Seven Years part 9.5

This is the short little next part, don't forget to read the last responce on the last section, I tried to make it funny. On a side note, we are curently the number 4 rated site in Pakistan! Way to go guys! Section ten will be up ASAP... enjoy

Toran ran flat out until he was out of the village. Slowing to a quick, steady jog, Toran struck out in the direction of the cave. He had no idea where Shiek might be, but figured that if she wasn’t at the cave there might be some indication there of where she had gone.

Where could she be? I thought Draq was with her, what could possibly be wrong? he wondered as he trudged onward. He only knew one thing for sure: he wouldn’t have any trouble staying awake tonight; worry would take care of that…

Toran jogged across Hyrule Plain all night, never slowing. He hit the cave around nine. He walked cautiously into the main room, only to find it completely empty. Readying his katana, Toran peeked around the door into Shiek’s room.

“Shiek? Draq? Anyone home?”

There was no one around, and no sign that anyone had been in the hideout since he had left, in fact it looked as though Shiek had readied the place for a several day absence. Toran returned to the main room and grabbed some water. Gulping it down, he quickly surveyed the round room to see if there might be any clues to where Shiek had gone. The only thing out of place that he could see was an empty bottle on the table. It had a slight red residue in the bottom.

Scela’s medicine, thought Toran, picking up the glass container. It’s empty… Maybe Shiek headed towards Lake Hylia to get it refilled and ran into trouble. It’s as good a guess as any, and if nothing else I can get Scela to help me look for her.

It was about haft past nine when Toran struck out towards Lake Hylia. The day was grey, threatening rain. Toran didn’t really notice though; only one thought was burning in his mind. He need to find Shiek fast.

He didn’t notice anything else.

Not even that he was being followed.

Shiek could play the harp, Scela played one as well, and even Draq had a small reed-recorder that he could use to warp to the magic place in Hyrule. Toran, however, lacked any musical talent. If he wasn’t with someone who could use the warps, then he was forced to travel the old fashion way. He had been jogging across the plains for about an hour when the rain started. Toran despised rain. He hated the way it made him wet, he hated the way it made the ground slick and killed traction, and he was still holding a grudge against it from the time it had rained out his birthday picnic five years ago. He had spent a lot of time planning that party…

The rain was mostly over Hyrule Plain, and it looked as thought the ground was dry by the time he reached the entrance to Lake Hylia. For some reason Toran had never understood, the royal family of Hyrule had closed off Lake Hylia with a high fence. Perhaps in their divine wisdom, they felt as though they alone were worthy of swimming in its clear waters, or that the lake possessed some kind of spiritual significance that commoners couldn’t handle.

Goddess, I hate royalty… if I ever met one, I’ll probably punch him in the face. I can’t STAND people who are like that… Toran thought, as he scaled the fence, which was not an easy task in the least, then again, maybe they just put up this fence to keep that bizarre scientist trapped in. That guy IS a little freaky after all…

He landed lake side of the fence, and nearly landed on a sprawled figure on the ground. The figure was laying face down, but it only took Toran a second to recognize the tight blue pants, white tunic, and small tight turban.

“Shiek! Shiek! Are you alright?”

He cautiously rolled her over, and felt his heart sink. She was bearing several new wounds; some bruises on her arms and legs, a large cut on the shoulder, and a nasty gash across the forehead. The bruises seemed a day old, and the cut actually looked like it had been cleaned and treated with medicine. It was the gash on her head that worried him. It looked as though she had lost consciousness, falling forward and whacking her head against the iron rails of the fence. Her blue eyes were staring blankly up at him, open but unseeing.

What happened here- hey wait… Shiek’s eyes aren’t blue. Are they? Well, I can ask about that later, right now I need to get her somewhere safe.

Toran gently scooped up Shiek, praying thankfully that she was so skinny. It would be hard enough getting over the fence, but if had to drag someone Draq’s size it would be impossible. Draq! Where is he? Toran suddenly thought. Pulling Shiek as gently as possible, Toran finally managed to get her over the fence to Hyrule Plain. Propping her against the fence, Toran looked back at the lake, wondering what to do. It was then that Shiek groaned. Blinking her large eyes a few times, she moaned again, rolling her head slightly.

“Shiek! Are you alright? What happened? Where’s Draq?”

She moaned again, eyes closed, obviously in a great deal of pain.

“We need to get you some help, let’s get back to the cave and-”

“Can’t… move… very… well…” Shiek groaned, eyes still squeezed tightly shut. Toran knew what she meant. She couldn’t play her harp, so he was just going to have to go on foot, and carry her as well. Unless…

“Well, let me run to the laboratory and grab Scela… he will be able to help.”

The bloodied leader shook her head.

“Not… there…”

Toran bit his lip with frustration.

“And Draq?”

Shiek’s eyes were still closed, but tears began to squeeze out at the corners of them. After a few seconds of silence, she was able to breathe a hushed word.

“Dead…”

Toran felt his heart freeze. Draq, Scela, Shiek and Impa had been the closest things to family he had ever known, and now he had just seen two of them in a deplorable state, and learned that a third was dead. Toran shook his head. There wasn’t time to think about that now.

He picked up Shiek, resting her on his back, holding her legs up with his arms. She weakly wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging herself to him.

“Ok, back to the cave,” Toran said, beginning a steady jog away from the lake.

“No,” whispered Shiek, “Lon… Lon….”

With that, Toran felt her muscles relaxed a bit, and figured she had drifted back into unconsciousness. Lon Lon Ranch it is then, he thought, adjusting his course slightly. It was going to be a long day.