Chapter Two

An Encounter in the Forest

"Zelda!" Cyle, King of Hyrule, pounded on the door, unsettling clouds of dust that then came to rest on his rich silk tunic. He brushed the filth off with a sound of exasperation, before banging on the door once again. "I command you to open this door! By royal decree!"

One or two chambermaids scurried away from the scene, pretending not to notice. A scowl creased his comely features, and he felt the heat of anger rise, making his temples throb. This would not do. He would not tolerate her humiliating him in front of the servants.

"I am sick, husband," came Zelda's voice from within. He hated the way she said 'husband', with that that slightly sour tone that she thought no one else would notice. "I need my rest."

"Zelda," he sighed, softening his tone. "You're always sick. I brought the finest physicians from all over the world to help you. And yet there you are – sick once again! How mysterious."

"Your 'finest physicians' tried to feed me Frog's Blood," she said from within, scorn trailing faintly in her tone. He had to admit she did sound weak. Maybe she really was sick? Or perhaps this solid wooden door masked her voice. "That made only made me fell worse. Much worse."

"I need you," Cyle said, resting his forehead and palm against the door. For a moment, had anyone been privy to the drama, he would genuinely have looked like a lovesick, rejected suitor. For a moment, the impartial observer would have pitied him, reached out to comfort him, then joined him in his earnest entreaties.

But only for a moment.

"The representative from the Morolak Kingdoms is coming today," he continued. "You know how people speak when you're not there to greet them."

"Let them gossip. At least now I see my worth to you. Another treaty is it? Another new trade route?"

"Damn it, Zelda, I need this treaty!" He thumped the door once more. A cloud of dust violently erupted, and he resisted the urge to sneeze.

"Why?" There was genuine curiosity in her voice now. "All these treaties and banquets with foreign dignitaries. Don't you have enough? What more could you want?"

Before he could reply a smartly attired Royal Messenger marched up the stairs to the landing where he stood. Quickly Cyle composed himself, suddenly deciding to take a deep interest in the silk curtains framing the window that looked into the passageway outside the Queen's chambers.

"Your Highness," the Messenger said, giving a short salute and clicking his heels.

"Yes, what is it, my loyal subject?" Cyle asked, his voice all sweet like honey now. For a moment, he swore he could hear Zelda giggling from the inside.

"Sir," the Messenger lowered his voice. "It's about the ... the 'situation', sir. We may have a lead on the target."

Cyle straightened. Good news at last! "Good," he said. "You have done well. Dismissed." He turned to the door again. "Oh, and Zelda, please do remember to wear the purple gown for when the Duke of Morolak comes, won't you, dear?" He followed his Messenger down, hoping his voice had been loud enough. It would do no good for the help to think that there were problems within the Royal marriage.

There were a few moments of silence, before the door to Zelda's chamber opened and a young girl popped her head out. Her eyes darted this way and that, before she proclaimed, "I think 'eez gone. Though he could be 'iding on the stairs."

"No need for the dramatics, Mina," Zelda said, opening the door further. "I doubt my husband would lower himself to skulking on the stairs."

"You never know wid men, Your Highness," Mina said, creeping out with theatrical aplomb, as though she were well-prepared for any eventuality.

Zelda smiled. She doubted that her petite advisor could help much if confronted with danger. She'd probably bolt faster than a wild horse from Lon Lon Ranch. Thinking of Lon Lon brought back the hurt of bad memories and she bottled the feeling, trying to concentrate on the present. "Yes, thank you for your advice, Mina. But we must make haste before the King returns."

Quickly they made their way down the stone steps, passing other doors as the flames of the torches fluttered. Dust was gathering on the hem of her swishing dress, but Zelda didn't care. Most of her clothes were worn and faded, much like her hair - once it had shone with its own golden light, now it was a but a shadow, more straw in colour than gold. Aged before her time, people said. Too much worry, people said. She wasn't bothered and it wasn't as though that many people got to see her nowadays, anyway.

They stopped short in front of a dark alcove. The niche extended inwards for a little while before ending in a wall. Mina took her place behind Zelda, out of force of habit more than anything else. They had done this many times before. Zelda waited until she could hear nothing but the sweet twitter of the birds outside. Then she raised her arms and closed her eyes. She muttered something as Mina shrank back from the green glow that enveloped Zelda's hands. The wall parted with a groan like some ancient, injured dragon taking in a deep breath. As soon as it opened, Zelda collapsed backwards. Mina was there to catch her, knowing that using magic always exhausted the Queen.

After a few moments, Mina helped Zelda through the opening and the wall slid shut behind them.

2

Their swords clashed. Link tried to shift Zayna's sword with his own, but she would not falter. This would certainly not be like their first duel. Zayna stared at him fiercely, drenched in sweat. She tried to push forward to gain an advantage.

"Don't get too close to your enemy," Link grunted, shifting his weight so that she fell back a little. She didn't answer, only tried to inch a bit closer, despite his ministrations. Link moved to the left, making Zayna sidestep. Closer. Closer. He kept moving, their swords locked, their horses watching them with bemused interest. The rush of blood, the flow of energy spreading through his veins like fire. He felt alive. Happy, almost. Here he could concentrate on things familiar to him. Here, he did not have to think about dead children or visiting the castle.

There. She had just stepped in some mud.

"It makes it easier for them to strike." Link spat the words out, thrusting his sword upwards, lifting Zayna's own blade in turn. She tried to maintain her grip by planting her feet firmly, but there was no traction from the mud. With a yelp, she slid backwards, her blade falling from her hands, before collapsing on her rear.

Link chuckled. "Two-nothing to me, I think."

Again that familiar scowl, before she said, "Don't celebrate just yet." She tried sweeping his legs from under him like she had done on their first meeting, but Link back flipped easily. As he landed he laughed and flipped again. He looked up as he landed once more and his mirth turned to shock. Zayna had her bow cocked and ready.

Before he had a chance to react, the arrow was speeding towards him. It pierced the tip of the loose shoulder area of his tunic, grazing the flesh, before pinning him to a tree behind him.

"Two-one," said Zayna lowering her bow. This time it was Link's turn to scowl.

Later, they started clearing the makeshift camp they had built. They were still in the forest, birds twittering softly in the swaying branches, but it wasn't too far to Hyrule Field. Link wondered what he would feel when he first saw all the old places again. The castle. Lon Lon Ranch. He shook his head to clear his mind.

The Hero realised he still knew next to nothing about his young apprentice. He cleared his throat, tentatively to ready himself to test the water. The small motion caught Zayna's attention and she raised an eyebrow. He tried to smile it off.

"Your family must be ... pleased that you've decided to train to become a warrior," he said.

"Not really," she said with a smirk. It seemed that she'd already guessed where this was going. "Not unless they're Gerudo."

"Ah, so ... when we reach the castle ... you'll no doubt want to visit them there ... ?"

"My parents are dead," she said bluntly. "I have no siblings."

"Oh." He blinked. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It was a long time ago."

An awkward silence hung in the air like a bad smell as Link sucked on his teeth, pretending to be engrossed in the tidying. "So you must have been living with…?"

"Link," she said, with a tone of finality. "You're a fine hero. But dreadful at investigations."

The Hero of Time almost felt the rush of colour to his face, but he forced it down quickly. Zayna chuckled, but mention of the castle had made her frown.

"So, I was thinking," said Zayna, her tone casual, as they crouched by a tree clearing up the last remnants of a meal. "You go to the castle. You find the Queen. You find out what's happening."

"Me?" Link asked cautiously. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll go to the Goron Village and wait."

"What?!" the Hero cried, aghast. "You were dead set against going to the Gorons first. Now you want to rearrange the plan again."

When Zayna was silent, Link continued. "You don't want to go to the Castle, do you? There's something there ... that you're trying to avoid."

Zayna looked up and Link was surprised at the look of fear in her eyes. It made her look like a child. "I can't go there, Link. Last night, I was angry ... I didn't think."

"Why can't you go?" Link asked, concern and curiosity winning out over the heat of confused anger. Again, she stayed silent. He sighed softly, seeing an opportunity. "I don't really want to go either."

"Whatever is preventing you from going is not as bad as what is preventing me, Link."

"Oh?" Link felt annoyed. Zayna's attitude must be rubbing off on him. "And how am I supposed to know that your reason is worse than mine if you don't tell me what it is?"

Zayna looked up, this time with an imploring look in her eyes. "Just trust me," she said, her voice soft. "Besides, you have to go. You need to find out what happened at the village."

The burning arrow sizzled through the air embedding itself in the tree beside them, its tail still vibrating from the force. They barely had time to react before the world went completely insane.

3

The old man looked up from his book, frowning at his visitors. "Zelda," he said. "You look … well." The Queen saw Mina flinch from his use of her name. Only the King referred to her by her first name. Everyone else called her 'Queen' or 'Your Majesty' or 'Your Highness'. "And, Mina, dear ... how are you?"

"We're both fine, Tyron," Zelda said. "And you very well know I do not look well."

"Well, it always does me good to see you on these little visits."

The Old Man of Hyrule Castle was a well-known legend amongst Hylians. He was a sorcerer, they said. Made love potions that melted the hardest of hearts and had the power to make even Ganon cower. Zelda didn't think he looked like doing much of either. They were seated in his tiny, dust-drenched secret room. Tyron was one of the King's advisors and had his own official chamber, but here they were away from prying eyes and prying ears. Mina could be trusted, so Zelda had brought her along. Besides, Cyle had a new advisor now. Someone named Chalance Vance. Zelda shuddered. For some reason she could sense Vance's presence oozing through the castle. Icy cold hatred radiated from him.

Zelda looked around the room. It was not a pretty sight. The air smelt of musty paper. Scrolls and books lay haphazardly everywhere. The Queen caught Mina's eye, saw the look of disapproval etched on her round face. Her ingrained instincts as a maid must be going wild at the sight.

The Queen gazed at Tyron. For an 'Old Man' he looked quite muscular and his long, flowing silver hair even made him look somewhat dignified. Despite the general public's image him, he had not yet grown a long, grey beard. 'To the Pit with that nonsense', he had said. Zelda smiled.

"Tyron," she said. Not sure exactly how to phrase her question, she went straight to the point. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean, dear?" Idly he licked the tip of one finger before turning the page of his book.

"You know what I mean. My dreams are back. More vivid. All I see is shadow and pain." Zelda saw Mina try to look inconspicuous. Her old friend had been there when she awoke screaming from her nightmares. Screaming so much that blood flooded into her mouth. Of course, Cyle wasn't there. They hardly ever slept in the same bed together anymore. Hmm. Cyle. "And my husband is up to something. I don't know what."

Tyron looked uncomfortable. "I no longer know what you're husband is doing." A tiny frown crossed his face. "Chalance Vance is a powerful sorcerer and has put blocking spells all around him."

Zelda took in a sharp breath. "Vance is a sorcerer?"

"Naturally, dear. Why else do you think he is around?"

She didn't have time to consider this. "And my dreams?"

"Well," he said with a wry smile. "If I said 'Dark Things are Afoot", would I sound a bit silly?"

Zelda giggled. "Yes, you would." She looked at Mina. Her Advisor was busy pouring over some books she knew she very well couldn't read. Zelda trusted her the most though out of all her handmaidens. They were just glorified chambermaids really, though occasionally she had taken the odd one or two into her counsel. And then there was the one she had lost…

"So, are they?" Zelda asked.

"Are what?" Tyron replied.

"Dark Things," she said, "are they Afoot?"

Tyron looked grave. "You know," he said. "I have no idea what that even means."

Zelda looked at him incredulously for a moment before bursting out laughing. "Tyron!" she said, trying to muster up anger she did not feel. "This is serious."

He chuckled. "I know, dear ... but sometimes it does one good to be jovial." He looked pensive for a moment. "Something is happening. What, I don't know. I think ... Vance maybe interfering with my ... abilities. Maybe the King ... will no longer have any need of my services."

She was shocked. "What do you mean? He cannot dismiss you, I will forbid him."

Tyron looked at her, sadness flooding his face. "Do not worry about me, dear. It takes a lot to dislodge the Old Man of Hyrule Castle. Besides, think of the outcry from my adoring admirers."

Zelda smiled. "What can we do? What is the nature of the threat?"

"I wish I knew. As to what we can do, at the moment we just wait and watch." There was a slight pause where he looked like he was going to do something distasteful before he asked, "Why do you put up with him?"

"Who?"

"You know who."

The Queen struggled to keep her composure, mulling over the right words to speak. Slowly, she spoke; chewing over each word like it was a morsel of food. "I could annul the marriage." She heard Mina gasp at that, but somehow Zelda felt a burden lift from her heart when she put into words thoughts that had dwelled for months. She was surprised to realise that she hadn't really noticed the burden until now.

"But … ?" Tyron prodded.

Zelda sighed. "They don't see me, Tyron, but I'm still here for my people. Here, in this marriage, I can still influence things."

"If the marriage ended you would still be Queen. Cyle would lose his title – he was only given it as an honour from the public anyway." He tried too hard to keep his tone neutral, and Zelda could see the hints clearly like piercing stars in the night.

"Cyle has ... made powerful friends. I didn't realise at first. He was always eager to meet with rulers from overseas. A little bribe here. A little favour there. Now, he has a very strong net spread across the world. Yes, I would still be Queen, but he would have the power." Zelda cursed herself for being a fool as the words slipped out. Why hadn't she seen it earlier? Was she so smitten with him that she'd failed to see the obvious? "So you see," she continued. "Whilst I am still in this marriage, I have some influence. He wouldn't dare treat me badly in public. His friends maybe greedy and power-hungry, but they still have some twisted sense of honour. His image with them would drop if he tried anything against me. And that gives me an advantage. If the marriage ended, he could do whatever he wanted and no one would bat an eyelid. Such is the way of our world." She said the last with a hint of bitterness.

Zelda looked up to see Tyron smiling. He'd understood all right. He had probably understood a lot earlier than she had.

"Cyle will not rule the world," she said, her voice hard. "Not while I am alive."

A look of satisfaction softened his face. "What makes you think he wants to rule the world?" Tyron asked, but they both knew he knew the answer.

"He's pushing his foreign policy harder. He's up to something. Cyle isn't the type for invasions and war – and whom would he war against? He's practically befriended most of the other kingdoms. I just cannot tell what he is preparing for."

Her eyes flicked to the tiny slit of a window set in one wall, noticing the position of the sun. Zelda got up to leave. "Come, Mina. My husband will no doubt be back soon."

Tyron gave her a mock salute. "Your Highness."

"Thank you, Tyron," she said as the duo made their way to the door. "My path is clear, but difficult."

He nodded, not replying to her words. "Oh, one more thing," Tyron said offhandedly.

"Yes?"

"Link is coming back"

4

Two more burning arrows knocked chunks of wood out of the tree, hot splinters raining down on the Hero and his apprentice. They both dived for cover, and drew their swords with a metallic echo. Link heard the whiz of the arrows and stayed low.

Then, abruptly, the arrows stopped. The silence was so overwhelming and unexpected that Link could hear both himself and Zayna breathing hard. He glanced over to her. She looked back, wide eyed, and gave him a small shrug. Suddenly he felt reality ripple as if he was a piece of cloth buffeted by a strong wind.

Crashing through the trees came two riders, dressed in dark red with snorting black horses and red eyes. They searched for their targets, a megaton hammer swinging from one hand, bows carved from black marble in the other. For some reason, Link couldn't focus on the riders. They seemed to shimmer in and out of reality. Link's head swam.

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw his and Zayna's horses bolt in fright. Other small animals darted in and out of the trees, squeaking in panic.

One of the Riders fixed its gaze onto the Hero. The look itself felt like a needle of lead drilling through his head. He felt transfixed as the rider charged, swinging its hammer. Link's mouth dried. His vision locked, tunnel-like, onto the Riders eyes. The world spun out of control. For one, frozen heartbeat, Link heard nothing except galloping hooves. Then, he heard a wolf howl. A raven caw. All he could think of was this demon heading towards him. The Rider's eyes loomed larger and larger as he drew closer to his target. Link's body spasmed as he tried to fight the paralysis that ran like liquid steel through his veins. What was happening? He had to fight. He tried to unclench his jaws and gasped in pain from the sheer effort. Slowly, shakily, his mouth shuddered open as he saw the Rider swing the hammer for the kill.

Link roared and dived. He felt the hot swing of the hammer just miss his neck and plunge into a tree, disintegrating it into ash. Link rolled and tasted blood in his mouth. He raised his sword as the Rider turned around for another pass.

It charged. Link had no time to react and he dived straight at the horse's hooves. He felt the horse crunch into his body with unnaturally hot feet. His head bounced once, twice. A tooth went flying. Something slashed his forehead and he felt warm liquid trickle down his face. He lost his grip on his sword. Then the horse was gone.

Link scrabbled for his sword and picked himself up. Everything ached. Everything felt broken. His breath was too short, and each one brought fresh blood from his mouth to his lips. He glanced towards Zayna, but couldn't see her because of the blur of movement from the other Rider. He tried to call out to her, but opening his mouth sent a spasm of pain through his entire body.

He looked up, struggling to keep conscious. He saw the Rider, sitting there, watching him. Link raised his sword in a one-handed grip. He felt rather than saw the smile from the Rider. The demon readied itself for another charge.

This time, Link held his ground as the Rider drew closer and closer. He wiped the blood that was now pouring into his own eyes and looked straight into the horse's eyes to keep his gaze away from the Rider. They were gaining at a tremendous speed, faster than any horse he had ever seen.

The demon raised its hammer, screaming in victory. Link focused. Closer. Now. With his sword free hand, he whipped out his hookshot from his belt and flicked the activation switch. The whirring spike spun past the Rider's head and found a thick branch that Link had spotted earlier. With a ferocious tug, the Hero of Time was lifted off the ground. He swung over the horse as he felt himself be propelled towards the tree where his hookshot was lodged. Waves of heat radiated from both the beast and its rider. As he flew closer to the Rider, he swung his sword to attack.

There was a metallic hiss as the sword connected, then flew out of his hand. Link slammed into the tree and all breath left him. He dangled from his hookshot as vomit threatened to overwhelm his throat. Everything was spinning. It felt too hot. Link realised that he'd overestimated himself. He wasn't just a little out of practice – he was a lot. And it could cost him and Zayna their lives. Link disengaged the hookshot and fell to the ground in a painful heap.

He crawled forward. "You found me," he spat. "Come and get me, demons." One hand in front of the other, he tried to reach the Rider. He could see the creature in the distance through his stinging, blood covered eyes. Everything was a red haze.

The Rider regarded him with amusement. When it spoke it was like a million screaming nightmares rolled into one. Once again, Link could feel the voice rather than hear it.

"We're not here for you, 'Hero'," it said, the voice itself opening the gates of despair to anyone who heard it. "We're here for her"

"Zayna …?" Link's head hit the ground and his world dissolved into darkness.