And here we have the third chapter with my other favorite team. The standard adventure federation rules do not apply! And I still own nothing...


Level 3

Shad was first aware of pain as he awoke. His face felt like it had been hit with a lead weight, and all of his limbs were in an awkward position under him. It didn't help that there was something on top of him.

I wonder if I've been buried? he thought. Wouldn't surprise me in the least. He slowly opened his eyes to see red. He started to panic a little, but it was just Ashei's leg… Ashei's leg! He scrambled out from under her, fueled by adrenaline, ignoring the protests from his aching and stiff body. She rolled off of him and landed, face-first, in the dirt.

"Looks like you guys are okay," Viscen said from nearby, making the bookworm give a jump. "As soon as the medic gets here, we'll give you some medicine,"

"Oh, very good, then," Shad replied, turning Ashei back over and examining her cuts. She really took the bullet, so to speak. We'll have to shell out rupees for clothes repair now, but, alas, it cannot be helped. "How's Rusl?" Shad asked. Viscen looked over to where two other guards were carrying the swordsman carefully over.

"Not much better than you, but at least you three are alive," the captain replied.

"I'm here, sir!" a guard with a bag, which bore a red cross on it, came running up. Shad was immediately handed a vial of red potion as the medic crouched to tend to Ashei. "Looks like she's taken a number," he commented, tipping her head back and pouring another vial of red potion down her throat. Shad shuddered at the bitter taste of the herbal concoction as he downed his own medicine. The medic set the archer gently back down on the ground and went over to administer first aid to Rusl as Ashei began to stir.

"Ashei, are you all right?" Shad asked, keeping a reasonable distance as she opened her eyes slightly.

"Feel like I've been through a meat slicer," she grumbled, sitting up on her elbows and examining the damage to her outfit.

"Good to see you're better," Viscen commented. "But you and the swordsman will need some rest before you can be up and about again,"

"That is certain," Shad agreed, looking over at Rusl as he sat up, clutching his head and muttering.

"You all should be fine," the medic informed them as he and a couple of guards escorted them back to the Stock Pot Inn. "Get plenty of rest tonight and you should be up by tomorrow,"

"Yes, thank you," Rusl nodded as they came to the inn's entrance. The team entered the building, leaving their escort behind, and saw a trio in the lobby, speaking with the innkeeper.

"Oh, there they are now, Kafei," Anju looked at them. The trio turned, as well, to face them. A man in a green tunic and matching hat, a mage in gray robes with blonde hair and red eyes, and a purple-haired man in purple, they were.

"Link," Rusl said at once, recognizing his former apprentice and friend.

"Rusl," Link came forward and helped him as he wobbled slightly. "We heard about the intruders earlier," The bell tolled 18:00 in the background as a wolf howled.

Night of the First Day

"Yes, they were quite formidable," Shad interjected, glancing at how Ashei looked like she was about to keel over just as much as Rusl, though she hid it as well as she could. "But we should relocate to environs of more comfort,"

"Yes, of course," Link agreed, helping Rusl towards the stairs as Lucius offered to help Ashei. She, naturally, refused and batted his arm aside, but he seemed unperturbed and followed her up the stairs, making sure she didn't fall.

"Good night, Anju," Kafei kissed her hand and gave a small smile before following his comrades. Anju smiled after him for a while before she noticed that Shad was still in the room.

"Yes, Mr. Shad?" she asked, blushing slightly from being seen smiling so sappily after her husband.

"I have payment for our rent," the bookworm replied, handing over the silver rupee, which he'd palmed from Rusl's pocket.

"Okay," Anju took it. "That's 200 at fifty per night, so that's four days off of the 334 you owe me for,"

"334!" Shad repeated. "I hadn't realized that we've tread so callously on your hospitality for so long!"

"No, no. I don't mind you three being here, but shouldn't you go look for a house?" Anju replied. "With the money you owe me, you could get a one-floor house with enough room for the three of you and extra rooms for your detective business,"

"Perhaps so," Shad shrugged. "But we'll need to pay off our debts to you, firstly," He headed for the stairs.

"Good night," she called after him.

"And you too, good lady," he gave a courteous bow. He headed quickly up the stairs and down the hall to room 5. He noticed, passing room 2, that it sounded like there were guests there now, but decided not to pry.

Rusl, lying on his bed, had just finished relaying the story as Shad walked in.

"Why is Knil with Vaati and Ganondorf?" Link pondered aloud.

"Why indeed?" Lucius replied. "When last I checked, Knil was sealed in the mountains between Ikana Canyon and Snowhead,"

"It's quite possible that they released him from confinement," Shad added in.

"Well, its of little consequence, as long as we obtain the jewels before they do," Kafei commented quietly. "They, after all, are likely the target of this group of villains,"

"Well, Rusl, we'll let you get some rest," Link said abruptly, heading for the door. "You have a long road ahead if you're freeing giants,"

"We need our rest, as well," Kafei agreed. "As we head to the swamp tomorrow,"

"Allow me to aid your healing before we go," Lucius requested, holding his staff aloft. "O Goddess of Wisdom, heal mine allies of their wounds!" Three streams of blue light flew from his staff, one at a time, and struck each of the team mates. Each one glowed blue after being struck and then their wounds were gone, along with some vigor restored. Ashei grunted a bit and rolled over in her sleep, having fallen asleep the moment she'd arrived. Team Link left after that and Rusl lied down to sleep as well. Shad took a book out of his bag and sat down at the table. Ending his day with contented reading, as he often did.

Dawn of the Second Day

The bells awoke Rusl the next morning, chiming the beginning of a new day. He sat up and stretched, his muscles still a bit stiff from the beating the previous day, despite healing magic and magic medicine. He looked over at Ashei and saw that she was sleeping facedown, her armor piled a bit clumsily at the foot of her bed, with her bow propped by it, as Link had been the one to remove it the previous night so that her bedding wouldn't be shredded. Shad was asleep on his book again, which was no surprise. The swordsman rolled out of bed and strapped on his sword sheath, looking out the window at the new day. Sure, they would be venturing to Snowhead later today, but that couldn't stop him from enjoying the quiet moments of-

"Wha?" Shad snorted, sitting up and pulling a page off of his face, where it had stuck. "Morning already?"

"Yes, good morning, Shad," Rusl replied.

"And the same to you," he said groggily, standing and stretching, his joints popping. He looked at Ashei. "It's your turn to awaken the "princess" this morn,"

"She'd kill you if she heard that," Rusl chuckled, going over to the woman.

"I believe that," Shad shuddered at the thought.

"Ashei," Shad shook her gently. She snorted and tried to punch him. Luckily, he and Shad were used to this every morning and he dodged it. "Ashei! Shad's dancing on your armor!"

"What?" she jumped up and grabbed her bow, fitting an arrow menacingly as she looked around for the bookworm, who'd dived under the table the second she'd started to yell. "I'll kill him this time, yeah?"

"Rusl, why'd you have to bring me into this?" Shad whined from his hiding place.

"Relax, I was kidding," Rusl stayed her wrathful hand. She gave him a glare and put her bow back down.

"That was a dirty trick, yeah?" she grumbled as Anju knocked on the door with breakfast.

"Come in," Rusl called. She did so and put their meal down, smiled, and left. Shad slowly came out of hiding to sit down to the meal with the others.

"You know, I pity the man that must partake of this and pretend to be fond of it," Shad commented idly, toying with his eggs.

"This bacon is wet, yeah?" Ashei added, looking at it apprehensively. "How does that happen?"

"Well, chin up and chow down. We must away soon if we wish to be back come nightfall," Rusl said in a leader-like way. Ashei grumbled under her breath and choked the fare down. Shad, being practiced at being a gentleman, kept a polite smile as he ate the horrible food.

The bell tolled 07:00 as they left the inn. Rusl now immensely worried to find out that they owed a little over 16,000 rupees on the rent.

"How are we going to pay that off?" he sighed.

"That's why we should stop staying at the inn, yeah?" Ashei said brusquely.

"Well, we shall cross that viaduct upon arrival at it," Shad gave a shrug. "Let us put our focus upon our current assignment,"

"Right…" Rusl nodded, leading the way to North Clock Town, after a quick stop at a tailor shop, which took 30 minutes or so.

"Hey, free-lance people," Tim greeted them as they passed by. "I hear ya got into a mighty big fight here, yesterday," he gestured at the impact marks on the walls and ground and the remains of the slide.

"Yes, we did," Rusl replied. "Although it was a bit over our heads, so to speak,"

"Well, ya win some, ya lose some, right?" Tim shrugged. "By the way, can Miss Lady pop this balloon?" He pointed at the blue balloon above, which was tethered by a rope.

"Well, Ashei? Shall we humor him?" Shad asked, looking at her. She looked rather impassive, but a pinch of annoyance could be seen.

"Fine, whatever," she roughly agreed, whipping out her bow and piercing the balloon easily with a pop.

"Cool!" Tim jumped up and down. "I'll give you the rope," He untied it and handed it over.

"That's not really-" Rusl began, trying to give it back.

"That's okay, I won't need it without a balloon, anyway, and I can only get one a month," Tim reassured them. "See ya!" He waved and ran off to South Clock Town. Rusl watched him go and shrugged with a sigh. Turning, he handed the rope to Ashei.

"Here's your new rope," he declared. She gave a humph and was about to decry the quality, but stowed it away anyway.

They continued over to the north gate and the guard stopped them.

"So you're off to Snowhead?" he asked.

"Yes," Rusl replied.

"Well, I won't stop you, but be careful out there," he stepped aside and allowed them to head down the steps and into the powdery snow that now coated the northern part of the field.

"It's just as the Captain forewarned," Shad commented, watching the white flakes fly by and land on their clothing and hair. "It is most wintry here, and we have yet to come to the mountain's foothills,"

"Indeed," Rusl agreed, looking to the gray clouds above. "This bodes ill,"

"You think the temple in this area has something to do with this as well?" Ashei asked.

"Probably," Shad deduced. Continuing on down the hills to where the foothills began, they soon encountered a pair of dodongos. "If I recall correctly," Shad whispered as they hid behind an outcropping. "These creatures breathe fire," he pulled out his bestiary. "They are covered with strong armor, but are only vulnerable at the tail or to an explosion on the inside. But you would have to force a bomb down their throat or some-" The two had left as he ended the standard explanation and started into his shtick. "Hey!" he exclaimed, heading forward to help. Twin streams of fire shot at Rusl and Ashei, forcing them to dodge out of the way. Ashei, being a good shot, nailed one of the foe's tail with an ice arrow, making it roar in annoyance and spin at her.

The other continued to stalk Rusl, but Shad already had his journal open and said some words in an old language as he held his glowing hand by his left temple. The snow morphed under the dodongo and trapped its legs as it breathed fire at Rusl.

Ashei kept her cool as the angry dodongo inhaled to exhale flames at her and shot a bomb arrow down its gullet. The monster started to choke and then the bomb went off with a muffled explosion. Smoke poured from its mouth as it fell over with a thud. Satisfied, Ashei went over to where Rusl had just dodged the stream of fire that had been loosed at him. Ashei shot the other monster's tail with an ice arrow, making it roar in protest and attempt to turn, straining against Shad's bonds. The bookworm started to sweat a little with the effort, but the ice shackles held up. Ashei pelted the tail with two more ice arrows, each time the dodongo protested and tried to turn to counter its attacker, but Shad managed to hold it down, although it drained his magic strength. Finally, Rusl decided that he best finish it off himself and leapt into the air, performing a finishing stab to the tail. The monster finally screeched its last and collapsed with smoke billowing out of its mouth. Shad released his spell and allowed the snow to go back to normal.

"Phew…" he fell to his knees. "That was a trial, make no mistake,"

"Here," Rusl said after coming over to him, handing over one of their 4 precious vials of green potion. He downed it and immediately felt his magic power surge back to him.

"I'll admit that you have some use to us in a battle," Ashei commented, turning away to look up at Snowhead. "But I could've taken those without your little traps, yeah?"

"You're welcome," Shad replied, as though she had thanked him conventionally, or at all, as he attempted to get the bitter taste of the potion out of his mouth. The archer gave a humph in reply.

"Yes, yes, we all live in harmony," Rusl commented. "Now how shall we deal with this?" he pointed to the wall of giant stalagmites, which Ashei had been eyeing.

"I suppose that fire magic, or fire arrows, would allow us past this. Am I correct, Ashei?" Shad looked at her stoic face.

"Don't see why not," she shrugged, taking aim and shooting a fire arrow at the ice. It melted away rapidly after impact, steaming as it did so, until they could see the path up.

"Holy Goddesses!" was Shad's comment as he saw the blizzard up ahead and felt the wind as it was channeled through the path up the mountain. "How are we supposed to traverse that?"

"You'll have to follow me," Ashei replied, pulling a white furry parka out of her satchel and putting in over her upper body.

"How long have you had that?" Rusl asked, not recalling seeing it before.

"I never go anywhere without it," she answered. "After being trained in the mountains for many years, I have learned to always be prepared for adverse weather," Shad looked at the mass amounts of snow ahead, again, and gave a sigh of resignation.

"Off we go, then," he said with false enthusiasm.

As they went up the foothills, it became obvious that they wouldn't have an easy time trekking. The snow was up to their knees already. Ashei, having donned her insulated yeti mask that matched her parka, was fine against the gales. It could be assumed that her pants were cold-resistant or something, too, for her legs weren't really too cold, either. Shad, on the other hand, was used to the temperate city, where the worst cold weather was a light blanket of snow on the streets and rooftops and was easily chased away by a warm blanket, a fire, and some warm tea. Rusl fared no better as he trudged along, his arms, like Shad's, wrapped around him for warmth. Rusl was from a relatively warm region and, even in winter, the woods he often explored and trained in didn't get too cold, and they rarely saw snow. All in all, the group was going to develop hypothermia or something if they didn't solve this problem soon. As they heard the clock toll 08:00 in the distance, mocking the cold they were enduring with the warmth it enjoyed, they came to a wall of snowballs. Ashei didn't wait for complaints and just melted them with a fire arrow. Unfortunately, this awoke a White Wolfos that was sleeping under the snow. Luckily, Ashei saw it coming and twanged a fire arrow in its throat as well. For ten more grueling minutes, they trudged on, passing a sign that they couldn't be troubled to read right now, and, finally, they came to a clearing that had a pine tree here and there. The blizzard lightened up a little for long enough that they could see a large house with smoke coming out of the chimney.

"Sh-Shall we p-proc-ceed to th-that house?" Shad asked, now sporting a beard of packed snow and a white fro. Ashei noticed that her companions were freezing and nodded her acquiescence. Ten more painful minutes of cold later, a slightly blue Rusl, a snow-covered and blue Shad, and a parka-clad Ashei arrived at the door and she gave a knock. The door was opened by a smiling guy with squinty eyes. Seeing the yeti mask, he almost closed the door, but Ashei, thinking and acting fast, stuck her foot in the door and pulled the mask off, revealing her glum face.

"Would you mind lettin' us in? We're freezing, yeah?" she said brusquely.

"Oh, right. Come in," he opened the door and allowed her to walk in and her frozen companions to shuffle in.


Ooh, cliffhanger. Yes, it was stupid to have a lack of proper garb when going up a frozen mountain, but I guess my excuse is that they're too broke to buy parkas or anything of the sort. Besides, then I wouldn't be able to do certain scenes if they were adequately prepared (mwa, ha, ha). Don't be afraid to review, now. Btw, there is now a poll on my profile page for who you think is the best team. Feel free to cast your vote. I'll be closing the poll...whenever I feel like it, after the story is done, so probably never.