Chapter 11

The New Members

"LINK!" Zelda screamed jumping over logs and rocks as she ran through the burnt forest that she ended up creating a few days ago. Six tributes were left… and Link was one of them. How could this happen? How could Link be a tribute if Ordon already had Rusl as the male tribute? Zelda's mind buzzed as soon as she heard the rustling of the river. She knew he wasn't dead. He couldn't be dead. Link survived anything dangerous even a pig rampage they encountered last year. He fell off the highest tree in Ordon and left with only a broken hand. Epona tossed him off a small cliff once during riding lesson and he walked away with a scraped face. A small stab wound with a trident couldn't have killed the Link she knew… unless Vaati was wrong and Link wasn't here at all but it was just another tribute wearing clothes that Link would wear. Zelda rushed over the river's rocks and saw small dried out pools of blood and one large blood pool to show someone died here at the very least a few days ago. She spotted ripped clothing stuck to a rock. It was green.

"Oh Goddesses please don't make it seem true…" Zelda whispered as she picked up the cloth and followed the river upstream. Blood pools seemed more common as Zelda walked farther up the stream. The mud was growing deeper and she could hear a waterfall in the distance when she noticed another large blood pool only this one wasn't dry but relatively new. She tipped her sword and poked at it only to see it wasn't sticky but flowed like water. Whoever shed this blood wasn't very far away… Zelda looked around and noticed mud piles along the river. She looked for anything that could give away a hidden tribute. The heat was becoming unbearable and the mud around her started to dry up and crack. If she didn't find Link soon he'll suffocate underneath the mud if he hid himself in it. She became desperate and started clawing her way through the mud hoping for pure second she would find someone or something. The sweat started to soften the mud making it easier for her to dig through but she gave up and walked through the river to the other side. She saw smaller blood pools on the rocks and more ripped clothing before something grabbed her leg. She yelped and pointed her sword at the mud pile nearest her.

"Link?" Zelda whispered. She got down on her knees and slowly dug out a heavily breathing tribute. She used the ripped cloths to clean the person's face before dragging them to the river and getting the access dirt and mud off.

"Zelda? Zelda is that you?" The tribute said. She washed away the dirt from his hair and noticed his hair was blond. The tribute smiled. "Hey Zelda."

"Link…" Zelda hugged him tightly and looked at him. "What happened?"

"They found me and realized who I really was and one of them threw a trident at me and got me in the leg so I hid out here and covered myself in mud. I was told to stay here."

"Who told you to stay here?" Zelda asked.

"Link…? Link where are you?" A girl's voice said. Zelda looked out and saw the tribute who watched her hunt the first night she was here was carefully stepping over stones carrying a bowl and different plants.

"Midna… I'm over here." Link said and coughed. Zelda saw his leg was hardly holding on and was turning green and infected. Midna walked over and Zelda pointed her sword at her.

"What's in there?" Zelda said. Bryce and Vaati quickly popped up from the rocks as well and raised their spears.

"Don't kill me! Look I'm trying to save your friend here. If you have a problem with that be my guest and let him die. I won't stop you and its one less person we all have to worry about killing for that damn triforce." Midna snarled.

"If you never wanted it then why are you here?" Vaati shouted.

"BECAUSE I WAS DRAWN TO BE A TRIBUTE!" Midna screamed at him. "WHAT ELSE SUCKS IS THAT THE BOY TRIBUTE FROM MY KINGDOM WAS KILLED BEFORE WE ENTERED THE GATES TO HYRULE! SOMEONE STABBED HIM ON THE TRAIN!" Midna said before handing the bowl to Zelda before sitting on a rock and crying. Zelda put an arm around her and hugged her.

"I didn't know you were protecting Link. For that I give you all my trust and a debt to you." Zelda told Midna.

"Look there is six tributes left… Let's stick together and hunt blue skin down and then we'll split up and whoever doesn't want the triforce can go home. It's not like they'll hunt you down and kill you for not trying to find something you don't really want." Vaati said.

"We better get Link into a safer place." Midna said. She threw back her hood and her orange hair fluttered in the breeze.

"We still have medicine leftover but we might need more…" Bryce said.

"You think people are still even watching us?" Midna asked. Bryce walked over to Link and lifted him up and flung him over his shoulder.

"Well you know if we don't hurry up Link will die and blue skin will get a head start because we'll end up fighting each other to death." Bryce said and looked up at the sky. The once blue sky was turned a dark gray and they heard a rumble of thunder overhead.

"My fort won't last if it starts raining. I only made it out of mud and leaves." Midna said and tiny drops of rain started to fall. The group headed down the river until they reached the opening of the forest and made their way through the burnt part of the forest.

"The hell? Did you guys have something to do with this?" Link said looking at the burnt trees and dead birds everywhere.

"We had to. We never planned that we would end up blowing up half the arena." Bryce said. They made their way to the other river where the boys helped Link into the cave and Midna gathered berries and edible plants for Link to eat.

"He needs more vitamins and fruit then anything." Midna told Zelda as Zelda kept her eyes out for animals. She quickly spotted a fox and took it down and then a few birds, each handing them to Vaati who gutted them and roasted the meat for dinner. Vaati and Midna's trainers each sent medicine to heal Link's injury and the other trainers sent water containers, messenger bags and finally a small container which Zelda opened up and out popped Leech and a letter. Leech greeted everyone with a smiling face and quickly chowed down on leftover berries and plants. Zelda opened the letter and saw it was from Zefa.

Dear Zelda,

Impa said we would use the rest of the money to send you Leech as a guide since he can find water when you need it. Mama and Papa are fine and they're very proud that you kept the legend and only killed for the greater good. Puff and I pray for you every night before we go to sleep and now I must hurry up or Impa won't send my letter. Be safe and… I like Bryce and Vaati. They show friendship and I'm so happy you found Link and met Midna. Please don't kill any of them…

Love Always,

Zefa

"Here Link. Zefa says everyone is fine." Zelda said handing him Zefa's letter.

"I got a letter from Russell!" Bryce said. "It has come to my intention that you teamed up with Princess Zelda, Vaati from Minish Village, Midna from Twilight Kingdom and Link from Ordon so I must congratulate you on making friends. Now I know you really weren't a lone wolf like your mother said and plan on marrying one of them after these games are over." Bryce read and all of them laughed.

"Marry Vaati!" Midna joked and Vaati threw a bone at her as his response.

"One tribute left…" Link said.

"I say we leave Link here and go blue skin hunting tomorrow. Vaati you should stay behind too. You're still not fully healthy." Bryce suggested.

"WHAT LEAVE ME BEHIND SO YOU CAN GET SOME GLORY? I DON'T THINK SO BUDDY!" Vaati shouted at him.

"No he's right… She's going to be hard to kill if she almost killed Bryce." Zelda said.

"I agree. I saw her kill three tributes by the other river with just throwing knives. Besides it's raining, Vaati, so how can you perform alchemy when the ground is all wet? Aren't you only best at using it when the air and earth are dry?" Midna asked. Vaati lowered his head and flopped onto the ground, sulking. So much for the thought that he was a scary river killer. He was only good when everything was humid or dry.

"Let's get some sleep. We need all the energy we have to track and kill her tomorrow." Bryce said putting out the fire.

"Zelda…" Link whispered. He reached into his pocket and took out a circular object. Another medallion! This one was green and had the symbol of what look liked the fans on a pin wheel.

"Ralph said to give it to you as soon as we found each other. He didn't see the part where I was going to be stabbed by a trident though.

"It's the Forest medallion. Now I have four of the six…" Zelda said. Not only was she holding the Forest medallion but in her bag was the Light one from Zefa, the Fire one from Bryce and the Spirit one from Cole. The only ones missing were Water and Shadow. Zelda smiled as she placed the Forest Medallion in her messenger bag and tucked it under a rock in case blue skin would try killing them in the middle of the night. She laid close to Link and fell asleep to his deep breathing and the rainfall outside. Tomorrow they would leave this place and be on their way to the triforce. Of course Vaati and Bryce would have to find magic or another weapon to use on the way there and she needed to find a library to look up these six medallions but somewhere out there Cole was proud, proud that his wish to her was slowly coming true.

Cole was sitting in his room peering out the window towards the direction where the arena was. Only six tributes were left and he knew it was going to end bloody. He had high hopes Zelda would survive tomorrow but the others? He guessed Bryce and Vaati would make it through since they made it few the horrible battle a few days before. Vaati was powerless though without alchemy and Bryce was out of magic. Cole groaned at himself and looked down in the gardens and saw Ralph and Impa talking to each other. He took off his hat and tail coat and started to get himself ready for bed when he heard a crow and looked outside to see the Gerudo Queen holding out a hand and letting the crow perch on it. The crow's eyes were red, his body a beautiful black but his claws and feet were red… Cole looked quietly out the window before opening the balcony door silently. He was only a couple of yards away from the Queen but her whispers were hardly audible. Cole looked in his desk before taking out a magical object he found at the market once that would pick up sounds and make it clearer for him to hear. He pressed the device to his ear and started hearing the conversation between the bird and the Queen.

"It's only a matter of time before that dreadful Queen falls down dead. Her beloved daughter will follow and Bryce will win the games after taking out the other three useless creatures he's teamed up with. I want you to deliver this to Stephen and say as soon as he sees Bryce to hand this vile to him and say put it in Zelda's glass. Say… It's to make her fall in love with him since I know he fell helplessly in love with her when that swine walked into the arena. I also want you to find Vaati and Midna's weakness and use it against them any way you can, understand… Bellizer?" The Queen commanded. The bird flew out of her hand and transformed into a tall handsome looking man with long black and red robes and black hair with red highlights. His eyes a bright red and big as the smile on his face.

"Anything for you… my lovely." Bellizer said and he leaned in and kissed the Queen on the mouth. Cole quickly shut the balcony door and tossed the device back into his desk. Zelda and the others were in danger… The Queen was planning on using her son as a pawn to win the games! Only one person was capable of helping him with something like this… Alfonso.