Chapter 35: The Order of the Sword

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Zelda

Zah Tori was muttering to himself, shaking his head slowly back and forth and occasionally sighing deeply. Zelda watched him intently from her seat at a long wooden table in the main hall of the Sword Monks' Temple, finishing her dinner. Zah Tori himself was perched upon several cushions in his cross-legged meditative position, illuminated by the lanterns throughout the hall, casting gentle golden light upon him. There were several monks gathered around him, speaking in low voices. She wished she could see his face – was he bitter, because Link was doing well? Was he worried? Clearly something was wrong. The monk had not spoken to them in several days now, and she felt torn up inside with anxiety about Link.

"I know what you're thinking, but I don't think you should," Inpa said from behind her, watching Zah Tori carefully as well.

Zelda sighed. "And what am I thinking?" she said, unable to keep the frustration from her voice.

The Order of the Sword had convinced them days ago to relocate to their temple in the Lost Woods, where they had food that wasn't mushrooms, along with water, shelter, beds… all things that the Sacred Grove most certainly did not have. Zelda didn't care – she wanted to stay in the woods, to keep watch over the sword pedestal until Link came back.

But Zah Tori was also returning to the temple, and he was the one who knew what Link was actually doing. And logically she knew that she still needed to eat and drink. So she and Inpa joined the monks in traveling through another twisty misty passageway through the Lost Woods, and they had stayed at the temple since then.

"You're thinking you should try talking to Zah Tori," Inpa said, her tone sympathetic. "But he needs to keep his concentration – we don't know exactly how what he's doing affects Link."

Zelda nodded glumly. "He was able to talk to us before, though," she pointed out quietly. "At the beginning. And with the Great Deku Tree. I… I just worry, Inpa."

"I know," the Sheikah said with a nod, her crimson gaze dark with concern. "I do, too."

She heard a sudden raised voice from the monks around Zah Tori. "How can you be sure?" the man demanded, Sah Rakida from the sound of it. "You know full well what our Trial was meant to accomplish –"

"That I do," Zah Tori interrupted coldly. "And I have never been so certain that I was wrong – that we were wrong, to create it. After the challenges he has overcome thus far I have no doubt that he is the chosen hero."

"Sure, the brute can climb a few trees and bash a few heads together," one of the others snorted bitterly. "What does that show but how barbaric and backwards his people truly are?"

"If he does manage to get all the way out, I've half a mind to stick him with a knife right then," Sah Rakida growled. "Wait for the true hero to emerge."

Zah Tori at once surged to his feet, looming over the other monks, seeming all at once a mighty and intimidating figure. "You do not know of what you speak," he spat, his tone dark and angry. "I will hear no more of such wicked threats. If you dare, step outside and may the Woods take you to oblivion."

And he settled back down into his meditation, leaving the other monks to shrink back, looking to one another as if in surprise, and together they slinked away, Sah Rakida muttering angrily to the others. Zelda watched them leave with her heart pounding, unsure whether to feel encouraged by Zah Tori's defense of Link, or even more worried by the monk's concern and the chilling threats of the others.

"I have to try," she murmured, rising from her seat despite Inpa's protests and walking closer to Zah Tori. She sat back down in front of his pile of cushions, looking up beseechingly. "Monk Zah Tori?"

The monk stirred, his head tilting down to regard her behind his mask. "Ah… Princess. Yes. What… what is it?"

"How is he?" she asked at once, unable to keep the desperation and the tremor from her voice. "Is he – is he alright?"

The monk was silent for several moments, before responding at last, "He will make it to the end of the Trial and claim the Master Sword."

She felt her spirit rise at his words, but noticed the weight in his voice, the weariness. "You… you did not answer my question," she pointed out quietly.

"No, I… I cannot answer what you asked."

She swallowed thickly, fighting back tears. "Cannot, or will not?" she pressed.

Zah Tori was quiet for many moments again. "Will not," he decided. "Because I can see how you care about him. What he experiences in the Trial of the Sword…" He gave a slight shudder. "It will be his choice, whether to share that with you or not."

Zelda felt her shoulders droop, but she could accept his answer. Making it Link's choice what to say or not say… that was certainly fair. She nodded her thanks, and got to her feet.

"Princess," Zah Tori said, reaching out as if to stop her. "I…" He hesitated. "Pray for him," he said quietly. "He has the skill. He has the spirit. But I… I have made many mistakes. Perhaps… the Goddesses must intervene, to save him from the repercussions of my own sins."

Zelda nodded, her throat dry. She turned back to Inpa waiting for her, and together they returned to the humble little rooms they had been given to stay in at the temple. Link's gun lay across Zelda's bed – this was the first day since he had entrusted it to her that she had not slung it over her shoulder before leaving her room in the morning. She ran a finger lightly down the smooth wood of the stock.

Pray for him. I can certainly do that – I have been doing that, every day. Almost every hour.

She tried the dream spell again, but felt only the terrible absence of him, the void where his warmth used to be. She blinked tears from her eyes, set his gun down next to her bed, and lay down to fall asleep.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"Zelda. Zelda, wake up."

A gentle hand on her shoulder. Zelda opened her eyes wearily, Inpa's face blurry and unfocused above her in the soft lamplight. She blinked, and the image sharpened. "What… what is it?" she mumbled groggily, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"The Rito messenger is back from Castle Town," Inpa told her. "Skasha. She's ready to make her report, but she insists on keeping it private – just the two of us, and Zah Tori."

"Not even Sah Rakida?" Zelda frowned. Sah Rakida had seemed, at the beginning, like Zah Tori's right-hand man. There was certainly tension brewing between them, seemingly originating from Zah Tori's willingness to accept Link as the rightful bearer of the Master Sword despite his Zonai heritage. She shrugged her confusion away, climbing out of her blankets and straightening her dress. For all I know, Skasha always delivers her messages only to Zah Tori, and he shares information as needed with the others in his own time.

Inpa led her to the antechamber between the dormitory wing of the temple and the main hall, closed off between sets of doors, where Zah Tori and Skasha were already waiting. It was generally difficult to read a Rito's expression, but in the dim lamplight Skasha's brow seemed furrowed, her dark eyes anxious.

"Princess Zelda," the bird-woman greeted, dropping into a polite bow. "I apologize for waking you, but… this could not wait."

Zelda's heart tightened at the gravity in the messenger's tone. "It's alright; I'm not bothered by the time. Please – what news do you bring?"

Skasha shook her head slowly, turning slightly away. "Nothing good," she said heavily. "Castle Town was – it was burning, when I arrived. There were armies amassed outside of the front gates; I saw the colors of Tabantha, Akkala, and Central Hyrule's militia. Inside the city it was – it was unbridled chaos. There was fighting everywhere – civilians joining forces with some of the Castle Town guard, fighting other civilians as well as other soldiers – I couldn't make heads or tails of it, but… from what I gathered… the people were revolting, because the king…" She hesitated, her beak dipping down reluctantly.

Father, what did you do? Zelda wondered, dread pooling like thick black tar in her gut. "Please, continue," she said, her voice trembling; Inpa placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"People said that… that the king had… gone mad, from grief," Skasha said carefully, watching her intently. "He was imprisoning people, left and right – people that many believed were your allies."

Zelda's heart lurched. "Khanot?" she asked weakly.

"Yes, he was one of those arrested," Skasha nodded. "But… he…" She exhaled heavily, shaking her head again. "I still can't believe it, myself – that Hyrule would fall so far, and so fast. That the king would…" She shuddered, and Zelda's pulse pounded faster in her throat.

My father, mad from grief… The Rito's words were at last sinking in, and the dread in her stomach transformed in an instant into guilt. Because he thought I was dead. Because they all believed I was dead. She blinked back tears, nodding at Skasha. "Please… continue. What did he do?"

"It's horrible," Skasha answered quietly. "He… he killed the queen. The story spread rapidly after it happened – word is that he turned a knife on her as they sat down to dinner one night, or something – it varies depending on who's telling the story. Khanot had escaped prison somehow, and he tried to stop the king. He was… he was too late to save her, but he then killed the king in self defense when the king turned on him. Now people say that… that Khanot is steward of Hyrule, and honestly I'm not sure what makes that altogether different from King. He stopped the fighting in the streets, freed the people that had been wrongly imprisoned, and… well, there you go."

Zelda swallowed with difficulty, her heart a terrified bird in a cage. Throughout Skasha's report she had found herself unconsciously backing away, and now her back struck the wall behind her, and she slid slowly down, her legs feeling too weak to support her. Inpa helped her down, her crimson gaze wide with horror.

He killed my mother…

Helena was a fool. Both of her parents were fools; she understood that. But… to go so far… for her father to actually kill her…

She scrubbed at her eyes, her breath coming out in a short, strangled gasp. Khanot had tried to save her mother – that was something, at least; perhaps he was not so far gone –

And then he had killed her father. Goddesses above, so much death! How can I bear it? A soft sound, a whimper, escaped her throat and she wiped desperately at her eyes. Her mother and father both dead – she was alone, she realized with a sickening jolt. Her entire family, gone, just like that –

A wave of guilt smothered her and she thought for a moment she might throw up. She held her breath, her teeth tightly clenched, waiting for the intensity to ease.

My father went mad with grief because of me – because I was in hiding, because I allowed everyone to believe I was dead. All of this – everything that has happened – is my fault.

"We could not have done anything differently," Inpa told her quietly, and Zelda realized that she was crouched next to her, rubbing her shoulder gently. "We were alone after the Great Plateau, and Yagamura's Sheikah were trying to kill you – to make sure you really were dead. If we had exposed ourselves, certainly some would have gotten the message to your – to the king and queen – but by then it may have been too late, and you would be dead, too. And then where would we be?"

"Merciful Din," Skasha gasped, covering her beak with a wing. "No one but us knows you're alive – most of the kingdom believes that the leadership of Hyrule is gone!"

Zelda felt a sickening jolt of horror and very nearly threw up again, covering her mouth with a hand. She's – she's right. And without the monarchy of Hyrule, no one would contest Khanot if he tried to claim the throne.

"Skasha," Zah Tori said at last, his voice grave. "It is, perhaps, worse than that. For Khanot, the King of Gerudo and now all of Hyrule, is the foretold Calamity. And now he is free to wreak havoc across the kingdom."

The Rito's eyes went wide, and her beak parted slightly. "Khanot?" she breathed. "The Calamity? I – Goddesses…"

Inpa's face twisted into a bitter snarl. "And whose fault is that?" she exclaimed, glaring at the sword monk. "You locked the hero away! You locked the Master Sword away! Maybe we could have had the chance to – to do something before it was too late!"

"Inpa," Zelda said wearily, rising unsteadily to her feet. "Please. We must work with what allies we have, and those are very few in number at the moment. What's done is done – Link will return to us, and we must have a plan for when he does."

Inpa huffed angrily, glaring viciously at Zah Tori. "If you command it, Your Grace," she growled.

Zelda sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "First things first," she said quietly, a hand over her stomach. "I must – I must come out of hiding. People must begin to receive word that I am alive, that through foul play my death was staged. And they must have reason to believe it, which requires me to show myself."

"But you can't do that!" Inpa protested, her eyes flying wide. "If becoming King was truly Khanot's plan, people finding out that you – the sole remaining member of the Royal Family, with a divine right to the throne – are still alive would be disastrous for him! And the people that wanted you dead in the first place – Zelda, if you reveal yourself, you're painting a massive target on your back."

"You must keep yourself safe, Princess," Skasha agreed shakily. "With evil forces actually in power in Hyrule…"

"I know," Zelda said, swallowing past her dry throat. "I understand all of that. But the alternative is that people settle in under Khanot's rule, and – and he was a good leader; there are many I know that will prefer his reign, here at the beginning. Then when… when he fully takes on his mantle as the Calamity… it might well be too late then to do anything. No, I must reveal myself now, when this is all still new and – and shocking. The people must have a reason to doubt the fall of – of my parents, and Khanot's rise to power." She sagged against the wall, grimacing, feeling no less nauseous.

"You will need guards, then," Skasha pointed out. "Allies. People who will protect you as you travel."

"I can promise you the Order of the Sword –" Zah Tori started.

"No," Inpa interrupted. "We need guards that won't slit Link's throat in his sleep."

"They wouldn't dare!" Zah Tori protested. "Not when he stands before them with the Master Sword."

"Tell that to Sah Rakida," Inpa shot back, her hands on her hips. "Last I heard, he's still not feeling all that happy about Link eventually bearing the Master Sword."

"Enough, please," Zelda winced, rubbing her temples slowly with her thumbs. "Please, I – I need you both to work together. I'm not at all certain who could serve as my guard, and I do agree that having certain members of the Order of the Sword could be dangerous in and of itself. There's the Zonai ruins of Skeldon, but they're just that – ruins."

"Actually," Zah Tori said, heaving a great reluctant sigh, "there are some Zonai warriors who live there, maintaining their magic gravesite there or what have you. But then you'd have to worry about your throat getting slit –"

"Not necessarily," Zelda said, straightening. "We would have Link with us – he could speak with them, couldn't he?"

"Yes, but we've been forcing him to dress as a Hylian to blend in," Inpa said, shaking his head. "It would be fairly suspicious."

Zelda felt her heart warm as a new idea struck her mind, something she knew Link would appreciate when he returned. She turned to face Inpa fully, her heart quickening. "Do you remember exactly where we left his armor?" She turned her gaze to Skasha. "And… would you be willing to do one more thing for us?"

Skasha dipped her head. "Name it, Princess."

Zelda smiled, feeling at least some of the nausea and anxiety that had settled upon her begin to fade.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

She slept late the following morning, catching up from the sleep she had missed from waking up in the middle of the night to hear Skasha's message. The temple was usually quiet and peaceful during the day, as monks either meditated or trained outside with wooden weapons. Loud conversation was a rarity, and so it was that the unexpected sounds drew her from sleep.

"What…." She yawned widely, glancing at Inpa who was reading on her bed across the room. "What's all that noise?"

"Visitors to the temple," Inpa shrugged. "Apparently that's normal, but Zah Tori thought it best that we stay hidden for now." She put her book down long enough to point at a platter of biscuits resting on the night table between them. "I saved some breakfast for you, though."

"Thanks," Zelda said appreciatively, sitting up and taking a biscuit from the platter. It had long since cooled from the oven, but was no less delicious. "Why do visitors come here?"

"Sometimes they want to be trained in swordplay by the Order," Inpa answered absently, returning to her book. "That's what this group is, most likely. Other times it's the family members of the Order, coming to deliver supplies and things. Catch up, share news… My brother visited once, while I was here."

"You spent time with the Order of the Sword?" Zelda marveled.

"For a while," Inpa shrugged. "They trained me a bit. Zah Tori wanted me to join them, but I didn't like all the reading and studying – I just wanted to fight. Luckily for me, I already had a job picked out."

"Protecting me," Zelda nodded slowly in understanding. "Personally I'm quite glad it turned out that way."

Inpa chuckled. "Yeah, this is much more exciting," she grinned, turning the page in her book. It was a book of detailed diagrams and sketches of sword forms, Zelda realized – which explained why Inpa was reading it at all. She smiled to herself, amused.

But her smile quickly faded as, in the cold light of day seeped through the windows, the details of what she had learned the night before returned to her. Pelaris and Helena both dead… her heart ached at the thought, as she remembered her last encounters with them. Her father had been furious with her – she had not seen him since their argument, since she had, in a way, threatened to overthrow him.

Not like this, Father, she thought painfully, closing her eyes. I never would have wanted it to happen like this.

He had been increasingly prone to fits of rage as she continued testing her boundaries, she remembered. Had her pushing and needling contributed to his descent into madness as well?

And her mother… blind, naïve, but so desperate for her ideal picture of a happy family. Zelda could imagine some would say that her death had been cruelly ironic – slain by her husband. It seemed to Zelda a sadistic, wicked joke – her mind replayed for her the image of her mother running from the dining room in tears because of her argument with her father. There was a deep, aching void in her heart, and she wondered sadly what she would have done if she had been granted a chance to say goodbye to them.

I'm not sorry for opposing them as I did, she thought, a tear slipping through her eyelashes. Hyrule deserved – deserves – better leadership. They – especially my father – were destroying the kingdom.

But they're still my parents.

She blinked away more tears, and wiped her face clean as a knock sounded at the door. Inpa was on her feet in an instant, pulling the door open to reveal Sah Rakida.

"Oh, good," he said with a nod. "You're both awake. It's safe to come out now."

He turned and walked away, and Zelda glanced at Inpa, who shrugged.

"Well," Zelda said, her voice wobbling just a little. "It would be nice to find something to read. Take my mind off of things."

Inpa nodded slowly, glaring at the open doorway where Sah Rakida had stood. "You… you should bring Link's gun," she said slowly. "I'm not sure why – I've just got a feeling…" She shook her head, holding a hand out to help Zelda to her feet.

Zelda gladly took the gun in hand, slinging it over her shoulder. Its weight had begun to feel familiar there. She and Inpa left the dormitory wing behind, meandering through the halls towards the temple's modest library. Most of the books, as Zelda had learned, were about sword fighting, but there had been a few interesting histories as well. The past several days she had been too wound up to really focus on them – perhaps today, she could push past the distractions.

They passed one of the monks in the hall, who stopped them with an outstretched hand. "That Zonai dog is making a fuss in the back," he said with a frustrated huff. "Can you go out there and calm it down, or something?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "I doubt she would be quite so bothered if you let her come inside," she said pointedly – Beira's arrangements had been a heated topic of discussion when they first reached the temple.

"No," the monk insisted with a shudder. "No dogs in the temple. No animals at all! Now, please, she'll disturb the guests – can you go out there and calm her down!"

"Yes," Zelda agreed with a nod, and the monk carried on his way. Zelda paused in the hall for a few moments, considering. Beira had a way of calming her down – she was so delightfully fluffy. She has a much better chance of distracting me from… everything… than a book does, she admitted to herself, and turned around to head for the door leading to the inner courtyard of the temple.

In the spring the courtyard was likely a beautiful garden immaculately maintained, framed on every side by the temple itself. Now, drenched in snow, it was no less beautiful but somehow far less welcoming, sparkling white contrasting ominously with dark stone. Beira was pacing back and forth in the middle of the courtyard, a half-eaten chicken next to her. The monks had insisted on keeping her away from the rest of the animals – the horses, pigs, and chickens, which resided in a large field and stable adjacent to the temple – out of fear that she would attack them. The Order of the Sword seemed unreasonably intimidated by the dog.

Beira bounded towards them when they emerged into the snowy courtyard, yipping earnestly. Her tail wagged delightedly as Zelda ruffled the thick fur on the back of her neck, and Zelda couldn't help but smile. "You were probably just lonely," she murmured, scratching behind Beira's ears. "I'm sorry I haven't been out to see you as much."

Beira whined softly, pulling away from her and twitching her ears towards the temple before hopping up onto her hind legs and pawing at Zelda's shoulders. Zelda laughed, stumbling back under the force of the dog's massive paws; even Inpa chuckled. Beira whimpered again, dropping to the ground and pacing in a wide circle around the two of them, her gaze on the door leading back into the temple all the way.

Zelda followed her gaze, smiling. "Those new guests are certainly loud," she noted, hearing the angry raised voices from inside. Her smile faded. "Some sort of argument?"

Beira growled then, her lips pulled back over her teeth as she glared at the door.

And in the next instant the door was pushed forcefully inwards, and several Sheikah flooded out of the gap.

Their faces were obscured by the upside-down eye of Yagamura's assassins.

"Get back!" Inpa snarled, and Zelda took several paces backwards as Beira lunged into battle alongside her bodyguard.

Yagamura's soldiers – here! But – how?

Then there was a deep, resonating boom that shook the ground. It was followed by a distant high-pitched beeping sound Zelda had heard on the Great Plateau – the sound of a guardian stalker taking aim. Her heart lurched, and quickly she unslung Link's musket, holding it tightly in both hands, backing further away from the door where Inpa and Beira were fighting. From the shouting she heard she judged that there was more fighting going on inside the temple.

There was a deep, resounding crash as one of the side walls of the Temple crumbled inward and Zelda screamed in shock, clouds of dust billowing forth from the impact. Her heart stopped in her throat as, through the curtain of dust and ash, the segmented leg of a guardian stalker appeared. She saw its whirling blue eye next, glowing through the haze. And in the next instant its terrible beeping started up, a countdown to death.

She heard Inpa shout her name, glanced in her direction in time to see that there were too many rogue Sheikah around her – she would not be able to intervene.

Nor did she have the weapon capable of doing so.

Heart pounding wildly, Zelda dropped down to her knees, just as Link had shown her. She could almost feel his hands guiding hers into position as she held the gun to her shoulder and looked the guardian in the eye. She held her breath, fighting to keep still, and pulled the trigger.

A soft click. An explosion of sparks in her face and a fierce impact from the gun itself directly to her shoulder. An thunderous crack so loud that her ears rang and her vision swam dizzyingly for several heart-stopping moments –

She heard Inpa's voice as if from underwater. Zelda blinked rapidly, breathing hard, and her vision cleared enough to make out Inpa standing over her, holding out her hand. She took her hand and allowed Inpa to pull her to her feet, still holding Link's gun – the metal barrel now pleasantly warm – close with her free hand. The Sheikah was saying something, but Zelda still couldn't hear, so she nodded blankly, her heart pounding a mile a minute. Her hearing slowly began to return, and she rubbed her aching shoulder and stared at the results of her shot.

The guardian stalker was down, the lights across its body dead and the hole where its eye had been smoking slightly. She felt a massive grin spreading across her face, a dizzying rush of adrenaline sweeping through her from head to toe. "I like this," she said to Inpa, lifting Link's gun again.

Inpa chuckled exasperatedly. "Let's go," she said, her voice shaking, and she took Zelda by the arm and pulled her towards the far end of the temple – where Zah Tori was beckoning by the door.

"This way!" he said urgently, waving them forward. "Hurry – we must get to the Woods!"

They ducked into the Temple, and at once Zelda heard pounding footsteps through the halls and angry voices shouting in the Sheikah tongue. Somewhere there was a clash of blades and cries of pain. Her smile faded at once, and she focused on keeping up with Inpa, running to the next door Zah Tori held open. She passed through, into the grove of pines on the other side, Beira at her heels.

"Come – quickly!" Zah Tori said urgently, closing the door firmly behind them and taking the lead through the pines, which quickly transitioned into the spindly skeletal trees of the Lost Woods. Mist closed around them like a thick blanket, blotting out the sounds of battle from behind them and replacing it with the groaning of twisting branches and bending timbers. Zelda winced as she felt the Lost Woods' test pass through her again, examining every inch of her soul with icy precision. Beira, standing at her heels, whimpered quietly. Then the mist cleared, and a winding path was revealed for them.

"We're safe for now," Zah Tori said with a ragged sigh, gripping his head in his hands. "So this is how the Goddesses punish me…" He shook his head, starting along the path.

"What happened?" Inpa demanded. "Obviously it's something to do with those 'guests' that came today."

"Yes," Zah Tori agreed. "It is not uncommon for the temple to receive other Sheikah as visitors. I was suspicious as soon as they started mentioning rumors that you were alive, Princess – but the Trial of the Sword required my attention, and I… I could not intervene. Sah Rakida and some of the others were quite keen to complain about the Zonai you brought with you."

Zelda's heart dropped to her stomach. They started off by mentioning rumors that I lived. Just like Yagamura's men at the Great Plateau safehouse.

"They were a diversion, it turned out," Zah Tori growled. "As we were occupied getting them settled, another larger group came up the road behind them. We have gotten complacent in our reclusion – we do not keep a watch, for we do not expect an attack. One of many, many mistakes." He sighed wearily. "Someone must have snuck away from the first group to inform the others that yes, indeed, the Princess of Hyrule was here. Then the first group attacked from the inside, killing many while we were caught off guard. The rest of us attempted to fight back. I… I left them behind, to find you. To get you to safety." His voice betrayed his regret, his guilt.

"Will they survive?" Inpa asked quietly, her anger with the monk curbed in the face of his despair.

"They are far more skilled than our enemy," Zah Tori said gravely. "But there are many, many more of them than there are of us. And they had at least two guardians – although you took care of one of them."

Zelda managed a small smile, the thrill of her victory diminishing rapidly.

"There is no way to know for certain what the outcome will be," the monk continued. "But we cannot return there. We will wait in the Sacred Grove – survivors know to seek shelter there as well." His voice was flat, almost toneless. Zelda realized, an ache of sympathy in her heart, that he did not believe there would be survivors.

The path opened up into the deep green and gentle warmth of the Sacred Grove, and Zelda found her eyes instantly drawn to the sword pedestal, her spirits at once sinking when she found it empty. Beira leaned lightly against her leg, looking in the same direction.

"And now," Zah Tori said with a bitter sigh, settling down into his cross-legged position, "we wait."