"You're absolutely certain of this?" Zelda asked worriedly.
"Hoo hoot! There can be no mistake; Master Rauru has been very thorough." Kaebora responded, preening his wing meticulously and rotating his head.
Zelda frowned, it was no surprise that Gannondorf would send out emissaries but this was sooner than she'd expected, it had only been two days since he'd taken power in Castle Town and yet he was already trying to reach out to the other powers surrounding the kingdom.
"What of the Temple?"
"Hoo hoo, the Order of Light will stand behind you, though the Army is bound by oath to whooever sits upon the throne and Gannondorf has already made overtures to their leaders hoo hoo hoot!"
Zelda nodded, having the Temple and its warrior monks and priests on her side would be a great comfort when the time came though she wondered just how many fighting men that would be when compared to the combined armies of the Desert and Hyrule. The more she looked at the situation the more she realized that her battle would depend entirely on whether or not she could convince the Goron and Zora to stand with her against a common foe. It wasn't a task she was looking forward to but it was her only choice. She looked down at Link, atop of whom Kaebora Gaebora perched, the thought of using the Wolfos again passed through her mind and she immediately banished it. They'd suffered enough and if she was going to bring war to Hyrule they had earned the right to stay out of it and watch the other races slaughter one another. No, Link would be the extent of her using them.
"Your Highness," Kaebora inquired quietly, "would you like to hear any of the information again?"
Zelda shook her head, coming out of her thoughts with a frown. "No, no it's fine." She fingered the talisman that the owl had brought with him gingerly as she considered. "You'll be returning to Master Rauru I assume?"
"Hoot hoot," the owl clucked tiredly. "I'm afraid not, he wishes me to find Lady Impa first and inform her of movements within the city."
"Good luck," Sheik said with a snort, Zelda was inclined to agree, finding Impa did sound like a lost cause.
"Hoo hoo hoo," Kaebora clicked his beak, "I will find her and then return to Master Rauru with my report."
"Then when you return to him, take this to him as well." Zelda held out the talisman, engraved with the emblem of the Royal Family and the Temple of Time.
"Hoot hoot! Master Rauru was insistent that you should carry it!"
"Its too dangerous for me to carry a piece of the key, if we're captured with it then it will be one more piece of the puzzle that Gannondorf will possess."
The big owl rotated his head and closed his eyes; Zelda noticed not for the first time that his chin looked a lot like a second face when he did that. His eyes popped open, it was very distracting watching him upside down like this but she tried not to look at the pseudo-face as he spoke.
"You are to carry it, I will pass your message to Master Rauru and if he instructs me to retrieve it then I shall hoo hoo!"
Zelda bit her lip but nodded, it wasn't what she wanted but she didn't have time to argue with an overgrown fowl. "Very well, please deliver the message quickly."
The owl fluffed his feathers and spread his wings before hopping into the air and beating them strongly to get airborne. "Hoot hoot hoo! I shall, good luck to you and your companions Zelda of Hyrule, hoo hoo!"
Zelda watched as Kaebora flew out over the fields quietly for a time before shaking her head, what was she doing? Two Sheikah, a ranch hand, a Wolfos, a holy order, and a giant owl; just what kind of resistance was she leading? Just from that list of allies alone it sounded like one of the comedic-adventure plays that were so popular at the Globe Theatre* in Castle Town. Her attention was brought back to the matter at hand as Link rolled over and wriggled in the grass with a grin on his face as he stretched out in the sun. She couldn't help herself, she laughed at the silliness of the giant wolf behaving like some kind of puppy.
Still smiling, she stood up and brushed herself off, "come we need to make Kakariko before sundown, we've already spent enough time here."
Sheik nodded and brought her horse over to her, offering to help her ascend the saddle, she gave him a gentle scowl and he bowed away. Honestly she wasn't that fragile and he knew it, even if he was just being courteous the treatment was unnecessary.
"I suggest," Sheik said, "that we don't ride up to the gate without looking around first. We don't want to walk into a potential trap, even in Kakariko."
Zelda nodded, "someone will need to ride ahead."
"I'll do it," Malon volunteered, "Link can come with me and see if he smells anything suspicious and then come back and get you while I get lodging."
Zelda reached into her saddle bag and produced a well lined wallet, "will you require money?"
Malon smiled, "my father knows the local tavern keeper, he'll let us stay for free if I ask; we always give him a discount."
Zelda nodded, "alright, then for now, we'll ride with you until we're close to the town gate and then you can go on ahead."
Malon nodded and turned her horse, Epona, if Zelda remembered correctly, around and tapped her neck gently. The gesture seemed strange to Zelda, but the horse responded instantly and began trotting off in the desired direction. Zelda spurred her own animal and looked down to find Link loping along besides her at an easy pace. Looking to her right at Sheik she hid a smile, yes, when all this was over with she was certain that someone would make a play out of it. And if they wouldn't, then maybe she would do it herself.
Sheik stood beneath the growing shadows of the copse of trees that he and Zelda were waiting under, watching for the Wolfos' return. He and the ranch girl had gone ahead as planned, if he said the town was safe then she'd find them a place to stay for the night. In all honesty the girl's relationship with the tavern keeper wouldn't have mattered much though it was nice to not need to throw his Sheikah status and the Princess' identity around. Virtually everyone who lived in Kakariko was of the Sheikah or related to them in some manner, so a Sheikah escorting the Princess wouldn't need an ounce of money to get all the aid they could ever require. His mother would be here in a few days no doubt once she had completed her meetings with the ranchers and farmers; though he doubted that the Princess' plans allowed for them to wait for her, and even if it did there would be little purpose in waiting for Impa as she would still have her own tasks to perform no doubt; to be honest even Sheik didn't know how the Sheikah maintained their network, he had very little contact with other members of his own people outside of his mother, and from what he knew of that system, there were only two or three Sheikah who knew where all the others were at any given time. His mother was one of those individuals.
His gaze flicked over to the Princess, who was still sitting atop her horse looking expectantly towards Kakariko. He wondered just what her plan was, and what the talisman that the owl had brought with him had been. The Princess had yet to really explain her plan fully, just that it entailed speaking with the Goron and Zora among others in order to obtain the Triforce before Gannondorf could. Sheik didn't have the slightest notion of how speaking with potential allies was supposed to help gain the Triforce but neither did he know how one was supposed to obtain the Triforce to begin with so he could think of very little that would suggest a better course of action. In any case, they needed allies, and if his mother's estimation of the Goron and Zora was correct then they'd be willing to fight Gannondorf and perhaps even assist the Princess while doing it.
Something caught his eye in the field ahead and his vision focused on the movement apprehensively, his senses eased as he recognized the familiar shape. "The Wolfos is coming back."
Zelda's head swiveled to follow his gaze and she let out a breath she probably hadn't realized she'd been holding as she spoke, "good I hope everything went as planned; oh and Sheik?"
"Yes your Highness?" Sheik said, turning to look at her as he mounted his horse again.
"His name is Link, and the girl is Malon, remember that please; they are people after all and they are risking their lives for the kingdom."
Sheik nodded quietly unsure of what to make of the comment as the Wolfos…Link came to a stop in front of them.
"There is sand in the town," he said at once, "Malon has gone to the tavern to find us lodgings."
Sheik swore quietly under his breath and looked up at the Princess wondering what she would choose to do; she was biting her lip worriedly as she looked across the darkening ground that separated them from the entrance to the rock formations that marked the entrance to the village.
Finally she sighed heavily, "did you see any of the Gerudo?"
Link shook his head, "only their scent."
She nodded, "we need to pass through Kakariko if we're to meet with the Gorons; we'll only be here for a short time. We'll have to take the chance."
Sheik actually felt fairly secure about this, hiding from the Gerudo in the Sheikah's village? That was probably the easiest thing he'd been asked to do to date.
"I'm going ahead to make sure there are no loose ends, Link, take care of the Princess."
Link walked in front of the Princess' horse, holding her reins and leading the animal as if he were a servant or page boy. The horse was less than pleased by this arrangement of course but he kept a firm hand on it and didn't give it any indication that he meant it harm. So far it seemed to be working just fine. They approached the gate and the town guards posted there, Link wondered if they'd suspect him for coming and going so much in such a small amount of time; they had after all challenged him when he'd passed by with Malon. However as they passed the guards who must have recognized him since he'd already passed twice paid him no more mind than if he were anything other than what he seemed. He noticed that neither of them looked towards Zelda either, it was very curious. Though he supposed that this was something that Sheik had seen to, that would make sense wouldn't it? Yes, he decided, Sheik's going ahead had something to do with all of this.
Passing through the gates he immediately scented the air; it was hard not to notice such an unusual smell. The smell of the people here was confusing, they didn't smell like anything he recognized and he'd yet to put a name to the scent. It was just that unusual, though since it was the same scent that Sheik and Impa bore, he didn't let it worry him. After all, they were his allies and anyone that bore their scent was likely of no threat to the Princess or himself. There was another scent and that one worried him, the smell of the desert, of the sands. Once more his gaze cast around searchingly though he didn't expect the Gerudo to be out right now, not with dark approaching. They wouldn't be stupid enough to be wandering around after dark in a village that was hostile to them would they? His mind dwelt on the question for a time as they strolled through the center of town and headed for the tavern, his mind lost to thought even as his eyes scanned the shadows.
"Link? Link!"
Zelda's voice snapped him out of his thought and his turned to face her questioningly, she pointed up the steps that went off to one side of the town center. Malon was standing there waving to them.
"I think she wants us to go with her."
Zelda dismounted, taking the reins from Link who followed her and the horse up the stairs to the waiting Malon. She'd changed out of her father's armor and was back in a simple dress again.
"Sheik has a place for us to stay, away from the tavern and center of town."
Zelda nodded, "please take us there."
They followed Malon away from the center of town, moving towards a large house that overlooked the rest of Kakariko, Link looked at it curiously, it smelled like the rest of the town, that same scent from Sheik and Impa grew in intensity as they approached; Link felt like the sense might overwhelm him but he continued towards it. Looking at Malon leading them, he wondered how the other species of Hyrule managed to live without the senses he had. Life couldn't be very easy if you weren't able to sense your surroundings at all, certainly Hylians and Humans seemed oblivious to the things he could detect, the Sheikah seemed a little more aware, but even their senses couldn't match a Wolfos. He'd never thought of it before, but really the Wolfos were more alien than their shape shifting already made them; again his mind wandered off in thought, then his eyes snapped to attention as something moved in the shadows to their left. He wasn't certain what was moving, but the shadows were shifting as if someone was moving through them.
He let out a low rumble as his eyes narrowed; Zelda heard it and looked down at him from her horse.
"What is it?"
"Someone's out there."
That was the only cue Malon needed, she notched an arrow and drew, aiming where Link was staring, and Zelda needed no further encouragement as she swung her leg over her saddle and dropped to the ground.
"Reveal yourself," she commanded into the shadows as she drew her sword.
There was no answer, Link's lips spread in a feral smile as his hair bristled, someone was there he could smell them now. They smelt like magic.
"I can smell you, I know you're there."
"You can smell me," a voice said curiously, Link's eyes focused as the shadows moved and a man, a fairly tall man, stepped out into the dim light though he was still obscured from full view. "And just how do you accomplish that?"
Malon's bow raised, "don't come any closer."
The man regarded her calmly, "I mean you no harm. I merely wished to pay my respects to the Princess."
Link relaxed slightly, "you're human."
This drew a smile, "should I not be?"
Zelda sheathed her sword glancing at Link and Malon before approaching the stranger. "I am the Princess Zelda of Hyrule, may I have your name?"
The man bowed, his long hair falling over his shoulders, "I am Renado, shaman and chieftain of Kakariko village."
Zelda visibly relaxed, Link saw the way her shoulders slackened, the tenseness leaving her body.
"Master Renado, I didn't recognize you, forgive my escorts."
Renado bowed his head, Link wished he'd come out of the shadows entirely, it was hard to tell what he looked like.
"There is no apology needed Princess, if I was running from the Mage King I too would be cautious. Young Sheik has told the village of your presence and we will do everything we can to assist you and delay your foes."
"Please don't put yourselves in danger, enough people have died."
Renado nodded, "too true;" his gaze fell on Link. "Ah, I see, a son of the wolf. You've found a powerful ally your highness."
"I needed his help, and he wishes to see his people free, truly free."
Renado's head remained turned towards Link, who felt his hair bristling again. This man, ally or not, made him very nervous.
"Young man," Renado said quietly, "I know of the pain of your people, however remember that Gannondorf is a threat to all, and bringing greater evil into this world is not the way to beat him. Do not give into your people's sin."
Link blinked in confusion, what was he talking about?
Renado bowed again, "if you'll excuse me your highness, I am entertaining the Gerudo emissaries tonight and I'm afraid they may grow suspicious if I do not attend my own dinner."
"Of course, thank you Master Renado."
He turned to leave, walking back into the shadows and vanishing; Malon eased her bow and swallowed nervously.
"I'm never going to understand why people can't come and go normally. It's unsettling."
"You grow used to it when you grow up with the Sheikah guarding your every move," Zelda said, taking the reins of her horse. "Shall we continue?"
They reached the house without any further incident, Link lead Zelda's horse around the side of the house, to be fair it was more like a small manor, there was even a stable where Epona and Sheik's mare were waiting. After tying up the Princess' horse besides the other two, and stroking Epona's nose affectionately as she nudged him playfully, he went inside to find food waiting on a long table, and a warm fire sitting in the fireplace.
Sheik looked up from the food as Link entered, "welcome to my home."
Link took a whiff of the air, aside from the smoke, fire, and food, yes; he smelt both Sheik and Impa here. "You grew up here?"
Sheik shook his head, "I was born here. My mother took me to Castle Town once I was old enough to train."
The way he said it sounded strange, almost longing to Link, he frowned but didn't comment as he sat down, his lips parting hungrily as he helped himself to the meal. For the time being, the Gerudo, Renado, and this entire mess could wait. He was hungry.
*Yes, that is just a tip of the hat to Shakespeare's theatre, I needed a name and he happened to have a good one.
