06-10-2017, 04:31 PM
What a climatic conclusion to something that had started as a simple kidnapping because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time, Malon thought to herself. The three of them - Sera, Carmelita and herself - were sitting on the back of a carriage together with one other liberated hostage, with more carriages in front and behind them, driving in an orderly line. The kingdom’s soldiers were well trained in discipline of this kind, it would seem. Thanks to Carmelita passing them all the information that they needed, they had been able to organize a rescue party in record time. The hostages had been given blankets to cover and warm themselves, food and drink and first aid for the bruises, cuts and other injuries that they had sustained while captive. Of course, only the superficial, physical injuries could be treated. Many of these people had deep-going scars left from the horrors that they had gone through, that would last them a whole lifetime.
The trip back was slow, taking nearly two days instead of the one that it had taken Minas Tirith to send the rescue party, due to the larger number of travelers, but the three of them were rather happy about the downtime. At first neither of the three spoke a word, then Sera and Malon started at the same time, and had to stop each other to decide who would speak first. Malon explained, in rough terms, what she had learned from the illusion and why she was able to take on the appearance of one of the bandit leaders. She also apologized to Sera about having made her worry. Sera explained how she had been worried for Malon indeed, but how the story, crazy as it may be, reassured her, and talked about her relatives in Camelot and how she hoped that she could visit them soon - after this whole mess was concluded. The three of them had been asked to be witnesses in the trial against the Silverhand bandits and, after Carmelita had noted their suspicions about the royal guard having a mole in her call to Minas Tirith, to meet with an officer of the royal guard for a few questions once they were back.
Malon played with the bandana and the mask that she had fashioned out of Snake’s hair. It was strange how she associated that piece of cloth with not only Snake, but also Malon the 13th - her past incarnation where she’d been an assassin. When she put it on, she noticed, 13’s thoughts mixed with her own far stronger. Her mind cleared, she stopped moving unnecessarily…
“Malon, you’re spacing out again”, Sera said, snapping her out.
“Sorry… ah. I just thought of something.” She put the bandana aside and took the mask into her hands. The threads she had weaved the mask with slowly came undone and fell to the ground of the carriage as she pulled them one by one, a process done much faster than weaving the mask together. Eventually only the curl of Snake’s hair remained in Malon’s hands. She tossed the threads over the side of the carriage and took the bandana into one hand while holding the curl in her other. Finally she combined the two, weaving the strands of hair into the bandana until they were not to be seen anymore. “There we go… it will be easier to remember who this turns me into than that mask”, Malon declared as she put the bandana on, showing Sera how she could make herself appear like Snake until she removed it again. “It’s the Snake Band- no… the… the Bandit’s Bandana.” She was careful not to leave it on for more than a few seconds though, since Snake’s face was one the guards knew well. They knew that she was dead, but a reflex reaction without thinking if they saw her sitting on the carriage could spell her untimely death.
“What are you going to do when this is done, anyway?” asked Sera.
“I have no idea… but Camelot seems like a nice place, all things considered. The landscape reminds me a lot of Hyrule, before… well, before everything went to hell. I could find work on a farm somewhere, or as a cook. And with this Skinwalker stuff I won’t be caught as easily by a bunch of bandits.” She put the Bandit’s Bandana into a leather bag that she had “borrowed” from one of the stashes of the cave, since her backpack was stuffed full. What WOULD she do? Oddly enough, the idea of just going back to her old ways and working her life on a farm, selling milk and dreaming of heroes and white horses. She peeked towards Carmelita more often than not, when the fox wasn’t looking her way. How she had so confidently infiltrated the hideout, how she had handled a complicated situation with a vast number of dangerous bandits, made up a plan of escape and defeated several strong opponents, how she had saved them all… she was a model hero like in the books. Brave but not foolish, smart, quick-thinking, strong, yet also friendly, caring and fighting for the right thing. Malon had yet to find the right time to ask her, but she wondered if Carmelita worked for any group - any sort of justice-supporting guard force or something.
When they arrived at Minas Tirith in the mid afternoon Sera and Malon were handed fist-sized magic orbs, which the soldier informed them to be Communicators. They were free to move around Minas Tirith until the trial commenced or they were ready to be questioned about the supposed mole, but were requested to stay in the city or nearby as they were important witnesses. With the Communicator they could be contacted to show up for the trial when the time came. While they were at it, Sera and Malon exchanged numbers with each other and with Carmelita as well. They then drove through the main gate of Minas Tirith’s outer walls, traversing a veritable sea of people with their line of carriages while soldiers kept the way clear for them, and stopped by the guard stables where the carriages would be brought. Malon climbed off the carriage. Carmelita was already busy with an official-looking individual that had been waiting for them, and Sera was climbing off behind her.
Malon would have waited for her, but the curious sight of a group of people in strange clothes manning a large booth that said “Syntech - DA Sign-Ups” on a large sign above it caught her eye. She walked over to see what was going on with that.
The trip back was slow, taking nearly two days instead of the one that it had taken Minas Tirith to send the rescue party, due to the larger number of travelers, but the three of them were rather happy about the downtime. At first neither of the three spoke a word, then Sera and Malon started at the same time, and had to stop each other to decide who would speak first. Malon explained, in rough terms, what she had learned from the illusion and why she was able to take on the appearance of one of the bandit leaders. She also apologized to Sera about having made her worry. Sera explained how she had been worried for Malon indeed, but how the story, crazy as it may be, reassured her, and talked about her relatives in Camelot and how she hoped that she could visit them soon - after this whole mess was concluded. The three of them had been asked to be witnesses in the trial against the Silverhand bandits and, after Carmelita had noted their suspicions about the royal guard having a mole in her call to Minas Tirith, to meet with an officer of the royal guard for a few questions once they were back.
Malon played with the bandana and the mask that she had fashioned out of Snake’s hair. It was strange how she associated that piece of cloth with not only Snake, but also Malon the 13th - her past incarnation where she’d been an assassin. When she put it on, she noticed, 13’s thoughts mixed with her own far stronger. Her mind cleared, she stopped moving unnecessarily…
“Malon, you’re spacing out again”, Sera said, snapping her out.
“Sorry… ah. I just thought of something.” She put the bandana aside and took the mask into her hands. The threads she had weaved the mask with slowly came undone and fell to the ground of the carriage as she pulled them one by one, a process done much faster than weaving the mask together. Eventually only the curl of Snake’s hair remained in Malon’s hands. She tossed the threads over the side of the carriage and took the bandana into one hand while holding the curl in her other. Finally she combined the two, weaving the strands of hair into the bandana until they were not to be seen anymore. “There we go… it will be easier to remember who this turns me into than that mask”, Malon declared as she put the bandana on, showing Sera how she could make herself appear like Snake until she removed it again. “It’s the Snake Band- no… the… the Bandit’s Bandana.” She was careful not to leave it on for more than a few seconds though, since Snake’s face was one the guards knew well. They knew that she was dead, but a reflex reaction without thinking if they saw her sitting on the carriage could spell her untimely death.
“What are you going to do when this is done, anyway?” asked Sera.
“I have no idea… but Camelot seems like a nice place, all things considered. The landscape reminds me a lot of Hyrule, before… well, before everything went to hell. I could find work on a farm somewhere, or as a cook. And with this Skinwalker stuff I won’t be caught as easily by a bunch of bandits.” She put the Bandit’s Bandana into a leather bag that she had “borrowed” from one of the stashes of the cave, since her backpack was stuffed full. What WOULD she do? Oddly enough, the idea of just going back to her old ways and working her life on a farm, selling milk and dreaming of heroes and white horses. She peeked towards Carmelita more often than not, when the fox wasn’t looking her way. How she had so confidently infiltrated the hideout, how she had handled a complicated situation with a vast number of dangerous bandits, made up a plan of escape and defeated several strong opponents, how she had saved them all… she was a model hero like in the books. Brave but not foolish, smart, quick-thinking, strong, yet also friendly, caring and fighting for the right thing. Malon had yet to find the right time to ask her, but she wondered if Carmelita worked for any group - any sort of justice-supporting guard force or something.
When they arrived at Minas Tirith in the mid afternoon Sera and Malon were handed fist-sized magic orbs, which the soldier informed them to be Communicators. They were free to move around Minas Tirith until the trial commenced or they were ready to be questioned about the supposed mole, but were requested to stay in the city or nearby as they were important witnesses. With the Communicator they could be contacted to show up for the trial when the time came. While they were at it, Sera and Malon exchanged numbers with each other and with Carmelita as well. They then drove through the main gate of Minas Tirith’s outer walls, traversing a veritable sea of people with their line of carriages while soldiers kept the way clear for them, and stopped by the guard stables where the carriages would be brought. Malon climbed off the carriage. Carmelita was already busy with an official-looking individual that had been waiting for them, and Sera was climbing off behind her.
Malon would have waited for her, but the curious sight of a group of people in strange clothes manning a large booth that said “Syntech - DA Sign-Ups” on a large sign above it caught her eye. She walked over to see what was going on with that.