Hunter hunted

Byleth remembered her hometown in Garreg Mach, in the centre of Fódlan, perhaps the very centre of Osternia and the world. It used to be a little country. The evergreen hills grew more and more into large mountains the further you went into the middle of the small nation. At the top, where dark grey stones found themselves surrounded by lush green forests, bushes and moss growing around serpentine rivers that made their way through every crack and crevasse of the mountains, forming waterfalls and jumps where children loved to play while mothers washed their clothes, stood the Monastery.

Officially the Garreg Mach Holy See, the Monastery and by extension of itself, the rest of Garreg Mach were what was left of peace and compromise with the gods in war-torn Fódlan. Although some nations - as northern Ylisse, the Halidom; or Crimea, to the South, sharing heritage between Osternia and Southenbell, the southern continent – were less fond of war and empire, the constant quarrels between the likes of Regna Ferox and Plegia in the North or even the recent war and swallowing of Daein by the armies of Begnion had forced the pacifist nations to arm themselves. In their efforts to prepare for war as to achieve peace, Osternia's lands had become dangerous and militaristic. Byleth, a kind and loving soul, even as a little girl knew the dangers of the rearming of Osternia, and it had been realized when the Ylissian Empire rose. She knew the truth. Too much of it. But she dared not tell it, or even think of it.

But all that was long gone. The war of Osternia, the peace of Garreg Mach. Now, she faced the quiet sadness of Hyrule. A great land that left her isolated, alone in a strange land, always sought by those who wished her ill back home and punished by a cold, harsh winter.

Since her escape from the Tabantha Village prison, where she was unfairly sorted into a tiny cell to rot for days, she had been wondering the frigid lands - more so in the cold winter that year offered. She knew not what plans the Raven's Eye had for her, but she knew whatever the Ylissian Empire had in store for her, it wasn't good for her health.

Then again, neither is this cold… she thought to herself. She declared herself officially lost after seeing further away than she'll ever go Hebra Peak summit for the fifth time. The steppes that surrounded the Hebra mountain chain in north-western Hyrule were cold and desolate. The eventual bush pushed up against a thousand-metre-long wall of hard rock and harder ice and some caves surely harboured unwanted creatures, such as hordes of bokoblins and moblins, so she didn't exactly have any safe route anywhere. The forests that connected the hyrulean lands to Termina formed a thick green wall to any who dared enter, swallowing any who ventured in. In her short stay at Tabantha, she had heard the stories. Those who got lost in forests turned into evil beings, with tunes as seducing as deadly.

Therefore, her blood froze – even more in the cold – when she heard a tune coming from the forest. It was a dark tune, played by a wind instrument, simple and quiet, and yet Byleth was drawn to it, as if she were enchanted. The snowflakes seemed to form a path that showed her the path to follow. She didn't recognize the song, but she felt she had known it for all her life. Memories of her mother humming it while she cooked came to her, though calling them memories wasn't really fair. A voice came from the mountain peaks, hiding somewhere deep within the white veil of snow, and called to her. As the tune continued playing, making her drunk in her efforts to find it, the voice of her mother talked to her from the mountaintop.

Byleth… Was it your fault, my dear daughter? Are you running from them or yourself?

She felt her eyes heavy as she walked still. She was knee-deep in the snow, leaning on trees to continue her path, when she dropped in what seemed to be an opening in the middle of the woods. As soon as she fell, the melody stopped, leaving Byleth startled and for some reason, fearful. She quickly stood up, frozen where she stood and laid eyes upon a horrifying sight. Next to where just mere moments ago she was lying, was a clear figure laying down in the floor. A body clad in heavy armour, unrecognizable from the frost and snow in it. Around it, the snow went from a bright white to crimson red, tainted by blood. The image pulsated in her vision, her eyes not able to look away although they desperately wanted to. She started to pant and fell down backwards once again, while stumbling away from the dead body, not taking the horrid sight our of her eyes. Then, a silent figure stalked her from behind, jumping off a tree. It held tightly her hands and whispered in her ear, throwing chills all over Byleth's body.

'Caught you, dear…'

Byleth woke up panting. Mere moments ago, she was having a panic attack for a most absurd reason, but Byleth's head hurt too much to think about that. The melody, though, that cursed song still sounded in her head. She was confused, angry and frightened at the same time. She was handcuffed in her back and was sitting next to a firepit. Although her vision was somewhat blurry, she could make out a person sitting near her, on top of a rock and covered by the entrance of a cave. He was sharpening a knife, while humming a tune, different from the one she had heard earlier. He didn't seem to notice she was awake. Byleth knew this was her captor, a mercenary or bounty hunter working for the Empire or the Raven's Eye. While she thought of a plan to escape, she suddenly heard a howling far away, though clear as water. She looked back, deep into the forest to find the source of the howling but found nothing.

'Wolves. The Hebra kind. They're not a nice bunch.' Said the man, not looking at her. Byleth turned around. And stared at him. His sharp face was covered by his thick blue scarf. He had the signature hylian long ears, with an earring on them. His hair was dirty blond, long and unorganized, covered in the top by a layer of snow. He leaned over to her, taking a metal cup from the fire and offering it to her. 'Want some?' Answering to her silence, he added 'It's coffee. From the Mushroom Kingdom.'

Byleth stared at him in disbelief. 'Who are you?' she said blankly.

Her captor drank the coffee himself and looked at her, smiling. 'Now that, dear, would be very unprofessional.'

'You've captured me.' Byleth stated while she moved her hands around her cuffs, searching for any weak spots.

'And you've escaped prison. We've all done bad things, haven't we?' he said as he looked at her dead in the eye.

Byleth waited for a moment in silence, as the snow whistled around them in a furious dance. 'How much are they paying you?' she inquired.

He stood up. 'Enough to capture you if you escaped. Again.' He started to put all his things into a bag, including Byleth's sword. She looked angrily at him.

'You're despicable.'

'Cheers to you as well.' He said as he drank the last of his coffee. He dropped the cup to the floor and put out to fire. 'That just cost you a trip to Tabantha Village's shiny new inn. Its prison, that is. And from there, who knows, probably the Ylissian Empire.'

'So, you're with them? The usurpers. You're with those vile people and yet here you are, inviting me to a coffee.' She spat at him while the whistled into a leave, making a brown and white horse arrive on the spot. The man came closer to her, dropping her down so she was now laying on the floor.

'Listen dear, have you the slightest idea how hard it was to track you down in this wretched snowstorm? I've been here in the cold for four whole days. I've even had to use my best weapon. So, I don't care about any quarrel you have with the Ylissian Empire or whatever they want to call themselves, but you're coming with me so I can eat something that's not frozen.' He then picked her up over his shoulder and put her up on the horse's back. She screamed, but the effort was for naught.

The bounty hunter, as Byleth had deduced guided the horse steadily through the woods. Although at first he was silent, his yawns seemed to indicate he was tired or bored. Most likely both. He petted the horse while calling her a "good girl", as if the mare were a dog, something idiotic for Byleth, but soon, he made conversation with his prisoner again.

'So, where do you come from?'

'Why would you want to know that, you scoundrel?'

Her captor was talking to her without paying any attention to her. It felt casual, too casual. He talked as if this was just a trip to the woods. And, while it could be, Byleth didn't want to reach the end of it. 'Well you don't get to see any Osternians around here. Except at Tabantha Village, apparently…'

'Do you always talk to your victims whilst they're tied up behind you? Is that how you dispatch of them? You bore the to the death?' Irony had caught her up in worse situations, but she couln't care less at that point.

'Even if that where the case – which it is not – you'd be safe, dear. These folks, they want you alive.'

'Of course they do…' she muttered.

He looked at her funnily.

'Who are you?'

Silence. She wouldn't answer to such questions. It would all be useless, would it? A sign of weakness. Adding to her silence, the hylian man continued talking, in an almost flattering manner. 'You've escaped those fools and Lady Samus Aran herself for months, all the way from Ylisse, with nothing but your sword and magic. I know you won't take the compliment, but that takes skill.'

Byleth had a brilliant idea, juxtaposed to her previous stance on her position. If she could somehow convince this idiotic bounty hunter who was so foolishly kind to her to let her free in exchange of some promised but inexistent gold or anything else, she surely had a chance at escaping. She tried to talk her way out of this.

'Well, if you insist…' she started 'My name is Byleth, Byleth of Bottomwell, in Osternia.'

'Aha, so you are from the Empire. Those people said you were from Ylisse, but I never really trusted them. I thought you were some mercenary gone loose or a rebel from, who knows, Crimea or elsewhere. Guess they were right, huh.

'I am not from Ylisse. Mark my words; my homeland is not and shall never be Ylissian. I come from Bottomwell, a little town in Yalniz river valley overlooked by the Holy See. Make no mistake, hylian. I come from Garreg Mach, not this "Empire".

'Those are some defiant words, Byleth of Bottomwell. Now I do believe all of Osternia and Tellius is part of the Ylissian Empire. Why wouldn't anyone want to be, such as you do? No blood was spilt, after all' he said jokingly.

'Lies. They're all liars…' she muttered angrily, the memories coming back to her.

'I thought so… Well, either way, I believe you'll somehow end up in Ylisse, as much as it pains you. If my contract expands or rather, returns to normal, we will get to know each other there.'

'How so?'

'I was to deliver you there, Byleth of Bottomwell. But you escaped, and Lady Samus Aran has some other undisclosed business here in Hyrule… Nothing good, if you asked me. But alas, she appears to rule these lands now, and not a one Lord D'Anton.

'So, you're also after her? You men are all the same…'

'I beg your pardon.' He said looking curiously at her, his blue eyes staring at hers. She decided to try to play another part, however, she wasn't sure it would work.

'Isn't she the mercenary famous for her beauty? Or so say the men who end up either rejected or killed by her.'

'Well, while she is indeed beautiful, a hunter's lifestyle doesn't suit couples, or anything good. No, no good will and no good women for us hunters.'

'Does it not? Not even their preys are suited for it? Even if they had to go to a different continent in an arduously long travel?'

The hunter laughed. 'Charming, really. Save your efforts, Byleth of Bottomwell, I've seen many things.' He turned and winked a her. 'There's no seducing me, dear.'

Byleth coughed, wanting to vomit. The rider laughed. Byleth recovered from her failure and her stomach wanting to pull itself inside out. Nothing would seem to go according to plan, but she would try anything to go out of this madman's race in good terms, although bad terms were not off the table.

'Curious, all of Ylisse is searching for me? Do you think I'm worth all that attention?'

'You must be. Trust me, most hunts end up with someone dead. Plus, you're easy to miss. I had to play my tune.' Byleth looked at him curiously. 'Yes, the tune you heard in the forest. No use in telling you really, since you'll never hear it again, but it draws everyone to my position, showing what we desire the most. Fear, after being basically hypnotized, as they do in Daha, in the deserts of Hellas, paralyzes the mind. And then, I come in. What they're paying me is worth all that.'

'Wouldn't you want more? Did you see in your tune that gold? Or perhaps even more?' she began her plan.

'I don't exactly care for any number beyond that. They are all the same to me, dear.'

'Where is your ambition, hylian? Do you not desire to have all the riches of the word? Do you not crave the riches of the palaces of the Old Kingdoms of the East? The Dragon's Den treasure of the Northern Mountains? Whatever happened to your country's desires of expansion? Whatever happened to the brave hylians of the olden kingdoms, when the leviathans of the sky roamed free?' Flattering wasn't exactly a strong point of hers, as wasn't seduction, but everything was worth a shot.'

'I wouldn't have anywhere to hold such riches. I live in Hateno, westwards.

'That's the point, silly hylian. There are forces in Ylisse - the continent – and in Hellas that would happily pay more than that to have me. After all…' She suddenly found herself going silent. The hylian's armour was too tough to break open, and she was talking too much about things she didn't really wasn't to. She had to come to an agreement with herself. Bad terms it is…

'After all?'

Byleth started conjuring her fire magic.

'Finally gone silent after trying to persuade me, huh? Good to see you Ylissians know when to give up…'

Byleth closed her eyes, powering up the fire raging inside her. Her power started melting what united both her cuffs, making the molten iron fall into the snow, hissing as it impacted the ground. Both the mare and the bounty hunter remained oblivious to this, thinking she had surrendered her integrity.

'I told you, bounty hunter. I am not Ylissian.' With that, she pulled her cuffs apart, separating them and freeing her hands. She hit the rider, knocking him off his horse. She grabbed rapidly her sword and used the fire magic to frighten the horse, driving her away in fear. She kicked the bounty hunter, recovering from his fall, and ran away into the forest. Now that she knew what that song was she would not fall into the hylian's dirty traps and claws. She hurried off, seeking any way our of the forest, out of Hyrule. Termina came to her mind, and although she was unsure, the hylian's footsteps somewhere behind her, following her, made her be sure about what she would do. She didn't know this bounty hunter's strength, but he was powerful if the Raven herself, the leader of the Raven's Eye, had hired him. Looking back, she could see him jumping nimbly from rock to rock along the elevated pathway left to her, pursuing his prey. She was unsure of how long she could keep running, but she wasn't one to give up, not at that moment, and definitely no at a man like him.

'I'm starting to wonder if they won't mind me killing you, Byleth of Bottomwell!' he shouted at her as he ran.

'Well…' she dodged the low branches of a tree and slid down the untouched snow. 'You did say you would chase me if I ran again for all that money. Be true to your promise, fool!'

The chase continued on along a cliffside, until they reached a stalemate. Byleth had gone accidentally into the edge of one of the cliffs of the mountains. Below, further down a great fall, she could see the smoke of a chimney. Looking more intently, she saw a village in the middle of the forest. The style wasn't hylian, but what gave away her position was the flag on one of the houses: an angry face upon what seemed to be the moon. The land below was Termina, so she was situated at the border, the Falling Crossing, as it was called by the locals. Without many options, she began to think, but the bounty hunter caught up with her, looking tiredly at her.

'You… You must be very powerful. Using magic after an anti-spells potion.' He panted as he talked. Byleth considered fighting, given his state.

'Well, us Osternians never know when to give up.'

He looked at the village and smiled. He then unsheathed his sword, a common steel sword. 'You're coming with me, and I'll buy myself a nice warm steak with your ransom.'

She answered by unsheathing her own sword, her curse and blessing. She pointed it at him, the blade glowing with fire. 'I'm getting out of here.'

The bounty hunter struck at her, the blade following his hand. She stopped the thrust coming her way with her own sword, holding it vertically, herself standing next to it, while the attacker continued forward. He turned around and struck again, cutting at her. Byleth crouched down, but the hylian kicked her down. As he jabbed towards her, she rolled and used her magic, a flame going towards her enemy. He jumped back and quickly pulled out a bow from his back, an arrow sparkling with the power of thunder aimed right at her. It came hissing towards her, but she managed to drop down in time. However, when standing back she was pushed back to the cliff, standing dangerously close to it. The man pushed her back even further, grabbing her by the edge of her coat as she hovered over the long fall down. He smirked.

'Have you learnt when to give up already?' She merely stared at him in silence. 'You could answer my questions, you know. Drop the sword and we'll be on our way to Tabantha Village.'

'Or?' she asked defiantly, with no intention of dropping her sword.

'Look down.' He answered smugly. Void of options, Byleth prayed to the gods in silence, not taking her eyes off his attacker's.

'I'll do it from closer.' She said. She cut with a fine movement of her blade what was being pulled of her coat, dropping down the cliff, praying there was enough snow on the walls of the rock and on the final drop as to remain alive and able to walk. As the hylian looked surprised at her, Byleth slid down clumsily the rock wall. She somehow managed to slide down for a couple of metres, almost halfway, but a sharp rock on the way forced her to jump, falling eventually into a great pile of snow, leaving her mark on it. The snow there almost went up to her waist. Byleth thanking the villagers for putting the snow from the near paths away at that spot, got out of the pile, looking up at her attacker. She then put her plan in motion once again.

'Help! A man is attacking me! I call sanctuary!'

The man looked confused as the pulled out a paraglider and glided down near her position, still confused by her actions. Byleth looked proudly at him. 'This is Termina. Hyrule's law doesn't reach here. The people will come and stop you.' As if on que, two people appeared from the village behind her. A blue falcon, probably a rito – birdfolk as they were known in her homeland – and a humanoid fox, probably some half-breed from the west came to her rescue, one with a bow and the other with some daggers. They looked cautiously at the scene. However, to Byleth's dismay, they looked at the bounty hunter.

'Link? Is that you?' the fox asked confused. By the way the so-called Link reacted, they seemed to know each other. 'Whatever are you doing here?'

The hylian "Link" sighed. 'Hunt.' He said as he pointed towards Byleth, who was cursing her bloodline for making her think of this plan. Link then looked at her smirking. 'Byleth of Bottomwell, was this your plan? To put the people of Termina against me? There are so little people in Termina, especially in this place, civilization barely reaches here. More so law itself.'

The blue bird then spoke. 'So, this is your prey? And it drove you all the way here? I thought you were in Tabantha? As a fellow mercenary, I have to say, you're getting old. Need help, grandfather?' he said mocking the hylian, who looked exasperated at the whole situation.

Byleth spun to look at the two enemies she had made. Pointing her sword at them, she threatened the two mercenaries. 'Stand aside, or my blade shall cut you down.' Fire came out of it. She heard Link charge towards her, and so spun yet again to block his strike. Then, she felt a knock on her head, which brought her down to her knees. She could barely see the fox standing above her until she received another hit and fell into the cold snow. As she came closer to sleep, she could here pieces of their conversation.

'Good job Fox. Much quicker than your methods, huh Link?'

'Thank the Goddess for your luck. And I thank you, Fox, Falco. It's been three days.'

'Where are you headed? Last time we saw each other we were at Eeria, going towards Hyrule, right?'

'I'm taking her to Tabantha Village, and I hope it's the last I see of her. She's got talent. An annoying one, but talent nevertheless.'

'Well, well. We're also headed for Tabantha Village, though we'll be hunting some wild winter beasts here for a few more days. Word has it there's a tonne of work out there in Hebra. They're looking for soldiers, or so they say in this village.'

'Is there? Well I hope I see without the icicles in your hairy and feathery ugly faces sometime soon.'

'I tell you the same, Wolf. See you around, old man.'

'Goodbye, friends. Now you, Byleth of Bottomwell, let's see just who you are…'

And with that she passed out.

The steady walking of Epona really helped Link come to terms with his sleep, who he had been battling for the last three days. Being so long stuck in a blizzard while looking for a needle in a nest had tired, annoyed and angered him. But he didn't care enough about the cold, the hunger or how uncomfortably he slept as to not receive his pay. At the end of the day, it was just another job, and Link had faced a lot worse. Though to what the girl was, just some other magician, someone with the gift of pyromancy, that hunt had been far too much. A good rest was in order, and Tabantha Village would be holding a grand party as winter came to its full extent, and he sure as hell would be in it.

The hardly visible path up the mountains were covered by a thick layer of snow. And once Link had woken up from his slumber upon Epona as she made her way into Tabantha all the way from the Freighner Forest of Termina, the way into the Deku lands of Woodfall, he had taken interest in the many horse footprints that covered the snow of the path, all heading into Tabantha, none going away. His suspicions only grew as he saw tents with soldiers in it, all looking strangely at him, just as much as he did.

'This can't be good.' He muttered under his breath. When looking at the soldiers he could see most were human, very few were hylian or any other race. He didn't recognize the as Hyrule's Grand Army or any other established force he knew of. As the strolled by, they only grew in numbers, Link's worry growing with them, though he did not show it.

'Soldiers. Unrecognizable, aren't they?' said a voice behind her. It seemed her prisoner had woken up from her slumber. He tried to talk to her, not attracting any unwanted attention.

'What do you know?' he asked, looking over at the buildings that stood at the overlook of the village.

'That there's a bigger game than what you can see, hunter.' To those words, Link stopped. He guided Epona into a more undisturbed place, just below the cliffs where the first houses lied on top. He put Byleth in the ground, who sat down, smirking.

'What do you know?' he put his hands on her shoulder, gripping it strongly.

'Just that Hyrule will see a similar end as to Osternia. It will end the same way Garreg Mach did. And all thanks to you, Link of Hateno.'

'What does that mean?' he looked seriously at her, deciphering what was going on in her mind. 'Who are you, Byleth of Bottomwell?'

'A refugee from the horror that the Halidom of Ylisse brought upon its neighbour lands. All those talks of agreements and peace are lies. I don't know how, but war was brought over to Osternia and now a single banner flies over all of it.'

Link stood there, listening to her tale, and thus confirming his suspicions. 'Who are you? What is your story?' Link pulled his knife out.

Byleth took a deep breath, daring finally to tell the truth. 'A very important piece in Ylisse's game. I rebelled. I wanted to liberate my homeland, the Holy See. What would unite the Ylissian Empire and give it legitimacy. But I failed and they chased me here. Now unseen forces will do the same here in Hyrule while you work for them, disposing of their garbage.'

'That's not…'Link started to talk but was cut off by Byleth.

'I've gone all over Osternia running away from my attackers. This is just like how it started. Unknown soldiers. Surely something is going on in Hyrule Castle itself.' She leaned closer to Link, daring to defy his stance. 'And you're helping them.' She lied down. 'Although I presume it's hardly the first time you're helping thieves and killers. A hunter's life is not suited for good will, is it?'

Link merely stared at her. His mind was tumbling in on itself, coming to conclusions of questions he didn't know were there. He pulled the knife closer to Byleth. He struck at her. Byleth's hands were now free from the ropes that imprisoned her. He took her sword and hushed her when she protested. She listened carefully at Link's words. 'Stay right here.'

Link had a session of self-criticism as he made his way hurriedly to Tabantha Village, Epona racing him to the top as the noble and strong steed she was. Did he deserve her? He had worked with horrible people, but he never cared about that. It was just his way of getting by, taking food home on the rare occasions he got back to Hateno. However, he never saw the consequences of his works. He only ever killed criminals or people who would kill him first, but he was still human. Not knowing a person's fate is one thing, but knowing the fate of one person, as normal as Byleth was, could put an end to a kingdom was something he could not afford to not care about. In his mind he was just going there to confirm his suspicions, to prove Byleth's words. However, deep down he knew he didn't need that.

The whole town was decorated with flags and cloaks of silk that hung just about anywhere. The Winter Festival was important to the Hebra Region, for winter struck there the fiercest. The statue of the soldier was illuminated by the candlelight, to those fallen and yet to fall started to take a very different meaning. If Link could save those yet to fall with his actions, he now cared about It.

He eventually reached the Town Hall, where a grand banquet was to be held for the Winter Festival. He entered the building, and saw the place filled with people and food. Women in dresses walked around men in their best garbs, or at least, the best garbs in Tabantha. This was nothing compared with Castle Town, to Link's experience. He looked around the place and saw Lord D'Anton talking to some noblemen from the nearby cities who travelled to Hebra for the Festival. The Northern Lights, celestial occurrence where the sky lit up in green and blue colours from other worlds was widely popular in the area, and Tabantha Village, in its overlook of the Canyon and the steppes had a prime sight to behold. He slowly made his way to the leader of the city, picking up drinks and food as he went there. Upon reaching, Lord D'Anton foun himself unprepared for his visit.

'Oh, Master Link, you're finally back! And I presume you ended not long ago.' He said nervously.

'My lord, excuse me for my appearance, but three days in the middle of a snowstorm do not help anyone's beauty, I suppose.'

Lord D'Anton shook his head. 'Nonsense, nonsense, Master Link. It is a bounty hunter's work and I assure you we are all very grateful for it.'

Link laughed. 'Well, I'm sure I will be far more grateful to you.'

'You will, Master Link. I take it then your hunt is complete?'

'About that…' Link swallowed. 'You see, my lord, the hunt went somewhat out of control… I was forced to end a never-ending chase in the middle of nowhere, you see. I know the contract has been broken, but, if she was nothing but a criminal over the Silver Ocean to the West, then nothing has been really lost, has it?.' He then unwrapped Byleth's sword from his cloak, proving his actions. 'I took her sword as proof, for I could carry not the body. The girl's dead.'

'Oh dear…' said Lord D'Anton, looking worriedly at the blade. 'Well no worries, you had no chance and you shall be rewarded for your efforts, although not as much, as you will understand.'

'If it pays my dinner, I'll be glad, sir.'

The Lord laughed. He then called up a guard, who in minutes got him the sack of gold he was promised. He told them he would sell such a well-crafter blade, and so managed to keep it. He was then about to leave to somewhere less conspicuous where he could investigate, but a hand on his shoulder from behind stopped him in his tracks. Before him stood the Raven, Samus Aran, dressed in a long red dress, though she still hid her armour beneath it, as Link could tell. Although Link had a hard time admitting it, seeing her now as his probable enemy, she looked beautiful. Incredibly beautiful.

'Leaving so soon?' she teased. Link looked at his options. She would see straight through his lies, and he could not give away his newfound feelings of animosity, so he decided to try and get something out of her.

'I wanted to say hi to the soldiers out the walls. Would you accompany me?'

'I'd rather stay inside, away from the cold.'

'Makes sense. I don't think you would want to ruin that gorgeous dress.'

'You're too kind Master Link, though I wished I could say something similar about your clothes.' She laughed. Link was starting to ger sick of those jokes.

'It was three long nights in a blizzard does to oneself.'

'So the hunt is complete. The prisoner is delivered.'

'Not exactly… She's dead. By my hand. I know it is not what the Raven's Eye had in mind, but she'll be no more trouble. Only ones she could annoy now are the maggots in her.'

Samus stared at him, her expression unconveyable to any emotion. Link feared the worst. 'Well' she began 'that is a pity. But a job such as yours should be rewarded. I have spent months tracking that woman down. I'm glad she's dead.'

'Yes, though I take it your work's not done.'

'I already told you, the Raven's Eye has business elsewhere. You sound surprised by it.'

'Well, I didn't think such business would need these many men…'

'Desperate calls need desperate help.' Then the music started playing, a waltz of the famous composers of the rito people. A tune Link had heard many times, seducing, mysterious and dark at the same time, much like the woman in front of her. 'Care to a dance, Master Link?'

Link took Samus' hand and danced to the waltz with her, along the many other attendees. After a while, he continued with his investigation. 'Are they desperate?'

'Hm?' Samus said, distracted up until that moment.

'Those calls you spoke about. Are they really that desperate? It looks like an army out there.'

'The Raven's Eye has a lot of power, Master Link.' She came closer to his ear and whispered into it, chills going down his body. 'I have a lot of power.'

Link smiled. 'I never doubted it. However, I'm confused as to your objective. Do you really need this many means to an end? What is that end?'

The music then suddenly stopped, and Samus and Link's dance with it. Samus smiled at Link, as seducing as ever, but Link saw in her eyes darker intentions. He was well aware who she was, a ruthless and far more than capable warrior than most he had seen. He had infinite respect for her, but respect didn't justify her actions, not in Link's mind.

'Master Link' she began. 'Don't play games you know not the rules to.' She smiled as she said those words. 'I advise you turn a blind eye, as you always have.'

'Lady Aran' he answered. He looked at her dead in the eye, maintaining a fading smile in his face. 'I couldn't care less about your business in Hyrule. I do beg your forgiveness.'

Samus separated from Link and got two cups of wine. He offered one to Link and raised her glass to make a toast between them. 'I'm glad to hear that. To us hunters.'

Link clashed his cup with hers. Something told him in their hands there would be swords sooner than later. Still, for the moment being, he enjoyed her company and wine. 'To us hunters.'

Soon, Link had found himself spying around the tents and town. Some children and worried women confided in him. Foreign soldiers were coming in and out of the village, and all over Tabantha and Hebra. After eavesdropping on some unsuspecting soldiers and bribing one of the only hylian guards he saw there, he had a clue word. Rebellion. The same woman that had attended him in his first visit to town shoved him into an alleyway and told him what was happening. Tabantha would rebel against Hyrule castle, but she opposed it. She didn't have much money, for Lord D'Anton had taken most of it for his personal army, the Raven's Eye included in it. The woman, named Lillah seemed like the only pure soul in that army, and only because she wished no part of it. Link gave her some money from his recently acquired treasure so she could go home and away from Hebra. Link's suspicions were confirmed. He had avoided enmity with Samus but now it seemed the only possible thing. Days ago, he wouldn't have cared. But… Did he now care? Or was it his guilt pushing him forward? He made his way to Epona and to his surprise, he found Byleth still there, tending to the mare.

She looked at him, inquisitively. 'And well?'

Link took her by the arm hurriedly and put her on Epona. He put a blanket her her again, same way he was when he arrived. Her muffled voice came to his hears. 'What are you doing, scoundrel?'

'We're leaving. You are not to be seen. You were right. We need to get away. I'm afraid another hunt begins, and we must find a safe place away from it.' He looked at her under the blanket. 'Then you'll be free.'

'Can't I have at least proper care?'

'You're still my prey, Byleth of Bottomwell. Although who knows if we'll warm up to each other, as you wanted.' He said smugly.

Byleth sighed. 'I hope not now. Ride steady, Link of Hateno!'

The feast had ended. All the people were now rounded up in the main square, celebrating the Winter Festival with even more passion than before, looking at the Northern Lights. In a day, they would be informed of the rebellion that was being planned, although some confident had talked too much and surely word of it had already reached Hyrule Castle. Their joy would surrender, and Samus foun that endearing.

She elegantly made her way to the prison, hating the cold of that country. Her dress was now off, and she wore her armour. Her purple cape flowed behind her in harmony with the wind. She knew her beauty attracted attention, always unsought, and so she wore her helmet, dark red and closed, hiding her face, and decorated with wings on the sides to intimidate anyone who dared look at her. When she reached the prison, she found one of her men locking up and hitting a woman of the guard believed to be a traitor. Her mother cried for her near but was carried away by soldiers.

'Dear Lillah…' she wept. Samus payed no attention and went inside the prison.

'Geggle.' She demanded her minion.

'Yes, Lady Aran' he answered immediately, driven by a mix of fear and respect.

'The hylian is on to us. The local hero turned bounty hunter.'

'Quite a fall from grace, ye'd say.'

'He knows something, at the very least suspects it. He says he had to kill the woman we were seeking.'

'So, the nasty witch's dead then?' he asked.

'I don't believe him for a second. Round up some men and find out what he's after. I bet the gods that bastard Osternian is with him.'

'Aye, ma'am. He'll be dead, and she'll go down with him, ye'll see.' He said sharpening his sword.

'Do not kill the woman… Link… I don't care. Kill him if you want. Though, he'd be an interesting addition to our arsenal. He'd be fun to kill myself.' She wondered what use a fallen hero could have, but it was not in her greatest interests. To see how much pain he could sustain would be entertaining, at the very least

'As you wish, Lady Aran… The Raven flies again!' Geggle exclaimed happily.

Yes.' She looked at the hills in the distance, which led all the way to Hyrule Castle.

'Soon, the hunter will be hunted.'