Chapter 3: The Princess

"Stop, thief!"

Link turned around to see a man barrelling down the road, kicking up a trail of dust behind him he was running so fast. He gasped, the man was coming right for him. He jumped to the side, grunting as he rolled on the ground. He looked up to see the thief heading to the castle with a bag in his hand. He reached down to his belt to find his rupee bag gone and he gave a hateful stare down the road.

He started in a run of his own, moving after the thief as he tore right past the guards into the castle yard. Link moved past the dazed guards, watching the other man trace a path right into the castle. The guards quickly started their patrols again, making sure no one planned to get into the castle. Link, on the other hand, had different plans.

He started to weave, going behind trees and hedges as he went towards the large metal gate that blocked off the entrance to the castle. Once he had snuck past, he found a strange part of the wall with the bricks jutting out. He climbed them like a ladder, toppling over the wall into a patch of fresh green grass. He grunted as he contacted the ground again, slowly rising to his feet. The thief was standing on the other end of the field, smirking at him and laughing. With another taunt he sprinted off under an arch and Link quickly followed again. Again he had stopped, laughing like a jolly clown as he dropped the rupee bag on the ground and disappeared.

"What the hell was with that guy?"

There was a soft gasp, Link looked up to the sound to see a beautiful young girl turn around. She was wearing a pink dress which dragged along the group and had a strange symbol on it like three triangles connected at their corners.

"You… how did you get past the guards?"

"I walked.." He retorted in a sarcastic accent

She flushed a little, her pale complexion becoming a pastel shade of pink. She eyed the shield and a strange look immediately flashed by her eye.

"S-so, you really did wake up… I guess I best fulfill the duty set to me."

She turned away with a stern, serious look on her face. She only returned a few minutes later bearing leather shoes and a strange green outfit.

"Here, these are yours."

He reached out and accepted the clothing, eyeing it as if he had just received something after losing it many years ago.

"This all looks so familiar…" His voice carried a hollow sounding tone, as if he was far in the distance. "Princess, if you would be so kind." He made a hand gesture and she responded, turning around from sight. Link stripped the tattered brown robe and pulled on the green attire. "This is much more like it." He nodded, staring at his reflection in a pool if water.

He suddenly stood up, ram rod straight, heading for her and coming rather close with a menacing expression.

"How did you know this stuff belonged to me? How did you know I was waking up from… whatever the hell that was!"

Her eyes took on a defensive glare, staring straight back into his. "Because, you foolish boy, I was the one who woke you up."