Hey, Happy Fourth to the Americans, and Happy Saturday to everyone! I just wanted to put in a note before you start reading the chapter. Ilia did not lose her memory immediately after being kidnapped. The game says that, when she was staying with Impaz, she told her about Link and that he would come rescue them. She lost her memory sometime after escaping the abandoned village (Ocarina's Kakariko) and obviously before the scene with Wolf Link in the bar. Anyway, this was a difficult chapter for me to write, I hope I pulled it off okay.

The first thing my mind registered was pain. My entire body felt sore and heavy and my shoulder was burning like fire. I could feel the dried sweat on my forehead and I could smell the faint stench of blood, which was strangely overpowered by the scent of flowers and perfume. The soft heat of the fire was a comfort; it made me feel safe, but at the same time I was already too warm. I gripped the sheets under me, soft to the touch, and tried to push myself up. A flash of pain, so sudden and unexpected, shot through my arm and I gasped and fell back onto the bed. At this point I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.

It was a small, old house, made up entirely of wood, but the inside was neat and tidy. The walls were covered with paintings, photos and various other decorations, and the house was crammed with furniture. A small kitchen-like area was in the corner. It was quite cozy and inviting, and reminded me somewhat of Ordon's buildings.

And cats. Cats everywhere. There must have been at least a dozen of them, all different colors and types and sizes. They were on the shelves, on the furniture, wherever there was space there was a cat.

An extremely small, elderly woman was standing at one of the counters, arranging food on a decorative plate. She turned around, and when she saw I was awake she smiled softly, her kind, wrinkled face lighting up.

"Oh, you've finally woken up, dear! Did you rest well?"

I cleared my throat a couple times. Who was she? Where was I? I chose my words carefully, I didn't want to offend her.

"Sort of. Have you been caring for me?" The woman nodded. She was quite small and frail looking. She had a wide forhead and a square jaw, which drooped slightly with age. Her hair twisted back into two low buns, right behind her ears, which were long and pointed, like Link's. So she's Hylian, I thought. But her eyes were unmistakably blood-red. I haven't ever seen any Hylians with red eyes...

I racked my brain, desperately trying to remember why I was here. And then memories came flooding back to me. I shot up from the bed, ignoring the stabbing pain in my shoulder, and my hands flew to my face.

"Link! Colin! Oh, what happened to them? They-we-that Bulbin attacked us, and-"

"Shhh, shhh, calm down, now!" She hurried over and gently pushed me back onto the bed. I struggled out of her grasp, holding my head in my shaking hands.

"What happened? Where-how-?"

"Shh, calm down and let me tell you, dear." The woman pushed a cup of hot tea into my hands, and I dutifully raised it too my lips. The scent was comforting, though the liquid sploshed dangerously inside the porcelain mug from my still-trembling hands.

"My name is Impaz, after the founder of my clan. I've been living in this little village my entire life, and it's completely abandoned except for me. My duty is to wait for the messenger to the heavens and to give him an ancient treasure that will help the Royal Family. I cannot leave until that day comes.

"Yesterday there was quite a bit of commotion outside. I looked out from my window and saw a huge, blue monster atop a giant boar. He was waving you around by your wrist and talking with many other monsters, who looked like smaller versions of him. His minions, I assume. I couldn't understand what he was saying, but he threw you onto the ground and rode away on his boar. The monsters then dragged you over to one of the abandoned buildings and then stationed themselves around the village. It's obvious they're awaiting someone."

"I was torn. I couldn't just leave you there to die, but I'm old and feeble, there wasn't anything I could do but hope that the monsters would leave. All day I sat by that window, waiting, until finally that night, they all gathered by the fire at the other side of the village, eating some animal that one of them had killed. I took my chances and fetched you from the old building and managed to bring you back without them noticing me. Well, of course they noticed you were gone, but had no idea how it had happened. I don't think their leader is happy, you were supposed to be a hostage of some sorts, I think." She paused and took a sip of her own tea. "I fixed up your injuries the best I could. They weren't very serious, nothing to worry about."

Horrid memories of seeing that arrow shoot towards me and thinking that I was going to die right then and there flooded me, icing over my core. I gingerly reached over and put my hand over the bandaged wound on my shoulder. It was warm and tender with fever, but clean and no longer bleeding.

"Thank you." I whispered, still trying to take in everything that had happened. Had I really been unconscious for almost two days? I couldn't remember anything after seeing clouds of my blood swirling about in the water. I shuddered at the thought.

"Two others were with me, my friends from my village. Did you see anyone else?" My voice was calm and cool but on the inside I was burning with the desire to know what had happened to Link and Colin. Impaz shook her head sadly.

"No, you were the only one with the monster. I don't know about the others."

Shock, grief, and anguish filled me as I immediately thought the worst. It felt like my insides were being squeezed and tied into a little knot that rose from my stomach to the back of my throat. My eyes stung with tears that I wouldn't let fall.

No...no, I need to be stronger than that...

I opened one of the ragged curtains and peered out the window. Twilight had fallen and the orange-red sun was falling behind the walls of the cliffs. In the distance Bulbins stood, clubs in hand, some pacing the ruins, some lounging around and others conversing with one another in what sounded like grunts and screeches. The truth hit me. We were being held hostage.

But for who? Or what?

For those of you who follow all my stories I've put a poll up on my profile. It's for my upcoming story, Power: Life and Times of the King of Evil. There's more info about it on my profile. Special thanks to Lish, who beta/s/ this fic and helps me improve it. Check out her stories!

-Peaches