Marin
I lay on the beach, feeling the warm waves crash against my bare feet. I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled the smells of the sea, the salty air and the bananas from the trees. The hot sun beat down on the sand, warming my skin and relaxing away my worries. I opened my eyes again at the thought. I had no worries No one had worries on this island. We just lived life one day at a time. That's how it's always been, and probably how it always will be.
All of the sudden the sounds of the tide were interrupted by the crunching of boots in the sand coming closer to my head. I didn't bother to look up, as I knew who it was. Link plopped down behind me on the ground. He tucked his arms under my shoulders and let out a sigh, running his fingers through my hair.
"Hi there," he said softly.
"Hi."
"I like that dress. Green is a good color on you."
I opened my eyes and looked out at the landscape for a moment.
"Thanks for noticing," I muttered.
I woke up with a start...
I'd apparently fallen asleep on the shore and high tide had come, as the waves were now crashing over my head, burning my eyes with salt and placing large deposits of sand in very uncomfortable places around my legs... VERY uncomfortable.
I crawled up from under the water and sat down on a log, coughing up water and rubbing my eyes in pain. The awful taste of salt stuck in my throat and dried out mouth. I sat there, recovering for a few minutes. This was just perfect. This sort of thing always happened to me... like the time that the strap to my shoes...
Oh, shit!
My shoes!! Where were they?! I jumped up and looked out at the water, hoping that they weren't out there. My hopes were unanswered. Sure enough, the tide had carried away my shoes, as they were now out in the middle of the ocean.
"No..." I moaned to myself as I started towards the water.
I frantically swam out into the water, trying to retrieve them... but it was no use. A large wave suddenly took me and carried me back to shore, bashing me into the sand.
That always happened!! Every time someone went out too far into the water, the tide would pick them up and carry them back to the beach. Even with big ships that set of for exploration... The wave would catch them and bring them to shore, smashing them to pieces.
But it didn't save my shoes!
As I sat out on the shore, tired and soaked, I slowly realized that, sadly, there was nothing I could do about it. I'd have to walk barefoot from now on.
No, I couldn't get a new pair and I couldn't save these. The only place on the island you could buy a pair of shoes was from Christine the Goat. But it's been too dangerous to travel to animal village lately. You couldn't go through the prairie without facing monsters. She always ate the shoes while she made them anyways...
So, feeling disappointed, I began walking back home.
And I found a very nice surprise when I got back.
"Richard!!"
I ran out and threw my arms around Richard, taking a whiff of his soft cologne. I had been absolutely forever since I had seen Richard.
"Hello there, Marin," he replied with his smooth voice.
I was so surprised! Richard! Richard, with his silky dark hair, and his tall, strong body, had actually come back to see me!!
Richard was a guy who resided in an old castle in the middle of the prairie. Seeing as this turned him into an egotistical jerk, he now called him self "the prince."
Kind of dumb, huh?
But I could see his qualities, and found him oddly attractive. Unfortunately, my daddy seriously disapproved of him, So nothing could ever happen between us.
Behind him was Carrie... his sister and one of my best friends. She took after he brother in several ways... most noticeable of which was the ego.
And the first thing he noticed were my missing shoes. Go figure.
It turned out that Richard was here for more than just my companionship. He informed me that monsters had invaded his castle, slaughtering all of his servants and forcing him to run. After a bloody fight, he had managed to escape and flee to his sister's villa.
He probably made over half of it up, but... oh, well.
"I hear word of an outsider that is quite the toned warrior," he said, with a slightly curious tone.
I grunted. "I don't know. He carries his sword around like it was a cherished pet or something. I've only seen him two times since I met him,"
Richard laughed a little.
"You don't sound very fond of him," he chuckled.
"Oh, no," I corrected him. "I find Link to be very intriguing."
"You mean very attractive!" Carrie teased, with an acidly sweet tone.
"Possibly," I snapped back at her.
"Can we get back on topic?!" said Richard.
"Sorry..."
Richard walked up to me and stared down into my eyes.
"Listen," he growled. "I need that guy's help and you are my only way to get it. So quit fooling around and get busy!"
I shoved him away.
"IF... I see him. He doesn't show up very often."
Richard brushed of his clothes where I shoved him and tried to recollect his dignity.
"Very well. I will see you again sometime," he said calmly.
With that, he flipped around his cape and left.
What a jerk.
I woke up the next morning as soon as the sun shined in through my window. I groaned, lying on my stomach, covering my eyes with the pillow, reluctant to get up. I did get up, however, and walked over to the window. I slid it open, took a breath of the early morning air, and smiled.
I could tell already that I would enjoy the day.
I got dressed and walked out to the backyard... and, to my surprise, found Link. He was lying out in the grass, with his eyes closed. It looked like he was asleep. I walked over to him and gently shook his shoulder.
He didn't budge. So I shook harder. And harder. And Harder...
"You're up early..." He finally said, opening one eye.
I giggled a little, letting go of him, relieved that he was alright.
"I came out to chop firewood. I work, you know..."
He winked at me with a mischievous grin. "Don't worry about it."
"What?"
I looked down to the right of Link's figure, to find all of the firewood chopped and bundled. I looked at him with a blank face.
"I decided I'd pitch in a little," he said.
I laughed.
"So, what brings you to the village?" I asked him, as we walked back to the house. "I haven't seen you in a while."
He shrugged his shoulders and looked ahead.
"Well, I kinda decided that I should... take a break."
I looked at him with confusion.
"I'm gunna stay with you for a few days," he explained.
"Ah, I get it now." I smiled at him, though he didn't seem to notice.
I looked up at the outline of the Tal Tal Heights, trying to find Mt. Tamaranch. The winds were beginning to pick up, whipping around my hair, swaying around the trees and...
"Why are you barefoot?"
That piece of shit...
I ignored him and continued walking.
Today was the perfect weather. The temperatures were warm and mellow... about 70 degreesin the evening. The wind was blowing gently, and the air was crisp and clean.
Link and I had spent the entire day together, walking around the village and on the beach. And as the sun set, turning the sky cool shades of pink and purple, I picked out a large shape, almost birdlike, against the sky. I pointed it out to Link.
"Looks like a big bird..." he said sarcastically.
I shot him a glance. Still, he smiled back at me teasingly.
I can still remember how captivated I had felt when he looked at me that way. With his scruffy blond hair, which he parted to the left, and his big blue eyes... captivated wasn't really a strong enough word to describe it.
Then I suddenly asked myself something: Why was I so attracted to him suddenly?
I stared at him. I didn't see why not. He was very casual and easy to be around... Friendly, smart, cute...
And still, something in his eyes looked sad.
"Hey, Marin?"
I snapped out of my trance with a start.
"What?"
Link looked at me with a blank eyes.
"What can you tell me about the Wind Fish?"
The Wind Fish... I once again looked over at the mountain, this time shifting my focus directly to the egg.
"The Wind Fish is our god," I said softly. The wind picked up and blew around my hair and the hem of my skirt.
Link got up and walked over to me. He helped me up.
"See that egg?" I asked, pointing to Mt. Tamaranch. "That's the Wind Fish's egg. It's sleeping in there."
Link looked over at me. I could see it in his eyes. He was up to something. I began to feel very uneasy.
"What would happen if the Fish were to wake up?" he asked, with an uncomforting tone of voice.
I suddenly became afraid. This was not something he should be asking.
"People say that something horrible would happen, or that..."
I was cut of by the sound of a flute and the winds became fierce. I whipped around with and surprise, looking around for any kind of player. I couldn't tell where it was coming from...the air suddenly filled with loud flapping noises, and a huge shadow cloaked over us. I looked up paralyzed in fear. In the branches of the dark tree was perched a giant owl. It was outlined against the dusky sky, every ringed feather, every talon casting an intimidating terror.
It glared down at me with eyes that blazed like a fire. They flowed down at me, piercing into my heart. I felt a huge lump of terror rising up in my chest...
And then it spoke to me.
"Leave."
I stood there for a moment, too scared to move.
"Leave!" It repeated, louder than before.
I ran away in fear.
