Chapter 8 -

Zelda walked through the corridors of the castle, servants and guards bowed their head in respect to her as she passed. Zelda felt part of her mind still numb. She had yet to reply to the message of Raurur and still had no idea when or where she would. And what she would talk about to the wanderer settled her dreams throughout all of her life and she could not explain. Perhaps he knew.

Zelda entered the royal library inside the palace, full marble bookshelves with leather covers very well preserved. Study tables sprinkled throughout, elder scholarly bent by the time sat studying ancient texts, their faces full of wrinkles. Some greeted the other with smiles with fierce looks of hurt and resentment. More than once the princess proved that their jobs were useless or impractical studies for the kingdom. One that does not hurt the ego of a young, which have managed to overcome his years of study with wisdom so divine was seen by many as unfair. Those who could accept that perhaps could have other forms of study that could benefit the kingdom became wiser and benefited the kingdom and felt nothing but gratitude to Zelda for helping them.

Others never forgave.

Zelda have long recognized that her intervention in such matters created more enemies than friends in that environment. Since then she reserved her studies to herself and a few who she liked to think of as allies in academia.

Zelda walked through the tables when she saw a young man leaning on a table, books and more books stacked the entire table. Note shoot and ink scattered in obvious violation of the rules, the inkpots could not be close to the library of ancient books.

He was the same age as her, he had some of shirt buttons undone misaligned the collar, a spot of something up his sleeve, disheveled brown hair, a pair of glasses on the tip of your nose.

Zelda noted, the state of young she calculated that he was working on something at least two days and now leaned on a poster and other notes on new developments that occurred the city's castle.

Chander was a young man with whom Zelda practically grew up together and his greatest passion was books and news. Over the years he ended up weaving his own network of information and news. . Nothing as impressive as it seemed to be, but he usually was privy to almost all the news from city

Zelda stopped next to him for a moment her eyes swept the table Chander shook his hand to her.

"Give me the volume of 'unfinished Legends'."

Zelda turned and saw the book in a more distant cell, she picked it up and handed it to him, and Chander took the book and smiled looking up at Zelda blinking away by the reading tiring his eyes.

"Now how about bring me a coffee ..."

His eyes widened when his voice reached a higher pitch.

"Zelda!"

He quickly began to try to get the books neatly as he poured an information stream. Zelda understood the nervous reaction of most people with her presence, she was the princess of the kingdom and many people knew the weight of her title and not who she was. But Chander and she knew each other from childhood and his reactions seemed more violent her presence than other people. He was one of the few people she liked to consider as a friend.

Zelda interrupted as he continued to dump information.

"How have you been Chander?"

He paused for a moment and blinked twice, he took a deep breath as he passed his hand on hair trying to get quietly. He smiled nervously.

"I have gone well... Your Highness."

Zelda picked up one of the many papers scrawled across the table. Chander had an innate genius to research subjects in a way she never had, but his interest was also fleeting. He would travel only half of a subject and rarely would go to the end of its completion. However your initial notes were always very curious.

"What are you researching Chander?"

He was silent for a moment with a smile watching Zelda; she tilted her head implying that it was a side effect of sleep withdrawal and called him again.

"Chander?"

He then shook his head and began to stack the books and papers.

"No more business as usual. Legends, myths, gunpowder and its new applications, the castle town."

This last subject interested her.

"And what news can tell me?"

Chander stopped and blinked twice to the princess looking slightly bewildered.

"What's new about that?"

She tilted her head pointing to the window towards the castle town; Chander slammed his palm on his forehead.

"Oh yes, yes. The city. Uhh let me check. There is a competition cakes in the central square. Many theaters are preparing to re-enact the 'War of the seven years. '. Celebrating the release of the Gerudo hold on Hyrule. A murder took place in the citadel, something quite horrendous, the victim was brutally tortured. The captain of the guard Ashley placed a reward for this young man ..."

Chander gave the latest information pushing a poster with the Wanderer image and continued to pursue their torrential flood of words. But to Zelda all sounded distant her mind was elsewhere. The notice emphasized that the guard was looking for and any information on his whereabouts would be well rewarded. Zelda did then one measures to Chander before he had finished speaking and walked with long strides, Chander stood fumbling knocking books and inkpots as he bowed the princess. Zelda crossed corridors silencing everyone who approached her with a wave of her hand; people were frightened by the behavior. The princess has always been courts.

Zelda had no time for that, she went into her room straight to her desk, and her ladies came horrified at her heels.

"My Highness that was very rude!"

Zelda directed a look at them and all were silent, felt as if an ice storm had roar into the room and all the sound they made had been swallowed by the look with a very clear message. All carefully left the room quietly.

Zelda sat down and started to write the message to Raurur; her mind turned the wheels of coding and brought out the hidden message. She would meet with Wanderer that night.

Link walked over rubble and his face sooty clothes. Dug between the antique store charred remains where Raurur said the relic had been sold. Link wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the sky, soon it would be dark. He then found what he wanted, a small chest of metal. Link took it and dragged it to the limits of the burned store.

Raurur read an envelope, while a messenger was waiting at his side. Link dragged the small chest of metal to the side of Raurur who smiled at Link.

"Well young man, why not rest a moment. You deserved it."

Raurur immediately began to write an answer on the back of the letter with a piece of coal he picked on the floor. Link looked at the scorched terrain and again for small chest of metal. Raurur then dismissed the messenger and smiled at the chest as he bent down with a dagger to the lock. Link scratched above the ear while heaving.

"What is there so important in this chest? I guarantee is not the artifact."

Raurur nodded as he did hear a click in the lock.

"Well, yes and no. The artifact would not fit in here. But the owner of this store was an old acquaintance. Very methodical individual and kept notes of all his sales. A craze acquired with age I presume."

Raurur paused for a moment and his eyes seemed to look inside, in the distant past, then he smiled and continued taking a black notebook from inside the chest.

"With the clean notes he kept is possible that your artifact is in these pages."

Raurur scanned the items. Link looked around the area of the store.

"What do you think happened here? A lamp falling in the wrong place?"

Raurur stopped reading and directed his eyes to Link. He then folded the book and looked at the site.

"What do you think happened Link?"

Link squinted against the Raurur; the man had the tone of a particularly angry tutor. Link snorted and looked around.

"It's too level to an accident. That was on purpose."

Raurur nodded, Link had just said the obvious.

"Yes, but why?"

Link closed his eyes against the remnants of the store.

"Someone is after the artifact."

Raurur seemed satisfied and returned to read the book.

"If you do not have the courage to go to the end of your search let me know now and do not waste more of my time. At my age you never know how much you have left."

Link put his hand on the book and stared Raurur eyes. Raurur could tell a lot about a person just by the quality of his gaze. But in the eyes of Link he saw a rare willpower.

"I will keep my promise, even if I have to burn all Hyrule with my own hands."

Raurur nodded and went back to reading the book looking away from the eyes of Link. Raurur knew there was no lie in the eyes of Link and knew that his determination was iron. But he felt within himself sprung one doubt.

How far would Link go to fulfill his promise?

Eyes Raurur then hit on a topic of notes and addressed Link.

"Well I have some ideas about it, but we cannot go today. We've done a lot, we will rest and tomorrow we go along."

Link nodded looking at the sky began to darken, still had to help Anju with the bar. But felt his patience be tempted. So close and still was not sure where he was the artifact, time seemed to slip through his fingers. But Raurur gave him the best chance he had before. He then nodded.

"So we meet tomorrow?"

Raurur nodded.

"Yes. Meet me at the fair tomorrow."

Raurur watched Link as he walked away and he turned a corner, it was time to collect the artifact and find out why so much confusion about it.