Chapter 10: The Eldin Bridge

Link soaked in the mineral spring for less than an hour, but he still felt lightheaded when it was time to come out. His right side still ached a bit, but at least some of the fatigue in his muscles was gone. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at Midna, who was still pouting in the shade of the metal awning over the benches. Her one red eye glared at him sullenly, the little creature still offended by his disregard for her sensibilities. He probably should have been a bit more polite about the whole thing, but after the business in the mines his brain was nearly as exhausted as his body, and his thinking wasn't as sharp.

"I plan on getting out." he told her by way of warning.

"Really? Nice. Maybe since I saw your butt, I can see what's in front and then there will be no more surprises." Her tone was acidic as she glowered at him from beneath her stone helmet.

"I'd prefer to not do that, thanks." He didn't realize that she had seen that much of him, but he did have his back to her at the time. She didn't turn around as quickly as he thought she did, probably due to her intent to lecture him. In a way it was her own fault, but he didn't point that fact out. They didn't need to have yet another shouting match.

"Oh, you would prefer that? Did you perhaps consider how anyone else felt?" Midna certainly could stay angry.

"I understand that it was rude of me, but it's not like I could sit here in my clothes." When she didn't reply, he sat up from where he was slouched on the rocks and turned to face her a little better. "I'm really tired, okay? I'm sorry, I guess I'm not thinking straight."

She continued to stare at him for another moment, and then sighed. Midna floated up to move over to a bench father away, and then sat down with her back to him. "I'd say you're still yourself, and that's probably why you apologized. I'm starting to wonder if you really broke your ribs, though."

"They certainly hurt whenever I breathe, or run, or swing my sword, or shoot the bow...or even sometimes when I turn my head. " Now that she was turned away, he stood up in the spring and looked down at his right side. A large patch of it was turning purple, pretty much the entire part of his torso that had been hit by Pyle.

"Have you ever broken a bone before?" She asked, facing at the craggy volcanic scenery instead of looking at the naked man behind her.

He still wasn't sure if his skull cracked from the blow on the back of the head the Bulbins gave him. "No. I heard it really hurts, though. I don't think I've been hurt this much before, either." Link stepped out of the water and stood in the sun, letting the hot volcanic air dry his skin.

"I haven't broken a bone either, but I did see somebody break their leg. The pain was so bad that they passed out. You didn't do that. I know you're tough, but the human body has its limits, whether you're a hero or not." Midna shook her head. "Not that I'm dismissing whatever pain you're in. I don't think you would have been able to push your way through everything with stubbornness alone if you were seriously hurt."

"Does that mean that I can probably heal up sooner?" He was drying off fast in the late afternoon heat. Even his hair was drying, and he had dunked his head right before deciding to come out in order to attempt to rinse the sweat out of it.

"I'm not a healer, or a doctor." Midna also had her eyes shut, which he could see as he approached the bench that had his clothes piled on top of it. "Are you just standing there or are you putting your clothes on?"

"About to, but I really don't want to put on sweaty clothes after what was more or less a bath." He had finally started to feel clean after having sweat clinging to his body for hours. "It's a shame that the gods didn't give me a change of clothes. I think they turned my normal clothes into this green outfit." He sighed and reached for the pile of discarded clothes and began to dress.

"Maybe if you ask nicely they'll make you a spare, or a nice set in blue. That would match your eyes, and those earrings you have." Her sour attitude had gone, and now she seemed more amiable.

"The gods put these earrings in my ears too. I didn't have earrings before." He reached up to touch one. It was still mildly sore, but they seemed to be healing quickly. "You can turn around now, by the way." He was now in his leggings, which was enough.

She gave a small little giggle and turned her head to look at him. "Did your gods seriously pierce your ears?"

"Stupid, isn't it?" He sat to pull his boots on, so his bare feet would be off the hot rocks. The awning with the shade made a lot more sense once he was barefoot. "A lot of the things that have happened in the past few days are ridiculous, yet here we are." Link gave a sour grunt and looked at the triangles on the back of his hand. "And a lot of things are just plain upsetting."

"Oh, we've been done dirty. Trust me, I know." Midna moved to the bench next to him, on his right side, and looked at his torso. "It looks pretty bruised, but you're able to lift your right arm, hold the bow, swim, all kinds of things. I'd help you out, but shadow magic isn't made for healing."

"I know, sacred magic is." He touched at his sore right side. "I don't know if there are any healers in Hyrule that can do that now."

"Your hatred of the king makes a lot more sense now that I've heard a little more." She sat down on the bench next to him and swung her little shadowy legs. "At least he had the decency to go and die, unlike the crazy king I hate."

"I needed to tell the Gorons about that, but not the other details I mentioned. I don't know why I did that. I haven't told anybody about the things that happened in my life. I'm kind of like you, or at least I think I am; the less people know about me, the better." He stood and reached for the padded linen shirt. It smelled of sweat. Could he take time to do laundry?

"It can be hard to keep secrets." Midna watched him as he pulled the gambeson on over his head. "Your father was a knight."

"Yeah, was. Past tense. Just like your father had a beard. Had, past tense." Link picked up his chain shirt and began the process of putting on his gear.

She didn't say anything. Once he had pulled the green tunic on, she flowed into his body to merge with his shadows. That was unexpected; he wasn't fully dressed yet. "I guess we aren't too different." she said from somewhere near his chest.

"That's what I think, too."

After he had put everything back on his body, he sat and drank some more water, and ate another piece of jerky. He probably needed to eat more, but he made do with what he had. There was likely going to be dinner in Kakariko after he got back, so he could at least eat a normal meal. Link squinted up at the sun and estimated that it was around four hours after midday, which meant that with Midna's plan to use the portals he would return to the town before sunset. He liked that idea a lot more than walking back down the mountain.

The walk back to the portal wasn't too far, but there was a small problem when they got there. A new pair of guards were sitting at the station, idly waiting around at their post. The bodies of the Shadow Beasts had been cleared away, but there were still blood stains on the rocks. Link knew that his sword were the source of those, since the maces the guards carried weren't shedding blood. The two guards waved and grinned at him. They weren't the same guards as before, but they seemed to know about him. Darbus probably had told half the people in Goron City about what had happened in the mines. Well, befriending the Gorons was likely to be useful in the future.

"We can't teleport in front of these two." Midna said in his ears. He wondered if she could speak to him without the Gorons hearing, but they didn't respond. "I mean, we shouldn't. It might upset them. It also might give them wrong idea about your abilities."

He couldn't say anything in response, so he smiled back to the two Gorons and continued walking down the path. The large lump of molten rock and stones was still there, having rolled to a stop along the cliff face that backed the one side of the trail. It was still quite hot, not having cooled much in the shimmering heat of Death Mountain.

"Now there's an idea. Can you go down past that giant rock? I know it's hot, but you don't need to get close to it. Just put it between yourself and the guards." she told him. "We're still close enough that I can use the portal, and that way you'll be out of sight."

Link gave the massive rock a wide berth, having to move off the trail for a bit, and then once he had passed it he returned to the dusty road that made its way up the mountain.

"This is good. Go up along the wall so I'm in the shade, because I can't do this if I'm hanging out in your fancy green outfit." When he followed her directions and stepped into the narrow shade given by the sheer cliff, Midna appeared next to him. "Are you ready?" she asked softly, not wanting the guards farther up the trail to hear.

He nodded to her, deciding that the Gorons didn't need to hear him talking to what they would assume was himself. The guards would probably wonder why they couldn't spot him coming down the next section of trail, but he couldn't worry about that. With any luck they wouldn't bother looking.

The world began to fragment as it had before, everything shattering into squares and disappearing up somewhere above him, leaving nothing but blackness behind. He tried to look up but found it difficult to move, as if something was severely slowing his movements. The scene surrounding Eldin's Spring assembled itself around the two of them then, and when Link finally managed to crane his head up, he found he was looking at the cloudless blue sky above Kakariko.

Then the wave of dizziness hit him as the effects of the teleportation caught up to his body. He stumbled and bent over, resting his hands on his knees. Link had hoped that the last time this happened, the sensation was due to him being transformed into a wolf somehow, but no. This was how he reacted to a teleportation spell. It was not a pleasant experience, and with any luck they wouldn't need to use these portals very much.

"Please don't get sick." Midna said from within his shadows.

"Trying." he grated through clenched teeth. Was teleportation sickness a thing? Seasickness was, so perhaps? Not that there were many people in Hyrule that could experience it. In fact, he was probably the only person who could. Lucky him.

After he took a few deep breaths, he straightened and looked over to the main street, past the Sanctuary. He couldn't see anyone, which meant that nobody had seen him appear next to the spring. After making his way around the Sanctuary he saw the children playing in the dusty street, kicking around a leather ball. That had to make him smile. Even after everything they had been through, these kids could still play. Children were very resilient.

"Link's back!" Beth called after noticing him, and the three boys turned to look. The children ran up to him then, all smiles. Their smiles were genuine, where his was a bit forced; he was still tired and in pain, but they didn't need to know that.

"You have a bow now?" Malo asked, pointing at it.

"I do. The Gorons gave it to me." He was prepared for some of Malo's typical comments.

"Cool. You're good with a bow." Malo said, and then his stubby legs moved as he ran to pick up the ball. It seemed that the boy was not going to be rude this time.

"Can I try it?" Talo asked excitedly, balling his small hands into fists in front of himself.

"Absolutely not." he told Talo sternly. "This is a weapon, not a toy."

"Aw, that's what you said in Ordon. Fine." The boy pouted and kicked his feet a bit as he made his way over to his little brother.

"Luda isn't playing with you?" Link had to ask. Did Luda play? She was only ten, like Beth.

"Not right now." Colin said. "She took Epona out to give her some exercise. I told her that you're the only one who rides Epona, but she said it was fine. She doesn't even know your song, you know."

While he was the only one who rode Epona, it was more of a personal attachment to the horse more than anybody not being worthy to ride her. After all, he sometimes brought Ilia with him for rides. "It's all right, Colin. Epona probably did need to stretch her muscles a bit after riding so hard yesterday. Where did they go?"

The blonde boy turned and pointed up the street, towards the northern gate. "Out that way. They went a while ago so they'll probably be here soon." He turned back and looked up at Link. "Will you tell us about the Gorons at dinner?"

"Of course. You guys have fun for now." He had hoped to find Renado out here, but he could always speak to the shaman about his sore ribs later. Midna was probably right; if they were actually broken, he would have been unable to move very much. He made his way down the street and then out through the open northern gate.

Luda was not too far into the canyon past the gates, on her way back. She sat in the saddle looking quite small compared to the large mare, wearing a pair of leggings instead of the skirt she had on earlier. Epona patiently walked along, probably aware that the person on her back was a younger human and she should be more tolerant. She had learned to be patient with the children or Ordon, even when they were small.

"When did you return?" Luda asked when the mare had caught up to where Link stood and waited.

He patted Epona's nose when the horse nudged at him in greeting. "Just a few minutes ago. Colin told me that you were taking my girl here out, so I wanted to see if you'd need help getting out of the saddle." That was true, since Epona was such a large horse. Link had to use his strength to haul himself up onto her tall back, and he was an adult. It would be difficult for a child to get out of the saddle.

"Actually, yes. Father helped me before I took her out, but now he went to care for some of the animals in the village." He had wondered how Luda could have gotten the mare's tack on. "I admit I was going to ask one of the other children to get Barnes, but I think I'd rather have your help."

Link came to the horse's flank and held his hands up to the girl, ignoring the twinge of pain caused by raising his arms above his head. Luda slid out of the saddle, and he caught her carefully under her arms, setting her down on the ground. "Thanks for taking care of her for me." he told her, hooking a hand on Epona's bridle to lead her along. Not that he needed to, Epona would probably follow him back into town.

"I don't mind." Luda said with a smile as they walked. "She's a big horse, but she's also a gentle baby."

That comment made Link chuckle. Epona was a warhorse, and despite only having about a year and a half of training, his father had taught her how to behave in a fight. It was one of the reasons Link was able to bring her along to take care of Bokoblins. She was still a gentle baby, though.

"I would have sang that song of yours, but I couldn't remember it." Luda admitted as they passed the north gate, and the long road that ran through the center of Kakariko came into view. The rest of the children had returned to kicking around the leather ball, although Malo's kicks weren't very accurate. He was still smiling and having fun.

"Not many people know that song, so don't worry about it." In fact, he was the only one who knew the entire song, words and all. Nobody ever heard him sing the lyrics, so nobody knew the song even had words.

"She still seems like she'll be my friend even if I don't sing to her. Epona likes Barley and Rye too. Those are father's horses." Luda followed him as he began to lead Epona off the road and to the stable that was next to the inn, but the stopped suddenly, frowning.

He was going to ask her what was wrong, but then he heard it: a rumbling sound. It was a sound he was now familiar with, the sound he had heard before the events at Ordona's Spring. It was the sound that had started everything. Link looked south down the road and towards the sound, alarmed.

Around the bend came a large Bulbin raiding party, with the fat horned Bulbin in the armor at the lead on his massive boar. There had to have been at least twenty raiders, but there was no way to count the group as it galloped into Kakariko. Link dimly wondered in the back of his mind how they could have gotten through the gate and its barricade, but his focus was on the children who had stopped playing to turn and stare in horror. Talo and Malo ran between two nearby buildings, but Beth stood there, frozen in place.

"Move!" Link shouted at her, but the girl appeared rooted to the spot, either held there by shock or fear. The boars rode closer, and Link knew there was no way he could get there in time, regardless if he ran or if he mounted Epona. Beth was going to be trampled, and there was nothing he could do.

Then Colin acted. The boy rushed across the road with no regard for his own safety and gave the motionless girl a shove with all his strength, using his momentum to push her out of the road. Beth stumbled and fell at the side of the road in front of the stoop of some shuttered building, her face numb and in shock. Colin turned his head then to face the Bulbins that bore down on him.

Link cried out, powerless to watch as Colin was kicked by the large Bulbin's mount, the boy knocked a few feet ahead before disappearing beneath the churning hooves.

Tears sprang to his eyes as he feared the worst, and the Bulbins halted as soon as they had passed Colin. The large Bulbin dismounted and disappeared through his horde of raiders, and Link could see his large horns lower as he bent to pick up something in the road. The big green brute came back holding the boy's body in one of his thick hands, and he climbed back up into the saddle, just as he had done with Ilia before.

The Bulbin leader grinned from down the road at Link, and said something in his own language to his raiders. They laughed, and the armored Bulbin called over to the Hylian who watched, horrified. "Little man, you live! How fun. Look what I just found!"

He stretched out his beefy green arm and dangled the boy's body in the air, grasping him by one arm. Colin's eyes were half-closed and he looked dazed, but he was alive. A large bleeding welt was near his hairline, and his other arm hung loosely at his side. The arm was twisted and bent in such a way that it must have been broken in at least one place.

From where she had been thrown to the side of the road, Beth screamed, the high-pitched scream of a child. The large Bulbin laughed in response.

Something ignited inside of Link, something that he had sometimes felt in the past when he had been unable to control his anger. When he was younger it had landed him in fist fights, fights that he always won despite his small size. He had always won them with a mindless fierceness, a reckless rage that made him respond with violent instinct. He had felt a bit of it at the spring, when he saw Ilia injured, and it drove him to attack despite not having a weapon. The feeling had returned briefly when he was a wolf, when he had decided to let the wolf's hunting instincts take over his body so he could tear the throats out of the Shadow Beasts. The old anger was still there, burning within him as he growled, and his lupine body had reacted innately. The beast that he had become hunted, and killed without thought. That anger of the hunting beast now was here in his human body, and that instinct was the same.

He hauled himself into the saddle fluidly and reached for bow and arrow simultaneously, his eyes furious. Link drew the string back and fired with no hesitation, no careful moment of aiming. The Bulbin immediately to the left of its leader fell from its saddle, an arrow sprouting from its chest. The large armored Bulbin looked to his right in surprise, not expecting the "little man" that had feebly tried to punch him at the spring to shoot one of the raiders despite being outnumbered over twenty to one.

The bow twanged again and another arrow sunk into a Bulbin's neck. The Bulbin leader shouted something to his party, and they spurred their boars on, riding past where Link sat on Epona just off the side of the road. He attempted to fire another arrow but it shot wide, taking out the window of the house across the street. He growled in frustration and kicked his heels into Epona's flanks, and urged her into a gallop.

It was not difficult for the mare to catch up in the winding canyon north of Kakariko, but the nature of the road through it meant that he was only able to fire two more shots, but both of them hit. One took a Bulbin archer from its saddle as it twisted to raise its bow at Link, and the other bounced harmlessly off the armored brute that held Colin.

The canyon opened up then to the great plans of North Eldin, and Link immediately began firing again, steering Epona with his knees. The horse moved in sync with him, and when arrows flew their way, she moved to the side as Link would have done. Another Bulbin fell, and another screamed as an arrow embedded itself halfway through its green hand, dropping its bow. There were the dull calls of horns coming from the raiders, and the sound made Link respond with an infuriated yell. The arrows were not wasted; most of them wound up in the backs of archers, but a few were aimed at the boars themselves, who squealed and screamed as they stumbled and fell along with their riders. Fire arrows ignited riders in the saddle, their boars careening off course and the Bulbins flailing their burning limbs futiley. One even hit the boar of the head Bulbin in its hindquarters, driving the animal into a frenzy and making it run even faster.

Time had no meaning as the chase went on across the flat grasslands, as the sun began to sink, as Link ran out of arrows. At some point more mounted raiders joined in, surrounding him, responding to the horns of the others. He shouldered his bow and pulled out his sword and shield, the pain in his ribs forgotten as his body ran off pure rage and adrenaline. Eventually the rage began to lessen, but not disappear entirely. It remained smoldering in his chest as he cut Bulbins from the saddle, while they attempted to intercept him to prevent him from getting close to their leader. They were mostly successful, but he managed a single hit on the large green brute, cutting a strap of his armor. It wasn't enough to remove the armor, and then the Bulbin was out of range again.

Epona was covered in sweat, her breath coming in heavy huffs, her gait reduced to a canter. The horse was being pushed to her limit, just as Link was. It wasn't just the Bulbins that were kiting him north that had pushed the horse and rider that far, it was also Link's anger. Once the anger subsided enough for him to think a bit more clearly, he realized that they were already in the northern part of the plains, not too far from the Bridge of Eldin that crossed the Upper Zora's River. There was nowhere else on the western plains for them to go, and for some reason they had not turned him around and lead him back through Kakariko. Instead there was a long ride that lasted nearly three hours before the fortress built on the side of the Bridge of Eldin came into view, its gray stone stained orange by the setting sun.

He could feel the pain in his side again, now that his anger had lessened, and found that he was sweating from it. Link cursed the cruelty of the Bublins. It wasn't enough that they had invaded the town; they had to single him out, tire his horse and draw the two of them to this damned bridge with an injured child as bait. He couldn't let his anger rise, not now. He needed to think clearly, and even though the rage had pushed him across Eldin at speed, he needed to figure out the reason why they had brought him here.

Most of the raiding party split off to either side, leaving the Bulbin leader riding his injured boar to thunder through the archway and over the stones of the Eldin Bridge. No, not just a leader. He had seen other groups, and they had lesser leaders that were smaller in size. This one had to be their king. This was the one who had signed some kind of pact with Zant to invade Hyrule. That meant that this was his plan, that he knew exactly where Link was, and he had planned to bring him here, despite it being miles away from Kakariko.

Link slowed Epona as he rode out onto the bridge, the Bulbin king having gotten farther ahead of him and almost to the other side of the long bridge. He stopped when the large-horned monster turned his boar around to stare at him at a distance. Even from this far away, Link could see the form of Colin draped across the saddle. There was no telling if the boy was awake or not, or if he was was even alive anymore. It was hours ago that he was injured.

The chestnut mare beneath him blew hard as she tried to catch her breath, her master pushing her nearly as hard as he did five years ago when he came to Ordon. He himself was breathing heavily from the pain in his right side that burned like fire, and from the exertion of a hard ride. There were sounds behind him, and he knew the Bulbins were blocking the archway of the bridge, trapping him between themselves and their king. That was the plan: draw him here, and corner him. The bridge itself had no rails or parapets, which meant they likely thought they could push him off the edge if they were lucky.

He heard the harsh laughter of King Bulbin at the far end of the bridge, the sound carried to him across the open space of the yawning canyon that held the northern fork of Zora's River. The Bulbin then reached for something and pulled out a weapon, a wide sword. He gave a shout and urged his boar on, holding his weapon high.

Link wasn't going to wait there like a fool, and he urged Epona into another run, moving along the right side of the bridge as King Bulbin approached along the left. As he had hoped, his horse still had reserves of stamina. She was older than she was five years ago, but the hard ride he had taken back then was much farther than the distance he covered today. Epona would likely be able to run for even longer if he needed her to.

He tried to take a swing at the Bulbin as he rode past, but had to quickly raise his shield instead to deflect a blow from the heavy sword. The vibrations down his arm and into his injured torso made him give a low cry of pain, but he rode on, turning Epona at about the same spot that King Bulbin had been waiting for him. His shield could prevent that large sword from hitting him, but it was going to hurt every time. Now his shield arm would be on the same side as the Bulbin, meaning that he couldn't use his sword on this pass at all.

That gave him an idea, an idea that wouldn't have come to him in a rage. He prepared himself, and when the large green monster at the far end of the bridge charged once more, he drove his horse forward again to meet that charge. Acting as he did on the first pass, he made it appear as if he was going to attempt an attack with his sword, but once the two riders were close, Link changed his tactic. He leaned his weight forward, extending the heavy metal shield in front of him. Epona picked up on his body language and drove her right shoulder into the massive blue-gray boar. Link summoned all his strength and smashed into the Bulbin, standing up in the stirrups as he did so.

The large green monster flailed then, dropping his sword as both he and his boar stumbled and fell over the side of the bridge, Colin with them. Link cried out as he saw them fall, but then a shadowy blur rocketed from his body and down into the canyon, chasing the three as they fell. A few seconds later, Midna rose up holding Colin gently in her dark hair.

"You dropped this." was all she said as she placed the boy up against Link's chest. She then vanished again, despite the sun having set, leaving him with the injured boy.

Epona reared up then, overstimulated by everything that was happening, and kicked at the air with her front hooves. Link held Colin close to his chest with his right arm as he clung to the saddle while still holding his sword, and caught the sight of blood staining the boy's hair. At that very moment, there were shouts in the harsh Bulbin language coming from the south side of the bridge.

The large horse's hooves hit the stone of the bridge and Link turned his head to fix his eyes on the remaining Bulbins. Now that their leader had fallen into the rapids of the river below, they were beginning to back away. The hunting beast returned then, filling him with fresh fury directed at these cruel creatures. Earlier, he had killed three of their kind to give them clean deaths, and give them mercy. This time would be different.

He spurred Epona on and charged at them, and they turned to flee. Their hasty retreat meant nothing, since Epona was still able to overcome them, even in her tired state. The pain in his ribs was gone, his exhaustion forgotten, and there was only his sword and the Bulbins that screamed in fright as he cut them down one by one. Their screams meant nothing, their flight meant nothing, and he could feel nothing as the beast within him drove him to kill every last one. There would be no mercy.

Then he was panting, bloodied sword held low at Epona's left side, the anger within him fading. There was nothing left to kill. His mind was numb as he sat there some distance from the Bridge of Eldin, breathing just as heavily as his horse.

"It's all right." Midna said in his ears, her voice gentle. "They're gone. You can calm down."

His breath caught in his throat when he heard her voice. What had he just done? That was an entire Bulbin raiding party, and he had killed every last one of them, including their King. He was one man, one person with a sword, and he had still done the impossible. Was this because it was what he needed to do? Was this something that happened because he became the hero? Or was this something that was his own ability, fueled by something he had hidden inside himself for years?

"Midna…" his voice sounded weak to his own ears. "Was...was that…" How could he phrase it? Normal? Acceptable? Correct?

She appeared next to him then, her shadowy face concerned. "You had to get this boy back, didn't you? And you did. Don't think about how."

Link looked down at the still boy held in the crook of his right arm, behind the heavy metal shield that suddenly felt like it weighed ten times as much. It was hard for him to examine him, so he wiped his bloody sword on his own leg and sheathed it, and then shifted Colin to his left arm to put his shield up. His ribs protested with every movement, but that didn't matter.

He carefully cradled this boy that had become his brother, looking him over in the fading light of twilight, tears forming in his eyes. Colin was breathing, and had a few scrapes on his arms and legs, as well as the large bump on his head that was crusted with dried blood. That bump was probably why he was knocked out. The child's right arm was broken in two places, so being unconscious saved him from the pain for now. They were miles away from Kakariko, and it was getting dark. Renado could help him, right? There was nowhere else to go. He was relieved that Colin was alive, but also frightened knowing they were in the middle of nowhere on an exhausted horse.

Link gently put a hand to Colin's face, and then held him close, his vision blurred. "I'm…" he began, and heard that his voice was tinged with tears. "I'm being emotional again." He shut his eyes and shook his head, not talking about the tears. "I couldn't stop myself. There was no control. I was simply...angry."

He felt a small hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, Link. You did what you had to." The hand moved from his shoulder to gently pat his hair where it poked out from beneath his hat. "You've earned the right to scream your head off, to kill every last Bulbin alive, or to sit here and cry if you need to. I know what Colin means to you, after seeing how you met him when we lifted the Twilight. He's family."

He gave a tired sigh and wiped at his eyes, then looked up at her. She stood on the front ridge of the saddle, with a soft, kind smile on her dark face. This was the real Midna, the one he was growing to like and respect. She felt the same in return, he could see that, and she respected how he felt about what had happened. "I think I'm all right now." he said. "Thanks, Midna."

"We should head back. If we're lucky we'll get there by midnight." She gave his head one more pat and then vanished into his shadows. Before he hadn't wanted her there, so close to him, but now it was comforting to know that he had a friend with him.

A friend. Were they friends now? He thought about it as they began the long trip back to Kakariko, Epona only able to walk at first. This was the second time he had pushed the poor horse so hard, and he felt guilty about it. Last time he was the one in danger, but this time it was for someone other than himself. This time it was due to love, and he realized that he did love Colin, just as he loved Uli and Rusl. Epona wouldn't understand why he had ridden her so hard today, but at least he knew that he reacted the way that he did because he needed to protect somebody he cared about. His loss of control was justified.

The moon was high when he reached Kakariko. Eventually Epona was able to trot, and then canter. It still took well over three hours to return, perhaps closer to four. He wasn't exactly sure of the time. The north gate was shut and locked, which was not surprising. Even if he was locked out, Renado and Barnes couldn't let the Bulbins return. They had no way of knowing that their target was Link himself.

"Hey!" he shouted at the gate, and Epona made a sound and shied a bit at his loud voice. "Let me in!" he called again. "It's Link!"

A moment later there was the rattle of chains and the two sections of the gate swung out, Barnes holding a large ring of keys in his hand. "Oh thank, goodness...we were worried." the engineer said. "Nobody can get a wink of sleep because you were gone." He reached out to put a hand on Link's boot. "You have blood on you...is any of that yours, or Colin's?"

"No. It's Bulbin blood. Colin hasn't woke up yet, though. He took a bad hit to the head." Then he paused before saying anything else, and began to move into town with Epona at a walk. Link knew where he needed to take Colin. He called out again. "Renado!"

The shaman burst from the door of the inn, a look of relief on his face. "Link! You're alive!" He saw Colin laying still in Link's arms and ran over. "Oh, no…"

"He's only knocked out." Link watched as the children ran out of the inn, crying his name, but he did not stop. He continued on to Eldin's Spring.

"Are you taking him to the spring?" Renado asked.

"Yeah. I know what they can do. I think the reason I survived my own bump to the head was because I fell into Ordona's Spring. I also bathed in Faron's Spring and the pain from my injuries at the time went away." His voice was low, weak. It was an effort just to speak at this point. How he had ridden back without collapsing, he didn't know.

"Yes, the Light Spirits have the ability to heal, and by extension so do their springs. I was going to suggest you bring him to Eldin. Here, I will take him." The shaman extended his arms.

"No." Link said. "I want to do it."

Renado did not argue, and nodded his head. "Very well."

Epona stopped at the spring and lowered her head to drink. The mare didn't care if it was sacred water from a lesser god, she was thirsty. To a horse, water was water. Link slid from the saddle, his legs feeling rubbery once he was on the ground, but he remained on his feet as he carried Colin into the spring. The swirling marks on the smooth rocks lit up when he approached, as Eldin responded to the hero approaching.

"Luda." Link said, trying not to mumble with exhaustion. "I hate to do this, but will you please care for Epona when she's done drinking? I rode her hard into a bunch of fights tonight, and she was already tired from before."

"I agree that she must be cared for. Do not worry, Link. I understand." She was such a sweet girl. The other children were lucky that they wound up in Kakariko with her, and so was Link.

"I've never seen the spring glow like that before…" Barnes' eyes were wide. He was witnessing magic again.

"It's because of me." Link said, lowering himself into calf-deep water and crossing his legs in front of himself. "All the Light Spirits do that when the hero comes close."

The bald man tore his surprised stare from the glowing spring and over to Link. He didn't say anything, though.

"I had feared the worst when I heard what had happened from the children." Renado's robe was soaking up the waters of the spring as he stood next to Link, but he didn't seem to care. "You were gone for hours, yet here you are, safe. I am concerned about the blood, though."

"It's not mine. I killed a lot of Bulbins." He gently held Colin in his lap, immersing him in the warm waters of the spring, resting the boy's head on his knee.

"How many?" Renado asked.

"All of them." Link replied quietly, his eyes not leaving Colin's face. Nobody replied to that, and a moment later Epona splashed out of the spring as Luda lead her to the stable. None of them said anything to the young man that had just killed over twenty Bulbins by himself. None of them knew that the number was even higher than that. The children gradually gathered around him, not afraid despite his admission of how strong he was with a simple three-word sentence. Even Barnes remained nearby, and the man was easily ruffled. He couldn't tell if their silence was awe, respect, or perhaps acceptance. He focused on Colin alone.

The boy began to stir after a while. Link's heart jumped in his chest when he saw him move. "Colin." he said. He was so weary, but he had to be here for the boy. "Colin, are you awake?"

Colin's brow crinkled in pain. "Owwie." he said, reaching to his head. "It hurts."

"I know. You were hurt pretty bad, so I brought you here to the Light Spirit's spring. They can heal." Despite his fatigue, his voice was gentle.

The boy opened his blue eyes then, and focused them on Link's face. "Is that why I'm all wet?"

He nodded, not saying anything. He was relieved that Colin was awake, injured or not, and if he wasn't so exhausted he would have wept again.

"My arm feels wrong." Colin said. "I can't move it."

"It's all right, Renado can help you." It was a hunch. Shamans were healers, similar to witches who made potions to heal. He doubted Renado would be unable to help.

"I don't remember what happened…" the blonde boy on his lap said, looking around at the other children that had come to stand nearby. "I remember I pushed Beth out of the way." His eyes fell on her as he spoke her name. "I'm sorry I did that. I hope I didn't hurt you or make you mad."

The freckled girl emphatically shook her head. "No, I'm not mad. You were very brave."

"Brave?" Colin sighed then and looked back to Link. "I remember. You told me something about being brave, and being strong. I always thought it was about being fearless, and being strong with muscles." He raised his good arm up to reach at the Star River that stretched across the dark sky above Kakariko, and Link looked up at it as well. "I understand now. I know what you meant. Being strong isn't about lifting stuff or swinging a sword. It's about being brave in order to do the things that are important."

Link lowered his face again to smile at the boy, and reached out to grasp his hand. "Yeah. You've got it buddy." His tired voice was barely above a whisper. "That's all being strong is. I'm proud of you for figuring it out." He tried to rise with Colin in his arms, but struggled, far too weak from everything he had done today.

"Were you the one who saved me?" Colin asked, instead of asking why Link was having problems standing up.

"I had to teach that big green bully a lesson. I knocked him into a river, so he's probably halfway to Lake Hylia by now." He tried to rise again, but grunted and gave up. Even Colin's light weight was too much for him. He had pushed his body way too far today.

"What river? The only river north of here is Upper Zora's River, and it's hours away." Barnes said.

"That's the one. I booted him off the Bridge of Eldin." It was frustrating to be so weak. Maybe if he sat here in the water long enough, he'd regain some energy and be able to stand on his own. He didn't want to ask any of the others for help. His own words from earlier telling Midna that it wasn't weak to ask for help echoed back at him in his mind. Hypocrite.

Barnes made a strangled sound, realizing how far Link had ridden that evening on top of killing so many Bulbins. "I need a drink." he announced to no one, and his feet splashed as he exited the spring.

"Are you tired, Link?" Colin asked, gently patting at the young man's chest with his good hand.

"Very. I've been busy." That was an understatement. He had never spent this much energy in his life.

The boy sat up then, his clothing dripping water. He grunted a little and then stood on his own, albeit a bit shakily. "It's okay. You can go rest now. I'm fine."

"Just in case, I would like to take you back to the inn to look at that arm." Renado gently bent down and picked the boy up, who did not resist. He left the spring, and the children followed him, leaving Link sitting in the sacred waters alone.

If he sat here long enough, would his ribs heal? Maybe not if they were actually broken, but Midna had her doubts about that, and perhaps they were just bruised. He did feel a bit stronger after sitting here with Colin, so perhaps if he sat here longer he'd recover. It seemed stupid to just sit in the water, but it was what Faron had asked him to do. He idly rubbed at the smear of blood on his left leg, and strangely enough it washed away easily. He had managed to clean the green tunic just as easily before, when he bathed at Faron's waters. Were the clothes enchanted so blood would not remain on them? It would be kind of ridiculous if the gods had designed them for him to always look good.

Link sat there and rubbed away the rusty mark on his leg, letting the warm waters return some of his strength. He probably could sit here for a while longer, since nobody was coming for him. At the same time, sitting in water in a mail shirt was probably not a good idea, so he grunted and slowly rose to his feet. A bright light formed above the glowing rocks of the spring, and the great owl appeared.

"Hero." Eldin said.

He nodded back to the spirit. "Eldin."

The large golden owl folded its wings at its sides. "You have done well today, and accomplished much. I have watched your progress, and you wield considerable power in battle. While some Twilight remains, I believe it is best if you remain here a while to rest. Your strength is spent."

"I can't do that." he protested. "I can't sit around and wait while more people are being turned into Shadow Beasts."

Eldin tilted its avian head to the side as it fixed its blank stare on him. "Calm yourself, hero. Those transformed by the King of Shadows will likely regain their original forms once he is defeated." It righted its head. "Being the hero does not mean pushing yourself until you are half-dead. Do not abuse your body. It is the only one you get." The words were wise, and seemed fitting to come from an owl. "Far to the west, at Lake Hylia, you will find the last thing you seek. Speak to the spirit Lanaryu there." The great owl shifted its wings, and then moved its head to look past Link. "Greetings, Luda."

Link turned to see the girl standing there in the spring a bit behind him, bowing to the Light Spirit. "Greetings, Eldin." The Light Spirit and the girl knew one another? They were supposed to be lesser gods that showed themselves rarely, yet Luda was on a first-name basis with Eldin.

The great owl unfurled its wings and vanished in a flash of light, leaving the two of them standing in the waters of the spring. As always, the patterns in the rocks glowed with a white light after the spirit disappeared.

"I didn't know anyone else could talk to the Light Spirits." Link said to the girl, who straightened from her bow after Eldin vanished.

"They normally don't show themselves to ordinary people." Luda said. "I am my father's apprentice, and I will succeed him as shaman for the spring. Because of that I have earned the right to speak to Eldin." Could girls become shamans? He thought that only men were shamans, and women became witches. The girl smiled at him and continued. "I am not surprised to see you speak with Eldin, being chosen by the gods yourself."

"Thanks." He didn't know what else to say to that. "How's Epona?"

"Eating, but I'm afraid that I need help. I am not tall enough to remove her saddle or brush her very well." She had mentioned that Renado helped her put everything on Epona earlier. "Will you come with me?"

"Yeah, I can do that now. I was worried about Colin before, but he's doing better." He began to walk back to the stables, to the place where he had began his long chase across the plains. While he wanted nothing more than to lay down somewhere, he couldn't ignore his horse.

"Father will help him. He knows how to set a bone, and makes medicines to help lessen pain." She walked alongside him and he didn't see her face, but from her tone it sounded like she was smiling. "It's only natural that you were worried about Colin. He talks about you so much. If you had round ears like him, I would assume that the two of you were brothers."

Link stepped into the dim light of the stable. Luda had lit a candle lantern and hung it on a nail not too far from Epona's stall. The other two horses were sleeping. "Colin and his parents have become my family."

"Were they the people you lived with before you had to live on your own?" It was an innocent-sounding question, but he knew that Luda was a smart young girl. She was trying to learn a little more about him, after the conversation they had that morning.

He stepped into Epona's stall, and she turned her face towards him, swiveling her pointed ears forward. "No, after. I lived with a different family for two years before that." It wouldn't hurt to sate the girl's curiosity. He was the Hero of Hyrule, yet this child wanted to know him as a person. She was so much like her father in that regard. It was different than how the Gorons had treated him. "Before that, my parents. I've lived a lot of places in my life."

"How old are you?" Luda had said she needed help, but the reality was she had done what she could for Epona, and needed an adult to do the rest. "Sixteen?"

Did he look that young? He wasn't terribly tall, and Luda came up to about his collarbone. Maybe she did think he was younger. "Seventeen, nearly eighteen." He began to unbuckle the saddle as Epona stood patiently. He counted up the days, and then realized something. "The day after tomorrow's my birthday, actually. I had lost track of time, since the past week has gone by quickly for me."

"Oh? Happy birthday, then." The dark-haired girl watched him as he worked, and after a few moments spoke again, a bit more quietly. "I don't live with my mother anymore either."

"I had wondered about that, but I wasn't going to ask." He began to check Epona's muscles to make sure he hadn't hurt her in the long ride. "I didn't think that she was taken away from Kakariko, because you're not half-Hylian."

"No. My mother runs a potion shop in Castle Town, but she used to have one here. She and father...disagree on certain things, and so now they live apart." Only her head was visible above the stall door, and her face looked sad. "We had been visiting her when the invasion happened."

"So that's what the business in Castle Town was." Renado hadn't told him too much, but then again that information wasn't needed. They had only just met, and even now they didn't know too much about one another. "Do you miss her?"

"I don't know. I don't speak to her much anymore." She left it at that, and instead asked him something else. "Do you miss your mother?" Luda had put the pieces together, understanding that since he had lived with other families, something had happened to his parents.

"Of course I do. Even though I'm grown, I still think about my parents a lot." He glanced over at her from where she was peeking at him over the wooden door. "Don't tell this to the others, please. I don't want them to know where I came from or what my life was like."

She nodded, watching him as he finished cleaning Epona's coat. "You don't want them to worry about you, right?"

"I don't want them to see me differently. The kids from Ordon know me as the older kid that would take care of them when their parents worked. I'm kind of a big brother to all of them, not just Colin." He draped Epona's blanket over her back, and as soon as he had it settled, the horse laid down. He had to back away to give the large mare a bit of space. "Although after today, I don't think that can be helped. They know I've changed."

"I don't think that matters to them. People grow up, you know? The only difference is you grew into a hero." It was on the nose, and a bit strange to hear it coming from a girl half his age. He had grown up, or was in the process if doing so. Back in Ordon, he thought he was an adult once he turned seventeen, but growing up wasn't an age or a number. There was far more to it.

Link came out of the stall and then reached for the gold bracelet on his wrist. "Here, I should return this to you."

Luda shook her head. "No, keep it. I can get another from Gor Liggs the next time he visits." The elders visited Kakariko? They must, if Luda knew one of them by name. She picked up the lantern that she had hung in the stable. "I will go help my father with Colin now. It's late, and we should all rest soon."

He followed her out. "I might need your father's help. I hurt myself while up on Death Mountain." She stopped in the dusty road in front of the Eld inn's wooden porch to look up at him, her expression unreadable. "It's not a big deal, but I banged up my ribs. I don't think anything's broken, but it hurts whenever I breathe."

"I would tell you it's foolish to ride out and fight while injured, but I can understand why you did it. My father will probably give you a lecture, though. I will tell him. Perhaps he has some medicine that will help for now." Luda turned again and walked up the stairs of the inn, past Barnes who sat on the raised porch with his legs dangling over the side.

"You hurt yourself? I couldn't tell. You just looked tired as hell." The bald engineer said, holding a small clay jug in his hand. He really did go and get a drink, and his comment at the spring was not meant as a joke.

"I am tired as hell, but I also hurt myself when I ran into the very first Goron maybe halfway up the mountain. We had a shoving match and I lost." He smiled. "It was Darbus' son that did it, so I think there might be a small amount of pride for the Gorons that the son of the patriarch was the one who actually hurt the hero."

"Nah, they don't think that way. Gorons are strong and proud, but they're also nice guys. None of them would be happy about hurting you." Barnes took a swig of whatever was in the jug. "I'm really surprised at everything you've done. Not only did you go up there and do what you planned to do, you did it while you were injured, and then you rode around the plains for what...forty, fifty miles? Killing Bulbins the whole time. I don't know if you're really tough, or just crazy."

"A bit of both." He normally would have laughed, but didn't have the energy. Link hoped that he wouldn't have to talk to anyone else tonight, but probably still had to speak to Renado.

"Hey, I'll drink to that." The other man held up the jug, offering it to him. "You want a little?"

Link held up his hands in refusal. "Uh, no thanks. I don't really drink. I should probably go find something to eat." His lower half was still damp from the spring, and walking around in wet leggings was starting to become uncomfortable.

"It might dull that pain in your ribs." He shook his hand, and whatever was in the jug sloshed.

Link stared at the clay bottle for a second. Well, it probably wouldn't hurt anything. It wasn't like he was going to pound down the whole jug of...whatever. Taking some would make Barnes happy, too. He reached for the bottle and took a drink, and the sharp bite of what had to be some homemade moonshine burned his tongue and caused him to inhale in surprise. He breathed in just a small bit and it made him cough, and unfortunately coughing made his ribs ache. He regretted taking the small drink immediately. "What the heck did you do?" he said, between coughs. "Boil old leather and put it through a still?" He handed the small clay jug back.

Barnes laughed at him. "Aw, you baby. It ain't that strong." No, it was that strong, and it was likely that Barnes had burned off all his taste buds and couldn't tell.

"Cut me some slack, I'm only seventeen. I mean, eighteen. In two days I'll be eighteen."

"Happy birthday. Since you're not a drinker, go in and eat. Renado will probably be with Colin for a while. That arm looked nasty." He took another drink of whatever terrible paint thinner he had brewed, and continued to sit on the porch. Link left him there and went inside.

There was no way he could cook, being so exhausted. He went into the kitchen to see what he could find, and saw that there was a bowl of apples, and a few pieces of cornbread. It made him smile at the irony: bread and fruit, yet again. The apple tasted like ambrosia after he bit into it though, far better than the dried fruit that had become soggy from his swim earlier. Eating made him feel sleepy, and he started considering not bothering Renado about his ribs right now. It could wait until morning.

After he ate, he went up the stairs and found the room that Colin was in, the only one with a light shining from the doorway. There were three other closed doors he walked past, so the other children had gone to bed. He stepped into the doorway of the room, which was lit by both the lamp on the bedside table, and the lantern Luda had carried inside. Colin sat in his undergarment, his wet clothes having been removed, and there were tears in the boy's eyes. By the look of the splints and bandages, the arm had already been set. If breaking a bone was as painful as Midna said, setting it back in place must be equally painful.

"How are you doing, buddy?" Link asked him.

"I was brave again, so even though it hurt I did my best not to make too much noise. The other kids are sleeping." It was like Colin to think of others before himself. He was the one that was injured, but he didn't want to upset others. He had gotten that trait from his father, and Link felt that he had picked up on it too.

"You were very good." Renado said, tying off a sling he had made to secure the boy's arm to his chest. He was seated on a wooden chair next to the bed. "However you should lay down and rest. There will be plenty of time to talk to Link in the morning, and the medicine I gave you will make you sleep soon."

Colin nodded and lay back on the bed, and Renado carefully covered him with the blankets. The shaman smiled and gently put a hand to Colin's forehead. "You have done so well today. I would be proud to have a son like you." That made Colin smile. The shaman then stood and picked up a black leather bag that sat on the dresser. It looked like a doctor's bag, but in a way shamans were doctors. Whether they could actually use magic or not was debatable, much like witches. Ordinary human magic seemed to be different than Hylian magic.

Link stepped out of the room as Luda exited with her lantern. Renado blew out the lamp and followed, shutting the door behind him. The shaman shook his head, the beads in his long hair gently clacking together.

"I continue to be amazed by the events of today, which are just as amazing as yesterday's. Somehow, we made it to evening in one piece...or perhaps morning, since it is so late." he said. He fixed his brown eyes on Link's face. "Colin will be fine, but he needs rest while he heals. Children are strong, so it won't be long before he is playing with his friends again."

"Father? Link needs your help as well." Luda said from behind him. Damn, and he was going to let it go until morning. He was so very tired. "He has been busy fighting things with injured ribs."

"I wasn't going to bother. I want to fall into bed and pass out." He hoped that this time, Midna would allow him to sleep in.

"You wouldn't get much rest, if you are injured. Pain can prevent restful sleep." He looked closely at Link's face in the light of the lantern. "And I can tell that you are in pain, even if you are doing your best to hide it. I could tell when you brought Colin to the spring."

That comment made Link grunt and press his lips into a flat line. He thought he was hiding it pretty well, all things considered. "Luda said that you could give me something to help with that."

"I want to look at your injury first. Come with me." Renado turned and went three doors down, to the room at the end of the hall that Link had slept in the night before, and went inside. When Link followed him into the room, the shaman was bent over the lamp, doing something to light it. There was the faint smell of sulfur. Last time he had used a candle...what was it that he had?

"How did you light that? It's not magic." Link was genuinely curious.

Renado held up something between his thumb and index finger, a small stick of wood that was charred on one end. "A match. Alchemists make them, and we are fortunate enough to have an alchemist in Kakariko. Or were." He sighed sadly, likely remembering a friend that was taken by the Shadow Beasts. "Take all of that gear off and we will take a look at you." We? Oh, Luda was in the room too. She did mention that she was her father's apprentice.

It took a few minutes for Link to remove his weapons, armor and everything that held them on his body. Renado patiently waited, and at one point opened up the top of the black bag to rummage through whatever was in there, something inside producing the gentle clink of glass. He looked back up when Link had stripped to the waist, and raised his eyebrows. "How many injuries do you have? You mentioned your ribs, but you have what looks like bite marks on you."

"There are more on his back, father." Luda said from behind.

"I told you, I got chewed on by a plant monster. I'm lucky I was wearing chain, otherwise I would have been a lot worse."

"Chain mail will protect against some things, but it will not stop arrows. Consider that the next time you chase a bunch of archers on horseback." Renado said with a bit of a stern note in his voice. He stepped forward to examine the bites near Link's collarbone.

"What was I supposed to do? Let Colin be taken?" It couldn't be helped. Going up the mountain while injured couldn't be helped either. A lot of the unfortunate things he'd had to do could not be helped, and it seemed like he was starting a disturbing trend.

"No, but it is something you should keep in mind. You are not invincible." Renado's words were similar to what Eldin had said: you only have one body. "I can see which side you injured. I know it is painful, but please raise your right arm."

Link complied, and then got poked in the side somewhere that wasn't painful. He gave an involuntary laugh, ticklish. Renado perked an eyebrow at him, and Luda giggled from where she had moved to the side. The shaman then prodded the place that hurt the most, causing Link to sharply intake a hiss of breath in pain. He endured a few more painful pokes, and Renado spoke.

"Most of it appears bruised, but the one spot has a bit of give to it. I think you may have cracked something after all, or perhaps injured yourself more as you were busy slaying Bulbins. How did you injure your ribs?"

"A Goron hit me. Or maybe it was when I hit the mountain after the Goron hit me, I'm not sure." He looked back on it, and couldn't remember if the initial contact Pyle made with him hurt more than falling down the mountain. There had been so many painful things today, it all blurred together in his mind.

Renado straightened, no longer examining Link's side. "That would do it. Gorons are incredibly strong, and your whole right side has bruised after only half a day. You are lucky you are left-handed, because you would not have been able to fight with your sword with the other hand."

"I believe it. It was pretty painful when I had to swim in the Goron mines." Link admitted.

"Swim?" Renado asked, his tone both disapproving and surprised.

"Yeah, swim." He had hoped that Renado wouldn't have made a big deal of things, but Luda said that it was likely the man would lecture him. "I'll tell you tomorrow. I plan on staying the day here, but the next morning I need to go."

"Absolutely not." The shaman's tone was stern to the point where Link felt like he was a little boy being scolded by an adult. "You are in no condition to go out fighting again. Between your ribs and your exhaustion, you will need days if not weeks to rest and heal."

"I don't have the time for that, Renado. I can't sit around when I have an important job to do. Can't you give me some medicine for the road or something?" That was the wrong thing to ask, because he could see the frustration clearly on the shaman's face. His bedside manner seemed gentle with Colin, but it was different with Link. Then again, he had to admit that he was fairly reckless today. He probably earned the lecture.

"Father, look at his left hand." Luda said, holding the lantern a bit higher so her father could see. "That's the same triangle mark we have seen outside Hyrule Castle. It's also on his shield."

Link raised his hand and looked at the mark. "Oh, um. Yeah. It glows when I go into the Twilight. That's the power that protects me I told you about." It was an admission that it wasn't the power of being the hero that did it, but some kind of magic. He had no idea what the triangles were yet, so he couldn't explain.

"Not only that, but he was speaking to Eldin after you left. Eldin appeared to him, he didn't call it out. He was given instructions to go to Lake Hylia, which is far from here. He truly is the hero, and he has some kind of magic that is all his own. He's been chosen by the gods. Because of that, it might be best to use...alternative treatments?" There was a bit of caution in her voice as she suggested it.

"What alternative treatments?" Link was curious. Luda mentioned that her mother made potions, could they be talking about that? Potions might be better for him to bring along than medicine.

Renado crossed his arms and looked down at his daughter with a disapproving expression, and gave a soft grunt as he considered what she had said. Whatever it was, it was something that the shaman was perhaps not proud of, or even afraid of. He then gave a nod to Luda, and then unfolded his arms and looked Link in the eye. "Link. What I am about to tell you is seriously dangerous. I need you to swear on your honor to keep it a secret."

"Dangerous? To me? I'm not worried about that-"

"Do you swear?" Renado cut him off, his stare intense.

Something about his expression said that this man was trusting everything in Link and his word. The danger was not to Link, it was to Renado and Luda. He nodded. "I swear. I won't tell anyone about it."

"Good. Luda, shut the door." He shut the medicine bag, which was odd because if there was a different treatment, wouldn't he have brought it with? If it was dangerous, maybe it was somewhere else. After Luda had closed the door and returned to stand next to her father, Renado spoke quietly. "This is a life or death matter, so I appreciate your honorable response. While I am a traditional shaman that provides medicines and offers spiritual advice to the people of this area, I am far more than that." He pushed up the sleeve of his right arm to reveal a swirling pattern of tattoos on his brown skin, the pattern similar to the carved stones in the Light Spirit's spring. "I am a traditional shaman, in the way that that we have been for thousands of years, and in a way that serves the gods and demigods of Hyrule." He then revealed the reason for his caution. "I am able to use magic to heal. I can help you, but I must tap into my power. If I do that, you absolutely must tell no one. The laws of the kingdom put Luda and I at risk."

Link stared at him, surprised. Renado had magic? A shaman with actual magic? Suddenly their discomfort at his mention of the magic law made sense. They feared it, just as he hated it and the king who decreed it. He started laughing despite himself, knowing that he had a far better reason to hate the magic law.

"This is nothing to laugh about." Renado was suddenly angry. His anger was intimidating, likely due to how kind his face normally was.

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, it's more at myself." Link shook his head, and the smile on his face from the laugh faded. "I can explain. My mother used magic." He looked down at Luda. "You're going to find out about me after all. Don't tell anyone." When she nodded, he continued, looking back at the shaman. "When I was twelve years old, soldiers still loyal to the king came for my family and the others in our village. It was a village of magic-using refugees, mostly Hylians, but we had a few witches and Sheikah too. We had fled from different parts of Hyrule, but most of us were from Castle Town and the castle itself." He looked away then, trying to simplify the painful memory. He couldn't upset himself, not here, not now. "I think I'm the only one who survived. Everyone else is gone, including my parents." He didn't need to tell them of his frantic flight across Eldin and Central Hyrule, or what had happened to his mother at that time. Giving that detail voice likely would upset him, and he had shed enough tears lately.

When he looked back at them, Luda had put a hand to her mouth in shock, but her father wore an expression of sympathy. Link continued wearily, his voice tired. "I hate the magic law. I loathe the magic law, and the idiot king who thought it was a good idea. If there was someone to keep your secret, it's me."

Softly in his ears, likely in a way that only he could hear her, Midna's voice came to him. "Link, I'm sorry…" He had forgotten about Midna. She had heard the story too, and her reaction was the same as that of Renado and Luda.

"Thank you for sharing that with us. I can tell that it is painful for you to recall." Renado's voice was kind, but also a bit sad. That reaction is why he didn't want anyone to know about it. Nobody could know, so he could live a normal life.

"Only two other people know, and now you. That's why I didn't want to tell you, Luda. I'd appreciate you keep my secret too." Link's voice was low, strained. His exhaustion now was not just physical, but emotional as well. When he turned to the girl, he could see tears in her eyes. "No, don't cry. It's all in the past now. I'm all right." That was the other reaction he feared from others. He didn't need pity. Pity did not change anything that had happened.

"Do you know why the king made that law? Many of us with magic were in contact with one another, and would share information as we learned of it." Renado examined Link's ribs again, likely preparing himself for the healing spell. "It isn't so idiotic, when put into context. He did it because of the queen...the second queen. She poisoned his mind against us magic users, which is why the law stated that only the royal family may use magic. It is said that she believed that if the average citizen had access to magic, it would lead to another Gerudo War. That war was started by an army lead by a warlock."

"I know some history. Ganondorf decided to attack when the kingdom was recovering from civil war." It was over two hundred years ago, but people still learned of it, and of how close the people of Hyrule had come to losing everything. It was a lesson to never let anything like it happen again, yet it had. Now Zant had invaded when the kingdom had been divided over a foolish law, bringing his own dark magic.

"Yes, exactly. Here, let me heal this now. I know I can trust you." Renado gently placed his hands over the bruised area on the right side of Link's abdomen. There was no chant or incantation, and the shaman's hands glowed with the same golden light of the Light Spirits. The light crept up his arms, and the swirling tattoos beneath the heavy sleeves of his robe glowed through it, just how the triangle mark had glowed through Link's glove.

The feeling was strange. It was a bit painful at first, but after that it felt hot, and it tingled the whole while like a foot that had fallen asleep. He had never been at the other end of a healing spell before, since his mother used the opposite school of magic. Whatever it was that Renado was doing, it was gradual and not instant. It also didn't seem to require too much concentration, because the shaman continued to talk.

"We aren't sure how the queen died, it was quite sudden." he said. "However immediately after that, King Adelbert declared that all magic was unlawful, regardless of the type. Even what I am doing right now, which is a magic that can save lives." Renado shook his head sadly, his long hair swinging. "Adelbert became paranoid. He lost his mind. Sometimes when a man loses his wife, that can happen...but it's quite dangerous when that man is the king. Declaring it unlawful wasn't enough." He raised his dark eyes to look into Link's. "The loss of your village is the result of that paranoia."

Link knew that. He was twelve at the time, old enough to understand what had happened, and why. The mad king's logic made more sense now, though; the man was influenced by the woman he loved, and when she died, he lost his mind from grief. It didn't stop him from hating Adelbert. "I don't like to wish misfortune on others, but I think it's better for us all that he's dead."

Renado's concentration faltered, and the light dimmed for a moment before he controlled himself. "The king is dead?"

"He was killed by the King of Shadows, along with all of his knights. I didn't want to tell that part of the story in front of the kids, so I'm sorry if I kept it to myself until now. I met with Zelda, and she was the one who told me that I needed to stop the invasion, not the Light Spirits. The Light Spirits are only guiding me." He watched as the lights on Renado's arms went out, and the warmth faded from his side. "Zelda should be queen, but she's being held prisoner. I'm not kidding when I say I have an important job to do."

Renado withdrew his hands. "Then perhaps once she is queen, magic can return to Hyrule." He prodded at the spot he had healed, causing Link to flinch and give a small giggle. He laughed in response. "You're too ticklish."

"I can't help it." He looked down at his side and saw that the large bruise was gone, as well as the bloody scrapes. When he reached down to prod at the spots he knew hurt the worst, he felt nothing painful. It was as if he wasn't injured at all. When he looked at the bruises near his collarbone, he could see that they had lessened. Renado wasn't healing that spot on his body, but it was still close enough that they healed somewhat. "That was amazing. I'm still tired, but the pain is completely gone." Link looked back up to Renado. "Thank you. I need to be able to fight and ride, and doing that while injured would have been hard."

The shaman smiled at him. "Hyrule needs you, so you must be healthy. Don't make a habit of getting hurt like that, please. I can only heal so often." He reached for the black bag, and then held it in his hand. "Get out of those wet boots and get some rest. You will need it if you plan on travel to Lake Hylia in two days." He gently put a hand to his daughter's back. "Come, Luda."

"Good night." Luda said, carrying her lantern. The two of them exited the room and shut the door behind them, leaving Link alone. Or at least they thought they left him alone, since Midna was still with him. Once the footsteps going down the hall had faded, she appeared.

"You look much better." she said, sitting on the dresser in the same spot she had that morning when he was shaving. "Better, but tired."

"I plan on doing something about that second part." Link said, removing his boots. "I really don't want to spend a day resting, but the Light Spirits are ancient and wise, so they probably know what's best."

"They are kind of gods, aren't they? Best to listen to them." She watched as he began to arrange his wet clothes on the floor.

"Midna, do you have anything like the Light Spirits where you come from?" He knelt to spread out the chain mail on the floor so it could dry. It felt like a waste to spread things out to dry, since he was going to see if he could clean them tomorrow. Between the sweat and the blood, they needed it.

"Not quite. It's a bit different." She shook her head. "I don't really want to talk about it." At least she was honest, instead of evading the question. The two of them had made some progress together today.

"That's fine." He wasn't going to press the issue, not after the kindness she had shown him on the plains of Eldin. He stripped off the wet leggings, expecting her to complain again. She didn't.

"You know, it's strange…" Midna watched as he draped the wet leggings over the chair, standing only in his underwear. "I think I'm getting used to seeing you without clothes on." She gave a sharp-toothed grin. "Interpret that as you will."

"I think that after seeing more than you asked for at the hot spring, you're grateful when I keep my underwear on." He blew out the lamp, covering the room in darkness.

She laughed from where she sat on the dresser as he climbed into bed. "I was angry, but I think it was because I didn't expect it. I'm starting to get to know you a little more." He couldn't see her in the dark room, so he shut his eyes while laying on his side, facing her. Her voice spoke to him again once he had gotten comfortable. "I'm sorry about what happened to your family, and your village."

"It's all right. You couldn't have known." He wanted to sleep, but this time he wasn't going to tell her to shut up. It was a conversation that was unlike the others they had in the past. Perhaps they were becoming friends.

"That...wasn't what I expected, when I first knew that you hated the royal family. After hearing what Renado said, I can't blame you." There was a slight movement on the edge of the bed as the little imp sat there, next to him. "The people of Hyrule don't seem to be as connected or as familiar with the royal family as they are elsewhere."

"Elsewhere?" He had to ask, guessing at what she was implying. "Does that mean Zant has close ties to the people of the lands of Twilight?"

She was quiet as she sat next to him, and then carefully answered. "No. Zant is a false king, like I said. Things back home are complicated because of that."

"How so?" She didn't answer and he felt her small hand on his arm as she reached out to pat him. The little hand was warm, the hand of a living being despite her cursed body.

"Please, be patient. There are a lot of things that you don't know right now, and I can understand how frustrating that is for you." She withdrew her hand. "I need more time. Just a little more time, and the last piece of the relic. Then I can set things right and everything will be explained."

He decided to let the subject drop. She had her reasons to not tell him, whatever they were, and he ought to respect them. Link started to drift off even though she was sitting on the bed next to him. He was almost asleep when she spoke, an her voice roused him awake. "I know you blame the king, but do you blame Zelda for what happened to your family? I mean, you should be a knight, like your father."

Link had already thought about this in the mines. "No." he answered sleepily. "I wanted to hate her, but I know everything that happened wasn't her fault. She's about the same age as me, so there's no way she could be held responsible for the magic ban. Zelda was still young when that happened." He sighed. "Looking at it now, I don't think she should held responsible for everything that happened with Zant and the Twilight, either. So no, I don't hate her, or blame her."

"Do you think that you could befriend the princess, then?" The question was very soft and faint, so quiet he almost couldn't hear it despite her sitting right next to him. What's this all of a sudden? "It must be lonely for her, to be the only one in her family left." If anyone would know that, it would be him. He was a bit like Zelda, wasn't he?

"Maybe, yeah." He didn't know anything about Zelda as a person, but he had befriended Darbus today. If he was able to do that, he could befriend anyone. Link thought of Zelda, and his thoughts turned into dreams as he slid into the calmness of sleep. It could have been a dream, but it also could have been a memory. When he was a boy, his family had a ranch as part of their lands, located in Central Hyrule. He remembered his father sitting him up on the horses, and in either the dream or the memory he could see a little girl with brown hair and blue eyes that would visit with her mother. He knew it was Zelda when she was around seven years old. Did they used to be friends when they were young?

He dreamed of that ranch, of the wide track that surrounded a fenced central enclosure used to train the horses, and of the groups of barns that clustered nearby with their own green pastures. He could envision himself standing there as an adult, even though the last time he was there, he was only five. The horses were there, various colors and patterns, but the more common variety that his father bred were large dark palomino warhorses like Epona.

Epona was not there, not in this vivid dream spurred by a memory. He knew that she was born years later, in a different place. His parents were not there either, or any of the workers that he vaguely remembered. In fact there was only one person standing in the central enclosure with him, and she was watching the horses trot by with a smile.

Ilia turned to look at him, and her face lit up. "Link!" She ran to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Ilia, what…?" He wasn't sure why she was here, but she was. He sighed and held her close, relieved that she was safe, the stress from worrying for her safety evaporating. "I was really worried. I didn't know where you had gone."

"I was fine. I knew you'd find me if I waited here." She pulled back far enough to look up at him with her beautiful green eyes, her face close. "I knew we'd see each other again."

He needed her in his life, he knew that now. After she had been taken away, there had been a hole in his heart that would not mend, and it couldn't until they were together again. He should admit these things to her, and tell her the things he always meant to, but never had the nerve. Instead he leaned forward to kiss her, the other thing he always wanted to do. This dream was a familiar one, in a different place. Was it a dream, though? It felt real. She felt real.

She stiffened in his arms, and he pulled back, tasting blood on her lips. Ilia's eyes were rolled back in her head, a trail of deep red blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. An arrow protruded from her shoulder.

He cried out in panic, unsure of what to do. Who was shooting at them? There was a harsh whistling and more arrows flew, hitting the ground around them, and the horses began to scream in terror and pain. More arrows thudded into Ilia, but she didn't respond at all, her body limp in his arms.

Link collapsed while clutching at her as arrows rained down on the ranch, arrows lit with fire that ignited the buildings and surrounded them with an inferno. He sobbed and shook Ilia, but she was gone. The horses were dead, the ranch was burning to ash around him, yet arrows still flew. They continued to hit the things he loved, but never hit him. They never could hit him. He would be the only one to survive.

Somebody shook him awake. He sat up quickly, muscles tense, unsure if he was still asleep or not. His breathing was heavy, his heart pounding.

"It's all right." Midna said in the darkness of the room, next to him on the bed. "You were having another one of those night terrors."

Night terrors? It had seemed real. The last time it was a familiar nightmare that involved his mother, but this time it was a normally pleasant dream gone strange, and then gone horribly wrong. His hands shook as he wiped at his face. Tears. This time he did wake up crying. He hadn't wanted her to see him this way, but she had already seen him in tears today.

"I know it's terrifying but you need to rest." she said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder. She was being kind to him again. He shouldn't be surprised. This is who Midna really was.

"I'm sorry." Link apologized without understanding why he did, running a hand through his hair. "I don't normally...I mean. I don't usually have nightmares." He shivered not from cold, but from adrenaline. "Not like this."

"No, I don't think you would. You can't control what's happening to you. I think what's happening is tied into your experiences in the Twilight." Her hand was still on his shoulder. There was no way to see her in the darkness of the room, but he thought she was standing at his left side.

"What do you mean by that?" The Twilight gave him nightmares? He had two vivid dreams full of terror the day after entering the Twilight, but he wasn't sure how that worked. "Midna, how-"

"Shh." She cut him off. "Don't worry about it right now. Lay back and rest, we both know how tired you are. I'll explain in the morning."

"Yeah. Okay." He lay back, and even though he felt his body was still exhausted, he wasn't sure if he could fall asleep. The dream could pick up right up from where it left off, with everything in ruins around him.

She could see him in the dark due to her power, and she saw that his eyes were still open. "Don't be afraid to sleep. I'm here, you know." She sat down on the bed next to him, from the sound of it. "I'm not going anywhere."

That's right, she wasn't. At least, not for now. The two of them had become partners over the past few days, finding ways to get over their differences in order to work together. He wasn't alone, both on this journey he had started, and in this dark room. Even if he barely knew her, he still had Midna. Having somebody with him was making everything far more bearable, and as he dwelled on that thought, he fell into a more normal sleep.