Author's Notes:

…..I feel like a bad author. It's been six months since my last update….My apologies! Life, you know? At the risk of this sounding like an excuse, my family did move over the summer…

Anyway! It's up now! I'm very happy with this chapter; it covered everything I wanted and actually sounds good. As usual, I don't own anything in the Zelda universe, but any character you don't recognize is probably mine.

As always, please review if you have comments, questions or suggestions!

Thank you for reading!

Firebird29

Chapter 6

"Oh, Link, I'm glad you're awake." Jazmyn says brightly as I work my way down the stairs, Leyan a step or two in front of me. I grasp at the railing with one hand, trying to not let my legs shake.

I finally reach the bottom of the stairs, and I collapse instantly into a chair, slumping onto the table. I lift my head when a plate clunks down in front of me. Jazmyn smiles at me, and then turns to finish serving herself and Leyan. I look down at the food and blink in surprise.

"What's this?" I ask, puzzled by the lumpy yellow things that had brown chunks scattered in them. Jazmyn smiles again.

"I talked a lot with Navi this morning. She said you really only ate vegetables as a kid; unfortunately, those are a bit sparse around here. So you can have scrambled eggs and sausage, instead." I only look at the food dubiously.

"What's it made of?" I ask suspiciously. Jazmyn's smile falters for a moment before she responds.

"Cuckoo eggs. The sausage is made from pork. Pig meat," she clarifies.

"Oh, don't be such a wuss." My head snaps up as I hear Navi's voice. I spot her sitting on a shelf behind Jazmyn's head, stretching. She cracks her neck before she continues speaking. "They're quite good, actually; much more nutritious than those veggies you ate all the time." She flutters down to me, perching on my shoulder. "Go on, eat!" She encourages.

I pick up my fork and scoop up a bite of eggs, chewing slowly. It's . . . actually really good! I dig in with gusto, shoveling them in as fast as I can chew.

"Oh, Link, I almost forgot-" Jazmyn starts, but then the front door slams open and the guard who had been outside rushed in.

"Jaz! Quick, they're coming!" He gasps as he starts shedding his armor and stuffing it beneath the floorboards. Wait. Beneath the floorboards?

Jazmyn reacts instantly, jumping up to shut the door. She turns to look at Leyan, her eyes hard.

"Take Link upstairs; get him in one of your tunics. The green is too distinctive." She orders. I start to protest, wondering what in Hyrule is happening, when Leyan grabs my arm and hauls me up the stairs. He rushes through a door into a messy room, already slipping out of his own bluish-purple tunic.

"Come on, you heard her! Get your tunic off, you can borrow one of mine!" He throws one at me as he speaks, grabbing out a second for himself. I reluctantly pull mine off, and he snatches it from me and stuffs it behind a drawer in his dresser. He turns away to start back downstairs, still pulling his tunic on, when I notice the scar.

"Wait!" I call involuntarily. He stops short, looking surprised.

"What?" He demands. "We have to get back downstairs-"

"That scar on the back of your neck," I interrupt. "I have one just like it." I turn around then, showing him mine. I'd gotten it while I was a kid, back in the forest; I'd been attempting the backflip off my deck, and…well, let's just say it had gone badly. Saria had done her best to patch me up, but nobody had had a fairy spirit right then, so it had healed with a fairly noticeable scar. I turn back to Leyan, whose face is contorted into a frown.

"Weird," he comments. "But we don't have time to trade stories. Come on!" He orders, taking the stairs two at a time. He lands rather heavily on the landing, scrambling for a moment before he can gather himself together.

"Navi, I'm sorry about this, but you need to hide," Jazmyn was saying from across the room. I took one glance at her and stopped short for a double take. The Jazmyn from five minutes ago was gone; in her place sat a proper young girl, clothed in a fine dress with her hair pulled up in a net of pale thread, feeding wool into a spinning wheel. Where did the wheel come from-?

"Link!" Leyan calls. "Go do the dishes; try to look natural, ok?" I gape at him, bewildered. First, they make me change. Then they make my fairy hide. Now they want me to do the dishes?

"What in Hyrule is going on-?" I start, but Jazmyn interrupts me.

"We'll explain later. Just do it! Leyan, don't forget your earring." She says, turning back to her spinning. Somehow, she managed to look completely natural, like she did this everyday.

I am so confused.

I turn to catch Leyan yanking a small blue hoop from his left ear and sticking it beneath his chair before pulling out a block of wood and a small carving knife. He began to carve at the table, little curlicues of wood shavings falling down.

I hesitantly pick up the first of the dishes, turning towards the sink. My hand unconsciously reaches up towards my own left ear . . . to find a small hoop poked through the flesh. I pull it out, staring at the small blue ring. Where in Farore's name did that come from?

A heavy banging at the front door startles me. Jazmyn stands, smoothing her skirts, and moves forward to open it. She pauses just before her hand reaches the handle, and makes a little shooing gesture at me. I turn back to the sink, my hand automatically tipping to drop the earring down my boot.

I attack the dishes with vigor as Jazmyn opens the door.

"Yes?" She inquires politely.

"Monthly sweep, miss." A rough voice replies. Jazmyn steps back into the house, and I catch the glimpse of two large brown somethings standing outside the door. I tense, expecting I don't know what, but only two thin men in armor enter the house.

"Good day, miss." One nods respectfully to Jazmyn, while the other begins a visual search of the house.

"Where is your mother today?" He inquires. Jazmyn smiles at him pleasantly.

"She left to see an old friend. She told us not to expect her until tomorrow." The man nods, marking something on his board.

"And your father?"

"In the storage room. Father! The inspectors are here!" Jazmyn calls, and the guard from earlier emerged, carrying a lump of smoked meat.

"Ah! What a delightful surprise!" He exclaims, setting the meat next to me on the counter. "Tell me, Lorwn, how is your family?" He said brightly, moving forward to shake the man's hand.

"Quite well, thank you, Bren." Lorwn responds. "Let us see . . . Wife, daughter and son accounted for . . . but who is this?" He asks, finally spotting me. I hurriedly put down my dish and dry my hands, turning to face him with what I hope is an open and innocent expression.

"Who, this? Why, this is my nephew! In from over the mountains for a visit." Bren exclaims, throwing his arm around my shoulder. The solider glances at me and does a quick double take. His eyes slant sideways for a moment, over towards the table.

"Ah. I can see the family resemblance. And why was no visitation form filed?" He demands after flipping through several pages on his clipboard. Bren's smile falters for a moment before broadening even further.

"Oh, a simple case of forgetfulness. My young nephew here came down with little warning, you see, and we all were so glad to see him that we just, forgot!" Lorwn looks at me, his face contorted into a frown. He opens his mouth to say something when the other guard comes back.

"Clear, Lorwn. Nothing here that shouldn't be." He says, shrugging past me and Bren. Lorwn nods sharply before looking back at me.

"I'll let you off with a warning, but next time, file the proper paperwork. It's to ensure your safety, after all." I duck my head mutely, not trusting my voice to respond. When had paperwork come into things? I may have grown up in the Forest, but I knew just from finding the Spiritual Stones that it had never been required before. And Hyrule was big enough to make it completely impractical.

I glance at Jazmyn from the corner of my eye, but she is already back at her spinning wheel, completely ignoring the exchange.

I look back at Lorwn just in time to see him nod at everyone and duck out the door. No one moves for several minutes. Bren finally heaves a sigh of relief and Jazmyn stops her wheel.

"I'm sorry about that, Link. I think it might be better for you to avoid your green tunics for a while. It'll help keep you safe." She turns to mess with her spinning wheel. Apparently my confusion isn't evident on my face, so I clear my throat to attract her attention again.

"Um, Jazmyn, would you mind explaining exactly what just happened?" I ask plaintively. She looks back at me with astonishment written on her face.

"You don't know? But they started this two years ago. Where have you-?" She glanced behind me and broke off. I turn my head, catching sight of Leyan still at the table, and Ms. Jen standing against the wall.

Wait-where did she come from?

"Just missed 'em, didn't I? Shucks. What a shame." She says, an edge of sarcasm creeping into her voice. "Let's get this place back in order, Jaz, we have places to be soon." She orders, moving past me to the stairs. "Link, come with me."

I glance at Jazmyn and Leyan, but both of them are busy rearranging the furniture. I shrug and follow Ms. Jen, but pause at the stairs. I'm missing something . . .

"Navi!" I call. She pops her head out of a pot on a top shelf and glares at me.

"I was almost worried you were going to forget me!" She scolds. She flutters down to me, perching on my head. I chuckle to myself.

"Oh, come now. How could I ever forget you? You're so noisy!" I tease, climbing the stairs.

"Humph!" Is her only response. I chuckle and shake my head, turning the corner at the top of the stairs. Ms. Jen beckons from Leyan's room. I follow, a little hesitant. I stop in the door and find her next the wardrobe on the far wall, busy messing with the side panel.

"Oh, this stupid thing-" she huffs at it, obviously exasperated. "Fine. We'll do it the hard way." She mutters, and she steps back. With blinding speed she side-kicks the panel, which pops free with a slight snap!

"Oh, Din! I think I broke the lock. I'll have to get Le to fix it later." She huffs.

"Um . . . did you need me, Ms. Jen?" I ask hesitantly while she rummages in the cavity that the panel reveled. Those drawers must be a lot smaller than they look on the outside.

"Call me Jen, Link. Trust me; no one stands on much formality any more. Not since the king and the princess . . . never mind. Impa might kill me if I tell you before we introduce you to everyone at the meeting." Her admonition trails off into silence. My curiosity gets the better of me, and I start to speak before I think.

"The king and the princess? What happened? And why would Impa care who told me? For that matter, who is this 'everyone', and what meeting? And why-?" I stumble to a confused halt as Jen starts laughing.

"Oh, calm down, Link. You'll get your answers soon enough," she responds with a smile.

"Here. I'm sure you were worried when they were gone this afternoon." She holds out my sword, shield, pouch and hat. I reach for them eagerly, jamming my hat on my head and tucking the pouch underneath the back of my belt. I grasp my sword more gently, feeling a calm aura flowing from it into me. You know, it's funny; I picked this sword up just a few hours ago-no, wait. It's been years, hasn't it?

And yet . . . It's like I've always had it with me.

As soon as I strap the scabbard on my back I feel as though a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders.

"Thank you, Jen," I breathe quietly. "I'm much better now." She smirks.

"I figured as much. Go on, scat. I have to prepare for the meeting."

XX

I tromp down the stairs, readjusting my tunic. I had grabbed my green one back before I left Leyan's room again. I don't really care what Jazmyn says, I like green better than brown…What in Farore's name?

I jerk to a halt at the bottom of the stairs, gaping as I watch people climb into the house through a trap door, calm as could be.

At least that explains where Jen came from . . .

But! These people had obviously been in a fight; many had ripped clothing, dirty faces, and bloody bandages. Some were in armor; others carried their weapon as if that was the only possession they had left.

Jazmyn is hurrying about with fresh bandages and salves, treating people as she came across them. I notice she's back in a tunic and breeches-why the heck would I notice something like that?

I flatten myself against a wall as a soldier pushes past, making a beeline for sink. I edge sideways, trying to count heads as I move past. Navi flutters away, perching on a shelf to watch all the activity.

Nine…Ten…Eleven? No, ten. Ten people had crowded themselves into the house.

"Whoa-" I stumble over somebody's legs, heading for an abrupt meeting with the floor. I screw my eyes shut as I prepare for the pain, but my body has other ideas. It reacts on its own, pushing out both my arms and kicking my legs higher, twisting me through a cartwheel. I find myself upright on the other side of the person.

"Nice save, boy." He mumbled quietly. I nod absently in acknowledgment, staring at my hands and more than slightly bewildered. Saria had tried to teach me how to cartwheel in the Forest, but I never quite got it right, so how-?

"Link!" I start in surprise, turning to see where who had called me. Jazmyn was waving from the other side of the room. "Come help me over here!" Her voice is urgent, and I find myself next to her almost before I can blink. She gestures to the person she's trying to help. He is wearing a skin suit colored purple, blue, and white, patterned almost exactly like Sheik's.

So this guy is a Sheikah too? These people are everywhere!

"He broke his leg in two places," she says, her voice frazzled. "I can set them, but Leyan hasn't come back with the healer yet, so I don't have any pain medication to give him. I need you to hold him still." I nod, leaning forward to pin his shoulders to the floor and hold the other leg down.

I can hear Jazmyn take a deep breath while she gingerly places her hands on the person's leg.

"This is gonna hurt like hell, Jon." She mutters. Jon just screws his eyes shut and bites down harder on the piece of wood she had stuck in his mouth. She takes one more breath and twists her hands explosively, and I can hear the bone grind back into place. Jon moans through the wood, jerking underneath my hands. I push on him harder, trying to keep him from moving.

Jazmyn's hands move quickly to his calf, and with one more crack, she sets it as well. Jon convulses beneath my hands, but within moments he relaxes, oozing flat against the floor. He spits out the block of wood, breathing heavily as sweat runs down his face.

"Th-thanks, Jaz." He muttered. She patted his shoulder, relief that he was alright evident on her face. She reaches for some splints, and I lean forward to help her tie them in place.

"No problem. But what in Hyrule were you thinking? Do you have any idea how upset Jen will be?" She whispers. He looks away, his eyes sad but his face set.

"I-"

"What the-?" Everyone in the room freezes as Jen appears on the stairs. Her jaw is slack, and she stares around the room with a look of incredulity etched onto her face. With a sharp click her mouth snaps shut, and her eyes begin to burn with anger.

"Jonathan!" She demanded. Jon winces at the acid in her tone.

"Help me stand," he murmurs to Jazmyn. She bends over, but I beat her to it, pulling his arm over my shoulders and lifting him to his feet. He lifts his head to look at Jen.

"I'm over here." He calls, his voice strong. Jen storms through the crowd, her gaze molten. She strides right up to him, less than half a foot away. I'm not entirely sure I would have let her get that close if I weren't holding Jon up…

"What in the name of the Triforce were you thinking?" She asks, her voice deadly quiet and each word coming out short and pointed. Jon takes a deep breath to respond.

"Well, I-"

"You weren't thinking," Jen interrupts. "Because you never do. What part of my orders to stay in Castle Town with the nobles did you misunderstand? You were to stay there to protect them and gather information that a scout would bring back! Why in Din's name did you disobey?"

"I-" He ducks his head, looking at the floor. "I deemed that it was unsafe for us to remain there, Ma'am." He said quietly. Jen cocked her eyebrow at him.

"Really? Now would you care to explain how you managed to screw up the escape plan so badly that you got caught and had to fight your way out?" His head jerks up at that, and Jen snorts in exasperation.

"What, you didn't think I wouldn't notice all the wounds that are waiting to be treated? Or that I would miss that fact that two of your people aren't here?" Her voice softens on the last few words, and I feel like something else is shimmering in her eyes… I can feel Jon gulp, but nothing changes on his face.

"I made a poor judgment call." He states calmly. "We ran into a patrol of Stalfos, and a few redeads." Jen closes her eyes, her nostrils flaring as she breathes deeply. My own mind is busy whirling along several trains of thought—These people had been in Castle Town? But I only saw redeads—Stalfos, those are nasty skeletons, under Ganondorf's control—who were they protecting?—two left behind, I can only imagine how that feels—Ganondorf. Who the hell is that?

"As a Sheikah, the decision for your punishment falls under Impa's jurisdiction, and not mine." Jen says finally as her eyes open. I can feel Jon relax the slightest bit beneath my arm. "But as a division captain, punishment falls into your General's jurisdiction. And I am your General." She finishes quietly. She's a General?

"You are to be demoted to the rank of commander, and for the length of your recovery you are reassigned to the Caverns." She states flatly. I don't know what the 'Caverns' are, but judging from the look on everyone else's face, being assigned there is akin to being exiled.

"Immediately." Jen adds. Jon's face contorts, like he wants to spit out a protest, but he simply hangs his head in acknowledgement.

"Yes, Ma'am." He replies quietly. Jen looks at him for one moment longer, and I can see something in her eyes-it's almost like regret. But then she blinks and whatever it was disappeared.

"Jaz, where is-Ah, Le, there you are." Leyan came in at that moment, followed closely by a stooped old woman. Jen waves at the wounded soldiers lying scattered across her house. "Help them out as best you can, Minerva. Send them down to the Caverns' medical rooms when you're done." The old woman waves a hand as she bends over the first patient.

"I'm going to need you three in the meeting room. Try to get down there quickly, before everyone else arrives. Stay in the back out of sight until I call you, alright?" Jen turns away, without waiting for an acknowledgement. "Take Jonathon with you," she calls over her shoulder. "I'm sure Impa will want to speak with him."

"Joy," Jon mutters under his breath. I shift slightly, moving his arm. "Oh, I'm sorry," he says, looking up. "I-Whoa. I'm sorry, but you look…If I didn't know he was standing behind you I would have sworn you were Leyan," he finishes hesitantly. I blink at him in astonishment. That was certainly not something I'd been expecting to hear!

"Uh-well, I'm obviously not. I'm Link," I reply, edging right past his remark. I'll think about it later.

"Oh, uh, right. I'm Jon. And, uh, thanks for helping me. I'm sure I'm heavier than you're use to." I shake my head.

"It's not a problem. I'll even help you to the meeting room-where ever that is." I say, pointedly looking at Jazmyn and Leyan.

They both shake their heads, snapping out of whatever they had been thinking.

"Sorry. Come on, it's kinda far." Jazmyn says, leading the way to the trap door. "I'll go first, Link, you can hand Jon down to me." She jumps down into the hole beneath the door, turning back to look up at us. "Sit on the ledge and we'll help you down, Jon." She says.

"Oh, come on, I can do it," Jon protests. Leyan rolls his eyes as he comes up on Jon's other side.

"You're a walking disaster on two legs, let alone one." He retorts. I shake my head as Jon sits on the edge of the opening. With this amount of good-natured bickering, I'd have to be blind not to see they were all friends. Leyan and I both crouch, and Jon slips one arm around each of our shoulders.

"Ready? Lift." Leyan says. We both lift him just a few inches off the floor, and slowly start to lower him down to Jazmyn. Slowly, inch by inch, we let him down. My shoulders and arm are blazing in protest from holding this much weight, but strangely it's not as bad as I would have feared having been asleep for six years.

"Whoa!" Jon suddenly cries out as his arms starts to slide off our shoulders too soon. His hands flail, trying to find a hold, and one managed to knock into my sword hilt. My sword slid out of her sheath as he fell down the hole.

"No-!" I lean forward, trying to grab his arm and my sword, but both slip beyond my reach.

"Uff!" Suddenly Jon stops moving, and he looks down in surprise. Jazmyn had managed to grab hold of his waist, arresting the fall and stopping him from landing on his leg. She glances up, her smile slightly strained.

"Jeeze, Jon, put on a few pounds, have you?" She jokes weakly. I reach out quickly and grab his arm, shifting to my feet for a better grip and lifting to take some of his weight off of Jazmyn. Leyan had done the same on the other side and together we slowly manage to let Jon down safely. He shuffles out of the way with Jazmyn, giving us a chance to jump down.

"Sorry about that," Jon says once we're all down. "Here. I didn't mean to knock it out of your sheath." He holds up my sword. I reach out quickly, only just managing to stop my self to snatching it from his hands.

"It's really a beautiful sword," he says as he turns it in his hand. He freezes suddenly as the Triforce symbol reflects bits of gold in the torchlight. "This-it-it-its-" He stutters into incoherence.

"It's my sword," I say, gently taking her out of his hands, slipping her back into her sheath. He points a shaking finger at me.

"That's the Master Sword!" He cries suddenly, obviously finding his voice again. I have to say, this is the most vocal reaction to my sword yet. It's almost funny, actually.
"How do you have the Master-humf!" He is abruptly cut off when Jazmyn slaps a hand over his mouth.

"Shut up, Jon. We'll explain later, when there aren't so many ears right above us." She says sharply, glaring at him. With that, she turns and marches off into the gloom. Leyan grabs Jon's arm again, so I grab the other one, and we haul him after Jazmyn. She had nabbed a torch from one of the walls and was holding it aloft to light the way. She moves quickly, never hesitating for more than a moment at the intersections. Jon is busy concentrating on not falling over, so he isn't bothering me with questions. I examine the walls as we pass, watching with interest as they change. They had started out as wood; probably tunnels that had been built beneath the house. That makes sense. I think. Then they abruptly changed to stone.

Are these the Caverns they were talking about? We keep passing openings, some leading to caves and others blocked off with doors. The air is damp, but comforting-I feel like I've been here before. No, that's not quite right. More like…I belong here.

I shake my head to knock those thoughts out. What was going on with me? It's just because I'm from the Forest. That's it. This place is dark and damp, just like the Forest…

"Link!" I turn slightly as someone calls my name-was it me, or did it sound really…tiny?

"Link! How dare you leave me behind?" Suddenly a blue light zipped around the corner of the last intersection, buzzing around my face. "Just like you, always tramping off without the slightest regard for me! Do you not see how much I do for you? How much I help you? How much I-hey!" She shouts at me as I arrest her flight by grabbing the tips of her wings. A fairly good grab, if I do say so myself.

"Sorry, Navi. I got caught up helping Jon," I explain to her, keeping her far enough back that her kicks and punches won't connect with my face. "Jon, Navi, Navi, Jon," I say quickly before letting her go right in front of his face. For his part, he's busy staring at her with eyes the size of deku nuts.

"Y-your fairy can talk!" He finally gasps.

"Well, yeah. Can't all fairies talk?" I retort. On Jon's other side is Leyan, straight-faced as he helps me hold Jon up, but I can see the faint quiver of his lips. He probably finds this hilarious.

"No! At least, not the pink ones…" Jon says, his face still bewildered.

"You're as much of a block head as Link is," Navi comments. Jon's face turns bright red, cast into a slightly funky purple with Navi fluttering in front of him. If it weren't for the fact that she'd just insulted me right along with him I would have been laughing. "Those are fairy spirits, not fairies. They can turn into fairies, but that doesn't happen very often. Real fairies like me are rare enough in the forest, so I doubt you've ever seen one until now." With that she struck a little pose in front of his nose, making me laugh.

"Navi, I doubt anyone as ever seen anything close to you!" Before she can fly at my head in a rage, Jazmyn pops her head back around a corner.

"What's the hold up? Come on, the meeting room's really close," she says impatiently, waving with the torch to emphasize her direction.

"We're coming, Jaz. Had to let Jon catch his breath," Leyan answers, hauling Jon forward another few feet. I stifle a laugh at the murderous look on Jon's face and follow suit, and together we manage to take him all the way into the meeting room and to the bench carved out of stone along the back wall. He settles roughly onto the bench, and I step back to stretch out my muscles.

"So…anyone want to explain exactly why Link has an incredibly rare talking fairy and just so happens to have the Master Sword strapped across his back?" Jon asks while he catches his breath.

"Well-you know, I don't actually know about the fairy. Link?" Jazmyn invites, setting the torch into a bracket on the wall and sitting next to Jon. I roll my shoulders, as much to reset my back as to convey uncertainty.

"I don't understand it myself. I mean, when I was little I thought it was because I wasn't a good enough Kokiri. Obviously I'm not a Kokiri at all; maybe I got to partner with her because I lived in the Woods?" I wonder out loud, sitting down myself. I ruffle my hair to ease an itch and look back up to find three pairs of eyes wearing the same incredulous expression.

"You lived…in the Lost Woods?" Jon says, disbelief coloring his voice.

"Yeah. I'd been as long as could remember, and the Deku Tree-" I broke off abruptly, sharing a sad, knowing look with Navi.

"Wait, I thought no one could enter the Woods unless they were invited by an inhabitant," Leyan says, breaking into the awkward silence. I shrug again, but I'm kind of relieved to move on to something familiar; another mystery, yes, but at it was something I'd been grappling with for years.

"I guess I was. I just don't know. No one could ever tell me anything."

"But-" Jazmyn is interrupted as Jen came into the room, followed quickly by five other people, including Impa and Bren. They all arrange themselves around the stone table in the middle of the room, torches from the wall casting just enough light to see by. There is a rustle of parchment and I crane my neck to try and see it. I manage to catch a brief glimpse of a map of Hyrule before it was laid down on the table and a hand full of wood markers spread across it.

"This is a disaster." One of them began without preamble. "Now that we don't have a squad in Castle Town we've lost one of the best ways to gather information about Ganondorf's troop movements." There was that name again—who is this man?

The name niggles something important deep in my mind. I close my eyes and tune out the rest of the conversation as I think. He had taken over Castle Town, that much was obvious…and that, I dunno, vision thing I'd had. He's been in that too. He'd kidnapped Zelda-

Zelda!

My eyes snap open as I remember—Zelda was the Princess, Zelda was the reason I was here, the one who'd helped me in all those bloody Temples, she was the one I'd been fighting so hard to save because I l-

"Link?" I jerk as Jazmyn shakes my arm, grabbing my attention and derailing my thought process. She points silently to the table and I can see several people pointing at the Forest. I resolutely shove my whirling thoughts to the back of my mind with a vow to figure them out later and turn my mind back to the conversation.

"-and now we have Moblins emerging from the Lost Woods to reinforce Ganondorf's army! I thought you told us the Forest would be a safe border, Impa!" A man scowled. I look at him closely, but I don't recognize him. I flick my eyes back to Impa in time to see her shrug.

"I told you I believed that to be so. I cannot be held accountable for the Deku Tree's doings, or for an area outside of my direct control," she told him blandly. I flinch as the Deku Tree's name lances through me—they all think he's still protecting the Forest.

"Link?" Jazmyn says again, and I turn my head to meet her eyes. They're wide with worry and anxiety, so I smile slightly at her to try and ease her tension. I have to say something, anything to help Impa. I smirk slightly to myself at that. I doubt she needs the help, but I do have information for her that no one else does.

"Impa?" I say standing up. I ignore the startled gasp from behind me—I'm sure it's because I'm breaking some vitally important rule or something, but at the moment I don't particularly care—and move forward into the circle of light cast by the torches. "The Deku Tree is dead."
"What?" The man I don't know interrupts. "How can a child like this know what is going on in a place he's never been?"

"Maybe because I grew up there," I retort sharply, my anger trying to spike. I quickly wrestle it under control, sternly telling myself that this is just a man trying to protect people. There's no reason for me to get mad at him.

"Explain," Impa says quietly after a moment. I draw a deep breath and try again.

"The Deku Tree died after he was cursed. By the time I'd-by the time it was broken, it was too late," I say. For some reason I hold back from telling them that I'd broken the curse.

"So there's nothing guarding the Forest? That at least explains why things as evil as Moblins are allowed to roam it at will," Jen comments from her side of the table.

"But…what about the Temple?" I move sideways slightly as Jazmyn comes forward. "Shouldn't it be protecting the forest instead?"

"No." All eyes snap back to Impa. "The Temples are currently under Ganondorf's control. If we could find the Forest Temple, I might be tempted to liberate it, but as it is…" She shrugs her shoulders, and her face tightens, which is just about the biggest expression I've ever seen from her.

"I…I think I know where it is." I say into the silence. Everyone stares at me, disbelief written on more than a few faces.

"Could you take other people there?" Jen asks, jumping straight to the point. I nod slowly.

"I think so."

"Hah! Are you telling me that I'm supposed to believe some random kid who claims to have grown up in the Forest can actually lead us to the heart of its magic? Does anyone else think this is crazy?" The guy from earlier demands, bracing his hands on the table as he leans forward.

"I dunno," I respond, leaning forward to mirror him. "Does anybody else think you're an idiot whose upset he can't yell at anyone anymore?"

"Keshyn! Link! Both of you, back down!" Jen snaps impatiently. I glower at her for a moment but then I remove my hands from the table and step back. On the other side, Keshyn does the same.

"Link. Keshyn is one of our best commanders and a great tactician. He is not an idiot," she tells me icily. I frown, but refrain from comment. But just as Keshyn starts to get that smug look on his face that I saw so often on Mido's, Jen rounds on him too.

"And Keshyn. Link is not a child, or someone to be taken lightly. He is an expert on the Forest, as well as an excellent fighter, so I expect you to listen to him." I glance at her sharply; I understand the forest comment, but the I'm-a-great-fighter one? Since when?

"I…I will try, General. But has he proven himself in combat?" Keshyn says. I glower at him yet again; this time he's just being nasty. And the sidelong look he shoots at me confirms that particular assumption. I turn my attention back to Jen just in time to see her eyebrow arch over one rock-hard brown eye.

That can't be good.

"You need proof, Keshyn? Alright; we'll let Link prove himself." With that, she grabs mine and Keshyn's arms and promptly hauls the two of us off.

"Whoa, wait, what are you doing?" I manage to ask as I stumble over my feet, trying to keep myself from tripping.

"General, what is the meaning of this?" Keshyn demands from her other side. I can only hope he's having as much difficulty staying upright as I am.

Jen stops abruptly and swings her arms forward, tossing the two of us into a large, fairly well-lit cavern that was entirely smooth, from floor to ceiling. I manage to catch myself and keep my feet, but only barely. I straighten up slowly, slightly vexed that Keshyn hadn't stumbled at all.

"Keshyn, if you're so eager for Link to prove himself in combat, we need a suitable opponent. Currently, most of the suitable opponents are dispatched on missions. Jon is incapacitated, Jaz and Le are excused as a matter of principle, and myself and the other generals are exempt from these things; therefore, there is only one person who can be considered suitable. You." My own face has been paling steadily since Jen began speaking; now I knew I was bone white. I had to fight now? I can't fight! I barely-barely!-held my own against three pitiful monsters that required more brains than brawn to defeat. (Not that I'm bragging or anything—their weaknesses were so obvious it was painful.)

I risk a quick glance at Keshyn, and his face is a least slightly pale. Maybe. I can't really tell in the firelight, but I think so.

"You will be using practice swords, so as to keep you from killing each other and to prevent any serious injuries. First to three touches wins. You may begin," Jen says, tossing two wooden swords into the center of the room. I grab the one nearest me and backpedal, trying to put as much distance between us as I can. That way I can try to reason out his style, think my way through this, and win.

Maybe.

Possibly.

There's a slight chance-

Ah, who am I kidding? I am so going to get walloped.

While I was lamenting to myself in my head, Keshyn had proceeded to pick up his sword and swipe it through a couple of slices to test the balance. Apparently satisfied, he turns to face me with his sword in a one-hand grip, the other arm out for balance and to use in attacks. I still have my sword by the blade—I quickly reverse it and grasp the handle with both my hands, trying to keep them from shaking.

Keshyn started to circle, forcing me to circle to keep my distance. He was obviously trying to size my up while I sized him up, but we weren't going to get anywhere just standing here. I take a risk and thrust forward experimentally, but he easily evades. I try again, and this time he smacks his blade down enough to force mine out of line and steps forward, tapping me lightly on my wrist.

"One point for Keshyn." I start slightly as I recognize Jazmyn's voice, but I nearly smack myself in understanding the next moment. Of course. They had all followed to watch the idiot man-child fight an experienced tactician.

I drag my attention back to the fight just as Keshyn takes the initiative, stepping forward with a thrust followed by a slice. I dodge the thrust and block the slice, managing to step forward at the same time. I twist my wrists, trying to bring my blade in contact with his shoulder, but he brushes it aside and smacks my own shoulder for my trouble. I back off, scowling, as I rub at the stinging spot.

"Two points for Keshyn." This time it was Jen. Keshyn negligently swats his sword around, laughing.

"Oh, yes, General Dase, a great fighter, this one. He doesn't even know how to disarm an opponent," he scoffs at me. I can feel my anger rising again, and I fiercely swat it down. The Deku Tree and I hadn't spent hours talking about how to control myself around Mido for nothing. I roll my shoulders in preparation and lunge at him, taking him by surprise. I manage to get my sword close enough to brush his side before I have to withdraw as he attempts an uppercut.

"One point for Link." Is it me, or is there a slight note of triumph in Jazmyn's voice?

This time Keshyn wades in with a quickly, shrugging aside anything I toss at him while his blows come within inches of connecting with my body. I can feel myself getting desperate; sooner or later one of those blows will land and I'll be done. So, I go the one place Keshyn hasn't been raining blows on. The floor.

I can tell Keshyn is surprised by my move because he falters for an instant, but it's more than long enough for my sword to whip around and touch his leg. As soon as I touch him I roll sideways, putting as much distance between us as I can before I come back to my feet.

"Two points for Link. Match point," Jen says. Keshyn's lips are moving, but I have a feeling I don't want to hear what he's saying. I doubt it's very nice.

This time, Keshyn whirls at me with a vengeance, moving so fast I almost can't follow and it's all I can do to block his blows. There's just no time for me to get one of my own in. Suddenly Keshyn smacks my sword sideways with enough force to make my hand tingle and steps forward, sliding his sword down mine until the hilts lock. With a quick jerk and a twist he pulls my sword from my hands, tossing it to the side. Defenseless, I continue to retreat, twisting and turning to avoid his blows. I bless all the time I spent dodging deku nuts for the fun of it as I slip just outside of his blows.

But nothing like that can last forever, as I so gracefully demonstrated by tripping over my own two feet. By the grace of Farore, or possibly my own dwindling supply of luck, I fell sideways with enough force to roll out of his reach. And then my back promptly met a wall.

Maybe it was my bad luck instead.

Keshyn is standing over me, raising his sword to bring it down with bruising force. I need to move, I need to get away, I can't there's a wall I need to block, I need a sword-

My sword!

There's an arc of blue light, and Keshyn's sword is lying halfway across the room, while Keshyn himself is several feet back, holding his hand. I find myself back on my feet, hat askew, arms shaking the slightest bit and the Master Sword in my hand.

"P-point for Link! Link wins!" Jazmyn says from behind me. I barely register the disbelief in her voice as I stare at the blade in my hand. I don't remember swinging it. Hell, I don't remember grabbing it!

Wait. Point? I hit Keshyn, not his sword?

Then I realize why Keshyn is holding his hand. I must have smacked it with the flat of my blade.

How in the names of the Three Goddess did I have to presence of mind to use the flat of the blade instead of the edge when I couldn't remember drawing the damn thing?

"General…why didn't you tell me he held the Master Sword?" Keshyn says quietly, just loud enough to be heard. Jen looks at him, holding his gaze for an endless moment.

"I believe you know why." She says finally. "Had Link proved himself in combat?" Keshyn ducks his head in acknowledgment, although he refuses to look at me. I sheath my sword, slightly bewildered by the exchange, and turn to face the spectators. Jon is the first to catch my eye, and I sigh as I note that he's pointing at me while his eyes try to bug out of his head. Again.

"He-he-he's...He's the Hero of Time?" He finally manages to gasp out. I cross my arms in irritation and scowl at him while Jazmyn and Leyan laugh.

This whole Hero of Time business is getting really old.

But just as I open my mouth to say so, Jen waves her hand for quiet.

"Now that this business has been taken care of, we can return to the original question. Link, can you take a team through the forest to the Temple?" Jen asks quickly.

I'm not gonna lie, I have only the vaguest impression of where this Temple is. But I'm the only one here who has any knowledge whatsoever of the Lost Woods, and I'm probably the only one who can lead others through it and survive. Not even my Kokiri friends had ventured as deep into the Woods as I had.

Which means there is only one thing I can say.

"Yes."

"Good. Jaz, Le, go outfit yourselves. I don't want to see you two again until that Temple is freed, or liberated, or whatever, do you hear me?"

"Got it, General." They answer in unison. Jen nods in acknowledgment—but I can see a hint of hesitation. Is she worried about them?

Before I can chase that train of thought down, Jen motions sharply for the others to follow her, leaving me alone with Jazmyn and Leyan.

For a moment we do nothing. But my legs…they feel like they're made of jelly…

And the next thing I know I've face-planted myself on the floor. Great.

"Link! Link! Are you ok?" I hear Jazmyn above me, trying to turn me over to see if I was alright. Even better. I had collapsed in front of a girl.

"I'm fine," I mutter, slapping her hand away as I ease myself up into a sitting position. "My legs just let go for a second, alright?"

"Ah. Adrenaline drop. That makes sense." Leyan comments from somewhere above and behind me.

"What's adrenaline, Jazmyn?" Navi asks as she flutters about my head. I wish she would stop moving—the light is making me dizzy…

"It's a chemical in your body. When you get frightened or fight, it increases your endurance and ability to handle pain during the battle. If the drop in adrenaline levels is big enough, it'll dump even the most experienced warrior on his ass," Jazmyn explains. "But to be honest, I'm surprised your levels jumped that much, Link."

"Yeah, well, I'm not. Can we move on?" I ask irritably, trying to stand up.

"Don't move. You need to let your body adjust again before standing." Leyan says, pushing down on my shoulders.

"You're not surprised? How come?" I glance up to find a bottle full of clear water in front of my face. I grab at it and work on pulling out the stopper while I answer.

"I don't fight often. Hardly ever, in fact. I'm not used to it, I don't like it, and I would avoid it if I could. And to be honest, I'm finding it hard to control my limbs very well. A massive growth-spurt while you're asleep will do that to a person," I upturn the bottle and down the water as soon as I finish talking. The cool liquid rushes through me, and I instantly feel better. Amazing how water can do that, isn't it?

"A massive growth-spurt? While you were asleep? I don't know about you, but the most I've ever grown is a finger-breadth at a time—and usually over several days." Jazmyn comments, crouching in front of me.

Whoops.

Navi and I stare at each other, her eyes wide with worry. I'm more disgusted with myself. How could I let something like that slip?

"Link?" Jazmyn is still waiting. And I have to tell her and Leyan something. But…I don't want to lie. It was never something I was ever very good at, so why bother?

I take a deep breath to calm myself, which probably looks like a sigh to everyone else. Close enough, really.

"When I was eleven years old, the Deku Tree asked to see me." I start. I can tell Jazmyn is confused, but thankfully she stays silent. "He told me he had been cursed…"

I relate the entire story to her and Leyan, sparing no thoughts or details. They both stayed silent for the entire time, and Jazmyn's face was impassive. I don't think she even twitched. It was like she'd heard it all before. I couldn't see Leyan's face, but I would have bet my left arm that his was the same.

But when I talked about Rauru and the Sacred Realm, her face changed. It was like she'd been side-walled by an unexpected turn of events.

She sat back on her heels, her eyes wide. "Six and a half years. That's a long time to be asleep."

"You're telling me," I snort, trying to stand. "But anyway. That's why I'm so uncoordinated; I'm not used to being this big." I stumble slightly as someone grabs my upper arm and pulls, setting me on my feet.

"Didn't look that way during the duel," Leyan says quietly as he lets go of my arm.

"Yeah, right at the end when you lost your practice sword was some pretty fancy footwork." Jazmyn pipes in.

"That wasn't anything special," I shrug, shifting on my feet. "I used to play with deku scrubs, and you learn really fast that getting hit with deku nuts hurts like no tomorrow."

"Still. It requires a lot of dexterity to dodge like that." Leyan points out. I open my mouth to say I don't know what, but Jazmyn edged in before I could say anything.

"Enough about that. All that matters, Link, is that you really are a good fighter, whether you believe it or not. And as for having been asleep…well, we can get you caught up on everything. That at least explains why you didn't know about the monthly 'courtesy visits'." She and Leyan exchange a look of shared loathing at that.

"Wait a minute. I don't know about you, but I find my story hard to believe and I'm the one who lived through it! How the heck are you two taking this so calmly?"

"Uh, well…" Now the tables have turned. I watch in fascination as Jazmyn and Leyan fidget, glancing between each other and me. They're obviously trying to decide if they should tell me something or not.

I cross my arms as I wait, resisting the urge to tap my foot. They'll tell me when they're good and ready.

"Let's just say we've heard stranger," Jazmyn says in a rush.

"You know, Jen is expecting us to be on our way already. We need to finish up and move out," Leyan starts as soon as she finished.

I stand motionless for several seconds before Jazmyn and Leyan grab my arms and haul me after them. What, do these people not trust me to use my own legs or something?

"Um…where are you taking Link this time?" Navi asks from Jazmyn's shoulder. I hadn't realized she'd taken up residence there.

"The Armory, of course. Oh, Link obviously has his sword, but he's going to need more than that. And Le and I need our weapons to survive in the Woods." Jazmyn explains matter-of-factly over her shoulder.

"That's all fine and dandy, but could I walk on my own, maybe? It'd be nice to see where I'm going! And you didn't answer my question!" I complain loudly. The other two either can't hear me or simply choose to ignore me, because they just walk faster. After a few more moments, they pulled me into another hollowed-out cave and finally let me go.

"Goddesses, but you two have a strong grip," I say as I rub my upper arms.

"Blame Jen." Leyan comments as he bends down to open a chest.

"No, blame the training Jen put us through," Jazmyn says over him, sorting through a stack of shields. "Here, Link, I think this one is the right size." She thrusts a shield with the royal crest on the back into my hands. I weigh it carefully; although it's made of metal it's quite light, and the arm strap is made of leather so it will conform to my arm.

"Thanks." I slip the shield onto my back, snug over my scabbard. By the time I've gotten it to settle straight, the other two have finished. Leyan stands with a staff capped in metal, and, strangely, two books strapped to his back.

Jazmyn is outfitted in a way that seems more appropriate; a sword and shield like mine, a few daggers in her boots and a bow and quiver across her back.

Both have strapped on light armor; covers for the shins and forearms, tunics made of interlocking rings and thick gloves with thin sheets of metal coving them.

"Here. These are in your size," Leyan said, holding the same things out to me. I take them, but after I had the tunic and the gloves on I held the others in uncertainty.

"Uh. How do I put these on?" I ask in bewilderment. The other two look at each other, and I can see a glimpse of amusement pass between them, but when they look back at me, it's gone.

Good thing, too. I might have hurt them otherwise.

"Let us help." Jazmyn says. They reach out and take two each, and proceed to attach them to my arms and legs. I feel a little silly when they finish, but at the same time I can see the wisdom of wearing this stuff. It will only hinder movement slightly, and it will make it a lot easier to survive blows. I knew I had bruises forming from the fight with Keshyn, and I didn't even want to imagine how bad it would be if we'd been using real swords.

I step away from the other two, swinging my arms experimentally.

"This stuff is really nice," I comment.

"It's great for traveling light. It won't really do for a full-scale battle, but that's not what we're in for, right?" Jazmyn says brightly.

I glance back and forth between the two of them, from Jazmyn's open, happy smile and Leyan's quiet but steady support. I've only known these two for a day, and yet it feels like we've been friends for years. My mouth slowly curves up in my old cocky grin.

This was gonna be fun.