The Songbird
by Eon
chapter 1 - The Beginning
Things were bad enough. But it all had to come down to this. Link
sighed. Ever since his Grandfather and the six Sages had sealed
Ganondorf away in the Sacred Realm, everyone thought all was
safe. But Link knew they were wrong.
15-year-old Link sat in the Courtyard with his Grandfather.
Grandfather Link was playing the Ocarina. Link sighed. He didn't
want to learn the Ocarina. He wanted to learn the harp.
"Link." A voice called. Both of them looked up.
"Not you Grandfather." Rhiannon said.
Rhiannon was Link's sister. Her long blonde hair hung all the way
to her ankles, almost as long as her skirt was.
"No one wants me anymore." Their Grandfather said, but he was
smiling so they knew he was joking.
"What's the matter, Sis?" Link asked, standing up and kissing his
sister's cheek
"Cara wants you. You need to be ready for court supper tonight."
Rhiannon replied.
"They want me to choose who I'm to marry tonight, don't they."
Link sighed.
"I fear so, Brother. But I am happily married, so I'm sure you
will be too." Rhiannon said. Rhiannon was 23 years old.
"No way!" Link exclaimed.
"You can't wait around forever, Link." Rhiannon said. She turned
and walked
out of the Courtyard. Link sighed and sat down.
"You know my boy, it didn't used to be this way." Grandfather
said.
"I know Grandfather. You've told me. I'd better go now." Link
said.
Link stood again and walked out of the courtyard. He walked
slowly barely lifting his feet. Cara would be angry with him, but
he didn't care.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sora sat, playing her harp on top of the gate near Hyrule Castle.
She wanted to watch the sunset from here. It was her favorite
spot. Below her, court ladies were arriving to meet Prince Link.
Sora smiled.
Boys were a waste of time, according to her. Though she was
curious about his Majesty. She was curious about everything.
"I hear he's very handsome." A voice below her said.
"Mm&ldots;do you hear the haunting music?" Another voice asked.
"Yes. It's quite lovely." The first one said.
Sora smiled. She, of all things, wished to play her harp for
people. The guard lets her sit on the gate, just to hear her
music.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Link tried to smile. Many of the ladies here were beautiful. But
he just couldn't be happy. He wanted to die.
"Lady Oliana." Was announced. Oliana was fair skinned with green
eyes and long black hair.
"Lady Danika." Danika had blue eyes and long blonde hair.
"Lady Talia." Brown hair and blue eyes.
Boring, Link thought. All these girls are boring. They weren't
adventurous or interesting. And Link doubted any of them could
play the harp.
"That music was absolutely beautiful." Oliana was saying.
"Yes it was quite lovely. Did you hear it Talia?" Danika asked.
"Why, yes. It was delightful." Talia replied.
Music? Link edged closer to the three girls. He tried to hear
more of the conversation without them noticing him. Fat chance!
"Why, Link!" Oliana exclaimed. "What brings you over here?"
"I was um&ldots;I heard you talking about some strange music."
Link stuttered.
"Oh yes. When you walk under the castle gate this most haunting
music- oof!"
Oliana elbowed Talia in the ribs.
"Would you like to dance?" Oliana asked.
"Oh no thank you." Talia said.
"Not you!" Oliana snapped and then turned and smiled at Link.
"Um&ldots;I think I hear Cara, my nursemaid calling me." Link
said. He turned and tried not to run out of the ballroom.
Link did start to run when he was finally out of the castle. He
ran all the way to the castle gate before stopping and leaning up
against it to catch his breath. The haunting music stopped at
once. A dirt-smudged face and a tangle of blue striped gold hair
peered over the edge of the gate.
"Are you okay?" asked a soft melodious voice, much like a
songbird's.
"Yeah. Just had to escape." Link replied. The girl laughed.
"Oh I'm sure. The fine court ladies too much for ya, eh?" The
girl asked. She entered the small room that led down from the
gate, opened the door and stood leaning against the doorway. It
was then that Link noticed a harp in her hands.
"You play?" Link asked, indicating the harp.
"Yeah." The girls said.
"Cool. I'm Link. What's your name?" Link asked.
"The Prince huh? Well then Majesty, I'm Sora." Sora replied. Link
laughed.
"No please. Call me Link." Link said.
"Whatever you say, Highness&ldots;um Link." Sora said.
Link looked Sora over. She was fairly tall, almost the same
height as him. Her hair was streaked with blue and hung only down
to below her chin. She wore Kokirish clothing, although her
clothes were red. Her eyes were purple.
"You sure are&ldots;interesting for a Hylian." Link said.
"Is that a complement? Actually, I'm part Sheikah." Sora smiled.
Link now noticed that her clothes weren't quite that Kokirish.
There was the Sheikah symbol, the eye in white on her shirt. Her
pants were baggy and her boots came up to her knees.
"Really? Well, that explains the harp." Link said.
"Mm&ldots;I heard a rumor that the Prince of Hyrule would like to
learn to play the harp." Sora said.
"Yeah." Link blushed.
"Maybe I could teach you. I've got lots of free time." Sora
offered.
"Really?" Link's blue eyes lit up.
"Sure. If your parents allow it." Sora said.
"I'm sure they will! Thank you very much!" Link exclaimed. He ran
to go tell his parents.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Link! There you are!" Lady Oliana stepped in front of Link as he
rushed to get to his parents.
"Oh hey Oliana." Link said.
"Come now! Aren't you gonna give the prettiest lady here a
dance?" Oliana asked.
"I would. But my mother is occupied right now." Link replied.
Oliana winced at the subtle insult.
"That's so sweet. Well then, would you settle for the second
prettiest lady here?" Oliana smiled.
"My sister is married." Link said.
"Well!" Oliana huffed and stomped away.
"Link!" Cara stood, arms folded across her chest.
"Sorry Cara. I just&ldots;I'm only 15!" Link said.
"I know. Go to sleep then Link. You need your rest." Cara sighed.
Link walked off to go to bed. He hated being Prince of Hyrule.
All he wanted was to be free of his responsibilities.
Like&ldots;like Sora. Link grabbed a bag and started putting
clothes it in. He had to get away from here. Even if it meant
sneaking out and possibly getting in trouble. He rarely ever got
to go out of the castle. Link rummaged through a chest and pulled
out his bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a sword. He also pulled
out a hooded cloak.
Link finished packing. Now he was angry, angry with his parents
for making him choose whom he'd marry, angry with Cara for trying
to make him choose too. Link walked out of his room and stomped
down the hall. It wasn't long before he ran into Lady Oliana.
"Link! Funny meeting you here." Oliana said.
"Yeah. I was just&ldots;going for a midnight walk." Link lied.
"With all that stuff?" Oliana asked, motioning with her hand.
"Um&ldots;yeah. Midnight walks are tiring." Link replied. Oliana
had backed him against the wall. She looked up at him through her
long, thick eyelashes, eyes filled with awe and admiring.
"Really? Maybe you need someone to go with you." Oliana said.
"No. I don't. Now I really must be going." Link said. He pushed
Oliana away and started down the hall.
Link turned the corner quickly. He opened a secret passage in
the wall the led down to the stables. When Oliana turned the
corner, he was gone. She sighed and stamped back to the ballroom.
Link walked down a large flight of stairs. He opened a door in
the wall of the castle and came out near the stables. He walked
into the stable and down to his horse's stall. His horse was a
tall, golden mare. She had a mane and tail like the clouds. She
was a good height, perfect for Link and absolutely beautiful.
"Hey there Goldmoon." Link said, reaching up to pet her nose.
"We're going on a little adventure."
Link pulled out a saddle and put it on Goldmoon's back. He
fumbled a bit with the bits of leather of the bridle and sighed.
When he finally had Goldmoon all tacked up; he led her out of the
stable and towards a large rock he used for mounting. Link
squeezed his legs against Goldmoon's sides and she took off at a
walk. Link pulled his hood down over his face and prayed no one
would recognize Goldmoon. There were many golden horses in the
stables.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sora sat perched on the castle gate, playing her harp softly.
She rarely slept on such beautiful nights as these. A rider on a
golden horse approached the gate. The guard looked at him a
moment, then let him pass. Curious, Sora stood and walked off the
gate. She slipped down the bit of ivy on the wall and sat, in the
shadows watching as the stranger walked his horse past her.
Sora ran ahead towards Hyrule Castle Market Town. One thing she
loved to do at these parties was find some one suspicious looking
and follow them. This one would be whom she followed this time.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Link was relieved that the guard at the drawbridge had let him
pass. The drawbridge was kept down on these occasions, but still
Link was worried. He rode Goldmoon out onto Hyrule field. The
moon was high in the sky. Link sighed and began to hum that
strange melody Sora had been playing. It was peaceful and
calming.
Suddenly Goldmoon became uneasy. She shied nervously to one
side. Link tried to calm her as best he could, but something was
obviously frightening her. Then Link noticed a rider on a black
horse galloping towards them.
The rider held a sword above his head. A hood covered his face.
Link fumbled to get his sword out, but he couldn't. He turned
Goldmoon and tried to escape.
chapter 2 - Stranger in Kakariko
The rider kept getting closer and closer. Link knew Goldmoon
could only go so fast. There had to be some way to stop this
crazy rider. There must be some way to escape.
The rider and his horse moved up beside Link and Goldmoon. The
rider latched his foot around the back of Link's foot and used it
to send Link flying from Goldmoon's saddle. Link didn't have a
chance to get up because the rider jumped off his horse and on
top of him.
The rider's hood had fallen back. Tangled, blue streaked golden
hair hung in the rider's face and purple eyes glowed in the
darkness.
"Well lookie what we have here. It's the Prince of Hyrule." Sora
said.
"Sora? What're you doing here?" Link asked.
"I could ask you the same question. In fact I will." Sora said,
sitting up."
What brings you out here, Prince Link?"
"I had to get away from there. I'm not going back ever. And don't
call me Prince Link!" Link snapped.
"Whatever ya say, Highness." Sora said. Link sighed.
Link stood, brushing himself off. Sora had jumped smoothly back
into her horse's saddle. Link wondered how her was gonna get back
on Goldmoon. He sighed and tried to struggle into the saddle.
Sora laughed at him as he fell and landed on his butt in the
dirt. Link sighed and finally managed to climb into the saddle.
"So, where ya going to, Highness?" Sora asked.
"I don't see how that's any of your business." Link replied.
"Your just sour 'cause me and Stalker here were able to ride you
down." Sora commented, grinning merrily.
"Stalker, huh?" Link grumbled. "Sounds like the perfect name for
yourself."
"Hey this world is full of fun! And I intend to do it all!" Sora
exclaimed.
"I'm riding to Karkariko Village. Wanna come?"
"Karkariko? Well, I guess." Link said uncertainly.
"Don't come if you don't want to. You ain't doing me any favors."
Sora muttered.
Sora urged Stalker into a trot. He had long strides and Link had
to canter Goldmoon just to keep up. Sora's obviously wasn't in
any rush to get anywhere, because she sat back lazily in the
saddle. They trotted over the bridge slowly, with Link and
Goldmoon right on their heels. Sora didn't say anything until she
reached the steps of Karkariko Village.
"Well, you can follow me, or go it alone." Sora said.
"You'd really just leave me?" Link asked.
"In a second." Sora replied.
Link sighed. Having no responsibilities must make you mean. But
could it really be worse then Lady Oliana? Link truly doubted
that. At least he was away now. He didn't have to be around them.
Didn't have to watch them trying to impress him. Didn't have to
listen to their whiny voices.
This Karkariko place couldn't be all bad. It had become very
big, almost bigger then Hyrule Castle Market Town, from what he'd
heard. He heard that the Town had grown fairly prosperous in the
time when Grandfather Link had been trying to find the six sages.
And even though he had been sent back in time and hardly anybody
remembered, he'd still saved Hyrule.
Karkariko was a big. That was the first thing Link noticed. There
were a lot of people wandering around. Aside from a potion shop,
a weapons shop, and shooting range, and a windmill, there was a
well, many houses, Link guessed more then had been here when
Grandfather had Saved Hyrule.
The center of the town was now a market, much like that in
Hyrule Castle Town. The houses were many and tightly packed
together. A few cuccos, some horses and a scattered cow or two
could be heard. Link hadn't even realized that morning had come.
It had been such a long night. Then, Sora finally spoke.
"Overwhelmed?" Sora asked.
"A little." Link replied.
Sora just nodded. She was looking around, as if she might find
a lost sibling. What Link knew was the Skulltula house, was off
to one side. His grandfather had also saved the Family Skulltula
from a dreaded curse. Link sighed. He wanted to do things like
his Grandfather had. But what could he do? He was just a
15-year-old runaway prince. Princes didn't do heroic things. They
stayed at the castle, got married, and eventually took the
thrown.
Link walked along beside Sora, deep in thought. Sora picked up
two apples from a stand, tossed the stand owner some rupees and
handed Link one of the apples. He gladly accepted it, because he
was starved. He took a bite.
"Wow! What kind of apples are these?" Link asked.
"They're from another country. I'm not sure which though." Sora
said absently.
Link sighed. Another country, huh? It would be fun to go to
another country. Maybe since he wouldn't be a prince in another
country, he could be a hero. But still, where would he get the
money to go to another country? And he didn't know how to protect
himself very well. Sure, he could fight with a sword and use a
bow and arrow. But he'd never learned hand to hand combat. So he
really couldn't defend himself too well.
Link looked over the stands in the market place. There was
hooded figure standing by one of the stands. Link watched the
figure for awhile. It seemed strange&ldots;someone just standing
there like that. Then Sora grabbed his wrist and led him off in a
different direction.
Sora led him to a part of Karkariko that was from the old city.
It was a narrow path, near the windmill. Sora had dropped his
wrist and was walking along, eyes watching the sky. Link didn't
bother asking where they were going. And Sora looked as though
she was in no mood to tell him either.
At the end of the path was a graveyard. It was bigger then it
must've been years ago. There was a little boy playing among the
graves. Link looked around. In the back of the graveyard was what
he guessed was the Shadow Temple. Impa was the sage of the Shadow
Temple. Link didn't know Impa but Cara was her niece.
"What did we come here for?" Link asked.
"I thought you might like to see. There's some interesting people
buried here." Sora replied.
Link walked around, looking at the graves. He knew a lot of
Sheikah were buried here. One grave belonged to Dampé the
Gravedigger. Another five graves belonged to the carpenters who'd
helped build the town. One huge grave in the back, near the
Shadow Temple, belonged to the members of the royal family. Link
shivered, thinking how awful it would be to be buried down there
with all those other people.
One row of graves was children. A lot of small children had
been killed in the years of Ganondorf's reign. Link thought it
was sad that children had to die for no reason whatsoever. He
looked over the graves. He noticed that one belonged to a Kokiri.
That made him even sadder, because the Kokiri had raised his
Grandfather.
Link noticed Sora motioning to him for them to leave. Link
followed her slowly out of the graveyard and back towards the
loud, busy town. He could hear some sort of commotion coming from
the market. Sora frowned and picked up a run. Link ran behind
her. They reached the market to see a large crowd gathered around
one of the stands.
"She's a thief!" Someone cried. "I saw her steal with my own
eyes!"
There was a scared looking girl standing in the middle of the
crowd. She had long, raven black hair and dark blue eyes. She
looked very frightened by all the commotion. Sora just stood,
arms crossed, watching the whole scene. Link wondered why she
didn't do anything to help the poor girl.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Link shouted.
"She stole some of my apples!" An old, ugly looking woman said.
"I did not!" The girl cried.
"Yes you did, girly!" The woman said, glaring at her.
"If she says she didn't do it, then she didn't do it!" Link
exclaimed.
"You stay out of this, boy! You should learn to respect your
elders." The old hag said, poking him with her cane.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Laverne." An old man spoke up.
"That there be his majesty, the Prince of Hyrule."
The old woman turned to stare at Link. Even with his hair
slightly tousled and his cheeks a bit flushed, he still looked
like the prince. The old woman stumbled backward, trying to
curtsey. The girl giggled and Sora grinned.
"My&ldots;most h-humble apologies, Your Highness." The old woman
said.
"Just leave the girl alone." Link said.
The crowd backed off. Sora glared at a few onlookers and they
immediately moved away. Link turned to the girl. She was staring
down at the ground shyly. Her hair fell over her face, but even
Link could see how beautiful she was. Link looked down at her,
trying to get her to loosen up a bit. Sora finally spat and
nudged the girl.
"Don't be shy." Sora said. "He's no prince. He's a scoundrel."
"Sora, I think your making matters worse." Link warned.
"Oh no, I mean, I didn't mean to disturb you Your Majesty." The
girl said.
"You didn't disturb me at all." Link smiled. "And please, call me
Link."
"And I'm Sora. What's your name?" Sora asked.
"Faylore." The girl replied.
Sora frowned. The name sounded like Fae Lore. Sora knew a lot
of Fae Lore. The Fae were supposed to be a magical race of Hyrule
that was hidden away. They were supposed to be dark and evil. And
very beautiful as well. It was said though that the Fae had red
hair and striking purple eyes. Sora had always wondered if she
might be Fae. She only assumed she was part Sheikah because
Sheikahs raised her and that's what they had told her.
Well this girl, according to lore, couldn't be Fae. But that
didn't make Sora feel any better. She felt something&ldots;in the
air. Something she had felt before. It was a feeling that made
her sick to her stomach. She couldn't really describe it except
to say, it felt unsafe. Then she looked at Link and Faylore and
was snapped out of her thoughts. They were staring at each other
quite obviously. Sora sighed and waved a hand in front of Link's
face. He pushed her hand away.
Sora sighed again. This was going to take some work. She would
have to pry Link away from this girl. But then, why do that? It
was a way to get the boy off her back. Sure, she had promised him
harp lessons. And she said he could come with her. But she really
hated company, except for her animals. And she really didn't want
to drag around a spoiled Prince.
"Link. Earth to Link." Sora said.
"What?" Link snapped. Then he blushed.
"If you want to come with me, we'd better be on our way. I wanna
make it to Goron City some time this year." Sora crossed her arms
and glared at him.
"Oh I'm going up to Goron City! May I come with you?" Faylore
asked.
"Sure!" Link said before Sora could even get her mouth opened.
Sora groaned inwardly. Now she had two tagalongs. Even worse,
they obviously liked each other. Sora did not want lovebirds
following her. She knew all about romance; she'd certainly seen
enough of it. If Link says one line of bad poetry, Sora thought,
I'll throw him off the mountain. She smiled at this thought. It
was kind of funny. And having some human company might be nice.
After all with all with all the animals she talked to, she was
wondering if she was going crazy.
"Well let's get going then!" Sora exclaimed.
Sora turned and headed for Death Mountain Trail. Link offered
Faylore his arm and she blushed. Link blushed too. Oh gag me with
a bombchu! Sora thought. The people who raised her had always
said if she rolled her eyes too much, they would get stuck that
way. Sora sure hoped that wasn't true because she had a feeling
she would be rolling her eyes a lot on this journey.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"The sky is beautiful." Faylore murmured.
"So are you." Link said. They both blushed.
Up ahead, Sora began to sing softly under her breath. It
sounded to her friends that she was just singing a normal song.
But she wasn't. Instead she was singing of throwing Link off the
mountain and if Faylore started to cry, throwing her too. The
tune lifted her spirits and she added a beat to it. She changed
the lyrics to a song she knew about Gorons and marched along.
Behind her, Link and Faylore began to sing along. Sora was
amazed by Link's voice. It was like gold! Faylore didn't sound as
good but they still sounded good together. The Goron song was not
meant to be sung in three-part harmony but it sounded right to
Sora. She sang a little louder and soon, Link and Faylore were
marching beside her. They all sang at the top of their lungs.
When the finally stopped singing, they were laughing.
Sora held her stomach and slid almost all they way to the
ground. Link leaned up against a boulder laughing and Faylore was
trying hard not to look silly and failing. The song was very
funny and one of Sora's favorites. She suddenly couldn't stop
laughing though. The song wasn't that funny but for some reason
she was having a laughing fit, and so were Link and Faylore. Sora
landed in the dirt and Link was down on his knees. Faylore was up
against the wall, laughing even harder then Sora. Tears slid down
her cheeks and she fell forward. She put a hand out to keep from
falling in the dirt.
Sora wondered if they could indeed stop laughing. It wasn't
just the song, but the way it had been sung, marching up Death
Mountain Trail, singing loudly on their way to see Gorons. It was
odd, how they were suddenly getting along. But then, music
brought everyone together didn't it? It made even the snottiest
court ladies calm and elegant like they should be. Then Sora
began to laugh harder at the thought of Lady Oliana getting along
with anyone.
Faylore was the first one to stop laughing. She stood and
straightened her dress. Link stood up, still laughing a bit. Sora
had stopped laughing but she couldn't get up. Her ribs ached and
her muscles felt like jelly. Link finally had to lift her to her
feet and she leaned against the mountain wall to keep from
falling.
"I believe&ldots;I think we&ldots;we're finally&ldots;getting
along." Sora gasped.
"It's the music." Faylore said.
"Music is the remedy for every ail." Sora whispered.
Sora stared ahead. Music was her whole life. The beauty of it,
it was just so amazing. She loved to just play for hours on end
if she could. Her eyes sparkled at the idea of playing for a very
long time and maybe even having an audience.
"Come on you two. We need to get to Goron City." Link said.
"Goron City, ahoy!" Sora joked.
"We aren't on the ocean Sora. We are on a mountain." Faylore
said. "If you think we are on the ocean, you must have been into
those funny mushrooms in the Lost Woods."
Sora turned to look at Faylore. Was the girl trying to be
funny? If she was, she wasn't succeeding. Sora sighed and glanced
down the rocky mountain ledge. The rocks were sharp&ldots;ever so
sharp. Were they as sharp as the blades that had killed her
parents? She wondered.
"Isn't that Goron City?" Link asked.
"Yeah." Sora replied. "What happened!?"
They weren't inside the city, but they could see smoke flowing
from the gate. Sora, Faylore and Link all ran over to the gate.
Sora went in first, followed by Link protecting Faylore. Sora
went slowly as possible, afraid of what might be wreaking havoc
on the poor, relatively defenseless, Gorons. Sora stopped dead in
her track and Link slammed into her. There, down in the middle of
the city, the Gorons were crowded. They were kept there by a pack
of Dodongos.
chapter three: Flight from Death Mountain
Sora's eyes went wide at the sight. There had to be at least 20 Dodongos
here! She looked behind her. Link was holding his sword up, ready to fight.
Faylore had out a small dagger, but her face was pale and she looked very
scared. Sora was scared herself. She didn't have anything to fight with. It
had never occurred to her that her life might someday be in any kind of
danger. But now it was and she was unprepared.
Link stood behind Sora and slightly to her left. He was contemplating on
how to get past all the Dodongos. Or not really get past them, as to defeat
them. Then Sora shifted slightly to one side, so Link could see past her.
There was a pack of Lizalfos as guards.
"How do we get past all these monsters?" Faylore asked.
"We don't." Sora replied. "We have to defeat them."
"But how!?" Faylore exclaimed.
"Quiet!" Sora hissed "Do you want them to hear us?"
It was too late. One of the Lizalfos turned and spotted them. It screeched
at them and it's guard pals turned around. They pulled out their short
sword and charged at Sora, Link and Faylore. "Scatter!" Sora yelled. They
all went in different directions, Link went right, Faylore went left, and
Sora jumped down the next level. The Dodongos looked up. One opened its
mouth. Sora jumped out of the way just in time.
A Lizalfos jumped down beside her. It charged at her, holding it's short
sword above its head. Sora looked around for some kind of defense. There
was none. The Lizalfos kept coming at her. Sora decided to try and fight it
hand- to-hand and got a slash across the ribs as a reward. Sora stumbled
backward, her hand on her ribs. She could feel warm, sticky blood gush over
her fingers. She looked up from her wound to see the Lizalfos about to
attack. It jumped at her, bringing its sword down in an arc.
Sora dropped to the ground and tumbled out of the way. She tumbled off the
ledge and fell to the floor below. She landed on her back. Sora cried out
as pain shot through her spine and legs. Everything felt numb for a moment.
Then the feeling subsided. Nothing felt broken, just painful. Sora
staggered to her feet and found herself face to face with a small pack of
Lizalfos.
Link wasn't doing so well either. He was back into a corner, slashing
clumsily at Lizalfos with his sword. He'd killed five already and they just
seemed to keep coming. He slashed at the next one then put up his shield to
block its returning blow. The Lizalfos screeched at him angrily and he
stumbled backwards, tripping over a bomb flower he hadn't noticed.
Link yanked at the bomb flower, trying to pull it up. It was impossible.
The Lizalfos slashed at his arm. Searing pain ran down his arm to his
fingertips and he dropped his sword. All he had left was his shield. And of
course, a bomb flower that wouldn't come out of the ground! Link rolled out
of the way as a Lizalfos brought down his sword to slice him in two. He got
a few bruises from stones on the ground.
Finally Link managed to drag himself to his feet. He lifted his shield,
warding off the next blow. He was so close to the edge that he might fall
off. He could see Sora down below. She was stumbling clumsily through a
fight, using only her hands against the Lizalfos sword. Link glanced at the
Lizalfos. He wasn't having a lot of luck up here. With a sigh, Link let
himself fall off the ledge. The carcasses of Lizalfos he had killed
cushioned his impact. "Link!" Sora cried. "Help!"
Link jumped up. He bashed a Lizalfos across the head with his shield.
Another pack of Lizalfos rained down from the above levels. Below was the
Dodongos. Above more Lizalfos. It looked like they were out of choices. If
they went up, they'd eventually be killed by Lizalfos. If they went down,
they'd be toasted.
Link glanced down at the Dodongos. It was suicide really. But what choice
did they have? At least the Dodongos didn't carry swords. And they couldn't
run very fast. Sora was wounded and she wouldn't be able to run from
Lizalfos for long. And where was Faylore? Link hadn't seen her since the
fight had begun. He hoped she was okay.
"Link!" A familiar voice called.
"Faylore!" Link called back. She was out on the platform in the middle of
Goron City. The Lizalfos couldn't make it out there, so they had stopped
bothering. Faylore couldn't stay up there forever. Link frowned, looking
about for some way to get her down.
He eyed the ropes tied to the platform. If one was cut, the platform might
not be too stable. But it was the only way. Link picked up his sword and
aimed for the rope. Suddenly, Sora took the sword and slung it at the rope.
It sliced through easily. Faylore screamed and hung on as the platform
tilted to one side.
"If you missed, no more chances." Sora explained.
"Yeah. Thanks." Link said. "Who's gonna climb?"
"I can get up there, but I won't be able to get her back down." Sora
replied. "You have to do it."
Link nodded. His arm didn't hurt so much. And Sora was right. She wouldn't
be able to get Faylore down. She didn't have the strength. Link grabbed the
rope and started up, hand over hand. It was a long climb. The Lizalfos
squawked angrily and threw their swords at the rope. They missed, since
they weren't very smart.
Sora dodged a few flying swords. The Lizalfos were beginning to jump down.
They seemed intent on killing her, no matter what the cost. They were
raring to fight. Well then, if that's what they want, Sora thought, that's
what they'll get. She picked up two swords and swung them around, grinning
almost insanely. A Lizalfos started to charge at her. "Come and get me, big
boy!" Sora quipped.
Sora moved out of the way and the Lizalfos smacked into the wall. Sora
stabbed it in the back and it fell, blood gushing from the wound. The next
one ran forward, sword raised. Sora intercepted the blow with one of her
own. She pushed and the Lizalfos flew back into the rest of the pack,
knocking them down. Sora smiled smugly, extremely pleased with herself.
Link continued struggling up the rope. Faylore was at the top, hanging on
tightly and trying hard not to scream. When she saw Link she looked very
relieved. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Link reached the
top. Faylore stared at him, her dark blue eyes wide in terror. She didn't
want to come down and she sure made it known.
"Please Faylore. I'm not going to leave you." Link said.
"I'm scared." Faylore whimpered.
"I won't let you fall." Link said solemnly. "I promise."
Faylore shimmied down the side of the platform. She slid behind Link,
wrapping her arms around him tightly. Link took a deep breath and started
down the rope again. He hung on tight. Every few inches or so he would slip
a bit and his hands suffered immensely. They were cut and bleeding by the
time his feet touched the ground. Faylore loosened her grip a bit but she
didn't let go. Link didn't mind at all. As a matter of fact, he could
barely feel the pain in his hands.
Sora was smoothly fending off some Lizalfos. She didn't have much skill,
but she had common sense and brains. That was something Lizalfos lacked.
She dodged most of their blows easily; though she had numerous cuts and
bruises. When she saw Link and Faylore, she rolled her eyes. Link managed
to wiggle out of Faylore's grasp and get a sword. Sora handed Faylore a
sword and turned to look at the lower level.
Down there were Dodongos. They had to get past them to free the Gorons. But
all they had were short swords against big Dodongos. With a shrug and a
final sigh, Sora jumped down to the next level. Link, holding Faylore's
hand, followed. Sora landed neatly on her feet, though the landing jarred
her bones. Faylore fell and Link quickly dragged her to her feet. A few of
the lumbering Dodongos turned toward them. Without making a noise or even a
gesture of recognition that people were there, they opened their mouths and
prepared to breathe fire at the three kids standing in the middle of them.
Sora jumped to one side and Link and Faylore went to the other side. Fire
streamed from the Dodongos mouths, charring the wall where Sora, Link and
Faylore had once stood. Sora grimaced, feeling very glad she had moved and
slightly more determined to get passed the Dodongos then before. She
glanced at Link and Faylore. Faylore was pale and Link stared at the wall.
Sora frowned, trying to make enough time to think up a plan.
The Dodongos, one by one, began to turn away from the Gorons and towards
their visitors. Obviously the Lizalfos were afraid to go down to the
Dodongos' level and stayed on the next floor up, screeching and howling.
They just figured the Dodongos would finish the kids off and they could go
back to guarding. After they call for reinforcements, Sora thought, smiling
humorlessly, or at least until they get a few more guards. Most of them are
dead.
Her moment of thought cost her more then she could've imagined. She turned
to see a Dodongo about to fry her alive. Then she felt something slam into
her, knocking her to the ground. She struggled until she was starring up at
Link. Sora sighed, then felt suddenly angry, like she might punch Link.
"Get off!" Sora exclaimed.
"Are you okay?" Link asked, ignoring her.
"I'm fine." Sora said through grit teeth. "Now let me up!"
Link stood and pulled Sora to her feet. Sora jerked her hand away from Link
and stumbled back into the wall. It was charred and it crumbled beneath her
weight. Sora jumped out of the way just in time as the wall collapsed
inward.
"That was close!" Link said.
"Sure was." Sora agreed.
"Where's Faylore?" Link asked, suddenly worried.
Sora glanced around quickly. She spotted Faylore cowering in the shadow of
an overhang, keeping silent as possible. The Dodongos' attention was mostly
on Link and Sora anyway. Link glanced over at the bomb flowers. Maybe he
and Sora could pull one up together. He glanced at Sora. But she already
had something else up her sleeve.
Sora motioned to Link to follow her. She moved into the shadows of an
overhang. Link wondered if Goron City had been smaller and different when
his Grandfather had been helping to defeat Ganondorf. Most likely it had.
Now he watched from behind Sora. He followed her intent gaze, to see it was
resting on the stairs near them. That only led up to the Lizalfos. Was she
planning to escape? Link refused to leave without Faylore.
Sora turned and nodded to Link. Then she waited a moment before bolting for
the stairs. Link followed uncertainly. Sora bounded up the stairs with Link
close on her heels. Now Link heard Faylore scream. He stopped to go help
her, but Sora grabbed his wrist and dragged him up the stairs with her.
"Sora! We have to help her!" Link yelled over din. The Lizalfos were making
so much noise, Link could barely hear himself thinking.
"We will!" Sora hissed. "Just trust me!"
"But-but we have to save her!" Link stammered. Sora stopped in her tracks.
She turned, hands on hips and glared at Link.
"Either you listen to me, or you go down there and get the both of you
killed!" Sora shouted. "I know what I'm doing!"
With that, Sora turned and stomped up the stairs. Link followed
reluctantly, unsure if he could trust her. He wanted to go back to save
Faylore. He had no idea what Sora was planning and going back for Faylore
sounded like a much better plan to him.
The Lizalfos screeching grew louder when the saw the two running up the
stairs. Sora charged at the nearest Lizalfos, throwing her whole body
weight up against it. It flew over the ledge. Sora stumbled and nearly fell
herself, but managed to keep her balance. Then she started for the next
Lizalfos. She slammed into it hard, and it went flying over the edge. Link
suddenly picked up on part of the plan, though he still didn't see how this
would help.
Link pushed up against a charging Lizalfos. It stumbled, but regained it's
footing and didn't go over the edge. Sora was having trouble too, as the
Lizalfos began to figure out what they were up to. Link pushed again,
putting his full weight into it. The Lizalfos went over, but Link felt
himself falling as well. Then Sora grabbed his hand and pulled him back up.
The remaining Lizalfos had fled to the next floor. But instead of dragging
him up there, Sora jumped back down to the level of the Dodongos, pulling
him with her. "Link!" Faylore shrieked. A few Lizalfos backed her against a
wall. He skirt was torn, her face smudged with ashes from the charred
walls. Link could smell burnt flesh.
Sora turned to the nearest Dodongo. She jumped up and landed on its head.
Then she bounced over to the next one, landing on its head as well. Link
stared at her a moment. She bounced from Dodongo to Dodongo, laughing
gleefully. It seemed to be working. All but three Lizalfos had been eaten,
and with the Dodongos distracted, Link could easily take care of them.
Sora spied Link fighting the Lizalfos out of the corner of her eye. He's
missing all the fun, Sora thought. Indeed, using the Dodongos as
trampolines was fun. And it kept them from breathing fire at Link, so he
could rescue Faylore. Sora didn't really care much, but she had nothing in
life. If she rolled dice with death and lost, no one would care or even
noticed her absence. At least if she did died, she would know she was
trying to help at the time.
Finally, the Lizalfos were dead. The Dodongos were dazed and Sora was tired
from hopping back and forth. Her plan had worked almost perfectly. She had
figured if the Dodongos ate something, it would slow them down, maybe even
make them sleepy. She hadn't counted on some Lizalfos surviving, but it had
worked out. Still, she had to get rid of these Dodongos, as well as the 20
something Lizalfos left.
"Sora!" Faylore cried. "That was brilliant!"
"Thanks." Sora said, smiling a bit.
"You looked silly." Link grumbled.
"We're gonna look dead, if we don't get moving." Sora pointed out. The
Dodongos were beginning to recover from most of the shock.
"What should we do?" Faylore asked, looking at Sora.
"I don't know." Sora admitted, shrugging. "Maybe if we could free some of
the Gorons, they could use the bomb flowers to finish off the Dodongos."
"There's still the Lizalfos." Link reminded her.
"I'm sure they can handle it. The Lizalfos are fairly out numbered." Sora
said.
"Well then, let's rescue some Gorons!" Link exclaimed.
Sora sighed wearily. She was getting tired. Her side throbbed with pain
where she had gotten slashed. Every bone in her body ached. Even her teeth
ached! But she bit her lip and headed for the Gorons. They were huddled in
to middle, most of them in cages. The Goron King, Link, was also in a cage.
He was gagged and tied up as well so he couldn't escape and couldn't give
his people orders. Link smiled a bit. The Goron King had been named for his
Grandfather. This would get confusing very soon.
Link (the Hylian one, not the Goron) started for the cage. King Link stared
at him. He looked like his Grandfather had, most likely. Link looked around
for a key or something. He spied one hanging on the wall not far from the
cage. Good thing Lizalfos weren't too bright. Link grabbed the key and
unlocked the cage. He untied the King and took the gag out of his mouth.
"It can't be!" The Goron King exclaimed.
"It's not." Link said. "You met my Grandfather."
"Well then. I'm Link." The Goron pounded Link on the shoulder.
"Me too." Link wheezed, the wind knocked out of him by the strong Goron.
"Thank you for freeing us, Brother Link." The King said. Link nodded.
Sora meanwhile, was unlocking cages at an amazing rate and Faylore was
hurrying Gorons up the stairs. The Lizalfos at the top were retreating, but
the Dodongos were almost fully recovered. The Gorons began chucking bomb
flowers into the Dodongo's open mouths. The King pushed Link, Sora and
Faylore into his thrown room to keep clear of the exploding Dodongos.
"Is everyone okay?" Link gasped.
"A few cuts and bruises, a little charred, but none the worse for wear."
Sora said.
"That's an understatement." Faylore mumbled weakly. For once, Sora agreed.
"You must escape here." King Goron said.
"Why?" Link asked. "Aren't we safe here?"
"Oh no! The Gerudo King, Kyrissam is the one who did this!" The King
exclaimed.
"Gerudo King?" Link questioned dazedly.
"There is no time to explain." King Goron said. "You must leave. You can go
out the back way. The bridge in Death Mountain Crater has been fixed and
there is an opening you can get to easily that will bring you out onto the
Death Mountain summit. You must move quickly though."
They didn't have the strength to argue. They waited until King Goron had
pulled a huge statue out of the way, then headed into Death Mountain
Crater. It was so hot Link could barely breathe. He stumbled blindly along
behind Sora. Faylore was clutching the back of his tunic so she wouldn't
get lost. They half-ran, half-staggered over the bridge, trying not to look
down and more importantly, fall.
Finally Link saw light up ahead. His lungs ached for fresh air. His mind
was clouded and his vision blurred. In front of him, Sora was practically
losing consciousness on her feet. Faylore was right on Link's heels,
tripping him up a bit. Finally, the three burst out into the light, gasping
for fresh air. Sora tumbled to the ground and curled up in a ball. Link
leaned against the wall, holding onto Faylore and waiting for his mind and
vision to clear. When he could see again, he shook Faylore gently. She
leaned up against the wall, unable to stand on her own and Link kneeled
next to Sora. Sora rolled over and opened her eyes, blinking at the bright
light.
"Are you okay?" Link asked.
"N-nah-n." Sora rasped. She shook her head then, when she realized she was
unable to talk.
"Can you stand?" Link said, glancing around worriedly. Sora shrugged then
began struggling to get up.
It took her a few minutes but she managed to get up to some extent and
leaned on her elbows, panting. Link grasped her wrist and stood. Sora
didn't protest. She couldn't; she'd opened her mouth in Death Mountain
Crater and the air had scorched her throat. Instead she let Link help her
to her feet and leaned on him wearily. She didn't have the strength left to
stand on her own and at that moment, she couldn't care less if she looked
weak. She was weak, at least for the moment.
"Why can't you talk?" Faylore asked. Sora opened her mouth and pointed
down, then she pointed to Death Mountain Crater. When Faylore and Link just
stared at her, she sighed.
"I don't see how Death Mountain Crater could cause someone lack of speech."
Link said.
"Oh!" Faylore exclaimed, suddenly figuring it out. "She must've opened her
mouth and inhaled some of the air in Death Mountain Crater! I just breathed
through my nose."
Sora reached up and pinched her nose. She had never been able to breathe
properly through her nose. Faylore nodded; she understood.
"So, let's get out of here." Link suggested. Sora nodded her agreement.
Suddenly there was the sound of hooves pounding. Link glanced over the edge
of the summit. A group of horses was galloping towards the summit. He
couldn't see the riders though because a cloud of dust surrounded them.
When they stopped and the dust cleared, Link recognized them as Gerudos.
One, he noticed, was male.
"You there!" The male Gerudo shouted. "What are you doing there?"
"We, um, ran into a little trouble." Link said, as close to the truth as he
could.
"How many are with you?" The Gerudo asked.
"Two others. One of ours is badly hurt, and the rest of us in need of some
patching up." Link replied.
"I'll send someone up to get you." The Gerudo said.
Link eyed the crowed suspiciously. What was going on here? Instead of an
all- female army, led by a female, there were men mixed with the females.
And they were allowing a man to lead them. Was this their king? Link
wondered.
Six Gerudos started up the summit wall. Three were male and three were
female. Link walked back over to Sora and Faylore and explained the
situation as best he could. Then the Gerudos appeared over the wall and
walked over to them. Apparently a female was in charge of this small group.
She halted the rest and walked over to Link and the others. They stared at
each other for a minute, then the Gerudo spoke.
"I am Mylintha." The Gerudo said.
"I'm Link." Link replied. "This is Faylore and Sora."
"These are just kids!" One of the other Gerudos exclaimed.
"Quiet, Syvera!" Mylintha snapped. "I am no idiot! I can see they are just
children!"
"Might I remind you, we are children in need of assistance." Sora quipped,
voice rasping. Link sighed. She'd gotten her voice back at the worst
possible time.
"Do not speak to me in such a manner, child!" Mylintha hissed.
"I speak to anyone in any manner I like." Sora answered.
Link resisted temptation to kick her. He gave Mylintha an apologetic look
and made a gesture as if to say Sora was delirious and on the crazy side
from blood loss. Mylintha nodded understandingly and signaled to the
others. One of the male Gerudo offered to carry Sora, but she refused
stubbornly. So she struggled bravely down the wall, wincing in pain but
hiding it so well Link almost didn't noticed. The Gerudo watched Sora
thoughtfully.
"She's a tough girl." Mylintha said. "She would make a fabulous Gerudo."
"Isn't she a little, um, young?" Link asked, for lack of better word.
"You mean short." It was a statement, not a question. Indeed Sora was
short. At first Link had thought she was almost as tall as he was. But now
he could see she was a good 6 inches shorter than he was.
"Well, I guess." Link admitted.
"Size does not matter." Mylintha said. "Talent and strength is what
matters. Your friend is not weak."
"No she's not." Link agreed. "And she's clever, too."
"I suppose so." Mylintha demurred.
Mylintha, though, looked very uncertain. Sora was scrambling down the
summit wall, refusing all help, and looking none too clever. Her grip was
failing and she looked like she might fall. Mylintha watched; her face was
as expressionless as marble. Sora slipped, sliding down the wall a ways.
Mylintha shook her head disapprovingly. Sora noticed this and stared up at
her a minute. Then she jumped back ward off the wall, flipping in mid air
and landing smartly on her feet. She bit back agony as her bones creaked in
protest, threatening to give out. A small round of applause rose from the
surrounding Gerudos and Sora took a wobbly bow.
"She is an idiot." Syvera muttered.
"Silence, Syvera!" Mylintha shouted. She was studying the grinning Sora,
obviously deep in thought, though not deep enough that she didn't hear
Syvera's comment.
Link started down, followed by Faylore. He was below her, just in case she
fell. If she fell he would catch her. After all he had gone through to keep
her safe, it would be idiocy for her to die now. Fortunately, they both
made it safely to the ground, without slipping and without having to put on
a little show like Sora. Sora staggered over to them when they got down and
she waited with them for the Gerudos to climb down.
Finally, all the Gerudos were down from the summit and they were ready to
start out. Goldmoon and Stalker were tied in with the Gerudo's spare horse.
When Sora saw this, she kicked up a fuss, or as much of one as she could.
After a bit of arguing, Link convinced the Gerudos that these horses
belonged to them.
Sora vaulted into Stalker's saddle with the last of her strength. Link
sighed and shook his head. She would never learn, would she? Link helped
Faylore into Goldmoon's saddle and jumped up behind her. The group started
off down the mountain. When they had gone a ways, Sora eased Stalker up
alongside Goldmoon. "Have you ever heard of anything like this?" Sora
asked.
"You mean male Gerudos? No." Link replied. "Well, one is born every one
hundred years but, this is a lot of males. And they are diffenately Gerudo.
Not people who joined up. I wonder how this happened."
"I don't think I want to know." Sora muttered.
"Well, we will just have to be wary." Faylore concluded. Link and Sora
nodded agreement.
Sora sat as steadily in the saddle as she could. Her hands were shaking,
her cuts and bruise hurt, and her bones ached painfully. She was in agony,
but refused to admit it. She had gotten this far by being tough and
refusing to give in. That's the way it would be.