Hey guys and girls! Chapter 25 already, it's progressing nicely. And I've cracked the 100.000 words mark, yay! I'd like to thank all of you for your overwhelmingly positive reaction! Your reviews, favourites and follows are a great pleasure and have really kept me going. Best audience I could hope for with my mindless drivel. :D

Without further ado:

Chapter 25

Link

With a gasp Link started awake.

Zelda!

He scrambled out of bed, donned whatever clothes he could find in breathless haste, grabbed his sword and yanked open the door to his chamber.

Then he halted. And thought…

The overwhelming terror he had felt her endure had stopped as abruptly as it had emerged… Her fear had clawed at his flesh and soul, ripping him out of his sleep. This had been no mere dream! Once before he had had such a nightmare, when he was still back in Ord. He had seen Zelda erupt in light, tearing through the swirling, surrounding darkness.

This was different… He had seen her, as clearly as he saw the sword in his hand. She was lying on the ground amidst flaming ruin, hurt, unconscious. The mere memory of it made him grind his teeth. For a heart-stopping moment, he had thought her lost… Suddenly he had known who had done this to her, who was responsible for this unspeakable crime. He had gripped the sword in his hand with iron strength. He too had been hurt, but he cared not for the pain. His enemy was clear before him. The sight of the… monstrosity that hovered grinning over all the destruction he had wrought had turned Link's blood to ice. Unspeakable evil that even the flames of hell had spat back out leered down at him and the one he was charged to protect. He had, one final time, raised his sword, for he knew that the next attack would decide it all. Link hadn't recognized the strange, light-filled sword he had wielded… but in the 'dream' it still, irrefutably, had been his.

The scene had suddenly collapsed, he had heard Zelda's startled shriek and he had awoken, filled to the brim with tempestuous battle-fury.

But the danger he had felt, the threat that had almost overcome them was no longer present. What had he witnessed? Initially it had seemed like a scene he just witnessed, but as it progressed, he more and more became an integral part of it… lived in it. He had felt his body, battered and broken, but still undeniably his. The righteous ire that had held his resolve together with fiery intensity had also been his. He had clearly felt Zelda's presence with him in this hellish landscape… Link couldn't describe it… he had seen her lying there, motionless… but she had also been close, awake… afraid. It was that fear that had startled him out of bed… he could still feel its echo. But it was slowly abating, thank the goddess! But he had no doubt that it had been real. The dread that had speared his heart so painfully could not have been just a figment of his sleeping mind. It had been a cry for help and he'd heard it…

And now what?

What had she experienced that frightened her so? Could it have been a simple nightmare? Unlikely… he didn't think her so easily afeared of a mere dream… What then?

The slight absurdity of the situation began to make itself known in his mind. He didn't even know where she was… how could he have ever reached her? If a real menace had been the cause of this alarm, what could he have done?

He clandestinely looked down the dark, empty hallway. It had to be midnight, or close after… everything was calm, except for his still racing heart.

He slowly released the breath he had been holding and relaxed his stance. Whatever it had been, it was over. And while he wanted nothing more than to find Zelda, make sure that she was alright and give her the comfort she undoubtedly needed right now, he had to settle for knowing that no immediate danger was upon her.

Link took another deep breath and stood up straight. He felt a bit of an idiot, now, scrambling around like a panicked mouse when he had no way of reaching the one he meant to aid. Hopefully he hadn't woken anybody up…

Even though he felt the urge to go and try to search the entire castle for Zelda, he knew it to be a pointless endeavour… they wouldn't even let him into the stronghold. Why would they? Nothing had happened… nothing that anyone beside him and her had witnessed.

Link looked down on himself after he had finally stepped back inside his chamber. With a slightly embarrassed chuckle he noticed that not only had he put on his tunic backwards, his right arm wasn't even in its sleeve!

Behold! Link, the half-naked hero of Hyrule! That would have been a slightly awkward rescue mission…

Now Link really felt like an idiot…

"Nothing new there…" he mumbled to himself. He laid his sword back on its place and removed his rather ineffectual clothing again. As he sat down on his bed a feeling of helplessness overcame him.

What if a real threat invaded Zelda's life again? What then? Would he once again be yanked out of his sleep? If they were the same assassins that had assaulted her in the arena, he'd have no time to get to her, even if he knew where she was! They'd reach her before him and… He couldn't finish the thought, it was unbearable.

… and even if he reached her in time, would he even be able to do anything? Would he, once again, be so lucky? Would this dreadful, merciless cold overcome him again that had given him so much power? What if it didn't? He feared it now… what if it made him hesitate just a split second too long?

Thoughts of doubt raced through his head, agitated by the echo of the anxiety that had whisked him out of bed.

The last few days had been like a dream… calm, serene… he had found the most beautiful star of the entire firmament…

But this nightmare, this vision had brutally reminded him in how much danger this enchanting angel truly was… To think that something, someone was out there right this moment, lurking in the shadows, waiting for the next chance to try to end this precious life… it both chilled him to the bone and awoke the fires of his rage.

But, again, what could he do? He was fifteen! A knight-aspirant, maybe, but nobody would take him seriously enough if he turned up at the stronghold's gate, spluttering about a danger to the princess that he couldn't even explain. Maybe, after they realized that he was the one who had saved her during the massacre in the arena, they would let him pass and sound the alarm, but even that was doubtful. And by then it would be too late… He could be the best swordsman there ever was, it wouldn't matter. He was still just some boy, a bumpkin without a drop of noble blood in his veins…

Powerless…

The thought depressed him. Not because he lamented his low birth, of course, but because he was so hopelessly far from her from a social aspect. It would, sooner or later, lead to problems… whether it was because he had no authority to help him protect her, or because it would make the continuation of their burgeoning romance difficult… both were matters close to his heart…

Aargh! Useless pondering again! He roughened up his hair, as if he was trying to rub these tantalizing thoughts out of his head.

Then Link got mad at himself.

Really? You're going to let social class stand in your way now, you worthless idiot? What the hell is wrong with you? If Zelda is in danger, you go save her! Period! Door guards? You moping imbecile will let door guards stop you with their condescending sneers? Are you serious?!

Link had jumped up from the bed and was pacing, breathing heavily. Goddess damn it, now he wanted something to punch… mostly himself. Beat some sense into that brain of his that wanted to drown itself in apathetic sorrow.

Pull yourself together, arsehole! There is no – no – justification for not being at her side when she needs you! And by Din's smoking hellfire, you will stand by her or you will forever hate yourself! And you would be right to do so!

Unbidden, a slightly ashamed grin crept onto his lips. Hark! The half-naked hero of Hyrule, talking to himself while pacing like a madman! He felt like such a moron… But at least his strict anger at himself had vaporized the creeping depression that had threatened to shackle him.

With a silent laugh he remembered the lesson he had given Zelda about the wonderful world of expletives.

"Fuck nightmares, fuck those inbred nobles and their influence and fuck fucking door guards, stupid little shits that they are!" he hissed out his window. His neighbours, if had they been awake, would probably have heard him. Link didn't care; at least now they have something to think about.

It did feel good to spit these things out… maybe he should listen to his own advice more often.

"And piss on you, brain, for being such useless, whiny sludge!" he chuckled, knocking his knuckles against his head.

As his ire against his own self-indulgent lamenting slowly abated, he felt considerably calmer than he had before. Social status was a problem, aye. It would be foolish to think otherwise. But even more foolish was the notion that it was an insurmountable obstacle. He had identified the problem. Now he'd work on the solution.

Link looked up at the night sky. No light yet in sight… maybe one or two in the morning.

With a sudden twitch he realized that he didn't know whether he would see Zelda today. They hadn't agreed to another date last evening! Amidst all the emotion that crackled through their brains, they had completely forgotten. At least he had…

Link found that it didn't particularly perturb him. He knew that she was resourceful, more even than him, another detail he loved about her. She would find him when she wanted.

He looked at his bed. Sleep was unlikely, he knew. He had pondered, then raged himself into complete wakefulness. Might as well use it!

There were still a multitude of weapons Sir Alistair hadn't made him try until his bones cracked. Might as well get a head start!

By the time the sun had risen, Link was drenched in sweat. Having the huge training hall all to himself had at first been intimidating, then exhilarating. He had tried the curved blades of the Gerudo, mimicking their acrobatic, heavy slashes, then had found an enormous axe that, at the first swing, had flown out of his hands and had imbedded itself deeply into one of the chests lining the walls. For a few, nerve-wracking moments he had been sure the racket would have alarmed the entire castle, but there had been no reaction whatsoever. Link, after spending a minute trying to wrench the thing out of the tough wood, resumed his attempts at handling the heavy weapon. His success was limited, as he was ready to admit himself. Learning a new weapon from scratch all by oneself was incredibly difficult. The often subtle ways to change your footing, your stance, the tricks to making its use faster and safer… without a teacher you had to find out by trial and error. And error usually meant either destroying something or in the worst case, hurting yourself. At least Link hadn't managed that particular failure…

Still, it was fascinating. Sir Alistair wasn't that much stronger than him… but he could swing these heavy weapons significantly faster and with frightful accuracy. Next time he used something like this, Link would have to pay closer attention… in addition to not getting killed during their sparring.

After about 3 and a half hours of training, Link was now, finally ready for bed. He could hear the knight's compound slowly wake up as the sun started to shine through the large windows. He took that as a sign that it was time to stop. His willingness to be watched by others while he was bungling around with arms he wasn't used to was rather limited. In the end, he felt that he had at least familiarized himself with how these weighty weapons should be handled. The better he got at fighting in general, the more he realized that almost all these weapons worked similarly enough that he could use his considerable knowledge at arming swords. Use a little more weight here, change the way you stepped a bit there… as long as you understood the principal advantages and disadvantages of a weapon, you could translate many of your trained skills between them. They looked different, they felt different, but in the end they worked very alike.

Link was happy with himself. He wouldn't call his gain in understanding today a breakthrough, but it certainly prove valuable if he ever needed to use an unfamiliar weapon in the field.

Completely wet with sweat, he decided to use the bathing rooms today. Until now the idea of washing himself together with – potentially – dozens of men had held very little gusto. Frankly, he admitted to himself, he felt a bit embarrassed. He was no stranger to the moronic talk of men and boys who played at being men in showers. And, as most boys his age, he wondered about the… adequacy of his body…

But not today! He didn't know whether being with Zelda had given him a surge in confidence, or whether he was just tired and didn't care.

Finding the bathing room was easy enough. Some of the older knights were already there, apparently also interested in avoiding the tedious… 'length-battles' of younger peers. It was a pleasant room, all in all. White stone walls, a few lead glass windows that couldn't be looked through… not the opulent baths that some nobles liked to brag with. On one side was a simple fountain that constantly supplied fresh water, on the other was a large pool of apparently warm water for soaking. After having undressed completely, Link grabbed a wooden bucket, dunked it into the fountain's basin and then dumped the whole thing over his head. As he had both feared and hoped, the water was ice cold. He heard a low chuckle of one of the other bathers and looked around. The aging man threw him an admiring nod. Link grinned sheepishly and repeated the process. He scrubbed himself clean from head to toe with soap and sponge, then dried himself off. He had no interest in joining the other men in the hot tub. He did, however, notice something that pleased him greatly. If he looked around at the others, he was approximately of medium height, maybe just a little bit below. He had always felt a bit short… apparently the last weeks had brought a growth spurt with them? He hoped that it would be the last…

Feeling wonderfully clean and fresh, clad only in his towel, he returned to his chamber. He picked a greenish tunic and was about to drop the towel when he halted mid-movement. Lightning quick he reached for his sword and drew it.

"You have a second to explain why you're in my room." he said threateningly. He couldn't see anyone… but he knew… behind!

Link whipped around and swung his weapon at the intruder, stopping a millimetre away from her throat.

"To bring news, hero." she said quickly, clearly startled.

"You perverted old crone!" he hissed, extremely annoyed. "This is the second time you sneak up on me like this. Give me a good reason not to believe you my enemy, or I promise you there won't be a third."

Carefully, not making any sudden movement, she reached upwards to pull back her hood, revealing her tanned, deeply lined face. She lowered her arms again, her palms towards him, as if in supplication. Her blood red eyes gazed deeply into his. If you looked past the unsettling colour, Link found them to be sad and honest…

"I apologize. It was not my intention to alarm you, but I can not allow anyone to see me. If our enemies learned of my being here, they might redouble their efforts. I come bearing a plea from my princess." she said, speaking carefully. Apparently she took his threat seriously. Good! She should!

Link was wary of this woman. He had felt on his own body how dangerous she was. He had twice been caught unaware by her uncanny skill at hiding. Her modus operandi reminded him critically of the assassins in white that had so very nearly succeeded at taking Zelda's life. Her eyes showed no betrayal… but Link wasn't confident in his senses enough to trust only them with this most vital decision. He could not allow a mistake…

"Before you say your piece, I need to know. You assault me on the north road, speak vaguely of a great threat and say that I need to be a 'protector'. A few days later the princess is attacked and nearly murdered by assassins employing stealth. All that stood between her and that grim fate was me. Now you claim to be sent by her… forgive me, but my will to trust you is rather taxed at the moment. So I will say it again: Give me a good reason not to believe you my enemy." Link said with a deadly cold voice.

She seemed to think what to say. Her eyes turned hard. "My name is Impa of the Shiekah clan. Our purpose is to guard the knowledge of the Threat and the great calamity it has caused two millennia ago. My undying allegiance is to the princess, as it has always been. I do not want my loyalty questioned again, hero." she growled. She has some nerve, thought Link. But again, he could feel nothing but honesty.

If this woman was the enemy, she was a hopelessly ineffectual one… twice she could have easily killed him, stabbing him in the back, but didn't. Especially after he had proven to be a serious threat to their plans at the arena, one of them would have probably done away with him without hesitation. She hadn't.

He could also sense the genuine indignation radiating from her upon hearing his accusation.

Link now hesitated himself. If he lowered his sword, he was not sure he would survive if she attacked. If he didn't he potentially angered one of Zelda's allies. Was he being foolish or too suspicious?

Following his heart, more than his brain, he slowly moved his blade away from her throat. For a few seconds he cynically awaited her sudden movement and a stabbing pain.

The old crone sighed in apparent relief. "I thank you for your trust. It is more than I have received most of my life. But, still, I urge you not to lose that suspicious mind of yours, hero." she said with a serious nod.

Link bristled at the 'hero'. "Stop calling me that. I do not want my trust to be repaid with sarcastic remarks and name-calling!" he snapped, but sheathed his sword.

She looked at him in surprise. "I apologize, but I was not being sarcastic." she affirmed enigmatically.

"Tell me the princess' plea." he asked, not wanting to waste any more time.

She nodded. "Very well. I will tell you in her own words: 'Link, please come to our forest at midday. I will wait for you at the location of our greatest battle!' That is all." Impa told him, smiling almost motherly.

Link was confused. Not about the message, naturally, that was immediately obvious to him. It also really sounded like Zelda's type of humour, lending further credence to the… Shiekah was it?... the Shiekah's words.

What he didn't understand is why she would send this formidable warrioress to send such a simple message. It would be easy for her to, for example, let Saria send a note via an errand-boy. And the time she proposed was odd too. She knew his schedule, he was sure. Zelda seemed like the inquisitive type of person who knew the daily routine of everyone in the castle. Why would she want to meet him then, so he'd most certainly miss Sir Alistair's lecture?

These discrepancies worried him. She wouldn't do all this on a whim, she was too thoughtful for that…

He couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Why does she want to see me?" he asked the old woman.

A twitch of a grin played around the corners of her mouth. "Apart from the obvious reason?" she counter-questioned slyly.

Link's face grew stony. Of course this… spy would know of them. That's probably one of the reasons why she sent her. But he would not abide this mischievous grin, not from her! "You claim to have undying loyalty to Zelda, yet you insult her with such a careless remark. This is strictly her business and mine and no-one else's. You will keep quiet about this." It was not an order. It was a statement. He had kept his voice low, but his words were hard as steel. This was too sensitive a topic, especially for Zelda, to allow gormless banter.

To his grim satisfaction that Impa looked shocked. She lowered her gaze and said: "I ask both you and the princess for forgiveness. I did not mean to be disrespectful. My shadowy ways, I'm afraid, translate poorly to skill with words." Then she looked back into his eyes and smiled softly. "I admire your protectiveness, hero. I can sense she will be in good hands." the old woman said mysteriously. Link was suddenly abashed by the unexpected compliment. He hadn't shown all too much respect either… His doubts that this crone truly was an ally of Zelda's were minimal now.

"I, too, must apologize." he said grudgingly. "It appears I become hot-headed at certain topics…"

She waved it away with a tired, sad smile.

"Why does she want to see me? Why send you to deliver such a simple message?" he asked again, now considerably more relaxed.

"My princess has expressly forbidden me from telling any details. She said that she wanted to be the one to explain everything to you. That it was her duty…"

Now Link was really worried! That sounded almost as if…

His young heart nearly went into arrest. Goddess, was she breaking up with him? Had he done something wrong? Had he only imagined that the strong connection he felt to her was mutual? Had he been lying to himself?

… no, that couldn't be it. The moment of blind panic passed and, not for the first time today, Link felt like an idiot. This most certainly was not the purpose of this odd meeting. He was positive that she shared his feelings at least somewhat… The way she had snuggled up to him when he had embraced her… It had spoken to him on so many emotional levels… It was simply impossible that he had misread her so utterly. And he was also sure beyond doubt that she wouldn't just surrender their blossoming relationship without fighting like a she-tiger, even if the king were to order her to.

He felt deeply ashamed for this moment of mistrust. Zelda certainly didn't deserve it, not in the slightest. Link hoped it had been a figment of his tired, overwrought mind, filled with residual suspicion for the strange pervy crone. Or, he thought with a tiny smile of amusement, it was yet another proof of that enchanting angel's talent to turn his brain into witless soup of idiocy.

"So, I won't be able to pry any information from you, then?" he ventured, trying his utmost not to let this little panic attack show on his face.

Another tiny sad smile. "All I can tell you is that she needs you, he-… Link. Fate has brought you two together. It was no chance meeting. She will request your support. The question is: what will you answer?" she mused, inscrutable.

Link didn't even have to think. He stood up perfectly straight and gazed at his unwanted guest sternly. "Allow me to quote you. My undying allegiance is to the princess. I do not want my loyalty questioned again." he said calmly, but severely.

Impa chuckled softly. "Undying allegiance… from any other fifteen year old couple, this would sound laughably foolish and naïve…"

Link blushed deeply at 'couple'. He also was about to throw this insufferable woman out of the window for her mocking words, but before he could so much as growl, she continued. "But… and that is the strangest thing… I believe you. Something intangible tells me that your words are not mindless bravado, nor do they stem from honest, but fleeting emotionality. There is something in your eyes, hers and yours... some ancient sincerity…" she uttered, seemingly lost in thought as she studied his eyes.

Link felt seriously uncomfortable. It angered him that she would, even for an instant, consider his statement to be dishonest or naïve. And then that remark about how she deemed him sincere nonetheless… as if she knew more about him than he did. It made his skin crawl. "Well, I assume it is sometimes difficult to judge character while hiding in the shadows." he said scathingly.

The Shiekah showed an amused grin. "True. Yet, unseen and unheard, you witness a lot of dishonesty, a lot of deceit from people who think they are unwatched. In those subjects I consider myself an expert, though, admittedly, their opposites might elude my judgement." she countered.

Link looked at her stone-faced, then sighed. This crone had offended him on several levels, but it would seem that he was unable to breach her cocoon of calm with provocation. He decided to swallow his anger, difficult as it may be, for it would not help matters. He felt he was already teetering on the edge of pettiness, something that disgusted him. It clashed with the code of chivalry, certainly, but this was a level he didn't want to stoop to even if he was the lowest of beggars.

"Very well, then." he said calmly, trying to steer back to a topic that was more in line with his interests. "You care for Zelda, as do I. I think I've made myself clear already. But if not, I hereby promise you that I will do whatever I can to give her the support she needs. Whether it is as mere protector or… more." he announced and meant every word. A small but powerful voice in his head said 'Goddess, let it be more…'

Aloud he continued: "Until midday, I intend to rest, so I can be ready. I assume you do not also want to watch me sleep?" He wasn't able to keep the sarcasm out of his voice completely…

She raised an amused eyebrow. "How very enticing. But no, I have intruded enough. Ah, and rest assured that I will not follow either of you during the day. My princess has been most adamant about that…" she finished with a sly grin.

Link couldn't help but smile a little himself. Thoughtful as he had come to expect. Zelda had just earned an extra kiss!

Link was on his way, somewhat better rested. After the… talk with the crone sleep, once again, hadn't come all too willingly. But at least he judged himself capable of rational thought again… a rather dubious claim, a nasty voice in his mind nagged…

He was nervous. Not so much because he was going to meet this marvellous girl again, and sooner than he'd hoped… okay, lies, that too! The thought of seeing her again still excited him beyond belief. But also because it was obvious that something was amiss. Link clearly remembered how Zelda seemed to nearly quake in apprehension yesterday and felt his own tension rise in turn. He so much had wanted to help her, even if it was just listening to her troubles… Seeing her try to bottle it up but shake with the building pressure had nearly brought tears to his eyes for feeling helpless. But he, grudgingly, had accepted it when she told him that she wasn't ready to tell him. He knew that it was her business whether she wanted to confide in him and he trusted her judgement, even though he suspected she was being too strong for her own good.

Link strongly presumed that whatever was so urgent today was the same thing that had bothered her yesterday. What had she found out that now she had to tell him, and fast? He did not think her prone to hasty overreacting, she was too smart for that. What was it then? Was it wild speculation to think it involved the group that had attacked her? Had she learned something about them? If that was the case, what did she want him for? He had saved her, true enough, but what service could he now provide that her legions of guards, agents and spies couldn't?

The closer he got to the wild little forest, and the more he mused about the significance of it all, the more nervous he got. When he passed through the royal gardens he felt like others should be able to hear him vibrate with tension. He wasn't sure whether he should play it nonchalantly or try to dash from cover to cover… though he imagined, if he tried to act cool while his thoughts were racing like this, he'd probably look laughably suspicious. He'd only have to whistle a mindless tune to make the picture of 'obviously up to something' perfect.

Link passed through the hole in the hedge that she had shown him and reached the rickety wooden gate. With a little grin he kicked the spot that was already dented from Zelda's frequent ministrations and it swung open.

Before him was the fascinating little virgin forest, but no Zelda. She was probably a little further in, out of sight, he'd imagine.

He closed the gate behind him, descended the last few steps and entered the jungle.

The way to the fountain was as brambly as before, though something had changed a little bit. Link thought that, from the way some branches were broken and some plants were stepped on, more than one person must have come through here recently. He wasn't sure what that meant. Did whatever she want to tell him have something to do with this place? He knew how much it meant to her…

Link emerged into the clearing with the fountain. Zelda lay on the rim of the fountain, eyes closed. For one heart-stopping moment he wasn't sure if something had happened to her, but it started beating again when he noticed her breathing peacefully. He exhaled deeply, trying to calm his suddenly shaking knees. She was only sleeping! Goddess damn my overwrought, hysterical mind!

He didn't know how to approach her. Should he try making noise so she'd wake up or be as silent as possible and let her sleep a little. Thankfully the decision didn't need to be made. Zelda sighed, opened her eyes slightly and saw him, looking a little uncomprehending.

Then she started up. "You're here already? What time is it? Did you just arrive?" she asked hastily, trying to tug her clothes back into place where they had become disorderly, at least according to her. Link certainly couldn't see the difference, she looked as perfect as ever. He was still light headed from relief that she was alright. But she did seem flushed that he had caught her napping, which amused him.

"It's alright!" he assured her, chuckling. "I just got here. I didn't know whether I should interrupt your little nap. You looked so peaceful."

Zelda looked at him, her dissatisfaction at herself clearly written on her face. Apparently this had not been how she had imagined their meeting, Link thought, suppressing more giggling. She had obviously fallen asleep without wanting to. He could now see the hint of dark circles below her eyes.

"You look tired." he said and immediately wanted to slap himself. Great start, idiot! He'd said it out of concern, naturally, but still…

She looked at him levelly for a second, then her elegant eyebrow twitched up questioningly. "Why thank you, I'm glad you noticed! You don't, annoyingly." she grumbled, but with a tiny crooked smile.

Another tiny wave of relief washed over him. Apparently he hadn't completely buggered it up already. Despite her plainly visible bleary-eyedness, she still wasn't overly touchy.

Well, taking the bull by the horns, as usual! "Clever ploy, by the way." he said with an appreciative nod.

"What is?" she asked with a frown of confusion.

"You, draping yourself here so artfully, waiting for me and hoping I'd wake you with a kiss… good plan, would have worked!" he explained, smirking.

It took her a second to turn her bemused expression into an amused, eyebrow-raised quizzical grin. "Good thing it didn't, then. It might have given you all the wrong impressions." she uttered.

Now it was Link's turn to look confused… he had no idea what that had meant. Even more bewildering was that Zelda seemed to question the meaning of her own words too. She hung her head and gave a defeated chuckle. "Sorry, that was just terrible! I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with your banter today… as you so gracefully noticed, I haven't gotten much sleep tonight."

Link stepped closer to her in answer. He was once again smitten by her angelic appearance. She wore her golden hair more open today, which he greatly enjoyed. Only the ends of those magnificently shimmering strands were bound together so they wouldn't waft all over the place. She wore a similar outfit to yesterday, but it was a little more… royal. More colourful, mostly blues instead of brown and white and the crest of her house was stitched in at her shoulders.

Trousers again, he noticed with a delighted grin. Those legs really needed to be shown… at least to him.

He bent down and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before she looked back up. He kept his face a few centimetres in front of hers and smiled at her mischievously. For a second she seemed surprised, then a bashful smirk crept on her lips. "Is that all I get?" she whispered, blushing deeply.

"Oh well, if you insist…" he said before assaulting her with a much more passionate kiss.

Zelda sighed deeply, almost as if in relief. It was such a cute sound that he had to consciously hold himself back or he might have gone further. And even though every part of his body wanted him to do just that, his mind knew that this was neither the time nor the place. She had called him here, urgently… it must be important.

After a few all too short seconds he moved away again to look at her stunning face. Even tired she looked like an angel! Link was immensely proud that this simple little kiss had, at least for the moment, replaced her worried expression with a tranquil one.

And for my next trick…

He sat down next to her on the stone rim and put his arm around her. After an instant of hesitation she leaned towards him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You have no idea how much I'd love to fall asleep now…" she mumbled, her eyes closed.

Link felt so sorry for her… clearly something had her worried enough that it had kept her up at night. He could feel how tense her muscles were, even when she tried to relax. He, too, was getting more worried by the minute, reacting subconsciously to her apprehension. But he'd be damned if he let her feel that. He'd have to make her feel calm. Today, more than ever, he'd have to give her all the comfort, all the support he could possibly muster.

He cleared his throat. "Well, if we get this over with quickly, we can just return here and you can nap on my shoulder all you want…" he said softly.

She smiled a tiny bit and nodded. Sighing, she sat back up straight. He could see on her face that her thoughts were racing about how to start.

"What has Impa told you?" she asked, looking at nothing straight ahead.

"I have actually met her before." he began. Zelda turned to him, surprised.

"Really! She, err… caught me, literally with my pants down, on the north road. Gave me quite a start…" He was delighted to watch he puzzled expression, trying to construct the scene he had just described in her head.

"She challenged me to a fight. She beat me quite decisively…" Link didn't quite know why he said that, but it just didn't feel honest to omit that detail.

"The old crone then said something about ancient evil that would soon arise. And… that I'd have to become the protector…" he felt slightly embarrassed repeating that seeming nonsense. He hoped that she wouldn't think him an idiot for even remembering those words.

"Today, though, she said nothing outlandish. Only that I should go to you and aid you…" he finished.

She nodded, lost in thought, still staring dead ahead. Now Link was getting really nervous. No smile, no movement… nothing he had just said was even remotely funny to her…

"I'm afraid, I must try to explain to you that everything she said is true…" she muttered. He didn't know how to react, didn't even know what to think… Clearly, she was being dead serious. She was trembling… Link could feel her fear as if it was his own. Her hesitation after each sentence betrayed an inner conflict. He saw how much she yearned for his support, yearned for not being alone… but he suspected she hated to involve him, especially if it was as dangerous as it sounded. She was the kind of person who'd rather shoulder everything herself, rather than endanger others…

For Link, however, there was no conflict whatsoever! He moved his hand towards hers that were balled to fists in her lap. He gently touched it until she loosened it and interlocked her fingers with his. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and thought he could feel her gratitude at the gesture alone. "Tell me!" he simply said, and was surprised at how calm his voice sounded.

And she told him.

She told him about this Threat, this great calamity that long ago had been banished, but never defeated. She recounted the horror she had encountered on the north road, the grasping, slashing darkness that immediately reminded him of the nightmare he'd had in the same night. She spoke of how she, miraculously, had vanquished this great shadow with a light that had come from deep inside her that defied explanation. She explained how the assassins that had sought her life were its agents and that their stepping out in the open could only mean that their master's re-emergence was close at hand. She described how everything, the sudden appearance of Bokoblins in the heartlands, the darkness, the assailants, the recent monster attack on the Gerudo, even the air of unease and mistrust, all of it was pointing in one direction: the resurgence of the Threat.

Link listened to her wordlessly, he hardly even blinked. Everything just bubbled out of her, all these causes for fear and worry and he felt so painfully overwhelmed with sorrow for how much weight this marvellous, innocent girl had to bear. Everything she said sounded unbelievable, crazy even… yet not for a second did he doubt her. She believed everything she said with heart and soul, even though it threatened to tear both apart.

She told him about her ability to perceive things of the past, present and future if she had a strong enough stimulus. Link could accept even that without a shimmer of disbelief. She didn't say it with the airs of funfair soothsayers that reeked of deceit… she said it like a shy confession, like a hesitant admission of something that deeply unsettled her.

His heart was quickening and his mouth was going dry when she described that she, in a vision, had seen this monstrosity, this ultimate evil. Her description had frightening similarity with the horror he had seen in today's dream. He felt her hands tremble like dry leaves in a storm… they were ice cold. He reached over to also take her other hand, to warm it, give her comfort.

She finished her explanation by saying what he'd, for reasons he couldn't explain, feared she'd say: that she would have to combat this Threat… that it was her destiny to stop it from bringing its destruction into the world once more.

Link thought about what to say for at least a minute, her shivering hands in his. He did not know why she thought that she, the young princess of Hyrule, the most stunningly beautiful creature on this world, needed to shoulder all of this. It was no vainglory. It frightened her to death!

In the end, he said one, simple sentence. "What must I do?"

For the first time during all her exposition, she looked at him. She looked him deep into the eyes… he could see hers slowly become full of tears and her lip quivered. Link turned on the stone rim so he faced her completely, embraced her and pressed her gently to his chest.

He could feel her fight her sobbing… she didn't want to cry in front of him… Link understood, but shook his head in gentle chiding. "What did you think I'd say, you dummy?" he hummed softly.

He heard her crunch her teeth trying to hold back tears and felt her grip his tunic. "I don't… I don't know…" she admitted, between rapid breaths. "I don't… I don't want to have to… involve you! But I can't do it… I can't do it on my own!" she sobbed.

"Shhhhh" Link calmed her. "All that energy wasted for worrying when all you need to do is ask. You did not truly believe that there was even a chance that I would leave to do this alone, did you? If you did, I'd have to re-evaluate your wisdom, Zelda…" he cooed, gently stroking her hair.

He let out a single breath of laughter. "You don't even know what awaits you!" she mumbled, her breath slowly calming.

"That is true, I don't. But it hardly matters to me. I'm a bit simple, you know? You need my help and I will give it. That is all there is." he assured. He could feel how hard she was struggling to regain her composure. He couldn't help but be filled with pity. She must have learned most of what she had told him only yesterday… her world must have collapsed in on itself. She, a fifteen year old girl, would go into battle against a… demigod of chaos and destruction! And here, with no-one around, she didn't even permit herself this show of emotion. Link couldn't even guess how much effort it cost her to ask him for his aid. No wonder she had been so desperately apprehensive…

At least she gave a weak little giggle. "You're an idiot." She breathed.

"Absolutely. But I'm your idiot."