Chapter 10
3 Months Later...
A lone buck grazes into the deep woods. A loud snap causes its head to lift. Before it could see the source, a wolf tackles it from behind, biting its neck, killing it instantly.
"Nice job, Twilight." Zelda emerged from the tree lines with Link at her side.
"I could've gotten that."
"If you didn't get its attention by stepping on that branch."
Whenever the pair are not off on missions, they do what they can to help out around The Resistance base camp. Their Ordon companions, with the expectance of the children, also do their part. Rusl offers his skills as a blacksmith & swordsman. Despite being seven months pregnant, Uli lends her hands to the cooks with as much energy as possible. Ilia often lends a hand to help Malon with the horses or care for the camp's children.
Hunting for food is a typical job both Link & Zelda often got. Today's hunt Twilight had tagged along at Auru's request, which the pair didn't mind as they had grown fond of the wolf. Sheik and Ashei were also hunting in separate areas at this moment.
Both friends carried the deer as Twilight walked beside, keeping a lookout for any predators who wanted to try to steal their kill. They made it back to Epona & Ahearn. Both had several other games they successfully hunted.
"Hey, big girl, everything went well while we were gone?" Link said after he loaded the buck on the horse's rear.
"How 'bout you, Ahearn? Were you a good boy as well?" The white horse nuzzles her in response. "I'll take that as a yes."
As the pair prep to return to camp, Twilight caught something on her scent. Its trail led her to a bush.
Link took notice of the wolf's behavior change. "You found something, Twilight?"
They both watch Twilight sniff around the bushes before pulling her head in and pulling it back out. She trotted over to the pair with a bottle in her mouth. Link took the bottle and saw something moving inside.
"It's a fairy. Someone must've caught & dropped her."
The fairy started frantically flying against the bottom in an attempt to escape.
"Can you get her out?" Zelda asks.
"I think I could-" With a hard twist, Link unscrewed the bottle cap, and the fairy immediately flew out of her prison. After flying around, she stopped to look at her rescuers. She flew erratically around as soon she saw the bottle in Link's hand. "Woah, hey!"
"She seems to like you," Zelda let out a giggle.
"A little too much." The fairly then landed on his shoulder. "Huh?"
"I think she wants to stay with us."
"Great, just what I need. A fairy to annoy me to death."
"Oh, come on, Link. She can't be that bad."
Link glanced at the fairy on his shoulder. While she didn't have a face, the fairy stared at him in absolute wonder, which got to Link's heart. Not to mention the fairy is adorable.
"Alright, we'll keep her."
"I always knew you had a soft spot for cute things. What are you gonna call her?"
Link thought about it for a moment before he came up with a name. "How does Navi sound?"
"Navi...Has a good ring to it." The fairy fluttered her wings happily. "And I think she does too."
"Then Navi it is." Navi flew around Link's head happily. "Easy there. You can rest in my pouch. We'll take you somewhere safe." Navi quickly went into his pouch. "Now that's settled, we should head back.
After a long ride, the pair returned to The Resistance base camp. Navi got out of Link's pouch as they strolled through. They headed towards the stables, where they spotted Malon milking a cow.
"Hey guys," Malon noticed Navi flying back into Link's pouch. "Nice fairy you got, Link."
"Thanks. The others return yet?"
"Ashei is still out, but Sheik returned not too long ago. I think he went to the cooking tent."
"Is Ilia around?" Zelda asked.
"She went to the training yard a while ago."
"Alright. We'll catch you later."
The two friends gathered their game towards the cooking tent. Like Malon mentioned, Sheik was indeed there, along with Impa and Auru. Twilight dashed towards the trio.
"You're back!" Auru announced while Sheik crouched down to pat the wolf's head.
"Nice to see you both return," Impa greeted them. "I hope hunting wasn't a problem for you."
"We got some pigeons, squirrels, rabbits, and even a mountain buck," Link laid down his kills, as did Zelda.
"Very good. That should help feed everyone for a few days at least."
"Those...aren't the only things we brought back." At that moment, Navi suddenly flew out of Link's pouch again before he could explain.
"Seems like you both made a new friend." Auru gave an amused chuckle.
Link rubbed his neck. "You could say that. We found her in a bottle. Poor thing must've been there for who knows how long."
Navi flew around the group before she hovered near Impa. The sheikah woman gave a warm smile. She laid out her palm for Navi to land on.
"You're a curious little fairy, aren't you?"
"Navi seems to be," Zelda stated.
"Navi?" Sheik looked at the pair with confusion.
"That's what we decided to call her."
"Well, Navi is welcome to stay with us," Impa declared.
"Are you sure, Master?" Sheik asked. "I've heard that fairies have a reputation for being annoying."
"If we can handle Twilight here, I'm sure we can handle one small fairy," Auru justified.
Sheik could only answer with a simple grunt.
"You both must be tired. Go and rest. We'll take care of everything," Impa suggested.
Link and Zelda bid farewell and begin to walk back to their tents. They saw the Ordon kids playing with the other children along the way. Those children were here with their parents, while others were orphaned, much like Saria. Colin looked up and immediately ran to Link.
"You're back!"
Link ruffled his hair. "Hey, kiddo, how are you?"
"I'm fine." Colin noticed Navi flying by him. "Woah, is that a fairy?"
"Yep. Meet Navi."
"She's so pretty."
"So how thing's here?"
"Great! Saria taught us a new game. We have these cards with weird creatures that you use to fight against others-"
"I would love to hear more about it, Colin, but I'm tired. Talk later?"
"Sure. See you later."
Link caught up with Zelda as Colin rejoined the other kids. They soon arrived at their tents, where they noticed Rusl & Uli looking to have some sort of disagreement.
"Everything alright?" Link asks the couple.
"Just having a little spat," Rusl answered.
"It's just that we have weapons around us, and I-I don't like it!"
"I'm sorry, Uli, but that's how things are now."
"I know, but that doesn't mean I'll get used to it," Uli told her husband. "I'm sorry. How are you two doing?"
"Doing fine. Had an alright hunt."
"Is that a fairy next to you?" Rusl asked, looking at Navi.
"We found her in a bottle and decided to bring her back. We named her Navi."
Navi hesitated but slowly flew towards the couple. She hovered near them for a few moments but gave a tinkle, to which she flew around them. Navi flew near Uli, who then lightly taped her pregnant stomach several times. Uli couldn't help but smile at the fairy's curiosity until she let out a small grunt.
"Are you alright, dear?" Rusl lightly gripped her arm.
"I would like some milk."
"Malon was milking a cow when we arrived," Zelda mentioned. "I'm sure she has a batch ready now."
"I'll go get it."
"I'll go with you," Link offered. "I could use some milk as well."
Once the men left, Zelda helped escort Uli back into her tent.
"Thanks, Zelda, but I still care for myself."
"Sorry," she apologized as Uli sat on her bed.
"It's alright. I know you mean well, but I get it enough from Rusl as it is." Uli lets out a tired breath, placing her hand on her forehead. "He was never this protective with me when I was carrying Colin. Things have been so different since we fled the village."
Memories of the Ordon being burnt down haunt Zelda's head. Uli quickly took notice of her silence.
"I'm sorry. Here I go rambling about losing my home, yet I still have my family while you lost much more."
"We've all shared the same losses but still have each other."
"I don't think I'd ever show Link how thankful I was for finding Colin and getting him out of the ranch."
"How is Colin doing?"
"Aside from bad dreams, he seemed to handle everything well. Farore, bless that child." Uli slowly places a hand on her stomach, a small groan coming out.
"You okay?"
"Just a hard kick. Would you like to feel it?"
"You don't mind?"
"You're part of my family, Zelda. Go ahead."
The woman moved to the side to make room for Zelda to sit beside her. The younger woman placed a hand on her stomach and waited moments until she felt a hard kick.
"She's a strong kicker."
"You think it's a girl?" Uli questions, curious about Zelda's assumption.
"It's just a feeling. I can't exactly explain it." Zelda unsurely confessed to the woman.
As the women continue talking, both fail to notice the faint glow from the Triforce on Zelda's necklace.
Malon was still around the stables when Link and Rusl arrived.
"Back again so soon, fairy boy?"
"Do you have any milk ready?" Link asked.
"I just finished milking the last batch. How many bottles do you gentlemen need?"
"Three for me."
"I'll take two, please," Rusl answered as well.
"Alright, just give me a few minutes."
Malon walked out of the men's view.
"Link, can I ask you something?" Rusl spoke up after several seconds.
"What is it?" Link looked at the man curiously.
"What do you think of this place?"
Link pondered that question. "Well, it's not Ordon but a stable place. They have food, good enough shelter, and everyone here is nice."
"But do you think it would be a good home...permanently?"
Link raised his brow. "Where are you going with this?"
"I'm worried about the future," Rusl confessed in a gloomy tone. "Each day, it gets closer to Uli's due date. I know this is a good place, but what if Ganondorf never gets taken down? I don't want my family to spend the rest of their lives hiding away here because of a mad king."
Link places a hand firmly on his shoulder. "That day will come. I don't know when but it will. But...if it never comes, your family will be fine. Colin and the other children seem happy here."
Rusl couldn't help but grow a small smile. "That boy always manages to make the best out of any situation. He's pretty much like Uli. From his looks to personality."
"He's also like you in some ways as well. He has your compassion."
The man's smile then turned into a frown. "I've been so focused on other things these past few months, I haven't noticed. Sometimes...I feel like I'm a bad parent. I still remember that day at the village clearly. I am grateful that you got Colin out of the village Link, but I wish I-"
"If you did, you probably would've died, and Uli and the kids wouldn't have made it out. You're being a good father now by keeping your family safe and being a good man for making the other kids are well too."
"Thank you, Link. I think I needed to hear that."
Malon came out with the five bottles of milk for the men. They said their thanks and made their way back to their tents.
"You know, Link, you sounded like Leal back there," Rusl said at one point.
"I did?"
The man nodded. "He always knew what to say to bring people's spirits up. Nayru bless him, wherever he is."
The men continued their walk in silence until they returned to the tents. Zelda was exiting Rusl's tent at that moment.
"Everything okay here?" Rusl asks her.
"Me and Uli just talked," Zelda replied.
"Thank you for keeping her company, Zelda."
"No problem."
Rusl walks inside his tent as Zelda heads to Link.
"Milk gathering go okay?"
"Got some for you." He gave a bottle to Zelda.
"Thanks."
The two friends entered their tent, where they saw Ilia sitting on one of the beds, fiddling with a crossbow. She perked her head up once she heard them.
"Oh! Hey, you two."
"Hey, Ilia. We got milk." Link tosses the bottle to her, and she catches it.
"Thanks. I'm thirsty." Ilia removed the lid and chugged down most of the bottle. "You guys got anything good from hunting?"
"Just the usual animals, but we did bring back a fairy. She's flying around here somewhere."
"A fairy? Neat." Ilia wiped the milk off her mouth. "I managed to get some bullseyes today during training."
"Good to hear." Ilia was about to open her mouth before Zelda cut her off. "But that doesn't mean I'm letting you go on missions."
"Of course." The teen let out a defeated breath. She then grew quiet for several moments. "I'm gonna get some air."
Ilia stood up and walked out of the tent. Zelda was about to follow, but Link stopped her, urging her to rest. He left the tent to look for Ilia. He saw her bout several feet away with her back facing him, kicking at the ground.
"What is it now-" Ilia turned around, realizing it was Link approaching. "Oh. If you're going to tell me that I should listen to Zelda, then spare yourself the trouble."
"You know she just wants to keep you safe."
"There's a thing called being too overprotective."
"She has a good reason."
"Why? Because she thinks I don't know how to fight? That I'm not capable of taking care of myself?"
"It's not like that. You and I both know Zelda doesn't think like that."
"Then why does she keep coddling me?"
"Try to understand the position she's in." Ilia grew quiet, looking intently at Link. "Our lives took a drastic turn almost three months ago. Everything we knew is gone. We lost people we love. Zelda feels responsible for taking care of our group. Not to mention she's been told by a goddess that she and I are the only ones that can stop Ganondorf, and we don't know when or how to do it. With all that responsibility, I guess she doesn't want to have any more worries."
The teen remained even more quiet until she spoke. "I never thought of it that way...But I want to help you guys to ease her worries."
"I don't know what to say since it's not my business..." Link trailed off. "But if you want some advice, look for an opportunity to prove to her that you want to help."
Before Ilia could say anything else, rapid footsteps came to their side. They turn to see a Hylian man running towards them.
"Link!" the man called, taking a few more breaths. "Have you seen Impa? An urgent matter has arisen!"
"She was at the cooking area last I saw. What's the issue?"
"Ashei has returned, but..."
"But what?" Ilia asked as the man took more breaths.
"I need to find Impa now...You both can see it for yourselves at the medical tent," The man ran off in the opposite direction.
Link and Ilia stared at each other. They decided to let curiosity overcome them and headed toward the medical tent. They saw an exhausted Ashei, along with Shad, by her side.
"Ashei!" Link called out. "Are you alright?"
Ashei looked up at them. "I'm fine. Though I can't say the same for the one in there."
"In there? Who are you talking about?"
"Ashei found an unconscious man," Shad revealed.
"What?"
"I found him wandering in the woods. When I approached him, he collapsed. Once I looked closer, I saw he had cuts and bruises. I brought him here, and Jabilo is treating him," Ashei explained.
As Ashei gave her story, Ilia peaked into the medical tent. The teen's eyes widen, and she covers her mouth with her hand. She then slowly backed up and looked at the brink of tears.
"Hey, you okay?" Ashei noticed Ilia's sudden change in behavior.
Link looked at his friend as well. He noticed that her skin turned slightly white. "Ilia, what's wrong?."
"Link," she stuttered. "I think I know who Ashei found."
"Who?"
"...Fado."
3 Months Prior…
"Thanks again for helping me get the ranch to the celebration, Link! You and Zelda are the best."
"What are friends for, Fado?"
The men gazed over Ordon ranch, with many beautiful decorations around every part of it.
"You folks outdid themselves with the decorations again."
"Thanks! I just know this year will be the best celebration we'll have!"
Link's heart stopped when he heard Ilia say that name. Those words went through his head many times before he could fully comprehend them
"Ilia, are you sure?"
"See for yourself."
Link quickly rushed into the tent. Leaving a confused Ashei.
"Do you and Link know that man?" Ashei asked the teen.
"His name is Fado. We lived in the same village. He's our friend."
Much to Link's shock and relief, Ilia was right. The person lying on the examination table is none other than Fado. The last time Link saw him was when Fado was with his parents just before the attack on their village. Now Link sees his friend lying unconscious, covered in bruises, cuts, and marks.
"How is he?" Link spoke abruptly, causing the doctor, a man around Auru's age with bronze skin, to jump in fright.
"Goddesses! How often do I have to say this: Do not sneak up on me when I'm busy!"
"Sorry, Dr. Jabilo, but I need to know how my friend is."
"Friend? You know him?"
"His name is Fado. We were from the same village."
"I...I see." The man's expression went empathetic. Impa walked into the tent before he could speak more, with Ilia by her side.
"Hello, Jabilo. Link." She greeted, turning her head towards the younger man.
"Impa, I-"
"Ilia told me. You know this man?"
"Yes…"
Impa remained silent, though her expression did show sympathy. "How is he, Jabilo?"
The man took a glance back at his patient. "Where do I even start? His body is covered with cuts and bruises. There are several huge lash marks most likely caused by...whips. And, of course, there's evidence of a lack of food and water. Fortunately, none of these injuries appear to be life-threatening."
Link frowned as Jabilo explained Fado's condition. What did a nice guy such as Fado do to deserve this?"
"Who would do that to him?" Ilia wondered, also heartbroken by the sight of her battered friend.
"I may have a theory..." Impa spoke grimly. "I've seen these injuries before, from slaves that escaped Ganondorf's labor camps."
"Labor camps?" Link looks at her inquisitively.
"Ganondorf has labor prison camps throughout Hyrule. We've liberated some, but they are very well hidden. The public believes that they are prison camps for criminals when there're too often survivors from villages Ganondorf's forces have raided."
"Survivors?!" Ilia exclaimed. "Then that means people from our village could be there! Right?"
"While your claim is possible, we can't be sure until Fado wakes up," Impa mentioned. "For now, he needs to rest."
"Can you let us know when he's awake?" Ilia pleaded.
"We will as soon as he wakes up. You have my word."
The teen watched Jabilo return to treating Fado until she felt a tug on her arm.
"Let's go now." Link urged her. "There isn't anything we can do now."
The pair left, slowly making their way back to their tent.
"He'll be alright," Link assured Ilia as they walked.
"I've seen what Jabilo can do. He's in good hands."
"Then what's eating you?"
"I was just thinking...about the labor camps Impa mentioned. If Fado came from there, what if the others were at one of these camps? My parents could still be alive!"
"We don't know if Fado even came from there. For all we know, he could've been alone all this time."
"I know, Fado. That boy couldn't keep a goat from running away, not to mention last a day on his own. We've been here for three months! He had to come from somewhere."
"We can't know until he wakes up."
Ilia sighed. "I know."
"Let's get back to the others."
Link and Ilia told the others about what occurred at the medical tent that night. They were shocked and yet relieved to hear that Fado was alive. They were also horrified by the injuries he had gotten. In the meantime, Link introduced Navi to the other kids, who greatly liked the fairy. Navi seemed to take the kid's attention from Fado away for the rest of the night. Everyone else prayed to the goddess for his recovery.
The Next Morning...
Jabilo was starting his morning rounds in the medical tent. He had begun to take inventory when he heard sudden sounds of groaning. Jabilo turned to see Fado slightly stirring in the bed and slowly sitting up. Grabbing a bottle, he went over to the young man.
"Easy there, son. You're safe," Jabilo assured. "How do you feel?"
"I feel...sore," Fado moaned.
"Drink this." Jabilo removed the cap from the bottle and poured the contents into Fado's mouth.
"Ugh! What was that?!"
"Red Potion. Not the greatest taste, but it gets the job done."
"Where am I?"
Before Jabilo could answer that, Impa had entered the hut. Jabilo turned his attention towards her.
"Ah, hello, Impa! Our patient had just woken up. Would you like to fill him in while I get some things?
"It is not an issue. "Jabilo left, leaving Fado with Imps. "How are you doing, young man?"
"I-I'm fine," Fado replied. "Where am I? Who are you?"
"My name is Impa. I'm the leader of this settlement. We're deep into The Lost Woods. One of my comrades found and brought you here. I know you must be very confused, but I think a visit from your friends should remedy that."
Fado eyed her confusedly. "Friends?"
"I assume the names Link, Zelda, and Ilia sound familiar to you?"
"They're here?!"
The older woman nodded. "They are, along with some members from your village. Would you like me to retrieve them?"
Fado nodded his head. Impa left the tent and returned several moments later with the rest of the Ordon group, minus the children.
"Hey, Fado," Link greeted.
"It really is you guys. I can't believe it," Fado stuttered in disbelief.
"We could say the same about you," Zelda pointed out.
"When Link and Ilia told us, I couldn't believe it myself," Rusl mentioned.
"How are you feeling?" Link asked.
"I'm a bit sore. Jabilo gave me some red potion," Fado said. "Is anyone else here?"
"Colin, Beth, Talo & Malo are here too. They're still sleeping," Ilia answered.
"Thank the goddesses. We were all afraid that you guys didn't make it out."
"What do you mean 'we'? Were you with the others? Who were you with?" Rusl probed.
"There were my folks. Along with Jaggle, Pergie, Sera, and Hanch."
The Ordon group recognized those names. The first two are Talo & Malo's parents, and the latter half is Beth's.
"They're still alive?" Uli questioned.
"What about mom & dad?" Ilia questioned more urgently. Zelda looked at him hopefully as well, wanting to hear the answer.
"I have no idea where Bo & Isabel are. They weren't with us when we were transported. I have yet to learn about the rest of the villagers. Either they got away or were killed. As for the others, they're still alive. Or at least we were at the time when I escaped. "
"Escaped from what?" Fado went deathly silent at Link's question. "Fado, we can't help you if you don't tell us what happened."
Zelda slightly punched his arm. "Link, if he doesn't want to talk about it, he doesn't have to."
"No, he's right. You guys need to know," Fado insisted.
Everyone, including Impa, looked at him with slight eagerness to know what had happened.
"It happened right after the attack. We all tried to hide out, but we were rounded up by armored soldiers and, I think, some Gerudo. They chained us up and put us in a transport cart. We were in there perhaps a day or so before we stopped somewhere. After another day, we started moving again, though we didn't know where because our cart had no windows. After so many hours, we finally stopped but were ordered out of the cart."
"Where did they take you?" Rusl asked.
"They took to some sort of labor camp. The warden of the camp was a man who goes by...Vaati."
"Vaati…" Impa mumbled with a realization in her eyes.
"You know that name?" Link inquired from her.
"Vaati is another one of Ganondorf's close followers. He is a connoisseur with...torture."
"He treated us like animals," Fado choked up. "He works almost everyone to the point of exhaustion. If you're proven useless, he'll kill you on the spot. He's also a major creep to women. If a girl displeases him in some way and he takes a liking to them, he...does awful things to them."
"Those marks on you...were they…?" Fado slowly nodded in response before Zelda finished with her question. He continued on with his story.
"Just a few weeks ago, Vaati beat me in front of everyone because I defended a girl from his advances. He brought out his whip and...struck me a few times. Before he made another swing, my mother stood between him and me. She begged him to stop, saying she would do anything. Vaati stabbed my mother square in her heart with no hesitation. She died in my arms...In front of everyone."
Tears pricked his eyes as he stopped. The Ordon group looked at the scarred teenager in sorrow.
"A few days after Mom was killed, Dad and the others insist I escape. I didn't want to leave them but wanted to escape that place. They snuck me through the camp's end, where they keep the horses. But someone spotted us, and Dad was shot in the heart by a crossbow bolt. Not far behind him, I saw Vaati holding a crossbow...Dad's final words were to tell me to run, and I did. I've been on my own since."
A sob escaped from Fado's mouth. Tears poured down his cheeks while the Ordonians could only watch their friend in despair over the death of his parents.
Link pulled him into a hug. "Fado...We're so sorry to hear that. You, Talia, and Damon didn't deserve that. None of you did."
"Where was this camp?" Impa asked him urgently.
"I don't know where…" Fado answered. "I do remember this huge body of water that was near us. The well-behaved slaves, as Vaati would call, went out on boats to fish."
"How big was this body of water? Does it have a name?"
"The lake was huge. There are large hills surrounding it. As for the name, I don't know."
"Hmm…" Impa cupped her chin as she pondered.
"What are you thinking, Impa?" Zelda asked.
"I believe your friend may be talking about Lake Hylia. It is the biggest lake in all of Hyrule. Though I didn't know of any activity there."
"Now that you mention it..." Fado trailed off. "I think I overheard one of the guards mention Hylia."
"That supports my theory. I have a contact near the area. I'll have him investigate to confirm it. It may take a few days, so until then, you should prepare yourselves."
"I don't know how I can thank you."
"You don't have to. I promise that your parent's death will be avenged, and justice for your people will be received."
Impa left the hut to send her message, leaving the Ordonians in the tent.
"She knows what she's doing?" Fado asked.
"She's been at this for so many years. You can trust her," Link assured.
In the meantime, let's get you up to speed.
The group spent the next hour catching up on what had occurred for the past few months. They told how they met Impa and their activities in The Resistance. Link & Zelda's shared how Farore approached them and explained their destiny to save Hyrule. That was something Fado was interested in.
"So you and Zelda are going to take down Ganondorf?" Fado was curious by that revelation.
"Yeah. We couldn't believe ourselves either," Link stated. "Though we can't fight until we're deemed 'ready.'"
"For now, we're just doing what we can to help," Zelda added.
"Of all the people I could think to take down the king, I never expected you two. And I thought herding goats was the most difficult thing for me. I can't even wake up on time."
"You're still helpful," Zelda tried to cheer him up.
"How? I can't keep the goats from escaping. I couldn't even protect my parents!"
"That wasn't your fault," Link insisted to his friend. "Vaati killed them, not you. There was nothing you could've done."
"What am I gonna do without them?"
"We'll help you, Fado," Ilia promised, hoping to cheer him up.
"Really?"
"Of course, we will. We're your friends. We'll be there for you," Zelda assured him.
"We all will," Link stated as well.
That was enough to put a slight smile on Fado's face, much to Link's delight.
Damn school and job making me feel tired to write. Hopefully you guys liked this chapter
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