Hey! Couldn't finish it before I left and I have very little time right now, but... here it is! Prepare yourselves! ;)
Also: Yes, a DIRECT continuation of the last scene will follow in the next chapter. Don't worry, I won't leave that out.
The first scene is, of course, about the lovely lady we met at the beginning of "32: Chapter 31", whose name we don't know yet. It's been a while, so I thought I'd just make that clear.
2nd Also: Thank you as always for reviews and criticism. Because it has been mentioned: yes, I do plan on doing side-chapters for other characters, as long as I don't feel that they drag out the main plot too much. These will most likely be shorter... we'll see!
Have fun!
Chapter 36
Boredom was her greatest enemy… it had made her complacent and had allowed the fat, sweaty merchant to break her spell for just a moment. Naturally, she couldn't allow that, so his huge, bloated corpse now lay in a ditch where it belonged. She giggled to herself, as she remembered his panicked, pig-like squeaking, so appropriate to his shape, as her knives had pierced his skin again and again… and again… she had taken her time with him for attempting to break free from her control. An almost unspeakable sin! Sadly though, his coach-driver had heard, so he had to die too. Which left her with an empty carriage, and she certainly wouldn't stoop so low to drive herself! That was no proper conduct for a lady such as herself. Mmmh, once her master was free… how many servants would she have? Thousands? Millions? All there to read her every wish from her eyes, existing only because she allowed it. She licked over her lips and her breath became ragged. What fun she would have… their agonized screams as she wantonly punished, their near mindless terror for knowing there was no reason, no predictability to when her blades would strike. She bit her lip and sighed…
With masterful self-control, she calmed her arousal before it got out of hand. She could still smell the blood on her hands from the fat merchant… she always got a tiny bit excited so close after a kill. And she had been frustrated… days on the road with only that pig and his stench for company… and now she needed to find a new one…
Her way led south, where Ghorin had brought the old woman so she could… interrogate her. By God, how she looked forward to that meeting! She absentmindedly fingered her knife in her sleeve, letting it pierce the skin on her middle finger to the precise depth where it hurt, but didn't bleed. Mmmmh, what a talk that would be…
Right now she was standing on the side of the road, hiding in plain sight, which was just one of her countless abilities. Someone of her status didn't need to creep and crawl… people would just look through her, as long as she wished it.
And so she waited. There was no real hurry. The two children had to navigate the wild country… no matter where they currently were, her spies would notify her when they got close to one of the resting places, if not sooner… and she would be there.
Not for the first time, she wondered whether she should actually kill them… to her own annoyance she felt just a tiny bit uneasy… Her master, her God, communicated with her, yes, but… the power that bound Him was still strong. She caught glimpses, hazy images of His will… The sorcerer said he saw them clearly, strongly, unmistakably… She doubted him… she doubted that her master would commune better with someone other than her, His most faithful servant. But they had been in accord, the sorcerer and she. Involuntarily, she imagined God's wrath if they had misunderstood, and therefore endangered His plans and shivered. No matter how much pain she could inflict on others, her powers paled, were insignificant, next to His. She could not allow failure…
She closed her eyes, tried to feel Him, sense his hot glow invade her mind. There was always pain, but she delighted in it! She was His tool, at least until she had proven worthy… then, surely, she would be more. Her mind stretched, hoping to catch a brush of His ever strengthening consciousness, trying to feel His searing caress that always seemed to fulfil her so…
…nothing. Either his attention was on some other machination of his, or he was silently watching her… yes, that must be it!
A rattle startled her out of her trance. A cheap, horse drawn cart clattered by, far closer already than she was comfortable. Thank Him that her abilities were so perfected that she could remain hidden even when thinking along higher paths. She looked at the thing creating the insufferable racket that had pulled her out of her reverie. A two wheeled cart, drawn by one old horse, driven by an elderly, but strong looking man, a knight. On the back sat a big youth, a veritable mountain of muscle, looking a bit glum. The old man nattered something about youngsters while the lad, who couldn't be more than fifteen, judging by his smooth face, just stared at infinity. He roused her appetite, and her appetite was always the same. Come here, big boy… whatever you're sad about, let me take it all away on a long journey of pain and the far away goal of death's sweet release. All your problems will seem so very far away…
She licked her lips and her muscles tensed. For a few seconds she was ready to pounce, but, in the end, she decided against it. Causing too much bloodshed on one spot was unwise… no matter how delectable the prey looked. She couldn't even use them… they were going the wrong way and the cart looked most uncomfortable. She watched through eyes narrowed to slits as they slowly drove past, feeling regret that her plaything had gone…
Oh well… once she reached Ghorin's outrider camp and encountered that meddlesome old woman, she would have all the fun she could ever hope for.
Link
He woke up early today, since the day before had not been all that strenuous. The sun was only just high enough that its morning rays could pierce the canopy above. He felt her back touching his, just the merest hint of contact, but still so oddly comforting. The afternoon after their departure had been a quiet one, full of subdued contemplation. They had talked little, both dealing with the fresh ache of parting in their own way. In the night, they had sought each other's company, but only for solace, not more. The mood had not been right for much of anything else…
Today, he was sure he would be able to distract them both from the blue spirit… Something he had known he had to do, but hadn't been sure how Zelda would react. But, the closer they got to their target and the farther they moved from civilisation, the more urgent it became.
Today, he and she would duel! If it came down to fighting in earnest, he absolutely had to know what she could do. The difference between her being able to hold her own for five seconds or ten was potentially the difference between life or death. Secondly, he meant to start instructing her. The better she got, the higher their chances were, should they be pulled into a battle. The less he had to worry about her, the faster he could end the fight. He just hoped that, well, she would accept him as teacher… and that he would not fail as one.
So, without further ado, he rose, not bothering to be particularly silent. He stretched his limbs, grunting in relief, before sidling over to their bags and taking both their swords. He then looked around the little copse they were in, searching for two sticks of appropriate length. Even though he consciously produced noise, Zelda wasn't impressed… she slept like a rock. He looked down upon her, smirking. He decided not to do something evil, but sat down by her head, making sure not to accidentally sit on any of her hair. Gently, he stroked over her head, feeling her stunning, golden strands between his fingers. He wasn't quite sure whether he was overstepping some sort of invisible boundary, touching her while she was asleep… He could see how she might not be entirely comfortable with that… But he couldn't think of a more tender way to wake her.
She stirred ever so slightly as he caressed her scalp and mumbled something unintelligible. Goddess, he wanted to kiss her so badly… but that, he felt, really was a step too far… at least for now.
"Zeeeeelda…" he cooed softly, tickling her cheek with one finger. Her brow furrowed and her mouth twitched, which made him stop. "Whaa…" she grumbled, clearly nowhere near wakefulness yet.
"You're late for sword training, Zelda…" he purred into her ear, resuming his stroking of her hair.
It took a few seconds for her drowsy brain to react. Then she frowned, as something didn't quite make sense… "Huh?" she asked, her eyes still closed.
"Sword training, dumpling… your teacher is already getting terribly impatient…" he giggled.
Her eyes opened and looked around. Then her head turned towards him and she smiled briefly before closing them again. "Good morning, dumpling!" he said, grinning. She just hummed her answer.
"Did you have a good dream?"
"Mmmmh… weird…" she mumbled.
"About some idiot who told you about practice, or some nonsense like that?" he asked innocently.
"Mhm." she confirmed, still smiling, still too sleepy to draw the connection.
"That is a weird dream…" he agreed. He bent down and gave her a tentative little kiss on the forehead, which she approved of with an irresistibly cute little hum. "You know what would help cure your somnolence? Some sword practice!" he whispered into her ear.
Zelda opened her eyes again, the realization slowly dawning on her. "Oh… so that… uurmmm…" she sighed and let her head fall backwards. "Does it have to be now?" she wanted to know, in the same voice that everyone asks for just five more minutes. He gently tapped the tip of her nose, which made her smile and wriggle it. "I need to see what you can do… so, you know, if you're good enough I can just relax and let you handle everything." he cooed and she giggled. With grumbling that would have impressed even a professional like Sir Russel, she sat up and looked at him bleary eyed, both affection and deep resentment in her gaze. "Very daring of you to wake me, sausage knight… if I had a dungeon with me, you'd be dragged into it right now." she threatened with an impish smile.
"Oh dear, your own private little dungeon? What would I find in there, I wonder?" Link asked, thoroughly unable to hide a rather dirty grin. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Depends on the prisoner… for some it's more dangerous than others…" she replied, both humour and slight warning in her voice.
"I shall not inquire further. Now, will madam raise her lazy rear? Or is assistance required?" he asked, now in full cheek-mode.
She pressed her lips together in mock sternness. "Wouldn't you just love that…" she growled. It was not a question.
"I most certainly would. And let me just assure you that it would be in good hands." he chuckled and made a gesture as if lifting something up with both of his palms.
Zelda shook her head in beautifully acted disbelief. "What a world in which a letch like you can be a knight! Alright, alright, I'm awake!"
Grinning, he stood and offered his hand to pull her up, which she took. Quickly, she grabbed a ribbon from her bag and bound her hair up, so it wouldn't go all over the place. Link liked that look on her… it seemed strict and business-like.
"Now then, 'master'." she prompted, taking a particular pleasure in twisting the last word until it meant anything but. "Shall we?"
He nodded and they both moved a few metres away to a clearer spot. "Okay, how did you and Sir Alistair train?" he asked, needing to get a picture of what she was used to. He handed her one of the sticks, about a metre long.
"I repeated the forms until I could do them in my sleep. Mostly because I actually liked their elegance and power… Occasionally we would do quick sparring, but only very safely. I actually wanted to go a bit farther, but father hadn't allowed it." she described, and he believed her. She wasn't one prone to bragging, and he judged her someone who, if she had to do something, she wanted to do it properly.
"Alright, good. I've seen that you're no novice. But I have to get a feel for your fighting style. Not only to see what you can do… but, if we ever have to fight side by side, or back to back, both of us need to adapt to each other's prowess, so we can best shield each other." he explained. She nodded curtly, her eyes focused. She had switched effortlessly from playful to earnest, which pleased him greatly. It also meant she took him seriously, which was a relief.
"We'll start with some sparring…" he ordered, brandishing his stick and assuming the stance of a rapier wielder. Zelda looked surprised for a second, then took her own stance. Sir Alistair had, among countless others, instructed him in this elegant, nimble for of combat. It had not been a major focus-point, as the weapon was rarely used outside the nobility… but, as both of them had already had to learn, you don't always fight creatures… sometimes the real monsters look suspiciously hylian…
"Attack! For now I will just react." He commanded.
She hesitated only for a moment before stepping forward and aiming a series of quick jabs at him. She was not fast enough to require his full concentration, which, in this case was good. So, he could study her style and skill.
She made a quick sidestep and aimed a low thrust at his groin, before quickly moving her motion into an upwards strike, aiming for his throat. So far, he had been able to deflect everything without moving from his spot. She circled around him, trying to get through his defence with speedy and creative attacks.
After he had deflected yet another three part attack, he did his first riposte, a moderate jab at her centre mass, matching her speed. She had probably half expected an attack to come at some point, but she was still surprised and jumped backwards, whacking at his stick in reflex. He stepped after her and aimed a short follow-up swing at her head. Her surprise mostly overcome, her second parry was much more measured, not as hectic and erratic. She followed with a riposte of her own, a quick slicing motion at his throat, but the distance was ill judged and he just needed to lean back a tiny bit to avoid it altogether. That left her open and he, very gently, poked her ribs with his weapon.
He saw her frown in annoyance very briefly, but she calmed herself, stood up straight and nodded at him, admitting defeat. Link could feel that, despite her obviously knowing how it would go, her pride was ever so slightly injured. He knew that feeling well… when he first started serious training with Sir Russel, he had known that the old bear could beat him from one end of the square to the other without even breaking a sweat… but when that had truly occurred, his assumption verified, it had still stung.
If Zelda's pride wouldn't allow her to accept him as teacher and keep a neutral head, this would become a problem, and quickly. He decided to broach that subject right now, before it lead to difficulties.
"Is everything alright?" he asked, probably too carefully.
That flicker of annoyance was briefly back on her face. "Yes, yes… I'm not that tender…" she said, only the tiniest hint of impatience in her voice.
He lowered his stick and shook his head. "That's not what I mean, Zelda…" he began, unsure how to navigate this verbal minefield he was getting himself into. "I am not doing this to humiliate you, or to show you how good I am. This I promise you, and I hope you can accept that as fact. Believe me, after getting trounced an uncountable number of times, I know how you feel…" he let that sink in for a moment, watching her jaw muscles working.
"If, after today, you don't want to train with me, that's fine. But…"
"Wait, Link…" she interrupted, holding up her hand. "You are right. I am getting annoyed at you…" she muttered looking away and shaking her head at herself. "Like a damn child… to proud to just accept that other people can be better… stupid, isn't it?"
He stepped closer and put his hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Zelda. I'm not offended or anything like that. We simply need to address it before it becomes a problem…"
She nodded and looked at his eyes, clearly a bit ashamed. He naturally didn't want her to feel that way, but right now, he couldn't help her with that. "Why, though? Of course you are better, I know that! I wasn't this childish when I trained with uncle Alistair!"
"You are not childish. And I think it's because, well, it's personal. It was much easier for me to lose to the blademaster, who I hadn't known all my life, as opposed to Sir Russel, who had always been the grumpy uncle from three houses over."
"Still, it's dumb. Naturally, you are a better swordfighter, that is what you're here for. Well… part of what you're here for…" she added with a rather roguish little grin which sent goosebumps on his skin. "Well… I always try to please…" he muttered, grinning back devilishly.
She giggled, and Link was relieved to see that she wasn't upset. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she was once again completely focused. He admired her self control, which was clearly superior to his. "I am ready, teacher. I will learn to deal with it."
Not for the first time today, he so badly wanted to kiss her, now out of sheer admiration. But he resisted, not wanting to disturb her concentration. Instead he nodded curtly, he took a few steps back and raised his guard. "Then… again!"
They sparred for about an hour. Without him even having planned it, Zelda learned a few things. For one, she constantly tried to keep him looking into the sun, so she had an advantage, the clever little rascal. Secondly, she learned to deal with the uneven, overgrown ground of the forest, after she probably had only ever trained on stone or sand.
She was good, and Link didn't skimp on telling her so. She was quick and nimble, her style was intelligently creative and even her stamina wasn't bad. The biggest problem, as he had rather suspected, was that she thought too much. Everything she did was planned, and when he did something that didn't go accordingly, she briefly lost her flow. He was not surprised… she was his little scholar, after all. But, the intuitive component of a battle was at least as important as the cerebral one. That, they'd have to work on.
As weird as that thought sounded in his mind, Link liked fighting with her. It was an intensely focused experience, mentally challenging and elegant. Besides… he simply liked watching her move…
They were just into their last bout now, Zelda panting quite hard due to the intense exertion. She had gotten a good bit faster, though he was pretty sure that was mostly due to her long pause in training before the attacks had started. Now she was reacquainting her muscles with the movement patterns. He could see in her eyes that she was beginning to enjoy their swordplay, liking the physical activity and the creative thinking. He hoped that she was also taking pride in his compliments, as they were certainly not meant as empty praise.
He stepped forward and, still mimicking the fencer's style, jabbed high, then feinted a low swing before changing into an upwards cut. The deception threw her off, but she coped by jumping back. Quick as a cat, she darted forward again, aiming a thrust at his face, which he deflected down and to the side. Then she made a mistake. She wanted to quickly do a follow-up thrust to still hit him in the shoulder, but it was too slow. Instead she was now dangerously close, with her stick uselessly past his arm. All he had to do was bring his own weapon back from his defensive motion and he had it against her neck.
A moment later he removed his 'blade' and they both straightened, assuming a more relaxed stance.
"I can only repeat: you are good. I don't know how hard you trained back then, but you certainly have talent." he assured her.
"Hm." she grunted with a lopsided smile, betraying her dissatisfaction. "I know that sounds rather foolish, but I thought I were better…" she said, looking thoughtful as if letting the last few moves of their fight pass before her eyes once more. "You didn't even break a sweat!"
Link sighed in a kindly chiding way and took her sword hand in his right. "First of all, yes I did. Secondly, at the risk of sounding ludicrously self-opinionated, I really am rather a bit very good…" he smirked, trying to get her to smile a bit more genuinely. He almost succeeded, but she still seemed a tad disappointed. "Come now, dumpling… don't be too ambitious! Comparing solely to me will not give you an accurate feeling for your own skill… For now, you'll just have to believe me when I say that I think you more than just proficient. Or do you think I'd lie to you about this?" he asked, more as a rhetorical question than anything else.
"No…" she answered promptly. "I do not. I can tell when you lie, remember?" she teased mischievously. He didn't doubt it.
"If it makes you feel any better, Sir Alistair could still hand my bottom to me with only a salad fork as weapon…" he chuckled.
Zelda too had to giggle, much to Link's relief. Slowly he felt that he broke through her tension. "It's so stupid but… yes, it does make me feel better. And I hate that!" she explained, frowning at herself. "Right now I am… it's not just the fact that I'm hopelessly outclassed… the simple truth is that I am getting annoyed at you. Still. And I don't want that, it's unfair and childish and I know that. So then I am getting annoyed for getting annoyed… How utterly idiotic." she judged herself, too harshly in his opinion.
"Well, to me that sounds like you might actually not be a higher being, but just Hylian like the rest of us… with a normal brain that sometimes does stunningly stupid stunts." he opined, bending down to give her a cheeky little kiss on her sword hand.
She gave him a very ladylike little whack on the calf. "Idiot…" she shook her head.
"Correct, as established. See? I'm the idiot here, not you!" he said happily, spreading his arms as if he had just come to an awesome conclusion to one of life's most pressing questions.
Despite making an adorably pouty face, she had to giggle. "Don't be too sweet, you! I haven't decided yet whether that would render me unable to fight you at all, or make me want to beat you even harder!" she threatened.
A few choice images of a slightly kinky nature popped into his head, which he put a stop to right away. "Alright, back to business then! No more flirtation, if my health is in such danger!" he pronounced, making his face particularly aloof.
"Don't you dare!" she laughed, gently pulling on his arm.
"Can you put your finger on why you are getting annoyed with me?" he asked, teasing her a bit more by not allowing himself to be pulled.
She made a pouty face that violently shook his resolve, but, for now, it held. Zelda thought about it for a few seconds. "It's odd… maybe it is because I was a child back then, but with uncle I never felt like he held back… rationally, I of course knew that he was far better than he showed, but it never appeared that way… With you I can tell that you are performing no where near your actual level." she explained, looking past him thoughtfully.
"Hmm…" Link hummed, cupping his chin. "Interesting point. I assume that is mostly due to Sir Alistair's infinitely greater experience at training people. I will work on that." he said, somewhat intrigued.
"You don't… it really is my problem if I'm getting vexed for such a moronic reason…" she said sweetly.
"Maybe. Doesn't mean I cannot help you overcome it. Any other quandaries?"
"You are not hitting me." she replied instantly.
Link actually shook his head in surprised disbelief. "Excuse me?!"
"You are being extremely careful not to hit me, or to just give me the barest touch of your stick. I am, of course, not asking you to batter me to oblivion, but I am not made of glass." she told him, cupping his cheek caringly while her look was ever so slightly scolding. "If we are fighting, I want to be treated as fighter. Even… no, especially by you."
Link swallowed. Zelda's face was dead serious… oh dear… Naturally, he understood her completely. There was nothing more frustrating than not being taken seriously. He knew exactly how he'd feel if someone like the blademaster were to just lightly tap him if he made a mistake, as if he were some fragile little bit of porcelain. He'd be ready to explode within minutes!
But… goddesses above, he couldn't just… he shouldn't just… bloody hell!
She started giggling. "You look as if you had seen a ghost!" she mocked.
"I… don't know if I can just hit you. Not even so it's a light smack…" he said dumbly.
He immediately knew that that had not been the ideal thing to say, as Zelda put her hands on her hips and looked at him like a stern teacher to a naughty pupil. "And why not? If I make a mistake I want to feel it, get a clear picture of how you hit me and when. It helps me learn. If I feel the occasional sting, that is just another incentive to become better! I think, the very first time we met, you said you were interested in seeing me fight, from swordsman to swordswoman. Treat me like one, then!" she demanded, frowning slightly.
"I am! My reluctance to smack you is not due to a lack of respect, in any regard!" he answered truthfully, but knew that she was right.
"Besides, I am not overly sensitive to pain." she continued as if he hadn't said anything. Quickly, before he even realized what she was doing she raised her stick and violently cracked it against her own calf, hard enough that Link had to wince. Zelda was ruining his Zelda!
"See? I didn't break in half. Magical, isn't it?" she asked sarcastically.
"Alright! All right." he said, raising his hands placatingly. "You are correct. I should not treat you as if you were a delicate flower, and if that angered you, I apologize. But! I must ask you to be patient with me. Again, I don't do this out of disrespect, quite the opposite! This is something I will have to learn… to overcome my inhibition." he conceded. "Also: please don't hit yourself like that anymore…" he added pleadingly.
She looked at him sternly for a few seconds, then burst out in reluctant laughter. "Mollycoddle!" she teased, shaking her head at him.
"With you, yes." he chuckled. "Are you up for a little experiment?" he asked on a whim.
"…depends?" she asked, clearly unsure what to expect.
"Let us have just one more little bout. You will understand what I aim to discover." he promised enigmatically.
They took positions and began. Zelda, now that her temper had been riled a bit was quite fierce and, interestingly, her ability to react to unplanned situations was a tad better. Link kept the fight going until he was sure that she was once again completely focused on the fight. Then, just as she was once again going for an attack, he made a 'mistake' and had his guard far too high. Her stick cracked against side and she immediately cried out, startled.
"Goddess, Link, I'm so sorry! Sorry! Damn, no! I…" she stammered, then saw his softly grinning face.
"And that is precisely why I have a problem hitting you…" he calmly said, rubbing his bruised belly.
"You idiot!" she hissed, rattled with shock and sharp anger. "You can't just let me hit you like that!"
"Why not? If you get better, it'll happen occasionally. Hit me again!" he ordered, raising his arms again to give her free access to his ribs and abdomen.
Her eyes widened. "Have you lost your mind?"
"No. I am proving my point. You are angry with me, as you should be. Hit me for it." he said.
She shook her head, not understanding, and tapped him on the thigh.
"I said hit me. Like you just did." he specified.
"No!" she answered, her eyes unsure. He hated putter her under stress like this, but he felt like this lesson was an important one. It had certainly benefited him.
"Why not?" he asked again. "This is just a part of training, not some odd, arbitrary fantasy. Sir Alistair did the exact same thing with me."
She hesitated. "You just did it by accident. I didn't break in half either. Do it!" he commanded, his voice stern now.
"Fine!" she yelled and swatted at his other side, considerably lighter than the other one he had received, but still enough to sting.
He thought about demanding her to do it again, but then relented, convinced that he had gone far enough.
"There! Are you satisfied?! Was your aim to prove that I don't wish to hit you either?! Of course I bloody don't! I hate it! You did not need me to prove that!" she growled, definitely upset now.
Link lowered his arms again. "That was only part of my goal. The actual reason for this was to show you just how difficult it can be to attack another living thing. Even an enemy." he spoke calmly.
"I… I know that!" she hissed, but her face showed how unsure she was about her own words.
"That is good! Because I sure did not." Link continued, unmoved. "The first Moblin I had to fight very nearly killed me. Why? Because I hit him like I would hit another combatant of the tourney… like I had learned to hit people all my life. Only after my animalistic survival instinct had taken control, was I able to actually fight, to want to hurt it, so it could no longer hurt me. If I had been able to do that from the start, I would not have had trouble breathing for the following three days." he explained.
Link could see that his words had hit their mark. He knew Zelda had been forced to injure her attackers… he had seen it… but they had been hesitant strikes that had only worked because the assailants had been momentarily distracted. She was probably thinking of those moments now… and judging by her face she knew how difficult it had been to stick a sharp piece of metal into another being's body. And how shocking it was to see them bleed.
"I didn't know that… about you and the Moblin…" she muttered.
"It wasn't really relevant until now…" he shrugged. "But, believe me, it was a valuable lesson. The point I am trying to make is: Even after I had made you angry, after giving you full absolution, after you seeing and realizing that it's just sticks and there is no real danger, you hesitated for at least 20 seconds. Of course you did! I am not chiding you for that. Nobody, or at least nobody I want to associate with, wants to hurt others, even if it's just a harmless little bruise. AND in duelling we always learn to hold back our blows to that very end. But therein lies the problem…"
"…that we can't just shake that behaviour off even if we must…" Zelda finished for him, looking glum. He nodded. "True, actually getting attacked would be a completely different situation than this. But if you have even a fraction of that hesitancy you showed now, and I would have shown just a few weeks ago, you are in grave danger. If you are only able to attack in earnest once you are panicked, then you might not ever reach that state." he said with a certain finality to his words.
She nodded and swallowed. He let her mull over the whole unpleasant experience. "Is that how Sir Alistair gave you that lesson?" she asked.
"Pretty much to a T. Only he employed far more expletives." he answered with a tentative grin, which, thankfully, she shared.
"It is not an easy lesson to digest…" she mumbled, looking a bit lost.
He had to snort. "No. It isn't. Frankly, I am not even slightly convinced that I have fully incorporated it in my mind. This is an inhibition that both of us have built up all our lives. Tearing it back down, reliably but responsibly, will not be easy. But..." he paused to step closer again, now that he dared. Her eyes looked at his, fascinating as ever, beautiful but sorrowful. He took her hand in his again and kissed it, both in support and apology. "The reason I passed this on to you now is because I want to strike a deal with you, Zelda…" he murmured softly and gave her hand another peck. "If you want me to occasionally give you a firm smack on the bottom, I demand the exact same treatment." he finished, utmost innocence radiating from his smile.
She looked at him in utter disbelief for a second. Then she spat out with laughter, right at his face. Startled at what she had just done, she slapped her hand in front of her mouth. "Sorry!" she squeaked while giggles raked through her. Link, after the initial shock at suddenly having rather moist cheeks, joined her in splitting his sides. Neither of them remained standing as their bellies threatened to cramp up.
"You… are so… dumb!" Zelda squeaked between spasms. "Oww… I really should spank you, you know that?"
"Ohohooo! Careful! My revenge shall be swift and merciless!" he chuckled, sending them both into another minute-long fit.
They lay next to each other for a few moments longer after the laughter had finally abated, the earlier tension mostly gone, blessedly.
"You know…" Zelda began. "I am rather doubtful that your last sentence was part of Uncle Alistair's instruction…"
Link snorted. The mere thought was simply too absurd to fathom. "Ha! With your infallible sense for the truth and your matchless detective work, you have caught me in a lie!" he giggled.
"One tries…" she replied dryly.
He let a few seconds pass before he spoke again, slightly bashful. "Are… are you mad?"
"No…" she answered promptly. "I was… for a moment. But… well, I guess you can say that I understand your reason for doing it… and I accept your proposed deal!"
Even though he couldn't see her face, by her voice, he knew that she had a tantalizing, impish grin on her face. And she was lying so close…
Suddenly a violent jolt waved through the ground, lifting both of them in them briefly into the air. The ground was shaking under them, throwing them back and forth like puppets. The horses screamed in fear, and Link in shock. He attempted to launch himself towards Zelda to give her at least some stability, but by the time he had grabbed her, it stopped, just as abruptly as it had begun.
"Fuck!" Link spat before he could stop himself. "Are you alright, Zelda?"
"I think so. Yes!" she gasped.
He could feel a few scratches, mostly on his back and arms, so she was probably similarly chafed. The horses where still audibly in panic. Both Link and Zelda scrambled up and ran for them; it took quite a while to calm them sufficiently so they wouldn't be a danger to themselves any more.
Their belongings had been thrown all over the copse. "Such a furious quake… and so close after the last…" Zelda mused, shaking her head as she picked up the medicinal pouch. Thankfully, nothing seemed to be broken inside.
Link hesitated a bit before asking. "Do you think it's…"
She was silent for a moment, her face grim. "I can not be sure… but…" She didn't need to continue. Everything had been said by her tone of voice.
"I don't think this is natural either. Such intense shaking, but it lasts only a handful of seconds and starts and ends so suddenly?" he shook his head. "We should move on."
"Agreed." she said, rubbing her undoubtedly bruised shoulder.
Link was uneasy riding on horseback... and he thought he sensed that she was too. Should these enigmatic quakes of the ground return, there was no doubt they'd be thrown. The completely uncontrollable nature of that new danger made them both nervous… but what choice did they have?
The hours passed slowly… the landscape was still unchanged… forested hills, occasionally interrupted by grassland. There were many beautiful vistas to be had, but currently neither of them had an eye for them. Occasionally either he or she would attempt to break the silence, but it never lasted very long.
Link still felt a bit bad about how he had treated her… even though, he agreed with Sir Alistair, this was a lesson that needed to be learned by anyone who was in serious risk of having to defend him- or herself. And he had no clue how he could have demonstrated it better… He just hoped that she really wasn't angry with him, and that she wasn't just bottling it up… but on the other hand, he couldn't just keep asking her, whether she was alright… then she would have a reason to be grumpy. He remembered his ire when the blademaster had made Link hit him. "Are you a man or a wimp?! Strike me! This is the only chance a pants-wetter like you will ever get to landing a hit on me! Do it!"
Naturally, his first strike had been completely laughable, which, of course, had led to a lot of ridicule from his teacher. Only when the old man had threatened to personally throw him out of the knight's cadre had Link hit him in earnest. The memory of the moment of absolute, hot panic directly afterwards, when Sir Alistair had groaned and toppled over, still sent shivers down his spine. But, naturally, the clever old bastard had had a very tight metal breastplate under his clothes, so he only had a slight bruise. Damn, he had hated the man that day… But despite his anger, he had to admit that it was a valuable lesson…
…oh well. If she were mad, she would let him know.
But… now that he thought about the blademaster… something that she had said a couple of times now piqued his curiosity.
"Say…" he asked for attention.
"Hm?" she responded sweetly.
"You have repeatedly called Sir Alistair your uncle… is that just an honorific?" he asked, smirking slightly.
She seemed to have caught the veiled flattery, for she also grinned. "Well… not quite…" He could see her hesitating.
"This is... a rather delicate topic..." she began thoughtfully.
"Nothing will be repeated. To anyone." he promised right away. "But I understand if you prefer not to speak of it."
She gently shook her head and smiled. "It's fine. I trust you."
Weirdly, even though he already had plenty of evidence that she did, hearing her say that still let so much pride bubble up within him that he thought it might lift him off the horse.
"Alistair is my father's half brother. My grandfather was apparently quite... prolific. I don't know why his extramarital son held any interest for him, but..." Link saw her frown involuntarily and had a feeling that he knew what she was thinking. "...but apparently he was honourable enough not to abandon his child for his own convenience." she finally hissed, her bitterness about her father palpable.
He wanted to keep her talking so she didn't fall back into that pit of angst and neglect again. "So he grew up a commoner?"
She nodded after a moment. "Apparently my grandfather even visited him occasionally, and noticed that he was a prodigy with the sword. I assume the inclusion into the tourney of swordmastery might not have proven all too difficult... actually, now that I think about it, I believe the whole program about including commoners would have started with my uncle! So my grandfather changed the rules so his son could compete... huh..." she was lost in thought for a few seconds. "I don't know when and how my father and he met... and got introduced." She snorted in a noticeably derisive manner. "I can't even imagine how high and noble Tiberian would have reacted to the news that he had an illegitimate brother... but in the end, it seems, they became friends... and it's no wonder Alistair is the closest advisor to my father. Not only is he a very shrewd man, but he is fiercely loyal to his family." she described. Link was about to say something when she shook her head again, her lips pressed together in anger. "Who would have known? You show your child that you care, like my grandfather to my uncle, despite all difficulty, and something good arises from it. Quite the alien concept to some, it seems. One would think my father, having seen this demonstrated so closely, would act accordingly..." she growled. He could see how white her knuckles had gotten from gripping the reins in barely controlled fury. He knew his questions had inadvertently brought this, to her, most painful subject up... and now he felt helpless to console her.
He directed Janna close to Celeste, leaned over and stroked her back, hoping it would soothe her at least a little.
"I can feel how much this hurts you... and seeing that I cannot help you... I feel so useless..." he said, gritting his teeth.
Zelda closed her eyes for a second and swallowed. Her previously stiffened back relaxed slightly and he thought she leaned slightly into his touch. She then turned to face him and smiled warmly. "You are already helping me so much, dummy. Even if you don't realize it." she whispered. Goddess, her eyes were breathtaking! And the way she looked at him right not... it seemed as if all his worries, all his doubts were suspended, rendered completely unimportant by that one tender gaze she graced him with. Almost as if pulled by a higher force, he leaned over to kiss her, hoping she would do so in kind.
...she did. It was a little awkward, the horses' out-of-sync movement made the whole attempt into a sloppy, forehead-bumping mess. They separated again, giggling at their bumbling failure.
"I am beginning to hate you, you smelly, self proclaimed chaperones." he grumbled at the beasts.
"Really..." Zelda said between laughs. "We absolutely need to improve our proficiency in the high and honourable art of horseback-smooching."
Link opened his mouth in surprise, then made an eagerly approving gesture. "I am certainly willing to make the effort whenever you want!" he said in an overacted, noncommittal voice.
"I had a feeling..." she teased dryly. Nothing followed however... Zelda seemed a bit distracted. Her brow furrowed and she looked around.
"What is it?" Link asked.
"Do you smell that?" she said, wrinkling her nose.
He hadn't up until now... he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply.
...there was something. A distinct note of rot was carried in the air, its sickly sweet scent noticeably different from the pleasantly musty smell of the forest. It was faint, still, but it was already offensive.
Now that he had noticed it, so, apparently, did their mounts. They seemed nervous, shaking their heads and were very unwilling to continue forward.
They didn't have to go far... After only a minute they saw something that neither of them could even begin to understand. Only a few dozen steps away was what appeared to be a fissure through the forest soil, maybe ten metres in length. A low, heavy gurgling and bubbling could be heard from it... Splashed around it was... something... a black, thick fluid, maybe...
Zelda was holding her hand in front of her nose and mouth and her eyes looked very disturbed. "What in the world is that?" she asked, muffled through her fingers.
"I have no idea." Link answered, frowning. He jumped out of the saddle and grabbed his sword, shield and bow.
"You are not going to go there, are you?!" she asked, distraught.
"Only a few metres. I'm not going anywhere near that thing... take the horses back a bit before they bolt." He could see just by her eyes what she thought of that idea, but she nodded anyway.
"Don't stay too long! I have a really bad feeling about this..." she told him.
"So do I. That's why I want to know what it is..."
He slowly, carefully crept closer, always making sure that he hadn't lost sight of Zelda and their mounts. The stench became overwhelming... it alone was enough to repulse him sufficiently that he couldn't go on. Instead he circled around it until he reached a sturdy birch-tree and, fixing shield and bow to his back, clambered up. From a few meters up he could see the rift more clearly... and wished that he could not. Inside was a slowly boiling mass of thick black sludge... Link had heard of something occasionally used by Gorons, called tar... he imagined it must look a bit like that, but... the description of tar hadn't included an occasional, unnervingly unnatural shimmer of deep purple or dark red. The constantly shifting, disgusting looking mass was almost overflowing from the fissure... it even moved in an alien way... one second it was almost calm, with just the random bubble bursting, releasing a little splatter around it... the next moment there seemed to be a current in it, twisting this way and that, waving against the barely holding constraints of the blackened earth around it, glowing suddenly more strongly in this infernal red... In these moments Link felt his his heart quicken... it was as if that abhorrent filth was... reacting to him... or maybe to her?
He was just about to jump back down when he noticed two more things. One, the leafy canopy above the tear was completely withered... in fact, all of the close standing trees seemed to have died on the side facing the abnormity.
Two, what he had until now disregarded as a particularly large lump of the viscous goop turned out to have legs... four of them. It was hard to tell under the moving... pulsating blanket of blackness, but it seemed to have been a boar. He couldn't say whether it had died before this filth had erupted, or because of it. Link swallowed. It looked almost like... the repugnant stuff had formed slim, sticky tendrils that had wrapped around and later completely engulfed the poor animal... While all around the goo had splattered around randomly, here it seemed to have been guided by some unsettling purpose. A shiver ran down his spine and his mouth felt dry. Rarely before had he ever felt so immediately threatened...
They needed to leave. Now.
He jumped down and jogged back towards Zelda. Clever as she was, she had followed his circling around while keeping the distance constant.
"What did you learn?" she shouted towards him.
"It looks as if the earthquake might have caused it, but... Din's fire, I can hardly describe it. Whatever it is, it's nothing remotely natural. We..." he abruptly stopped.
He had heard something... something that made his skin go cold. He turned his head. 15 metres behind him stood what might once have been a boar... but whatever profane things this foul substance had done to it, this current existence was something altogether different.
Its bristles had fallen out almost completely, only a few random patches were left on a blackened, charred looking skin which seemed to ooze the very same dark, reddish slime. The whole animal twitched and jolted as if it wanted nothing more than to die, but a malicious power kept forcing it back from the brink... its every breath bubbled, as if the black corruption had entered its lung, and it moaned and squealed with every pained intake of air. And its eyes... dear goddesses, a fiery red was shining from them, no longer the neutral, efficient intelligence of an animal but a devilish, violent bloodlust. They radiated the promise of death... its own and everybody else's. Link's breath quickened as his stomach turned to ice. Pure fear washed over him at the sight of this perverse monstrosity Behind him he could hear Janna whinny and rear up before galloping away. Zelda yelped in surprise and had to let her reins go, lest she be pulled from the saddle. She could only barely keep Celeste from bolting too.
For now the beast was still shuddering and screaming as the blight visibly grew on its body, forming disgusting growths and pustules all over it. Link slowly drew his bow and cursed under his breath. He was too far from the horses still... if it charged, he'd never make it there. Besides... if he ran, he would lead it close to her! Not an option...
"Flee." he said over his shoulder as he backed away as fast as he dared.
"No! Sit behind me!" she yelled, trying to get her mount to go closer to him, but it just shied and whinnied in fear. The foul creature screamed in a bone-rattling, unnatural cacophony that startled him so much he nearly dropped the arrow he had just drawn. He didn't know how, but he was sure there was no more time. One last time he averted his gaze from the beast and faced Zelda, his eyes wide, both in dread and iron resolve. "Flee! Now!" he hissed, both his face and voice so full of cold, steely command that he saw the rest of all colour drain from her face, even from the distance. He could see the terror in her eyes and could almost feel her brain work frantically, trying to decide what to do...
"Do it!" he shouted vehemently, then turned back and circled around the creature. If it charged, it could not be allowed to come anywhere close to Zelda... besides, he had to fight it. A monstrosity such as this, that seemed to only consist of pain and the urge to kill, could not be allowed to roam freely. If he had any chance at it, he had to put it down.
Link felt his jaw shiver at the prospect of fighting this affront to nature, to life itself... thankfully his hands were still calm. The beast gave one final massive shudder and one more otherworldly shriek, before it stood still... still like a predator just before killing its prey. Thankfully, Celeste, its fear having grown too great, could no longer be persuaded to stay and galloped off with Zelda on her back. He only heard it, as he didn't dare to look away from the dark-red glowing eyes, that had now lost even the last spark of their former spirit... now they were but two dead, flaming orbs, promising only demise.
The moments passed like hours as both he and it stared at each other, neither of them moving a muscle. Link felt cold sweat forming on his forehead and back as he felt pierced by its unholy stare. Every fibre in his body screamed for him to run, to hide... it took all his resolve, every last drop of courage to stand his ground. Infinitely slowly, he drew the bowstring.
The hell boar charged, so suddenly and silently that he reacted almost too late. Link barely jumped out of its path, the feeling of it rushing by so unbelievably close drawing an involuntary scream of fear from his lips. Din's blazes, the thing was fast! Much faster than any being of that size had any right to! It had traversed the fifteen metres in less than a second, and it had had to accelerate from a complete stop! Once again, time seemed to dilate as the profane beast thundered past, its huge muscles visibly working, since the skin had been corroded away. Link could hear nothing but the heavy stomping of its hooves, and his own heartbeat. His jump had been a reaction of panic, more than anything else, hasty and reckless, so he had to roll as he landed. Thankfully he had enough momentum to instantly stand get back to his feet. The monster had already turned, as utterly impossible as that seemed with its mass, and was charging once again with ungoddessly speed. He yanked his bow up, drew its string so fast that he heard the wood creak in stress and loosed his arrow, all in the time of a blink of the eye. He might as well have spat at it, so much good it did... The arrow pierced its skull with a nauseatingly moist crunch, but the thing didn't even slow. No... it sped up! The sheer impossibility and the resulting shock nearly caused Link to be overrun. He sidestepped, but too late. In one last-ditch effort he turned his back to it, where his shield hung and gritted his teeth. The impact rammed his breath out of his lungs and launched him forward. He couldn't do a clean roll forward, not with the shield on his back, so it ended up as a barely controlled tumble which scraped both his elbow and his knees. He only noticed this peripherally, there was no pain right now... the fall had disoriented him and he looked around in abject panic, hoping the last thing he saw wouldn't be two brutal tusks and a pair of cruel, red eyes. Luckily, the collision seemed to have slowed and deflected the beast's relentless charge... It braked, causing a spray of earth as its hooves dug deep into it, changed course and launched once more.
Link stood and drew his sword. His breath came only raggedly. The impact had shaken his chest so vigorously that his muscles had to remember how to work his lungs. This was bad... he had one dodge left in him... then he needed more air or it would all be over...
Then he saw something that nearly stopped his heart. "No!" it escaped his lips, despite how precious every bit of oxygen was right now. Zelda was advancing in full gallop, her hair waving behind her like a golden flag, her sword drawn like one of the warrior angels of legend. Link had no idea how she had gotten Celeste to return, but they were recklessly storming to intercept the creature.
What he feared most, happened. The hellish beast changed course to, in turn, intercept her, it's agility downright impossible. Zelda and her horse, reacting as one single body, jumped, just in time. The monstrosity thundered under Celeste's hooves, its tusks just barely too short to do any damage.
Link had no time to be relieved or admire her astounding horsemanship. The two seconds of respite had to be enough! They had to!
He sprinted after the unholy creation, his renewed fear for her safety carrying his feet over huge distances with each step. It, too, had changed direction again and charged... thankfully, he was to be the target once more.
He had to kill it. Now. There was no other conceivable option. Fifteen metres away, running right at each other. Ten metres. It had to die, or it would kill her. Five metres. Something glowed within him... Some supernatural power that lent him time, revitalized his limbs when the lack of breath should have already rendered him immobile. He had felt it before, though never that close... it was... him. But also more...
Quick as lightning he ducked to the right, just the instant before he would have been gored. The thing's repulsive smell threatened to destroy his focus, but he wouldn't let it. He couldn't.
With all his considerable momentum and wielding his sword with both hands, he performed a mighty low slash with a voiceless roar. Easily, as if he were cutting through butter, all four of the creature's legs were separated with a gush of foul, thick black blood.
Its enormous inertia carried it for a long distance before it hit the ground and rolled and tumbled over and over until it heavily hit a large tree. The vile thing screamed in anger, writhing and wriggling the seeping stumps of its legs. It rolled back and forth, its glowing eyes so full of hate, squealing its unholy cacophony in one unbroken orchestra of dread.
Link had never seen anything so revolting, so unnatural, so utterly nightmare inducing. Concentrating so he didn't vomit, he dashed to the grotesque abomination. He attempted to summon the unknowable power that kept helping him one more time and with one fierce stab he pierced the creature's thorax, right through until his steel hit the earth below.
And it was still.
For an instant, he could have sworn he had seen a blue-greenish aura around his blade, but he wasn't sure... by now his vision was swimming.
He removed his sword and looked down at the monstrosity. Before his eyes, it blackened. Its bare muscles and the abhorrent growths all over it began to...char without flame! After only a few seconds the whole carcass collapsed in on itself, causing a cloud of dark dust to erupt, which made him jump back. All that remained was something like ash... only completely black.
He took a quick glance at his steel. Where just a couple of seconds ago it had been soiled with this repugnant gory miasma, it was now once again clean...
Link heard hoofbeats behind him. There was no time to waste!
"Stay right there!" he barked hoarsely, still arduously catching his breath, and coughed. He more stumbled than ran to the point where he had dropped his bow. Whatever power had given him wings, it was now spent... or it just saw no more reason to remain. His muscles trembled so much that every step was a chance to fall. He hobbled back after he had recovered his, blessedly, still intact bow.
Zelda, deathly white, opened her mouth to say something. He had no time for this, whatever it may be! "Can Celeste carry us both?" he wheezed impatiently.
She stopped, closed her mouth, then nodded. He noticed that she shivered on her whole body. A wave of sympathy hit his heart, urging him to comfort her... but there was no time! She should be kilometres away by now, damn it! Who could say that no other such horrors would spawn from this infernal rift?
Feeling impossibly clumsy with his trembling hands, he heaved himself onto the horse behind Zelda, who actually had to help him up, much to his dismay.
"Go!" he ordered once he was on. "We don't stop. Unless Janna returns, and then only long enough for me to switch. Go!"
Breathing quickly, her face fearful but determined, she nodded again and drove her mount to a quick trot.
The sun was about to go down... the lingering terror had granted their mounts surprising stamina. Once Janna had rejoined them and Link had arduously clambered into her saddle, they had more or less cantered the entire way, only interrupted by short trots where he made sure that they were still going north. Normally, any horse would have thrown such merciless riders, but getting away from the nameless horror took absolute priority for them too.
Neither he nor Zelda had exchanged a single word for hours. The heart-wrenching moment when the creature had charged her instead of him still smouldered in his very soul... despite his best efforts to calm himself, his hands were still shaking and the entire time they rode he was on the verge of throwing up. More than once his stomach had heaved and he had to been forced to swallow his own sick...
Hylian assassins were one thing, but this... this mutilated, reanimated corpse, this apparition of chaos, pain and death... there was no doubt whence this tusked nightmare had come... the Threat had shown Its power... some of it at least... and already it had come so bone-shakingly close to succeeding!
Thousands of images raced through his hysterical mind, Zelda buried under her gored horse, trampled under thundering hooves, pierced by a vicious tusk, just one brief scream, then eternal silence... he couldn't shut them out...
So... close...
All those long hours his brain worked feverishly, keeping his entire body maximally tense. Why had she come back? For fuck's sake, she was nearly...
Anger rose in him... not because she hadn't done as he had said, but because of what it had almost cost her! She couldn't be so damn reckless!
He didn't say anything... getting away was more important. So he kept his turmoil inside... where it festered and drove his heart to near fibrillation. Occasionally he felt her worried gaze on him, but he did not look back. If he did, everything would burst out of him and he couldn't risk them slowing down.
They came by a tiny rivulet, little more than a steady trickle running through the clearing they were in, and wordlessly decided to stop.
Infinitely grateful, Link flopped down from the saddle. He took a few relieved breaths. The solid ground under his feet instead of the constant wobble on horseback gave his upset stomach a chance to calm down. He knelt to have a drink from the clear water and to rinse out his mouth. For the first time in hours, the roiling in his insides ebbed a bit. Wild Mentha grew just beside the water... a true goddesssend right now! He grabbed a generous handful of the slightly prickly leaves and chewed them, greatly enjoying the fresh, cool taste that finally banished the remaining air of sick in his mouth.
Alright... before he exploded, he needed to address this...
Link turned around and found Zelda standing by the horses, visibly nervous judging by her fidgeting hands and looking at him worriedly. Seeing her fret like that because of him nearly made him weep, but he couldn't just leave this be... he couldn't!
Goddess, he was still breathing heavily, as if he had just run all the way here! And his heart was racing! Bloody hell, he couldn't remember if he'd ever been this upset! He caught himself pacing back and forth, just because of the fire of his anger...
"You are mad at me..." she began, cautiously, her voice small.
Heavens, was he? He couldn't bloody think! The hell-boar felling her horse, she flying out of the saddle and crashing onto the ground to be stampeded... the images didn't stop!
"I'm..." he wheezed, his voice high and hysterical. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before trying again. "I don't know what I am!" he breathed, hectically. "What on earth were you thinking?!" he croaked.
"I came back to help you." she replied. He could hear her trying to keep her voice calm, but she couldn't hide the slight tremble in it. Fuck! He didn't want her to be afraid, not of him too! But he couldn't stop himself! He was nearly crazy with fear for her and it just kept pouring out!
"I told... I told you to flee!" he panted, utterly unable to control his voice. Once again he noticed that he was pacing back and forth, involuntarily. "You nearly were... you nearly..." he couldn't finish it, instead taking another breath.
"I know, but... I had to! I couldn't just leave!" she said, defiance in her tone, mixed with the silent plea for him to calm down in her eyes. Goddesses, how he wanted to calm down! But he was powerless before his panic...
"Why? Why in Din's fucking name?" he snarled, his voice getting louder despite his attempts for restraint. "This isn't... This isn't some fucking bravado! Why do you think I'm telling you to run? Because I want to be left alone? Because I want to be in danger? My one purpose is to see you safe and it is hard enough without you boycotting me!"
"I am not boycotting you." she answered, warning.
"Why then?" he yelled.
"I... sensed you were hurt..." she muttered, her eyes suddenly so full of that same fear that he knew so well, that just now hurt him so. The fear for someone else...
"Well I'm not! This is just..."
"And what is that? Look!" she hissed angrily, pointing at his side, her big, stunning eyes opened wide.
Link looked down on himself and breathed in in surprise. His whole right side from chest-level down was brown with dried blood... his shirt had a ten centimetre long cut just under his armpit, and so did his flesh under it... but it was only shallow and no longer bleeding. It must have happened when he had blocked the creature's charge with the shield on his back... its tusk must have scraped over the tough wood and just barely nicked his skin as it shot past! An incredible stroke of luck... if he had turned just a fraction of a second later, or simply not far enough, his lung would have been gored right then and there! He had seen the kinds of wounds a wild boar could cause... they were vicious! Again his stomach cramped, but he forced it down.
"I didn't even notice..." he mumbled. "It's just a scratch anyway... and it simply isn't important! Even if I had been ground to dust by that thing, you shouldn't have returned!" he spat, the brief shock overcome and his panic fuelled fury back.
"You cannot..." she began, but he was having none of it.
"I do not presume to give you commands, but if I do, you bloody well do it!" he hissed.
"Listen..."
"If I tell you to run while I stay to stop enemies, you run!"
"Listen!"
He ignored her. "If I tell you to hide so I can distract whoever follows, you hide!" he fumed.
"No!"
He pretended he didn't hear her. "And if I tell you to save yourself and leave me to die, you fucking do it!" he roared.
"I will not!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, making a step forward. "I will not, damn you! I won't!" Her hands balled to fists, her shoulders haunched forward aggressively and sparks of rage flying from her eyes, she stared at him with iron determination.
Their duel of will lasted ages, but... strangely, the shock and shame about how far he had driven her with his powerless wrath finally gave him the chance to sort his thoughts. The wave of pained, reluctant but nonetheless powerful anger that she had hit him with helped him to regain control... and her perceivable desperation at his ire towards her shook him to his core.
He lowered his eyes, breaking the stare, and turned his head to the side. "Then what is the point?" he asked quietly, glumly.
She, too, averted his gaze and turned her back, he heard. He couldn't blame her... of course she was angry with him... he deserved it... but his fury had not been directed at her, not really... It had been born from the earth-splitting shock of almost seeing her perish... because she wanted to save him! He raged against himself! Himself and his weakness, his inability to finish the monstrosity quickly enough so she didn't have to fear for him...
He looked up, gazing at the sky as if it had the answers he desperately sought. The last remnants of the vibrant orange sunrays were steadily giving way to the dark blue of approaching night. Both colours he liked... but they did not offer comfort right now... still, maybe they helped quiet his thoughts a bit.
The clearing seemed silent after his mindless roaring... and her exasperated answer. Only the very light murmur of the water was audible, together with a few distant crickets greeting the light's gentle fading.
Slowly he felt his heart-rate slow and his breath calm... the fiery-cold tempest that had rampaged in his mind had been put to silence by her vigour... her ire... her being so alive...
He looked back down towards the little ditch that held the stream. One, singular little sunset firefly drifted lazily over the grass... he actually felt a weak attempt of a smile on his face at the sight...
"What do you mean by 'What is the point'?" Zelda asked, her voice tense.
He looked back at her... she had not turned around again...
"I am your protector..." he started weakly. "If you do not allow me to protect you... what can I do?"
He felt so miserable... staring at her back, knowing how unfair he had been... of course she had been concerned, how could she not? But he had been so afraid... deathly afraid for her and hateful of his own incompetence. Goddess, but he had spat his bile at her... unable to control himself, like a child who had a tantrum...
He was so tired... and ashamed...
Please turn around...
She looked over her shoulder, her expression unreadable. "Is that all you see yourself as? My protector?" she questioned. There was a dangerous edge to her voice now.
Link twitched as if he had been slapped. "No!" He made a careful step closer, just enough so he could have reached for her, if he wanted. "No, Zelda... I... I cannot even begin to describe how intensely I want to be more than just that! With every fibre of my body and every thought I want to be more!" he nearly shouted, so desperate was his need to assure her of that. The concept that she might think he didn't care more was... soul-crushing!
"But... sometimes, I will need to be your shield first and... everything else second. Sometimes, I will have to put your safety, your life, above all else. These times, I will defend you, with my very flesh, if need by... both as your protector and... infinitely more..." He could have said it right there... said those three simple words... but he chose not to. Not because he did not genuinely feel them... he did, with all his heart... but because it would feel like a cheap way out... Not an apology, not an explanation, just a confession that would bury the problem without actually solving it...
Besides... he might have learned that there was no such thing as a perfect moment... but this was definitely not even remotely close to a decent moment to make such an important, far-reaching claim.
He had to make her understand otherwise... he had to make it be enough...
She turned to the side so, with her head still turned, she faced him fully again. Her eyes were hard and he feared the worst... but when she looked upon his honest sincerity, and his eyes so full of emotion that he dared not voice yet, her expression mellowed.
Zelda sighed and shook her head. "Come, you. Let's get that wound cleaned up."
Link sat on the grassy edge, his feet in the shallow water. He was holding a torch, so Zelda could see what she was doing. He hadn't thought about it until now, but the image of these revolting, black sludge covered tusks cutting into his flesh made his already sour stomach heave. Thankfully, she was as compassionate as ever, even when she was angry, and had immediately allayed that fear by saying that no vile substance could be seen.
Now he was just waiting, topless, until she had examined his wound to her satisfaction. He wouldn't dare interfere with her now, not if he wanted to live. "It really is a just a shallow cut. Hold still, this might sting." she muttered and put something wet against it.
He didn't move a muscle. Sure, it burned quite a bit, but after years of training with the sword he was used to it.
"Is it bad?" she asked quietly. Not for the first time he was amazed by her kindness... how many people would even care after what he had just thrown at her?
"No..." he answered softly.
"Raise your arm higher."
He did so and he felt her gently wiping the edges of the cut with the medicinal alcohol, careful not to rip it open once again.
"I'll make a poultice, I think..." she thought aloud.
He looked down at her beautiful, concentrated face as she tried to see in the dim light. More fireflies had come out of their hiding places... you could see them on the whole clearing. Not too many, but still more than he had ever seen at once. One was flying very close over Zelda's left ear... where she wore the earring...
She was so mesmerisingly perfect... and it had been so close... again!
"I'm sorry..." he whispered and his stomach turned at the thought of having truly insulted or hurt her...
She sighed, only looking at his eyes briefly before continuing. "Don't be. I understand."
He still felt the need to explain himself, despite her having said that. "I'm sorry I yelled at you... I just..." he stopped and swallowed heavily as the panic threatened to overcome him again. "When I saw that thing charge at you, I... I thought..." Finishing the sentence was simply impossible... Instead he breathed "It still haunts me..."
She had stopped her ministrations and was looking at him. He could... he wanted to lose himself in those eyes, those infinitely fantastical eyes, sparkling with such intelligence and kindness... and, thankfully, life...
"I felt it..." she said with a small voice. "...the entire way... I felt how much it tormented you..." She closed her eyes and bit her lip. Her hand wandered upwards and cupped his cheek. "But don't you see? The reason you felt this overpowering, near-maddening dread... is the same reason I came back!" she spoke, her voice quavering slightly. Her eyes opened again, moist but strong, and finally Link understood fully. Of course it was... goddess, he was such an abysmal idiot! She had returned for just the same cause that he would have... and she had probably felt a similar, heart-stopping moment when she had seen him staggering with a bleeding side... The thought of her going through what he had sent his stomach roiling again.
He tentatively took her hand on his cheek and closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of her touch like never before. "I see it..." he answered weakly. "But I have to protect you, don't I? I have to make sure you are not hurt, don't I?" he asked, more to the universe in general than to her. To his shame, he noticed that his voice too was rather unstable again.
"You do..." she said softly, her thumb stroking over his cheekbone. "But I have to ensure your safety too, Link..." Her voice was so soothing, despite her sad tone... as if it could just take all troubles, all problems away forever.
"But you are so much more... I... I value your life more than mine..." he admitted, meaning it with all his heart, no matter how corny it sounded. He looked at her again, simply because he wanted to see her eyes and the reaction on her face. Please believe me...
A soft, kind smile greeted him. She had cocked her head just slightly so she seemed expectant. "And why would it be different for me?"
A whole spectacle of emotions flooded through him, both carrying him on wings of ultimate delight to the highest highs, and plunged him hard into the nigh inescapable depths of worry.
"But what if..." he began, but she interrupted.
"No!You fight for me..." she told him harshly and put her second hand on his other cheek. "...Let me fight for you too. I trust that you can protect me, do you hear? I do! And I am no fool. I know I cannot keep up with you... and I realize that I would just get in your way in a fight. But you cannot expect me to just stay away when I sense that you are in danger."
"But that is what I must do! Put myself in harm's way so you can stay out of it..." he replied, his voice gentle. Now, with her so close, he could feel just how much the encounter with the boar from hell had shaken her.
"I cannot do that." she simply said. "I cannot walk away when I know that you will be hurt or worse..."
"Zelda..." he began softly.
"I won't lose you!" she nearly shouted, holding his head firmly between her hands. "I won't..." Her voice trembled and her eyes were teary, but her gaze was solid, irrefutable.
Link raised his other hand and let his fingers brush lightly over her cheek, down to her shoulder, where it rested, his thumb caressing her neck.
"But what if that were the only way to go on? To save Hyrule and its millions of people?" he asked, knowing anyway that her mind was set and as unalterable as the sun in the sky.
"Then I will find another way! I would fight through hell and back to find it! There always is another way!" She said it with such certainty, whether she herself felt it or not, that, to his own surprise, he felt... calmed.
He looked into her sky blue eyes and felt peace slowly return to his soul. Her beautiful eyes in her overwhelming face... he had to give it back to her as well!
Hoping he was doing the right thing, he sat closer and wrapped her in his arms. He let his cheek brush against hers, caressing her with it, drinking in her intoxicating scent. Only as an afterthought did he realize that, well, he was half-nude... it didn't matter. Not a second later she too locked him in an embrace of her own, holding him tight, her fingers digging into his bare back as if saying 'You're mine. I'm never letting you go.'
"You won't lose me... I promise..." he whispered, kissing her jaw just under her ear. He felt her shiver... then she nodded. "Don't you dare break that promise!" she breathed, planting a long kiss on the nape of his neck. But she didn't stop... she kissed him again, higher this time, still on his neck... then again, on his jaw... Slowly, gently, kissing him over and over she made her way to his lips. Her mouth burned on his, both his and her hunger bigger than ever before, driven by the near loss, the relief and their mutual love. Her hands left his back as she nearly devoured him and coursed through his hair, brushing it this way and that, gripping it fiercely, smoothing it gently.
Link kissed her back with all his fire, his tiredness forgotten. He let his hands explore, let them brush over her shoulders, down over her side, stroking her waist, going just a tiny bit lower before returning back up. Even through her shirt, touching her like this sent sparks through his entire body. But he wanted more...
Using this spell of bravery before it vanished, he used one hand to tug at her blouse so it came free of its confinement in her waistband and sent the same hand up inside her shirt to feel her skin.
Her belly twitched with a tiny sound from her mouth, but it was no refusal... just the electrifying feeling of his hand where it had not previously been. He felt her muscles relax and he continued his gentle caress, over her side, over her bellybutton.
Once again she gave these adorable little squeaks as he nibbled on her libs and played with his nose against hers. All worry, all fear... in this moment, they were nothing. Blasted away by the sheer force of affection and desire.
She grabbed the muscle on his neck with both hands and, using both her hands and her mouth against his, pushed him back so he lied down. Without breaking contact she moved her leg over him, kneeling above his stomach. Gently, using her teeth she pulled on his lower lip before resuming her fiery kiss. He could feel her soft, golden hair flow all over his bare chest and shoulders as her head moved, ever changing position on his lips. She let her hands go lower, stroking over his collarbone, then his chest, where they stopped. Her hands on his flesh, plus the pleasant, tickling sensation of her strands of sun-kissed hair... if he had not been wild before, this would drive him mad!
He used his hands, one inside of her shirt, one outside to travel to her back and pull her even closer, make the shared kiss even more intense. His drawing her towards him forced her hands to leave his chest and instead support herself with her elbows left and right from his head. Her hands free, they once again roamed through his hair, which he loved even more.
He knew what would follow... and he had no doubt that she knew too...
Let us do it! Let us, just for tonight, forget about everything else... today's horror, the Threat, our mission, everything!
As if she had heard him, she slowed her kisses and lifted her lips off his. She let them travel up to his nose, bit at the soft part of it ever so gently before planting another peck on it. Pushing herself up just slightly, just enough that they could look into each other's eyes, she opened them.
For just an instant, a new worry lodged itself into Link's mind... what... what if she expected something of him that he couldn't do? Or didn't know how to do? What did she expect of him? Would... would he be good enough?
"You know..." he said between his gasps for air. "You do know that I... that I've never... that I never did..." he admitted, sure that he didn't have to finish the sentence.
Instead of an answer she simply kissed him again... differently, more gentle... reassuring... it was a long, tender kiss, meant to set everything right.
She went up again, smiling, both gently and so tantalizingly impishly that he nearly lost it right then and there. Her face was encircled by her smooth hair cascading down all around him, like a tent of pure gold. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed that, by now, hundreds of fireflies were dancing over the creek, illuminating her just enough so he could see clearly. He doubted she had ever been as beautiful as she was now...
She lowered her head again, this time though, aiming for his ear. Her whisper tickled his cheek.
"We will learn together."