They arrived at the gate of Hyrule Castle an hour later. Link took a moment
to adore the splendor of the outer wall's design. Micah gasped in awe.
From within, they heard a parade of hooves rapidly pounding the cobblestone walk. Suddenly, a group of twenty soldiers on horseback burst through the open gate, and rode across the plain field. Then there was silence once more.
"What were those guys?" Micah said.
"Hylian soldiers," Link replied. "But I don't know what they were up to." He spurred Epona, and she trod through the gate and into the town.
Castle Town Market was as busy as Link ever remembered it. There were half a dozen merchants lined up along the street, and hundreds of people went about their business, creating a monotonous roar that filled the town.
Link dismounted Epona and tied her to a post. He helped Micah down, and said, "Stay here, and don't get in trouble!" Micah nodded, and Link walked off. Micah leaned against the post. Belle fluttered out of his pocket, and flew about his head.
"Hey, kid!" came a voice. A Hylian boy approached him. "Nice fairy! You're a forest kid, huh?"
"Yep," Micah said, beaming.
"I'll bet you're a real good tree climber, then," the boy said.
"I sure am."
The boy pointed across the square. "Twenty rupees say you can't climb that tree."
Micah observed the small tree. Piece of cake. "You're on!" Micah cried.
Link threw open the door to the Bazaar, and stepped up to the counter. The shopkeeper, a burly, bearded man, came out of the back room.
"Hello, young sir," the shopkeeper said. "What kin I do ya for?"
"I need a Hylian shield," Link said.
"All right." The shopkeeper ducked under the counter, brought up a shiny, decorative shield, and placed it on the counter. "That'll be seventy rupees."
Link handed over his rupees and took the shield. He noticed it had a new design, and was slightly bigger. He slung it over the shoulder and headed for the door. Suddenly, a thought came to him.
"Say," Link said to the shopkeeper. "Do you know about all those soldiers running out of here? They looked like they were going to a fire."
The shopkeeper thought for a moment. "Not much," he said, "But I reckon there was some kinda battle that happened down at Parapa."
Link frowned. "Parapa?"
"Yeah. It's a little town 'bout twenty miles due south."
Link nodded. "Ok, thanks," he said, and was out the door.
Outside, he heard Micah's cry, and immediately knew that the boy had gotten into trouble. Micah was hurriedly climbing down a tree across the square. Link looked to Epona, and saw a boy climbing onto the saddle! Quickly, Link drew out his ocarina and played the tune again. When the boy spurred her on, she didn't respond, but instead trod closer to Link. Terrified, the boy leapt off her back and dashed away.
"Sorry about that," Micah said after he ran across the square. "What's that song you keep playing?"
"Epona's Song," Link replied, climbing onto Epona's back. "The song soothes Epona's spirit and makes her come back to her master. Now, get on." He hoisted Micah up onto the saddle, and Epona trotted away.
They rode on for twenty minutes. Micah looked around, and suddenly he cried, "Hey! This isn't the way back to the forest!"
"I know," said Link. "We're gonna make a little stop first. You wouldn't like this adventure to end so soon, would you?"
Micah shrugged. "I guess not, but I seem to be able to do nothing but get into trouble. With your horse!"
"Ah, don't worry about Epona. She's been in worse hands than that little Hylian brat." Micah laughed.
Link spotted a pillar of smoke in the distance. He brought Epona to a stop, and leapt off her back. "You stay here, Micah," he said, "And don't put yourself in any situation that you won't be able to get out of!"
That was warning enough for Micah. He avoided the spurs and reins as he sat.
Link walked closer to the rubble. Is this it? He said to himself. Is this Parapa? The rubble was big enough to be a town, and the only people he saw were Hylian soldiers, so Link's worst fear was quickly realized. There had been no survivors.
"Hey! You!" one of the soldiers shouted. He blocked Link's path with his spear. "This is a quarantined area. No admittance allowed!"
"Relax," Link said. "I just want to know what happened here."
"How much do you know?"
"Nothing."
"Then you know as much as we do. Now, get back!" The soldier poked Link roughly with his spear. Link stepped backwards, puzzled.
He was just about to leave when he heard a dull roar coming from the horizon. Link squinted against the sun. He could barely make out a line of soldiers covering the expanse of the horizon. It was coming closer, and as it did, more soldiers appeared behind it.
"That's a lot of soldiers for the king to send to investigate, isn't it?" Link called.
The Hylian soldier froze in fear, and the blood drained from his face. "Those aren't ours," he muttered.
The army was close now. The first line of soldiers drew their swords, and held them up, prepared to strike. The Hylian soldier shouted to his companions, "Prepare for battle!"
He turned to Link and said, "Get out of here if you love your life!" There were no more than fifty Hylian soldiers, and there were at least ten thousand in the attacking army.
"No," said Link. "I can't let you good men die alone."
The soldier shook his head and ran off, drawing his sword and joining his companions in a single line adjacent to the advancing army.
Link drew his own sword, and stood next to the others. The army was made up of burly soldiers, all taller than the Hylians. He held out his shield and sword, and at this moment he realized that they were all going to die, but it was too late to change his mind. The armies collided.
From within, they heard a parade of hooves rapidly pounding the cobblestone walk. Suddenly, a group of twenty soldiers on horseback burst through the open gate, and rode across the plain field. Then there was silence once more.
"What were those guys?" Micah said.
"Hylian soldiers," Link replied. "But I don't know what they were up to." He spurred Epona, and she trod through the gate and into the town.
Castle Town Market was as busy as Link ever remembered it. There were half a dozen merchants lined up along the street, and hundreds of people went about their business, creating a monotonous roar that filled the town.
Link dismounted Epona and tied her to a post. He helped Micah down, and said, "Stay here, and don't get in trouble!" Micah nodded, and Link walked off. Micah leaned against the post. Belle fluttered out of his pocket, and flew about his head.
"Hey, kid!" came a voice. A Hylian boy approached him. "Nice fairy! You're a forest kid, huh?"
"Yep," Micah said, beaming.
"I'll bet you're a real good tree climber, then," the boy said.
"I sure am."
The boy pointed across the square. "Twenty rupees say you can't climb that tree."
Micah observed the small tree. Piece of cake. "You're on!" Micah cried.
Link threw open the door to the Bazaar, and stepped up to the counter. The shopkeeper, a burly, bearded man, came out of the back room.
"Hello, young sir," the shopkeeper said. "What kin I do ya for?"
"I need a Hylian shield," Link said.
"All right." The shopkeeper ducked under the counter, brought up a shiny, decorative shield, and placed it on the counter. "That'll be seventy rupees."
Link handed over his rupees and took the shield. He noticed it had a new design, and was slightly bigger. He slung it over the shoulder and headed for the door. Suddenly, a thought came to him.
"Say," Link said to the shopkeeper. "Do you know about all those soldiers running out of here? They looked like they were going to a fire."
The shopkeeper thought for a moment. "Not much," he said, "But I reckon there was some kinda battle that happened down at Parapa."
Link frowned. "Parapa?"
"Yeah. It's a little town 'bout twenty miles due south."
Link nodded. "Ok, thanks," he said, and was out the door.
Outside, he heard Micah's cry, and immediately knew that the boy had gotten into trouble. Micah was hurriedly climbing down a tree across the square. Link looked to Epona, and saw a boy climbing onto the saddle! Quickly, Link drew out his ocarina and played the tune again. When the boy spurred her on, she didn't respond, but instead trod closer to Link. Terrified, the boy leapt off her back and dashed away.
"Sorry about that," Micah said after he ran across the square. "What's that song you keep playing?"
"Epona's Song," Link replied, climbing onto Epona's back. "The song soothes Epona's spirit and makes her come back to her master. Now, get on." He hoisted Micah up onto the saddle, and Epona trotted away.
They rode on for twenty minutes. Micah looked around, and suddenly he cried, "Hey! This isn't the way back to the forest!"
"I know," said Link. "We're gonna make a little stop first. You wouldn't like this adventure to end so soon, would you?"
Micah shrugged. "I guess not, but I seem to be able to do nothing but get into trouble. With your horse!"
"Ah, don't worry about Epona. She's been in worse hands than that little Hylian brat." Micah laughed.
Link spotted a pillar of smoke in the distance. He brought Epona to a stop, and leapt off her back. "You stay here, Micah," he said, "And don't put yourself in any situation that you won't be able to get out of!"
That was warning enough for Micah. He avoided the spurs and reins as he sat.
Link walked closer to the rubble. Is this it? He said to himself. Is this Parapa? The rubble was big enough to be a town, and the only people he saw were Hylian soldiers, so Link's worst fear was quickly realized. There had been no survivors.
"Hey! You!" one of the soldiers shouted. He blocked Link's path with his spear. "This is a quarantined area. No admittance allowed!"
"Relax," Link said. "I just want to know what happened here."
"How much do you know?"
"Nothing."
"Then you know as much as we do. Now, get back!" The soldier poked Link roughly with his spear. Link stepped backwards, puzzled.
He was just about to leave when he heard a dull roar coming from the horizon. Link squinted against the sun. He could barely make out a line of soldiers covering the expanse of the horizon. It was coming closer, and as it did, more soldiers appeared behind it.
"That's a lot of soldiers for the king to send to investigate, isn't it?" Link called.
The Hylian soldier froze in fear, and the blood drained from his face. "Those aren't ours," he muttered.
The army was close now. The first line of soldiers drew their swords, and held them up, prepared to strike. The Hylian soldier shouted to his companions, "Prepare for battle!"
He turned to Link and said, "Get out of here if you love your life!" There were no more than fifty Hylian soldiers, and there were at least ten thousand in the attacking army.
"No," said Link. "I can't let you good men die alone."
The soldier shook his head and ran off, drawing his sword and joining his companions in a single line adjacent to the advancing army.
Link drew his own sword, and stood next to the others. The army was made up of burly soldiers, all taller than the Hylians. He held out his shield and sword, and at this moment he realized that they were all going to die, but it was too late to change his mind. The armies collided.
