The Lone Wolf
Chapter 14: Wild ways.
Deep in the black forest wastes, Rose was back in her winter cave. She was sorting
through some pouches of herbs, making a poultice for her forepaws, which she had
scratched when she had retrieved Link's gear from it's hiding place, a hollow tree bough
surrounded with thorn bushes.
Once she had her paws bound in cloth, she looked around, and checked her food stock.
It was still good for a few weeks, no need to go hunting.
She walked outside her cave and looked at the moon, her mind elsewhere.
A tear rolled down her cheek silently.
"Goodbye Link, I did love you. I'm just sorry that I didn't realize that you had such
friends back home..." she thought to herself.
"Maybe someday, I'll find my own mate." she whispered to the wind.
* * * *
Back in Hyrule, at Lake Hylia, Link sat at the edge of the main island, dipping his foot
paws into the cool water.
The ocarina, now a blue pan's pipe, was lying next to his fore paw.
Link was sitting with his arms holding him upright, and he was looking at the moon.
"Rauru asked me to choose between a Hylian, and a wolf man... what a decision! On
the one hand, I have Rose back in the Forest, who even now is carrying my child, and I
know that her family accepts me at least... then on the other hand I have all the girls here
in Hyrule..."
Link sighed heavily. "First, there's Princess Ruto, who claims that I'm betrothed to her,
and will marry her..." Link chuckled. "Fat chance of that... She may be a princess and
all, and though she has her own physical charms, well, lets face it, she's a fish woman,
and a ditz." Link chuckled again. "Then there's Nabooru, she's attractive, smart enough,
and charitable with what she used to steal... but honestly, she's the spirit sage now, I'd
have to live the rest of my life in that massive, empty temple."
Link sighed again. "Saria's always been a friend, but she's a Kokiri for crying out
loud!" Link shook his head. "Impa is so much older than me it's not funny, but she's
been a wise advisor to me and Zelda in the past..." Link trailed off on that.
"Zelda. Zelda's a princess, required by law to marry a prince. She's told me a million
times that she'd gladly marry me if it wasn't for that, but..."
Again, another sigh. "Marriage, Malon's asked me a lot about getting married, but the
life of a farmer is not for me. All the dirty, back breaking work tending the fields... the
horses and cows I don't really mind that much, especially the horses, but I'm a warrior,
I'm not cut out for it."
Link shook his head. "Malon's not that bad, a little ditzy, but still, the life I'd have to
lead... I'd snap and start killing the live stock, even as a Hylian!"
Link snorted exasperated. "Darunia's been a great friend to me, and he'd understand a
warrior's drive to utilize his body like that, but..."
Link looked at the instrument on the ground. He picked it up and turned it over in his
paws for a few minutes before he got to his feet.
"No more quests huh?" Link said. "I think that's about enough. I'm putting all my
equipment where the next generation can get at it." he said.
One last glance at the instrument in his hands, and link shook his head. He put it to his
wolfish lips and played, not the song of healing, but the minuet of forest.
* * * *
Link arrived in the sacred forest meadow, and dashed quickly down to the lost woods
entrance. He navigated his way back to Kokiri forest. Once there, he found that all the
Kokiri kids were asleep again, and headed to his old tree house, where he collected his
pack and gear. He then went back to the Forest temple where he headed to the picture
gallery and deposited the fairy slingshot, fairy bow, and both the Deku seed bag and
quiver.
From there, he played the bolero of fire and headed to the fire temple.
It was hotter than it had ever been there, or so Link thought.
Link quickly deposited the bomb bag, the megaton hammer, and the Goron tunic in the
main hall and played the serenade of water, and was soon at lake Hylia again.
* * * *
Navi and Tatyl were hovering by the warp block.
"Saria said he'd bee here... where could he have gotten off to?" Tatyl asked.
I don't know but... oh, there he is!" Navi said, and pointed (yes, she has hands, Like
Ephmerelda from the LTTP comic in Nintendo Power she just shines too bright to see)
towards an approaching string of blue sparkles in the sky.
The two waited by the edge of the stone slab, and Link reappeared on the slab with the
pan's pipe in his mouth and his item bag around his shoulders.
Because he was still in wolf form, Navi fainted.
"NAVI!" Tatyl shouted.
Link looked over at the tiny body of the Fairy, lying on the ground and glowing
somewhat dim since she had lost consciousness, and then at his body, and chuckled.
Then he took a bottle from his bag and filled it with lake water, splashed a little on Navi's
still form, and she woke up sputtering.
"ACK!" she gasped and sputtered as she woke up. "Who poured Zora falls on me?"
She asked.
"You fainted Navi." Link said.
Since Navi had talked with Saria, Saria had allowed them to understand Link's new
language.
"Link' you're staying a wolf man?" Navi asked.
Link shrugged. "Not decided yet Navi."
"Then what are you doing?" Tatyl asked.
"Returning the item's I've found to their rightful place, more or less." He replied.
"Why's that?" the two fairies asked in unison.
"Well, I don't really know, I'm just considering my options at the moment, because
Rauru told me I don't have to fight for Hyrule or anywhere else in this lifetime, so I'm
leaving my equipment behind for the next generation." He answered.
"Oh." Navi and Tatyl said in unison.
Link looked at the Lake. "Right now I have to get inside the Water temple. I guess I'm
going swimming, but what about the Zora tunic... It's too small for me now..." Link
snapped his fingers, and tied the tunic around his waist like a loin-cloth.
"At least the tunic will work it's magic." He said, took out the iron boots and held them
in his paws, then hopped into the water, and sank.
Once in the water temple, he left the boomerang, the hook shot and the long shot, the
Zora tunic and the iron boots on the four separate raised platforms in the boss chamber's
pool before he played the Nocturne of shadow.
* * * *
The graveyard was as cold and rainy as ever, and Link didn't pay it a bit of mind, he just
went down the stairs to the entrance to the temple and deposited the Lens of truth and the
hover boots on the flame altar in the middle of the small chamber before he played the
requiem of spirit and was whisked away to the desert.
* * * *
Back at the Desert Colossus, Link hopped on the magic plant and rode it till it was right
in front of the massive statue, and he leapt up onto the right hand of the statue with a
great jump that sent the plant spinning.
He deposited the golden and silver gauntlets in the chest, and then leapt the gorge (using
the nose of the Statue to scramble before he leapt the rest of the way) and deposited the
mirror shield in that chest.
Then he stopped for a moment and sat down to rest. He looked up at the moon and
thought for about an hour, then stood, shook himself, and played the Minuet of forest
once again.
* * * *
Link deposited the bag of his remaining items in his old tree house and then headed out
to the great Deku tree's meadow. There, the Deku tree sprout watched him round the last
corner of the tight little passage and Link headed toward him.
"So hero, have you made up your mind yet about your future?" he asked.
Link stopped before the sprout and laid down the Pan's pipe, and it turned back to the
ocarina of time.
"Tell them, that there's no real future for me here. I'm sorry, but I cannot live the rest
of my life in a peaceful land. I'm too much a warrior, I'd go off on pointless quests just
to appease my wanderlust. But with the wolves... with Rose... my life would be one big
adventure. Learning how to live with them, surviving in the wild, that's the only option I
really have when it comes down to it isn't it?" He said.
The Deku tree sent a feeling of understanding to Link. "That is true, and I do not argue
with your logic. But there is one small thing you must do before you leave Hyrule
again." The sprout sent to him.
Link looked quizzically at the sprout. "What's that?" he asked.
"Raise your left hand hero." He said.
Link did as asked.
"Look at the back of it." The sprout ordered.
Link did that too, and now, for no real reason, the Triforce of Courage began to glow.
"You must only leave the Triforce in the care of Zelda before you leave this place my
friend. Your spirit will be reborn in the next generation, but the Triforce must stay here
in Hyrule. The last time you left with it, we knew you would return, but now, you must
leave it behind."
Link looked at the sprout. "How?" he asked.
The sprout didn't say anything to Link, but sent a transmission to Zelda herself.
* * * *
Meanwhile, back in Hyrule castle, all the sages (save Rauru, who had remained in the
light temple in the sacred realm) were in the courtyard. Ruto and Nabooru were pacing
circles around the flowerbed. Impa was sitting on the edge of the stairs by the window,
Zelda was standing by the window, Darunia was sitting on the tiny stone walkway to the
courtyard, and Saria was leaning next to him, sleeping.
Zelda was lost in thought when the Sprout's thought's crossed into her mind.
"Zelda, come to my meadow alone right now please." Came the thought.
Zelda looked around at the others, obviously none of them had heard the thought, so she
walked out of the courtyard to her room and teleported.
* * * *
Zelda reappeared in the Deku Tree's meadow, and saw Link standing before the sprout,
the ocarina on the ground by it's roots.
"Link?" she called out.
Link looked up at her. "Zelda?"
Zelda is here to take back the Triforce of courage from you Link." The sprout explained.
Zelda walked up to Link and placed her arm on his furred one.
"You're not staying?" she asked.
Link shook his head. "No, There's nothing for me here Zelda. I'd wander aimlessly till
I died. It's better this way, essentially I'm retiring."
"Ahem..." the sprout thought.
The two looked at the sprout.
"Link, you must give Zelda the Triforce of courage."
"How?" Link asked.
"Take her right hand in your left, and order the Triforce to be released to her." The
sprout commanded.
Link turned to Zelda. She held her right hand to him.
"Do it Link." She said.
Link took her hand and concentrated.
"I release the Triforce of courage to Zelda, princess of Hyrule." He thought.
The image of the Triforce on both Zelda's hand and Link's paw glowed, but then Link's
Triforce faded and disappeared, and another triangle brightened on Zelda's hand.
"And it is done." The sprout said.
Link stooped and retrieved the Ocarina, which he handed to Zelda.
"I believe this is yours, princess." He said.
Zelda took the ocarina, and held it to her chest.
"So, it's good bye again Link." She said.
Link nodded. "I'll remember you and the other's always Princess. But it's not my place
anymore I believe."
Zelda nodded. "You'd better go then Link." She said.
Link drew Zelda into a tight embrace, and Zelda gasped slightly as she felt his great,
white furred arms surround her. Then he released her, dashed over to the right side of the
tree, and leapt the roots, heading to the border of the lost woods.
Zelda looked after him for a minute, and then turned to the sprout.
"This is for the best, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, the hero had the right idea, he'd have lived an unfulfilled life here, in that forest,
he already has a family started, accidental though it is, it's what he belongs to now. He
will be reborn as a Hylian the next time the evil king comes about, you do not have to
worry about that, but tell the other sages to stay away from the border of the woods for at
least two years, Ruto and Nabooru shall have cooled down by then."
Zelda looked at the sprout strangely. "Why two years?"
"I've put up a barrier that the sages can't penetrate, it'll shock them if they try, but I
want Link a chance to settle before you guys go to visit them, and, work on something for
their race."
"What would that be?" Zelda asked.
"There's one small extra part to the prophecy. If the hero should choose the wild woods
over the kingdom once evil is defeated, the Wolves curse will be lightened."
Zelda nodded. "So you were planning this?" she asked.
"No, princess, it was Link's decision, but the prophecy means that the Wolves will be
able to talk with the other higher species of the world, They will speak in Hylian like you
do now."
"And how do we do that?"
"There's a spell library to the north of Hyrule castle, it details how Rose's people
became what they are, one piece of the curse was to keep them from communicating with
other races, because they had once thought themselves superior to all others. Now, you
must find a way to uplift that part of the curse." With your combined forces as sages, that
shouldn't be too hard."
Zelda looked at The Deku sprout hard. "I'll think about it sprout, that's a lot to ask of a
person that's just lost someone that means as much as a brother to her."
"I understand Zelda, you do not have to do this. It is your choice, as was Link's. Now
go back to the castle.
Zelda turned and disappeared.
* * * *
It was two month later, deep in the black forest wastes. Rose had long since found out
that she was pregnant, and was trying to keep it a secret from her family. But her hunts
were getting harder, and she couldn't even catch a deer anymore, as her belly slowed her
too much.
For the past few weeks, she'd lived on rabbits and the like, but now she couldn't even
hunt, and her food supply was almost nil.
"Good gods, now what do I do? I'll starve to death, and so will this pup if I can't get
anything to kill soon!" she thought.
It was only about sunset by that time, but she was so hungry that she had to sleep and try
to forget the hunger pangs.
* * * *
The next morning, Rose awoke to the scent of fresh blood nearby. She checked outside
her cave, and found a Deer carcass lying there, practically on her doorstep.
Stunned, she slowly crept towards the carcass on all fours. She sniffed it, and smelled
Link's scent on it.
"Link?" she whispered to herself. She looked up and around, but there was nothing.
She grabbed the carcass and dragged it back into the cave.
* * * *
The next two days, she ate the venison all meals, and after it was gone, another deer
appeared at her cave.
That night, she sat outside the entrance to her cave with a small fire burning. Warming
herself in the cool spring night.
"I didn't expect you to come back." She said aloud to the forest.
Out of the underbrush came Link. He sat down on the other side of the flame from
Rose.
"I know Rose, I know." He said.
Rose looked down into the flames. "You were right, back there in the forest. I seduced
you, and tricked you. I tried to make you an exile from your people..." she looked up at
him with a tear shining in one eye. "Why'd you come back?" she asked.
Link sighed. "I thought hard about that one myself. But in the end, there was nothing
there for me anymore." He answered.
Rose looked down and laid a hand on the swell of her stomach. "Is this it Link?" she
asked.
Link looked up at her. "Huh?"
"This pup, it this why you came back?" she asked again.
Link sighed. "Partially. But honestly, you are what a warrior like me looks for Rose."
He replied.
Rose looked up at him sharply.
"You found me, and, though you may have deceived me, you were taking a stab at
getting someone to love, and in that pursuit, you didn't give up for a long time, you were
persistent, and did what you thought necessary to get me. At first that seems selfish, but I
know you loved me deep down Rose." He leaned towards her. "I know, because I found
myself starting to love you."
Rose was stunned, she sat there for a few minutes before she started to cry.
Link walked to Rose's side, sat next to her, and took her into his embrace, where she
buried her black furred head in his white furred chest.
"Rose, this time, I'm here to stay." He said, placing a paw on her swollen belly.
"I promise." He whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her.
Chapter 14: Wild ways.
Deep in the black forest wastes, Rose was back in her winter cave. She was sorting
through some pouches of herbs, making a poultice for her forepaws, which she had
scratched when she had retrieved Link's gear from it's hiding place, a hollow tree bough
surrounded with thorn bushes.
Once she had her paws bound in cloth, she looked around, and checked her food stock.
It was still good for a few weeks, no need to go hunting.
She walked outside her cave and looked at the moon, her mind elsewhere.
A tear rolled down her cheek silently.
"Goodbye Link, I did love you. I'm just sorry that I didn't realize that you had such
friends back home..." she thought to herself.
"Maybe someday, I'll find my own mate." she whispered to the wind.
* * * *
Back in Hyrule, at Lake Hylia, Link sat at the edge of the main island, dipping his foot
paws into the cool water.
The ocarina, now a blue pan's pipe, was lying next to his fore paw.
Link was sitting with his arms holding him upright, and he was looking at the moon.
"Rauru asked me to choose between a Hylian, and a wolf man... what a decision! On
the one hand, I have Rose back in the Forest, who even now is carrying my child, and I
know that her family accepts me at least... then on the other hand I have all the girls here
in Hyrule..."
Link sighed heavily. "First, there's Princess Ruto, who claims that I'm betrothed to her,
and will marry her..." Link chuckled. "Fat chance of that... She may be a princess and
all, and though she has her own physical charms, well, lets face it, she's a fish woman,
and a ditz." Link chuckled again. "Then there's Nabooru, she's attractive, smart enough,
and charitable with what she used to steal... but honestly, she's the spirit sage now, I'd
have to live the rest of my life in that massive, empty temple."
Link sighed again. "Saria's always been a friend, but she's a Kokiri for crying out
loud!" Link shook his head. "Impa is so much older than me it's not funny, but she's
been a wise advisor to me and Zelda in the past..." Link trailed off on that.
"Zelda. Zelda's a princess, required by law to marry a prince. She's told me a million
times that she'd gladly marry me if it wasn't for that, but..."
Again, another sigh. "Marriage, Malon's asked me a lot about getting married, but the
life of a farmer is not for me. All the dirty, back breaking work tending the fields... the
horses and cows I don't really mind that much, especially the horses, but I'm a warrior,
I'm not cut out for it."
Link shook his head. "Malon's not that bad, a little ditzy, but still, the life I'd have to
lead... I'd snap and start killing the live stock, even as a Hylian!"
Link snorted exasperated. "Darunia's been a great friend to me, and he'd understand a
warrior's drive to utilize his body like that, but..."
Link looked at the instrument on the ground. He picked it up and turned it over in his
paws for a few minutes before he got to his feet.
"No more quests huh?" Link said. "I think that's about enough. I'm putting all my
equipment where the next generation can get at it." he said.
One last glance at the instrument in his hands, and link shook his head. He put it to his
wolfish lips and played, not the song of healing, but the minuet of forest.
* * * *
Link arrived in the sacred forest meadow, and dashed quickly down to the lost woods
entrance. He navigated his way back to Kokiri forest. Once there, he found that all the
Kokiri kids were asleep again, and headed to his old tree house, where he collected his
pack and gear. He then went back to the Forest temple where he headed to the picture
gallery and deposited the fairy slingshot, fairy bow, and both the Deku seed bag and
quiver.
From there, he played the bolero of fire and headed to the fire temple.
It was hotter than it had ever been there, or so Link thought.
Link quickly deposited the bomb bag, the megaton hammer, and the Goron tunic in the
main hall and played the serenade of water, and was soon at lake Hylia again.
* * * *
Navi and Tatyl were hovering by the warp block.
"Saria said he'd bee here... where could he have gotten off to?" Tatyl asked.
I don't know but... oh, there he is!" Navi said, and pointed (yes, she has hands, Like
Ephmerelda from the LTTP comic in Nintendo Power she just shines too bright to see)
towards an approaching string of blue sparkles in the sky.
The two waited by the edge of the stone slab, and Link reappeared on the slab with the
pan's pipe in his mouth and his item bag around his shoulders.
Because he was still in wolf form, Navi fainted.
"NAVI!" Tatyl shouted.
Link looked over at the tiny body of the Fairy, lying on the ground and glowing
somewhat dim since she had lost consciousness, and then at his body, and chuckled.
Then he took a bottle from his bag and filled it with lake water, splashed a little on Navi's
still form, and she woke up sputtering.
"ACK!" she gasped and sputtered as she woke up. "Who poured Zora falls on me?"
She asked.
"You fainted Navi." Link said.
Since Navi had talked with Saria, Saria had allowed them to understand Link's new
language.
"Link' you're staying a wolf man?" Navi asked.
Link shrugged. "Not decided yet Navi."
"Then what are you doing?" Tatyl asked.
"Returning the item's I've found to their rightful place, more or less." He replied.
"Why's that?" the two fairies asked in unison.
"Well, I don't really know, I'm just considering my options at the moment, because
Rauru told me I don't have to fight for Hyrule or anywhere else in this lifetime, so I'm
leaving my equipment behind for the next generation." He answered.
"Oh." Navi and Tatyl said in unison.
Link looked at the Lake. "Right now I have to get inside the Water temple. I guess I'm
going swimming, but what about the Zora tunic... It's too small for me now..." Link
snapped his fingers, and tied the tunic around his waist like a loin-cloth.
"At least the tunic will work it's magic." He said, took out the iron boots and held them
in his paws, then hopped into the water, and sank.
Once in the water temple, he left the boomerang, the hook shot and the long shot, the
Zora tunic and the iron boots on the four separate raised platforms in the boss chamber's
pool before he played the Nocturne of shadow.
* * * *
The graveyard was as cold and rainy as ever, and Link didn't pay it a bit of mind, he just
went down the stairs to the entrance to the temple and deposited the Lens of truth and the
hover boots on the flame altar in the middle of the small chamber before he played the
requiem of spirit and was whisked away to the desert.
* * * *
Back at the Desert Colossus, Link hopped on the magic plant and rode it till it was right
in front of the massive statue, and he leapt up onto the right hand of the statue with a
great jump that sent the plant spinning.
He deposited the golden and silver gauntlets in the chest, and then leapt the gorge (using
the nose of the Statue to scramble before he leapt the rest of the way) and deposited the
mirror shield in that chest.
Then he stopped for a moment and sat down to rest. He looked up at the moon and
thought for about an hour, then stood, shook himself, and played the Minuet of forest
once again.
* * * *
Link deposited the bag of his remaining items in his old tree house and then headed out
to the great Deku tree's meadow. There, the Deku tree sprout watched him round the last
corner of the tight little passage and Link headed toward him.
"So hero, have you made up your mind yet about your future?" he asked.
Link stopped before the sprout and laid down the Pan's pipe, and it turned back to the
ocarina of time.
"Tell them, that there's no real future for me here. I'm sorry, but I cannot live the rest
of my life in a peaceful land. I'm too much a warrior, I'd go off on pointless quests just
to appease my wanderlust. But with the wolves... with Rose... my life would be one big
adventure. Learning how to live with them, surviving in the wild, that's the only option I
really have when it comes down to it isn't it?" He said.
The Deku tree sent a feeling of understanding to Link. "That is true, and I do not argue
with your logic. But there is one small thing you must do before you leave Hyrule
again." The sprout sent to him.
Link looked quizzically at the sprout. "What's that?" he asked.
"Raise your left hand hero." He said.
Link did as asked.
"Look at the back of it." The sprout ordered.
Link did that too, and now, for no real reason, the Triforce of Courage began to glow.
"You must only leave the Triforce in the care of Zelda before you leave this place my
friend. Your spirit will be reborn in the next generation, but the Triforce must stay here
in Hyrule. The last time you left with it, we knew you would return, but now, you must
leave it behind."
Link looked at the sprout. "How?" he asked.
The sprout didn't say anything to Link, but sent a transmission to Zelda herself.
* * * *
Meanwhile, back in Hyrule castle, all the sages (save Rauru, who had remained in the
light temple in the sacred realm) were in the courtyard. Ruto and Nabooru were pacing
circles around the flowerbed. Impa was sitting on the edge of the stairs by the window,
Zelda was standing by the window, Darunia was sitting on the tiny stone walkway to the
courtyard, and Saria was leaning next to him, sleeping.
Zelda was lost in thought when the Sprout's thought's crossed into her mind.
"Zelda, come to my meadow alone right now please." Came the thought.
Zelda looked around at the others, obviously none of them had heard the thought, so she
walked out of the courtyard to her room and teleported.
* * * *
Zelda reappeared in the Deku Tree's meadow, and saw Link standing before the sprout,
the ocarina on the ground by it's roots.
"Link?" she called out.
Link looked up at her. "Zelda?"
Zelda is here to take back the Triforce of courage from you Link." The sprout explained.
Zelda walked up to Link and placed her arm on his furred one.
"You're not staying?" she asked.
Link shook his head. "No, There's nothing for me here Zelda. I'd wander aimlessly till
I died. It's better this way, essentially I'm retiring."
"Ahem..." the sprout thought.
The two looked at the sprout.
"Link, you must give Zelda the Triforce of courage."
"How?" Link asked.
"Take her right hand in your left, and order the Triforce to be released to her." The
sprout commanded.
Link turned to Zelda. She held her right hand to him.
"Do it Link." She said.
Link took her hand and concentrated.
"I release the Triforce of courage to Zelda, princess of Hyrule." He thought.
The image of the Triforce on both Zelda's hand and Link's paw glowed, but then Link's
Triforce faded and disappeared, and another triangle brightened on Zelda's hand.
"And it is done." The sprout said.
Link stooped and retrieved the Ocarina, which he handed to Zelda.
"I believe this is yours, princess." He said.
Zelda took the ocarina, and held it to her chest.
"So, it's good bye again Link." She said.
Link nodded. "I'll remember you and the other's always Princess. But it's not my place
anymore I believe."
Zelda nodded. "You'd better go then Link." She said.
Link drew Zelda into a tight embrace, and Zelda gasped slightly as she felt his great,
white furred arms surround her. Then he released her, dashed over to the right side of the
tree, and leapt the roots, heading to the border of the lost woods.
Zelda looked after him for a minute, and then turned to the sprout.
"This is for the best, isn't it?" she asked.
"Yes, the hero had the right idea, he'd have lived an unfulfilled life here, in that forest,
he already has a family started, accidental though it is, it's what he belongs to now. He
will be reborn as a Hylian the next time the evil king comes about, you do not have to
worry about that, but tell the other sages to stay away from the border of the woods for at
least two years, Ruto and Nabooru shall have cooled down by then."
Zelda looked at the sprout strangely. "Why two years?"
"I've put up a barrier that the sages can't penetrate, it'll shock them if they try, but I
want Link a chance to settle before you guys go to visit them, and, work on something for
their race."
"What would that be?" Zelda asked.
"There's one small extra part to the prophecy. If the hero should choose the wild woods
over the kingdom once evil is defeated, the Wolves curse will be lightened."
Zelda nodded. "So you were planning this?" she asked.
"No, princess, it was Link's decision, but the prophecy means that the Wolves will be
able to talk with the other higher species of the world, They will speak in Hylian like you
do now."
"And how do we do that?"
"There's a spell library to the north of Hyrule castle, it details how Rose's people
became what they are, one piece of the curse was to keep them from communicating with
other races, because they had once thought themselves superior to all others. Now, you
must find a way to uplift that part of the curse." With your combined forces as sages, that
shouldn't be too hard."
Zelda looked at The Deku sprout hard. "I'll think about it sprout, that's a lot to ask of a
person that's just lost someone that means as much as a brother to her."
"I understand Zelda, you do not have to do this. It is your choice, as was Link's. Now
go back to the castle.
Zelda turned and disappeared.
* * * *
It was two month later, deep in the black forest wastes. Rose had long since found out
that she was pregnant, and was trying to keep it a secret from her family. But her hunts
were getting harder, and she couldn't even catch a deer anymore, as her belly slowed her
too much.
For the past few weeks, she'd lived on rabbits and the like, but now she couldn't even
hunt, and her food supply was almost nil.
"Good gods, now what do I do? I'll starve to death, and so will this pup if I can't get
anything to kill soon!" she thought.
It was only about sunset by that time, but she was so hungry that she had to sleep and try
to forget the hunger pangs.
* * * *
The next morning, Rose awoke to the scent of fresh blood nearby. She checked outside
her cave, and found a Deer carcass lying there, practically on her doorstep.
Stunned, she slowly crept towards the carcass on all fours. She sniffed it, and smelled
Link's scent on it.
"Link?" she whispered to herself. She looked up and around, but there was nothing.
She grabbed the carcass and dragged it back into the cave.
* * * *
The next two days, she ate the venison all meals, and after it was gone, another deer
appeared at her cave.
That night, she sat outside the entrance to her cave with a small fire burning. Warming
herself in the cool spring night.
"I didn't expect you to come back." She said aloud to the forest.
Out of the underbrush came Link. He sat down on the other side of the flame from
Rose.
"I know Rose, I know." He said.
Rose looked down into the flames. "You were right, back there in the forest. I seduced
you, and tricked you. I tried to make you an exile from your people..." she looked up at
him with a tear shining in one eye. "Why'd you come back?" she asked.
Link sighed. "I thought hard about that one myself. But in the end, there was nothing
there for me anymore." He answered.
Rose looked down and laid a hand on the swell of her stomach. "Is this it Link?" she
asked.
Link looked up at her. "Huh?"
"This pup, it this why you came back?" she asked again.
Link sighed. "Partially. But honestly, you are what a warrior like me looks for Rose."
He replied.
Rose looked up at him sharply.
"You found me, and, though you may have deceived me, you were taking a stab at
getting someone to love, and in that pursuit, you didn't give up for a long time, you were
persistent, and did what you thought necessary to get me. At first that seems selfish, but I
know you loved me deep down Rose." He leaned towards her. "I know, because I found
myself starting to love you."
Rose was stunned, she sat there for a few minutes before she started to cry.
Link walked to Rose's side, sat next to her, and took her into his embrace, where she
buried her black furred head in his white furred chest.
"Rose, this time, I'm here to stay." He said, placing a paw on her swollen belly.
"I promise." He whispered into her ear as he nuzzled her.