CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

"The First Clue"

It only took the duo a fraction of the time to descend the floors as it did to climb them. Be it from Taytl's awkward conversation, their hurry to prevent another severe bashing from Ezlo, or perhaps a combination of both...whatever the reason, Brittany and Vaati soon found themselves traipsing down the last flight of stairs and into the foyer.

None of the foyer's wall lamps was lit, reminding the girl just how empty the treehouse truly was. Brittany had to make do with Vaati's flame and what light poured through from the adjoining rooms to get across the darkened chamber. She could hear distant chatter coming from beyond the room opposite the shop chamber. Taking one final deep breath to still her nerves, she headed into it.

Ezlo's workshop and study were the same. Or, I should say, they were now. Apparently, whatever the sage had been concocting earlier when Din thumped the side of the treehouse led to such an explosion that part of the wall dividing the study and workshop had been blown apart. Luckily, as the wall was not carved out of the wood itself, there hadn't been too much damage...just a mess of twigs and dried straw (Minish-style insulation) piled in two huge stacks on each side of the room.

The study itself was rather neat-if you ignored the gaping hole where the archway once was and the scattered debris all over the ground. Ezlo sat in the center of the chaos, his chair pushed up to a huge wooden desk. Books were piled high on both sides of the desk, scrolls were scattered all over its top, and random pieces of half-scrawled-on bits of paper were jammed into any free space the sage could cram them. At the moment, Ezlo himself was pouring over a particularly large volume, quickly jotting down notes on a scroll that had partially rolled off the desk in his haste.

As for the others, their lack of knowledge on Minish writing may have excused Link and Zelda from the grueling task of research, but Ezlo kept Din darting from bookshelf to bookshelf in search of various texts. The princess sat in a chair off to the side watching the harried mess unfold while Link casually leaned against the back, his arms crossed on top of the chair and his chin gently resting on Zelda's head. Both of them had worried expressions on their faces.

The dancer leapt down from ladder and thrust a thin red book under the sage's nose. "Is this it?" she panted.

"'Horses of the Western World'...thank you, Din," Ezlo nodded and took the text from her. "I need you to fetch me 'Folklore of the Kagesheika' now."

"Right on," she breathed more than said before running back over and jumping onto the ladder again. Brittany and Vaati walked straight into the room, unafraid of another bashing from the preoccupied sage. Ezlo was so deeply involved in his work that he did not notice anyone approach. While Vaati ambled over to the desk, Brittany turned to the two blonde Hylians in the corner.

"Have they found anything yet?" she mouthed silently. Zelda merely cast her eyes down and Link lifted his head long enough to shake a 'no'. The Empath frowned at turned back to the desk.

"Ezlo..." Vaati softly spoke, placing his hand on the page Ezlo was currently reading. The sage looked up with a start, then turned back to his notes.

"About time you showed up," he grumbled. "Make yourself useful and go find that book on Kagesheika folklore."

Without uttering another word, Vaati headed over to the bookshelves to join Din. Meanwhile, Brittany decided to make herself scarce. She walked over to where Zelda was sitting.

"How come you guys aren't helping?" she whispered to Link, who now was had his back to the wall and his hands propped behind his head.

"Neither of us can read Minish," the hero answered.

"Poor Din," the brunette cast a glance over toward the weary redhead. "I wanted to help her..."

"You'll still be able to help us save Farore once Ezlo finds what he's looking for," reminded Link. "Where were you guys, anyway? Drinking tea doesn't take that long, especially when your cup's already empty."

"I still had a drop left!" Brittany hissed. "Besides, I kinda wanted to let Ezlo blow off some steam before we showed up. I don't think I could handle another bonk on the noggin without firing back an attack of my own."

"Yeah, but that doesn't explain where you were."

The Earthling scowled at the youth. "Are you always this nosy?" Link scowled right back.

"Not usually, but you've got me curious."

"I asked Vaati to give me a tour," she finally said. "You wouldn't believe how closely this place resembles the castle! The whole of the building is a replica of the Royal Library!"

"Really?" Zelda piped up. "I wonder why they would build the inside to match-"

"FINISHED!"

The small group turned around to see Din and Vaati perched on each side of Ezlo, who was presently holding up a completed scroll. Brittany and the two Hylians hurried across the room to check it out.

"What didja find, Ezlo?" Link asked.

"As much as I possibly could, that's what!" barked the gruff sage. "I couldn't find anything on those 'curved tadpoles' of yours, but I DID discover something about those horses the bear saw," he pointed down at the scroll, where a flurry of notes had been scribbled in Hylian characters so the others could read them. "Your young rancher girl was correct. Not only are those beasts not found in Hyrule, but they aren't native to Holodum, Labyrnna, or any of the other surrounding nations. They can only be found with the master horse breeders of the Desert Wastelands."

The younger imp's eyes widened and the princess let out a tiny gasp. Din slammed her hand down onto the table.

"You mean to tell me that the desert people captured my sister?"

Ezlo huffed. "I make no such assumptions," he calmly spoke. "But what I do know is that if anyone knows where those horses came from, it would be them."

"Oh, yeah?" Din ground her other fist into her hip. "And how would you know that? Have you ever been to the Desert Wastelands before?"

"No, I have not."

"Then how-"

"The tales of their people's shrewdness reaches even unto the ears of the Picori, O Impertinent One," he remarked. "The desert people are very skilled at raising the strongest, fastest, and tallest horses. They pride themselves on that art because only they have the resources from which to provide such beasts. That's why they are very careful to only provide geldings-castrated males-to their buyers. And such animals come with a high price, so that makes them available only to the wealthiest of people. Also, those horses are bred especially for war, and they have the power and temperament to go with it. They require the utmost of care and plenty of space to tear about in...Not to mention incredible skill with such powerful beasts."

"So, in other words," Zelda joined in, "only well-trained knights or royalty with enough land and money to maintain such a horse could own one?"

"Or a merchant specialized in the trade of horse flesh, or perhaps a skilled thief."

"Then that's our first clue, everyone!" Link shouted.

"Yes, but that still has not narrowed it down enough," reminded the princess. "ANYONE of great wealth from the surrounding lands could have taken Farore. And besides," she sighed, "whomever kidnapped her could have either borrowed or stolen those horses from someone."

"That's why I suggest that you seek out the Master Breeders themselves," Ezlo said. "Remember the shrewdness I spoke of? On every occasion that I have found, those merchants had always made careful record of how many horses were sold at any given time. They would be able to tell you whom they sold the beasts to."

"But we still need someone to track the magic-user," Link recalled.

The sage rolled up the scroll and pushed his chair away from the desk, then stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in his soot-stained robe.

"That is why..." he said, picking up his staff and turning to the hero.

"That is why I am going with you."