Hyrule Field looked very much like the Ordo Plain, only it stretched much further, so far that the edges were blurry. If Link squinted, he could see the towers of Hyrule Castle. He caught Zelda gazing at them, with a look on her face as if she had gotten the last laugh.
The Main Road was a wide dirt path that could fit several wagons side by side, though the road was empty at the time. It was paved more neatly than the Provincial Road, but Link guessed that was purely for Hylian aesthetic, as the only people who travelled on the Main Road seemed to be delivery men taking goods to Castle Town.
It was a beautiful field, open and wide. Somehow it gave Link a sense of hope.
They hadn't gone far when they spotted four freight wagons linked together, being pulled by a pair of horses driven by two men. One of them was a tell-tale Kakari and the other was of an unknown ethnicity, though he was light in color and bright in spirit. Link and Zelda could hear his jolly shouts from far away.
"I didn't realize cargo transportation was such an exciting business," remarked Zelda.
They got closer to the wagons, and immediately the Kakari spotted them.
"Ezra," he said to the other man. "A couple of kids."
"The fair-skinned man whose name was Ezra turned his head to see Link and Zelda, and he gave them a kind grin.
"Fugitives from Sari?" he asked them.
Zelda was about to decline hotly, but Link suddenly realized what they had stumbled upon.
"You're the—"
"Runner's Express," Ezra said pridefully. He hopped off his horse and made his way to the second wagon.
"What is that?" Zelda demanded, awe-struck, as Ezra slid the carriage door open.
"We've got a couple more, from Sari," he shouted inside. He gave Zelda a grin. "Ladies first."
Zelda was so shocked, she didn't know what to do. She looked from the conductor, to Link, to the faces of the two refugees cooped inside the wagon. Finally, she boarded, with Link at her heels. The door slid shut behind them.
The inside was slightly cramped, with benches lining the walls and straw coating the floor as a cushion. Two curious Alfs stared back at them, huddled in a corner. They both appeared to be in their twenties, possibly brothers.
"Sarians?" one of them asked, though his tone didn't sound all that interested. His eyes were narrow, suspicious, but his body was relaxed. He puffed on a cigar and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes," Link replied. He looked to Zelda for input, but she only stared, bewildered, at the Alfs.
It struck Link that the royal family had no idea the Runner's Express even existed. This was Zelda's first time seeing the Eldin citizens make an effort to improve their lives. It shocked her.
"Is the lady all right?" asked the same Alf.
"She'll be fine," answered Link.
"Have a seat," the smoking Alf said to Zelda. "Catch your breath. It's all tough times, here. My name's Edvard. This is my good friend, August. I don't know if you could tell by looking at us, but we are Tinnish, and come from the province of Tinn."
The other Alf, August, started softly laughing, the first sign of expression Link had seen from him. He couldn't help but chuckle at Edvard's joke.
"Nah, we're obviously from the hellhole that Alfos is. There are a couple of Tinnish folk on the express, though. We saw them get on. An old man, and his two granddaughters. Young girls. There are some Verans, too, a couple carriages over. There's a lady and her son, and. . ." he trailed off.
"The pretty one," August finished.
"Yeah. The pretty one." Edvard laughed, and puffed on his cigar. "We'll be seeing plenty of them."
There came a jolt, and the wagons began to move steadily.
Link glanced at Zelda to make sure she was okay. She didn't make eye contact with anyone, but stared at her feet. Link nudged her, and she jumped.
"What?"
"Get a grip," he whispered.
"I thought this was a supply railway," Zelda hissed.
"That's what you're supposed to think."
"Hey," Edvard called. "You didn't tell us your names."
"Link," said Link. "This is Impa." He assumed that Zelda preferred to use her alias.
"Impa. Beautiful name," Edvard remarked.
"Thanks," Zelda stuttered.
Edvard laughed again. "You don't have to be afraid of us Alfs. We may have different stories but in the end, we're all running from the same thing, right?"
"Right."
"Now, I won't press you for your stories. Because your stories are your own. But if you want to get to know each other a little better, I'd be happy to share mine."
Link suddenly felt sick. Usually Zelda was the one to come up with stories on the spot.
"You first," he said.
Edvard nodded. "Well, as you know, August and I escaped from Alfos. And we were very lucky to get out. We had this plan that maybe we could hire ourselves out in the provinces, doing work for the weak and sick. Only problem was, nobody in the provinces had the extra money to hire laborers, so August and I were out of a job. We went to Kakariko to see if the rich would hire us, but we just got robbed. With no money and no supplies, we had no way to get back to Alfos."
"And no way to get back to my family," August interjected.
"Yeah, we had to leave August's family behind. He's got a wife and two children."
"I left to earn money, to try to make a better life for them. But instead I got stuck here, with nowhere else to go besides the Ren Marshes," said August. "Leaving Alfos was the biggest mistake I ever made."
August's eyes were wide and scared as he recalled his past. Link immediately thought of Jørn, and his heart began to hurt. He missed home. But he figured that was one thing they all had in common inside that wagon. Maybe with the exception of Zelda.
She looked betrayed, which confused Link. It appeared that Zelda was still on the fence about her alliance with the royal family, her own family. She defied them, abandoned them, and spoke horribly of them, yet, Link supposed, an attack on the royal family was still an attack on her.
Zelda spoke up, startling Link. "We have family in the marshes," she said. "They had been living in Vera, but their home was destroyed, and they were too sick to move back to Sari. Link and I decided to join them."
"Because even the worst of times seem better when family is together," remarked Edvard. August nodded slowly, solemnly.
The wagons creaked along, and after a while, Link decided to recline on the straw floor, and fell asleep to the rocking of the wheels. When he woke, Ezra was pulling open the door again, and the sky was ablaze in a dusky orange.
"We're stopping to water the horses," Ezra explained. "It's safe here, so feel free to wander about and stretch your legs."
Edvard stood up first, and August followed. Finally, Link and Zelda were alone.
Zelda didn't waste any time in berating Link.
"How long have people been fleeing the provinces?" she demanded.
Link shrugged. "At least ten years, maybe twenty," he answered.
"I didn't know anything about this."
"Yeah, but that's the point," said Link. "The royal family isn't supposed to know about it. They've already messed up the lives of everyone in the provinces, so they have to smuggle people out in secret. The Runner's Express is disguised as a freight wagon. It takes goods to Castle Town and drops refugees off at the Ren Marshes on the way."
"If my father knew about it, he'd probably ambush the marshes," Zelda admitted. "Probably best that he doesn't find out about this."
She stood up, and made her way towards the door.
"Come on. We haven't eaten all day."
The wagons had stopped by a small grove of trees, and the other fugitives had built a small fire and were gathering around it. Link spotted Edvard and August,. He and Zelda joined them.
"It's time you met the rest of the runners," said Edvard. "Everyone, this is Link and Impa. They're Sarians, joining family in the marshes."
A young Veran woman waved at them. Link blushed and waved back. She was beautiful. Her emerald eyes seemed to laugh, her hair fell in a mess of black curls, and she had a sly, red smile. Her jewelry sparkled in the fireglow.
The Verans were sitting separately from the Tinnish. There were three Tinnish, as Edvard had said, a sickly-looking old man and two young girls. The smallest girl was blonde and blue-eyed, with a cheeky face dotted with freckles. Her sister was a redhead. She looked frightened and wary.
"My name is Lily," the younger sister said, giving them a grin. "My sister's name is Maeve, and this is my grandfather." She hugged her grandfather's leg, but he didn't acknowledge her. He only stared straight into the fire.
"Why doesn't he talk?" asked a Veran boy, who was around the same age as Maeve.
Maeve glared at him, but Lily answered his question, taking no offense.
"He's old and he's very sick. And he's sad because our mother died."
"Oh," said the Veran boy. "I'm sorry."
Zelda had had enough of sob stories. She dug into the supply bag for some of the food, pulling out the can of sardines.
Edvard pulled a cast iron frying pan out of his own bag. "I can cook those up for you," he offered. "Have you got vegetables?"
"Only corn," replied Zelda.
"I have some carrots," the older Veran woman piped up. "And peas."
"We brought cheese with us," said Maeve. "But no bread."
"We have bread," said Link.
Edvard nodded excitedly. "Does anyone have any spirits?"
"Adele does," replied the older woman, smirking at the younger one.
The pretty Veran girl rolled her eyes. "I was saving it," she complained, but she pulled a bottle of wine out of her bag.
Edvard took the wine from Adele, the vegetables from the older woman, and the fish from Zelda.
"You will not be disappointed," said August. "Ingredients are hard to come by in Alfos, but Edvard is a magician with food."
Within minutes, the smell of fish wafted from Edvard's frying pan, mixing with the sweet aroma of Adele's wine.
"That's probably the last Veran wine I'll ever taste," Adele said sadly.
The older woman smiled. "I'm sure you've got plenty of other treasures in that bag of yours."
"That I do, Rose," Adele replied. She reached into her bag again and pulled out a small tin.
"What's that?" Rose asked.
Adele slowly pried the lid off of the tin, revealing to the group several assorted chocolates. The three children gasped in excitement. Lily clapped her hands.
Once Edvard was done, Link enjoyed the first decent meal he'd had since he left Hillwind. The quality of the fish didn't even matter to him. It was prepared with such care and skill that it tasted like home. Link divided up a loaf of bread and Maeve added slices of cheese to each piece. Everyone shared the meal, and when they were finished, Adele distributed her chocolates. Link received a dark, liquor-filled truffle. Zelda's was white chocolate with crushed hazelnuts.
Link and Zelda got out their beer and began drinking, and everyone else seemed to have the same idea. Adele happily finished the last of her wine, savoring the taste of her home province. Rose and her son drank a strong, black tea, and the Tinnish girls shared a lighter tea. Their grandfather neither ate nor drank.
Edvard cleaned off his frying pan, then rummaged around in his bag for another cigar. With the flick of a match, he lit it, and began to puff clouds of smoke into the air.
The fire was turning dim, as was the sky. Crickets began to sing in the grass, and somewhere far away, wind was whistling. Bats darted about in the dusky sky. Link felt like he was at home.
"Anyone have any stories?" Edvard asked.
"My town was destroyed in a fire caused by a Bulbin raid," said Adele.
"Not those kind of stories," Edvard reprimanded her.
"Let's see, then. I lived in Castle Town for a little while."
"No kidding?" Zelda asked, finally speaking.
Adele laughed softly. "I am a dancer. Last year, when I turned eighteen, I went to live in Castle Town because I wanted to become a professional. I was good enough. Back in my province I was the best. So I tried to get a job performing, but there was great discrimination against me, because I'm Veran. I should have expected that. I couldn't afford to live in Castle Town any longer, so I moved back to Vera, and then. . .well, we were attacked. So Rose, Jerome and I boarded the express, because we don't have family anywhere else that we can stay with."
"Dance for us," requested Edvard, changing the subject.
"It's too dark," replied Adele. She chuckled nervously.
"No, it's not. Show us how good you are."
"I don't have any music," Adele argued.
Link withdrew Daegal's whistle from his pouch and brought it to his lips. When the hollow music began, Adele stood up and began to dance, her skirts fluttering in the breeze. She tossed her ebony hair around and twirled. She was a silhouette in the twilight, a painting in motion. She even started to sing along with Link's music.
When she was finished, she bowed, and her audience cheered.
"I didn't know you could play like that," Zelda remarked, after Link had tucked the whistle away again.
"I learned so I could play for Daegal. It calms him down."
"That was a beautiful performance, my dear," applauded Edvard.
"You're so lovely," Lily said. "Like a princess."
"Oh, darling. I wish I could be a princess," replied Adele.
Zelda stifled a laugh.
The sun finally vanished completely, and the fire had smoldered out. Minutes later, they heard Ezra and the Kakari returning from watering the horses.
"If we're all ready, we should get going," said Ezra. "Malik is going to take over the driving for a while, so I can get some rest. Hopefully we can make it to the marshes within the next day or two."
"That's wonderful," said Rose. She called to her son. "Jerome, let's go inside, now."
Jerome returned to his mother's side
"What do you say to Adele?" she prompted.
"Thank you for the chocolate," Jerome said gratefully.
Adele beamed. "Anything for you, my little man. And thank you to Edvard, for cooking us this meal."
"It was my pleasure," replied Edvard. "The most fun I've had in ages. Goodnight, everyone."
Edvard and August retired to their carriage. Link and Zelda stood up to follow them. Link didn't want to be cramped inside the wagon again. He wanted to stay outside, sleep in the grass, listen to the wind in the trees.
"Come on, Grandfather," Maeve was saying. "Get up, it's time to go back into the wagon."
Their grandfather only blinked, still staring at the firepit as if it were still burning.
"Come on! Let's go for a ride!" exclaimed Lily.
It took the two of them to hoist up the old man and lead him into the carriage, but he made no protest. He simply acted like a puppet, completely oblivious to the world around him.
"Goodnight," said Adele to Link and Zelda. "We'll see you at the next stop."
Link smiled at her.
"Maybe you could play more music for me," she suggested. Her green eyes twinkled.
"Of course."
Zelda grabbed his arm and dragged him inside the wagon.
Malik slid the doors shut, and after a few minutes, the wagons began to move again. The wheels creaked, and the rocking was soothing.
That night, it began to rain. Fat droplets fell on the roof of the carriage, gently pattering, lulling them to sleep.
00000
Link woke before anyone else. He didn't know how long he'd slept, or what time it was, night or morning. He looked around the carriage. The rain had stopped, so it was silent except for the creaking wheels and light breathing of the other passengers.
The air was cold and musty. Link shivered, wishing there were blankets.
"You cold, boy?" Link was startled by Edvard's gravelly voice.
"Yeah, a little," replied Link. "I didn't realize you were awake."
Edvard rolled over onto his back so he was staring at the ceiling. "I've been thinking about things all night," he answered. "I've come a long way from home and I'd say it was completely worth it, but I don't know if that's true for August, here. Really, I'm the one who persuaded him to leave Alfos. I promised him we'd make enough money to get his family out. We didn't even make enough to support ourselves. Desperate times call for desperate measures, I suppose, so by the time we got to Kakariko we were willing to do just about anything to earn some money. We became thieves. Petty, conniving thieves. And it got us banished. We had nowhere else to go. And this whole thing, it's all on me. August doesn't get to watch his children grow up, he doesn't get to hold his wife. But me, I've got nothing to lose."
"Listen, Edvard," Link said in a burst of courage that seemingly came from nowhere. "I'm not from Sari. I'm a Hillwind."
Edvard sat straight up. "A Hillwind? Well, what the hell are you doing all the way out here?"
"I can't tell you. And you can't tell anyone else," Link pleaded. "I just thought you should know, since you've trusted me with a lot."
"I am honored by your trust," said Edvard. "So, what about Impa? She a Hillwind, too?"
Link sighed, and glanced at Zelda. "If Impa wants you to know where she's from, she'll tell you."
"Fair enough," replied Edvard. He reclined on the floor again. "After all, your stories are your own. I'm just not sure why anyone would want to leave Hillwind. From what I understand, you've got no worries there. And always plenty to eat."
"It's a good place to live," said Link. "But I had to leave. I miss my family. I miss everything about it, and I just want to go back."
"We all do, sort of. We miss it, anyway. But we wouldn't go back," said Edvard. He began to unbutton his ragged coat, then pulled it off. "Here, take this. It'll warm up later in the day."
Link gratefully accepted Edvard's coat and wrapped it around his shoulders. It smelled of cigar smoke and dust.
"Thanks," he said.
00000
Adele sat awake, humming softly to herself, as Jerome slept and his mother sat by him, watching over him.
"What time is it?" Rose asked Adele.
Adele peered through a small hole in the wall of the carriage. Outside, the sky was beginning to lighten, and everything was damp with rain and dew.
"It will be sunrise, soon," she answered.
"I wonder if we'll make a stop this morning," Rose wondered aloud.
"Most likely. The horses will need water. And I want to get out and stretch my legs. I want to get out and run around, and dance. I hate being cooped up in here. I hope there are big, open spaces at the marshes. And I hope there are more handsome men who can play music." Adele grinned, playing with her black curls.
Rose laughed in reply. "I'm sure you will have the time of your life in the marshes. Much better than working at Castle Town."
Adele opened up her bag and produced rolls of tobacco. Before she could light a match, Rose objected.
"Must you? There's no air in here. And I can't let Jerome get sick." She gazed forlornly at her sleeping son.
Obediently, Adele put away the tobacco. "I don't know what else to do. I only brought things that would remind me of home. The wine, the chocolates, the tobacco, and some makeup for my bad days."
"I brought a few books, though it's too dark to read, now," said Rose.
"I can't sit still for books," answered Adele. "I can never sit still. And I can't sleep on this thing. The rocking drives me crazy all through the night, and I'm always scared that we will be discovered."
"We won't be discovered," Rose assured her. "We will have a new life, soon. The people in these wagons are all our friends. We'll take care of each other."
Adele giggled to herself. "Which one do you think I should go after? The handsome musician, or the rough Alf?"
"This is hardly the time to be thinking about that," Rose scolded her.
"But why not? We are all being forced out of our homes by disaster. Why not try to make good things happen?" She sighed. "The musician seems sweeter. But the Alf looks stronger, like he could protect me. And he might be a criminal, which only makes him more exciting."
"Go after the sweet one," suggested Rose.
"He seems too shy," Adele disagreed.
"Then go after the exciting one. Although he is a little old for you."
"Criminal it is. Thank you for the advice, Rose."
"Anything for you, my dear."
"But speaking of the sweet one," said Adele. "He and the other girl are from Sari, they said. But they seem to be in perfectly good health. The Sarians live right near the Merk's edge. If they've lived in Sari for their entire lives, don't you think they would have contracted the illness?"
"It is unusual," agreed Rose. "But not necessarily suspicious. After all, what does it matter where they're from? We are all headed to the same place."
"But what reason would they have to lie?" Adele wondered.
"It makes no difference to me," said Rose. "They are good people."
"How can you tell? They almost never talk. What if—"
"You are only paranoid. Link and Impa just want to be with their families. They want a new life, like we do."
"But are the Ren Marshes really safer?" Adele asked. "When I was living in Castle Town, I heard that the royal family was interested in trying to take over the Zora Domain. The Zoras have powerful magic that the king wants. If the Hylians try to invade the Zora Domain, they will stumble upon the marshes and kill all of the refugees."
Rose quickly glanced at Jerome, who still slept soundly.
"Keep your voice down," she said. "I don't mean to invalidate your worries. But we are going to be fine." Rose dropped her voice to a whisper. "Even if there was an attack, there is a way out of the marshes. A secret way that the Hylians don't know about, through the mountains."
"How do you know that?" asked Adele.
"My husband used to trade with the Gorons, before he died," Rose answered. "He used the Ladin Pass often. It is a safe route between the Zoras and the Gorons, completely protected by the mountains. We can escape if we need to."
Adele nodded reluctantly. "I am sorry for being so worrisome," she said. "I am afraid."
"I know. We all are. But you are safe now, Adele."
Rose put her arms around Adele and held her close as if she were her own daughter. Adele was glad for the comfort.
00000
Finally, the sun rose, and the wagons stopped for the morning. Malik opened all the doors, letting in the early morning light.
"Morning, all," he greeted them. "I have a treat for you."
They all gathered around the first wagon, which until then had remained shut.
"This is where we keep the goods that we're transporting to Castle Town," Malik explained as he slid the door open. Inside, Ezra was still asleep on the floor. "Ezra and I gather everything up and pack it in this refrigerated car. But every so often, we have a small surplus."
Malik hopped in and dragged a crate over to the doorway. As he opened it, everyone craned their necks to see what was inside.
"Eggs!" exclaimed Rose. "I haven't had an egg in so long."
"This is a real treat, Malik," said Edvard, beaming.
A fire was quickly built. Since they had stopped out in the open, they used the wagons as a shelter from spying eyes. The sky was still gray with rainclouds and the grass was wet. The misty morning air smelled of rain and campfire smoke.
"Bring me those eggs," Edvard requested with his frying pan in hand.
Malik hauled over the crate and set it by Edvard's feet. Edvard cracked the brown eggs over the pan, and they began to sizzle.
Zelda and Link sat together in the doorway of their wagon. Zelda's hair was free from braids, falling in soft blonde curls, and she had changed back into her cotton dress that morning. Her eyes were weary. Link could tell she missed luxury in any form, but she would never admit it.
"How close do you think we are?" Zelda asked him quietly.
"It's hard to say," answered Link. "But Ezra said we should be there in the next day or two, so we can't be that far."
"Were you awake last night?"
Link rubbed his eyes. He knew now that it was probably a mistake to confide in Edvard.
"No," he said. "It's just hard to sleep on the wooden floor."
"Then why are you wearing Edvard's jacket?" Zelda asked.
"He let me wear it," Link replied. "It was cold last night, so he gave it to me before we fell asleep."
"You know we can't trust these people—"
Zelda cut herself short when she saw Adele strolling towards them, her hair a mess from restless sleep. She wore the same green dress as the day before, but with a pair of stockings to keep the morning chill away.
"It's cold, isn't it?" Adele remarked as she approached.
"A little," said Zelda.
"I am not used to this weather. Back in Vera it was hot all the time, like living in a desert." She sighed, reminiscing. "But I'm sure we will all get used to the cold in the marshes."
Link smiled, but Zelda stared at Adele blankly. Adele seemed to pick up on her hesitance.
"Impa is a pretty name," she said.
"Thank you," replied Zelda coldly.
"It doesn't sound Sarian, though."
"That's because it's not. It's Ilian, I think. My parents travelled." Zelda continued to stare her down, which Link suspected may have been doing more harm than good.
"Eggs are ready!" Edvard called out to them.
Link jumped up and joined the others around the fire. Adele and Zelda made their way over slowly.
August passed out the eggs, which had been seasoned with salt and pepper. Zelda reached into the supply bag and retrieved four oranges, which she peeled and divided, then passed the pieces out.
"This is a breakfast fit for a king," said Rose gratefully. "Thank you, Edvard."
"No need to thank me," Edvard answered, beaming. "It's all in good fun."
Like usual, Edvard took out a cigar after he had finished eating. "Damn," he said. "Out already." He lit the last one.
"Grandfather, you didn't eat anything yesterday," Maeve said. "You need to eat breakfast."
The old man shook his head.
"Please, Grandfather?" Lily begged.
"I want one of those," the old man said slowly, as if it pained him to say the words. He raised a shaky finger to point at Edvard's cigar.
"Oh, this? Sorry sir, but this is my last one," said Edvard.
"Give me the supply bag," Link said to Zelda.
She passed him the bag, and Link dug out the old cigar from Kakariko and the book of matches.
"Here," said Link, offering the cigar to the old man. "I bought this a while ago. I'm not sure if it's still good, but you can try it."
The old man accepted it, and the assembly watched in silence as Link struck a match and lit it for him.
"Thank you," he said in a voice so soft, Link could barely hear. "I'll have some eggs, too."
Lily smiled. "They're very good eggs, Grandfather. You'll like them."
The smell of smoke filled the morning air as the sun began to shine. Ezra finally woke up and joined them, clear-eyed from his rest.
"I can take it from here, Malik," he offered to his Kakari friend. Ezra mounted a horse.
Malik remained on the ground. "We are running out of water," he said. "I doubt we'll make it to the marshes on such short supply."
Ezra rubbed his chin. "Well, in that case. . ." He hopped off his horse and approached the fugitives, who were extinguishing the fire and gathering their things.
"Are we leaving soon, Ezra?" Rose asked.
"Very shortly," Ezra replied. "But we seem to be running short on water. Is anyone interested in volunteering to search for some?"
Not wanting to get back in the wagons right away, Link stepped forward. "I'll go."
"Anyone else, to go with him?"
"I will."
Link turned to see Adele, her arm outstretched.
"Perfect," said Ezra. "Thank you, you two."
Ezra retrieved a bucket from the wagon carrying Hyrule's goods and tossed it to Link. He caught it.
"Ready?" he asked Adele.
She was silent, but she gave him a nod.
"Don't be gone more than ten minutes," Ezra instructed. "If you're not back by then, Malik and I will come looking for you. Be safe, and good luck."
Link and Adele started off, bucket in hand. Hyrule Castle was no longer visible, not even across the vast plain. There was next to nothing in sight, except for tall grasses and tangles of berry brambles, rocks coated with moss and the occasional tree. They walked in silence, but once they were far enough away from the group, Adele spoke up.
"Let's go downhill," she suggested. "The rainwater should gather at lower ground."
Soon, the wagons weren't visible anymore. Link and Adele were alone among the grasses swaying in the chilly breeze.
"I would be happy to live alone out here in the wilderness if it meant I was safe from attacks," remarked Adele.
Link didn't know how to answer her, but luckily she continued.
"Who are you meeting at the Ren Marshes?"
"Some people I know," Link replied.
"Yes, I know. But who?"
Link hesitated. Any lie he told would unravel once they reached the marshes. "I don't actually have any family. No one's waiting for me at the marshes. I have nobody."
Adele sighed, as if she knew it all along. "I don't have anybody, either. My mother is alive but I haven't seen her in years. She never took much care of me, so I abandoned her to go to Castle Town, and when I returned to Vera I stayed on my own, until. . ." She trailed off.
Link knew what she wanted from him. She wanted details. Proof of who he was.
"I'm sorry," he replied, standing his ground.
"It's all right. Come on, let's keep looking."
They searched the bottom of the hill, looking for a brook or stream but finding only puddles. They filled the bucket with as much rainwater as they could.
"I can purify this once we get back," said Link.
"You have Alfos powder? Where did you get it?" Adele asked.
"I bought it in Kakariko, on the way to the Main Road."
"And where did you get that whistle? It's beautiful." She pointed to Daegal's whistle, sticking out of Link's pouch.
Link touched it gently. "A friend of mine made it."
"You're very talented. Thank you for playing for me last night."
Involuntarily, Link blushed and smiled.
"So, you and that girl, are you in love?"
Link was startled by the question. "What? No. Of course not. We've been friends for a while, I guess. More like partners. But I could never love Zelda."
Adele froze. "Zelda?"
It was too late for Link to take it back. "I mean—"
Adele's eyes were wide with fear. When she turned to run, Link dropped the bucket of water and grabbed her.
"Stop! Get away from me!" she screamed.
"Just wait a second," exclaimed Link as she struggled against him. She was strong, and taller than him. "I need you to wait."
"Let go!" Adele kicked him in the stomach, causing him to double over, setting her free. Adele scampered back up the hill, nearly tripping over her skirt. Once she reached the top, Link could hear her cry out to the rest of them.
"Ezra! EZRA!"
Link abandoned the now-empty bucket. He climbed the hill after her. Adele was running as fast as she could towards the wagons, looking back to see if Link was gaining on her.
"Adele, it's not what you think!" he shouted.
Adele ignored him. Ezra and the others had heard her screams and were craning their necks to see what was wrong.
"What's the matter?" Ezra demanded once Adele had reached the wagons.
"They aren't who they say they are," Adele panted. She pointed at Zelda. "She's the princess. The princess of Hyrule."
"What are you talking about?" snapped Zelda.
"Her name is Zelda," said Adele, still trying to catch her breath. "I don't know who the other boy is, but they're lying to us."
"What is your problem?" Zelda shouted at Link when he approached.
"It was an accident," he admitted.
"Everybody calm down!" Ezra roared. It was a volume and ferocity that none of them had heard from him before. "Adele, what happened?"
Adele gathered her wits and tried to calm down. "We were looking for water, and he accidentally gave themselves away." She pointed to Zelda again. "Her name is not Impa. She is not from Sari. She is the princess. I was right. Don't you see, Rose? I was right all along. They are going to give us away."
The fugitives gasped mostly in horror.
"You're a princess?" Lily asked, immensely curious.
"Is it true?" Ezra inquired.
"Of course not," Zelda stated.
"Yes," said Link, who knew there was no going back. "We're not from Sari."
"You shut up," Zelda hissed.
"Let him speak," demanded Edvard, who until then had been silent in shock. August was clutching their bag to his chest, his eyes darting back and forth from Edvard to Link to Zelda, unsure of who was going to make a move first.
Maeve had to hold onto Lily to keep her from rushing over to Zelda. The two girls sat huddled by their grandfather's side. Rose had one arm around her son and the other around Adele.
Edvard stood up and advanced menacingly over to Link. Ezra made no move to stop him. He curled a fist around the collar of Link's tunic.
"Last night you told me you were a Hillwind. You lied."
"I didn't lie about that," Link stuttered. "I am a Hillwind."
"What else did you tell him, Link?" asked Zelda, glaring daggers at him.
"Nothing."
Edvard let go of Link. "What is your real name?"
"My name is Link. I didn't lie about that either. I'm from Hillwind. You don't have to be afraid."
"Afraid?" hollered Edvard. "We don't have to be afraid of the princess of Hyrule spying on us, then going back and telling the king what she's seen? If the king finds out where we're going, where the refugees are, he will destroy them all!"
"Keep your voice down!" pleaded Rose, glancing worriedly at her son and the Tinnish girls.
"You can relax," replied Zelda. "I am the princess, and I'm sorry I lied about that. But I have no intention of revealing the location of the Ren Marshes to anyone. I am going there on my own business, and Link is helping me. I have been away from home for a long time, and I am not going back anytime soon. My alliance with the king has been broken. I swear to you all that you are safe."
"And why should we believe you?" Adele spat. "All you've done is lie. We can't believe anything you say. You've put us in danger. We are only trying to find a better life."
"Believe it or not, I am doing the same," Zelda answered calmly. "I meant to do this without scaring you. I give you all my apologies."
There was a silence as the assembly processed this.
"I know that your lives have been ruined because of my family. They are bad at their job and don't know how to run a kingdom. But I promise you that once my business is finished, I will do whatever I can to restore your homes to you," Zelda continued. "We need to ride with you the rest of the way to the marshes, but after that, you'll never need to see Link or me again. Is that okay with everyone?"
Everyone gave a quiet nod.
"Good. Thank you."
"What business do you have in the Ren Marshes?" August piped up.
Zelda looked at the ground, embarrassed. "I can't tell you that. But there is nothing to be afraid of. I promise."
"I trust you," said Jerome, the young Veran boy.
"I trust you," agreed Lily.
"Me too," said Maeve.
"I trust you," said August.
"I trust you," said Rose.
The old Tinnish man nodded his head at them.
Adele hesitated. "I. . .I trust you."
Zelda smiled gratefully. They all looked at Edvard expectantly.
"I don't want to share a wagon with them anymore," he said.
"Very well," replied Ezra. He pointed to the old Tinnish man. "Marcas, you stay with August and Edvard in their wagon. Girls, you'll join Rose, Adele and Jerome. Link and Zelda can take the middle carriage. Agreed?"
"Yes," replied Link. Zelda nodded in agreement.
"Now, I think we should be on our way. We'll reach the marshes by the end of the day," said Ezra. He left them and mounted his horse next to Malik, who had stayed out of the entire exchange.
Edvard took a deep breath. "Come on. Let's go inside."
Maeve and Lily helped their grandfather into Edvard and August's wagon, then boarded with the Verans. The doors slid shut.
Zelda didn't say a word to Link. She boarded their new carriage bringing the supply bag with her. Link followed her and closed the door.
"I'm sorry—"
Zelda slapped him hard across the face, and Link held back a pained yell.
"What is your problem?" Zelda screamed at him.
"They can hear you," Link reminded her, raising a hand to his throbbing face. "You didn't have to do that."
"Well, clearly you don't understand anything else. You've never understood anything this entire time. If you think you're just messing this up for me, you're wrong. You aren't helping yourself. Grow up." Zelda fumed.
"Oh, get over yourself," retorted Link. "It was an accident. I didn't give us away as part of some plan. I made a mistake."
"We can't afford mistakes." Zelda's face was flushed, her chest was rising and falling rapidly. She ran her hands frantically through her light hair. "I'm sorry. It could've been worse. I shouldn't have hit you."
Link's face still burned. "Yeah, maybe think it through next time. You've got quite the arm."
A smile flickered onto Zelda's lips. "Really?"
"It's not a compliment, dear."
Zelda sat down on one of the benches. "Once we get to the Zora Domain, we won't have to pretend anymore. Just a little longer. We just have to get through the Ren Marshes. Please, Link. Can you do that? Just that much?"
Link sat down next to her. "Yeah. I'm sorry. I messed up."
After sighing in exasperation, Zelda looked at him intently. "It's all right. I just didn't want to scare them. I didn't want them to think that I was going to give them away. These people don't deserve more fear. And we don't need them getting in our way."
Link opened the supply bag and pulled out a jar of beer. He unscrewed it and drank until he couldn't drink anymore. Zelda took the jar from him, and Link thought she was going to put it away, but to his surprise she finished it off.
"I miss him," Link mumbled.
"I know," Zelda replied. "But it's better not to think about it too much."
"He's all I think about."
Zelda was silent for a few moments, and Link could tell she was debating whether or not her next question was a good idea.
"Were. . .you two in love?"
Hearing it out loud was enough to bring Link to tears. He tried to cover his face, but he knew Zelda could see. It was hard for him to hold it in. He had been holding it in for so long, but he knew that grieving would just make things worse.
"I'm sorry, that was stupid," she apologized. "I'm always so insensitive."
"Don't worry about it," Link sniffled.
"Try to get some sleep, Link. You're tired. I'll wake you up when we get there," Zelda offered. She eyed Link carefully. "You're still wearing his jacket."
Link slid Edvard's jacket off, too guilty to continue wearing it. "I'll give it back to him later."
The wagons rocked over the grasses of the field, gently sending Link into a fitful sleep. When he woke, all he could smell was rain.