Hyrule Castle

Link rode Epona through the castle market, Navi rode sitting on his shoulder… Merchants surrounded the town square and peddled off their goods to the passing by residence. A few people waved or called his name at the sight of him and he would politely wave back. He had become a well-known adventurer in his own right over these last eight years, and he still took it upon himself to help anyone in trouble, which in turn, made him a lot of friends. Though everyone wore cheerful faces, Link couldn't help but feel tenseness in the air as well… The townspeople knew something was going on…

Link didn't have to guide Epona much… she was a smart horse and knew they were heading toward the castle, so she carefully picked her way through the crowds, not wanting to trample anyone, and headed down the road that lead to the castle itself.

After the short ride from town to the front gate, a pair of castle guards greeted Link. At first they crossed their spears, but then relaxed when they saw it was only Link. They greeted him warmly and opened the gates for him. Asking him to come dine with the castle guards in their mess that night and tell them a bit about his adventures. Link laughed and waved as he road on. Needless to say, Link was glad once he had arrived at his destination. Once he entered the castle courtyard, he dismounted.

"Princess Zelda is in the Royal Gardens…" Link closed his eyes, chuckling inwardly as he turned to face the speaker… Only a Sheikah could sneak up on him like that. He looked at the speaker, his blue eyes meeting a pair of red that was framed by short-cut white hair.

"Hello Impa… Well then I suppose I shouldn't keep her waiting any longer…" he let a castle stable boy take Epona's reins, reminding the horse to behave as the boy lead her off to the stables. Link then turned back to Impa, following her into the castle gardens. It didn't take long for them to reach a grassy courtyard boxed in on three sides by windowed walls. Zelda was sitting on a marble bench, her hands running through her strands of golden hair, as she seemed deep in troubled thoughts.

"Link has arrived, Princess," Impa announced, to let Zelda know they were there. The Hylian Princess blinked from her thoughts and turned clear sapphire blue eyes in their direction.

"Link…" She stood, her pink and white gown flowing with her movements as she walked toward them, her face now lit by a smile she saved only for Link. "I hope everything is well in Kokiri Village?" Link couldn't help but smile back… Zelda was someone special… and not only because she was the kingdom's beloved Princess. Destiny just seemed to throw them together, even if at the moment they were no more then dear friends, there was a defiant bond between them.

"All is well for the Kokiri…" then he turned serious, "And your suspensions are correct. All of the sages have reawaken and they remember everything. I've spoken to each minus Rauru, and they also feel the same that this has to have happened for a reason."

Zelda's smile dimmed to her troubled look again, "Yes, and now I think I may know the source of our unease."

Link blinked, "Oh? What have you heard?" Navi fluttered her wings, seeming as anxious as he felt.

"Ariypt, the kingdom west of here past the Haunted Wasteland and the Gerudo Territory, has recently fallen to an army which no one seems to know the origins or their reasoning. What is more perplexing is they seem unconcerned with the populace… they only whipped out the defending forces and took over the Ariypt's royal palace, capturing the royal family… but instead of thoroughly taking over the country or pillaging it thoroughly like you would expect of invaders, their goal seems to simply be to conquer, regroup, take what they need, and move on… They have started to remass their dark force and all information seems to be pointing toward their aim being Hyrule next." Zelda spoke calmly, but her worry and concern were apparent.

Link listened to all the information… it didn't bode well… if it was true, and then Hyrule was going to be faced with a possible large-scale war… maybe even worse then the civil war that had been the death of his mother who had fled it into the forest, leaving her infant son in the Great Deku Tree's care to be raised with the Kokiri. His mother had died because of mortal wounds she got in that war… he didn't want to see any other children faced with such a loss. "I see…"

Zelda downcast her sapphire gaze, "Refugees have already started to show up here in Hyrule. Most take the one safe road that connects our two kingdoms, but others fled into the Haunted Wasteland… As you know, very few can safely navigate that desert… Nabooru and her thieves have agreed to see to any that they find lost in that forsaken desert and see them safely to Hyrule Field. Talon and his daughter Malon of Lon Lon Ranch have offered to let the refugees start a camp on their land. My father has already called for all able and willing Hylian men to report to the Gerudo Fortress, which with Nabooru's permission, is being temporarily made into a fort for Hyrule's forces. Darunia is sending some of his Gorons down to help, and King Zora sends his support, though the Zora cannot stray far from water long. Mostly they will be keeping watch over Lake Hylia in case the enemy tries to scale the mountains instead of taking the desert path to get here…"

Link couldn't help but sense Zelda's distress, he found himself reaching over and placing a hand on her slender shoulder, "Hey… we've faced some rough odds before… We'll get through this."

"I do not want to ask you… but I know not what else to do… Will you help us save our kingdom again, Link?" Zelda almost looked like she wanted him to say no, but her love of her people wouldn't let her be selfish.

"This is my home as well, Zelda, of course I will do what I can to save it…" Link assured her.

"Yeah! This is our home too!" Navi piped in.

Zelda lifted her gaze to Links and managed a small smile, "Thank you Link… You make me feel like anything is possible even in the direst of situations." She then smiled at the fairy, "You too Navi, your are one brave fairy."

Link laughed, putting a hand behind his head, "I don't know about all that… and watch it, you'll give her a big head… then she wont be able to fly straight…"

"Hey!" Navi protested.

Zelda sighed, "Link… my father has mentioned he wants you to take up a place in the army as a officer… but I can't help but feel that you would better serve if you can move freely and act on your own. He may approach you with it if he sees you, so you may wish to depart soon. Sheik was sent to gather what he could about the enemy army, and is expected to return soon… if you would go to the Gerudo Fortress, you may be able to learn more from him before he returns here. I am not sure what other advice I can give you in this situation, but be careful whatever you decide to do..."

Link nodded, "And you be careful as well… don't do anything reckless and stay away from the fighting if and when it starts."

Zelda smiled, "Impa wont let me risk myself is she has anything to say about it…"

Link nodded, "She is the best person for that job. Well I best be going if I want to avoid your father and reach the Fortress in time to catch Sheik. Take care of yourself Princess…" With that Link turned, walking down the garden path, leaving Zelda to watch after him until he disappeared from her sight.

Gerudo Fortress

Link found himself having to pass though a checkpoint at the bridge, which wasn't unusually as the Gerudo kept close eye on all who passed to and from their fortress, but instead of Gerudo Guards as it usually was, it was now being guarded by some Hylian soldiers. They stopped Link at the bridge, but most of them knew him and waved him past.

As he continued down the rugged trail to the fortress, he again feel the dread of what was about to happen in the pit of his stomach… if there was a way to stop this before it started, he sure hoped they'd find it…

He passed by the stairs on front of the fortress, going instead up and around the trail with Epona… He glanced over at the huge gate that blocked the valley from the desert called the Haunted Westland. It was the only passage into the valley from the desert… Unless the enemy army planned on hiking up the rocky cliffs to get into Hyrule, they would have to come in through there, or through the one road that connected Hyrule and Ariypt farther up north.

From what Zelda told him, the men here were here for training, then most of them would join the camp up north at the road. The Gerudo has some of the best training grounds in all of Hyrule, so it wasn't a surprise that they would want many of the new soldiers to train here. Although it was strange seeing so many men running around a place that was inhabited by all women.

A catcall caught Link's attention as he road in under a watchtower built into the cliff side. Link blinked and looked up to see some of the Gerudo guards up in the tower. The waved and called some things that would have made Link blush if he wasn't used to their antics… He wondered how some of the proper Hylian men sent here for training reacted to the sensual female thieves.

"Well look what the desert birds dragged in…" Link looked up at the voice to see a Gerudo dressed in pale pink looking down at him from a second floor platform that was the roof of one of the first floor rooms. Sharp amber eyes almost like those of a hawk, were locked on him as their owner pushed back her pinkish-red hair that was kept up in a high ponytail that was the common style for the Gerudo.

"Hello Nabooru…" Link smiled and waved… then sweat dropped as the Gerudo queen jumped down from the roof and landed down in front of Epona.

"Don't hello Nabooru me kid," Nabooru straightened up out of her landing. "Why is it you only visit when you want or need something?" She lofted a brow at him.

Link gave a nervous laugh under the intense gaze of those gold eyes. How was he supposed to say he didn't come visit much because the Gerudo girls eyed him like a piece of meat? Luckily he was saved from having to answer by a whistle from the gates to the Haunted Wasteland, which got the attention of Nabooru and the guards up in the tower. One of the tower guards moved to where Nabooru could see her and moved her arms and hands in some kind of signal.

Nabooru watched her, and then looked back at Link, "Four riders are approaching the gate." Link nodded and dismounted from Epona, letting a Gerudo take her reins, she'd take her to be watered and feed. He joined Nabooru in heading down to the gate.

When they reached it, Nabooru watched for a sign from the guards on the gate. Soon one of the guards leaned over and gave Nabooru another sign. "It's Sheik with three Ariypt tagalongs."

Link nodded… Sheik was whom he had come here to meet. The sooner he learned more from the Sheikah warrior, the better. Although his memories of a different Sheik… one that had really been Princess Zelda in disguise, always made Link curious to see under the Sheikah's scarf. He watched as the Gerudo set the gate in motion to open, drawing it up. Link moved back with Nabooru and watched as a cloud of dust approached the gate.

Soon enough a black horse with a blond mane and tail came flying through the gate with it's Sheikah rider and was soon followed by three other riders. As soon as they were through, the Gerudo lowered the gate.

Link's attention locked on Sheik, heading over to speak to him as he dismounted his horse Kuro. This Sheik he met a few years ago. He was Impa's nephew, of all things, and had lived outside of Hyrule up until about three years ago. Impa had formed Zelda's disguise in her nephew's image. The real Sheik was a soft-spoken boy, and like Impa, tended to come and go unnoticed. He had a sense of humor at times, that showed in his eyes, that almost seemed to dance when he was amused.

Long time ago, there was an incident between the Royal Family and their loyal servants, the Sheikah; some kind of betrayal. Most of the shadow warriors left Hyrule because of it; only Impa had remained to fulfill her duty in protecting Princess Zelda. Sheik's family had been among those to leave, but Link didn't know any more then that. Sheik didn't like to talk about himself much.

Having seen Link, Sheik approached, his red eyes serious over his frayed white scarf. Nabooru watched him, then looked at Link, "Let's get these weary travelers some water and out of the sun." She suggested, moved toward the adobe building of the fortress.

Link nodded, "we can talk inside." He told Sheik, who nodded his agreement. They both looked over at the other three people dismounting. There were two women; one young and pretty, one middle-aged and plump, and the last was a lanky man with glasses. Link blinked.

The women were Ariyptian, hair and eyes were dark, skin tanned dark, ears mostly round but coming to a slight tip like the Gerudo. They wore dark makeup around their eyes called kohl and wore gold jewelry accented with lapis, turquoise, garnet, and beryl.

The man on the other hand was a blond, eyes green, and ears long and delicate. He was tanned from being out in the desert sun, but it was obvious he was fair skinned. He was Hyrulian. He was dressed like an Ariyptian, but Link was sure he wasn't a native.

"Come on link, Nabooru is waiting," Navi fluttered in front of Link's face, hands on her hips.

"Ok, I'm going," sighed and gave the three refugees one last glance, then moved off the way Nabooru had gone… Sheik was gone; probably went on ahead, and of course Link never noticed him leave.