Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Author's Notes:
Thanks, everyone, for all the great reviews! I've been getting some really good opinions about some of the subjects in this story, and I'm really grateful. This update took a little longer than planned; I don't usually get much done over the weekend.
I'm not going to bore you with long author's notes, so everyone READ, ENJOY, AND PLEASE REVIEW!
The Legend of Zelda: The War of Power
Chapter 23: Halthierien: Elven Haven
Malon smiled, the wind whipping through her hair, as Epona rode south with incredible speed, Alria and Strike alongside her. She knew not why she smiled, though, as she rode into danger, but could only feel an elated sense of adventure. She felt the weight of her bow and quiver upon her back and somehow realized that she would use them in battle once again before her journey was over, yet she did not fear the coming of this time.
"I'm finally doing something," she said aloud to herself, though she gained the attention of Alria.
"What do you mean?" the former Gerudo asked.
"I'm finally helping in some way," Malon explained, "After all the times I've done nothing but hope for the safety of those who fight, I'm actually putting my life on the line. I'm not sure, why, but I feel good, even if we are riding to our deaths."
"You sure it's not something you ate?" Alria asked jokingly.
"Considering we've had nothing but bread since we left the city, no," Malon smiled.
"There's something I was meaning to ask you," Alria said, "Do you have any idea how we're going to evade the Coshraks?"
"Kind of," the farm girl said, "We'll have to go around Castle Town, which has probably been taken by now," she said grimly, "So we have a choice if we want to take the east or west route that bypasses the perimeter. East goes through the mountainous area around Kakariko, and would probably take a lot more time. I figured that we'd go west on the path that travels alongside the Gerudo canyon. It's out in the open, but it will be a lot faster and we don't have time to spare."
"Okay," Alria said, "That should work."
"Then, I think we should cut across Hyrule Field as fast as possible. We can't spend any more time than needed in the open. The next part I've thought about for a long time. We could board a boat that will take us to Calatia through any of the port cities along the coastline, but it would require us to go at least a few days out of our way. And the ships may not even be leaving for days after we arrive, so it could really take a lot of time. I've been looking at a map of Ahras, and I've picked out the fastest and most direct route to Calatia. We'll go that way." Alria mentally studied the geography of the continent from memory and suddenly paled.
"You plan…" she began, "to go through the woods?"
"Yep," Malon said, "It's our quickest path, and we really don't have another choice. If we enter the woods and travel south, we should arrive in Calatia in just a few days' time. We can't pass the mountains that surround Lake Hylia or the Emerald Mountains around Rok, and either way would take quite a bit of time anyway. The ships are out of the question, and you have to admit going through the woods is the best path."
"No, I don't," Alria said, "Haven't you heard the rumors?"
"Of course I have," Malon said, "They say the remains of the Lost Woods have been haunted by the forest spirits since the destruction of the forest five years ago. But it's our only choice."
"I guess," her companion said hesitatingly, "If we must."
"It can't be that bad," the farm girl comforted, "Epona and Strike will get us through there before we have a chance to discover the truth behind the rumors."
"You're trying to take as many risks as possible, aren't you?"
"Whatever works."
***
Link stared in awe as the group entered the hidden city, unable to take his eyes off of the beauty of the scene. From the mountainside that bordered half of the haven, a majestic waterfall cascaded down the rocks and turned into the river that wound its way through the city. The water of the river was perfectly clear, and seemed to shine with a magical light as it flowed past the immense trees that nearly blocked out any sign of the sunlight. The entire city seemed to be illuminated with a white light, though Link could not discover its source. As he looked around, he noticed that while some of the dwellings of the elves were built on the ground or into the mountainside, many were situated high in the canopy of trees overhead. The structures were elaborate and incredibly elegant, most possessing majestic balconies and intricately carved pillars that added to the beauty of the buildings. The city was immense, Link realized, and was a far greater size than Castle Town and far more elves lived in the city than he had originally imagined.
"It's beautiful," Zelda said in awe. The princess, lost in the majesty of the hidden city, failed to notice that the company had stopped until Link put a hand on her shoulder.
"I think this is it," he said, smiling. Zelda turned her gaze away from the treetops and looked upon a magnificent hall decorated with marble pillars covered with delicately carved designs and writing in the ancient tongue of the elves. The hall was not closed in by walls, but rather left open completely, the pillars supporting the ceiling. At the far end of the hall, on a slightly raised platform, sat two elves, and Zelda was astounded when she looked upon them.
The male, who she assumed to be Galdel, looked to be young, barely thirty winters old, but Zelda could sense a wisdom about him that made him seem as if he had lived countless years upon this earth. The Lady Halthierien, who sat on Galdel's right, radiated of elegance and knowledge. She too looked young, her golden hair and pale skin still shining of youth. Her beauty was unlike anything that Zelda had ever seen, and she could find no words to describe the image of the two immortal elves.
"Lady Halthierien, Galdel," Hamadil addressed the two, bowing upon one knee. Dek quickly followed, as did Link and Zelda after briefly noticing that their escort of elves had left them.
"Hamadil," Lady Halthierien said, smiling, "I see you have brought us visitors." She descended from the steps of the throne with such grace that Zelda for a moment could not believe that she was real. She stood before Dek first, eyeing him carefully and smiling before turning to Zelda.
"Ah," she said knowingly, "The Princess of Destiny. It is an honor to finally meet you." The elf bowed gracefully, leaving Zelda stunned and unable to do anything but wonder why this ancient being had humbled herself before the young princess.
"It is a pleasure," Zelda finally said, bowing as well. Lady Halthierien smiled warmly and moved on to Link, bowing in much the same way as before.
"The Hero of Time," she said, "You're even more handsome than the stories tell." Link face quickly turned a dark crimson, though he was not as speechless as Zelda had been.
"Um," he started, "Thanks. It's an honor," he finished, bowing.
"And Dek, the adventurer," Lady Halthierien stood before the elf, "It's good to see you again."
"Likewise," Dek said politely, bowing as well.
"We know why you have come," Galdel spoke for the first time, rising from his seat, "Though this event was not supposed to transpire as of yet. I fear that the hero is not yet mature enough for this task." Link stared in confusion, as did Dek and Zelda, and could not decide whether to be insulted or ignore the elf's comment.
"Please excuse us," Lady Halthierien said, seeing the confusion upon the companion's faces, "We forget that you do not know of this prophecy. Allow us to enlighten you."
"You see," said Galdel, "It is told that a time will come when a great evil comes forth and the world is changed forever, a time when men and elves are enslaved and darkness covers the land of Hyrule. Little is said about this era, but is known among the elder elves that this will come to pass when the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny search out Halthierien." Link and Zelda stood speechless after hearing the revelation, unsure of how to react to such a prophecy.
"Um," Link finally stammered, "We didn't exactly find Halthierien, though; it was more of an accident."
"What matters is that you are here," Galdel said quickly, "And I fear that the time spoken of in the prophecies is at hand."
"Is there some way to prevent this?" asked Zelda.
"The events of the prophecy cannot be altered," Lady Halthierien said sadly, "There is nothing we can do."
"So Hyrule is doomed?" the Princess asked shakily, "It always has been?" The silence that followed answered her question and Zelda bowed her head, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.
"Can you help us?" Link questioned, "We can't let this happen."
"The elves can no longer interfere with the outside world," Galdel quickly answered, "There is nothing we can do."
"What!" Dek exclaimed angrily, "How can we just stay hidden and let the world rot?"
"Stay your tongue!" Hamadil barked.
"I understand your feelings, young Dek," Lady Halthierien said, smiling warmly, "But you must understand that the elves must not reveal themselves to the world. We disobeyed this law before when we allowed you to leave the city, but times have changed. There are those who would seek to harness the power of the elves, and the world would plunge toward darkness with a far greater speed than foretold in the prophecies."
"This city is home to thousands of skilled warriors," argued Dek, "We could be the deciding factor in Hyrule's war. We could help so much…"
"I understand your view, but the decision is not for us to decide. We have no control in this matter, and you must understand this."
"I'm sorry," Dek apologized, bowing his head, "But does this mean…that I must stay in the city as well?"
"If you left, the enemy would use you to seek us out," Hamadil immediately said, "You would endanger our people, and-"
"However," the elven lady interjected, "You will be allowed to leave the city as you desire. You are needed in order to guide the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny. They are, once again, the hope for the future. They must survive."
"Thank you," the young elf bowed.
"You have some time before you must depart," Galdel said to the three, smiling, "I invite you to stay in the city and rest after your long journey. Although we have had none other than the high elven in this place for years, your presence is welcome. Please enjoy yourselves, and report to us before you leave."
"We will," Link said, "Thank you for everything." The three, following Hamadil's lead, bowed simultaneously and walked away from the immense hall.
"I will lead you to your temporary housing," the elven commander said, walking quickly through the city, "As you might expect, we have no inns in Halthierien, but I'm sure that a certain somebody wouldn't mind having you." Hamadil smiled, for the first time since they had met, Link noted, and glanced at Dek, who looked somewhat nervous.
"Where are we going?" Link asked the young elf.
"Nowhere," Dek answered quickly, "I mean…I have no idea."
"Somebody's nervous," the Hylian boy taunted.
"I'm not nervous!"
"You're turning pink."
"No, I'm not!"
"Dek," Zelda asked sweetly, joining in the fray, "Did you leave a certain special somebody behind when you left the city?"
"Of course not," Dek said hastily.
"We're here," Hamadil stood before a large tree, upon which a series of small rooms were situated, the lowest, Link guessed, at least a hundred feet off of the forest floor. The rooms were elaborate, decorated with many elegant pillars and hand carven designs, and made of a type of shining marble that Link had never before seen. The immense branches of the tree supported the weight of the dwelling, and the entire structure was designed so as to blend into the tree itself and create an image of harmony. A staircase wound itself around the trunk of the tree, making the houses easily accessible, and bridges and walkways connected the many rooms.
"This place is nice," Link said, drawing out his last word.
"Aldamiel!" Hamadil suddenly yelled upward, "The guests that we spoke of have arrived!" There was an unintelligible answer heard coming from the upper reaches of the tree and Link could soon see the form of a female elf descending the stairs. Her auburn hair tumbled down her shoulders and she wore what seemed to be the garb of all elven women; a silky, long dress with no sleeves that was tied by a band around the waist. As she neared, Link could tell that she, too, possessed the natural beauty of all the elven women, though walked with much less grace than the Lady Halthierien. Link could easily hear her somewhat clumsy steps as she darted down the stairs with an unmistakable air of eagerness about her.
"Hamadil!" she greeted the elven commander when she reached the forest floor, her face beaming. Link decided that she was one of those people who could make others smile with nothing more than a smile of her own.
"Aldamiel," Hamadil said in return, "Let me introduce you to our visitors. This is Link, the Hero of Time, and Zelda the Princess of Destiny."
"My, this one's handsome," she said to Link, causing the Hylian to once again blush deeply, "A pleasure to meet you, Hero of Time." She turned then to Zelda, "You truly are one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen," she complimented, causing even the princess to blush slightly, "A pleasure, Princess of Destiny."
"And this one," Hamadil began, gesturing to Dek who seemed to be trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, "I'm sure you remember him." Aldamiel studied the young elf for a brief moment before leaping toward him and enveloping him in a tight embrace.
"Dek!" she said enthusiastically, "Dek! You're back! It's been so long, and you've changed so much! I barely recognized you! Lunari will be ecstatic when she sees you!"
"Lunari?" Link said suspiciously, raising an eyebrow.
"I was right," Zelda whispered to the Hylian boy, "I guess that's why he thought up the name 'Lunari' in Aldoren".
"I think that we should meet Lunari right away!" Link said with false enthusiasm, "Dek's told us so much about her, after all."
"What!" Dek yelled loudly, though soon was quieted by Aldamiel as she pronounced her approval of the idea.
"Lunari would be thrilled to meet your friends," she said, "This is great! When Hamadil told me we'd be having visitors, he never mentioned you!"
"Where is Lunari?" Hamadil asked, "I would think that she would be down here by now."
"Oh, she's off somewhere," Aldamiel explained, "I think she may have gone down to the river or something. She'll be back soon, though, so you four are welcome to come in and wait. You'll be staying here for as long as we can make you, and you might as well get used to the place."
"Now this will be interesting," Link said with a smile.
***
"So," Alria said, "That's a long way." She gazed across the vast plains of Hyrule Field, Malon at her side, as the two hid themselves and their horses behind a large boulder at the mouth of the Gerudo Valley.
"It'll take about two hours at full speed," Malon said, "Staying at that fast of a speed for a long time will be hard on Epona and Strike, though, so we'll have to rest at the entrance to the woods."
"You say this as if it's no big deal," Alria pointed out, "There could be hundreds of Coshraks lurking about the field. From here it looks as if they all entered the city, but there could be more further out."
"If we run into any enemies," Malon began, "We don't fight, we run. Our only chance of surviving is to outrun our enemies, so let's hope Epona and Strike are up to it." Epona neighed as if to convey the message that she was ready for anything.
"Well, let's go," said Alria as she nudged Strike toward the field and Malon whispered a word of encouragement to Epona. The two steeds sped off like lightning onto the plains at tremendous speed. Epona seemed to be greatly enjoying herself as she galloped across the grass, and Malon noticed that the horse's competitive nature had risen forth as she made it known to Strike that she could easily outrun him.
"Man, she's fast," Alria said, looking at Epona, "Has she had any training?"
"No," Malon said, "But she's still the fastest in Hyrule. No offense, Strike," she added. The black horse, not wanting to be outdone by the Gerudo mare, increased his pace to match Epona's and neighed triumphantly.
"You're fast, Strike," Alria patted the horse's neck, "You don't have to prove it to us." She laughed along with Malon as the companions flew across the vast plains.
***
"You better not say anything stupid," Dek told Link, glaring at him. The two Hylians, Dek, and Hamadil were seated in a large room, waiting for Lunari to return and for Aldamiel to prepare some food. She had insisted upon feeding her visitors, and had disappeared into the room that served as the kitchen shortly after showing them to the main room of the elven house in which they waited now. Link had been extremely surprised at Hamadil's recent change in behavior upon being around Aldamiel, and decided that he would have to ask Dek about it later.
"Why would I do that?" the Hylian boy asked innocently, leaning back in his large chair, which he found quite comfortable. The elven houses seemed to be adorned with luxurious furniture, the soft chairs made of the leaves of the enormous trees Link's favorite as of yet.
"For all the times you've joked about me and Link," Zelda spoke to Dek, "I would think that he could have a little fun."
"You're just as bad as him!" Dek said in surprise.
"Calm yourself, boy," Hamadil said, "I've never understood why you get so worked up when someone talks about you and Lunari."
"Don't worry, Dek," Link said, smiling, "I won't make you look bad in front of your girl."
"Here's the food!" Aldamiel said loudly upon entering the room, taking away Dek's chance for retaliation. The elf quickly placed two plates of an unknown food onto the marble table in the center of the room. "I hope you two like it," she said, looking toward Link and Zelda, "It's called Abashir, which is basically just a type of bread. I'll be back in a moment with some water. You're probably thirsty after your journey."
Aldamiel exited the room and Link found himself snatching a piece of the bread, which was flat and circular in shape, and quickly taking a bite of it. His eyes lit up upon tasting the elven food and he swiftly devoured the entire piece.
"Man, this stuff's good!" he said enthusiastically, taking another piece.
"Link," Zelda began, "You like everything." She proceeded to take a piece herself and bite into it, "But this is really good."
"It should be good," said Hamadil, "Aldamiel is the best cook in the city."
"I'm the best what?" the elven woman asked as she entered the room and placed a set of drinking glasses and a large pitcher of water beside the trays of bread. She sighed satisfactorily and seated herself beside Hamadil on the sofa, placing her hand upon his. Link suddenly understood the relationship between the two and realized the reason behind the commander's change of attitude.
"I was just explaining the magnificence of your cooking," Hamadil said, smiling.
"Just out of curiosity," Link said suddenly, "I've noticed that this place is rather huge, and I was wondering if just you and Lunari live here."
"No, of course not," Aldamiel said, smiling, "We moved in a long time ago. My friend of many ages, Dauries, and her family lived here before then, and they took us in. It's kind of a long story, actually…" The normally cheerful elf suddenly looked to the ground, a sad expression upon her face.
"I'm sorry," Link said nervously.
"It's okay," Aldamiel looked up and smile again, "Don't mind me." Hamadil opened his mouth to speak but was silenced by a call coming from below. Aldamiel immediately rose from her seat and dashed out of the room, while Dek's head snapped up, coated with nervousness, and Link grinned mischievously.
"I think I know who that is," the Hylian said, smiling.
"Oh, here it comes," said Dek. He looked to the doorway as Aldamiel came into view, a younger elf standing out in front of her, her eyes widening in surprise upon seeing Dek. She had pure blue hair, a color not unusual among elves, that reached just past her shoulders, and she seemed to be the same age as Link or Dek. Link decided that she looked to be about Zelda's height and also realized that she was very beautiful, even among elves. She wore the customary garb of the elves, colored a light blue, which accented her hair and features.
"Dek!" she said gleefully, leaping toward the elf seated nervously upon a chair, "Dek! You're back!" Dek had not the time to rise as she flung herself upon him, embracing him tightly and brimming with joy.
"Hi, Lunari," Dek said quietly, hesitatingly returning the embrace, "It's good to see you."
"That's all you can say?" she asked, removing her arms from the elf but remaining seated sideways upon his lap, "You've been gone for over a year and that's all I get!? At least put some more enthusiasm into it."
"I'm sorry," the elf said apologetically, "I'm not the most excitable person."
"Fine," Lunari said, "But don't I even get a kiss?" she asked sweetly.
"Lunari!" Dek said, blushing tremendously as Link burst out laughing and Zelda smiled at the elf's embarrassment.
"Don't laugh, Link," Zelda scolded, "I think it's cute."
"Of course you do," the Hylian replied, "But I think it's tremendously funny to see Dek in the position he always puts me in."
"Shut up," Dek grumbled.
"Yeah," Lunari chimed in, looking at Link and Zelda, "Don't act like you two haven't done this before." Link immediately shut up at this comment and nearly choked on the elven bread.
"Lunari," Aldamiel began, addressing her daughter, "You should probably introduce yourself before you start making fun of our guests."
"Sorry, mom," the elf said, before rising and walking toward Zelda, "Pleased to meet you. You really are as pretty as everyone says."
"Thank you," Zelda said, smiling, "The same goes for you. I'm Zelda, Princess of Hyrule." Lunari smiled warmly before turning toward Link.
"And you," she said, "You must be the fabled Hero of Time. You're not at all the type I would think to be a hero."
"Lunari!" Aldamiel scolded.
"I'll take that as a compliment," Link said, smiling, "And you're exactly the kind of person I would expect to be Dek's girlfriend."
"Link!" Dek yelled, glaring at his friend.
"I'm Lunari, by the way," the elven girl said, smiling and extending her hand, "And I'm somewhat pleased to meet you."
"Likewise," Link shot back, "I'm Link." He took the elf's hand in order to shake but was confused when Lunari gripped it tightly. Without warning, she flung the hero over her shoulder and catapulted him toward the sofa upon which Zelda was seated across the room. Link hit the back of the couch head first and abruptly slid down, landing on his back upon the sofa with his head in Zelda's lap.
"For the Hero of Time," Lunari began, "I would think you'd be better prepared to defend yourself. Now, be good and sit by your girlfriend. You should be ashamed, leaving her alone over there." Dek immediately began laughing uncontrollably and even Zelda couldn't help herself as Link blushed furiously and seated himself upright beside the princess.
"Why is it that almost every girl I meet can do that to me?" the Hylian grumbled.
"That wasn't necessary, Lunari," Aldamiel scolded.
"Though it was quite funny," Hamadil said quietly, eliciting a glare from the elven woman.
"Relax, mom," Lunari said, seating herself beside Dek on the small chair once more, "So, how long are you staying, Dek?"
"We're not really sure," the elf said cautiously, "…but I don't think it will be very long."
"What!?" Lunari exclaimed, "But you've been gone for so long, why do you have to leave soon?"
"I'm sorry," Dek apologized, "But it's urgent business. I'll explain it all to you later."
"I look forward to it."