The Tyger by William Blake

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies

Burnt the fire of thine eyes?

On what wings dare he aspire?

What the hand dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,

Could twist the sinews of they heart?

And when thy heart began to beat,

What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain?

In what furnace was thy brain?

What the anvil? what dread grasp

Dare its deadly terrors clasp?

When the stars threw down their spears

And water'd heaven with their tears,

Did she smile his works to see?

Did she who make the lamb make thee?

Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye

Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

After staring for hours at the back of his head, Link found himself suppressing the urge to kick it out of his way. He didn't think Ganondorf would have appreciated the gesture, though. He heard Epona snicker in his mind at his thoughts, and he awkwardly patted the mare's neck, his bound wrists making the move hard as he sat in the saddle.

The Calatians had packed up camp the following day the rest of their party had caught up to them. He had tried to hear any information about Lure or Malon, but the soldiers discussed all of their matters out of their captives' hearing. Instead he tried to reassure himself that he would know if Lure was dead, and knew that it did little to comfort.

Zelda rode pillion to Rhys, her face grave, eyes focused inward as they rode. He felt caught between wanting to comfort her and hate her, hesitance and confusion keeping him from acting in either direction. Sometimes he wanted to scream loud enough to shatter the heavens. Other times he fought against a deep guilt that ate at his mind like strong acid. I feel like a child, he said silently to Epona, using her as an outlet for his inner frustrations.

You only feel like a child because you're acting like one, she told him.

How so, oh wise one? he said with tired and unfelt humor.

You feel like a child because all you're doing is reacting to things. You're letting all of this happen to you. You're not rising up to meet it, taking charge of your own fate and actions like an adult. So get off your rear and do it before I have to listen to you whine anymore!

He burst out into startled laughter, gaining more than a few wary stares from the Calatians. He ignored them and smiled at the back of her bobbing head. Who needs critics when I have you? Thank you.

Anytime. It's my job to keep you in line.

He was about to reply when he felt a chill race through his body. Epona stopped, head shooting up, ears pricked as her skin trembled with eagerness. She danced to the side and Link's heart began to race. Rhys pulled up his mount and turned to Link with a frown, wondering if he was planning on escaping. He saw the Princess finally look up, turning to Link with something like guilt and dread spreading over her face. About to call ahead for help, his voice froze in his throat at the sight that greeted him.

Three Death Riders stood facing them, blocking their way forward, the thick brush of the woods hemming them in. A swift glance backwards confirmed Rhys's fears: three more Death Riders prevented a retreat. They would have to fight or die for their freedom.

Their captain dismounted and walked forward. His horse wouldn't take a step closer to the monsters that waited before them. Head held high, not letting anything betray what he must have been feeling, he said, "What do you want?"

Silence hung heavy over the forest. One of the hooded riders walked closer, his robed hand rising and pointing behind the captain. Turning so he could still see the Death Riders, he looked to the direction it was pointing and met the gaze of the Hylian man they had captured along with the princess. Despite his mount's nervous actions, he looked remarkably calm, eyes seemingly meeting the Death Rider who singled him out.

"What do you want with him?" the captain said.

The voice was soft, raspy, and heavy, weighing on their minds like ancient stone. "We want him back."

Puzzled looks were exchanged between the soldiers. The captain opened his mouth to try and figure out more when the Hylian's horse walked forward, nostrils flared with fear. The mount stopped alongside the captain, and he could see the sweat darkening its chestnut coat, the red of its rolling eye. The captain had to commend the horse for its bravery, facing up to these demons because its master asked.

"What do you want of me?" the Hylian asked quietly.

"We feel your loss, brother," it said. "We are not whole without you."

A strange smile turned up the ends of his mouth and the captain had to fight the urge to run. "I, too, feel the loss," he said, almost whispering the words. "And I sometimes wonder why I fight it."

A hand reached out to him. "Come back to us. We cannot let you go."

"No!" The Princess's voice cut through the air. She scrambled off of Rhys's horse and raced forward, her bound hands cradled to her chest. She grabbed hold of Link's leg, looking up at him with wide eyes. "You can't! Please, you must stay."

Sadness darkened his eyes. "For what?" he asked her. "Can you cure what I am? Can you change me back to the way I was before?"

She could no longer meet his gaze, though there had been no accusations or hate in it. Pressing her head against his leg, she whispered, "No."

"Then what do I have to fight for?"

"I don't know," she said, fighting back tears that would do no good. "Please..."

"Why should I listen to someone who created us, who brought us into being? Maybe, deep down, you wanted this to happen."

She reeled back at the venom in his words. "How...how could you say that?" Anger marred her features and she spat out, "You know I didn't mean for this to happen. How could you say such a thing?"

"It's easy," he said with a snide grin. "I opened my mouth and spoke how I really feel."

"Then fine! Join them. Be the destruction of all you care about. Bring the whole world to chaos."

"It's to late for that, Princess. You've already done it."

She grabbed at her chest as if his words were arrows that struck home. He kicked at Epona's sides and the mare leapt forward into a gallop, the Death Riders surging around him, sweeping through the Calatian group as if they didn't exist, leaving them behind to stare in horror, or cry in pain.

Ganondorf, taking advantage of the rest of the group's inability to process what had happened, knocked his guard from his horse and took control of the animal. He spurred the horse, the creature rearing in surprise to the vicious kick before leaping forward, its legs churning up the dirt path as it followed the Death Riders.

Link was acting on instinct and nothing else. He had to know more, he had to figure out what was truly happening to him. While he knew Zelda meant well, she was never going to fully trust him. The only person she seemed to have faith in was herself. He didn't blame her for what happened, at least not completely. But the words he had spoken to her had come from his heart. She was the source of all this misfortune, all of his misfortune. As she didn't trust him, he couldn't trust her. She would go the Dark Realm and back to look for ways to cure what she had caused, even if it meant sacrificing everything and everyone. He had seen it in her eyes when she talked to him about it. And he had no intentions of being such a sacrifice. He wanted to help the people, but he also wanted to live. Selfish, yes, but he had no delusions about himself. He wasn't a saint of any kind.

More like the opposite, he thought, glancing to his left at the robed figure that raced beside him, the dark folds of cloth rippling in the raw wind. He saw a pair of hands gripping its mount's mane, and he realized how similar they were to his own. Same skin tone, same veins that pushed against the surface of the skin, same fingers that buried themselves in the animal's mane. For a second he wondered if the face under the hood would reflect his own image, like a mirror.

The Death Rider he was scrutinizing suddenly looked to the rear. Doing the same, Link saw Ganondorf trailing them, his mount's hide drenched with sweat, white foam dripping from its mouth and accumulating on its chest. It looked like it would collapse and die the moment it stopped. Not surprising considering how much faster their mounts could travel. Really it was amazing the horse had caught up at all.

As if they thought on the same wavelength, the Death Riders slowed to a halt, turning to face the Gerudo. Link took the time to cut his bonds on his dagger. The Calatians had let them keep their weaponry as a show of 'good faith', though Link thought of it as stupidity. But in the end it had worked out fine for him.

The two opposing sides faced each other. The sound of the horse's harsh breathing broke the silence, and Link knew the animal was ruined. Ganondorf had broken the creature in his desperation to reach them, and Link felt sudden anger at the man's inability to think of the consequences of his actions.

"Don't you realize what you're doing?" Ganondorf barked out. Link started at the similarities of his thoughts and the Gerudo's words. He kept it hidden behind a carefully composed mask, instead just staring at the man, hoping he would come back to his senses and leave. Every second he stayed there brought him closer to Death's soft embrace.

One of the Death Rider's mounts jigged impatiently, and Link recognized it as the black one the Hunters had caught in Hylia. The animal and its rider probably wanted the Gerudo more than dead for what he and the rest had done to it.

Ganondorf refused to budge. His horse trembled beneath him, from both exhaustion and fear, but the Gerudo held his ground, gold eyes fixed on Link's. Kill him. The voice rose in Link's mind, the seductive hiss filling him with emotions once left smoldering. He didn't know who gave the command, and it didn't matter. Epona stepped forward, bringing the two closer together. Eyes still locked on the Gerudo's, Link wrapped his hand around his sword's hilt and his world exploded in pain. He wanted to scream but his throat was locked, body spasming against the magic that roared through him. What once welcomed him as kindred now attacked him as an enemy, washing his vision with alternating reds and grays.

When Link slumped forward, the Master Sword still secure in its sheath, Ganondorf smiled. Pushing his stumbling mount forward, he grabbed hold of the stunned Epona's reins. "It's satisfying to see plans come to fruition," he told the unconscious Hylian. Glancing at the silent Death Riders, he purposefully turned his back on them and led the chestnut mare away, his prize resting on top. He didn't think the Death Riders would chase him. They would bide their time and wait for another opportunity to arise like the last one. And he would make sure that Link couldn't take it.

He felt like his insides had been lit on fire. Every joint and muscle ached, even when he held himself perfectly still. Opening his eyes slowly, Link tried to focus on his surroundings but his vision was blurry, the colors and shapes running together like sugar left out in the rain. He started to sit up and immediately fell back, face contorted from the pain. He tried to breathe but it hurt to much, and he was rapidly falling into a cycle of anguish and fear that would spiral out of control.

A gentle hand touched his brow, cool against his hot skin. He instinctively leaned into the touch, welcoming it. A cup was pressed to his lips and he eagerly drank, hoping it was poison so that death would put an end to his suffering. Soon the world began to fade into the sweet realm of unconsciousness, and he stopped thinking, stopped hurting, and slept.

When he awoke once more, the pain had been somewhat dulled. He could at least move without utter agony, and his vision had cleared. He was stretched out on a hard mattress in a lantern-lit room. The furniture was old and scarred, the window cracked and coated with dust. A small fire crackled in the decaying hearth, and before it sat a female figure. He started to get up, to see if he could slip away, but his muscles had cramped up and he fell to the floor, biting back on a scream of pain.

The woman by the fire was instantly at his side. She eased him back onto the mattress, brushing his hair back as he tried to will the pain away. When he had control of himself and was breathing easier, he opened his eyes. His mouth dropped open, and he said, "Is that really you?"

The lady smiled. "'Course it is. Who else would it be?"

Link tried to sit up, and she pushed him back down. "You need to rest," she said. "I've spent too long getting you this far, I won't have you messing yourself up like you did."

"Anju," Link said. "Is everyone all right? Are you all right?"

She nodded. "Everyone's here. We were picked up by these people while on our way to the Lady you spoke off. They've treated us with kindness, and I don't think Kafei would make the journey, anyway." Her smile slipped as she said this.

The guilt struck him full force, and he fought against. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I know you are," she said.

Surprised, he looked up at her. She smiled a lopsided, tired grin and said, "They told us about you, what happened to you, though I'd bet anything they left some parts out."

He turned his face from her. He tried to think of something to say, to beg for forgiveness, but he wouldn't allow himself. He didn't deserve it. Her hand brushing against his face surprised him into looking back at her. Her face was fierce, and he thought she was angry, ready to strike him for what he did. Instead she kissed his forehead. "I don't blame you for what happened. I blame the cause of all this, the one who created the monster you can become. I know what you're really like, Link, I've grown up around you. Kafei does, too. It's not your fault."

His mouth must have dropped open, for she placed her hand under his chin and lifted it back into place with a smile. "I can tell you weren't expecting that answer."

He shook his head. "I don't deserve it, either. But, I'm really, really grateful for it. Thank you." His words were husky, full of emotion he didn't dare let go. If he lost control of all his pent-up feelings now, he would be an emotional wreck, unable to function.

Turning back to a safer topic, he said, "How'd I get here?"

Anju gave him a knowing smile. Letting the subject change go unchallenged, she said, "One of the Hunters, the people that found us, brought you here. I don't know whether to be afraid for you or not. They're very honorable people, except when it comes to anything about the Cataclysm, or the Death Riders."

Her words brought back the memory of his last confrontation with Ganondorf. "Where is he now?"

"Right here."

Link visibly started. He had not seen the Gerudo at all, and still couldn't. Sitting up, he turned and saw the man behind him, resting on a chair, a smug grin on his face. Ganondorf stood up and walked to where Anju sat by his side. "I didn't think you'd actually fall for it, but you did," he told Link.

"Fall for what?" he ground out, holding back the urge to smack the smile from his face.

"The Sword, brilliant one. You think I gave it to you because of the goodness of my heart? Hardly."

The word suckered popped into Link's mind. "That's what happened," he said. "You could've just clubbed me on the head. It would've felt better."

Ganondorf chuckled, pleased with himself. "I knew that even if you could hold the Sword normally, it would never allow you to touch it while you were back in your true, murderous form. To think you were going to use the Sword to slay an innocent. You're lucky you're alive."

"As are you," Link muttered with a glare.

Anju sighed and sat back. Pointing to Ganondorf, she said, "Unless you have a purpose besides gloating, then please leave. I don't care how you feel about him, he's still my friend and he needs to rest."

"I think I'm done," Ganondorf said with a smirk at Link. "For now anyways." He turned and left, Link wishing he could burn holes in the Gerudo's back with his eyes.

"Damn him to all the hells, the Dinforsaken-"

"Link! He may be a hard person for you to be around, but he and the Hunters are responsible for saving the lives of countless people."

Respect for Anju was all that kept him from letting out a stream of explicitives about Ganondorf. Instead he took a deep breath, letting his resentment go, quickly replaced by the pain he had forgotten in his anger. Letting out a soft grunt, he sank back to the mattress, already tired by all that happened. "You rest," Anju told him. "I'll be watching over you, so no worries."

Link thought he nodded, but he was too tired to care. Closing his eyes, his last thought was of Ganondorf's gloating face and how much he'd like to punch it.

* * *