Normally, the palace gardens were where Zelda felt the most relaxed, where she came to relieve stress. Today, however, no amount of floral beauty could calm her. Her father had not improved; the doctors on hand could find nothing physically wrong with him, and she sensed no magic behind the strange malady. Impa had sent her apprentice, Shrike, to search out answers, but he had only been gone for two days, and Zelda was already growing impatient.
Deep in thought, she hardly noticed the page come up behind her and announce the arrival of the Zora physician. She merely nodded, and the page hurried off. Alone again, she went over in her head for the hundredth time all she knew or could infer. Rolondrof had come before her and announced his involvement in her father's illness, yet he had done so in a casual and almost formal manner. This proved he believed himself to be powerful, untouchable, and Zelda was too smart to call his bluff. He had spoken with her respectfully, acknowledging her power and wisdom, yet not implying that she was his better or even his equal. He claimed to have anticipated any and all contingencies, and that regardless of her answer to his threat, Ganon would be released; he was merely taunting her and testing her resolve with any promise to cure the king.
These facts displayed Rolondrof's first flaw: arrogance. As a princess and a politician, Zelda had been trained to manipulate an opponent's weakness until she had them where she wanted. Rolondrof's arrogance was something for her to exploit, if only she could figure out how. And she would. Her role as the Seventh Sage may not be common knowledge, but it was a widely known fact throughout Hyrule that the Princess Zelda was a master of diplomacy and politics.
The one thing she could not figure out, though, was Link's role in Rolondrof's game. Link had defeated Ganon and all his minions; he had banished the thief before he could ever gain a foothold on the land, so it was obvious that much of Rolondrof's anger and plans for vengeance would focus around him. However, try as she might, she could not come to any conclusions as to Rolondrof's plans.
Zelda let out an exasperated sigh, taking a seat in the gazebo in the middle of the gardens. She had not heard from Link in over a month, and then it was just a message saying that he had made it "home", wherever that was. She knew that he was more than capable of looking after himself, that Impa was right in saying that he would be extremely difficult to kill. Perhaps that was what bothered her about Rolondrof's warning.
"Your highness," a voice came from behind her, causing her to jump slightly in her seat. It took her a moment to recognize the voice, but when she placed it she relaxed a little.
"You know I don't like it when you do that," she gently chastised, not turning around; she had no guarantee that the messenger could even be seen.
"Forgive me your highness," the messenger replied. The voice was quiet, like a soft wind through the leaves of a willow, yet strong and steady as a rock at the same time.
Zelda continued to stare forward. "You're back earlier than expected Shrike. Is that good or bad news?"
Zelda swore she heard Shrike sigh, and she smiled. Impa would not have been pleased to hear that; Sheikah weren't supposed to display such outward shows of emotion. "The latter, I'm afraid. I returned so quickly not because I discovered the cause of the king's illness, but because I discovered a more pressing concern."
The princess felt a little angry at this comment, wondering what could possibly be more pressing than her father's well being. That thinking was selfish, however, so she continued to listen.
Shrike seemed to sense her anger, and waited a moment before continuing. They had grown up together, and Shrike knew Zelda better than anyone, except maybe Impa or Link. "I had been riding for a day when I found it," the Sheikah continued. "I had stopped in Barsmill, a town about a mile west of Lon Lon Ranch, to refresh my horse. When I got there, I found it had changed considerably since I had last visited."
"How so?"
"Milady, it has become a merc town."
Zelda stiffened in her seat, but waited for Shrike to continue. "I snuck around, trying to figure out what was going on. From what I could gather, close to three hundred mercenaries and criminals are occupying the village and the surrounding area, with more arriving daily. The townspeople have either been driven out completely or massacred didn't have time to find out for certain, but I believe they have been hiring lizaflos and stalfos. It also looks like the blacksmith's workshop has become an Iron Knuckle factory."
Zelda was horrified. How could something like this have happened without the royal spies and soldiers discovering it? Almost afraid to ask, she said, "Who is behind this gathering?"
Again, Shrike hesitated. "Some of the mercs were talking about the 'Church of Ganon', and more than one mentioned the name Rolondrof, along with someone called Skorn. I hurried back as soon as I could with this news. Should I continue my investigations?"
Zelda thought for a moment. "No Shrike," she replied, "Stay here for now. I get the feeling you'll be needed here. But be ready; I'm sure I'll have need of you soon enough." She didn't mention that she had also just felt a strange tingling sensation in the back of her mind signaling Link's presence. They had discovered that when they were within close proximity to each other, for some unexplained reason, they were able to sense each other. They had only just discovered this gift a short while ago, only three months ago, when Link was last at the castle. She found it strange, not to mention a little frightening, that they were connected on such an intimate level. Regardless, Link was in the city, and chances were he'd be at the castle any time now. He would need to hear of Shrike's news.
"As you wish." Shrike said. "And in case she didn't hear properly, please remind Impa that I apologize for my previous show of emotion."
Zelda smiled, and didn't bother to ask any more questions, knowing that Shrike was already gone. "He's a good apprentice, Impa," she addressed the shadows to her right. "It won't be long until he'll be able to sneak up on even you."
The elder Sheikah stepped out of the shadows. "Indeed," she agreed. "Still, his discipline could use a little work."
Zelda could have sworn she saw the older woman smirk.
* * *
Link emerged from the moat surrounding the castle, and quickly swam to a shadowed section of the moat wall facing the castle. Sinking to the bottom of the moat, he kicked off with his powerful Zora legs and sliced through the surface like a knife through butter. He grabbed the edge of the fifteen-foot high wall and deftly hauled himself up. He immediately hid behind a group of buses, watching the sentry walk by, never suspecting a thing.
Link removed his Zora mask, feeling the spirit of Zora guitarist Mikau separating from that of his own and returning to the mask, which he hid under the bushes. He had hidden his cloak and weapons on the other side of the castle wall, so he was dressed only in his leather slacks, boots, tunic, vest, and his always-present green cap. He unhooked his longshot from his belt and waited patiently for the sentry to turn the corner. When the guard was out of site, Link rose from the bushes and aimed the longshot at a crack in the bricks high up on the castle wall. Squeezing the trigger, he let the chain fly. When he felt the hook gain purchase in the wall, he released the trigger and let the chain reel him into the wall. When he made contact, he reached out to a nearby windowsill and steadied himself for another shot. In moments he was up the wall and sneaking along the battlements. Only then did Link realize that it would have been easier to just walk in the front gates; the guards knew him to be a close friend of the royal family. "Oh well," he thought, "This is more fun."
In a few minutes he found the door he was looking for. In a rather large building situated on the right side of the main courtyard was the castle library. The door Link was looking for was a small trapdoor on the roof that would lead directly into the library. Link backed up to the far side of the wall, took a deep breath, and sprinted to the opposite of edge. He leapt off the edge into empty air. He had timed his jump perfectly; he landed just a few feet shy of the middle of the roof. He opened up the trap door and dropped into the library.
* * *
Malon had told Link that she had other errands to run before she left, but that hadn't been entirely true. She had spent the last hour since they had separated wandering aimlessly from stall to stall in the busy market, trying to gather her thoughts. Seeing Link again had stirred the same old feelings she had fostered since they had first met in that very same market. She smiled as she reminisced; Link, fresh out of the forest, naïve to the outside world and all its complexities. It was that naivety that had first attracted her to him. He was no longer as innocent—not if the stories he had told her were any indication—but he still carried an air of purity and goodness about him.
Her knight in green clothing.
"Your thoughts dwell on the boy from the forest."
Malon turned sharply, startled by the deep baritone that had shocked her out of her reverie. She turned to look the stranger in the face, but instead ended up eye level with his stomach. She gasped as she stepped back. The man was huge, well over eight feet, and the widest man she had ever seen, though she didn't think the bulk was fat. His massive frame was shrouded in a dark riding cloak that had been lengthened considerably, and the hood hid his face. She stammered out a reply. "Ex…excuse me?"
"Your thoughts," he repeated, "They dwell on the one from the forest. I can tell. We have watched both of you for many years, and your thoughts hold no secrets from us. The reason I tell you this, is to provide you fair warning to say your farewells. It is the honorable thing to do."
Malon had no idea what the man was saying. He was making absolutely no sense. "What?"
"The rising sun will eventually set, the magic's child shall fade. From the prison of the holy blade, our lord shall rise again. Amen." And with that, he turned and walked away, leaving Malon puzzling over his last words, and, inexplicably, desperately anxious for Link to return.
* * *
The rising sun will eventually set,
A newborn's life will fade,
From sun to moon, moon to sun,
Give peaceful rest to the living dead.
Link slammed the book shut in frustration. That was the fourth volume that contained that rhyme. He had spent the last hour pouring over almanacs and birth certificates and medical records from every birth the year he was born, and all he had found was that lone rhyme. Every other birth was accounted for, be they dead or grown up. That wasn't what bothered him though. It was the rhyme. Each time he had found it, it had not been credited to anyone; there was no name, no exact date, no nothing. And he had seen it before, he knew he had. He just couldn't place it.
He wondered if he should go find Zelda and ask for her help. She was nearby; he could sense her with the weird sixth sense they had discovered. "No," he thought. "This is my business, and it wouldn't be right to involve her." Granted, she did that to him on a regular basis, but that was neither here nor there.
Zelda. He had been thinking about her more often lately, though he didn't know why. If he was a bitter person, he could say that she had ruined his life. However, even on his worst days, he could never think a bad thought about her, much less blame her for anything.
Link sighed. This was getting him nowhere. He supposed he would have to do this the old fashioned way: look.
* * *
Zelda walked at a brisk pace to the palace library. Link's presence was strongest there, and she needed to see him immediately. He needed to know that Rolondrof and his cult were coming for him, even though she didn't know how.
As she made her way, she couldn't help but think about her relationship with Link over the past few years. Following his yearlong absence from Hyrule, he had returned to the castle, citing that he had no other place to go and that he had missed her. She never regretted his stay at the palace; they were probably the happiest two years of her life. Every day was a new adventure, and she, along with Link and Shrike, always managed to fall into it.
Unfortunately, those days had to end. After two years, Link left, off on his journey of discovery. He had made it a point to visit her at least two days out of every month, but sometimes his constant quests and missions kept that from happening. But whenever he was able to make it, the days got that much better. He was always there when she needed him. Now it was her turn to be there for him.
She pushed open the double doors leading to the library, eyes searching the aisles of books. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a sliver of light coming from the far end of the building disappear. She looked up just in time to see a small section of the ceiling be replaced in the roof. "Guard!" she called. Moments later an armored guard appeared beside her. "Set a perimeter guard around the castle quickly. Nothing leaves this castle. Bring all you find directly to me. Is that understood?" The guard nodded and left to carry out the orders. When he was gone she called out again. "Impa, Shrike, the guards won't stop him, but they may slow him down. Find him immediately." She turned on her heel and left the library, knowing that her two shadows were already gone.