Link stood in the darkness staring at the piece of paper in his hands. His thoughts were spiraling.
It made no sense!
Enora looked at him curiously. She kept looking around, though, as if a horde of bulblins could appear at any moment, pounce on them and tear them to tiny shreds. Finally she tugged at Link's tunic again. Her eyes wide open, her body trembling with fear.
"Let's leave," she begged, trying to push her partner back to the main entrance.
Link quickly shoved the letter into his pocket. He was completely overwhelmed by the situation and let the girl walk him out of the castle without resistance. Enora finally calmed down again after they had left the castle grounds and entered the city through the large gateway.
Still trembling, she looked back, took a deep, relieved breath and turned to the Ordonian.
"That was a close one," she said and forced herself to a smile, although, fear was obviously still stuck within every bone in her body.
Exhausted, the young man let himself fall onto a garden wall at the side of the walkway. The wall framed a pretty flowerbed, in which strange-looking flowers with small red blossoms presented their colors one last time before winter would rob them of their vitality.
"What's the matter," his partner asked anxiously. The Hylian only shook his head before fishing Zelda's letter out of his pocket.
"What was there in the castle," he asked thoughtfully as he looked at the sketched map.
"I don't know for sure. Something just felt not right."
"Do you think there are shadows hiding in the castle?"
Enora shrugged clueless. "I don't know. To be honest, it felt slightly different from the shadows."
"Hmmm." Link turned the paper over and over again as if the answers to his questions were written somewhere on it. They weren't. Eventually his gaze returned to the roughly outlined map.
"I don't suppose we have any choice but to visit this place." He stood up and orientate himself on the map, before he started walking, Enora in tow.
The streets had become a bit quieter by now, for night was gradually coming.
It was getting harder and harder to decipher the map as the darkness passed over them and the street lights didn't provided enough light. At last Link found the house marked with a big X on the map. A little run-down - like all the houses in the slums - it stood in line with several others and was in no way different from them. The Hylian knocked tentatively on the shabby brown wooden door.
From inside came a soft rumbling before the door was gently pulled open just a bit such that a pair of brown eyes could have a look at the visitors. The person behind the door looked around to both sides before letting the Ordonian and his companion in.
They were standing in a dark hallway. A single door led into a neighboring room and a staircase gave access to the upper floor, from where soft coughs could be heard. The corridor was completely barren. The dirty planks on the floor had been worn out by many feet and the empty walls radiated an uncomfortable coldness.
"My Goddesses," whispered a horrified female voice. It was difficult to spot something in the darkness. It was enough to see that the housekeeper was of small and slim shape and wore a long dress. She clearly was unsettled and shoved Link and Enora into the neighboring room and followed after.
There was not much in this room either: a faded and frayed carpet lay on the floor. An old wardrobe stood in a corner with its doors hanging crookedly only held by a makeshift rope. Next to it was a table, one leg of which was supported with books, yet it still gave the impression that it would tip over at the slightest nudge.
The light of several candles fell on the pale face of a girl with long black hair and light brown eyes - the maid from before in the castle.
"I hope nobody saw you," she said in a low voice as she closed the door behind her.
Link held the letter out to her. It was written all over his face that he immediately asked for an explanation.
The maid flinched as if he had beaten her, lowered her head and whispered. "I'm sorry."
She took a short breath.
"Before you go mad, listen to me. I have nothing to do with this. I woke up one morning and there was a letter on my desk." She pointed to the table that was struggling for balance. "...along with this."
She went to the cupboard, loosened the rope and opened the door, which immediately snapped off its hinges. She hopped to the side to keep her toes safe. "I'm sorry," she promptly uttered.
When she had recovered, she retrieved a small wooden box decorated with silver ornaments and symbols. One of them was clearly the Triforce. She handed the item over to Link. However, she couldn't do this without almost tripping over a carpet crease.
"I couldn't open it. Maybe you know what to do with it," she mumbled and watched the Ordonian timidly. She couldn't hide her curiosity.
Link grabbed the box quickly before the maid had a chance to drop it by mistake. The back of his hand started to tingle unpleasantly. Was the Triforce mark reacting to the box? A faint click told him that the lock of the box had opened. Interesting mechanism!
Very gently he opened the lid.
A small, sky-blue instrument, bedded in a soft, red cushion, was revealed. The instrument looked like a large egg. A golden Triforce was engraved in the mouthpiece.
"The Ocarina of Time", Enora awed. Link glanced at it in amazement. He knew ocarinas and this one clearly looked like one. Could Enora be right?
"How comes you have it?" the Ordonian inquired.
The black-haired girl blushed immediately. "I-I-I didn't steal it, if that's what you're implying. As I said, it was on my desk, along with a letter."
To prove this, she took a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket, which had definitely seen better days.
She handed it over to him with a quick nod.
Tenderly he unfolded the paper and discovered the same handwriting as in the other letter. Zelda's handwriting. Part of it was already illegible.
"Dear Effi,
You're probably the only person left who I can trust.
I need your help!
There is an object in this box that must not fall into the wrong hands under any circumstances.
Sir Link needs it, but unfortunately, I could not give it to him myself.
Have the enclosed letter discreetly delivered to him and he will come and see you.
Do not speak of this to anyone. And do not return to the castle after Sir Link's visit.
You have my thanks!"
"I don't know who this is from, but I suspect it's from her Highness, Princess Zelda," the girl replied sheepishly.
Link nodded, returned the letter to her and carefully took the ocarina out of the box, discovering another white piece of paper lying under the ocarina on the pillow.
"Another letter," he muttered as he carefully took the piece of paper ahd put the instrument back.
"Dear Link, dear Enora,
I see Effi has given you the Ocarina of Time.
After you left for Ordon the other night night the castle was infiltrated by shadows. I don't think anyone but me noticed. Most of the servants have already been replaced by impostors.
There's nothing I can do but to flee.
I write these lines in haste.
The enemy is yet too weak to cause harm to anyone but they will grow stronger quickly. I am sorry to ask this of you again, Link, but Hyrule needs you.
Our top priority is the safety of the people. Do not look for me. It is safer if we go our separate ways for now.
Do not worry, our paths will cross again. I will find you.
My wishes and hopes are with you!
Zelda"
"I guess it makes sense now," muttered Link as his eyes fell on the maid. 'And at the same time, it doesn't,' he added in his mind.
"Effi, isn't it?"
The black-haired girl blushed again. "Y-y-yes?"
"Have you noticed anything unusual around the castle?"
"The castle?" She pondered for a moment. "Well, not really. Princess Zelda is suddenly behaving differently and has some very strange-looking people over. Sometimes I'm not even sure if they're people at all. They do look rather weird."
She stared at Link and quickly added: "I'm sorry. None of this is my business, of course. Please forgive my imprudence."
Link didn't comment on her statement. He preferred honesty over etiquette. His eyes met Enora's. Her gaze emitted the same feeling he felt in his stomach.
The enemies had occupied the castle without the people noticing, Zelda had fled and an impostor had taken the throne. That was a hard pill to swallow.
"Thank you, Effi," Link said and gave her a grateful nod. "Dark times are coming upon us. Be on your guard!"
He put the ocarina back into the box and took it under his arm before turning towards the door.
Soon after, Enora and Link had left the house and were walking through the dark alleys.
No one was to be seen and yet Link had the feeling of being watched.
Of course, now that Zelda was gone, he could only imagine it.
Their situation had changed completely all of a sudden.
"We're going to Telma's," Link whispered to his partner as they headed into the little back alley.
With a queasy feeling, he knocked on the door of the inn, hoping fervently Telma would open.
He did not have to wait long as the chubby woman let them in only a few heartbeats later. Judging by her face, she was surprised but relieved. Who could blame her?
"Link, I'm so glad you're all right," she began. "What happened? Suddenly you were gone and a few days later a letter came saying you were with the Zora and..."
The Ordonian interrupted her and looked around the empty inn. Apparently, business had been going badly since the people had noticed that the monsters were back on the loose and that it was no longer safe at night.
"Are the others here?"
Telma shook her head, knowing who Link was referring to. "Rusl's in Ordon, Rauru and Shad are in Kakariko, and Ashey wanted to go to Zora's domain."
"Dang," Link whispered, but Thelma nodded encouragingly at him as she settled down in a chair, ready to listen to him.
v~v*v~v*v~v
A book slammed against the wall of the library, slid to the floor and landed on a pile of books that had met the same fate.
Zelda pulled the next one from the shelf, flipped through the pages and hurled it against the wall as well. She grabbed the next book.
"Damn it! Which one is it?"
"What are you getting so upset about", another voice sounded. A tall, slim person who - half hidden in the dark - was leaning against the shelf, watched the princess with a frosty expression. "Neither of them knew where she is."
"You're underestimating our enemies, Xera," Zelda barked at the woman as she paused briefly in her endeavor. "They may seem weak, but that doesn't mean they are."
Xera laughed coldly. "Surely you're not trying to tell me that Zelda can still be dangerous to us. Or even that goatherd boy. The goddesses have long abandoned him. As if he could touch a single hair on our heads."
"If he finds the ocarina, he will!"
Xera took a step towards the impostor princess. Xera's pale face was partly illuminated by a candle. Her fiery red hair looked like a flame in the flickering light. The sharp facial features cast deep shadows on her cheeks and eyes. She surely was an eerie view.
"If you so desire, I'll keep the boy away from you." With that Xera left towards the door. "Let's have dinner first, though."