Chapter Ten:

Explosive Strategy

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."~ Romans 8:28

Flames engulfed the large barrel and, with a great flash of light, it exploded and reduced the shop beneath it to splinters. Ilia clung to her husband's hand as they maneuvered through the panicked streets. She could feel the horse's nervousness beneath her and knew, no doubt, that it was picking up her own. Dozens of frantic people ran this way and that, and she jumped as a stranger was snatched up by the claws of a dragon.

"Dat, I'm scared!" cried Ani, gripping her skirts with white knuckles as she struggled to keep up.

"Come Ani, we must hurry!" Matthus paused long enough to sweep the little girl up from the ground and settle her in the saddle behind her mother. He glanced back, and the expression on his rugged face frightened Ilia.

"Ilia…" His voice was much quieter, and she strained to hear him over the chaos that was Satama at that very moment. "They need help…"

She looked back and caught sight of a soldier as he was crushed beneath the weight of a blue dragon. She shuddered, and looked back to him. "No. Matthus…"

"I must do my part, my love… I could not live knowing I abandoned my city so."

Anger swelled in her, and unwanted tears blurred her vision. "And what of abandoning your family?" Out of mere instinct, her free hand flew to her womb, and she hoped he saw it.

Sorrow clouded his expression, and he clasped her hand in both of his. "I promise you, Ilia. I will return to you." He attempted a smile. "When we married, you told me you wanted seven children, and I promised to give you all of them. I don't break my promises. All right?"

Her throat tightened, and a feeling of dread nearly drowned her. "Matthus…"

He kissed her knuckles, and gazed up at her with sad eyes. "Stay safe, dear Ilia. Now go! Quickly; escape to the Kokiri." Without giving her the chance to linger, he slapped the rump of the horse and it bolted ahead.

Ilia looked back, tears streaking down her cheeks as she watched him draw his sword and disappear into the dust and rubble. Would she ever see him again? Dear Lord, keep him safe…

"Mummy, where's Dat going?" Ani clung to her mother, and trembled.

"To help fight. But let us speak no more of it…" She leaned into the saddle, and urged their horse on, to the north. They would have to give Ordon a wide berth; the conquering of her home city had not failed to reach her ears. But they were en route to the Kokiri forests.

~-LoZ-~

Link watched grimly as the smoke billowed from the south. He gritted his teeth as another plume of dark ash rose up, and he closed his eyes to hang his head. His heart ached to be with his army as they fought on the front lines, but alas. Uli and Impa had both joined forces against him, and threatened to slip sleeping powder to him, in a dosage large enough to keep him home for days. All if he refused to stay put until his burns completely healed.

His fists clenched on the balcony rail, and for a brief moment, he contemplated leaping from its edge, to the courtyard below, and running for the stables. But, no doubt, Impa had guards on her side, and while he had greater authority that she, the guards would not be easily dissuaded from obeying the Sheikah's orders.

"Sire?" The shaking voice broke his train of thought, and he turned slowly to see a maid standing tentatively in the doorway.

"Yes?"

"The council requests your presence in the Meeting Hall."

He suppressed a groan of annoyance. Meeting with those old pricks who dared call themselves the Royal Council was the last thing he needed right now. His patience hung by a thread as it was.

Nevertheless, he had been summoned, and no doubt Zelda was to be there as well. And he had once promised never again to let her brave the oft cruel council on her own. Their strength lay in each other, together, not separated and alone.

He tried to calm his waxing temper as he made his way to the Meeting Hall, and succeeded for the most part. At least, he felt he'd ridded his expression of the scowl that had plagued him for the past few hours. Now, whether or not he was prepared to face the infuriating gall of the council members, only time would tell. And time seemed to be pitted against him at the moment, even as he reached the Hall far quicker than he would have liked. Heaving a great sigh, he pushed the door open, and was instantly deafened by the members' bickering.

"I warned King Madrigol that banishment was much too light a sentence!" announced Thoron, quieting the others with the mere strength of his voice. "Ameas and his followers have returned, no doubt, for vengeance. And it was the stupidity of the king, and the foolish support of that era's Hero, that has allowed this ruin to come upon our land!"

"The dragons were allowed to fester," concurred Sir Rihst, "and now they threaten the peace we have worked so hard to accomplish. I believe we have sat idle long enough; I say, recompense! War!" Dozens of 'aye's and 'here, here's followed.

Link took the moment to take his place beside Zelda at the head of the table, and the delegates quieted for a short time.

"Gentlemen…" It was Link's attempt at a greeting, but it came more like a growl. "I suppose you have good reason to resume your foolish bickering at a time such as this. A battle rages as we speak; today, I have no patience for superficial arguments. Not while men shed their blood for our country."

That sobered the atmosphere right quick. The councilors one by one returned to their seats, and settled down, each taking a moment to calm their flaring self-righteousness.

"As you know, majesties, I have served on this council for nearly six generations, now," spoke Thoron, much quieter. "I have witnessed many things, including the banishment of the dragons. Not to offend my queen, but her ancestor was a fool. The people wanted peace, and he was blinded by his obsession to please the public. Ameas…" He paused, studying Link and Zelda. "You… know of Ameas Night, do you not?"

Zelda nodded, but Link leant forward, curious. He had never heard this bit of Hylian history. "I'm sorry, chancellor, but I'm afraid I've never heard the name before."

Thoron didn't look surprised, and Link barely suppressed his flare of indignation before the old man began speaking again.

"Ameas Night. One of the last intelligent dragons to walk the face of this earth, and inherent of the draconic throne. You see, there was once a skyworld, hidden in the clouds, kept aloft by the hand of God Himself. Ages after the Hylian race emigrated to the surface, dragons took rule there, and made a kingdom for themselves. But they had little vegetation, and hunting was difficult in the skies compared to the abundance of the earth below. Ameas' father, Kador Knightshard, grew restless amongst the clouds… He decided that the surface should belong to the dragons as well. I was apprenticing as a royal guard at the time, and I saw the dragon forces descend on this city like an armored cloud…" Thoron paused, and then turned his steely eyes to the king and queen. "They were beaten. Madrigol, with the support of the Hero of that age, issued draconic banishment. And now, Ameas has returned."

"But why now, is what I want to know," piped Lord Artuch, one of the quieter delegates. "It has been generations. Why not enact his revenge in years previous?"

"Much has happened, and Ameas has had to wait on time. His father perished on that prison island of theirs fifteen years ago." Thoron stroked his long white beard.

"Why wait fifteen years?" Impa asked skeptically. "Dragons are not known for their patience."

"He must be plotting something," Zelda concluded. "He has had generations to prepare, and it seems everything has come to a head."

"The dry year." Everyone turned to Link, who leaned studiously on the armrest of his chair, chin settled in his palm.

"What do you mean?" It didn't surprise Link that Rihst, as well as most of the others, looked confused at the seemingly random bit of information.

"He's been waiting for a dry year. Without the luxury of rain, our crops and economy have suffered; Hyrule is no longer as prosperous as it once was. We are weakened, and Ameas must know this somehow. And not only are we in a compromising position, but without moisture, a dragon's fire becomes that much more potent."

Thoron nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, yes… That would make sense. Ameas has been waiting on two forces over which he has no control – time… and climate."

"And this year happened to be the opportune year for him." Zelda placed a hand over Link's under the table. "It's the driest we've had in decades."

"Your majesties…" spoke Sigil hesitantly, epiphany written in his tone as he stared at the table. "I can't help but wonder… Could any of this be associated with Prince Caine's disappearance?"

"You imply that the prince is in league with Ameas Night?" Impa's chastisement made the other councilor flinch visibly. "You are quite daring, Sigil. How could the prince even know of these things?"

"No, no. Not at all. But perhaps the prince has been taken for Ameas's own sinister whims, say… ransom, perhaps?"

"He no doubt knows of our financial floundering," said Thoron. "Even as the villain he is, he is bound by good form. One cannot demand something another does not possess."

"You think he's after something other than wealth?" Link didn't miss the fear in his wife's voice, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"He has an abundance of wealth as it is," said Impa. "They are dragons, after all."

"Then what?"

Sigil glanced between the royal pair. "…Both of you, after all, are descendents of the king and Hero who issued the dragons' banishment."

Something clicked. The floodgates were opened, and dread rushed into Link. He felt the color drain from his face. "You think he's after us?"

"I wouldn't put it past him."

"Sigil is right, in the fact that it is a very possible option. Whatever the case, though," Thoron turned to all of them. "We must be wary. Ameas has not yet been sighted on the mainland. This could quite possibly mean there is much more to come. His plan is yet in motion, and we are clueless as to what pieces have been stationed on the board."

~-LoZ-~

The southern woods fed the flames all too easily. They roared, and flared, flaunting their size and intense heat as a peacock flares his wondrous tail feathers. They licked at tree branches, consumed trunks and underbrush, and danced over the dry autumn leaves that dared remain on the branches. Any Kokiri village that lay in its path quickly vacated, as Saria and her company did now. Their precious village, their lifetime home, which held so many sweet memories, would soon be overtaken by the fiery storm.

"Quickly!" she called as she supervised their departure. The heat was growing in intensity, and sparks danced through the air like fairies. "To the Lost Woods! Hurry, run, go!"

The Kokiri, helpless to stop it, scattered into the woods like frightened rabbits as the flames began to devour their homes. As they ran, a massive shadow passed over them, and then was gone.

~-LoZ-~

"Scouts report that they're closing in. Faron Spring is all but taken, and they're burning and pillaging as they go." Zelda examined the wounds on her husband's arm with great scrutiny; she was determined to find one reason – one reason at all! – that he should stay home. To her disappointment, the burns were healing nicely, and Link claimed they didn't hurt hardly at all. She bit her lip, and pretended to keep studying until she was done applying the salve.

But she should have known she couldn't fool him – he, the man that knew her better than any and all. He stilled her hands, and tilted her face so that she looked up at him. She saw the intense understanding, reassurance, and love in his gaze, and felt like bursting into tears.

He stood, and pulled her to her feet as well. Before she had any chance of blurting out an excuse, he wrapped his arms about her, holding her close against him. She buried her face into his shoulder, trying to blink away the moisture in her eyes. He reached up to stroke her hair.

"Shhh…"

She swallowed a sob. "I just… Why must you go again? You've only just returned…"

"It's been seven days, love." His voice was quiet as he whispered in her ear. "It's my responsibility."

"But… aren't we?" She thought of Erulissë, and Abyll. At the tender ages of three and eleven, they needed their father desperately, and while he hadn't ever been gone for very long, the time he was gone was spent in prayer and anxiousness – hoping beyond hope that he'll come home safely.

But that wasn't the true reason for Zelda's wish for him to stay. She had never wanted to be parted from him, even before they were wed.

He leaned back just far enough so that he could look her full in the face, and she looked down as he furrowed his brow. "Zelda… Of course you are. If you don't know that, then I've failed you as a husband."

"No…" She rested her hands on his chest, absently and nervously fiddling with the laces on the collar of his shirt. "No, I… That was my selfishness talking. I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said it."

She stopped as he laid his hands over hers, calming her fidgety fingers by holding them against his chest. "Then you know why I have to go?"

She nodded, keeping her eyes downcast to keep him from seeing her look of disappointment. "Yes…" Problem was, she wasn't very good at hiding it from her voice. A shiver traveled down her spine as his fingers brushed up her neck to her face. His thumb traced over her lips, and he slowly lifted her chin.

"You still don't sound too happy about it."

She stared sadly into his brilliant blue eyes. "Did you expect me to?"

"Not really." When he covered her lips with a kiss, she returned it with slow sadness. Her mind sought for something, anything to keep him in her sight, but if there was a way, it eluded her.

They parted, and Zelda felt hot tears burning in her eyes as she rested her forehead on his chest. "Please Link… Please don't go. Not again." She knew this was a foolish and vain thing to request, but she couldn't keep the words behind her tongue. Biting her lip, she took a deep breath of his scent – pine, the wild breeze, and fresh earth. She could never forget that scent, the very essence of him. She never wanted to.

His hold tightened around her, and she knew she had struck something. Immediately, she felt guilt for trying to dissuade him from his duty. It wasn't fair to take advantage of the very fact that he would do anything for her. He was only trying to do what he believed to be right, and she was supposed to be supporting him.

"Link…" A thought struck her. In reality, she did have something she wanted to confide in him, and it would be the perfect thing to keep him here within the castle walls – for a long time, even. But… She couldn't. "I'm sorry… It's your charge. I shouldn't be persuading you so." Reluctantly, she shrugged his embrace off and stepped away from him. She looked up into his face, and detected bewilderment, and a twinge of hurt in his gaze, and she mentally slapped herself.

It was impossible for her to detach herself from him for long, and when she turned away and put her face in her hand, she let him envelope her once more.

How pitiful I am… Why am I falling apart now? He's faced greater dangers before… But of course, that was all before they had married, before they had children together, before they had raised them into the gems they were now.

"Zelda… Please don't doubt me so. You… Do you truly expect me to be injured or… killed so easily?"

She whirled about, and clasped his face gently between her hands. "No! No, no, no…" She took a deep breath to recompose herself, and gathered her wits. "No… I have faith in you, Link. I know that you will pursue this evil until it is vanquished, and when it is, you will return in triumph and glory, as the king and Hero you are. I know… that you will return to us… to me." She found herself believing her words, and she saw hope rekindled in his gaze.

"You will return… You will return. I know you will."

She then realized how potent her pleas for him to stay had really been. And had she doubted his ability so severely that she believed he would be injured? She felt shamed; how dare she doubt him, or God for that matter! It was His plan that mattered, far above her own selfish, pitiful desires. And it seemed the plan was for Link to join his soldiers, as was rightful, and just.

No matter how much it pained her to see him go again.

~-LoZ-~

Smoke to the south had become a regular appearance, now. Link felt fury swell in his chest as he stared beyond Lon Lon's pastures, and beyond the forests, to the everlasting cloud of smog rising above the trees.

It hadn't taken long for Link and his regime to reach Lon Lon – the ranch wasn't far from the capitol. And while they didn't plan on battling the dragons anywhere near them, Malon and her family had been kind enough to give them hospitality for the night. And night, indeed was falling over the soldiers' camp. The sun was just a sliver of light on the horizon, and stars slowly but surely peeked their twinkling faces through the blanket of twilight.

"Sire, do you see that?" said a nearby lieutenant, staring off into the distance. Link looked away from the cloud of smoke, and toward the same direction. "That dark figure… It seems awfully late for anyone to be out; particularly with dragons closing in."

There was, indeed, someone just exiting the edge of the woods. The largest shadow looked to be a horse, with what might've been a rider hunched over the saddle, and someone leading it by the bridle. Their going was slow, and almost drunken. Whoever it was seemed either not in their right mind… or injured. Link stood, and stepped away from the campfire.

"Light some torches. You, and you, come with me. We'll investigate."

The threesome was ready in mere seconds and, each carrying a torch to light the way, they set out toward the staggering silhouette. The sun had all but disappeared when they neared enough to be heard.

"Who goes there? Are you friend or foe?" called one of the captains that accompanied Link, drawing his sword.

The shadow stopped, and held still, swaying. Then, a soft, trembling voice answered. "F-f-friend…"

Link's eyes widened. "It's a woman! Stay your blades." He swung out of Epona's saddle, ignoring the jolt as his feet landed on the dry, hard ground. He held the torch aloft, letting the light splash over the stranger. It illuminated ash blonde hair framing a pale, pretty face, and bright green eyes nestled in their hollow depths. She was thin, and frail-looking… particularly with the long red slash across her midsection that stained her clothes red.

He knew her face instantly. "Ilia!"

She opened her mouth to respond, but her eyes rolled back, and she collapsed. Link was at her side immediately, and scooped her up in his arms after being sure she was still breathing. "Tend to the horse…" His words drifted off when he saw that the beast of burden had an occupant.

"Mummy…" the little girl muttered, pale and sweating, swaying dizzily in the saddle.

That must be her daughter… He glanced to the men, and one of them nodded and carefully extracted the child from her perch, cradling her in the same way Link carried Ilia. The third took the horses, two with each hand, and they turned and hurried back toward the campsite.

Link and the soldier carrying Ilia's daughter continued past the camp, toward the ranchhouse. Upon being close enough to hear, Link called up to it. "Malon! Davhed! Come, quickly!"

The door opened, and a streak of light stretched out over the yard, and Link quickly stepped into it to avoid tripping over anything in the darkening terrain. Malon stood in the frame and her hand flew over her mouth, stifling a gasp. She stepped aside to let the two men through.

"Davhed, boil some water!" she called to her husband, and recovered to lead Link and his soldier to a place where both Ordonians could be laid. "And heat a knife."

As soon as Ilia and the girl were laid on cots, and Davhed entered with a pail of steaming water, and the hot knife wrapped in animal skin, Malon ushered all the men out and shut the door.

~-LoZ-~

Link stared up at the full midnight moon, studying each crater with half-hearted intensity, and spotting each and every constellation he knew, which was saying a lot. It had been hours since he had brought Ilia and her daughter in. While outwardly, he seemed calm and collected, inwardly he was a wreck of anxiety. It had been so long since he saw his childhood friend, and now, upon their reunion, Ilia appeared to be gravely wounded. The coincidence of it was incredible.

He jumped when the door opened behind him, and Malon came out onto the porch, sinking onto the steps beside him and tucking her red hair behind her ear. Link studied her for a long moment, waiting for her to speak first.

When she finally did, her voice was quiet. "She's all right… Both of them are. They stabilized about twenty minutes ago…" She stared at her hands clasped in her lap, her gaze shifting at some unknown thought. "The little girl… had lost a leg…"

Link blanched, swallowing the sudden lump in his throat. How had he not seen that? He was about to speak these very words when Malon interrupted him.

"We didn't notice until we unwrapped all the blankets from around her. I think… Ilia tried her best to bind and tourniquet it, but… We'll have to watch closely for infection."

Link nodded, and Malon was silent for another long expanse of time. He looked to the skies, and sent up a prayer of thanks that they were alive.

She spoke again, and made him jump. "Ilia… The wound on her stomach was deep… We disinfected it as best we could, and stitched it up, but…" She looked about ready to cry, and her hands shook. "We…" She took a deep, shaky breath. "We couldn't save… the baby."

A/N: I know, I know, Malon and Ilia were never in the same game, but who cares? It's fanfiction. XP It works.