The room was presented, but the cot never came. Talon's snores rumbled loudly out of his throat while Malon slept soundlessly, her chest rising and falling as she breathed. Both of them were sleeping on either bed while Link lied on the floor underneath a thick wool blanket.
When they came up to the room, Link and Malon had to carry Talon up the stairs away from his drinks. He crash-landed on one of the beds, and the two teenagers were left to decide who would take the other.
"No way, Link! You need it more. You're the one with the dislocated shoulder."
Link tilted his head at her toward the bed.
"I'd rather not sleep on the floor, and I definitely don't want to sleep with Dad, but you need the bed more than I do, and after what we went through today you deserve it."
Link furrowed his eyebrows and pointed to the bed.
"For the last time, you're taking that bed, and that's final!"
Malon gave up after half an hour of one-sided arguing. Declaring that all men were useless, she threw herself on the bed and grumbled until she fell asleep. Link's habitual sleeping in the forest had given him a strong back, if nothing else, and made his spot on the comparably soft wooden floor especially comfortable. It was certainly much nicer than the limp and sweaty mattresses the others slept on, yet Link tossed and turned restlessly, mindful of his arm and angry at himself.
It must have been late. Even the customers downstairs had quieted almost completely, which was abnormal considering the fast-approaching New Year. The church bells chimed from the far off Temple of Time, playing three weary song notes and repeating them, then ringing twice.
"Great, it's already two in the morning."
He threw off the blanket and stood. The room's accommodations were by no means first-class. Telma had been too right about the transparent walls; a deliberate thumping noise came from the room next to theirs. The curtains, rug, paintings, and comforters were worn thin, their gaudy floral patterns having faded into imprints of what they once were. The wallpaper was well in the process of peeling away. Even though the scent of air freshener wafted through the room, so too did the stench of ammonia and second-hand smoke, and it was only now that Link noticed the pungency. The air freshener conglomerating with the after hand smoke and sharp cleaner created such a wave that as soon as Link got to his feet, the horrible smell filled his nostrils and he reached for his nose.
"I need air."
Link moved for the door and took care not to slam it behind him. He headed into the hallway and down the stairs that led to the first floor. On the first floor in the now emptied bar, Telma worked behind the counter while four other figures all huddled around a table in the corner, speaking in hushed voices. The first was an elderly man with dark, age-spotted skin, graying facial hair, and a cold expression. His outfit resembled that of miner's. The second figure was a slim young woman sporting thick black hair and eyelashes, with drooping eyes and pale skin. Her body was clad in thin form-fitting armor, not at all like that of the Royal Knights. The third was a man in his mid-twenties. A healthy layer of dirt covered his body and clothes. His light brown hair was cut neatly and small-rimmed glasses decorated his face. The final figure was unidentifiable. Ze wore a black heavy cloak, and spoke in a rough, sweet tone that carried through the room.
Telma addressed them, "Would any of like a drink while we chat? How 'bout you, Auru?"
The older of the two gentlemen gruffly replied, "Not tonight," and refused to elaborate. He barely budged when the woman in armor suddenly slapped her hand on the table.
"I'll take that offer ah yours, Telma, but nunna that watered-down crap!"
"Comin' right up, Ashei!"
The spectacled young man pushed his glasses up disapprovingly.
"Such nerve to behave this way in front of our guest."
"Says the guy who can't even take a bath before he gets here!" Ashei retorted. "I might not mind my P's and Q's, but at least I'm presentable, yeah?"
"How about you, Shad?"
The man with glasses answered, "No, thank you," then turned to the hooded figure.
"Would you care for a drink, Adelz?"
"No, but I thank you for the offer."
"No offense, but that's not the most creative name," Ashei said bluntly. From underneath zis hood, the figure smiled.
"It doesn't have to be creative, so long as it keeps me out of trouble. I fear more for those of you who refuse pseudonyms."
Telma approached the table with Ashei's beer in hand. She didn't bother setting it on the table, but instead handed it to her.
"I ain't scared!" Ashei proclaimed while taking the beer. "I hope when we're done, everyone knows my name! You guys are no fun."
She then downed the beer in one long draw, and belched loudly.
"Don't you have anything stronger?"
"If I gave you anything stronger, it would have to be horse tranquilizer!"
"I beg your pardon," Adelz spoke. "It's only thanks to Paim that I made it here tonight, but I haven't as much time as I would like. The guards will notice my absence any minute."
"Let's get started then," Auru replied sternly, looking toward Ashei. "Let's not waste any more of our precious time, if you don't mind."
"Whatever."
She slammed the empty mug on the table and sat between Auru and Shad, leaning back in her chair.
"So what's in the report today, 'Adelz?'"
"I'm afraid there isn't much of anything to report as of yet. We're keeping our eyes open, but there's been nothing going on in the kingdom, or in the surrounding provinces."
"You've been keeping an eye on that Agahnim character though, yeah?"
"I have, but my investigations have led me nowhere. I can't find a single bad mark in his records, no matter where I search."
"I don't blame ya for checkin'. Something about that guy's real fishy, and I don't mean his breath."
Ashei waved her hand emphatically in front of her nose.
"What about the Gerudo?" asked Shad. "Did you ever find out what happened to them?"
"We did, or rather not," ze responded gravely.
"What do you mean?"
"They've been more than just quiet; we haven't heard word from them for months. They were not present during the previous Provincial Gathering, so we attempted making contact through magical means, but to no avail."
"That doesn't sound good," murmured Auru, putting his closed fist to his chin.
"I'm afraid the mystery doesn't end there. After long-distance communication failed, we sent ambassadors to the Eldin Province to reestablish contact."
Adelz paused until Ashei finally replied, "And? What'd ya find?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Absolutely nothing. The fortress, their farms, their adobe villas, their temple, everything was gone."
"Gone? Gone how? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Do you mean it was destroyed?"
"If only that had been the case, no offense to the Gerudo. If it had been, there would be ruins of their city or the like, but I'm afraid that's not the case. Everything that belonged to the Gerudo in the Eldin Province has disappeared without a trace. There wasn't so much as a speck of rock to be found anywhere."
"Do you think they could be planning to rebel again?"
"Even if they were, it wouldn't explain why they suddenly vanished, along with all their homes and possessions."
"That is a mystery."
"Looks like it's going to be a rather interesting year, isn't it?"
"Which year is it, by the way?" Ashei asked.
"The coming year," Shad announced. "Will be the Ordonian Wolf."
"Just a few more years and it'll be my turn again. All hail the Horon Snow Leopard!"
"Speaking of interesting," Telma grinning, grinning. "Remember that boy of Talon's that Rusl won't stop talking about?"
"How could we forget?" Shad laughed. "You'd think he was his son or something, the way he goes on about him."
"He's here in the inn, tonight."
"Eh?" Ashei sat upright and looked at Telma. "That kid Rusl fawns all over? Don't tell me he's as great as he makes him out to be."
"I was in the same boat as you. You'd think he was either in love with the kid, or nuts, or probably both. I thought that, or at least I did before I met him tonight."
"What was your take on him?"
"He's everything Rusl said and more. The kid didn't notice it, but the moment he walked in, people were starin' at him up and down, as if Princess Zelda herself just walked into the bar. He's got the look of a blue-eyed beast, all right, and I'd bet this whole bar that that kid is-"
Telma's speech halted when a nearby door handle jiggled and twisted open. Link pushed the door open from the other side and drifted across the bar halfheartedly, paying no attention to the fact that his presence had quieted the whole room. He walked as a ghost floats, his naked feet barely scraping the floor's surface, his bright blue eyes wide open as he absently scratched his scalp and turned the knob of the door leading out of the tavern. Link went out, leaving the entire bar hushed behind him.
"What the hell was that?!" Ashei gasped.
"Ashei," Shad laughed nervously. "If there's one thing you know how to do, it's break the ice."
"What was what?" Auru said gruffly. He spoke as if he knew nothing, but his body was rigid and his face was pale.
"That! That thing that kid did! I don't know what it was, but it put me on my guard so fast, I nearly jumped up and sliced him open! It was like a demon, but also a god just walked into the room!"
"Should I assume that was the boy in question, Telma?"
The slender, bandaged fingers of Adelz's hands peaked out from underneath zis cloak. They were shaking visibly.
"Sure was," Telma replied with a twinkle in her eye. "It wasn't exactly a formal meeting, but now you know how it felt when I met that kid."
"Good lord," Shad trembled, his hands clutching at his knees. "No wonder Rusl talks about him all the time."
"How in the world," asked Adelz, "Did you manage to retain your composure when you first met him?"
"To be honest, I haven't a clue. He's the first customer I have ever had to fake hospitality with, and that's sayin' something. If I like 'em, I welcome 'em with open arms, and if I don't, I kick 'em to the curb. You all know that about me, but he was different. When he first walked in, such a chill ran up my spine that at first, I couldn't even talk. And when I finally buckled down and started talkin' to him, the whole time it felt like I was gonna faint."
"Did he say anything?" demanded Ashei. "What did he say?! Didn't he tell you anything?!"
"Not a word."
"I gotta talk to him!"
Ashei sprang to her feet, but tripped on one of the table's legs. Auru caught her before she fell flat on her face.
"Whoa there, girl. Hero or not, that boy had a look on his face that said, 'Do not disturb.' You'd best leave him alone."
"Oh, please! I don't care about 'the looks on peoples' faces!'"
Ashei emphasized the last part of her statement, doing a mock imitation of Auru's voice.
"I gotta meet him and be sure!"
"Stop."
Ashei halted in her tracks.
"Last I have heard, the Master Sword was still in its pedestal in the Temple of Time. If that boy is indeed the one meant to wield it, then talking to him now, as you wish to, will do more damage than we could ever hope to fix. Please stay here, Ashei."
Ashei stood with her back to the others as Adelz passed zis commandment to her. Silence descended on the bar. Ashei stood silently for a long time before turning on her heel and returning to her seat.
"This will indeed require a bit of investigation," Adelz explained. "And I'll start with you, Telma, since of the five of us you know him the best."
"I only met the boy tonight, Adelz."
"I understand, but please answer my questions the best you can."
"I'll try, but I won't promise anything."
"First of all…"
As soon as Link exited the bar, he walked back toward the piazza that led to the inn. He crossed the plaza and lied down at the base of the stairs. With the buildings blocking his view, he could only see a patch of the night sky above. The stars shrank away and hid from the bright lights of the city. The sounds of the city still ran late into the night. Link could see the streets from the other side of the alley, and they were still overflowing with city-goers and visitors from all over the continent. The festival music played so loudly he wondered why he hadn't heard it from their room.
"I hate this place."
He took his ocarina from his pocket, and played a soft note. It was familiar to him, so he followed it with the next note, and the next one, and the next until he was playing a whole song.
"Wow, I haven't played this song in years. I must've forgotten all about it. But…"
His song warbled on the last few notes as he finished.
"I can't remember where I learned it…"
Link lifted the instrument to his lips again, but only played the first note of the same song, when his ocarina suddenly bashed forward into his mouth, hitting the gums above his front teeth.
"Gah!"
The taste of iron quickly followed. He moved the ocarina away and put two fingers to the inflicted area inside his mouth. When he brought them back, he saw and felt a dark wet spot on his fingertips. His irritation spurted as he rose to his feet.
"Who's there?!"
He looked and saw no one in the darkness. In anger, he spat out the blood from his mouth.
"Hey!"
A sudden tiny female voice shook as it screamed angrily at Link, and made him jump. He looked again but still saw no one.
"Didn't you learn any manners?! No one wants to see your disgusting spit, much less be drenched in it!"
"Wh-where are you?"
"Hello? Are you blind?! I'm down here!"
Link looked down, and his eyes popped. A tiny girl, no bigger than his thumb and glowing bright blue, was flinging her arms and legs.
"Oh!" She groaned. "So gross!"
"A-ah…ah…"
Link's mouth dropped at the sight of the girl, and dropped even more when he noticed the dragonfly wings sprouting from her back.
"EW! It's even in my hair!"
She lifted her hands to wring out her hair, then stopped short.
"B-b-b-b-blood! It's blood!"
At this realization, she jumped up and down as if she were dancing on hot coals.
"GET IT OFF! Get if off, get it off, get it off, get it off!"
She peered up angrily at the dumb-founded Link.
"Don't just stand there, you idiot! Do something! This is your fault, after all!"
"What are you?!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're tiny!"
"I'm still growing! I'll get bigger… I hope. What do you mean, 'what am I?'"
"B-but you're glowing! And you have wings!"
"Well don't you know a fairy when you see one?!"
"A fairy?"
"Yes, a fairy! Now quit gawking at me and take me someplace where I can get cleaned!"
"A fairy…"
Link fell back and sat on the bottom stair. What he read in fairy tales and children stories, what he'd thought of as nothing more than a fantasy, was standing right before him. Granted, he'd accidentally spit blood all over her and she was rightfully angry at him for it, but still! A fairy of all things!
"Are you listening? Don't you humans have a place where you can go to wash?"
Link moved toward the tiny pixie, but she staggered back.
"Whoa there!" She cried. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Um… taking you where you can get cleaned?"
"Where, may I ask?"
"Inside, over there."
He pointed to indicate the inn, but from their position it looked more like a dark cave. The fairy opened her eyes wide in fear.
"Oh no! You're not taking me down a dark alley where you can do strange things to me! No way, Jose!"
"What? But I-"
"You know what? Forget it! You've done enough, and I'm busy as it is! It's been nice meeting you, not!"
She jumped into the air away from Link, but her blood and spit soaked wings were too heavy for her, ao she came crashing down flat on her bare tummy.
"Um… are you okay?"
She lied silently on the ground for a long time. Link was ready to scoop her up into his hand and force her into the inn anyway when he noticed her tiny shoulders quivering. She peeled herself off the ground and cupped her face into her hands as giant, sparkling tears rolled out of her eyes.
"Huh?!"
"I'm sorry," she cried. "I'm not mad at you, even though you spit blood on me. I know you didn't do it on purpose. I'm just so tired, and I can't think straight! I've been flying as fast as I can for four days straight! I'm hungry! I want to sleep, and now I'm disgusting! I miss Saria, and I wanna go home! This is the worst day ever!"
She wiped her eyes with her naked arm as she wailed, but a bell rang in Link's mind.
"Saria?"
"Yeah. She's my friend, but you don't know her."
"Yes I do."
"Don't lie! You're just trying to trick me, aren't you?"
"No really! I know her… or at least I think I do. That name sounds so familiar. Why can't I remember?"
"Look, I have to go. I already told you I'm busy. I have to find the person that was playing that song."
"Playing? A song? But why?"
"Because, they were playing Saria's song. If I can find the person who was playing her song, then maybe they can help me. They've gotta be around here somewhere."
This time, instead of trying to fly, the fairy stood on her wobbly legs and began walking.
"Wait! Come back!"
The tiny fairy walked away so quickly that Link barely had time to grab his ocarina with his trembling hands and begin playing the song once more. The notes sprang from the tiny instrument to the fairy's ears, and made her stop short. She turned around and gaped at Link as he continued the sprightly song. When he noticed her angry eyes glaring at him, he stopped playing.
"…Eh?"
"YOU!"
She ran back and jumped Link. She didn't knock him over or make him wobble by any means, but she grabbed the collar of his shirt with her miniscule hands and stared him straight in the face.
"HOW DID YOU GET THAT SONG?! AND WHERE DID YOU FIND THAT OCARINA?!"
"HUH?"
"Saria only teaches that song to her very best friends! How do you know her?!"
"I told you, I can't remember!"
"Oh really? Then what about that ocarina? Saria told me she gave that ocarina to a boy she met in the Lost Woods a long time ago! How did you get it?! You stole it, didn't you?!"
"No! I swear! I've never stolen anything in my life!"
"Prove it!"
"What?! How?"
"Just prove it! You better start remembering or you'll have heck to pay!"
"What the- Navi?"
Link and the fairy stopped their arguing long enough to notice that a third voice had intervened on the conversation.
"Saria?!"
She released Link's shirt and whipped her head in all directions.
"Saria, where are you?!"
"Down here!"
She streaked over to where the forgotten ocarina laid on the ground, and knelt down next to it.
"Huh? Saria? How'd you get in there?"
The sound of a girl's light giggle came out the ocarina.
"What in the world is going on?"
Link rubbed his forehead.
"This is a dream. It has to be."
"You're silly, Navi," the voice explained. "I'm not in the ocarina. Whenever Link plays my song, he can talk to me whenever he likes."
"Link? Who's Link?"
"Hopefully, he's there right beside you."
"You can't possibly mean this idiot, Saria?"
"Hey you. Link's my friend, just like you are, Navi. I don't want you badmouthing my friends, just like I wouldn't let Link say anything bad about you. Be nice to him."
"…So that means…"
Navi turned to face Link.
"Then you do know Saria…"
"Speaking of saying things," Saria shifted the conversation. "Link, why haven't you said anything yet? You're awfully quiet."
At this point, Link had fallen flat on his buttocks and was staring at the fairy and the talking ocarina in wide-eyed wonder. When he was suddenly addressed, he stuttered.
"Ah… I… uh…"
"Hey you, I mean Link," Navi pointed at him. "When a girl talks to you, you should say something back. It's only polite."
"…But I can't."
"What? What do you mean you can't?"
"I had an accident when I was younger. I lost my voice a long time ago."
"Oh…"
Navi's irritation melted away with this new information.
"I guess that would explain things, wouldn't it?"
"What is it, Navi?" The ocarina asked.
"Link said he had an accident when he was just a kid, so he doesn't have a voice anymore."
"Goodness! What happened?"
"A tree fell on me, and one of the branches pierced my throat."
"He says a tree fell on him and it stabbed him in the throat."
"Oh my gosh! That sounds horrible! How does he look, Navi?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is he handicapped in anyway, like is he in a wheelchair, or using a cane?"
"That's a weird thing to ask."
"I don't know much about big people, but I couldn't even tell there was anything wrong with him until just now. He's got both his arms and legs, so I guess that even though he lost his voice, he's fine."
A sigh of relief came from the ocarina. Then, Saria continued.
"Navi, where have you been? I've looked high and low through the forest for you. Why are you with Link? Where are you guys?"
"We're here in Hyrule City."
"How did you get all the way out there?"
"I flew."
"But Hyrule City is so far away! Why are you there?"
"…I'm sorry, Saria," Navi's voice cracked. "But I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"The Great Deku Tree sent me here to look for someone, but I can't tell you anything else. He told me not to tell anyone. I'm really sorry."
A long silence came from the ocarina until finally Saria answered back.
"Ah, so that explains it."
"What? What do you mean, 'that explains it'?"
"It's nothing, Navi."
"You know something, don't you? Tell me!"
"It's all right," the ocarina giggled. "You'll find out for yourself."
"Huh?!"
"In the meantime, it's no coincidence that you found Link. He's a good friend who wouldn't let anyone down. If anyone can help you find who you're looking for, it's him, right Link?"
"Wait, what?"
"I don't know, Saria. This guy seems kinda unreliable if you ask me."
"Trust me, Navi. You're in good hands."
Navi grumbled, "Mmm, fine. I'll trust him, but only because you put in a good word."
"In that case, I'll leave you to it. Hyrule City is a big place, and it's going to be hard to find one person out of hundreds of thousands."
"Hu-hu-hu-hundreds of th-th-th-thousands?!" Navi staggered back. "How am I going to find the Hero of Time out of so many people?!"
As soon as she finished her statement, she quickly clasped her hands over her mouth.
"Oops," she squeaked.
"That's who you want to find?"
"Darn it! I can't even do that right! The Great Deku Tree is gonna be so mad when he finds out that I told!"
"Calm down, Navi. No one here knows but us. You know I'd never tell a secret, and I know Link wouldn't tell either, even if he could. Then again, that depends on whether he decides to help you or not."
Before Link had a chance to gather his confused thoughts, Navi jumped up and grabbed him by his shirt collar once more.
"Please, Link! I'm begging you! There's no way I can find the Hero of Time all by myself in this huge place! I need your help! Please!"
"…Okay."
"Huh? You don't even wanna think about it? No excuses or nothing? Just 'Okay'?"
"I did accidentally spit blood all over you, so I guess I can help. Plus there's no way I can let you go into the city all by yourself. It's a dangerous place for a little fairy."
"I'm not that little!"
"Is it settled, then?" the ocarina asked.
"Yes. He says he'll help."
"I knew he would. You guys better get to it if you wanna find the Hero of Time, especially if the Great Deku Tree wants to talk to him, so I'll let you go."
"Wait! Saria, what if I need to talk to you again?"
"Don't worry, Navi. Anytime you or Link wants to talk to me, just play my song on his ocarina, and I'll be there. I'll talk to you later, okay?"
"Okay. Bye Saria, and thanks for helping."
"Don't thank me. Link's the one who's helping you. Speaking of which, before I go…Link?"
She paused before continuing.
"Thanks for calling. I know you lost your voice, but it was really good to hear from you again. I've missed you."
The ocarina went silent. The two both stared at it for a while before Link finally picked it up.
"So you'll really help me, then? No joke?"
"I don't mind."
"You just said yes so fast that I almost don't believe it. No one I know would've agreed to helping a stranger so quickly…"
Navi glared intently at Link.
"You're really weird, you know that?"
"Eh?"
"You're weird…but you're nice. Saria said your name is Link."
"And she said yours is Navi."
"Well then, it's nice to meet you, Link."
"Likewise."
"Now if you don't mind," Navi lifted up her hands. "Can you please take me someplace where I can get cleaned up, and maybe sleep or have a bite to eat?"
"I'm still confused. Who's Saria? Why can't I remember her? And… Wait a minute! How can you hear me think?!"
"It's a little late to be asking that last one, don't you think?"
"Maybe, but still."
"I can hear you because I'm a fairy, and most fairies can hear the thoughts of humans. I'm not very strong yet, but at least I can do that much."
"Then I guess I'll watch what I think around you."
"I don't think that'll be much of a problem with you," Navi giggled. "If Saria says you're a good person, then Navi thinks you're a good person too."
Navi's giggle made Link blush, so he quickly changed the subject.
"…What about Saria? If she's your friend, couldn't she hear me too?"
"Maybe if she were a fairy like me, but she's not. Saria is a Kokiri."
"A what?"
"That means she's a child of the forest."
"Child…of the…forest…"
Images began springing into Link's mind. He saw himself running through the forest in the night, taking twists and turns and gasping for breath until he came into a meadow. There in the meadow, was where she waited: a girl so green and alive that she looked like she would meld with the tree she sat on. She was playing a tiny oblong instrument, the one he now held in his hand, and Link recognized the song that sang from its holes.
"I remember…"
"What was that?"
"I remember Saria!"
"It's about flippin' time. You ought to remember your own friends."
"It's really vague, but I can see when we met. It was so long ago."
"Well now that you remember her, you better make sure to talk to her as much as you can. Saria gets really lonely sometimes."
"How come?"
"She's got all the Koroks to play with, and all the forest fairies like me, but Saria doesn't know anybody else."
"Aren't there other Koriki for her to play with?"
"They're called Kokiri, and that's the sad part. There aren't any Kokiri left. Saria's the last one. The fairies, Korok, and the Great Deku Tree are all she has now."
"The last…one? Wow…I wish I'd known."
Link sat down and stared hard at the ground. He'd barely had a chance to get to know the girl he'd met in the woods, and yet she clearly thought well enough of him to considered him a friend. She must've waited all that time, wanting to hear from him after they'd met. If circumstances had allowed it, Link would've played his ocarina and talked with her all she liked, but he hadn't, and he couldn't. The thought of her sitting and waiting for someone who would never be able to call; the thought drove a guilty stake straight into Link's heart.
"Dang. I really wish I'd known…"
"Hey, it's not your fault you never talked to her before, right? She didn't know you don't have a voice, so even if you tried, she wouldn't have been able to hear you."
"I guess."
Link gently scooped Navi up in his hands.
"Still, she must've been lonely."
"I just got done saying she had all the fairies and Korok, didn't I? It's not like she was totally abandoned, but if you feel that badly about it, then you can make up for lost time by talking to her now as much as possible. By the way, what happened to your hand?"
"I got into a fight with one of the soldiers here and dislocated my shoulder."
"If your shoulder's hurt, why do you have your hand wrapped up?"
She pointed at the wrappings around his left hand.
"Oh, that's something else. That's where I-"
"…What? That's where you what?"
'Saw those three triangles,' was what Link nearly thought, but stopped himself just in time. Even after he'd first seen them, he still felt an utter desire to protect the mark on his hand. To explain exactly what they were would be more trouble than it was worth.
"…Um, never mind."
"Fine. So where are we going?"
"In there. We can get you cleaned up, and maybe get some food, too."
"All righty. Let's go!"
Link cradled Navi in his hand as he made his way back to the tavern. He placed his hand on the door handle and pulled it open, only to run headlong into the person on the other side.
"Oof!"
"Ack!" Navi squeaked as she was smothered between Link and the other person. "Hey you! Watch where you're…going…"
Her voice trailed off as she and Link both found themselves staring straight into a pair of burning red eyes, which stared back without the slightest hesitation. Link gulped.
"I thank you for your hospitality," the figure replied, turning back to call to Telma.
"No problem, Adelz."
Adelz walked swiftly out of the bar, but not before giving Link one more intense glance. He and Navi watched as Adelz made zis way back to the alley.
"Geez," Navi whispered. "That guy was scary."
"Hey kid!"
Link turned back to the bar. Ashei was waving from her seat.
"Come sit with us!"
"Ashei," Shad grumbled. "Don't!"
"Come on!" she called. "Have a drink! The New Year's almost here!"
"What the-" Navi interrupted. "Where did he go?!"
Link looked back out of the bar and saw no trace of the shadowy figure.
"How did he get away so fast?"
"Hurry up!" Ashei called. "Don't be shy!"
"Ashei, please." Shad ground his fist into his forehead.
"You shut up, won't ya?! I'll talk to whoever I wanna! Besides, I won't say nothin'."
"Link," Navi whispered. "You can't seriously wanna sit with those guys."
"If we do, I might be able to get some food for you."
"Good idea," she whimpered, her tummy growling. Link made his way to the table where Ashei, Auru, and Shad sat, keeping Navi hidden in his hands.
"Have a seat!"Ashei welcomed him and yanked a chair out of the table with her foot, so Link sat.
"What you got there in your hands, son?" Auru asked gruffly.
"Hey you," Telma chuckled. "Leave the boy to his secrets."
"It's all right," Navi said, peaking her head out between Link's fingers. "I'm no secret."
"Whoa!" Shad jumped from his seat.
"It's a fairy!" Ashei cried, immediately leaning forward to get a closer look.
"Well aren't you a cutie?" Telma knelt down toward her.
"Hey! Don't make fun of me! I can put up a pretty decent fight!"
At her retort, the whole table laughed.
"She's feisty, too. I like her."
"She's also filthy," Shad noted as he pushed his glasses up. "If you don't mind me saying."
"Yes I am," Navi pouted. "Is there a place I can go to get washed?"
"There's a sink behind the counter over there," Telma pointed. "Help yourself."
Link carried Navi away from the table to the sink behind the counter. When he turned on its faucets, Navi gave a little shriek.
"What is that?!"
"Um, it's a sink. You can use it to wash up in."
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow at Link. She edged her foot into the sink, yanked it back from the feel of the magically appearing water, then jumped in, dancing and laughing.
"Yay! It's like a waterfall just for me!"
Suddenly, the tavern door slammed open.
"Telma!" a familiar voice called. "Get me and my boys some liquor, on the rocks!"
"Bar's closed," Telma barked angrily. "And you and your boys ain't welcome here, Wallace!"
"Oh no. Not him!"
"What's wrong, Link?" Navi asked, hearing his apprehensive thought.
"That's the guy who dislocated my shoulder."
"Not good. Maybe he won't see us."
"Just keep quiet."
Link did his best to make himself as small as possible while Wallace and four other knights barged into the tavern, taking seats at a neighboring table.
"I ain't in the mood tonight, bitch. You'll serve me if you know what's good for you."
"And you'll get the hell out if you know what's good for you!"
"Just give us our drinks, lady," one of the other soldiers whined. "We didn't come here to make trouble. We just need a place to vent for a while."
"I don't give a damn why you're here! I refuse to give perfectly good food and drink to a bunch a' corrupted knights like you! We don't serve your kind here!"
"Telma, you'd better watch yourself," Wallace growled. "It'd be a shame if somethin' bad should happen to this fine establishment of yours."
"Back off!" Ashei rose from her seat. "She's the owner and she can serve whomever she damn well pleases! So why don't you do us all a favor an' leave?"
"Last time I checked, I didn't take orders from a Horon whore like you."
Shad had to use all his strength to hold Ashei back from killing him.
"WHY YOU BASTARD!" She screamed as she fought and clawed in Shad's arms. "I'LL MURDER YOU!"
"Ashei, stop!" Shad pleaded. "People upstairs are trying to sleep."
Wallace and the soldiers laughed at her reaction.
"Ya see that? She threatened to commit murder. Maybe we should go and report her."
Auru's voice interrupted abruptly.
"Telma, give the men their drinks."
"Auru, I appreciate your input almost all the time, but this ain't one a' those times. I refuse to-"
"Telma," he repeated. "Give the men their drinks."
"Do what the man says," another soldier smirked, but he was silenced when Auru set his hard gaze after him.
"…Fine."
Telma made no effort to hide her anger. Her feet thudded as she moved to the counter, where she grabbed glasses out of a cupboard and nearly broke them when she slammed them on the bar.
"One side, sweety," she said roughly to Link as she brushed him out of her way. He managed to duck away before getting trampled.
"Hey!" Wallace suddenly demanded.
"Oh no!"
"You're the little shit who gave us all this trouble in the first place! It's your fault we have extra duty during the holiday!"
"Crap!"
Link turned uneasily to face the puffed-up soldier, whose face had turned red in rage.
"Wait a second," Ashei interrupted. "You know him?"
"We whipped his ass just a few hours ago," a nameless soldier replied. "But then he ran crying to Raven and ratted us out."
"Why you- Liar!"
"There ain't no Raven to bail you out this time, you snot."
Wallace stood from the table, and the others followed suit.
"I say we finish what we started at the gate entrance."
"You sit your ass back in that chair!" Telma screamed. "Make one move toward him and I'll have you thrown out faster than you can believe!"
"Oh yeah?" One of the soldiers laughed. "You and what army?"
"That would be us."
The soldier turned around and saw himself standing face to face with Auru, who'd gotten out of his seat and was now looming over him. He stared angrily at the soldier, and cracked the knuckles of his callused and muscular hands. Ashei drew her sword and perched the dull end of the blade against the back of her neck, while resting her other hand on her hip.
"You wanna start somethin', little boy?" She said menacingly. "We'll see how well that turns out for you."
"You know what? Forget it," Wallace said, spitting on the floor. "I ain't drinkin' anything that snot-nosed brat's been near. This garbage dump can burn in hell, for all I care!"
He stomped toward the tavern entrance, and his goons followed after.
"You better not go anywhere by yourself, kid! Cause if you do, you'll go away with more than just a messed up shoulder!"
With that, Wallace slammed the door so hard the windows rattled. The noise made Link wince.
"Thank goodness they're gone," Shad sighed, slumping back down in his chair.
"Good riddance!" Navi jumped out of the sink. "I was just about to teach them a lesson!"
"Since your up, Telma," Ashei asked, "Would you mind getting us a few more drinks?"
"Ashei, for crying out loud!" Shad threw his arms in the air. "You have the sense of timing of a tree stump!"
"It's all right, Shad. I'd much rather bring you guys drinks any day."
She turned to Link and patted him on the shoulder.
"Sorry you had to deal with that, hon."
She stopped when she noticed him glaring furiously at no one.
"Telma?" Navi asked. "Is it okay if I have some food, too? I don't need much. A few crumbs here and there will fill me up."
"Sweetheart," Telma began as she filled the glasses. "You can have all the food you want. Go ahead an' sit at the table with the others."
"Yay!"
Link scooped her up in his hand and sat back at the table. He dumped her onto the tabled and cupped his chin in both hands.
"Hey!" Navi cried as she flopped down. "Be more careful, would you? My wings are still wet."
"Man!" Ashei rubbed her forehead. "What a night. Is this your first time in the city, kid?"
Link nodded.
"That sucks. Your first visit is supposed to be a dream come true, and here you are in a nightmare."
He nodded again.
"You don't talk much, do you?"
"He can't," Navi butted in. "He lost his voice when he was just a kid."
"Really? Geez, that's gotta suck!"
"That's right," Telma said from the other side of the room. "Talon said something like that earlier, and Rusl did, too."
Link whirled around to face Telma, and she answered the question she knew he would ask if he could.
"That's right," she said. "I know Rusl."
"We all do. He's one of us. I'm Ashei, by the way. You already know Telma, of course."
"Auru," the miner said gruffly.
"And the wise guy sitting over there is Shad."
"Can't I even introduce myself?"
"I'm Navi and that's Link, but you already know him. Who's this Rusl guy you mentioned?"
"He's a blacksmith in Ordon Village. I'll tell you later."
"Hmph," Navi grumbled, but she stopped when Telma came to the table carrying a cup of milk and a piece of bread, both several times larger than she was.
"Is THAT for ME?! It's so big!"
"It's all for you, hon."
"I can't eat all this! It's too much! What's that stuff on top?"
"It's jelly. Try it."
Link tore a piece of the bread small enough for Navi to hold in her tiny hands.
"Eww! You guys eat Chuchu jelly?! Gross!"
"It's not Chuchu jelly. See for yourself."
Navi glared at Link as she took a doubtful bite into the crumb. Her face lit up at the taste.
"It tastes like strawberries!" She cried in delight as she dove in.
"So, Link," Shad interrupted. "Rusl's mentioned you once or twice before. He thinks pretty highly of you."
"Yeah," Ashei leaned closely next to Link. "He said you once saved his village from thieves, all by yourself, when you were just a kid! Is that true?"
"Really?" Navi looked up from her meal. A layer of strawberry jelly covered her face.
"That's so cool, Link!"
"Assuming it's true," Auru folded his arms. "Forgive me if I take that story with a grain of salt."
"Oh psh! Don't mind him," Ashei pointed to Auru. "The old man's a grump, but he's as lovable as the rest of us. Rusl's not a liar anyway, so I know it's true. I don't know what you did to make that ass Wallace so mad at you, but as far as I'm concerned, the enemy of my enemy is my friend!"
"Hear hear!" Telma cheered as she came back to the table, carrying five glasses on a platter and passing one out to each of them, including Link and herself.
"One for you too, Link," she said. "If you can stand up to Wallace, then that makes you old enough to drink!"
"Thanks, but I don't deserve it."
"Link said he doesn't deserve it," Navi answered after she chewed and swallowed a large chunk of bread.
"Nonsense, boy!" Telma laughed. "I could tell from the moment I laid eyes on you, you're one of a kind! Drink up."
Link stared shamefully at the cup in his hands.
"What's the matter, kid?" Ashei managed to say after chugging down her mug. "Never had a drink before?"
"Can't blame him, I guess," Telma thought. "His own dad drinks so much, he probably wouldn't want to himself."
"It's not that," Navi answered for Link. "He just says he's done nothing to deserve your praise. What a whiner."
Link twitched his eyes toward Navi, looking rather irritated.
"What makes you say that?" Shad asked, swirling the alcohol in his glass.
"He says he didn't really stand up to that guy. When he was coming into the city, Wallace was being a big fat meanie to a woman and her little girl, who just needed a place to stay for the night, so he walked over to him and tried to punch him. But before he knew what was happening the other guys were beating him up, instead. Sounds like a real jerk if you ask me."
With her retelling of Link's story complete, Navi finished off her bread crumb and went to work climbing up the glass of milk.
"Good grief!" Telma laughed. "You even think like a man!"
"Huh?"
"It doesn't sound like you failed to me. So what if ya got beaten up for it? You still got done what you aimed to do."
"But I didn't do anything. I just got the crap beaten out of me. I failed."
Navi answered his statement aloud, and Ashei replied, "That's bull crap, you hear?!" She yelled so loudly that Link jumped in his seat.
"If you think that going out of your way to stand up for someone who can't help themselves is a failure, then you're not the kid Rusl's always talkin' about!"
"Hey, cut him some slack," Shad responded. "At least the kid is humble. And honest, too."
"That's true," Telma laughed. "It's hard enough to find a good, brave man in this city."
"And even harder to find one who won't show off about it," Ashei finished Telma's thought. "Here I thought there wasn't a single good man left in Hyrule."
"That's cause he isn't," Telma answered back. "He's from Ordona!"
Poor Link sat and blushed deeper and deeper as he listened to Telma and Ashei go on about him.
"Look!" Ashei cried, tears running from her laughing eyes. "He's so red!"
At this statement, Link's face turned even more into a tomato.
"Ashei, you're drunk!" Shad yelled.
"So are you!" She yelled back, her words slightly slurred.
Telma and Ashei laughed so loudly and heartily that Link wondered whether the people upstairs would wake up.
"Ladies, please!" Shad pleaded with them. "Not you too, Telma! People are trying to sleep!"
"Sweetheart, there ain't no one upstairs!" Telma guffawed. "No one but Talon and his kids are here tonight, and one of them is here havin' a good time with us."
Link felt something rub against his leg, and he looked down. A large white cat smoothed her tail against his calf, then stared up at him with big turquoise eyes as she sat at his feet.
"See?" Telma laughed. "Even Louise likes him, and she doesn't like anybody!"
Link moved his hands out of the way as Louise jumped up into his lap. She kneaded his knees as she made herself comfortable, then laid her head down onto her paws.
"Looks like you've got a way with animals, son," Auru smiled.
Link scratched Louise behind her ears, and she purred noisily.
"He lives on a ranch," Navi answered out loud. She was now swimming through the milk, drinking as she went.
"He doesn't like cuccos though, and they don't like him much, either."
"Do tell."
"That cat's got the right idea," Shad yawned. "I'm getting a little tired myself."
"Let's finish these last drinks, and then ya'll can go home," Telma raised her glass.
"Aw, but it's still early!" Ashei stated. "Let's not go just yet! I wanted to tell Link who we are."
"Ashei, don't!" Shad protested.
"You're not the boss of me! I've got just as much say in who we tell, yeah? Listen, Link. We're not just some random party here in the city having a good time. We were meeting with that person you just saw walk out of the bar a moment ago."
"You mean that ninja person earlier?" Navi asked with a mouth stuffed full of bread. "How come?"
"Ha, Ninja person! That's a rather fitting title. I'll be sure to let her know you called her that."
"That dude was a girl?!" Navi shrieked, sharing the same reaction with Link.
"As if we knew," Auru said gruffly. "The boy, or girl, whomever they are, refuses to make himself known to us. But as far as you're concerned, he's a man, got that?"
"What for?"
"Because Adelz―that's one of the names he goes by―would prefer his identity be kept secret, if you catch my drift," Shad explained. "Not everyone here in the city agrees with what we're doing."
"Why not?"
"We're the Resistance, Link," Telma went on. "We don't like the way things are going in the kingdom right now. We've got so many corrupted knights going around, doing whatever they please with almost no supervision from higher-ups. You saw for yourself how Wallace acts when he's not being watched."
"It makes me mad just thinking about him."
"Exactly, and some of the politicians we have running the government are just as bad. Most of them are spending tax payers' money every chance they get on whatever they want, and they're working hard to keep the corrupted knights in control because it keeps them in control too. They're the ones who instated most of those knights in the first place."
"What do you mean?"
"Take Wallace for example. We've got access to pretty much every record of every single Royal Knight here in the city, but something very strange has happened these last several years."
"Ashei, don't tell him everything, geez!"
"Shut up! We gotta tell somebody, don't we?"
"Tell me what?"
"We've got brand new records popping up," Auru announced.
"And not just new recruits, either," Ashei continued. "We've found literally thousands of records in the Royal Knights' archives that have come out of nowhere, of people we've never seen or heard of before. And for every record that's shown up, there's been a knight to match. It's put the real Royal Knights, and the Royal Family on edge."
"But how is that a bad thing?"
"It's a bad thing," Auru explained, "Because the Royal Knights aren't allowed to instate just anyone they want into their ranks. By law, they're required to run thorough background checks on every civilian or individual who applies for membership into the military."
"Are you saying that the Royal Knights have done away with that law? Are they really that corrupt?"
"Link, we've got no problems with the army itself. Some of its Knights are good-natured and good-hearted people. You met Sir Raven, right? He can be pretty stern, but he's probably the kindest person you'll ever meet."
"It's those bastards who think they can do whatever they want just cause they're Knights that I got a problem with!"
Ashei stood from her chair and smashed her fist onto the table. The banging sent Louise scurrying from Link's lap.
"Besides," Shad rubbed his forehead. "You can't run background checks on people that don't exist."
"What?!"
"The Knights whose records showed up suddenly in the archives; when we say they came out of nowhere, we really mean they appeared out of nowhere; out of thin air."
"And here I thought you weren't gonna say anything, Shad," Ashei smirked.
"If we're gonna tell him everything, then we might as well just get it out there."
"What do you mean they showed up out of nowhere?"
"We mean just that: men from far and wide have suddenly appeared as part of the ranks of the Royal Army, each one claiming relatively ordinary backgrounds; one might be from Labrynna, another might hail from Lanayru, and that one over there might be from Papuchia Island for all we know, but every single one of these guys hasn't a bit of background information for us to check. No birthing documents, no parents, nothing."
"I don't have any of those things either. Wouldn't that make me just as suspicious?"
"You have witnesses who can attest to your origins, Link. Talon's your legal guardian and Malon's your foster sister. And from what Rusl's told us, everyone in Ordon Village knows who you are."
"I guess that makes sense."
"With these guys, it's different. Many officials have had to physically go to the places where these men claim to come from, only to come home empty-handed because no one in that village or city has even heard of any of these guys before. They've literally appeared out of nowhere."
"I guess I still don't get it. How is all this a bad thing?"
"Do I have ta spell it out for ya?!" Ashei yelled urgently. "These guys, whoever they are, lied to us and the people of Hyrule about where they came from! If they can lie about that-"
"Who knows what else they're lying about," Navi realized. She had climbed out of the milk and gone to work on another crumb of bread, but her eating slowed to a halt as she listened to the grave information.
"Including their so-called allegiance to the kingdom."
"So this is what the Great Deku Tree meant," Navi thought to herself.
"Get it now, kid?" Ashei demanded. "We've got people running left and right all claiming to be Royal Knights, and no one can tell the difference! None of the citizens can trust them, because even the ones that are legit are too busy lining their pockets with rupees, and generally being bastards to their own countrymen! And we don't even know how to react to the ones that have no records!"
"Okay, now I get it. Is Wallace one of those guys?"
"Yes, he is. He was one of the first ones to show up about seven years ago. He claims to be a peasant from Whittleton Village in the Faron Province, but just like all the others, no one's ever heard of him before."
"He's a liar and a sexist!" Ashei said brutally. "And he's racist too! If you're not a human or Hylian man, then as far as he's concerned you're worthless!"
"Can't they just run investigations on the soldiers that have no information?"
"What information would they investigate?"
"There's gotta be something to find on these guys! They can't really be showing up out of nowhere."
"That's another problem, I'm afraid. The only other way to find out anything else about these guys is through illegal means of search and seizure. It's against the law in Hyrule to conduct searches on individuals, civilian or otherwise, without their consent or the consent of a relative, or without reasonable means, such as during a criminal investigation. None of these men have done anything criminally wrong, at least not yet, and not a single one of them has a relative who can give consent."
"So these guys are using a loophole in the law to get in the army, and no one can stop them?"
"More or less. And what's worse, even if we could file criminal charges against these soldiers, the only group that has the jurisdiction to investigate the Royal Knights, are the Royal Knights themselves."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that if they wanted to, the Royal Knights could just send in other knights with no backgrounds against those under investigation, so that they can claim complete innocence."
"I think I'm starting to get it. So the army is so split up between the corrupt knights, the unknown knights, and the good knights, that no one knows what to think of them anymore?"
"It's much worse than that, Link. Since the army is so factioned off, we as a nation have almost no protection from our enemies. Now would be the perfect time for any other country to attack us, and it's also a great setup for another civil war like the one we had not too long ago. For all we know, the unknown soldiers were put there to act as spies. If a war were to start up right now, we'd probably have massacres going on like those that happened sixteen years ago, and there'd be no one to stop them."
"But aren't we at war now?"
Shad, who'd just begun drinking down some of his liquor, did a spit take.
"What?!"
"Link, where in the world did you hear that?!"
"Um…"
The whole table was staring at him.
"I-I-uh…right before we left for Hyrule City yesterday! Someone from the army came to our ranch and officially announced that we were at war with the Gerudo. I-I-I didn't think that…"
"Of course. There was no way you could've known," Auru rubbed the stubble on his chin and appeared to be thinking hard about something.
"Link, things aren't looking good for the country, but we're certainly not at war with anyone."
"Don't tell me-"
"You were lied to, and from what you just said, it was most likely by one of the corrupt soldiers."
"Did he say who he was or what he was doing?"
"His name was Rio and he was a crier for the Royal army, going door to door to announce the war."
"Why would they be spreading rumors about a war?"
"Are they trying to get a rift out of the citizens for kicks?"
"Let's hope that's all they're doing."
"That's an awfully cruel way to rile the people up. War's not a joke, it's a serious matter!"
"But why the Gerudo?"
"Political relations with them have always been a little tight. Granted, we haven't had any issues with them for over twenty years, but it makes sense that they would pick someone we've been at war with before."
"Now hold your horses, people," Auru interrupted. "Let's not go making allocations just yet. How do we even know there's a connection with this false declaration of war and these unknown soldiers?"
"Who else would it be?!" Ashei argued. "This is exactly the kind of thing those guys would do!"
"Perhaps it is merely one soldier pranking some innocent families?"
"What kind of crier for the army would go across the province just to prank a couple of ranches?"
"Who said he went across the province? Link, after he visited you, did you see where he went?"
"No, but there isn't another ranch for miles from ours."
"You see? Who knows if the crier even visited anyone else besides Link and his family."
"Well then, why Link? What's so special about him that made the crier prank him?"
"Maybe Link's ranch just happened to be the closest. People don't need a reason to pull a joke on someone."
"War isn't a joke! If Link or Malon or Talon had gone and told someone what they'd heard, rumors of war would be spreading faster than anyone could stop them!"
"I never said it was a good joke."
"Even if what you say is true, Auru, this incident only stands to prove our point. Whether it's a ragtag soldier pulling pranks, or a group of corrupted knights pulling legs, the army needs some serious reorganization. We've got to do something about those Knights before a war really does happen!"
"The Hero!" Navi cried.
"Excuse me?" Shad raised his eyebrow.
"The Great Deku Tree sent me from the forest here to the city, because he sensed evil forces in the kingdom, so he wanted me to find the Hero of Time! If anybody can fix this mess, he can!"
"I want to find him, too."
The expressions on the others' faces quickly changed to tense dread. They looked back and forth from one another to Link.
"What's the matter?" Navi asked. "Louise got your tongue?"
Shad laughing nervously at her quip, but Ashei elbowed him in the stomach.
"Navi, sweety," Telma began. "It's not the Hero's job to restructure an army, and he's not someone we can call for help whenever we want."
"But the Great Deku Tree told me that he's here in the city! I have to find him and bring him back to the forest!"
"Even if we can't ask anything of him, it'd be nice to know where he is so that if anything bad happens, we'll still be okay!"
"Son," Auru began. "No one knows where the Hero is, and that's the way it's supposed to be. He will never appear before the people of Hyrule until he is needed. No one's seen him for centuries, and let's hope it stays that way."
"But he-"
Before she finished Link's thought out loud, Navi twirled around and jumped once more to grab his shirt collar.
"You saw him?! Why didn't you tell me before?"
"You've seen the Hero of Time?" Shad raised an eyebrow. "This outta be interesting."
"It's true! He saved my life!"
"Oh really? When?"
"Rusl told you that I was the one who saved the village, but that's not entirely true. I was trying to get rid of the thieves when they got the better of me, and they were about to kill me when he showed up and stopped them."
"He being the Hero, I assume?"
"Yeah. I don't know what he did or how he did it. It's all a blur, but somehow he stopped the thieves before they could kill me, and then he saved my life. I know he's out there, and I have to find him!"
"Son, did you see the Hero save you at any point?"
"Well… no. I couldn't see his face, and I can barely remember."
"Then how do you know it was the Hero who saved your life?"
"I don't know, I really don't. But I can feel it; it must've been him! I want to find him, and thank him…"
The others sat staring awkwardly back and forth between one another and Link. It was a long time before Shad finally spoke up.
"Well," he sighed. "Since you just got in, you haven't had a chance to check out the city, right?"
Link shook his head.
"If I were you, I'd pay a visit to the Temple of Time tomorrow. The whole place is practically dedicated to the Legend of the Hero, so you're bound to find out more about him there."
"I keep tellin' you!" Telma interrupted. "The Hero ain't just a legend! Why, my 6th great-grandmother, whom I'm named for, helped played a role in the legend right here in this very bar! There's some real history in this place, and it's all because ah that boy!"
"We know…" Ashei muttered. "You won't stop harping on about it."
"You'd better go as early as you can," Shad went on. "Because the Temple gets pretty busy this time of year."
"Does that mean you guys believe he's real?" Navi asked.
"Of course I do!" Telma cried. "Ever since I was a wee girl, it's been my dream to meet the Hero, and give him a hand just like my great-grandma did all those years ago."
"You'd better hope that dream never comes true, Telma," Auru growled. "Because if any of us should ever actually meet the Hero of Time, it means Hyrule is in much more grave danger than we thought."
"I hate to admit it, but he's right," Shad thought outloud. "To get the chance to meet such an idol wouldn't be worth the risk of my home, or the people I care about."
"In any case, you heard what the man said: you wanna find out more about the Hero of Time, go visit that Temple, then come pay me a visit and I'll tell you all you'll ever need ta hear!"
"Don't do it…" Ashei whispered in Link's ear. "If you do, she'll talk you ta death."
"Maybe it'll be a good thing to find out where this guy is, or at least for Link to find out more about him. If the Great Deku Tree thinks The Hero's around, then we might as well take advantage of this situation. At the very least, it'll be an educational experience for you, no?"
"Anyways, tomorrow morning, go visit the Temple of Time, and get their as early as you can."
"All right."
"I think I'm ready for bed," Telma yawned. "I gotta get up early tomorrow morning to open the bar."
"I'm tired, too," Navi sighed. "Flying four days straight, too tired to think…"
Link scooped up a pooped Navi in his hand and made his way to the stairs.
"Headin' off, are ya? Good night, then."
"Good night."
"Good night…" Navi mumbled sleepily.
Link waved as he headed back upstairs. As soon as he was out of hearing distance, the others slumped back in their chairs.
"Thank goodness!" Telma groaned. "I was sure he'd heard us talkin' earlier. 'Bout scared me witless!"
"Now that he's gone, I can finally relax," Shad wiped the sweat from his eyebrows. "That kid sure is clueless. He doesn't even know what kind of effect he has on people."
"You idiots."
Telma and Shad looked up at Auru's sudden statement.
"…You're probably right," Shad sighed. "What are the odds, anyway?"
"I don't care if I'm an idiot. If that kid ain't the Hero of Time, then by golly I'll sell this bar and go into show business!"
"Ashei, why did you invite him over here in the first place?"
"I guess I was kinda hopin' that if it turns out he really is the Hero of Time, if we got him on our side, then maybe he'd be willin' to help the cause, yeah? Guess I got a little sidetracked."
"Yet he thinks he's met the Hero. What'll happen if he really is the Hero?"
"We'll just have to wait and find out, won't we?"
"Shouldn't we let Rusl and Princess Zelda know that someone's threatening to start a war?"
"I'll take care of Princess Zelda if Telma tells Rusl."
"I'm not doing anything tonight. I'm going to bed."
"Link?" Navi murmured, half asleep.
"Hmm?"
"Is that why you agreed to help me find the Hero of Time?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said he saved your life and that you wanted to thank him. Is that why you decided to help me?"
"…Okay, you got me."
Link tiptoed up the stairs and down the hallway of the second floor. Navi stared up at Link from his hand. Even though the hallway was dimly lit and they could barely see three feet in front of them, she could clearly Link's blue eyes piercing through the darkness.
"…What?"
"Nothing. I think I can fly now, so you can let me go."
Navi jumped out of Link's hand and hovered slowly behind him.
"I thought the Great Deku Tree said you weren't supposed to tell anyone that you were looking for the Hero of Time."
"He said not to tell anybody that I don't trust, and this city is so big. If we're gonna have any hope of finding the Hero of Time, we need information, and they seemed to know a lot about this place."
"I hope they were right about the Temple. We can go there tomorrow and see what there is. I was gonna go there anyways, so I can kill two birds with one stone."
"How come you were gonna go there?"
"I'll tell you tomorrow. I'm getting tired."
"You know, it's really annoying that you can't talk! I had to do all the talking with those people downstairs while you sat and relaxed."
"Thanks for doing that. It's nice to know I can convey my thoughts for the first time in so long."
"…You're welcome."
Navi blushed, but Link didn't see.
"By the way, you said your shoulder was injured, right? Let me take a whack at it."
"What?"
Before Link took another step, Navi buzzed in circles around his chest and up to his head.
"Wha- what did you do?"
"You should be fine now. Since I'm a fairy, I can heal you whenever you get hurt. Just don't expect me to heal anything major, because I'll use all my energy and die if I do."
Link shifted his shoulder in place, and felt neither soreness nor pain.
"Wow, that feels good! You're nice to have around."
Navi's blue hue turned red. Link came to his room and quietly pushed the door open.
"This is where we sleep."
"Who are those people in those beds?" Navi whispered.
"The one over there is my sister, Malon, and the one over there is the man who adopted me, Talon."
"But if they're in the beds, where are we supposed to- oh you can't be serious," Navi groaned when she saw the blanket on the ground.
"It's actually not that bad. I don't mind sleeping on the ground. It's kinda nice."
"I guess I don't care where I sleep at this point, because if I don't sleep soon, I'm going to fall asleep in the air."
Link tiptoed to his blanket on the ground and crawled underneath, lying on his back. Navi drifted behind behind him, and as soon as he lied down, she lied down on his chest.
"I hope you don't mind."
"Nah, go ahead. I don't think I'm going to get much sleep tonight."
"Why not?"
"I've been given so much to think about: you, Saria, the Hero, the Temple of Time, and what those guys said about the Royal Knights. It's a lot to absorb."
"Don't spend all night thinking about it. We gotta get up early tomorrow so we can get to the Temple."
Navi grabbed Link's hand and used it as her own blanket.
"Good night, Link."
"Good night, Navi."
"Link?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm… I'm glad I met you."
"Yeah… me too."