Link Fanfic - The Beginning of Something
Part 2
The next part or chapter of my Link Fanfic. Please enjoy and don't tag as Linked Universe.
Maari stayed awake all night, observing the boys as they changed watch shifts through the darkness. Each taking turns to tend the fire and keep a look out for monsters in the woods.
Dawn was just becoming visible in the inky sky and Maari sat up and stretched. Link and the youngest member of the group (Link referred to him at Wind) were on watch together. Maari's movement caught Link's attention from where he sat near the fire.
"Morning," he said quietly, poking some of the flickering ashes with a stick.
"Good morning." Maari shuddered slightly at the feeling of the morning chill. The fire was beginning to die down and the last of the cold night had started to creep into the camp. Maari shuffled a little closer to the fire and warmed her hands over the flames. She glanced up at Link and cleared her throat.
"I feel I should apologise for last night, if I had known it was you guiding this group I wouldn't have been spying."
Link shook his head and gave Maari a half smile.
"No need. I should have guessed the portal would have drawn attention. But we were more concerned about monsters than possible friends."
"Maari nodded, that makes sense." She glanced around the camp at the sleeping forms on the ground. "Who are your companions? I don't recognise their faces."
"Dont you?" Link asked, in an almost playful way.
Maari considered what she had observed last night. She had to admit there were striking similarities between most of the young men and boys travelling with Link. She thought the young man who wore the scarf, the dark haired boy and the eldest shared many features. Again she wondered if they were relatives of Link.
"Are they relatives of yours? Cousins maybe?" Maari asked.
"You could say that. In fact, I'm fairly certain Twi and Time are directly related somehow. But the rest of us, our connection goes beyond blood."
"I think I am starting to understand," Maari said slowly, the cogs of her quick mind turning. Each if the boys were fighters, that much was obvious. And if they were following Link.
"They all share the Hero's spirit, don't they." she said, turning her gaze back at Link, who sat across from her. The fire crackled between them, sending sparks dancing up into the slowly brightening sky.
Link smiled warmly and the two passed the rest of his watch in silence as dawn broke around them.
***
Maari was surprised by how organised the boys were when time came to pack up their little camp. Bed rolls were packed away, the remains of the fire doused and biscuits passed around as a quick breakfast. They all travelled light, carrying small packs and their own range of weapons. Maari had nothing of her own to carry save for the clothes on her back and her own weapons. She kept her mask lowered as she was now in good company.
The boys introduced themselves to Maari one after the other as they broke camp, and started to make their way through the woods towards the Dueling Peaks. She was surprised to learn they were all called Link. Every one of them. However they had give each other nicknames. The youngest gave her a deep bow and said his nickname was Wind. He had a bright energetic way about him that Maari found endearing. But even though he was the smallest and clearly the youngest, he always insisted he carry his own weight and the others rarely offered to help him.
Then there was Legend, the boy who wore the scarlet tunic. Hyrule, who was sweet and a little shy. Sky, who wore a beautiful hand sewn cloak with the royal emblem emblazoned on the back. Four, whose tunic bore four different colours, and a face which always appeared inquisitive. Twilight, who Maari had had the pleasure of meeting in the woods in his other form. Warriors, the scarf wearer. And finally Time, the eldest. The marks on his face reminded Maari of an illustration she had seen in a very old text in the castle library. But she could not remember the legend that accompanied it. Time was the quietest of the group, besides Link (or Wild, as his companions called him) he looked out for the others and walked at the back of the group to guard against them being approached from behind.
They passed the Dueling Peaks and the stable without incident. However, once they crossed Kakariko bridge Warriors and Time appeared on edge. Maari guessed it was the lack of cover provided by the canyon walls which troubled them. Though she knew the path well, a few monsters still clung to the dark places of Hyrule. They were right to be on their guard, and she urged the others to keep their eyes open as well.
"You know," said Warriors as he fell into step with Maari. She noted how even though his sword was drawn, he seemed fairly relaxed. "In my time the Princess had a Sheikah protector named Impa. She bore the same insignia you have on your clothes. The red weeping eye."
"That does not surprise me. The Sheikah have always had ties to the crown and offen served as advisors or protectors of the royal family." Maari replied, wondering how far back in Hyrule's history Warrior's time was.
"She even trained the Princess in the ways of the Sheikah. She used to fight in disguise as a soldier called Sheik." Warriors continued.
"I would have loved to have met such a woman. Our Princess, Zelda, is more of a scientist than a warrior, but she holds the Sheikah in high regard." Maari explained. "She did much for the people of Hyrule after the upheaval. Helping to rebuild and educate people."
Warriors was fascinated by Maari's words and listened intently as she spoke of Wild's Zelda. He had mentioned her on a few occasions, however he always gave the distinct impression that their relationship was complicated. It was nice to get a different perspective. He was about to open his mouth to ask another question, when they all heard the scream.
Two bokoblins dropped down from a high ledge, their wailing screeches echoing off the canon walls. Time was the first to defend the group. His long sword cracked the head of the red bokoblin in one quick movement. Maari had just enough time to be impressed before two more appeared ahead of them, blocking their path. Wild and Legend, who had been at the front of the group, held them back with practiced ease.
Maari scanned around, quickly finding a route up a pile of fallen boulders. She moved with unearthly speed, sure footed, barely touching the ground as she skipped up the rockface.
"Typical Sheikah," Time muttered under his breath as he shook his head.
"She moves like an Ordonian Goat!" Twilight proclaimed, half watching Maari as he blocked the swing of a bokoblin club with his sword. The bokoblin roared in his face and Twilight growled back at it.
Maari gripped a ledge with her fingertips, looking down on the canyon from 12 feet in the air. The first two bokoblins were dead, the second two were being dealt with, but three more were approaching from the bottom of the path. She swung herself forwards, rolled in the air over the heads of the men below and landed on the path a little way ahead of the advancing bokoblins. She drew her daggers and replaced her mask.
The first monster had no time to react to her appearance and walked straight into the path of her twirling daggers. She stabbed it in the eye and the throat for good measure. The other two continued charging towards the group. One jumped on Time, the other began attacking Four and Wind. Maari threw her daggers one after the other. Both found their targets, lodging in the heads of both monsters. The first collapsed over Time's body and the second keeled over just as Four struck it in the side.
Quiet settled over the canyon once more and Maari sighed, recovering her stance and lowering her mask. As she walked past Time back towards the group she looked down. He pushed the dead bokoblin off his body with a heave and looked up.
"Typical Sheikah ey?" She said, raising an eyebrow.
Time chuckled and shook his head.
Maari checked on some of the others. Wild was going through the bokoblins pockets, Legend was nursing a bruise on his head, but the others appeared none the worse after the encounter.
"Everyone sound off!" Warriors called, though not so loud as to make an echo. The boys all called out their nicknames to Warrior's satisfaction.
"This region was cleared of monsters before I left this Hyrule," Wild said to Maari as they started to move along the road once more. "I made sure of that."
"I have seen a few here and there over the last few months. We believed they had all perished after the death of the Deamon King, but this proves otherwise. Impa has been concerned and after the portal appeared, she feared the worst." Maari explained, as she pulled her daggers out of the dead bokoblins." We should keep moving on towards the village. I'm sure the scouts have spotted us. Impa and Paya will be expecting us by now."
< Part 1 : Part 3 >