A/N: Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by! Sorry that this chapter is a bit late, I tried to get it out on time, but ran into a couple issues. I hope you all find it enjoying none the less. I would like to say that I quite liked all of your interpretations of the question and actually agree with most of you.

Generala: yes she might be, but mind you Link is quite a big wolf. Thank you so much for the review.

Yami no Nokutan: You know what they say the third time's a charm, sorry. You shall just have to wait and see…

Storm Dragon Wolf Princess: thanks for the review! Yes! I was right. XP

Gojira Geek: You're probably right. Thanks!

silverheartlugia2000: Yes indeed! Thank you!

Scarlet Curls: It quite seems that way now doesn't it XP that would be quite rude to smite someone who has barely had a chance *evil snigger* Shard of light indeed I quite like your predictions. It's probably a good thing you did not let your fan-girl eat popcorn all this time whilst waiting, we would not want her to get high blood pressure and a heart condition now do we… Thank you very much for your review!

xXx skytale xXx: So do I, so do I. though I do like challenges sometimes, they are both more fun and more frustrating at the same time. Thank you so much for the compliment, I did put a lot of effort into that :D

Sealed Chains

There was nothing Link could do to hide and no point in it either, for they would just search for him if he did not come out fully. Getting a firmer grip upon the hilt of his stolen weapon, he clenched his teeth and stepped out into the light.

"See I told you he would make it out," Ganondorf snickered. "I speak from experience when I say that it is hard to get rid of him. He is rather like a cockroach. I would have felt it were he dead."

"Better a cockroach than a mud sucking leech," Link challenged darkly.

"I will fix that smart mouth of yours," Xiphos growled.

Ganondorf merely chuckled, lifting a hand for silence.

"Are you here for a rematch," Link asked taking a swordsman's stance. "Losing half your army and getting defeated once not enough for you?"

Ganon's expression darkened for an instant before he smiled. "You know why I am here boy. I would like to thank you for making my job so much easier. I'll take the power source now. I know you have it."

Link twisted his blade neatly in his hand before answering with a short, "No."

Ganondorf frowned, his leering grimace of a smile dropping once more, his yellow eyes boring menacingly into Link's.

"Don't play at being stupid, you know I have the upper hand. I have the girl. Give me the power source and give yourself up or I will slowly torture her to death."

Link glanced miserably at Aveil as Xiphos twisted her wounded arm. She let out a grunt of pain. He did not want her to die, but if Ganondorf got the power source he did not know how many others would die. He had no right to choose whose lives had more value. No one had the right to have so much power. He looked miserably at Ganon's leering face.

"Do you swear on what remains of your mark of power that if I agree to your terms she will not be killed or tortured?"

"You have my word," came the warlord's flat response

"Don't do it Link! I would rather die than be responsible for the deaths of others. Think of our families our people they-" Aveil was silenced as Xiphos's blade pressed harder into her throat.

Link did not trust Ganondorf for a moment, but he knew what the proper choice was. He was well acquainted with the saying: 'Don't risk a thousand lives for the sake of one.' That very saying had caused him a lot of pain not too long ago. Suddenly, he found himself wondering if this was how Zelda felt all those months ago. She had followed that saying to the letter, and had not really had a choice about it, or could see no way out. He, however, had a better saying: 'Save the thousand and the one by playing your cards right and using your head.' He gave no outward sign to his thoughts as he finally spoke.

"I will do as you ask," Link said as he took the stone out from his belt and tossed it Ganondorf. He dropped his stolen sword and lifted his hands above his head.

"Secure him!" Ganondorf cried to his guards, and many came to do their masters bidding. Link did not struggle as his chains were once again replaced. His hands were pinned roughly behind him as two darknuts held him captive with their strong grips on his upper arms.

Ganon faced him, "Foolish boy, I thought you were smarter. No doubt you think you can outsmart me later and escape again." He laughed wickedly as he raised his hand above his head. It started to glow as he intoned a muttered word.

Link felt his pen knife quiver from its hiding spot in his boot. It levitated and floated over to Ganon who caught it deftly with one hand. "So you picked the lock. I will make sure that that never happens again," he panted, his hands trembling. It was obviously a strain for him to use any magic even if it was small.

"I think it's about time I taught you your place," Ganon said. He took a deep breath and started to work magic again.

Link watched in horrified fascination as the chains on his arms and legs fused shut, and the key hole disappeared. It was as if the chains had been forged around his limbs.

Ganon let out a groan. "Take him away," he panted, looking as if he had just run several miles at a sprint, "We need to get as far as we can down the mountains before night falls. We got what we came for."

Link tried to keep his expression blank but he was filled with barely controlled joy. If Ganondorf had actually searched him he would have found more than the pen knife, namely the two bombs. His joy quickly turned into worry as Xiphos spoke.

"Shall I teach him a further lesson for escaping," he grinned as he raised a fist, having passed a struggling Aveil over to a Darknut.

If Xiphos decided to beat him, he could unintentionally cause the two volatile plants hidden in his tunic to detonate and that would be the end for both of them. Despite this, he tried to keep his expression placid or Ganondorf would get suspicious.

"We don't have time for that now," Ganondorf snapped as he started striding back down the mountain.

Link smiled with relief as he was herded after him.

"But, sir-" Xiphos began to protest.

"He will learn his place and pay for all his rebellion, rest assured," Ganon growled, "but now is neither the time nor the place."

~x~X~x~

Night had fallen in the mountains and Link and Aveil were chained in the usual manner. They had hiked miles up to crest and down the snowy peak on the other side to just past the snowline. That precaution had done basically nothing, for the weather had taken a turn for the worst and a fine sleet was falling. It slowly soaked the ground around them, dripping ice cold water down the ringlets of his damp hair and gradually soaking into his weathered cloak.

Aveil had not spoken a word to him aside from a hushed, "How could you? You dishonor me, and everything we stand for. You are weak; I would have gladly died for my people."

He had tried to explain his latest idea to her but she refused to listen to him or even look at him. The two Darknuts were in charge of them seemed slightly inattentive towards them because they were facing the meeting at the camp fire. Ganondorf was giving a lengthy speech about something and all his soldiers, except for the few sentries, were huddled around the fire to listen. Link thanked the goddesses that fate had taken a turn to stand by his side right when he needed it. He saw no better opportunity for escaping then the present. Despite Ganondorf's brilliance and bravado, he was bone stupid sometimes. He had fused the chains that bound his limbs but he had not fused the chains to the tree.

The four chains were warped around the tree and joined together with a padlock. Link picked up a sharp rock from the ground and began to laboriously enlarge and deepen a knothole in the tree right behind the padlock by boring into the bark. It took quite a while because he had to act inconspicuous the few times a guard turned around to check. Once it was big enough, he wedged in one of the small bombs and then the padlock. Then he covered the opening with as much moss as he could jam in. he looked around for the last thing he needed. There was a sizable stick just out of arms reach. It was rather thick and heavy at one end and pointed at the other and not much longer than his arm. He lay down, trying to get his foot around the stick since his feet had a further reach than his arms. He strained as far as the chain allowed and slowly nudged it towards his hand. Once he had it, he jabbed it into the moss covered hole.

The moss substantially quieted the sound of the exploding plant and the bark of the tree contained it. It made only a small whoosh and cracking sound that was overlooked by all the people around the fire because of Ganon's booming voice. The two sentries did hear it though, and they turned around to see what the noise was. Link quickly put the stick behind his back. Both Darknuts headed towards him growling menacingly. Their breath came in dark hisses through their helmet's mouth apertures, only to disappear in white wisps into the blackness of the night as the frozen rain pinged lightly of their plated armor.

They knew he had done something and they were not going to stop until they found out what. He held perfectly still until they were quite near and then he clubbed the first one over the head as hard as he could before the sentry could draw his weapon. His stick snapped in half and the darknut fell unconscious. The game would have been up for him then, because the other darknut backed away to sound the alarm, but before it could Aveil felled it with a huge stone to its head. Link nodded his thanks as he handed her one of the Darknut's knifes so she could pick her locks; hers had not been sealed by magic. Link pulled out the battered padlock from the hole in the tree and smiled as it gave way. He unwrapped the six foot chains from around the pine only to re-wrap each of them around the limb that they were attached to, to keep them from dragging. It looked as he wore gauntlets and shin guards made of chain. Together, they both backed from the clearing.

"What do we do now?" Aveil whispered.

"You are the better thief, so I want you to steal back the crystal from Ganon's tent while he is busy talking. Meet me back here when you're finished. Then, you will take a decoy of the stone and head elsewhere. I will take the real one and head back up the mountain, in the direction we just came from. That way they won't know which of us to chase, they will have to split their forces and that will give us a better chance. I know a place to hide the crystal where it will not be found.

~x~X~x~

Aveil drifted back into camp as expertly as the shadow of a ghost. She stayed along the edges so no one would catch a glimpse of her in the light from the fire. Ganondorf's tent was easy to spot and she slipped inside, coming into it from its side rater then try to breach its guarded entrance. Years of practicing this very skill kept her heart from racing and her every movement quiet, but still her nerves were on high alert. Aveil glared as she saw Ganondorf's cot piled high with blankets. That small detail annoyed her to no end, especially when she considered the state of her own near frozen body and sodden tattered cloak. She hated the rain.

For a while, she saw no sign of the crystal. Her breath quickened, she was quickly running out of what little time she had and she began to fear that Ganon had kept in on his person, when her eyes fell upon a locked chest under his bed. The sight of it made her flush with anger, and yet at the same time a vindictive pleasure. The man was so arrogant, but that was indeed a good thing for her. She moved the dagger into position to breach the lock of the chest and then halted for a moment. What if it was not just arrogance and overconfidence that had him place it so unsecured? What if he had used magic? The thought worried her for a moment before she decided against it. She had seen how hard it was now for him to use his power, and he had used all his strength on Link earlier. She held her breath then smiled when she dared to twist the knife and found her guess correct.

She met Link back at their spot in the woods once she had the stone. She hesitated for several moments. For his plan to work, she would have to trust him, something she found herself hesitant to do. She had the power in her position now and giving it to him seemed to be toying with fate. It was her family's responsibility, not his, and in all truthfulness, she was not sure she did trust him yet. She wanted to. He had, after all, traded his freedom for her life. She hesitated for another moment before finally thrusting it into his hands.

"If you so much as think about playing me false, I will hunt you down and make you regret it."

He raised his eyebrows, "Duly noted," he said eventually, with a hint of amusement in his eyes.

She growled softly in frustration before she spoke again.

"Listen, I'm sorry I thought you were an idiot before. You're not a bad strategist, and I do appreciate what you did. "

"It's alright," he gave her an odd look and the hint of a roguish grin; "I am not so sure you were wrong about that."

"Good fortune and fair winds go with you," she whispered as they split up.

A/N: Stick around next week to find out what Link's brilliant plan is exactly }:D Sorry to all evil fan girls who were hoping for Link to get a bit of Ganon retribution this chapter, but allow me to say that he may indeed not get so lucky next week *slight spoiler* and after next week Zelda returns with a vengeance!

Question: What are your thoughts on the new Zelda game that is coming out on Friday?

Bonus Question: do any of you have any ideas why Ganon is being almost merciful to Link? Or rather why Link has not been especially physically harmed?

There are two reasons I have done this actually and the foremost reason I will refrain from saying because it is quite a spoiler. But also Ganondorf, although he struck me as somewhat brutal, and willing to do whatever it would take to win, never came off to me as especially sadistic (unlike Ghirahim) I always thought he would rather crush someone in a battle, then crush an unarmed incapacitated prisoner. I am not saying he above it mind you, he doeas seem quite like the vengeful type who could indeed be cruel if he wanted to, but that's just how he came off to me. I don't know, that's just what I happen to think.

Thank you all for reading! I do love feedback! It does give me a lot of my motivation. Fair winds and good fortune go with you also, amazing readers.