Hyrule - Hyrule Castle

A vast castle of columns and beautiful draperies, Hyrule Castle is a magnificent palace, built in the center of a vast lake. Its magnificence pales only to the memories of the original castle in Old Hyrule, long since destroyed by Ganon's forces. Zelda rules here, protected by her knights and Link, the Hero of Hyrule. Evil does not enter this place, and it is rumored that the descendants of the Sheikah still live here, serving Zelda from the shadows.

Obvious exits:
<O>ut leads to Hyrule - Northern Hyrule.

Princess Zelda has connected.

Down in the royal stables, Zelda carefully inspects her white horse as the stablehands continue to saddle him up, a basket hanging from her arm, its handle nestled in the crook of her elbow as she holds the reins. Her other hand tenderly pats his neck as she watches the proceedings with mild interest. "I could do this myself, you know," she comments to the boy tightening the saddle's girth. "I do know how. Is Mr. Anchor's steed ready to go? I am certain he'll be down soon enough and then we will need to go. An early start means that we'll be back soon enough to avoid being out past nightfall." Another stablehand then pulls forth a large chestnut gelding, commenting on various things about the fine day, the prepared horse, and safe travels. The princess laughs sweetly as she joins in the conversation between the two Hyruleans.

Ask and ye shall recieve. Ashton enters into the stables a few moments after Zelda is finished speaking. He's all prepared, well, as prepared as an RPG character gets, all he needs is his item bag. He shudders slighty, he's never had a lot of luck with horseback before, but he doesn't have a choice right now.

Walking up to his own horse, he nods with appreciation to Zelda "I'm really grateful for this Princess, I only hope it will work..."

Turning rapidly to face her guest, the Hylian princess smiles broadly. "Mr. Anchors! I do so hope you slept well. Well, only one way to find out. I am glad to offer even a glimmer of a hope for a member of the heroic alliance. We should move out if you're ready." With that, Zelda checks the saddle once to make sure it won't slip and then pulls herself up into it. Setting her basket behind her, she begins to move her horse forward and out of the stable with a subdued cluck of the tongue and a trained ease.

Ashton Anchors headscratches, well here we go. Ashton slowly mounts his own steed, muttering 'nice horsey' every few seconds, and is finally mounted after a moment or so. Now all he has to do is ride it. Graceful as Link riding Epona he ain't. He's shakey, and wobbly, but he sets off after Zelda after a moment or two, riding across the countryside, to wherever Zelda is taking him. Ashton idly has to wonder what sort of place fairy's would live in...

Most of the fairly uneventful ride is passed with Zelda proudly offering fountains of information pertaining to Hyrule. The land, the people, the evil to the far south under Ganon's reign: all of it is freely shared as the journey takes them south to the woods housing the fairy springs. As she continues to lead the other hero forward into the clearing, she turns back over her shoulder. "We'll stop and take a break here before we turn around." Once well into the area, the princess dismounts with a graceful hop, easily casting her reins over the horse's head and holding them and her basket in her hand as she leads the horse to the spring's edge to drink.

Aside from being a total klutz riding the horse the entire trip, Ashton listens with interest on the history of Hyrule, and the information Zelda gives. Finally they reach the clearing. Ashton doesn't quite dismount as gracefully as Zelda does, he falls flat on his face actually. Ashton's horse follows Zelda's on it's own, while Ashton pulls his face from the dirt. "Sounds like your world has been through a lot... I know what that's like, mine was almost destroyed at one time..."

Turning sympathetic sapphire eyes towards Ashton, Zelda shakes her head sadly. "That's too bad. I'm glad that it survives, however." Fortunately for him, she missed the whole falling-on-his-face thing. "Well, here we are. We'll catch a fairy before we leave. No need to put her in the jar for longer than necessary." They can be seen alighting over the water as the princess settles on a grassy patch near the shore of the water, pulling a thin blanket from the basket before sitting and starting to spread the contents of said basket over the blanket.

Ashton Anchors nods as he follows Zelda out to the shore. Normally he'd go on a tirade of his own adventure, saving Expel and the Energy Nede from the Gods Ten Wise Men and such, but Ashton has more important things on his mind tonight than showing off. He's out to get a cure for his friend, if he's not too late. "So... um... how do we do this?" Ashton comes from an RPG world, not an adventure one, so he has to grasp the fact that a fairy isn't a consumable item that can be placed in his item bag...

"First, you sit down and eat something. Then, I'll go and catch one in a jar. And, after you promise once more to return her to Hyrule after she's tried to help your friend, I'll give the jar to you. Just be careful. I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her before she was returned. They don't often travel outside of Hyrule." Setting a small metal plate before Ashton, Zelda begins to pile cheese, bread, and fruits on it before selecting the items to fill her own plate.

Ashton Anchors nods as he takes a seat, and begins eating, he was pretty hungry. "Um, don't worry, I'll bring her striaght back. You could probably come with me to Expel if you want, arriving on the planet from the warp room and heading into the town of Herlie shouldn't take too long. But otherwise, I'll take her right back, though is it alright if I bring her to the castle? I probably won't be able to find my way back here on my own..." He goes back to eating, as he watches Zelda do the fairy catching thing. Boy, if this does work, he'll owe her one, he thinks.

Having taken an empty glass jar from the basket, the princess sets it down on the shore edge and sits. Removing her boots and stockings and then rolling up her britches to just above her knee, she pushes herself back to her feet and picks the jar back up before wading a small distance into the water. She whispers quiet things to the flitting creatures while she's out there, and finally a fairy lands in the jar. The lid is quickly shut as the princess wades back to shore. Picking up her boots and stockings, she makes her way to the blanket barefoot and sets them down beside her as she sets the jar down by the eating Ashton. Kneeling on the blanket and picking up a roll, she smiles. "There we are. And I trust you will. Bringing her back to the castle is fine. She'll know her own way back from there."

Ashton Anchors nods, and gazes into the jar "Hey.. um... it won't suffocate or anything in there will it?" Ol' Ashton really isn't used to such healing methods it seems, good thing the Fairy should know what to do with it... "So this type of healing works well in this world? How does it work?" As if magic could be explained, but then again, people with Healing powers aren't native to Ashton's world.

"Magic," Zelda answers simply, without a hint of irony or jest. "And yes, they do work well. Normally they're put to use restoring after battles, but... it has a chance to work with your friend, I'm sure." She eats her portion surprisingly quickly, wanting to get back on the path home to prevent being out past the castle gates after dark.

"Magic huh?" Ashton ponders, turning away from the jar to finish his own portion. "Magic isn't uncommon on my world, but healing magic is. I was really surprised at first, when I met this girl Rena travelling with a a few others, she had the ability to heal people. She also had pointy ears... sorta like you people from Hyrule." He shrugs slightly "Though we eventually found out she wasn't from Expel, she was from Nede, and all Nedians have healing powers..." He looks out in the horizon at the setting sun "When I initally found out about my friends illness, a girl from the Palace of Power, Carlie, tried to help her, but she couldn't it seemed. Another type of healing magic might not be much different, but I have to try what I can..."

"Certainly. And I hope that this may be the thing to help him. If there is anything else I can do, you certainly must let me know." Once Zelda finishes what she pulled aside for herself, she rolls her pants' legs back down and begins to put back on her stockings and thigh-high boots. That done, she begins to pack up the picnic lunch and then fold up the blanket. After waiting for Ashton to be prepared and on his feet, of course.

"It's a her, actually." Ashton corrects, as he takes up the fairy jar, and carefully mounts his own horse. He's careful with it, he can't afford to drop it along the way. "I'll be sure to let you know once I try it, and bring the fairy back to the Castle." The sun starts to set in the horizon, hopefully they can make it back to the castle before all the nighttime nasties come out to play.

Once all is packed up, the princess similarly pulls her horse from where it grazes and mounts up. "I will hope for a positive report," she comments, wheeling her horse about. "We'd better hurry. We want to beat the sun home." That said, Zelda sets off at a trot towards the palace, casting an eye over her shoulder to guarantee she has Ashton in tow.

Ashton Anchors is in tow alright, his riding skill hasn't improved, but he's making sure nothing happens to the jar at least. For the most part, except for a slip or two, it's an uneventful ride back to the Castle.

Fortunately, the duo returns to the palace soon after twilight begins to fall. After checking over her shoulder once more, the princess rides her white animal up to the gates. "Open the gates!" she cries. "It's me, Zelda!" Her request is rapidly honored and they begin to open.

Ashton Anchors follows Zelda into the Castle Stables. "Thanks again for the help Princess. I'd like to stay, but I really need to get going and see if this will work. I'll be sure to come back immediatly with the Fairy whether it works or not." He nods once more in appreciation, and begins to exit, it'll take a bit before he gets to go to the Palace, to Expel and back, so he'll likely return with the Fairy tomorrow.

Without missing a beat, the princess nods towards Ashton. "My best wishes for your friend. And for your safe travels. I look forward to your report." Zelda then turns to begin a brief discussion with the stable hands as she dismounts, patting her favorite horse's neck and soon after leaving towards the palace.

 


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