A. N. Thank you for your positive comments, they are well appreciated. Still, I must ask you to do me a favour: if you by chance find a typo or something like that, or a grammar error, or a misspelling, please let me know. I need to be nip-ticked always to improve writing skills.

Also, due to circumstances of late, I won't be updating the story for a month. Please, don't abandon me. I'll make sure to deliver another chapter as soon as possible.

Words of Secrecy and Courage

As in all cold dawns of winter, grey was the morning that greeted the company. About the small clearing of grass amidst the snow lay the Sages and the Hero of time, all of them asleep but one. Impa the Shadow-woman had had the last of the turns in keeping watch, though she alone could have had stayed awake the whole night; for although all living beings in Hyrule need rest and sleep, yet the night is the true time of the shadows. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, her eyes wide open and fixed in the path that would lead them into the Lost Woods, the Sheikah seemed as though she was made of stone.

In her hands was her harp, though she had held it out only for the sake of her custom; for she knew that all kinds of music, even the lowest form of it, were forbidden till they arrived to the Children's Forest. She sighed and put the fair instrument back in her waist-pouch, and instead she drew her long knife, and it shone in a white light drawn from the snow. After gazing at it for a few moments, she took it by the blade and held aloft the hilt; and carved in an old language of forgotten times, when the Sheikah were still numerous and strong, were these words:

An i Daeheryn, o naneth tin.

She stared at the hilt in silence, and then she gazed about her, as if looking for something; but only more snow and bald trees met her sight. And sterner her face grew, as one that ever lives with dread and sadness in her heart. She closed her eyes for a while.

A noise coming from behind made her turn round in startle, and that was most uncommon in her; but it was just that Princess Zelda had woken. The Princess silently moved to where her guardian sat, and she was careful not wake the others, for it was still quite early in the morning. When she had crossed her legs in manner alike to Impa she sighed as if tired, but no word came from her fair mouth. Thus both women clad in Sheikah robes were for a time, and during that time a strange peace loomed above them, and not even the wind's cry dared to disturb them.

So it was when Link awoke quietly; for even though Princess Zelda had been quiet as a cat, yet he had felt something stir beside him when she had woken. Even if he wished not (or perhaps dared not) listen to his lady's conversation, out of the moment's silence Impa's voice, low but clear, spoke to the Princess. And thus he heard words speaking of things he thought he might not have had to listened to; for much they confused them but till quite a time later.

"I hope that you have quenched already your feelings of yesterday," said Impa, and Princess Zelda nodded her head.

"Indeed," she said in reply, and Link felt that the pride always hidden in her fair speech had been greatly lessened. "I must remember it at all times: that what really matters is the safety of all companions. I greatly regret my words spoken to Saria and Ruto; and I think that I must ask for their forgiveness. But not now, I don't know if my heart could withstand the shame, even as slight and meaningless as it might be."

"I wish for you to ask for their forgiveness, indeed," Impa said. "But I do not wish to cause you unnecessary pain. Though as long as I live I shall ever shall remain giving my counsel willingly, may the feeling of loneliness never reach your heart; for you must always remember that your tears I have seen, and their reason I have understood."

"Do not worry," said the Princess, and as she smiled her eyes shone once again with their star-light. "I know that always you shall be my friend and counsellor. And I know not if you can perceive my thankfulness for that. But I wonder -if you truly are like a mother to me- have you perceived the feeling that, of late, has been about my heart? Have you done so?"

Link wondered what she might be talking about, and Impa remained in silence for a while. But she finally answered and said: "Yes, my lady; I have noticed that a shadow looms above you; and I see that your eyes, if not your sight, are veiled in the fog of tears. I truly know that your weep not for every unimportant event, and that strong you remain even during the most hard of times." The knight could see her eyes also shining now, but her glance was not as stern always, but it was soft and tender as mother that looks upon her beloved child. And she said finally, in an even lower voice than before: "That is why I cannot guess the reason for your grief."

Princess Zelda raised her eyes and looked into the Shadow-woman's own, and she said: "You have said that I should never feel loneliness, for you always are with me. Yet, as dear as your company is, it cannot suffice, at times, an empty space I feel in my heart. Perhaps you know the feeling: when you see someone you love, every day, as he walks about your home and greets you respectfully, and as you return his greeting, and he turns and leaves you for another, and you are but powerless to do anything to keep him with you for a little while longer. That feeling of being unable to reach him and tell him that, as the days and months and years passed, your love grew with your mind and body; and that your heart is but bent towards him; and that it is troubled and grieved because of him."

Impa was silent again, yet this time she did not speak in reply for quite a while. Link felt no desire in his mind to continue to overhear her Lady's words of sorrow when he had not been called to do so. Yet, deep within his heart lay the wish of knowing more about the warmer and softer side of the ever-cold and fair Zelda, and thought he always managed to control his feelings he could not close his ears or numb his hearing.

"I thought we had spoken the last word about this matter months ago," Impa said at length, and the sternness of her face was back. "I thought I had made you understand why your fate lies not with him, or do I err in guessing who this lord is?"

"By the look on your eyes I would say nay," Princess Zelda said nodding her head again, as if in shame. "I do not think you mistake him, and I still remember the words we had back then at the castle; and I still remember the reason why I cannot hope for our dooms to be woven. But I ask you, my dearest guardian and friend! Were you not ever young and hopeful for love? Have you not ever felt love stir in your heart for a fellow Sheikah not of your own blood? Do you not remember anyone you felt true and blissful love for? Surely love is even amidst the Shadows?"

"Love there is amidst the Shadows," Impa said. "And I am sure that, had fate been kinder to myself and my kin, love I would have found at an earlier age. But it was not so, and the one I would had grown to love went away and departed from this world many years ago, and since the slaying of my mother only you have remained to give purpose to my life as the last of the Shadow-folk.

"But I stray. You know, as I have told you now and I had told you before, that I had a loved one that is no more within my reach. Therefore, I do not understand your feelings rightfully, or at least as you would expect me to do. But one thing I know: even though your love be growing ever with each day passing, remember always two things: your doom as Princess of this realm lets you not chose your companion for your life; and even if you were allowed to do so he already loves another dearly, and the knowledge of your true feelings would only pain his heart and mind. I am sure you do not wish for this to happen."

"Of course I do not," the Princess said sadly. "Yet, even if one can choose to hide one's feelings, one cannot control them. And love is a most strong sentiment that lies in all hearts as a terrible and fair strength that pushes you along your life's path."

And now Link felt terribly confused and ashamed, for he could not comprehend the Princess' feelings and yet he knew his confusion was brought upon by himself. But from that moment on a shadow was sown between the Hero and the Princess.

Impa suddenly rose to her feet, and it was clear that she did not wish to have these words said with folk about them, and she spoke to Princess Zelda. But the language she used was again that of most ancient times, and only those known in the ways of ancient lore might know it. Fair and melodious it sounded to Link's ears, yet it remained as a mystery tongue but till it was revealed by the Princess herself a time after.

"Aníron e sui seronech?" Impa asked as she helped the Princess to rise, and to the Hero's surprise the Princess answered in the same tongue, as if it were her own birth-tongue.

"Chín istach tan u-thenin," she answered. "You know that I feel it, yet I do not wish for that."

"Then let us not speak anymore of the matter," the Shadow-woman said, but she smiled at the Princess, and she drew closer to her and set her arms about her. "In time, you will learn that love is not the only feeling we must learn to contain. Perhaps you shall love him forever, but you will not be enamoured of him for as long as you shall live. Keep hope within your heart! For, though he is not your fate, love is not denied to you, and when you finally find it you shall be glad because of the right choice you shall have done."

She released her, and Link could see that from Princess Zelda's proud eyes a silver tear had fallen. Suddenly, the Shadow-woman's gaze fell on his sight, and for a moment their eyes were fixed in each other. Then Link felt a terrible shame, for Impa now knew that he had been listening to words meant not to be listened; but to his utmost surprise, the Sheikah winked at him, and before Princess Zelda could notice anything, her guardian spoke aloud.

"It is time already," she said. "Let us wake the others. If we hasten today, by night we shall reach the Lost Woods."

"Tonight?" the Princess said. "I thought the snow would hinder our path and that we would arrive but until tomorrow."

"Snow can be a hindering, my child," Impa said, but she did not smile this time. "But where there is will, there is hope. If all is well amongst us, we have little to fear from distances."

With the dying embers of Din's Fire about them they warmed the bread they had brought with them, though Darunia had refused to take any of it and instead had pulled out a rock from the frozen ground and bit it noisily; and Ruto ate some water-plants she had carried along herself from Zora's River. After breakfast was over, Impa signalled them to carry on with the path; and so they continued their march into the accursed Forest of the Lost. Walking in the front of the company was Link the Hero of time, and his green tunic was like a leaf that chose not to die for the winter season, and in his back were his mighty sword and Hylian shield. Behind him walked Darunia the Goron, with his heavy steps that left deep prints in the soft snow, and on his back hung a huge battle-axe and a hammer; and behind him walked Saria the Kokiri, ever fearful to be left in the rear of the company, and she was armed with a light Deku shield and the Kokiri sword, although the thought of battle made her shiver. Walking behind the child was Nabooru the Gerudo, and she was the only member save one that did not seem to be burdened with heavy dread, and two Gerudo steel scimitars hung at her back; and talking vividly with her was Ruto of the Zora, princess of their kindred, and a great, golden trident she carried as her gear of war. But at the rear of the company walked, silently and proudly, Princess Zelda of the Hylians and Impa the Sheikah, last of the Shadow-folk; and both were clad in blue Sheikah cloaks, and both carried a long-bow made of yew and a pair of Sheikah knives. And the sternest and most quiet these two seemed to be.

Over the horizon to the north the City of Hyrule had been all but lost to their sights, and even the walls of Lon Lon Ranch that stood away from the castle had been covered in the falling snow; and all about them only the purest whiteness was, and although they were drawing closer to the Wood its threshold could not be seen yet. With each step they took part of the road was revealed out from the layers of snow that had covered it for two months now, and the farther they went, the thicker it would grow; and the wind that had been steadily blowing since the morning began to harden and cool, and as they strode along the invisible path chill gusts began to smite their faces once again. For nearly three hours they walked thus until silence crept into the air about them once again, and although they spoke naught already the shadow of foreboding began to loom above them, even during the clear mid-day.

In silence, thus, they walked with only an occasional word of question issuing from one of the members. But heavy were their hearts when, after having walked for four hours in the cold, they stopped to eat and rest for a while. Although the road had been peaceful and without sudden alerts they all sat down as if weary of a long journey full of toil and peril. Then they ate without much hunger and only for the sake of their strengths, and even Nabooru and Ruto did not speak anymore. In a circle they sat, and the hood of their cloaks made a hump on their backs, and they all looked like a stray company of old men. Then Impa stood up and gazed into the east, and her keen Sheikah eyes told her that the Wood was not far away by now; and she told so to the others.

"About time we ought to have seen something!" Darunia said raising his fist and letting fall on the ground. "I don't think we made more that five or six miles and already I'm tired to death!"

"You speak for me also," Ruto said. "I didn't know that walking over snow could so painful. Look! My feet are scorched! And I don't see any fire about us."

"It hasn't been so bad," said Nabooru, and Darunia and Ruto frowned at her. "Don't tell me you've never walked under harsh winds before! This is not too different from those walks about the wasteland."

"Do not forget that they live not in the desert," Impa said wishing to cut off an upcoming argument. "Be glad that you are used to journeys like this one. But do not be so proud before everyone. If there is something that all have felt in their hearts, with no exceptions, is the heavy weight of dread."

The wind stopped for a moment as if wishing to hear her, and Nabooru remained silent and bowed before the Shadow-woman; and Link was amazed at the air of respect the Sheikah drew from herself. For at the time she seemed to grow taller, and her gaze shone with strange light that forbade any kind of reply. Impa, as the last of an ancient line of old, commanded authority within any being she met. And not even fair Princess Zelda was an exception.

"Tonight," the Sheikah said, "we will reach the Lost Woods; and there I shall see who proves to be the strongest. Until then, I bid you all speak not too often; for it will only lengthen the shadow in our hearts. Do not worry overmuch also, for the path is clear and no foes lie before us. But yet I bid you again: do not speak too much. When dread looms about, din is but a dreadful choice."

And the company listened to her and remained in silence ever-after, until they reached the Forest.

A. N. Please, leave your comments on everything. Remember, a review is the best thing you can offer an author if you like a story.