Chapter 1: Melodies of Exile
A guide with no charge is as a puppet with its strings cut. Such a purposeless thing has no place in this realm. It will be left to the land that remembers it not to eventually fade away. -The Arbiter
Cold sweat covered Navi's skin from the horror of a dream she had woken from. She fought to catch her breath which came in unsteady gasps, as though she had actually run those desperate leagues through the forest. After a few minutes of listening to her heart beat wildly, Navi managed to calm herself.
It was only dream. She said to herself quietly. He's not coming for you... he's… not coming back.
Navi looked at the rising sun outside her window. The first month of summer was dawning on the kingdom of Hyrule and the sun, though it was quickly falling behind the outline of Death Mountain, knew it. Its last rays shone bright, warming the cobbled stone streets of Castle Town. Its position left little doubt that twilight would soon be upon them. Navi turned over in her bed staring at the ceiling. She often slept for most of the day as she worked the night shifts in the bar below. It was nearly two hours till she was expected to make another appearance and she wanted desperately to fall back asleep, to enjoy the peace of it. After ten minutes of lying still, however, it became clear that she wouldn't be returning to the world of dreams. Navi had always been an early riser and since she did not require as much sleep as most Hylians she found it much harder to come by than she would have liked.
Resigned to her fate, she pulled off her blankets, exposing her skin to the cold air of the small room that she had called home for the last five years. Enough light from the setting sun spilled in from the window that Navi could see without aid, but its limited rays cast shadows over the room that made it appear smaller and dingier than it truly was.
The floorboards were like ice to Navi's bare feet, but she took no notice of the discomfort as she made her way to a small mirror and washing basin in the corner of her room. The reflection that greeted her was a far cry from the beauty of her younger form. She looked older, just short of her twentieth year from her face. She was still very pretty, her features delicate and well proportioned, her jaw soft and her skin smooth but she seemed to have lost the azure shine that had defined her youth. Her hair was lank and tangled, her skin was tight around her bones giving her a gaunt almost sickly look that was not improved by her naturally pale skin. Most of all though her eyes had lost their shine. Behind the false smile that she fixed to her face, her eyes betrayed a heartbroken expression that suggested she was about to cry.
Navi quickly washed herself before tying her hair into a loose braid that hid it's uncared for quality. She then pulled on a white blouse, light brown shorts, knee high leather boots and an emerald green pinafore dress adorned with a hood before descending the ladder that led out of her attic room and into the stock room below.
The bar above which Navi slept was already bustling despite the early hours. Guards from Hyrule Castle grabbing food and ale after a long shift, merchants just arrived in the city grabbing a pint before the next day's work and of course those few that had been there for much of the day.
Navi settled herself on a stool at the bar, she propped herself up on her elbows and covered her face with her hands.
"You doing alright lass?" As Navi had expected it wasn't long before her patron Telma approached.
"Didn't sleep well." She murmured, glancing up at her host. Telma was a portly woman on the elder side of middle aged. She had dark red hair and skin that was slightly tan though much darker than most Hylians. Her features were severe but she had kind eyes. She wore a floor length skirt and waste length coat which opened to reveal a blouse that was slightly too low cut for someone of Telma's age.
"Nothing a cup of tea and a hot meal can't cure. Why don't you go have a seat with the Guild and I'll whip up something for you."
Navi smiled halfheartedly and pushed herself off the stool. The Adventurer's Guild was a group of Telma's friends. They usually occupied a table in a secluded corner of the bar in which a map of Hyrule was spread before them. Though not an official organization they were devoted to improving life for the people of Hyrule and to that end took on jobs such as slaying monsters along trade routes or protecting convoys.
As she approached the table one of their number spotted her and shouted "Ciela, how you doing this fine morning."
Navi gave a genuine smile at this greeting. Responding naturally to the fake name she had given the Adventurer's Guild five years ago. "I am well Auru. How fairs the Guild?"
Auru was an older man with a shock of white hair on the pinnacle of his head and a well-groomed beard. Despite his age he looked strong, with rough facial features and muscled arms.
"As well as can be expected," said Auru airily, "Shad, you want to fill her in?" he said with an amused smile, clapping the bespectacled man sitting next to him on the back. Shad was much younger than Auru, not more than twenty years.
He jumped at the contact and stammered "W-well, I-I, yes o-of course." Before getting to his feet. Shad seemed to very consistently become nervous whenever Navi got close. She guessed that he didn't have much experience talking to girls. "T-there have been d-disturbances r-reported t-through much of H-Hyrule."
The third member member of the group grunted in disgust. "In the name of the Goddesses Shad, spit it out or let someone else talk." She was raven haired and quite beautiful. No less so for the silver armour she wore and the sword strapped to her side.
Shad crumpled meekly back into his seat, and whispered "Sorry Ashei."
Taking no notice, Ashei launched into a much quicker and more concise explanation of what Shad had been trying to say. "Things have been going wrong throughout the kingdom. Death Mountain has been unusually active as of late, the debris from its constant eruptions blocking or obliterating the trails to the City of the Gorons. The water level of the Zora's River has fallen leading to a depletion of Lake Hylia, the kingdom's main water source. The monsters of Faron Woods have been growing in number and daring. Once content only to roam the deepest areas of the forest they are expanding as far as the Hylian settlements on the eastern edge. And those are just the biggest problems. We've been getting reports of smaller things, bridges collapsing for no reason, droughts in areas normally full of rain, things like that." She sighed "Seems as though a darkness is creeping across the land."
Navi starred down at the map between the Guild members. It was covered in little red dots each of which no doubt marked the sight of one of these 'disturbances'. She'd heard rumors of these types of things for almost a month but, as they came from drunken tavern goers, Navi had never really put any of it together as a problem. Coming from the Guild though, it seemed like a looming threat.
"Don't suppose you've got a legend that solves this one?" Asked Ashei. Navi who was contracted to Telma as a minstrel knew a great deal about the history and legends of Hyrule. As such, the Guild asked her for information every once in a while, when something they were dealing with in the present seemed related to something of the past.
To her own surprise Navi found that she actually did have an old story that corresponded to the events that the Guild had described. "One, perhaps." She murmured.
"Don't keep us waiting Ciela." Said Ashei impatiently.
Navi closed her eyes for a moment, composing herself, preparing to speak of the events as though they were nothing more than a legend, not something personal. "This is but one of the legends of which the people speak... In the distant past a great evil threatened Hyrule. This evil took the form of a thief from the desert tribe named Ganondorf. He was cunning, worming his way into the confidences of the king. With his wit and his skill at sorcery, he hoped to steal the golden power of the gods. However such evil cannot appear unopposed. The Hero of Hyrule rose to face Ganondorf."
The Hero of Hyrule was legendary figure. A green clad swordsman who appeared multiple times throughout Hyrule's history to combat evil. Some thought he was an immortal who only made himself known when the land was threatened. Others believed the Spirit of the original hero would take on human form each time it was needed. Regardless of the truth it was a title that every race in Hyrule recognized.
"However the Hero made a grave mistake. Attempting to preempt Ganondorf's bid for power he inadvertently opened the way for the thief to take the power of the gods for himself while the Hero was cast into an enchanted sleep.
With the power of the gods in his grasp and the hero nowhere to be found the thief became a great Demon King who had control over the natural forces of the land. He killed the Royal Family save for the princess who had fled. He crushed Hyrule Castle to dust and erected a black stone tower in its place. He put the torch to Castle Town, killing those who weren't lucky enough to escape to Kakariko Village. He killed the Great Deku Tree, protector of the forests and without him monsters sprang forth from its depths to devour all who would cross their path. He revived the ancient dragon Volvolgia, the bane of the Gorons and let it loose within Death Mountain. He cursed Zora's Domain into an endless freeze trapping the inhabitants within the ice and ceasing the flow of water to Lake Hylia. He transformed his own people into armoured beasts that would fight for him mindlessly.
The Hero was destined to defeat him. He woke from his slumber seven years later to a land that was much changed but it was no less his duty to defend it. He conquered the five temples of Hyrule and freed the sages Ganondorf had imprisoned within. Using their power he entered the tower the thief had created for himself and confronted him at the top. With the help of Princess Zelda and his fairy companion he defeated the King of Evil. Though much of Hyrule lay in ruins it was at safe from total destruction."
Navi finished by inclining her head to her audience, who had listened enraptured by her tale. When it was done there was some polite applause but most of the group looked confused.
Auru was the first to speak. "I have never heard that particular Tale of the Hero. Surely the total destruction of Hyrule Castle would be in the public record."
Shad spoke up timidly "I-I believe a thief named Ganondorf was executed by the Royal Family a little under two hundred years ago"
Navi gave a sad smile. She'd expected exactly that reaction and it stung more than she could possibly say to suppress the explanation for the legend's absence from the history books. Instead however she merely nodded towards Auru and said. "I am a story teller, I never claim my stories to be fact. However, even fictional tales contain words of wisdom."
"P-perhaps," spoke Shad who seemed to be struggling to speak clearly. "The s-source of Hyrule's m-magic has been corrupted j-just as in the s-story when the t-thief t-took control of the gods p-power."
At this pronouncement Navi cast her mind back to her younger days, to her homeland. She pushed the horrible thought that had just occurred to her aside. "Maybe." She said without conviction.
The moment was interrupted by Telma. She set a plate of steaming potatoes and vegetables on the edge of the table along with a warm tankard of apple spice tea. "Eat up Ciela." She said kindly "You're all skin and bones. A few decent meals'll do you some good." She departed to tend to the other patrons while Navi slipped into an empty chair and listened to the discussion of the Guild as she ate. The food filled something of the hole inside Navi's chest and the tea warmed her insides.
Once the food was gone, Navi stayed at the table listening to discourse of the Guild till someone tapped her on the shoulder. "You're up lass." Telma said, gesturing towards a stage built into a corner of the room.
Navi nodded and retrieved from the store room a violin case. On the stage which was visible to the entire bar despite its small size she cracked the ordinary case open to retrieve a breath takingly beautiful instrument. It was made of a finely polished wood which had a slight blue tinge to it. This marked it as Deku wood from the heart of the Lost Woods. A material very difficult to retrieve due to the forest's dangerous nature. The handle was carved in the shape of a tree branch with a slight crook for the hand of the player. It was strung with silver string and the bow that accompanied it was dark black, carved from a single limb of an ancient tree.
Navi played a simple scale (though she need not have bothered, it never went out of tune) before she started to play. The lyric that came from her violin was slow but catchy. It was one half of a duet that Navi had learned long ago. It evoked images of soft earth and peaceful endings. After a hand sign from Telma Navi changed tunes. She had a preference for lingering melodies but a bar generally required music to get the feet tapping. Navi swapped to the other half of the duet which while still beautiful was much faster. Her fingers moved over the strings at lightening speeds as her bow sawed back and forth. This new tune spoke of the racing winds, of complete freedom and wild abandon. It wasn't long before feet were tapping and hands were banging on tables.
Navi spent the next several hours running through her repertoire. From mighty songs of the desert admittedly more suited to a guitar to stern and powerful ballads that spoke to the strength of Hyrule. She took breaks every few sets for water or to rest her fingers. Occasionally there were requests from the crowd which Navi played, but on the whole, they left her to choose the melodies of the room. Navi's shift was nearly over, she halfway through a rendition of an ancient forest song when something made her fingers freeze and her bow to fall to her side.
Telma looked up at the sudden stop. "Ciela are you okay?" she shouted from the bar.
The man at the door whose appearance had caused Navi's sudden paralysis perked his ears at the name 'Ciela'. He glanced around the bar with interest before his eyes found Navi. His expression of pleasant surprise turned very suddenly in a cruel and mocking smile. He moved through the crowd towards her with a certain grace, slipping between people almost like water in his fluidity.
He looked her up and down before saying. "Ciela, is it now?"
Telma, seeing the man draw near Navi, approached the two, saying "Is everything alright Ciela?"
"It's fine Telma." Navi whispered with a dry throat. "Could you, could you give us a few minutes in private?"
"There's a table in the corner lass." Telma said pointing "If you need any, help, let me know." She gave a distrustful look towards the stranger before leaving them alone.
"Come on." Navi escorted the intruder to the corner table where the closest people were too drunk to care about their conversation.
The stranger was tall and skinny but his stature had a certain supple and graceful aspect to it. Likewise his face was soft and naturally pale, almost milk white beneath the shock of untidy red hair that covered his head. Though his appearance did not generate a sense of power his manner certainly did. His eyes were a dark crimson and his body almost seemed to glow with a matching aura. One that said he could lay a dagger in someone's back before they could draw a weapon. He looked to be Navi's age but he had a presence that she with her small frame and diminutive features lacked.
Despite this Navi was not scared of him. No, his appearance had generated an altogether different reaction, shame.
"I do very much doubt the Spirit of Time would appreciate a parallel being drawn between herself and your… person." It sounded as though he'd had a much less civil word in mind.
"What concern is that of yours Leaf? For someone with time at her fingertips she never had any for you." She could see from a glint in his eye that she'd hit a nerve but nothing else of his body betrayed him.
They lapsed into a dense silence that seemed to last for an eternity. Leaf was the one to break it. "Is this your chosen vocation? To whore out the green of your precious hero," he gestured to the hooded emerald pinafore she wore "the sacred songs of our people and…" he said lifting from her fingers the violin that had hung there limply since she'd seen him. "the Wind God's Fiddle. That doesn't belong to you Navi."
"No more do you hold a claim on it." Snarled Navi drawing the instrument closer to herself.
"I suppose not," Leaf conceded "it belongs to children of the forest."
"They haven't the right to take it unless it is given."
"Yes, mastering the technicality must be a very useful skill for a common thief Navi. Even for one exiled to this dismal place that is rather low."
"Is that why you are here Leaf? To retrieve an instrument for your beloved Fado? I imagine she wants it back."
"Oh I'm sure she does but as you will no doubt have noticed it has been some time since I acted as guardian to her. My mission does not concern the instrument."
Navi's ears perked up. The session of swapped insults had ended. "The council has sent you to this place? Do they have need of me?"
Leaf gave a cold high laugh, mocking the hopeful note that Navi had failed to keep out of her voice. "Need? Of you? No one has any need of you Navi. Not since the travesty that resulted in trusting you in the past. I have business with the Hyrule Castle archivists. Alas since the Hylians require so much rest I must wait till morning before I can meet with them. I came here because I heard rumor of a musician who played unearthly tunes. Imagine my disappointment when I realized it was only you."
With difficulty Navi suppressed the pain that these remarks caused her, preventing them from appearing on her face. Instead she morphed her expression into one of pleasant curiosity. "What could you want in the Castle archive that our people don't already have access to?" The answer seemed to suddenly bloom in front of her, crystal clear. "You're looking for someone. There's nothing in the archive our people don't know except for the Hylian genealogies. And what Hylian would interest the council but him. You're looking for the descendant of the Hero of Hyrule."
Leaf nodded suitably impressed though Navi thought she saw something else reflected in his eyes. Was it unease? "Astute. I see the virtue of knowledge that you ascribe to is not wholly lost on you."
"But," said Navi following her train of thought to its logical conclusion "what do you need with the hero?" She snapped her gaze to Leaf's. "What wrong at home?"
Leaf gulped, his composure starting to crack. "You don't have a home Navi."
Navi was not in the mood to trade more barbs. She jumped to her feat, her chair falling to the floor. She leaned forward till a few inches separated their faces. Her eyes turning from their normal blue to bright gold as she locked onto his expression and slammed her fist on the table. "What's gone wrong in my birth land?" she demanded so loudly that the man at the next table slopped his drink down himself.
"I-I'm not… you're not allowed…" Leaf was for once at a loss for words.
"Leaf," Navi said her tone turning from harsh and demanding to begging. "Please, tell me what's happened to the Faerie Realm."
"It's…" Leaf gulped. "An interloper infiltrated the land. They killed the six Great Fairies that stood sentinel and they stole the Dark Mirror."
"What?" Navi said, drawing back from Leaf, horror coating her face. Her expression pleading that he say it wasn't true. That he'd been lying. When he didn't she murmured more to herself than to him. "That could destroy everything, it would snuff out the life force of every Fairy. All of my people. I have to…"
Leaf seemed to have recovered for he was on his feet in the next instant. The dark crimson of his eyes had lightened to a red like dancing fire. "You have to?" He said maliciously. "You have to what? Run away? Hide? Desert your post at the eleventh hour? You don't have to do anything. We have no need of a wayward attendant who has forgotten what is due to her duty or her race! This is a problem for our people, you aren't one of our number any longer!"
"Pride and arrogance," Navi spat back "are the downfall of any great people! Are you so powerful, Leaf, that you can afford to turn away help? What need to do you have of the hero then, if our people have this so well in hand?"
Navi's golden eyes registered the shift in his body weight, tracked the blow before it was fully realized. She ducked but Leaf's punch never had the chance to land. The moment the argument began, Telma had clicked her fingers at the Adventurer's Guild who had moved into action. Auru grabbed Leaf's arm before it could land.
"That'll be enough boy." Auru said, pinning Leaf's arms behind his back. Despite Leaf's lack of size or apparent strength Auru's muscles strained to hold him. Suddenly Leaf went slack, giving up the fight.
"Fine then," he said angrily "no need for violence."
"You're not welcome here anymore." Telma said with steel in her voice. "Auru if you wouldn't mind showing him to the door."
"I can walk." Leaf said annoyed as Auru pushed him none to gently towards the exit beyond which he disappeared into the night.
"Ciela are you alright?" It was Ashei. Navi became suddenly very aware that that entire bar had fallen silent. Ashei escorted her to the back corner that the Guild had claimed while Telma put right the table and chairs the fairy pair had upset during their argument. Ashei pulled a curtain closed, partitioning the Guild's table from the rest of the bar and sat Navi down in one of the chairs. Navi felt something hot pushed into her hand and she took several great mouthfuls of it. Now that the anger had left her body the things Leaf had said hit her harder than any sword or arrow ever could have done.
Tears welled up in her eyes and she covered her face quickly with her hands to stop Ashei from seeing.
"Ciela, don't worry. Telma won't allow that man here anymore. You won't have to see him again."
At this Navi gave a pitiful whimper for she would have liked nothing more than to see her homeland again. To wake each morning in the land that had given birth to her. To see Leaf and Neri, Curie or Proxi when she woke each day.
"Who was he?" Ashei asked unable to keep her curiosity about the situation at bay despite Navi's state.
"He is…" Navi cast around for a word that described the relationship she held with Leaf. "…my brother." It was not entirely accurate but the closest equivalent Navi knew that Ashei would understand.
"You didn't deserve that Ciela." It was Telma. She must have finished putting the bar right and reassuring the customers for the sounds of loud drunken voices had resumed. "Kin shouldn't be saying those kinds of things to one another."
Navi knew that Telma couldn't have missed Leaf saying that Navi had been ousted from her family. Even if she didn't understand the true context and weight of the statement Navi knew that sooner or later she would ask.
Before Telma could start posing questions Navi said in a small voice, her words broken by the gasps of her tears. "Telma, w-would it be a t-terrible i-inconvenience if I d-didn't f-finish m-my shift? I'd like to r-retire ups-stairs."
"Of course." Said Telma understandingly. The questions would come but not tonight.
Keeping her face covered Navi found her way to the stock room and climbed the ladder to her attic room. It was now the dead of night and there was little to light the dark room. Navi drew her hands from her face to see her tears. They were subtly violet and glowed dimly in the darkness of the room. Navi wiped them on her clothes and not bothering to undress she threw herself onto her bed, letting her pillow stifle her sobs and absorb her violet tears. She continued to cry till her body had no more tears to spill. When she was so exhausted and overburdened by her grief that she could not take another minute of it Navi slipped into a fitful sleep.
Author's Note: If anyone has any suggestions for a name for Makar's Violin from LoZ: The Wind Waker I would much appreciate it.