The rest of the trip through Castletown and up towards the castle was relatively uneventful. Even though it was impossible to see into the carriage once we put the curtains down, it wasn't hard for people to figure out that somebody important was riding along. I guess the full-blown military escort was kind of a giveaway. It wasn't long before people were lining the streets and trying to get a peek at who was roaming around with so much security personnel. I think one of Zelda's maids contemplated stabbing me with a butter knife when I pulled back the curtain to get a look at the city.
"Sorry about that Link," Zelda said. "We have to be sure that no one knows that the Royal Family has been traveling during times of war. It could arouse suspicion. Not to mention it would take us ages to reach the castle if people knew I was in here. The poor guards are having trouble controlling the crowd as it is."
"Yeah, no worries. I guess that's kind of par for the course when you're a princess, huh?" I said. It wasn't until I saw Zelda's confused expression that I realized I'd used another modern colloquialism. This was gonna take some getting used too.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that," she said. "Par for the what?"
"Oh, it's another modern phrase. It just means that this is normal for someone in your position," I said. "Sorry Princess, I'm still having trouble getting used to all of this."
"No no, it's quite alright. I'm sure this is all terribly difficult for you," she said. After that a long period of silence fell over the carriage and lasted basically until we were within the gates surrounding the castle. We could finally pull back the curtains again and for the first time in my life I got to see Hyrule Castle in all of its grandeur.
The first thing that stood out was just how absolutely massive the place was. Its thick, cobblestone walls stretched towards sky and contained a seemingly endless number of windows, revealing the castle's numerous floors and rooms. Guards lined the walls as well as every entrance that could be seen, and looming towers sprouted up in several places throughout. The sun was setting just over the center of the castle, making the scene even more breathtaking than I could have imagined.
I didn't have much time to take in my surroundings though, because once we were well within the courtyard the doors of the carriage were flung open by Captain Jeero.
"Alright Link, why don't you come with me before too many guards come around and start wondering why a young commoner was traveling with the princess," he said. "Also, a few of the more seasoned guards are familiar with the Link of our time, and I'm sure seeing you would generate a lot of confusion. We need to keep your origins a secret, so lets get a move on." Captain Jeero placed his hand firmly on my back and began to usher me away before Zelda spoke up.
"Captain before you whisk him away I'd like to have a word with our newest soldier, if you wouldn't mind it too terribly," Zelda said, and I was conscious of how much I liked the way she spoke to her underlings as if they didn't actually have to listen to her if they didn't want to.
"Why yes of course, Princess," he said. He then gave me a sly look before shooing me back over to Zelda.
"What's up—er I mean, what did you need Princess?" I said.
"I just wanted to speak with you before you go, because once you start your basic training we likely won't be seeing much of each other," Zelda said. "I'd like to thank you for coming here and for believing my words. I understand this must be an incredible burden on you. You are doing all of Hyrule a great service."
Her outward gratitude made me feel kind of warm and fuzzy inside, and I wanted to return her appreciation with mountains of confidence and a promise to save her kingdom, but we both knew I couldn't do that.
Instead I just tried to play it off saying "Well don't thank me yet. I still haven't done anything really." I noticed Zelda's smile drop, so I decided I would at least try to give her something to set her mind at ease. "I do promise to give it my all though. I'll do everything I can to be the hero you guys need me to be."
The smile returned to her face and she said "That's all we can really ask of you, Link,"
After that Captain Jeero led me to the west wing of the Castle where the barracks were. Thankfully the path there from the courtyard wasn't too complicated so I was pretty sure I could memorize it.
In here I wouldn't be getting any special treatment, and I was forced to share a room with around 20 other recruits. They provided plenty of clothes and supplies for me, and I got stuck with a bottom bunk. Most people would consider this a bad thing, but I actually usually preferred bottom bunks. Something about sleeping high off the ground always made it hard for me to relax.
As Captain Jeero showed me around the rest of the grounds he explained how my training would go.
"You're coming in at the same time as a batch of fresh recruits so you'll be put through basic training just like anyone else," he said. "The only difference is that, in the interest of time, you'll be allowed to advance much more quickly than most soldiers. The moment you show mastery of the basics in one skill you'll be moved to the next lesson. Time is of the essence, and we need to mold you into an elite soldier in just a few months time."
I guess the fear showed in my face because Captain Jeero laughed and said "Don't worry lad. If you're anything like the Link we've all come to know you'll be a natural! Basic training should be a breeze."
I decided not to share the fact that I had lost the only two fights I'd ever been considering it probably wouldn't have done much to set everyone's minds at ease.
"Well Link, I'll go ahead and show you the mess hall and we can get some dinner," he said. "You should be sure to eat plenty of food and get some rest. Training starts tomorrow!" I did my best to smile and look excited, but on the inside all I felt was nervous.
The rest of the recruits arrived at the castle just in time for dinner. Most of them already seemed somewhat acquainted with at least one other person so I just sat by myself off to the side. Captain Jeero ate in the Captain's quarters and had some decent food instead of the nasty soup and stale bread that the recruits were treated to.
Later we were led back to the bedroom where everyone got situated and people started getting to know each other. I tried making conversation a few times, but the whole thousand-year-age-gap thing kinda made socializing difficult.
I was sitting on my bed awkwardly, unsure of whether or not I should just try to get some sleep until a boy with long, purple hair sauntered up and unceremoniously threw his bag onto the bunk above me.
"Alright, top bunk!" he said. He turned his attention towards me and stuck his hand out for me to shake. "I guess that makes you my bunkmate. The name's Kafei, Kafei Dotour. Pleased to meet you!"
I stood up to shake his hand and said "Likewise, I'm Link Forrester." I was just a little bit taller than Kafei, which made him pretty short. His purple hair was combed back and fell just above his shoulders, and he had purple eyes to match. He had a hell of a strong handshake though, so I decided to be sure I didn't underestimate his strength just because of his stature and boyish features.
"Woah, Link as in the famous warrior Link from the Faron Province?" Kafei said in disbelief. I noticed a few of the other recruits look over at us suspiciously so I faked a laugh as best as I could.
"The only thing he and I share is a name," I said. "That Link character sure has become quite the celebrity though hasn't he?"
Now that we were on the topic of the Hero of Hyrule, Kafei's face seemed to light up. His body practically shook with excitement as he spoke.
"Well yeah of course he is! He practically halted the entire Gerudo army single-handedly before the military showed up. He's the whole reason I joined the gaurd!" Kafei said. Then he leaned in and whispered excitedly "You know, I've heard he's actually claimed the Master Sword! Could you imagine if we actually got to meet him in person?"
I nodded and tried to seem as excited as Kafei was, but mostly I was just in disbelief. I wondered just how many teenagers had rushed off to join the war effort in hopes of meeting this Link guy. And even crazier still, I was supposed to be his equal.
I seemed to have my work cut out for me, but I had gained somewhat of a friend in Kafei, who seemed nice enough even if he was a little over-enthused, so at least I had made some semblance of progress.
Pretty soon the night started winding down and people were getting ready for bed. Training started at the crack of dawn and we knew we had to be well rested, but I couldn't sleep a wink. I stayed up for hours, worrying about whether or not I could live up to everyone's expectations. At some point I started to wonder if I'd made a mistake in agreeing to all this—if Sheik had made a mistake in choosing me.
Mistake or not, though, I was already here and I knew it was too late to turn back. When I finally did fall asleep, I fell asleep feeling determined.
"Alright, the match up is Forrester against Skye! Get out here soldiers!" Sergeant Finch shouted and I inwardly groaned. This could not have been a worse matchup.
Roughly three weeks had passed since basic training had started. I was in pretty good shape from the few sports I played in high school, and I found that I liked the physical workouts and long runs. Archery had come relatively easily to me, and it wasn't long before I was the best archer in our class. I wasn't exactly a deadeye, but I was certainly passable. Even horseback riding was easy to get the hang of despite how awkward it felt at first.
Sergeant Finch was technically in charge of training the recruits, but Captain Jeero still stopped by frequently and offered me as many tips as he could. Things were going relatively well on my path to becoming a hero, but there was just one small problem…
"Alright, sounds like an easy win for me," my gargantuan red-headed opponent said. "Hope you're ready to get your ass kicked Forrester."
"Can it Groose," I said as I stepped into the ring. Twice a week all the recruits got paired up randomly and had to spar. Everyone had to use the same armor, which I found to be a little too clunky, but you could choose whatever close-quarters weapon you wanted. I always went for the one handed longsword and shield, and Groose used a simple spear.
I stood at the ready and eyed Groose down as best as I could, but it was kind of hard when he had at least six inches and a hundred pounds on me.
"Ready… begin!" Sergeant Finch yelled.
As soon as the match began Groose rushed me, just like I knew he would. I guarded with my shield and the spear glanced right off, leaving Groose's left wide open for an instant. All I'd have to do was step in and swing, but I hesitated for too long and gave Groose a chance to get back on the offensive. I could block or parry all of his hits relatively easily, but I couldn't gain any ground. I'd gotten pretty good at defending after getting the Din beaten out of me so many times.
Blow after blow came. Each time I blocked with perfection and created an opening. Each time I hesitated to make the final move. Any swings I could get in were reserved and defensive. This was how things had been for weeks.
The general motions and strategizing for fights had taken more time to learn, but those eventually came to me too. I knew how to fight; that wasn't really the problem. I hated to admit it, but the problem was that I was afraid. Afraid to hurt someone, afraid to drop my defense and get hurt, afraid that I would let everyone down. I was just afraid.
The fight dragged on, and after a while my shield arm started to feel heavy. I could feel fatigue seeping into my legs, and my movements were becoming more and more slow by the second.
I was an instant too late moving to guard one of Groose's attacks, and the swing knocked me off balance. He took that chance to jab me right in the gut and send me sprawling to the ground. The blades were dulled but it still hurt like hell. Sergeant Finch started yelling that the match was over, and Groose sauntered over to his friends to start bragging.
On the inside I was seething, but part of me had known that this would be the outcome. Groose was the best in our class when it came to sparring, and I was easily the worst. I hadn't won even a single match. I was proving to be one sorry excuse for a hero.
Author's note: Oh gosh, I am really sorry about how long this update took. It turns out graduating from high school and getting a job takes up a lot of your time and mental capacity. Also I'm pretty lazy, but I really want to start updating more frequently! I know this chapter was short, but I wanted to go ahead and get some kind of update out there. As always, any and all reviews are appreciated. To those of you with questions, my simple answer is to stay patient. All will be answered in good time. If you actually read this, thanks a million! Have a nifty day!