Ganondorf glared at the boy from across the camp. He didn't have any grudge against the boy in particular. The boy was just there, a perfect source of information that he couldn't use.

Zelda glanced over at Ganondorf as she inspected the boy for any injuries that Ganondorf might have "accidentally" inflicted. There was a small cut along his throat, but it barely even broke the skin. Apparently Ganondorf had a lot of experience holding daggers to people's throats. The boy barely even noticed Zelda, he was staring towards Ganondorf in pure terror.

"Y-you won't let him kill me will you miss?"

Zelda glanced up at the boy and smiled warmly "Don't worry, I'll protect you. In a few hours you won't even remember this."

The boy turned to Zelda, his eyes wide at a new fear "Y-you're going to cast magic on me?"

Zelda nodded "Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit."

The boy shook his head vigorously and tried to pull away "No! I-I can't have magic on me! Mom and Dad will put me in a cell and everyone will hate me and…"

Zelda held up her hand for him to stop "Slow down. Am I to understand that the other villagers have a way of detecting magic?"

The boy nodded, the fear in his eyes telling what would happen if he was found with a spell on him.

Zelda sighed and rubbed her forehead, the triforce on her hand pulsed slightly as it helped her think of a plan "You'll have to stay with us for now I suppose. When we go back to Hyrule, you can go home."

The boy opened his mouth to protest, but apparently thought better of it and shut his maw tight again.

Ganondorf snapped to attention for a moment and then relaxed "They're back."

As if on cue, Link, Cover, and Midna emerged from the trees. The boy stared at Cover with wide eyes.

Cover glanced up "Egon? When- how… I suppose when and how don't really matter. If you're wondering, I'm here voluntarily."

Zelda interrupted "Midna? Did you find anything out?"

Midna nodded, scowling "It's somewhere under the mountain. Link came before it could say anything else, and we ran out of time."

Link hung his head, looking for all like nothing so much as a puppy caught chewing up the furniture.

Zelda sighed "I suppose there's nothing we can really do about it now. We'll have to search the mountains near here and hope that the item isn't to far away."

Egon spoke up, a little braver now that Cover was here "What exactly are you searching for anyway?"

Ganondorf glared at him "Nothing that concerns you boy. Just shut up and try not to be annoying."

Egon paled and nodded silently. Zelda shook her head, sighing. Ganondorf was right in not telling the boy, but she wished he could be a bit kinder about it.

She looked up "Cover? Could you possibly take care of him for now?"

Cover nodded wordlessly, though he was mentally griping about being stuck with the grunt jobs. Ganondorf began to glare. He wasn't aiming it at anyone in particular, but his eyes happened to be resting on Egon when they narrowed. Egon fidgeted nervously as Ganondorf spoke up.

"This is idiotic. The boy is nothing but a dangerous hindrance and possible snitch. My talent is power, but it doesn't take a genius to realize what we should do."

Egon was the only one not glaring at Ganondorf now. Not that Ganondorf cared. He switched his gaze to Zelda.

"You can be angry at me all you want, but you can't say that the triforce isn't telling you the exact same thing. We should kill the boy."

Zelda pulled her hand close to her, as if she could muffle the triforce's words to her mind. The triforce was telling her that the wisest thing would be to kill the boy, but even if she was the guardian of the triforce of wisdom she couldn't lay aside her compassion just because it was the wisest thing to do.

"We are not. Killing. The boy."

Ganondorf's face had been carefully schooled into being expressionless ever since Zelda had slapped him. Now it curled into an expression of distain, one that was comfortably common on Ganondorf's face.

"Very well then princess, if you put the priority of extending the life span of one measly boy a few days above saving everyone in existence from Muerte, the there's not much I can do about it now is there?"

Perhaps it was just a trick of the light, but Zelda could have sworn that his skin seemed to take on a sickly tinge as he spat out the words.

DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN!!! Sorry, just had to do that.