Author's Notes:
Sorry this took so long; I got something of a life and it's interfering with my private life.
I had hoped that the last chapter would get 2 reviews or one at the very least. Well, this one should be more to your liking!
Oh and special thanks to Darcie11 and Fox McCloude! They gave me some very good advice and I will try my best to follow it when writing the next chapter!
"...what...?"
He'd take to the Gerudo fortress, Link repeated.
"You mean it?"
Link nodded. And was surprised to find himself in her arms the next moment!
"...thank you so much..."
Touched and embarrassed, Link gently pulled himself out of her embrace.
"When do we leave?!" The girl asked excitedly.
Link answered that they would leave after the expedition.
"Huh? What expedition?"
Link blinked. She wasn't here to join?
"Um... no." The girl's face turned sour, "I've had it with those damned castlefolk and decided to go home. But I got lost, and when I saw the lights of this town I naturally headed here..."
Worried, Link asked her where she lived. But her answer had him confused; wasn't that in-?
"Yup. I come from Termina."
Link was stunned. That would mean...
"...What?!"
She was no longer in Termina! She had crossed the border into a neighboring country!
"No way!"
Link assured her that it was so!
"How the heck did that happen?! I followed the map and everything!"
Link checked her map and, although it wasn't the newest nor the most detailed, it was correct... he asked her then if she had a compass.
"Yeah, I do." She showed her the big compass she wore around her neck.
Link looked at it... and the next moment he pulled out his own, and-
"Hah?! Why wouldn't it point north?!"
Link said it was probably broken-
"NO WAY!" The girl looked horrified, and frantically checked her compass, "It can't be-! It just CAN'T be broken!"
Surprised at her outburst Link asked her what was wrong.
"This compass is a precious family heirloom! It's been within my family for nearly two centuries! It just CAN'T be broken!"
Link told her to calm down, and when she didn't he offered to take a look at it.
"Please do!" She said handing over the device.
As soon as Link held it in his hands he knew something was off. He carefully inspected it.
"Please tell me it's not broken! Please, please, please!"
Link eyed the device suspiciously; how had her family come to own it?
"Around two centuries ago a traveling swordsman stayed at my family's place. That swordsman was the legendary hero of destiny Link..."
Link smiled secretly.
"When he left to continue his journey, it was left behind. He never returned so we were never able to give it back and since then it has become our family's treasure."
Link asked her what else she knew about it.
The girl shrugged, "It's supposed to be magical or something, but-"
It was!
"Huh?"
Link pulled out a compass from his bag.
"Hah?! Why do you have two compasses?"
Link showed her his second compass.
"What kind of compass is that?" she wanted to know, "Why does it have three needles? And why do they point into three different directions?"
Link explained that this was a magical compass, or rather, it was three magical compasses in one. The red needle was sensitive to evil and dark magic; monsters. The blue needle was sensitive to "good" magic; fairies.
"And the green needle?"
Link spoke a few words in a tongue the girl had never heard and at the same time he drew on the tabletop with his finger. A small symbol was faintly glowing in a green light. Link moved his compass back and forth, from side to side; no matter where he moved the compass, the green needle would point to the mark.
"Cute... what's that good for?"
To find his way out of dungeons; Link would just mark the entrance.
"And what about my compass?" She asked.
Link took a moment to see if her compass pointed into any of the directions that his compass' needles pointed to. It did! The red one!
"So that compass points towards monsters...?"
Link nodded. The compass she held must be indeed the one the legendary hero Link had used; he was known for venturing into dark dungeons in order to vanish evil monsters.
"Huh...?" The girl let the words sink in, "Well that explains why I always run into trouble!"
Link blinked at her in confusion.
"Um..." she began counting off on her fingers, "...before I got here I ran into a bandit's hideout... then there was that time I ventured into a cave and found myself face-to-face with some huge unworldly beast... I also stumbled unto a thief's lair... and before that I was in some haunted ruins... or was it that creepy swamp where that crazy old witch lived...?"
Link decided on something right there.
"What did you just say?!"
Link repeated what he said; he was going to teach her everything about adventuring he could: sword-fighting, archery, riding, tracking, survival in the wild, everything! And he'd take her along on the expedition.
"Seriously?!"
Link nodded. She was going to get killed otherwise... He didn't say that though.
"Ohthankyouthankyou!" She nearly crushed Link in her bear hug. But then she remembered something, "Wait. What's that expedition about?"
Link told her that in the woods beyond the town they were currently in, a large ruin city had been discovered. The king was funding a large expedition to clear and explore this city; which is why this town was currently full of adventurers, and scholars. They were all here to explore the ruins and recover any treasure and artifacts and to protect the scholars. Link was one of the adventurers who had signed up.
"And you want me to come along? But I have never been on such an expedition!"
Link shook his head; she didn't have to worry. The expedition would start in a few days, and in that time he would teach as much as he could. The rest he would teach her during the expedition. Once it was over, he would continue to teach her on their trip to the Gerudo fortress; about their ways and culture... And he'd prepare her for their trials.
"What are those trials?"
The Gerudos usually kept to themselves, Link explained, but sometimes they accepted outsiders as honorary members of their tribe; if they passed their trials.
"You mean I'd be a Gerudo if I pass those trials?"
Link nodded. Well, almost. She'd be more of a very good friend to the tribe.
The girl looked worried, "And will they teach me how to fight?"
Link nodded again; he himself had been taught by the Gerudos much about riding and horse archery, not to mention survival in the desert.
The girl practically glowed with happiness... and promptly gave Link another hug.
"...thank you so much... that's so sweet of you..."
Link chuckled; embarrassed. He said it was no big deal- "Ah!"
"Oops" The girl, too was now embarrassed, "All this talking and we haven't even told each other our names! I'm Linkle!"
Link stared at her wide-eyed and his lips moved on their own.
"Whaddya mean 'Are you serious?!' Of course I am! It's - my - name!"
Link flinched back! It just had to slip out...
The girl looked away indignantly and pouted, "I will have you know that I was named after the legendary hero Link, who defeated the evil demon-king and his army of monsters, over a century ago! So I'm rather proud of my name!"
Link hurried to explain!
"...you too were named after him?! Your name's Link?!"
A nod and an affirmative "Um" was his answer.
Linkle blinked then took a drink.
"So..." she started after setting down her tankard, "...we both have practically the same name... we kinda look alike... and we both into adventuring..." Linkle summarized, "Huh... that's so crazy!"
Link agreed and lifted his tankard to drink, but stopped to ask her a question.
"Wha-?! Ahaha!" Linkle laughed, "No! I'm an only child." She giggled some more, "Why do you ask?"
Link smiled sadly; he'd never known his parents , nor where he came from...
"Oh..." Linkle looked down, "...I'm sorry..."
He just smiled and emptied his tankard before handing it over for a refill.
Meanwhile Linkle set down hers before, too, handing it over for a refill.
"...still this really is something... 'Makes you wonder what else we got in common..."
Link nodded.
Linkle looked at the ceiling and put her her finger below her chin "Well..." she mused "...since I'm a lady knight and a heroine... I guess you are too?"
Link unhappily nodded.
"No way!" Linkle got her tankard back "So I'm Lady Linkle and you're Sir Link, huh? I think I'll drink to that!"
But at the last moment she froze.
"...wait... Sir Link?! Are you-Umph!" Link quickly clapped his hand over her mouth; he so didn't want her to shoot it out loud!
She pushed his hand away and spoke in a hushed but barely controlled voice, "Are you Sir Link of Hyrule?!"
Link sighed and nodded.
"You're Link Swiftwind?!" She whisper-shouted, "The reincarnated hero of this age?! The hero who single-handedly brought victory to Hyrule in the war against the dark warlord Ganondorf and his horde of evil monsters?!"
Link sighed again. That was too exaggerated; yes, he did play a great part in that war, but it was definitely not just his doing!
"I don't believe it... ca-can I-?"
Not bothering to let her finish, he pulled the leather glove off his left hand and held it out to her; he was so tired of this!
Linkle took no notice, she just stared at the golden mark at the back of Link's hand. Seeing her awed look, Link really hoped that she was not another of his crazy admirers!
Open-mouthed she turned back at him. Then she blinked. "U-um... you know..."
Link wasn't sure what to make of that strange look she gave him.
"...you don't look at all like what I expected..."
...oh... she was one of those people who thought he was nothing more than a peasant...
"...I thought you'd be more... I dunno; princely? Knightly?"
Link snorted; why should he be? It wasn't as though all princes were princely! Nor were all knights knightly!
Linkle pulled a sour face, "Ugh... Don't remind me..." That's when she noticed the miffed look on Link's face. "Sorry, I just thought... I just thought you'd look more... heroic? ...more impressive?"
That didn't help one bit!
"...and not so ordinary like me..."
Well... now that Link thought about it, she too didn't strike him as a warrioress or a lady-knight... if anything, Link thought her to be just a pretty girl...
"Ah!" Damn, he did it again!
"...andyou'rejustacuteguy!"
"Ah?"
"Nothing!"
Not knowing what to say Link took another swig of ale.
And Linkle decided to break the awkward silence, "So... is it true what they say about the way you fight?"
Link looked at her questioningly.
"I heard you strike and dodge so swiftly and so quickly that no one can dodge you and no one can catch you... just like the wind."
Link couldn't help but snigger; the reason he was called 'Swiftwind' was a horse race and a couple of drunken farmers!
"...what?!"
Link wet his lips before starting his story. At first, Link had been working on a large farm called 'Lon Lon farm' where his childhood friend, a girl called Malon, lived and worked. And Link's job on that farm was...
"A stableboy?! You?! You mean you'd feed horses, groom them and clean up their shi- their mess?!" Linkle asked disbelievingly, "I can't imagine you like that!"
Link smiled sheepishly and asked her if she'd believe him if he told her that while he really enjoyed talking care of horses... he'd much rather just ride them!
"You mean..." Linkle mirrored his mischievous smile.
Link nodded. As soon as he was done with his duties (more or less) he'd go riding as much as he could, whenever he could!
"I'd probably do the same!" Linkle laughed. Suddenly she got serious, "Can you teach me how to ride as well?"
Link blinked at her. Her fellow knights didn't even teach her that?!
"No..."
What about that prince of hers?
Linkle sadly shook her head.
Link promised to teach her that as well. He then continued his story. Before long Link was a skilled rider at a young age, and he started performing tricks: standing on the horse while it ran, standing and riding on two horses at once, picking flowers in the middle of the ride... but what he enjoyed most was competing in horse races!
"Were you good?"
Link nodded. His village held a horse race every year, and ever since he first joined Link won every year. Then one day his friends urged him to participate in a big horse race that was held in a nearby town; and so Link did.
"Did you win?"
Link nodded again. His competitors were good, but with Epona, his powerful and enduring mare, Link won.
"So where do the farmers come in?"
Link got to that now. Link was consiered the underdog in that race, so one was betting on him... except for for all his friends and the villagers who knew him! And they bet everything they could; every single last rupee they had saved! So when Link won the race, each of them won a fortune in rupees! His friend Malon was finally able to buy a dress that she had her eyes on for months; and she still had some money left! Her father, a burly man named Talon, and the other men though decided to head to the nearest tavern to celebrate and Link was dragged along. In the drinking that followed everybody congratulated him and commented how fast he was and how swiftly he rode...
"Ah..." Linkle saw where this was going.
Link nodded. Talon said Link rode as swiftly as the wind, and his farmhand, a man named Ingo, who was usually a total jerk but a surprisingly nice guy when drunk, promptly dubbed him, Link 'Swiftwind.' And since then, the name has stuck to him.
Linkle could barely contain her giggles, "So you're called 'Swiftwind' because of a drunken farmer?!"
Worse, Link was named 'Swiftwind' by a drunken farmer!
Now Linkle couldn't help but laugh!
"Oh well... I still think it's a good name..." Then she remembered something, "So how did a horse racer like you end up as a hero?"
Link sighed. He wasn't that eager to tell that story. First he took a drink again.
After he had won that race, Malon and her father let him have Epona; and from his winnings Link bought himself a sword.
"Huh? Why would a stableboy need a sword?"
Link explained that he had enough of being a stableboy; since long he had decided to become a courier.
"Why a courier?"
Because as a courier Link was getting paid for doing what he enjoyed most: riding horses as fast as he could! Not only that, he got to travel; he finally got out of his village, visit villages, towns and cities, see places, meet all kinds of people!
"I see... but what does a sword have to do with becoming a courier? Don't couriers just deliver important documents and messages?"
Link nodded. But that was exactly why he decided to carry sword; because couriers carried important documents, and sometimes even valuables, they were often hounded by highwaymen, which is why Link learned to fight with a sword, both on and off horseback, and horse archery as well.
"Oh, I see... well? Did you get to be a courier?"
Link nodded again. But he also admitted that it was not quite as fun as he thought it would be... Especially the pay! Overall though, Link had been happy with his new trade.
Linkle seemed to think while she drank.
"And how did you get from courier to war hero?"
Link told her that one day a great horde of monsters was sighted approaching Hyrule, and immediately the country was preparing for war! Link had been very busy during these days; couriers were suddenly needed and sent everywhere! Then one day, when Link was resting in a town after a delivery,he was suddenly called in by the mayor. The townguards had rescued a soldier from a band of bulblin riders, outside of town. The soldier had been sent from the frontlines to deliver an important message to the king, and the bulblins tried to intercept him. Seeing that the soldier was had been too injured to carry out his order, the town mayor had asked Link to deliver the message instead. And so Link was to deliver his first message to the king of Hyrule!
"And that's how you met your beloved princess?"
Link spat out the ale he had been drinking. His beloved princess?!
"Um... are you not marrying the princess...?"
Link stared at her flabbergasted. Who gave her THAT idea?!
Now it was Linkle's turn to look surprised, "Uh... everybody says so..."
People thought that he, Link, was engaged to Princess Zelda?! What were they saying?!
"They say that you and the princess are madly in love with each other, and that you get to marry her even though you are of common birth."
Link was aghast! How could they say that?! That wasn't true! It... wasn't...
Dejectedly, Link took a large swig.
"Link...?"
Link, almost absent-mindedly, decided to tell her the true story... before those rumors got any worse...
When Link had gotten to the castle with that message, he was immediately brought to the war room. There, the king, his daughter the princess, and his generals and commanders were discussing the war. After Link had handed over the message and explained why he had it, he had been dismissed from the hall. But instead of leaving, Link had chosen to wait outside.
"Huh? What for?"
Link got to that now. After a short while, the doors opened, and a servant came out; the king needed a courier! That was what Link had been waiting for, so he stepped right in and offered to deliver the message.
Oh, and in doing so, he shocked the entire war council!
"How did you know they would need a courier?!"
Link knew simply by being a courier. When Linkle didn't understand Link explained that it happened often enough that once he delivered an urgent message to a noble or someone important it would prompt him to send a message to reply, or to be sent somewhere else. In short; many urgent messages led to new ones, meaning all Link had to do after his delivery was wait for a bit and he'd be on his next job! Which happened more often during the war.
"Oh! ...how did the council react to it?" She asked before taking a sip.
Link chuckled before emptying his tankard. He went on while the barkeeper refilled it.
At first the council had been shocked to see Link walk back in and then offer to deliver the message. The next moment the council had been outraged: one had demanded to know why Link hadn't left, another had wanted to know how Link had known that they needed a courier, a third had accused Link of breaking the seal and reading the message!
"And how did they react to your explanation?" Linkle asked smirking.
They had been dumbfounded. Link wished she had been there; the king, the princess all those noble knights... all their faces practically screaming 'Am I dumb?'
Linkle laughed out in delight, "So much for the so-called educated and knowledgeable noble class!"
Link swore their faces were almost as good as those of the guards!
"Guards? What guards?"
"Ah-" Did Link fail to mention them? Before The large door to the war-room were two guards; rather rude ones.
"Of course..." Linkle's face was full of understanding.
When Link had remained in the hall, the guards had told him to get out or they would throw him into the dungeons. But Link had held his ground and insisted that the council would soon need a courier like him. That led to a bet: If the council did not send for a courier within the next half hour, then Link would pay each guard 20 rupees and if the council did, then each guard would have to pay him 20 rupees.
"And the next moment a servant came out looking for a courier," Linkle guessed.
Link nodded; it was so. The guards had to hand over the money and their faces were as though they had smelled rotten eggs.
Linkle laughed again, "'Probably served them right."
Link knew what she meant. Guards could be so rude and unfriendly; and they acted all high even though they were low in the ranks.
"Ah! What did the king and his council say once they got over their stupor?"
It had been neither the king not his council who first came back to their senses; it was the princess. She had complimented Link on his insight and readiness to serve, and the king quickly agreed with his daughter. It had been his intention to send Link to the frontlines with the reply message but the princess had other plans; since Link was so insightful, not to mention brave enough to face the king and his highest-ranking knights, the princess had wanted him to go to Death Mountain and the Zora Domain instead.
"What's this Death Mountain and Zora Domain?"
Link told her that Death Mountain was a dangerous volcano, but that didn't tell Linkle anything. Link need to wet his throat first before he explained to her that a volcano was a mountain that spewed ash and burning rocks. Link told her to imagine a blacksmith's furnace, filled with hot, molten iron; a volcano was petty much like that, just larger.
"Does a mountain like that really exist?"
Link said it did, but Linkle still looked unconvinced; he'd just have to take her to Death Mountain along the way to the Gerudo desert.
Either way, Link continued to tell about his mission. Inside Death Mountain lives a large tribe of Gorons, inside a large cavern complex. The Zora Domain was also a cavern complex. Or rather, a grotto complex, Link corrected himself, with a bi underground lake and waterfalls. The entrance to the domain itself was barred by a huge waterfall!
"Sounds like a scary place..." Linkle commented before taking a swig.
Link put down his tankard and shook his head. It wasn't scary at all; quite the opposite in fact. The first time Link had entered the domain he had been fascinated by its aquatic, mystic beauty.
"So... why did the princess want you to go to those two places?"
Link answered that both the Gorons and the Zoras were allies of Hyrule, but for some reason they had failed to send any troops. And they hadn't responded to the King's messages either. So the princess had wanted Link to deliver another request for aid to the two races. But since Link had shown himself so observant and smart, she had given him the order to investigate what had prevented the Gorons and the Zoras from sending aid in the first place.
"Did something happen to them?"
Link gave a big nod. It had all been the evil warlord's, Ganondorf's, doing. The Gorons were beleaguered and imprisoned by an evil geomancer. With his big magic drums he could cause tremors and cave-ins... and he had intended to cause Death Mountain to erupt! The Zoras on the other hand were all sick; a poison-brewer had contaminated their waters! The whole Zora Domain was infested by foul, poisonous algae. And any Zora that was still strong enough to move had his hands full taking care of the other Zoras.
"Wait, I think I heard about that... didn't you liberate both the Gorons and the Zoras?" Linkle asked before drinking another swig from her tankard.
Link did too before he asnwered. After a lot of trouble he did defeat both the geomancer and the poison brewer, and thereby allowed the Gorons, and later the Zoras, to join the war. And not just them! After his successful mission, the princess had sent him all throughout Hyrule to give aid wherever was aid needed. And soon, the war council decided to use Link to win the war.
"How?"
Through infiltration, and assassination. Ganondorf's army was backed by evil sorcerers and all kinds of monstrous beasts. It fell unto Link to sneak behind enemy lines and break into hostile camps and fortresses and deal with whoever or whatever gave Ganondorf's forces an advantage. Once they were defeated, the Hyrulean army could deal with the rest. Before long, Hyrule's army had driven back Ganondorf's horde and once Link had defeated the evil warlord himself, so was the rest of his horde.
After the end of the war, the princess had Link knighted, and Link had stayed at the castle and continued to serve as the royal courier, but...
"But what?" Linkle wanted to know.
Link sighed sadly. He emptied his tankard again; he needed that before he continued.
Author's Notes:
Wow... this chapter ended up longer than I expected!
'Like the name I gave Link? I love medieval adventure stories and I just love those hero-names:
Eragon Shadeslayer... Saphira Brightscale... Torin Oakenshield... Sturm Brightblade... Tanis Half-Elven...
Sunflash the Mace... Boar the Fighter... Peter Wolf's-Bane...
Why does Link never get such a name?! Not even here on this website! He's got to have one! Am I actually the first writer who thought of naming Link properly?! If so, or if I am just one of the very few, then I'm rather proud of myself!
Any form of constructive criticism is welcome, in fact they are the reason I keep on writing, but since nobody seems to want to review my stories maybe you could give me a number rating instead?
Rate this chapter (or the whole story up to now, you decide) from 0 to 10.
0 = Delete this shit!
10 = Perfect
PS: I know little about blacksmithing (I really would like to learn though) so if my statement about furnace, with molten iron is incorrect, please don't just tell me; tell me what terms to use and how to correct it! I tried to find the correct terms but found nothing.
Also, the next chapter might take a while; I'm still working on it. This story was supposed to be five chapters long; I might make it seven.