The Legend of Zelda:
Orchestra-----
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the LoZ franchise; Nintendo of America and Shigeru Miyamoto own its characters, locations, etc. However, I do own the aspects of the story that I have created-----
Chapter Two:
Abduction and AssassinationLyon blinked and swallowed hard before answering.
"I'm fine," he said, smiling to reassure them. "Really. Just a little…indigestion. Just…that's all." Malon and Link were not convinced. Lyon just smiled again; a smile that they knew from knowing him that they should just drop the subject.
"Well, if it's just indigestion," said Malon, rising with Lyon's jars filled with milk, "drink some of this. You will feel better." Lyon smiled again, took the milk and drank some. It was still warm—as expected, fresh from the cow—but flavorful and energizing. He felt his muscles ease, having not realized they were tense, and his spirit brighten.
"Thank you, Malon." She gave him a toothy smile, and Link extended his hand.
"Say, if you're not busy right now, why don't you stay for lunch? Pa's cooking up some cucco, and we were just going to sit down when I'd gotten the cattle in the corral." Link was looking hard at Lyon, searching for a better answer than "indigestion."
"Thank you, Link. I don't have anything planned for this afternoon. The carpenter I talked to back in Kakariko said that they would get what I need to fix my house to me in a couple more days, and with the city closed off, I can't get into work for the day." Link's eyes narrowed and his eyes darkened.
"The city's closed off? What for?" He set Elsie on the ground, but she stayed next to him, suddenly quiet. Talon motioned for her to come to him. She walked slowly to her grandpa, watching the grown-ups talk.
"I can answer that," Talon said. "A chunk of the castle keep was blown away during the storm last night, and I hear that the Royal Guard is in a great frenzy that they locked everyone in their homes and sealed off the city."
"Why would they do that? What part of the keep?"
"Haven't you left the ranch yet today? You can't see it from inside the walls. Come on, I'll show you." The five of them left the stable and went to the entrance of the ranch where they could get a good view of the castle. There it was, a gaping whole in the front of the keep. Link's jaw dropped when he saw it.
"Merciful Farore!" he said quietly. "What could have done that, and left everything of ours still largely intact?" Lyon shrugged.
"Mac in Kakariko says that maybe it's because the castle's on a hill, and we're surrounded by hills. But I don't know. I don't understand the weather. Still, that's one hell of a storm to do that!"
"You know," said Link. "I think that the whole is right where the Royal Family's apartments are!" Now there was genuine shock and panic. Everyone knew that Link had been inside the castle before, and had met with the princess, Zelda, about twenty years ago. He would be the one to know, of all of them. They stared in silence as the scaffolding continued to rise slowly towards the damage.
"Daddy," Elsie said quietly, tugging on Link's tunic. "Who's the Royal Family?" Link knelt down and put his arm around her, still looking at the damaged castle.
"Well, sweetie," he said. "The Royal Family are the ones who rule this kingdom. There's the king, his name is Marcus II, and he is a very kind man, and a very wise man. He united this kingdom, about the time I was born. Then there was the queen. Her name was Mari, but she died during the war, giving birth to the princess. Her name is Zelda, and she's the most beautiful woman in the kingdom." He stopped when Malon punched him on the top of his head. "OW! Except for your mom, of course!" He chuckled nervously, as Malon glared at him; Elsie just giggled. "Then there's the prince, Zelda's husband. His name is Urso, which means "bear" in the old language. He is heir to the throne when the king dies. I'm told that he's a strong man, and worthy of the crown, but that he and Zelda don't always get along."
"Oh. Okay." Link stood up, and looked at Talon.
"Pa, why don't you go get lunch started? And take Elsie with you." Talon agreed, and the two of them went back into the ranch. Link, Malon, and Lyon however, stayed to watch the approaching rider that they'd all seen at the same time.
It was a member of the Royal Guard that was approaching, clad in shining plate and mail armor, and armed with a spear. He reigned in before the three of them and looked them over.
"You, three," he said in a commanding voice. "There is trouble at the castle, and we require as much Lon Lon milk as you can give us. Hurry and bring it." He gestured into the ranch with his spear.
"Why?" Link demanded. "What's happened?"
"You'll be told when we get to the castle. Now hurry!" Link and Malon nodded to the soldier, and went inside. Lyon followed a moment later, after staring at the soldier for a moment longer.
"I'll get your cart and horses hitched up, Link." Link nodded, and Lyon went to the stable. He opened the great door, which opened up into the rest of the ranch, where Link and Malon kept their cart. Lyon readied it, and began to hitch up two horses from the stable. Hopping into the driver's seat, he rode it all the way to the storehouse where Link and Malon stored all of their milk. Just as he was pulling up, Link emerged carrying a crate of jars full of the ranch's famous drink. He loaded it onto the cart as Malon emerged, doing the same. Lyon offered to help, but Link and Malon assured him that they could handle it. Meanwhile, the soldier had ridden up into the ranch, and was now talking with Talon about where they were headed. Ten minutes later, and the cart was full. Malon hopped into the passenger's seat while Link whistled for Epona. His great red horse appeared a moment later. They made their way to the Hyrule Field, but stopped to bid farewell to Talon and Elsie.
"The soldier told me that they needed all the milk we could bring, but wouldn't say any more. What do you suppose happened?"
"Too early to say anything," Lyon said. Link and Malon nodded. "Well, kiddo," he said to Elsie. "I'll see you in a little while, I guess. Don't get into anymore trouble, hear me?" She stuck out her tongue at him and giggled.
"Don't worry, uncle Lyon. The farm is safe with me around!" Lyon laughed, and Link leaned over in his saddle and said something quiet for her ears alone.
"I love you too, daddy! Come back soon!" The group assured her they would, and they were off. The soldier had been waiting for them outside the ranch, and now began to ride with the group towards the city and the castle. Lyon looked at the old baker's pavilion as they passed it, and the old baker was sitting in a chair outside the tent, watching with a sad face as the group drove the cart towards the gate.
As they got to the gate, the soldier shouted up to one of his fellows in the guard tower to let them enter. The soldier in the tower shouted down to the group to wait while the drawbridge was lowered for them, and not to enter until he said to. The drawbridge lowered, and the chains jerked slightly with each foot more as it descended. When the bridge had settled onto the ground, ten more soldiers appeared: six carried spears, and four carried longbows with arrows nocked. The four archers stood facing Hyrule field, eyes and arms ready for anything, while the six spearmen formed up on either side of the cart.
"Follow us," said the mounted soldier who'd led them to the city. "We'll take you to the castle. Any of you bear arms?" Link and Malon shook their heads, but Lyon handed over his dirk to the soldier. "You can have this back when you leave." The soldier handed to a different soldier, who stood inside the storeroom just behind the drawbridge. "Come and see him when you leave." Lyon nodded, and started the cart forward as the mounted soldier led them through the city.
The city was abandoned; or near enough so that one could not tell unless they knew better. All shutters were closed, and a soldier stood in front of nearly every building, spear held ready. The cobble-stoned streets were still wet from the storm the night before, and there was debris and the like from many of the buildings from during the storm littering the area. From within the city, Lyon could see that the damage to the castle keep was much more than he'd first thought. The hole was gaping, of that there was no doubt, but from where he was he could actually see inside the keep. Not very far, of course, but still he could see inside. The bricks and stones that had been blown away looked as such. For there was no indication that the stones had been merely lifted from their places and hurled to the castle gardens. Instead, they looked jagged, and broken, as if something had actually slammed into the walls and shattered them, or something had exploded nearby. Lyon stared at it for a long time before he looked around the city some more.
The Bazaar where he worked was closed, of course, along with everything else, but the front window was cracked, and the sign hanging above the door was gone. Aside from that, the damage to the place was similar to his home and at the ranch. He thought he could see Gus, his boss, working inside, but he wasn't sure. As he looked down the alleys and criss-crossing streets of the city, he saw that there was more damage, mostly of the same kind, just more.
Before much longer, the group was at the castle gates, which were raised. Another two soldiers joined the other six, and their armed escort led them into the castle itself.
Link had been inside the castle before, and Malon had been to the castle, back when Talon and her would make deliveries. But Lyon had never gone any further than the gates to just look at the castle. As the armed escort led them inside, he was awestruck by the magnificence and immensity of it all. The cart was stopped just at the entrance of the castle, where teams of soldiers and servants loaded the cases onto handcarts and wheeled them inside.
Lyon could see just the foyer and the entrance to the castle, but it was elaborately decorated with hanging tapestries and portraits, and even some small pools along the main walkway that led to the heart of the keep. Even the lanterns and braziers along the walls and columns were decorative, and the firelight coming from inside them, plus the sunlight coming into the room via the large stained-glass windows and arrow slots turned the interior of the castle a multitude of colors. Malon laughed as she looked at the young man as Lyon stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the inside of the castle. Even Link spared a chuckle, but none of the soldiers even smiled. The mounted soldier told them to get out of the cart, and Link to dismount.
"I will lead you inside to one of the guest rooms. They," he indicated to the escort, "will take your cart and horses to the stable. Follow me." As they followed the soldier through a small servant's entrance and through the wide and vaulted corridors of Hyrule Castle, Link tried to ask the soldier what had happened, and why they were here. The soldier made no reply, and quickened his pace. Lyon stared still open-mouthed at the grandeur of what he saw, even though there was not remotely the decoration in these corridors as their had been in the main entryway. A few tapestries depicting the places in Hyrule or the events leading to the unification of the Kingdom hung on the walls in brilliant colors and metallic thread, and the red rug they were all walking on absorbed every step they took. Link muttered something under his breath, which Malon caught, causing her to shake her head. Lyon didn't hear what he said, so he asked.
"Oh, it's nothing, Lyon," was all Link said. With a sudden grin, he said, "Impressed by the castle, huh?"
"More than I thought I would be. I imagined walking through these corridors many a time while at the Bazaar, and I imagined that it would be magnificent, but I never imagined this! When were you here?" Lyon had known for as long as he'd known Link that he'd visited the castle once before, and met with the princess, Zelda. But beyond that, Link would never divulge any more information. Link was silent a while before answering.
"It was a little over twenty years ago, when you were about two, I guess. I had a…friend…that decided to run away from me, and I went to do the heroic thing and find her. I borrowed Epona from Malon, and went to get some supplies in the city. I don't know how she knew me, but Princess Zelda was riding through the city that day, recognized me, and had me brought to the castle. She claimed we were friends, and had been so for so long, but until that time, I'd only been out of the Kokiri Forest once. But at the time, I was so enamored with her that I would have agreed to anything she'd said. She gave me some advice, and I was on my way." He stopped there, but Lyon sensed that Link had much more to say and a lot more had happened that he would let on. He was about to push for more information, but the soldier ahead of them stopped suddenly and threw open a heavy wooden door.
"Stay in here until you're summoned for. A guard will be posted outside your door, so no wandering about. A servant will be by soon to bring food and drink, so there won't be any need to wander about." He fixed Lyon with a stare, as if he thought that the young man from Kakariko would take no heed to his instructions. Lyon frowned at him, but kept his mouth shut. The soldier motioned for them to enter the room.
The room was as richly decorated as the halls, with embroidered tapestries and thick, richly colored rugs. There was a wide window that overlooked east of Hyrule, over Kakariko town, up Death Mountain Valley, to the peak of Death Mountain. It was mid-afternoon now, so the colors hitting the town and the mountain were turning orange and amber. Also in the room were two large couches, facing each other, with a large glossy wood table between them. Lyon lay on one of the couches, while Malon busied herself with studying the tapestries. Link went directly to the window, and stood there watching the sun fall and the moon rise. A servant arrived not long after the sun finally set, and set a tray with warm bread, cheese, and beer on the table. The bread was warm and soft, while the beer and the cheese had a pleasant bite to them. But Link never touched his food. He stood still as a statue, and his reflection in the glass looked grim. He seemed to have puzzled out what had happened in the storm the night before.
Lyon found himself thinking of the note and the face. The note was strange. He could not comprehend why someone would climb up the hill that his house was upon, nail a note to the door, and run off without explaining anything. And the face. That was the most chilling part. In a flash it was there, and in a flash, it was gone. Lyon thought long and hard to try and find a name to put to the face. "Surely it had to be a concerned neighbor checking in on me," Lyon thought. "Or maybe the sheriff. He does stuff like that sometimes." Neither conclusion satisfied him, however.
But, before he could delve any deeper into his ponderings, the door opened, admitting a tall man, dark of hair and eyes, with a powerful build and a thick beard. His eyes were bloodshot, with stress lines creasing the corners. He was pale as well, and looked unwell despite his stature. A squire entered behind him, carrying a chair.
"I am Prince Urso," he said in a deep, robust voice, bowing to the three of them as he spoke. "I am sorry for bringing you here so suddenly and keeping you here against your will for so long, but I feel it was necessary. I welcome you, Link and Malon of Lon Lon Ranch, and you, young man. I'm afraid we never asked you your name."
"I am Lyon, of Kakariko, Highness." Lyon bowed in courtesy and custom to the Prince of Hyrule.
"Please, none of that now. I am weary of courtly gestures. 'My Prince,' will do. Now, for the reason you've been brought here." He sat in the chair that his squire had set down for him and rubbed at his temples. "Last night's storm was much more than the violent storm you have been led to believe. As you've seen, along with all of the Kingdom, is the giant hole in the keep of this castle. The hole was blown out by some means we know nothing of, and—"
"—The Princess has been taken prisoner, and many were hurt in her kidnapping," Link interrupted. Malon whirled and hissed at him to be silent, her eyes berating him for interrupted the prince. Lyon just stared at Link for his action. The Prince however, stared at Link for a moment.
"You seem to know more than you should, Master Link," he said with stiffness. "But that is right. There is more, but you needn't be troubled by it." Clearly, though, Prince Urso was troubled, as his words came out with little conviction for such a strong voice. "But, Master Link and Madame Malon, since you live in the middle of the Kingdom, I was hoping you had seen something during the night. Anyone leaving the city after nightfall, anything strange at all." Neither Link nor Malon had seen anything, and they told the prince so.
"There was something…" Lyon started, but stopped short. The prince looked at him to continue. "My Prince, well, I don't know if it has anything to do with the princess being captured, but during the storm someone nailed a note to my door, and I saw someone staring into my house, but only briefly." The prince asked what the note said, and Lyon dug into his pouch, where he'd suddenly realized that he'd put it.
"Very interesting. I will have this sent to Master Entil, our head archivist. He knows many things about notes and the like." The prince turned to his squire, who departed immediately. "About this face, did you recognize it?" Lyon shook his head no. "A shame. Anything would be helpful now." Link sat next to his wife on the couch.
"Was there a note of some kind? A ransom, perhaps?"
"Nothing of the sort. Just a hole in her apartments and no Zelda." Urso's shoulders slumped. "There is something else you must know. Princess Zelda is with child. Our first. And I fear for the child's safety as much as my wife's." The three of them stared hard at Prince Urso with this news.
"So what of the king?" Lyon asked. "Is he marshalling troops? Surely he fears for the safety of his daughter as well!" The prince shook his head.
"The king took a serious injury in the abduction. That is why we needed your milk, for its rumored healing powers. The potion shop owner could do little with his concoctions. We hoped you could."
"I will tell you from personal experience, My Prince," said Link. "The milk we produce does have some special qualities to it, but to say that it will heal a man from death may be expecting a lot."
"Yes, that's right," agreed Malon, who had been silent this whole time. "Our cows are special, and the milk they give is very rejuvenating, I fear that it may not help the king." She made a gesture, and touched her forhead followed by her shoulders, the sign of the Triforce.
"In any case, we are trying everything in our power to save him, and get some information about the princess. I will tell you, if the king dies, there will be a much bigger price for these evil folk to pay! Thank you for your patience and help. Please, remain here for the night. Tomorrow, someone will come for you to take you home. And Lyon, I will send someone on Master Entil's behalf about your note. Fare thee well, my people."
"And you also, My Prince," said Lyon and Link, while Malon smiled sadly. Prince Urso left then, and Link returned to his place at the window. Lyon found himself growing tired, as was Malon, and they both curled up onto their respective couches, and fell into slumber. Lyon's sleep was not troubled by nightmares or dreams of any kind this night, but they were awakened some hours later by the ringing of every bell in the city, as well as across Hyrule. The bells sounded ring-ringring-ring-ring-ring-ringring.
"What are the bells for, Link?" Lyon asked. Link was still staring out the window. He was quiet for so long that Lyon feared he may not have heard, but he spoke before Lyon could ask his question a second time.
"The king is dead. War is upon us now."