Six

Link, I discovered, was someone who was up with the dawn. It wasn't particularly surprising, considering the lifestyle he'd lead before the transformation; ranchers might not rise as early as farmers, but it was close.

He didn't wake up before me, but he didn't sleep long after I started my morning practice;I felt him watching me after a good fifteen minutes of work, and paused briefly to glance over at him.

"You too. Practice what you know. Then breakfast, and we'll be on our way."

I'm going to have to remember to teach the next hero myself. While I don't fault Rusl in his skill, it was all very workmanlike. In most fights a Hero enters into—in most fight I end up in—versatility is key. Flexibility, and the chance to divert into another attack on the fly was... well, not something he was good at.

Yet.

After breakfast, we packed up the camp; Link was rushing a bit in his eagerness to move on, to try and find the children of his village.

Fortunately, Faron knows precisely when and how to make an entrance. In this case, the air grew warmer, the light grew brighter, and though the spirit itself did not appear the voice echoed in the air around.

~Brave Hero, on your journey, be cautious. Though you have claimed the first shadow, the land of Hyrule is not yet saved from twilight's spread. You must now head east, to the lands of Eldin; therein lies those you seek.~

Link made a faint sound that was somewhere between anxiety and relief.

~But be warned, those lands remain yet under the cover of the twilight,~ Faron continued. ~If you step beyond that curtain, your form will revert to that of the wolf. Be ready.~

With that, the clearing faded back to normal. Link let out a slow breath, and looked far more relieved than he had the night before.

"Well,that's lucky," Midna said, popping up with her typical lack of fanfare. "That should make your search easier. You'll obviously want to help the other light spirits, won't you? Well, I suppose I can take care of you again when that time comes!"

"We'll have to get there first," I interjected. "In good weather, it takes four days to get to Kakariko, and that's on foot. And if twilight covers the whole of the province..."

I paused. Frowned. Pulled out my map and did a quick check.

"We should find it right around here. Two and some days away from us."

"Well then, you'd better get moving, huh?~"

She laughed, vanishing back into Link's shadow as I rolled the map back up and put it away again.

"It really takes that long to travel?"

"Dependent on the weather, but... yes. It'd be faster with horses, of course, but with the dangers on the plains, I wouldn't want to leave them standing around. Bokoblins, bomskit, guay, kargarok... not a place to really leave anyone, or anything, alone."

Too late I realized that would include the children of his village, and her turned, setting out immediately with a determined stride. After a moment I sighed mentally, and moved to catch up.

Initially, I caught up mostly because I wanted to see his face when he saw how vast the lands of Hyrule were; instead, I felt as though my own chest had been kicked, seeing the unnatural twilight against the blue of the early summer sky. It stretched from one end of the realm to the other, golden and black.

I did not betray my shock, but it was a close thing. Around both the Hero and the Princess, my guard has always... lowered. They remain yet part of me, even if I cannot stay with them.

One day.

At any rate, we turned east with a matched determination to see this wrong righted.

Crossing the plains towards my province, it fell to me to set the limits of how fast we traveled; if I had not, he likely would have gone tearing across at his fastest speed, forgetting to eat, plausibly even forgetting about rest. Link certainly wasn't pleased when I enforced the fact that he needed them both, though he certainly approached evening training and morning practice with enthusiasm.

It was strangely different to approach the twilight out on the plains; though we entered a small canyon, there was still far more sky visible than there had been when we had approached Faron province from Ordon. Even eager to find the children, Link's steps faltered as he approached that darkness.

"It might be a while before you can change back if you go in there," Midna pointed out as we paused a few feet from the manufactured darkness. "I'd make any plans you need to now, just to make sure."

It was a good suggestion, so we pulled back a bit to where there was still some sunshine, and I pulled out my map again.

"Kakariko, where Eldin's spring is, is here," I said, pointing to the village on the map. "It's small, but there are a few people that won't be totally useless to us once we raise the curtain. I don't know how fast we'll travel on four feet, but on two, it would still take another couple days."

I wouldn't say it aloud, but I was worried for the Gorons. Prideful and stubborn they could be, as stubborn as the mountain they lived on. While they were usually happy and gentle, they had a very bad habit of internalizing when it came to problems among their people, and despite the fact that I had given as clear a warning as I could, I had to wonder if the current Patriarch, Darbus, had actually heeded that warning.

"It only takes so long because you have to go so slow," Midna pointed out.

"You would rather someone pass out from exhaustion, or get mortally wounded for speed?" I retorted. "There's a reason for the pacing, whether it's one you like or not. We are mortal, and mortals require food and sleep."

I wondered then, what Midna might eat; she couldn't fully manifest into our world, after all... was it the twilight that sustained her? I never did ask, so I've never learned the answer; at the time, I decided it wasn't something I needed to know, and rolled up the map.

"The Gorons are the ones that guard this piece of the Fused Shadow, but it's likely they'll be... difficult about it," I continued. "It may take some tricky negotiation to even get up the mountain path. But. We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Link nodded, and we both headed for the twilight wall.

"Ah, ready at last~ Let's go then!"

Midna practically dove through the wall, making it ripple, before her hand swooped out to snatch us both into the shadows with her.

The transformation was quick for the both of us this time, and Midna grinned as she landed on Link's back once more.

"Now remember, you're listening to me here," she said, patting him lightly with both hands, then glancing sidelong at me. Then she smiled and leaned back to glance up at the sky. "And under such a lovely twilight sky too. Isn't it beautiful?~ Not to mention the both of you look better in fur than you do in those dusty clothes."

"I think she just likes the fact that we can't talk back," I said dryly to Link as we started walking.

He snorted a little, and I could see laughter in his wolf-gray eyes.

We hadn't gone more than a few feet when we caught our first clue that Faron had indeed been correct about the children. A wooden sword, made more for a young adult than a child, lay broken in two in our path.

"That was my sword!" Link exclaimed, rushing forward. "I let Talo borrow it to distract him from being mad about Colin telling his dad they'd run off into the woods!"

Without being prompted, he stuck his nose down by the blade and started sniffing around. Curious, I did too, and picked up the scent of Ordonian fields, as well as four very distinct ones; a cheaply made sort of floral perfume, baby powder, the smell of wood and water, and a slightly fishy smell that also carried sword oil.

"It's them!" Link enthused, dancing in place. "They're all alive!"

"And judging by the lack of blood, unhurt. This is good. If we follow the scent, we may well find them."

"You can smell your friends huh?" Midna asked, smirking a little. "See, I told you that being a wolf was much more useful than being a human!"

Link was off like a shot as she finished, following the scent eagerly. His abrupt break into a run had caused Midna to yelp, almost losing her seat before she gripped his fur in both hands. I loped along beside, and snickered mentally; it would have been funny to see her fall, but even watching her lose her balance amused me.

We covered the distance between us and the gorge at as fast a run as we could maintain; it's hard to tell time with a permanent twilight, but I thought it took us around five hours, which is about the speed of a trotting horse. It would still take us time, but I was slightly hopeful that it would be less than I had feared.

Our first obstacle became abruptly clear as we reach Kakariko gorge, and Link skidded to a halt. True, the trio of shadow beasts didn't last long, but it was plain they had been laying in wait. Once again I wondered just how safe it was to help Midna, and if I was really doing the right thing by letting her have the Fused Shadows... but there was little choice.

Beyond them, the bridge was clean gone. Not broken, or burned... it was gone as though someone had simply picked it up and moved it somewhere else. Link whined a little in his confusion and frustration, and I ended up staring at the gap with a feline frown.

"I bet this was their doing," Midna said in legitimate disgust. "How annoying. It would take much to long to create a new bridge..."

"Not to mention tools and craftspeople that we don't have," I muttered.

"I suppose we'll have to look for the one they took. Didn't we see something that looked like a bridge back in Faron province?"

Link's ears, which had been laid back, perked up, and he turned his head to look at her. I thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Well, I can teleport us back there! You'll have to do the finding, though." She glanced at me, and then laughed. "Every time we kill some shadow beasts, they leave a mark on the world. A portal. I can feel it, and I can take us right to that spot!"

That was useful. More than useful, it was necessary, especially later in the venture. Her sly smile indicated that she knew very well that I was impressed, even if I tried to maintain a semblance of indifference.

"So, let's go search Faron province, and see if we can't find what we're looking for, hmm?"

Instead of waiting for a nod, she simply moved us. We ended up in the woods again, a few steps south of the Old One, and Midna seemed quite pleased with herself.

"See? It's easy! Most can't leave so simply, so you'd better be grateful!" she boasted. "Now, find that bridge!"

I shed the feline form, pulling out a map to mark down the places where shadow beasts had fallen; it was one of my spares, and I had a feeling that we'd need this information later.

"What are you doing?"

I glanced up to see the twili shadow peering over my shoulder. Link was sitting directly in front of the bridge already, tail tip patiently dusting the ground. By luck, or memory, Midna had dropped us directly where we needed to be.

"Marking portals. This way, when we need to use this talent in the future, we'll have a way of knowing specifically where we need to go. Once we get back into the twilight, you can keep it, and mark new portals as they're made."

"Hmm... all right, that's helpful. Are you done yet?"

There were only four portals at the moment, so after checking that I'd gotten the approximate placement as close as possible, I folded it back up.

"Yes. Link? Could you hold this for me while we return to the twilight?"

He cheerfully, carefully, took the map from me, and we watched as Midna lifted the bridge up from where it had been dropped. I was impressed again, and also pleased; she was skilled in what the Twili magic had become, at least, and even if it took her some effort, it was still not the easiest piece of magic.

I resumed my sand cat form before she grabbed us to teleport along; once back in the twilight, Midna landed us directly on the bridge that we had just replaced, then reached over and took the map from Link's mouth, making it vanish in the same manner is she had with the Ordonian sword and shield.

"All right then, that's all settled. Let's keep going!"

Link wasted little time; on the other side of the bridge, we swiftly picked up the scents again, and he loped off, panting with eagerness. I kept up, but it took some effort; I was not as large as the wolf, nor did I have the same type of stamina.

The black, wrought iron gate stopped us both short. Two shadow-altered bulbin patrolled beyond it, though they paid little mind to us. We were outside the rang of their spears,and the gate, naturally, was between us and them.

"...this was not here when I came this way to find you," I said after a long minute, trying to catch my breath.

"What's this doing here?" Midna asked, a frown on her face. "Are they trying to keep something in, or something out?"

"I bet we could dig under it," Link glanced at me with a whine.

"Okay, I know you're eager, but slow down. I need a break before we do anything else, and a nap wouldn't kill you either."

I knew my tone was cross, and I made no effort to hide it; I was tired, and getting hungry as well, though there was little around for a pair of predators to eat. He whined a little, laying his ears flat, but his expression was sheepish, not challenging.

"Sorry..."

"What, we're not going in? Why not?"

I yawned, very overtly, and stalked off to one side of the gate. Link followed, and Midna sighed.

"Oh, right. Fine. Get some rest, then."

"I wish we could be understood..." Link whined a little, laying down against the rock wall.

"Why?"

"I'm kind of hungry," he admitted. "And thirsty too."

"Mmn. Fair. I wonder if the bulbin are edible like that?"

He stared at me as I curled up into a ball.

"...I was kidding..."

Well, I wanted him to think that, but honestly, I wasn't kidding that much. We were going to need food, and we couldn't always count on only being in animal form for a few days. With the advent of twilight, everything was changed, even the taste of water. We couldn't be certain that anything was edible.

I made a mental note to prepare a bag of food and some flasks of water for the next time we had to go into the twilight; things for Midna to carry. If she wanted us to help, she was going to have to help us in return, after all.

And yes, I was kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner.

We napped in the timelessness of twilight, which did help to restore energy at least, and once we were both awake and had stretched, washed, and scratched, we dug under the gate and darted past the two shadow bulbin on guard into the narrow stone canyon that would take us to Kakariko.

It looked, for all intents and purposes, like a damned ghost town. Not that I could blame the townsfolk much; three shadow beasts patrolled near the Spirit Spring, and I was willing to swear that at least one had the scent of blood clinging to it.

Now, in most cases, I wouldn't have cared; they were already my enemy, and I would have taken them out, regardless of who had been killed.

But I am the duchess of Eldin province. Those lives, those people are under my protection. And Kakariko especially is a place I am intensely protective of; mentors and memories fill that place, as do allies and friends.

Maybe I didn't take any of the shadow beasts down, but I made very sure that they knew what my claws felt like before Link and Midna killed them.

"Are you okay?" Link asked, whining a little as Midna marked down the new portal on her map.

"I am very upset." I said, as if the fluffed-up fur hadn't revealed anything of my emotional state. "But I'll be fine. Come on. Eldin's waiting."

Like Faron, Eldin was little more than a collection of weakly glowing motes, collected into a vaguely orblike shape.

My... mother...

I am here, Eldin. And I have brought help. I know it is hard, but you must speak.

~Hero...~ Eldin whispered. Its voice was much weaker than Faron's, and I wanted nothing more than to tell it to stop. ~You must... gather my lost light... in this.~

As with Faron, the vessel dropped from the second tier to the first; this time Link moved in to grab it, though when I moved up, he helped me with getting it on.

~Please... move swiftly. The insects of shadow... draw farther and farther away.~ Eldin paused, and I could feel it gathering strength. Midna let out a startled noise as her make sparkled briefly, and then glittering points of light settled onto Eldin province. ~Your map... will show you the way. But take care... the darkness... hunts you now.~

Link twisted his head a little, trying to see what was now on Midna's map, and I stretched up to see as well. Little points of light that moved slightly.

Twilight insects.

I growled a little as Midna shook out the map, glancing it over with what seemed like a new found purpose.

"We should get the ones farthest away," she decided. "And work our way back to the spring. That way we're not going around in circles! So, we need to get these ones first, up on the mountain!"

It was a good plan, if not necessarily easy to execute. Death Mountain was never a particularly quiet place... And listening in on the watching Gorons gave me little hope that I'd find it easy to convince them to let me bring Link in to help with the trouble that they were now facing.

But find the insects we did, and flattened them with a will. At the singing stone Link stopped, and howled with a song that I knew well; even if the wolf's howl could not do more than send an echo of healing into a small radius, I could feel that the song resonated, and from somewhere else, another howl joined his. Again, Midna's map sparkled, and this time when we looked at it, there was a glowing wolf's head just inside of Ordona's spring.

"Looks like you'll be getting a new sword trick soon," I said as we continued up the path.

"Hopefully this one won't hurt as much..."

I snickered at him unmercifully; my training was not easy, and though it was beneficial, I knew he found it difficult. Not unbearably so, but decidedly tougher than the training he was used to.

As we entered into the area that could logically be considered the Goron village—or at least the outskirts of it—Link stopped short and stared upwards. Death Mountain was an angry red, not too terribly far, though it seemed to be holding off on spitting out rocks and lava for the moment. Metal structures helped shape a path upwards for humans and Goron alike, leading to the meeting chamber, and the path through there would take a careful friend to the mines.

Not that many people actually went into the mines; the Gorons were more rock than mortal it seemed, and the high temperatures and poisonous fumes of working in a live volcano bothered them not even slightly. True, the lava could kill them if given enough time, but Gorons only need to eat and sleep; breathing tends to be... optional. They affect it to put their human allies at ease, but on a whole, what humans need, Gorons tend to be able to do without.

The Gorons found it much easier to do the mining themselves, and then give their human allies the metals to work with. And most humans were content to work this way as well.

"Impressive, isn't it?" I said, my whispers moving forward in amusement. "The Goron mines are famous throughout the land for their metal. No doubt it's where your Rusl got the iron to forge the sword you use."

"And we have to go in there?"

"Eventually, yes. But for now, our problem lies... there."

And he looked down to see four shadow beast prowling the flat area between us and the mines. He growled softly, hackles raising, and leapt down to confront them.

Now, on a given day, the shadow beasts wouldn't have been any sort of real threat to the Gorons; as I've said, they are more rock than anything else, and gentle or not, they will defend what's theirs with blows as hard as the iron they mine. But while they might be able to see the creatures, they had to have learned by this point that they couldn't actually affect them.

Logic might not have always been a strong point among the Gorons, but their Elders had learned to think past their passions, and had no doubt ordered their retreat up to the levels where the beasts could not reach them.

As the last beast fell, I went after the insects, chasing them down with a will; we had already caught several on our way up the mountain, and these were the last two on the map that we would have to catch for this area. Link snapped up one, and I caught the other, then we headed back to clear the village.