OoC: Argh! I had written up a good few paragraphs, before accidentally bumping the back button.... there goes the start of my post, lost. >< *prepares to rewrite, sighing*
Oh, and... good luck to everyone.
*sets out a plate of brownies for all*
BiC: Bella walked -- nay, stumbled -- along, trying to cover as much distance as possible before it came time to stop again. Soon the sun would be unbearably hot, and she would be forced to rest until nightfall. She didn't know how much further the blasted desert stretched on, but the fewer days she had to spend in it, the better. Her water supply could only last so long, after all.
Shortly after thinking this, the tracker spotted a clump of cacti growing close to the ground. Eagerly, she dropped to her knees next to the plant and, glad for her leather gloves, grabbed one of the larger lobes. She drew out her hunting knife and cut it free of the plant, and then sliced it open. Savoring the water stored within it, the Hylian ate the cactus flesh. It was not the best tasting fare, perhaps, but it was quenched her thirst and helped to hold her hunger at bay.
Before moving on, she took her knife again and took a cutting from the plant. She removed the spines and placed it in a small pouch on her belt, next to some seeds and a few other cuttings. If worst came to worst, at least she could use her magic to grow some more cacti, giving her a water source.
~~~
A few days had passed since Bella had come across the lone little bunch of cacti, and she was praying every day for the desert to end soon. A forest woman at heart, she wasn't sure how much longer she could last in the desert sun, with nothing living for miles. Soon, she was certain, she would simply wilt away, like a spring flower left in the scorching sun.
Gradually, she noticed a change. There was a slight tang to the air, and the wind was picking up a bit. It took her a while to identify it, but once she did, it was unmistakable. There was salt in the air! That would mean... an ocean! An ocean would mean several things; a source of fish, cool water that she could at least bathe in -- even if there was none for the drinking, and, if she was lucky, a port town. Invigorated by these exciting prospects, the tracker quickened her pace.
Soon the harsh, ugly tan of sand was met by a beautiful, clear blue line. It moved back and forth, a light crest of white foam glinting here and there across it. A wide smile broke out on the tracker's face. The water, though undrinkable, was a truly amazing and welcome sight. She was rather tempted to go swim in it for a good few hours -- and likely would have, had she not spotted the two figures just a little way down the beach.
One was shirtless, the other wore a dark, heavy robe. The robed man had a sword drawn and was steadily advancing on the shirtless figure sprawled on the ground. Bella saw that the other person was but a boy -- in his early teens at most -- and that he was weaponless. She had no clue what was going on, but she did not intend to see a seemingly innocent and defenseless child harmed without a d***ed good reason for it.
Her bow was in her hands in an instant, an arrow was nocked in another, and it was aimed at the man in the robe. "Stop!" she called in as firm and harsh a voice as she could muster. She stepped slowly forward, just enough to see them both more clearly, keeping her aim on the target and staying far enough away that he could not attack her.
"What business have you, hurting an unarmed child?" she asked in a voice of cold contempt. Her eyes blazed fiercely, glinting in the sunlight. The arrow pointed straight for the man's chest. "Answer now, or I'll not hesitate to loose this arrow, and a few of it's mates for good measure."