Chapter Nine:
Aftermath
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.." ~ Psalm 23:4
"That was a crazy stunt… Never should have attempted it."
"It could have gotten him killed!"
"I think he knows that. He always does."
"Well, he obviously doesn't care."
"Talo! You shouldn't speak that way about him."
"Excuse me; I just don't want his woman on my hide about it."
He stirred, and a soft groan escaped his lips. Images – recent memories – flashed in his mind; the battle, the dragon, the sensation of falling. Then the impact… Blue eyes slowly pried themselves open. They blinked a few times, pupils working to come into focus in the dim light, and scanned over the faces around him.
Talo, Beth, and Uli stared down at him concernedly. A frown flickered over his features, and he moved to sit up. Uli stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Link, you shouldn't be moving right now; hold still."
"The village…" The words proceeded from his mouth in a quiet groan. His head pounded against his skull, and pain pulsed down his neck until he lay back down again. "What… happened?"
He didn't miss the look of discouragement that Uli shared with the other two before looking at him sadly. "The village… was taken."
His throat tightened, and he shut his eyes tightly against the despair that threatened to take him. Taken… Taken. I was too late…
"But you bought us time, Link. A lot more people got out because of you." Beth's voice held a hint of confidence, but her eyes were as sad as Uli's. Her words did nothing to cheer him.
That village was home to scores of people, families of many, with children, and animals. People dear to Link's heart. And he had failed them. During the skirmish, he had been confident – so confident that he would be able to discourage those winged demons and stop their barrage. But apparently…
"Where are we?" The words croaked from his throat, which suddenly felt quite sore.
"The catacombs."
Of course. The network of escape tunnels leading from Ordon to the Kokiri forests. He'd almost forgotten it.
It was all coming back much clearer now. The collapse of the town center, the burning of the infirmary… Seeing red, he had jumped on the back of a passing dragon and had been whisked into the air. He shot down other dragon troops for a few minutes before his steed realized it had a tagalong. He'd cut his palms clinging to its sharp spine as it bucked and rolled, trying to get him off. When he hadn't let go, the dragon had suddenly dropped into a suicide dive. Straight into the inferno that was the infirmary's scorched, collapsing roof.
So that was why his arms and neck stung so. As he scanned his body mentally, he felt the soothing cloth and gauze on his forearms and throat. His plunge into the burning building would also explain why his throat hurt and his mouth was so parched. He tried to suck in a deep breath, and only succeeded in choking out a ragged cough.
"Easy… You inhaled much smoke," said Uli, reaching for a mug that sat on the small bed stand. She tilted his head up and brought the rim to his lips, and for once, he didn't object to being mothered. The water soothed his burning throat.
After a few cool gulps, she pulled the cup away and let him rest his head again.
"Thank you," he rasped quietly, closing his eyes briefly to let the relief sink fully in. Another thought struck him, and he opened them again, looking up at the threesome imploringly. "Who-"
He didn't have to finish. Uli's husband stepped into the room through the crude door – which was just a curtain – his face darkened with ash, and soot, and a bandage wrapped around his head. Link had no need to inquire further.
"Well," said Rusl quietly, "good, you're awake. We were starting to worry there for a while."
Link allowed himself a slight smile. "No, you can't get rid of me that easy…" He paused to cough, the action resurrecting the burning strain in his neck. He grimaced, and swallowed to try and relieve it.
Rusl smiled paternally. "Now, now, you just rest easy. The last thing you need right now is to overexert yourself. You must be tired; go ahead and rest."
But there was yet a question left unanswered. And Link had to know. "How many?"
The older man's expression dimmed, and he let out a heavy-hearted sigh. "Only a handful compared to those lost. Those who got out are blessed just to be alive."
So that was it. Link had survived, while dozens of innocents had died. He'd been rescued, while many had been slaughtered, or burned. Guilt crashed down on him like an overwhelming wave. He closed his eyes, sinking back into the pillow.
"Come," he heard Uli say quietly. Footsteps shuffled on the stone floor. "Let him rest."
A commotion sounded in the hall outside the room. Link's eyes flew open, and he looked up in time to see a haggard-looking young man burst through the curtain, with two others following close behind, trying to get a firm hold on his arms.
"Link!" Colin burst free of the pair, staggering a bit, before reaching the side of the cot. He leant against the nightstand, putting a hand over the bandage that covered his forehead. "Are…" His breaths came in gasps, and he looked about ready to keel over. "Are you… all right?"
Link furrowed his brow, but was unable to turn his head much as his neck protested heartily. "I could ask you the same."
"I'm…" Colin took a deep breath, and Link easily saw the stifled grimace. "Fine."
"No, you're not."
"Colin, you have a terrible concussion!" Beth was at the younger man's side instantly, gently gripping his arm to steady him. "You shouldn't be up and around like this."
Colin did look quite pale, even greenish, and blood was beginning to seep through the bandage on his head. Link thought of sitting up and telling the boy to go lie down, back where he belonged, but in his state, it would be hardly convincing. In his position, there was only one way he would be able to get Colin to obey him; to play the royal card.
"Colin, go back; rest. That's an order." As king and commander-in-chief of the Hylian army, Link had every right to give that order.
"I had to see… If you were all right. I must… Send word to Keskus. You know Queen Zelda will be worried sick." Colin swooned, and would have collapsed had Beth not been at his side.
"Colin!" she said insistently, keeping him upright.
Link heaved a sigh; he did have a point, but that didn't necessitate Colin's endangering his own recovery for it. He could have sent someone else. Of course, perhaps the news would be better coming from Colin's hand… But he was in no condition to write anything.
"You must rest," he repeated. "Beth can send the message, just fine. Right?"
Beth nodded, and for a moment, Colin seemed ready to object once more. But as more color drained from his face, his shoulders sagged in surrender – that, or from overwhelming fatigue, but Link suspected it was a combination of both. Beth struggled to keep him standing.
"All right…" the young man muttered, his head lolling to the side weakly as he did. One of his knees buckled and he leaned involuntarily on Beth; she bent under his weight until Rusl came and helped her escort Colin back out into the hall.
Uli sighed, and offered him a motherly smile, approaching the bedside and brushing the hair back from his face. "Rest now, Link. We are safe here. And when you are well enough, we'll take you back to Keskus – to Zelda."
He nodded slowly, conceding to the sleep that fell over his eyes like a blanket. Before he lost grip on his consciousness, he uttered one last request. "Make sure Epona's all right… Please, Uli…"
"Of course, Hero…"
Her voice drifted away, and he fell into sweet sleep.
~-LoZ-~
Link… My dear Link… Please come home safely.
Zelda stared off her balcony as she watched the messenger disappear out of the southern gates of Keskus. Her eyes saw the city, how deathly quiet it was, and how grey and lifeless the day seemed, but her mind followed that messenger, across Hyrule Field, beyond the Faron Woods, to Ordon. Or rather, under Ordon.
Yes, news of Ordon's conquer had devastated her. And until reaching the message from Beth, her mind had whirred with terrible situations, one hundred and one things that could've happened to her king. And while it pained her to know that he'd suffered such injuries, her heart had leapt when she heard he was alive, and recovering.
"But he seems sad. Particularly after we told him of those we lost. I think he feels guilty…" Beth's letter had said.
Self-inflicted guilt seemed second-nature to Link almost as much as battling evil was. Zelda sighed; it seemed this was a habit she couldn't help him break. No matter what she said, how she insisted none of it was his fault… He had the default of blame rested heavily on his mortal shoulders, and this saddened her. He couldn't help any of what had happened, and yet he always felt as if he himself had caused it – particularly if he was powerless to stop it. He was the Hero of Time after all; was there anything he couldn't do?
Oh, yes, there was. Plenty of it. But Link couldn't – or, perhaps, wouldn't – see it. He preferred to bear the blame, rather than point fingers, even if such an accusation was true. And it tore Zelda apart to see him bear such mental and emotional strain. It couldn't be good for his health, not in the least. He believed he was doing others a service, but it was crushing him under the weight of unmerited blame.
"Mumma…"
Zelda felt a tug on her skirts and looked down into the doll-like face of her daughter. The little girl's big blue eyes – so like her father's – brought a smile instantly to her face. She stooped down, and picked Erulissë up.
"Yes, darling?"
"Daddy coming home?"
She nodded, tapping the princess's button nose. "Yes, sweetheart, in a little while. He got hurt, but he's getting better."
"We pray," Erulissë stated, curling a lock of her golden hair about her chubby finger. A laugh escaped Zelda's lips.
"Yes, we will; for sure. We'll pray he comes home safe and sound."
"Yeah…" She slipped her short arms about her mother's neck, and Zelda reached up to stroke her curls, smiling with the love brimming over in her heart. Oh, how she loved her children…
Thoughts of her eldest assaulted her mind with a vengeance, as they had countless times. Still, no one knew what had happened to Caine, and by now, Zelda herself was beginning to believe that… that he was never coming back. The thought pained her beyond belief, and a gaping hole was slowly growing in her soul where her firstborn should rightfully sit.
"Don't be sad, Mumma…" said Erulissë's little voice, and Zelda realized her eyes were burning. She blinked the threatening tears away, and attempted to smile at her little girl.
"I-It's all right…" Her throat constricted. "I just… miss your big brother."
"I miss Caine too…" At the look of sadness on her angel's face, Zelda wasn't sure whether to smile, or cry. Her facial expression obviously thought she should do both. A single tear escaped her eye, and Erulissë reached up to brush it away.
"Don't cry… It's… get better," said the toddler hesitantly as she fumbled for the right words. "Daddy and Caine come back… Promise."
Zelda couldn't resist a smile this time, and she hugged her daughter close. Oh, Lord, where would I be without my children? "That's right, Ellie… They'll come back."
~-LoZ-~
The news of the fall of Hyvä Vene brought guilt ringing back to Link's ears. According to reports, the harbor had been overrun and easily taken by another dragon regime while the battle was fought at Ordon. The beacon tower had been guarded by the creatures, keeping anyone from lighting it. Hundreds had been slaughtered.
How could he have fallen for such an obvious ruse? The attack on Ordon was a diversion, and he'd taken the bait without a second thought. While he wouldn't have left Ordon alone for a moment, surely he could have seen that the lighting of the beacon had come much too easy… But, again… How could he have known that Hyvä Vene was their target?
"You couldn't have stopped it – no, not even you, oh, great Hero." Uli gave him a stern look from where she clothed salve over his slowly-healing burns. "Even you can't be two places at once, and you're not omniscient in the least. You couldn't have known they were under attack."
"But still! They knew I'd come here. How? And why? Why use Ordon to cloak an assault on Hyvä Vene?" Link was thoroughly stumped by now, and it was beginning to aggravate him.
"Because they could?"
He bit his tongue. Words leapt to his throat, driven by aggravation, but he was determined not to take his irritation out on Uli. She had done nothing but care for him, and it wasn't fair to direct his anger at her. And she was right, anyway.
"How are you feeling?" She very tactfully changed the subject as she finished wrapping the new bandage around his forearm.
He sighed, slowly bending his arm, working the tendons and muscles to get a feel of its state. It protested enough to make him wince. "Well… I could be better."
"Then we'll stay here a bit longer. Until you are good and ready for the ride back to Keskus." She stood to leave.
"But, Uli, I-"
"Good and ready, Link, good and ready!"
~-LoZ-~
As it turned out, Uli had meant when she thought him good and ready, and that happened to be at least a week and a half later. By that time, Link was aching to get home. He missed his children, missed their laughter, missed the feeling of his wife's tender arms around him. He missed home.
He was careful as he swung up into Epona's saddle. The skin on his arms was still tender to certain movements, and the occasional place where the burns had gone deep was still mending, but he couldn't stand to be so far from his family any longer. He settled against the leather and gripped the reins in his bandaged hands. He glanced back at Colin, Uli, and the youngest of the same family, Lilla, who had all agreed that they would be accompanying Link back to Keskus.
"You'll need someone to keep you from overexerting yourself," Uli had claimed.
But Link had no intentions of keeping the pace slow. He'd rein Epona in just slow enough not to overwork their horses, but he was going to get to the capitol as quickly as possible.
"Are we ready?" he inquired, looking at the face of each of his companions. All three of them nodded.
"Lead the way, Link," said Colin.
Link nodded in return and spurred Epona down the long, empty tunnel. They passed numerous curtained doors along the way, and the only sound that broke the intense silence was the hollow clip of the horses' hooves. Occasionally, someone would peer out of a doorway to watch the king and his company go by.
It seemed like an eternity until they reached the final exit to the catacombs. This was the door farthest north from Ordon, and the dragons wouldn't be able to spot them where they came up near Ordon Spring.
As Colin swung the door open quietly, Link found he had never been so relieved to feel the breeze in his face. It combed through his hair, and cooled his wounds with soothing salve, and he closed his eyes to simply enjoy it. Then the breeze died away, and his eyes slid open again. Outside the door lay a world of autumn brown. A world of dull colors, withered leaves, and drooping grass. A dying world, a world soon to feel the sting of the cold fingers of winter.
He urged Epona through the door, ducking under the rim and into the chilly day outside. The air was crisper, and fresher than in the tunnels, and he inhaled deeply. The cool atmosphere filled and left his lungs in a whoosh. It was good to be outside again; always, the freedom of the outside world beckoned him. Zelda claimed that the love of all things green and growing was instilled in his blood, and an understanding of animals and good folk of the land engraved on his mind. Many agreed, and he couldn't help but smile at the thought.
To Link's disappointment, Epona was in no hurry. The horse had a will of her own, and she was set on walking this time. Apparently, she felt in no rush to return to Keskus.
At this pace, the return trip lasted a full two days. And when they could see the walls of the capitol city gleaming orange in the sunset light, it was all Link could do not to leap off Epona and run there himself! He tried again to spur his horse forward, and thankfully, she responded by bursting ahead at a gallop. Leaving the other three to plod along slowly, the pair flew across the remainder of Hyrule Field and straight up to the southern gates.
"Open the gates!" he called up, offering no lengthy explanation. He simply wanted to get home.
By the way the sentry yelled, Link was sure that those on post at the northern gates surely heard him. "It's the king! The king has returned!"
The gates swung open as fast as was possible, and Link cast the sentry a grateful grin before urging Epona through. The pair raced through the city streets, ignoring the shouts and hails of the citizens they passed by, signs and curtains and awnings billowing in their wake. Up and up the gradual incline they went, the thundering of Epona's hooves next to nothing compared with the increasingly loud beating of his heart. It felt as if it would leap from his chest at any given moment.
I'm coming, Zelda…
He reached the castle wall, and didn't even have to hail the sentry. The iron gates stood open wide, and a throng of soldiers – the Royal Guard – waited on the other side. They cheered with loud, booming voices as Link rode through the courtyard.
He paused long enough to smile at all of them, not having expected a welcome such as this, but didn't deter long. He reached the steps and, not bothering to fetch for a stable boy, leapt off Epona and climbed the looming steps to enter into the Great Hall.
As soon as he pushed the door open, his feet halted of their own accord. There she was, running toward him. In a simple, burgundy evening gown that hung loose about her, accenting nothing whatsoever of her womanly figure, but it may as well have been the most beautiful gown she'd ever worn. He removed his cap out of habit, really, and dropped it to the floor as she threw her arms about his neck. For once in the longest time, he barely noticed the stinging pain of the still-healing burns.
He quickly returned the crushing embrace as she choked out his name again and again. Had it not been for the brilliant smile that he'd glimpsed on her face, he would have thought she was crying. In a way, she was – her red-rimmed eyes now sprouted tear after tear; but they were tears of joy, not sorrow.
"Thank God you're all right…" she managed to mutter before assaulting him with a solid kiss on the mouth. Most thoughts instantly fled his mind as it was slowly numbed by the gentle caress of her lips on his.
The loud clearing of someone's throat broke the moment quickly, and Zelda lowered herself from her tiptoes. Link followed as far as he could before regrettably breaking the kiss, and turning to the person who had had such the worst timing…
Impa stared at them with a smirk on her ageless face, her arms folded over her chest. Her red eyes twinkled with mirth. "Welcome back, Your Majesty. Though, don't expect a kiss from me."
Link laughed; how he had missed the old Sheikah. "Heaven forbid."
"Dat! DAT!" The yell echoed through the grand hall and Link was soon nearly tackled to the ground in a blur of blond hair and a beaming grin.
Abyll hugged his father tightly, bouncing up and down excitedly. "You're back, you're back, you're back!"
Link laughed whole heartedly, and clutched his young son so tight that the boy's feet lifted from the ground. "I've missed you, too, warrior."
If it was even possible, Abyll's grin widened at the pet name, and he never once loosened his grip about Link's torso. "Oh, you're back, you're back, you're back, you're back, you're-"
"Injured," finished Impa, now close enough to see the healing skin on the backs of his hands, and his neck. "What happened?"
Link cast a glance to Abyll, and sent her a meaningful look. "I'll explain later." Then, as another thought took full attention, he swiveled his gaze to his wife.
He searched her gaze imploringly before uttering a single request: "Caine?"
Her expression dimmed and she hung her head, giving it a slow shake. Link's heart sunk a little, but not by much – he hadn't truly expected any news. He wasn't surprised.
Abyll demanded their attention again as he ran about them in circles, whooping and hollering and rustling up such a commotion, servants peered into the hall to see what was the matter. The young prince didn't seem to mind in the least, as he was too busy celebrating the safe return of his father.
"Daddy, Daddy!" came the sweetest little voice, and Link felt as if it had been ages since he heard it last. Erulissë carefully descended the stairs and, once she was on flat ground, ran in her adorable tottering way as fast as her little feet would carry her, straightaway into her father's waiting arms. Link hoisted her into the air with a joyous laugh; his face was beginning to ache from his endless grin, but he didn't care. He wouldn't have been able to stop smiling anyhow.
"Oh, my little princess!" He twirled her around, and she squealed with delight. "Ellie, how I missed you!"
"I miss you, too, Daddy." She wrapped her arms about his neck, burying her cherubic face into his shoulder. Quite suddenly, he felt very gritty and war-tarnished to be holding such an innocent, precious treasure.
But this felt oh so right. Gone were the thoughts of not belonging, of doubt and second-guesses. He was here, alive and on the mend, surrounded by his family, supported by his friends, and sheltered by his home. He was humbled, and overwhelmingly thankful. He lost count of the prayers of thanks he whispered that evening.
~-LoZ-~
"By that welcome, you'd think I'd been gone for months."
Zelda chuckled as she finished redressing the bandage on his other arm, and crawled into the bed beside him. "It felt like it… to me, anyhow. Can't say I can speak for the others."
Link smiled at her, and raised his arm to wrap about her slender shoulders, pulling her close against him. Even in such a relatively short time to be apart from her, he had still missed this – her incredible warmth as she snuggled close to him, their arms about each other in an unbreakable embrace so similar to the bond of their spirits. It was written in the Holy Text that at marriage, a man and woman were bound together as one mind, one heart, one flesh, never to be parted until the death. Such was how he felt he and his wife were – they were one. And nothing could change that.
He kissed her forehead, but had to frown as he pulled away. A rather troubled look had replaced the smile on her pixie-like face, and her sparkling eyes had darkened.
It didn't take a genius to imagine what she was thinking. "I can't stop thinking of Caine either, Zelda…"
She glanced at him with mild surprise, but it faded quickly back to the uneasy frown. "I just… I wish we knew what really happened… I hate leaving it up to my imagination. Perhaps… Perhaps I've seen too many horrid things, but… I keep imagining things…" She swallowed hard and buried her face against his chest. He reached up to gently stroke her hair.
"It will all be all right in the end… No matter what happens. And while I don't profess to know the future… I do know that all things work for the good of those who love God-"
"And are called according to His purpose, I know…" She sighed heavily. "You're right. You're right. I just… need to stop worrying about it."
He allowed himself a contented smile, and planted a kiss on her auburn hair. He felt her relax against him, and it wasn't long before her breath became slow and even. She was asleep.
While dozens of thoughts whirled about his head, he couldn't give them any time as his eyes quickly began to droop as well. The room, the silver moonlight, even Zelda's comforting presence all soon faded away as he sunk into the first pleasant sleep he'd had in days.
A/N: I know, more of a fluff chapter than anything… But I figure I'd better give them a bit of a respite before the next chapters. Things won't go as well as they did this time… Dun, dun, DUH! :)