Chapter18: Rider In Black

There was a series of clanks, then a crash, and Malon gave an angry wordless shout. Link's eyes opened up, he jumped from the bed and grabbed for his sword. He looked about trying to see what was wrong, but all he saw was Malon on her knees, milk spillied out over the ground and some broken glass in front of her.

"Oh," Malon looked up as she scrubbed at the milk. "Sorry, Fairy Boy, didn't mean to wake you." She looked to his sword and shook her head. "Save me from the spilled milk! It's attacking me. Ahhh."

"Sorry," Link muttered as he laid the blade on his bed and went to help Malon. He picked up the pieces of glass, making certain not to scrape his fingers. She still wore the necklace he won her, the silver almost scraping against the floor as she scrubbed.

"Any sign of him?" Navi asked as she crawled her way out of the ocarina.

"No," Malon said without looking up from her work. Link glanced at her face and saw her expression flash from disappointment, to worry, to anger in the span of a few seconds. "Wherever father went, he took all the rupees with him. It's milk for breakfast today. Or at least it was until I spilled most of it."

Link glanced at the two mugs on the table, one completely full, the other about halfway. "It's fine," Link said as they collected all the pieces of glass. "We ate so much at the festival yesterday I'm still full." Which was only half a lie, he would survive well enough on a bit of milk.

A knock came at the door. Malon's eyes went wide as she scrambled to the door. "Father?" she said as she yanked it open.

"What?" Ingo muttered from the doorway. "I'm not- oh, is that idiot not here?"

Malon huffed, but all she said was. "No."

"Well then," the man shrugged. "I guess I have the day off. Best of luck to ya."

"Wait!" Malon called after him. "We still need to sell the cattle and milk! Ingo!"

But the man was already gone, with only a parting laugh at Malon's expense. Malon slammed the door as he left. "Ugh. Useless!"

"Um, Malon. Are you ok?"

"What do you think?" She sat in one of the chairs and put her head in her hands.

Link tried to nudge the more full of the mugs of milk toward her. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"You can find whatever ditch my-" she stopped herself, groaned, then looked up. She grabbed the mug and drank all of it. It didn't seem to make her any less angry, but at least she wasn't screaming. "I am going to go try and sell milk at the festival today. Link, Navi, can you please try and find my father."

"Of course we will, dear," Navi said, flying to Malon's arm. "I'm sure he was just delayed."

"Thank you," she said, though there was still an edge to her voice. Then she got her shoes on and went back to the door muttering to herself. "Next time I see Ingo I'm going to kick him in the-" and she shut the door and headed off to work.

"You really think he's alright?" Link said as he took this own mug.

"I don't know. I hope so, he's a good man."

"Me too." Link finished the drink and quickly gathered his things and left the inn. Not knowing where to go, the first place he went looking was back at the marketplace he and Malon had enjoyed the day before.

Though early in the day, the streets were already growing crowded as proprietors of shops and games set up for the second day of festivities and the earliest of their customers arrived.

"Excuse me," Link asked the baker, bringing out more of those delicious triangle cakes he had the day before. "Did you see a man sometime this morning, or last night? He's bald, kind of big around the waist. Umm, he has a really big mustache?"

"I've seen a dozen people that looked like that," the baker said.

"He's a rancher? Maybe he was trying to sell milk?"

"No one tried to sell me milk."

Link stared at the cakes licking his lips. He could survive on just the milk he drank that morning, Link knew. But there was something about seeing the delicious cakes brought in front of him that made Link's stomach growl.

"Do you have rupees for a meal?" the baker said.

"Oh, no."

"Then step back, boy. I have paying customers to deal with."

And so it went through half the morning. Many didn't even bother looking at him when they brushed off his questions. Some tried to be helpful, but most were more concerned with their business and the pleasures of the festival than they were in helping him.

If the Great Deku Tree were around, it would be different here. How many times had Link heard him speak about the virtues of helping each other. "When one of thy siblings suffer, thou art all made less."

But the Great Deku Tree was not here, he was not anywhere on this world. And the world was lesser for it. No. I can't think about him now. He pushed that sorrow and anger into the back of his mind. Now he had a task to complete, Malon was counting on him.

When he was certain that no one in the marketplace had seen him or would help even if they had, Link decided he must move on. But he did not really know which way to go, all the city was still new to him.

He left the marketplace and found a quiet spot between a few buildings. He pulled the ocarina from his belt and whispered into it, "Navi, can you hear me?"

"Of course," she said. But her voice still sounded weak. It always sounded weak these days.

"I wasn't certain if you were asleep or not."

"I'm awake, trying to peak out when I can."

"Any luck?"

"No."

"Me neither," he said, though she would obviously have known that. "I was hoping you had an idea of where to go next?"

"Well, if he was with the cows I'm certain that Malon would have come found us by now. And he wasn't in the marketplace."

"Yeah."

"Well there is only one place left that we know he wanted to head toward."

"Oh," Link looked up, even on the streets in the heart of Castle Town the castle was visible, it's towers stabbing into the sky like swords. "He said he was going to try and get me an audience with the king."

"Perhaps he tried last night. It's worth going to go look."

Link reattached the ocarina to his belt, and headed toward the castle. He didn't have a great understanding of the roads, which seemed to twist and curve just to confuse him. But as long as he could find a clear enough spot that he could see the sky, he could find those massive stone towers and reorient himself. All the while he asked about Talon and where he could be found. But he got no better responses out in the city streets than he had in the marketplace. If anything, the people seemed even more resentful, as if it was somehow his fault that they weren't off enjoying the attractions of the Sky Festival.

Once more his mind tried to wander back to the Great Deku Tree, but he would not let it. He focused on Talon, how fortunate he was that he had met such a kind man, and now that man needed to be found. And Link would not fail. Not again.

After passing by one of the many square homes Link had wandered around, he reached the end of the houses. He stepped on green grass with a few well trimmed trees planted at set distances between each other. Behind the trees was a large stone wall as tall as most the nearby buildings and behind the wall lay Hyrule Castle.

Link knew he had to go find Talon. But he still took a moment to just marvel at it. The biggest building he had ever seen. Solid white stones near as tall as he was on top of each other, reaching toward the sky. Around the towers small slits of windows looked down upon the wall and streets below. Sometimes he could see shadows moving within them.

He needed to get a better view. His first thought was to climb one of the trees and then jump to the wall, but they were too far away to make that leap. He'd just have to scale the wall itself.

"What are you doing?" Navi said, when Link walked up to the stones.

He rubbed his hands and shook his fingers. "I need to get a better look."

"Link no!"

But Link took a few bounding steps forward and jumped. His fingers caught around the edges of one of the stones. Barely enough for him to stabilize himself. He planted his feet into the wall and pushed himself up, reaching as far as he could and pressing with his fingertips to find another slight fingerhold.

"Link, this is the wall of a castle. There are knights and guards that patrol around, and all they do is kill anyone who trespass."

Link groaned as he yanked himself up. "Then." He pulled himself another stone's length up. "I won't." His feet found a groove to plant on. " Trespass."

"Then why are you still climbing!"

His hand reached the top of the wall and he pulled himself up, until he could rest his elbows on the stones, and folded his arms. Keeping himself up with his feet, he rested his head on his arms.

The castle was all the more splendid now that he could see the base. It was beautiful, that's all he could think to describe it. Tracks of land dotted with trees and bushes, a fountain off in the back that spouted sparkling water into the air. Open lovely land for people to walk along in the gardens and breathe the free air. But behind all the splendor stood another wall. Smaller than the one that Link perched himself on, but no less defensible. A single gate that any of the knights and guards that clattered about could hold against any enemy.

He tried to think what it would be like to fight into such a place. Whoever did would require an army, and even then each of those warriors would have to be the bravest most skilled in the world to make such an attempt. They would have to fight for every corridor, every single foot of ground would be attested.

But he couldn't just think of it as a defensive keep, for there were flowers and statues, even the glimpse of paintings he could see through the windows.

Beautiful.

From the gate of the inner wall a paved road wound its way through the castle grounds and headed out to the left of where Link hung. That would have to be the way to get inside. Link lowered himself as far as he could then dropped back to the ground.

"See?" Link said. "We're fine. No trespassing."

"I don't think the guards would see it that way if they saw you."

"But they didn't."

"You can't always rely on luck."

Link walked in the direction of the road, feeling the stones as he moved. Doing his best to ignore the lecture that Navi gave him. When he reached the road he found the gate open, with only a few guards posted around it.

"Stop," one of them said and held out his hand. "State your business."

"I'm trying to find someone," Link said. "His name is Talon, and I think he came here. He's a rancher and sells milk. And he's a big man, kind of wide, and balding. He has a big mustache. Have any of you seen him?"

The guard shrugged, "Seen a few big bald men."

"Hold on," said the other. "Think I saw him when I was heading to my post this morning." The man gave an embarrassed cough. "But, uhh, well, he's back there." He pointed down the road. "But he's not in much a condition to see you."

"Is he hurt?"

"Oh, no. He's fine. Let's just say he's napping."

"Please, I need to get him. It's important."

The second guard looked to the first. The first shrugged. "Don't matter to me, but we can't have you entering the castle grounds armed like that. Not unless you're a knight, and I don't think they give knighthoods for boys as young as you."

Link's hand went to the hilt of his sword. "What are you going to do with it?"

"Careful now, boy," the second guard said. "We just hold it here until you leave again." He nodded to his right, toward a barrel that had a few weapons poking out of it. "We give it right back as you go."

Link pulled his sword out and handed it to the second man.

"That's not a bad blade you have there," he said looking at it. "Where'd you get such a weapon?"

"It was a gift from my father."

"The rancher? How'd he get a long-dagger like this?"

"It's a sword! And Talon's not my father."

"Fine, didn't mean to offend," the guard gently put the blade in the barrel. "It'll be here when you return."

"Thank you." Link rushed past him. He had only worn the blade at his hip since he left Kokiri about a month before, but already it felt like it should always be there. He gave one look to the barrel, though his sword was too small to see any of it poking through the top. Frowning he ran up the road. Find Talon, then get my sword back.

He made it halfway to the inner wall when he heard the stomping of horses behind him. More visitors to the castle, and many of them by the sound of it.

"Link," Navi's voice sounded worried.

He kept walking, if it was important she could just tell him. There was no one around close enough to hear her after all.

"Link. Get off the road."

"What? Why? The guard said Talon was this way."

"Link! Get off the road!" Her voice was louder than it had been all day, more firm than he had ever heard it. He glanced down at the ocarina and looked behind him. There were riders, about twenty of them, if he had to guess.

All of them were tanned women with red hair, brighter than Malon's. At their head was the tallest man Link had ever seen, with a complexion to match all the others. He wore black armor with gilded etching and rode an equally massive black horse.

"Now!"

Link lurched off the road, near stumbling into one of the bushes that lined the pathway. The riders reached him. For a brief moment the gargantuan man's yellow eyes met Link's own, and he gave the smallest nod. Then they passed him by heading toward the castle.

Link's heart pounded in his chest, and his hands were sweaty. He knew the answer before he asked the question. "Was that him?"

"Yes," her voice was quiet now. Barely a whisper, but that one word managed to fit all her fears into it.

"I need my sword."

"No! You need to get out of here."

"I can get him!" Link turned back to the gate and the guards, then stopped. "Talon!"

"Link we need to go."

"Not without Talon." Link spun back around and raced after the horses. Visions of what that evil man would do if he came upon Talon burned their way through his mind. What evil was the man in black armor doing? How did he get past the guards at the wall?

Visions of monstrous insects like the one he had fought consuming everything plagued him. Spiders tore at Talon. Wasps as large as horses stung at Malon. The entirety of Castle Town aflame. All while the man in black armor laughed over all the death he caused.

The dark thoughts distracted him he almost missed Talon slumped over on the side of the road.

"No!" Link ran to the man, and pushed him onto his back, trying to see where the evil man hurt him.

But there was no wound. Talon was wet, but not from blood. A bottle rolled out of his hand, spilling the last of its contents onto the grass. A low rumbling groan spewed out of Talon's throat. Heavy lidded eyes blinked open before they shut tight again.

"Talon?" Link said. "Navi, what's wrong with him?"

"Nothing I can help him with. Try and get him to sit up."

Link grabbed at the man's shoulders and tried to push him forward, but the big man's body flopped about as he continued to grunt and mumble. "Talon, you have to help me at least a little here."

"Link?" Talon muttered, and groaned. His eyes opened again and this time they stayed open. Though it looked like the strain of it was about to make him collapse. "Link? Where am – where's Malon?"

"She's-" he dug his shoulder into the man's back and pushed, Talon flopped over and gave a painful sounding gasp, "selling milk. Because you weren't there this morning."

"No," he said his voice slow. He covered his eyes with his big hand. "I was- I didn't mean. By the Goddesses, my head hurts."

"What happened?" Link stopped pushing. Talon seemed to at least be holding himself upright.

"I spoke with Lord Bustradt," Talon said. "He remembered me, said I sold him the best horse he ever had." There was almost a hint of pride behind the words, but it was overwhelmed with the sounds of pain and sickness. "He agreed to help me make an appointment with the king. And then he had a drink to celebrate the Sky Festival, and then he offered me a drink. And then we had drinks together."

"So, you're not hurt?"

"I'm in pain, if that's what you mean. Here, boy, help me up." He held out one of his arms. Link grabbed it and pulled as Talon rolled forward. It took a few tries but he got to his feet. The rancher took a few uneasy steps, swaying a bit as he moved. "Blasted sun," he muttered and covered his eyes again. "I need to get to my daughter. She's going to let me have it."

"Talon, the man who rode past here earlier. Did you see him?"

"What?"

"There was a man, a big man in black armor. Did you see him?"

"I didn't see anyone," he muttered. His pace was getting stronger as Link led him back down the road.

"He may have…" Link wanted to prepare Talon for the sight of slaughtered guards, but, when they reached the gate he found the guards were fine.

The second one just waved as Link drew close. "I see you found him. How you doing old timer, have a bit too much fun last night?"

"I'm well enough," Talon said, though he still sounded sick. "Thank you for letting the boy come collect me."

"It was nothing, oh, here boy," the guard went to the barrel and pulled out Link's blade. "Kept it nice and safe for you."

"Sir," Link said as he sheathed the blade.

"Hah, sir?" The young guard looked to the older and nudged him in the ribs. "See, even he sees my destiny. Thank you boy, but I'm not a knight. Not yet anyway."

"Sorry, umm, mister guard," Link grunted. This wasn't what he wished to discuss. "The man who just came through here, with the black armor. Do you know who he is?"

Both the guards looked first to each other, then to Link to see if he was being serious before they burst into laughter.

"Everyone knows who he is, boy," the older of the two guards said. "That's Ganondorf Dragmire, the King of the Gerudo."

"Ahh, that's who the boy had seen," Talon murmured. "A great man, once a great enemy. But turning a great enemy to a friend, that's the sign of a wise king."

The guards both nodded. "Wise words from a drunk," said the older of the pair.

That man was an ally of the crown? The one who murdered the Great Deku Tree was one of the two good kings that Talon had spoken of several times over the last month. Was the King of Hyrule aligned with him? Did both of them want to take the Emerald for themselves to share?

Or was this rider in black, this Ganondorf, just tricking the Hylians?

Whatever the answer he could not risk bringing these people the stone.

"Thank you," Link piped up to the guards. Then he took Talon's hand and led him out of the castle walls.

"A fine thing," Talon murmured as he let himself be dragged along. "To live in a time where two great kings can live in peace. A very fine thing."

Link let go of Talon's hand, turned and looked at the man. Did he know? He led me straight to him, the first place he thought to bring me was to my enemy.Was it all a trick? Was this kind man just playing him as a fool? Did he serve the black rider?

"What's the matter, Link?" Talon said, and wiped some sweat from his brow. "Why are you looking at me like that? Owhhh." He clutched at his stomach.

Link's hand laid on top of his sword. "Why did you bring me here?"

"What?" Talon looked about them. "But, you were leading me."

"What has Ganondorf given you?"

"My boy, you're not making any sense. I never saw the man." His reddened eyes looked down at Link's hand. He shook his head as if to clear it. "Link, what's wrong? What's happened?"

"Navi," he whispered. "Navi I don't know what to do."

The fairy flew up between them. "Talon."

"My lady," the rancher mumbled, giving an unsteady bow of his head. When he righted himself his bleary eyes darted between the fairy and the swordhilt.

"Link and I are going to go. Can you find your way back to Malon?"

"I- I think. Yes. Yes, I can."

"Go."

"What of you two?"

"We'll be fine," Link said. Trying to make his voice sound as sharp as steel. But instead it sounded like a croak. "We don't need you any more."

Talon gave a slow nod of his head. "Don't trust me any more, you mean." He shut his eyes, and nodded his head a few times, trying to fit things together in his head. "If that is what you both want."

But it had nothing to do with what Link wanted. It was what was necessary. They needed to protect the Emerald, above everything else. He wanted to believe that Talon was just some poor fool, who didn't know any better. He wanted to go play with Malon, win her more jewelry, even have her make that playful laugh at him.

He wanted them both to be exactly what they seemed: two wonderful people out here in the world.

But Navi had been right, what were the chances that the first people they saw in this dark and war torn world were kindly? Too slim a chance to be real.

Talon set his jaw. "Well, then, I wish you both good luck. Wherever your journey takes you."

"Thank you," Navi said. "For everything you've done for us."

"It was nothing my lady. In truth, you and your boy were the most interesting thing that ever came through my life since Malon." Then his arms twitched, as if he wanted to pull Link into a big pudgy hug. But he didn't, he just turned and staggered away.

"And-" Link called after the man. "And Talon?"

"Yes, my boy?"

"Tell Malon…" What was there to tell her? They had only known each other for a few weeks, but it felt like so much longer. For some reason it thought of leaving Saria behind all over again. His mouth was still open, stupidly. "Tell her..."

"It's all right. I'll figure something out. This isn't the first time I had to explain a disappearance to her." Navi gave a sad little groan, which just made Link feel even worse. "For what it's worth, you're both still welcome on my ranch. I hope you learn that I did not know the evil man you spoke of was the Gerudo King."

Link nodded to the man. What more was there to say? And with that, Talon turned and walked away.

Navi retreated back into the ocarina, and Link thought he heard the tiniest sobs coming from within. But there was no time to comfort her, he needed to work fast. He walked along the great stone wall, until he was certain no one looked at him. Then he found a suitably distinctive looking tree and went to his knees. He pulled at the dirt around the root until he scraped away a suitable hole.

"What are you doing?" Navi said, her light peaking out of the ocarina.

"I'm going to bury the Emerald."

"The black rider is too close. We can't just leave it in some hole. We need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving, and I'm going to come back for the Emerald as soon as I can."

"Where are we going?"

He untied the bag that held the Emerald from his belt and pushed it into the hole, then covered it up as best he could with loose soil. He padded it down, and scattered the unused dirt, so to any passersby it would look like nothing but a normal tree. He stepped back to admire his handwork, nodded that it looked precisely as he wanted. Then he turned and reached out for the stones of the castle wall.

"Link! What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go avenge my father."

Navi protested, she gave a dozen reasons why his plan was insane, suicidal, stupid. As he pulled himself over to the top of the wall, she resorted to begging him, her voice strained. Pleading with him to stop, to run away. But Ganondorf killed the Great Deku Tree, and who knew how many more besides. Dealing with him was the right thing to do.

"If you aren't going to help me," he said as he unhooked his ocarina, "I can leave you here. You can watch over the Emerald until I get back."

"No!" Navi's voice cracked. "No, I'm coming too."

Good, whatever happened, he wanted Navi to be with him. "You'll have to be quiet." He slipped over the wall, and landed insides the castle grounds.