The hero, the broken, the saviour
So, last chapter, I managed to write an awful lot, even though not much happened. Which I think was quite a feat, don't you? Rufus bought a sail, some shoddy merchandise, some potions, and bumped into a mysterious lady with her face covered a few times. Oh, and he met another female pirate (Marie! I loves Marie!) Be quiet Doctor Bandum, and go back to your potions! Sigh This place is in anarchy. I definitely need a study of my own damnit!
Anyway, enough of my rambling – to the story!
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics.
Shadow: Hustle and bustle
"Just pull into this cove here," Red directed, and I gently nudged the rudder to bring us slowly into the natural cove he directed me to. The boy (Rufus) was still out cold, but, judging by his soft moans and the way he'd been tossing and turning for the past half an hour, he was near consciousness once more. "Is he all right?"
"Yes, he's fine. I think he'll probably wake up soon as well."
"Good. Now, you remember where you need to go, and who you must ask for?"
"Yep. The docks, at four o'clock, to meet a pirate woman who goes by the name of Marie."
"And you will know her…"
"By her eye patch, which actually has an eye stitched onto it," I recited. He'd been repeating this over and over to me for most of the trip to Windfall, and I was beginning to get tired of hearing it. He carried on, obviously not picking up on the agitated tone of my voice, or choosing to ignore it.
"I've placed a wallet with four hundred rupees in it into your pack. Take the old sail with you – I can send the boy out to get a new one. Get yourself some supplies together, and then you may explore to your heart's content, until I tell you that we need to be setting off to Dragon Roost Isle. Have you got all that?"
"Yes," I answered exasperatedly, tying Red onto a metal ring that was drilled into the cliff-face. "Are you sure it's safe to just leave the boy? Shouldn't I perhaps wait until he wakes up?"
"No – it's best that he doesn't see you before he really must. I'd rather you went now, and you may meet later. Now, make sure that you take all your affects, because you won't be able to come back and get them for a long time if you leave any behind."
"I've got them all," I assured him, carefully removing my spare bodysuit from on top of the unconscious Rufus. He instinctively flinched as the cold air of the enclosed space reached him. Then, he rolled over, and I noticed fondly that he, like Firen, sucked his thumb as he slept… "You'll alert me when the boy sets off of course, won't you?"
"Of course – perhaps you could keep an eye on him, just to make sure that he doesn't get into trouble?"
"If you want me to, then I will," I said, stuffing my bodysuit into my pack, and sitting down on the side of the boat.
"It would be most appreciated if you could – just try not to be seen by him. And don't allow him to know that he's being followed. Act like an every day shopper."
"OK – I'm sure I can do that." I folded the old sail in my lap, and smoothed it down with my hands, waiting to be dismissed.
"Very good. Now, that old sail," I looked down at the half-ruined cloth. "If you take it to a merchant whose stall has a red drape over the top of it, he'll purchase it from you for a reasonable price. With that extra money, you may purchase whatever you like."
"Oh – thank you very much!"
"I haven't done anything my dear, so I don't see why you're thanking me," he protested bashfully. Rufus stirred greatly at the bottom of the boat, and I hopped out quick as a flash, and hid behind a stone outcropping in the water. "You'd better hurry, he'll be awake soon."
"Bye for now."
"Bye." I crept through the water, making as little sound as I could, and then slithered up the beach and onto the sand dunes beyond. By taking the Sheikah habit of shadow walking to extremes, I was able to prevent myself from becoming a moving mass of sand, as I disturbed it only a tiny amount with each step I took. My feet were of course soon caked in sand that stuck to the water there, but the rest of me didn't suffer at all.
Dozens of different scents floated on the air, clashing violently as they all fought for supremacy at my nose. The underlying smell of salt and sea-air that I'd known all my life comforted me somewhat as I looked up at the town, which was bathed in early morning light, and was already full to the brim with bustling shoppers. :That's a lot of people. Without facemasks…and…: my thoughts trailed off into nothingness, because a large gust of wind was attempting to steal my facemask from me.
Hurriedly, I grabbed the edges of it, and dropped down to the sand so that I could secure it properly. I'd dared to take it off during the night, so that I could finish the last of my bar if chocolate, and obviously, I hadn't tied it properly when I'd rushed to put it back on this morning. :It's not surprising though…I'm exhausted.: At exactly the same time as I thought this, a huge yawn escaped me, and I stretched my arms up above my head to get rid of the stiff feeling being awake all night gives you.
:However, I can't sleep now…nor tonight…drat.: Wondering just when I would be getting my next sleep, I stood up again, and carried on making my way up the beach and towards the sand-dunes that lead up to the main road, and as such, the main part of Windfall's village. It looked an awfully long way for my tired legs to walk (I'd had to stand all night as Rufus was taking up all the room on the deck.) Perhaps I could just sit down and rest for a little while before going into the town…after all, it wasn't like the boy was going to be setting out for a good few hours yet.
I carried on up the particular sand dune I was traversing, and then slid down the steep slope on the other side. In the tiny valley between that dune and the next the wind was completely cut off by the barricade of sand and sea-grass. It was incredibly peaceful here, and the sand was a nice lukewarm temperature – just right for leaning on. I did just that, shuffling around to make a small hollow in the sand, and then becoming completely still as soon as I was comfortable.
A few hundred yards away, I could hear the laughter of children, and, closer to, the rumbling noises made by carts and horses going along the road I'd seen. The port must be on the other side of the island, and they were probably transporting produce to and fro. At Opacus Isle, we'd never had any such carts or transport systems – generally, we'd take everything around by ourselves. The few horses we did have were only used for riding and sometimes for pulling ploughs and things like that…but nothing all that strenuous.
I didn't really like horses… They were too big, and I'd once helped in trying to break a wild one, and it had managed to strike me on the collar-bone and fracture it in several places. (Of course, Coryn had been able to heal it quickly enough, but I still had a great dislike for horses.)
A shadow fell over me, and looking up, I saw a tall woman standing at the top of the dune in front of me. She had mostly green hair, apart from two startlingly white bangs that framed her chiselled and deeply tanned face. A cutlass was casually slung at her waist, and she grinned lopsidedly at me, fiddling with an eye patch on which an eye had been stitched. "Name's Marie," she said by way of an introduction. "Red told me he'd a Sheikah looking for a boat. 'Shadow', isn't it?"
"Yes, that's right," I nodded, and the pink lotus flower in my hair fell onto the sand. The petals had wilted to a crisp yellowy colour, with only the very centre of the bloom still that delicate pink colour. Absently, I scooped a handful of sand over the dead bloom, and then started to stand.
"Oh, don't bother. I can't give you your boat for a while yet. She needs a few finishing touches. I just thought I'd introduce myself in passing. If you need me before the fourth hour after noon, I'll be in town, in the potions shop owned by a Doctor Bandum." With that, she left, clearing my view of the blue sky above. I shook my head, surprised to find the image of the strange woman sticking in my mind. Never before had I seen quite such strange clothes…
The second yawn of the morning escaped me, and, hoping (more praying) that I wouldn't suffer any interruptions, I closed my eyes, and hummed softly, un-tensing all of my muscles one by one. First my toes, then my feet, my legs, torso, arms, hands, back, neck, head, mind… I stopped humming, and dropped my head back onto the sand; I twitched my arms slightly to entwine the straps of my bag around them (so that it couldn't be taken without waking me), and then blanked out everything around me. I needed some sleep after all.
"I still haven't found the brat descendant of the princess!" It was that man again – the one with the auburn hair. He was pacing, and at the end of the outburst, slammed his fist against a wall. It landed with a hollow thud, and he leant against what I now knew to be wood, shoulders heaving as he gulped in air. "Where is it? So long I've looked, and still…I have not found it…" he whirled about and those eyes…
Those terrible, amber eyes. Soft and liquid as honey, yet hard and brittle and full of all the menace of a cobra about to strike.
"Tell me where it is…" his voice, so shortly before a towering inferno of rage, was now soft and silken. The contrast was startling; just like his eyes, those two extreme emotions didn't seem like they belonged to the same person. The perspective of the vision changed, and I was surprised to find myself looking upon a fairy, chained with some sort of magic, behind and slightly to the left of me. :Well, at least now I know he wasn't staring at me.: I studied the fairy, shocked by just how – strange as it is to say it, since they're immortal beings anyway – but, she looked so very young.
"For the last time, I do not know, Dragmire," she hissed, voice as childlike as her appearance, and so much less menacing for it. He seemed to agree :Dragmire? Is that his name: and chuckled lightly.
"Oh, but I think you do. After all…so many years at his side cannot have left you oblivious, surely?" The young fairy bared her teeth at him, and again, his mood changed in the blink of an eye. "Gods damn you, impertinent wench!" She shrieked in pain, and my vision was filled with a white-hot light.
"You'll never win…stop trying…" the fairy managed to mutter, gaining control of her voice once more. "Give up…fool…"
Something cold and wet was pushed against the side of my face, and I awoke with a start. There was a high pitched squeal, and something kicked against the side of my head, very nearly knocking me straight back into the dream-world. Instinctively I grabbed out, and found my hands encircling a very small, and very round, pig. :What in the-: It started to struggle, and I had to tighten my grip to prevent the small pink creature from getting away.
"Hey, you!" I looked up to the dune above to see an imposing sailor glaring down at me. "That's my pig. Give it!" He slid down the sandy dune, and snatched the small creature from my hands. "Stupid foreigners," he grumbled, hiking back up the sand and disappearing from sight.
"Well…that was…interesting," I said to myself, wiping my face and rising to my feet. I decided not to dwell on the complete rude manner of the man. After all, not all of the people of other races would be like that.
Thinking of other races bought me right back to the vision I'd just had. It had been so…vivid. A shudder passed through me, and not even the morning sun could get rid of the chill that was on me. By looking up, I knew that it hadn't even been an hour since we arrived at this island, so I didn't need to worry about Red and the boy just yet. My stomach, which had been behaving itself, now let out a growl of discontent.
:Now I wish I'd kept that pig: I thought with a wry smile, before weaving my way ponderously up towards the road I'd spied earlier. There'd be food in the main town – I'd smelt several different kinds of meats and breads cooking on my way up, and, as I reached the crest of the sand-dune I was traversing, those scents assaulted my nostrils once again. One particular one that stood out was the smell of slowly roasting fresh fish…and yet, that wasn't coming from the main town at all.
I turned around to look down at the docks I had only just noticed, and saw a multitude of carts and horses gathered around a ship that had just come in. They were unloading the cargo, and I had to make my way down carefully, for even more carts were coming along the road to collect the new goods. And, a little way away from the bustle of the un-loaders was a stooped old woman roasting fish on an iron grill over an open fire. The further growling noises my stomach made compelled me to pick up my pace, and I was soon at the very end of the cobbled road.
I teetered on the edge of the grass, wondering whether it would be polite for me to just forge ahead and ask the woman for some food. I couldn't see any form of queue around her, and I delved into my pack for the wallet of money that Red had given me. Peering in, I could have kicked myself (were it not almost impossible, and it would be very undignified). Of course, the smallest denomination of money I had was a silver rupee…and I very much doubted that the woman would have sold enough fish, perhaps in a whole year to afford to give me change for such a vast amount of money.
Regretfully, I turned around, and shifted the folded sail underneath my arm in a disgruntled manner. :I'm so hungry…: I started when I realised I was beginning to sound like Firen, and admonished my stomach silently as it continued to make itself known to both me, and the world around. A couple of passing trades-men stared when a particularly loud ruction made itself known, and I felt glad of my facemask, which hid my flushing cheeks.
:Ah well, it looks like I'll just have to go hungry for a bit longer, until I've bought all my other supplies…now, what do I need: I mentally checked off a list of things I would need for a journey of un-predictable length; I would probably be able to hunt for food should I need to, and water was plentiful if you knew how to make fresh water from seawater. The boat I'd be travelling in had already been paid for by Red, and it had its own sail, so I didn't need to worry about buying on-
:Hang on. Of course, I can sell this one. It won't fetch much, and then I can use that money to get me some damned food: I was surprised that it had taken me quite so long to figure out how to handle the situation. :However, I haven't slept properly since I left home, so it's not surprising.: With this new plan of action in mind, I managed to quieten my stomach with promises of food, and I forged upwards to the town on the summit of the island. The prospect of so many people in one place, and without face-masks, did not seem quite so daunting now that I had an objective, and I held my head high with this new upsurge of confidence.
'Rumble, grumble, growl'. :Was that me: I looked around, and suddenly caught sight of the boy…Rufus. He was just beginning to make his way onto the road, and there was nowhere for me to hide. And I wasn't going to run off, because that would spark his suspicions. Not to mention my own stomach might decide to start talking again! So, instead, as nonchalantly as I could, I brushed past him, murmuring an apology as I did so.
It was easy enough to sneak a look at him as I went past, and I was surprised to see that he didn't look at all worse for wear. His cheeks were a little flushed, but it seemed that the fever hadn't managed to take a hold on him after all. And his eyes…they were so bright and vivid. The same azure as the sea on a really sunny day.
I shook my head as I strode along. :You're beginning to study things far too much: I scolded myself. :Remember your training. Now, let's look for that sail merchant.: Sneaking a look over my shoulder, I could see that that Rufus was also making his way into the town, only at a more sedate pace. :Funny really; I would have thought if his stomach was growling that much, he'd be desperate to get there.:
Unable to fathom the inner workings of the Hylian mind, I turned my attention to searching for the stall Red had directed me to. How apt that it too should have a red coloured item on it. That definitely made it a lot easier for me to remember where it was I had to go.
It took a lot longer than I expected to find the stall I was looking for. It seemed that whilst Red had given me the right instructions, he hadn't bothered to say that there were also dozens of other stalls with red drapes over them. The magnitude of my hunger was getting to such an alarming point that I was contemplating just shooting a seagull down at the port and eating that. Luckily, etiquette told me that this would be frowned upon, and instead, I continued in my mission to find the correct stall.
When I finally did manage to find it, I also found myself in a very quiet part of the market-place, just before a tiny winding side-street. The man behind the stall was leaning back in his chair, slumbering lightly. I approached silently so that I wouldn't startle him, and then waited patiently for him to open his eyes. My stomach, still protesting its emptiness, was the noise that finally drew him out of his hazy resting, and he blinked uncomprehendingly at me for a good few seconds.
"Oh, hello there, and good day!" he finally burst out, face expanding into a broad grin. "And how may I help you this fine day young miss?"
I held up the sail, "A friend told me that I could trade you this for a few rupees," I answered. "It's got a few tears, but could probably be used for something." I handed the cloth to him, and he inspected it closely, letting out a few 'mmms' and 'aaas' as he did so. I had absolutely no idea what he was doing, and let my mind (and eyes) wander around the rest of the market place. I made sure not to make eye contact with anyone, because it was just so embarrassing. All those bare faces everywhere!
"Yes, well, this has seen better days, hasn't it?" I snapped my attention back to the shopkeeper. "Its good material, but there's not much left that can be used…"
"Oh…well, I don't really need it, so you can just have it if you wish," I answered, and then wondered why I'd just done that. :You're hungry, and you've probably just sealed a deal for nothing! Stupid:
"Well, I can't give you nothing after all the trouble you took to find me." I started at that, and wondered how he'd known. "Everyone always seems to find it a chore to find me. I would move the stall, but there's just nowhere else to put it," he explained. "Here, how does ten rupees sound?"
:It sounds like enough to get some food.: "That sounds fine," I said, extending a hand to accept the payment. He dropped a blue rupee, and five green ones into my palm. "Thank you."
"Good day." With that, I hurried off again, hoping that the woman was still there with her roasting fish. Then, a small voice of reason (from the part of me that still remembered I was meant to be a Sheikah warrior for Gods' sakes!) piped up. :You know, it would save a lot of time if you bought the things you'd need along the way, instead of going all the way back to that woman, and then having to climb the hill again.: I couldn't really argue with the reason, and my stomach hadn't been complaining as much as before.
:And, you can always purchase some food around here – why do you need to go back to that woman: That was a good point as well… I breezed past a few stalls selling live chickens and one that was covered in shining golden jewellery, and then spotted a sign swinging in the breeze that captivated me. 'Gillian's café-bar'. There was a picture of a steaming cup of coffee, and a very tasty looking sandwich underneath the writing, and without further hesitation, I strode up the small set of steps that led to the entrance.
The door of the café was made of heavy worn oak, which I took as a sign that it must be well used, which must mean the café itself was very popular amongst the islanders. That, and my pining stomach, along with the tempting waft of coffee and baking goods enticed me inside. I pushed the door open, and was surprised at how light it was. As soon as the door drifted shut behind me, the light was cut in half, and I was greeted by an ambient scene, lit by flickering oil lamps.
A woman in a blue dress and wearing a white apron around her waist cast an interested glance my way, before carrying on her conversation with another customer. I looked around to see whether there was any sort of menu or some such that would tell me how much the goods here were. Finally, I managed to spot a small black board covered in chalk writing – it was in common Hylian, so I had little trouble translating what it said, and figured out that I had more than enough to buy myself a decent meal.
"Yes miss, how can I help you?" the lady in the blue dress queried, having dealt with the other customer.
"I'd like something to eat," I answered, still pondering the board.
"Anything in particular?" she asked, obviously trying to contain a laugh.
"Oh, yes, sorry…that was a bit vague," I said, smiling a little myself. "Just a black coffee and a sandwich would be nice – cheese, if you have it."
"Yeah, we do. Got some more delivered yesterday, so you'll get it nice and fresh. If you'd like to take a seat, I'll bring that all out to you," she turned around and made to breeze off behind the counter and into the kitchen.
"Excuse me, but, how much is…?"
"Oh, yes, sorry. I'm really not with it today – this is the third shift I've worked in a row – one of our regulars is off, you see," she explained, rubbing her forehead with a tired sigh. "Right, black coffee and cheese sandwich – that comes to…ten rupees. I'll collect that when I come with your food, all right miss?"
"That'll be fine," I nodded, walking towards a free table, and then unfastening my wallet from my belt. I slid into a roughly hewn wooden chair, and was surprised at how comfortable it was. Leaning back slightly, I felt the muscles in my back give a little twinge of complaint, before they relaxed into this new position. :I am never, ever, going to sail for a twenty four hour stint ever again: I swore to myself, finding new aches when I shifted to get more comfortable in the seat.
The man who the waitress had been speaking to earlier was digging in to a steaming bowl of soup, and I inhaled surreptitiously, taking in the delicious scent of various vegetables. The man was the only other customer within the café, and I realised with a start that I had been staring at him for longer than was appropriate, and abruptly looked at my hands. :Oops.: I wondered what mother and my teachers would say if they could see me now…they'd probably be horrified that I was acting so much like a Hylian, rather than a respectable Sheikah warrior.
But, the truth was…I wasn't quite sure how I was supposed to act around these people. They didn't know our customs, and I didn't know theirs, and it was all very complicated. :Far too complicated for me to think about since I haven't had a proper sleep for thirty-six hours, or thereabouts.: I decided that I would stop thinking about it, just as I had decided to stop thinking about so many things since I'd set out from Opacus Isle, and concentrated on what I would have to do for the rest of the day.
When the waitress arrived with my food, I was so deeply immersed in planning what shops to visit and what supplies to get (with the help of a few scraps of parchment and a pencil that I hadn't realised was in my pack until now), that she had to cough a couple of times to draw my attention. "Wh- oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention," I admitted, slightly flustered that she should have seen me so off guard. :Stupid – useless – should never have left home: "Ten, wasn't it?" I delved into the wallet, and bought out the correct amount, which I then handed to the waitress.
"Thank you," she beamed, curtseying slightly before hurrying away to stand back behind the counter. The man who had been eating soup dropped his spoon into the bowl, and sighed contentedly – I looked over, and he nodded and smiled at me, offering a thumbs up signal to tell me that the food was good. :As if I couldn't already tell: I thought, almost literally salivating at the sight of the food in front of me. I pushed the scraps of parchment (bearing reminders like 'new clothes, salted meat, fresh water') out of the way, and pulled the plate and cup towards me.
It was then that I discovered a dilemma I had managed to (stupidly) overlook ever since my quest for food had begun.
I couldn't take my facemask off, because the waitress and the man, who had just finished his meal, would see my face. And that would just be…too embarrassing for words. :Oh Gods, how stupid can you get: I cursed myself, and looked longingly at the food. I was so very hungry, but I couldn't take my facemask off – I just couldn't! To have complete strangers see my face would just be…it made me shudder just thinking about it.
:There has got to be a way to do this… I mean, the traders who come here to buy supplies must eat, so how would they do it: I scratched the back of my hand (the index and ring finger of which was encased in bandages. That was the symbol of a fully-fledged warrior – I'd changed them whilst sailing last night) and wondered what to do. I surreptitiously looked around to see whether there were any boothed tables (something I should have done earlier); there weren't.
There was, however, a porthole shaped window that looked out onto the street below, and in the near distance, the port. And, underneath the window (in fact, all along the back wall,) was a bar, coupled with a line of high stools to sit on. As nonchalantly as I could, I picked up my belongings, and my meal, and transferred the whole lot to sit in front of the window. The waitress and man were talking again whilst I did this, so I didn't need to worry about drawing unwanted attention.
Once I was at the window, I hoisted myself onto one of the stools, and wrapped my legs around the supporting struts of it. Sure that as much of my face as possible would be concealed, I pulled the front of my facemask down (leaving the back of it up so that it wasn't obvious I had it off) and started to merrily consume the piping hot coffee, and the still warm sandwich. The coffee kick started my brain, and threw my body into working order. The shackles of drowsiness removed, I was able to further study the scene out of the window, and mentally mapped out the shops that I would visit next.
From where I sat, I could even see the tall casement of the lighthouse. The front of it supported a large clock face, which read 12 o'clock. That meant I had just under four hours left before I'd need to start making my way down to the port. :Which will be plenty of time to buy all the things I'll need: I thought, glad that something was finally going in my favour. I picked up the largest scrap of parchment I'd been writing on, and finished off the list I'd started. It read:
New clothes/ material to make new clothesCanisters to hold fresh water
Some travelling food
Deku-nuts (if I can find them)
More red/ green potions
I polished off the sandwich quickly, and then swirled the last of the coffee around in the cup, in order to get all of the residue off of the bottom. That way, I'd be getting an extra strong dose of coffee to get me on my way. I swallowed the whole lot of it in one go, and wondered briefly is alcohol gave quite the same kick. :Whoa – hello world: Everything suddenly came into sharper focus, and I blessed whoever it was who'd discovered the wonderful bean.
I yanked my facemask back into place, and fiddled with it for a few seconds in order to get it back in the right position. Without a mirror, I just had to trust the judgement of my hands; they told me that I'd covered the parts that needed to be covered, so I spun around on the stool, and hopped off. This gained more curious glances from the waitress and man (I suppose they were trying to be subtle, but Hylians haven't ever been known for their subtlety.) Feeling decidedly jovial now that my stomach was full, I waggled my fingers at them in a wave as I pulled open the door, and made my way back out into the sunlight.
The stark contrast between the murky light of the café and the bright light of midday left me blinking and slightly disoriented for a little while. I strolled along slowly, waiting for my eyes to adjust, and marvelling at the amount of people there were in the street around me. :There probably aren't enough traders on Opacus Isle to fill this street: I thought in awe. (This thought is even more amazing when you consider that out of the three thousand people on Opacus Isle, four hundred are traders!)
With my eyes finally used to the bright sunshine, I was able to focus on where I was going to go next. I decided that the potions, along with the food and canisters, were the most important things to attain. And, as I could remember passing a potions shop near the entrance of the town, I decided to make my way back there. I could just about make out the sign above the shop I was aiming for from where I stood, and started off towards it.
It was a strange experience, but I found myself taller than most of the people shopping in the market. This was probably because it consisted mainly of middle-aged Hylian women gossiping and bartering over goods – however, it was still odd. I'd always been 'normal height', and finding myself suddenly taller than everyone else made me feel very self-conscious. :People are staring at me an awful lot.: I suppose I couldn't really blame them…Sheikah colours are very bright… :But, couldn't they make it a little less obvious:
I looked down at the indigo clad arms with which I was clutching the straps of my knap-sack, and wondered why exactly we'd chosen indigo anyway… It was a pretty obscure colour to choose when you thought about it… Not quite purple, and not quite blue…just somewhere in the middle. A nice, unisex colour I suppose…
Just as I was pondering the reasoning behind Sheikah fashion, I managed to glimpse a colour very near and dear to me – yes, indigo! I stopped suddenly, and made a beeline towards the stall that bore my people's colour. To my surprise (and secret delight) I saw a face I knew very well, and hadn't seen for a good few months. "Quentin!" I exclaimed, unable to keep the excitement out of my voice.
He looked up, and dropped the cloth he'd been folding for a customer. "Sorry sir," he apologised, all the while staring at me with disbelief. He hurriedly refolded the cloth, and then handed it to the man, accepting a red rupee for the material. "Thank you – good day."
"Good day," the man said, and then left the stall. There were no other customers in sight, so I took up a stand in front of the table covered in various materials, ranging from velvet to cotton and silk.
"Little Shadow! What in all the Great Sea are you doing here? You didn't reconsider and become a trader did you?" I noticed that whilst his hair (much longer than mine and a muddy brown) covered half of his face, I could still see half of the grin that adorned his face. It seemed that seven months away from home had given him the confidence to go maskless!
"No – I'm on a quest of sorts," I answered nonchalantly, offering a hand for him to shake in greeting.
"Indeed? Some sort of grand adventure hey?" he took my hand, shook it, and then stared at it. "Oh my! You're a warrior already? I haven't been away from home that long, have I?" I laughed, and shook my head. "Seriously…wow…you must be the youngest since…well…just plain wow!" I laughed again, glad to be in the company of a fellow Sheikah again. It hadn't been that many days, but it felt like forever since I'd spoken to one of my own kind.
"Yeah, well…that's just the way it goes I suppose!" I said, repeating an old rhyme we'd always used when he used to look after me when Mother was needed away from home. He chuckled, and then ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. I couldn't contain my gasp, and he jumped slightly at the sound. "Oh, sorry – it's just – no facemask and whatnot."
"Oh…yes…sorry!" he tilted his head forwards and covered half of his face once more. "I suppose I'm so used to it now that I don't even realise I'm not wearing one," he said apologetically. "It'll be strange when I go back and have to go back to wearing one actually!" He extended a hand, and nudged the stall about a foot further away from the wall. "Here, want to sit down?"
"I wouldn't mind actually," I answered, carefully joining him behind the stall, and helping him drag it back to its previous position. "So, is this what you've been doing all the time you've been here?"
"Pretty much," he nodded, taking a seat on a low wooden bench that resided behind the stall. I joined him, sitting at the other end, and crossing my legs on the wood so that I could turn and face him. "I've become a renowned trader actually – buying and selling and generally making a nice profit out of it," he leant back on the wall lazily, and let out a contented sigh. "It's been quite enjoyable actually…and…" he opened the eye that I could see, and his mouth curved in a small smirk. "I met someone."
"Indeed?" I sat up, interest sparked. "What are they like?"
"Ah, Gods, it feels nice to have people ask 'what are they like', rather than 'what's she like'," he chuckled, casting a slightly derisive look to the crowd in the street.
"Well, you know I don't like to assume," I answered, amused by his disgruntled tone. "So…?"
"He's nice enough. A bit of a star-gazer; he taught me about some Hylian constellations I didn't even know about! And, he's helped me out a lot as well; it was a steep learning curve when I got stranded here over the winter."
"I'll bet," I said, looking out at the Hylians surrounding us. "I've only been here a few hours, and I'm already confused."
"I know the feeling!" we both looked at each other with understanding looks. "Now, what were you coming over for? You couldn't have recognised me immediately without the old mask."
"Actually, I was looking for a spare bodysuit, or some material to make one."
"But you can't sew."
"I could have learned!" I protested. He just shook his head, and stretched. "Urm…do you have any?"
"Any what?"
"Body suits of course!"
"I might do – but I've only got the ones with the cut-offs. You know, without sleeves and short in the leg." He raked an eye over my current attire, which was the fully-fledged body suit with long sleeves and full trousers. "I'm not sure that's the kind of apparel warriors are used to, is it?"
"Well, I suppose I could get used to it – I mean, summer is on its way after all," I decided in the blink of an eye. "How much would you want for it? Could I perhaps get a friend's discount?" I wrangled.
"No chance missy!" he countered with another of his chuckles :this man of his certainly has chipped away a lot of his inhibitions I see: "I have a business to run here!"
"Oh well, it was worth a shot!" He arose from the bench, and carelessly tossed the tablecloth away from the stall so that he could look underneath it. After a few seconds of scrabbling around, he found the box he was looking for, and dragged it out. The water-tight leather lid was covered in a sheen of dust. "Don't sell many of these here…I have to say, not many Hylians have the physique to pull it off." I snorted at this, and he looked up at me quizzically. "What?"
"Well, I was going to make a comment about your 'physique', but I fear that would end up with me in a whole deal of pain," I answered sweetly. He blinked, and then growled in annoyance.
"I can't help it. It's not like there's anywhere to train on this island."
"Yeah, sure, I believe you," I answered, biting my lip so that I wouldn't laugh and spoil the moment. He just growled again, and began searching through the box. He pulled out a suit, and threw it at me. I took it, unfolded it, and held it against myself. "This would serve me better as a tent, you do realise?" He just grunted, and threw another one at me. "And, sorry, I didn't bring my dolls with me," I said, regarding the tiny garment. "OK, I take it back! Just give me something that will fit, blast you!" I nudged him in the back with my foot, and he finally gave in, and burst out laughing.
"I have missed teasing you," he said when he managed to get his laughter under control. Then, he handed me a suit that looked like it might be a suitable size. "Still a warrior four, I take it? This is about the same – it's a mage five." I unfolded it, and held it up against me. He looked critically, and then pulled out another one. "I think you might need a mage six – it looks like you've grown more than I bargained for as well." I blushed at the double entendre that was subtly thrown in.
"Is this better?" I asked, covering up my embarrassment.
"Yes, that looks like a good enough fit. Now, do you want any extra shirts or bandages? I suppose I can give you the bandages for free…no one will buy them anyway…" He peered up at me from where he rested on his haunches next to the box of body suits.
"Well, another shirt wouldn't hurt I suppose. But, I've got more than enough bandages thanks."
"All right then. Hrm…aha, I've still got some warrior shirts here somewhere…here we are, and a size five for you now that you've gone and grown again. If you're not careful, you'll grow yourself out of your guild range!" I just batted him on the head, and he grinned cheekily. :Definitely the old babysitter I knew and adored: I thought nostalgically, as he pored through his books to find the prices for the things I was going to buy.
"OK, let's see. I suppose I can give you a slight price reduction, since I can still remember pushing you around in a pram…" He bit his lip, and the muttered a few numbers under his breath. "What do you say to thirty for the bodysuit, and twenty for the shirt."
"I say that sounds pretty good!" I answered, already fishing around for my wallet. I went through a rush of panic when I found it not there. Quentin coughed and I looked up to see him twirling my wallet in his fingers. "I see the light fingers of a night-walker never left you," I said, slightly disdainful when I remembered the background he'd come from.
"Oh, come on, it was only a bit of fun. It wasn't like I would have kept it," he said petulantly, sounding more like a child than a twenty four year old should be able to. "You know I don't do stuff like that anymore…"
"Yeah, I know…sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I'm just tired and full of coffee," I explained.
"Ah – well, then I can understand completely!" He handed me back the wallet, and then I fished out one of the two silver rupees. "Holy Gods! Where'd you get that much cash?"
"The guy who asked me to start out on my journey did."
"Talk about your rich benefactors…are you a mercenary all of a sudden then?" he raised an eyebrow.
"No, not exactly. This is just to get the stuff I'll need to help him with."
"I see…" he nodded, though he looked confused. He set about getting the correct change, and I refolded the garments I was purchasing, and, after removing my stained suit, put them into my pack. Then, I put the stained one back on top, so that it would protect them from any such fate. "Right, here's your change; you're just lucky I do such good business, or that could have been interesting!" He dropped one hundred and fifty rupees into my upturned palm, and then, on impulse, kissed me on the forehead (which was strange). "Good luck with whatever quest you're on missy."
"Thanks. Do you want me to take any messages in case I get back to the Isle before you?" I asked, even as I shimmied back out into the street.
"Just tell my family that I'm getting on OK – oh, and tell Laurie that I'm getting close to being bloody rich!"
"Will do. But I'll have to leave out the bloody I'm afraid!" I saluted him informally, and then waved as I managed to lose myself in the crowd again. It seemed as though the smile on my face wouldn't go away, and I was still beaming when I made my way down the steps to the lowest level of the market, where the potions shop was beckoning me.
When I reached the door of the potions shop, it was to find that there was a sign on the door proclaiming 'out for lunch'. :Damn…: well, that meant the prospects of getting potions before I set off pretty low indeed. I struck that off of my list of things to get – and that left me with just Deku-nuts, water canisters, and food to buy. And this area of the town certainly had the second two in abundance…the Deku-nuts, however, looked as though they'd be as difficult to find as I'd feared.
:After all, what use would Hylians have for them: It looked like I would have to strike that off of my list of things to purchase as well. :At least I've got my needles and whip to get on with.: The needles were a veritable miracle, as they replenished constantly. :If only Deku-nuts could do the same thing…:
I put aside the disappointment of being unable to purchase these things, and made a beeline for a food stall already bearing a large queue of customers. The price tags that I'd seen from a distance had been reasonable, and the selection of travelling foods was quite large. I studied them as I came nearer and nearer to the front of the queue, and decided upon two loaves of bread, three bags of cured ham, and a bag of dried fruits. It all came to the round figure of thirty rupees, which I dutifully paid (luckily I had the right change), and I then pushed my way back out of the queue.
Looking up at the clock, I saw that I'd still over three hours left until I needed to meet that woman at the docks. :I suppose I could always search the rest of town to see if there's another potions shop, or somewhere with Deku-nuts. It couldn't do any harm…: With that thought in mind, I carefully shuffled all the packages I was carrying, turned around and made my way back to the stairs that led to the second level of the market.
The crowds on the stairs were particularly large, and I used my height to its full advantage in order to make my way through the many Hylian shoppers. As such, I didn't realise I was about to collide with someone until I actually walked into them. The crowd was jostling everyone, and I suddenly found myself knocked to the ground – luckily the crowd parted just enough so that I wasn't stepped on, and carried on moving around me.
"Oh, goodness, I'm so sorry!" a boy babbled, and he helped me to pick up all the things I'd dropped. When he handed them back to me, I looked up, and was surprised to find myself face to face with Rufus yet again. He too looked surprised, and I had to search around for something pleasant to say (well, actually, for anything to say.) I wet my lips, and then managed a quiet answer,
"No harm done, and thank you for helping me with these." I clutched the packages close to my chest, and then left as politely as I could at high speed. :Not good – I've bumped into the lad twice now. Oops…: I hurried up the rest of the steps, and then carried on through the second level, knowing that there weren't any shops there I needed, and I then hurried up to the third level.
There, I made my way into a shadowy door way, and watched as the boy followed after me, stalking with a grace I'd not seen in a Hylian before. He literally bounced up the steps onto the level that I was on, and then looked around with a slightly put-out look on his face. I wondered briefly if I should perhaps introduce myself, since he seemed so keen to know me, but I then remembered what Red had said.
So, I observed the lad as he walked lazily from shop to shop, and was relieved when he disappeared up another set of steps soon after wards. I crept unobtrusively back out of the doorway I'd hidden in, and started searching the shops for the two things left on my list.
Two hours and an extortionate amount of money later, I had my Deku-nuts, but still hadn't managed to find anywhere else that sold potions. Still annoyed at the hideous price I'd been forced to pay for forty Deku-nuts (the trader started off asking for a hundred, but I whittled him down to eighty), I started making my way back to that potions shop, which must have finished its lunch break by now.
The streets were quieter now, and enjoyed the quietness. I hadn't realised just how loud the place was until now, and my head was throbbing slightly from all the punishment it had taken from this noisy place earlier. "Shadow!" I started, and looked around, before remembering the stone and taking it out.
"Yes?"
"You need to get down to the docks now."
"But…Marie won't be there until-"
"She's in trouble my dear. A band of rather rough gentlemen leant her money, and now they want payment – I need you to either pay them off with the money you have, or help her get out of trouble." With that, the link was cut off, and I was unable to ask any more questions. With a sigh, I loosened the ties on my whip, and set off at a steady jog down through the market and then out of the town.
Even from a distance, I could hear heated shouting, and when I rounded the sand-dunes and saw the port, I could see Marie backed up on the end of the jetty, hands defiantly on her hips as four quite large gentlemen heckled her. I slowly wound my way past piles of crates and coils of rope, so that I was close enough to hear what was going on.
"…don't have your money. You said you didn't need paid back for another couple of months yet."
"Yes, well, there have been changes of plan. We need a little capital to aid a venture of ours."
"You mean you're not getting any, so you need some money to pay for it?" she jibed mockingly, and looking around the crates I was hidden behind, I saw that she was smirking darkly. One of the men lunged forwards, and was caught by the one next to him.
"Now that you mention it... I've personally been feeling a little…unloved of late, shall we say?" he purred dangerously. "And, if we can't get the money for such things from you, maybe we'll just have to get the thing itself." My eyes widened when my brain had processed the words and understood the meaning of this. :Small as I am, and stupid as it is to get involved in gang fights, there's no way I'm going to allow something like that to happen: The code and conduct of a warrior called that I help this 'damsel in distress'.
"Excuse me," I called, raising my voice as loud as I could without straining it. They all turned around, and Marie stared at me in surprise.
"Yes missy?" the man who'd just made the statement that horrified me, asked. Now that I saw his face, I felt even more intimidated than I had before. He had sparse black hair on his head, which was made up for by an abundance of facial hair.
"Oh, I was just passing, and noticed that you were implying something extremely rude to my friend here." I nodded my head to Marie. :OK, little white lie about the friend thing…ah well.: "And, well, would it really harm you to have any manners?" He raised an eyebrow, and then looked around at his comrades. As one, they burst into gormless sounding guffaws.
"Ah, quite funny m'dear. Don't believe I've had such a laugh in a long time."
"I wasn't trying to make you laugh, sir," I said, adding a little more vehemence than I probably should have. :Don't get angry. Getting angry means you make mistakes.: The old mantra calmed me down, and I decided that talking was preferable to fighting when it came to people this much bigger than me. "I was merely pointing out the fact that your wording is quite disgusting, and I would have thought anyone with half a brain would be able to be a little bit more civil to a lady."
"A lady? That bitch?" the man with the black hair was obviously the ring-leader. I was temporarily shocked into silence by the harsh swear word. "She owes us over a hundred rupees!" I did a quick calculation, and realised I didn't have enough to cover that.
"Well, I was giving you the chance to redeem yourself, but, never mind. Now, gentlemen, would you mind awfully getting out of the way so that I may speak to my friend before you try to harm her?" The men just threw glances at one another, and grinned identical, stupid grins. "I'll take that as a no then," I muttered, as two of them advanced towards me, and the other two made for Marie. With a mental sigh, wondering at the stupidity of these people before me, I waited for them to start charging.
As soon as they did, I jumped easily out of the way, turned around, and managed to get one of them in the back of the head with my left foot. :That was far too easy.: The other one tripped over his fellow fool, and I withdrew my whip. This, I used to give both of them a small dose of electricity, before they rose from the floor. :That should keep them unconscious for a few minutes at least.:
Looking towards Marie, I saw that she was managing to hold her, but was swiftly running out of wooden decking. I rushed forwards, and had just enough time before I launched my assault to see Marie's jaw drop. Then, I sprang into the air, spinning 180 degrees on the horizontal axis as I did so. This meant that when I landed, I was facing the two remaining men, one of whom was the ring-leader.
"Get out of our way, missy, unless you want us to hurt you as well," he growled, throwing a sloppy punch. I ducked, grabbed his arm, and used it as leverage to spring a good ten feet in the air. :Gods I love being a Sheikah: I grinned as all three of the Hylians looked up at me in disbelief. Whilst I was still in the air, I snapped my whip down, and it connected with the shoulder of the black haired man. A split second later, I had buzzed him with electricity, and he had collapsed onto the deck. I landed, and then remaining mad looked first at me, then at Marie, then at his fallen comrades, and ran off.
"I think we'd better leave before those three wake up," I told Marie, who was still staring. "They won't be out for long…Marie?" I waved a hand in front of her face, and she blinked, and then focused on me.
"How in the bloody hell did you do that?" she spluttered.
"I'm a Sheikah – we can all do it," I answered calmly. She just nodded, and her eyes again fell on the three men out cold on the jetty. "It's just a little magic I used. There won't be any lasting damage."
"Pity…" she muttered, and then looked at me again. "Well then, I suppose its earlier than planned, but, I'm very glad you got here when you did."
"Yeah, well, Red told me you were in a spot of bother."
"He did?" she looked slightly annoyed by that – I decided not to question her. "Here, I'll take you to Flo before these three wake up."
"Flo?"
"That's what I called the boat I'm lending you," she answered brusquely, striding down a side arm of the pier (though not before kicking the black haired man soundly in the chest.)
"Are you sure you want to come?" Red asked through the stone. I was holding it up, and Marie was looking at it with a determined frown.
"Of course I am. It's not like I'll be in any more danger wherever you're going, than I would be here. In fact, I might even be safer!"
"But, Marie, it'll make Shadow's job a whole lot harder!" he protested.
"She doesn't mind, do you?" Marie asked me.
"No, I don't care," I said, and Red groaned.
"Oh Gods, why…why does this always happen to me?" He grumbled a few words that I didn't quite catch. "All right, you can come Marie – but only as far as Dragon Roost – after that, you'll have to find your own transport to get around. Deal?"
"Deal."
"Well, you'd best get going then – the boy and I will catch up in a short while. Shadow, make sure that you keep in sight, but don't make it obvious you're following, all right?"
"Fine." Red broke the link, and Marie looked at me with a wide smile.
"Well, it looks like you'll be stuck with me for a while longer. At least I've got my own bodyguard now." I just nodded, a little scared of this pirate woman.
Blah – that was nothingy. Sorry! Oh, and notice the way I prostitute the same names over and over again in my fics? Like 'Quentin' for instance…I have to get a baby book or something!
Notes of thankies aren't allowed in here, so I shall have to reply to the ol' reviews via email when I get the time. Looks around furtively However, I think I can throw a few hugs to H7 and Lossemare now anyway! HUGS! Thanks you two!
Soda x
PS: Jazz music is really helpful when you get writer's block. I've been listening to Jamie Cullum, Michael Buble, and even a bit of Will Young, and it's helped greatly. The one thing I will say is, don't actually listen to them whilst writing, because it's distracting – just use them as a booster for your inspiration… So, thanks to them and their voices that reduce me to a puddle of fantard jelly.