A hero forgets his manners
"Good, you made it this far, let's see," the woman from the other day said as Link approached the massive walls of Castle Town. "Well, you smell better than you did, I suppose it'll have to do. Come this way."
The woman turned pushed off of the wall she had been leaning on and walked into the town, motioning for him to follow. The early morning mist was just beginning to evaporate as he nervously trotted after the woman. The market was just getting started, and few people were out, although a few devoted shoppers were perusing the morning specials.
Withing five minutes, he was following the woman up a winding dirt path. She skirted him along the side of the path and pushed him along as he stopped to look at something buried in the grass, it was the feather of eagle, his mind started churning, and for a moment, he was dead to the world, a memory playing in his head. Everything was dark, Link looked around, these halls had never been scary before, but now were. A tall man walked toward him, something large was perched on his shoulder. The "thing" let loose a screech, and Link cowered. The "thing" leapt off of the man's shoulder and flew on a pair of enormous wings, talons dug into his forehead…
"Get moving! We don't have time to look at grass! The guards will do their rounds soon!" The woman hissed in his ear, still pushing Link along. He struggled to look around at the woman who was pushing him, still waking up from memory world.
"If Her Royal Highness requested me specifically, than why do I have to avoid the guards?" He groaned, jumping out of the woman's grasp so as not to pushed along any farther. Her grip was actually quite painful.
Link was ushered up the winding dirt path, past a field of flowers out front of the castle, and across a narrow drawbridge. They both entered the castle, and the woman could do her best not to scoff as Link's boots left muddy prints in his wake.
The woman noticed that, strangely enough, for a commoner, this boy showed no awe in being inside of the castle, most visitors were taken aback by the sheer size, but this boy just followed her instructions and almost acted as though she was boring him.
"Stop there." She told him as they entered a courtyard. Dissatisfied with how he was standing, she grabbed him by the shoulders, lifted him up and thumped him down where she saw fit.
"Your Highness, your choice in men is here, and might I say that he smells lovely!" She hissed sarcastically, walking away Link and leaving him to stare out across the grassy courtayrd.
Sitting at the far end on an elegantly carved wooden chair was a beautiful woman like Link had never seen. She flicked a lock of her golden hair away from her crystal-blue eyes and looked at him curiously.
"What is your name, young thief?" She asked calmly, crossing her legs as he took a few steps closer.
"My name is Link, Your Majesty," he said, looking at her. "If I may, I'd like to know why you've summoned me? If that's ok."
The princess smiled, and to Link, it almost looked like the kind of smile one donned when you knew an inside joke.
"Young thief, as you well may have heard, a desert prince is visiting the castle," she said in a tone that was the very essence of grace. Link nodded. "Although he claims that he wishes to sign a peace treaty, I can see through his guise, he is planning a takeover. My soldiers are weak, and cowardly, I need a man who does not fear, you stood up to my handmaiden, Impa. I think you are the one I need."
Link took another step forward.
"Your majesty, bed my pardon, but I am nothing more than a lowly thief who has to pilfer his meals. I have no honor, I'm not worthy of taking on this task."
"Do your fellow criminals not speak of 'honor among thieves'?"
"That is a completely different kind of honor!" Link growled, his voice raising.
"But it is honor all the same."
He jumped as the woman from before whacked his shoulder with the butt of her short sword.
"Young man, if you do not wish to undertake Her Highness' task, then I would be more than happy to escort you outside of the castle, where you would promptly be apprehended by the law, is that the fate you'd prefer?" Impa said, wrapping her strong fingers around the ratty collar of his tunic. Link wrenched his shoulder from her grip and gritted his teeth, glaring first at Impa, and then at Princess Zelda.
"Fine," he spat. "What've I got to do?"
In one of the many bedrooms of Hyrule Castle, a hulking man sat on the stately four-poster bed, a leather bound book in his hands. He groaned when a warm, late spring breeze blew in through the partially open window.
How do they live with such cold temperatures? He asked himself. This is nothing like home.
A knock came at the door, and looking up, the man glared at the huge door. He was tired, cold and quite frankly, didn't want to be bothered right now.
"Who is it?" He shouted crossly at the door, returning his gaze to the page he had been reading..
"Sir, I-its me, Byrne, is…this a bad time?" A voice called from the other side, a nervous twinge in his words. After a few minutes, the man decided to answer.
"Come in," he sighed tiredly, turning the page.
"Lord Ganondorf," Byrne said, entering the room with a bow. "He's here, the princess' chosen hero has arrived."
Ganondorf looked up from his book, and closed it with a snap.
"Really," he said in a low rumble. "Who is he?"
"Um, sir, he-he appears to be a wanted criminal, sir."
Ganondorf rose from hauntingly from his chair, and with a confident stride, made it over to the door, looming over the smaller man.
"Well, let's go meet the little scamp then, shall we?"
Ganondorf swept out of the room and into the marble hallways of Hyrule Castle with Byrne following close behind like a dog follows its master…
"Come this way please." Princess Zelda said, striding gracefully down one of the castle corridors. Link followed a few feet behind her, looking at the hallway. It was tall, and from the vaulted ceilings hung several intricate chandeliers. Impa reminded him of her presence with a whack on his shoulder when he slowed down.
Zelda entered a room off of the main hallway and beckoned for him to follow. He obeyed, and upon entering, Zelda pointed toward the far wall. The room was empty except for a single painting on the whitewashed wall. Link had seen replicas of it before. It depicted three gemstones, one green, one red and one blue.
"These are the three spiritual stones," Zelda said. "The Kokiri's Emerald, the Goron's Ruby and the Zora's Sapphire. In order to prevent the war, I need you to collect these three stones."
Link glared at her, his eyes narrow.
"Is that all you want? Why don't you go and get it yourself?" He responded saucily, raising his eyebrows and bearing his teeth in a sarcastic smile.
"I was getting there," Zelda sighed. "In order to set foot upon the sacred grounds where the stones are kept, a spell must be cast upon you to protect you from the curses that guard the temples. One cannot cast the spell upon oneself."
"So, I'm basically your errand boy."
"Well, well, fancy seeing you here, Zelda." A silver-tongued voice said behind them, Zelda jolted around and Link looked toward the door. Standing in the doorway was the largest man Link had ever seen. He was at least seven feet tall, with pasty green skin and fiery red hair that actually resembled fur. His harsh amber eyes were focused entirely Zelda.
"Ganondorf," Zelda growled. "What are you doing here?"
"I just thought I would come and see this lovely painting," he said, entering the room and looking briefly at the painting. His attention soon returned to the princess. "But, might I add that this masterpiece is shamed by your beauty."
Link gagged, never before had he borne witness to such a blatant display of flattery, and he felt like he was going to be sick. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach when Ganondorf's gaze moved to him.
"Who is this?" He asked suspiciously, looking Link over from head-to-toe as if sizing him up.
"This is Link. He's here as an ambassador for his lordship, the Duke Escorlan."
Her statement took Link aback, and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead at the mention of the duke.
"Link has to be off now, and I have a few important matters to attend to before he leaves, so if you'll excuse us." Zelda said, taking Link by the shoulder and pushing him quickly though the door and into the hall. Ganondorf nodded tersely.
"Yes, of course. I have a few things to take care of as well…"
Link, Zelda and Impa stood at the drawbridge that separated Castle Town and Hyrule Field.
"What?" Link asked, widening his eyes for an innocent look Impa pointed at his satchel.
"Dangit!" Link muttered, reaching into his satchel and producing a small vase that shimmered gold with rubies, emeralds and diamonds layered into the rim. He begrudgingly held it out to Impa.
"Thank you." She said curtly, swiping the vase from Link's grip and turning, walking back into the late afternoon crowd of Castle Town. Zelda first looked out to the field beyond, and then turned her attention to Link.
"Link, I have to warn you, the spell was developed specifically to test the individual who wishes to collect the stones. There is a steep price."
Link raised an eyebrow, flashing the princess yet another sarcastic grin.
"Like I have a choice."
They stood in silence for a few moments,
"Are you ready?" she asked, Link nodded. Princess Zelda backed away from him, putting several feet between him and her and then started chanting in a strange tongue. Link could recognize it as Old Hylian.
Although he couldn't see anything, Link could feel a strange feeling inside his throat, a fuzzy numbness that spread up into his head and deep down into his stomach. As quickly as it had started, the numbness vanished and Zelda stopped chanting.
"The spell has been cast, you can now set foot in the sacred temples. You should go now, or else you'll never get anywhere before dark."
Link opened his mouth to reply, and a shocked expression crossed his face. No words came out. He tried again, and again. Nothing. Zelda closed her eyes and allowed her head to dip slightly.
"Now you know the price of the spell. In order to test the individual, the spell removes one of your greatest assets, your voice."
And so, Link set off for the Forest Temple, without any voice at all…