A Link to the Heart Chapter 21

Wind tore into his eyes, howling through the aperture in his helmet. Epona's muscles bunched and released, the motion sending him bouncing up and down in his stirrups as they galloped headlong into danger. The noise of hundreds of hooves pounding the dirt was ear-splitting, rolling thunder drowning out all else. While ahead the Gerudo grew in his sight at bowel loosening speed.

To his left and his right five hundred Knights galloped into the fray. Their weapons glinting and horses frothing with spittle as they ran for all they were worth. Heavy helms enclosed faces but Link knew they shared his determination. The Gerudo had to be held here, if they broke through the Knight's ranks they would escape the vengeance they so richly deserved. Link couldn't see the Hylian army anymore but he hoped they would be advancing to grapple with the enemy from the rear. It was up to the Knights to hold the foe in place so the trap could slam shut.

He gripped the reins in his right hand, shield braced on his forearm as the weight of his sword dragged on his left. They were seconds away from impact and he could see the Gerudo in stunning detail, the clarity of his sight growing extraordinarily precise as danger loomed. Those who had never fought for their lives could never understand how the senses sharpened in moments of danger, trying to drink in every last morsel of detail as the possibility of death loomed. Link could see the Gerudo's faces, their sharp features and pointed noses, marred by angry bellows and fierce shrieks. He could see the flashes on their bridles and the wide-eyed madness of their horses. Their weapons shone like silver, blurring as they were swung overhead in readiness to strike.

In the last moment his thoughts strayed. He knew the Knights were badly outnumbered, even with the Gerudo's losses they outmatched the Knights five-to-one. But the Gerudo were fast raiders, accustomed to hit and run attacks. The knights were heavy cavalry, their armour was thick and their weapons ponderous. In the brutality of melee strength would count for more than speed, or so he hoped. But their greatest advantage was that they did not have to win, merely survive the next few minutes until the rest of the army came to bear. They were fighting for time.

Suddenly the Gerudo were upon them and there was no more time for thought. Link pulled back his sword as the forces surged into each other and then swung for the first body he saw. A heavyset woman, swinging a scimitar for his head. Link swayed back in the saddle and in return his sword stabbed out, plunging into the Gerudo's side. The impact rang up his arm and he nearly lost his sword as the blood sucked upon the edge of his blade. He heaved back and ripped his sword free as the horse galloped past, taking the dying warrior out of sight.

Link had no time for celebration for Epona ran straight into another horse, coming to an abrupt halt in a flurry of kicking and biting. All around Knights slammed into Gerudo and the melee became close and vicious. Armoured men struck with heavy blades and spiked maces, smashing into bodies wearing only cloth robes. Limbs broke under blows and skulls were staved in as the Knights shouted insults. The heavy cavalry cleaved deeply into the invader's ranks but they were not without casualties themselves. Sweeping Scimitars hacked at limbs and stabbing glaives plunged into bellies, tearing through chainmail as the warrior women screamed with fierce zeal. And on both sides horses stamped and bit and kicked, adding wild frenzy to the battle. The Knights were killing two Gerudo for every one of them that fell, but they were outnumbered many times over and were swiftly surrounded.

Link's world shrank and he lost all sense of the wider battle. All he could see were armoured Knights battling with raiders, exchanging deadly blows without restraint. All was carnage and calamity and it was a struggle to stay on Epona's back, let alone fight. Link heaved back on the reins and managed to steady himself. He found himself skittering up behind a Gerudo, who was trying to chop the arm off a Knight fending off three women. Link didn't hesitate to thrust his sword into her back, killing her from behind. Not the honourable clash of arms minstrels sang of but anyone who lived through a single battle knew there was no such thing in the white madness of a melee.

Link spurred Epona at the next Gerudo and cleaved her arm off with a sweep of his sword. The woman fell off her horse with a scream and was lost to sight, but then an almighty crash slammed into Link's shoulder. He snarled as pain flared up his right side and he saw a Gerudo with twinned scars over her cheeks shrieking as she drew back her glaive and struck again. Link barely got his shield up in time to deflect the blow and the force rattled the teeth in his skull. The long-handled weapon bounced off the perfect sheen of his shield and Link thrust with his sword, but the Gerudo was a consummate rider and hauled on her reins, dragging her horse away. Link hit only air and nearly overbalanced as the weight of his sword dragged him to one side.

The Gerudo woman cackled in glee as she saw the opening and stabbed out again, aiming for his heart. Link saw the blow coming but was too slow to deflect it and the tip slammed into his armour. Link rocked back in his saddle as his ribs screamed in protest, kept in his seat only by the high back of his saddle. His chest felt like a smith's hammer had struck him dead-on, but the heavy plates covering his upper chest had withstood the blow and kept him alive. Had he been wearing his customary green tunic he would have died but the added protection proved its worth, saving him from death.

The Gerudo screamed in frustration and drew back for another blow but Link was faster. His sword swung wide, aiming low as it smashed into her horse's head with a cry of, "Hyragh!" The edge of his sword cut through flesh and bone in an instant and the mount toppled, dropping the startled woman to the dirt with a surprised scream. The dead horse rolled as it fell and the Gerudo was trapped under its bulk, her legs broken in many places, leaving her pinned and helpless.

Link left her behind as he looked for the next foe, only to see the Knights beset on all sides. To his left a proud warrior fell with a glaive in his spine, to the right a man toppled off his horse with a split skull. Two Knights had lost their horses and fought on foot, back to back against circling warriors. Their brave defiance was cut short as a dozen scimitars fells, parting their heads from their shoulders. Everywhere he looked brave knights were falling, too badly outnumbered to withstand the onslaught. Despite reaping a most valiant tally the Hylian knights were about to fall. Then Link saw Tarren and Jortan, still on their horses but fighting for their lives. The Knights were surrounded by a band of shrieking women, standing their ground but bleeding freely from many wounds.

Link spurred Epona forward and the horse responded eagerly, racing into the rear of the enemy with an equine scream. Link rocked back in his saddle then forward, slashing out at the nearest foe. He took the first in the back, then another in the belly and the third he cut down with a blow to the neck. His surprise attack threw the Gerudo into disarray and they wheeled to face him, only to expose their backs to the beleaguered Knights. Heavy swords rose and fell, cleaving bodies apart and in moments they had cleared a mote of space.

Link didn't dare to look down at the broken bodies scattered upon the ground as he yelled, "Where are our men?!"

Tarren swung his horse's head around as he shouted, "They're being overwhelmed, there's too many enemies!"

Jortan added, "Look out, here comes more of the filth!"

Link looked left and saw a knot of enemies closing, a dozen Gerudo bearing down on them with rage in their eyes. The three warriors were isolated from their fellows and outmatched and Link knew the trio could not withstand so many. This was their last moment, yet even as the thought formed a most strange occurrence unfolded. From the air above coalesced golden sparks, falling upon them and clinging to the edges of their swords and armour. A warm aura of protection and strength shimmered into being, enveloping the Knights in the same blessing as had protected the spearmen. Link saw golden sparks falling like snow upon embattled Hylian Knights and as they did so the Gerudo seemed to slow, appearing to be moving through treacle to his eye.

"Magic!" Jortan cried, "We are bewitched!"

"No!" Link shouted, "It is Princess Zelda, she bends time to our favour!"

"Let's make the most of it," Tarren yelled, "Charge!"

Across the bloody melee the surviving Knights rallied, throwing themselves into the fray. The golden energy blessed them with unearthly speed and they tore into the packed Gerudo, swords seeming to move like quicksilver. They dodged counter strikes with ease and struck out in return, again and again, each blow claiming the life of a woman who could barely see their enemy moving. To Link it was like he was fighting statues, the Gerudo's attempts to fight back so slow they as well have not bothered. His sword darted and thrust, chopping off limbs and penetrating hearts, reaping lives like harvester does his crop. The Hylians were unstoppable, no mundane weapon could touch them and it seemed victory was at hand. But the Gerudo were not without magic of their own.

From nowhere sprung a ball of crackling lightning, flying into the packed melee. Link saw it coming but even with the blessing he could not move fast enough to avoid the energy blast, nothing could move that fast. The crackling orb struck the ground and exploded into flaring devastation, blasting him with eldritch lightning. Pain enveloped Link and a hammerblow struck to the chest, lifting him with no more effort than the wind does a leaf. The golden aura was torn to shreds as Link was ripped from his saddle, thrown away like a rag doll and he screamed, "Arrrgh!"

He hit the ground with his back and felt the impact smash the breath from his lungs. He flopped back, stunned by the blast and lay still, staring dumbly at the sky. Over his head tall horses stomped and kicked, threatening to crush him, but worse was the continuous stream of energy blasts flying past his eye. Magic orbs of lightning, flying into the Hylian Knights and exploding with deadly force. Link heard screams and cries of agony as brave men fell and he knew their deaths were at hand. Valiant heroes of Hyrule were being cut apart by fell magic and he could do nothing to stop it, all he could do was lie in the mud and gasp for breath.

The thought stirred a mote of defiance in his heart and made him clench his jaw. Men were dying, brave friends and stalwart allies. He refused to let this pass, he refused to lie still and let it happen. A surge of outrage swelled within him and he gritted his teeth as he forced his arms to move. The weight of his armour dragged at him, trying to keep him pinned to the ground but he refused to yield. Sheer stubbornness lent steel to his arm and rage put fire into his legs. He heard the screams of Knights dying and it drove him to roll over, he saw charred bodies falling to the ground and it compelled him to rise to his feet, swaying like a drunk but upright nonetheless.

Before him a wall of Gerudo on horseback looked down with disdain, but they did not strike. Instead, their ranks parted to allow a single woman to pass, an ancient hag in midnight robes. She looked down on him with scorn and cried, "This one is mine!"

Link's arms were weary but he forced his sword into a defensive pose as he spat, "Face me, witch."

The hag paused at his defiant stance and breathed, "Wait… I sense it, I can smell the ancient power. You, you are the one, the bearer of the relic I have sought."

Link tensed his legs as he snarled, "You shall pay for your perfidy."

The woman cackled, "You cannot defeat Old Hanne. I shall kill you and tear the relic from your corpse! The Midnight Hag shall claim your life and the ultimate power!"

Link didn't reply, instead he threw himself at the sorceress and their duel was joined.