The Legend of Zelda: Hero Rising
A spray of blood filled the air as the swordsman finished his swing, the gerudo falling to her knees as her life faded. Turning he intercepted an arrow with the flat and went into a diving roll, hamstringing another before depriving the woman of her head. Intercepting a scimitar with his sword he drew a dagger with his offhand and drove it into the woman's chest. Using the body as a shield he turned 360° and let a breath of relief as he watched the remaining raiders retreat towards the desert.
"Prince Link, we have them on the run, do you want us to pursue them," one of his lieutenants asked.
"Nay, let them go. We are in just as bad of condition as they are. We retreat to Castle Town and get the injured care, Captain, select a burial detail and follow us as soon as you finish. If they return for their dead, don't engage them. Honor means nothing to the dead, and you are more valuable to Hyrule alive," he said as he surveyed his surroundings.
The Gerudo were getting more and more brazen by the day. It wasn't unusual to hear of them raiding as far as Plagor, or even withing a few miles of Swordhaven, but just leagues away from Castle Town was a move that no one saw coming. And a force close to fifty was unheard of, they usually work in groups of five to ten. Someone had to be pushing them for them to send a war party. Link didn't like it, he didn't like it at all.
Whistling a short tune his horse trotted up to him. Epona was a beautiful chestnut charger, named for the horse the Heroes rode, "Mount up and make ready to ride," he yelled as he sung himself into the saddle and pointed the mare in the direction of the Southern gates.
"A third of your force dead or wounded, I had no idea that the Gerudo tribes were so skilled. I imagine that you have quite the animosity toward them. Why did you not chase them to those accursed sands they call home," the wrinkled minister demanded.
Link rather disliked these debriefings, "My first concern was for my men. There were only a handful of Gerudoes left to run, there was no point in putting my men through anymore. And I hold no animosity for the Gerudo, I don't know if they were the ones who slaughtered my birth family or not, and I refuse to place the blame upon anyone without cause."
The King sighed, "Link, you will have a civil tongue while talking to Minister Corig," the minister smiled at the rebuke, "Even if he is an overly pompous git who should show the proper respect for the royal family."
Minister Corig excused himself from the council chambers as everyone except the King and Link burst into laughter at his expense. The people loved their King very much, especially since he always told them the truth, no matter how bad or how likely to cause a panic. Link wasn't sure that he had that kind of integrity, though he hoped he wouldn't have to find out real soon.
Zelda got enough control over herself to ask a question, "Brother, was there any indication as to why they came this close to Castle Town? They have never been so bold in the past."
"Anyone's theory would be as good as mine at this point. They had no enslaved men, and nothing aside from food and water as spoils, it seemed like most of the summer raids against the border villages. Only two hundred miles further than ever before."
"Regardless we cannot allow this brazen act to go unpunished. General Koenig," the King said as he got to his feet.
The man in question stood as well, "Yes my lord, I will ready a force to march against the Gerudo Fortress as soon as possible."
"Link I want you to take over the Castle Guard for the duration of this campaign. I have worries that there is something brewing, and I refuse to have any member of the Royal Family needlessly exposed until we have more information. It would be too large a blow to the morale of the people if the Crown Prince of Hyrule were to be slain in the desert."
Link's shoulders drooped, "As you command father."
When the rest of the business was taken care of and everyone was dismissed he remained in his seat. The only person that stayed with him was his sister. He didn't like the idea of being the Crown Prince, he wasn't royal by blood. Zelda should have been the Heir Apparent, but the council had decided that it would be better to have a warrior upon the throne instead of a girl, never mind the fact she bore a piece of the Triforce.
"Link, don't worry. You know how much it hurts father every time he has to order you into combat. He doesn't want to lose either one of us like he lost mother."
He looked over as Zelda cringed. That was a subject that most residents of the castle knew to avoid, even if everyone agreed that the Queen's death had not been his fault. It had been their mother's choice to accompany him on the inspection of the Fort Swordhaven garrison, he couldn't have predicted that a horde of moblins and darknuts would attack the fort, and he couldn't help being incapacitated by an arrow. Only the Goddesses knew why it had happened, and getting an answer out of them was considered more than a miracle.
"I didn't need that one, wisearse," he said bitterly.
Zelda dipped the quill in the inkwell for the thousandth time that night. She didn't mind compiling theories and notes on events for her father, it was rather cathartic. What she minded was taking down testimonies from soldiers after an encounter in order to do it. Link forbid his soldiers from writing out their own reports, he felt that a better understanding was gathered if the soldier relayed the story verbally and had someone to question him, and of course the best person to do that was the princess.
She only participated because she agreed with Link. She just wished it didn't take so long. Of the forty men that he had rode out with only twenty five were in a condition to report. Each report took a quarter mark on the candle. That was six and a quarter marks, which meant she was going to be doing this again in the morning, instead of taking tea in the garden.
Despite her dislike of the activity she had noticed something many of the soldiers mentioned that could very well be a clue. There was a good chance that she was just getting worked up over nothing, but she doubted it the more times it was mentioned. Each of the Gerudo raiders had worn a medallion of the Triforce with a boar's head in the center. This was without a doubt a sect that may have a connection with the greatest evil to ever exist.
Ganondorf.
A/N: I never expected to actually pick up this story again. I wasn't quite ready to put a bullet in it and call it dead, but I never had any inspiration for it. I am not going to say it is off Hiatus quite yet. But this is a legitimate new chapter for it, despite the length being shorter than my usual chapters on my other works.