Sixteen horses pawed nervously at the walls of the castle. For obvious reasons, many gates were built within the wall, and all were well guarded. But other, less obvious passages were hidden as well. From the outside, the wall looked unbroken, as solid as the rest of the rampart. Yet it was only an illusion created long ago by the Triforce, hiding the doors behind them. And now those doors were swung open, and the exiles were ready to leave as soon as it was clear. It was reported that the enemy lines were thin here, as the majority of the army had been at the front assault or watching the gates. Besides, word of the surrender must have reached the whole army by now, and certainly few among Ganon's army were expecting anything to happen. The creatures here were the wild men of the forests, the moblins. They seemed not to be entirely under Ganon's control, and were among his weakest soldiers. With luck, the escape would be without any mishaps.
The knights were all relatively calm, upset about being forced off the lines, frustrated at the loss, but honored by being chosen to protect the royal family in this hour of defeat. They were good choices, all twelve of them, and Roam had no doubts they would fight with valor. Andruin and Zelda were whispering to each other, the prince undoubtedly giving advice and further explaining the situation to his younger inexperienced sister. And then there was the old Impa, much to Roam's disgust. She had insisted on coming along with Zelda, babbling on about how she had to come with. Her mystic nonsense meant nothing to the knight, but Zelda had also insisted, and there had been no time to argue. Didn't they understand? This was too serious for whatever childish reasons Zelda had for this.
The time had come. Ganon's party had approached the gates of Hyrule, ready to accept the king's surrender. Motioning with his hand, Roam burst through the imaginary wall, the rest of the party close behind. The remaining band of moblins on guard duty had no time to react. The knights had seem to come from nowhere, and the moblins merely scattered rather than fight back. But they were efficiently run down and killed, as Roam could leave no chance that they might report to their master. Sure, their deaths would arouse much suspicion, but vague warnings were certainly better than the detail live witnesses would leave. Off the party sped, into the nearby forest. The pace was fast, as Roam wanted to put as much room between themselves and Ganon's army as possible. Who knew if their escape had been noticed?
Finally deep within the forests of Hyrule, Roam called a halt to rest. They could not hide for very long, certainly no more than a day or two. Ganon would soon learn of the loss of the Triforce and the heirs to the throne. And with the castle secured and Hyrule's army broken, Ganon would have plenty of time and resources to search for them. How could they survive? Laying low, of course, and staying as far away from the castle as possible. The larger the area Ganon would have to search, the more he will be forced to spread out his troops, and the better odds Roam and his little band would have if a confrontation did ensue. But where would they go? Should they try to leave Hyrule, or take refuge in one of the villages? Should they try to mount some sort of offense? There just wasn't enough time to properly plan this mission. There were no contingencies present, no set paths, and simply too many uncertainties. And the risks of failure were simply too much. Everything was weighted against them here, and there seemed to be no way of knowing the correct path.
As the rest of his men sat picking at their rations or standing guard, Roam called Andruin over to discuss their plans. Zelda joined them as well. It annoyed Roam for a moment - what could she possibly contribute? - but he pushed those thoughts away. It was now an all too real possibility that Andruin could be killed, and Zelda would need to grow up quickly in this situation. Participating, or at least listening, to these decisions would be a step in the right direction in the possibility that she would be Queen. Roam outlined his thoughts to the remains of the Royal Family, predicting that Ganon's first priority would be to find them and that the land would soon be crawling with his minions. No matter where they went, it would be unsafe.
"But we cannot stay hidden in these woods for too long," Andruin replied. "Our supplies will certainly not last. And Ganon will soon conquer the rest of the towns in Hyrule. With his soldiers occupying the towns, how would we find supplies? We must make it to one of these towns before Ganon's men do. Once there, we can hide out for as long as necessary."
"I am not sure such a plan will work, my lord. We... we cannot remain for too long in a town. It would be impossible to keep a secret for such a long time, and we would soon be found out. I think the risks are too great." Roam sighed. "Separating ourselves from this army of his must be our goal. We are too defenseless to choose any other option." To say those words were painful. Roam was a soldier, and a good one at that. Admitting defeat and running was not his style.
Andruin, too, looked dejected. "And we cannot stay in the wilderness of Hyrule either. It appears that we must accept exile, and leave Hyrule at once." Roam started to object, but Andruin cut him off. "No, this is the only course of action available to us. We must get the Triforce pieces as far away from this monster as possible, and so must rely on the protection of our neighbors. Perhaps I can convince them of the dangers we all face from Ganon, and convince them to liberate our country. It is our only hope."
After a long silence, Roam nodded his head. "You are correct. There is only one objection however. What if Ganon came to the same conclusion? We must reach the docks before his men do, or else all is lost." That is what I would do in his position, Roam thought grimly. And so we must expect that to be what Ganon is planning as well. And if so, what would become of their only hope? It seemed as if all avenues of escape will be cut off.
It appeared from his face that Andruin had reached the same conclusion that Roam had. The docks that led to escape from Hyrule were their only choice, but it may already be too late. "Nevertheless, we must risk it. Mido is the closest port town. We shall head there tonight."
Roam nodded, but Zelda spoke up for the first time. "We should split up."
"My lady, I do not believe that would be wise." How does one tell the princess that she is out of her element? "Our numbers are too small already, and splitting up will greatly reduce our chances in battle."
But Zelda continued. "Our chances are too slim already. And if we are together, and attacked, then Ganon would have both Triforce pieces... and there would be no heir." After a pause, she regained her composure and continued, "yet our chances double if we split up. And as long as one Triforce piece is out of his grasp, we will still have hope. Someone will still be able to confront him and stop him."
"She's right." Roam looked up in surprise to hear the prince agree to this claim, but Andruin went on. "It is better that one of us make it then both of us dying. We have a better chance of at least a partial success if we split up. One group will head toward Mido, and the other toward Tallon. Head for the kingdom of Sisema, and hopefully we shall meet there." It was decided then.
The meeting did not last much longer. It was decided that Roam and six of the knights would go with Zelda to Tallon, along with the Triforce of Wisdom. They would travel under the cover of night, not stopping until they reached their destination. If they could not find passage to Sisema, they would try to cross the great Goronian Range to the west and escape. Speed was of the essence - surely Ganon's men would be looking for them by now.
Zelda was sitting near the edge of their camp, talking with the Impa. Andruin, from a distance, was watching her, and did not notice the general approaching him. "M'lord, are you all right?"
Andruin sighed. "My father is undoubtedly dead by now. I cannot believe this monster that defeated us would have let him live." Roam did not respond; what could he say? The prince - quite possibly the new king - continued, "And now I fear I will lose Zelda as well. She is still bright, still as optimistic as ever. I am sure she knows the seriousness of our situation, yet she still believes we will be successful... but I cannot feel the same. Roam, what are our chances? We are strong warriors, as are the rest of the knights here, but how can we escape his power? You saw him fight, his army is virtually invincible. We are riding to our doom, and even the merest glimpse of hope is fading."
Roam answered quietly, "we must do our best. I do not believe fate would leave us without any hope." But they were hollow words. How could one believe in hope when so much has been lost? The dark army of Ganon now had complete control over Hyrule; who knew what fate would befall its citizens? What good would saving the Triforce be if the country was lost? It's over. Even if we eventually destroy this Ganon, Hyrule will never be the same. We've lost too much already.
But he did not let those thoughts be known to Andruin. The new king did not need any more worries, and it was not Roam's place to consider the future. He was a soldier and a strategist, and his only concern now was to find a way to get Zelda out of Hyrule. There was a very real chance they would not make it, and he would be dead in a few days. But such thoughts did not concern him. I have led a good life, one that I am proud of. If I fail now, then so be it. We must only do our best.
But he was well aware of the fact that his friend and king could not feel the same way. Andruin felt the responsibilities of the land, the weight of the kingdom. And he felt concern for his sister, the loss of his father, and the sacrifices all are making for him. The grim determinism Roam felt could not be transferred to him, and would not be welcome. Andruin did not have the luxury of the soldier's perspective.
The knights were all relatively calm, upset about being forced off the lines, frustrated at the loss, but honored by being chosen to protect the royal family in this hour of defeat. They were good choices, all twelve of them, and Roam had no doubts they would fight with valor. Andruin and Zelda were whispering to each other, the prince undoubtedly giving advice and further explaining the situation to his younger inexperienced sister. And then there was the old Impa, much to Roam's disgust. She had insisted on coming along with Zelda, babbling on about how she had to come with. Her mystic nonsense meant nothing to the knight, but Zelda had also insisted, and there had been no time to argue. Didn't they understand? This was too serious for whatever childish reasons Zelda had for this.
The time had come. Ganon's party had approached the gates of Hyrule, ready to accept the king's surrender. Motioning with his hand, Roam burst through the imaginary wall, the rest of the party close behind. The remaining band of moblins on guard duty had no time to react. The knights had seem to come from nowhere, and the moblins merely scattered rather than fight back. But they were efficiently run down and killed, as Roam could leave no chance that they might report to their master. Sure, their deaths would arouse much suspicion, but vague warnings were certainly better than the detail live witnesses would leave. Off the party sped, into the nearby forest. The pace was fast, as Roam wanted to put as much room between themselves and Ganon's army as possible. Who knew if their escape had been noticed?
Finally deep within the forests of Hyrule, Roam called a halt to rest. They could not hide for very long, certainly no more than a day or two. Ganon would soon learn of the loss of the Triforce and the heirs to the throne. And with the castle secured and Hyrule's army broken, Ganon would have plenty of time and resources to search for them. How could they survive? Laying low, of course, and staying as far away from the castle as possible. The larger the area Ganon would have to search, the more he will be forced to spread out his troops, and the better odds Roam and his little band would have if a confrontation did ensue. But where would they go? Should they try to leave Hyrule, or take refuge in one of the villages? Should they try to mount some sort of offense? There just wasn't enough time to properly plan this mission. There were no contingencies present, no set paths, and simply too many uncertainties. And the risks of failure were simply too much. Everything was weighted against them here, and there seemed to be no way of knowing the correct path.
As the rest of his men sat picking at their rations or standing guard, Roam called Andruin over to discuss their plans. Zelda joined them as well. It annoyed Roam for a moment - what could she possibly contribute? - but he pushed those thoughts away. It was now an all too real possibility that Andruin could be killed, and Zelda would need to grow up quickly in this situation. Participating, or at least listening, to these decisions would be a step in the right direction in the possibility that she would be Queen. Roam outlined his thoughts to the remains of the Royal Family, predicting that Ganon's first priority would be to find them and that the land would soon be crawling with his minions. No matter where they went, it would be unsafe.
"But we cannot stay hidden in these woods for too long," Andruin replied. "Our supplies will certainly not last. And Ganon will soon conquer the rest of the towns in Hyrule. With his soldiers occupying the towns, how would we find supplies? We must make it to one of these towns before Ganon's men do. Once there, we can hide out for as long as necessary."
"I am not sure such a plan will work, my lord. We... we cannot remain for too long in a town. It would be impossible to keep a secret for such a long time, and we would soon be found out. I think the risks are too great." Roam sighed. "Separating ourselves from this army of his must be our goal. We are too defenseless to choose any other option." To say those words were painful. Roam was a soldier, and a good one at that. Admitting defeat and running was not his style.
Andruin, too, looked dejected. "And we cannot stay in the wilderness of Hyrule either. It appears that we must accept exile, and leave Hyrule at once." Roam started to object, but Andruin cut him off. "No, this is the only course of action available to us. We must get the Triforce pieces as far away from this monster as possible, and so must rely on the protection of our neighbors. Perhaps I can convince them of the dangers we all face from Ganon, and convince them to liberate our country. It is our only hope."
After a long silence, Roam nodded his head. "You are correct. There is only one objection however. What if Ganon came to the same conclusion? We must reach the docks before his men do, or else all is lost." That is what I would do in his position, Roam thought grimly. And so we must expect that to be what Ganon is planning as well. And if so, what would become of their only hope? It seemed as if all avenues of escape will be cut off.
It appeared from his face that Andruin had reached the same conclusion that Roam had. The docks that led to escape from Hyrule were their only choice, but it may already be too late. "Nevertheless, we must risk it. Mido is the closest port town. We shall head there tonight."
Roam nodded, but Zelda spoke up for the first time. "We should split up."
"My lady, I do not believe that would be wise." How does one tell the princess that she is out of her element? "Our numbers are too small already, and splitting up will greatly reduce our chances in battle."
But Zelda continued. "Our chances are too slim already. And if we are together, and attacked, then Ganon would have both Triforce pieces... and there would be no heir." After a pause, she regained her composure and continued, "yet our chances double if we split up. And as long as one Triforce piece is out of his grasp, we will still have hope. Someone will still be able to confront him and stop him."
"She's right." Roam looked up in surprise to hear the prince agree to this claim, but Andruin went on. "It is better that one of us make it then both of us dying. We have a better chance of at least a partial success if we split up. One group will head toward Mido, and the other toward Tallon. Head for the kingdom of Sisema, and hopefully we shall meet there." It was decided then.
The meeting did not last much longer. It was decided that Roam and six of the knights would go with Zelda to Tallon, along with the Triforce of Wisdom. They would travel under the cover of night, not stopping until they reached their destination. If they could not find passage to Sisema, they would try to cross the great Goronian Range to the west and escape. Speed was of the essence - surely Ganon's men would be looking for them by now.
Zelda was sitting near the edge of their camp, talking with the Impa. Andruin, from a distance, was watching her, and did not notice the general approaching him. "M'lord, are you all right?"
Andruin sighed. "My father is undoubtedly dead by now. I cannot believe this monster that defeated us would have let him live." Roam did not respond; what could he say? The prince - quite possibly the new king - continued, "And now I fear I will lose Zelda as well. She is still bright, still as optimistic as ever. I am sure she knows the seriousness of our situation, yet she still believes we will be successful... but I cannot feel the same. Roam, what are our chances? We are strong warriors, as are the rest of the knights here, but how can we escape his power? You saw him fight, his army is virtually invincible. We are riding to our doom, and even the merest glimpse of hope is fading."
Roam answered quietly, "we must do our best. I do not believe fate would leave us without any hope." But they were hollow words. How could one believe in hope when so much has been lost? The dark army of Ganon now had complete control over Hyrule; who knew what fate would befall its citizens? What good would saving the Triforce be if the country was lost? It's over. Even if we eventually destroy this Ganon, Hyrule will never be the same. We've lost too much already.
But he did not let those thoughts be known to Andruin. The new king did not need any more worries, and it was not Roam's place to consider the future. He was a soldier and a strategist, and his only concern now was to find a way to get Zelda out of Hyrule. There was a very real chance they would not make it, and he would be dead in a few days. But such thoughts did not concern him. I have led a good life, one that I am proud of. If I fail now, then so be it. We must only do our best.
But he was well aware of the fact that his friend and king could not feel the same way. Andruin felt the responsibilities of the land, the weight of the kingdom. And he felt concern for his sister, the loss of his father, and the sacrifices all are making for him. The grim determinism Roam felt could not be transferred to him, and would not be welcome. Andruin did not have the luxury of the soldier's perspective.