.Chapter 13.

Innovation

"You're still too sloppy; isn't as easy as it looks now is it?"

Link would cast a glance over his shoulder at those words knowing they weren't for him but, instead, for Linda. Zaria and the woman both currently stood knee-deep in the river at the shallows where fishing tended to be good. Linda had fumbled yet another fishing attempt and, growling, she paused to give Zaria a dark look. Zaria, however, just kept a steady gaze on the woman. When Linda didn't resume her training the dark-skinned female would snort and turn away.

"Starve if you like then. I already cleared my conscious when I dragged your sorry hide from the river and saved you from sun poisoning."

"Well you have claws; mine are nothing like yours. So instead of getting so damn testy when I'm trying to learn something you should either give me some real advice or shut up. " Linda growled again, her tone tart with anger, and Link couldn't help but chuckle a little to himself. Since escaping Shane and Darus she had slowly began to gain some confidence and, with it, came more temper than she knew what to do with sometimes. Lucky for her, and Link for that matter, Zaria tended to be impervious of such talk and she merely arched a sleek, white brow.

"Is that right?"

Instead of answering Linda just bared her teeth in a feral gesture before turning her attention back to the water. She had been trying to perfect fishing for the last couple of nights but she'd not improved much if at all. The slippery fiends either wriggled free since she still hesitated to use her claws or simply eluded her detection altogether, something Link had pointed out earlier this same night.

Wordlessly Zaria would stand next to the woman, her gaze settled on the water, and she began searching for another fish in the depths. Gradually Linda would relax a little herself, realizing the woman was helping her, and Link would regard them both for a moment. Linda still looked rather human-ish for the most part. Zaria, on the other hand, looked much more like a beast than a woman anymore.

While she still had the humanoid body and the physical features of breasts she had a lot of differences too; she was mostly nude and hairless except for a sash tied about her chest, the remnants of pants on her waist and patches of fur that had began to grow. She had triangular ears that stood out from her hair which was short, spiked, and it didn't stop at the base of her skull. Instead it ran as a white stripe clear down her back and to her tail. Her tail was long, covered in fur, elegant, and tufted thickly at the end. It vaguely seemed feline in some manners but, at the same time, it looked stronger and thicker than a mammal's tail and looked something more akin to that of a reptile.

She shared the same ashen skin and red eyes that the other Infected had of course and she was far enough gone to the mutation that she had more of a snout now along with fangs that poked out from under her upper lip and hellish hands that were built somewhere between beast and human. She still had thumbs and fingers but they were different; thicker and stronger, and her strong claws were retractable like that of a cat. She put those claws to good use too. She proved such a point as she hooked a fish from the water and dug them in deeper, quick to bring the wriggling prey to her jaws and claim its life.

Beside her Linda watched with clear interest and, looking back to the water, her brow would furrow. "Okay…" She murmured, looking at her own hands and her own sort of claws. They were shorter and while they were thicker than any fingernail they were not nearly as impressive as Zaria's. She went back to fishing and Zaria would slosh from the water, tossing the fish down on the shore next to two others that had already been caught earlier that night.

Link was tempted to join them again even though he'd already gotten the hang of fishing, feeling far better than he had since arriving her and even the wounds he'd gotten in the battle with Darus were nearly healed. Curious how quickly he was able to recover. However a sound from behind him had him whirling around, baring his teeth in readiness. They were a good distance from the falls but that didn't mean Darus or his pack couldn't still come find them. The bastards had been trying ever since Link and Linda escaped and it was becoming clear that they would not rest until they had proof they were dead. Darus had an extreme dislike for loose ends it would seem.

Whatever had made the sound had gone still and, slipping closer, Link stuck to the darker shadows in an attempt to conceal himself a little better. If this was another Infected it wouldn't do him much good since they tended to have as good of eyesight as himself. Stalking through the thicker branches of the undergrowth he was careful to be as silent as possible and, sure enough, up ahead something stepped on a rock that shifted and gave under the weight.

"Shhh! We shouldn't be out here to begin with, Iza. You're gonna get them things after us."

"Shut up. You're sniveling is what's going to get us in trouble…now—"

Suddenly something nearby caused a twig to give way and, through the leaves, he could see the familiar figures of Coro and his older sister, Iza. They both huddled close and, nervously, he pulled a lantern out and lit it, casting light out across the otherwise dark forest and making Link narrow his eyes with distaste. It hurt his eyes but, just as quickly as he'd whipped it out and had it lit the flame was extinguished by his sister and her words were strained with fear. "Stop that! You'll draw them right to us."

"B-but somethin's – "

"Shut up!"

They both fell quiet, the sound of their breathing loud in the dark and Link could practically hear the hammer of their hearts as they listened with baited breath. He would grunt, forcing himself to look away. It would appear that the fear in others still called to that darker side of him now and, for a moment, he felt tempted to lunge out at them and spook them off. Bad idea, however, since he had the distinct feeling that if he were to give into such impulse that he could just as easily be tempted to chase them. Catch them.

He growled under his breath, reigning in his control once more, and just about that time something would push its way through the thick bushes and made both siblings cling to each other in terror. Soon after, though, a very timid and feminine voice would rise with uncertainty. "Coro? Iza…?"

Both siblings would gasp and, in the blink of an eye, they dashed over to where Hena stood looking dirty and worn out. Narrowing his gaze, Link would inch closer, curious as to what possibly could have brought the trio he'd met in his travels together like this. Here of all places too. As they reunited, however, Link heard something behind him and he turned around to notice Zaria slipping closer. The trio didn't notice the noise and she settled right beside Link, her gaze a little cold on him and she appeared to actually ignore the humans.

"What are you doing here, Link?" She didn't bother to keep her tone down and this time the siblings would all tense up at the sound. Sure they couldn't understand her but that didn't mean they didn't hear her and, sticking close, they slowly began to back away.

"We should, uh, you know…"

"Get back?" Hena offered, finish Coro's sentence for him as Iza gripped both their arms and started to lead them off.

"You're the reason we're out here in the first place! I told you not to go fishing; it was too late in the day and too dangerous."

"But the fish were biting and we're going to starve if we don't get food!" Hena retorted but, as Zaria completely shirked off any sense of concealment and stalked into the moonlight the three quickly forgot to bicker with one another. All of them would make a soft sound of surprise and, before Link could join her, they ran and vanished into the trees. Zaria didn't move to follow them and, instead, she turned her attention back to Link with a curl of her lip.

"Getting tired of fish there, Link?"

If a moment before Link had been confused as to why she had revealed herself and how she hadn't even batted an eye at their terror the next he was losing his temper. He joined her fully now, baring his teeth and meeting her gaze head-on as he stood but inches from her.

"Don't you dare insult me like that, Zaria. I was watching them, not hunting them." His words were guttural and she would only narrow her gaze even more, her ears flattening. Since she didn't bother to answer he'd go on. "What if another Infected found them? No; what if another Infected finds them?"

"Not my problem, Link, but since I hauled you from the river you are my—"

Growling, he'd push passed her before she could finish and he didn't look back as he set off after where the siblings had run. He didn't care if she called for him or, hell, if she tried to stop him. Let her try. It didn't take long to find their scent paired with their tracks and he instantly veered in his path to take him after, ears tuned to the forest around him. Up ahead he was certain he could hear something and, pushing his jog into a full run he squinted through the foliage ahead for signs of movement.

He dodged through the trees, momentarily relishing the feeling of not only the returned strength in his limbs but the sense of duty that burned deep inside of him. What had been reduced to smoldering embers now blazed into something proper again and Link welcomed the return of his resolve. It wasn't too long in coming that another scent invaded his nostrils and, slowing, he added stealth to his steps. Another Infected. That protective instinct triumphed in being accurate and, stopping now, he spotted not one but two Infected on the path. They were sniffing and inspecting the tracks, clearly pleased, and one of them was quick to turn and move into the trees. They were of Darus's pack, he distinctly recalled their faces, and he wasted no time in moving around the male of the pate to give chase to the one that head left. Scouts no doubt; if he was able to report to Darus about the siblings being out here then they didn't have a chance.

Up ahead he could hear the distinct sound of hurried footsteps and he growled, pushing himself into a full sprint to close the gap. The brute came into view and, after a moment, he slowed and turned at the sound of Link's rapid approach. "What are you doing following me, Evan? You're supposed to be…" His sentence fell short and his eyes widened with surprise as Link charged closer, shocked to see him, and Link used that element of surprise to his advantage. He sank his claws deep into dark skin and launched his attack on the slimmer brute, both of them falling to the earth in a snarling mass. The battle didn't last long and within moments the male lay gasping as Link got back to his feet and glared down at the brute. Blood dripped form his opponent's neck and face, an eye missing and his breath rattling. Death didn't take too long to claim him and once it had Link to set his path back to the remaining male that was still out there tracking the humans.

The sound of screams cut shrilly through the air and had his lip lifting away from his teeth, his eyes narrowed as he pushed himself harder. He had to try and reach them before it was too late. A sudden figure at his left caused Link to swerve in his path for a moment, expecting an attack, but to his surprise it was Linda and she struggled to fall into step with his grueling pace.

"What's going on?" She panted, her breath falling short since she wasn't as athletic as he was, and he shook his head instead of answering her. He'd explain later but right now finding that male was what mattered and he would reach his goal before long. As he burst into the small clearing where the smells were strong he watched as Coro waved his lantern at the Infected, terrified and trying to ward it off as his sisters hid behind him. They were trapped with their backs to a tall, steep slope of dirt and grass and it was clear that Evan wasn't trying to kill them. Instead he snapped and snarled, keeping them where they were and he must have chased them into this area so that Darus and the pack to come and claim the kill. Link felt his muscles tense with fury and he didn't miss a step. Darus and his pack wouldn't feast on human flesh so long as he was around. Not today.

With a sound less than human, Link attacked Evan without so much as slowing his gait from his mad dash here and it forced both them forward a few steps more still. Evan, however, was stronger than his companion and didn't go down so easily. Both brutes fought like demons and this time when a lull came about in the battle both males still stood, each wounded, and Evan's eyes blazed with anger and cruelty. He curled his lip into a sneer, showing off his pointed teeth, and he hunched his shoulders. "So the traitor lives! Just wait 'til Darus comes; he is on his way now."

Link, however, would laugh and the sound was just as nasty as the following words. "Don't count on it."

Confusion filled Evan's gaze but, just as quickly, the dawning of what Link had meant made those eyes narrow again to mere slits in fury. "We will see about that." Without warning he would throw his head back and howl, a squalling sound, but Link would be damned if he let Evan signal Darus and call him here. Just as the sound filled the air it would be cut short into a bloody gurgle as Link's fangs buried deep in the male's throat and he bit down with all his might. Blood rushed across his tongue and to his throat; seeping out of the corners of his mouth as he punctured the jugular vein and Evan's body went limp. Letting the corpse fall, Link would snort, drawing his tongue over his lips a moment in a rather primal motion, and he'd glace to the siblings nearby.

His eyes were narrowed against the lantern light and blood covered his chest from the slaughter, surely making his appearance nothing short of hellish for the three. They looked as scared as they did confused and, when Link would turn away, he heard rather than saw Iza urge her brother and sister on with a breathless "Hurry! Let's get out of here." They disappeared once again into the trees but Link didn't bother following them this time; they were close to where Coro lived and the threat already lay dead on the ground behind him.

A small sound at the edge of the trees drew his attention to where Linda stood, her expression pained. It was hard to tell just what was going through her mind right now but he was willing to bet she wasn't very fond of the killing. Link would pause a moment before her and, wordlessly, she threw her arms around him in a hug. He returned the favor, comforting her, and she muttered against his chest as her claws lightly dug against his shoulders. "I am glad you stopped them…"

"What did you do?!"

Zaria's voice was cold with fury and, snarling, she padded from the darkness and looked a little out of breath. She kept right on coming and took a swipe at Link, beyond irate, but this time she'd fall short in as Link stepped back and growled. Link would bare his teeth at her for the second time tonight and, when he did, it was in absolute defiance. "I did what you wouldn't!" He snapped, his chest expanding with readiness and his voice harsh with a growl. "I saved them from becoming another victim of Darus's pack."

She laughed, the sound unpleasant, and something of a sneer fit to her lips."Ah, clever there, Link, but you forget that now Darus will know where we are." She didn't back down and, with the fur lifted along her back, she pushed Linda roughly aside to get at him better. "You idiot! There is nothing we can do against Darus's forces. You know that!"

"And yet I just did, Zaria." Link's tone was arctic and, standing taller, he waited for her to strike first if this really was going to come to blows. "You've saved my life and Linda's and for that I am grateful. But my time here has come to a close; I won't sit around and wait to be hunted down like a lamb or for him to keep killing the innocent. Infected or not they are still my charges and I will not let anything stop me from protecting the people of Hyrule."

He turned away and he began to head towards the trees, his gait sure, and he felt something brush his arm as Linda fell into step with him. He gave her a small glance, frowning slightly, but she refused to meet his gaze and stared determinedly ahead. It was pleasant to see her courage again and, softly, he nudged her with his elbow. "Are you sure, Linda? This path won't be an easy one."

The nod she gave as instant and she'd move to grip his hand, meeting his gaze fully. She looked a little troubled but, moreover, there was fortitude in her gaze and her tone matched. "I don't care, Link. I will follow you…I'm tired of doing nothing."

"You're both idiots." Zaira would snarl and, backing away, she turned back towards her den that lay far behind them. "You'll only die out there; I refuse to leave this place I fought so hard to claim."

Linda would stop in his tracks to glance over his shoulder at the woman behind him. She refused to face him and, with a sigh, Link would urge Linda to start walking and his tone was reserved with a sense of sadness. "Good luck, Zaria, and thank you for all that you've done. May we find you well should our paths cross again." With that he would turn and set his sights to the north where Hyrule lay and where he needed to get to. Leaving here wasn't exactly something he'd expected to do so soon and on these terms but it felt right. More than right. He was back on track and his goal was still the same; to find the cure to the wretchedness. With Linda by his side he left Zaria standing there and, together, they left the female behind.