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. 

Comments

[younghero]

"I just don't need help. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Actually, to be honest, I'm usually the one fighting actual battles, so, really, you don't gotta worry about me."

Sigh.

"It's not personal, and you've been very nice, I just can take care of me just fine."

[chicklet]

"Honestly, I think what's got Numair and Lady Kel up most is the teleporting in. Keladry isn't a mage at all, so to her that looks like big magic. Numair is a mage, so he understands it to be dangerous magic and worries. An honestly probably also wants to know how you pulled it off, since teleportation isn't one of his strong suits, and gods alone know what it takes to pull that man away from an interesting new spell. And the Dragons didn't exactly offer to teach him their methods of travel."

[younghero]

"I get it, but, I'm feeling like a bug under a magnifying glass. And I'm pretty sure I can't teach anyone."

The Ocarina of Time was off limits, and Angelii powers might make trouble.

"I can get home just fine, and I promise you won't see me again."

[chicklet]

"Yeah, and I'm sorry about that. Not sure how to fix that, except for familiarity. I mean, the pages hardly even stare at Kit or Tkaa after a week or so."

[younghero]

"So, it'll be okay if I just leave?"

That...wasn't what she had said at all, but, Link was reaching for straws. He felt more like a specimen than person, and all thoughts of finding a few sword lessons utterly withered in his mind.

[chicklet]

"We can escort you," she said, apologetically. She sighed. "Everyone is on edge after the war," she said softly. "People are running scared, and so much we always thought to be true shifted under us the past few years. And much of it started with unknown races appearing out of nowhere."

[younghero]

"I really don't think you're gonna find Hyrule on any of your maps. It'd just be a huge waste of your time."

Why did people freak out about his ears? Just because he had a hearing advantage....

"Were you guys at war with blonde kids, or something?"

[chicklet]

"Carthak, though part of the emperor's efforts towards the war was bringing back the Immortals. Sorry for him that not everyone he brought wanted to join his armies and navies." She didn't sound the least bit sorry.

"But all the pages like Kel... they're trained on stories of how the immortals would appear over combat when the realm was opened and the immortals all but shoved out in front of them, often disoriented. Some immortals look mostly human, with just a small difference, some half human, some not at all human looking."

[younghero]

"...I mean, I am a great swordsman, and if you needed help, of course, I'd help..."

Link couldn't help but check the sky, to make sure no moon loomed menacingly.

"But, mostly I feel like vermin or a criminal. And just want to leave."

[chicklet]

"Well, I can't say that anyone would turn down help. For your race, about how old are you?" she asked, consideringly.

[younghero]

"Twelve."

Or ten. Or seventeen. Or nineteen. It all depended on how you looked at it.

Link stood a little more rigid, feeling himself be appraised. He knew what was coming next--disbelief. He decided to try and head it off.

"I can show you."

[chicklet]

Oh, that hadn't been what was coming next at all. But she blinked and smiled politely. "Show... me? Show me what?"

[younghero]

"That I'm...good with a sword."

Greatest in his time, in his homeland. But, while he'd tell another kid, he was a bit more wary with adults or even older teens.

[chicklet]

"Oh that I wasn't doubting," she said with a bit of a smile. "I've seen the Queen's Riders, who start only few years older than you, and anyone who spends time in the palace gets to hear all about the Lioness when she was a page. This isn't Galla where people think children aren't right to learn to defend themselves. Tortall is safe from within, but there are lots of fiefs on the borders, and everyone there learns to fight."

[younghero]

Link hesitated. He almost wanted to explain further, that he hadn't trained his way to where he was....

Instead he just glanced at the ground.

"You said you needed help?"

[chicklet]

"Well you;re a few years young of being a Rider, but I know they are always accepting new pages if you've a nobel sponsoring you. If you truly want to help this kingdom, I am sure I could arrange that. It is hard work, but... it is also something the realm sorely needs. More fully trained knights."

[younghero]

Link's expression turned apologetic.

"Oh, I'm already going to be a knight in Hyrule. I'm friends with the princess. I couldn't possibly take any oaths for anyone except her."

He looked up to meet her gaze. "I meant more immediate help. Monsters. Demons. Quests. That sort of thing."

[chicklet]

She nodded, respecting that answer.

"Well for that you'd have to talk to the King, his Champion, or head of the Own, I suspect. They're the ones in charge of sending troops where they need to be. Until we're needed, we're mostly just here to help with the palace animals and train the pages."

[younghero]

"Sounds like you might not need me," Link smiled. That was good news. It was nice to see places that weren't on the brink of disaster.

[chicklet]

She smiled a bit too. "No offense, but it is nice to be leaving the after war clean up to others and dealing with more day to day issues. I've had quite enough of war for one."

[younghero]

Link made a peculiar sound between a laugh and a sob. It wasn't the sort of sound a child should have made, it was an oddly bitter sound more befitting a veteran.

"Oh, I don't know. I would have given quite a lot for the honor of clean-up."

He shook his head. "Restoration is a privilege for the victors, you know. Being excluded hurts."

[chicklet]

She gave a bit of a snort and crossed her arms. "Excluded does, but still a sight better than left for dead, then hunted to be murdered by thems you an yer mum usedta help," she said, her accent coming back as she thought of her ma, dead in Snowsdale. Even knowing what happened after changed little, some days. "Raiders did for the house, an two days passed full before any two-leggers thought ta come check on us. We coulda been in pain, sufferin all that time." Well, she had been, though not wounded. "An soon after, they that did come tried to kill me an Cloud, like I hadn't spent my whole life helpin out, like ma hadn't given all she had as midwife an healer, bringing into the world some of what tried ta take me out of it. How I wound up in Tortal. I was well done with thems what called themselves my village after that."

Someone gets it, kid.

"But trust me, thems that exclude someone what fights from helping rebuild is only punishing themselves more."

[younghero]

Link stiffened. "I know and that's half the trouble, but, I wasn't seventeen in my mind, only my body, so I couldn't stay even though I wanted to."

[chicklet]

"Now tha sounds like a story for a good campfire," she said with a bit of a grin.

[younghero]

"I'm not a good storyteller. If Sheik were here, you should ask them. Or my brother Shadow."

Both had a flair for dramatics that Link readily admitted he lacked. Shadow had at least read about the Hero of Time, and Sheik had obviously been there.