Chapter: IXX

"Lost Shadows"

Epona watched Link from the doorway to Mido's old house. The inside reeked of smoke and ash, but it offered shelter from the cold wind, which was steadily rising. Link had found three separate ash mounds in the village and gave himself the grim task of burying them. With his sword, he chiseled away at the frozen earth beside the forest stream until he had a grave large enough for the three sets of bones. The ashes he swept into the stream and watched the water carry them away. Once he had mounded the frozen dirt over the bones, he washed his hands in the stream, and returned to Epona. While he worked, images of the attack flashed through his mind. The moblins crashed through the forest, dropping lit torches and firing burning arrows into the trees. The Kokiri ran screaming as the beasts entered the village. Some were killed by arrows, others were cut down with crude swords. The moblins probably ate most of them; alive or dead. The burned bodies must have been those who caught fire and the moblins left them to suffer. Again and again, Link saw his friends butchered and killed by the monsters he was not here to stop. He covered his eyes with his hands, trying to drive away the horrific images, and began to weep. Epona laid on the floor beside him, and rested her head on his lap.

They spent that first cold night in the dark. Link was too exhausted from the lack of sleep and food to go looking for firewood, so he curled up beside Epona and drew his little cloak over them as best he could. The pale grey dawn found Link and Epona shivering and hungry. As Link searched the old village, the filly followed him, searching for grass to eat. Link's old home was gone, only the burnt stump of the old trunk remained. The storehouse, near the pathway to the Great Deku Tree, was badly burned on the exterior, but a few useful items were found inside: an earthen pot of dried fruits & nuts, several large branches fit to make torches, a length of rope, and several extra Kokiri tunics and trousers. Judging by the damage to the rest of the village, Link assumed that no one had run to the shop, so the Moblins did not bother searching it.

Link returned to Mido's house with his discoveries and eagerly tasted the dried fruits. They were a bit stale, but he did not sense anything foul about them, so he hungrily began to eat. Epona, disappointed at the lack of grass, nipped at Link's shoulder until he offered her a handful of the dried fruits. After eating, Link searched through the pile of Kokiri clothing. His own tunic had become rather small over the past few months... maybe it had shrunk when he washed it? In addition, his soldier's leggings were doing very little against the winter air and Link hoped to add a second layer from the Kokiris' collection. After a few minutes, Link had chosen a new tunic to cover his mail, and a new set of forest green trousers to cover his soldier's leggings. Looking down at himself, Link felt strange to be dressed in the Kokiri clothing again. "It's like I'm robbing their graves." he said to Epona, who was shivering as she looked at him. Grabbing a needle and threat from the basket of clothes he had found, Link began to sew several of the smaller tunics together until he had made a crude blanket for Epona's back.

"Here you go girl." he said as he draped it over her, "Now you won't be so cold." The filly snorted loudly and rubbed the side of her head against Link's. "You're welcome Epona!" he said with a small smile. Despite the horse's affection, he still felt terrible for what had happened to his friends and couldn't shake the feeling that it was all his fault. "Come on," he said to the horse, "let's find some firewood before it gets late." Having searched the village, Link led Epona behind Mido's house to the path that led deeper into the Lost Woods. The young horse whinnied her objections and tramped nervously as Link tried to lead her deeper into the forest. "Shh, it's ok girl," Link soothed, "this used to be my home." The filly finally relented and followed her master, but she kept her eyes wide and searching. Something in this forest did not feel right. The first hundred yards, or so, of the Lost Woods were the same as the Kokiri Forest: Blackened and mostly reduced to ash. But the further Link and Epona traveled, the less pronounced the damage became until eventually, the forest seemed to be whole and untouched.

"The moblins must not have come this far." Link said with a little hope returning. "Let's find some good wood quickly. We'll search the woods tomorrow when we have more daylight." Link said as he eyed the sky, which was starting to dim. Link began to gather armfuls of fallen branches and twigs as Epona waited on the path. The young horse steadily grew more nervous at the silence within the forest. Darting glances back and forth, the filly began to slowly back her way down the path, back to the village. Link, bringing a very large bundle of firewood, asked her what was wrong. As he tied the bundle onto the horse's back, Epona spotted a dark shadow creeping along the path, coming towards them. Rearing and whinnying loudly, Epona backed further away. Link quickly turned and looked up the path where Epona was staring. For an instant, he thought he could see a dark shape, crawling low along the path, but it quickly darted to the side and disappeared into the forest. Link mounted Epona, and the two dashed down the path back to the village. As night fell, Link was able to get a small campfire burning in the center of Mido's old house. Besides the warmth, Link hoped the fire would keep away whatever animal he and Epona had seen. Even still, he laid down on the floor beside the fire, with his sword in hand.

Late that night, as Link slept, the creature slowly crept its way into the village from the path to the Lost Woods. That smell... those clothes... it hadn't seen or smelled these in months. The creature stretched itself out low on its hands and knees, and sniffed the path where Link and Epona had passed. It couldn't be him... he was dead. Link tossed and turned by the dying fire as he wandered through bitter nightmares. First, he was chasing the moblins as they charged into the forest, lighting everything around them on fire. Next, he was cradling one of the wounded Kokiri. She had been stabbed through the chest and was coughing up a large amount of blood. Link searched his pack furiously for a bandage, but he just could not find one, his hands were shaking too badly. Finally, a dark creature emerged from the burned forest, and began to search through the village. It was dark now, and Link could barely see it, but he knew it was human-shaped and walking on all fours. It seemed to stop and sniff the ground several times, before charging into one of the abandoned houses. Screams came from the house as two of the Kokiri dashed out and ran into the forest, with the creature pursuing them. "I have to help them!" Link urgently thought as he suddenly woke, and found the creature from his nightmare standing in the doorway to the house.

~At Lake Hylia~

Alfon remained in the warm embrace of his beloved for the entirety of his first day in the infirmary. That night, Telma lay her head on his shoulder and draped her arm across his chest. She did not want to leave him, even for a moment. The next morning, as Link set out about the Kokiri village, Alfon was helped to his feet by Telma and the nurses. "My lord, please... your arm!" Telma fussed. "It's nothing," grunted Alfon, "A knight should be able to rise through any injury, or never rise again!" After a few shaking steps around the infirmary, the nurses commanded that he drink several more red colored potions and rest. Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, Alfon waited patiently for sleep to return, when Princess Zelda entered the infirmary. Telma, leaping to her feet, curtseyed low and bowed her head. "Your highness, we are honored." she said, reverently. Alfon struggled to get out of bed, but the potions were already making his body weak. After a moment, he gave up and collapsed back onto the bed. "I beg your forgiveness, your highness... I would rise... but..." he started, with this speech starting to slur. Zelda smiled kindly at him and raised a hand, "No no, good knight. Stay and rest! You are pardoned." Impa now slowly swept through the infirmary door, carrying a large tray of food.

"Oh, my lady," breathed Telma, "You are very kind to think of Lord Alfon in such a way! But I am afraid he has just taken a powerful potion from the matron, and will not be able to eat for some time." Impa leaned to the side, to look around Telma, "Indeed?" she asked. Alfon had lost consciousness and was snoring contently on his bed. Taking a deep breath, and looking back at Telma, Impa began, "Actually, this was for you Telma. You haven't eaten in days and you need your strength." The woman was so touched that Impa would actually bring her food that her lips quivered and her eyes began to glisten. "You are too kind" she whispered, fighting back tears and gently taking the tray. "Have the nurses said when he will be fit for duty again?" asked Zelda, "We need him for another mission." Telma's eyes darted from Zelda to Impa and back again. "They have not yet said, your highness. I was hoping the Marshal might be permitted to rest for some time after... after his ordeal." As she finished, she turned to look back on Alfon again. "I too, would rather see him rest," Zelda replied, "But Link has gone missing and we need Alfon to find him."

"Link..." Telma said absentmindedly. In her terror at the prospect of losing Alfon, she had completely forgotten the boy. Now with a sharp gasp of realization, she cried "He's missing?! How? When? Where?" Fresh tears began to form in her eyes as she rung her handkerchief in fear. She had forgotten him! How could she have forgotten her little soldier?! "The same company that loaded Lord Alfon onto the wagon reported that Link was leading the horses from the ranch southward to the lake, just behind the wagon. The horses arrived with the wagon, but Link was nowhere to be found." Impa said as she turned an eye toward Zelda, "We... believe... that he may have gone to the Forbidden Forest to look for his friends and to see if any had survived the attack." Zelda, despite her calm demeanor, was desperate to send someone to rescue Link. "We think that there may be something in the forest..." Zelda began, "He might be in danger."

"Send me, your highness." Grunted a voice from behind her. Zelda turned, and saw Talon slowly sitting up from his bed. Most of his bandages had been removed, but he was still covered in a large number of dark bruises and missing his right hand. "No papa! Don't go!" Malon sobbed as she reached for him from her own bed. Talon smiled and held her hand for a moment, "My child, that boy is the reason why you are safe. I must go!" he said as he struggled to his feet, "Please, your highness, let me find the boy. It's the least I can do." Zelda was moved by the man's courage and sense of honor, but she could not send a man who was missing his hand into a fight. "I am sorry," she began sadly, "It must be Lord Alfon. He is gifted with his skill at arms and..." her eyes drew down to Talon's bandaged stump, "I believe he has the greatest chance for success with this mission." Talon's moustache quivered as he tried to conceal his disappointment. "As you wish, your highness." he said with a slight bow.

Impa and Zelda located the matron, and inquired after Alfon's condition. "We've given him the strongest healing potion we can create, your highness. He should sleep very deeply for the next few hours. After that..." the matron trailed off as she thought hard about her patient, "... after he wakes, he may be strong enough to ride. But I would advise against it! Another man should be chosen if the mission is urgent." Zelda shook her head, "No... it must be him. It cannot be done by anyone else." She did not fully understand why, but she knew she was right in saying so. Her vision had shown Alfon rushing through the forest to find Link. She only prayed that he would get there before that creature found him.