The hero, the broken, the saviour
In the last chapter, we were all privy to some fighting…and…uh, some more fighting… And that was about it. Shadow came to the rescue of our dear little Hylian boy, and then managed to slip off without leaving so much as a name behind her. Rufus got to play with grappling hooks and kill stuff. What fun.
(Does anyone else get the feeling that my summary man is getting bored with the job?)
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics. This is for Lossemare…and H7 really ' Since I'm so terrible at updating and all… Many apologies, but the other fandoms took over for a while!
Shadow: Wisdom's Revelations
I saw the burly moblin throw Rufus into the cage with the young Rito girl in it, and watched as the creature bolted the door shut. :I'm surprised it could figure it out…: I thought disbelievingly, knowing for a fact that the common moblin's brain is no larger than a grape, and about as useful… As soon as this task was done, it joined its two bokoblin comrades and Judas in advancing towards me. I held my whip in both hands, glad of the feeling of the complete leather instrument beneath my fingers.
Judas stopped before me, and kept his rapier limp at his side, just staring at me. I (albeit bashfully) levelled with his gaze, holding his eyes with a look of contempt. :I can handle him, no problem. He surprised me last time, but now I'm prepared.: I could hear the two youngsters talking to one another, and the Rito threw an ever-absorbed eye at the boy in green, a crooked smile on his face.
Then, he looked back, and it seemed obvious just how intent he was that he wouldn't be losing his 'prize' at any cost. It was a comforting thought that I was fighting for the greater good, but being outnumbered four to one (even if only one of your adversaries is actually any sort of threat) did concern me a little. This thought led me to an interesting, and actually rather practical solution.
Just as I had done earlier, I directed most of my concentration at the chain that was holding the cage-door closed. I still kept one eye on Judas, dividing my concentration in the way that I thought would be the best. The black-haired Rito shuffled slightly on his feet, seeming to tire of all this waiting – as I knew he would, he hurried forwards to engage me in battle, and I hurriedly flipped out one of my daggers to counter his attack. :Eight inches on a blade doesn't really seem like a lot when you're fighting someone with a weapon four foot long.:
He backed off, and took to the air, much in the same way as he had done in our earlier battles. This time, I didn't use my whip, knowing that it was likely I would damage it again, instead clipping it back onto my belt and taking out my other dagger as well. I span them deftly around my fingers to relieve the slight tension in my muscles, and then almost lazily waited for his next attack. To my left and right, I could see the bokoblins begin to move in, and the moblin was obviously coming towards me from in front.
My mind was still on the cage door even as I bent my legs slightly and then leapt over the head of the moblin coming towards me. I transferred both of my daggers to one hand for a few seconds, whilst I reached into my small pouch of needles. These I palmed, and then I threw them at the back of the large, lumbering creature, taking my mind from the cage door for a tiny fraction of a second to make the needles explode even more violently than they normally would. This soon reduced the moblin to a twitching wreck on the ground.
:Cage door open. The chain will untangle, the lock will open, and it will free the prisoners. Cage door open. Open. Chain undo. Open, now.: Judas swept down upon me whilst I was still unbalanced, making me have to drop into a rather uncontrolled tumble after ducking underneath his well-aimed swing. I managed to gain control of my move halfway through, and was back on my feet at the end of it. I made it so that I was holding one dagger in each hand again, and smiled as I heard a faint clicking sound…
"How did that happen?" I heard the Hylian boy exclaim in surprise, drawing my attention. Thankfully, the Rito man was too preoccupied with me to notice that his prisoners were about to escape. One of the bokoblins veered off, and, whilst fending off blows from my foe's rapier, I caught sight of Rufus, sword and shield out, ready to fight. I'll admit I was slightly shocked, but felt ingratiated at the same time. Seeing that I was distracted, Judas attempted to trip me with a cunning low nudge of his leg, but I leapt over it easily.
Annoyed that he would try such a simple trick, I reprimanded him as I would any of the other warriors I trained with back on Opacus Isle. I used the nearest blunt instrument to hand (being the hilt of the dagger in my right hand) to clout him around the head. He stumbled, dazed by the blow, and I turned my head just in time to see a bokoblin fall from the end of the boy's sword. The Rito girl cheered, and I grinned beneath my cowl in amusement.
I wasn't amused for long though, as Judas quickly regained his senses, and pressed on quickly towards me. I took the opportunity the space leant me (and the fact that Valoo's next tantrum was hopefully a long way away) and used it to my full advantage. At a steady pace that was just below my maximum speed, I ran backwards, most of my attention on visualising the ground behind me, and making sure than I didn't trip over backwards. The Rito man followed, but, on the ground, he was much slower than he was in the air, his wings a cumbersome nuisance to him when not in flight.
The second bokoblin was waiting with a perplexed look when I halted and turned in one move. Using the adrenaline that was now pumping through my veins, I tensed my whole body, and then let it suddenly explode upwards, my legs launching me like springs into the air. It was, by no means one of my better jumps, but it did give me enough momentum to break the neck of the monster on impact. I extended my left leg, which ended in the foot I had previously injured. :Just in case the stupid creature defends itself, I may as well use the foot that already hurts.:
The sole of my foot connected with cartilage and then hard tissue, crushing the nose before following through and tipping the head back so far that the vertebrae in the neck just snapped like dry twigs. I twisted slightly so that I didn't land on the body, and then landed in the standard position, with my left leg out to the side, right leg below me, a hand to steady myself, and the other ready with one of my daggers in it. A brief glance showed me the monster's body disintegrating quickly, and I craned my neck upwards to look the angry Rito man in the face.
Feeling a lot braver than I had in our first confrontation, and sure again of my merits as a warrior, I offered him one last chance. "You can still give up you know. All you have to do is say the word, and this won't have to go on any further." I kept my tone utterly sincere, even though I suspected my offer would be rejected. As usual, my suspicions were confirmed when he ridiculed the idea.
"Give up?" he echoed. "When the only reason you escaped alive the last time was due to a freak rock fall? I think not, somehow." He moved his impressive (and no doubt expensive) weapon through intricate patterns in the air, managing to look bored, angry and contemptuous all at once. "Besides…I can't afford to lose my commission on this." His eyes flickered towards the now empty cage, and I took great satisfaction in the horror that dawned on his face. I could see the boy standing almost directly behind Judas, but the girl had (wisely) hidden herself from view.
Suddenly, the boy yelled out, and I scowled as he drew the danger onto himself. :Oh for Gods sakes! Couldn't he have just carried on like a sensible lad: "Hey! You, with the feathers! Looking for me?" Immediately, the Rito took to the air, and I knew that it would be ten times as difficult to combat him that way. Adding that to the fact that I now had to protect the boy from harm as well as myself, it wasn't shaping up to be a fair fight.
:Who said anything about having to play by the rules: I smiled, and then stared at the back of the soaring Rito's robes, picturing them becoming as heavy as granite. :Weigh him down, bring him down, pin him to the ground. Weigh as heavy as a large Temple pillar. Heavy as granite, fall like a stone.: I vaguely noticed the boy nod at me, probably wanting me to attack. But, so deep into the spell was I, that any other activity would have shattered it to pieces. I'd used too much magic recently, and even with the gifted amulet the Great Fairy had granted me, the spells were taking their toll.
I tracked the movement of Rufus by tracking the movements of the Rito man. They both moved across my field of vision, backing away all the time. Soon, the patterns on Judas' robes all merged into one blur of colour, and I continued to stare at his back, willing him to be weighed down. Sweat was beginning to form on my skin, and I balled my fists, which still contained daggers, tightly at my sides.
He landed, and I increased my efforts tenfold as he taunted the boy with words I couldn't make out. The boy ducked forwards, and I opened my hands, releasing the tension and sending it straight through my eyes to the Rito's body. "Rufus, get away from him." When the boy didn't move, I yelled again through my strangled throat, "Hylian, move!" As soon as he did, I became rigid just as Judas did, and when he fell forwards onto the ground, I did as well. I managed to catch myself on one knee, and kept a hold on my weapons.
I heard the Rito girl enquire after my health to Rufus, and forced myself to stand up again, panting slightly to get back the air I had forgotten to breathe whilst casting the spell. The youngsters cast their eyes towards the fallen Rito, and I quickly change the trajectory of my course towards the two of them. I was particularly aware of the boy's interest, as he stared at me openly and without embarrassment. :It must be a Hylian thing…: I had to look down upon both of them, which felt odd considering I had spent most my battle craning my neck upwards…
"Rufus, I'd suggest you take this young lady further up the mountain. Finish helping the Rito – and I'll make sure this man doesn't bother you again." I threw a glance at Judas, who would soon be getting up again.
"But…why? Why are you helping me, and why've you been following me?" he asked. Next was the question I'd been dreading… "Who are you?" I saw Judas' beginning to reach for his weapon, and so did the boy. Coldly, I told him,
"Just hurry and go. It shall be explained later." The Hylian didn't seem to want to take this as his final answer,
"Wait – can't I at least have your name?" I was spared having to answer than when the girl at his side sensibly tugged on his arm.
"Come on Rufus, let's just get out of here!" He didn't really have much choice in the matter, since he was being pulled along, but I was glad that the young girl had taken control of the situation. Now, at last, I could just worry about the Rito who was beginning to get shakily to his feet. Not wishing for any further confrontation, I used my remaining reserves of magic to envisage him tied up with lengths of strong rope, and chained into his own cage.
His rapier fell to the ground as he winked out of existence, and then appeared again in the cage a few moments later. I walked over to it, my legs slightly unstable as my strength poured out of me. I picked it up, and then once again collapsed onto my knees. Judas opened his mouth in order to taunt me, and I mentally gagged him. It worked well in real life as well… :So tired… But I need to help the boy… But I'm so tired…: I slumped forwards onto the ground, the filigreed hilt of the whippy sword digging uncomfortably on my wind pipe.
I rolled over, and found the ground, though hard, quite comfortable. Looking up at the reddening sky, I ignored the muffled protests of the black-haired Rito-man at his imprisonment. The clouds above were edged with delicate pink, and I reminisced about days spent like this with Firen and Delia, on the rare occasions when we were awarded days off, and we would sit on the beach, and stare at the clouds for hours on end. :How I miss doing that…:
I yawned widely, and bought my arms up to act as a pillow on which to rest my head. :Shouldn't get too comfortable… You'll have to get up in a minute anyway. Don't want the boy to get hurt because you're too lazy to shift, do you: I yawned again, and turned over onto my side, ensuring that I could still see the cage out of the corner of my eye even as I shifted into a more comfortable position, bringing my legs up close to my chest and staring with sleepy fascination at the shadows cast by the small pieces of gravel littering the ground.
:I'll just rest a little while, and then I'll go after the boy…: I decided, a third yawn escaping my mouth as I closed my eyes. Almost as soon as I had shut out the real world, the vision-world assaulted me…
The helmaroc king was wheeling high in the red sky of the evening, it's keen eyes searching out something below. It looked over at me, floating along beside it, but seemed to dismiss me, ardently looking for whatever it was it had been sent to collect… For some reason, I knew that it had been sent, though I didn't know how I knew at all…
It screeched in obvious delight as it spotted it's target (whatever it was), and it started to dive downwards. The view changed so that I could see along the length of its cruelly sharp beak, and I saw with horror the same plateau that I was upon. A dot of indigo caught my eye, and almost immediately, it began to stir, sitting up and looking directly upwards, the one uncovered red eye wide. :I can't believe I look so stupid…: I thought, just before I was bought back to reality with a severe jolt.
I sat up quickly, and looked up at the quickly darkening sky; as I'd feared, there was a huge black shape silhouetted against it. Scrambling slightly in my haste, I stood up, and raced to the nearest outcrop I could reach, ducking behind it and pulling out a handful of needles at the same time. Peering around the stony pinnacle, I was able to see the bird slow in its descent, and hover expertly above the cage, it's talons working into straps made out of a combination of leather and iron, which had been attached to the top of the metal box.
Judas looked up, his amber eyes now full of fear – he rocked to try and get the huge creature to let go of its cargo, but it was to no avail. I felt a small sense of satisfaction when the gag I had placed upon him managed to come loose, and his terrified screams reached my ears. :Great, so now we have twisted forms of anger and revenge to add to the collection do we: I told the 'voice' as I had just that moment decided to call it, to shut up. The thin scrap of material that had been strapped over the Rito traitor's mouth fluttered to the ground, twisting beautifully in the soft breeze.
The smell of smoke caught in my nostrils, and I suddenly remembered that I should really get going. Briefly, I paused, dropping my effects onto the ground, and rummaging around for a drink – I pulled my mask down and took a swig from a glass bottle full of lukewarm water :lovely, before replacing the stopper. Then, I put the container back into my bag, and started traipsing in the direction that the two kids had taken, half-heartedly fiddling with my facemask before deciding to leave it down for the moment. The cool night air was very refreshing after all that time spent inside a steaming volcano, and I decided to take full advantage of it whilst I still could.
Only a few minutes into my hurried walk, a shrill scream cut through the dusky air of the oncoming night. This of course shocked me, and I yanked my facemask up over my nose, breaking into a run to see what all the noise was about. I skidded around a corner in the pathway, and then quickly slammed myself back against the wall when I saw a flash of green swinging wildly on the end of a length of rope. :What the-: The Rito girl was on the other side, obviously trying to contain laughter.
"How do you make it stop?" Rufus demanded, clinging onto the rope for dear life, and I managed to glean that he was trying to swing his way across the torrent of water below. :Thank Gods for that: I sighed quietly, and then sank down onto the floor, stretching my legs out before me and lazily leaning against the rock, watching as the boy slowed. "Laughing doesn't help!" he snapped as he began to climb up the now barely moving rope, and sat on the bar it was attached to. The girl apologised, and then waited impatiently for him to finally reach the other side.
When his feet finally alighted on the rock on the other side, I stood up once more, brushing a few bits of gravel and such-like from my back as I did so. Carefully, I leant out, just in time to see Rufus' feet alight on the other side of the huge gorge. "Great!" he said, dusting his hands off, and then turning around to look up at the rope, which was still swinging back and forth from the wooden pole above. "Now, how do we get them back?" he asked the Rito girl standing next to him.
"Oh, that's easy," she said airily, gently pushing him out of the way and stepping forwards, arms held out in order to catch the rope on the next swing. She leant forwards over the edge of the platform of rock, and I watched like a hawk, just in case she should lose her balance. Luckily, she didn't, and easily caught the rope of the next swing, grabbing it in both hands and holding it securely. Then, she nodded her head, signalling Rufus to come forwards and watch what she was about to do.
"Just tug on it really hard three times, and it'll naturally release – like this." She acted out the motions she had described, the rope going taught twice before the metal hook released its hold from around the wooden pole. It fell into the water below, and the Rito girl staggered a little bit, saved from a nasty fall when the Hylian took hold of the rope and helped her drag the grapple back in. "I may as well look after them for now – we're going to have to go on together as it is, or else you wouldn't find your way."
:It's nice to see a bit of teamwork: I thought, yet again wishing for some Sheikan company to keep me from going mad. :Keep you from it? Somehow, I think you achieved insanity quite a while ago, considering you now have voices in your head…: Again, I forced myself to stop thinking altogether, and watched the two young adventurers.
They started off again, Medli dragging Rufus up the mountainside, holding firmly onto his hand to ensure that he followed her precisely. I heard them begin to chatter on about things of little consequence, and tuned out from their conversation, now only preparing myself to leap across the gap in the path. It was quite a distance, and I didn't particularly fancy a swim, considering that the temperature was now dropping rapidly.
I rubbed my arms briskly, shivering a little with the cold, and waited for the voices of the two youngsters to dull into silence, before I dared to step out from behind my outcrop, and survey the gap properly. :It's not too far – just under my longest jump I suppose… As long as I get a good run up…: I took a step backwards, and bent my legs a little, once again gauging the distance just before I started to run.
A careless footstep reached my ears, and I ducked just as a feathered arm reached out to try and grab me. Instead, I grabbed onto it, and pulled whoever it was towards me, my arm around their neck. When I saw who it was, I let go again, and the Rito man (Quill) coughed, rubbing his neck. He glared at me reproachfully, and I looked away, slightly embarrassed. "Sorry sir – but you shouldn't try to sneak up on a Sheikah. Our ears are very sensitive, so I heard you coming…" I explained, guiltily holding my arms behind my back.
"Do you happen to know what happened to the Rito who flew you up here?" he asked, crossing his fathered arms over his chest and looking stern. I got the feeling that he'd already made his own assumptions, and took a stealthy step backwards, getting ready to jump out of the way if he tried to attack me.
"The Rito who bought me here – there were three of them… The one called Judas attacked the other two in the air, and I believe it was his intention to prevent me from getting to the cavern altogether." Quill quirked an eyebrow, but I continued, keeping my voice level, even though I was panicking inside at the Rito man's insinuation. :He thinks me a murderer.:
"And why, pray tell, would Judas want to do that? He's one of the King's closest and oldest friends, and a loyal servant of the postal service, just as I am."
"He's working for Dragmire," I answered simply. "He attempted to kidnap Medli, the new attendant to Valoo, and was also intent on kidnapping Rufus before I intervened." The man before me looked as though I had slapped him in the face with the 'audacity' of my 'accusations'.
"How dare you insinuate he'd do such a thing! I believe Red was wrong about you – you're nothing but a lying little-" I reached forwards and grabbed him by the front of his shirt before he could finish insulting me. He blinked, seemingly surprised, and then stared directly into my eyes. I summed up the remaining, last little dreg of magic I had left, and laced my voice with a mesmer-like quality, which would make the Rito see the truth in my words.
"I don't lie," I told him simply, letting him go, and turning around. Looking over my shoulder, I saw him reel about a little, having to lean on the mountainside for support. :You shouldn't have done that – you're not suppose to use that unless you really have to: I reasoned to the 'voice' that in the circumstances I was in, it had been necessary. :I can't leave the boy all on his own, and I'll just have to explain this later, when there's time: I went back, and helped Quill sit down, making sure that he wouldn't stumble off of the path and to his death. That done, I turned around, assessed my jump, and made it.
I just reached the other side of the gorge, having to scramble a little in order to prevent myself from falling backwards. Then, I stopped, and had another drink of water in order to revitalize myself. Never before had I been in a situation in which I had no magic left whatsoever. I only had my training left to rely on, and even that seemed like it wouldn't be enough, if I considered my earlier clumsiness. :But you have to at least try: I reasoned with myself, starting the long, arduous climb to catch up with the youngsters.
When I did manage to catch up with the other two adventurers, I had a difficult time keeping my presence hidden, as Rufus kept looking over his shoulder, probably trying to spot me. Each time he did so, it was only through sheer good luck that I ducked out of sight in time – thankfully, Valoo's tantrums had shaken so much rubble from the side of the mountain that I had a lot of debris to hide behind. Without any magic left, this was all I could do to stop him seeing me…
The journey up the last section of twisting, turning pathway to reach Valoo was uneventful, punctuated only by the sudden and unpredictable explosions of violence from the red dragon guardian of the island. I had begun to try and guess when each of them would come, but the time-frames between each outburst were so wildly different that I wasn't able to at all.
Suddenly, the youngsters drew to a stop on a wide section of the path, sitting down on smaller boulders in order to rest. I crept as close as I dared, carefully stepping over sections of loose gravel on the ground, in some places having to half-climb in order to prevent myself from knocking any of the small pebbles and making a noise that would make my presence known. When I had gotten as close as I dared, I was able to tune into their conversation – to my surprise, I found that the two of them were arguing – or, at least, the Rito girl had raised her voice in outrage.
"Yes, 'we'. Why not? Don't you think I can handle it or something?" The girl launched herself from her seat next to the Hylian, and took a few paces forwards, before turning around to glare at him angrily, hands on hips.
"No, it's not that – it's just – it'd be really dangerous," he stuttered, and I smiled a little when I saw him cowering under her gaze. :Poor boy – he's not used to all these confrontations.: "And, well, I wouldn't want you to get hurt," he said, looking up at her meekly, "or anything." Medli's eyes softened, and she lowered her voice a little as she replied,
"But I could help you! I mean, two people would be better than one if you had to fight something, surely?" I just shook my head, and replaced my feet when the stones beneath my feet shifted slightly as the volcano beneath rumbled. :Not necessarily.: For a moment, I thought I'd spoken out loud, as both of the people before me stopped in their tracks and looked around with confused faces. However, when a second later Rufus started to fish around in his pocket, I realised that it was Red speaking through the stone he must have given the boy. :So now you can't even tell your own voice from others':
:Well, it's not as though I've spoken enough recently to know it well: I thought back at the voice, before realising that I was just fighting with myself again. I plied a stern pinch to the skin on my left hand, biting my lip as it drew me back to my senses. Looking up from the now-red skin of my left hand, I saw the Rito girl waving mutely to the green stone that Rufus was holding up.
"…Right…" Red answered, sounding perplexed, but he soon carried on. "Well, Medli, I'd suggest that you let Rufus fight whatever creature he finds in the cavern alone. Because, if he has to look out for you as well, then he might get very badly hurt because he's distracted. I know you mean well, but you've never fought properly before, and this would not be the best time to put your skills into practice…" The girl hastily tried to contest the decision,
"But, what if I-"
"No buts, Medli." Red's voice sounded firm, and I felt glad that he was there to tell the Rito girl what to do. :I wouldn't want to have to try and protect both of them at once.:
:Don't you think you'd be able to handle it then? Well, you probably wouldn't. you useless excuse for a warrior: Again, I forced myself to pay attention, dropping my eyes briefly to the skin of my left hand, to remind myself of the earlier pinch. The bare fingers taunted me greatly, and I thought about the bandages I had removed from them. :I'll only put them back when I think I deserve to wear them again: I decided.
"Uh…thanks Red," the boy said into the stone, and then quickly, he called him before he could close the link. "Red?"
"Yes? I'm still here lad – what is it?" the dragon-prowed boat asked anxiously.
"Uh…well… I sort of mucked a bit earlier, and got into a spot of bother…" he looked up as Medli walked off towards the edge of the path, and looked out over the sea, which was a spectacular ochre colour – the sun was just about to set, and the Rito girl closed her eyes as the gentle breeze washed over her. I could tell that she was upset that she wouldn't be allowed to help Rufus, but was dealing with it as best as she could. :Clever girl.:
Red just chuckled at Rufus' admission that he hadn't done as well as he thought he should have done. "Oh, don't worry about that, nobody's perfect!" Rufus just shuffled uncomfortably on his seat, and then lowered his face closer to the stone, also lowering his voice.
"No, you don't understand… I mean, like, really mucked up. The only reason I'm still here is because some strange girl helped me. She was dressed all in indigo, and she came in and generally kicked butt and stuff…" I stifled a laugh at the last part of his confession of help, though :strange girl? That's not very polite: I let that slip, and jumped when Marie's voice filtered through the stone. :Marie! You fool:
"Hah, should have known! That girl's a spunky one, that's for sure!"
"Red, who's that?" the boy demanded to know, frowning accusatively at the stone.
"Who's what?" Red asked innocently, and had he been one of my students, I probably would have ridiculed him for his poor lying abilities.
"Red, don't play games, who was that?" Rufus repeated, now clutching the stone so tightly in his hands that I was surprised he wasn't hurting himself. :Or perhaps he is? And just too angry to show it:
"I don't know what you mean Rufus," the King of Red Lions answered, taking a fatherly tone. "Look, there isn't time for you to waste – you need to get in there and sort out that problem now!" Rufus' face told me that this wasn't the answer he had been seeking, and he protested strongly, yelling loudly,
"Red!" But, the link had already been broken, and furiously, he threw the stone at the part of the rock-face closest to him. "Damn it!" I was surprised by the ease with which the swear-word tripped off of his tongue, but, judging by the flush on his cheeks, he was incredibly angry. The green gem just rebounded, still in perfect shape, and he scooped it up, muttering, "Stupid thing!" He stuffed it back into his deep pocket, and then looked around, doubtless wondering where his companion had gone.
She was still standing at the edge of the path, her shoulders hunched and arms wrapped around herself. From where I sat, I was able to see that she was staring out at the swiftly setting sun, he eyes bright with un-shed tears. :No wonder I'm going mad, with all these emotions rampant everywhere… I wonder how the great Sheik was able to handle it: I took a pleasant few seconds to think about our greatest hero, and how he had helped the Hero of Time to rescue the ancient land of Hyrule, so many years ago now…
I too looked to the west, and thought of home. :I wonder what mother's doing right now? And I bet Firen and Delia are up to some sort of mischief without me! OH! Firen's crossbow – and his boots? What's he going to do without me there to look after the cupboard: I smiled at the ineptness of my close friend, and fondly touched a hand to my whip, which he had helped me to make about four or five years ago. :Good times…:
I started when I heard a rustling noise, and saw that Rufus was stealthily (at least, stealthily by Hylian terms) rummaging through his pack, looking for something. When I caught a flash of green, I guessed that it must be his hat, and when he put it on over his unruly hair, I knew my guess was right. :I don't see why he bothers, if he has to hold it into place like that: I thought, waiting with as much trepidation as he was for the Rito girl to finally speak, so that we could be on our way.
I was beginning to get restless, having always been one of those people who preferred to move quickly, whether or not they knew the destination, and tapped my fingers softly on the rock face in impatience. Finally, the Rito girl blinked, and tore her eyes away from the magnificent sun-set to look at Rufus over her shoulder. She was smiling, but I knew that only a few seconds before, tears had still be running tracks down her young cheeks. Her eyes were still bright, and taking one look at Rufus, I could see that he was a little apprehensive.
"Heh…sorry about…all that," she said sheepishly, rocking on the balls of her feet, and twisting her hands behind her back. "I guess all the excitement got to me… You know, be a hero and all that," she let out a forced laugh. "Just being silly I suppose…it's not like girls are supposed to fight anyway…" she paused, and then amended the statement, "not Rito ones at least… Well…anyway…I suppose I'd better take you to the cavern then." She sighed lightly, and turned to start leading Rufus up the last part of the mountain.
"Medli…" he began, drawing her attention back from the pathway we had yet to tread.
"Yeah?"
"Just so you know – thanks." He blushed as he said this, and I noted this with interest. :I know I shouldn't be fascinated, but I am. All these emotions everywhere, right out in the open – just…such an eye-opener.:
"For what?" she seemed genuinely confused.
"For helping me out – I – I really appreciate it, you know?" he stuttered, the crimson of his face deepening. Medli also blushed, and brushed the compliment off as brusquely as she could.
"Don't mention it. Now, come on, before it gets dark – the monsters move higher up at nighttime, so we'd best move quickly."
"OK – hang on, I just need to get my stuff." I looked around for his bag, and realised with a start how close it was to my hiding place. Hurriedly, I dropped down into a crouch, and squeezed myself beneath a slight overhang in the boulder I had been hiding behind. I could hear his breathing, and even his heartbeat, he was so close. I could also hear the tapping of the Rito girl's foot on the stone, and was glad when Rufus' footsteps moved away from me. :Far too close: I decided, waiting as I had before for the footsteps of the youngsters fade away into almost nothing before getting up to follow them once more.
As the two before me began to slow up, I decided that I'd prefer to follow next to them, rather than behind them. The whole area was rank with the traces of dark magic, and my senses were all going haywire, danger warnings sounding in my life. :This place is dangerous. I need to be there with them at all times now.: I looked around for a suitable stretch, and saw to my great delight that there was a narrow pathway about ten feet above, which by the ropes acting as handrails, I supposed must be used by the Rito coming up to get scales from Valoo. The best thing was that it ran all the way to Valoo's plateau itself, so would probably follow the path for long enough for me to stay with the youngsters.
So, I ran my hands over the appropriate section of the cliff-face, looking for some good foot and hand holds. Having found someone, I began pulling myself up the weather rock, all the while keeping my ears open, and casting looks around every few seconds to make sure my charge and his companion were all right. Despite the obvious danger in the air, the two of them were talking to one another with merry laughter punctuating the conversation. :How can they still laugh in a place like this: I wondered, finally pulling myself onto the higher pathway.
Suddenly, their laughs stopped, and I peered over the edge of my walkway, to see that they had stopped about two hundred yards or so in front of me. They were looking up at some sort of cave-mouth, which I was only able to see from my new vantage point, as it was on a dip in the pathway. Just like everything else, the dark hole in the cliff-side gave me a prickling feeling all over, and I hurried towards it. The closer I got, the worse the feeling became, until it felt as though there were insects crawling all over me.
I knew that there weren't, but I still checked to make sure. :Nothing – calm down and pay attention you coward: I looked down at the Rito and Hylian, who were still looking at the cave-mouth with something akin to awe. "Is that it?" Rufus asked, now quiet. :I suppose he must sense at least something about this place then…: He looked up, and I shifted so that I fell under the shadow of one of the posts that held the rope handrails in place. He didn't notice me, instead, tilting his head to look up at Valoo, who was sitting above, quietly whimpering. I too looked up, feeling a stab of compassion on hearing the pain of the creature's cries.
Now that the sun had dipped completely below the horizon, the sky was quickly turning to a deep navy blue, and I looked up to see the stars popping into view all over. Valoo's eyes shone as brightly as the stars above when he turned his pearlescent gaze on the children below – I saw Rufus shudder, and look away. Then, Valoo looked at me, and I stared into those huge eyes in wonder. He looked so…there was no other word for it…so wise. If I hadn't seen it, I'm not sure I would have believed any look could affect me as that did.
For, the critical voice that had been muttering things in the back of my head ever since I had started trailing Rufus, suddenly fell silent, leaving me with a gracious silence inside my own head. The dragon just nodded, and then whimpered a little as something obviously began to hurt. I tore my eyes away from the noble face, and looked down again, to see Medli with her hand resting on Rufus' shoulder. :How sweet: I thought, the idea coming unbidden. But, instead of reprimanding myself, I just let the thought stand as it was.
"This is where I have to leave you…" she said, sounding regretful.
"You should go back to the city," Rufus decided for her. "It's not safe up here, and I bet Quill and the others are worried about."
:Actually…: I thought, remembering Quill's unspoken accusation that I was a…:a murderer. Me? What could I have possibly gained by murdering those people? It wouldn't have served any purpose, nothing for the greater good – surely he knows a Sheikah would never-:
"Don't you want me to wait for you?" Medli asked, cutting my train of thought. She looked to the side, blushing once more.
"I…no, I could be in there for…hours…I just…think it'd be best if you went back." The boy then copied her action by giving her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. To both our surprise, the Rito girl didn't contest this, and just nodded.
"OK, I will." Then, to the shock of Rufus (but to my own amusement), she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Just be careful! Don't go getting yourself killed or anything!" she warned him. :Perhaps not the most reassuring thing you could have said: I thought, shaking my head and grinning.
He hugged her back (a little awkwardly), "I promise I won't." He then carefully extracted himself from the embrace. "Now, go on – I want to be sure you're gone and safe before I'll even think about going in!" She disobediently placed both hands on her hips, and pulled a face, before then smiling graciously, and walking over to the very edge of the path. "Go on," he urged, using his hands to motion that she go.
She swallowed loudly, and her lip wobbled a little. She waved, and smiled tightly, before dropping from the edge and letting the wind take her away, helping her getting the lift she needed to be able to loop and then waved again, before disappearing from sight altogether. Rufus watched the dim sky for a few more seconds, and then lowered the hand he had been waving with to his side.
Next, he started looking around, much as he had back in the cavern, probably trying to seek me out. I ensured that the shadows were covering me properly, and pulled back so that I could only just see him. He gave up, and gave a dejected little sigh. Then, he looked around to the entrance to the cave beneath Valoo, squaring his shoulders and readying himself for a fight. He took his sword and shield from his back as he walked in, and I noticed with a twisted fear that the stalagmite and stalactites make the entrance look a lot like a great mouth.
:That's never a good omen…: I sat down on the edge of the path, ducking under the ropes, and dangling my legs over the edge. Then, I shuffled forwards, and let myself drop, rolling as I landed on the pathway below, and then managing to stand up again with little difficulty at the end of my role.
I looked up at the huge stalactites above, trying to ensure myself that they really were just stone. When they didn't suddenly spring into action and try to take a chunk out of me, I dared to step into the murky gloom of the passage cared into the rock. The sudden change in temperature, from the brisk cool of outside, to the clammy heat inside, was quite a shock. I pulled my facemask down, and fanned my face with my left hand as I walked along. With my right hand, I took out my whip, holding it ready to defend myself.
The thing that really hit me perhaps ten paces in was the dreadful stench about the place. It was a combination of the smell left by fire created by dark-magic, and rotting meat, as well as something I couldn't put a name to. I pulled my facemask back up, glad of the pomanders of lavender I had kept in the same drawer as my masks back at home. :I'd prefer to melt than smell that: I decided, tightening my mask a little bit, as it had become loose in all the strenuous activity of the day so far.
Light began to brighten again, and I realised that there were torches on the walls. :Damn: That meant that it was going to be very difficult to keep out of sight, considering that the walls were smooth, the ceiling low, and there was nothing to hide behind. All I had left was the curvature of the tunnel, which allowed me to walk a short distance, and then stop to wait for Rufus to move on enough for me to go again. I spent most of the journey crawling, rather than walking, as the light on the floor was less than it was higher up.
Valoo started up again, and I just stopped moving altogether, preferring to let Rufus get a little too far away from me, to being discovered, and having to explain myself to him. :After all, you need to let him do this on his own. Only interfere if he gets in real trouble.: I agreed with this advice, and sat with my back pressed against the wall, waiting for the tantrum to stop – pieces of the ceiling broke off and clattered to the floor, along with a great deal of dust.
When it did stop, I was covered in a fine layer of dust, and had to shake it out of my hair. There was a click, which echoed down the hallway. It sounded a little like a door opening… "Well, here I go," I heard Rufus mutter. Quickly, I moved forwards, running in a crouch, just in time to see him step through a door and into a large room beyond. By the glow, I could tell that the room he'd gone into had some molten rock in it somewhere, and, judging by the heat, there was a lot of it as well.
I tottered over to the door, and sat down; looking through the crack of around a foot he had left, I could see him looking around, trying to find his foe. The prickling feeling of knowing something was about to happen was almost unbearable, and I toyed with my whip to try and take my mind off the maddening itch. I leant my head against the metal, which was pleasantly cool compared to the rest of the room, and watched with tired eyes as the boy swung his sword around.
"Where are you are?" he said aloud, though it was more to himself than to…whatever creature was in the room. Though I couldn't see it, I knew it was there… He retreated to the far wall, and looked up, trying to gauge the distance to a wooden bar that was sticking out of the wall. :I guess he wants to go up to try and find it, or something like that.: But, suddenly, the creature made its position all-to-clear when the magma lake in the centre of the room suddenly pulsed, and then – something – erupted from the molten rocks, clumps of lava clinging to its body.
"Oh my Gods!" Rufus exclaimed, craning his neck to look up at the – thing – whatever it was! I wasn't able to see its face, as it was staring at Rufus, and all I could tell that it was simply huge. :There's no way he can fight it alone: I decided, starting to get to my feet. I heard Rufus lamely whisper, "Uh…nice monster…?" I stepped forwards, turning sideways to get through the gap he had left, but something barred my entrance.
I winced as pain shot through my left side, and tried again. This time, the pain ran through the whole of me, and I stumbled backwards, clinging onto the door handle to stop myself from falling over altogether. :What the-: I reached out a finger, this time watching as the tip of it became bruised, and the nail shredded. I pulled it back when the pain became too great to stand in silence, and looked closely at it. :Surely not…: I narrowed my eyes at my fingertip. :I…I'm not positive…but that looks like dark magic burns to me. But…why would it hurt me, and not him:
:Unless…unless it's trying to make sure I can't help…: This thought worried me, and I hurried back over to where I had been sitting before, looking out at the room – the giant creature was still paying too much attention to Rufus, and I willed it to leave him be. As if listening to my plea, it suddenly launched itself upwards, showing that it was even larger than I had feared, large strong sections of its body holding it up. Something red rained down, and judging by the boy's face, I knew it must be blood.
Above, Valoo growled and roared, and began to bang his fists on the ground again, making bits if dust and small stones rain down on me – inside the cavern however, right underneath the dragon's blows, large chunks of the roof were falling down. There was a piteous keening sound, and the creature collapsed back into the lava – I was just able to see a large chunk of rock on its head before it sank below the molten waves. Rufus had to hurriedly get out of the way as large globules of magma showered all over the room. :Be careful: I silently yelled at him.
Cleverly, he took advantage of the incapacitation of the monster, and used the grappling hook to start moving upwards. :Maybe if he can make it grab onto Valoo's tail a few more times, he'll daze it enough that he can get a good few hits on it.: The boy shimmied up the pole at high speed, and then sat on the wooden pole, now on what I guessed to be eye-level with the creature – it swivelled a little, and I was able to glimpse a large purple and green eye.
He stared at that great eye, and by his furrowed brow, I guessed he too was wondering how to kill his foe. He looked upwards, to where Valoo's tail was hanging through a crack in the roof, and the creature followed his gaze, one eye lighting up as it spied the tail. Obviously, it wasn't graced with a very long memory, because it seemed surprised and delighted by the twitching body part. It reared up again, and whilst it was moving, Rufus moved further up the room.
I had to move a little, and crouch a little in order to keep track of him through my small view of the room. Valoo screeched again, and blood splattered across the boy – he paled, and then pressed himself against the wall as large chunks of the ceiling started to fall again. The creature collapsed, and he looked over the edge of the platform on which he stood, waiting for it to come up again. As soon as the swirling magma began to move upwards, he let his grappling hook fly.
:Ingenious! And, that way, the tail doesn't actually get damaged anymore, but he can make Valoo angry enough to make more of the roof fall down.: I watched as he tugged on the tail, and then quickly retrieved the rope as the creature was reaching to get the tail. Rufus stumbled backwards and covered his head with his shield, crushing himself against the wall. I turned away as parts of the ceiling started falling down terribly close to him, and only dared to look back when the noise had died away altogether.
The dust cleared a little, and I could see the creature was pinned to the ground by a large portion of the ceiling, breathing harshly through its crushed windpipe. I felt a brief flutter of compassion, which was quickly stamped out when a few more drops of blood fell from Valoo's twitching tail. It's large eye was rolling madly in its socket, and for a few seconds focused upon me. I met the stare, and held it until the thing looked away.
Crawling forwards, I found that the magic that had been keeping me out was severely diminished, and with only a tiny sensation of pins and needles, I was able to creep into the room. I leant against the wall, and watched as Rufus rappelled down, and turned to the monster – it thrashed out an arm to try and get him, but he calmly cut it off. He walked over to the great eye of the creature, and raised his sword.
His arms wavered, and he dropped his weapon – he stared at the monster with pity. Then, he raised his sword again, swinging his arm back to gain enough momentum to stab the thing properly. :Go on, don't think about it…just do it.: Again, he stopped, this time letting go of the weapon altogether. It clattered on the warm floor, and his arms shook as he looked down at his hands. Throwing caution to the wind, I stepped away from the wall, and took a few steps forward.
"Do it," the overwhelming stench of the creature itself now that I was further in overwhelmed, and I found it difficult to breathe. And, combined with the panicked feeling dark magic inspired within me, it wasn't easy to force the words out… "Don't let it fool you. It'll be able to get back up soon." I was already standing behind him at this point, and I picked up his swords, placing it in his hands, which were still trembling slightly as he held them above his head. "Go ahead. Either kill it, or die yourself. It's your choice." I stared at his back, and then quickly withdrew.
:I know he'll do it. But I have to wait for him outside…: I hurried back over to the door, hearing the sickening sound as he stabbed his sword into that giant eye. I once more leant upon the cool metal of the door, and turned in time to see green blood shoot from the wound as he wrenched his weapon free – it hit him squarely in the chest, staining the dirty fabric back to the colour it should have been anyway.
I saw that he had tears in his eyes, and he stumbled away from the creature as it began to turn to dust, and the lava pool cooled quickly, turning into solid rock. He looked around, obviously hoping to find me still standing there. I felt sorry for him, and then worried as he swayed, looking down at his tunic, stained in his blood, as well as that of the monster's. He collapsed sideways onto the floor, sword falling from his hands once more.
I rushed back in, and grabbed him under the shoulders, and also beneath the knee, hoisting him from the floor, and staggering out of the room and outside once more. His sword I took up in my right hand, and held it awkwardly as I walked along. He frowned in his faint, and rested his head against my shoulder, allowing me to feel just how much warmer he was than he should be. :You'd better be all right boy.:
I set him down on the floor when we got outside, and started searching for his stone. He caught my hand as I reached down to search his pockets, and wouldn't let go. "The stone – where is it?" I asked, perhaps a little more harshly than I should have done, but I was worried. He blinked open his eyes, and looked blearily up at me.
He fumbled around, and then delved his hand into his pocket, nudging the stone out. I picked it up, and then had to catch his head to prevent it from crashing into the ground as it lolled to the side. "Red? Red, are you there, it's me!"
"Shadow? What is it? Is Rufus all right?"
"Yeah, he's fine – just passed out. But I think you should send someone up here to get him – I think he's got a fever or something as well."
"Where are you?" he asked, sounding as worried as I was.
"At the top of the mountain – outside the cavern beneath Valoo – the Rito will know where I mean. If not, then they should ask the girl…uh…Medli I think it was."
"Right – they'll be right there! Are you going to stay with the boy and come back with them, or-"
"No – for some reason, one of them seems to have gotten it into his head that I'm working against them. I'd rather come down on my own, if that's all right?"
"What's happened?"
"I'll explain later – for now, I'll get out of sight and keep a watch on Rufus until someone comes, all right?" I put the stone back into Rufus' pocket after Red agreed, and then went over to the wall, to climb up to the higher path, and wait for someone to collect the boy. He shivered slightly, and turned over, but seemed all right other than that.
Not more than fifteen minutes later, the same Rito man as had bought Link to the cavern, and who had accused me of murder, flapped into view. I had been in such a stupor, weakened by my lack of magic, and tired after the day's travel, so wasn't able to move out of sight quickly enough, and he hailed me. Tentatively, I jumped down from my useless hiding place, and went over to where he was scooping the boy from the ground, and throwing him over his broad shoulder. He blushed a little as I walked over, and studied his dust-covered boots.
"Lady…I just wanted to apologise for the way I acted earlier," he mumbled, still studying his feet. "I made assumptions, without knowing the full story; on coming back down the mountain, I saw the other two, and the board, and I…" his breath hitched in his throat, and he looked up at me, with tears in his eyes. "I am so sorry. I didn't believe you until I had seen it for myself, and I apologise for doubting you in the first place. It was just…a lot to take in, and I didn't want to believe that a man I had known for years would – would," again, he stopped, and looked back down at his toes.
On impulse, seeing as Valoo had imparted a part of his great wisdom upon me, and now I no longer berated myself so harshly for my actions, I touched him on the shoulder that didn't bear Rufus. "It's quite all right. I'd have probably done the same." He sniffed loudly, and then smiled a watery smile at me. Rufus suddenly announced his presence once more by sneezing loudly. "Oh! You'd better hurry and take him down to the City. I think he's got a fever of some sort…"
"Yeah – I heard that through the stone."
"Oh…I take it you heard everything else as well then?" I asked, reddening furiously beneath my cowl. He just nodded.
"…well, as you said, I'd better be going…" he finally announced, turning around and getting ready to take off. "Hang on." He turned around again and looked at me. "How are you proposing to get down? Do you want me to send someone to get you?" I just shook my head,
"No, thank you all the same. I think I've had enough of flying to last a lifetime. I'll be fine, I assure you."
"Well, if you're sure…?"
"I'll be fine," I said again, and then watched as he made quite a good take-off, probably because of the fact that he was trying to jostle Rufus as little as possible. I walked over to the edge of the pathway, so that I could watch them fly off, a fleeting flash of white and green through the night-sky. I sighed, and took a step back, stumbling a bit as my exhaustion caught up with me a huge wave. :I'll just find a Deku-nut, and get back down to the bay: I decided, and then remembered with a jolt that I needed magic to use them:Damnit: With a heavy sigh at my own stupidity, I sank to the floor, crossing my legs Indian-style, and contemplated just how I was going to get off this mountain.
"I suppose the only way really is the way I came," I decided aloud, looking back at the pathway, and scowling when I realised just how arduous a journey I had before me. :I should have taken up Quill's offer. Now I'm going to be trudging around all night.:
"Well, that would be one way – but there are others," a voice boomed above me, speaking in Old Hylian. Luckily, I had grown up with a mother always keen to make me fluent in as many languages as possible, and Old Hylian had been one of the major ones. I turned around, and swallowed hard, moistening my throat for the smooth sounds of Old Hylian. For some reason, I just knew that it was Valoo talking – :I mean, who else is there:
"There are other ways, Great Valoo?"
"Indeed there are… I must say, it's delightful to find someone that speaks my language quite so well. The new attendant knows enough, but her accent is terrible. Yours is very good!" he looked down at me, proud head inclined to the side so that he could peer at me with one of his eyes. I just blushed and averted my own.
"You're too kind, sir… I do not wish to seem rude, but I really need to get back to-"
"The King of Red Lions?" he guessed.
"Yes, that's right – how do you-?"
"He's an old friend of mine. And, yes, I suppose you'd better get back to him… However, before you go, I would just like to say that you should try to continue allowing your feelings more free reign. I just gave you a little taster with my magic of what it's like not to worry so much…however, it will not last forever." I didn't know quite what to say, and he seemed to realise this, and huffed in a great deal of air, before continuing and covering up the slight embarrassing pause.
"Well, anyway, let's see about getting you back down to that bay, eh?"
"That'd be good, your grace. So…how am I to get there?"
"Simple – just close your eyes," he said, and just before my eyes were fully closed, I saw him raise one of his large, clawed hands. "And, off you go." I felt my stomach lurch, and opened my eyes in wild panic as the floor (and everything else for that matter) disappeared. Colours swirled and merged all around me, the whole world seemingly melting into one swathe of shades and tones.
Soon enough, everything solidified again, and I could feel sand underfoot. Soft snores wafted on the night air, and when I looked to see where they were coming from, I saw Red snoozing gently on the water, his head dropped down so that it almost touched the waves. Marie was sitting beneath one of the trees on the sand, a fire merrily burning away, and was cooking some meat over it. It looked like a sea gull, and by the bow and arrows next to her, I surmised that she had just recently killed it.
"Hello," I called, walking over to her, the dancing light of the flames hypnotising me so that I felt even more weary.
"Hello there kid! Enjoy your adventures?"
"Yeah…they were grand." I answered shortly, dropping down on the sand next to her, and then lying back completely, head resting on my arms. "What's that you're cooking?"
"Sea gull – want some?" I thought about it, and then politely declined,
"No thanks…I'll eat when I wake up."
"Going to sleep already? Ah, but the night is only young!"
"And so am I. And the young need their sleep, as you once told me," I answered back, winking at her when she looked down at me. She just shrugged, smiled, and returned to her food, turning it over occasionally. I closed my eyes, and drifted off into sleep, now content that Rufus was safe, and I didn't need to worry about my job until the morning…
Finally, eh? Again, a million apologies. I blame the long time between updates on writers block, and panicking about my exam results (got them on the 26th.) Also, the prospect of man-love was just too…tempting…to pass up. Giggles. I'm terrible like that…
But, here it is! Suspicious Quill, and then sweet apologetic Quill. I have Quill fangirlishness. He has a beak… There is something seriously wrong with me O.o
Will try to update more frequently. I think that, now I'm going back to college, I probably will, because I'll be busy, so I'll feel like I should be doing something all the time, as opposed to lazing around like I have for most of the holiday! In fact…off to start the next chapter right now!
Love and all that wondrous stuff, and this chapter was huge! Over 11,000 words!
Soda