Auldric awoke slowly. The first thing he thought of as soon as he regained consciousness was how much his head ached. The second thing was that he had chains on his hands and legs. Opening his eyes, Auldric saw that he was in a large, low room populated mainly with rotting skeletons. The room was dimly lit and the only natural light in the room was coming in from a small window in one wall. "Ah, you are awake." Auldric turned in the direction of the voice. The owner of that voice was a small man in bright blue and red robes that covered every inch of his body. On his head sat a large blue turban adorned with a gold emblem of a ring. The man's face was largely covered with a bright scarf and only his brilliant green eyes showed from behind the clothes. "Your friends are dead. You cannot escape. All hope is gone. You shall tell us what we wish to know and you shall then be released." His throat burned as he tried to speak, but Auldric managed a few small words. "Where..... am..... I?" Even though the man's mouth was hidden from view, Auldric knew that the man was smiling. "You are in the deepest dungeon of Delabor Castle." "Delabor?" he croaked. "Yes, Delabor." the small man said. "Hyrule's neighbour to the north." Auldric was silent for a moment. His mind seemed to be stuttering. Images and memories would flood his mind and then all he could see was darkness. What was the last thing he could remember? North Ridge. He had been ambushed in that town. How had anyone known he would be coming? The attackers had seemed to be waiting for him. Then it struck him. Both he and Link had misread the tracks! The trail from Turka did not converge with that of the wizard, it separated! Those travelling with Ashir had split into two groups, one heading to Calatia and the other heading into Turka. Auldric might have followed this line of thinking further, but his thoughts were interrupted by the small robed man. "We had hoped to catch Link and perhaps even the princess Zelda in our little trap, but we had not expected to see you. I take it, then, that the other two are in Calatia trying to find me?" Auldric's eyes widened in understanding. This strange man before him was no simple torturer, he was Ashir! The sorcerer Agahnim's apprentice. What was he doing in Delabor? Ashir chuckled. "Yes, I suppose they are, aren't they?" He shook his head. "Enough of this. Do you wish to be released?" "Yes." Auldric said. "Good! Then you must do as I say. Is that understood?" "What is it you want?" Ashir paced the room as he spoke. "I want you to kill Link." "What?!" Auldric shouted in surprise and the sudden pain in his throat made him wish he hadn't. "Never, Ashir. I will never betray Link."

The wizard came and stood directly in front of the prisoner. "Are you sure? Never is a very long time." Disgusted at the wizard, Auldric only spat in his face. Ashir took a step back and wiped his face with his sleeve. He said nothing as he walked over to a small table. Auldric watched as the man picked up a vial and returned to where the prisoner stood chained to the wall. "Never will I kill Link!" Auldric shouted, but Ashir still said nothing. Instead, he mumbled under his breath and pointed a finger at the Hylian. The air seemed to shimmer around the pair for a moment and then it was gone. Fear gripped Auldric as he realized what had just happened. It was a binding spell. Auldric couldn't move; not a muscle. He was frozen. The wizard then approached his petrified prisoner and lifted the vial to Auldric's lips. "Drink up. You shall think differently of me when you are done." Ashir laughed as the amber liquid fell down Auldric's throat. When the vial was empty, just for fun, Ashir removed the binding spell and watched as his prisoner writhed violently in agony and horror. Far above the dungeon, in the castle itself, the warlord smiled as Auldric's screams reached his ears.

Link was awake early the next morning. As long as he could remember, he had been an early riser. When he was younger, this had seemed somewhat odd, but now he used the extra time awake to quietly practice his fencing. The young man had awakened and immediately knew he would be the first person up. The sun was only just rising, and in a palace such as this, the only people awake would be servants. Link left his room, wearing only a light tunic and his sword, and stood leaning against the railing outside of his room. Looking down into the courtyard, he could see the morning mists swirling on the grass and he could hear the sharp chirp of several small birds. Link could almost feel the peace and tranquillity. Walking down the hall towards the stairs that lead into the courtyard below, Link passed Zelda's room. To his satisfaction, a large moblin sat in front of the door, guarding it. Once in the courtyard, Link began to practice. He went though all of the moves that he had learnt over the years until he completed them perfectly. After finishing a long complicated slicing motion, someone began to clap behind him. Stopping his practice, Link turned to face the clapper. The prince Evander stood on the balcony looking down at Link as he clapped. "Very good!" the Turkan called out. "Thank you, highness." Link said as the prince walked down the stairs to join the hero on the grass. "You seem very skilled at practicing, Link, but are you as skilled against an opponent?" Knowing a challenge when he heard one, Link said, "Get your sword and I'll show you how skilled I am." Evander smiled and unsheathed a small, curved sword from underneath his cape. Link looked at the sword and smiled. "Highness, that sword would break if I hit it. I won't fight against such a... feeble weapon." The prince laughed. "Link, call me Evander. I don't like formalities. As for the sword, I'm willing to bet that it can withstand your blade more than adequately." Raising his sword to a fencing position, Link said, "Well, let's find out, then." The swords clashed and the fight began. Link slashed at Evander's head, but the prince ducked and returned with a stab to the gut. Link turned and struck the blade aside. His sword continued up in an arch and came down above Evander's shoulder. The prince batted it aside with his sword and sliced at Link's knees, but the young hero jumped just in time. The two continued for more than an hour, neither one giving the other any room to strike. By the time the sun was well into the sky, a small crowd had gathered and was cheering the duellers on. Zelda had come out of her room to find the hallway blocked with cheering people. The last thing that she wanted after riding around the country for several days and staying up late last night at the dinner, was a crowd of fans outside her door keeping her from her much needed sleep. Even Link knew that when she didn't get her sleep she tended to get bitchy. And not just slightly bitchy, but really bitchy. Nothing was worse than a bitchy princess who needed sleep. She pushed her way through the crowd to the railing to see what was happening. Figures, she thought, as she saw Link and Evander duelling on the lawn below. Cupping her mouth to be heard over the cheers, Zelda shouted, "Link! Evander! Stop that this instant!" The crowd fell silent and the combatants stopped fighting to look up at the girl. "Why?" they both asked. "Because that fighting is keeping me from sleeping, that's why!" she said angrily. Before Link could say anything, Evander said, "Why don't you come down here and make us!" The crowd laughed at this; they always enjoyed a comedy. Zelda drew her robes about her, stood tall, and walked to the stairs. In the corner of the hallway, she caught sight of a long candleholder. Quickly, she tipped the candle off and took off the stand, leaving her holding a long metal staff. She descended the stairs and walked onto the lawn of the courtyard, Link and Evander standing before her grinning madly. She stopped several feet in front of them and leaned on her staff. The men raised their swords and, side by side, charged at her. Zelda raised her staff and held it in both hands. The princess made a feeble attempt to block her attacker's assault at her head and managed to do so, but, quicker than anyone anticipated, Zelda retracted the staff and violently shoved it into the men's stomachs. Both dropped to the ground instantly, fighting for breath, as the crowd began to laugh and cheer wildly. Zelda threw her staff down onto the ground and kneeled before her gasping opponents. "That's what you get for disturbing my sleep." With that, the princess turned on her heel and walked out of the courtyard, up the stairs, and back into her room. Still kneeling on the ground and clutching their stomachs, Link and Evander watched her until her door slammed shut. Link turned to the prince and said, "Here's a tip, Evander: never disturb a princess' sleep." Both men painfully laughed as the crowd dispersed.

Several hours later, Link and a few other men were sitting in a small guardroom around a small table. On the table rested several pints of ale; some of the finest from the palace's stock. Although Link could still feel the pain from Zelda's attack, the alcohol helped keep it a small pain. Link had learned long ago not to compare Zelda to any mere girl; she could fight almost as well as any man and she had proven it to all who disagreed. "So's I says to 'im, 'Eh! Mate! Why don't you come 'ere and give us a 'and?'" The room filled with laughter as one of the men finished telling one of his hard won(and sometimes hard swallowed) adventures. "Moblin!" the man yelled. In came the small moblin that had lead Link and Zelda to their rooms the previous night. It entered carrying a flagon of the ale. The man held out his cup and the servant obediently filled it. "So, tell me, Link," the man said, "What tales do you 'ave to share wit' yore new drinkin' buddies?" Link took a sip from his flask and answered, "Not many, I'm afraid." The other men shook their heads and laughed. The man who asked, Ghent, was not convinced. "Come off it! Surely the great Link 'as a few stories to tell, eh?" Link chuckled. "None as big as yours, Ghent. Not even I can match those!" The others laughed again in a drunken sort of way, although at this point most of them would have laughed at a beetle. "Well then," Ghent said, "per'aps we just need to fill you with more ale! Moblin! Fill Master Link's flask." The moblin entered again and filled Link's cup. "Thank you." Link said after the creature had done this. It jumped as if struck and looked wildly around it. "Hey! Don't stand there like a pole! Get out until we call you again! Go!" ordered Ghent. The moblin rushed out of the room. Ghent shook his head and said, "Honestly, they can't do anything unless you yell at 'em. Link, if you treat 'em like the dogs they are, they'll do as ye say, but if you act as if they's your friend, they'll start to thin they's are your equal, and we can't 'ave that!" "I'll keep that in mind, Ghent." Link said, drinking from his cup. "You do that, mate. What was all that 'Thank'ye' slosh?" "Courtesy costs nothing. Perhaps you should try it." "Maybe, but courtesy 'as it's place- and that's not to a moblin. Keep that in mind, mate. You could get into trouble acting all 'nice-nice' to slaves." "I will." Link said, taking a long drink of his ale and finishing it off. "Well," he said getting up from his chair, "I guess I had better find Zelda. We're supposed to meet with the king." The men waved hands vaguely in Link's direction as he left the room and returned to their drinks.

When Link and Zelda entered the king's private study, Eridanus was reclined on a small sofa dictating to a scribe. When the patriarch noticed the pair, he told his scribe to leave. As soon as the man had left, Eridanus laughed heartily and embraced the Hylians. "Ah, it's good to have Hylians in this palace once again! I don't know what it is- the smell, maybe- but Hylians just radiate a sense of.... tradition. I suppose it's all those years that Hyrule has, ah, 'under its belt'. Ever since you two arrived here, the people of this castle- and indeed this city- have become more peaceful. Yes, yes. I know that you have only been here for one night, but already your impact can be felt throughout this castle." Zelda curtseyed and said, "We thank you, your majesty." A shadow seemed to pass over the king's face and he said, "Now. About your business in Calatia..." and he sat down again. Link and Zelda exchanged glances. "Our business, sir?" Link asked. "Yes, your business. What you told me at the table last night was not all of the story, though it may be true. I want the rest of your tale." Zelda took a deep breath and said, "What we told you of this prisoner was true. But we did not clarify our reasons as to why we are pursuing him." "He must be very important if Mira has sent you two to track him down." "Sir," Zelda continued, "the prisoner is what could be called a political enemy. An enemy of the Monarchy. I'm afraid that you won't like what I have to tell you." Zelda paused, but Greybeard motioned for her to continue. "The prisoner once served under... the Wizard." Silence crept into the room and tension soon joined it. Eridanus just sat stone still staring at the Hylians. Link noticed that the monarch's hands were clasped so tightly together that the fingers were turning white. "A servant of the Wizard." the king muttered. "And why was this servant not executed with the rest of His followers?" "We could not be sure as to whether he was under the Wizard's control or acting on his own behalf. To be sure, we had him incarcerated immediately after his capture." Eridanus rose in a rage, slamming his fists into his desk. "To be sure, he should have been executed! You should not have taken the risk!" Link instinctively moved to guard Zelda, putting his body between her and the enraged king. The three stood still staring at each other, waiting to see what the other would do. After some time, the fire faded from the monarch's eyes and he sat down with a great sigh. "I'm sorry. As you well know, the Wizard and his doings are grave subjects. I should not blame you for your lack of foresight. I am sure that you will pay for that sooner or later." Eridanus sighed again and brushed his hands over his face. "Until then, you should enjoy yourselves! Come tonight to the ball; the entire court shall be there. Until then, you are free to do as you please. Tour the town or the castle, I'm sure that you will be able to find someone to show you around." With that, the king returned to his work and the two Hylians walked out, the meeting obviously over. "So, what do you want to do, princess?" Link asked. Zelda thought a minute before answering. "Let's tour the town!" "Zelda, I don't think-" Link began but the princess interrupted. "Come on! It'll be fun! Just you and me. We never have time alone any more!" The girl started to pull Link's arm but Link held back. "What about a guide? We don't know the town, we could get lost." Zelda stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes. "We don't need a guide; we aren't kids anymore! As long as we stay near the castle on the main streets, we'll be fine." Link hesitated for a second but then gave in. "All right. Only if we stay close to the castle." Zelda laughed and agreed as she yanked him after her.

Few cities in the Seven Kingdoms can rival Calasta. As one of the biggest and richest cities in the land, the Hylians could understand why it was chosen to be the Calatian capital. As the sun slowly passed overhead into midmorning, Link and Zelda busied themselves with the Calastan Market. If one believed in the rumours, someone can find anything from around the world in this market. From fruits to fences, vegetables to vests, weapons to wood, grains to jewels, anything and everything could be found at the great Calastan Market. On all sides, merchants trying to sell their wares accosted the Hylians. "Fresh Dupri Nuts! Very cheap!" "Deku seeds! Deku seeds! Plant 'em and have a Deku tree in weeks!" "Get yore freshly forged blades! Straight from the smithy, they are!" "Authentic Gebri robes! Wear authentic Gebri robes and amaze all your friends!" Pushing their way through the crowds, Link and Zelda eventually came to a small stall selling small vials of many coloured liquids. "Oh, Link!" Zelda exclaimed, "Potions!" The princess stopped and examined the many drinks while Link talked to the merchant. "Sell a lot of these, do you?" Link asked. The old man shook his head. "Sadly, no. These Calatians don't trust magic, and apparently healing potions count as magic." "How much for this, sir?" Zelda asked, picking up a bottle. "Um, twenty rupees, miss." "And this one?" "Fifty rupees, miss" Zelda rummaged through her purse and retrieved the money. "Ah, thank you, miss. May the gods smile upon you and-" "Don't buy from him, miss!" came a voice behind them. The three looked across the way to another potion stall were a tall, round man was waving at them. "Shut up, you!" the old man shouted angrily. "These potions are of much better quality than those, madam! Come and take a look, eh?" "No, thank you." Link said, "We have the ones we want." "But, sir," the tall merchant persisted, "these are cheaper! And better! Come and look and you will see I don't lie, eh? Then you will know better than to buy swill from that thief!" "No, thank y-" Zelda began. "Thief!?" the old merchant screamed, interrupting the girl. "Who's the thief? My potions may be pricey, but you get what you pay for! Not the coloured water you sell!" "Coloured water!? I'll show you coloured water!" Saying that, the tall merchant threw a bottle at the old man. The man ducked and the glass shattered on the wall behind him. As Link and Zelda hurried away from the brawl, they could hear the sounds of harsh threats and glass shattering. They couldn't stop laughing for many minutes as they pictured the old man jumping out of his stall with a broken bottle in his hand, rushing towards the tall merchant who still yelled at the top of his lungs about how much better his goods were than those of his competitor. The rest of the day passed uneventfully for the Hylians as they roamed the marketplace. Before they knew it, dusk had fallen upon the great city and the streets grew less crowded. Quickly, the pair hurried back to the palace. The ball was about to begin.

Mounted on the swiftest steeds in the land, Commander Kelian of the Calastan Guard and five of his soldiers rode with Lord Gidlebrandt back to were he had met the Hylians. The King had ordered Kelian and his men to follow the trail of this Hylian prisoner and capture the man before the land consumed his tracks. At a speed that most horses would have found impossible, the six Calatians rushed out of Calasta and out into the open land. Tracks only stay fresh for a day or two; three at most. After that, they faded and soon disappeared or were crossed by other tracks making the hunt extremely more difficult. Deep in the night, the men reached the camp of the Hylians. Gildebrandt bid his farewell and ran off, back to his home, leaving the soldiers slowly following the faded tracks. Just before dawn they came upon a small village. Hurrying down to the smouldering ruins, the soldiers halted just outside of the village and stopped a man in tattered clothes with ash covering his face. "What happened here?" Kelian asked. The man cringed from the soldiers but answered in a fearful voice. "The Wizard!" The commander looked worriedly back to his men then turned back to the peasant. "Are you sure? The Wizard has been dead for many years." "I am positive, sire. Only that demon could do such damage! One minute we were all enjoying ourselves in the square, and the next, the entire village was burning!" "The fire could have been started by bandits." "No, sire. Many people saw the Wizard, and I myself saw him!" Kelian heard a gasp from his men behind him, and even his strong heart grew cold at the thought of actually laying eyes upon the evil Wizard. "You saw him?" Kelian asked quietly. "Aye. He was horrible, he was! He was seven feet tall and covered in scales! His four arms ended in ferocious talons and he floated above the ground! His eyes glowed purple in the night, laying to flame anything their light touched!" At this the man collapsed on the ground in a wretched heap. "Where did the Wizard come from?" "...the north, sire." "Where did he go?" "I don't know, sire." Kelian turned to his men and addressed them. "I think we have found our Hylian prisoner. Gared and myself will return to Calasta and the rest of you will help these people. I shall send reinforcements to help in about two days." With that, Kelian and the other soldier raced back to their home city with all the speed they could muster from their mounts. This news would anger the king greatly.

When the soldiers had dispersed around the town, the man hurried away from the ruins. He threw his tattered clothes aside, revealing the shining armour beneath, and washed his face in a small pond were he had left his horse. As he saddled up, he thought of how his piece of the plan would fit into things. The Warlord had told him what to do and he had done it flawlessly, but what was the point? Well, he thought as he started his journey back to Delabor, I will just have to wait and see.

The Calatian Ball was the grandest thing Link had ever seen. The ballroom was easily twice the size of the dining room, which in itself was huge. The ballroom was divided into two; the dance floor occupied more than three quarters of the room while a small dining area was in the remaining quarter, slightly raised. As Link entered the hall, he immediately noticed how expensive everything was. The dance floor was tiled in marble, and the dining floor was carpeted in the finest of rugs; the walls were adorned with gold. The hall was lighted by dozens of chandeliers made of silver each holding hundreds of candles. The room was not nearly as extravagant as some of the guests. Most of the Calatian nobility was already on the floor, dancing. The Ladies were dressed in long, flowing gowns with gems sewn into them; jewellery flashing in the bright light. The Lords were dressed in expensive waistcoats and long capes with shimmering rings on their hands. "Link!" Link turned at the voice and saw Zelda walking towards him. He almost didn't recognize her. She was dressed like the Calatian Ladies in a golden dress with golden jewellery almost falling off of her. "What do you think?" she said, turning around to show off the dress. "You look beautiful, Zelda." Link said. She approached and looked the boy over. "You don't look so bad yourself, Link." Link shuffled uncomfortably. "These clothes itch." He ran his finger along his collar. I look stupid in these clothes, he thought to himself. "But they're the most fashionable clothes money can buy. You should enjoy them. Very expensive." the princess said with a coy smile. "If fashionable means too small and very 'flowery', then these must be at the top of fashion." Zelda laughed and took Link's hand. "Come on! Let's dance." Link held back. "Um, Zelda, I can't dance." Surprise covered the princess' face. "You can't?" "Remember, I didn't have the same upbringing as you. I'm the son of a woodcutter. Dancing was never at the top of my list of things to learn." Smiling, Zelda said, "I suppose you'll just have to learn, then." Saying that, she pulled Link onto the dance floor.

Evander was standing in the raised dining room watching the dancers enjoy themselves on the floor. Around the prince were some other minor nobles. The current topic of their conversation was the Princess Zelda. "What do you think is the real reason she came to Calatia?" one of the men asked. "Who knows?" another answered. "She claimed she was 'ere to capture a prisoner." said Ghent. "Do you really believe that, Ghent?" The man shrugged. "Well..." "Why would they send a princess to do a soldier's work? And to send her with that brigand, what's-his-name-?" "Link." "Yes, Link. Why, it's disgraceful! That's how rumours start." Ghent shrugged again and took a sip of his wine. "I don't see that princess paying much attention to Link. 'e's a good chap, but after all, 'e's just a peasant." The others agreed except for Evander, who was still watching the dancers, more specifically Zelda. Ghent elbowed the Turkan. "Right, 'ighness?" "Eh? What? Sorry, I wasn't listening. What did you say?" The men laughed. "Ha!" exclaimed one of them happily, "The good prince has been ignoring us, gentlemen! What could possibly be more important than us?" Ghent laughed and said, "It seems that the fair Princess of 'yrule has caught our lord's eye." The nobles all took a moment to look at the visiting princess until she walked over and talked to a young man. One of the men spoke up. "Is that her guardian? That...Link?" Both Evander and Ghent nodded as Zelda pulled the hero onto the dance floor and, from the look of it, tried to teach him how to dance. "Disgraceful." Evander heard muttered from behind him. "Oh, I don't know..." the prince said. "What?" gasped the other lords. "Link. He seems a very... competent man. He has proven himself to the Hylians with his bravery and his skill was proven to me this morning." "Surely you're joking, Lord," one of the nobles said, "Link is a mere commoner! How can he measure up to us?" "He may be a commoner, but he is a commoner who defeated the Wizard, remember, and that skill can most definitely best most of us." The others had no answer, but merely stared at the prince as if he had gone mad. They watched silently as Evander walked down to the dance floor, heading towards the dancing Hylian couple.

"Step, step, and turn! Step, step, and turn! Good, Link, you're getting the hang of this." Link had managed to avoid the princess' feet for the past few minutes successfully. This was tough; at least when fighting evil rogues, you knew where you stood. You hit them and they hit you. That's it. But when he had gone out onto the floor and started to dance, Link had not expected anything so difficult. The fact that the music was fast paced made the job only that much harder; he could swear that the band had started the waltz just to irritate him. "Link, watch it!" Link turned his mind back onto the princess just in time to watch himself step on her feet. Damn! "Sorry, Zelda." She sighed and said, "It's all right, just be more careful." The music ended and they stopped dancing. "Well that wasn't too bad for your first time." Before Link could respond, he felt a tap at his shoulder. Turning, he saw Evander standing behind him. "May I cut in?" the prince asked. "Well-" Link began but was cut off by Zelda. "You most certainly cannot! I am dancing with Link. Go away and dance with one of the other Ladies." Evander persisted. "But, your highness, it would be very rude of you to turn down an offer in front of all these guests. Surely you don't want to seem rude and uncultured in front of these guests?" Zelda looked around quickly at the other nobility. "Well, no..." "Splendid!" Evander knifed himself in between the Hylian couple just as the music started up again. "But-" the princess started to object, but Evander had already swept her away from Link. "Evander, how dare you-" "Princess. Before you finish that thought, let me tell you that you look positively radiant tonight." "Thank you, but-" "May I also tell you that the other Lords disapprove of your relationship with Link." "I don't care what you and the other Lords think, prince." "Did I say that I thought as they did? I did not." "Then why-" "Because I wanted a dance with the fairest princess in all the Seven Lands. And to say how much I enjoy a woman who can fight back." Zelda stared hard at Evander before saying anything. "This morning?" "You single-handedly beat two of the best swordsmen in the land without even breaking a sweat. Or a nail. A woman who can fight is much less trouble to journey with; she needs no protection." "Are you planning on taking a journey with me, prince?" A slight smile crossed Evander's face. "I am not as stupid as I make myself appear, princess. I know that you told the king only part of the reason as to why you are in this land. I'm sure that when he discovers the truth, you will have to flee." "What makes you think I told Eridanus anything but the truth?" "Only part of the truth." "Even so, I have no need to run from him." "Beware him, princess. He can be a very vengeful man." Zelda shook her head. "Still, he won't harm-" "He killed his wife." Evander said, cutting her off. Shock covered the girl's face and Evander continued. "The queen was convicted of treason against the Crown. She was executed at the king's feet." "Treason?" Zelda whispered. "She conspired against him?" "In a way. She was found with the Duke of Tranora, if you get my meaning." "The Duke? Was he executed as well?" Evander shook his head. "No. He still lives. Maybe." "Why was his life spared?" "It was spared only because Eridanus wanted to torture the man. Rumours say that the Duke hangs in the dungeon almost dead but kept alive only by spells so that he can be tortured beyond what would have been his death. Poor man." "I thought Calatians don't use magic." "Oh, they don't, but sometimes it's the best way to get things done." They continued dancing for several moments in silence. "He sent soldiers out to track down the prisoner. They will find him and report back to the king." Evander said. All colour drained from the princess' face as she realized how great her danger was. He will find out that Ashir is a wizard, Zelda thought, and not just a wizard, but the apprentice of Agahnim. He'll kill Link and me without a second thought. "We need to leave." she said. "Good choice. I suggest you go now, princess." With that, Evander guided Zelda through the dancing crowd to Link. Zelda grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him quickly out of the hall, leaving Evander staring after them. Several minutes later, the king burst into the hall with several soldiers behind him.

"Zelda, why are we running back to our rooms?" Zelda was almost dragging Link behind her as she cannoned into her room and shut the door behind her. "Because we're leaving Calasta. Tonight." she answered, pulling out a sack and quickly filling it with her belongings. "Go pack." "Why? I was starting to enjoy this place." Link said, leaning against the door, smiling casually, as if this were just a game. "Because Eridanus is going to find out who it is that we lost." The smile vanished from his face as she said this and he disappeared from the princess' room in a flash. Zelda finished packing and hurried over to Link's room and met him as he rushed out the door. "Let's go, then." he said. The Hylians left the hall just as the sound of heavily armed feet could be heard running up the stairs.

Evander had returned to the group of nobles when Eridanus burst into the dance hall flanked by several guards. Behind him, the prince heard a noble say, "I wonder what he's after? A criminal?" Ghent snorted. "A criminal? In here? No. They wouldn't get past the guards." The group watched silently as more soldiers appeared at all of the hall entrances. "Looks serious." another noble commented. Eridanus stalked up to the Lords, looking furious, and elbowed his way through to Evander. "Evander!" the king barked, "You were last with the Princess Zelda, where did she go?" Evander put on his most disarming smile and said, "I don't know, sire. One minute I was dancing with her, and the next she was dragging Link out of the hall. I guess, I wasn't good enough for her." He laughed, then stopped, "Why? Is something wrong, highness?" The monarch glared at the prince for a moment and then strode away saying, "Nothing we can't fix." As the guards left the hall to search the palace, the other nobles began talking among themselves about treasons and conspiracies. No one noticed the worried look upon Evander's face.

The two Hylians rushed down a flight of stairs and found themselves in a narrow corridor. There were no doors on either side. With the princess right behind him, Link ran down the hallway and turned down another one. On and on they ran, through the maze of halls in the palace. Soon the halls became less decorated and torches were places farther away from each other. The carpeted floor ended and was replaced with rough stone. The ceiling became lower until it was just above Link's head. "Where are we going, Link?" Zelda asked. "Out." he replied. They continued in silence until the hall ended in a large oak door. Cautiously, Link drew his sword and opened the door. The door opened into a low, dark room, with odd shapes lying on the floor. There was no light in the room. They quietly shut the door behind them and let their eyes adjust to the blackness. Link heard the princess give a sharp gasp beside him. The shapes on the floor were moving! Before they knew it, a high-pitched squeal arose from one of the lumps on the floor in front of them. Suddenly all of the odd shapes were standing and encircling the pair. Several were growling and pawing at them with small clawed hands. Link held up his sword and waved it menacingly at the creatures. They backed off a bit, but not much. Then one of the creatures squealed and stepped forward holding a small lantern. It was a moblin. They were all moblins. This room was their quarters. The moblin holding the lantern looked up at Link and then bowed. Link lowered his sword. "ksah!" it said, "Itiss you!" Link and Zelda both peered at this moblin. He was the small one who had led them to their rooms and the one who had served Link when he was drinking with Ghent. "I'm sorry to burst in here, like that." Zelda said. The moblins all shook their heads violently. "Nononono." said the lantern-holding moblin, "We sorrry for scaring youm. We not know it youm, ksah. Good ksah. Do not hurt usm, please ksah!" Link and Zelda exchanged glances and Zelda said to the small timid beast, "We don't want to hurt you, we want to get out of the palace. Guards are chasing us. Can you help us escape?" The moblins squealed sharply and nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes, we help you, ksahs! Come!" said the lead moblin. The moblin beckoned them and the others around him also beckoned excitedly as the Hylians followed the lantern-holding moblin. The small glow of the lantern illuminated little of the large sleeping chamber of the moblins. All Zelda could see around her was the many moving shapes of the slaves. Before she knew it, Zelda found herself standing beside to the leading moblin and Link, surrounded by the other slaves, facing a wall. "Where now?" she asked. Link was given the lantern, and the moblin began to paw at the wall. Before their startled eyes, a section of the wall opened to reveal a secret corridor. "In." the moblin said as he took the lantern from Link and entered the hallway. Once again Link and Zelda exchanged worried glances. Where was this creature taking them? They entered and immediately the door closed behind them, shutting them off from the other slaves. The Hylians looked down the hall and could only see the bright glow of the lantern receding into the blackness. Quickly, they hurried after it.

After what seemed like hours of endless travel, the little moblin stopped before a wooden door. "Is this it?" Link asked. The creature nodded. "Ya, ksah. Ya. Out." It pushed open the door and cautiously went through followed closely by the Hylians. They found themselves in a small grotto; a stream trickled through the centre of the clearing and low bushes and trees encircled it. The cool night air rushed through the door and echoed in the passage behind the trio. In the tangle of undergrowth a cricket chirped. As Zelda took a deep breath of the air, she turned and looked at the doorway they had passed through. It was brilliantly disguised as part of the surrounding stone wall. Around the lintel, seven little gems shined dully in the moonlight. The sign of the Ancients. Few but the aristocratic families knew about the Ancients. Their real name had been lost in the folds of Time. Of the few facts known, these ancient people worshiped beings of great power, supposedly the old gods, and honoured the number seven. Everything they had built in their generations-long existence had seven symbols arranged in the pattern of a six-sided star with one in the centre of the star. "Zelda!" Link whispered to her. She turned to face him and saw him crouched behind a bush next to the moblin who was doing the same. "What is it?" she whispered back, silently walking over to them and crouching down. Link held finger to his lips and pointed through the dense undergrowth. Beyond, Zelda could see the faint outline of a dirt road passing near the grotto in the moonlight. Along the road, two Calatian guards were walking. They're obviously on patrol, Zelda thought, judging by the manner in which they walked and the way that they talked so loudly. The trio waited until the guards had passed before venturing out into the open. Link turned to the slave. "Thanks for helping us. I think you should return to your quarters before you are missed." The creature shook it's head. "No, ksah. I will be not missed. None care for me. None but you, ksah. Only you good to me. I help." "No. If we return to Hyrule, you would be killed on the spot. Hylians don't like moblins. Sorry." "But Link," Zelda pleaded, suddenly feeling fond of the pitiful creature, "Let him come with us so that he no longer needs to be a slave. We could protect him. It's the least we can do in return for him helping us." The moblin nodded so hard and fast, Link thought its head would fall off. It looked at him imploringly with its small beady eyes, hope shining within them. "Fine." Link said at last. Zelda patted the moblin's head and asked, "What's your name?" "Kubo, ksah. Kubo." Zelda offered her hand to Kubo. "My name is Zelda and this is Link. Pleased to meet you, Kubo." As the creature violently shook the princess' hand, Link looked around at the surrounding land. None of it looked familiar. "Um," he said, "where do we go from here?" The other two followed his gaze in silence. Then Kubo spoke up. "Where to go? Meum take you to safe place. Yes, ksahs, safe." With that, the slave scurried off in an easterly direction. Throwing one last look at each other, Link and Zelda hurried after their new companion.