Chapter 5

Tales of the Past

Link turned to Malon with a smile.

"Now, Malon, you were wondering what I have been up to the past few months? Well, for starters, Princess Zelda had set me off on a quest to a far away world called Coruscant. I was to meet with the Jedi and seek training in what they call 'the Force'. As I started out, I met Gandalf and his fellow companion, Frodo Baggins, a Halfling of the Shire." He started.

Malon looked utterly confused at the mention of a Halfling.

"What in all of Hyrule is a Halfling?" she asked in bafflement.

Link chuckled in amusement.

"I had the same question, when I first laid eyes on the curious creature, myself. A Halfling is a creature that closely resembles a man. It is somewhat shorter, usually the same size as a human child. Most Halflings don't wear shoes, for they have furry feet. They are known to love peace and good tilled earth." He said with a chuckle.

Gandalf had a twinkle in his eye.

"They sound so wonderful!" Malon beamed.

Link shared a look with Aragorn and Gandalf. This was it.

"Most of them are wonderful. However, young Frodo is not! He is a liar and a deceiver!" Link explained to Malon.

Malon looked puzzled.

"Whatever did he do?" she asked.

Link gave a short chuckle.

"It all started near the end of the Third Age of Middle Earth. September 22, 3018 in fact. The eve of the great quest. Frodo was setting out for Rivendell with the One Ring. His quest was to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom." Link explained.

He shared a look with the wizard and Aragorn. The two bowed their heads in shame.

"He set out with all willingness to destroy it. He even stepped forward to accept the mission at the council of Elrond. It all started to go downhill when the Fellowship of the Ring began to break at the fall of Raurus. Gandalf had just fallen in Moria after a brutal fight with a Balrog. Boromir was feeling the effects of the Ring and soon got shot down by Uruks, Merry and Pippin was captured as well. So young Frodo, along with his faithful servant, Samwise, set off for Mordor alone. I was faced with a dangerous choice: to follow them and offer my aid or track down the captured Hobbits." Aragorn explained.

Malon nodded for him to continue.

"I chose to rescue the captured hobbits with my two remaining companions, Legolas the elf prince and Gimli the dwarf. We ran for days until we finally reached Rohan. There, we met the Riders of Rohan. The riders, seemingly, had caught up with the Uruks and killed them all. They saw no Hobbits that was when hope was lost. But, I set out for the battlefield. At the battlefield, I found one of their belts and a set of their footprints leading to Fangorn Forest." He said as he shared a smile with the wizard.

Link had heard about this part. He loved hearing it. It kind of reminded him of one of his adventures.

"So we traveled through the forest looking for the Hobbits. We soon met an old man dressed in a grey cloak. We instantly thought it was the evil wizard, Saruman, so we tried in vain to attack him. This is where it got interesting." He said with a smile.

Link chuckled. He wished he was with them at the time.

"My sword instantly grew too hot to hold, so I had to drop it. Gimli's axe flew out of his hand and Legolas' arrows got blown away. The old man stood on top of a cliff looking at us with a smile. He began to speak to us." Aragorn paused and looked to Gandalf.

Gandalf cleared his throat.

"You seek two young hobbits." He began with a smile.

Link chuckled along with Malon. Gandalf had a gleam in his eye.

"They passed this way three days ago and met someone they did not expect." Gandalf continued.

Malon giggled.

Gandalf smiled in return.

"Saruman!" Aragorn said right on cue.

"I am Saruman, or as he should have been. I am Gandalf the White now. Through fire and water I fell." Gandalf concluded.

He then told Malon of how he had defeated the Balrog and how the Valor had sent him back to the lands of the living. Malon nodded with fascination. The travelers were nearing Hyrule Castle Town now.

"We will continue this story later. You need to buy some equipment now. A sword and shield along with a strong tunic would do nice I believe." Link said.

Aragorn and Gandalf nodded in agreement.

"The same goes for you as well, Ilia." Link said as he eyed her.

Ilia nodded.