Nintendo created all the characters and places and stuff. I just made the story up. The cover was done by Zeliga of DeviantART

Part Three

Link opened an eye and pushed himself up off the floor on shaking arms. His eyes locked onto the two bodies still asleep in the corner, they had not moved since his vision had given in and that was probably for the best; they would be in a lot of pain with the transformation from ice to a warm blooded animal. It was too dark to see if they had already changed but as he made a move to check the flames on the walls and the little orb shone red, warning him of something. He rushed forward, placing his hands on the orb and letting his fingers dance over it till an image appeared; it showed the sun had not risen yet but the sky was already turning pink and yellow to welcome it, the painted sky and most of the stars had disappeared and the snow was piled high past the roots of the trees in Faron Woods. Link squinted at the image he saw, there were footprints in the snow, little ones bigger than a dog foot print like something had been out in the night; nearby there was a scarf wrapped around a tree branch and a deep dark hole in the ground where a pool of frozen water had been. He took a closer look at the scarf as it billowed in the wind; it was tiny and had a single red mitt hanging off the end of a loop of wool.

Astrid!

Link nearly screamed as he fell over on his back, the Storm Star was a warning from him and Astrid wanted to know more about it! She had gone looking! He skidded up onto his feet and ran up the tunnels; grabbing his cloak and scarf

"Wait." a weak voice echoed from down the tunnels and the sound of feet trailing across the floor became present to him

"Snowflake." Link muttered walking back to support her in her new form

"Do I-Do I still look pretty?" she moaned leaning on Link's side a little

"Of course you do. Even more beautiful in that form." Link chuckled crouching down to hold a muzzle in his hands. Snowflake's warm blooded breath made the hair on his arms stand up on end. "There is a child out in the snow, I have to bring her here, I won't be able to get her back home in time."

"Link, that's dangerous! You are still Winter! You can't bring her here!" Snowflake cried stamping her feet to make Link flinch

"I know, but Astrid is still a child. Winter is a kind being and I bet that's who she wanted to see. I can't leave her in the cold!" Link shouted jumping up; a dark blue rope appeared around his neck, choking him till he dropped on the floor.

"You are under oath. You can't go back yet." Snowflake whispered, Link took in massive inhales and stood up, his temper now flaring and his head torn over what to do. "You stay till nightfall."

Link looked hurt as he regained his composure, staring at Snowflake as she came into his view fully in the body of a green reindeer with icy coloured antlers; her eyes were still blue and unblinking as she watched him; her back glittering under the flame. Her legs were thin and around the hooves were wing like blades used for gripping when they were turned over in flight. She lowered her head and raised a hoof as if to bow to her disgruntled partner.

"I will not allow you to stop me from helping her!" he roared

The rope showed again, squeezing tighter and tighter around his neck, his hands gripped the rope itself till the very skin on his bones turned blue in a cocoon of ice. He gasped for breath, his limbs flailing about like they had no bones housed within them. His vision began to blur and his chest heaved with lack of oxygen but he continued to choke with the rope holding him to his duty, he could not let Astrid die, not now! This was a time of giving and good will and no contract would stop him helping the child! He pulled back and staggered down to the orb, why would the flames shine red if they did not want him to do something, they always did that when they were warning him of something, why warn him of Astrid? The icy rope extended from the orb itself, it was what controlled all those before him and was likely to control all that were after him too.

"Please." he gasped holding the orb in his hands the best he could "Let me help her. I can't let her freeze."

The orb clicked and the rope loosened for a few seconds to give him a few breaths of air. "You must be back before midday. Bring the child here and take her home at nightfall." it spoke after a few moments of thought "Use your winter powers if necessary; run like a frosty wind."

Link spoke no words and bowed respectfully to the orb before dashing up to the hub where Snowflake lay; her fore legs stretched out she watched him run by tying a scarf around his neck as he did so. He ran like he had not run in his entire life; the wind howled at him pointing in the direction of the pool she had fallen into; he had learned to follow the wind well, though the strongest winds were never to be trusted unless they were of his own creation. As he got closer to the pool he pulled his cloak off and threw his scarf into the bushes, slowing down just slightly so he could rip off his shirt and shoes, leaving nothing but a pair of gloves and underwear; taking a huge breath he dived into the ice cold water, the urge not to yell out with the water touching his skin was difficult but he need to save his breath for her. He looked around the dark water for a few seconds, his head swivelling around like a top to find some trace of her; he spotted her, just below still kicking and holding onto her throat; her clothes weighing her down. Link kicked back, reaching a hand out for her mitt-less hands and swam back up to the top, holding her close to her chest till the pair of them broke through the ice; Astrid clung onto Link as he hauled them both out, shivering without his clothes, but it was best that he be half naked to go into frozen water so he had dry clothes to get into even if he was Winter, he still knew how dangerous the cold could be and because he understood it, he knew how to work with it so it became safe for him and the others. Astrid opened a sleepy eye to stare at her half-naked rescuer.

"W-Why are you-?" Astrid asked, shivering uncontrollably as Link dried himself down with his cloak in one hand and took her clothes off with the other

"We need to get you out of these clothes now, you'll freeze to death!" Link instructed pulling on her coat

"But, I don't want-" Astrid sighed, finding it hard to stand without Link's support. Link rolled his eyes and tore her icicle covered coat off her and pulled at the buttons of her pyjamas. Astrid objected as much as her body would allow her but Link had total control when he wrapped his warm scarf around her, which was practically a dress to her and quickly got dressed himself. He looked at the tired girl, she was nearly turning blue as he scooped her up and slipped her inside his fur jacket on a hip and broke back into his run but at a slower pace with carrying a passenger; one arm rubbing her back hard to try and raise her temperature.

"Astrid!" Uli shouted her feet dragging across the snow

"Astrid!" Ilia screamed cupping her hands over her mouth to carry the sound though the trees and undergrowth buried under the snow. "Astrid!"

"Astrid! Where are you?!" Uli yelled as snow fell from the branches above her to the floor "Come back to Mommy!"

"Uli, look! Tracks! Astrid ran through here recently!" a man going by the name of Rusl called from nearby, thrashing the low lying bushes with a sharp sword so that they sprayed snow. The ice around the pool was cracking yet a new layer of it had formed on the surface and footprints, adult-sized were all over the snow. Rusl's eyes locked onto Astrid's scarf hanging onto a tree branch

"She didn't fall in there did she?!" Uli screamed holding onto Rusl's shoulder

"Rusl, Uli!" Ilia shouted poking her head around the undergrowth on the other side of the pool, her hands holding two objects; Uli collapsed. Ilia held in one hand a red mitt that belonged to Astrid and the other; a fur cape that was damp and half frozen. "Link was here."

Link wrapped a blanket over Astrid and sat her in his crossed legs, she hung onto him for warmth as he gently hugged her tight, constantly rubbing her back and sides to get her warm. The colour was starting to flood back into her cheeks and was appearing more awake the longer he sat with her; though she did not seem her chatty and wild self.

"Who are you?" she asked when Link began to rock her back and forth to try and keep himself awake

Link paused for a moment before giving his answer "I am…um…Winter."

"Winter…? Mr. Winter? You are real!" Astrid cried sitting up firmly to look him in the face "You saved me, Mr. Winter! Did you get my letters?"

"I did. Astrid, you should not be out alone in the forest in the snow." Link warned the lines of his face creasing

"But, I wanted to give you another letter. I lost it when I fell in the water." Astrid mumbled "But now that I've met you, I can tell you what I want!"

"Astrid, now is not the time for-"

"Mr. Winter, sir, I don't want any presents. I just want my big brother to spend Winter's Day with us. Just one day but he's always gone." Astrid sighed holding onto Link's shoulder "His name is Link. He's not got anyone to spend Winter's Day with. No Mummy or Daddy."

Link bit his lip. "I'll see what I can do."

"Really?! Thank you, Mr. Winter!" Astrid cheered wrapping her arms around Link's stomach. His eyes locked with the glowing orb; it seemed to be watching him. He could feel that rope around his neck, he had to get Astrid home, now.

"I think I should take you home now. We don't want your mother to worry." Link coughed picking Astrid up and wrapping her up in a cocoon with the blanket

"One more question, Mr. Winter?" she asked as Link opened the rocks with his fingers

"One?" Link chortled forgetting himself

"You look a lot like my big-brother. Are you related to him?" Astrid smirked folding her arms inside the blanket, Link widened his eyes, someone her age could not have worked out his alter-ego…could she?

"No, I'm not related to him." Link mumbled breaking into a run that froze the snow on contact. Astrid squirmed in his grasp till he lost his balance and fell forward on his face, shielding her from the drop.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?! Huh?! Do you?!" Astrid screamed wriggling out of the blanket "I know it's you, Link! Take off that mask!"

Link swallowed hard, Astrid was a smart girl, she could blow his cover, he could tell her everything or hide it. But how could he lie to her, she believed in 'Mr. Winter' if he said he was him she could stop believing knowing her brother was the one that she had been told about or say he was fake because she believed he was something more than what lay before her in the snow. "I can't take it off, Astrid. It's my face."

"Why are you dressed up like that? Mr. Winter wears red not blue!" Astrid roared pouncing on him, he caught her in his hands and held up the punching and kicking girl at arm's reach giving her a face that meant 'stop.'

"Mr. Winter has a habit of changing to each generation." Link mumbled glancing over at a snow covered twig with several leaves clinging onto it. Astrid watched as his cheeks turned a dark shade of blue as he blew a jet of frozen breath onto the twig causing it to freeze up and turn like glass "I don't know who the last Mr. Winter was, I found this place as a child in a storm and the orb spoke to me. Directed me to your little village where I grew up, but the orb called me back a few years ago to give joy and hope to you children."

"So…you're really Mr. Winter not Link?" Astrid asked touching a one of his cold cheeks

"I am both, Astrid." Link smiled "But I must take you home now; I can't stay away from the base for too long or my winter powers will disappear and I will look like normal again. Blood shows."

"You mean last year when you nearly lost your hand?" Astrid quizzed allowing him to wrap her up in the blanket again.

"Yes." Link said biting his lip. He could remember how he had almost lost it too. He had lied saying his axe had slipped or at least, partly lied, a sharp blade had gone across his wrist, it was the night before Winter's Day, the snow was quite low despite the time of year and he had been doing some improvements on his sleigh, two of the older Ice had been attached to the sleigh itself with the reins that had been left to him; while underneath the sleigh itself he had a few tools for tightening up the screws that held the blades that were as sharp as swords even to just touch; he reached out for a tool that was on the other side of the blade and upon bringing the heavy tool back across, he caught his hand on the side of the blade, his scream frightening the Ice and making them charge forward, almost separating his wrist from his hand. He had staggered home for medicine and help with his winter powers disappearing with every drop of crimson that had stained into the snow. "My winter powers left me because of my stupidity but came back when it was time for me to go."

"Mommy shouted at you so much when you came back. It hurt my ears." Astrid smirked rubbing the back of her head

"Tell me about it." Link sighed hoisting her up onto a shoulder to carry her home.

Uli cried into Rusl's shoulder, her eyes red and puffy with her tears at they bit her cheeks raw. They had not said a word to each other since finding the pool. Colin on the other hand was irritable, he could not sleep and his eyes were constantly traveling towards the horizon to the sea of waking stars. He had heard what had happened and had total faith in Link, somehow, he always knew when he was needed and sometimes it frightened him how right he was. His cape had been found at the scene and it was wet, maybe Link had saved or at least tried to save her, why would it be there otherwise?

Suddenly the door flew open in a gust of winter wind, he went to push it closed but the snow blew in against the door frame, keeping it open long enough for Colin to notice white puffs of smoke coming from the clearing just up the hill.

The Gate Keeper's House! The fire was lit!

Without another thought, he rushed his furs on and ran out of the door without his parents even batting an eyelid; they seemed to upset to even move.

It took some effort to get up the frozen ladder to Link's door and push his way in to the dark room lit only by the roaring fire. There was a body in it; sprawled out on the rug in a blanket with an empty bowl at their head. He rushed up to it and pulled the blanket up to find Astrid completely flat out in warm clothes, melted snow around her like the remains of an igloo had been there.

Above the scene, Link watched him discover his sister and with his icicle in hand he left through the window.

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Astrid is either a very smart girl or his 'disguise' (Lack of a better name) is really bad. What do you think? The orb has total control, trying to choke him to death but he still rescued Astrid from drowning. Now, questions, what powers does the orb hold? What actually is the orb? Why would Link not greet his brother and not take Astrid to Uli? Was it him that opened the door in Colin's house? And has Link sworn Astrid to secrecy or not? OOH!