It was exactly a week after we had relocated to Kakariko when Ganon finally launched his offensive.

Around noon that day, I was observing Mido practicing with his sling. He was showing rapid improvement, much like with his sword technique. From time to time, he'd make a slight error, which I would quickly and calmly correct, doing my best not to chide him. I still worried about his safety when the battle came, even though I had ensured he would be safe atop the plateau.

I was, at that moment, correcting his stance when one of my horse archers came riding frantically into the town. Zelda, Nabooru, Link, Impa, and I converged on the man as he breathlessly gasped out his report to the queen: "Your majesty, monsters are leaving Gerudo Valley. Thousands of them. They are marching east at this moment."

None of us spoke for a time. Then Zelda finally uttered quietly, "So this is when it begins." Another second passed before she ran to a herald and told him, "Signal every soldier to his post."

The herald nodded and raised a curved bronze horn, in appearance akin to a bull's horn, to his lips. The deep, clarion note it produced rang through the whole area. On cue, every Hylian and Gerudo rushed to their posts. The crossbowmen, with Mido in tow, climbed the Goron-built ramps to the top of the plateau. A group of about a hundred Hylian soldiers grabbed the long, well-made pikes our smithies had made and rushed to their positions in the valley. Darunia came out of one of the houses in the town and rolled towards the trail that lead to Death Mountain. The archers followed the pikemen down the valley, the Hylian knights and a number of Gerudo rushed to the stables, while the rest of the Hylian infantry, as well as most of the Gerudo, clustered in the town.

It was all part of a plan we had collaborated on not long beforehand. The pikemen would block the narrow valley about two thirds of the way to Kakariko. The archers, including my horse archers, would remain behind them to fire volleys head-on into the approaching enemy, while the crossbowmen on the plateau would fire from above. Then, when the time was right, we would give another signal, and counterattack the enemy, with the Gorons and the mounted knights spearheading the charge, followed by the infantry, which included our ten Iron Knuckles.

Each of us commanders would stick with one part of our force. Zelda would take her position with the archers, just behind the pikemen. Link would command the knights. Darunia, of course, would be leading his Gorons. Impa was stationed with the pikemen. Nabooru had originally wanted to station herself with the infantry, but Link had asked her to stay with the crossbowmen to protect Mido, which she had grudgingly agreed to. To round it out, Azeru and I took our position with the infantry reserve in the town.

As the soldiers were making their way to their posts, Zelda pulled me aside. "I've been meaning to give you this for a while," she said. "You'll need it for the battle ahead." Then she dragged me along towards one of the larger dwellings in the town. Just before we entered, I looked back and caught a glimpse of the young Gerudo-Hylian couple. They were kissing much as Link and Ruto had when they'd parted. It made sense too; neither one knew if they the other would survive the battle. Frankly, I didn't know if any of us would. But I had to put the thought away as Zelda pulled me into the building.

Inside sat a cuirass of iron scale armor, much like Zelda's gold-colored piece. Near it lay a pair of high iron boots, a mail shirt, and an iron helm that resembled that worn by the Hylian knights, though without a visor. I stood looking at the set, confused. The queen cleared the confusion up for me, though. "This was made for my brother when he was born, so he could wear it when he grew up," she said.

I almost couldn't believe her. "You have a brother?" I asked incredulously.

The blonde queen lowered her head and replied sadly, "I had one. He died, with my mother, in an ambush during the Civil War. Since you don't have armor of your own, I want you to wear this into battle."

Though shocked and saddened by Zelda's story, I kept my face expressionless as I nodded in acknowledgement of her wishes. Immediately I walked over to the armor. First I slipped on the boots, then the mail shirt, fastening it with my belt. Then came the cuirass over that. Tying a few leather thongs secured it to me. Then I set the helm on my head. Arrayed thus, I saluted the queen, and we exited the building together.

Then I rushed to my barrack to grab the longsword Link had given me. I realized then that I was going into battle with equipment given to me as gifts by my two closest friends in Hyrule. Once this war was over, if we all survived, I definitely owed them big-time.

If we all survived.

Finally, I stepped into place next to Azeru with the infantry. She gave me, or the armor, an appraising look. "That's some armor you've got there," she said at length, perhaps trying to dispel the nervousness we likely all felt. "You almost look like a male Zelda."

I raised an eyebrow at the comparison, not really in any mood to banter. More four tense hours, we sat there and waited for some word from the frontline. No one ate anything, for fear of the pike line breaking and the enemy rushing through while we had food in our hands.

Link was nearby with the knights, also waiting for something to happen. He was continually doing practice swings with the Master Sword. His horse, Epona, stood nearby, waiting to be re-mounted for battle.

Soon, Darunia returned to Kakariko, leading an army of Gorons with him. Many were carrying hammers with enormous iron heads, but most were relying solely on their rock-hard bodies and fists. They, it seemed, had come prepared to lead the charge.

After what seemed an eternity, a horn call echoes through the valley, signalling that whatever enemy had attacked had now been fully committed to the attack for long enough to wear their numbers down. And that meant one thing.

It was time for Link and I to go into action.