Chapter 16 - Warning

Tap, tap, tap … .

Cody's hammer drove the nail into the wood as the sun shined down on a clear, early afternoon. The weather was warmer that day, making it perfect for getting a head start on his new building project, and as he worked, his thoughts centered on the light he'd seen the night before—not that he was sure he wanted to know what it meant.

After all, the lake had been peaceful ever since, and as far as he was concerned, if things remained calm, ignorance was bliss.

With the thoughts in mind, he grabbed another nail to be hammered into the plank of his new boat—just as a pair of hands covered his eyes.

Dropping his hammer with a startled jolt in response, he quickly calmed down when a voice at his left ear announced, "Guess who!"

"Alia!" Cody muttered as the brunette giggled and tugged her fingers away from his face, allowing him to cast a glare over his shoulder. "Don't startle me when I'm working! I could've hammered my thumb!"

"It's not like you were hammering at that precise moment, you stick in the mud," the seventeen year old retorted, crossing her arms over her chest with pursed lips.

With her hair in a ponytail that hung down to her lower back, she was dressed for colder weather in a pair of thick pants and a light blue blouse with long sleeves. But though she looked warm, the disapproving glint in her green eyes almost made the temperature seem to drop a few degrees.

Seeing it, Cody grumbled and stood from the wooden frame of his new project, turning to her with the words, "Hey, a lot's been happening around here lately, so don't get me started."

Instantly, her stern look faded to one of curious acknowledgment as she grabbed his hands and responded excitedly, "I'll say! Did you see that light last night?"

Trying to ignore the way she'd grabbed his hands, Cody cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah, I saw it, alright. It knocked a wave up onto the shore so far it beached some boats and flooded beneath the house."

Going wide eyed as if she found last night's phenomenon extremely interesting, she asked, "Do you know what it was? Because I heard something really neat!"

"No," he returned, shaking his head with a muttered, "and unless it means I'll get my new boat done soon, I don't really want to know."

"Stick in the mud!" she retorted, tugging her hands from his to cross over her chest once more before proceeding to tell him what she'd heard anyway.

"There's someone new in the revolt named Lyonel, and he said it was the power of that old underwater temple being unleashed. I don't know if I believe that or not," she drew out with a shrug of her shoulders, adding, "but it's rumored that Lyonel used to be a royal guard for the true King and Queen of Hyrule. So he could know more about those types of things, don't you think?"

"Lyonel?" Cody asked, shrugging. "Never heard of him, but Grandma might have. She used to live in Hyrule Town you know."

"Really? And no," Alia countered with a dour expression. "I didn't know because you never tell anyone anything! Like I said, stick-in-the-mud," she enunciated.

Pursing his lips, Cody asked, "Is that so?" then continued at her definitive nod, "Well how's this? You see those horses over there?"

As he pointed at the side of the house, Alia craned her head, just able to see Frost and Epona's tails swishing idly about. Knowing her love of horses, he wasn't surprised when she rushed forward to get a better view, then gasped his name in awe.

"Cody! Where did they come from?"

Walking up behind her as she covered her mouth with both hands, he announced, "I stole them. How's that for being a stick in the mud?"

Instantly, Alia swung around, nearly smacking him with her elbow in the process. But her wide, disapproving expression was a slap in itself as she exclaimed, "You what! Are you crazy! Who did you steal them from?"

"Us."

Hearing Link's voice, Cody spun around to see him and Zelda stepping ashore from the docks, the sailboat they'd borrowed tethered nearby without a scratch on it.

But … how?

He couldn't help staring at the Hylians in shock, having thought they'd be goners simply by trying to cross the lake, to say nothing of what the explosion of light could've done if they'd been on the water at the time. So, as they approached, he couldn't stop himself from asking incredulously, "How did you get across the lake and back?"

Without stopping, Zelda headed over to fetch their horses as Link waited for her with the reply, "I told you I'd figure something out, remember?"

"Yeah, but … ," Cody trailed as Zelda brought their horses over and handed Epona's reins to Link.

As he took them and started tying his satchel to her saddle, Cody noticed Alia staring at Link as if she thought the Hylian was good looking.

Jealousy flared at the sight, and Cody immediately stepped in front of her to block her view while crossing his arms over his chest in Link's direction, remarking, "Well, you got lucky, that's all. So there's probably not much to tell."

Seeing Alia's interest in Link and Cody's subsequent envy, Zelda couldn't help smiling, though the carpenter was wrong about how much there was to tell. Not only had they unleashed the spirit essence of the Water Temple the previous night, that morning, she and Link had convened with the Zora to have a talk with Myriad, and the Sage revealed many things concerning Ganondorf's plans and more.

Additionally, the Zora had given them a number of gifts, including a circlet of gold inlaid with blue gems which Zelda now wore. For Link, they'd provided a magic enhancement to his shield that allowed it to reflect projectiles and even some spells.

That particular gift was received when Link opened a message inside of the bottle he'd found in the temple, which turned out to be a letter from Majastra to Majalyn, written just before her death.

Yet Zelda didn't comment on Cody's suggestion that they had little to tell, and merely got their attention by stating, "Thank you, Cody, for watching Epona and Frost for us. It was very helpful with where we had to go."

Annoyed by the way Cody had blocked her line of sight, Alia pushed him out of the way, ignoring his incensed gasp of her name to ask Zelda, "Where was that? Did it have anything to do with that light we saw last night?"

Recalling the way the people of Kakariko were abuzz about a light seen above Death Mountain after their visit to the Temple of Fire, they knew precisely what Alia was referring to. So, after exchanging a look, the Hylians answered simultaneously, "It's a long story."

Hearing this, Cody couldn't help feeling his suggestion that they hadn't done much during their trip to Zora's Domain was completely inaccurate, and as he considered it, Alia mentioned, "You're Hylians. Are you from Hyrule Town?"

"Sort of," Link returned. "We were born near there, but we grew up in Kakariko."

"So … ," Alia drew out, absently stepping toward Link before Cody grabbed her arm to make her stay put. But the movement didn't stop her from smiling at the Hylian as she asked, "You're brother and sister then?"

Unlike Zelda, Link had only just noticed Alia's interest, and though he'd parted his lips to respond, the words stuck in his throat. He also noticed how Cody was trying to stop his friend, supposing the carpenter harbored an interest in her, and for as amusing as it was, he didn't want to offend anyone by smiling or laughing.

So he answered as plainly as possible, "Adoptive, not blood."

"Oh," Alia returned, her tone disappointed—and Link's brows narrowed when he heard muffled snickering.

Looking back at Zelda, she immediately bit her lips and gave him an innocent smile that only grew bigger when he shook his head. But she couldn't help her amusement over the matter if only because there was no faulting Alia for finding him attractive. It also reminded her of the wolf whistles he'd garnered in Roshala, and the notion of it provided an amusing distraction that was welcome after what they'd learned from their talk with Myriad that morning.

Neither had a chance to respond however when Alia asked, "So what's your names, anyway? I'm Alia from River Town, and this … ," she added while clasping Cody's shoulder with a grin, "is Stick In The Mud, in case you didn't know."

Smiling at her nickname for Cody, Zelda stepped forward and offered her hand in greeting.

"It's nice to meet you, Alia. As for this handsome young gentleman," she started while clasping Link's shoulder—and checked a laugh at his grumble before adding, "his name is Link, and I'm Zelda."

Snickering, Alia ignored Cody's grousing over the way Zelda introduced Link and took her hand in a friendly shake. Yet her smile soon faded to a more considerate expression that she turned from Zelda to Cody after releasing her hand.

"Wait … Cody, Lyonel told the revolt the light we saw was the power of that old temple being unleashed, but he also mentioned the two who went there were … ."

As she trailed, a sudden gasp escaped her lips as she regarded Zelda with wide eyes. The reaction distracted both Link and Zelda from her mention of Lyonel's name, and their surprise redoubled when she abruptly dropped to her knees in a bow and exclaimed, "You're the Princess! Cody! Bow, she's the Princess of Hyrule!"

Though Cody didn't bow, he stared between his friend and Zelda with a look of surprised confusion. In turn, Zelda clenched her fists a few times in hesitation, then bent down and grasped Alia's upper arms with a shake of her head.

"No, Alia, don't do that."

"But why?" the brunette asked, looking up at her with the words, "My parents told me everything. The Myriad Stones awakened, meaning the real daughter of Hyrule's crown is currently seeking to take back the throne, and Lyonel said her name is Zelda."

"It doesn't matter," Zelda returned plainly, helping her stand up again while struggling with disbelief. Though she'd come to accept her role as the Princess—at least in name—she honestly never thought anyone would react this way to the title, though Alia wasn't the first person to take a guess at her true identity.

Yet her response raised the question of whether she was merely a young lady passionate about her cause, or if this was an indication of the type of reaction Zelda should expect from the revolt at large.

Regardless, she added once Alia was on her feet again, "I'm not the Princess until the King is dethroned, so please don't think it's necessary to bow to me."

Though Alia seemed to consider it, she maintained a humble posture in returning, "I'm sorry, but shouldn't I at least treat you with respect?"

Zelda canted her head with a smile. "We should all treat others respectfully, Alia, royalty or not. I was raised as a commoner, after all, so feel free to treat me as you would want to be treated."

For a brief moment, Alia stared at her in thought, then smiled and nodded in acceptance, her posture finally growing more relaxed. Cody, on the other hand, still seemed confused, asking, "But it's true though? You are the Princess?"

Sighing, Zelda looked at him and said, "I'm the true daughter of Hadinaru and Nissandra, yes, though it's not something I want everyone to know."

"I think I already know why," Cody replied. "The revolt's talked about it. They said you'd be riding as a commoner and–oh crap!"

At his exclamation, he turned a set of wide eyes on Alia and added, "I stole the Princess's horse!"

The comment came out as if she were about to execute him on the spot, and Link interjected, "Calm down, Cody. She's already sentenced you to a few days of caring for them, and you've done that."

"Oh … right," Cody drew out, exhaling a sigh. "Sorry, the discovery is just so … baffling, I guess."

"I was baffled when I learned the truth, too," Zelda replied, though she wasn't content to stay on the subject if only because it felt awkward speaking so much about herself. So instead, she addressed a topic that had worried them since leaving Engleton.

"By the way, Alia, you mentioned the name Lyonel. Does he wear a hooded cloak all of the time?"

"Yes," Alia confirmed, asking, "why, do you know him? I've heard he used to be a royal guard, and he joined the revolt just yesterday."

Hearing this, Link and Zelda exchanged a look, both exhaling a relieved sigh to know Arden hadn't defeated him, and he must've been doing well if he'd made it all the way to Lake Hylia.

At the thought, Link asked, "Where is he now?"

Alia jerked her thumb over her shoulder and answered, "Down the shore, there's a gorge where the Zora River starts not far from here. The revolt is hiding in some grotto's dug out of the cliff sides just before you reach River Town, but you have to go to River Town in order to get in because that's where the entrance is hidden."

Hearing this, Link nodded and looked at Zelda, asking, "You remember what Myriad said before we left Zora's Domain?"

"Yes," she confirmed, thinking back to the conversation. Myriad had enlightened them on Ganondorf's plans, and some of the news was bleak indeed.

Soon, the King of Evil was going to unleash chaos on Hyrule for a simple reason—saying he hadn't done so already—and loss of life was inevitable as these events had been set into motion years in advance. Yet Myriad also related news concerning the revolt, saying she'd received word that it was growing stronger by the day and they would soon find a few people who knew where the organization was operating.

Realizing there was a safe haven for people to go should the worse come to pass, and that the revolt was now in the hands of someone as seasoned as Lyonel allowed Zelda to rest just a bit more easily. Yet, the worst part of Myriad's news came in the form of a vision the Sage had been given. In it, she'd seen a knife splitting the heart from the mind, suggesting Link and Zelda would soon find themselves torn apart for a while.

But though Myriad believed the situation was likely to be temporary, the notion simply didn't sit well with Zelda if only because of the way her vision had unfolded.

Still, she didn't want to dwell on it at the moment. Instead, Ganondorf's plans threatened everyone, prompting her to warn Cody and Alia with the utmost sincerity, "You have to get Lana and head for River Town now. Let the revolt know to be ready for more people to come to them soon, people who are injured and in need of shelter because towns are being attacked and destroyed."

Both Cody and Alia stared at the Princess uncertainly, the latter asking, "Who's attacking the towns?"

"Ganondorf is," Zelda replied morosely. "So Link and I have to try to stop him."

"Whoa … ," Cody drew out, looking between Link and Zelda with a shake of his head. "Wait a second, are you saying Ganondorf himself is planning to attack his own kingdom?"

"I saw his intentions in a vision, Cody, and yes, he is," Zelda confirmed.

"But why? False king or not, that makes no sense!"

"It makes perfect sense," Link started, explaining the same thing Myriad told them concerning Ganondorf's reasons. "He wants to draw the two of us out because we're the only ones who can stop him."

Of course, that wasn't the only reason for Ganondorf's attacks—in addition to luring them out because of their destinies, he also wanted the Triforce pieces they carried. But Link didn't mention that part if only because Cody and Alia didn't need to know everything.

In fact, judging by the blank stare on his face, Cody may have already been told more than enough.

"He's doing all this to get to the two of you?" Shaking his head, the carpenter remarked, "You two really are royalty, aren't you?"

"No, she is," Link returned, adding with a smirk, "I'm just a commoner."

Once again, Cody looked completely baffled, and Alia stepped forward with the question, "But if you go to stop him, won't you just be walking right into his trap? I mean, I know someone has to stop him, but shouldn't you go to River Town first for reinforcements?"

That was Link's question to Myriad, and she told them three things, none of which was easy to accept.

"This is a difficult time you face" the Sage related, "and I have the sad burden of warning you that things won't get any easier afterward. Decisions will have to be made for the greater good instead of personal preference, and the greatest good is to keep both Princess Zelda and the people safe at all costs.

"Link, you are the Hero of Legend, and though you've worn that moniker well, what comes next will define that role for you more clearly than ever. With that said, knowing of Ganondorf's trap is the first step to avoiding it, and yet problems are inevitable. Acquiring reinforcements could take time that would cost lives while a direct journey to stop Ganondorf could result in Zelda's own injury. I wish there was a clear choice in this matter, but it's up to the two of you to decide."

Indeed, it wasn't an easy choice to make. But though Link wanted to take Zelda to the revolt if only for the chance to leave her somewhere safe, she argued for traveling directly to Ganondorf as it would save lives.

Because they hadn't gotten the location of the revolt until speaking with Cody and Alia, Link agreed, deciding they needed to do whatever they could as soon as possible. But before he could answer Alia's question, another voice called their names.

"Alia, Cody, come into the house, help me pack our things."

"Grandma?" Cody asked, moving to the porch as the elderly woman worked her way down with her cane in hand.

"You heard me young man, do as I say and don't delay. We'll sail up the river. It'll be much faster."

"But Grandma–"

"Don't but me, Cody," she retorted sternly. "Your Princess just gave you instruction to keep us safe, and considering they crossed the lake and unleashed the power held within the Temple of Water, I think their advice is sound. Now go on before I have to use my cane on you. You too, Alia."

"Yes, ma'am," Alia replied, running into the house with Cody to do as Lana directed.

Once they were gone, the elderly lady smiled and turned around to face the Hylians with two garments draped across one of her arms. Able to hear them much easier than she could see them, she listened as they crossed the gravel ground to her position, then lifted her arm in offering.

"Here, I made these for you while you were away. It's a thank you for paying to borrow the boat instead of just taking it."

Once she felt Link and Zelda taking the garments—which were hooded cloaks made of a thick, dark material—she went on, "I heard everything you said, and I'm very pleased with it. I used to live in Hyrule Town with my husband years ago before we came to the lake to make a living. So much has changed since then, and not for the better.

"But I recall when Queen Nissandra learned she was carrying, and when word spread that she had a son, several of us were somewhat disappointed if only because she'd been so certain to have a little girl. Years later, we finally know the truth of why, and I can tell you, Princess Zelda, you'll be given a grand reception by those of us who know the story."

As she spoke, Link and Zelda donned their new cloaks, admiring the finely made garments before Lana mentioned a grand reception. At those words, Zelda looked up and returned, "I hope, if there's to be a reception, it's because Hyrule has its foundation back and not because Link and I are trying to build it."

Lana grinned, chuckling with a nod. "Spoken like Hadinaru. He always had a knack for words, and I'd like to thank you, Your Highness, for both the reminder and the warning. We'll be safer now because of you."

Though Zelda wanted to contest her use of the terms Your Highness, she couldn't quite get it out if only because she was so pleased to know she might've said something as her father would have. So instead, she remarked plainly, "There's no thanks necessary. In fact, we should thank you, especially for these cloaks. They'll definitely keep us warmer with the cold weather ahead of us."

As she finished her sentence, the front door of Lana's home opened with Cody carrying a few leather bags outside. The sound alerted Lana of his presence, and she smiled at the Hylians standing before her.

"You're welcome, and when we reach River Town, I'll let everyone know what you've told us today. Taking the sailboat, we should arrive there by late afternoon."

"That's good," Link remarked. "The sooner the better. Sadly, I don't think we'll reach Engleton until sometime tomorrow."

As Alia settled the bags she'd carried out nearby, she looked up and asked, "Engleton? If you happen to come across a Betarro and Kiama, tell them to come to River Town, too. They're my uncle and cousin."

Surprised to hear it, Link asked, "Really? We've met them actually, and we'll definitely let them know."

With that said, he mounted Epona as Zelda climbed onto Frost, and Alia smiled as she called, "Good! I'd hate for them to get caught up in this! You two ride safely as well!"

"We'll try our best," Zelda promised with a smile and a wave goodbye.

After Alia waved back, she took Lana's hand to help her along in the right direction while Cody gathered their things together. In turn, he glanced up as the Hylians rode off and sighed.

"I'm not sure if those two are bad luck or not, but I guess it doesn't matter. Let's just get going before anything else happens."

Sending a glare at Cody as he walked by with their bags in hand, Alia reached up and swatted the back of his head.

Flinching, he drew out a low, "Gah, what'd I do?"

"You act as if you've been through a war or something! Show a little respect for goodness sake!"

Lana's chuckling filled the air as she and Alia moved on, leaving Cody to follow behind them while wondering why he was always getting smacked around.