Chapter 6 -Ordon-

finally! XD it took me a while but i finally got it XD jsut in time too. It's not next week yet still an hour to go haha!

please excuse and typos.. i wrote this with my sister over my shoulder nagging me to get off and let her use it... i'll revise it more later... maybe

They had reached the boy before the hero did. Watching him panic from the branches of a nearby tree. Serena led them through Faron woods, as they watch the teenage hero go through all of Faron woods to save his friend.

"This is strange." Serena said when they entered the wide swampy area.

"What is?" Raven asked. They were up in the trees, playing around the branches and vines out of boredom. Link didn't seem to notice their activity.

"They weren't that many monsters here… only like a group of 5 at the most. Faron's light usually wards them off."

"It seems just fine to me."

"Of course, to you it does. You've hardly ever saw Hyrule when it was at peace." They saw Link unlock the gate and head to the next area. "Maybe…" She scowled. "never mind. Lets just go ahead of him. He doing fine on his own don't you think?"

Raven nodded and followed her through the trees.

Now Link had entered the area. He held his wooden sword in his right hand unlike most of Ravens descendants, who were left-handed like him. He dealt with the two that were on guard and easily broke through the wooden cage with a spin attack.

The boy and female monkey cheered once they were free, the monkey clapping her hands and the boy raising his in the air. This brought a smile on both of the hero's faces. Link said something to the boy and he followed Link out of the forest.

The monkey stayed in place watching Link and the boy leave the forest. She turned and jumped in surprise. She had caught sight of two humans on a high branch and started rubbing her eyes in disbelief. 'how could any-.' She removed her eyes to see that there was no one there. 'Phew, for a second I thought I had some climbing completion. 'Must be my frightened mind playing tricks on me.'

The two people who the monkey saw were actually working on their stalking. Several times one of them had snapped a twig beneath their feet and the two who they were following looked in their direction whenever they noticed it.

Fortunately they never saw them and had just kept walking. The boy seemed to be relieved yet nervous about being freed from the monsters captivity.

"If you hadn't come, Link…" The boy started pressing his fingers together. He stopped as soon as they came out of the gate leading to the tunnel. "Gee, me and that monkey would've gotten eaten, probably!" He let his hands go to his sides and looked straight at him.

"She's actually a pretty nice gal, that monkey… She tried to protect me, so we got captured together."

"um Link…" The nervousness in his voice was clear. "You're not gonna mention this to my dad, are you? He's always telling me to never, EVER go into the forest, 'cause he says it's dangerous… So you really can't tell him! Really! You have to promise!" The boy ran off before Link could answer.

"Link!" a voice called. The boy just went out of sight when a middle aged man approached Link. He also was equipped with a sword on his back.

"My son told me Talo disappeared into the woods and had not returned. I came as soon as I heard… But it looks like you have brought him home already…" He paused. Raven and Serena took that moment to sneak a little closer toward the cliff. I apologize. Such a task should not fall to you."

"It wasn't a problem." Link said. He was a little tired from going through all of Faron woods.

"ah… i see." The man replied crossing his arms. "Tell me, have you noticed how strange this wood seems lately? I feel… uneasy about what may lie in wait.."

'You're not the only one' Serena thought.

"Anyway, Link…" He uncrossed his arms, transitioning to a happier mood. "Tomorrow is finally the day. You will be departing for Hyrule. I think is is a good thing i have given this task to you…" He gestured with his hand. "Good luck! And retune safely! If you are lucky, you may even get to meet Princess Zelda! Ah ha ha!" He laughed.

Link only grinned in response. Raven and Serena followed them to Ordon. Though they had a bit of trouble going across the bridge. They waited for them to cross and scaled the gate they had oh so kindly locked.

"So that's it?" Raven asked. They had settled onto a tree around Links house. It had the perfect view of the little village of Ordon.

"Well what were you expecting?" Serena unzipped her sleeping bag completely and used it as a blanket.

"Nothing I guess…. It's just that." Raven let out a breath. "My starting adventure was to save the Great Deku tree from the monstrous parasite. And what he gets is to save a boy from a bunch of low level monsters."

"Well, you can't expect to have every one of your legends follow exactly how yours did." She picked a leaf from a nearby branch. The Link they were spying on was talking to a middle aged woman. She looked pregnant and was thanking him for retrieving the cradle earlier that morning.

"And anyway, who says this is the start of his adventure?" Link was now in the clearing below them showing off his slingshot to a group of small children. The one he had saved was among them.

"hmm…" Raven had now lost interest in what they were talking about. He was curious to how this other Link was like. Serena on the other hand, didn't care as much as she has been around this Link enough to know.

"You can keep watching him if you want." She pulled her makeshift blanket around her. "I'll just stay here n… sleep maybe." She yawned. Raven just shrugged and watched the soon to be hero for the rest of the day.

The next morning Serena woke to find Raven unconscious on the roof of Link's house. She jumped through the branches of the trees and stepped down onto the tiled roof herself. His sleeping bag was sitting unused a few feet away from him.

"hmmm… how to wake him." She spoke her thoughts aloud. Raven stirred in his sleep. "Must have stayed up all night if you haven't woken already." She sat next to him. "What were you doing Raven?"

"huh…" She couldn't wake him here for fear of waking the other Link. So she slung him over her shoulder and jumped off the roof. She had to jump off of high places before so she was used to the impact. It was Raven's extra weight that got to her.

"oof!" She almost dropped him. "What did you get heavier from the time I last carried you?" She joked. "huh… heavy sleeper. Ah well, lets go." She carried him to the nearby springs and dropped him in the water.

"WAH!" he scrambled up from the water spitting out what little flowed into his mouth. "y-you…" he pointed to Serena about to say something but thought better of it and relaxed his hand..

"how long did you stay up?" Serena asked crossing her arms.

"I don't know really. maybe… umm" Raven scratched his head.

"forget it. since you've spent the entire day stalking him you probably know somethings about him right?" They started walking towards the village.

"yeah… a few things." He took a breath. "There are a total of 12 people in Ordon, 13 if you count the baby. There are 4 children, 2 teens, and 6 adults. Link has a job as a goat herder to a man named Fado, who has a ranch at the top of the hill. He and the other teen, Illia, seem to have strong feelings for each other… though I'm not exactly sure of them." Raven recited. Serena's eyes grew wide.

"Anway Ilia is the daughter of Bo who is the Mayor of Ordon. The boy, who was saved from the bokoblins, name is Talo. He has a little brother named Malo. They are from the family who owns the water wheel. The child girl's name is Beth. She is the daughter of the store owner and a lazy man who stands on the pillar next to the store. That store is the only store in Ordon. The other little boy, who seems to be the odd one out of the group, is Collin. He looks up to Link and is the son of the man who was talking to Link in the forest and the pregnant woman."

Raven paused.

"Am I forgetting something?" He turned to look at her. They were about to enter Ordon and was approaching the region where Link's house was. Serena was look at him like he was some sort of Alien.

"What are you a Census?" She threw her hands down for emphasis and then started to climb the elevated land to the left. "You already know what needs to be know. So I don't think you left anything out." She answered Raven's question. Her foot slipped from the ledge and she cursed to herself. Her ankle was injured from that high jump.

"Want some help?" Raven asked. He was already up the ledge and was about to venture into the soft woods.

"I don't need it." She replied sharply. He just shrugged and headed the long way to Fado's Ranch. Serena waited till she could no longer hear his footsteps and gripped a tree branch for support. The rough bark cut into her hand reopening the knife wound from before. She gritted her teeth and pulled herself up.

Once she was a good distance way from the path she started unraveling the bandages around her hand.

"Looks like you needed help." A voice stated. Serena's head snapped toward the source to see Raven leaning against a tree. She let out a soft growl and went ahead. Raven smiled playfully and ran his hand against the rough bark. It put a few splinters in his hand but he didn't mind. Raven had grown up with these trees he even lived in one. These woods still welcomed him home even after all these years.

Raven/Link started walking the way Serena had gone. He took a few deep breaths taking in the forest he once knew. The trees had changed, the terrain had changed. This wasn't the same Kokiri forest.

The Kokiri! Where had they gone? Weren't they supposed to live forever? Does that mean the Deku Tree is gone?

The thoughts of his Hyrule filled his mind. What about the other races? The Zora and the Gorons; Were they still around? And what of the Gerudo and Sheikah? Serena is half a sheikah… so at least one of them is still around.

He let a little sigh of relief escape his lips. That did little to heal the loneliness he had just wrapped himself into. Raven missed his home…

Home? Did I have a home? I did leave Hyrule with leaving almost nothing behind. I couldn't have gone to the Kokiri forest.

I can't live with them again. The last time I saw them was in my adult years when I had to go to the forest temple.

And when I had gone back to regain those items, since I had nothing better to do, I had made sure not to be seen, kinda like what we are doing now.

What about Hyrule Castle? Zelda did invite him to stay. After all he did help stop Ganondorf before he started his reign.

Ganon… What happened to him after it all? He hadn't killed him in this time, so what happened... He just disappeared.

Raven snapped out of his thoughts when he heard his name being called. He looked down and saw Link sitting in the pasture. The man named Fado had called him. Raven looked around. He had somehow reached the goat ranch and was on the large rocks looming over the field.

A soft wind brushed his bangs from his eyes reminding him to stay hidden, though he probably couldn't be seen from this high up. He ducked behind a tree. He spotted Serena watching them a few meters away. He crouched down low and made a slow assent to meet up with her.

"What took you so long?" She whispered.

"sorry, I kinda spaced out." He apologized.

"In these woods? Why didn't you get lost?" Serena sounded angry. She had gotten lost here all the time no matter how many trips she took over the years. Still annoyed at how the forest played favorites she dropped the subject. "well, at least you're here."

"Did I miss anything?"

"He petted a few goats fed them carrots and then sat down on the grass. Ya should have seen it." She said sarcastically. Fado had reached Link and they quieted themselves down.

"So, almost time for you to get goin', huh, Link." Fado said pretty loudly. If Link had said anything they couldn't hear.

"So how's about we finish up early today, bud?" Link nodded and then picked a reed that Raven had seen in Hyrule field. He blew into it and out came the tune of Epona's song. Epona herself came galloping towards Link and he easily climbed onto her back.

"OK, then! Let's get started!" Fado yelled. He sure has a big voice. Link began herding the goats into the shed. As they watch Raven whispered to Serena.

"What are those reeds called?" Link herded a group of 6 into the building with a yell.

"Horse Grass." Link was now rounding up a few goats together at the front.

"of course he mumbled." He sent them all inside at once. There was 10 more in the fields.

"well do you have a better name for it?" Link was finishing up the job with 2 or 3 at a time.

"no.. it's just that…" Link was riding after the last goat. "well i just expected him to have an instrument of some sort to call her like i did."

"You can't expect his adventure to be the same as yours." Link was having trouble with the last one. It avoided the shed and knocked him off Epona

"Yeah, i know, i know." Raven noticed the discarded reed. "Why doesn't he just keep the reed? Then he would be able to call her from wherever."

"The reed dries up a few moments after it's picked. It won't make the same sound and after a day it will crumble." Link got back on Epona and finally got that last goat in.

"Hoo, boy y'all can herd!" Fado said. Even from the other side of the farm they could hear him. "That was 30 seconds faster than usual! Well, that about wraps 'er up for today, so how's about y'all head on over to the mayor's place?"

Link noticeably nods at him and rode Epona out of the farm by jumping the fence.

"Let's go." Serena said and they followed Link out. The girl Raven had found to be named Ilia was waiting for Link by the trail. She seemed pleased to see him. She notified her father Bo and then went to meet Link.

Raven went on top of a nearby building to get a better view. fortunately there was a ladder so he shouldn't have to scale the wall. Serena went up with him but sat near the ladder. They didn't seem to notice them.

Ilia was talking to Link walking along side him and Epona. They said something about the trip to Hyrule. Link seemed excited to go.

"Oh, done herein' for the day, Link?" Bo asked. Link got down from Epona to talk to him properly. Ilia went to Epona's side to pet her. Bo put his arm around Link like a father would to his son.

"The royal gift Rusl told you about is ready, so you should get ready for your trip to Hyrule Castle. Now, the royal family requested this gift specifically, so it's really special. it'd be…bad…if the representative of Ordon were to be late for such an occasion, you get me, lad?" Bo said to Link.

"I get it." Link responded.

"The path before you is a long one, my sweet horse…but please bear Link safely alone it." Ilia said to Epona while stroking her chestnut brown coat. "Wait… What's this?"

Link and Bo turn around from their discussion. Ilia's hand was one Epona's left front leg. Ilia looked back at them crossly.

"What's happened? She's injured isn't she?" Link flinched a guilty look on his face. He stepped back as Ilia scold him. "Link! How could you! You were pushing Epona too hard again! I bet you hurt her leg jumping fences, didn't you!"

Raven sweat dropped. She's not your horse… but i'm glad that's not me. He felt the heat in those words.

"Now, now, Ilia." Bo stepped in trying to calm his daughter. "There's no need to get so hot with him…"

"FATHER!" The angry teen now turned to him. "How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" She was now scolding him too. Ilia went back to Epona's side her voice soft.

"You poor thing…" Link and Bo opened one eye to look at each other. "It'll be all right Epona. i'll take you to the forest spring right now." The looked up to see her leading Epona away. "Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!" They were lost for words…

My horse! Raven thought.

"m-My horse!" Link stuttered still a bit stunned.

"W-Wait! Ilia!" The mayor yelled after his daughter."Why, without Epona… The git won't get delivered in time! Oh, this won't do…" He said to Link whose mouth was still ajar. They looked back in the direction Ilia had gone. Link went after her and his stalkers went to except they had to go the long way, meaning along the elevated cliffs.

They caught up to Link when he was trying to get in to the spring but the gate was closed. Raven was hiding behind a tree watching Link while Serena was watching Ilia.

"Link!" Collin exclaimed form the other side of the gate. Ilia was right behind him next to Epona.

"If you came to take Epona back, you can FORGET it!" Ilia yelled at Link. "Why don't you think about what you've done for a change! I won't open the gate until you change your attitude!" She went back to tending to Epona.

"Ilia, you don't know what happened yesterday…" Collin turned back to Link. "Listen, I don't know if she'll listen to me, but let me try to explain about Talo and the monkey, OK? You crawl in here through the tunnel in back while i do, Link"

"okay. thanks Collin." Link replied heading off to the secret tunnel.

As he was making his way through Raven went to Serena's side to watch Collin explain to wondered why didn't he just climb up to where they were to get to the other side. Then again, when he was adventuring he didn't go off the paths unless there wasn't on. And if Link did he would have run into them.

Link emerged from the tunnel and was dusting himself off. He made it just in time to hear Ilia's realization.

"I had no idea… i hadn't heard the details about Talo's capture… But, Collin…" Link approached them slowly. When Ilia noticed she tried to go to epona's side but peon shook her mane.

"So you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" There was the pain of rejection in her voice. "Don't worry about your horse, Link." She was still looking at Epona when saying this. "Fortunately , it looks like the injury isn't too serious. You two can go on together."

Ilia surprised a sigh. "But, Link… Can you at least promise me this?" She finally looks at him. "No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything… out of your league, Please." She faced him and directed a smile at him. "Just come home safely."

Link nodded and returned the smile back at her. The sweet moment reached Raven hiding in the trees. He didn't feel the smile creeping onto his own lips.

His ear twitched and he turned to look at the springs gate. Epona noticed it a little later and notified Link and the others just as the intruders busted the gate. Epona reared back and Ilia let out a cry of surprise.

They ran out of the boars path Link being on the right was cut off from the Ilia and Collin and only heard Ilia cry out when she was struck by a bulblin archer. He started towards them but was struck unconscious by another bulblin rider. Link fell into the water on his back. The two bulblin on a boar got off and took the two blond Ordon youths. One held Collin under his arm while the other lifted Ilia by the wrist.

Raven was about to jump in but Serena grabbed hold of him in an arm lock. He struggled to get free and not fall off the tree in the process, but could only watch as the leader of the invaders surveyed the spring. His boar was right next to the unconscious Link so he couldn't see their intended target. Satisfied the king bulblin blew into his horn and a twilight portal appeared in the sky above.

It laughed and led its men away. Raven looked at Serena, his eyes begging her to let go. She shook her head and gestured to the wakening Link.

He got up from the water and frantically looked around the spring. Link ran in the direction the monsters had gone and Raven, who had broken free from Serena's arm lock ran after him.

Link didn't notice Raven's footsteps following him. He just kept going until he met a dead end that wasn't there before. Raven stopped at the end of the bridge and stared at the wall of twilight like his defendant was.

Raven felt it coming and was about to yell to Link to get away. A shadowy hand emerged from the wall and pulled Link inside.

Raven ran to go after him but a hand pulled on his shoulder.

"Wait! you can't. They'd take you too." Serena told him. Raven was panicked. He felt what was happening to Link in the twilighted woods. Searing pain trickled the veins around his neck. His breath was fast and he head felt light. The showdown beast threw Link to the ground.

Raven fell to his knees at the same time Link had. The triforce on both of their hands were pulsating. The sting of twilight was felt throughout his whole body. They yelled at the same time. Link transformed into a wolf and fell unconscious. Raven on the other time was not relieved of twilight that easily.

"Good goddesses are you alright?" Serena asked. Raven didn't, or couldn't respond. He was hyperventilating. "Okay stupid question. But we have to go." She lifted him up and supported him by letting him lean on her. "I don't think those bulblins are done just yet."

... :D how was it? please review and forgive me for not updating sooner!

woot! around 4 thousand words their getting longer! XD