The Downfall Timeline
Book 1
Chapter 21: The Ruined Forest
Early Morning, January 29, 610 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 197
On the Old Forest Road
Though months had passed since the raid, the acrid smell of smoke and wood-ash still hung over the remains of the Kokiri Forest. Every tree along Link's path was blackened and charred, without a single leaf or twig remaining on the upper branches.
The once lush and vibrant underbrush had gone and the forest had an eerily open, yet claustrophobic feel to it.
The young hero could not see very far ahead of him - for the trunks - but the icy winter breeze was able to swirl and move between the dead trees and bite at his skin.
The last of the squire's adrenaline had worn off now and he was shivering with exhaustion. He had not slept in over two days, had not eaten since a few bites of a ration the previous night, and had come through two serious battles in the same amount of time.
He struggled valiantly against his drooping eyelids and dulling senses, but realized he would have to find some sort of shelter soon and allow himself and Epona rest.
His companion was uneasy and did not trust the forest path. The smell of ash obscured all other scents and the creaking trees left her wary of an attack. As they approached the old rope-bridge that spanned the forest gorge, her master dosed peacefully – until she stepped onto the bridge and the sudden shift in movement jolted him awake.
Link, embarrassed that he had nodded off, decided that they would attempt to find his old village and shelter there for a night before searching the rest of the forest for the Kokiri.
Small springs were plentiful in the woods – so water would not be a concern - and he still had a flint-stone in his pocket - so he could easily light a fire to keep himself and Epona warm. He also carried several rations in his pack, but reasoned that it would be wise to save these 'just in case' and would search the village for anything fresh to eat.
Despite the damage to the forest, the bridge did not appear to be burnt - though the old wooden planks and ropes creaked and groaned under the pair as they crossed.
"The last time I was here..." Link said out loud to Epona, "Saria had said goodbye to me."
The little filly just continued to trudge forward, nervously twitching her ears back and forth – searching for any approaching threats.
"I hope she's still alive." The boy finished to himself.
Though the wood had become a dark and menacing place, no creature stirred and no monster attacked as they worked their way deeper into the forest.
It was mid-morning when they reached the glade where the Kokiri village had been. Link's heart sank even lower as discovered that everything here was just as blackened and charred as the outer trees had been.
The grass and flowers were gone. Most of the village was destroyed - though a couple of the Kokiris' huts still stood. The forest stream that had crossed through their little town was now dirty and filled with ash.
Link surveyed the scene with an intense feeling of mourning. He had imagined what the moblins had done – but actually seeing it with his own eyes, struck something much deeper. He thought of Navi again and the final moments that they had together.
After a few moments, the heartbroken squire gently directed his horse to the nearest, standing hut. It was Mido's old house.
The small shrubs and greenery that the Chief Kokiri kept were long gone - as well as the heavy cloth that had once hung in the doorway. But the roof and walls of his home were still solid and offered adequate shelter for Link and his horse.
After dismounting and moving to enter the empty home, the boy spotted a small mound of ashes just outside and to one side of the doorway. Curious, he stepped forward and examined the mound closely. It seemed to be a large pile of ashes from burned leaves - but why would Mido have kept a pile of leaves near his door?
Link carefully drew his sword and began working the point of its blade through the ash-pile. The top layers were very light and crumbled and blew away in the breeze, but just below the surface, his weapon met something hard, like a stone.
He rolled the object out of the ash and brushed it off with his hand. A blackened, human bone now lay at his feet. Confusion suddenly clashed with horror as the boy slapped his hand at the remaining ashes - revealing the charred skeleton… of a child.
Early Morning, January 29, 610 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 197
Lake Hylia
The lake's garrison began to buzz with activity as the small herd of horses and cattle rushed down the lake road, followed by the wagon of wounded.
"Call for the healers!" the driver shouted as they halted in front of the entrance to the temple, "The Marshal is wounded!"
Captain Corin, overseeing matters at the garrison while Alfon was away, quickly rushed to the temple with two of his men.
"You two, get the healers and help them get the Marshal inside!" he ordered, as he turned and made his way to the princess' throne room.
When he reached the door, he could hear Zelda and Impa arguing about something inside, but he quickly knocked and shouted, "Captain Corin, Your Highness, permission to enter?"
The two women stopped abruptly as Impa threw the door open, "Yes? What is it?!" she nearly shouted at him.
"The horses, my lady, they've just arrived." Corin reported.
"They've done it!" gasped Zelda with a bright smile breaking across her face.
"Yes, your highness," Corin replied as he bowed his head, "But it seems the Marshal was wounded in the attack. They are calling for the healers now."
The girl's happiness suddenly dropped into apprehension, "Link! Where is Link?!" she asked.
"He was not with the wagon, Your Highness… the driver has not spoken of him." The Captain answered.
The two women rushed to the temple's entrance, but were stopped by the soldiers carrying the wounded knight inside.
"Alfon! Alfon! Where is the boy?!" the minister asked urgently, but he was unconscious and could not respond.
"He has been poisoned, my lady," the healer said, "We will do what we can, but he may not wake. The bat's venom is quite powerful."
After the marshal's soldiers passed, another appeared at the entrance, carrying Malon.
"This girl was in the wagon with the Lord-Marshal, your highness. She had been badly hurt; I am taking her to the infirmary." He said when he noticed Zelda staring.
The princess recognized Alfon's deep-blue cloak wrapped around her and knew it must be the rancher's daughter. She felt ill when she caught sight of the extent of her injuries and torture by Ingo.
"Go..." she instructed with a cough, "Make haste!"
For several hours, the healers and nurses worked feverishly to save the stricken marshal as Impa and Zelda looked on. Malon, having been bathed and bandaged, slept soundly in a bed beside her father's as Talon lovingly stroked her hair with his remaining hand.
As the staff tried every remedy and herb they could think of, frustration began to mount. Alfon, large and strong as he was, was slowly slipping away. The Matron, pursing her lips and shaking her head, dismissed her team, approached the princess, and curtsied low.
"I beg your forgiveness, your highness, but this dark poison is beyond our skills. I am certain that it was created with foul magic by our enemy and we have no herb nor spell that can counteract it."
Impa's shoulders drooped in defeat as she stared at the dying man.
"Our greatest warrior... the last of his majesty's knights... lost to a damned bat." she murmured.
Princess Zelda's glistening eyes began to stream tears down her cheeks. Alfon had been a wonderful source of confidence and strength for her over the past months, but she truly valued him for how he had taken to Link.
Despite the boy's outburst, she still cared for him as a dear friend and secretly took great joy in seeing the warrior guide his new apprentice and act as a father for him.
"Oh Link," she wondered to herself, "Where are you?!"
The Matron watched her thoughtfully for a moment before speaking again.
"There is... one final remedy that we could try, your highness, though I have never seen it performed myself."
Impa and Zelda both snapped their attention back to her.
"What do you mean?" asked the sheikah.
"There is... an 'old tale' that has been handed down amongst the court physicians. It claims that the eldest female of the royal line has the ear of the Goddess Hylia. That any prayer the Queen... or-" (she now motioned toward Zelda) "- the Princess makes, will surely be heard. If her highness were willing..." she finished as she waved her other arm toward Alfon and inclined her head.
The young royal stood motionless, staring at the knight on the bed with her heartbeat quickly intensifying. While some sort of 'power' seemed to have awakened within her, she had no idea how to control it. She certainly had no idea how to use it to heal anyone.
"Come." Her warden gently commanded, as she guided the princess to the side of Alfon's bed.
Impa gently lifted his hand and placed it in Zelda's.
"I will be with you." she whispered encouragingly into the princess' ear, then placed her own hands on top of Zelda's shoulders.
Telma now rushed up to the infirmary door - her mouth hanging open in shock, but she made no sound. As the young sovereign clasped the knight's hand and closed her eyes, Impa nodded to the newcomer, and motioned that she may enter.
The beautiful bar maiden dashed across the room and knelt beside her beloved - opposite Zelda.
"My lord! My lord! Please... speak to me!" she sobbed quietly, but Alfon did not answer her.
Leaning in, very close to his ear, she whispered "Please... my love... I cannot live without you! Don't leave me!"
Though the minister continued to hold her stoic expression, her heart began to ache for this poor woman.
"She really would do anything for him..." she thought to herself as she watched Telma sob and plead for her lover to awaken.
Zelda remained quiet, with her eyes closed for several minutes. She did not know what to expect and hoped that something would occur on its own. When it became obvious that she needed to do something, she began to silently pray in her heart.
"Goddess Hylia, we pray for this man: Alfon, son of Duron. He is very ill and near death. We beg you, your grace, to heal this man and return him to us. He is vital to our survival."
It was a little dry perhaps, but she had never attempted to heal someone through prayer before. She opened her eyes slightly and looked at the man's face.
He was turning a sickly grey and his hand was growing colder. Telma's entire body shook as she held a handkerchief over her face and sobbed.
"It's not working!" The princess thought to herself in panic. Closing her eyes again, she focused on her memories of Alfon and Link. How they trained together, how the marshal had guided his young squire these past months through every facet of his life, and how he was steadily turning him from a boy into a soldier.
She kept thinking to herself, "He's such a good man! Link needs him to be his father! Please, spare him!"
In her mind's eye, she could see them training on the practice field with their swords, then marching around the camp inspecting the soldiers and their equipment.
Next, they were gathered with Telma and the other soldiers in the tavern; laughing and singing.
Finally, she remembered the image of how they had traveled to the Forbidden Forest. How Link had sought out his friends and Lord Alfon chased after him. Zelda had her arms wrapped around Alfon's waist as she rode behind him on his horse.
As she turned and looked around them, she could see the cruelly burned carcasses of the trees and the bones of the murdered creatures of the forest.
"This... this is not right." The princess wondered to herself, "I have never seen the forest in this state."
As the great Hylian war-horse charged down the forest road, Alfon began muttering under his breath, "Goddess Hylia, let him be alive. Keep Link alive and strong! I beg you!"
As she listened to him, she realized, "He is afraid… he genuinely believes that Link might be dead!"
The vision suddenly shifted as her mind focused upon her friend. Now she was standing alone in a small glade within the burned forest. Darkness had fallen and very little could be seen in the overcast gloom, but Zelda could make out a small hut close by, carved from the trunk of an ancient tree.
Inside, she found the boy sleeping beside a brilliant red filly. The glowing remnants of a small campfire smoldered in the center of the hut - near their feet. The princess moved to wake him, but a sudden crunch of snow outside warned of an approaching stranger.
Zelda turned to find a strange creature, crouched very low, walking on its hands and feet toward the hut.
Its arms and legs seemed to be nearly skeletal thin but it moved with terrifying speed through the snow. Its eyes blazed with an eerie yellow light as it dashed to the doorway of the house.
"Link! Get up! Look out!" Zelda cried, as the squire opened his eyes and gasped with fright.
The image of Link, the house, and the creature quickly vanished, and the princess was left standing in the darkness alone.
"No! NO! Alfon! Alfon! You have to save him! Don't let that creature hurt him!" she screamed into the void.
Unknowingly, the young woman had begun to squeeze the knight's hand very tightly – shaking in terror at the sight of the dark creature in the forest. Very slowly, his own hand began to warm and weakly squeezed back.
Impa's eyes slowly closed and she softly gripped the girl's shoulders – adding her own strength to the spell.
With a very faint whisper, she muttered, "Call to him Telma."
With a hoarse voice, the maiden once again pleaded with her beloved, "Alfon, my lord... my love... please speak to me. I am here. Please Alfon... come back to me!"
Long, silent seconds crept by as everything in the room seemed to become very still. With a sudden gasp, the great knight's body shuddered and he began to draw deeper breaths.
His color gradually returned and he weakly rocked his head toward his beloved's voice and weakly opened his eyes.
"I am here... my lady." he murmured as he reached a shaking hand up and brushed a tear from her cheek.
"Alfon..." she breathlessly whispered as she leaned in and kissed him.
The princess relaxed her grip and opened her own eyes. Softly setting Alfon's hand back on the bed, Impa gave her shoulders an encouraging squeeze as they turned to leave the infirmary. The matron and all of her nurses, curtsied low and bowed their heads as she passed.
"Bless you, your highness! Goddess bless you!" Telma called to her as she cradled Alfon's head against her breast.
The exhausted young woman simply turned to looked back at her, and gave her a gentle smile.