A Man Needs A Purpose
"No less than thirty rupees!" grunted the grimy trader, greasy, slick blond hair framing his gaunt face like wet, sticky noodles. His malicious grey eyes looked around warily as he outstretched his right hand, fingernails black with dirt. The young squire sighed as he reached into his pocket and dug out a soft leather pouch. He let the content pour into his own palms, counting the rupees before he paid the merchant the exorbitant price.
"Thank you my good lad," the latter said, having changed his tone from grumpy to somewhat friendly. He handed him a bundle. "Greetings to Sir Derald."
The squire took the bundle, tucked it beneath his armpit, and left the dark alley, hurrying to get away from the dubious streets of Gamelon and back into the more lively merchant district.
Link sighed as he stepped out of the tavern, stomach and head full of mead and beer, desires he had to forfeit more often than he liked to. He had (somewhat of) a duty – they all had - and he knew that if he did not walk straight to his chamber, he would regret it the next morning. Pulling his cape over his head, he traversed the dark alley, barely lit by a few torches here and there; a lost soldier on his way to his warm bed. He kept his eyes glued to the wet, muddy ground, stepping over puddles that had formed after the late rainfalls. The gloomy weather was a reflection of his own mood.
A soft but fleeting touch on his arm, a hoarse voice whispering seductively into his ear, but he pushed the hand away and kept walking. He couldn't neither afford the services of the whores waiting along the storefronts that lined the alley, nor did he find any pleasure or satisfaction in it. Turning right, he left the pleasure district and crossed the market place, striding past beggars and drunkards alike. A few Gorons had settled in Gamelon for merchant and trading business, preferably doing their dealings after nightfall, but they were still a rare sight.
When Link opened the door to the old building that housed their sad bunch of Hyrulean soldiers, he was blinded by strong light and loud voices.
"Link!" Derald, a young knight with short auburn hair, broad shoulders and strong, hairy arms like a bear, called him over to their table.
Link carried a stool from the bar over to the table and sat down.
"What's the matter? You all look so grim."
He heard some uneasy shuffling and unhappy groans among the soldiers and knights as he looked into each of their faces. It was Pipit who spoke first, hands flat on the table as he straightened up.
"A call from the royals. We are to be stationed elsewhere."
Link lifted an eyebrow. "Judging by the looks on your faces, I suppose it's not going to be Castle Town or the Lurelin control point."
Pipit shook his head. "Tabantha."
"Tabantha? Why does he want us there?"
"Rumour has it that there have been several disturbances in and around Rito village."
Derald sighed. "We are to secure the area. Something must be up in the west."
"Well, it's all rumours, you now," Keet explained, "but they say that the unification plans are not being received favourably by everyone. The Zoras and Gorons are in, but the west proves to be less cooperative."
"The Gerudo?" Link frowned. It didn't surprise him much. They were a fierce race, born in the fires of the desert halls. A highly independent people, making a living out of trade with the eastern and southern provinces, and occasionally Castle Town.
"Heard they have a new king who doesn't bend so easily," Derald said, "they call him the Red Lord."
"Well, I don't think the king cares much about Tabantha. But if he doesn't take action, he might lose the alliance of the Rito."
"If you ask me," Keet said, "I think he's shitting his pants. If I was him, I'd rather not antagonise the red-haired amazons."
Derald snorted. "Would do him good to get his fat ass kicked for once. How many years have we worked for peanuts? It's barely enough to live on miserable food and cheap whores."
Link leaned back, zoning out. He was tired, the conversation fading into the distance as his mind became preoccupied with trivial thoughts. Before long, he finally decided to leave the dining room and walk up the stairs to his humble chamber.
As he kicked off his boots, undressed, and hung his clothes over the only chair in his tiny room, he mulled over his life since he had come to Gamelon. He had joined the Hyrulean army only few years prior and was immediately transferred to Gamelon, a small city situated in the heart of the Akkala province, known for its trade. As exciting as it all first sounded, it eventually turned out to be a lot less fighting for the right cause and a lot more drinking, and wasting his life away. Not that he was so keen on fighting wars and killing people, but a man needed a purpose in life. Tabantha sounded, in that respect, a welcome change. Perhaps even an opportunity.
Link woke by the familiar sound of Eagus' horn. Groaning, he pressed his hands against his ears to block out the deafening alarm, kicking his blanket away from his body with both feet. "Alright, alright, I CAN HEAR YOU!" he shouted towards the door, hands still squeezing the sides of his head. As he hobbled out of bed, his toe got caught in the messy linen, and he ungracefully made contact with the cold stone floor, cursing in hefty Hylian.
A few minutes later, he appeared in the dining room, fully dressed, and somewhat awake. The others were already waiting, in their midst their Commander Eagus, the Old Eagle, as they always called him. The commander was a sturdy man in his early forties who had seen many battles. The scar on his cheek, that made his left eye look like it was constantly being pulled downwards, was only one proof of his experience as a knight of the royal army. Why the king had sent him to a rotten place like Gamelon escaped Link's mind. The rise in his rank had only come with a downside.
"Always late, aren't you," the commander teased Link as he greeted them. Eagus was, despite his grim appearance and his strict persistence to stick to the rules, a friendly man who always treated the knights and soldiers of his military unit with respect and great care, showing concern for their well-being. Link had always liked the man.
"Alright, lads, as you may have already heard, our unit has been commissioned to Tabantha. In order to fulfil our duty and protect the realm, we are to take over the watch in the north-west. I want you to make all the necessary preparations, and have them done until tonight."
Eagus handed out a piece of paper to each of the boys in the room while he continued talking.
"We will leave tomorrow morning at first light. I expect you to be on schedule."
The last sentence was directed at Link, a grin hidden somewhere under his thick beard. Link glanced at the paper. It was a to-do- and a to-pack-list, scribbled down by some poor lad who probably desperately needed a few rupees, judging by the sloppy handwriting. He rolled up the list, and stored it away in one of his pouches, watching Eagus leave the building.
The sun had not yet risen and morning dew covered the leafs of the young tree in the backyard of the whole complex which included several houses – one as old and shabby as the other – which were mostly occupied by knights and soldiers of Eagus' unity, a bunch of cooks, merchants and needleworkers. Heavy fog wavered through the air, waiting to be dissipated by the first rays of the sun. It was still late summer, but autumn was waiting with yet more rain behind the slopes of the plain outside town.
The horses whinnied softly as they were awoken from their dozing sleep by the opening of the barn door and hard footsteps on the stone floor. Link approached the dapple grey gelding Eagus had assigned to him on his first day, and stroke its soft nose before opening the door to its box. He heaved the saddle onto the gelding's back, adjusted both the cloth and the saddle, and fastened the straps around its belly. The gelding gave an unhappy snort, and wilfully inflated its stomach to give Link a hard time.
"Stupid cow," he muttered while snaffling his mount, giving its stomach a squeeze.
Outside, the knights gathered in the yard, waiting for their turn to fetch their horses. Eagus patiently awaited them, counting his men as he commanded them to ride out to the plain in groups of ten so as to reduce chaos. Once they were all set and ready, the commander joined them outside town.
"Knights and future knights, squires, and you useless bunch," at that he waved a finger at Link, Pipit and Groose, and everyone laughed, "we are departing today in the service of our king to guard and protect the Tabantha region and Rito Village. We've got a long ride ahead, so make sure your horses are well fed and watered. We will ride past Eldin canyon and pass through central Hyrule field, make a quick stopover at Castle Town, and continue on through Hyrule ridge, which will lead us directly to the Tabantha frontier."
The squires eagerly nodded in response, while the knights barely gave an answer at all. Eagus sighed. That bunch of unpolished rupees still had a long way to go, and he inwardly wondered if they were ready for their task to follow. Turning his horse around, he pressed his heels into its flanks, and the stallion trotted forward.
Riding through the open field with a sense of purpose made Link feel as if he had regained a part of the freedom that he had lost somewhere along the way, ever since he had been recruited to join the Hyrulean forces. The mild wind tickled his face, and he inhaled the fresh air.
They made a stop at noon near a stream. Link rested his buttocks on the soft grass, and bit into fresh bread that Margie had baked this morning. The kitchen had smelled wonderfully when the boys, one by one, entered to fetch their provisions for the trip. He leaned his back against a tree trunk and closed his eyes, wondering what central Hyrule would be like.
Something hard poked his knee, and he opened his eyes to find Pipit standing in front of him, pressing the tip of his sword's sheath into his flesh.
"We're leaving."
Link collected himself and mounted his gelding, following after Pipit, and they joined the rest of the group.
Departing Akkala meant leaving the grassy plain and the characteristic red maple trees behind, and venturing into a more uneven area. The lush grass became sparser as the plain opened up to roads covered in scree. Little pebbles rolled from one side to the other as they rode on.
It was shortly before dusk when they arrived in Hilltorp, a merchant's town situated south-east of the Eldin Canyon. Nothing eventful had happened all day, and they had ridden without incidents.
Link didn't like the atmosphere of Hilltorp. It was even filthier than Gamelon, rough and loud. People eyed them with a mixture of wariness and awe as they rode through; their copper armour shining in the light of the setting sun, the sand-coloured cloaks depicting the crest of the royal family. He saw them whisper words to each other that he could not hear, and from somewhere out of the crowd, a rotten tomato flew past his horse. Link hadn't expected a warm welcome, but something did not feel right. People of Hilltorp looked poor, sick and bitter.
When he met with Eagus in the tavern in the evening, he was surprised to see that only few had cared to join for dinner. They occupied a large table at the back of the tavern from which he could overlook the whole scene. As much as he hated to be in Hilltorp, he had to admit that they served excellent roasted goat and ale. The bar maids were shy in the presence of the knights and soldiers, but they giggled and blushed whenever one of the young men looked at them. Link looked around - the tavern was, apart from them, mostly populated by merchants and old, unwashed men. The maids probably didn't often have the chance to serve royal knights.
His eye caught the sight of a maid with auburn hair who was busy collecting the used plates from the table next to Link's.
"That's a pretty one," said Keet, following Link's gaze, "I should take chances."
Link smirked. He noticed how she kept casting shy glances at them while she worked. As the hour grew later, the knights became louder and more joyful, some of them engaging with the younger barmaids.
Link left the tavern earlier than the rest of his unit. He could only engage with people for so long before it wore him out. The smoke and intense smells inside the tavern were giving him headaches too, and he needed fresh air. As he stepped outside to cool down, he ran into a woman sitting on the steps leading to the back door of the bar. When she lifted her head, and tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, he recognised her.
"Oh," she said, slightly blushing as she fiddled to button up her shirt.
"I am sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."
She shook her head. "Oh, no...it's fine. I was just taking a break."
He looked around. The area wasn't exactly inviting. "Isn't it dangerous for a woman to sit alone outside at night?"
She looked unconcerned as she laughed, her white teeth shimmering in the light of the lanterns.
"This is not my first night. I've been working here for a few years. My name is Malon by the way. Nice to meet you, Sir...?"
"Link. My name is Link."
She eyed him curiously. "Tell me, Sir Link, what are you doing in Hilltorp? Knights are a rare sight here."
He laughed a little embarrassed. "I am not a knight. Well, not yet. We're just passing through. Malon, I...may I ask you something?"
"Sure. Fire away."
"I noticed that most people here weren't exactly happy to see us..."
"Oh, that," she began, but Link never heard the end of the story. The door to the tavern opened with a loud bang, and a bunch of drunk and loud soldiers came pouring out. As soon as they set eyes on them, a very drunk Keet put his arm around Link's shoulder, slurring. "You old fox, making a move on the girl I set eyes on!"
"You should walk him to the inn," Pipit said, a mischievous grin on his face as he locked eyes with the barmaid.
Link sighed. "Take care of yourself, Malon."
He hoisted Keet, who had slumped against the wall, up, and put his arm around his waist. "You'll feel so sorry for yourself when you wake up tomorrow," he mumbled as he started to walk him back to the inn.
Introductions are always slow. I will try to update a bit more frequently in the beginning to get the story going.
Although this story is set in BOTW Hyrule, but before the Calamity, I did not stick to BOTW characters only, and I took the freedom to add random towns or cities with random names.
A big thanks to anyone who might be reading.
