Story Title: Our Wind Will Shake the Earth and Stars
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Twilight Princess. …Yet.
Author's Notes: Thanks to Shirosenshi Kisetsu 116, mysticalgems, Kit, Love This, fujioka44, tennants-tenant, Anon266, link-lover82, and rowen raven for reviewing.
Since I've been asked a few times already, I feel that I must explain that there won't be any lemons until very much later in this story. This story is quite long and there's much development needed in both Link and Shad before any lemons can occur. Please be patient with me. It will happen, though not anytime soon. There's still quite a bit of pesky plot and non-sexy story bits that needs to happen yet. Tends to come with the whole epic adventure package.
And, specifically to Kit (since I cannot PM you), I agree completely with your review to "Spectacles". I knew Link's characterization was off even while writing it and it irked me that I knew but I went with it because that fic was for kicks so I didn't take the story seriously like I would for "Wind". I agree that he would be more chaste and in fact, that was my exact thought while writing the fic, should've obeyed my instinct, I guess. Personally, I consider his strange characterization a mistake but I learn from my mistakes. Thank you for giving your honest opinion. I can assure you he'll be more in character here when we get to that point.
Ah, sorry for the long note and the review response (to a different story, nonetheless). High probability that won't happen again. So I'll leave readers to the story. Thanks for reading.
-o-
Chapter Seven: The Whistle in the Wind
-o-
I say, the problem with mysteries is their mystery, Shad thought as Link ascended into the gray morning sky. How ever will we uncover a solution if we posses no clue to its whereabouts? How do we go about discovering that which has never been discovered or even investigated before?
Shad remembered asking his father the very same questions pertaining to the existence of the sky beings and their City. He could picture himself as a small boy again inquiring his father and his seemingly vast knowledge of the universe once more for the answers to these very vexing problems only to receive a hearty laugh, a spirited tousle of his hair, and the same words every time, "That, my duckling, is what makes our work worthwhile."
He could hardly disagree with that, Shad had to admit. Still the smallest, infinitesimal point in the right direction would shave off loads of weight from the scholar's shoulders. It would refine his search and narrow his thought pattern, which was currently casting and stringing along possibilities, plausible and improbable, one after another but none striking brilliance.
Even after a good night's rest, we failed to produce a definite lead this morning. I say, even Link is at a loss for ideas and the old boy appears to know the obscurities of Hyrule better than I. Straws are all we possess to grasp I am afraid.
Actually, Shad was not all that sure on the good night's rest part. After visiting a strange, entrepreneurial bird and purchasing from it a bottle of red potion—well, Link had panicked the wits out of it so it was only proper—he and Link had camped the rest of the night in Faron Woods. Not expecting Link's discovery to lead into a lengthy expedition therefore not packing for one, Shad did not have any of his typical camping gear. Not that any setup of the sort was needed. Shad was out not a minute after he laid down.
As for Link, Shad was not entirely positive the old boy had slept. It always seemed to Shad from accounts of Link's heroics that rest was not at all at the young hero's forefront. And indeed, Link always seemed like he could go on forever, except he was still Hylian, right? While Link's physical condition was exceptional to most Hylians—certainly was far better than Shad's own—his mind and body still harbored some of the natural inevitable limitations, right?
Shad hoped so. Otherwise, the best theory on how Link saved the world without rest was Goddess-induced insomnia and compulsion and that notion brought forth the disconcerting image of the Goddesses riding him like a horse, cracking reins and ordering him on to hurry faster, ever faster, even through his much-needed want of a bed.
And Shad would rather not picture the blessed Goddesses in such a domineering light…
No other information guiding them elsewhere, Link and Shad decided they would head back to the City in the Sky in hopes of deducing some other options (and hopefully not incite any new try on their lives) and, with a miracle, manage to gain assistance from the Oocca's remaining splash of water that was their collective pool of knowledge.
He had worried about the strain on his badly bruised side during Link's flight but Shad had discovered this morning that the red potion had not only eliminated his pain and tenderness but also cleared up most of his discoloration. Aside from a small residual patch of purple on his side, both his ankle and side were healed.
Even though it would take most of the daytime to backtrack to the City, both Link and Shad had concurred it was better if they bypassed the cannon and simply flew there. Also, there was a high likelihood now of Link's dragon body not fitting inside it and Shad would rather be damned a fool before he trapped himself that dreadful cannon alone. The loss of time might have been a nuisance, however it was much preferred.
It was late into the afternoon and marking into the early evening when the white-gray egg buildings of the Oocca at last floated into view. And most distressing so did the sight of the Light Spirit Lanayru coiling around a bridge, crushing it, and incinerating the rubble, leaving nothing to fall from its destruction.
Shad mouthed words of grief as his eyes transfixed in shock at the upheaval and ruin of the City in the Sky. All of it, every hole, every fallen column, every scattered remain was his fault, he repeated to himself, for ever summoning the Light Spirits in the first place. Bit by bit, the Spirits were destroying the City. And Shad was positive their slow, meticulous obliteration had nothing to do with necessity and all in fulfilling their personal whim. And it was all his fault.
"So the Spirits have not dispersed of their own accord," Shad said, his voice soft and heavy with regret, as he and Link watched through a recently blasted and vanished ceiling the immense blaze of light that could only be Ordona charging across the room. "I pray for the safety of the sky—"
Link rushed off. Shad dove forward and clasped his grip around Link's neck. Much as it irritated him to be given no warning, Shad had other pressing issues on his mind. Like the fact Link was barreling headlong toward the City in the Sky. Where the Light Spirits were. The Light Spirits that were fervent about killing them and nearly succeeded on their first opportunity.
Shad was quite against allowing them a second.
"Link, stop! What in blazes are you doing?" Shad shouted, straining to be heard. "Have you lost your blasted mind? I say, stop!"
Shad's shouts were to no avail. Link hurried toward the City for only a reason he knew. The scholar hoped it was a worthy one because they were quite rapidly flying to their death if the Light Spirits noticed them.
Heroes rush straight ahead where scholars fear to tread, Shad groaned. The differences between us.
…Still I always held a belief that Link was impulsive but not stupid, that even he recognized his limitations and knew when to heed caution and logic. In light of these new circumstances, however, I may have to reevaluate my previous assessment of him.
"Link!" Shad appealed one last time, partially praying to Nayru to impart Link a spark of sound wisdom. "For the love of all that is rational thought, retreat!"
Link soared across a quarter section of the City. Shad scanned wildly about for the Light Spirits. They were far enough away and behind a distracted Lanayru to fly past the serpent and the steady winds blowing by obscured the sound of their flight. Ordona was similarly preoccupied. Which left Faron and Eldin. Shad had no clue where they were and as such they were the Spirits that troubled him the most. And while the scholar would never count out Faron as a danger, between the pair of them, Eldin could fly.
Shad heard his heartbeat pumping in his ears as he prayed Link's survey of the destroyed City ceased soon enough. And then a bolt of concentrated light shot diagonally down from the sky and cracked the roof of the central building. From there, the clouds burned away revealing first a talon and slowly began to uncover the rest of the hawk spirit's massive body. Shad was about to strongly urge they leave now but Link had apparently came to that agreement. Diving straight down, Link plunged into the cloud cover.
The scholar could at last release his held breath and exhale a sigh of relief once he was convinced that Eldin had not seen them and was not in pursuit. His fear gave way to his irritation and to that sparked a lecture. If they were not miles and miles above the ground and Link did not still lack flight control, Shad would have began his lecture immediately. However, Shad quite did not wish to plunge from this elevation in the sky so he held his tongue. For now.
The rocky northern plains of Hyrule Field grew larger and larger as Link prepared his second attempt at landing. Shad closed his eyes and braced for impact.
The crash jerked Shad forward but his grip around Link's neck held rather well. And Link had learned how to slow his descent somewhat, though his landing was far from graceful yet. But all in all, he had done better. If the kinds of injuries his last landing could have caused worst to worst were broken bones, this one would only have managed to severely scrape one's skin off. Progress.
Shad staggered a bit as he stood but as soon as he shook off the wobbles from the landing, he turned to Link and said sternly, "What in Farore's green fields were you thinking pulling off such a reckless stunt? You are a hero, yes, and you are brave—"
He knew he was upset but he had not realized he was this upset. Believing his anger to be reasonable, Shad went on with his lecture, "However that does not justify placing both our lives in danger! I say, did it ever occur to you that it might be extremely idiotic to race headlong toward the very monsters trying to kill you? And for what? What was the purpose of that indubitably foolish exploit of yours? That is something I would like to know, thank you very much!"
Link had his head bowed but not in shame. In fact, the scholar wondered if he was even listening to him. Link seemed to be intently looking around for something. That something apparently being a stick as he grabbed one between his teeth and drew in the dust what in the end was a rough drawing of an Oocca.
"So you saw the Oocca." Most of Shad's anger had burned itself out and been replaced by curiosity, though his tone remained stern. "What of them?"
Link drew a horizontal line above the Oocca and then several vertical ones from the horizontal. It took a moment before Shad understood.
"They were imprisoned?" Shad said, now quite concerned. Link affirmed his words with a nod.
"I understand now. You observed they were in danger and you wanted to assist them, wanted to see if they could be rescued." Shad laid a hand on Link's forehead, "I apologize for my outburst. Your senses are far superior to mine. If I had observed what you had, I would have attempted to save the Oocca at any possibility as well, though most likely to less successful measures."
Link tipped his head to the side and gave a rumble in his throat that equated to a shrug of his shoulders and saying, "No harm done" to Shad.
As Link headed off to survey their surroundings, Shad looked worried up into the sky as he murmured a brief prayer for the Oocca's safety and followed after Link.
-o-
So their options were even fewer than what they had originally believed. Sitting by the fire outside the small cave that was their campsite for the night, Shad contemplated, deliberated, and perused through all his knowledge of Hyrule to no avail. There was nowhere else they could go. He had asked Link but he did not possess any more viable ideas than Shad. When inquired of his opinion on petitioning Queen Zelda's aid, Link gave an uncertain nod as to whether she could assist them but he did not want to rule her out. So far, she seemed their only choice.
However, since it would be another two hours of flight before they would reach Hyrule Castle and the time of their final arrival would be very late into the night, they thought it wiser to get what little rest they could, wake bright and early, and pray the sight of a dragon flying toward the castle did not alarm the Hyrule royal guards—more specifically the guards in control of the cannons—too much.
His father's journal open and resting on his lap, Shad thumbed through the notes he made in the Messenger's Library in hopes of an epiphany coming to him. As it was, the only thought running through his mind was of his father reminding him that 'the presence of light also creates a shadow—no action can be made without also inadvertently producing its opposite'.
Shad wondered what actions were going to be required to reverse the magic on Link and then what sort of feats would then have to be undertaken to restore the Oocca's true forms and their memories. Both seemed so daunting, so impossible at this point.
But so had verifying the existence of the sky beings and the City in the Sky at one point in his life.
Link came back carrying a pair of dead Lanayru twin-tailed rabbits in his mouth. He dropped them on the ground and nudged one by the snout toward Shad.
While he appreciated the gesture, Shad's knowledge and experience with skinning animals was limited to hiding himself in the tent on camping trips or in his room covering his eyes and ears until his father finished the job, cleaned up, and thoroughly had the poor beast of the evening roasting on the fire or in the stew pot or what have it. Shad had no doubt Link was accustomed and skilled in the practice and under different circumstances (or if dragons had opposable thumbs) he would have taken care of the job already. But Shad did not know how.
It was difficult to phrase his words and it ached him to appear like he was snubbing Link's generosity and effort but he politely declined the rabbit. Hoping Link's greater hearing did not catch his stomach growl, Shad promised himself to rely on his fairly extensive knowledge of the local flora to sustain himself.
Link was not offended, or he appeared not, as he laid down, anchored his claws into one of the pitiful creatures, and sunk his sharp teeth in for his first bite.
Shad ordered himself to think and not look, to keep his eyes either on his book or averted to the other side. It had to be one or the other. Because if he turned and saw Link eating the recently-living-but-not-anymore rabbit raw little by little, he knew he was going to be sick.
Well, he is a dragon, Shad reminded himself until he decided that, no, not even being a dragon can excuse oneself from proper table manners.
The unfortunate side effects of having a vivid imagination, Shad thought as he heard the squishy, squelchy noises, is that, with the proper stimuli, one can picture one's surroundings all too well.
He tried to ignore it, all of it. He tried to focus on the Oocca's plight or speculated on how might they transform Link back but soon he tried not to think about Link at all because any thought of him reminded him that he was eating a rabbit right beside him. And then there was a sound that could only have been crunched bones, followed by yet more wet, slurpy noises.
Shad soon realized all his thoughts had gone rather fuzzy, that his head felt like it was caught in Ooccoo Jr.'s magic and also like most of his blood had drained from his face, and a whirlpool of nausea churned in his stomach.
The scholar also realized that this was probably one of exactly two times he had ever ran away and left someone without properly excusing himself. However it was not as if he had time to excuse himself and Shad had not been certain that words would have came out of his mouth first if he had tried.
Once the dry heaves subsided, Shad did murmur an apology to whatever sort of creature that lived in the hole for rudely getting sick all over its entranceway.
When the last of his shakes and queasiness settled, Shad stood up and plodded up the hill, hoping the night air would benefit him in mind and body greatly. He stared at the twinkling white stars above him and wondered if there really was any truth in what the histrionic fortuneteller had told him—that all his stars were in disarray and that misfortune was forever bound to follow him.
Of course, he had been just a boy when she had made this prediction and that had been after Shad denounced her craft as superstition and explained to the other Castle Town children crowding around her that she wasn't seeing the future, that she was only telling them what they wanted to hear, and that she only wanted to hoodwink them out of their allowances. And then she made her awful prediction. And then the other kids chased and beat Shad up.
At times, however, it does appear I possess the worst luck in life, I say, Shad sighed in the darkness. Never the leader, always the follower in my own research. Bullied as a boy for being too mature and yet now that I am nearly an adult, I am treated like a child in the face of important world-rescuing matters. Further along Link and I get into this mess, the further I complicate matters and I possess not a clue of how to go about fixing anything, though I am positive that if I did, I would only cause more harm.
After all, what chance do I possess of being any use in all this? Link is the hero. I am just a redundant scholar. One who cannot even maintain hold of the liquid remnants of his breakfast at the slightest indication of ickiness.
"Forgive me, Father," Shad murmured into the night. "You had hopes of raising a son and scholar who would revolutionize Hyrule's history with his brilliance and discoveries of the Oocca and instead the Goddesses bequeathed you with me. Terribly sorry."
It soon became apparent to Shad that he had meandered quite a ways from the campsite. Far as his memory told him it was a straight line back, however it was quite dark and there were only stars above to light his path and Shad was aware of the creatures that resided in the rocky plains. He thought it best if he made his way back.
Though it was not going to be the road he originally took that he discovered fairly swiftly. Not a quarter of the return in and Shad found himself face to ax tail with a lizalfos. He inched himself back as the still-unawares lizalfos scoped its surroundings. Shad assessed his options. He could try another route and hoped it led him somewhere not too far from the campsite. He could wait until the lizalfos passed and stay on his original course. And for a third option…
There was a third option. There really had been. Was not a bad idea in the least. However as the scholar heard the specific low growl and sudden rush and realized he was his unprotected tail to face with a second lizalfos, that third option was rapidly replaced by Shad's self-preservation impulse.
Staggering out of one lizalfos's stab, he provoked the other. The reptilian soldier joined its cohort and, in its odd hopping battle step, sized up its much weaker enemy. In the creature's characteristic fashion, one became the main assailant, the other hung back in reserve at the ready to jump in immediately when the other was far too injured. Really was a smart strategy and noble of it for having one always guarding the other.
And then, as he sidestepped a slash and the lizalfos's scimitar-like blade broke through the wooden fencing lining the road's edge, Shad realized he was a very strange young man for finding commendation for his attackers.
While the road was just wide enough for Telma's supply and impromptu medical wagon to pass through, the road was still not wide enough to allow Shad to make an escape dash past the waiting lizalfos. Best tactic to survive for Shad was keeping his distance, scurry around, and pray his bad luck was not the end of him. Oh and shout for Link, even though he knew what a cowardly thing it was to do.
But the truth was the scholar's stamina was not about to outlast the lizalfos' attention span and there was more likelihood of Shad at last convincing Ashei that belching was not a successful counterpoint to any argument than of the scholar taking down two lizalfos bare-handed, so calling for Link's assistance was the best idea. Weak-willed of him but the best. He was out of his realm of capability after all.
Because there is no such thing as a noncombatant warrior, Shad thought, back flat against the rocky hillside as he watched the lizalfos and waited to know which side to turn to. There are only those who fight and those who do not fight and, I say, I am most certainly in the category of the latter.
Dodging to the left, Shad stumbled and fell into an awkward headfirst roll. Well, more like a half-roll really. His trembling hands braced against the ground, Shad, white as a cucco, sat staring saucer-eyed at the lizalfos as it prepared to whip its ax-handled tail and slice straight across his waistcoat, good for taking off a chill but not so great at taking ax strikes.
Only the lizalfos did not swing its tail. Not for lack of trying and boy, did it try but Link would not let it. Standing on the knocked down waiting lizalfos, Link held the attacking lizalfos's tail in his bite. Looking over its shoulder, the lizalfos jerked its tail in an attempt to free it and continue its assault but Link held on and dragged the bipedal lizard backwards, the surprise in its growl audible, more so as he tossed it up and then slammed it against the rocky hillside.
Link stood crouched between Shad and the waiting lizalfos as it rose onto its clawed feet and readied its blade. Its stab was weak and more of show of its size and aggression than a true attack. The intimidation tactic failed. Link tackled the lizalfos again, only this time sending it onto its back, and chomped down on its neck. Once. Twice. And several more times.
While Link was occupied, the briefly unconscious lizalfos stirred, shook its head, found its bearings, and was ready to reenter the fray. Ignoring the strangled growls of its dying cohort, the lizalfos focused on a different target, namely Shad.
It rushed at him, forcing the scholar to quickly step backwards. The lizalfos had a much too sinister grin as Shad found the edge of the road. Swinging its ax tail around, Shad bent back and the edge crumbled under his foot and the off-balance sent the scholar falling through the broken fencing. His last sight of the lizalfos was of Link ramming into it, his last sound a crushed growl as it met the same end as the other lizalfos.
Shad could be thankful he was not dropping into a dark ravine to an assured death. He was lucky in that sense. Of course since he was tumbling down a rocky hill, he was not that fortunate. He stifled shouts of pain as rocks poked, pierced, and shattered against his body. The hillside consisted of shale, which broke easily but still had some jagged points when one landed on them just right and Shad often did.
Shad raised his arms and protected his face, specifically his spectacles. He neither had his spare nor did he want a rogue shale shard to shatter his lenses and leave him with eyes full of glass. Tumble after tumble, Shad saw and knew little of what was going on around him. Occasionally he would catch a clear glimpse of a star before falling back into a blurry spin. At last, the rolling ceased, his disorientation progressed to reorientation, and he found himself in a small valley at the foot of the hillside. A quick health check, he discovered nothing damaged beyond some soreness and a few scratches.
Link slid down the hill soon after, making a sound similar to the rush of a sudden downpour and quite a shale avalanche in his wake. He came to a stop right in front of him and very soon Shad was face to snout with a quite concerned dragon. He laid a hand reassuringly on his snout, avoiding in touch and sight of the spots of rabbit-lizalfos blood around his mouth.
"I am all right, old boy. Really, I am," Shad said as Link, happy to see him all right, pushed his hand further up along his muzzle. "Sorry to have worried you. Thank you. For coming. I meandered farther than intended, I suppose."
Quite an error of judgment on my part there, Shad thought, head bowed. After all, there is a world of difference leaving oneself to one's thoughts wandering Castle Town versus the open wilds. Rarely have I ever wandered at night during my own expeditions, though when one is already alone at camp there is no need to seek solitude.
"We should head back, should we not?" Shad said as he rose onto one knee and prepared to stand. Except when he placed any sort of weight on his knee, the ground cracked and his foot fell through. Shad and Link looked at his leg and then quickly at each other before the earth gave way.
As he crashed and lay on a massive pile of rocks, Shad hoped the many cracking sounds around him and Link was more shale breaking and rustling and not their bones. His chest hurt and the air was knocked out of him but all in all, not many additional injuries from before.
Shad sat up, his back aching and popping as if he had traded spines from perpetually stooped over, elderly Doctor Borville. Gazing about with the help of Link's ever-constant light, he could see they had fallen into what was not so much a cave than just a hollow hole in the earth. He could hear vents like those about Death Mountain blowing streams of hot air around them.
"Our weights combined with the additional shale and its vibrations must have placed a great enough strain to instigate the rock to fracture," Shad said, peering up, "I say, and to no wonder! The ceiling, if you could call it that, is comprised of large slabs of the same shale. Why, everything could easily collapse upon us with the slightest break."
And then the thought caught up with his reason," …Oh, dear. Link, if you are unharmed, I believe we should make our exit post haste." Shad turned to him and saw Link just sitting staring vacantly into the earth. He did not seem like he had heard him. His attention seemed miles away.
"Link? Something the matter, old boy? Link?" Shad called. To no avail.
Link did not respond, even when Shad gave him a gentle nudge. He was not ignoring him. It was more like Link's mind was no longer within his body. Shad wondered how it was possible. Nothing particularly strange had happened. Nothing that would explain Link's odd catatonic state. And then Shad heard it.
It was faint, barely audible to Shad but no doubt perceptible to Link's better ears. The vents blew against a bizarre rock formation shaped like panpipes and from it produced a light whistle. The simple three-note tune sounded and faded with the flow of air.
Unless crafted by the Goddesses themselves, nothing in nature would ever geologically form rocks in such a distinct manner, Shad thought as he looked about their surroundings, seeing only rocks and more rocks. What sort of place was this?
A short slide down the pile of shale, Link approached the whistling rocks and sat down in front of them. Happy to see his movement returned but very much still concerned for his lack of reply, Shad tried calling him once more. No response. To him, at least.
Link raised his head and sang back. It was a peculiar thing to do in the first place, in Shad's opinion, however coupled with the fact his pitch was higher than one would expect for a dragon—really, he sang more like a sweet heavenly bird than with his usual gruff dragon growls—it was truly an odd scene to behold. Odd but beautiful. Yet another sound he had never heard before and was unlikely to ever again.
The three-note melody sung and repeated, Link's voice hung in the air and reverberated a while before the earth finally went silent. And the rocks began to move. The pile of stones scattered in the vicinity of the vents began to gather and reassemble themselves. Rock clacked against and grated on rock, making horrendous raspy noises, as glowing red lava bound the stones together and filled the many arching cracks across the statue. A statue that appeared to depict the mythical ancestor to the ancient furnix, namely the phoenix.
At last, Link was returned to himself, his mind freed from its mystical captivity. He looked to Shad and smiled eagerly, though he did not appear to know what was going on but looked hopeful since it was something new. Shad was equally as uncertain about the unfolding events but nonetheless was excited to observe the statue and deduce its importance.
Only magic could have crafted such a magnificent statue. Shad watched in awe of its fine construction and grinned unabashedly in his glee. The way the rocks shifted and swayed in the flow of lava gave the impression there was a real phoenix perched before them. The statue tilted its head and blinked. It shifted its feet and its talons clacked against the stone. It gave a stretch of its wings. It even opened its beak and readied itself to sing.
No, no, sing it did not. Not a note. It shot a fireball. Shad swiftly stumbled out of the way. He watched as the blaze spiraled through the air and hit the opposite wall. The fireball burst upon contact and numerous fiery lines raced and curved across the solid stone. As the final lines came together and the pyrograph blazed complete, the phoenix statue collapsed back to a pile of rocks.
With much anticipation, Shad quickly proceed closer to the burning image. "Old boy, if I am not mistaken, does this not appear to be the Messenger's Chamber? Look here sharp!" Shad said, pointing but remaining mindful of the flames, "This is the altar and the golden rod and there are what appears to be wings and rays of what I assume to be light extending from the rod. I say, does this not resemble nigh exactly to the avian figure of the Hylian crest?"
Why, yes, it very much did, Shad was certain. What a marvelous discovery this was! Shad had so many questions, so much curiosity and eagerness to learn. What did this mean? Did the Hylian crest originate from the Oocca? How much more hiding-in-plain-sight influence did the Oocca bear on Hylian culture? Shad felt quite giddyheaded at the vast wonder and possibility of discovery. He wanted to know!
"It is unfortunate most of the Sky Writing is unintelligible. I can only decipher two words, feathers and glory," Shad said before falling into a contemplative pose, one hand cupping his elbow, the other holding his chin.
Every answer bears more questions and is rarely the one you were searching for, Shad thought. Well, I suppose we now know a possible means, however there is no location, no direction to rush into, no explanation…
Shad sighed. Ever the tree branches outward but never can we taste its fruit.
"Well, if I am positive of anything, it is that my intuition tells me that these will be the key to restoring the Oocca no doubt," Shad met Link's gaze and smiled softly. "I say, we must locate and gather these Feathers of Glory."
Shad and Link studied the flaming image, with Shad doing much speculating aloud but due to his verbal limitations could only get an agreeing or disagreeing nod from Link, until at last it smoldered and sputtered out. Noting throughout his study at how Link stared repeatedly up at fragile ceiling, Shad thought it better if they left posthaste.
Rising into the brisk night air—though Link produced plenty enough heat and their flight back to their camp would be short anyway, Shad was uncertain if he would find any rest tonight. One question after another was rushing through his mind, ideas and possibilities cast and striking wonder and interest. How could he find sleep when such thoughts as wondering what these Feathers of Glory looked like or might be located were demanding to be answered?
Shad just hoped he did not annoy Link too badly with his incessant speculation.