Chapter 4: Standing On Our Doorstep

Zelda was fiddling with some things she had brought with her from that castle that were on the back of the horse's saddle, unaware of the approaching danger. It was a fine day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, and of course, on of the largest wars of all time was about to begin. However, she was smiling, and humming to herself as she thought of how her and Link would spend the day away from her castle duties.

As she was rummaging through her trinkets, a sound of horse hooves soon came into earshot. She stood up straight ready to greet one of her dearest friends, she was actually really excited.

"Link!" She exclaimed as she turned about, her face filled with glee. But as quickly as the feeling came, it vanished. "Y-You're not Link!" Zelda stammered as a Gerudo on a black horse, obviously of high ranking from her clothing and her possession of a fine steed, came riding up to the startled princess.

"Silence girl," The Gerudo commanded in a harsh tone, one that no one would dare reply to. Fortunately, before Zelda left the castle, she changed out of the usual princess attire, and changed into something more casual so she'd blend in easier. Her clothes were of the leather sort, buttoned on the front with small brass knobs and hooks. Loose cotton pants, along with a good pair of leather boots completed her outfit. By now the Gerudo had dismounted her horse, and was now beside Zelda with a knife in hand. "Don't move, or I'll kill you hear and now." The Gerudo threatened as Zelda flinched when the knife had been brought up and pointed at her throat. "Who are you, and what business do you have out here?" The Gerudo officer questioned.

"Uh…um…my name…my name is Kolia," Zelda lied, remembering a name she had heard in the market as she passed through it earlier that day. "I'm just out for a ride, on my horse."

"Your horse. Huh?" The Gerudo said walking over to the creature scoping over its tack. "Are you rich, these are nice things, very nice things?" The Gerudo asked suspiciously. "Not only that but they are marked with the emblem of the Hyrulian Royal Family." The officer finished.

"My father, he's a soldier at the castle, this is his horse. He lets me ride it sometimes." Zelda lied again.

"Hmm, is that so, well lets make sure your father won't be able to ride it again." The Gerudo said. She pulled a whip from the back of her belt, and cracked it right on the horse's behind, sending it off in a mad dash up and over the hill to who knows where.

As of then, there were now about ten or so Gerudo soldiers, all on foot, ready to imprison 'Kolia'. One of them pulled a rope from their rope and tied her hands behind her back, and knotted it good and tight.

Before Zelda knew it, her hands were pound, there was the butt end of a spear in her back, and she was being escorted by eleven Gerudos back to their camp. As they made there was for about fifteen minutes across Hyrule Field, Zelda finally saw smoke rising from beyond the hill they were about to climb. As they reached the summit, the Gerudo camp came into full view. There were thousands of them, running errands, practicing, training, cooking, pitching tents, fighting, eating, sleeping, packing, unpacking, it was a site to see, it had to cover hundreds of acres of land.

"What's going on?" Zelda asked herself.

Around this time, the core of the Gerudo army was nearly at the bridge to the Town Market. A few riders rode ahead to deal with the gate keepers who were on duty. The quickly galloped in, and killed the guards, giving easy access to their fellow comrades, who began their march to war across the strong wood and metal drawbridge.

There were shrieks of terror when the citizens of Hyrule saw the approaching army flooding their streets. Families ran inside their houses, clerks closed their shop doors and windows, while others fled to the back streets in hope to get away from the vast numbers of the Gerudo Tribe.

While most of the army marched on towards the castle, a few branches broke of from the main group and began to light torches. Soon, half the town was in flames. Although, the Gerudos knew better than to destroy a kingdom that they would soon rule, and made sure it was controlled flames. It was only to get their point across, and to have a little fun.

A few soldiers that were on watch from the towers of Hyrule Castle were playing cards near the window. Of course, they should be on non-stop watch, but you can imagine how boring that would get. They were only half-drunk fortunately, for it was getting to be nearly 11:00 at night. They laughed and cheered, as one guy lost everything, and another won it all.

The guy closest to the window, laughing with all the others, turned to pick up his glass, when he noticed something moving down on the ground, in front of the castle.

"H-Hey, what's tat, down ther?" the soldier asked himself as well as anyone who was willing to listen. The Gerudos were forming their ranks on the plain before the castle's moat. There was an enormous amount of them, archers, spearmen, sabers, and of course, those carrying the gold and silver battering ram.

The soldiers had gathered at the window now, and as soon as it registered what was down there at the foot of their hold, they ran, tripping and stumbling in every direction towards their posts in an attempt to alert the rest of the castle, and its defenses.

"RIIINNNNGGGG," the warning bell rung in every hall, nook, and cranny throughout the entire castle. . Everyone dropped what they were doing and ran to their posts. Hyrulian soldiers ran to the outer wall, and lined up whipping out their bows and arrows, drawn and ready to shoot on the command. The defense forces consisted of hundreds of men, all trained and ready for battle, and they were defiantly a force to be reckoned with. Windows along the outer wall where filled with archers, ready to let their arrows fly at the enemy no more than twenty yards away. Swords were drawn behind the closed gate and drawbridge, ready for close-ranged combat. More ranks formed behind the men that were previously assembled. There were ten ranks on the upper outer wall, and five on the lower inner wall. The rain of arrows that were about to fall on the Gerudo's heads would be great.

"Hold steady, men!" The General called out. "This is your night, the night you claim honor, and glory for yourselves, for the King, and for Hyrule!"

Captains, readied to relay commands from commanding officers, quieted and tried their best to get their regiments ready for war. Messengers were running between the ranks giving out dispatches. This was going to be a night to remember.

Zelda had been taken prisoner, Link had seen this. After he and Epona made their mad dash towards Zelda from the peak of Hyrule field, Link came up to yet another hill, and jumped down from Epona's back, and approached the summit, with reigns in hand. As her approached he caught glance of the Gerudo on the horse, and Zelda. From there he laid on his stomach, so not to be noticed, and watched as Zelda was bound, and brought back towards the Gerudo camp.

"Great, I can never make it to her before she gets caught can I? I'm always a few seconds too late," Link sighed. "Well, Zelda is probably going to be fine for the time being, but what about the castle?" Link was worried, not his usual, 'there's gonna be things trying to kill me' worry, but the kind of 'Hyrule is going to be destroyed, etc' worried. "Hyrule Castle has defenses, and Zelda doesn't, but Zelda can fend for herself, and Hyrule has about ten thousand trained Gerudos standing on its doorstep this very instant." Link debated with himself, what was he going to do?

Author's Note: Hey, thanks to everyone who's reading this, it's great to know when people read ones work. This had some developement on Zelda's end of our story, Link didn't play much of a part in it, I know. But we'll see how our friends will deal with this predicament next chapter, please review! Thanks!