I did it I did it I did it! I actually found the time to update! Plus I conquered my writers block. You have no idea how hard it was to sit down and write this. Anyway I would like to think all my faithful reviewers and readers for not killing me and being veerrry patient with me I hope you enjoy this chappie.
Anyway, on with the reviews.
Last chapter
Wingedliver: I reviewed your story happy now? Just quit badgering me okay. But thanks anyway.
Dez384: Thanks for the review and don't worry Xinrie's luck is about to change.
JairukazeShirokaze: Thanks for the review! Tell Jai I said hi oh and I didn't put in the part about him being cute that was actually Jaderill. (I am using her fan-fic name but Jaderill is my older sister)
blondie91: Sorry for the wait I wish I had a freer schedule to update more. Anyway thanks.
AncientDirgeDragon: Naw I wouldn't kill off Xinrie yet. Heh but who knows I did say yet… :) Anyway thank you for the nice little review.
Alec Conner: Yay a new reviewer! That makes me very very happy! The new book I am reading… well several actually one is Eldest another is a book on Trebuchets. For me science fair Heh I can't wait till I make one! :)
Note chapter
Da marshmallow: Yayness a new reviewer and your blondies sister too! That makes it like ten times better. Thank you for reviewing! I like reviews a lot. And thanks for the comments.
blondie91: Yes she did bug me. And yes I have been bugging her a lot about her fanfic she claims she just doesn't have the time right now but now I got dirt cause I was able to update my fanfic :)
Dez384: Oops I completely forgot about the note rule thanks for telling me now I will do full chappies and no notes.
Goddie Hudson: Yay you are finally on! I guess Jaderill (older sister) finally nagged you enough! Thanks for reading and reviewing though!
Chimera"Jin get your foot off of the poor thing!" Auna commanded. The white haired man looked up at her almost disappointed.
"You're too soft, ya' know that?" he whined. Despite his reluctance he raised his foot and released Xinrie from his hold. Xinrie's back shivered with relief as the boot's pressure left. She was just about to push herself up when the man with the mask grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and dumped her into a sitting position on the cart. She was now facing all seven straight in the face. She couldn't stop shaking now.
Fear took over once again. None of these people seemed too happy with her right now, not even the one who had told Jin to take his foot off. It was the strangest thing, her mind kept on telling her to run but her legs refused to obey. Adrenalin surged through her veins causing an unpleasant tingling feeling in her limbs. Now more than ever she wished that she was back in the forest.
"I hate thieves," one of the twins spat. Xinrie suddenly remembered the feeling that she got when the boy had taken her rupees. Feeling ashamed of herself, it became nearly impossible for her to look any of them in the face. And it was at that moment her shoes became fascinating.
But before she could even begin counting the number of creases in her boots Auna grabbed her face and turned it upward. Her wine red eyes bore into Xinrie's scarlet ones. She didn't like the feeling this woman gave her when she did that. It was like she was searching her soul for something. Picking up a strand of her light brown hair she started to eye her Kokiri garb. "What are you?" she whispered, more to herself than to Xinrie.
After a moment the woman spoke. "Kain would you please get me Haiku's music box?" The twin with the two braids seemed like she was about to protest, but bit her lip when Auna shot her a glare.
Kain dug through a chest that sat in another cart until he came across a small, hand carved wooden box. Auna inspected the box for a moment. After opening and closing the lid she turned her attention towards Xinrie.
"You, girl," she said with a firm voice, "Look in this box for me." Xinrie jumped at her sharp command and took the box from her hands. This woman could be absolutely terrifying. Xinrie examined the outside of the box, turning it over in her hands. It seemed strangely light to her. She couldn't imagine anything actually being inside of it. And yet, she felt compelled not to open it. She had learned in the past couple of weeks that not everything is what it seems, such as the pretty flower, i.e. the peahat.
She was about to hold it to her ear and shake it when Auna's voice rang out. "Now!"
"Yes ma'am," she squeaked. Xinrie braced herself for anything that might come out of the box. Slowly, she opened the lid, half expecting it to bite her hand off or send a giant spider leaping out onto her head. Or even worse, an owl.
But instead, she was met with the pleasant sound of music. A small fairy like creature rose out of the box and began to dance around. She twirled from one end of the box to the other, her beautiful white hair flowing with her movements. Her eyes were such a beautiful color, both a shimmering cerulean blue. They reminded Xinrie of her past. She had always wanted eyes like that. Growing up she had felt like a piece of garnet among a sea of emeralds and sapphires. She could often remember Mido's taunts and jests. Her lack of a fairy and strange appearance had often been a source of grief for her.
Soon, the fairy's dance ended and she descended back into the box with the dying of the song. Xinrie closed the box and held it out for Auna to take. Her look showed that she was unsure of the music box's purpose. The woman walked forward and took it from Xinrie's hands. "Not much to see, huh?" Auna asked.
"No, it was…nice. It reminds me of a present that a friend gave me once."
Auna raised an eyebrow. "Really, you mean that you saw what was inside?" Xinrie simply nodded her reply. After all, what had this woman expected her to see? "Where was this friend from?"
"She's one of my friends from the forest."
"You mean the Kadrokin forest?"
"The Kadro whota watta?"
"Oh I'm sorry I forgot that it's not called that anymore. I mean the Kokiri Forest."
"Yeah…that's where I…used to live." Xinrie said, her heart falling even further.
"Then that means you're a forest child?"
"Ye – I mean…no." It was at this point that Xinrie's heart hit rock bottom.
"Is that really your answer?" Auna questioned. Her tone sounded as though she was just asking, but her eyes said otherwise.
Quickly, Xinrie began to tell her tale. "I'm not sure where I was born, or who my parents were, but the forest is where I grew up. So even though it's not my home, it still is…if that makes any sense."
"Hmm. Tell me more."
It appeared at this point that Auna wasn't going to kill her or anything like that, but it still felt strange to talk to a complete stranger about her past, especially when her emotions were so tightly woven into it, like treads in a tapestry.
Xinrie simply bit the bottom of her lip shook her head. Auna gave Xinrie a disapproving stare and sighed, "Well, if you're not going to tell me about the forest, then at least tell me where you live now."
The small girl froze up. What should she say? She didn't live anywhere. In fact, the closest place she'd had to a home since she had left was Alaine's, but it's not like she could say she lived there. These people might demand that Alaine pay them back for their lost bread. Xinrie felt she was running out of time to answer. Thinking quickly, she spat out the first place she could think of after Alaine's house.
"The Windmill!"
"The Windmill?" Auna repeated, sounding completely unconvinced.
"Yeah, the Windmill. I help the guy who lives there by…ya' know, uh, doing windmill stuff." Xinrie turned her head so Auna couldn't see her mouthing the answer that had just leaped from her mouth. Who in Hyrule is going to buy that?
Jin looked at Auna. "Okay, I buy it."
Apparently Jin.
Kain nodded in agreement. "That would explain why she was hanging out above this tunnel. We should talk to Underground Kakariko about putting some kind of extra supports in here."
Auna obviously didn't agree but went along with it anyway. "We'll pass by the Windmill again in about three months. Try to earn enough money by then to pay us back, or I swear by Din, I'll let Jin have his way with you." Jin cracked his knuckles in reply. "If you follow the tunnel in that direction," Auna continued, "you'll find a an opening that will take you out. But don't try to go down any other tunnels on the way; you'll just get hopelessly lost."
"And die of starvation," Haiku added.
Xinrie was in just about as much shock as Jin. They were letting her go? Maybe this was a fair trade off for the deplorably bad luck that had been plaguing her since she left the forest.
"But, Auna how do you know she's not going to run away?" he asked.
"We'll hunt her down if she does. I have a few friends who work in…intelligence. They'd find her if I asked them to." Xinrie didn't doubt this. The group parted some and Xinrie got up to walk away. She didn't get very far away from them before the woman stopped her again. "Oh, and by the way, if you tell anyone about this tunnel, or us for that matter, I'll have my intelligence silence your tongue by any means necessary."
Xinrie squeaked, nodded, and then started her quick walk down the tunnel. After she was out of sight, the woman with the swords on her back looked at the leader. "Was it really wise to send her off by herself? She might accidentally fall into one of the traps masked with illusion."
"I doubt," she replied. Turning the music box over in her hands, Auna stared at the wooded carvings. "She could see the inside of the music box. You know what that means Kladi?"
The girl thought it over for a moment then tilted her head to the side, like she did every time she was confused. "But how?"
"I don't know. But for some reason that girl has the eyes of a Shiekah."
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Okay I'm going to leave you off there. My goal was to at least get something in. The hits from Jaderill and the nagging feeling in me to update are now gone at least. I will not be able to update again until sometime after March, You see my science fair project has made it to Regionals and I have to prep it up until hen, so once again please excuse the lack of updates but once my schedule is freer I will update more.
D.E.W