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Chapter 10: Of Swords and Spells
"You possess magic!" Link hissed. Zelda did not have enough time to react before he rudely shoved her against the wall, his right hand gripping her throat and his left hand forcefully holding her shoulder. The shock of the impact brought tears to her eyes as she met his angry gaze with her frightened one.
"I…" Zelda trailed off, her voice catching painfully in her throat. Though they both stood within the boundary of the library, she noticed wolfish features take over the young man's face.
"Are you under Ganondorf's command to spy on me?" Link demanded. "Or are you trying to hurt me of your own free will? Tell me, or I will rip you to shreds!"
"I mean you no harm," Zelda whimpered, tears running down her cheeks. Her emotions were a mixture of shock and fear. "Please," she continued, pleading. "Let me go!" Link's cobalt eyes did not move from her face, but his grip faltered slightly.
"Who are you? You are not Midna. You are no ordinary lady that would reside in Hyrule's villages." Zelda shook with silent sobs. She did not dare to raise her hands to wipe her tears away.
"I'm sorry. I did not want to lie. However, you would not allow me in if I told you the truth."
"That you are a witch?" Link snapped.
"That I am a slave!" Zelda replied vehemently, anger replacing some of her fear. "Tell me now, would you dance with a slave?"
"I would not dance with a witch! And you are clearly no better, as you insist on lying to me!"
"I am not lying!"
"Then how do you possess these powers?" Link finally released his grip on Zelda, stepping back and running a hand through his blonde hair. He looked more frustrated than angry. Zelda wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her cheeks dry with her left hand before gripping her shoulder.
"I do not know! You are right, my name isn't Midna. It is Harzel. I've been a slave to a woman and her two adopted daughters for my entire life. My mother was a slave before me, and I do not know who my father is!" She flinched as the young man directed his gaze at her once more.
Link gave Zelda a blank look that chilled her. "Are you frightened of me?"
"I am now." Link looked away.
"Everyone always is." He walked back into the library, leaving Zelda with her back pressed against the wall and her eyes still glossy. She sniffed lightly before following him.
"What do you mean?" Link shook his head without answering her question. He stood in the center of the room with his arms crossed, unwilling to meet her gaze. He had returned to a normal human appearance, but he no longer appeared as friendly as before.
"Do you have a way to return home?" Link asked. Zelda shuddered at his cold tone. "I suppose with your magic revealed, you won't have any problem."
"I am unsure of whether it will work," Zelda replied. "I have used my powers several times, but I am usually unaware of how my mark handles the magic."
"Your mark?" Link asked.
"Yes. It appeared a little less than a year ago." Zelda held up her right hand and turned it so that the back faced Link. Slowly, golden lines appeared on her fair skin until the image of the three triangles grew clear.
Zelda expected Link to be disgusted at the magic or rude to her in response. However, his eyes widened and he simple stood silently. Zelda waited a moment uncomfortably.
"What is it that leaves you speechless?" she asked.
"The mark of the Triforce," he breathed. His gaze returned to her face so intently that she looked away and blushed.
"I do not understand…"
"You are Zelda." She raised her eyebrow.
"Zelda? I have never heard of the name." Link's eyes narrowed in confusion before he understood.
"You have been brought up in servitude, haven't you? You are not educated in Hyrule's past." Zelda shook her head.
"Why does it matter?" she asked. Link smiled lightly for the first time since they finished the dance.
"I should apologize. I would not have been so rude to you if I had known."
"Known what?" Link shook his head, offering his hand out to Zelda.
"It is best that you know little of it for your own safety. In the meantime, Zelda, you mentioned that you do not know much of how your Triforce mark functions. I have spent many years in this library reading about the forgotten power. I can teach you to wield it more effectively." Zelda stared at his hand and frowned.
"Why have you suddenly become friendly towards me only moments after accusing me of witchcraft?"
"Your magic is no longer a concern to me, unless you do not know how to use it. Will you accept my offer?" Zelda looked at Link's hand hesitantly. The young man had cruelly blamed her of wanting to hurt him, and his expression had been anything but kind. However, even though that side of his personality had shocked her, she still remembered the kindness with which he had accepted her initially. Furthermore, he seemed to be knowledgeable about her magic and could help her.
"I accept," she said warily. Link nodded. He let go of her hand and motioned toward his private study.
"Then we shall begin immediately with a word of caution. If the others in this castle learn of your presence, you will be in grave danger. You must use your magic within these walls only with my consent and within the confines of my personal study. To further protect you, I will offer you lessons on the way of the sword, as it will be your only weapon in times that your magic fails you. I doubt you have learned such defenses." Zelda nodded and suddenly recalled something.
"Will I be able to return to my home in between my lessons? If a slave runs away, the punishment usually falls on those suspected of assisting her. Other slaves might be 'disciplined' and I do not want them hurt on my account." Link thought for a moment.
"I request that you allow me this day to teach you the basic ideas so that you may defend yourself should the need arise. Then, you may come and go as you please." Zelda accepted his suggestion with a polite nod. After motioning for the princess to follow him, Link turned and went into his study with her close behind.
Inside the room, he instructed Zelda to wait by the desk as he walked to the cabinets at the back of the room. Out of a small drawer he pulled out sword and sheath combo that was twice as long as his forearm. He effortlessly pulled the blade out and admired the steel. Tossing it between his hands, he brought it back to Zelda and held it out to her horizontally between his palms. Zelda hesitated for a moment before reaching for the sword with her right hand, grasping it firmly and lifting it out of Link's hold.
"It is quite light," she remarked with a surprised tone as she turned the sword in her hand. The late afternoon sun danced on the silver blade, contrasting with the antique-designed hilt and cross-guard. Link nodded.
"Yes, she is light due to the fuller running the length of the blade until the weak and durable as she does contain a full tang," Link informed her. She gave him a puzzled stare. He laughed in response and took the sword from her hands. "Do not worry. You will need to concentrate on simply the usage of this weapon."
"I have seen very few swords in my life. The scarce amount of times I have chanced to leave the house, the only swords I noticed were from a distance, looking at the Village Guards." Link took Zelda's right hand and helped her grip the sword firmly.
"Now you have the chance to use one of your own. After you have mastered the basic forms, I will teach you how to use the magic that accompanies this blade." Zelda raised her eyebrows.
"I can use magic on this sword?"
"Of course. She is, after all, the Windwaker." Link said no more, letting Zelda dwell on the meaning of his words on her own time. Instead, he raised her right hand with the sword.
"To start, I want you to perform a straight arm cut, vertically through the air. I want you to feel the momentum of the blade." Zelda did as she was told and found the Windwaker sliced through the air easily. She turned to Link, who gave her a warm smile.
"The grip is comfortable," Zelda said.
"That is good to hear. We can move on to more practical strokes." Link continued to guide Zelda's movements as they practiced various simple attacks, moving on to slightly more difficult ones as Link noticed that Zelda did not tire easily.
By evening, Link announced that Zelda had mastered the basic steps needed. He encouraged her to practice if she was able in the house she lived in at the Village. Zelda shook her head at his idea.
"There is no way I would be able to conceal a sword of this size on my person. I have no furniture of suitable size of my own either. How would I store this weapon?" Instead of being discouraged by her answer, Link winked at Zelda and took the blade from her hands.
"Do not underestimate the Windwaker. You have the power of the Triforce; she will answer your demands." Zelda did not understand what he said of the Triforce, but she did know that he meant for her to use magic to hide the weapon.
"Do you mean to say that I may simply ask her to hide, and she will?" Zelda found it strange to refer to the sword as a female, but Link seemed to use the pronoun casually as if he were referring to his lady acquaintances. He nodded at her question, placing the blade back into her grasp.
"Now, do as I say, and you will understand. Grip the hilt of the sword near your waist and place your left palm against the blade near your nose. Hold the edge as close as you can without touching your skin." Zelda positioned the blade as he instructed. She instinctively closed her eyes, feeling the cool surface of the sword beneath her fingers. Her other hand grasped the decorated hilt firmly. She felt Link's hands on her forearms as he helped correct her placement.
"What do I do next?" she asked.
"Windwaker may be a sword, but she has a spirit of her own. Feel for her essence, and then simply ask her to store herself away until need forces you to call her back." Zelda did not know how to do as he asked. Feel for her essence? She did not know exactly what the phrase referred to. She thought back on the times she had used a small amount of magic at her home to do simple duties. She had always thought she 'willed' the events to happen. She reached out to the sword in a similar manner, hoping her idea would work.
I will you to conceal yourself until I call upon you. Zelda's eyes narrowed as she poured her concentration into her power. She could feel the mark on the back of her right hand tingle lightly. She leaned into the blade, the sharp edge pricking the skin on her forehead. She bit back a slight gasp and Link's hands tensed on her forearms. Disappointment clouded her thoughts as she realized it was not working.
Suddenly, as if she had been pushing against an unlocked door in her mind, she felt a flow of feeling rush into her as the imaginary portal opened.
Zelda. The voice was a female's, sharp but kind. You wield me. I am proud and honored. The young princess gasped and opened her eyes. The sword had vanished from her sight. Link stepped back from her, clapping his hands with a happy expression on his face.
"I knew you would be successful, Zelda," he said.
"The sword…" Zelda whispered. "She spoke to me." Link nodded.
"She deems you worthy. It is obvious, as you bear the Triforce mark. However, as you were brought in servitude according to your earlier response, I expect you know very little of the Triforce, true Hyrule, or even your real past." Zelda's eyes widened as she absorbed Link's words. He smiled and brought a hand up to her cheek, placing his fingers delicately on her light skin.
"Do not worry. You have done far more with the sword than a young warrior can accomplish in his first days of training, and you have unknowingly mastered the first concept of magic spells when you spoke to the sword. In due time, you will learn everything you will need to know in order to fulfill your destiny."
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Remember, in this time period, Ganondorf keeps a pretty tight grip on his subjects. He defeated all the magical territories (Zora's Domain, Kokiri Forest) and its inhabitants now live as normal citizens in Kakariko so that they are not punished. Therefore, any sign of magic is now attributed to Ganondorf or evil persons who would side with him. Link is already a victim of Ganondorf's power, and so he knows the dangers of the darker magic. That is why he is so mean in the beginning.
Anyway, hope you all had a good new year's! My next update will be in two weeks, January 19th.