New Short Part 2 (now old...)

Toran nodded. It made sense. The Noble Houses had only been united for a relatively short period of time, dating back to Zelda’s great, great grandfather. It might seem a long time to a young mind, but it reality it was only about two hundred years… grudges could run deep, and the time before the Hylian Empire had seen the Houses constantly pitted against one another over any number of petty quarrels. Shiek was looking very introspective about it though, as if she was betting there was more to it than the face value of jealousy and pride.
“I wonder…” she began, then gave her head a shake, “no, best to not even think it.”
“Think what?” Toran pressed, studying the worry lines forming on Shiek’s brow. He knew this was something that needed addressing. Shiek tended to obsess over a notion if it took hold of her, and he didn’t want her brooding, particularly while on an adventure.
“Well,” Shiek began hesitantly, casting a sidelong glance at Lucinda, “it’s nothing… maybe we should discuss it latter.”

(Boop boop boo badaboop boop boo)
*In this section Lucinda will refer to the “Trian Blood” given that not everyone reading this has seen the History in its entirety (Before there was Light, Seven Years, Follow Me Through Time, The Off Shoots, and The Last Shiekah) nor do all of them speak Hylian (if you thought LATIN was grammatically a chore, just wait…) I thought it might be best to inform everyone that a simple definition of the concept behind Trian Blood would be to say it sums up the values, culture, history, one could almost say the Hylian-ness of Hyrule. Think of the way the English will refer to their “constitution” and everyone knows what they mean, despite the way it isn’t written. For those who are interested, it is an allusion to the three goddesses (try is Hylian for three) and just another example of Hylian, er, egotism. The Hylians believed themselves the chosen race of all three goddesses, and so referred to anything quintessential of their race as Trian, setting it apart from the other races that “lacked such divine favor.” Some one might call a slender girl with black hair and sapphire eyes “a model Hylian,” but something like the way the Noble Houses are loathed to rise against the often weaker Royal House would be “Trian.”*

The trip to Lake Hylian and the alchemy school on its shore would only require staying one night on the plains. Shiek had discussed pushing slightly harder, hoping to reach the gated entrance to the Comvarda lands before nightfall, but the likelihood of that actually happening were low. The cliffs that surrounded Lake Hylia and the grounds around it only had one viable entrance point, which the Comvarda House had long ago constructed a gate over. It remained the practice of the House to keep this gate locked and guarded from sun down to sunrise, and no one was ever allowed to pass during those hours. As such, evening found Shiek helping Toran to set up a camp about two hours away from the gate.

As she fed the horse a lump of sugar, Shiek listened to the sounds of Lucinda and Toran’s voices floating over to her from the fire they had started about five yards away. Toran had hit it off very well with Lucinda, and the two had been shamelessly flirting for the past two hours. Shiek didn’t really mind (who could feel jealous of a woman at least twice your age and just as large?), but she wondered if Toran extra boisterous mood was in reaction to her growing preoccupation. She knew her and Toran had made a pact not to think about imperial business while on these missions, but part of this situation was bothering her.

While it was true that Barron Marca might be reluctant to call on the aid of a rival house, there seemed to be more. It didn’t help that Lucinda had gone out of her way to mention a second house Marca was harboring dislike for, the Akinda House. There was a major connecting factor that the houses of Comvarda and Akinda held, and it was too big an issue to just ignore. Taking a breath, Shiek glanced over to where her husband, Lord Toran Orphanis Akinda was chatting with the unsuspecting Lucinda over a steaming pot of cooking soup. Catching her glance, Toran said something to Lucinda and stood. Shiek saw that he was making to walk to where she was tending the horse and glanced away. She didn’t want Toran to know her mind wasn’t really here with him mentally, but she had a feeling he had already picked up on the fact. Deciding she would wait for him to bring up the subject, Shiek started to rub down the horse. It gave a snort of approval, and lowered its head to graze while her strong hands pressed into it.

Toran walked up to her, and she felt his finger curl round the top of her shoulders. As his long, clever fingers began to expertly work at the knots in her shoulder muscles, Shiek gave a sigh.
“Well Zel,” he whispered, breath tickling her ear as he leaned close, “you gonna tell me what’s up?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” she replied absently, still rubbing at the horse, “probably just paranoia on my part, speaking of which,” she added, dropping her voice to near inaudible, “I remind you my name is Shiek, not Zel.”
“Right, sorry Shiek,” Toran replied, a smirk in his tone.
“Forget about it, Fiate,” she chuckled. The use of the name sobered her a bit though, reminding her of the possibilities that were now pressing in.

A bit of a pause dragged as Toran kept up his massaging, and Shiek her rubbing. After a bit, Shiek gave a heavier sigh, giving the horse a thump before turning to look into Toran’s concerned eyes.

“Lucinda said Barron Marca is so strident about not showing a need for Comvarda’s resources and power. Maybe it’s nothing, but she then mentioned another house by name… Akinda.”
“And?”
Shiek sighed, but gave a half smile. Toran wasn’t exactly politically minded, but the way he was completely lost when it came to intrigue was just one of the reasons she loved him. It added to his totally innocence factor that was so cute. However, it did mean she was going to have to spell this out every step.
“I assuming you know about the Akinda house because a very prominent noble is from this house, the current Lord Toran.”
“I hear he’s pretty good looking,” Toran commented, a smirk pulling at his mouth.
“No doubt,” Shiek said with a smile, “but that’s only half the equation. How much would you say you know about the history of her majesty Queen Zelda?”
“I hear she’s good looking too… kind of a bi-”
“Ahem, yes, but her FAMILY history… Zelda is a member of the Royal House, a direct descendant of the old kings. But her father, the late Lord Fiate, care to guess his house?”
“Um, please say not Akinda,” Toran said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.
“What? Oh, no, not at all… Fiate Victorius Comvarda… the queen’s father was from the other house that Marca apparently bumps heads with.”

Shiek waited for a moment to give these lineage facts time to sink in. When, after a few moments of contemplation, it became obvious that it wasn’t sinking, Shiek sighed and offered more.
“The queen is married to a member of Akinda, and half Comvarda. Her step mother is now the head of the Comvarda House, and also very active in the Hylian government.”
“And?”
“And… the two closest allies of the Royal House right now are the Comvarda and Akinda Houses, and what is more, both, particularly Comvarda, wield quite a bit of power.”
“And?”
Shiek sighed again, looking away. This was one of the things she had been hoping she wouldn’t have to say.
“So Fiate… I don’t know if you realized this, but it was very surprising to everyone, and not a good surprise for most, that the queen married a member of the Akinda family. That house has always been loyal, and there was little need to strengthen the bond. Moreover, several of the other houses viewed it as Lord Fiate playing favorites; giving extra power to his friends to snub the nobles that had been less cooperative during his reign. Princess Zelda was allowed to marry the man she loved, but by all political sense, she SHOULD have married a member of the Pritolate House.”
“You mean Barron Marca’s family?”
“Yes, he has an exceedingly ugly and self-absorbed nephew that’s only six years older than she is.”

“You speak as though you know the Queen’s mind very well.”

The words caused Shiek to nearly jump out of her skin, and Toran actually drew his katana as he whirled. However, it was just Lucinda, standing much closer than she had been, pudgy arms crossed and a large wooden spoon in her right hand, still dripping some sort of sauce. Toran lowered his katana, but Shiek’s years of fighting experience noticed he was still in a hidden stance, poised to attack if the situation took a turn for the worst. Shiek had prepared an answer for this question long ago though. While she wished to avoid bringing attention to herself and the Royal House, her Shiekah training had taught her to be ready for anything. She knew that even trying her best to hide it, sooner or later she would let a fact that only someone who lived at the palace would know slip out of her mouth.

“It’s true, I do know a lot about Queen Zelda… Ever since she was a child, the queen has been accustomed to having a Shiekah attendant, the first being her guardian Mistress Impa, a hero amongst our people who lived at the palace. From that time on, her highness has always a Shiekah of the Palace Clan as an attendant, generally female of about her own age.”
“And you’re the current guard?”
“Well, more than just a guard,” Shiek said, smiling as she thought back over the fond memories of Impa, Aniee, and Komori, “it’s always someone her highness has a very special relationship with… a sister, or mother for her. We don’t just guard her either, we act as her personal agents if she needs us. In fact, Fiate and I showing up to help you wasn’t just a coincidence… Queen Zelda sent me in response to your letter, Lucinda.”
Lucinda’s sharp eyes moved from Shiek to Toran, and back to Shiek. After a moment’s contemplation, she turned back to the fire, jerking her head.
“Well, come’on then… diner’s ready, and I can’t say the Queen’s personal attendant went hungry while traveling with me. What would that do to my Castle Town clientele?”

The heat had lessened by a great deal, but the three travelers still stayed back from the fire as they laid into the soup Lucinda had prepared. Toran had laid a large blanket over the sharp grass, which made for a slightly more comfortable diner as the two adventurers sat to eat. Lucinda had brought a folding camp chair, which moaned its disapproval as the woman’s bulk eased onto it. Sighing, the woman took a spoonful of the soup sipped it down and glanced from Toran to Shiek. It was obvious that she was debating how much information to give the two adventurers, torn between trusting those who had just shared a near disastrous raid and a naturally skeptical nature. Finally, and after several more spoons of soup, Lucinda gave a resigned sigh.

“Well, you’ll have ta forgive me now,” she began, slipping the spoon back into the brothy soup, “but there was just something that didn’t seem to stack up with you two. I reckon it was the way you hid that bit about the queen sending ya, but I just need to be sure before I gave you the whole story. Tell me again, where you’re from, and what your names are…”
Shiek took in a breath, mentally willing her sage power into sounding convincing. She extended the aura to Toran too, and prayed feverently offering to never pretend to be too sick for First Bells Morning Prayer again if her husband would forget his habit of saying stupid things just this once.
“Shiek of the Palace Clan, personal attendant to Queen Zelda.”
“Fiate Waywander, adventurer originally from Kakoria Village.”
Shiek offered a prayer of thanks that Toran had been able instantly to pick a viable sir-name and a locale that was known enough to not be surprising, yet distant enough that it was unlikely Lucinda actually knew all that many people from the area. There was a pause as Lucinda regarded both of them with a critical air. However, she seemed to find the answers acceptable, and gave a nod.
“Very well then… I guess you two have earned yourselves a tale…”

(Boop Boop boo bada boopboop bo)

“In the time before light, my grandmother ran a traveling cooking wagon. She would travel from place to place, cooking with the integrants she bought from the locals. Well, it’s certainly no secret that they were dark times, we call them the time before light for a reason after all… As she traveled around, my grandmother kept her eyes open, looking everywhere for something that could bring some light to our land. Well, if’n you look hard enough for something, you’ll find it all right, and my grandmother certainly found a few things worth finding. She uncovered a man here, a woman there, a lad in one place, and a lass in another… they all were working to preserve Trian Blood, keeping Hyrule alive. My grandmother organized them, helped them to coordinate their efforts. They formed a league dedicated to protecting and upholding the light. They called themselves Phoenix’s Talon, and their descendants are still working to this day.

My father was the second head of the Phoenix’s Talon, our numbers were fifty at the time. Sages, clerics, warriors, wanderers, hunters, even bards… anyone with a skill that wished to aid and proved his worth could join. Now mind you, we only gathered in whole once, on the eve of the Feast of St. Culdona, we surprised a contingent of the Ziltha Elite as they camped not two miles from the tent of King Devan himself. The worthless scouts of the Hylian Royal Army had missed them, and those crack Zora champions were set to hack into King Devan’s rear once battle had been joined the next day. Moving from tent to tent, the Phoenix Talon cut them down in ambush, ensuring victory for the Royal Army the following morn. I’ve heard that tales that the member’s of Lord Devan’s war-council were surprised that the Zora seemed so lost and disorganized that day, and every time I hear that story I just chuckle, knowing we caused the Zora ambush to backfire, saving the empire from full-scale war.

It should come as no surprise when I say things became steadily better after Lord Fiate came to reign in regent for the young Princess Zelda. Unlike King Devan, Lord Fiate was as willing to fight with quill and tongue as sword and spear. Still, Lord Fiate had many wars, some to keep Hyrule safe, others to strengthen it against our enemies. The Phoenix Talon helped as we could, keeping peace and Trian Blood alive in Hyrule Proper as the Royal Guard, armies, militias, and even Shiekah were pulled away to various wars in Zora Fount, Death Mountain, and Greudo Valley. There seemed to be a never ending steam of ruffians, yakuza, and skultoids to deal with. What was more disturbing were the conspiring Noble Houses that would occasionally threaten to move against the Royal House’s scattered forces, an act that would have plunged Hyrule into civil war and the Time Before Light would return. We used all our skills to keep the peace, and for the most part the Phoenix Talon has done its part to light the darkness.

Our number have grown smaller as the peace and prosperity of Queen Zelda’s reign has progressed, but it has always been the duty of the Phoenix Talon to remain vigilant and strong even at the times of peace. Perhaps it is because I feel that way that our numbers have lessened… in the times of peace I want only the strongest and most dedicated Hylains in the group. After all, during these times of peace the work we Phoenix Talon members must do is slightly different. We still have dedicated warriors and adventurers, but due to the presence of the Guard and Shiekah we seldom need to battle raiders, bandits, or Moblins… No, recently I’ve been stocking up on devout clerics, wandering bards, and wizened scholars, who even have a couple with a legitimate chance of sage-hood in their number… The sort of crowd I built up has been working fine for keeping the Trian Blood warm, but unused to the sort of trial that now darkens the land… the time is quickly coming when steel and might will once again come to play if answers cannot be found. I pray the goddesses it never comes to it, but if you want peace, prepare for war!

(Boop boop boo bada boop boop boo)

“You fear a war?” Toran gasped, pausing only a moment from the way he had been shoveling the soup down to gaze levelly at the cook that had been relating the tale. Lucinda put a finger to her lips and blew, the way any older Hylain might to thwart a bad omen.
“Yea do well not ta say such things,” she cautioned, helping herself to another spoonful of the soup, “it brings a bad chill…”
“It does make certain things make sense,” Shiek mused, giving a slightly disgusted look as Toran reached to the pot for fourths, “that’s why Baron Marca didn’t want you getting supplies from Comvarda… if the Pritolate House is going to lead an uprising, they need to be perceived as strong and independent.”
“Aye, I feel that’s the sum of it,” Lucinda mused, “and there has been many a messenger scurrying out to other houses on official business. Under blessed Lord Fiate ol’ Baron Marca was content to build his power and wait for Princess to marry that spineless son of his, but when wed Lord Toran the baron’s patience began to fail.”
“Why now… I mean, the Royal Guard has grown larger since Lord Fiate reined regent,” Toran mumbled through a mouth of soup. Shiek sighed… it was good soup, but her husband was beginning to go overboard. There was actually a flicker of jealousy that she was trying to ruthlessly to squash, but Lucinda’s advice about how to win a man kept flitting in and out of her mind.

“Lord Fiate was a strong leader, filled with charisma and a noble bearing. No Hylian would have been able to stand against him,” Lucinda answered, before throwing an almost apologetic glance at Shiek, “now, and please forgive me, I mean nothing against your friend and my monarch, but Queen Zelda isn’t quite as dominant a force as her father was. You both look old enough to have seen him, surely you won’t begrudge me that statement.”
“Hmmm… you know, I don’t really ever remember meeting Lord Fiate as a child,” Toran answered, which wasn’t far from the truth. Shiek knew that in reality, Toran had only ever met her father a handful of times, and only seriously talked with him twice. Toran had been good enough to earn an Impa Stamp of Approval, and that had been more than enough for her father to agree to the marriage. For her part, Shiek had lived the first twelve years of her life not seeing her father except on rare occasions, and the next seven mourning his death. When time had reset, she had gone out of her way to be with him as much as possible, but the end had still come all too soon. Giving a sigh, she flashed a sad smile at Lucinda.

“I wish I had seen him more…” she offered, knowing a lie would be impossible. Lucinda shot her a questioning glance, but seemed to accept the answer.
“Well, you seem to have had dealing with him then, you see my point. Queen Zelda is fair and just, but lack the general respect her father held. And her husband… well, I try not to hold Akinda blood against him, but Lord Fiate for Lord Toran was hardly an equal trade…”
Shiek glanced at Toran and repressed a smirk. She was definitely coming out on top of Lucinda’s little evaluation, and desperate times or not, Shiek LOVED winning… Am I too much of a bitch? Yeah, probably… but it’s loads of fun!

“You know, I’m originally from Akinda too,” Toran murmured through a mouthful of soup. He had shot Shiek an icy glance, but his actual visage held little in the way of concern over his apparent shortcomings as regent. Statecraft and Empire Building were never things he had even pretended to be good at, and apparently wasn’t surprised that other people held the same view unsolicited.
“I should have known, yea being from the Village and all, and yea do the House name well, lad… you can apparently tuck at the soup too.”
“It’s wonderful,” Toran half spoke half gargled, “garlic… and bit of Deku Root if I’m not mistaken…”
“You’re not mistaken at all lad, and a fine judge of herbs at that! Do yea cook at all?”
“No,” Toran laughed, “just a big fan of eating! I’ve learned a thing or two listening to cooks talk, they like to brag on themselves, and I get samples out of it too.”
“Har, yea have broken the system lad, I can’t never let you in my kitchen now!” Lucinda laughed, obviously warming to Toran as he enjoyed her cooking.

Shiek watched as the two went back and forth, swapping things they had learned over the years. For her part, Shiek just sat there with a hand propping up her chin, the elbow on her knee. She knew absolutely nothing about cooking… and was feeling sort of left out. Of course she hadn’t cooked as a child? Who had? It wasn’t exactly something you picked up during Shiekah training either. Scela had done all the cooking while they were in the cave, so necessity had never been there, and now a veritable army of servants waited to cook for her. What was the big deal anyway, it’s not like she couldn’t cook if she’d wanted to… but Toran was swooning all over this soup like it was the very essence of the goddesses. Ruthlessly forcing down her scowl in an attempt to look unconcerned, Shiek looked back to Toran, who was now discussing the bread Lucinda had brought as he used a crust to soak up some broth.
“And this bread, you made it to?”
“That I did boy, a loose feel and a high rise keep it sweet to the taste.”