Hyrule was much bigger than he'd thought.

It was wide and open; not like the forest, Link decided, watching the bundles of fluffy whiteness float across a blue canvas. The sky alone would take him eons to explore.

Link settled his arms behind his head in the grass. Everything Zelda had told him about the lands that made up Hyrule had fascinated him, too. It would take several lifetimes to see all the places she'd described to him.

He rolled onto his belly, flipping his gaze from the clouds to the tree whose shade he was borrowing. It was a hot day, made all the more strenuous by what he'd come to know as "work".

After two weeks spent cooped up in Hyrule Castle looking for answers, Link had missed the outside. Agreeing that Link's quest for knowledge lay in the outside world, Zelda had bid him good luck and dived back into her books.

Link and Navi had eventually wandered to Lon Lon Ranch and reunited with Malon. She had been happy to see him again, and her father had been only too happy to house him for a while provided he earn his keep.

Life as a ranch hand was not as easy as he'd expected, but it wasn't boring, at least.

Malon and her family knew nothing about the Spiritual Stones save for legends, Link comforted himself with the knowledge that he was earning a bit of money. Talon had also rewarded him with a lantern and some oil, a sleeping roll, a cooking pot and utensils, and other trinkets he'd said would come in useful.

The grass around Link rustled, and snort came from above his head, ruffling his hair. He sat up, unsurprised to see a filly with a chestnut coat and a white stripe on her long nose.

"Hello, Epona," Link said to the little horse, who snorted again and pranced off.

"She can be like that," said Malon, who had been following the moody horse. She sank to her haunches next to Link.

Together they watched Epona gallop around the ranch's yard gleefully, enjoying her freedom. Malon tucked her knees against her chest and started to sing a song with no words; a sweet and yearning melody that carried across the grass to the young filly.

Epona, ears pricked, immediately turned and cantered back to Malon's side, allowing the girl to stroke her coat. Link watched in fascination.

"The song is my mother's composition," Malon explained. "She never finished it, but I like it that way. Horses don't need to talk to tell us things."

Link understood the sentiment all too well. The Kokiri had long believed in keeping a harmonious relationship with all living things, human or not. Tentatively, he reached up to pet Epona's gleaming coat. She whinnied and galloped away again.

Malon stifled a giggle. "Why don't you try singing to her, fairy boy?"

Link shrugged. "I don't really sing."

Navi, who had been floating around the ranch as happily as Epona had been tearing through it, zipped down to his side. "Why don't you play Saria's ocarina?"

Malon eyed the instrument Link retrieved from his pocket with curiosity. "I haven't seen an instrument like that in a long time," she said.

"It was my friend Saria's," Link replied. "She lives in the forest."

Thinking of Saria caused a pang of grief, so Link raised the ocarina to his mouth and played a few experimental notes, banishing the memories of his friend that threatened to overwhelm him.

Malon didn't push; it was something Link liked about her. Malon understood the powers that words could not express.

She began to sing again, letting Link follow her lead on his ocarina. Soon enough, his fingers found the right notes, and the harmony they created caused all the horses grazing in the ranch yard to lift their heads.

Epona sauntered back to them, swishing her tail side to side. Her eyes were inquisitive, searching for this new source of music.

The horse lowered her head towards Link, then bent her knees and lay down beside him, content to listen.

Malon's voice faded out, and Link lowered the ocarina. Epona laid her head down and closed her eyes.

Malon smiled sideways at him. "I think Epona likes you, fairy boy."

Link reached out a hand to stroke the filly's mane. This time she stayed beside him. He smiled faintly. "I like her, too."

oOo

Link spent just over a week at Lon Lon before he received a letter from Zelda.

He was been working in the yard, feeding and watering the horses, when Lon Lon's old ranch hand, Ingo, stomped up to him.

"Letter came for you this morning, kid," he grumbled, tossing the envelope at Link.

With a scowl, Link watched Ingo trudge off, a pitchfork bouncing on one of his bony shoulders. He'd never liked Ingo. The ranch hand only had complaints and bellyaches coming out of his mouth. He was also careless with the horses, which Link thought was a bad sign of character.

He was quickly realizing that people in Hyrule were not like the Kokiri. Even Mido, the meanest of the bunch, wasn't as mean as some of the Hylians Link had met. Malon had assured him that not everyone in Hyrule was bad. She managed to find good traits even in Ingo.

Tearing open the letter, Link read it and stuffed it into his pocket. Without pause he rushed to the barn and climbed into the loft, where he'd been sleeping at night. He gathered his things and the collection of items Talon had given him, throwing them into his rucksack.

As he clambered down from the ladder, he ran right into Malon.

"Are you leaving, fairy boy?"

"I have to," Link explained. "Zelda asked me to meet her in a place called Kakariko. It's important."

Keeping his promise to Zelda, Link had kept his explanation of his quest vague when Malon had asked. Of course, Malon was willing to help anyway.

"I know that place!" Malon grabbed Link's arm and hauled him out of the barn and to the main house. "Dad and I can take you there. It will be much faster than walking."

They located Malon's father, who graciously agreed to do Link one more favour for all his hard work.

The next morning they bid a grumpy Ingo goodbye and piled into the cart. The journey would take half a day, Talon said, but Link and Malon entertained themselves by sitting on the back of the cart tossing rocks in the road and swapping stories.

Around midday they arrived at their destination. It was close to Castle Town, Link realized. But by far the most prominent feature was the huge mass of rock that rose above the settlement, blocking out the sky.

"It's a volcano," Malon leaned over to explain, seeing Link's wonderment. "It's dormant now, but it used to explode!"

At his wide-eyed panic, she went on to explain the mysteries of volcanic eruption and the formation of mountains. Link decided that Death mountain, as the peak was named, did not seem like a very hospitable place.

Still, as the cart trundled through the quiet village, nestled in the foothills of the imposing mountain, he saw Kakariko was quite populated.

Talon and Malon dropped him off at the Kakariko Inn. Link said a few last goodbyes and promised to visit again soon. Malon gave him a quick hug, which embarrassed him. His reaction made her giggle.

"So long, Link." Talon tipped his hat. "Good luck."

"Thanks!" Link called, waving to Malon until she and her father disappeared from his sight.

Alone again, with Navi hiding under his hat, he decided to have a look around.

Unlike Castle Town, Kakariko didn't seem to be organized into sections. There were also no streets; just dirt and grass. Most of the houses and buildings here were made of wood, too.

He found his way by following hard-packed trails that served as roads and simple wooden signs that told him where to find landmarks.

Eventually Link meandered to the north end of town. Up on a hill overlooking the village, he could see a tall, round stone building. It looked like one of the castle's towers, but it had four large blades attached to the front, spinning slowly around and around.

Zelda had described it to him in her letter. Kakariko's windmill. Below it, she wrote, was a well. Link was to meet her there. Link ran over to the well, another circle of stones at the base of the windmill, and looked inside. Far below, there was water.

Link climbed onto the edge and sat down, idly observing the surroundings while he waited.

To his left was a large house with a cucco coop nestled against its back. A redhaired woman stood in the pen, tossing feed to the cuccos. Down the road was grumpy old man with a moustache shouting at a group of men working on a new building. To his right a couple of guards loitered in the shade of an awning. A mother and her child passed by the well, leading a cow that nibbled happily on some thistles.

It was a quiet, simple place. The kind of place where you didn't notice the time passing.

"We meet again."

Link jumped out of his skin at the sound of Impa's voice next to him. Only her quick reflexes saved him from a tumble down the well.

"Princess Zelda sends her regrets," she informed him, getting right down to business. "She was not able to leave the castle without notice."

Link hid his disappointment. Impa handed Link a second letter.

"Take this to the guard at the gate to Death mountain trail," she told him. "Zelda is positive that the inhabitants of the mountain have the second stone."

Link pocketed the letter and glanced up at the peak in the distance. "Who would live there?" he asked, disbelieving.

An actual smile flashed across Impa's face. "A race known as the Gorons. Their leader, Darunia, is a friend of mine. Tell him you were sent by the Royal family."

Link was still wondering what sort of people would choose to live on a hunk of rock that might explode at any given moment. Impa frowned at him.

"You should find a proper shield," she remarked, seeing his wooden Kokiri's shield tied to his back. She turned and pointed to a little road that snaked into the foothills behind the village. The sun bounced off her armour. "Head that way. You'll find what you need."

Impa took three steps backward, raised her arm high and snapped it down. A sharp snap and flash of light blinded Link. When he could see, Impa had gone.

"How did she do that?" Navi wondered, poking out from under his hat.

"I don't think Impa is a regular Hylian," Link said, stunned from the disappearing act.

Link wasted no time following the trail Zelda's mysterious attendant had pointed out. He was eager to find the second Spiritual Stone and return to see Zelda.

The terrain swelled behind the village, eventually rising into grassy hills and cliffs. Following a plant-infested trail that snaked along the base of the ridge, Link came upon a wooden gate, like the one at the village entrance.

It protected a fenced area that rose in tiered shelves of dirt and grass, dissected by worn walking paths. Many trapezoid stones in varying states of age dotted the yard.

Link knelt to examine the stone monument at the entrance. "What is this place?"

"This the graveyard," a voice mumbled behind him.

Link spun around. He yelped when he saw the face of the voice's owner. His chin jutted out too far, his brow was prominent and stern, and his nose was flat between two wide-set brown eyes. His head was hairless, and he had no eyebrows.

"Who're you!?" Link said, startled.

"M' Dampé, the grave digger," the man said in his slow, mumbling voice. He lifted the heavy shovel he'd been carrying on his shoulder, his features softening somewhat as he looked down at Link. "I look scary, but I'm a nice guy."

Still wary, Link straightened from his defensive crouch. Dampé shuffled past him, his muddy boots scraping the ground. The grave keeper moved at a snail's pace due to his hunched back. He wore only fade brown overalls with patched knees, and a gray undershirt.

"Don't mess around with the graves!" he warned Link. "It's my job to look after them, y'know?"

Link sauntered after him, catching up easily. "Mistress Impa told me to come here," he explained. "She said I needed something here." He frowned, wondering what he could possibly find in a graveyard.

Death was not unfamiliar to the Kokiri. It was rare, but sometimes the children of the forest chose to pass on. There were no graves, however. They simply returned to the forest.

Link shuddered at the idea of being buried in the earth after death. He tried not to think about what lay under his feet.

"Mistress Impa?" Dampé repeated, brightening. "She's always kind to me, she is. Any friend o' hers is a friend o' mine."

"I'm Link."

He offered his hand to Dampé, remembering some of the basic manners Zelda had taught him about Hylian society. With a surprised look, Dampé took the youth's outstretched arm, clasping forearms in the usual greeting.

Dampé gave him a lopsided smile and waved his shovel at a tiny building in the corner of the yard. "Why don't you come in for some tea?" he offered.

Link hurried to open the door for the slow-moving Dampé—another bit of politeness—and studied the small home with interest. His new friend set a kettle to boil on the rudimentary cooking fire.

"Do you live alone?" Link asked Dampé.

"Yes. It's not much—make yourself at home."

"It reminds me of my home in the forest." Link smiled and sat on the bed.

"Forest kid, huh?" Dampé chuckled. "That explains a bit. Thought there were no more of you left."

"There's lots of us," Link replied. "But I had to leave." He paused, his momentary homesickness evaporating under guilt.

The grave digger nodded solemnly and took the kettle off the fire. He poured a cup for each of them and handed the bigger cup to Link.

"I had to leave my old home, too," he said, his frightening face drooping with sadness.

They sipped in silence for a few moments. Link changed the subject, telling Dampé briefly of his quest, and his need to travel up Death Mountain.

The keeper's prominent brow furrowed and he scratched his chin, deep in thought. Then he rose from the stool he sat on and bent to reach under the bed. He pulled out a heavy chest, which he opened to reveal more patchy clothes, a broken lantern, a spare shovel and other tools, and a large object wrapped in cloth.

It was this object that Dampé handed to Link. Uncovering it, he discovered it was a large shield made of metal.

"Whoa," he murmured, studying the design. The front of the shield was diamond-shaped, silver and blue, and depicted a red bird, crowned by three golden triangles.

"That's a Hylian soldier's shield," Dampé explained. "From long ago. Sometimes when I'm diggin' I find things. I polished it up a bit, so it should do the job. The mountain's a dangerous place for a little fella like you," he chuckled.

"I can really use this?"

"Of course." Dampé smiled again, slightly lopsided. He peered over his shoulder at the lone window. "You'll have to stay here for the night, though. It's getting late."

The sky had indeed begun to darken with rainclouds. The bad weather started soon after Link and Dampé were enjoying their supper. It didn't bother him. He found that it was nice to tell Dampé about his good memories of the forest to ease his homesickness. In return, his new friend entertained him with stories of the home he had left when he was young.

Before long Link could no longer ignore his yawns. Dampé insisted that Link sleep in the small bed while he slept on a bedroll on the floor. Too tired to object, Link laid down and took off his hat for Navi to sleep in.

While the grave digger's snores soon filled the little house, Link found himself starting at the Hylian shield he'd propped against the wall. It's silver edging shone in the moonlight creeping through the window.

Eventually he drifted off, dreaming of the unknown soldier who had once carried the Hylian crest on his shield.

~oOo~

Rain was falling in thick sheets now, and thunder rolled in the skies.

The sound was deafening, yet somehow Sakon's ridiculous, gleeful giggles could be heard above the storm. Dark ground his teeth together, irritated beyond words with the thief's antics.

He and a handful of other thieves—Sakon's followers—had gathered on a rooftop in the Upper Quarter to case their target. A large, stately house stood on the other side of the road, its windows dark.

Sakon's plan was quite simple. As a group, they would sneak around back and climb an ivy-covered wall to the second floor. From there, they would slither down the hall to the gallery, where the house's owner apparently kept all his priceless artifacts.

Exactly how Sakon knew all this, he wouldn't say. Dark sighed and pulled his hood further over his head.

In the road below, a pair of guards had stopped the chat; the reason for their delay.

Sakon seemed to sense his impatience. He nudged Dark in the side with his elbow. "Hey," he whispered. "Slip on down there. You're sneakier than the rest of us."

"I'm not risking it all by myself," Dark countered with a glower.

Sakon giggled and reached into his pocket. From it he withdrew some small, brown nuts.

"Deku nuts," he explained, shaking them in his fist. "Work even in the rain!"

With a whoop, he tossed the nuts into the street below, far away from the manor they intended to rob. The series of loud pops gave off as they hit drew the guards' attention away, and they rushed to investigate.

Dark hoisted himself over the roof and slid down the pipe they'd used to climb up. Darting to the side of the house, he paused to catch his breath and check that the guards were occupied.

He reached the ivy wall and started climbing. The rain didn't help things, so it took longer than he thought. Reaching the second floor, his next task was to pick the balcony door lock.

Crouched under the lock, he hovered his palm over the keyhole. He hadn't practiced using magic much in his time at Palardine House. The last time his big brother had been teaching him how to make sparks dance across his fingertips.

Summoning his gift, he felt the distantly familiar tingle as the magic traveled through his veins. It followed his will to the center of his palm, manifesting in a small burst of light which struck the keyhole.

Grinning at his success, Dark turned the knob and slid inside the manor. An empty hallway stretched before him, its walls lined with fancy-looking art and other decorations.

Ignoring those, he sprinted on light feet to the first door he came to. He managed to summon another orb of light to see by, when a flash of gold caught his eye.

Straightening, his eyes landed on a painting on the wall. It was a portrait of a young woman; her golden hair had flashed in the light of his magic.

Curious, he held his hand higher, looking closely at the blonde hair, the kind blue eyes, the smiling mouth.

Dark's eyes blew wide. It was unmistakably the same face that he sometimes dreamt of. Younger, maybe, but the same. He'd dreamt of them often lately.

He stumbled back in his shock; the orb flickered and went out. Without thinking, he turned and charged back down the hallway and through the unlocked balcony door. He nearly fell climbing down the ivy wall in his haste, but he didn't care.

Dark had reached the street when he heard shouts and more sharp pops. The guards had spotted Sakon and the others.

"Hey, stop right there!"

Dark twisted out reach of a guard and made a run for it. Unfortunately, the rain had soaked the cobblestone streets, and he slipped easily.

The soldier caught up to him, pinning Dark where he'd fallen and jerking his arms behind his back.

"Get off!" Dark shouted, struggling in vain.

"You're under arrest, boy," the man growled, hoisting Dark onto his feet.

Dark felt the cinch of ties around his wrists and gritted his teeth. It was no use; he was caught.