Chapter 2

Ember opened her eyes and immediately shut them again. Her head pounded from having too much to drink from last night. She buried her head in her pillow and rolled over, landing on the floor, bringing a the blanket she was using with her. She groaned and pulled her exposed feet under the blanket to keep them off the cold floor.

"It's your own fault for how many drinks you had." Ember pulled the blanket from over her head fussing her hair up. She looked over at Telma, who stood in the doorway of the room.

"Go away and let me wallow in my shame."

"What shame? You verbally abused Link last night."

"ugh. If I never see him again, it will be too soon."

"Either way, you still have to get up. I'm about to open."

"What kind of pub opens up during the day?"

"Mine, now come on." Telma held Ember's shoulders and forced her to her feet. She led Her to the front door and pushed her out.

"Ahhhh Telma, it's cold outside."

"Go home Ember." Telma shut the door behind her leaving Ember outside in the morning cold.

"Might as well get my stuff then." Ember thought. "There's no way, I'm staying in that inn." Ember walked up the stairs and into the alley street. After a while, the cold had sobered her up and her headache went away. She enjoyed the silence after walking through the mass of crowds yesterday. The only people out this early were merchants, shop owners, and an occasional early-bird or two.

Most of the street torches were still light and only a few had gone out since last night. Ember stopped at one to stare into the flame. Over the course of the day, the oil in the others would run out they too would burn out. When the sun would start to set, it was someone's job to refill and light them before it became completely dark again. Ember watched as the oil in the torch ran out and the flame slowly went down, till it disappeared completely. She turned and continued on her way.

She walked at a slower pace the rest of the way. She wanted to enjoy the quiet and eerily calming atmosphere before the streets filled with people. But she also didn't want to get caught up in it when she checked out.

Ember walked up to the inn door and she opened it as quietly as she could so as not to disturb the other residents. She crept up the stairs and drew out her key right before she reached the top. She walked the length of the hallway and unlocked her door. AS she entered she became immediately depressed from the drabness of the room.

She drug her feet across the floor over to the closet on her left. She slid open the door and picked up her bag of the floor. She never really unpacked, due to the unappealing nature of her room. She just chose the most sanitary looking area, which happened to be the closet, and placed what belongings she had in it.

Since there was no one present at the front desk, she just placed her room key on it and walked out, not bothering to leave any form of a tip. She walked back out into the morning air. By this time, the streets had significantly filled with enough people to make her not want to enjoy the morning anymore. She sighed and decided to get to the merchant stalls before they filled up too much.

Ember backtracked to the southern quarter of town where the market stalls were located. There wasn't as much commotion as she expected.

"People are hung over as I was this morning I assume. Most likely from yesterdays . . . guest appearance." She thought to herself. Ember suddenly got irate all over again; then she scolded herself for letting Link get under her skin when he wasn't even there. She walked over to the stand with the cheapest product and bought some of the lesser appealing food that would parish soon. It wasn't the healthiest way to eat, but she had nary many rupees and she tried to save them as much as she could.

"Morning Ember" A man with a cloak pulled over his head greeted her. She paid hardly any attention.

"Go away. You annoy me." The man paid for food better than Ember had bought.

"You shouldn't eat stuff like that. It's not good for you." Ember scoffed.

"Why do you know what I bought anyway, you creep. Besides, what do you know anyway? I've eaten like this most of my life." The cloaked man turned towards her and shifted the bundle of food into Ember's arms, making her take it. His cool blue eyes locked onto hers.

"Maybe that's why you're so aggravated all the time." He let go of the parcel. "This is for not being a conformist. Thank you for that." He turned and started to walk off. "I'll see you around." He said over his shoulder before heading on his way.

"I'm aggravated because of you!" She called after him. She gave up and sighed. Ember put her fresh food in her bag, drew the string tight, and headed off her own way.

Not really wanting to be in town, Ember slowly walked due south. She store at her feet as they scuffled across the ground. At one point she stopped to crack her toes by flexing them out, then in, and then back out again, and continued walking.

Just before she got to the southern gate, she felt the string of her bag digging into her shoulder so she stopped to switch it to the other side. While rolling her shoulder backwards, she approached the gate. The guards glanced suspiciously at her and she held her breath hoping they would let her pass. Other than the looks, she got away clean and she let her breath out as soon as she was free of the gate.

There was nothing she had done wrong for them to get on her about, but it always unnerved her whenever she went in or out of the city. As soon as she was out of their peripheral vision, she put her bag string across her chest and broke into a run down the stairs of the main entrance. Why the south was the main entrance, she never knew. No one really used it anyway save for those who wish to make an entrance.

Her mind flashed back to yesterday when Link had ridden in on his horse from the East. "Feh, no matter where he comes in, it's still a big deal." She thought to herself.

It felt good to Ember to be outside the city walls. As she ran, she closed her eyes for a few seconds, and just felt the breeze on her face. With every thud from her feet, she felt more and more excited to be away from the noise. It wasn't completely quiet, but it wasn't the noise of the streets.

When Ember had gotten through the small passageway, where the ground rose in a 90 degree incline on both sides and rose just a few yards above her head, she stopped running and sat in the grass to catch her breath.

She looked around the Southern field to take in the scenery when her stomach grumbled loudly. She sighed and took her bag off her shoulder and opened it. Ember had to stop for a second, forgetting why she had good food in her bag. Remembering why, she grunted in frustration and reached for the not so good food underneath. She bit into some bread then immediately spit it back out tasting a bitter and tasteless spot. She looked at her meal only to see mold already starting to grow on it. She threw that aside and gave up eating, not wanting to waste anymore food.

Ember got up and started walking due south, not really knowing where she was going. She seldom went outside the castle walls, and when she did, it was only with Telma to go with her to Kakiriko village in the West to pick up and drop off supplies.

Ember groaned as hunger started clawing at her door. She gave up and sat down once again. She opened her satchel and greedily dug into the good food Link had bought her. As she ate, she didn't notice the footfalls behind her.

"Now aren't you glad I you have fresh food instead of that garbage?" Ember tilted her far up so she could see behind her. Her expression went from curious to annoyance as she saw the hero she despised standing behind her with slight triumph on his face. She returned her head forward and continued eating ravenously.

"Go away, I'm eating." Ember said, her mouth still full. She swallowed. "Besides, don't you have anything better to do?" Link came around in front of her and looked down upon her sitting figure.

"Like what? There's no way I'm going back into there." He jabbed his thumb towards the castle town. "And there's nothing to really do out here."

"Go save a damsel in distress or something. I'm sure they'll appreciate your company more than I do."

"Yeah, but then it's not fun. I wouldn't be able to have an actual conversation that's not about my great heroisms." Ember scoffed.

"Okay, you want to talk?" Ember pointed behind him. "There's a tree over there, you could talk to it. I'm sure you two will find something in common. You're both green. And you both act bigger than you really are." Link sat down.

"Okay, ignoring the insults, how can a tree act bigger, if it just IS bigger?" Ember looked at him without content.

"Well maybe the tree doesn't know that it's the same size as every other tree."

"Only above ground. The roots that are unseen underneath are bigger and more complex than what one sees on the outside."

"The roots of a tree reflect the braches, provided they don't sprout beautiful leaves to cover up the brown tangled mess it really is." Link just looked at Ember.

"Were not talking about trees are we."

"I'm not. I don't know about you, but I'm glad you caught on." They sat there in silence while Link reanalyzed the conversation.

"You think I'm good looking." Ember glanced up at him and held his gaze.

"I never said that."

"You said, and I quote, 'beautiful leaves'. And as I recall, you weren't talking about the tree."

"So you're a leaf now?" Ember chuckled at the thought.

"No I-"

"Give it up. You're not going to win this." She said finishing the last of her meal. She stood up, grabbing her bag, and started to walk. Link got up as well.

"Where you going?"

"Away from you!" She called without turning around. Link trodded up to her.

"Can I come?" Ember continued walking without falter.

"Doesn't that defeat the purpose of 'away from YOU'?" He shrugged but she didn't see it. "And besides what about your horse and . . . what did you call him?" she paused. "Minister Shoulder tassels?" She chuckled. "Heh, shoulder tassels."

"Epona is being taken care of by some of the royal servants and I ditched Shoulder Tassels this morning."

"I'm assuming, Epona is your horse."

"Yeah." Ember sighed.

"Fine . . . you can tag along. I guess." She then started to mumble. "Stupid hylian. Ghh." Ember heard Link chuckle behind her to the left.

"Do you have a plan on where you're going?" She shook her head.

"Should I?" she said boredly

"Unless you want to walk right into a dangerous area, yes." Ember stopped for a split second only to start walking next to Link.

"Dangerous?" He nodded and her face lit up with a smile. "would you care to sow me?" Link was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude.

"You want to knowingly go into danger?" He asked skeptically. "With no means of protection?" Ember started nodding, and then stopped.

"Wait . . . no . . . I need a weapon . . . can I borrow one of yours?"

"What? No. Are you insane?"

"No, just halfway sensible mostly some of the time."

" . . . huh?" Ember smiled.

"Ponder about that. It will come to you . . . eventually."

"Again with the insults?"

"Hey, at least you caught on quick this time. I'm almost impressed." Link shook his head then changed the subject.

"You can borrow my bow." He said digging into his small pouch on his side.

"How do you fit a bow into that?" Ember asked. She watched curiously as he pulled out a miniature bow, along with a quiver, from his pockets, which then immediately grew full size as soon as it was free of the apparently magic pouch. "Cool . . . do it again."

"Heh . . . no." he handed the bow and quiver to Ember who immediately strung an arrow.

"Awesome, I always wanted to shoot something with one of these." She turned and aimed at Link. He dodged from her line of sight.

"hey, watch it." She lowered her shot.

"pssh, relax, I'm not going to accidently shoot it."

"Yeah, 'accidently'" Link started walking again, and ember soon followed

"sooooo . . . where are we going?"

"The western field"

Ember grabbed onto a charging boar and slung herself onto it, kicking off the moblin that steered it. The other one that usually rode in the back, she had shot off with Link's bow before the boar turned to charge at her. She lifted her feet under neath her and steadied herself as she started to stand up. Once she got her balance, she straightened her back and kept her arm out to the sides of her for extra balance.

"Yeahheah! Ha ha ha!" Link watched her surf the boar from the one he had stolen. He shook his head.

"That girl is crazy." The boars suddenly stopped, making Ember loose her balance. It then reared up making her body slam into the saddle. She grabbed on to the upper edge of it as the beast shook violently from side to side trying to shake her off. It succeeded in doing so and Ember fell to the ground beside it.

Ember groaned in pain and sat up only to come face to hooves of the beast she had just been on. She rolled to the side just before it thudded its front legs on the ground where she just was, and charged off away from her.

"Wow that was close." Link came up to her, still on his confiscated boar and quickly dismounted.

"You okay?" He helped her up by grabbing her hand.

"Yeah . . . oh man, that hurt." She said grimacing and rubbing her upper arm. Link smiled.

"What did you expect?"

"I nice soft mattress with feather filled throw pillows." Link chuckled . . . then started to laugh. Ember allowed her aching body to fall back onto the ground. "ooowwWW . . . I hurt." this made Him laugh even harder as he sat down next to Ember. "It's not funny . . . " Ember felt around for a small rock in which she tossed in Links direction. It hit him in the head.

"Hey now, don't throw things." She grabbed a handful of grass, sat up and threw it in his face.

"Watcha going to do Mr. Hero?" Link just looked at her and said nothing. "thought so." She turned away from him and closed her eyes breathing in the clean air. She felt something hard hit her shoulder. She looked down and saw the same rock she threw at Link. Then she looked at Link. He had a look of innocence about him. "Oh I see how it is."

"What? I didn't do-" He was cut off by Ember tackling him to the ground, pinning his arms down above his head.

"hah! Can't do anything now, can you?" Link just smiled cockily.

"I'm not sure if I want to at this point." Ember got an annoyed expression on her face.

"Link."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and remember who you're talking to. I don't like you."

"Then why are you on top of me?" He asked with a smirk. She pushed up off of him, but not before smacking him on the side of the head.

"You annoy me."

"I live for it." Ember huffed.

"Come on Hero. Let's get back before it gets dark."