Chapter 25

The Journey South

For the first week of his newest journey, Link saw little other than snow-laden fields. Nothern Hyrule was in the grip of a bitter winter. He passed through towns and villages, and again found that he was able to earn his keep with his ocarina. After months of snow and cold, he was a welcome change. Travel on the roads had been greatly reduced since Ganondorf came to power, and Link heard rumours of numerous bandits, though he never saw any. With the freezing weather, even fewer people bothered going beyond their own communities, and so he often found he was warmly received.

He could not help noting, though, that everywhere he went there were plenty of folk who looked at him with suspicion, and many eyed the sword at his belt. He did not encounter any trouble, though.

The eighth day of his journey was bitter; it began to snow around noon, and grew worse as the day went on. A hard wind had whipped up, and it drove the snow around Link. It was the sort of wind that no tunic or cloak could keep out, and by the time he reached a village an hour before dusk, both he and his horse were only too glad to stop.

Dismounting, he led his mount along the street, his hand numb on the reins. Coming to an inn, he went into the stable. It was empty, and no one came running to attend to him, but the horse was only too happy to stay where it was. Crossing the yard, Link entered the inn. He was in the kitchens, and he immediately saw the stable boy sat warming himself by the fire. The boy turned and looked at Link, his hands still stretched towards the warm flames.

As he looked, the door on the far side of the kitchen banged open and an obese man barged in. He looked from the stable boy to Link and frowned. "Ignoring good customers again, are ye?" he said in a thick accent. He walked to the fire and cuffed the boy sharply, causing him to rise and hurry past Link towards the stable.

"I take it yer a customer, anyway?"

"Yes. I was hoping for a room?" Link said.

"Aye, fair enough. We've enough empty, so long as ye can pay."

Link felt it best not to offer his musical services, but just nodded. There were enough rupees at his belt. "Yes, I can pay."

"Good, follow me." The innkeeper led Link to a dingy, cold room. The bed was unaired, but a fire was quickly kindled in the hearth, and that was more important. Link sat on the edge of his bed and removed his gauntlets, trying to work some heat back into his hands by rubbing them together.

As dusk began to fall, he walked round to the stable to check on his horse, before going to the inn's common room. It certainly was not overflowing, but there were a few people sat around. They did not look like they were staying at the inn, but were locals. Link moved to one of the numerous empty tables and seated himself. The innkeeper bustled in and came over to him.

"There's stew, or there's some pie left," he said brusquely. The way he mentioned the pie did not inspire confidence, so Link ordered a bowl of stew, and a mug of ale. He considered bringing out his ocarina, but he did not think it would go well in the atmosphere of the room. No one wanted music, they wanted a quiet drink at the end of a cold day, and he was inclined to agree with them.

The innkeeper returned with his ale, and told him someone would be out in a moment with the stew. Wrapping his hands around his mug, Link allowed himself to tune into the conversation of one of the other tables.

"Turrible weather," a man was grumbling. "Cold's gettin' everywhere."

"Aye," agreed his companion. "Winter ought to be breakin' by now, but it ain't."

"It's bad for business," added a third. "No traffic on the roads, and that what there is ain't interested."

"Careful, lads," the first man intoned quietly, and they all glanced at Link, the stranger in their midst.

The second man continued, a fraction more quietly, "I still reckon there's somethin' strange about this weather. It ain't natural. As I say, it ought to be breakin' by now, but it just gets colder."

"Winter's winter," said the first, stoically. "I've seen colder than this, and we'll see it again.

"And it'll snow harder than ever tomorrow, if I'm any judge," said another.

"Wasn't this cold a few years back," his companion replied, obstinately.

"That's dangerous talk," the first responded, and the group fell silent. Every few moments they cast their eyes at Link, until they had drained their mugs and all left the common room.

When a misty dawn broke the next morning, Link was already lying awake. It was still snowing lightly, but he had no desire to stay any longer at the dingy inn. After a bowl of cold porridge, he went to the stable and mounted quickly, keen to get on the road.

It seemed he should have listened to the men in the common room, though, as the snow fell harder and by early afternoon it was almost a blizzard. The horse plodded dejectedly along the road, but Link could not find the urge to go any faster. He sat hunched in his saddle, trying to make himself as small as possible against the wind and clutching his cloak around him. Even his keen eyes struggled to stare through the swirling flakes, but it was hardly worth doing so, as there was nothing to see anyway.

When, after an hour, he saw a barn, he did not think twice about dismounting and leading the horse inside. He could not even bring himself to think who owned the barn or if they would mind him using it. There was some hay to give the horse, while he was able to eat from his pack.

He drank the last of his Lon Lon Milk, which sustained him slightly. The horse lay down, disgruntled, and Link sat down nearby, leaning against the wall. He pulled a blanket from his pack and wrapped it around him, still wearing his thick cloak, and still freezing.

By strange contrast, Navi seemed reasonably happy. He had felt her mood grow more positive as they travelled. She did not feel the cold, so it could not wear her down as it did him, and she was ecstatic that they were finally going home. She sat on the floor of the barn and seemed to be dozing, as much as a fairy can.

"It was Sheik," said Link.

Her tiny light grew into its normal blue white glow as she realised he was speaking.

"What was?" she asked.

"When Rauru told me Ganondorf had conquered Hyrule, I wanted to do anything to undo what I did seven years ago. But then Sheik appeared and told me I was Hyrule's only hope." He fell silent. Navi said nothing and eventually he continued. "Everyone believed in me. Saria and the Deku Tree, Zelda and Darunia and all the gorons. But I failed. I doomed Hyrule, I let Ganondorf get the Triforce. So how can I be Hyrule's only hope?"

The fey did not answer for a long time. "Link, I think you need to focus. Ganondorf scares me, and what he's done to Hyrule scares me. I don't know how he can be defeated but I know at the moment we need to go back to the forest. That's what my heart tells me."

It was his turn not to answer, and they both sat with their own thoughts for a moment before she spoke again. "What happened was not your fault. No one knew what would happen, I'm sure Zelda feels responsible as well. The only person truly to blame for what has happened to Hyrule is Ganondorf."

There was another pause before Link spoke again. "I wonder where Zelda is."

"I don't know. I've wondered that several times."

"I think she's alive. I don't know how, but I know she's still okay."

They fell silent. A few moments passed until Navi's light again faded to a pale pink. Turning on his side, Link hugged into the wall and closed his eyes, before falling into a merciful sleep.

He almost felt as if his luck had turned the following day. The blizzard had subsided, and Din's Fire seemed to burning new cheer into him. It was still bitterly cold under the clear sky, though, and it was a difficult day on the fresh snow. Nonetheless, the little party were in higher spirits, even the horse seemed happier, and the following days compounded the change. The weather seemed to be genuinely improving. It invigorated Link, and gave him fresh heart.

After two further weeks on the road, he came to a village where the snow had been completely cleared, and past it the fields did not have the thick layer of frost on them. Instead, he began to see crops breaking through.

Two days later, he saw something else he had not seen for a long time: rain. It was only a drizzle, and on another day it would have caused his heart to sink into his boots, but after seeing nothing but snow for months it brought a wide grin to his face, and made his horse positively frisky.

The change in the weather meant for the first time he began to see other people on the roads. Their moods were not improved, though, and none would make eye contact or acknowledge other travellers. They were all determinedly making their way from one place to another, as quickly as possible.

It was not hard to see why. A few days later, as he was passing out of a small rural village at midday he saw three men with horses and one goron, lounging by the road. They did not look like the sort of men Link wanted to mingle with, and he did not like the way they were looking at him and muttering to each other. He nodded to them politely and thought no more about it; there were too many people around for them to have attempted to cause trouble.

He was on a long, empty stretch of road. It was a straight passage into the south, and Link was plodding along contentedly in the mid afternoon when he noticed two figures ahead of him, stood to the side of the road, beside a horse and a little hut.

As he got closer, one of the two stepped onto the track. His stance shifted, and it became obvious he expected Link to stop. Suspicious, Link reined in his horse and frowned at the man. He was wearing a smile that looked distinctly unpleasant.

"Good afternoon, sir," he said, politely. He was a swarthy, little man with a dark complexion. His mock courtesy reminded Link of the men who had come to Lon Lon Ranch, the ones who had so badly upset Malon.

"Good afternoon," he replied coldly. He flicked the reins, his horse stepping forwards again. The stranger quickly shuffled around so he was directly in Link's path. His heart beating slightly faster, Link tried to direct the horse around him, but again the man shuffled around to block his way, still wearing that unpleasant smile.

"Can I help you?" Link asked.

"There's a road toll," said the man, and now Link heard an edge in his voice.

"There is, is there? I hadn't heard anything about it." He had no desire to pay any toll, and he thought he ought to be able to get past the man by force, if necessary.

"Yes. There is. Fifty rupees."

Link's eyebrows rose incredulously. "Fifty rupees? For a toll on an empty road?"

The man shrugged his innocence. "Less travellers on the road, you see. Got to increase the toll, it falls to good people like yourself to pay more, I'm afraid." Again, the mock sincerity grated on Link's ears, but this time Link noticed something: the man's eyes flickered away from Link and to some point behind him. Sensitive to trouble, Link's eyes flicked to the man who had stayed off the road.

He was instantly recognisable as one of the men Link had seen as he left the little village, hours earlier. Alert to the man in front of him trying anything, Link turned.

There were two mounted men on the previously empty road, a goron walking beside them. It was the man's companions. One was a stocky, bearded man. The other was tall, gangly.

Turning back to the one blocking his way, Link thought quickly. The man who still stood to the side of the road must have been a runner, who had pushed his horse to get ahead of Link and alert the man in the hut. Their job now was just to detain any traveller here, away from any possible help, while the other three came up behind.

Link did not want to wait around and find out the story ended. He dug his heels into his horses flanks, forcing it to leap forward. With a cry of outrage, the swarthy man leapt to the side to avoid being run down. Link kept his horse at a gallop and risked a glance behind him. The first man had run off the road and the runner was trying to get onto his horse. Ahead of both of them, their companions were also galloping and the goron was lumbering along beside them.

Uncertain how long his horse would be able outrun them, Link considered his chances. They were not good, but turning and making a show of resistance might buy him more time to get away than just running, especially as their horses were probably fresher than his.

He pulled on the reins and the horse cried in protest as Link forced it to wheel around. He leapt from the saddle and drew the Master Sword. Speed and surprise would serve him far better in the confrontation than brute strength would; he needed to shock his aggressors.

In their turn, they had not expected any fight from him and the two men looked much more uncertain as they looked at the length of Link's blade. They would be easier to deal with than the goron, and Link dodged to the side of the road where they would pass him.

They were by now trying desperately to rein their horses in, but their momentum led them too far. As the first came close, Link thrust the Master Sword upwards and drew the sharp steel fully across the man's thigh. With a scream, he fell from his horse into the dusty road. The horse began to panic and reared up. Dodging out of range of its kicking front legs, Link heard the bearded man cursing as he tried to get clear.

The goron was now moving clear of the others to get at Link. Keen to avoid that happening, Link circled the screaming horse. The other man had managed to dismount, but his horse was giving him trouble too, spooked by the other beast. Link swung his sword, not caring whether or not the man was fully able to defend himself.

Now looking far less confident, he dived out of the way of Link's sword. Link darted forward and slammed a boot into the man's head. He instantly went limp.

Looking up, Link saw a huge rocky fist swinging towards him. He ducked and felt the wind from the blow pass over his head. Regaining his balance, he brought his sword up and stabbed forwards, jabbing the point into the goron's face. The tip slipped below his eye and he roared in anger. As the rocky creature flung its hands up to his face Link rammed the sword into its sheath, dashed back to his horse and leapt into the saddle. The other two bandits had kept their distance, watching what happened to their comrades.

Making the most of their hesitation, Link pushed the horse to a gallop, looking behind him every few minutes in case of pursuit. No one followed though. He guessed he had been more trouble than they were looking for. Even so, he was glad when he reached a sizeable town with a decent inn three hours later.

The further south he travelled, the more signs he saw of spring taking a firm hold on Hyrule. He guessed he had seen the last of the snow, and the farms and ranches he passed were beginning to plant fresh crops, turning over the soil in their fields.

When he saw a newborn calf feeding from its mother, he felt a definite warmth after the cold winter. Turning his attention back to the road, he wondered if the snow had fully melted at Lon Lon Ranch. The thought gave him an acute sense of homesickness, and he was saddened that he was not able to contribute to the work going on their, now.

He was also becoming aware that his horse was tired. The animal was one of the best in Hyrule, the pedigree of the ranch where it had been foaled and raised. Even with that in mind, it could not go on indefinitely. It had now carried him eighty leagues south, two thirds of the distance he needed to cover. He sold it to a ranch, who immediately saw the quality of the animal, even after its long journey. Knowing as little as he did, Link still could not help thinking he got less than the animal was worth, but it was what he had come to expect in Ganondorf's Hyrule.

Travelling on foot meant that he was going much slower, but he did not mind especially. The most noticeable problem it caused was finding shelter each night. He knew already that the further south he travelled, the fewer settlements he would find, and slowing did not help him to reach them. He was forced on several occasions to camp outdoors.

In itself, this was not a problem. The weather was warmer and he had done it enough times when he had been a child. He had heard too many comments about the empty roads, though, and it made him wary. He slept uneasily, his sword close to hand, and woke frequently in the night.

This quickly proved to be good practice, though. He had not come to a suitable place to stop in two days, and so as night fell he moved off the road and wrapped himself in his blankets. When he awoke, he found that it was a dark and misty night, with no moon. If he had stood, he probably would not have been able to see the road easily.

He immediately knew better than to stand, though. Instead, he lay completely still, his eyes half open as he strained to see what his ears had already heard. He was not alone, someone was trying to move stealthily towards him. Considering the poor visibility, he could not think how they had noticed him huddled away from the road.

A moment of silent understanding passed between him and Navi through their bond, and they both waited. There were several people creeping towards them. As soon as two dark silhouettes crept into Link's line of sight, Navi shot into the air. She appeared as a sudden burst of light in the thick darkness, and darted at the two figures, causing them to jump back, cursing.

Instantly, Link was on his feet and moving forwards. His left fist flew out and laid the first man out cold. The second held a sword, and stabbed at Link. The Master Sword lay in its sheath a few feet away, no help at all. Dodging back from the sharp steel, Link waited for an opportunity.

As the man came forwards again, he overreached himself, trying not to come too close, He was only off balance for a moment, but it was enough. Link lunged forwards and grabbed the man by both his ears, yanking his entire head downwards to meet his rising knee. There was a sickening crunch and a yell of pain, and the man fell to the floor, clutching his blood covered face.

There was a third man, though, and he was quieter than his companions. Link had dispatched the first two in a matter of seconds, and only just managed to dive out of the way as the final bandit swung at him with an axe. Eyes darting towards his pack, Link knew he still could not reach his sword in time. Instead, he dodged to the side as his assailant came forwards again. Diving forwards, he snatched up the sword of the man whose nose he had broken.

All three bandits were hylians. The first two were stocky men, and looked unpleasant. The third was different. He had elegant features, and appeared well groomed. He wore a narrow goatee under sunken eyes. The man drew back his axe and hacked at Link, but he was able to block it fairly easily with his requisitioned sword. He blocked several more blows before feinting to one side. His opponent's next attack went wide, thrown off by the sudden movement, and Link brought his blade up as quickly as he could. Reacting quickly, the other man dodged backwards, but not quickly enough to avoid the sword leaving a long, jagged cut on his forearm.

He stepped quickly out of range and glared at Link, who watched him warily, sword ready. Their breath misted in the cold night air as they silently considered each other, before the man seemed to decide it was too much trouble, and slunk away into the night, abandoning his comrades

Link stood and breathed for a moment, forcing himself to something like calmness. He looked around. One man lay at his feet, still unconscious, while the other was writhing on the floor and groaning, still clutching at his broken nose. Disgusted, Link lashed out at the man with a boot, causing him to also fall silent.

With a sigh, Link went to gather up his possessions. He could not lie down and sleep again, with them so near, nor did he want to now he could feel the adrenaline pumping around his body. He thought for a moment of moving the unconscious men, but there was nowhere to move them to, nor did he see why he should give them any courtesy.

As he prepared to walk away, a thought struck him. He dropped his pack on the dewy grass and approached the prone figures. Patting them both down quickly, he found wallets with a considerable number of rupees in them. Considering the two men, Link decided they would not miss the money, and so threw it into his pack before shouldering it and walking back to the road.

Quickly gaining the path, he noticed that the grass was unkempt, and he could immediately see where it was broken at the side of the road. Looking more closely, he could see exactly where the three men had walked onto it, and could also make out the older passage he himself had left. It explained how they had been able to find him, and he knew he would have to be move careful about covering his tracks if he slept in the open again.

By dawn, he had covered a further league, and did not stop until light was again fading and he finally found a town.