Goddess damned muses have delighted in being uncooperative recently. I've only just managed to pin a few of them down again – hope they're doing their job right… Well, anyway, in the last chapter all the A/U stuff really began to take off. Rufus was stolen away by the Kokiri who were intent on charming him so that he would do their bidding. It was only the quick work of a small and brave fairy that managed to save him from this terrible fate. Shadow's emotions are fighting for free reign, as she begins to view Rufus as more than a mere charge to take care of. And, the great Wolfos, Lord of the forest and Kokiri, has been revealed to our two adventurers.
Stuff in : single colons and italics : are thoughts, stuff in italics mere dreams or visions. If Dragmire appears again, he'll be in / slashes /.
(Extra long chapter to make up for the lack of stuff from me for a while. Sorry folks, but other fandoms, and the university search has put my fanfiction writing on hold for a bit, and may continue to do so for some time.)
Together: A problem shared…
I awoke to find that dawn was just beginning to grace the sky. The leaves above glowed golden in the growing light, and the forest was oddly calm. The light of the sun had somewhat diminished that of the twinkling fairies slumbering in the boughs of the rosebush that sheltered us – nonetheless, they retained their beauty. Looking over, I could see Rufus spread-eagled across the fragrant grass, mouth slightly open and snoring periodically. It made me smile to myself – yet again, he reminded me sorely of Firen.
Sitting up, I cast a sleepy eye over the glade, finding the sight of so many bright flowers thriving in this gloomy place a great comfort. Even the tiny pang of painful remembrance brought on by the sight of the blood red roses did little to spoil my mood. I studied one of the trailing vines of these very flowers, seeing how the vine twisted and coiled around all the other flowers with care, allowing each of its fellows enough space to grow comfortably. The vine grew up the side of the valley and there joined its interwoven band of others, creating a protective barrier against the outside.
The sight that met my eyes was so terrible, that I could scarcely believe it at first. A patch of the border of roses seemed to have wilted away; vibrant blossoms drooped, turned black with decay. Evidence that they had been cut was shown in the shredded leaves and the clean path (about two feet wide) between the hollow and the forest. Cautiously, I shuffled over to Rufus on hands and knees, intending to shake him awake.
I reached out tentatively and drew back when he suddenly rolled over away from me. Then, I tried again, latching onto his shoulders and shaking him. The Hylian didn't wake, instead mumbling something incoherent in his sleep. I repeated the action, a little more roughly, to no effect. "He won't wake." I started, letting go of the boy in shock. His head banged rather loudly against the floor, making me wince in empathy.
Dreading what I'd see when I turned around (for I knew that voice), I did so slowly, eyes cast to the daisy strewn grass underfoot. "Look at me." The voice was commanding; though cool and educated, there was an undercurrent of barely suppressed rage. I struggled and managed to disobey for a few seconds, before my fear got the better of me. "Very good. Now, your name." Green eyes bore into mine, daring me not to answer the question. My answer was on the tip of my tongue, but I bit it back to stay silent. "Do not try my patience. Your name, Sheikah-borne."
I refused the urge to tell him, knowing it must be an enchantment. For some reason, it seemed that if I would just tell him, then everything would be all right once more… :It's a lie.: Instead of giving in, I focused on the action of standing up. It made little difference – he still towered over me just as he had before. His black tail twitched in agitation, and his teeth shone as he drew back his lips in a warning snarl. I nudged Rufus with the toe of my boot, wondering why he wouldn't wake up – surely the furred newcomer had been loud enough to wake him.
"Your name!" he tried a third time, this time taking a step forwards, hand moving warningly towards the sabre slung over his broad shoulders. It took a great effort to find words other than 'Shadow' to speak, but somehow, I managed.
"You're the newcomer – perhaps I'd be justified in asking for your name first?" I was surprised at how much tension this released, registering that he looked shocked. However, he managed to hide it quickly enough; he hooked the thumb of his idle (left) hand in his belt of glass bottles. My eyes followed the movement, once again seeing those dying fairies trapped forever in their glassy prisons. I frowned, and sought out his face once more; the intelligent eyes in such a wild face were haunting and disconcerting.
Suddenly, a smile broke across his face – it looked almost as terrifying as the snarl had! "I see my visions haven't lied… Finally, a worthy adversary." He unhooked his thumb from the belt of bottles, and brushed it across the chain of metal and bones that kept his sabre on his back. Now that I was closer, I was able to see that some of the bones looked suspiciously…well…Hylian. "So many have tried, and failed in their endeavours here," he observed airily. "Now you have come such a very long way, for a very different quest. All for such a little trinket." Just as suddenly as the smile had come, it left once more. "Yet, I think, you shall not gain it. It's mine. Dropped into my land. And the only way you shall have it, is if I die." He glared at me, eyes flashing, "And I do not think that will happen, do you?"
"I couldn't say, one way or the other," I managed to answer, as one of the bottles that had been dull at his waist, now shone with an almost blinding light. I stared in wonderment. :Surely, it…can't be.: But it was – a giant pearl, housed in a bottle much bigger than all of the others slung around his waist. I forgot everything else as I gazed at the stunning thing, the power of the Goddesses wrapping me in a safe blanket.
"Your name?" he purred it this time, caressing the bottle that held the pearl lovingly.
"Uh…my name is…" I shook my head, trying to clear the haze.
"Yes?" he prompted silkily. "I am the one they call Lord."
"I'm Shadow," I told him, realising only too late what a mistake I'd made. He just laughed.
"I shall remember that."
I jerked awake, eyes meeting a shaft of bright sunlight. "'Morning!" I jumped up so that I was crouched on my legs, a dagger in each hand. "Hey! Calm down!" I let my weapons drop, coming face to face with a smiling Rufus. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there… I've been up for a few minutes, and I wasn't sure if I should wake you." His blue eyes fell to the daggers in my hands, and he added wryly, "I guess it's a good thing I didn't, eh?"
I put my weapons away, frowning to myself. Outwardly, I managed to offer a shaky, "Yeah," to the Hylian. Inwardly, my mind was racing, piecing together everything I'd seen to try and make some sense of it all. It had definitely been the very same Wolfos we'd seen in Luna's imagery; and he obviously knew enough magic to be able to seek me out. :But what's so important about a name: I wondered, shivering as my eyes darted to the roses that made up the border. They were just as vibrant as ever, thriving in the slanting rays of the early morning sunshine.
"Are you all right?" the Hylian asked me. "It isn't…you know who again…is it?" his expression was so serious that it made me want to laugh. I settled for shaking my head instead, grinning underneath my cowl.
"No, it isn't him," I assured the lad. "It was just…just a nightmare," I said, deciding that was probably the best explanation to give him. He nodded, face sympathetic. "Nothing to worry about," I assured him.
"Well, if you're sure…" he trailed off, accepting my nod as an answer. "OK…" he inhaled deeply, and let the air out in a loud sigh. "What do you reckon we should do now?"
"That's a very good question." I chewed my lip, wondering whether it would be best to go after the Koroks first, or the Pearl. :But…the Wolfos has the Pearl…we couldn't possibly… But, we have to have it… How can we fight him: I was saved from having to follow this train of thought any further, by the sudden reappearance of Luna and Phoebus. The sunny yellow fairy was tugging the smaller grey one along by the arm; it seemed she was putting up quite a struggle. I raised my eyebrow, and looked over at Rufus, who was looking similarly nonplussed.
"Look, will you just – come – over – here!" Phoebus' grunted, finally managing to tug Luna so that they were both hovering in the air in front of us. She hissed something incredibly rude back at him (thankfully, I doubt Rufus would have heard it with his Hylian hearing) and then painted a forced smile on her face.
"'Morning."
"'Morning!" Rufus and I answered at the same time. We caught one another's eyes, and exchanged amused smiles. Luna hastily elbowed Phoebus in the side, making the sunbeam coloured fairy wince and double over. She then smiled sweetly at us, flinching as the other fairy managed to get his revenge by poking her viciously in the side.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, batting him away. "Get off!" Phoebus just smirked, and flitted off so that he was just out of her reach. She grumbled, and then looked at the two of us again. "Sorry," she jerked a thumb over her shoulder at the other fairy. "He was meant to be telling you about this, but he's too much of a baby to do it alone!" she accentuated the word baby, making Phoebus scowl.
"Shut up! You're only a few decades older!"
"And a good few centuries wiser, you fool!" she rounded on him, and he cowered slightly as her white/grey light surged momentarily. Rufus leant over and gently tapped me on the shoulder.
"Do you reckon they're related or something?" he whispered, regarding the fairies (who were now arguing rather loudly).
"Hrm…I don't know…" I answered, appraising Luna and Pheobus. "They don't look much alike…" It was true; the grey fairy was clad in an elegant, floor length dress of pure white, and had hair of much the same colour. Her limbs were willowy and graceful, and her eyes large and doe-like – all in all, she was rather a pretty little thing. Phoebus, on the other hand, with his bold colouring, stocky build and flame-like hair was almost her complete opposite. Her clothes were neat and orderly – his were comprised of a pair of over-large trousers, held up by a thick belt, and a shirt that lay open, to reveal a tanned chest. Beautiful, but in a different way…
Suddenly, it clicked, and I grinned in disbelief. :Surely not… But…they do say opposites attract…: Rufus noticed my smile and asked, "What is it?"
"I think they're a couple," I murmured. Almost as though to prove my point, the argument suddenly ended. Both fairies looked hopelessly at one another, breathing heavily after their tirade. Then, Phoebus' face cracked in a grin, and Luna let out a delicate giggle. Shaking her head, she drifted over to him, and placed a chaste kiss on his cheek.
"You great fool," she said fondly. He just stuck out his tongue. She laughed again at this, and brushed a hand across his bare chest in a parody of a blow. He caught the pale hand in his tanned ones, and drew her close to him. Then, the two fairies' lights brightened a little, obscuring our view of them…which was probably a good thing. :I dread to think what the boy would feel like, having to see such displays of affection…: I just grinned, being reminded of the scandal a few years back when Firen's eldest sister had been courted by a Hylian man. His parents hadn't been happy with her, but had been forced to accept it when she announced their engagement a few months later…
When a couple of minutes had passed, and the fairies still hadn't broken apart, I gave a small cough, slightly embarrassed to have to break them up. Instantly, the lights dimmed and grey and yellow separated guiltily. "Oh…uh…heh…sorry about that," Phoebus apologised for the both of them, though his roguish wink told us that he wasn't at all sorry. "But, you know how it is…" he glanced over at Luna, who blushed furiously.
"Stop it, you," she said warningly. Then, sobering, she returned to what it was she'd probably been intending to say before the fight started. "Anyway, what we needed to tell you was, that we sent out some scouts a few days ago, when we heard the news that some Koroks had been blown off course and become stranded here…" she took a deep breath, and looked to Phoebus; perhaps for confirmation. He nodded encouragingly. "They came back only a few hours ago, with news of the Koroks' whereabouts."
"Really?" Rufus pitched in eagerly before I had the chance. "Where are they?" he was already on his feet, hand straying to the sword across his back, eager to start the day's adventure. Luna chewed her lip, looking over at the yellow fairy-man once more.
"That's the – ah – problem that we needed to – speak to you about," Phoebus admitted. "You see…they have been captured."
"By the Lord?" I asked, thinking that that must of course be why he had the Pearl. Luna frowned and shook her head,
"No, not by the Lord. By the Kokiri," she corrected me. I blinked, not fully registering the connotations of this. Rufus, however, looked both shocked and afraid. "Rufus will know exactly where they're being kept as well."
"How do you figure that out?" I asked, finding it rather rude of them to place so much on the Hylian's shoulders!
"The tree houses!" Rufus exclaimed, fixing his gaze pointedly on Luna, who nodded.
"Got it in one."
"Which means…we'll have to go right to their camp…" he surmised, look of shock disappearing, and fear completely taking over. "But, their enchantments! What if they manage to do it again…we might never escape!" Phoebus flew upwards so that he was on Rufus' eyelevel.
"Ah, but with the two of you, it will be easier," he told us. "If you work together, you should be able to keep one another from becoming enchanted." The Hylian lad relaxed a little, though still looked concerned.
"Enchantments?" I inquired, looking now to the yellow fairy, who seemed to be more in control than his partner at that moment. He looked down at me, and I got to my feet to save him the flight. "What sort of enchantments?"
"Well, there are many – if they touch you, they can weave a small bit of magic which makes you forget," he gave me an appraising look, "you, however, needn't fear that. Your magic is greater than theirs, and won't be contended… But there are other things too; food, drink, singing, even their fire…" he counted the things off on his fingers. Rufus just shrank a little; I saw Luna go over to him and give him a reassuring pat on the tip of his ear.
"I see," I nodded, perplexed by the huge array of ways that these 'Kokiri' could manage to ensnare us to do their bidding. "But, you say it should be easier with the two of us?"
"Yes, it will be easier," Phoebus said reassuringly, with a fervent nod to stress the point. "But you mustn't, under any circumstances, go your separate ways. It's when you're alone that they'll come for you." Rufus and I nodded; the Hylian was probably thinking the same as I was. :I knew I shouldn't have left him alone on that branch. But, he couldn't move…I… I should have been faster at least – or taken him with me. Stupid, stupid:
"However, before you get scared out of your wits," Luna joined the conversation once again, "remember that they're most powerful at night time. Just like the Lord, the daylight seems to make them weaker. I don't know why…but it does."
"Which is why we wanted you to stay here until daybreak," Phoebus added, looking pointedly at me. I flushed and averted my gaze to Rufus, who seemed to have calmed himself down. The lad's forehead was furrowed in thought, and I waited with interest to see what he was about to say. I was surprised at what came out of his mouth;
"The Lord has the Pearl, doesn't he?"
"Pardon?" Luna and Phoebus echoed in confused unison. Rufus ignored them, and looked directly at me.
"It wasn't a nightmare you had – otherwise, I wouldn't have had it as well… I wouldn't know, would I?" I swallowed, unable to string so much as two words together in my head. "I saw him – he had it with him…and he spoke to you, but I couldn't hear what he said…and I couldn't move. Just lie on the ground and watch…" it was like the words were dawning in his mind only a moment before spilling over his lips; he looked deep in concentration. "The only way to get it, is to kill him, isn't it?" he demanded. As soon as he'd said this, he shook his head slightly, and flushed deeply, looking a little astonished by what he'd just said. He repeated his last sentence experimentally, "The only way to get it…we have to kill him, don't we?" I just nodded, dumbfounded.
:How did he know? He doesn't have enough magic to see visions, so how could he have seen…: I fixed the Hylian with a searching stare, wondering if he had some magical talents that I had overlooked – however, I couldn't sense anything that was different to before… "Yes, we'll have to kill him," I told him softly. He nodded, not looking at all shocked by this news. I felt oddly as though I'd just witnessed the boy grow up immensely fast right before my eyes. He looked weary, like a travel-worn adult adventurer, rather than the bouncy Hylian lad that had greeted me that morning. :This 'Lord' has a lot to answer for: I decided.
"I'm Shadow."
"I shall remember that."
I woke up, the look of triumph on the huge black Wolfos' face haunting me. Panicking, I looked around for Shadow, and felt relieved when I saw that she was still slumbering a few feet away from me. Frowning, I pieced together what little I could remember of my dream – bits of it were slipping away from my memory quickly, and I tried to catch hold of them as best I could. :He has the Pearl…but what was it about? The rest of it…Shadow was there, and…: I bit my lip, frustrated as the whole dream was just beyond my grasp. :Come on, remember: I screwed up my eyes, straining to catch the elusive dream, but it was gone.
Shadow moaned softly, and rolled over, the hand supporting her head curled into a fist. I wondered briefly whether she was having a nightmare or something; this made me remember the forgotten dream. I let out an exasperated sigh… :Maybe I should wake her up? She might remember it for the both of us…: I decided that it probably wasn't a good idea however…she probably needed the sleep, after searching for me the previous night.
Suddenly, the Sheikah girl woke up, crimson eyes snapping open. "'Morning," I greeted her, the sound of a lone bird singing above making me slightly more cheerful. (In the back of my mind, I was awed that the bird could manage to survive in this bleak place.) She gasped, and jumped up into a battle stance, daggers in her hands quicker that I could see. "Hey! Calm down!" I said, worrying that she might attack me or something! But, at these words, she shook her head slightly, and looked over at me. There was still that startled look in her eyes from when she'd woken up, and I apologised, "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you there… I've been up for a few minutes, and I wasn't sure if I should wake you."
Looking down at the daggers in her hands again, I joked, "I guess it's a good thing I didn't, eh?" She quickly put her daggers away, though the haunted look didn't leave her.
"Yeah," she murmured, voice sounding distant, like she was preoccupied with something else. All thoughts of the half-remembered dream about the big Wolfos left my head, as another terrible thing replaced it. :What if it's…that man again? Ganondorf…: It was pretty much the same look she'd had when he'd tried to make her burn the Great Deku Tree. Nonchalantly, I made sure that my arm was in a position to grab my sword (just in case). Then, tentatively, I asked,
"Are you all right? It isn't…you know who again…is it?" It felt wrong to say his name out loud. Maybe it'd provoke him… She just shook her head, and I saw her eyes brighten a little.
"No, it isn't him. It was just…just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about," she said, and I tried my best to look sympathetic, even though I was burning to ask her about it. :What if it's the same one? I bet she remembers more because of all those visions and things! But I can't just ask her outright. What if it isn't? I'd look right a right idiot then, going on about weird dreams and things when it really was 'just a nightmare'.: I winced inside as I probed for more information,
"Well, if you're sure…" She nodded firmly. "OK… What do you reckon we should do now?" I had no idea where to start! The island was huge, and now we had to worry about not only the normal Wolfos, but the Kokiri, and this 'Lord' as well! And, we had no idea where the Koroks might be either… :It's hopeless.:
"That's a very good question," Shadow acknowledged, looking distracted again. Her eyes glazed over for a few seconds; the (very loud) entrance of Luna and Phoebus snapped her back to reality. She looked up at the approaching fairies with vague interest, as did I. I could see that Phoebus was dragging Luna along by the arm; she was struggling hard; I had to contain a laugh at the look of annoyance on her face.
"Look, will you just – come – over – here!" The two balls of light stopped right in front of Shadow and me. I cowered a little at the furious expression on the grey fairy's face, which intensified when she hissed something darkly to Phoebus. (I didn't catch what she said, but it probably wasn't very nice.) Then, Luna turned around and greeted us with a strained,
"'Morning."
Shadow and I returned her greeting simultaneously, and then grinned at one another. Whilst we exchanged the look, the grey and yellow fairy had a brief fight. "OW! Get off!" Luna shrieked at the yellow fairy, who just flew away out of her reach and pulled a face at her. "Sorry," she apologised, gesturing to Phoebus. "He was meant to telling you about this, but he's too much of a baby to do it alone!"
"Shut up! You're only a few decades older!" Phoebus contested, sounding outraged. I blinked in surprise. :Decades? But…that's ages:
"And a good few centuries wiser, you fool!" :Centuries: I spluttered internally, scarcely able to believe was I was hearing. Did this mean that the small grey fairy I'd released from a bottle was hundreds of years old? She only looked about the same age as Sue-Bell back on Outset – and she was only about twenty or something like that! As usual, Shadow didn't seem shocked by anything that was going on; instead, she was watching the fight with placid amusement. Deciding that I didn't want to ask stupid questions, I reached over and tapped Shadow on the shoulder,
"Do you reckon they're related…or something?" The way the two fairies were fighting reminded me of Orca and Sturgeon, who always seemed to be at each other's throats about something or other. Grinning, I remembered the occasion when Orca had been training me in sword fighting, and we'd made the house shake so much, that all the books fell off Sturgeon's shelves! I'd never thought the phrase 'hopping mad' made much sense, until I saw Sturgeon come to complain to Orca!
"Hrm…I don't know…They don't look much alike," Shadow answered, studying the two fairies closely. I looked as well, once again appreciating just why people would want to keep fairies in bottles. :It may be cruel, but they're just so pretty…all…shiny and sparkly and stuff…: I knew that Aryll would have given her right arm to be where I was right now; she'd always loved stories about fairies and Hyrule before it was flooded. We used to plan all these adventures… :I'd give everything to have her here with us: Shadow's face had changed from pensive to amused again.
"What is it?" She leant over slightly, and muttered,
"I think they're a couple." I was ready to correct her on this matter, when the yelling stopped, and Luna and Phoebus started speaking softly to one another. Next thing I knew, they were hugging, and then their lights got so bright that we couldn't see them anymore. :Ah. OK, I think she may be right.: When the two hadn't broken it up a couple of minutes later, Shadow coughed, and they sprang apart guiltily. I suppressed a laugh at their guilty faces.
"Oh…uh…heh…sorry about that…But, you know how it is…" Phoebus apologised; his hair looked a little bit ruffled, and I could see a trace of Luna's pale lipstick at the corner of his mouth. Luna was patting her hair down, and giggled girlishly,
"Stop it, you." Then, when her hair was a flat as it was going to get, and Phoebus had straightened his clothes as best he could. (I decided to not even start thinking about what that light could have obscured. Briefly, I wished, I hadn't let Sturgeon teach me about the 'birds and the bees', as he called it…) "Anyway," I could see Luna's blissful smile fall away from her features, "what we needed to tell you was, that we sent some scouts out a few days ago…when we heard news that the Koroks had been blown off course and become stranded here…" she looked over her shoulder at Phoebus, who smiled grimly and nodded. I leant forwards, eager to hear what they'd found. "They came back only a few hours ago, with news of the Korok's whereabouts." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, I jumped to my feet,
"Really? Where are they?" We'd already wasted too much time, what with one thing and another…we needed to get going. :After all, didn't the Great Deku Tree say that if the Koroks weren't back by the end of the week, that bad things would happen? What was it he said…'dire consequences', that was it.:
"That's the – ah – problem that we needed to – speak to you about…" Phoebus interjected heavily. "You see…they have been captured." I dropped my hand from where I'd been reaching to get my sword.
"By the Lord?" Shadow asked, voicing what I'd been just about to say. But, as soon as she said it, Luna frowned, and waved her hands.
"No, not by the Lord. By the Kokiri." I physically recoiled from the name of them, remembering how close I'd been to… Shivering, I forced myself to cast my mind back to their camp; Luna was staring pointedly at me. "Rufus will know exactly where they're being kept as well." I frowned, levelling her pale gaze and trying to figure out what she was getting at. Shadow said, indignantly,
"How do you figure that out?"
:Click! Of course: "The tree houses!"
"Got it in one," Luna affirmed my guess. The shock at hearing this faded away quickly, and my stomach writhed when I realised what this meant we'd have to do. I searched Luna's face, hoping that she'd have some big trick or plan hidden up her sleeve. There was no indication that she had anything of the sort…
"Which means…we'll have to go right to their camp… But…their enchantments! What if they manage to do it again? We might never escape!" I could picture it already in my mind – the Kokiri would make us into slaves for them. We'd do horrible things…capture all the fairies and hurt them… Hurt and kill anyone who strayed onto the island… Take prisoners, like they'd taken the Koroks… :We can't – mustn't go back there… I won't.Phoebus soared over so that he was right in front of my face. His face was drawn, but he managed a comforting smile at me,
"Ah, but with the two of you, it will be easier. If you work together, you should be able to keep one another from being enchanted." I knew that he was saying this for my benefit more than anything else. That didn't make it any less helpful though…I relaxed slightly; he'd lived in this forest for a long time… I trusted that he probably knew this place even better than I knew Outset!
Next to me, Shadow rose to her feet so that she could speak to Phoebus as well. "Enchantments? What sort of enchantments?" The vibrant yellow fairy immediately ran off a whole list of different ways that you could become enchanted. I felt sick as he went through them, remembering the food…the fire…there had even been some music, now that I thought about it. :They used almost every form of enchantment on me for Gods sakes: That meant they must have wanted me under their spell very much indeed. Luna floated over and patted me on the ear – I guess it was supposed to be comforting.
Shadow continued to talk to Phoebus, further questioning him about the Kokiri. The sunbeam-like fairy answered her concisely, with his partner helping him flesh out the answer. As soon as I heard the word 'Lord', my mind started working overtime again, reaching out to snatch at a few parts of the dream from earlier that floated to the top of my mind. Frowning, I stuck the little fragments together like a mental jigsaw, until I had enough pieces in place to see the overall picture. When everyone had stopped talking, I said my findings aloud.
"The Lord has the Pearl, doesn't he?" as soon as I said it, the rest of the dream came flooding back, images hitting my mind like so many punches. The two fairies questioned my declaration, both looking confused. I ignored them and looked straight at Shadow, somehow knowing that she too had seen what I'd seen. "It wasn't a nightmare you had – otherwise, I wouldn't have had it as well… I wouldn't know, would I?" The words were flooding into my mind and out of my mouth without check. "I saw him…he had it with him. And, he spoke to you…but…I couldn't hear what he said…and I couldn't move. Just lie on the ground…and watch." I paused, a few more tiny pieces of information filling the remaining gaps in my picture. "The only way to get it, is to kill him, isn't it?"
Shadow looked a little taken aback by the force in my voice – I was quite surprised as well. Wrenching myself away from the completed puzzle, I felt my cheeks burn. All three of them were staring at me. Wonderingly, I repeated what I'd just said, the connotations dawning on me. "The only way to get it; we…we have to kill him, don't we?" The words dulled my fear, and I felt my resolve to do this strengthen when my eyes fell on the daisy-chain around the Sheikah's neck. :This is for Aryll.:
After regarding me with an unreadable look, Shadow nodded. "Yes, we'll have to kill him." I nodded in return. In complete silence, I turned and led her towards the edge of the flower-filled clearing, the grey and yellow fairy in tow. I came upon the very same spot through which I'd entered the previous night. As I stepped over the rose-barrier that divided the two sections of forest, the cold of the early morning bit through my clothes. My breath misted before my face, and I shivered as the protection of the place died. :We're on our own.: My indigo-clad companion took up place next to me, evidently waiting for me to make the next move. I was about to forge ahead, when Luna flew down and tugged on my ear.
"Rufus…just…some last advice," she murmured, looking furtively around. "Stick to the path…you will find one to their camp already made," she indicated to a rough trail beginning a couple of dozen yards away, under the dark trees. "And stay on the ground; they prefer to use the trees for travel." I nodded, clenching my jaw and tensing my sword arm, trying to build up my confidence for the trials ahead. "Good luck…if you need us…call…" With that, she and Phoebus fled back to the glade, and watched us from the inside of their little world.
"Shall we?" Shadow looked sidelong at me, and then to the trail. I squared my shoulders, and then started off down the path that would lead us to the Kokiri…and hopefully to the Koroks as well. She followed close behind me, and I felt glad of her company. The forest closed in around us as soon as we got onto the trail, and I couldn't imagine myself doing this alone. :Just think what it would be like if she was still following you without being seen? That would drive you crazy in this place…think there was something about to attack you all the time.: The mere knowledge that I wasn't alone was probably the only thing that was keeping me going. :If it weren't for her, I'd probably be running off home right now: I stopped and frowned, before quickly amending this thought and scolding myself. :For Aryll as well, stupid.:
Looking back over my shoulder, I was unable to see the clearing anymore through the trees. Shadow followed my line of sight; I could see that she was all tensed up again. I wondered whether I should say something… I didn't… She nodded comradely to me, looking quickly up when the branches overhead rustled…it was nothing more than a bird. :I think I'm going to be mad by the end of all this: I decided with resignation. :I hope we get the Koroks out in time for that ceremony…:
…
A couple of tense hours later, we were finally in sight of the Kokiri's camp. Both Shadow and I had spent the entire journey ducking from one patch of cover to another; bushes, undergrowth, dead tree-stumps – anything that could serve as a hiding place was good enough. Each time we heard a noise, we'd stand close together and search the surrounding area for enemies; most of the time, it was only birds…but there were a few times when we had to quickly duck down and hide from a small band of marauding Kokiri. Thankfully, the Wolfos didn't much like sunlight…
Now, however, we were both lying full length on our stomachs in a thick carpet of lavender plants. They were flowerless and without fragrance – I was only able to tell by the shape of the leaves what they were. Shadow was peering through squinted eyes at the camp below (we'd managed to come upon it from higher ground, so had a bird's eye view). Not much was happening; there were a few Kokiri dawdling around the small village, carrying buckets of water to and fro, tending a chicken-coop that I hadn't noticed the night before, or just standing around talking. "Eight in total," Shadow murmured, dropping her eyes and turning to look at me. "I could probably get in and out with little trouble…"
"But-!" she shushed me, and looked anxiously at the village. No one seemed to have noticed. "Sorry," I said, lowering my volume. "But…I can't let you do it all alone!" She raised an eyebrow, and I searched around desperately for something to stop her doing this alone. "They told us to stick together!" The Sheikah girl flinched a little at this, a guilty flush rapidly spreading over her face, to the very tips of her ears. "Oh, no, I didn't mean…" :Oh dear.:
"They told us to stick together!" Rufus hissed. I checked myself, and blushed hotly under my facemask. :Of course…how could I have forgotten so quickly: The Hylian must have noticed my look; "Oh, no, I didn't mean…" he trailed off hopelessly. I just offered a wry smile.
"Don't worry. You're right to remind me." I looked back down at the village, studying the network of ropes and bridges that connected all of the tree houses below. It was brilliant – the construction was amazing! :You're supposed to be saving Koroks, not admiring Kokiri handiwork.: "So…any ideas?"
"Want me to be honest?" He said, returning my wry look with one of his own. "Nope." I frowned.
"Me neither." We both turned to look down at the village again, and I very nearly had a heart attack when we came face to face with one of the little Kokiri! It was a small boy with red hair and ruddy cheeks to match. He was smiling genially, and I felt my mouth twitch at the corners in answer. Rufus had already withdrawn his sword, and I saw the boy's eyes fall to it. His smile fell a little, and he reached out as though to touch me on the shoulder; instinctively, I drew back. This time, instead of looking annoyed, he laughed softly; then he flumped down onto the leaves that strew the ground. What happened next was rather odd…
As he fell, his body seemed to collapse in on itself, so that it shrank to first a half, and then a quarter of its original size. I held my breath, and quickly conjured a fire-spell to the forefront of my mind, just in case. The 'Kokiri' (I was beginning to think it probably wasn't) continued to shrink, until finally, it was roughly the same size as… "Phoebus!" Rufus gasped next to me – the small fairy shook off the Kokiri-face and was once again the yellow joker from earlier.
"Hello there!" he greeted us, as though Kokiri changing into fairies was a normal day-to-day occurrence. I glared at him, worried that he was going to give us away. Thankfully, he daintily picked his way through the leaves, and came to rest in the lavender alongside Rufus and I. He dulled his glow as far as he could, and then beckoned that we both come closer. I slithered over so that the Hylian could see the fairy, and kept glancing down to the village to check that we were still hidden.
"What are you doing here?" Rufus asked incredulously; mercifully, he kept his voice low.
"Well…about half an hour after you left, Luna started to panic. And, well…Luna panicking isn't pretty," he gazed off into the middle distance with a fond smile. "To cut a long story short, she sent me after you two…then called me back and rallied a whole load of the others to come and help as well."
"Help?" I echoed, unable to keep the note of doubt from my voice. He nodded, taking everything in good humour.
"Yes m'lady, help."
"What, exactly, are you going to do?" I asked curiously, exchanging a sidelong glance with Rufus. The small yellow fairy flashed me a toothy grin – then, suddenly, there was a small Kokiri boy lying in the carpet of lavender with us.
"I plan to cause a scene," he said; seeing Rufus' confused face, he amended, "a distraction!" I was still nonplussed.
"How?" Phoebus just tapped his nose and grinned that infuriating grin at me.
"Ah, but that would be telling! Just watch…when they're far enough away, get in and free the Koroks. Once they're free of the tree houses, they can fly to safety – and you two should get away as quickly as possible…I'm not sure how long we can draw them off for." At that moment, it was possible to see through his brave, cheeky façade, to the fear beneath. I understood this small, courageous fairy, and decided that he wasn't so bad after all; even his poor attempts at humour became acceptable.
"That sounds brilliant!" Rufus breathed, reaching out and laying his hand over the clenched fist of the 'Kokiri-Phoebus'. "Thank you." The sincere thanks came from both of us. The fairy just nodded and without another word, crawled out from the lavender. Then, he slithered down towards the village, bearing left – in the direction of the path that led from here to the glade. I watched until he was out of sight, and then focused on my hearing, tuning into what was happening in the settlement below.
I heard Phoebus blundering loudly through the undergrowth to announce his arrival. (Next to me, I could see Rufus straining to hear out of the corner of my eye). Then, he hailed the Kokiri in the village with an excited cry. "Hey! HEY! Come on, I've seen the fairies – they're out of the circle!" At once, all of the Kokiri dropped what they were doing, and ran towards where Phoebus stood (I could just about see him by shuffling forwards). There was confused chatter, during which the fairy started to lead them away.
Then, there was a loud battle-cry, followed by the sounds of many small running footsteps. These quickly diminished in the dark forest, until they were no more than a memory of sound. When this happened, I turned to the Hylian. He looked pale, and I put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "They'll be fine." He nodded. "Come on then." I rose cautiously into a crouch, ears pricked and eyes wide in case of trouble – thankfully, I couldn't sense anything near enough to pose a threat. Still crouched, I made my way to the edge of our small cliff, sat down on the edge of it, and then slid down the steep angle sideways, right foot forwards, left hand trailing in the dirt behind me to keep me steady. I stumbled slightly when I reached the bottom but managed to stay on my feet. A few of the chickens clucked in alarm; there was no one left to tend them.
Behind me, I heard Rufus curse, and then heard a small thump, followed by an indelicate grunt. Turning, I suppressed a laugh; the Hylian was sliding down the 70o (or thereabouts) slope on his backside – his tunic trailed behind him, exposing his white tights to the world. When he reached the bottom, he came to an abrupt stop. Wincing, he stood up, rubbing his backside (which was stained brown and green). "How is it that you always manage to avoid doing stuff like that!" He said enviously. I just shrugged, offering,
"Training," as my answer. He nodded, and dropped his hands from nursing his behind.
"Yeah…" His eyes moved around the village without resting on anything, until they came to a ladder leading up to the nearest of the tree houses. "Let's start here – if you go to the other end, we can meet up in the-"
"We're staying together," I cut across him, taking a few steps towards the ladder and then looking back at him. "Right?" He nodded, a relieved smile spreading across his face,
"Right." He followed me over to the ladder. Reaching out for the highest rung I could reach – the sixth from the ground – I flinched as a familiar feeling prickled against my skin. Drawing my hand back, I saw that the old bruises and cuts from Dragon Roost had reappeared. :Dark magic burns.: "Shadow?" the lad had caught sight of my injuries. "What's wrong – are you all right?"
"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine," I assured him, reaching out again to try my luck. The same thing happened. "Hang on." Experimentally, I raised both my hands, and held them palm outwards about an inch from the rung, hovering just outside the magical boundary. :Leave, other magic – let me pass. Go, go – I'm stronger – let me pass. Allow me through.: My eyes were closed and chewed my bottom lip in concentration, hoping against hope that this would work. :Let me pass:
And, to my great surprise, I felt the other magic dissolve away into nothing. I stared at my bloodied hands; I hadn't done anything like that before in my life. Destroying magic is generally frowned upon – and back home, they didn't teach you how to do it. I'd learnt what little I knew of the practice from little snippets of advanced text books that I could remember reading on rainy days when the training grounds were closed… :I never thought I'd get a chance to do it – and I never thought it would actually work! Thank the Gods it did though.: Even Rufus seemed to feel the difference; he looked quizzically at me, and observed,
"It just got warmer…what happened?"
"There was some magic on the ladder – I destroyed it," I answered shortly, conscious again of how little time we potentially had. The Hylian nodded to show that he understood, and then indicated the ladder.
"Well, ladies first I suppose," he smiled disarmingly, and I just shook my head. The idea of myself as a lady was both amusing and absurd… Without the magic on the rungs, it was easy enough to scale the ladder, and soon, I was standing on a platform of well-worn wood, twenty feet above the forest floor. From up here, it was difficult not to appreciate just how intricate the network of bridges, walkways and houses was. It was like a whole different world up here; up in the canopy, there was much more light filtering through the trees, bathing the whole area in a serene light. Had we not been in such a hurry, I had the feeling that I could stay here all day, just studying the movement of the dappled light across the village.
Rufus hauled himself up onto the platform next to me, grumbling something under his breath about 'dratted climbing.' I smiled for a moment, and was about to take a step forwards, when my senses alerted me to something dire. :It was that blasted magic – shielding things from my senses… I should have thought of that…: Truth be told, I had no idea whether this new presence had been hidden by the magic on the ladder, or whether I'd just missed it… :What does it matter? There's still one of them left here, which is going to make this difficult:
Whispering, I told Rufus, "Draw your sword." He did so without questioning me, seeming to understand the need for quiet. Tip-toeing silently across the wooden walkway, I motioned for him to follow me. Hopefully, Kokiri hearing wasn't as good as Sheikah, because I could hear the wood creak with every one of the Hylian's steps. We were moving towards one of the many dwellings in the village, where the lone Kokiri was. Judging by the fact that the Koroks had not yet managed to escape, it seemed only reasonable that they were being guarded…
So, with two and two, I managed to come up with a reasonable four.
I followed Shadow across the swaying walkway towards one of the larger tree houses. She had her whip in her hands, and I had my sword out. I could see that her ears were pricked again, and I guessed that this rescue wasn't going to be as easy as we'd hoped. :As long as we can get the Koroks out, I'll be happy: I decided, thinking again about the disturbing dream that had woken me that morning. There was no doubt in my mind that we'd have to meet that great, black Wolfos…but I wanted to put it off for as long as was possible. :After all, if Shadow's scared of him, then…well…then he must be terrible.:
The Sheikah suddenly drew to a halt and I nearly bumped straight into her. Luckily, I managed to stop just in time, though my heavy footstep rang out in the still air. She flinched, and then turned to glance at me over her shoulder, finger held to where her lips were hidden beneath her facemask. I nodded, flushing. Then, she motioned towards our destination, pointing me to the left hand side, and then to herself, and then to the right hand side. It was obvious what she meant to do; we'd break up for a few moments, and then meet up again on the other side. My stomach clenched fearfully; she patted me on the shoulder, seeming to understand my hesitation.
I smiled up at her thankfully, and then nodded towards the left side of the dwelling. She patted my shoulder once more, and then turned away, and began to edge along her side of the building. I watched her until she had rounded the corner, and then tried my best to copy her movements. Standing on tiptoe, I shuffled sideways along the wood, back pressed against the wall, sword ready to strike out at any moment. The call of a kargorok sounded high above, and I saw its shadow speed by above the canopy, blotting out the sun for a split second.
Nervously, I fiddled with the daisy that was still stuffed through my buttonhole; it was my only connection to the glade, and I felt comforted to know that it was still there…
A rustling sound close by, followed by a hastily stifled squeal, made me jump. There was a clatter of wood on wood, as scraping noise and a thud; all sounded as though they came from the other side of the house. Forgetting stealth, I pounded along the walkway around the outside of the tree house, and to the entrance on the opposite side. Once there, I paused, and let my tense sword arm drop.
Shadow was standing there, back against the wall, clutching one of the struggling Kokiri in her arms. She had her hand clamped over the small boy's mouth, and was struggling to keep hold of him, as he was kicking her hard in the shins and twisting in her hands like an eel. Immediately, I stuffed my sword into its scabbard, and ran over to help her. I grabbed hold of the boy's legs and restrained them; a small sigh from my travelling companion belied her relief.
The next few moments were ones of confusion, where Shadow slid down the wall into a sitting position, still clutching the Kokiri tightly in her arms. I backed off a little way, and started to search through my bag – finally, I found the grappling hook Medli had given me on Dragon Roost isle. I held it up to show Shadow the rope, and she nodded, wincing as the boy tried to bite her hand. Annoyed, I stalked over and bent down so that I could look him in the face. "Look, you," I hissed, and he froze almost at once, shocked that he was being spoken to. "Just stay still and be quiet, and we won't have to hurt you," I told him, trying to adopt a menacing tone.
It seemed to work, as he suddenly went limp in the Sheikah girl's arms. She gently shifted him from her lap, so that he was on the wooden walkway; she kept her hand over his mouth, however. Which was probably quite a good idea – I didn't fancy the idea of us fighting against all of the Kokiri in order to escape! Hurriedly, I set about using the rope in order to tie him up; I knew my knots weren't exactly perfect, but they'd probably hold…at least, they'd probably hold long enough for us to do what we had to do, and then get out of here. I started off with his legs, and then, with Shadow's help, was able to tie his hands behind his back. Then, finally, it was done. "Rufus, could you hold him for a moment – we need something to keep him quiet," she whispered; the boy whimpered, eyes wide.
I just nodded, and as soon as she'd lifted her hand away, I had mine in place. Almost as soon as the Sheikah had let go, the boy started to struggle again, even biting my hand in his attempts to escape. "Ow!" I gasped, tears starting in my eyes as his small teeth sank into my hand – I didn't draw away though. He glared at me through narrowed eyes – only now did I realise that they were green. :Just like the eyes of 'the Lord': I thought, remembering the image Luna had conjured up for us the night before.
Thankfully, Shadow quickly found a roll of bandages in her bag, which would work well as a gag. She leant back over, and the Kokiri calmed once more, eyeing her suspiciously. She didn't seem to notice the look as she found the end of the roll, and then tore off a strip just long enough. Nodding to me, she held the make-shift gag ready in front of the boy's face. "Now," she commanded, and I took my hand away, cradling it to my chest and realising it was actually bleeding! She lunged forwards, stuffed the bandage into the Kokiri boy's mouth, and then tied it tight at the back of his head. This done, she sat back on her heels, and looked at me. "I think he's the only one," she informed me, eyes flickering to my hand, "Are you all right?"
"Yeah…just bit me, that's all," I answered, clenching and unclenching my fist. It still seemed to be working all right, so I decided to leave it alone for the moment. "So, are the Koroks-?" I nodded my head towards the heavy curtain which acted as a door in the entrance of the tree house.
"I think so, yes," she murmured, also glancing at the doorway. "I'll go first," she decided suddenly, now rising to her feet. I nodded, knowing that arguing with her wouldn't change her mind. Avoiding looking at the Kokiri boy, I stood up as well, hand reaching for my sword but not actually drawing it. Seeing that I was ready, she padded silently over the wood to the doorway. There, she paused, frowned, and bought up her left hand so that it was before her face. She stared at the fingers for a second or two, and then snapped them together. Flames sprang to life at her fingertips, and I took a step back, mouth open.
"How did you do that?" I exclaimed, forgetting for a moment the need to be quiet.
"Shh!" she hissed, rushing forwards and grabbing me with her flameless hand, and then dragging me into the shadow of the building. I held my breath, listening intently for the sound of running footsteps…there was nothing. She relaxed slightly beside me, and then turned to face me; expecting to see annoyance, I was surprised to see a smile in her eyes. "It's just magic," she informed me, bringing the ball of flame forwards to show me, "Don't touch it mind," she whispered, the flames lighting up one side of her face and leaving the other side in darkness.
"Magic," I nodded, "of course. What else?" she picked up on my irony and shook her head with a small laugh. "So…" I returned to the task at hand. "I suppose we'd better…"
"Yeah… Right. Follow me, and stay alert."
"Will do."
The inside of the tree house was musty and sparsely furnished. Over half of the room was sealed off with wooden bars that ran from floor to ceiling. On this side of the bars were two chairs, a table, and a small worn rug. On the other side of the bars were small, toddling, leaf-like creatures, who scampered fearfully to the far wall as soon as the light hit their eyes. Looking around, I spied an unlit torch in a bracket on the wall. I grabbed it, and held it out to Shadow, who took it gratefully. It took easily, and burned brightly, illuminating even the darkest corners of the room.
Taking the torch back, I put it back into place. The Sheikah girl had already moved to the bars, and was talking in low, reassuring tones to the terrified Koroks. "Don't be afraid – we're friends, and we're going to get you out of here." She cast a look over her shoulder at me. "Are there any keys? I don't want to have to break the bars unless I really have to…too much noise," she added, answering my unspoken question. Understanding, I scanned the table. Nothing. Then, I checked the simple wooden chairs, looking at the seats and underneath. Again, there was nothing. I was in the process of lifting up the rug, when one of the Koroks found her voice.
"Please," she whispered tremulously, stepping forwards.
"Yes?" Shadow prompted softly so as not to alarm her.
"Please…the boy who was here before…he has them." Now that she said it, I wondered why we hadn't thought to search him before coming in. In the blink of an eye, my companion had darted out of the door, and rushed back in, dragging the Kokiri boy in with her. He looked sourly at me as he was dragged past, and I looked down my nose at him. Deftly, Shadow managed to whip a ring with only one key from his belt, and had inserted it into the heavy metal lock of the cell door. She turned it, resulting in a satisfying click.
There was a collective sigh of gratitude and relief from the imprisoned Koroks. The one who'd spoken before, scurried over to Shadow. "Thank you, oh thank you! Who was it who sent you? Was it the Great Deku Tree? Is he worried about us? How long has it been? We haven't missed the ceremony have we?" I heard Shadow try to start a sentence more than once; however, she was unable to get a word in edgeways. I took a small step forwards, and the Korok immediately fell silent, staring at me uncertainly.
"It's all right – he's a friend as well," the Sheikah assured the leafy creature, inclining her head to me. "And to answer your questions; yes it was, yes he is, I'm not sure, a few days I think, no you haven't." I frowned for a second as I figured out what she'd just said. The Korok also took a few moments to process the information, before nodding.
"Oh," she said quietly. Before she could launch into another barrage of questions, Shadow added,
"You can ask questions later. For now, you need to get out of here. We've drawn the Kokiri off for a while, but they could be back at any moment." The small creatures seemed to rally themselves at this information, and promptly followed us out of the hut and into the sun. The Kokiri boy we left leaning against the wall of the hut, gagged and bound, and looking rather annoyed.
I smiled as I watched them toddle along, feeling glad that at least this part of our mission was nearly over. :It's just a miracle that there weren't more Kokiri around guarding them…: Half-expecting some of the eternal children to launch out from the shadows, I allowed my hand to stray to the hilt of my sword. Shadow slowed down ahead of me, and the Koroks followed suit, until they were gathered in a tight knot around the two of us, looking up expectantly. I cast a meaningful look at Shadow, and murmured, "They trust you more – just tell them what to do." She nodded.
"Right…" All of the plant-like creatures turned as one to look up at her. "Well, there's not much I can say, other than make your way back to the Forest Haven as quickly as you can. Don't linger around here – just go, and don't so much as look back."
"Do you want us to go now?" one of them asked unsurely, shuffling its feet.
"Yes," Shadow said firmly, though with a gentle smile tugging at the corners of her eyes. "And be careful!" No more words were needed – the gaggle of Koroks launched into the air as one, a mass of whirling leaves and shivering bodies. I ducked instinctively as one of them swooped into the air close by me; I noticed that the Sheikah girl didn't even flinch.
Together, we watched them zoom upwards, loosing their shapes against the trees and then picking them out again, and then loosing them again. Soon, they were no more than a few small specks above us, and then they were out of sight, beyond the trees and over the sea…
Elated after watching the Koroks make their escape into the skies, Shadow and I walked along the wooden walkways back to the ladder, now free to admire the handiwork of the Kokiri at our leisure. Every so often, Shadow would point out some wonder that I hadn't noticed (like the network of ropes and pulleys with baskets on the end, which must have been used to move goods between the ground and the trees). I just smiled, forgetting for a moment the dangerous nature of the creatures that lived here.
As seemed to be the trend ever since I'd left home, the peace didn't last for long. There was the sound of running feet below, and, as one, Shadow and I dropped down onto our bellies on the walkway. I prayed silently that we hadn't been seen, and glanced at the Sheikah, who was squinting slightly. She let out a small gasp, and reached out to pat me on the shoulder, before scrambling backwards towards the place in which the Koroks had been imprisoned. I followed, fighting against the desperate urge to peer over the edge of the platform in order to see what was going on below.
Just as soon as we'd drawn into the welcoming, safe shadows of the tree dwelling (much to the alarm of the bound Kokiri, who squeaked as we entered), I grabbed the girl's arm. "What is it?" I asked, guessing that whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Her look confirmed my suspicions immediately.
"The Lord," she said simply. The Kokiri boy let out another squeak at this; looking over, annoyed, I was astonished to see that he looked as afraid as I felt. "We have to get out of here before he…" she trailed off, and gestured hopelessly.
"Realises we're here," I finished for her. She nodded fervently. A cold realisation gripped my heart. "He'll check up here!" I hissed, gesturing to the wooden bars of the cell that took up most of the room. "The Koroks."
"Of course!" she agreed, panic filtering through the forced calm exterior. "In that case…" she went back over to the door, and I followed close behind. Surely, she gestured towards the rest of the village. "We'll have to make our way to the other end. If we're lucky, we won't be spotted; then we can double back and go to the hollow."
"Won't that mean going past them?" I asked. She shook her head,
"No, not if we make a wide enough loop."
"Right – well – it's a plan," I said, trying to lighten the mood. Her eyes lifted slightly at the corners in what I guessed was a strained smile, but soon became serious again. I tried to think of something else to say, but nothing seemed appropriate. Instead, I just gave Shadow what I hoped was a significant look, and followed her quietly out of the shadows and back into the dappled sunlight. Voices could now be heard below, hushed and furtive. I wondered what the Kokiri were talking about, and then decided I'd rather not know.
In front of me, Shadow halted suddenly, standing half in darkness. I could see that her fists were clenched, and a moment later, I heard a booming voice that sent chills down my spine.
"Silence!" a man barked (almost literally a bark at that). Immediately, the mutters died away, leaving an eerie silence. I held my breath, worried that it would give me away. Slowly, the Sheikah girl turned around, not even looking at me as she walked back towards the tree house. Curious, afraid and even a little annoyed that she'd gone back into danger, I still followed her. :After all, we can't split up…not now.: She came to a standstill against the wall, and slid without a sound to the floor. Then, lowering herself onto her front once more, she shuffled forwards until she could peer over the edge of the walkway.
"You," the man said.
"Yes m'lord?" a girl's voice replied uncertainly.
"Come here." I was lying on the floor next to Shadow now, and could see the scene below in all its terrible glory. The sun, now shining brightly in the morning, lit the small glade before us in rippling light. The remains of a fire were in the centre, surrounded by logs and stones which acted as seats. I recognised it at once as the place where I'd nearly fallen under the Kokiris' enchantments for good. The small boys and girls were there, green tunics bright against the brown earth. The girl whom the Lord had called was walking slowly towards him – I recognised her as one of the ones who'd bought me here in the first place. She had the common red hair, and a daisy chain rested on her head.
"Sir?" she whispered, trembling as she fell onto one knee before the huge, black Wolfos-man. He was looking down at her disdainfully, fury burning evidently in his eyes. The fur on the back of his neck bristled as she dared to look up into his face, and then returned her eyes to the ground. Slowly, the Lord bent down, and latched onto the girl's daisy-chain crown in one hand, and easily lifted her up by the tunic in the other. I noticed him grimace as he quickly crushed the flowers in his hand, and let them fall to the floor, stems broken. Then, almost without warning, he exploded.
"What do you mean by this?" the huge black Wolfos-man bellowed, hands curling in anger. His teeth flashed as he snarled into the unfortunate girl's face, and she flinched in his grasp. "Vile malcontent. How dare you disobey me?" Tears were now streaming down the eternal child's face. With a snort of disgust, he discarded her roughly onto the leaf-strewn ground; she instinctively curled into a ball, sobs punctuating the otherwise silent gathering.
I let out a satisfied sigh as I watched the Koroks' shapes dwindle to nothing in the sky above. Rufus was smiling contentedly, and I silently agreed with the feeling. We'd managed the most important part of our adventure here with surprising ease. The Great Deku Tree had his people back, and they would be able to carry out the ceremony as they did every year. Everything was going our way, and I allowed myself to smile properly, Dragmire's prying thoughts be damned! :I've every right to feel pleased: I though defiantly.
The Hylian and I strolled along the wooden walkway, back towards the ladder we'd climbed earlier. We enjoyed studying the treetop village, and I pointed out a few things which I thought were particularly interesting. (The network of ropes and pulleys with baskets on the end was something I was willing to bet would prove very useful back at home. I stored the idea in the back of my head, to be dug out later on, when I was back at home… :Whenever that will be.:) Rufus looked at all the things I indicated with interest, and I felt a small calm resting on me.
But, it was only the eye of the storm passing over, it seemed…
I was suddenly aware of a presence I had been dreading. The sound of running footsteps below triggered a natural reaction, and I dropped onto the worn boards of the platform without thinking. However, internally, I panicked, narrowing my eyes at the world which no longer seemed important. The Lord was approaching, and he was extremely angry… :Which is not good… Though it does mean he hasn't picked up on me yet; small mercies…: I gasped at the intensity of his rage, and then grabbed onto Rufus, half dragging him back to the hut from which we'd just freed the Koroks.
As soon as my back was against the cool wood, I exhaled shakily, managing to erect a shaky barrier against the power of the Lord. The lad grabbed on my arm, and queried, "What is it?"
"The Lord," I answered, knowing that it was pointless to beat around the bush. The bound Kokiri boy (whom I could just about spy through the door of the treehouse) squeaked, his eyes snapping wide open. I could smell his fear like a palpable scent in the air. "We have to get out of here before he…" I trailed off as the rage snapped against my mind, painful and awful.
"Realises we're here," Rufus ended the sentence for me. I just nodded, fighting back a wince. "He'll check up here! The Koroks." I started.
"Of course!" :Oh Gods, no: I fought against my rising panic, searching for the detached calm of my old school day mantras. :Fear is just another weapon the enemy can use against you. Don't let them have the advantage. Every enemy has their weakness; find it, exploit it, fight and win.: They worked, but barely. "In that case… We'll have to make our way to the other end," I pointed to the farthest of the small tree-dwellings. "If we're lucky, we won't be spotted; then we can double back and go to the hollow." I remembered the dream of the morning, and wondered whether even the hollow would be safe from the wrath of the Lord.
"Won't that mean going past them?" Rufus' unsteady voice forced me to get a grip. :You're the older one – you're supposed to be looking out for him – so start acting like an adult for Gods sakes:
"No, not if we make a wide enough loop," I assured him. He nodded, frowned, and then quipped,
"Right…well…it's a plan." I managed to small smile, but couldn't keep it on my face for long. For all intents and purposes, I was panicking. And it wasn't something I was used to. Panic was a feeling that severely hindered the battle prowess of a warrior… :It's not like I've ever had anything to truly panic over before either: Determined to at least escape, I started off towards the other end of the village, the Hylian close behind me.
It was then that the Lord entered the borders of the Kokiri village. He acknowledged my presence with a flippant stab of malevolence, which sent stars before my eyes. I clenched my fists as I fought to maintain my balance. "Silence!" I heard it in my head and ringing in my ears. Ignoring Rufus' confused face, I turned back, compelled to see what was going to happen next. Though the Lord had acknowledged me, he didn't actually know where I was…not yet, anyway… I wanted to see him for real - :Perhaps I could even attack him from above? I have my daggers… We need the Pearl…: I knew it was madness, but I couldn't walk away now. He was so close.
I moved and fell to the floor so that I could peer over the edge of the walkway. "You," he was beckoning one of the Kokiri forwards. She shook violently.
"Yes m'lord?"
"Come here." The icy coolness of his voice was completely at odds with the blazing anger I could still feel from him.
"Sir?" the girl fell onto one knee in front of the huge black half Wolfos, half man. He glared down at her, fur bristling and hands curled, the claws looking ready to tear her into dozens of tiny pieces. Slowly, with a grace I'd only ever seen in my mother (who was, and always had been, a better warrior than me) he lifted her up from the leaf-blanketed ground. His anger fell away for a moment, replaced by a pain and fear which shocked me. The daisy-chain he'd crushed, fell to the ground, glowing brightly through the dark that seemed to have descended around us. I tried to fathom why this sudden change of mood had happened, but was shocked out of my thoughts by the sudden return of the Lord's anger, full-force.
"What do you mean by this?" he screamed, spittle flying as he growled directly into the Kokiri's face. "Vile malcontent. How dare you disobey me?" She was crying, and he dropped her heavily onto the floor with a disdainful snort. The child curled into a ball, shuddering as sobs wracked her small frame. He kicked her hard, and she cried out, back arching, trying to shy away from the pain. I scowled, horrified that he would attack a child!
Rufus seemed to share my sentiments, because he was on his feet, sword in hand, before I even have a chance to stop him. "No!" I hissed desperately, trying to tug him back by the skirt of his tunic; perhaps we hadn't been noticed yet? Perhaps there was still a chance that we could escape unnoticed? :You've already been noticed, my dear Shadow an unwelcome voice informed me, leaning heavily on my name. The Lord paused expectantly, and I wondered what he was waiting for. With my attention thus distracted, the Hylian, who had been walking on the spot, finally broke free of my grip with an angered exclamation.
His voice echoed from the black trees. He froze, sword half-raised, and looked down to the gathering below. Every sound had stopped, save the whimpering of the Kokiri girl. Feeling that a show of solidarity was the only course of action (and knowing that my presence was already known), I also rose to my feet. This meant that I took was able to gaze down upon the scene below. The black Wolfos held a whip in his hands now (much like mine, though shorter and barbed). He was standing over the girl who'd had flowers in her hair. Those green eyes, which had mocked me so coolly in the dream of that morning, now stared without feeling (though I did think I saw a hint of quickly concealed surprise). When he saw me also rise, a cruel smirk curved his lips.
"Sorry," Rufus muttered, breathing heavily. All the colour had drained from his face, so that it glowed like the moon in the shade. Down below, the Lord's ears had perked and I knew that he was listening hard. "But I couldn't just-"
"I know," I replied brusquely, not taking my eyes from the gathered enemies below. :Well, looks like this confrontation is going to be sooner than I thought.: Sidling over to Rufus, I briefly entertained the idea of grabbing him and making a run for it. I could even leave a trail of fire in my wake, now that I thought about it… :It'd slow them down at least…:
:Ah, but do you want to risk it? Do you really think something so trivial would slow me down: I cringed, finding the Lord's presence in my mind even more abhorrent than Dragmire's. :Now, really, there's no need to be rude: I shook my head, which made Rufus look at me oddly. I just shrugged at him, and then nodded to the crowd below. He seemed to get the message, because he shuffled over to the edge of the platform, so that we were standing exactly side by side. He looked down, gulped, looked at me, and then nodded resolutely.
I reached out my hand, and nudged him over the edge. He gasped, but I kept hold of him, jumping at the same time, and making sure that I landed before him on the hard ground. He fell heavily on my back, but rolled off in a moment, and then we were both on our feet, surrounded by Kokiri, and surveyed by the Lord. I inhaled deeply, and cleared my mind. The black Wolfos' rumbling thoughts and voice died away to background noise, and I was able to give my full attention to the current situation. "Well?" Rufus prompted, having already taken up a rudimentary battle stance. I followed suit, watching the Lord warily. None of the eternal children had moved; they must be waiting for orders.
The huge Wolfos man didn't give any such orders. Instead, he unsheathed the huge sabre that had been slung across his back, and came for us. He moved fast – incredibly fast. I was sorely reminded of the fight with Judas back on Dragon Roost… I wondered whether the same tactics might work again, and immediately began to weave spells together.
A burning pain that seemed like it was about to split my head in two occurred as I tried to fling a spell at the Lord. He sneered, and swept wildly at me with his weapon. I avoided his blow easily, and looked over to see Rufus on the sidelines, ready to jump into the fray when his chance came. I gave a curt nod, silently telling him to stay put – thankfully, he seemed to understand. I saw him warily eyeing the Kokiri all around, but it seemed they would do nothing unless directly ordered by their Lord.
I couldn't stay distracted for long, as the Wolfos man lunged again, this time coming so close that I could feel the rush of air caused by the swipe across my face. I blinked. :Gods, he's fast!Now I knew for certain that the same tactics wouldn't work – I'd thought Judas fast, but he'd been nothing compared to- "Gah!" He'd managed to get me across the left forearm, and I winced as blood started to stain my sleeve. Frowning, I ducked another ferocious swipe, and found myself standing right next to Rufus, who managed to parry an attack that would have severed my head from my body.
"Thanks," I huffed, before grabbing a handful of deku-nuts and scattering them on the ground. Just before they exploded, I grabbed Rufus and whirled him around so that he wouldn't catch the full glare of them. The Lord hissed angrily, and shook his head, pupils shrunk to slits and ears flat to his skull as he strained to see.
:Very clever, wenchhe cursed, and then something happened that made my blood run cold… "Attack," the black Wolfos said coolly, and the Kokiri began to advance. He was doing it to create time to regain his sight, I knew…and there was nothing we could do. My magic wouldn't even work (I tried again, and was greeted with a tremendous shock of pain on casting); only half of the Kokiri had been affected by the deku-nuts, leaving a dozen or so to attack us.
"Shadow," Rufus murmured, pressing closer to me, weapons raised. He was looking for a plan; looking to me for a way out of this… I pointedly kept my gaze away from the eternal childrens' faces, remembering the warnings we'd been given by the fairies. The Lord had stopped reeling, and seemed to be returning to normal. I had no more deku-nuts :fool, how could you use them all like that: What to do, what to do? I had to attack whilst he was still vulnerable, but I had to protect Rufus! :Gods, what do I do! I can't think of anything, I… What shall I-: Rufus and I were now back to back, hemmed in by a circle of green-clad Kokiri; they were unarmed, but that only served to make them all the more menacing somehow…
I could feel Shadow's muscles shifting as she looked around at the closing Kokiri, and waited for her to come up with another of her brilliant plans. However, after a few seconds of nothing, I realised that she just didn't have any ideas…which gave me a terrible shock. I'd started to rely on her as the one to plan our actions – now, I needed to do it for myself. I kept my weapons up, but gave most of my concentration to formulating a plan. Copying the Sheikah's normal actions, I quickly looked around us, trying to find an opening (or something) through which to escape. :At least then we'd have a bit more time before we have to fight HimThe Lord was still half-blinded. If we could somehow attack him now, we'd have the advantage! :But there's still the problem of the Kokiri…:
Suddenly, a couple of the child-like creatures rushed me; they'd acquired sticks somewhere along the way, and I raised my shield to deflect their blows. At the same time, I swiped my sword half-heartedly, not really wanting to land a hit. I…I couldn't… :They're just kids, I…can't…can't fight them! They're smaller than-: "Ouch!" A green-haired girl had fired a rock at me using a slingshot, and it had connected squarely with me knee, which immediately started to bleed. I lowered my shield enough to glare at her, but had to raised it quickly again when another rain of blows came upon me. "Shadow," I prompted, hoping that the extra time had given her the chance to come up with something.
"Just hold them back," she instructed. I heard a 'crack' and guessed she must be using her whip against them.
"Right." :Looks like I'd better start thinking harder.: Ducking an attack I felt the Sheikah girl's warm presence leave my back. :What the-: I yelped as some projectile connected with the back of my leg, and span around to find that I was alone in the circle. :She left!: I couldn't believe it!
About a quarter of the Kokiri were unconscious, lying still on the ground; that still left me with eight to contend with – alone! :Where is she: A glimpse of indigo near the Lord told me exactly where she was.
Panicking, I turned tail and fled towards the ladder up to the tree-houses, deciding fighting from above would be preferable to being surrounded. "Rufus, look out!" Shadow yelled, just before I spotted a bucket flying towards my head! I threw myself full-length on the ground, wondering where the heck that had come from!
Instantly, my adversaries were upon me, just like the miniblins back in the Great Deku tree's grotto. I rolled over and over, throwing them off so that I could claw my way to my feet.
All of this had bought me to the steep hill down with Shadow and I had slithered earlier. I could see that the boy we'd bound had joined the others, and was looking triumphant. He clutched a crude-looking dagger in his hand, and moved to the head the gaggle of Kokiri. :This does not look good.:
I apologise if things seem off, out of place, or if the writing style just doesn't flow as well as it should. I'm just frazzled at the moment – too many things going on at once, and heck, I shouldn't even be writing this at all. But, I needed a break, and procrastinating with fanfiction seemed a good way to cheer myself up.
Note: I despise this chapter. GAH. It's taken me forever and a day to write, and now I just hate it. Stupid thing. Kicks the chapter. Damnit! I mean, how the hell am I going to get the two of them out of this? Stupid Soda, think before you write, gah!
Soda x