The Kakariko stables, which were located near a densely populated bazaar, were disturbingly different from Nile and Will's. Combined with the stench of livestock, Athol and Link could smell alcohol, cigar smoke, and sweat. It was packed inch by inch with horses, their ears flicked back, whinnying nervously. The several Kakari in the stables eyed them suspiciously.
Link found two empty stalls for both Epona and Fae. They seemed rightfully hesitant to enter the stalls, giving Link a look pleading not to be left alone.
"It's all right," Link whispered to Epona, gently stroking her. He thought he heard one of the Kakari men stifle a scoff. The men were older than the guards, with tanned, leathery skin and white hair that was once jet-black. Their dark eyes were lopsided, tired, but leering. Link wanted to get out of there. He tied up the horses and dragged Athol along.
"Stay close," Link instructed, once outside. He protruded his left shoulder to better shield Athol from the unwieldy ruffians littering the dusty streets of Kakariko. "This should be easy. We're looking for a princess among all these thugs."
"Kakariko is the largest province," Athol said, looking around with timid curiosity at the frighteningly stern faces of all the shopkeepers in the bazaar.
"Buy some potions, love?" one of them called out to her. He held up some of his wares, a murky green liquid kept inside a grubby bottle stopped with a cork. His spindly bones stretched through his tired skin. Athol quickly shook her head. The apothecary stared at her with dead, mismatched eyes. "This one can cure anything," he promised, gesturing to the bottle he held. He was getting too close for Link's comfort.
"Let's go," he said, leading Athol away.
They tried to ignore the dark stares of the Kakari townspeople, either old and shriveled or tall and burly. Even the women they passed looked like they were on a mission to seduce or kill. In a sea of black hair and sun-tanned skin, Athol and Link stood out. They were both small compared to the typical Kakari frame, and whenever one of the brutish townspeople brushed past, weapon in hand, Link shuddered with discomfort, then checked his pockets.
Eventually, the tents and stalls of the bazaar began to dwindle, the shouts and presentations of wares died down, and Link and Athol found themselves in a small clearing with less people around. Finally, they could take a proper look at the province of Kakariko.
It was hot, dusty and sandy. The buildings stood tall above the ground, some covered in stretched canvas like teepees and some made of wood with shingled roofs. Because of the dust, everything looked run-down. But it wasn't a poor province. Their technology was abundant. Outdoor water pumps, mule-drawn wagons and carriages, presses to make books, although the Kakari paper was nowhere near the Hillwind quality. Everyone nearby seemed well-to-do. Nobody was without a weapon. Though the Kakari style was simply leather and skins, they were dressed nicely and seemed to hold themselves in high dignity, decorating their clothes and hair with feathers, cloth and beads, men and women alike. And though the Kakari seemed belligerent, they didn't seem like they were in a state of despair. In fact, they were the most successful province in the Eldin region. And they knew it.
"Where are we even supposed to be meeting this princess?" Athol asked finally. Her cheeks were rosy from the heat, and her hair was growing bushy and humid. She untied her sweat-soaked braids and untangled them, shading her neck from the sun.
When her hair was loose and unbrushed, Link realized, it looked a lot like Daegal's, tawny and wild. The resemblance caused his throat to seize up, and by reflex, Link bit his lip so it wouldn't start to quiver.
"What?" Athol asked when she saw him staring.
"Behind you," Link replied in a low voice, with a subtle nod of his head. Athol looked carefully over her shoulder, expecting certain danger to be awaiting her.
What she saw instead was a girl, probably older than her, leaning against an unattended stall and staring in their direction. Athol squinted to get a better look. She stood several yards away, not close enough to hear them talking, but enough to observe. The girl wasn't dressed nicely, unlike the rest of the Kakari townspeople. Her dress was dark blue cotton, almost purposefully drab, smudged by the Kakariko dust and sticky from sweat. Matted blonde braids were twisted underneath a matching hair bandana. The only elegant aspect of her was her eyes, which Athol could tell were blue from the distance.
"What about her?" Athol asked, turning back around. "She's a mess. She can't be the princess."
Link eyed her again. "She's not from Kakariko, either. She's got the wrong coloring. And the Kakari don't wear cotton, they wear leather."
"She could be from Sari, it's nearby," Athol countered, turning over her shoulder again. "I wonder why she's staring at us, though."
"She knows we're not from around here, either."
Athol faced him. "There's no way she's the princess-"
"Don't turn around," Link interjected.
"I'm not-"
"She's walking over."
Athol shot Link a panicked "what-now" look. The two of them stood frozen. Link's eyes flickered back and forth from Athol to the girl who was casually approaching.
"She could be a thief," Athol whispered.
"She's not a thief, she's too-"
"Travellers?" The voice startled them both. It was louder than Link would've expected, more mature than she looked.
Athol turned around again to see the girl, drawn up straight, with a keen smile and an arch look in her eye. Athol had never met anyone, peasant or otherwise, who could match her strong stance. She surrendered.
The girl raised her eyebrows at Link, silently repeating her question.
"More or less," Link replied. "And you?"
Instead of answering, the girl examined him. "You're wearing green," she observed, then directed her attention to Athol. "You're not. I was told to look for someone in green."
"By who?" Athol asked conspicuously.
"Take a wild guess," the girl said, amiably but with a hint of vigor.
"And who are you?" asked Link.
The girl stepped right up to him, closer than one would normally get to a stranger. "I'm your princess," she said with a smirk. "But keep quiet about that, if you will. I'm trying to stay a little under-the-radar." She gestured to her outfit. "I am Impa."
"Impa doesn't sound like a Hylian name," Athol pointed out indignantly. Link quieted her by pulling her to his side.
"Let's start by you telling us where Daegal is," he said.
"Actually, let's start by getting a room somewhere. I've been travelling for days trying to evade life-threatening affairs, and I'm sure the same goes for the two of you, though without the perils of the Hylian royal family at your heels," Impa replied airily, beckoning them to follow her with a sweep of her hand.
"She really is our princess," Athol murmured to Link.
00000
The room Impa selected at the Pipaluk Inn had only two beds, one of which she claimed immediately. Link offered Athol the second one, deciding that a sleep-deprived Athol would be much more frustrating to deal with than sleeping on the floor.
The interior of the room was different than that of Hillwind. The walls, made of wooden planks, were covered by stretched canvas. Decorations hung everywhere, fashioned from feathers, beads and dyed animal hide. The beds were covered with pelts instead of sheets. Link shuddered, glad he would be sleeping on the wooden floor instead.
Impa looked out the singular window onto the ground of Kakariko. They were two stories up; she had made sure to specify that they wanted to be off the ground.
"I hope the Kakari don't know how to climb," she commented, then turned back to the group. "I feel like we should specify some things before we begin."
"Where's my brother?" Athol demanded from her seat on one of the beds.
"Let's not get too excited," Impa mollified. "We'll find him."
Link gaped at Impa with disbelief. "Farore said you know where he is," he said impatiently.
"I do. But before we start off," she gave Athol a quick concerned glance and then refocused on Link. "There is a discussion that must take place."
"All right, so discuss," prompted Link. He sat on the bed adjacent to Athol's, leaving Impa standing as the presenter.
She lifted a thin hand to massage her right temple. "Okay, first of all, what exactly did the goddess Farore tell you?"
"That you'd be able to help us find Daegal," replied Athol.
"No, no," said Impa, frustratedly. "I mean what did she tell you about the Triforce?"
"She said there are three pieces, Courage, Wisdom and Power, and Daegal's got Power," Link answered.
"Did she tell you what happened to the other two pieces?" Impa asked curiously.
"No, just that someone else must have them. She said the Triforce has been split for a long time."
"Longer than you or I have been alive," Impa agreed.
"But why does it matter where the other pieces are?" asked Link. "Farore said we would just have to take the Triforce of Power from Daegal, and then get rid of it. Everything will go back to normal after that."
"Indeed," Impa murmured deafatistly. "We'll talk more on the subject later."
"But what about Daegal?" Athol exclaimed, jumping from her seat.
Impa scanned the window again, looking out into the sandy Kakariko air. "We should get some sleep," she suggested. "We'll start up tomorrow and find Daegal."
The air from outside was cooling down as the light faded softly from the sky. Sunsets in Kakariko, the Hillwind children observed, were less interesting when they were masked by clouds of sand and dust. It took some getting used to, inhaling and not being able to smell pine trees and fresh lake water and soil. Link sighed, certain that he would have another uncomfortable sleep.
As it turned out, he wasn't even given the chance to.
Athol was the first to doze off. She had been exhausted by the day's ride across the Ordo Plain, but even more so by worried thoughts of Daegal and homesickness. Link watched her stomach rise and fall, her face contorted by fear, and how she was curled up tightly despite the heat. He felt like an idiot for dragging her so far from home, and though Athol had technically refused to stay in Hillwind, Link reluctantly accepted the position of a responsible adult.
"I have to send her back home," he said mostly to himself.
"My sentiments exactly," Impa replied, though Link had forgotten she was listening.
He kept gazing at Athol, a stoic expression glued to his face. "This was a stupid idea. I don't know what she was thinking."
"I give her my congratulations," said Impa, joining his gaze. "She's brave. I don't think I've seen anything so strong in someone so young. But you're right, she can't come with us."
Impa tapped his shoulder, beckoning him to join her on the pelts. Link hesitated at the thought of sitting on various dead animals, then shoved the thought out of his mind. He positioned himself so they were face-to-face.
Impa's relaxed expression had melted away, so Link could finally see the face of a princess forced into hiding. She suddenly looked worn, instead of just wearing a costume. Her eyes lost their playful shine and morphed into windows that showed each frightful memory of previous occurrences.
"I had wanted to talk to you about this," she said, stealing another glance at Athol. "But I wanted to wait until little sister was asleep."
"Impa, what kind of stuff are we looking at?"
"All right, we'll just start with this. My name's not Impa, actually, it's Zelda. Foremost-"
"Why did you lie in the first place?" Link interrupted. "We don't know who you are either way."
Zelda's eyes fell shut for a second as she performed her earlier act of massaging her right temple.
"Link, I know this whole 'rescue mission' thing is new to you, but I need you to understand the enormity of the situation. Do you think you could just listen without interruption and allow me to inform you of what you're signing up for?"
Link nodded, suddenly quite afraid.
"This isn't going to be simple, Link. You think you can just find your friend and bring him back, but that's not how it's going to work. I've witnessed what the Triforce can do to people, and it's not something that can be persuaded."
"What are you saying?" Link asked.
"I'm saying, if Daegal gets ahold of the remaining Triforce pieces, that's it. There's no going back after that. If he succeeds in finding them, your friend is going to change completely. The influence of the Triforce will poison his mind even more than it is now. He'll evolve into a power-hungry monster."
"So how can we bring him home? Can we destroy the Triforce?"
"It's not as easy as that," replied Zelda. "The Triforce, it drives people insane. Daegal's mind will be so clouded by its magic-"
"There's a way to do it," interrupted Link. "We can figure out how to fix him."
"I don't think you understand what it is we're dealing with."
"So how are we supposed to fix this?" Link demanded.
"Don't get me wrong, I don't mind going after him. There is a very slim possibility, but a possibility all the same, that the Triforce hasn't gotten to his head yet. But if that were true, I don't think he would've run away."
"You don't know Daegal. He was just afraid and didn't know what to do, so he did the first thing that entered his mind. I'll set things right," Link promised. "Is he far away?"
"No," said Zelda reluctantly. "He's actually very close. Farore told me that he's somewhere on the Island of Dinn."
"That's just across the Merk River. We could get there in a day," Link said with happy relief.
"True, but it's not the journey there that will be difficult," Zelda reminded him. "No one's been on the Island of Dinn since the new Hyrule Castle was built. There are no useful records of what we might find there."
Link nodded, his spirits slightly dampened.
"And," said Zelda, fishing for eye contact. "We're sending Athol back to Hillwind tomorrow, no matter how strong her resistance."
For some unidentifiable reason, this made Link feel even more miserable.
"She'll hate me for it," he said, unsure of whether or not he was trying to persuade Zelda to let her stay with them.
"I know she will. But we don't have a choice. She can't see her brother like this, it'll crush her to know how much trouble he's in."
"I'll get her on a ferry at Eldin Port, the one that sends exports to Hillwind," he promised.
"I've heard you can see the tops of Dinn's mountains from the shores of Hillwind," said Zelda. "She'll know exactly where we are and be waiting for you when you get back."
She eyed him carefully. "So, are you all right?"
"Just tired," Link replied.
"Go to sleep," said Zelda, standing up. "You can have the bed."
"No." Link shook his head. "You take it. I'll see you tomorrow."
Link situated himself on the hard wooden floor.
He didn't sleep at all.
00000
Link found himself sitting with the others at the breakfast table the next morning, listening to chatter between Athol and Zelda that he wasn't quite sure was bickering. His head was resting in his hand and his hair stuck out in spots.
Zelda rose from her seat and strode over to the inn's kitchen counter, where the Pipaluk chef had set out breakfast food for them, including smoked meat, eggs, spiced bread, fried potatoes with hot peppers, and gravy. At the end of the counter was a kettle of black coffee.
She came back with coffee for the both of them in chipped ceramic cups and a plate with two charred strips of what looked like tree bark.
"Kakari bacon," she elaborated when Link gave her a confused look. "I'd imagine it's different from Hillwind's rich livestock. Here, they just burn it till it's black."
Link took his cup of coffee from her and took small, slow sips. It was stronger than anything he'd ever had before; it startled him when it first touched his tongue.
Athol was chewing on cinnamon bread that had been generously sprinkled with sugar. She looked too happy, Link decided. The excited look in her eye and the ghost of a smile on her face made him feel even worse for sending her back.
"Where are we going today?" she asked Link.
"The Eldin Port," he replied. "But not until later. We need to get some supplies together first."
"And I'd love to take a bath," Zelda added. "I don't know how picky you Hillwinds are, but I haven't had one since I left Castle Town."
"How long have you been running?" Link asked, unsure if that was a personal-sort-of-question.
"Four days," said Zelda. "That's travelling on my feet, over the Lionian Barrier and evading the Bulblins."
"Why didn't you just take the main road?" he inquired.
"That would've taken too long. It's safer, but it was faster to just cut across. After I crossed the barrier that protects Castle Town from the Bulblins, I stopped near the outskirts of Alfos, but it's out in the open, so I didn't stay very long. I crossed through the Bulblin territory again to get to Ili, and then travelled on the Provincial Road to Kakariko."
"What was it like?" asked Athol, unexplainably curious.
"All of it? The whole journey?"
Athol thought for a moment. "Leaving your home, I guess. Leaving behind everything you're used to and just running away into a dangerous new life."
"Oh, that? That wasn't so bad," said Zelda heedlessly. "It was the easiest part of the entire expedition, actually. I knew what I was getting myself into by leaving suddenly. Farore may not be particularly thorough but she did inform me about all the perils. The hardest part, I suppose, was seeing all of the plundering, the disorganization, to which Hyrule has simply turned the other cheek. When I was in Alfos, I didn't speak to anyone in fear that they might recognize me as an outsider, but I saw the way they were living. It's a wasteland, and when the New Castle was built, they put up that barrier so they wouldn't have to worry about it."
Link listened intently, eager to learn more.
"And while we're on the subject," Zelda said to him. "I would advise you to properly arm yourself as soon as possible. The rest of Hyrule is very different from Hillwind. You shouldn't expect peace from everyone."
"What about me?" Athol asked her, suddenly interested at the mention of weaponry.
"I'm sure you'll be fine if you just stay close and don't talk to strangers," Zelda responded with the subtlest hint of patronization.
"I don't need to be protected, I can use my own weapon."
"Athol, if I knew there would be a situation in which you'd need a weapon, I wouldn't have let you come with me," said Link. "You'll be all right, just don't do anything stupid."
Athol scoffed. "Wasn't planning on it," she huffed, finishing her cinnamon bread.
"We should start moving," announced Zelda. "We'll need to stop for supplies. Athol, pack up all the leftover food on the counter. See if you can find a bag around here."
She nodded, licking sugar from her fingers.
"How much money do you have?" Zelda asked Link.
"I brought forty, but we spent twenty rupees on the horses."
"All right. Use your money for supplies and I'll pay for the ferry. Check those barrels over there. See if they have water."
Link got up to the supply of barrels in the corner of the kitchen. He stood one on its end. The contents swished around, confirming liquid.
"We can't steal their water supply," Athol reprimanded him, packing up wrappings filled with the smoked meat, bread, and potatoes.
"They get it imported from Hillwind," Link said back, removing the lid. "So it's technically ours in the first place."
"I'll be back after I wash my hair," said Zelda to the others.
When she exited, looking for the bathroom, Link and Athol sat back down at the table.
"I'm afraid I'm going to yell at him a lot," Athol sighed. "I usually do. And it's not because he's done anything wrong, I just get so worried that something will happen to him. Now something finally has."
"Daegal will be fine. We'll bring him back home," Link answered, feeling overwhelmingly guilty.
"He's never run off like this before. He hates unfamiliar things. How did he even get to the Island of Dinn?" Athol interrogated, mostly to herself.
"Domhn said the Triforce can grant wishes. Daegal's probably been wishing things all his life."
Athol nodded her silent agreement. "He would sometimes come to me, usually late at night when everyone else was sleeping, and say 'Athol. . .why does everyone. . .say "what" after I talk?'"
"How worried did he sound?" Link asked with concern.
"Sometimes he sounded very sad or confused, but mostly he would just ask like it was a normal question, just so he could learn how other people's minds work. A lot of the time he would talk about you, though sometimes he'd just be talking to himself, repeating the day over out loud."
"Did he say anything the night he ran off?"
"No," answered Athol. "He was silent."
From somewhere in the inn, they heard the water running. Neither Link nor Athol had ever met the fascinations of plumbing systems, indoor or outdoor. The faucets sounded like a small waterfall. They were curious, but also resentful of the unnecessary technology.
A few minutes later, the water stopped, and they could hear a disgusted scowl from Zelda.
"Kakariko gets their bathwater from the Merk River," Link told Athol, who looked confused. "It's gross." He rose from his seat and wandered out of the room, looking for the bathroom. He found a closed door down the hallway, adorned with a brass plate that was inscribed with the word "Bath."
"Zelda," he called, knocking on the door. "If we don't leave by noon, we'll have to pay for our room for another night."
"I'm not wearing anything," came her reply.
"Oh. . .I won't come in, don't worry," Link called back.
"Well I don't mind, I'm just warning you."
The bluntness of her response startled Link. "I'll just stay out here."
"Okay. I'll be done in a few minutes. Where did you two leave the horses?"
"They're at a stable near the gates of Kakariko. Hopefully they'll still be there when we go back," replied Link, just then realizing how unadvisable it was to leave horses unattended in a city filled to the brim with thieves.
"It doesn't matter much," Zelda said, audibly sinking into the bath. "We just need two horses. Whether or not they're the same ones you purchased, nobody will notice, I'm sure. Ugh, this soap smells like livestock."
"It's probably made from goat's milk. It's another thing Kakariko gets imported from Hillwind."
"If you give away all your natural resources to Kakariko, what does Hillwind get in return?" Zelda asked, making casual conversation. Link doubted she was actually interested.
"We buy their glass and ceramics for dishes and windows, and cement for building houses. They've also got medicinal herbs out here that don't grow in Hillwind."
"Medicine," noted Zelda. "Add that to our list. Food, water, medicine, light weaponry…" She trailed off, lost in thought.
The bathwater stirred again as Zelda climbed out.
"What kind of weaponry?" Link asked.
"Knives will probably be the most useful. A small one to use as a tool, and a larger one for defense. I think they make arrows here, but I've never picked up a bow before, and I don't know about you."
"Never," admitted Link.
"That should be enough to at least get us to Dinn and back. And once we've got everything, we need to be careful. If we lose any of it, we won't have the money to buy more."
"Would the people here really steal food and water? I thought the Kakari were well-off. They aren't poor."
When Zelda opened the door, she was once again wearing her cotton dress. Her skin had lost the grubbiness of the Kakariko dirt, and now shone. Her hair hung in damp curls.
"One thing you've got to understand about the Kakari, is that they don't do anything because they need to. They do things because they can. Kakariko thinks that it's independent because they don't have to rely on Hyrule for its survival. They've got money, they've got knowledge, and they've got security. But the one thing they don't have is independence. So yes, they will steal your food even if they have plenty to eat, because they have the freedom to do that, at least."
Link nodded.
Zelda went on. "I doubt Hillwinds understand that, since you're an independent town."
"No," said Link. "I understand. So the way they act, like criminals and thugs—"
"They will probably not hurt you," replied Zelda. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful. We're on an important mission, and we can't be slowed down. Speaking of which…" She jutted her head back in the direction of the kitchen.
Link sighed. "Yeah, okay."
They returned to find Athol with the food bag around her shoulder, filling glass jars with water from the barrels.
"How many of these would you like?" she asked Zelda.
"Two," Zelda replied blatantly.
"But, there's three of us," Athol said, looking confused. She began to fill a third.
"We'll only need two. It's not a long ride to the ferry. Less than a mile."
Two jars of water were packed into the bag Athol was carrying. "So that's all we're taking from here, right? Are we ready to go?" she asked.
"We won't deprive Pipaluk of any more of his belongings," said Zelda.
Athol smiled excitedly and made her way to the front entrance.
"When are you planning on telling her that she's going home on the next ferry?" Zelda asked Link in a low voice.
"Hopefully as she's getting onto the next ferry."
"You really think that's the best way to do it?"
Link gave her a certain nod. "If I tell her now, we'll have to drag her to the Eldin Port. If she's already on the deck of a boat, she can't go anywhere."
"Strategic," said Zelda, almost complimentary.
"Coming?" Athol called back to them.
00000
The humidity hit them like an oven. They inhaled the dust of the streets, and the sun glared in their eyes.
"Let's get out of here quickly," instructed Zelda, eyeing the dark, gargantuan men who were lounging around the bazaar. "I'd rather not die of heat stroke."
They cautiously made their way through the crowds of people, all either tall and bulky or old and shriveled. They stood out like flies in milk among the citizens with oiled black hair and copper skin, two Hillwinds and a Hylian. Zelda tied her bandana back on to hide her blondeness and Link took the lead. Athol tried to stand as tall as she could, while still hiding behind Link's back.
The three of them closely inspected each stall that lined the sandy streets, looking for a shopkeeper that appeared remotely trustworthy. The eyes of the Kakari gleamed dark brown or black. Everyone seemed to be staring at them. Athol shivered. Link secured her arm in his grasp, expecting her to pull away or hit him, but she calmed down and continued walking.
"I feel like someone's going to assassinate us any second now," remarked Zelda, glancing up and down the colorful booths that sold all sorts of unknown curios.
"Quiet," Link commanded, worrying that Athol would hear.
"I'm just saying, we stand out. All attention is on us. We should get out of the open."
"But we need to find supplies," protested Link. He spotted a Kakari youth, about Athol's age, leaning against a stall and smoking. His tar-colored undercut and handmade cigar made him seem older and cocky, but his young gaze was different from all the rest of the men. "What about him?" Link asked, subtly nodding his head so Zelda could see.
"We don't need cigars," she reprimanded.
"He looks honest. Maybe he knows somewhere we can go."
"He's a kid," said Zelda with skepticism. "And he's smoking."
"So what?"
"I'm not wasting my time asking some juvenile drug-addict for directions. Come on, let's keep walking." She pushed ahead of Link, grabbing Athol's arm away from him. Athol reluctantly followed her. The boy at the stall gave Link a smile.
"I'm talking to him," Link said abruptly, not caring if Zelda followed him or not. She spun around, annoyance gleaming in her eyes. Athol huffed in protest at being dragged around in all directions.
Link approached the tan-skinned boy, who immediately lowered his cigar.
"A smoke?" he asked in a voice deeper than his years. He opened a tattered leather case stacked with cigars identical to the one he was smoking.
Link shook his head, unsure of how he should word his question. The boy wasn't armed, nor did he have any adult supervision. Link couldn't get over the fact that he looked youthful and trustworthy, regardless of his hunched stature and confident manner.
"We're not from around here," said Link, looking back at Zelda and Athol.
"Obviously," scoffed the boy, as if Link had just told him that the sky was blue. He laughed. "And you'd rather not get scammed or anything. Buy a smoke, and I'll clue you in." He gestured proudly to his wares. "Two rupees."
"Okay," Link stammered. He reached into his pocket, fishing around for the correct change.
"I should've held the money," Zelda said from several feet away, to no one in particular.
Link handed the money to the boy, who spun it in his fingers and dropped it into a drawstring pouch.
"Take your pick."
Link selected a cigar.
The boy held up a small wooden box, half the size of Link's palm.
"A box of matches, on the house," he said, shaking the box so the contents rattled. He tossed the box to Link. Then he pointed up the street to where the stalls ended and rickety wooden buildings started lining up, stacked like blocks. "The general store," he instructed, indicating to one of the buildings. "A lady runs it with her daughter. Her husband died two years ago. She's too nice to scam you."
"Thank you," said Link.
"Her name's Kili. Pretty woman, but she charges half a fortune," added the boy, bringing his cigar to his lips again.
Link nodded in gratitude.
Zelda's hands were on her hips when Link returned to them, trying to tuck away his purchase so she wouldn't see.
"You bought one?" she asked with exasperation. "That money's gonna get us the bare necessities and you spent it on a cigar?"
"And a box of matches," said Link in his defense. "But I got directions. We're going to the general store."
The general store looked like it was going to collapse. It had a roof of blue-gray shingles, most of which were missing, and the walls were splintering.
"I thought these people were rich," remarked Athol.
"There is poverty in every city," Zelda replied. She led them up the front steps and through the wooden door, on which was hanging a sign that said "Open."
The inside didn't resemble a store, it looked like somebody's home. There were living chairs placed in almost every corner, with a pelt rug in the center of the room. Wooden tables adorned with oil lamps and decorations similar to those in the Pipaluk Inn stood by the door. At the far side of the room there was a long counter with drawers and cabinets, all opened to display the contents. Mostly herbs, preserves, and jugs of liquid. The curtains were closed to keep out the heat, so the room was lit primarily by the lamps.
Athol was the first to notice the girl with black hair and eyes behind the counter, sitting on a stool. She straightened up when she saw them.
"Welcome," she said. "Anything in particular you're looking for?"
Zelda stepped forward. "The owner."
"In the back," the girl replied. "She's my mother. I'll go get her." She jumped off of her stool and ran into the back room, and returned with a tall, skinny woman who had the same coloring. Skin the color of a penny, and shining coffee eyes. Her ink-colored hair hung long and straight down her back, braided in some places with beads interwoven.
"Are you Kili?" Link asked.
"Yes," she answered, giving them a mother's smile. She gestured to the small girl. "This is Sadia, my daughter."
"We're looking for some supplies," said Zelda, brushing aside the introductions. "Medicinal herbs, non-perishable food, knives—"
Before Zelda could finish, Kili bent down to rummage through the cabinets, setting small bottles and jars on the counter, each with contents of different solidities and colors. She held one up, containing leaves with jagged teeth. "Make tea with these, and it will make a fever subside, relieve pain and nausea, and cure a headache. Do not eat them, they have to be diluted."
Kili placed the bottle back down, and picked up a second one. Inside was fine white powder. "From Alfos. This purifies water. It's rare around here, since the Kakari import water, but Alfos doesn't have the money. They use Merk water and purify it with this."
The third bottle contained what looked like dried mushrooms.
"What's in there?" Athol asked, almost grimacing.
"Vaatican roots," Kili replied.
"Those are lethal," Zelda exclaimed. "Let's go, Link. That kid was joking."
"I always advise travelers to bring a poison pill with them." When she got no response, Kili continued. "The Hyrule dungeons, as I am told, are not an ideal place to slowly die."
"You don't know the half of it," said Zelda in reluctant agreement.
"We're not gonna end up in the dungeons," Athol piped up. "Why do we need poison?"
Zelda's hand connected with her right temple. "The lady's right. We'll take them. How much?"
"Ten rupees."
Link staggered. The boy hadn't lied. He gathered a yellow rupee from his pocket and handed it to Kili. It went into a hide pouch, fringed with tassels and sewn with tiny red beads.
"How much do you have left?" Zelda asked.
"Eight," Link replied sheepishly.
Zelda redirected her attention to Kili, who was delicately packing the bottles into a leather wrapping. "What have you got for food?"
"I can give you dried fruits," she answered. "Pineapple, mango, and banana. Those will last as long as you need them to. I also have fresh limes and corn, grown in the Ordo plain, and baked pumpkin seeds."
"We'll take all of it."
"Fifteen rupees."
Link and Zelda both cringed. "We can just buy the fruit and seeds," Link suggested quietly, trying to direct Zelda's angry gaze away from him.
"I'd rather have a surplus," she said. "If we get lost without food on the Island of Dinn, we're as good as dead. Why did you buy that damn cigar?"
Link didn't answer. Zelda's hand was back on her temple.
"Sell the horses," she said. "We'll walk to the ferry."
00000
"I propose that from now on, the two of you do exactly as I say exactly when I say it," snapped Zelda, grabbing the food bag from Athol and stuffing it with the newly bought items. "We're out of money and we still need weapons and tools."
Link rolled his eyes. "Look around," he said. "This place is full of weapons. If a few go missing, no one will—"
"That is not a risk I am willing to take," Zelda interrupted. "If that's the way you were planning on doing things, we might as well have cleaned that lady out. Food is one thing, knives are another. And I am not about to have my head chopped off by a Kakari thug when I've been running for days just to find you two. You want to find Daegal? Great. Then listen to me and don't be stupid."
"It's not like we've done this before," said Athol, coming to Link's defense. "This is hard for all of us. We're just as far from home as you are, princess."
Zelda stopped in the middle of the dusty street.
"Yes, I'm sure this is very hard for the both of you. But if you want to get your brother back, arguing with me is not the best way to do it."
Athol scowled, and they continued walking.
"We're not leaving here without knives, though," Zelda continued. "Between the three of us, we'll have to find a way to get them."
"We could use some of the food and water to make some fake medicine, then try to trade or sell it," suggested Athol.
"I liked Link's theft idea better," said Zelda. "Besides, the Kakari have pretty good medical knowledge. The only reason they try to pawn garbage off to you is because you're not from around here and they think they can take advantage of you. The closest thing Kakariko has to a leader is Shaman Farah. Best doctor in the Eldin region."
"Why didn't we go to him for medicine?" Link asked, still irritated.
"Because he only works for free in emergencies," replied Zelda. "Otherwise he would've charged more than Kili."
"So where would you go for weapons in an emergency?"
Zelda pondered. "There are a few things we could do. How good are you at horse racing?"
"We sold the horses," said Link.
"But there are people who own horses and set up games like that. Mostly people race for money, but we could try to bet for weapons."
"We don't have anything to bet," said Link. "What if we lose?"
"You're right, we can't afford that," Zelda replied. "Maybe we did buy too much food."
"No, you said you wanted a surplus."
"Which is worse? Dying on the Island of Dinn of starvation, or getting impaled by monsters?"
"I prefer starvation."
Zelda let out a sigh of exasperation. "Okay. I don't mind stealing. But the two of you have to let me do it. No help or interruptions. Just let me do it."
Link was surprised. He looked around at the Kakari townspeople, almost all of them armed.
"How are you going to—?"
"Not out in the open, of course," Zelda interrupted again. "I'll go back to the stables you left the horses at. People from all over go through those stables. They'll have supplies with them. I'll be as fast as I can but I need the two of you to meet me at the front gate."
"What if you get caught?" Athol asked.
"If I get caught then I get caught. But I won't. I'll be in and out. Just wait for me at the gate, okay?" Zelda replied in a hushed voice.
"But what do we do if you don't meet us at the gate?"
"Will you stop being so negative?" Zelda exclaimed.
Athol's face was a mixture of worry and anger. Any other time, she would've come forward with an indignant response, but she knew Zelda was right. They would find Daegal faster if there were no delays or arguments. And she understood that it was probably in Zelda's nature to take control and stifle resistance. She was, after all, a member of the Hylian royal family.
"Let's do it, then."
00000
Zelda tucked her braids into her kerchief for extra security. The broad daylight wasn't ideal, and neither was her blondeness. It would be easy enough to steal supplies if she were a dark Kakari, since that was commonplace. But if it were reported that a Hylian had tried to take off with weapons, that would raise more suspicion. She already looked out of place, with her pale skin and cotton dress.
The stables gave off an unpleasant stink before she even reached the doors. Once inside, she saw that Fae and Epona were still in their stalls, unattended by their new owner. They shuffled their feet nervously, and their ears twitched.
Zelda looked around cautiously. The new owner was nowhere to be seen. She carefully stepped up to
Epona and gently took hold of her reins, whispering calming words into her ear.
"It's all right, I'll get you out of here."
Out of jealousy, Fae tried to nuzzle Zelda's shoulder from the next stall over.
"You too," she promised.
She looked around again. Most of the faces of the Kakari in the stables were old and withered, but a few of them appeared to be younger, with sleek black hair and smooth skin. Zelda approached one that was laden with bags.
"What do you want, little Sarian girl?" he asked in a low voice. He was trying to pack up the last of his things.
Zelda went with it. Better to be thought Sarian than Hylian in a place like this. "Are you leaving the city?" she asked, still holding onto Epona's reins.
The young man eyed her with coffee-black eyes. "I'm just arriving," he answered. "I live here. But I had left Kakariko for a while on business."
"What kind of business?"
"Business that you have nothing to do with, little Sarian girl," came his gruff reply.
Zelda observed him more closely. He had tattoos, she noticed, mostly of strange designs that she couldn't make sense of. On his side, below his left arm, she spotted a picture of a small horse, and underneath were tally marks.
"You're a horse racer, aren't you?" she asked confidently. "You were away on business gathering horses, and it looks like you didn't come back with many."
The Kakari man looked disgusted.
Zelda went on. "As it happens, I've got two horses right here that I'd be willing to give you. Almost for free."
"Almost?" the man asked.
"You got a knife in that bag?"
The man hesitated, then removed his bag from his shoulder and opened up the top so she could see inside. Among other things, she saw a smartly made Kakari dagger. She smiled.
"That'll do."
The man began to pull the knife out of the bag, when she stopped him.
"No, I mean I want the entire bag. For these two horses."
He grumbled. "Where did you get the horses?"
"The Ordo Plain," Zelda responded. "I think the horses there come from Tinn. So they're healthy. Not like the carcasses I see around here."
The man almost laughed. Then he tossed her the bag and all its contents.
"Deal." He reached for Epona's reins, which Zelda passed over to him.
"Good luck," she said. "The other one's in that stall. The gray one. And it was a pleasure doing business with you."
"Be on your way, little Sarian girl," he sneered, though Zelda knew he was grateful.
00000
"That was fast," Athol said. impressed at Zelda's timing. "How much practice do you have with theft?"
"I didn't need to steal it," Zelda replied, tossing the leather rucksack to the ground. "You know those horses we sold? I traded them."
"What?" Link and Athol exclaimed together.
"To a horse racer. Not the most moral thing to do, I know, but then again, we were planning on thievery. So I figured it would be okay. The guy will find new horses. This is Kakariko."
Zelda bent down to thoroughly inspect the contents of the bag. She pulled out the large blade and handed it to Link. It was sheathed, and when he pulled it out, he saw that it was double-sided, and well-taken care of.
"Act like you know what you're doing," instructed Zelda. "That's the key." She rummaged through the rest of the bag's contents, tossing useless objects aside. Finally, she held up a smaller knife and a tin whistle, much like the one Link had in his pouch. She pocketed these.
"We have everything," she said finally. "It's not far to the Eldin Port. We should be there before nightfall."
Link fastened his new blade around his waist.
"You ready?" he asked Athol.
She nodded. Link still saw excitement in her eyes, which only made him feel more guilty.
Link called up to the guards to open the gate.