"You awake?" came Zelda's voice in a soft whisper.

Link opened his eyes. "Yeah. Are we there yet?"

The steady rocking and bumping of the wagon, along with that morning's dosage of beer, had given Link a throbbing headache. He rubbed his temples and tried to sit up, but that made him feel sick.

Zelda peeked out of a knothole in the wall. "We've been riding all day," she replied, keeping her voice low as to not cause Link any discomfort. "Maybe we shouldn't have continued with them. I'm glad for the ride, but it'll be a little inconvenient to get back on the Main Road from the marshes."

"Why can't we just go through the Zora Domain?" Link asked with his eyes closed.

"Because there's no way to the Gorons through the Zora Domain," Zelda said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, there is. There's a mountain pass. I don't know where it is or what it's called, but my friend Jørn says there's a passage between the Lanayru and Eldin regions through the mountains."

Zelda gave a surprised scoff. "Probably one more thing I'm not supposed to know about," she said.

"It would be safer," added Link, but really he just liked the idea of visiting the Zora Domain. He recalled Athol's wish to see a real Zora, to experience their magic. He wanted to be able to tell her a firsthand story when he returned home. Maybe that would make things up to her.

"You're right," Zelda agreed. "Assuming the Zora Queen is willing to show us where it is. Even if Goddess Nayru has informed her of what's happening and she decides to help us, I doubt she would go so far as to put her subjects in danger by revealing such a secret to a member of the royal family."

"I guess I didn't realize the Zora Queen was still in power," Link mumbled.

"Oh, yes," said Zelda. "It's surprising, but Queen Damay has managed to hold out. It's one of the things that's always driven my father crazy, the fact that the Zora Domain is so out of reach. He doesn't think Queen Damay should be allowed to rule any longer. He wants to take control of the Zoras and their magic. But he has yet to find a way. It was very smart of the runners to settle so close to the Lanayru Region. They are full of surprises."

Link opened his eyes for a moment to glance at Zelda. "Do you really plan to fix all of this once it's your turn to rule?"

Zelda stared down at the floor. She hesitated before answering. "Yes. I'll do everything I can to make it right."

They knew they had arrived when they heard Ezra's joyful shouting. The air smelled musty, like soil and trees. Along the uneven ground, the wheels of the wagon rolled, and Link couldn't wait to escape from their confinement.

At last, the wagons came to a halt. Link and Zelda waited anxiously for the doors to be opened. They could hear voices coming from outside. One voice was Ezra's and the other was unrecognizable. Again, Zelda looked through the knothole to get a better look.

"What do you see?" Link asked.

Zelda's eyes took in a part of the kingdom she had never seen before.

"There are mountains," she said. "And at the bottom there's a swampy forest. We aren't on the Main Road anymore. We're in a marsh."

"Who's Ezra talking to?"

"I can't see," replied Zelda. "But he's telling him how many of us there are. Two Alfs, three Tinnish, three Veran. . ." She didn't finish.

"And?"

"Two Sarians."

They heard the carriage doors sliding open, and Malik motioned for them to step out.

"Bring your things," he instructed. "And watch your step. It's swampy."

It was almost evening. The sky was wide and blue, broken up only by the Ruletan Mountains. There was a chill in the air, and the lush trees whispered in the breeze. It made Link miss home.

He stepped out of the wagon, directly into a puddle of murky water. He heard Zelda laugh, but he was so happy to be done with the journey that he couldn't feel bad.

Link looked around. All of the runners were gathering, clutching their belongings, suddenly feeling a mixture of excitement and fear. Edvard still looked considerably sour, so Link avoided eye contact, knowing he would have to return the jacket soon.

Ezra approached them, and was joined by a figure that make Link's stomach drop. A live Zora, with shimmering, iridescent skin slick with water. It had fins all over, on its legs, its arms, its torso, and atop its head, some of which glittered with silver piercings. Other than its fish-like attributes, the Zora still somewhat resembled a human. It stood bipedal, though its feet were flippers, and it was able to smile back at them with a kind, pale face. The creature was slender, gracile, and the gills on its chest opened and closed rhythmically.

"Welcome," it greeted them. Everyone was too awestruck to reply. It was like witnessing real magic, a real being that was part man, part fish.

Ezra finally spoke up. "This is where I leave you," he said. "Rafi will show you to your new home. I wish all of you good luck and a very happy life."

"Thank you," said Rose, who was so nervous and happy that she had begun to cry.

"No need for tears," Ezra coaxed her. "It was a pleasure making the journey with you. And I'll be back soon any day with more."

The rest of the runners expressed their gratitude as Ezra hopped back onto his horse and began the long journey back to the provinces, shouting gleefully and whistling with Malik by his side.

Rafi smiled at them. It made Link's heart flutter.

"The Ren Marshes are divided by province. The Tinnish occupy the Highlands," he said, pointing to the mountains. "The Lowlands are occupied by the Verans." He pointed down into the forested area. "And the further you go in, the swampier it gets. The Wetlands are occupied by the Alfs. In the Mainland you'll find Ilians and Sarians. There are huts for families and tents for those travelling alone. All you need to do is pick a vacant spot. Each day at mealtimes, a canoe will be sent to the Mainland with food, but feel free to fish and gather on your own."

"What about monsters?" Adele asked, in spite of the children present.

"You needn't worry about monsters," replied Rafi. "There is a protective barrier surrounding the marshes that keeps all nonhuman enemies away." He smiled at Lily, who, at the mention of monsters, had begun to look worried.

"Is everyone ready?"

The answer was a unanimous yes. The runners followed Rafi through the marshy grass to the Mainland, carefully watching their steps.

The Mainland was sparsely populated, and the Ilians far outnumbered the Sarians. Most of them had set up tents in dry areas and plotted out small pieces of property. It reminded Link of a tiny city, only the buildings were made of fabric, and the treetops prevented most of the light from getting through to the ground.

"This is your stop, correct?" Rafi asked Link and Zelda. "There are new tents inside that hut over there. Make yourself at home."

"Thank you," said Zelda. She refused to make eye contact with any of the other runners, still embarrassed at the revelation of her identity. Most of the runners were uncomfortable as well, except for Lily, who was still curious about sharing a home with a princess.

"Can I come visit you?" she asked.

Guiltily, Zelda shook her head. "We'll be gone soon," she replied.

Lily looked disappointed. Maeve took her hand to comfort her.

Link pulled Edvard's jacket out of the supply bag and held it out to him. "Here," he said. "This belongs to you."

"Keep it," Edvard said coolly. "Reminds me too much of home."

Link nodded his head in thanks.

"Good luck," said Edvard. "You too, Princess."

"I will show the Tinnish up to the Highlands," offered Rafi. "Alfs will find lodgings deeper in the marshes, and Verans will find theirs downhill in the forests."

Maeve, Lily and their grandfather followed Rafi up to their new mountain home.

"Guess this is goodbye for now," Edvard said, mostly to the Verans.

"I'm sure I will see you around," Adele replied flirtatiously.

"Of course." He took her hand and kissed it lightly, then did the same for Rose. "It's been a pleasure."

"A pleasure," agreed August.

The two friends made their way deeper into the forest where the puddles eventually turned into canals. They disappeared into the darkness of the trees.

"Adele," said Zelda. "I'm sorry we scared you."

"It's all right," Adele assured them. "I do trust you. But after all that's happened, I couldn't help but assume there was more bad fortune coming my way."

Rose put an arm around Adele. "Come on," she said. "Let's go pick a spot in the Lowlands."

"Thank you again for your music," Adele said as Rose led her and Jerome away.

Link smiled. "No problem."

The Mainland was quiet. The Ilians seemed to be keeping mostly to themselves. Link studied them. He saw children who didn't seem to be accompanied by adults, and adults who didn't seem to have anyone. They looked as though they had once been very sad, but now it had become so commonplace that they didn't know how to feel anymore.

"Let's get a tent," Zelda said, getting his attention.

They entered the crude wooden hut that Rafi had pointed out to them. Inside, they found shelves of folded tents and crates of stakes, and hooks with lanterns. Zelda grabbed a tent and a lantern, and Link selected a handful of stakes for assembly.

Luckily, the Mainland wasn't crowded, and there were plenty of clear spaces. They picked a dry spot at the edge of a pool that was growing algae and moss. Zelda spread out the sheet of canvas, fumbling with the corners, while Link pounded the stakes into the ground. Neither of them were satisfied with the final product.

"I can help with that," an Ilian girl offered. She had come from the other side of the pool where her own tent was expertly set up.

"Thanks," Zelda said sheepishly.

The girl, who couldn't have been much older than them, wasted no time in assembling the canvas tent, which stood impressively when she was finished.

"Welcome to the marshes. We don't get many Sarians around here," she said.

"Are you here by yourself?" Zelda asked.

The girl shook her head. "My younger sister and I are here together. She's inside our tent." She pointed across the pond. "My name is Mansi. We came to the marshes from Ili about eight months ago."

Link guessed that the parents were dead.

"Thank you for your help," he said. "I'm Link. This is Impa."

"Nice to meet you," said Mansi with a smile. "I'll let you get settled in, but you should join us for dinner later when it comes in."

"Definitely," replied Zelda.

Inside the tent, Zelda unpacked the supply bag and hung the lantern. They were out of beer and would have to purify water, but their food supply was still good. The bread, oranges and corn were left. The only thing that Zelda left in the bag were their knives and rupees, which needed to be protected should there be thieves in the marshes.

"She was so nice," Zelda remarked. "Not sad at all."

"She's been forced to move on," said Link. "Doesn't mean she isn't sad."

Zelda sighed, and ran her fingers through her long, wavy hair. She looked troubled. "This journey is just making me hate myself more and more."

Link relaxed on the floor, which wasn't soft, but more comfortable than the wagons. "None of it is your fault," he reminded her. "Don't hate yourself. This whole time you've been going on and on about saving the kingdom. You're on their side."

Zelda gave him a grateful smile. She reclined next to him. "You think so?"

Link shrugged. "I mean, what can you do about it until you're in power, anyway?"

This comment made Zelda look considerably forlorn, but Link didn't know why. She rolled over onto her side, facing away from Link, so he could see the back of her neck and shoulders. He wouldn't admit to himself that he was beautiful. There was nothing beautiful about the situation. But still, something tugged at him when he looked at her, something that just wasn't there at the beginning. Something that made him wish she didn't want Daegal dead so badly.

"Tired?" Link asked.

"Not sleepy," Zelda replied.

"I know what you mean."

00000

The canoe came and fires were made, and Link and Zelda joined Mansi on her side of the pond. It was dark out. The Mainland was lit only by fireglow.

"Good evening," Mansi greeted them as she pulled her share of fish out of the canoe. "Fish again. You'll get used to it."

"We brought a loaf of bread," said Zelda, producing it.

"And corn," added Link.

Mansi's face lit up. "That's perfect," she exclaimed.

A few more runners, including Mansi's little sister, had gathered around a small fire with their fish and the food they had brought to share. Mansi sent the canoe along the canal, which took it in the direction of the Lowlands.

"Let's eat, everyone," she said to the group.

The fish was amazing, better than anything Link had ever caught in Hillwind. It tasted fresh, sweet, and tender. He wondered if that was part of the Zora magic, or if the Zora Lake was just a great fishing spot. He devoured it quickly, as did Zelda. Once the food was gone, there were stories to be told, and Link pulled out his whistle and played music for everyone, much to their delight. It had been a long time since most of them had heard music.

Throughout the night, Zelda grew more guilty. She found herself wanting to learn more about Mansi, her family, and her life before she came to the marshes.

Mansi was sixteen but she looked like an adult. It was a combination of her striking beauty; wild black hair and eyes to match, dark brown skin with a radiant smile, and her ability to maintain the radiant look despite what she had been through. Her sister, Anya, was just as dark in looks, and darker in spirit. She appeared shy and cautious, but her stories were lovable, as if they were her only escape from the real, harsh world. In Anya's young face, no more than thirteen years old, Zelda could see the struggle clearly portrayed. The struggle that Mansi tried so hard to hide. When Zelda looked into Mansi's ink-black eyes, she saw light and good cheer, not one hint of the life of a fugitive. Those eyes did not tell the story of a girl forced from her home and family. No trace of loneliness or homesickness, except when she heard Anya telling stories of home. Zelda listened intently to those stories, because she herself could not recall any happy memories of her childhood, and listening to someone else's memories was better than nothing.

The sisters were as far away from home as they could possibly get. Their parents were still in Ili, a province that produced the kingdom's honey, spices, teas, and paints. They told a familiar story. It was a story that made Zelda's stomach churn with guilt. Villages everywhere in the provinces were being sacked by Bulblins, and it was just a matter of time before the sisters' farm was destroyed. Their parents didn't want to be stuck in the marshes forever, so they sent the girls there while they cleaned up and tried to start anew, promising to send for the girls when they were ready. In the past eight months, the farm had been attacked three more times.

"They didn't want us to leave home," said Mansi, in a sad voice that didn't match her face. "And neither did we. I always thought, if anything ever happened to us, we'd stay together. I never thought we'd have to separate. But now, I just have to take care of Anya. Make sure nothing happens to Anya. And someday, if the Hylians have a change of heart, we might see each other again."

Zelda felt her face burn, so she redirected her gaze to Anya, whose eyes were fixed on a frog until it slid under the scummy water. She watched the young girl; thin and small for her age, with troubled eyes and a mouth that looked like it wanted to be smiling but couldn't remember how, or hadn't found the right reason to.

Zelda heard Mansi's voice again. It was a voice one might mistake for a proud mother's.

"She's adjusting to her life here. But I can see that she wants nothing more than to see them again. She loved them so much. She seems happy enough here but sometimes I feel like the whole thing is all my fault."

"It's not your fault," Zelda assured her. She was embarrassed. She knew of the provinces' enormous struggles, she had learned of them since she was a child. She knew they had a right to be angry, but never once did she think they were blaming themselves. Never had she sat down and had a proper conversation with one, hearing them repeat the same sad story she knew all too well, then pull it back and figure it was really their fault, anyway. The sad story, this time, was coming from someone, a child, who had actually experienced it. Suddenly, Zelda was the one who felt like a child.

It wasn't Mansi's fault, of course. Nor Anya's. Nor even Zelda's, she knew in her heart. Before she had run away, there was nothing she could've done for the kingdom of Hyrule. But she did know one thing: She knew whose fault it was.

Eventually, she had to step back and find Link. It was becoming too much for her.

Link was still experimenting with songs on his whistle, taking requests from the Ilians, making them smile. She sat down next to him.

"Ready to turn in, soon?" she asked.

Link tucked his whistle away. "Sure, I guess. You tired?"

"It's been a long day."

"Anya," Mansi called. "Are you ready to go to bed?"

Anya stood up. She had been investigating the pool in the firelight, playing with frogs and water insects. The hem of her skirt was soaking wet.

"We'll have to hang that out to dry," said Mansi. "Come on, you can see your frogs in the morning."

The two girls went inside their tent for the night. Someone extinguished the fire, and everyone returned home. Link and Zelda walked to their side of the pond where their tent stood.

"We need a way to talk to the Zoras," Zelda said once they were inside and the opening was closed. She lit the lantern with one of Link's matches, and the inside of the tent glowed warmly. "Everyone will think it's strange when we just disappear."

"How are we supposed to get to the Zoras?" Link asked, already sprawled out on the floor, using Edvard's jacket as a pillow.

"I don't know, but we have to see Queen Damay," Zelda replied. "She knows where the mountain pass is. We just have to find a way to get to her."

"What if she doesn't show us where it is?"

"Then we get to go the long way."

Link looked over at her with concern. "Are you all right? I thought you were tired."

Zelda lay down next to him. "It's nothing," she muttered. "Just a long day, is all."

"All right," answered Link. "I'm going to sleep."

"Good night," Zelda said to him. She blew out the lantern.

00000

Even in the morning, the Mainland was not very well-lit. The canopies of the trees that towered overhead blocked out the sun, though birds were singing, brooks trickled, and everyone was out and about.

Link wore Edvard's jacket that morning, since the chill was back. Zelda had tied on her bandana for the first time since leaving the provinces. They emerged from their tent, eager to see what had come down by canoe.

Mansi was fishing out fruits that Link had never seen before.

"Good morning," she called to them. Her wild hair was piled on top of her head, making her look older than she already did. Anya was wearing a pair of pants. Her skirt had been hung from a tree branch so that it could dry out.

"Where do these canoes come from?" Zelda asked immediately.

"They are sent down the Zora River," Mansi replied.

"And how do they get back up there?"

Mansi chuckled. "Why?"

"Just wondering," said Zelda.

"To be honest, I'm not sure," answered Mansi. "You'd have to ride one and find out."

It was a joke, but Zelda considered it.

"Good idea," she said. "Link, get our stuff."

"What?" Link asked, confused.

"Go get our things. I want to find out where this canoe goes."

It sounded like a horrible idea to Link. But he went inside, gathered up all their supplies and packed them, then returned to Zelda, who was climbing into the canoe.

"Get in," she instructed.

"I'm not sure this—"

"Get in." It was an order.

Link steadied himself and tried to get into the canoe without it wobbling too much. He tucked the supply bag inside.

"Anything else you need in here?" Zelda asked Mansi.

Mansi shook her head, still too confused to speak.

"Maybe we'll see you later, then. It was nice to meet you."

Zelda pushed off, and the canoe was moving swiftly down the canal. It glided through the water, past everyone's tents and huts. Eventually, the canal they were following emptied out into a wider river. Zoras were swimming by, shimmering under the water like glittering treasure. The canoe continued on. Soon, they were no longer in the swamp. They found themselves in a forest linked together with a network of waterways. All the rivers flowed into a circular basin, and in the middle of the basin, rising out of the water, stood a marvelous castle made of glass, shining in the early morning light. Waterfalls cascaded down from the towers of the castle. The trees grew unbelievably tall, and their top branches twisted and curled like ribbons. Tiny insects floated about in the air, glowing like stars. The Zora Domain was more beautiful than Link could ever imagine.

The canoe brought them to the front steps of the castle. Carefully, Link and Zelda got out, and set foot on the glass staircase.