Chapter Five

Dusk was approaching as Princess Zelda's entourage made its way through the narrow pass leading into Kakariko Village from the north, and Link made one final circuit of the wagons before spurring Epona to the front of the column, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The young knight didn't pay much heed to his surroundings as they passed through the open gate leading into the village; he had been here not more than a fortnight ago, and there wasn't much that had changed in that short space of time.

Much of Kakariko's derelict buildings had been refurbished over the last few months, and its population, drastically reduced during the Twilight invasion, had been replenished by a steady trickle of immigrants from other parts of the kingdom. Since Ganon's death, the former occupants of the village had quickly been replaced by refugees whose homes had been burnt and pillaged and were looking for somewhere to start a new life.

The horses and wagons threw up clouds of dust as they made their way through the central thoroughfare of the village, scattering the handful of stray cuccos that always seemed to be milling around the street. A small crowd of the village's inhabitants had gathered in the street to watch the procession as it past, with a few cheers heard from them, but the reception was nothing compared to Castle Town. Still, there were smiles on the faces Link could see, and although the tone was much more subdued here – possibly due to the time of day – it seemed as though everyone was happy to see the Princess.

A number of gorons dotted the street as well; it was likely a messenger had already been dispatched to the goron elders to inform them of the Princess's arrival. With Kakariko being built in the pass that connected Death Mountain to the rest of Hyrule, the presence of the hulking, stonelike people was a common sight. The goron vassal state maintained strong trade with almost every other settlement in Hyrule; their impressive physical strength made them fantastic labourers, and their knowledge of stone and metals was second to none.

Renado, the village shaman, and the rest of the Kakariko elders approached up the middle of the road, coming from the opposite direction, and Link motioned to those behind him to allow the Princess to reach the front so she could meet them. The dark-skinned shaman wore a welcoming smile on his large-featured face, and he nodded a greeting to Link as he caught his eye.

Link's olive-green cape tangled in his legs as his dismounted, and he muttered an oath under his breath, managing to restrain himself from shooting a glare in Zelda's direction as she stepped down from Lamri smoothly. He felt a fool wearing the thing, but for some undiscernible reason the Princess seemed to think it was appropriate garb for a high-ranking knight. She appeared not to have noticed that he was wearing it even after his previously adamant refusal to, which grated on him even more. The woman was positively infuriating sometimes.

The way Zelda glided effortlessly and confidently as she moved towards the now-kneeling village elders, Link wouldn't have guessed that she had just spent better than ten hours in the saddle with minimal breaks if he hadn't been right there with her. He fell in a pace behind and to the left of her, with the six knights who had been her honour guard just behind him, all standing straight and alert as she smiled and exchanged words with the elders.

"Greetings, elders. Please, rise."

The elders stood slowly, with Renado offering a bow as he did so. "We humbly welcome you to our village, your majesty. I am Renado, the village shaman and leader of our village."

"The pleasure is all mine. It gladdens my heart to see the citizens of Kakariko prospering after all this village has suffered."

"Thank you, Princess." Renado looked towards where the Princess's escort was pulling off to the side of the main street and unloading the contents of the canvas-covered wagons. "I would imagine you must be fatigued from your long ride; my daughter Luda will show you to the Elde Inn – I'm afraid it isn't what you're used to, but they are the best we have to offer, your majesty." As he name was mentioned, the shaman's black-haired daughter scampered out from the crowd and curtsied awkwardly to Zelda, her eyes averted.

"That would be perfect, thank you, Renado. It has indeed been a long day, and we would be honoured if you would be able to offer accommodations for my maidservants and Link as well, I would be most appreciative. The rest of my entourage have their own tents to set up for the night."

"Of course, your majesty." Renado nodded slightly.

"I will meet with you and the other elders properly in the morning, we have a number of things to discuss, and I would like to have a tour of the village arranged for afterwards. The day after tomorrow I shall head up to meet with the goron elders."

"Very well, your majesty. We are also planning a celebration feast in your honour for tomorrow night."

Zelda gave a soft, tinkling laugh and inclined her head. "That would be wonderful. I am honoured."

Turning to his daughter, Renado gestured quickly towards the other end of the road. "Luda, please show Princess Zelda and Link to their rooms in the Inn." He quickly turned back to face Zelda.

The Princess regarding him for a brief moment before nodding slightly, a warm smile brightening her face once more. "Until tomorrow, then."

Renado bowed deeply. "Until tomorrow, your majesty."

With that, Link stepped forward and touched Zelda's arm lightly. She turned in surprise, a questioning look on her face as he spoke. "I will catch up later. I have something I want to do. I've already given the knights and soldiers their orders regarding the guard for this evening."

Princess Zelda opened her mouth, but there was a slight delay before she replied. "Very well, Link. I will send for you if you are needed."

Nodding, Link moved away from the group of people, heading towards the southern end of town as Zelda and her personal guard was led towards the Elde Inn, Renado staying on to talk to some of the villagers. A black and white speckled cucco scuttled out of his path as he strolled down the dusty street, clucking softly. There wasn't much daylight left at all, he would need to make this quick.

It didn't take him long to reach his destination, which sat just past the southernmost house of the village – the decent-sized dwelling actually belong to Renado himself, and served double duty as a meeting place for the village elders. The pure spring past the house belonged to the Light Spirit, Eldin, who had been assigned to be the guardian of this province by the Goddesses themselves in ages past.

Walking out into the shallow water carefully, Link knelt down and dipped a gauntleted hand into the cool, crystal-clear liquid. He could feel the life-giving properties of the spring permeating his body even from this slight amount of contact, and he relaxed his shoulders as it soothed his travel-weary body. He didn't expect the golden owl of Eldin to appear to him – all of the Light Spirits had gone silent ever since Ganon's defeat – but even so, Link still closed his eyes and took a moment to give thanks and acknowledge the part they had played in the lifting of the Ganon's evil taint.

"Looks like I chose a good time to get back into Kakariko, yeah?"

Link straightened quickly and turned around, his eyebrows raised in surprise at the familiar voice. "Ashei! Good to see you." He raised his fist to his chest, saluting her as he would a Royal Knight. Her father had been one, and he had trained her in their ways before he had passed away.

The raven-haired adventurer, standing at the water's edge, returned the gesture before she resumed her previous stance, her arms folded and her hips set at a jaunty angle, regarding him with a small smile. "You too, hero. We haven't really had a chance to catch up in a good long while." She wore her usual heavily-modified cuirass – it looked more like a gold-enamelled metal corset then anything else – along with matching greaves and heavy armor plate along one arm. A thin sword hung at her hip, and crimson embroidered leggings clung tight to her shapely thighs. A black and white vertically-striped shirt sat underneath her armor and was pulled tight across her modest bust, which was pushed upwards and emphasised by the top of the cuirass.

"That's an understatement. Once you and the Group finished exploring the Sacred Grove you dropped off the map – where have you been?"

Ashei shrugged nonchalantly. "Ah, here and there, you know? Just around. How's life in the Knights of Hyrule treating ya?"

"Good." Link scratched the back of his head as he casually walked up to where Ashei stood, glancing down at the sword at her hip. "There's something I've been meaning to say to you. I have the authority to initiate new recruits into the order. You'd pass the tests to become a fully-fledged knight right away, I just know it – just say the word and you'll be a Royal Knight within a week."

A distant expression passed over her face, but after a few seconds of silence she banished it with a quick shake of her head. "Link… thanks. It means a lot to me that you'd offer me that, but no." Shrugging again, she gave a small laugh. "Not my style, yeah? I prefer to be able to come and go as I please. I'll keep your offer in mind if I ever change my mind, though."

"No problem." Link smiled wryly. "You know, I envy you a little bit."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what you said just then… being able to come and go as you please." He sighed and looked away, gazing out over the still waters of the Light Spirit's spring. "The responsibilities of a Royal Knight can be pretty frustrating. Sometimes I wish I had just stayed out of it after Ganon was defeated."

"We all make bad decisions, yeah?"

"I suppose." He tried to make his voice sound upbeat, but knew that he had failed miserably even before he started. "I have to head back. Duty calls. You sticking around?"

"I suppose." Her tone was a mocking imitation of his own. "I heard there's going to be a big party tomorrow night, yeah? Wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity for some good food and wine, so I guess I'll stay in town for a little bit."

"Are you staying at the inn?"

"You kidding? The place is off-limits at the moment, reserved for her highness. I'm no stranger to roughing it, though."

"You can take my room in the inn, if you'd like. I spent last night in my quarters in the castle. It's been a good while since I've had to sleep outside."

"Thanks, but you enjoy your nice warm bed for tonight. I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah." Link gave another wry smile as she turned and strode away into the night, heading down the path leading away from Kakariko. Despite her bluntness, Ashei was a good person; a member of the Group that had been working to restore peace to Hyrule during the Twilight invasion, and Link genuinely admired her. She didn't let anyone else tell her where to go or what to do, and she looked out for the wellbeing of people who weren't strong enough to do it themselves without asking anything in return. She embodied the ideals that Link strove towards.

Looking up, he realised the sun had completely sunk beneath the horizon, and he could only see by virtue of the moonlight and the few lights from the village ahead. Zelda probably would not have needed to see him tonight about anything, but if she had he would cop an earful from her in the morning. Luckily, he should be free to do his own thing while she was holed up with the village elders, or so he hoped, at least. Surely she wouldn't make him sit in on their discussions? It seemed like something she would do. Sighing once more, he trudged back to the village – even though the Light Spirit's spring had cleansed his body, he still felt weary to the bone.

- - - - - -

Black and purple energy crackled as Tuli's unstable spell detonated with a shock great enough to rock the foundation of the eastern wing of Hyrule Castle. The backlash of magical energy flung the scholar backwards like a rag doll as she let out a choked shriek of surprised, tossing her across the room to land on her writing table, scattering the manuscripts and parchment piled on it. The strong wood collapsed under the force of the impact, smashing the desk into so much kindling beneath her, and she lay still for a moment, blinking in shock.

After a few seconds, she scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled back towards the space she had been using on her floor for her experiments. She could barely move – every inch of her body felt like it had been pulverized by the explosion and subsequent collision with the desk, but she didn't think she had done herself any permanent injury; besides, she had to know if her efforts had paid off.

The Twili rune she had drawn on the floor using a stick of chalk was now etched deep into the hard wood, black scorch marks radiating out from it. Reaching out, Tuli gingerly ran a finger over the edge of the symbol before turning her attention back to what remained of the Shadow Crystal itself, sitting in the middle of the burnt wood. It had lost its shape completely, now appearing more like an amorphous lump of black melted glass than anything else, but Tuli could feel the resonance of the Twilight magic pulsing within it – she had succeeded, the connection with the Twilight Realm had been restored.

Only a scant minute or two had passed since the magical detonation before the door to her room crashed open, liveried guardsmen almost tripping over each other as they burst into the small apartment. She paid the confused soldiers little heed as she punched the air with a small cry of victory before crumpling face-first to the ground.

- - - - - -

Shadows played along the building facades on either side of the street from the two huge cookfires that dominated the central street of Kakariko Village. The aromatic scents of spiced meat and the sounds of merriment filled the air; a number of long log benches had been set up on the edges of the fire's heat and were crammed with the local villagers partaking in the free-flowing mulled wine.

Link had spent most of the day just kicking back and catching up with a few of the villagers that he knew. Malo was still running a brisk trade, and had seemed pleased once he had learned that the princess had plans for turning Kakariko into a major trading post. Barnes was doing well, too – there was a high demand from the goron mines for his explosives.

Princess Zelda was sitting regally on a cushioned stool of her own with the village elders – Link had been keeping an eye on her since the celebrations had begun, but she seemed to be enjoying herself well enough, so after a little while he wandered away. Stalking the edges of the party, the young knight scanned the crowd intently before smiling faintly as the person he had been looking for raised a hand and waved him over.

Ashei chuckled from her seat as he made his way over, offering him a large mug brimming with mulled wine once he drew close enough to take it. "Come down here and have a drink with me, hero."

"Sure." Link grinned, taking a swig of the spiced mixture. It was his third for the night, and he was starting to feel slightly unsteady, but he half-drained the mug anyway. Traces of cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon filled his mouth along with the heady, warm wine, and he planted himself down next to the raven-haired adventurer as she scooted over to make room for him.

"I haven't had good wine in weeks! Bet all you have to do in the castle is crook your little finger and a servant comes running with a glass, yeah?"

The knight gave a short laugh. "Something like that. It can be kind of weird sometimes, with all the servants always around and everyone knowing who you are."

"I'm sure it takes a bit of getting used to. Tell you what, I wouldn't mind haven't a couple of servants waiting on me hand and foot; beats sleeping on the dirt, yeah?"

"It does at that." Link shook his head wryly, cupping his mug in both hands as he spoke. "Do you keep in contact with the others much still?"

Ashei shrugged. "Occasionally. Shad spends all his time with those freaky bird things, so it's hard to catch him. Auru is out in the Gerudo Desert somewhere at the moment; I'm not really sure what he's doing out there. Rusl pretty much hasn't left Ordon since the attack on Hyrule Castle. Family to look after, yeah?"

Nodding, Link took another swallow of his wine then wiped his mouth with the edge of one of his leather gauntlets. "Yeah, I know. I see him whenever I head down that way."

Suddenly a heavy hand thudded down onto Link's shoulder, and Bain was squatting down at the end of the log bench next to him, his long fiery-red hair hanging loose and a pint of wine in his free hand. "Being in the Princess's escort ain't all bad, hey Link?" He flashed Ashei a grin. "I don't think we've met yet. Name's Bain."

The adventurer narrowed her eyes slightly and gave a curt nod. "Ashei."

"Ah, I've heard of you. You helped out Link during his attack on Hyrule Castle during the Twilight Invasion, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Okay…" Nonplussed by Ashei's unresponsiveness, the red-haired knight turned back to Link. "So, are we gonna get to see you wrestle a goron when we head up to Death Mountain tomorrow? That's some serious muscles you got there, to be able to match a goron."

Link shifted his mug from one hand to another, looking down into it. "I don't know." He felt slightly abashed at having drunk as much as he had, and wanted to be careful about anything he said. He'd heard some stories from the other knights of fool things they had done after having a drink too many, and he had never really had more than one mug in one evening before. Ashei being there didn't bother him at all, he felt comfortable around her, but he didn't particularly want to embarrass himself in front of the lower-ranking knights.

Nodding thoughtfully, Ashei gestured with her free hand, "I've heard that you beat Gor Coron in a wrestling match once."

"I would like to see that, I think." The soft voice from behind startled Link slightly, and he turned to see Zelda standing behind them, a bemused expression on her face.

Bain stumbled to his feet and stood bolt upright, his face colouring slightly. "Princess! I'm sorry, your majesty, I didn't see you there."

"It's alright." The princess inclined her head slightly, the bemused expression remaining in place as she studied Link. "I hear that Elder Gor Coron used to be a champion sumo-wrestler among his people; I'd be curious to see how a human would be able to match up to his raw physical strength."

Link looked down into his mug again, and was surprised to see he had already emptied it. Was the rest of the entourage going to show up too? Having everyone focused on him wasn't helping his increasing self-consciousness, either. "I uh, used to wrassle goats."

Bain burst out laughing, almost spilling his drink as he clutched at his side with his free hand; Zelda chuckled slightly and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes twinkling. Even Ashei snorted and shook her head before taking another swig of her drink.

Link's face burned as he stood stiffly. "I'll be back." He shook his mug to emphasize its emptiness and stepped back over the log bench, being especially careful not to catch his foot. He inclined his head slightly to Zelda as he shuffled past her – she still had that same amused expression on her face. "If you'll excuse me, princess."

Relieved to have gotten away from the group, Link discarded his mug on a nearby bench as he picked his way down the street. He hadn't been planning on sticking around for very long during the celebration, anyway; wine and talk was all well and good, but there was somewhere he'd much prefer to spend some time. No one seemed to notice him as he slipped away from the crowds, which was for the best.

The rough steps leading up to the hot springs above the Elde Inn were cut into the living rock of the cliff itself, and worn from years of constant use. Link breathed deeply as he reached the top, taking in the mineral-rich scent of the steaming water. The hot springs were completely empty at the moment, as he had expected them to be – everyone was down in the village proper partaking of the celebration in Zelda's honour. It was a rare occasion to get this degree of privacy while enjoying the springs, and he intended on enjoying it while it lasted.

Pulling off a gauntlet, Link knelt close to the water's edge and dipped his hand gently into the hot liquid. The waters of the Light Spirit's spring were soothing, true, but they lacked the ability to relieve tension and stress the way the hot springs themselves did. It had been far too long since the last time he had taken the time to relax here. Looking around, Link picked out a secluded spot where he wouldn't be noticed even if someone did decide to come up.

The young knight stumbled slightly on the uneven ground as he made his way over to a nearby rock and clumsily started to strip off his clothes, placing them in a haphazard heap atop the outcropping and leaning his sword scabbard and shield against the side next to his thick leather boots. His head felt light, and as he struggled with his tunic he dimly noted that he probably shouldn't have drained that last mug of spiced wine as quickly as he had. A minute or two later he was standing in nothing but his skin, goosepimples forming in the cool night air despite the warmth of the nearby hot spring.

The watery reflections of the moon and stars rippled as he eased himself bit-by-bit into the spring, feeling around in the water for a ledge he could use as a seat. Finding what he was looking for, he sighed contentedly and leant back against the edge of the spring, letting the hot liquid cover him completely up to the base of his neck as he felt the tension from his shoulders and back dissolving.

He hadn't been there long before a noise caught his attention, causing him to straighten up and scan the darkness. His senses may have been slightly muddled by alcohol, but he was fairly sure he had heard footsteps. Despite straining his eyes, it was too dark to see much beyond the edge of the water, except for the silhouettes of the rocky outcroppings around the springs. Movement caught his eye, near to where he had left his clothes and equipment, and a rustle of material and the clink of metal on metal made him feel around carefully for a rock he could use as a weapon while his eyes remained locked on the dark shape that was now heading slowly towards the waters edge.

A few more feet closer and his breath caught in his throat as the shadowy figure resolved into a curvaceous body as naked as he was, and he quickly averted his eyes, feeling his face grow hot as she drew close enough for him to make out her features. "Ashei!"

"Hey hero, did I scare you?"

Link felt the water shift as she gracefully lowered herself into the hotspring, and was careful not to look in her direction. "No, I just, uh… What are you doing here? I can go." He moved backwards as if to get up, but stopped with the water waist-high on him as he realised he would be exposing himself fully to her if he went a step further. He froze there, half-standing, unsure of what to do.

"Nah, you don't need to go anywhere; I was up here looking for you." Her voice held a tone of wry amusement, as it always seemed to when she spoke to him.

The water shifted again, and he risked a glance up at her. "Oh. Um." She was in the middle of the spring now, a scant six feet away from him, and had lowered herself enough that only the very tops of her breasts were visible above the water. He gingerly slid back down to the ledge he had been sitting on, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He swallowed, hard. Her pitch-black hair hung heavy and straight, loose of its usual braids. With her shoulders exposed to the moonlight it was hard not to notice how beautiful she was.

"What's wrong, hero?" Ashei glided over to him, and he pressed himself against the stone wall behind him as she drew closer. Suddenly she was straddled him, her knees resting on the stone ledge to either side of his thighs, her body pressed against his, with her full breasts completely exposed and a firm hand at the back of his head guiding his mouth to hers. Link quite literally had no idea what to do. No one had ever kissed him like this before, and to begin with his face was wooden as her lips and tongue worked his. He tried to avoid kissing back, but after a little while he couldn't help it.

After what seemed like an age, Ashei pulled back and let him gasp for air. "Ashei, I… this, we shouldn't. I'm not… you're not…" His breath was coming hard and fast now, and his heart felt about ready to leap from his chest face. He hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt, because right now it felt hotter than the volcanic depths of Death Mountain. Her breasts were sitting just below his eye level now, and he fought to keep his eyes and face pointing up towards hers.

Ashei chuckled before pulling his head forward slightly, nuzzling the top of his ear softly with her nose. "It's ok. I know you're pining over that Midna chit, but it's not like you can't have some fun in the meantime, yeah? I'm not after anything else. This is just two friends who haven't seen each other in a while having a bit of fun, nothing more." Her teeth and tongue teased his earlobe lightly.

"But-"

Ashei cut him off, not giving him another chance to protest, her breath hot in his ear. "I've already drained a cup of flatwort tea, yeah? The stuff's expensive; it would be a shame to have wasted it." She started to nibble on his neck, high near his ear at first, then slowly made her way down to his shoulder. Flatwort tea. A contraceptive. Link had heard someone mention it before; had it been Rusl? A woman could drink a cup before she… and there was no risk of… his thoughts trailed off, unable to fully comprehend the situation.

He tried to focus, but the wine wasn't making it easy for him to think straight, and with Ashei biting his neck like that his brain wasn't the only part of his body trying to give orders. Link struggled mentally for a few seconds more before his resolved collapsed entirely and his hands crept up nervously to rest on her hips. "I'm not… uh; I've never done anything like this before." If it were possible, Link's face would have grown hotter. Vaguely he regretted not listening to Bain's stories of his conquests more closely; if he had he may have had some idea of what he was doing.

The raven-haired adventurer stopped what she was doing and leant back slightly, giving a short laugh as she did so. The amusement in her voice was plain. "That's fine. I know what I'm doing. You just relax and enjoy. Don't enjoy too much just yet, mind." Her grin turned into an exaggerated frown briefly, and she tapped him lightly on the nose with her index finger before the mischievous smile returned. "I plan on having you up here for a few hours yet."