hey guys, It's been awhile since I last posted, so I finally knuckled down, pushed aside some distractions, and got this chapter done. hope you enjoy it.

Darkness blanketed the Kokiri forest. And in the shadows a massive shape lumbered through the trees. A huge snout sniffed heavily at the air before the shape turned, and rumbled off into the forest. The great bear stopped nearly a hundred yards from the path it usually traveled to and from its favored water hole. Many dark and strange shapes moved on the path that night. And they moved fast. The great rumble of many hooves caused the bear little concern. He did not know what these creatures were, or why they were in the forest, nor did he care. He simply watched, as many other creatures did, as these strange creatures moved through their forest, leaving little sign of their passing.

Link shifted in the saddle slightly, as though uncomfortable. Sheik noticed the movement but thought nothing of it. Link often shifted like that. It was a simple movement that any rider made occasionally to prevent saddle sores as much as was possible. As the riders broke out from under the cover of the trees they caught a group of Bulbins unawares. The Bulbins were just stripping down the carcass of some fallen beast and were preparing to consume it raw, as was their way, when they spotted the riders coming towards them. The Ordonians didn't even slow down as they leveled their spears at the enemy. The Bulbins didn't even have time to act startled. They just died. First under the thrusting spears of the riders, then under the trampling hooves of the horses. Bo looked around at the rapidly gathering riders, his sons and daughter among them. A swift motion of his hand and they were moving again, racing out from under the eaves of the forest to cross Hyrule Field, dust from their horses hooves making a great cloud behind them.

/

Braden watched carefully as Ganondorf's army raced towards the phalanx. For a few tense moments the Sheikah did nothing but breathe, getting their last taste of free air before the conflict. And then chaos struck as the Horde reached them, impaling themselves on spears and smashing themselves on shields. The Strikers were pushed back only for a moment before they threw the enemy back and struck. A single, powerful thrust as one unit. A hundred enemies died in that first, lethal stab, as the front line of the Sheikah drove their spears home. Then the shields fell into place again and the process of push-lift-thrust repeated itself. Nearly a hundred times the Sheikah struck in this manner before they finally advanced. Spears were thrust into dying enemies, and swords were drawn in a flash of cold steel. The greatest threat to these men came not from the hordes of Bulbins, with their maces and short bows, but from the Stalfos knights, with their shields and long swords. Ganondorf had not sent them into the fray with the Bulbins, preferring to wait to send them in when the Sheikah advanced into the field. And as the Stalfos raced forward to meet their enemies, their battle cry echoed across the plain.

"Ak kotai, kotai toraka!" 'Sword of the dead, the dead have come!' as they reached the Sheikah, they found them selves outmatched in swordsmanship. The Sheikah hacked and slashed at the skeleton warriors, slicing through the ancient bones, and cleaving skulls from withered spines, effectively severing the dark magics that held them together. The fight lasted only a few minutes before the horde was forced to retreat. The Sheikah watched as the Stalfos and Bulbins fled back to the safety of their camp. Braden stood next to an old warrior who had accounted for his years of experience well.

"Good start. Good start. Looks like we haven't lost anyone yet." he said. Braden glanced at him.

"Today no Sheikah dies."

/

Malon and Zelda rode near the back of the column of horsemen as they rode across the field. Nearby several children were racing their horses alongside the rest of the riders. Malon marveled at the way they effortlessly controlled their horses without bridle or bit. Zelda was more impressed by the fact that these young riders were able to stay on without stirrups.

"Malon." she said. The redhead turned to her sister.

"Yes?"

"Have you noticed something? None of these riders have stirrups." Malon looked around her to see if what Zelda was saying was true. Not one of the riders had saddles with stirrups, or anything to hold them on. They all rested in the saddle with their feet dangling below.

"You're right. They must be very skilled if they can ride like that." Zelda nodded and turned to watch the children again. They seemed to take a grim pleasure in riding alongside each other as they level long wood staves in a childish version of a heavy cavalry charge similar to the methods used by Hylian knights. As the girls watched they marveled at just how well these children pulled it off. It was as though they had been doing it their entire lives. Ilia had explained that many of these children had never seen each other before, yet they meshed in with the rest of the group effortlessly. Certain children seemed to take leadership rolls in this series of maneuvers. Ilia had not known most of them, but did point out one group in particular. The children of the Wolf Clan. Her own family. She had pointed out how the leaders were usually selected by who used the best tactics. And her own siblings were the leaders among the children of the Wolf. She had pointed out Colin, the undisputed leader amongst her siblings. She had explained that, although he possessed a quiet demeanor normally, he had a brilliant mind that rivaled that of even the king. But he was still too young to ride with the warriors of the clan. Only twelve summers, with three more to go. He was also the fiercest of her siblings in battle, excluding Link and Sheik. Ilia had commented, rather dryly, that those two were in a league of their own when it came to ferocity.

Malon and Zelda lost their source of entertainment when the children broke up their formation, but were given a treat as Ilia's little siblings rode up to them.

"Ilia, keep an eye on these ones, I need to talk to father." the one Ilia had pointed out as Colin called out before giving his mare a light kick in the ribs to spur her into a canter. Ilia's brow furrowed.

"Malo! What did Colin see?" she asked. Malo, a youngster wearing an overly large shirt that was belted down pulled his small grey to a walk next to her.

"He saw some smoke on the horizon, just to the south of us. Father will probably send Link or Rusl to check it out." Malon had glanced over to the south when he had spoken, and had seen the smoke. A sense of dread filled her. South was where most of the farms in Hyrule were, towards Lake Hylia, where the soil was rich and fertile. She had many friends among the children of the farmers and plantation owners. Digging her heels into the sides of the little mare that she had been given to ride she raced toward the front of the column, ignoring Ilia's calls to wait for her.

She found Colin helping Link grab some supplies out of a still moving wagon. Colin had dismounted and climbed into the back of the wagon and was handing the provisions out to his older brother. Bo was sitting on his horse nearby, watching with apparent interest as Malon rode up. She didn't bother stopping or dismounting, but rather rode right up next to Link.

"You're going to investigate that smoke to the south, right?" Link glanced at her before turning back to Colin.

"You're not going." he said quietly.

"Of course I'm going! Some of my friends live that way! If there is any hope that they've survived they'll need a friendly face there!" Bo let out a loud snort.

"I think she has a point Link. If there are any survivors, having someone they know with you will be a great help." Link sighed in defeat.

"Alright. Colin." he said. Colin nodded and pulled out a few extra bundles, tossing them to another rider who rode near the wagon. The man caught them and moved his horse next to Malons, opening the saddlebags and stuffing the items into them.

"I don't think that we have been properly introduced your highness. My name is Rusl." he made as much of a bow as he could from atop the big bay that he rode. Malon nodded politely.

"The pleasure is all mine." she said. Link leaned forward in Epona's saddle.

"Rusl, Eroth tehm mionen Uli.*" Rusl nodded and turned his horse away, riding towards the back of the line. Rusl nodded at his retreating figure before turning back to Malon.

"I'll be back shortly. I must let my wife know where I'm going." he said. Malon glanced at Bo.

"What did he say?" Bo looked back at her.

"He told Rusl to say his returns to Uli, his wife."

"Returns? Shouldn't it be goodbye's?" Bo shook his head.

"Goodbyes are for the dead. Or when you know that you will never see a person again. Returns are for the living. Those who are parted for a short time." Malon frowned, unsure of how to take this new information. The cultures were just too different for her to immediately understand everything that they threw at her.

"Besides, I probably won't be around them long enough to learn." she thought.

/

* Eroth tehm mionen- Say your returns

O

Er sceth, tul fan seith hal.

When in doubt your nose knows the way

Okay, ninth chapter up. let me know what you think guys.