Chapter Eleven

"What did Sheik say?" Max asked, trying to recall the whole conversation. "Karakiko Village, go see Dampe?"

Link nodded as they ran out, down the back road that returned them to the busy marketplace. "He said there were dangers now… What could be different? It's only been seven years."

"Yeah but Link, Ganondorf has taken a third of the Triforce and is using that power to destroy Hyrule as we know it!" Max might have gotten smarter than half an hour ago, their time, but Link wouldn't have been able to tell the difference. He'd always admired her ability to know what people would do, were they in a certain situation – social smart. Others might call it common sense, but it didn't come naturally to him; Link needed things spelled out.

They rounded the corner and came skidding to a sudden halt when they saw what inhabited the market. "What were those things?" Link gasped. Max ducked so they could both poke their heads around the building and take a better look at the things that put a hold on their adrenaline rush.

At first, they thought the entire market was infested with people, but taking a second glance, Max and Link got a better look: they were all dead. No clothing, no covers, all of the citizens looked very dark and decayed; their skin was peeling and their ribs protruded.

"Zombies?" Link suggested, providing an answer to his own question.

"Maybe."

"What do we do?"

"Run."

Max and Link took a deep breath before charging out into the open – their eyes never leaving the open drawbridge to Hyrule Field. They darted swiftly between the slow zombies until something happened to Max.

She would have screamed, but nothing came out; her vocal cords were frozen – everything was frozen. She could hear one of the monsters approaching her from behind. Link was nowhere in sight – he'd probably gotten to safety. Max thought this to be the silver lining: as long as Link could keep fighting. He was the Hero – not her.

Suddenly, she felt the dry, crusty skin rubbing against her face. The monster had wrapped its arms and legs around her small figure and pressed both hands tightly over her air passages. This is it, Max thought. This is how I'm going to die.

Max was on the verge of losing consciousness when the thing released its grip. She gasped for air, her knees giving in, collapsing to the ground. "Max – you okay?" Link asked, putting his freshly used sword back in its sheath.

"Fine," she croaked. "Thanks."

"I was almost out when I saw…"

"Yeah, this wasn't the only monster – we don't exactly have time to hang around." Max grabbed Link's hand and they dashed, successfully, out of the market.

Link was looking west, toward Kakariko Village, but something caught Max's eye that drew her in the other direction. "What is it, Max?"

She just pointed to Lon Lon Ranch. "You think she's alright?"

"Malon?" Link sighed. "You want to go check up on her?" Max nodded vigorously, and Link nodded along. "Okay, let's go."

Upon entering the ranch, nothing looked out of the ordinary. Cows still produced milk, horses ran in the corral. Then a thin man with a large moustache came up to them and smiled. "Welcome to Ingo Ranch!"

"What happened to Lon Lon Ranch?" asked Link, trying incredibly hard to keep calm.

The man smirked. "Ganondorf entrusted me with the ranch. Did you want to ride a horse?"

Max noticed Malon inside the corral. She was still small for her age, and her long auburn hair still reached her mid-back, but she didn't have the same positive aura about her. She wasn't dancing in a carefree fashion; she wasn't even smiling. Max wondered if that's just what happened when people matured, or if she was in trouble. "Yes, we'll ride."

He locked them into the corral and said, "You have one minute."

Instantly, Malon ran up to them and jumped onto her tiptoes so she could wrap them in her arms. "Malon, are you…?"

"Link, there isn't time. Get on Epona. Get her outta here. If you ever need her, play that song I taught you and she'll come runnin' – just get out."

"What? Why not you…?"

"Because, Max, I'm bound to be his slave forever. Save yourselves and save Epona!" Malon helped Link to hoist Max onto the brightly coloured horse with the white mane and then he lifted himself on behind her. "Good luck." Malon blew them a kiss and a tear ran down her cheek as she waved goodbye.

"Okay," Ingo said. "Time's up!" As soon as he opened the corral's gates again, Link slapped Epona.

"H'ya!" he cried. The horse raised her two front legs and galloped full-speed out of the ranch.

"We've got to talk to this Dampe," Max reminded Link, so he could lead Epona toward Kakariko Village. It was definitely faster by horse.

Entering the village, Max hoped off Epona before they came to a complete stop and Link steadied her. "Excuse me," she said to a fairly creepy-looking boy about their age who sat under a dying tree. "Do you know where I can find a Dampe?"

"The gravekeeper," the boy stated eerily.

"Sure. Where is he?"

"He keeps his grave warm."

"What?"

"His son gives him flowers every Sunday."

"…Are you his son?"

The boy chuckled, but still, his mouth didn't open very wide. "No, I am the son of the carpenter who rebuilt this village, brother to Anju – keeper of Cuckoos, not graves."

"So we should go to the graveyard?" Link asked.

"This one learns quickly." The boy's sarcasm stung them both.

Max grabbed Link by the elbow and led him to the Kakariko graveyard.

"He's dead?" Max exclaimed angrily as they looked down at Dampe's grave. "Are you kidding me?"

"Wait, look…" Link circled around the back of the headstone to find a package. "What's this?" They each pulled a piece of the brown wrapping back to discover Dampe's secret treasure. Max turned the weapon over in her hands and examined it closely. "Max?"

"It's spring-loaded," she said, still looking at the weapon. "You pull this trigger here," she pointed to the trigger she referred to, "and the spear gets stuck into something high up, so we can get to places we couldn't otherwise reach!"

"That's neat!" Link beamed. "So we've got the thin from Dampe… Where did Sheik say the Sages were held?"

"Five temples – the first one was in a deep forest…" Both Max and Link looked up and stared into each others' eyes for a moment. They hadn't been to the Forest since they'd left so many days ago – of course, to the others, it felt like seven years. It would be strange to set foot back in the place they had been so familiar with just a short while ago.

"We're going back home?" Link asked. Max wondered if it would still feel like home when they returned.

"Yeah – we're going back home."