Coin-Operated

14.0

You and Me Just Trying to Get it Right

She wasn't allowed to participate in this tournament, so instead, she watches from a dais as her favorite is challenged again and again. A gifted, battle-hardened warrior, Link has yet to be bested in the tournament. His brother Raven watches carefully from the sidelines, not participating in the fray either. His eyes flit about as he takes in all of the knights, and she, too, watches carefully. She always tries to keep him in her sights, but if her eyes stay, she's frantic until she locates the devious brother again.

Princess Zelda cannot relax. Her muscles are tense, and she barely concerns herself with the chatter that goes on in her ear from the ladies. Her interest is sparked however, when she hears them mention Calatia in worried tones. Yes, they will probably go to war, that she was sure, but she can't help but stroke her pleasured ego knowing she had gotten her way. Feeling a little satisfied with herself, she turns back to the games where horses are being brought out for jousting.

Jousting is one of her father's favorite sports. She doesn't doubt, with a little bitterness, that he will participate.

Oh, what is his name now?

She motions for one of her ladies. "Send me the squire by the name of Colin," she commands, and her lady obeys without question to fetch the boy. Her hair is adorned with ribbons galore, and she pulls one free and clutches it in her hand.

The squire she sent for is young, maybe thirteen years or so with wide almond eyes. His hair is stick straight, and he is in need of a cut, for it falls into those big grey irises. The squire is hesitant to approach the princess, and his nerves get the better of him. His greeting is sloppy and so is his bow, but Princess Zelda doesn't mind. She beckons him closer, and says quietly to him, "Colin, right?"

"Yes, milady."

She reaches out with both hands and grasps his. "Already, you've spent the summer as a squire. The season is almost at end, so I'm sorry that we weren't properly introduced before this," she tells the skittish squire, "but I do have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes, milady?"

"Just tell your master to do his best, will you?" she asks him with honey sweetness. She leans in a little, his hand still in hers, and she whispers to him, "Don't open your hand until you get to him either."

"Yes, milady."

"Milord's treating you well, yes? And you're training hard, I assume?"

"Yes, milady."

Her smile widens, and her eyes flick to see the curious stares of some of the noblewomen. "That's good to hear." She pats his hand as she pulls back, and then she offer him one last piece of advice. "You'll be fine, just listen to your master well. You may go; I will see you at court another time." Finally, she lets go of his hand, and the squire, Colin, fists both his hands as he makes a hasty bow and retreats.

She keeps an eye out on the field, waiting until the squire comes into sight. Princess Zelda keeps a close watch on the boy until he approaches his knight master and passes on her favor to him. Link gives a nod to his squire and stashes her ribbon under his shirt.

Her favor delivered, she turns her attention to the two mounted knights in the field. Lances are passed to them, and they adjust and ready themselves for their final tilt. She leans forward a bit as the mounts begin their charge and the lances drop. It happens in an instant. A collective gasp rings out among those watching the joust as one knight is thrown from his horse when his opponent's lance explodes. It takes almost a minute, and the opposing knight hurries off his mount to check on the fallen one, but the fallen knight rises. There's a sigh and cheer rings out as he stands tall and proud, even though it is in defeat.

She continues to watch the jousting, albeit with lessening interest. She doesn't dare straighten when her favorite is up. Link guides his stubborn mare across the field. The mighty warhorse snorts and snaps at the approaching knights and squires, but Link keeps her under enough control to get suited for his joust. Princess Zelda does allow a small laugh to escape when the giant Epona blows her snout right into the back of one retreating squire. The proud warhorse has never changed her sour attitude, although she tolerates her master now. On the field, Epona is truly the one to watch. Strong muscles and the determination to match, she charges down the tilt barrier as Link lowers his lance and is a force to be reckoned with. The other knight is unhorsed, and once they come to a stop, Epona stomps her feet and cries out to boast her victory. After two more tilts, Link does not manage to unhorse his opponent again, but manages to strike the knight's shield dead center. Epona whinnies and snorts, carrying her rider back down the tilt barrier. Once his helmet is removed, she can see Link's wide smile and laughter at how his horse gloats as she leads him off.

Princess Zelda shifts her gaze. Sir Raven still hides in the shadows, but the knight's uncle appears at his side. They speak briefly to one another, and then his uncle goes. She frowns a little at this.

It's well into the afternoon, when she spies her father gearing up for a round. She huffs to herself. For Farore's sake.

"Enjoying the tournament so far, Your Highness?" Princess Zelda turns to see Sir Raven looming over her.

"I'd much rather be participating than a silent bystander," she replies stiffly.

The knight smirks a little. "Oh, but you and I both know you're not all that silent."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"My!" he laughs. "You've become quite the little diplomat since your first year of knighthood. So cold."

She opens her mouth to retort, but she stops short when screams erupt from the crowds. Even Sir Raven is rattled by the commotion. Princess Zelda bolts up from her seat, her eyes wide. "Oh goddesses!" she cries. With no ceremony, she gathers her skirts up leaving legs and ankles exposed as she races off the dais with Sir Raven at her heels. Nobody bats an eye at her scandalous behavior, too fixated on the gore before them.

There's blood. Good goddesses, there's blood!

She tries to break through the crowd, but Sir Raven holds her back. Some break away to at least let her see, but it only makes her all the more hysterical. The medic Borville makes his way, and the people give him space. Princess Zelda stops fighting Sir Raven, and instead just lets him hold her weight. When his brother arrives, he relinquishes the maddened princess to Link.

There isn't even a chance.

He is gone before Borville can even do a thing, so the squirrely doctor merely rises again and steps back without a word.

The sight of her father laid out motionless in the yard set her off into another set of wails. She fought, scratched and even bit her favorite, but Link held fast to her despite her clawing. Once she loses her strength, Link scoops her up and carries her from the yard and away from the gory sight.

Within the week she is crowned Queen of Hyrule.

She refuses to take new apartments, and the young queen spends her evenings hiding away in her rooms. By supper, she has her ladies clear out, and her meals taken in her private rooms, but the food sits cold on the table. Queen Zelda sits on her window sill with her face against the glass as she watches the sun set across the land.

There's a knocking from the floor, and the queen pulls herself away from the window. The rug gets pulled back, and the trapdoor opens up. Link pokes his head up from the passage, a soft, crooked smile on his face. He has a hopeful disposition as he holds up a bottle for her. "Wine?" he asks her. "Freshly stolen from the cellar."

She laughs a little.

"Sure, but…" she takes the bottle and shakes it side to side, the liquid sloshing around inside. "Come back with some mead, and I'll let you in," she teases.

Link's smile widens. "There's my lady."

"Mead, love."

"Of course," he promises, and he disappears back into the passage.

When Link returns with a couple of bottles of mead, he hands them off to the queen and proceeds to kick the trap and rug down with little ceremony. Seeing her untouched dinner, he encourages her to eat, and bit by bit, she eventually does with the wine while Link stands at the window. His arm up and his forehead resting on it, he looks out the glass as the last bit of natural light disappears for the day. He's frowning a little.

"Are you going to drink with me?" she asks, coming up to him and resting a hand on his arm. "We can play cards."

He turns, a light smile on his face once more. "Sure," he sighs, wrapping an arm around her. Link dips his head down and steals a kiss from the queen. "That sounds good."

She pulls him close and rests her head on his chest. "Do you remember what I said that first summer after we got our shields when we were sent down to Ordon?"

Link's brow wrinkles, and he pushes her back to look at her. "You made the deal with my uncle, didn't you?"

Her face crumples with apology. "I did mean what I said."

Link lets his hands drop her shoulders, and he sighs with down cast eyes.

"Link-"

He reaches out with one hand and cups her cheek. "What am I going to do with you?" he chuckles.

She laughs a little at this too.

"I'll just never ask, if that suits you."

"That suits me just fine."

He kisses her temple and pulls her along. "Now let's have some of that mead."

They spend their time together talking and playing cards in the dim room, and Link tries to dodge and turn each close mention of the recently deceased king. Flames flicker from candles, and occasionally a little bit of wax escapes and drips down the side of the candle. Link eventually leaves through the passage under the floor, only to reappear with another bottle of drink for them to share and a loaf of bread from the kitchens. Eventually, when he sees the young queen has had too much drink, he carries her over to her bed.

When he turns to go, the queen snatches his wrist. "Don't go," she says. "Not tonight. Bring the cards over here." He obeys without question or comment. Link sets the bottle of mead, still sloshing with liquid inside, onto the bedside table, and they continue their game on her bed. The queen, however, rolls over to rest her head on the side of Link's stomach.

He snorts. "Zelda, I can see your cards."

"Great, so can I. You can give me that four of clubs so I can have a run, love."

Link obliges, but he hands her all of his cards. "Take them all then," he chuckles.

The queen throws the cards up, and they scatter across the foot of her bed and the floor. She snuggles into him and wraps an arm around his middle. She likes just this; it's comfortable, and there is no pressure. Softly, she says, "Thank you for trying to distract me."

"Any time you need it."

"Any?"

Link jostles her with his light laughter. He rubs one eye before letting his hand fall back onto the dark covers. "Any," he reiterates and extracts himself.

He rolls over onto his stomach to reach for the bottle when, feeling merry, the queen clambers on top of him, much to his groaning protest. She giggles and then shrieks when Link pushes himself up from the bed. Wrapping her arms around his chest, she tries to hold on as she laughs like mad. "You're drunk," he declares when he shakes her off. The queen flops back onto the bed. He hands the bottle of mead to Queen Zelda, and she drinks her fill. She hands the bottle back, the smile still on her face and laughter in her voice as she tells him to finish it off.

With the bottle drained, he slams it carelessly back on the table. He turns back to the queen, who is tracing shapes above her with one slender finger. He asks her what she's doing, but the lady only shakes a little holding in laughter and then straightens out. From her one extended finger, Queen Zelda produces a small ball of light and taps it upwards. "Learned something new?" Link asks, and she hums in agreement as she casts a few more up.

"I like them," she mutters. "They're like stars."

He pulls her to him as she send off one last light. Her eyes sparkle crystal clear under them, and her cheeks rosy from drink are illuminated. A smile creeps across her face when he starts to trail kisses down her neck. Link pulls away suddenly, bursting with suppressed laughter and rolls away. She asks him, "What?"

"Your skirts are ridiculous."

"So is all fashion," she giggles.

She gives him new, private rooms closer to hers and access to the hidden passageways of the castle, allowing her male Sheikah guard, Sheik, to keep a closer watch on him. The two are acquainted well enough, and she is pleased to see that the closer proximity did not hinder their friendship. In fact, it seems that if Link is to get lost in the hidden passages, Sheik is the one to find him, and often times, she can see from her windows the two sparring. She often worries that her blatant favoritism might endanger the knight.

Of course, there are whisperings among the court. She could easily spy from the passageways with Sheik or Impa at her side. The nobles of course notice the change immediately, but Link is her favorite after all. Although due to the passageways, they can never confirm, though they always suspect what might be going on. It's true though that most nights, his room is left locked from the inside and left undisturbed.

While she worries, this does bring a little fortune to him; nobles with higher standing are willing to yield to him, even ask for favors in hopes that he could help elevate them in court.

Sheik almost never comes through her bedroom door, always from the floor. She jumps when he crashes through without a care. "They're arguing again" is all he will say, and she flies into action. She follows after the Sheikah.

"Is this really that important?" she asks him.

"Sir Raven has a hidden blade on his person."

At this, she picks up her pace as they run through the yard. Some of the nobles take notice but quickly brush it off. Their queen was most unconventional in almost all aspects. The sight of her running through the castle with her skirts hiked up seemed less and less bothersome these days.

The Sheikah leads her out from the castle grounds and into the woods.

When the two arrive, but the brothers seemingly take no notice as the Sheikah blends into the shadows of the trees, and the queen peers meekly from behind a large oak. Both men were armed with their swords, but she could spy the edge of the second blade's hilt hidden within the folds of the elder's tunic. With one quick move, the blade could be drawn from his back.

The smile that stretches on Link's face is wide and knowing. He just about laughs in the face of his brother. "You!" he cackles, pointing a finger at Sir Raven. "You can't make me do anything! None of you can!"

Sir Raven's eyes narrow dangerously. Little slits of a hazel blue. "Mark me, Brother," he spits on the ground. "You will be cast out from the family."

Link takes a few steps back, the smirk never leaving his face. Dead leaves and twigs on the forest floor crunch under his feet. Shadows from the trees above cast patterns over his signature green tunic and cream pants and shirt. He shakes the blond hair from his face and throws his arms up. "What a favor that would be!" he hoots. Little laugh lines crinkle at his eyes as his lips stretch even more. "I'd at least be free! And Nayru knows! I'd still have all the trust and love of the queen!"

Link shakes his head at Sir Raven, and then he turns away.

"So confident, are you?" Raven shouts out, "You'd cast aside your honor and your pride so easily?"

Link turns a little and gestures to the queen, "What say you, Your Majesty?"

"I'd say that you have more honor than the whole lot combined." Sir Raven bristles at the sight of the queen, having not taken notice before, as she steps out from the oak tree.

"You made us a deal!" he roars.

She shrugs. "It was made with the understanding that my part was done in as much as I could do. The rest was up to you lot, if you can't make your brother cooperate, that's your loss," she says sweetly. A smile curls on her lips.

Raven roars, "Draw your sword, Brother!"

The smile on the two lovers' faces falters a little, and Link even laughs a little. Challenged to a duel by his own flesh and blood? The queen swallows and steps back, knowing that this is not her fight. Her eyes scan the shadows for the Sheikah, but he is nowhere to be found.

Sir Raven draws his sword from his belt and advances on Link, who has not moved like a caught deer. The smile is gone from his face as his eyes widen, realizing that his brother does indeed intend to cut him down. The younger knight backpedals, foliage scraping underfoot as he pulls his broadsword from his back. His ancient sword, Fi, gives off a slight ethereal glow from the blade in the shade of the trees. Where sunlight hits the blade, it shines magnificently.

The elder makes the first strike. His blade wisps through the air in a downward slash, but Link throws it back. He drives Fi in an upward arc and throws his brother's sword into the ground. He calls his brother mad and receives no verbal response from Sir Raven. The elder knight instead intensifies his blows. With each incoming strike, Link defends with ease, but he makes no move to attack.

The queen looks on as the two knights exchange blows. Sir Raven eventually turns Link around, putting Link's back to Queen Zelda. A whisper from the shadows hisses at her, "Stand back, Your Majesty." The queen stumbles back and sees from above her several Sheikah needles dart past. The needles dig into Sir Raven's vulnerable sword arm where no chainmail protects him. The knight cries out in pain and rips the needles out in one go, but Link does not use the opportunity to attack. Instead, the younger knight tries to put more distance between himself and his brother.

The queen chastises the Sheikah. "What are you doing?" she snaps at a whisper.

Sheik's voice rings in her ears. "Following your orders."

"This is a duel!"

"Do you wish for me to stand down?"

"Yes!" she whispers frantically.

"Very well."

Like a lion, Sir Raven's roar thunders through the woods, and he charges at his brother. Link pulls his sword up defensively, awaiting the powerful attack. The screeching of steel rips through the queen's ears as their swords clash and drag across one another. In one move, Link is able to push the sword from his brother's hands. Sir Raven's sword is flung onto the forest floor as Link delivers a swift kick to his brother's stomach.

Sir Raven topples to the ground, and Link seizes the moment to force him into submission. Fi at his brother's throat, he howls, "YIELD!"

"Your Majesty…" slides Sheik.

The queen's eyes widen when she sees Sir Raven reach across himself. "LINK! THERE'S ANOTHER BLADE!"

Link draws back, his sword once again up in defense as Sir Raven pulls the hidden sword from his tunic. Armed once more, he advances. The sword is discreet and not nearly as wide or long as his broadsword, but much too large for a dagger. The queen hears the whisper from the shadows that the blade is of Sheikah design, one for assassinations.

"He'll get his broadsword, milady."

"Hush!" she hisses.

"Your Majesty, you or I could just step in."

"I have more honor than that."

Sir Raven is able to push Link back enough, that he retrieves his broadsword. While Fi is obviously much lighter, allowing Link to wield her with one hand, Sir Raven's sword is weighted. His swings are sloppy, and he tosses aside the Sheikah sword to wield it with both hands. Sir Raven's blows come much fiercer and faster now. One strike manages to cut through an opening of Link's defense and slices a long gash in his exposed leg. Red blooms along the cut, staining the cream color pant leg. The queen and the Sheikah look on as the elder knight gains the upper hand.

Her heart races in her chest, the blood pumping with wild abandon in her veins. "Milady… the sword." The queen, trying to keep an eye on the duel, rushes to retrieve the Sheikah blade. She pulls it to her breast.

Sir Raven feigns a strike to Link's left and quickly kicks Link's foot out from under him. Link's grip on Fi is loosened, and the sword slips from his grasp. With one hand, Raven grabs hold of Link's collar and drives him into the ground and knocks the wind out of him. Link's breath rattles as Sir Raven brings up his sword for the killing blow. Queen Zelda flies forward, drawing up the Sheikah sword to meet Sir Raven's with one hand, the other sparked with golden electricity. "MERCY!" she begs, her heart wailing with her. Sir Raven eyes the hand teeming with magic, ready to strike him. She repeats her cry a few more times and pleads, "A year! Give me a year!" before the elder knight withdraws.

With shaky hands, Link sits up and clutches his leg to inspect his wound.

The elder knight holds up a finger. "One year," he growls.

The queen slowly sinks to the ground. She blinks, hardly aware of the tears rolling down her cheeks.

The Sheikah slips out from the shadows and kneels by his comrade to take a look at the wound.

"Zelda, what have you done?" Link croaks.

…

The coin rattles down the slot on the box on Link's chest. His eyes click open like shutters on a dark window. He looks around the room, and he notices the setting sun outside the window. "Zelda," he says, "what have you done?"

My heart aches a little at this.

"I went to see the light spirit, Eldin," I tell him. "Last night."

Blue eyes slide back to me. The glassy, inhumane way they stare at me, unhinges me, and I stumble back on the bed. "We should leave. Either tomorrow or the next day," I mumble. "We're almost out of money."

"And go where?"

"I don't know, anywhere," I snap.

The soft clicking of Link's eyelids blinking sounds. "Zelda, what happened?"

"I've been dreaming again," I sniffle, wringing my hands.

Link doesn't respond right away, but he eventually rises from the chair and sits next to me on the bed. "I know that you've seen some of my memories," he starts, but I shush him.

"They're not yours," I sputter. "I mean… You're- you're in them, but these aren't yours. They're hers." This I'm sure of. In Link's memories, I am both there and not there. I am a ghost in his almost forgotten world of blurred faces and slurred words. A world with ends. The queen's are complete, almost as if I were at the pictures.

Link pulls away from me slightly, unsure how to respond, but knowing exactly to whom I am referring to. "What do you mean?"

"Yours are different. They're not complete; sometimes, things are blurred."

"Did Eldin give you these?" he asks with alarm.

I shake my head. "No! They come when I am sleeping!

"I went to Eldin for help. It was willing to help me tap into the gold magic." A hand goes to my chest, and I can feel my heart thump softly under my palm. There, I can still feel my core burn with the magic.

"And?" he prods a little.

I cup my hands and begin to draw from my core. It's hot and stings a little as it runs through my veins like the burn of a cinnamon candy. A ghost of light erupts in my hands, and it builds. The flames begin to curl, so I pull my hands apart and begin to roll the flames between my hands to keep it under control. "I can bend fire," I laugh a little. "I still don't understand what happened in the woods though."

"The transport spell?"

I nod and let the flame die out. "Eldin called it Farore's Wind."

Link grabs my hand. The synthetic skin is cool to the touch; it's not warm, not sweaty. "Hey," he says as he drags me to my feet, "let's not worry about it. We're okay for now, so let's just get out for a few hours."

"You're kind of crushing my hand."

He immediately lets go with a sputtering of apologies.

I rub my hand. "It's fine! It's fine!" I say. "Here." I take hold of his hand, and he laughs a little.

Link leads me down the streets of Kakariko. We amble along in no clear direction. Shops are closing down for the night. The cold air occasionally whips by, and I say, "You know, if we go to the desert, it might be warmer." I huddle a little more into my sweater.

"During the day, sure," Link replies. He nudges me. "We could go up into the mountains. Snowpeak is supposed to be pretty in the winter."

"It's not even winter yet!" I cry. The thought of going up to Snowpeak makes me shudder with an extra chill. "It's probably freezing up there."

"Well it's a good thing you've learned to control some of your magic," he mutters low in my ear. I shush him, but the other passerby don't seem to have heard anything.

Link and I stand at the window of a sweet shop. He points out certain candies or other sweets, and I try my best to describe them to him. The shop has closed, but the display lights left on shine brightly in the dark. Sometimes, I'll point out some of my favorites. I point to some caramel candies in the corner of the dark shop when we're greeted by none other than the scholar Shad. He's bundled up from the cold, and with one gloved hand, he pushes his glasses up his nose and brushes his ashy brown bangs aside.

He tells us, "I didn't expect to run into you again so soon; I thought you might have skipped town by this point." He offers an awkward smile. "It must be fate, because I actually have some news for you." Link and I share a glance. "You asked me about a man named Malladus."

"You actually found something?" Link asks, a little dumbstruck.

Shad frowns, and his brow knits in unease. He shifts from one foot to the other. "It's not exactly what you'd want to hear though…" He swallows. "I'd heard the name from somewhere, that I was certain, but it's nothing to do with age-old history, unfortunately. You know how the president has had those squad roaming the country? President Ghirahim originally appointed a man with the last name of Malladus to be the head of the MITF," Shad explains. My stomach drops. "I just read an article in yesterday's newspaper about how he's restructuring the forces to further control the magic users in the ranks."

Link inclines his head slightly. "Oh shit," he mutters.

"What? What's that mean?"

Shad glances between us, slightly confused by our reaction. Link squeezes my hand, never looking at me and making me wince, but I follow his lead. I keep my mouth closed. Link gives Shad a small smile and asks him, "Well, we were on our way for a drink. Want to join?"

The scholar hesitates. "I really shouldn't," he replies. "But there's a nice little hole in the wall about eight blocks from here." He points us in the direction of Death Mountain. "It's called the Shaggy Dog. The food is good, though in recent weeks there have been a few strange characters frequenting it." By the quirk in my brow, Shad further explains that they seem to be like us, drifters. Generally, there's no point in going up the mountain except to enjoy nature, so I can understand the strangeness of seeing drifters that far into town.

"Are you sure, Shad?" I ask him, but there's a piece of me praying he'll insist that he doesn't come with. How odd would it be to see a man that won't even drink a glass of water in the middle of a bar?

I almost heave a sigh of relief when he shakes his head in refusal.

"I'm sorry, but maybe the next time you decide to come through town," he says. "I'm sure we'll have the opportunity to meet again." He offers his hand to us and gives us a curt goodbye.

Link and I watch as he turns down the block. He leans towards me. "He's a pretty odd guy himself, don't you think?"

"Definitely." I giggle to myself after a moment.

Link shrugs. "Well? You want to check it out? If we can talk to some other drifters, we might find another place to go to that's not crawling with squads."

I have no real objections.

"Then let's go, love… What?"

I shake my head. "Nothing. You just haven't called me that in a long time."

He thinks about it for a moment. "I guess I haven't," he agrees.

The Shaggy Dog is dimly lit. The lights are hung low in both height and light. The entrance is small and discreet, and we pass through a narrow hall to enter the lounge area. There's a group of women taking up most of the lounge seating across from the bar where two men sit in conversation, and they're clearly not the sort of people we are all that interested in talking to. Beyond the bar is another small area of table and booths, so I slip into the corner while Link approaches the bar.

Link brings me a beer and a glass of water. I eye the glass of water. "So, are you my designated driver?" I joke, and Link cracks a smile.

"Shut up and drink some of it."

Link plays with one of the sets of silverware left at the table. "Can I ask you something?" he says quietly.

I set my beer down. "Sure." The amber liquid settles down in the glass, foam clinging to the side.

"What… what have the light spirits shown you exactly?"

"You had the most disagreeable horse ever bred," I say, which makes Link laugh. I can almost swear that there's a spark in his eyes at the mention of Epona.

"She was something else," he agrees. "I miss her terribly. Do you know what happened to her?"

"No," I say.

The fork in Link's hands clatters onto the table. His eyes drift from me, and he nods. He glances behind us at the group of women gossiping amongst each other. He has a small smirk on his face when he turns back to me. "I guess you know a lot about me now, huh?"

I think, though, that I've learned the most about him not from his own memories, but the brief interludes of the moving pictures from his old lover.

"Why am I dreaming of her?"

His mouth thins. He looks around with suspicious eyes briefly, and then he leans towards me. "I think it has to do with your magic," he whispers.

"It's the gold, right? It was hers before?" I ask, keeping an eye out as well.

"Not here."

"Then what was it about Mal-" I stop short.

Link's brow knits.

"Oh my goddesses!" I breathe.

Link turns, and his jaw drops. We both scramble from the booth, turning the heads of the women. The men barely look our way as they speak to the bartender. From the hallway leading from the front entrance comes in two faces I didn't think we'd see again. Darunia barrels over and slams Link and I into a monstrous hug. Marin trails behind him at her own pace, and she doesn't look nearly as enthused to see us as Darunia. Deadpan, she tells him, "Let them go before you break them both, will you?" Darunia lets us drop as Marin slides into Link's side of the booth and grabs my beer. She takes a whiff of it before taking a swig.

"Can't you get your own?" Darunia chastises, but Marin just shrugs. My knees buckle when he slaps me on the back. "I'll buy you another."

I think my ribs might be bruised.

I plop myself back into the booth across from Marin. Link sinks in next to her. She pulls out a pack of cigarettes and lights one, dragging the ashtray towards her.

"What about Ilia?" Link asks her.

"Don't know," Marin says with a shrug. "I got lucky to run into Darunia after we separated. We floated around Castleton for a while, then came out here. Darunia might know something. Ask him." She takes a drag on her cigarette. The smoke wisps from her mouth when she lets out a breath.

Link asks Darunia about Ilia when he returns with another beer for me and one for himself. He shakes his head. His beard and hair have grown out from the last time that I've seen him, though they're still as wild as ever. The strong-man shakes his head. "When the fire started, I went to get to you and her first," he says. "She was trying to get to some of the animals. I had to carry her off." He sighs. "Sorry, it's kind of hazy. I just remember trying to get as far away as I could. I lost her somewhere in all the madness."

Link's eyes lower.

The Goron gestures to Marin, who frowns slightly. "We found a couple of jobs out here. What brings you two here?"

"Drifting," Link says. "You know I can't really stay in one place for long."

Darunia stretches back for a moment, heaving a long sigh. He looks over at me, and a huge smile breaks on his face. He throws an arm around me and draws up against his massive frame. "Now how in the world did he convince you to stick around?" he laughs.

Though no one else enters the bar for the rest of the night, I don't particularly mind, and I don't think Link does either. We catch up with Marin and Darunia for the rest of the evening. Darunia keeps pushing drinks on me, insisting that I should have Link's share, much to Link's disgust, and Darunia teases him.

Darunia is back doing factory work again. He says it's boring work, but work all the same. Marin has been waitressing at a local diner, and I think she feels the same about it all. I can tell that deep down, all three of them miss the carnival, even Marin who was so determined to get out of it. The carnival wasn't just a job to them, it was a home and a family for the carnies. One that I could never truly be a part of.

We all make a plan at the end of the night to meet up with each other the next day before Link and I move on to where ever we may end up next.

"Can we talk tomorrow?" Link asks when we finally make it back to our room. He settles into his chair. "I don't have much time left."

"Can I at least ask you about Shad's news?"

"I'm pretty sure that's the same man," Link says, and he says no more, even when I push him a little.

I just kick my shoes off and settle into bed in my clothes, eager for sleep when Link sits down on the bed next to me. I don't say anything and just wait for him, but I get nothing for a few minutes but silence.

Finally, Link sighs, "Zelda, I haven't always made the best choices." There's an edge of regret and sadness that colors his voice in a way that he sounds truly human.

"What're you talking about?"

His mouth bobs open and closed, and there's a slight crackle from the speaker box in the back of his mouth, but Link can't seem to form the words he wants. "I think I need to show you something," he says finally. He scoots closer to me and hesitantly places his hands on the sides of my head, as if afraid to crush me. "Just close your eyes for me?"

And I do.

…

Their horses thunder down the path. Citizens scramble to get out of the brothers' warpath as they charge their horses through the streets of Castleton. The brothers are fully armored with lances in hand. Sir Raven leads with Link following closely behind as they storm through the city gates and out into the open field. Some of the city folk, taking notice of the armored knights, gossip amongst themselves, and some begin to trickle after the knights.

Once there is enough distance from not only the town but between the two of them, Link and Raven turn their horses to face each other. They stare each other down. Epona, in particular, gets antsy; she snorts and whinnies. Her head shakes violently, her white mane and tail flailing about. Her hooves scrape and stamp the ground impatiently, and Link does nothing to try and reign her in.

Sir Raven begins to spur his horse into action, when shouts ring out across the field. The two brothers turn their heads to see what the commotion is. His Majesty, the King of Hyrule, rides out from the city gates with an entourage. The people make room for him, his horse and party, some bowing and others crossing themselves with the sacred Triforce as he passes by. The brothers wait to be addressed, but the king does nothing. Daphnes de Hyrule simply waits.

Link is startled into action when his brother spurs his horse. Epona does not wait for her master, and she begins her charge. With each step, her speed picks up. Both lances are lowered and shields are in place, but Link gets in only a glancing blow before he is unhorsed. Fragments of Sir Raven's shattered lance splatter around Link, who groans and rolls onto his side. Sir Raven tosses aside the remains of his lance. "Not as good with your right hand, are you?" the elder taunts. Link stumbles to his feet and rips his helmet off. A little line of blood trickles down from his dirty blond hairline where the helmet had cut into him. He retrieves his shield with his right arm, turning the Coutts' coat of arms upside down as his brother begins to charge at him again with his broadsword in hand. With no time to remount, Link simply draws Fi from his back with his more natural left hand, and his horse stamps over to the side.

Seeing no opening, Link hesitates for two steps. He races down the field on foot, shield up to block Raven's strike. The edge of Link's sword swings out and cuts into Raven's mount as his shield clangs against his brother's sword. Raven's horse wails with the injury, and he curses as he tries to keep his mount under control. Link waits as his brother swings down from the horse and sends it off, taking the time to rip more of the plated armor off of himself.

"Well if this isn't familiar," Raven spits, his voice hollow and cold coming from inside the helmet. He laughs at Link's minimalist defense. "You're really going to do that though?"

Link shrugs. "No need for it anymore."

"I believe that we're honorable men," Raven says as the brothers circle each other, but Link narrows his eyes at his brother. "Though you should realize that your love's no longer here to ask for mercy."

"You would have beheaded me if she didn't pose a threat; you have no honor."

Raven roars with laughter and swings out at Link. Link is able to meet him with each blow. Unlike their previous duel, Link is more willing to take the offensive this time. Any restraint he might have had in facing his brother before is now gone. Link pushes his brother back with each strike he makes, and he leaves no openings for a counterattack. Realizing this, Sir Raven attempts to breach Link's defense. He brings up his shield and smashes into Link. Link stumbles back, but he manages to block the vertical strike that flies at him.

Link's retaliation is swift. He swings Fi outward as Sir Raven raises his sword. The sacred sword slices straight through Sir Raven. The severed limb and sword slaps onto the ground. Mirroring his brother's attack, Link bashes his shield into Sir Raven. The knight stumbles back, blood spilling from the stump of his arm. Using the hilt of his sword, Link smashes in the front of Raven's helmet and knocks the elder off his feet. Link tears the helmet from Sir Raven and places the tip of his sword at his brother's neck. His nose is broken, and his mouth is a mess of blood. His lips twitch, but he can't form any words.

Link coldly returns his brother's taunt, "Not as good with your right hand, are you?"

Sir Raven can't respond, so Link looks to the silent crowd which intently watches him. Nobody is willing to speak, but Daphnes de Hyrule gives Link a slight incline of his head. Link turns back to his brother and lifts his sword away. With one stroke, Link brings Fi down and severs Sir Raven's head.

A bit of a long one for you today, so I hope you enjoyed it.

I also hope you guys have a relaxing holiday! I'm enjoying all of the snow we're getting - and it stays! It's been here for a full week! Been a nice change from the South. We have the this huge mountain of snow in the parking lot at work, so we're going to do something crazy with it when close up the restaurant early for our Christmas party. We've actually already had a kid steal a tray from us and use it as a sled to go down it. Surprisingly, he didn't break it.

More snow this week too! Ahhh!

RAmen!

;p