Disclaimer: Do I even need to write this? Just in case I do, I don't own LoZ.

Note: I am going to kill off some characters eventually. Probably nobody important, but there are going to be some deaths. And no, Cardoss is not a self- insertion. I just felt the need for a character that was a little more flawed, and he was it.

Farore's Light

Link was close now. The object- whatever it was- was almost within his grasp. It's brilliant aura nearly blinded him, but he didn't mind. He could almost touch it, but every time he grasped at it it managed to evade his clutching fingers. The thing behind him, though, wasn't going to have so much trouble getting him once it caught up. He had outrun it for the moment, but it would be right behind him again soon. Link tried again to grasp the beautiful thing, but it managed to give him the slip again. He was becoming annoyed, but tried to keep calm. Just as he was about to try again, the thing spoke in a female voice that he recognized, yet didn't. The concept was so strange, he decided to ignore the voice and concentrate on the words.

"Link... you said you wouldn't forget... you promised..."

"Forget what? What have I forgotten?"

"You forgot me... you promised..." Damn, that voice was familiar.

"Who are you? Do I know you?"

"Don't worry... I forgive you... come here..." Link tried to grasp the orb of light, but it danced around his hand once again.

"Not yet... later... after they flee... find me..." Link gave up trying to ask the voice any questions. He decided to wait until it had finished speaking.

"Find me... angels... later... flee... promise..." The voice was beginning to fade.

"I promise I'll look for you."

"Good... go... they need..."

Link awoke to the smell of a fire. He dressed himself, then trudged outside to where a number of soldiers were turning a pig upon a spit over an open flame. They greeted him warmly. He sat down next to Cardoss, who looked as tired as Link felt. He raised his mug and nodded at Link when he saw him.

"Ugh... you look awful." Cardoss was clearly not a morning person, and his voice was hoarse. "I hope you slept better than I did. Nightmares, you know. Get a lot of those in my line of work. I was dreaming that I was home, and everything was okay for a while, but then somebody with an axe beheaded all of Uma's horses. I tried to- oh, never mind. You probably don't care. Hell, I don't either." Link actually was interested, but he didn't say anything.

They sat there for close to an hour, eventually daring to try the bacon, which was awful. After a time, Sheik emerged from her tent, wearing all of her weapons and looking as if she expected a group of monsters was waiting for her. Some of the knights looked a little afraid, but most didn't notice at all. One or two pointed and laughed. Though it was hard to see her eyes, it was pretty clear that they were not shooting kind glances at the men who were rolling on the dirt laughing. Sheik sighed and paced around for a bit, then left for her post.

T

Zelda hadn't really thought about how boring this job would be. She had known that there was going to be a lot of waiting, but she hadn't really thought about it. Now she sat watching a featureless landscape for any sort of moving figure. It seemed pointless to her, but Cardoss had asked her to patrol, and if he felt that he needed extra eyes...

Her mind began to drift, as it so often did. Link... when could she tell him? Certainly not while she maintained this persona out in the desert, but when they returned to the castle, maybe. Hopefully before Impa brought in another awful suitor, but if she had to reject another poor knight before she could profess her love she supposed it wouldn't be so bad. Zelda and Link of Hyrule... the Princess liked the sound of it, but she couldn't really use it yet.

"Sheik! Hey, Sheik! What are you, deaf? We've spotted something coming up the hill. Looks to be a pretty big force, and we can't even see the whole thing yet. Can you see the same?" It was one of Cardoss' men. Sheik decided to ignore the insult and take a look. What she saw both scared and excited her.

An army.

Not just any army, either. A force of magnificent proportions, one that could certainly destroy the whole blockade without losing a quarter of it's numbers. Why, though? Why would the monsters rally such an army, and why would they do it here? It wasn't logical at all. The Gerudo couldn't be paying them to fight because they didn't have enough money to feed themselves. Besides, they hated monsters. Now wasn't the time to contemplate such things, though. Sheik shouted:

"Yes, I see it! Go back to camp and tell everyone to prepare for battle, and ask Link to meet me here!"

"Yes, sir!" The knight mounted his horse and galloped into the distance.

T

"Wow. There really are a lot of them. Do you have any ideas as to what we should do?" Link's voice took Sheik by surprise. She had once again let her mind wander.

"I have an idea, but it'll take some work."

"Well...?"

"These beasts are powerful, but they lack the one thing that keeps any from failing in battle. They do not see Farore's light." Sheik was taking this almost directly from Impa's mouth, but Link didn't seem to notice.

"So they're cowards. I don't think that we're going to be able to just scare them away."

"Maybe... but maybe not." Sheik was becoming quite enthusiastic now. "The monsters depend on good leadership. If enough of their leaders were killed, they might break ranks." Link nodded in agreement, then said:

"It's sound, but it won't work unless we have the full cooperation of the troops. There won't be much time until the monsters get here." Link whistled for a steed, then mounted when it arrived. Sheik got on behind him, and they sped off in the direction of the camp.

T

"Bwee! Ain't nobody here!"

"Esk nol festreck for dola..." A Stalfos argued.

"Me don't give none! No 'umies to kill, then me leavin'. Hate much trudgin'."

"Ain't nobody leavin'! Da Queen tolds us what's to be done, so we's gonna do its! Bwee!"

"Mes crasaal for temal drak lessap-" Said another Stalfos. "Nol... casser them an dretag tamosser!" These were the Stalfos' last words, as an arrow peirced his helm and destroyed his skull. His comrades all drew their swords, and just in time. Hundreds of knights on horseback began to pour over the ridge a few meters ahead. In seconds they had broken through the front lines and were hacking their way through the unprepared monsters in the center.

"Draw, fools! Dere be war makin' today!"

This was not going well. It wasn't easy to make out the leaders in the middle of a commotion, what with all of the brutes trying to kill you. Sheik slashed at a Moblin, only managing to take off it's arm. It picked up it's weapon from the dead fingers of it's severed arm and charged her again. This time it was too enraged to try to dodge Sheik's attack and it's head was smitten off. She was doing well, but that didn't help the situation at all. She would need to find one of the Captains, or-

A huge beast pushed it's way through the battle, crushing many of it's underlings but not caring. It was an ancient one, a creature that had lived for thousands of years preparing for this moment. It recognized Sheik as a bitter enemy (it had lived that long) and charged her. It's rusty, ancient blade was drawn forth from it's rotting leather scabbard and was brandished high. The monsters around it cheered joyfully. Sheik smiled grimly.