Sorry I've not updated for over a week. I've been busy with getting my first book ready for publishing. YAY! I'm so excited. Anyway, here's chapter five. Enjoy and remember to R&R.
Chapter Five – Outset
(Links POV)
My breath is coming in gasps and my whole body is alight with pain. I can feel the sweat dripping into my eyes but I am focused. I roll to the side and raise my shield as I scramble to my feet. The impact of the sword as it crashes in to the metal sends a shock wave up my arm. I thrust the shield forward, pushing my opponent's sword out of the way and slash my own blade forward. Caught unawares, my opponent loses his balance and takes a hasty step back. This gives me the advantage I need. I swing my sword in a wide arc and as it slams into his shield with a clang, I allow the momentum to take me around in a full circle and I slam my shield into his chest.
"OW!" He yells as he falls flat on his back. I flex my sword and hold it softly against his neck.
"Yield?"
"Yes-yes. Whatever. I yield." He is gasping for breath.
I move the sword point away a fraction so he can stand. Although I do not sheath my sword before he is disarmed, I grin.
"You've improved vastly." He says as he brushes the sand from his clothes.
My grin widens. "I know." Varjo laughs at this and pats my shoulder as he walks past. I cannot help but compare this encounter to our first meeting. The last time we fought he beat me in a matter of moments. I cringe as I remember how poor my skills were then. How the entire court had watched my humiliation.
I have been on Outset Island for nearly two years now. Sometimes I feel that I have always lived here. My past life as a farmer seems so far away and although it took a long time and a lot of effort, I feel like I am finally a true soldier of Hyrule.
Behind me I hear someone clapping. It is Orca. I owe him everything. He has made me who I am today.
To look at him you wouldn't think he was an expert swordsman. He is small and old and looks fragile. I can assure you he is not the latter. What he lacks in height and youth he makes up with tenacity and experience. That experience has now been passed on to me.
Orca is chatting to Varjo whom he once trained. They know many of the same people. Orca has been training soldiers for King Daphnes for many years. Varjo was his best student. It seems I have now surpassed him. They are talking of court life and current events and I almost pinch myself as I remember that I will soon be taking my place there. Soon I will recognise the names of those they laugh about. I will understand the events they speak of and will be able to make my own comments on them.
That thought is amusing. Me – a poor little farmer taking his place in the most glorious court in the world! I have long since grown accustomed to the idea and sometimes I even look forward to the event. I smile slightly at Varjo and Orca as they chatter and find my gaze wandering to the sun as she sets. The sky is ablaze with colour. Golds, violets, blues, oranges and pinks all vie for my attention. The sunset's here are always magnificent.
My mind wanders back to the day I arrived. The sun was setting then and even in my admittedly shocked state, I could appreciate its beauty. Outset Island is beautiful. Once I had gotten over my homesickness I started to appreciate its huge wooded plains, golden beaches and mountains that almost touch the sky. I understand why Orca and his family chose this as their home.
Although I no longer resent the decision that sent me here, I do still remember the pain I felt then. I could never forget my loneliness and fear. I am thankful that Orca and his family are so welcoming and homely. It did not take me long to adjust to being one of their extended family. To this day they do not know what happened to me in Hyrule. Varjo, who escorted me here, informed them that I was a new recruit and I required extensive training with Orca before I could take my place as a castle guard.
Orca and therefore by extension his family, accepted this and never questioned me about why I had been recruited at the age of eighteen. Every other recruit I have met has been at least eight years my junior. Varjo stayed in Outset for the first month of my training. I suspect that was to make sure I did not revolt and attempt escape. At least he seemed to understand me. He is a Hylian Lord, born into a life of privilege, one of King Daphnes personal servants yet he understood me – a simple Ordonian.
Perhaps our friendship has developed because of that empathy. Perhaps it is because he is the only link to my past I have left. Or perhaps it is beyond his serious demeanour lurks a dry sense of humour. Whatever the reason, over his many visits to Outset, a close bond of brotherhood has grown between us.
I am so grateful for this. I am prepared to face the court of King Daphnes and the gods know I am more than capable of being a castle guard now but I shall be glad of having one friend in that dangerous playground.
My reverie is broken by the call of Saralas, Orca's wife as she calls us in for an evening meal. Varjo and Orca wait for me to join them before we all make our way inside.
This is to be my last meal with them. To mark the occasion, Saralas has organised a farewell banquet. The wall of chatter that bombards my ears as we approach the house is quite intimidating. I wonder if the court will be as noisy as this. Varjo walks next to me, he always walks with an arrogant stride, his head up, a smile on his face and his back straight. I take a deep breath and try to relax. I wonder if my attempt to imitate his confidence is convincing.
In the largest room of their house – affectionately known as the great hall - all of Orca and Saralas's friends and family are gathered. This will be my last chance to practice manners before I return to Hyrule. Varjo and I are leaving in the morning.
"Relax." I hear Varjo's voice in my ear. I try to apply his advice. I am never at ease in a large crowd and he knows this. I control my breathing, as he has often taught me, and I make sure I am smiling. Even though I know all the people in this room I find being in their midst is daunting. I am very conscious of my attire and appearance. I have not had chance to wash since my fight with Varjo and I know that I look dishevelled and probably smell. Since I know this, I am convinced that every single eye in the room will be on me and will think ill of me.
Varjo leads me to the centre of the room. I must either follow him or risk being left alone in this huge crowd. I wish I had his confidence. He doesn't care what people think of him. He goes everywhere with a cocky smile on his face and his back straight and shoulders square. I force myself to reply to the greetings I receive as we cross the floor. I even smile but inside I cannot understand why these people talk to me. I know that they can see how foolish I look.
"Link, get over yourself." I hear Varjo's voice hissing in my ear. I glance up in surprise.
His red eyes are gleaming with laughter. For the first time I realise that he is just as dishevelled and dirty as I am. He smiles at me and shakes his head. "You've got to get over this." He says quietly. "Everybody here is your friend, they have come to wish you farewell. They like you; if they didn't they wouldn't be here. They don't care that you do not look perfect."
Now how did he know what I was thinking? His smile widens into a grin and he laughs. "Go and socialise, Link. It'll do you good. You cannot always stand in my shadow."
Am I standing in his shadow? This thought haunts me as I move away. I feel like a fish out of water as I scan the crowd. In a combat arena I am fearless, I will take on any number of opponents so why is this so different? Surely fighting for your life is scarier than chatting to your friends? I can feel bile rising in my throat and smile reluctantly. To me, this is scarier than an army of Undead Like-Likes.
I glance at Varjo and he waves me away with a hand. He is still grinning at me. I know that he is right. I have to get over this. If I cannot be at ease in a crowd of people I know, the gods only know what I shall be like in the court of King Daphnes.
With this in mind and my heart pounding uncomfortably in my chest, I approach one of Orca's sons, Lany. He is laughing with one of his cousins and his wife stands nearby. I clear my throat in an attempt to capture their attention but they do not hear. My palms feel sweaty so I hastily wipe them on my tunic and take a step forward. Varjo has always told me to act confident, even if I am not. I take this advice as for the first time in my life, I interrupt a conversation.
I am greeted not by stunned silence or cold looks but with welcoming smiles. Lany slaps my back so hard I almost topple over and his wife smothers me with a huge hug. They tell me how much they will miss me and together we reminisce over my time in Outset.
This puts me at ease a little. I don't detect any sarcasm in their manner, nor do I see them giving me derisive looks. Maybe Varjo is right, I am amongst friends and they don't care how I look or how I speak. They care about the person I am. This gives me a little confidence so move on to another group.
By the end of the evening I am perfectly at ease.
"Remember that time with the Cucco's?" Saralas chuckles as she hugs me slightly.
I join in with the laughter. I certainly remember that day – I hadn't known that Cucco's on Outset Island were so different to the Hylian breed. They did not take kindly to my attempting to collect their eggs. I had ended up running for my life, chased by an angry mob of white-feathered demons. Saralas only told me afterwards that there was a method to gathering their eggs. It involved one person distracting them with huge amounts of food whilst the other snuck into the roost and collected the eggs.
My own cucco's had been raised from chick age by me and would never have dreamt of attacking anyone. My smile falters slightly as I think of my old life. I will never go back to being a simple farmer. I am a Hylian Soldier now.
Saralas moves on to my training, reminiscing over my failures and my triumphs. I listen with half an ear as she and Orca laugh. I smile as I remember the hardships I faced. As a farmer, I had thought I was pretty tough. I was strong and had stamina but after one day of training, my body had ached so much I thought I was dying. Muscles I never knew even existed throbbed in agony as they were pushed to the limits.
I had not inherited the legendary skills my ancestor's had supposedly possessed. I didn't merely pick up a sword and have the inherent knowledge of how to wield it. I remind Orca of my first training session. I had almost beheaded him as I swung my sword wildly. For months after that I was only allowed to use wooden sticks and my opponent was a tree trunk.
I can hardly believe I am the same person that bested Varjo earlier. I have worked so hard to get to where I am today. I thank Orca profusely for helping me so much, without his training I would be no better than average.
"Nay, lad. You always had the potential to be great." He laughs at me. "It just took a master to make you realise your talent."
I will miss Orca and his family so much. They have become the family I never had. I can feel tears stinging my eyes as I dwell on this thought and I hastily turn so that nobody can see my weakness. Tomorrow I will leave them forever. Tomorrow will mark the start of a life I never wanted.
That conceited brat will become my mistress and I will live to serve her.
The thought of that 'conceited brat' burns in my mind and makes me choke on my laughter. I cannot bear to think about her. In fact, I should try not to think about her for it is dangerous. Unbidden an image of her beautiful face fills my mind. Considering I have not seen her for nearly two years it is surprisingly clear. I grit my teeth and unobtrusively slip from the room. I rarely allow her to cloud my thoughts but when she does, I have to be alone.
I know she will never forgive me for my words. She probably hates me.
Even to this day I do not know why I deliberately hurt her. My words were so cruel. Why did I take my anger and frustration out on her? I gaze up into the night sky. The majesty of the stars and serenity of the moon is lost on me tonight. I am so afraid of going back. I don't want to see her. I can't see her. My stomach is as heavy as lead at the thought.
"Now what ails you?" Varjo's calm voice interrupts my panicked thoughts. I do not know if he was already here or if he has followed me. I study his face for a moment. Perhaps I should trust him with my thoughts. No - telling anybody my fears, even such a good friend as Varjo, would be impossible.
I cannot explain my own feelings to myself. I don't understand why I have the undeniable urge to protect her. I don't know how I know that I will die for her.
"You know, the court isn't that bad. It's actually quite fun and you've got the best job going!" Varjo takes my silence for nerves. I shall let him believe this. He tells me about the court and how I will fit in there. He has confidence in me. My training is complete. I shall not shame myself by appearing uncultured. My manners are on par with those of a prince. My combat skills are refined to perfection. My Ordonian accent is all but gone.
I am a Hylian soldier ready to serve the Princess. I know Varjo can see through my confident act but he can't see why I am so afraid. He'll never understand.
She hates me.
I sigh as Varjo leads me back into the room. He says some wine will help me regain my compsure. Varjo is a good friend. He knows me so well but he will never know why I fear returning to the castle.
She hates me and she will always hate me.
But I love her.