"If you don't go back of your own free will, I'm sure she'll come and force you."

Why can't I get his words out of my head? Link thought with a scowl. He wrapped his coat closer to his body as an errant wind tried to slink in and chill him. Granted he had only been gone for a few hours; it was nearing noon, the sun trying its best to banish the cold; but they shouldn't have haunted him like this. I just get a feeling of foreboding every time I hear it, Link thought, searching the sky for the source of his troubles. Only the clear blue firmament met his gaze.

Whatever, I should stop worrying because it won't solve anything. He nodded in agreement with his thoughts and quickened his pace. Perhaps if he walked fast enough he'd be able to outdistance it all.

Rounding a curve in the trail, he heard a muffled shriek, followed by a loud thump as something hit the hard earth. And here it comes, he thought as he loosened his sword in its scabbard. Picking up a jog, the rock-face gave way, showing him the Princess Zelda, blonde hair a ruffled mess as she coolly wiped her rapier clean of Tekite blood. The large, spider-like creature lay in a crumpled heap at her feet.

Link paused, caught between chagrin and being impressed, a smile curving his lips. He let go of the his sword's hilt, the fleeting thought that if he turned around now he could escape her holding his interest only for a second. She would find him anyway.

She looked up at him as she sheathed her thin blade, the battered leather of the scabbard testament to the use it had received under its master's care. A smudge of dirt followed the line of her cheekbone, drawing one's eye to her own, the deep blue showing him annoyance and relief. "It is about time you came here," she said, folding her arms over her chest. "I have had to fight off three of those things, and it is getting annoying."

"You've my sincerest apologies, Princess," Link said with a slight bow, the smile never leaving. "What can I do to make up for this?"

"You can start by shutting up and following me back to Kakariko."

"No thanks, Princess. I like it here just fine."

She gave him a long-suffering look and sighed. Turning from him, she walked over to one of the many boulders and rocks that lay strewn about the path and sat on one. Link followed suit, taking a seat on one an arm's length away. "How'd you get away from everyone?" he asked, trying to keep the subject on safe territory.

Her eyes narrowed, and he knew he failed to fool her, but she answered, "Impa and Marek may be my protectors, but I can take care of myself. Impa trained me as a Sheikah warrior, so I have no problem evading those I wish to. In truth, Impa believes she has taught me too well."

A long silence descended, one Link was loath to break. He heard the cry of a bird from somewhere far off, the sound oddly weak to his ears. He picked up a handful of pebbles, watching them sift through his fingers, each little tink the rocks made as they landed soothing his nerves.

"Link, you must come back with me."

"And why's that?" Tink, tink! As the last pebble fell through, he grabbed another hand-full and repeated the process.

"I need your help."

"What for?" Tink! It really was calming, like watching an hourglass as the sand fell to the bottom.

"Will you quit with the rocks and listen to me!"

His hand clenched on the pebbles, and he felt that if he were to let go each would leave a permanent impression on his hand. "I have been listening, Princess. And all I hear are empty words that tell me nothing." He looked up, catching her eyes, holding her. "If you decide to treat me as a human and not your tool, then perhaps I will do more than just listen."

With an effort she dropped her eyes to the floor. "I need your help with the Death Riders. Without you, I cannot defeat them." She looked up again, need sparking a fire in her eyes. "You must come back."

Turning away from her imploring stare was one of the hardest things he had ever done. "That still tells me nothing," he said.

"Link, I need your help, and it does not matter to me if it is given willingly or not." Her voice had changed, becoming deeper, more resonant, and he found himself ensnared in her eyes once more. Something seemed to live there in the blue depths, something that writhed like the core of a flame.

"So you would arrest me? Force me to aid you? What is worth so much that you would become a monster?"

"My country. While the Death Riders run rampant the people of Hyrule are suffering. I refuse to stand by and watch this continue on! I will do anything that is within my power, and more, to ensure that Hyrule becomes a place of peace once more, and nothing will stand in my way."

Link dropped the rest of the pebbles and brushed his hands off. Pushing away from his rock chair, he straightened his coat, saying, "Well, shall we?"

Zelda looked up at him, one eyebrow twitched in puzzlement. "Shall we what?"

"Go. That is what you want me to do, isn't it?"
"Why the sudden change?"

A snort of laughter escaped him. "You'd think after getting me to agree you'd be content with that. If you must know, I'm not going for you."

Understanding came to her, and she nodded once before rising, heading back the way he had come. "The old man told me you'd convince me," Link said. "Guess I should've listened."

She looked over her shoulder. "Old man?"

"Yes, the one who lives here. Calls himself Darunia."

A line formed between her brows, though she did not stop. "I have no idea who you are talking about."

A soft wind ruffled his hair and Link let the Princess turn around, dropping the conversation. Reaching down, he gripped the pouch tightly, the weight of the stone reassuring to his mind.

The trip down was a swift one, too swift for his peace of mind. As they entered the city walls, each step that brought him closer to those he left behind seemed harder and harder to take, as if his boots were slowly filling with lead. He took a deep breath, trying his best to fortify his mind against what was coming.

At the door to the hostel they were staying in, Zelda paused. "Would you see your horse first, or the others?"

Would I choose death by fire, or death by ice? he thought, a wry grimace coming to his face, though he tried to conceal it. "I'll see the others first." Perhaps they'll kill me before Epona can.

The Princess nodded and opened the door, leading the way to their rooms and his certain doom. Climbing the staircase was nearly impossible; how he managed was a mystery, and as he stood at the threshold of one of the rented rooms he felt as if his throat had constricted shut and he would suffocate right there.

Zelda knocked once, glancing back at Link as she did. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Link managed a nod and a terse smile, one he was sure would scare small children. Zelda smothered a grin at his worry as the door opened, revealing Malon, whose expression of worry changed to joy and then to anger faster than Link thought possible. "By the goddesses! What came over you?! What in all the Sacred Realm were you thinking?!"

She pulled both Zelda and Link in, the door slamming shut behind her. Walking further into the room, she turned around and fixed both of them with an eye that could have melted steel. He chanced a look at Zelda, who gave a puzzled shrug of her shoulders before Malon broke in. "You had us all worried! I swear I could smack you both right now, I'm so angry! Do you have any idea what you did to us?"

Link winced, Malon's shouting filling his head and making it ring. He wished he could convince her stop, but the thought of opening his mouth scared him more than her tirade. He knew she was only letting off steam, the anxiety he had put her through causing tension that sought release. He just wished she wasn't so loud, though the fact that Zelda was sharing in his punishment gave him a small amount of satisfaction.

Malon took a deep breath, one hand rising to press against her forehead. In a quieter, though no less violent, voice, she said, "Impa, Marek, and Lure will be back around nightfall. Perhaps Link should see Epona before then."

Wanting to escape the anger that thrummed in the air, Link quickly turned on his heel and walked back outside. Once there he made his way to the barn, one hand compulsively clutching the stone in its pouch. Somehow it comforted him.

* * *

"Where's he at?" Impa's growl reverberated in her throat, her eyes flaring like the glare of a ravenous wolfos as she stomped into the room.

The door swung open once more, Marek giving Impa an annoyed look as he stepped over the threshold. "The least you could do is wait until we're all inside before slamming it shut," he said, moving aside to let Lure through.

Impa ignored him and turned her fearsome gaze on Zelda. "As for you..."

Zelda returned the stare with equal ferocity. "I found him and brought him back. I'm not your fragile doll that has to be guarded all her life. I can take care of myself, and I can make my own decisions."

"The problem is your decisions turn out to be the wrong ones."

A silence descended as Zelda's face turned ashen. Malon realized Impa had crossed the line somehow; the air was pregnant with anger and expectation.

"I'm sorry, highness," Impa said. "I spoke without thinking."

"That does not mean you meant it any less," Zelda said. She bit down on her lip, willing it to not tremble. She refused to lose composure before them. Falling back to her courtier instincts, she gave a slight curtsey, said, "If you will excuse me," and brushed past them, acting as if they were merely rude guests.

"Shouldn't you go after her?" Malon asked both Marek and Impa.

Marek only shook his head and sat at the table, wishing for a glass of something strong while Impa completely ignored her, face pinched as she mentally kicked herself. The sound of the door falling back to the jamb caught all of their attentions, and they turned to find that Lure had left.

* ~@~ *

"You're lucky."

Link looked up, flecks of Epona's hide dotting his face like elongated freckles. Zelda resisted the urge to brush them away, instead wrapping her hands over the stall door.

"Why's that?"

"You just are," she said with a tired smile.

Epona nibbled at his hair, her anger from before forgotten. Link laughed and tried to push her muzzle away, glad she had forgiven him. He had thought for a moment that one of her iron-hard hooves would implant itself in his forehead, but in the end they had worked it out. They were too close in mind to not understand what the other was thinking and feeling.

Turning away from the mare, hoping that his hair wasn't sticking up like dried grass, he noticed Zelda watching him, a despondent look of yearning on her face, heart-wrenching in its intensity. "What's wrong?" he asked.

That same tired smile swept over her face. "Nothing. I am only thinking too much."

"You're lying."

"Excuse me?" she said, an eyebrow lifting in surprise and slight annoyance.

"You're lying. If you're not feeling all right, you can just say that. You don't have to lie about it. I don't like lies."

"I believe you are around the wrong people, if you wish to stick to such high ideals."

"Well I believe you're wrong."

"I am royalty. I cannot be wrong."

He looked at her askance before realizing she was making an attempt at a joke. Giving Epona a parting pat, he opened the stall door, giving Zelda time to move out of the way before stepping out. "You should do that more often," he told her.

"Do what?"

"Make a joke, crack a smile. You look a lot less cranky when you do."

"Who said anything about joking?" she said, hints of a smile dancing in her eyes.

Going along with her, he said, "Well you can't possibly believe just because you're royalty you're right."

"Why not? I certainly have the power to be so."

"How so?"

"Anyone who disagrees with me will be banished to suffer the utmost torture in all the land."

"And that would be?"

"An evening spent alone with Impa."

Link burst out laughing. "If that's the punishment, than I will certainly concede to you."

A triumphant smile lit her face. "I knew you would see it my way."

"I get the distinct impression most people do in the end."

"And that is why I am so good at my job." She laughed softly before stepping in front of him, turning so she faced him. "Thank you. For cheering me up." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turned, leaving him to his startled thoughts.

Watching her figure recede, he thought, Well. That was interesting. Huh. He shrugged his shoulders and turned around only to fly backwards, his hand pulling his sword free to waver in the sunlight.

"That is a rather hostile greeting, don't you think?" Ganondorf asked with a savage, knowing grin. "But that's what I should expect from you, isn't it?"

Link sheathed his sword. As he turned his back on him, he said, "Leave me alone."

"Leave you alone?" Ganondorf's voice cut through the air. "Leave you alone? Like you left the families of the men you killed alone? Like how you've left widows to grieve, children to wonder when their fathers will come home?"

Clenching his hands, Link said, "I didn't mean...", stopping when he realized how his words would never compensate for the losses.

A strong hand gripped his shoulder, spinning him around until he was face to face with Ganondorf, the Gerudo's hawk eyes boring into his. "What didn't you mean? To not take the lives of countless innocent men? To not bring fear and terror into everyone's lives? What? Come on, enlighten me!"

"I don't want to deal with this," Link ground out, wrenching Ganondorf's hand off. He tried to back away but the Gerudo grabbed both his arms, giving him a jerk that made his teeth snap together.

"You will deal with this. Right now."

Lips skinning back from his teeth, Link snarled at him, the Death Rider surging to the surface. Ganondorf smiled in justified satisfaction and let him go. "Even now your true side comes forth. Is it a shield for you to hide behind? Or do you enjoy making people suffer? Perhaps you're not as pure as you'd have us believe."

"What do you want of me?" he asked. He could feel a slight tremor race continuously through his body and he tried to still it.

Leaning close, Ganondorf whispered, "I want you to die."

Link felt the harsh prick of a sword bite into his side, and he froze. Ganondorf's smile was more like a beast baring his teeth. "I want you to die, by my hand, and very slowly, so you may suffer as all those have suffered by your hand." He withdrew the ancient weapon and held it in between them, making sure Link could see the razor-sharp edges. "This sword will end your life, I promise."

Link smirked. "You'll have to get in line with the rest of them. By the time you get around to your turn, there'll be nothing left but pulp."

Ganondorf grunted and sheathed the sword. "I doubt that. I'll be following you to make sure no one else can do my job, and to make sure you won't harm anyone."

"What?"

"See you on the road," he said, an infuriating smirk playing on his lips. With a languid wave, Ganondorf headed back to the inn.

Watching him walk away, Link muttered, "You've got to be kidding me." He thought for a moment, then said, "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid he's not."

Jumping, Link looked over his shoulder at Lure. "I don't need people sneaking up on me right now." Motioning to Ganondorf's retreating figure, he said, "Not with that on my tail."

"I think it's a good idea."

Surprised, Link turned to fully face Lure. "A good idea?"

Lure nodded. "Perhaps with him around you won't flit off to the great big yonder again."

The quiet tone of his voice sent warning bells clanging in Link's head. Lure was never quiet, not even when Solastaire had threatened to expel him, and being a Guardian meant everything to Lure. "You're mad, aren't you?"

"Mad? Me? Why in all the world would I be even the slightest bit angry?"

I was wrong, Link thought. He's beyond mad. More like the 'I'm-so-angry-I'm-going-to-kick-you-upside-your-head-and-leave-you-in-bloody-pieces' mad. Farore help me.

"You better ask for Farore's help, you giant son-of-a-moblin. I plan on leaving nothing behind, not even a 'bloody bit'."

"Hey! No fair reading my thoughts."

Lure advanced on him. "I believe you've more to worry about right now."

* * *

Malon looked up in disinterest as the door swung open for the third time, only giving the entrees a swift glance before returning to the map set on the table before her. When the image fully processed, she jumped to her feet, saying, "What happened to you?"

Link smiled, or tried to. His left cheek was swelling too much to accommodate a full smile, and he could barely see out of one eye. "Ran into a lamppost? Or was it a door?"

"You're supposed to say you ran into a really busty woman, idiot." Lure followed Link in, the grin Link was trying to produce fully apparent on his face.

"Oh yeah, that was it. I ran into a really busty woman and got the marks to prove it."

Sighing in disgust, Malon sat back down. "I hope you're both feeling better, now that that's over with."

"Immensely," said Lure.

"Somewhat," said Link. "I do miss seeing out of my left eye."

"Wimp," Lure heckled. "You get one little mark and it's all whine, whine, whine."

"I want to see your definition of little," Link retorted.

"Are you sure?" Lure asked, starting to rise.

"Uh, no, not really."

They looked at each other and began to laugh, both quickly losing themselves to their mirth. When Zelda poked her head out of her bedroom, she assessed the situation and turned to the only rational one left in the room. "Are they dying?"

"If only," Malon said ruefully.

"Hey...we heard...that!" Lure said between his laughter and attempts to breathe, arms wrapped around his stomach to keep himself from exploding.

"Good," Malon stated with a smile. She flicked a bit of paper at his head.

Zelda took a seat next to the rancher. "Has Impa told you about our next destination?"

"She muttered something about radishes and left when I tried to ask her."

"Radishes!" Both females turned to see Link and Lure nearly falling off their chairs, their laughter doubled. "What's so funny about radishes?" Zelda asked in a conspirator's whisper to Malon.

Averting her eyes from the gruesome scene, Malon said, "I've no idea, but it most be something good."

"Yeow!" Lure leaped to his feet with a yell, and both Malon and Zelda asked peevishly, "What?"

Lure removed a dagger that had suddenly embedded itself in the chair he'd been sitting on. Yanking the weapon free, he looked to the other side of the room and said, "Damn it, you ass! Watch where you aim that thing!"

Ganondorf smiled. "If I hadn't watched where I was aiming, we wouldn't have to worry about any of your offspring ravaging this world."

Lure threw the dagger back at him and Ganondorf caught it. "Thank you for returning my weapon. Now all of you, shut up. I'm trying to concentrate." He turned from the room and retreated to his quarters.

"Concentrate on what?" wondered Malon.

"Concentrate on how he's going to kill us all in our sleep," Lure muttered.

"I thought you said having him around was a good idea," Link said with a sly grin.

Lure glared at him. "Don't you dare turn my words back on me. You know I've no idea of what I'm talking about."

"We all do," Malon said.

"Who asked you?" Lure said.

Zelda started laughing and Link quickly followed. Soon the whole room echoed with their joy, and no amount of threatening on Ganondorf's part could quiet them.

Amid the boisterous laughing, the door slammed open, interrupting them. Impa burst in, saying, "We have to leave. Now."

A/N: Tori kindly got this beta-d for me, so here's the much better version of the chapter. All hail Tori! :)