Those like the young boy are always meant to follow. Despite winning his freedom after so many years of bondage, he was once again forced into the service of others. He knows his place, at the heel of those with ambition.

Now a tremendous task had been placed before him. And without question, he charges towards the goal of his master.

Though his form has shifted into that of a human, he will always be a loyal dog.

It had been a while since Link last sat in the saddle of a horse. Eight years, in fact. The mount he rode now was a small, dingy palomino, a slow but at the very least, somewhat reliable steed. The saddle was old and frayed, and felt incredibly awkward. Link didn't mind. His thoughts had been stolen away by the wonder of the city he was in. He first rode through the main street, gazing at the vendors and shops. People- Human, Zora, Goron or otherwise scurried about their business, bringing loads of goods and wares to the different venues. With the few rupees Telma had given him, Link purchased a boar dumpling. The pastry confounded him. While wrapping his mind around the food, Link took a closer look at his surroundings.

Everything was so different to the castle, and from what he remembered, Ordon. So many new people hurried past him. Link had met, at most, several dozen fellow humans. With thousands in the area around him, and races like the Goron, with their hard, armored shells, or the Zora, who rightly smelled like fish, his senses were in overload. Worse still were the guards. They cut through the crowds, accosting those that interested them and arresting the ones that resisted. To avoid another run-in, Telma had given him new clothes to wear, a tan tunic and green leather pants. A simple brown belt hung around his waist, edges already gnawed off by a curious Link. As the gates leading into Hyrule Field came into view, Link thought back to how he'd gotten into this mess.

Telma had trouble believing the man she met couldn't talk. When asked for his name, he looked stricken for a moment, and finally shook it off, then pointed to his wrist with an honest look on his face. Telma guessed 'chain'. He shook his head. 'Shackle'. Another no. 'Link'. He smiled wide, and pointed at her. She introduced herself as Telma, brought the young man to her bar, closed it early and put him in the spare bed. In the morning she fed him roasted Cucco, which he devoured with alarming swiftness. This strange wanderer amused her. When she met him, he had literally 'disarmed' a royal guard with his bare hands, and looked ready to fight an entire army. Now he inspected every part of the tavern with childish manner, picking up chairs and cups as if he was excited by the sensation of lifting things.

The bartender watched Link for the better part of the morning. Sometimes he'd bring things to her, like fruit that he'd never seen, and she'd explain to him what they were. Before he left she changed his clothes for him, after leaving him in the washroom with a new shirt and pants. He stepped out a minute later, completely naked, green leather pants on his head. Despite the fact that he was a handsome young man, Telma felt only affection for him. Maybe it was because she was getting old. Maybe it was because he was so clueless he reminded her of a five year old she once knew.

She gave him a note to bring to the next contact of the resistance, a simple document that Link stared at for at least a quarter of an hour, before realizing he couldn't read. After discovering he was able to ride a steed, she put him on a cheap packhorse and sent him on his way. As he disappeared into the crowds of Castle Town, Telma felt a quiet sadness. This feral swordsman, who wandered into an alley and fell into this grand rebellion, reminded her of a long time ago. Reminded her of something she lost. She looked at the spot where he'd once been, and thought of all those that would try to kill him in the near future. She blinked back tears, and spoke to no one in particular.

"Please be careful."

Link rode well into the day, heading along the western highway to the location he'd been told. He wouldn't be able to read the road signs, but the small bottle Telma had given him would be enough to guide his path. As the sun disappeared beyond the distant trees, Link felt the human need to lie down and sleep through the night. The traveler found a tall tree amidst the calm, rolling plains of Hyrule Field, and settled down beneath its long branches to rest until morning. A wide, contented smile spread across Link's face. Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Link awoke face-to-face with a man that appeared to be upside down. He looked up, and calmly noted the ground, then looked down, and was pleased to see the night sky. Link decided it was he that was upside down, rather than the man, who now appeared to be getting fairly perturbed with him. He began to rant about 'respect' and 'fear'. Link liked the way the word 'respect' sounded. Re-Spekt. Spek. As the man drew a knife and brandished it in Link's face, the upside-down man decided it was the 'spec' part of the word he liked the most.

"Is this dumb bastard even listening to me?!" The bandit had never been so disregarded in his life. And by some dipshit traveler who he'd tied up! His fellow thieves were either too shocked to laugh or too afraid of the consequences, though one of the torch-wielders in the back seemed to grin. Meanwhile, their victim continued to float around in his own world. The bandit leader drew back a gloved hand and struck Link full force across the face. The hit turned Link's head a quarter of an inch, and made the bandit feel very nervous. "That get your attention, boy?" Link's brow furrowed, but he said nothing. "Get to talking. Where do you keep your loot?" The bandit took his silence as a small victory, as if he'd stunned his victim. "Huh? You don't wanna talk? Well if it's not that important to you, how about we cut out your tongue?" He moved the knife closer to the upside-down man's face.

Suddenly there was a loud ripping, and the double-tight loop-de-loop outer Windsor knot the bandits had tied around Link's hands was gone. The bandit leader would've raised protest, but he was occupied and in no position to talk, what with the strong hands of Link grasping his neck. As he was lifted into the air, his cohorts jumped into action- rather, they jumped away from the action, watching in terrified awe as their fearless leader made strange gurgling noises and died like common poultry. The bandit's last fleeting thought was about how strange a story it would be. Killed by a bound man while he was upside down. Not as shameful as it is confusing.

The homicide-induced stupor eventually wore off, and the other brigands attempted to avenge their leader. A blade flashed by Link's shoulder, he turned quickly, and struck his assailant while grabbing another dagger-wielding hand close by. He still floated upside down, bobbing and weaving around the tree as steel rained down. Eventually a rogue blade cut his bonds, dropping him in front of those attacking him. He rolled into the stomach of one; backhanding the next behind him so hard he would've spoken with an impediment afterwards, provided the hit hadn't caused internal hemorrhaging, which quickly led to death. The next blade nearly struck Link in his arm. The feral swordsman shifted his weight and dug his claws into the man's chest. His human hands lacked the finesse of his wolfish form, though they were adequate at removing livers and kidneys. Another thrust- Link fell backwards, and with feet bound together kicked the man away and met the one approaching him with a closed fist. The rope finally tore off his ankles.

The victim had clearly become the attacker. Link felt something hot close behind him, and turning to face it, observed the tree he'd slept under was now on fire, burning brightly after one of the bandits with torches fell near it. In the light from the burning tree, Link made out four remaining bandits, each looking much less interested in fighting than before. The four charged him together. Link, remembering the sword from the guard he'd taken with him, pulled it away from the burning tree and swung it hard at the first man to reach him. He ran for another yard before collapsing, whereas his head pushed on much further, rolling across the plains and into the road. Link's blade met another, and the clash broke both. Not one to be wasteful, he struck his disarmed opponent with his pommel, making a noise that sounded much like the cracking of an egg. The last two swung in unison, and found their target had dodged far too quickly to be felled by the blows. They were excellent strikes however, and each succeeded in killing the other with the edges meant for Link. The bandits appreciated situational irony, and thus died without much fuss.

The swordsman stood now covered in blood, smiling ear to ear. It wasn't that he liked slaughter, but he understood there were two choices in that situation- kill or be killed, and he was elated to have chosen the former. Across the plains, a single flame bobbed erratically as it grew smaller. Link's curiosity got the better of him, and so he dashed with impressive celerity towards the dancing light. As whatever carrying the torch caught sight of him, it tumbled to the ground. The traveler slowed his pace, seeing what appeared to be a slim bandit staring back at him. He came closer, and it pulled a knife- still in its sheath, unfortunately. Link grabbed the weapon by the covered blade and tossed it several feet away.

As the traveler took a moment to inspect his final opponent, it began to shudder. Link was a bit confused. He hadn't seen this emotion in some time. It looked up at him with terrified, watery eyes, and made him feel something new as well. It was a she. The female of his species. Like Telma, only this one looked much younger and prettier. And much more afraid. And prettier. And softer. And a lot prettier. Link crouched down and looked at the lady thief. She had stopped crying, but her twitching nose suggested it was a task not to.

The swordsman reached out to her and she pulled back, but was unable to stop his hand. It wiped across her cheek, and removed the streak of a tear. She spoke. "You aren't going to kill me?" Link shrugged, but shook his head fervently once he saw the fear return to her eyes. "I'm sorry for trying to rob you." Link nodded sheepishly, as if apologizing in turn for the massacre of her associates. She looked at him quizzically. "Do you… speak?" He thought about this for a moment, and realized she was unaware of his condition. He pointed at his mouth and shook his head. "Oh," she began. "I see. Well, this may seem strange, but I guess I should be thanking you." The swordsman looked puzzled. "Well, I was never a very good thief." He nodded in agreement. "And those guys you killed, well, they were threatening to off me if I ran away from another battle. So, all in all, this was pretty opportune, right?" She chuckled unconvincingly.

Link raised an eyebrow, and the girl changed the subject. "Hey, what's your name- wait, sorry." He shook his hand, and raised his left arm, then pointed at the chains hanging from the shackle. "Your name is Chain? Wait, no. Steel!" The swordsman sighed, and then remembered the note he'd been given. He withdrew it from his pocket and showed the girl. She read for a moment. "Link. That's a nice name." He put the message back into its place. "So, where are you headed?" Link showed her the bottle, and her eyes opened wide. "You're kidding." Link shook his head candidly. "Do you know how to get there?" He nodded, and pointed down the road, then paused and pointed the other way. The fight had thrown off his sense of direction. "Do you mind if I take you there?" She offered, not really wanting to travel alone, in the dark, after witnessing a robbery-turned-massacre. Even if her only other option was traveling with the man who caused the massacre. He nodded very excitedly. "Great. Consider it my thanks for saving me from that… jam." The two turned and continued down the proper path, underneath a sky speckled with stars.

As the sun rose on Hyrule Field, Link and his ex-bandit companion neared a small outpost, only spectacular in that it was the solitary monument on the mostly flat plains for many miles. It was built on a small hill; the dip created by the lower section forming a miniature valley. Upon the hillside, fat cows grazed indolently. The sun began to rise, partially obscured by the knoll, and created a brilliant, honey colored outline for the entire farm. In the golden light of the morning, Link turned to get a better look at his partner. She had soft, pale skin, lightly bronzed by days spent outside. Her face was strong, and yet feminine, with a small chin, thin lips and endearing smile. Her hair was long and fiercely red. Every time she brushed it out of her face Link whimpered. She walked like a man, roughly treading the ground and giving little care to what she stepped on. The girl glanced at him. "What's wrong?" she asked. He opened his mouth to speak, and sighed, remembering he lacked the ability.

When they reached the farm, Link prepared the note to show the owner, so that he could continue on his way to the 'resistance'. From within the austere wooden cabin came a short, stout farmer. He wore simple overalls on top of an old tunic, and had brown hair, just beginning to gray, tied back into a ponytail. He sauntered towards them, and gave a friendly wave. "Howdy," he called. "Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch. Not many travelers 'round here any mo-" He seemed to squint his eyes at Link's companion, before his jaw dropped open. He stood limply, knees beginning to shake. The girl beside Link sighed heavily, and continued walking past the old man.

"Hey, pa."

Dark here. Oh snap, M---n! I really appreciate the many reviews. They've helped me push on and finish the next chapter. This one is a bit late, as I just got off a plane from Capetown to Johannesburg, so I apologize for that.

Anyway, if in any of the chapters you notice a spelling, grammar, or continuity error, and you already plan to leave a review, don't hesitate to tell me. I try to have as few errors as possible, but I am human.

Also, since this isn't really an upcoming plot point, I figured I'd clarify something. You may be confused by Link's behavior. Obviously spending 8 years in an animal's body and an abandoned castle would be a disorienting experience, but a good deal of the 'regression' comes from Link's mind shutting itself off from his previous mind, simply to protect him. So that gives me a little more freedom with his 'childishness'. Just thought I'd clarify for anyone that gives a damn.

Anyway, Chapter 4 should be finished soon, so I hope to see you again. Thanks to everyone who has added this story to their favorites or alerts.