Disclaimer: The Legend Of Zelda franchise is anything but mine.

A/N: Hello readers! Here I am again with another attempt at a Zelda fic. Before you proceed, this is how it goes. The story takes place in the Twilight Princess game scenario, but it can be read as a pre game or post game fic. Either way, I'll try to not to mention anything about the plot or the game play to avoid falling in any of both ends. This is a little different from what I usually like to read and write, , but believe me, this is going to work.

As with my other stories, any errors and mistakes that may have slipped here are mine and mine alone, and I'm too lazy to find a beta-reader. Shame on me.

A Legend of Zelda fanfiction

The Ghost Beside Me

Chapter 1: Illusions

It was the first sunny hours in the morning. The sun already said hello to the earth and its rays filtered through the tree branches and leaves, announcing the full arrival of the hottest season of the year. A soft breeze toyed with the pollen that the flowers expelled, the short grass waved softly as it passed over it. It also relieved the heat that was intensifying day by day, little by little.

Link was sitting on the balcony with his legs dangling playfully over the ledge, enjoying his breakfast. He bit a chunk of his bread spread with Summer butter while curiously watching every tiny movement in the air; from a falling leaf to some flying bug. His attention was often drifted away by Epona, his horse. Epona was untied from her usual spot. She was pacing around the place, her head low, pasturing by the grown grass around the tree house.

Walking toward Link's house ladder, Epona raised her head and fixed her dark eyes to her young master. Link was drinking milk from his cup when Epona made a low sound. He leaned forward to spot his horse staring at him. "Hey girl," Link greeted her after gulping some milk. "Are you done yet with your breakfast yet?"

Epona kept staring at him.

I guess she is. He thought.

Link chuckled. He knew Epona very well. She was playful, loyal and a hard worker. Epona had been part of his life since practically forever; since he had use of his memory. How did the horse come to his life, it was not a subject that bother him, not at the moment. The important thing is that they've always been there for each other and that alone is enough for him.

Link took another bite from his bread. The horse below snorted more loudly. Link leaned over again to see his horse, she kept looking at him. Or at least it looked like she was. It took him a moment to realize that Epona was no looking at him, but at his hand.

"Do you want some of this?" Link asked. Epona's eyes brightened instantly at the question. He looked at the last bite of bread in his hand. It was delicious and it would be a mistake not to eat it entirely. But his pet's desire to taste her master's tiny banquet and her innocent eyes were too much to resist.

He threw the remaining piece of bread to Epona's side. Epona went to it search immediately, bending her head and grabbing it with her mouth. The horse chewed the meal feverishly. Link laughed at the view. "Do you like it, huh?"

Epona neighed cheerfully to Link in obvious happiness, passing it to Link immediately.

The young man stood up from his spot and rubbed his hands against each other to shake away any crumbs left on them. He came down from his house porch, took the horse seat from the ground and placed it on Epona's back.

It's time to go to work Epona," Link said. "We are going to the woods today."

Rusl and Link accorded some days earlier to go to Faron Woods early in the morning to cut some wood logs so they could be used to feed the fire of their homes' fireplaces. The place had tall trees and fallen logs that could be used to that purpose. The recollected wood can also be used to build new houses and stables. When Rusl asked the young man for his help, Link accepted with pleasure, knowing that working with a person who he trusted blindly could be even funny.

Link exited his home site walking with Epona walking by his side and her reins in his hands. They hadn't walked a few steps when Epona hurried her pace, almost pulling Link from the reins. Link Tried to halt her. "Hey, slow down. There's no hurry, we are still early." Link said to his horse.

But the horse kept pulling him by the reins. It seemed that Epona wanted to arrive at Faron Woods some time before scheduled. Or perhaps was something else.

"Come on Epona, take it easy." Link talked to Epona like talking to any other person. He looked at the long trail that leaded away from Ordon Village and to Faron Woods. It was grassy, empty of stones and other obstacles. Besides the occasional chirping of birds, it was quiet all around. Good enough for some speed too…

"Do you want to race a little bit?" Link asked his horse while stroking her horsehair.

Epona neighed, nodding to him.

Link smiled. "Okay then. Do not get used to it, thought."

Link mounted his horse and secured his feet in the horse seat. He held the reins tightly in his hands. Maneuvering himself in a comfortable position, he looked forward and measured the distance ahead. He didn't even start it and he was feeling the rush all over him. It was so exciting.

"Are you ready?" Link said to Epona, patting her neck lightly.

Epona neighed again.

"Okay. You asked for it." Link breathed deeply. "Ready?"

What kind of question was that? Epona was always ready.

"GO!!"

Epona's legs exploded in an instant burst of speed. The horse ran fast, her horseshoes resonating on the ground as they pulled the dirt and small pebbles behind them. She ran as if there was no future for any of them.

"Yay! Ha ha!!" Link screamed out in pleasure. He couldn't contain the effects of his adrenaline flowing through his system. The sound of the air passing by his head, the wind pulling his hair away from his face… It was too good to let it pass by without enjoying it at full blast. In a blink of an eye, they were leaving Ordon Province and entering Faron Province.

As they passed by Faron Spring, Link's eye corner caught something. Before leaving it behind, he turned his head and saw a woman near the spring. She appeared to be kneeling close to the water. She was blond.

Uli.

"Stop, Epona, stop!" Link screamed at his horse as he pulled the reins in his hands. Gradually, the horse came to a full stop some meters away from the spring entrance. "Wait here. I want to say hello to Uli." He said as he dismounted Epona.

It was weird. He didn't noticed Uli coming to the spring while he was sitting in his house porch. Perhaps she went to do some laundry or other things before he was even out of his bed. Either way, it was good to cross paths with such a sweet lady, so he wouldn't waste the chance.

Link walked to the spring, almost ran, anxious to see Uli. "Hi, Uli!" He said as he entered the spring site.

But his cheerful expression slackened when he saw nobody there. He stopped his pace when he saw no sign of Uli or anybody at sight. It looked as if nobody had been there in a while. Confused, he looked around the place. There were no tracks or footprints in the ground. In fact, he perceived no presence there and he felt quite alone. He scratched his head absently; he could have sworn that he saw Uli kneeling in front of the water. Perhaps the velocity and his own excitement made him saw something – or someone – that was not there.

He scratched his head absently and sighed. He felt relieved that nobody was actually there to see him blush from embarrassment because of his little act. He gave one last look to the place; the pond was full of water, vegetation and vines were at its greenest and the flowers around looked colorful and happy. Everything was in place for him.

He left Faron Spring. He approached Epona and mounted her once more. "False alarm, Epona. Now, let's get to the woods. Slower this time, okay?"

Obeying her master, he and Epona headed to Faron Woods.

Although it was still early in the morning, Faron Woods' environment looked like it was afternoon, or close to evening. Very little sunlight filtered through the almost dry branches from the trees. Instead of colorful birds and bugs, some suspicious Guays flied over the place, but far from the ground. The forest felt cold and was very silent. The occasional shrieks of a couple of squirrels playing around the green parts of the place filled the woods with some needed noise.

It was a perfect place for wandering spirits to live.

"Hey Link!"

Link was sitting on the ground when a man called his name from behind. He turned his head and smiled when the figure of Rusl came into view. He brought his own horse to the place along with a wooden cart wheel that was pulled by the animal.

Link stood up quickly and shook away any dirt on his clothes. "Hi Rusl. I hope I came on time."

"You arrived before me. What can be better than that?" Rusl said cheerfully. He went to the cartwheel and took out an axe from the various tools he brought along with him.

"Are you ready for some hard work today?" Rusl asked as he threw the axe to Link. He grabbed it with both hands without hurting himself.

Link smiled at him. "Yes, I am ready."

The next hours were the toughest that Link had ever worked on. The first hour consisted in inspecting which trees could be turned as logs for fire. After marking the trees with some paint they proceeded to chop them down. The trees fell with speed and lifted dust when they met the ground with a strenuous noise. Later the trees were tied to the horses with rope for them to pull them and transport them to a better place to be chopped. After that, the 'good stuff' began. Chopping the trees into smaller logs took a great amount of time. Both men lifted their axes and cut the logs until the resulting pieces were smaller and easy to carry. It was a tiresome job, and despite the light coldness that reigned at Faron Woods, their bodies were covered in sweat.

Link stopped several times to wipe out with the back of his hand the sweat that ran down his forehead. Each time he did so, Rusl asked him if he was feeling tired. He also told him that he could rest and proceed once he felt better. But all those times Link assured him that he was good and could continue doing his task.

It was a little past midday when the last chopped logs were loaded into the cartwheel. In the end both Link and Rusl were exhausted, but quite satisfied. They could finish it with no major difficulties.

"Uff, what a day. My back's sore!" Rusl said as he stretched his back. "I bet you are tired, too."

"Nah, not much." Link half lied. Most of his body was sore putting some extra energy to the chopping job, but it was nothing he could not endure for a little longer.

"Really? Well, we can make another round chopping more wood if you want."

No! No more for today! His mind screamed. Link was going to reply, but stopped when his mouth was about to say something he would regret later. "Eh, come to think about it, my neck hurts a little." He said in a faked hurting tone as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "Ow…"

Rusl laughed at him. "Ha ha ha! You cannot hide how you feel from my eye. If you are tired, you must rest. There is no need to exhaust yourself more that you can handle, alright?"

Link nodded. It was true. Rusl was very observant and have eyes like an eagle. Much like his wife Uli, he could even perceive his mood and condition from miles. Rusl and Uli always treated him like one of their family, and that was something he could never repay as long as he lived.

"Now Link, let's get this load to the village." Rusl said as he patted Link's shoulder. "You can come by my house and have dinner there. You will be welcomed, as always."

"Thanks Rusl. I will consider it." He took Epona's reins and headed to Ordon Village with Rusl and the cartwheel ahead of him.

A sudden strong breeze hit the young man as he walked away, brushing away some strands of hair away from his face. The wind whistled, and the sounds entered Link's ears and made it impossible to ignore. It whistled loudly, but in Link's head, it sounded more like a whisper, a loud whisper that also carried some inaudible monosyllables that called for some stranded person somewhere.

It was almost like a voice, a voice that got carried away by the strong wind and never made it to the right ears.

At first, Link thought someone was calling him, or someone else there. He stopped momentarily and turned to the woods behind him. He looked around and as far as his eyes could reach. Every thing was still and lightly foggy. The wind was not blowing anymore and the sun light kept filtering through the trees. No moving life form was there.

He frowned. First it was Uli's image near the spring, and now he heard some sort of voices somewhere around him. It was the second time in a day that he imagined things that obviously where not there. Is something happening to his eyes and ears? Were those the effect of getting old?

"Link, are you coming?" Rusl called from the distance.

"I'm coming." Link shook his head and headed to Rusl's side. Perhaps his weariness was making those things appear somehow. But he ignored it at the moment. He was sure that after a warm bath, some rest and a good meal, it would be another anecdote to tell to his friends and laugh about later.

TBC...

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Leave a comment if you get a chance. They will be greatly appreciated and considered.