna's grasp at the same time as Link.
"What?!"
"Will you two idiots pay attention?!" Midna shouted. "We are being stalked!"
"The only thing stalking me is this cat's suckish attitude--" Link began.
Spitfire's hand slapped across his face, shutting him up. He opened his mouth, but stopped when both females hissed at him.
Then he noticed the silence.
Before the swamp had been a riot of sound; now, not even the mosquitos buzzed. The three of them looked around, trying to catch scents, but--
Spitfire gasped and shifted, right before the foliage to their left exploded, and a familiar anima appeared.
Link groaned. Of course.
The red-maned lion roared, loud enough to make Link's eardrums ring. His wild golden eyes flicked between Spitfire and Link and Midna, still in their human forms, and began to charge.
Spitfire darted into his path at every turn, her tail lashing, snarling all the time. Her paw raised to swat the lion's face, causing him to snort and roar again, this time inches from her face. She didn't budge, even as the reverberations made Link's body tremble.
He felt his lips pull back from his teeth and stepped forward. His mind was fixed on the image before him: the lion threatening the cheetah--his cheetah.
Midna yanked him back as those manic golden eyes fixed on him. The growl that sounded made Link's stomach drop, but he hardly felt it--he just wanted to get that lion away from Spitfire.
He needn't have worried. Spitfire may not have been able to roar like the lions, but she had her own ways. She darted around him and leapt on his back, her teeth clamped down on his ear. The lion roared, bucking wildly, but she had her claws--blunt, yes, but still doling out minor damage--raking his face.
The lion flipped over, trying to crush Spitfire, but she'd leapt off already, her paws batting his face once, twice, three times. She darted back a few steps, her back to Link and Midna, and the lion huffed getting up.
He made to dash forward again, but suddenly the vines around him sprang up and trapped him. They broke the more he thrashed, but for every vine that snapped, five more took its place. Soon the lion was utterly trapped, glaring searing hate at Link.
Spitfire was breathing heavily. She wasn't bleeding--something Link would have ripped the lion's throat out for, and what Sheik would have killed him for--but as she shifted, she stumbled.
Link lunged to catch her, and for a moment she leaned against him, catching her breath. Then she stiffened as she realized who was holding her up, and jerked away.
"Loosen the vines," she commanded. With a roll of her eyes, Midna looked at Link, who nodded.
The vines loosened at the same time that the lion shifted, and lo and behold, there was the obnoxious lion from the House. Link rolled his eyes.
The lion didn't fight as the vines hoisted him upright, so he wasn't in the muddy water anymore. "G--Mania, what are you doing here?" Spitfire demanded.
"Saving you," Mania snapped, beginning to fight the vines. With a lazy flick of her hand, Midna's magic trapped him tight once more.
"Who asked you to do that?" Spitfire demanded, but it lacked heat.
Mania glared at her. "Your father."
Link glanced at Spitfire, who'd gone stiff as ice. Only her chest moved, sucking in a sharp breath, and her lips had parted. "M-My father? Why?"
Her voice dropped off at the end, and now Mania sighed. "He wants you home. He thinks the war drove you away, so he and Blazing Sun are trying to work it out. But you have to come home, Spitfire."
The cheetah's face had gone bone white. "I can't. I . . ." She took a step back, casting a glance to Link and Midna. "I have to stay . . . here."
Mania was staring at her. "Here. With . . . them?"
Spitfire nodded dumbly.
"Why? What's--are you running away? With a wolf and a half-dog?"
Midna snarled at him, tightening the vines until the lion winced. "Stop that," he ground out. Midna just smirked.
"Mania, please understand," Spitfire said, spreading her hands. "I'm doing this to protect us--all of us! If there's a chance that we can stop the virus, or at least study it, then we have to take it!"
"And you think this wolf knows anything about it? He's a dog, Spitfire--"
Link snarled viciously, taking up a position between Spitfire and Mania. "Say it again, and I'll make sure you never speak again," he growled, raising a dagger.
"Howler, stop!" Spitfire tried, but now Link had Mania's full attention. The lion sneered.
"What are you going to do, dog? Bark at me?"
Link stomped forward, lips pulled back from his teeth, but Spitfire latched onto his arm. "Stop!"
He yanked free of her grip and advanced again, but she grabbed him and spun him, pinning him with her golden gaze.
"Howler, stop it, now!" she shouted. Link didn't look at her, intent on ripping that asshole lion's throat out. "Let me go, Spitfire," he spat.
"No! You don't understand, if my father asked him, then--"
"Then what?" He finally met her gaze, and he could tell by her stiffening that she wanted to back away. He knew how he looked--eyes wild, flaring gold, fangs bared, Marks shifting on his arms. "Then what, Spitfire? You'll go? Run away back to your tribe and leave us?"
"No but--"
"But what?"
"You don't--"
"Don't tell me I don't understand!" Link shouted, temper fraying. He was tired of these arrogant eastern anima treating him like some uncivilized, ignorant dog. Like a mutt. "I understand perfectly fine! I understand that you're changing your mind when you've already joined up with us--"
"Will you shut up?!" Spitfire screamed. "I have to go back! There are circumstances that demand I return! I'm not in this--I can't be! Not anymore!"
"Leave her alone, wolf!" Mania shouted, but Link was furious now.
He grabbed Spitfire's upper arms, ignoring the jolt of pain that shot up his soul. "You're already in this! You can't back out now--"
"Stop yelling at her!"
"Shut the fuck up!" Link roared, whirling. He whipped his dagger, fed up with the annoying lion.
The blade sank into the tree behind Mania amid total, sudden silence. Blood dripped from the blade, from the slice in Mania's ear. The vines slowly fell away, a sign of Midna's shock. Spitfire shook in Link's grip; as it loosened, she slowly staggered away.
"Howler."
Link closed his eyes at the whisper. When he opened them, he found Spitfire staring at him, eyes wide. "What have you done?" she whispered.
He knew it. He knew he'd just brought a world of trouble upon them. He knew--
"Now you've done it," Mania breathed, his broad chest expanding. "The tribes will have your head."
"They can try," Link snapped, but it lacked heat. He'd so screwed them over, all of them, and Spitfire was looking at him like he was an enemy, her enemy--
"I'm going," Mania said, to Spitfire. "Blazing Sun and Last King must know."
"No one is going anywhere, least of all you," Link snarled, stomping up to Mania. The lion glared at him, his arms and ankles once again trapped by vines. Midna was anything if not prudent.
"And who's going to stop me?" he demanded. "You've already brought a war to your doorstep--how can you stop me?"
"Because you're not leaving," Link breathed, knowing he'd regret this. "You're staying with us."
As predicted, Spitfire and Midna balked. "So just like that he's with us?" Spitfire raged, grabbing Link's arm. "What are you thinking, Howler?"
"I'm not doing this because I want him here for his company, if that's what you're thinking," Link said scornfully. Spitfire rolled her eyes.
"Oh, no that would be ridiculous."
"Then what is your reason?" Midna demanded, garnering his attention. "You can't just make arbitrary decisions about the group."
"Then what would you have me do?" Link snapped, whirling around. "Let him go and bring the lions and the cheetahs down on us? Run from a war while fighting a virus? The best thing we can do now, because of this idiot," he gestured at Mania, "is keep him where we can see him. We'll keep watch on him at night or tie him up or something."
"Except for you," Link added, narrowing his eyes at Spitfire. "The Holy Three know you just might let him go and run off with him."
"Maybe I might," she answered, getting right up in his face. As angry as he was, Link couldn't help but admire her from this up close. "Since you don't want to hear what it even means that our tribe leaders joined up, in the midst of a war, to find me, then maybe I'll just slip away when you're not looking."
She turned away all in a huff, but Link grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her back, yanking her flush against him. Spitfire gasped softly and glared, her cheeks flushing. He leaned in close, letting a smirk curl his lips.
"I'm always watching," he murmured, enjoying her shiver against him. He let her go, that wolf inside sated slightly, and grinned as she whirled and hacked away at the vines holding Mania. More just appeared though, and she glared poison at Midna. The fox just looked bored with it all.
"What did we just say?" Link called, snickering to himself as Spitfire screamed in frustration and slapped Mania across the face.
Link busted out laughing as the cheetah furiously berated the lion. "What's wrong with you? Couldn't you just leave me alone? What happened to not courting me anymore? What happened to being my enemy? Did Spots say something?"
Link couldn't stop a snort. Was that really her brother's call sign? Spots?
Mania rolled his eyes. "No, he didn't say a word. Why? Does he know?"
Spitfire crossed her arms. "Yes. He caught those two in my healing den." She jerked a thumb at Link and Midna, who were now not-so-surreptitiously snorting with laughter while preparing lunch. They'd foraged a bit before going to Running Wind.
"Why are you even with them, Spitfire?" Mania demanded. "Why don't you just leave?"
Spitfire uncrossed her arms and stared at a spot above Mania's head. She chewed her lip, jaw working. Link stopped separating the meats. "Faylen died."
Mania's silence was enough to tell Link that the name was familiar to him. It was the same name as the one she'd spit at Spots in her den. And it bothered Link to be so out of the loop. Was Faylen a relative? A close friend? A mate?
He ground his teeth as Mania answered, voice subdued. "I'm sorry."
"That's why I'm here, Mania." She just sounded tired now. Exhausted. "I don't want to see anyone else die. And if Faylen got it, then maybe Sirela did too. And her cubs--"
She broke off suddenly, but Link knew there were no predators around. He stared at the root he sat on while Spitfire collected herself. "That's why," she finally said, in a small voice that Link absolutely hated. "That's why I'm staying. I want to go home, so badly, and explain, but my father will never accept it. And Blazing Sun--"
"Would just attack the wolves," Mania finished grimly. Link jerked, sharing a glance with Midna. She took his hint and slipped away, unnoticed by the two plains anima.
Link chanced a glance and saw Spitfire wiping her face. Mania watched her, and the real care in his gaze made Link want to pull his cheetah away from him. He rubbed his eyes, turning back to the food. His shoulders hunched.
It would be a long afternoon.
He and Spitfire fought three more times before Midna returned. She finally explained what it meant that Blazing Sun and Last King has teamed up, at least temporarily. The war was on hold until Zelda, the only healer born in five decades, was returned safely home. The two tribes may not have been on the friendliest of terms most of the time, but they were enough that Zelda was permitted to heal members of the Pride when needed.
She was what kept the peace, she explained. Link had scoffed in disgust. A bargaining chip is what you are to them, he'd said snidely, clenching his fists at the thought of them trading her, as if she were a piece of jewelry, at any of their conveniences.
Spitfire had rolled her eyes, but she couldn't quite hide the stuff set of her shoulders. Link had counted that as a victory.
They'd argued twice more after that, once about the minutiae of the tenuous deal between the coalition and the Pride, and once when Mania had opened his mouth. Enough said right there, in Link's opinion.
Spitfire had stormed away to herself, and then Midna appeared through the foliage, offering a tiny nod as she picked up her food.
The tribes had been warned.
Mania had settled for sitting against a fallen tree bordering the clearing and staring at nothing, which was better than speaking, as far as Link was concerned. He'd tried antagonizing Link a few times, but when those efforts just ended up in either Link snarling or Spitfire hissing, he'd given it up.
Spitfire now sat on a root in the clearing, across from Midna. The kitsune practiced her fox magic while Link watched, picking at her food in between spells. The failing sunlight illuminated the streaks of platinum and gold and strawberry blond in the orange strands, and added halos of light around the leaves she tossed into the air.
One changed in a puff of smoke into a mouse, scurrying across before it was pounced upon by a cat, which then turned and hissed at the dog that swatted at it.
The three of them then disappeared in white smoke, and out of it came a cheetah, the size of a regular cat. It slunk up to Spitfire, who'd been staring at the ground, but now looked up. The fake cheetah climbed up onto Spitfire's lap, its nose sniffing at her face, and the corner of her lips twitched.
The fake cheetah pushed her face into Spitfire's, encouraging the smile to grow, and grow it did. Her smile was like the sun, brightening the whole clearing.
Too bad Mania had to ruin it.
The fake cheetah turned to see him take a seat at the clearing and hissed, curling into Spitfire's lap. Mania glared at it, and it disappeared into smoke before three needles, deadly sharp, flew out of the cloud and straight for his face.
The lion jerked back, but one of the needles scratched his cheek. Blood leaked from the small cut, but when he reached up, his fingers were dry.
Link grinned as Spitfire glanced at Midna, curiosity warring with annoyance. Mania had no such qualms. "Done playing?" he snapped.
Midna raised a brow. "Would you really like to know?"
Mania just scoffed and turned to Link, face full of dislike. "So what, are we just going to sit here forever? Is there even a plan you're dragging me along for?"
Link leaned back, in no rush at all. "You made the choice to come here, cat. Now you get to deal with the consequences."
"If you let me go, you wouldn't have to worry about anything," Mania coaxed.
Link snorted, closing his eyes. "Right. I'd just have to live with being a fool for the rest of my days."
"Best start counting, then," Mania growled, back to intimidation.
Link wasn't impressed.
"Yup. I'm positively shitting myself in fear."
Spitfire rolled her eyes. "You're disgusting is what you are."
"You like it."
He'd have liked to see her face when he said that, but the sun was glaring right into his eyes, and anyway, the sound she made was almost as good.
It sounded like she was choking on something. "I certainly do not. It's a wonder you haven't been abandoned for being so crass, and vile, and foul--"
She broke off suddenly as Link stood. Midna tsked.
I'm sending you away.
Wolves with their backs to him, in separate directions--
Shivering, whimpering, helpless--
Link stalked to the edge of the clearing, ignoring the expression that crossed the cheetah's face. She looked up at him, brows drawing together.
"Howler?"
He went past her and into the trees, disappearing from sight.
Zelda stared after him, utterly confused. Clearly something she'd said had upset him. She glanced at the fox, Sunset he'd called her. "Is he . . . all right?"
The fox observed her coolly. "Did he look all right?"
No, Zelda wanted to say. He'd looked the way some of her patients did before she gave them bad news, when they could smell it on her. Stricken. Afraid.
Guilt coiled in her gut. She looked to Sunset, but the fox had created a flurry of black butterflies and sent them to harass Mania. No help there.
Mania would certainly not help, either. By the way he swatted the butterflies as fast as Sunset created them, the lion snarling silently, fox grinning devilishly, he'd likely just antagonize Howler.
So she stood and brushed off her skirt, suddenly nervous. What would he say? Would he even let her speak? Or would he just send her away?
No, Zelda decided. She wouldn't let him do that. She'd made a mistake--she'd fix it, never mind if he thought it was unnecessary or not. Thoughts of their second meeting drifted into her mind, and she smiled slightly.
She followed after him into the swamp, and the clearing soon disappeared behind thick, damp foliage. The humidity was worse by a thousand in here; Zelda wiped her brow, following the footsteps Howler had left. At some point they changed to pawprints, and after struggling through a thick tangle of hanging vines and crawling under a fallen tree, she found him.
Howler had curled up into a black ball in a tree's roots, head resting on his paws. He was looking right at her, golden eyes searing into her.
Zelda froze, her breath stolen. She'd never gotten a really good look at him in his wolf form; she'd had to hide him from Sheik, and she'd been running ahead of him this whole time. But now he didn't move, letting her get her fill.
She swallowed. He was handsome even as a wolf: dark gray stripes made swirls in his black fur, his ears had small tufts of fur around the edges, and he was slim, but strong. Of course, him in his human form was another matter entirely. She could almost forgive his horrible attitude; he was stupidly handsome.
Focus.
She took a deep breath and started to approach, but Howler let out a low growl. Zelda stopped, foot hovering in midair. She ran through what she knew of wolf behaviors, but when she looked into his eyes, it all flew out of her head.
She'd hurt him. Badly. Zelda crouched down, those eyes tracking her, and slowly reached out a hand. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Howler didn't move. Zelda took another step, and a second. He didn't try to stop her this time. Feeling emboldened, Zelda approached again, her hand still outstretched, until she was inches from him.
He'd raised his muzzle, his eyes never leaving her face. Zelda swallowed and took a deep breath, then slid her hand beneath his jaw.
"I'm sorry," she said again, softly. "I didn't mean to hurt you. If we could just . . ."
Howler had stood up. Zelda watched him, heart sinking. Had she upset him again? She couldn't tell, in her human form.
Howler took a step forward, then another, until he was inches from her. His nose, cold and wet, touched hers. He closed his eyes.
Then he was gone, walking past her back to the clearing. Zelda let her shoulders slump forward, a breathless smile finding its way to her face.
A truce, then.
Review reply time!
To StJames1: thank you! That was one of the parts where I wasn't sure about the pacing but I'm glad it carried over well.
Also yes they are half siblings, Blazing Sun is Gaepora, and his image I think came strongly from his role in Skyward Sword. He struck me as a warrior type, if they hadn't been on a peaceful island, and he's alsways had a sort of imposing appearance to me. Also to have both of Zelda's dad figures be friends to enemies? Hell yeah, dude. Also yeah zant was creepy as fuck. I hated him. HAHA BC IM EVIL THATS WHY.
Okay y'all I'll see you Thursday, review please! Later