Link took a bite from his apple happily swinging his legs over the side of the archway. From his high vantage point he could see the Princess wrapping up her meeting with the Generals and lieutenants in the war room.
He stood and brushed off some dirt from his pants when he saw them exit the hall and start up the long corridor to the main castle.
Timing it perfectly he leapt from the stone arch to the opposite wall, finding finger holes on a deceptively smooth wall. He climbed quickly up to the window ledge several feet above his head and crouched there quietly until Zelda passed underneath, followed by her three allies and her General Impa.
Daruk of the Gorons, Mipha of the Zoras, and Revali of the Rito were all speaking urgently but cut off abruptly when a dark form landed behind them with barely a sound.
Hands went to their weapons but Impa threw out both arms to stop them.
Zelda looked back with a relieved smile.
"Link," She breathed moving past the others to see him properly.
The Princess was a couple inches taller than the youth, with dark blonde hair twisted carefully back into a crown of gold and blue sapphires. Her customary gown was fitted with delicate chain mail and leather plates, and a sword was a constant fixture on her hip giving her the look of a true leader. She paused to let him bow, no matter how many times she asked him not to he did not break from the custom. As he raised to lock eyes with her, she saw the cut.
"The meeting did not go well then?" She asked, sad that the little bit of hope she had for the diplomatic end was being squashed but glad her friend had been able to escape.
Link shook his head no and then offered up the Shiekah slate she had given him.
She took it and the Allies gathered around silently as an image took shape within the tablet and they were able to watch the full exchange at Spectacle Rock.
Zelda's delicate feathers twisted into outrage when it came to the part Ganondorf grabbed Link and taunted him.
As the battle ensued the three Allies shot confused looks to the boy standing with them. They didn't know him, but his skill was in the range of that of a much older warrior.
Impa on the other hand, squeezed the boy's shoulder and gave him a nod of approval.
"Well, I guess that plan was dead before you even revealed yourself." Zelda sighed, indicating the King's arrival with reinforcements. "You really should not have humored him Link, I told you to abandon that meeting if things looked too dangerous!"
Link simply shrugged, he had made it out alive and that was all that mattered. She knew the look and offered a small smile.
"You are as stubborn as I!" She stated. She looked back to her allies. "I guess this means we should start the preparations we were discussing. You will all leave first thing tomorrow morning to spread the word."
They all nodded.
"As you wish Princess," Mipha bowed slightly shooting a glance at the boy, "And what about the other matter we spoke of. With that artifact we have a chance to end this war in one move. Will you allow me to send a company to investigate the potential spot?"
Zelda shook her head no.
"A full unit will draw too much attention." She said, then her eyes looked to Link as well. "But I might have another plan. Leave it to me Mipha."
The group nodded and turned back to head down the hall.
Link and Impa stayed behind with the Princess. Once they were out of ear range Zelda relaxed slightly.
"Let's go to my chambers, we can speak freely there." She stated.
For rooms that belonged to Royalty they didn't really look it. Maps, and models laid over the tables along with reports. Research took up one wall, with mountains of books. And the bed, which was covered in soft blankets and warm furs was unused.
Link, who was not officially part of the Royal army, or in fact associated with the war or the Royal family by anything other than coincidence, was technically not allowed in the castle. That was why he used the walls and windows to sneak in. Anyone that worked directly with Zelda knew the boy and never gave him any problems but if her father's men saw him, he was thrown out every time.
"There still has not been any word from my father," Zelda undated the teen, "Until I have proof, he is either alive or dead we will continue with my plans."
Link nodded then took a seat in one of her poufy red chairs. She sat across from him and rubbed her temples lightly.
"As for the artifact Mipha is referring to, it is, of course, the tri-force. I don't like lying to her but she can't know that we found one of the pieces and it had already melded with me. The fewer people that know the less likely Ganondorf will find out." At this Link shifted uncomfortably. He had been the one to locate the first piece, and when he touched it the goddess had shown him many things he still had not come to terms with yet.
"We also got a lead on the second piece, we suspect, it is South, past lake Hylia on the Faron Sea coastline." Impa stated. "We believe there is a cave that is hiding a very large secret."
Zelda, who still had the slate, opened the map and marked an area.
"If you are still willing to help, I need someone I trust to look into this," Zelda asked. "I know you just got back, and after that run in with the Ganondorf you deserve a break, but we simply can't afford to rest right now."
Link gave her a smile, a rare genuine one that made her feel a bit better.
"When will you leave?" Impa asked.
Link thought for a moment and held up a hand with four fingers.
"Very well. Before you go, stop by the bar and get a decent meal. I'll leave you supplies in the store house as well."
Link gave the older woman a little two finger salute and hopped up to his feet. He stretched his hands high above his head and shook the stiffness from his joints. He wasn't used to sitting still for very long.
Zelda stood as well and set her hands on his shoulders.
"Thank you Link," Zelda said. She then leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Link felt a warmth spread from his cheek through his whole body. The tingle along his cheekbone though told him the Princess's magic had healed the cut.
It was true the Princess was so far out of his league it was laughable, but what seventeen-year-old wouldn't blush a little when a pretty girl kissed him. Even if it was just on the cheek.
With a bright pink blush marring his face he gave a little wave to the pair before escaping the castle though another window.
The four hours he requested was long enough to grab a quick nap, eat and restock his bag. He left Castle town through the east gate then followed the Hylia River south.
He felt his body relax once he was out of the city. He wasn't a fan of crowds of people and felt much more at home out in the wilderness.
By the time he reached Scouts hill he had already dispatched several Bokoblins, and a couple Fire-Breath Lizalfos. Since the army was engaged on most of the Western fronts and the North there were fewer around to keep the monsters in check within their borders, the monsters seemed to sense this and were getting increasingly bold.
Link crept to the South edge of the ruins on top of the hill. Using his slate and it's magic he scanned the Hylia bridge that went over the lake. The Princess's forces still held the bridge according to the last report but from his vantage point Link could see smoke and fighting on the Northern end. It was not Ganondorf's army though, it was a horde of fiends.
As the young warrior ran to lend a hand, he couldn't help but be a bit relieved that it wasn't the Gerudo fighters, or the Yiga clan. He would hate to think they had pushed that far into the Allies territory.
Link snuck forward with his bow nocked and ready. There wasn't much cover before the bridge, so he had to take his shots, half hidden in the long grass.
Despite the partially obscured view, shot after shot found it's mark. The Bokoblins were a nuisance just by their sheer numbers but Link quickly saw a bigger reason for concern.
There was a Darknut knight standing back from the beasts. That would explain why the normally very territorial monsters were banded together in such a way. The Knight also signified that Ganondorf had eyes on Lake Hylia for whatever reason.
Link trusted that the soldiers could handle the little beasties, so he drew his sword and buckler and made a beeline for the Darknut.
Known for their superior swordsman skill the Darknut did not disappoint as it turned and blocked Link's initial swing. Fortunately, its bulky blade wasn't very fast and when it came back around Link dove underneath the metal and rolled behind it, springing to his feet with upward slice catching the thing under a plate of armor.
Link had to break out the acrobatics for the next one since the Darknut was head and shoulders taller than him.
The teen jumped back just in time as a downward strike buried itself into the dirt where he had been standing. Amidst the puff of dust Link nimbly ran up the blade leaping at the last moment into a summersault. His own blade sliced up the back of the things neck. The spray of black blood splattered over the grass.
After rolling away Link was quick to get back to his feet but then hit the deck immediately as a massive disc of death whizzed past his nose.
The Darknut had thrown this shield, and then dropped his massive sword in favor of his rapier, which was better suited for his quick prey.
The thing snarled as it ran forward, sweeping the blade left then right.
Link ducked and dodged before dancing away. He continued to strike and move until finally he saw an opening. He ducked under a swing the ran past the things left side, seeing as it was Link's dominant side his sword was poised perfectly to sneak under the breast plate, and stab the thing between the ribs and through the heart.
The teen stepped back as a wet growl escaped the thing then it fell forward dead.
It's presence in this fight was still bothering Link, but at least the soldiers seemed to have everything else under control.
Once the remaining beasts either ran or died Link met up with the soldiers just to make sure there wasn't anything else left to be done.
Unfortunately, the lieutenant was one of the Kings Royal guard, and he wasn't about to share information with the likes of Link. Not that Link could of asked or begged for that anyway.
Having nothing useful to get from lingering the teen pulled up his hood to shield himself from the pending rainstorm and made his way across the Hylia bridge, next stop was Nette Plateau, close to puffer beach. He needed some recon before he was going to stroll up the coastline looking for a random cave.
On a quick thought though he decided he wanted to check in with an associate of his at the Highland stable first, just in case they had heard anything about Ganondorf's military movement.
Lord Ghirahim tapped a slender finger against his white lips. The monster horde had done the trick and had allowed him to move a whole company of men down the Taobab grasslands without being noticed, but as some stragglers came back to him, they were telling quite the tale about the downfall of their Darknut commander.
He got up and put a soothing hand on the Bokoblin's shoulder.
"It's alright friend, you are with us now! That's all that matters!" His words could have been comforting if he hadn't said them whilst slamming a black dagger through the unlucky creature's eye.
He continued to pace the tent, listening to the constant patter of the rain.
"It seems," he said to himself, "That foolish boy might have business on the South shores."
The thought absolutely delighted the Demon lord. Morbid, bloody dreams danced through his mind about what he would like to do the boy if he got his claws in him.
His cackle made his underlings give the tent a very wide berth outside.
"I really must freshen up, I want to look fabulous for when we meet again!"