Author's note: let's try this. Last chapter was quite large (24 A4 pages) so I've cut it in half to see if that was the problem. I hope it works now. If it does, have fun reading and be sure to leave a review! If not, we'll have to wait for FanFiction to sort itself out.
Stay healthy!
DR
Chapter 7
Link was instantly reminded that he shunned large crowds. Though there were only ten chairs neatly arrayed around the large table, seven more had been crammed into the remaining space before the bookshelves. Chatter and laughter filled the room as people conversed within the small clusters they had formed. Most people he recognized, like Shad, Ashei, Batreaux, Noora the barmaid, Agus the silent cook, and Peet who was sitting on his chair taut like a spring, twitching every time Telma looked his way. But some inmates he had not met yet. A young Goron sat by the wine barrel in the corner, occasionally holding his open mouth under the tap when he thought no one was looking. There were two adolescent girls sitting on either side of Noora and talking excitedly with her, and next to Rusl sat two men in pristine clothes, sunken in their own conversation.
Link spun around upon hearing loud thudding at the door, and a few voices rose to calls that greeted the large Goron entering the room. Borri looked even more misplaced within the cramped meeting room than he had in Millie's smithy; in his search for a blank spot he wreaked havoc on the tabletop, tin mugs bouncing like frogs and slopping their contents before being rescued by their owners. His backside plummeting onto the stone floor sealed the fate of Telma's tablecloth.
''Here, son, our spot is over there.'' Rusl gently pushed Link towards two chairs near the table end, and Link sat down beside Millie. The elderly woman gave him a wink that made her earrings jingle. He forced himself to return it.
''Not fond of people, eh?'' she said, absently dabbing the moist spot of wine next to her cup with her napkin.
Link leaned forward. ''I feel like I don't really belong here,'' he admitted softly. ''Shouldn't these meetings be among the more important members only?''
''Usually they are. But this being the first, every member gets to cast their votes equally.''
Link frowned. ''Votes for what?''
Millie's eyes drifted off, focussing on the last figure to enter the room. With Auru's arrival, the hall gradually quietened.
''Good evening, everyone. Pray excuse my lateness, I was caught up chatting with the musicians outside as I was establishing their volume of performance for the evening. With the songs being played particularly loudly, we shall not fear of being eavesdropped upon. Ah, and I see that Borri has already taken care of ensuring we remain sober tonight.''
A wave of chuckles went through the crowd while Auru righted his fallen wine cup.
''Now, on to the matters at hand,'' the leader continued, his look growing stern. ''You all have a general idea of why I have summoned you to Castle Town. Many of you have witnessed these strange and disturbing events first-hand, others are acquainted with some who have been bereaved of family, of friends, of loved ones, or even count among them. For several weeks a cloud lay over our land, shrouding the sun, brightening nights, withering our crops. The resulting harvest has been counted among the worst this kingdom has seen in a long time. We are, if I may be so bold, at the brink of famine. If it were not for our allies in the south and the east who seem to have been spared a prolonged exposure to this cloud, we would see a decline in population the likes of which we have not had since the civil war. Because of this, I commend you to cherish the bread and the ale that the goddesses have given us tonight. It comes at a steep price.''
All eyes turned to Borri at those words, and the Goron visibly shrunk a few inches. Only his reddening cheeks contrasted with his skin that instantly imitated the grey of the stone wall behind him. Link couldn't help but feel sorry for the rockman, and took a savouring sip of his own apple cider. From the corner of his eye, he saw many members do the same. Who knew how long Telma's reserves would last?
''I can, however, reassure you that many farms have been retaken after the cloud lifted, and I am informed that fall crops are in good health. The rate of rains and clear skies has been nearly ideal for their growth. It makes me wonder if our cherished land has recognized our plight, and is doing its very best to aid us. Which brings me to my next point.''
From his pile of papers, Auru lifted the uppermost sheet and turned it to face the gathering. It was an astonishingly realistic pencil drawing of the prismatic barrier that encapsulated the castle, and small blocks of writing were neatly distributed around it.
''Young Master Shadrach here has spent the week in close proximity to the castle, doing his best to gather information about the barrier that has appeared thirteen days ago during a particularly harsh summer storm,'' Auru said and cast a nod at Shad, who visibly blushed. ''His findings, I must admit, are troubling. You see, the barrier cannot be compared to any material we have knowledge of. From afar it looks like tainted glass, but any attempt at piercing, smashing, or bludgeoning it has proven ineffective.''
''Have you tried drilling?''
The man sitting on Rusl's right had spoken up. He was old, his scabrous hands roughened by long years of labour clinging to his tin mug as if it were a cherished prize.
''Indeed we have, Sir Mezer,'' Auru replied. ''We have used all manners of techniques from various crafts in our attempts to breach that barrier, and none have been successful.''
Link let out a quiet sigh of relief and hurried to look innocent when Millie cast him a side-glance.
''What is more decisive is the fact that this barrier has certain… properties, if you will, that common materials lack. Master Shadrach has listed them on his résumé, for all those interested. The conclusion that I am drawing from his findings, my friends, is simple yet daunting. In short, this barrier as well as the cloud that laid upon Hyrule several weeks ago… must be of magical origin.''
A murmur went through the gathering. Link looked around himself to find the faces of the Agency's members all displaying various reactions. Surprise, confusion, fear. Only Shad looked like it he had just received the best birthday present ever. His eyes glistened like jewels behind his large round spectacles.
''You must understand the consequences that this brings,'' Auru continued, silencing all muttering. ''True magic has not been a part of this world for centuries, despite many of its conveniences still present and taken for granted today. Just look at rupees and their extraordinary capabilities to fusion and separate within the blink of an eye. We have all accepted these oddities as self-evident. But now we are faced with an enemy who performs magic – true magic – and is thus a threat that we are not prepared for. How do we know what capabilities and dangers it brings? And most importantly, how do we protect ourselves from it?''
He paused, letting his gaze wander over the many silent faces before him. ''We are not potent with magic, that much we know. It was lost to us many centuries ago. Yet our legends of old still carry on to this day, passed down through generations bearing wisdom and lessons. Our history is filled with magic from a time when it was as common as breathing. Our ancestors, who descended from the gods and created the foundations upon which this kingdom now stands, left us these tales that we have preserved through time. Therefore I give you this advice: learn from our legends, and do not dismiss the wonders described within them. If magic is to return to these lands, our science and religions will have to make room. It will not be easy, but if it means the survival of our people, then we should all be willing to keep an open mind.''
Nodding, Auru left his audience to digest the news while he stooped to pick up a large black chalkboard that he hung on the wall. Behind him, Shad's research notes were being passed from hand to hand, accompanied by quiet murmuring.
''This storm that flattened half of our forests, was that also magic?'' Ashei asked from her spot at the head of the table.
''I believe so, Captain,'' Auru answered. ''But at this point we do not know enough to come to conclusions as to whether it was hostile or performed for our protection. Nor am I certain who exactly conjured it, how, and why. What I am fairly certain of is that it did not claim any lives. It is not much to go by, but if it was conjured to cause casualties, its failure to do so is enough for me to dismiss it as a threat. But we will discuss this more after our voting. I am certain our younger members do not wish to toil in politics for the length of the night.''
Behind Link, the two girls sighed dramatically.
''Now, on to the heart of this meeting. As you all know, the very purpose of this Group is to restore peace and ensure the resolve of issues threatening the welfare of our kingdom in the event of the royal family's peril. Therefore, neither of us can be rewarded conventionally, ergo receive a salary paid at the end of each month. Whatever funds we make within our services to civilians goes directly to a common repository that keeps us fed and provided with resources. So, to compensate for your efforts, each member is instead given a voice to propose missions that they wish for the Group to undertake. Those can be private conflicts, propositions about what is to be changed within our kingdom in this current situation, premises to strengthen our potential by introducing special training or resources, or in the case of a lack of opinion, offer support to those whose propositions seem agreeable to you. Each member will be given a voice, and for each proposition every vote will be counted as equal. To put it simply, Peet's voice will have the same value as mine.''
''That's right, so you better propose things that make ol' Peet happy,'' the street boy called, earning laughter from the other members.
''We'll do our best,'' Auru chuckled. ''The minimal vote count for a mission to be accepted is two. And the more votes a mission gets, the higher on our priority list it rises. Of course, I beg you all to be realistic and keep in mind that many of these propositions may need lengthy preparation time, and could take longer to accomplish than others. The sorting of missions shall be done after this meeting, and I invite you all to volunteer in accordance to your skills.''
He paused, looking at each member in turn. ''If there are no more questions, I shall make the first proposition.''
Link leaned forward in his chair, intrigued. Why had Rusl not mentioned this before? Raptly he listened to Auru's calm, confident voice as the leader held up multiple drawings of bulblins and bokoblins and briefly exposed his knowledge of the race. More praise went to Shad who had done most of the research concerning the Moblins; Link knew little about the Group before it was disbanded two decades before, but he clearly noticed Auru's attempts to enamour the scholar with the rest of the members.
''The mission I propose is simple and will require only myself and two members. I believe it is vital for this Group to learn as much as possible about our enemies' centre of operations, which I have managed to establish as a stronghold in the northern parts of the Gerudo Desert. If we can halt the influx of reinforcements into Hyrule, we cripple the Moblin army in Eldin, allowing our own military to finally earn us a victory. The premises of this operation are simple: I and a member of my choosing will enter the Moblin stronghold and sabotage it while the other acts as a diplomatic envoy to negotiate a military alliance with the Gerudo in their capital. If they consent, we will ask them to take up position at the desert passage on the western side of Lake Hylia and close it off, thus preventing the Moblins from entering Hyrule once and for all. This, however, can only be achieved if we succeed in sufficiently reducing the numbers of Moblins. But I am confident that my pyrotechnical knowledge will do the trick.''
''Bomb them all to oblivion? I like your thinkin'!'' Borri exclaimed, earning a murmur of approval.
Link was startled by a sudden tug on his foot. He looked past the tablecloth to find Midna half submerged in shadows, nodding urgently. She hid quickly as Rusl and Millie cast confused looks in Link's direction, which he tried to brush off with a casual smile. Cringing inwardly, he made a mental note to have a serious word with his imp companion later.
''All those in favour, raise your hand,'' Auru said, stretching his own palm skyward. Link joined his to the rest of the ones in favour; most members seemed to agree.
''Very nice, I thank you for your support.'' Auru said and turned to write down the number of his votes next to his mission he had named on the blackboard. From the seventeen members, thirteen had given their consent.
''Next in line is Master Shadrach. Would you please stand up and tell us of your mission?''
The bespectacled scholar rose to his feet, scratching his cheek nervously. He had a heap of books and papers towered before him that spilled across Auru's and Ashei's parts of the table in equal shares. Link heard people around him mutter comments to each other; some even chuckled quietly, a fact that made him frown. It wasn't pleasant to be addressing a crowd of seventeen people in such a small room, and not everyone could hope to display the same surety as Auru, who was clearly used to giving speeches.
Shad, however, quickly composed himself as he lifted another of his first-rate pencil drawings and showed it to his audience. Link had to look twice to truly believe what he was seeing; on the paper sat a shrunken, hideously wrinkled creature roughly resembling a bald, featherless cuckoo. Its minuscule eyes stared back at him like two tiny spots of blackness.
''Our esteemed leader has previously mentioned the troubling and sadly quite real threat that magic presents to us at this hour,'' Shad said, his voice poised and confident, much to Link's satisfaction. A glance at the other members' faces confirmed their visible surprise.
''Indeed, if our enemy is potent with the art of sorcery, we must learn as much as we can about its twisted designs, and hope to find ways to counter it. Heeding our legends' lessons is a good place to start, surely, in order for us to familiarize ourselves with this most recent discovery. I have, however, something that is better still than all the withered records of our old libraries, something that will give us insights on magic that no storybook will ever achieve. That, my friends, is technology.''
He held up drawing after drawing showing more of the bird-like creatures. ''For many years, my father's pet project has been the study of this most curious race called the Oocca. They are creatures said to live within a majestic city floating in the sky. What is more, they are the masterminds behind technology the likes of which no one in Hyrule has ever dreamed to develop.''
''How on earth should these things create technology if they haven't even got hands?'' the young man next to Sir Mezer called out, earning a streak of laughter. Link noticed Rusl cast the speaker a dark look.
But Shad seemed not the least bit offended. ''Ah, that, my dear Garril, is an excellent question–''
''One that you two will be able to discuss in detail later,'' Auru stepped in, nodding at Shad urgently. ''What mission do you propose, Master Scholar?''
Shad cleared his throat, his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. ''My apologies, sir. I would simply ask for some time away from my other duties within the Agency to learn more about this wondrous sky race, as well as resource material and assistants to help me in my studies. I do very heartily believe that this knowledge will further our understanding of magic, and most importantly give us possibilities to develop magical defences of our own.''
''Very well. Who is in favour?''
To Shad's visible distress, no hand was added to his. Link was half tempted to ease the man's embarrassment by giving him his vote, but one more look at the raised picture of the Oocca blighted his resolve. It looked more like creature sprung from the mad fantasies of an eccentric than the fruit of actual scientific study. He looked away in an attempt to shield himself from Shad's disappointment, when murmurs of confusion made him turn back.
''Oh, so what? Let him dabble in his research, it's not like he's hurting anyone.''
''Captain?'' Shad asked in surprise.
Ashei had raised her hand with a look of rebellious satisfaction. ''Sure, go ahead. I might even have some good-for-nothings in my guard whom I'd be overjoyed to see traipsing behind you carrying your books. Just say the word, Spectacle Guy.''
Shad looked ready to cry. ''Thank you, Captain Amauger, it means a lot to me.''
Ashei brushed him off with a sigh and stood up. She had just one piece of paper before her that did not belong to Shad's overflowing research, and as she held it up for the gathering to see, mutters of shock went through the crowd. The paper was splotched with dried blood and torn at one side as if hastily ripped out of a notebook. The picture displayed was hard to distinguish, and not only because whoever had made it lacked Shad's skill for realistic drawing. It was drawn using charcoal that had smudged in places. Nonetheless, Link was able to see the outline of a bulky creature resembling a Goron. Its long, thick arms reached to the ground, and large fangs wound out of its ferocious maw like sabres. In one oversized hand, it was holding something that had been rendered unidentifiable by blood smears.
''What is that supposed to be?'' Noora asked from the back.
''That, my sweet, is a Yeti,'' Ashei said calmly. ''A powerful and very dangerous creature that has made its home in the Snow Peak mountains to the far north of here. The man who made this drawing was the only one in a group of ten men to return from a hunting mission alive, and as you might be able to guess from the look of this paper, he paid a hefty price for his return.''
Ashei lowered the drawing and turned to face Auru. ''With your consent, Sir Nahamani, I would organize a hunting party into the mountains and bring that creature down.''
''What are your reasons?'' Auru asked.
''I grew up in those mountains,'' she answered. ''I have seen Yetis from afar and found them only hostile when provoked. The largest Human settlement is near Zora's Domain, two miles out on the ice fields. Yetis never venture anywhere near it, yet this one did on several occasions. It passed through that village wreaking havoc each time until it reached the Domain where it was then chased away by the Zoras. It is a threat to my family who still lives there, not to mention the Zoras who cannot follow it and kill it themselves because of their weakness to cold. If we assisted the Zoras and the people of Anouk, my home town, I am sure we would gain a powerful ally in both.''
Auru nodded and turned to the gathering. ''Everyone in favour, raise your hand.''
Ashei got eight votes that Auru noted on his blackboard.
''Next, Master Carpenter,'' Auru said and beckoned Sir Mezer to rise. ''What is your mission?''
The longer Link listened to the people giving voice to their missions, the more disbelieving he grew. No doubt was each venture important in its own right, from Sir Mezer's insistence that more professional training be made available to the city guard, to little Peet's stumbling appeal of more food and medical supplies for beggars. Noora's former indifference was proved false after she demanded more help be provided to the city's two orphanages and asked to petition for funds. Leena and Kyra, the two girls sitting beside her, both suspended their right to a proposition and each gave an additional vote in favour of the orphanages. But Link was shocked to hear no mention whatsoever about a mission that would find and rescue the kidnapped children.
''Five votes for Romu's plea on acquiring a boulder cart for shipping goods across the fields. Now, who's next? Young Master Link?''
Link's head jerked up to see Auru smile at him expectantly. His heart instantly pumped faster. All eyes turned to him, and Link felt his mouth dry up. He stood up hastily, casting a furtive glance at Rusl. His foster father nodded at him encouragingly, but it was Midna's soft touch on his boot that relaxed him enough to clear his head.
''What mission do you propose for the Group to undertake?'' Auru asked.
''The rescue of the missing children,'' Link responded.
A dead silence befell the members at his words. No one moved, and even breathing seemed to have ceased for a brief moment. Link looked around him to find many eyes averted. Telma sat quiet, one hand pressed to her lips, and Auru had a frown stuck to his forehead. Link was not sure if he should add anything; all other members had held long, argumentative speeches to gain the favour of their fellow members, but he could not think of anything more to say. To him it was clear that that mission did not need any more persuasion.
''A most noble quest,'' Auru said quietly. ''One that will need a lot of preparation and intelligence, for first we would have to find them. Not much is known of the Moblin pack that raided the southern villages and took all those children captive. If my sources are correct, only one group of children managed to escape the caravan, and they are being cared for in Kakariko. This mission would require a lot of searching, investigating, and scouring of the land, but I do not believe that a caravan this large could have simply vanished without leaving a trace. If we had enough people on the lookout for such traces, as well as spies in all regions to keep an open ear for rumours, I am sure they will eventually be found. The rescue itself will have to be further discussed once the whereabouts of the children have been established.''
Link smiled in relief and nodded, silently thanking Auru; he had stepped in to fill in all the details Link had not mentioned, and the result was unmistakable. Every hand in the room was lifted.
''I suspend my voice and add my vote to Link's,'' Rusl said, not even bothering to stand up as Auru turned to him.
''As do I,'' Millie said.
''Very well,'' Auru chuckled and added two more votes onto the blackboard. ''Perhaps we should have started with this mission. Clearly it is deemed important, and for good reason. However, you should all remember that if we cannot provide these children with a secure and functioning Hyrule to return to, we would only make their lives that much more difficult.''
''No mission should be more important than this,'' Rusl interjected. ''My own son was taken by those raiders, and if Link had not stepped in at Kakariko to help ensure their security, they would have been recaptured within just a few days.''
''As much as I see your point, I agree with our leader. We should not have this mission be our sole priority.''
The man who had spoken was Garril, seated beside Sir Mezer. He now stood up to address the gathering. ''Though I am not surprised to find Mistress Gobinet so quick to add her vote.''
Heads turned in his direction and eyed him warily, and Millie leaned back on her rigid cushion with her arms folded. Garril was young, perhaps Shad's age, and sported trimmed dark hair and a delicate, groomed beard. He was clad in expensive silks and wore a rapier at his belt.
''Sir Garril,'' Auru said calmly. ''What will you propose for us?''
Instead of answering, the young man turned from the leader and began to amble through the chairs, looking each member in the eyes briefly before continuing. Link watched him, frowning; just from the tone of the man's voice, he could feel his hair stand on end. Something about Garril seemed off.
The man halted next to Kyra and leaned over her, facing her but speaking to all others.
''Sir Nahamani mentioned magic and the very real threat it poses. I know a lot about magic. I perform it myself, and as a performer I know that any magic trick needs a lot of preparation and practice.''
Suddenly he reached behind Kyra's ear and pulled forth a green rupee, drawing a surprised giggle from the barmaid. ''Begging your pardon, my Lady, I had hoped it would become a flower.''
''A rupee is just fine,'' she answered and grinned from ear to ear. Link felt a shiver run down his spine.
Garril cast her a brief smile before facing the gathering. ''To explain what I mean by this, I would ask you all to turn your attention to Mistress Gobinet.''
A murmur rose from the crowd, and Millie visibly shrunk a few inches next to Link.
''Mélisande is a sharpshooter, and as such she is required to present both the virtues I just mentioned,'' Garril continued. ''Preparation to keep her machines in full working condition, and practice to make them conform to her wishes. I do not doubt that she is the best in her field, and despite her advanced age is still capable of hitting her mark with masterful accuracy. My concern is her capability to bring preparation and practice onto the battlefield.''
Protests arose at his words, and Borri startled them all by smashing his fist into the ground. ''This is preposterous! Our sister is as good on the battlefield as she is on the training grounds. What are you even suggesting, you pompous rat?''
''Borri, calm yourself!'' Auru snapped, and everyone turned silent. ''Sir Garril, get to the point. What is your proposition?''
The reaction he had caused seemed to bother Garril little. His face took on a pacifying countenance. ''I merely wish to remind you all that it was due to Mistress Gobinet's failure on the battlefield that this Group was disbanded twenty years ago. Therefore, I am not quite comfortable with having her on board of any mission that demands both preparation and practice under stressful conditions. Say, for example, if Link finds his missing children. What will she do when one of them is being held by a Moblin and threatened to be killed? Will the same thing happen as last time? Will she lose her nerve and fail in her duty?''
''Most certainly not!'' Borri shouted, rising to his full height and tapping his chest in defiance.
''Borri!'' Auru roared. ''Sit down!''
''Borri, stop it,'' Millie said, and all heads turned towards her. ''Master Garril, am I correct in assuming that your mission is not a mission at all, but a proposition for a betterment of the Agency's competence?''
''Yes and no, my lady,'' Garril answered. ''Mainly, I do not wish for you to be cast out again should the worst happen. A traumatic event such as this leaves scars. For your own good, and the continuation of this Group, I petition to have you removed of all missions demanding high-precision sharpshooting.''
''That, I believe, is not your call to make, Sir Garril, but mine own,'' Auru said sternly. ''The Group was disbanded because the royal family was involved as well as many noble families of Castle Town. It was a delicate matter that was handled poorly.''
''I believe, Sir Nahamani, that I have made my proposition, and it is now time to vote,'' Garril replied firmly, lifting his hand into the air.
Auru relapsed to angry silence, watching the members. Link carefully glanced around himself, and saw that Garril was alone in his vote. Just as Auru was about to dismiss Garril, however, Link caught a glimpse of movement to his left. He turned, and was surprised to see Millie had lifted her hand.
''Millie…'' Auru murmured, his voice pained.
''I told you before that I am not the right person for this job,'' she said. ''I never have been.''
''Two votes are needed for a proposition to pass,'' Garril said, and nodded at Millie. ''You made the right choice, my Lady.''
All eyes turned to Auru then, and after a long pause the leader turned and wrote Garril's demand on the blackboard. At the last letter, the chalk gave a soft screech.
''I believe we are done,'' he said curtly. ''I now ask the line of command to stay behind and discuss each of the missions. All others are free to spend the rest of their evening as they see fit. I will see you all in the morning.''
Ashei, Sir Mezer, Millie, and Rusl remained seated while the others rose and filed out of the meeting hall one by one. Breathing easier, Link cast a brief glance at Rusl, who nodded with a smile, before following Telma out of the room. Though he was itching to ask her about the strangeness of Garril's mission, Midna was more important. Slipping out of the murmuring crowd, he walked down the corridor to the string of doors and opened the first. From the main tavern, the loud music rumbled through the wooden walls all the way into his room. It would be a nice sound barrier for a hushed conversation with his companion.
He had barely closed the door when Midna's shadow emerged from beneath him and she landed with a thud on the stone floor. ''How convenient is that?'' she giggled, bouncing with joy until Link cautioned her to be quiet. His warning barely hampered her happiness.
''Link, you have to make sure Auru picks you, he's going into the desert!''
''I know, I heard it myself. But how do we know he's even going near the Mirror?''
''It doesn't matter, all you have to do is follow him and do what he says so you know how to cross the desert unharmed. Then you slink away while he's asleep or something and travel to the Mirror.''
With a huff Link plummeted to the bed. ''We still don't know where it is. The desert is huge.''
''Let me worry about that,'' she answered, hopping to reach the bed. It was a tad too high for her, and she slid awkwardly across the mattress until Link reached down and pulled her up.
''Thanks,'' she muttered, her eyes narrowed in shame. ''I heard him talking about that College today and how there's a large library there. I'm sure I'll find some notion of the Mirror in the history section, and you can try to convince him to take you on that mission of his.''
Propping himself on his elbow, Link narrowed his eyes at her. ''The history section? Why there?''
Midna blinked a few times before answering. ''Well… The Mirror of Twilight is a gateway left by the goddesses. At some point someone must have come across it, right? I'll find the records of whatever researcher found it and most likely find a map as well. Then it's all about reaching it.''
Link considered her reply, and nodded his consent. Already his eyes were growing heavy, and with a deep breath he lifted his arm for her to snuggle closer. The wooden ceiling above him warped and contorted in the fitful light of the single oil lamp, pulling his lids closed.
''It's strange to be a part of this group,'' he muttered, feeling Midna's head turn towards him. ''To actually belong somewhere. I hope this was the right choice.''
''Just look at how much support you received after making your proposition. Everyone agreed with you. I bet they're in the meeting hall discussing how to best find the children right this moment. It's just like Auru said: with spies in every city and town on the lookout, they will be found eventually.''
Link was inclined to agree with her, but a nagging thought caused his brow to crease. For a long while he stayed quiet, lying unmoving on the bed beside her, and soon he heard Midna's soft breaths even out. He pulled the blanket higher to keep her warm, and blew out the lamp. The stab wound throbbed dully as he lay with open eyes in the dark, listening to the dampened music and the buzzing chatter from the tavern.
''I just hope we won't be too late,'' he whispered.
His nightmares soon returned, haunting the many hours till sunrise with the sight of tiny dead bodies scattered among a remains of broken carts and smashed cages.
000