Disclaimer: Anything Zelda-related stuff mentioned in this story is property of Nintendo.

Rise

Chapter 4: Ambush

Under the shadows created by a group of high trees, Link drew his bow and aimed. He positioned the makeshift arrow, tensed the string and held it while fixing his eyes to the target almost fifteen meters away. He held his breath, took a last look toward him, secured the target, and shot…

-Prackssss-

The wooden target broke in pieces when the flying arrow hit the bullseye. For a moment there was silence, and later the sound of Link's first air intake after he used the bow… followed by the cheers and clapping hands of his young spectators behind him.

"Great shot!" praised the brown haired boy, Talo.

"Amazing!" said the blond boy, Colin. "Right into the center."

Link turned to the children, their laughs like music to his ears. He couldn't help but smile.

"One more, Link," said Beth, the only girl in the group. "One more shot, before you leave."

"Yeah, one more shot and we'll let you go," Malo said, his voice full of excitement.

Link hesitated for a moment.

"Eh… I don't think so guys. I'll be leaving in short and I must get the cart and Epona ready for the trip."

"Come on, Link. One more shot and you'll leave us be happy for the next week… Please!!" Malo begged him while the other children joined the boy's begs.

Link glanced at the cart full of harvest goods intended to be delivered to Telma's Bar. He would be parting to Hyrule Market as soon as Rusl appear with the second cart at his house. Since he retuned to the village – about two years ago – he and Rusl began to deliver a part of the village's cultivated products to the Market and Kakariko Village; the first one just as a favor called by Telma to stock the bar's warehouse, the second one as a Major Bo's initiative in appreciation for Renado and Kakariko's inhabitants' help during the Twilight situation and Ganondorf's occupation. They usually leave together and part ways once they reach the field; one to the North and the other to the east.

This time, he was going to Hyrule Market.

Link glanced the trail that head to the village. No. No one was coming yet. Maybe he could give the kids one more shot.

He sighed, and smiled. "Ok."

"Yay!" The children choired enthusiastically.

Link stood in front of another wooden target stuck on a tree in his house yard and moved away from it. Then he took an arrow from the quiver on his back, charged the bow, and drew it. Once again he fixed his eyes to the red target. A simple target to the world, but to him, the head of a horrid Bokoblin.

"Link!" Someone shouted.

"What…?" Link turned his head to the direction of the sound. In a second of distraction, he accidentally released the string and sent the arrow flying. The arrow trailed off and when off the planed direction. Link watched as the arrow actually hit a corner of the target breaking the spot, but the rest remained intact. If it had actually been a Bokoblin's head, he would have surely blown its ear off. Epona let escape a neigh as if laughing at his master's miss.

"Well, didn't we want a last shot? There we have it," Malo said sarcastically.

"Hahaha! Practicing your targeting once more, Link," Rusl said with a smile in his face. "Or just another show for the children?"

"Father, you made Link miss the shot!" Colin claimed his father.

"Oh don't worry, Colin. What's a single miss in a million's bulls-eyes Link had scored?" Rusl said to his son as he patted his shoulder.

While Rusl continued his talking with Colin, Link glanced at the company behind him. He came accompanied by his wife Uli, Major Bo and his daughter, Ilia. Uli was sitting on the cart seat in the front. Ilia and Bo were following the cart by its side.

"So Link, ready for another trip?" Bo said.

"Almost. Just let me prepare Epona and I'll be ready." Link said as he went to check Epona.

Bo turned to his daughter. "Oh Ilia, are you sure you will be able to take care of Uli's baby girl while they are out?"

"Haha, of course she will!" Uli laughed from the cart. "She's such a reliable baby, Bo. Ilia will handle it just fine."

"Yes, I'm sure I can do it. But I would not mind having a hand from you, no Father? Ilia asked to Bo.

"Of course, dear. It'll bring me such cute memories from the time I used to change your diapers…" Bo said like if he was reliving those times.

"Father, please…" Ilia said softly to her father, slightly bushed but still smiling.

"Well, now we are ready," said Rusl as he mounted to the cart and took his spot as the rider beside his wife. "Are you ready, Link?"

Link mounted Epona and righted himself on the sit until comfortable. "Yes, I am ready."

"Well Rusl, we expect you back no more than a week." Major Bo remembered the timeline to Rusl. "As usual, say hello to Renado and Barnes."

"I will," Rusl assured him. "Ilia, take good care of our kids. You know their schedules, don't you?"

"I do, Rusl. Don't worry." Ilia replied, then she glanced at Link. "Link?"

Link turned his head back to Ilia. Locking their eyes in the distance, they both smiled.

"You know what I always tell you before you go," Ilia said. "Take care of yourself, and of Epona, too"

Link smiled back at her. "You know I will, Ilia. I always come home safely."

Rusl's ride turned and head toward Ordon Village exit. Link's ride followed him.

"Good bye, Link!!" The children waved their hands good bye as the carts grew smaller in the distance. "Bring us a souvenir!"

And so, the rides full of harvest goods parted to Hyrule Field.

The midday sunlight began to hide between the gray clouds above, announcing rain for later in the day. Other than that, the field was perfectly calm, the breeze blew gently, the bugs flew and crawled from tree to tree, and the grass was brilliant green. It was a good day so far.

Link watched the environment as he guided Epona through the dirt trail. The pace was slow, but Link wanted to take his time easy and make the trip a relaxing one. Almost half an hour ago, Rusl's cart and his parted ways. Rusl and Uli were heading East, to Kakariko Village. After delivering the goods in Telma's Bar, he would then head to Kakariko via the East Field, meet Rusl and Uli there, and finally returning together to Ordon Village a few days later. That was the way they always did it.

He was alone, but it didn't bother him. It let him to be alone with his thoughts, but mostly, with his memories. Since his crusade ended, he always had his bow and quiver with him wherever he went outside Ordon Village, more for habit that for security matters. While the sacred sword returned to its resting place, he kept the bow for himself; not the Goron Elders or the Patriarch seemed to bother with that; maybe he earned that privilege. He also brought his shield in each trip, it was secured within the cart's cargo.

Link looked at the pond, the cliffs, the flowers… He took a look at the gray sky, trying to remember where those black portals were located some time ago.

As he advanced, a loud thunder cracked through the sky and landed behind a mountain far away to the West. Epona neighed nervously. Link tried to calm him down. But the horse looked uneasy, something was bothering her. Link halted the ride and dismounted the horse, and checked her to see if she was hurt. But Epona kept moving.

"Steady girl, take it easy," Link soothed her as he massaged Epona's horsehair. "Is something bothering you?"

Another thunder appeared in the distance, and more rain clouds gathered throughout the sky, covering the field in shadows. Link looked up and frowned, surprised at the speed in which the clouds were moving over him. A strong wind blew over the field, messing up Link's hair. He looked at his surroundings. It seemed like a storm was coming ahead instead of a simple rain. No time for relaxing now. He had to hurry.

Link mounted Epona and resumed his trip, now faster that before. He urged Epona to speed up then he spotted the path will lead him to Hyrule Castle. He halted abruptly when a portal appeared on his way. He watched perplex as the portal glowed before him. Then from a purple color, the portal changed its color to blue. Link remembered where he'd seen those portals before. Perhaps too well…

After his confrontation with the corrupted Zelda form, Link thought the battle was over or would be easily concluded. The light side finally prevailed. Or so he thought. Link watched as Ganondorf's weakened form transformed into an enormous wild boar, full of energy and darker than before. The beast ran around, destroying everything in his way, until Ganon disappeared in from his view…

…and a second later reappearing through a glowing opening in the middle of the place. It looked like some kind of portal…

At first, Link almost freaked out when he remembered the portal. He just expected the nightmarish creature to come out of the portal. But instead of Ganon, a flock of flying Helmarocs came out of the dimensional opening, shrieking loudly. As on cue, Link turned around with his horse and the cart and ran at maximum speed. Link didn't know where he was heading while escaping from the flock, the only thing he knew was that he had to run and had no time to think where they came from.

Link looked back and counted about four of five Helmarocs behind him, and three more when we looked up. Fixing back his eyes to the trail, he saw another one flying by his side almost at the same speed as Epona. The Helmaroc threw a peck toward him, but Link managed to duck it. The flying monster flew away from him, gaining distance and time to make another attack. It shrieked again and flew over Link once more, but this time he was waiting the Helmaroc with a charged bow, and shot.

This time, the Helmaroc's shriek was one of pain as the arrow hit its long neck and make him lose speed. As the fallen creature was left behind, another flying Helmaroc descended to attack the rider, but was also greeted by another arrow through its body. Shooting moving targets while fighting with Epona's own galloping movements was a challenge to Link as the technique grew cold in him. The only thing that kept him from forgetting his fighting skills were the times the children asked him to show off how much a good fighter he was.

He continued shooting arrow at the creatures until the number of Helmarocs was reduced to two or three. The remaining Helmarocs sped down and Epona's constant speed helped Link to left them behind. He was finally escaping the ambush.

In a cliff not far away from the battle, a Bulblin watched the speeding pursuit with a telescope. The flock was making its job of keeping the rider's attention from any other kind of movements beyond the field. Putting the telescope aside, the Bulblin charged a wooden blowpipe with a dart soaked with the viscous substance that was told to act like a strong sedative. He watched the rider approached to his watch point in an attempt to evade the Helmarocs. Fixing the approaching target with his eyes, the Bulblin took the charged blowpipe to his mouth, took a deep intake of air, and shot it.

Still running from the creatures, Link turned his head again and saw that the Helmarocs were left behind. It seemed like they took their ambush as a failed attempt and were backing up. Link let escape a sigh of relief…

Something struck Link in his shoulder. He groaned, and the sudden burst of pain paralyzed him. Suddenly, his head felt heavy, his hands grew numb by the second, making him loosen the grip of Epona's reins. His body could not keep the balance on his horse any longer, and he fell from the horse, landing on his stomach on the tall grass.

Link shut his eyes closed while battling a wave of drowsiness in his head. He opened his eyes and lifted his head, but his gaze was blurry, he could barely see his surroundings. He took his right hand to his left shoulder, to the source of both pain and numbness, and felt a dart incrusted into his skin. Maybe it was poisoned because nothing else could explain the numb feeling of his body.

Gripping his injured shoulder, he began to stand up, but the dizziness was sickening and he only managed to rise up to his knees. Even that movement made him lose balance, and he put a hand on the dirt to avoid falling down to the ground again. He looked up through his darkening vision and spotted a sea of purple and blue in front of him, like an orb. He blinked and saw movement coming out from the blue spot, small persons where coming out from it. Link felt his heart dismay as he realized that the orb was another portal, and the movements must be some creatures coming out from it. Maybe Bokoblins, or Bulblins... He couldn't know.

No… Link thought, feeling the strength leaving every limb of his body. He heard distant noises, like neighing sounds. Epona. She must be somewhere near. He wanted her to run, to advise the others – anyone – of what just happened to him. His mind became extremely foggy, he could not think anymore. Finally the weariness took him completely, and Link's world turned black as the ground rose up to meet his face.

A/N: I hope to have done a better work with this chapter in comparison with the previous ones. Leave your review and tell me what you think. Thank you :)