Chapter 13
Sworn Brothers

The bells of Hyrule Castle were tolling, their mournful song resonating throughout the streets of Castletown. Draperies of black and gray replaced the bright banners of the Hyrulean Royal Family that usually graced the castle gates, announcing their sorrow to all.

Those nearest the palace were the first to realize something was wrong. Helped no doubt by the hollers of the town crier, whispers soon rippled through the gathering throng. In the city's southern market a forest of hands pointed to one of the palace's tall towers where long black banners had been unfurled from a window.

"It's the queens tower."

"She's dead."

"The queen is dead."

"Even the Goddesses weep for her and her child."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's just rain!"

The heavens had not wept when the last queen had died. The people of Hyrule had loved Queen Griselda, the last lady of the once grand House Harkinian. That day, the Goddesses had not shared their sorrow.

Almost at once, the rumors began and spread like wildfire. Most folk agreed on one thing: the queen had died in childbirth along with the unborn prince. Some noted that there had been no complications when she'd birthed her last child, Prince Ewan. Some blamed the Gerudo. Some blamed the queen's nurse, Impa, for she was a Sheikah, and that alone was cause for suspicion. Others blamed the healers who had attended the queen, and a small fraction believed it was a curse. Those well versed in Hyrule's history and legends suspected this was a sign of troubles to come. These scholars spoke of a pattern: every millennium, as the Kingdom of Hyrule rose to prosperity, the kingdom was struck down by a violent and terrible calamity. The last such occurrence had been almost a thousand years ago, bringing an end to the Sheikan Empire, to which Hyrule had belonged. The appearance of the comet, over two months ago now, was no coincidence. A storm was surging towards Hyrule, and her citizens were unaware and unprepared.

Nabooru had no time or patience for rumors or speculation, and to her dismay, the town was not the only place bubbling with them. The castle servants and guards were just as bad at spreading rumors as the rest of the Hylians in Castletown. The kitchen staff had been so abuzz with talk that morning that Nabooru was certain she could have snatched an entire tray of food without anyone noticing.

For now, she had other things to do. Waiting until Ganondorf was busy with the Royal Council and King Nohansen, she slipped away to his room. Nabooru had to find out for herself whether her suspicions were correct. She was looking for a clue, any hint that Ganondorf might have been behind these recent events.

There were new guards stationed at the door to his rooms, all bearing the red and white of the king's personal guard.

Good, she thought. The others would have been suspicious of her entering his chambers alone.

The two guards greeted her warmly and were only too eager to be told they could leave and eat a hot meal in the barracks assigned to them. As Nabooru was second only to the Gerudo king, her order went unquestioned. That didn't still the unease swirling in her stomach. How could she know they wouldn't go straight to Ganondorf? They wouldn't disturb him now. Would they?

Casting her thoughts aside, Nabooru entered the sitting room of Ganondorf's chambers. A quick glance revealed nothing out of the ordinary. A more thorough check fared no better. Then she studied the door to the servant's room. It was locked, as nobody was occupying the small space at the moment.

That was where she'd keep anything hidden that she didn't want anyone sniffing around. First, she checked the bedroom and then the study. There was no sign of the mask nor anything else of interest. She returned to the servant's room and examined the lock. It was a good lock, well made, but not good enough to thwart her. The one thing she didn't mind about Hylian clothing was that it was easy to conceal all sorts of trinkets, including what she needed to pick the lock.

The lock slipped, and Nabooru pushed the door open into the darkened chamber. The shutters were closed, and the air was stale. A quick look told her that it was far from disused. Several chests had been stored beneath a table, while atop the desk, was the Skull Mask. A pile of tomes and an ornate chest, the latter featuring a mosaic of a hunting scene, lay next to the wretched mask.

For a second, Nabooru considered stealing the cursed object. Could she? Or would throwing it in the hearth be a better idea? No, it couldn't be burnt. She'd seen the Twinrova sisters demonstrate this in their efforts to convince Ganondorf of the mask's power.

She doubted she could simply grab it and run. Ganondorf was no fool. He would not have left it there without some sort of trap. She didn't want to know what would happen if she touched it. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up when she walked towards the table. Someone or something was watching her. Was it the mask?

Nabooru dismissed the notion and checked the drawers under the desk, her hand closing on a red cloth. She unraveled it, revealing the scarab beetle woven into the cloth. A potion lay within the wrappings of the fabric.

In the dim light, she couldn't read the label, so she returned to the sitting room. There, the writing inked onto the bottle read, 'Thanweed.' At first, Nabooru blinked at the seemingly harmless potion. Then her blood turned cold.

Thanweed would not have meant anything to a Hylian, and probably not to the average Gerudo either. Normally, it was completely harmless. However, to a woman with child, it could cause a miscarriage. Now that Nabooru thought of it, the symptoms the queen had experienced before her death were consistent with the effects of Thanweed poisoning. To anyone else, it would have appeared that the queen was the victim of illness during her pregnancy.

Nabooru wondered how Ganondorf could have given the queen her potion. Slipping it into her goblet while she feasted alongside the king would have been risky. Unless...

Nabooru stared into the servant's chamber, towards the place where the Skull Mask lay. She knew it would make Ganondorf invisible when he wore it. Although Impa had told her that magic was becoming difficult to use, Ganondorf only needed to draw on the mask's power. He didn't need to use the currents of magic that flowed through Hyrule.

He murdered a child in its mother's womb. Nabooru's stomach twisted at that, nausea threatening to make her vomit. She grasped the table willing herself not to be sick. Damn it! I will not give him the pleasure of seeing me like this.

A reckless rage seized her, and she screamed, throwing the bottle against the wall where it shattered.

Just then the door opened, and the man himself strode in. He glanced down at the shattered glass and then back at her. His eyes noted the open door of the servant's chambers, but before he could speak, Nabooru confronted him.

"What have you done?" she demanded.

"Nabooru, what is the meaning of this?" Ganondorf met her question with a question. He did not sound surprised.

Somebody tipped him off.

Then, Ganondorf spotted the red cloth that Nabooru still clutched in her hand.

"You should not be rummaging through my things like a thief, Nabooru," he said, his voice growing dangerous. "It's hardly fitting of a woman of your station."

These words only spurred Nabooru's growing fury.

"You call me a thief after what you've done?" she shot back. "You murdered the queen and her child."

"It was a necessary evil, Nabooru," Ganondorf replied with no hint of emotion.

A part of Nabooru was shocked. She was expecting him to deny it, to tell her she was mistaken, that it was not what it seemed. Instead, he admitted it upfront. A part of her had hoped she was wrong, and that Ganondorf had not committed this atrocity. But now, he'd admitted to it. Was this some part of the madness that had taken hold of him?

"How could you?" she asked, her voice strained. She felt sick, disgusted that her husband could do such a thing.

"She was Sheikah," Ganondorf said, his voice growing icy. "Her blood might not have been pure, but she was still one all the same."''

"That's it?" Nabooru asked. "Because someone in her family line happened to be Sheikan?"

"The Sheikah slaughtered our people. Have you forgotten that?"

It was common knowledge amongst the Gerudo that a Sheikah had slain Ganondorf's parents. What drove them to do this, nobody knew. It was rumored that the Sheikah loyal to the former Hylian king had hoped to frame the murder on the Sheikah rebels and bring an end to their long and bitter war. The plan hadn't worked. Instead, the Gerudo formed an alliance with the rebel Sheikah. That brief union was not to last. When Ganondorf became king, he severed that bond with fire and blood. Only King Nohansen's desperate plea had stopped the slaughter. And now, Nabooru was sure they stood upon the precipice of another war and all because Ganondorf had killed Nohansen's unborn son.

"That child never asked to belong to a race that had been at war with us and nor did its mother! What do you think this will gain except more bloodshed if anyone else finds out?"

Ganondorf was quiet for a moment, simply staring at her.

"That may have been avoided if the Sheikah had not assassinated the entire royal Gerudo family," Ganondorf replied cooly, "Nor if they had not cursed us."

She had only been an infant when Ganondorf's family had been slaughtered, but Ganondorf, only a young boy at the time, had survived. Nabooru did not envy him that memory. She might have pitied him once, but not now. "You don't know that they were the ones who cursed us!"

"Who else could it have been? They've despised us for over a century!"

"You are a fool, Ganondorf!" Nabooru's voice was cold with fury. "Revenge won't change what happened. It will just make things worse. Can't you see that?"

Ganondorf seemed to take her rebuke calmly, for his voice didn't rise in anger. Only the set of his jaw and the fire within his eyes betrayed him. "I should have known this would be too much for you, Nabooru," he began, no hint of regret in his voice. "I thought you had the stomach for this."

"For killing infants before they are even born? Or children? Have you forgotten what happened to our son?" Nabooru was screaming now, no longer caring what Ganondorf thought of seeing her like this. The room fell silent at the mention of their child. Like many other Gerudo children, he had been stillborn.

For an instant, Ganondorf looked stricken. Then he stepped towards her, reaching for her. Just as his hand touched her cheek, Nabooru stepped back and slapped him hard across the face. Both Gerudo were as surprised as the other.

I just slapped the king.

"I could have you hung for that Nabooru," Ganondorf said slowly, his yellow eyes boring straight into her own in cold fury. Nabooru did not flinch.

"You would not dare!" she seethed. Or perhaps he would, now.

For several heartbeats they stood there, each waiting to see what the other should do. The outrage in Ganondorf's eyes dimmed like dying coals and he turned, casting his gaze towards the balcony.

"Every night, I see them, Nabooru. The sick. The dying. The people plead for me to help them, to end the suffering inflicted. Yet I know I must deny them, for there is nothing I can do. I am their king, yet, against this affliction I am powerless. Do you know what that's like? That is why I must do this. Why we must. "

There was a strange tightness in Nabooru's chest, and for just an instant, Ganondorf seemed more like the prince she'd married. He turned to meet her eyes and there was a familiar look of exhaustion in Ganondorf's features. He hid it from most, but Nabooru had known him long enough to see how much the Gerudo's plight, and his own sorrows, had drained the man. Once she might have comforted him, but that thought was far from her mind now.

"You will not be helping our people by starting a war," Nabooru said, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Nor will this quest for vengeance sow anything but more vengeance. Whatever that mask promised you, it's lying. You say you want to save our people, but now you've as good as condemned us all."

"You're wrong, Nabooru," Ganondorf's tone was still laced with ice. "We can win this. Trust me, and I will put aside all that you have said and done against me."

"Then get rid of that mask. Renounce your allegiance with the Blin. How can you not see that this path we now tread leads to war. A war we will not win."

"I cannot stop what I have already set in motion. It's too late for any of us to go back now."

Was that regret in Ganondorf's voice?

No. Nabooru knew she was imagining it. She wanted him to regret his choice, to see the error in what he'd done, to believe that this man was still her beloved.

"You agreed to this Nabooru." Ganondorf's tone was disappointed, sounding as if she had deliberately betrayed him.

"Agreed to it?" Nabooru almost spat, her anger boiling. "You said we were going to use the Triforce to return life to our people, and I agreed to that. I came here intending to find out how we could steal it without them knowing, but I did not agree to this-" she gestured towards the shattered glass glistening in the firelight. "What else have you done? What did you do when you went to seek the Kokiri Emerald. Did you slaughter its guardians as well? You never told me how that boy came to possess an artifact of such value."

"Do you honestly believe that the Hylians, or any of those who guard the Triforce, would have let us take it without interference?" Ganondorf asked.

"I guess we will never know now," Nabooru said, her eyes burning with unshed tears. Without another word, she turned and strode towards the door. She knew, despite what Ganondorf had said that this wasn't about the Gerudo anymore. He wanted revenge for himself. Nabooru understood that, and she had wanted it once, but she knew that more bloodshed would only lead to an endless cycle of vengeance. Her visions in the Spirit Temple had convinced her of that much. If only she had heeded them more. Perhaps she could have seen this coming. She was, after all, far better placed to help Ganondorf than anyone else. Or she had been.

It's too late for that, she thought.

Ganondorf had wanted to save the Gerudo. Instead, he was ushering them towards their doom.

"Nabooru."

Nabooru paused, one hand on the door. She hated the pain in his voice, knew that it was feigned. Her beloved would never have stooped to contemplating murder and genocide.

"I said I would stand by your side, so long as we remained true to each other, and I did," Nabooru said softly. "I kept my oath, but you broke yours when you started planning this behind my back. By murdering the unborn prince and the queen, you've condemned us all."

With no further word, Nabooru opened the door and fled into the corridor. Her eyes prickled with tears unshed.

She refused to let anyone see her weep.

Before she knew it, she was running. Behind her Ganondorf called out, beckoning her to come back.

It was too late for that.

He'd made his move. The die was cast and there was no turning back Time's Wheel to stop it.

~ 0 ~

Evening of the same day...

Memories of the last few weeks plagued Link's dreams, twisted into nightmares that left him in a fitful sleep.

The giant dodongo roared in fury, the cavern rumbling with each step of its enormous feet as it thundered towards him. The Kokiri ran faster through an endless tunnel. He turned when he heard a scream and saw Navi fall to the ground. She stretched one arm out towards Link just as the enormous dodongo bore down on her. Link barely managed to take a step before the dodongo's foot landed on top of Navi, crushing her in an instant.

No!

His scream of horror echoed down the dark tunnel.

The dodongo took a deep breath and a blast of fire gushed from its maw.

Link screamed, opening his eyes wide. For a moment, he was stricken with terror, and then he realized he'd been dreaming. Just a dream. He caught his ragged breath and rose a hand to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead.

Blinking slowly, he tried to figure out where he was. Rock walls... for an instant, dismay surged into him. Was he still in the Dodongo's Cavern?

No. He'd managed to get out, but what had happened after that? His thoughts were clouded, his memory confused and foggy.

How did I get here?

That was when Link heard footsteps. Wearily, he lifted his head, blinking in the soft light of a small brazier.

As his senses awakened, so did the blistering pain in his right leg. He groaned as he craned his neck to take in the sight of someone standing in the doorway of his small room. It was a fairy, a very tall fairy.

"Are you alright, child?" she asked soothingly. "One of the Gorons told me they heard you murmuring in your sleep and was concerned."

Link was still half-asleep, and he barely took in a word that she said. "Navi? " he asked, still dazed.

No, he realized. This wasn't Navi. This fairy was about the size of an adult Hylian, wearing a white dress, a tiara, and her wings were a soft golden color.

"I am not Navi," the woman replied gently. "I am Elisia, the Great Fairy of Death Mountain."

Link looked around for Navi, fear gripping at him as he remembered Navi's injuries.

"The bond that forms between them is for life. It has never happened that I know of, but the Great Deku Tree told me what would happen if a Kokiri lost his or her fairy. To lose a fairy is like losing a part of your soul." Saria had said those words once.

Navi, she can't be dead... She can't be.

Elisia seemed to notice Link's distress and quickly added, "Navi is going to be alright. I took her to my home on Death Mountain's summit. Her injuries were not as extensive as yours, but I did require her to take a few days rest."

So great was Link's relief to hear Navi was still alive that his eyes went moist. He blinked, looking away from Elisia and down at the green bandage wrapped around his right leg.

"You will need to rest your leg for a few days at least," Elisia told him, following his gaze. "I was able to treat the worst of the burn, but you still need time to heal."

"A few days... but, I thought the Great Faeries could heal using magic?" Link desperately wanted to be able to move. The thought of being bedridden until his leg healed did not lift his spirits.

"We can, normally, but right now something is blocking our ability to channel properly. We have no idea what is causing it, and healing is a very complex form of magic. If done incorrectly, it can be very dangerous."

"Incorrectly?" Link asked, noting how ominous the words sounded. Elisia only shook her head and smiled.

"Do not trouble yourself with it. Be glad you will be walking on that leg at all- you are lucky Volvagia did not take long to bring you to me, or you might have been minus a limb."

The very thought of being an amputee made Link grimace.

"Hmm... perhaps that was not particularly comforting," Elisia said apologetically. "Here, take this."

She handed him a potion which Link quickly gulped down before gagging, spraying half of the medicine onto himself while coughing. It tasted vile.

"Dear me, child. What were you expecting? Deku juice?"

The potion definitely wasn't anything like the sweet taste of deku juice. It left him spluttering, his eyes watered, and he thought he might be sick.

"Drink, child, you want to get better quickly don't you?"

Great. Now she sounds like Saria.

Link pinched his nose, shuddering as he took another gulp and held it down with considerable effort.

"It will take a little while to take effect. Try not to move too much before it does."

"Do you know what happened after I got out of that cave?" Link asked weakly.

"Volvagia was able to tell me that he'd found you," Elisia explained. "When he explained your injuries, I came as quickly as I could."

Just then the sound of heavy footfalls announced Darunia himself, grinning widely as he entered.

"Link, you're awake!" he said jovially. "Everybody is talking about how you killed the giant dodongo! We found it after we got into the tunnel- be awhile before we get it out. Your victory will make an incredible story-"

"Now, Darunia?" the Great Fairy asked with an air of disapproval.

"What?" Darunia exclaimed, looking disappointed. "Everybody is waiting to hear how he did it-"

"I won't have you jeopardizing my patient with your enthusiastic attempts to question him," Elisia said sternly. "Hylians are less hardy than your kind."

"Alright, fine," Darunia said, acknowledging Elisia's reprimand. His next words were for Link, "Elisia told me you would be awake soon, so I came to thank you for helping with the cavern. After the Great Dodongo was killed, the remaining lizards stopped going crazy. Now we can finally feed on the rocks in the cavern again and reopen the mines... Which reminds me, I have something for you."

He held out the pouch in his palm and offered it to Link.

"What is it?" Link asked, wondering if it was something dangerous. At an imploring look from Darunia, he opened the small sack to find a deep-red ruby wreathed in gold.

"As promised, the Goron Ruby," Darunia said. "Now, as a token of my thanks, I have something else to offer you."

"What?" Link asked. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of dread, half expecting Darunia to reveal another item in his other hand. Instead, he got down on one knee and leaned one arm against the bed. Link assumed this was meant to be a friendly gesture. Instead, he couldn't help but feel a little concerned that he might be crushed if Darunia leaned over more.

"I'm going to make you a sworn brother. How would you like that?"

"A...what?" Link wasn't sure what a sworn brother was. If what he'd learned of Darunia was any indication, it would involve something dangerous. He pushed himself up against the stone wall behind him.

"A sworn brother," Darunia's voice rose again in enthusiasm. "It means you're a part of my tribe."

"This better not involve him undergoing some sort of trial, Darunia," Elisia said dryly.

"You mean like a wrestling match?" Darunia asked, looking over his shoulder and sounding enthused by the idea.

"A what?" Link asked. He did not entertain the thought of taking on an eight-foot Goron.

Darunia chuckled. "I was only joking, kid. No, I think you've done enough, and despite my people's protest, there won't be a ceremony. All you have to do is , what do you say, kid?"

Darunia leaned closer, and there was almost a mischevious quality to his grin.

"There is definitely no ceremony involved?" Link inquired, still trying to edge away from Darunia. The idea of taking part in some Goron ceremony that would likely involve a lot of broken bones was not a pleasant idea.

"Only a Goron hug," Darunia shrugged.

Elisia merely crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, looking no more amused than Link.

"I'm only messing with you," Darunia chuckled when Link's expression did not change. "So, will you?"

"Alright," Link replied, hoping he wouldn't regret this.

"Well then, Link, I officially announce you a sworn brother of my clan. You should be proud. You're only the second non-Goron I have declared a sworn brother. Usually, it involves a pint of Goron fire ale or two, but I'm sure we can skip that."

"Who else is a sworn brother?" Link questioned curiously.

Darunia lost some of his mirth then; his face grew serious, and his smile faded.

"King Nohansen," Darunia growled, all trace of his jovial demeanor gone. "He was different back then, cared more about his realm. Nowadays his only concern is that his goblet is full of ale. He forgets that my people aided him during the Sheikah Schism."

"That was years ago, Darunia." Elisia cut in softly. " A lot has changed since the end of that war. The king was never the same after his wife died, and now his second wife is dead."

Link's mind went numb at that revelation. Zelda's step-mother is dead?

"When?" he asked, dismay filling him. He lifted himself up and tried to swing his legs off the bed, not caring that Darunia was in the way. Instead, he fell uselessly on his side, hot pain lancing through his leg. He groaned audibly through gritted teeth and forced back tears of pain. Darunia came to his aid, getting to his feet and propping Link on the bed. He tried to be gentle, but his efforts nearly splintered half the bones in Link's body.

"Thank you," Link gasped as the pain spread through his back.

"That was not how I intended you to find out," Elisia said, shooting Darunia a look of fury. Whether she was angry at Darunia for nearly splattering Link, or for letting slip about the queen's death, or both things, Link was not sure.

"What happened?" Link inquired, his voice cracked with raw dismay.

"Maybe another time," Elisia said firmly.

"No, please tell me," Link insisted. "I need to know what happened."

Elisia sighed, placing the potion back on the table.

"Very well," she sat on the edge of his bed as Darunia stepped away. "What I can tell you is this. The queen died during childbirth, or at least that is what the people are saying."

"You couldn't heal her?"

"As I said, healing is a complex magic," Elisia said sadly. "The strength it uses to mend a wound must come from someone. It cannot be used safely in some circumstances, including the queen's."

Link didn't understand. When he voiced this, Elisia would say no more.

"If my sworn brother did not allow himself to become so blind he might have seen the signs. There is a storm coming. Everything that has happened to us, to Hyrule's temples, the queen, and the Zora-" Darunia began before Elisia abruptly interrupted, anger flaring in her eyes.

"Darunia, that is enough! The boy needs rest, and he is not going to get it when you're giving him nightmares."

"Wait. What happened to the Zora?" Link asked, looking between both the Goron leader and Elisia. The latter shot venomous daggers with her eyes at Darunia, which was impressive given she was much shorter than him.

"Sorry," Darunia said with an apologetic grin.

Elisia sighed. "It is nothing you should be overly concerned about. Their guardian deity, whose magic usually keeps the Zora River clean, is sick."

"Sick?" Link asked worriedly. "Why?"

"This can wait. I won't have your condition worsened by needless fretting-"

"But-"

"Enough!" The finality in Elisia's voice told Link she would say no more on the topic. "Enough," she repeated more calmly. "I will find you some sleeping draught."

Feeling unhappy, Link lay back upon his cloak, wondering how the Gorons slept on the slab of stone. He hated the idea of doing nothing but waiting for his leg to heal. If only he possessed some ability in healing magic. That gave Link an idea.

"Elisia, can you teach me how to use magic?" he asked. "I don't mean healing magic..."

Elisia turned from Darunia and looked down at Link. She must have caught the pleading look in his eyes, for she sighed and relented.

"Not well given the circumstances," she said, and then at Link's crestfallen look she added, "I can teach you the basics. In the meantime, I need to find a sleeping draught. Come, Darunia. No more questions to cause the boy more stress. I want to have him moved to Kakariko Village tomorrow because it will be easier to look after him there. You should be on your way to pay your respects to the queen before the burial."

They left leaving Link alone. He laid down upon the hard stone, a chill spreading throughout his body. His mind was numb as he pondered Elisia's words.

The Zora guardian was sick. The queen was dead. Had anything else happened that he didn't know about? Was Zelda alright? Link wished he could have confided in Navi, but she wasn't here, and that knowledge threatened to drag him into a gloomy pit.

He shut his eyes, trying to picture the Kokiri Forest and force his thoughts onto something happier... of Saria and home.

~ 0 ~

Three days later...

The candle flame grew fainter, unlike Link's frustration. He was trying to clear his mind to sense the elements of Hyrule's magic as Elisia had instructed. When he sat still enough, the ebb and flow of the currents of magic in the air became apparent and real. It lingered on the edge of his senses, the currents flowing through the realm like small streams. He tried to focus on it, attempting to draw on them, but it was like holding water in one's hands. After what felt like an hour, Link was no closer to making the candle flame glow any brighter. His eyes started to droop as fatigue began to take hold.

He was supposed to remove himself of all emotion, focusing entirely on sensing the plane of magic just beyond the senses of most. So far, the task was impossible, especially when his emotions were so turbulent lately.

As he relaxed his breathing, Link closed his eyes as instructed. The pain in his leg and the thumping of his heart were both distracting. Finally, just as he was about to give up, he tried one last time to seize hold of the current of fire he was using to strengthen the candle flame. That was a mistake. Instead of having a clear mind and focus, the injured boy thought about the bed and finally took hold of the element of fire. Its warmth coursed through his veins and the bed sheets began to smolder.

"Link, stop!" Elisia ordered, and Link abruptly let go of the flow of magic.

He stared in surprise at the smoldering sheets which Elisia doused with a cup of water.

"Link, you did it!" Navi exclaimed.

Having recently recovered from her injuries, Navi sat on a pile of clothes on a chest opposite the bed. They were back in Kakariko after Link had gone back down the mountain amidst a caravan of wagons that were taking supplies to Kakariko. He'd been taken to the Dancing Goron Inn. To his surprise, Impa had left supplies for him, including a letter of credit to a cobblers shop and a tailor. Navi had to explain what that meant. There was a letter for him as well, telling him that Impa was sorry to hear of his injuries and wished him a speedy recovery. Apparently, she hadn't been pleased with Darunia's reckless endangerment of his life. Nor did it seem that she was impressed with Navi either.

The letter had only made Link angry that she hadn't bothered to come and see him.

Elisia managed to distract him with lessons on using magic. Up until now, they hadn't achieved very much. Now all Link had managed to do was set fire to the bed.

"It doesn't look that bad," Elisia reassured him upon inspecting the corner of the burnt sheet. "You should be proud, child. Few people your age manage to summon fire with only three days of practice."

"I set the bed on fire," Link replied gloomily. He was usually a quick learner. At
least, he was on practical things. Not achieving more than what he had just done frustrated him.

"You were distracted, but you will get better with practice," Elisia assured him. "We will stop for today, and I shall be back tomorrow. In the meantime, I need to change your bandage."

Link rolled his recently acquired green breeches, courtesy of Elisia, up to reveal the bandage on his right leg. She removed the bandage, and to Link's relief, the burn looked like it was healing well. It still hurt, and the injured area was discolored and disfigured, but it wasn't as horrible to look at as he'd feared. Still, he would have to get used to wearing the breeches if he did not want anyone to notice the scarring. Once Elisia had applied the new bandage, she gave Link a sleeping draught and left.

Before the potion took effect, Navi flew over to him.

"You don't seem very happy that you managed to use magic. Most people are older when they start learning it," she said.

"I didn't manage to use it properly, Navi, I set fire to the bed," Link replied bitterly.

"Only just," Navi replied. "Look, I know you want to use magic to help you, but it will take time. You just need a bit of practise, that's all."

"That's the problem Navi," Link replied, laying his head back on the pillow. "Time is something we don't have."

Navi frowned, staring at him as though he'd spoken a different language. The look quickly faded and was replaced with one of deep consternation.

"I know," she replied softly. "We can still do this, Link, you didn't think you could stop Gohma, but you did. You survived the cavern while saving both of us, and stopped the Giant Dodongo. As long as we have the stones, we should be okay. Well, unless-" she faltered, pausing.

Link looked up from his pillow. Navi looked dismayed as though she had said more than she intended.

"Until what?" Link asked slowly.

"Unless Ganondorf comes looking for them," Navi admitted. "It's strange. Ever since we saw him at Hyrule Castle, he has not attempted to come after us."

Navi was right. Did Ganondorf have no idea where Link was? That seemed unlikely given his ability to see where they were through the eyes of wild animals.

Am I walking right into a trap? Like the cavern?

As the sleeping draught took hold, dragging Link into a dreamless sleep, one final thought stirred in his mind.

How much time was left?

After everything that had happened, the Zora guardian's illness, and the death of Hyrule's queen, it seemed they really were running out of time.