Link awoke violently, bolting up only to be hammered back to the ground. He was surprised to see that it was Zelda, her hands atop his bare chest, her face pale and drawn, mouth agape grasping for air that held him down. She looked down at him with a weak smile, her lids half closed and her eyes twitching uncontrollably. "Oh, now I see you," was all she said before she collapsed atop him, her head falling to rest atop his chest. Quiet breaths left her body slowly. Link gently put a hand at her neck; her pulse was weak but steady. Carefully he shifted her weight, holding her in a kneeling position, her head back in sleep, as he looked about.
Around him in a great circle the ground was barren as the Gerudo wastelands. Patches of the fields and grass beyond were alight in flames in random patterns, remnants of the dragon's blind attacks. Smoke blew in the soft wind, obscuring patches of the horizon. From the burning ranch and Talamora Hill troops rode towards him, great clouds of dust kicked up behind them as they closed the distance quickly. The air around him was charged like a thunder storm, the hair on his arm stood on end, and Epona and the Princess' horse, Roua, danced wildly together. Behind him twenty paces lay the carcass of the dragon on its side; its blood making great pools and long twisting tendrils filling the cracks in the ground. Link's sword handle still protruded from his brow, and the broken shafts of his arrows from the creature's dead eyes.
Link removed the tattered remains of his shirts and scabbard, finding a relatively clean patch on them; he bunched them up, making a pillow to lay the Princess' head on. She was covered in his blood from head to waist, her skin was grey and sickly looking, but her breath was steady and quiet. Grabbing Roua's reigns, he tied them to Epona's, hoping she would settle down now that he was awake. His muscles ached as though he had spent a day training vigorously, but surprisingly he was not in much pain, the wound in his leg was completely healed, and he was without burns. Dizziness and nausea hit him as he walked, but he fought them back. "What happened? I can't remember anything after we hit the ground? How did Zelda get here so far ahead of everyone else?"
Walking to the dragon, he placed his hand over its cavernous nostril to make sure it wasn't breathing. The creature stunk of sulfur and smoke, the stench threatened to overwhelm Link. He grasped his sword and pulled it from the creature's head, a fresh spurt and flow of blood squelched from the wound. Pulling his dagger out, he cleaned the blades on his pants, the warmth of the blood seeping through and walked back to Princess, scanning the horizon. He stopped to pick up the horn fragment that had pierced his leg, a triumphant smirk adorning his face as he hefted its weight. Waves of tiredness were sweeping over him, calling out to him, but he refused to yield.
A band of cavalry reached him first. They all wore dark blue tunics over burnished mail and grey pants and steel helmets. On their right breast the Golden Triforce and Hawk of Hyrule was sewn with intricate precision. They carried long spears and shields with broad swords strapped across their backs. Despite their ride from the city and the considerable amount of dirt in the air they seemed impeccably clean. That was not to say they were not intimidating, for they certainly were that as well. He was sure to put away his weapons and wave a greeting to them as they dismounted and approached, wanting to make sure there was no misunderstanding this time. Positioning himself beside the sleeping Princess, a ring of twelve soldiers encompassed them while the rest of the force ran forward, spears in hand, toward the dragon. The soldiers eyed Link nervously, shifting in their places under his gaze.
A large man, nearly half a foot taller than other soldier and two times as wide as Link, with an uncommon black beard approached him beside a clearly high ranking military leader. The man's presence and command over the soldiers was evident without any words. Two soldiers parted the ring to allow the commander and his guard to enter. "Speak quickly stranger, who stands before Lord General Jatin Cilan Baden, Defender of the Tower; First of the Northern Army; Master of the Eastern Shore." Recognition dawned on Link as man spoke, he was not Hylian. He had the accent of the peoples of the eastern islands, who owed allegiance in name only to Hyrule. Though not Hylians, they were part of Hyrule, the product of a long forgotten war. The giant had tan, almost reddish skin, and a shaved head. He did not wear the uniform of the Hylian military, but simply a sleeveless red tunic and black pants and boots. Beside him was the general himself, who was about Link's size, with light brown hair and cold eyes. It was impossible for Link to gauge his age, and he resigned himself to "middle aged". Dressed in fine silks and adorned with metals and marks of rank, he was not clothed to do battle. However, tension filled Link at the sight of him, from his expensive clothes to his severe expression. From the look on the General's face, Link did not imagine that he though anything of him at all; After all, who am I to a Lord of Hyrule? The Lord General's eyes widened in short lived surprise when he recognized the Princess behind Link, but not at Link himself.
"His name is Link, true friend and protector of her Royal Highness." Impa's voice rang out clear above the thud of her horse hoofs. She rode into the ring of soldiers, dismounting and handing the reigns blindly behind her. Striding purposefully between them, Impa kneeled beside the Princess, and felt her forehead with closed eyes before sighing in relief. She stood again, patting Link on the shoulder proudly, before standing between him and the General. Her normally stern expression softened as shook hands with the general and questioned, "How fare's the King Jatin?"
"His Majesty is well Impa; he misses his daughter…as do we all. So, who is this young man, is he the one whom the Princess praised so glowingly in her letter home? 'Blight of the Servants of Power', that is how she described him I believe, and now we can add Dragon Slayer as well." Link couldn't tell if General Jatin was skeptical of Zelda's claims, or simply disappointed that Link was the man she described. Link took their dismissal of his presence as a chance to look around behind him, where the sounds of futile efforts to pierce the dragon's scales were coming from the cavalry. A few soldiers were gathered around a single spear, driving it deep into the dragon, and attempting to pull up its scales. I wonder what they think they are doing. Perhaps they want the scales for armor?
Impa seemed surprised that the General was abreast of Zelda's communications. Come to think of it, when did she write to the King…she never mentioned that… "Yes…indeed his is. Speaking of which, it seems the Princess has taken ill, and as you can see, she is in no condition to ride into town for everyone to see. Could you send a rider for a carriage to take us to the castle?"
The General lazily looked at one of his riders, who took off immediately. "The King will want to see you immediately Impa, he sent us right off after spying the dragon from the North Tower. I believe he was afraid that the Princess might be in danger, if only we had known the power of this young man, I might not have bothered. We will set up a camp near the road for you to wait. I must go attend to the fire. I trust I will see you in the castle tonight." He inclined his head to Impa and turned away, the ring of soldiers falling inline behind him. A great number of spears were left behind, protruding awkwardly from the dragon's hide.
After they had left, Impa kneeled again beside Zelda who still slept silently. Her color was returning, and her breathing was strong. "Link, if you are strong enough, please bring the Princess, I will gather the horses." Turning her back on him, she gathered the horses and began walking toward the camp. She can't possibly…I'm not even dressed properly. As though she read his mind, Impa called to him, "I assure you Link, it is quite alright, pick her up."
Scooping the Princess up gently, Link carried her limp body across the field. Impa walked a good ten paces in front of him, constantly scanning the field and horizon, as if on the look out for more dragons. The warmth of Zelda's breath grazed his bared chest, which was both comforting and somehow unnervingLink had believed that he would be able to just move on and disappear after he returned the Book…but now, he never wanted to leave her side. I can't believe what she did…she looked dead when I awoke. She curled her head against him from time to time, murmuring quietly in her sleep. "I don't know if you can hear me Highness, but my thanks to you. I know that you must have healed me, or surely I would have died."
"Call me Zelda" Link almost dropped her in surprise and embarrassment; stopping for a moment he continued to stare at the Princess, who seemed to be talking her sleep. He continued on, reaching the camp after a rather long walk. I didn't realize I got so far away from the road. Surprisingly, his arms were not tired; his aches and pains were already gone, and he seemed to be gaining strength with each step. He laid the Princess down in her tent upon an exceptionally comfortable looking cot. The entirety of her guard was posted outside, Captain Morann was apoplectic that she was not only ill, but that Link was carrying her, though he seemed afraid to raise his voice lest he wake the Princess. Impa waved him away, and invited Link to stay, which did little to calm the Captain. Corporal Troy stuck his head into tent, offering Link a spare guardsman tunic.
Impa had a water bowl brought in, and cleaned the Princess' face with a washcloth. After about a half hour, she put a number of blankets over Zelda and asked Link to take a walk with her. After they had walked past the edge of camp in silence, Impa asked Link to sit on a low sheep wall. She looked deep into his face, her violet gaze almost lulling him to sleep. "Link…what do you remember after you fell from the sky?"
Link hesitated just a moment, he was unsure of what he should say, "Almost nothing. I though I saw a Great Fairy, I suppose I was hallucinating. I passed out, and was pleasantly surprised to find the Princesses holding me to the ground." A laugh left his mouth, an honest laugh, which in itself he supposed was uncommon. "I must admit, I did not think she had that kind of strength."
Impa chuckled as well, a great smile upon her face. "What you saw was Princess Zelda, using all the magic of Hyrule that she could contain. She flew across the field to you, and then wrapped both of you in the most powerful healing magic I have ever seen. The air around you shimmered like a rainbow and burned as the sun." Her face became deadly serious, all the mirth leaving her. "Link, she poured her entire spirit into you, this you must understand, she was prepared to die to bring you back to life… I suspect she very nearly did."
Link could feel his expression hardening as he ground his teeth. I..I did not…idiot! Idiot!. "I am sorry Impa…I do not know what to say…I… I never would ask her to do such a thing…" He was cut off by a comforting hand from Impa on his. The warmth had returned to her face, if not her eyes.
"No Link, you could not have known. I did however. You will remember what I told you, that the Princess saved my life using magic. What I did not tell you is that from that day, we have shared an unbreakable bond…I could hear her thoughts, feel her emotion, her presence always within a part of me…It was most useful as I attempted to protect her these many years. I felt part of what she felt for you, and that is why I brought you here to tell you is this. That bond no longer exists. It was severed, I felt that part of her spirit pour into you, it disappeared inside you, and it has not come back…I thought she had died, but thank the Goddesses no… I guess what I am saying is that it is very likely that she has unwittingly transferred that bond to you."
Silence hung in the air between them, the seconds stretching into infinity before Link spoke. He could not meet Impa's gaze, he was too shocked, too bewildered. A thousand thoughts battled for dominance in his mind, none of them more so then his sudden realization of what Zelda might have learned inside his head. "What…what does this mean exactly? Can she see my thoughts? I must tell you that I cannot feel anything right now. What does that mean?" He cut himself off from his rambling. Dear Goddesses, what has happened?
"It is not unusual that you would feel nothing while she slept. If you are asleep as well however, you may dream her dreams, not your own. I hope that you are prepared not to sleep some nights, the dreams of young women…well; anyway, that is a trouble for another day. What this means for right now is that you will need to stay here indefinitely, there are certain…events upcoming, and I cannot take the risk of someone with access to the Princess' mind wandering off on his own, attempting to get himself killed every other day. As to your thoughts, I do not believe that she can see them unless you will for her to do so…at least she could never see mine. I do not know if my Sheikah blood had anything to do with that."
Considering her response, Link sat silently once again. He was somewhat pleased that his presence would now be required, yet reluctant for what this unprecedented chain of events might bring. Well, I certainly didn't expect this, what does this mean for the plan the Great Deku Tree laid out? "Well, I suppose there is little we can do now. I shall put myself at your service for as long as your require."
Impa's mouth smiled, but her eyes showed that she was still troubled by the Princess' state. "Excellent Link, excellent. I will be here to guide you through this; please do not hesitate to seek my counsel."
…..
Link and Impa spent another half an hour walking and discussing the unquestionable insanity of his attack on the dragon. Impa related her awe at his skill, while still managing to admonish him for the brashness of his action. She is as unsettling as the Princess herself. When a new carriage for the Princess arrived, Impa quickly briefed Link on the protocol at the castle and when meeting the King. He was left with the impression that it would be best not to speak or look at anyone directly unless he knew them personally. Since this would mean only the Princess and Impa herself, Link determined that he would be best served being as ubiquitous as possible.
The sun was halfway to the horizon when they returned to camp, the carriage waiting outside the Princess' tent. "Link, I expect to leave within the hour. I would like you to ride with us, I am sure that her Highness would be comforted by your presence if she should awake in the carriage." He nodded his ascent before walking along, finding Epona tied to the horse post. Walking her through the camp, he noticed a great number of soldiers were encamped along the road, most not bothering to do much beside tie up their horses, and settle in for an early dinner of bread and water. There was no need to set up a real camp as they would be moving out early that evening.
Off the road, approximately a quarter mile from their location the ruins of the ranch buildings still smoldered, but the larges fires had been put out already. A number of soldiers were investigating the damage, and the local farmers were sorting through the rubble, looking for salvageable items. Leaping atop Epona, he set off towards the ranch, looking for signs of a medical tent, and his friends. Riding through and over the ruins of the gate, he led Epona out into the walled field.
A large white tent was in the middle of the field, the ashes of a horse track and barriers littered the now barren field. A few of the soldiers stood guard outside the tent, while the rest worked under the direction of a deep red haired girl. Blood, smoke and dust blackened and stained her plain white wool blouse and brown skirt, and multiple medical soldiers were attempting to attend to the various cuts and burns she had received. Malon however was more interested in showing the soldiers the proper way to dig a hole and plant a post for a fence. A number of cows and horses were grazing, attempting to find a patch of grass among the ash and recently unturned dirt, while Talon vainly tried to round them up.
Link dismounted, and led Epona over to his frazzled friend. Letting Epona go, he watched with silent amusement as his horse repeatedly nudged Malon in the back, who seemed too busy to turn around at first. Joy lit up Malon's face as she finally recognized her old horse's presence. Smoke smudged her freckles but her beautiful face had hardly changed in the years since he had last seen her. She had grown into a beautiful young woman; her rough dirtied farming clothes could not hide her generous features or her natural beauty. "Epona?...LINK!"
Malon jumped into Link's chest, wrapping him in a tight embrace. It felt like he had never left the farm six years ago. He slowly let her back to the ground, wiping away the tears that streaked the soot on her face "I knew that it must have been you…the soldiers told me that a man in green attacked the dragon, but they did not know his name. What were you thinking? I can't believe you're alive…actually…Link…you're…you're not even hurt. How is this possible?" Her lips trembled as she spoke, more tears flowing from her eyes.
"The…the Princess healed me of my injuries…if not for her, I would have died. I am sorry to see what has happened to the ranch, but I am beyond happy that you are alright." Link could tell that she was upset; the Princess had always been a sore subject with her. She did not let it reach her lips as she responded.
"I shall forever be indebted to her Highness then. I hope to be able to thank her myself…I have been invited to stay at Hyrule Castle while the ranch is being rebuilt. Just now, the Lord General has promised to pay all the costs, he asks only for our finest stead in return."
"Well…well that is excellent news Malon, I too will be staying at the castle and I will be happy to see a familiar face each day. I hope that we will have time to catch up." The low drawn out sound of a distant horn drifted and interrupted them. It was followed by another horn, and another, until the crisp resounding blast from the medical tent. Link had grown accustomed to this daily ritual, a signal to all soldiers that the Princess was getting ready to travel, and that they therefore must be ready before she leaves "I am sorry Malon, I must go… I will look for you tonight in the castle." Malon's tear streaked face remained motionless; her eyes welling with more tears as Link slowly took a few steps backward. He grabbed Epona's reigns, and turned away; leading his horse slowly past the busy soldiers and farmers who were attempting to put the shambles of the ranch back together. Well…that could have gone better. At least she is ok…Link's reflection was cut short as images flashed and disappeared suddenly in his mind.
He could see himself battling the dragon, and falling towards the earth. From eyes not his own he looked down upon his broken body. His small soft hands ran over his bloodied chest, catching on pebbles embedded in his skin from the fall. A bright light emanated from his pale skin, enveloping the half dead body below.
And the vision was gone; all that was left was Link, slumped over in his saddle, unable to keep himself up. All his attention was focused on the fading light in his mind, guiding him like a compass to the Princess. Gathering himself, he led Epona towards her tent, though he was unsure if it was by memory, or unfamiliar presence lingering in his mind directing him.
…..
At the crisp and sudden ring of the soldiers trumpet Zelda stirred from her deep sleep. Golden light filtered through the crack in the closed tent flaps. Dust and pollen descended to the earth, illumined for but a moment before disappearing, lost forever to the eye. Zelda slowly took in her surroundings, pushing off the mass of blankets enveloping her body and pushed herself upright. She was inside her tent, but it was barely unpacked beside her cot, and nightstand, with only a bloody towel and water bowl atop it. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she struggled to remember where she was. "We were on the road, about to crest Talamora Hill. I was watching Link… watching him…what was he doing again?" But what Link had been doing wouldn't reveal itself to Zelda, nor would much else. Frustrated, she reached into her mind, intent on summoning Impa through their shared link. Reaching deep into her mind, she search for the path she knew led her to Impa's mind.
But it wasn't there.
Panicking, Zelda furiously opened her eyes, pulling her hands away, and for the first time noticed her own appearance. Dried blood covered her dress, her arms, and her hands. A flood of memories tore into her like an unstoppable torrent at the sight of them. Link falling to the earth from the dragon. Zelda rushing to his side, and her hands running across his battered chest, she remembered healing his wounds, but he remained unconscious, close to death. Throwing caution to the wind she had delved deep into his mind. She remembered seeing the world through Link's eyes, as a child in the Lost Woods. The Deku Tree. Saria. Mido. His travels across Hyrule. Malon. She had seen so much. The Gerudo. He had slept with a Gerudo! "He could be a father!"
Sorrow, pain, outrage and depression. Zelda felt as though while her body had slept, a thousand emotions and thoughts has simmered beneath the surface, and were now exploding through her like steam in a kettle. Tears streamed down her face, for she was ashamed and overcome, and bellowed for her protector, afraid to face herself alone. "He almost died… but who is he? Has he been watching me his entire life? Why?" At the renewed thought of Link, a sudden revelation startled her. "Link…I can…I can feel him, like I could with Impa." She turned her head, and stared at the tent wall, ignoring Impa rushing in through the flaps, her mind locked on this new and startling development. "He is coming to me..."
Turning to Impa, her lips trembling and her cheeks glistening, Zelda found new sorrow. Standing but feet away from her was her oldest and dearest friend, her constant companion, with who she had shared nearly all her life in a manner more intimate that many grown women had shared with their husbands, and who now felt like a stranger
"We have much to discuss Princess."