TETRA MA GIRL. Bit of a surprise this chappie, hehehehehehHAHAHAHAHA ;) ;) ;) I cannot WAIT for you to read it!
For the five hours that Tetra had been in the Domain, Ilayen hadn't let go of her hand once. Not that she had complained, of course, but it did make planning rather difficult.
She didn't care--not as she saw the love and fear still glimmering in his eyes every time she looked at him. She felt the same.
Zelda watched her two friends across the table, watched the emotions crackle between them. Tetra bit her lip, then pressed her face into Ilayen's jacket. Clean streaks cut through the ash on her face.
She'd told them what happened. During the Takeover, as it was being called, they'd seen the army from the desert approaching.
"The castle was a madhouse," she'd said, Ilayen's arm wrapped securely around her. Her bun had come loose, and ash, blood and dirt smudged her tan skin. A bandage wrapped around her head. "There were people everywhere, trying to flee, take their belongings with them . . . some had already given up. But Rauru . . ."
Here her eyes filled with tears. "He refused to leave," she whispered, holding Zelda's gaze. "He--he told me to make sure I reached you, because you n-needed me, and I told him to come with me, and he just--"
She'd shut her eyes, covering her face, and Zelda had as well. Had let the tears fall.
Rauru is dead, then.
The realization was almost too much to bear. The thought that Rauru--Rauru--was dead, that kind, thoughtful, intelligent old man was gone . . .
Yet more that Ganondorf had taken.
She'd shoved that thought from her head as Tetra wiped her face. "He went to the chapel," she'd said softly.
Of course he did. Zelda had wiped her own face and taken Tetra's hand, already gripping Link's in her other. Catching on, Tetra and Ilayen linked hands as well, until they stood in a circle. The last castle survivors--that they knew of.
Zelda had started the prayer. When they'd been children, they'd all gone to the Temple of Time, behind the castle, for one hour of prayer every day. It had only ever been her, Tetra, and Ilayen, since Link still lived in his own village. And every day after the prayer, they'd clung to Rauru and begged him to let them play in the woods and explore.
He could never say no to them.
Tetra's voice joined in, along with Ilayen's and Link's. It was a short prayer, but it held in its words all those days, all those hours of dedication and love. It had been no secret that Rauru had been like a grandfather to all of them.
Now, Zelda took a deep breath, feeling her shoulder twinge. She frowned. It hadn't done that in a while, since that door in the desert temple had slammed down on her. Or perhaps it had, and she'd simply been too distracted to notice.
Well I'm noticing now, she thought crankily.
Laruto noticed her grimace and stepped forward. "Perhaps it would be best if you took a rest, Your Majesty. As I said before, you look like you need it."
Zelda looked at her, surprised. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Besides, there's far too much work to do--"
"Zelda."
Laruto's eyes were gentle, but her tone had taken a more serious note. "Please. You may be the Empress, but you are no good to us bedridden."
Her words cut through whatever Zelda had been about to say. Wordlessly, Mipha, in the silence that had fallen, handed Zelda a large mirror. It was an effort not to stiffen.
She was covered in dirt, blood, and grass stains. Her uniform was torn, her hair a mess, and her face . . .
Dark shadows squatted under her eyes. Her cheeks were beginning to sink in, and she was getting pale. She swallowed, nodding to Mipha and Laruto. "Apologies. I--"
Laruto laid a hand on her shoulder, and immediately Zelda felt her muscles relax. "You are the last person who should be apologizing," she said, and her voice was still gentle, but in her eyes Zelda could see rage simmering. She knew it was not at her. "You must rest, Zelda. We can manage a day or two without you."
She softened the words with a smile, and it felt to Zelda like that smile allowed the others to come forward. Darunia crossed his arms again and grinned, showing off perfect white teeth. "We'll hold down the fort until you're ready, Empress."
Ravio and Hilda looked like they might fall over and trying not to show it. Mipha and Tetra hugged tightly, both smiling, their words lost to the growing calls.
"We're not going anywhere, Princess!"
"You idiot, she's the Empress, not a princess! Get well, Your Majesty!"
Raucous laughter rolled around the crowd. Warmth came up behind her and took her hand. "I feel like we're being politely told to go away," he murmured, and Zelda laughed.
That earned them some catcalling. Someone whistled in the back.
"Yeah, go take a nap!"
"I doubt 'napping' is what's on their minds," someone called. Their face was lost to the crowd of smiles, but at that moment, Zelda couldn't even bring herself to be mortified. Who cares? A voice in her head asked. Who cares if they see? You're happy, aren't you?
Glancing up at Link, his hand warm in hers, Zelda found that that voice was right.
As soon as she left the council room, as her mind had taken to calling it, Zelda felt the past week crash down on her. Her feet dragged on the tile, her shoulders slumped, and it was all she could do to not just relent, and let Link carry her, as he'd offered to do several times now.
She wouldn't, though. He was in even worse shape than she was herself. As one of the Domain servants led them to their room and showed Tetra and Ilayen into their own, she caught a glimpse of Link in the large mirror beside the bed. In the hall, the tired voices of Ravio and Hilda faded behind a closing door.
He was much the same as her and the others, but for the fact that the left shoulder of his uniform was torn off, hanging in loose strips. The skin beneath was bruise blue, turning black in some places, and from the stiffness in his chest, she knew he had more wounds.
She shut the door behind them and stripped down, finding clothes already waiting on the coverlet. Slipping the silk shirt and shorts on, she crawled into bed, ears deaf to whatever Link was saying. As her eyes closed, her mind muddled by the softness of the mattress, she just caught his smile before blackness took her.
She slept like the dead.
It felt like a week had passed, but the servants informed her it had only been a day and a half. Still.
Her arm flopped back on the bed after dismissing the girl. "I'm never not sleeping again," she muttered. A snort from beside her made her turn her head.
"I know we're supposed to be the princess and the hero and all that," Link mumbled. "But can't we just live here for the rest of our lives? Surely our past incarnations got to do that, too."
Zelda laughed, her voice hoarse from disuse. "I'm pretty sure they got to do that after they saved the world. And some of them had to do it twice."
Link groaned, prompting Zelda to snicker at him. As much as she wished to just do what he wanted--and damn, did she--it was going to have to wait. Even if she could live with herself, knowing they'd abandoned her people, they'd never get any peace while Ganondorf and his monsters still lived. And Link knew it, too.
So she sat up, willing her body to comply, and poked his arm. "Come on. We told Mipha we'd be there for the council meeting today."
Link grunted, grabbing the pillow Zelda smacked him with and burying his face in it. "Goddesses, you never change," came his muffled voice.
Snorting, Zelda left the bed and stretched, feeling like she'd been curled into a ball. Glancing at the dresser, she found her uniform hanging on a form, clean and pressed, with not a rip in sight.
She set about getting dressed; as she heard Link shifting behind her, she smiled to herself. A few months ago, I would never have been able to even sleep in the same bed as him, let alone change my clothes in front of him.
How things have changed.
She slung the jacket on and made quick work of the buttons. "Come on Link, we're going to be late."
She just barely caught him mimicking her in a high falsetto and rolled her eyes. And you say I never change.
She ran a brush through her hair, hissing at the tangles. At least it was short now; it had hardly grown at all since she'd cut it after Snowpeak, reaching just above her shoulders. She made to turn from the dresser, but a glint and a paper note caught her eye.
We found this on your gown from the wedding this past autumn. Laruto thought it would complement your uniform. --Mipha
Zelda lifted the pin, recognizing it immediately. It had clasped the purple sash from her dress; a Triforce in gold, bound in a circle, and behind it, on a purple cushion, was the circlet.
The pin was the same, but she could see that the circlet had gone through some changes. The rubies were replaced with small symbols bound in gold, like the pin. Frowning, she glanced back at the note, but it said nothing else.
"They're the symbols of the Sages."
Zelda gasped; whirling, she found Ruto standing at the door, leaning a hip against the frame. She came forward amid Link's muffled swearing. "Goddesses, can't you ever knock?!"
She ignored him. A pale finger reached out and traced the crown. "From the Wingcrest, going clockwise," she murmured, pointing out each as she spoke its name. "Forest, Water, Fire." She skipped over the back spike. "Spirit, Shadow, Light."
"For each, there is a Sage," Ruto explained. "I'm sure you can guess which one I am."
Water, obviously. Zelda said as much, and Ruto nodded. "The others are waiting. Some you've met, others, not quite. But all in due time. They will come together."
Zelda held back a shiver. So different; this girl was so different from the frightened princess who'd come to Zelda for advice, suffering the same horrid dreams as Zelda herself.
If she were being honest, she welcomed the change. But--
Zelda pointed at the symbol for Spirit, on the right side of the crown. "I think I've met this one already."
Ruto nodded. "A Gerudo. It's always been a Gerudo."
Nabooru, then. "And this one?" she asked, pointing at Light.
Now, Ruto's face twitched, shadows entering her eyes. "I'm not sure. I thought it may have been Rauru. His first incarnation was the very first Sage, made thousands of years before the age of the Hero of Time, when all the Sages came together. But now . . . I think I may have been wrong."
She looked at Zelda meaningfully, and she felt her stomach drop.
"Can that happen?" Link asked, buttoning his jacket. "Can she be the Princess of Destiny and a Sage?"
"It's happened before," Zelda and Ruto said together. They locked gazes. "The Hero of Twilight's Zelda was both," Ruto explained to Link. "She fought against Ganondorf in both body and soul. It can happen, though rarely . . ."
"What happens if I'm not?" Zelda asked, half-fearing the answer. "What happens if Rauru really i . . . was the Sage?"
Ruto's silence was enough. Zelda took a deep breath. "Then let's get going."
"A moment, Zelda."
Ruto took a blue cloth and looped it around like before; over her shoulder and around her waist, and secured it with the pin. "Now let's get going," she said with a smile.
Zelda matched it and looped her arm through Ruto's. When they arrived at the council room, they found it in a much less chaotic state than a day and a half ago. Chairs had been brought out, and the table's surface was actually visible under all the papers. Zelda took her seat, scratching surreptitiously at the circlet, and waved at everyone who'd stood at her entrance.
"Let's get to it," she said, wanting to dive right in. "I realize I'm rather late, as that seems to be a habit with me, and I'd like to begin by catching up quickly. Darunia, you were in the GMC headquarters when this started, correct?"
The big Goron representative nodded. "That's right."
"Which one?"
"The Hylian one. In Kakariko."
"How is the village faring?"
After a surprised moment, Darunia smirked, as if thinking, once a princess of the people, always a princess of the people. Zelda matched it as he said, "The people are doing well--at least, they were when I left them."
"How long ago was that?"
"About four days."
Four days . . . Zelda had been in Lorule at that time. She stared at the map before her. Kakariko was close to the Bridge of the Hero. She'd crossed that bridge when she'd ridden to Lorule and back. She hadn't really had time to look, but it hadn't seen much damage done to the outlying farmlands. But it was still too close to the castle.
"First things first: I want to evacuate any remaining towns and villages, starting with those closest to the castle. Kakariko, as I understand it, is only thirty miles or so from the castle, correct?"
Darunia nodded, face serious. He turned as a servant ran up behind him and whispered into his ear.
"Then we'll send out parties to begin evacs. We'll start with Ordon and Lurelin, and work our way up."
"Pardon, Zelda, but wouldn't it be better to start with Kakariko?" Mipha asked. "You said yourself that it was closest to the castle."
"Actually, to that point, I've just received word," Darunia interrupted. "Monsters arrived at the town and found it abandoned, about six hours ago. Homes empty, not a soul in sight."
"Then they've left already?" Zelda demanded.
But Darunia smiled and shook his head. "Seems they took a cue from the Zoras," he said, deep voice rumbling as he jerked a chin at Laruto. "Went and hid in the mining caves in Death Mountain. They heard the monsters come up the path, but no matter how hard they were pushed, they were too scared to go in. So they left."
"How hard they were pushed?" Zelda murmured. She shook her head and straightened. Later. "Well, that's good. How long can they hold up in the mines?"
"About a month, but I don't know about the whole village. We keep supplies in there for the miners in case of a cave-in, but with the entire village . . ."
"They should be able to return to the town to make supply runs soon, though," another Goron said. He was shorter, though not by much. Zelda thought he looked rather familiar as well. Darunia frowned.
"Yeah, you're probably right, Darbus."
Zelda's eye twitched. Darunia. Darbus. And the third, who hadn't spoken but who watched Zelda from the corner of his eye . . . could it be . . . ?
She glanced at Link. He met her gaze, and the twitch of his lips told her he was right.
"By any chance," she began, and the three GMC members turned to her, "have we met before?"
All three of them grinned at her. "So, you do remember cleaning us out that night in Nol!"
Zelda stared for a split second before her face split in a grin. "It is you three! I thought you looked familiar, but--"
"Aw, you flatter us, Your Majesty," Darbus laughed, flourishing a bow.
"I guess now we know where she learned to play like that," Rudania snorted as Zelda whirled around the table. Darunia swept forward and lifted her off her feet in a hug. As he set her down, he slapped Link's back. "Whaddaya say, brother? Want to play a little game o' cards?"
Link stumbled forward a bit and grinned, rubbing his shoulder. "If you're half as good as she is, then I have to say no. I've lost count how many times she beat me."
The three laughed uproariously, but a few pointed coughs broke them up. Tetra and Laruto stood, arms crossed, brows raised. "I believe we were on the way to an evacuation?" Tetra prompted, though she couldn't hide the glimmer of amusement in her blue eyes.
Zelda laughed sheepishly, remembering belatedly they'd been in the middle of preparations. Returning to her side, she had an apology on the tip of her tongue, but Laruto shook her head the tiniest bit, unable to hide her smile.
Zelda bit her tongue, trying and failing to keep a straight face. The others at the table didn't even try; they'd watched the whole exchange with relaxed poses and grins.
Even as she grabbed her sword and bid them goodbye as she left for the evacs, that feeling stayed with her--the inexplicable feeling that things from her past, which she'd honestly never expected to see again, let alone in such circumstances, had come back to lift her up again. And quite possibly at one of the worst times in her life.
A memory from a year ago came back to her, from a day in the fields and a copse of trees. A teasing ball of light, coaxing her to follow, and leading her to an unexpected surprise beneath a rock.
She smiled as she mounted her horse, on the outside, finding it mirrored on Link's face. She'd told him about the Korok, of course. She knew he was remembering it then, too. Taking a deep breath through her nose, she wheeled the stallion east, towards the dawn.
They'd go to Lurelin first. And collect any strays they found on the way. After that . . .
Zelda turned to face north, where the distant hump of Ordon Village was lost amid the thick trees of the forest that surrounded it.
She swallowed hard. "I'm coming, Saria," she vowed.
Lurelin was a small fishing village on the coast of the Waker Sea. Directly south of it lay Pirate's Passage, a wide channel that cut through the territorial waters of Dragon Roost Island, and the Ancient Gerudo Fortress of Termina.
The fortress had been abandoned for who knew how long, but Zelda still didn't trust it. Abandoned places simply didn't sit well with her anymore; the old Palace of Twilight had been Zant's base of operations, and the Gerudo Wastelands in Hyrule had been the spawn point of the Hyrule monster army.
She kept an eye on that fortress, and the waters around it, during the evacuation, but no signs of monsters were sighted, and she breathed easier once the last child left her home.
"The monsters are probably fixed on Castle Town and Nol," Link had said, watching beside her as the villagers filed out through the gates. "The outlying villages will be safe for a while yet."
Zelda hadn't been very soothed, given that Telma and Ilia were still in Nol, and all those left behind in the castle. But Link was trying to comfort her, so she focused on the good part of the monsters' distraction—if it could be called such: the outlying villages were still safe. Relatively.
Despite her trepidation, the evacuation went smoothly. They reached the Domain by dusk and spent the remaining hours putting up all the new arrivals. There weren't many, and the Domain's residents were welcoming and gracious, but Zelda had to wonder how they were providing all the food and supplies.
Then she was reminded of what Valoo had said, during the Summit. He'd mentioned storehouses along the coastline, kept locked up in case of an emergency. That must be how the Zoras managed, as well, she mused.
She wrung her hands as the Zoras handed out steaming bowls of chowder, courtesy of the delectable Lurelin cuisine, thinking about Waker.
The last she'd heard from them, Valoo was in production of sturdier fishing boats--the kind that would be able to withstand heavier rainfall and harsher waves--to allow for fishing. The storms had abated, his last letter had said, but he wanted to be prepared just in case.
Komali was in Greatfish, helping with the storm relief. Medli was in Windfall, assisting the displaced from the Fire Mountain disasters.
Goddesses. Fire Mountain . . . it seemed like a lifetime ago that she and Link had battled that giant squid . . . though she had little doubt now that even that had been Ganondorf's doing. She hadn't forgotten the glowing mark on its forehead, barely visible through the rain.
If anything, his betrayal had sent every suspicious act, every conspicuous "accident" careening to the front of Zelda's mind. But as opposed to before, when it would have been a nonsensical jumble of words and places, now it fit together like a puzzle. Everything had a reason, a justification behind it. It almost made too much sense.
The squid, the Talus, Zant, the warrior. Everything.
Zelda sighed, pulling a pillow over her head. Beside her, Link slipped an arm around her, his warmth seeping in. Zelda closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep.
She would need it, for tomorrow.
The next day, when they arrived in Ordon, they found the villagers already packed and ready to go. Several carriages had food and supplies loaded into burlap sacks. Zelda dismounted and inspected them, head tilted. They were certainly prepared, that was for sure. And it would help with keeping supplies in the Domain up to par.
An aging swordsman and a heavily pregnant woman approached. Zelda knew from Link's testimony that they were Rusl and Uli. She smiled warmly and accepted Rusl's firm handshake.
"It's good to meet you, Your Majesty, though I hate to comment on the timing," he said good-naturedly. Zelda decided she liked him immediately.
She waved a hand. "Trust me, we all do."
He and his wife laughed, and Zelda opened her mouth, but she'd just heard a child's laugh.
Rusl and Uli turned discreetly to Link as Zelda approached the group of children partially hidden behind the last carriage. She'd know that face anywhere.
She knelt down, a hand outstretched. "You remember me, right?" she called softly, smiling. "It's me, Zelda."
They ran out at her name and she fell to the ground, buried in a pile of squirming, laughing--some crying--kids.
As she struggled to sit up, loudly complaining that they needed to work out a new greeting, a hand grasped hers and pulled. The grip was firm, and she felt the callouses of hard work.
Zelda stood and pulled Saria into a tight hug. She felt the girl's shoulders tremble, but when she pulled away, she found a smile bright as the sun on Saria's face.
She sniffed, holding Saria at arm's length. "You've gotten taller," she declared. "And you've filled out."
"It was Saria's birthday last week!" Mido said loudly, hanging on Zelda's sleeve. "I got her an opal--I found it in the forest."
"Mido!"
He flinched, ducking behind Zelda as a portly woman strode imperiously to the group, wagging her finger at Mido. "How many times have I told you--stop going into the forest on your own? You're going to get hurt!"
Mido rolled his eyes, albeit when the woman's back was turned. Saria poked the side of his head. "He always gets in trouble like that," she told Zelda, who was trying her best not to snort. She grinned. "Though, if he does it for attention, then I suppose none of us can really say anything about it."
"Miss Sera's strict, but she really does care," a young girl added, possibly the youngest of the group. Zelda remembered her as one of a pair of twins. What was her name . . . ?
"Tatl, I keep telling you don't eat the pumpkin seeds!" her brother pleaded. He squeaked as his sister popped one in her mouth with a shrug. "You're gonna have a pumpkin growing in your belly! That's what Mido said--"
"Mido is stupid, Tael," the girl said with all the authority of an older sister, eliciting a pair of snorts from Zelda and Saria. "I don't know why you even listen to him."
"Oooh! Seraaa!" another pair of twins yelled, their blonde hair covering their faces. Zelda snickered with Saria; of course the Know-It-All brothers would be the ones to rat her out. "Sera! Tatl said Mido was stupid again!"
"Tatl!"
The girl squeaked in indignation. She stomped her foot at the twins, who were laughing. "Shut up, you two!"
"Tatl, stop fighting!" Tael tugged on her sleeve, but she broke away and started chasing the twins. He sighed dramatically as another young girl came up beside him. "What am I gonna do with her, Fi?"
Fi tilted her head. "There's a good chance they'll all get in trouble--real trouble this time. After all, we're not supposed to be playing right now. Maybe they'll learn."
Tael sighed again, picking at his black sleeve. "You always say that," he mumbled. Fi smiled softly.
"Come on. Let's go see if your sister caught them yet."
They wandered off together, but by the sounds of shrieking and running, it seemed Tatl had yet to catch her tormentors. Zelda and Saria leaned against the carriage, letting the adults handle the rest of the preparations. "I see they've settled in well," Zelda commented.
Saria caught the note of guilt in her friend's voice. She nodded, watching the chase unfold, Tael crying out for his sister to stop before Sera catches them. "They have. They like this place."
Zelda's smile was faint. "Tell me about it."
Saria cocked her head. Where to begin? "Well, as you can see, Tatl, Mido, and the Know-It-Alls are the core of all the trouble here. But, of course, everyone adores them. Tael clings to his sister like a tick; Sera had a hell of a time separating them when it came to bedtime and chores. Tael cried forever the first time."
They chuckled, picturing that scene. "Eventually they got used to it," Saria continued, "but he still asks every time if he can do chores with Tatl. Sometimes Sera lets them. The only time he's ever really okay without Tatl, though, is when he's watching the goats. He used to sit with Ilia all the time and just . . . watch."
Saria's face grew sad. "He misses her."
Zelda ruffled the girl's hair gently. "I saw her, you know," she said softly. Saria looked at her. "When?"
"About a week ago. She was in Nol. But they've probably left by now. Said they'd be right behind us."
"They?"
Zelda blinked. "A mutual friend," she said with a smile. "Don't worry about Ilia. She's in good hands."
Saria took a look at her friend's expression and believed her. She'd never known Zelda to have bad judgement when it came to people, and she owed her a debt besides.
That year . . . it had been the hardest they'd ever had. Food was practically nonexistent. People were mean. And then they lost Tingle . . .
When Zelda had found them in that hellhole, she'd thought the princess was going to kick them out. She'd had her hands on her hips, blue eyes like living fires, and her face had been so angry . . .
But Saria couldn't have been more wrong. When Zelda spoke, her voice had been soft, gentle, and tears had glittered in her eyes. Starving, Saria had simply beckoned her group to follow as Zelda led them out of that filthy alley.
Saria smiled, aware of Zelda's eyes on her now. "How we must have looked, striding into that bath house. You, the new girl in town, with a troupe of dirty starving kids trailing behind you. The owner probably would have had a fit if you hadn't dumped that gold on his desk."
Zelda laughed through her nose, watching the sun climb higher. "I was sure he'd say something. But I think he looked at me, and he looked at you, and that was more than enough."
"It really is different on the other side, huh?"
Now Zelda laughed out loud. Going from one end of the city to the other had been a change Saria could never have expected. The streets were cleaner, the people were nicer, there was more food, and most importantly, there were less dogs.
Saria swallowed against a tight throat. "Tingle would have liked it here, I think."
Zelda nodded, her gaze faraway. "I think he would have, too."
A call made the two of them turn. Link was waving. "We're ready to go. The kids are on board. Saria, can you make sure this is everyone?"
With a glance, the two girls made their way to the front carriage. Saria made a quick head count. "This is everybody. We're good to go."
"All right, then. In you go."
Saria hopped into the carriage; as Zelda walked past, waving, she grabbed her hand. "Is Navi all right?" Saria asked.
For a moment Zelda hesitated, and Saria felt her heart stop. But then Zelda smiled. "Of course. I promised she would be."
With that, she left, and Saria sat back against the carriage. Tael climbed into her lap and started braiding her hair. She let him, thoughts turned inward.
Turned towards the way Zelda's smile hadn't reached her eyes, and her voice had that fake sweetness to it.
She was lying.
Zelda rode at the head of the column. It had been several hours, but she could still taste the ash of her lie on her tongue.
She'd almost told Saria the truth. That she didn't know, she hadn't heard anything from the castle, that Tetra hadn't received any reports. No stragglers had yet made it to the resistance.
But she'd seen the way Saria's eyes had filled with fear at her hesitation, and she couldn't do that. Not until she was sure--one way or another.
Zelda closed her eyes, praying with every ounce in her body. Please. Please let them have survived. Faylen, and Sirela and Alana, Mia and Ferona, little Navi . . .
The discussion behind her grew in volume, and she shouted back, without taking her eyes from the road ahead, "And what happens when you overhunt? What then?"
"It's a living, Zelda, for goddesses' sakes!" Link shouted back.
"And the animals? How is it a living for them?"
Laughter rippled around them. Beside her, Uli chuckled at the slouch Zelda had fallen into. "They've always been like that. Though, honestly . . ."
Zelda lost her grimace and faced the woman. She was eight months pregnant, but she'd insisted she was fit to ride. Her saddle was piled with cushions and blankets to keep her as comfortable as possible. "Yes?"
Uli laughed nervously. "You must forgive the rudeness, but it's hard to believe the Empress herself would come to help a small farming village like Ordon. Some were inclined not to believe it was really you."
Zelda smiled, her chest easing. "It's the very least I could do. It's my job to keep you all safe, after all. And, if I'm being honest . . ." She shrugged. "I had my own reasons."
Uli smiled as the sounds of children's laughter erupted. "I've no doubt of that. For the first month, they spoke of nothing but you."
The scouts returned, the wind of their passing stirring Zelda's hair. She swallowed. "I was . . . something of a foster for them, in Nol. And when they moved to the castle, I repeatedly offered to house them there. After a while, however, that became impossible."
"I understand." Uli's voice was soft.
Horse hooves sounded behind them, breaking off the conversation. Several riders--survivors of the castle guard who'd made it to the Domain recently--galloped past, followed closely by Link and the scouts.
"What is it?"
"Reports of campfires!" he yelled back. With a nod, Zelda nudged her stallion--whom she'd named Sanidin--into a gallop and went after them. She caught up with them as the scouts circled a group of burnt out fires, bordered by the natural stone walls of the forest entrance.
For the first mile into Faron Woods, there was a natural wall of stone. It had been hewn through to make the road; here, it fanned out to the right side with the fields left open on the other side. A river snaked through: the beginnings of the Zora River.
Zelda joined the circle of guards. "How old are they?"
"Not very, Your Majesty," one answered, a hand on his sword. He'd dismounted to inspect the fires. "I'd say about a few hours at most."
"Keep on your guard," Link ordered, still mounted. "We can expect whoever left them to still be around."
"Yessi--"
He fell with a gurgle, an arrow sticking from his throat. Zelda slashed a second out of the air and pushed Sanidin into motion, acting on instinct. The arrows came in force now. "Keep moving!" she shouted. "Moving targets are harder to hit!"
They scrambled to obey, mounting their horses, but one fell with an arrow to his gut, another to the sword.
The sword?
Yells sounded, and a group of masked men leapt out of the woods on the stone wall, swords swinging. Pandemonium ensued.
Battle erupted; as Zelda crossed blades with an attacker, she caught the eye of a guard. "Warn the caravan!" she bellowed.
His shout was lost to the noise, but as she decapitated her opponent, she saw him wheel his mount around and break for the caravan.
Now, she thought, wheeling Sanidin to face a pair of attackers, I can f-
A body fell in front of Sanidin and he reared, squealing. The two men took advantage and grabbed her legs, tugging. Unprepared, Zelda lost her balance and fell from the saddle, landing on the hard tussock.
She was up in a moment, eyes flaring, but the fall had taken the wind from her lungs, and she was sure she'd fractured a rib. She held her side, on the defense now, and they knew it. They pressed her back, and back. She gritted her teeth, risking a glance behind. The river neared, and they were on the steep side.
Her feet slid in the mud. An idea bloomed in her mind. Pretending to fall, she rolled under the men and sliced one's legs, burying her blade in the back of the other. They fell like stones, right on the edge.
Grunting, she made her way back to the battle. It was nearly finished; there was one more, his face, like the others, hidden by a black mask. His red eyes were fierce, however, and his white hair fell into his face. One arm clutched at his side.
There was something about him, Zelda thought, something familiar. Maybe it was the way he moved? Or was it his grunts of pain; hadn't she heard that before?
He raised his sword to strike down his opponent, but suddenly he jerked, yelling, and fell to a knee. As Zelda reached the circle around his fight, she could see blood trickle from the wound in his side.
His opponent made to lunge, but froze at the shout that rent the air.
"No!"
Zelda whirled to see Link, sporting a new bruise on his cheek, smudged with dirt and holding his side. A castle guard supported him on one side. "Link?"
He didn't answer her. He was staring at the masked man, his face slack. His hands shook. He hobbled to the circle, where the man's attacker backed off. He searched the man's eyes until they reached his.
Maybe it was Zelda's imagination, but she swore those red eyes widened. Swore he let out the tiniest gasp.
"Link?" Zelda pressed. "What is it?"
Link fell to his knees. "It's him," he whispered. "The warrior."
Ba-BAM.
I've been waiting so long to post this chapter, and now it's finally here!!! YES!!! Haha so toss all your guesses about the warrior's identity at me-I want em all! I love reading your theories and guesses, so any and all please! This is the last chance!! (Because we all know what's happening next chapter ;))) HAHA)
SO.
REVIEW REPLIES.
To Generala: okay so I knew I was forgetting something last chap, and I remembered the other day: I forgot to reply to your review! So sorry XO but I'll answer it right here:
yess absolutely. Sanidin works too damn hard haha. I actually got that name from Sanidin park in BOTW, and in another fic (wip) I made her horse a mare, named Safula XD. Those are my favorite names from the game, I think. Anyway. And yeahhh they're kinda public now, mostly because everyone who might have had a problem eith it has much, MUCH bigger issues to deal with, and everyone else (Ilayen, Tetra, Telma, etc) already knew, pretty much. So yeah, they figure, whatever, right? Haha. Lmaoo yeah she's always on the move.
To bananabreadman: Hmmmm I didn't think of that o.O maybe next time?? Or another fic??!??) and sadly no, he didn't. BUT he ain't gone, either. (What does that mean? HA like I'll tell you. You'll just have to read on to find out ;))
To Ultimate blazer: HAHA your reviews leave me in hysterics every time XD and i love to see your theories about my writing, makes it really enjoyable so thank you! :)
Also ahhh that LbW theory! It's everything.
To Generala (again): RaviDa (?) for life. Yesss it's always great to see my plot twist was actually twisty. It's hard to really surprise people these days X(
You too, stay safe! (Your cats purr purrs are heartily accepted; I offer scritchies and cuddles from afar)
To Queen Emily the Diligent: yay, I know! I wanted to drag it out for as long as I could for peak suspense, but that seemed like a really good place to put it in, so. And yay, I'm glad to see you're still reading! My heart is happs.
Again: Gimme dem guesses!! Lol I hope you all stay safe, stay clean, and have a good week! See y'all Thursday :). Later~
