A/N: Thank you to everybody who commented! I always appreciate them, no matter how short they are, and to all of you who reviewed, you have my sincerest gratitude. Once again, this chapter could not have been complete with my beta, zalein. As usual, the world of Zelda is not mine, and this story is written purely for entertainment. That said, on with the story!
Chapter Two: To Say Farewell
Brennan looked at the young man, and could not quite hide the feeling of satisfaction he felt. Yes, the boy will do.
He had initially had some doubts after the princess had told him where the Hero lived, but this boy perfectly fit the image of what a Hero should look like. Dressed in the cheap hemp and cotton of a common goat wrangler, he nevertheless stood straight and tall. Life as a wrangler had given him a good deal of muscle, but it was lean, rather than overly big. It was the perfect balance between muscle-bound and effete. And the boy was certainly striking. Definitely handsome, in a way that would no doubt make the ladies of the court swoon. Though the boy did not seem aware of his good looks, Brennan would be surprised if the boy did not turn heads whenever he ventured out of his village.
The look in the boy's blue eyes were sharp, an indication of intelligence. Brennan had seen that shift, and he knew Corac had as well. In the moment when his name had been called, both of them had seen the boy change from naive peasant to alert warrior. Young though he was, the boy had learned to set aside his emotions and think with his head.
He nearly chuckled at the turn of his thoughts. Considering what the Hero must have gone through to save Hyrule, he would have been forced to learn this, or else die. Still, enough youth and naiveté remained, and while the boy may be able to keep a clear head in the heat of battle, he had yet to experience the verbal battlefield of politics. Brennan had seen the trembling of the boy's arms, had known that his conversation with Corac had hit home. So the boy was smart enough to know when he was being insulted, but had not yet learned to keep those feelings to himself. Good. Until the boy learned, he will be easy to influence. And Brennan intended to make sure that the boy was kept so off balance that the learning process will be long indeed.
"Link, was it?" he said, and noted the boy's body language. Tense with the expectation of more verbal blows. He smiled. "I admit I had my doubts, when Her Majesty told me where you were from." Brennan turned toward Corac. "And it looks like Lord Corac still has his."
Corac was a veteran of politics. He did not so much as blink at the comment.
"Forgive me Hero, for doubting you. But I had quite a different image."
"Now you're the one who hasn't been paying attention to your history," Brennan said. "The Hero has always been young. Most commonly, the Hero would have been a farmer with little to no weapons experience."
"This is true," Corac said. "My sincerest apologies, Hero."
"Did you have to learn how to fight along the way, or had you already known how before you were called to your duty?" Brennan asked.
"I was taught to handle a sword by one of the men in the village," Link said evenly. His delivery was so similar to Corac's that it took all of Brennan's self control to maintain an even façade. It had been a mistake to verbally spar with Corac. The boy had immediately noticed the way Corac had handled the jabbing and learned what to do. Not merely intelligent, but observant.
"Still, I imagine that you must have learned a lot during your travels. Perhaps you will show us when you accompany us around Hyrule," he said. Brennan was relieved to see the boy's eyes flash with alarm. Intelligent and observant the Hero may be, but not preternaturally so.
"Travel, My Lord?"
"Aye, that is the command of Her Majesty. Even though you have defeated the great evil, Hyrule remains in turmoil. The citizens of Hyrule need the Hero to reassure him. We hope that, with your presence, it will calm the people and give them the strength and confidence to resume their lives."
Based on the way the boy tensed with each word he spoke, it was unwelcome news. Not surprising, considering how much the princess had resisted breaking her promise to the boy. To have the princess promise never to reveal who he was only to later be told that he was to parade himself before all of Hyrule under the command of the very same princess must seem like the height of betrayal.
"We will tour across Hyrule, passing every large town and village along the way," Corac said, taking over. "For the most part, we will be staying a quarter of a day at each village we pass, and an entire day in each town. We will, of course, complete the tour at the palace, where Her Majesty will honor and award you as is your due."
It was fascinating to watch the boy struggle to hide his emotions. This was certainly the first time he'd ever seen a young man feel pained at being told that he is to be personally awarded by the princess. What an interesting person the Hero was.
"If that is what Her Majesty wishes," Link said. From the look on the boy's face, he was reaching his limit.
"If you should desire it, we will provide you with a map and a schedule so you will have some idea where we're headed each time," Brennan added. Then he paused briefly for effect. "Oh, I almost forgot to ask… you do know how to read, don't you?"
This time the boy didn't even try to answer.
"Of course you know how, forgive me for even asking," Brennan said smoothly. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out a thin envelope. "Here. Her Majesty commanded that I give this personally to you. You are welcome to read it when you're alone."
"Get some rest," Corac said. "Tomorrow we leave at first light."
Taking it as a dismissal the boy gave each man a bow before backing away slowly. Despite himself, Brennan was impressed by the way the boy managed to maintain his composure until the very end. His departure was smooth, even graceful.
When the door finally shut, Corac turned to him, eyes hard.
"What are you playing at, Lord Brennan?" he snapped.
"Testing our Hero," Brennan replied.
"He hasn't been tested enough already?" Corac said sardonically.
"The tour of the country, if we're on schedule, will take a little more than a year. When he arrives at the palace, what do you think will greet him there?"
Corac narrowed his eyes. "You surely don't mean to say that Her Majesty will try to give the boy a ranking position."
"Nothing of the sort, but he will be under the scrutiny of the nobility from all over, all of them ruthlessly ambitious. Ambassadors from neighboring countries will also be there, watching him. If he shows weakness, none of them will hesitate to exploit it. And since we're turning the boy into a symbol of Hyrule…"
"A weakness in the Hero is a weakness in Hyrule," Corac said, now understanding.
The man still did not look pleased. Corac was a military man, and like any soldier, he disliked the subtle political maneuverings of court. His elevation to Minister of Defense eventually forced him to adapt, but although he understood the way politics worked, he did not approve of it. Judging by the man's reaction to Brennan's testing, he may even have a good amount of empathy for the boy. Brennan made a mental note to walk carefully around the minister. It would not do to create an enemy.
"In view of the boy's performance today, I think we can both agree that he still has a long way to go," Brennan said. "Even a year may not be enough to properly train the boy."
Corac gave him a measuring look.
"You may be surprised," he said curtly.
Without another word he too went out the door.
***
Though it had felt like an eternity inside Mayor's house, when Link left, the sun was only just starting to sink. It would still be a while before full evening set in. Whatever had happened between the time he'd been trapped with the nobles and the time when he could finally escape, the result was that no one was waiting outside except for the soldiers still standing guard around the house. To him they gave him a respectful nod. Link returned the nod, and made his way to the path that led to the house he'd lived in for as long as he'd remembered.
The path was suspiciously empty of people, something Link found both upsetting yet relieving. At the moment, all of his control over his emotions were breaking down, and now was not the time for the people of Ordon to see Link fly into a fit of frustrated temper. He trudged along the path, his mind overly aware of each tiny stray pebble and unrepentant weed. It was as if his subconscious was aware of just how tense he was, and was grabbing at any excuse to keep him calm.
Link was exhausted. Until today, he would not have thought that a simple conversation could be so tiring, but it felt like he'd just got done stumbling off a battlefield. Which, in retrospect, he now realized he had. Not a battle he was used to fighting to be sure, but the similarities were obvious, once he knew what to look for. Odd, that in some ways, it was harder than a physical fight. At least when he'd been fighting monsters, the enemy had been obvious, the battle clear cut, with a definite start and finish. But this… Link thought back to Lord Brennan and Lord Corac. They were nobles of Hyrule, and presumably allies. Yet neither of them acted like allies. And certainly not friends.
Midna hadn't seemed like a friend at first either.
The statement made him pause, as he fought the instinctive urge to reject that line of thought and actually think. In the beginning, Midna had been anything but a friend. She'd been more abusive than anything, a commanding, arrogant imp who'd found amusement in making verbal stabs at his expense. More than once, Link had found himself hating her, yet circumstances had not given him much choice but to follow her orders. It had been a very long time before she'd revealed that in truth, she'd needed him as much as he'd needed her.
Now that was certainly interesting. Lord Brennan had mentioned that they'd needed him to reassure the people of Hyrule, and since it matched with what Fado had told him earlier, it could even be true. He sighed. While he still didn't understand why the man felt the need to engage in verbal battles, it made things slightly more acceptable, though Link suspected that he was going to get very tired of it before long.
With a part of his thoughts sorted out, Link resumed his walk. By the time he'd reached the gate that separated his home from the rest of Ordon, the sun had begun to set in earnest, and the area around his home was bathed in multiple shades of red and orange.
A familiar whinny came in the direction of his house, and he spotted Epona swinging her tail beneath the branches of the oak next to his house. Only one person could lead Epona back home.
"Ilia," he said.
"Link," she said, rounding the corner until they were face to face. "I…" she paused. "I figured, since today is your last day here that I might bring Epona back…" She swallowed, and her eyes looked inordinately bright under the shadows of the setting sun. "…Just one last time."
"Thank you," Link said, truly meaning it. They stood in front of each other in awkward silence, and for the first time he noticed something about the way she eyed him that went a good deal deeper than friendship. It filled him with a pang of regret. Once upon a time, he might have been able to return those feelings, but then he noticed the light dim in her eyes. Without saying a word, Ilia had realized what his answer was.
"The soldiers told us," she said softly. "You're leaving tomorrow at first light."
"Yes," he replied.
"Do you remember?" Ilia suddenly said, the tone of her voice lively. She swung her arms and clasped them behind her back. "The first time you were about to leave Ordon on a journey? Remember what I'd said to you?"
"Don't try to do more than what…" Link began, but Ilia cut him off with another twirl.
"You do remember!" she exclaimed. And then she laughed, but it wasn't the melodic, light-hearted laugh Link used to remember. This was self-deprecating, and bitter. "Now that I think about it, it was an awfully silly thing to say to you. Not when you… you're the…"
"Ilia," Link said. "I… I'm… Neither of us had known back then. And I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Ilia said. "I'm sorry. All those times, telling you not to do more than you're able to, when all along…" She bit her lip. "You were the Hero."
Link winced.
"Don't call me that, please. I never… I never wanted to be the Hero." He struggled with the words, trying to say what he felt. "All I did was do what needed to be done. It doesn't make me the Hero."
"Oh Link," Ilia said. She looked at him sadly. "Do you know how few people can say that?"
"I can't help it," Link said. "You know that."
"I know," she said. "Believe me, I know. And you'd think, knowing you as well as I do, that I'd at least have guessed. But it never occurred to me." Slowly her hands separated, resting at her side. Next to her, Epona whickered, but stood her ground. "I knew you were involved in something dangerous. I just never realized, and well, I guess I'm mad at that." Seeing Link's expression of alarm, she rushed ahead with her words. "No, not at you Link. At myself."
"There's no reason to be mad," Link said. "I… while I was doing what I was doing, I didn't really think about it much either. Even now, there are still many things I don't want to think about," he finally admitted.
Ilia looked away.
"Rusl's hurt you know," she said. "He thinks you should have told him."
"I wanted to tell him…"
"I know. And Uli knows too. Don't worry about Rusl, Link. He'll understand eventually. He's just mad at himself, like I am. I think it's because we know you so well." She turned to look at him again. "But really, it's weird, isn't it? We were talking about it while you were in the house. None of us ever guessed, but when the truth came out, it explained so much. And now that I think about it, if anyone should be the Hero…" She smiled softly, and this time, it was a smile of pure joy. "If anyone should be the Hero, it's you."
A burning filled his eyes, and Link's vision blurred.
"I never wanted to be the Hero."
"You wouldn't," Ilia said, agreeing without hesitation. "You're too gentle. And if you'd gone through half of what I imagine you'd gone through, it must have been horrible. But Link," And this time, the look she gave him was grave. "Only you could have done it."
She leaned forward, and Link felt Ilia's arms encircle him until she was fully embracing him.
"Thank you for everything," she whispered into his chest. Then she backed away. As her warmth left him, Link felt a sudden burst of panic.
"We'll always be friends," he blurted out.
"Of course, don't be silly," she said. At the last word her voice cracked, and the last golden rays of the sun illuminated the trail of tears freely flowing down her cheeks. And then with one sharp pivot, she ran back down the hill and past the gate. "And take care of Epona!" he heard her shout.
At her parting comment, Link smiled.
***
Nobody came to see him after Ilia. Remembering Ilia's parting words, Link took special care to see to Epona's needs. Epona as always enjoyed the treatment, leaning into each stroke of the soft brush until her coat shone under the quickly disappearing sun. Satisfied, Link reluctantly turned toward the house and began the arduous process of packing.
He'd kept most of the weapons he'd gathered during his journeys. Most of them had been carefully packed away with the assumption that he'd never have to use them again. Now he brought them out again, biting a lip at all the things he'd managed to accumulate. Some of the weapons, like the ball and chain and the spinner, would be difficult to carry. Not that they hadn't been when he'd journeyed through Hyrule, but Midna had been able to take up the slack with her special brand of magic. Somehow Link doubted that such a thing would be available to him. Still, he took out a sturdy trunk and set about packing them carefully inside. None of the weapons, least of all the various bombs he'd collected, were things he wanted to leave unguarded here. Some things were invaluable. Carefully, he bundled the Dominion Rod into the trunk he'd now designated as "things he dare not leave behind".
Others that could be immediately useful were set aside. The Hero's Bow, both clawshots, and his slingshot were laid out to later be bundled on Epona in the morning. Link wondered, as he hefted the Ordon sword, if he had been overly hasty in returning the Master Sword back to its original place, but common sense reasserted itself. Nothing could match the Master Sword of course, but it was no longer needed.
It was late into the night when Link was finally finished packing. Most of the things he was taking with him were his weapons. He had few enough clothes as it was, and Link knew that he wouldn't be wearing them much. Link sighed, and looked at the folded green tunic he'd set on top of the closed trunk. Ironic, that he'd be forced to wear them just when he'd finally gotten used to his wrangler outfit again.
Link assumed that food wouldn't be a problem, but he'd packed all of his extra potions just in case. Then he tested the weight of his trunk, and grimaced. This was definitely not something a pack animal could carry indefinitely. A wagon will be needed. He hadn't seen one when he'd been down in the village, but that could mean nothing.
"Perhaps I should have asked Midna to teach me magic while I'd still had the chance," he said into the empty room.
The weight of the day finally caught up to him, and Link sat down heavily on the floor, feeling that as far as comfortable beds went, the floor wasn't such a bad place. A crinkle of paper caught his attention just as he was about to curl up, the rug transformed into impromptu bedding. Sleepily, he pulled the crumpled letter out his belt, forgotten until now.
Princess Zelda's letter. He sighed. Did he want to read it?
The red wax was sealed, but not with the official royal seal, and the letter was extremely thin, a detail he found intriguing despite himself. Link broke the seal, inadvertently ripping part of the paper as he did so. Slowly he unfolded it.
There was only the one sheet, but the paper was mostly empty. In small, delicate handwriting, were but three words.
I'm sorry. Zelda.
***
He was awakened by the sound of wheels and the grunting of heavy oxen. The sky was still dark, though the stars had disappeared. Not quite dawn, but definitely close.
"Milord Hero, are you ready?"
"Just about," he called out, jumping to his feet from the floor which he'd ended up falling asleep on after all. Hastily, he splashed water on his face from the basin he always had ready, drying his face with a rag.
"Anything you need to put on the wagon, milord?" one of the soldiers asked when he opened the door.
"Just one trunk," he said, pointing to chest he'd packed with all the weapons.
It took three soldiers to get the trunk in place on the wagon already packed with various bundles. He assumed those were travel food, though there were also crates and barrels of more things he couldn't even begin to guess at, and some things that looked suspiciously like tents. All this was lashed tightly down with a waterproof canvas.
"We'll meet you back in the village then, milord," another soldier said with a salute.
The sun had barely started to rise when Link, riding Epona, arrived in the village proper. A crowd had gathered, and Link saw Ilia at the very front.
"You certainly look the part of the legendary Hero," Lord Brennan said, his eyes closely observing Link's attire. Link was back to wearing the green tunic and everything that came with it, including the chainmail underneath. He'd oiled the leathers the night before, and though they looked worn, nobody could deny their quality. Even his shoes seemed to shine, a trick he'd learned from a young scamp during one of his many trips through Hyrule Castle Town. "Yes, you definitely look like the Hero." The lord laughed, looking impressive as well in a brown velvet tunic embroidered in the colors of autumn leaves. "I believe Lord Corac will finally be mollified when he sees you dressed like this."
Link chose to dismount instead of replying. Perhaps if the man learned that his comments will be ignored, he'll stop making them. Not that it had ever discouraged Midna, but he'll think of something else when the time came.
"Good morning, Lord Brennan, Lord Corac," he greeted.
Lord Brennan smiled, and behind him, Lord Corac, once again dressed in the same black leathers he'd worn the day before, paused in his steps, his mouth dropping slightly open.
"Good morning to you, Hero!" Lord Corac said, once he'd gotten over his shock. He said nothing else however, but then again, he didn't really need to.
"Have you eaten yet?" Lord Brennan asked.
"Yes, thank you."
The villagers murmured amongst one another, and Link tried to avoid looking at anyone in the face. He saw Lord Brennan nod at him, and remounted.
"Goodbye Link!"
Colin, pushing past Ilia to rush to the front, waved vigorously.
"Goodbye!" Talo followed Colin, and he was soon joined by Beth and Malo.
"Don't forget to write to us!"
"Show the other villagers what a man from Ordon is like!"
Link turned toward the voice, and saw Rusl, brimming with pride. Beside him stood Uli, holding Hanya in her arms. She said nothing, but the smile on her face was bright. Stunned, Link could say nothing, except to look at each smiling face. Some looked tearful, like Pergie. Others, like Rusl, were grinning broadly.
"Wait for me at Hyrule Castle Town!" Fado called. "I'm gonna join the army!"
Mayor came up beside Epona, and clasped Link's right hand with both hands.
"It'll be hard to find a new successor Link, but well, you gotta do what you gotta do," he said. "We'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too. I'll miss all of you," Link said softly. Then louder, so everyone can hear, "Thank you for everything. Thank you."
That seemed to be the signal to leave. In a cloud of dust, Lord Corac took off, Lord Brennan by his side. Link followed suit, and the soldiers surrounded the three of them, providing escort. Behind them was the wagon pulled by the oxen.
When they rounded the path in the direction of Faron Woods, the people of Ordon village were still waving.