They rode for hours without cease; the only sounds were the pounding of the white stallion's hooves on the rain-soaked earth and the claps of distant thunder. The princess clung to the steed's silvery mane while Impa guided the horse relentlessly across Hyrule Field. After many backwards glances at the rapidly fading castle on the horizon, Zelda concluded that Ganondorf had given up the pursuit. A thousand thoughts were bombarding her mind, such as why her father had been foolish enough to trust the fiend to begin with, and what would become of her beloved kingdom. Of all these questions, however, one resounded highest: was she right in entrusting the Ocarina of Time and, more pressingly, the fate of Hyrule with the Kokiri boy? She was certain that Link would triumph, but she couldn't help but wonder how a child could possibly save an entire kingdom on his own. I must keep faith, she thought sternly. Link shall defeat Ganondorf and save Hyrule. He must.
Impa, her guardian and dear friend, kept her crimson eyes glued ahead, not uttering a word to Zelda about their destination, so the princess kept quiet as they rode out of the field and into the rugged mountains, and then out of Hyrule itself. The prospect of leaving her home frightened Zelda, for she had never ventured beyond its borders. With Impa, she knew she would be safe, yet she still found herself tightening her grip on the horse's neck.
The hours passed slowly, the scenery around them changing from rocky ledges to dense forests, and Zelda wondered if her companion knew where she was heading at all. The horse was exhausted, drops of sweat flying from its soaked body as it galloped through the trees. Zelda's eyelids were growing heavy, and she could see stars glistening through the foliage overhead. With the rocking motion of the horse, it took much effort for her not to allow herself to drift off to sleep. Just as she was considering asking Impa when they intended to stop, the Sheikah woman spoke.
"We will rest soon, Highness."
Zelda noticed that the trees were beginning to thin, and the soft soil beneath them was becoming coarse and grainy. All at once, the trees vanished, and they emerged from the forest into an endless ocean of sand. This must be the Colossus Desert, thought the princess drowsily as Impa brought the fatigued horse to a stop. The Sheikah glanced around at their surroundings, then steered the horse to the right and began trotting down the line of trees. The ground steadily inclined until a bluff was formed, and after a few minutes of scanning the rocky wall, Impa spotted their destination: a small cave at the base of the cliff.
The steed slowed to a halt, and Impa climbed down from its back, helping the princess down after her. Zelda watched through half-closed eyes as Impa pulled a long metal rod from the saddlebag and stuck it into the sand, then tied the horse to it. Even though she was a small child, Zelda had to crawl on her belly to get through the cave entrance, but once she had squirmed inside, she found it to be much roomier. Impa appeared at her side in the darkness and pulled out a bottle of powder from her bag, then through the substance into the center of the room. It ignited upon impact, and instantly they had a crackling fire, fueled by a pile of old wood that was already set up in the cave. Zelda wondered how many times Impa had been here before.
The princess tucked her knees to her chest and hugged them tightly, her eyes glued to her guardian, who was laying out blankets for their bed. For the first time since they had fled the castle, Zelda wanted to cry. She wanted to cry for all of the people whose lives would be destroyed under Ganondorf, and for the dreadful hand that Fate had dealt her beautiful country. The tears came before she could stop them, and despite feeling indignant and wishing she could stop, she emitted a few pitiful sobs. Impa was at her side in a moment, pulling her shaking body close to hers and stroking her long, yellow hair.
"I'm sorry, Impa," whimpered Zelda, dragging her little hands across her reddened face to remove the tears.
"It is alright, Princess," cooed the Sheikah. "One so young should not have to suffer through these dark, terrible times."
Zelda sniffled and let Impa hold her, glad for the comfort of her friend. Her eyes slowly fell shut, and she went limp against the woman's body. Impa waited until she could hear the princess's deep, slow breaths, then gingerly moved the girl to the blankets she had arranged. The Sheikah carefully slipped the princess out of her extravagant dress, now torn and dirty from the long ride, and covered her with a few of the blankets. As she set the little girl down, her blue eyes sprang open, brimming with fear.
"What is wrong, Highness?" asked Impa urgently.
She shook her head slowly. "When I close my eyes, I can see him. I can see his bloody eyes and his sharp teeth. I can see him riding that black horse through Hyrule and killing innocent people with his sword."
The Sheikah frowned and pressed the back of her hand to the princess's forehead. "You feel warm," she observed quietly. "You should rest, Highness."
"I want to, Impa. I'm so tired," said Zelda, and as if to emphasis this, let out a long yawn. "But I don't think I can sleep with that horrible face plaguing my mind." The princess sat upright and looked into the fire, her eyes smoldering with sudden rage. "I hate him, Impa. I hate him more than I can bear. He's ruthless, blood-thirsty, and evil, and I can't stand to imagine the things he's going to do to Hyrule. I want him dead. I want to kill him myself." She curled her hand into a tiny fist and slammed it on the ground, creating a smacking sound that echoed for several moments in the cave.
Impa looked on at her princess with an unreadable expression. Zelda turned to her and snapped, "What? Don't you think I could?"
"There is no doubt, Princess," replied the Sheikah woman, pulling over her bag and rummaging through its contents.
"Certainly, you think me too small, or too young, or too gentle," she carried on. "In any other case, I would agree. But give me a bow and a clear shot, and I'll gladly put an arrow through his cold heart."
Her companion extracted a small vial from her bag full of a strange, glistening fluid like liquid stars. She held it out for Zelda, who accepted it without question, having been cared for by Impa her entire life and trusting her above everyone else. "This will help you sleep," she explained, watching the Princess uncork the bottle and sip its contents delicately. When she had drained it completely, she handed it back and settled down into the bed, curling up beneath the warm blankets.
"Are you really so determined to destroy Ganondorf and regain your kingdom, Princess?"
"Of course, my dear Impa. I'd do anything." Her eyes were already too heavy for her to keep open, so she let them slip closed. "What shall happen to Hyrule?"
"I do not know. Sleep now." Impa's red eyes remained locked on Zelda's pretty little face for several minutes after she had fallen asleep. The lump in the sheets that was her fragile body rose and fell with her steady breaths. Her guardian reached out a bandaged hand and lightly touched the tiny princess's forehead. "Goodbye for now, Princess. I pray you will forgive me."
Author's Note: If you're wondering about the Sheik/Zelda situation, here's a quick explanation. I've got a theory regarding the transformation of Zelda into Sheik, which will be revealed more as the story progresses. Without giving too much away, I will say that technically, they are the same person, but he's unaware of this and acts as himself.
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