Chapter: XXV
"Passing One Era into Another"
Link's trial was very short. The infantry captain retold his story of how Link had been instructed to lead the horses back to the lake and to escort the wagon of wounded. Link did not deny it and admitted that he knew Alfon did not want him to go into the forest. When asked why he had done this, Link simply answered, "I had to know if they were alive or dead." Zelda could not look at him. She knew exactly how he felt and she would have done the exact same thing if she had a chance to find her parents alive. Her stomach clenched as Impa declared the judgment and sentenced Link to five lashes before the garrison at dawn the next day. With no stockade available to them, Link was commanded to remain in his tent until summoned for his punishment. The squire was shocked with complete disbelief as the guards clapped his wrists in irons and began to drag him away. "But I saved them! They were still alive and I saved them!" he shouted as they disappeared down the corridor. Once he had gone, Zelda let out a loud sob and began to weep into her hands. Impa gently rubbed her back and tried to comfort her, but Alfon looked down at her with cold indifference. "If it hurts your highness, then remember it."
The following morning, the entire garrison, save those men posted at the gates on the lake road, were assembled and ordered into ranks. A small wooden arch had been erected near the lake's edge with two iron chains hanging from its cross-beam. Link was stripped of his mail, cap, and tunic and manacled to the arch. Zelda, Impa, and Captain Corin stood far behind him as Alfon took his station behind the boy, holding a long whip. After the guards had secured Link's chains and returned to the assembled ranks, Alfon quietly spoke to his squire. "Life is often cruel lad. Despite our best efforts, sometimes terrible things happen to us and to those we love. What determines a man's worth, is how he deals with these cruelties. Does he cower and despair, wailing that he does not deserve what has happened, or does he stand and face the challenge with courage?" Link strained to twist his head around as he muttered back to his master, "I saved them Alfon... they would have died if we hadn't killed that monster!" tears were forming in the boy's eyes and his voice shook with the terror of the pain he was about to experience. "I know son," Alfon replied with his own voice choking, "... make me proud."
"Captain," Impa spoke loudly, "Read the charges." Corin slowly drew a scroll from his belt and cleared his throat. "For disobeying the lawful orders of a superior officer. For abandoning his duties during a time of war, which placed Hylian lives at great risk. For disobeying the expressed command of his master. This squire is sentenced to be flogged before the garrison at dawn. Five lashes." A few hushed murmurs rippled up and down the assembled mass of soldiers as Corin returned the scroll to his belt. Link clenched his shaking hands into fists as the cold morning air brushed against him. Alfon breathed slowly and attempted to force every thought out of his mind. There was nothing he could do to stop this, but he could focus on where the whip should land, to create the least harm.
Farther up the lakeshore, on a small hill, stood Telma, Talon, Malon, and several of the townsfolk. Talon was attempting to console Telma, who was already sobbing. On the lake's glassy surface, a small troop of Zora watched. Turning his head as far as he could, Link could make out the small coral earrings and purple eyes of Princess Ruto, watching from the center. She tried to smile at him, but her eyes were streaming tears watching her savior be stripped and chained. "Proceed." commanded Impa in a cold voice. Zelda's throat nearly closed with apprehension. "I'm sorry Link." she thought to herself as she watched him. Though he had served beside Alfon for several months, he still possessed the body of a young boy, and the sight of a boy being chained and flogged beside the lake was too much. As silently as she could, the princess whipped tears away from her eyes and stifled several small whimpers as she breathed. Captain Corin turned and marched toward Alfon, halting one pace behind him and to his right. "You may begin, My Lord." he announced. The marshal slowly drew a deep breath and silently prayed, "Goddess... Give me strength. Goddess... forgive me." After a few moments hesitation, Corin whispered, "No man would think less of you, My Lord, if you cannot-" but Alfon cut him off, "He is my squire! No one else shall touch him!" he shouted, as he shook out the whip and landed the first strike.
Searing pain tore through Link's left shoulder as the wet trickle of blood began to run down his back. "ONE!" cried Corin. Link gasped and struggled to gain his breath as his heartbeat seemed to race out of control. A second sharp crack and a fresh gash was added to Link's right shoulder. He ground his teeth as an agonized groan began to escape his lips. "TWO!" cried the captain as Alfon drew back for the next strike. Tears were streaming down Zelda's face as she clamped her hand over her own mouth to keep from crying out. "THREE!" Corin cried as Link yelped and hung helplessly from his chains. "FOUR!" followed as Alfon struck the back of the other thigh. The boy had been brought beyond his limits, and openly screamed in bloody agony as he hung, crippled, by his chains. The princess let out a cry of sorrow, and moved to rush forward, but Impa grabbed her arm. "No, Your Grace! You cannot!" she whispered as she held Zelda tight beside her; but several of the gathered soldiers saw the Princess' movements and knew that she too felt the boy's pain. As Alfon shook his arm and prepared for the fifth strike, a woman cried out from behind the assembled company, "Mercy, My Lord! Mercy!"
Telma, having been pushed beyond her limit, wailed and sobbed to her beloved to spare Link the final blow. As Talon tried to calm her, several other women in the crowd joined her and began to chant, "Mercy, mercy!" Princess Ruto, looking directly at Zelda, shouted, "He saved our people from destruction! Have mercy your highness!" Zelda's eyes were bloodshot and streaming tears, but she said nothing. Within the crowd, atop the hill, she could see the messengers from the lesser kingdoms. They were watching her and they would faithfully report what they had seen and heard back to their masters. As the cries for mercy grew, Alfon glanced over his shoulder back at the Princess and Impa. Zelda's gaze was unfocused as she stared straight ahead. Impa gave a stern frown and subtle nod. Alfon cracked the whip once more as the fifth and final gash appeared across the middle of Link's back. With the final crack of the whip, the chanting crowd fell silent. Link screamed in pitiful agony as Corin shouted "FIVE!" and after a short pause, "The sentence now being carried out, release the prisoner!"
As Link was unchained and dragged to the infirmary, Alfon slowly coiled the whip and handed it to Captain Corin. Turning to the Princess, he shouted, "Will there be anything else, Your Highness?" Unable to speak, Zelda just shook her head "No." and turned away. "Company! ATTENSION!" the marshal bellowed, "Dismissed." The gathered soldiers straightened their backs, tramped their spears against the hard ground, and dispersed. Corin came and stood beside Alfon, "You did what you had to do, my lord. Better his master than some stranger." he said, trying to comfort his friend. "What are we doing Corin?" Alfon asked, "We're struggling to hold onto our kingdom, barely able to contain the evil at the capitol, and she has us whipping Link for acting like a hero." Corin turned and watched Impa and Zelda disappear back into the temple with a concerned frown. "She is doing what she judges to be right, my lord. Trying to keep what is left of the kingdom from splintering apart." The marshal leaned in and whispered, "You find me one Hylian here who had to watch a boy be flogged to remain loyal to his princess!"
With a deep sigh, Corin left his marshal and attended to his other duties around the lakeside town. Alfon made to enter the temple and sit beside his ward in the infirmary, when Viscern and Russell slowly stepped out into the light. Russell's left arm was bandaged and hung in a sling, but he bore a fair smile as the three friends reunited. "It is good to see you well, my lord!" he said as he and Viscern bowed their heads. "And you, my friends. The only good thing to come in these days... to see you both alive and well." replied Alfon. "Do not worry yourself too much my lord, the boy is strong." Viscern said. "Aye," added Russell, "and there is hardly a sergeant or captain in this army who hasn't felt the lash at least once." "At such a young age?" Alfon asked. "Well..." Russell began, but was lost for any response. After an awkward silence, Viscern asked, "What will become of him now, my lord?" Alfon thought for a moment before answering, "He will bitterly hate the princess and Impa for this... I will have to train him; day and night, to keep his mind focused." His two friends nodded their agreement. "The princess... she was heartbroken, everyone could see that." Russell added hopefully. "Everyone... but Link." replied Alfon, "Nothing will be the same for him now. He's entered a new chapter of his life; whether he's wanted to or not."
~End of Part 1~
