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 can't stay too long. My dad and brother and princess will worry if I'm gone for very long."

Link paused. "See...I surpassed all the teachers in my world, so, any bit of extra instruction helps."

[chicklet]

"How long is not long?" Badger asked, scratching his ear again.

[younghero]

"No more than a few days. A week at most."

[chicklet]

Daine frowned. "There is no way to get to the Lioness that quickly, last we heard she was in Pirate's Swoop. That's a week and a half's ride over land."

[younghero]

"That's okay, I understand."

Link nodded. Not everyone could teleport via song, after all.

[chicklet]

"Not sure who else I could ask," Daine said, thinking. "Most of the Knights are on patrols now, and Sir Wlydon only trains the pages and squires...."

[younghero]

"It's alright. It was a long shot anyway."

Link smiled slightly.

[chicklet]

The Badger grumbled. "Don't expect this all the time, kit. Go get your stick man and be quick about it. You'll have to get back to Corus yourselves."

Daine slid from the saddle to hug the small creature. "Thank you, Badger. The two of us can travel quick enough on our own so he'll be back in time for the pages and Squires."

The pony huffed, flattened her ears, then turned and trotted off back the way they came.

[younghero]

Link rubbed his neck, wishing he had brought Epona.

[chicklet]

Numair came walking up several moments later. "The ponies promised to head back to the stables and behave. Cloud even said she wouldn't nip at Peachblossom."

Daine snorted and wrapped her arms around one of his. On their feet the difference between their heights...and apparent ages... was more obvious. He had more than a foot on her, and at least twenty more years from the looks of it. And as she seemed closer to Link's age than to his, that was more than a little disturbing, potentially. Especially given that the look she was giving to him was loving, but not in a family sort of way. He leaned to press a kiss on the top of her head, then looked to the badger. "And an honor to see you again, good sir."

The Badger snorted. "No whining to me if the Lioness isn't in her sett or you two go back late," he warned. Then he looked to Link. "Come closer, I'm not as young as I used to be."

Daine hid a giggle in Numair's shirt.

[younghero]

Link wasn't one to judge, at least not after meeting Anju and Kafei in Termina.

He obediently came closer at the badger's request.

[chicklet]

The Badger nodded once, there was a bright flash of light, then they were in a completely different forest. Far less dense, and the air carried hints of ocean to the east. To the north was a fortress, flags flying.

Daine let go of the mage to bend and kiss the Badger on his head. "Thank you, Badger."

"Yer a good enough kit," he said. "Just don't go thinking the Gods are always going to be at your beck and call, Weiryn's daughter."

She grinned. "Perish the thought. Besides, when you call for Gods, half the time you get the wrong one anyway, at least among the Two-Legger Gods. The People are far more sensible about that sort of thing."

He gave a small snort. "You meet the Dawn Crow then tell me about sensible," he muttered but he sounded flattered, anyway. He twisted to look at Link again. "Be good, don't get my kit killed." With a flash of silver, he vanished.

"No words for me, I noticed," Numair said, somewhat amused.

[younghero]

Link felt mildly incredulous that his teleportation caused such concern, only to find himself teleported into a new location.

He bristled slightly at the suggestion he'd get anyone killed, when he'd offered to leave just moments earlier. But, he managed to just sigh to himself, wondering what he'd ever done to annoy his own goddesses....

[chicklet]

If he voiced that complaint, Numair would have explained the difference. But since he hadn't... The tall man turned to face the fortress. "We should make it there within two hours, at a good walk," he said. Then glanced back at Daine. "That is if someone can stay out of the ocean long enough?"

She rolled her eyes. "Learned my lessons, thanks, no more turning off my heart, and no more getting pummeled by sea lion bulls for not warning them when I come close to their mates. Besides, there aren't any whales within my reach at all."

[younghero]

Link was perfectly willing to walk. He'd walked all of Hyrule before he got his Epona.

Although, he was a little puzzled at the talk of swimming lions. And his traveling companions were awful chummy. He felt like a third wheel, and seriously debated running off as a wolf.

He figured they'd just trap him or something, so decided against it for the moment.

"What's that?"

He nodded towards the structure.

[chicklet]

"Pirate's Swoop, Well, the fortress" Daine said. "Home of Baron George and Alanna the Lioness and their kids when they're not in Corus. And given about how furious Alanna is with the King, she probably won't be in the city for some time. That flag with the lion rearing is her banner. So she's in, seems like George is out, though."

"And one day we will stop this gods curst stupid practive of telling the world when a fief or holding is protected and when the Queen is here with her defenders lured away," he said, grimly.

Daine patted his arm. "You have fun getting that one changed, dear."

[younghero]

Link nodded solemnly. "We don't have a tradition like that in Hyrule."

Possibly because both Wisdom and Premonition ran in the Royal Family.

[chicklet]

"How many fiefs?" Daine asked, curiously.

[younghero]

"What's a fief?"

Hyrule was just....Hyrule. The Hero of Twilight could have named provinces, but, this Link from his time could only name the settlements of his homeland.

And there weren't many.

[chicklet]

"A holding, held by a Lord and his family, or a Lady and hers, on behalf of the king," Numair explained. "Fiefs are responsible for providing taxes to the crown, either form their people or their own treasury, training soldiers to support the crown at needed, and billeting crown troops in times of war or on long journeys to battlefields. The Crown is obligated to protect the fief when there is more danger than their own troops can reasonably handle, help with food when there is famine, and with rebuilding when a disaster destroys more than the fief can reasonably rebuild on their own. The Fief is also responsible for the care of its people. As they're also the crown's people, the King responds seriously to reports that a Lord might be abusing their people."

Daine grinned a bit. "And sometimes it is fun to teach lessons to those who think they can plot against the throne just because they rule their fief."

"I am not certain fun was the term we used at the time," Numair said dryly.

She just grinned impishly at him.

[younghero]

Link just looked faintly puzzled. He supposed at a stretch, one could call the Gorons' city and Zora's Domain fiefs on that definition, but...it didn't quite fit. And of course, the Gorons and Zora were allies, not schemers.

He slowly shook his head. "Must not be a thing we have. Hyrule's capitol is Castle Town, it's a walled city that surrounds the castle itself. There's settlements of Zora--er, water people--and Gorons---rock people, and a few Hylian villages. Oh, and the Kokiri keep to the forest or else they die."

[chicklet]

"Why would they be killed if they left the forest?" Daine asked, horrified.

[younghero]

"Magic of the forest keeps them alive and eternally young."

[chicklet]

"Oh." she said, reassessing a bit. "Odd magic," she finally said. "Well here our capital city is Corus, and it is walled in with the palace. Most of the villages are in fiefs, or are the fiefs themselves."

She wasn't sure if rock people and water people meant miners and fishermen or if it was more literal.

[younghero]

"Old magic."

For a moment he thought about the Great Deku Tree telling him to leave the forest, and how it hadn't made a lot of sense at the time. He'd half expected to keel over when he crossed over the bridge away from Saria....

"Your country must be very large."