Speculations

'The army of the shadow is growing. It will not be long now until they make their move.' Zelda fell silent and turned from the window to face the others. 'Before then, we have much to do.'

Her eyes met Link's who read her thoughts. Like finding the traitor…

They were all in the castle, the Queen and her council, which existed of her closest friends. Link looked up, looking around the party. Beside her stood Sheik, and next to him General Chase, who stood bent over the table in the middle, over which a map lay. Next to him stood Kratos, who regarded the general with an odd expression. Link had noticed that the two men didn't seem too fond of each other. Suddenly sensing Link's gaze on him, Kratos looked up at her, giving her a wink. Link's expression turned dark, and she looked at Zelda again. She still did not like that man.

As the rest of the party moved on to discuss the strategy of the war, Link's thoughts wandered in on the traitor. If there was one, it was someone close to them. Link looked around the party again. Though the traitor would be able to travel to the Sacred Realm, and as far as Link knew, only Sheik, Zelda and herself could do that.

Link's eyes shot to Kratos. What if he had found a way to… Link interrupted her own thoughts, shaking her head slightly. She did not like the man, but that was no reason to state him as the traitor. At least not until she knew more. So giving a sigh, she tuned in on the conversation again.

'The heart of Hyrule is in a valley, so we have the advantage,' Chase said, looking at the Queen. 'If we attack them from both sides of the valley, we have a mighty chance. I will take the infantry from the woods, Sheik and Kratos will handle the defenses in front of the city, and the cavalry…'

His voice trailed off, and it slowly dawned upon Link that he was looking at her. She slowly rose her eyes from the map, looking at the general incredulously.

'Me? You want me to lead the cavalry?'

Chase gave a nod. 'I am confident you will handle it. What else would the Heroine do in this war?'

Link fell silent. Her eyes shot to Sheik, who had a slight warm smile in his eyes, to Kratos, who was grinning at her.

The man's wink suddenly made her confident.

'I will do it,' she nodded, rising to her full height.

The group soon concluded their meeting, and both Chase and Kratos disappeared, leaving the Queen, Sheik and Link left.

'I don't understand,' Link said, turning to the window, sighing, revealing her thoughts. 'Who could be the one giving Ganondorf information? The three of us are the only ones who can travel to the Sacred Realm, as far as I know.' She turned again to look at the other two, finally confessing her thoughts, confusion in her eyes.

'As far as you know, yes,' Zelda said, giving a slight sigh. Link shot her eyes towards the Queen, who motioned for the two to follow her.

They walked through a corridor together under silence, as Link wanted Zelda to continue. Sheik walked behind them, silent, as he observed the two women. Link was slightly taller than Zelda, looking slightly more human than the pale and fragile Queen. Both of them had blue eyes, though in different shades. Link's were the darkest of blue, while Zelda's were of a paler sapphire color.

'Since the Sages' power are important in this war,' Zelda continued, 'it is important that we speak to them in the Sacred Realm.'

Link, who had been looking at a painting in the corridor, looked up. 'We?' she echoed.

'You two,' the Queen nodded to her friends, 'me… and Kratos and Chase.'

Link raised her eyebrows, but did not say anything. Sheik looked at her, reading her all too well. He cocked his head to the side, causing some of the front stripes of his hair to cover his eyes charmingly. 'You suspect one of them?'

Link's dark eyes shot to him. It was funny, as both Sheik and Link were getting used to each other's presence again. It as almost, as Link's eyes settled upon Sheik, like old times. Before all this, when they had only been friends. Or in the beginning of their love. A small smile tugged on Sheik's lips, but he suppressed it. Suddenly for the first time in the time of two years, Sheik felt suddenly lighter at heart.

'Maybe I do suspect one of them,' Link replied shortly, and said no more about it. If Sheik was right, Link was suspecting one of them. But she was not going to tell her reasons for it. Not now, at least.

'Who else has access to the Sacred Realm?' Link asked, turning again to Zelda. The Queen clasped her hands peacefully, looking at Link with what could be described as mild patience.

'Link, the Sacred Realm is no place you can walk into lightly. The door is always sealed, with the Sages the only ones having the power to open it.'

Link heaved a sigh. 'I know,' she said tiredly, sinking down to a bench, which happened to stand against a wall in the corridor. 'It just… doesn't make any sense.'

They all fell into a silence: Link, because she had fallen into deep thoughts; Zelda, because she was awaiting what Link would say next; and Sheik, who never said much anyway.

Then who could enter the Sacred Realm…alone? And more, gain access to Ganondorf? Link's experience of the Sacred Realm was small; she had only been there once, when she'd pulled out the Master Sword from its pedestal. How could she return? Was the Master Sword her key to the Sacred Realm? With a determined draw of breath, Link decided she would pay the Sacred Realm a visit, to speak to the Sages.

Suddenly she realized she'd been in thoughts for a long time, and she looked up at Zelda again. The Queen read her expression and gave a smile. 'I doubt we will win this war merely by discussing solutions. We'll leave the matter for the time being,' she concluded, looking at her two friends and smiling.

---

Zelon was a large horse, with strength hard to match. The stallion's temper was a fierce one as well, matching the dark color of his coat. It took one stubborn rider to tame him.

Luckily, Kratos was well capable of taking care of the horse. He could soften the horse enough to trot calmly under him, with his neck arched gracefully.

Although he managed to control his wild horse with ease, Kratos was not paying much concentration on his way to the Lon Lon Ranch. His thoughts were turned elsewhere. He knew Zelda had started to suspect that there was a traitor among them. He also knew that Link would soon be one the case of finding this traitor. And… she would suspect Kratos. Giving a sigh in a mix of gravity and humor, he urged his stallion into gallop up the hill.

Of course she was going to suspect him. She had no trust of him whatsoever. The morning the day before, when she had awoken after the failed assassination… He almost laughed as he thought of it.

But then he realized something more serious. She did not know of his past. If she learned of his people – traitors to Hyrule – they would arrest him then and there. Pulling on Zelon's reins, - a bit too violently, as the horse gave an irritated snort and kicked out with his hind legs – they came to a halt, just outside the ranch, looking at the setting sun.

Only Zelda and General Chase knew of his past. Others merely judged him as a common thief, due to his appearance, perhaps save for those who knew him. But he was not going to tell Link. Not before the war. Though… -he gave a smile- it was not as if she wanted to know. She really did not like him.

Lighting up in a mischievous grin, he spurred Zelon forward, who trotted quickly through the gates of the ranch.

---

Epone gave a snort, as a small bumblebee happened to get too close to his nostrils. The frightened little insect buzzed away, as fast as his small wings could carry him. Taking a bite out of the fresh green grass, the stallion then rose his head, as he sensed a presence. He spotted his friend Link, sitting in the grass near the gates of the small field, looking tired and staring absentmindedly at the ground. They were just behind the castle, where there was a small private field where travelers could leave their horses. Only two horses were in this field, a grey mare and Epone.

The light-built stallion pricked his ears forward eagerly, trotting forth to his 'partner in crime', stopping only inches before her. Still, she did not react. Little did the horse know of what troubled the Heroine. Weighing her head in her hand, her thoughts swirled. She felt stressed of the business with the traitor. The war was looming closer, and she had no idea of who it was. Is she did not find him in time, would the chances of Hyrule's survival decrease? And worse, would Ganondorf return? …Link could not deny another worry taking form in her heart. The worry of the return of the Evil King. She had not forgotten about that man, his red hair, the dark skin, the yellow eyes… Just thinking about it made her skin shiver. Her battle with Ganondorf had left her scarred. Not only did she carry the physical scars, - most of them on her back after her previous battle with Ganondorf, where he had ripped her severely on her back with his sword – but emotional as well. The image of him made her blood go cold. The fear of meeting him again worried her. Should he return, would she be able to stand up against him?

She was brutally brought back from her thoughts as Epone suddenly buffed on her shoulder, quite rudely. Link had not noticed that the stallion had trotted up to her, and now he was irritated over the fact that she had ignored him. Smiling softly, she went to scratch him by the white stripe on his forehead, just under his white mane, where he knew he loved to be scratched.

Suddenly the other horse in the paddock looked up, giving a high-pitched whinny. Both Link and her stallion looked up at the small dark grey horse, but the mare was not looking at them. Tossing her head, - causing her long curly dark mane to dance – she gave a prance, and then trotted forth to a man. A man with light blond hair.

'Is she yours?' Link asked Sheik quietly. The Sheikah had already sensed her, since he did not seem startled by her presence.

Link had, at least for this day, felt slightly lighter at heart. And now, she realized, it was because she and Sheik was becoming used to each other again. She was grateful for it: she did not know how she would have lasted in Hyrule is she could not handle to meet Sheik. Though she knew the Sheikah was far from forgiving her. And as time passed, Link' guilt grew stronger. She had to tell him. Why she left. But she was afraid of what he would say. Would he hate her?

'Yes, she is mine,' Sheik replied with a slight grin. 'Gimel gave her to me.'

Link suddenly rose from the ground, pacing over to the two, reaching out a hand to pet the grey horse. And oddly, the nervous horse seemed to calm in her presence.

'What happened to Tzadek?' Link asked with a wry grin.

'Well,' Sheik mused, 'I think Gimel felt it was enough by giving away one of his favorite horses,' and looked at Epone, who was suspiciously eyeing the bumblebee, who had dared to come back. 'He wanted to keep Tzadek. And who can blame him? Have you seen better friends?'

'No,' Link said, with a light laugh, her thoughts on Gimel. Never had she met a nicer man. Well, save for Sheik.

Sheik's eyes rested upon Link, as the laughter escaped her lips. Just what was it that stopped him from kissing her then and there? A lot of things, he knew. But did he really care? He loved her. Then he looked away. But he would never have peace of mind if he didn't know.

'How is your wound?' Sheik suddenly asked as he noticed Link wincing slightly as she shifted her weight. The girl's hand moved to her ribs, feeling gently at her torso, biting her lip as she did. It had only been a day since she had woken up in the castle, when Kratos had healed her.

'You should not have been out riding yesterday,' Sheik said, but then added with a mused tone, 'buy you already know that, don't you?'

'Yes,' Link shot back in a impatient, yet smug tone. 'But you know me,' she could not help to say, 'I can't sit still. I had to get out.'

On the words you know me Link suddenly cleared her throat, looking away. She shouldn't have said that. It was too fresh. But the Sheikah appeared not to have heard.

'And the assassin, have you heard more news?' he asked instead.

'Uh, no,' Link said, realizing she had not thought about it at all. 'I forgot about him. But who could it be?'

Sheik looked at her, the worry clearly visible in his eyes. '…I do not know,' he said, 'but I know he will return. You have to be careful. We cannot lose you.' I cannot lose you.

They both fell silent, looking at each other for a moment. No… oh nonono, Link thought, as she suddenly found herself drowning in his deep red pools for eyes. She could not let this happen. No. It hurt too much. She could not let herself fall for Sheik. Not again. Why did the Goddesses have to be against her in this battle?

'I have to go,' she quickly shot out, and then hurried out from the paddock, even forgetting to close the gate behind her.

All three of them looked at her, Epone giving a frustrated snort for being neglected.

'She is the strangest of girls, no?' Sheik asked the stallion, letting his fingers softly run down the white stripe in his face, where Link's fingers had been only minutes before…

---

Meanwhile, far away from Link and Sheik, outside the forest, a figure came galloping with great haste. He was hooded and cloaked; the same figure that had been speaking to Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. The one Link and Zelda referred to as the traitor. He rode a plain horse, one he had taken from the stables in the castle, a simple brown one that no one would notice was gone or recognize. As he reached the outskirts of the forest, he held in his horse to a trot, who snorted tiredly.

The man had reached the armies' camp. The army of Ganondorf. It was a huge valley, with tents as far as the eye could see. Most of the army consisted of the wicked men Ganondorf had brewed – Ugluks – but also of men who had rallied to him, form different parts of the lands. The leader of the army, an unusually large Ugluk, named Rásh spotted the hooded man from Hyrule and stood up. Rásh's skin was dark, but his face pasty, and he was stronger than most of the men in the rest of the army. His choice of weapon was a great axe, as Rásh was an Ugluk that would terrify even the fiercest of warriors.

He walked up to the man, who held in his horse only inches from the Ugluk.

'My master grows impatient,' the hooded man growled to him.

'We will be ready,' Rásh snapped back. He did not like taking orders, especially not from this simple man from the land he hated, Hyrule.

'You mind who you are speaking to,' the man barked, moving back his cloak to reveal a sharp sword. 'Now tell me why you are not ready now.'

Rásh growled, but settled to answer his question. 'Some of the catapults were late, since our smithy has not been working like it should. Otherwise we are ready, but we cannot bring down the wall of the great city if we have no weapons for that,' Rásh explained to the man, like he was small child who needed explaining in such fashion.

'I know,' the hooded man shot back impatiently. 'Fine then. Send word to me as soon as you are ready, and await my orders.'

Rásh settled for nodding to the man's order, and turned to leave.

'One more thing,' the hooded man said. Rásh heaved a sigh, turning yet again.

The man upon the horse rose an eyebrow to the Ugluk, though it was not visible because of the shadows his hood created. 'I understand you hired an assassin to get rid of the Heroine.'

Rásh looked at him with an odd expression. 'Yes, we did. But the assassin came to us, saying you asked for her death.'

The hooded man frowned. 'I did no such thing. Luckily the assassin failed, since my master demanded that he wants to kill the Heroine for himself.' The hooded man sighed to himself. Yet another trouble. He did not need a roguish assassin on his hands right now, trying to claim the fame of killing the Heroine. 'Rásh,' he said, and the Ugluk looked up. The man gave a nod. 'Get rid of the assassin.'

Then he turned his horse around, galloping into the forest again.

---

The Master Sword, the most famous blade throughout all lands, not only Hyrule, lay on the stones, next to Link, who was sitting beside it, looking at it. It's blade was clear and cold, like an icicle. The hilt, as Link ran her fingers over it, was the deepest of blue, like Link's eyes. At the top of the hilt, it was proud with a ruby, created by Din herself. It was the sword of the Goddesses, brought by them to the Hero, the tool which was to cast down evil.

Link looked up. She was in the one place she knew she could find peace. The Temple of Time. It was here she had found the Master Sword, resting in a pedestal, and hade done so since the last Hero of Time placed it there. It was a place of history, the place of her roots. The place she belonged to. Scrambling to her feet, Link looked up to the ceiling. She knew no one would find her, as the old temple rested deep under the castle. Only she, Zelda and Sheik knew the entrance, and this was about the last place they would look for her.

Though the temple was deep underground, a light somehow had found it's way, shining into the otherwise darkish chamber. The light hit the pedestal, which was upon the platform Link stood on. Link looked at the pedestal, wondering how to reach the Sacred Realm. She had been feeling for some time now that she should speak to the Sages about the traitor. In order to reach the Sacred Realm, you needed some kind of key. Of course, Zelda was a Sage herself, and could travel whenever she wanted to. Sheik traveled to the Sacred Realm whenever he was called by the Sages, and Link guessed Chase and Kratos only traveled to the Sacred Realm with Zelda. But how could Link reach the realm? She was not a Sage, and she had never been called by them either. Her eyes fell upon the Master Sword. Last time she had been up with the Sages, was when she had pulled that out of this pedestal. What if she pushed it in again?

Then the sword, as it lay upon the stones, suddenly gave a violent tremble, only for a second, and then lay still again. Link's eyes widened in surprise, and she took a step back. Never had she seen such behavior from that sword. Silence fell upon the chamber, when nothing could be heard, saved for Link's silent breathing. Hesitating for a moment, Link then took the few steps, slowly kneeling by her sword. She reached out with her fingers, to pick it up, but she stopped herself. Then she gave a grin. Silly her. She had only imagined it, she decided. Determined, she reached out to grasp her hand around the hilt.

Too late she realized her mistake.

As her fingers touched the blue metal, the Master Sword shot up, high into the air, bringing Link with her. It was a peculiar feeling, like being sucked up, higher and higher, into another realm. But the movement was an incredible strain, especially on Link's wound. She felt it tear open yet again, and she screamed in pain as her skin ripped apart. Finally she blacked out, as she felt herself slow down, and softly land on something hard and cold.

'Link?'

She faintly heard a voice, wondering where it came from.

'Wake up, Link.'

Finally she opened her eyes, and found herself looking at darkness, accompanied by the sound of dripping water. Then, with a groan, she rolled over, and realized that she was in the Sacred Realm. In the Chamber of Sages, no less. Sitting up with a sigh, she suddenly locked eyes with a pair of pale blue eyes.

'Link? Oh, thank Goddess you are alright.'

Link stared at the person in front of her, still dizzy and unable to place the person in front of her. Long, dark brown hair, pale skin… oh, and of course the huge white feathery wings.

'Gilraen?' Link exclaimed baffled. 'What are you doing here?'

Link had met this angel two years ago, on her quest to find the Master Sword. Actually, the angel had saved her, but that was another story.

The angel gave a humble smile. 'Well, ah, I'm a sage now, aren't I?'

Link's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. 'A sage? Since when?'

'I do not count years,' Gilraen said, helping Link to her feet, upon the bluish platform they were standing on, surrounded by darkness, and dripping water. The Sacred Realm.

'But,' Gilraen said, 'not for that long. When Ganondorf ruled last time…' his expression turned sad, '…he killed a lot of people. Even Sages. And I,' he said, sweeping out with his hand to the platform, 'am the new Sage of Light.'

'…oh,' was all Link could say. Then the angel focused his eyes upon Link again.

'And I am so sorry. We heard your call, and infused the Master Sword with the power to bring you here, but I did not know of that wound of yours…'

Link waved airily with her hand. 'No worries,' she said, 'I've been through worse.'

'So you have,' the Sage said with a crooked smile. 'I healed it best I could, however.'

He was right. The wound did not hurt as much now, Link realized as she shifted her weight.

'So to what do we owe the pleasure of your company, Heroine?' Gilraen asked, drawing a breath. 'Well,' Link started, looking around the chamber, 'I have come for some information.'

'I see,' Gilraen nodded, as Link had told him all about her suspicions with the traitor. 'Well,' he then said, 'I am sorry to say then that I'm afraid I know nothing more than you do, Link.'

'But how can they travel to the Sacred Realm in the first place?' Link asked. 'I know Zelda is a Sage, but…' her voice trailed off.

Gilraen looked down at her. 'Do you know how you just reached this Realm?'

Link shook her head. 'No.'

'You called us.'

Link looked at him, baffled. 'No, I didn't. I just wanted to come here, that's all- Ooh,' she said as it dawned upon her.

Gilraen nodded. 'Exactly. Those with the authority to travel here, may do so merely by having the desire to do so, and we will call them,' Gilraen concluded for her.

Link nodded thoughtfully. At least now she knew how the traitor came here. Once granted with the power to travel here, there was nothing stopping him. Then she looked up.

'But how can one reach Ganondorf?'

Gilraen paced a few steps towards Link, a grave expression upon his face. 'The Sacred Realm is not a place of matter. It is a place of thought and will.'

'So…' Link started, waiting for the angel to conclude.

'So once you are here,' Gilraen said, 'you simply decide where you want to go.'

'Like traveling to the Sacred Realm in the first place?' Link asked. 'You just want to?'

Gilraen nodded. Okay, Link thought, let's give it a shot. I want to-

She barely had time to finish her thought, as she suddenly appeared upon another platform. It was a dark grey platform, made out of stone, unlike the Chamber of the Sages. The platform led to a stair, which led to a huge set of stone doors.

'Wow,' Link breathed, as she dared to exhale, and walked further on the platform. 'So this is…'

'The Seal of the Six Sages, yes,' Gilraen finished for her. She spun around. The Sage had followed her, now pacing forth to the door, looking at it with a grave expression. Link, suddenly shivering in her thin red shirt, paced up to him.

'Beyond this door,' Gilraen said in a grim voice, 'is Ganondorf.' A shudder passed through Link's body, as she looked up the door. 'No one can open this door, saved for us Sages. But as long as we live, it will be sealed. For ever,' Gilraen said, his voice then turning to silence.

Link heaved a sigh. This was it. Dead end. The traitor could not open the door even if he tried. It would only work is he forced a Sage to do it, but he could never pull that off.

'I don't think,' Gilraen said, reading Link's thoughts, 'there is anything we can do at the moment. Perhaps now, the only thing we can do, it wait for the traitor to make a mistake.'

Link slowly nodded, eyes still fixed upon the doors. And suddenly, -perhaps it was only her imagination – she thought herself hear a breath escape the chamber before her.

Somehow, it called to her.

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