World Tree MUSH

  It's relatively rare that the Princess of Hyrule actually asks anything of her travelling companions. Short of providing them a place to stay in Snowpeak Garrison, she's asked little of them, and certainly made it clear that they're free to leave at any time. She has, however, made it clear that there may be a time when she /does/ ask something of them.

  Hyrule Castle isn't going to liberate itself, when the time comes to storm the citadel. And as history has proven, Zelda lacks the strength to challenge the Usurper King by herself.

  The afternoon is fairly mild, with warm spring sunshine overhead and a few wispy clouds scudding along the horizon. Today the last living member of Hyrule's royal family has asked Terra Branford to meet her in the courtyard. She stands in the middle of the open space, armed with bow and sword. Her weapons aren't drawn; she's just standing there, hands folded before herself and eyes closed.

  Zelda looks like she's meditating, or maybe in prayer.

    It's relatively commonplace for Terra to be relatively unoccupied, however! She's made friends and gotten somewhat comfortable despite her strange nature. Though really you can only feed so many apples to horses to keep 'busy'. This may be just what the half-esper needs.

    Terra rounds up her things and, thusly prepared, enters the courtyard. Not without a tentative peek first to see if this is indeed the correct place. Once the princess is spotted, of course, she has no choice.

    The young green haired woman steps into the courtyard and makes her way carefully over to Zelda, assuming she'll be greeted when it suits the other woman. She's fine with that, of course; she doesn't want to cause any disturbance!

  The princess doesn't immediately open her eyes, although she must surely hear footsteps in the open courtyard. Those pointed ears aren't any more keen than an ordinary human's, but she has paranoia on her side, most days. She looks for patterns, or perhaps disruptions among patterns.

  Terra's footsteps are a disruption of the courtyard's silence.

  "Good. You've come." Zelda opens her eyes, blue eyes settling on Terra, clear as a summer sky. There is an air about her of something greater than her usual self; a whisper of that divine power in her blood. Or, perhaps it's just that she has a purpose, and it lends her a much greater presence; a force of personality perhaps necessary to a sovereign. "I asked you here to answer a few simple questions." A flicker of a smile. "If, of course, that's alright with you."

    While Terra doesn't slink quite like the mouse she imagines herself to be she does make a small effort to reduce her presence so she isn't obtrusive! Slightly self conscious, perhaps. She seems stuck on it despite all assurances that she's really not a bother. Nevertheless, she is a bit of a break from the peace and quiet of the courtyard.

    When she's greeted Terra doesn't tense up or anything, at least! She simply nods, shuffling on her feet. There's more coming, she feels, and her patience is rewarded as she's given opportunity to speak up. "It's alright. What do you want to know? I'll try my best to answer." She doesn't have a great deal to offer as far as knowledge goes and she really isn't sure where this is going so all she can really do is do her best!

    If it's about the apples she might be a little alarmed!

  "I want to know what you're capable of. How are you with a sword? Have you any magic you can call upon? Are there some other lesser-used talents tha you might have?" Zelda gestures, one hand flicking in the southesterly direction of Hyrule Castle. "Soon, very soon, I will begin setting into motion events that cannot be stopped. When it is time for me to make my move, there will be no turning back, and the Twilight King will be aware of where I am, and what I am doing."

  Those summer-blue eyes narrow. "When that time comes... when the day is upon me to challenge the Twilight King... I would welcome allies at my back. The Twilight King is not immortal, nor is he invulnerable, but the magic he wields is monstrously powerful." She shrugs. "I will have need of allies."

  "So. If there is some way in which you may contribute to the liberation of Hyrule, I would welcome hearing it, no matter how unlikely a skill it may seem." Zelda's smile is a little rueful. "I am the physical incarnation of wisdom within Hyrule, so if there are any innate talents of yours, and you have a will to lend a hand, I am confident I can come up with a way."

    At that, Terra balks. Just a little bit. She's not even sure she knows what she's capable of. A fingertip prods at the pommel of her sword lightly while she listens to Zelda's warning. Of course, she knew on some level that something like this was coming. It only made sense, afterall!

    "Ah- Right! I suppose..." She turns her body to show off the scabbarded sword, "I can use this. It isn't much but I seem to be comfortable with it. As for my magic."

    There, the half-esper pauses and looks around. "I can heal others and I..." She looks almost ashamed, head hanging a little. "I can attack with fire." A look in her half-hidden eyes suggests some discomfort with that. In her mind, she remembers roaring fire not quite loud enough to drown out screaming. The fearful eyes of a certain young summoner. 

    Ah.

  "Peace." The princess holds up a hand, palm out. Those blue eyes settle on Terra, the Hylian's presence calm as still water. "I only seek to answer whether your talents lend themselves to this task or not. You needn't begin squirming the instant I ask you a question. You are among friends, here in this place."

  Zelda tilts her head and considers the half-esper. "A sword is useful. If you are separated from the rest of us, you will be able to defend yourself." She pats at her own blade to indicate it, hanging at her waist in its royal scabbard. "Mending wounds is also a skill beyond compare, and our chances of survival are improved by another who knows such arts."

  "Fire is of less immediate concerned." She shakes her head. Clearly the princess lacks the mental hangup about the element that half the rest of the party seems to share. "Far below, you can see Hyrule Castle; it wears a pall of smoke like a mantle. Zant has already put it to the torch, along with the rest of Castle Town. There is nothing left to burn." Her lips thin as she considers, pressing her fingertips together and looking away. "Still, it may prove a useful diversion, but only in time of greatest need. I would not inflict that upon her. Best disregard that skill, for the time being. Fire is a dangerous distraction, even in the best of situations; it is capricious and unpredictable."

  She starts to pace, slowly, considering. After a moment she shrugs out of her bow and quiver, laying those at the foot of a dead tree trunk and leaning her rapier up beside them. She takes up what looks to be two rough-hewn practise swords of wood from a nearby rack, tossing one of them to Terra -- catch? -- and assuming a ready stance.

  "Blade it is, then." Zelda snaps an arm out, regarding Terra down the length of her extended practise sword. "Show me what you know, if you would be so kind. I must know what I am to be relying upon."

    "Right. Sorry, I thought too much about it." Terra lifts her gaze, banishing the uncomfortable thoughts for the moment. If she can be of help and not a danger to anyone else she's quite happy to contribute.

    Her hand grips her sword as the usefulness of being armed is affirmed. She's made somewhat good use of it already so she doesn't feel quite so bad about having it. Being able to heal does give her a bit of comfort, too. She doesn't /have/ to hurt or frighten anyone that way!

    Still... It's made clear that Zelda doesn't fear fire quite like Rydia does, if at all and further explains the reduced risk of causing unwanted damage. The place is already a ruin, it seems. "I- Yes, that's why I feel reluctant. I don't want to cause fear or pain and... Of course." Fire, even magical fire, can sometimes do dangerous things that aren't desirable or predictable. Best to leave that on the back burner.

    Then Zelda's removing weapons and- Well, she correctly guesses that this will become a bit of a practice session as well. She moves over, removing her own slightly curved weapon to lean it beside Zelda's. Easily enough, she catches the weapon by the hilt and gives it a few light swings to test how it feels.

    Still, even knowing what this is, she only offers the most tentative cut and she aims for the other woman's weapon. Shy about landing an actual blow, likely.

  No sooner does Terra lift her weapon than Zelda is in motion.

  Although she looks fragile, the Hylian is tremendously agile. Getting out of the way of Terra's sword is trivial, although that could just be because Terra has no will to fight. In passing, Zelda lashes out to try and tap the half-esper on the shoulder, leaping back and away once she's made her point.

  "If this is how you do battle," the princess observes, "it may be better to keep you away from the fighting. Look alive, Terra Branford. Hyrule may not be your kingdom, but if you accompany us south to Faron Wood and Ordona, the Usurper King will not make that distinction. He will strike you down as surely as he will myself." She frowns, thoughtful. "If that is what you prefer, I can see to it that you are not present in the fightng, and therefore as much out of danger as possible. I can make no guarantees, of course."

    Terra is surprised! It's not just Zelda, though.

    Her body starts to move and she halts it, taking a hit as she fights with the urge to respond to such sudden movement!

    "I'm sorry! I just- Alright, I'll try harder. I'm not afraid to fight. I just, it's..." Very hard to articulate what's going on in her head. She shakes her head and relaxes into a proper stance, letting the conditioning from her training take over once again. "Alright, ready." She waits just a beat and then moves, keeping well balanced while she brings that wooden sword in for a quick, light cut. Not the kind that would lay low someone in a single swing but a precise, measured strike that could feasibly end a fight were it not defended against. Her left hand remains empty, held carefully out of the way of the moving practice weapons but poised. Perhaps for counterbalance?

  Zelda spares a grunt of approval at about the same time Terra's sword comes down on her wrist, but she grips her own weapon firmly enough not to be disarmed. That would be a rookie mistake.

  "Stop apologising," the princess chides gently. "There is no need for it."

  Those summer-blue eyes are focused and intense, watching Terra for the slightest motions to telegraph her attacks. The other is reasonably skilled now that she isn't busy cringing, though, and it's enough to keep the Hylian on her guard.

  Her counterstrike is immediate, leaving no time between being struck at the wrist and leaping forward; but where one might expect a blow from the side or overhead, in the case of a slashing sword, that isn't the princess' style. She wields lighter blades, relying on agility and finding the gaps in defenses and armour.

  Where someone wielding a longsword might rely more on strength of arm, she relies on the death of a thousand cuts -- to bleed and slow her opponents, weakening them rather than crushing them.

  Zelda lunges to the side, lashing out again, this time attempting to tap Terra's ribs with the tip of her sword. If it were a real weapon, it would be a blow meant to open shallow cuts and contribute towards bleeding her opponent dry. Afternoon sunlight filters down through the dust kicked up by her boots.

  Apparently this is a little more satisfactory. Now they're getting somewhere.

    Terra almost, /almost/ cringes again after actually managing to land a blow. There's not a ton of force behind the strike; swords don't need to be swung very hard to harm afterall.

    "S- Right!" She almost did that again too. Still, she's warming up. While her technique certainly isn't deliberately misleading, she doesn't overly telegraph. The followup to her hit is a step forward, a push of her hilt to catch Zelda's blade on her crossguard and her left hand comes up, fingers splayed- She stops herself, hesitating as she realizes something.

    It would seem her magic was a part of her training with her weapon. It makes sense, of course, but that's a total distraction that could cost her control of her own weapon.

    "Ah!" Her only defense at this point is to continue trying to press closer toward Zelda. Thrusts with a sword require a lot of motion and space to execute. She may buy herself a moment to recover if she can keep close! Though she's probably not quite as agile as Zelda to it's likely to be a considerable effort on her part to avoid being soundly struck again!

  The princess braces against the sword swung her way, wrenching her own blade around to try and slip out of the hilt lock that the half-esper heads towards. She has her opportunity as soon as Terra lifts a hand and splays her fingers, instinctively ducking back and away from what sure looks like an incoming spell.

  Nothing happens. Zelda seizes the opportunity to lunge forward in a smart swat at Terra's sword hand, aiming to strike the wrist hard enough to cause the half-esper's hand to release the blade.

  She stands panting for a moment to survey her handiwork, eventually tossing her practise sword aside.

  "Enough, I think." Still winded, she folds her arms, studying Terra with all the scrutiny of a blue-eyed hawk. She shakes her head. "Your reflexes are good, yes? I will grant you that much. I suspect that in battle your instincts might lead you, but in sparring, you are too easily distracted."

  Stretching, she shakes her head. "Well, that answers my questions, at least for the moment. Thank you." With a bob of her head, Zelda gathers up her things, heading for the garrison's large front door. "I have a few things to do, so I'll see you around the garrison, I suppose.

  Her voice floats back from the courtyard. "Goddesses watch over you."