Link flopped onto the cot in the room he'd been given. Instead of the single guest room they'd had before, they'd been given a larger set of quarters with rooms for each of them. The day had been exhausting, first the fight in front of the gate to the city and then continuing the clean-up and recovery of the damaged sections of city. There had thankfully been very few deaths and the damage was actually much less severe than it had first appeared. Link had done his fair share, sniffing out anyone trapped under the rubble with his wolf before using his Human to start moving away rock and debris. The bedding was remarkably soft, he'd learned yet more about the Gorons, not only were they excellent gem cutters, smiths, and bomb makers; but they also crafted fine silk from the cave spiders' webs that dwelled in the labyrinth of caverns that riddled the mountains. It was warm, firm, soft, and Link was in love with it the moment he fell onto his blanket.

He lay on his stomach for a while, despite the comfort offered by his bedding, he dreaded falling asleep. Falling asleep meant seeing Ordon again. He didn't doubt that there would be yet another lesson, and even armed with what he thought was the answer to Ordon's riddle he didn't feel nearly as confident as he wished. To be honest he simply wanted to sleep, not endure the god's teasing. Ultimately though, he both needed and wanted to face Ordon and getting some sleep would do him good. So, reluctantly he closed his eyes and let himself drift off into sleep.

"I was wondering when you'd finally give in."

Link opened his eyes and sat up; looking around to find Ordon sprawled besides him, lounging as if he were just an ordinary Wolfos being friendly towards a pack member.

Link swallowed, "what happened today?"

Ordon opened an eye and focused his blood red gaze on Link who did his best not to flinch even as he lowered his eyes deferentially.

Finally Ordon rolled over and sat up, "what have we been doing?"

"I—what," Link asked in bewilderment.

"Since we first started meeting like this, what have we been doing?"

Link blinked and looked at the golden wolf in confusion, "you've been trying to get me to yield to you and let you give me your power…and training me."

Ordon smiled, turning his head so he was staring right in Link's face.

"Whether you will accept my power or not Link, I am transferring it to you each time we connect like this. Today was a side effect of that connection. Over time it will grow stronger and so will you as the connection deepens."

Link swallowed as Ordon looked away. A direct link to Ordon sounded like trouble; he had to ask the obvious.

"What will happen to me?"

Ordon snorted, "nothing; I may be a god but no god can take control without consent. As I said you will merely grow as the bond grows."

"But you can still transfer to me whether I want you too or not."

Ordon nodded, "it's a complex relationship and I do not wish to waste time explaining it further."

Link didn't care what Ordon wanted to waste time on, but as he opened his mouth, Ordon's eyes narrowed and his lips curled in a snarl that closed his mouth once more.

"Do you have an answer for me?"

Link nodded, "it's choice."

Ordon's expression brightened and he let out a low chuckle, "there. That was easy wasn't it? Each being makes a choice for themselves where they will stand. I guarantee that before this is over you will find beings from both the light and the shadow who will stand in opposition to their nature and choose to stand with those that would be their enemy."

Being sure to keep his tone neutral, Link decided to give voice to something that had been eating at the back of his mind while Ordon was still in a good mood.

"I feel like you're playing with me."

Ordon laughed, throwing his head back as he did so. The sound remarkably warm and comforting but it died away quickly as he turned his gaze back to Link.

"Two revelations in one night, that is impressive; there may be hope for you yet. Yes I am toying with you, don't ever think otherwise. You are an ends to a means, I have chosen you to ensure both my freedom and the freedom of the Wolfos."

Despite everything, hearing Ordon tell him outright that he fully intended to use him to achieve his own goals was the most reassuring thing he'd ever heard from the god.

"I am not going to set you free," Link said as assertively as he could, even putting a challenge behind his words despite the risk.

"Not willingly," Ordon agreed with a chilling smile.

"Princess?"

Zelda groaned, opening her eyes sleepily, Sheik and Coron were looming over her. She almost screamed, but Sheik put a hand across her lips. She noticed that Coron, oddly, was not smiling.

"Forgive me your Highness," Coron said with a half bow as Zelda sat up. "But King Darunia wishes to meet with you."

"Right now," Zelda asked in bewilderment.

"Please," Coron responded.

She nodded, "Sheik would you wake the others?"

"Please your Highness; this is not something the King wishes to share with the others. It is between two royal houses."

"I," she looked to Sheik who had gone to stand by the door silently, in the dim light his eyes shimmered red as they met hers. "Very well, lead the way."

Coron's face lit up in his characteristic smile. "Excellent, please follow me."

As they left her chambers, Sheik made to follow, but Zelda held up her hand. "Remain here until I return."

"But I—" He began.

"No Sheik, as the King says, this is a matter between Royals. Please stay here."

"She will be in no danger," Coron promised with a hand to his breast.

Sheik nodded reluctantly and shrank back into the shadows, Zelda let out a sigh of relief she didn't want Sheik's stubbornness at a potentially critical moment. As they stepped outside the structure that Darunia had given them access to she was even surer that Sheik's presence was not needed. The trio of dodongos shuffled and snorted restlessly, with a gesture of Coron one of them headed down the street while the remaining pair followed behind. Zelda had to admit that with the steel skinned saurians flanking them she felt as if she herself were wearing full plate. As they walked through the city, something came to her; here in the mountain there was no way to know what time it was outside, so why did the Gorons use the normal day night cycle?

She looked up at Coron who beamed and to her surprise answered her unspoken question. "We cover the fires at night so outsiders feel welcome and at home, though I admit that it does feel good to have the sense of a night and a day." He chuckled cheerily. "Without it some of our harder working subjects would probably work themselves to death. It's more of a time piece than an actual function of when we sleep."

As if to add emphasis to this, they passed a row of buildings heated by their forges, and Zelda could hear the blowing of bellows and the pounding of hammers from inside. She hoped that this meeting with Darunia brought what she was seeking, military aid and the seal at best, or at least the seal. They finally reached the bottommost tier of the city where the King's chambers were. The dodongos remained outside as Zelda and Coron passed inside. When they entered the council room, all the others were assembled with Darunia at their head. Coron bowed, Zelda followed his lead, and they separated as he took his place alongside his fellow councilmen and she stood before the King.

"Daughter of the Red Lion," Darunia began. "You have asked of the Goron people that we assist you in your efforts to regain your family's throne and protect this land."

Zelda looked up and met his stony gaze as he continued. "We have discussed this at length and because of your willingness to assist us in our time of need, we have decided to grant your wish."

Here the dark skinned Goron stepped forwards and bowed to her, "your Highness as caretaker of the seal of the Goron people I commit to your care a valuable treasure. May it stay safe in your care until such time as it can be returned."

He held out his hands, in them was a cloth covered object, Zelda gingerly reached for it, slipping the cloth aside to reveal the stylized metal disc. Even though it had been obvious they were going to give it to her, the fact that it was sitting her before her still caught her breath. She took it from Liggs gingerly; understanding now what his tattoos signified.

"Your Majesty does us a great honor by entrusting your portion of the seal to my care."

Darunia cracked a smile, "you've proven you're trustworthy. You and your companions will always be welcome within my lands."

Again Zelda bowed, "we can expect you to stand against Ganondorf?"

Here it was Darbus that answered with a growl as he punched his fists together. "We'll tear him from your Castle Town and throw him back to the desert sands where he belongs."

Darunia nodded, "you have but to call upon the Goron people and we will serve. For attempting to revive our ancient foes Ganondorf must pay. I have already dispatched messengers summoning our army. The cities will answer the call and we shall assemble to march upon the plains once more."

Zelda smiled thankfully, "I will send a messenger to you when it is time to strike."

"Where will you go now young Princess," Amoto asked her curiously, the stooped Goron considering her quietly.

"I will find more allies and more portions of the seal. The Zora Kingdom will be my next destination."

"Heh, the fish will never march to war." Darbus said.

Zelda looked at him, "I don't need them to fight. If they will then I welcome them, but if not then all I need is their seal."

Amoto chuckled, "you sound more and more like your mother young Princess."

Zelda bowed, "thank you for all your help your Majesty, your Excellencies. My companions and I will take our leave in the morning."

Malon woke early, not because of the sun or the crow of a cucco as would normally be the case; but simply because her body told her that it was time to wake. She stretched, washing her face in the stone basin in her room before dressing and going to the common room. Sheik was already there, wrapped up as always. Malon was beginning to wonder if he ever took the wrappings off of his body. She certainly hadn't seen it yet.

"Is anyone else awake?"

"The Princess is in her room," he stated deadpan. "Link hasn't come out of his yet."

"I'll go check on him," she turned to leave and went back to the four doors, knocking on Link's quietly. "Link are you up yet?"

There was no sound from inside, she knocked again and once more there was no answer. Sighing she opened the door and stuck her head in, he was usually one of the first up on the ranch. She was sore from all the work of the previous day but it wasn't all that worse from working at home. Surely Link couldn't be that beat. As she entered his room, she stopped and gazed at him in surprise. He was stretched out across his bed, his wolf form overflowing the frame. That wasn't what had stopped her. His fur was aglow; colored a dull gold where normally it was a mixture of grays and black. After a moment of hesitation she went to the bed, kneeling next to him and shook him gently.

"Link wake up," he stirred and as he did so his fur returned to normal. Malon breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you alright Link?"

His eyes opened and he turned his head to face her, "is something wrong?"

"You were glowing," she supplied with an uncertain smile.

He twitched and his ears flattened nervously, "Ordon says I'm changing."

There was that name again, she looked back at the closed door, could Sheik hear them?

"Link who is Ordon?"

Link shifted uncertainly and whimpered, Malon sat on the bed as he made room for her besides himself. When she'd settled he placed his huge head in her lap. Aside from the thick fur, he might have been a young cow or horse back on the ranch she mused.

"Ordon," he began uncertainly, his ears flicking back nervously. "Is the god of the Wolfos."

Her eyes widened, and she instantly felt like an idiot as she recalled the stories her mother had told her about the gods and goddesses. Ordon had been a god when the world was young, he had tried to take it from the Three Goddesses and fought a brutal war to before they finally beat him into submission and imprisoned him. As a curse to their world, he had created the Wolfos.

"Ordon is…talking to you?"

Link bobbed his head, "since we reached Sheik's village. He comes to me in dreams…whenever I sleep I wake up with him."

That explained all the sleeping he'd been doing lately, Malon stroked his head soothingly.

"What has he asked of you?"

"He wants me to free him," Link hesitated; Malon watched as his body rose and fell in deep breathes. "He says if I free him he'll defeat Ganondorf and save the Wolfos."

"I see," Malon said quietly feeling her heart racing as the implications of what Link was saying hit her.

Link must have felt it too, "I haven't accepted his help." He said hastily his voice a low rumble. "I've told him again and again I won't betray the Princess."

Malon felt a stab of jealousy but she didn't give it voice, she opened her mouth to ask Link more but then the door opened and Sheik stood there, his red eyes fixed on Link. Malon froze uncertain of what to say to Sheik, Link didn't say anything either, but he lifted his head off her lap and sat up on the bed; his blue eyes fixed on Sheik's red.

"You've been speaking with the Ravager?"

When Link didn't answer Sheik took another step into the room.

"Answer me Wolfos; are you speaking with the Ravager?"

"Sheik what is going on in here?"

Sheik looked over his shoulder as the Princess joined them, he'd thought something was off about Link before; he'd accepted what Link had told him before about not being able to use his wolf form because of his people's safety as the reason for his nervous behavior but his hearing was too good to not hear what Link and Malon had been saying to each other in the confines of the building. Ordon the Ravager, most people never heard of him beyond the random fireside story meant to scare children. The Sheikah and those with religious teachings knew him quite a bit more. He'd been a scourge upon the land as the Wolfos had been afterwards, the Goddesses had fought and won against him but only just after they'd combined their powers to form the Triforce, sacrificing themselves in the process. As the ultimate irony they had punished Ordon by forcing him to become the guardian of the entrance to the Sacred Realm. At least according to the legends, Sheik didn't doubt that Ordon had been imprisoned, of that there was no doubt.

"Your Highness, Ordon has been communicating with Link."

Zelda stopped, her eyes flickering in recognition, but there was also a sadness and anger in them as she gazed at Sheik. It was as if she was saying that she'd expected more from him. He looked away uncertainly as she turned to face Link.

"Is that true Link?"

"I have not betrayed you," Link responded with a low growl, his ears flat as he ducked his head.

She shook her head in response, "I didn't ask if you had betrayed me Link. I want to know, have you been speaking with your god?"

Sheik moved to the side, slightly between Link and the Princess, he didn't reach for any of his weapons but he could get to them quickly enough if the need arose. Link looked right at him, then at the Princess before bobbing his head in the affirmative.

"I see, what has he said?"

Link shrank from Zelda's calm voice; Malon put a hand on his foreleg, her gaze locked on Sheik's warningly.

"He wants me to use his power."

"And release him," Zelda said in a whisper.

Link's head bobbed again, "I've refused."

"He is the reason you cannot use your wolf form around the Mage King's minions," Sheik prompted, Zelda frowned slightly but Link nodded.

"I agreed because he's right. Ganondorf will kill my people if he knows I'm with you."

"What else have you agreed to," Sheik asked as his body tensed.

"Sheik," Zelda said authoritatively, he stopped and turned to her. "Come with me," she looked back to Link. "I trust you Link, you've done nothing wrong."

Sheik was surprised by this last statement but followed the Princess without complaint as they left Link's room and went into hers. Zelda closed the door as he entered and then sat down on her own bed sighing tiredly. She looked far older than she should have, Sheik realized as she looked up at him.

"Sheik, do you realize what you just did?"