Sacred Melodies: Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Ideas

The world was painted in the brilliant gold of a Hyrulean sunrise when he woke up. Glimpsing through Daran's eyes, he saw Reyn's blue and white mottled hide, her tail flicking at imaginary flies in her sleep. He could also see himself, sitting in the same ragged, dirt coloured cloak, old mahogany tunic, brown pants and black boots he had worn for years. The only thing that had really changed was his cloud-coloured hair; it had grown so that the back had almost reached shoulder length, and the front hung lazily down to his nose. It was as wild and tangled as the Lost Woods in Kokiri Forest, or at least as he imagined it. He didn't really care what he looked like though, he wouldn't be running in to anyone who cared any time soon. He had been justly banished from what remained of his village after the incident, and as word spread about him other villages and towns followed suit. Soon he found himself exiled from civilization as a whole, and whenever he was spotted on the road...well, people ran slower from Stalchildren.
Once a solitary young boy had approached him, asking why his eyes were covered. Zephyr had replied with a question of his own. "Have you not heard of me?" The boy had shaken his head, then mistakenly realized that Zephyr couldn't see him and said no. Zephyr had hesitated, then said, "I keep my eyes covered so I don't kill anyone." It was then that he discovered the title he had been branded with, when the boy cried "You're the one who killed his whole village just by looking at them? Snake-eye?!" Zephyr had nodded slowly, and the boy sprinted away screaming at the top of his lungs.

He detested the name, but he had to admit it was accurate.

He wanted to just stay away from anywhere where someone could encounter him. But he had to learn all he could about the two witches.

After all these years he had learned little about them, but he knew that they were sisters, and that they were supposed to be nothing but a myth. He was lucky to have gathered that much, but it wasn't what he needed.

He'd run out of ideas. There was very little he could learn on his own.

(So what's our route today? Same as yesterday?) Daran yawned from his perch.
Reyn drowsily opened her eyes as Zephyr stretched his lanky frame. "Nope. I'm done with this." Daran's wings fluttered in surprise. As the bird's view suddenly whipped toward him, Zephyr spotted his pack and reached out for it.
(WHAT? You're giving up already?)
"What do you mean already, Daran? We've been doing this for years, and it's not doing me any good." Reyn rose to her feet almost in sync with her Sheikah master, perking her ears in confusion as he began slow circles around the warm remains of the campfire. Daran shot from his perch and glided tight circles above him.
(I know what you mean, but...!)
Hearing his winged friend's distress, he stopped in his tracks and faced upwards at him. "I didn't say I was giving up entirely, you know. I'm still going to find the twin witches."
Daran's circles grew in relief, but Reyn grunted her incomprehension. "But," he continued, resuming his pacing, "I'm never going to get any useful information by ambushing young idiot farmers who can barely spell their own names." 'Despite the countless versions of them, I've heard very few tales of the twin witches.' He thought to himself. 'And I doubt any of them are reliable.'
His ears picked up the low clops of hooves; his horse was right on his heels, being the overprotective mother figure she was, making sure he didn't run into something. (But what else are we to do?) Reyn asked, (You aren't allowed into any populated area, and Daran and I can't investigate on our own.)
"I bet I could find exactly what we need in some town somewhere..." Zephyr growled to himself. Frustration quickened his strides as he considered the mere possibility of options. Back when he had first been banished, he'd managed to sneak into small, obscure towns under the guise of a blind man to get much-needed supplies. But as word spread of the young murderer with the poisonous eyes, all of Hyrule learned his appearance from rumors, and recognized him before he passed their gates. Even his animal companions had been used to identify him, and as a result he couldn't go anywhere near the outskirts of a town without being driven off by a few brave residents or even a full-blown mob. Breaking into a town at night would be even more ineffective, because he would surely need to talk to someone.
There was another problem as well; since his banishment he'd spoken to no one but Reyn and Daran in the feral language. He'd neglected his native language so much that he'd forgotten most of it. How was he supposed to interrogate someone if they could barely understand each other...?
Reyn's face pressed into his back when he abruptly stopped.
"We need another human." he said.
Daran shrieked sarcastically in a hawk-laugh. (Good luck with that! You'd need one that isn't banished like you are, that'll hesitate in fleeing for their lives long enough to hear you out, and that'll actually believe you and agree to help you after that!)
"Don't forget having to understand me." Zephyr added bluntly. "I haven't used more than ten human words in six years."
(And you still want to try? You're crazy!) Daran squawked incredulously. An increased flurry of feathers spiraled even closer to Zephyr's head, panicking his hair. Daran had resumed his tight circles around his head.
"No harm in trying."

(So let me get this straight. Zephyr will SOMEHOW re-learn the human language, then SOMEHOW talk a passer-by into helping him and hope that they can. Then we'll go from town to town and hope to find what we were looking for before we're found out.) drawled Daran. (You're crazy.)
For over an hour they had moved in auditory silence, the trio bouncing telepathic ideas off of each other. Where to find someone to help, how to persuade them, and where to look afterwards were the main problems, and so far the plan had so many holes in it that it was practically non-existent.
Zephyr sighed. He had known it was a long shot, but the more he thought about it the prospect of success grew less and less likely. (Tell me, does your plan include scaling the steep side of Death Mountain? Or perhaps something more realistic like breaking into Hyrule Castle?)
What was even less likely was Zephyr keeping his temper under control. Daran had been making snarky comments since they left."At least it's not sitting around waiting for something that may never come. Now shut up."
To his immense surprise Daran did so. He looked through the hawk's eyes and saw nothing but a field of trees and a part of the wall surrounding Castle Town. Nearly a minute passed and the hawk's gaze remained locked on the forest.
"What is it, Daran?" asked Zephyr as he broke the link.
(I thought... I heard something. Like a scream.)
(I heard it too.) said Reyn.
Zephyr was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Hyruleans were generally an honourable race. If there was someone in trouble and he managed to save them, then maybe he could ask for their help in return.
"This is our chance." he thought out loud. And before Daran could complain, he leaped swiftly onto Reyn's back.
"Let's go! Whoever made that scream may not last very long!"