"So what do we do now?" Zelda asked as we jogged across the plains towards the welcoming sight of the ranch.
The thought of rescuing Link returned to my mind after ten minutes of thinking about nothing but escape. The sun was still high in the sky, though it was obviously well on its way to the western horizon. It would be just starting to set by the time we made it back to safety. I realized we didn't have much time before Link was to be fetched from the Temple of Spirit, wherever and whatever the heck that was, and brought to the fortress we had just escaped from. I would have to come up with a plan quickly; in fact, we would have barely any time to make preparations once we arrived at the ranch.
Immediately, I thought of ambushing the enemy party tasked with transferring him. If I and a small group of archers could get into the desert before the transfer party, we could overwhelm them, then get Link out of his current place of imprisonment. We'd have to gather troops fast, and move faster, but it could work.
Finally, we got to the ranch. As we jogged through the gate, I immediately told Zelda. "Do you have archers stationed here?"
"We've got something better," Impa replied. "Crossbowmen."
That was nice to hear. A man with a crossbow would be more likely to hit his target than a man with a more conventional bow. It took less training, and, if given as much training as a normal archer, a crossbowman could be a lethal asset.
After only a few seconds of thought, I asked Impa, "Can you scramble a company of crossbowmen?"
She nodded, and ran to one of the training areas. One of the first people I spotted on the training ground was Nabooru, carrying a pair of curved wooden swords and demonstrating her tactics to a group of soldiers. I watched as she demonstrated the whirlwind of sweeping strikes that – as I had already found out – characterized her fighting style. After her demonstration was finished, I waved to her. She waved back and walked over as the soldiers began to practice various defensive stances.
Once she got to me, I asked, "What do you know of a place called the Temple of Spirit?"
Nabooru's eyes widened. "That's a place I know quite well. It was built by my ancestors many ages ago. I used to go treasure-hunting there. That's also where I met Link. Is that where he's being held?"
"Not for long," I replied. "They're going to move him from there to their fortress tomorrow morning. I was wondering if you could guide us to the temple."
She nodded. "That I can do," she answered in emphasis.
"Excellent," I said with a tense smile.
At that moment, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Zelda behind me, once again in her dress. "We need to talk to Rauru," she told me, so I followed her to the building in which I had discussed my original rescue plan the day before. There was Rauru, looking as calm and magnificent as ever. "I have heard you have something interesting on your hand," he said to me.
Reluctantly, I showed him the back of my right hand, with its Triforce symbol glowing faintly now. His eyes widened slightly as he studied it. "You say Link is still alive?" he asked.
I nodded to this, setting him deep in thought. "Very interesting," he said at length. "Nothing like this has ever happened since our people descended to this land and the Triforce was created. However, I believe I may have an explanation based on my research into its inner mysteries."
He paused, as if he didn't wish to go on without my approval. My eyes widened, hoping he'd take the cue.
Thankfully, he did. "Anyways," he explained, "Experience has taught me that while the full Triforce cannot distinguish between right and wrong, parts of it were created with a defense mechanism to protect it from misuse. You see, when Ganon made his first attempt on the Triforce and succeeded in bringing all three pieces together, it seemed to sense the imbalance in his character and split into its three components – Power, Wisdom, and Courage. The fact that the Triforce of Power rested with Ganon – not to mention the fact that it has returned to his hand – shows that that particular piece does not distinguish right from wrong. Given the nature of the very idea of power, this makes sense, as common ethics are often the antithesis of power. As for Wisdom and Courage, they are more selective of their bearers; once again, quite sensibly, as the ideas of wisdom and courage stem from the belief in a code of honor that governs our actions. What may have caused the Triforce of Courage to transfer itself from Link's hand to yours may be another defense mechanism preventing its misuse. It saw that it was about to be taken by someone who would misuse it, and sought out a different, but no less courageous, bearer."
As Rauru finished his explanation, Zelda looked at me and said, "You and Link are more alike than I thought."
I was not comforted by either of their words. Zelda's, in particular, were disconcerting. Her likening of me to Link felt like a life sentence to stay in Hyrule. If the only way I could get rid of the Triforce of Courage was to intend to misuse it, then there was no way I would ever be able to get home, since I would never have any intention to misuse anything in this land.
The way home was now shut.
As I teetered on the edge of breaking down into a despondent wreck, Impa came in, causing us all to snap back to reality. "The crossbowmen are ready," she said. "Nabooru is prepared to set off with us. Ruto has also asked to come along. Shall we proceed to the desert?"
Forcing myself to tear my mind away from my desperation, I looked at her, then at Zelda.
"Let's do it," I said.
