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[A.N. – Woo, another chapter! C'mon, people, "Yay!" with me! LoL, yeah, I know I haven't written anything in a while, but hey, better late than never, right? Well, you know the deal, but incase you don't…I do not own Zelda. If I did, I wouldn't have this crappy computer. Thank you, and enjoy the third installment of "The Quest for the Key"! *Dramatic music*]

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Link wiped away the cluster of sweat drops that had accumulated on his forehead. Although the ride to the castle was easy, it was long. Also, most of it occurred under the harsh assault of the sun's rays. It was journeys like these that made Link wish they hadn't sold the old Lon Lon Ranch; it was so much closer to the castle!

Link glanced up at the sky. The sun that was so intent on antagonizing him and his travel partner was quickly moving across the sky. Link estimated it to be around noon, and although it had been only a few hours since he left the ranch it seemed like two eternities had passed since the last time he saw his wife.

The soldier seemed to sense Link's morose thoughts, and suggested they stop to rest for a bit. "I can also explain the situation," he added. Link agreed, and the two strayed from the road a bit and headed toward a small pond surrounded by a group of trees. The men allowed their horses to drink and allowed themselves to sit.

"So, what is all this about?" Link inquired, taking a sip from his flask of water. "Does the princess have particularly bad feelings about this dream?"

The soldier looked at him, surprise clearly marking his features. "Dream? We know nothing of a dream. I was sent here to inform you that Princess Zelda is missing!"

Link felt his eyes widen. Missing? That could only mean…"When did you discover her absence?" Link asked, barely managing to mask the urgency of the question.

The guard considered the question. "Early this morning. A guard making his rounds found the door to her room open. This caused him to become suspicious and, upon entering, he saw that her bed had been slept in, but was then empty. A search of the castle took place, but it was in vain. The princess is missing."

Link swallowed hard, fighting to remain composed, "Were there signs of a struggle?"

Once again, the soldier paused to think, "The milk bottle that had been sitting on the princess's mirror was spilt. Other than that, everything was normal."

Link was beginning to feel ill. He knew he should disclose the information he had about the dream, but for some reason, he hesitated to speak of it. He threw up his hands in a sign of exasperation, "I suppose the only thing I can do is consult the king."

"And that's why we're going to the castle," the guard finished for him. Without speaking, Link rose and stared at the sky. He was about to say something to the soldier about continuing on when a shout caused him to turn abruptly.

It was the soldier who had cried out, and the reason was quite apparent. Three, large wolfos had closed in on them without their knowledge. Each man's right hand flew to the sheath that encased his sword, and each beast looked hungrily at its foes.

Link was the first to attack, selecting the largest wolfos. He swung his sword high into the air, bringing it down swiftly upon his enemy's head. The creature paused, as if dazed, but was not to be thwarted that easily. The now irate wolfos threw itself at Link who managed to prevent the completion of the maneuver. Instead, he grabbed the wolfos's outstretched paws, and slammed its body against the tree that was nearby. The monster let out a final yelp before slumping lifelessly to the ground.

Link checked to see how his partner was faring. The guard seemed to have one of the remaining two wolfos under control, but the other one was snapping its jaws relentlessly at the man. Determined to be of assistance, Link rushed forward to aide the struggling soldier.

There are events that must be attributed to fate; things that cause further occurrences that would never happen otherwise. What unfolded was one of those events. As Link ran forward, the toe of his boot became snagged on a root, and, with arms flailing wildly, Link fell face down on the ground. Link's heart almost stopped as he became aware of the warm, moist air on the back of his neck. He knew a starving, crazed wolfos was standing over him, ready to sink its dripping fangs into its prey's neck. The breath was getting closer; Link could feel the saliva dropping onto his exposed neck. He shut his eyes tightly and awaited the inevitable.

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[A.N. – Yes, I DO realize that this is almost a thousand words shorter than my first chapter. I know exactly what happens next (which is more than I can say for all of you. *Evil laugh* what, you don't think I will kill Link off? You say, "Aww, she would never do that, she's too nice!" Well, just you wait and see…*another evil laugh*), and I could have actually added a lot more to this chapter, but this seemed like SUCH a convenient place to stop. *Giggle* Now, go be a dear and review, please ^-^]