Chapter Twenty Eight

~Link's POV~

Okay, so maybe insulting Calen Solomon wasn't the best idea in the world. Especially since he didn't know it was me.

I know very well he's one of the more hot-tempered residents of Castletown so it seemed like a good idea at the time. That just shows how stupid I can be. I'm good friends with his son Traylor so I've seen Calen mad before, experienced it first hand in fact, and I know what he's capable of. It's anything but pretty. He's a teddy bear when he's in a good mood, but when he is mad there's nothing stopping him from conquering the earth and crushing it under his boot.

So why in the whole sweet world of Hyrule did I pick a fight with Calen? I knew he'd probably kill me. I mean, if he knew it was me and why I'm doing this he'd be enthusiastic to help me. He wouldn't actually hurt me. But I don't think I can tell him now, he's too set on squashing me like a bug.

Sometimes I wonder why the goddesses think I make a good hero when I make stupid decisions like this.

"You brought this on yourself kid," Calen growls. "You're a stupid arrogant brat who needs to be taught a lesson. And I'm gonna be the one to teach you." He drags me into one of the abandoned houses. I think it's the Miller's.

"I think you already have," I squeak.

He pulls me along. "You wish."

For the Golden Realm's sake, shouldn't there be guards to stop him?

Oh yeah, they're all trying to stop the riot. The riot that I started. Brilliant plan, just brilliant. Why did I have to be so good at being a jerk?

Yikes, never thought I'd say that.

Calen stops and slams me against a wall. I grunt in pain, and he smiles triumphantly. "Bet you're regretting picking a fight with me, huh, boy?"

"Just a little."

He laughs. "Who's afraid now?" He pulls back his arm and gets ready to punch me square in the face.

Oh no, he's going to kill me. On instinct, I throw up my arms to shield myself and squeal, "AHHH CALEN DON'T KILL ME!" Some hero I am.

He pauses. "How do you know my name? Do I know you?"

I peek through my arms. "Yeah kind of."

He looks at me more carefully, for the first time really, and through the dirt and grime that streaks my face I can tell he recognizes me. "Link?" He lets go of the collar of my shirt and I drop to the ground.

I let out a big breath of relief. Now he wont kill me. Hopefully, I mean. "Yeah, it's me Calen. How are you doing?"

"Okay, I guess," He says, still surprised. "Link, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't captured. And what's up with this picking a fight with me business, I thought you knew better than that! Has Traylor not told you about all the beatings he's had for talking back to me?"

"I didn't get captured, and yeah I thought I knew better too." I say, rubbing the arm he had a grip on. It's going to bruise, no question.

He sighs and claps my back. "Sorry I was so rough on you, I wouldn't have been if I'd known it was you. Why didn't you just tell me it was you?"

"Because I wanted you to be rough on me."

"You wanted me to kill you? Why? And why are you here if you didn't get captured? Link, what's going on?"

So I tell him everything. Calen's always been like an uncle to me, he gave me my first ever job at his bakery. I even tell him about Nicky, about me being the goddesses' chosen hero and a Triforce holder, how I'm a reincarnation. I can't stop talking. I don't know why, I didn't go this crazy explaining everything to Tanner or Sheik. Maybe it's because he reminds me so much of Alac and this is the first time I've really realized how much I miss him. I even break down and tell him about my possible crush on Nicky, and he's the first one who doesn't tease me. How refreshing. He just smiles and tells me to go on. He's shocked by the whole thing and interrupts several times with questions.

"That's a lot to believe Link," He says, rubbing his chin.

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true." I insist. "You're honestly telling me you don't believe me after seeing that Triforce mark?"

"Could just be a weird birthmark," He shrugs.

"Really? That I just magically got in the middle of the night? In the shape of three perfect triangles?"

He shrugs again. "I've seen weirder. And what's up with those earrings? You look like a girl. You need a haircut, too."

"I tell you about me being all the greatest heroes in Hyrule and you point out my earrings." I grumble. "The goddesses gave them to me, okay? They do not make me look like a girl, Sheik has almost the exact same ones and he doesn't look like a girl. And my hair looks fantastic thank you very much."

"Personally, I've always thought he was the more girly one out of the two of you." He snickers.

Oh you have no idea. I think.

"I hardly think you should refer to your future king as girly, Calen." A monotone voice says from behind us. We turn to see Sheik casually leaning against a wall. The rest of our party stands next to him. "I could always throw you in the dungeons, you know."

Calen laughs heartily. "I'd like to see you try, little miss prissy. And cut the stone Sheikah king act, I know you have a personality somewhere deep inside that scarf of yours, don't try to hide it from me."

Sheik's eyes say that he's smiling. "But I am a Sheikah king."

Calen waves at him dismissively. "Yeah, yeah your Greatness, whatever. Just because you're engaged to the princess doesn't mean you can start having an attitude around me." His eyes go to Zelda. He salutes her. "Speaking of which, good afternoon your Highness."

Zelda smiles at him. "Hello Calen."

Tanner walks up and punches Calen in the arm. "Thanks for almost killing my little brother and giving me a heart attack."

"No problem, kid."

Nicky walks up to me. "He sure did give us a heart attack. You know him?"

"Oh yeah," I answer. "He's almost like a dad to me."

At the word "dad" Calen gives Tanner and I a strange look. "Speaking of your parents," He says. "Have you uh heard any... thing about them lately?"

I raise my eyebrow and look at my brother. He shrugs back. "No, why?"

He sighs and gestures to the chairs at the table. "You two may want to sit down for this."

I get a little spot of fear in my stomach, but dismiss it quickly. My parents are dead, what could be wrong? "Why?"

"Just do it, kid."

We sit down awkwardly, because no one questions anything when Calen tells you to do it, and the others remain standing. Calen takes a deep breath. "I was hoping you already knew..." He says under his breath.

"Know what?" Tanner asks.

"How did your parents die?"

I glance at Tanner. Calen was friends with our parents, he knows this. Why is he asking us? "In a skirmish, in the town we used to live in. Some thieves came and raided the house, killed them before they left. We were visiting Alac at the time, so we got lucky. And obviously we've stayed with him ever since."

"Did you ever see the bodies?"

"No. They were carried off by the thieves, probably thrown into the ocean or burned." Tanner says. "Calen, what's going on? You already know this."

Calen sighs again, running his hands through his fading red hair. "Your parents aren't dead. They're here. They're in Castletown. Inside the castle."