Chapter 4
"Hello?"
It was a man's voice. Aged, it sounded. Probably three times as old as she was. Her eyes were still closed, and both of her sides hurt.
"Come on," the voce said. "Wake up. Can you tell me your name?"
"Talim," she said, attempting to open her eyes. She was very tired and week.
"Here," the man said. "Drink this."
What ever 'this' was, it was very good. She drank the entire bottle, and she was suddenly rejuvenated. The pain in her sides were gone. In fact... She felt them- The gashes made by the thief's sword were gone. It was as if they had never been there. Talim sat up in surpass, and got her first look at her new surroundings.
It was a small, one room house, like most in Kakariko Village. She was lying in one of the two large beds that were lines up against the left wall. On the back wall was a stone sink, and a picture of a blonde boy with pointed ears wearing all green and hugging the same old, mustached, black- haired man that now sat a few feet away from her now. On the other wall was a dresser, a stone stove, and what looked like a map of the kingdom that was framed and hanging above the sink.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You are in my house," the man said. "My nephew, Link, brought you home from the forest five days ago. You were hurt pretty badly. We had to call the witch and her assistant, and she had to be a little creative with her potions to heal your injuries. I didn't think you would make it."
"Five days.... Five days?!" How could she have been out that long? Her husband could be dead right now. Five days...
"I have to go," she said, getting out of the bed. "I have to see Princess Zelda."
"Princess Zelda?" the man said. "Not everyday you rescue someone lookin' to see Princess Zelda. My nephew's going down there to see her this afternoon. Why don't you go with him?"
"He knows Princess Zelda?"
"Knows her?" the man laughed. "He's only saved the lives of everyone in Hyrule about six times. You could call him a hero of sorts. He's pretty popular. Don't try and start a conversation with him, though. He's mute or shy or something. I've never been able to get a word out of him."
"...Right..." This man was a talker. She really couldn't afford to wait until after breakfast to see the princess, but, she decided, she left home a week ago. By now, she would be going back to retrieve bodies, not fight armies. "So what's for breakfast?"
There was a loud scream from outside that made Talim jump. The old man didn't though. He saw Talim jump and laughed.
"Sounds like chicken," said the man. "Link's coming."
"Thank you for letting me come see you in such short notice."
Link stood off to the side as Talim addressed Princess Zelda and the King. Link had hurried her and her friends, Sueng Mina and Hong Yunsung, down to the castle right after breakfast. It took a few minutes to get her into the castle because she was an outsider, but Link was determined, and got her inside without incident. Now, Talim had to plea her case before the King, and he silently wished her the best of luck.
"You're welcome," Princess Zelda said. "What news from the Village of the Wind Deity?"
"Five days ago, our village was attacked by an army of about ten thousand men. I left three days beforehand and I have no idea of their condition. What I do know is that our Holy Guard is no chance for ten thousand men. I have no idea how Cervantes is still alive or what his aims may be. The Elders believe he couldn't have done anything like this with out some or all of the recovered Soul Edge."
"Soul Edge?" Zelda said in surprise.
"Zelda?" The King asked. He didn't seem to know anything about it.
"I've heard of that sword from travelers going through Kakariko Village."
"You have?" the King asked. "What do you know?"
"Soul Edge is supposedly a sword that everyone wants. With this sword is great power and strength, making the wielder the most powerful fighter in the world. Now, it's not exactly clear who had the sword first. I think it belonged to someone named Nightmare or something. There were a few different skirmishes over the sword until these three," she pointed at Talim, Mina and Yunsung, "defeated a monster called Inferno and placed the sword in the Ostrheinsburg Chapel."
"There's more," Talim said, and Link, Zelda, and the King looked at her. "I only recovered half of the sword. I never knew what happened to the other half. I have no clue which on Cervantes has."
"We've given Voldo the job of guarding the one at the chapel," Mina said.
"But wasn't Voldo working for Nightmare at one time?" Yunsung asked.
"Before he became the horror that is now Nightmare, yes," Talim said.
"Where's Nightmare?" Zelda asked.
"Alive," Talim said. "As far as I know. He worked for Inferno."
"Do you know what this means?" the King asked.
"Cervantes is going to take over the world?" Yunsung guessed. Everyone except the King looked at him. It had been the first time anyone else had spoken.
"Worse," the King said, staring down at the ground in horror. "If Cervantes has obtained half of the sword... presumably the missing half... and Nightmare went to his buddy Voldo for the other half... Cervantes and Nightmare won't share the apple, right? Do you know where we're heading?"
"The Soul Edge War," Talim whisper. "And my Village is in the middle of it..."
Suddenly, there was a loud caw. Link looked up and saw a huge bird fly through the castle window. Talim smiled. It was the first time he had seen her pretty face smile. Was it the bird?
"Alun!" she shouted.
The bird flew one lap around the room and then landed on her arm. The bird didn't nip her finger or caw a nice little song. It was quite the opposite. The bird's caws were of sorrow and grieving. They were more like moans of sadness. The bird landed on Talim's arm and whispered into her ear. Talim's eyes suddenly went wet. She was taking quick, shocking breaths. She ran from the room, hiding her face from the rest.
It was nighttime, now. After Talim had left, a search party was sent to look for her. She had already been attacked once and Mina didn't want it to happen again. Link found her in the first place he looked. The flute boy was playing late tonight, and Link found Talim hiding behind of one of the trees on the edge of the clearing. She wasn't surprised to see Link. In fact, she seemed to be expecting him.
"Hi," she said, dryly. "Is everyone looking for me?"
Link nodded.
"I guess I kinda worried them, didn't I?"
Link nodded again. I wonder what's wrong? Link thought. He sat down next to Talim. Now that he was close, he could see her tears reflecting from the moonlight. He rested his hand on her shoulder and gave her a worried glance. She looked at him, realized what he was asking, the looked down at the ground.
"He's dead, Link," Talim said. "I married my husband on my birthday seven days ago. Cervantes came into the Village and burned it to the ground. Most of the villagers escaped, but my husband, Tokago was killed in the fight."
This is serious! Link thought. I didn't even know she was married.
"My father sent a message with Alun. He wants me to stay here in Hyrule until this crisis has been resolved. Can I stay with you for awhile longer?"
Link nodded. Uncle shouldn't have a problem with it, and we can afford the money to buy an extra chicken or two from the local farm. Link was still thinking to himself when Talim suddenly embraced him in a long hug. Link hesitated for a second before resting his hands on her back.
"You're a good person to talk to, Link, you know that?"
Link nodded.
"Hello?"
It was a man's voice. Aged, it sounded. Probably three times as old as she was. Her eyes were still closed, and both of her sides hurt.
"Come on," the voce said. "Wake up. Can you tell me your name?"
"Talim," she said, attempting to open her eyes. She was very tired and week.
"Here," the man said. "Drink this."
What ever 'this' was, it was very good. She drank the entire bottle, and she was suddenly rejuvenated. The pain in her sides were gone. In fact... She felt them- The gashes made by the thief's sword were gone. It was as if they had never been there. Talim sat up in surpass, and got her first look at her new surroundings.
It was a small, one room house, like most in Kakariko Village. She was lying in one of the two large beds that were lines up against the left wall. On the back wall was a stone sink, and a picture of a blonde boy with pointed ears wearing all green and hugging the same old, mustached, black- haired man that now sat a few feet away from her now. On the other wall was a dresser, a stone stove, and what looked like a map of the kingdom that was framed and hanging above the sink.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"You are in my house," the man said. "My nephew, Link, brought you home from the forest five days ago. You were hurt pretty badly. We had to call the witch and her assistant, and she had to be a little creative with her potions to heal your injuries. I didn't think you would make it."
"Five days.... Five days?!" How could she have been out that long? Her husband could be dead right now. Five days...
"I have to go," she said, getting out of the bed. "I have to see Princess Zelda."
"Princess Zelda?" the man said. "Not everyday you rescue someone lookin' to see Princess Zelda. My nephew's going down there to see her this afternoon. Why don't you go with him?"
"He knows Princess Zelda?"
"Knows her?" the man laughed. "He's only saved the lives of everyone in Hyrule about six times. You could call him a hero of sorts. He's pretty popular. Don't try and start a conversation with him, though. He's mute or shy or something. I've never been able to get a word out of him."
"...Right..." This man was a talker. She really couldn't afford to wait until after breakfast to see the princess, but, she decided, she left home a week ago. By now, she would be going back to retrieve bodies, not fight armies. "So what's for breakfast?"
There was a loud scream from outside that made Talim jump. The old man didn't though. He saw Talim jump and laughed.
"Sounds like chicken," said the man. "Link's coming."
"Thank you for letting me come see you in such short notice."
Link stood off to the side as Talim addressed Princess Zelda and the King. Link had hurried her and her friends, Sueng Mina and Hong Yunsung, down to the castle right after breakfast. It took a few minutes to get her into the castle because she was an outsider, but Link was determined, and got her inside without incident. Now, Talim had to plea her case before the King, and he silently wished her the best of luck.
"You're welcome," Princess Zelda said. "What news from the Village of the Wind Deity?"
"Five days ago, our village was attacked by an army of about ten thousand men. I left three days beforehand and I have no idea of their condition. What I do know is that our Holy Guard is no chance for ten thousand men. I have no idea how Cervantes is still alive or what his aims may be. The Elders believe he couldn't have done anything like this with out some or all of the recovered Soul Edge."
"Soul Edge?" Zelda said in surprise.
"Zelda?" The King asked. He didn't seem to know anything about it.
"I've heard of that sword from travelers going through Kakariko Village."
"You have?" the King asked. "What do you know?"
"Soul Edge is supposedly a sword that everyone wants. With this sword is great power and strength, making the wielder the most powerful fighter in the world. Now, it's not exactly clear who had the sword first. I think it belonged to someone named Nightmare or something. There were a few different skirmishes over the sword until these three," she pointed at Talim, Mina and Yunsung, "defeated a monster called Inferno and placed the sword in the Ostrheinsburg Chapel."
"There's more," Talim said, and Link, Zelda, and the King looked at her. "I only recovered half of the sword. I never knew what happened to the other half. I have no clue which on Cervantes has."
"We've given Voldo the job of guarding the one at the chapel," Mina said.
"But wasn't Voldo working for Nightmare at one time?" Yunsung asked.
"Before he became the horror that is now Nightmare, yes," Talim said.
"Where's Nightmare?" Zelda asked.
"Alive," Talim said. "As far as I know. He worked for Inferno."
"Do you know what this means?" the King asked.
"Cervantes is going to take over the world?" Yunsung guessed. Everyone except the King looked at him. It had been the first time anyone else had spoken.
"Worse," the King said, staring down at the ground in horror. "If Cervantes has obtained half of the sword... presumably the missing half... and Nightmare went to his buddy Voldo for the other half... Cervantes and Nightmare won't share the apple, right? Do you know where we're heading?"
"The Soul Edge War," Talim whisper. "And my Village is in the middle of it..."
Suddenly, there was a loud caw. Link looked up and saw a huge bird fly through the castle window. Talim smiled. It was the first time he had seen her pretty face smile. Was it the bird?
"Alun!" she shouted.
The bird flew one lap around the room and then landed on her arm. The bird didn't nip her finger or caw a nice little song. It was quite the opposite. The bird's caws were of sorrow and grieving. They were more like moans of sadness. The bird landed on Talim's arm and whispered into her ear. Talim's eyes suddenly went wet. She was taking quick, shocking breaths. She ran from the room, hiding her face from the rest.
It was nighttime, now. After Talim had left, a search party was sent to look for her. She had already been attacked once and Mina didn't want it to happen again. Link found her in the first place he looked. The flute boy was playing late tonight, and Link found Talim hiding behind of one of the trees on the edge of the clearing. She wasn't surprised to see Link. In fact, she seemed to be expecting him.
"Hi," she said, dryly. "Is everyone looking for me?"
Link nodded.
"I guess I kinda worried them, didn't I?"
Link nodded again. I wonder what's wrong? Link thought. He sat down next to Talim. Now that he was close, he could see her tears reflecting from the moonlight. He rested his hand on her shoulder and gave her a worried glance. She looked at him, realized what he was asking, the looked down at the ground.
"He's dead, Link," Talim said. "I married my husband on my birthday seven days ago. Cervantes came into the Village and burned it to the ground. Most of the villagers escaped, but my husband, Tokago was killed in the fight."
This is serious! Link thought. I didn't even know she was married.
"My father sent a message with Alun. He wants me to stay here in Hyrule until this crisis has been resolved. Can I stay with you for awhile longer?"
Link nodded. Uncle shouldn't have a problem with it, and we can afford the money to buy an extra chicken or two from the local farm. Link was still thinking to himself when Talim suddenly embraced him in a long hug. Link hesitated for a second before resting his hands on her back.
"You're a good person to talk to, Link, you know that?"
Link nodded.