A/N: Man, so much for regular updates. My buffer keeps getting nom'd up. D8 It's disheartening to have to get back to work. ^^;
- x -
Chapter Four
-x-
As the door to the main hall closed with a muffled, decisive thud, Link took a moment to lean his forehead against the flat oak surface, clapping a hand across his thundering chest. Calm yourself, he steeled himself, blocking the memory of the Queen's face so close to his. You don't want to burden her with your feelings, especially not now!
He let out a breath through his nose slowly before turning on his heel and trotting down the carpeted hallways to find Ashei; the sooner he delivered the goods, the sooner he could get out of the Castle and back into the fields of Hyrule, where her Majesty did not haunt his lonely mind as freely.
Of course, not even at home did he get a rest from such thoughts. Talo was teasing him constantly about the Queen, with things like 'Her Majesty seems so worried about you, don't you think so, Colin?' and 'Her Majesty was so lovely at the Spring Festival, wasn't she?' and 'What did her Majesty say when you brought her those wildflowers from Death Mountain in the dead of winter?' Which was partly the reason Link left so early, to be honest. His old friend was a merciless tease; almost as bad as Midna.
I wonder how she's been these days, he scowled as he caught sight of Ashei's form vanishing around the corner. I'm sure that Zelda has been needing her help with the Cobblian-
The scene flashed before his eyes again, darkening his cheeks and rattling his frail composure just as Ashei caught his gaze.
"So, does her Majesty approve of the gift from Ordon?"
"Ah," Link stalled, hastily gathering his thoughts again before answering, "yes, she does. Her Majesty also orders for the gifts to go on the next ice run without me."
The black haired lady crossed her arms and looked thoughtful. "Hmm, so even her Majesty worries about the amount of work you do. Interesting. Eh," she shrugged, tossing a lock of black hair over her shoulder. "It doesn't matter. But since you're here, Link, and I'm sure ready to ask how you can help anyway, take this decree down to the Lanayru Spring. Some of the townspeople have been claiming that the Gorons are taking over without her Majesty's consent. Peasants," she spat, handing the fellow warrior a scroll.
"The sooner the fairies come back, the better," Link replied to soothe her caustic nature, holding his tongue on the subject that a peasant bore the Triforce of Courage. "I shall return soon."
"Wait, Link." Ashei held out an arm, barring his way, her eyes narrow. "Do you think... this drought... is it supernatural? I mean, we did slay the bearer of the Triforce of Power. Might that have repercussions like this? Din's Fire and all that?"
"The Goddess' know, and they don't seem to be telling," he sighed. She nodded and dropped her arm.
"All right. I figured I'd ask you and not bother the Queen. Have courage, Link." The black-haired woman tapped the back of his left hand meaningfully. "If you lose it, there's no hope for the rest of us, is there?"
"Nice of you to lighten my burden," he forced a chuckle as he traveled back down the passage, pushing open doors to the still air and fighting emotions and ideas that made his skin even hotter.
It seemed so long ago that he had first met Zelda, filled with all the awe that fitted a princess and her subject. As time passed, and he remembered her alone in that tower, empty awe turned into respect, and at the healing of Midna at the sacrifice of herself, respect blossomed and became affection. Every interaction between them, as ruler and goat herder worked side by side to restore their side of the Twilight Mirror, only deepened his feelings until he surrendered to his foolish love, both savoring and resenting the burning emotion at her smile.
Sighing softly in exasperation at his distraction as he backed out of the wrong alley in Castle Town for the third time - his sense of direction was the first to go - when asked, he replied absently it was the heat - Link was rewarded for his perseverance by the sight of Lake Hylia and the bridge that hung far above it.
A long, broad rope ladder hung uncertainly off the stone structure, wooden slats clicking softly in the faint wind; the lakebed was so far down Link felt a little dizzy for a moment as he swung himself over the edge.
Remember, you jumped from this height in wolf form, he chided himself, feeling the ladder sway in space.
The scent of rotting fish made the hot, humid air seem even heavier as Link carefully descended to the partly exposed lakebed. Islands of dried mud like nightmarish dumplings in thick brown gravy, with skeletons of fish and claws of inedible waterweeds decorating them, formed an easy enough path to the guarded spring. The sensation of the crust crackling under his boots accompanied by the suction of the thick mud underneath kept the swordsman both literally and figuratively on his toes.
At the entrance to the spring, the Goron in charge of guarding shifted uncomfortably as Link approached.
"Ah, brother, I'm sorry, but... I can't let even you in. It's the-"
"-Queen's orders, I know." He flashed the scroll. "I've come to prove it, too. Where shall I put this?"
Dark eyes widened in understanding, and the Goron bared white tombstone teeth in a smile. "Link, I thank you. I shall bear it myself, that way no one can destroy it without tearing it from my hands first." The determined stance he took assured Link that taking the scroll would be no small task.
"I thank you for supporting the Queen." He bowed, a mirrored smile forming on his lips.
"We may not be humans, but we are all Hyrulians," the taller being noted sagely, and Link's smile turned genuine as the faint twinkle of fairy wings tickled his pointed ears. He turned around, catching the little orb of sentient magic in his tired blue gaze.
He expected the same fairy that had strayed behind a couple of days previous; it wasn't. An excited pitch to her musical voice sent a shock through Link's body. "We better get to the palace," he gasped, pulling out an empty bottle and securing the precious creature inside; the he was off across the lakebed with the speed of a hunting wolf and the energy of hope.
Dust caked the air that he gasped in, but he hardly tasted it, ears still buzzing with the fairy's news as scaled the ladder with speed he was surprised he had. But most surprising of all was the message he had to relay.
The Great Fairy was on her way back, and she was bringing ambassadors from the Cobble Kingdom! Goddess' bless this brave fairy that had traveled so far and so fast, bless this precious little messenger!
He hardly felt the heat now, landing on the bridge without even hesitating, legs pounding the stone surface and his breath coming in with dust. It coated his throat, stung his eyes as he tore across the turf now, Castle Town hiding just beyond those hills. It called to him, drowning out the signals his body was giving him to rest for fear that the brave little fairy would perish before he delivered her.
Crowds quickly parted before him, which wasn't that unusual as they had always respected him, even those who did not know just how much he did in service to the nation, but everything seemed slower to Link now. The doors to the palace grounds seemed to be held closed by Gorons... it was as if he was underwater, or wearing weighted boots as he stumbled into the prickly turf.
Hurried footfalls sounded on the grass; he leaned forward, coughing, onto the ground, and shakily pulled the precious glass bottle into view.
"Take this to... her Majesty," he wheezed as something touched his shoulder. The footsteps were loud now, like a crowd was gathering.
"Link," Zelda's voice reached his ears, and he shook his head, the movement making him sway slightly.
"Open the bottle. Please," he pleaded, and was rewarded with the pop of the cork, then the faint voice of the fairy that grew even fainter until Link fell into darkness at his Queen's feet.
-x-
I'm so sorry this is so short. Cliffhanger too! I'd commit seppuku but then I'd just be lazy and getting out of finishing this. Um.
... yeah thanks for your support. C: