Inspiration: No Country for Old Men, with Tommy Lee Jones, you reap what you sew, "Prisoners of Fate," from Chrono Cross (the fight with Miguel and Dario are made al the more powerful by this song), I wrote the whole last segment to this song.
Shout Outs: Alex
Word Count: 11,981
Chapter 24
Three Days Later: Ilia's POV
The unsettling feeling I felt was more than just my baby growing inside me. The apprehension and stress in the village was at an all time high, and it was made all the more apparent these last few days. Link's thirty day sentence was only a week and half in, and no one knew what was going to happen to him afterwards. The queen stated banishment, or some other fate in her decree, I just wish I had some idea as to what it was going to be. I wasn't sure what this 'treasonous' act involved regarding Link, but I had heard stories that the dungeons of Hyrule were horrid and smelled of decaying bodies. That was more of my concern than anything else. I was scared witless for my beloved friend, and I just hoped the queen's anger had cooled off some by the time the final decision was made. However, the queen wasn't the only one making plans related to the hero, my father was entertaining his own industrious activities as well.
Ever since Link was taken into custody, papa had been working tirelessly to find some way to get him out. He traveled to Hyrule everyday and demanded for the jailers to let him see Link, presenting signatures from fellow citizens, and arguments stating that it was against civil law to prevent a man a visit from people concerned for him. My father was always refused, with the jailers always having to reiterate that Link wasn't allowed any visitors. However, that didn't stop my father. Papa often tried different approaches, but nothing seemed to work. He tried bringing Link a 'gift' by means of a sword, that didn't work. He tried insisting that he was Link's biological father, that didn't work. Everyone knew Link was an orphan. Papa even tried taking one of my pies to the jail with a file baked in it, that didn't work either. Needless to say, all of the attempts my father made to see Link didn't work, and he was getting increasingly frustrated with the situation.
In Castle Town, papa was making his concerns more vocally known, and he was arousing the crowds to take action. His 'actions' didn't go unnoticed however, and he had been approached several times by the city guards and ordinance committees to control his tongue. A warning was given to him that if he didn't, he was going to be placed in a cell right next to Master Link. However, my father in turn replied, "Good, at least I'll have some idea as to what's going on with him!" Several others in the crowd voiced their defiance in the same manner, and it made the situation all the more tense. My father was then escorted out of the city, and given a final warning not to return to Hyrule with such 'delusions of grandeur' or there would be dire consequences. He didn't take kindly to the threat, and in the end, tensions mounted even more.
When Rusl got wind of what papa was doing in town, he went immediately to talk some sense into him. Rusl told him that he was acting recklessly, and wasn't helping Link in the long run. He even warned that he may have been making things harder for Link. But even with his long time friend, my father was turning a blind eye and deaf ear to reason. Papa's behavior was so erratic that, Rusl openly stated that he didn't understand my father's impatience. Rusl went on further to tell him that everyone was just as worried about Link as he was, and all his actions were doing was precipitating more trouble than help. However, the reasonable soldier may have had good intentions, but he didn't know the whole story.
No one knew the whole story except papa and me.
My baby's well being was the chief concern of my father, and honestly to me too. There was no telling what was hanging in the balance with Link's sentencing. He could be jailed for another year or longer, and then what was I supposed to do? I knew it was a selfish position, and one I had willingly gotten myself into, but it was the truth. I needed Link. I needed him now more than ever, and that was what the others didn't understand. That was what the others didn't know, and that was the reason my father was so relentless.
I certainly didn't expect things to turn out like this, I pondered.
I sighed and continued at the activity I was involved in. Currently, I was at home kneading some bread at the kitchen table for supper. I was separating the large mound into individual loaves of bread, when my father's big burly bodice stormed through the door. I stopped what I was doing, slightly startled at his vigorous disposition, to see if he needed to my assistance.
"Is everything alright papa?" I asked. "Why did you come through the door like that?"
Papa shook his head no, but looked more hopeful than he had been these past few days.
"Of course everything isn't alright," he reprimanded lightly, "Link still isn't here with you, but you needn't worry, I think I may have found a solution to that problem."
I looked at him surprised at his words.
I wasn't expecting to hear anything like this.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
Papa paused for just a second and went back to the door to make sure it was securely shut. He then looked out the window to see if anyone was nearby. When the coast was clear, he came over to me and produced a long scroll from his adventure bag.
I looked at it puzzled, then fixated my eyes on his face.
"What's that?" I asked with a light nod.
Papa came close and lowered his voice.
"This is a plan I've been working on to free Link from prison," he divulged.
I looked at him shocked.
I definitely wasn't expecting to hear this.
I hesitated for a moment.
"You mean... break him out?" I asked.
My father nodded, but then studied me when he saw the look on my face.
"It's the only way Ilia," he reasoned.
I shook my head.
I wasn't so sure about that.
"How is that going to be possible?" I asked. "He's in a well guarded dungeon."
Papa understood my concern.
"I've thought about that," he replied, then opened the scroll, "and I've studied these plans of the castle and noted some weak points to the external wall near the north side of the dungeon. If that wall were bombed, the explosion would be just enough to keep the rest of the building intact while at the same time providing the necessary escape route for Link."
I felt my mouth drop, and looked at my father like he was insane.
"Father... you can't be serious," I scolded, "that sounds crazy. Where in the world are you going to get a bomb? And better yet, who told you this ridiculous scheme of yours was going to work? Have you thought about what you just said? You want to blow up part of the castle. Think about that papa. If you follow through with this, you'll go to jail for treason yourself!"
He wasn't unnerved by my words. In fact, he seemed irritated by them.
"Well then what do you suggest?" he demanded. "That we sit here and do nothing like the others?"
I took in a deep sigh.
I knew it wasn't the most romantic idea in the world, but it was certainly less foolhardy than what he was suggesting.
"I know you're angry papa," I said, "I'm upset too, but we have to try and think rationally. This isn't rational by any means. I know you don't agree, but it's probably best that we do try a wait and see approach. We have no way of knowing if the queen will show Link mercy or not."
Papa shook his head, and narrowed his eyes at me.
"Mercy?" he repeated cynically. "I can't believe my ears right now. That is where you are wrong Ilia my dear. If the queen cared about mercy then she would have thought about her decision long before she decided to put Link away. Who throws a man in jail after saving the country the way he did? It's unacceptable!"
When my father put it that way, I had very little in terms of a rebuttal. However, I couldn't let him keep going on the way he was. What he was planning was preposterous.
"I understand your point," I replied, "but how are you going to pull this off on your own? You're one man, and I mean this with no disrespect intended, but you don't have the stamina you used to. You're setting yourself up for failure."
Papa grunted at my blunt words, but didn't seem jaded by them.
"I've thought of that," he reasoned, "and there are a few men in Castle Town who have agreed to try and free Link with me."
I felt my eyes widen at the divulgence.
"But papa-" I tried.
He held his hand up to silence me.
"This is bigger than just thirty days imprisonment Ilia," he interrupted in a stern fashion, "there's no telling if after those thirty days he'll be allowed to stay in the country, or worse, get further imprisonment. What about you Ilia? What about my grandchild?"
I looked at him helplessly. I was at a loss for words. Everything he was saying made so much sense, but he also sounded so maddening at the same time. I needed to caution him. I needed him to understand that this was so much bigger than his little world and my little world. He was proposing to do great damage to a long standing Hylian wonder, and that was not okay.
I stopped kneading for a moment and wiped my hands on my apron.
"Papa please," I said softly, "think about what you're saying. I love Link more than anything in the world, and of course I want him to be here for our family, but father I don't want to lose you either. The village has already suffered enough. We don't need another tragedy by losing you. You've got to stop being so hot headed. This is the same attitude that got Link into trouble. Please... you have to think."
My father was quiet for a few moments after I said that. He knew I was right, he just didn't and wasn't going to let me know it. He nodded silently and took a step back. It seemed I had helped him make a decision one way or the other.
"I'll think about what you said Ilia," he replied, but then turned and left out the front door.
His departure was abrupt and I was worried because of it. When my father made up his mind to do something he usually did it, whether it was good or bad. I watched after him feeling a pit of dread well at the bottom of my stomach. What in the world was about to happen now?
Please papa, I thought, please think about what I said.
~SSS~
Hyrule Castle Town, Two Days Later: Auru's POV
Even though the tension in the city was still very apparent, it wasn't as bad as it once was in town. The citizens had somehow accepted the fact that Link was going to remain in prison for his thirty day sentence and moved on with their lives. I had a strong feeling after the month was up, the queen was going to show the hero mercy and set him free. The point had been made regarding her feelings, and there was no reason to prolong this nonsense any longer. We needed Link out in society, especially considering where the Rue Morgues were concerned. The lesson I was sure was learned, and he knew not to mess childishly with a woman's heart any longer.
I groaned and stopped walking for a moment when I contemplated that.
Why didn't that pigheaded boy listen to me? I wondered. I told him to avoid a situation like this at all costs.
I could think that because out of everyone in the CIT, I could relate to the young hero's actions the most. I too was once involved with a very powerful woman. Queen Constance immediately came to mind. I hadn't seen her since the Dragon Gala, and I surely expected to keep it that way. I wasn't going to risk her safety any longer, knowing her husband was a ticking time bomb. It was no secret that Xavier was a man who sought vengeance against those who disrespected him, and a secret affair kept from him for years was the worst kind of disrespect. I could only imagine what was going through his mind when he found out his wife was involved with another man. I wasn't going to pretend that I wasn't looking over my shoulder these days, knowing he knew I was the man who tempted his precious wife. I knew one thing was certain, Xavier definitely had it out for me, and it was only a matter of time before he acted on it.
It was a distressing thought to be sure, but it was one I kept away from my daughter and son-in-law. They both had their own lives together now, and they needed to think about my grandchild. I didn't want any unnecessary distractions taking them away from that. However, I also knew that after the Rue Morgues were captured I was going to have to leave the land of Hyrule. There was no way that I would be safely able to settle anywhere in the provinces with my identity known to men like Vincent and Xavier for two very different reasons. There was no telling who the former adviser told who I really was, or how far that Interloper network reached, but I was certain I was now a marked man. It wasn't a stretch beyond the imagination for me to think this way. Men disappeared in Hyrule all the time, another death would be nothing.
I was aware I was being a cynic, but after seeing all that I had seen in life, it was enough to make anyone a cynic. I couldn't be with the woman I loved, my service to the queen was going to be squandered, my cover was blown in the brotherhood, and my daughter no longer needed me, she had her own life. This really wasn't a country for an older soldier like me. It wasn't a country for many older men to be quite honest. My life was too embedded in secrets of the past, sometimes I wish I had chosen a different path for myself. I wished life were more simple, without all the secrets and lies, without all the espionage and death. Hyrule was truly a different world when a man knew all of her secrets. It was like a beautiful woman, she smiled at you mysteriously from the fields and valleys, but just below the surface in the catacombs and the crypts of the dark, a person could see how hollow and sinister her soul could be. I was stating that in terms of her history and bloodshed.
My new plans included moving to a far away province that my daughter or son-in-law didn't know about. I had to cut off all contact with them to protect them. Maybe live on a small remote farm, or some other place that wouldn't garner me any attention. I was even thinking about looking for the long lost land of the Sheikas. I had heard countless legends about those people, and I wanted to know if their existence was more the work of lore or if they were real tangible individuals. Whatever the case, I knew my new life was going to have to be away from Hyrule.
I thought of my beautiful daughter just then.
I'm sorry Ashei... I let my thoughts trail.
Anyway, currently I was making my way to Telma's Bar for a rare morning drink. It wasn't my custom to drink alcoholic beverages, let alone in the morning, but I had caught a chill and a nice hot toddy would certainly take that all away. When I got to south Castle Town, I immediately went inside, but paused when I noticed several men gathered together at a central table. It wouldn't have been out of the ordinary if they weren't trying so hard to look inconspicuous. They were all hooded and talking quietly in amongst themselves. If anything was a red flag for a problem that was definitely it. When people tried to hide their true intentions, all it did was make others around them take more notice. One thing I always told soldiers and members of the brotherhood alike, is if they wanted to be inconspicuous they must do so by existing in plain sight of everyone else. A member should never look like a member, and a soldier undercover should never look under cover. They should look like a citizen who just happens to contain a great deal of secrets and information.
I unhooded myself and sat down at the main bar where Telma was. She took note of me immediately and walked over to me with a glass in hand. She didn't hesitate to get into roll and tell me what was going on.
"What'll it be love?" she asked with a smirk.
I nodded slightly in the men's general direction.
"I don't know, you tell me," I replied.
Telma reached under the bar and got some twenty-five year old brewed whiskey.
"A shot it is," she said, pouring me a drink.
It wasn't exacting what I was coming for, but it would do.
Telma came in a little closer.
"We've got a problem," she said with a smile.
I was a little surprised at hearing that, and knew she was gesturing that way to divert attention.
I ran a hand through my hair and downed the shot. I tapped on the table for her to pour me another. She did with no questions.
"How so?" I asked.
Telma then mixed herself a blue chu chu sour.
"Those men over there are planning to break Link out of prison," she whispered, pretending to be flirtatious with me.
I looked at her surprised.
"What?" I said.
She nodded.
"Are you serious?" I asked.
She nodded again, downed her drink, and wiped up the tiny mess she made on the counter.
"As a heart attack," she smiled wider.
I groaned immediately and ran a hand over my face.
This was the last thing I wanted to hear right now.
"This is ridiculous," I muttered, "how in the world do they plan to do that?"
Telma held up a finger suddenly for me to hold my thought.
"Give me one second," she said to me, then walked down the counter to another customer who just came in, "what can I get you honey?" she asked the soldier as he sat down.
He scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Uh," he said, looking at the menu, "I just want a pale ale."
Telma smiled immediately and went right to work at hearing that.
"Coming right up," she said.
I in turn was trying to figure when the citizens had suddenly become so emboldened.
What the hell has happened to these people? I thought in minor disbelief.
Telma served the soldier his drink before coming back over to me.
"There you go," she said, "one pale ale."
The soldier nodded.
"Much obliged pretty lady," he replied.
She winked at him.
"No problem," she said.
Telma then walked back over to me.
"Now, where was I?" she inquired suddenly, dropping her voice so only I could hear it.
"You were telling me about the stupidity of certain people," I cued for her.
She chuckled and looked at me with a hint of sarcasm.
"Don't look so down yet," she whispered, "I haven't even told you the worst part yet."
That was something I didn't want to hear.
I raised a brow.
"The worst part?" I repeated.
She smiled again and nodded.
"The whole orchestrator of this plan is a man named Bo," she whispered once more.
I looked at her puzzled for a moment. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to mean something to me. I didn't know anyone by that name.
"Who's that?" I asked.
She gave me an offhanded look for a moment, then came a little closer.
"He's the leader of the village Link lives in," she divulged, "I know that because those folks had to stay in Kakariko for a time when their way of life was threatened a little while back during the time of Ganondorf."
I looked genuinely surprised at hearing that.
"The leader of Link's village?" I said again.
Telma nodded.
I groaned in frustration. Did this man Bo really think he was going to get away with something so ridiculous? Did he not understand that this was bigger than small town heroism? It seemed Link's being put away was bringing out the stupidity in everybody.
I ran my hand over my face and sighed.
Telma reached over and stroked my shoulder consolingly.
"This is turning into a circus," I grunted, then looked back at my long time friend. "Do you have any idea when this foolhardy scheme is supposed to take place?"
Telma picked up her towel and wiped the spot in front of me again. She was very good at making serious things look casual.
"I kept hearing something about in four days something or other is supposed to happen," she replied.
That was all I needed to know.
I nodded slightly.
"Thank you," I said, then put fifty rupees on the counter, "keep this quiet, don't tell anyone you told me. I need to find Rusl and warn him that his friend has lost all sense."
After that I got up from to stool and left.
Things were slowly going from bad to worse.
~SSS~
Castle Town Square: Dusk
I thought it best to meet out in the open to generate less suspicion from the others in the team. I wanted to deal with this quickly and swiftly. I appreciated Link's friend's stance on this matter, but the man was going about it all wrong. There was no way he or anybody for that matter, was going to break the hero out of prison. The best decision was to wait and see what her majesty was going to do. It had only been a week and a few days.
I did realize I had more insight on the situation than some of the others, but I did think it was unfair to her majesty that the citizens didn't even think to see things from her point of view. I wasn't justifying what she did, and I wasn't saying she wasn't wrong, but really, how much did the people know about Link's part in the matter? Why was it easy to make Queen Zelda the bad person? Because she was rich and powerful? Because she was a woman? What was it? I told Link when he was a free man not to play with Zelda's heart. I knew she was the type to love deeply, and I also knew she was the type to eventually do the right thing. She had much of the same nature as Link. She bore the Triforce of Wisdom, true, but she was still Hylian and prone to make a mistake or two. She just fell in love with the wrong man unfortunately. A man who happened to love another woman.
I thought of my own circumstances for a moment.
It seems that's the folly of every queen, I thought with a little bit of bitterness.
I shook my head when Constance's pretty face ran through it. That was over, I needed to let her go. Anyway, I shook off my brief sadness and kept my attention on the people going to and fro through town. Finally, the man I was looking for made himself known to me, Rusl. He was walking right towards me with a serious look on his face. He was probably wondering why I called for him. As soon as we made eye contact, I nodded towards the alley near the north Castle Town entrance and headed there. He immediately followed.
Once we were alone, I wasted no time telling him why I called on him.
"We have a trouble," I whispered.
Rusl's eyes widened instantly.
"That's why I'm here," he replied, "as soon as I got your message I hurried to town. What trouble? Has something happened to Link?"
I shook my head.
"No, but if we want it to stay that way we need to act quickly," I replied.
The concern never left his face.
"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "What do you mean?"
I lowered my voice more, and got a little closer.
"Someone's trying to break Link out of prison," I divulged, "they have a plan and everything."
Rusl's mouth nearly dropped open.
"What?" he whispered.
I nodded.
"There's more," I stated, my tone wasn't too reassuring. "The man planning to do it is from your village."
Rusl looked puzzled for a moment.
This was all coming at him so fast.
"My village?" he repeated. "Who in the world from my village would-?" he stopped himself in mid-sentence and answered his own question. "Bo."
He figured that out without any guidance from me. He certainly knew his friend better than I thought. Perhaps that was a hopeful sign, I needed him to get his friend's mind right.
"I don't know what you have to do to convince him to stop his silly pursuits," I said, "but you have to do so immediately."
Rusl shook his head for a moment, still reeling from the shock.
"Where did you get this information?" he asked. "How in the world did you find out Bo was planning something like this?"
I could understand his mild disbelief.
The man was probably very close to him.
"He's not working alone," I revealed, "he's working with a group of men on this."
Rusl remained stunned.
"When is this supposed to take place?" he asked.
That I wasn't certain of.
"I can't say for sure," I said honestly, "but I was told they kept talking about something happening four days from now."
His brow furrowed for a moment.
"What?" he said shocked. "Four days?"
I nodded again.
"Four days," I replied, then added with a hint of authority, "talk some sense into him, or this could be disastrous, and not just for him, for everyone. Make him aware of that."
Rusl looked deeply troubled with all this news I was piling on him at once. However, he knew he had to put his feelings aside for his friend and think about the potential consequences such a foolish scheme could have.
"I understand," he said finally, "I'll be sure to talk to him tonight."
I felt a little better at hearing that. I just hoped this man named Bo would listen.
"Please do," I said, "and remind him of what the severity his actions could bring."
Rusl was slow to nod, but did so anyway as a reassurance.
"I..." he trailed for a moment, "I will."
With that, the conversation ended, and the now troubled soldier left the alley to head back to his village. I watched after him hoping he would be convincing. There was no other alternative in this matter. Either he would be convincing, or his friend ran the risk of spending the rest of his life in prison. Those were the choices he had.
I grunted in discontent, wishing I didn't have to put Rusl through this.
"This is grave," I whispered to myself, "this is grave indeed."
Only time would tell if this would be an effective course of action or not.
I hoped it would.
~SSS~
Several Hours Later in Ordon Village: Rusl's POV
I had gone over this scenario again and again in my head, and it always ended up the same way, with Bo not listening to me. Why? Because Bo never listened to me. Bo was the type of man who trained his moral compass to be tempered with the same justice that appeased his stubbornness. Sometimes the synergy worked in his favor, while other times it didn't. I only made that known because there were times Bo just did foolish things. Fortunately, he was the victor in most of the cases, however, often times, he just didn't think rationally.
I remember a time when he was a young man that a group of wild boar threatened to destroy some of the pumpkin crops in the village. He went of his own initiative, with potential great risk and great harm to himself, and single handedly chased some of those animals away with a shield and a stick. He was fortunate he wasn't killed doing something so reckless. Then there was another time when he went to have a discussion with the Gorons in Death Mountain. He needed to get some ore from the summit to make a new weapon he was devising. Now, while his dealings with the Gorons turned out to be a diplomatic affair in the end, it was still deemed crazy by most, because the risk was greater than the reward. Who in their right mind would wrestle a Goron to be accepted in their culture? Very few people. There were other instances as well, but far too numerous to tell.
This was one of the reasons why I found it so hard to talk to him at times. When Bo thought he was right about something, there was usually no convincing him otherwise. That's why when I found out he was the mastermind behind Link's escape, I wasn't too reassured in reversing his decision. I didn't understand what was plaguing him so much into taking such drastic actions. It wasn't necessary. We all missed Link, but I couldn't help but think we were missing some vital information only privy to the queen. I was sure her majesty was going to release him soon enough. There were even whispers in the court saying that she was having a change of heart, and that he could be freed any day now. If Bo went and did something stupid like this, it could be as Auru warned, disastrous for everybody.
I groaned and ran my hands through my hair.
"Please just listen to reason," I muttered to myself.
Currently, it was after supper and my wife had finished cleaning and putting the children to bed. I was sitting in my chair, rocking back and forth, trying to figure out how I was going to approach Bo with this all important subject. Meanwhile, when Uli took note of my troubled expression, she came over to me immediately and sat in the seat across from me. She didn't speak right away, but I could tell from the look in her eyes she was going to say something soon, probably inquiring of my thoughts or something.
I decided to preempt her to temper the dialogue.
"What's wrong honey?" I asked, still staring at the fire.
She seemed surprised at my question and grinned.
"I was just about to ask you the same thing," she divulged, "you just beat me to it."
I smiled at her without having much of a reply after that.
Uli studied my face again.
"Are you sure I shouldn't pawn that question back on you?" she asked.
I sighed and shook my head.
"No... I'm okay," I said.
She reached over and took my hand.
"That's not too convincing," she said.
I was aware of that.
"I know," I replied.
She squeezed my hand affectionately.
"You look stressed," she divulged, "are you sure there's nothing on your mind?"
I paused for a moment.
There was a ton on my mind, and I wanted to share the situation with her with her, I really did. However, there was nothing Uli could do to prevent that pigheaded Bo into listening to me. Besides the less people that knew about this the better.
"I'm... I'm just worried about Link," I detracted cleverly.
She sat back at hearing that and shrugged helplessly.
"I think we all are," she said, "I just hope he's doing okay."
I nodded for no particular reason.
"I hope so too," I said.
There was a brief silence between us after that. One that made Uli look out he window to the night sky and reach for my hand again..
"Do you want to sit outside for a little bit?" she asked all of a sudden. "Maybe get some fresh air?"
I wasn't really listening to her at this point, my mind was too preoccupied.
I wonder if the old goat is home... I pondered.
Uli saw my preoccupation and got slightly annoyed with it.
"Rusl..." she trailed, shaking my hand to get her attention.
I still was thinking about how to approach this prison break situation.
"I have to go speak to Bo," I said absently, as I got up from my chair suddenly.
Uli looked at me surprised.
"Bo?" she repeated slightly confused. "Why do you need to speak with Bo?"
I didn't answer her, in fact, I quickened my step and hurried to head out the door. I wasn't trying to be rude or neglectful to my wife, but I needed to speak with this man before I lost the will to confront him. Sometimes he was so difficult to talk to, even with small things. He always wanted to dominate the conversation. It could be taxing at times.
I walked over the bridge, down the small shoreline, to the other side of the village where Bo's home resided. When I saw no one on the front porch, I wasted no time going up to the small outdoor foyer and knocking on the door. I waited as I listened to the scuttling of feet from the inside. From the sound of how light footed the person was, I could tell it was Ilia, and when she answered the door she looked surprised to see me there. It was ten thirty at night and mostly everyone was retired for the evening.
"Good evening Rusl," she said, then added, "what... what are you doing here so late?"
I looked past her into her home. I wasn't trying to be rude, but I needed to speak with her father.
"Where's your father?" I circumvented.
Her eyes widened slightly, but she pretended to shrug my question off, and that was when I knew something was up.
She didn't answer.
I raised a brow at her silence.
I took a step closer.
"Ilia..." I trailed slightly, "where's your father?"
She then looked to the ground and avoided my eyes.
"I don't know," she said quietly.
I knew from her tone she was lying for him.
I decided I had to come at this from a different approach.
"Ilia," I said, "you have to know you're not doing him any good by lying to me, now where is he?"
She soon fidgeted with her hands nervously.
She hesitated for a brief moment, but then made a minute decision to be honest with me.
"Alright," she said, and added, "come in."
At first, I wasn't sure why that was necessary, but when I saw the terrified look in her eyes I knew something else was brewing beneath the surface. I went inside while she closed the door behind me, and when we were alone, she immediately started talking.
"Rusl I'm scared," she whispered in a trembling voice, "papa's planning something crazy."
I felt my eyes widen at the immediate alarm of her words.
So, Auru was right, I thought.
I was hoping he wasn't.
I waited for her to go on.
"What do you mean?" I cued.
She looked out the window to make sure no one was coming, however she looked a little concerned when saw my wife standing outside my house in the distance. Uli hadn't come closer or anything, but she had her attention on this house. Ilia hesitated again at seeing that.
"What going on?" she asked. "Why is Uli watching you?"
I shook my head, not concerned with that right now.
I needed her to divulge Bo's plans.
"Don't worry about Uli," I replied, "tell me about what your father is planning."
Ilia paused again, still looking out the window at my wife, but then finally brought her attention back to me when she realized nothing was going to become of it.
"Papa..." she trailed, "papa is planning on breaking Link out of prison."
Even with her known revelation, it was still hard for me to believe, but two confessions in the same day made it irrefutable.
Bo was planning the unthinkable.
"Where is he now?" I asked again.
Ilia took in a deep breath.
"He's meeting with some men outside of Castle Town tonight," she disclosed, "they plan to try and fetch Link in the next four days."
I didn't understand what was making Bo act so irrationally.
I shook my head, wanting to make sense of all this.
"Why is he putting himself at risk like this?" I couldn't help but ask, it was more of a rhetorical question. "Why can't he just wait for the queen? There are rumors that she is thinking of setting him free before his thirty days are up. So, why the impatience from your father?"
As soon as I inquired of that, Ilia immediately avoided my eyes. Something told me that she knew more on what was going on than she was letting on, and I couldn't have her doing this now. I couldn't have her keeping secrets when something so important was about to take place. I needed her to be honest. she couldn't afford to hold out on me now. I went up to her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Ilia," I started calmly, "I think you know what I'm going to ask you, and I also think you know why Bo is acting this way. So, instead of me having to do all that, why don't you just come clean and tell me what's really going on?"
There was a tense silence between us just then, and tears filled her eyes instantly at my words. However, she was still hesitant to answer. Her reaction was troubling to me, and I knew what was going on was a lot deeper than simple heroics on her father's part. Something else far more personal was going on here.
"Ilia..." I pressed gently, "why is your father acting like this? What's really going on? Please... you have to tell me."
Ilia then covered her mouth to prevented a very deep, almost soul wrenching sob from escaping her lips, and without further chiding from me she became like an open book. She threw herself at my chest and hugged me tight.
"Oh Rusl!" she sobbed softly. "I'm-I'm pregnant! I'm pregnant with Link's baby and that's why papa is so insistent on getting him out!"
I froze when I heard that.
I couldn't believe my ears.
Dear Hylia.
"You're what?" I whispered.
She held onto me tighter.
"I'm pregnant," she repeated again, "we were going to get married before anyone found out, but I'm so scared that that may never happen now." She pulled herself back from me and looked into my eyes. "What if the queen doesn't show mercy? What if she leaves him there? What am I supposed to do?"
I suddenly had a much better insight on this situation, one that was almost too surreal to believe. I had no answer for her, but the actions her father was taking suddenly made a lot more sense, even if it wasn't going to help.
"Ilia," I started, "I understand your worry in all this, but you have to know that what your father is planning is beyond idiotic, it's down right treason. He can spend the rest of his life in prison if he gets caught."
She looked at me with so much fear.
"That's why I'm so scared," she said, "I tried to tell papa this and he won't listen me."
That wasn't hard to believe.
Bo was as stubborn as one of the village goats.
He wouldn't listen to anybody.
"Even still-" I tried, but suddenly Ilia interrupted me.
"Shhhh!" she hushed me by covering my mouth with both her hands, abruptly looking very frightened.
I was taken aback at her actions at first, until I turned and saw the reason why. The door to her home suddenly opened and in stepped her father. From the look on his face, I could tell he had heard some of the conversation, how much was what I was uncertain of. His eyes roved from me to his daughter and he made a quick assessment of the situation. He probably knew from Ilia's tear stricken face that she had told me everything.
I decided to preempt his anger.
"Bo," I started, "look I know what's going on, about everything, and I just want you to know I understand. However, with that being said, what you're planning is absolutely preposterous. There is no way on Hylia's green earth that you're going to get away with this. You have to be reasonable."
Bo was quiet at my words and he looked straight at his daughter.
Ilia quickly avoided his eyes.
"Did she tell you her plight?" he asked me finally. "Did she tell you what's going on with her?"
I nodded slowly, unsure of why he was avoiding what I was trying to tell him with that notion of his daughter's situation. There was no justifying this, and I was hoping in some way to get through to him.
I nodded anyway.
"She just confessed to me about her situation with Link," I replied, "and as a father myself, I know this is hard, but you have to give the queen a chance. You have to see-"
Bo looked at me like I was crazy.
"Give the queen a chance?" he repeated in disbelief. "After what she's done? After she imprisoned an innocent man?"
He was seeing this with such rose colored eyes.
"You don't know if Link was innocent," I couldn't help but say, "he kept a lot of things from all of us, and I happen to know the character of the queen. She's a good and wise woman, she wouldn't just act on emotion. There are-"
Ilia pushed away from me just then.
She couldn't believe her ears.
"Do you hear yourself? How can you defend her?" she interrupted. "How can you say these things after what she did to Link? It doesn't matter what her reasons were! She has no right to imprison a hero!"
I realized quickly I was on the losing end between these two.
They were not going to reason with me.
"Whether you want to acknowledge it or not Ilia," I started, "Link has changed. I'm not defending the queen blindly, but everyone wants to paint her as this black hearted woman when that couldn't be farther from the truth. She isn't that person, and all I'm saying is to give her a chance before you think there are no other alternatives."
Bo took a step towards me and shook his head.
"I'm afraid you have more faith in her than I do," he divulged, "and I cannot stand by and wait for her so called mercy that may never come, when Link shouldn't have been jailed in the first place! We still have no idea what treason Link has committed! How can you expect people to be loyal to that?"
I had no rebuttal that was going to suit him, so instead I decided to give him a fair warning.
If he was going to be stubborn, so was I.
I was about to put him on notice.
"I just have this to say," I started, "the actions you're taking now are actions against the throne, and I cannot stand by as soldier and allow it. If you proceed this way, you will have left me no choice but to inform her majesty of your intentions. I know you're planning this so called escape four days from now, and that leaves me plenty of time to warn her majesty. I suggest you stop and think, before you face the dire consequences of what this could mean."
Both Ilia and looked at me stunned after my utterance. However, they left me no choice, the way they were speaking was ludicrous. It wasn't just Link who bargained for the country, but her majesty had done a great deal of negotiating as well, and I was tired of individuals overlooking that fact. Queen Zelda wasn't a heartless ice queen.
There was a brief silence between the three of us.
Bo narrowed his eyes at me after a few moments.
"I think you should leave," he said finally.
I stared back at him, tempted not to.
I really wanted to get through to him.
"Bo-" I tried.
"Get out!" he growled. "I mean it! Get out of my home Rusl!"
My eyes widened, but I wasn't necessarily surprised. I had a feeling he would react this way. I was hoping my words would shock some sense into him. All they seemed to do was precipitate anger in him. I nodded for no particular reason, and then made my way to the door. However, I didn't exit right away.
"Just... just think about what I said," I stated, "I implore you."
Neither Bo nor Ilia had anything else to say to me. With that being their stance, I took my leave, and when I was outside I looked over my shoulder, only to have the curtain closed on me.
I sighed in frustration.
"Stubborn goat," I muttered to myself.
I decided I had done all I could do, and headed home. Back at my place, my wife was still waiting for me outside. She probably saw that I was over there before Bo returned, and his inevitable appearance probably prompted a lot of questions in her mind. Why did I need to talk to him so badly? Why was I upset? Did the two of us have a fight? The usual.
She looked worried by the expression on my face.
"How did it go?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"You know Bo," was all I said in reply.
Her worry deepened.
"You looked like you saw a poe," she tried to be lighthearted, "apparently I don't know Bo that well."
It wasn't working.
I wish I had of, I thought.
And here came the onslaught of questions, but I was going to stop this before it got started.
"What did you two discuss?" she pressed.
I really wasn't in the mood to be bothered right now.
"Uli," I said, trying to be patient, "it was business as usual."
She was surprised at my tone and decided not to take it further. In fact, I think I scared my poor wife into giving me solitude because now I was in such a rotten mood. She got up from where she was sitting and straightened her dress.
"Well," she said with a hint of finality, "I hope whatever it was was worth talking about and getting all riled up for. I was just asking Rusl."
She then turned her nose up at me and walked away. I was tempted to stop her, but didn't, she had a right to her feelings, and honestly, I had enough on my mind. I in turn sat down in my rocking chair, and ran my hands over my face. I groaned in irritation, as I hated being in this situation, and with the added surprise of Ilia being pregnant, this provided a new dimension to the problem.
I shook my head and sat back.
It had been one hell of a night.
"Good goddesses," I muttered to myself, "I hope that man listens to me, but knowing Bo..."
I didn't finish.
Only time would tell.
~SSS~
Two Hours Past Midnight: Ilia's POV
I was trying to sleep when I was awakened to some rummaging in the other room. I sat up at the sound and immediately went to see what it was. I lit a lantern and walked into the living room to find my father fully dressed in hunting gear with a rope and a leather satchel around his shoulders. I knew from the look in his eyes what he was planning to do, and now that he was put on notice by Rusl, he was going to do it. He just stared at me for a long time before he went to go get his hunting knife in the kitchen to secure in his holster. I wasn't sure if there was anything I could say to stop him, but I had to try.
"Papa-" I tried.
"Stay here, and say nothing," he said in a low calm voice.
My mouth clamped shut after that.
My father nodded at my implied obedience, and then left the house. I watched from the window as he hooded himself and hurried in a stealth like fashion through the village to the impasse. When he was out of sight, I felt my heart pound vigorously from nervousness. What if he wasn't successful? What if he had gotten caught? What if something had gone horribly wrong and he needed help? He wasn't even going with his initial plan, he was acting on a whim. He would spend the rest of his life in prison if he wasn't careful.
I walked away from the window and sat down next to the hearth, debating whether or not I should go after him to stop him. My father had noble intentions, true, but they were mixed with delusions of grandeur. I rested my knees to my chest and thought about how all of this could potentially play out. If my father was successful, then Link would be back here with us. He and I could finally get married, and we would leave this horrible little village to start a new life somewhere else... Dragon Roost perhaps. However, if my father was unsuccessful, then he would be gone like Link, and there was no telling what the repercussions would be for my beloved if the queen found out my father was rescuing him. What if she didn't release him? What if she decided to jail him for the rest of his life? What then?
I shivered, not being able to bear the thought of not seeing Link again. He was the father of my baby and he meant everything to me. It was only then that I realized the full gravity of my father's actions. What he was doing was considered treason. He was willfully acting against the throne because he felt he had a right to. If everyone did that, then the kingdom would be ruled by anarchy and vigilantism. No country could survive like that. There needed to be law and order. The queen needed to be given a chance. Link did do something worthy of the phrase treason. I didn't necessarily have to know what it was, but apparently it was very serious. I knew Link was stubborn when he wanted to be... stubborn just like my father. However, that didn't warrant him the right to do whatever he wanted just because he wanted to. Rusl was right, Link had changed. He knew that, and deep down I knew that too. So, I couldn't just sit idly by and let my father run off to something foolish.
I had to stop him.
He had to get his senses back.
I stood up just then.
"I just hope it's not too late," I whispered to myself.
With that, I got up and went to my room and got dressed. I took note of my protruding belly and thought about my baby.
"I'm doing this for you too," I said aloud.
Afterwards, I left the house in pursuit of my father. I hurried over the bridge and through the impasse, but stopped momentarily at Ordona's Spring. I was initially going to follow my father on foot, but decided not to when I saw Epona resting calmly in the alcove. I was aware that it would be dangerous for me to ride with me being pregnant the way I was, but there was no way I was going to catch up to my father without doing so by horseback. I was sure that was the way my father had gone, and if I didn't do so myself, then I would never catch up to him.
Without giving it a second thought, I rushed into the alcove and saddled up Epona. The Hylian mare was boisterous at first, whining slightly and throwing her weight about. I was aware that her favorite master was Link, but I needed her to work with me on this. We were on the same side here. I cooed her as gently as possible. I didn't want to be caught by the others.
"Please girl," I whispered, "I need your help in getting papa back."
Those words seemed to do the trick.
Afterwards, Epona stayed still and I mounted her with a little difficulty. My belly was definitely becoming an issue. I then turned her gently and giddied her out of the entrance of the alcove to the main road leading to Faron Woods. I rode for several miles in silence as I was careful to avoid foliage and tree debris. All I could think about as I rode was what was going through my father's head. How in the world did he think he was going to pull an escape off by himself? How was he going to take on all the guards? Was he really going to use those bombs he had? What if someone was killed in the explosion? Why wasn't he thinking about these things?
I closed my eyes for a moment and continued to ride. I felt a slight knot in my stomach, thinking it was just my nerves, but sound found out it was a set of nausea related to my pregnacy. I headed north onto Hyrule Field until I got to the wide expanse of Eldin. There were very few trees to hide behind, and that was when I saw a small personage in the distance. It was my father riding at full speed on a Gerudo Stallion. He was nearing the castle, and that was when I realized I needed to make haste. I giddied faster, and brought my body closer to Epona.
When the gap was closing between us, I saw that my father had reached Castle Town, but instead of going through one of the main entrances in the south, he took out his rope and lassoed it to one of the main keystones of the abridging and was readying himself to climb. Seeing that made me ride faster, and when I got a little closer I called out to him.
"Father!" I yelled as loudly as I could.
Papa paused for a moment and let go of the rope, he then turned to see where the voice was coming from. When he spotted me, he immediately ran towards his horse to mount it. I giddied even faster at seeing that, and waved to him. However, during that gesticulation, I lost my proper grip on my reigns and I accidentally yanked Epona's snout in the opposite direction. She in turn whined her displeasure, and whipped her head fiercely away from my grip. The resulting force sent my body flying through the air at a high speed. I screamed immediately in fright.
"AHHHHH!" my voice echoed through the windy skies and I landed right on my belly with a hard thud.
The fear that went through me was unimaginable and it was made all the more tantamount by the sudden sharp pains that ran through my gut and the rest of my body. I gripped my stomach immediately as the pain only got worse. Tears seared my eyes immediately.
My father in the distance saw it all and rode faster.
"Ilia!" he screamed. "Ilia!"
However, on his trail was a horribly deceiving large hole in the ground, and because of the cover of night, it was almost impossible to see. I was only able to spot it due to my low center of gravity at the moment.
My eyes widened at the sight.
I tried to warn him.
"Papa wait!" I attempted to call to him.
However, my calls rung too late. Just as my voice rang out, my father's horse trampled and tripped into that hole, sending my father flying off its back. His scream echoed through the air much in the same way mine did, but he landed hard on his back and it was made all the more terrifying by the sickening snap that accompanied it. Afterwards, he didn't move. I watched in horror as my father lay prostrate several hundred yards away from me. I tried to crawl towards him, but a sharp quivering pain in my groin rendered me helpless in my pursuit. The pain was increasing with every movement and breath I made. Then my fear heightened more when I felt a sudden gush of fluid run down between my legs and begin saturating my clothes. It only took me a moment to see that it was blood.
"No!" I begged no one in particular. "No please no!"
The pain increased with my cries.
I looked over at my father who was still lying still, but fortunately I heard some agonal breathing along with it. It was labored and harsh, but at least it was there. I was worried he was going to remain seriously injured if he didn't receive any help soon. Unfortunately for the both of us, that looked to be the case. We were all alone out here, and no one knew where we were. We just as well as been fodder for the birds, our situation was so bleak. I looked down at my pants and the blood stain was getting bigger. In a feeble attempt to save my baby's life, I squeezed my legs together hoping to keep my products of conception inside. All I could think about was the life inside me that was swiftly wasting away.
"It wasn't supposed to be this way!" I whimpered to my bloody womb. "You were supposed to grow up and be big and strong like your father. Or you were supposed to help me bake bread and learn how to knead like your mother. You can't give up, you've got the Hero of Twilight's blood in you. Just hold on a little bit more. Someone will find us to save you."
I cradled my knees to my chest in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but the pain only intensified and the bleeding actually got worse. I looked back over at my father, and made another attempt to crawl over to him. He was still breathing but it was becoming more faint, and he was so far away, I didn't think I was going to make it in time. I knew then and there that he was going to die, I just had to say goodbye to him first.
"Hang on papa," I said more to myself than to him, "please."
Then, as if from the beckoning of my voice, I heard the faint sound of horses' hooves in the distance. Epona turned immediately and ran back towards the village. I looked up and saw several soldiers on cavalry hurrying towards my father's body. I kept myself low, hoping they wouldn't see me, but was eager to learn the state of my father. When they reached him, they shook him to awaken him. He didn't respond at first, having had to be shaken several times, but when he did come to the men aggresively asked him some questions. My father was dying and instead of tending to him, they were questioning him. I couldn't make out everything that was being said due to the wind picking up, but I was sure it was related to why he was out so late and why he was dressed the way he was.
However, a few moments later I heard another set of hooves, this time they were from behind me. I turned my head and looked on in shock and surprise as Rusl was riding towards me on Epona. Epona must have heard his call or the sound of his feet and went to go pick him up. As soon as he saw me lying on the ground, he hurried towards me and dismounted.
"What happened?" he asked in alarm.
My face crumpled.
"I fell," I sobbed, "and I think I'm losing my baby!"
When I said that he looked to my blood soaked pants. His expression remained grim.
"I have to get you to the doctor in Castle Town," he said.
He was going to pick me up but I stopped him.
"Wait," I whispered, "those guards are over my father's body."
Rusl looked at me shocked.
"His body?" he said stunned. "What do you mean his body? What happened to him?"
Tears refilled my eyes.
"Papa tried to break Link out of prison," I divulged, "I followed him to stop him. When he saw me fall off my horse he came got back on his and fell himself."
Rusl swallowed hard.
There was a brief pause from him.
"Unbelievable," he whispered.
His voice made me cry more.
"I'm so sorry Rusl," I sobbed.
Rusl hushed me and watched the soldiers in the distance.
"I knew about the both of you coming here already," he said, "I saw you two leave the village earlier this morning. I knew after our discussion that Bo was going to try something preemptively. I followed you on foot until Epona came back for me."
Hearing it all again made it seem that much worse, but then I winced all of a sudden, when the pain in my gut became unbearable.
"Ahhh!" I cried out.
Rusl looked at me concerned and swooped me up.
"We have to get you to a doctor," he said.
I was ready to protest.
"But what about my father?" I demanded. "I can't just-"
"I will check on your father after I get you to safety," he interrupted, "I can't do anything for him now anyway."
He hurried with me in tow back to Epona, then mounted us both and hurried as fast as he could to Castle Town. On the way, I still saw the guards hovering over my father. One of them even stopped to call to us.
"Who goes there?" the soldier demanded.
Rusl didn't stop his gallop.
"This woman is in labor!" he called over his shoulder. "I'm taking her to the doctor!"
With that, he got no more questions. I, in turn, was still worried about my father. I looked at his almost lifeless body and wondered if he was going to make it.
What are they doing to him? I wondered.
I would never know, because that was the last I ever saw of him.
~SSS~
From the Fading Eyes of a Dying Man: Bo's POV
As I watched Ilia ride by in Rusl's care, I immediately thought about how grateful I was to have such a good friend. Even when I was a mule and completely in the wrong, he still had my best interests at heart. There was nothing I could do in return for him now, but hope I didn't leave too much of a mess for him to clean up. That was the story of our friendship most of the time, I would do something foolhardy, and he would make sure I lived through it.
Bless you Rusl... I thought as my breathing was getting more and more shallow.
The guards standing over me were persistent in finding out what I was doing, but I would never tell them. There was no way I would. Link was like a son to me and his well being was much more important than my own. I was willing to risk my life to oblige his. He had done so for the country, what was one little favor in return?
However, there was one guard, a young man who looked like he was trying to make a name for himself, who was particularly aggressive. He came up to me right away demanding that I state my business in Hyrule... what a laugh those words seemed to be... my business in Hyrule. It didn't look like it would matter much longer, but I never answered him either. He then looked over my attire and made an attempt to assume what I was doing, then inferred a conclusion when he saw my rope still lassoed around the keystone of the castle wall. He stated that I was trying to rob someone. In fact, he even told me that was why he and his comrades were called to the south entrance. A citizen had complained that they 'heard' something suspicious.
The guard approached me by grabbing me by the collar and shaking me violently to wake me up. That only made the fractures in my back worse, but I never said anything. I didn't even bother to tell them I fell from a horse. I thought that would have been apparent from the strange and unnatural way my body was angled, but maybe he and his men were just starting out. Maybe they had never seen a man dying before.
They asked me over and over again why I was out so late, I in turn asked for something for pain, but I was denied until I answered their questions. I wasn't going to lie, I couldn't think straight from the pain the ruptured vessel in my abdomen was causing. A red potion would have been nice, kind of like the one hanging from this young soldier's adventure belt. But I guess I didn't deserve it because I wasn't very cooperative. However, when I started coughing up blood that should have given these young-in's a clue that I wasn't going to be around for much longer. Oh well, I just hope this experience preps them better for the next.
I stared at the night sky and thought about my beloved wife who I was finally going to rest with again. Ilia looked and acted so much like her. I just hoped my sweet little girl was going to be okay with me gone. I saw that blood on her pants. I hoped Rusl was able to get her to a doctor in time.
Hang on there Illy, I thought, you can make it.
My vision was beginning to fade. Everything was getting blurry. My heart had gone from really really fast to really really slow. I was at thirty to thirty-five beats per minute. I didn't have much longer to go with my vitality fading like this. Unfortunately, I remember being told that the sense of hearing was the last thing to go when a person died. With the way these idiots for soldiers were now arguing in amongst each other I wished it were the first.
The eager one's comrades were telling him to follow protocol. However, the eager one stated he wasn't giving me any medicines until I answered his questions. He was even on his way back over to me now, against the advice of his colleagues. He stood over me and grabbed my collar like he had the first time, and with an attempt at an intimidating face, he gritted his teeth and asked the same question he had asked me before.
"I'm not going to repeat myself old man," he threatened, "I want to know what the hell you're doing in Hyrule!"
I felt my eyes widen for some reason as a flash of his blonde hair came across his face, and for a very brief moment he looked just like Ordon's resident hero.
"Link!" I gasped out of nowhere.
The soldier looked at me confused, then narrowed his eyes.
"What did you say?" he demanded.
I never repeated myself, as my heart had slowed down more and it was making it difficult to breath. It hurt tremendously, like there was fire being consumed with every breath.
The soldier gripped me tighter.
"Did you just say Link sent you out here?" he assumed.
I closed my eyes and still didn't answer. The rhythm was slowing down more, and soon I knew I only had seconds until my last breath.
The soldier let me go and stood up.
Five.
"You heard that right?" he said, turning to his men.
Four.
The others were reluctant to agree, but some of them nodded.
Three.
"You have no way of knowing that's what he meant," one of the others said in protest.
The eager soldier got in his face.
Two.
"What else could he have meant?" he demanded. "And you know what his means for the hero..."
For a brief moment my ears perked.
What does he mean? I wondered.
I would never know.
One...
The breath of my life escaped me and I joined my long awaited wife for our eternal slumber together.
~SSS~
The mayor of Ordon was dead.