The world spins, continents move, futures begin and end, and life goes on. So it was that Link and Vincent were able to find their way across the Eridani Mountains and into Calatia without any mishap (except for Silvermane eating Vincent's lunch. Damn horse). The two friends were again forced to delve beneath the surface of the world in order to avoid whatever forces the Calatian king had after them. Their destination: the Moblin Underworld.
Travelling the narrow cut passageways of the Moblins, Link and Vincent were nearing the centre of the free Moblin world, the home of Vincent's father, the famous mage, Gregory.
"Wait." said the knight, stopping.
"What is it?" asked Link.
"Something is not right. We should be hearing the noises of the city by now."
Both men strained their ears to listen, but only silence echoed in their ears.
Without a word, the two hastened their approach to the city.
Without warning, the tunnel peeled away into the wall of a giant cavern. This cavern was the shelter of the free Moblin world, a city of greatness to rival the best of the world, and made out of the hopes and dreams of a race wishing for a better future. Unfortunately what met the eyes of the travellers was only the smouldering and ruined remains of that wondrous city.
Vincent openly gasped and stood motionless for seconds as his eyes took in this new and frightening picture.
"Father?" he muttered. Then he took off at a run, shouting for his father at the top of his lungs, his screams echoing throughout the ruinous city.
Link could only follow and watch as his friend and companion moved from burnt out building to rubble pile in frantic search for his father.
In spite of all that he knew of Vincent, Link was certain that the lonely knight loved his father deeply and would do nothing to bring harm to the old man. While they may have argued constantly over the best way to free the enslaved Moblin race from the vicious yoke of the Calatians, they cared for each other in a way that only father and son can. Unfortunately, Vincent suffered constantly from his connection with his father. Gregory was a man of world renown thanks to his role in the great Sunian War many years ago, fighting alongside such men as King Eridanus of Calatia, King Gerrik of Hyrule, Prince Avinian of Forhas, and many others who achieved fame in that war. Vincent could never hope to live up to his father's fame. No matter what he did, the world was now a different place to that of his father, and fame was not easily gained. There was no great war, there was no holy calling, nothing. There was only the never ending battle for the freedom of a few souls from the shackles of slavery. Doing this, in the often violent way of the knight, meant that Vincent was not so much famous as notorious. The people of Calatia feared and scorned him, while the rest of the world barely knew of his existence.
Link watched his friend stop at the end of a street and stare stock still at something just out of the Hylian's view. Walking to join his friend, he noticed wells of tears gathering in Vincent's eyes. Following the man's gaze to a nearby wall, his breath caught in his throat. There, on the wall, was the torn and battered body of the famous mage, Gregory, pinned to the wall by means of several stakes. A river of blood ran down the wall under the body and gathered in a pool at it's feet. The face was not twisted in anger or hatred, but lined with worry and pity, with the mask of pain that Link had seen all to often underlying it all. To Link, this was a horrifying shock, but to Vincent, this was the ultimate blow. Link looked to his friend in sorrow and could nearly see the walls of sanity being broken down behind the man's eyes. His world had ended.
Slowly- hesitantly- Vincent walked toward the body of his father and stopped before it. Wordlessly, he grasped the stakes and pulled them free of his father, causing the mage to fall to the ground. Vincent did not move for several seconds, just watching his father's corpse lay upon the dirtied, blood soaked ground was tearing at his mind and body. Then the knight knelt and lifted his father's head gently, resting it upon his knee.
Link could only stand by and watch the poor man grieve. This was something that Vincent had to do on his own. It would be improper for Link to step in at this point. Only when the knight asked for help, would the hero approach. Link sat down on a stone and waited.
After more than an hour, Vincent laid his father's head on the ground and closed the eyes. He said a prayer and called Link over.
"Link," he said in a small, raspy voice, "Do you have a penny?"
The hero reached into his money pouch and gave his friend the penny.
Opening Gregory's mouth, the knight placed the penny on the corpse's tongue.
"May the spirits welcome you to Hades. Farewell."
Link bowed his head in solemnity as the prayer was uttered, even though Vincent's voice broke several times while praying. The man was close to breaking, if he had not already done so. Vincent stood and stared at his father. The tears on his face were clear for Link to see.
They both stood over the mage's body until Link had to pull his shattered friend away from the scene. The knight seemed dazed. The shock had finally settled in. The weeping was over.
The pair of travellers spent the night camped just outside of the Underworld. Vincent said not a word the entire time that camp was set up or dinner served. He did his jobs but nothing else. After the meal, he just sat still, staring into the fire, not moving. Just breathing.
Link wondered about his friend. They had not known each other long, but after having to rely upon each other several times, they had formed a bond that would be hard broken. They had set out together to find hope for their lost lives. Vincent had lost his path in life, and Link had lost his way of life. Both had set out to amend their problems, the knight to return to Calatia and rejoin his father's gallant crusade; and Link to find his lost princess Zelda, and return her to her rightful place on the Hylian throne. Now Vincent's dream had been stolen. How would the knight react? Would he be excessively violent? Or just calm and withdrawn from the world? Would he go off and do something amazingly stupid, or would he do absolutely nothing? Link had no idea, but he had to keep an eye open for signs of trouble.
The night passed uneventfully and by morning the duo were again on their way.
Link shifted his position on Silvermane. Riding all day had a negative effect upon the posterior. He turned in his saddle slightly to look at Vincent riding at his side.
"How are you doing? Better?"
The knight looked at his friend but said nothing, only stared with unseeing eyes.
Link shrugged. That was to be expected. Shock was common among victims of tragedy, but with the Calatian, it was as if his mind had completely shut off. It worried Link, but he knew that eventually his head would right itself.
"So," he said aloud, "Where could Zelda have gone? She went south from Hyrule, we know that. And Calatia is openly hostile against her, so she could have passed through and entered Forhas. Does that sound likely?" He asked the silent knight.
No response, only a blank stare. Of course.
Over the course of the day, Link and Vincent travelled through much of Eastern Calatia heading for the country of Forhas. All the while the Calatian was quiet and unheeding. Night began to fall and still the pair had not crossed the boarder. Camp was made.
As they ate their meal, Link began to talk, mostly just thinking aloud as his companion was unwilling to speak.
"I wonder what could have killed Gregory?" The knight did not move at the mention of his newly deceased father. "He was one of the most powerful wizards in existence and he was brutally killed. And where did the Moblins go off to? I did not look as if they were killed as well. Perhaps the Calatians found out about the Underworld? Surely the Moblins could not have done such a thing to him?"
Link looked to his friend but saw nothing in his eyes. Had he even heard what was said? Link would doubt whether or not the man was even living were it not for the rhythmic motions of his chest and the small cloud expelled as he breathed in the cold air. The poor man.
Suddenly a scream came from the blackness surrounding the campfire, interrupting the young hero's thoughts. Link drew his sword and glanced all around him but saw nothing. The scream sounded distant, but that did not mean that it was not heading their way. It had sounded human, but Link could have been wrong. Better safe than sorry.
"You can go ahead and sleep," Link said to Vincent, "I will keep watch tonight."
There was no confirmation that the knight had heard him.
Link settled down on the ground and pulled a blanket around him against the hash night air, his sword across his knees; ready in a moment's notice. He could see nothing beyond the few feet where light was thrown by the fire, but his ears were sensitive and should pick up anything that moved close enough to be a danger.
All he could do was wait.
Auldric was tired. So unbelievably tired. And cold. And sore. He had travelled without rest for nearly two days through the plummeting temperatures without the use of his horse or blanket and he had just tripped in the dark on a root causing him to careen down a steep hill. He had unwittingly screamed in shock but nothing was broken, thankfully. If only he had the horse that would never have happened.
Slowly, the man grinned. Yes, the horse. Trine had planned on using that beast as a spy, to report everything Auldric did on his hunt. He was not trusted, not even by he who had given him reason for living. The horse had been killed shortly after Link had entered the mountains. Auldric would be damned if he would play the games of Trine any longer. He would no longer be under the crushing command of that foul man. He would be free.
But not yet. As long as Link was alive, his freedom was in peril. Link would always overshadow whatever Auldric would do. The perfect warrior would always be compared to his lesser friend. As long as the young Hylian was breathing, Auldric could never be certain of a favourable future. Link must die for Auldric to live.
The deranged man looked along the dark rolling hills of the Calatian landscape toward the faint glow of a campfire in the distance. That would be Link, Auldric thought to himself. At east he was close.
Trine may have been stupid to think he could control Auldric, but he had known one thing: the young man was not ready to fight Link. Especially with that knight travelling with him, Link would be unstoppable for one such as Auldric. But he could wait. Auldric had all the patience he would ever need to await Link's demise.
The young man crept forward until he was only a few meters from the campfire's light. From such a distance, Auldric could easily see Link sitting on watch and his companion sitting off to one side staring at the fire.
Auldric took a closer look at the knight. There was something not right about the man. His stare seemed strangely lost. He did not move. He breathed slowly. While Link's eyes were constantly moving, looking into the night, the Calatian only sat there staring into the fire, his breath the only visible sign of movement. Auldric could not shake the feeling that something was not right with the man.
But Auldric could wait. He would always be watching until the time was right. Link would die, Auldric was certain of that. The only question was when, and that would come soon enough. All he had to do was wait.
The next morning, the sun breached the heavens and banished the night in favour of day. The chill of night was slowly swept away; it's only remains the grass speckled with glistening dew. A weary Link and a vacant Vincent were on their way East shortly after sunrise.
Link had kept watch the entire cold night, unwilling to entrust such a demanding duty to Vincent who had shown no signs of breaking his shell of silence. It had been a harsh night as the temperature had dropped drastically after the sun had dropped below the horizon. The year was moving on, Link knew. Soon there would be snow on the ground covering the tracks of his princess, ruining forever his chances of finding her. He had no definite idea of where she could be, but his best chance would be in the forests of Forhas. Link shook his head. The very idea of finding Zelda was almost hopeless. She could be anywhere in the Seven Lands by now. Even if by some miracle Link managed to find out where she was, they could pass within a mile of each other and not be the wiser.
Link closed his eyes and relaxed as much as he could upon his horse and breathed in deeply. Clearing his mind, he focused solely upon Zelda and where she was.
The minutes ticked by without any revelation or sudden insight, and Link had almost given up hope when his mind erupted in light. There, in his Mind' Eye, he saw Zelda riding her horse solemnly through the hills of Calatia. There, on the horizon, sat the faint image of forest- the same forest that divided Calatia and Forhas.
Link looked at his princess's face and felt his heart torn as he saw several tears fall from her saddened eyes. He knew how she must have felt. Her homeland had deserted her and now she was all alone in unfamiliar territory. Link reached out his hand to touch his beloved, but at the movement the image shattered and was gone.
The hero opened his eyes and looked around. Stopping his horse, he gazed around him. There, on the horizon, was the very forest he had seen Zelda riding toward.
"Vincent!" he called.
The knight stopped his steed and looked at Link with his now common blank stare.
"This way!" Link cried and aimed his mount in the direction of the distant forest.
The knight silently complied.
For more than a day, the two companions had travelled in the direction Link had been shown in his vision, and they had still not found Zelda. What they had found was a large river winding through the forest that they chose to follow. Also, finding them, Father Winter had paid the land a bitter visit. In a single night snow and ice had covered the ground and trees. The river had become a raceway of frigid ice and water. The forest had been transformed from a dizzying mix of colour into a shadow of white and grey. More harrowing than the cold and the bleakness of the land was the absence of life. Nowhere to be seen were any animals or birds. The forest was deadly silent but for the occasional sound of ice falling and the constant crash of the river.
Link and Vincent traversed this unforgiving terrain. Link was relentless in his pursuit of Zelda. He would find her even if it would take him the rest of his life to do so. With the aid of Link's newfound connection with the princess, he was certain that she was getting nearer.
Vincent had remained unfeeling and unresponsive. Link had given up trying to force the man to communicate after the snow fell. If he was unwilling to curse the bitter cold, he would be unwilling to have casual conversation.
Idly, Link toyed with his ring-pendent. He was essentially all alone with no one to talk to. If he did not find others soon, he feared he would lose his mind. Like Vincent,
he thought, looking over to his companion.
Looking down to his pendent, images of his days with Malon came flooding into his mind. Those days were the happiest of his life, and he would never forget them; could never forget them.
If only he and Zelda had been able to have the freedoms he had been able to enjoy with Malon. Zelda was royalty and expected to marry nobility, not just a royal protector. When it all came down to it, he was nothing more than a peasant who had become lucky. There could never be anything between him and Zelda. With Malon, Link had been able to become more than just friends, he had become a cherished love. While neither he nor the farm girl had said anything, they had both shared the same feelings toward each other. Words were never needed.
The only problem with a relationship with Malon was that she lived in the past. If he wanted to spend his life with her, he would need to give up all that he had worked for in the present. That would be a hard choice. Should he give up everything and seek the possibility of lifelong happiness?
Link shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about possibilities. He had to find Zelda and bring her back to Hyrule before Trine did something terrible. For all he knew, Trine had already destroyed his homeland. Perhaps there was nothing left to go back to. Perhaps this quest for Zelda was nothing more than a waste of time.
Link shook his head. No. That could never be. He had spent the past several years protecting Zelda from whatever harm could befall her and he was not about to stop now when she needed him most. Zelda came first in his actions until she was safely seated on the Hylian throne.
From somewhere behind the pair of travellers a twig snapped. Link did not even turn around. He knew they were being followed. He had known since the night before they had entered the forest when he had heard the scream. Animals did not scream like that.
Link had just shrugged this pursuer as a very dedicated thief, but after following him and Vincent through frozen and harsh terrain, doubt had crept into the warrior's mind.
Not a sound was heard in the forest except for the soft clop of the horse's hooves for many hours. Dusk was beginning to settle in when the ground suddenly ended in a roar.
Link moved his horse to the edge of the ground and looked over. The river fell over a hundred yards into a small pool surrounded by sheer rocks. The rocks were so high that they had shielded the roar of the waterfall from the outside world. As Link peered into the chasm, he felt in dwindled at Nature's glory. To be in sight of such a giant and magnificent wonder made the heart move. Link was overwhelmed.
Vincent's horse snuffed at the air and Link turned his attention away from Nature and back onto the problem at hand. Should they go down the cliff or around the falls?
Link looked to the horizon to see if either way proved more promising than the other. There, several miles away, a single column of smoke rose into the reddening sky. Someone was burning something. Someone was nearby.
Thankfully, the possible dwelling was in the direction away from the falls, so scaling those towering walls was not necessary. Link silently breathed a sigh of relief.
As he was turning to remount Silvermane, something erupted from the surrounding bushes.
Auldric was cold. So cold.
Following Link had drained much of the energy form his body, and it was a constant struggle to walk, let alone keep up with those damn horses.
Tired and haggard, Auldric collapsed into the light blanket of snow and lay still.
As he lay near death, the sound of falling water reached his ears. The noise was faint, but audible. Then, to revitalize him, a horse neighed nearby.
Auldric sat bolt upright and crawled forward until he could see the horses through a thin veil of leaves.
A grin formed on his lined face. His prey had stopped. Before his eyes, Link dismounted and walked to the edge of a chasm over which the river tumbled. If he could be fast enough, Auldric could push his nemesis over the edge to his doom. If the fall did not kill him, then surely the chilling waters would do it. Auldric took his chance and unsheathed his balde, jumped up as adrenaline began to pump through his veins, and charged Link.
Link had only just unsheathed his blade when his attacker was upon him, slashing with his sword.
Link parried and sidestepped. He would be damned if he would be pushed over that cliff. He brought the sword around in an upward slash which was deflected but then he spun with the blade and brought it down aiming at his attacker's head.
The man blocked but was no match for the speed and force of Link's attack. Pushed back, he fell to the ground, Link's blade upon his pushing for the throat.
As both men were struggling in an apparent standstill, Link caught sight of his attacker's face.
"Auldric?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "What are you doing?"
His one time friend spat back his reply and kicked Link away.
Jumping to his feet, Link held his sword ready but did not attack.
"What are you doing Auldric?" he repeated.
The haggard man regained his footing and braced himself. "Killing you!" Saying that, he rushed Link but was quickly forced aside by the warrior's blade.
As soon as Auldric turned, he again rushed Link, but was again forced aside.
"Fight me, you bastard!" Auldric screamed in rage, brandishing the Master Sword for another attack.
Link again forced the attack aside and said, "I will not fight you. You are my friend. I do not fight friends."
"I am not your friend!" Auldric again came at Link but this time was faster than Link was expecting and came close to taking Link's head off. Fuelled by hate and anger, The Master Sword became a blur of steel. Link was forced back by the sudden barrage and had no way to retaliate without killing his one time friend.
Link took step after step back until he was standing knee deep in the rushing water of the river and still Auldric's blade was assaulting him.
Auldric continued hurling the Master Sword at his friend, sure that he was gaining the upper hand, when a small chunk of ice hit him hard in the side, knocking him off balance in the hurrying waters.
The attack of steel had ceased and Link used that to his advantage. Swiping at his off-balance attacker's chest, he connected with his former blade and succeeded in causing Auldric to fall over in the frigid water.
Link was hit by an piece of ice and looked around him. He was dangerously close to the waterfall. Less than ten feet away he could see ice toppling over the edge.
Working his way over to his fallen friend, something caught his foot and dragged him under. Struggling against the current and the need for air, Link fought his way back to the surface and gasped for air. As the water fell from his eyes, he saw Auldric towering over him, the Master Sword poised above his head ready for the final blow.
His blade still in his hand but under the rushing water, Link could only stare in horror at his friend who was ready to cut his head from his neck. The wicked gaze Auldric had on his face was enough to chill Link's heart. It was a look of pure hatred boiled to the surface.
As the magical sword began it's downward arc, Auldric was hit from the side by a giant piece of ice. The force of the blow tossed him out of the water and into the air for a moment before he again entered the cold and fell over the edge of the waterfall.
Link stood up and rushed to the riverbank, out of the treacherous waters. As he climbed up the bank, his friend's scream was still echoing in the chasm.
Breathing hard both from the battle and from the chill, Link peered over the edge down into the running waters of the falls but could see nothing of his friend.
Link spent several minutes in a pitiful heap upon the chasm edge. He was cold, wet, and grieving the death of his long-time friend.
Forcing himself to his knees, Link looked to the horses. They were exactly where they had been before Link's assassination attempt. So was Vincent. He had not moved even though his ally was in peril.
Cursing Vincent for his lack of thought, Link retrieved a blanket from Silvermane's saddlebag and wrapped it tightly around himself. If they did not find shelter soon, Link would freeze to death in the cold air. Looking again out beyond the waterfall, the rising smoke in the distance looked even more promising.
Sighing at the amount of time it would take his to reach the smoke, Link mounted his horse and guided it across the rushing river. Vincent followed silently.
Night had fallen many hours ago when the travellers arrived at the source of the smoke. They emerged from the trees and before then was a small clearing with a cottage. Dotted around the building were several outbuildings. Light poured forth from a pair of small windows that looked incredibly enticing to Link in his shivering state. Getting off his horse, Link cautiously approached one of the windows and peered inside. There in the warm glow of a fire was a small living room with comfortable-looking chairs and stools surrounding it. In one of the chairs sat an old woman knitting.
Link could not contain himself any longer and quickly lead Silvermane and Vincent into the clearing. Walking up to the door of the cottage, he knocked three shivering knocks.
After a few seconds of intense waiting, the door opened and an old man stood before them with an axe in his hand.
"What do you want?" the old man said in a gruff voice.
Link, his whole body shaking from cold, said, "My friend and I have been travelling for many days now and we were hoping we could spend the night in front of your fire."
The man looked Link over and then peered through the dim light to look at Vincent.
He had just opened his mouth when a scream came from within the house.
Both he and Link looked into the cottage to see a familiar young girl staring at them.
"Link!" cried Zelda in shock, running forward to hug him.
Link could only smile in happiness, knowing that his princess was safe and near.
The sudden flush of emotions proved too much for the hero and, without saying a word to Zelda, he collapsed into unconsciousness.
Travelling the narrow cut passageways of the Moblins, Link and Vincent were nearing the centre of the free Moblin world, the home of Vincent's father, the famous mage, Gregory.
"Wait." said the knight, stopping.
"What is it?" asked Link.
"Something is not right. We should be hearing the noises of the city by now."
Both men strained their ears to listen, but only silence echoed in their ears.
Without a word, the two hastened their approach to the city.
Without warning, the tunnel peeled away into the wall of a giant cavern. This cavern was the shelter of the free Moblin world, a city of greatness to rival the best of the world, and made out of the hopes and dreams of a race wishing for a better future. Unfortunately what met the eyes of the travellers was only the smouldering and ruined remains of that wondrous city.
Vincent openly gasped and stood motionless for seconds as his eyes took in this new and frightening picture.
"Father?" he muttered. Then he took off at a run, shouting for his father at the top of his lungs, his screams echoing throughout the ruinous city.
Link could only follow and watch as his friend and companion moved from burnt out building to rubble pile in frantic search for his father.
In spite of all that he knew of Vincent, Link was certain that the lonely knight loved his father deeply and would do nothing to bring harm to the old man. While they may have argued constantly over the best way to free the enslaved Moblin race from the vicious yoke of the Calatians, they cared for each other in a way that only father and son can. Unfortunately, Vincent suffered constantly from his connection with his father. Gregory was a man of world renown thanks to his role in the great Sunian War many years ago, fighting alongside such men as King Eridanus of Calatia, King Gerrik of Hyrule, Prince Avinian of Forhas, and many others who achieved fame in that war. Vincent could never hope to live up to his father's fame. No matter what he did, the world was now a different place to that of his father, and fame was not easily gained. There was no great war, there was no holy calling, nothing. There was only the never ending battle for the freedom of a few souls from the shackles of slavery. Doing this, in the often violent way of the knight, meant that Vincent was not so much famous as notorious. The people of Calatia feared and scorned him, while the rest of the world barely knew of his existence.
Link watched his friend stop at the end of a street and stare stock still at something just out of the Hylian's view. Walking to join his friend, he noticed wells of tears gathering in Vincent's eyes. Following the man's gaze to a nearby wall, his breath caught in his throat. There, on the wall, was the torn and battered body of the famous mage, Gregory, pinned to the wall by means of several stakes. A river of blood ran down the wall under the body and gathered in a pool at it's feet. The face was not twisted in anger or hatred, but lined with worry and pity, with the mask of pain that Link had seen all to often underlying it all. To Link, this was a horrifying shock, but to Vincent, this was the ultimate blow. Link looked to his friend in sorrow and could nearly see the walls of sanity being broken down behind the man's eyes. His world had ended.
Slowly- hesitantly- Vincent walked toward the body of his father and stopped before it. Wordlessly, he grasped the stakes and pulled them free of his father, causing the mage to fall to the ground. Vincent did not move for several seconds, just watching his father's corpse lay upon the dirtied, blood soaked ground was tearing at his mind and body. Then the knight knelt and lifted his father's head gently, resting it upon his knee.
Link could only stand by and watch the poor man grieve. This was something that Vincent had to do on his own. It would be improper for Link to step in at this point. Only when the knight asked for help, would the hero approach. Link sat down on a stone and waited.
After more than an hour, Vincent laid his father's head on the ground and closed the eyes. He said a prayer and called Link over.
"Link," he said in a small, raspy voice, "Do you have a penny?"
The hero reached into his money pouch and gave his friend the penny.
Opening Gregory's mouth, the knight placed the penny on the corpse's tongue.
"May the spirits welcome you to Hades. Farewell."
Link bowed his head in solemnity as the prayer was uttered, even though Vincent's voice broke several times while praying. The man was close to breaking, if he had not already done so. Vincent stood and stared at his father. The tears on his face were clear for Link to see.
They both stood over the mage's body until Link had to pull his shattered friend away from the scene. The knight seemed dazed. The shock had finally settled in. The weeping was over.
The pair of travellers spent the night camped just outside of the Underworld. Vincent said not a word the entire time that camp was set up or dinner served. He did his jobs but nothing else. After the meal, he just sat still, staring into the fire, not moving. Just breathing.
Link wondered about his friend. They had not known each other long, but after having to rely upon each other several times, they had formed a bond that would be hard broken. They had set out together to find hope for their lost lives. Vincent had lost his path in life, and Link had lost his way of life. Both had set out to amend their problems, the knight to return to Calatia and rejoin his father's gallant crusade; and Link to find his lost princess Zelda, and return her to her rightful place on the Hylian throne. Now Vincent's dream had been stolen. How would the knight react? Would he be excessively violent? Or just calm and withdrawn from the world? Would he go off and do something amazingly stupid, or would he do absolutely nothing? Link had no idea, but he had to keep an eye open for signs of trouble.
The night passed uneventfully and by morning the duo were again on their way.
Link shifted his position on Silvermane. Riding all day had a negative effect upon the posterior. He turned in his saddle slightly to look at Vincent riding at his side.
"How are you doing? Better?"
The knight looked at his friend but said nothing, only stared with unseeing eyes.
Link shrugged. That was to be expected. Shock was common among victims of tragedy, but with the Calatian, it was as if his mind had completely shut off. It worried Link, but he knew that eventually his head would right itself.
"So," he said aloud, "Where could Zelda have gone? She went south from Hyrule, we know that. And Calatia is openly hostile against her, so she could have passed through and entered Forhas. Does that sound likely?" He asked the silent knight.
No response, only a blank stare. Of course.
Over the course of the day, Link and Vincent travelled through much of Eastern Calatia heading for the country of Forhas. All the while the Calatian was quiet and unheeding. Night began to fall and still the pair had not crossed the boarder. Camp was made.
As they ate their meal, Link began to talk, mostly just thinking aloud as his companion was unwilling to speak.
"I wonder what could have killed Gregory?" The knight did not move at the mention of his newly deceased father. "He was one of the most powerful wizards in existence and he was brutally killed. And where did the Moblins go off to? I did not look as if they were killed as well. Perhaps the Calatians found out about the Underworld? Surely the Moblins could not have done such a thing to him?"
Link looked to his friend but saw nothing in his eyes. Had he even heard what was said? Link would doubt whether or not the man was even living were it not for the rhythmic motions of his chest and the small cloud expelled as he breathed in the cold air. The poor man.
Suddenly a scream came from the blackness surrounding the campfire, interrupting the young hero's thoughts. Link drew his sword and glanced all around him but saw nothing. The scream sounded distant, but that did not mean that it was not heading their way. It had sounded human, but Link could have been wrong. Better safe than sorry.
"You can go ahead and sleep," Link said to Vincent, "I will keep watch tonight."
There was no confirmation that the knight had heard him.
Link settled down on the ground and pulled a blanket around him against the hash night air, his sword across his knees; ready in a moment's notice. He could see nothing beyond the few feet where light was thrown by the fire, but his ears were sensitive and should pick up anything that moved close enough to be a danger.
All he could do was wait.
Auldric was tired. So unbelievably tired. And cold. And sore. He had travelled without rest for nearly two days through the plummeting temperatures without the use of his horse or blanket and he had just tripped in the dark on a root causing him to careen down a steep hill. He had unwittingly screamed in shock but nothing was broken, thankfully. If only he had the horse that would never have happened.
Slowly, the man grinned. Yes, the horse. Trine had planned on using that beast as a spy, to report everything Auldric did on his hunt. He was not trusted, not even by he who had given him reason for living. The horse had been killed shortly after Link had entered the mountains. Auldric would be damned if he would play the games of Trine any longer. He would no longer be under the crushing command of that foul man. He would be free.
But not yet. As long as Link was alive, his freedom was in peril. Link would always overshadow whatever Auldric would do. The perfect warrior would always be compared to his lesser friend. As long as the young Hylian was breathing, Auldric could never be certain of a favourable future. Link must die for Auldric to live.
The deranged man looked along the dark rolling hills of the Calatian landscape toward the faint glow of a campfire in the distance. That would be Link, Auldric thought to himself. At east he was close.
Trine may have been stupid to think he could control Auldric, but he had known one thing: the young man was not ready to fight Link. Especially with that knight travelling with him, Link would be unstoppable for one such as Auldric. But he could wait. Auldric had all the patience he would ever need to await Link's demise.
The young man crept forward until he was only a few meters from the campfire's light. From such a distance, Auldric could easily see Link sitting on watch and his companion sitting off to one side staring at the fire.
Auldric took a closer look at the knight. There was something not right about the man. His stare seemed strangely lost. He did not move. He breathed slowly. While Link's eyes were constantly moving, looking into the night, the Calatian only sat there staring into the fire, his breath the only visible sign of movement. Auldric could not shake the feeling that something was not right with the man.
But Auldric could wait. He would always be watching until the time was right. Link would die, Auldric was certain of that. The only question was when, and that would come soon enough. All he had to do was wait.
The next morning, the sun breached the heavens and banished the night in favour of day. The chill of night was slowly swept away; it's only remains the grass speckled with glistening dew. A weary Link and a vacant Vincent were on their way East shortly after sunrise.
Link had kept watch the entire cold night, unwilling to entrust such a demanding duty to Vincent who had shown no signs of breaking his shell of silence. It had been a harsh night as the temperature had dropped drastically after the sun had dropped below the horizon. The year was moving on, Link knew. Soon there would be snow on the ground covering the tracks of his princess, ruining forever his chances of finding her. He had no definite idea of where she could be, but his best chance would be in the forests of Forhas. Link shook his head. The very idea of finding Zelda was almost hopeless. She could be anywhere in the Seven Lands by now. Even if by some miracle Link managed to find out where she was, they could pass within a mile of each other and not be the wiser.
Link closed his eyes and relaxed as much as he could upon his horse and breathed in deeply. Clearing his mind, he focused solely upon Zelda and where she was.
The minutes ticked by without any revelation or sudden insight, and Link had almost given up hope when his mind erupted in light. There, in his Mind' Eye, he saw Zelda riding her horse solemnly through the hills of Calatia. There, on the horizon, sat the faint image of forest- the same forest that divided Calatia and Forhas.
Link looked at his princess's face and felt his heart torn as he saw several tears fall from her saddened eyes. He knew how she must have felt. Her homeland had deserted her and now she was all alone in unfamiliar territory. Link reached out his hand to touch his beloved, but at the movement the image shattered and was gone.
The hero opened his eyes and looked around. Stopping his horse, he gazed around him. There, on the horizon, was the very forest he had seen Zelda riding toward.
"Vincent!" he called.
The knight stopped his steed and looked at Link with his now common blank stare.
"This way!" Link cried and aimed his mount in the direction of the distant forest.
The knight silently complied.
For more than a day, the two companions had travelled in the direction Link had been shown in his vision, and they had still not found Zelda. What they had found was a large river winding through the forest that they chose to follow. Also, finding them, Father Winter had paid the land a bitter visit. In a single night snow and ice had covered the ground and trees. The river had become a raceway of frigid ice and water. The forest had been transformed from a dizzying mix of colour into a shadow of white and grey. More harrowing than the cold and the bleakness of the land was the absence of life. Nowhere to be seen were any animals or birds. The forest was deadly silent but for the occasional sound of ice falling and the constant crash of the river.
Link and Vincent traversed this unforgiving terrain. Link was relentless in his pursuit of Zelda. He would find her even if it would take him the rest of his life to do so. With the aid of Link's newfound connection with the princess, he was certain that she was getting nearer.
Vincent had remained unfeeling and unresponsive. Link had given up trying to force the man to communicate after the snow fell. If he was unwilling to curse the bitter cold, he would be unwilling to have casual conversation.
Idly, Link toyed with his ring-pendent. He was essentially all alone with no one to talk to. If he did not find others soon, he feared he would lose his mind. Like Vincent,
he thought, looking over to his companion.
Looking down to his pendent, images of his days with Malon came flooding into his mind. Those days were the happiest of his life, and he would never forget them; could never forget them.
If only he and Zelda had been able to have the freedoms he had been able to enjoy with Malon. Zelda was royalty and expected to marry nobility, not just a royal protector. When it all came down to it, he was nothing more than a peasant who had become lucky. There could never be anything between him and Zelda. With Malon, Link had been able to become more than just friends, he had become a cherished love. While neither he nor the farm girl had said anything, they had both shared the same feelings toward each other. Words were never needed.
The only problem with a relationship with Malon was that she lived in the past. If he wanted to spend his life with her, he would need to give up all that he had worked for in the present. That would be a hard choice. Should he give up everything and seek the possibility of lifelong happiness?
Link shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking about possibilities. He had to find Zelda and bring her back to Hyrule before Trine did something terrible. For all he knew, Trine had already destroyed his homeland. Perhaps there was nothing left to go back to. Perhaps this quest for Zelda was nothing more than a waste of time.
Link shook his head. No. That could never be. He had spent the past several years protecting Zelda from whatever harm could befall her and he was not about to stop now when she needed him most. Zelda came first in his actions until she was safely seated on the Hylian throne.
From somewhere behind the pair of travellers a twig snapped. Link did not even turn around. He knew they were being followed. He had known since the night before they had entered the forest when he had heard the scream. Animals did not scream like that.
Link had just shrugged this pursuer as a very dedicated thief, but after following him and Vincent through frozen and harsh terrain, doubt had crept into the warrior's mind.
Not a sound was heard in the forest except for the soft clop of the horse's hooves for many hours. Dusk was beginning to settle in when the ground suddenly ended in a roar.
Link moved his horse to the edge of the ground and looked over. The river fell over a hundred yards into a small pool surrounded by sheer rocks. The rocks were so high that they had shielded the roar of the waterfall from the outside world. As Link peered into the chasm, he felt in dwindled at Nature's glory. To be in sight of such a giant and magnificent wonder made the heart move. Link was overwhelmed.
Vincent's horse snuffed at the air and Link turned his attention away from Nature and back onto the problem at hand. Should they go down the cliff or around the falls?
Link looked to the horizon to see if either way proved more promising than the other. There, several miles away, a single column of smoke rose into the reddening sky. Someone was burning something. Someone was nearby.
Thankfully, the possible dwelling was in the direction away from the falls, so scaling those towering walls was not necessary. Link silently breathed a sigh of relief.
As he was turning to remount Silvermane, something erupted from the surrounding bushes.
Auldric was cold. So cold.
Following Link had drained much of the energy form his body, and it was a constant struggle to walk, let alone keep up with those damn horses.
Tired and haggard, Auldric collapsed into the light blanket of snow and lay still.
As he lay near death, the sound of falling water reached his ears. The noise was faint, but audible. Then, to revitalize him, a horse neighed nearby.
Auldric sat bolt upright and crawled forward until he could see the horses through a thin veil of leaves.
A grin formed on his lined face. His prey had stopped. Before his eyes, Link dismounted and walked to the edge of a chasm over which the river tumbled. If he could be fast enough, Auldric could push his nemesis over the edge to his doom. If the fall did not kill him, then surely the chilling waters would do it. Auldric took his chance and unsheathed his balde, jumped up as adrenaline began to pump through his veins, and charged Link.
Link had only just unsheathed his blade when his attacker was upon him, slashing with his sword.
Link parried and sidestepped. He would be damned if he would be pushed over that cliff. He brought the sword around in an upward slash which was deflected but then he spun with the blade and brought it down aiming at his attacker's head.
The man blocked but was no match for the speed and force of Link's attack. Pushed back, he fell to the ground, Link's blade upon his pushing for the throat.
As both men were struggling in an apparent standstill, Link caught sight of his attacker's face.
"Auldric?!" he exclaimed in disbelief. "What are you doing?"
His one time friend spat back his reply and kicked Link away.
Jumping to his feet, Link held his sword ready but did not attack.
"What are you doing Auldric?" he repeated.
The haggard man regained his footing and braced himself. "Killing you!" Saying that, he rushed Link but was quickly forced aside by the warrior's blade.
As soon as Auldric turned, he again rushed Link, but was again forced aside.
"Fight me, you bastard!" Auldric screamed in rage, brandishing the Master Sword for another attack.
Link again forced the attack aside and said, "I will not fight you. You are my friend. I do not fight friends."
"I am not your friend!" Auldric again came at Link but this time was faster than Link was expecting and came close to taking Link's head off. Fuelled by hate and anger, The Master Sword became a blur of steel. Link was forced back by the sudden barrage and had no way to retaliate without killing his one time friend.
Link took step after step back until he was standing knee deep in the rushing water of the river and still Auldric's blade was assaulting him.
Auldric continued hurling the Master Sword at his friend, sure that he was gaining the upper hand, when a small chunk of ice hit him hard in the side, knocking him off balance in the hurrying waters.
The attack of steel had ceased and Link used that to his advantage. Swiping at his off-balance attacker's chest, he connected with his former blade and succeeded in causing Auldric to fall over in the frigid water.
Link was hit by an piece of ice and looked around him. He was dangerously close to the waterfall. Less than ten feet away he could see ice toppling over the edge.
Working his way over to his fallen friend, something caught his foot and dragged him under. Struggling against the current and the need for air, Link fought his way back to the surface and gasped for air. As the water fell from his eyes, he saw Auldric towering over him, the Master Sword poised above his head ready for the final blow.
His blade still in his hand but under the rushing water, Link could only stare in horror at his friend who was ready to cut his head from his neck. The wicked gaze Auldric had on his face was enough to chill Link's heart. It was a look of pure hatred boiled to the surface.
As the magical sword began it's downward arc, Auldric was hit from the side by a giant piece of ice. The force of the blow tossed him out of the water and into the air for a moment before he again entered the cold and fell over the edge of the waterfall.
Link stood up and rushed to the riverbank, out of the treacherous waters. As he climbed up the bank, his friend's scream was still echoing in the chasm.
Breathing hard both from the battle and from the chill, Link peered over the edge down into the running waters of the falls but could see nothing of his friend.
Link spent several minutes in a pitiful heap upon the chasm edge. He was cold, wet, and grieving the death of his long-time friend.
Forcing himself to his knees, Link looked to the horses. They were exactly where they had been before Link's assassination attempt. So was Vincent. He had not moved even though his ally was in peril.
Cursing Vincent for his lack of thought, Link retrieved a blanket from Silvermane's saddlebag and wrapped it tightly around himself. If they did not find shelter soon, Link would freeze to death in the cold air. Looking again out beyond the waterfall, the rising smoke in the distance looked even more promising.
Sighing at the amount of time it would take his to reach the smoke, Link mounted his horse and guided it across the rushing river. Vincent followed silently.
Night had fallen many hours ago when the travellers arrived at the source of the smoke. They emerged from the trees and before then was a small clearing with a cottage. Dotted around the building were several outbuildings. Light poured forth from a pair of small windows that looked incredibly enticing to Link in his shivering state. Getting off his horse, Link cautiously approached one of the windows and peered inside. There in the warm glow of a fire was a small living room with comfortable-looking chairs and stools surrounding it. In one of the chairs sat an old woman knitting.
Link could not contain himself any longer and quickly lead Silvermane and Vincent into the clearing. Walking up to the door of the cottage, he knocked three shivering knocks.
After a few seconds of intense waiting, the door opened and an old man stood before them with an axe in his hand.
"What do you want?" the old man said in a gruff voice.
Link, his whole body shaking from cold, said, "My friend and I have been travelling for many days now and we were hoping we could spend the night in front of your fire."
The man looked Link over and then peered through the dim light to look at Vincent.
He had just opened his mouth when a scream came from within the house.
Both he and Link looked into the cottage to see a familiar young girl staring at them.
"Link!" cried Zelda in shock, running forward to hug him.
Link could only smile in happiness, knowing that his princess was safe and near.
The sudden flush of emotions proved too much for the hero and, without saying a word to Zelda, he collapsed into unconsciousness.