Chapter 44 – The Madness of the Prey
''What?!'' Renado asked incredulously while blinking away the sleep from his tired eyes. ''Where do you have to go that's so important it can't wait till morning?''
Midna gritted her teeth behind tightly closed lips, ransacking her head for a plausible answer. ''I … I need to go and see someone, someone very important. It shouldn't take too long.''
Renado looked non-compliant, tossing his bed-sheets away and standing up with a grunt. ''What about Link? He will ask where you are. What will I tell him?'' He gazed at her grimly while sitting down on the chair at his desk. ''Can't it wait until he's better?''
Midna always had a short nerve string. ''Dammit! It's because of him that I have to go! I know how to heal him!'' Instantly regretting her blurt out, she clapped a hand over her mouth.
Renado stared at her in utter shock, but slowly a furious frown came over his face. ''What?'' he muttered in a dark, nearly threatening voice. ''And you're telling me that now?''
Midna backed away in fright and suddenly understood how her last reply must have sounded to him. ''No no! I just learned it a few minutes ago! I didn't keep it from you, I swear it! You have to believe me, Renado, please!''
The shaman looked sceptical as he considered her words, massaging his chin thoughtfully. ''Then how do you know it? And what is it that could free Link form this curse?''
Midna bit her lip and did as if she hadn't heard his first question. ''Light. I have to see the four Light Spirits and pray to them. They will help Link.'' She was startled by a laugh from the bigger man in front of him. ''Midna, do you have an idea how long I've been doing that? No one has ever seen a Light Spirit for real, they are deeply asleep in their spring and do not come out just like this if you only pray to them.''
''How do you know, eh? Link and I saw all four of them! They just have to help us!'' Midna screamed out, turning on her heels and stomping out of the room in fury. Renado called back to her, but she didn't listen as she ran out of the house, leaving the door gaping open.
''Midna! Where're you going?!'' the healer shouted as he hurried after her. From upstairs, the door next to Link's opened quickly, revealing a very drowsy looking Rusl. The door to the children's room also creaked as Colin came stumbling out, followed by Beth. ''What's the matter, Mr. Renado?'' she asked sleepily.
''I don't know, child.'' the Kakarikan answered tiredly, shaking his head and stepping out into the night after the fuming Midna. The imp was trudging towards the spirit spring quickly, not turning to answer Renado's calls. ''Midna! Come back, it's cold out there. You'll get ill.''
I'll show you, all of you! she thought enraged as she splashed into the water and came to a halt at the base of the sleeping rocks. Even in night the crystal wet showed an otherworldly brightness that shimmered softly against her face, making the green lines on her body shine even brighter.
She breathed once deeply, concentrating and quickly thinking over what she would say to Eldin. She had no idea how Hylian prayers were formulated of even said. Aloud or silently? Fustian or humble? To the point, or with a lot of explaining?
She hesitated, fumbling with her fingers nervously as if being in front of a thousand of people and not knowing what to saw to them. She had to make the Light Spirit weep, that's what Zelda had said. She needed Light. But how?
''Er … Eldin, I speak to you because of a – a problem. Link, I mean the Hero chosen by the Goddesses, is cursed and I need Light to help him. Do you understand?''
Nothing happened.
She looked for a sign, any sign she had seen when Link talked with those heavenly beings. But nothing of that came forth, the spring remained silent and ignorant.
''Eldin!'' she shouted. ''The Hero chosen by the Goddesses needs your help. He is in grave danger. Can you help us please?''
Nothing again.
She was beginning to become furious once more. Already she heard footsteps from behind indicating the shaman approach her, for his pleading voice swept over to her calmly. ''Midna, it's no use. He will not answer you.''
At his words, a sudden, powerful anger boiled up in her. She didn't look at him as he came to a halt behind her, instead her palms balled to tight, desperate fists while her eyes screwed up in grief. At once she let herself fall to her knees, lifting her head to the towering rocks in front of her. ''Eldin … a foul Darkness has befallen the one who was chosen by the golden Goddesses to save Hyrule. He is suffering unthinkable agony … I pray to you … I beg of you … help him, bestow upon him your power and your Light to free him from his torment. I, princess of Twilight, am imploring you for your aid. Help … help him …'' she said, tears suddenly streaming down her face in rivulets. An uncontrollable sob escaped her throat as she sank to her palms, her fingers enshrouded by swirling sand in the shimmering water.
A sudden, blinding light made Renado and the others that had followed shout out in fright. Midna's head shot up as a low rumble emanated from the water, resonating along with the crystal clear ring of a drop colliding with the golden shining surface. Her mouth fell agape while she watched, completely stiff, how two pairs of enormous wings appeared out of thin air, taking their most precious Light in between them. A body formed, drawing itself up and grabbing the flying orb of Light with its forming claws, perching nearly arrogantly on top of it and claiming the treasure for its own.
Renado had flinched back in fright a few meters, gazing up at the surreal being with eyes wide in astonishment. The children also screamed as they saw Eldin emerge from the spring, holding themselves against Rusl's legs fearfully.
With its huge, monkey-like head, Eldin gazed down at Midna, seemingly waiting for her to say something. She inclined her head once, clearing her throat. ''Light Spirit Eldin, Link is suffering greatly. I beg of you to help me purge him from Darkness so that he can fulfil his duty as Hero of Hyrule. Please … please help him … I cannot bear to see him suffer any longer …'' she sobbed, lowering her head in respect and grief.
The Light being bore its gaze down on her petite form, slowly stretching its neck as it bend its head down to her. Midna felt a soft, warm gust of wind blow onto her face, and she lifted her eye carefully to look at it.
Eldin's eyes were of a blinding light, so bright she had to squint to bear looking at them. As the spirit lingered there and watched her, mere feet in front of her, she felt strangely vulnerable, as if it was gazing into her very core and seeking something that it didn't like. Midna flinched back a little as it advanced on her further, slightly cocking its head upwards. As she followed its line of sight, she understood.
''You ask something in return.'' she said, gently lifting her hands towards the black crown towering on her broad head. With a grunt, she pulled it upwards to reveal her entire face, letting her flaming orange hair flow over her back. Searching for Eldin's glowing eyes, she held the Fused Shadow out to it. ''Please, take it.''
Eldin flinched back ever so slightly as it examined the dark object, before carefully encircling it with a golden layer of Light and pulling it towards it. For the first time ever, it addressed the little imp with its deep, soft and gentle voice. ''Maiden of Twilight, you chose a side. The path of Light stands open for you, and when the Blue-Eyed Beast needs the dark power you entrusted me, he will come.''
Midna watched it lower towards her again, coming with its face very near to hers. ''I weep for the chosen Hero. May my Light help purge him and end his suffering.''
And with his crystal clear words, a small tear gently slid from its heavenly sockets and glided down its face, which the Light Spirit bend even further so that the golden drop fell into Midna's open hands. There it swayed a little like golden quicksilver before settling down in the imp's palms, perfectly still.
Midna watched the Spirit slowly fade into blackness once more, and before it had completely vanished, she inclined her head once while whispering. ''Thank you, Eldin.''
She knew that the Light being could not give her enough tears to heal Link, otherwise too much Light would leave the spring and the spirit would maybe even succumb to the same fate it had already undergone so many months ago. Now she understood why Zelda had told her to see all four of the divine guardians. Only when all of them shed a tear, the power to break Link's curse would be strong enough.
As she turned around with the precious Light swaying gently in her hands, she gazed into the utterly confused face of the shaman, who was standing up from where he had apparently just knelt. His eyes wore a countenance of shock and amazement as he watched the imp slowly walk passed him and towards the inn once more. The children and Rusl were also near the big building, staring at her as she went by.
Already, Renado caught up with her and quickly hurried into the kitchen to fetch a waterskin, which he held open for her to gently pour the Light Water into it. Behind them, the others entered silently, looking shocked, until Talo burst out with his loud, high-pitched voice. ''That was … that was huge! Did you see that enormous thing just emerging from the water? All bright and shiny? I've never seen such a thing in my life – ''
''Talo! Shut up!'' Beth hissed, tapping on his head to silence him. The young boy shot her a deadly glance as she frowned crossly, but he didn't say more as Renado stepped over to Midna and watched her intently.
''How … how were you so sure he would come?'' he asked in a voice nearly coarse with disbelief. ''I mean, he just … just appeared when you pleaded … ''
Midna nodded and sighed. ''I told you before, Link and I already met all of them. They told us what to do to free Hyrule from Twilight. Well, they mostly talked to Link, but since I was in his shadow I … overheard everything.''
''But how did you know that he would help Link?'' Rusl stepped in, now looking quite distraught. ''How do you know that this will purge him?'' Renado also gaze at her in question, folding his arms.
Midna let go of the breath she had been holding, quickly trying to come up with a plausible answer. ''Well … I had some sort of a vision, where a … a deity of great wisdom spoke to me and said I should go and see all four Light Spirits. It just felt right.'' Quickly huffing as if she was angry, she turned around. ''But that's not important, I have to go immediately to the other three. I need something to transport me, because since I had to give my Fused er – my magic device – to Eldin in return I can't fly any more.''
The two men eyed her suspiciously while she did likewise, staring fiercely up at them. Because of the absence of her Fused Shadow, she was now even smaller than usual, a fact she blighted easily by her piercing gaze. As Colin suddenly stepped in with his quiet, shy voice, they all jumped up. ''She could take Epona, maybe even ride on her. With her she would be even faster.''
Renado and the blacksmith clearly wanted to ask further questions to Midna concerning Eldin's miraculous appearance, but as the little imp nodded to Colin and trudged out into the open once more, they visibly swallowed their impatience and hurried after her and the children, who decided it was clearly time for Epona to resurface from her dark stable and see her in all her glory.
The red horse was already neighing loudly as Midna and Colin entered, as if she sensed that something new was approaching. Colin opened the stable door and jumped aside the moment the mare trotted passed him and out into the night, where she fidgeted around in front of Midna.
''Hey girl, we have to help your master again.'' the Twili said while holding a hand up to her snout, which Epona nuzzled greedily. From behind, Rusl's unsure voice swept over to them as he walked closer. ''Have you ever rode her before? She's a tough runner, and until now only Link has been able to tame and ride her.''
Midna nodded and looked up to the mare, stroking her nostrils gently. ''I'll be all right, if someone helps me up?''
At that, Renado chuckled and carefully heaved the small imp onto the mare's back. ''Take care of yourself, oh! and take this with you.'' he said and held up the waterskin for her, which she hang by the leather strap it bore over her shoulder like a bag.
''Thanks. You take good care of Link while I'm away, you hear me?'' she said, pointing up a finger sharply. The healer nodded with a smile, gently tapping Epona's rear to make the horse move. She whinnied loudly and sprang into a gallop, Midna also shouting out while she desperately clawed at the white mane in front of her face to hold herself in place. In a dense whirl of dust, the mare and the Twili disappeared behind the first turn leading out of the village from the west.
The remnants stared back at them until they could see them no more, all of them silent from grief. For the first time, it was not Link who rode away from them on his trusty horse.
Slowly, they returned to their respective rooms to rest for the night. Ilia was waiting for them on the ground floor and asked what had happened, for she said she had seen a huge, golden bird erupt from the spring. Renado cleared her up, as well as his daughter who came hurrying out of Link's room.
When the two Kakarikans bade all their protégés a good night, however, Renado intercepted Luda gently. ''Love, I'm going to the spring and pray for mother. Do you want to come with me?''
The fifteen-year-old nodded eagerly, getting a wide smile on her young face as she followed her father out into the night. So many months had passed since Luana had so brutally passed away, killed by a spear in the heart. The girl had not been given a chance to actually grieve her mother's death because of the shadow beasts raiding Kakariko and killing nearly all that opposed them. Long she had stayed inside the sanctuary with her father and the new children they had saved from a caged wagon, alone and hungry with only that do-nothing coward of a bomb-maker as other adult company. When the monsters had at last pulled back, leaving the ground covered with the bodies of the dead, she had helped her father bury all of them in the graveyard along with her mother, whom she only could make a small flower crown as farewell, their white petals wet with tears.
''I miss her, father.'' she said quietly, looking up to the man she was so proud of being his daughter. Renado glanced at her and nodded, pulling her closer while they walked along the road. ''Me too, sweetheart. Me too.''
''Would she believe us when we told her we know the Hero of Legend?''
He chuckled slightly. ''I don't think so. But she would have loved him, I'm sure of that.''
They halted in front of the water, kneeling down next to one another. Luda folded her hands like her father, sending a silent prayer to the Light Spirit for her mother's safe passage to the Sacred Realm, trying to picture Eldin like she had seen him from the window before.
As her eyes opened slowly, she whispered sadly towards the glistening water. ''I miss her so much, Eldin …''
As if on cue, a low, warm breeze lifted some of her strands of black hair, blowing gently into her face. The water glowed up just a little, a few small droplets soaring over to her skin from the little waterfall and coating her face pleasantly. A faint whisper rang in her ears as the wind played around her. I will … watch … over … her.
She smiled as her father also looked up, wonder picturing his tanned face. As he gazed at her, however, she had already lowered her head once more, smiling serenely while a single tear slid down her cheek. It gently dropped down into the water below, bringing to the surface a brief glow before merging with the spirit and its resting place.
Renado took his daughter in his arms, holding her closely while she wept silently. As he looked at the spring on more time, the faint, silver outline of two enormous wings played with his vision, one of them slowly drifting over their two figures and shielding them from all the grief plaguing their hearts. Kakariko's wise shaman, for the first time since Luana's murder, felt at last peace overcome his soul like a veil of warmth. He accepted her passing, and grieved no more.
The last thing he heard was the same voice his child had perceived, this time whispering solely to him. Keep … the Hero … safe …
He nodded to the water, muttering over Luda's head. ''I will.''
0
It would take the Light-seeking pair at least two days to travel deeply into the dense woods, back and over to Lake Hylia to gather Link's salvation, even at full gallop from Epona, Renado calculated mutely while he was working away in the kitchen. It was morning by now, the children and Rusl were still asleep peacefully while Luda was in Link's room guarding him. The youth had yet to wake from his unconsciousness, and the wise shaman had no clue how he would possibly relieve Link's pain now, with the morphine initiating even more when it should normally ease it.
There was still the question as to why. Why did the anaesthetic have such a devastating effect on their protégé? What had made it cause Link so much agony that he passed out from it? As much as Renado mused over it, he was always coming to the same conclusion.
If Midna was right, and this curse could really think, and it made the wound bleed when he wanted to suture it, preventing him thus to do anything so that it could properly heal … then maybe it had somehow found a way to overcome the numbing effect of the opioid and was, as silly as that might sound, making Link pay for evading the pain it initially delivered. Or it wanted to stop Link from taking in any more morphine by hurting him immensely just before the drug acted. It was a curse, after all, and that meant that it had a means of inflicting Link something bad at any costs.
It occurred to him that he was, despite himself, drastically right with his assuming, for in the late morning Link awoke with a start, immediately moaning out in pain. As he offered the squirming lad some morphine and showed him the bottle, Link's eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head vigorously.
The only positive thing Renado noticed was that Link seemed to have a lot more energy than in the previous days, for he could sit up on his own and eat the steaming beef broth he was always served with his own might. Beef broth because, Renado told him: ''To allow your body to replace the blood you lost, you need a lot of iron. Beef is the best food containing iron we currently have, so you should better eat all you can. And it will give you your strength back.''
So for the last couple of days, Link had been stuffing beef broth into himself like a champion. Except for today, where he laid on his side, exposed to the dreadful pain of his wounds, and refused to take in anything liquid or solid. His eyes had become even cloudier and darker from the constant torture, which made Renado very worried.
If there was one who was even worse off than Link, it was Rusl. The blacksmith could not forget the evening where his son had passed out from pain too much, and was in constant worry and nearly hysteric terror. Many times a day he would ask Renado in a pleading tone if there was not another way to ease Link's suffering, driving the poor healer to the limit of his nerves. ''I don't have anything else strong enough to ease such suffering, Rusl! And Link would probably not take it anyway, so there's nothing we can do.'' He was slowly getting filled up with all those useless questions.
For Rusl, however, there was a cure that always helped. He would often be asked by his true son, who was staying incredibly calm despite the worsening condition of his brother and hero, to have a walk or seeking a calm place on the graveyard where the two could talk. Colin always seemed so certain that Link would make it, always assured his dad that nothing in the world could upset their Hylian. Rusl believed it every time and tapped his son on the head affectionately, saying just how right he was and how wrong he had been to ever doubt in Link's strength.
Renado, however, who saw Link most of the time since Luda had to help Ilia with the housework, was dreading that they were both wrong. As strong as Link was, being the Hero and chosen and all that, there was something in his eyes that let the wise shaman bite down harshly every time he saw those two empty sockets; madness.
Link was slowly but surely getting mad with pain. That was what he could see every day, every night when Link awoke from agony once more, when Renado talked with him and he didn't respond or, if he replied, said something he would normally never say.
The quiet, positive and strong lad he knew from so many months ago had been brutally tortured into someone who did not believe the pain would ever end. Now, there was only agony in his mind, in his voice, in his eyes, everywhere the shaman looked. And he did not like where this was going.
On the afternoon of the second day Midna was away, the situation escalated.
Link was lying on his left side and had his arms wrapped around his belly in a nearly paroxysmal fashion. As Renado entered to take over for Luda, his daughter shook her head at his silent question. Her look meant everything; no, he was not better.
Renado sighed and pulled a chair up to sit opposite Link's face, which was wet with tears once more. He had been crying a lot lately, however never with sobs. Only with his eyes.
''Link, I know that you're suffering, but you can't beat yourself up so bad. Maybe if you at least tried to stand up and walk around a little, you'd feel better instantly.''
Link shot him a desperate frown, clearing his throat softly before replying in a scratchy voice. ''I can't. It would hurt even more.''
Renado leaned forward. ''How do you know? You haven't tried.''
''I'll rather stick with uncertainty than taking the risk.'' Link answered coldly, turning his eyes downward to stare at the pillow.
The healer sighed once more. ''Are you sure you don't want to try one more time to take in some morphine?''
''Yes.''
Silence. Renado knew it was futile to keep asking, but an inner part of himself just couldn't believe that his morphine triggered something that bad and traumatising. Proposing his miracle ointment was also pointless, because for the treatment he would have to touch Link's wounds, which the youth tried to avoid at any cost. He didn't even let him look at the stitching and judge if the other, smaller cuts were healed enough to hold without them. That paranoia was part of the pain Link lived, Renado was absolutely sure. Now it had to be overcome somehow so that Link could heal completely.
The problem was, even Renado, being a tolerating, good-hearted and helpful person, was slowly but surely beginning to loose patience. And when that happened, things usually tended to go wrong.
As Renado took in Link's gruff answer, a nerve ripped inside the shaman. ''Listen, Link! I'm only trying to help you, so a little gratefulness would be much welcomed! And you're gonna let me look at those wounds right now so that I can–''
''NO!'' Link roared as Renado made a grabbing move in his direction. The shaman's hand firmly wound around the youth's arm while the latter flinched back frantically, suddenly overcome with a frightened look in his eyes. ''Let me GO!'' he screamed, tearing his arm away and throwing his body out of the bed, trying to escape Renado's capturing hand. ''Link!'' the man shouted, suddenly struck with fear as Link's feet touched ground and propelled his body up to a standing position. But as soon as he wanted to make a step away his knees bent powerlessly, and he crashed down at full length, his head hitting the wooden floor hard.
''Oh Goddesses! Link! Are you all right?'' Renado called as he ran around the bed and knelt down next to the fallen youth, who lay there unmoving. The shaman gently jostled at his shoulder, calling for him fearfully. Soon the Hylian's lids cracked open, blinking several times before being screwed up tightly while he drew himself up sluggishly. A quivering hand moved up to his forehead, and Renado saw with wide eyes the floor stained red.
''Wait, let me look at it.'' he proposed and touched Link's shoulder, surprised by a sudden hit from the Hylian's hand which shoved his arm away. ''Get away from me!'' Link sobbed, crawling back to the base of his bed where he huddled together, shaking with sobs, protecting both his stomach and his lightly bleeding head with a hand placed tightly against them.
Renado was completely taken aback. Oh Farore, what had he done?
''Link, I'm so sorry, please forgive me …'' he tried and sat down a little distance from him to give him the space he knew he needed. ''I didn't mean to shout at you. I'd never do you any harm …''
His voice pleading for forgiveness seemed to reach Link's very core, for suddenly the lad turned his head with a desperate look, crying out while winding his arms tightly around the bigger man. Renado was briefly stiff with surprise, but quickly returned the loving embrace, muttering soothing words to him. ''Shhh, it's okay, Link. I'm here …''
What have I done … what have I done … Renado thought with grief painted generously across his face while he rocked Link's quivering body gently in his arms. He could not believe that he had just shouted at a wounded, no, seriously wounded person, who he had learned to love as if he were his own son.
''I'm so sorry, Link … I'm so sorry …'' he whispered, jumping a little when the door in front of him opened harshly and revealed Rusl's panting form in the frame. ''What happened?!'' he stammered.
''I made a terrible mistake, but I'm trying to expiate for it.'' Renado answered, still pressing Link's shaking body against himself and ignoring the blood gently coating the front of his long gown. Rusl also sat down in front of them and watched them silently, seemingly not really knowing what to do but refusing to let his injured and battered son alone. For one thing Renado was more than grateful; the smith did not constantly ask what had happened, and even kept his mouth shut when he apparently noticed, with a gasp, the blood on Link's forehead and floor where he had lain momentarily stunned.
After what seemed an eternity, but where the two men didn't care at all, Link shifted slowly and drew himself up, still holding his head painfully along with his stomach. Renado proposed to bandage his head and at least relieve that slight pain with ointment, which the youth accepted mutely. While he was being tended to, he startled the working shaman with a small sentence that, for the first time in all the time they had waited for Midna to come back, reminded both men of the true Link that they knew was still in this hurting shell somewhere.
''I'm sorry, Renado.''
''For what, my lad?'' the healer asked genuinely bewildered.
''For the way I spoke to you. You're right, I should be more than grateful for all you've done for me. Please forgive me, I really should have known better …''
Renado interrupted him gently by placing a careful hand on his shoulder. ''Now listen, Link. You're the one who is in the most pain. I can't comprehend it since I'm not in your body, yet believe me that I'd gladly take it just to give you a moment's relief.''
Link immediately shook his head. ''No, you would never want to! Its too painf …'' he doubled over as another wave of pain drowned him, cording his throat up and cutting him off with a choke. Rusl whimpered softly from behind, which Renado tried to ignore. ''You should lie down again, Link. Try to get some rest, and please know that Midna will surely be there soon. I pray every day and night for her safe return, so … just hold on a little longer. We will beat that curse, I'm sure of it.''
With a feeble nod, Link lowered his weary body once more onto the pillow and closed his drenched eyes with a sigh. One arm still draped over his stomach, the other lying next to him, he whispered once to himself before relapsing to silence. ''Midna will come … and all will be all right …''
Renado leaned back on his chair as he watched the youth drift away. Oh, how he hoped he was right.
0
The wind of night was howling in her soughing ears as she held on to Epona's mane, her feet safely put on the horse's back where it swayed the least while the beast galloped at full speed. The poor mare was barely able to stay on her legs any more, wheezing awfully while she clanked over the bridge leading safely into the mountain province. She had been running nearly all the time, from Hyule Field into Faron and all the way south to Ordona's spring, only getting a pause while Midna pleaded to the two Light Spirits for the tears. Setting off again towards the lake, they had taken nearly all day and half of the night to reach the third province and collect the last big drop of sorrow Lanayru could spare for the Hero. By then they were both so utterly exhausted that they plopped down into the sand for a night's rest, getting up only in the early afternoon for the long return home.
It had pained Midna to stop by the lake for so long, but both of them simply couldn't hold on their feet any longer by then. While Epona had snored off almost instantly, Midna had stayed awake a little longer, gazing into the moon and over the water which had caused so many nightmares to plague her sleep the last couple of days.
This was the place where it had all happened. This was the place where Link had been cursed and badly wounded. She had even been able to find the place where the sand was still holding a little shade of red, the blood that had partly been washed away by the long downpours of the previous days still visible to her eyes. If it was really still there, she could not tell. But just gazing at the spot had made the dreadful scenes play all over again in her battered mind.
Now, however, she was pressing the panting mare onward with occasional shouts, her heart bouncing when the broken entry and the gate leading into Kakariko already appeared in her line of sight. The precious waterskin with the tears of Light inside dangled from her back, safely sealed with a big cork. Not long, and they could free Link from all this torment!
After a few painful minutes, they at last passed the gate and stormed into the village, all calm and quiet from the outside. It must be two hours past sundown by now, she thought, so the children were already in bed but the men were still awake. How would Link be by now? Was he still all right?
Epona came to a crashing halt in front of the inn when the two adults already ran down the porch to greet her. ''Thank Nayru, you're safe and sound.'' Renado said with relief in his voice, helping her down while Rusl tended to the gasping mare. ''Did all of them give a tear?''
Midna nodded, still panting, and held the waterskin up. ''All here. How's Link?''
Renado just nodded before turning around with the skin in his hands, and Midna looked at his back, confused. ''What's wrong?''
Inside, the shaman was ushering Colin and Beth back to bed, telling them that all would be fine now. They didn't even complain.
''Renado?'' the imp tried again, following the shaman up the stairs. At last, he answered. ''He's in very serious pain but refuses to take morphine by fear of the agony he lived before. Let's just say he had had enough, and don't be frightened by the bandage around his head.''
The bandage didn't even affect her that much, it was more the foetal position in which they found her companion, and the occasional spasms of pain shooting through his body every now and then. As she entered, she immediately ran to the side which he faced, and called for him with utter relief in her voice. ''Link! I'm back!''
As he heard her, his eyes darted open immediately, and before Midna could react he scooped her up from the floor with a grunt and held her tightly, careful not to press her too much on his injured torso. ''Oh Midna, where have you been … ?'' he whispered as he held her close, his breath wavering over her back to make her tremble with excitement. She quickly shoved that thought away, however, instead relishing the simple fact that he held her that tightly, so relieved that she was back.
''I've missed you, Link …'' she murmured back, feeling his embrace slacken and looking at his weary eyes worriedly.
She caught him staring blankly at her face, his expression lit with confusion and … what was that? What was the second look he offered her before asking? ''Where's your Fused Sh –'' She cut him off with a quick shake of her head. ''That's not important now. Are you all right?''
His movement, the truthful head shake, said it all.
Behind him, Renado was sitting down with a bowl, a towel and the waterskin in his lap, gently calling the Hylian to alertness. ''Link, Midna brought something to cure you and drive the pain away. We should treat you immediately.''
Link nodded weakly while letting himself fall back down to the mattress, one of his hands however tightly interwoven with Midna's. The healer then uncorked the skin just as Rusl also stepped into the room and closed the door behind himself.
The anticipation was tense while they waited for the first drop of Light to fall into the bowl ever standing pat. Renado's hands were clearly shaking a little, and Rusl's breathing above him was abnormally loud to Midna's keen ears. Yet as the divine liquid suddenly emerged, they all gasped in wonder.
The sacred water flowed like liquid Light out of the skin, pooling into the cup. It reflected its Light on all the faces around it as everyone stared at it in awe. Setting the waterskin aside once more, Renado carefully dipped a finger into the tears, nearly expecting that touching them would hurt. It was not cold, but not hot either. Like a golden ray of sunlight in an early spring morning. This reassured him a lot; at least it would not burn Link's stomach. As his finger stirred it a little, a faint ringing could be heard from the Light, as if he was moving small, jingling pebbles of gold.
The clean cloth was dipped into the quicksilver-like substance, clinging to the fabric like liquid metal. As the shaman carefully drew it nearer to one of Link's minor cuts, he halted in mid-air, looking at the youth. ''I'll treat the others first to see if it has any effect, and if it hurts you tell me immediately.''
Link swallowed, bracing himself for the foreign feeling that would come at the Kakarikan's touch. He half expected it to hurt, even if he was already used to pain, but the fear of new torment had steadily grown over the days he was suffering now, making him sweat and tremble slightly as he awaited the man to press his cloth onto his stomach. As he took a quaking breath and held it, he nodded to Renado, whose hand dove for his exposed skin like a bird catching fish.
He moaned nearly despite himself. Yet the moment the Light Water immersed and expanded over the first cut the shaman had strived for, a blissful feeling of pleasure overcame him like a warm gust of summer wind, making him close his eyes in silent delight. ''How is it?'' Renado's worried, tense voice called out to him.
''Good.'' he answered. ''It feels pleasant.''
Midna exclaimed in joy while squeezing Link's hand, gazing into his eyes contently. A feeble smile tugged at his lips, one which played back the utter relief and peace he felt for the first time in those seven long, painful days he already laid in this bed. As Renado called out to them and instructed them to look at the wound, they all voiced new surprise excitedly.
The cut, quite long but not very deep, was bathed in a thin layer of Light which shone out into the dimly lit chamber, eagerly working on the flesh which slowly, but in record time for such a wound, closed before their very eyes, the skin meeting once more and growing together to form a thin scar.
''Gracious Din …'' Renado chuckled, looking at the newly formed scar that had appeared in a matter of seconds. ''How is that even possible?''
No one had an answer for him, but none was ever needed, for his question was immediately forgotten as he brushed over a second cut, then a third, before dipping his cloth into the bowl numerous times and touching every one of the twenty-two cuts, which he only bothered now to actually count how many there really were. Link was laying serenely in front of them and genuinely enjoyed the healing process while the Light worked, until the bowl was completely empty and Renado had to pour a little more for the last cut.
The room had been so silent that, when it came, everyone, even Link, flinched back in shock. Like undergoing a complete change of worlds, moving from Light to Darkness, Link suddenly tensed up and emitted a sharp, painful scream the moment Renado touched the cursed incision. His hand instantly shot back.
There was silence for a moment, only broken by Link's quiet gasping. His eyes were not calm and serene any more but screwed up along with his fists. ''Link? What's wrong?'' Renado asked quietly, not yet wanting to give up hope so quickly. It was surely just because he had pressed too hard that he had hurt Link. Surely.
''It hurts … badly …'' Link wheezed, reopening his eyes and gazing at him with a look dark and clouded once more, as if nothing pleasant had happened before. It almost bled Renado's heart out to see him like this again. But the Light Water would heal him. He would have to bear it just a little longer. And that was what he told him.
Yet as he touched the cut again, more carefully this time, Link cried out anew and bulged his back in torment, suddenly thrashing his head about and starting to scream. This time, however, the shaman didn't give up. ''Just hold on a little longer, Link!'' he called over the youth's yells. ''It's nearly over.''
And he pressed the cloth even deeper into the wound. By now, blood was slowly seeping out of the lower part while the upper cut, stretching from Link's collarbone to his belly, started to close and scar over. As the healer drowned the remaining injury in Light, they suddenly saw the violet pebbles of the curse resurface once more, along with an ear-piercing shriek from Link. He writhed and tossed about, clawed at Renado's hand and the cloth, battling against Rusl and Midna who tried to hold him down on the bed. The pebbles turned black and seemed to pulsate inside the wound, fighting against the Light and making Link scream even louder.
''Link! It's working! We did it!'' Rusl shouted, suddenly overly excited, a hysterical grin spread across his face while he watched the curse well up in Link's blood. Renado was now helping in holding Link down, the cloth lying on the floor long forgotten. The youth was now shrieking with all the power his lungs could muster, tearing at the wound and drawing blood, staining his hands, leaving grotesque marks on his healed skin. Midna was calling for him to relax, to stop writhing, but all of it fell on deaf ears.
Until, with a last, sudden screech, Link jumped.
A blinding light, even brighter than the Light battling against the Curse, momentarily emanated from his left hand and drowned the entire room. Midna shielded her eyes with a frightened scream, horror suddenly gripping her every fibre. The two men backed away, one of them fell as a body landed on top of them, a clanking and shattering sound resounded, before the blinding brightness expired as quickly as it had come, along with the rest of light that had dimly lit the room before.
Total darkness greeted Midna's eyes, along with heavy panting from the three other persons in the room. Rusl was lying next to her, slowly getting up and calling for his son gently. Renado, on the other side of the bed, also stood up with a groan and apparently groped for something to lit the extinguished candle, for he cursed and hissed as his fingers brushed over something sounding like thick shards.
''Link?'' Rusl kept calling softly while Midna stood up and climbed onto the bed to see if her companion was all right. She screamed out as she touched the blanket, and solely the blanket. No skin, no hair, no soft and finely curved face; nothing.
''Link!'' she shouted, freezing fear instilling in her bones. ''Link! Where are you?''
''Wait, I have a flint here for the candle.'' Renado panted and soon the candle, which he found lying on the floor with the melted wax spilled out, breathed alive once more, giving faint light to the confused people within the room.
Indeed, Link was not in bed any more. ''What happened?'' Rusl asked as they looked around, until Midna silenced him with a hand-move, instead pointing at the left corner opposite the bed, where the rocking chair stood. They carefully advanced into the reclusive area, halting mutely as their candle feebly illuminated a trembling figure, cowering in the corner, huddled up with one arm wound around its stomach, the other holding its head tightly against its drawn-up knees.
''Link?'' Midna asked, but her voice broke and failed to bring out but a choked whisper.
Like a wild animal scared by a hunter, Link's face jerked up, staring at them with wet, dark, shimmer-less eyes. He wore a look that Midna had never expected to see in his blue irises ever again, but it was there, as clear as daylight, poisoning his once beautiful eyes with its foul entity; the very same, mad look he had had when trapped as a wolf, in search for the Master Sword, and slowly becoming more beast than human. He was like an animal with a desperate desire to hide from something – or someone – dangerous. Hide from them, his friends, who he didn't seem to recognize any more.
''Link?'' Renado asked, looking as if he had just seen a ghost. Maybe he really had, Midna thought. The ghost of a tormented human soul, trapped in madness, as vulnerable and scared as a deer amidst a pack of wolves. No way to escape, no way to survive.
Rusl took a step forward, and he regretted it immediately. As soon as he stepped closer, Link screamed and flinched even farther into the corner, pressing himself tightly against the wall. As Rusl tried to appease him and even tried to touch him, Link thrashed wildly about, still shrieking, clawing and biting at his surrogate father who was quickly pulled back by Renado.
''Out! Quickly!'' the wise shaman urged, blowing out the candle and pushing both Midna and Rusl through the door into the corridor. Before he went outside after them, he quickly grabbed the waterskin with its valuable content and the morphine bottle which still stood on the bedside table, tripping over the shards of the bowl which had shattered at Link's escape; the cause to his lightly bleeding finger. Holding both bottles tightly against his chest, he excited quickly, carefully closing the door and turning the key around from the outside.
Despite himself, he was trembling like the other two standing in front of him, wearing naught but fearful countenances. No one said a word, not one could say but a word, only stare at one another disbelievingly. From the corner of his eyes, Renado saw his daughter and Ilia stand in the doorframe to his left, mute and unmoving. Midna had begun sobbing, but her tears streaming down her cheeks made all the sound there was between the five shocked people. Until a voice swept up to them from the children's door, soft and innocent, ignoring.
''Is everything all right now?''
000