On our arrival into Kakariko, the sight that greeted us chilled us to the bone. A beast, mounted on a giant boar, was standing in front of Renado's house, an unconscious Colin strapped to its spear. When the beast saw us enter the village, it snorted and raised its spear, showing us its captive.
I had called Midnight to me before we left Ordon, so I pushed her ahead as I saw Link push Epona to chase after the beast as it took off in the other direction. We had to jump our horses over the gate on the northern side of the town to keep up with it.
We emerged into a section of Hyrule Field we hadn't been. To one side of us was a deep canyon, so we had to be careful as we galloped after the beast, which had stopped in the middle of the clearing ahead of us.
We rode closer as we watched the beast raise a giant horn and sound an alarm. It then laughed and pointed toward the remaining wall of Twilight. We looked to see a large group of beasts appear over the hill, charging at us, fire arrows ready and aimed at us.
"Go!" I screamed as I pushed Midnight ahead, causing her to light tap against Epona, who responded by bolting ahead of us. The beast who had Colin then reared his boar and took off.
Link unsheathed his sword as he charged after the beast. Link caught up to it and swung his sword, causing the beast to scream as a small chunk of its armor fell to the ground. Midnight screamed as well, as she had to jump over the hunk of metal.
At that moment, a fire arrow came into my view, barely missing my head by an inch.
Immediately, I spun around. As fast as lightning, I nocked an arrow and let it fly, watching it hit the bulblin that had tried to hit me. It screamed as it was thrown off of its ride, leaving the bulblin who was controlling the boar to fend for itself. I then nocked another arrow and hit the remaining bulblin, causing it to fall off and the riderless boar to run around uncontrollably.
"You go after Colin! I'll try to take care of these!" I screamed as I let another arrow fly, knocking yet another bulblin off its ride. I heard the lead beast cry out in response as Link knocked off more of its armor. I gripped my horse with my legs as I felt her jump over the new hunk of metal that had hit the ground.
I spun back around and bent over Midnight's neck. "Follow Link and Epona!" I commanded. I saw Midnight nod as she slightly moved so that she was directly behind Epona, but about ten feet behind. I then grabbed a chunk of Midnight's mane, steadying myself. I then bent my knees and pushed off of her back, while still holding her mane, and spun around so that I was sitting on her backwards. I then leaned back, supporting my back with her bobbing neck.
I quickly nocked another arrow and hit the closest bulblin boar. It screamed and started zigzagging uncontrollably, causing its riders to wobble around like rag dolls.
I felt Midnight sharply turn, almost causing me to fall off. I then looked behind me, to see that the lead beast had tried to out-maneuver Link by turning around. Obviously, it hadn't worked, since Link was still right behind him, swinging his sword.
That was also when I noticed the bulblin pair right behind Link, the archer ready and aimed at Link's back...
"NO!" I screamed as I threw my head back so I was looking at the scene upside-down. I then quickly shot an arrow, hitting the bulblin boar. I had been too late, however. I was only able to watch as the arrow struck Link, causing him to scream.
At first, I thought he had been fatally wounded, 'cause Epona started running all over the place. But, I then saw Link pull the still-flaming arrow from his right arm. Link then screamed with fury as he slowed Epona and swung his sword, knocking down both of the bulblin riders behind him.
I quickly checked around to make sure no other bulblins had slipped passed me before I sat myself back up and shot down another bulblin.
Pain shot up Link's arm. The pain blinded him for a moment, but he quickly reached up and pulled the arrow from his arm, causing fresh blood to pour down to his fingers. Link screamed in pain as he grabbed Epona's reins and lightly pulled back, causing her to slow down. He then swung his sword at the bulblins who had just shot at him, causing them to fall off. Link rammed his boots into Epona's sides and let her reins go. Epona bolted ahead so that they were right next to the beast who had Colin.
Link raised his sword and felt it painfully clang one last time against the metal of the beast's armor. The beast then roared and slumped unconsious in its saddle, as its ride started running toward a bridge off in the distance. Link watched as it shook itself awake, just as its ride jumped over a wood fence that was blocking off the bridge ahead. Link led Epona to follow, jumping her over the fence as well. When he landed, he saw a flash of light out of the corner of his eye. He then heard Maple scream.
Link turned in his seat to see Maple on the other side of the now burning fence. She was slumped over oddly on her horse, but she saw him looking and waved at him to go on.
Link turned around to see that the beast had reached the other side of the bridge. The beast lowered a second spear, after it hoisted the spear Colin was strapped to on its saddle. The beast then charged.
Link understood immediately, and lowered his sword as well, making Epona charge toward it.
The first attempt to joust was a failure: both missed. Link continued to push Epona until they came to the end of the opposite side of the bridge. He then turned her.
The beast charged when it reached the other side as well. Link lowered his sword again and charged.
Link's heart pounded hard in his chest as the beast got closer. Link then swung his sword, ducking as the beast's spear came at his head. Link felt his sword hit the beast, and the beast screamed in response. Link turned around to see the beast still going, even though blood was starting to soak its armor.
Link turned Epona around when he reached the end of the bridge and charged again. This time, the beast began to zigzag down the bridge, making aiming difficult, and dodging even more difficult. Link missed, but the beast's spear sliced his already-injured arm. Link screamed in pain, but continued to push Epona on, despite the fact that he was now gripping his probably useless arm.
Link swung again as they charged, and was surprised when he felt his sword hit the beast again. This time, the beast was thrown off, and it disappeared over the side of the bridge.
Link jumped off of Epona and ran over to the beast's remaining ride, which had stopped. Link then untied the still-unconscious Colin and carefully laid him across Epona. Link then held onto Colin as Epona leapt over the burning fence.
Maple was still sitting on Midnight on the other side.
Link admired her for riding her horse bareback. It was difficult to do that, because riding that way involved more trust between the rider and the horse. The horse was guided only by the pressure of the rider's legs. The rider also only had the horse's mane to hold when they were riding. Link could tell by the way Maple rode her horse, that they had been together long. Even now, as Maple was laying against her horse's neck, he could tell that they were close, for Midnight's neck was bent so that her face was close to Maple's.
"Did you get him?" Maple asked, her voice unusually quiet.
"Yes... Are you alright?" He asked as he got closer. He realized that the color in her face was gone, so that she appeared whiter than she normally did, which was already pretty white.
"Um..." She then weakly sat up.
At first, all Link saw was the arrow, sticking out of one side of her chest. Then, when Maple moved her hand, he saw the blood.
Link's heart sank as he maneuvered Epona so that he was sitting right next to her. "Get on. I'll take you to Renado."
"No, just go to the Spirit's Spring. Midnight will follow," She said as she laid back down, carefully making sure that the arrow wasn't jostled.
"Are you sure she will--"
"JUST GO!"
Link nodded as he kicked Epona's sides, sending her into a gallop. He looked back to see Midnight right behind him, running so carefully that he could have sworn that the horse was aware of her rider's pain.
Link kicked Epona's sides again, causing her to speed into a sprint. Epona jumped the gate blocking the path to Kakariko. Link looked back just in time to see Midnight jump the gate, causing Maple to scream and go even whiter.
"Go, Epona, go," Link said to his horse as he kicked her sides again. She screamed as she sped up again.
They came barreling through town, so that Renado and the other inhabitants had to jump out of their way. When Link approached the Spirit's Spring, he pulled back on Epona's reins and he steadied Colin's body. He then jumped off and grabbed Colin, carefully cradling him in his arms. Renado, when he saw Maple's white face fly by, came running over and took Colin from Link's arms.
"Tend to her. Hurry!"
Link then ran over to the now stopped Midnight. Maple was breathing in short, rapid breaths, and her lips were turning blue.
Link quickly, but carefully, picked her up in his arms and carried her over to the water. He laid her down in it, so that the water was lightly lapping her body, without letting go of her. Too much of the arrow was sticking out of her back to lay her down properly. Link heard voices and footsteps behind him, but he didn't turn to look.
"That stupid...thing...that set the fence...on fire..." Maple gasped in pain. "Shot me...when it saw me..."
"Don't talk. Please... Don't talk," Link said as he caressed her forehead.
"I'll...be fine... Just...pull it out... I'll heal...when it's out..."
At that moment, Beth appeared to Link's right, holding out a pair of scissors. She smiled at Link as she handed them to him, but grimaced when she looked at Maple. Link couldn't help but grimace as well. The arrow was sticking out of her about a foot, and blood was starting to contaminate the water close to them.
"We're right here, if you need us," Beth said when she backed away. Link heard mumbles of agreement from behind him.
"How do you want me to...?" Link couldn't say the rest.
"Cut...one...end...and...pull..." She said weakly.
Link nodded as he bent over and cut the arrowhead off of the arrow. He then cut it as close as he could to her skin, being careful not to hurt her. He, obviously, wasn't successful, 'cause she started shaking uncontrollably in his arms.
"Okay. I'm going to have to pull you upright," Link said once he had finished cutting the wood. Maple merely nodded. Link then carefully pulled her up, using the arm that was still beneath her, to protect the other side of the arrow from getting pushed through farther. Maple screamed, but helped push her body up as much as she could. She then slumped into his other arm and sobbed.
Link carefully bent his leg so that she could lean against it. He needed both his arms for the next part.
"Are you ready?" He asked her. Her face was bent toward him, so he saw her close her eyes as she nodded.
Link carefully reached around her back. He grabbed what part of the arrow was still sticking out of her back with both of his hands. He heard her sob in pain.
Maple's scream echoed in the canyon as Link tugged on the arrow. It only budged a couple of inches, however.
Link didn't release his hold on the arrow as he carefully shifted and pulled again. Maple's scream mixed with her sobs as Link used all of his strength, finally feeling the arrow slip free from her back.
When the arrow was free, Maple slumped against Link's leg as she shook and cried. Link threw the arrow and then started digging around in his bag. He finally found the extra shirt he had picked up at his house. He then started ripping it so that he could wrap it around her chest, which had a gaping hole in it about an inch in diameter.
Maple tried her best to stay still as he bandaged her, but her crying was too severe. She could only shake and sob whenever he placed any pressure against the wound, which he had to do to try to stop the bleeding.
Finally, when he was done, he carefully laid her back into the water, letting it caress her chest. He put his weight against his hand, which was resting over the now covered wound. Maple didn't flinch when he did this.
Maple looked at him and smiled as best she could.
Link sat like that for five minutes.
"She will be fine now," Renado's voice said from somewhere behind him. "Leave her in the healing waters and she will be fine. Now, come. The child is waking."