The Link between a page and a knight - PSL for Link in Tortall

[chicklet]

 Passage into this world would not have been easy, and there would have been an odd sensation like ripping through the remains of a barrier that tried to keep him out, but was too tattered and torn to work properly. Thankfully, the gods were with him in one respect. He could have easily landed in a company of the King's Own, or the Queen's Riders, or the Palace Guard. Instead he dropped down just outside the palace in front of a youngster, all of eleven years old - though topping five feet already at that age, heading to the city proper. 

Kel stopped dead, seeing a boy with pointed ears appear out of nowhere, then drew her small knife, wishing she had her naginata, or even one of the horns the pages used on their field trips. She didn't even have her dog or the birds with her, all of whom had proven themselves this past year. But she was still a page of the kingdom, to the shock of all, and she was not going to let some immortal get past her. Even if this was the first time she'd ever seen an immortal that looked like a kid.

But with those ears, and appearing like that, he had to be an immortal? Right?

All of this was running through her mind, but none of it showed on her face. Her expression was blank, as though she were a carved statue of a person rather than flesh. Her stance was practiced, though she never thought to be fighting off an immortal with just a belt knife, no matter how fine the black handled blade was! Her brown hair was cut short above her ears, her hazal-green eyes watched him with no seeming concern. No seeming emotion at all, really. 

But Mithros' spear! She could at least have a weapon or back up or something!

<i>No, Kel. Stone</i> she reminded herself sharply. <i>No, not stone. A serene lake. </i> she needed to be able to flow into her motions, rather than stiffen up.

"Who are you and what business have you here?" she asked, and her voice - as emotionless as her face - was pretty much the first, last, and only hint that the person menacing him with a short blade was female. 

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[younghero]

Link held his palm out flat for the horses to smell, talking to them softly. "Sorry, I don't have anything for you. My Epona finds any treats I carry pretty quickly." He'd pet any that allowed him, muttering soft praises with a small goofy smile.

[chicklet]

Daine grinned and slid an apple into one of his hands when she saw one free, talking to the horses as well. "Well behaved, I can tell yes. No, sorry, Cloud isn't with me this time." She laughed. "Neither are Kitten and Tkaa, don't worry." Then to the largest of the three. "You remember my two-legger friend Numair, right? You'll be careful with him? I thank you," she said taking another apple from a basket a lad was holding for her, and giving it to the large horse as a treat as she blew into his nostrils lightly. "There's a good lad. Thank you," she said when he finished. Then she patted another and smiled at it, with a look like she was having a conversation, but she said nothing. After a moment she laughed, patted its nose, then lifted herself easily into the saddle like she'd been raised there.

She smiled at Link. "I think they like you near about as much as you like them."

[younghero]

"Then you are much friendlier than my Epona," he laughed a little, letting a horse have the treat. "I had to play her a song on an ocarina before she'd be friends with me. And only Malon and me can ride her unassisted."

Link wasn't entirely sure, but, he thought that Shadow probably had a decent shot at it as well.

[chicklet]

"Any horses that get to know Daine become more intelligent and kinder," Numair said. "And better at dealing with silly mages like myself who used to fall out of the saddle as often as not until she came along."

"Just don't think the wolves are any kinder for my presence," she said with a voice that was half joking and half serious. "I think Brokefang would lose his tail if he thought someone was underestimating the pack that way. I understand why they did what they did when the valley was being ruined, but I think he and a few of the others got far too much of a taste for mischief and would not mind an excuse to start it up again. Maura has enough issues trying to rule as it is."

[younghero]

Horseback riding, like swordsmanship, seemed to be another innate trait of the hero. He supposed those were important enough they made a lasting impression on his soul---although, it too might have been a case where the goddesses needed him to be good at it and fast.

The talk about wolves made his ears perk slightly. "Wolves protect their own."

[chicklet]

"Yes, and some packs do it better than others," Numair said dryly.

"So long as Maura treats them right they'll be fine with her," she said, but she said it like she was trying to convince herself more than them.

[younghero]

"I spent a week as one. They're not as bad as Wolfos."

[chicklet]

"What is a Wolfo?" Numair asked as the horses made their way up a through a small town towards the keep at the top of the hill.

Daine was playing with the badger claw, lost in her own thoughts.

[younghero]

"Wolfos," Link corrected. "They're big monsters that look like wolves, howl like them, have nasty claws---but, they're kinda mindless."

[chicklet]

"Are they immortal, or People?" Daine asked.

[younghero]

"Monsters," Link replied, a little surprised. "Like moblins or skulltulas."

[chicklet]

"We have never heard of any of those," Numair admitted apologetically as a large hunting bird swooped down, Daine raised an arm, without glove or bracer, and it landed there, careful not tp pierce her skin as she brought it close to stroke its head.

[younghero]

"They're probably only native to Hyrule....and usually mean something really bad is going on, if there's a bunch of them."

[chicklet]

As if her accepting the hunting bird was a signal, birds from all directions flocked down, landing on every bit of the girl they could find, and a few of them landed on her horse, who flicked an ear in irritation, but otherwise did not seem to mind.

Daine could now hardly be seen for the feathers and beaks. But her delighted laugh could be heard over the squawking and bird song.

As for the birds themselves... these are not birds that generally cohabitate well. She now had two different kinds of hawk, four starlings, two pigeons, three crows, two ravens, and a few brightly coloured birds that were clearly well tended pets. A goose rested on her head, glaring at any bird that might come too near it, and a small vulture, barely more than a fledgling settled on her saddle against her stomach.

"I would be fascinated to learn of them," Numair said as if a scene from a Hitchcock movie were not unfolding before them.

What seemed like every other bird that lived in a three mile radius had come to settle on rooftops and stalls to watch. Three gulls called overhead before finding places on her horse.

A pelican settled in on a high post to watch, still working on its breakfast.

[younghero]

That was a lot of birds. Link didn't particularly have a bird phobia, but, even he was watching warily.

"Moblins and Wolfos? They're extremely dangerous if you don't have a weapon."

[chicklet]

"Thankfully as a mage, that is rarely a concern of mine," he said with a bit of a grin. "My Gift is my weapon, most of the time. Daine, on the other hand, favours a bow."

After she had greeted all the birds, she lifted her hands and most of them flew off. Two starlings rested on the horse's head, though, refusing to move on. She looked down at her clothes, and sighed. "Suddenly missing kitten," she said with a laugh as she pulled out a handkerchief to try and wipe some of the bird mess off her tunic. "I had to reassure the bats though, some of them wanted to wake to greet us, but they need their rest, hinting has been thin this week."

[younghero]

"It helps if you're fast and sneaky too."

At least with moblins. Wolfos like to be sneaky themselves.

Link was privately grateful that the bats hadn't emerged into the daylight hours. They were a bit too much like keese for his tastes, even though bats rarely (to his knowledge) set themselves on fire to attack people.

Bird droppings, on the other hand, didn't bother the boy in the least.

[chicklet]

"For that we generally depend on Daine." he said with a grin.

"Why do I suspect I've just been insulted?" she asked as a cat lept up onto her saddle. More cats, and a number of dogs came out around buildings to walk with them, careful of the horse hooves.

[younghero]

Link merely nodded solemnly. Slow or loud equaled dead, magic or no.

The dogs put him in mind of Castle Town. He'd liked playing with them at night, when everyone else was asleep. He smiled briefly at the sight of them, but, his expression went somber again fairly quickly.

He was still extremely uncomfortable with all of this.

[chicklet]

They were nearly to the palace stables when Daine's horse stopped suddenly. She was still slipping off before it stilled. She hadn't pulled on the reins or said anything outloud to get it to stop.

As soon as her feet hit the ground she was off running. Numair clumsily pulled his horse to a halt, watching after her.

thought I responded! sorry

[younghero]

Link watched, puzzled. His mount wasn't quite as responsive as his Epona, but, was still a good horse, and stopped when he told it to.

"Is...everything okay?"

Re: thought I responded! sorry

[chicklet]

"For her to move like that? Injured animal," he watched the way she'd gone. "Do wish she had Cloud or Kitten with her, at least." He was clearly worried, but staying put.

[younghero]

Link nodded and chewed his lip. A part of him suggested that this would be an excellent time to make an escape, but, if there happened to be real danger, it didn't seem right to leave them to it.

[chicklet]

A few tense minutes later she came wandering back to them, a raccoon drape over her shoulder, napping.

"Poor guy got himself caught by one of the palace dogs, but the dog was called back before he could finish, left this little one suffering." she scratched the small furry head.

[younghero]

Link watched this with some uncertainty. He wasn't sure if she'd managed to heal it or not, and truthfully didn't have much experience with raccoons as a species.

He was, keeping uncharacteristically quiet through this little journey, wishing he'd gone home to Hyrule instead, and still feeling very trapped.