World Tree MUSH

  Presently, the sun sets over the kingdom of Hyrule. Thin and ragged scraps of cloud stretch across a bloodstained sky. Wind skirls through the high crags of Snowpeak. Down below, dust is scattered across the vast courtyard of Snowpeak Garrison.

  A huge black stallion explodes from the stable building gates, snorting and plunging towards the gates. Clinging to the saddle on his back is none other than Princess Zelda, clad in her riding clothes; she's laughing and whooping the horse on as she rides.

  The courtyard has been turned into an equestrian obstacle course. Branches have been stacked to form obstacles to jump, and other supplies have been dragged to and fro to create a clearly delineated course.

  No, she hadn't told Link what she was doing, but she's been working with the black stallion every day, earning his trust enough to sit astride him.

  Now, it's time to see what he's capable of -- and for the sheer mad joy of taking the course at speed. It might be reckless in anyone else, but she's proven herself so comfortable and confident in the saddle that guiding a horse is something she could do in her sleep.

  Also, it's a pretty nice day in Snowpeak; nice enough to chase away the cabin fever by going off and doing outside things.

Between the two of them, Link has a special way of figuring out what's going on with the animals-- and he spends a lot more time in conversation with them than he does with regular folk. That's a small enough wonder, all things considered. The only person he can talk to without extraordinary effort is Zelda, after all, and she often has... other things... to do. Besides which he couldn't help but get the impression that she was still rather wary about him in general.

Which is fine, really. They DID only just meet, by the auspices of a strange shady imp lady out for her own ends.

He's lazing around in the courtyard when the racket of that black horse coming out of the stables reaches his ears. It's not racket to EVERYONE, but it's certainly racket to him. The sacred beast rises from his cool, shaded resting spot -- soon to be too cold to tolerate -- and bursts into a run to join the Zelda and the stallion in their approach to the obstacle course.

This feels awfully familiar.

"Evenin'. Just me, buddy. Ain't a wolfos, so keep your head an' carry on with her." He asides to the horse. This is utterly nonsensical to an observer, and really shouldn't work. But Link is able to communicate with other animals just fine. Epona was always the easiest to work with, but he'd spoken with this one a few times in passing. There often wasn't anything BETTER to do.

And it's for this reason that he knew what Zelda was getting up to, broadly speaking.

The wolf's attention turns to Zelda, You've just about got this one in your pocket, I reckon', if you're takin' him out on that kin'na ride. Uh... say, come to think of it...

Is this too distractin'? I d'no how all these Goddess gifts work, an' if I was just talkin' to you it'd probably be pretty bothersome.

'Course, He goes on as they hurtle towards one of the jumps, you're still you and I don't figger you'd let a distraction hold you down even so.

But ahhh, forget all that. You haven't looked this happy with anythin' for a while. I'm glad. Link remarks. It's impossible to perceive a smile on his features, but the tone of his thoughts imply it plenty enough.

  The princess leans close to her horse's ear as the animal charges for a barricade, snorting and plunging, but seemingly trusting of his rider's direction. She adjusts her balance for a jump with the careless grace of long practise as the stallion gathers himself for a barricade.

  He flies.

  The royal black stallion surges up and over one of the barricades, clearing it with impressive power and ease. Clearly he was a knight's horse, once upon a time, with such power and girth. The princess had guessed at that. It had been the most logical conclusion, between the animal's breeding and obvious high quality.

  With a squeal the big animal kicks out sideways as he runs, towards Link, although the sacred beast is probably quick enough to flow around the offending hoof. The horse's response is not in words, ears laid flat against his neck, ignoring Link. He, like so many other animals, can sense that this isn't the Hylian's true form. Knowing that doesn't make the sharpness of the wolf's teeth any less. It doesn't make a dedicated prey animal want to spend any time up close and personal around a very large carnivore.

  Zelda doesn't so much as lose her balance. She does glance over to regard the running wolf, though, something behind her eyes thoughtful even as she reacts to the unfolding obstacle course. Unconsciously she guides the horse through the rest of the course as she does.

  I can ride and speak at the same time, thank you, though it's easier to speak like this. The princess keeps her eyes forward, hands ready on the reins. He is certainly coming along well, she agrees as she glances back to the wolf, hair flying in the wind. She looks for all the world like some farmer's daughter like this, out for a joyride; certainly not the Princess of Hyrule -- let alone its current reigning queen.

  She leans low as the stallion gathers himself for another leap. It isn't too distracting. Triforce of Wisdom, she reminds him, succinctly. I can concentrate on several threads of thought at once without much difficulty. It's why my ancestors have always been able to be the sole rulers of the kingdom. We delegate, yes? But if push comes to shove, we are all capable of ruling by ourselves.

  It's a terribly lonely business, she asides, off-handedly, before glancing sideways at him when he talks about Goddess gifts. It's not a gift from Hylia. It's a gift of the Golden Goddesses. It is by Their will that we daughters of Hylia are appointed to bear the Triforce of Wisdom. So it's always been, and so it shall always be.

  Her thoughts still for a moment as she focuses on the next obstacle. So intense is her concentration that he might even vicariously feel the experience -- the strain of holding to a horse at full gallop, and that exhilarating moment when all four hooves leave the ground; when steed and rider are, for just a moment, flying. He might also feel the prickling of joy at that sensation.

  Seems Hyrule's princess is kind of a thrill-seeker. That's probably not so much expected.

  Thanks. There's a little low-grade thrum of joy, felt more than spoken. I told you riding was one of the only times I really felt alive. Free. Zant can shove off for a few days. If I'm going to have to wait here until we're free to leave for Faron, than I'm going to work with this one. She pats the stallion's neck fondly. He may prove a valuable asset. He /is/ combat trained, that much I can see for myself, and if I can train him properly to fight against Zant's creatures, all the better.

"Stop that. I like horses. You've MET my horse." Link grouses at the stallion, angling to the side instantly and moving out of the horse's reach. He's been around horses a-plenty and it shows, even if this isn't the body he's been around them in. But he clearly isn't taking the interaction too badly. He's perfectly aware of what he appears to be, and that it's alarming, and isn't about to take it too seriously. Idly, he ponders the implications of a wolf attempting to tame a horse.

He pushes around one of the jumping obstacles, not wishing to risk proximity enough to get himself kicked. There's a few waves of disappointment rolling off of him-- he must want to actually do some jumping. Which /really/ says something about the kind of height and distance he can get, that he'd want to use a /horse/ obstacle course.

The Sacred Beast looks up at Zelda at the same time she looks back at him. He blinks, and the disappointment rapidly yields to a feeling that usually accompanies laughter. Since he has to physically force emulation of laughter and he's running, Link doesn't /actually/ laugh, but Zelda can tell what's going on just fine if she pays the slightest attention.

You know-- He falls back to give himself something to do, leaping over the next obstacle at a safe distance behind Zelda. It's a jarring, powerful landing that he recovers from in a way that suggests he has done NOTHING but make that exact leap and tear into something repeatedly, you got the regal look goin' for you when you want to, but you always look so sad when you're wearin' it. Right now though, you could be my best friend from back home. Got reaaaaal sore with me before everythin' happened.

The amusement fades from his thoughts. Link seems to be making himself a bit sad.

Wish I could think about a lot o' things at once. I can do the one thing really really well but I reckon that has nuthin' to do with Triforce of anything.

The Sacred Beast pulls up alongside Zelda again -- though at a comfortable distance, to avoid spooking too much or getting another shot taken at him by a powerful hoof -- and looks up at her. He seems to be appraising something.

Yeah. If he wasn't, he probably wouldn'ta done so well dealin' with me around. Or at the least, he'd have done somethin' besides take a kick at me. Anywho...

Bet -I- could carry you, if I wanted. Hadn't tried carryin' a full-sized person before. Hmm... but I don't reckon you'd want a ride you're not too much in control of, huh?

  Other than an explosive snort, the horse gives no clear response. There might be a twinge of embarrassment, though. It's hard to overcome instinct. And she's a good friend, too, even if she doesn't ask nearly enough questions for my liking. Zelda's stallion swivels his ears back against his neck. There's something of a mulish stubbornness in his words and tone, which is probably why he's still alive after whatever trauma he'd been through. It was just reflex, goatherd. Nothing personal... this time. The promise is like a distant thunderhead grumbling to itself.

  What a foul-tempered beast. But, he does seem protective of the people who have taken him in. At least there's that. Some kind of redeeming quality to two thousand pounds of iron-mean muscle, slashing hooves, and teeth.

  Zelda laughs aloud. It's a bright and joyful sound, unburdened by the troubels she's borne over the past half a year; closer to what she might have sounded before the Twilight, maybe. Practise the landing, she advises, merrily. You look like you've got the jump down, but not what comes after.

  With those large teeth he has, she has a pretty good idea why and how. He jumps on things, rather than over things. Mostly to mangle them. He's never really needed to worry about landing in the same breath.

  She might ask about his best friend back home, but maybe she can sense that momentary pall of sorrow. Best not to ask.

  Don't. Her answer to his musing on thinking multiple trains of thought is perhaps surpsisingly vehement. There's a reason she pours stronger things than tea into her tea, though; the constant noise that sometimes shoves her to the brink of her ability to cope. You don't want that. And I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

  Her gaze flickers over to the wolf for a few seconds, appraising. He's certainly large enough to bear her weight; she's confident that he's stronger than he looks, and he looks pretty strong. Maybe, she muses. I think you would be faster than a horse, in the right terrain. You're less inclined to blind panic, and I presume you can pathfind better.

  I hope.

  She crouches low over the stallion's neck, tapping his sides with her heels and urging him out of his lumbering canter and into a thundering gallop; one that has clods of earth flying out from beneath those big, flat hooves. Your shoulders slope more, though, and your back is a bit more flat. It would feel strange.

  Zelda's observations are just slightly distracted as they turn into another jump. The stallion lunges with a grunt; the princess balances neatly in the saddle. It might be worth practising, some time, if only because it may be necessary in an emergency. Better for us to know how to work with one another, rather than have to learn while our necks are on the line.

"That's because she has a pretty good idea about what's goin' on whether or not she asks the question. It's a part of her whole Queen-of-Hyrule deal, I reckon. Anyhow, don't worry about it. For now." Link fires back, without a second thought. He's not going to take sass from an ornery horse without giving it back. It is, he reflects, intensely weird to sit here and talk with a horse about exactly how hostile it's being with him at the moment, and future hypotheticals.

He resolves to talk the local cuccos into harassing the horse if it decides to give him problems, a thought that echoes out in vague tides of mischief.

That's 'cause Midna ain't riding me at the moment. He replies to Zelda, given me some bad jumpin' habits. Usually if I'm jumpin' with that kinda force I'm either jumpin' onto some big nasty or I'm swoopin' in and need to get low to give her a good firin' angle. Mind you, I wouldn't try the same thing with you. Don't reckon you'd stay on. Though...

The Sacred Beast eyes her, Probably would, just outta stubbornness. You're kinda alike in that way, y'know.

Hmm... so your head can figure a lot of things at once, but when you don't have a lotta things to think about at once, it drives you a little crazy, huh? You'd hate it at Ordon Village, then. No wonder you're the Chosen Queens, I reckon it's the only job busy enough for you. Do I reckon right?

Link raises his head and perks his ears up, slowing to a trot, In an open field I can run horses and boars down. In a forest I can get around realllll nice, considerin'. An' no, I don't spook easy. Ain't that what my triangle does?

He turns his head in reaction to her descriptions, looking back at himself. Then back to her, You'd have to draw your feet up and lean forward, prolly. Ain't as naturally suited to this as they are, unless you're an imp. You're right, tho. Oughta figure it out before it becomes a necessity. Now if I was normal, pickin' you up wouldn't be no thing at all. Bet you'd fit on a shoulder.

He looked away, to the heavens, I mean I would too, but so would you.

  I was referring to... The horse snorts, a little explosively. Never mind. Exasperation crackles at the edges of the words. The stallion makes no more effort to converse, keeping his ears swivelled somewhat backwards. You would make a terrible beast, anyway.

  There's a pace or two of silence, broken only by the horse's laboured breathing, the jingle of harness, and his mistress' equally hard breath.

  Don't you even /think/ about it.

  Zelda clings tighter to the reins and the horse's neck as the two clear another jump. They're rounding the course at quite a fast clip, enough that would be considered reckless if it were anyone else. She keeps her eyes up and forward. Yes, you were leaping with a goal, not to go from one place to another. So landing was not so high a priority for you.

  I think could stay on. The princess sounds more thoughtful than arrogant; it's an honest evaluation. A wolf's gait is not like a horse's gait, but I've also ridden a chocobo, and those are different, too. I can adapt to 'different.'

  Her eyes flick sideways to the wolf, hair obscuring her face, but she looks thoughtful about his question about queens and being busy. I wouldn't say you're wrong.

  She's forced to look forward again, even as Link slows to a trot, left behind by the thundering warhorse. Zelda crouches down low over his neck, patting the big beast's neck encouragingly. They're coming up on a particularly high jump; a collection of logs she probably hijacked some contractors into helping her set up.

  With a grunt the stallion kicks off from the earth, and Zelda holds to the horse, lashing out an arm with a whoop of sheer wild glee. She hadn't actually been sure the horse could clear it -- and glad to be proven wrong.

  Oh, come off it. I saw you when you were human again. We're of a height... almost. I'm not /that/ much smaller than you are. But Zelda's indignant defense is tinged with too much embarrassment to be taken too seriously. She's not really insulted or angry. Much like a tiny bird, she's puffing herself up to seem much more dangerous than she really is, and it's... probably not working.

  At all.

  Is she /blushing/?

  After a few seconds she reins the horse up, patting its neck again consolingly. There, there. All finished. He stands with his head slung low, blowing hard and snorting. "Enough for today, I think. Let's take you back to the stable. Well done."

  She sighs, tilting her head to Link. "I suppose I ought to give him a proper name, some time."

"Don't reckon I know what you're talking about." Link lies to the horse, with a faint canine grin.

The Sacred Beast circles back 'round to a previous jumping obstacle, adjusting his landing as he does. He doesn't seem satisfied with it, and does it again. He does it a third time while catching up from falling behind while engaging in these shenanigans, though it doesn't look all that different. It's not hard to imagine that this is his approach to basically anything: To simply bull-headedly repeat it until it mostly looks the way he wants it to. But evidently he's not anywhere close to finished in this specific case.

Prob'ly. Thinkin' about it I figure the thing that'd be annoying is the fact that... well... it's just awkward, y'know? You're gonna be closer to the ground, an' I bet you're used to doin' all the steering. Right?

Well, if it makes y'feel better I wouldn't really wish this crap on anybody else either. Bein' in the thick of it, I don't feel too bad about it. But I can't imagine most folks havin' to deal with it. I think it might drive most people crazy to even try, much less to come anywhere close to succeeding.

People look at it and they think, all of that looks so impressive. But mostly it's frightening and improvised and you just kinda get through it and look back and wonder what the hell just happened.

Link takes a running leap at the stacked logs, but doesn't try to clear it. He scrabbles up top and sits down there, looking down towards Zelda with one ear drooping and a cocked head, No, you ain't much smaller than me. But you're still an easy size to carry, an' I'm really strong. You didn't strike me as the sort to get worked up about your height. But y'know, pointin' out we're nearly the same height ain't really that helpful to your cause.

I'm kinda short, you know?

Also, you're overheated. Get inside or you're gonna burn.

"Do you have a name?" Link barks towards the stallion, jumping down from the logs and meandering on towards the stable.

  Zelda looks over as Link throws himself against one of the course's barriers, trying to leap the obstacle until he can do it to his own satisfaction. In that way they aren't entirely dissimilar. She can be incredibly stubborn and a good deal more strong-willed than the people around her tend to expect.

  She watches with a slight frown tugging at the corner of her mouth, but she doesn't call him off, nor does she offer any words of encouragement. It's his battle to fight, and he might not appreciate anyone else butting in, no matter how well-intentioned.

  So she keeps her silence, and works on turning the horse back around toward the stables, vaulting lightly from the saddle and leading him by the reins. The horse stoically doesn't answer Link, and his ears are still back in a sign of mild annoyance. At least he's not baring his teeth.

  "Hm. Well, I'm not going to lie to you and say that I wouldn't try. I can't say I've ever tried to ride a wolf before, because most of the time, I like living and I plan on continuing to do so until I'm as old and as grey as my royal grandmother was." Zelda's mouth quirks in an almost-smile. "But it wouldn't surprise me if she'd actually tried."

  That woman had feared nothing, and she had encouraged that same fearlessness in her granddaughter. Zelda is very much no-nosense, and her fears seem to be a lot less immediate -- fear of failure, or fear of being remembered as the monarch who ruined Hyrule; fear of being forever alone. It's lonely at the top, as the saying goes.

  She blows out a sigh, considering as she rakes hair back from her face. The breath flutters her hair. "If we can learn to work together like that, though, it's possible I could shoot from your back. The Captain of the Guard said I was a finer and steadier shot than most of his soldiers, mounted." She grins. "Not to brag, but I always won the horse archery contests at Summertide. It'll be different, with you, but I think I can adapt."

  Her pretty expression fades like snow in summer, watching curiously as Link charges the stack at the wrong angle to clear it. "You're going to--oh." Oh, he's not trying to clear it, just perch on top of it. Zelda twists to glance back up at him, appraisingly.

  "It doesn't make me feel any better, actually, but I agree that I wouldn't wish it on anyone, either." Zelda shakes her head slowly as she pushes the stable door open. "We'll get you sorted out as soon as I can leave for Faron Wood. I just need to see the repairs through. And I need to sort out a few other things. I've been having dreams..." Oh, no, "I'm sure you've noticed."

  There's no mistaking the princess is a scarred individual, but whether they come from the coup or whether they come from the strain of coping with who and what she is, it's hard to say. Most likely it's a combination of the two. At the very least her own living relations were slaughtered that night, and she hasn't even had the time or the opportunity to grieve -- and so her subconscious does for her.

  All that to say, the nightmares are not a subtle thing. She wakes from a dead sleep shivering and shaking like a leaf; other times she wakes herself up weeping in her sleep. She hasn't woken up screaming, yet, at least. Small victories.

  Zelda clears her throat somewhat awkwardly. "Anyway... I think something's happening. I don't know what, or where, or even when, but I can feel it, if that makes any sense." There's a measured few seconds, and when she speaks again, it's with obvious grudging effort: "Witchy stuff." She /hates/ the term and she's made no secret of it, but it seems to be one of the few things he understands when it comes to the Hyrulean supernatural.

  Hundreds of thousands of people in the whole of the kingdom, and Farore had to go choose the nearest uneducated backwater hick.

  Figures.

  A hand moves to beckon Link into the door, which she holds open for him with her free hand so he doesn't have to headbutt it. "Impressive, huh? I guess I could see that, but there's nothing to be impressed by. It's like you say. It's terrifying, and improvised, and we get ourselves to the other side, and then we wonder what in Hylia's name we just did. And how we didn't get ourselves killed doing it."

  Once she's let him in, she raises a hand, running her fingers through her hair. "Author of Law have mercy on me. This whole... whatever-this-is is a great example of that at play. I don't know what I've been doing since Zant marched into Hyrule Castle. All I can do is do what I think is best, and pray I don't lead my people into ruin as I do."

  "Overheated." Zelda eyes the wolf, shakes her head, and leads the black horse into his stall, grabbing a brush from a shelf on the way and brushing him down once she's gotten his bridle and saddle off. "I don't..." Burn, "...Mm."

  Yeah, she'll go with that. It's safer than admitting that maybe he's impressive to her, and that maybe she's a little attracted to what she'd seen of him. Distractions are bad. She can't afford distractions. Besides, he has his own life to get back to, and it's her responsibility to help him get back to it.

  Zelda shakes her head as though to clear it, ignoring the conversation going on between wolf and warhose.

  No, the warhorse claims, placidly, soothed by the brush and the ritual removal of dirt, dust, and uncleanliness. None I care to remember. But my master has taken to calling me 'Lynel.' I can't fathom why. Unclean, stinking brutes. And they eat horses.

  That he's telling this to a wolf sinks in a second or two later, and his ears swivel back again. He doesn't grace anything more with a response.

  It doesn't take Zelda too long to finish up, giving the warhose a final fond pat. "I'd thought he might make a fine steed, and I was right. I can't leave for Faron Wood, yet, but I'll keep working with him in the meantime. I enjoy it." Obviously. "But for now, I think it's time for me to rest. Good night, Link." The princess stifles a yawn. "...I'll leave the door cracked for you."

  With that, she's drifting down the corridor, and soon curled up in bed is exactly where he'll find her; out like a light.