Chapter 2: The Moblin Horse Thieves
Three sparkling jewels floated above a black marble altar, their innate powers making them twirl in sync with each other. Before him, engravings filled with gold gave cryptic clues about the purpose of this place, clues that he knew well now. Beyond that, an immense stone door that not even the strongest of people could open was waiting. He brought the ocarina up to his lips; a power that he didn't understand tickled at him, waiting for his breath to set it in motion. He played...
...and the water spread as far as the eye could see, beckoning for him to raise the sail and find what secrets it held.
...and the dust flew after his paws as he ran along the road and followed a familiar scent through the unearthly twilight.
...and the land itself was twisted to reflect one filled with bestial madness, giving rise to countless monsters that always returned.
Arise, loyal hero, the sun is setting and the night is coming. A nightmare has been set into motion: the castle will fall into the hands of the king of monsters, the wise princess will be locked away in a tower, dread silence will spread across our fair lands while its people watch the skies fearfully. Arise, our hero, fulfill your destiny.
"Hmm." Link found himself humming as he opened his eyes. The tune echoed within his soul while images from the dream lingered so he would remember. What was this?
A pounding on his doors got him to fully open his eyes and sit up in bed. "Link, I'm coming in," Gregio said, as he opened the door.
He stretched to stir his body in motion and sung his legs over the side as the older man came in. Gregio was one of the caretakers at the orphanage, the man who had been its guardian back when Link was a child. In those days, his masterful swordsplay had inspired Link to train with the sword. But a bad leg injury last year left Gregio's pace slow and stiff. While he still trained some of the children how to fight, he left giving examples to Link and other older students.
"Sorry to disrupt you, but I have bad news," the sword master said. "Moblins broke into the stable before dawn and stole off all the horses there."
Now fully awake with alarm, Link got to his feet and patted his hip, where he would normally have his keys for the stables and around the orphanage.
Gregio nodded. "I know you locked up, I saw it myself around midnight. Several others checked too. However, the Moblins acted with a strange amount of intelligence. They descended on town in three squads. Two specifically distracted the guards and one went right for the stable, hacking the door open with axes. While we're not sure who or what led them in this attack, we know that they took the horses into Trickster's Grotto."
That was even worse. Trickster's Grotto was once the home to a warlock, a natural maze of trees and small tunnels through steep hills. The longer the warlock lived there, the more the grotto because enchanted. Currently, it was inhabited by monsters. No one in Taven liked going into Trickster's Grotto. However, Link had gone in a few times, through an easy to navigate section. He'd seen no reason to explore off that path yet.
"I don't know how far they can get into the Grotto with all the horses," Gregio said. "But I do know you're the only one in town daring enough to go in there. Would you search for them?"
Link nodded, hoping the horses weren't being treated too roughly by the Moblins.
His master shook his hand at that. "Thank you, everyone's depending on you now. Although, there was one fellow who already went into the Grotto after the thieves, a visitor who got awakened by the attack and joined us in order to get his horse back. Gale, he's a traveling noble from the province of Sudai. From what I hear, he may be capable of taking care of himself, but keep an eye out for him too."
Agreeing to that, Link waved Gregio off so he could prepare to head into Trickster's Grotto as quickly as he could. He'd been given some good armor in order to help with protecting St. Saria's Orphanage as well as the town of Taven. Because he often worked with the children, it'd been made in the style of the heroes of legend so as to make them less afraid of him. A chainmail shirt went underneath a green tunic, while some brown shorts went over leg guards. He had some sturdy boots that helped with running and riding, no matter what the terrain.
With some reluctance, he put on the green hat as well. It had a hidden cap that acted as a guard for his head, given a few enchantments to ward off magical ailments. That was the main reason he wore it even though it reminded him of some of the more annoying dreams. With it, he was less likely to fall prey to spells that caused confusion or fatigue. Such protection was especially needed for Trickster's Grotto. Then it was checking his enchanted depth bag to make sure he had a few potions on hand as well as a magic compass that he'd picked up there. With that, his sword (formerly Gregio's, it was mundane but reliable), and a round shield attached to his arm, Link felt ready to go.
One of the other teachers stopped him before he went out. She wanted to give him some water and traveling food, several portions so that he could share with the lost nobleman if needed. On showing her that he did have the proper healing potions, she and some of the gathered children wished him well in getting the town's horses back. A few others in town called out the same to him; none offered to come with him.
That didn't discourage him. Link hurried along the dirt paths in the forest, eating one of the granola bars along the way for his breakfast. The sooner he could get there, the better chance he had of finding the horses in good shape. All around him, the forest seemed to be having a normal morning. Birds sang out into the trees, bugs darted around noisily, a few wild rabbits rushed across his path on being startled. From that, he could tell that the monsters weren't active out here. The Grotto would be a different matter.
On his bag, a small chime sounded. It was the magical compass alerting him that he'd entered the Grotto. There was no real entrance to the place; one could wander in on accident from anywhere on the outskirts. On the ground, he could see the tracks of many horseshoes going in. He hadn't seen any coming away from the grotto. That didn't mean much with all the ways they could leave.
Link took the compass with an idea. He had a horsehair charm attached to his depth bag as well. If he put the charm near the compass… maybe it would find the horses that way? Bringing the compass back up, he found the arrow glowing to the northwest. There wasn't a path to the northwest, but the paths weren't reliable anyhow. He headed off to the west.
When he passed under a low-hanging branch, the compass arrow swung around to the south east. That was one of the problems here. Not even going by sight was reliable for navigating this place; he normally used tree markings he'd made instead. Another problem were the monsters. While the Moblins were bad, it was mostly Bokoblins wandering the paths. They weren't too bad, but they could be horrible with the plant monsters that lurked among the trees. There were a wide variety, from those that could hobble around and confuse the unwary, to those who hung in the trees and threw poisonous thorns. With all that going on, it was understandable that few people wanted to come in.
Eventually, he came upon a red barrier across a path he wanted to go down. He glanced around, spotting someone collapsed down a path towards the south. Someone in a black cloak… Link went over to check on him. From the look of him, he'd been hit by a paralyzing spore from a tree lurker. If you could take the antidote quickly, the spore would have little effect. He must not have had it.
Link did, so he got the antidote to give Gale. He knew how to do some emergency care from helping with the kids. After a few minutes, the nobleman stirred enough to sit up. "Ugh... thank you. I don't know what would have happened to me out like that. What was that?"
He took a deep breath. He had to speak with the stranger, since he wouldn't have the knowledge locals did. "Probably a tree lurker, with paralysis spores. They hide in branches over paths."
"I see. Give me a moment and I should be able to continue on."
"Do you need some water and something to eat?" Link asked, getting out a water bottle.
"That'd be good, if you have something to spare," he said. Once he had something to eat, he was able to get back on his feet. Gale wanted to help retrieve the horses, so Link pointed out the barrier. "Is that in our way? I've dealt with a couple of them getting this far, it's a simple one."
When they went back over, Gale held his hand up to the barrier. He nodded, then traced a symbol that reminded Link of water. It broke the barrier and allowed them to keep following the compass. After passing the shifting point, Link showed him the compass to demonstrate how he was finding his way. Gale seemed impressed at that and was able to handle any of the barriers. Between the two of them, the monsters weren't much trouble either. Link was used to picking out the plant monsters, so they weren't in as much danger from getting afflicted.
Not only that, but Gale was really good at fighting the monsters. He claimed he was a wizard, but he used his magic to summon two dark violet swords that were nearly as tall as him. He struck powerfully with them, taking out monsters much faster than Link could. When it came the plant monsters, Gale could also summon fireballs to ruin them even when they wouldn't come out of the trees. Either of them could handle this place alone, although Gale might get lost again if he tried.
One barrier was a different color, green that nearly blended into the forest. Gale broke it and they found a large opening in the forest beyond it. And there, they saw all the horses that had been taken. Some of the Moblins were resting and others patrolled around to keep the horses there. The worst part would be trying to fight the Moblins without spooking the horses.
"We don't want to be scaring the horses in this place," Gale said, echoing Link's thoughts. "I could put the lot of them to sleep. We'll just need to be careful not to fight near them."
Link nodded. When Gale cast his spell, a sparkling mist fell over the whole meadow. The horses went still and the Moblins that were awake got startled. They hurried in and Gale went to the right to attack the alert Moblin there. Seeing that, Link went to the left. The first Moblin there was a sleeping one, but he felt he could deal with the next one before that one woke up. While Moblins were tough, they weren't too bright and it was easy to avoid taking a hit from them.
After he'd taken down those two, something jumped down from the trees. Link shifted so he wasn't caught off guard by this possibly new foe. Once he got a look at it, he didn't feel concerned. It was a Skull Kid that he often saw around the Grotto, wearing necklaces of bones and a bone decorated straw hat. The Skull Kid had a pan flute in hand. "Enchanted sleep?"
"Don't wake them," Link said, pointing out the Moblin rushing towards them.
The Skull Kid scurried to the side. "Oh! I help?"
He wasn't sure how much help the Skull Kid would really be, but Link nodded before going to parry the Moblin. He heard some notes played before a magic shield went up around him. With that, he could be more aggressive in taking out the Moblins. The Kid didn't do anything more than follow him around after that, but it didn't bother him.
Before long, the three of them had cleared the meadow of Moblins. Gale went to the one completely black horse there, his own. "Good. Is this all the horses from your town?"
Link quickly counted heads and nodded. Epona was nearby too. Coming up to him, the Skull Kid held his pan flute up. "Wake them now?"
"We should figure out how to get the horses out of the dungeon first," Gale said.
"Easy, one-way out there," the Skull Kid said, pointing towards the north. There was a large opening that lead into more forest. But if the Kid was right, it'd be normal forest. Then the Kid looked up at Link. "Oh, I can wake them, but it will be more fun with two. Can you or you play a flute? I've got another." He pulled out a second pan flute.
"Sorry, I don't play music," Gale said.
Link had never played a pan flute. However, he had a lot of dreams about music. Pan flute was one of them, associated with a strange things like trains and puzzling towers. Nodding, he accepted the instrument.
The Skull Kid smiled at him. "Goody good. Here, I'll play the Song of Awakening soft so you know it." And it was a familiar song from the dreams, given on horns but nice on the flutes. Link played with the Kid to get the horses back awake.
Thankfully, the horses were calm. Epona came right to him, nudging his shoulder. He patted her head and smiled. Meanwhile, Gale came over with his horse. "I was wondering, are you a local Skull Kid? Would you have any idea who might be leading those Moblins?"
"Them?" The Skull Kid tilted his head. "I tease them but don't know… oh, but there is a stranger in the deepest part of the Grotto, I know that. If anyone, it's that guy."
"Deepest part of the grotto, hmm?" Gale glanced around. "We should get the horses back to town first. Link, they're familiar with you, so lead the way. I'll bring up the rear."
He nodded, then got on Epona. A quick whistle got the town horses to pay attention. While he didn't often ride bareback, a normal pace should be fine. Link patted her neck and got her to go for the way out. The Skull Kid waved to them, but stayed in the Grotto. Once out, Like had to determine where in the forests they were. There were a few sign posts and significant trees… he spotted an old oak much taller than the trees around it. There were some like that, but the look of it told him they were to the east of town. As the paths were non-magical out here, it was easier to pick out the right way.
Back in town, those adults who weren't already at work greeted them with congratulations and gratitude. Link went around to make sure the horses got to where they needed to be, either at work or in the pasture. Since Gale had asked who was manipulating the Moblins, maybe he would help with tracking that leader down.
Once the horses were taken care of, Link found Gale speaking with Gregio. "Don't mistake me," Gale said. "I'm not a mercenary, nor am I doing this out of charity. Rather, I cannot forgive someone, even a monster, who'd steal my horse. Is the Grotto going to stay as it was or does it change?"
"It won't change paths on the same day," Gregio said, then glanced over him and nodded. "Hello Link. You might be interested in this. After all, you've been in the deeper parts of the Grotto past that meadow."
He nodded. That meadow was the midway point. Afterward, it changed character some. While he had gone past there, it was just to retrieve some herbs that only grew in deeper parts.
Turning back to Gale, the sword master explained, "The Grotto itself does change after that large meadow where you found the horses. The ground becomes broken, with sharp boulders and sudden pits. The trees are unnatural too, some of which are hidden monsters. But if you can manage to get around the first section, it won't take much to get used to the second."
"We got through because he set a magical compass to track horses," Gale said.
"There were also magical barriers this time," Link said slowly. "I can't deal with them."
Gregio rubbed his chin. "Hmm, that's new. It must be whatever was commanding the Moblins. If you can handle those barriers and the disorienting paths, you can handle the whole grotto with some preparation. Are you both going to search for the newcomer?"
Link nodded. Gale glanced at him, then nodded as well. "Sure, I don't mind. It's good to have a local along who's good in a fight."
"You've got him willing to talk around you, so you should work together well," Gregio said. "He doesn't speak much."
Strangely, Gale smiled at him. "I don't see why, he has a nice voice."
Somebody thought he had a nice voice? Link tried not to look too embarrassed or pleased at that. Gale noticed anyhow and seemed amused at that. Gregio chuckled. "Right. Be sure you have potions against the curses and poisons the plants can inflict. Good luck."
This was going well, Ganon thought. He had found the person who was blessed by the Triforce of Courage, although it had yet to fully manifest in him. And getting his trust was going smoother than he planned for. With Link being self-conscious of his voice, the compliment and awareness to keep patient in listening should do the trick. That could mean the plan he had in mind was more ideal than he expected.
The latter half of the Grotto was nearly claustrophobic, full of narrow crooked paths through giant trees and rock walls. The monsters were able to ambush and surround them. In fact, the monsters here could be brutal if guided with intelligence. If he wanted, he could get them to do be so dangerous. But no. They had to get through this without too much trouble. The ringleader he'd called in should be trouble enough.
"Gale," Link said after they had cleared an area full of spider and plant monsters. He pointed out a chest that was hidden in a small tree. Well, small for this area. It would have been normal for the rest of the forest.
"That's inconvenient," he said. But easy to fix with magic; a gust spell knocked the chest off its perch without opening it. It just needed to be turned over and opened to reveal what was inside: a bow made of wood with leafy nubs still attached to it, along with a quiver with two dozen arrows. "Nothing I need. But, I think you could benefit from having it."
Link studied the bow and quiver for a moment before he picked them up. It was interesting seeing how lost in thought he was just at this weapon. Actually, it made Ganon think too.
"The bow is an excellent tactical weapon," he said. "To use most melee weapons, you need to be strong in your whole body. The bow requires arm strength, hand-eye coordination, and good sight, all of which can be trained by using it. It's also a distance weapon, meaning the user doesn't need to risk themselves by getting close or to take the time to learn magic. Added to that, it can be used well from horseback. But my magic means I really have no use for a bow."
Nodding slowly, Link took out an arrow and set it in the bow. Had he been listening? Ganon didn't feel annoyed at him for potentially not, strangely enough. He was more curious to watch him like this. From the healthy tan and lean muscles, he wasn't one to shy away from the outdoors or work. One could even say he was blessed by nature, given his forest green eyes and honey blond hair. He was physically much more attractive than the princess. Although, the only benefit to Ganon's plans that had was that it'd be easier for him to come up with ways to charm him as Gale. But not too much now, it might backfire if he overdid it at the start.
Link glanced around, then lifted the bow and drew the string back with the arrow notched. Ganon had trained his army, so he instantly saw the excellence in his motions. If the Hylian knights had seen this, no wonder they wanted him in their numbers. A roaming mercenary might make traveling safe for civilians who could pay his fees, true, but he wouldn't be reliable when things came to war. The arrow flew across the room they had cleared, striking just above a branch that sat over one of the twisting passages of this place. From the shrill squeal and leafy thump, they hadn't cleared the room as thoroughly as he had thought. He saw a tiny plant monster, one of those that he got to paralyze him to get the hero's attention, hit the ground briefly before its magic broke and turned it to dust.
"That was an impressive shot," Ganon said. And he was authentically impressed, both that the hero had seen the creature against the leafy branch and that he'd hit it from this distance. "Have you practiced archery as well?"
"No," Link said, lowering the bow. He still had a contemplative look on his face. After a moment, he shook his head, then shrugged. "Only dreamed it... a tall tower in a canyon, striking a flagpole from the road with regular sight. It's very familiar."
"Now that's curious," he said, again being honest. He didn't think the hero was reborn in a way that retained such knowledge. Ganon knew his own soul moved from life to life mostly intact, awakening fully sometime after adulthood. Then again, perhaps it explained some things. There wasn't much writing directly from any of the heroes that survived, but the combat skills they regularly used were things that needed training. And many stories said that the hero was naturally talented. "Even if it may be easier to pick up than magic, usually some training is needed, especially for that."
"As long as I can use it, there's no time to wonder why here," he said, now strapping his quiver to his back. "We should move on so we can get out of here before dark."
"True, that would be prudent," Ganon agreed.
Forests on their own were easy enough to get lost in if one wasn't familiar with the place. Trickster's Grotto purposely went out of its way to be confusing and easy to get lost in. If it hadn't been for the magical compass Link had (or several spells that Ganon could think of), they could have spent days trying to find the deepest part. But they did come upon it while the sun was still out. There was a dilapidated house that was barely standing, with vines coating its walls and the stench of rotted wood clinging closer.
While Link walked through slowly and looked around, Ganon put his right hand over where the Triforce of Power manifested on his left. He didn't want the monster here to recognize him as its master; he wanted it to go berserk and attack. In response to his plan, there was a brief golden shine showing through his fingers. It would be done.
"Aaaaiiiiyyyyaaa!" The bloodthirsty scream was enough to alert Link and get him out of the way when the creature came leaping down from the trees overhead. This was a Moblin Shaman, a rarity that came about when a Moblin of more intelligence than average was created. With dark green skin and eyes of gold, it was clad in a chaotic mishmash of mystical symbols. Including, amusingly enough, several pendants much like the Hylian royal family's crest, a small charm made of horsehair that was popular here in Taven, and even the eagle claw crest that represented Sudain royalty. It might have been smart for a Moblin, but it was still a Moblin who liked things without knowing what they meant.
More troublesome, it came with a dozen ethereal Skull Bubbles that kept close to the Shaman. "Those bubbles will curse anyone else who comes close," Ganon said as Link backed up closer to him. "But this Shaman is using them to create a powerful shield around itself. We won't be able to do anything to it until the Skull Bubbles are gone."
Link nodded in acknowledgment and pulled out his bow. Really, Ganon could dispatch this Shaman easily by himself: crush the Skull Bubbles then torch the Shaman will intense fire. But the whole point of this was to get Link to do something heroic enough to make the Triforce of Courage manifest. The Triforce couldn't be made whole while one of the pieces was still in hiding, and his plans would have to be altered if Link continued to stay around Taven much longer.
To give him a chance, Ganon only took out three of the Skull Bubbles with simple ice spears. Link was able to accurately shoot down the other nine with his arrows, not an easy task when they revolved around the Moblin Shaman. Nor when the Shaman itself kept leaping around the area, flinging fireballs, ice spears, wind blades, and even earth spikes at them. Eventually, it stopped and danced around with a gibberish incantation, waving its arms about wildly. Link shot out the last of its Skull Bubbles then and followed up with an arrow to the Shaman itself.
The Moblin Shaman didn't heed it and finished its casting. The forest opening went dim seconds before a violet bolt of lightning struck them both. While Ganon was prepared for that, Link wasn't and was briefly stunned with pain. It wouldn't do for hm to die here and now. Ganon hurried over to deflect the following fireballs with his cloak before he cast a healing spell over Link. Alert and whole again, Link set his bow aside to draw his sword. The Shaman was unable to do anything at melee range, unable to get away once Link started his attack. With a fearful wail, the Moblin Shaman collapsed into magical smoke and dust, defeated.
"That would make sense for being the one to lead the other Moblins," Ganon said. "We should probably still check around; is there anywhere further to go in this place?"
Link shook his head, then went to glance in the abandoned house. Checking with the Triforce again, Ganon could sense no more strong monsters in the area. Good, the Shaman was the only one he had sent in. But it wasn't enough to make the last piece of the Triforce manifest. Courage was usually the last to appear, but he'd hoped to have it active for his next move. That move would be swift and could not be delayed for long.
"I think we're in the clear," Ganon said after a few minutes of making a show of looking around too. "You know, you're really talented. You'd do well as a traveling mercenary, or even as a hero."
He shook his head again, coming over. "I got denied when I asked the castle to be a mercenary. Besides, that was mostly for the orphanage's benefit. The children need to be protected, especially when we want to send them to new families in other provinces."
"Ah yes, that makes sense." Perhaps he should have had the Shaman kidnap one or more of the children. The hateful entity that had come to him liked that idea even though he didn't. He'd seen too many children suffer over this lifetime. "You seem to have plenty of people around who could help, if they were more willing to."
"Some of the older boys and girls are becoming capable," he said, perhaps still thinking about setting out on his own. Then he bowed to him. "Thank you for assisting with this. The monsters have been organizing more lately, so this might make things safer."
Ganon shrugged. "It's nothing. Although, I wouldn't count on this as more than a temporary relief." Link looked curious, so he explained further. "I've been traveling all through Hyrule's lands in the past few months and this isn't the first time I've heard of these things. The monsters becoming more organized, as well as more aggressive. Everywhere I go, the nights have become dangerous and the people are more afraid. Something's happening that we may be unable to stop. And no matter where I go, there are not many like you or I who are willing to go find and confront the greater dangers. Most simply become defensive and stay where things are safe."
"So it is more than just our province," Link said, thinking seriously over the matter.
"Someone really should investigate these matters, but I have a job to keep and I've already been delayed here," Ganon said. "Eventually there'll be a tipping point where these monsters overcome civilization. Law and order will no longer matter as people struggle just to survive, risking their lives any time they travel outside of towns. Some monsters could even rule towns, leading to the rise of a tyrannical monster king who spreads corruption and suffering. Of course, that's one worst case scenario. It may be enough for someone to go around and slay the monster leaders, making them go back to disorganized creatures."
"People should be able to go out and do that, to defend their towns," he said.
"But finding people who will, that's the problem. Maybe I'll try encouraging that. Well then, I'm sorry to change the topic so abruptly, but you've been an interesting ally. Would you like to be penpals?"
"Penpals?" Link asked, which Ganon could have replied to. But he seemed to be concentrating, so he gave him a moment, leading him to add, "That could be interesting, but, you're a traveler, right?"
He brought out a sturdy envelope that he'd prepared for this purpose. "Yes, but I have to keep up correspondences with a number of people. Nearly all of it is business related, which is a pity. I've always thought that having a friendly correspondence through letters would be fun thing to have. I might even have some interesting things to teach you, if you're thinking about traveling yourself. Here, this is an envelope that we can bind to the two of us with magic. It will then be able to deliver itself between us, no matter where we may have wandered."
"All right, I'd like that," he said with a smile. So before he could even be officially recognized as the hero this time around, Link was already falling prey to the villain's machinations. It was a delightful triumph, even though it might have been more useful to crush him here and now. But no, that was the hateful entity's wishes. Ganon's plans were going to be far more useful.
Dry dust and straw was kicked up as these students went about their practice. Familiar thunks of wooden practice swords against bamboo posts filled the air, along with Gregio's corrections, compliments, and commands. Wearing leather armor and helmets, the teens and a few older children worked towards bettering their swordsmanship. But most would probably move on to apprentice to a lumberjack, carpenter, or shepherd, same as most of the students who had trained alongside him. Link watched from the sides, relaxing this evening after going into Trickster's Grotto twice.
"Keep at it," Gregio said to a thirteen year old boy who had stopped striking the post for more than a moment.
"Why've we got to keep hitting it over and over again?" the boy asked. From the way he held his sword, he wasn't yet tiring. "I've got the slash down, can't I learn more?"
"You don't have the slash down, as you put it," Gregio said, taking his right arm and putting him through the motion again. "Keep using the move over and over until your arm knows it enough that your mind doesn't have to think about it. The motion should be fluid, smooth, and natural. You're still rigid and jerky."
Right then, Charlotte plopped down beside him on the raised walk around the practice pit. She held onto a water gourd as if she was there to make sure the students got something to drink. She might be, or she might be here to nag at him as usual. "There you are, where have you been? I heard you went to get the horses back, but then you were nowhere around town the rest of the day."
If he left to see about this trouble with monsters, he'd be able to get away from her. It really wasn't a good reason to leave, Link knew. However, he also had the feeling that if he didn't do something soon, Charlotte would start telling people that she was his girlfriend and a good portion of town might actually believe her. Then it'd be even harder to get away from her. This might be a good chance.
She continued on without giving him a chance to speak up, as usual. "Though that was a great feat you pulled off, getting them out of that devil-cursed grotto. You've got the skills and the guts to be a knight, you know. I really don't see why you turned down the castle's offer that one time; you would be a great knight. And hey, if you did go off to train, I'd be willing to go with you. You know, make sure you're taken care of and help you out in the city. There's a lot more people there that you can't just keep silent to. Though, today's events don't really help the notion that you care about the horses more than anyone else."
"Charlotte, if you're going to be helping out here, don't be bothering Link," Gregio said.
She pouted, but with a glint of fury in her eyes. "I'm not bothering him! I'm helping him out too."
However, Gregio gave a sly smile at that. "Oh really? I'd say that you were bothering him because he doesn't bother to speak to you at all. In contrast, he spoke with and helped out a rather attractive stranger just today."
"What?!" Charlotte asked, shocked. The students paused, several of them giggling at the scene. "That can't be, who was she?"
"Oh wow, Link was really talking?" one of the girl students nearby asked.
While Charlotte fumed next to him, Link smiled a little and put a hand to his cheek, carefully saying, "Only to nice people." Which made the class giggle and laugh even more.
"What do you mean by that?" Charlotte asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"He means that you've been bothering him and he'd rather not acknowledge you," Gregio said. "And the stranger was a good man; he was willing to go right into Trickster's Grotto to get his horse back, and went back in even after learning of the dangers." Then the sword master turned to his students. "And that is something you should aspire to: being brave enough to confront dangers to those you care about, even the horses, so that they are safe and unharmed. Courage makes the power you learn through swordsmanship into something useful; Wisdom makes such power turn to a good thing. And courage and wisdom makes sure that the things you do are worthwhile. By training with all three virtues, any of you can become someone great."
"Yes, master," the students said, some behind the others as they hadn't expected it.
While he had been speaking, Charlotte had huffed at being dismissed and would have slammed the water gourd down if Link hadn't caught it. They didn't need it to crack and become useless. She took off after that. So her objective had been trying to convince him to work for her goals. But, he had his own now. Once the students were dismissed to wash up before dinner, Link went to speak with Gregio. "Master?"
"Yes, what is it Link?" he asked. He was patient enough to listen.
He wasn't as slow as usual, since he'd been thinking over this since leaving the Grotto's center with Gale. "Are they in good shape? I would like to go to Hyrule Castle to see about requesting a mercenary license directly. What happened today, it might not be isolated. Gale says many places have increased problems with monsters. But I don't wish to leave this place without enough people to protect it."
Gregio gave it some thought while touching some marks on the practice posts. "Some of the older ones are at a good point to test their responsibility by giving them duties in guarding the daily walk and the town limits at night. That is where some quit. But these kids, they look up to you and thus I think they may stick with it." He turned and smiled. "It would help if you asked them yourself to protect the town while you're away."
"Sure, I'll mention something to them," Link agreed.
"I've heard some talk from travelers that does suggest that the monsters seem to be preparing for something," Gregio said. "Perhaps it's the many wars that have gone on in the current king's reign that have stirred them up. While many people would appreciate someone looking into this, as well as taking care of the more dangerous monsters, it's hard to say if the castle will support you in this. If you run into trouble, perhaps you can try to speak to Princess Zelda about the matter."
"Zelda." The name caused shivers up his spine.
At first, Gregio didn't notice anything peculiar. "The travelers say that she is a reasonable person, much easier to deal with than her parents." Then he paused before taking his arm. "Link?"
"Darkness is coming," he said, closing his eyes. "I have dreams about the past that I should not be able to know; Gale said my first shot with a bow was a masterful one. Sometimes, I feel like I'm being called. But, they wouldn't call a hero if one wasn't needed."
"That is a strange sign, foreboding." Gregio patted his arm, making Link open his eyes to look at him again. "Although, I believe in you. You might be quiet, but I can see the heart of a hero in you already. I wish I could do more myself, but as I am, I'll do what I can to make sure my other students are prepared to keep our village safe. And if you are having such dreams, you'll have to speak to Zelda sooner or later. She should be capable of helping you. If you are prepared, then the time of darkness may not be long."
That was true. Maybe it didn't seem like a hero was needed now. But if he put his heart and soul into this, then a hero might not be needed for long. "Okay. I'll do all I can to make that so."