It was nearly dusk when a tired, irritable Shadow finally reached ground level, flexing sore fingers and toes. He had worked steadily through the rest of his bananas as he stopped for short breaks every so often, but his throat and mouth were uncomfortably dry; he needed water. The stable sat directly across the narrow river from him now, a teasingly-short distance away. Several tall trees lined the bank on this side, the drop into the water not overly far but still not ideal. He eyed one of the trees. If he could just knock it down, it would surely span the divide for him. He unsheathed his sword and started hacking away. Sometime later, with the sun dipping low on the horizon and casting long shadows, the Shadow watched through the sweat dripping in his eyes as the tree fell satisfyingly across the river. He sheathed his sword and shook out his aching arms.
The little Fairy had, thankfully, been mostly silent, just hovering nearby and making the odd observation now and again about some tree or flower or whatnot. Now she sparkled proudly and appeared to pat his shoulder, briefly hovering close before glowing reassuringly at him and then winking out entirely.
As he neared the stable, he noticed a cookfire burning steadily to one side, bench seats arranged in a semicircle around it. The horses were kept on the opposite side of the building, being fed by what appeared to be a teenage girl. They all nickered uneasily as he drew nearer, so he veered to the side by the fire. There weren't many people around, just a stooped, old Hylian man staring off to the southeast and a large Rito male with gray-blue feathers playing an accordion. The Shadow sat on one of the benches, relaxed his shoulders, and closed his eyes, breathing in deeply before sighing out. The music the Rito coaxed out of the accordion floated lazily by, soothing in the early twilight and soon joined by a rich, melodic voice:
"The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land,
Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand.
A dark force of destruction, many times undone,
Rises once again— Ganon, the calamitous one.
But hope survives in Hyrule, for all is not lost,
Two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost.
A goddess-blood princess and a fearless knight,
They appear in each age to fight the good fight…"
He sat for a few minutes, allowing his muscles to slacken some, listening as the story of the Great Battle of Hyrule, some ten thousand years ago, was related in rhyme and set to music.
The song referenced Ganon, not Ganondorf. Thanks to the infusion of knowledge from his former Master, the Shadow understood that Ganon was the embodiment of the pure evil of the Imprisoned Demon King, Demise, an immortal whose power rivaled that of the Golden Goddesses. Long, long ago, he and his horde of demon followers had broken through a fissure in the earth and sought the Triforce. He was defeated and sealed away by the Goddess Hylia, and by the Hero of Hyrule through the use of the Master Sword. Upon his defeat, Demise had proclaimed that he would be reborn in the coming ages: My hate never perishes. It is born in a cycle with no end. Once he was sealed away, Hylia broke the Triforce into three shards and hid them in secure, secret locations around Hyrule. Since Demise could not re-enter Hyrule as his powerful, god-like self, once he had recovered enough strength, he sought to be reborn as a mortal.
This was the essence of the Shadow's former Master, Ganondorf Dragmire, or so the Gerudo male— a being so rare that they are thought to be worthy of rule by birthright— believed of himself. According to the song, Ganondorf was destined to seek the Triforce of Power. If successful, he will become the Dark Beast, Ganon, who is then destined to be sealed away by the living Goddess Hylia, aided by the Hero of Hyrule.
Whom the Shadow had killed a few hours ago.
He already knew by Ganondorf's own words that the flame-haired Gerudo Voe was, indeed, actively seeking not just the Triforce of Power, but those of Wisdom and Courage, as well.
Neither the song nor the Shadow's prior knowledge mentioned what would happen should Ganondorf possess the entire Triforce, but if proven right, if he truly was the reincarnation of Demise, it would probably be calamitous for all of Hyrule.
He heard someone come and sit on one of the other benches, but kept his eyes closed. Soon, however, his stomach rumbled with hunger and his parched throat was begging for a drink. As his eyes opened, they unintentionally met those of the other person seated at the fire, a thin, middle-aged man with graying brown hair, pointed ears, and wide green eyes. The man gasped, mouth falling open and eyebrows jumping to meet his hairline.
Fucking red eyes, the Shadow thought to himself, having somewhat forgotten the rather jarring and obvious feature. The man didn't say anything, just swallowed audibly, rose, and walked quickly into the building, looking nervously over his shoulder at the Shadow once.
The Shadow looked at the ground for a moment, then squared his shoulders, preparing to rise and walk into the stable to see about acquiring some supplies. Before he could move, however, a young child came dashing at full-tilt out of the building, skidding to a stop directly in front of him. The boy stood about as tall as a horse's foreleg and carried both the lean muscle of stable work and the baby fat of adolescence, his mahogany eyes alight and dark blond hair bouncing exuberantly.
"Hey, mister! Oh, wow! Your eyes are so cool! How d'you make them do that?! And why are you all gray? Are you sick? Can I see your sword? Where'd you come from? Where're you goin'? What's your name?" A nonstop deluge of words poured out of the youth, bombarding the Shadow.
"Uh," he began, trying to catch up to the whirlwind of loquacity. "I'm not sick. This is just… how I am," he gestured to himself. "Let's see: no, I don't really know, I'm not sure, Shadow," he answered, ticking them off on his fingers as he went.
"I'm Ardin, stableboy here," he said proudly. "You don't know where you came from? Why not? Do you have amaneesia, where you forget everything but your name? Can I get you anything? Is your name just 'Shadow'? We had a dog named that once," the boy rattled on, seemingly without the need for breaks in which to draw breath.
The Shadow frowned, then sighed. Damn it. "Call me Shadow Link," he said.
"Link? Like the Hero of Hyrule?" Ardin chirped.
The Shadow scowled. Damn it! He really hoped the Pixie wasn't listening to this, but he swore he could hear her tinkling laugh on the breeze.
"I killed him," the Shadow said without inflection.
"Nuh-uh, you did not." The child obviously had unshakeable, if erroneous faith in his idol. The Shadow decided to let him keep it a while longer. The lad had called the Shadow's unusual eyes cool, after all.
"Don't you have something to do?" he pointedly asked.
"Oh, yeah. Bye!" the boy said. Then he waved his hand, turned, and darted back into the shelter.
The Shadow shook his head, the strange mix of sensations the interaction had aroused in him bringing exasperation face-to-face with… tolerance? That didn't seem quite right. He shook off his musings and got to his feet, heading into the stable. The Rito minstrel met his eyes as he passed and cocked his feathered head without missing a note; the Shadow lowered his eyes to the ground in front of his feet. It wasn't like he could help his appearance. He reminded himself that he was a Shadow; others' reactions shouldn't bother him. Why did they, then? a miniscule voice in his head asked. He sighed quietly, unwilling to delve for the answer to that.
The outside of the stable featured a business counter at a height that would be comfortable for patrons on horseback; inside, it extended in a horseshoe-shape, piled high with books and ledgers and behind which were displayed all manner of items for sale. The place was a picture of quietude, lit at even intervals by lanterns, with several beds lined up along the south wall at the back, reading nooks and coffee tables along the east wall, and several dining tables lining the west.
Behind the counter stood a sturdy-looking fellow with dark hair and eyes squinting out from under bushy brows. When the man's expression didn't change while glancing at his other patrons, the Shadow figured that the guy's face was just like that normally. He approached the counter, but as he neared, the proprietor took a few steps back from the counter. The Shadow halted his approach, sighing inwardly.
"I'm in need of some supplies. Food, water, a medical kit, a pack to carry it all," the Shadow stated. "I have money." He touched the bag hanging from his belt.
Without a word, the man behind the counter quickly poured some water from a pitcher, sliding it across the countertop before backing away again and pointing behind the Shadow. The Shadow came forward to gratefully pick up the cup, taking a sip before turning to find every eye on him— the adults wary, the children decidedly less so. The boy from earlier, Ardin, paused in cleaning off a table that had recently been used for dinner by some now-departed patrons to wave enthusiastically at the Shadow. The man from by the fire sat at one of the dining tables, mouth full but not chewing, staring at the Shadow.
His nerves suddenly on edge, the Shadow followed the stablemaster's gesture to a lanky, freckled young man seated on the floor near one of the support beams, long legs crossed in front of him. He wore an enormous pack on his back and a shirt that exposed most of his lower torso. The Shadow stepped closer, stopping when he noted the vendor's muscles becoming tense. "I need supplies," he said.
The salesman was clearly nervous, but he jumped to his feet and barreled on ahead, letting loose what was clearly a well-rehearsed spiel. "Oh, h-hi! I-I d-don't believe I've m-made your acquaintance! The n-name's Beedle," he stammered, "but you can call me— A-actually, l-let's just stick with Beedle. But even if you f-forget my face, y-you can remember me by m-my beetle-shaped backpack! I stock m-many special bugs and m-must-have items for travelers, and I always charge a f-fair price… or my name's not Beedle!" He finally seemed to find his verbal footing, voice growing in confidence. "I also buy all sorts of things, if you're in need of rupees. Gemstones in particular fetch a high price! How can I help your eyes today?" The merchant's own eyes widened comically and his mouth dropped open in a shocked 'O' as he gasped at himself, hands raising slightly, palms out. "You! How can I help you today? Oh, geez. Ah... D-despite these dangerous times, you'll find me t-traveling all over Hyrule to fulfill your shopping needs." When he finally finished, words tripping over themselves in their haste to conclude, the jittery young man slapped on a smile that showed too many teeth to be sincere, ignoring the bead of sweat that had formed at his hairline and was threatening to slide down his face.
The Shadow relayed his needs, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the vendor stocked everything requested, and a few things it hadn't occurred to the Shadow he would need, such as a sleeping bag, several sets of clean underclothes and socks, a lantern and a stoppered jar filled with oil for it, some flint, and a small dagger in a sheath that he would fasten to his belt. He untied the bag of coin from his belt and opened it, finding an abundant mix of green, blue, red, and purple rupees, and even a few silver and gold ones at the bottom. He took out what he needed to pay Beedle, who responded with a bright, "Thank you!", and gave him his change before wandering back outside. The Shadow put the rupees in the bag and tied it back onto his belt, then knelt to store his new belongings in his new pack.
Curiously, everything he touched, which had originally been in a rainbow of colors, turned grayscale when his skin met it, natural hues just… bleeding away. He looked at the wallet attached to his belt; it, too, was gray, as it had always been, but was it a different shade? The rupees themselves had mysteriously kept their various shades despite his touch; the brightness had stood out against his baseline grayscale, now that he thought about it. And the red on his sword was always so. He would have to remember to ask Navi later, see if she could explain. He gained his feet, holding his empty water cup and the pack. He placed the cup on the counter, thinking about the best way to situate the pack on his back with the sword and shield already occupying so much space. His back wasn't that broad. He wondered if he could talk the little Fairy into shrinking his pack down to pocket-size, too, since he knew she could.
Just then, his attention was drawn outside by alarmed shouts and the panicked whinnying of the stabled horses. Eyebrows snapping together, the Shadow stepped into the night, the torches around the stable having been lit while he was inside.
A family of Hylians came roaring in from the west, cart rocking dangerously as it sped past the front of the stable without slowing, horses' sides heaving as they panted and were visibly restrained from rearing in terror.
"Hinox! Blue Hinox headed this way!" the driver shouted, acting as a town crier. What looked to be his petrified family gripped the carriage with white knuckles and the stable behind the Shadow erupted in chaos as the cart rocketed away across the bridge.
Parents grabbed their children, hastily paid the stablemaster, saddled their horses, and took off as fast as they could, trying to outrun the destruction that followed the massive Hinoxes. Some followed after the family just barely still visible across the way before being swallowed by the deepening twilight; a few people on foot crossed the tree the Shadow had felled earlier, discussing their intent to head up the other side of the river until they could safely reconnect with the road farther north and west, beyond the Tower.
As the patrons cleared out, the stablemaster shook his head. "Goddess-damned Hinox mating season," the beefy man declared. "Every damned year, they come past here, scaring all my customers away for a week or so, making that awful racket up in the mountains." The man shook as an involuntary shudder wracked his body. "Blech."
The Shadow now had an image burned into his brain that he didn't condone and couldn't erase, that of two immense Hinoxes… mating. He fully understood the stablemaster's reaction; the bananas from earlier threatened to make a reappearance in an unappealing way, but he swallowed reflexively, keeping everything down where it belonged.
The stablemaster seemed more agitated than worried, though the Shadow could still hear the remaining horses screaming and rearing in fright. The burly man took himself over to the horse stalls to help the girl there try to calm the animals.
A roar from the west drew the Shadow's gaze in that direction, startled to hear it sound so close. He looked up to see gargantuan, humpbacked shoulders and a bald head with a single, central eye above the treetops, lumbering steadily toward the stable.
"Don't worry, Cima," he heard the stablemaster say, "They never come past the stable. It'll cross the river right over there at the narrowest point, climb the cliffs, and go to see its mate up on the plateau up there."
"Yes, Anly," the girl said, struggling to control a large, black horse that was trying to rear up.
"Ardin!" the stablemaster, Anly, yelled suddenly. The boy came bursting out of the building to stand at attention in front of him. Hidden poorly behind his back were a small, wooden sword and shield, clenched tightly in his tiny fists. The sight ignited the tiniest flame deep within the Shadow's chest. He had no idea what it meant, so he did his best to ignore it.
"Yes, Uncle?" the boy asked innocently.
Anly sighed. "Ardin. My brave boy. There's no need to go and fight the monster; put down the weapons and come help us with these horses. Hop to it, there's a good lad," he said gently, but firmly.
A few minutes later, the ground was shaking at steady intervals as the blue Hinox made its heavy-footed way through the forest. However, when it reached the point where Anly had said the monster usually stepped over the river, where the Shadow himself had crossed, it instead turned toward the stable and bellowed again.
The Shadow saw the eyes of the stoic Anly widen. "No! What is it doing! It never comes this way!"
The Shadow looked around. Apart from Anly, Cima, and Ardin, there was the old man still standing in the same spot outside the stable (but he was looking in the other direction, and the Shadow wasn't sure the old man knew there was any danger at all) and the musical Rito, who was heading in. Already inside sat Beedle the merchant— who had thought twice about leaving once the commotion began and headed right back indoors— a lone woman seated beneath a lantern, writing hastily in a journal, the man from by the fire earlier, and one other family of two women, each holding onto an identical crying infant. They'd pulled in just after the Shadow had arrived and were clearly not ready for the road again. The Hinox blundered ever closer, and the Shadow slowly came to the realization that there was no one here capable of fighting it, if that became necessary.
It also occurred to him that he probably could. That these Hylians might even expect it of him, carrying naught but a sword and shield as he was. His shoulders drooped and he let his chin touch his chest for a moment.
"No," he said quietly to himself.
No. He was already tired.
No. He didn't know any of these people, had no ties to this area. The beast wasn't after him, personally.
No. This was exactly what he didn't want to happen.
Shit.
Goddess damn it. I should just go. I could do it, leave right fucking now.
"Swordsman!" Anly shouted, panic seeping into his deep, baritone voice as the blue bulk of the Hinox appeared between the trees, bending young saplings and snapping off tall oaks like mere twigs. Around its neck hung what appeared to be a well-made silver Lynel bow, a quiver of arrows, and a golden chest all strung on a thick vine. Fat lot of fucking good they're doing anyone there, the Shadow thought.
The titanic boor crowed menacingly as it caught sight of the stable and put on some speed, gaining momentum and eating up the distance.
"Shadow Link!" Ardin cried, fright raising his already-high voice to a squeak.
Damn it, damn it, damn it.
The Shadow looked over at the child, the only being so far to have termed the Shadow's unusual, red eyes as cool, the only one whose first reaction hadn't been to balk in some way at his colorlessness, and felt something twist in his chest. "Goddess damn it!" he spat, irritated.
He glanced back at the Hinox, now far too close to be mistaken as aiming anywhere else, and thought once more that he really hadn't signed up for any of this shit.
"Shay, damn it, get inside, you crazy old fart!" Anly shouted at the old man. If the Hinox didn't change trajectory at all, the monster was going to run right over the aging Hylian who still had his back turned, blissfully unaware of the end of his life just moments away.
Fuck.
The Shadow reluctantly drew his sword, finding the edges aglow with a deep purple-red light, the red in the jewel shining and swirling. He felt slightly buoyed by the sight; the last time he'd faced an opponent with his sword alive like this, he'd come out victorious. He liked those odds. He tossed his pack to land near the stable with his other arm and grasped his shield, taking a breath and wondering what the hell he was doing.
"Yes!" Ardin's ecstatic voice shouted as the Shadow turned to face the Hinox barreling toward them, his feet automatically settling in a warrior's stance. The young lad ran up to the oblivious old man, grabbed his hand, and started pulling him away. "Come on, Mister Shay, sir, it's time to come inside now, okay?" the young lad chattered on as the old man began to totter after him.
"I want to see the dragon," the old man croaked.
"Yes, sir, Mister Shay, sir," Ardin agreed, tugging insistently to move the elderly Hylian more quickly. "But right now it's time to come inside, sir."
As the Hinox closed in, the Shadow noticed that its lone eye was focused on the terrified horses, drool escaping one side of its gaping, gap-toothed mouth. It was hungry; starving, even, he realized. He could use that to his advantage. A quick glance told him that Ardin and Shay had made it into the building, so it was time to decide once and for all whether to fight this thing or put his sword away and walk off, leaving all these people and horses to the wrath of the colossus.
He sighed, frustrated and angry. He really wanted to leave. He didn't want to fight, sure as fuck didn't want to fight a Hinox. But his feet refused to move.
Shit.
The hulking menace chose that moment to dash toward the horses, which were trying desperately to break free from Anly's and Cima's white-knuckled grips. The Shadow let it come uncomfortably close, partly because one of the most effective ways to fight a Hinox was to wait for it to extend its arm, then jump on it, run up it, and stab it in the eye, and partly because he was, after all, a bit of a dick and he hadn't asked for this and he wasn't a Hero, damn it.
He waited for it to reach out toward one of the terrified, screaming horses, then he leaped into action, springing up to land on the outstretched blue wrist. Fleet-footed and light as a breeze, the Shadow sprinted up the Hinox's massive limb, drew his arm back, and plunged the sword into the gigantic bastard's huge, cycloptic eye.
The Shadow yanked his blade back and jumped off the monstrosity's arm just as it began to move. He slashed at the chain around the thick neck as he leaped, slicing cleanly through; the bow, quiver, and chest thudded to the ground. The Hinox shrieked and fell back onto its rear, bottom landing in the middle of the lane as it brought both of its hands up to its bleeding, watering eye. The Shadow completed his maneuver, planting his feet in the chest of the gargantuan oaf and pushing off. He landed in a three-point stance next to the bow, turning to face the monster and getting an unwanted eyeful beneath the inadequate loincloth. Fucking goddess damn it!
Shaking his head to clear his mind until he could take a sharp stick to it later, he sheathed his sword and grabbed up both the bow and the quiver, both seeping to grayscale at his touch, stringing the latter across his back to slot alongside his scabbard. He reached back and grabbed an arrow, noticing it had a strange, double-pointed, bright yellow end but lacking the time to wonder about it as the Hinox kicked out with his fetid foot. He caught the Shadow square in the chest (and olfactory senses), sending him flying back to the treeline to a gasping chorus of "Oh!" and "No!" from the people crowded at the entrance of the stable.
He landed in a heap, wheezing harshly, wondering what the fuck he was doing fighting a blue fucking Hinox, what the fuck? Now in an even worse mood, he cursed the Goddesses, Hyrule, Hinox foot fungus, insufficient undergarments, the people watching, the trees, Ganondorf, the setting sun, that goddess-damned Fairy, the water, fucking everything, fuck!
"Hey!" came the Sprite's voice right next to his ear. Farther away, there was a louder noise: a grumble and a series of loud cracks that did not bode well. "Get up, Shadow Link! You must get up now!"
He groaned, finally getting his hands underneath him and pushing himself up slowly.
"Fucking Hero bullshit," he muttered.
"Move your ass!" she shouted at him, right before he felt a sharp tug on the back of his belt and found himself on his feet.
"What the— I knew you could lift me, you lazy little— shit!" What had started out as a pained, startled grumble ended in a yell as he darted away from the Hinox, who'd regained his feet while the Shadow had been down. The tenacious bastard swung a tall, thick tree he'd torn right out of the ground like it was an oversized club. It landed with a thunderous boom! right where the Shadow had been a moment before, dangling roots raining dirt everywhere.
The monster raised his weapon again, readying another blow. The Shadow finally located the bow and arrow he'd dropped when he'd been punted, some distance away. He waited for the Hinox to swing at him again, dodged, then drew his gleaming black sword as he sprinted toward the monster to slash savagely at his legs, causing him to lose his balance and topple over. The Shadow used the opportunity to dive over to where the bow and arrow had fallen. He resheathed his sword, picked them both up, nocked the odd-looking arrow, and took aim.
The enormous orb was no longer bleeding but was still watering when the Shadow let the arrow fly. It struck true, hitting dead center on the Hinox's red, bloodshot eye. An instant later, lightning erupted around the oversized body, bombarding the thick flesh with electricity and raising the hairs on the Shadow's own arms.
Oh. It's a shock arrow. That explains the peculiar business end.
A few moments later, the phenomenon ended, charge dissipating into the air and leaving the Hinox shaking and moaning, wounded, but still alive and standing, if unsteadily. The Shadow rushed in, glowing black sword in hand once more. He jumped and twisted, bouncing off massive arms like a flea to slash at every surface he could reach, ferociously jabbing at the vast stomach, chest, and neck, delivering another decisive stab to the eye, and culminating in a brutal two-handed blow that buried the shining sword to the hilt in the top of the balding head.
The great eye rolled up to bleed balefully at him as the Hinox fell backward one final time with a piteous, lowing moan. The Shadow pulled the sword from the behemoth's skull and leaped down to the ground, watching as the body tumbled over the cliff and into the lake, its bulk immediately sinking to the bottom, air bubbles bursting on the surface as the sole, temporary marker of a watery grave.
A wild cheer erupted behind the Shadow, making him hang his head and sigh in defeat.
"Still not going on any fucking quest," he muttered to Navi, knowing she could hear him; as far as he knew, she'd never been visible, even when intervening to lift him up.
"Certainly not, Shadow," she assured.
"Did you and those Goddesses plan this somehow? I feel like this was a setup," he grumbled, bending to wipe the Hinox's blood off the now-quiet sword onto the grass before sliding it back into its sheath.
"What's that? I can't hear you, Hero, gotta go!" she said.
"Not your Hero, you tiny, devious bastard," he whispered futilely.
"Shadow Link! Shadow Link!" screeched the delighted voice of Ardin. The rambunctious child came tearing over, skidding to a stop in front of him. "That was ah-mazing! The way you jumped up and ran up his arm and stuck him right in his fat ol' eye!" He ran a short distance away and began attacking an unfortunate sapling with his little wooden sword, letting out an occasional "Hyah!"
And suddenly, nearly everyone that had been inside the shelter of the stable had come out to surround him, staring at him and patting him on the back like some sideshow freak— but one they no longer feared, it seemed. Even old Shay had teetered back out into the night, though he'd simply gone back to staring at that same spot he'd been eyeing before. The nocturnal critters had seemed to cheer the victory, as well, before settling into their usual nightly conversations.
The merchant, Beedle, grabbed the Shadow's hand and shook it repeatedly. "Oh, wow! Th-that was really something! I sure am glad you were here! I tell you what— to say 'Thank you', I'm giving you a ten percent discount on anything you buy from me from now on!" He finally released the Shadow's hand, stepping back into the small crowd.
The man who'd run from him earlier by the fire and then stared rudely at him inside the stable now handed the Shadow's pack to him with a small, apologetic smile. The Shadow nodded at him and shouldered it, stringing the bow along his back to lay with the quiver and scabbard; once away from all these people, he'd ask Navi to shrink the pack, and maybe some of his weaponry to fit in his pocket. He understood the man's reaction; he looked like what he was: the embodiment of Ganondorf's hatred of the Hero. When he thought about it, though, the Shadow didn't actually hate anyone for his own reasons. He hadn't even hated the Hero— not really, not with his own emotions, anyway. It had just been a biological imperative to defeat him, the mission literally written into his genetic code.
"Well, my boy," Anly boomed as he clapped the Shadow on his shoulder and nearly sent him to the ground. "That was sure excitin'. Thought you were a goner for a minute there when he kicked you across the yard, but you sure showed 'im, eh? Spooky eyes and all—"
"They're not spooky, Uncle Anly, they're awesome!" Ardin interjected loudly, eviscerating an invisible enemy and nearly taking out the Rito's knee in the process. "Whoops! Sorry, Kass!" The Rito— Kass, apparently— bowed his head to the boy in acknowledgement and began to play his accordion again.
"—I owe ya a huge debt, son," Anly continued as though there'd been no interruption. "No tellin' what damage that brute woulda done if you hadn't stepped in. Whaddya say to your pick of whatever horse you'd like, eh? Since you saved them, and all. You'll also stay here free whenever you like, o'course, and stable any horse here at no charge, too," the big man rambled, obviously letting his pent-up adrenaline out in words.
"Oh," the Shadow was surprised at this fortuitous twist. He nodded. "Yes, good."
"Well, come on over and have a look. See which one you might like." The man strode over to the horses; they were still agitated, but no longer chaotically frightened. Most just whinnied uncomfortably or shifted from foot to foot.
The Shadow took a few steps toward Anly, Cima, and the horses, but the closer he drew, the more nervous and distressed the animals became. He stopped. They calmed a bit. He took a step. They tossed their heads, stomping their feet.
"Huh," Anly said. "I've never seen that before." He looked apologetically at the Shadow. "Sorry, lad. Somethin' 'bout you makes them uneasy," he explained. The Shadow noticed the avian's eyes marking him every so often, but they held only curiosity and contemplation, so the Shadow disregarded it.
He shrugged, not really surprised; the horses had made their distrust of him obvious from the start. He wished absently that Ganondorf had made the Shadow's appearance a little less… conspicuous.
"There must be somethin' can be done," Anly was muttering to himself. "Hate to have you have to walk the entirety of Hyrule."
"You should go and see the Horse God, Shadow Link," Ardin paused in his epic battle to suggest. "Uncle Anly said that Malanya watches over all the stables," he gestured up to the enormous horse head atop the stable. "His lake isn't too far from here, is it, Uncle Anly?" he asked, looking to the big man.
"No, indeed, lad," the stablemaster agreed. "In fact, that's a fine idea, Ardin, my boy." He turned to look at the Shadow. "I owe you a debt that I can't repay, but the Horse God can. Just over those cliffs," he pointed to the west, "and up on top of the next butte, you'll find Malanya's Spring. You go there, he'll find a horse that'll seat you," he finished with a confident nod. "But it's too dark tonight to go climbing mountains; you come on inside, we'll get you a good, hot meal, some ale, if you'd like, then we'll get you settled in for the night in one of our soft beds. Sound good?"
The Shadow nodded in agreement, and Anly bustled off, presumably to ready a meal and a bed. Just then, Ardin called from across the yard, "Hey, Shadow Link!" He was standing next to the golden chest that had been around the Hinox's neck with the Lynel bow and quiver of arrows. "Are you gonna open this?"
"Oh," the Shadow answered, admitting, "I almost forgot about it." He strode over to stand beside Ardin.
"Whaddya think's in there?" the boy asked.
"Only one way to find out," the Shadow said, then bent to open the latch. The lid opened easily, revealing a plush, red interior. Nestled inside was a heart-shaped golden vessel filled with something vivid and red. His eyebrows drew together. A heart? He reached in to pick it up, but as his fingers met it, it began to glow brightly— still in its brilliant colors, even after his touch— and levitate up out of the chest. It hovered midair for a moment, then it vanished in a shimmer of golden sparkles. The Shadow felt a sudden warmth that began in his chest, working its way out to his extremities, and he felt his exhaustion leaving him. He watched in astonishment as the wounds on his hands and arms healed and then disappeared altogether, leaving not even scars. The dirt and gore coating most of his visible skin also evanesced. What the actual fuck?
"Whoa! You got a Heart Container, Shadow Link!" Ardin announced, enraptured.
"A what?"
"You don't know?" the boy asked incredulously.
"Well," the Shadow explained, "it's my first day."
"Of what?"
"Being alive."
Ardin narrowed his eyes, then laughed brightly. "You're weird," he said, shaking his head. "Every Heart Container you find makes you stronger, heals your wounds. The Hero finds them on his quest to save Hyrule," he said, as though this were common knowledge the Shadow should already have.
"Whoa, there, kid. I'm no Hero, and I'm sure as hell not on any quest," he warned. Shit, the Fairy was going to have a field day with this.
"Well, if you don't know where you're from or where you're headed, how do you know you're not a Hero on a quest?" he asked sagely.
Because I killed your Hero, he thought. That's probably not very Heroic, and certainly not a general part of any quest. But he'd already said basically that and the precocious lad hadn't believed him, so he doubted repetition would help. "Don't feel like one," he said instead. It was the truth. He looked seriously at the boy. "I'm a killer; I'm not a Hero."
Ardin thought for a moment. "Depends on who you kill, Shadow Link," he declared, unbothered. Then he spun away, fending off imaginary hordes of invaders single-handedly, striking fear into the hearts of an entire copse of trees.
Hyrule Rumor Mill by Traysi
Traysi here! Awake or asleep, my quest for juicy rumors never rests! EVER. Doesn't everyone gossip in their sleep?
Today I've got a rumor fresh from the mill that is… wait for it… an EXCLUSIVE! And that special topic is…
The dark and mysterious new Hinox-slaying Hero
An enigmatic young man with what I call charmingly-unusual features is roaming the wilds near Lakeside Stable, armed with a glowing black and red replica of the Sword That Seals the Darkness. Monsters (and hearts) beware!
That's not all! He's also dressed as a dark version of the one and only Chosen Hero of Hyrule!
Legend says the Hero will gather the shards of the Triforce and seal away the Darkness. Swoon!
But where is Link?
Traysi's Recommendation: 4 stars
Author note: I love this chapter. Let me know what you think!
