Chapter Two
Midna's eyes shot open, though the only sound made was a soft gasp, and she didn't move. She could feel a cold sweat clinging to her thin fur, leaving her feeling clammy even in the warmth the wolf radiated. She carefully wriggled out from under his paw, managing not to disturb the sleeping hero. She paused, looking down at him, a soft smile playing on her lips. He had curled slightly around her, intent on keeping her warm, and his expression was soft and peaceful, or as soft and peaceful as a wolf could be, anyway. He suddenly started kicking a leg gently, yipping softly, completely unknowing. The little Twili laughed softly, gently stroking his muzzle before she moved to the tunnel he had dug.
The water from last night that had filled the tunnel had now drained into the earth. It was still dark, although the moon's glow was beginning to wane, throwing the land into a true darkness. The deathly calm over the world made her long for her own home already, as twisted as it was now. She clenched her hands into tiny fists as the beginning of her dream floated back to mind. I'll make Zant pay for this.
Her thoughts drifted further into the dream. She remembered the odd, warm feeling she got from relying on Link, the feeling of borrowing his light. She was no stranger to sorcery and witchcraft... but this felt natural. Her mind flit back further, to her mental comment last night. 'I think I like it too much'. What does that mean?
All the thoughts so early in the morning were beginning to give her a headache. She shook her head once to remove the confusion, hovering over to a natural stone bowl. Water trickled through a crack, but enough was left for her to very briefly splash herself down with the cool water, at least giving an impression of being somewhat clean until she could find a larger body of water.
Scrabbling behind her made her turn her head, and she smiled softly as Link crawled out of the tunnel, tongue lolling from his mouth from the faint effort so early in the morning. He sniffed the air, seeming to sense the time, and padded over to sit beside Midna. She floated gently onto his back, ruffling his ear gently. "We ready to go again?" She asked. Link nodded, then paused, ears pricked. With a shake of his head, he started a trot towards the crest of the nearby hill, Midna holding on as the sudden movement almost jerked her off his back. Suddenly stopping and laying himself down on the hill, he looked expectantly to the east. After a few moments, Midna leaned forward, intending on shaking him a little and asking what he was doing, when it happened.
A single ray of light streaked over the landscape, the sky slowly warming to a glowing red, as the sun came up in the east. Midna's breath caught in her throat, watching with a sense of wonder at the slow sunrise. The landscape slowly lit up as the sun rose higher, seeming to heat the sky further, raising to a deep orange and then a vibrant yellow. As the light hit the small river before them, it refracted, setting the water dancing with colours. Finally, the sun finished it's majestic awakening, the sky fading to a bright blue, with no hint of the previous storm. For the first time in her life, Midna was truly speechless. Throughout the adventure, she had always complained about the Light Realm, making her preference for the elegant beauty of the Twilight clear. Now... Now she wasn't so sure. Twilight has... nothing... absolutely nothing to compare to that...
She hugged Link's neck gently, the wolf's head curving a little to look at her out of the corner of his eye, a lupine grin on his face. She sniffed a little, and the wolf could have sworn he felt just a drop fall into his fur where she rest her head. Finally, she lifted back up, sitting astride him. "That... was beautiful..." she admitted. After a long pause, she shifted. "Come on. We need to free you from this curse." Link nodded, barking happily as he stood. The Twili astride him giggled, patting his head. "Good boy. Let's go!" Without further ado, they were off, the powerful loping stride of the wolf carrying both hero and rider swiftly to the south, towards the forests.