Hello everybody! Here's a new chapter for this story. Sorry for the two week delay or however long it was this time around. Like I keep repeating, work and school is keeping me busy. Actually, it's more school since the workload seems to be somewhat random every week. At least being at work is constant since it's just to appear and teach people how to swim. Still, it's pretty repetitive after a while. At least it's easy money.
But yeah, I thank you all for being ever so patient with me on this. To be honest, I was hoping to have this done last week. Unfortunately, it was pushed far back down on my list of things to do and wasn't finished until today when this was posted. Oh well, at least the delay made this chapter seem a lot better than the previous one. I'm happier with the outcome of this one, although I suppose it's because it sounds less like a filler chapter. As you'll figure out after reading this, things are starting to pick up and no longer being as simple as things once were.
I hope that you all enjoy reading this new chapter as much as I had making it! But before I leave you all alone, let me get through the reviews first.
SoulC: That's true. Stories tend to always follow a certain guideline even though the material itself is different. The only thing that keeps it from sounding like a repetitive mess is the content being written. With that said, I'm glad that you like Connor's character. When I first wrote him, I was worried about how readers would take to him as being Link's little brother. I was mainly going for a bit of a human connection with the relationship as well as have him be a bit of childish humor whenever possible. I do have many possible ideas for him, but I'm still not sure which one I want to stick with. I'll figure it out when it comes along. Until then, I'm not even going to think about what he can further offer to the story.
OrangeStreakedStar: Yes, I was kind of going for that initial feel when writing about Link and Zelda's first meeting. With how the royal council seems indifferent to the things that Xagrun has subjected the people to, I thought it only natural for Link to feel some sort of initial animosity towards the princess. Of course, I made it clear that it wasn't the case after having her explain everything that was going on and her plans. And yes, having him unfazed at Malon's sudden leave from Faron Village was to serve as an indicator that they were nothing more than good friends. At first, I was playing with the idea that you guys as readers can see the relationship however you want. Of course, I decided to just nix the idea and make it clear that they are merely very good friends. I hope it doesn't cause any unneeded trouble with you or the other readers.
Skittycreamstar: Thanks for the review. It's rather surprising to see that you gave me only a one sentence review this time around. Still, it's good to know that you're silently supporting the continuation of my story. Although, I suppose that it is a bit reflective at the fact that my last chapter did somewhat suck in terms of execution. I hope that this chapter will be better and hopefully more thought-evoking for you. Thanks again!
Chapter 7: A Difficult Decision
It was late in the afternoon by the time Link and Connor finished the day's chores. Both were standing in front of their house admiring the results of their work. The field looked a lot neater than before, the dirt around the crops evenly tilled and the general home repairs now completed. The weeds had been pulled and put aside in a pile next to some firewood, slowly drying out to soon become tinder. Even the crops themselves looked healthier after being trimmed of sickly leaves and invasive bugs that threatened to kill the plants. It may have taken a bit of effort, but it helped to beautify their farmland.
"Boy, that sure took a while," Connor sighed as he plopped down against the wall. "But yeah, this place definitely looks a lot better!"
"I don't remember it having looked like this in a long time," Link admitted as he admired their work. "I think the last time it looked good was when dad was still alive and we still had our big plot of land. It's hard to believe that it took almost five years to make things look as close to how things used to be."
"…But there's still one thing we need to do for it to be like how it was before," the young boy said after a moment's thought. He then picked up the broom handle that he broke yesterday and left lying against the wall. "We need to have ourselves a sword fight! Remember how we used to have them with dad when we finished our work?"
"What is it with you and sword fighting?" the blond asked with an amused smile. Still, he seemed willing to entertain the idea in his mind. "Are you thinking of joining the military or something when you're older?"
"No, I just think that swords are cool. When dad taught us about them, I loved it when we got to all those sword moves. That's why I like swinging things around; it makes me feel closer to him."
"…Alright then. If you want to go whacking each other with sticks, then let's go ahead and do it." Link then went back into their house and came out a minute later with two objects in his hands. Both clearly had the shape of a sword, and they were revealed to be wooden replicas carved by a carefully steady hand. However, the edges of the blades along with the hilt and hand guard were made of metal to provide a pit of realism in both weight and strikes.
"You still had those this whole time?" Connor asked as he stared at the faux weapons. "I thought we lost them!"
"You were only seven when I put them aside. I didn't want you killing me or potentially destroy the house with them. And I figured you'd grow out of it soon, but I guess I was wrong there. But yeah, think fast!" The teen suddenly threw the wooden blade to his younger brother who caught it with amazing ease despite later stumbling a bit with its weight. "If you want a sword fight, then you're going to get it. Just a word of warning; don't think that I've forgotten about how to use these. If anything, I should remember more than you!"
"Really? I'd love to see that!"
Without much warning, Connor ran up with his sword above his head before bringing it down and using its weight as power. While caught off-guard, Link parried the obvious move with ease by bringing his weapon between the offending blade and his head. He then pushed his brother backward through the connection of their blades and formally prepared himself for another attack.
The young boy immediately went in for another strike, but he was tamer this time around. It was now just a series of accurately simple attacks that were easily blocked and evaded by his older brother. Clearly, he remembered the things that their father taught him about swordplay. However, his lack of any real training beyond the strikes were evident.
In Link's case, he seemed to be faring much better in this playful fight despite having not yet making a strike. While it was true that he could read to some degree his brother's moves, the blond had received more training than the other. Being that he was older, he was able to learn more about using a combination of blocks and attacks. Since Connor was younger, their dad merely worked on getting his accuracy down first before allowing him to onto more complex moves.
"Geez, you're pretty wild with the sword," the blond grunted as he parried yet another blow. "If this were a real fight, you'll wear yourself out to death!"
"So says the one…who's just blocking everything!" the young boy panted, his fatigue starting to set in as his strikes became heavier but slower. "You're making it boring! Why don't you…try something other than…parrying?"
"You're already beating yourself up for me. It's pretty simple to defeat you now!" With merely a simple swipe of his sword, he swung at Connor's exposed side which the boy easily dodged. Unfortunately, he was already too tired from his wild barrage of attacks and fell to the ground from the force. Before he could even make his way back up, he found himself facing the sharp end of the wooden blade.
"Dang it; I almost had you, Link! I was going at you so much, and you just swung at me once to win. Talk about your cheap wins!"
"Like I said, you were beating yourself up," Link explained as he helped his little brother to his feet. "You got good strength, but you need to slow down. Tiring yourself out so quickly is a surefire way to die. If I were fighting to kill, my sword would be in your throat."
Instead of responding, the other merely gave a childish pout. The fact that he was not saying anything was enough to indicate he knew the teen was right. Still, he was not going to admit it outright, especially when he does not usually readily admit his wrongs.
"Still, I'll admit that you have pretty good accuracy," the blond conceded. "That and you know how to use your weight in your attacks. Either you really remember everything dad taught you, or you've been practicing on someone."
"If I was sword fighting with someone, I think you'd have heard some of our neighbors complaining. Ever thought that I'm just a natural with it?"
"A natural who just got his butt beat by his older brother?"
Connor quickly shot Link a dirty glance. However, it disappeared just as quickly as he shifted his attention to something in the distance. Noticing this, the blond turned around to see what was there and saw a couple soldiers coming their way. This time, the soldiers were those from Hyrule Castle as noted by the royal insignia on their armor.
"Greetings, boys!" one of the soldiers greeted as they neared the farm. "We come today to announce a wondrous occasion for Hyrule. News has arrived this morning that Prince Xagrun has asked for Princess Zelda's hand in marriage. The ceremony has already been arranged by His Majesty, and it will take place first thing tomorrow morning."
"She's actually marrying that guy? Man, she must have some pretty low standards to be going for him." The young boy let out a disbelieving laugh while the two soldiers gave him a shifty glance for the comment.
"Might I ask why you're telling us this?" Link asked as he tried to divert attention from his brother. "As great an occasion this is for our country, telling this to simple farmers doesn't seem like a good way to spread the news."
"On the contrary, it's one of the best ways to do it," the soldier explained. "Now that you know, we hope that you'll further spread news of the occasion to your friends."
"Yeah, I don't think we'll be doing that anytime soon."
"Shut up, Connor!" the blond whispered harshly as the soldiers continued to glare at the boy.
"I suggest you teach the young boy how to hold his tongue on otherwise delicate topics," the other soldier warned, finally speaking up after having been silent since arriving. "If this wasn't about Prince Xagrun, we would be down your throats for disrespect within the minute. But I digress; there's another reason why we've come to speak with you. Namely, it's about the penalty tax you paid last night." He then walked up to Link after reaching into his pouch and pulling out a carefully folded letter.
"But I've already made my peace on the matter at the castle gates this morning," the teen said, an eyebrow raised in confusion at what this meant. However, he felt it best to make no further mentions of his trip to the castle so as to not become suspicious in the guards' eyes. "Who there would bother writing to me about this?"
"I don't know, but I suggest you give it a read whenever you can. After all, I doubt that whoever penned it would've gone through the trouble of having a soldier like me personally deliver it to you." The guard then whispered as he drew near Link while handing over the letter, "It's from Princess Zelda. She asks that you heed her plea for help and come to her aid as soon as possible.
"Well then, I believe it's time that we continue on with our rounds," he quickly said in a jovial manner before Link could voice a question. "I hope you two have a good rest of the day. And do remember to try employing more tact when speaking of someone such as Prince Xagrun, young boy."
"When he starts treating us with respect, then maybe I'll stop dissing him!" Connor exclaimed as the two soldiers continued on their way down the path and spreading word of tomorrow's royal marriage. He then said to his older brother, "I can't believe the princess is actually going to marry the guy. And here I thought she was on our side."
"She probably didn't have much of a choice, Connor," Link suggested as he continued to stare at the letter in his hands. "The king might've arranged it. I don't know why he'd let her go and marry Xagrun, but I'm sure it's not of her own free will."
"Geez, talk about being a prisoner of your own life. But yeah, what's with that letter the soldier gave you? Is it from the princess? Can I see?"
"How about you get your nosy self in the house and wash up?" the teen suggested. "You worked up a sweat during our fight, and I don't want you dripping it in the food. That and I'm not about to let you snoop around in my private business."
"Aw, you're such a killjoy, you know?" Instead of trying to persuade the other into seeing the contents of the letter, the boy resigned to the other's suggestion and went inside to wash up. Now that he was gone, the teen unfolded the piece of paper and began to read what was written to him in beautiful handwriting by the princess.
"Dear Link," he silently read, "I've no doubt you've already heard, but I'm to marry Prince Xagrun. The ceremony is to be held first thing tomorrow morning. If you haven't done so, I ask that you please decide on your stance regarding my proposal. If you choose to continue living as a farmer, then I'll respect your wishes and trouble you no more. However, I must ask that you at least come to the castle and disrupt the ceremony regardless of your choice. Xagrun will become my lawfully wedded husband when it's over. When that happens, he'll have an even powerful grip over Hyrule. While it will only delay his rise to power, it'll grant me more time to think. Please hurry! Your Royal Highness, Princess Zelda."
After reading the contents of the letter, Link folded it up and placed it in his pocket. The action was more automatic than anything else as his mind was preoccupied with what Zelda was asking of him to do. It was only mere hours ago that he was standing before her wanting to ask about the grief that Xagrun put him and Connor through. Instead of that, he received a history lesson of sorts regarding the kingdom's creation and how he could help her thwart the desert prince's plans of ruling Hyrule. He hardly had any time to mull over it all, and now here he was being rushed into making a decision.
"Hey Link, I'm thinking of preparing a couple of eggs and some of the vegetables Malon gave us for dinner tonight!" Connor called out, the sound of splashing water coming from inside the houses. "That okay with you?"
"Uh, that's fine!" the blond replied back, his mind hardly registering what was suggested. He then thought as he made his way to the house, I need to give this some more thought. I mean, she isn't going to be married until tomorrow morning. I'm sure I'll have it all figured out before going to bed.
As the rest of the day wore on, he found himself still indecisive about the role he wanted to play in all this. Dinner was somewhat lively thanks in part to Connor being the ever restless boy he was with lots to talk about. Link merely nodded and provided short answers whenever it was appropriate, his little brother oblivious to the lack of conversational participation. Even when it was time to turn in for the night with his little brother sound asleep like a rock, he was still unsure about everything.
Currently, he was lying on his bed with the lantern still lit on his bedside table. It had been dimmed considerably so as to not disturb his brother's sleep, but it was still bright enough for him to read over once more the letter that was in his hands. No matter how many times he went through its contents, his mind was never made up. He played out the pros and cons of both decisions in his head repeatedly, hoping that somewhere along the line he could find that one thing which would help tip the scales in his favor for either choice.
On the one hand, he could just ignore Zelda's pleas for help and let her take care of the problem herself. While clearly not wanting for such a decision, she would have no choice but to accept his position as she already stated in her letter. Xagrun would then have the power to take control over Hyrule through his role as the kingdom's prince. Things would no doubt become worse, but at least he and Connor would be able move to a land free of Hyrule's influences and start a new life. The money given to them by the princess along with the sale of their farm would serve to be enough for the journey. If their lucky, it might even be enough for a down payment for a plot of land on whatever new kingdom they arrive at. No longer would he have to worry about being robbed blind under the guise of a penalty tax and wonder when the next round of hardships will come about.
On the other hand, he could agree to help get rid of Xagrun. He could go and disrupt the marriage ceremony at the risk of his own safety, but she would most likely have devised some plan to help him out of that mess. Once they have stalled the prince's rise to power, Zelda would then make good on her promise and grant him the training he needs in order to become her fabled Hero of Time. He will learn the way of the sword like his father had during his service to the kingdom and rid the land of a man who all agree to be a pox on their very livelihood. The road would be hard. His little brother would no doubt be put through dangers he otherwise would never be in. But once the trials are passed and the prince defeated, he will be hailed as a savior. All will recognize him as the one who liberated Hyrule, and his difficult but simple life will be exchanged for one of both ease and complexities.
At the end of the day, once he discarded all of the frivolous perks and downfalls of each decision, he came up with the main question that was staring him in the face. Does he believe in what Zelda said in that he has powers given to him by the Hero of Time? As irrefutable as the evidence might be that he is the descendent, does he want to follow up on the legend and involve himself in a royal conflict that hardly concerns him? Does he even want to indulge the princess in her hopes that he alone can save Hyrule from Xagrun's lust for power? And most importantly, does he want to take part in something that would not only place his life in danger but that of his little brother's as well?
"… … …I need to talk with the Elder about this," he murmured as he got off his bed and got dressed in his dad's uniform once more. He wanted to be prepared for whatever decision he was going to make, and he felt that the Village Elder would be able to help him with it. "Maybe he'll be able to help me."
Once he was ready, he put out the lantern before making his way to the Elder's house. Being that it was already so late into the evening, everybody was in their house sleeping until the next morning light came around. The roads were dark with only the full moon illuminating the path before him. The bugs that relished in the night air chirped away as though eulogizing the protection it granted them from predators. He merely ignored it and made his way down the road with the ease that came with familiarity of the land.
In a matter of minutes, he reached the main area of Faron Village. Due to both its size and position in the village, Link easily distinguished which was the Elder's house and made his way to it. Oddly enough, there was a flickering light coming from behind the building along with a bit of smoke signaling that a fire was lit. Knowing that the Elder's guards would never go on patrol with the aid of a torch, he could only assume that the man himself was still awake. His suspicions were soon confirmed as he turned the corner and saw the man sitting by the fire in his white cloak, his staff lying nearby on the floor. Not far off was a guard who had taken notice of the teen and calmly walked by.
"Link, what're you doing here at this hour?" the guard asked in a tone that was just above a whisper.
"I wanted to speak with the Elder," Link simply replied. "There's something that I wish to seek his consul on."
"Couldn't it wait until tomorrow? While he may be awake now, don't you think that this is an unreasonable time for a visit?"
"This isn't something that can wait. It's too important to not be asked now. Please," the teen pleaded as he stood his ground.
"… … …Alright." The guard let out a sigh as he stepped aside and allowed the blond to pass by.
"…Good evening, Link," the Elder greeted just as said teen was about to approach him. "I'd say I'm surprised to see you at this hour, but I'd be lying."
"You knew I was coming?" the blond asked as he took a seat across the fire.
"I would say it was more of a hunch. One of my guards went to Hyrule Castle in my stead this morning to protest Xagrun's actions. He told me he saw you being escorted into the castle. I assumed then that somebody from the inside wanted to speak with you and that you would come to me with questions later. Am I wrong to think so?"
Instead of answering, Link remained silent. He should have figured that the old man had somehow figured out his exploits. While not necessarily a nosy person, the Elder had a knack for knowing when a person was having problems of any magnitude.
"I also sense that you're somewhat hesitant about something," he continued on after having read his answer from the silence. "By chance, does it have something to do with your visit to Hyrule Castle?"
"…It does. Something happened to me while I was there, and I'm not sure how I'm supposed to act now. It might be hard to believe, but the princess met with me personally and asked me to do something for her. I've been thinking about it all day, but I still don't know what I want to do. I need to decide by tomorrow morning."
"Hmm, so she's bestowed upon you a request. Perhaps she sees something in you that she doesn't in others. Might I suppose that this has something to do with the recent incident regarding Xagrun's visit to our village?"
"It was a result of that, but what she's asking of me is on a larger scale than what happened here. I don't know if I should say more about it, but I can tell you that whatever she has planned involves me somehow. I don't know what it is, and I don't really understand it myself. I wish I knew more so I could explain it better."
"There's no need to explain, Link," the Elder said with a reassuring glance. "Some things are understood even without being spoken of. If the princess saw it fit to ask you to do something in regards to what the desert prince is doing, then she must see an abundance of courage within you. I doubt she would ask otherwise were it not the case."
"I'm still debating whether or not I have the courage she says I have," Link scoffed as he stared into the flames. "After all, one wouldn't think of a farmer when asked to define it. But aside from that, I lack the kind of formal training for what she's asking me to do. What good is courage if I don't have what it takes to see things through?"
"It's true that you may not have the necessary skills to handle what she's asking of you to do. However, that's not all what courage is. It's also having the will to face whatever hardships that come your way to learn what is needed of you to fulfill your goals. To learn what you need to know without fear or hesitation, the want to learn not only for your own good but for the sake of others; that is where the true potential of courage lies. It matters not if you're a soldier or a farmer; what matters is where your heart lies."
For a few moments, there was silence between the two. Link was thinking about what he was told and wondering what position his heart was telling him to take. But unlike being just a farmer and having to decide what animal to buy, he was choosing whether to take a proactive role in Hyrule's struggle or continue to ignore it as much as he can? Which decision would he feel comfortable identifying as the right one?
"With decisions that revolve around a man such as Xagrun, there is no such thing as a right decision," the old man explained, seemingly having read the teen's inner struggles. "What we construe as right or wrong in such matters is merely a guide set before us by morality. What one would consider to be correct under the best of intentions might merely serve to worsen a situation. The reverse also holds true. Such decisions of right and wrong lie only in the decider himself; all other opinions from unimportant parties will only serve as distractions. Think of that as you come to your decision."
"… … …I understand," Link replied after a contemplative silence. He then got to his feet and brushed away the dirt on his tunic. "Thank you for your help, Elder. I know what I need to do now. Do you mind if I asked you to look after Connor for a bit? I don't know how long I'll be gone, and I don't want him getting into trouble."
"I'd be more than happy to watch over him. You just worry about whatever it is that the princess wants you to do."
"I just have one more question," the teen said. "I've already made my decision. However, how do I know that it's something I can live with? What if I bit off more than I can chew and end up regretting it later?"
"Then it's something that you'll have to live with," the elder replied. "The future is never set in stone. We all do things that we wished we haven't done. Regrets are bound to happen in life. But what matters isn't if what we're doing can be regretted later on down the line. So long as you're comfortable with your decision, then you've no need to be afraid. Remember that courage doesn't mean that your mind should be absent of any fears. Rather, you should embrace it and allow it to give you the strength to continue on. Don't let fears of any kind hold you back. Go forth with everything you have, and proudly embrace the Mark of Courage that has been bestowed upon you!"
"…Wait a minute; how did you…?"
"You need to go, Link! The journey to Hyrule Castle is a few hours at best, and it'll be morning when you arrive. You said earlier that you only had until tomorrow morning to make your decision, so you best be there to show Princess Zelda your answer. I promise that I'll take care of Connor. Now go!"
Without another word, Link nodded his head in thanks before taking his leave. He passed the Elder's guard once again who bade him goodnight which he returned in kind. He still had some questions lingering in his mind, but it all could wait until after he was done helping the princess with her plans.
Well, I hope that you all enjoyed this new chapter. And sorry again for the two week delay. I hope that it ended up being worth the wait. Hopefully, the next chapter won't have such a long delay, but please don't hold me to it. Once this week is over, it's going to be midterms. That means next week is going to be hell to go through. Yay...!
So yeah, I only ask that you continue to be patient with me as I write out the new chapters while balancing my life of school and work. And I also hope that you enjoyed this chapter and what it had to offer. When it came to the part about the Elder, I thought that I would try to make him sound somewhat fatherly in his advice. I imagine him as someone who cares for his people and would do what he can to help those who might come to him with personal problems. I hope it ended up working with you all.
I also hope that you liked my short depiction of the sword fight between Link and Connor. While it was mainly my form of practice for writing such scenes, it was also to showcase how both of their personalities reflected in their style of fighting. Being the energetic guy he is, Connor was so gung-ho on attacking that he killed himself with exhaustion. Just thought it'd be nice added touch to their character.
And yes, the secret meeting that Xagrun and the hooded man had at the beginning of the last chapter was them going into discussions about marrying Princess Zelda. As you can see, it seems like that plan is going to go through without a hitch. Xagrun is truly desperate to make sure that he has control over Hyrule and, in essence, ownership over the three pieces of the Triforce. Something tells me that things are going to get real interesting real fast for the characters, and I don't mean that in a good way. Then again, that usually makes for a good read with you guys!
That's it with my usual crazy rants. I need to get myself ready for work anyway, so this is as good a place as any to stop. Please don't forget to leave a review before going away as it is a good form of inspiration to continue writing for both mine and your enjoyment. Until the next update to this or any of my other stories on here everybody!