Link's face was serious. It was the kind of face that, if you looked at it, you would NOT be tempted to tickle the wearer of that face. You might be tempted to laugh, but otherwise, he was so serious, it sort of spread.

I bit my lip. "The Orc King?"

Link sighed. "Yeah, he's only the king of all orcs! He's ruthless, ugly, and strong to boot. Plus, he works for Ganondorf, who, as you know, is trying to kidnap you!"

I turned my horse around. "So we leave."

Link shook his head. "We fight. There is no other way to the current position of the Hylean Army. We fight. But you need to get onto my horse."

I shook my head. "No. I'll ride alone. You will be able to fight better with only one person on your horse."

Link heaved an exasperated sigh. "We don't have time for this! I'm more experienced in the art of war; you will do as I say!" He spoke angrily and impatiently.

I gulped. "Yes, sir."

I got off of Marcia and got onto Link's horse. Link slipped on his undershirt, chain mail and tunic; and finally his hat. All while on horseback. (I put that on my list of strange ways I admire Link.)

Link slapped his horse and we charged toward the ranks. "Alright, you fend off arrows with your sheild and sword and kill any orcs that come close; I'll go for their King. Get it, got it, good." He looked back at me, and I saw the desperation in his eyes. He looked back to the oncoming army of orcs. "INCOMING!" he yelled.

Alongside us, I saw two huge, boar-like creatures slow down enough to ride next to us, on which were two orcs each. One steered and one fired arrows at us, which I deflected easily. More boar-riding orcs came up behind us. I shifted in the saddle to kill an orc that had tried to grab at Link to pull him off. I succeeded, but I couldn't see what was going on behind me.

Time moved in slow motion as I turned around and saw a massive, ugly, fat orc on a huge blue-grey boar swing a large, heavy hammer at Link. Link pulled up on the reins at the last second, and the hammer missed his head by inches.

But who caught the blow?

Me.

My ears rang as a horrible headache racked my brain. I couldn't cry out. Black spots riddled my eyesight and I started seeing double. Just before I blacked out, I felt a huge hand lift me up . . .

I felt myself drifting through time and space, until I saw a plain, a ravine, and a stone bridge over said ravine. I saw dark blotches moving across the plain and realized that I was looking at the scene I had just left. I saw that the Orc king was holding me in his hand. I shivered. Just seeing myself limp made me want to retch.

I saw Link slash at the smaller orcs as the Orc King laughed a deep, guttural laugh.

"I see fear in you." The Orc King's voice was deep and throaty. "She is not dead. The great Ganondorf, whom I serve, bestowed on me this blessed hammer . . . it will not kill the girl, but it can kill you!" At this, the Orc King raced off to the bridge, yelling, "If you want her, come and claim her!"

Link killed the last of the smaller orcs and raced after the Orc King, who laughed his terrible laugh. "Yes . . . Die for your beloved!"

Link's voice was first a growl, then a scream of anguish. He rode across the bridge. Suddenly, I noticed an orc with a flaming arrow. I opened my mouth but no sound came.

"Link!" I mouthed.

The orc fired the arrow, but not at Link. Instead, the arrow hit the ground at the point where the bridge started, and I noticed black powder on the ground there. The arrow lit the powder, causing a wall of flame. The same process was repeated on the other end of the bridge.

I saw Link look angrily at the Orc King. "You taunt me, you lure me to my doom, you escape death! I have fought you before, but this will be the last time!"

The Orc King charged and Link charged. Link took out his bow and fired an arrow at the Orc King's head. The great, gluttinous monarch roared as the arrow hit his eye. He swerved around Link, who rode all the way to the wall of fire. His horse reared and turned, and charged again. This time, the Orc King had put away his hammer for a long spear. Link brandished his sword and let out a long war cry. The two riders got closer and closer, until Link swerved and slashed the Orc King along his side. The Orc King growled and jabbed the butt of his spear into Link's back. Link screamed.

"No!" I mouthed. I managed a tiny squeak, and I saw myself twitch. Then I got an idea.

I tried to scream as loud as I could, and my vision flickered. I saw Link fire an arrow at his opponent. The arrow found its mark in the back of his head. I saw him throw me onto the ground before his steed leapt into the gorge, free of rein for one last time.

My vision flickered one last time, then . . . darkness.

When I woke up, I was in Link's arms. He was weeping.

I shifted and moaned. How my heard hurt . . .

Link said between sobs, "Oh, you're alive . . . I'm so sorry . . ." He set me down on the ground and sat down next to me. He stopped crying, but tears glistened in the corners of his eyes.

I managed, "My head . . ."

Link got up and ran around, occasionally bending down to examine and sometimes pick flowers. When he had a huge bunch of blue flowers, he ran back to me and sat down. He picked a petal from one of the flowers with one hand and opened my mouth with the other. He placed the petal in my mouth and closed it. The petal dissolved slowly, leaving a sweet powder, which I swallowed. Almost immediately, my strength came back a little. I opened my mouth again, and Link inserted another petal.

And so the process continued for about half an hour: Link would feed me a petal, wait until I opened my mouth, and repeat; until I sat up. Link was crying again.

"I'm so sorry . . ." he choked. "I should have listened to you . . . If I had, you wouldn't have gotten injured . . . I . . . oh . . ."

I shook my head. "Everything worked out in the end, right? I'm not dead, Ganondorf didn't get me, and the Orc King is gone for good! Don't worry!"

Link looked at me sadly. "I just feel like screaming . . . but if actions speak louder than words . . ." He leaned forward, and I did too, a little.

When our lips met, what remained of my pain melted away. I closed my eyes and savored the moment. I felt Link's muscular arms wrap around me in a loving embrace. I relaxed. Nothing would ever harm us, ever again.

Or so I thought.