The Downfall Timeline
Book 1
Chapter 20: The Shadow's Bane
Dawn, January 28, 610 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 196
Beside the River
As the eastern sky slowly grew bright, the Lord-Marshal tried his best to get Malon to eat some small bites of food from one of his rations. She was hungry and desperate for anything to eat, but her body had grown weak and she quickly became exhausted from trying to chew the tough army rations.
"It will be dawn very soon, my lord." Link whispered, still scanning the sky for any attackers that might swoop down upon them.
"Yes." Answered Alfon quietly, "And we will need to make all speed today, if we want to reach the lake before dark."
The knight was pondering their escape carefully as he tried to encourage the poor girl to eat a small morsel of bread. She did not have the strength to ride a horse by herself and Link was not strong enough to carry her. He would be forced to keep the girl with him – but how could they determine whether or not the bats were nearby?
"Squire. Come here." He muttered after a few moments' thought.
The boy cautiously stepped over to his master, keeping his eyes turned upward.
"You will mount, and ride hard out of the forest back to the road… alone." Alfon ordered.
The shivering soldier turned a fearful face down to him, "A-alone? My lord?" he choked.
"Yes." Replied the knight, "We don't know if they are watching us and we need to be certain. We cannot risk the herd or the girl, so you must go. Be swift and do not look back! If nothing reveals itself, I will drive the herd out behind you and we will meet on the King's Road."
Without a saddle and bridle for Epona, Link was forced to sheath his little sword for the sprint from the forest. The terror of the previous night returned as the memory of the bat's awful shriek and grasping claws raced through the boy's mind.
"I will be nothing more than a small bite to them! – not even a mouthful!" his thoughts cried as he wrapped his shaking arms around the red filly's neck.
"My bow will be ready." Whispered his master, once they reached the edge of the wood. "If they come, dodge and turn back and forth, and try to make your way back here! I will cover you as best I can from here!"
With a soft pat on the squire's back and then a hard slap on Epona's rump, the young mare dashed out of the glade and raced toward the King's Road.
The wind whistled loudly in the boy's ears as he slammed his eyes shut and clenched his arms even tighter around Epona's neck.
"Please don't come! Please don't come! PLEASE don't come!" he thought, with his heart pounding against his chest.
His master watched anxiously as the boy and mare raced away from him, over the snowy hills, and into the distance. Holding his bow tightly with an arrow notched, he scanned the dim sky carefully for any sign of pursuit.
After several minutes, when no shadow or scream came, he quickly returned his bow to his horse's saddle, and drove the herd of cattle and horses out into the open plain.
Epona climbed the last hill and slid to a stop on the familiar stones of the King's Highway. Link continued to shake with his eyes clamped shut as the young mare panted and shivered in the winter air. Slowly, he cracked one eye open, then the other, and looked around himself.
The stark landscape was empty and the sky above was cloudy but calm.
"They're not here." He muttered to his companion. "They must have gone back to the castle!"
Soon, the thunder of hooves echoed up to him as Alfon and the ranch herd quickly crossed the open ground and poured onto the road.
"No time to stop!" shouted the knight, "Go!"
With cattle and riderless horses charging past him, Link cried to Epona, and the two began the long race southward.
Evening, January 28, 610 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 196
Approaching the village of Deya
Through the entire day, the herd rushed southward, spurred on by Link and Alfon's shouts. The animals would run as fast as their legs could carry them, before slowing to breathe easier – but never stopping.
Malon, shivering in the cold air, clung helplessly to the knight's chest as he desperately tried to keep his cloak wrapped around her. Her frail body would not be able to tolerate the cold for much longer and the man feared for her condition already. If they reached the lake, he would take her straight to her father and the healers in the infirmary, before reporting their success to the princess.
Link remained fearful for the first few hours of their ride, but as the daylight grew stronger and the castle disappeared farther and farther over the horizon to the north, he was able to relax and even laugh at their success. The horrors of Ingo and what had happened in the barn were temporarily replaced with an exhilaration at what they had managed to do.
"Ganon will be furious when he finds out we took all of his horses and cattle!" the squire laughed with a bright smile. "I'd hate to be Agahnim right now!"
When the sun began to set in the western sky, the team followed the road westward again toward Deya. In the distance, dark against the white landscape, the square silhouettes of the houses could now be seen.
"We're almost there! We've made it!" cried the young hero to his master – just as a rippling shadow swooped low overtop of them.
With a terrified scream, Epona dug her hooves into the snow-covered stones beneath them, and skidded to a violent halt. Her rider was nearly thrown, as he frantically grabbed at her mane. Only a few yards ahead of them, the massive shadow turned swiftly in the air, and crashed down upon the road in front of their company.
The herd of animals screamed and bellowed in terror and quickly scattered in all directions, as the giant bat lowered its head to the ground and hissed menacingly at the two soldiers.
The beast was massive: its torso and abdomen were at least three times the size of Alfon's horse and its sinewy wings stretched far out to each of its sides – blocking the entire width of the road. Its body was covered in deep black fur, while pale orange eyes shone out from its twisted face. Its wide mouth was packed with merciless, yellow fangs – as long as daggers and still blotted with dried blood and the scraps of its latest victim.
The winged demon focused upon the young squire and his filly; its evil eyes blazing with murderous hunger.
Alfon was shouting something to his ward, but the boy could not hear him.
A sudden, shrieking wail from the bat forced him to cover his ears. The sound brought terrible pain - like knives being driven into the sides of his head.
Epona, again, reared in terror and threw Link from her back. He quickly scrambled to his feet as the beast lunged toward him – opening its jaws wide for the kill.
The little soldier drew his sword and watched in absolute horror as the gaping maw came closer… to consume him.
The filly turned - as if to run - and was ignored by the monster, until her rear hooves smashed into its cheek – deflecting its lunge and saving Link's life.
Furious, the great bat now turned upon the young mare, who defiantly whinnied at her attacker and dashed left and right to avoid its attacks.
Lord Alfon, unable to release Malon, pulled a large, silver horn from his satchel and blew a single clear, rising note.
The bat, nearly snapping its fangs upon Epona's neck, suddenly folded back its ears at the sound and shrieked in pain.
Link, acting purely upon instinct, seized his chance and charged forward; bringing his sword down upon the side of the monster's head. A great gash spewed black blood onto the snow, but the monster's skull had been too strong for the Kokiri's blade.
With its clawed wing, the bat threw him away, hissing and screeching in rage at his attack. Epona returned, and continued to kick at the bat's wing and side - desperate to protect her friend.
As Alfon watched his squire battle the great bat, he drew his bow and tried to aim a shot for the bat's eye. But the chaotic struggle kept bringing Link or Epona too close to the beast and he could not risk shooting his own squire.
Away to the West, two short, clear notes echoed up from Deya. Not from a moblin's horn, but a clear trumpet's call - like Alfon's.
A company of Hylian soldiers now rushed down the road from the village - answering their Marshal's call for help.
The great knight rode around the battle and quickly handed Malon to the nearest man. Drawing his sword, he charged back into the fight.
Link, with his sword and shield ready, saw his master's return and drew the bat's attention away from his approach. He shouted and screamed at the beast and even threw a small stone from the road to keep the monster's attention upon him.
"We will only have one chance!" His mind screamed, as the demon quickly crawled after him with a terrifying hiss.
The monster had hidden, skillfully, in the treetops above Link and Alfon -the night before- and carefully watched them at a distance before rising into the cloud cover above.
Now, so close to the Hylian stronghold, it's master's voice commanded it to strike and to kill the small boy on the red mare. But the plan was slipping away: the boy was guarded by a fearsome warrior and more warriors were swiftly closing in.
"Kill the boy!" echoed again and again through its simple mind.
With a lunge and a snap of its jaws, the bat drew closer and closer to the child. No matter how it dodged about, the soft child would soon be a bloody morsel in its jaws, and its master would be pleased.
Before the beast could savor victory though, the sudden tramp of hooves turned its attention to Alfon, who charged up from behind and drove his sword hilt-deep into the bat's ribs -just below the right wing.
The monster wailed and thrashed, desperate to drive off the intruding knight.
Link and Epona both closed in and quickly searched for an opening. The Hylian infantry too now came up behind the marshal, firing arrows and throwing heavy spears into the bat's sides and wings. Their commander, shouting orders to his men, struggled to pull his sword free from the monster's side.
The bat, realizing its folly and becoming more desperate to escape, lunged for Alfon's sword arm. If he had been wearing his heavy plate, the knight may have been able to fend off the poisoned attack. But, dressed in his mail and cloak, he felt the beast's fangs crush through his thin armor and sink into the flesh of his arm.
With a great cry of pain, he released his sword's handle and struggled to tear his arm free from the bat's mouth.
With more arrows and spears piercing into its back, the monster crushed its jaws down upon him – drinking his blood with great satisfaction.
Rapidly, the marshal's head began swimming and his body began to burn with the monster's venom.
Unable to free himself, the great knight looked directly into the demon's burning eyes. He became determined that if he were going to die here, then he was going to die well!
With another great cry, the Lord Marshal of Hyrule summoned all of his remaining strength and drove his left fist as hard as he could into the bat's right eye.
A fresh torrent of black blood poured out over Alfon and his horse, as the bat screamed and wailed in terrible agony.
When his master returned to the fight, Link felt a sudden sense of relief and renewed confidence that all would be well. Lord Alfon was an experienced soldier and formidable swordsman. If anyone could kill this monster and save the day, it would be him!
But as the boy watched the evil bat bite down upon his master, sickening terror flooded into his stomach and washed over him.
"No... Not Alfon too!" his heart cried.
The squire threw down his shield and charged straight at the beast – no longer caring for his own survival.
As the warrior drove his fist into the bat's eye, his faithful ward plunged his sword into the beast's neck - just behind the ears.
Buried to the guards, the boy twisted and worked the blade furiously.
"You can't have him! I won't let you have him!" he screamed into the bat's ear.
With a shuddering jerk, the bat released his master's arm and sank to the ground – twitching and trembling in its death throes.
Spearmen and lancers now closed in and skewered the beast's body from all sides. But the monster had gone limp and did not move anymore.
The young squire staggered around the disgusting corpse and rushed to his master's side. Alfon had slid down from his mount and lay on the icy ground, gasping awkwardly for air. His bright red blood oozed out over the black slime of the bat's blood on his tunic.
"H-hello boy..." he managed as his apprentice knelt beside him, "That w-was some fine... sword work boy!" he finished weakly.
Link's eyes began to water as the reality of his master's injury sank in.
"What do I do?" he quickly asked, "Tell me what to do to make you well master!"
He was sinking deeper into a burning numbness and his vision and hearing were quickly becoming dull. He knew he did not have much time left.
"I d-don't know if... if any squire has... has ever had such a... k-kill." Alfon coughed out with a weak smile. "H-hence forth… you sh-should be called... 'The Bat Slayer'... or 'Bat's Bane.' "
Link's heart started to break. In his master's final moments, the great knight only thought of his ward and was trying to commend him for his bravery.
"What do I do? How do I make you well master?" he urged.
"I think 'Shadow's Bane' sounds much better my lord!" came the voice of a Hylian soldier who now knelt beside Alfon, opposite Link.
The marshal weakly rolled his head over to the newcomer, as the man uncorked a small, red bottle from his satchel. Gently cradling the Lord's head, the soldier tipped the contents into his mouth and urged him to drink it.
Alfon managed to swallow the potion and turned back to smile at Link.
"Get the g-girl... to the lake son..." he managed, as his eyes rolled back and his body went limp in the snow.
Panic took hold of the boy and he began to shake his master's body.
"No... no no no no NO!" he cried as the soldier quickly wrapped his arms around the boy and pulled him away from his Marshal.
"Leave him be lad! Leave him! He needs to rest! Let the potion do its work!"
The grief-stricken squire looked at the soldier and back to Alfon in complete confusion.
"Rest? What do you mean?! He's dying! Help him!" he urged.
The soldiers quickly laid their commander onto a make-shift stretcher and covered him with cloaks and heavy blankets. The healing potion the medic had given him would keep him alive for several hours, maybe even a few days, but he would eventually die if they did not get him to a skilled healer.
A small wagon was brought up from Deya and Alfon and Malon were carefully loaded onto it; with the driver being urged to make all speed back to the lake.
Link moved to climb in after them, but the company's captain stopped him.
"Hey there! Boy! Aren't you forgetting something?" The squire didn't care about whatever the man had to tell him - his master was dying and Link needed to be with him!
But the officer insisted, and grabbed the young hero's shoulder to turn him around.
He pointed to the bat's body and said, "Every man takes a trophy from his first kill, lad. That beast's claw or fang would make an impressive piece for a necklace or belt!"
Link looked from the captain, to the bat, then to the surrounding soldiers. Many were gathering the scattered herd back together beside the wagon, but several close by were watching him eagerly - even smiling and nodding for the boy to do it.
As he hesitated, the soldier who had given Alfon the potion leaned down and whispered to him, "Come on 'Shadow's Bane', the girls back home won't be able to contain themselves when they see the fangs from this one!" he finished with a wink.
The nickname and the confident looks from his fellow soldiers stirred a strange heat inside the boy's chest. He felt... stronger - dangerous even - to be called 'The Shadow's Bane'.
As the cart of wounded began to rumble southwest toward the lake, the boy returned to the moster's body and began to pull at his sword - still buried in the beast's neck.
As he grunted and jerked at the handle, the nearby soldiers began to chant, "Shadow's Bane! Shadow's Bane! Shadow's Bane!"
With a loud groan and a sharp cry, Link tore his weapon free and held it above him. A cheer rolled up and down the company as a ray of the sunset's light broke out over Hyrule Field and black blood dripped down his arm.
Gingerly, he hacked at the bat's jaws until he could tear three large, yellow fangs from their awful home: One for himself, one for Alfon, and one for Malon - if she wanted it. The rest he left to the soldiers who - after a nod from the squire - eagerly ravaged and dismembered the corpse for their own trophies.
Epona, shivering from the cold and the remaining adrenaline of the battle, now stood near the other horses that managed to survive the night. The squire gently brushed her muzzle as the filly lay her head on his shoulder and snorted loudly to him.
"Can you lead these to the lake, squire?" asked the captain behind him.
"Yes sir." Link replied, turning back to him.
"Good, I'd hate to see these wasted after such a sacrifice." the captain finished.
The boy turned and looked after the wagon with sorrowful eyes.
"Don't worry about your master son." The officer tried to soothe, "He's strong. And we gave him the strongest potion we have. The healers will sort him out fine." He finished with a confident nod.
As the little soldier remounted his horse and began to lead the other animals back to the south road, he shouted to the captain that there had been two other soldiers with them, who broke off in the night to fight the bats.
After thinking for a moment, the man shouted back, "We'll watch for them!", but his tone revealed his doubt that they could have survived.
Nudging Epona to a trot, the squire led the remaining ranch-horses and Alfon's great war-mount southward. The Hylians reformed and marched north to secure what remained of Lon Lon Ranch. Many of the soldiers had smiled, or even patted Link on the shoulder encouragingly when they parted. He wondered at the change in their attitude toward him since the lakeside.
"Now they see that I am not just some kid." he thought to himself.
Despite their victory and the soldiers' confidence, he still couldn't shake the terror and disgust that had loomed over him for the past few nights.
"I miss my little house in the forest." He lamented as the herd caught up to the wagon of wounded.
The Forest!
The realization nearly jolted him off of his mount. Turning and looking swiftly over his shoulder, he could see it – just at the edge of the horizon: the ruined, blackened remains of the Forbidden Forest - his old home.
The lights of Deya were close now and Link could even hear the voices of the townsfolk calling out as the wagon approached. But the sudden rush of memories and the terrible fears of his imagination grabbed hold of his mind:
The Kokiri, including Saria, fleeing in terror from a raiding party of moblins and other dark creatures. They hacked, slashed, and burned everything in their path. Did any of them escape? Were any of them taken prisoner? What if they needed someone to rescue them?
Epona nickered and tramped her forehooves twice. She didn't understand why her master was stopping outside the protection of the town. The herd, however, parted around the two of them, and continued to follow the wagon through the village and on toward the lake.
"No, girl. We're taking a different path." he said as he turned her eastward again - toward the ruined forest.
One of the soldiers from the wagon shouted something to him, but Link just cried back "It's something I have to do!" and kicked Epona to a quick trot.
"No!" his conscience warned, "It is not safe! And Alfon forbade you from going there!"
But, despite his reservations, the boy still could not let himself give up on his family.
"Alfon did not know that I could fight and he won't be needing me now for several days." he reasoned. "I just… I have to know."