A/N: ... *sighs* This space feels so blank without a rant.

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Chapter Two

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Dusty turf rolled before him, under his feet, and stretched behind him like a woolen blanket as Link made the best of the cooler morning air. Slung over his shoulder was a precious canteen of water- something the Queen had sent with him for the journey. He had no intention of using it, however; indeed, her kindness for him only made him feel warmer with a self-conscious blush

She is my Queen before she is my friend, he reminded himself, just as he had since he had first met her in his Twilit form. It had become a sort of empty, automatic phrase, since he never stopped aching for her to be closer than even a friend. Never the less, he kept on repeating it, unconsciously, to the rhythm of his jogging footsteps as he crossed Hyrule Field for the second time in as many days.

On the otherwise deserted horizon, his horse was easily spotted, dozing in the shade of a hickory tree. Before he had even finished drawing his horse call, she had smelled his scent on the breeze and was loping towards him, tossing her head in the comparatively pleasant morning sun.

"Easy there," he chuckled, increasing his own speed to meet her halfway, "It's a pleasure trip today. Save your energy."

Disregarding his own words, he leapt over her haunches with a running jump, wrapping his hands in her long, creamy colored mane as she took off like a bolt of brown against the faintly blue sky.

As they tore up the dry ground, the scroll tied alongside the canteen thumped against Link's back; a constant reminder of all they were risking on the kindness of the Cobblians. It made him nervous, to say the least.

I'm not even the one who had to make such a decision, he scowled, raising his arm as a sudden gust of wind threw dust into his face. A flash of pink and the musical sound of fairy wings caused both horse and Hylian to slide to a halt.

A host of fairies were streaking across the morning sky, like falling stars or petals caught in a twister. The Great Fairy herself gave Link a nod before whisking out of sight with her people. Fast as they had come, they vanished past the mountains to the south, except for one.

She sensed Link's weariness, and circled his head, asking in her strange melodic whisper if he needed her healing touch. Fairies were uncompromisingly compassionate creatures- at least the lesser fairies were- and in the drought, their population had all but been extinguished from masses of fairies dying to heal the other Hylians.

"No, I'm all right. Follow the rest of your people, or get to Lanayru's spring," he replied, careful not to touch the little pink ball of light lest he trigger her healing magic. "Trust me. Conserve your strength, for if anything goes wrong with the mission Queen Zelda sent your people on, you might end up the last fairy of all."

The fairy gave a little chirp of dismissal, but followed his orders and started a leisurely flight to the great Lake as Link continued home.

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Home!

How long it had been since he had visited Ordon? Typically keeping near Lake Hylia and making ice runs from Snowpeak, it was a rare day indeed that he had time to travel south.

Even as he enjoyed the thought of seeing his friends again, Link's heart pulled him back to Castle Town, where he knew the Queen would be announcing the news with the Springs. His sense of duty told him he should be working, and his protective streak gave him grief for leaving her side when she needed courage most. True, he was only the Bearer of the Triforce of Courage and not much help in political matters, but he fancied the Queen to take comfort in his presence.

Epona snorted under him, turning into the closely walled forest path that led to the Ordon province without guidance.

"You're ready to go home too, aren't you?"

As they moved deeper into the forest, Link had more trouble recognizing the once-lush terrain of his home. He knew the drought would have had an effect, of course- but his mind's eye still was thrown off by the devastation of the drought.

Evergreens wilted, their needles brown and drooping. The birdsong that used to harmonize with the sound of the wind through the leaves was silent. A graveyard's somber tone had filled the dying forest, tainting the otherwise peaceful morning.

Epona sidestepped the dried carcass of a squirrel, giving a little worried snort as she did so and flicking her tail with unease. Automatically, Link rubbed her neck and muttered empty words of reassurance to his longtime companion as they passed the hollow where Faron slept in his muddy spring.

Not even the Light Spirits can help this drought, he concluded grimly, eyeing the shallow pool of murky water that glistened like tarnished metal in the sunlight. Beside it, another squirrel struggled in the mud, weak with thirst and caked in the thick clay.

Sliding off his horse, the Bearer of Courage knelt on the solid edge of the spring, drawing his sword and sliding it under the beleaguered animal. Using the blade like a lever, he popped the squirrel out of the mud where it lay draped on the end of the Ordonian sword like a discarded rag. Bringing it back across the mud to him, Link ran his finger along the tiny beast's flank, checking its vitality. Then with a sigh, he pulled out a bottle of red Chu jelly and poured a small amount of the gooey substance into the palm of his hand, offering it to the squirrel.

It sniffed the jelly, then lapped at it eagerly, not seeming to mind the acidic taste. Epona snuffled the squirrel as it finished the meal to promptly fall asleep in its savior's hands.

"We better keep going," he reminded his horse, carefully remounting her with the squirrel still in his hands. Setting the tiny bundle on his lap, they continued to move through the forest.

As they passed the Ordon Spring, which was in slighty better shape than Faron's, Link was relieved to see that the spirit and inner strength of the hardworking province was, if a little diminished, largely the same. Beth and Colin were the first to see him, picking dying wildflowers by the massive oak that had served as his house for so long.

The blonde boy was lost for words- not that suprising, really, for Colin had always been the quiet type- but his companion lost no time in streaking to the village, calling to all in hearing range that Link had come home. Epona stopped under the shade of the trees and started snuffling through the dried grass in hopes of finding some lush treat; Link jumped lightly to the ground, laying the limp squirrel on the horse's back to rest in peace.

"It has been a long time, Colin," he smiled, reaching forward with his free hand.

The younger man grasped it, eyes shining with the kind of innocent hero worship that made Link smile and feel uncomfortable at the same time. "It has," he replied softly, leading Link into the village.

Goats could be heard bleating anxiously in the distance, calling for food and water as Talo stumbled after Rusl, both burdened by buckets of water from the shallow pool on the eastern end of the village; all that was left of the once lively spring-fed brook that ran across Ordon. Colin's baby sister was sitting under the shade of her porch like a tiny dirty white blossom, dozing against her mother's legs in the heat.

As Link and Colin emerged from the entrance and came into sight, every head turned. Talo was the first to react, setting his yoke down with careless speed and very nearly knocking over the buckets as he tore back across the little wood bridge, calling up a storm only to skid to a stop and dart into his house. Rusl just smiled as Link stepped forward to take up Talo's burden.

"I've done my best to teach him the way of the warrior as a favor to his father, but that boy's flightier than a cuckoo. I don't get where he gets all the energy." The man chuckled, seeming a little ashamed to have Link helping him, but his long time friend shrugged under the yoke.

"Maturity comes with age and a few battles," he defended mildly, giving Talo and Malo a smile as the brothers emerged from the house. The former had a sword slung over his back, and looked decidedly sheepish when he saw Link bearing his load.

Moments later, Talo was beside Link, having passed his weapon on to his brother. "By Ordona, Link, you've been traveling all day. I can take the buckets."

"No need. I was planning on visiting the ranch anyway, and besides, you looked like you were going to fall over under the weight."

In truth, Talo still looked like he was going to fall over. They all did. Bones were showing under the dirty, sunburned skin of his fellow Ordonians, enough to make him wince.

You made the right decision, Zelda, he concluded quietly, pasting on a smile and forcing a laugh as he moved along the trail.

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Sunset descended on Ordon like a cast-aside rag, stained with bright colors and bringing with it a feeling of accomplishment for the work that was drawing to a close. Link stretched, his body aching from half-straddling, half-crouching over goats all day as he trimmed their hooves. Needless to say, the animals did not appreciate being restrained in the stand, which was a simple very low table with two thick planks of wood forming a narrow but tall 'V' at the end and a loop of chain. The goat placed its head between the planks to eat from a bucket of grain on the ground, then the chain was bound between the planks. With their horns stopping them from backing out and shoulders stopping them from walking through, the beasts were held securely.

Simple enough to use, Link noted, rubbing the muscles in his broad shoulders, but still quite an exersize in stamina and patience.

Fado's shout shattered the peace of the coming evening, as Link undid the chain. "Come on to Bo's house. We're all having supper there, and we want news of Hyrule!"

"Let me clean up, and I'll be there in a little while," he called back, dusting off his pants as the last goat lowed at him, still in the stand despite being freed. "Move on, then," he chuckled in a softer voice, circling around to push the beast's head back through the wooden planks. Stooping, he scooped up a handful of dust and rubbed it on his bare torso to absorb some of the sweat from the heat of the afternoon.

Brushing himself off with the coarse bristle of the goat brush, and wincing as it prickled against tender, sunburned skin, Link pulled his green shirt back on and ran his fingers through his hair.

Ah, he chided himself as he slung the half-full canteen and the royal decree over his shoulder and gathered up all the tools, they know where I've been all day, and it's not Castle Town so they won't mind a bit of dirt and sweat. Lastly, he dragged the stand back into the barn to protect it from the curious animals and latched it in an empty stall.

Fado was waiting for him on the other side of the gate. He looked ready to open the low metal and wood door, but Link shook his head and swung himself easily over it.

"Let's go. I've got news from the Castle that you all need to hear."

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