With Link's guidance it had only taken them an hour to reach the forest's exit. They had crossed the wooden bridge and through the dark tree tunnel. Link suppressed any anxiety that threatened to rise up within him, trying to remain confident as he eagerly waited to cross the forest's edge.

He took in a deep breath. He knew that the forest contained a tremendous amount of power that was shrouded in mystery. Many a traveler had trespassed into its woods and been subject to its tricks and curses. It was to his surprise that he realized Fin had never seen the horrific Stalfos that roamed aimlessly in the deepest parts of the woods. Fin was also unaware that the Kokiri themselves were thought to be Hylian children who had mistakenly wandered into the forest and been transformed by the mystical powers of the region. As they emerged from the shadows of the underbrush, Link smiled at the sun's warmth on his face.

Fin nudged him with a playful elbow in the side, "There you go! You're still here and you didn't vanish before my eyes." He continued to chuckle, "I wonder how much of that belief is just superstitious mumbo-jumbo, aye lad."

Looking ahead, Link could see the thick stone walls of Castle Town on the horizon as they approached their destination. The horses had kept a steady pace and seemed to lead the caravan with ease. Link had taken a comfortable seat next to Fin at the front of the cart, and was taking in the scenery before him. He looked out onto the rolling fields that stretched as far as his eyes could see. It was windy in the open plains, and he had to readjust his green hat to make sure he didn't lose it.

They finally reached the drawbridge and entered into the impenetrable walls of the great city. Link leaned over to look at the moat beneath them as they passed over the waters. The guards at the wall nodded at Fin as they crossed the opening and began up the cobblestone path.

Link had never seen such a busy place; there were so many different shops and vendors on the streets. The people were lively and bustling about as they made their rounds through the marketplace. He could hear the vendors at the Bazaar yelling out their specials of the day as they passed by the tents and tables. Some children ran out of the Happy Mask Shop and began play fighting in the road with their new masks as their mother vehemently fussed at them.

"Get your Hot Spring Water! Straight from Death Mountain!" yelled an enormous rock creature as he waved his arms about.

Fin, noticed the surprise on the boys face as he stared in shock at the creature in the streets.

"That's a Goron, Link. He and his son have been traveling to the market for years to sell their spring water. People of all races and species gather in this market in hopes to make it big."

"He seems friendly," Link said to himself, watching the two Gorons with curiosity.

And then his eyes closed as he took in the sweetest aroma to ever reach his 10 year-old nose.

"Mmmmm, what is that smell!" Link said as he began to twist and look about from his seat high on the cart.

Fin looked confident enough as he pulled the cart to the side and slowed it to a halt.

"Only the finest apple pie in all of Hyrule." He hopped down and walked to the window of the bakery shop and peered in expectantly. He quickly knocked on the window, and began to wave and smile as a woman approached from the inside. The window came up and a red haired woman stuck her head out and waved at Link. She then put her hand out to Fin as he bowed and planted a soft kiss on her hand.

She blushed and fanned herself off with her alternate hand and said, "Now Fin, you know I save only the best for you. Quick, take it while it's still warm!" With that she set a fresh, steaming pie in his hands. "Back to work! Hurry home, dear." She blew him a kiss and closed the window.

Fin practically skipped back to the cart, pie in hands. He handed it to Link as he climbed back up onto his seat. "Go on boy," he said as he took the reins and pulled the cart back into the street. "Have some, its fresh baked by wife, Misha. Have as much as you want!"

He beamed with pride as he watched Link hungrily grab a piece and take a bite into the golden crust. Link's blue eyes widened in delight as he scarfed the rest of the wedge down and continued onto his next piece.

Fin couldn't help but laugh as he watched the boy devour most of the pie. He had forgotten the joys of parenthood from long ago. He knew that he was blessed to have a wife like Misha, and to still be in love after all of this time. A lump formed in his throat as he remembered the image of his son sitting in the same spot as Link, enjoying the same treat that he now watched rapidly disappear.

He would never forget the day he and his wife heard the knock on the door. Hyrule was in an utter state of chaos, and at that time, no news was good news. He remembered glancing back at his wife as she clutched her hands to her chest and looked at her husband in fear. After setting down his hot bowl of beef stew, Fin had opened the door to the cold of night to see a royal messenger standing at the door. Without a word the shrouded man reached into a leather pouch and delivered a simple envelope into Fin's large hand. He could still feel the weight of the letter pressing into his palm-he remembered thumbing over the smooth texture of the official seal as he and his wife looked at each other in hesitation. He had opened it with trembling hands, and as swiftly as they had read the words on the parchment, no sooner had their entire world been shattered.

Fin scowled as he shook off the painful memory, and continued to look forward as they began to approach the castle gates.

Link, slumped in his seat, quickly regretted having nearly finished the entire pie by himself. He could barely move and he found himself fighting to keep his eyelids from shutting closed.

He was shaken awake when the cart came to an abrupt halt. Two knights stared up at them as Fin bent over to hand them papers.

After quickly glancing over them, they waved Fin through, "Welcome to the castle, please continue past the barracks and unload your cart in the back by the east wing."

Link noticed that these guards had different attire; their armor shone brilliantly, each adorned with the crest of the royal family, and behind each knight a blue and white Hylian cloak trailed at their feet.

"Who are they?' Linked asked once the cart had moved ahead.

"Those men are knights of the royal guard. They are thought to be the best warriors in the land and have sworn an oath to protect the royal family at all costs. They, too, are the men you see in the front-lines of the battle field. " Fin continued to lead the horses towards the barracks.

Link looked around at the young men in the field. They had reached the barracks, and he could see what he expected to be soldiers in training- some were sparring with each other while others were lined up receiving instruction. He noted that the living quarters were modest and not as extravagant as the castle itself.

"Wouldn't the army want the royal knights to stay in the back? Why would they fight in the front, if they could be the first killed?" Link asked, turning back to Fin.

"They are trained to be leaders, yes, but they are also trained to sacrifice themselves for the good of the people. The Hyrulian army wants them to fight in combat at the sides of soldiers of all ranks to serve as… a sort of example."

He turned to Link and smirked, "It's a very competitive position. They started off around your age as pages. Basically, they spent their time studying the history of Hyrule...learned to read and write, and eventually served as grunts to the soldiers around them. By 14 years of age they are hopefully graduating to become a squire. The squire is assigned a knight who he faithfully pledges to serve and, in turn, the knight will be a mentor of sorts. When the time is right the squire may be knighted and finally become a member of the royal guard. It's a lifelong pursuit, lad. "

Link nodded and looked out towards the men in the field. What looked to be a royal guard was firmly addressing the teenage boys in front of him. This knight had a red cloak instead of the blue and white garb; it contrasted brightly against the light training armor he wore. His hair was grey and his skin was tanned and weathered from spending so much time outside.

He paced down the line and looked each boy in the eye. "Given enough time, any man may master the physical." Once he reached the end he crossed his arms and looked down at his boots. He then began again, back up the line. "With enough knowledge, any man may become wise."

Fin leaned in to Link, "That's Captain Alvar….he trained my son and fought at his side during the war."

Fin thought back to the days after the war had finally ended. There was a feast held in honor of all of the fallen soldiers. Captain Alvar had made a formal speech and was quick to get out of the spotlight. Later in the evening he had approached Fin and his wife. He looked at the couple and told them he wasn't one to be sentimental, but that their son had made a lasting impression on him. He had sighed and pulled out a sheathed dagger and placed it in Fin's hands. "He would have wanted you to have this. It is the last of his possessions, and he fought valiantly by my side in the last battle. He saved my life." With that the captain knelt at Fin and Misha's feet. Fin had to blink back tears as he thanked him for the treasure he held in his hands.

"It's surprising that the old man is still at it!" Fin joked as he came back to the present.

Link continued to watch the captain as their cart rolled past the men.

"It is the true warrior who can master both...and surpass the result." With that the captain turned to the young men and unsheathed his sword, beckoning for a challenger. One boy stepped forward and readied himself. But everything went out of sight once the cart made it to the loading area.

Fin pulled up to the large doors and hopped off of the cart, his mind entirely focused on work at this point. He began unloading the large barrels while Link helped with the rice sacks. Link hefted a bag onto his small shoulders and began the walk up the steps.

He hesitated when he caught sight of a large and rather lavish dining hall. Massive portraits overhung the dining table, Link suspected them to be of the royal family. He saw the king and queen and a picture of a young girl. They each wore elaborate crowns and were dressed in Hylian blue and white official attire. The girl looked to be around his age and wore a pleasant smile.

"Move along boy, you're not allowed in there. Keep working." A servant had pushed him from behind and he continued to walk up the corridor. They continued up and down the hall until all of the goods had been removed and delivered.

Finally, Fin and Link sat on the back of the cart and worked to catch their breath. Fin offered Link some water as he wiped the sweat from his brow. As Link began to gulp down the cool water, Fin patted him on the back, "Well boy, great job!" Link coughed and sputtered, the friendly pat having been more powerful than Fin meant it to be.

"I'm off to receive payment. I'll be back in some time. Take a breather and guard the cart, I'll be back shortly." Fin jumped down again and headed back through the double doors and down the corridor.

Link leaned back in the shade and continued to drink from the pouch. He was sore and tired, but he was thoroughly pleased with himself. As he started to yawn, he noticed a gate adorned with Jasmine vines and a golden arch. He sat up and set his water pouch down as he looked over his shoulder; he was alone to his satisfaction.

He jumped off the cart, walked up to the gate and placed his small hands on the bars. He leaned to see what was behind the locked gates. As the sounds of footsteps approached the gate, he quickly darted behind the wall just as a guard passed the opening.

He leaned back against the wall, heart racing. "I wonder what they're hiding back here," he thought to himself as he peaked again through the bars. He thought back to Saria, "I know she'll want a good story. Maybe I'll check it out…."

Link stayed against the wall as he heard the pacing of a guard on the walkway above his head. He stepped back and watched as he rounded the corner and went out of sight. After watching the guard's patterns, he realized he had an opening. He quickly used the opportunity to step up onto a nearby crate and hoist himself up onto the walkway. He quickly darted behind a barrel as he heard the guard starting his round back.

The guard yawned as he slowly made his way past Link's hiding spot. Link let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. Just as he peeked around the corner to see what the guard would do next, the guard turned on his heel and began walking toward the barrel again.

"Hey! Ralf, it's hot as blazes out here! Come on and do me a favor, will ya, and cover my post for a moment," a voice from below bellowed up at the guard. Link heard the guard grunt and sigh, "Alright, but this is the last time!" With that, the guard headed toward the staircase and made his way below.

Link saw his chance and hopped down onto the ground beneath him, running to the opening of a garden. He slowed down once he realized he had made it, and bent down to rest his hands on his knees.

When he stood up he was amazed; beautiful flowers trailed up the great stone walls, and a large spouting fountain stood in the center of the square. Link walked up and put his hand in the cool waters. He looked at the large lily pads and his eyes followed them to the center of the fountain. There was a statue of the goddess Nyru dancing in the center. He walked by a pond with the biggest gold fish he had ever seen. He leaned down to peer at the fish, throwing a small pebble in to scatter them.

He noticed a small plaque to his left with the inscription: "These Camellias have been dedicated to our beautiful princess Zelda."

"This must be the royal garden," he realized.

He smiled as he looked up and saw a dark corridor that seemed to lead into another opening. He walked down the tunnel, his hands tracing the stone walls. He breathed in the scent of hibiscus and jasmine. Once he got to the end he was startled when he saw a young girl. She was at the top of the marble steps with her back to him, looking into a window. She seemed anxious, as Link could see that she was biting her nails and fidgeting nervously.

She started to turn. Not wanting to be seen, he quickly dove into a nearby rose bush. Link fought every urge in him not to scream out in pain as the thorns pricked at his skin. He got onto his hands and knees and tried to get a better look at the girl to see where she was. She had started walking towards the tunnel.

She stopped and tucked some stray strands of gold back into her hair wrap. She wore a white and purple dress, with the mark of the Hylian family crest draping down the front. Link's mouth dropped open as he realized she was the girl in the painting he had seen in the dining room. She picked up her skirts and began to walk again.

As Link fumbled around, his foot caught on something hard. He turned to peer over his shoulder. To his shock -and absolute dismay-a stone bird bath had begun to teeter. He frantically tried to grab it and stabilize the stone, but it was too late. It toppled to the ground and stone fragments shattered everywhere.

The girl gasped and let out a yelp. The stone landed right at her feet, and she jumped back in fear.

Link tripped and fell out of the rose bush right into her path. He was clutching his leg and rolling around trying to get out of the thorns and regain his composure.

When he finally looked up, the girl was staring down at him with her hands over her mouth.

"Who are you?" she managed, staring down at the mess in front of her.