Located midway between Dueling Peaks, two enormous twin peaks that a thin pass cuts through, is a small, cozy rest stop and stable. South of it are Big Twin Bridge and Little Twin Bridge. North is the dreaded Ash Swamp, home to tribes of various Bokoblins but also supposedly there’s loot. To the east is an old tower called the “Hateno Tower.” It has always been there and it’s pretty dormant though people claim to hear a woman’s voice eerily speaking from it. Further east is the first piece of legitimate civilization in a while, Hateno Village. Although, supposedly, there are whispers of a hidden village to the north.



•Ash Swamp
•Hidden Village to the North
•Hateno Tower
•Hateno Village



These are all NPCs.
•Darton and Shibo: Two twin brothers of adolescent age and horse experts.
•Domidak and Prissen: Two treasure hunters as well as twin brothers of adult age who may know where some treasure may be.
•Hino: A storyteller who will happily enlighten you of the tale about the dreaded Blood Moon.
•Rensa and Tasseren: Twins again? What is going on here? Tassern owns the stable, while Rensa owns the Inn. Tassern can sell you a horse for a decent price! If you don't have any rupees, then you better go find something to trade (*coughtreasurecough*). Rensa, on the other hand, will offer you two types of beds to rest in: regular or soft bed. The soft bed is slightly more expensive but leaves characters feeling extra refreshed.



•Horses
•Inn
•Cooking Pot
•Trade
•Rumors
•1 GM Event



These are all NPCs.
•Beedle: Identified by the large beetle-like shell pack he wears on his back. Beedle likes to sell bugs, arrows, and other odd monster parts.
•Angus: He likes to sell or trade dairy products: milk, cheese, and eggs.
•Bugut: He sells exotic animal ingredients. They are also very expensive. One of his exotic animals...hm...seems to actually be alive and not an animal at all!
•Mezer: Meat, meat, and more meat. You need meat and rock salt? He got you.


1. No OOC in the IC. Use the OOC and @mention whoever's attention you need.
2. No ridiculously huge pics. Use an image website to shrink them down. If you can't shrink it, then put a hider around it.
3. No blinding or too dark to read font colors. I should not have to highlight your writing to be able to read it.
4. Interact. There are a lot of things to do. Meet each other and do it together. Do not go alone.
5. Posting Courtesy. Allow every player involved to have a chance to post. Unless you get that writer's permission to skip him or her, then you may do so. Do not make a tea party.
6. Posting Order. There will only be a P.O. in a GM event. The GM will literally let you know in the GM post what the order is and who goes first. So for now, do not worry about it. The GM will also make it very obvious when a GM post is dropped. It will have a GM header, "GM event."
7. Use th Tag. The tag is designed to help everyone keep track of your character's location and who he or she is talking to. Please have the tag posted at the top of every single one of your posts. Thank you.


[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Deity:[/b] (Nayru, Farore, Din, or Hylia)
[b]Time/Date:[/b] Day 1, Morning (already wrote it in for you)
[b]Location:[/b] Where is your character at?
[b]Tagging:[/b] Who is your character directly talking to or interacting with? @Mention those involved.

As the sun peaked the mountains, bathing Hyrule in its sacred light, at Dueling Peaks Stable, the cuckoo crowed to inform the residents that it was time to rise. As routine, the fire at the Inn was started, Tasseren with the excitable boys, Darton and Shibo, went outside to tend to the painted steeds. Treasure hunters and traveling merchants started to pour out of the Inn, the merchants setting up shop hoping to catch the eye of a wanderer. It was another morning at Dueling Peaks Stable, and another night survived. Every night, when the sun went down, the land was haunted by undead beasts. With Hylia’s light set for the night, the demons sprouted from the earth eager to take as many souls before the night ended.

Stepping out of the Inn, stretching his brown arms high into the air, was one of the traveling merchants—a connoisseur of exotic animal ingredients. He had so far stayed at the stable for two days, selling his products, and most especially, putting on display his most exotic of creatures. The man in a simple dark-gray tunic and blue trousers approached a wagon loaded with sacks, crates, and jars. In the center of it was a tall, rectangular shape beneath a beige cloth tarp. Bugut rested his hands on the back of the cart and climbed into the back of the wagon. Stepping over to the tarp, he stooped to grasp it and throw it over, revealing the glass tank and the red creature curled and sleeping upon the floor.

“Rise and shine Koja!” Bugut called.

The Zora’s right eye parted in a golden slit as he groggily peered up at the merchant. A flurry of bubbles left his gills as he pushed off the tank bottom to drift upright. Stretching his own arms, Koja yawned, showing a maw of shark-like teeth. “Morning,” he sleepily greeted.

“Did you sleep all right?” Bugut asked as he opened one of the crates to remove some salted Hyrule Bass.

Koja frowned softly at the ground. He was always left outside when night fell, and beneath the tarp he often heard scary things that kept him up. While everyone was safe inside the Inn, he was outside at the mercy of whatever it was and he had no way of finding out if the noises he heard were monsters. He didn’t want the monsters to find him. Hesitantly, he answered: “…yeah, I guess.”

Bugut reached up and dropped three fish into the tank and smiled as Koja swam over to them, catching the fish between his teeth and chomping them down. “Don’t worry; we’ll only be here for one more day, and then we’ll go somewhere different.”

With full cheeks, Koja’s eyes widened a little in fright, “But I like it here. I don’t see too many horses.” He also refrained from telling him that Darton and Shibo had actually been visiting him in secret and telling him many horse stories. “It’s small and quiet. The fields are pretty (when I get to see them). It’s nice.”

Bugut nodded as though he were listening but his mind was still set on moving on. “There are more stables. I’m planning on going after a rumor.”

Koja tilted his head. “What rumor?”

“The one about a hidden village north of here. They must not get much business, so they’ll be starving for whatever I bring. Doesn’t that excite your inner adventurer?”

A hidden village? What if Bugut never found the hidden village? Then they would be at the mercy of Bokoblins or running out of travel rations. Koja tried not to look so glum. “It may be dangerous. Maybe we should hire some protection?”

Bugut reached up to grasp the tarp and guffawed, “Ha! Protection? I am your protection. I’ve kept you safe this far haven’t I? We’ll be fine. Besides, bodyguards cost money! I’m going to go get some breakfast at the Inn. I’ll come back later when it’s time for your performance.”

Koja nodded. “Okay.” Under the tarp again.

Aja looked up as the sun rose above everything else in the sky, coating the land in a blinding array of reds, yellows and oranges. This was her favorite time of day, that quiet moment between day and night where the world seemed to forget to continue moving, if only for a moment. When even the Bokoblins looked up at the sky in awe, reaching forwards to try and capture the fleeting beauty, wishing it would last just a moment longer. Aja blushed at nobody in particular as she realised she had stopped moving comlpetely just to stare at the sunrise, she remembered how Big Brother used to get up early with her to watch the sun rise, but quickly dismissed the memory as she suddenly broke into a run, the heavy bag of ore and stone from other locations barely seeming to weigh her down. She had to get there quickly, she was never late and at this rate she would not be there soon enough to set up properly.



Aja had just barely made it across the bridge by the point the sun had finally risen above the twin peaks, and had just enough time to cross the bridge and reach an empty space near the other merchant setups that she could settle into.

Moving slowly and surely, her mere step caused the earth nearby to shudder as she carved out a 2 foot sloping dent in the earth where she set up shop. She sat there for a good hour from there, sitting cross legged and feeling the earth for her goal until a food wide circle of earth shuddered and allowed a small chunk of metal to rise.

She smiled to herself, dusting off the chunk of iron and humming gently as the metal warped underneath her touch. She broke small chunks off the metal that were eventually molded into rings and small shining orbs that one could easily see their reflection in, and use the rest to finish several animal figurines. Wolves whose differences in coat color were marked by several shades and types of stone fused together as if they had grown that way, bears, horses and even knights made of stone and iron.

She sighed as she finished, looking up and around her to finally notice how closely she had set up shop near another trader. It would have been irresponsible of her to not remember Bugut's presence from just the items displayed alone. She grinned as she rose to her knees, her eyes peering out of her little trench as she spoke out. "Bugut, what are you doing here? Not many people to swindle here!" Aja yelled out with a grin, she vaguely remembered the man from a meeting when she was much younger, but had since heard tales of his success.

---

The long, dark, heavier traveling cloak hung about the hylian girl's shoulders, concealing her visage and protecting it from the rays of first light that had begun to shine over the land. However, Zelah felt a shudder run through her shoulders briefly, a small shiver at just the thoughts of how different it was in these parts as compared to her home. The desert nights were freezing, yes, and the days rather burning and unforgiving. Around here it felt more consistent since leaving the desert a ways, and the humidity was an odd thing to experience for one who had lived in a dry area for all of her life that she could remember. Albeit, at least her circlet was keeping her perfectly comfortable in the current temperatures. That, at least, was a nice thing to have in her mind.

As she had approached the stables, the sign of a fire and nearby merchant beginning to set up seemed to bring fresh air into her lungs and more energy in her steps to approach the place. The prior night, she had been forced to defend herself from about three red bokoblins who had wandered in her direction. Running, shooting arrows, eventually having to draw her blade, it hadn't been a fun journey by any means. But she was Gerudo...no matter what her body was like, she was tough enough to handle these things! She had to be...or how else would she be able to figure things out about her past? It wasn't like a miracle was going to fall from the sky...though such a thought felt oddly familiar to her in a way she couldn't describe.

Though instead of moving right to the fire to warm herself and maybe cook a meal with what little she had on her person, as many travelers might have done, Zelah decided to find a somewhat more isolated spot to sit.

Trying to not draw any distinct attention, she walked around the side of the inn near a wagon with a tarp over it. Then after taking a brief look to her sides, and thinking she was suitably out of the greater line of sight of most, the Hylian girl collapsed to the ground on her butt. It slightly hurt to plop down to sit like that, but....she was rather tired. She had gotten some sleep, but had yet to really wake up properly since.

"Perhaps i can lodge here for the night....should i still have enough coin for such. Though at least i have enough on my person to cook a good breakfast," the girl said to herself quietly, not knowing if anyone was nearby to hear her or not as she pulled down her hood and let her styled-up golden hair fall out and almost shimmer in the lovely morning rays.

Zelah then drew in a long, slow breath of air before letting it out gradually and calmly. Had her parents enjoyed the same air she was now, whomever they were? Did she even have any relatives alive for that matter who could tell her about her parents? She had come out here, and would keep traveling at that, until she found the answers to her past in this land of Hyrule.

But today....hmmm, perhaps in the meantime she could get a nap in to boot, and do some training a short distance away to keep it private once breakfast had been consumed to boot.

At the young voice, Bugut stopped and looked over his shoulder to see a familiar tiny merchant setting up shop. Travelling merchants often ran into each other on the trade route. It was inevitable for there weren’t too many safe passages around Hyrule. Whirling around to face the runt, Bugut grinned largely in amusement. “It’s the shrimp! Are you following me? Trying to follow the successful merchants, huh?” He laughed as he stroked his own ego. Curiously, he walked over to her and looked her over. “Hm…you don’t look any different from when I last saw you. Still a baby,” he teased.

Meanwhile, Koja heard some noise outside of his tank. Bugut seemed to be cheerfully speaking with someone. Had he ran into a friend? The earth crackled around the wagon. It sounded like someone moving. As he heard the person talk to themselves, the red Zora swam excitedly in a circle. It sounded like a girl.

Racing over to the wagon were two boys that looked completely identical. Their ears were pointed in a Hylian fashion and they wore red and white clothes and hats with a horseshoe collar self-denoting them as horse experts.

“Come on!” Shibo yelled over his shoulder to Darton. As they approached the wagon, Shibo noticed the strange girl and immediately pressed his heels into the dirt. He slid to a stop as Darton bumped into him from behind.

“Hey!” Darton irritably exclaimed. He then peered over Shibo’s shoulder at the girl and then paled. For a few seconds, Shibo continued to stare at Zelah before he quickly turned around and huddled with his twin brother. His cheeks flushed.

“She’s pretty,” he muttered quietly.

Darton blushed. “Dummy. She’s sitting by the wagon. How are we supposed to go see Fish Face?”

Shibo squinted his eyes over his shoulder at Zelah, giving her a strange look before he looked back at Darton. “She looks like she can keep a secret. Besides, if she tells, we’ll put bugs in her hair.”

“Or a horse patty in her bed!”

The two twins grinned and chuckled wickedly to themselves. Shibo turned around and jogged around Zelah. As he started climbing into the cart, his legs dangling down and kicking for a moment. Darton stood by with his best serious business expression and started looking back and forth, watching their six. He then muttered in his deep tough guy voice to Zelah, “Hey. If you tell anyone what we’re doing, you’ll be sorry, so you better not tell.”

Once Shibo was in the wagon, Darton hopped up and grasped the edge before kicking his feet into it. The two boys then crawled underneath the cloth tarp and much giggling was heard along with another voice, which was different from what she had heard.

“I could hear someone outside. It sounded like a girl.”

“It is a girl.” (Shibo)

“Shibo thinks she’s cute!” (Darton)

“No; I don’t!”

“You were gushing all over her!”

“No, I wasn’t! Shut up!”

The twins started wrestling under the blanket, causing the wagon to shake, and Koja laughed at the two.

Cidro

Deity: Farore
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: The river bank, just next to Big Twin Bridge.
Tagging: @Crusader Lord@Holy Soldier@ilovepapa

Tired, hungry, and soaking wet, Cidro dragged himself out of the water and on to the banks of the river. For what felt like ages, he just lay on the bank, trying to get back any amount of energy that could get him back on his feet. By Farore, he was tired... After about half an hour of lying in place, Cidro finally reached out for his staff, which lay in the dirt just a little ways away. Wrapping his fingers around the metal, he was suddenly struck by just how weak his grip felt, and decided that maybe, just maybe, this might've been an actual problem.

"Come on Cid, you can do this." He groaned out as he stumbled to his feet. "Stable's only a couple of meters away... Just a few more steps and we'll have won yet again over that 'starvation' bastard... After all, what self-respecting merchant would ignore poor, starving me with my-..."

And then he paused, hopeful expression fading immediately from his face, as he felt the distinct lack of rupee purse on his waist.

"Zero rupees. Wonderful."

He looked over to the stable, particularly all the crates and barrels and miscellaneous cargo that sat outside, and sighed as he realised that his choice had actually already been made for him.

"Alright then, time for Plan B, I guess..."

And so, after a few stretches to limber up and try to make his next task easier for himself, Cidro began to sneak towards the stables. This was not quite as easy a task as he'd have liked, of course, due to the relatively open area that surrounded it, but he was nothing if not agile, practically gliding across the ground towards the crates.

As he neared the crates, he heard the sounds of another kid, maybe a bit younger than him, shouting, and peaked over to see a blonde girl conveniently distracting everyone for him. Best not to waste this chance then, he thought to himself, and sneaked between a couple of crates until he reached a rather large wagon beneath a tarp.

Now, despite not particularly liking the idea of stealing very much, Cidro had shamefully participated in the act every now and then when times got tough. It was thanks to this that he knew a few things others might not, one of them being that you could usually find some pretty interesting things when they're hidden under a tarp. Sometimes, as he was hoping was the case right now, this included fresh ingredients, because who wanted to risk their tasty products accidentally getting all soggy and gross in the case of a sudden storm?

However, before this train of thought could continue, he suddenly threw himself back behind the corner he'd just turned, eyes wide in terror at his stupid mistake.

There was someone there, some hylian girl around his own age! She was just... sitting there, completely unaware that she was screwing up his plan!

... No... No, this was bad. On the one hand, if he was caught, things could go to very bad very quickly. On the other hand... He might be starving to death.

Getting caught couldn't be that bad, could it? What were they gonna do, execute him? What normal people would kill a starving kid?! Hell, even if he didn't get away, they'd probably give him some food anyway! While it wouldn't be optimal, seeing as he'd like to get out and continue travelling, he'd come out of it alive... Right? Right!

And so, he peaked back around the wheel he'd just hidden behind, only to quickly move back around when he saw to droopy-faced twins running over as well! He waited, listening as they threatened the hylian to keep quiet about what they were doing, and briefly wondered if they were also sneaking stuff from the wagon like him. However, once they crawled into the wagon, he heard a third voice chatting with the twins. While the smaller kids started to fight, a small pit grew in the bottom of Cid's stomach, and he climbed onto the wheel to peak beneath the tarp as well.

"Damn it, no!" He shouted, no longer able to suppress his hunger fueled frustration. "Why couldn't you be food? Why'd you have to be a Zora?!"

Another particularly loud growl from his stomach sent him sliding back off the wheel, before slumping against it tiredly. After a few seconds, one final, desperate plan entered his mind, and he looked back up to the tarp.

"Hey, Zora. Your kind can breath underwater right? Are you any good at fishing?"

---

As the two children approached the wagon she was next to, Zelah felt a sort of small smile come to her face as she watched attempt to be "subtle". The blushing on one of their faces, the hushed whispers her keen ears (so used to listening to the desert sounds at night and picking up on the little things) could just barely make out a bit of, the strange looks, it all reminded her of her brother when the two of them had been younger. Gerudus just running around, the two being rather silly and admittedly getting on the nerves of the head guard in the process.

It was hard for the golden haired girl to stifle back any giggling entirely on her part as the boys approached the wagon and her, one trying to put on the "tough guy" act and sound like he could do something to her if she told on them whilst he kept a watch. She could hear the other clambering into the wagon as well, almost able to imagine the struggle of such a small body trying to get under the tarp.

"I won't say a thing, but if you two make too much noise then someone might come over here," Zelah said to Darton, playfully getting in on the situation and putting a finger to her lips afterwards to show her 'vow of silence' about this as she gave a wink.

Admittedly seeing young boys was an odd thing, though between seeing other children about Gerudo Town, and her experiences with her brother, she felt comfortable enough chatting with the boys in this situation. Though admittedly these kids were a fresh ray of sunshine on her day after a long night of travel. Just a bit of positivity, she assumed. Yet after both twins snuck into the wagon, she felt herself listening a bit more...and her interest rising at the sound of a third voice piping up. Who else was already in the cart anywho? Was this merchant traveling with a child of their own or such? Not a very safe practice, at least based on what she'd seen so far traveling to this place.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Zelah stood up once more and turned towards the wagon, golden bow jostling on her back as it glimmered in the sun much like her hair had been. It was a curious sight, much like her Gerudo-style attire, as the initial seeming lack of a quiver on her person made it seem like she had no ammunition in the first place for it. Had she used it up recently perhaps?

It was then instincts kicked in, the girl feeling a presence also near the cart now and hearing their...'his' sudden shouting about food before the sound of a growling stomach came to ears. A hungry amateur thief perhaps? Underneath her cloak Zelah kept a hand near her sword's hilt as she quickly but calmly walked around to the other side of the cart. Apparently, the new figure seemed to be slumped onto one of the cart wheels, now talking to what she assumed was the new voice coming from the cart...wait, were they a Zora?!

"Hey, thief, you need to be quieter with matters like this. That being said, i will ask you once to please leave this cart and its occupants alone, or i will act. I can give you what was going to be my breakfast, though, if that is any compensation," Zelah said to Cid, looking the boy down with a steeled but compassionate gaze. Didn't seem she was lying about "tasking action" or the giving of her breakfast, at least.

Darton and Shibo ceased rolling around in the back of the cart, freezing—Darton’s hands clenched into fists with handfuls of Shibo’s tunic in them. They saw a stark-haired boy peeking in under the tarp and exclaiming his frustrations. Koja’s eyes widened when he realized the boy appeared to be looking at him. He pointed at himself, feet gently kicking in the water. “Me?” he queried.

Darton released Shibo and growled, “Hey! Keep it down! Are you trying to get us all caught?”

The boy came again, calling Koja Zora. “My name isn’t Zora. It’s Koja.” He then smiled in excitement. “Yeah! I can catch lots of fish. I do it all the time for my master.”

Just then, the cute girl’s voice was heard outside the tarp. She addressed the white-haired boy as a thief. Was he a thief!? Even Koja was listening curiously. Regardless if the boy was a thief or not, Shibo and Darton both growled in frustration. Simultaneously, the twins reached out from under the tarp, grasping Zelah and Cidro by their wrists and dragged them beneath it. Once they were all veiled beneath it, the two boys—resting on their hands and knees—looked between Zelah and Cidro shrewdly.

“We can’t have you guys blowing our cover,” Shibo grumbled. “So what’s this about busting out Fish Face?”

Darton grinned mischieviously and nodded eagerly.

Koja sank to the bottom of his tank and pressed his hands against the glass. “You want to take me out?” His heart was racing as a smile curled on his face. “I’ve…I’ve only ever been out to fish. Master always kept a close eye on me. But…without master? Shouldn’t we get his permission?”

“No way!” Darton exclaimed. “He’ll definitely say no. He doesn’t even like us talking—let alone—looking at you. If we’re going to bust you out, we have to do it in secret. Bugut shouldn’t even know about it.”

Shibo crawled to the edge of the tarp and raised it to peek at Bugut who was busy talking to a tiny girl. “He’s still talking,” he reassured everyone.

“Master was going to eat breakfast, and then he wanted me to perform after. If I’m not here for my performance, then I’m going to be in big trouble.”

Darton held his hand up reassuringly to Koja. “Re-la~x~. We’re professionals.”

Shibo crawled back over to the group with a grin. “That’s right. We’re pros. We do stuff like this all the time.” They had never broken a Zora out of a tank before.

Cidro

Deity: Farore
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Burgut's Wagon
Tagging: @Crusader Lord@Holy Soldier

"Yeah, alright, not what I mean, Redfin." Cid said, frustration clear in his voice. "I'm not calling you that because I think it's your name, because that would be stupid. I was calling you that because you're a Zora. You know, colourful fish-people living over in Lanayru? How was that not obvious to you?"

And then he blinked, as he suddenly got an idea of just what he might be looking at.

"You... you don't know... do you?"

Before he could pursue that particular line of thought any further, he was rather rudely interrupted by the same girl who had nearly ruined everything before. Of course, that was before he realised that his plan would be ruined anyway by the fact that his crate of food turned out to be a tank of fishboy instead, but it still kind of annoyed him, particularly with the way she was talking to him.

"Well excuse me, princess..." He said, irritation leaking back into his voice. "I'm so sorry I had the nerve, nay, the audacity to try not to starve to death. After all, it's not like I, oh, I don't know, ran into a bunch of bokoblins in the dark last night, got beaten up and thrown in the river, and lost all my food and rupees to the currents. Because that would be crazy!" ButyesIwillacceptyourkindofferforfood.

In his defense, the part where she offered him her food didn't even really register until the end of the rant, probably due to HUNGER.

And then he was somehow dragged into the carriage by the twins, who seemed way too small to be capable of that, and he turned back to the Zora, who was suddenly nervous about the breakout he'd apparently inspired.

"Goddesses Redfin, are you a slave or something?" Cid whispered, beginning to get legitimately concerned for the poor Zora. "Listen, it's not like you're some kind of criminal, you're just going fishing with a couple of friends! Besides, nobodies even paying attention. Some kid in one of those heatproof Goron jumpsuits is distracting everyone. We're in the clear!"

---

"You are not the only one who has dealt with monsters last night, but here is what food i have left," Zelah said under her breath, keeping quiet but audible to the under-the-tarp group as she spoke to Cidro briefly.

Zelah let out a small, quiet sigh as she pulled out her remaining rations, biscuits and some dried meat she had been given for her journey, and shoved them into Cidro's hands quickly. They were enough for one good meal, at least, for one person.

She then adjusted her position, taking a knee to get a better look at things rather than lying sprawled underneath the tarp with the rest of the group. Though it was not like she hadn't been looking on and listening to what was being said...and now a somewhat troubled look donned her face. This young Zora, even if it was the first time she was seeing one in person and not out of the pages of books or drawings, seemed unaware of his own status as a Zora and...essentially as a pet. At least, if the young one's words and demeanor were of any hint as to his situation as far as he was aware of it.

Further, it was not like...ah, it was not like these kids were professional thieves. Not that she was one, but...ah, she supposed it was like when her brother had acted all powerful when he was younger. Then the next day he had landed face-first into a cart full of clothes and jewelry trying to leap between roofs.

More concerning was the fact that this Zora child was not in a good position. Perhaps the man who had raised him wasn't entirely bad. After all, the child had water (she had heard it was necessary for Zoras) and seemed to not be suffering. And yet...hmm, his situation didn't sit right with her entirely either.

"....I'll help you as well, Koja," the golden-haired girl said, a small smile coming to her face as she looked warmly to the red-colored Zora child, putting a hand gently to the glass across from Koja's hands, "My name is Zelah, and i think it's about time you had time to enjoy the free and open water as well. Its not right to stay cooped up all the time, after all."

Indeed...it wasn't right for him to be contained like this. It wasn't 'right', according to the feelings in her gut. If his 'master' objected, well, she'd see what kind of man he was from that when or if such a time came. This child, for all she knew, had been stolen from home or such for that matter. And even if not, the mere lack of his familiarity with what he was in terms alone was concerning for how he had been 'acquired' in her mind.

Cidro, whether he intended to or not, was making Koja feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, and dumb. He told him that he was a Zora as though it was common knowledge and yet he had never been called a Zora until that moment. He had always been a fish. Not exactly the fish he loved to eat, but he was convinced that he had been some sort of one. There weren’t others like him. He was certain that he had been everywhere with Bugut and never did they come across anyone like him. Koja stared sadly at the floor of the cart as he endured more names: slave.

“I’m not a slave,” Koja muttered under his breath.

The blonde girl introduced herself as Zelah. As she approached his tank and rested her hands against the glass, over top of his own, Koja’s chin raised some and he smiled softly as his mood picked up. “Yeah, you’re right. I haven’t swam in a river in a long while. I caught Bugut a lot of fish, so he’s just been selling and salting it all.”

Koja giggled in excitement as he swam backwards and whirled in a happy spiral. “I’m gonna catch my new friends lots of yummy delicious fish!”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get this operation under way. I call it…” Darton posed, holding his hand out dramatically, “Operation Fish Fry.”

Koja’s mouth parted in a toothy grin. “Sounds delicious!”

“Oh, it will be my friend. I can taste the fish now. Shibo, alley-oop!”

Shibo bent over and charged Darton. His head went between the other boy’s legs and he stood, lifting his twin onto his shoulders. Darton’s hands clapped against the glass as he stretched out his body in a poor attempt to reach the top of the tank. “Couldn’t you be taller?” Darton complained.

Shibo was clenching his eyes and baring his teeth under his brother’s weight. “Couldn’t you be lighter?”

Koja swam to the top of the tank and wiggled his head through the tarp until he could peer over the edge at Darton.

“Give us your hand. We’ll help you down,” Darton asked. He then looked to Zelah and Cidro. “You guys be ready to catch us in case we fall.”

Koja reached his webbed hands down to Darton. Darton grabbed his wrists and made a face at how cold and wet they felt. “Your skin feels all weird.”

Koja blinked. “Does it?”

Darton started pulling Koja, and the Zora wobbled and kicked to slide further over the edge. When the Zora’s weight came crashing down on him, Darton’s eyes bulged. The Zora’s skull met his own, and then their twin tower started to tip. Shibo felt his toes leaving the floor as the weight caused him to rock backwards.

“Ah-” Shibo clapped a hand over his own mouth to stifle his scream.

They were going to make a loud crash if they weren’t steadied!

Cidro

Deity: Farore
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Burgut's Wagon
Tagging: @Crusader Lord@Holy Soldier

"Ah, come on Princess..." Cid sighed as Zelah handed him all the rest of her food, which wasn't really that much in the end. "Are you trying to make me feel bad or something? I'm not gonna take all your food, especially not if this is it..."

Looking at the small pile he'd been handed, he passed just a little over half back to the girl.

"There, now neither of us have to starve to death." He said, nodding in satisfaction at what he was going to consider his good deed for the day. However, before he could make his altruism known to everyone, he heard Koja mumble about how he wasn't a slave.

"Well, then you have nothing to worry about. Let me just say though, a free person usually doesn't spend their whole life trapped in a cage. Or a big tank of water, if that helps you understand what I'm trying to say."

Still, he was a little surprised when Koja said he'd catch fish for his friends, as if Cidro was included in there with the other kids. He honestly wasn't sure it had actually been intentional, but he decided not to question it in case the Zora changed his mind. Instead, he just got into position to catch the twins and Koja just in case they fell. He probably wouldn't need to do anything though. As long as they were careful, they should be able to pull it off without much tro-

"Ah-"

Damn it.

"Crap!" Cid whispered as he frantically brought his arms up to try and stabilise the tower. However, it seemed like the three had managed to come apart in midair, so instead of trying to just catch one tower and hold it back in place, he had to try and catch all three of them at once.

Alright, lets see how this goes.

His first move was to try and get a leg between the bottom twin and the floor, in the hope that he'd be able to muffle the sound with his own body, if only a little. From there, he blew some air at the twin who had been at the top. This wind was drastically more powerful than blowing air would normally be due to his powers, and he managed to push the twin back up to where he could try and grab the side of the tank. Finally, once that was done, he moved to catch Koja.

Which knocked him over too.

Thankfully, he managed to manipulate the air beneath him to cushion his own fall just enough that it didn't make too much noise. However, he was pretty sure that all the magic he was using was probably causing the edges of the tarp to flow around a little more than it normally would have, so if anyone was watching, it might not be great.

---

Zelah nodded at the plan, slowly removing herself from under the tarp and moving behind the cart to try to help this...er, vagabond of a boy try to steady the kids if anything went wrong. Though she did quickly take a few bites of the little food she had been handed back, swallowing it with a bit of savoring. She still didn't know this boy's name, but she at least understood what hunger could do to a person. That still didn't make thievery of food a good idea, however, with the risks and potential downsides it offered, such as word of you being a thief spreading about via travelers at places like these. However, she would support this little sneaky endeavor for the sake of this Zora child, as well as...well, she and this skinny looking Sheikah boy needed food it seemed. At least, only if Koja was willing, as she wouldn't force him to get her food as well if he didn't want to.

However, as Cidro scrambled to stop the toppling toddler tower of terror, Zelah felt a small mite of surprise as the boy seemed to channel...was that wind magic? She almost froze to ask, were it not for reaching over quickly to stabilize the tarp. Only so much she could grab onto and stop from oddly flapping more suspiciously, so there was still a risk, but what she could have done otherwise to try to help might've...drawn negative attention. All of the negative attention. And started a panic perhaps.

"Are you ok, boys? Koja?

By the Hylian goddess...we need to be swift if we are going to get to the river, in case this drew anyone's attention," Zelah said quietly to the boys, before pulling her hood back up and attempting to sneakily peek over/around the cart and see if they had drawn any attention.

Darton’s eyes widened when he felt a strong breeze push against his back, pushing him right back up to the tank. Desperately, his hands squeaked over the moist glass as he clawed to stay upright. Shibo’s hands latched onto his brother’s thighs to steady him. As for Koja, he went flipping over Darton’s head when the twin was pushed, and landed in Cidro’s grasp. The Zora was heavy enough to drive the poor Sheikah boy to the bed of the wagon with a thud, which caused the transport to shake.

Bugut paused in his conversation with the Goron merchant. He had a suspicious frown on his face as he gazed back at his wagon briefly. It was then his brows shot upwards. “Oh! I’m supposed to be having breakfast,” he remembered. “I’ll see you later Aja!”

Bugut raced over to the stable inn to get him a crab omelet with rice.

Meanwhile, Koja was sitting happily on top of Cidro not even thinking about how heavy he was when he wasn’t held aloft by water. The fish boy bore his shark-like teeth in a delighted grin. “That was a close one!” he exclaimed.

Shibo helped Darton down and Darton raced over to the edge of the wagon. He peeked outside the tarp and didn’t see Bugut anywhere. “Bugut’s gone guys. Now’s our chance!” he informed. He then held his thumb up to Zelah. “Good job with the tarp.”

Shibo gazed at Koja who was still sitting on poor Cidro. “Can you walk?”

Koja blushed. “Master always carried me once he pulled me out of the tank.”

Shibo moaned, his eyes rolling up to the tarp. “What a spoiled Cuccofish. You know human kids learn to walk when they’re one?”

Koja puffed his cheeks and scowled. “I’m not spoiled. I just never learned.”

“Well your legs should be strong enough. We’ll help you.”

Darton looked back at Koja. “He stands out too much any way. Hey, grab that empty sack over there and put him inside.”

Shibo grabbed the sack and draped it over top of Koja before tying it off. The two twins then dragged the bag over to the edge of the wagon. Darton hopped down first and then received it with a grunt. “All right guys; let’s scram!”

Shibo hopped down next and grabbed the other end of the bag and started running with Darton south toward Big Twin Bridge. A few adults happened to see the boys sneak out from the wagon with a sack. They looked like they had stolen something, but the twins were often good boys—meddlesome but still good. They would have to find the owner.

“I can’t believe we’re getting away with this!” Darton happily exclaimed.

“We’re going to have sacks of fish!” Shibo similarly returned.

“Fish fry!” Koja cheered from the sack.

“Ssh! We’re not out of earshot yet!” Darton scolded.

Shibo started to bare his teeth. “He’s so heavy. We’re gonna have to switch out with the other guys!”

Cidro

Deity: Farore
Time/Date: Day 1, Morning
Location: Burgut's Wagon
Tagging: @Crusader Lord@Holy Soldier

"Yeah, you're welcome for saving you ya little brats..." Cidro mumbled to himself as he strained himself to get up. It wouldn't have been so annoying normally, but the fact that they'd thanked Princess for grabbing the tarp while ignoring him kind of got on his nerves a little, especially considering Koja was still sitting on him.

It wasn't until one of the twins decided to shove a sack over the zora that he could finally sit back up, and perhaps focus on readjusting his poor spine.

"Goddesses, have you guys ever even attempted stealth before?" He asked, not missing the looks their group was getting from some of the adult inhabitants of the stable. "I don't think a single adult has missed us since we left the tarp..."

Other than that though, he didn't really have much else to say until they reached the river. He steadfastly refused to help carry the sack there of course, lest he look even more like a thief.

"Ok Redfin, we're here." He said, getting a little more excited at the prospect of getting to actually eat something without someone else having to go hungry in return. "Get ready to stretch those legs and experience a little freedom for once, cast of your chains and all that. I'll be here to provide moral support."

And then he sat crosslegged on the riverbank and scratched his head lazily, before raising a hand and making some kind of non-committal sound that might have been considered a cheer if only it had literally any effort put into it.

"Come on Redfin, you can do it. Believe in yourself. I know you can catch us the best breakfast this river can provide, so don't stop until you've got your fist clenched around the collar of victories shirt."