Chapter 25: Easy Come, Easy Go
Kotake's memory of the past three days consisted mainly of blackness, interrupted only by a series of short, pain-filled waking moments spent staring at an empty ceiling, sometimes comforted by what sounded like Koume's shaky voice telling her that everything would be all right. Even in her condition, she had remembered that assurances like these were never to be taken seriously. Which made it all the more surprising that, when she had finally come to for longer than five consecutive minutes, she found herself, while not 'all right', at least no longer dying from an infected wound. She might have thought that it had all been just a fever dream if not for the long scar on her leg that would surely remain with her for the rest of her life.
Not that I'm complaining or anything. It's a small price to pay for a miracle. And it adds a certain rugged quality to my good looks.
It was the night after her magic-assisted recovery, as little as an hour before dawn, and the twin sisters were sneaking through the corridors of the Keep for what Kotake hoped would be the last time. Ever since the Sheikah woman enlisted by her sister had healed her, she had spent most of the time sleeping and eating in order to replenish her drained strength until she could walk again without stumbling. Ignoring Koume's pleas to rest some more, she had insisted in leaving the Keep right now, while the darkness would still hide their movements.
I'm not staying one more hour in this cursed place.
"Are you sure you don't want to go back?" Koume whispered behind her as they passed through an archway into the courtyard. "That woman said you needed to-"
"Look," Kotake replied without turning around, "if this is some roundabout way of making me say 'thank you' by reminding me of what happened, then thank you. However, I'm taking the hint fate has given me and get the hell out of here."
"Are you sure you can even climb the wall in your condition?"
"Perhaps not," Kotake said. "But we're not climbing any walls tonight. We're walking out through the front door."
"Uh, there are guards posted at the gate, you know."
"And they're bound to have their backs turned to the courtyard, so we'll just slit their throats from behind." Koume was about to protest, but she cut her off. "These people almost killed me. I'm done playing nice." To her surprise, Koume said nothing more about the matter and silently followed behind her sister.
Perhaps she's finally seen reason about killing people when it's necessary. That would save me lots of trouble in the future.
The two women sneaked along the outer wall, hiding behind the many bushes adorning the courtyard whenever possible, keeping an eye out for any patrols or guards. Thanks to their vigilance, both of them noticed the tall figure standing in the middle of the courtyard, not far from the main gate, silently staring into the night. The silver circlet on his head glistened in the light of the moon, and he had his sword with him even at this unlikely hour.
"This is ridiculous!" Kotake hissed as she vanished behind a hedge, pulling Koume along with her. "Does this guy never sleep? And why is he here, of all places!"
"Maybe that woman told him..." Koume sounded disappointed. " I thought she was trustworthy."
"Impossible," Kotake reassured her sister. "She couldn't know when we were leaving, or how. No, let's just say he's a creep who likes to skulk around in the dark."
"Works for me," Koume said, strangely relieved. "So what do we do? We can't get to the gate while he's there." Kotake could almost see her sister's satisfied grin. "It looks like we have no choice but to go back and try again tomorrow night."
"Nonsense. We wait. He can't just stand there forever."
"But it also won't be dark forever."
Kotake was trying to come up with a suitable rebuttal when she heard the sound of hooves beating on the road outside, reminding her that there were more comfortable modes of transportation than walking. If someone offered her a horse right now, she would not say no, because there was still a dull ache in her leg that made walking unpleasant, though not outright painful. Not that she was going to let Koume notice her discomfort; she would never hear the end of it.
"Those riders are coming here," Koume whispered. "Let's get back while we still can."
"Let's not. They're not going to wander behind this hedge."
"What's the point in taking a risk?"
"Think! Maybe Darion is waiting for them. Or he'll leave with them. In that case, we'll be free to make our exit."
"Fine, whatever." Koume hesitated, listening into the night. "I think they have dismounted. They must be at the gate now."
Kotake nodded, and the sisters waited silently. Darion, too, had heard the approaching riders, and while he did not come up to meet them, he eagerly looked into the direction of the gate. Soon enough, the riders arrived, a dozen men leading an equal number of horses behind them. They all wore black armor and masks, and Kotake recognized them as Sheikah warriors. There was a single Hylian soldier among them; a blond youth who looked uncomfortable among the Sheikah who surrounded him. He held his hands close to his chest, as though he was clutching a valuable trinket and feared that his companions might steal it.
"Welcome home, my warriors," Darion exclaimed loudly, not bothering to keep silent even at this early hour. "Have you brought me the treasure that I lost?"
He lost another treasure? Kotake thought, recalling how she had stolen the Ocarina of Time. Security must be terrible around here. Figures that they never found us in that tower.
"We have taken it from your enemies, as you commanded, your highness," the one who must be their leader said, and stepped forth. He, too, looked and sounded young, and he seemed to be bursting with pride. "Although I am surprised to see you meet us here."
"Ah, but did you not promise me swift results?" Darion asked. "So I decided to take you on your word, and await your return here. I'm pleased that you didn't make me wait long... Ashra, was it?"
"You honour me by remembering my name," the young Sheikah said and knelt before Darion.
"Why are they so servile?" Koume asked with a hint of disgust in her voice. "Even the most loyal Gerudo don't treat Garanth like this."
"It's part of their culture," Kotake sighed. "Don't bother getting worked up about it."
"Allow me to say that each of the men assembled here fought with great skill and courage," the young man named Ashra said after Darion had bidden him to rise again, "proving the devotion of the Sheikah to the crown."
"I expected no less from you," Darion answered. Kotake noticed that he was nervously tapping his left foot, as though he could hardly await receiving whatever treasure it was that these soldier had retrieved. Then he noticed the single Hylian soldier among the Sheikah and took a step to his side to properly see him. "Who's this?" he asked.
"He is a soldier who fought in the attacking army, who distinguished himself in the battle by entering Goron City almost at the same time we did." The Sheikah leader somehow managed to sound both respectful and belittling at the same time. "And most importantly, he found your would-be assassin and defeated him, securing the Triforce piece for you."
"He did all that?" Darion was genuinely surprised. "Stand before me, then," he called to the young Hylian, "and bring me my property that you have recovered."
"He must mean the Triforce!" Koume whispered. "He talk to Malark about it."
"Yes, I remember something. He had lost some pieces of it, I think. And he sounded really greedy talking about it." Kotake scowled. "He still does."
After several seconds' hesitation, the young Hylian stepped forward and faced Darion, standing next to the Sheikah leader. He did not kneel, nor even bow, but simply looked the prince in the eyes.
"I know your face," Darion said almost immediately. "You were the one who... yes, I remember. Your name was Link, wasn't it?"
The Sheikah warriors were visibly surprised that the prince knew the young Hylian, most of all their leader, who took a step back and looked at the soldier, then the prince, then the soldier again. Kotake could not tell whether he was impressed or envious, but probably a bit of both.
"Yes, I am Link," the young man said and nodded, ignoring his comrades' amazement. He had only eyes for the prince now, and Kotake thought she saw badly-concealed mistrust in his eyes. Then again, it was dark and she was hiding behind a hedge fifteen yards away, so she might just be mistaken.
"I'll be looking forward to your story, Link," Darion said jovially. "But first, give me the Triforce piece."
"Before that, I'd like to have a word with you," Link replied, his tone halfway between demanding and deferential. "Your highness," he added quickly.
Oh, this one seems to have a bit of a spine. A little bit, at least.
"We can have a word later," Darion replied, sounding slightly irritated. "But first, I will have my property back!"
"Please, listen to me!" Link pleaded. "I can see why you want the power of the gods for yourself, but the ends don't justify the means! Do you even know what happened in Go-"
"Enough!" Darion bellowed. "I don't know how you learned about the nature of the Triforce, but you will hand it over, right now, or you will find out that my favour can be lost as quickly as it can be earned."
"Power of the gods?" Koume whispered. "That sounds impressive. So that's why he wants it so badly!"
"He's a pampered, greedy bastard," Kotake sneered. "If blond boy here doesn't hand it over soon, I think he'll gut him right here and now." She paused as an inevitable thought crossed her mind. "If we could get our hands on that thing..."
"Go ahead, attack them." Kotake could almost see her sister roll her eyes in the darkness. "There's only, like, a dozen of them, and you're in great health, too!"
"That's why I said 'if'!"
Kotake's attention returned to the scene before her. The prince was now holding out his opened palm toward Link, who was still hesitating, while the Sheikah grew increasingly nervous, clearly not understanding why the young soldier was making such a fuss. His gaze wandered through the darkness like that of a cornered animal looking for a way to escape; but of course, there was none.
Finally, when the prince seemed just about to draw his sword and cut down his own subject, he sighed and offered Darion the small, golden object that he had been holding close to his chest. The prince snatched it from him with a speed that impressed even seasoned thieves like the Gerudo twins and clutched it in his hand while Link looked like he had just handed a lit torch to a madly giggling arsonist.
"Well, well," Darion said after several seconds. "I thought it would enter my body just like the first part did. That would have been much more convenient. Now I must take care not to lose it." He took a deep breath. "Now there's just one piece left."
Why do I get the feeling that something bad will happen when he finds the final part?
"Now what was all that about, Link?" Darion asked the unhappy young soldier, sounding much more relaxed than before receiving the Triforce. "Ah, never mind," he dismissed him before he could answer, "I'll get back to you in a minute. Ashra!"
"Yes, your highness." The young Sheikah stepped forward.
"Have you ascertained the location of the third piece?"
"I have, my lord. It is currently in possession of Queen Narala of the Zora."
Darion nodded fiercely. "Yes, Zelda hinted at that when I... I mean..." His voice trailed off, and he lowered his face, perhaps recalling an unpleasant memory.
"I talked to General Shaz as you wanted me to," Ashra said, unaware of whatever had given his prince pause. "He told me he'd... uh... 'persuade' some of the Goron prisoners to implicate Narala as the mastermind of the conspiracy against you. Assuming he convinced Generals Lohgrimm and Thallius, the army will depart to Zora's Domain at dawn. General Shaz will then direct the remaining Sheikah Elites to capture the queen and deliver her to you, along with the item she carries."
"Ah, excellent. I told Shaz in our private conversation that he should take the initiative depending on your findings. I'm glad to see he could read between the lines."
Wow, this insane warmonger can't get enough, can he? First the Gorons, now the Zora... at this rate, the Gerudo will be next.
Koume seemed to have the same fears and the sisters shared a look of deep concern. Events were progressing at a rapid speed, and Darion was proving to be as unpredictable as he was unscrupulous.
Now if you kindly could move your meeting inside so we can leave this damn Keep and warn whomever it concerns. Probably Garanth. I mean, who else is there who'd listen to us?
"I can't believe what I just heard!" Link suddenly said, his voice raised. "You've already caused so much death and suffering, all for the sake of these Triforce things. Why won't you negotiate with the Zora? Why even more war, more killing?"
Nice try, kid, but it's hopeless. You don't know how crazy your prince is.
"You're out of line!" the young Sheikah barked at him. "You don't tell the prince what he can and can't do!"
"It's all right, Ashra," Darion said. "It's clear that the war, short as it was, has taken its toll on Link. That's only natural for a new recruit."
"It was my first real war, too, and I didn't-"
"Ashra! You're being inconsiderate. Not everybody is the same."
My, how sensitive and understanding he can be. I bet it won't change a thing.
"Link, believe me when I say that I don't want to cause unnecessary suffering." Darion's voice was soothing, though it had little impact on the young soldier, who continued to scowl bitterly. "Already Lohgrimm's army has retreated to Kakariko, according to my orders – my quarrel with the Gorons is over. And likewise, he will be instructed not to linger at Zora's Domain longer than necessary. No pillaging, no occupation, no unnecessary killings."
"Tell that to Ashra! He killed the Triforce Bearer although he had surrendered! And he tortured their king!" Link was openly furious now, and Kotake wondered how long Darion was going to tolerate this.
"Remember that that Goron tried to kill me," Darion said. "It was his just punishment. As for torture: Many lives will probably be spared in the long run by retrieving the Triforce as fast as possible. And Grangus still lives, does he not?" Ashra nodded in confirmation.
"You're making this very easy on yourself," Link said.
"Believe me, I'm not. But as the ruler of Hyrule, the welfare of my people is paramount, not that of the Gorons or Zora. I'm sure you'll understand that one day."
Link opened his mouth again, but Darion cut him off. "Now let's cease this fruitless debate. In the end, history will prove me right. Now, to reward your stunning accomplishment..."
Yes, bribe him in order to shut him up. This guy is making me sick.
"Attack! We're under attack!"
The heads of all present, including the hidden Gerudo, turned at the same time toward the soldier who came running into the courtyard, shouting at the top of his lungs.
"The city is under attack! The craftsmen's quarter is on fire, and it's spreading!"
For what little credit Kotake was willing to give him, Darion was quick to act. With a commanding shout, he stopped the soldier, who probably would have run past the group convening in the darkness, and demanded more information.
"It's the Zora, your highness," the man gasped. "They came from the north, probably from the river. They used torches to set many of the roofs on fire, and now they're killing everybody who tries to extinguish it or fight back!"
"Damn these fish-eyed murderers!" Darion cursed. "Have they no honour at all? You see now, Link, they're bringing the war to us first!"
"We did attack their allies," Link argued, but the prince paid him no heed. "Rouse the commander of the guard," he ordered the soldier who had brought the grim news. "He is to assemble every single guardsman and meet me in front of the Keep as soon as possible. I'll lead them myself to drive out this rabble!" He turned to the Sheikah. "I know you must be exhausted from fighting and riding for so many hours, but I must call upon your strength in this dark hour, for we are certainly outnumbered."
"We will fight until we collapse, my prince," Ashra boasted. "Our strength is yours."
Unimpressed by the Sheikah's hollow display of pathos, Kotake looked to the north and saw dark clouds of smoke rising beyond the Keep's walls. None of those assembled in the courtyard seemed to have noticed them so far. "You reap what you sow, eh?" she whispered.
"I wonder," Koume said. "Will that make it more or less difficult for us to escape?"
"We'll see."
"I want your men to go ahead, Ashra," Darion told the Sheikah leader. "Use the narrow streets to your advantage and attack the Zora wherever you can. Protect anybody who attempts to put out the fire. I'll follow with the Keep's guard as soon as they're ready." He slapped his forehead with his palm, as if he had remembered something important. "There's something I have to take care of first. It wouldn't do to lose the Triforce piece during the fighting. I'll lock it away in the vault for the time being." He rushed toward the Keep's main building, but hesitated when he passed Link. "Make yourself useful, too," he said. "We can't afford any rest now, not while my people are being killed."
"I'll lead the horses to the stables," the young Hylian offered. "They'll only be in the way when the guards come through here on their way outside."
"Yes, yes, good thinking. Join up with the guardsmen after that, and follow whatever orders you receive." With that, Darion was off, still clutching the Triforce piece as if it was his most valuable possession, which it probably was. Ashra rallied his Sheikah and marched them out of the gate, while Link clumsily shooed the exhausted horses off to the stables.
But the courtyard did not remain empty for long, as dozens of guardsmen began streaming toward the main gate in small groups, often putting on their pieces of armour as they ran. Darion, too, re-emerged after five minutes, his sword raised high and shouting orders. Kotake and Koume remained hidden behind their hedge, silently observing the hurried battle preparations.
After a quarter of an hour, the steady stream of men-at-arms turned into a trickle, then ceased altogether. Darion's booming voice could be heard outside for a short while as he gave his men their orders; soon after, he became inaudible, indicating that his small defence force had moved out to meet the attackers. Silence settled once again over the courtyard.
"I think it's safe now," Koume said, her voice louder than before.
"Tell me, sister," Kotake asked playfully, "are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Uh, that depends. What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking about acquiring a parting gift. Compensation for my leg, if you will."
"You mean that Triforce piece?" Koume sounded shocked. "That's crazy talk! It must be guarded by-"
"By the few soldiers who still remain in the Keep. This is a golden opportunity!"
"But your leg!" Koume protested.
"What of it? It's working just fine, thank you." Kotake chose to seize the initiative and leave the safety of their hiding-place, or else they would still be arguing when the defenders came back. Although she had no idea how numerous the attackers were, Kotake had a feeling that they were here to terrorize, not to conquer, and would probably retreat in the face of coordinated resistance. At least that was that she would do in their place.
"Come on," she urged Koume. "Let's look for it. We don't have much time."
"Didn't you want to get out of here as fast as possible?" Koume asked, but her appeal to Kotake's own words fell on deaf ears.
"Not as much as I want to spit Darion in the eye," she said. "He'll get a stroke when he comes back and finds his precious Triforce piece stolen." The mental image alone was almost worth the ordeal of the last days. "And who knows, perhaps we can even use it for something. 'Power of the gods', remember?"
"I don't like this," Koume mumbled, but finally came out from behind the hedge. "But since you can't be reasoned with... I think I know where this vault is. I passed there while I was looking for a way to heal you. Follow me."
"That's more like it," Kotake said cheerfully and followed her sister toward the closest building. The remaining pain in her leg was completely gone, probably driven away by her excitement. "Remember, we're thieves," she told Koume. "Let's act the part!"
"Whatever. Let's just get it over with," her sister replied and the two women slipped back into the Keep proper.
Hello, featureless corridors, I'm back. And I thought I'd seen the last of you.
Whoa, wait, I'm talking to the walls. What is it about this place that drives people crazy?
They took the usual precautions while navigating the corridors, stopping before every corner and cross section and listening for footsteps or voices, but the Keep was as empty as ever during the night.
At least this time, there's a good reason. The guards are all out there fighting the Zora.
"This Triforce must be a really big deal, that with everybody going to war over it," she voiced her thoughts. "All the more reason for us to take it, don't you think?"
"And what will we do with it once we have it?" Koume asked. "Sell it on the streets?"
"Actually, we... uh..." Kotake drew a blank. If the Triforce piece truly held some magical power, there was no way either of them would be able to unlock it. Trying to sell it to the ruler of another race, perhaps even back to the Gorons, was an option, although they would have to be very careful about this: Pretty much everybody involved with the Triforce seemed ready to spill large amounts of blood in order to get it, and the lives of two nameless Gerudo thieves would not be worth a straw to any of Hyrule's monarchs.
"I've got an idea or two," she said without elaborating, but that answer seemed to satisfy Koume. She silently led the way through the Keep until they came to a stop in front of a spiral staircase leading downstairs, similar to the one they had taken to get to the dungeon. Faint voices were audible from below, and Koume unnecessarily put her finger to her lips while tiptoeing down the steps, Kotake close behind her. The staircase opened to a short and narrow corridor which ended in a wooden door left slightly ajar. Koume peeked through it and raised two fingers to indicate the number of guards inside and looked expectantly at Kotake.
Fine, I'll take the point.
Kotake nudged her sister aside and took a look into the room were two Hylian guardsmen, wearing the same mail armour and lances as their comrades, guarding an iron door sealed with two locks and a heavy bar. They were engaged in an agitated conversation about the Zora attack and did not pay any attention to the door.
Your carelessness will cost you dearly. Nothing personal, of course.
Kotake chose to take the initiative, confident that her sister would follow her once she had engaged the guards. She drew one of her sabres, pushed against the door with her shoulder and rushed into the room.
For a second, the guards did not even notice her, and it took little longer than that to reach them. Holding her heavy sabre with both hands, she stabbed the first one in the chest before he had a chance to react and pierced his mail armour. The man went limp almost immediately and sank to the floor, giving Kotake just enough time to pull out her weapon before his weight dragged her down.
Shocked by the sudden death of his comrade, the other soldier took a jab at Kotake with his lance, and she had to step sideways in order to avoid it. Before he could attack her again, Koume charged into the room, and with a shrill scream that sounded more fearful than fear-inspiring, buried one of her own sabres in the guard's unprotected side. The man winced in pain, sank to his knees, and Kotake quickly finished him off by stabbing his chest. Unlike his comrade, he took a few seconds to die, but he made no loud noises, at least nothing louder than Koume's own dubious battlecry.
"That went smoothly," Kotake praised her sister, who looked a lot less mortified compared to the first time she had killed somebody. "But why so noisy?"
"Uh... I guess... to bolster my courage?" Koume grimaced, followed by a half-smile. "I'll have to work on that, don't I?"
"Yes, but you did fine. Really. Now, to open this door..."
"I've never seen a door with two locks," Koume marveled.
"The guards probably carry one key each," Kotake replied and knelt down next to one of the corpses. She found a large bronze key chained to his belt and dragged the body close enough to the door to open one of the locks. Koume did the same with the second guard, handling the corpse without any apparent unease. That left only the heavy bar to be lifted, a task that took the combined strength of both sisters.
"This thing better be in there," Koume said while catching a short breath.
"Even if it isn't, there's bound to be something good in here," Kotake replied and seized the oversized handle. "Shall we?" Koume nodded eagerly, and together, they pulled the heavy door open, revealing a tiny room consisting of little more than three wodden shelves, illuminated by a soft golden light. Kotake instantly spotted its source, which was of course the Triforce piece lying on a small purple pillow, and picked it up while sporting a triumphant smile. "I told you it would be here."
"Wow. It's smaller than I thought," Koume said. "Come on, let me hold it once!"
"Oh all right, but don't drop it." Kotake handed over the Triforce piece to her sister, then turned her attention to the other items in the vault. It was not exactly brimming with treasure, but she slipped a few jewels and a finely-cut diamond into her pockets. "Just a bonus," she explained when Koume frowned at her. "Oh, and look what's here!" She recognized the small blue musical instrument from her encounter with Darion and his baby brother and picked it up. "They probably decided to put it someplace safe after I stole it the first time."
"Put it back," Koume suddenly demanded.
"Huh? Why should I?" Kotake asked nonplussed.
"We traded this ocarina for your life. Even thieves are supposed to have some honour."
"You gave it back to that woman, didn't you? So the deal was fulfilled." As far as Kotake was concerned, the matter was clear-cut. "This is a new situation. We have no more obligations toward her."
"Wrong!" Koume insisted. "I promised her not to start any trouble."
"And killing two guards and stealing the greatest treasure of the kingdom doesn't count as trouble, because...?"
"That's... that's different!" Koume stuttered. "This Triforce piece doesn't even belong to Darion or the Hylians, but the ocarina is another story. Just put it back, all right? As a favour to me."
"Fine, whatever you say." Kotake sighed an exaggerated sigh and placed the ocarina back on its shelf. "It's not worth arguing about, and we really have to get out of here." She hesitated and wondered whether she should ask Koume to give her the Triforce piece for safekeeping, but after saving her life the other day and proving herself in combat just now, doing so would just have been patronizing her. "Make sure you don't lose it," she simply said. Koume nodded and placed the golden triangle in a leather pouch and made doubly sure that it was fastened tightly to her belt.
"Any final souvenir you want to take?" Kotake asked, and Koume took a short look at the vault's contents. Before she could decide on picking anything, both sisters winced when all of a sudden a throat was loudly cleared behind them.
Stupid! We should have watched our backs! Kotake chided herself and spun around, her hands wandering to the hilts of her sabres. A young Hylian soldier was standing in the frame of the wooden door leading to the spiral staircase, effectively blocking their escape. She drew her weapons and was just about to attack him when he shouted: "Wait! I'm not your enemy!"
"What?" In spite of herself, she hesitated, as did Koume, who looked at the soldier with her mouth agape.
"I said I'm not your enemy," he repeated. "I could have stabbed either of you in the back while you were ogling your spoils, but I did not. What does that tell you?"
"Hm, perhaps you're stupid?" Kotake suggested.
To her surprise, he laughed. "Yes, that's a possibility." His demeanour was casual, but Kotake did not overlook that one of his hands rested on the door's handle, and the other close to the hilt of his scabbarded sword. If either sister were to attack him, he could quickly defend himself or retreat behind the door.
Whoever he is, he is definitely not stupid.
"It's him," Koume leaned toward Kotake and whispered into her ear. "The soldier who came with the Sheikah."
Kotake blinked and took a closer look at the young man before her. His size and attire matched the soldier who had given Darion the Triforce piece, as did his unkempt blond hair. And now that she thought about it, his voice was the same, too.
"So you're saying you're not with Darion?" Kotake asked, and the soldier shook his head. "Not anymore," he said.
"But you gave him the Triforce piece!"
"So you were watching?" he asked. Kotake said nothing, but Koume nodded.
"Well, if you watched, then tell me what I could have done," he demanded. "Darion would have killed me if I had refused. Believe me, I don't want him to have the Triforce. Why do you think I came here?"
"You mean you wanted to steal it, too?" Koume's eyes widened in surprise. The young Hylian nodded.
"Tough luck, kid, but as you can see, we were here first," Kotake told him. "Feel free to help yourself with the rest of the vault, though," she added in a bout of generosity, which for some reason made the young man laugh.
"Your name... it was Link, wasn't it?" Koume suddenly asked.
"That's correct," he nodded.
"Yes, splendid," Kotake scoffed. "Let's all introduce each other and start fraternizing! Maybe have a drink while we're at it."
"Not everybody in this Keep is a bad person," Koume pointed out. "You of all people should have learned that lesson. And he could have easily killed us from behind and bring the Triforce back to Darion. Or take it for himself."
Kotake grudgingly conceded her point. "Fine, so he isn't our enemy. But I still don't buy that he would have killed the guards." She addressed him directly. "I mean, they were on your side, weren't they?"
"Uh... I would have tried to find a way around it," Link said after a short pause.
"And if you couldn't find a way?" Kotake pressed him, and his expression turned grim when he replied.
"I killed several people yesterday. Not Hylians, but still people, and for no better reason than because I was ordered to. So if it had come down to killing these guards for a reason that was actually good, I would have done that." His resolve sounded genuine, but Kotake was not so easily convinced.
"But that doesn't make sense! If you wanted it so badly that you'd kill your own people to get it, why not kill us, too?"
This whole situation is bizarre. We should be getting out of here, not having a nice chat with some kid soldier who may or may not be stupid.
"Oh, I see," Link replied, looking relaxed again. "You misunderstand me. I don't really want to have the Triforce for myself. I just want it as far away from Darion as possible. My plan was to give it to the Zora Queen, but if you take it to your desert... you are Gerudo, aren't you?"
"Yes, and you better not have a problem with that," Kotake said, her tone pre-emptively defensive.
"No, why should I?" Link sounded genuinely surprised. "At any rate, if you take it with you and hide it from Darion, that'll be just as well as if I took it. Perhaps even better, since the three pieces will be spread out farther this way."
"It's because of the power of the Triforce, isn't it?" Koume asked. "You don't trust Darion with it."
"You hit the nail on the head," Link said.
"How much do you know about it?" she inquired further.
"Not much, but enough to know that if he ever gets his hands on all three pieces... well, there's no guarantee something terrible will happen. But considering the crimes Darion already committed just to get its hand on it, I'm not taking that chance."
"All right," Kotake said in spite of herself, "Your words make sense. I believe you. Now, could you please move from that door so we can get out of here? We already wasted too much time talking."
"Agreed. Follow me." Link turned around and quickly climbed the spiral staircase.
"We're not following you," Kotake corrected him as she hurried behind him, relieved that they were finally getting out of this place, "we're just taking the same way out." Koume giggled as she fell in line behind her, and the strange trio swiftly, but silently made its way through the deserted corridors of the Keep.
This is so weird. Just like... well, pretty much everything else that has happened in the last two weeks.
To Kotake's great displeasure, running caused her leg to act up again, and made her wonder whether she would be able to maintain a steady speed during their escape. She was happy when Link came to a stop after emerging in the courtyard and pretended to catch her breath while she waited for the throbbing pain to go away. Link vanished around a corner and returned a few moments later leading a black horse by the reins.
"I took the liberty to borrow a fresh horse before I started looking for the vault," he explained. "If I walked all the way to Zora's Domain, I'd probably arrive too late to warn them." He nodded courteously. "So this is where we part ways."
"Wait!" Kotake said before he could mount the horse.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Um... well..." This is so embarrassing. "You see, my leg kind of hurts, and ... well... could you perhaps leave that horse to us? You can easily steal another one, can't you?" She cleared her throat. "Please?"
"Wow, I thought that word didn't exist in your vocabulary," Koume commented unnecessarily.
"You can ride?" Link asked.
"We taught ourselves, a couple of years ago," Kotake replied, recalling how she and her sister had stolen a horse from one of the bigger farmsteads in western Hyrule. They had found out that horses were not well suited for desert travel (that mare had consumed obscene amounts of water), but had kept it around long enough to pick up the basics of riding.
"Hm, I'm not very experienced myself. Ahem." Link considered her request for a moment, then nodded. "Darion will definitely send out people to find the thieves, and if you travel on foot, they're bound to catch up to you." He handed the reins over to Koume. "How come you didn't plan for that?"
"Uh... we were being... spontaneous."
This damn kid is putting us to shame.
"Thank you, Link," Koume said and prodded Kotake with her elbow.
"Yes, thank you," Kotake repeated, somewhat unhappily.
First 'please', now 'thank you'. I'm sinking to new lows here.
"Keep that Triforce piece away from Darion," Link said. "That's all the thanks I need. Oh, and beware the Zora when you leave. No point in running into a skirmish if you can avoid it."
"Oh, right," Koume said. "I totally forgot about that."
"And you still plan to see their queen?" Kotake asked. "Even while they're attacking your capital?"
"The Zora didn't start this war," Link replied. "I have to warn them that Darion will attack soon. Though after this, they're probably expecting it." He rubbed his forehead with his right hand and suddenly looked very tired. "Even so, I can't fight for Darion any longer. But I can't simply go home, either. Not before this whole bloody mess is sorted out."
"Be careful," Koume warned him. "I can't imagine the Zora will take kindly to Hylian soldiers."
"Yes, you're right. At the very least, I have to loose this uniform."
"And don't push yourself! You look like you could collapse at any moment." Koume's concern was almost palpable, to her sister's slight dismay.
It's not like we're going to meet him again. He's an idealist – their kind always get themselves killed for some noble cause. It's too bad, really, if you think about it.
"I... had a long day," Link admitted. "Maybe I'll catch some sleep later on the way." He yawned. "But I really have to go get a new horse now."
"Yeah, thanks again for that. Don't let us keep you." Kotake used the stirrup to climb on the horse's back and seized the reins. "Hurry up, Koume."
"Coming." Her sister climbed up behind her and put her hands around her waist. "Let's go, then." She turned around to face Link one last time. "Good luck."
"Likewise," he replied, and vanished around the corner.
"Yes, good luck to all of us," Kotake sighed. "Though he'll probably need it more than we do." She gently pulled the reins in order to steer the horse around and had it trot toward the Keep's main gate, which she was happy to find unguarded.
Darion really pulled out all the stops to fight the Zora. Good for us.
Kotake breathed a sigh of relief when they finally left the Keep; it felt as though they had spent months in its inhospitable walls. Dawn was fast approaching, and thick clouds of smoke were clearly visible to the north, beyond the high walls of the Keep.
"The fires are still burning," Koume said. "Even if they defeat the Zora, putting them out will take a while." Kotake still remembered how the town's inhabitants had treated them and Garanth during their 'state visit', and decided not to waste even an ounce of pity on them.
People like this Link are an exception among Hylians. Most of them are just like Darion, turning their own fear of the unknown into hate. They would be pathetic if they weren't so dangerous.
They followed the main thoroughfare due south, but could not move as fast as Kotake wanted, since a growing number of fearful and confused inhabitants filled the streets, clustering together in their attempts to find out what was going on in the northern parts of town. She felt the distrustful gaze of many a citizen wander over the black horse and its white-cloaked riders, but nobody tried to stop them. Which was for their own good, as far as Kotake was concerned, because she would have felt no compunctions whatsoever to simply run them over.
They reached the outskirts of town without incident and picked up speed as the streets became less populated, until the horse moved in full gallop when they left the last outlying buildings behind them. Kotake looked at the stars to take their bearing and steered the horse to the south-west, toward Gerudo Valley and the desert beyond.
To think that I'll be happy to see this forsaken wasteland again...
The horse climbed a slight slope overlooking Keeptown, and Kotake turned around to see how the city was doing. To her disappointment, the fire was smaller than expected, or perhaps efforts to put it out were already bearing fruit. Prompted by her sister's turn of the head, Koume looked back as well.
"I wonder when he'll notice that his treasure is gone," she said, raising her voice over the sound of hoofbeats.
"Sooner rather than later, I bet," Kotake said. "He's not the type to leave it in that vault for longer than necessary. He'll suspect us immediately – he knows we were still in the Keep."
"I hope that woman won't get into trouble," Koume said. Kotake blinked, then realized she was talking about the Sheikah who had healed her injury.
"If she's smart, she'll just keep her mouth shut," she said truthfully. "Don't worry about her, worry about us. Darion is going to move heaven and earth in order to get the Triforce piece back. We can't afford any mistakes, or we'll be two good-looking corpses real quickly."
"He'll send pursuers," Koume said. "And he'll know which direction we took, since the townsfolk saw us."
"Which means we have to reach the desert as soon as possible. No breaks or detours."
"Of course not. But what to we do then?"
Kotake hesitated. "Yes, uh... we better think about that."
"Didn't you say you had an idea or two?" Koume asked.
"Yes, but I lied so you would go along with it."
"You are hopeless," Koume sighed.
"Both of us, sister. Both of us."