Chapter Seven

The morning sun streamed into the room from behind the closed curtains as Link lay in bed, thinking. Despite Ashei's voracious appetite he had still managed to get a decent amount of sleep last night, but he was still very tired, and more than once he stifled a yawn to keep from waking his companion. He was tired, but very content.

Ashei's head rested on his chest – she was still asleep, with her body curled against his right side and her legs intertwined with his beneath the sheets. Link's arm was around her, with his hand resting gently on her shoulder, and he stroked her long black hair with a finger absently as he lay there. He didn't feel as guilty this morning as he had yesterday, but it was still there, nagging in the back of his skull.

Last night would be the last time. Now that Tuli seemed to be getting closer to bridging the world of Light and the Twilight Realm, he couldn't get distracted from his goal of reaching Midna. Ashei shifted slightly in her sleep, her inner thigh rubbing against Link in a way that caused him to inhale sharply, and he felt his body start to heat again. Well, this morning would be the last time, then. Maybe. One more night like last night surely wouldn't hurt, either.

He shook his head slightly to try to clear it. No, he wasn't thinking straight – he couldn't afford to have lust cloud his judgement like that. Reaching down, he carefully moved Ashei's leg off of him and then gently rolled onto his right side, sliding her head down onto the pillow and extricating himself from the tangle of sheets and naked flesh to sit on the edge of the bed. He sat there for a few minutes, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and letting his blood cool off.

Once he judged himself sufficiently settled, Link stood slowly and started to dress, keeping quiet so as not to awaken Ashei. Disregarding the fresh green tunic that lay across the chair at the foot of the bed, he slid the Twilight Tunic, as Tuli had named it, over his head and buckled his belt, sword scabbard and shield securely before continuing with the rest of his clothes. Looking over at Ashei, he watched her sleep for a few seconds. She was very peaceful when asleep, and beautiful. He felt tempted to undress again and climb back into the bed with her, he resisted the urge and firmly turned to head downstairs, making extra sure not to make too much noise when he slipped through the door and closed it again behind him.

The ground level of the inn was empty of people, the simple furnishings appearing not to have been disturbed since the previous night. Vaguely, Link wondered where the innkeeper – at this hour, she should be up and making breakfast preparations for her guests. His stomach growled at the thought of food, emphasising the fact that he had neglected to eat a meal the previous evening.

The entourage was to leave Kakariko today and head southwest – their next stop was Ordon Village, his hometown. Many didn't consider the Ordona Province that the village rested in to be a true part of Hyrule, an opinion that Princess Zelda evidently did not share. He would need to go out and ensure that everyone at the north end of the town was making preparations to break camp; if anything was out of place or took too long the princess might decide it enough reason to make his life just that much harder. Besides, until the innkeeper got up he wasn't going to be fed here, and he was hungry now – he might be able to russel up some breakfast with the common soldiery. Link was used to poor fare from his past as a rancher, so he didn't mind trading in a hearty meal for a soldier's fare so long as it kept his belly full.

Opening the door of the inn, he stepped out into the full morning light and stretched his arms, yawning widely. From here he could see that people were busily swarming about at the northern camp, and from the rate at which tents went down as he watched they would likely be ready to leave within the hour. It was doubtful they would leave that soon, however – the princess was notoriously good at taking her time when it came to getting ready of a morning. Link walked out a few paces then stopped, the back of his head itching as if someone were staring at him.

Turning his head slightly, he peeked out of the corner of his eye and suppressed a sigh when he saw Princess Zelda through the window next to the door of the inn. The two knights that had been assigned to guard her during the night were there too, and one of her maidservants, looking as though she was headed towards the kitchen – probably to arrange the princess's breakfast. They must have only narrowly missed him as they came downstairs. The princess was already taking a step towards the door as Link reached behind him and put a hand on the grip of one of his clawshots. No chance of that right now, not in the middle of the street where everyone could see and with Zelda looking right at him.

Suddenly, the princess's gaze wavered and she looked up to the stairs next to her – someone else must have decided to come downstairs. Seizing the opportunity by the throat, Link spun on his heel and sprinted around the far side of the inn, away from prying eyes, bringing out his clawshot as he did so. He located a suitable anchor for the device high up on the side of the building, took his aim and fired, yanking himself off the ground as quickly as he was able as he heard the front door of the inn swing open around the corner.

Hanging from the top of the building, he grinned to himself and peeked around the corner to see the princess standing in front of the inn, looking around in puzzlement. Link had no desire to talk to the princess right now, and like as not having him disappear on her like that would frustrate her to no end. He knew it wasn't very knightly behaviour and he would be pretty embarrassed if he was caught out, but any opportunity to get the princess's back up was well worth the risk.

- - - - - -

Tuli muttered sharply under her breath as she pulled on her riding boots, yanking hard on the laces and pulling them far tighter than was comfortable. The nerve of the man! Spending all this time on a fool quest to reunite himself with his lost love, and here he was bedding some vulgar harlot in his spare time. She spent all her time trying to help him and this is what he was doing while she wasn't around? She just wanted to scream.

She checked to make sure she had gathered all of her belongings before stomping out of her room and giving the door a satisfying slam as she walked out. A tinge of jealousy briefly flashed through her as she stalked past the door to Link's room and made her way to the top of the stairs that led to the first floor of the inn. If he was going to bed someone while he was waiting to find Mida, Tuli could think of much better candidates than that slatternly trull Ashei. She pushed the thought down hastily. She was angry, not jealous.

Princess Zelda was walking past the foot of the stairs, stepping quickly towards the front of the inn, when Tuli came down the staircase. The princess paused and glanced up at her as she came into view, her clear blue eyes taking in Tuli's scowl, before she looked back towards the front of the inn. A flicker of surprise touched her features, then a frown, and she picked up her pace, hurrying out of Tuli's field of vision towards the front door.

As she rounded the bottom of the staircase, she could see that Zelda had opened the front door and walked out several paces; the princess now looked around with a pensive expression on her face, as if searching for something. Tuli was glad that the princess was otherwise occupied; she was sure that Zelda would have some words to say to her about last night, none of them good. The opportunity to slip out behind her and be out of Kakariko before the princess had a chance to talk to her seemed ripe, but before she managed to get much more than a step out the door, the princess looked over her shoulder. "Hold a moment, Tuli."

The scholar's scowl deepened briefly, but she schooled her face to smoothness as Zelda turned to face her. "Good morning, your majesty."

"Good morning." The princess looked around again; once she was satisfied that there was no one within earshot she shot Tuli a frosty glare. "I thought we understood each other, Tuli. Any progress you made on your research was to be reported to me before you passed it on to Link."

Tuli knew that this had been coming. Even so, she could feel her frustration, both towards Zelda and Link, bubbling to the surface. "You told me that my work concerning the Shadow Crystal was fine."

"That was before you'd made any significant progress with it. I saw him wearing a black tunic. What is it?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"

"I'm asking you." Zelda's voice was tight.

"I managed to reactivate and duplicate the connection to the Twilight Realm. He can use it to turn into a wolf again."

The princess was silent for a few moments before she sighed heavily. "I see. I'm disappointed in you, Tuli. This is something that definitely should have gone through me first."

Unable to keep from snapping any longer, Tuli almost snarled as she vented at Zelda. "Why? So you could hide it from him? I'm sick of my research being kept hidden. What's the point of me even doing anything if you're just going to withhold it all from him?"

A cold stare was Zelda's only reaction to the outburst. "I am not going debate this with you. You will be vigilant in keeping me informed with precise information regarding your progress from now on. This is not a request." With that, the princess strode past Tuli and back into the inn without a backwards glance.

Tuli wanted to howl. Here she was, arguing with the matriarch of the entire kingdom over some thrice-cursed fool man who wouldn't even look at her sideways. She forced herself to walk stiffly to the side of the building and start to untie her horse, Zevra, from the hitching ring. That was it. They could both rot, for all she cared, Link and Zelda both. She was going to go back to the castle, gather her personal items, and head back to her mother's house in Castle Town. She was sick and tired of being used, taken for granted, and manipulated, and she wasn't going to stand for it any longer.

- - - - - -

Link watched from above as the princess walked back into the inn and the scholar moved around to the side of the building. As Tuli turned to lead her horse away, he lowered himself to the ground and landed heavily on the hard-packed earth directly behind her. The scholar froze. "Tuli." His tone was soft and measured, but his chest held a tight knot of anger that was growing by the second. "What have you been hiding from me?"

Turning slowly to face him, Tuli stared at him without answering long enough for him to open his mouth to repeat himself, but suddenly she burst into tears and buried her face in his chest. "The princess… she… she made me do it. I didn't… I didn't want to keep anything from you." She choked on the words as she squeezed them out, sobs wracking her small body, and Link's anger dissipated and was replaced by concern. He had never seen Tuli cry before. He put his arms around her awkwardly, holding the back of her head with one hand as she sobbed and murmured softly to her that it was alright.

After Tuli's tears had slowed slightly, he gently raised her face from his chest. "I need you to tell me everything."

As she filled him in on her discoveries regarding the Ocarina of Time, Link's anger didn't take long to return; this time it was directed solely towards Zelda. How could she have forced Tuli to lie to him like this? Any trust he had for the princess was no long gone. Who else was she manipulating? Could he trust Bain and Talis to be honest with him? Yesterday he would have believed so, but then he would have believed that Tuli wasn't capable of deceiving him either. Was there anyone that Zelda wouldn't have been able to sink her talons into?

The scholar pulled back and dabbed at her red-rimmed eyes with the sleeve of her dark blue riding dress. "Even though she told me not to… I kept looking out for information about the Ocarina, in case she changed her mind. I have a drawer full of research on it in my room in the castle. I even have some melodies that I think will let you access its abilities if you play them on it."

Link nodded slowly. "Do you know where it is?"

"I think so. Here, in Kakariko."

"Here?"

"Behind the graveyard there's an abandoned temple, built by the Sheikah. They used to be the retainers of the Royal Family, and everything I've read points to them being entrusted with it after the Hero of Time returned from one of his adventures. The temple was originally used as a vault of some sort, and it's the only place I could find that seemed likely for them to keep it, but I don't know how to get in."

"Thank you, Tuli." Link said gently. "Is there anything else?"

"The ocarina should work on its own, but… I think to use the full range of its powers you'll need the Master Sword again."

Link's thoughts raced. If he could travel back in time somehow, he could talk to Midna, convince her not to destroy the Twilight Mirror. This was perfect. The only problem now was Princess Zelda. He needed to move quickly before she realised what was happening; there was no doubt in his mind that she would try to stop him once she realised that Tuli had betrayed her little secret. "Alright. I have something I need you to do for me. I need you to ride to the castle and get your research on the Ocarina, then meet me down in Faron Province, near the Sacred Grove. Can I count on you?"

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Tuli nodded. A sound towards the front of the building made them both turn to see Ashei leaning casually against the edge of the wall with her arms folded, fully dressed and clad in her armor, her thin sword hanging at her hip. "An abandoned Shiekah temple. Sounds fun, yeah? I haven't explored an ancient ruin in a good while."

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Tuli's hands clench into fists. "Go on, Tuli. You'll need to head off as soon as possible. I'll see you in a day or two." The scholar looked for a few seconds before nodding. Leading her horse out past Ashei, she pulled herself up into the saddle and started out at a light trot. After she was out of earshot, Link folded his arms and fixed Ashei with a hard glare. "How much of that did you overhear?"

"Enough to know you're not terribly impressed with her majesty right now, and you could use some help."

Link kept the glare up for a few more seconds before he sighed and shook his head. "Alright. We need to move as quickly as possible; find a way into the temple, get in, get the Ocarina, get out, and be well on our way to the Sacred Grove before Zelda realises what's happening. Hopefully we have a few hours yet before the entourage starts moving – that'll be when they notice I'm missing." Ashei was the one friend he had that he could trust completely right now, the only one who had no first-hand contact with the princess whatsoever. "You realise what you're getting into?"

Ashei just rolled her eyes. "Yeah. We going or what?"

Link nodded, his face a cold mask of determination. "Yeah." For too long he had let Zelda kick him around like some dog she expected to come to heel. He was done with it now – he would do what he wanted, and the consequences be damned.

- - - - - -

Tuli rode at a slow trot as she passed through the eastern side of Eldin Province. She was fifteen minutes out from Kakariko, and she saw no need for excessive speed. She would easily make Castle Town today, and then in the morning she would head south in time to meet back up with Link by tomorrow evening. A cool breeze blew over the province this morning, and Tuli drew up her cloak to keep off the chill.

Her anger at Link and Zelda had drained away after leaving Kakariko, and now she just felt hollow inside. Of course Zelda was trying to act in the best interests of her kingdom. Of course Link could bed who he wanted. It was selfish of her to think that they would take her feelings into consideration when they made their decisions. A week ago, she would have said that Link was her friend, but the truth was that she was just a nervous little scholar that he had hired, nothing more. Tuli sighed, something she had done a lot of since leaving the village.

A familiar sound behind her caused her to catch the sigh in her throat and she turned her head to see a faint dust cloud behind her. A group of men on horses were headed in Tuli's direction at a gallop, and she was fairly sure they had already spotted her. As they came closer, she recognised the glint of sunlight off metal cuirasses and helmets and the livery of soldiers of the crown. It would be no use to try to outrun them – their warhorses would easily outpace her small brown gelding – so she contented herself to keep to the same pace she had been making, waiting for them to catch up.

"Hold, in the name of the Princess!" Tuli didn't slow her pace, and the soldiers surrounded her, one pulling up beside her to grab the reins. She didn't resist, simply calmly handing them over and folding her hands into her lap as Zevra trotted to a halt. A few moments later and Princess Zelda herself reined in in front of her, her divided riding skirt shining white and purple in the morning light.

"Your majesty." Tuli inclined her head slightly, concentrating on maintaining a cool facade. How had she found out? What other reason would she possibly have for chasing the scholar down other than discovery of her betrayal? "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Where is he?"

Tuli was careful with her tone. "Where is who?"

The princess was positively icy, with eyes as hard as steel and a voice to match. "Don't play games, Tuli. It doesn't suit you. You know who I'm talking about."

"I don't know where he is."

"I don't believe you." Tuli couldn't tell whether Zelda sighed or merely exhaled sharply. "You told him, didn't you?"

The scholar's expression slipped slightly, but a few seconds later she gave a sigh of her own. Lying wasn't easier for her at the best of times, and surrounded by soldiers with the ruling matriarch of the kingdom looking her straight in the eye wasn't the best of times. She hated lying. "Yes. I had to. I told him everything. How did you...?"

"You think I wouldn't have set watchers on you after your last stunt? He and Ashei have disappeared, but no one saw where they went. You were the last to speak to them. Now, tell me where he is, or I will have you arrested."

That was alarming. From what Tuli had heard, the princess would never normally talk that sharply to anyone. She was in a much deeper mess than she initially imagined; maybe it would be for the best to just cooperate for now and see what happened. "...he's going after the ocarina."

"Where?"

"The Shadow Temple. It's in Kakariko Village's graveyard."

"It's that close?" Tuli was shocked to hear Zelda swear an oath under her breath, another sign that the monarch had been pushed far further by this than the scholar had previously thought. "I had hoped it was halfway across Hyrule and we could catch up to him before he managed to obtain it. We must move quickly." Turning to a pair of mounted Royal Knights, she forced her tone back to a semblance of normality and addressed them directly. "Head back to Kakariko as fast as your horses will take you. Gather the rest of the knights and follow after him. Don't injure him too badly, but restrain him if necessary." Her words were met by salutes and a murmur of assent.

Tuli waited until the knights had galloped off before she spoke, choosing her words carefully. "Am I free to go?"

"I will deal with you later." The princess snapped at her before indicating two of the regular liveried soldiers that had accompanied her out of the village. "You two, escort her back to the castle. She is to stay under guard, but do not impede her unless she tries to leave the castle."

The soldiers saluted and bowed deeply in their saddles. "It will be as you say your majesty."

Tuli watched uneasily as the Princess and her remaining guardsmen wheeled their horses around and set off back the way they had come, following after the two knights she had already dispatched. Silently, she offered a small prayer to the Goddesses that Link found the ocarina before they caught up with him, then picked up her reins and started Zevra moving again, her newly-acquired guards in tow. Only two? Maybe she had underestimated Zelda by not assuming she would have set someone to watching her, but the princess was now sorely underestimating Tuli's magical ability if she thought a pair of regular soldiers could keep her confined to the castle. She would be in Faron Province waiting for Link tomorrow evening, as planned, of that she was certain. She just wished she could be as sure that Link would be there waiting for her.