Zelda watched grimly as the unconscious body of Auldric was dragged away from the scene of the fight, and secured in a tent on the outskirts of the camp; soon after, the crowd of onlookers dispersed, all going away to go back about their business. She saw Vincent took Helen away and back to her own tent, to calm the girl down from the fight and the horror of learning that her lodger was a lunatic.
The princess sighed and hugged herself against the chill night air. The sudden appearance of the Calatian knight was a shock to everyone, most of all to Link. To have the man just snap out of his closed state was remarkable, and his timing could not have been better to save Helen. It surely must have been some sort of miracle that saved that girl. Deep down in her heart, Zelda had the feeling that those two would now have a bond with each other that would soon make them long-time friends. Again she sighed. From the look of how she lived before she came here, Helen could certainly use the companionship and attention. Poor lonely girl.
Looking away from the camp and into the snowy darkness, Zelda looked to a fresh set of tracks leading awkwardly off into the distance. As soon as everything had calmed back down to normal standards, Link had hobbled off quietly to be by himself. In all the years she had known him, Zelda had never seen the hero act so caught up in a battle. The emotional turmoil of having to fight off and then attempt to execute a good friend must have been horrific for the boy to live through.
Pulling her cloak closer around herself and trying to catch sight of Link through the blackness, Zelda hardly noticed the appearance of someone beside her.
"How are you holding up, dear?" asked Hecuba softly.
Startled, Zelda answered, "I could be better. Everything happened so fast, it seems almost like a dream."
The woman nodded sagely. "The most important things in life seem like dreams when they happen- how else would we deal with them?"
Zelda just nodded, not quite understanding the meaning of the woman, but sometimes silent acceptance was better than beginning an endless explanation.
"Where did Link go off to?" asked the old woman, following Zelda's gaze into the dark woods.
"Off that way into the forest. What's over there?"
Hecuba nodded slightly. "A hot spring. Good for the joints, those are." She paused. "You should go after him."
The princess nearly jumped at the unexpected suggestion.
"Why? He went off to be alone."
The old woman put an arm around the girl. 'Sometimes it is when friends want to be alone, that they need company the most." With that, ignoring the debating look on Zelda's face, Hecuba gently pushed the girl in the direction of the springs.
Wordlessly and not looking back, Zelda started walking toward the forest.
As soon as the girl had disappeared into the gloom of night, Hecuba waddled back to her tent where she found Donalbain making a small dinner. When she sat down beside him, her husband said, without looking up form the pot, "You didn't need to do that, dear."
Hecuba just waved the comment aside. "Those two were fated to fall in love."
"So why do you try so hard to make them fall in love?"
Shrug. "Sometimes fate isn't fast enough and needs a little prod now and then."
"And you're the one to prod fate, are you?"
Another shrug. "Why not? I know what's best for those two. The sooner Fate knows that, the better of they will be."
The old man chuckled. "That's true, I suppose, my know-all-and-see-all wife." He reached over from his stew and lightly patted his wife's hand. "You always did know what was best."
"Of course I did."
Zelda walked slowly through the dark trees, trying hard to follow the tracks left by her friend. The warmth and light of the camp had quickly fallen away as she walked farther and farther into the woods making her shiver beneath her cloak, growing steadily fearful at the unknown darkness.
Just as she was about to give up on finding the springs, Zelda caught sight of the faint flickering of torches and the sound- distantly- of trickling water. Approaching nearer and nearer, the princess caught the faint scents of incense and smoke and water wafting through the chill air.
Suddenly the trees gave way to a small misty clearing with an equally small pool- hardly more than a crack in the ground- where a tiny spring emptied its water. Around the pool stood a ring of torches on pikes, straight and tall, like bright and flickering soldiers standing guard and protecting the pool from the dangers and horrors of the real world. All around the pool hung a fog of cool air wandering and swaying in the slight breeze that managed to find this ethereal grotto through the forest. Looking up, Zelda noticed the clear dark night and the shiny brightness of the moon coming out from the horizon of branches, the stars looking downward from the cosmos in silent vigil of their children. As she walking into the clearing, the breath was stolen from the princess by its sheer beauty and fantastic juxtaposition upon the cold, dark forest around it. She nearly cried from the intense sense of emotion that swept over her.
Looking into the pool, Zelda saw Link up to his shoulders in the water with only his head leaning back over the cusp of the liquid. Beside him on the rocks from where the spring tumbled, lay his clothes in a neat pile. She smiled at the sight. Even in pain and misery, Link was always careful of his clothes when he could be, a throwback to his days as a commoner when he only owned one set of clothing and a trait that he had doggedly persisted on keeping despite his promotion to the royal family and the castle.
"Link?" she spoke softly.
His head came up in a flash, arm snaked out of the water and resting on the hilt of his sword. He relaxed instantly and grunted, sliding back into the warm water.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, walking closer to the pool and kneeling beside it, staring into the disturbingly peaceful face of her friend.
He shrugged under the water but said nothing.
"Are you ok? Do you want to talk?"
He opened his brilliant blue eyes and stared at her for a moment before tilting his head away from her, motioning into the pool.
"The water is very warm," he said. "You should come in and get out of the cold air."
She stood up and glared at him. "Promise."
He nodded and closed his eyes again, a humoured smile on his lips. "I promise. Now get in."
Turning away from the pool, Zelda quickly undressed and slipped into the spring, gasping at its warmth and how all of her body instantly seemed to relax as it touched the water. She slid in as Link had- up to her shoulders- and sighed.
"Oh, this feels so wonderful!"
Link nodded. "I'm glad you decided to stop being a prude for a few minutes in order to get in. You should know by now that of all the people in the world, I'm the least likely to take advantage of you."
Zelda giggled lightly. "I can never tell with you. One day you're a typical boy, and the next you're an uptight soldier who doesn't know the meaning of fun."
He nodded, smiling. "And sometimes you're a fun, caring, loving and tender girl; while other times being a princess."
She gasped at the insult and splashed water at him, which he promptly returned to her, causing them both to soakingly laugh.
After a minute, the laughing stopped and the two friends calmed down, Link returning to his previously quiet mood.
Zelda turned to look at him. "There was nothing else you could do," she said.
His eyes snapped open and glared at her, his eyes filled with the closest emotion to hatred that Zelda had ever seen in them. Fortunately for her, they quickly gave way to a look of simple sadness and pain. He looked away again, closing his eyes to help keep the welling tears back. He sighed such a deep and heartfelt sigh that it made Zelda's eyes water and chest break in pity and helplessness at her friend's pain.
"Did I ever tell you," he said quietly, "about the time Auldric and I went hunting in the Preserve and found a giant bee's nest? We had been walking for ages without seeing any game and suddenly I come out of a thicket and step on the nest accidentally." He smiled and chuckled. "Those bees were so pissed off at me that every single one in that nest came out and attacked me! I was covered from head to toe in welts and could barely move. It was only through Auldric grabbing my arm and pulling me off into a nearby river that I survived those bees. I lost consciousness after that, but Auldric told me later that he had put poultices on my stings and carried on his back all the way to the castle where I recovered. I was unconscious for over a week and unable to get out of bed for another month." His eyes took on a faraway look as he remembered the adventure. "The two of us were always together going off on adventures all over the land- even a few times in other lands." His face suddenly hardened. "We were always there for each other and now whatever Trine did to him has caused my best friend to become obsessed with my death! Trine destroyed the Auldric I knew; making him just another tool for whatever… plans… he-he has…"
Link's voice broke and he trembled, tears rolling freely from his eyes. Zelda put her arm around her friend's shoulders and hugged him tightly.
"It's alright," she said, hushing him. "It's alright. Let it all out." He shivered again and then turned fully into the hug and moaned in pain, his fingers clawing at Zelda's back and his face digging into her shoulder.
"I nearly killed my best friend!" his muffled voice came, over and over. "I tried to kill him…"
Zelda soothed him quietly and stroked his hair calmly, letting her friend unload all of his pent up emotions onto her, his tears falling onto her shoulder, gliding down to mix with the warm whirling water.
As crimson and fluffy dawn swept over the dozens of tents surrounding the massive great pine, movement crept back into the quiet camp. Women woke and fires were lit; breakfasts were prepared and animals fed. A new day had begun.
Hecuba and Donalbain were quietly nibbling on their simple breakfasts when Link and Zelda walked side-by-side up to their tent. The Hylians stopped before the old couple who had taken them in.
"Yes?" asked Donalbain, squinting up to his young lodgers.
"We have decided to leave the forest," Link said simply.
The old man and the young man stared silently at each other, both seeming to judge the intentions of the other. Zelda almost spoke up, but a quick and quiet noise from Hecuba stopped the words in her mouth.
Donalbain spoke next.
"Very well" he said. "There are packs and supplies inside waiting for you both."
The teenagers were taken aback by the simple acceptance and forethought given by the old man, but quietly retrieved their belongings.
"Donalbain," said Zelda, pointing back into the tent, "There are two extra packs. Who are they for?"
The old man smiled and pointed down the makeshift road to a couple who were slowly making their way toward the small group.
"Of course they will wish to go with you," said Hecuba, beaming at the Hylians, especially at Zelda.
When the two stopped before the assembled group, Vincent spoke up.
"We are going with you," he said. Link nodded and handed him a pack, handing the other to Helen. Both humans looked baffled.
"You can thank Donalbain and Hecuba for the packs," said Zelda.
Donalbain waved to the four teens. "So that you lot don't get yourselves lost out in the forest, pay attention. Link, there is a map of the area in your pack. It's easy to get lost in these woods, so pay attention to it. Now, if you lot go directly north of here, you will soon come to the highway that passes through the forest, linking Calatia with Forhas. Go east on the road until you find the fork in the road and take the left route. It will take you to the Great Waterhall and there you can find expert help on how to finish this quest of yours."
"Who's at this Waterhall?" asked Zelda.
"A very wise ruler who knows every inch of the world," said the old man. "The people of Waterhall collect knowledge as a gambler collects debts- they know everything about everything. If you have a problem, take it to them to solve."
The old couple stood up and hugged each of their guests in turn, giving quick advice to them all.
"What about your package?" asked Hecuba of Link. Noting his questioning look, she pointed to the tent set apart from the rest of the camp. "You can't just leave him, can you?"
Link bit his lip and stared at the tent. Zelda placed her hand on his shoulder, seeming to startle him.
"No," he said. "He should stay here with people who have the time to care for him."
The old couple nodded solemnly. "A wise choice, I suppose," said Donalbain. "We shall do what we can for him, you can rest assured."
Another round of goodbyes was shared and then the four travellers mounted Winter and Silvermane and left the camp behind them on their trek north to the forest highway and the city of Waterhall.
Waving until the four had long passed from sight, the old couple sat down again beside their fire, leaning lightly against each other.
"Are you sure about what you saw?" asked Donalbain of his wife.
She nodded, staring into the crackling fire before them. "As sure as I am of everything else." She sighed. "Those poor children, they have no idea what's in store for them." She picked up a stick and poked the fire slightly.
"A long, long road is ahead of them."