I lay on my bed, plucking a few strings from the Goddess's Harp from the light of the morning sun. This is always my favorite part of the day, when I am able to be an ordinary girl, free from responsibilities and distractions…
Right on cue, there's a knock on the door. "Princess Zelda."
I sigh. Impa knows better than to interrupt me in the morning, but I expect that she has something really important to tell me. "Come in, Impa."
She enters, standing straight as a rod, wasting no time or steps. After closing the door, she clasps her arms behind her back and looks at me with her unyielding unreadable expression. "I see that you're enjoying the harp. I knew it belonged in the hands of the princess.
I want to roll my eyes, but I take a deep breath to calm myself instead. I respect Impa too much to show her disrespect. "Yes, it's very nice," I say, placing the harp on my bedside table. "What did you come to tell me?"
Her mouth tightens. "A prisoner escaped last night. The Hero of Legend."
I'm so shocked I almost fall out of bed. Now I see why she interrupted my morning ritual. "How?" I ask, gawking. "Nobody's ever done that before."
"We don't know," Impa says. "A guard came to bring him his breakfast this morning and he simply wasn't there. His chain was broken, but the walls were undamaged and the door was unopened."
I push my hair out of my face. "How odd," I say. "Well, what have we done to catch him?"
"The guards at the west gate fought bravely, but he pushed through into the wastes," Impa says. She moves closer to my bed. "I have sent two Knights to take care of him."
I shiver instinctively at the name of the Knights. But there are more important things at hand at the moment. "It seems odd that the Hero is now a fugitive," I say. "He is called a hero for a reason. If he wasn't with us in the War, we would've been destroyed for sure."
Impa raises an eyebrow, but her stony expression remains. "Perhaps," she says, "But what he has done is inexcusable. No one is above the law. Not him, not me, not even you, princess. He must answer to his crimes, just like anyone else."
She turns to gaze out my window, looking out into the rising sun. Her back is to me, but I can see all of her muscles tighten. "Now he is a hero only in name."
After a moment, she relaxes and looks at me again with her usual blank expression. "I'm sorry to trouble you with this news, princess. But you must be informed of what occurs in your kingdom."
Impa is my oldest advisor. She raised me from birth and since my parents died, she's all I have left. Plus, she's run the kingdom admirably and it's on pace to be the safest it's ever been by the time I'm old enough to take the throne.
"Thank you, Impa," I say, giving her the kindest smile I can this early in the morning. "You are dismissed."
Bowing, she exits my room as I rise from my bed and begin to choose a dress for the day.
The wastes are as desolate as I remember them. There are no plants, except for patches of burnt grass scattered across fields of ugly dirt. There's not much food and absolutely no water to count on. I'm just glad I grabbed some bread.
I've been walking at a brisk pace for several hours and I still haven't taken a gulp of water. Naturally I will have guards following me and they'll be on horses, so I don't have much time to waste. They may overtake me eventually, but I'll have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
The ground drops to a gradual incline and I come to a lonely gnarled tree. This is probably the closest thing to a shelter that I'll see for a long time, so I take a moment to rest, leaning up against the scorched trunk and dropping my knapsack in the dirt. I allow myself a sip of water.
God, I haven't been in the wastes since the days of the war. The Bublins were vicious, with a lust for blood that could not be quenched. They passed through Hyrule like a wave and laid siege to Castle Town for months. A raid on my village is what inspired me to take up the sword.
The soldiers of Castle Town were stranded in the castle, so my role was to unite the nations against our common foe. They didn't need much convincing. They probably would've followed anyone in a green tunic.
After months of bloodshed, I had finally gathered enough of the nations to attack the Bublins that had the castle under siege. With my army of Gorons, Zoras, villagers, and the castle's hungry but determined guards, we were evenly matched.
The battle's turning point was my battle with the new King Bublin, who wielded a strange magic unlike anything ever seen in Hyrule. The battle was long and hard and I lost a few ribs, but I eventually slayed the monster and the Bublins scattered.
It may sound glorious, but the war was pretty miserable. Most of the war was senseless and bloody. I was barely more than a boy in the beginning, but after a few battles, I was left hardened and bitter. I longed for the noble adventures of my predecessors.
Pretty much the only part of the war worth remembering was the feast afterwards. God, everyone was so happy and thankful. I couldn't help but be a little sad, though, when I met that little princess. She was just a girl, hardly even my sister's age, who lost her parents in the war. She thanked me for my service and smiled, but I could tell her heart wasn't in it.
The war may have been rough, but it seems like a festival compared to the situation I'm in now. If nothing else, I miss the black and white quality of war. I knew who my friend was and who my foe was. Now everything's just a muddle of gray.
I snap to attention. I must've dozed off, but judging from the sun, it was only for a few minutes.
When I hear noises coming from my knapsack, I freeze, and slowly turn my head to look. Something's completely enclosed by the bag, making little noises. The bread! I immediately snatch the bag and pull the creature out of it.
When the thief is revealed, he immediately starts wailing. It's a skull kid, and a young one at that. Tears run down his little straw face and crumbs drop from his sobbing mouth.
I feel my face getting hot. The skull kid tries to wiggle free, but I keep a firm grip on him. Regardless of who the thief is, I'm beyond furious. I'm journeying across a desert with no plants, little wildlife, and nothing to hunt with. That bread was the only food I had. Plus I'm not exactly well-fed from my time in prison In short, that bread was my life.
I grasp my staff a little tighter. Maybe that bread should be his last supper, or I could at least give him a good beating.
Wait a minute, I'm not some kind of monster. The bread's gone, there's no getting it back. Plus, this kid's not exactly edible. I fling the skull kid on the ground and he skitters into the distance.
Guess I'll just have to make do. I've dallied long enough, so I need to think of something quick. Surveying the ground around my feet, I notice an abnormally sharp and pointy rock. This'll do just fine, I think, ripping off a piece of my rags and lashing the rock to the end of my staff. Not the best spear I've ever seen, but it'll do. Hungry but hopeful, I pass the tree and continue the long march through the wastes.
After several miles and a restless night of walking, I'm relieved to see a bird circling across the sky the next morning. It's pretty high up, but it looks like it's in throwing distance. Trying to remember the last time I threw a spear (and failing), I hurl my staff into the air with all the force I can muster. It sails even higher than I hoped, but it missed by a longshot.
That's just a fluke, Link. I think. It's just too high up. Just try again later.
After a few hours, I see a rabbit. Luckily I'm near a patch of fairly green weeds, so I blend in pretty well. I kneel down to get into position and a twig breaks. Shit! Immediately the rabbit takes off. Without stopping to think, I pull the spear back, aim for a split second and let it fly.
I groan as it misses by a long shot. I don't have much experience with spears. Regardless, I had a good, clean shot and failed. I'm just wasting my energy. Fuming at my lack of expertise, I tear the strip of cloth from the staff and throw my makeshift spear in the dirt. My stomach growls uncomfortably as I keep walking.
By the third night, I've slowed down considerably. I'm still making decent progress, but I've gone without sleep and food for almost 72 hours. Needless to say, I'm feeling pretty weak. Anyway, in this dark, I'll be lucky not to stumble into the canyon.
Wait, what was that? I hear a sound, the first sound I've heard in days that's not the wind, birds, or my footsteps. Not a good sign, I think, and crouch down painfully behind a small hill.
Sure enough, as the sound gets closer, I recognize the sound of hooves. I tighten my grip on my staff but remain still. Soon the riders come into sight, riding just a short ways from my hiding place and coming to a stop. I clench my teeth
It's just about the worst situation I could imagine: lying totally exposed just a few feet away from two Knights. The riders are ill-dressed for the wilderness in their full suits of shining white armor, but they seem perfectly healthy and well-fed judging from the way they carry themselves. They do not speak, they just survey the landscape slowly and methodically. A gust of wind picks up and I catch their scent. I repress a gag; they smell like death. Just as before, I get the feeling that these guys are not quite right. My stomach churns, and not just from hunger.
After several minutes, the knights continue again and I can breathe. But judging from my experience with them, I'll be meeting them again.
That is, if I don't starve first. By noon of the next day I have little fat left on my bones, if any, and every step is a colossal effort. To make matters worse, I'm barely halfway to my destination. I just want to lie down and sleep, but I know that I wouldn't get up again.
I look up from my feet and notice a small, out-of-place hut for the first time. Maybe whoever lives here has food or weapons. I somehow find the energy to stumble to the door and open it.
The cabin's completely empty, without anything at all on the shelves or furniture of any kind. There is, however, someone in the dark corner.
"Who are you?" I say, my voice cracking. I point my staff at the stranger.
"I see that you're not doing so well," a familiar voice says. The figure emerges from the shadows. It's the Happy Mark Salesman.
"You could say that," I say weakly. I hold the staff limply by my side. "Don't happen to have any food, do you?"
The Salesman laughs, his eyes shining. "No, I'm afraid not. But I could provide you with a weapon. For the right price, at least."
I hesitate. This guy drives a hard bargain. But I don't have much of a choice. "All right. What do you have in mind?"
He can hardly contain his glee. "How about a bow for, say, the Master Sword?"
"No," I say firmly. I don't even have to think about it. "That's not on the table."
He seamlessly shifts from gleeful to furious. "I don't think you're in a position to bargain," he snaps, eyes wild.
"Sure I am. Last time I checked, I'm doing a job for you." It's pretty hard to seem confident in my condition. "So it looks like you need me just as much as I need you."
He chuckles, eyes aflame. The effect is fairly creepy, but I don't budge. "No, not quite as much. One thing's for certain, my help does not come free."
I think for a moment. I don't have too many possessions, even back home, but I can't think of anything that even come close to the value of that sacred weapon. Unless…
"How about the Goddess's harp?" I'm not too happy about the offer, but I don't have much of a choice.
That pleases him. "That sounds like a deal. The Goddess harp for a bow." The salesman looks friendly once again.
"And arrows," I say quickly.
"Yes, and arrows." He reaches into his pack and produces a reasonably decent bow and quiver of arrows.
As I lay my hands on the weapon, he keeps ahold of them. "You needed a little nudge to keep you going, but don't expect me to be so kind again," he hisses. "I'm a busy man. I've invested a lot in you. I expect you not to disappoint me."
My skin crawls as I meet his eyes. "Yes, of course."
"Very well," he says cheerfully, releasing his grip. "The next time I see you, I expect results." He exits through the door and is gone.
I may have a feasible hunting weapon now, but I don't have any food yet. Several hours later, I've managed to stumble a few miles, but I don't know how much longer I can last.
Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of rabbit. It takes off, somehow sensing my presence, but I loose an arrow and it hits its mark. It came at great cost, but it looks like my luck has turned after all.
Now that I have a bow, I am able to survive much more easily. In the next few days, I take down three birds and two more rabbits. I eat much better than I do in prison, anyway. On the evening of the sixth night, the lights of Kakariko Village twinkle in the distance. Looks like I made it.
As I pass through the gate to enter the village, something wooshes through the air. I jump backward without thinking and narrowly miss the tip of a sword. I crouch down, readying my staff, as two Knights emerge from the shadows, armed with impressive greatswords.
The second one goes for a stab, but I manage to roll to the side. These warriors are fast, much faster than the guards from Castle Town, and I would be dead already if I wasn't well-fed. I'm going to have to defeat them quickly if I want to survive.
I swing the staff in a truly beautiful arc, avoiding the blade of a sword and landing a sound hit on the closest Knight. There's a satisfying clang and an impressive dent, but the huge warrior barely even stumbles. A blow like that would have fell any normal man.
Immediately the other tries for a stab. I dodge again, but still catch a tip of the sword.
I grit my teeth, checking my wound. I'll live. But I'll have to change tactics if I hope to win.
I tuck the staff in the strap of my knapsack and pull my bow from around my shoulder as the dented knight goes for a kick. They're quick in their armor, but I still have the edge. I feint left and he falls for it, going for a swing in that direction. Instead I dive to the right, quickly readying an arrow and firing.
The light arrow whizzes through the air and contacts with a flash of light. When the light recedes, the knight has disappeared, but the other Knight quickly dashes forward, going for a downward blow.
In my panic I trip, falling onto my back. With hands like lightning, I ready another arrow and send it directly into his breastplate. I'm showered with particles of light and the Knight is no more.
Groaning, I apply pressure to my wound and stand up. Looks like I survived the wastes, so I'm one step closer to my destination. But time is running out. For all I know, I'm already too late.
