I do not own Zelda. If I did, I wouldn't be taking the time to write
stories for web sites, I would probably be basking in the sun near a giant
swimming pool while the beautiful afternoon crawled by and I did whatever
really rich people do.
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Aridwyn. Zenk cringed every time he heard the name. He wanted to love her, but she had brought on nothing but misfortune since she walked into the castle a few days ago. Now she was missing because of him.
On top of that, the sun was sinking beneath the horizon and the prince knew it wouldn't be long until Antia arrived. But she never came. Hours passed and no one showed up at the castle gates.
Zenk was waiting atop the ramparts. "What do you think she's up to?" he asked Ion uneasily.
The head captain was just as apprehensive as the young prince. "I don't know," he confessed. "Hopefully something happened to either her or the captives, but it might be part of another scheme she's cooking up."
Zenk sighed impatiently and looked to the horizon, still half-expecting the Gerudo army to come marching over the hill, led by the notorious queen whom he had vowed to slay.
* * *
Queen Antia was not notorious for being a fool. As soon as she found out the captives had escaped, she decided it was time to rid herself of Raker. Wasting no time, she sent Dak out to return the forces back to the Gerudo stronghold. Then, she spoke to Raker.
"My love," she started, "I have an important job for you. Take five of my best trackers and get on the trail of the escaped zoras. If we can get them back, we can take the castle and you and I can have a little fun as King and Queen. You'd do that for me, wouldn't you?"
Raker nodded, "I'll start at dawn."
Antia smiled. "Would you like to come to my room?" she asked silkily. "There's a job I have to do first." Raker grinned and headed off to the queen's chamber.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Antia threw her head back and laughed. "Fool!" Then, she went off to find five of her best fighters.
* * *
Just as the last rays of the sun disappeared and darkness reigned the summer sky, Aridwyn and Ankor were let into Goron City, where they were quickly fed, bathed, and shown to their rooms.
Lord Darronn climbed three flights of stairs and spoke to a huge barn owl that perched on a long rope which stretched across the whole of the city. "Kaepor," the mighty goron addressed the owl. "I need your help. Will you take a message to Hyrule Castle for me?"
The owl nodded silently and glared at the goron king with its huge unblinking eyes. Darronn, who had Aridwyn write the message on parchement in the fancy hylian script, now tied it to Kaepor's talon.
"Fly now!" he said. "The fate of Hyrule rests on your wings." Kaepor took to the air and soared out of the city and into the cool night sky, where the stars twinkled and lit up the dark scene.
King Darronn retreated to his chamber. It was too late now to change his mind. He knew his gorons would follow him to the very gates of hell. Unfortunately, that was exactly where he was taking them.
* * *
Raker cried out in pain. The spear had gone directly into his side. He fell to his knees.
"Let's get this over with," murmured the Gerudo who had stabbed him, "so we can get back to Queen Antia." She quickly brought the spear over her hand.
But she never got the chance to swing it down. A dagger was in her stomach. Raker flipped up and drew his sword, cautiously facing the four armed Gerudos before him.
"Antia ordered us to kill you," sad one of them, "and that's what we plan to do!"
Raker growled threateningly. "Damn you, fool!" he muttered under his breath. Antia had laid the trap, and he had walked into it blindly.
Suddenly, he lunged at the nearest Gerudo. She didn't have time to raise her spear in defense. She crumpled, dead, and toppled on her side.
The remaining warriors flung themselves at Raker, but suddenly he vanished. One of the thieves heard a voice whispering in her ear. "The General of the Desert does not fall so easily, my dear." A sword flashed and the thief drew her final breath.
The two Gerudos that were left had lost most of their confidence. Raker twirled his sword expretly. One of them turned and bolted, but a well- placed dagger caught her in the back of the neck. She went down with a gurgle.
Only one of the five original warriors remained.
"I am not going to kill you," said Raker softly to the petrified Gerudo. He placed his sword to her throat. "But it's not out of pity. You are going to return to your Queen and tell her I still live. Tell her that I will always be lurking nearby, waiting for her to be alone. The first time I catch her without guards," he shoved the sword closer to the shivering theif, "she is as dead as a stone." He relaxed the double edged blade. The Gerudo breathed again. "Now go!"
* * *
Zenk didn't even look up as Captain Farhill entered his room. The hylian prince was clutching a small seashell in his right hand. It was magnificently carved by nature, and though it was no bigger than the hilt of a sword, Farhill got the feeling it contained immense magic.
"Where did you get it?" he asked.
When Zenk spoke, it was in a low voice that made the hair on the back of Farhill's neck stand on end. "I received it from my father," the prince said. "He told me that if I listened closely, I could hear the sounds of battle echoing within it." The young prince looked up. "I could never hear it until today. But now it as clear as a summer sky-I hear the clanking of armor, the hissing of arrows, and the terrible cries of war. I fear that a war is approaching and there is nothing anyone can do to prevent it." Zenk stood up and set the seashell on his wooden shelf. "This battle will not be the last."
The captain could not explain the sudden chill that ran down his spine at Zenk's prediction. "Battle, sir?"
Without a word, Zenk picked up a folded note and handed it to Farhill. Tha baffled captain took the parchment and read:
Prince Zenk- The zoras that the wicked Queen Antia was holding as captives are now free and safely lodged with us. As is the hylian maiden Aridwyn, who boldly snuck into Gerudo Fortress and single-handedly freed our allies. She also informed us that the Gerudo army is lurking about Hyrule Field. I am planning to launch a surprise attack on them at sunrise with all of my warriors. Do not try to stop us or aid us-you have been excellent comrades, it is time for us to do our part. Give my regards to Ion and Atron. -Lord Darronn of Death Mountain
Farhill looked up and Zenk sighed. "I don't know what to do. Darronn plans on leading them on a suicide mission. He made it clear that he does not want our help."
"But if we don't help, they'll be slaughtered!" Farhill protested.
Zenk sighed again. "Not without taking quite a few of those Gerudos down with them. Gorons are friendly in peace. But they are ferocious in battle."
* * *
That night Prince Zenk held a feast. Everyone in Hyrule Castle was seated around half a dozen long tables in the main hall. Hylians piled food on their plates and drank merrily.
Only Captain Ion, seated between Prince Zenk and Atron Doren, sensed something wrong. "Zenk?" he said quietly over the din. "What is this feast for?"
The prince looked over at him. "Cannot a prince hold a celebration once in a whie to enjoy the sheer beauty of life?"
Ion was not fooled, and he gave Zenk a reproving look.
"Fine, fine," Zenk sighed. "It is a parting feast. Which reminds me, King Darronn says hello." The puzzled captain questioned him further, but the prince would say no more. Ion soon forgot the problem in the merriment of the festival.
"Pass me some of those mashed potatoes, will you Atron?"
"Get them yourself, Cap'n. I'm too busy digging into this rosecream pie!"
"Going right for the desert, eh Atron?"
"Sure am, Levin. Who knows, a bolt of lightning could strike me dead in the middle of the meal!"
"What a pity that would be for the rest of us."
"Try some of this, Ion, it's great!"
"I already have, Farhill, and more than once!"
"Like it, do you? That's my own recipe."
"Where in the blazes did you learn to cook like that, miss?"
"Don't give me all the credit. Ha ha, I made Aridwyn do most of the work!"
Zenk could tell that his celebration was having the desired effect on the hylians. In the midst of all the laughing and feasting, they had forgotten about Antia, the Gerudos, and the war that was teetering on the brink of the peak of their lives. All it needed was a small push to launch Hyrule into a state of near chaos. Darronn, Ankor, and Antia had already gotten it to the edge. Now it was Zenk's turn.
Once everyone was finished with their meal, the young prince got to his feet. "Friends!" he shouted. All eyes turned to him, all long elven ears tuned in and ready to listen to what their master's prince had to say. "You are probably wondering what the occasion is for this feast. And it is time for me to tell you." He gazed around at the seated hylians who had served him and his father for so long. "It is a parting feast. We may never see some of our old friends again."
Only Farhill was not surprised. Everyone else arched their eyebrows and looked questionly up at Zenk, who continued.
"Lord Darronn of the gorons is leading his soldiers in a surprise assault on the majority of the Gerudo army, which is assembled in Hyrule Field. I fear many, if not all of those brave creatures will be slain in battle."
Many of the hylians shouted out. Why was their bold prince sitting back while their greatest allies were slaughtered?
Zenk held up his hand for quiet. After about a minute, everyone fell silent.
"Friends, friends," the prince said. "I never said we would not be slain alongside them." The hall erupted with cheers. "Strap your armor and sharpen your blades, for tomorrow the hylians march to war!"
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Aridwyn. Zenk cringed every time he heard the name. He wanted to love her, but she had brought on nothing but misfortune since she walked into the castle a few days ago. Now she was missing because of him.
On top of that, the sun was sinking beneath the horizon and the prince knew it wouldn't be long until Antia arrived. But she never came. Hours passed and no one showed up at the castle gates.
Zenk was waiting atop the ramparts. "What do you think she's up to?" he asked Ion uneasily.
The head captain was just as apprehensive as the young prince. "I don't know," he confessed. "Hopefully something happened to either her or the captives, but it might be part of another scheme she's cooking up."
Zenk sighed impatiently and looked to the horizon, still half-expecting the Gerudo army to come marching over the hill, led by the notorious queen whom he had vowed to slay.
* * *
Queen Antia was not notorious for being a fool. As soon as she found out the captives had escaped, she decided it was time to rid herself of Raker. Wasting no time, she sent Dak out to return the forces back to the Gerudo stronghold. Then, she spoke to Raker.
"My love," she started, "I have an important job for you. Take five of my best trackers and get on the trail of the escaped zoras. If we can get them back, we can take the castle and you and I can have a little fun as King and Queen. You'd do that for me, wouldn't you?"
Raker nodded, "I'll start at dawn."
Antia smiled. "Would you like to come to my room?" she asked silkily. "There's a job I have to do first." Raker grinned and headed off to the queen's chamber.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Antia threw her head back and laughed. "Fool!" Then, she went off to find five of her best fighters.
* * *
Just as the last rays of the sun disappeared and darkness reigned the summer sky, Aridwyn and Ankor were let into Goron City, where they were quickly fed, bathed, and shown to their rooms.
Lord Darronn climbed three flights of stairs and spoke to a huge barn owl that perched on a long rope which stretched across the whole of the city. "Kaepor," the mighty goron addressed the owl. "I need your help. Will you take a message to Hyrule Castle for me?"
The owl nodded silently and glared at the goron king with its huge unblinking eyes. Darronn, who had Aridwyn write the message on parchement in the fancy hylian script, now tied it to Kaepor's talon.
"Fly now!" he said. "The fate of Hyrule rests on your wings." Kaepor took to the air and soared out of the city and into the cool night sky, where the stars twinkled and lit up the dark scene.
King Darronn retreated to his chamber. It was too late now to change his mind. He knew his gorons would follow him to the very gates of hell. Unfortunately, that was exactly where he was taking them.
* * *
Raker cried out in pain. The spear had gone directly into his side. He fell to his knees.
"Let's get this over with," murmured the Gerudo who had stabbed him, "so we can get back to Queen Antia." She quickly brought the spear over her hand.
But she never got the chance to swing it down. A dagger was in her stomach. Raker flipped up and drew his sword, cautiously facing the four armed Gerudos before him.
"Antia ordered us to kill you," sad one of them, "and that's what we plan to do!"
Raker growled threateningly. "Damn you, fool!" he muttered under his breath. Antia had laid the trap, and he had walked into it blindly.
Suddenly, he lunged at the nearest Gerudo. She didn't have time to raise her spear in defense. She crumpled, dead, and toppled on her side.
The remaining warriors flung themselves at Raker, but suddenly he vanished. One of the thieves heard a voice whispering in her ear. "The General of the Desert does not fall so easily, my dear." A sword flashed and the thief drew her final breath.
The two Gerudos that were left had lost most of their confidence. Raker twirled his sword expretly. One of them turned and bolted, but a well- placed dagger caught her in the back of the neck. She went down with a gurgle.
Only one of the five original warriors remained.
"I am not going to kill you," said Raker softly to the petrified Gerudo. He placed his sword to her throat. "But it's not out of pity. You are going to return to your Queen and tell her I still live. Tell her that I will always be lurking nearby, waiting for her to be alone. The first time I catch her without guards," he shoved the sword closer to the shivering theif, "she is as dead as a stone." He relaxed the double edged blade. The Gerudo breathed again. "Now go!"
* * *
Zenk didn't even look up as Captain Farhill entered his room. The hylian prince was clutching a small seashell in his right hand. It was magnificently carved by nature, and though it was no bigger than the hilt of a sword, Farhill got the feeling it contained immense magic.
"Where did you get it?" he asked.
When Zenk spoke, it was in a low voice that made the hair on the back of Farhill's neck stand on end. "I received it from my father," the prince said. "He told me that if I listened closely, I could hear the sounds of battle echoing within it." The young prince looked up. "I could never hear it until today. But now it as clear as a summer sky-I hear the clanking of armor, the hissing of arrows, and the terrible cries of war. I fear that a war is approaching and there is nothing anyone can do to prevent it." Zenk stood up and set the seashell on his wooden shelf. "This battle will not be the last."
The captain could not explain the sudden chill that ran down his spine at Zenk's prediction. "Battle, sir?"
Without a word, Zenk picked up a folded note and handed it to Farhill. Tha baffled captain took the parchment and read:
Prince Zenk- The zoras that the wicked Queen Antia was holding as captives are now free and safely lodged with us. As is the hylian maiden Aridwyn, who boldly snuck into Gerudo Fortress and single-handedly freed our allies. She also informed us that the Gerudo army is lurking about Hyrule Field. I am planning to launch a surprise attack on them at sunrise with all of my warriors. Do not try to stop us or aid us-you have been excellent comrades, it is time for us to do our part. Give my regards to Ion and Atron. -Lord Darronn of Death Mountain
Farhill looked up and Zenk sighed. "I don't know what to do. Darronn plans on leading them on a suicide mission. He made it clear that he does not want our help."
"But if we don't help, they'll be slaughtered!" Farhill protested.
Zenk sighed again. "Not without taking quite a few of those Gerudos down with them. Gorons are friendly in peace. But they are ferocious in battle."
* * *
That night Prince Zenk held a feast. Everyone in Hyrule Castle was seated around half a dozen long tables in the main hall. Hylians piled food on their plates and drank merrily.
Only Captain Ion, seated between Prince Zenk and Atron Doren, sensed something wrong. "Zenk?" he said quietly over the din. "What is this feast for?"
The prince looked over at him. "Cannot a prince hold a celebration once in a whie to enjoy the sheer beauty of life?"
Ion was not fooled, and he gave Zenk a reproving look.
"Fine, fine," Zenk sighed. "It is a parting feast. Which reminds me, King Darronn says hello." The puzzled captain questioned him further, but the prince would say no more. Ion soon forgot the problem in the merriment of the festival.
"Pass me some of those mashed potatoes, will you Atron?"
"Get them yourself, Cap'n. I'm too busy digging into this rosecream pie!"
"Going right for the desert, eh Atron?"
"Sure am, Levin. Who knows, a bolt of lightning could strike me dead in the middle of the meal!"
"What a pity that would be for the rest of us."
"Try some of this, Ion, it's great!"
"I already have, Farhill, and more than once!"
"Like it, do you? That's my own recipe."
"Where in the blazes did you learn to cook like that, miss?"
"Don't give me all the credit. Ha ha, I made Aridwyn do most of the work!"
Zenk could tell that his celebration was having the desired effect on the hylians. In the midst of all the laughing and feasting, they had forgotten about Antia, the Gerudos, and the war that was teetering on the brink of the peak of their lives. All it needed was a small push to launch Hyrule into a state of near chaos. Darronn, Ankor, and Antia had already gotten it to the edge. Now it was Zenk's turn.
Once everyone was finished with their meal, the young prince got to his feet. "Friends!" he shouted. All eyes turned to him, all long elven ears tuned in and ready to listen to what their master's prince had to say. "You are probably wondering what the occasion is for this feast. And it is time for me to tell you." He gazed around at the seated hylians who had served him and his father for so long. "It is a parting feast. We may never see some of our old friends again."
Only Farhill was not surprised. Everyone else arched their eyebrows and looked questionly up at Zenk, who continued.
"Lord Darronn of the gorons is leading his soldiers in a surprise assault on the majority of the Gerudo army, which is assembled in Hyrule Field. I fear many, if not all of those brave creatures will be slain in battle."
Many of the hylians shouted out. Why was their bold prince sitting back while their greatest allies were slaughtered?
Zenk held up his hand for quiet. After about a minute, everyone fell silent.
"Friends, friends," the prince said. "I never said we would not be slain alongside them." The hall erupted with cheers. "Strap your armor and sharpen your blades, for tomorrow the hylians march to war!"