-Kanyou, Country of Qin-

The day was bright and colorful. King Xiang was on his death bed. The birds sang. The people mourned. The land was ravaged by war and loss while the prince eagerly waited for what would become his.

Impa stood by him, always vigilant, ever silent. The king gasped softly, and though the doctors worked vigilantly, the agent knew the shade of death when she witnessed it.

The people kindled torches and mourned in open anguish in the streets, for the king was mysterious and rumored to represent a god among men. Not right, of course, but an isolated monarch gains and encourages many myths. The prince- the heir. He did not mourn. What scared Impa to her core wasn't how he did not cry, but rather the glee the prince had as he observed his father's difficult breathing and pale complexion.

Impa left when the time was appropriate, but couldn't ignore the hunger in the prince's eyes. The anticipation. She had seen the same look in the eyes of another king before the purge. She had witnessed him grow up, and the thought that this brat would be king sent chills down her spine. This child was never denied a desire.

Impa tried calming herself. She paced the royal gardens, called for a harpist, even sparred with her clan. Nothing appeased the fear that festered in her gut.

The generals were indifferent, the council looked on the youthful prince as an opportunity they could exploit, and the prince, most of all, looked forward to the rod changing hands. Corruption and power-grabbing were all there was in the capital anymore. They were all too short-sighted to recognize what it was causing.

If the kingdom of Qin became weak and rotted from the inside, Impa could say goodbye to her nation and the millions that called it home.

When sleep provided no comfort, Impa rose and sought a venue that might offer her something, a place she had not entered in years.

Impa entered the temple. After exchanging short pleasantries with the nightly caretaker, she offered a donation and requested to be left alone. The temple sparkled. The floor was polished marble, the red rug leading from the door to the pedestal was clean and without a stain. The windows emitted an almost holy ray of light from the moon that made the statue of the three Goddesses glow.

Time wasn't a factor here. Dust and decay and rot would not approach the domain of the Goddesses.

Impa bowed before the statues. "Nayru, Din, Farore," she prayed. "Qin is in jeopardy. No! All of Hyrule or what exists of Hyrule is in jeopardy. War ravages the countryside. Where once was a grand nation that reached to the ocean, there are now seven. For five hundred years, there has been constant war. Thousands die every day. Peace is a lie, a mere illusion in our lives now. The monarchs last mere years, and even now, the king dies."

Impa paused, realizing there were tears in her eyes, but she also felt better. "I fear what will happen when the heir assumes the throne. The king, bless him, is a gentle soul and is a good man, but is a coward, foolish and weak. The king does not possess the wisdom to know what to do, the power to do it, nor the courage to even try. The prince is spoiled and will think nothing of letting the kingdom crumble so long as he feasts!"

Her praying reached such a point that she openly sobbed or laughed like a drunkard in disbelief. Impa pleaded. The agent prayed as if she had never prayed before and released burdens going back years. Most of all, she prayed for hope, for salvation to Qin.

After a long time, she was satisfied. There was nothing more to say. She was exhausted, physically, and emotionally. Even so, she felt better. Impa tilted her head from the floor to look at the statues. They had not moved. There wasn't a sound. In a way, it was as if they hadn't heard. As if they were merely statues.

Impa sighed, wondering if it was a waste of time.

Her thought was disturbed by the sound of a man entering into the temple. The newcomer was armored and in a hurry. He slowed as he neared and stopped to regain his breath.

"What is it?" She summoned the soldier to her.

"My lady, Impa, I have searched for you! First, your estate, then your usual places. It was only just after being informed you were seen here that I came."

"My apologies for sending you on a chase," He looked like he had spent hours running around. "What is so important?"

"The Chancellor, Ryo Fui, wishes to speak with you. He did not mention what it was about, but that the meeting is extremely important and to be in secret."

"Ryo Fui?" She clenched her jaw. Her hackles rose at the mere mention of his name. The king was on his death bed, and rather than mourn his friend the Chancellor was making his move! "That filthy, slimy, arrogant, PIECE OF SH-"

-Later-

"Dear Ryo, oh, it's been far too long!" Impa greeted cheerfully.

He smiled widely. "My lady Impa, you look..." He paused. Impa knew she looked like a woman who had spent long hours crying and that to say she appeared lovely would be a flat out lie. "... like you are feeling the loss of the king greatly."

Impa found Ryo Fui looking out over the city from the upper palace. He was drinking tea and was unattended. Ryo had a scroll in his hands, which he continuously thumped into his palm.

"I am," The man was alone. It was moments like this; he was his most dangerous. She was not suspicious he would strike at her, but she maintained her guard. His weapons were not of the blade, but of the word and politics and connections and wealth. "I fear for how far Qin will fall in the upcoming days. The six kingdoms will seek to test the strength and resolve of the unknown king, in war and schemes."

"At that time, it will be all the more important we provide a proper pillar for the king to lay his head," Ryo replied smoothly.

"Indeed."

Ryo motioned openly to the chair before him. "Share some tea with me? It has been a pleasant day and a beautiful night, despite the current events. It would be a waste to let such a day go by."

Impa spared the cup a glance. "That depends, is it poisoned?" Her bluntness defied the broad smile she wore.

Ryo laughed deep from his belly, "You wound me, dear Impa! Straight as an arrow and just as lethal! What kind of man do you take me for? No, I assure you! This is as genuine a gesture as any other." She didn't budge, so he shrugged. "But if it suits you, I'll drink it." He reached across and drank from her cup just as well, and served himself more.

Impa decided he wasn't trying to poison her. The court would soon be in chaos. His attention was better put on the rest of the court and stabilizing his foothold than one Sheikah. She sat down but did not touch the cup.

Ryo shrugged and took one more gulp, "Impa, it is funny you would say you fear what will happen when the new king rises. I, too, share this fear. The prince is childish, foolish, and stupid. He may have an education, but he has no brains between his ears to use it."

"It is all well and good to hold these opinions, but to say them out loud is treasonous."

"My opinions won't be until Kyou is king. If they are, then what I have planned is far far more treasonous. If only it wasn't from Xiang himself."

"You have orders from the king?"

"Of a sort," Ryo gazed at the liquid in his cup swirl around. "You see, the king, Goddesses bless his soul, is not as ignorant as he pretended to be. Xiang knew his fallacies, so while his officials led much of the country for him, he too dreaded what his son would do with the kingdom."

'You mean while you led the kingdom for him.' Impa thought. She asked out loud, "So the king is afraid of his son?"

"It is something a parent holds when they look back. They will either be ashamed or proud of their children and of what they will do with their lives. In this case, it is anything but pride. With that in mind, the king has decided to take up... an investment of sorts."

"Investment," Impa echoed.

"Indeed." Ryo extended the scroll he held. It was unopened and sealed with the king's stamp. Impa warily glanced between him and the manuscript before reaching out and grasping it. Ryo did not let go, yet. His smile dropped, his bright eye disappeared, and using nothing more than a look conveyed the importance of this meeting. "If you choose to read it, your life is on the line. If the new king learns of this, the penalty for us both is death."

Impa glared at the Chancellor. "The scroll bears the signet of the current king. This is his will, yes?"

"It is."

"Then I accept reading it."

Ryo nodded and released his grip and returned to his tea. Impa opened the scroll. He said, "It would appear our dear king has left another child with his concubine in Zhao, and my spy has found they are in the capital. Xiang would like for you to retrieve her."

"The king has another child- an older one," Impa could barely grasp what she was reading. Her eyes snapped up when his words registered. "A girl?"

Ryo nodded. "That is why the king has never mentioned her before the court. A female monarch? Who has heard of such a thing! The woman would find herself at odds with everyone just for being one. None of the less, the king fears the dark potential his son has so much that he is willing to select the one over the other."

"What of the concubine?" Impa asked.

Ryo hesitated. Emotions passed over his face too quickly for Impa to read, and he composed himself before she could. He said, "Retrieve her if possible, but the vital one is the girl. To help form some sort of peace in the king's reign, he had visited Zhao with them as honored guests. When the latest war broke out, he was able to escape, but not so much the mother and child, and it soon turned to them being little more than political hostages. They were assumed dead until recently, and my spy does not speak favorably of their situation. They are in danger."

"Then I should hurry," Impa rose. "I will leave at the first light after preparations."

"Indeed! The sooner, the better. Remember: this has to be in absolute secret. If Zhao learns of it, they will stop you and torture you. If the prince learns, he will stop you and silence you. Your mission is to the find the girl and escape with her to the border. I believe General Kanou is near the border. I will send him a letter forewarning him to expect you with a child, possibly with pursuit. Race to him for retrieval."

"Thank you. I will be expecting him. What is the girl's name?"

Ryo took a moment to reflect, "I believe her name is Zelda."

-Kantan, Country of Zhao-

Impa sat in the shadowy corner of the inn, waiting. It was the height of the day, so most were busy with their business. The market outside bustled, and the view of the Zhao palace was marvelous, standing proud and tall against the sun. Impa turned the panels of the window shut as if it might look back.

At the expected hour, out of the crowd of the market entered two men. One was gangly and the other large. They didn't look like much, but their eyes were attentive. They saw Impa out of the corner of their eyes and approached.

The thin one had disheveled hair and a cold look in his eye, immediately looking down on her. "You the woman we looking for?"

"Depends," Impa moved her cloak out of the way to reveal a short blade hidden behind her hip. She didn't like his tone, and the last thing she needed was to be bothered by a couple of horny men. "Are you looking for pleasure or business?"

"He said you wanted some labor in moving some goods." His eyes moved momentarily to her knife but only sharpened in turn. He seemed to have some grudge against her from the start, and despite the implied threat, he did not budge.

So they were the black marketers she was waiting on.

"That would be correct."

Whether to her relief or detriment, as the former man was difficult, they sat down. The larger one bowed slightly and said, "We just wanted you to know we are thinking about the job."

Impa slammed her fist on the table. She raised her voice slightly, "What the realms do you mean you are still thinking about it? Didn't you come here accepting the job?!" She glanced toward the doorway. She hoped no one had heard her outburst. She had expected them to be here, and so promptly and punctual, precisely because they had accepted it. She did not want further setbacks.

The first said, "Nah, that isn't it. We came here so we could decide whether or not we'd accept the job. So hurry up and tell us what it is."

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? I will not divulge it just because you ask. It is too delicate a situation. If I were to tell you, and you refuse, I would have no choice but to kill you."

The black marketer met her glare head-on. "Aren't you the one getting ahead of yourself, woman? I only need to yell out that you are of Qin, and every man for miles will run to tear you apart and rape the pieces."

The man leaned forward on the table. His temperament grew angry yet controlled. "It has been a decade since Chouhei, but I promise you. We have not forgotten that pain."

Impa examined his eyes and saw he also suffered from that battle.

What could Impa express to appease the pain this Zhao man held in his heart? The anger and hate he kept contained? What of the whole country? She likewise had suffered from constant wars. No one hadn't. In her heart, she wanted the wars to end, but to convey such an idealistic philosophy would fall on deaf ears. All that would satisfy in this cycle of vengeance was further vengeance.

The second black marketer rebuked the first, "Don't give her grief, no need to hassle the lady. We are over here to discuss business, not politics."

The first man grunted.

A third man entered, and from the greeting between the men, Impa considered that they recognized each other. He must be the last of their party.

"Relax, Dawn. She is just being cautious because it is an urgent matter," The third sat down. "It is no small matter to 'smuggle a small person'."

"And how are we to place the importance of this person?" Dawn asked. "It could be some slave woman's newborn child to one of the king's children. Or a dwarf."

The third man sighed. "I apologize, my lady. He is as cautious as you are. He tends to get heated up."

Impa did not know their names but knew they wanted to go by the names Dawn, Midnight, and Twilight.

"No apologies necessary."

"Let me see if I can guess the importance of this." The third man, Twilight, said. "First, there are rumors down the trail that the king of Qin is dying."

Impa narrowed her eyes. News this big would grow, but she had hoped the information wouldn't spread this quickly.

"Second," Twilight smiled. "While it is believed that crown prince Kyou will inherit the throne, I happen to know a man who knows there is still hidden in Zhao one who can contest the crown."

Impa gulped but expressed nothing.

Midnight asked, "Who? The Qin king only just fathered one child."

Dawn mused, "Actually, come to think of it, didn't he leave behind one of his women in Zhao as a hostage? And wasn't there a rumor she was with child?"

"That is right," Twilight said.

Midnight gaped. "Wait, 'smuggling a person' right?! Could it be that you want-?"

"Be careful what you say," Impa looked to the third black marketer. "You know a great deal."

Twilight simply smiled. He shrugged. "In that case, all that is left is to confirm the product we will be handling. Once we verify it, we can agree. I don't care you are from Qin, but as a merchant that is the decision to be based on."

Impa replied, "I don't have it... yet."

"What?!" Dawn and Midnight yelled. Twilight shushed them, and after a moment, they settled down.

"I have searched, but I have yet to recover her," Impa explained. "I had hoped to acquire your services so that once the package is retrieved, we can make haste. Because then my time may be extremely limited."

"A sensible decision, yet also leaves us in the dark," Twilight said. He leaned back. The others fumed, but this man was calm and thoughtful. He was their leader. "Two thousand."

"Two thousand Rupee?"

"Extra. Each."

Impa's eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. "What?!"

"This has gone from a smuggling mission to a 'find and extract' mission. It is extra work to find the kid, and it may involve kidnapping if the kid is not in the loop. This is proving to be a lot of hassle and the risks have increased ten-fold with the value of the merchandise. We want two thousand bonuses. Each."

Impa gulped, "I don't have that kind of money."

"I know, but your Chancellor does, and I know how much he likes to handle things like this quietly."

Impa analyzed the man. He spoke as if he knew the Chancellor. It was not a statement without understanding, and the man maintained connections across Hyrule.

Was he Ryo's spy?

Impa could not come right out and ask, but her gut led her to believe it was so. She breathed out in relief. "I will make certain he pays."

The spy nodded in contentment. "In that case we will do our part. I will require a day to make arrangements. We will meet here in two days."

"Two days is not enough time to find one child in a city this vast!"

"You don't need that long. There are only three places a Qin child hostage can be. In the palace as a prisoner, in the slums without any official protections, or..."

"Or?"

"The grave," Twilight finished darkly. Dawn expressed no remorse for the idea.

-Later-

Impa used her training to blend in. She suspected Twilight was the spy of Ryo, and already knew where Zelda was, but Impa wanted to ensure this part of the mission was complete personally. He could search as well if he wished, but Impa did not want to rely on them more than necessary.

Impa entered the seedier part of the capital. The spies 'guess' made sense. Any Qin would be ostracized here and be unable to support a proper business. She prayed silently as she walked so that Naryu might guide her feet. Impa felt everything up to this day was their perfect answer to her prayers.

A distant ruckus captured her attention. A thief had stolen bread. Child thieves were common, so she paid it to mind only long enough to judge the child's gender. Thus far, they had wholly been boys that she observed lurking.

Impa drew nearer and started to hear yells from the crowd that pursued the child. "Qin shit! Still lurking like a dog are we?!" "Filthy thief!" "Seize her! The brat snatched some food!"

'Her'? Impa's nerves rose. She rushed into the crowd.

True enough, the child was a young girl. Or at the very least a tomboy. She had the clothes of a street urchin and no shoes. Bruises, cuts, bugs, and filth smeared her body. Her hair was blonde and filthy, unlike the natural brown hair. But the most striking thing was the sky-blue eyes. They were not the eyes of a person. They were utterly feral, wide, crazed, unfocused, and filled with an instinctual fear and hateful defiance both.

They surrounded her from all sides. A man lunged at her but recoiled when her knee broke his nose. "THE BITCH!"

It required several men to stop the child and hold her down to beat her. One pulled out an ax. "You took my brother. The least you owe me is an arm, thief!" He lifted the ax to remove her arm.

"Wait!" Impa yelled. She ran into their midst and grabbed the ax handle. "Do this and you are no better than the Qin that took your family!"

"So what?!"

"She is a child!"

Some of the men recovered their senses and suffered a change of heart. They released the girl. While the ones with the most hate turned their attention to Impa, the girl leaped at the chance to break away and disappear. Impa followed the girl from the corner of her eye. The girl looked back once before running down an alley.

Without the thief for them to aim their anger towards and punishment for thievery dished out through bruises, most of the crowd dissipated. Without a group to justify their actions or hate, the rest soon walked off, scoffing at her.

Impa walked down the street the thief had gone down. Her skills as a Sheikah aided her in tracking her little target, and before long, she encountered the girl sitting in a dark, damp corner nibbling on a mere scrap of the bread she had snuck away.

The girl stared at Impa like a feral animal, cautious and frightened. Impa gulped. She did not approach too close. The girl looked like she would flee at the slightest move.

"Are you named Zelda, by chance?" Impa asked.

The girl did not respond.

"Where is your mother? Your father? Are either of them here?"

No response. Did the girl speak an ordinary language? It would prove problematic if the girl didn't understand her.

"Do you understand me?"

Still no response. The girl stared at her with wide-eyes.

Impa sighed. It would appear she had been lead on a wild chase. Impa turned to leave, but as she took a step away, she felt a slight tug on her cloak. Impa paused.

"Im...pa..." The girl whispered.

Impa sucked in a breath, "How do you know that name?"

"Dream... You are Impa?"

"I am." The woman replied. "I am looking for someone named Zelda. Do you know anyone named that?"

The girl nodded. "I am Zelda."

Impa could have wept. Her mission was a success, but also her heart tore from seeing her charge in this condition. Zelda was barely clutching on to life and was seemingly too frightened to speak.

Impa slowly lowered herself to be at Zelda's height and got a decent look at her. The girl looked to be a pre-teen. She was obscured in small scars and was malnourished. Nothing that wasn't manageable with some proper care. The more fundamental problems would be in her mind. A need for confidence would have to be first and foremost, as well as an education, but Impa felt there were many problems deeper down she would be learning about over time.

"Well, Zelda." Impa smiled. "I'm here to bring you home."

"I have a home," Zelda whispered.

Zelda probably didn't grasp what Impa meant. But all the same, if Zelda had a home, then her mother was possibly there. "Do you now? Can you show me?"

Zelda nodded, turned, and entered the alley. Impa clasped the girl's hand and let her lead. The walk took them out of the city towards the outskirts. Amid the trees was a broken hut, and near was a shallow river.

Zelda stopped. "Wait... here."

"Alright." Impa nodded. She let go of the girl's hand. Zelda walked to the hut door and peered within, seemingly changed her mind and sat by the river. Impa looked at her curiously and joined her.

"Mother has a man in there... don't let me near when working."

"I see." So the mother had to sell her body to survive... Impa felt for the woman. Regrettably, it was just how the world was.

Impa didn't say anything, and neither did Zelda. The girl merely watched the river and the moon with dilated, unfocused eyes. Impa used the time to study her further. With further observation, she was able to distinguish between the bruises. Most were simple bruises on her arms or back, but there was one in the shape of large hands around her neck.

"I am ashamed," Impa whispered. "If I had intervened sooner, then men wouldn't have suffocated you."

"Suffocated?"

"Where they put their hands around your neck."

Zelda stared at her in confusion. "Men? No. Mother. She says it's all my fault."

Impa stared in horror down at the river. Her hands clenched and dug her fingernails into her palms. Impa wanted to scream but did not want to frighten the girl. With each minute, her day was becoming more and more surreal. She felt trapped in a horror tale.

"Zelda... has she done this before?"

Zelda nodded. "A few times."

Impa could not take it any longer. She wasn't tolerating this one second more. The woman shook furiously and the knowledge of what she needed to do. She took Zelda by the hand and left. The mother be damned. Zelda followed along as listlessly as sheep. Impa wasn't sure if it was due to trust, or a lack of caring. On the one hand, the girl was defiant before men, but she would keep going back to the same violent woman. Her unfocused eyes frightened the woman.

"Why don't you tell me about this dream of yours? The one that told you about me?"

"In my dream, I was watching the moon. The moon took the shape of a good-looking woman and fell to the water. She stood on the river and said a dark-skinned woman, named Impa, would come to take me away."

"That's exactly what I am here for," Impa confirmed, smiling at the young girl.

(Grammarly 8/19/2020, scribens 3/11/2020, Gradeproof 3/12/2020, brief update 4/10/2020)