Chapter 29
Link
Everything was quiet, as it had been for the last four nights. The biggest action he had seen during his guard duty was when one of the servants had drunkenly fallen on his face in the middle of the night. If that was the one thing that stood out, Link reflected, then by Farore's mercy, you have a boring job.
Thank the Three, the sun was already rising. And thank this wonderful blonde angel for letting him get a few hours of sleep. If lying halfway on a hard table with only your hands as pillows was the most epically delightful sleep you have ever gotten, he reflected again, you have a nasty job.
Still, those two or three hours had been a goddesssend. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he had felt Zelda's gentle touch on his head… probably just his imagination, but still… something had made this nap feel as if he'd had a full night's rest. Yesterday's shift he more than once had to vehemently pinch himself to keep awake… today it was easy! He even managed to get a bit of reading done! He knew he shouldn't and it would get him into a lot of trouble if he was caught reading… but he figured that spending time learning as many survival tips would benefit both him and Zelda more on the long term. Hyrule could be a harsh place… how to keep warm (or cool), how to protect against insects, which berries and mushrooms to pick in regions that he wasn't familiar with… all knowledge that could save their lives. In the heartlands there would be no problem. He knew his way around all flora and fauna here… but outside? That would be a bit more challenging. Especially since he had to teach Zelda everything she needed to know to survive on her own. If he got hurt, she'd have to be able to make it back to civilisation…
Link sighed… so many things to think about. Thankfully, Zelda was smart… definitely a good bit smarter than him. She'd learn quickly, even if she probably had only a very rudimentary idea of survival in the wilderness right now. Link, at least, had basically spent his childhood in the woods around Ord, foraging, hunting, building shelters with Ric and Mart… they had stayed away for days, sometimes even a week or two, much to his mother's dismay (and to the dismay of his own buttocks afterwards…) But back then they could always have just returned to the safety of the village if something had gone wrong. They would have no such luxury on their quest. Any problem they would need to solve on the fly… So he needed to be doubly and triply prepared.
If he was being honest with himself, he couldn't wait until they got going, though. Standing around each night was not how he had planned to spend his younger years… He would of course do it, without hesitation, for he knew how important Zelda's safety was. To both the world and ever increasingly to him… But going on a cross-country camping trip with this stunning wonder of nature sounded so much more alluring than gradually forming two foot-sized grooves in the stone in front of her chambers. Even if the outcome of said trip was very uncertain…
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Thankfully the man who was his relief was of the punctual sort. After eight hours of standing on the same spot with only minimal possibility for movement, his body always ached. The rather infuriating part was it ached both to lie down and to move! And since he had no interest in founding the high art of reclined swordsmanship, he always had to choose. As today held another torturous session with Sir Alistair for him, he would normally have chosen rest. The grizzled old maniac had only increased the tempo with which he endeavoured to grind Link into the ground after he had heard that sleep had become but a sweet, distant memory.
"Heh heh… good! Then you can learn what it feels like to fend off a few dozen Moblins after their howling has kept you awake for the last three days. Build's character!" he had smirked evilly. Link suspected that it might indeed build the character… of a murderous lunatic that is! But he kept that to himself. The blademaster definitely looked like he didn't get enough sleep either… no wonder, with the preparation of an army needing overseeing. Link would only need to take care of one person other than himself out there... The aging knight had to keep thousands alive and fed… He did not want to swap with him…
Today, however, Link had to deny himself his date with madam pillow once again, no matter how enticing she looked. He was finally going to meet Ricco to roam through the city, as they had planned even before all the madness in the arena. Actually, Link was surprised that his big friend was taking time out of his busy schedule of trading scathing insults with Saria… Link had to grin slyly… if he had to make the choice between spending time with Ric and Zelda, the big guy would fly headfirst into a ditch by the road before he knew it, he thought to himself, not being entirely serious. No, of course he wouldn't do that… he'd just politely, but firmly, ask him to bugger off.
In all seriousness, he was greatly looking forward to this meeting. Being with Ricco might, for just a few hours, help him forget how daunting his task was. Maybe he could just have fun with his childhood friend… He did, however, have one specific plan for today. The idea had ripened in his head upon seeing how uncomfortable Zelda had gotten when he had paid for her dinner… In that too he would need his friend's help…
Link was currently heading towards the fighter's compound, their meeting place. He could already see him standing around, blocking half the street with his bulk. The guy was fifteen and already bigger than most adults! How large would he get?
Ric spotted him. "Link! Partner in crime! Which venerable venue will we visit, oh valorous vriend?" he hollered across the street so that every head turned towards him. Link cringed, both because of the sudden attention and the dreadfully haphazard alliteration. Still, he had to grin. He had missed Ricco's uncaring personality… He was the type who, if half the world saw him as lunatic, would go out and not rest until the other half thought so too... because he doesn't do things by half-measures.
"Vriend?! Villain, valiant, wanker, even willy… so many possibilities and you go with vriend?!" he questioned, shaking his head in exasperation.
They grabbed each other's forearm in greeting, grinning at each other. "I thought I had to scrape the bottom of the barrel, you know, get down to your level… But apparently all that time in the castle is leaving an impression! You have begun to learn words longer than willy!" he shot back without hesitation.
"Longer than most." Link said his countenance carefully blank. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed the bemused expressions of the passers-by. Unsurprisingly the good, virtuous people of Hyrule were quite unused to madness of their special Ordian brand. Well, they were about to get the full experience!
The two started walking towards the central market place. To Link's sheer bottomless surprise, Ricco's first question revolved around the fairer sex. "So! How are things progressing?" he asked in a tone of voice that made it unmistakable. But Link wouldn't be himself if he offered everything so easily to the nosiest boy alive. "
"Oh, still knight-aspirant. Training's going well. Sir Alistair is even more demanding than the old bear! If Russel was tough as nails, that madman is a solid block of steel, with about the same capability for humour!" he answered, exaggerating slightly.
The big lad's reaction came as expected. "Yes, yes, I'm near vibrating with interest for some old sword-swinging swaggerer! Unless of course you started dating him… Of course! It all makes sense! Gee, Link, I didn't know! And here I was, spending years of my life introducing you to fine young ladies, even got the princess to take an interest in your pitiful hide, and now I learn it was all for nothing! You should have said!" Ric blustered, feigning indignation for all his imagined wasted efforts.
Link spluttered in laughter. Now that was not what he had expected… but he rallied quickly. "Sure. I mean, you should have realized… all this training, first with Sir Russel, then Alistair… I just looooove seeing old men getting all sweaty… Mmmmm!" he grunted predatorily, with just a tad of sarcasm in his voice.
It had the desired effect. Ricco shuddered in disgust and made a face as if he had just bitten into a raw onion. "Oh Farore's mercy, the images this conjures up! Brrr." Then he made a wry smile again. "Would you like me to buy you a bottle of oil? You know, for your 'swords'?" he asked, obviously enjoying his cleverness immensely.
Now it was Link's turn to look a bit piqued. "I think, the direction we are going is getting rather low in standard… as in a horde of Gorons couldn't dig so low in a thousand years…" he remarked.
Ricco gave a satisfied nod. "Ahh… then we have reached my comfort zone! Join me and revel in depravity, my tiny friend! It is the only thing left when the thin veneer of moral is off!" he pronounced wistfully.
"No need to poke holes in said veneer already, though… Isn't it a little early for philosophy? Or, you know, your superficial equivalent of it?" Link questioned. He graciously ignored the 'tiny friend' remark.
"Very well, back to women then! Answer already! On a scale from Ord guttersnipe to prince of Hyrule, how's it going?" Ric chuckled, giving his friend a hearty clap on the back.
Link laughed, rubbing his right shoulder which suddenly had a slapping reminder that it was still a bit slashed. Prince of Hyrule… he hadn't even entertained that very, very far-fetched thought for a second until now. Should he? "I'd say I have comfortably reached 'stray dog within outer castle' level. Sometimes I even get food!" he joked, knowing it would further irritate the big guy with its absolute lack of information.
"Are the occasional royal belly-rubs good at least?" he rumbled, his expression innocent.
Link immediately felt himself redden to somewhere between cherry and tomato, thinking of a slightly different sort of… belly-rub. Goddess damn you, Ricco!
"Oh ho ho! Could it be that I, linguistic marksman extraordinaire, have hit the proverbial bull's eye?" he delighted, grinning widely.
"N… not yet." Link admitted, feeling uncharacteristically sheepish.
"Ah well. But from the radiance of your face I gather that all is going well? You're making it work?" the big guy quested.
"You are being rather nosy today, aren't you…" Link evaded.
"What else is new? Haha, you should see your face… you could fry a steak on it!" Ric chuckled, then shook his head. "My word, what a catch! My little boy and the P of H. I'm proud of you! Without any facetiousness for once… I'm happy for you, brother!" he mumbled and put his heavy hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.
'Bundle of overboiling emotion!' Link thought, amused and really quite moved. The wonderful thing about Ricco was, you knew that everything he said came from his heart. Or, at least from his stomach. Very rarely did anything stem from his brain…
To cover up his own threatening emotionality, he prepared for his riposte.
"Well, you seem to be doing just fine yourself. I feared that prickly little ball of cynicism and you might be at each other's throats within seconds, but apparently I was wrong?" he questioned, also quite interested in Ric's conquest.
"Oh we are. We definitely are! But not in the way you're implying…" he replied with a sly little grin. "No, seriously, that girl is a handful…"
"Literally in your case…" Link couldn't help but remark, given the difference in size.
"That too. I suspect that will come in handy if she ever lusts for my blood, which I am not yet convinced couldn't happen any second… but no, she is such a fascinating character. If there was a goddess of sarcasm, Saria would make her cry out of inadequacy within minutes. Her cynicism could probably sour the milk of all cows in the country… and I love every second of it!" he stated proudly.
"I'm not sure whom I should pity, you or her…" Link joked, grinning.
Ricco gave him an expression of merciful indulgence. "My poor boy... If she and I are together, you should pity the rest of the world!"
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It was amazing how much food could be at one place! Hundreds of stalls on the central market plaza and seemingly millions of different types of vegetables, fish, meat, fruit… it was a hungry boy's dreamland! And it was magnificent how much free stuff you could get! Not because people were so very generous, but with the sheer amount of stalls and enough persistent asking, enough proprietors were willing to offer free samples to satiate even two such titanic appetites as the Ord-boys'. Link was currently chewing on something rather indefinable with at least twelve tentacles that he had received from a rather beautiful Zora-woman. It was one of those things that, if you found them swimming at you in nature you would probably clear off flailing… but fried on a stick it was just as much food as the next disgusting-looking critter. Ric had, of course, already finished his and was already looking for his next prey.
They were still strolling through the aisles, there eyes darting from one wonder to the next. The whole plaza was beautiful on its own… three or four square kilometres crammed with stalls, some simple, some exuberant, encircled by Hyrule city's magnificent architecture of white stone. Two, three, four storied buildings, artfully adorned with balconies, pillars and reliefs; mansions, official buildings and temples… Link, while itching to see such houses from the inside, pitied the inhabitants… this market probably did not sleep… ever. If you lived here, the ear-shattering ruckus would be pervasive…
As they wandered criss-cross through, occasionally stopping to gawk at the acrobats or magicians that earned their keep here, he worked up the courage to do what he had primarily come here for.
Link felt strangely nervous about what he was going to ask, but decided that it would be beneficial… hopefully. "Say, Ricco… would you be willing to assist me in a… purchase?" he ventured.
The big guy, immediately smelling Link's embarrassment with his well honed nose for mischief, nodded sagely. "Of course. I've seen a stall two corners ago." he muttered, uncharacteristically silent.
Link looked at him, confused. "A stall for what?" he asked, before he could stop himself.
He got an innocently helpful look. "A stall with medicine for your ailment. An ancient Gerudo was selling it to a bunch of old men. Hey, no need to be ashamed, it can happen to the best of us! One in five, I've heard!" He blabbered, hopping out of the way in case Link felt like poking him with the skewer in his hand.
"Idiot! I can at least see mine still, you huge pile of redundant protoplasm." he shot back, both annoyed and, admittedly, amused.
"Ouch. But unfortunately, you're right. I am getting rather a bit plump. But then again, the more there is of me, the brighter the world will be!" Ric rhymed, much to his friend's dismay.
"Not if you block out the sun… listen, you weren't too far off, but I was thinking of something for a different body part…" he said, then waited if the little planetoid got the message that a bit of seriousness was called for.
"You have my undivided attention." Ricco claimed, looking pointedly at the next food store.
Link rolled his eyes. "I want to buy something for… you know… her…" By the goddess, why am I blushing?! What's the big deal? It's Ricco! I could tell him that I have to hide the evidence of a town I burned down and he would wordlessly grab a dustpan and brush and ask 'Where to?'
"Aah, the soup thickens! Well, you have certainly come to the right man!" he chuckled with a pinch of sarcasm. He would be the first to admit that his taste in… anything other than food was questionable at best.
"I am beginning to doubt that. Why have I asked you to assist me again?" Link asked the universe in general.
"Because of your unwavering faith in my superior intellect, my bottomless kindness to help my fellow cretin and my flawless decision-making power. And, naturally, my peerless humility and discretion." Ricco bellowed so loudly that the lady of the opposite stall dropped a bucket of crabs in fright.
"Oh yeah! I always forget you have all those… How come you never use any of them?" Link giggled as they ran away from the furious woman who bombarded them with the pinching critters.
When they had brought a few corners between them and the screaming lady (another few good expletives for the collection were learned), Ricco asked: "Now… any idea what a wretch like you is going to give the princess of a powerful country?"
Link stopped in his motions… when he put it like that… it did seem rather silly, didn't it? What could he possibly buy her that would have any significance? Was the whole idea a bit… vacuous?
Then again… her reaction at realizing that he had treated her to dinner… not only had it been hilariously cute, but also rather telling.
Ricco seemed to think the same. "Brother, that was a joke, no need to look so startled! Ricco the wise, famous for his understanding of women, says that it depends on the person bringing the gift, not the gift itself." he lectured with what he assumed was a thoughtful expression. Looked more like constipation to Link, just like the 'wisdom' he was spouting.
"That just means that she will be doubly disappointed if she doesn't like whatever I buy for her…" he reasoned, feeling more and more frightened of his own idea.
"Nonsense! If you pack it into a corny romantic story explaining why this is a sign of eternal, cast in stone 'luuurve', you could get her a petrified turd and she would accept it! Errr. Don't do that though… That girl is probably a bit to smart for these sorts of shenaningans." Ricco mused.
"Well, at least you already have a plan for your first relationship challenge. Get Sally a piece of petrified poop and bullshit so hard that she likes it. If you manage that, I'll buy your drinks for the rest of your life!" Link chuckled, looking around in the market as they strolled along.
"Ha! I know what you're planning! But you won't get me killed that easily, boy! Though I have to admit, I would really like to see her reaction… She might actually just explode and take half the world with her, I suspect…" he mumbled, lost in thought.
"Sounds rather accurate if you ask me. Zelda would probably accept it as if it was something she always wanted, devious as she is. Then, when I least expect it, it would probably 'appear' in my food and cost me a few teeth… and then she'd kill me." Link described, looking to the right. His eyes had gotten caught at a tiny corner stall… actually, it was more just a rug with various caskets with what appeared to be jewellery strewn about and a middle aged, bored-looking Gerudo sitting in the middle.
"Ah, I see you are looking to get your flame a priceless bauble from the most trustworthy merchant around. Good idea!" Ricco mocked.
Link shrugged. "Well, unless you have tirelessly sold your body for money the last few days, for the combined profit of almost two rupies I'd imagine, I don't see how I could afford the more expensive yet questionably more reliable jewellers in town." he snarled, trying to see what the Gerudo had to offer from afar.
"Hey! I'll have you know that this wonder of a body is highly sought after… by butchers in the whole country." Ric laughed, sticking out his belly and patting it lovingly. "Still, I guess it's as good a place as any to start looking."
He approached the "stall" before he could be held back and, as usual, was his irredeemable self. "Sav'aaq, good lady! My girlfriend here would like to peruse, but she's shy…" he purred, pointing at Link.
The 'girlfriend' rolled his eyes and stepped closer too. "I'd pay for a butcher to take you, insufferable coprolite!" he hissed to him. To the proprietor, who had a rather bemused face on right now, he said. "Greetings. Even though my… vriend here has the brain of a Keese, he is right. I would like to peruse." And he treated her to a winning smile.
She gave him a very learned smile back. "Grreetings, young voe!" She had the sharply rolled Rs and accent of someone who learned Hylian only later in life. "How may I be of serrvice? Ah, no no, let me! Yes, yes yes, nonono… not that! Maybe this?" her hands darted from box to box, snatching up different gems, rings, bracelets and throwing them back again. It happened so fast that Link was just staring in fascination. "Ah, here maybe! You have… verry vai face… beautiful… this here fits vell!" And she produced two blue earrings and held them towards his ears. He just stared, now in confusion and growing indignation, while he could hear his dear friend Ricco die of laughter behind him. "Err, listen, I…"
"Ah, yes, good! Good colour with eyes! Or here!" she grabbed a bracelet, snatched Link's arm with lightning speed and stuck it through. "Nonono… not good." she huffed as she pulled it away again.
"Listen, please, I'm not…"
"Here, much betterr!" and she rammed a thick, silvery thing around his arm, chafing his skin quite a bit. But, again, she seemed unhappy with what she had wrought. So was Link, but that didn't seem to bother her much. "Will you please…!"
"Nono, too much voe. You need more prretty, yes?"
Behind him, Ric was having a fit. Link felt the colour rise on his cheeks. "Would you PLEASE LISTEN TO ME?! Din's fire, if you stopped talking for a second, you might actually learn what I want! Is this an adequate business strategy for you?!" He spluttered, raising his hands to the sky in exasperation.
The middle-aged woman was surprised only for a second, then a more genuine smile graced her lips. "Ah, young voe knows what he wants! Good. Khatifa listens."
He took a deep breath. Okay. New start. "I am looking for something for my girlfriend." he said, his mouth forming an involuntary smile at the last word. A warm tingle spread on his back and made him blush… it already felt delightfully natural to call Zelda his girlfriend. What a wonderful sensation…
The perceptive Gerudo seemed to catch on frightfully quickly and showed a smug grin. "Ah, firrst love! Flame of young always brrightest! Remember looong nights with my voe… more stamina, years ago… Now! Firrst present? You have come to right place! Good Khatifa show you and tomorrow, when young vai loves prresent, she will be in your prayers. Now descrribe young vai!" she ordered, poised to rummage through her seemingly chaotic caskets again.
"Right… err…" Link stammered, his blush only getting worse at the Gerudo's remark. There would be many nights while they were underway… would they, too… require stamina?
"Err… fair skin, golden blonde hair, sky-blue eyes…" he stopped, feeling almost dirty. How in the hell could you describe something so incredibly perfect as Zelda's beauty? Every word, no matter how lyrical, felt incomplete, pale, anaemic in comparison. He saw her before his eyes with that mind-blowing smile of hers… and in all his vocabulary he couldn't find anything that would do her justice.
His hesitation didn't stop the pushy vendor, however. "Ah, I see. Hylian vai, pale as the sands at Selima oasis. Khatifa underrstands! You want… necklace? Bracelet? Earrings?"
Good question… He had spotted that her earlobes had holes, but when she was with him she had never worn any jewellery. It's not like she needed any… but still… the thought that she might wear something that he had given her… it gave him another pleasant shiver.
"Earrings, I think. Something… understated… subtle, if you know what I mean." By Nayru, he hoped that she did, or this could take till tomorrow!
"Oh, I see! Something… for you two… not for world to see, but you to know, yes?" she whispered conspiratorially and winked. She had hit the mark perfectly, Link thought, relieved. But… there was still one thing… and it was unpleasant.
"Say… how much… I mean… I don't have all that much, you see…" He admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had never really wanted anything that could be called a luxury. He had never begged his parents for anything that cost money, he had never really used his own money for anything other than food and drink with his friends… he'd never had any interest in anything that didn't have a use. Now, for the first time he wanted to buy something pretty… for the girl he adored… and he became painfully aware of the inadequacy of his means. It was a deeply frustrating experience... and humiliating…
But then again… any noble brat with more money than sense could probably buy Khatifa's whole store without even putting their purse under stress. But what would it mean? It would be as if he picked up a piece of gravel and gave it away… it has no meaning! Link, however, spending what he could afford on even a simple little trinket in order to (hopefully) make her day, that had meaning! And he was certain that she, of all people, would see that.
The Gerudo, maybe pretending that she hadn't heard him, continued to swiftly lay out a few plain pieces in front of him. They ranged from barely passable to downright tasteless. He watched her hands as she worked, rummaging, sorting, and suddenly had a glimpse of something that looked interesting. Quick as a viper he snatched the eye-catching sparkle from one of her boxes before it could be buried again. The vendor gave him a slightly miffed look for invading her stuff without asking, but he was too busy to examine the item he held to care. It was one small earring, white silver, formed like a flower. The inner part of the five-petalled blossom was some light blue stone… an aquamarine, maybe? It reminded him very much of the beautiful, elegant flower that Zelda had received as a gift a few days ago… He remembered that she had loved the thing…
"This one… how much is it?" he asked, not taking his eyes of the tiny bauble, only about a centimetre in diameter.
"Ah… not bad choice, yes… you have good eyes, young voe! Unfortunately, only this one left. Otherr one stolen… or lost. Don't know. Yes… pretty, no?" she prompted. Link knew where this was going… the more he admitted that he liked it, the higher the prize would magically become… The problem was… this was the one! This was the one he was going to buy. It was just too perfect. It would look excellent on her! The stone matched her eyes, the white silver would compliment her skin tone… and it was unostentatious, something that, he had quickly learned, was important to her. Nothing she ever wore was obtrusive or gaudy, which he deeply approved of in someone of her standing, who could wear all the gold and glitter she wanted. Additionally, he rather liked the idea of her only wearing one… it might augment her cheeky side, which he idolised.
"It would fit her well." he said cautiously.
"Yes… silver setting and tiny blue semiprecious stone. Crraftsmanship verry good. Verry good! Reduced prize because only one. Fifty rupies."
Link felt his innards turn heavy. He swallowed. That was more than he had… a good bit more…
Thankfully, Ricco knelt down beside him. "Ah, I think this is the time when I come into play. Scoot over, you. Now, my good woman, I am sure I have misheard. Fifty rupies for the earring and how many other pieces? Surely at least five…" he rumbled.
The Gerudo snatched the earring from Link's fingers and looked sinisterly at the big lad. "Fifty for earring. Take, or leave." she simply said.
"This single earring wouldn't be worth fifty if it came with a box of pure gold. 15 rupies." Ric said disdainfully.
The woman looked at him as if he had lost his mind. She lifted her arms dramatically. "Rrobberrs! Thieves! 15?! And I heard Hylians were a kind people! 45!" she exclaimed loudly. Link ducked his head slightly, hoping no-one would take the outburst literally.
"We are a people of standards and reason, flower of the desert." he said flatteringly. "And we will not be goaded by prizes like this, I can assure you. 20. And this is our final offer." he stated firmly.
"I cannot accept! You might as well burry me in the sands already!" Link noticed that all of a sudden her Hylian had improved quite a bit. "39! I shall not go lower, voe!" she promised.
Ricco seemed to study the piece, rubbing his chin. "You know, I swear my uncle Bollok can just make something like that…" he mumbled in Link's direction, careful to be just loud enough that the Gerudo could hear perfectly. "We can buy a stone like this for ten rupies, the silver for three and he'll just fabricate it himself. We should ask him first, before we do anything rash."
Link nodded, following Ric's lead. He was clearly a master at this, having basically grown up haggling for ingredients with grumpy, weathered merchants. They stood up and left with a brief 'thank you'. After a few steps Link feared that they had misjudged her and that he had lost his opportunity…
"Wait, you sons of Molduga, wait!" she shouted after them.
Oh thank Nayru's love… She had run after them, the trinket in her hand. Now Link saw how tall she really was… almost a head taller than him!
Ricco looked at her sternly. "25…" he said without ceremony.
"Impossible! My daughter is with child! What grandmother would I be if I didn't present her with a gift once I return? 34!" she wailed, looking as if she was about ready to claw his eyes out.
"28… and probably made a ludicrous profit with that." he accused, folding his arms.
"May the sands swallow you and spit you out in hell! 30! And by my life, I will not offer any more charity!"
"Agreed! I knew you would see sense, my good lady!" Ricco exulted, now sporting a wide grin.
She too smiled immediately, and heartily. "Not bad! I must remember that voe in this country are just as dangerous as vai sometimes. Here. For your lucky girl!" she chuckled and handed the bauble to Link.
Relieved that this was over, he fished out a red and two blue rupies from his pocket. His finances had just received a savage blow, but it was worth it. The more he looked at the earring, the more he wanted it to be graced by Zelda wearing it. It really would look great on her… he hoped…
"Pleasure doing business with you two!" she announced while swiping the money from his fingers. She grinned motherly at him and ruffled his hair. "Good luck, young voe… It'll be fine, you'll see!" she cooed, turned around and left.
He exhaled the breath he felt he had been holding the entire time. "Ric, goddesses help me, you are my saviour! Remind me to pay you back for this… somehow…" he said, still feeling a bit stunned.
The big lad laughed deeply. "Forget it! Even though you owe all your success with women to my tutelage, it was you who brought me together with Saria. You owe me nothing, brother." he pronounced generously.
Link didn't know what to say… so he said nothing and just nodded his thanks.
Ricco shifted a little uncomfortably. "You know that… err, Zelda won't be able to wear it, right? At least during the day?" he whispered, seeming a little concerned.
Link smiled softly. "I know. It doesn't matter. If she takes even a little pleasure in it, it was worth it to me." he mumbled, feeling a little sad. She would probably need every speck of joy she could get… they both would.
Inadvertently, the thoughts about their terrifying mission, the thoughts he had hoped would spare him for just a few hours, forced themselves back into his mind. It was frustrating… everything, from the sun in the sky to the laughing of a crowd of children around an entertainer, everything seemed darker with this sword of Damocles hanging over their future. Hundreds of kilometres to traverse to search for a place they didn't know what to do with, hoping that their purpose there would reveal itself. And then they probably had to repeat that twice over! And then? If he had the sword in his hand… what was he to do? Its presence alone would hardly be enough to ward off the Threat, would it? Would they need to go on yet another quest to prevent it from emerging onto the land once more? Or is it free already and he would have to seek battle with it?
Fear of the unknown is so much worse than fearing what is clear in front…
How could you prepare for such a nameless, faceless evil whose greatest weapon is its obscurity? Were they forever reduced to simply reacting to its plans, always on the retreat, like trying to desperately patch up a crumbling dam? Preparing against something as alien and sinister as this would be like fashioning a steel box you lock yourself in to keep you safe from all sides… and just when you think that nothing can get inside to harm you, you realize that the enemy's plan was for you to suffocate because you forgot airholes!
Frustration…
"Hey! Brother? Would you mind giving me any reaction at all, so I can be sure that you're still alive?" he heard Ricco's call, but as if he was really far away.
Arduously, Link fought himself back to reality. "Ric… you leave the day after tomorrow, right?" he asked, his expression deadpan.
"That is the plan, yes…" the big guy answered, immediately grasping that this situation called for sincerity.
"Do you and Sir Russel already have your provisions ready?" He asked, still staring off into nothing.
"I do and I'd bet my right arm that he's had them ready since before we left Ord…" Ricco said, getting a bit worried by his friend's behaviour.
"I have a bad feeling… It could be that I suddenly need to leave the city, very suddenly… with Zelda. I apologize, but I can't explain the circumstances… Would you buy another four days worth of provisions for two? And if you leave before anything happens, could you stash them somewhere where I'll find them? If it comes down to the worst, every second might count…" Link requested, having an ominous feeling.
"Brother, you're kind of scaring me… I'll do it right away, if you're sure… but why? Is there danger?" Ric asked, wide eyed.
"Not to you… I hope. But to her… terribly so, I fear." he muttered, deeply regretting that he had to asked his friend for a favour without offering any explanation… But in this case, knowledge could be dangerous…
"Alright… but, you know, brother, if I can help you any other way…" Ricco offered, obviously very worried now.
Link shook his head. "Not right now. But… err… it might be a good idea to refresh your skills with the sword… just in case. And take care of Ord while I'm gone…" he asked of him.
"How long will you be gone?" the big lad wanted to know with a sigh.
"If only I knew…" he mumbled, forlorn.
-spacer-
"Getting less and less dead by the day, lad!" Sir Alistair wheezed with just a glimmer of pride perceptible. Link, too, was proud of himself. As he had now been introduced to a large variety of weapons and had learned to use them without outright killing himself and anyone unplanned, they had returned to his preferred armament: sword and shield. The blademaster had them both in padded leather armour, mostly for the added weight, and so they could actually hit with force. Link's initial inhibition was overcome; if he saw an opening in his teacher's defence, he struck to end the fight. Happened rarely enough, still… He wasn't completely helpless against the knight, he could hold his own pretty well by now… far, far better than when they had begun training. But the old bastard seemed to have a never ending supply of dirty tricks, which he used with malicious glee. However, Sir Alistair had grudgingly conceded, the same trick very rarely worked twice on him.
As usual at the end of their session Link was drenched from head to toe. He had held his sword for nearly three hours without pause and his fingers seemed extremely unwilling to let go now… he nearly had to peel them off with his other hand.
"How are you holding up, Link?" the blademaster suddenly asked.
He stopped in his tracks. A question like this… from this rugged old warhorse?
"And, far more importantly, how is the princess?" he continued.
Link looked at him, his surprise probably clearly visible. If anyone on this world was unlikely to waste his time with brainless small talk, it would be this man. He knew something…
"I believe she is fine. She has overcome her shock from the arena, if I am any judge…" he said carefully, not wanting to give too much away.
He got an impatient look. "Cut the crap, lad. I've known the princess since her birth, I've seen her grow up since she was a toddler, and I have trained her in the way of the sword. And if you are to take charge of her protection, I want to know that you know what you're doing." he rasped. He didn't speak accusation or mistrust in his voice… just worry.
Link took a moment, evaluating his options. "What do you know, sir?"
"More than most, but not as much as you. Some ominous threat to the country. I'd normally not even listen to such nonsense. But neither the king, nor his daughter, are quick to fret, so despite common sense, I find myself believing them. What that means to me primarily, is that an attack like the one a week ago might not be a singular event. Now, if I was king, I would not trust the safety of my daughter, the apparent target of the enemy's attacks, to an inexperienced aspirant like you…"
That stung… mostly because it was true. Link couldn't even argue with that… neither would he, probably.
"…except for one reason: Your performance during the attack at the arena. What I've seen that day was impossible. Not even a Rito with a bolt of lightning up his arse could move as fast as you. You are an important part in all of this… though I've no damn clue what that is…" he left the implied question unspoken.
'Well, he knows about as much as me, then…' Link thought dryly. "Sir Alistair, I can not tell you all you want to know. Please believe when I tell you that I regret that. But I can confirm that I have a part to play… and that princess Zelda's safety is my prime concern." he said, hoping that his voice carried as much sincerity as he felt in his heart.
The blademaster didn't look all too happy. "I don't doubt that, lad. Few, let me tell you, would have dived head first after attackers that managed to kill royal guards like this, alone." he rasped and snapped his finger. "I would be a fool to doubt your will. I do however worry about what you plan…"
Link couldn't quite suppress a tiny grin. "Would you be surprised, Sir Alistair, if I tell you that Zelda already has planning firmly in her hand?" he asked, hoping to Nayru that his opposite would not misunderstand this for naïve levity.
A miniscule curl of the knight's lips brought relief. "Not in the slightest… but she, in the end, is just as much of a child as you, and I don't mean that derisively. The sad thing is, I have to trust you two babes that you know what you're doing. I can't have my eyes on the princess constantly with the preparations for war underway. But I want you to know: Zelda's safety means more to me than you might think… and I want you to seek my help if you need it. Agreed?" the old knight wheezed, looking dead serious.
Link understood… also what he didn't say.
He didn't say "Even if it means endangering me."
He didn't say "Even if it means that I would have to disregard my orders as knight of Hyrule in order to aid you."
He especially didn't say "Even if it means going against Zelda's wish to be alone in whatever they planned."
He nodded gravely. "Agreed, master."
"Then off with you! The king has requested your presence as soon as we're done, which is now. Wash and go to the map-room. It's the place where old men decide the fate of young men. You can't miss it if you can smell zealotry." the blademaster cackled, as if he knew what a bombshell he had just dropped on his student.
Meet the king, alone? What on earth for?! Hopefully not their… activities? Right?!
If yes, he at least wouldn't have to worry about any dangerous trip cross-country any more… in fact, he wouldn't have to make any trip longer than from one end of a cell to the other for the rest of his life…
-spacer-
Link waited in front of the map room. The guards had dryly informed him that he was to remain until the meeting inside was over.
Had he known that, he wouldn't have fretted like a ferret on fire with washing and redressing. He had nearly panicked about whether he should wear his finest tunic like the last time he had met the king, or another one so it wouldn't seem like he only had one single shirt to his name… In the end he had decided on the one thing he knew for certain: that he was a bloody idiot and should just bloody calm down. If the king wanted to incarcerate him, he wouldn't invite him for a quiet afternoon chat… unless that invitation included hot pokers and thumbscrews.
When the battalion of old generals finally filed out, he was relieved to finally get this over with.
Inside, the king was sitting straight on his chair in front of the map-table and fixated him with his pale eyes. Link stepped to the middle of the room and bowed deeply.
"At ease." the nearly emotionless voice of his liege resounded. "Do you know why I sent for you?"
Oh my goddess, I have an inkling but I hope I'm wrong! Please let me be wrong! "I can not be sure, your majesty." Link spoke, trying his utmost to remain calm.
"I wish to discuss something with you, Link Andrésson. First, how are you progressing with your research?"
It was incredibly hard to read this man. It was equally possible that he was being fatherly and just about to jump at his throat. "Very well, your highness. We are certain we have discovered the first location." he told him, cautious about what to disclose. The tension between Zelda and her father had not gone unnoticed and he was hesitant to disclose anything specific. But he also didn't want to lie…
The king showed a careful measure of surprise. "Have you? Even more pressing, then, that you and I talk." He let that hang for a few seconds.
What on earth could he want to talk about? "I wish to ask you whether you believe yourself capable of protecting my daughter." the king asked, both his expression and voice devoid of emotion.
Link was thoroughly caught off guard, both by his question and his odd demeanour. What father asks something of such importance with a face as blank as a slate? He thought about it for a long time. He almost feared, the monarch might angrily repeat his question at any second… but he just stared and waited…
What could he say? No? It would cost him all the king's confidence, it would mean that doing what needed to be done, together, would become much harder… and he also didn't feel it to be true… Yes, then? Equally stupid. It would sound short-sighted, vapid even… Finally, he said: "My liege, I can not possibly claim that I am, given how little we know of this danger. But I will say that I believe myself willing to do everything in my power to ensure her safety." It was as close to the truth as he could formulate.
The king nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "Then I am sure you have considered the advantages and disadvantages of forcing her to take such a long trip."
Forcing her? What?
"I am equally certain that you are aware that protection against assassins is not the same as protection against heat, cold, hunger, sickness… all the dangers of nature. Do you trust yourself to be her shield against those for weeks as well?"
Link did. But the king obviously didn't, or he would not ask… but more and more he got the feeling that there was some agenda behind all this. "I do, sire." he simply answered, wanting to draw out more information out of this interrogation.
"You are prepared to bear all the responsibility then? And all the consequences? The safety of an unskilled child, untrained in anything that would aid survival out in the wild would rest on your shoulders alone. How would you respond to the very real, very plausible possibility that she gets feverish when you are five days travel away from civilisation? Could you forgive yourself if she comes to harm under your guardianship? Would you be able to forgive yourself, if you were a father and you sent your daughter away into the unknown?" the royal spoke coldly.
Link suddenly understood what this was about with icy realization. The king wanted to persuade him to leave Zelda in his care by sowing doubt in himself! Get him to leave her behind in the "safety" of his castle! He felt anger rise up to his chest. Besides Zelda herself he was the only person who had proven to be able to protect her… And despite that, the truth was that he was given no trust at all! This rattled his confidence more than he wanted to admit… But the way this guy did it… to try to dissuade him from bringing her, to leave her alone and unshielded back here while he went questing with such a perfidious, underhanded method… Link wanted to slap sense into him!
Dear goddess, he had to be careful though… painfully careful. He did not know this man. He did not know what he might do, how bent he was on keeping his daughter here. This required a good bit of guile… "I believe I understand what you wish to impart, my king. I will, naturally, think of all options on how to proceed." he said, being deliberately cryptic but also showing stoicism. He wanted this meddlesome monarch to know that this sort of manipulation would not work on him.
The king's expression was, as ever, nearly unreadable. "Good. I expect nothing less from you. I also expect that you choose guaranteed safety over relative protection. Thirdly, I expect that you realize that you and her alone in the wilderness, unsupervised, might kindle untoward temptation… and certainly talk that would harm my daughter's reputation. Think carefully on this! Dismissed."
Well, that had been more direct! Link bowed and left. Outside he took a deep breath, trying to calm the fire in his guts. He had to stop himself from stomping through the corridors as he walked towards the library.
How dare he? He couldn't have been more offended if the king had outright told him that he didn't trust him with Zelda's wellbeing. He was furious that the king apparently thought he could even think of… ravishing her. He was furious that the king would insinuate that he couldn't take proper care of her. But mostly he was furious because the king had a good bloody point, goddess damn it!
Not about the ravishing… as such… but his capability as a protector. What would he do if either of them got sick? What would he do in an unfamiliar region if they ran out of food? Or water? What if he got hurt and could no longer hunt? If they were hundreds of kilometres into difficult terrain, anything, even the slightest mishap could spell their doom.
Goddess curse it all, the king had hit a nerve… what should he do?
Link reached the library, knowing that Zelda would be inside. He didn't want to discuss this yet, he was still too outraged. He needed more time to think everything through…
She was, of course, poring over books. Once again in one of her simple, white dresses, her cute figure hunched over the table, her beautiful face in a concentrated frown, her intelligent eyes darting over the pages. The sunlight from the window made her hair shine like liquid gold as it flowed to the left side of her head, loosely bound so it wouldn't get in her way.
As if for the first time, he saw how utterly breathtaking she was… what if he lost her?
What if he lost her?!
She noticed him after a couple of seconds of just standing there, pondering. "Ah, there you are! I was beginning to worry that Sir Alistair might have put it in his head to surprise you with a double session, as he did once with me…" she shot him one of her radiating smiles… today it only tightened the knot in his entrails, though.
"I need you to help me decide between two routes. I'm not quite happy with either of them, but… is everything alright?" she suddenly asked, looking at him, a bit worried. Of course she had seen right through him, he shouldn't be surprised. But still, he didn't want to talk about this now, not while he was ruffled.
"Just a bit tired, Sir Alistair did put me through the wringer. Not sure how much help I will be today…" he said, putting on a wistful smile.
Unsurprisingly, she did not seem convinced. "Very well… come here then. Here are the two options…" and she proceeded to explain.
Link tried his best to listen, but his mind wandered. The longer he stared at the incredibly long way they had to travel, the more his heart sank. So, so much could happen on such a trip… so much that he was aware of, but still might be unable to prevent… and once they got there, to the tree, everything he wasn't aware of could happen! Hell, the dragon, if it existed, might even attack them! How was he to know that it was friendly? An educated guess?
He couldn't help but stare at her face… and imagine her languishing because of his failure. Hunger, cold, fever, injury… if you had nothing but wilderness around for days, even an infected scratch was a potential death threat.
"I was also thinking of buying a few Gorons, you know, as provisions? You should be able to carry them…" he heard her say.
"Hmm… wait what?" he asked, confused.
"Ah, you're back." She said, looking at him both reproachfully and amused. She sighed and, after a quick look that no-one was around, put a gentle hand on the back of his. "Look, it is obvious that something is worrying you. Don't you want to tell me? Maybe I can help?"
He didn't want to tell her… and he also did, of course. He just wanted more time to formulate an opinion. But her irresistible sweetness cracked him wide open… as usual.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. But you are right… I am distracted. Because of your father…" He could see her tense up immediately and her face went from gentle to apprehensive. Oh dear Nayru's wisdom, how should he explain this?!
"I was summoned to the map room. I think he doesn't want you to go with me. I fear he is intent that you stay…" he worded it carefully.
He noticed that her breathing, while still calm, was deeper than usual, betraying rising ire. "What did he say?" she asked, her voice low.
"He attempted to fill me with doubts… make me worry that you would not be safe in order to dissuade me from taking you with me…" he could almost feel her anger radiating from her. She took one deep breath. "And what did you say?"
"That I would think on it…"
Link stopped dead. He immediately realized that he had said something catastrophically wrong.
"What?!" Zelda hissed, her eyes sparkling dangerously. "You actually consider to… leave me here?! How dare you?!" she exploded, yelling through the library, caring no longer.
He immediately raised his palms placatingly, but he might as well have tried to put out a forest fire with his bare hands. "Wait, I misspoke. I did not mean…"
"What did you not mean?! This man, this… warden who has imprisoned me in ignorance and false security openly tells you that he wants to keep me here, locked up, and you even think about letting him?!" she screamed, standing up and taking a step away from him.
He stood up too, now feeling his anger rise at these accusations that, unfortunately, were too close to the truth… "I never thought about leaving you!" he said truthfully, trying his hardest to keep his voice calm. "Not for an instant. What I meant to say, is that, in all his insultingly doubtful coercion, the king had one point. Just the two of us travelling such a distance is extremely risky."
He stopped to await her reaction. She seemed to cool down just a tiny bit… she folded her arms in front of her and set her jaw. "Explain!" she commanded coldly. What had he done to deserve such a treatment? He was just worried about her, couldn't she bloody see that? He had basically lied to his liege lord so that they could plan their next step! "We are travelling over almost uncharted terrain for days, maybe weeks on end. Weather, hunger, thirst, illness, injury… Anything could potentially spell disaster without even factoring in monsters or, even worse, shady attackers sent by the enemy. I hate to admit it, but I am unsure about whether I can sufficiently protect you from…"
"I am not some wilting flower that dies if it isn't watered regularly!" she hissed at him angrily. "I am capable of carrying my own weight and I can learn if there were someone who was willing to teach!"
The 'someone' stung… Link had to remind himself not to take any of this personal. Hadn't he too been extremely unfair in his anger, back in Ord? She hadn't held it against him… so he was determined not to feel insulted.
He was, however, getting quite indignant, something he sure as hell didn't want to be with her, but he couldn't help it. "Listen. We can not just go out into the world, hoping that it would turn out alright. We have to consider options. And no! I do not consider leaving you here an option… but what about an escort? True, we will be much more conspicuous, but we can transport food, tents, medicine, tools… I don't claim to have the answer, but you must allow me to think these things through!" he shot at her, dangerously close to losing his calm.
"It would merely be an extension of my father's arm, yet another cage that would offer no protection! The "safety" he provides is illusory! It might calm him, knowing that he has done something, but it is ultimately counter-productive. How do you not see this?" she asked, her voice once again getting louder.
He raised his arms in exasperation. "I do see it! Apparently you really do think me an idiot! But sometimes, admittedly rarely, this idiot might have a point. Is this so hard to fathom? You are so bent on getting out of here that you refuse to accept any other possibility, it seems! Why do you think I wanted to talk it over with you?" he asked, involuntarily gritting his teeth.
"You didn't!" she snapped, whacking the table with her hand. "I had to pry it out from you! What had you done if I hadn't? Quietly acquiesce to my father's wishes? Don't ever be like him, I warn you." Her voice turned silent and icy. Her finger pointed threateningly at his face. "Do not ever presume to know what is best for me like he does. Do NOT do that!" the last words were quivering, though he could not tell whether from shaking anger or near crying.
Link had had enough. She was just being unfair now and he would not play target for her to throw her fury at. He took a few breaths before talking calmly again, but with a certain edge to it. "Now listen closely, Zelda. Nothing, ever, will persuade me to abandon you… not even if you hurl an endless barrage of misguided insults at me. Secondly, I am not like the king and I don't aim to be. I believe I have seen a glimpse of his true self today and it is not one I wish to be associated with. Thirdly, I will insist on continuing this discussion once both of us have calmed down, for I believe it to be important. I hope you can accept this. If you can't, frankly, I don't know what to say… Now if you will excuse me. It seems I have one long night ahead of me. Good evening." She remained silent, although he could see her jaw muscles working. He knew he could have been far more elegant, but right now he couldn't muster the nerve for it. It was obvious she wasn't truly angry at him, but he did not want to accept the role of 'punching-bag'.
He randomly grabbed a book from the table, mostly to signal that he too would continue planning, and quietly left.
His feet automatically transported him to his new chamber within the stronghold while his brain bombarded him with self criticism. What could he have said differently, what could he have formulated better so she wouldn't get so riled up… should he have tried to be more understanding? Or more firm? Had he done anything right, goddess damn it?!
Link entered his room and let himself fall onto his bed. He knew that sleep was totally out of the question right now, but it felt good to lie down and at least try to relax to sort his thoughts…
He still wasn't insulted... that would just be childish. But apparently he had inadvertently stepped into a hornet's nest of emotion. Had he been right in walking out of their quarrel? He had said that he wouldn't abandon her… hadn't he just done that, kind of?
Din's hellfire, it really had been the worst timing! He had been so completely flustered after the meeting with the king… he had lacked his normal eloquence and had broached this delicate subject with the subtlety of a Goron mining-hammer.
… should he just have trusted their plan completely? Should he have trusted himself and, most importantly, her to overcome any obstacle that might stand in their way?
He hoped to the Three that he himself hadn't been unfair at any point. He should have been the one to calm her down… yeah that had failed spectacularly… but hopefully he hadn't said anything to really deserve her ire…
Link sighed heavily and turned on his side. Something stung in his pocket. He fished out the delicate, silver earring he had bought today, wanting to give it to her today…
He turned on his stomach so his face was buried in his pillow and slowly hammered his fist against the back of his head.
"Goddess. Fucking. Damn it…"
-spacer-
One o'clock, probably… by now he had gotten a feel for the time during these long nights. Only today time seemed to have slowed to a crawl in order to give him more time to rethink… everything. You don't want to be alone with your thoughts for hours on end when your mind decided to re-evaluate every single word you had said today over and over again… you especially didn't want that when you gradually felt more guilty. His logic told him that he hadn't done anything really wrong… but he also felt that he should have prevented the situation from escalating like that… somehow…
He had, of course, taken his post as usual. More than a little quarrel needed to happen for him to forget his duty to her. But tonight wasn't easy. Five more hours…
At least he now had the time to think a few things through… the conclusion that the two of them travelling alone was the only viable option got ever firmer, the longer he pondered it. True, a retinue would net them a sort of safety, but it was a hollow one. When your enemy's primary weapon was stealth, travelling with a royal procession, advertising your position at any time, was foolhardy. They might as well paint a target on Zelda's back, if they went with that option. They would know only two conditions: under attack, and between attacks. No… the retinue would bring with it comfort, but little else. And neither of them could afford comfort in any case… not with that terrifying fate hanging over their heads.
Alone, then. Only him and her. Link had never really doubted that this was the correct decision. It… felt right. While that was a flimsy rationalization at best, it was still worth remembering that his feeling might have more weight than that of others. He, or someone like him, had done all this before! Somewhere in the past a different hero had faced the same trials and had succeeded! Perhaps his inner voice was, at least in part, an echo of a past life, offering a hint of guidance?
Anyway, the simple fact remained that if Zelda and he were unable to endure rain, terrain and other problems of the road, it was highly doubtful that they had any chance whatsoever against something as truly malicious as the Threat and its agents. Link didn't like this way of thinking, but it was true nevertheless. Whatever difficulties they might encounter while hiking over the land it would certainly be a walk in the park compared to what fate had in store for them later on. He probably had projected his fear of this unknown peril that loomed on the horizon onto the tangible hazards that he could fathom...
Well, he would stop doing that! He would make sure they reached the three dragons, he would make sure that they would be safe and he would make sure that they fulfilled their mission! End of discussion! Besides… if they truly existed, the goddesses would want them to succeed, wouldn't they? A little divine supervision couldn't be totally amiss, right?
He heard a loud click behind him; he had been so lost in thought that he jumped quite a bit. Zelda stood in the half opened door, just in her nighty, her hair rumpled as if she had been twisting and turning in bed, unable to find rest. She looked at him, still half behind the door, as if she was playing at hiding from him. There was just the tiniest suggestion of guilt in the way her big, beautiful eyes shone with sadness, probably only noticeable to him and no-one else. He could feel that she wanted to say something by the way her elegant jaw moved, as if the words were already in her mouth but refused to come out. The whole sight was irresistibly cute… whatever tiny speck of anger had remained until now was immediately snuffed out at the sight of her adorable discomfort.
He smiled at her warmly, now wishing nothing more than to allay her unnecessary feelings of guilt. "Can't sleep?" he asked her softly, so that the guards downstairs couldn't hear.
She nodded, not taking her entrancing gaze from him. "I don't want to go to sleep while this is between us. I don't want you to be angry with me…" she whispered, her voice quavering just the tiniest bit.
He smiled at her soothingly. "I'm not… I was, briefly… but no more. I don't want to be angry with you either."
She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her hands in front of her. "I want to apologize." she mumbled, her shame becoming nearly unbearable for him.
"You don't have to…" he offered, knowing it was a stupid thing to say, a truism…
"Yes I do, Link! I have treated you terribly today!" the words now bubbled forth in a trembling voice. He could see tears form in her eyes and it nearly broke his heart. He didn't want her to feel like she needed to explain herself to him, especially if it pained her so. But he also knew that this was the way this little wound between them could heal without leaving a scar. "I… I can not give you a satisfying excuse… but I can offer an explanation at least. Would you listen to it?" she asked, setting her gaze back to his eyes.
The nearly despairing sadness in her eyes made him crack. He leaned his sword against the wall and, hoping that he did the right thing, he hugged her tightly. He felt his own eyes tear up when she gave a quiet sob in his arms and locked her arms lightly around his waist. Screw anybody who might see them; he no longer cared. She needed his help right now and no social scandal horseshit would stop him!
"Gladly, Zelda." he breathed next to her ear and rested his cheek against her temple.
She took a minute to compose herself. "My father doesn't trust either of us to succeed. Even after the attack at the arena he still didn't want to let me know the truth about what is happening around me. I doubt he even fully accepts the need to combat this evil, even now! He clings to an ideal world where none of this is happening…" Zelda mumbled against his chest. He could feel how hard it was for her to keep her emotions in check, both sorrow and wrath ravaging her mind. "He kept me in this golden cage for weeks, disallowed me from finding out more about my attackers, as if trying to keep me locked away and cut off from the world might make me forget that I am in danger. His numb inaction not only put me in further peril, it also prevented even an attempt to find a solution for precious months. If it weren't for Impa and now you, I would still know nothing. Nothing about any of this!" she hissed, her fingers involuntarily clawing into the skin of his back. Link didn't mind, he hugged her tighter and started to rock her ever so slightly. "And now, despite his failure, despite every stone that he tried to lay in our way, we have a way forward, we have a goal, we have a plan. And this… bastard tries to snatch me back from the only way to freedom I had all my life. 'Good girl, you read a few books! Now back to your room, where you belong and let everyone else decide your fate again.' Fuck him! Fuck him fuck him fuck him!" she screamed, her face buried in his chest so no-one could hear, while her whole body tensed until her muscles trembled from impotent rage. Her breath raced for a few moments until she calmed down sufficiently to continue. "And he does it through you. He dares to use you to get me to stay. Shameless! All for his personal sense of accomplishment, or security, or satisfaction, I don't fucking know! He dares to try and make you his tool for his delusional endeavours!"
Link nodded slowly, caressing her head with his cheek. The sad thing was, he had known, he had understood it. But he still let his words get under his skin. "And I played right into his hands. I even suspected it, but it still got me…" he whispered, feeling that he too should offer words of apology.
She shook her head, her forehead still resting against his chest. "He's a master politician. You have no experience in this game. I suspect his goal all along was to drive a wedge between us, hoping either you would just leave, or I would refuse to come. The thought of this dirty, underhanded machination repulses me!" she hissed. Then she looked back up at his face. Her sky-blue, gorgeous eyes still full of guilt. "Do you see? I wasn't mad at you, not really! It was months of disappointment and rage and insecurity, caused by him that made me lash out. And even before that, years of feeling alone and rejected by him. And now, when I needed his support most, he withdrew completely! And now I directed my ire for him at you! I feel so… vile and loathsome that I did this to you! It was so utterly, utterly unfair!" she croaked and her face scrunched up and as she started to sob and tremble softly. He gently pressed her head back against his shoulder. "Ssshhhhhh…" he hushed her soothingly, feeling his heart crack with each of her sobbing spasms. He rocked her softly back and forth, trying to impart any possible comfort he could muster. "And then I come in and, idiot that I am, clumsily tell you that I was considering his proposal…" Link mumbled, feeling like such an arsehole. It was all so clear now, and relatable. It must have felt like one huge last straw, the ultimate rejection.
"After all this time in this walled cage, frightened of the unknown and alone, the notion that you, of all people, might leave me behind, scared me more than I can put into words…" she whispered when her crying had slightly abated. "And, of course, I severely doubt myself, that I'll be able to endure all the dangers the road has to offer. I know so little of anything… and my self-doubts made my tantrum even worse. I lashed out at you, my only help in all of this madness! Please, please forgive me…" she begged, trembling.
"All is forgiven, Zelda. It was before you even started talking… I am not without guilt in this either. I should have realized sooner, understood you better. I spoke without thinking and caused all this. And then I walked out on you, left you alone... I too must ask your forgiveness." he said softly.
She just shook her head… and then nodded. He understood without words.
They remained standing, locked in a quiet embrace, soothing, healing…
The sudden clangour of a high, piercingly loud bell made both of them jump. Link looked around, confused for a second.
"The fire bell…" Zelda whispered, fright in her eyes. He could hear the two guards downstairs talk briefly, then run to see what was going on.
Servants and maids suddenly flooded the hallway… good thing they had already split their embrace…
Zelda immediately tried to restore order, asking if anyone had seen where the fire was. A message boy sprinted up the stairs and wheezed something about a small accident at the knight's quarters… far away and with a stone wall between them. Zelda ordered most of her servants to go and offer assistance.
Link, for reasons he couldn't explain, had a bad feeling about this. A fire? In the dead of night at a place where nearly all people slept right now? The knight's barracks weren't some brothel that only now saw most of its action. What could have caused a "little accident" right now? In a stone building with hardly any adornment? He looked over the banister of the stairs… the royal guards hadn't returned. He felt an icy shiver run down his spine… nothing felt right.
He walked back and fought himself through the throng of maids that surrounded Zelda. Her gaze immediately went tense when she noticed his expression. "Go back into your chambers, shut every window, lock every door apart from this one and surround yourself with your most trusted ladies. I don't like this. Please trust me!" he spoke urgently. He didn't even have to say the last bit. Zelda looked at him for only a second, eyes wide, then nodded and gave the orders. Link planted himself in front of the door, unsheathing his sword. The corridor returned to calm… a threatening calm that seemed to hold its breath…
He looked around, tense but patient. He couldn't see or hear any movement but… he felt watched. It was a strangely familiar feeling, similar to… Impa?
Behind!
He could feel the blade hissing through the air as he narrowly twisted out of the way. Link used his momentum and the attacker's momentary confusion and swung his sword violently. It bit deeply into the soft flesh of a stomach and the assailant gasped in sudden, shocked pain. Link didn't stop. He yanked his sword free, doing as much damage as he could, rammed his shoulder into the guy to knock him away and turned back towards the stairs. Whatever they had done to hide from his senses, the spell was broken. Five more attackers, all in black with a black mask in front of their faces slowly approached the double door to Zelda's chamber. The sixth that had tried to backstab him frantically tried to hold in his guts and moaned weakly… he wouldn't get back up…
Link stood in front of the five assassins, his sword extended, not wavering a millimetre. The message was clear: death awaits any who come close.
As one, the five hid their daggers in their sleeves, almost too quick to follow and drew wicked looking curved short-swords. Then they approached, slowly, carefully.
Link couldn't let them surround him! He had to attack their flank!
Quick as a hornet he darted forward and thrust his sword at the leftmost enemy. Both he and the one beside him tried to deflect, and managed just enough that his blade glanced off of his mask, disorienting him, but leaving him unhurt. He pursued, launching into a quick flurry, attacking three of them at once. He drove them back, but with their combined defence, he couldn't get through to do any damage!
He tried again, sidestepping, targeting the other flank, doing what he could to surprise them, to create an opening. He had them driven back to the stairs and, in a risky manoeuvre, he violently kicked the middle one straight in the chest, using his sword and sheath purely to block. The struck assailant flew backwards, landed heavily on the stone steps with a satisfying crash and tumbled down.
The remaining four immediately closed rank, but stepped back once again. Link's fury knew no bounds! These cowardly lowlifes! Every one of them deserved to die, simply for thinking of harming Zelda! Using his sheath to block and his sword to strike he combated all four of them, their measly attacks useless against him, ever driving them back. He could smell their fear of him, felt their rising panic at facing his battle fury! With a mighty roar he dodged to the side and used the force of his movement for a heavy cleaving attack. Three of them hopped back in time. The last one was nearly split in half by the brunt of his swing. Three.
Ever further down he drove them, only getting faster as his fiery blood rage built.
Then he heard something that turned his blood to solid ice in his veins. A silent click from above… from a door. Stupidly, he turned away from the attackers to look at Zelda's door. It was just barely ajar…
The fire to draw everyone away, and these six to draw him, while a seventh entered her chambers!
He heard a panicked shout. His heart stopped… and time froze. He could suddenly sense how three blades slowly approached his unprotected back with murderous intent… slowly as if through honey. He sensed them as if he had gained perfect vision of everything around him. He also sensed the same aura of murder from inside! And he could sense sinister glee…
The terrible fury and abject terror choked him. With a beastly scream he spun around, his sword extended, feeling a searing hot power course through his entire body and culminating in the tip of his sword. He barely even noticed the bluish, fiery glare that engulfed him, hardly heard the cries of terror and pain from the assailants. He ran, the few steps back to her door seeming as endless as a stairway to the sky. He still screamed in overpowering rage, the dreadful fear for her life, so precious to him setting his lungs on fire, and still the stairs unrolled. The way seemed endless, time diluted so every instant became eternity, his muscles burning… but hell itself buoyed him up, gave wings to his rage, lifted him up. He crashed through the door, the thick wood offering as much resistance as a sheet of paper, his haste unbroken. His profane scream, carrying with it the irrefutable promise of death echoed deafeningly through the chambers. Still flying forward, in only an infinitesimal instant, he saw the situation. Two more assassins, one wounded on the floor, one only centimetres away from Zelda who stood protectively in front of her maids, the bloodied tip of her slim rapier held high. With icy desperation Link saw that the attacker's vicious dagger was only an instant away from being plunged into her chest! He would be too late!
No.
He couldn't be.
He sensed every singular fibre of this murderer's muscles, felt how each of them tensed with the intent to kill. The dagger sped forward…
Link extended his sword, sneaking the blade between her thorax and the offending weapon. The knife scraped on his steel, just for an instant, and exploded into a million tiny shards. Link retracted his arm and, in one smooth movement filled with all his hate, he cleaved the assailant's head clean off, before he could even fathom why his attack hadn't worked. He stepped over to the last killer, kneeling, bleeding and, laughably slowly, looking at the lightning quick vengeance that had just decapitated his comrade. He didn't even attempt to defend himself, too slow was his understanding. Link plunged his sword into his heart and pulled it back out before the cut head even touched the ground.
Time resumed with one relieved intake of air. He stood in the middle of the carnage, bloody, trembling, gasping for air… His senses were still inhumanly sharp; he heard every panicky heartbeat in the room, heard how the blood in the two assassin's veins slowly stopped flowing. He heard no other attackers in this wing of the castle… quiet. He noticed a third body. A maid, young… she had tried to shield her princess and had paid the ultimate price. But it had enabled Zelda to disable one of them, which is probably why she was still alive…
He looked at her, her face a mask of horror. All emotion, fear, rage, panic, hatred, relief, bloodlust, all came crashing down on him and he didn't know what to do. Slowly her face became softer and she started breathing again. She lowered her rapier and swallowed heavily, trying to control her fright. After a second of hesitation she fell into his arms and sobbed, loud, wailing, uncontrollable. For just a brief stupid moment, he had the ridiculous fear that she would soil her clothes on his blood-splattered frame. He was still breathing heavily, his lungs burning for air. He hadn't drawn breath all the way up the stairs and now his body cashed in its cheques, sucking in air and redemption in huge, racking sobs. Tears boiled out of him, shaking him wretchedly. Feeling boundless relief that nearly made his knees buckle, he hugged her back, holding her so tightly to him as if to never let her go.