Chapter 2

Bleeding

"Link!" a woman shouted from above, calling him to her, "Link! Come up here!"

The handsome blue-eyed blonde man looked up at the tall, voluptuous woman on the wall. Silently, he scaled the wall without effort, coming to a stop next to her on the top. He sat down, and she followed suit.

"They really should tighten security around here." The woman, Nabouru, observed, looking around at the castle's guards. They were all either kicking a ball around, or snoozing. Link merely nodded, since that was all he could do to show he agreed with her. They sat there for several minutes, in complete silence.

"Don't worry, Link," Nabouru said all of a sudden, looking him in the eyes, "We'll get your voice back. We Gerudo look after one another. No, Link," She laughed softly, seeing the look of horror on his face, "You are not a Gerudo. At least, not really. We consider you like a brother, like you considered Saria your sister."

Link nodded in understanding, and sighed. Oh, how he wished he had his voice! It had been stolen from him by an evil Prince a few moons ago. He planned, however, to get it back very soon.

Link squinted, and pointed out towards the horizon. Nabouru watched where he was pointing, and saw the men riding towards the castle on horseback.

"Right." Nabouru stood, "I'll get the army, and you just stay out of sight, OK?" He looked at her with his eyebrows raised, as if he wanted something from her.

"Yes, Link," Nabouru laughed, "You can have Starger."

Link smirked as if he were satisfied, and waved her on her way.

MEANWHILE

"I can't believe this!" Zelda screeched, "If Link hurts Starger, I'll... But, Link's supposed to be dead! How can this be?" She demanded of Rauru, the Sage of Light, and Royal Tutor. He was also the town wise man.

"Think, Princess, think!" Rauru scolded her, "We only assumed that Link was dead. He could have been alive for the whole time, and he was! This is cause for celebration!" He consulted the parchment again, "I just don't think it sounds like Link to kill, though. Something has happened to him. Of that I am certain."

"I am leading a small scouting force to Misina," Zelda decided, "I'm going to get to the bottom of this, once and for all!"

A FEW DAYS LATER

Link and Starger were panting heavilly. Link was beyond exhausted, but he refused to give up. He would fight to the death. Starger, however, was either not overly-fatigued, or was a very good actor. Link watched Starger with a warrior's eye, and predicted his every move. Almost.

Starger made to make a clean sweep, and Link jumped into the air. Starger, however, changed directions with his sword, and aimed higher, clipping Link's neck. Blood began to trickle down the side of Link's dirtied tunic, but he took no notice. Instead, he felt the demon of unconsciousness claw at his mind, as he lost more and more blood. Eventually, he collapsed, but not before hearing an angels voice shout;

"Stop it! What are you doing! He's dying!"

OUTSIDE THE PALACE GATES

Zelda had made her way through the dead bodies of the fallen Misinan soldiers. She could hear the sounds of a ferocious battle ahead, and ploughed her way to it.

"Interesting..." Impa said, from somewhere behind her, "The arrows here are of Gerudo craftsmanship. Did the Gerudos do this?"

Zelda and Impa neared the gates, and Impa used her shadow-magic to open them. What Zelda saw inside nearly made her heart stop.

"Stop it! What are you doing! He's dying!" Zelda cried, startling Starger, just as he was about to deliver a fatal blow.

"That's kind of the point." Stager spat at her, upsetting her.

Zelda hurried to the fallen man's side, and kneeled down next to him. She had to know. Was it him?

She picked up his head, and looked at his smudged and dirty face. It was.

"Link..." She gasped in disbelief. She came to her senses as she felt the warm trickle of his blood on her hands. Tearing off the hem of her skirt, she tried to put as much pressure as she could on the wound. Press too lightly, and he would die from loss of blood. Press too heavily, and he would not be able to breathe.

"Why do you soil yourself with the blood and grime of this beast?" Stager looked down his nose at her. Zelda looked up at the man she loved. For the first time, she saw him for what he really was. A murderer. A cold-blooded killer. All of that was erased from her mind in a matter of seconds. She began to make excuses for him on the spot.

"This man," Zelda said, calmly as you please, "is my greatest friend. He has saved me many times, and is reguarded a Hero in Hyrule." She cocked her head, and scowled at Starger, "Tell me, did you know that when you captured him?"

"Obviously, no." Starger said, his voice as sincere as can be, "Otherwise I would award him the greatest of respect. All I know is he came to my castle a few moons ago, shortly before we met, and slaughtered my guards. He was declared armed and dangerous. You do know that there is a boutny on his head?"

"Well, there is no need for that." Impa stepped forward, and took the dying man away from Zelda, who seemingly forgot that he was bleeding to death in her arms, "We shall take him off your hands, and interrogate him in Hyrule Castle," She took a look at his wound, "He should survive this wound. If we act quickly."

"That's pointless." Starger said sarcastically, "Especially since he can't speak."

"Why not?" Zelda stood up, and began to follow Impa out.

"He just hasn't spoken." Starger shrugged, "We've tried every method possible. He just refuses to give any sound from his mouth."

Impa was sure that he knew more than he was letting on. Her first priority, though, was to help Link.

Hey, people! How'd you like this one?

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