Chapter Four

The Duke looked over at Link, who was standing between he and the Duchess, and approved his manner. The boy was still dazed from the revelation that day, from the way he looked, but he stood straight and did not react to the murmurs that washed over the Court after the Duke's announcement. When the Princess sent for Link, the duchess escorted him there herself. Returning to her husband, she told him the story of Link's first day in Court, and they both smothered laughter. They looked over at him standing by the Princess's chair, and at that moment something she said made him laugh. Then they both sobered, and the conversation became earnest.

"So that young man is a Lawrence. I might have known."

The Duke turned to see a elderly lady at his elbow. "How do you do, Lady Spoilt?"

"Well enough for my age. If he's your nephew, you owe me a fan."

"A fan. Just how do you know my nephew, my lady?" Lady Spoilt taught manners for the noble children taking training at the Castle, and had for over thirty years. She had taught both the duke and his brother, and the King.

"I gave him a lesson one day when Sir Wills was ill. He broke my fan."

"How did the fan break, my lady? On his head?" The Duchess had been talking to an acquaintance but came over. She was not the only one listening.

The old lady snorted. "His head's hard enough, but no. I crack knuckles, not heads. I tried to crack his, and he took it from me and broke it in three places. I told him that boys needed pain to learn, and he was impertinent enough to tell me that if that were so, he should be a scholar by now. "

"I see." It was all he could do not to laugh out loud. "If I can find a fan that my nephew can't break, my lady, I'll present you with it. Until then." He walked away, his Duchess falling by his side. Behind him he heard someone say that he believed now that the boy was the Hero of Time, because no one else would have been brave enough to say that to the old battleaxe's face. "I need to speak to the King, my dear, and then we can leave. Do you want to get our nephew, before the young ladies get to him?" She laughed. Approaching the king, he heard a burst of laughter from the other chair and looked over, but Link had seen his aunt. He took his departure correctly from the Princess, and went to the Duchess, who led him away. "I begin to see what you meant yesterday, about Link and about the two of them," he said to his old friend, then joined his wife and nephew, who saw him take his leave and waited for him.

"How come you can stand up to Lady Spoilt and not to Audrey?" she asked. Audrey was the healer.

"I didn't break the fan on purpose," he protested. "It was reflex. "I saw it move toward me, and I grabbed it."

"Did you really tell her that if it took pain to learn, you should be a scholar?" He winced, which was answer enough, and the duke and the duchess both laughed.

"Oh," the duchess said, wiping at her eyes and eyeing her squirming nephew, "I should be all righteous and tell you, you should never have done that but just imagining the look on her face... Who is your manners instructor?"

"Sir Wills." said the duke. "Who, in fact, had already told me the story, and also told me that Link gives him no trouble at all." Link stopped squirming. "She had her nerve asking me for a replacement."

"She asked the Princess too," Link told him.

"What did Her Highness say?"

"She said anyone stupid enough to try to hit the Hero of Time deserved to lose her fan." The duchess put her hand over her mouth to try to stifle her laughter.

Link speaks

They had already moved all my stuff from the old room to the one I had now. I discovered that the household had a routine, and that the healer and the nursemaid agreed with the Captain about growing boys and food. I went back to the regular lessons with Sir Wills the next day. He limited my weapons work for the stitches for a week or so. My uncle came by and watched me practice. He took me on in a practice bout with heavy wooden swords, and we came out even. He was stronger, and I was faster. I got a bruise on my unstitched leg, and I scored three times, but I don't think I bruised him. He was pleased. He said my style was right for my size. He went with me to my lessons with Sir Wills, and Sir Wills set me to my writing practice so he could talk to him back in the little room he called an office. I had finished and was looking up the Lawrence family information when they came out. Sir Wills picked up the parchment to look it over, as usual, and my uncle looked at it as well. He frowned as he read, but he didn't say anything, so I went back to reading the family history. After a time, he put the parchment down and left. I asked if it looked that bad. Sir Wills hesitated, then said," No, you did well, no blots this time. What are you looking at?" I showed him, and he approved. We went on to set up a genealogy chart for me. After lessons, I went back to find my aunt looking over my clothes and frowning. She thought I didn't have enough and the ones I had didn't fit me very well, and talked about going to a tailor. I asked what a tailor was, and she gave me the strangest look before explaining that they made clothes for people. She asked where I had gotten the clothes I had, and she did not like the answer until I told her about the Kokeri outfit. She wanted to see it. I took it out to show her. "It's getting too small," I said, looking at its familiar green and leather cloth and the hat, "since I can't seem to stop eating."

"Thank the Goddess," she said. I looked at her, puzzled, and she added hastily, "You're thin for your age. It's too soon to tell if you're going to be your uncle's size or take after your mother's family." I asked if she knew my mother, and she said she didn't, but that she had met my grandfather and my Aunt Elaine before and they were not as large as my uncle but larger than me. "I remember that your grandfather was a kind man, but not much more," she added. "He died not long after that. Your Aunt Elaine is sweet but she's a little, ah, talkative."

"She's a ninny," my uncle said, looking in the door. I heard Anna giggle behind him. "We're only going to be here a few more weeks, Matilda, those will do him for now. The girls bother him enough as it is." That made Anna giggle more.

"You need to see to that land dispute for me," my aunt reminded him. "And isn't there the other family visit?" She walked out as he scowled. I remembered telling the Princess about trying to explain Triforce and the adventures to him, and that I didn't think he could understand, and about the restrictions. She told me to get used to it. It went with having a family. She told me I had been following a family tradition, as both sides of the family were descended from Hylian knights. The thought made me smile.

"Link?" I looked over at my uncle. "You seemed far away."

"Something Sir Wills and I did today. A family chart. The Princess told me that both my parents were from the old Hylian knights, and I wanted to look it up." They were both quiet for a moment, smiling at me. "When am I supposed to go see the other ones?"

"Link!" my aunt cried out. "The 'other ones' indeed!" She was trying not to laugh. My uncle did laugh. "Next week. Your uncle has to see to some business for me, and Woldshold is on the way back, so you can go with him."

"Can you ride?" my uncle asked.

Anna, who had been listening from the other room, called out, "Link has a horse named Epona."

If the Dinofoe had been chasing Anna right then, I would have considered letting it catch her. My uncle jerked his head for me to follow him out of the room, as Anna told everyone about my horse that only Malon and I could handle, and the ranch with the cuccos and the cows and the special kind of milk, and the man who was always asleep. When she was finished, my uncle asked, very casually, "And how old is Malon?"

"She's married with a child Ian's age," I told him. I had been teased before about meeting a girl on my days out, and didn't want more ribbing. "I keep Epona at the ranch unless I need her. It's where I go on my days out."

"Hmm. Then you could bring her on this trip." It wasn't a question. "In that case you can go and get her before we leave next week." I nodded. A day off! "In the afternoon. " Well, it was better than nothing. I could manage quite a bit of moving with Epona in an afternoon. I did, too. I got to Lon Lon Ranch and told Malon what had happened, and she squealed, "Your uncle is a duke?" and went on and on. I had to interrupt her to make sure she understood I would have Epona for a time. Then I went off to Saria. She told me to visit the Great Fairy near the Castle and she gave me the new tunic and hat. I rushed to the Great Fairy.

She came flying out of the water at the fairy fountain, with her piercing laughter that always freezes my very bones

There is no time here, Link, Hero of Time. Do not worry.

There is a darkness stirring. We cannot yet see through the darkness. You are going to the place where the darkness is thick. There is a center of greed and madness there. It reaches for you. Be alert. Be aware that if the Dark Lord has the holder of the Triforce of Courage, he need look no further.

I offer you healing. Please take it!

I offer you magic. Please take it!

You know the spells. Use them well.

Farewell, Hero. Come back when you are weary.

The Duke found Link was dressed, with hair still slightly damp, when he came by the suite to fetch him. The arrangements for the trip were all made, and he had gone by the stables to see Link's horse. He was amazed that Link could get near her. The stable lads assured him that Link had no trouble with her at all. They walked together to the meeting. Link was silent and looked preoccupied. The Duke asked him why, and he said he was a little jumpy about meeting his grandmother, and wanted assurance that the Duke would be there for the visit. The agreement was reached that the Princess's wardship would end when the Link family visit was over and if there was no claim from that family. If there was, the matter would come before the King formally. At that point the conversation between the two men veered to the land dispute, and Link went to the Princess on her wave. The two men watched the children talking. "How's he coming along?" the King asked.

"So far, so good. We're getting information in bits and pieces. Sir Wills has him writing about the first adventures. I read his account of one of the battles. It was-disturbing. He tried to explain why he has to go on his tasks, and I found it strange." The account was a matter of fact telling of fighting an illusion of himself. "It seems that Link has been telling Anna stories, and Anna is more than happy to share them. For one thing, we found out where he's going on his outings. He keeps a horse at a place called Lon Lon ranch."

"Good horses from there. Good milk," the King said.

"The horse is in the stables, and she's as wild as he is. I wondered for a while if he had a girl there, but he said she was married, and I confirmed it. And he's going to the Lost Woods. "

"Ah. Understandable, I suppose. "

"Well, he didn't have time today. If I get him away from the Fairy Children, he might settle down more quickly. He's not so much wild, as that he is not sure what to do or how to act, or so Matilda and the healer think. "

On the other side of the room, Link told the Princess what had happened with the Great Fairy. "Are you nervous?" she asked.

"About meeting the other family, yes. I don't want to be pulled on like a child's tightrope. About the other-I'm not nervous, I'm scared. I always am, before. Idiots who aren't scared die young."

"You're still young," she said, and he smiled at her, lighting up his face. "You look like your mother when you smile."

The Duke was coming up to get his nephew. "Yes, you do," he agreed. "Come now, Link, Beatrice can't be worse than Lady Spoilt."

"That old dragon?" the King asked. The Duke repeated the story and the King roared with laughter. "You've got to be the only student who stood up to the old lady in years, Link! I'm still wary around that fan!"

Link speaks

The first part of the journey was fine. The weather was pretty, and the matter under dispute was tiresome to deal with but there was a kind of way-my uncle called it a protocol- for dealing with it. I found it interesting, and he was pleased that I listened and would ask questions afterward. He spoke of me as Link, his brother's son and his ward. He told me to refer questions about me to him, and he told his men to be discreet. Around my uncle, the talk was all about the land dispute and the evidence for each party. However, there were times when he wanted to spend time with some of the older folk and gentry. I walked the town and listened. There was some quiet, worried talk about a dark power growing in the hills. There had been some disturbing signs. Strange creatures had been seen in the woods and around caves. I asked what kind of creatures. A farmer told me it was an ugly thing that had tentacles for arms and skin as tough as bark. There were more Wolfos. There were also rumors of burning skulls and plants that attacked. I did not like the sound of those at all. Bubbles and Deku Scrubs were signs of dark magic. I asked if they knew where it seemed to be centered, but they didn't know, only that it was getting worse. I returned to our lodging, a house that belonged to my aunt. The couple that tended the house gave me a note from my uncle saying that we needed to attend a dinner with a relative of my aunts, and told me what to wear. When I was ready, one of the men, Michael, walked me over. The host and guests were mostly older folk, friends of my aunt and uncle, who inquired on my day in the town and then turned back to their discussions. I heard music and went to see who was playing.

It was an older man, older than my uncle, who was playing a harp. I listened, wondering if I could repeat the tune on my ocarina, when he stopped and said,"Who's there?" I stepped out of the doorway I was standing in. "Hello, young man, and who might you be?" I told my name. "Ah. You're Duke Stefan's nephew, then. "I agreed. "I am called Wren. Do you play?" I told him I had played the harp but I preferred the ocarina. "Sit with me then. This is the Song of Earth. Have you heard it before- no? Play with me then." I took my ocarina out of my pouch and played with him. It was a short, sweet song. I was close enough now to see his hair was peppered with white and dark, and that his eyes were deep brown in a face that had seen a some sun, but not the desert scorching sun of the Garudos.

He said, "It's told if you have magic, and you play the Song of Earth, you will find one of the deep places in her. Priest's tales. You rarely find the Earth Priests now. The Earth Goddess was the first, but she gave much of her power to her daughters when the intelligent races came, and they created Hyrule. " He laughed. "I spent most of my time in the forest and on the road, Link lad, and I tire of talk sometimes. Not used to it. Same for you, I'll wager. We'd best head for the others now, I want my dinner and I think you will too, a young man like you." He got up slowly, and I realized he was older than I thought. "I've got the joint ache now, can't go about the way I used to. " I put up my ocarina, and he leaned on my shoulder. We got back to the solar just as dinner was announced. I discovered that Wren was sitting next to me. After a time the lady on my other side turned and asked me who my parents were and where I was from. I told her who my parents were and that I was originally from the area around the Lost Woods, but I lived in the town by the Castle now.

"The Lost Woods? Are those the ones that they say that if you go in, you don't come out alive?"

"'You lose your memory, your sanity, or your life,'" I quoted, and she shivered. "So the story goes. Do you have anything like that here?" I learned early that if you don't want to talk, ask the askers a question and they'll talk instead.

"Yes, they say there's a great cavern deep in the woods to the south, in the hills, that no one can get out of alive." She went on to list people who had been lost there. Someone else said that no, that person was found in the woods, and eventually most of the family was discussing and arguing over the matter. I turned to see Wren laughing silently beside me. I smiled and reached for my cider. His eyes followed my hand, and he stopped laughing and became intent. I glanced at my hand. He was seeing the Triforce mark. Someone brought up that the Hero of Time went into the Lost Woods.

"Heroes are different, though, aren't they," he drawled, loud enough to be overheard. Silence fell suddenly as everyone looked at him. "What do you think, young Link?"

I looked over at my uncle, not sure what to do. "Those are stories," he scoffed. "Tales to tell children and to while away a few hours on a cold night." He sipped his wine.

"Is that what you think, young man?" Wren watched me. My uncle was frowning, but said nothing as the silence grew.

"I think the stories have been changed so much the Hero of Time wouldn't know himself," I said. There was a murmur of laughing protest, and my uncle's frown relaxed into an amused expression. Talk turned to other matters as the diners got up and moved into another room. My uncle caught my eye and motioned for me to join him. A servant was helping Wren up.

As I drew close, our host, Sir Grumbley, turned and said, "A wise answer, Link! Most boys your age have ideas of romantic adventure. You have a good head on your shoulders." He was a stout, good-natured man. He turned to my uncle. "Old Wren there, he gives the young ones a hard time sometimes. Doesn't like romantic notions, oh no! Says they kill young men before they have time to grow some sense."My uncle said something polite and kept me near him. There was lute music and singing. Sir Grumbley called on one of the guests to sing a new song, one they hadn't heard before, and that man sang a few I had heard around the Castle, mostly love ballads. One had some music similar to the Song of Healing. He had a good voice. I was drifting, remembering how I had used the Song of Healing in Termina, when he finished and I heard my name. I brought my attention back to the company. "Thinking of a particular girl?" Sir Grumbley asked, and everyone laughed. "Know you any new songs, lad? Or do you play?"

"I could sing but few would enjoy it," I said, and everyone laughed.

"Do you play?" They all waited expectantly.

"Link plays the ocarina," my uncle said for me.

Wren said, "Get your little flute out, Link, and play with me." A servant went for the harp, and space was made around the old man. He beckoned me over. A murmur of pleased anticipation ran through the room. He positioned the harp and checked its tune. "Play this for me, lad." He played, and I repeated the song. "Keep playing that for me," he said. I played, and he played around the simple melody, weaving notes around mine. I forgot that the company was there, and played, listening to his kind of magic. "Two more, lad," he said softly, and he ended on the first while I played alone the second and last repeat. A sigh ran through the audience. "Thank you, lad. Well done. " It signaled the end of the evening. Back at the house, my uncle told me I had done well, but wanted to know what the old man and I had spoken of. Nothing more than music, I told him. "Wren is a bard, one of the last," he explained. "He seldom plays for a company anymore, because of his joint ache. For him to play with you is a high compliment." I nodded. "We should have this matter settled tomorrow," he added.

He did, but there were arrangements to make and while they were being made, Wren came by the house. I was getting Epona ready when the housekeeper came to tell me I had a visitor. He didn't waste any time coming to the point. "I know who you are, lad, or better, what." I waited, saying nothing. He smiled, grimly. "Does the Duke of Lawrence know his long-lost nephew is the Hero of Time? " I stayed silent. "And he doesn't like it, does he? Wants his back-up heir to himself. Listen, and listen well. I know you've been warned about the darkness, and given help. I hope it's enough, because the darkness that's gathering is centered in Woldshold, and I'm told that's where you're going. I strengthened you yesterday. Use the song to find the cavern that holds the dark. There's a witch there, but no one knows who it is. Tell your good woman there to fetch my man." I went to the kitchen and told her the Bard was ready to go. He got up stiffly. I went back to Epona, thinking. After I finished with her, I looked over all my gear and weapons. I was doing that when my uncle sent for me.

"What did the Bard want?" the Duke asked. He made no attempt to hide his irritation from his nephew. It was not Link's fault the old man came by, but the duke did not like his authority ignored. "He wanted to warn us that something was wrong in the hills. More creatures, more attacks, and there's the rumor of a witch acting out in the area. He said we needed to be careful."

"Nothing more?" Link hesitated. "Spit it out, boy. He was hinting at you yesterday, wasn't he? He guessed." He strode over to Link and gripped his shoulders. "IF there's trouble, you tell me. Don't go off on your own. Don't fight unless you have to. Let my men deal with the fighting first. They've been fighting longer than you have, and they're stronger. You might jump in before you think and get in their way. Better to stay out, all right? "Link nodded, but looked hurt. "At the same time, there are always bands of outlaws around. Keep your weapons close to hand. Wasn't there an attack when you and the Princess were coming back to Hyrule?" Link nodded. Dinner was announced then, and the Duke watched as Link concentrated on eating. Leave him alone, he thought furiously. Give the boy a chance to learn about being a normal Hylian. Give him a chance to get some meat on his bones and grow. If the goddesses call you, nephew, I can't stop them, but by the goddesses, until they do, I'm going to see to it that you get a chance to live. I owe Eric and Bethany that much. And I need you. Children's lives are always at risk. Matilda tried so hard, but it was a miracle Ian was born, and there will be no more.

The trip to Woldshold was easy the first days. The roads were well traveled, and they stopped at inns for the night. They had just cleared a difficult patch of narrow trail, ending in a clearing, when the armed men hit. There were thirty of them, coming from every direction except the edge of the trail. Link was behind the Duke, and the first act of the attackers was to separate them and get them off the horses. Epona reared, striking out with front hooves, and Link was off, avoiding a strike from behind. She bolted into the woods, causing more confusion. Link, who always rode with his sword and shield on his back, had time to get them off and raised before he was surrounded. The Duke, a better rider, managed to stay on for longer but not much longer, as he was pulled down. His men were fighting fiercely, trying to get to him, but they were being overwhelmed. He heard Link shouting as he fought, forcing back the attackers as he whirled in slashing attacks, moving so fast that he managed to break out of the circle. They had him backed to the cliff and stopped. The Duke was being held to the ground by four men. There was shouting. They had expected only one noble, not two, and they did not know which one they needed. No one dared to get near Link; his path to the cliff was marked by attackers lying still, two only a few feet from him. Then the earth rumbled. It was a small tremor, but the edge of the cliff near where Link was standing crumbled, and he was gone. One moment he was there, the next he was not. The attackers turned to and subdued the rest of the men when he was gone. They left their own dead behind. In the attacking party, more than half were dead or wounded. They bound the Duke to his horse and left, growling to each other about not being told that a demon-child was with the group. The Duke's men were left behind. Not one was unwounded.

They went on and on. They were not using a well-traveled route. They finally got to a cave and forced him off of his horse, dragging him past several creatures that looked like the ones who attacked his children, and glowing skulls the height of his waist. The attackers did not like the creatures, and were quiet except for curses. They came to a huge open room with a cage in one corner, and a workplace of some kind. His mouth went dry as he saw the tables with bottles and jars, and some kind of long, coffin sized trough. There was someone working over the trough, who stood and looked over at them. She pointed to the cage, and they hustled him over to it. She turned to the leader. "This is not the one," she growled. "I gave you specific details. Where is the noble I sent you for?"

"Toby bought it the first hit," the leader growled. "There were two of them. One fell over the edge into the canyon. He's sure to be..."

"Find him. Get him here alive."

"Milady, the other one wasn't a boy like you said, he had to be a demon, he--"
"I do not want to hear your excuses," she told them, and her voice filled the cavern, a deep growl instead of a older lady's whine. "Find him. And hope he is alive, or you will find out how to die like the one who tried to rob me here. Do you remember?" They all muttered in fear. "You have half your pay. You get the rest when you bring me the noble. Do you understand?" They understood. "Get out before I release my pets." They scrambled out. She stalked over to the table and then back, and threw some kind of dust at the Duke. He went limp, totally unable to move. She opened the cage, cut off his bonds, and fetched food and water, which she placed in a corner. Relocking the cage, she went back to her work. After some endless time, she left. The Duke dragged himself up and got to the meal. He was barely able to move. Then he put his head back against the bars, trying to stay upright. He had not been able to speak when she laid the spell on him, but he knew her. She had aged, but her face still held traces of her old beauty. Why was Lady Beatrice Link sending armed men after her grandchild when he coming to see her? And why, if she was sending them, was she ordering them to bring him to her alive?