Sweey: Hello again and this is yet another rewritten chapter. :) Thank you Evil Riggs, Haninator, and ganondorf-lover for giving my pointers. Sorry for making you guys wait, if you don't know, I was busy working on my novel-of-a-story The Past of the Masked Knight. I decided that this story wasn't worthy of it's title so I came back to fix it. :)

Ch 2 Spring Cleaning

Link studied the group before him. He moved like a ghost up the ladder to his house. Swiftly pulling out the hero's bow, he smoothly knocked an arrow. Aiming for an archer farthest from the group, Link let the arrow fly. It hissed like a snake charging in strike for its prey.

There was a dull thud as the bulbin fell to the ground.

Link quickly stooped to the ground, pressing his body against the back side of his house, keeping out of sight when another bulbin rushed to its fallen comrade.

When the other bulbin stopped showing interest in the sudden excitement, Link knocked another arrow onto the string of his bow. Closing one eye, he took aim for the bulbin. Again the arrow flew and successfully brought its target down.

This time, all of the bulbins caught on. They ran to where the dead bulbin laid with an arrow in its gut. They chattered mindlessly to one another, looking in the direction of the arrows flight. Link again pressed himself against the wall of his house, barely breathing. Bulbins were easy to fight, but together in large numbers, they were like a pack of hyenas. He didn't feel like dealing with them like that, yet.

An abrupt thud sounded as one of the bulbin's flaming arrow struck the wall, inches from his ear. He rolled his eyes while thinking, 'here we go again!'

Quickly pushing his bow back in its pocket he pulled out his sword and jumped from the ledge of his house down on top of the bulbin who was firing at him. He brought his sword down, stabbing the bulbin as he came down. He looked up, noted where Ilia was, and then began to fend of the dark beasts making his way towards her. One bulbin slipped between him and her, so he swung his sword cutting the bulbin down and his friend free at the same time. He threw her his bow; she smiled gratefully then sprung to action.

Fighting back to back, they cut down the remainder of the bulbins. Link stabbed the gut of another bulbin as Rusl and Collin came dashing over the hill from the village with their blades drawn.

Link heard a choking noise behind him and turned to find a bulbin frozen in motion with its spear positioned to strike. A blade stuck from its belly and the bulbin fell, revealing Collin's fierce face followed by a shy grin. Link smiled back and nodded his head, looking back to Rusl who was cutting down the last of the dark fiends.

Rusl grunted as he pulled his sword from its gut moments before it exploded into nothingness. "I'll never sleep well after this night."

Link nodded gravely.

Ilia frowned. "Where did they coming from?"

"Auru of the Resistance sent me a letter for us both, Link." Rusl said as he leaned against his sword. "Ashei was patrolling Snow Peak again after some complaints from the Zoras who claimed to have been having problems with bulbins. It seems that somewhere deep in the mountains, the bulbins are regrouping, though they are leaderless, performing deeds that are no more than pilfering nearby villages and breaking things."

Link nodded, already gathering his things to leave on the journey. Ilia regarded him none too lightly.

"You can't go now! You've only just returned!"

Link turned to her and looked to Rusl who nodded in agreement with her.

"At least rest for the night and take leave at dawn."

Link dipped his head in understanding then turned back to Ilia. He could see her fighting the tears in her eyes desperately. He smiled to reassure her and she attempted to smile back.

Collin looked at him with a serious face, readying his tongue to change the subject, "Why not take me with you?"

Link hesitated. That's the way it had always been… the things he went through and the secrets he held from his past adventures were sacred. Would Princess Zelda approve of such a thing?

Rusl glanced at him in shock, "Surely you aren't going alone! You may be powerful, but you alone can't possibly fend off an army of bulbins alone in the freezing mountains."

"Well, that's usually how I work." Link answered, raising an eyebrow slightly at Rusl's disrepute statement of him. Sometimes he wished he could tell people what the real story was and not the fragments that he had released to gossipers.

Rusl pondered upon the situation for a moment, and then looked up. An idea sparkling in his eye as he smiled, "Collin could very well come in handy where I wouldn't. He's smaller than you and could crawl in to crevices that you can't. That's very valuable where this quest in the mountains is concerned."

Collin's eyes lit up as they waited for Link's decision. There was no use disappointing him Link realized, "Alright," he finally said, then added, "Do you have a horse?"

Collin's head drooped, "No…"

Link smiled, "No matter, we can get you one. I found a village that has plenty to spare. They owe me a few favors so I'm sure I can get you one."

Collin looked up in surprise, "Really Link? Thanks! I-I don't know what to say!"

Link grinned, "Just pack light and be ready to go after breakfast. But for now, I think it's time the two of us got some rest."

Collin nodded and ran off down the hill to his house. Rusl turned to him before he left. "Thank you greatly Link."

Link grinned. "I was planning on taking him with me anyways."

Rusl laughed and then turned to leave.

Ilia stood beside Link quietly.

"Shall I escort you my lady?" He bowed as he joked, lifting up a hand for her to take.

"That would be MOST delightful!" Ilia played along. So together they made their way back down the trail to the mayor's house. As the mayor's daughter, Link was expected to treat her with great respect, which he always did. After he said good night to Mayor Bo and Ilia, he left to go back to his house. Epona stood waiting to be unsaddled and Navi waited by the door, sitting in the window.

He approached his mare and undid the girth, slowly allowing it to fall to the other side. He then strapped it to the ring on top then ran his stirrups to the top of the saddle. Link moved forward and snapped off the front of her harness, unwrapping it then hooking it to the ring near the front of the saddle pommel. Sliding the saddle off, he set it against the wall.

Epona was dirty, very dirty. So Link drew a bucket of water from his store of the clear liquid in his basement. He stopped a moment to look at himself in the mirror. Link sighed. He too was in need of a bath. It'd be sometime before he could go to bed.

After he finished cleaning his horse, Link made his way to Ordon Spring. Going to the deeper end near the falls, Link allowed the cool water to rush over his body. A few fairies fluttered over to him kissing his wounds healing them. Link froze when he heard two pairs of foot steps. He threw on a pair of pants and gripped his sword and then laughed at himself when Epona ran into the water neighing blissfully. She ran up towards him and nudged him over.

Link picked himself up and tagged his horse back who trotted after him cheerfully. The fairies joined in too, flying and darting about after them.

They played and splashed for at least an hour before both had worn each other out. Half asleep, Link mounted Epona who trod on to their home, head drooping low.

When they arrived, Link dismounted just as Epona laid down in the small grassy grove that served as her stall. Groggily, Link climbed the first ladder up to the door to his house, then the second one to his desk and book shelf, and the next to where his bedroom was. He took his hammock and hung it back up, then laid down to sleep. His eyes where heavy but he still managed to look up at the silver moon above. In the distance, a great horned owl sang it's eerie song and flew overhead. Link smiled. Tomorrow was going to be a long day, but one worth living.

"Good night Navi." He mumbled.

"Night Link." She replied, tuning down her light to a soft glow.

Before Link fell asleep, he frowned as he thought over the past events of the day. Why had the bulbins formed up? What was their purpose? Who was responsible? He dismissed the fearful thoughts though something was still there, pricking his mind as he closed his eyes for sleep.

Soon he was breathing deeper in a dreamless slumber that came from months of travel and exhaustion. The moon cast beams from his window and over the sleeping village that rested beneath the hill. Nothing stirred save for a strange figure high upon a tree branch, where it could see the entire stretch of Ordon Village. It allowed a cruel smile upon its face.

"So… this is where you were hiding." It said. "Heh heh. Well, I shall catch you later Link. Hope you're ready for me." With that the figure jumped up to the trees and disappeared into the night.

Sweey: Well guys, hope this chapter was better than it was last time. :) Again, I left you with a cliffy! HAHAHAH! I'll be working solely on this story for this weekend. :D So enjoy and review!