The Legend of Zelda: Prince of the Sea

by SushiSheik

Five years have passed since the events of Twilight Princess. Link has become a knight under Queen Zelda and the kingdom prospers. Then the day comes where a single Dark Arrow destroys this fragile peace and darkness returns to the kingdom. To save his Queen and Hyrule, Link must prove that his spirit is stronger than being a hero or knight... even if it costs him his life -ZeLink

19. Chapter Nineteen: Contact

After four days of rain falling off and on upon the lands of Hyrule, the sky had finally cleared and the early morning sun was shining brightly from above the eastern horizon. Evidence of the spring's rains could be seen in the numerous puddles that dotted the road, the rich smell of wet earth in the air, and the overwhelming amount of green and new life throughout the Kingdom of Hyrule. Animals were bearing young or preparing to do so, the fields had been sown and were being planted, and the heat of the coming summer was becoming more apparent with each passing day.

It was the perfect day.

At least, the lone wolf that sat upon the road thought so.

Sitting at the spot where the road forked in Hyrule Field within the Lower Lanayru Province, the wolf took in a deep breath as its unusually blue eyes scanned the rocky walls surrounding the road while its memory stirred. It was hard to believe that only five weeks before the landscape had been covered with white with the end of winter. Such a contrast to what it was now.

Taking in another deep breath the scents of the air filled the beast's mind, but they did little to distract the wolf from remembering what had happened on that road five weeks previous.

The day that the Dark Arrow struck Link's shoulder, nearly killing him, while simultaneously shattering the five year long peace that had blanketed Hyrule.

'The day everything went to shit…' the wolf thought, and Link's twitched his wolven-ears back in remorse and his gaze fell to the stoney road before him. 'Feels like a lifetime ago… Hard to believe that it's actually been just over a month. Time… just feels different now.'

As a spirit, Link felt no pain: at least, not the same type he had felt when he still had a body. Along with pain, the passing of time didn't affect him as it once had. The wolf shook its head, his lovely grey fur unmarred and un-matted, and there was no evidence to be seen that Link had been ferociously engaged in spiritual combat for a week straight.

In his combat, he had been victorious… for the time being.

However, something had called to Link, tugging at his senses, and his inherent spiritual knowledge told him to return to the Light World. He had appeared to where he was now, on the secluded and rocky road of the western section of Hyrule Field. For a brief moment, panic had filled the spiritual beast and the wolf paced with confusion. That is… until a calmness came over him and he patiently sat in the middle of the road, facing the right road of the fork towards the north. It was… weird, and yet at the same time it wasn't, the emotions and feelings he felt now as a spirit versus to when he'd been alive. Link felt less worried about the unknown, emotions came sporadically and dissipated quickly, and his focus could wander far and wide without his knowledge. Before, when he had his body, Link would worry about his surroundings, about the status of buildings projects, the situations within Hyrule, or the problems he personally was facing.

Not now. Now… he felt very little, but at the same time he still felt the same. It was as if he was a reflection within a pond. Sometimes the image was solid and clear, and yet at other times the image was broken, disjointed, and unrecognizable. He didn't know why he had appeared at this particular spot, but he also didn't care. Inherently he knew that he was there for a reason and if he waited and was patient, the reason would reveal itself.

One of the things that Link did know for certain was that he was there because of Zelda.

Something had happened in the Light World to draw him to return, to force him to flee from his battle with his dark counterpart, and thus lose track of where the bastard made off to. The duel had been intense, ferocious, terrifying, and had felt like a couple hours at most. Yet, another truth that Link instinctively knew the moment he appeared back in the Light World, was that six days had passed. He knew not what had occurred during this time, but he knew that Zelda had been safe as he had been preoccupied with burrowing his fangs into Dark Link's black hide.

But… something must have happened. Something great enough that he had been summoned on a spiritual basis.

The spiritual wolf could not place it, but something was bothering him… he felt it at his core. Even though he sat patiently upon solid ground, it felt as if he were moving. Link felt… unsteady, uneasy, and he could not discern why. Perhaps he was too much of a novice spirit to be able to realize what he was feeling. On the one hand, Link felt the wisdom of the ages; on the other hand, the confusion born from his human emotions clouded his ability to discern these strange feelings. Whatever the source, it was this sensation that had beckoned him to leave his crusade against Dark Link.

The wolf's ears twitched and he raised his gaze to look at where the road turned and was obscured by the high, rock wall.

'She's here,' he thought, a few moments before the distant sounds of hooves and voices struck the beast's sensitive ears.

Even before the group of people came into his sight, Link heard and smelt them. He instantly knew that Zelda was one of them. He just… knew, but that was understandable considering that they both were bearers of the Triforce and that he was also spiritually connected with her. Being a spirit just allowed him to be more aware of this connection and for a brief moment Link considered that perhaps Zelda herself had a similar sense considering that she was sensitive to magic and the spiritual realms. The thought was quickly pushed aside as the wolf sniffed the air and picked up the scents of at least a half dozen other people with her, possibly more, along with the distinctive smell of horses. He also heard the rolling sounds of wagon wheels and another animal's scent that he could not place. It took him a moment to surmise that what he was smelling could be the Noruidian deer mounts. Maybe, having been a wolf previously, such scents had been stored within his memory bank and it made sense he'd never smelt the strange, ridable deer before. Midna always made fun of him and his "incessant sniffling"...

Midna…

It had been some time since Link had given his long-lost, friend and ruler of the Twilight Realm any thought but, then again, he'd been somewhat preoccupied as of late with dying and everything.

Shaking his head once more, a growl emanating from his throat, Link mentally slapped himself to focus. This was what it was like to be a spirit. The Hero of Time had explained it to him when they had arrived at the Peering Gate. Although Link had just been a soul then, it seemed that similar rules applied to him now being a spirit. His thoughts just wandered and unless there was a task in which he was actively taking part in, Link's focus would waver.

Fortunately the sounds and smells grew louder and stronger and Wolf Link sat up straighter when his keen eyes saw the group of riders round the. Narrowing his gaze, Link saw riders on horses, a horse drawn wagon, and sure enough the source of the foreign animal scent was in fact the Noruidian cliff elk. That confirmed that the Noruidians were with the group and Link was positive that Zelda was as well… but why the wagon? The Hyrulean riders were all dressed in civilian clothing, with no visual indications that they were knights or soldiers, and dread flattened the wolf's ears back against his head.

What was going on?

Their voices and conversations reached the wolf's ears and he picked up the deep voice of Faris, the calm voice of Arvid, the laughter of the Noruidian twins, and then Link heard the prince's voice.

The riders made it halfway up the road before Link saw one of the riders slow their horse, a black stallion with a white mane, tail, and feathers. Arion… which meant that there was only one person who could ride the headstrong mount who also might be the only person who would realistically be able to see Wolf Link. There were not many who could see spirits so easily unless they wer eclose or truly chose to be seen.

Zelda…

Link watched the queen reign in Arion to a stop, forcing the other riders to halt their mounts as well. The wolf heard Arvid ask why she had stopped, but Zelda made no reply and only stared straight down the path to connect her gaze with the wolf's. Slowly her companions turned to look as well and Link heard a couple of them gasp or curse as well as the tell-tale sounds of a couple bows being drawn and arrows being notched.

"Where did that wolf come from?"

'Faris…' Link thought.

"There was no beast there a moment ago."

'The prince's man… Balin, or whatever his name is.'

"Something doesn't feel right about this. Todd, shoot an arrow at its feet to-"

'The prince…'

"Weapons down! Please, lower your weapons."

Link's ears perked forward upon hearing Zelda's voice and he saw her gesture for the others to put down their arms, especially the twin who already held his bow at the ready. The queen was wearing a thick grey cloak with a lighter grey trim with the hood drawn up to cover her head and shadow her face. The wolf, even with his keen eyes, couldn't see her face but he knew it was her.

And when she dismounted her horse, a small whine came from the wolf.

"Trust me, Arvid," Link heard Zelda say as she passed her stallion's reins to her worried knight. "This wolf will do us no harm, I assure you. In fact," the queen began and looked directly back at Wolf Link before she said, "I believe that he's here to assist us."

"But, my lady-"

'Another woman's voice? Sounds familiar…' Link's eyes shifted towards one of the horse-riders but before he could register who the woman was, his attention was drawn back to Zelda.

"Really, please. Just allow me a moment."

Zelda gestured for her accompaniment to remain before she began to walk towards the sitting wolf alone. Link saw the prince and Arvid exchange worried looks and heard Faris mutter something under his breath. Clearly none of the queen's companions thought it was a good idea for the Hyrulean ruler to approach a possibly dangerous and wild beast by herself.

Link did not move as he watched the queen approach him, though he did drop his head a bit as she drew closer. Since the group had stopped partway up the road, there was still some distance between them and where the wolf sat. Being a spirit, Link wasn't of flesh and blood, he didn't have a heartbeat, yet as Zelda approached he felt his chest tighten and could almost hear his heart hammering in his ears. The sound became so loud that he stopped caring about the others and his entire focus was on the woman walking towards him. The wind shifted and he saw her cloak gently sweep toward him and her sweet scent drifted towards him and he took in a deep breath, While he didn't need to breathe, he still did it simply out of habit. Still, of course while he was in his wolf form, he was able to utilize his beast-form's innate senses. That being said, Zelda's scent had always been so sweet smelling to Link, even as a Hylian and not a wolf, so now with it being heightened it was rather intoxicating.

Or perhaps he was just imagining it and was simply struck in awe by his liege's calm approach. He had, of course, missed her dearly.

Her soft footsteps steadying brought her closer until finally Zelda knelt before the large wolf a couple feet in front of him. Drawing back her hood, Zelda revealed her beautiful face to the growing sunlight of the day. Her silky brunette hair was tied back in a simple braid. No jewelry embellished her features nor was she wearing any make-up either. Beneath her grey cloak, the queen wore a dark blue, long tunic with long sleeves. A belt cinched her waist and from it hung Zelda's sword, the same one she used to practice with when she trained with Link. To complete her civilian attire, the queen wore dark grey pants and knee-high brown leather boots trimmed with light grey fur at the top.

In a perfect world, Link would have taken such a moment to savour being reunited with his dear friend and allow himself some happiness. However, seeing how she was dressed, her companions, and namely her sword, Link couldn't help but whine softly and lower his head even more. He kept his gaze on hers, but his ears turned back, and the spirit expressed his disapproval.

Zelda, however, only smiled and took in every strand of fur of the wolf with her blue eyes that brightened with joyful tears.

"Link…" she whispered, her expression softening. "So this is what you meant when you said that you'd "see me later", hm? You had said that you'd be trapped in the Light World as the Sacred Beast and that you would protect me. I'm not sure why, but I had forgotten your words until I saw you just now. Strange that..."

The queen's words only roused another whine from the wolf, but a short snort and a narrowing of the beast's eyes were clear enough to the woman of what Link was trying to say.

"I know what you might be thinking" Zelda began, her expression growing serious and her tone lowered. "But…" she continued, glancing back to her group who looked on, concern clearly written into their features. Looking back at Link, Zelda flashed him another smile and searched his wolven face. "I can see you… I can see that around you is an aura, a light. Link… it's like you have a light shining from within you. I know that this is because you're a spirit, but… I think it's also because it's you." A single tear fell from her eye but she continued to smile at the large wolf.

A single, soft whine was all the response the wolf gave the woman.

"Link… I don't expect you to be able to speak, but I'm just so happy that you're here. I must ask you to trust me. I know that you are here to be by my side and for that I am thankful for the Goddesses. Though, if I'm truly being honest, I feel that this could be another dream born out of my hope to see you again. So please, excuse me, but I must see… if… you're-"

Zelda's hand lifted to breach the space between herself and the wolf and, without hesitation, Link leaned forward so that her palm fell upon his cheek.

"-don't understand why you're here!"

Zelda's eye went wide with shock and her hand immediately jerked away from the wolf's cheek that she had barely touched. She had not expected to so suddenly hear Link's voice, as clear as day, fill her head and in such a loud tone! Her reaction was so sudden that the woman fell back from her kneeling position onto her backside.

"Zelda!"

"To the queen!"

The shout corresponded with the whinny of a horse and the stampede of hooves as the queen's company suddenly bolted towards the apparently fallen queen. Zelda, blinking her shock away, was quick to turn and spring up, hands up to show that she was all right.

"No, please, wait! I'm fine!"

The wolf had also jerked back with surprise due to Zelda's abrasive reaction. 'She… heard me?' He thought briefly, but he only just had the moment before he barked out a growl and jumped aside to narrowly miss being struck by a well-aimed arrow. Landing further away from Zelda, as to not put her in any harm's way due to a stray arrow, but that didn't stop the wolf from bearing his teeth and growling lowly at the approaching entourage. His posture wasn't threatening per se, more showing the spiritual knight's irritation at being shot at considering he'd been so close to Zelda in the first place.

Zelda stood her ground, hands up, and she did move to place herself between the approaching riders and the wolf.

Arvid, upon his horse, and Vahl, following close behind on his cliff elk, reined in their mounts and leapt to the ground to come to Zelda's side.

"My la-, I mean, Zelda! Are you-?"

"Arvid! I am fine!"

"And what about the beast?"

The prince's question caused all three of them to turn to look at Link, to which the wolf scoffed out a snort and flattened his ears back. His blue-eyed gaze fell directly upon the prince, who regarded the wolf with an indifferent expression; the prince's hand was firmly upon the hilt of his Noruidian blade. Link knew that if he made one move, the prince would cut him down without hesitation.

"Lady Zelda!"

The other riders had arrived with the horse-drawn wagon bridging up the rear with Faris commandeering the wagon. Link, his ears still flattened, glanced his gaze towards the group. The wolf blinked with mild surprise to see that the woman he had heard before, who had sounded vaguely familiar, was none other than Ashei. He hadn't seen her in over a year or so when she had been promoted to the rank of captain in Hyrule's military, stationed at the Snowpeak garrison.

Everyone dismounted and crowded around Arvid and Vahl and they all had their eyes either upon the queen or the wolf.

"Please, everyone! The wolf is not a threat! In fact, he's here to help us."

"The… wolf is?" Faris asked, though his tone clearly revealed his skepticism.

"Your Majesty-"

"Please, Master Simin," Zelda cut the Noruidian off with a soft tone, "as I've mentioned already, but everyone must refrain from using such formal titles to address me."

"Oh, o-of course, my deepest apologies," Simin said contritely with a slight bow of his head.

Before the man could speak more, Vahl raised his hand for quiet and finally the prince turned his eyes from Link to catch Zelda's gaze. "How might this creature aid us, Zelda?"

'Zelda?' Link thought with a slight narrowing of his eyes. 'The prince calls Zelda by her name? The others as well?' Confusion and irritation entered the wolf's expression, though if that was clear to any of the people standing before him was unlikely. 'What have a I missed? What is going on here?'

The Hyrulean Queen sighed and offered Vahl a small appreciative smile before she came and stood by the wolf. Link perked his ears up and raised his muzzle to look at Zelda. When the queen smiled wider down to him, Link couldn't help his tail from wagging. Damn the dog-like nature of his form…

"He…" Zelda began, before looking up to address her companions. "This wolf-" Before Zelda could speak another word, Link set his large paw upon her foot, forcing her to look at him. The queen met the beast's gaze and saw the narrowing of Link's eyes.

'They must not know who I am!''

The woman's eyes widened when Link's voice suddenly filled her head while the wolf removed his paw.

"Zelda?"

Vahlymor's voice roused a blink of surprise from Zelda and she turned back to him. The prince's serious expression had yet to change and Zelda knew without a doubt that he had seen her reaction to Link's paw touching her.

"Yes, I apologize," she said before taking a deep breath and continuing. "As many of you know already, I do have the gift of prophecy. Before we embarked for our journey I had a premonition, a vision if you will."

"A vision? You spoke nothing of this to me," Arvid replied, doubt and perhaps hurt seeping into his eyes.

"I know," Zelda replied to him, offering an apologetic expression. "Visions of prophecy can be… fickle. After my dream of the fighting wolves a few nights ago, I was unsure what to believe. However, seeing this wolf here confirms that what I saw this morning, hence why I approached without fear."

'Zelda's lying capabilities are truly amazing,' Link thought against his better judgement and while he was impressed by her, he also recalled her lying to him about her marriage suitors. He snorted out a breath and turned his eyes down in regret. 'Such a petty fight seems like a lifetime ago… seeing as how I am technically dead, I guess it was... wait, did she say "fighting wolves"?'

"What was the vision that you saw, exactly?" Vahlymor asked quietly, his expression having finally softened but his hand had yet to leave his sword's hilt.

'Forgive me, Goddesses,' Zelda thought as she concocted the final portion of her lie. It went against her beliefs and upbringing to lie about the Three Goddesses. However, considering that Link himself said that his status as a spirit had been granted due to his prayer to the Golden Goddesses, then perhaps what she had to say wasn't exactly a true lie. Now being able to recall everything that Link had told her within the Ghostly Ether after he had saved her from Dark Link, Zelda had everything she needed.

"It was when I was dressing this morning. Imala and Arvid were waiting outside and I was almost finished, when I paused because I heard a voice. I looked around but there was no one and at first I thought it was the dark creature from before. However, I quickly realized that I was the only one who could hear it. It called my name and it's voice was… beautiful. So beautiful that I cannot put it into words. Then an image came to mind of a wolf and the voice said that to ensure my safety and the future of Hyrule, that the Goddesses would send forth a blue-eyed Sacred Beast who would join our venture and act as my protector. Even now," Zelda continued, gesturing for everyone to regard the wolf, "I am able to see a shining aura around this creature. The light of a spirit and, as the voice foretold to me, this wolf also has blue eyes. I have no doubt that it was by the divine protection of the Golden Goddesses that we have been met by this wolf."

Once Zelda stopped speaking, silence consumed the group for a moment and everyone was staring at the wolf. Link found it very difficult to not flatten his ears or growl or something: he hated being the centre of attention and this apparently hadn't changed now that he was a spirit.

After a few more moments, a few members of the entourage jumped when Faris suddenly spoke up. "Right! Well, I am sure that we all will give our appropriate thanks to the Goddesses. I, for one, believe you, my queen." The elder knight gave his liege a slight nod of his head before slapping Arvid on the side of his arm before turning back towards the wagon. "Now that that is all sorted out, we need to keep moving."

Arvid, scowling and slightly rubbing his arm, turned back to Zelda before glancing back at Wolf Link. "He's right. I just hope that the wolf doesn't spook the horses and deer."

"Cliff elk, Sir Arvid," Vahl piped up, a casual smile once again gracing his handsome features before he turned to Zelda. "I must admit that I'm rather impressed with this kingdom's deities and am in agreement with Sir Faris. Having such a creature, a sacred spirit no less, as part of our party will surely make things a bit easier."

The prince gestured for his countrymen to mount up before going over to stand by his own cliff elk but waited to mount himself, clearly waiting for Zelda. The queen watched everyone return to their mounts before glancing down at Link. "Well… that went smoothly," she whispered, knowing that the wolf's sensitive ears could hear her, before she walked forward to join Vahl and take Arion's reins from the prince.

Link remained where he sat for a moment more, taking everyone in, until his gaze fell upon Ashei who had remained by her horse the entire time and continued to watch him intently. The woman looked the same as she had when he had first met her nearly six years ago now, when Zora's Domain had been frozen and Link had been making his way to Snowpeak. Of course, she looked older now and her hair looked to have gotten longer, but she still held the same hard, strong, and stoic expression she was known for. Link knew that Zelda had offered Ashei knighthood some years ago, as Ashei's father had been a Hyrulean Knight, but the woman had politely declined for her own reasons. Link also knew that Ashei had been raised outside of Hyrule and was an expert of the mountains… and her being present within this travel party also intensified Link's sense of dread.

Could it be true? Was Zelda actually leaving Hyrule even after both the Hero of Time and Link himself explicitly warned her not to?

A voice whispered within the spirit's mind that there was no other reasonable explanation as to why Zelda and the others were there, but it was just so hard for the hero to believe. That is… until he saw Zelda and the prince mount up and the party began to move forward. Faris, upon the wagon, whistled and his horse started forward and immediately that feeling returned within Link: the feeling that he was moving although he was sitting still. The wolf's eyes were drawn to the wagon and he sat there staring at it as Zelda, Arvid, and finally the wagon itself passed him. Faintly he registered that the riders were still talking about him and looking at him, as he sat unmoving while they passed. He barely heard someone comment that both the horses and the cliff elk seemed to be unaffected with having the wolf so near them, giving Link's status as a legitimate spirit and protector more clout.

It was only once the wagon had passed him and the party were walking further away that Link finally got to his feet. With easy bounds, the wolf easily caught up with the wagon and with a couple gasps of surprise from the riders, Link gracefully leapt onto the back of the wagon. As he was a spirit, Link did not have a physical body, at least not in the same sense as having flesh and blood. Sure he was tangible, but he was still a spirit. Case in point, the wolf's paws made no depressions upon the baggage of the wagon and Faris did not feel the weight of the wolf added to the load.

The knight, however, had seen the wolf leap upon the wagon and the man scowled with distrust.

"Stay back, beast," the large man warned in a low tone, earning a few glances from Todd, Crevan, and Arvid. Vahlymor and Ashei kept their eyes forward, but Link knew that their attention was upon him as well. Zelda, also, kept her eyes forward.

Link, however, looked at none of them, not even at Zelda, and it was only his spiritual awareness that informed him of what the others were doing. Instead, the wolf held his gaze fixated upon Faris' seat.

The wagon was small, ideal for travel, with large wheels that would make traversing over rocky terrain easy. At about six feet in width and perhaps eight feet long, the wagon wasn't large by any standards and at first glance, wasn't remarkable either although it looked recently built and very sturdy. The front where Faris sat was constructed with thick timbers, probably in order to reinforce the strength of the wagon if it were to run into anything. Three thick posts acted as supports for the backboard of the box seat where Faris sat.

It was the middle thick post that Link stared at with wide eyes and at his core he finally understood why he was feeling the sensation of being rocked and in motion. Drifting down the post back down to Faris' seat, and even though the wolf stared at solid wood, Link's gaze fell beyond. For there behind the wood was… himself. Hidden in plain sight, encased in the timbers, was his body.

'N-no…' Link thought, distress seeping into the wolf's face before he hardened his gaze and a low whine seeped from his throat. If his body had been sealed into the front of the wagon, basically a coffin with wheels, then the Master Sword was…

The wolf narrowed its eyes at the centre post, the thickest of the three. Within it, skillfully sheathed by the master wainwright to appear as a solid timber, the Master Sword stood from the pedestal of Link's body. No wonder he had felt uneasy, as if he was moving, it was because he technically was. At least, his body was.

'Zelda… this was your plan?' Link thought and finally tore his gaze away from where his body lay and stared at the queen. Zelda continued to look forward and something told Link that she was doing it on purpose, that she was refusing to look at him. 'Oh, Zelda… why won't you just let my body die?'

/

The travel party continued onward through the Lanayru Province until they reached Lake Hylia. Taking the road down towards the lake and around its shore until they came upon the garrison within the lake's wall. The group made it through with little resistance, as word had reached the men stationed there that the Queen and her Noruidian fiancé would be passing through that day. None stopped them and it appeared that they had also been informed to not bring attention to the fact that their queen was travelling covertly, so none addressed her or bowed. Actually Zelda found it rather refreshing and it didn't take long for the entourage to reach the top of the ridge for the whole of the Great Desert to be stretched out before them.

"Now, we wait," Faris said with a sigh and steered his horse towards the shade of the rock wall that marked the border of the desert.

It was now midday and it'd be a suicide mission to try and cross the burning hot dunes at this hour. The group would need to wait at least until evening before they began their crossing. True that the group could've left later in the day to time their arrival to the desert to be at dusk, but it had been Arvid who had actually argued against this. Their early morning departure meant that they were able to traverse through Castle Town and Hyrule Field with minimal citizens being awake. The less people who witnessed the queen's group leave, the better.

Settling down in the shade, Zelda handed over Arion's reins to Arvid before walking over to the edge of the rock, her boots sinking in the soft sand. She had never been to the desert before, at least not that she recalled. When she had been really young, her father had taken her around the entire kingdom including the desert. She didn't remember much of that trip, unfortunately, and she for sure did not recall the intense heat. Even in the shade it was hot and grazing her hand upon the sunlit rock made her flinch away from the heat.

Leaning against the shaded rock, the queen sighed and stared out at the never-ending dunes and the western mountains beyond. She didn't hear him approach, for a spirit only made a sound if it wanted to. Still, when the woman looked aside and saw the large, grey wolf sitting beside her, she wasn't scared or surprised. The main emotion that she felt was guilt. Zelda watched Link from her peripheral, but the wolf continued to stare out across the desert.

Frowning, Zelda opened her mouth to say something when the sound of footsteps caught her attention. Turning, Zelda smoothed her expression to a small smile as Ashei joined her, standing on the other side of Wolf Link.

"My lady," Ashei greeted crossing her arms as she stared out onto the dunes as well.

"Ashei, please," Zelda began, beginning to grow tired of having to correct her companions to not address her so. However, before she could say more, Ashei cut her off.

"Referring to you as such does not immediately designate you as royalty, only that I am loyal to you. If I may," the raven-haired woman said, turning to look upon her queen with her indifferent eyes. "You must realize that the men are uncomfortable calling you by name. At least by being able to call you "my lady" they feel more at ease and less forced to go against their instincts. It brings them comfort to show you how much they respect you and I think that it is unfair to ask them to not do this."

Zelda's eye widened slightly as Ashei spoke, before her expression hardened and she nodded. "I… I thank you, Ashei, for your candidness. You're right. I am already asking so much from all of them and yourself."

Ashei nodded at the queen's appreciation. "I know why you asked me to join you and I am honoured. Link was a friend to me as well and he deserved better than the end he got. This journey will help quell my own sense of vengeance."

Link's ears twitched at Ashei's words and he turned his attention upon her. Does this mean that they all knew about his body within the wagon? He couldn't tell and Zelda's response did nothing to resolve his confusion.

"Our efforts are for all of Hyrule, nothing more," the queen replied, her expression having taken on her regal and calm mask.

Both women's attentions shifted towards the wolf between them when Link's ears suddenly perked forward and he whined softly. Their gazes followed to where he stared out onto the dunes where they saw the figures of two Gerudo walking towards them. Ashei set her hand upon her sword's hilt and such a moment brought Vahlymor, Arvid, and Faris to them.

"What is it now?" Faris inquired, lifting his lone hand to shield his eyes from the sun's harsh light.

"Gerudo?" Arvid asked, turning towards Zelda who nodded.

"I wonder what it is they want?" Zelda asked as she glanced down to Link.

The wolf stared at the approaching women and recognized them. It was Basira and Ramilah, two of the strongest members of the Gerudo tribe and close friends to Lady Nabila. Normally, the tribeswomen didn't approach the desert's border unless they were coming to trade with the Hylians or mingle with them for procreative reasons. The pair coming now bore nothing but their Gerudo scimitars, which was pretty standard considering the nature of the tribe..

Simin, Balin, and the twins came and joined them on the ridge and upon seeing the approaching women, Todd and Crevan's faces lit up.

"Oh yes! First a spirit wolf and now a couple of desert beauties!" Todd mused with a gleeful smile.

"Day one and already this is turning out to be quite the interesting venture!"

"Be quiet you two!" Simin chided, just as the Gerudo came near.

Basira and Ramilah came directly to Zelda and Ashei, looking only to them and not even giving any of the men even a glance. Offering the Hyrulean Queen a nod in greeting, Basira stepped forward to address the queen but paused when she took notice of Link. The wolf saw the surprise in her eyes as she jumped back, to which Ramilah's hand instantly went to the hilt of her sword.

"Where did this beast come from? It was not there a moment ago!"

"He's fine, I assure you," Zelda said with her hands raised and half-stepping before Wolf Link. "The wolf is with us. Now, what pleasure do I owe this visit from the Gerudo tribe?"

The two Gerudo women glanced at one another before looking nervously back at Link. After another nervous moment, the women relaxed somewhat and Basira addressed Zelda.

"Sav'aaq, Hylian Queen. We have come to bid you and your vai welcome to our fortress. Our chief, the strong Nabila, wishes to speak with you before you cross the Sand Sea."

Faris and Arvid exchanged nervous glances at the Gerudo's words and Arvid began to speak, but Zelda cut him short with a gesture of her hand for him to be silent.

"Sarqso," Zelda replied with a pleasant smile. Link being ambassador to the Gerudo for years wasn't for naught and he had taught Zelda a few words of the tribe's language. "Myself and Ashei would be honoured to meet with the great Chief Nabila. However, I ask that the wolf accompanies us. He is a spirit, a Sacred Beast, summoned by the Goddesses themselves to act as my protector. As for these men, or voe I believe you refer to them as, they are my protectors as well. I know that voe are not allowed within your walls, but perhaps they may come to reside outside your walls in the shade, in order to remain near me. With your permission, of course."

The Gerudo at first seemed satisfied that Zelda had replied in their language in turn, but once the queen mentioned for Link and the men to join them, their expression turned wary. Looking at one another and whispering between themselves, they discussed for a moment before Basira turned back to Zelda and nodded.

"Very well. Come, but the voe must remain outside the walls," she said and together the Gerudo turned and began to walk back towards their fortress not far in the distance.

Arvid came up to Zelda and set his hand upon her shoulder, causing her to look at his concerned face. "Zelda, are you sure about this?" he asked before lowering his tone. "Are you sure that you can trust these women?"

"It will be fine, Arvid," Zelda assured, giving him a smile before turning towards the others as well. "As the Gerudo said, Ashei will join me, as I do know that vai means 'woman' and besides, we will be joined by the wolf."

Arvid and Faris didn't look pleased and Vahlymor's casual expression had turned indifferent again. Balin was busy looking off after the Gerudo, who were still walking away, with his typical unreadable expression and Simin seemed to be deep in thought. The twins, however, were staring longingly at the departing tribeswomen and by the sound of their chuckling, they were enjoying the sight.

"Let's go, my lady," Ashei said cooly, before the captain began to trek after the Gerudo.

Zelda nodded and gave the men a reassuring smile before she looked down at Link. "Let's go," she whispered before hurrying after Ashei, Link trotting by her side.

Ashei and Zelda hurried to catch up to their Gerudo escort, leaving the men of the group to lead the horses and cliff elk with the wagon after them. None of the women spoke as they traversed the hot sands, sweat quickly forming on the brows of the Hyruleans and Noruidians, but it didn't take long before they crossed into the cool shade of the walls of the Gerudo Fortress. Clearly the unexpected addition of the men with their mounts roused action within the fortress and armed Gerudo could be seen from atop the walls. Basira and Ramilah shouted out words in their tongue to their sisters and only Link understood them, or at least most of them.

Basically the two women were informing their sisters of why the men were approaching and that if any of them dared to come near the gate, that they could kill them. Pretty fair, in Link's mind, since he seemed to be the only one of the travelling party who was unaffected by the harshness of the sun or the burning grains of sand. As a spirit, he was aware of them… but they just didn't affect him the same as if he were still alive. Link kept near Zelda's side but he did glance back at the party. His eyes instantly met the watchful gaze of Prince Vahlymor. The prince stood beside his cliff elf in the shade of the walls, his expression impossible to read. However, Link did see the slight narrowing of the prince's eyes when the man saw that the wolf was watching. Link flattened his ears and turned his attention back to Zelda and Ashei, just as they passed through the open gates of the Gerudo Fortress.

Normally at such a hot time of the day, most of the Gerudo would be underground going about their daily business in the coolness of their networks of halls and tunnels. That would be the norm, but seeing as there was a band of men just outside their doors and the Hyrulean Queen within their midst, clearly the tribe was on high alert. Basira and Ramilah lead Zelda, Ashei, and Link through the centre square. The Gerudo led them to the same tent that Link had been led to when he had first been allowed into the fortress. The wolf knew that within the tent was a stairwell in the wall, one of many that lead to the underground, but Link doubted that they would allow Zelda and Ashei there. Link trusted the Gerudo and he knew that to an extent Zelda did as well because of his ambassadorial reports.

As they approached the tent, Link felt the many suspicious and distrustful eyes upon him. Somewhere within him Link felt the whisper of might have been sadness, but he brushed it away as they all entered the tent.

The temperature within the airy tent was a lot cooler compared to the heat outside. Basira and Ramilah stood aside for Zelda, Ashei, and Link to enter and took on protective positions on either side of the entryway. That was the moment that the Queen of Hyrule finally met the Chief of the Gerudo tribe. Nabila was seated upon a pillow on the other side of the tent.

Link froze when he saw the chieftain, while Zelda and Ashei bowed their heads out of respect for Nabila. The Gerudo leader smiled and gestured towards the pair of large pillows set before her.

"Vasaaq, Hylian Queen! Please, sit! Sarqso for joining me! You, your vai, and your… valqo."

Link's ears perked forward and the wolf sat down, staring intently at the chief. If he had a heart within his chest, it'd be hammering with panic.

'Does… does she know? But how?'

"Valqo?" Zelda repeated as she and Ashei sat as requested.

'Right… I don't think I've ever told Zelda what the Gerudo call me…' Link thought, looking between the women. 'I'm not sure why I never… didn't think much of it.'

"Yes," Nabila replied, the chief shifting over to lean on her side and resting her cheek against her hand. "It means 'wolf' in our language. I hear that this beast is not of this world… is this true?"

Zelda glanced back at Link and said, "It is. This wolf, this… valqo, is a spirit, sent to us by the Three Goddesses to protect me while we journey beyond Hyrule's border."

Nabila's smirk broadened and she stared intently at the wolf and Link instinctively stared back. After all, it was seen as disrespectful amongst the Gerudo to break eye contact with the chief before she did so. It was only when the leader of the tribe looked back to Zelda that Link realized that he no longer held any obligation towards the Gerudo as he was dead and currently in the form of a wolf. Still… as much as he knew he was dead, it was hard to shake the habits of the living.

"Very interesting," the chieftain replied, and gestured towards the awaiting Gerudo on the sidelines who held pitchers and trays of food. "Please, Hylian Queen, eat and rest. Not only are you a friend to Link, a Gerudo in our eyes, but you both are vai and we respect vai. Your voe, your… men, can stay out in the heat, but for now we offer our hospitality as you await the calming of the heat."

Zelda smiled and bowed her head out of respect. "You have my thanks, Lady Nabila. This is our first meeting face-to-face and I truly regret that it is under the shroud of mourning for us both. Sir Link was dear to all of Hyrule and I recognize that it was through his relentless efforts that the Gerudo and the Royal Family have forged this diplomacy."

Nabila only nodded and gave her tribeswomen another gesture and they set out the pitchers of water and trays of assorted fruits and dried meat. Then the chief straightened from her lounging position and stood. "Eat, rest, and have no fear. You are safe here. We have heard of the evil that has attacked you within your Hylian fortress. No harm will come to you while under my protection. I will return once the sun has sunk near the sand."

Zelda and Ashei both bowed their heads in gratitude and Nabila left out the back of the tent, the tapestry that hid the entrance to the Gerudo's network of tunnels being pulled away for her, leaving the Hylians and Link alone with their Gerudo guards.

Ashei, picking up a piece of fruit and assessing it, looked aside at Zelda and asked in a low tone, "Do you trust the word of these women?"

Zelda also picked up a piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth, chewed, before she said, "Link did and so do I. Besides, we are well protected, as Chief Nabila said, not only by the Gerudo but by the wolf. I say that we rest easy and save our worries for when we cross the desert and enter the mountains."

Link stood by as Zelda and Ashei ate their fill and did lay down to rest. They spoke little and Link could tell that they weren't the most comfortable with the stoic figures of Basira and Ramilah standing by the tent's entrance, Ashei more so. Link knew that Nabila's word was law and that Zelda and Ashei were truly as safe as could be, but he couldn't exactly tell them that.

'Then again,' the wolf thought as he too laid down with his nuzzle towards the tent's entrance, 'when Zelda touched me before…' The wolf narrowed his gaze a bit as he recalled Zelda's reaction when she touched his cheek and suddenly jerked back. 'Is it possible that she heard my thoughts in the instant?'

Once more, Link was faced with knowing much being a spirit and then at the same time knowing so little. He got the sense that he was right, that if Zelda was in contact with him that she could hear his thoughts, but he wasn't sure.

'I'll have to try later to confirm this,' he thought finally before he closed his eyes.

Link didn't fall asleep because, well being a spirit he didn't need to sleep. He didn't need to sleep, nor eat, nor rest per se as he did not have a physical body. Still he could enter a "sleep-like" state in which his consciousness could expand beyond his form and he could survey nearly the whole of the fortress without seemingly leaving the spot where his wolven-form lay. There were a lot of abilities that came with being a spirit, this being one of them. He couldn't hear the conversations being had between the Gerudo or the men waiting outside of the fortress' walls, but he could sense that they were there. He could see the light of their living souls, like miniture suns within their physical bodies. While in this state, Link could also get a better sense whether or not there were dark entities nearby, namely Dark Link. The downfalls, unfortunately, were that if Link allowed himself to drift too far it meant that his metaphysical form was vulnerable. That and, more importantly, it rendered Zelda vulnerable. In addition, being a spirit meant that his perspective of time differed from those of the living and this only became further intangible when his spiritual consciousness drifted.

However, he knew that the Gerudo were standing by, so he allowed himself to drift a bit but not too far. While he was deaf to the world of the living, he still wanted to see what Arvid, Faris, and the Noruidians were up to. He found them in various states of repose and saw a couple of Gerudo had approached them to offer water and hay to the horses and cliff elk. Link thought about journeying down into the Gerudo tunnels, but he decided against it. Ultimately the spiritual hero settled on top of the fortress walls and allowed his mind to drift with thought and contemplation.

Hours passed and the sun reached the top of the sky before it slowly began to fall towards the horizon. Only when the sky began to colour and the sun was sinking lower and lower towards the horizon did a nudge to his consciousness brought Link back to his form. Blinking his wolven eyes open, he lifted his head to see that Nabila had reappeared and beside her stood Mahila, who was holding something between in her hand under a cloth. Zelda and Ashei were standing as well and Link looked between the four women as he registered their conversation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Zelda said with a bow of her head towards Mahila.

'Ah, so I haven't missed much,' Link thought as he crossed his front paws and watched from where he lay. Still, the hero mentally kicked himself for taking so long to return to his body. He'd have to be more careful in the future, even though it was so easy to lose himself in his sleep-like state.

"I have spoken with the elders and we have decided to help you further with your travels," Nabila said as she set her hands upon her hips: the woman's natural strength and confidence clearly written within every inch of her posture.

Without a word, Mahila lifted up the hand with the cloth covering it and removed the covering. Within her hand she revealed a small box, to which she offered it to Zelda who accepted her with a smile and another bow of her head.

"We, the Gerudo, give to you, Hylian Queen, and your vai, treasures that will aid you beyond the life-giving heat of the sea of sand."

Zelda opened the box and Link perked his ears forward and sniffed curiously as the queen lifted up a set of intricate and beautiful ruby earrings. There were two pairs, one for Zelda and one for Ashei.

"The ruby repels the cold," Nabila explained, "and just as it helped Gerudo cross the cold mountains so shall it too help you, Hylian Queen."

"Thank- I mean, sarqso, Lady Nabila," Zelda replied with a look of gratitude and another bow of her head.

"Yes, thank you very much," Ashei replied in turn, adding her own nod of her head in thanks.

Nabila nodded, her smile showing her pleasure. "In addition, Basira and Ramilah" - Nabila gestured to the women by the tent's door in turn - "will accompany you across the desert. They will not go any further, for we Gerudo refuse to enter those cursed lands of ice and rock ever again. Those mountains are death to us."

"We truly are grateful for your generous aid and assistance," Zelda replied, her expression ever-showing her gratitude. "I am in your debt, Lady Nabila."

"No debt," Nabila said firmly, with a wave of her hand. "You have given the Gerudo much, even given our troubled past. This is the least we can do."

Since the sun was steadily setting and the day was quickly cooling into the cold desert night, once again Zelda, Ashei and Link were led through the Gerudo Fortress with Nabila, Mahila, Basira and Ramilah as their escort. Typically at this time, the fortress was bustling with activity now that the day's heat had dissipated, but the main square was vacant and silent. Up high on the walls, armed Gerudo were stationed to keep a close eye on the men located so near their fortress doors. None of the women spoke as they exited through the gates, which were shut as soon as they cleared. Link lowered his head slightly as a small wave of remorse washed over him.

'The last time I exited this place I was still alive,' he thought before shaking the thought away and picking up the pace to a smooth trot.

The Hyrulean knights and the Noruidians looked to be all set and waiting for them. There were still a couple of Gerudo situated by the horses and upon seeing them, Link thought about Epona and how much the women had adored his horse.

'Epona…' he thought, missing the mare, but her son perked his ears up at the wolf's approach and the stallion nickered a greeting.

'Sir Link! You've returned with my Lady!'

The wolf halted in his tracks and blinked, allowing for the women to catch up with him and Zelda passed him with a curious look.

'Oh, right… as a wolf I can communicate with animals,' Link thought with a small tail wag. He had forgotten that detail and walking forward, Link reasoned that at least now he had someone to talk to in the form of the horses and the cliff elk. Speaking of which, Link approached one of the elk, Simin's mount, and the animal simply looked at him with curiosity. However, it was Simin who slightly pulled away, clearly nervous of the spiritual wolf.

"Zelda! Welcome back," Arvid greeted as he and Faris stepped forward to greet their queen and Ashei.

The Gerudo standing by the horses nodded a silent greeting to their chief as Nabila set her hands upon her hops and regarded the men. The chief glanced aside at her daughter and Mahila's guarded expression revealed nothing to the uneducated eye. However, her mother saw the distrust in the younger woman's eyes and the chief chuckled before returning her attention back to the men.

"Basira. Ramilah," Nabila called and each woman stepped forward immediately before saluting their leader. Nabila then said something in Gerudo to the women and Link's keen ears caught the words and he was able to half-translate her message: "Protect the women to the… the men… morning."

Even though Link wasn't completely sure what Nabila said, he could guess as much.

With her order given, Nabila raised a hand to gesture her hand as she uttered a prayer of protection for the group. Once she was finished did Zelda speak up.

"Sarqso, for everything, Lady Nabila," Zelda said, bowing her head towards the Gerudo chief. Quickly, the men followed suit out of respect.

"Say no more," Nabila replied, though her smirk revealed her pleasure. "You must move quickly if you wish to cross the sands and reach the mountains with time to rest before the sun returns."

Link watched as Arvid helped Zelda mount up upon Arion before the wolf skirted the group to easily leap up to sit upon the wagon. He felt… more comfortable being near his hidden body.

"Sav'orq!" Nabila called as the entourage began to move, now escorted by Basira and Ramilah.

In that moment, the sun dipped lower and its bright face was hidden behind the western mountains, casting the desert into cool shade. The heat in the air was quickly evaporating, but the coolness quickened the pace of both animal and Gerudo as they walked further from Nabila, Mahila, and the Gerudo Fortress.

Link turned his head back towards the women and his heightened hearing perked his ears towards the pair of women. What he heard… confused him… for it sounded as if… was Mahila crying? No, but she did sound upset.

They spoke in Gerudo and the wagon was taking him further and further away, so he only heard Nabila say in a stern yet supportive tone to her daughter.

"...q'so tahmilo valqo vehvi...q'so tahmil sha'vaten…"

The wolf creased his brow and leaned forward in an attempt to hear more, but the desert's winds were beginning to pick and they stole away the remainder of the Gerudo's voices. His mind, albeit foggy from his spiritual status, could translate enough of what he heard… but… surely he had heard wrong.

All through the night and while the group made their way across the desert, the wolf not move. He stared back towards Hyrule, back towards where the Gerudo Fortress stood, and was lost in thought and remorse. He didn't necessarily allow his consciousness to expand as he had back in the fortress, he simply became so absorbed with the crushing waves of his thoughts that the wolf became unaware of the passage of time. Up above the sky was clear and thousands of stars revealed their true brilliance as they had not the light of the moon to compete with. The moon was hidden, its phase casting it into complete shadow, which only made the group's Gerudo escort even more of a blessing. The women didn't need torches to navigate the dunes, and Basira even berated the twins for trying to light a lantern. The warriors only needed to be guided by the stars while also entrusting in the protection of their Goddess of the Sand. Even though they remained on foot, the women kept up a quick pace and with every step brought the travel party deeper into the desert with the great shadowed forms of the mountains slowly becoming larger and clearer.

Only when the wagon came to a stop did Link's awareness stir back to the present and he finally turned his head. His ears immediately perked up with surprise upon seeing the huge, looming masses of the western mountains not far in front of him, with the mountain range's rocky arms stretching out far towards both ends of the horizon, barring the desert from advancing any further.

This was the natural land barrier that marked the end of Hyrule and the true beginning of their journey. Link himself had never been this deep into the desert or this close to the mountains, only having travelled to the Arbiter's Grounds and surrounding area. Come morning, they would leave the safety of the kingdom into unknown and dangerous territory and that caused the wolf to flatten his ears with worry.

Zelda's own feelings mirrored Link's worries.

Until dawn, the group would need to set up a temporary camp and rest so that they could make the most of the next day. Their Gerudo escort, having fulfilled their chief's commands, bid their short farewells to Zelda and Ashei and began the long walk back to their fortress. Once the horses and cliff elk were securely tethered, a small fire was started and who would take watch at what time was discussed.

Zelda watched with interest, learning slowly how to survive in the wilds, as she had never really had to do such things before. Ashei remained beside her and explained tips and ways of how to start a fire, create smoke if needed, collect embers and alike. Faris and Arvid kept fairly quiet, as did the Noruidians, and the queen realized that it would take some time until the two groups truly became comfortable around one another. The past three days, the men had done as Zelda had asked and had all kept reasonably close as they planned and discussed their journey. They all agreed with Zelda, that they needed to rely and trust in one another, but that would take time. Faris was pretty blunt with his distrust of the Noruidians, especially the prince, and as much as Zelda wished he'd concede a bit, she valued his honesty most of all.

Feeling a bit useless, Zelda looked towards the wagon and blinked when she saw that Link's wolven form no longer sat upon it as he had, like a stone, the entire desert's crossing. Panic briefly touched her eyes and she looked around for the wolf before her gaze found him. Sitting at the edge of the fire's light, was Link, sitting upon a large rock and staring out into the darkness… back towards Hyrule. Gesturing towards Ashei to remain seated, Zelda stood and walked towards the wolf; unbeknownst to her, her movements were watched by both Arvid and Vahlymor.

"Don't stray too far now, my lady," Faris called from where he stood by the wagon, to whom Zelda smiled and waved him off.

Hearing Faris address her as such, Zelda momentarily recalled her earlier conversation with Ashei and didn't make any motion to try and correct him. The thought was quickly pushed aside as she approached the wolf.

He didn't turn his head to look at her but one of his ears twitched towards her as she neared him. When she came beside him, Zelda opened her mouth to say something but paused before glancing back at the group. Her face fell when she saw several heads turn away quickly from watching her quickly and irritation vaguely entered her expression; however, she appreciated that there were those who hadn't been watching. Ashei, Vahlymor, and Balin all sat around the fire, conversing in low tones, but Zelda was sure that even so, they were all keenly aware of where she was.

Sighing, Zelda turned back to Link and froze when she saw the wolf acutely watching her. A blush bloomed in her cheeks and she was thankful for the low light when she came to the rock and sat upon it, next to the wolf.

Silence enveloped them, save for the crackle of the nearby fire and the low voices of the fireside conversations. The distant howl of the wind coming down from the mountain stirred the air and Zelda shivered, pulling her cloak more tightly around her shoulders.

"You must be warm," she whispered, staring out into the darkness along with the wolf, "with that fur coat of yours…"

Turning towards the wolf, Zelda blinked when she saw the creature's expression. He looked rather… unimpressed or… troubled? It was really difficult to read his facial expression because, well… he was a wolf, after all.

Frowning, Zelda looked down and back towards the dark desert dunes. "I wish…" she whispered, "that I could talk to you. Hear your voice…"

The wolf let out a small whine in response, lowering his head submissively, and without thinking Zelda reached up to lay her hand between his ears to scratch his head to comfort him.

And that's when Link's voice filled her head, just as it had that morning on the road in the Lanayru Province.

'-there's so much that I wish to say-'

"-!"

Zelda gasped out loud and her hand flinched off of Link's fur, before she quickly looked back over her shoulder to see if anyone had seen her. Thankfully, it seemed that her companions had reasoned that the queen sitting beside a spirit wolf apparently sent by the Goddesses themselves was fine and were going about their business and leaving her be. Blinking, Zelda turned back to Link and she saw that the wolf's wide-eyed expression matched hers and slowly she looked down at her hand.

"Could it be that easy?" she whispered, before slowly replacing her hand upon the wolf's hand and sucked in a breath as she awaited Link's voice to fill her head.

But nothing happened and Link just stared at her.

After a couple of moments, doubt and disappointment began to cloud her expression as she mumbled, "Perhaps I'm going mad…"

'Aren't we all just a bit mad?'

Stopping herself from reacting, Zelda forced herself to look back out into the darkness as she absentmindedly patted the fur of the wolf's head. "I… I can hear you…" she whispered, tears threatening to form in her eyes.

'I know,' Link responded within her head, 'but you must be careful. If the others catch you talking to me too much, or if you say my name out loud…'

"I know," Zelda replied, dropping her head a bit at the thought. However, she allowed herself to smile even just for a moment. "Still… I thank the Goddesses for this, to be able to speak to you… even though you're-"

'Dead?' Link interjected, before snorting slightly and looking aside at her. 'You seem to not mind… considering you're carting my dead body across the land.'

Shame and guilt seeped into Zelda's face and smothered her smile. "Link, I-"

'Do not speak my name!'

The woman physically flinched at the volume of her knight's voice within her ears and she turned to look at him with guilty eyes. Still, her hand remained gently on the back of his neck.

'I'm sorry,' Link replied, the wolf sighing, his ears tilting back with his apology. 'It's just… it's best if no one knows my true identity, is all. I didn't mean to shout at you. It's… I mean… emotions are even more difficult to control when you're a spirit.'

Sympathy soothed Zelda's expression and she returned her gaze out towards the desert. "You have nothing to apologize for. You're this way because of me… because I sent you away-"

'Stop right there. You and I both know that this is not your fault. This… is the way things are and the fact that you haven't allowed for my body to die, Zelda…'

"I know…" Zelda admitted, her words barely a whisper, but she trusted Link's sensitive ears to hear her. "But… I have to try. And besides, you and I both know that this wasn't entirely my idea."

Zelda felt before she heard Link's confusion when he spoke next, turning to look at her once more.

'What are you saying? Do the others know that my body is within the wagon?'

The woman caught the wolf's gaze and she realized that he was being serious and confusion filled her own expression. "But… don't you know? I assumed that you've been listening ever since you saved me from Dark Link…."

'No, of course not!' Link replied, his all-too-familiar sarcasm leaking into his thoughts, as the wolf let out a low growl at the mention of Dark Link. 'Ever since I saved you, I've been too busy keeping that sonofabitch at bay! He and I had been fighting, fighting in a realm just below this one.'

"A realm?" Zelda asked, confused.

'Indeed. Think of it as… if you could peel back a thin layer of reality from this realm, that's where we were. Just below the surface, so to speak. It's entirely like the Light World, except the colours are off and you can only see the shades of the living world, but cannot interact with them. I can easily slip into this world, so if I ever disappear that's probably where I am, just out of sight. It's not the same as the true spirit realm and I can't teleport or anything, even if it may seem like it because it might appear that I disappear in one place, but reappear in another. I cannot defy the laws of this realm, the laws of the physical world. So don't expect me to magically appear on the top of a mountain or fly or anything like that… it doesn't work that way…'

Link's words seemed to more and more become distant, as his thoughts were being drawn down the rabbit hole of his words, and Zelda gave his furry neck a hearty scratch to bring back his attention. However, hearing of his battle with Dark Link roused a shiver down Zelda's spine that had nothing to do with the chill in the air. She recalled her nightmare, of seeing the wolves of dark and light fighting and she slightly frowned at the memory. Did Link even know that she had witnessed them fighting? Dark Link had certainly seen her but before she could ask, Link thoughts filled her head once more.

'What? Oh! Right... sorry... what was I talking about again?'

"You said that you had been fighting Dark Link in this… underlayer realm? Does it have a name?"

'Right... and no, not really, though I guess we can just call it that: the Underlayer… Yeah, I like it. It has a nice ring to it.' Link took a deep breath before he narrowed his eyes and remembered what else he had been talking about. 'And right… Dark Link… I was fighting him in the Underlayer, trying to keep him away. At the time, I had no idea for how long we fought, I still don't know… well, perhaps I do, for when I returned to the Light World I somehow knew that six entire days had passed. You see, time… time is different when you're dead, or rather a spirit. It's not just as important as it is to the living, who have such limited time as it is…'

Zelda could see that Link was about to go off on another tangent, so she gently redirected the conversation back with a calm whisper. " And what about Dark Link?"

The wolf blinked into a wolfish glare and his ears flattened back against his skull at his dark counterpart's name. 'You should be careful speaking that name as well… I had the bastard, had him pinned, when I was drawn away from the fight. I didn't know why at the time, but only when I entered the Light World did I realize where I was… Back to where this entire mess of a story really started… at the crossroads in the Lanayru Province with that fucking Dark Arrow. At first, I was confused why I was drawn back to this realm… and then I saw you appear and… and then...'

Link's tone started to change and Zelda, once again, got a slight feeling that she could only guess was a glimpse at the wolf's emotions, as a wave of betrayl struck her along with Link's next words.

'You told me that you intended for my body to die, that you had no intention of going to Noruidia… but there you were: you and your band of merry men off for a cross-kingdom adventure with my body stashed in a wagon. I don't know what has happened to change your mind… unless you lied to me. I mean… what the hell did I miss, Zelda?'

Her words caught in her throat and it took all of Zelda's self-control to not turn and look at the wolf, for she didn't want to be caught looking back at him too often. Her heart struck her chest as guilt filled her and numbed her tongue, disallowing her from responding immediately.

"I-"

"Zelda?"

The woman jumped in shock and turned quickly to see Vahlymor standing nigh three feet away from her, the prince's expression of worry half hidden with the firelight illuminating him from behind.

"Oh, forgive me for startling you…"

"No, no, it's fine," Zelda said, standing and smiling at the prince, subtly adjusting her thick cloak. How long had he been there? She hadn't even heard him approach… had he heard anything? Link had been speaking for some time so perhaps not… As her thoughts whirled around the inside of her head, Zelda glanced between Vahl and the wolf, who had half-turned his head to watch them with his blue eye. "I was… I was just thinking aloud and lost in thought and-"

"You have no need to explain yourself, I assure you," Vahlymor replied, cutting her off with his gentle words before flashing her one of his handsome and casual grins. "It's just that you ought to try and get some rest, as we will be departing in a couple of hours," he explained, offering his hand for her to join him.

"Right. Yes, of course," Zelda replied and came up to stand by him, setting her hand within his.

Vahlymor, still smiling, gestured for her to lead the way and for him to follow. After Zelda passed him, the prince allowed for her hand to fall from his as he glanced back at the spiritual wolf. Upon seeing that the wolf still watched him, the man's smile evened out and his eyes slightly narrowed before he followed after Zelda back to the fire.

Link watched them walk off, noting everything he saw, and his final words to Zelda returned to his thoughts.

'What exactly have I missed?'

/

Wounded, pissed off, and frustrated, Dark Link swore for the umpteenth time as his fingers tightened around the throat of the Hyrulean soldier. The man struggled, sputtering and coughing as his airway was increasingly crushed, his eyes wide, bloodshot from the pressure, and bulging out of their sockets; his skin was turning blue from the lack of oxygen. Helplessly the soldier clawed at the dark figure strangling him, a figure who so closely resembled the beloved fallen hero Link. Yet this dark doppelgänger's glowing red eyes glared back at him with such aloof hatred that one of the last thoughts that managed to float within the man's head was the realization that his would-be murderer cared so very little about his insignificant life. Such a thought was truly short-lived when Dark Link growled out and finally snapped the man's neck, the soldier going limp, and his corpse was thrown aside in an unceremonious heap upon the ground.

"Useless fuck…" Dark Link mumbled, regarding the corpse dismissively, eyeing the obvious neck bone sticking morbidly out of the dead man's skin, blood slowly leaking out to form a small pool.

'Useless, yes, but not entirely,' the dark knight thought absentmindedly, technically having found out what he sought from the pathetic man.

Dark Link glared out at the vast waters of Lake Hylia. Finally he had fucking tracked down someone remotely useful for him to literally squeeze information out of. Wincing when he leaning back against a large rock, the wounds on his back from that Fucking-Fuck, Link, still hurt, but they would soon heal. The hero had managed to subdue him long enough that when Dark Link re-emerged into the Light World, he had no idea where Zelda was. The castle was missing its queen and Dark Link heard from the shadows that she was journeying to Noruidia? That she was engaged to that fucking foreign prince?!

"What the actual fuck is going on?" Dark Link asked himself for the hundredth time, his anger boiling over that he aggressively turned and kicked the dead man's body, the force of the kick breaking several bones and tossing the body several feet away to land behind a large rock. The soldier, a sentry at the Lake Hylia garrison that guarded the entrance to the Great Desert, had been unfortunate enough to have been on patrol duty when Dark Link suddenly appeared before him, looking for information.

"Zelda… getting married? To a foreign prince no less? And… so suddenly? I mean, for fuck sakes! I've only been gone a week." Groaning and running his fingers through his ghostly, grey hair, the shadow-being growled in frustration. "And no one in this goddamned kingdom saw them leave apparently? But now... now I fucking find out that they have crossed the desert already? How the fuck am I day late?"

Dark Link had wasted so much time searching the castle, listening in on people's conversations, until he finally decided to come to Lake Hylia and find a soldier who had been on duty the day before. However it seemed that the soldiers had just rotated, but finally Dark Link had found a poor, unfortunate soul, now a heap of blood and broken bones a few feet behind him, who had seen the queen and her entourage pass through. He could feel it, he could feel his pull towards Zelda becoming more and more distant, and his eyes instinctively drifted towards the west. By now, the travelling party were well within the mountains, but luckily for Dark Link was that he didn't need to rest like a normal mortal. Besides, the party would be travelling much slower than a beast made of dark shadow magic.

"Fuck these developments… Damn it all to hell!" he scoffed, spitting on the ground before dreaded realization filed his thoughts. "Fuck. She'll probably want to hear of this…"

Dark Link frowned and narrowed his crimson eyes even more as he turned and stared at the nearby shore of Lake Hylia. Hesitation filled his being, as did reluctance. His personality clashed with the nagging tether of obedience, and he hated this feeling.

Dark Link hated this leash of his.

Sighing, relenting to the feeling, the dark being stepped forward and crouched next to the waters' edge. Peering into the lake, Dark Link frowned at his own reflection before reaching a hand up to fix his bangs, sighing loudly. His breath disturbed the waters, casting tiny ripples to obscure his reflection. Dark Link watched the waters still, but saw his form still smudged at the edges, as it slightly out of focus, and once more Dark Link was reminded that he was in this realm on borrowed time… on conditional time.

"Fuck it…" he resigned and reached forward so that his palm was parallel to the water's surface. From his downturned palm, Dark Link allowed his dark essence to begin to seep downwards, like ink dripping into water. After a few droplets of the dark liquid had splashed into the lake's surface, Dark Link withdrew his hand and reached a finger down to lightly touch the water. He began to swirl the darkness into a circle, causing the black streaks to connect and slowly form a ring. Once formed, Dark Link took back his hand and watched the black ring continue to swirl and solidify, until a solid, black ring floated on the water's surface. Suddenly, the ring stopped moving and the water within the circle darkened before nearly turning as black and the circle itself. The black water froze within the ring and effectively became like a black mirror floating in the lake.

Dark Link then waited, staring into the black mirror, but it did not need to wait long.

"It has been some time since you last checked in with me… I hope that you have a suitable explanation for why that is…"

A voice, wavering and slightly distorted, spoke from within the black mirror. It was a feminine voice, but there was nothing sweet or kind from the tone… only cruelty, annoyance, and vaguely veiled maliciousness. It took every ounce of Dark Link's self-control to not roll his eyes: he may not be able to see the figure who had spoken, but he knew very well that the person could most certainly see him.

"Forgive me, Mistress…" Dark Link replied, his voice restrained but submissive, and he bowed his head slightly towards the black mirror. "I was… preoccupied. I nearly succeeded in taking over the Queen and putting an end to the Hero's body, but I was interrupted-"

"So you failed, plain and simple," the woman's voice replied, cutting him off with its harshness and impatience.

"It was not my fault! Please, understand," Dark Link insisted, grating his teeth together and his hands shook from his restraint. "The fucker- I mean Link… he returned! As a spirit no less. I didn't think it was possible, that he'd figure out how or be allowed, but… it matters not now. He appeared, I was unable to maintain my control over the Queen, and I just spent the last week fighting the bastard. I only just returned to the Light World and-"

"I am losing patience with you, I hope you know that. You and your incompetence."

Dark Link's eyes narrowed at the black mirror, his mouth forming a dark scowl, and the air around him began to darken from his anger and power.

"I… am millennia old. I have seen Heroes come and go, succeed and fail-"

"You dare speak to me about millennia? When you clearly share in this tradition of a hero's failure!"

Dark Link barely had time to react when a black arm suddenly sprung out of the mirror and clenched his throat, squeezing tight, and pulling him close to the mirror's surface. Fear, fury, and panic filled Dark Link's face as struggled to be free, his tortured expression visible to him from the mirror' surface.

"Mis..tress! I-"

"Hear this and you would do well to remember!" The voice was hot in Dark Link's ears and the intense rage even caused the dark hero to recoil. "We had an agreement! I gave you this body and I can take it back with ease! If you wish to return to the Dark Realm this much-"

"No! P-please! Mistress! I can explain!" Dark Link spoke in a rush in between his struggles and gasps, but his fear of returning to that monochromatic realm of his birth was real and true. "Zel- The Queen! She-ugh! She-"

"Argh!" The woman's growl of fury filled the air before Dark Link was hurled aside, his throat freed, and the black arm slipped back into to the mirror.

Coughing and on all fours, his forehead pressed against the cool ground, the black knight shook and convulsed before forcing himself to look up at the mirror, his expression pained and angry. "The… Queen… she journeys towards Noruidia even as we speak…" Any other words were lost as another fit of coughs consumed Dark Link. After a few moments of this, he was able to shift onto his knees, his hands to his throat while his back injuries burned from being tossed aside.

Silence came from the mirror and Dark Link frowned towards it, leaning forward slightly before daring to say, "Mistress? Did you hear me?"

"Of course I did, you fool!" The voice snapped back, causing Dark Link to lean back. After a few moments, the woman's voice continued, though her tone had soothed to one of thoughtfulness. "Consider yourself lucky, for your failures seem to have allowed for an unique opportunity for me to exploit. Change of plans. I want you to follow the Queen and make sure that she reaches Noruidia! The further she is from that accursed land of Hyrule, the more vulnerable she is. And, by all means, fuck the bitch if you still can, implant your dark seed within her womb, but that is no longer your main objective. Clearly, her spiritual powers are still much too strong for you to do that, but with her being outside of Hyrule will weaken her connection to the Goddesses. Use all of your powers to protect her, guide her even, so that she reaches the ocean's shore. From there I myself can intervene and finally… I shall have my revenge against the Royal Family…"

Dark Link remained motionless as his Mistress erupted into a dark laugh, the sound of which caused the mirror's surface to ripple.

Quieting down from her evil mirth, the voice spoke once again. "Yes… I can see it now and I shall begin to prepare. These are your new orders. Bring the Queen to me and you shall find yourself a true place in the Light World: no longer a shadow, but as a living man."

"But you promised that no harm would come to Zelda! That was part of our deal!"

"Quiet your tongue!" The voice's volume was increasing and Dark Link could begin to see the dark outline of a woman from deep within the black mirror. "Do not remind me of the conditions of our deal, when you could not even uphold your end! You were to take control of the Hero's body and bed the Queen! Simple! Easy! But you couldn't even accomplish that! If you do as I say, then the Queen will remain unharmed! Defy me, and I shall truly exact my revenge!"

"And what of the Hero? He is a spirit now protecting the Queen."

Dark Link's question hung in the air for a moment before the voice finally replied.

"You had your chance to kill him and you failed. He is your problem now. Fail me again and I promise you that I will make it so that you'll never be able to leave the Dark Realm again, not even in your nightmares. Now, go! Stop wasting my time and follow after them!"

The voice's last words morphed and slurred as the surface of the black mirror shifted and wavered, until finally the water within the black ring began to clear and the circle broke, becoming inky splotches upon the lake's surface once again. With a slow hand did Dark Link reach forward to reabsorb his dark essence, erasing all traces of the dark portal from the water. Still rubbing his throat, Dark Link stared angrily at his reflection in the lake's surface, seeing the pain and helplessness within his own eyes, before he angrily swept his hand across the water: splashing away the reminder of his pitiful existence.

Coming to his feet, staggering a bit, Dark Link dropped his hand from his throat and turned to face the western sky high above the high, rock walls that surrounded Lake Hylia. Up there on the other side lay the sand dunes of the Great Desert and, beyond that, the western mountains. Somewhere amongst those, at that very moment, the Queen of Hyrule was walking further and further away from the safety of Hyrule.

"Zelda…" the dark knight whispered, pain filling his chest.

He didn't need his Mistress' permission to protect the queen, but knowing that he would be effectively driving her towards danger disturbed him to his very core. He loved Zelda; he didn't wish any harm to happen to her. He just wished to be with her…

"That's all I ever wanted…" Dark Link whispered aloud before he sighed and his form shifted and dissolved, before finally melting into a pool of pure shadow before finally disappearing from view, shifting into the Underlayer, where the Dark Wolf began his chase.

He would need to be quick because, after all, he had a lot of ground to cover to catch up with his quarry.

---

A/N:

Update 01/14/21: I've hit a big of a snag with Chapter 20, and by snag I mean the writing-bug has left me and now I'm back in school. I'm not saying that it'll come out after I'm done in June, I'm just not sure when I'll feel that push again. It's a dialogue heavy chapter and... about 4000+ words done.

As always if you have any questions/concerns, feel free to PM me and of course, I always welcome reviews.

Stay tuned and thanks for the patience. Happy 2021!

~Sheik