Okay guys, sorry for the massive delay in getting this up. Major writers block and a very busy schedule have been keeping me away so I sincerely apologize for that. Anyway, this chapter is going to be the bloodiest yet, and unfortunately involves graphic images of death, including children, so if you are squeemish about those things I would strongly suggest that you proceed with caution. other than that, enjoy.
The thunder of hoof beats sounded over the small ridge as three horsemen raced their mounts across the plain. Atop one of the horses, auburn hair flew free of its restraints as the rider urged her mount to greater speed, trying to keep up with the others. The two in front, their horses nearly neck and neck, were not pushing their steeds hard, and seemed far more relaxed. The younger one, grim and scar faced, allowed his shoulder length hair to float in the breeze, his hood pushed back from his face. The older one, his hair cropped close to his skull, and his mustache loosely trimmed, glanced back.
"Link, I think she's falling behind." he said. Link turned in the saddle, looking back over his shoulder to see how far back the girl had fallen. Once he had looked, he wheeled Epona around, and quickly pulled her to a stop. Rusl pulled his own horse to a stop, and watched as Malon slowed her horse down when she got close enough. Glancing at Link, he noticed how the younger man watched her as she approached. Underneath the annoyance, something else was there. Attraction maybe? He quickly dismissed it. The time for thinking about those things was still far off.
"How much further is it?" He asked as Malon pulled her mount to a stop. Her answer came in rough gasps.
"I don't know... I've only... been out here... in a carriage... with the curtains drawn." Rusl looked at Link, watching as the young man turned Epona and moved her into a smooth, easy trot.
"We'll slow down." he said as Malon's Gerudo mare pulled up next to them. Rusl frowned as he saw the amount of sweat that soaked the horses sides.
"You're going to kill that horse running it the way you are." Malon glared at him.
"Well if you two weren't going so fast maybe I could keep up with out killing my horse!" she spat. Rusl frowned and opened his mouth to make a sharp retort. But a calm, rough voice cut him off.
"Stop fighting her. Let her have her head. She'll keep pace." Rusl stared at Link. It was the first time he'd heard the boy speak more than three words at once to anybody since his mother had been killed. Link glared at him for a moment before Rusl took the hint and closed his mouth, looking away. Link turned and kicked Epona into a quick trot. Rusl was quick to follow, and after a moment, Malon kicked her horse into motion as well.
/
Nearly two days of constant fighting were taking their toll on the Sheikah strikers. They had not lost anyone yet, but several men had minor injuries. Braden walked among the resting warriors as they moved among the dead and dying Bulbins, Stalfos, and evil men. Somehow, someone had managed to produce an apple, and had given it to Braden, who now munched it contentedly.
"Deiros! What do you see?" he called to a man who stood on a tall stone nearby.
"Ganondorf himself seems furious that he has not yet broken us. I just saw one of his generals fly out of his tent without a head." Braden grinned savagely as he looked out across the valley where Ganondorf's horde sat encamped.
"So he is slaughtering his own generals in his rage. Good. His best generals will be the first to fall, and less competent men will be forced to lead his army." another man looked out across the plain.
"I wish more of our people could have gotten through here before Ganondorf's army got in the way. I've seen a few refugee columns on the far side of their encampment captured and slaughtered." Braden's gaze fell to the ground, currently covered in bodies.
"Yeah." there was nothing more he could say. To sortie out to try to rescue them would be suicide, and would accomplish nothing but giving Ganondorf easy access to the Valley of Arn. They had no choice but to stay in the mouth of the valley. And watch as entire columns of refugee's were captured and killed simply because they were Hylian. Looking down at the apple in his hand, Braden let a sigh escape him before he lifted the fruit and took another bite of it.
'No sense in letting it go to waste.' he thought.
/
Zelda couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so tired. She didn't understand how the Ordonians could stay in the saddle day in and day out, riding all the while. When they halted, which was rare, they would dismount, walk their horses on a loose girth for a while, let the animals drink once they had cooled, then they would be back in the saddle and riding again. When she had spoken of it, Sheik had laughed and said that it was normal to feel so tired when one wasn't used to such a rigorous travel pace. It was then that Zelda realized something. Shiek seemed far more comfortable in her presence talking about Hylian politics than he should have been. She resolved to corner him later and talk to him about it. But at the moment her primary concern was the Gerudo mount beneath her. The animals sides were soaked with sweat, and its breathing was rapidly becoming labored. And as it ran, the animal stepped into a gopher hole.
Zelda was thrown violently to the ground, and rolled several feet before she came to a stop. Glancing up, she saw the little Gerudo mare lying on her side, her leg bent at a funny angle. The blonde princess stared at the horse in horror as Sheik dismounted from his own horse to kneel next to the mare. Looking up to another rider nearby he shook his head. Zelda watched as the rider made his way back to the rear of the column, while Sheik pulled out a knife. As she realized what he was about to do, she found it in herself to get to her feet and stagger over.
"Your not going to..? the question went unfinished as Sheik's eyes met hers.
"We don't have a choice. Her leg's broken and we're on the move to save your people. This has to be done. I'm sorry." he said, tears already shining in his eyes. Glancing around, Zelda noticed that most of the column had formed a circle around the fallen Gerudo mare. Every face was grave, and their hands gripped their spears tightly, all of them ready to spring into action should Sheik falter.
He didn't. A single swipe of the knife, a spurt of blood, and the mare was dead. Zelda had turned her eyes away at the last moment, and so had spared herself the sight. She refused to look at the corpse even as Sheik helped her onto the back of his own horse. It was only as the column wheeled away from the body that she risked a glimpse back, when she would no longer be able to see the blood. Not a word would be spoken throughout the column the rest of the day.
/
Brandon rested his horse for a moment on a small hill just out of bowshot of the walls of Arn's Deep. The great fortress of Hyrule seemed almost golden in the evening sun, and as the column filed past the three brothers on the hill and into the fortress, the size of the stronghold came into full perspective. Walls fifteen feet thick jutted out from the cliff faces on either side. Forming a near impassable barrier to the inner keep. A great causeway led up to the gate nearly thirty feet above the ground, a path which was intersected by three drawbridges, two of which served as pitfalls to the sharp rocks below, and the third, right in front of the gate, which served as an additional door. The keep itself was even more impressive. Its wall towered fifty feet over the already sixty foot high walls of the outer curtain, and boasted a thirty foot thickness. These facts offered little comfort to any of the royal siblings as they thought about what was to come. A short glance at his brothers gained Brandon a nod and a thumbs up, and the three men spurred their horses towards the citadel.
/
When she had dozed off in the saddle, Malon had no idea, but she was brought back to the waking world by the acrid smell of smoke. Glancing around, she noticed that both Link and Rusl had dismounted and were slowly approaching what appeared to be the burned out remains of a wagon. Sliding down from the saddle, Malon slowly followed them towards the charred vehicle, apprehension slowing her steps even more. As Link reached the wagon and began to circle it, he suddenly stopped. The way his face twisted in revulsion brought Malon to find out what he had seen. As she reached him what came into view caused her to grip Links arms and pull in close. Link made no effort to dislodge, and only placed a comforting hand on her arm.
There in the dust, lay what remained of a small family. The father, sprawled in front of his family, lay in a pool of his own guts, his belly sliced open by a cruel blade. The mother lay off to the side, her formerly pregnant belly torn open, and the occupant, missing. A small girl lay spreadeagled near the wagon, arrows making her body look like a pincushion. Near to the father, a teenage boy, no older than Link, lay with his head cut off, blood pooling around his severed neck. His head rested on a spike shoved into the ground, the expression on his face one of pain and horror as he stared at some unseen thing. Link followed the heads gaze and let out an involuntary gasp, which caused Malon to look up at him. Links eyes gazed almost directly behind her, and when she turned, the most horrible sight of them all greeted her eyes.
The unborn child, very nearly mature, rested nearly four feet in the air, a tall spike shoved between its legs to exit the head.
Okay, writing that last scene was hard. and not just hard on my creativity, but emotionaly. I am of the opinion that babies are the greatest miracles this world can see on a regular basis, and trying to write this truly left me numb. Unfortunately things must get worse before they get better. And even more horrors will follow. but there is a silver lining. something which is mentioned in that last paragraph. As a bit of a quiz, can anyone tell me what seems to be changing for a certain young man?