PART THREE - THE WILD HORSE CHASE

By the time he reached the top of the hill, sweat darkened his tunic front and back. It also ran down his skin like a waterfall. With the sun reaching halfway across the sky, Link felt its intense stare, melting in it. There were some water left but he planned to finish it on the trip back.

All of this for a horse, he thought bitterly. He should be putting this much effort into finding his dog than some bitchy horse that didn't know left to right.

The road cut straight into a mountain that towered around him, too rocky and too dangerous to think about climbing them. Link doubted a horse could've gone through here. They must've taken a different route and he started to wonder if he was going the right way.

It wasn't too long before a manor—one grander than the manor of Desmera—rose in his view as the road widened and the sky became more than just a crack. Link squinted at it when he saw something was amiss. It took him a few paces of walking till he saw it.

The place had been burnt to a crisp.

From afar, it sat on the mountain like a great black dog. The roof was a set of broken teeth, the black smoke tainted the walls like fur. Link stood there for a moment, disbelief.

Despite the dryness in his throat, Link quickened his pace and by the time he got to the front of the ruined building, his chest heaved for breath.

They really took it up a notch, he thought, trying to size up the destruction before him. What the hell did he do that pissed them off this much? Wasn't he their patron?

Smoke still rose in tinder wisps. The wood blackened and crumbled. This had been done recently. He touched the railings of the stairs and felt it warm. The smell was still sharp, soot scattered everywhere with ashes blown into the air. One side of the manor's shoulder was slumped down with the roof caved in while the other side still held itself up. This must've been a few hours ago.

Frustration began to fire up in Link as well. He'd been baited so nicely, like a rabbit into a cage. It took well over an hour to get here and it was all for nothing.

Dammit, he growled, nearly kicking the railings off the sidewalk. He suddenly froze, hearing creaking echoes from somewhere in the husk of the manor. Upon looking up, he saw movement flickering from the windows.

Now who would be scourging around in a dead manor?

But could this be a trap? Punishment for giving one of the bosses a lip?

No, no, it didn't seem like it. Link would've been long dead if Ross hadn't been so tolerant. Without the law of Hyrule, the Silver Company had no reason for inside jobs, not unless they wanted to be showy like what they did to Henrick.

Carefully, Link approached the birch of the manor where the reek of smoke tickled his nose. One door was knocked back down and the other had been burnt to ashes. He invited himself right in, taking care in each step. Footsteps shuddered the floorboards above him, causing soot to sprinkle from the ceiling.

The wide foyer gave him pause. Damn, but it must've been a fine place. The stairs stretched out before him, twisting into the second floor and then to the third. That large, black object at the center of the ground floor must be the chandelier, the size of a melon.

Burnt figures stood to the side, statues. Near them on the wall were empty frames that must've held some nice paintings. He tried his best to make himself light on the steps, but the wood groaned like some irritating crow in the middle of a graveyard.

"I think someone's here," said a man's voice from above. "Hylia above, we need to leave!"

"Quiet," another hissed. "We'll be out when we find it."

Link, intrigued, decided to stop his hiding and make his way up the stairs. Unless he was a damn Sheikah, there's no way he could get through this wailing wood. It wasn't too hard to find out which rooms the intruders were in since they left behind footprints in the soot.

He was greeted by the sharp point of an arrow. A man around his twenties, not much older than Link, steadied the bow warily. There were three men in total, only one was holding the weapon.

"Kill him," the oldest one said, of about fifty. "He'll report the others. Kill him now!"

The archer trembled slightly. "Who are you?" he asked in forceful courage.

"I said to kill him, you dimwit!"

"Link," Link replied smoothly.

Bags clustered near the men, nearly bursting with possessions that weren't as burned. At the corner of the room, he saw a figure slumped, badly burned that his face was a flat slate of ash.

"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble," Link said.

"Kill him!" the older man barked. "You think they'll let us go?"

"Let's hear him out!" the archer said. "Maybe-maybe he's just lost?"

"Lost? Are you daft?" spoke the third man, a man with a bushy beard. "He'll have us killed! If they know we're here—"

"Can I just say something?" Link asked.

"Shut it, you sod. Gans, kill him now or I'll do it myself!"

"You won't be doing that," Link said calmly, eyeing the archer. "Fire that thing, and I'll take it and shove it right down your throat. Then I'll do the rest of you in."

Gans, the archer, faltered. "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I have business with Henrick," Link said and paused when he remembered his grammar lessons. "Had."

The candid archer blinked, his arrow lowered. "Is that so? Well, he's as dead as you can see right here. You can go about your day now."

"Are you mad?" the bearded man hissed. "He'll run back to the others and they'll string us all!"

"He's not wearing any silver," the archer argued.

"You think they'd carry silver around like handkerchiefs?"

"I'm not with them," Link interjected, growing impatient. "I just want my damn horse back."

The old man looked at him. "Horse? What horse?"

"A red horse with white hair, a feisty one. I heard Henrick had it." He looked at them expectedly.

The old man nodded slowly. "Yes, his Lordship did purchase one and he'd been getting real tired of her quickly. Damned thing refused to listen."

"I know his pain."

The man eyed him skeptically. "Listen here, he bought that horse well over a month ago, so where have you—"

"I was busy!" Link snapped. "My words, you people blame me for not picking her up right off? The road's a shit place if you hadn't noticed!"

"It's a little bit your fault," the archer said lightly. "I mean, what kind of fool would lose something as good as a horse at this time? You have any idea how much merchants are selling just for a pound of sugar?"

The older man nodded. "The horse was a mighty fine thing. Strong, good stamina on her. Why else would old Henrick bother with her for so long?"

Link took a deep breath. "Do you know where she is at least?"

The archer was about to reply but the man with the bushy beard cut him off. "Why should we believe you?" he snarled. "How'd we know you ain't with the company?"

"Because I'm not."

"And we ought to take your word for it?"

"You will or you'll be taking my fists for it," Link said sharply. "I'm real close to cutting you all three just for wasting my time. Now I came all the way from town by foot, coming straight out from the arena. You're going to tell me where my horse is at. You're going to tell me how to get to her. And once you do that, you better hope I don't see you lot ever again."

Gans hesitated but his bearded friend did not. He was onto Link in three seconds with a sharp weapon. Link only sighed and stepped back, letting the dagger cut through air. He grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it so the man was forced to drop the weapon. In one swift motion, Link had the dagger at hand and grabbed the guy's hair, pressing the cold steel on his neck. The room stilled.

"Let him go!" Gans shouted, pointing the arrow back up.

"I'll kill him," Link said simply. "Then I'll use him as a shield against your arrows and kill you too. Old man, you'll be the last one to go."

The scraggly old man quivered. "Please, please let him go. They…they're my sons. I made them do this."

"Robbing a dead man?"

"Vile bastard," the old man said and spat to the side. "A hell it was, serving a demon like that. I wish I could say I was the one to burn down this shit with him tied up to it."

"We're trying to find his safe," Gans said with quick eager. "If you let us go, we'll give you a nicer cut."

Link still held the bearded man in an ineluctable grip. "I'm going to kill you all." He watched as their faces went pale. Before they could say anything about it, Link kicked the bearded man forward. The man fell in a grunt while Link rubbed his hands and looked at them with a dry expression. "That is, I could if I wanted. Now get this through your thick skills: I'm a sick person but I'm not sick enough to join a company like that, got it?"

They nodded quickly.

"Good. Now I want my horse."

The old man scratched his head. "We ah sold her."

Link froze.

"We had to!" The man cried. "She came down to the village all wild after escaping the fire. We tried taming her in but it didn't do any good. Then someone gave us a nice price for her and, well, we left off after that."

Link closed his eyes, containing his wrath. This day never seemed to end for him. Nervously, they gave him a brief description of the merchant holding Epona, while also suggesting the offer to share the contents of the safe. Link considered but decided he didn't want to do anything with the Silver Company.

So bidding them farewell, he returned back to the road in the blistering heat.

There were more of them than Katie had predicted. The burly men weren't as fast as Ophila. The woman quickly and expertly blended in with the crowd but it wasn't long before a mercenary recognized her on the streets.

The village was crowded with buildings long derelict. Only hovels seemed occupied as if the empty buildings were haunted. There was no organization here in the streets Dethal. As if a child came here, made a mess of things, and left it at that. Somehow, even with its complex grounds, Ophila knew every twist of every turn, every niche, every alleyway, which areas held the most mercenaries and which areas was bare of anyone.

"They never seem to tire," Ophila noted nonchalantly, her chest heaving for air. They hid behind a corner in a tight alleyway. Up ahead, mercenaries ran past them, yelling to each other.

"Oh, if only Link was here!" Katie said irritably. "I swear that boy is never here when you need him to be."

The sky was turning pinkish. They spent most of their daylight escaping mercenaries, taking short breaks between the abandoned buildings. They could never stick to one place for long since someone always spotted and reported them.

Ophila straightened up, a hand on her hip. She blew a strand of curly red hair from her face. "I'd rather not bring your friend into my business," the woman said. "The Silver Company may be in tatters but they can be quite capricious if you chose to stand against a single of its member."

"Oh, Link doesn't care about that," Katie said frankly. "Really, he doesn't. He'd actually punch the general of the royal army if he got mad."

Ophila blinked. "He sounds quite a hand full."

Katie sighed deeply. "You don't know the half of it."

"Don't you think you should be at his side? This village could very well turn against him."

"He'll be fine," the fairy said. "He's actually used to having an angry mob chasing him."

"This place is far different than your average village, my dear," Ophila said solemnly, her face dark beneath the shadow of her hood. "People here would sooner sell their own fingers for a couple of rupees, let alone what they'd do to that boy. Your Link sounds strong but it's ludicrous if he plans to fight an entire army of deadly mercenaries."

"I know what you're trying to say but I'm telling you he's really strong." Katie felt proud by it.

"I don't doubt it, little one, but these aren't your everyday bandits. Hylia bless us if that were the case. Some here are deserters who's done gruesome work, some are thieves who'd robbed and killed their way up the hierarchy and the rest only kill for the pleasure of it." Ophila's dark eyes narrowed further. "Your friend will dig his own grave if he decided to cross this company."

Katie thought of the man who had been crushed to death. That was only a show, only a contest. What would happen if Link was against them all?

She shuddered slightly. "Link can be crazy sometimes—all the time actually—but he has a very special weapon with him."

Two in fact. There was Naryu's blessing. If Link was wise—oh Nayru please lend that idiot wisdom—then he could just walk right out of that town in one piece.

Ophila looked like she wanted to add something to that but shook her head and looked forward. "No doubt Henrick is hiding behind his doors. We'll have to reach the manor quick and he'll be able to receive us."

"Wouldn't he send someone to get you?" Katie asked.

Ophila laughed, amazed. "Henrick? Sending someone for me? How generous! I'd like to see that." The woman shook her head, smile melting. "He'll first save his own skin. If he's aware that I'm still alive and if he could do something without risking his neck, then he might try to bother himself."

"But-but doesn't he care for you?"

"He cares for me as much as his own manor. A beautiful thing to show off but he'd sooner leave if that manor was decimated."

"You're not his possession!" Katie exclaimed. "Who does that man think he is?"

"A very dangerous man, child," Ophila warned. "I pray that your Link falls to monsters than crossing that man. Even the late Lord of Desmera, Lawrence Haidrund, had done what he could to keep Henrick on a chain. With him gone, that chain is broken."

The woman paused, sighed heavily as she glanced over the corner once more. "Alright, I think the coast—"

"Look out!" Katie cried.

A figure fell from above, cloak fluttering. At landing, the man stood up, straightened with a smile as Ophila backed away.

When she saw him, her eyes went wide. "You?"

"You're a very difficult woman to find," he said with a smooth voice. He arched an eyebrow when he noticed Katie, the silver earring shined on his ear. "Who's your new friend?"

Ophila backed away. "Do you remember who speaks for me?"

"Oh, I do." The man stepped forward, and something flashed in the dim light. Ophila was quick on her feet, and sword that pierced into the wall rather than flesh.

"You—" Ophila looked truly angry, the first powerful expression Katie ever saw on her. "You were once loyal to him! Loyal to me!"

"Change of plans, sweetheart," the debonair man said casually, as if betraying her was as simple as peeling the skin off an orange. He pulled out the silver sword which had scratches skidding on its side.

Ophila's own dagger was smaller but sharp and steady. The man smiled at this, swiftly stepping to the side when she lunged at him.

"What are you doing?" Katie cried. "Run away!"

"He won't let me!" Ophila gritted her teeth when the man moved away again, stupid grin on his face. He was enjoying this. "Damn you!"

The man backhanded her and Ophila's dagger clanged at their feet. She was thrown back, knocked down to the ground. Katie tried summoning her hammer but the sun's light tapered away behind a cloud.

The man sauntered over to the fallen woman, lightly tapping the side of his sword on her cheek.

"It's nothing personal, love," he said. "Just following orders."

"Who's orders?" Ophila rasped out.

Katie threw herself at the man's face. He staggered back, yelping at the small burst of light that slammed into his eye. His sword swung but it missed Ophila as she rolled away. With dexterous hands, she snatched up her dagger and threw herself at the man just as Katie batted away from him.

Katie cried out but she couldn't look away. Ophila fell on the man with an angry, shrilling scream. The dagger went down with a wet smack. The man tried pushing her off but once more the dagger fell, silencing him for good. It kept at it, up and down, blood slick and fresh.

Ophila panted, her hands shook slightly. "It never stops," she whispered. "It never does."

Katie started to cry.

"Oh, don't do that, sweetie. Please." Ophila, hands wet with blood, tried to touch her but Katie blenched back.

"Why…" Katie uttered. "Why?"

Ophila didn't reply. She stood up, the hood pulled back to show feverish red hair. "I have to go," the woman said softly. "I can't ask you to join me. You've saved my life twice now. If he's after me then…then something must've happened to Henrick."

Katie did her best not to stare at the motionless man. He'd been alive just seconds ago, soul gone from his husk. "I have to go," she said after a moment. "For Epona."

"Epona," Ophila echoed sorrowfully. "What a lucky horse she is to have a loyal friend."

"I'm sorry," Katie stammered, not knowing why exactly she was.

Ophila shook her head and casted her eyes down at the man. There was calm in Ophila's eyes but something else as well, something hidden deep in those stone eyes. She closed them and let out a tired breath.

"Come if you wish. We must spend the night somewhere. I know an inn not too far from here."

"Frogplace?" Katie asked. It was the inn her and Link was staying at.

"Goodness, no! I'd be gutted at the front of the dor." She paused. "Is that where your friend is?"

"He'll be fine," Katie said though she wasn't certain. Link had a mordant talent of getting himself into serious trouble. She can't leave him alone for five minutes without him setting something on fire, or setting a monster on fire, or just destroying everything in general.

Ophila sensed her uneasiness. "Go to him. I'll be fine."

"I'm going with you," Katie said firmly and that was that. The woman didn't reply her and lead the fairy to a place where she claimed they will be safe as the innkeeper was a sensible man.

o-o-o-o

"Absolutely not!" Yukin snapped. He took care not to raise his voice so that none of customers could hear him. With the rukus of music and laughing, Katie doubted that no one would care to bother with them.

The innkeeper was trying desperately to show Ophila the door but the woman was stubborn.

"I will pay you triple the price," she insisted. "I need a place to stay, even in the storage."

"No, no! They'll gut me for this. They might even do that just for speaking to you!"

"What is the matter with you?" Ophila demanded, her steady demeanor burning away.

"I'm sorry to have to do this," Yukin said without much care, "but I have my own business to take care of."

"Please don't kick us out!" Katie pleaded, turning a bit white. The sun was long gone. It took them hours just to get here. "We won't cause you any trouble and we'll leave at first light!"

The man's eyes flickered to her and they sparkled with greed once again. He turned back to Ophila who had her arms folded in front of her and her hood down. Her red tangled hair ran down her back.

The innkeeper was exasperated. "I can't take you in, Ophila. Forgive me for that. I promise I won't say anything about seeing you, but if you could let have the fairy…"

"The fairy isn't mine," Ophila said curtly.

"I don't belong to anyone other than the Goddesses," Katie hissed. "And you, sir, are you doing a big mistake by not letting us stay!"

"I don't have much of a choice!" he snapped, looking desperate and there was even a wheedle in his voice. "Please, please, I'm begging you to leave. I won't say I saw you, I swear. And take this too." He shoved a bag into Ophila's hands. The bag had some fruit in it and a bottle of water. "Now leave."

"And go where?" Ophila demanded.

"Anywhere but here," Yukin said sharply. "I can't keep watching over you like this. I need to look after myself."

"Of course you do," she said coldly. "Everyone does." She stared at him for a moment, then looked the other way. "I thought you were a good man. Seems that I'm mistaken."

She walked to the door, tying the bag on her back. "Come on, little fairy."

Katie regarded the man with a red color before following Ophila into the cold night. In Dethel, not much torches were lit up, only barrels of fire where homeless men and women huddled. Ophila had walked a few paces ahead and Kaite hurried to follow her. The woman's face was impassive, her eyes carefully neutral.

"We'll have to find a spot to sleep," she said finally.

"Outside?" Katie quivered. "In-in the dark?"

Ophila stopped. "Are you scared of the dark?"

"Who wouldn't be? It's scary out here!" She shuddered.

Ophila chuckled a little but it sounded hollow. "It might be dark but I know a spot where we can be safe for a time."

They were quiet as they went through the streets, ducking under when they heard guards roaming about. Eventually, Katie had to hide underneath Ophila's hood lest her glow gave them away. After a few moments, Ophila brought her out and showed her a low ditch just behind a house where the woman could fit right in and almost disappear in it.

Under Katie's flickering white and pink glow, the woman's eyes were amber. Her hair was soft looking, brushing on the cloak. Ophila brought out a small, ruddy apple, and stared at it for a long moment. A deep enervated sigh left her.

"Once," she said, putting the fruit away, "I dined with a man wealthy enough to be a great Lord, and now I'm back to this." She looked at her surroundings distastefully. "Again."

Katie hesitated, feeling very much self-conscious. She could still hear Link's voice berating her. Of course there were plenty of things she needed to know, and the only way to know is with a question. "Can I ask you something, Ophia?" the fairy said before she could change her mind.

"Of course."

She flushed. "Um, how are you—why did you…umm…"

Ophila laughed. "Why am I a whore? Why didn't I decide to grow up and be a teacher rather than sell myself on the street?"

Katie flushed. "I mean—that's not—"

Ophila waved a dismissive hand. "Don't. I know why you ask. Your colors reflect your thoughts, don't they? I've seen you flicker green once when you first saw me. Tell me truthfully, was that disgust? Were you disgusted by me?"

Katie's flush deepened. "I…yes, I was," she said quietly then stammered as she added, "But I was wrong to think that way. I want to change how I think about the world, about the people others don't give a second change to and—"

Ophila lifted a hand, silencing her. "I understand," she said gently. "And I thank you for trying but I don't blame you for your reaction."

"So…how did you…end up like this?" Katie asked softly. "If it isn't anything too personal of course," she added quickly.

Ophila sighed, reclining back into the bushy wall. If she felt distraught by how easily the innkeeper turned her away, by how the entire town seemed against her, she didn't show it. Her resilience was truly something incredible.

"Well, there's nothing really personal about it since it isn't very original. Rather, my story is regarded to be better than most. Born to a woman unfaithful to her husband and sold at a very young age. Before I could even write my name, I was taught to be a pleasure thing for anyone worth their salt. In the years that follow, I've learned a handful of tricks and developed the wit to stay alive."

"You umm…don't sound…" Katie didn't know how to say it.

Ophila smiled wickedly. "I don't sound like someone raised on the streets, do I? I had a mentor for that. She taught me everything I know, a complete random stranger who took pity on me. She showed me how to take a game and make it work in my favor."

Now her smile broadened. "It took a while and with a lot of patience, I've managed to seduce one of the most powerful men in the Silver Company. You have no idea how dangerous the game I've played but I did it. I'm well educated with most of the knowledge I've acquired through self-taught. I can read, write, and even paint if I must. Singing is where I'm weak. All of my education and mannerism earned me the right to be his mistress, though my past…affiliation are mostly obscured."

"So you…"

"I've killed many men, Katie," Ophila said, all traces of a mirth gone. "And women too, those who have made their jealousy known by knives. That silver man was not the first who had come after me and he was not the first I have slain. He certainly won't be the last. I have done everything it took to keep myself alive. I've torn up my morals and spat at them. I have betrayed and berated all of Hylia's tenets. So I don't blame you for being disgusted with me."

"But why?"

Ophila sighed. "I want to live but sometimes I just—"

"No, why would they hurt you?" Katie asked in a small voice.

Ophila paused. She looked at the fairy with sorrow. "Where have you been in this world, little one?"

"In a tower," Katie said, her voice trembling. "Living in a dream."

"You should have stayed there, sweetie," Ophila said softly.

"I couldn't! I was so stupid all this time!" Katie snapped, that heaviness crashed into her like a tidal wave. She found herself in Ophila's cupped hands. This weight threatened to squish her into dust. "Why do people hurt each other? Why do they do that? Why do they sell people? It's not right!"

"Hush now," Ophila said brushing a finger on Katie's orb.

"It-it's not right," Katie sobbed, the warmth of Ophia was so soothing, so comforting. "How-how d-do you live in this?"

"I just do," the woman said simply with a shrug. "I live to spite those who think otherwise. I live for those who helped me make it this far. Life is a cruel thing, child, a gamble than a story. You roll your dice and hope for the best."

This would've been the fate of the Haidrund twins had Sally not lied for them, had Lawrence not kept them safe from the world. The thought was so upsetting that Katie sobbed deeply. Ophila comforted her with gentle words. She kept her warm in the dark, away from the darkness that seemed to be swallowing the world around them.

Link wished he could relax. In front of him he had a good and healthy breakfast brought by the innkeeper's lovely servers. He had a whole mug of sake at hand as well, mixed with whiskey.

Yet, despite this comforting wealth in front of him, he still couldn't shake off this disquiet. It wrung around his head like an irritating insect.

Katie hasn't returned.

The innkeeper said he hadn't seen her around to deliver the message. The last time Link saw her was at the arena where she claimed to have found someone related to Henrick. The fact that she didn't come through this inn meant she'd been gone for a whole day.

She knows he's dead…right?

Link sighed, shaking his head. He didn't want to start thinking of the possibility that she could've gotten herself captured. The company might think to have him pay for his behavior, or maybe worse, if she'd gotten herself into trouble and—

Link set his mug down roughly to banish the thought. One problem at a time.

At the arena, she told him that she'd spotted Henrick's mistress. Now let's say that Katie did find that woman, then that meant he better get Epona and meet up with her. He gulped down the rest of his sake and left the inn. The day was feverish, hot air burst in his face in a pack of wind. It amazed him how people could tolerate this.

Hopefully I could do the same, he thought wryly thinking of the ruined red fabric in his inventory.

There were mercenaries patrolling the area. They recognized him and gave their compliments but nothing more. As much as he was really starting to dislike them, he knew that it will be good on his health to stay amenable.

He asked for the merchant and they directed him over to where the markets were. It was still too early to be opening up shops but there were merchants desperate enough to prepare ahead of time.

The merchant was named Willams, and the mercenaries jested that the man was a lowly noble who was trying to make a name for himself.

Link rubbed the back of his neck which was slick with sweat. He should've confronted the merchant yesterday after the manor business but he'd been so very exhausted. Yesterday with his fight with that woman, and the trip he made to and from the manor and the town…it left him drained and too impatient to deal with anyone.

If he doesn't have her, I swear…

It was rare enough for Link to be up this early. He paid for inn's servants to wake him up at early hours so he could get the job done quickly. The sun hadn't reached up the sky all the way and it was already hot.

"And if you dogs have the nerve to talk back, I'll have you all whipped!"

From the end of the market distract, near the wall that surrounded the village in a defensive line, a portly man with a mustache fumed. He was scarifying a bunch men that were equally frustrated but didn't have the position of voicing it out. The acrid noble waved a hand to the crates where one had been toppled, spilling something that looked like silk.

"I turn for less than a minute to the privy and I find this. Now which one of you was it?"

"It ain't us, boss," one of the men complained. "I told ya—"

"Do not talk back to me," the noble hissed.

"You asked me a question!"

The noble was about to snap until he saw Link. His eyes were small, sounded by chubby flesh that was red whether from the heat or anger, Link didn't know. "What do you want? Scram, I say!"

"You Williams?" Link asked.

"Lord Williams," the short man hissed.

Not this shit again. "I need to have a word. I'll make it quick."

"That's the kid who took down Lucy," one of the workers said. They were all slovenly dressed with tattered shirts and matted hair, dirty faced and some were missing a lot of teeth. Looked like the type to take any job that involved rupees. Katie would've bright up greener than grass.

Williams studied Link for a moment then sharply dismissed the workers. Link stepped up to the noble and noted that he was a hand taller than the fat man. Seeing the height difference, some of the bravo of the noble faltered but then he puffed his chest in aplomb. "What do you want?"

Link folded his arms. "You have something that belongs to me."

"You ought to end your sentences with my Lord."

Oh man, you're asking for it. Link narrowed his eyes. "I'm not here to play around. You have something that's mine and I want it back."

The noble spluttered, "I haven't met you in all my days!"

"You purchased a horse, a red one with white hair. It's mine. I want it back."

Williams stared, as if Link spoke in a different language. "A red horse?"

"Yes."

"It belongs to you?"

"Yes."

Williams narrowed his eyes. "I'd be careful with that tone, lad. See those guards over there? I could have them haul you off with one snap of my finger."

See my sword over here? I could have you minced in one swift of my hand.

Link closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Why was everyone trying so damn hard to get under his skin?

"I just want my damn horse," he said steadily, opening his eyes. "And then I'll be out your hair."

"I paid quite a lot for that mane, boy."

"I know she's wild," Link said, giving a knowing smile. "I know you didn't get your money's worth."

The noble stiffened but even he couldn't find much to say in his defense. "She's fit for the task at hand. I can't understand how anyone could think to part with her," he said with a snort, eyeing Link distastefully. "Though I do have a good idea."

Link grounded his teeth. "She belongs to me."

"And I'm supposed to believe you? The fact that you lost her proves how incompetent you are!"

Link stepped forward and his height managed to intimidate the noble into silence. "Listen very closely," Link said softly. "I killed that fat cow in the arena. I went all the way to Henrick's manor just to find that bastard's dead, and I've walked all the way back here. It's all for that stupid bitch. You tell me where she is right now."

The noble paled slightly before scoffing. "You think you can threaten me?"

"You really want to know my answer to that?" Link gave a slow, cold smile. "I killed a champion, pal. Do you think the company will give a shit about you over someone like me?"

It turned out that Link took his small fame for granted, as all the colors drained from Williams's face.

"I can't give her away for free," Williams said after a moment, dapping a napkin over his glistening forehead. "Do you have any idea how much I bought her for? That bastard practically robbed me!"

"How much?"

"A few hundred," the noble muttered with some color to his face.

Link threw his head back in a loud laugh. "And you say I'm incompetent? What kind of an idiot would spend that much on her?"

"You know how much horses are being sold these days?" the noble argued.

"Alright, alright, but listen, I want her back. She belongs to me."

"I paid for her," Williams said bitingly. "Bring the company here if you wish and have them pay her off. Whether you like it or not, I have her by rights. So rather than threaten and mock me, how about you think of a reasonable compromise?"

"You want me to do you a favor so that I can get my horse, my horse, back?"

Williams wavered. "Unless you or the company is willing to pay for her? Its three hundred rupees, three hundred and fifty."

Link didn't have nowhere near that money. He did at first, but when you're traveling, you'll find that money sinking away like quicksand.

Link dragged a hand over his face with a groan. "What do you want then?"

Williams thought for a moment and noticed the covered up hilt on Link's back. "You must do this job in covert. There is a man who's been a bothersome in my business. Make it look like an accident and—"

"Whoa, whoa." Link raised a hand. "I'm not that type of guy."

The man frowned. "You aren't with the company?"

"Hell no I'm not with the company. I'm on my own."

Williams stammered, "But you were—if you aren't—"

"I have their favor," Link said. "So don't push it."

Link was against using anyone's name to defend himself but how pleasant it was to see the man pausing, thinking very carefully.

"Fine then. I've sent out a wagon to get raw materials for the new shop I'm constructing. Your horse along with a few others I've purchased is working on that wagon."

Link sighed. "It didn't come back I take it?"

"It should be around the area," Williams insisted. "I have my best men on it though." The noble dapped his forehead again, hesitating as he said, "Well…they should have been back by yesterday. I should've gotten started forming out the blueprints."

"So if I check out this wagon—"

"—and bring it back," the merchant added.

"And bring it, then I'm taking my horse."

The noble smiled. It was a dry smile, one that called Link an idiot. "If it really were that simple, I'd have went out there myself."

Link snorted. "Uh huh. I'd love to see that."

The man ignored that. "The area is absolutely overflowing with monsters. It's almost impossible to penetrate!"

Link frowned. "And you still sent out your wagon and men?"

"I needed materials. I thought it would be a quick transaction but they haven't returned yet."

Typical nobles. They'll think plucking the clouds out the sky was possible so long as other people were doing it.

"They could be dead you know," Link said plainly.

"Unlikely. I hired two mercenaries to guard the wagon. I would've hire some more…."

But he was bleeding dry. Normal mercenaries are cheap but silver mercenaries—Link heard of stories where low nobles sold their manors just to hire a handful of them.

"They could be camped out," Williams continued, trying to sound optimistic. "They might be in trouble. Head south of the town, follow the road a few more miles before going off it. That's where they planned to go for the deposits."

Link rubbed his head tiredly. "And if they're dead? You have to consider that, you know. I'm not here wasting my time."

"You will find them, that I assure you. One of the men is my son and he's leading six men."

"Is he strong?"

Williams huffed, indignant. "He's been swinging a sword long before the world had to suffer you. Now are you going to waste my time or will you accept my offer and scram?"

Somehow Link managed to walk away peacefully without rearranging the man's face. The ritzy noble went ahead to find someone else he would be hissy to. Link, trying his damnest, wrote down the directions on his own, his handwriting still a nightmare to behold. He gave the innkeeper an update, hoping Katie would get it by the time he got back.

Not for the first time since he got to Dethel, Link went out of the town on his own. There was still some of that same uncertainty, that anxious feeling of getting lost. He hadn't traveled on his own for so long. There'd been Katie to guide him, Katie to handle people, Katie to ration out his money and food.

With a deep breath, he brought out his compass, determined not to get lost. He'll have to finish this quick. If he didn't find Epona then he needed to get back to Dethel and search for Katie.

Hope you liked this chapter. Updates will be just a little bit slow these days. Anyways, what are your thoughts on this chapter?