**DISCLAIMER**I do not own The Legend of Zelda or any of its characters.
Leigh, Leena, Keman, Aiden, Rhiannon, and several other characters are
figments of my imagination.**
**Author's Note** Hey everyone, me again, I just realized that italics
don't work in this format. So anything you see that is double spaced away
from everything and doesn't seem to go with the current scene is a vision
or flashback or dream, ok? Sorry for any confusion. I'm trying to fix the
italics problem, but I'm really bad with computers, so it probably won't
work.**
~Alatariel Sirenial~
Interum
The Gerudo twirled the golden chain through her fingers, watching as the ruby hanging from it caught the light from the lone torch on the wall of her room. She lay on her cot, admiring her prize. This necklace would fetch a fair price from some Hylian noble, far more than the trouble she had taken to get it was worth. Raids were getting easier and easier these days. Life as a thief had probably never been better.
Hearing someone at the door, the Gerudo turned to see who her visitor was. Another Gerudo stood there, her red hair cropped short and clothed in a white uniform. She was several years older than the girl on the cot. "Leigh," the older woman said, "I've got your orders." With a flick of her wrist, Leigh let the necklace fly from her fingers and into the far wall. It hit the stone wall with the slight clang of metal.
"Well, Alzena, what have we got?" she asked. Alzena stepped into the room and handed the younger Gerudo a piece of paper. Leigh looked over it for several moments, her eyebrows raised in surprise. When she looked up, her eyes were confused.
"They want the target alive?" she asked. Alzena nodded. Leigh shook her head in response. "I can't believe this! I'm an assassin, not a babysitter! How are we supposed to bring the target all the way back here alive?" Leigh asked.
"How are you going to bring him back alive. They want you alone on this one," Alzena answered with a bit of a smirk. Leigh rolled her eyes.
"This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" Oh well, I suppose I don't really have a choice, she thought. One doesn't really question Twinrova.
"I would bet quite a few rupees that this is about that prophecy you found, the one about blood," Alzena said. Leigh nodded.
"But I don't understand what they want this guy for. He doesn't seem important." Leigh took another look at the paper, which contained her instructions and a description of her target. She snickered. "At least he'll be easy to find," she said, holding the paper to the torch, dropping it to the stone floor, and watching it burn.
"Good bye, Alzena," Leigh said, going to the door. "I'm off to Kakariko." Chapter 2
"Malon," Neal whines, "what are we doing in here?"
"I'm saying goodbye to Epona," Malon answers, moving to a stall on the far wall of the stable.
"Saying goodbye to-!" I gasp. "Malon, what are you talking about? Is something wrong with Epona?" Malon shakes her head as she stops in front of the stall.
"Nothing's wrong with her," she answers. "We're giving her away."
"What?!" Neal and I exclaim together. "Why?" Malon reaches out to stroke the white forelock of the mare inside the stall. Epona. Like with all the horses on the ranch, Malon had raised her from birth, but Epona was special. Epona was the filly of the mare that had belonged to her late mother. The mare had died giving birth to Epona, so now Epona is all Malon has to remember her mother by. Malon loves Epona more than anything; she always has. And Epona loves Malon right back. Epona only lets Malon and me ride her. She'll run over anyone else who tries. Malon would never give Epona away in a million years, so something must really be wrong. "I'm giving her away for her own good. She needs to be able to run, but I'm always busy so she doesn't leave the ranch that often. She's a wild spirit that needs to be free, to run where she pleases. But I cannot just let her go. She needs someone to take care of her, and I can't give her the freedom she needs. And besides, I'm doing a favor for the person I'm giving her to," Malon says.
"Who could you possibly be giving her to, Malon?" I ask. "She won't let anyone ride her." Malon fishes into a pocket, pulls out a lump of sugar, and feeds it to Epona.
"Oh, she'll let this person ride her," she says, turning to me with a half-smile. "I'm giving her to you, fairy boy." My eyes widen in shock.
"Really, Malon?" I ask. "It's not a joke?"
"Nope, she's yours," Malon says, shaking her head. I step forward, dazed, and scratch Epona behind her ear. I've known Epona for as long as I've known Malon, since I was ten. I ride her a lot, and she trusts me every bit as much as she trusts Malon. I love Epona.
"Thanks, Malon," I say dumbly, not taking my eyes off Epona. Malon smiles.
"I knew you would be surprised," she says. "And I know you two will take care of each other. Maybe Epona can keep you out of trouble."
"Malon, I don't know what to say. thank you. This means a lot," I manage to say.
"You're welcome, fairy boy," Malon says. Keman clears his throat. "If we're done here," he says, "I think we need to start back to Kakariko." Neal nods his agreement.
"Yeah, we don't want to get back too late. Mom will have a fit. Thanks for dinner, by the way, Malon," Neal says. Malon suddenly looks alarmed.
"No!" she says suddenly, surprising us all. "You can't go back to Kakariko tonight." I turn to look at her.
"Why not?" I ask.
"You.just can't," Malon stammers. By now, Neal, Keman, and I are all giving her strange looks.
"Why not?" Keman says, repeating my question. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Malon says, shaking her head.
"Then why can't we leave?" Neal asks. "Look, Malon, if you wanted me to stay, you should have just said so. No need for the theatrics." Malon glares at him.
"Don't get any ideas. Listen, it is very important that you stay away from Kakariko tonight," she says, now sounding very worried. I discreetly open Epona's stall, lead her out, and climb onto her back.
"Malon," I say, "if you can't give me one good reason why I can't go back to Kakariko, then I'm going right now." Malon whirls to face me, terrified. What is wrong with her? What isn't she telling us?
"Please stay! Sheik said I couldn't-" she stops, having just said more than she meant to.
"Sheik, huh? What did he say, Malon? If it's that important, you really should tell us," I say. Malon stares back at me, eyes pleading.
"Please, you just have to trust me. Link, you can't go back to Kakariko tonight. Just wait until morning and everything will be fine."
"Wait," Keman says. "Link can't go back? What about the rest of us?" Malon looks uneasy, but begins to speak.
"Well, Sheik said that. Sheik said that some people are looking for Link. I don't know who they are," she says, cutting off the questions she knows are coming. "And I don't know what they want. Sheik said that they are coming through Kakariko tonight and that Link has to stay away until they leave. Actually, Neal, you could go back and warn your mother not to say anything about Link to anyone who asks." We all stare at Malon in stunned silence.
"Why would someone be after Link?" Neal finally asks. Malon shakes her head in answer. I'm wondering the same thing. Who would come looking for me? I may not be the most well liked person in Hyrule, but I don't think I've ever done anything to provoke someone to come after me. Suddenly, an idea occurs to me. The only thing we have to go on is Sheik's word, and he seemed sort of shifty.
"How do we know that Sheik is telling the truth? He didn't seem very honest to me," I say. "He's telling the truth, Link," Malon says.
"Even if he is, he just said someone was looking for me, right? How do we know that whoever it is means any harm?" I argue. Malon shakes her head.
"Whoever it is, they're dangerous."
"How do you know?" I challenge. "Who are they?"
"I already told you, I don't know who they are," Malon says, "but they aren't to be trifled with. Sheik sounded really worried about what would happen if they found you. Please," she says, eyes pleading, "You have to stay here."
"Fine," I answer. Keman gives a little cough.
"Well," he says, "since that's decided, let's go get some sleep."
"I guess I had better head back to Kakariko," Neal says reluctantly. Keman shakes his head.
"No, let me take care of it," he says. "I'll go make sure Karina and the others don't say anything about Link." He turns and walks out the door of the stable.
"Alright, then," Malon says, sounding relieved. "Follow me." Neal and I follow her out of the stable and into the main house.
**************************
Something small and sharp taps my forehead. TAP. It hits again. TAP TAP. And again. The tapping persists for another minute or so before I finally react. I grudgingly open my eyes to see to beady black eyes in a sea of white staring back at me. A white, beaked head turns sideways, contemplating the thing looking back at it for a moment before giving me a sharp peck in the eye.
"Ow!" I cry. "Damn bird, get off me!" The cuccoo takes flight in a whirl of feathers as I snap into a sitting position, rubbing my left eye. Neal brings himself up on one elbow, blinking at me through half-closed eyes.
"H-hey," he says through a yawn, "What's with the yelling?"
"That Goddess forsaken cuccoo pecked me in the eye," I answer. Neal gives me an annoyed look.
"Is that all? I'm going back to sleep," he says, and settles back into his corner of the room. From my position across the room, I can see a bit of bright blue sky through the window.
"Actually," I say as I stand up, still rubbing my eye, "the sun is out. You should probably get up." Neal doesn't give any sign that he's heard me. "Neal?" Still no answer. I shrug and begin to make my way to the door when the door on the upstairs landing opens and Malon comes out.
"Morning, Link," she says. "Neal up yet?"
"No," says a muffled voice from the corner. Malon smiles.
"You can sleep as long as you like, Neal," she calls to him. Then, to me she says "I have to help Dad with a milk delivery, but you two don't have anything to do, so you can stay for a time if you want."
"Actually," I say, "we were supposed to work in the graveyard today." Neal stands up immediately and makes for the door. Upon reaching it, he turns to me.
" Well? Are you coming? Oh," he says, noticing Malon, " thank you for everything Malon, I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Alright. See you soon, then. Bye," Malon says. I rush out the door after Neal, who is already halfway to the stable.
"Bye, Malon," I say before closing the door behind me. I walk into the stable to find Neal outside Epona's stall. As I saddle up Epona, Neal begins to pace back and forth, looking over at me from time to time to see if I'm finished. Who does he think he is? He's acting like an impatient noble waiting for his servant to finish some task. I decide to point out that I don't have to let him ride Epona at all.
"You know," I say lightly, watching him as he paces, "you could walk back to Kakariko, since you seem to have no trouble pacing back and forth while I try to saddle up my horse, which I don't really have to let you ride, although you seem to consider that your right rather than a privilege." He stops pacing and looks up at me, surprised. I realize that I am glaring at him, and go back to tightening the cinch on Epona's saddle. "Link, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that, it's just, you know.." My anger ebbs as he trails off. I shouldn't have gotten mad at him like that; I know why he wants to get to the graveyard so quickly. I lead Epona out of the stable and mount her. Neal climbs up behind me and Epona trots out of the ranch. Once we're out in Hyrule Field, I urge Epona into a swift canter.
"Does she have to go this fast?" Neal asks weakly. I nod. He's deathly afraid of horses, and probably would have preferred walking, but he really wants to get back to Kakariko. When Neal was a kid, he had idolized Dampé the grave keeper. He hung out in the graveyard for as long as he could every day, waving a stick and trying to frighten people, since everyone in town was afraid of Dampé. Although Dampé had ignored Neal at first, he needed help in the graveyard as he got older. He eventually employed Neal to work in the graveyard with him. Working for Dampé, Neal gained even more respect for him, and he and the grave keeper became good friends. Though Dampé's frightful deformity made him look rather dull witted, he worked hard and managed the great responsibility of caring for the graveyard. Neal eventually got me a job in the graveyard as well, though I never got as close to Dampé as he had. When Dampé died three months ago, Neal was crushed. Losing Dampé had been like losing his father all over again, and he had taken it really hard. He had promised his friend on his deathbed that he would tidy up the graveyard twice a month, and he's held rigidly to that promise.
I come back to the present as Epona slows and stops in front of the stairs that lead into Kakariko Village. Neal and I both dismount and I pat Epona on the neck before following Neal up the steps and into the village. I head toward the graveyard, but Neal makes for his house.
"I need to get something from the house, and we should probably let Mom know we're back," he says in answer to my inquiring look. I nod and follow him.
When we reach the house and open the door, Karina practically sprints into Neal, holding him in a tight hug.
"Neal, Link, are you two alright? Sweet merciful Din, when that Sheikah told me someone was looking for you.. I couldn't sleep at all last night, I was so worried."
"Mom," Neal says, carefully holding her at arm's distance, "We're fine." I nod.
"No one came by the ranch, no one got hurt, so calm down. Do you want to sit down?" I add. "You look like a wreck." Karina did look distraught, but she shook her head.
"No, I'm fine. You're sure you're both all right? Link?" she asks, looking at me over her son's shoulder. "He said they were looking for you, and when that girl came by asking about you, I-" Neal and I both give her stunned looks.
"You mean someone actually came?" I ask, surprised. I can't believe it. Karina nods. "Yes, a young woman, about your age. She came and asked if Link was home, and I told her that I didn't know him. I don't know if she believed me, I'm not sure that she did, but she left right after that," she finishes.
"What did she look like? The girl, I mean," I ask. She doesn't exactly sound sinister. Maybe I know her, and this whole thing is just a really weird mix-up.
"Well," Neal's mother says, "I couldn't see much; she was wearing a hood, but she was definitely Hylian. She had blue eyes, but that's all I know. I'm sorry, I know that doesn't help at all, but it's all I could see."
"That's alright," I say, shaking my head. If I had a rupee for every Hylian girl I knew with blue eyes, I'd be rich. The description doesn't help at all. Karina looks uncomfortable for a second.
"Do you two want something to eat?" she asks, changing the subject.
"Nope, sorry, we've got to go to the graveyard," Neal says, shaking his head. "We'll probably be back before sunset. Bye." He hugs his mother and then walks away in the direction of the graveyard with me walking beside him. We've just passed the inn when a girl runs up to us.
"Hello," she says, tucking her curly blond hair behind a pointed ear. "I'm supposed to meet someone in the Kakariko Graveyard, but I can't find it anywhere. I've been over the whole town twice, but I can't find any graveyard. Would you mind showing me where it is?"
"We'll show you where it is," I answer. "We were headed there anyway." She must be pretty bad with directions, I think to myself. She has to be at least sixteen, and the graveyard isn't that hard to find.
"Great!" she says, stepping between Neal and I as we start waking again. As we walk, the girl stares at me out of the corner of her eye with an odd look on her face, quickly looking away whenever I catch her. As we walk onto the path to the graveyard, I finally acknowledge her.
"What?" I ask, sounding annoyed. She turns to look at me.
"Pardon?" she asks innocently.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Oh, um, I was just wondering.why are you dressed like that?" Her blue eyes seem to light up, and then she starts laughing. Great, this again. No matter where I go, someone always comments on what I wear. I wonder what Hyrule has against the color green.
"What's wrong with the way I dress?" I ask, even though I can make a pretty good prediction of what her answer will be.
"Well," the girl gasps through her laughter, "You look like one of those fairy kids from the forest, you know, the ones from the stories? It wouldn't be so bad, I guess, if it weren't for-" she bursts into another laughing fit and has to calm herself before she can continue, "- if it weren't for that hat. Why do you wear that thing, anyway?"
"I like green," I reply sarcastically. She gives me a confused look, which makes sense, as my answer has nothing to do with her question.
"We're here," Neal says as we reach the graveyard. The girl quickly scans it and turns to leave.
"Well, I guess they're not here," she says in a rather rushed voice. "Thank you for showing me this place, though." She waves as she walks away.
"That was weird," says Neal as he heads toward the shed that served as Dampé's home to get the tools. "She was rather odd, don't you think? I mean, just going up to complete strangers, following them and then leaving right away; kind of strange if you ask me. And she didn't look very hard for whoever she was supposed to meet here."
"Yeah," I answer, "but you wouldn't exactly have to look that hard to see that no one was here." I enter the shed behind Neal and grab a rake from beside the door. Once we're both outside, Neal leans his shovel against the shed.
"I almost forgot. Sorry that it's a day late, but here's your present," Neal says, holding out a blue a silver object. Torchlight flickers off of damp blue walls. On the far side of the small chamber, a dark hallway sits blocked by a bright blue stone block. I stand in front of an open chest on a raised platform. Reaching into the chest, I remove the strangest device I've ever seen. A sturdy metal chain is wrapped around blue housing with a small flip switch on the end. Set into the housing is what looks like a giant metal spearhead, the chain attached to it. The name of the device comes to me, though I've never heard it before: the hookshot.
"I found it a few weeks ago, but I don't have any use for it. It was Dampé's. I'm not really sure how it works," Neal adds as I take the hookshot from him.
"Thanks," I say absently as I examine the gift, wondering how to work it. Out of curiosity, I flip the switch on the end. Something clicks and the spearhead shoots from the housing and buries itself in one of the earthen walls of the graveyard, the chain stretching between it and me. Surprised, I release the switch and the chain retracts, dragging me along with it. When the train has fully retracted, I'm hanging by my arm from the graveyard wall. I wrench the hook from the dirt and fall to the ground.
"Interesting," I mutter, walking back to the shed. I put the hookshot in my bag and grab the rake again. Neal has already picked up the shovel and is headed toward a disheveled grave. I turn to follow him; we've got a lot of work ahead of us.
**************************
INTERUM
A girl stood on a slope beside the windmill, the wind pushing her golden hair back from her face. Her eyes glittered with twisted anticipation as she looked out at the town.
Soon it will be a lovely display of flames, she thought to herself. Turning to the wooden structure beside her, she clenched her right hand into a fist until she felt a burning heat in her palm. She opened her burning hand slightly and, using her other hand to protect the small flame she held cupped there, pressed it to the wall. Slowly, the wooden side of the windmill caught fire. As the flames grew, the wind that had threatened the seedling flame now fed the new fire, causing it to swell.
Feeling dizzy (summoning fire took a lot of energy, and she wasn't very practiced at it), the girl bent down and picked up an unlit torch. Lighting it from the flames now rapidly consuming the windmill, she nimbly leapt to the ground below and proceeded towards the nearest building.
"Hey, Link," Neal calls, "Can you go back to the house real quick and tell Mom we'll be back late?"
"Sure," I call back, turning and heading back towards the town. I take my time; the less I have to do in that graveyard, the better. As I near the end of the earthen corridor that leads to town, I begin to hear noises. There is a constant roar, and screams. At the sound of the screams, I break into a run and draw my bow, expecting to find a wolfos or something attacking some kids. When I reach the town, however, I stop dead in my tracks, my bow hanging from my hand at my side, forgotten.
Kakariko Village is engulfed in flames. A tower of fire, whipped into a frenzy by the wind, rises from every building that I can see, in sharp contrast with the twilit sky. Beneath the roar of the fire, I hear a sharp crack as a far-off roof collapses. People are weaving between buildings toward the large open area in the middle of town, where they search frantically for family members.
I break free of my stupor, turn on my heel, and dash back to the graveyard.
"Neal!" I yell as soon as I get there. "Neal, Kakariko is burning!" He turns to me, disbelieving.
"What?!" he asks, looking as though he can't believe what he just heard.
" The whole town's on fire. Come on, we have to get back!" I turn and run back the other way and hear Neal running behind me. We reach town out of breath and stop for a moment.
"I'm going to make sure Mom got out alright," Neal says before running off. I'm about to follow him when a scream bursts from the house a few feet away: Anju's house. Sweet merciful Din, Anju's still in there! I turn toward the house and quickly run through the doorway and into the burning house.
Smoke stings my eyes as I squint, trying to make out the house's interior. As I stumble down the small hallway, Anju screams again. The sound is coming from upstairs, so I make my way back to the stairs and go up them. I open the door at the top of the landing- or at least I try to. I can't get it open and look down to see that the door is block by debris the fell from the ceiling. I work quickly to clear the smoldering wood away from the door and then open the door.
I nearly collide with Anju as I enter the room. Most of the room is flaming, and only the small section we are standing in is safe. Anju turns and sees me, her eyes filled with fear and looking panicked.
"I tried to open the door, but-" Anju breaks off into a coughing fit; the smoke must be getting to her lungs. "The door wouldn't open," Anju finishes once the coughing subsides.
"Cover your mouth with something! Don't breath in any more smoke!" I call to her over the noise of the fire. Anju nods and holds the sleeve of her frock over her mouth, breathing through the cloth. She exits the room in front of me and I follow her. As we hurry down the now smoldering stairway, I land especially hard on one of the stairs, it gives way beneath me, and I fall the short distance to the first floor. I look up to see Anju looking through the hole.
"I'm fine!" I yell. "Just go, the way out's clear." She turns and hurries away as I stand and head out from under the stairs and back towards the small hallway that leads out of the house. Before I go anywhere, however, I run into a wall. I stand in front of the wooden obstacle, not really understanding what it is. Then it hits me: the area beneath theses stairs is boxed in. The stairs aren't simply attached to the wall of the house; they are supported by a wooden structure beneath them, forming a closed compartment under the stairs. Well, there has to be a door somewhere, I think to myself, going down on my knees and searching for the small door that should lead out into the house. I search the entire wall four times, but I can't find a door. It dawns on me that I'm trapped. I stare at the wall, realizing that I'm about to die. It's just wood, just a little bit of wood, but I'm going to die because of it. Wait, it's only wood. Maybe I can break through it. If I'm lucky, the fire may have weakened it already. I ram my shoulder into the wall and push against it, not getting any results. I continue to ram the wall, without avail. Several minutes later, I've still gotten nowhere. I'm breathing hard from the exertion, but smoke is rapidly filling the hole I'm in, so I'm breathing more smoke than air. As I take a deep breath, I start coughing and can't stop. I'm leaning against the wall, hacking away, when I hear a voice.
"Get back!" a female voice yells in a commanding tone. It sounds almost familiar. I do as I'm told, backing into the wall opposite the one on which I was leaning. There is an explosion, and when the light fades I can see that the wall has been destroyed. Coming toward me is the blond girl from the graveyard.
"Come on," she says impatiently, "let's get out of here before the roof falls in." Without waiting for an answer, she turns and heads toward the door at a sprint with me at her heels. We get a safe distance away from the house before slowing to a walk as we approach the open space where Kakariko's residents are congregating.
"How did you know I was in there?" I ask her.
"I've been watching you since the fire started," she answers, leaving me surprised.
"Watching me? Why?" The girl gives me a sidelong glance.
"I wanted to make sure you didn't try to play the hero and get yourself killed in the process. Which," she adds, "you nearly did."
"Well, thank you for saving me," I say, a bit confused.
"I didn't do it for you," she answers scornfully. "My master still has need of you. We can't have you dying just yet. But don't worry," she continues as I give her a shocked look. "Your time will come. Now follow me." I stop. We're in the middle of the huddle of the people of Kakariko.
"Why would I follow you?" I ask. The girl stops as well, but does not turn to look at me.
"Do you see all these people, Link?" How does she know my name? "Do you want them to die? I'm a fire mage," she lied, " and I will kill them all right now if you do not come with me, just like I set fire to this town." I stare at her in shock.
"You started the fire?" I ask, stunned. The girl nods and grins, apparently proud of that accomplishment.
"Yes, clever, hmm? Now, follow me. We have a long way to go," she says as she moves away with long, swift strides, confident that I will follow. I stay where I am, still unable to comprehend what I've just been told. It really doesn't make any sense. First, this girl shows up, saves my life, then tells me that she set fire to Kakariko and that if I don't follow her, she'll kill everyone in town. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? No, I didn't think so.
The girl, realizing that I'm not behind her, turns and glares at me impatiently.
"Did you hear me?" she asks. "Get over here, now." She raises her hand, which is glowing red. "I said, get- ow!" The girl pulls something from her arm, looks at it, and then casts it aside in disgust as her form begins to blur. Seconds later, a Gerudo is standing where the blond arsonist had been. She glares at something behind me, and I turn to see Sheik running towards us, throwing-needles in one hand. He comes to a stop beside me.
"Get out of here, Gerudo," he says, glowering. The Gerudo tosses her long red ponytail and puts a hand on her hip.
"You can't tell me what to do, Sheikah," she says, her voice dripping venom. "Nice trick by the way: reversing the shape shift, that was smart," she adds, noticing a guard coming towards her, his weapon at the ready. "I'll come back for you later," she says, addressing me. The wind picks up, and the Gerudo is surrounded by swirling wisps of green light. "Hero of Time," she adds, "Ganondorf sends his regards." And with that, she disappears in a flash of green.
I turn to Sheik to ask him what's going on, but he heads me off.
"You'll have to come to the castle with me," he says, "I'll explain everything there."
Interum
The Gerudo twirled the golden chain through her fingers, watching as the ruby hanging from it caught the light from the lone torch on the wall of her room. She lay on her cot, admiring her prize. This necklace would fetch a fair price from some Hylian noble, far more than the trouble she had taken to get it was worth. Raids were getting easier and easier these days. Life as a thief had probably never been better.
Hearing someone at the door, the Gerudo turned to see who her visitor was. Another Gerudo stood there, her red hair cropped short and clothed in a white uniform. She was several years older than the girl on the cot. "Leigh," the older woman said, "I've got your orders." With a flick of her wrist, Leigh let the necklace fly from her fingers and into the far wall. It hit the stone wall with the slight clang of metal.
"Well, Alzena, what have we got?" she asked. Alzena stepped into the room and handed the younger Gerudo a piece of paper. Leigh looked over it for several moments, her eyebrows raised in surprise. When she looked up, her eyes were confused.
"They want the target alive?" she asked. Alzena nodded. Leigh shook her head in response. "I can't believe this! I'm an assassin, not a babysitter! How are we supposed to bring the target all the way back here alive?" Leigh asked.
"How are you going to bring him back alive. They want you alone on this one," Alzena answered with a bit of a smirk. Leigh rolled her eyes.
"This just keeps getting better, doesn't it?" Oh well, I suppose I don't really have a choice, she thought. One doesn't really question Twinrova.
"I would bet quite a few rupees that this is about that prophecy you found, the one about blood," Alzena said. Leigh nodded.
"But I don't understand what they want this guy for. He doesn't seem important." Leigh took another look at the paper, which contained her instructions and a description of her target. She snickered. "At least he'll be easy to find," she said, holding the paper to the torch, dropping it to the stone floor, and watching it burn.
"Good bye, Alzena," Leigh said, going to the door. "I'm off to Kakariko." Chapter 2
"Malon," Neal whines, "what are we doing in here?"
"I'm saying goodbye to Epona," Malon answers, moving to a stall on the far wall of the stable.
"Saying goodbye to-!" I gasp. "Malon, what are you talking about? Is something wrong with Epona?" Malon shakes her head as she stops in front of the stall.
"Nothing's wrong with her," she answers. "We're giving her away."
"What?!" Neal and I exclaim together. "Why?" Malon reaches out to stroke the white forelock of the mare inside the stall. Epona. Like with all the horses on the ranch, Malon had raised her from birth, but Epona was special. Epona was the filly of the mare that had belonged to her late mother. The mare had died giving birth to Epona, so now Epona is all Malon has to remember her mother by. Malon loves Epona more than anything; she always has. And Epona loves Malon right back. Epona only lets Malon and me ride her. She'll run over anyone else who tries. Malon would never give Epona away in a million years, so something must really be wrong. "I'm giving her away for her own good. She needs to be able to run, but I'm always busy so she doesn't leave the ranch that often. She's a wild spirit that needs to be free, to run where she pleases. But I cannot just let her go. She needs someone to take care of her, and I can't give her the freedom she needs. And besides, I'm doing a favor for the person I'm giving her to," Malon says.
"Who could you possibly be giving her to, Malon?" I ask. "She won't let anyone ride her." Malon fishes into a pocket, pulls out a lump of sugar, and feeds it to Epona.
"Oh, she'll let this person ride her," she says, turning to me with a half-smile. "I'm giving her to you, fairy boy." My eyes widen in shock.
"Really, Malon?" I ask. "It's not a joke?"
"Nope, she's yours," Malon says, shaking her head. I step forward, dazed, and scratch Epona behind her ear. I've known Epona for as long as I've known Malon, since I was ten. I ride her a lot, and she trusts me every bit as much as she trusts Malon. I love Epona.
"Thanks, Malon," I say dumbly, not taking my eyes off Epona. Malon smiles.
"I knew you would be surprised," she says. "And I know you two will take care of each other. Maybe Epona can keep you out of trouble."
"Malon, I don't know what to say. thank you. This means a lot," I manage to say.
"You're welcome, fairy boy," Malon says. Keman clears his throat. "If we're done here," he says, "I think we need to start back to Kakariko." Neal nods his agreement.
"Yeah, we don't want to get back too late. Mom will have a fit. Thanks for dinner, by the way, Malon," Neal says. Malon suddenly looks alarmed.
"No!" she says suddenly, surprising us all. "You can't go back to Kakariko tonight." I turn to look at her.
"Why not?" I ask.
"You.just can't," Malon stammers. By now, Neal, Keman, and I are all giving her strange looks.
"Why not?" Keman says, repeating my question. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Malon says, shaking her head.
"Then why can't we leave?" Neal asks. "Look, Malon, if you wanted me to stay, you should have just said so. No need for the theatrics." Malon glares at him.
"Don't get any ideas. Listen, it is very important that you stay away from Kakariko tonight," she says, now sounding very worried. I discreetly open Epona's stall, lead her out, and climb onto her back.
"Malon," I say, "if you can't give me one good reason why I can't go back to Kakariko, then I'm going right now." Malon whirls to face me, terrified. What is wrong with her? What isn't she telling us?
"Please stay! Sheik said I couldn't-" she stops, having just said more than she meant to.
"Sheik, huh? What did he say, Malon? If it's that important, you really should tell us," I say. Malon stares back at me, eyes pleading.
"Please, you just have to trust me. Link, you can't go back to Kakariko tonight. Just wait until morning and everything will be fine."
"Wait," Keman says. "Link can't go back? What about the rest of us?" Malon looks uneasy, but begins to speak.
"Well, Sheik said that. Sheik said that some people are looking for Link. I don't know who they are," she says, cutting off the questions she knows are coming. "And I don't know what they want. Sheik said that they are coming through Kakariko tonight and that Link has to stay away until they leave. Actually, Neal, you could go back and warn your mother not to say anything about Link to anyone who asks." We all stare at Malon in stunned silence.
"Why would someone be after Link?" Neal finally asks. Malon shakes her head in answer. I'm wondering the same thing. Who would come looking for me? I may not be the most well liked person in Hyrule, but I don't think I've ever done anything to provoke someone to come after me. Suddenly, an idea occurs to me. The only thing we have to go on is Sheik's word, and he seemed sort of shifty.
"How do we know that Sheik is telling the truth? He didn't seem very honest to me," I say. "He's telling the truth, Link," Malon says.
"Even if he is, he just said someone was looking for me, right? How do we know that whoever it is means any harm?" I argue. Malon shakes her head.
"Whoever it is, they're dangerous."
"How do you know?" I challenge. "Who are they?"
"I already told you, I don't know who they are," Malon says, "but they aren't to be trifled with. Sheik sounded really worried about what would happen if they found you. Please," she says, eyes pleading, "You have to stay here."
"Fine," I answer. Keman gives a little cough.
"Well," he says, "since that's decided, let's go get some sleep."
"I guess I had better head back to Kakariko," Neal says reluctantly. Keman shakes his head.
"No, let me take care of it," he says. "I'll go make sure Karina and the others don't say anything about Link." He turns and walks out the door of the stable.
"Alright, then," Malon says, sounding relieved. "Follow me." Neal and I follow her out of the stable and into the main house.
**************************
Something small and sharp taps my forehead. TAP. It hits again. TAP TAP. And again. The tapping persists for another minute or so before I finally react. I grudgingly open my eyes to see to beady black eyes in a sea of white staring back at me. A white, beaked head turns sideways, contemplating the thing looking back at it for a moment before giving me a sharp peck in the eye.
"Ow!" I cry. "Damn bird, get off me!" The cuccoo takes flight in a whirl of feathers as I snap into a sitting position, rubbing my left eye. Neal brings himself up on one elbow, blinking at me through half-closed eyes.
"H-hey," he says through a yawn, "What's with the yelling?"
"That Goddess forsaken cuccoo pecked me in the eye," I answer. Neal gives me an annoyed look.
"Is that all? I'm going back to sleep," he says, and settles back into his corner of the room. From my position across the room, I can see a bit of bright blue sky through the window.
"Actually," I say as I stand up, still rubbing my eye, "the sun is out. You should probably get up." Neal doesn't give any sign that he's heard me. "Neal?" Still no answer. I shrug and begin to make my way to the door when the door on the upstairs landing opens and Malon comes out.
"Morning, Link," she says. "Neal up yet?"
"No," says a muffled voice from the corner. Malon smiles.
"You can sleep as long as you like, Neal," she calls to him. Then, to me she says "I have to help Dad with a milk delivery, but you two don't have anything to do, so you can stay for a time if you want."
"Actually," I say, "we were supposed to work in the graveyard today." Neal stands up immediately and makes for the door. Upon reaching it, he turns to me.
" Well? Are you coming? Oh," he says, noticing Malon, " thank you for everything Malon, I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Alright. See you soon, then. Bye," Malon says. I rush out the door after Neal, who is already halfway to the stable.
"Bye, Malon," I say before closing the door behind me. I walk into the stable to find Neal outside Epona's stall. As I saddle up Epona, Neal begins to pace back and forth, looking over at me from time to time to see if I'm finished. Who does he think he is? He's acting like an impatient noble waiting for his servant to finish some task. I decide to point out that I don't have to let him ride Epona at all.
"You know," I say lightly, watching him as he paces, "you could walk back to Kakariko, since you seem to have no trouble pacing back and forth while I try to saddle up my horse, which I don't really have to let you ride, although you seem to consider that your right rather than a privilege." He stops pacing and looks up at me, surprised. I realize that I am glaring at him, and go back to tightening the cinch on Epona's saddle. "Link, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that, it's just, you know.." My anger ebbs as he trails off. I shouldn't have gotten mad at him like that; I know why he wants to get to the graveyard so quickly. I lead Epona out of the stable and mount her. Neal climbs up behind me and Epona trots out of the ranch. Once we're out in Hyrule Field, I urge Epona into a swift canter.
"Does she have to go this fast?" Neal asks weakly. I nod. He's deathly afraid of horses, and probably would have preferred walking, but he really wants to get back to Kakariko. When Neal was a kid, he had idolized Dampé the grave keeper. He hung out in the graveyard for as long as he could every day, waving a stick and trying to frighten people, since everyone in town was afraid of Dampé. Although Dampé had ignored Neal at first, he needed help in the graveyard as he got older. He eventually employed Neal to work in the graveyard with him. Working for Dampé, Neal gained even more respect for him, and he and the grave keeper became good friends. Though Dampé's frightful deformity made him look rather dull witted, he worked hard and managed the great responsibility of caring for the graveyard. Neal eventually got me a job in the graveyard as well, though I never got as close to Dampé as he had. When Dampé died three months ago, Neal was crushed. Losing Dampé had been like losing his father all over again, and he had taken it really hard. He had promised his friend on his deathbed that he would tidy up the graveyard twice a month, and he's held rigidly to that promise.
I come back to the present as Epona slows and stops in front of the stairs that lead into Kakariko Village. Neal and I both dismount and I pat Epona on the neck before following Neal up the steps and into the village. I head toward the graveyard, but Neal makes for his house.
"I need to get something from the house, and we should probably let Mom know we're back," he says in answer to my inquiring look. I nod and follow him.
When we reach the house and open the door, Karina practically sprints into Neal, holding him in a tight hug.
"Neal, Link, are you two alright? Sweet merciful Din, when that Sheikah told me someone was looking for you.. I couldn't sleep at all last night, I was so worried."
"Mom," Neal says, carefully holding her at arm's distance, "We're fine." I nod.
"No one came by the ranch, no one got hurt, so calm down. Do you want to sit down?" I add. "You look like a wreck." Karina did look distraught, but she shook her head.
"No, I'm fine. You're sure you're both all right? Link?" she asks, looking at me over her son's shoulder. "He said they were looking for you, and when that girl came by asking about you, I-" Neal and I both give her stunned looks.
"You mean someone actually came?" I ask, surprised. I can't believe it. Karina nods. "Yes, a young woman, about your age. She came and asked if Link was home, and I told her that I didn't know him. I don't know if she believed me, I'm not sure that she did, but she left right after that," she finishes.
"What did she look like? The girl, I mean," I ask. She doesn't exactly sound sinister. Maybe I know her, and this whole thing is just a really weird mix-up.
"Well," Neal's mother says, "I couldn't see much; she was wearing a hood, but she was definitely Hylian. She had blue eyes, but that's all I know. I'm sorry, I know that doesn't help at all, but it's all I could see."
"That's alright," I say, shaking my head. If I had a rupee for every Hylian girl I knew with blue eyes, I'd be rich. The description doesn't help at all. Karina looks uncomfortable for a second.
"Do you two want something to eat?" she asks, changing the subject.
"Nope, sorry, we've got to go to the graveyard," Neal says, shaking his head. "We'll probably be back before sunset. Bye." He hugs his mother and then walks away in the direction of the graveyard with me walking beside him. We've just passed the inn when a girl runs up to us.
"Hello," she says, tucking her curly blond hair behind a pointed ear. "I'm supposed to meet someone in the Kakariko Graveyard, but I can't find it anywhere. I've been over the whole town twice, but I can't find any graveyard. Would you mind showing me where it is?"
"We'll show you where it is," I answer. "We were headed there anyway." She must be pretty bad with directions, I think to myself. She has to be at least sixteen, and the graveyard isn't that hard to find.
"Great!" she says, stepping between Neal and I as we start waking again. As we walk, the girl stares at me out of the corner of her eye with an odd look on her face, quickly looking away whenever I catch her. As we walk onto the path to the graveyard, I finally acknowledge her.
"What?" I ask, sounding annoyed. She turns to look at me.
"Pardon?" she asks innocently.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"Oh, um, I was just wondering.why are you dressed like that?" Her blue eyes seem to light up, and then she starts laughing. Great, this again. No matter where I go, someone always comments on what I wear. I wonder what Hyrule has against the color green.
"What's wrong with the way I dress?" I ask, even though I can make a pretty good prediction of what her answer will be.
"Well," the girl gasps through her laughter, "You look like one of those fairy kids from the forest, you know, the ones from the stories? It wouldn't be so bad, I guess, if it weren't for-" she bursts into another laughing fit and has to calm herself before she can continue, "- if it weren't for that hat. Why do you wear that thing, anyway?"
"I like green," I reply sarcastically. She gives me a confused look, which makes sense, as my answer has nothing to do with her question.
"We're here," Neal says as we reach the graveyard. The girl quickly scans it and turns to leave.
"Well, I guess they're not here," she says in a rather rushed voice. "Thank you for showing me this place, though." She waves as she walks away.
"That was weird," says Neal as he heads toward the shed that served as Dampé's home to get the tools. "She was rather odd, don't you think? I mean, just going up to complete strangers, following them and then leaving right away; kind of strange if you ask me. And she didn't look very hard for whoever she was supposed to meet here."
"Yeah," I answer, "but you wouldn't exactly have to look that hard to see that no one was here." I enter the shed behind Neal and grab a rake from beside the door. Once we're both outside, Neal leans his shovel against the shed.
"I almost forgot. Sorry that it's a day late, but here's your present," Neal says, holding out a blue a silver object. Torchlight flickers off of damp blue walls. On the far side of the small chamber, a dark hallway sits blocked by a bright blue stone block. I stand in front of an open chest on a raised platform. Reaching into the chest, I remove the strangest device I've ever seen. A sturdy metal chain is wrapped around blue housing with a small flip switch on the end. Set into the housing is what looks like a giant metal spearhead, the chain attached to it. The name of the device comes to me, though I've never heard it before: the hookshot.
"I found it a few weeks ago, but I don't have any use for it. It was Dampé's. I'm not really sure how it works," Neal adds as I take the hookshot from him.
"Thanks," I say absently as I examine the gift, wondering how to work it. Out of curiosity, I flip the switch on the end. Something clicks and the spearhead shoots from the housing and buries itself in one of the earthen walls of the graveyard, the chain stretching between it and me. Surprised, I release the switch and the chain retracts, dragging me along with it. When the train has fully retracted, I'm hanging by my arm from the graveyard wall. I wrench the hook from the dirt and fall to the ground.
"Interesting," I mutter, walking back to the shed. I put the hookshot in my bag and grab the rake again. Neal has already picked up the shovel and is headed toward a disheveled grave. I turn to follow him; we've got a lot of work ahead of us.
**************************
INTERUM
A girl stood on a slope beside the windmill, the wind pushing her golden hair back from her face. Her eyes glittered with twisted anticipation as she looked out at the town.
Soon it will be a lovely display of flames, she thought to herself. Turning to the wooden structure beside her, she clenched her right hand into a fist until she felt a burning heat in her palm. She opened her burning hand slightly and, using her other hand to protect the small flame she held cupped there, pressed it to the wall. Slowly, the wooden side of the windmill caught fire. As the flames grew, the wind that had threatened the seedling flame now fed the new fire, causing it to swell.
Feeling dizzy (summoning fire took a lot of energy, and she wasn't very practiced at it), the girl bent down and picked up an unlit torch. Lighting it from the flames now rapidly consuming the windmill, she nimbly leapt to the ground below and proceeded towards the nearest building.
"Hey, Link," Neal calls, "Can you go back to the house real quick and tell Mom we'll be back late?"
"Sure," I call back, turning and heading back towards the town. I take my time; the less I have to do in that graveyard, the better. As I near the end of the earthen corridor that leads to town, I begin to hear noises. There is a constant roar, and screams. At the sound of the screams, I break into a run and draw my bow, expecting to find a wolfos or something attacking some kids. When I reach the town, however, I stop dead in my tracks, my bow hanging from my hand at my side, forgotten.
Kakariko Village is engulfed in flames. A tower of fire, whipped into a frenzy by the wind, rises from every building that I can see, in sharp contrast with the twilit sky. Beneath the roar of the fire, I hear a sharp crack as a far-off roof collapses. People are weaving between buildings toward the large open area in the middle of town, where they search frantically for family members.
I break free of my stupor, turn on my heel, and dash back to the graveyard.
"Neal!" I yell as soon as I get there. "Neal, Kakariko is burning!" He turns to me, disbelieving.
"What?!" he asks, looking as though he can't believe what he just heard.
" The whole town's on fire. Come on, we have to get back!" I turn and run back the other way and hear Neal running behind me. We reach town out of breath and stop for a moment.
"I'm going to make sure Mom got out alright," Neal says before running off. I'm about to follow him when a scream bursts from the house a few feet away: Anju's house. Sweet merciful Din, Anju's still in there! I turn toward the house and quickly run through the doorway and into the burning house.
Smoke stings my eyes as I squint, trying to make out the house's interior. As I stumble down the small hallway, Anju screams again. The sound is coming from upstairs, so I make my way back to the stairs and go up them. I open the door at the top of the landing- or at least I try to. I can't get it open and look down to see that the door is block by debris the fell from the ceiling. I work quickly to clear the smoldering wood away from the door and then open the door.
I nearly collide with Anju as I enter the room. Most of the room is flaming, and only the small section we are standing in is safe. Anju turns and sees me, her eyes filled with fear and looking panicked.
"I tried to open the door, but-" Anju breaks off into a coughing fit; the smoke must be getting to her lungs. "The door wouldn't open," Anju finishes once the coughing subsides.
"Cover your mouth with something! Don't breath in any more smoke!" I call to her over the noise of the fire. Anju nods and holds the sleeve of her frock over her mouth, breathing through the cloth. She exits the room in front of me and I follow her. As we hurry down the now smoldering stairway, I land especially hard on one of the stairs, it gives way beneath me, and I fall the short distance to the first floor. I look up to see Anju looking through the hole.
"I'm fine!" I yell. "Just go, the way out's clear." She turns and hurries away as I stand and head out from under the stairs and back towards the small hallway that leads out of the house. Before I go anywhere, however, I run into a wall. I stand in front of the wooden obstacle, not really understanding what it is. Then it hits me: the area beneath theses stairs is boxed in. The stairs aren't simply attached to the wall of the house; they are supported by a wooden structure beneath them, forming a closed compartment under the stairs. Well, there has to be a door somewhere, I think to myself, going down on my knees and searching for the small door that should lead out into the house. I search the entire wall four times, but I can't find a door. It dawns on me that I'm trapped. I stare at the wall, realizing that I'm about to die. It's just wood, just a little bit of wood, but I'm going to die because of it. Wait, it's only wood. Maybe I can break through it. If I'm lucky, the fire may have weakened it already. I ram my shoulder into the wall and push against it, not getting any results. I continue to ram the wall, without avail. Several minutes later, I've still gotten nowhere. I'm breathing hard from the exertion, but smoke is rapidly filling the hole I'm in, so I'm breathing more smoke than air. As I take a deep breath, I start coughing and can't stop. I'm leaning against the wall, hacking away, when I hear a voice.
"Get back!" a female voice yells in a commanding tone. It sounds almost familiar. I do as I'm told, backing into the wall opposite the one on which I was leaning. There is an explosion, and when the light fades I can see that the wall has been destroyed. Coming toward me is the blond girl from the graveyard.
"Come on," she says impatiently, "let's get out of here before the roof falls in." Without waiting for an answer, she turns and heads toward the door at a sprint with me at her heels. We get a safe distance away from the house before slowing to a walk as we approach the open space where Kakariko's residents are congregating.
"How did you know I was in there?" I ask her.
"I've been watching you since the fire started," she answers, leaving me surprised.
"Watching me? Why?" The girl gives me a sidelong glance.
"I wanted to make sure you didn't try to play the hero and get yourself killed in the process. Which," she adds, "you nearly did."
"Well, thank you for saving me," I say, a bit confused.
"I didn't do it for you," she answers scornfully. "My master still has need of you. We can't have you dying just yet. But don't worry," she continues as I give her a shocked look. "Your time will come. Now follow me." I stop. We're in the middle of the huddle of the people of Kakariko.
"Why would I follow you?" I ask. The girl stops as well, but does not turn to look at me.
"Do you see all these people, Link?" How does she know my name? "Do you want them to die? I'm a fire mage," she lied, " and I will kill them all right now if you do not come with me, just like I set fire to this town." I stare at her in shock.
"You started the fire?" I ask, stunned. The girl nods and grins, apparently proud of that accomplishment.
"Yes, clever, hmm? Now, follow me. We have a long way to go," she says as she moves away with long, swift strides, confident that I will follow. I stay where I am, still unable to comprehend what I've just been told. It really doesn't make any sense. First, this girl shows up, saves my life, then tells me that she set fire to Kakariko and that if I don't follow her, she'll kill everyone in town. Makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? No, I didn't think so.
The girl, realizing that I'm not behind her, turns and glares at me impatiently.
"Did you hear me?" she asks. "Get over here, now." She raises her hand, which is glowing red. "I said, get- ow!" The girl pulls something from her arm, looks at it, and then casts it aside in disgust as her form begins to blur. Seconds later, a Gerudo is standing where the blond arsonist had been. She glares at something behind me, and I turn to see Sheik running towards us, throwing-needles in one hand. He comes to a stop beside me.
"Get out of here, Gerudo," he says, glowering. The Gerudo tosses her long red ponytail and puts a hand on her hip.
"You can't tell me what to do, Sheikah," she says, her voice dripping venom. "Nice trick by the way: reversing the shape shift, that was smart," she adds, noticing a guard coming towards her, his weapon at the ready. "I'll come back for you later," she says, addressing me. The wind picks up, and the Gerudo is surrounded by swirling wisps of green light. "Hero of Time," she adds, "Ganondorf sends his regards." And with that, she disappears in a flash of green.
I turn to Sheik to ask him what's going on, but he heads me off.
"You'll have to come to the castle with me," he says, "I'll explain everything there."