Author's Preface:
Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This chapter and most following chapters are from Link's perspective. Without further ado, welcome to Vinwaka.
Recommended Background Music: Escort the Horse Cart - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Music Extended
Link took in the dusty houses as he entered into the protected village of Vinwaka. South of Kakariko Village, Vinwaka was out of the dusty, canyon like terrain that was so prominent in Kakariko. Instead, it laid fairly deep into the oak forests that covered Southeast Hyrule. That said, the area inside the village was well worn from cartwheels and walking feet. This combination resulted in a dusty road and pathways between the various houses.
The small party of himself, Captain Garsus, and the Sergeant Letz were stopped almost immediately by two men who had apparently operated the palisade gate. Link immediately noted that neither were hylian and did not wear army uniforms. He had expected more Hyrulean soldiers to be manning the defenses, but none were present, just these two humans.
"Captain Garsus, you live," the first said emotionlessly. He offered no salute or greeting, but merely stared at the three of them. The second one was actually glaring at the small party entering the town. He moved to close the gate after Epona came through the opening behind them.
"No thanks to you. Now do you want to explain to me why you didn't open that gate when you were ordered to?! I have half a mind to slay you where you stand." Garsus started to draw his sword with his uninjured left arm to reemphasize his threat, but the man in front of them was already waving him down in a disarming manner.
"I's was just followin' orders from the mayor. He said if there was even a chance of monsters gettin' in here, to lock the doors tight and not let any living soul in. Even if there was people screaming at the top of their lungs." The man displayed no emotion at revealing this fact, and he didn't seem bothered by the fact he had nearly caused several soldiers to die. Garsus, still with his helmet off, wore a face of rage. He took a deep breath, apparently to calm himself, before responding to the villager in front of him.
"And the mayor didn't feel inclined to share that he had given that order? If you're lying to me I'll have you hung up. But luckily for you, I'm tired, hurt, and have a guest to deal with." Garsus gave the sentry one more glare before turning towards the interior. Sergeant Letz, still with his helmet on, didn't show any emotion through the closed helm, but his posture seemed to be uncertain. He followed his officer as he walked away from the gatemen.
Link watched the entire exchange with interest. The interaction displayed a hostility he had not expected in a small village in the middle of the forest. He grabbed Epona's reins and whispered, "Come on, girl," before following the two men. Captain Garsus began talking as they moved deeper into the village.
"Best come with me to the guardhouse before you go anywhere," he said to Link. "If you haven't noticed there's some tension in the air here. You'll probably have to stay in the tavern for the night, but your horse can stay at the guard stable. We don't have enough horses to fill it anyways." He scowled at that, as though the lack of horses were a bitter thought. Link contemplated the captain's words silently before responding.
"Alright, but I need some answers as to what's going on around here. I have some business to take care of in this area, and I'd rather get some information on the situation here in town than blunder into something accidentally." Link's face betrayed little emotion as Garsus seemed to digest that information. Surprisingly, Link saw the captain's face pale before responding.
"You with the army?" Garsus asked. Link shook his head no, and Garsus seemed to take the answer in stride. "Well, you sure fight like you could be. Might even be overqualified for a job." He let out a short laugh. "But I don't blame you for not wanting to join up." His face became thoughtful as they continued moving into the village.
Link was surprised at the lack of beauty in the village. Out in the wilderness, surrounded by woodlands, he had expected a pretty little haven not so different from Ordon Village. However, it was obvious the villagers had cleared out the forest to make the village, resulting in a baren, flat appearance to the area. The few people who meandered about seemed just as rough, avoiding the small party or glaring at them. Vinwaka was considerably larger than Ordon, and he guessed the population to be somewhere from fifty to one hundred.
On their route they passed the townhall and tavern, basically across from each other. The town hall was a plain square building once again made of oak wood. The tavern was slightly more artistic with a triangular thatched roof, but the base was rectangular and made of oak wood as well. Several villagers sat in chairs out front, whispering to themselves and staring at the passing party. It put Link a little on edge to see all the antagonism.
The scents of the place were also unpleasant. Link had long since realized that the sharp wolf senses he had gained in the twilight still affected his normal self as well. Though not nearly as strong as when in the form of a wolf, it still offered some insight, perception, and reaction speed.
Here he cringed as he smelled the contained scent of fifty or more people living in the same general area without leaving the safety of the palisade often. That conclusion also worried him. Once again, he reflected back on the time of twilight invasion, so recent and yet so distant. He quickly became lost in his own thoughts.
It was only a minute or two more of walking before the group arrived at the guardhouse. Here, Link finally saw some more armored figures. Two men stood guard outside the door, although they didn't wear helmets and their equipment looked unmaintained. They also slouched somewhat, as though to make themselves more comfortable while trying to stand guard. Link frowned at the appearance it gave but remained silent.
Garsus ordered one of his men to take Epona, and Link let her go. He then followed the other two men into the guardhouse. "Guardhouse" seemed a little too general to Link, as it apparently housed the soldiers' barracks, armory, and stable. Several men lounged around in uniforms but looked up with interest at the new arrivals. Garsus waved him into a small room with a table and map in it, before signaling to one of his men in the room to join them.
"Lieutenant Fassil, this here is Link. He just arrived to Vinwaka and has no idea what's going on. But before I go into detail, let me give today's events." Lieutenant Fassil was apparently Garsus's right hand man in Vinwaka. Fassil himself had dark hair and dark brown eyes. His face was freshly shaven, and he appeared to be younger than Garsus. He offered his hand to Link, which Link returned.
"Greetings. I handle much of the paperwork and small stuff around here. It's not the most exciting post, but we get by." He gave Link a smile. Garsus interrupted him then, recounting the events of their rescue to the Lieutenant. The captain spent several minutes explaining Link's part in the attack at the gate.
"But sir, what about the mission? Did you succeed in what you set out to do?" Lieutenant Fassil asked after Garsus retold the story of running from the Lizalfos. Garsus looked at Link before responding.
"You wouldn't know, Link, but today we intended to find the encampment of Lizalfos that we know is nearby. Instead of finding them, that filthy hunting party ambushed us and ran us out of the woods." He shook his head sadly. "The only reason we even made it to the palisade was one of my men sacrificed himself in the forest to hold them off. He's probably in a lizalfos cookpot now." He stroked his red beard in contemplation. "We are back to square one." He sighed.
"But that's official army business, you understand?" he stared at Link. "The only reason you're hearing this is because of all the help you gave today. I figured I could return the favor by giving you a place to keep your horse and help you out with whatever nonsense you need done here." The captain studied Link, as though looking for something. Link himself returned the look.
"I'm afraid captain that I need more information from you than that, I need the numbers of guards, lizalfos, and villagers." The red bearded man's contemplative expression turned to a scowl in an instant. He glanced at Lieutenant Fassil and the still helmeted Sergeant Letz.
"And why should I give you any more information? The problems here are our own. I understand it probably looks bad from an outsider's perspective, but we are out here risking our lives for a kingdom we haven't seen in months. I won't stand for criticisms from someone with no beef in the game, who's just here to point out how bad we are doing!" He glared a challenge at Link. His lieutenant was nodding in agreement. Letz however seemed uncomfortable. Link suddenly realized that this man had become used to being in charge.
"Why are you so defensive, captain? The guard detail of a small village is not top-secret information. But you are right, I wouldn't want an uninvested outsider getting involved either. However, that is not what I am. I'm here due to a plea for aid from the lips of a dead man." Link slowly turned and looked each of them in the eyes. "His name was apparently Platson." The response was immediate. Garsus's eyes widened. Fassil glanced at his commanding officer questioningly. Garsus blinked and wiped the surprise from his face.
"And what exactly did Platson tell you?" He was constantly checking between Link, Fassil, and Letz as though not sure who to watch, his body tense. His uninjured hand crept towards his belt.
"Platson arrived at Kakariko in full armor on a Hyrulean Army horse," Link responded. "He had been stabbed twice in the side. Unfortunately, his wounds had become infected and the shaman there could not save his life, much to the man's chagrin. The soldier couldn't say much on his deathbed, but he muttered constantly about Vinwaka. I was sent here to determine what is going on and resolve it if possible." Much of the tension left Garsus at that explanation. However, he still had an almost suspicious look in his eyes as he asked another question.
"And who, exactly, sent you? If you are not part of the army, I am not forced to cooperate with you or listen to you." Garsus apparently wanted to know whose authority Link operated on and how much trouble he could get in for ignoring him.
I don't think he could handle the actual truth, Link thought with an inner chuckle. His actions in freeing Hyrule had remained mostly unclaimed, but if the man in front of him knew just how high up his friends were the poor captain would likely crumble. However, Link had planned for this.
"I'm part of the resistance that aided the princess when the twilight invaded the land. We have informants and agents scattered around Hyrule to aid with any uncertainty or trouble. I just happen to be one such agent, and to be frank I believe you wouldn't be alive to have this little discussion if I hadn't intervened a while ago." Garsus hesitated, obviously uncertain of the authority of this group that Link claimed to be a member. He eventually nodded though, the fight leaving his figure.
"Aye, you save my life, and here I am doing nothing but complaining and arguing. Forget I mentioned all those issues, I just don't want a spy or troublemaker being a part of my group here. I'll give you a full debriefing." Garsus hesitated a second. Link noticed with interest that Fassil was watching Garsus with his mouth agape. Garsus cleared his throat.
"Alright, we were stationed here months ago, I forgot the exact day. It's been about eight months though and we have strived to be the best soldiers we can out here." Fassil's mouth clamped shut. Garsus glared at him before continuing. "The twilight invasion happened six months ago of course, but it only lightly affected what was going on around here. I was sent here with around twenty men, a petty amount but what should have been reasonable for this tiny village. But after the twilight invasion, things got pretty hairy."
"We lost touch with the crown during the invasion, and the people lost all trade and communication with the outside. The villagers here are all human if you haven't noticed. They resent us hylians and after the invasion the crown as well. They thought they had been abandoned, I guess we all did." The man scratched his beard idly, his eyes fading as he remembered darker times. Link could understand that.
Garsus continued after a moment. "Now the invasion's over, but the village still hates us. That little prank with the palisade gate? That's just the most recent attempt at killing us indirectly. And then the Lizalfos showed up recently. If there's no threat in the woods, we soldiers are a waste of space for the village. And if enemies do threaten their livelihoods, we aren't doing enough to stop them. Counting the two today, I've lost five men now at this cursed station. I honestly am shocked Platson made it to Kakariko." He shook his head. Link considered the information he had just been given before responding.
"What happened to Platson?" Link questioned. The man seemed to consider that for a second before responding.
"Lizalfos got him, along with two of my men. I figured him for dead when I heard those shrieking devils going after him. Guess he made it farther than I thought he would." The man once again sighed. "It's been a long few weeks, traveler."
"I understand your concern," Link responded carefully. "But we are going to clear this up soon. How many Lizalfos do you expect to find?" Garsus shrugged. Fassil instead answered in a somewhat uncertain tone.
"Around thirty I think, based on the mischief they've been causing. Of course, we took out five today, so twenty-five then. There could be two separate parties, but I believe it to be one based on the attacks on the farmland outside the palisade. Somewhere to the East of our current position." Fassil glanced at Garsus, as though looking for approval. Garsus gave a small nod to reassure him. Link answered the analysis Fassil had given.
"Alright, here's what we're going to do then." Link asserted after a second of considering the situation. "Tomorrow I'm going to go hunting this lizard camp. If it's two camps I'll deal with it and the problem will cease to exist. If it's one camp, I'll get its location and we'll do an attack with as many men as you can spare two days from now." The captain looked surprised.
"You think you can avoid their hunting parties and track down their camp by yourself? That'll be quite the undertaking. And if it's two camps you'll take care of it? What's this nonsense? That's still fifteen or more lizards waiting for you at each one!" The captain shivered as he remembered the horrible situation by the palisade, where it had been three men versus five of the creatures. He couldn't imagine one man standing against fifteen lizalfos. Link was unbothered by his reaction.
"Don't worry, I'm a good tracker and am decent in a fight. Although, it may be helpful to see if a villager who knows the surrounding area could help. Also, able bodied men of the village may be able to help attack the camp in two days if necessary." Link was confident he could deal with even twenty-five lizalfos. There was no reason to take a chance though, and a little back up would be handy if anything went horrendously wrong. The captain was shaking his head though.
"You don't understand, do you? The village hates us. They won't help, and they are likely to murder us themselves if things go sour. I'll have to leave at least five men here, but I can probably provide ten under Fassil's command to lead the attack. I don't think I can use a sword well after today. The village has some thirty able bodied men, but they aren't experienced and unlikely to aid in an attack." The captain grimaced at that, probably considering how outnumbered his small garrison actually was at the moment. Link decided to judge the village himself later.
"We will see how tomorrow goes. Does anyone have any problems with dealing with these lizalfos sooner than later?" Fassil shook his head and Garsus responded with a hesitant no. "You said the tavern was the best place to get a room?" Garsus nodded absently but then seemed to reconsider.
"Yes, but you better lock your room door and head straight to it after getting any food. They're liable to string you up if they think they can get away with it. They've seen you with me and that makes you their enemy. Not to mention you're hylian as well. Best play it safe." Link nodded absently, not taking the advice too seriously.
"Alright, I'm going to head over there. Take good care of Epona for me." Garsus reassured him that they would, and each man said their farewells. But as Link was headed to the exit, Garsus stopped him one last time.
"I know you seem to be able to handle yourself, but I'm dead serious when I say this. Avoid attracting attention to yourself in that tavern unless you have a wish for pain." With that he let Link go into the evening light towards the tavern.
The tavern was surprisingly spacious, having enough tables and chairs for around forty people. It was well lit through several large windows and lamps. The furniture was all wooden, and several animal heads hung on the wall. Link wondered humorously if lizalfos heads would soon be joining the trophies. A large man with graying hair stood behind the bar, his round ears clearly indicating him as a non-hylian. He looked up as Link approached. The bar was mostly empty, it being a little before most villagers' supper time. The man grunted a greeting that Link barely caught.
"Hello, I heard that this was the spot for food and rooming for any visitors. I was hoping I could get two nights and hot meals for the duration." Link kept his voice affable, but the large man squinted at him suspiciously. He coughed nasally into his sleeve.
"You hear that from Captain Garsus?" He asked roughly. The one or two other customers in the building were watching the exchange with interest. Link carefully considered his response.
"Yes, he pointed me in this direction, but I..." Link was interrupted by a mighty laugh from the bartender across from him. The bellowing took Link's sharp ears by surprise, and he winced. The man's laugh slowed to a chuckle.
"That'd be the first time that snake told the truth. I ain't gonna turn down your money, I like it just fine. But I'd watch your back around this village if you are in tight with the captain. He ain't the best person to know around here. And if somethin' happens to ya, don't come running to me." The man offered a steep price for lodging, which Link managed to haggle down to slightly higher than average. The man took the rupees and quickly slipped it into his belt pouch with practiced ease.
"Cold meals only for lunch and breakfast. Ain't worth having cooking fires till evening customers arrive. I'll have them fix ya a plate for tonight. Anything you'd like to drink while you wait?" Link quickly eyed the barrels behind the bar counter.
"Anything local you'd recommend?" The large man gave him an evil smile.
"Don't think you can warm up to the locals by drinking their stuff. But I'll have you know I'm the best dern bartender on this half of Hyrule. I got drink mixes from many different places, and I've had traders bring in all sorts of variety to make sure I got every single one I've heard of." He grinned broadly at Link with crooked teeth. Link grimaced, but nodded acceptance.
"Do you have Ordon Honey Whisky?" The man gave him a surprised look before pulling out an unseen flask from a shelf underneath the bar and pouring him a glass. Link took a small sip and nodded appreciatively.
"You been to Ordon then?" The large man asked uncertainly. Link hesitated a second but decided there was no real risk to sharing the truth.
"I'm from there," Link answered, while half turning to better view the tavern. The large bartender scoffed before wiping his nose on his sleeve.
"Ain't no hylians from Ordon. It's a human village," the man said as though it was holy words. Link shrugged, unconcerned with his response.
"Bring my food over when it's ready, I'm going to grab a seat at a table." The man nodded distractedly, obviously still trying to figure out if Link was lying or not. Link stood up from the bar and made his way over to a table in the corner. Few people had yet arrived at the tavern, and the ones present weren't appearing to be openly hostile. He decided that staying in the dining area wouldn't be too disastrous.
As he approached the table, he unslung his hylian shield and Ordon sword from his back. He smiled at the silver and brown handled sword. If that bartender knew anything about Ordon craftsmanship, he'd have recognized the blade's origin. It would need to be sharpened after today's skirmish, but Link would find time later. Looking at the blade made him think of home, however, and he quickly wondered how life was progressing back in Ordon.
The harvest would soon be in, and all the villagers would be working side by side to collect and store the many vegetables. The goats would need care more than ever. Link wondered idly how Fado was getting by without him. And then there was Rusl, Uli, Colin, and Colin's new sister who Link considered his adopted family. Colin had progressed a fair way in his sword training last time Link had saw them and his sister seemed healthy if a little on the small side. And Ilia. Link was wondering how she was faring with only a few chances to see him over the last few months.
He sighed. Ordon definitely represented his origins as much as the sword's. Sitting here, in a far away bar with no one he knew, it felt like forever since he had last stood in his home village. He missed Midna's sarcastic comments more than ever. All because of one destroyed mirror. It wasn't the first time he had thought about that day in past months.
However, he felt like his work with the resistance after the twilight invasion had been fruitful. Whether it be investigating problems or hunting monsters, there was much to do in the leftover troubles from the past war. The resistance had swollen in numbers as people worked together to identify and eliminate problems as rapidly as possible. Princess Zelda was kept extremely well informed of its going-ons through Auru, but officially was not a part of it. Link wasn't sure if that would be a benefit or a curse in the long run.
His thoughts were interrupted as a serving girl brought him his food. It was a simple meal of pork and potatoes but was hot and filling after his long day of traveling and fighting. Other guests began entering the tavern rapidly, and the food was served as quickly as it could be prepared.
The tavern filled up quickly. Most people ignored him or offered him a single glare before going about their business. That suited Link fine. A few nearby whispered to try to keep him from overhearing their conversations, but Link's finely tuned senses easily picked up on what they were saying. Not that there was much of interest to listen to. It was mostly empty village talk with a few speculations of what was going on in castle town. Link ate his food slowly, enjoying the buzz of the tavern even if the people didn't appreciate his presence.
His contentment was interrupted by a sudden feeling of being watched. Not the occasional glare like most of the other villagers sent him, but a murderous stare that threatened danger. Link was surprised he could discern that much from a sixth sense, but his wolf instincts hadn't let him down yet. He looked up to meet the eyes of a blond woman sitting at the bar. She was in an intense whispered conversation with the bar tender, but her eyes never left Link.
The lady was young, maybe twenty. Surprisingly, she wore men's clothing including black pants and a red jacket. Her blue eyes bored into Link with a barely concealed rage. She was small though, with her hair falling freely behind her head. Link did note a small bow slung over her shoulder and several knives thrown through her belt. She finally seemed to realize her quarry had noticed her attention and scowled.
Leaning over to two men beside her, the woman said something before getting up and heading over towards Link. The two men, large fellows that were obviously used to heavy labor, followed on either side of her. Great. Somehow the smallest girl in town has two of the biggest thugs working for her, Link contemplated as the three villagers approached. The woman stopped across from him with a look of accusation.
"You." She said simply, as though the word conveyed a terrible slur. Link almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Outwardly though he merely leaned back in his seat expressionlessly. His left hand grasped the sword on the bench beside him as he considered the three humans in front of him.
"Me. Although you are going to have to be more specific. I'm known for many things, and I really don't know which one requires two thugs to come threaten me." Thug one scowled at that, while thug two actually grinned at him even while cracking his knuckles ominously. Their female leader's face didn't change at his response.
"You saved those soldiers' pathetic lives today." Her face remained scowling as she spoke.
"I don't think they consider their lives pathetic," Link responded. He realized that they weren't going to immediately attack him, and his hand left his sword handle.
"Do you have any idea how much better it would've been if you had just let them die? I worked with the mayor to make sure that no one would survive a lizalfos ambush. And then you just come along and ruin all my hard work." She glanced at Link's sword and shield. "How'd you do it anyways? Someone told me they heard explosives. Did you take the time to plant bombs outside the palisade?" Her tone seemed to accuse that he had planned on attacking the palisade itself.
Link fought the sudden strong urge to growl at her. He would have thought a few months without access to his wolf form would let him leave all those instincts behind. Instead, they seemed to be growing stronger. He mused all this in the back of his head while trying to control his reaction.
"I guess I just acted in the moment. Barnes Bombs long ago developed explosives that could be shot with a bow, no careful placement required. But it seems to me you shouldn't let Lizalfos go around murdering people for you." The lady blinked in surprise before the glare returned.
"You should tell that to your dear friend Captain Garsus. He had the gall to tell the town that Lizalfos had murdered my father on a hunting trip. A trip in which he just happened to be my father's sole companion." She spat in disgust. "My father was the best hunter around, no way he'd fall prey to a lizalfos ambush. I've since swore myself to vengeance on Captain Garsus and all of his friends. My name is Velretta, and you best remember it as you leave town. Don't and I'll have this whole village down on you in no time. This is the only warning I'm giving, so you better take advantage of it." She stormed off in a streak of crimson. Her two bodyguards spared Link another glare before following her.
"Wonderful to meet you too," Link muttered. It seemed this entire village was full of crazies. Once again, he found himself comparing it to the simple community of Ordon. He definitely knew which one he preferred. Link watched the trio, still led by Velretta, that had just confronted him head out the door into the warm night air. Velretta still had her bow on her back, and she had picked up a quiver of arrows on her way out. He figured that was probably for the best, as he really didn't want to eat with those three trying to threaten him all night.
The tavern seemed to calm down in their absence as well. A few hostile glares were still thrown at Link, but the majority seemed happy to return to their meals and conversations. Link quietly finished his meal and continued watching the room as he took a swig from his mug. At some point, a villager produced a small sting instrument, similar to a guitar. Much to the room's excitement, the man played a few jolly tunes for his small audience. Maybe there were some similarities to Ordon after all, Link thought as the happy atmosphere made him reminisce about his home.
Time passed and the light began to dim in the room. As night arrived, the small crowd slowly dispersed. The musician packed his instrument, gave a cheery farewell, and headed out the door. With the crowd nearly gone and the hour late, Link gathered his belongings and headed to his room. It was located behind the bar and down a flight of aged wooden stairs. The bar tender gave him one last glance of interest as he descended. Link quickly turned in for the night, knowing he had a full day of tracking in the morning.
Author's Note:
I edited the previous chapter to reduce the paragraph size some. Most of them seemed fine in word but are a bit large on this site's format. I will consider that moving forward. Please leave a review or comment if you like the music recommendation or just the story in general. Until next time!