Author Note: So much for "back with a vengence"... This is what lazyness, dial-up internet, and ridiculously high schoolwork standards begets. Anyway, on with the story!
Uh, happy Valentines Day? n_n'
Chapter Two
The City Hawk and the Country Mouse
Link nocked an arrow, sighted the bow, drew back the string and let it fly. The arrow sailed across the field, sorely missing the chosen Kargarok. He grimaced.
This was part of the reason he had chosen to leave so early. It gave him time to re-sharpen the skills that had gone all but unused in the five years since his adventure ended. He knew that the queen had no use for a hero who had fallen out of practice.
Link found his mind wandering, would she look much different? He had not seen her since his Knighting Ceremony shortly after her Coronation nearly half a decade ago, having scarcely set foot in Hyrule since then.
The Kargarok he had been eyeing swept back around, and Link drew another arrow. This time it met its mark, and then in a fury of rage, the winged beast veered in his direction. Link replaced his bow and encouraged Epona into a trot to meet it. She calmly obliged, her composure in the face of the monster surprising even Link. He dispatched it quickly with his sword.
"It's nice to know at least one of us hasn't lost her touch," Link told her, ruffling her mane.
Horse and rider continued this pattern until Link had run out of arrows, confident in his skills once again. They continued on their way and approached the city by its southern gate, where he left Epona. The liveliness of the city almost became tangible as Link crossed the bridge to the south entrance. His apprehension rose.
On a whim, he cast a glance to the moat. What he saw caused him to stop and approach the railing. Had the moat always been that low? No, Link could see the wear and discoloration wrought by the water along the brick walls. The water level was distressingly lower than that mark.
Link had not seen the water that low since the time when the land had been swallowed up by Twilight. Had Hyrule been experiencing a drought? He had no way of knowing, but Ordon certainly hadn't been, and droughts were very rare in the Spring.
He bit his lip and turned away, entering Castle Town.
Colorfully dressed citizens danced through the streets at top speed, accompanied by a muddle of voices and sounds that together created their own symphony. There seemed to be order in their chaos.
But Link had always preferred country life. The noise and haste of the city had never appealed to him. Though he supposed there was a sort of beauty to it all, if only one would take the time to stand back and look.
Soon he felt that he was being stared at and he noticed three young women standing a little ways off. They were gathered in a huddle, gawking at him and whispering to themselves while their boyfriends stood forgotten in the background. One of the girls had purple hair, the other green and the last red. Link's breath caught in his throat and he hastily broke eye contact when he realized these were the same girls who would scream for him when he played the STAR Game all those years ago.
He did not have to try hard to remember what their voices sounded like before his ears were given a painful reminder.
Their earsplitting girlish squeals spread like lightning across the whole market street until everyone was either staring or cheering along with them.
Link was sure his face had turned an unseemly red. He had half a mind to turn and run right back through the doors he came from but he stood rooted on the spot.
It was the tunic. The stupid tunic. Why did he wear the tunic?
There was no doubt in his mind that if he had arrived as a simply dressed man from Ordon, nobody would have recognized him.
As it was…
"Link! I love you!" the purple haired girl, was her name Kili? shrieked. "Let me have your babies!"
The mortified hero blanched as he was swallowed up by the crowd, being tugged from all angles.
The organized symphony of the city gave way to cacophony. Link heard bits and pieces of the things people were shouting to him, some were of appreciation and respect, some were of glory and praise, and some where disorganized squeals of affection.
"So the young knight has returned."
"I heard he can fly! And that he's half-demon!"
"Link! I have a shrine dedicated to you at my house!"
Then a strong male voice cut through the crowd. "Back!" he shouted, "Clear out!"
Link felt a sharp yank at his collar and an arm dragged him all the way through the mob. "Run!" the owner of the arm commanded once they had broken loose. Link followed him as they bolted across the plaza towards the castle.
The man tossed up his arm and ordered the great castle doors be opened ahead of them. The soldiers complied and the two of them ran through unhindered, while the boisterous mob was held back by the quickly closed gate.
The two of them came to a halt once they reached the courtyard. Link turned to his rescuer. "Thanks," he panted.
The man brushed this aside, giving him a stern look. "Have you no sense? Coming into the town dressed that way? Had you not thought of the uproar that would cause?"
"I wasn't thinking. Sorry."
He looked aside, irritated, "Clearly," he muttered. For the first time, Link noticed the thin sword belted to the man's hip. He was dressed in a noble but unpretentious fashion, a plain linen shirt and teal tunic, with long leather gloves and boots. His belt buckle displayed the Hyrulian crest. A military officer it seemed.
The man's dark hair was smoothed back and his eyes were sharp. He was older than Link by several years, but still in his prime.
"You're more trouble than you're worth," the man muttered to the hero. He began walking towards the castle. "Follow me."
Link would have liked for the man to have introduced himself, but had little choice but to comply.
The man lead him across the courtyard, into the castle itself. In its proper state, Hyrule Castle was a grand feat of architecture, its gleaming white spires and flying buttresses lovingly restored from the ruins of the old. Inside proved to be just as grand and ornate, no longer grim and shadowy.
The man stoically led him through many halls and up several levels, Link only ever seeing his back. The hero almost had to admit he liked this treatment better than that of the screeching crowd outside.
They came upon a large wood door, meticulously carved with the shapes of oak leaves and acorns. The man came to a stop.
"Wait here," he told Link, and entered the room.
Link waited. He stood in the empty hallway, the claustrophobic silence around him was suffocating. The corridor was smothered in soft surfaces, regal tapestries draped over the walls and a plush burgundy carpet under his feet, that swallowed up any sound in the air. Nervously, Link tapped the toes of his boots on the floor, grimacing when he saw a chunk of dirt fall away and become lodged into the fibers of the very expensive looking rug. A wave of panic came over him, would anyone notice? should he try to clean it up? The back of his neck began to prickle with icy pinpricks.
After nearly a minute, the door opened again and the man's hawk-like head emerged. His eyes were narrowed, his dark eyebrows drawn together in an irritated expression. Link couldn't be sure if the sentiment was directed towards him or if it was residual from something that had transpired inside. Whatever the case, the man let the door swing open and turned heel, not bothering to wait for Link. "The Queen will see you now."
Link found the room beyond cramped and the air stale. With the exception of the back, all of the walls were concealed behind large bookcases. They were stacked to the high ceiling with thick books and bundles of weathered scrolls until the middles of the shelves sagged.
Two full-length windows on the far wall cast dusty shafts of light into the room and in between hung a colossal portrait of Zelda. It was a nice portrayal, Link supposed, though he did not know what to make of the fact that she was posing with a wolf.
At the foot of the painting stood a solid oak desk where Zelda herself sat. She finished rolling up a scroll and stood upon his entry.
"Link," she said, her face composed but her eyes bright.
Link touched his right fist to his left shoulder and genuflected. "Your Highness."
This seemed to amuse Zelda. "You need not kneel in my presence, Hero."
This shocked Link, but he found his voice as he rose. With a grin he reminded her, "You still have more titles than I do."
A small smile graced her face. "Yes, well, the royal scribes do tend to get carried away with semantics."
Link found himself in awe of the queen. The portrait behind her had obviously been done not long before Link had seen her last, offering a handy comparison. Though she wore no crown nor any elaborate gown meant for official ceremonies, there was a certain regality about her. Her face was wizened but still held an enduring beauty and her eyes reflected maturity and wisdom beyond her scant twenty-seven years.
"I heard you caused quite a commotion in the market earlier," she told him, her eyes alit with humor.
"I'll say," the as-of-yet unidentified man muttered, who had since taken up post in the corner behind the queen.
Link felt a flutter of embarrassment. "I'm not used to all this attention."
"Understandable. I apologize for calling you back to the city when you were no doubt enjoying a peaceful life in Ordon. However I could not think of anyone more suited to assist in the problem at hand. Tell me, on your way into town, did you happen to notice the extremely low water level in the town's moat?"
"I did." Link had had a feeling that the task Zelda had set for him might have to do with that. "Hyrule isn't in a drought, is it?"
"No, it is not; rainfall has been quite average this year. The source of this problem seems to be that for unknown reasons, water has stopped flowing from Upper Zora River."
Link frowned, a knot of tension forming in his gut. If this were true, the consequences could be devastating for Hyrule, whose supply of water came almost exclusively from the Zora River.
Zelda continued. "Things have been this way for several weeks, and we've taken the appropriate precautions by rationing what remains in the castle's reservoir. As the scribes have so eloquently made note of, I hold dominion over Zora's Domain until the Zora prince, Ralis reaches the age of eighteen, and the correspondent who is meant to give me weekly postings is far overdue.
"The Zoras are the protectors of the kingdom's water supply, and it is their duty and their responsibility to report to me any problems thereof, especially of this magnitude. A responsibility they have so far failed to honor."
"Why choose me?" Link did not dare to say more than that. If he did, he knew he ran the risk of sounding like he was unwilling to accept the queen's summons.
A shadow came over Zelda's face. "You have… experience in this sort of matter."
The last time the river's flow had been blocked, it had been a part of a curse placed on Zora's Domain by Zant. Link frowned, and lowered his head as the queen's meaning occurred to him. "Do you really think…?" He could not finish his question.
She nodded. "Perhaps."
"…What would you have me do, then?" Link asked finally.
"If they will not come to us, then we must go to them. I would like you to escort an ambassador and myself to Zora's Domain in order to rectify this failure to communicate."
Her proposal caught Link by surprise. "Escort you? With all due respect your majesty, is it really a good idea for you to leave Castle Town?"
Zelda seemed slightly irritated by the questioning of her judgment. "I have already made arrangements. Captain Igneous will act in my stead." She motioned beside her to the man, the one who had led Link through the castle.
Link glanced at the man. A captain? He seemed rather young for the position, despite being older than Link and Zelda both.
The man called Igneous stepped away from the wall, breaking his silence. "I personally am against this proposition."
"I am well aware of your opinion," she neatly cut him off, "…Captain."
Igneous exhaled, as if it were a long-argued subject.
Link could sense that Zelda was not about to change her mind on the matter. "If that is what you really want, Your Highness, then I will escort you to Zora's Domain."
Zelda gave an approving nod. "I thank you for your willingness. We will leave at dawn tomorrow. A room has been prepared for you here in the castle. Igneous," she drew out his name, "will show you to it."
Link couldn't help but think that this was somehow a punishment for Igneous because of his and Zelda's earlier conflict of opinion.
Igneous grudgingly headed for the door. "I'm not his minder," he breathed, but his words were not lost on Zelda.
"The Captain will mind his tongue when he is in my presence," she reminded him sternly, but there was a thin chord of mirth in her voice that Link could not quite understand. He bowed briefly before turning to leave, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality."
She smiled at him, "Rest well, Link."
Link found his quarters unbearably stuffy. The uncomfortably warm air stood stagnant, choked by the layers of thick red fabric that clung to everything. Perhaps esteemed guests were familiar with this kind of décor, but to Link, it seemed he were braving a crimson bog.
It wasn't long before he has slunk out of his chambers. Igneous himself had told him that he was free to wander about the castle, but had added in a sharp undertone accompanied by the shake of a finger, "Don't make any trouble." Link suspected Igneous meant it was preferable if he didn't leave his room at all.
Link had evidently made a poor first impression and the older man seemed to view him as a clumsy pup in need of constant reprimanding. He hoped not to run into him in his wanderings.
Link noticed that the servants and vassals he passed in the hall cast curious glances at him, some stopping completely to watch him as he walked past. Though unlike the townspeople, none of them ever confronted him. Even so, by that afternoon Link was fully willing to pay out every rupee in his wallet for a change of clothes.
He took detour after detour, trying to find some seclusion from gaping mouths and gawking eyes.
Finally he came upon a deserted hallway, lined with open windows, surrounding one of the many courtyards. The garden was strewn with flowering trees, and Link was pleased to see several familiar kinds that grew in Ordon.
When Link rounded one of the corners in the hallways that would take him to the garden's entrance, he spotted a lone figure in earthy toned robes gazing out into the courtyard. Annoyed that his deserted spot was not so deserted, Link was about to turnabout and return to his room when the figure noticed his footsteps and looked his way.
"Link?"
The hero looked back to find the red haired man looking at him curiously, thumb and forefinger poised on the frame of his round spectacles.
"Shad?"
The man's face lit up. "By the gods, it is you!"
The two men approached each other and Shad pulled Link into a brief embrace; Link was overjoyed at finding a familiar face to whom he could freely talk.
Shad chuckled a bit. "I knew you'd be here, old boy, but I didn't expect to run into you yet today. What a marvelous surprise."
"I didn't expect to see you here at the castle at all," Link admitted.
Shad looked quizzical for a moment. "Ah! I suppose it has been that long, hasn't it?" He motioned down to his shin-length robe, smartly embroidered, but practical looking. "I'm employed here now. I'm the head librarian."
Somehow Link was not surprised; he smiled in response.
"I ought to show you the royal library sometime. Wonderful place. More to read than you can shake a fist at."
He sighed briefly. Then, looking at Link out of the corner of his eye, something of a smirk curved his lips. "Also…" he said slowly, urging him to glean his meaning, "I was appointed the ambassador of the Lanayru region."
"You're the ambassador?" Link remembered the ambiguous third person that Zelda had mentioned would be accompanying them to Zora's Domain. He knew the queen could probably fend for herself in a dangerous situation but he studied the slight and bookish Shad, who had probably never had any kind of weapon training in his life.
Link smiled, embarrassed. No wonder I'm going with. He felt ashamed for having thought this a moment later.
"Well, truly I am only the correspondent," Shad continued. "I converse with messengers from the other territories. Auru bears the title of ambassador." His face adopted a sad smile. "I fear in recent times he's grown quite frail. I was named in his stead to travel to Zora's Domain to address this, ah… predicament."
"I see," Link nodded. "It's been so long, how is everyone?"
Shad's eyebrows raised as a thought occurred to him. "Would you like to accompany me to Telma's tonight? The Group just so happens to be having a meeting. Purely honorary, we've had nothing to talk of for quite some time. This business with the Zoras may spark some conversation though."
"I'd love to."
"Wonderful!" Shad beamed. "Now, in the meantime, would you like to see the library?"
Author Note: I have but one query for you dear readers, before you move on: how do you like the length? My thus-far written chapters (many still in reserve an awaiting uploading) are anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 words, but I'm thinking that might be a bit much to chew through in one sitting. Do you mind the long chapters, or would you like me to divide them up by scenes to provide slightly shorter chapters, with more obviously marked stop/come-back-to-later points? Lemme know, and thank you for your contiued readership. You know what you gotta do now, right? There's a button there that liked being poked more than the Pilsbury Dough Boy. So why don't you just go ahead an poke it? It'll make the button happy. :3 And me too.