Link was nursing a black coffee, he was extremely hung over from the night before.
"Never again." Navi moaned. She was drinking a coffee herself, but with a fairie sized mug.
"My daughter had a dollhouse when she was young. I hope you don't mind." Noa tells her. "My late husband, rest his soul was a dollhouse maker." She smiled at the Link. "Would you like your complimentary breakfast?"
Link and Navi shook their heads.
"I understand. But come for dinner. There is stew being served tonight, the ale should move on by then."
Noa left them alone, she went to check on her daughter.
Noar was deep asleep, she told her mom that she wasn't feeling so good.
"Noar. Honey. Wake up."
Noar groaned.
"What time is it?" Her eyes were bloodshot.
"Hmm." Noa feels her forehead. "Warm, but not hot." Desert sickness was rare, happens only when a person was exposed too long to the sun without water. "How are you feeling?" Noar usually spent her days outdoors doing goddess knows what, if she wasn't doing her chores.
"So tired." She said sleepily.
"I'll bring you some soup for lunch. Go back to bed."
Noar woke up a few hours later. Seeing the sun shining through her window, she assumed it was almost noon. Quickly getting out of bed, she checks her drawer to see if the diary was still there.
"Phew." Her mom usually tidied up, Noar was glad her mom didn't find the book. Otherwise she'll be grounded. Hearing footsteps, she threw the book back in the drawer and throws herself back in bed.
KNOCK KNOCK
Her mom comes in carrying a tray.
"Good afternoon!" Noa had a bowl of steaming chicken soup. "How are you feeling now?"
"Fine mom." She squelches the guilt of lying, she hated worrying her mom. "Smells good." She liked chicken, her mom always made the best soup. "Thank you."
"Let me see you." Noar allowed her mom to check her forehead. "Cooler, but stay in bed for a few more hours." She opens the curtains. "So dark and dreary in here." She sighed.
"What?" Noar was eating slowly, she had to keep up the sick act.
"Nothing. I'll be back later, leave your dishes on the floor."
Noar quickly slurps up her soup. Ignoring her toast, she placed her dishes on the floor. Opening her drawer, she eagerly opens up the book.
I try to swallow my envy as the jail doors shut. Burchard was a decent man, unlike me, he doesn't deserve this. I pray he doesn't have the nightmares, the evil of this place darkens even the purest of hearts. I nod my head in a goodbye, hopefully he leaves this country, his love ones deserve better. Before he left, he tells me more stories, his childhood friend, she was debating about that school.
Alyva and Joan were incredibly nervous.
"We must be crazy or stupid." Other than their escort, they were the only ones in this place.
"Quit complaining, it's free. The first three classes anyways." Alyva was scared herself, her and Joan jumped when they heard the knocking earlier at Alyva'a home. Their escort said little, the only thing she asked for were their invitations. "She said it was legit." The woman they talked to earlier said the instructor was looking for new students and specifically asked for Alyva.
"Don't you find it strange that you were chosen? Why not Genevieve? Or Eva?"
"Genevieve is a noble, I doubt her father would let her do something so unladylike." Alyva didn't care for her father much, he spoiled his daughter rotten. "Eva is stuck caring for her sick mother, otherwise she'll be here too." Eva was a Sheikah, she was the niece of the Princess' bodyguard. Both shut up when they saw a disheveled, dirty looking man walking in with bare feet.
"This can't be him." Joan whispered. Both jumped when the man shouted.
"Silence!" He walked to the front of the classroom. "My name is not of importance! Instead call me Teacher! I am a master of the fine art of fighting! For the next few days, I will be teaching you the basics!" He stared stonily at the two women. "Don't expect me to take it easy on you because you are women! Out there, you must defend yourself!"
Both Alyva and Joan try not to gag at the smell when he moved. Both wondered how long ago he had a bath.
"I will be weeding out the weak! If you make it through the next few days, I will train you harder! When you make it through the next six weeks, you will graduate with a written recommendation for my colleagues' alma matter! Any questions!"
Both Alyva and Joan shook their heads.
"Good!" He nods at a corner. Both women see a tall muscular looking woman walking in. Both women were nervous, she looked scary. "This is Gregoria, she teaches the beginners class."
"Did he say beginner?" Joan looked nervous.
"Let's just hope she takes it easy on us." Alyva was starting to regret this.
"Begin!" Teacher sits crossed legged on the floor.
Later that night, both Alyva and Joan trudged slowly back to Alyva's home. Their escort said nothing, but had a small smirk on her face as she walked them home.
"I feel like I fell down a thousand cliffs." Alyva was sore and bruised. Teacher wasn't kidding about showing no mercy, he didn't bother warming them up.
"And we have two more classes." Joan groaned. The forth class wasn't free, but Teacher/Master was offering a deal for the remainder six weeks. "You still going to work tomorrow?" Joan was dead tired, she was glad for her day off in the morning.
"I have no choice. I spent most of my money for winter clothes and wood." Winter was around the corner, Alyva and the other tenants pitched in for the household expenses. "I have no choice but to work." All Alyva wanted to do was to sleep, she had a early shift in the morning. "Want to sleep over?" Joan lived in the other side of town. She moved out from here when she got a raise from her job.
"Mm hmm." They were thankfully close to the rooming house. "Would your landlords mind?"
"Just leave before they wake up, or wait till they leave for the day. Usually after breakfast. Otherwise you must pay for the night." Joan was broke herself.
Alyva was desperately trying not to yawn, all day she had customers. Her boss and herself just put out their winter stock, they sold out before the day ended.
"Have a pleasant afternoon." She yawned. She almost missed nights, she would be deep asleep by now. She quickly shuts her mouth seeing her boss' frown.
'Finally.' She thanked the last customer and locked the door. She had to clean up and set up the display for tomorrow's shift before she left for the day.
"Alyva."
"Yes sir?'' Alyva was picking up some clothes a customer dropped on the floor.
"Keep the yawning to a minimum, we run a respectable business."
"Yes sir." Whoops. She must be more tired than she thought. She quickly cleans and tidies up. Once she was done, she waves goodbye as she and the owner part ways. Seeing a snowflake, she was grateful she was wearing her new winter clothes.
"I can't believe we came back." It was the forth day, both paid the remaining fees for the second week. The first three days were tiring, but both felt themselves getting stronger.
"No way am I'm missing this. I paid good money." There was a special, classes were half off. But for both Alyva and Joan, it was money well spent. "Thank goodness we're indoors." There was a major snowstorm brewing outside. "Wonder what today's class is?" The first three classes were mostly self defence and breathing exercises, Teacher expressed that proper breathing was important for fighting. Both straightened when he walked in. He never bothered to take off his winter gear, both women guessed he just arrived.
"Welcome back." He bowed his head, both women bowing back. "Tonight's lesson is about fighting in odd weather! Don't bother putting on your outdoor clothes! You must prepare for the unexpected!"
"What?!" Oh no. When he opened the doors, their hearts sank.
"War doesn't care about weather! You must be trained against all the elements! Follow me! I prepared a course for you!''
"Is he kidding? It's freezing!" The storm was getting worse. Joan jumped when he points at her.
"No I am not kidding." He waves them out. "Trust me, you'll be grateful."
"Ugh." Alyva looked at the clock, it was only ten.
"Come!" He ordered.
The two women trained hard. For six weeks they trained for any self defense and weapons training. Alyva worked with a bow, she didn't want to hurt her hands, while her friend Joan trained with a sword. When the six weeks ended, they were presented with a small ceremony.
Both women were standing rigid with their fists sticking out of their hips, both were waiting for Teacher to give them their belts.
"Seamstress. Maid." Teacher knew their names, but preferred to call them by their professions. "You did well. Most students quit after the first week." His expression was hard to tell with his thick hair and moustache, but he was smiling. "Despite the weather and sickness, you never quit." Both women got sick after the snowstorm, but still showed up for training. He stands in the front holding their belts. "I am happy to say you are graduates." He handed them each a coloured belt. "This is only the beginning, if you want to continue, there is a school down in the south. It is hard, very hard, but even if you don't graduate, you done more than the lazy louts they hire as the town's guards." He goes first to Joan.
"You come from a long line of warriors. Your blood, it was long forgotten over time. The ones that came before you, they were brave and respected."
"Really?" Joan grew up poor, raised by her single mother, she knew nothing about her mother's past.
"Your swordsmanship, it is hidden deep inside you, waiting to awaken." Joan looked stunned. "The geruldos weren't the only female warriors."
"What about me Teacher." Alyva was dying to know about her own bloodline.
Teacher walked close to her and looked deep in her eyes. Thankfully he bathed that day.
"Hmm." He pulled away. "You are just of ordinary blood. There's nothing special about you."
"Excuse me?" Joan was furious on Alyva's behalf. She saw tears forming in her eyes.
"I don't lie or sugarcoat the truth." Teacher hands Alyva the belt. "There's nothing special about you. However, I see potential." He turned around, his back away from Alyva and Joan. "You want to be a warrior, you must be prepared to work hard. You both did well, you are both ready for the next level of training." He sits back down. "I cannot teach you anymore, what you decide next is up to you."
"Ouch." Noar eats up the last piece of toast. So much for the legend. "Wonder if Joan was the hero of the desert, and Alyva just came along for the ride." Burp. She turned the page.
Alyva couldn't help but fall in a deep depression. She worked her ass off in that class, but Joan came out on top. She stared enviously at Joan talking to the Sheikah Guard.
'She's most likely get recruited by the geruldo.' She sighed. She was too ashamed to wear her belt, it was collecting dust in her closet. Hearing the door bell to the shop ringing, she forced herself to smile at the next customer who walked in.
She went back to her ordinary life, her friend went south for training. The time she spent alone, she discovered her true talents.
"There!" Alyva looks admirably at her project. "What should I call these." Her boots were made out of metal and leather. Very heavy, she had a very hard time walking in them. But she wanted to see if they could be used as a weight for strong winds. The mountain tops were dangerous in spring.
"Alyva! You have a letter!"
"Coming!" Alyva sets her boots down, she wondered who was writing to her. When she got downstairs, she smiled seeing the return address. "Thanks Eva." She takes the letter and opens it.
Alyva. Goddess I miss you. I just finished my training, it's a lot harder than it looks! Every course I did, I passed. I rode horses, trained with arrows, especially on horseback, and even walked through the desert! Did you know Teacher works part time as a salesman? He sells bombchus! On a flying carpet no less! I miss you so much. I only been here for a few weeks, and already am working hard. Guess what, tomorrow I'm going diving. Baran, she's a gate guard, she is teaching me how to swim, and to DIVE! Yeah, you read that right. Over the falls from a very high cliff hundreds of feet up.
"Thank goddess I dropped out." Alyva was terrified of heights. "I sure dodged a arrow." She continued reading.
That is only level one. There is more levels, the last one is inside the fortress. The geruldo keep a tight lip, they won't tell me what's inside. I'll write to you soon. Love ya!
"I miss you too." Alyva was alone in the city, other than Burchard, she didn't bother making any other friends. She held the letter in front of her chest. Hearing the town clock, Alyva goes to get supper ready, it was her turn to cook.
The boots she made, they were only a prototype. She didn't just train as a actress, singer, warrior, or seamstress. According to Burchard, she became a freelancer. Her next job, she travelled to Hyrule Lake.
Noar puts the diary under her pillow just as her mom walked in.
"Sorry I took so long." She picks up her dirty dishes. "Let me check your head."
"Mom I feel fine." Every cold, her mom goes overboard checking up on her. "It's just a tiny bug." Ever since her father's death, her mom became overprotective of her.
"That's what your father said. Next thing I knew we were at his funeral." She checks Noar's forehead. "Better. If you're feeling better, come down for supper. It will be just us, our guests will be out for the evening."
Noar perked up, that meant she had time to finish the diary. She waited till her mother left, she wanted to read some more. But first, she needed to use the bathroom.