Disclaimer: Yada yada yada, Zelda not mine, blah blah blah, belongs to Nintendo etc etc, ad infinitum. How many more times to I have to say it!?

Regarding Names: Somebody asked me in one of the reviews where I get my names from. If there are any in particular that you're curious about that I haven't mentioned then you can e-mail me and I'll tell you, but here is quite a hefty bit about them for now. Well, I take the credit for a few of them (I made up Olaran, Ariala, Ranlink and Endeffera all by myself and Theoden is also one of my creations) but some of them I have heard before and liked and thought would be suitable in a story. Aidyn, as many of you have guessed, I heard and liked from the game Aidyn Chronicles (never played it though) and some of the others have amusing stories to them as well. One of my friends produced a baby name book at the beginning of my Zelda obsession and said, 'Look what Zelda's short for!' The entry said 'Zelda, see Griselda.' So, Griselda is essentially the same name as Zelda but is almost heinously ugly (incidentally, the definition of the name Griselda in that book is heroine. Looks like Mr Miyamoto chose the right name for everyone's favourite princess!)

Catrine is a French variation on the name Catherine. Orla is a name that I heard on TV and liked (and if you add 'ndo' to the end of it you'll see another reason why I like it!) There was a girl at my school called Navali and my friend Serena has a younger sister called Marisa. Now Amalia is a name that I only discovered recently and instantly decided that I had to use. I was originally going to call the new baby Lyra after the heroine of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (whatever you do, read these books. They are amazing. And the end made me cry.) but I found the name Amalia in a book given to me by my aunt for my birthday. Amalia was the daughter of Empress Maria Teresa of the Holy Roman Empire and was the older sister of Maria Antonia, who was later known throughout the world and history books as the wife of King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette. So there you go, you learn something every day! And there you were thinking you were just reading a simple Zelda story...

Chapter 3: A Warning

It was a wellknown fact to all Kokiri that the most dangerous time of the year for someone to be out in the Forest at night was during the mating season of the wolves. Many a Kokiri child had nightmares inflicted by the constant howling and other chilling sounds that were heard, and more often than not they would congregate in Saria's house, bedrolls in hand, to participate in sleepovers underneath the watchful eye of the most loved member of the village. That and the fact that she could easily communicate with Link who would come out in the dead of night to stand watch outside the house and make sure they weren't attacked by wolves.

This summer however, it seemed that something had disturbed the beasts as the howls and snarls were louder and more violent than they had ever seemed before, and the beasts were as restless as they came, often prowling the outskirts of the village and scaring the Kokiri to a frenzy. The result was that most of the children had taken refuge in the Great Deku Tree's meadow, totally terrified. Most being the operative word, as not all the children in the Forest were so cautious as its natives.

One little girl who was allowed into the forest despite not being a Kokiri was Princess Orla, now seven years old and possessed of the same inquisitive spirit and love of adventure as her father. Link had been granted permission to let any of his children visit the forest without any hindrance or bad humour towards them, which was something that Orla took full advantage of, particularly when she and Navali were allowed to go off and explore together. Due to her parents' connections with the races in Hyrule, Orla was allowed plenty of freedom as her mother and father were well aware that she would always be watched out for by anyone in the area, be they Goron, Zora or Gerudo. She was about the most independent seven year old anyone was likely to meet with the only exception being Navali, who was the Princess' constant companion and fellow mischeif maker.

The dying sun began to cast the Kokiri forest in a golden glow as Orla and Navali began their trek back to the Kokiri Village. They'd spent the entire afternoon playing about in the tunnels and tormenting Deku Scrubs that they'd been unaware of how late it was getting. And how much trouble they would get into if either of them was late getting home.

"Ya know, I don't think I've been here when the forest was this quiet." Orla commented, munching on an apple which she'd had stored away in her pack. "Mido's nearly always telling me off for being somewhere I shouldn't."

Navali laughed and kicked a dirt clod across the clearing.

"Maybe he's worked out that he's fighting a losing battle. You practically own this forest anyway."

"No, the forest belongs to the Kokiri, just like the desert belongs to the Gerudo, the mountains belong to the Gorons and..."

"OK, OK, I get the picture!" Navali laughed. "Yeesh, you and you're whole royal education."

Orla arched an eyebrow in a manner perfectly reminiscent of her mother and grinned like her father.

"You're just jealous."

"Am not." Navali replied stubbornly. "I'm a Gerudo, jealousy isn't in my genes."

Orla giggled and gave her friend a shove.

"Yeah right, I saw how green you went when Alanya was given that scimitar."

Navali's eyes narrowed to catlike proportions as she stopped walking. Orla realised her mistake immediately and put her hand up to her mouth, her cheeks on fire.

"Oh Nav, I'm sorry..."

"Don't ever talk about her again."

Orla gave her friend a hug as a means of apology. Alanya was a Gerudo girl who had been born just before Navali and was hailed by nearly all of the adult Gerudo as the best fighter, thief and rider out of all the children. The fact remained that it was an outright lie, as Navali was better than the girl at all of those skills. But, as Alanya continued to inform her, she was never going to be considered the best at anything because she wasn't 'a real Gerudo.'

"Boy, I sure hope it's not as late as I think it is." Orla commented, looking up at the sky. "My folks are gonna kill me if I'm late."

Navali shrugged.

"If we're late, we're late. There's nothing they can do about it."

"Yeah, I guess."

Before either girl could say another word, a horrific shriek split the air, causing both to jump and look around them nervously. On instinct, Navali's hand had crept to her spiked staff that she carried for protection while Orla gripped the hilt of the sword upon her back. Both girls' parents had allowed their daughters to travel together without an adult, providing that they were armed in case anything should happen. Nabooru had entrusted a steel tipped staff to her daughter while Link had reclaimed his old Kokiri sword and immediately set about teaching his daughter how to fight.

"What was that?" Navali asked, taking up a fighter stance but still keeping a nervous tremour in her voice.

"Dunno, but it sounds close. Let's go check it out."

"K."

The two girls picked up their pace and ran through the forest in search of whatever had made the shriek. It was only when they charged into a secluded clearing that they realised their mistake.

******

"Dada!"

Zelda looked up from her book as her daughter squealed excitedly and smiled as her husband sat down beside her on the marble bench. She and Amalia had been enjoying the evening sunlight in a quiet corner of the garden, she was reading while Amalia was cheerfully throwing a ball up against the base of a statue and catching it with her chubby hands.

"Hi." She said softly, getting a chaste kiss from her husband as he sat next to her. "What brings you here?"

Link smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Oh I don't know, perhaps it was the allure of the most beautiful woman in Hyrule or maybe it was the prospect of a hot bath for two followed by an early night." He teased.

Zelda put her book down and smiled.

"You are impossible."

"No, I just happen to have an insatiable appetite for sex."

"Amalia sweetheart, come away from there." Zelda said quickly, getting up from the bench and going after the two year old who was standing perilously close to the stream.

Link rolled his eyes.

"Kids, who'd have 'em?"

Amalia giggled and toddled over to her father, grabbing hold of his leg and looking up at him with huge azure eyes and a big smile on her cherubic face. Zelda laughed and folded her arms, cocking her head to one side.

"Well, you know whose fault it is that we have them."

"Yes, it's yours for being so great in the sack."

Zelda shot him a withering look.

"No, it's yours for having, and I quote 'an insatiable appetite for...'"

"Zelda, not in front of the baby!" Link gasped in mock horror.

"Why not? You said it."

Link grinned sheepishly and frowned as Zelda tensed.

"What's the matter?" He asked.

His wife frowned and looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"I don't know what it is, but I just got a really bad feeling."

Suddenly her expression changed to worry.

"Where's Orla?"

"Orla? She's with Navali, they'll be back any minute now."

"Something's wrong, I don't like it." Zelda whispered. "I think they're in trouble. Where are they?"

"Well they went into the forest, but like I said they should be back any minute, I told them not to stay out there when the sun began to set."

"They should be back by now." Zelda said softly. "Oh gods, what if something's gone wrong? What if..."

Something her husband had said registered abruptly in her head.

"The forest? But it's dangerous there, the wolves are mating. Why on earth didn't you tell them they couldn't go there?!"

"Zelda calm down." Link said, trying to remain optimistic. "I know the forest and the wolves don't come out until after dark. The girls will be fine."

Zelda's face was drawn into concern and she closed her eyes.

"I know that I might sound paranoid but I really think that something terrible is happening. Please, can't you go and find them?"

Link sighed and rolled his eyes.

"It's like I keep telling you, you're way too paranoid."

He kissed her cheek and made his way into the castle.

"Where are you going?" Zelda asked.

"To get the Ocarina and warp there. But you owe me big time for this."

Zelda smiled at him, but her expression changed back to worry as soon as he was gone. Amalia looked at her mother critically and then grinned.

"Olla."

Zelda smiled and ruffled the little girl's golden curls.

"Daddy's just gone to bring her home. Now what do you say I give you a bath, hm?"

******

"'Let's go check it out.'" Navali hissed sarcastically at her friend. "Any more bright ideas genius?"

Orla's eyes were fixated on the enormous wolf that was staring at them, its yellow eyes gleaming maliciously, fangs dripping with fresh blood. It had been bent over the carcass of a she-wolf as the girls had charged into the clearing and had stopped upon smelling their scent. What the two didn't know was that this was not a wolf they were staring at.

It was a fully grown Wolfos.

"He looks hungry..." Orla began nervously.

"Uh huh."

"And mad."

"Uh huh."

The bushy fur on the Wolfos' hackles began to rise as a vicious snarl tore from the beast's throat. The girls took two steps back, never once taking their eyes from the animal. Orla's gaze flickered across the glade until she spied what it was the Wolfos had been devouring. The she-wolf was already dead, her belly ripped open savagely, but cowering behind her corpse the young princess spied a small cub, trembling in terror. She narrowed her eyes and gripped the hilt of the Kokiri Sword tighter.

"There are two of us and only one of it. Between us we can take it down."

"Are you crazy!?" Navali squeaked. "We're two seven year olds!"

"A seven year old Gerudo and the seven year old daughter of Link the Hero of Time and Zelda the Sage of Wisdom." Orla reminded her.

Before Navali could react, Orla flew at the Wolfos, her sword extended and aiming right at the beast's chest. As she ran forward, so too did the animal, bounding across the glade at a deadly speed until it clashed with the princess. Orla's blade slashed across its chest, but due to her size and strength the damage was only several chunks of thick fur floating down to the ground. The beast reared up on its haunches and swiped at her with its murderous claws, missing by centimetres as the girl jumped backwards.

"Yikes! Little help?"

Navali was frozen to the spot, too terrified to move as the Wolfos, sensing her fear, began to advance on her. Orla felt anger bubbling beneath the surface and cried out furiously, flying at the creature and slamming the Kokiri Sword into its stomach as it prowled towards Navali. It yelped in pain and outrage and swung round to face Orla, slashing out with its claws and tearing into the flesh of the child's belly, instantly ripping the flimsy fabric of her purple tunic as her blood poured from the wound.

Orla screamed in pain and doubled over, only to lift her head again with an expression on her face caused the Wolfos to hesitate slightly. Her face had darkened with anger and her dark blue eyes were shining with tears of discomfort and rage, but that didn't hide the fact that these eyes were filled with hatred. The Kokiri Sword in her left hand trembled and glowed white before the child thrust the sword at the Wolfos again, this time connecting with its jaw and sending its head upwards with a harsh snap and leaving its throat exposed. Wasting no time, the princess drew the blade across its throat and waited as it fell to the ground, unmoving.

"Orla..." Navali began.

Orla sheathed her sword and breathed out heavily as she brushed a few sweat dampened strands of hair from her face.

"Are you OK?" She asked her.

Navali was staring at her with wide, amber eyes.

"How can you ask me that when you're bleeding like that?! You just saved my life!"

Orla laughed, not even panting for breath.

"No problem."

From behind the she-wolf's carcass, the small grey cub whimpered pitifully as it cringed in the corner, regarding both girls with terrified yellow eyes.

"The poor thing!" Navali murmured.

Orla slowly made her way towards it, extending her hand to the cub to make friends. It shrank backwards until Orla spoke to it in a soothing voice.

"It's OK little one, don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you."

She gently touched the cub between its ears and when she met with no protest she scooped it up with her free hand and cradled it to her chest.

"She's an orphan now." She said softly, looking sadly at the dead wolf.

Navali was looking at her friend in concern.

"Orla, forget the cub for a minute and look at yourself. You're bleeding!"

Orla looked at her blood covered tunic and chuckled softly.

"Heh, so I am."

"There's nothing funny about it!" Navali yelled. "You could have been killed!"

"I'd happily risk my life to save it rather than just stand there and wait to die. Did you see any other way out?"

A low growl interrupted the conversation and instinctively both girls' eyes flew to the dead Wolfos. It still lay there but a second, bigger Wolfos was advancing with even more ferocious fangs than the last.

Orla stood up again, cradling the cub against her chest with her right arm and drawing her sword again with her left. She charged at the creature, sword extended as it had been the first time only her grip was slightly weaker due to fatigue. The Wolfos swiped at the blade and sent it spinning from the girl's hands.

"That's it. We're dead now. There's only one thing left to do." Navali cried.

With that, she opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could as the Wolfos began to attack. From out of nowhere, a single arrow flew and embedded itself between the creature's eyes and it sank without complaint to the ground beside its partner. Overcome with relief and exhaustion, Orla flopped to the ground just as the archer charged up to the girls.

"Sweet gods I got here too late!" Link cursed, scooping his daughter up off the ground and into his arms. "Navali, what happened?"

Navali shrank under Link's gaze and tried to avoid his eyes.

"We heard a noise and Orla wanted to find out what it was and then there was this huge wolf and it attacked us and Orla killed it but it hurt her and..."

"Woah wait, time out." Link interrupted. "Orla killed that Wolfos?"

Navali nodded.

"She saved my life!"

The wolf cub was licking Orla's cheek and caused the exhausted princess to smile.

"Can I keep her Daddy?"

Link held her tighter and kissed her with relief as he fished for a bottle of potion in his pack.

"You're going to have to ask your mother about that. Here, you better drink some of this, it'll make you feel better."

He was about to offer her the potion when he caught sight of Orla's wound and stopped short. The broken edges of the tunic were covered in crimson blood, showing where the wound should have been, but when he looked at Orla's flesh it was unmarked and as smooth as it had ever been. He couldn't disguise the frown on his face as he looked at Orla critically.

"Orla, did you have a fairy with you?"

Orla shook her head sleepily.

"No."

Navali was clutching Orla's sword, looking pale from shock.

"Come on girls, I think we should go home." Link said slowly. "Your mothers are going to kill me if you're late."

And I have to talk to Zelda.

******

"A Wolfos?!" Zelda cried as she and Link checked on their sleeeping eldest daughter. It was the only chance they'd had to talk about the events of the evening by themselves. "Sweet goddesses it's a miracle she's still alive!"

"Zellie calm down." Link soothed, leading his wife from the room and closing the door. "Orla's fine, I saw to it myself. Right now there are a few questions that have to be answered."

Orla had fallen asleep on the way home from Gerudo Valley after dropping off Navali and was completely dead to the world. Link had been glad that she had, it gave him some time to think over the events of the day.

The first revelation was that there were now Wolfos prowling about the Kokiri Forest when not a single one had been seen in the kingdom since Ganon's defeat. Secondly, a seven year old girl had single handedly been able to kill one without being killed herself. Although Link was aware that he himself had been only ten when he'd first killed one, he had been no normal ten year old and had been considerably larger and stronger than his daughter. This was what was troubling him the most.

"Somehow Orla managed to kill a fully grown male Wolfos all by herself and I know that under normal circumstances no little girl her age could do that."

"I think I'll overlook your apparant sexism and agree with you." Zelda replied, looking back at Orla's bedroom door. "Which means that Orla's powers have given her physical abilities that a normal child wouldn't have."

"You read my mind."

Zelda smiled.

"I didn't have to, it was written all over your face."

Link relaxed slightly as Zelda took his hand in hers and walked with him to their room.

"I got Navali to tell me everything that happened, every miniscule detail and two things keep bothering me."

Zelda nodded and opened the door before she followed her husband into the bedroom.

"The first thing is that Navali said that Orla's sword was glowing white just before she killed the Wolfos. Now I haven't taught her the Spin Slash yet and even if I had, the sword glows blue not white."

He sat down on the bed and was swiftly joined by his wife.

"The second thing is..."

"Orla's unnaturally fast and efficient healing abilities." Zelda interrupted. "And no, I didn't read you mind for that. There isn't a scar on her or anything and seeing as you only took a bottle of potion and no fairies then the only other explanation is that she did it herself."

Link cast her an astonished sideways glance.

"You never fail to amaze me."

Zelda smiled.

"It's a gift, what can I say."

"Yes, but you failed to mention the fact that she seemed to be completely unaware that she was hurt."

"Hmm."

Zelda was silent for a moment and then rested her chin on her elbow, her brows knitted together in a frown.

"There's something else. The Wolfos. Why are they appearing now? I mean, it doesn't make any sense, I can't feel any immediate threat coming or dreamt about one so why are the beasts of evil massing like this?"

Link frowned too and then sighed, flopping backwards on the bed and staring up at the ceiling.

"Orla's dreams, Petranella, Wolfos... Man, what I wouldn't give to just be allowed a little time to myself and get on with raising my family without any evil interruption, premonitions or hidden powers."

Zelda lay on top of him, upholding her weight on her elbows and brushing his hair behind his ears with her fingertips while looking adoringly at him.

"Life without anything heavier than the occasionally childish tantrum. How incredibly boring." She sighed. "And without anything to fight you'd get incredibly flabby around here."

She pinched his stomach and then squealed in surprise as he flipped her onto her back and began to tickle her.

"Link get off! Argh, stop it..." She cried, giggling helplessly like a schoolchild. "I mean it!"

Link grinned evilly and pinned her wrists above her head before kissing her suggestively and murmuring with laughter as he heard her contented sigh from beneath his lips.

"Who wants normal when abnormality got me you?" He asked her, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

"Hmm, you're about as abnormal as they come." Zelda teased. "I'm going to punished for that remark aren't I?"

"Most severely. Yes."

******

A very pale light surrounded her while she stood in the presence of a small, childlike character who she couldn't see properly. Her hair fell unadorned over her shoulders while she was dressed simply in a white dress with no jewellry or shoes on her feet.

"Where are we?" She asked, addressing her companion for the first time.

The child, dressed in the same way as she was, stared at her with bright eyes and a broad but sad smile on her face.

"This is the very heart of the Sacred Realm. You were brought here because it is the will of the Gods that you receive this warning."

Zelda hid her surprise with a nod.

"Then, would you do me the honour of telling me with whom I am speaking?"

The child curtsied low and stood proudly before the Princess.

"My name is Endeffera."

Zelda gasped and was unable to do anything but stare at the spirit of the demi-goddess.

"You are scared. You are also worried for our wellbeing, wondering if we will die when we are forced to use our powers. You are also torn between your two children for fear that we shall be jealous and unleash our powers." Endeffera stated quietly.

Our?

"When you say 'our,' do you mean my daughter and you?"

Endeffera nodded.

"The time will soon be at hand. Not because of your second child but because this has already been ordained by the heavens. You will be unable to stop what will happen, and when all hope is lost, turn to your husband's darkest fear. We will do the rest."

"But..."

"Whether or not we live is a different matter."

Zelda felt a chill go through her and she attempted to plead with the spirit.

"Please, I need to know. What will happen when the time comes? What's going to happen to Orla?"

"We will serve our purpose." Endeffera said simply. "Full and complete, what was started all those years before will end."

"What are you saying?" Zelda asked.

"Mortis will come." Endeffera said quietly. "When the stars are in the right alignment, Mortis will come to try and take your world for his own, and when he succeeds, he will try to take the Sacred Realm too."

"Mortis. The God of Death and Darkness." Zelda repeated. "But when you defeated him, he began nothing but a shadow, he's nowhere near powerful enough to break out..."

"In asking the question you have answered it yourself." Endeffera said cryptically. "Power."

"Ganondorf."

The child nodded.

"He is feeding off the power of Din's Triforce. Had my mother and aunts known that their powers would be so badly misused then they would never have created the Triforce."

"But it was Link and I who put Ganondorf into the Evil Realm." Zelda said softly. "It's all my fault."

"No." Endeffera soothed. "It was not your actions that resulted in this. It is Mortis who engineered this and it is he who is to blame."

"Does Ganon know that Mortis is doing this? I can't see him sacrificing any of his power willingly..."

"You are correct, he does not. But for many years now the one called Ganondorf Dragmire has been growing in power and it has not escaped my uncle's eye. He has been ciphering this energy himself and will use it to break into the world on the night of nox nocte."

"Shadow Night. That is when it will happen?"

Endeffera nodded.

"We need to be ready, and you must guide us. You are the most powerful sorceress on the plain of mortals, only you can train us. Maybe then we can finally be at peace."

"So Orla will die!" Zelda cried. "No please, I beg you..."

"I cannot change what will happen." Endeffera said sadly. "And I do not know of our fate. If it brings you peace then I can say this; the Gods will do what is best for all involved."

"But..."

"Be at peace now, Zelda of Hyrule. I shall keep you here no longer."

******

Zelda's eyes flew open with a start, but she didn't move or speak. Beside her Link was sleeping, his arm draped around her waist and his body pressed up against hers while his chin rested on her shoulder. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She almost wished that he was awake so that she could talk to him, but at the same time was struck by something Endeffera had said.

Only you can train us.

This was something that she needed to do by herself. If she needed his help then she would go to him for it, but there was no need to wake him up to tell him that. It could wait until morning.

She sighed and closed her eyes again, trying to get back to sleep. It had been an extremely perplexing day, and even at its close Zelda was still confused and bewildered. She had learnt a lot that day, especially where Orla was concerned. When Link had told her about the Wolfos, Zelda had briefly toyed with the idea that somehow she and her daughter were psychically connected but had dismissed it as being purely a one off. But after speaking with Endeffera now she wasn't quite so convinced. She would experiment with the idea further in the morning, when her training with Orla would begin.