Author's Preface:
Recommended Background Music: Our Children Taken - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
It was beneficial Link carried a decent amount of rope on his travels. He quickly tied the hands and feet of the crimson dressed huntress from his spare stash in Epona's saddle. Afterwards he retrieved his bow and recalled Epona with his horse call, a gift from Ilia so long ago. With his prisoner secured, he examined his saddle. Shaking his head, he realized that he couldn't risk trying to fix it out here. Additionally, he had an extra person and no usable saddle. Link realized darkly he would have to attempt to chase down Velretta's horse for the saddle if nothing else. He turned back to her.
Velretta looked decisively unhappy with her arms and legs tied. Her blond locks fell over her face, and she kept blowing them back to little avail. Her blank pants and red coat were covered in mud from her fall. Interestingly, she no longer wore a glare or seemed fearful. Rather, she seemed resigned to her fate. Link studied her a moment longer before speaking.
"Did you see where your horse ran off to?" He asked, keeping his tone neutral. Velretta just stared at him blankly.
"Alright, you're going to be like that. Who cut my saddle strap?" Link continued, crossing his arms. Velretta once again didn't respond. Link decided to try one more question.
"What's in your little poison there?" he asked, indicating towards one of her arrows on the ground.
Velretta finally responded by rolling her eyes and cocking her head. Link realized that she wasn't going to talk to him, and light was fading fast. He moved towards her and quickly checked her for weapons. Surprisingly, she carried four knives on her person, which he quickly acquired and stowed in his damaged saddle. Mounting Epona bareback once more, he slowly moved out. He did stop to give Velretta a cheery wave, which was returned with a spitball.
It took very little time to find the horse as it had barely moved into the wood line. He quickly returned with it. As he returned however, he realized Velretta didn't look up as he approached. Link clapped his hands to get her attention, and she kept her head down, blond hair covering her face.
Link suddenly remembered she had taken a bomb explosion to the head. Hearing loss. I Should've expected that, Link mused. No wonder she had been so unresponsive. With that in mind, he stopped trying to get her to communicate and packed everything up, making sure to dump Velretta's poison and arrows in the woods.
He switched Velretta's mount's saddle to Epona and tied his saddle to Velretta's smaller horse with more rope. Link went ahead and moved his bomb bag to the Velretta's saddle, just in case. While doing so, a gleam caught his eye and the discarded hyrulean helmet was brought to his attention, still hooked on Epona's saddle.
Link wanted to report that finding to Captain Garsus, so he inwardly shrugged as he moved the helmet to Velretta's saddle as well. With Velretta's horse's equipment he was able to ride Epona albeit with an unfamiliar saddle. Velretta herself received the esteemed potato position hoisted over the back of the saddle. She was none too happy about it, but there wasn't much Link could do. Luckily for the Epona and her, it wasn't far to the village.
Arriving at the village, Link was shocked to see the palisade gates open despite the sun setting. He entered slowly through the opening, Velretta's mount trailing behind by a rope. Link was further surprised to see a hylian guard inside the gate and armed with a spear, appearing bored in the dimming light. He shook with a start when he saw Link.
"We figured you were dead! It's nearly night!" The guard said. The man quickly scanned the horses before him in obvious surprise.
"I'm sorry to disappoint. I got slowed down a little. Why's the gate open?" Link replied, stopping to consider him.
"Captain wanted it open in case he needed a quick exit. Posted me here and dismissed the usual doormen to ensure it did." Link frowned in confusion.
"And why would he need to do that?" Link asked. The man in front of him shrugged.
"He said something about confronting the mayor about his crimes. I just follow my orders," the guard finally stated. Link stared at him for a second, uncomprehending. What crimes? The palisade gate locking incident yesterday? Link thought confusedly.
"And Captain Garsus ordered this?" Link asked in an attempt to clarify the situation.
"Aye, only captain I know of around here." The guard replied in a bored tone. Link hesitated a moment, sitting on Epona in the gloom. He was about to ask another question to the guard when shouting was heard from the center of the village. The guardsman shifted his spear to his other hand before leaning on it.
"Sounds like the excitement's starting now. You'd best hang out here in case things do get messy," he told Link while looking into the village. Link frowned at the apathy and tone of the hylian in front of him. Shouts from the center of the village continued to rise in volume.
"Can you watch this horse and take this prisoner? Don't let her out of your sight," Link said, looking worriedly towards the town hall. The guard hesitated a second and then replied.
"I guess, but I don't know if the captain will be happy about it. You intend to go to the village hall? There's probably a mob." While he was speaking, he took Velretta off the back of Epona. She grunted angrily and tried to kick the guard unsuccessfully. He shifted her weight and dropped her by the gate.
"Better to act on it now than to let it get out of hand," Link replied while urging Epona forward. The guard stared at him as he left.
"Your mistake," the guard grunted while picking up the rope to Velretta's horse. Link didn't respond as he continued into the village. The road and houses were abandoned but the shouting grew louder. He approached the village center to a strange confrontation.
A crowd had gathered around the village hall in a great cluster. Around forty people were present, mostly men but also some women. A few held torches as the last of sunlight had just disappeared. Many were shouting or raising fists. Others carried knives, pitchforks, or sharpened sticks.
None of the angry villagers were able to approach the village hall however due to a line of hylian guards. Dressed in armor, the soldiers carried swords and shields. The torchlight flickered off the enclosed helms ominously. They shoved back the crowd with their single handed pavises while occasionally threatening the villagers with their arming swords.
On the front porch three figures stood in a loud conversation: two hylian soldiers and an aging, spectacled man. Link immediately recognized Garsus on the porch from his right arm, now properly secured in a sling. Link dismounted Epona and silently moved to the side of the building without drawing attention to himself. From there he could hear the conversation.
"…and then you march into my office and tell me I'm under arrest!" The aging man was saying. He continued in an outraged but strained voice.
"What is the meaning of all this Captain? I also heard you dismissed my doormen from the gate! May I remind you that the palisade gates are village property and only I as the mayor has the authority to determine who controls them!" The two figures next to him, Captain Garsus and Lieutenant Fassil, stood stiff and tense. Garsus replied in a loud voice, addressing the mayor and the crowd.
"Listen, I understand many of you have concerns. But I have charges against the mayor of this village, and I will get justice for it." Immediately many of the front row of villagers booed and decried the captain at the top of their lungs. Garsus's helmet revealed no emotion as he scanned the crowed.
"Lieutenant Fassil, would you please read the charges." The skinnier form of Garsus's right hand man stepped forward on the porch. He unfolded a parchment on his belt while clearing his throat.
"To all the forthright and loyal citizens of Vinwaka I hereby announce the forwarding of the following charges to Mayor Jushai." Fassil scanned the crowd once and took a deep breath before continuing.
"Withholding information from a figure of Hyrulean authority. Failing to cooperate with the Hyrulean Army. Four accounts of slander against a Hyrulean citizen. Two accounts of attempted murder for the following individuals: Garsus and Letz." Here the soldier was interrupted by a massive roar of disapproval from the crowd.
"That was the blasted Lizards, you dunce!" a man on the front of the crowd yelled. The lieutenant glanced at Garsus before continuing.
"Five accounts of murder for the following individuals of the esteemed Hyrulean Army: Nasturne, Emest, Platson, Raszir, and Bayene." The roar from the crowd then was deafening, and Fassil ducked as a rock was thrown at him. The villagers surged against the line of armored soldiers pushing it back slightly before it reformed. Link obtained a better view of Mayor Jushai as he stepped forward, closer to the torchlight.
The man was balding and overweight. He wore a pair of spectacles on his round nose. His face was freshly shaven, but clearly showed his age. His clothing was rather basic for a man of office, being a simple brown jacket and white tunic. Jushai wore a face of shock and disgust.
"Now see here Garsus! You can't do this! You have no proof or grounds to state these charges! And your seizure of me and the palisade gate could be seen as overstepping your power here. Release me now or face the consequences!" The crowd immediately backed the statements, yelling approval in a mass of noise. Garsus calmly stepped forward.
"It is not my job to determine the proof or truth. Personally, I'm not sure if our mayor here was directly involved with all these charges. However, I have sent for a royal judge from Hyrule Castle. A judge will provide a fair and unbiased perspective in the hunt for the truth." The crowd murmured at this. Garsus nodded to himself as they calmed down slightly.
"If the mayor is cleared of all charges, he will be released and will immediately regain his office with my sincere apology. Now, until then I will be commanding this village in all areas for the sake of the defense against the lizalfos. It is…" He was forced into silence by another roar of disapproval by the crowd and several rocks were thrown towards the porch. Garsus held up his hand.
"Quiet! All of you disgraceful rodents don't realize that my men are here to protect you," He yelled in a loud voice, quieting the mob some.
"We have a lizalfos problem," Garsus continued. "That is unquestionable and will be the end of us if nothing is done. Tomorrow, I intend to send Lieutenant Fassil to attack their camp and clear out the threat. The mayor will remain in custody in the guardhouse. Any funny business at the gate, village hall, or guardhouse will result in the early execution of the mayor." A general silence fell over the scene as the crowd recognized the captain's threat.
"Now clear a way to the guardhouse before I order my men to break some bones," the captain finished. His body was tense even as his left hand fell to his sword pommel. The captain's right arm remained firmly secured in his new sling from his previous fight with the lizalfos. However, in response to his words, the crowd clustered closer to the porch, further blocking the captain and his troop.
"Ya going to have to go through us, hylian scum!" one of the villagers yelled.
"You ain't taking our mayor!" another villager shouted. This particular man stood a shoulder above his comrades. Link recognized him as one of the brutes that had escorted Velretta the previous night. Captain Garsus started forward off the porch towards the swarm of villagers.
Everything was interrupted by a series of loud clangs. Garsus jumped to the side as a metal helmet flew past him, clanging down the steps of the village hall porch. The crowd stared at the helmet for a second in confusion.
"Yes, do all of you see that?" Link spoke loudly. The crowd went silent, trying to find the new spokesman. Having thrown the helmet he had collected earlier, Link used the confusion to traverse the distance to the porch. The guard line only gave a token resistance as he stepped through. Standing there he reached down and picked up the helmet he had thrown into the confrontation. One of the villagers suddenly recognized him in the dim torchlight.
"Hey, you're that traveler that helped the guards!" The other villagers started muttering, and the fierce looks on their faces returned. Several picked up more stones. Link raised the helmet over his head, clutching it tightly as he stared into the crowd. He represented in that moment a single green-clad target that the crowd focused in on.
"Do any of you know what this is?" he asked them. The crowd muttered with hate at the sight of an army helmet, identical to the ones worn by the soldiers in front of them.
"A Hyrulean helmet, sure. The face of your oppressors here in this village, or so you believe," Link let them gaze at it a second, registering the hatred in their eyes. "I'll tell you what though. I can't speak for the living here tonight, but the man that wore this helmet was a hero. He died at a stream crossing not five miles from here, holding off a group of large, aggressive lizards." Link eyed the motley villagers in front of him.
"And do you know why he died doing that?" The crowd remained silent. The strange swordsman in front of them had their attention. "I'll tell you why. He held off a wave of unbeatable lizards so his comrades could escape back here where this village then tried to kill them. This man knew the threat posed by the lizalfos, but still tried to face them alone." Link shook his head sadly, lowering the helmet to his side. The villagers seemed uncertain what to do. They eyed Link warily.
"What I'm saying is this. Alone, like this poor soldier, you do not stand a chance against the lizalfos." He turned back to Captain Garsus. "Either of you. The soldiers hate the village. The villagers hate the guards. The lizalfos will tear you both to pieces. Captain Garsus, can you fight both the villagers and the lizalfos? How many men does it take to impose martial law while fighting off murderous lizards? Do you think you can survive without trust in the place you protect?" Garsus was at a loss for words. Link's sharp eyes bored into him, taking in the uncertain posture the captain exhibited. The swordsman then turned back to the villagers.
"And for you people, how many of you have the weapons and training to fight lizalfos? I bet you need double your current number to even stand a chance. Not that it would matter. There's probably around twenty-five of them out there, just waiting for a chance to strike. You think this palisade is going to stop them forever? Lizalfos are faster, stronger, and better at climbing than a person ever could be. They'll hoist each other over the walls, possibly without even needing ladders." The villagers muttered angrily at that.
"Oh yes," Link continued. "They would attack in the dead of night and be among your homes before you even knew what was happening. Think you can keep them from reaching the top of the walls? Lizalfos are not strangers to fire. They'd be just as willing to toss torches into the village and watch it burn. This aged oak would go up like timber." He was receiving far less angry stares now. Instead, a few of the villagers showed real fear, probably only now appreciating the true threat of the lizalfos. One older man in the front seemed to find his voice.
"Then we are already doomed! We should flee!" the elder villager yelled out. Other crowd members were nodding in agreement.
"That's not the case," Link replied. "I've fought lizalfos many times. Catching them by surprise is the key. They are aggressive to a fault but can't handle being on the defensive. That's why tomorrow Lieutenant Fassil and I are going to strike the lizalfos camp in the forest. All you need to do is go home and allow these soldiers to fight the biggest threat to this village without sabotaging or rigging up traps for them." The villagers seemed disoriented and uncertain. Link pushed home his point. "One day. That's all it takes. And then if you can't see the good they've done, you can go back to hating them." Link fell silent with that statement.
A series of discussions seemed to break out among the villagers. After a minute or two, it seemed a consensus had been reached. The villager brute who had worked for Velretta stepped forward. He looked over the shoulder of the guards in front of him directly at the green dressed stranger in front of him. Scowling at Link the man spat at the swordsman's feet over the guards' shoulders.
"One day stranger. And then you better pray the lizard problem is resolved, or we will deal with the soldiers ourselves regardless of if it leaves us at the mercy of the lizalfos." The man spoke, slurring his words slightly. He then turned back to the crowd, urging them to disperse. After a few minutes, many of them had left the clearing. Some still watched on, but the unified resistance had crumbled. Link let out a sigh of relief.
The empty village center was much less hostile without the angry mob formed up. The air was clearer as well with fewer torches around. The soldiers still stood at attention, but much more relaxed. Captain Garsus came forward to stand beside Link.
"Thank you, Link. You just helped us keep order in this village." The man offered his left hand in gratitude and greeting. Link didn't return it.
"You have to release the mayor," Link told him. "They will do something awful if you don't after your one day is up." It was impossible to read Garsus's face with his helmet on, but the offered hand slowly returned to his side. He glanced side to side before stepping up into Links face and lowering his voice to a whisper.
"I don't have a choice, you said it yourself. Fifteen men! That's how many I have. I really don't have enough to control this village and fight the lizalfos. I'm afraid if I ordered your attack now the villagers would lynch the remaining men here, myself included." Link eyed him skeptically as the captain continued. "We have to keep the mayor as an added security. The threat to him should keep the villagers in check while you take the lizalfos camp." Link frowned at the officer.
"You don't have evidence to arrest him. And they just said they would give you a day," Link pointed out, replying in a calm voice. The captain guffawed under his helmet.
"And you believed that? That'll last until you march out the gate. No, I need the mayor to ensure my men don't get murdered outnumbered six to one after the attack force leaves. I'm sorry but that's how it has to be." Garsus then turned to his lieutenant, ordering him to take the mayor to the guardhouse.
Link almost intervened then and there. He had to fight the temptation to draw his sword on all of them. It seemed there was no helping this village, and they certainly didn't want to help themselves. But he held back, there was no point in bloodshed tonight. This village had already seen enough. The small guard detail left across the village center, the eight hylian guards surrounding the aged mayor. Captain Garsus started to step off the porch but stopped.
"Meet with Lieutenant Fassil at dawn at the guardhouse. I assume you found the lizalfos camp from the way you talked?" Link nodded absently, still watching the fading form of Mayor Jushai. "Good, you should be able to lead Fassil to the lizard camp tomorrow then. He has a good head on his shoulders and should be able to manage it," Garsus continued. Link frowned slightly at that.
"I do know where the lizalfos camp is, but make sure your men know they will have to follow everything I say on the way there." Garsus didn't respond, so Link continued, "There's a perfect ambush location on the way, and the lizalfos will be able to scent us if we approach from the wrong direction. I don't want to have to fight with the Lieutenant over who is in charge." Captain Garsus folded his arms. The shadows covered most of his helmet as he focused on Link.
"Look, I know you are good with a sword. But this is an army operation and requires someone with training in military maneuvering. Fassil has that." Garsus attempted to sound final and definite. The armored captain turned to leave, but Link grabbed his shoulder. The captain reluctantly turned back to Link.
"He can command once we arrive at the lizalfos camp," Link reiterated, staring at the captain. "Not before. Or do you want this group also ran out of the woods with lizalfos on their tails?" The captain stiffened at that, obviously taking insult at the insinuation.
"Fine then. But Fassil will command the assault itself." Link nodded his assent. The captain crossed his arms. "Anything else a citizen would like to demand of the army?" the captain asked in an irritated tone.
"Actually, yes," Link replied. "I was delayed today by an ambush attempt." Garsus's seemed shocked.
"Lizalfos?" he asked. "Can the assault even proceed tomorrow if they ambushed you as well?" A small amount of fear crept into his voice as the soldier posed his question.
"No, a village woman. She said her name is Velretta. She threatened me yesterday in the tavern and followed me out on the trail today." The captain shook his head at that.
"I told you to avoid the villagers in the tavern!" The armored man accused. "I was hoping you would avoid attention from people like her." Link scowled slightly, tired of the man's aggressiveness. Garsus meanwhile continued, "Is she running around in the woods as well? She'll try to lead the lizalfos to your attack group! Or worse!" The captain's voice raised as he became angry at the thought.
"Sure. Well, she's tied up by the gate. I was wondering if you could hold her somewhere until after the lizalfos are dealt with." Link replied mildly.
"Oh."
"Yeah. What's her story anyways?" The captain hesitated a second. Then the armored man across from Link sighed.
"Her father, a respected hunter, died a few weeks ago to lizalfos. She took it hard and has been the leader of the guard hating party here in the village ever since." The soldier's head bowed for a second, almost as though in sorrow. "I didn't think she'd try to assassinate a complete stranger though." Link mused on that information a second, attempting to read the captain's body language.
"She said you killed him," Link replied. He watched the soldier stiffen. Link could almost see the grimace on Garsus's face behind the helm.
"I tried my best to stop them. But that was before we understood how dangerous they were." The captain hung his head, almost as though in shame. "It's one of those things that give me nightmares even now. So many good people have been lost to the lizards, traveler. I don't want to lose anymore." Link eyed the captain, taking in his response. The captain seemed to reorganize his thoughts.
"I'll handle her," he suddenly said. "She can keep the mayor company tomorrow. I'll send one of my men to pick her up." The captain's voice had returned to his usual commanding tone. His left hand lowered onto his sword pommel, and his whole body remained tense.
"Alright," Link replied after a second, and the captain relaxed instantly. "One more thing. Someone sabotaged my saddle in your stable last night." Link kept his voice flat, but the accusation was clear. Garsus grunted in surprise.
"That's… probably my fault. We usually don't have guests and the basic guard harnesses aren't worth tampering with for the villagers. I'll post a guard from here on out. Do you need any equipment for tomorrow?" The captain seemed to be legitimately upset he had forgotten to post a guard by the stable.
"No, but I need to fix some things before tomorrow," Link replied. He looked out over the darkening village. "Speaking of which, it's getting late, and I'd better get on it. Make sure your men are ready at dawn." Garsus nodded once as Link jumped off the porch. The captain watched the green-clad swordsman disappear back towards the palisade gate. The hero never heard the captain breathe out in relief.
Link quickly headed back to collect Epona's damaged saddle. Then in the first hour of the night, he took the time to repair her saddle with leather that was cut from Velretta's saddle. That seems like a fair trade, he thought ironically as he worked.
He managed to fix the strap to working order and grinned to himself as he realized he'd be able to use it for the raid the next day. After that, he sharpened his sword before retiring to his room in the tavern with food. The next day promised bloodshed, and he wanted to be well rested for it.
Author's Note:
Vinwaka has its fair share of troubles, doesn't it? I'll probably add an author's note chapter at the end of this story explaining some of the background and thought processes for the story. Lord willing, I'll be back next week with another chapter. Until then!
Secondary Note: The site went crazy for a few days, and this chapter was apparently not able to be seen. I have reuploaded it and am hoping that resolves the issues. -GG