He slashed through the monster's neck, a warm wave of blood splattered his face as the monster's head landed at his feet.
A laugh burst from his throat as without a pause he buried his shining blade in the back of a monster beside him. Chainmail and leather parted like cheesecloth, the monster collapsing with a guttural gargle.
He was in a throng of hundreds and hundreds more lay dead at his feet. He swung over and over, every blow yielding a satisfying thunk as the blade cleaved through flesh.
The creatures cried out piteously, some of them wailing in their guttural tongue, or else they died with wet gurgles and gasps. The music of the battlefield.
The battlefield stank of blood; a sweet metallic smell that he savored like a fine wine.
He stabbed downward, putting his sword through the chest of a legless creature trying to crawl away.
A group ran at him and he swung in an arc, the sweeping blow splitting the creatures practically in half.
His eyes rose and he caught sight of a woman above him, far, far, above him on a great hill. Even as his eyes wandered his sword whirled and thrust felling monster after monster.
From afar the woman was a golden blur but he knew, somewhere deep and primal that he killed for her. All for her.
Link swung nimbly from the rooftop to the narrow windowsill. He didn't look down, trusting his instincts. If he erred he would splatter like red rain against the cobblestones but his instincts were sharp and his movements practiced.
Carefully he pried open the wooden shutters, grasping the sill one-handed to keep his balance. The shutters opened with a creak and Link slipped inside.
The window was small but so was he. Even for a Hylean, he was a short scrawny bastard which came in more than handy for his line of work.
Landing gently in a carpeted hallway, he eyed the room. It was well decorated, gleaming trinkets perched on end tables and silk tapestries lined the walls.
He unstrung his trusty leather sack and worked his way around the room, dropping baubles into his bag with a satisfying thump. He felt no guilt for his misdeeds, thieves with guilt didn't last long and most of his targets had rupees to spare.
His current target, Jovani was a hermit; hiding away with his riches and emerging only to manage his businesses.
He was a miser despite his wealth; too cheap to hire a guard or bribe the local thieves, depending instead on the city guard to keep watch. What Jovani didn't know was that the guards responsible for watching his corner of Castle Town were hapless drunks with a habit of sleeping on the job.
Jovani is practically courting robbery, may as well leave a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates for us.
Continuing forward Link gingerly pushed open a bedroom door.
A guest room it seemed, yielding nothing but a silver snuff box. Link grimaced. He needed a good haul. Between the curiosity shop and Blind he barely got a tenth of what he stole.
Fortunately the next room was a study, seemingly unused but elaborately decorated. Everything that could fit in his bag, he grabbed, leaving the papers and plush furniture untouched.
He allowed himself a silent sigh as he crept into the master bedroom. An occupied room was deadly to a thief, but Link would've bet a thousand rupees Jiovani kept his treasure close.
Jovani lay sleeping; with stuttering snores louder than a canon blast. A plump white cat was curled on his stomach, claws digging into the silk blanket. Regardless of Jovani's snores, he would need to be careful. Very careful.
He angled his feet so that he stood on the tips and gingerly moved forward, praying that no creaking floorboard would betray him.
A jewelry box spilled it's contents onto the chest of drawers that held it. Link crept forward; his steps as careful as a dancer's and grasped a handful of jewelry, letting it fall into his sack.
The cat yowled and Link froze, his heart stuttering to a halt. Jovani's snores halted and he let out a loud snort. "Wha...ten rupees, no deal...that's too much...too much."
Link waited, poised to run as his heart pounded like a sledgehammer against his ribs.
"Five rupees more, no, not three, five...five rupees…" Jovani mumbled. Link held his breath as Jovani snorted, coughed and finally, after what felt like an eternity, resumed snoring.
With practiced hands he silently opened drawers and stripped them of their occupants, finally kneeling under the bed and coming away with an ornate dagger and a dusty pearl necklace.
When he was sure he'd emptied the room he crouched down and crept from the room, closing the door gently behind him.
He took one last sweep of the hall and it's rooms before slinging his bag across his shoulder and heading to the window.
The roof was ten feet above him and he sighed. Wasn't that just the way of things, it was always easier to fall down than climb back up. Gritting his teeth he got a strong grip on the top of the window frame and launched himself up. He grasped at the edge of the roof, the wooden shingles creaking as Link yanked himself forward, pushing off the building for momentum.
For a second he felt himself slip, his feet sliding against the stone front of the house and his breath caught in his throat.
Once he was out, he allowed himself a sigh of relief. He leaned back against the roof, the wind cut through his thin cloak and tunic and he shivered minutely. The sky was a hazy blue-gray; it's stars dimmed by a veil of mist and smog. The factories had closed hours ago but the smoke lingered on.
Link shifted on the roof trying to keep the shingles from gouging him. At the farm the stars were brighter than forge fires. He thought unbidden.
He clutched an icy shingle with numb fingers, his eyes locked on the sky. Flashes of memories flit through his mind too quick for him to catch. Aryll's hand in his, the two of them perched on the roof, Aryll laughing, gran wrapping the two in a blanket as they dozed off.
No. He shut his eyes as his nails cracked against the shingle. He wouldn't linger on the past. There was no point to it.
From the lower window, a slim figure clamored from the window and skittered up to Link's roof.
Maple grinned boldly at him. "I win." She whispered, proudly brandishing her sack, fuller than Link's before sinking beside him on the roof.
Though he'd never tell her, she was always a welcome sight. He had learned to easily spot her dark blue dress, green cropped hair and heavy eye shadow.
"Only cause I let you take downstairs." Link whispered back. Since they'd met each other picking pockets and cutting purses they'd had a long running competition to see who could get the bigger score. Link had quicker hands but Maple had keener eyes and their contest tended to end in a draw.
Maple rolled her eyes. "Liar." She sing-songed, swinging her feet back and forth off the edge of the roof.
Link smiled playfully. "Me, lie? Never." He said with mock offense.
Maple giggled. "I hear what you say to those girls at Telma's. They can't all be your dream girl."
Link clicked his tongue. "Well, I dream of a girl. How am I to know which one it is?" He joked, though the reminder of his dream brought a twinge of unease. Unthinkingly his hand went to his cheek, recalling the warm blood coating his face.
It was only a stupid dream. He thought ruefully. He had more than enough trouble without maudlin recollections of the past or meaningless dreams.
"You really should aim higher." Maple's eyes sparkled mischievously. "You could try and seduce Princess Zelda." She put a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Think of it, a dashing thief stealing the heart of the beautiful princess, they'd probably make a song out of it."
"I'll stick to stealing jewels I think." Link got to his feet and jumped a few feet to the next roof, landing with a soft thud. He paused waiting for Maple to follow.
"When you're older you'll find that hearts are more trouble than they're worth." Link teased as she joined him, Link was two years her elder and not keen to let her forget it.
Maple scowled. "I'm used to trouble." She said as they worked their way across the roofs, bounding across allies and narrowly avoiding laundry lines.
The night was cold, the wind cutting through his thin tunic and cloak but he had long gotten used to the cold. Maple shivered but she had stopped complaining about the wind years ago mostly because she found it more interesting to complain about him.
Link bounded forward and leaned against a chimney. "Used to? You are trouble." Link said with a smile.
Maple huffed indignantly smacking him on the shoulder as she caught up. "That's rich coming from you."
Link laughed softly but he found himself frowning. Morning was soon coming and their night hadn't ended yet.
"We'll both be in trouble if we don't get back to Blind." He said grimly. Blind was a bastard with a monopoly on Castle Town's thieves. If you wanted to strip a drunk's pockets you paid a cut to Blind or Blind cut you.
Maple nodded, humor fading from her face. "I'll be behind you."
He continued in silence, bounding from roof to roof with the wind at his back. After a breathless freezing journey, they came to a familiar foul-smelling ally. Link slid from the roof down a brick building, landing in a shallow puddle.
The water (at least what he hoped was water) soaked through his shoes and he grimaced as Maple landed next to him.
Her green shadowed eyes flicked around the alley nervously. "We got enough." She said, trying to reassure herself more than Link.
Link hefted his sack to his other shoulder. "We got enough." He echoed hoping it was true.
He walked to the dark wooden door and rapped twice. "Password." A shrill voice demanded.
"Nightshade." Link responded, stuffing his numb hands into his pockets.
The door creaked open, revealing Sakon's perpetual grin. "Ah, you're back, how lovely. Blind will be overjoyed to see you."
Sakon had a bald shining head, limbs thin and long as twigs, and narrow keen eyes which complimented his wide wet lipped smile. Sakon was no mere burglar, he was a cutpurse, a former highwayman, and a killer.
Link brushed past him careful not to make contact, Maple following behind. Inside a few oil lamps cast a pale glow on the dingy interior. Crates were stacked to the ceiling though a few served as tables, displaying playing cards and liquor bottles.
The hideaway was always full; whether it was crates, baskets, sacks, or anything else that could be bought from smugglers or pirates and resold.
Link headed warily up the stairs. There was no telling what kind of mood you'd get with Blind. The only way to find out was to head up.
The room upstairs was always kept dark. A single lantern hung from the ceiling, the small area beneath it the only thing visible against the pitch-black.
Link narrowed his eyes at the darkness, Blind was surely lurking within it. Behind him the floor creaked as Maple shifted nervously, rocking on the balls of her feet. Darkness was a thief's greatest tool; a necessity of the trade, but that didn't make it any less disquieting.
The back of Link's neck prickled and then he was crashing to the floor, his legs falling out from under him. He gasped in shock and pain, landing hard on his hands and knees. A cold hand grasped the back of his neck, nails digging painfully into his flesh.
"You're late." Blind's voice was a grim rasp.
Bad mood then. "I'm sorry, we had to dodge a few guards on the way back." He lied.
"I didn't ask for your excuses boy." Blind sneered, snatching the pack roughly from Link's shoulder. Though Blind was hidden in the shadows Link could hear the clatter as Blind felt his way through the bag.
Blind spat on the ground. "This is all?" Link winced as the floor creaked he couldn't see Maple but he knew she'd be stepping back, trying in vain to escape the blowback.
The bag flew across the room, it's contents spilling onto the floor with a piercing clatter.
"Pathetic. I'll barely break even on this." Blind neared the circle of light, his black robes glistening like oil. Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw him raise his leg, saw it rush towards his stomach, and drew a breath, letting it happen.
Blind's leather boot collided across his stomach, bringing a sharp pain and an involuntary gasp. Better me than Maple, at least I've got it coming. He thought fleetingly. Then the gloved hand was back on his neck, his head shoved toward the filthy floor.
"You'll get no pay for these scraps not after wasting my time. You'd best bring something more next time, cause I don't give third chances, boy."
His neck began to throb alongside his stomach. "We...we'll bring more for you Blind." Link promised.
Blind was silent for several agonizing seconds before finally removing his hand. "Yes, you will. Now go and don't come back without proper payment."
Link cautiously drew himself up and followed a fleeing Maple down the stairs. Sakon laughed as they descended. Link grit his teeth ignoring him but Sakon leisurely leaned himself against the door.
He clicked his tongue in mock sympathy. "Better luck next time children. It'd be an awful shame if Blind was forced to dispose of you two, why, it'd just break my tender heart."
As if he has a heart to break.
Maple scowled, Link could see the effort she was making to bite back any rejoiner.
"Thanks for the concern." Link said flatly.
Sakon lingered in front of the door giving them a long cold look. "I wish you good luck, for the rich are wary and the poor are bold and desperate. Slim pickings these nights, terribly slim. A shame, terrible shame." He said in a cheerful tone before moving from the door.
Link grimaced. Sakon was right, as much as he hated to admit it; tough times led to more competition and less to compete for. He pushed the door open, the freezing winds stinging his face as he stepped back into the night.
Maple went silently to his side as they walked away. Link's garret was close enough to Maple and her grandmother's lodgings for the two to walk home together. Link kept a sharp eye out for guards, taking a short detour after spotting a swaying watchman in their path.
A few ragged strays followed at their heels, too wary of fists of feet to get close but familiar enough with scraps to beg.
Maple drew to a stop, her face stricken. He turned to her, words of concern ready before she spoke.
"She's sick again. My gran, I mean." Maple said quietly. "It's bad this time, she's...she's coughing up blood, been in bed for days."
Link looked at her grimly. "How much does the doc want?" He asked, dreading the answer.
"Borville wants three hundred rupees." Maple's voice wavered. "I wasn't gonna tell you, I figured maybe I could handle it but Blind…" Her hands curled into fists. "Whatever we get he takes. I'll never make three hundred rupees, not quick enough."
Link frowned. Three hundred rupees was several month's worth of pay and most of their cut already went to rent, coal, and food. If they wanted a chance they'd need a massive score and a way to fence without bringing Blind down on them.
He searched his mind but nothing sprang immediately to mind. If he'd known where to get money quick he'd already have robbed it.
He forced a smile. "Try to get some sleep, it'll be easier to think in the morning." Maple's face remained dark and Link scowled inwardly. "We'll come up with something May, I promise."
Surprise flickered in her eyes. She had to know he meant it, that Link always kept a promise. Sure, he was a thief, a lowlife, and worse but he was true to his word. At least he could say that much.
Maple tightly gripped her wrist. "If you say so." She slunk away, walking like she was under some unbearable weight.
With a heavy sigh, Link began his way back to his run-down boarding house. Thoughts of Maple and her grandmother weighed on his mind and he let himself walk on instinct, his mind occupied.
If Maple lost her grandmother she would be in the same boat as Link, alone and adrift in a world that didn't care.
He didn't want that for her, not for anyone but he wasn't a fool. Castle Town was a hard city; if you worked you ate, there were no scraps left over for anyone who couldn't pull their weight.
Maple's grandmother hadn't been healthy enough to work in years. Link bit his lip. He'd have to see Telma in the morning; the barkeep was fond of him, always willing to slide some work his way. It wouldn't be enough, but it'd be a start-
Something rammed into him, knocking him onto the street and jarring him violently from his thoughts.
He clumsily got to his feet, staring at the tall hooded figure before him. "Sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention." He said sheepishly. He couldn't make out his face under his black, embroidered cloak. It seemed a rich garment, an odd thing to wear into Castle Town's slums.
Could be some nobleman, visiting a mistress or something. He mused. But that didn't seem right. Any noblemen would have a carriage and at least one guard and they'd know that rich garments would draw the wrong kind of attention.
"It's dangerous here, at night especially." He murmured, curiosity stirring in his mind. In earlier days he might've been the one stalking the man, but he left that to the novices now.
Deep laughter echoed from underneath the hood. "Dangerous for you, perhaps. I do not quiver at shadows."
Quite the dramatic isn't he? "That's-" He began and then choked out a gasp. His hand burned as if drenched in molten metal. He gripped it tight and it seemed, impossibly, to be glowing.
A scream burst from his throat and he collapsed to his knees, darkness creeping into the edges of his vision.
He saw crimson eyes full of something wild and determined and then the world went black.
So um, this might be an excuse to shove as many minor zelda characters into one fic as i can as well as indulging my new favorite pairing.I hope y'all enjoy this fic and leave feedback if you do. Next chapter we'll get Ganondorf's perspective which is sure to be a good time.