A/N: When I finally had written chapter 20 (finding it dreadfully uneventful and thus a bore to write) I was so proud of myself that I just posted the whole thing without considering how awfully long it was. That's why this isn't a brand new chapter (although ch. 22 is) and you might have read it before.
Chapter 21: Hyrule Castle attacked (part 2)
Ganondorf waited patiently for reports on the Song of Time, tapping his fingers on the table in front of him. With a loud 'poff'' Koume and Kotake teleported into his room and stared up at him with their huge eyes.
"Well?" Ganondorf asked.
"The laboratory man was dead when they got there but they still searched the whole hut and found nothing. He seems to have been studying other things than music and magic the last years."
"And the witch in Kakariko?" Ganondorf said while looking from one witch to the other.
"A young lad masked as a Keaton was there protecting her, they fled in a hurry."
"My faithful Gerudos beaten by one man?"
"The witch and the man fled, real quick too, once our group got advantage over them."
"Well? And the song?"
"They were sure those two didn't bring anything with them. They found some weird stuff at the witch's place but no Song of Time…"
Ganondorf didn't say anything and the witches glanced at each other. Then he picked up a vase standing on the table and threw it at the wall, making it shatter into several tiny pieces.
Ganondorf sank down in an armchair by the window, looking utterly defeated.
"Zelda surely knows, but it would be impossible to make her tell us anything about the ocarina or the song…"
The witches glanced at each other while Ganondorf kept thinking aloud. "There's no meaning trying with her…"
"Why does she know?" Koume asked. However she didn't sound very wondering but Ganondorf was too caught up in is own thoughts to notice.
"The royal family is the ones with most knowledge about the Triforce and the goddesses, the facts, what's true so to say…"
"Oh, the royal family", Kotake said with a meaningful tone.
"The royal family", Koume repeated and the witches glanced at each other again before they both turned their gazes to Ganondorf.
"The… royal family…" Ganondorf parroted and immediately got up from the chair. "Yes…"
Koume and Kotake gave each other a smirk as Ganondorf paced around the room, quickly making a few changes in his plan.
"The jewels", he spoke and the witches quickly hurried over to him, each with a jewel in their outstretched hand.
"Tell Aveil to make the troops start moving. We begin this war now… and tell Aveil to come and see me before they arrive."
The witches gave each other one last glance before they cackled evilly and disappeared.
"Dragmire!" A voice spoke as the witches disappeared. "Call them back now!"
Ganondorf turned around to see Impa stand in one of the corners of his room.
"For how long have you been standing there?" He snarled. Impa gave him a cold smile and unfolded her crossed arms.
"Send the troops back Dragmire… Princess Zelda has demanded me to tell you what is behind the Door of Time when the time is right and now it is. Or, rather, it was right… Call the witches back."
"No."
"It's the Master Sword Ganondorf, you do know the story I suppose?"
Ganondorf watched her distrustfully without answering. Memories of escorting Zelda back to her room last night came to his mind.
"It's the Evil's Bane", Impa went on. "You won't be able to touch it, nor do you possess power over anyone pure-hearted enough to wield it. Which means you won't get your hands on the Triforce."
Ganondorf stared at her in silent fury. He couldn't believe what he heard. Even if the Gerudos took the Hylians by surprise it was a big chance they would be defeated. His people were wandering to a slaughter and nothing else. There was no way he could call the witches back. Without knowing why he started to laugh. He wasn't able to stop it. He kept laughing hysterically while Impa stayed in her corner watching him.
"Call them back", she spoke. Ganondorf shook his head.
"We'll defeat you…" he stated with a wicked grin. Neither of them believed those words.
"Stop this before it's too late."
Ganondorf walked over to Impa and put his arm around her waist, pulling her close.
"I'll think of something", he whispered.
"You're getting desperate!"
She stared into his eyes. You didn't have to be a Sheikah to see that this man was close to madness. His eyes wide and his mouth carved into a terrifying grin.
"It's over… before it has even begun…" She said. He only shook his head and then let go of her waist.
"Mum!" Link waved to his mother who was busy working.
"Link? Shouldn't you be practicing with your father?" she asked with a frown. "You shouldn't sneak off like that. Always doing your best and putting effort in what you do is some of the most important lessons you can learn. What's easy is not always what is best."
Link gave her a broad smile. "Dad let me skip practice." His mother examined his face carefully as if to judge if he was lying.
"That's not like him", she then said and went back to her work. The younger girls that were doing their duties nearby gave Link fascinated glances and whispered to each other.
"Yeah, he was acting kind of weird."
"You're acting weird coming to see me while I'm working when you finally get some time off", his mother smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. One of the girls whispered something to her friend next to her who went bright red and all of the girls began to giggle.
"I don't really know why I came", Link said. "I'm having this weird feeling and felt like seeing you. Dad said he had this bad feeling too."
His mother tensed and stopped with what she was doing immediately and turned to look at him with wide eyes. "He… had?"
"Yes, he was actually acting kind of serious, I don't think we ever had a talk like that", Link said. The look on his mother's face made him a bit worried.
"Wh-where is he?" She asked.
"He had some business with the king or advisors or something like that…" Link answered, now more worried than before, the distress in his mother's eyes were clear.
Suddenly she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Wh-What? Mum?"
She buried her head against his shoulder and silently whispered. "I love you, I love you my little deku flower."
"Mum?"
Everyone else who was working nearby stared without any shyness at them hugging.
"I guess I'm treating you a little too much like a child, maybe you are too old for hugs", she whispered.
"No, that's not it!" Link said and hurried to hug her back. "But, why this all of a sudden?"
His mother hugged him a little tighter.
"Mum, you're choking me", Link laughed.
"I must go and see your father… I'm glad that you still are my little deku flower."
She turned before he could see her face and ran off as fast as she could.
"Mum!" Link shouted. "Won't you get in trouble for skipping work?"
He looked around and all other workers immediately went back to work, pretending they hadn't been staring.
Link felt anxious. Sure, his mother usually kissed and hugged him in public and said she loved him and called him cute nicknames. That wasn't what worried him. But she had seemed so worried. Maybe something was wrong with his father? He had been acting strange. Link walked away from the curious girls and their fellow workers.
"Navi", he said and took of his green hat.
"I'm trying to sleep!" He heard her squeaky voice from the bottom.
"Don't you think my parents are acting weird?"
"Nah…"
Link frowned. "Come up here! Don't sleep!"
Navi flew up and hovered in front of his face. "I'm also having this weird feeling actually. I'm worried… I'd like to see one of the Great Fairies or the Deku Tree. It's as if something is wrong."
"I think something is wrong with my dad…"
"That something is wrong with your father wouldn't affect a fairy! I want to go to a fountain or to the forest. Since I'm your fairy I need your permission."
"How can you act as if it's so urgent when you were asleep a minute ago?"
"I'm usually not very sleepy, that is weird too, I don't want any delays with this."
"I got another mission for you", Link said and lowered his voice. Navi raised an eyebrow at him. "I want you to find Zelda and keep an eye on her."
The light surrounding Navi turned crimson in a second. "No way!"
"Stop it", Link hissed and grabbed her wings.
"Listen, you can't force me! She might not even be in the castle!"
"Just check and if you find her keep an eye on her, okay?"
"No! I don't care about that stupid princess! What about what I want? There are things more important than checking that the princess is being spoiled as usual."
Link glared at her. "This is really important to me Navi!"
She looked at him, almost sadly, before she nodded.
"You'll do it?"
"Yeah…"
He let go of her wings and she flew down to stand in his open palm. She made a small jump and then flew off.
"Be careful Navi", he called out to the small light disappearing in the distance. "Or I'll be worried about you too." He waited till he couldn't see Navi anymore and then let out a sigh. "I really want to see Zelda."
"Your Majesty", Ganondorf said as he entered the king's room. "I have come with a request."
The room was, as always, dark and the king was sitting by his massive desk, shadows hiding most of his sharp features.
"What?" the king asked as he kept staring down at the documents in front of him.
"I need the Song of Time…" Ganondorf began but the king shook his head before he had time to finish.
"Only the royal family has right to know that song."
"Please, Majesty, I'm begging you", Ganondorf tried with his most convincing tone. "It's necessary that you let me know."
"Why?"
Ganondorf licked his lips. The king was about to dismiss him at any moment. He had to choose his words carefully already from the beginning. No need to walk around the subject.
"The entire Zora's Domain is frozen. We don't know at all what may have caused this but it is not natural, Your Majesty. We don't know where it'll strike next time, it might be here. To be able to protect ourselves from such power we'll need to open the Sacred Realm."
The king shook his head without even considering Ganondorf's words. "That can't be true, besides, why would I trust you with such an important mission if you really speak the truth?"
"Please…"
"Enough!" The king gestured for him to leave but Ganondorf didn't move.
"This can't wait! Tell me how to play the song!"
"Leave", the king said and for the first time during their conversation lifted his head to meet Ganondorf's gaze. "It's an order."
Ganondorf walked over to the desk with long strides and picked up something from his pocket. "Do you see what this is?" he asked as he let the object dangle in front of the king's bewildered face.
"My Zelda's earring", the king uttered softly. Ganondorf smirked. He had taken it from Zelda's bedchamber while making a quick visit there not very long ago. It was hard to believe that the princess had left her favorite earrings, which she always wore, lying on her desk.
"Why do you have that?" the king asked. His was face paler and contrasting much more to the darkness than before.
"Don't worry, she is safe for now but if I don't receive the notes to the Song of Time I'll kill her without blinking."
The king gave him a look full of fury, but it didn't conceal his fear. "She was right about you all along."
"Yes", Ganondorf said while smiling. "And you knew it too but were far too stubborn, too busy isolating yourself from her, to get rid of me. I was doing such a great job here in the castle too, wasn't I?"
The king kept watching him in silence. He still struggled to believe the conversation was real and Ganondorf enjoyed seeing the different expressions taking turns to play over the king's face, none erasing the terror etched in his gaze.
"Now, how about you get your sweet little princess back? It's the best choice you can make. Doesn't the thought of your daughter rushing into your arms, forgiving you for all the years you didn't spend with her, seem tempting?"
"Stay away from my daughter, Dragmire", the king demanded, his voice filled with such hatred that Ganondorf for a moment almost was taken aback. The king quickly got up from his chair and grabbed one of the two swords hanging on the wall behind him. Before Ganondorf had time to react he had a sword pointing at his throat.
"Well, you once were the most skilled swordsman in all of Hyrule, weren't you?" Ganondorf spoke with his eyes on the sword. "Too bad you've been spending the last years in that chair over there and not out practicing."
He drew his own sword hanging at the side of his waist. The king leaned over the desk to slash his neck but Ganondorf had managed to take him by surprise and blocked the sword with his own. "I'm still ready to hand over the princess in change for the Song of Time", Ganondorf said. The king used his free hand as support on the desk to successfully jump over it and then attacked Ganondorf again, pushing him backwards towards the door.
"I take that as a no", Ganondorf said scornfully.
"You are a liar Ganondorf Dragmire, I don't believe that you have Zelda!"
"Will you take the risk?" Ganondorf asked as he concentrated on the magical energy within and began to collect it in his left palm, hiding it behind his back for the unaware king he was fighting with his right hand.
"Now when the time has come to finally finish you off, my king, I really feel it has been worth the wait", Ganondorf said while swinging his sword and forced the king to take a better grip around his own with both hands.
"Tell me that you lied about Zelda!" The king yelled as he desperately tried to fend the sword out of Ganondorf's hand. The Gerudo's only answer to his question was a wide smirk.
Suddenly Ganondorf flung forwards and took a forceful grip with his left hand around the king's throat.
"Since you seem so eager to know about the princess's health, how about I demonstrate what will happen to her if you refuse." Ganondorf let the collected magic leave the hand that still held a tight grip around the king's throat and sent jolts of energy through the monarch, making him twist in pain. The king let go of the sword that fell to the floor. The echoing sound of it hitting the floor got drenched in the king's agonizing screams. As Ganondorf kept torturing the king, making him weaker and weaker, Ganondorf leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"I'll kill her slow… and painfully…"
The king found enough strength to lift his hand and tried to strangle Ganondorf. Ganondorf was shocked by the king's power in a situation like this but since it wasn't enough to harm him at all he laughed at him. "Fool, you're in no position to defeat me. You never have been and never will either. Isn't it ironic? I'm the greatest man of the two of us but still it's you who rules Hyrule."
The king tried to respond but was unable to do so. Ganondorf was careful not to choke the king but still make it painful for him.
"I think it depends on the people you surround yourself with. A lone man can't, a people on the rim of death, can't overthrow a king and his impressing, huge army, can they? And a king with such a bright daughter too…"
The king's eyes narrowed as Ganondorf brought the subject back to Zelda.
"Don't say that Hyrule really matters most to you", Ganondorf continued. "I don't know how much your wife meant to y…"
The king leaped forwards with a yell and his hands outstretched to strangle Ganondorf but before he could reach the Gerudo his legs gave in and he fell to the floor.
"Too weak", Ganondorf said as he began to walk in circles around the king. "Pathetic!"
The king tried to get up but failed as Ganondorf went on speaking. "Zelda is all that is left now, isn't that so? Now, tell me and I will let you live and will give your daughter back to you."
The king took a few deep breaths and then tried to speak. Gasping he tried to get the words out. He had never felt as frightened and weak as he did now.
"I can't hear you", Ganondorf told him mockingly.
"P-pen…" the king accomplished to utter from his position on the floor.
"Ah, yes, you'll need a pen of course", Ganondorf spoke as if they were having a completely normal conversation over a cup of tea. "But I think I'll remember, just go ahead and tell me the notes."
"A… D… F… A…D, F, A, high C, B, G, F, G, A, D, C, E, D…"
"Thank you, I knew I could count on you, King of Hyrule."
The king had crawled nearer the desk and used it to get to his feet. He held onto it with great effort, his face pale, and his legs slightly shaky.
"Z-Zelda…" the king uttered.
"Yes, Zelda…" Ganondorf repeated thoughtfully and then, with one fast swing of his sword, cut the king's head off. "I haven't really decided about her yet", he finished as the king's headless body fell to the floor and the head landed on top of the desk. It balanced on the edge of it before it slowly rolled off to fall out of view, only the sound of it hitting the floor confirming that it was still there.
Ganondorf was about to leave when his eyes fell on the papers on the king's desk, stained with a few droplets of splattered blood. "What exactly is he working with that takes such time?" he asked himself as he walked around the desk, avoiding stepping on the dead body on the floor. He grunted irritably as his boot nudged the head and gave it a kick before he sat down in the king's chair.
As he laid eyes upon what lay on the desk he raised his eyebrows. It was a charcoal drawing. It had its flaws but was quite well drawn. Ganondorf was pretty sure a very young princess Zelda had drawn this, mostly because it looked like a young person had drawn it and still it was so skillfully drawn that you might doubt a child had made it. It was a picture of a man that must be the king of Hyrule and next to him stood a small girl holding his hand.
"I had forgotten what a beautiful child she was", Ganondorf whispered as he looked down upon the princess's drawn version of herself. The peculiarly big eyes staring out of the picture until the day time would make the material it was drawn upon crumple and vanish.
"How very interesting", Ganondorf thought aloud and lay down the drawing back on the desk. Then he began walking around the room, examining all its contents. He stopped before a heavy curtain hanging on the wall to the left of the desk.
"What do we have here?" Ganondorf said and took a peek behind. It was a huge painting. The faint light in the room had its source on the desk and he could only make out what looked like the end of a dress. A string was hanging on each side of the draper and Ganondorf wasn't late to pull the one on his right and the curtain immediately moved to the side revealing an impressively large portrait.
"How sweet", Ganondorf said and turned to the king's dead body. "Her mother must have been a real beauty." It was indeed a portrait of a young princess Zelda, maybe about 8-10 years old.
"Maybe I should keep this room as it is when I take over…" Ganondorf went on speaking to the corpse on the floor. "But you will have to go", he added and wrinkled his nose at the stench of blood.
As he exited the room a boy garbed in green came running through the hall but stopped at the sight of Ganondorf.
"Sir Dragmire", he uttered, more to himself than as a greeting.
"This must be my lucky day", Ganondorf said, rather to himself, as he began to walk towards Link. This was definitely that boy with the sapphire and the ocarina. Now he wouldn't have to go look for him. He just hoped the boy was foolish enough to carry them with him.
"You're not allowed to be here boy, and you haven't bowed."
Link frowned and quickly made a bow which more resembled a deep nod. He tried his best to ignore the loud thumping of his own blood pulsing through his body. He couldn't push the whispers that had spread among the workers in the castle in less than a few hours out of his mind. That they were preparing for war and that, possibly, this man was the one responsible. This man was a traitor. If he could just hold his act and make Ganondorf come close he could attack him. His father always said he should trust his instincts.
Ganondorf approached him slowly, as if Link was an animal that might search for an escape at the second the sound of a broken twig was heard. "You better leave boy."
He started to gather magic in his palm behind his back as he walked closer to Link. "Or maybe the princess has asked for your presence?"
Link tensed at this, as his mind went blank he blurted out the first answer that came to his mind. "No, I'm a simple soldier, why would she ask for my presence?"
"Oh, I just thought I recognized you from somewhere…"
Now, Link thought and leaped forwards but Ganondorf had at the same moment shot his amount of magic energy at him. Link automatically brought up his sword to block it but it was no use. It hit him and for a moment light surrounded him, burning him as if it was fire. He was thrown backwards and landed on the cold floor. With a moan he tried to move but couldn't. It felt like he had been fighting an army. He had never met anyone who could use magic and now he was ready to agree with his father that it was an unfair way to fight. With great determination he tried to force his body to move and told himself that this wasn't enough to knock him out. Then he felt Ganondorf foot on his chest.
"I'm just going to search your pockets boy. I'm not having time to kill you right now. If I run into you again I'll do it but not now."
Ganondorf didn't hide his joy when the ocarina and sapphire finally glimmered in his hand. Link tried to make his arm reach out for his sword but since Ganondorf had found what he was after he kicked Link in the head, making him fall unconscious, and then left while his laugh bounced on the walls and echoed loud. It was time to meet Aveil.
He picked up the ocarina he had placed in his pocket and let his finger glide over the blue surface. But what was he supposed to do now? The Gerudos was on their way and the key to their victory, the Triforce was out of reach, because of only the Master Sword.
Thoughts and memories rushed through Ganondorf's mind. After so many years in the castle, there had to be something he could do… He knew how to open the Door of Time and he could do it. All he needed was to make it past this last difficulty blocking his way, the Master Sword. All careful planning could not be for naught. He thought it through again. The memory of the boy standing next to Zelda kept showing up in his mind. Ganondorf Dragmire, on the edge of his sanity decided to take the biggest risk of his life, and the lives of his tribe.
Link moaned. He had a thumping headache and several bruises. Faint noises could be heard and a strange scent, as if something burnt, was lingering in the air. Slowly he opened his eyes.
"Zelda", he said in disbelief as her face became visible to him. Zelda was leaning over him with a hand gently resting on his shoulder and with a relieved smile.
"I-I was so worried about you", he heard himself utter, his voice hoarse, and stretched out a hand to touch her cheek, but as he did so he felt that he didn't have enough strength. Disappointed he closed his eyes and let his hand fall.
"You've been worried?" Zelda asked and Link opened his eyes again to look at her. "I found you lying here in the corridor. I was afraid you wouldn't wake up", she said softly. If he could he would have embraced her, but disappointed he realized that he would have to give up that thought.
"The Gerudos have attacked and the battle is still being fought. Was it they who hurt you?"
Link nodded, unable to give any more accurate explanation.
"Can you stand?" She asked and he shook his head for answer. Zelda had a small pouch attached to her belt and picked up a small bottle from it. Inside a clear light with thin, fluttering wings hovered. Zelda unplugged the bottle and the little fairy spirit inside flew out and hovered in front of her face. Zelda shook her head and brought the fairy spirit's attention to Link. The little spirit flew closer to Link and suddenly he felt warmth spread through him. The spirit's light grew fainter until the spirit vanished and Link felt that all his wounds were healed and that he could move without problem again. He immediately got to his feet and Zelda rose beside him.
"Zelda", he said and turned to her but was cut short when Zelda, with tears in her eyes, threw her arms around him.
"I'm so glad I found you and that you're all right", she sobbed into his tunic.
"Y-you are?" he said dumbly at this unsuspected turn of event.
"I'm so scared of what may happen if we don't defeat the Gerudos but I think we have a chance. You must listen to me", Zelda said and brushed away her tears with one arm before she looked deep into his eyes, fixing him with her gaze, still hugging him. Link could only nod, still blown away by her embrace.
"I have a plan but you must offer me your help. Please, I need you", she said and Link nodded again, his throat too dry for him to answer. "It's too much of a risk that Ganondorf will get his hands on the Triforce, Link, you do know about the Triforce, don't you?"
She waited until he nodded again before she continued. "Ganondorf will always have a chance to get it if we keep trying to hide these items. He'll track them down sooner or later. This game will go on until someone receives the Triforce. What we must do is to take it before him. Will you do that for me?"
"What items...W-why me?"
"If someone with a pure heart touches the Triforce, it will lead Hyrule to a Golden Age. I know that you are the right one to do it." She said, still looking deep into his eyes.
"What do you want me to do?" Link asked and finally seemed to snap out of his dazed state. He gently draped his arms around her waist and met her gaze.
"You have the Ocarina of Time and the Zora's Sapphire, Link. If you go to the Temple of Time with the three spiritual stones and play the Song of Time, the way to the Triforce will open."
Link's eyes widened as her words made him recall what had happened earlier. "Zelda! I got attacked and the ocarina and sapphire was stolen!"
Zelda looked surprised. "What are you talking about? They are right there in your pocket." Link looked down to see a glimpse of the sapphire, indeed in its regular place in his pocket along with the ocarina.
"How?" He asked confusedly. Did he dream everything before?
Zelda picked up two stones from her small pouch, a ruby and an emerald. "You got the other two items", she said. "You must do this."
"But the song?"
"I'll teach you the song", Zelda said and Link handed her the ocarina as she handed the stones over to him. He missed the warmth of her body and almost reached out to pull her close again but felt that it would be too awkward. To pull a friend closer at a time like this was simply out of question, especially in such a manner as he imagined.
"Now listen carefully", Zelda told him and brought the ocarina to her lips. She played a slow tune and for a moment time no longer existed for Link as he stood there alone with Zelda in the long hall. It washed away all troubles, duties and desires. Right now he didn't need anything more in this world than standing here with Zelda. The princess stopped playing but the feeling and magic kept lingering.
"I'll definitely remember Zelda", he murmured. "But do you really think I can… I mean, you don't think you're making a mistake sending me?"
She smiled softly and let the ocarina slip back into his pocket as she took a step closer and then wrapped her arms around him again. Link gulped. "Zelda… "
She took another, minimal, step closer but it was enough to make the fact of how close they were standing more notable.
"May the way of the hero lead to the Triforce, and you are my hero", she whispered and pressed her lips against his. His eyes widened for a second before he, lost in a storm of feelings, kissed her back.
"I trust you", she whispered as their lips parted and before anything else was said she turned around to leave him. "I must flee from the castle but I'll find you Link! Let us not say farewell."
Then she was gone.
For a minute or two it felt like he'd never be able to move again. He would be happy to stand in the corridor for all eternity staring after her. He felt oddly unbalanced and tried his best not to sway from side to side where he stood. But as he brought his hand to his lips, another memory couldn't help but to intrude, no matter how much he hated it. Hadn't Sheik's kiss been more pleasant? Hadn't Sheik's lips been softer?
Then something else hit him. Where had Navi been? Didn't he ask her to guard Zelda? He knew Navi didn't like the princess but to run off like this when he asked for such an important favor?
He grunted as he headed towards the stables. When he reached the bottom floor he heard swords clash against each other and the burnt fragrance became stronger. When he reached the castle yard he also reached the centre of the turmoil. Parts of the castle were on fire and a fierce battle was being fought between Gerudos and Hylians. He thought he caught a glimpse of a few soldiers he knew but it was too much disorder to take any real notice of anything.
He tightened his jaw as he pushed the thought of aiding his comrades away. He had a mission to stop this war in a different way than offering his sword.
Someone had put the stables on fire not all too long ago and blocked the doors Link noted as he reached them. He pushed all his weight against the doors but they wouldn't budge. He backed off before he tried again with more force and, realizing that he didn't have much time, when the doors didn't open this time either he drew his sword and tried to cut it open.
After abusing the doors for a while they flung open, much because of the panicked horses which had broken free and ran out in fright as fast as they could when they finally had a way out.
One of the doors had hit Link and thrown him to the ground. Dizzy he got up to see if there was any horse left.
One, a red-brown mare, already saddled, was stuck and tried with wild movements to get out of its position. It jerked its head forcefully from side to side as it tried to twist away from the fire. Link approached her but the horse gave him a wild stare and became even more restless.
"Come on, I need your help", Link murmured as calmly as he could master with the stables burning and falling to pieces around him.
He didn't know if he tried for a few seconds or for an eternity to calm down the horse but he made no progress at all. It wasn't hard to figure out that the horse would die if it stayed here any longer so without much effort Link managed to jump on and take place in the saddle. The horse tried to throw him off but Link was a skilled rider and stayed where he was. The horse, half because of its wild tries to get Link off, half because Link forced it to move the way he wished made the horse free and she set off at a dangerous speed. Link tried his best to steer her but it was near to impossible. She ran in mixed rage and fright as fast as she could with Link hanging on for dear life.
None of the fighting ones took much notice of the horse and its rider and even if they did it would have been almost impossible to touch any of them. Link was sure it was a miracle that he had survived all the way to the castle gates when they came in sight but they were closed and locked and the horse wouldn't slow down.
"Stop! You crazy horse!" He yelled in panic as the iron bars came closer for each second. The horse stopped just in time but got up on its back legs and Link was thrown off.
"Bad horsie", he scolded the mare angrily as he got up and then went inside the small tower next to the gates. Being locked in was much better than being locked out in this case, since there was an easy way out even if the gates were closed. Link climbed the ladder and ended up over the gates.
"This will hurt just a little", Link told himself as he jumped down. A slight pain spread from his feet to the rest of his body as they hit the ground hard but it hadn't been high enough to cause any real damage. From the other side the horse glared at him. At least that's what it felt like when he met its gaze.
"Don't look like that! I'd bring you if you could… even if you're stubborn and completely crazy."
Link ran all the way down to Castle Town and turned to the left to get to the Temple of Time, like he had done a hundred times before, but never with a goal like this.
If you read my note in the beginning you are aware of that this isn't a new chapter.
Almost a year has passed since this story was updated and I wonder if anyone remembers anything that has happened at all (I surely don't). I have finally come around to write the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it as you now (I hope) move on to read and find out if the Hylians or the Gerudos prevail in the battle of Hyrule Castle.