Chapter 20 - Lost and Found

Thunder sounded softly from outside as an evening storm came passing through the area. The grey clouds had blocked out a fairly good bit of the evening light, but it wasn't quite dark enough to need the candelabras along the walls lit just yet. Zelda stood in the library with Myriad, going through a book of Royal Crests and Coats of Arms. They hadn't found any with dragons on them yet, but they kept looking, marking any with an animal on it in the meantime just incase what Lindon drew bore any similarities to them.

"This one almost looks like a dragon," Zelda pointed out, "but it's a gryphon."

"Yes," Myriad sighed. "It seems to be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Risek said he'd only seen a few himself. So the chances are that whatever we can find is likely to be what we're looking for."

"He said the Kingdoms didn't even exist anymore," Zelda added, "though I think we should go through them all just incase, instead of just the ancient ones."

"As do I," Myriad agreed.

Turning a few more pages and continuing on in their research, the door to the library unlatched and then opened up. When it did, the light of the evening revealed Risek standing there, and he asked once he saw both Zelda and Myriad glancing toward him, "Might I join you?"

"Please do," Myriad said without pause, "we were just speaking of what you said in the Throne Room."

With a nod, Risek shut the door and stepped over to the table where the books were. Looking them over, Zelda pointed out which ones they'd gone through and which ones they hadn't. So he lifted one that they hadn't and opened the cover. He stood there quietly enough, going through the pictures with them, thinking as he glanced the images over. With most of the books, not all of the crests belonged to Kingdoms in specific, but some to noble families and lineages of royalty as well as that of towns and tribes alike.

But if Risek was right, the crest they were looking for wouldn't be in any of these books.

When Link mentioned that Lindon said the crest bore a dragon, Risek hadn't really considered it until that moment, but the elements mixed together to form a story he'd heard when he was a child from his father. Though, he didn't bring that story up now, knowing better than to create speculation before they had the facts, still, he couldn't help the sinking feeling that he was.

He could only wonder what the reaction might be if he was right however. Somehow, Risek felt the diplomatic mission he was sent on was now hanging from a thread, and all because of the sins of the past. He simply hoped it wouldn't be that bad, and continued to turn the pages without pause through his thoughts, though he did stop when he heard Zelda sighing out a breath.

Setting her book down, she reached for the gloves she wore and began to tug them off, getting the feeling she could turn the pages easier if the slippery material wasn't encompassing her fingers, and settling the white garments to the side, she took the book into her hands again. Using her left, she reached for the page, and spotted her familiar Triforce Symbol on the back of it.

Not thinking much of it, she only wondered how Link might have been back from his visit to the Market already as he'd dropped by the library before he'd left to let them know he'd be back before sundown. When she had that thought though, she knew there shouldn't have been a way that he could have been back already with as little time that had passed since then. So she asked Risek plainly, "Did you see Link heading this way when you came here?"

Still looking through his own book, he replied, "No, I didn't. I haven't seen him since I left the Throne Room."

Zelda's brow furrowed with those words spoken, and she looked up at the Prince. "Are you positive?"

Risek glanced back over at her and gave a nod of his head. Myriad, curiously, looked from her book and at Zelda, wondering what the questions were about, until she spied the Princess looking at the back of her left hand again. Then she noticed the mark there, and slowly turned her eyes to Risek.

Risek got the feeling he was being scrutinized, and he glanced back and forth between the two women. Lifting a brow, he watched Myriad settling her book down and walking over to him. "Risek, might I ask you a favor?"

Somewhat uncertainly, Risek asked in reply, "What's that, my lady?"

"Could you remove your gloves?"

Risek looked at Myriad quietly, unmoving for a moment, and without doing as she asked while giving her a curious and unsure stare, he asked, "How did you figure that out?"

Zelda stood up slowly when she realized that Risek had already seen the mark they were looking for, and Risek glanced at her uncertainly. Walking over, she held up her left hand and showed him her mark. "Do you have something like this on the back of your left hand, but with the top triangle colored in instead of the one I have?"

Risek decided that it was no longer time to kept this secret he'd happened across. After all, he wanted the meaning for it, so he could only guess they'd give him one. Closing the book he'd been holding, he set it onto the table, and then reached for his glove.

Zelda watched as he pried the material from his hand and then looked at the back, finally turning it to show her where the mark was solidly placed in three golden triangles upon his skin.

The ladies response was very similar, both of them inhaling their breaths and sighing it out before glancing at one another. Risek in turn looked between the both of them before he lowered his hand, wondering what they might say about this situation.

Myriad, looking back at him once again, said, "I believe we've finally found it."

Narrowing a brow, Risek asked as if he wasn't sure he liked what they were saying, "Found what?"

---

Link's ride had proven somewhat fruitful. Despite the fact that the lock down command had been given, and watching while he past the soldiers calling out the order to the people in the Market to stay within the boundaries of the town until further notice, Link managed to find one thing he'd considered looking for before - Lindon's hat, laying beneath a counter near the area where he'd been arrested.

But he found nothing else besides this, which was a slight bit disheartening, but he honestly hadn't though he would have found anything. Heading back toward the stables on Epona instead of Frost due to feeling that she needed the exercise, he slowly came to a stop. Sundown would be soon now, and he didn't want to disobey his King's orders, especially not now.

The showers of the evening storm passing through the skies had started falling lightly, the mud beginning to cake up on Epona's hooves as she moved until Link stopped her to climb off of her back. Settling the pregnant mare back into her stall again to keep her from getting too wet in the newly falling rain, Link exited the stables and shut the door behind himself, no one around the particular area, too busy currently making everyone aware of the King's orders. Thunder sounded softly while he walked, the storm not a very bad one at all, but enough to block out a good bit of the evening light.

Walking through the yards to head to the gate of the courtyard, Link heard a galloping horse slowing down on the road nearby, and he glanced over to see Tenio on his steed. The sight made Link curious, because he knew Tenio was supposed to be out with the other Knights looking for the white armored riders that had apparently catalyzed the events of earlier with Zelda, which made him curious to find out what Tenio had come back for.

"Tenio? Did you find something?"

The silver haired Hylian didn't say anything in response, simply stared at Link quietly. The look made Link take a few steps closer, and he shook his head slowly, asking again, "Tenio? Are you alright?"

Link saw something he hadn't expected in that moment, which was Tenio's eyes, at first normal, but then turning to a stark white. Seeing this, Link's own blue eyes widened a good bit.

"Tenio, answer me, what's going on?"

Uncertainty washed over Link while his friend's eyes changed, and Tenio suddenly gripped the reigns of his horse and dug his legs into the animal's hind flanks hard. The horse reared up and started in at a heavy gallop as if to plow Link over without concern. The movement made Link gasp, and he leapt out of the way as quickly as possible, rolling to the side so he could still move if he needed to.

Glancing up, the wind picking up the tendrils of his blonde hair and the back of his blue windsock, he spied Tenio's horse passing his position, but the Hylian himself was turning on his mount's back and pulling out his bow from his back before he gripped an arrow and tugged it from his quiver to notch it. Link had always considered Tenio's archery skills to be second to none, even his own, and it was the one area he was glad to be friends instead of enemies with the Hylian for. So witnessing this, Link grabbed his sword instead of his shield because he knew exactly what was coming.

Moving from where he'd come to crouch, Link jumped out of the way as an arrow was released and flew through the air toward him, hitting the grass where Link had been standing just a moment beforehand. The arrow exploded against the ground in a burst of fire which was why Link hadn't bothered with his shield. It might have prevented the arrow itself from hitting him, but the fire would have burned him.

Tenio didn't waste time either, notching another arrow quickly before firing at Link again, and Link turned his sword against the arrow as it flew toward him, knocking it to the side with a careful swipe of his blade and into the ground where it exploded in a second burst of fire.

"Tenio!," Link yelled to him, trying to get through to his friend. He knew that whatever had happened to Lindon was now happening to the Knight, and he added, "You don't want to do this!"

The yelling and explosions had drawn the attention of the soldiers, three of which had come running up, unsure what to think about what they were seeing. Link called back to them however in order to stop them from interfering, afraid Tenio might get hurt if they did. Instead, he ordered them to stand back, having that ability due to his Knighthood, and told them to simply not let Tenio get away, uncertain of what the Hylian might do if he ran.

Another arrow flew toward Link who swiped his sword again, knocking the third and final projectile to the side just before his friend dismounted from his horse. Slowing to a stop, Link watched Tenio pull his own blade from his hip, making a yell of attack while he ran in to try to do his friend harm.

Link's brows narrowed, knowing this wasn't going to be easy. He couldn't hurt Tenio, but apparently, his friend was set on hurting him. With this knowledge in mind, Link finally pulled his shield off of his back and turned it ahead of himself as soon as Tenio brought his own weapon down against it, hearing the clink of metal accompanied by the sparks it created on the dull stormy evening.

Trying not to allow Tenio any time to do more, Link grunted as he pushed himself forward, resulting in shoving Tenio back, faster and faster until the Hylian hit the wall that surrounded the courtyard behind him. Link held him there, Tenio's blade stuck between his body and the shield that was forced against it, his back to the wall, and Link tried to reason with him once again.

"Snap out of it, Tenio! Talk to me!"

Tenio didn't listen though, and with a grunt of effort, he thrust his head forward, slamming it into Link's, hitting his nose, which drew a line of blood from his nostril before he kicked the blue clad Knight back, his own attire currently red. Link stumbled backwards and lost his grip on the Hylian Knight, blinded by the pain shooting through his face at that moment, not thinking his nose was broken, but knowing it had been damaged.

Tenio seemed, as Lindon had, to be much stronger than normal, and Link wished he'd remembered that stipulation of this entire mess. The one thing he did remember though was that Lindon had seemed to snap out of it, so he could only hope that Tenio would as well before anything dire happened. But he didn't stop from defending himself, lifting his shield again when he spied Tenio moving to make another attack. Link's aim was a little off though because of his earlier distraction, and Tenio's weapon bit into his shoulder and across his chest after it had slide down against the side of Link's shield.

A few inches closer and it could have cleaved Link's head from his shoulders. But Tenio was suddenly pushed away from Link in his distraction, which prevented more damage from being caused. The guards had finally found a good opportunity to tackle the crazed Knight, pushing him to the ground and holding him there. Link, in seeing this once he'd stumbled to the side from the wound he'd just received, took a deep breath and pushed himself up slowly.

Ignoring the pain he felt in his shoulder and nose, he walked over to crouch down before his currently entrapped friend. Tenio was struggling still, under the effects of whatever spell had been cast on him, and Link put his sword upon his back along with his shield again, saying Tenio's name once more. "Can you hear me?"

Just a moment later following the question, the struggles stopped, and the color came back into the once controlled Knight's eyes. Breathing heavily, Tenio gasped in response, "Link!? Are you alright?"

With the rains pouring much harder now, drenching all five of them, Tenio turned his head and looked up to see that Link had nodded slowly. But the silver haired Hylian didn't look convinced. Instead, he looked fairly horrified in seeing Link's bloody nose, and the tear in his jerkin that was trickling a little bit of blood now.

"What have I done?"

"Nothing," Link replied, letting the guards pull Tenio up to stand once they had the shackles on his wrists, but despite this, they didn't let go of him just yet, afraid he would try to attack Link once again.

Link knew that Tenio must have had a run in with a White Knight, and curiously, he asked, "What happened, Tenio?"

Sighing out his breath as the rains fell to wash some of the mud away from his jerkin, the Knight spoke in answer, "I was following Lyonel's orders, searching for anything I could find, when I saw one of the White Knights, and began to follow him with as much stealth as possible to see where he would go. I wasn't close to him at all however when I blacked out. I must have been ambushed perhaps. But knowing what was going on, I decided to come back here hoping to have myself put in the dungeon before I could attempt to harm any of my friends. But then I saw you and I couldn't stop myself."

Link's brows narrowed. Apparently, his Mother was right, and the targets were random. The news wasn't very promising at all, and Link pushed some of the wet hair out of his face while he tried to consider what they could do now before he asked, "How do you feel?"

"Terrible," Tenio replied.

"I mean, do you feel like you might snap again?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I won't. I would still like to be held within the dungeons. Just incase."

It seemed like a good enough idea to be safe. But if things kept up this way, all of the Knights and soldiers out looking for these riders would be in the dungeons before sunrise. Still, it was the best option for now until they knew more, and Link nodded his head. "Alright. You're probably right anyway. It might be safer like that. When my Father gets back, hopefully not under the influence of any spells, I'll let him know about you."

Tenio nodded, thanking his friend. While being turned to be taken with the soldiers to the dungeon, Link let his head fall forward in thought. What if his father did come back under the influence of one of those Knights, and attacked him? Or even worse, his mother? Closing his eyes, Link sincerely hoped that wouldn't happen, especially not with Lyonel's knowledge of the arcane, as he could more than likely cause a good deal of damage.

But his thoughts slowly died away from that situation, and went to Zelda. He had the oddest urge to find her and hold her, just until he felt a little bit better. Turning his head, he glanced up at the windows across the way which he knew belonged to the Library where she was, and he could see the lights within it were on, telling him that she was still there, or his mother was anyway. Maybe Risek was with them also, which wasn't exactly something Link hoped for in that moment.

Turning, he began to walk toward the gates of the courtyard with the determination to find her and not only hug her once he did, but also ask her if she had a bottle of potion because his nose and shoulder just stung and throbbed like crazy and it was getting irritating.

---

The Hylians weren't sure what was going on. It was somewhat humorous to see them scrambling about, trying to keep themselves safe in the threat of unknown danger, only just now realizing that perhaps someone was behind these instances of control. But things were well underway, and soon now, all would fall right into place. The set up was the most meticulous part.

The only thing they have that could remotely tie us is the crest bore on our suits of armor. But they won't find that crest within any of their scrolls or books. None of them will ever find out the truth behind the attacks, and even if they did manage to match that picture to what it truly represented, they wouldn't understand what it was that they were glimpsing.

With puppets in place to attack targets set at random, confusion will cloud judgment and truth, and shield us from unwanted eyes. But this form of control does have its toll on our powers. Soon now we will have to vanish from sight completely for a while, until we can regenerate it. This does not hinder our plans however, as what we wanted has been accomplished.

But we have to find the amulet. Only with that can we destroy the mute that was placed on our power so long ago.