Her bare feet ached, dirty and cracking each step sent sharp pains up her legs, but she couldn't stop. Her mama told her not to stop, but she could barely breathe and her lungs screamed, each breath felt like fire.
Her thin cotton nightgown did nothing to keep the cold away. Her small body was wracked with violent shivers, whether they were caused by the cold or the exhaustion she didn't know.
She was so tired.
She just wanted to sleep, to curl up right there in the middle of the canyon path and sleep, but she had to keep going, she had to keep running. She couldn't be far from the bridge, there would be guards at the bridge.
The bridge would be safe.
The guards would take her to Urora, then they would wait for her mama. Her mama wouldn't be far behind her.
Her toe caught a rock, sending her tumbling to the ground. She cried out in the dark, fresh tears falling down her face. Her toe throbbed and her knees burned. She took a moment to catch her breath, hiccuping each time she took in air. She rubbed her eyes smudging her face with dirt. A fresh wave of fear gripped her as she realized her hands were empty.
The Gerudo slip.
She must have dropped it when she fell. She scrambled, using her hands to feel the dirt around her, it was too dark, she could barely see. Panicking she spun on her skinned knees to feel the path behind her.
She needed the slip, the Gerudo wouldn't let her in without it! What would she do then? She started sobbing again as she searched with more urgency, until her fingers glanced across a scrap of cloth. Was it the slip or a piece of her now torn nightgown?
She gripped the cloth tightly and brought it to her face, trying to inspect it in the moonlight. The cord tied to it tapped lightly against her arm, relief washed over her, but still she squinted, she had to be absolutely sure.
She turned so the moon could shine on the cloth better, and there it was, dirty and blurred, the Gerudo sigil emblazoned on the cloth. A twig snapped somewhere in the dark sending Aeris scrambling to her feet and running down the darkened path once again.
She ran for what felt like several more hours before the outline of the bridge became visible against the night sky, a new burst of energy filled her at the sight of it. She pushed her legs harder, propelling herself even faster across the bridge. She was just crossing the threshold of the otherside, when a hand grabbed the back of her nightgown. She screamed as she was hoisted into the air. She held the slip of cloth out sobbing with her eyes shut tight.
"Vehvi?" The familiar voice of Isha came from behind her, and Aeris relaxed, safe. Still crying she went limp in Isha's grasp. "What are you doing here?"
Aeris was lowered to the ground, but her legs gave out from under her. Isha gripped the small girls shoulders tightly and scooped her up, her eyes widened in shock when she took in the state of the child. She sent a worried look to Nali.
"M…a...mama told me to run…" Another sob wracked Aeris' small body, "The barn was on fire and people were trying to break down the door," She broke down into more sobs.
Isha and Nali exchanged worried glances. Isha held the girl close before placing the child on her hip. With the girl securely in place Isha turned to her partner, "You stay here, I'll bring her to Koume and Kotake."
Aeris' small voice caught the woman's attention, "Will you wait for my mama? She's supposed to be right behind me," The two women looked at each other sadly.
"Yes, vehvi I'll wait here," Nali patted the small girl on the head, before turning back to Isha. "Don't take her to Koume and Kotake yet, take her to Urora first, she needs a friendly face,"
Isha nodded in agreement before turning and heading toward the fortress with Aeris in tow. Aeris hiccuped lightly as they made their way through the gate of the fortress. "Have you ever met Urora's daughter?"
Aeris looked up at the woman carrying her, "Urora has a daughter?"
Isha nodded, "Yes, Nabooru. She is only a few years older than you,"
Aeris hummed lightly and leaned her head against Isha's shoulder, her exhaustion catching up with her.
The grounds around the fortress were dark and mostly empty, except for a few Gerudo patrolling the area. Isha continued across the grounds and into the fortress itself. Aeris marvelled sleepily at the interior of the fortress. The limestone walls were adorned with various tapestries and strange animal skulls decorated with feathers. They only passed on guard on their way through the labyrinthine fortress, who gave the pair an odd look before continuing with her rounds.
Isha halted in front of a brightly painted door and rapped her free hand against the wood. Several moments passed with no sound coming from behind the door. Isha rapped her knuckles against the door, harsher this time, more urgently.
Several seconds of silence passed and Isha raised her hand to knock a third time, when several objects behind the door clattered to the ground followed by an onslaught of Gerudo curses.
The door swung open revealing a very disgruntled Urora, her red hair fell loosely around her shoulders. "Isha?" Urora rubbed her eyes lightly, "What in Din's name are you… Aeris?" The woman stopped when she saw the now sleeping child cradled in Isha's arms, her eyes widening when she saw the blood and dirt smeared across the girls face. "What in Din's name is going on?"
Isha adjusted the girl on her hip, "Can we come in? Aeris has had a long night and I fear it is not yet over,"
"Of course, Come in," Urora stepped back allowing the pair to enter.
The room behind the door was cozy, a fire was burning low in a fireplace carved into the limestone wall, the smoke from it curling upward into a chimney carved into the ceiling. A low couch covered in colorful blankets sat against the far wall and a table and four chairs made from ash colored wood sat in the center of the room.
Urora moved to the fire, stoking it lightly, bringing the flames back to life. "So are you going to tell me what's going on?"
Isha placed Aeris on the couch and covered her with one of the blankets. "Nali and I were guarding the gorge when Aeris came sprinting across the bridge… I think she ran all the way here." The two women looked at the young girl curled up on the couch, "She wasn't really making sense, she said something about the barn being on fire and people trying to breakdown the door."
Urora took in a harsh breath. "Bandits? Or...no.. It couldn't have been soldiers… could it?"
Isha shrugged. "I don't think she knows. She said her mother told her to run to us… I don't think Ahia made it…"
A sadness filled the room and Urora took this in, "Koume and Kotake will want to know about this." Urora looked to Aeris solemnly.
"Yes, I was going to bring her to you then I was going to Koume and Kotake," Isha and Urora shared a look.
"Can it wait until morning?" Isha shook her head causing Urora to sigh.
"We can't risk it. If it was hylian soldiers they came far top close to our borders," Isha paused. "This damn war,"
Urora nodded in agreement. "Go, I'll watch her while you talk with Koume and Kotake," Isha nodded, but paused before turning as if she wanted to say something more, but turned quickly and left the room.
Urora sighed deeply, what was the world coming to?
A/N: Whoo! Ok so one more chapter and i'll be through with what I have pre-written which will put us firmly though the first part of this story! I'm super happy with how this is going and I hope you guys are enjoying this.