Chapter 26: Blades of the Yiga

\-==/\==-/

Taking a leaf out of the Princess' book, Link began to pray earnestly to the Goddesses, pleading that his charge would decide to leave as soon as possible. So desperate was he that he began carrying his few belongings with him on his back as he traversed the market each day, ready to leave at a moment's notice. He was fed up with his disguise, and seeing as this entire journey had been taken without permission right from the start, he felt a growing certainty that either Captain Janin or the General or the King himself would tear him to pieces upon their return. The sooner we get back, the better it'll be for both of us.

He never could have guessed just how his prayers would be answered.

The morning passed by just as the others had. Link followed the Princess from a distance, lingering near various market stalls and pretending to be interested in the wares for sale; instead, ever vigilant, his attention was focused on the market goers of every culture surrounding him and surrounding the Princess, in case any one of them should attempt to harm her, or do anything suspicious.

Midday came and went, and as the heat intensified, the crowd moved inward around the orderly rows of palm trees casting shade upon the center of the market. Once again, Link followed close behind the Princess as she moved gracefully from one tree to the next. It seemed she did not lack skill in making friendly conversation; he could hear her excited voice and the eager voices of others as they told her tales of their lives.

It happened quite suddenly. One moment he was following the Princess through a thick crowd of tall Gerudo and lost sight of her.

The next, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and he turned to find the Princess herself looking at him, curiosity in her emerald gaze.

"I've seen you about the market quite often," she said, tilting her head. "And I must say, I find it odd that a Hylian tourist would wear traditional Gerudo clothing. Especially… well, especially since it seems you were injured recently, and with these clothes everyone can tell. So I must ask… why? Do you live here? Were you raised by the Gerudo?"

Link's jaw dropped, and his heartbeat accelerated. Nayru, guide my tongue! There had to be something, some sort of cover story he could use, anything - "No," he squeaked out nervously, hoping he didn't sound as terrified as he felt. "I'm… visiting my uncle."

The Princess frowned, blinking rapidly. "Your… uncle? In Gerudo City? Where no men are allowed?"

Link gulped, cursing himself. "He's, uh, a merchant at Kara Kara Bazaar. M-married to a Gerudo."

The Princess nodded slowly, but there was a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "And yet here you are, in Gerudo City. And if you're just visiting, why not wear… normal travelling attire? You wouldn't stick out so much if you did."

Curse you, Urbosa! "My uncle's wife is, uh, my m-mother's sister. So my, er, mother is a Gerudo too, and she's… insistent on… on tradition. That sort of thing." His voice cracked, and he wrung his hands together anxiously, mentally offering up a prayer for deliverance.

The Princess squinted at him. "You're half Gerudo? I… I suppose your father must not be very tall, then…"

"He's tiny," Link explained with a frightened, stuttering laugh.

"Well, what do you think of the Melon Festival they hold each year?" the Princess asked, abruptly changing the subject. "If your mother's traditional enough that she wants her Hylian daughter to wear Gerudo clothes, then surely you're familiar with the festival - I'm told it's the most exciting week of the year!"

There was something very off about the Princess' words, and he definitely didn't like the growing skepticism in her eyes, but he didn't know what else to do but press forward. "Y-yes, it's my favorite time to visit. I, er… yeah, best time of year!"

The Princess' eyes narrowed. "There is no such festival," she growled, reaching up and tugging the veil from his face. Link jerked back, stunned. The Princess looked livid. "What do you think you're doing?"

Link swallowed tightly. "P-protecting you," he answered meekly, afraid to meet her gaze.

"I cannot believe you," she snarled. "Look around you, you fool! Gerudo City is a fortress. What's more, you saw to it that Urbosa positioned guards in every cardinal direction ready to shoot anyone who dared attack me! You agreed to those measures!"

"Princess, I -"

"And you disregarded the oldest of Gerudo traditions to get in here," she seethed, throwing her hands down to her sides. "Do you have no bounds? Do you respect no one? Of course not - you draw some special sword and instantly that makes you entitled to do whatever you please! Is that it, you scoundrel?"

Link wet his lips, opening his mouth to speak. "Actually, you see -"

"No!" she cut him off, shaking her head violently. "You - you are vile, Sir Link. I'm returning to the castle, and I will inform my father of your entirely inappropriate behavior. Follow me if you dare - but I won't make the same mistakes I've made before. You'll never catch me."

Her features twisted into a determined snarl and, with more speed and strength than he thought possible, she kicked him hard in the groin. "Guards!" she shrieked, as he doubled over. "A voe got inside of the city! Help! There's a voe over here!"

And then, through watering eyes, he watched as she turned and raced away from him. He tried to take a step after her, but a wave of nausea wavered through him and he groaned, crumpling to his knees, bent over on the ground. He could hear the Princess continue to scream, could hear the clamor of armored footsteps.

Several Gerudo guards darted down the street towards him, two snatching his upper arms and hoisting him to his feet while the others levelled the spears at his back. "Wait," he protested breathlessly, struggling to get his footing as they all but dragged him away towards the city entrance. "Urbosa - take me to…" The pain and nausea intensified and he sucked in a sharp breath, eyes tightly closed. "Sh-she… can exp… explain…"

Dizzily he wondered why he was even protesting in the first place - the Princess was leaving, so he needed to leave too, right?

He was distantly aware of the guards slicing the Gerudo top from his chest and mentioning something about having it burned, to discourage other "troublemakers." And then they threw him out into the sand just outside of the city.

"No voe are allowed within the town," one of the guards growled, jabbing her spear at him threateningly. "It's a rule of the Gerudo!"

"Do not come back here," the other warned. "Not ever!"

Link gulped, quickly scrambling to his feet and staggering slightly, wincing at the lingering pain. "S-sorry," he managed, slowly backing away.

"You should be," a new voice muttered, and Link's eyes widened as the Princess appeared behind the guards, walking forward with a sand seal. "Farewell, Sir Link."

She set a round Gerudo shield in the sand and slid her feet into place before snapping her leadrope, sending the seal charging through the sand, racing away from the desert city. Link's mouth went dry. So that's why I needed to stay in the city.

She has a sand seal - I don't.

Desperately he looked back at the guards. "You need to let me back in," he said firmly. "Urbosa knows all about this, I promise - I was in there on her orders!"

"Urbosa would do no such thing," one of them snarled. "Men have never been permitted to set foot in our city!"

"I'm the Princess' Appointed Knight - Urbosa said that she would let the guards know I was here!" Link had raised his voice without even realizing it. This was ridiculous; they were being obstinate, and the Princess was rushing blindly into the desert without protection!

"You do not match the description we were given," the other guard noted slowly. "You're a voe, for one - we were told of a vai. Secondly, you don't look to be in any state to protect anyone; you're far too small. And thirdly, seeing as you have this insider knowledge of Urbosa's orders, you must be a traitor or a spy! So back away, before I drive my spear through your belly!"

Link took several steps back, raising his hands placatingly, his heart racing. He clenched his teeth, turning his back on the towering sandstone walls, deliberating. Din curse it, Princess! Why do you have to make this so difficult for me? I can't go grab a sand seal in the city, it's the hottest part of the day, and I'll have to run if I want to have any hope of catching up to her. But my ankle's too sore and putting on that desert voe armor would take far too much time…

But what is best for the Princess' safety?

He inhaled deeply, deciding that should she be attacked, it would be better for him to be present and slightly delirious than for him to not be there at all. As fast as he could, he whipped his satchel from his back and yanked out his undershirt and tunic, quickly clothing himself once more. Taking in another deep breath, he set off at a swift jog - a pace he could keep up for hours under normal circumstances.

The heat of the desert and the ache in his ankle didn't exactly count as normal circumstances, but that couldn't be helped. Fortunately the sun was on its way down; the heat would only last a little while longer. As for his ankle… Well, I can handle a little pain, can't I?

Determined, he ran towards the pillars of the Kara Kara Bazaar in the distance. The shortest path between two points was a straight line, wasn't it, so he wouldn't follow the trail as the Princess had done. Maybe that'll save me some time.

\-==/\==-/

His waterskins were entirely empty by the time he reached the oasis at the center of the bazaar, and he was absolutely drenched in sweat from head to toe, his damp hair hanging messily in his face. Panting heavily, he scanned the huddle of tents around the pond, hoping that the Princess had stopped for the evening - the sun was swiftly setting -

And he caught a flash of black cloth out of the corner of his eye.

Muscles tensing, he turned and dashed after the shadowed figure, his blood freezing up when he realized that it was not black this time, but blood-red.

A Yiga. A Yiga that isn't even trying to hide.

Fear sent fresh adrenaline pulsing through his veins and he sprinted after the figure, following it from a distance through the crowd of tents and stalls, dodging barrels and leaping over bundles of colorful folded cloth, skirting cooking fires and little wooden stools. It's heading east - same direction the Princess went!

Merciful Din, if I'm too late…

Desperate, he forced his weary limbs to move faster and narrowly dodged a stack of precariously balanced clay pots. Giving up on following the assassin in a roundabout way through the maze, he pulled himself up the side of one of the merchant stalls and sprinted over the top, dashing and leaping from one to the next. They were much sturdier than they appeared, and if he kept his feet only on the wooden beams holding them up he knew he wouldn't fall.

From his position above the bustling merchants he could see, just beyond a stand of palm trees, a blue-clad figure with flowing golden hair sprinting towards the bazaar, chased by a red-clad Yiga assassin. Princess!

His heart drummed nauseatingly fast deep within his chest and he leapt to the last tent and then to the ground, slipping on the sand and nearly losing his balance before recovering and dashing frantically towards his charge. He watched as two assassins charged from behind rocks to block her way into the bazaar; she slid to a stop and whirled around, only to be caught by the third Yiga. Link's breath caught in his throat as she lost her footing and tumbled to the ground, looking desperately from side to side, her chest heaving with panicked breaths.

And the third Yiga raised his weapon high above his head, ready to slice downwards and end her life.

Link lunged between them, whipping the Master Sword from its sheath and thrusting it forward with a furious cry, feeling it pierce through the man's chest before the blow could fall. He flung the dying man from his blade and crouched defensively in front of the Princess, facing the remaining two assassins with anger burning through his veins. Don't you dare touch her!

They backed away from him, uncertainty hanging heavy in the air around them. But something seemed to pass between them and their courage returned; as one they charged him, sickles gleaming in the fiery light of the setting sun. Link caught the first blow on the Master Sword and sidestepped the second, throwing out his foot and tripping the Yiga. He yanked his blade forward, tearing the sickle from the first assassin's grip and sending it flying into a sand dune.

By then the second assassin had gotten to her feet and lunged for him; Link swiped at her and she leapt back. He spun to the first Yiga and plunged his blade through his heart, yanking it back out in time to intercept the second one's next attack, driving the Master Sword through the half-circle formed by her weapon and into her neck, swiftly ending her life.

"Link!" the Princess screeched, and he spun around in time to see the assassin he'd trailed through the Bazaar leaping over a boulder towards him. Link lunged sideways away from the attack and was ready when the Yiga landed; he blocked her attack and responded with a fierce blow of his own, one that she just barely managed to deflect. Off balance, she swiped at his stomach but her blade was much too short to reach him. Link thrust the Master Sword upwards, hooking it through her sickle and yanking it from her grasp, following up with a fierce stab directly to her heart. With a gurgling moan she stumbled backwards and collapsed, swiftly expiring on the sand.

Link waited a moment more, adrenaline surging, before slowly turning back around to face the Princess, keeping his weapon drawn. "Are you alright?"

She stared with wide, round eyes at the blood on his sword. "Y-yes," she whispered, her chin trembling. "They… they're dead…"

Link winced slightly, quickly wiping his blade clean on the back of one of the assassin's bodysuits. A wave of emotion raged through him; for a moment he felt fully prepared to scold the Princess for her foolishness. She never would have been in danger at all if she hadn't run off like that. And then there was the fact that she had physically attacked him, which stung almost as much as her cutting words. Goddesses, Princess - I'm just trying to do my job, for Din's sake!

But then she whimpered and tore her terrified gaze away from the bodies, looking green. Link opened his mouth to tell her exactly what he thought about her behavior, but his resolve crumbled at the sight of her looking so shocked and forlorn. He remembered, with a lump in his throat, the numb horror of seeing his parents' corpses over and over in his dreams, and wondered if perhaps she was feeling something similar – if these were the first dead humans she had ever encountered.

Biting his lip, shoving his frustration aside, he reached out to her, hesitant, before lightly letting his hand rest on her shoulder. "They can't hurt you now, alright?" he reminded her, as gently as he could. "You're safe."

"Safe," she repeated dimly, opening her watery eyes and turning her gaze to his hand on her shoulder. "Y-you… you saved me…"

Link shrugged, shaking his head. "I… should've gotten here sooner." More mistakes. More marks against me.

A sudden painful surge of longing washed over him, erasing the last remnants of his unhappiness with his charge; he thought of Choice in the Gerudo Canyon stable. My days with her are limited, but it's too late now to get to the stable… I doubt the Princess wants to travel in the dark tonight.

"Th-they were going to to k-k-kill me… They really want me dead… I never…"

He turned his gaze back to the Princess, who had begun to shiver. Accustomed to assassination attempts, perhaps, he thought, remembering Janin's words, but… probably not like this. Not so… direct. So violent.

Carefully he took her hand and pulled her to her feet and she sagged against him, her tears dripping into his tunic, her shaking hands reaching up and clinging to his shoulders. Link's heart pounded and he slowly sheathed the Master Sword at his back before hesitantly curling his arms around her, gently holding her to him.

In an instant he caught her scent clearly - some unique kind of flower. His breath caught in his throat.

It had been weeks since his last nightmare of the dark forest, of his death and the mysterious girl he protected. But there was no mistaking the scent - it was her, the Princess, Zelda.

And he was a bit frightened to find that the care he felt for the girl in his dreams - for Zelda - was not imagined or exaggerated. It was just as real as the feeling of holding her in his arms now.

The King'll definitely have my head for this.

He was surprised to find that he didn't care.

\-==/\==-/

"You imbecile!"Janin roared, furiously striking Link across the cheek.

Link flinched back, biting back the urge to clutch at his now throbbing face, shrinking back under Captain Janin's furious glare. "Yes, Sir."

"What in Din's name did you think you were doing? Running away with the Princess of Hyrule - I cannot believe you could justify such a thing! You - you fool! When the King - oh, Goddesses have mercy on you - when the King reads your report, you're dead!"

"Y-yes, Sir."

"I don't even want to imagine what in Hylia's name possessed you to buy her jewelry! Of all the stupid, immature things…" Janin's eyebrow twitched in rage. "The fact that you went along with her foolish idea in the first place instead of bringing her back here! And - and you encouraged her studies - you know how her father feels about that!"

Link tried to keep his features impassive, focusing on burying the feelings of hurt deep, deep down where they would never surface. His eyes watered and he told himself it was just from the sting in his cheek. He's right. I was a complete idiot. But… I don't - I don't regret it. "S-sir, I just thought m-maybe she… if I c-could help her feel more… comfortable around me… maybe she wouldn't feel the need to take such measures to avoid me."

Captain Janin's jaw dropped and he shook his head. "Comfortable?" he sneered, his voice dangerously soft but swiftly increasing in volume. "Meaning you want to be her friend - is that it? Are you lonely, Sir Link? Do I need to fetch your dead parents so you can cry on their shoulders?"

Link's lips parted and a tremor went through him. He had never seen the Captain so furious, and had never felt so hurt by his words. Why was it suddenly so hard to breathe? And - and his eyes were burning; maybe it wasn't because of his aching cheek but the smoke from the candelabras on the walls seemed particularly pungent today...

Janin slammed his fist down on his desk. "Din curse it, Link! I thought I created a warrior, not… not… whatever this is!" He gestured helplessly. "I tried to delay this as long as possible - I did my best, honestly. But the King met with me while you were gone; he knows all about Death Mountain. He's requested to meet with me again when you return from your next journey to discuss the happenings in the desert. I don't -"

"Sir," Link interrupted, his heart hammering, aching with sudden hope. "I'm sorry; I just… next journey?"

Janin nodded slowly; his temper seemed to be cooling. "In punishment for running away, the King has asked his daughter to deliver a summons to Champions Daruk and Mipha. He wishes her to practice her diplomatic skills, which have been entirely neglected for the past several years. You leave tomorrow, at dawn."

Link's heart raced, and he felt as if he were either about to shout for joy or pass out in relief. "I'm not… discharged?" he croaked, barely able to form words.

"This will be your last chance," Captain Janin warned. "It appears that the Champions are being summoned to discuss you."

Link felt his stomach lurch. He couldn't think of any good implications of that.

"No more fooling around, Link," the Captain muttered, shaking his head. "Thus far you've proven to be ruled by your emotions. If you have become infatuated with the Princess, you would do well to destroy such feelings. Let your intellect guide you. Follow common sense. Do your duty as the Princess' bodyguard, and do not let your feelings get in the way. Do I make myself clear?"

Link thought of the moment out in the desert when the Princess sobbed into his chest, and he had embraced her. His heartbeat stuttered. "Of course, Captain."

\-==/\==-/

An hour before dawn, all other preparations complete, Link found himself in his room, hovering over the basin of water. He splashed water over his face with shaking hands, standing shivering and shirtless in the drafty early morning. In the dim light from the candle lying on his nightstand, he couldn't help but stare at his reflection in the mirror, as he hadn't in a long time.

The face staring back at him was haggard and pale, except for a faint bruise on his cheekbone where the Captain had hit him, with the wide eyes of a boy, not a man. His hair hung raggedly to his shoulders, slicked into stringy clumps by the water. Although he knew he was strong, and he could see muscles clearly defined beneath his skin, his shoulders were narrow, his build slender.

Compared to the burlier, weathered, older knights he had trained with, he was nothing but a child.

I'm not fooling anyone, he realized, and the thought terrified him. Including myself.

I can't do this.

His breath caught in his throat as a wave of despair and loneliness washed over him and he gripped his face in his hands, telling himself repeatedly that it was just water, not tears, that he felt on his cheeks.


Updated 7/8