Last chapter, we saw Rufus turning into an almost fangirl of Quill (luckily, the muses interceded and reminded me that Rufus is only thirteen, and this is not meant to be a slash fic…) Well, he helped Medli to reach the Cavern, and then realised that that wasn't really the right thing to do after all…silly boy! However, it's now time to see just what Shadow was doing whilst she awaited further instructions from The King of Red Lions about her mission.
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics.
Shadow: Broken preconceptions
I eyed Marie cautiously from my place by the rudder – we'd been heading due east since the previous evening, and I could just about make out Red cresting a large wave about two miles ahead of us. The sea was calm enough that I was happy to leave the sail in Marie's expert care, whilst I just nudged the rudder every now and then to keep us on course.
The boat ('Flo') was much larger than the King of Red Lions, and reminded me of my own fishing schooner back at Opacus Isle. :I wonder whether the fish we salted are ready for storage yet: I thought, and almost smiled at the mundane musings. Here I was, on the adventure of a lifetime, and all I could think of was home…though…I did miss it terribly. I'd only been gone a few days, but already, I could hardly wait to see it again:Just listen to yourself, you do realise you sound stupid, don't you: Well, I probably did…but I didn't care much anyway.
Marie hopped down from her perch on top of the cabin (which lay in the exact centre of the deck, leaving four feet at either end for the stern and prow). She collapsed her telescope in her hands, and without even a glance at me, went into the cabin. The door slammed shut behind her in the wind, and the sound echoed across the dark waves. Without her in sight, you would have thought I'd be able to relax…but, no. Now I was even more alert – for, though I knew she wasn't my enemy, she still made me uneasy. The way she'd kicked that man when he was down… :And she is a pirate after all. Are you really so surprised:
To my chagrin, the fact that she'd kicked a man when he was down still bothered me a lot, and I shuffled uncomfortably in my place by the rudder, wondering what she was doing below-deck in the cabin. Of course, not being able to see her only set of dozens of rather unlikely sets of events in my head, and I had to stifle a laugh at myself. I was getting panicky about a woman who hadn't been able to take on four slow and definitely stupid burly Hylian men:Get a grip: I told myself, nudging the rudder to the left slightly so that the flapping sail once again cracked as it filled with the wind.
Night had closed in fast as we sped away from the isle, and there was a heavy mist descending over the calm sea. It was weighty enough to glaze my bodysuit with small droplets of water, and my bare hands shook slightly as I left my post in order to go to the prow. I was going to see if we were still managing to keep up with Rufus, as the mist would slow down our vessel since it was much larger than Red.
I had just placed my foot into the first rung of the ladder that would take me to the top of the cabin, which I would then walk across and then climb down on the other side, when the door to the cabin burst open. Marie didn't see me at the rudder, and yelled out for me, "Hey, Sheikah!" I dropped off of the ladder, and she started, obviously not having noticed me standing there. I backed up a couple of steps so that I didn't have to crane my neck quite so much to look at her; she seemed a lot taller in these confined quarters.
"What is it?" I asked, crossing my arms casually, though I was really trying to warm myself up. :Gods, it's cold…: I noticed that she was holding a chart of some kind in her hands.
"We need to get past Pawprint Isle as quickly as possible… I didn't realise what stage the moon-phase was in, I was so eager to get away…" this second part she said more to herself than me. "Here, help me tip a few things over the side, and then take up an oar with me." She darted back into the cabin, and, thoroughly confused, I followed her. :Pawprint Isle's still a good few miles away – over the horizon at least:
"Marie," I had to talk loudly over the noise she was creating, as she gathered up pans from the galley. "Marie!" I said again, even more loudly, then swallowing to get rid of the pain in my throat from all this shouting I'd been doing recently – it was ruining my voice, that was for sure. "What by the Gods are you on about?" She dropped all the pans, and then strode over to the small bench-bed that was to the prow end of the cabin. There, she picked up the same chart I'd seen earlier, and she thrust it at me.
I opened it, and looked down to see a mass of Hylian that I could barely interpret. Not just because of my less than perfect grasp of the written language, but also because the writing was so messy and faded. This didn't matter though, because the pictorial evidence was enough for me to fathom just what had Marie so worried. :And here I thought she had some common sense: I thought scornfully. The chart showed the moon phases around the edge, from crescent to full to new moon. Each of the phases had a small red arrow drawn from it towards a particular island. And, on each of the indicated islands was a small, ghostly looking ship.
"You're worried about the old legend of a ghost-ship?" I asked, managing to keep the incredulity in my voice to a Sheikah minimum. I dropped the chart onto the fold down table, and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Legend?" she repeated, her one eye narrowing slightly. "Trust me, child," the emphasis on the word 'child' greatly annoyed me, "I've seen a lot more of the sea than you have. And I know that ghost ship, and I know what it does to the sailors that get too close!" She snapped her fingers. "Gone – just like that. And then, a few days later, their corpses wash up on the beach of the nearest island."
"Rubbish," I said, waving away her ridiculous story. "If you're just trying to scare me, you'll have to do better than that. And, well, if you really believe-"
"It's no story!" she interjected defiantly. "I don't care if you don't wish to believe me, but I do care about my own safety. So, either help me get rid of this stuff, or I guess I'll have to do it myself, and then it'll take twice as long. And…" she cracked her knuckles menacingly "I'd have to make sure you didn't interfere of course…" She walked towards me, and I backed into the door to out on deck. It was closed, and I slowly bought my left hand up to the handle, making sure that she didn't notice what I was doing.
"So, girl, what'll it be?" she asked, now grinning in a way I most definitely didn't like. :Surely all Hylians can't be quite this mad: I thought, not daring to roll my eyes in disbelief, because I didn't trust this woman enough to let her out of my sight for a second. :Don't you just hate the fact that your intuition's always right: "Well?" she prompted, thumping both hands onto the wood either side of my head, effectively trapping me, and glaring down at me with that one, startlingly green eye. I could see the fear there – the fear of this legend – and it was obviously the fear that was driving her to this.
However, there was no time to analyse this – I fumbled around in my mind for something to say. "Well, I suppose I could help you out a little," as I fumbled for words, I also fumbled with the door handle, twisting it. "I'm just, not sure if-" I threw myself backwards on the door, which burst open – I tumbled out on deck, and Marie, not having expected it, fell flat on her face, her arms immediately latching around my legs.
"Look, I don't want to have to hurt you, you know!" she said, literally climbing up my prone body. It was easy enough to kick her off, and then I rolled over and was on my feet before she had time to recover. She too rolled over, and looked up at me with angered fire in her eye. "Why you-!" she started, and then cut herself off when I put one foot on her chest, forcing her to stay lying down.
"There is no way I'm going to throw valuable supplies for my mission overboard because of some superstition," I told her calmly. "Just remember the only reason you're here is because you've gotten yourself into trouble, which, may I remind you, I helped you get out of." I took my foot off her chest, and backed away. "You know how I fight – now, are you going to be sensible about this?"
I knew what she was going to do even before she probably knew she was going to do it herself. I sidestepped, and she flew headfirst into the siding of the boat – she fell backwards, clutching her head and groaned. "I guess you saw that coming, huh?" she grumbled, rubbing her understandably sore head. :I don't want to have to hurt her, but I can't allow this to jeopardise Red's quest.:
"Yes," I nodded, extending a hand to help her up. She lunged at me once more, but I used her own momentum against her, and slammed her easily into the side of the cabin. "Would you stop that? I really don't want to knock you out, but I will if you carry on like this!" I warned her, letting go of the arm I'd used to swing her around. :Why won't she get the message: I sighed internally, as she peeled herself from the wood, and glowered at me through the strands of hair obscuring her face. She released a huge breath of air, sending them flying away from her face, and then swept them completely away with her left hand.
"Look, you don't seem to understand plain Hylian, so why don't I try a little Sheikah and see if you understand that better!" And then, to my surprise, she launched into my own language. The accent was terrible, but it was still recognisable as Sheikah :just makes me wonder how bad my accent must be…:
"This ghost ship is real. Landlubbers like you wouldn't have seen it because you haven't been on the sea long enough. But, I have, and I've lost men to this thing – not to mention a whole ship of my own being sunk by its cannonballs. And, much as I loathe to admit it, I think Red is right about his little prophecies for once; I met that kid he's culturing to be a new hero, and he didn't seem to know which way was up from the look of him. So, it would be best if you were around to help him…but, if this ship gets you, then there's no chance of that, is there?"
She stopped, and coughed slightly, her throat obviously not used the more…I'm not sure how to describe my own language really…when you've spoken something all your life, you take that sound for granted… But, I suppose, not used to the much softer, more hissing sound of our language, compared to the deep, guttural sounds of Hylian (just as difficult for me to produce as it was for her to produce Sheikah.) "So, you see," she concluded, speaking Hylian again, "I'm not just thinking of myself here. I'm thinking of Red and his little quest as well!"
"So, you're asking me to believe in something that has nothing to prove its existence, apart from a few sailors, all of whom are generally too inebriated to notice anything anyway?" I crossed my arms again, knowing that she'd still be too dizzy after our little scuffle to come at me again. She looked almost as if I had slapped her with those words.
"Why can't you understand? I have lost crew to this thing – good men, not the drunkards you'd imply all seafarers to be. I don't know what you understand by the term 'pirate', but it's certainly different to my interpretation. I believe the drunken idiots you refer to are 'bucaneers', not 'pirates' – there is a difference you know!" The hurt in her voice was astonishing, and I uncrossed my arms, stunned by the change in her attitude. Her eye glimmered in the soft light created by the moonlight reflecting from the mist. "Just because you haven't seen something, doesn't mean it isn't real – take the Gods for instance. They don't seem to be very interested in showing themselves to us, do they?"
:Well, actually…: I didn't mention the fact that I'd met Zephos out loud, because I knew she probably wouldn't believe me. :Well, then why don't you believe her: That was a good question. "…Maybe…maybe I've been a little hasty," I said timidly. She blinked her eye at me, and looked perplexed. "Look – how about this? We don't lose the supplies, but when it gets to it, I'll help you row; does that sound like a good deal?"
She didn't answer for a few seconds, merely stared at me. Rather, past me… A chill ran up my spine, and I turned around slowly, hand going straight for my whip… The mist was especially thick, and swirled like a Hylian girl's skirt as I span, the milky white tendrils clinging to me like some sort of sanctuary from the cruel wind, trying to hurry it along.
A shadowy bulk hovered above the water, not more than ten yards astern. For one, terrible second, I wondered whether that chart had it's information wrong, and the ship was really here instead. But, then, the thing moved, and I glimpsed glossy black feathers, a cruel orange beak, and acid-green tail feathers. :A kargorok…and it's a big one.: It was keeping up with us easily. Marie let out a sound of terror; something I'd not expected from a pirate, but, it had been a night of revelations already!
The monster eyed me, a dark intelligence taking in my battle stance, and also Marie, who I could sense was still standing behind me, perhaps paralysed by fear. Or perhaps still too dizzy to move… Either way, the thing seemed more interested in her than in me. "Marie," I whispered, trusting the friendly wind to carry my voice to her. "Marie, get below – go slowly." The kargorok's used movement to track their prey, so, if she just went slowly enough…
The telltale patter of running feet drew my attention, and I ducked as the kargorok sped up and dive-bombed the boat. Marie screamed, and I turned around to see her protecting her face with her arms. The beast was slashing at her with its cruel talons, which gave me an idea. With my free hand, I delved into my needle bag, and stepped back a couple of paces, so that I stood next to the rudder.
Once there, I checked to make sure that Marie was standing close enough to the cabin door – to my luck, she was still right in front of it, trying to open it. I kicked the rudder, which turned the boat sharply so that we were sailing sideways. Years of training helped me keep my balance (but only just!) The bird was clipped by the boom as the sail swept around to carry on catching the wind, and it wheeled away from the boat. I was ready when it made to dive again, and threw the needles directly into its face.
They exploded on impact, and the thing shrieked as the tiny barbs all over my weapons pierced its eyes. With a last squawk, it fell with a resounding splash into the sea. The mist closed up over the ripples, so that you couldn't even see where it had fallen. :Marie: I hurried from the side to where the pirate woman lay, emerald hair splayed over the deck. "Marie, are you all right?" I turned her onto her side (the recovery position), and checked if she was still breathing.
Luckily, she was, and only seemed to have been knocked out. :That must have been when you threw the boat off.: That reminded me, and I went back, and after a bit of struggling against the water, I pulled the rudder back so that it was straight, and we sped forwards at top speed once more. Then, I returned to the prone Hylian, and wondered what to do with her. :Well, I can't leave her out here, she'll freeze:
Resigning myself to the fact that this was going to be a very, very long night, I grabbed her under the arms, and proceeded to drag her into the cabin. There, I tended to the deep gouges the kargorok had left on her arms, and then placed her into the bench-bed. I pulled the covers over her, and then exited the cabin, first relieving her of the telescope so that I could keep a watch.
So, now, I had the wondrous jobs of keeping watch, steering, and making sure the sail was always full with wind. :Isn't it a good job that I can multitask: I thought with some annoyance. Fighting back a yawn, I sat back down in my place by the rudder. The talk of the ghost ship, coupled by that attack had be distinctly rattled, and it was not something I liked to be, out in the open sea, in the middle of the night, with my companion unconscious. :Why is it always me:
I scuffed my shoes along the deck, but stopped because that would prevent me from hearing something approach. So, I sat still, listening only to the splashing of water, and the occasional loud crack as a large gust of wind entered the sail. I went over many of my old relaxation mantras, in order to calm myself down, and then started to plan through the next few days. Of course, as most of the plans entailed 'do what Red tells you to do' I didn't get very far with this.
Which left me with two trains of thought to choose from. The first was to think about how much I was missing my comfortable bed right now (which would most likely send me to sleep, and as such, wasn't a good choice.) Or, I could think about the ghost ship – which would keep me wide-awake, but would also spook me. As there were only these two choices, I took the latter. :What do I do if I need to row this thing, but Marie's still out cold? What if we're attacked – would I be able to support her weight and get us to shore before we drown or get attacked again: There were so many terrible scenarios in my head…
At least it drove away my feelings of exhaustion. Which was a small bonus within the generally bad bundle of things that had happened in the last four days. I'd had to leave the home I'd known all my life, I'd argued with royalty, I'd fought with three Hylian men and a pirate woman, had been attacked by various monsters, and now, I was scared by a legend of a ghost hip which might not actually be a legend after all.
:Just wonderful. And, on top of that, I appear to be turning into a Hylian as the days wear on. I want a Sheikah here to keep me sane.: But, that wasn't likely to happen, so I'd need to try and contain myself and act properly. It wasn't going to be easy… Especially with the way some Hylians had treated me – jabbing right at the places that are most sensitive and being downright rude! I'd never have had to combat that at home!
:Oh Gods…does this make me a failure? After all my years of training, I can't even cope with this small change? …I shouldn't even have been having that induction ceremony, if this is how I handle my duties: Realising just what a failure of a Sheikah I'd become, I unravelled the bandages around my index and ring fingers of each hand, and threw them over the side. :What's the point of wearing the warrior symbol if I can't even act like one: I yelled at myself, and then slumped back down by the rudder.
My state of apathy meant that I no longer bothered to think of anything other than my inadequacies… A yawn escaped me, and then another, followed quickly by yet another. I closed my eyes, and then snapped them open. "No!" I growled aloud. :If you can't be a Sheikah, the least you can do is keep watch properly: I resettled myself so that I was less comfortable, kneeling on the hard wood of the deck, and leaning on the rudder so that it dug into my side. :You're going to stay awake whether you like it or not:
"Shadow…Shadow, what are you doing? Where are you?" Red's voice whispered in panic, and I groaned, opening my eyes to see wooden decking extending around me on all sides. I felt freezing cold, and when I raked my hair from my eyes, rivulets of icy water ran down my hands. And, suddenly, I remembered. I remembered everything. :I wasn't supposed to fall asleep: And, I couldn't even tell how long I'd been asleep for, because the moon was completely obscured by cloud. "Shadow, please, for the love of the Gods, answer me!"
I awkwardly removed the green stone from my pocket, and laid it on the deck in front of me, too cold and stiff to try and move. "I'm here, what is it?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the tired yawn in my voice.
"Shh, not so loud!" he hissed back. "Whatever you do, don't move from where you are. Stay right there, and let the boat take you where it will."
"W-why?" I asked, teeth chattering.
"The ghost ship visits these parts," he said, so low that I nearly missed it. "Where's Marie, is she safe? They'll recognise her if they see her…they've been after her for years now…is she down below?"
"Yes, but-"
"There's no time for questions…just stay quiet, and stay still until I tell you otherwise, understand?"
"Yes, I understand, but-" He was gone before I could finish. I heeded his orders, and stayed still, my cheek pressed to the damp wood, and my arm bent awkwardly to make a cushion for my head. The side against the boat ached, and the mist and the wind chilled the side away from it. I glared at the now-dull stone, and cursed my luck. A sea gull called high above, and was answered by another. I listened to their calls, being calmed slightly to know that this silence of the sea wasn't as endless as I'd feared.
Though…suddenly…
They stopped.
I strained my ears, yet, try as I might, I couldn't hear them any more. :What happened: In my heart of hearts, however, I knew what was happening. Animals have a sixth sense even more acute than Sheikah…and those gulls had sensed the ghost ship, seconds before the chills began to intensify all over me. Against Red's orders, I slowly, ever so slowly, crawled along deck, always flat to the floor, until I was at the side of the boat. There, I lifted myself up, so that I peered over the edge.
I bit my lip to contain my gasp of both horror and wonderment. There it was – the ghost-ship of many a midnight horror story told after the lights went out in the bunkhouse. It was as people had said it would be… The sails were of bright white cloth, ripped and ravaged by its time on the sea – the keel was marked all over with the scars of attacks whilst the ship still lived. The mermaid prow had lost her beautiful pearl eyes, and stared ahead now with empty sockets, seeking, ever seeking.
I blinked, and suddenly, a vision overtook me. Just as I returned my gaze to those haunting empty sockets, a lantern caught my eye, and I looked directly to it. It bobbed enticingly over the side, but I couldn't see who held it. "Marie, Marie, where are you my dear? Where are you, where are you, Marie, Marie?" they sang, softly, sweetly.
Marie stood at the helm of a great ship – she laughed at an anecdote one of the crew relayed to her, and then swept up a hat from where it had rested upon the spokes of the wheel. This she placed on her head, which shielded both of her vibrant, alive eyes, from the glaring moonlight. Gulls called above, and dolphins splashed below in the wake of the ship. Marie signalled that lanterns be lit.
"Right, off to bed with you lads, and send up the next watch!" she called when this task was done. The men traipsed off to bed, a cacophony of heavy Hylian footsteps thudding on the wood. Marie was alone on deck, and threw her head back (holding onto the hat) to take in a great lungful of sea air. It was quiet…too quiet… Not a cry from the gulls, not a splash from the dolphins. She scoured the waves, lest there be a storm brewing, but, no, the water was calm.
"Marie, Marie, where are you my dear? Where are you, where are you, Marie, Marie?" a soft voice sang, lilting and sweet. She whipped around, hat flying off and skidding across the deck. Her eyes widened, and suddenly, I could see the ghost-ship again, this time following behind Marie and her ship. "Marie, Marie my dear, hello, hello. Hello, hello, I have been looking for you Marie. Marie, Marie, my dearest Marie." The lantern swung in the person's hand.
And suddenly, I could see them in all their terrible clarity, for they held the lantern up to their own face. Marie screamed, and I winced, for the scream was in my ear. "Marie, Marie, don't be afraid. We've come to take you away. Oh Marie, Marie, don't you remember? Don't you remember your daddy, Marie?"
"You…you're not…" Marie said weakly, shuffling towards the alarm bell. "Don't even imply that…you…you monster!"
"Now, now Marie my dear, don't be so hasty. Just come to us my dear, and we'll let your crew go… Though they do look tasty!" the skeletal man ended, his grin a grimace of grey teeth and black muscle. "We miss you Marie my dear, miss you we do. Come, come to us Marie, Marie, we have been looking for you, looking for you. Been looking for you." Marie grabbed the clapper of the bell, and threw it against the metal side. The grimacing grin fell from his face, and he frowned. "You shouldn't have done that."
When I next came to, we had left the ship far behind us, our speed superior because of our smaller size. I shuddered, and slid back down to lean against the side of the ship. :Oh Gods…now I know quite why she was so…vociferous in her argument.: I shuddered as I remembered those dead eyes; that grimace of a smile… Marie's young face – for she was still young then, both eyes intact, hair completely green – filled with a horror and loathing only reserved for your worst enemy.
:And yet…her father: I was startled to find that I was crying, and shaking too, almost uncontrollably so. To my surprise, Marie pushed the cabin door open just a crack a few seconds later, and popped her head through to look at me. She beckoned me with a finger, and I crawled along the floor to her, too shaken to even attempt standing at the moment. :Oh Gods, I think I'm going to…: I dragged myself as quickly as possible back to the side, and was (thankfully, quite quietly) sick.
Marie was there, rubbing me on the back, and she helped me back into the cabin, also keeping low to the deck. When we were inside, she put me in the same bed I'd placed her in earlier, and tucked the blankets over me. It didn't stem the shaking though, and what she did next really surprised me. She sat down on the side of the bed, and hugged me, almost like a mother would. Not that she was old enough to be my mother, at not much more than thirty or so. "Shh, I know, I know. It's not a pretty sight to see," she whispered comfortingly.
I didn't feel all that comfortable at this outburst of raw emotion, but, I could tell that she was taking comfort from comforting me, so I allowed it to continue. :It's not like I've been sticking to any of the other rules anyway, is it: I said snidely to myself.
Marie let go about five minutes later, and held me at arms length, surveying me. "You know, don't you?" she asked finally, probably taking in the look of sympathy no doubt in my eyes. I nodded,
"Your father…" I said simply. Her lip wobbled, but she managed to correct it.
"Not my father – only a monster who used to be him. Now he's nothing to do with me, but he won't accept that… Now do you understand why I wanted to get through here as quickly as possible?" I nodded again. "How…how did you know? Did he call for me?" she asked, now shaking almost as much as I was.
"Yeah, he did," I said…I thought about telling her about the vision, and then wondered if it was wise. However, before my brain had caught up from the shock I'd just had, I'd already started asking her about it. When I'd done explaining what I'd seen, her shaking had stopped, and she was looking at me in astonishment.
"You saw all of that?" she asked, rubbing a hand on her forehead to relieve the stress. I nodded, becoming mute again as I concentrated on getting the feeling back into my hands. "Oh Gods… That was…eight years ago now…" she said mistily. "That's what started turning my hair white – luckily, it stopped after these bits," she tugged on her bangs.
"I…I'm not sure what to say," I admitted, staring at the opposite wall.
"Don't worry, you don't have to say anything. Look, in about an hour, I'll go back outside, and I'll keep watch until we reach Dragon Roost, all right?"
"No, it's fine, I'll do that," I told her, stifling a yawn.
"Yeah…right…" she said, looking at me with an amused smile. "You're not in a fit state to do that – you need to get some rest, especially as someone who's still growing!"
"No, I'll be fine, really!" I protested, even as I snuggled underneath the thick coverlet. It was so warm, so cosy…and… :Stop falling asleep: I sat bolt upright, and Marie managed a small laugh.
"It's all right. I've already had my sleep, thanks to that little manoeuvre of yours earlier…thank you for that by the way…I'm going to keep watch, but first, I'm going to make sure you go to sleep, understand?" Resigned to the fact that this woman wouldn't let me back on deck, and also that I was probably in the kind of state where challenging her would be extremely foolish, I lay back in the bed. The pillows were still warm from Marie's stint, and I pulled the covers up to my chin, over the top of my wet clothes. I'd feel uncomfortable when morning came, but at that moment, it felt heavenly…
The ghost ship had followed us, lit up in the moonlight so that every dreadful creature aboard could be seen moving around, like termites in some giant nest. That one, bobbing lantern still swung from the side, lighting the face of only bone and muscle. "Marie, Marie, why not bring us your friend. Our master would like to see her, he would. She's been spying on him, my dear Marie. He doesn't like that, not one bit. Come to us Marie, come here, come to daddy."
"We're here," Marie proclaimed, leaning in through the door. I started, and looked up at her, surrounded by blinding sunlight. :Eurgh, what a nightmare…: I thought, even as I extracted myself from the bed, and made my way up on deck.
The shafts of sunlight through the door hadn't quite prepared me for the glorious day we now faced. I shielded my eyes against the sun until they could adjust, and then took in the island before us. Dragon Roost Island – home of the Rito people, and their great protector, the dragon, lord Valoo. I looked up to see whether I could glimpse the great Valoo, but all I could see was a great black cloud hovering above the tall mountain at the centre of the island.
"It looks like there's something wrong here," Marie said, beginning to bring down the sail as we neared the shore. I could see a small speck of red growing larger as we grew closer, and knew that the boy was already here. "I've never seen a cloud like that over the mountain before – not when the sky's this clear."
"What do you suppose is wrong?" I asked, and then remembered I still held her telescope. "Here, take a look and see if you can see anything," I gave it to her. She pulled it out to its full length, and then took it to her good eye. She turned the dials on the end to focus it, and then shook her head.
"I can't see a damn thing – that cloud's too thick I'm afraid. As to what's wrong…probably the same as what's wrong all over the Great Sea at the moment. Dark creatures are appearing everywhere recently. I just hope Valoo's all right, or the Rito…" she paused, and then took the telescope to her eye again. "Hey, is that the kid?" she handed it to me, and pointed to a small black speck flying across the red/brown backdrop of the mountain.
I rose the telescope to my eye, and wheeled it around until I focused on it. To my surprise, she was right! Rufus was flying through the air, on the back of a stern-looking Rito man. Rufus' face was in a delighted grin as they soared through the air, and the corners of my mouth twitched to join in his joy. :Stop it, you idiot. Haven't you taken the Hylian trend far enough: I dropped the telescope almost as if it had burned my eye, and gave it back to Marie.
"Yes, that's the boy," I told her shortly, finishing my duties by pulling on the rudder so that we landed with a gentle bump next to Red on the beach. I hopped off first, and Marie handed me a rope, which I tied to the same tree as Red was tied to. "Good morning," I greeted him, crouching down to the look him directly in the face.
"I'm not sure if I agree with you, but good morning anyway," he answered, rather gloomily.
"What's happened mate?" Marie asked, strolling over and being far too merry for the occasion. "Why the long face?"
"The 'long face', Marie, is because the great Valoo has been acting very oddly lately, which makes our quest ten times as difficult." He returned his desperate gaze to me. "Rufus' battles are starting now, and I need you to watch him. He's never done anything like this before, and I'm worried for him… Will you watch him?"
"Of course I will," I agreed at once. "However…I don't know where I need to go…"
"That's a problem that will be solved soon enough. I trust you saw Rufus through that telescope?" I nodded. "Well, that Rito is taking him to Dragon Roost Cavern, which leads into the mountain itself. You'll need to go there, but, the only way to get there is by flight…"
"Well, this girl can practically fly from what I've seen," Marie said, clapping me heartily on the shoulder. :Since when did she start liking me: I wondered, carelessly shrugging her hand from my shoulder.
"The distance is one that not even a Sheikah could achieve, Marie," he told her. "No, the only way you'll get there is if a Rito will take you. As such, you'll have to wait until Quill arrives here with the Rito chieftain."
"Wait a minute – the chieftain is involved?" Marie broke in. "You do remember my track-record, don't you Red?"
"Yes Marie, I do," he answered, the fierce mouth curling into a smile. "Which was why I was going to suggest that you take Flo and sail to the cove on the other side, and wait there. Shadow," he looked back at me again, "would you please give Marie the stone?"
"But, what if you need to-"
"I won't be able to talk to you when you're inside the cavern anyway, so Marie may as well have it."
"Oh…OK…" I took it out, and placed it into Marie's outstretched palm. "Now, can you finish what you were going to say?" Marie started untying Flo again.
"Of course…" He took a deep breath, and launched into his explanation. "Since the only way to get there is to fly, I told Quill to enlist the help of some of the other Rito to help you get to the cavern."
"Hang on…are you trying to tell me they're going to fly me to cavern?" I asked slowly, unsure of what he meant.
"Exactly. Unless of course you'd prefer to try and grow your own wings of course," he snapped. Then, he looked apologetic, "Sorry, I'm just worried for the boy…"
"That's all right." I looked up at the clear sky. "How long do you reckon it'll be until they arrive?"
"Not long. Just long enough for Marie to get out of sight, if only she'd hurry up and get going already!" Marie jumped, and hurried with a sheepish look back to our boat.
"Point taken, I'm going already!" she exclaimed, and started to push off. I went over and helped her, wading out until I was waist deep in the water, and then letting go. "I'll see you then," she said, starting to put the sail back up. "Be careful, all right? After all, you never know when I might need a bodyguard again."
"I'll be careful," I said, and then waded back to shore. Now, the top half of my clothes were encrusted with salt, which had dried from the previous night, and the bottom half was stiff with salt, and sopping wet. :This adventure business plays havoc with my style: I thought, dusting off the clumps of salt all over my shirt. When I took my hand to my hair, I found that it was just a tangled mess, and left it as it was. It still covered one of my eyes, so it was fine by my standards.
I sat down next to Red, and watched 'Flo' and Marie sailing out of sight. The visions from the night before came back to haunt me, along with the nightmares they'd bought. "You've had another vision, haven't you?" Red asked, drawing me out of my own mind and back to the real world. "I can tell…there's always something different about the eyes when a seer has a vision, you know…"
"Indeed?" I questioned dryly, too tired and feeling far too worthless to be polite.
"Yes," he carried on, not seeming to have noticed my rude manner, "your eyes are clouded over. Pensive. And full of worry – what was it you saw?" he seemed quite earnest, and I forced myself to recount the horrible things I'd witnessed. "A vision of the past?" he asked softly, when I'd finished.
"Yes."
"Oh my…your sight grows stronger and stronger all the time… Have you seen any more of Dragmire; something that could explain this?"
"No…nothing to explain this," I answered, a little ashamed, because this fact disappointed him so.
"Ah well, then we shall have to find things out the hard way, won't we?" I made a sound of agreement in the back of my throat, and saw the boat finally slip out of sight around a large headland.
About half an hour of silent contemplation later, there was the sound of a great many pairs of wings beating overhead. I looked up, and was presented with a whole battalion (or at least, that was how it seemed) of Rito. I suddenly remembered the Rito man I'd rescued even before all of this began, and wondered if they'd already had word of him. :I may as well tell them anyway, just in case they haven't.: I realised that I didn't actually know his name…
"King of Red Lions, my friend, we came as fast as we could!" one Rito, who was more grandly clothed than the rest, called down to us. The group descended elegantly, apart from one, who dropped like a veritable stone to the ground. "Quill!" the first Rito (who I guessed must be the chieftain from the crown that he wore) chided the one whose landing was less than perfect. I recognised the stern face, now slightly bashful, as belonging to the same Rito who'd been carrying Rufus to the cavern.
"Sorry sire," he apologised quietly, and looked at the ground with his face now flushed a salmon pink colour.
"Is this the young woman you need us to transport, old friend?" the chieftain asked, looking at me with something akin to surprise. However, he politely did not comment, only waited expectantly for Red to answer.
"Yes, this is the one I told Quill of. I believe she would be of great assistance to Rufus, should he get himself into any trouble," Red said, managing to nudge me forwards by prodding me in the side with one of his carved horns. "Stand up!" he hissed, and I clumsily got to my feet, and offered a curt bow. The chieftain nodded to me, and then looked back at Red.
"Are you sure?" he looked at me. "Begging your pardon, but you do seem a little young to be adventuring, lady."
"I am too young, and yet the boy Rufus is not?" I murmured incredulously. "Is this a matter of age, or one of sex?" He looked taken aback, and I was shocked at myself as well. :That's two times now you've been rude to royalty. For Gods sakes, hold your tongue: My own advice quelled my anger, and I apologised. "I'm sorry," I said with a bow. "I've not slept properly in a few days, and it doesn't agree with me."
"Quite understandable," he smiled. "And I am sorry also…I'm just not used to the idea of young women travelling around and fighting as you do…" he trailed off, and then cleared his throat. "Well, enough of this awkwardness! I believe you require help to get to Dragon Roost Cavern, is that correct?"
"Yeah, that's right; and I'm very grateful for the help you're offering."
"Right, well, unless you've anything else left to say Red, I'll be off, and my men here will escort-"
"Actually, sire, there are a few more pieces of instruction I need to give before she can go. Could I have a few minutes perhaps?" I blinked, hardly believing my ears. The Hylian boy Rufus could, even at that moment, be in dire peril, and Red wanted a 'few minutes?' Cursing the laws that bound me to listen to royalty, I stood by him, as the Rito shuffled away out of earshot. The chieftain extended his wings, and took off smoothly from the ground, twirling like a Hylian street-dancer upon the strong breeze that still blew from the west.
"Red, what are you doing? Rufus could be in real danger, and you're-"
"I'm telling you what you must do, so that you don't jeopardize his safety any further, Shadow!" he exclaimed heatedly. "Look, you must promise me – Shadow, look me in the face as you say this," I tore my eyes away from the dwindling figure of the chieftain, and stared at him. "You must promise me, that you will not show yourself to Rufus. Not yet. He needs to do this on his own. Only if he's in mortal peril, will you show yourself to him. Do you understand?" I nodded. "And do you promise to do as I have said?"
"You have my word."
"Good." I started to stand up, but he managed to grab my wrist within his mouth, and pull me back down. "And another thing," he smiled slightly, "stop worrying about showing your emotions. Who knows, it might even do you a little good… After all, it didn't help the great Sheik in the end to be so strictly Sheikah."
:Wha…: "Hang on, what do you mean?"
"I'll tell you some other time; now, go!"
"No!" I argued. "Tell me what you mean!"
He narrowed his eyes at me, and growled, "Just go. This isn't the right time to let your emotions out. Now go." I started to protest again. "Go, that's an order Shadow!" At those words, my in built instincts pulled me to my feet, and propelled me towards the waiting Rito. :Stupid, useless… Eurgh! I hate this stupid adventuring lark. I just want to go home:
:And leave a young boy alone in a dangerous place like the cavern? How incandescently brave of you.: I shook my head and wondered just when I'd acquired multiple personalities. :I just hope this isn't the beginning of a trend.:
The group of Rito looked up as I approached. "Are you ready to go miss?" the one called 'Quill' asked.
"Yes, I am," I nodded.
"Good, well, if you'd care to step on," he pointed to the ground, and I looked down to see a small, round wooden platform sitting on the sparse dune-grass. It was about three foot in diameter, and there were three holes through which ropes had been hooked. :Thank the Gods – at least I don't have to cling onto one of their backs as Rufus had to.: That would have been…too embarrassing for words… All that contact!
"Oh no you don't Quill. We don't want to kill her!" One of the other Rito pushed him out of the way. "The way you take off, you'd probably knock the rest of us out before we're fully off the ground!" Quill scowled.
"Come on, my take-offs aren't that bad!"
"Rubbish they aren't – remember that time you nearly took my eye out at-"
"Quiet!" I roared :that is going to really hurt if I have to keep doing that: "There isn't time for you to argue. If you please, just choose some of your people, and get me to that cavern before Rufus gets into trouble." They didn't move, and feeling strangely empowered after letting my anger out like that, I stepped onto the wooden board. "Well, what are you waiting for?" Suddenly, they began to move again. Three Rito (not including Quill, I noticed) took up the ropes, and tied them around their waists.
Quill instead joined another two Rito in lifting the board off of the ground (which was a strange experience.) Then, the three Rito with the ropes unfurled their impressive wings, and began to flap – it sent my hair flying about my face, and I resettled my feet so that my centre of gravity was firmly at the centre of the board. "Wouldn't you prefer to sit?" Quill asked, looking up at me from the ground.
"No, I'll be quite all right standing, thanks," I answered, flashing a grin, which, only afterwards did I remember he wouldn't be able to see. Unless you're accustomed to reading emotions by eyes only, its quite a hard thing to do.
"All right lads; on three."
"One."
"Two."
"Three."
The take-off was probably the worst part, as all three of them rose into the air at different rates, making the board wobble and tilt. Had I not stretched my arms out to my sides to regain my balance, I probably would have fallen off. Luckily, I didn't, and when the three of them got into the same rhythm as one another, the actual flight wasn't all that bad after all.
Giggles I had far too much fun making Marie and Shadow fight… And that whole thing with the ghost ship wasn't planned, and the idea was half-stemmed from Pirates' of the Caribbean… I managed to spook myself out, since I wrote it in the middle of the night (fool that I am), so even if you didn't like it, I enjoyed myself!
Dear me, I really need to start on the action before you all die of boredom out there. However, never fear, for Dragon Roost Cavern is in the very next chapter! Now to see whether I can actually construe some plausible fight scenes!
Soda
PS: Bah, I guess the reference to that Anastasia cartoon movie might have been a bit obscure, looking back at it… It's just that bit near the beginning of chapter seven, right before Rufus has his flash-back, and he thinks 'It's like – a memory from a dream.' I wish I could lay claim to that beautiful phrase, but, alack, I stole it.