2 - Dry Behind the Ears

The temperature began to drop considerably the further into Faron Link traveled. He'd passed the border a few days ago, and had been swallowed whole by the beautiful, yet eerie forests. Every breath of his and Epona's would produce a very faint cloud of condensation. In the coming weeks he would not have been surprised if it began to snow.

Luckily, his cloak was more than warm enough, and among his belongings were extra clothes in the event of colder or warmer weather. He would be safe of bandits, who were probably less active in the chill. Wolves did not hibernate, however, and neither did fiends - both comfortable in the maze of the forest.

Within the hour he would be close to another village; it was marked on his map but unnamed, and he assumed that it was probably very small. Regardless, he would be able to get off the road and eat some warm grub for the first time in a couple of days.

Link gave a yawn, eliciting a whinny from Epona. There were only a handful of travelers that he passed on the road, all of them small time merchants trying to quickly pass through and get to Ordona. He hadn't seen another human since he'd left the last village he was in; for the amount of settlements that were in the region, there were strangely very few people on the road. The threat of fiends were very real, even on the main road like this. Bokoblins were easy prey for trained soldiers and caravan guards, but on unarmed travelers and merchants they were exceedingly dangerous. While not very intelligent, they always hunted in packs, and Link had heard stories of the gruesome things they would do to people they could get their hands on.

He looked up at the canopy, the light seeping through the pine needles of the trees slowly starting to dim. It was getting late. With a snap of the reins Epona was back into a canter. The fuel in his lantern was beginning to run low, and he did not want to get caught in the forest without a light source. On top of that, Epona was beginning to tire, and she was long due for some rest and food as well.

It wasn't long until the trees began to clear out a bit and the palisades of a small village came into view. Slowing down to a trot, he and Epona approached the village entrance, which had a single guard leaning against the palisade with a bored look on his face. Guards for small villages like these were typically militiamen from the village itself, lightly armed and mostly keeping watch out of ceremony.

"Traveler." The guard greeted as Link passed through the gate.

"There an inn here?" He asked from atop Epona. The guard nodded, pointing to one of the few double story buildings in the village. "Thanks."

There were a few villagers walking around on the road, going through their daily activities. The town probably had fifty townsfolk in it max; there wasn't even a signpost that had the name of the village on it. The front of the inn had a post for horses with hay bales at the front.

"Be right back, girl." Link said as he tied Epona's reins to the post. She whinnied softly, immediately beginning to graze on the hay.

He swung the large door open, walking into the inn. The commons room was dark and small, a fireplace at the back being the only source of light. There was a set of stairs that Link presumed led up to the guest rooms. The proprietor of the inn was sitting in front of the fireplace, tending to a pot of boiling stew. He was an old man, with graying hair and a long beard, hunched on his chair as he stirred the pot. As the door creaked open, he too creaked his neck over to look at Link.

"Hail, traveler." He called out in a gruff voice.

Link put a hand up in greeting, "I'd like a room. Just for the night."

The man stood up, slowly hobbling towards Link, "Ten rupees for the night. Supper and breakfast included, if you like."

As he fished for his wallet, Link nodded, "That would be wonderful, thank you." He dropped a ten rupee coin in the man's outstretched hand; it was the same size as the twenty rupee coin, except nickel with a small yellow gemstone in the middle. "Are there any other guests here?"

The old man nodded, "Just one other." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a key, a parchment tag hanging from it, "Upstairs, second room on the right. Stables in the back for your horse."

Straight to the point. Link accepted the key, before heading back out to get Epona into the stables. When he stepped back outside, the sun had begun its descent into the mountains. The lanterns on the side of the roads and outside the houses had begun getting lit by the villagers.

He led Epona to the rear of the inn, where a small stable was located. There was one other horse there - a draft horse, much hardier than Epona, with a dark, almost black coat. Either the other patron was a merchant or they came from the mountains.

"Behave yourself, okay?" Link said, giving his horse a rub. He reached into his satchel, pulled out a sugar cube and let Epona lick it from his hand, "That's a good girl. I'll see you later."

With a stretch, he headed back into the inn, nodded to the proprietor, and made his way up the stairs. The hallway to the rooms was just as poorly lit as the rest of the inn. After undoing the lock on the door, it opened up with a faint creak. The room was cozy, a bit larger than his back home, with a small desk and chair and a single large bed.

He undid his cloak, hanging it on one of the hooks on the wall, subsequently undoing the latch on his belt and dropping it on the bed. He left his satchel on the chair, before swinging his sword around and leaving it to lean against the desk.

On cue, his stomach gave a little groan. Time for food. On the road, he'd been living solely off hard bread and flavourless biscuits; unpleasant, but they kept for a very long time even in the most unfavourable conditions.

When he'd returned to the commons room, the proprietor had already begun pouring a bowl of stew for Link. There was a dining table near the fireplace, with a few seats to go along. He took a seat opposite to the proprietor, gratefully taking the bowl.

The stew seemed to be cream based, with potatoes, chicken, and leeks mixed in. To a traveler, this sort of hardy meal was a godsend.

"Thank you." Link said, to which the man nodded. He didn't notice earlier, but there was a smaller pot being heated next to the fireplace with a ceramic jug sitting in some light wine inside of it. The proprietor scooped the jug out, filling a couple mugs with the heated wine, setting one in front of Link.

"Getting cold out there. This should keep you warm." The man stated, taking a sip for himself.

Link nodded, digging into the stew. He ate his meal quietly, the older man minding himself as he sipped on his mug, gazing into the fire. The stew was nice and rich, and the wine was mildly sweet with barely any alcoholic content. Link took this time to enjoy sitting in the warmth and to let his body relax.

As he was in the middle of a bite, the door swung open, a tall man entering the commons room. Link couldn't really make out what he looked like, as it was so dim, but he was carrying a large sack over his shoulder.

Without any words, the three men greeted each other simply by nodding, and the newcomer continued up the stairs, his footsteps disappearing into the hallway above.

"From Akkala, that one." The proprietor said, not taking his eyes off the fire.

Link raised a brow, "That's a long ways from here."

"Merchants will go anywhere as long as they can make a profit." He stated, shaking his head, "Rare to see a travelling swordsman like yourself, though."

"I'm headed to Central," The young man replied, "Something I need to do there."

"As is everyone these days." The proprietor turned to look at him, "They need capable hands I hear. Finding work should be easy."

"They?" Link repeated.

"The military. Disputes with the nation to the west."

"Like war, you mean." Link took another sip of the wine.

"No," The old man shook his head, sighing, "Not yet anyway. The King has been making preparations in the event of war, though."

That was news to Link. He hadn't heard of any of this, not that they would necessarily hear about it in Ordona. Could his visions be coming true? Although the western nation wasn't exactly evil, there were populations of orcs that lived there. But from what he'd heard, orcs were just like any other race, except far more secluded with their traditions. He wouldn't have been surprised to run into any travelling within Hyrule, as well.

"Well, either way, I still have to head up to the Capital." Link said, shrugging.

Footsteps were heard from the stairs, the tall man reappearing into the commons room. He took a seat next to Link, and he finally got a good look at his face. Square jaw, with short black hair, a short black beard, and kind eyes. "Careful on your trip - road's dangerous this time of the year," He said, his voice deep, "The military has trouble keeping tabs on the fiends and bandits in the forests."

Link nodded, "I'll be careful."

The man accepted the bowl of stew being poured for him, "Better men have fallen to worse. Don't let your guard down, even for a deku baba."

"You sound like you've been around."

"I have, kid," The man took a big gulp of the warmed wine, "Been a merchant for fifteen years. Been to every province in Hyrule and beyond."

"Don't need a guard?" Link remarked, smirking.

The man waved him off, "Nah. Served in the military for a bit. You don't make nearly as much grovelling to somebody that's ranked higher than you."

This elicited a chuckle from Link, "Better to be your own boss, right?"

"Exactly. Good place to hone your skills, though, that I can't deny." The man said, pointing at him. He then extended a hand, "The name's Aldridge. I'm a merchant hailing from Akkala."

The young man gave him a firm handshake, "Link. I'm from Ordona."

Both of the other occupants of the room gave surprised looks. "A Hylian from Ordona? Very rare, indeed." The proprietor said.

Link nodded, "I was orphaned and raised in Ordon - my father was a blacksmith, made the sword I carry around."

"Well I'll be! The stuff you guys make always fetches a high price on the market." Aldridge acknowledged, "Maybe I should consider going there next…"

The young man laughed, "Don't think we'll be running out of pumpkins any time soon, so I'm sure you could make a profit bringing some over here."

Aldridge chugged down the rest of his wine, a determined look on his face, "I've decided to head there tomorrow!"

That got a chuckle out of the proprietor, "Living life on the edge. The best way to spend your youth, if I do say so myself."

The three men conversed over food and drink for the next hour or so, before Link decided it was high time for him to retreat to bed. He was beat, having been on the road since before dawn and having slept under a tree just before that.

With a yawn, he entered his room and immediately kicked off his boots. Hoping he wouldn't have an unpleasant dream that night, he flopped belly first into the bed, closing his eyes. It wasn't long until the bliss of sleep had taken over him.


Link had awoken to the sounds of somebody banging on his door.

Thud thud thud!

"Kid, wake up! We need you!" Came Aldridge's voice from behind the door.

Stirring in his bed, he groggily began rubbing his eyes. His eyelids felt like they were glued shut from the crust lining them, and he tried shaking off the cobwebs as he stumbled out of bed. His eyes still droopy, he managed to make his way to the door, undoing the latch and swinging it open.

Aldridge stood fully dressed with a cloak on, a lantern in one of his hands. The brightness of the lamp made Link squint even further. "Yeah, what's the matter?" Link asked, voice hoarse.

"Grab your sword, get dressed, and meet me downstairs. It's an emergency." He said nothing more and retreated down the stairs.

Link stood there for a second before turning around to do as the man said. After getting fully equipped, he too headed down the stairs, taking a drink from his water sack to wake himself up.

In the commons room, the proprietor, Aldridge, and a newcomer - a young lady - sat around the dining table, discussing something.

"Link, there you are," said Aldridge, waving Link over to take a seat, "Take a seat."

Link did as he instructed, taking a seat at the table.

The woman spoke up, "My name is Rowena, I'm a seamstress in the village." He got a good look at her face; she couldn't have been much older than himself, and had long auburn hair and pretty blue eyes. Cute girl. "I'd hate to ask this of travelers just passing through here, but my sister went missing last night."

Aldridge continued, "The militia have been trying to look for her around the village, but they just don't have enough hands to search and keep guard at the same time."

"She was out gathering mushrooms - very close by. She left yesterday morning and nobody has seen her since!" Rowena began to sob, "I fear the worst may have happened to her…"

Aldridge leaned in to Link's ear, "They said they'd pay us if we found the girl!" He had a huge goofy grin on his face.

Link couldn't help but facepalm inwardly at this - even under the apparent gravity of the situation, the merchant was still thinking about making a profit.

"Consider it done," Link announced, crossing his arms, "What does she look like? What's her name?"

Rowena nodded, "We share the same hair and eye colour, but she's a little bit younger than me. Her hair is shorter than mine, as well. Her name is Lumina."

The two men looked at each other before standing up in unison. "We'll find Lumina, don't you worry, kid." Aldridge announced, walking towards the door. A very large object wrapped up in fabric was leaning next to the door, and he grabbed it on his way out.

Link nodded to the girl, who was looking at him expectantly, and followed the larger man through the door. As expected, it was still very early in the morning. The moonlight shone brightly onto the forest, along with the bulbs of light that came from the village's lanterns. He reckoned it was at least two o'clock - the moon was still high in its arc in the sky. It was also very chilly, and Link felt a shiver go up his back as the brisk air touched his skin.

There were a couple of militiamen waiting at the gates of the village - the opposite gate that Link had entered through the previous afternoon. They hailed the two outsiders toward them, "You two! Over here."

"Gentlemen. Where was she last seen?" Aldridge asked, crossing his arms.

One of the guards pointed west, "She'd apparently been doing her work in the grove over there. Not too far off."

The other guard shook his head, "If something like this happened and she was that close, then the village might be in danger."

Link nodded, "Alright. We'll go check it out."

They both began the trek westward. As they got further off the road and into the trees, it became difficult finding solid footing among the roots and rotting pine cones. Aldridge had the only lantern, so Link did his best to stay close behind him.

Within a few minutes, they were at the grove the guards spoke of. It was a large clearing, the moonlight glowing very brightly here. The grass was a verdant green, and between the knolls Link could see small truffles growing from the ground. Fireflies floated lazily in the meadow, and the sound of crickets and night owls echoed from every corner. This was the spot, and the guards were right, this clearing was very close to the village.

They began looking around the clearing on their own; it was easy to see as the moon was directly above them. It wasn't long before Link had a found a clue.

"Aldridge." He called out, kneeling before a basket half full of truffles, "This must be hers."

"Seems like it." Aldridge began searching the vicinity, scanning the ground. "Tracks," He said, pointing to the dirt. "Not human." They looked like human feet, except the toes were a little more stretched out, nails digging into the soil.

"Bokoblins, then?" Link suggested, to which the larger man nodded an affirmative. Link followed the tracks with his eyes - they led directly into the forest. "Looks like we're going deeper."

Aldridge motioned for the young swordsman to follow him. The merchant took point, following the footprints with his lantern. "Probably a camp up ahead," He said as they traversed the forest, "Depending on how many there are, we should be able to take them with just the two of us." He turned to Link, giving him a serious look, "Just don't underestimate them. We'll take it slow - if we get caught trying to deal with a mob we might be in trouble."

Link nodded, "Got it."

"Good. Keep your wits about you."

As they slowly made their way between the trees, Link could feel his heart beginning to pump, adrenaline filling his veins. He'd practiced his swordsmanship maniacally in the weeks leading up to his departure, but he'd never actually faced a real opponent outside of his visions. He felt his palms beginning to moisten, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple as he gulped. It was a strange feeling; he was scared, yes, but more so he was excited - he'd finally be able to test his mettle.

Aldridge put up a fist, motioning for Link to stop. The merchant turned off his lantern, tapping Link on the shoulder to look ahead. Sure enough, there was a large campfire further into the forest. As they moved in closer, they saw that it was a pretty decent encampment.

It was in a clearing of the forest next to a rocky cliff, a cave at the foot of it. There were unfinished palisades, leaving multiple gaps for entry, with two elevated towers to keep watch.

As they predicted, the camp was full of bokoblins; primitive, humanoid creatures with thick, leathery skin of varying tones and hog-like snouts. They were at the bottom of the intelligence spectrum but were smart enough to use weapons and tools, and in enough numbers could pillage a town with their perseverance. Unlike their larger, much more fearsome counterparts, the moblin, they were generally frail and weak.

Two red bokoblins stood atop of the towers, both with a pair of primitive bows made of branches and string. Inside the encampment was a bonfire, a rotisserie set up above it with a wild boar being cooked. There were about eight other bokoblins bumbling about around it. No sign of the girl, she must have been in the cave.

"You any good with a bow?" Aldridge asked, whispering.

Link shrugged, "I've never used one before."

The larger man nodded, "Not a problem." He began unravelling the fabric wrapped item he had. Link's eyes widened when he saw that it was a humongous claymore - easily as long as Link was tall. Aldridge's large stature made it believable that he could wield such an enormous weapon. "Those two bokoblins up there - they're only focusing on two directions. If we circle around to the openings of the palisades on the left and right, we should be able to bypass their line of sight," He pointed to the campfire, "That bokoblin has a pretty decent bow-" Indeed, the bokoblin he pointed to was furthest away from the campfire, and was holding onto a bow that a traveller would use, "-these guys are too dumb to put him on the watchtower."

Link was beginning to understand where he was going with this, "I'll sneak around, take the bow, and take out the guards at the watchtower?"

Aldridge patted him on the shoulder, "Exactly. Don't worry, it's super easy, just point and pull the drawstring back and release it." Link couldn't help but give a sweatdrop at his explanation. "Once they're dead, I'll come in and just hammer away with my greatsword. There's only eight of them, so once the arrows are out of the way it should be a piece of cake." The young swordsman nodded.

"Alright, let's move. Quietly!"

Keeping a low profile, the two of them split into opposite directions. Link moved swiftly through the underbrush, the tall grass keeping him hidden as he avoided the watch of the bokoblin above. He could hear their snorts and strange cackling sounds that sounded like laughter. The smell of the boar being cooked reached his nose - he hoped that it was the only thing being cooked in that fire.

The bokoblin with the traveller's bow seemed to be dozing off near the entrance of the palisade. Gotta get its attention… He thought, looking around him. A whistle would be too loud, and it bore the risk of attracting the entire camp. Picking up a pebble on the ground, he flicked it at the bokoblin's direction.

It lightly plonked off the bokoblin's head, causing it to angrily stir. It took a look around, before walking towards Link's direction. Just a little more… Once the bokoblin was close enough, he pounced out of the grass, unsheathing his sword.

In one swift motion, he jammed his sword in the bokoblin's face, spinning the creature around as it struggled. Link pinned the bokoblin into the grass; it fervently began trying to rake its fingers into his eyes, to no avail. He gave the sword a crank, and a moment later it stopped moving, lifeless. Link released a breath that he did not realize that he had been holding. After wiping the blood that sprayed all over his cheek, he removed his sword from the head of the bokoblin.

Its once perfect metal sheen was now tainted with the melodramatic red of the creature's blood. There was a sliver of remorse, until he remembered that these fiends were scum of the realm, existing only to prey on the weak. He shook his head and gave the sword a flick before returning it to its sheath.

He picked up the bow the bokoblin had dropped. It was made of a light, sturdy wood - oak perhaps - with engraved metal lining the arrow rests. The grip was ambidextrous, the drawstring made of a higher quality wire rather than string. Where the hell did it get this? He wondered, before realizing that it probably plundered it off some unsuspecting traveler. Searching the bokoblin's body, he found four arrows. No quiver though - he would have to make do for now.

Link snuck towards the opening in the palisades and the other bokoblins were none the wiser. Peeking into the camp, he saw the two guards in the watchtowers still looking in the same direction. Target practice. For the first time, he armed the bow with an arrow and took aim at the closest watchtower. It was bizarre; he once again felt a wave of familiarity as he did this. Drawing back the string felt extremely natural, as if he had done this countless times before.

Closing an eye, he steadied his aim. He took a breath, Here goes nothing! He released the arrow, the drawstring making a satisfying rebound sound. The arrow whistled through the air, landing dead center on the back of the bokoblin's head. There was a small spray of blood, and the bokoblin fell over onto the platform, dead.

He couldn't help but be impressed with himself, but Link had no time to admire his handiwork. None of the bokoblins noticed yet and he wanted this over before they did. He took aim at the second watchtower. Thunk! Right in the bokoblin's temple!

As soon as the second bokoblin fell, Aldridge emerged from the opposite opening, yelling at the top of his lungs. "HURAHHH!" came the guttural battle cry as he charged into the camp with his greatsword raised.

The bokoblins had zero time to react, and in one wide swing he cleaved two of the bokoblins clean in half, the pieces of their bodies flying into the air. Link took this time to drop his bow and backstab the closest bokoblin, sinking his sword through its back.

A bokoblin armed with a club lunged at him, and he instinctively parried the weapon, causing the creature to recoil backwards. He lopped off its arm, before spinning around and slicing off its head.

There was a thunderous slam, and Aldridge had given a mighty downward swing on a poor bokoblin, simultaneously cleaving it and crushing it.

Three left! Link dashed to the next closest one; this one was holding a rusty sword. It made to slice at him, and for a second it almost looked as if it was moving in slow motion. He easily stepped out of the way, knocking the weapon out of its hand with his own blade. Holding his sword with two hands, he gave it a single diagonal slash, immediately backpedaling to avoid the spray of blood that jettisoned from the wound.

There was a glint in his eye, and in a blur he made for the next one. With a savage cry, he lunged for the bokoblin, who held up its club to block the attack. Because Link had jumped, he broke right through its guard with the impact of his strike, cause it to stumble backwards. There were the patter of his footsteps, and before he knew it, he had already plunged his sword into the creature's chest. Planting his foot onto the fiend's stomach, he forcibly removed his sword from the body of the bokoblin, kicking it off his sword.

His instincts made his head turn towards the last fiend, but Aldridge had already finished it off.

The battle took all but a matter of seconds. The encampment had been cleared out, the bloody mess of what used to be fiends strewn about the ground next to the campfire. Link was panting, not from fatigue, but from excitement. His sword - and his hands - dripped with blood. It was a curious sensation; it wasn't the bloodshed that he enjoyed, but more so the rush of battle. It was very fluid to him, and for the few seconds he was in combat, Link felt like he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Good work kid," Aldridge said, pointing at the watchtowers, "Told you it was easy."

He couldn't help but laugh in response, "I guess I'm a natural."

Aldridge chuckled, "Don't get too ahead of yourself, we still got the girl to save."

Link nodded. The older man began walking to the cave, and Link tried to figure out what he would do with the bow. It was well-crafted, and would definitely be a waste to cast it away. After a second of thought, he decided it would be useful to have on the journey - especially since he was evidently able to make proper use of it. He ended up slipping it around his shoulder and followed the merchant into the cave.

There were bones all along the ground, a torch along the walls every so often. It didn't seem like it from afar, but the cave was kind of deep. They swiftly navigated the tunnel until they came upon a room, roughly the size of a house. A couple of sleeping bokoblins were on the floor, and behind them three wooden cages. Two of them had rotting corpses, the third had…

"Lumina!" Link said, whispering as they approached the back of the cave. She was sitting in the corner of the cage, her face buried in her knees. Her clothes were in tatters, but it didn't seem like they'd done anything to her yet. The fact that she still had clothes filled him with a huge wave of relief.

"Looks like we got here before any of the nasty stuff could happen." Aldridge remarked. He motioned for Link to follow.

Hunched over, they slowly made their way into the room to avoid waking the bokoblins. Link's nose couldn't help but scrunch up as the smell of the corpses entered his nostrils. It was a bit like a decaying rat that he'd find sometimes in the barn back home, only it was a hundred times more powerful and pungent. It made him want to puke his entire dinner out, and it took every ounce of willpower to resist gagging. That smell was definitely a first for him, and he thought to himself that he would probably need to get used to it.

At this point, their footsteps had gained Lumina's notice, but Link put a finger to his lips. She clutched at the bars of her cage, nodding.

In unison, they plunged their swords in the hearts of the sleeping creatures. After a couple seconds of squirming, they eventually went into an eternal slumber.

"Just hold on, we'll get you out." Link said, walking up to the cage.

Lumina seemed that she'd been crying not too long ago, as her eyes were a little red. "I don't know who you people are, but thank you so much!"

Aldridge shook his head, "There's no need for thanks. It was our pleasure."

Link turned around to look at him, and he gave him a wink and thumbs up. The young man couldn't help but roll his eyes. Good grief. Merchants were a greedy bunch. As he jammed his sword in between the door of the cage and its walls, he inwardly agreed that although he was greedy, Aldridge was a very deadly man, and any bandit that tried to cross swords with him on the road was a very dead man.

There was a satisfying crack, and the door swung open. Lumina stumbled out, clutching onto Link's neck for support, "I thought I was gonna die!" She wailed, burying her face into his chest. He patted her back as she began soiling his tunic with her tears. Looking over at the other cages, which had two decaying corpses, he shook his head solemnly. Had they not come there, she could've easily become like them. He didn't even want to imagine the sorts of things they could've done to a frail girl like her.

"It's okay, you're safe now." Link said, gently helping her up.

"I-I'm sorry," She sniffled, still holding onto his hand, "Who are you guys anyway?"

"Travellers," Aldridge replied, wiping the blood off his claymore, "We were staying at the inn until the guards asked us for help."

"Your sister is very worried about you." said the younger man. Once his claymore was clean, Aldridge began wrapping it back up in its fabric. He picked up his lantern, motioning for the two to follow.

"I-I don't know what happened…" Lumina said, beginning to recall what happened earlier in the day, "I was just picking truffles like I always did in the morning… A-All of a sudden…" Tears began rolling down her cheeks again, "They just jumped out of the forest and grabbed me! T-those creatures… They dragged me through the bushes, beating me whenever they wanted."

The two men couldn't help but cringe. Definitely not the most ideal start to someone's day.

"Then they locked me in that cage for hours, next to those two dead bodies. I had to sit there in that room, wondering what horrible things I'd done in the past life to deserve this." She shook her head, her voice echoing off the walls of the tunnels, "Luckily you two came before they could do anything else."

Aldridge nodded, "Definitely. There've been worse things done to people, that much I can assure you."

"Thank you. I honestly don't know how I can repay you two." Lumina said, shaking her head.

Link chuckled, "Well the militia said they would pay us, and for the both of us I think that's more than enough."

"Damn right. Never thought I'd actually make money in a small village like this." The older man said, laughing.

When they got back outside, they couldn't help but take a big breath of the fresh air. Lumina was understandably appalled by the scenery within the encampment. Hopefully it would serve as a warning to any other fiends that thought about getting too close to the village.

It was a quick hike back to the road, where the two guards at the gate were still standing with their spears out.

Aldridge waved over to them, "We found your girl!"

One of the guards looked surprised, "Well I'll be! Welcome back Lumina!"

"We got rid of a bokoblin camp, too." Link added.

The guard nodded, "We thought there might've been a camp, as well. You have our gratitude."

The other one spoke up, "Your sister's waitin' for ya back in the inn, Lumina."

"Thank you, gentlemen." The girl said, bowing.

Link and Aldridge both nodded to each other, and escorted Lumina down the road. As they were walking down the street, Link couldn't help but give a loud yawn.

"Bwahaha! I guess I did pull you out of your beauty sleep, eh Link?" Aldridge said, giving Link a firm slap on the back. The young man stumbled, causing their escortee to giggle.

"When we get back you can rest all you want, okay? No need to worry about me." Lumina said, laughing.

They swung the door into the inn open and Rowena jumped into Lumina's arms. "Sister! You're safe!" She too began to cry, clutching onto the smaller girl's neck.

"Thanks to these two!" Lumina replied, returning the hug.

Rowena pulled away and began wiping her tears. She gave a deep bow to the two travellers, and her sister did the same. "Thank you both. I don't know how I could possibly repay you."

Aldridge put a hand to his chin before nodding sagely, "Money would be fine."

Link chuckled, "Yes, that would suffice."

Rowena also nodded, "Of course. Tomorrow morning the guards will gather something up."

After thanking the two profusely and shaking their hands, the sisters headed back to their house in the village, and the travelers went back into the inn. The proprietor had long since went to sleep.

Aldridge placed a hefty hand onto Link's shoulder, "Good job, kid. Glad to see that sword isn't just for show."

"I could say the same for you. I don't think I could even lift a sword that big." The young swordsman replied, smiling.

"Well, let's just say that on the road, sometimes looks are the biggest deterrent for attackers." He said, giving the young man a wink that could barely be seen in the dimness of the commons room.

Advice that Link would be taking to heart, for sure. They didn't loiter downstairs for much longer than that, and quickly retreated back to their rooms for the remainder of the night. It would be a short rest, then it was back on the road once the sun was back up.

Link unloaded all of his gear at the foot of the bed, taking a second to admire the bow he'd gotten off the bokoblins. When he took into account all his gear, it would be quite difficult to carry his sword and his bow at the same time, not to mention a quiver full of arrows if he'd gotten one. Shrugging, he placed it on the desk, deciding to worry about it later.

After kicking off his boots, he crawled into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chest. He stared at the ceiling, the excitement from the engagement still lingering in his body.

Small-time fiends were only the first step. For the sake of everyone back home, and for himself, he needed to get stronger.


A pair of lone footsteps echoed on the carpet of the cobblestone hallways, moonlight pouring in through the elegant glass windows. Every other window or so was a lantern lit up, giving dim, but cozy illumination to the hall. There were fantastic paintings hung up on either side of the corridor, along with decorative sets of shields and swords.

The footsteps belonged to a woman; tall and elegant, with a slender, athletic frame. Her skin was slightly tanned, and she wore exotic, form-fitting clothing reminiscent to the people of the eastern region of Necluda; navy tights that covered everything but her arms and shoulders, with a loose, white and red-trimmed kimono-style jacket over top. Her arms and shins had forearm guards, and rather than boots, she wore eastern-style sandals. Exceedingly beautiful, she had thin amber eyes and silky silver hair that was pulled into a long ponytail that cascaded over her back. A single strand hung over her face, which was adorned with a few tribal markings on her cheeks.

As she approached the door at the end of the hallway, she furrowed her brows as she saw a sliver of light leaking from underneath the door frame. She shook her head and sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Goddesses… At this time of the night?" She muttered.

She crept up to the door and put a hand up to knock, before stopping herself right before her knuckle hit the door. Wait… Perhaps she is doing something… Private...? Putting a hand to her chin, she began to think about her next action wisely, closing her eyes. Leaning in, she put one of her ears to the door.

There was a faint voice speaking, ineligible through the door, along with what sounded like scribbling on a piece of paper. The woman let out a sigh of relief. She cleared her throat, proceeding to knock.

"Your majesty?" She called out. Immediately, the light underneath the door disappeared, the sound of sheets shuffling was heard. The woman couldn't help but giggle to herself as she let herself in.

The room was very wide, a huge and exquisite canopy bed with pink and gold drapes occupying the middle of the space. A plush red rug sat underneath the bed, which extended for a majority of the room. There was a large dresser with a gold mirror in one corner of the room and a large oak study desk on the other, right next to the bed. The lamp that was on the desk still had smoke emanating from it, and the woman could see a piece of paper and an ink jar next to the lamp. The only source of light came from the large glass balcony doors, whose curtains were swept wide open to let the moonlight in.

Behind the drapes of the canopy bed was a figure wrapped up in blankets from head to toe, illuminated by the white light of the moon.

"You shouldn't be up this late, your majesty." The woman spoke softly, approaching the foot of the bed.

The sounds of exaggerated snoring came from underneath the covers, clearly fake. The woman twitched an eye at this.

"Well, if she's asleep, maybe she wouldn't mind me reading what's on this desk here, hmm?" She spoke the last part with sickeningly sweet emphasis, marching over to the desk.

The figure underneath the bed threw off the covers, "W-w-wait! NOOO!" The covers revealed a thin young lady, with long, shimmering, golden blonde hair that cascaded around her face, and fair, peachy skin. She had sharp and elegant cerulean eyes, and was wearing a pink nightgown. She jumped out of the bed, snatching the paper off the table, "Impa! You can't!"

The taller woman, Impa, was briefly surprised at the sudden aggressiveness of the girl, before she began to laugh wholeheartedly, "Hahaha! Are your writings so embarrassing that even I am not allowed to look at them-" she put a hand on the girl's head, "-Princess Zelda?"

Underneath the woman's tanned hand was the rosy, flustered face of the Princess. She huffed, gently removing Impa's hand from her head, "Those are private."

Impa's eyes closed as she gave a huge grin, "I know. I'm just teasing you, Princess." She crossed her arms, flicking away the strand of hair that fell over her face, "Is it so important that it would keep you up at these god-forsaken hours of the night? It is well into the morning."

Zelda sighed, still clutching the paper in her hand. She made to sit on the bed, to which her retainer did the same next to her. "I've been having many ominous messages in my sleep lately."

The older woman nodded, "Yes, you've been telling them to me."

"This one…" Her eyelids began to droop, ever-so-slightly, and a slight rosy tinge came over her cheeks, "Was not so ominous."

Impa looked over at her liege - the right hand that held the paper she'd been scribbling on had the triangular mark of the goddesses on it. "How so?"

"The pieces of the Triforce…" Zelda began, looking at her aforementioned hand, "They call to each other. When the Triforce of the dark one calls, I see visions of war - of strife. When the Triforce of the hero calls… It is gentler, simpler. It feels like I've lived a dozen lifetimes, and I've seen him in all of them. It is always different, but at the same time, it feels so familiar."

"The reincarnations, you mean?" Impa suggested, to which the Princess nodded, "I see. I suppose that is how the legends go."

"I believe the hero has been reincarnated in our realm, that he lives among us as we speak." The young Princess of Hyrule looked down at the paper she was clutching in her hand, "There are dreams where I would meet the hero on the battlefield, in the midst of war in our very realm. He looks unlike the other incarnations that I've seen, but I know who he is. The courage and strength… He can help lead us in the dark future that awaits."

Zelda stood up and walked to the balcony, looking out the glass doors that overlooked the beautiful nation she helped rule. Hyrule Castle sat high above the capital - a massive urban area known as Central City, home to hundreds of thousands of citizens of all races. There were buildings and walls that stretched to the horizon and, beyond those, rolling hills, forests, and mountains - all glowing under the moon. This was her home. Their home.

"He calls out to me, but I can never catch up to him. It's strange." She looked up at Impa, who had walked up beside her, "The hero is somewhere out there. If we are to win the war that approaches in the horizon, we must find him."

Impa put a hand on the Princess' shoulder, "Perhaps. Or maybe he will find us," She took one more look out the window before pacing to the middle of the room, "Or maybe, if the pieces of the Triforce call each other like you say, maybe you will find each other."

"Maybe. It is unfortunate," said Zelda, very softly, "For the hero to exist, the dark one must also exist. To be encumbered with such a burden is… Unfair, to say the least."

"Yes. But the hero is chosen because he can handle it." Impa smiled, "The Triforce of Courage is named as such."

The young Princess smiled gently, returning to her bedside, "That it is."

"But, the hero cannot lead us on his own." Impa closed a fist, "We must be diligent to make sure that we are strong. That the people are strong." She walked over to Zelda, once again placing a hand on her head, "And that is why you must sleep, because you need to be up early tomorrow for training."

Zelda giggled, "Yes, I know."

"Good." Impa began to make for the door but stopped abruptly, turning around. "By the way… If your writings were so private, why did you just end up telling me everything anyway?"

The Princess' eyes opened wide, and she protectively clutched her paper to her chest. She began shifting nervously, looking away from Impa. "I…" She started, "I was writing down what the hero looked like. So I wouldn't forget if I ever saw him."

Impa grunted quizzically, "Eh?" She had a confused look on her face, and Zelda avoided eye contact with her. Suddenly, as if she'd had an epiphany, a wave of realization came over Impa's face. "Ah, I see." Her confused face shifted into a sly one, and she put a finger to her chin, "No matter how strong you might be, you are still a young lady, after all." Impa giggled, "He must be a very intriguing young man for you to write about him so."

"..." Zelda refused to say anything else, still looking away from her retainer. The redness on her cheeks had spread to the tips of her ears.

"I will pry no further. However, I will ask that you finish your writings in the morning - can you do that?" asked Impa, to which the Princess meekly nodded, "Wonderful. Sweet dreams, your majesty." She swung the door open and turned around, Zelda sitting on her bedside watching her leave. Impa couldn't help but smirk, "Very sweet dreams." With a click, the door shut, and Impa's laughter could be heard disappearing down the hallway.

Zelda sat in bed, her fair skin red as a tomato.

"I-IMPAAAA!"


The sun was only beginning to rise when Link forced himself out of bed. The sound of birds chirping outside of the shutters of his room pulled him out of what little slumber he'd managed to get. He groaned, leaning against one of the walls as he tried to get himself awake, taking a large swig of his water sack. At the corner of his mouth he could feel the crust of dried-up drool, which he lazily rubbed at.

Oversleeping was one of his favourite pastimes, and trying to overcome it had proved to be much more difficult task than slaying any beast.

With his eyes still partially shut, he began getting dressed, putting on his equipment. He'd noted that there was still a bit of blood on his tunic and gauntlets, meaning there was probably some on his sword as well. As he walked down the stairs to the commons room, he'd made a mental note to do some cleaning at the next river he passed.

"Up early, boy?" The proprietor greeted, working on a porridge in the pot.

"Long trip up ahead. Gotta get going early to make the most of the sunlight." Link said, taking a seat.

"Wise choice," The older man replied. He set down a pewter tankard on the table, freshly made coffee steaming inside of it. "This'll wake you up."

Link, still sleepy, took the mug with both hands, taking a deep inhale of the drink. He sighed blissfully before taking a careful sip, "Mmm... This is good."

"Necludan coffee beans, they are. I'm sure you don't get to taste that very often in Ordona." The proprietor remarked, a rare smile gracing his weathered face.

The young man shook his head, "Not at all."

"Something smells good down here!" Came Aldridge's voice from the staircase, perky as ever.

"Food'll be ready in a second, take a seat," said the proprietor, returning to the pot of stew.

With a creak, the large man pulled out the chair next to Link, seating himself. He was fully geared as well, setting down both the sack from the night before and his sheathed claymore next to the table. "The guards come by with our payment yet?"

Link took another sip of his coffee, "Nah, not yet."

"Bummer. Well, I'm sure they'll come around before we leave." A tankard of coffee was also set down in front of Aldridge, to which he nodded his thanks. They sat in comfortable silence, enjoying their coffee and listening to the boiling pot of porridge. After a loud slurp, Aldridge turned to Link, "So where're you headed next?"

"Probably Faron City." Link replied, "Thought it might be good to check the place out, stock up on supplies, maybe make some money."

"Aye, I'm sure you could find lots of work there," The proprietor said from the pot, "The Zora River runs next to the city - I'm sure you could find some work at the port."

"I'm not much of a sailor." The young swordsman replied, chuckling.

"Monster slaying, then." Aldridge suggested.

"Monster slaying?" Link repeated, quizzically looking at the larger man, "Don't they have enough soldiers there?"

"Sure, but soldiers are just as lazy as anyone else," Aldridge replied, waving him off, "They'd be more than willing to pay some passerby to do their dirty work for them."

Link hummed, "Hmm. That does sound interesting."

The proprietor gave a hearty laugh, "Hahaha! You youngin's always look for excitement, huh?"

Both of the men sitting at the table smirked. "What can I say? Didn't come this far away from home to go fishing!" Link said, grinning.

The old man put two stone bowls of porridge on the table along with a couple of wooden spoons. Aldridge poked at the fragrant bowl of food; it was milk based with apple slices, oats, and goat cheese mixed into it, topped off with some brown sugar. He took a deep whiff of the steam rising out of it before popping a spoonful into his mouth.

"Gramps, you sure know how to cook." Aldridge said, savouring the sweetness in his mouth.

"The only inn in the village has to be good for something, right?" The older man replied, taking a seat opposite the two with his own bowl of food.

Link ate his porridge quietly, contemplating what the merchant had said. Monster slaying sounded like it would be lucrative, and it would be a great way to improve his swordsmanship. It would be interesting to see the different kinds of beasts and fiends that made Hyrule their home, and getting experience with the fauna of the realm would surely prove to be beneficial for the long run. Of course, the thought of getting possibly killed also lingered in his mind, but that was a bridge he would cross when he got to it. Even then, he was confident that unless it was a dragon or some sort of mythical beast, he could probably deal with any monster he'd find in the forest. Probably. No risk no reward, as they say.

He was pulled out of his musings when the inn's front door swung open, Rowena and Lumina entering the commons room along with one of the militiamen.

"Good morning to you all." The elder sister said, bowing, to which the younger sister did the same, "Slept well, we hope?"

Link nodded, "As well as we could in four hours." He motioned at Lumina, "You should be resting."

Lumina shook her head, "I can rest later. Seeing you two off is more important."

The travellers looked at each other and shrugged. "If you say it's okay." Aldridge said.

The guard cleared his throat, "We've managed to pool in what meager resources we have to reward your work from last night…" He set two pouches on the table, jingling with coins, "Fifty rupees each. I'm sorry that we are unable to provide you with more." Three villagers bowed deeply.

Link shook his head, "Please, don't be. This is more than enough. Lumina's safety is much more important than some coins."

Aldridge opened his mouth to object, "The hell it is-!" Until he received a merciless stomp on the foot from the younger swordsman, "I-I mean, yes! As long as little Lumina is safe." He hid his pain behind a smile, gritting his teeth as he felt his foot begin to swell.

After breakfast, it took no time for the travelers to get ready for departure. They walked their horses to the road in front of the inn, where the sisters were waiting to see them off.

"Hey, girl. You have a good rest?" Link said, holding the reins in one hand and rubbing Epona's neck with the other. She gave an excited snort at the return of her master.

"She's a beauty, that one." Aldridge remarked, already saddled on the bulky draft horse, "What's her name?"

"Epona." Link replied, smiling.

"Good name. Fit for a goddess, one might say." He turned to the gate opposite of where Link was going; the gate that Link had come from.

"Still got your eyes set on Ordona, huh?" The young swordsman remarked, also saddling up.

"Of course. Maybe I'll come back here with some pumpkins!" The merchant laughed.

"That would be wonderful!" Rowena exclaimed, putting her hands together, "They are much too difficult to grow here, unfortunately..."

"Make sure you come back to visit, okay?" Lumina said to Link, who was figuring out a way to get his newly acquired traveler's bow to sit securely on the saddle.

"Of course. Just make sure you stay out of trouble!" He replied, winking. Adjusting his posture on the saddle, he looked over at Aldridge, "Good luck out there."

"Same to you, kid." The merchant began down the road, giving a salute, "Don't die."

With a smirk, Link snapped the reins, also beginning down the road, "I won't."

With the travelers heading their separate ways and the two sisters in the village safe and sound, Link wondered what the remaining length of his journey had in store for him.

It was only just beginning, after all.


King Rhoam was known as many things in his lifetime. It was noted from a young age that he was a prodigal strategist, his intelligence letting him excel through multiple levels of schooling far beyond his age group. It was not long after reaching adulthood that he'd become an officer in the military, displaying outstanding tactical prowess and winning battle after battle in decisive manner. And when he'd finally succeeded his father as the King of Hyrule in his early thirties, he'd led the nation through multiple wars with their neighbouring countries, asserting such military dominance that he'd almost singlehandedly ushered in a three-decade era of peace. Now in his sixties, he was a tempered ruler with wisdom and experience far beyond most anyone in the realm.

At his advanced age, however, it was this wisdom and experience that let him easily accept that there were many things that he did not know.

"Father, please!" Zelda begged the King, pestering him as he walked through the corridors of the castle, "We need to find the hero! The war with the dark one looms and if we don't find him, then-"

"Then what, Zelda?!" Rhoam snapped, stopping his pace as he turned to look at his daughter, "Hyrule will be destroyed? By this dark one I am not even sure exists?!"

He was a tall imposing figure, his body well-built from years of military service. His square jaw was lined with a trimmed beard, and his long, slightly receding white hair was combed back so that it did not impede with his face. A different ruler than his own father, he chose not to wear a crown, valuing solidarity with his people and, unlike many kings, he chose to forego extravagant royal clothing with simple, clean clothes that allowed ease of movement. The only thing that separated him from his people was the royal cape he wore, a majestic red trimmed with white fur, the Hylian royal crest embroidered in gold on the back.

Rhoam knew many things but, even after two decades, the secrets of fatherhood continued to elude him. The fact that his daughter was the reincarnation of many other legendary princesses complicated this even further.

"I know you don't believe me," His daughter said, closing a fist. She was normally so calm and even-tempered, but whenever it came to her visions and the hero, she was uncharacteristically passionate. "But that is why I'm asking you to let me search for him myself! I'll take responsibility for it!"

Zelda was still wearing the clothes she wore for morning training, which consisted of a white blouse, brown short shorts, black stockings, and leather thigh-high boots. Her long blonde hair, which parted in two and framed her face, was tied into a high ponytail. Her trusty rapier was sheathed at her waist, still a bit dirty from training.

Rhoam sighed, rubbing his temples, "Do you have any idea what you are requesting from me, my daughter?"

The young princess stood firm, ignoring her father's exasperated disposition, "Yes. We can save resources if I search in a squad's stead!"

"You are the most important resource I have!" The King cried, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"I can handle myself, you know this!" Zelda gripped the handle of her rapier, "I train my swordsmanship rigorously everyday. And even then, Impa will be with me!"

Rhoam shook his head, "I cannot allow it!"

"But father-!"

"You are staying here AND THAT'S FINAL!" Rhoam shouted, his voice bellowing through the corridor. Zelda stood unwavering, her glare never leaving her father's eyes. "Go to your duties. I have a meeting I must attend." He gave her one last stern look before turning on a heel to continue down the hallway.

Zelda angrily watched her father's figure retreat into the castle, her teeth grinding as she clenched her jaw. With a huff, she jolted into the opposite direction.

She narrowly avoided the subjects of the castle she passed by as she determinedly sprinted through the hallways, leaving them with confused looks on their faces.

Navigating the castle to her room, Zelda threw her door open, stomping towards her dresser. After tearing through articles and articles of clothing, she pulled out a black hooded cloak, swiftly slipping it over her shoulders and securing the hook on the front. She then found a large messenger bag, which she began stuffing with extra clothes and supplies.

As she was hunched over at the foot of her bed, a cough came from her door.

"And where are you going, packing all that stuff?" Impa inquired, leaning on the doorframe.

Zelda snapped her head to look at her retainer and began holding onto her bag defensively, "Er… A trip? To the market...?"

The tall woman laughed, "It looks like you're going on a trip to Hebra with all that stuff you've been putting in your bag." She shook her head and began approaching the Princess, "I hope you're not planning on doing something your father wouldn't allow."

"No…?" Zelda said, laughing nervously. Impa was not having any of it and crossed her arms. The Princess scratched her head, "I was going to go out search for the hero…"

"That is definitely something your father wouldn't allow." Impa sighed, shaking her head. "Do you even know where to begin looking for him?"

"My visions; they showed me a forests. I'll start there!" Zelda said, sounding like even she was unsure of the validity of her words.

"This entire nation is covered in forests." Her retainer said matter-of-factly, kneeling down on the rug with the Princess. "Without a solid lead, it could take weeks, months even. You might never even find him."

"I know it sounds impossible," Zelda began, "But I must try." She met eyes with her retainer, a determined glint in her deep cerulean eyes. "I must."

Impa closed her eyes, once again sighing in exasperation, "Such a troublesome young woman you are." She stood up and began walking towards the door.

"Impa?"

The tall woman leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms before giving Zelda a smirk, "If we don't hurry, we will never hear the end of it from your father if he catches us trying to sneak out of the city." Impa then exited the room, beginning down the hallway. "Better get to the stables!"

Zelda's face lit up, her mouth opening into a huge smile. She quickly stuffed a notebook into her bag before chasing after her.

"Coming!"


Author's Notes/Rambles: Obligatory Link and the tutorial chapter. This Zelda (and her look) is inspired by her Hyrule Warriors incarnation, except a little more mature. Just a little. I like that version of her because it's the only version that actually gets to work instead of being something that Link has to save, and her look that I described is going to reflect that. She will know how to fight. I also really like ponytails (lmao), so I'm keeping that too.

May be a while before the next update; lots of assignments due in the coming weeks along with a ton of work shifts. I would much rather play Smash and think about plot points and episodes for this story, but adulting is hard and time consuming.

Once again, if you are enjoying this story, thank you very much! Please feel free to leave constructive criticism.

- K