Hi guys! Here's chapter eight. It's a little short and a lot suspenseful because I was in a hurry when I wrote it. There's a reason for that: from Saturday to next Thursday, I'm going to be at tennis camp... NO LAPTOPS allowed, unfortunately. So I'm not going to update for at least five days. Sorry :( I really hope that you guys don't forget about this story and keep waiting for an update, because one will definitely come :) After tennis camp... Hahaha enjoy!

Chapter Eight: In the Dirt

ILIA POV

Ilia woke up just as the sun was rising, and she sat up in bed. Her eyes drooped, because she had been fraught with worry all night. She had only gotten two hours of sleep at the most. All she could think about was Link, and how she wanted him to get better. He was her best friend, and now even he knew that she loved him. All Ilia needed to do was make sure that Princess Zelda didn't find out. Ilia could just tell by the way that Zelda looked at him, she had feelings for him, no matter how hard she tried to hide it with her cold, heartless, emotionless composure. It made Ilia disgusted. It was as if Zelda was afraid of letting other people know what she was feeling, but Ilia still knew. Zelda loved Link.

In the middle of the night, she had heard barking and meowing, but Telma had reassured her it was nothing. Ilia's mind was still curious about what exactly had happened, but she tried to ignore it as she stepped out of the bed and stretched out her arms. The first thing she had to do was check on Link. The morning after becoming sick was always the worst.

The door to Telma's room was still closed, and Ilia crept by it while trying to fix her messy, unkempt hair. The door to Link's room was slightly ajar, and her heart jumped. She bit her lower lip anxiously as she knocked on the door lightly, pressing her ear to the wooden planking of the door.

"Link?" She called. "Princess Zelda?" Ilia wouldn't admit it, but she was extremely jealous of Zelda's beauty and determination. She had remained loyal to Link throughout the night, falling asleep in his room while caring for him. Ilia was angry that she couldn't have done the same, but Telma had required her help…

There was no answer from the other side of the door, and Ilia furrowed her brow in concern as she knocked again.

"Link, are you in there?" When her question was left without a reply, she gently pushed open the door, cringing at the squeak it made. Curiosity took over when she saw that the armchair where Zelda had been curled up in was empty. Relief washed over her, however, when she saw the silhouette of Link's body beneath the covers of the bed.

"Link? Feeling better?" She smiled, placing her hand on the blankets. He didn't even stir, and Ilia narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Link." She pulled the covers down, and a gasp escaped her lips. Link wasn't underneath; there were just pillows. "What?" She exclaimed, throwing the pillows and searching the bed hopelessly.

"Ilia, what in Hyrule…?" Telma rushed in at Ilia's cry.

"They're gone!" Ilia whirled around in a panicky state. "Link and Zelda are gone!"

"Wait, what?" Telma moved to Ilia's side, concern written on her drowsy features. "How?"

"I didn't hear or see anything!" She continued.

"Now listen, there was a dog that snuck in here last night, and Zelda left to take care of it. As for Link…" Telma explained. "I have no idea whatsoever. He was as sick as could be last night, I don't know he could've even left the room without falling over!"

"His sword and shield are still here." Ilia observed.

"I'm sorry, little lady. I don't know what happened to that boy!" Telma placed a hand on her hip and shook her head, still thinking intently over the situation.

"I have to find him. He's sick, for Din's sake!" Ilia threw her hands in the air and stormed out, quickly moving to her room to prepare for her exit.

"Ilia, honey, wait a second." Telma moved after her, but before she could even reach the room, Ilia walked back into the hallway dressed and carrying her knapsack.

"I cant' just wait for him to die, lost somewhere in Castle Town!" She cried, brushing past Telma. "I need to look for him."

"You don't even know Castle Town yourself!"

"I don't care. I'll do whatever it takes to bring him back, where he's safe..." Ilia argued, still walking down the stairs with Telma following. …And away from Zelda. Before the bar owner could say another word, the foolish girl rushed out into the crowded world of Castle Town, looking for somebody that she would never find on her own.

LINK POV

Link stood up, being careful not to wake the princess. He yawned majestically, scooping out his back and stretching as his tail wagged. A large shudder ran over his body, making the fur stand on end, and he groaned quietly as he stepped away from Zelda cautiously. She had stopped shivering, but was deep in sleep. Curled up on her side, Link caught a glimpse of the mysterious first piece in her now loose hand. Her breathing was steady and even, her face flawless as she slept. Link sat down, staring at her with an open mouth and a lagging tongue. He smiled in a wolfish way when he felt the butterflies flying around insanely in his stomach.

The sun was coming up, shedding light among Hyrule. Link welcomed the warmth, tilting his head towards the bright sky to bask in the rays of golden light. The only bad thing was that he was still a wolf. At that moment, though, he enjoyed it. His senses and speed were increased, and its ability to appreciate the little things in life was also augmented. But at the same time, there were disadvantages. Link thought of them as he glanced at the dreaming princess. He couldn't fight with a sword like he was used to, he couldn't speak, he scared almost everybody he came in contact with… he couldn't hold her in his arms…

"Mm," She moaned quietly, stirring in her sleep as her eyes fluttered. Link stood up immediately, excitement filling him while she slowly became alert. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms out. Her perfectly sculpted red lips opened to let out a large yawn. Link's tail began instinctively wagging faster.

"Good morning." She smiled at him, blinking and gazing into his eyes. He barked cheerily in response.

Good morning sunshine, he thought. Her face took on a slightly disappointed and sympathetic expression. Link already knew what she was thinking before she said anything.

"You're still a wolf." Zelda mumbled, almost incoherently. Link whimpered quietly, trying to tell her that he, too, wished it weren't so. "But don't worry. I'll help you get back to yourself." She reassured as she stood up, and Link followed suit. Suddenly, as his eyes fell on the item in her hand, an idea came to him. It was something he thought that maybe Midna would do in his stead.

He barked without warning, making Zelda jump. He barked again, jumping towards her. His eyes remained glued onto the piece of orb, scrutinizing it suspiciously.

"What is it?" She panted, putting her other hand on her chest to calm herself down. Link growled, taking another step toward the hand clasped around the item. "The piece of orb?" He bobbed his head and put his front paw forward. "Here." Zelda understood what his wishes were, so she knelt and placed the black object in front of him.

Link sat down, keeping his narrowed eyes on the item. Then, using the skills that Midna had taught him, he honed in his senses, and everything became shadowy and strangely colored around him. He glared at the first piece, examining it with his senses. What he saw shocked him.

On the material, surrounded by the glowing, silver lines, was writing. Link's throat rumbled as he bent towards it, reading the writing that his exceptional sixth sense had found. A strange, light green glow emanated from the words, and the wolf bared its teeth instinctively. Though he was an animal, he could understand the Hylian writing. It was a riddle:

The first piece of the orb, shattered

The soul attempting to reassemble it will be battered

Creatures of viral intentions return from ancient to protect it

Not wanting their world to once again become lit

Spirits await the arrival of Chosen Ones

Evil will gather and come in the tons

But, if as before, good is to prevail

Find the golden bird, or else suffer the fail

Link was baffled. The gears in his mind shifted, attempting to make sense of the perplexing puzzle presented before him. Zelda stood over him, curiously watching his every move and wishing she could see what he was thinking. All he was worried about was solving the riddle. He longed for the clever princess's help, but there was no way for him to convey to her the predicament. He couldn't speak, he couldn't write, and she had no peculiar senses as he did. Sometimes, being a wolf really did have its advantages. But now, Link had to figure the riddle out himself and then try to get Zelda to understand. He didn't have much time before she would become impatient, so he quickly began trying to decipher it.

Creatures of viral intentions return from ancient to protect it. The creatures of viral intentions must've been those small bugs that had tried to attack and infest Lanayru's spring. Viral intentions must've meant that they were spreading some kind of virus, which is what made Ordona and Link sink. They were infecting the world. According to the riddle, they were also looking to protect the pieces of the shattered orb. What the orb's power was, however, was still unknown. And the word 'ancient', he thought, suggested that this had happened before. That was a key part that Link didn't understand. How could this have happened before?

Spirits await the arrival of Chosen Ones. Spirits was talking about the light spirits, and the 'Chosen Ones' were undoubtedly Zelda and Link. That part of the puzzle was simple and obvious.

The soul attempting to reassemble it will be battered… Evil will gather and come in the tons. This part suggested that this wasn't going to be an easy feat. Link also thought about the fact that this might've happened before, so stopping it again would be even more difficult. And he and Zelda needed to be ready for suffering, if what the riddle said was true. For Link, at least, it was usual.

But, if as before, good is to prevail… Find the golden bird, or else suffer the fail. Obviously, the darkness had been vanquished last time it had been unleashed. Good had prevailed. According to the riddle, Link and Zelda needed to find the 'golden bird' if they were to succeed. The problem was that Link had no idea if the golden bird actually existed or if it was just a metaphor for something else. He racked his brain for an answer, searching it for any hint of a golden bird. He reread the riddle over and over, his mind racing.

"There's something else about the orb, isn't there." Zelda's statement broke his trance, and he shook his head as his senses returned to normal.

His eyes moved up towards hers, giving her a look of consent. She swallowed anxiously and looked down, glaring at the orb coldly. It was if she were mad at the orb itself for not allowing her to know its secrets. Link whimpered slightly, standing up and sticking his head underneath her hand. A smile appeared on her angelic face, and she pet him.

"I wish you could speak." She admitted. Link growled an agreement. He was still thinking about the golden bird… What could that possibly mean? He thought about the little bugs, and about Lanayru. He thought about the riddle, and how it mentioned the light spirits…

"WOOF!" Link suddenly cried, scaring Zelda half to death. She jumped high in the air and stepped back, a shocked look on her face.

"What?" She breathed. "What did you figure out?" Zelda was a smart girl, but Link found it a bit stupid that she was asking a wolf questions that weren't yes/no. He howled again, frustration beginning to get to him. He needed to let Zelda know where they had to go, but…

Link's scrutinizing blue eyes fell onto a large stick behind Zelda, and he bounded past her and grabbed it in his sharp teeth. He then trotted beside her, and with the stick in his mouth; he began tracing something in the dirt. Zelda crouched and placed her hand on the back of his neck, staring at the ground with narrowed eyes. The word he was writing was messy and barely coherent, but when he was finished, he stared at it triumphantly and stepped back, dropping the stick. Zelda touched the letters, amazed. She now knew what they needed to do. The word was:

ELDIN

Hope you enjoyed it! Short... I know. Cliffhanger... I know. Awesome... you tell me in your reviews ;) Love you guys! Wish me luck at tennis camp! :DDDDD KEEP READING AND KEEP WAITING, BECAUSE I VILL BE BACK! Hahah byeee!