Chapter: 5

Link and Zelda walked back at where our beloved creatures, Dyraati and Renaden, were lying. Link, along with his crimson red eyes, was walking beside Zelda. She could not identify the new emotion she was feeling. Was it doubt that Link was telling her the truth? Or was it dread that she followed him? She didn't know, but there was one thing that stood clear. She had to follow where he was going or else she would wind up getting mauled by a bear.

"So Link." Zelda said. "Any idea on where our adventure begins from here?" Link stared at her, and then looked at the sky lost in thought.

"We will go to Teldof village I have some friends there that might help us"

"And what exactly is our journey?" Zelda said asking him and terribly regretting it for the fear of terrible news.

"Our journey" Link started to answer. "Is to find the cure to my curse"

Zelda stared at him for a while. She hadn't really been listening, she was too busy silently complimenting Link's body. True he did have some faults here and there, but that smooth creamy looking skin made her want to swim in it. Very attractive.

She was taken out of her little fantasy world when Link got up and went over to small weed pipes. Plucking one from the ground he held it up to his lip and blew a harmonious melody. As if on cue came Epona galloping towards them with her snow white mane thrashing around behind her. This time she had no saddle to seat himself upon. So he just sat on her. Link gestured to Zelda to hop on by extending his hand toward her. She obeyed and seated herself behind Link. Dyraati and Renaden stood up anxiously, eager to have some running action trying to keep up with the fully grown horse.

Epona reared on her hide legs and dashed toward to their new destination. It would take awhile and Zelda did eventually get bored. That's when Link slowed the mare to a halt and got off.

"Zelda," Link said "Would you like to steer Epona?" Zelda smiled so big it looked like she good have eaten a banana sideways.

"Yes!" Zelda responded happily. She re-mounted the beautiful horse with Link seated behind her. Zelda grabbed Epona's mane and charged her to a full gallop. But then she just realized.

Since when did I learn to ride a horse!?

That's right. She doesn't know how to ride a horse and there she is dashing at full gallop with the strongest mare she ever laid eyes on. They were about to collide with a cliff wall until Link shoved her aside and grabbed control of Epona, making her stop. Zelda lost balance and fell off of her, landing on her butt.

"I guess I have to teach you a few pointers huh?" Link asked as he laughing while Zelda rubbed her rear.

"Hey that could help" Zelda said as she got up from the floor. She once again re-mounted Epona with Link behind her. Link leaned in closer than Zelda expected and she had to refrain herself from whistling. His arms were picturesque.

"Now you see, you have to show Epona whose boss by moving her whenever she steers off course."

It took a while to learn how to control Epona, but she got the hang of it. They made their way to Teldof Village.

Something wasn't right. The air smelled of iron and blood. Smoke clouded the sky his sixth sense was kicking in. Renaden immediately halted in his tracks. Ears laid back he sniffed the air cautiously, and growled. Dyraati stared at him confused but duplicated his actions which resulted with the same conclusion. He laid his ears back and growled. There was a series of grunts and growls to Zelda that's what a normal human would have heard but Link heard this.

Renaden: Do you smell it? It's them

Dyraati: Yes I can feel their presence, can't you Link?

Link: Yes I can, be careful remember we are entering Teldof.

Zelda stared at him oddly. Did she just hear him bark?

Link: See if there are others like us here Dyraati.

Dyraati: Of course brother.

Zelda watched their little conversation and she took notice of Link saying something to Dyraati making him walk away with his eyes focused on the land as if he was trying to speak with mother earth. And that's what hit her. Dyraati sang a beautiful tuneful howl which echoed across the land like the valley was enjoying his song and trying to sing along. After his howl he turned his ears left and right for any sound and Renaden was. Link was there just staring into the vast field deep in thought.

A sound broke the trembling silence, a howl, a soft howl from across the mountains. She listened to its melody. But it was a short one, not as long as Dyraati's though. If she where human it would be a child answering back a small 'I'm here'. That's what the howl sounded like. The two wolves and the human nodded to each other and looked at her. And, of course like any human, she had no idea what was going on.

"I'll explain when we get there." Link said. They continued to ride Epona until she finally used the last ounce of strength she had. They had been galloping the whole way and it was at the brink of night anyway. Link, Dyraati and Renaden went off hunting for deer and field mice but Zelda stayed behind. They had found a nice, small, cozy cave to live in. Perched upon a high cliff she saw the most amazing view ever. The twilight sky with the sun getting smaller by every passing second. It was as if God reached out with his hands to touch and beautify his creation.

Link was walking back with the fawn he had killed. He noticed Zelda watching the sunset smiling. And mischievous look played on Link's face as he put the fawn down. He walked behind Zelda as quietly as he could. Once he was behind her he grabbed her waist and she screamed as is she saw the devil. But screaming like that shocked Link so he tripped and started to roll off the (not so steep) cliff…taking Zelda with him. Zelda laughed, she had fallen right on top of Link. Dyraati and Renaden looked from on top the cliff to make sure they were unharmed. Link took Zelda's hand and led her back up to where the little haven was.

While dinner was cooking night had already came and the stars were gathering to shed light through the darkness. Zelda watched in amazement to see if she could find any constellations. She was interrupted by Link, Dyraati and Renaden who sat next to her.

"Each one looks like one tiny diamond it's so beautiful" Zelda said. A smile appeared on his face.

"Hey" he said "Do you want to play a game with me?" Zelda stared at him.

"Sure what kind of game?"

"Hide and seek"

"Don't you think we're a little too old for that?"

"Just because you're old doesn't mean you can't stop having fun" Link said matter-of-factly.

Zelda stared at him then smiled. "Okay, you go count and I'll hide but I don't know how you will find me at night in the dark"

"Don't worry I've got the senses of a wolf" Link laughed.

Zelda smiled "I know"

So the game started. Link was counting a Zelda hid behind a tree near a lake, so if she needed to go across so they didn't catch her scent. Link and his two brothers were happily looking for Zelda by trying to find her scent trail but Renaden caught another scent. The scent of blood and of a dead carcass. They all smelt it, and soon they almost forgot about Zelda but Link told Dyraati to go find her. Dyraati obeyed.

The large wolf with dirt brown fur and eyes as blue as the night sky was looking for his masters friend. He saw tracks of a human go deeper into the woods he decided to follow it. Then a scent caught his nose. It wasn't Zelda's though. It smelled of iron and smoke, he knew what this was. Not a second later a hunter jumped behind a shrub pointing his shotgun at Link's brother.

Dyraati snarled and lunged for him. The hunter shot and managed to get Dyraati's front leg. The wolf toppled over in pain. He got up anyway. There was no way he was going to give up without a fight. Crimson blood seeped through his wound, it throbbed through each heart beat emitting pain through his whole body. He managed to get on his hind legs and let out a long howl.

Renaden, not too far away from his pack brother heard the howl AND, not also that far away Zelda heard it as well. She remembers this howl. She heard it once before. It was long and tuneful. Full of melody but who could….Dyratti! The name sprang into Zelda's mind. And she raced forward to where the howl was coming from.

Renaden, who also heard the howl, was dashing forward with all his might ready to kill anything that has harmed his brother. And he was. Dyraati sitting on his haunches growling loudly at the two leg.

Dyraati: I hate humans they always seem to think they are superior. He attacked me when I did nothing!

Renaden: I agree it's just because you look big and frightening doesn't mean you are.

Dyraati: Aye he decided if he killed the forest spirit he would go back to his village high and mighty

Renaden: Cowards! Humans are cowards that fight from afar with a weapon. If he thinks he is high and mighty throw you gun away and fight with the weapons you were born with!

Dyraati: He can't. He will but his tail between his legs and run away because that is what humans do.

Zelda stared at the two growling and now mad wolves. But they did not attack. It was like were waiting for something. And they were, it was Link jumping from his hiding place with those blood thirsty red eyes Zelda saw before.