"We've set up a temporary camp in the valley. We'll see to your hand there."
"It's really fine, Arvid," Zelda replied. "The bleeding has stopped and aside from a couple bruises, I truly am all right."
Stepping down from the last of the snowy mound that had been the avalanche that should've killed her, the woman released her knight's arm and offered him another appreciative smile. Night had fallen a few hours ago, but that had not daunted her committed comrades from digging her out. Torches cast the area on the warm glow of oranges and yellows, but the harsh shadows only made the exhaustion in their faces more apparent. Guilt spilled into Zelda's features, but she tried to maintain her smile as much as she could.
"You truly gave us a scare, my lady!" Simin exclaimed, relief still making his eyes sparkle. "Thank the gods that you are safe and sound once more."
"Indeed," Faris replied in his low, gruff voice, setting his hand upon his queen's shoulder.
Looking up at her loyal knight to reply, Zelda saw his glance downwards towards Link, who had not left her side since she had been rescued; however, the wolf had almost made a point to not touch the queen's leg or hand at all. Not only this, but the wolf had his muzzle downturned towards the ground and his ears were flattened. He looked so broken and sad, like a puppy that had just been yelled at for breaking a vase. She really wanted to drop to her knees and hug him tightly and tell him that it wasn't his fault. Knil's words still spun around in her mind, some more fantastical than others, whispering assurances that they were the truth, and... she was just so confused and tired. She knew that she needed to sit down and seriously think about everything that had just happened, but she also wanted to comfort Link.
Zelda had known him for nearly six years now, she knew that he blamed himself for everything. Once more, Knil's angered words filled her memory, of the black knight's incredulous, rhetorical questions as to what exactly Link had been planning to do to save Zelda. While Zelda had not commented on the fact at the time, it had dawned on her, especially now that she saw Link, that… Knil had a point. What could Link have done to save her? Would he have transformed into his true self to save her in a similar manner like Knil had? Would he have spirited her away to the Underlayer? Or the Ghostly Ether? Did he have the power as a spirit to deflect the brutal weight and elemental force that had been the avalanche?
She knew that Link knew that she had just spent the last few hours alone with Dark Link and that he worried what his dark twin had done or said to her. Then again, he probably could hear them through the snow with his superior hearing. Maybe...
But now was not the time to worry about what might have happened.
While the twins, Simin, and Balin began to gather up the rope and torches, Ashei, Vahlymor, Arvid, Link, and Faris began to escort Zelda down the mountain path towards their camp and mounts. With Zelda's mind reeling as it was, she didn't feel the aches and exhaustion in her body. She wasn't sure if she'd pass out as soon as she settled down or end up staring at the top of her tent until daybreak, thinking. There was just too much to digest.
What she really needed was to sit down and talk to Link. He knew more about Dark Link and what his words implied and meant than her, considering that they shared a history.
Making it a few more steps down the path, approaching to where it began to descend towards the valley before, all of them paused suddenly when a voice cut through the air.
"Hello, you useless sonofabitches!"
Everyone spun around toface the origins of the smug, sing-song voice that called through the chilly night air.
The voice was quickly echoed by the sound of several swords leaving their sheaths, bows being nocked with arrows, and Link spun on his paws to roll out waves of menacing growls, ready to attack in an instant. Caught off guard, Crevan fell back onto the avalanche's snow out of pure shock at the sudden appearance of the dark figure nigh a few feet from him, whose eyes shone like burning embers against the night sky. Todd, also very much caught off guard and distracted by the fall of his brother, tripped over the rope he'd been carrying and tumbled down the side of the snow mound.
Simin and Balin, however, revealed their training as true seasoned warriors, for Simin raised his axe defensively and Balin already had his crossbow at the ready and aimed at Dark Link's head. All four Noruidian men backed away from Dark Link, who now stood upon the snow Zelda's rescuers had piled up as they had dug their way down to her. The torches below him only half illuminated his face and the orange light with the red of his eyes and the dark of the night painted an intimidating and impressive visage, though his malicious, smug smile promised his dangerous intentions.
Dark Link stood there, hands on his hips, his shit-eating grin gleaming white against the pale grey of his skin, the dark of his clothes, the orange of the flames, and the red of his eyes. He looked solid, undaunted, and absolutely lacking any trace or sign of the exertion he showed to Zelda in his continued efforts to ensure her safety. Had he been bluffing? Putting on a show to coax her to talk and be more comfortable with him? Or was this the show?
Zelda didn't have time to think of all of the possibilities before Faris stepped his large size in front of her, while both Vahl and Arvid motioned their arms defensively in front of her, motioning for her to step back, while Ashei protected her queen's back having already drawn her rapier and dagger.
But even Faris' large size could not drown out the dark knight's voice.
"As much as I'd love to stand here and belittle all you idiots for being so fucking incompetence-"
"Be silent, demon!" Simin ordered, and a small gesture from the man was all Balin needed to shoot a dart at his target.
Dark Link simply sidestepped the shot like it was nothing, even shaking his head slightly and giving them all a small "tsk tsk" sound. The villain did shoot Balin a quick glare that said something along the lines of "do you want to die?" before kicking a piece of snow and ice directly at Simin's face, forcing the Noruidian to duck away. With everyone even more on edge, the dark entity held up his hands in apparent innocence or surrender before continuing.
"As I was saying… my gripes are not with you fools."
"What do you want, beast?" Faris roared out, the veteran, one-armed knight not intimidated in the slightest from this Link-wannabe.
Zelda gently pushed aside Vahl to stand near him and for her to be able to look around Sir Faris and up at Dark Link: his image was much more… imposing and powerful than the truthful, genuine being she'd just finished conversing with mere minutes ago.
Knil, however, was not looking at her.
No… his focus was on one thing, and one thing only.
"No, no, no! You see… I have a bone to pick with this worthless beast that claims to be protecting the queen that dares bare its fangs up at me! The rest of you can fuck right off, though not you Zelda, of course, please excuse me."
Dark Link's dark proclamation was more growled than spoken and he raised his hand to point directly at the ferociously growling wolf who stood before Faris, teeth bared, hackles up, and its blue eyes flashing dangerously.
"You… You dare to call yourself her protector!? Her guardian!? You fucking, useless, irresponsible do-"
Cutting himself off abruptly by bringing his hand to his mouth, Dark Link's eyes brightening to match the spiritual wolf's rising power, the entity briefly glancing up and met Zelda's slightly pleading look. However, the moment lasted only that, a moment, for Prince Vahlymor shifted aside to block the queen once more from Dark Link's view. The prince met the evil being's glare with an even, unflinching, and unafraid look of his own: daring him to take a step closer to Zelda.
However, this only caused the dark being to chuckle. There was no mirth in his laughter, which quickly escalated to an almost maniacal, ghastly cackle: all the while in Link's recognizable voice. As quickly as it began, Dark Link stopped laughing and dropped his chin to glare viciously at the wolf before him on the rocky mountain road. He still pointed down at the beast, though his hand had slowly begun to melt into the long, blade, slick blade that not-that-long-ago had been impaled into his counterpart's very gut.
"Oh! Oh! And that's the best part! You hold your so-called duty so highly, that your very existence is an insult to our millennia-old tradition! You! You, who have broken the bloodline! Freezing it with your spiritual heroics when you were better off dead! Trust me… it would have been easier for everyone if you had just! Stayed! Dead! But, no! No you couldn't just fuck right off to the Spirit Realm, you and the fucking Fairy Boy! Had to be heroes even in death! And where has it all gotten you? On a fucking mountain in the middle of fucking nowhere, at the mercy of the elements, and licking the boots of a fucking foreign prince? Or-or should I say… the soon-to-be King?"
Everyone, Hyrulean and Noruidian, stared up at Dark Link with confused and cautious eyes. What was he talking about? Certainly, these were nothing but the manic ramblings of an evil, dark being on the edge of insanity, who clearly had a history with the Sacred Beast who had been sent by Hyrulean deities to protect the kingdom's queen, right?
Right? Yeah, that must be it.
Except for the fact that Hyrule's Queen, who gripped the back of her fiancé's arm, looked up at the dark knight with sadness and guilt, silently pleading for him to stop. Silently pleading... for Link not to do what he was about to do.
Her silent prayers came too late or perhaps were just ignored.
With a ferocious and vicious bark that grew into a menacing growl, the wolf leapt forward with unnatural speed and strength to attack his dark imitation from his high ground. A flash of what looked to be only amusement and satisfaction spread across Dark Link's expression before he dove forward as his entire form morphed with as much speed as Link's attack. Not one, but two, beasts collided mid-air, with fury, teeth, growls and claws, before crashing to the ground in a terrifying display of spiritual and dark magic, strength, and fur.
Growls, barks, yelps, and yowls screamed through the air as everyone quickly back-pedalled away from the tumbling and twisting huge forms of the two wolves as they fought.
"Stop it! Please!" Zelda called out, trying to rush forward in spite of herself, but was easily held back by Vahl and Faris, who pulled her back. She wasn't entirely sure why she called out, her words fell upon deaf and frankly occupied ears, but the woman found that she didn't wish to see either injured by the other. Not there, not now…
Link managed to tackle Dark Link, sending him a few feet away, the dark wolf's claws racking through the rock of the mountain itself, as he skidded to a stop. The dark beast now standing mere inches away from the edge of the path that was a sheer drop to the valley a good thirty feet down. Baring his teeth, Dark Link barked out a taunt to Link, who, enraged, lunged forward to clamp his jaws around the black wolf's neck. Claws racked at one another, growls ripped through the air.
The force of their tussle, the precariousness of their position at the edge, quickly saw that both forms, Link and Dark Link's, lose their footing and both fell over the side and vanished from view.
A lasting savage and pained howl echoed out into the darkness before dissipating completely.
"No!" Zelda called, reaching out weakly, but they were gone.
Silence once again filled the darkness of the night, save for the mountain winds and the crackle of the flames of the torches.
No more growls, no more barks… nothing.
The people gathered on the side of the path stared in shock at the edge, where beyond was nothing but darkness; the faint white outlines of the mountain range illuminated by a clouded moon were the only things to be seen from the scant light of the waxing crescent moon. No one dared to move, waiting for some sort of sign of life or the continuation of the fight from below, but only the whistle of the wind filled the air now.
"Are they gone?" Todd began, peeking out from the snow pile where he had fallen, the rope still hanging off his shoulder.
"No, or yes, or well they... umm…" Faris began, beginning to move towards the edge, where he was joined with the ever-unreadable Balin.
"They are dead," the Noruidian tracker declared bluntly.
"Very few could survive fall from this height," Simin added, coming to stand by Balin and peering over the edge, but nothing but blackness could be seen before.
"They're not dead."
Everyone turned back to look at Zelda, who hadn't moved, along with Vahl, Arvid, and Ashei who remained protectively around her. The queen, her expression once more the regal mask she was accustomed to wearing, stared distantly out into the night.
"Zelda, are you sure?" Arvid asked, his tone soft but there was doubt in his expression.
"I am positive that they are both alive," Zelda replied, bringing the Lens fo Truth closer to her chest. "They are both, after all, spiritual beings. They have simply fallen out of the view of this realm's view. There's nothing more that can be done for them."
With that, Zelda turned her back to the scene and began to walk down towards their temporary camp, Ashei at her side, and Arvid quickly following.
Vahl remained where he was as Faris passed him to follow his queen and only when Balin came to stand by the prince did the man sigh.
"What do you think it all means?" Balin asked his liege in a low voice.
Behind the two men, Simin was helping the twins gather themselves together and once again return to their duty of tidying up the ropes and torches.
"I think…" Vahl began, his expression hollow as his naval training took over his emotions, "that there are greater powers at play here that are beyond our current understanding and knowledge. We must be even more careful going forward. The queen cannot be brought to harm, that much has not changed, but we have not seen the last of the wolf – either of them for that matter, I am sure."
"Of course," Balin agreed, and the pair's cloaks ruffled around them as a chilling gale lowly howled from from the peaks passed them, down towards the valley and the Hyruleans that descended into it.
/
"A few days?"
"I'm afraid so. The snow has hardened overnight and it'll take more time to dig a path large enough for the wagon, so we might be here for a while."
"I see… Thank you for the update."
Zelda sighed and gave Arvid a nod to which he gave a nod back before walking away from the fire. The woman interlaced her fingers, her hand now properly bandaged, as she sat next to the fire. She had woken not that long ago, after everyone else had already gotten up, ate breakfast with Faris in their temporary camp shielded from most of the mountain's chilly winds of the early morning. Most of the group were up at the avalanche site, assessing how best to progress forward, while Zelda and Faris remained at the camp to watch the horses and to allow for Zelda to recover more. Arvid, having just finished delivering his report, started the long walk back up the path to help out with the snow removal.
"A bit of unlucky news," Faris admitted, stoking the fire more. "But, considering what happened last night, a few days delay is the least of our worries."
"True," Zelda admitted solemnly before reaching over to pick up the Lens of Truth, still wrapped in its dark canvas. "It's just a shame. We were making such good progress. I think, anyway."
Faris only grunted in response and regarded his queen silently from the opposite side of the fire, before side-eyeing to make sure that Arvid was well out of earshot now. Once he made sure that it was only the two of them that the large, one-armed knight spoke, though still in a lower tone.
"I know that you're worried about the wolf."
"Of course, I am," Zelda admitted, looking up at him, "but I know that he will return to us, eventually."
Faris reached up to remove his hood and smoothed his hand over his scalp, which remained shiny and smooth-bald save for the long, blond ponytail at the back. Where the knight lacked in hair, her certainly made up for with his large and impressive, blond moustache.
"Y'know, my lady, last night when the avalanche fell, we all knew that there was such a small chance of you surviving. For a few moments after, while the snow still was settling, we just all sort of stood there, in shock, and also because Ashei told us that more could fall. Surely no one could've survived it, but that didn't stop myself, Arvid, and the prince I believe from rushing forward anyways. We had to. We couldn't just give up just like that. It was about then that your wolf appeared. Once we saw the beast, we all sort of… stopped in our tracks."
"Why is that?" Zelda asked.
"Well, at first, t'was because we believed that if the wolf was there, that meant that it wasn't protecting you, which would've meant only one thing. Or so we thought."
"What changed your minds?" Zelda prompted, wondering briefly if Link revealed himself to the group somehow.
Zelda's thought immediately went to the cryptic speech of Dark Link, that, in so many words, did reveal the wolf's identity. No one had said a thing the night before about Dark Link's speech, not a word. They all just sort of retired to the tents, Arvid taking the first watch, with Ashei helping bind Zelda's hand before they both fell asleep. Zelda could only imagine what was being said now up at the avalanche with her out of earshot.
"Well…" Faris began, looking a bit uncomfortable at first, before the large man sighed, sat his hand on his knee, and stared directly into his queen's eyes. "The wolf came down, came up to me, and then just jumped up! It set its two large paws square on my chest and it stared its blue eyes into mine and… then he spoke to me."
The woman felt her heart skip a beat a bit at Faris tone and words, having a feeling where this was going, but still she asked, "And? What did he tell you?"
"That you were alive. That we had to start digging you out," Faris replied simply, though he shook his head slightly. "It takes a lot to surprise me these days, but I wasn't expecting that, to be spoken to by a Sacred Beast. I admit, I was caught off guard and it took me a moment longer than it should have to realize that that wolf's voice-" Faris paused to sigh "-was awfully familiar, my lady."
Zelda, knowing that there was no sense in trying to hide the truth or lie to her knight, gave him the respect that he deserves by nodding. "So, you know."
Sir Faris nodded.
"I have known that boy for five or so years now, so I know his voice, and I must say… hearing it so clearly in my head scared me at first. He had been so…" Faris paused once again, though now it was to think of the right word. "Intense. I could feel more than hear his fear, his urgency, his determination that you needed to be safe. Quite frankly, the entire thing brought a tear to my eye, but I was still able to round up the others and tell them that you were alive and that we needed to reach you pronto. And, lo and behold, here you are now."
The Hylian woman waited for her knight to say what he truly wished to say, even if it made her heart hurt. Especially when he finally did speak again.
"I knew that this "mission" of ours might've led to the possible resurrection of Link," Faris said, before gesturing towards the wagon. "I did not hesitate when you told Arvid and I of your plan, for my pa to make up that special wagon, for us to steal into Link's room and take his body through the secret passage so as to keep the main door locked, thus avoiding any chance of suspicion that we were takin' his body in the first place. None of that I questioned because I admit, I miss him too. He is my student, he is my leader, and he is my friend, and I know that he means a lot to you. But, what I don't understand is why you didn't tell us that that wolf that's been following us since Hyrule was Link. Is Link, and not that body stashed away."
There it was. Even though Faris kept his tone civil and didn't sound like he was accusing his queen or anything, he did seem like he was just genuinely confused as to why this was kept a secret from them, or him for that matter. He said as much with his next comment.
"I mean, please understand that I'm not questioning your decision or anything. I know that you probably have a very good reason for keeping that a secret, but… what I'm asking I guess, is to know if, well, if any of them know that it's him and with him being a wolf and all, if that affects him coming back to life?"
"No, no one knows," Zelda admitted. "And yes, the wolf is Link, just as much as the man laying with the Master Sword impaled through him is Link. The wolf is Link's spirit, come to help us, to protect me, and that there is a chance, a slim one at best, that we may be able to reunite Link's spirit to his body."
"Mhm," Faris replied, slowly nodding. "And, these Sheikah, will they be able to help Link?"
"I hope so," Zelda relented, revealing some of her worries to her eldest knight. "Or at least, they'll be able to explain to us how and where we might be able to. Prince Vahlymor… he knows, or at least I believe he has an inkling, that we may venture beyond these mountains into his kingdom. There is an island that lies beyond the sea that could be the place where Link might be able to return to his body, but we need confirmation from the Sheikah. Of course, the prince does not know that we carry with us Link's body. However, I have a feeling that he and his comrades are not ignorant to the fact that this mission, as you call it, could lead us beyond the venture of seeking out the Sheikah. They may have be guessed that we do have Link's body, I am not sure."
"I think that you're right about that, my lady," Faris agreed, looking up at the pass and the tiny figures near the top that were their companions. "That prince is a lot smarter than I think his charm and pretty smile lets on." After a moment of thought, Faris tapped his finger and said, "A few days ago when we all met and planned this out, I think that I recall the prince saying to you something about "adventure" and an "isle." Was he talking about this island of yours?"
"Yes, he was," Zelda said, nodding, recalling how the prince had taken her aside from the group to speak to her privately. "He must of known that I had something bigger in mind than perhaps just finding the village, and all he said was that if were to go further, into Noruidia, that he would support me all the way and even capitalize his station as the Noruidian naval commander to get near to the island. Even though, as he mentioned, going near the island is apparently forbidden. The prince admitted himself that he would love to embark on one last adventure before we married, but I think that perhaps he just enjoys the possibility of seeing his beloved ocean again. I do not know, for I did not press."
"Forbidden, huh…" Faris mused, before shrugging and reached down to lay another log on the fire. "Sounds about right for a place to be putting spirits back into bodies."
"I suppose," Zelda replied with a small smile, before sighing and relaxing her shoulders, not realizing just how tense they had become. "I admit, Sir Faris, that it feels good to be able to speak of this to you."
"I bet. Though now I see why you were always off alone with the wolf petting him. Link has been talking to you this entire time hasn't he? I am glad about it, honestly. You need him, especially through these difficult times."
Zelda laughed at that, a short, but light laugh, and she smiled gratefully for her knight, appreciating his open understanding and his evident trust in her.
"Thank you, honestly, for understanding and keeping Link's secret. I also must apologize for not tell-"
"Say no more," Faris said, cutting her off with his words and a small hand gesture. "As I said, I realize that you had your reasons, and knowing Little Link, I'm sure that he told you as much to keep it between the both of you."
The knight looked up to his queen and gave her a wide grin half hidden by his great moustache, one that she wholeheartedly returned.
"And don't you be worrying about me blabbing my mouth. As far as I'm concerned, we never had this conversation."
"I appreciate that," Zelda replied gratefully, before looking down once more at the Lens of Truth. Trailing her fingers across the flat surface of the canvas, her thoughts began to drift until Faris spoke up again, though now his voice was a bit more reserved and serious.
"My queen, I was meaning to ask… That Dark Link, or whatever his name is, he didn't…"
Sir Faris paused and when Zelda looked up to meet his gaze, it was clear that whatever he wished to ask made him uncomfortable, frankly, fearful.
"No, he did not hurt me," Zelda replied adamantly, hoping to stave off any and all of Faris' worst thoughts. "In fact, I do not believe that he is even capable of hurting me, just like Link. They are… connected, for lack of a better term, but that is also as much as I care to say on the matter."
"Fair enough," Faris said, his tone indicating that he was satisfied with her answer and wouldn't press further.
The knight reached over to grab a pot and stood, once again grinning down at his queen, before declaring, "I'm going to collect some snow to melt to make up a pot of something or another. Might as well make up some grub for the hungry diggers, so make sure that the fire remains good and hot, got it, my lady?"
The knight's words were innocent enough, a good intention to move along the conversation that was more mundane and normal, but they made Zelda suddenly stand up and gasp all the same. His queen's reaction was enough for Faris to drop the metal pot, clanging to the rocky ground below, that earned a few snorts and whinnies from the tied up horses and cliff elk.
"My lady! What is it?"
"Sir Faris, you are a genius!" Zelda exclaimed, smiling brightly from her sudden eureka moment.
"There are many that would argue that, I think…" Faris said doubtfully, but he smiled at her anyways, his expression one of curiosity.
"Come with me," she said in earnest, already talking away towards the wagon, forcing her knight to stumble after her.
"What's on your mind?" the man asked, one of his thick blond brows arching in question when she went to the side of the wagon which housed the secret mechanism designed by his father that would open the secret compartment housing Link's body.
"Just like you said," she began to explain, gesturing for him to go ahead and open the compartment. "If you would please, sir."
Sir Faris, still very confused, went to the side and slid his fingers to the bottom of the wagon, pressing a tiny square of wood inwards, an audible clink being heard from within, before he reached to the front to press yet another small square to earn another click. With the locks undone, Faris glanced around the side of the wagon to look up at the pass, just to make sure that no one was coming down their way. Once he was sure that the coast was clear, he pulled down the portion of the underside of the wagon that actually was a short lever, now unlocked. With the level pulled there was another audible click heard, though nothing apparently changed about the wagon.
Both queen and knight remained silent as Faris moved to climb up into the wagon to press another set of hidden buttons to fully release all the special locks to keep the compartment hidden, in case someone accidentally managed to press one of the buttons. The entire backside of the box seat where Faris sat was actually on incredibly well hidden hinges, so now that the proper sequence had been inputted and all the locks undone, Faris simply had to reach up to the middle of the three posts that acted as supports for the seat's backboard and pull the entire panel down.
His pa had shown him well.
As Link had observed himself when he had first joined the travel party back in Hyrule, the middle and largest post was actually hollow. Now that the main panel was pulled open, the body of Link with the Master Sword standing from his stomach was once again revealed to the world. Zelda, having climbed into the wagon as Faris had opened the panel, came up beside her knight and Faris briefly set his right hand upon her shoulder, while he muttered that he'd give her a moment, before he moved to sit at the back of the wagon, his back to her, to allow her a moment alone.
The woman regarded the almost-peaceful expression of Link's face: he really did look like he could only be sleeping. Unable to help herself, she reached up to briefly smooth her fingers across his cheeks, his skin brightened by the faint bluish-hue that encased his entire body, freezing it in time. The light, of course, originated from the Master Sword itself, which Zelda moved her gave to look upon. She knew that she couldn't affect his body, such as move aside his bangs or his limbs, due to the temporal powers of the Master Sword, but she had to try for the sake of the idea on her mind and for the health of her mission.
Bowing her head and interlacing her fingers in prayer, Zelda began to pray to the sword itself.
'I beg thee, O Master Sword, to allow me to pass through your barrier and retrieve the Hero's Treasure, once protected by the great Goron race, once wielded by the Hero's Predecessor. Please, grant me this privilege.'
Breathing out her held breath, Zelda opened her eyes and regarded the Master Sword. It seemed, at least to her, that the sword had begun to shine just a bit brighter. Thinking it was now or never, Zelda reached forward to Link's hip where one of his pouches lay just within her reach. The pouches of the Hero's Clothes had always been magical, being able to carry items far larger than should be possible and no matter how much Link stashed within them, he never felt any weight increase. To retrieve a certain item, Link had only had to think of the item while reaching into a pouch, and the item would appear with his grasp for easy retrieval. Zelda knew this but, if the Master Sword's barrier prohibited her from retrieving one of Link's items, then her idea might not work at all.
She needed his bow, the Hero's Bow, for only it would be strong enough for her idea to become a reality.
Her fingers touched the pouch and she held her breath: would the Master Sword heed her prayer?
The Hylian's eyes brightened and her mouth slightly widened with shock when her fingers easily opened the pouch and she was able to reach inside. With one quick thought, something hard and thin fell into her grip, her fingers clasped around it. She pulled back her hand now holding a large item that physically should not have been possible to retrieve from such a small pouch.
Her eyes fell over the Hero's Bow and she held it closely to her chest, before once again bowing her head to the Master Sword, whispering a heartfelt, "You have my gratitude."
Standing from her kneel, Zelda turned and went to the back of the wagon before hopping down tot he ground, Faris looking up at her and blinking in surprise and confusion at what his queen now held.
"Link's bow?"
"Yes," Zelda replied, once again caressing the intricate design of the grip, the apparent delicateness of the string, though it had never once needed to be replaced.
"I still don't understand your plan, my lady," Faris admitted as he stood and went back to close up the secret compartment, once again hiding Link's body and the famed Hyrulean sword away in darkness. The multiple clicks of the mechanisms locks were heard once again to ensure there was no doubt that the compartment could be opened by accident.
"It's what you said before, Faris, about fire melting snow, it got me thinking."
"Aye..." Sir Faris replied slowly, hopping down from the wagon with a mighty thud from his great size. "That's usually how fire works, but… are you telling me that your plan is to melt the snow blocking our path?" he asked, reaching up to smooth his moustache. "And with a bow, no less? What's wrong with the fine bow you brought for yourself?"
"I'm afraid that my bow, or any other normal bows would not be enough for my idea," Zelda replied, smiling almost smugly up at Faris: she was still very excited that the Master Sword allowed her to pass through its barrier. "Link's bow, however, is the Hero's Bow: a weapon of legend, and able to withstand the forces of magic that would most probably cause other bows to shatter under its forces. As I am unable, or rather unwilling, to try and summon the Bow of Light that was bestowed to me by the Light Spirits during the battle against Ganondorf, this bow should prove to be a suitable alternative."
Zelda walked off towards her tent to retrieve her own quiver, having not wanted to push her luck with the Master Sword to also summon Link's Giant Quiver, leaving Sir Faris to slowly piece together her explanation.
"So… if I understand this correctly, you intend to use magic against the snow?"
"Correct," Zelda said over her shoulder, having already started walking up the path, before pausing to gesture for Faris to join her. The knight retrieved his great sword and came to her side, the pair soon walking up the incline up to the plateau where the avalanche lay light a great white hand of the mountain purposefully obscuring their path forward.
"But, are you sure about this, my lady?" Faris asked in a hushed voice, looking up at the figures in the distance. "Magic is… well, you know, dangerous. Are you sure that it's wise to use such powers in front of the Noruidians?"
"Why not?" Zelda countered, looking up at him. "I am engaged to one of them and we must all trust in one another, shouldn't we?"
"True," Faris admitted, though he still sounded unsure. "But have you used magic recently, my lady?"
Zelda frowned slightly at this and stared forwards, her brow slightly narrowing. "No, I have not. My powers have greatly waned since Ganondorf was vanquished, I believe anyways. However, I will still try. I must try."
"Why is that?" Faris inquired, his brow slightly raised at the depth of determination in his monarch's voice.
"Because I swore to never be a damsel in distress again. I needed to be saved last night, so now it is time for me to repay my companions and show that the Queen of Hyrule is a force to be reckoned with."
/
"My lady! How are you feeling this morning? I trust that you slept well enough."
"I'm fine, thank you Simin," Zelda greeted pleasantly, seeing that Simin's greeting to her quickly garnered the interest of everyone at work. "And yes, I feel well rested."
"Good morning, my lady," Ashei greeted, with a tiny bow of her head.
"Good to see you up, my lady!" exclaimed Todd.
"Yes! Good to see that you're feeling better," added Crevan.
Arvid, having just seen his queen not that long ago now, smiled at his liege and impaled the snow he'd been shovelling with his shovel to leave it erect. Balin also didn't say a greeting, but he did lower his head out of respect to her.
"Zelda," Vahl greeted, wiping off his hands and coming up to her, eyeing her bow and quiver. "You come armed? I understand if you are feeling a bit vulnerable after last night."
"Vahl," Zelda greeted accordingly, smiling at everyone else, before glancing down at the bow. "The bow is not for myself, at least I don't intend on using it against a living enemy at the moment, but rather a non-living barrier."
The woman's cryptic words noticeably caused confusion to crease the prince's face, as the twins gathered close, sensing that something interesting was up. It was Ashei who gestured towards the bow and spoke next.
"That Sir Link's bow, isn't it, my lady? I did not know that you brought it with you."
"Yes, I did," Zelda said, addressing the Hyrulean captain. "I brought it just in case we might be in need of its... abilities, and I believe that I might just be able to use it now."
"Abilities?" echoed Simin, eyeing the bow with intrigue. "Is the bow magical?"
"In a way," admitted Zelda, glancing up at Vahl, whose confusion had quickly become interest and excitement at the mention of magic.
"Magic!?" gasped Crevan.
"Are you really going to use magic?!" asked Todd, the brothers holding onto one another in an effort to possibly contain the other's excitement.
"Are you sure, Zelda?" Arvid asked, coming up to her with a slight concerned expression. "Magic, as I believe it, can be rather taxing."
"True, it can be," the queen replied, looking up at the mound of snow and noting the small progress made that morning, which was hardly a dent in the large snow hill. "But, as I told Sir Faris, I am willing to try. I admit to you all, that I have not utilized magic in some time, as it is not something to casually play around with. However, if I am able, I should be able to make considerable progress with the snow, perhaps even reopen the path."
"ARE YOU SERIOUS?"
"Oh! My! Gods! This is the best day!"
The twins were practically in tears now with excitement, and even the prince, Simin, and Arvid showed their astonishment, while Ashei and Balin noticeably raised their bows in interest.
"But as my lady said, if she is able to burn that hill, it'll cost her, so keep that in mind…" Faris warned, almost growling out his disapproval of the brothers' childlike enthusiasm.
"While I am sure that we all appreciate your initiative and resolve, none of us expect you to put yourself in harm's way just for the sake of lightening up our workload," Vahlymor stated to Zelda, having controlled his own interest, from being shown anyways; behind him, Simin was busy pushing the twins aside to get them to collect themselves better.
"I promise you," Zelda replied to him, smiling, "that I will be fine. I am much stronger than I appear."
With that, she walked passed him and set her eyes on the mound of snow, assessing it in the day's light to see just how big it was. As she did, the others began to collect their tools from the snow, making way for Zelda and whatever she was about to do, while Faris and Arvid came to either side of their queen.
"How far does it stretch out?" Zelda asked.
"A good twenty or so feet. It's blocking both the path to the north and the one continuing westward," came Arvid's dutiful reply.
"How deep?"
"A good seven or so feet throughout, less around the edges. Mostly snow, some ice. I didn't see any rocks or boulders, but there could be."
"Do you know which path we needed to take?" asked Faris.
"The north. That's where the Sheikah symbol was," Zelda replied, looking to her right and saw the space between the rock walls of the pass and where they needed to go. "I'll focus my efforts on that more than anything."
"Indeed. There is no use in overexerting yourself unnecessarily," Arvid commented, his expression still hard as it was clear that he wasn't too keen on his queen exhausting herself, but it was her choice so he remained silent.
While the three Hyruleans spoke, the Noruidians and Ashei had gathered the tools and stood back behind them, watching them discuss, unable to hear exactly what they were saying.
"What do you think will happen?" Todd asked Simin.
"I am unsure," the prince's aide-de-camp admitted. "Sir Faris mentioned something about "burning" so I can only assume that fire will be involved."
"She intends to melt the snow?" Balin asked in his low voice, the trackers' expression as unreadable as usually.
"Sir Link could use magic, to an extent at least, in that I knew he had with him several magical artifacts, that bow being one of them. However, there are none in Hyrule who knows more about magic than the Queen herself. I am confident that she will be able to do as she says."
Everyone looked at Ashei in ranging amazement, surely some of them recalling how Zelda had shown she was indeed a magic user during the emergency Council meeting, when she had used magic to draw everyone's attention and restore order. With Ashei's words on their minds, the group looked ahead at Zelda and her knights again, who appeared to have come to some sort of conclusion.
Both Arvid and Faris turned away from their queen and began to walk towards the rest of their travel companions, with Arvid gesturing that they back up.
"Zelda needs space to work, so we all need to back up so that she can use her magic safely."
Everyone stepped back several feet until Arvid gestured that they should be far enough back. Zelda herself had taken several steps back to put more space between her and the snow before her, her quiver at her back, and the Hero's Bow in hand.
The wind was a light breeze that morning, the sky above a wonderful blue, and the valley beside them allowed for some sunlight to be seen between the tall mountain peaks. The woman's cloak moved slightly around her and she reached up to pull her hood back to reveal her brunette hair, Hylian ears, and determined expression.
She could do this. She was the Queen of Hyrule, the blood of the Goddess Hylia flowed through her veins, and she was strong. All the same, Zelda closed her eyes and breathed in a steady breath, before bowing her head slightly in prayer.
"O Din, please, hear me now."
Zelda reached up to draw an arrow.
"I call upon you, O Golden Goddess."
Zelda nocked the arrow into the bow.
"Goddess of Fire, Creator of the Red Earth."
Zelda raised the bow, straightening her stance, and lifted her head.
"Goddess of Power, I beseech thee."
Zelda drew back the drawstring until she felt her arrow's fletching brushed against her cheeks.
"Grant me this Power! Grant me your Fire! Din! May your Fire burn through me and my arrows!"
Zelda's words seemed to sing across the breeze, almost filling the space between herself and her comrades, who all either gasped or jumped slightly when Zelda's arrow suddenly caught ablaze.
Without another moment's hesitation, the Hyrulean Queen let fly her flaming arrow, causing a tail of fire to follow behind it, though its journey was short. The instant it impaled the side of the snow hill, an explosion of sorts roared to life as a sudden dome of pure fire burst forth from where the arrow pierced the snow. The heat was intense, even from where the Noruidians and Hyruleans stood, but Zelda was unaffected from its heat. The light of the fiery dome brightened the shadows of the pass and its sheer force sent a wave of hot air in every direction, billowing cloaks, ruffling hair, and momentarily warming all against the chill of the mountain air.
The dome of Din's Fire only lasted a few seconds, before it eventually expanded until it dissipated entirely. Once the last remnants of the fire was gone, all could see the results of the power of the Goddess and of Zelda. A giant crater has been forged into the snow side, as if a giant had come and taken a large handful to help clear away their path. Water gently spilled out the side of the mound, but it seemed that the majority of the snow had simply evaporated from the fire's sudden and great heat. Good. Too much water would only lead to ice, would only lead to another type of obstacle, especially for the horses.
Zelda, however, didn't wait too long to admire her work before she was already nocking another arrow, flames immediately engulfing the tip. Her next shot was just as powerful as her first, followed by the next, and again and again she let loose arrows, slowly walking forward as the great fire domes ate away at the avalanche.
In total, the queen was able to let loose twelve arrows, though the twelfth had been a stretch. Stumbling after the eleventh, Zelda could faintly hear Arvid's voice calling her, warning her to stop, but she had made so much progress. One more… one more wouldn't hurt. One more could very well nearly open up the path that they needed to go, she thought anyways. Steeling herself, Zelda nocked another arrow and drew herself up tall, the arrow once again aflame, and her vision wavered slightly as her knees slightly trembled.
"No! I am not a damsel!" she muttered through clenched teeth, seeing Dark Link's face in her increasingly foggy mind and suddenly feeling the ghost of his lips upon hers. "I am a queen!" With a yell of effort, Zelda let loose her twelfth and final arrow, releasing Din's Fire upon the pass. The final explosion seemed stronger than its predecessors, as if Zelda truly used the last of her strength in that final arrow.
She wasn't able to watch the final fiery dome explode into life with all of its heat and glory, nor appreciate her work, not then anyways. Even as the dome of fire burned, exposing the other side of the path, the Hero's Bow cluttered to the ground as Zelda fell to her knees. Exhaustion and unconsciousness took her even before she fell forward. Thankfully, Arvid slid in beside her and caught her in time from before her head made contact with the ground. As he cradled her, checking to see if was burned or anything, the others ran up to gather around him, worried for Zelda while also stunned to see what she had done.
"Amazing..." breathed Ashei, whose usual distant expression showed her astonishment.
"Dear Goddesses... she nearly carved out the entire path!" Faris exclaimed, astounded.
"Indeed!" Vahl noted, amazed and impressed, before looking down at the unconscious queen, his fiancée. "By the end of today, we'll be able to push through because of her."
/
Just as the prince said, by nightfall their way was made clear and the snow that hadn't been melted by Zelda's arrows was chipped away and cleared so that the wagon could fit through. The entire day Zelda slept in her tent, with Ashei remaining by her side, and Faris stationed at the camp as additional protection. Just as the stars were coming out did the rest of their companions descended the steep path, sharing their news that come the morning they could continue onwards.
At least, in theory.
Zelda was still sleeping, exhausted from overusing her magic, and they needed her as their navigator. Only she could use the Lens of Truth, after all. Additionally, there was the argument as to whether or not they should wait for Faro the Wolf to reappear, because Zelda had said herself that he would return to them.
A decision couldn't be reached, everyone was tired, and they affirmed that in the morning they'd decided. Hopefully by then, Zelda would be revived and able to share in her opinions. Todd took the first watch, followed by Crevan, as there always should be someone on watch duty.
Crevan, a man of twenty, with his bright red hair and fresh face, hardly appeared to be a hardened warrior like Faris, or a veteran of war like Vahlymor, but looks could be deceiving. Like his brother, Crevan had many skills that made them formidable in battle, the brother having mastered hollowing faster than most did. However, the twins hated using the technique unless they were out at sea, as they felt that it robbed them of their identity because it virtually erased all personality. This may explain why the brothers were so excitable and expressive, so lighthearted and wide eyed. They loved to laugh, loved to smile, and loved to play tricks and cause trouble. Regardless of their tomfoolery, they truly were utmost loyal to Vahlymor and either of them would die for him. They owed him a lot, just as he apparently owed them his life, so they never backed down from proving to him that they were dependable and worthy of his trust.
As impressive as his and his brother's resumés were, the red-haired Noruidian was still caught off guard by what lurked in the shadows beyond the campfire's light.
He'd been sitting there, thinking about the day's events, going over the amazing sight of Queen Zelda firing out arrow after arrow, the huge domes of fire, and the spectacular showcase of raw and real magic she had exhibited. The entire experience was beyond words, to be honest, and even now hours later, Crevan couldn't help the smile on his face in wonderment.
To Crevan's credit, he had been paying attention, keeping an open ear to any or all suspicious sounds, but there hadn't been any. Then again, there were few who would be able to detect the figures that watched him from the dark. They moved without sound, spoke to one another without words, and could remain unseen within the shadows for as long as they wished.
They had been summoned from their territory hours ago. They had journeyed through the day until they had arrived to this valley at twilight, which is when they were able to assess the intruders to the mountains. Their mission? Investigate why there had been wave after wave of intense light magic that pulsated from the very bones of the mountains, calling them to come forth. Very few dared to journey this deep into the mountains, let alone along this particular path, and a group of armed travellers with the capacity to summon such intense amounts of pure light magic was suspicious to put it lightly. They had counted nine in total, a number matching their own, which included seven men and two women, though they had not seen the one woman as she had not left her tent. Still, they had heard her name being discussed in the low mutterings of her companions while they supped around the fire earlier.
Upon hearing the nature of the name, the figures had exchanged looks, but chose to wait until the night was at its darkest before they made their move.
Which brings the timeline back to Crevan, the only one awake of the fellowship, who could be plainly seen yawning at the fireside with a moronic grin on his face. One of the fingers made a sign, the signal for their ambush to begin, and the figures shifted into the shadows to reappear in the shadows of the camp. Even though the young man was on his guard, he was not allowed to make even a gasp of surprise when one of the dark figures suddenly and without warning appeared behind him, clasping a strong hand over his mouth, and set a blade to his throat. Crevan, caught off guard, froze in shock and dared not move with how close the blade was against his vulnerable skin: he knew that with one false move, he'd be dead. The figures moved so silently that even the horses and cliff elk sensed no danger and did not stir to help to raise the alarm for Crevan.
Helplessly, the young man could see other dark figures near the tents of his sleeping companions. With the watcher subdued, the remaining figures slipped silently into the tents. One by one, sounds of hushed exclamations, voices of protest and alarm, and the tell-tale clanks of disarmed weapons hitting the ground could be heard. First came out Todd to join his brother by the fireside, who was thrown out of his tent. A figure appeared from within his tent and came to his back, grabbing hold of his hair and yanking his head upwards to reveal his throat: a blade to it just the same as his brother. Then Simin was dragged out, though he was acting more cooperatively. Balin left his tent with his hands up, as did Vahlymor, though neither looked pleased as they fell to their knees by the fireside, hands upon their heads while their captors brandished their deadly-edged blades. Faris roared from within his tent and there seemed to be a sort of scuffle from within, but then the large man was physically thrown through the tent's opening and landed hard face-first onto the ground. Before he could move again, the figure who had subdued him appeared on his back in a similar manner to Todd's captor.
"You cowardly bastard!" Faris sneered, which only earned him a thunk on the side of the head from the end of his captor's blade, causing him to grunt in pain and anger.
"Silence! All of you!" hissed the dark cloaked figure in an odd accent, the first that any of them spoke, and that would be their only warning.
Arvid also stumbled out of his tent followed by his assigned captor, falling to his knees beside Vahlymor, before he slowly lifted his arms like the Noruidians, though his eyes were on the tent of Ashei and Zelda.
Sure enough Ashei soon came out dragging a still-unconscious Zelda out with her, though the captain made sure to remain near her queen's side once she was next to Todd, before also raising her hands.
The Noruidians and the Hyruleans had been caught, rather easily, and aside from a bump on the side of Faris' head, all were unharmed and alive... For now.
The travellers were able to get a look at their assailants now that they stood in the firelight, though that did little to dispel who they were. All of them all donned in black or dark, blue cloaks trimmed with black fur to repel the cold wind with tight-fitting clothing that hugged their bodies. Their faces, however were hidden by their drawn hoods and cloth masks covering their mouths. No discernible insignia or marking could be seen on their clothing, and it was also impossible to tell the genders of any of the figures due to their cloaks. Were they human? Hylian? Noruidian? They certainly looked humanoid and apparently knew the common language, but their race remained a mystery.
With eight of the cloaked figures accounted for, the ninth and leader of them appeared suddenly next to the one that held Crevan. Vahlymor looked at this new figure, seeing that unlike the unlike they stood with their arms arossed, and finally dared to speak.
"Who are you?"
The figure did not reply, not at first, but instead turned their head to apparently stare down at Zelda's unconscious form, the queen's head resting upon Ashei' knees. Arvid, seeing how the figure stared at her, couldn't help himself when he blurted out, "You stay away from her!" earning a hard kick to the middle of his back from his captor, forcing him onto his forearms where he stayed, for his captor's leg remained pressing down on his back.
Having not even turned to look or address Arvid, the apparent leader of the cloaked figures stared at Zelda for a moment longer, before turning to look at the Noruidian prince.
"Who is the woman?"
The voice sounded neither masculine or feminine, it was hard to discern, especially with the thick and foreign accent by which they spoke, almost as if they were not used to speaking Common Hylian.
"Answer my question and I shall answer yours," Vahlymor replied calmly, the prince's hollowing training allowed him to stare up at the figure without emotion, without fear: calmly.
"Answer mine and you shall not die," came the figure's reply, which was even and as calm as the prince's.
Before Vahlymor could have a chance to decide to cooperate or not, a growl filled the air. It was low, it rolled in ferocity, and its origin was unknown. The group of figures instantly and in unison dropped into defensive stances, looking around for the source of the new threat. Vahlymor and Arvid exchanged knowing looks and Ashei only looked down at her queen, daring to drop her hands, to calmly stroke her lady's hair.
The growls intensified and still the cloaked figures could not spot where it was coming from, which considering that they were masters of shadows, did not sit well with them. Finally one of the figures, the one pinning down Arvid, said a single word in a strange language and the figures all looked up to the wagon and each then raised their weapons to the new and greater threat than any of the subdued travellers.
Having only just made his physical form visible, there standing upon the wagon, highlighted by the firelight, stood a great wolf. he was larger than most wild wolves, with silvery fur and shining blue eyes. His teeth were bared, drool dripped from his maul, pink tongue licking his jaws, snout wrinkled, posture tall, tail high, ears forward, and his huge front paws stomping in dominance and fury. So ferocious and savage were his growls and snarls, that even the most seasoned of warriors would think twice about taking on such a beast, but the cloaked figures did not back down, nor did they make any move to release their quarry. The wolf also was not going to back down and had the high ground, though his gaze seemed locked onto the leader of the figures.
Unfazed by the appearance of the wolf, Vahlymor once more turned out the leader and spoke up over the wolf's oppressive display.
"As I was saying, if you would answer my question first, perhaps our friend here will calm down a bit and none will die tonight."
The leader of the figures seemed to consider this for a moment, one of their comrades speaking out a few words of their strange language. The leader then relaxed their posture which was mirrored by the others, who then stepped away from their authoritative positions over the Hyruleans and Noruidians.
"We... are the Sheikah," the cloaked figure finally said, though they did not sheathe their Eightfold Blade.
"The Sheikah you say?" replied Vahlymor, lowering his hands but remaining on his knees. "Then it is you whom we seek."
Upon hearing the identity of the dark-clad people, the wolf did settle down his threatening behaviour, though he still bared his teeth, daring any of them to make a move his distrusted. They might be masters of the shadows, but he could see through realms. He would always be able to see them.
Freed from their imprisoning holds, Todd, Crevan, Faris, and Arvid shifted onto their knees as well, still eyeing their cloaked figures suspiciously. Ashei continued comforting her unconscious queen, Simin seemed fascinated by the sudden discovery of the mysterious tribe, and Balin just stared evenly at the Sheikah leader beside his prince. Vahlymor calmly regarded the leader.
"And why would you seek the Shadow Folk, Noruidian?" the leader asked, reaching up to pull back their hood, revealing a woman with white hair bound into a tight bun, her eyes grey, a red tattoo of an eye crying a single tear upon her forehead onto the bridge of her nose, but her mouth remained covered by her cloth mask.
"Because we travel with Zelda, the Queen of Hyrule, and are guided by the Lens of Truth. We have come to find you and your village," Vahlymor stated, before flashing one of his classic handsome smirks.