Chapter 3
The procession of knights left the Military Training Camp and rode down the hill, passing Woodland Stable before turning west toward the castle. A few hours slipped by. It was beginning to grow warmer, but not yet so hot as it was yesterday.
As Link had expected, his mare Pomona behaved well, understanding as if by instinct that she was to walk at the same speed as the princess's horse beside her. Actually, Pomona was behaving better than Zelda's horse, who pranced anxiously from time to time. Zelda seemed annoyed at that, trying to use the reins to pull back on him when he got out of hand. Hadn't anyone taught her how to soothe an excitable mount? Surely they had. Some of the best trainers at Lon Lon Ranch over the years had left to work at the royal stables at the castle. Link refrained from telling her the same things they must have already told her. It wasn't his place to instruct the princess. Only to protect her.
Link could see Helmhead Bridge coming up in the distance. Once they had crossed that and the large island known as Hyrule Forest Park, they would probably take a quick rest and then cross the Boneyard Bridge and shortly thereafter enter Castle Town. He felt a flutter of nervous anticipation. Everyone there knew the purpose of this expedition. A crowd of people would probably be hanging around, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Master Sword and the one who had drawn it from the pedestal.
They crossed Helmhead Bridge, the horses' hooves clopping loudly on the wooden planks. The island was thickly wooded, and usually you could catch a glimpse of deer darting away from the noise of travelers. Link looked sharp, but didn't see any deer today. The trees seemed quieter than usual, in fact. Not many birds singing. Only the soft sound of moving water: Hylia River to the east, and the castle moat to the west. Link glanced back and saw that the squires at the back of the procession had just crossed the bridge. Probably they would take their midday halt here. Maybe he would get to talk to Kester for a few minutes.
"Your Majesty!" Bartelmeu's shout drew everyone's attention. "Up ahead on the bridge!"
Boneyard Bridge had just come into view as the road curved around through the trees. Link looked, and his heart skipped a beat.
There was a Hinox sitting right in the middle of the bridge. A big one – though that was redundant, when it came to Hinoxes – it had wrinkled, charcoal-colored skin, a snub nose like a Bokoblin's, and a gaping mouth with a pair of tusk-like teeth. Already it had spotted them and was lumbering to its feet, its single yellow eye opening wide to glare at them.
Instantly, there was the scrape of unsheathing swords. Zelda looked alarmed, and pulled back on the reins once more as her horse pranced nervously, responding to the sudden tense energy of the men around them.
"So close to the castle!" Father breathed behind them.
The squires at the back of the procession were shouting something. They all turned around to see that a second Hinox had trudged out of the trees behind the procession, and was now blocking the first bridge they had crossed.
They had just been effectively cut off from any retreat.
Worse, there was movement in the trees to the east of them, and more monsters were emerging from them. Bokoblins clutching clubs and crude shields. Moblins, far taller than a man, with long arms that enabled them to swing a claymore at your head before you could get within weapon's reach of them. And – worse and worse –there was even a Lynel. Striped black and white, roughly horse-shaped, only with a man-like torso and a bushy white mane on its head. Link's mouth fell open. He had never seen this particular variety, but he had heard they were even more vicious than the red-maned or blue-maned Lynels.
How had so many monsters gotten so close to the castle without detection? And what had spurred them to attack a procession as large and well-armed as theirs? Monsters didn't usually gather in numbers this large. Mostly they camped in small groups and attacked travelers who couldn't put up much of a fight.
"They know we have the king and princess with us!" one of the Royal Guards behind Link blurted out. "Or... they sensed the Sword!"
Almost, Link had forgotten about the Master Sword on his back, but now he felt its weight suddenly pulling down on him. Was it possible the monsters already knew it had returned?
Reinold wheeled his horse around and began shouting orders. "Wyliame, lead the charge against the Hinox on Helmhead Bridge! Captain Imbert, take half your unit to assist. Send the other half with Powel to clear the Boneyard Bridge!"
There was instant action as half a dozen knights charged off in each direction, each group led by a Royal Guard on horseback.
Reinold glanced around with alert eyes and then pointed at the base of a tall column of rock that bent toward the moat, seeming to point at the castle. "Move the princess there!" he shouted. "Captain Farrimond, send half your unit to guard her! Your Majesty, how would you feel about handling the Moblins?"
King Rhoam's only answer was to spur his horse and head directly for them as he grimly reached back and unsheathed his massive royal claymore.
"Bartelmeu, Geffrei, go with him!" Reinold ordered. "The rest of Farrimond's unit, with me and Ranulf. We're going to tackle that Lynel. Kester!"
Kester ran up breathlessly.
"Pick ten of the best squires and send them out against the Bokoblins," Reinold told him. "I want the rest surrounding the princess, bows at the ready. Stay with them and keep them under control! Let's go!"
Everyone charged off to their assignments. Link had a moment of stunned confusion. Where was he supposed to go? He had not been added to anyone's unit yet. Nor had he joined the Royal Guard. He definitely was not supposed to go with the squires anymore.
The bearer of the Master Sword was supposed to protect the princess. No one had formally charged him with that duty, but Link felt instinctively that it was his anyway. He nudged his heels against Pomona's sides and followed Princess Zelda, whose horse was being led by one of Farrimond's knights toward the column of rock. Kester was leading the younger squires to the same place.
Of course, it was really Farrimond's knights who would be guarding the princess. The younger squires all had some battle experience by now, but not much. Their placement here was as much for their protection as the princess's. Hopefully there would be enough trained men standing at the ready to discourage any charges by the monsters. It was good that Link would be there too, and at a better vantage point since he was on horseback. Yes, he felt sure that sticking with Zelda was the right course. If anything happened to her, winning the battle wouldn't mean much. Her life was worth far more than any of theirs.
The princess on her mount was placed with her back to the rock, with Link on Pomona beside her, and the half-dozen knights spread out in a semicircle around them, shields out and swords drawn. Kester was arranging the squires behind and between each man.
"You, you and you, down on one knee!" Kester ordered, pointing. "Make sure whoever's behind you has a line of sight. Budge over, Olivin! Make some room. You too. Over... over... over... His voice sharpened. "Denis, don't you even think about doing something like that here! I will report you to Wyliame, don't think I won't!"
At last, he had them all in place, and Link saw him heave a silent sigh of relief before shouting to the squires as a group.
"Do not, I repeat do not, fire on anything unless I say!" he said. "Let's not be wasting arrows on long shots!" He had his own bow out and, finally satisfied with the squires' positions, he came to stand behind the knights, next to Link. They exchanged looks.
"Like herding cats," Kester muttered.
"You do it well."
Kester shrugged one shoulder, but he looked pleased.
There was a thunk in the dirt nearby, and the two of them turned to see an odd object lying on the ground. They turned the other way to see that Princess Zelda had just tossed away the attachment to her saddle that helped her drape her legs to the side, and was now busily unbuttoning her stiff gown from the hem all the way up to the waist. Kester looked pointedly away, expression alarmed, as she coolly swung one leg over to sit on her horse astride, showing the trousers she wore underneath. It was the smartest thing she could have done, Link realized. If it came to a need for escape, she'd be on the horse more securely now.
With everyone in place, there was nothing to do now but watch the battle unfold from their place of relative safety. Link's eyes sought out Father. He and Reinold had teamed up to battle the white-maned Lynel, with six knights to back them up. It looked like overkill for one monster, but Link knew from experience that it was not.
Only a madman would try to take on a Lynel alone. Even the ones with red or blue manes – less vicious than the one they faced today – were almost as intelligent as a Hylian, and far stronger. Their weapons were so powerful that one blow from them could knock a man out cold. The next blow could kill.
And that wasn't all. Some of them could breathe fire or ice.
There was no room for mistakes. It was a fight a knight should only take on if he were in good condition, well-armored and well-equipped... and had help nearby.
The six knights on foot had surrounded the Lynel in a wide, loose circle, and they all had their bows out. Their task was to contain the Lynel within the circle to ensure it did not wreak havoc on any of the other fights happening around them, and to stun it with arrows as much as possible.
That would create an opening for Father or Reinold to dart in with their swords and land more serious blows. It was by far the more dangerous part of the process. Lynels did not stay stunned for long, and the moment they got back on their feet, they'd swing their deadly weapons with a speed that was startling. That was why both Father and Reinold were moving cautiously, their shields strapped firmly to their left arms and held up in a warding gesture the moment they finished their counterattack.
Not every Lynel required a whole team of knights to bring down. Link had seen Father handle a red-maned Lynel with only a partner before. But even so, it was a long, exhausting process. A Lynel could take a lot of blows before it finally fell. It was rare for even a skilled knight like a Royal Guard to walk away from a fight like that without injury. Link's stomach was a knot as he watched Father dart in, hack at its haunches as it knelt in pain from an arrow that had found its mark, and then back away rapidly as it staggered back to its feet and began swinging away with a wicked-looking mace. The Lynel roared in defiance, and galloped around in a tight pattern so dizzying that the next rain of arrows fell all around it, missing every time. It swung again, making contact with Father's shield and knocking him to the ground. Reinold shouted at it hoarsely, darted in and actually managed to hit it, despite the fact that it hadn't been stunned first. He danced away, shield up, and narrowly avoided a retaliatory blow.
Growling in fury, the Lynel started belching fire. The knights shouted in alarm, diving this way and that to avoid it. Father had scrambled back onto his feet just in time to run. The fire came so close to him that he must have been singed. Link gritted his teeth, but then the Lynel seemed to run out of flames, and pulled out its triple shot bow instead.
"Arrows! Arrows!" Reinold shouted desperately, and the knights fired off another volley as smoke rose from the smoldering grass. One of them actually managed to hit the monster, and the Lynel went down on a knee with a grunt. Father was there in a second, slashing at its hard horned head half a dozen times before backing away, shield up.
Link spared a fleeting look at the rest of the battlefield. At each bridge, teams of knights were firing arrows at the Hinox's eye, allowing the Royal Guard leading the attack to move in for sword slashes at its feet. All around them, squires were tussling one-on-one with Bokoblins. He saw King Rhoam leveling wide, sweeping blows at a Moblin, preventing it from wading into a knot of battling squires. Link had never seen a fight this intense. No one had a moment to breathe. For a moment, he doubted whether he had done the right thing. Maybe he should be out there fighting, not sitting beside the princess watching everyone else fight for their lives.
And then he saw it.
A second Lynel.
It had just emerged from the trees, shaggy head swiveling to observe the chaos all around. It spotted the white-maned Lynel and trotted sideways in a strange way, moving rapidly away from its brother. Lynels were known to be very solitary creatures, and fiercely territorial. It was unheard of to see two in one place. Link wondered what could have possibly induced these monsters to end up in the same place on the same day.
Calamity Ganon had not yet returned. But was it possible that he was already influencing these creatures somehow? Spurring them on to more aggressive tactics?
This new Lynel – a red-maned one – clearly knew its place in the hierarchy, and gave the white-maned one a large berth. Unfortunately, that put it on a path directly toward their position surrounding Princess Zelda.
The knights guarding her had noticed the Lynel too, and they clenched their swords tighter, shifting their weight from foot to foot uneasily. Reinold would be the one to issue new orders as needed for changing conditions, but he had his hands very full with the other Lynel right now, and apparently had not yet noticed the situation. The squires were all clutching arrows, held loosely to strings, eyes flicking in Kester's direction to see if he would give the order. The Lynel was too far away yet. But Link knew that could change very quickly. In fact, he knew that if it spotted them and decided to charge, even if someone managed to hit it in the face, its momentum could very well send it crashing into them all – including the princess – in a manner hardly less dangerous than if it trampled them on purpose.
Link debated grabbing the halter of the princess's horse and readying himself to help her escape if the Lynel came their way. But where would he take her? He scanned the battlefield rapidly. This island was fairly small. Both bridges were still blocked off and there were scuffles happening everywhere. It was chaos, and there was no guarantee she'd be any safer out there. Reinold had picked the best place to put her. Better to stand their ground while someone kept the Lynel occupied at a safe distance.
The trouble was, there didn't seem to be anyone available to do that.
It took only an instant for Link to realize: he was the only knight here on horseback.
That meant he was the one least in danger of being overrun.
And that meant he was the one who needed to draw it away.
Only a madman would fight a Lynel alone. But Link wasn't crazy. He didn't need to fight it at all. Just draw its attention away from the princess. He could keep it running around after him, angry but impotent to do anything about it. It would buy time until more men were free to assist in taking it down. But he would only do it if he needed to. Only if...
It saw them.
It roared in fury, the very air around it vibrating with the sound.
It charged them.
Abruptly, Princess Zelda sat up straight on her horse and lifted her right hand, holding it palm outward in a warding gesture. A strange focused look came into her eyes. Farrimond's knights all looked up at her expectantly.
There was a long pause.
Nothing happened.
Zelda grimaced slightly, and pushed her hand out again, face screwed up in fierce concentration, her eyes fixed on the charging Lynel.
Nothing happened again. Zelda dropped her hand and then looked down at it, her cheeks turning pink. She seemed frustrated and embarrassed in equal measure. The knights looked away from her and toward the rampaging monster headed straight for them, and visibly braced themselves for impact.
"Hah!" Link shouted, spurring his horse vehemently. "Hah! Hah!"
Pomona leapt out, startled, pushing her way out of the protective semicircle of knights. Obeying Link's guidance with the reins, she galloped in the Lynel's direction, and immediately its malevolent gaze shifted to him and it roared again, with a new note of challenge. It slowed and then pulled out a triple-shot bow and readied the string. Distantly he could hear Kester screaming: "Link! Are you crazy?!"
He had very little time to react. Rocking his body in sync with Pomona's strides and holding her tightly between his knees, Link pulled the reins to the proper tension and then clamped them between his teeth. He held onto her neck only briefly to make sure of his balance and then he forced himself to let go, reaching back to retrieve his bow and an arrow from his quiver. It was a little nerve-wracking to do this with no saddle and no stirrups to help keep him seated, and for the first time he regretted not simply taking Heriot as Father had offered.
Too late now.
He nocked the arrow and pulled back the string, aiming for the Lynel's head. His target appeared to be bouncing all over the place, thanks to Pomona's galloping strides, but Link knew how to compensate for that, and patiently he waited for the right moment.
It came.
He fired.
The arrow struck, and the Lynel grunted loudly, going down on one knee just in front of them. Link felt one moment of perfect triumph, and then Pomona smelled the Lynel.
He knew the second it happened, because she instantly reared up, front hooves pawing at the air in terror.
It didn't matter how tightly Link was clamping her sides between his knees. Instantly he was airborne, and the reins were jerked painfully out from between his teeth. He hit the ground hard, flat on his back, and pain bloomed.
He tried to breathe. He couldn't. His lungs burned but he couldn't suck in a breath. He just laid there on his back, uselessly gasping for air like a fish flopping on the shore.
It seemed to last for an eternity. Finally, he managed to gasp in a breath of precious air, and then another, and then another. Slowly, painfully, he staggered onto his feet.
The Lynel was about ten paces away from him. Slowly, painfully staggering onto its feet.
Link froze in horror. His bow! Where was it? Not in his hands anymore. He looked all around him, but it had vanished. Maybe nearby, hidden in the tall grass. Maybe broken. Pomona was gone too. Run off in terror, no doubt. There went his plan to keep the Lynel running after him and not endangering anyone else.
The Lynel locked furious eyes on him.
Link's eyes darted around quickly. Was there anyone nearby to help? But no. Everyone was still locked in their own scuffles. It was just him and the Lynel.
And he had only one weapon to his name.
Link reached back and put his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword. A part of him hesitated to draw it. He knew he wasn't ready for this. He was supposed to have faced trials already. He was supposed to have earned it. That was what all the old stories said about the chosen hero. Everything was backwards and upside down, and he was powerless to change it.
All he could do was defend the princess behind him. No matter how clumsy or inadequate his efforts turned out to be.
He pulled the Master Sword with a quick movement. Instantly the sharp blade sliced through the velvet wrapped around it, along with the leather straps binding it to his back. Zelda's severed blue sash fluttered through the air like a ribbon and landed in the grass before him. He held the Sword with two hands, held low with the tip pointing up toward his enemy.
The Lynel pulled a wide, crudely forged sword from its back and charged at Link.
Link braced himself to swing the moment it came within reach. But it came far faster than he thought it would, and at the last second he realized he had no time for anything but dodging out of the way. So he did, hitting the ground at a roll and then popping back up to reset. The Lynel skidded to a stop, turned, and charged again.
It was so fast! Link couldn't get his weapon back up in time – this blade really was heavier than the soldier's broadsword he was used to – and he was once more forced to dive out of the way. This time, he pushed himself hard, moving as fast as he possibly could to get back into a defensive position. He managed to be a hair faster, and boldly he swung the Master Sword two-handed at the Lynel's face just as it charged him a third time.
The blow glanced off the side of the shaggy monster's head, but an instant later its broad, muscular shoulder clipped Link as it thundered past. He went sprawling, gasping in pain at the force of the collision as he tumbled over and over on the bumpy ground, and then cried out seconds later as he struck his head against something hard.
Stars swam in his vision. He tried to get up, but his muscles didn't want to obey. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he made himself get up anyway, but he wasn't exactly steady on his feet.
Somewhere through the pain, he remembered his father once explaining the best tactic for fighting a Lynel alone if you were forced into a bad situation. Block its weapon with a shield, but push back against the blow and send the monster off balance. That was supposed to create a small opening to get in a counterattack.
He didn't have a shield. He'd left his back at camp, knowing that it would take some time before he was strong enough to use a blade as long as the Master Sword with one hand only.
It occurred to Link that he might be in trouble.
The Lynel wheeled sharply and fixed its beady eyes on him, its great horns curving back into wicked points. It roared wildly and charged at him once more.
In a flash Link understood that trying to dodge its charge and get in a good hit at the same time was not possible. The monster was just too fast. He'd have to pick one or the other.
Dodging was no good. He needed to keep it occupied so that it wouldn't decide to go for the princess and her guards instead. That meant he'd have to stand his ground. Even if it meant getting knocked around like a rag doll.
Clenching his jaw, Link gripped the Master Sword firmly in both hands and raised it for the next blow. The monster's hooves shook the ground as it thundered toward him. A part of him knew how much it was going to hurt when that thick, muscular body slammed into him, but the rest of him didn't seem to care. At least he'd get in one good hit first.
An instant before Link began to swing, the Lynel grunted loudly, and went down on one knee right in front of him with a stunned expression on its face.
There was an arrow sticking out of it.
Startled, Link turned to see Kester, standing ten paces away, holding his soldier's bow. His friend's face was white with fear, but already he was reaching back for the next arrow.
"Go, go, go!" Kester shouted at him frantically. "I'm the stunner, you're the slicer!"
A powerful rush of relief washed over Link. Neither one of them had more than half an idea of what they were doing, but at least he wouldn't have to do this alone.
Belatedly, he leapt forward and unleashed a flurry of attacks on the stunned Lynel, not holding back. For the first time, he managed to get in not just one good hit, but half a dozen of them in rapid succession. And the Master Sword was sharp – it whistled through the air with ease, and sliced so cleanly that it hardly checked his speed with each thrust.
It was the most beautiful, shining, perfect sword he had ever had the privilege of holding. And he had no idea why he of all people had been blessed with it.
This was no time for questions or doubts. There was only the fight.
The Lynel abruptly staggered back onto its feet, and Link rapidly backed away. It swung its rough-hewn sword with vicious speed, and he dived to the ground, hearing the heavy blade whoosh just over his head.
Then it grunted, taking another arrow to the face. Among the squires, Kester was easily the best marksman. He'd taught Link a thing or two about it when Father had first joined the Royal Guard. His eyes were sharp and his hand was steady, even in the most chaotic of circumstances.
Link scrambled back onto his feet and struck blow after blow, moving lightly on his feet, thrusting and whirling and slashing. The Master Sword fairly sang as it soared through the air. His heart seemed to beat in time to its music. All other sounds seemed to fade away: the shouts of the knights in the distance, the roar of the monsters, the fires crackling in the dry grass. All he could see before him was the grim face of the Lynel and the dull metallic gleam of its sword.
Working in tandem, bit by bit, Kester and Link began to wear down the monster's strength. Stun, slash, duck. Stun, slash, duck. It was exhausting work. Soon Link was gasping for breath, his dry throat aching and his muscles complaining. But there was no time to rest and regroup.
A couple times Kester missed his shot, despite his best efforts. The Lynel was learning from their tactics, and now whenever it recovered from a stunning it would gallop around in a crazy tight pattern, making itself a more difficult target. Whenever Kester missed, the fight turned into a frantic dodge-and-dive, with Link doing his level best to keep his head out of range of that enormous blade long enough for Kester to redraw and try again.
Then it got worse. Link caught sight of a little curl of flame inside the Lynel's grimacing mouth, and instantly his instincts clicked into action and he began to run full-speed as great gouts of flame gushed from its mouth, incinerating the grass as the air itself seemed to blur from the heat.
He had just enough sense to run around the monster in a curve, keeping far enough away to avoid the fire but close enough to prevent the Lynel from pulling out its powerful bow again. His lungs burned from the effort, as well as the ash now floating through the air.
Finally, the creature ran out of flames, and once again it charged Link, who ducked the blow and then leapt closer to deliver a slice across its flanks. He gave it all he had, but he was growing sluggish, and he only got in a few blows before the Lynel recovered.
This was bad. It was getting harder and harder to react quickly enough. Kester was getting tired too; he missed his next shot, and then – to the shock of both of them – the Lynel suddenly wheeled and galloped past Link... and toward Kester.
Startled, Kester had no time to do anything but instinctively hold up his solder's shield in a defensive position.
The Lynel's sword struck the shield full-force, shattering it into splinters. Kester shouted wordlessly, staggering backward, and then dove desperately to the side as a second blow rapidly followed, coming down right next to his head. Kester sprawled awkwardly in the dirt, and the Lynel raised its sword for the killing blow.
Pushing past his exhaustion, Link did the only thing he could think of. He took a running start and launched himself over the Lynel's hindquarters, landing on its back, just as he did when taming a wild horse. The Lynel roared with fury and reared up, its massive hooves pawing the air. Kester rolled over and over on the ground, getting out of range, and after that Link didn't see him anymore, because he was too busy swinging the Master Sword with all his strength at the back of the Lynel's head.
It was surprisingly effective. The Lynel bucked like a mad thing, trying to knock him off, but it had been greatly weakened by its many wounds, and Link was able to stay on its back long enough for a fresh flurry of strikes.
He delivered one last powerful two-handed swing, and the Lynel howled with an inhuman sound and then crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
Still on its back, Link crumpled with it. The Lynel's massive muscular body toppled to the side and landed with its full weight on his right leg, pinning him to the ground. Link opened his mouth to cry out, but no sound came out. The pain was incredible. Like nothing he'd ever felt. It enveloped him with a suffocating force.
He tried to pull himself out from under that terrible weight, but he had almost no strength left. The Lynel didn't budge. It was definitely dead. Which was good, except now it had him inexorably trapped.
"Link!" Kester gasped, stumbling over to him, dropping his bow on the ground. "Oh, no... Hang on. Hang on."
He grabbed Link under both arms and pulled backward with all his strength, grunting through clenched teeth. Link shouted in pain as his leg dragged out from under the Lynel, but a few moments later Kester had him free and then they both flopped on the ground, gasping for breath.
In the distance they could still hear the sounds of the battle, but the men's shouts no longer had a note of desperation to them. It seemed like the tide had turned.
"I cannot," Kester said when he had finally caught his breath, "believe we just did that." He stared up at the sky and suddenly laughed. "Two squires – well, a squire and a brand-new knight, anyway – just took down a Lynel!" He turned his head to look at Link. "Should we take bets on whether they congratulate us for our genius, or scold us for our stupidity?"
Link laughed weakly, and then grunted. He'd been hoping his leg would feel better once it was out from under the Lynel, but the pain was still making him dizzy. Kester's face changed, and he got up and looked over him, expression concerned. "How bad is it?"
Link tried to move his leg a little, and instantly the pain spiked.
"You better not walk on that," Kester said. "Here. Let me help you."
It took a minute, but Kester managed to get him up on his one good foot, and had Link put his arm over his shoulder and lean against him. They began to make their way slowly over to where the princess and her escort were waiting. A quick glance around the battlefield confirmed that it was nearly over. Father and Reinold were striding away from where the white-maned Lynel lay motionless on the ground. Link was relieved to see that Father looked more disheveled than hurt. One Hinox was down and the other was in its last throes. The last few Bokoblins were being chased off. Some knights were limping around, but Link didn't see any lying on the ground. It was as good an outcome as they could have hoped for.
The knights made way for them as Kester carefully helped Link down to the ground, where he could lean back against the column of rock. Princess Zelda had shed her formal gown, revealing the blue shirt and trousers she had been wearing underneath, and she crouched beside a cookpot that had been set up over a hastily kindled fire, putting water on to boil.
"Let me see that leg," one of Farrimond's knights said, the red sash tied around his upper arm designating him as someone with field medic training. The man carefully felt Link's leg, and Link tried not to moan but failed as the most painful spot got prodded. Princess Zelda came over with a wet cloth and knelt beside Link, dabbing at a long scrape on the side of his face. Her touch was surprisingly gentle.
"Broken," the knight said in a matter of fact tone, sitting back on his heels. "We'll need to put on a splint. I know you won't like this, lad, but you need to listen very carefully. You won't be able to walk on this for a good long while."
Link shook his head quickly. "No. No-"
"At least a couple of months of rest," he said firmly. "If you don't, you may aggravate the injury and take even longer to heal. You may end up with a limp for the rest of your life."
Zelda's hand had stopped dabbing his face. She was quiet for a long moment, looking at Link's leg. He could only imagine what she was thinking. She had gotten only a few hours of protection out of him, and now he would be useless to her just when she needed him the most.
Link's eyes went to the Master Sword, still clutched in his right hand. Although it was no longer pristine after its use against the Lynel, it still glimmered with a sacred light. He couldn't rest for several months! He couldn't even afford to rest for a couple of days. Calamity Ganon's return was happening now, and he had to train with the Sword, he had to get ready, he had to help the princess with everything she needed.
The knight took the cloth from Zelda's motionless hand and began cleaning the assorted cuts and scrapes Link had acquired during the fight. The princess got up and walked a short distance away, her expression inscrutable. Kester still knelt beside him, not saying anything. And really, what was there to say?
Link leaned his head back against the rock behind him and squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think despite the pain in his leg. Maybe he was too old now to wish for his mother at a time like this, but he couldn't help but think of her knack for cooking a very rare type of mushroom, a truffle, that worked wonders at helping a sick or injured person feel better quickly. Not only that, but she knew how to make it delicious, too. His mother made a wonderful mushroom risotto. Or even a simple mushroom omelette would go down very well right now. His mouth watered just thinking of it. Of course, those truffles were hard to find. But maybe a runner could be sent to the ranch to see if she had one, or could find one. Anything to speed up his recovery.
And then he realized he was being ridiculous. That wasn't even his only option! He looked at Kester and blurted out: "Mipha!"
Kester's expression grew grave. "No, Link," he said. "It's me, Kester."
"No!" Link tried not to let his annoyance show. "Mipha could-" He nodded toward his leg, and finally Kester's eyes lit up as he understood.
Then Kester's face fell just as quickly. "We're so close to the castle," he said, looking across the moat at its distant floating banners. "They'll take the princess straight there to get her to safety, and they'll take you there, too. Not to Zora's Domain."
"We can send for her," Link said. "Maybe-" He broke off with a grunt as his leg suddenly twinged.
Kester considered the idea. "It would mean a journey for her, but for you, I bet Mipha would-"
"Hemart," Princess Zelda broke in, striding decisively over to where they sat on the ground. "Go over to that Lynel they just killed, and bring me a hoof."
The knight stared at her blankly. "A... hoof, princess?"
"A hoof," she repeated, sounding slightly irritated. "Or a horn. Or any part, really. Just be quick about it!"
Did she want a trophy from their victory? Why? Hemart looked like he wanted to ask, but he knew better than to disobey royalty, no matter how strange the order. Without another word, he strode away toward the fallen Lynel. Link and Kester exchanged puzzled looks, but said nothing as Zelda began to pace between them and the cookpot, a look of fierce concentration on her face.
Link reached into his pocket, pulled out his bandanna, and worked to clean his blade to distract himself while the field medic splinted his leg. He held out hope that either Mother or Mipha would be able to help him. King Rhoam was already disappointed in him; he couldn't let a little injury keep him from his duty completely.
Hemart came back, a Lynel hoof in his hand. He held it out toward the princess uncertainly. "Would you like it wrapped-" he started to say, but she merely snatched it out of his hand with her bare hand. Kester looked taken aback. Link noticed that Zelda was holding something in her other hand. For a split second, he saw a little reptilian head poking out from between her fingers: the strange blue lizard she had caught back at the camp yesterday. Its yellow eye blinked at Link, and then the next second Zelda tossed the lizard into the hot water in the cookpot, along with the hoof.
Kester inadvertently let a sound of disgust escape his lips, and it was only with great difficulty that Link didn't echo it. Didn't Zelda know that monster parts were no good for eating? And only a truly desperate man would eat something like a lizard! What was she thinking? Link's hands slowly stopped cleaning the Sword as he watched the princess stir the pot in horrified fascination. Now she was dipping a small glass bottle into the concoction – which stank of Lynel – and the next thing he knew, she was kneeling down beside him and holding the bottle out to him. Link stared at her blankly.
"Well, drink it," she said impatiently.
Link looked back and forth between the princess and the contents of the bottle – which, for reasons he didn't want to think about, was somehow bright red despite being made from a black hoof and a blue lizard. Everyone watching was quiet. Link could practically feel the sympathy radiating from the men, but no one rescued him from the situation. They didn't want to argue with Zelda any more than he did.
"It'll help," she said, as if it was obvious, and when he didn't make a move, she pushed the bottle into his hand. "Go on, then!"
There didn't seem to be anything else to do. Link reluctantly moved the bottle up to his lips. Kester grimaced and looked away as he took a sip.
He was hoping it would somehow taste better than it smelled, but it was worse, much, much worse. Desperately, Link tried to swallow right away to get the vile taste out of his mouth as quickly as possible, but instantly had to fight his gag reflex. His lips clamped together, but his cheeks bulged out against his will.
Zelda's eyes went dangerous. "Don't you dare spit that out!" she warned.
With a desperate effort, Link finally managed to worry it down. He gasped for breath, coughing a little. It burned going down his throat. Did she have any idea how awful this was? Had she ever tasted this particular culinary disaster?
"The rest of it," Zelda said flatly.
He'd known that was coming. Link heaved a sigh, then closed his eyes, tossed back the rest of the elixir and choked it down. A shudder moved down his whole body, but with heroic strength he managed not to vomit in front of everyone.
Zelda leaned back on her heels, looking satisfied. "There," she said. "That's better, isn't it?"
Better? She couldn't be serious. His stomach churned unpleasantly. He wasn't sure he wouldn't vomit after all.
"Check his leg again," the princess told the field medic. Bending to obey, he felt Link's leg carefully once more.
There was... no spike of pain. Frowning, Link wiggled his leg a little bit, and then a lot. Nothing. No pain at all. He bent his knee and put his foot against the ground and then, daringly, he carefully got to his feet.
No pain. Not even when he put his whole weight on the bad leg. Kester stared at him, jaw dropped open. The knights looked no less astonished.
"How do you feel?" Zelda asked.
"Better," he said wonderingly.
Zelda's face lit up with a smile, and in a flash he saw her again, that animated budding scientist back on the lake shore who had chattered away to herself about rare lizard species.
"It's just as I thought!" she burst out excitedly. "That old book Dinah found, it was right! Hearty lizard indeed!" She laughed lightly. "I must record this immediately, before I forget the details!" And with that, she pulled out the notebook that she had tucked into the waistband of her trousers, sat down right on the ground, and began scratching with her pen. The knights around her looked bemused.
Link went through his pockets, and was crushed to discover that the seafood rice balls he'd been given for his ration back at camp were now missing. They must have fallen out of his pocket while he fought. Probably trampled into the ground by a Lynel, too.
"I lost my lunch," he murmured in disappointment.
Kester gave him a funny look. "How can you even think about food at a time like this?"
Link kept his voice to a whisper, not wanting to offend the princess. "I want something in my mouth that doesn't taste like hoof."
Kester choked back a laugh. "Poor thing. Would you rather have your broken leg back?"
"I'm thinking."
Kester shook his head, but he pulled his own rations out of his pocket and willingly handed over half. Link popped it into his mouth immediately. Fish didn't exactly complement essence of hoof, but it was better than nothing. Then he caught sight of who was coming over, and he swallowed the rice ball almost whole and then rapidly brushed his face to make sure nothing had stuck there. He glanced down at the Master Sword in his hand and realized that he hadn't quite finished cleaning it earlier. Embarrassed, he moved it behind his back to hide that fact.
The knights parted to make way for King Rhoam, with Reinold following at his elbow.
"Daughter, are you well?" he asked in his deep voice. His eyes fell on Princess Zelda's discarded formal gown lying carelessly on the ground, and a frown creased his forehead.
"Yes, Father," Zelda said distractedly from where she sat on the ground in her blue shirt and trousers, not looking up from her notebook.
The king's stern gaze fell on Link next. "Is it true? Reinold said he saw you fighting a Lynel."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The king looked down at Link for a long moment, expression unreadable. Beside him, Reinold looked openly impressed. "Remarkable!" the head Guard said. "To take on a Lynel alone... and you're not even injured!"
"The goddess chooses her champion well," the king said. To his credit, he spoke the words sincerely, without a hint of grudging reluctance. He looked at Link, and for the first time, Link felt as if the king was truly seeing him.
But he couldn't let the misunderstanding remain. He hated to correct Reinold, who outranked him by far, but the truth had to be said. Link opened his mouth, pushed past his reluctance to speak, and fairly forced the words out.
"Your Majesty," Link said in a rush. "I didn't fight it alone – Kester helped. And I did get injured. Your daughter made an elixir-"
"I found a hearty lizard, Father!" Zelda said eagerly, interrupting Link as she jumped back to her feet, eyes sparkling. "Back at camp. Dinah was afraid they had gone extinct, but I was less certain. I actually found one, and it was a terrible wrench to let it go, but I cooked it with a Lynel hoof, as crazy as that sounds, and it was everything we hoped it would..."
Her voice trailed off. The king was already looking away from her, turning crisply toward Reinold. "Take stock of the wounded and get everyone else back in rank," he ordered. "We'll return to the castle before the monsters can regroup."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Reinold trotted off, and the king strode off in another direction without a backward glance.
Zelda stared after her father, shoulders sagging. Then a flash of anger crossed her face, and she slapped her notebook down on the ground and stalked off to nowhere in particular, her small hands clenched into fists at her sides.
The knights shifted their weight uneasily, avoiding each other's eyes. Everyone was thinking it, and no one wanted to say it. Thankfully, a distraction arrived just then in the form of Father, walking up to them holding Heriot's halter in one hand... and Pomona's in the other. A spike of pleasure shot through Link at the sight of the mare. He had been certain he wouldn't see her again.
"I found your little runaway wandering around in the trees, dragging her reins," Father said with a small smile, handing her off.
"You're a good girl," Link murmured to Pomona, stroking her neck. She tossed her head a little, huffing out a breath. "No, I mean it. You just weren't ready to fight a Lynel. It's all right. I wasn't either." He wished he had another apple to give her as an apology for her fright, but that would have to wait.
The remainder of the trip to Castle Town went slowly to accommodate the wounded. Luckily they didn't have far to go before the watchtower at the east wall came into sight, a long banner high above its peaked roof rippling in the breeze. Link clung to a thin hope that the procession would be able to wind its way through the town and into the castle without much fanfare, but of course that could not be. The moment the knights manning the tower spotted them, trumpets rang out in welcome to the Royal Family. The bells of the grand cathedral, its spires visible to their right as they entered through the gate, pealed out in response.
Immediately, the people buying and selling wares in the open-air marketplace at the edge of town turned to look, and soon a flood of people came to line the cobbled street and watch them ride past. Armored knights emerged from the watchtower and hurried over to help keep the crowd in order. A handful of wounded men at the back of the procession broke off and made their way to the hall of healing near the cathedral. The rest of them went on, heading west toward the central plaza.
More and more people from the market were coming to look. Link gripped the hilt of the Master Sword tightly in one hand, keeping the point slanting downward but at a safe distance from Pomona's shoulder. He had destroyed its wrappings when he had drawn it from his back, although a shred of Zelda's blue sash was still tied to the hilt, and now there was nothing to hide the gleaming blade. The people lining his side of the street were already noticing the Sword and were pointing at it and calling to each other about it. Everyone on the other side of the street craned their necks curiously, but they couldn't see what the fuss was about.
Now there were even more eyes on him than there had been back in the clearing of Korok Forest, and there was no longer an atmosphere of quiet reverence to make it endurable. Link felt a suffocating kind of panic rising in his throat. He glanced over at the princess, who was perfectly composed. He envied her; she must be used to this. Maybe one day he would get used to it, too.
Right now, it didn't feel like it. Link lifted his eyes from the dizzying number of faces lined up to stare at him and looked across the booths of the marketplace instead. There were great bins of exotic fruit, and freshly baked bread, and wedges of cheese and sides of meat for sale. A couple of men were loading baskets of goods onto a wagon, and Link blinked in surprise: he knew them! They were ranch hands at Lon Lon Ranch! And standing up on the lip of the wagon was a short, slender woman with golden hair that spilled around her shoulders. Her hand was going up to cover her mouth, her eyes fixed on Link. From her vantage point, she had a perfect view of the Master Sword in his hand.
Mother!
She dropped her hand and he saw her mouth his name, although he could not hear her voice over so much noise. Link sat up straight on Pomona's back, and it was all he could do not to jump down and run over to her. But he didn't have to. Mother climbed down from the wagon and began making her way over to the cobbled street, winding through the crowd, slipping deftly in between bodies until at last she reached the edge of the crowd. Here, she encountered resistance in the form of an armored knight, who was sternly striving to keep the crowd from encroaching on the path of the procession.
"That's my son!" he heard her shout over the noise to the knight, her small voice only audible to Link because he was so close to her. "Please, that's my son!"
"Jamison!" Father shouted from behind Link. The knight turned to look, and Father ordered with a wave of his hand: "Let her through!"
The knight lowered his arm, and Mother rushed over, falling into step beside Pomona, looking up at Link with tears glittering in her brilliant blue eyes. She reached out and put her hand over his, still gripping the Sword. She didn't seem to know what to say. Link didn't know what he wanted her to say, but he was glad she was here. He hadn't dared to hope, but he was very glad she was here.
"Link!" The princess called his name, and he reluctantly took his eyes from Mother's and turned to look at her.
"Bring her with you!" Zelda said, speaking up to make herself heard. "Bring her to the castle. She is welcome."
Link looked back at Mother. She nodded in quick agreement, but Link didn't immediately see how best to bring her. With her short legs, Mother was struggling to keep up with Pomona, although she was still clinging tightly to Link's hand. They were in danger of holding up the whole procession.
Father swung down off Heriot and hurried over, taking Pomona's halter and bringing her to a stop. The procession ground to a halt behind them, but Father quickly laced his hands together and gave Mother a boost up, and moments later she was settled safely behind Link on Pomona's back. Father swung up onto Heriot, and the procession started up again.
Link breathed a sigh of quiet relief. Mother's arms were wrapped around his waist for stability, and it felt as good as a hug. Already it seemed like the eyes were boring into him with less intensity, although the shouts were getting louder, especially from the side of the street furthest from him.
"Let us see it!"
"Show us the Sword!"
"Hold up the Sword!"
Mother leaned forward and pressed a hard kiss against his cheek. "I'm so proud of you," she said in his ear, and to her credit her voice only wobbled a little. Link had to clear his throat and blink his eyes a little at her kindness. She could not have expected this any more than he had. This would be hard on her. And she already worried so much, about both him and Father.
Adults were lifting small children up onto their shoulders, trying to give them a good view. They were passing the many blue-roofed shops and homes of Castle Town now, and people were hanging out of the windows, craning their necks and waving enthusiastically, trying to get his attention.
"Hold up the Sword! Let us see it!" People were almost chanting the words now. "Let us see it! Let us see it!"
Link could feel sweat trickling down the back of his neck. Wasn't this difficult enough as it was? Didn't they know he wasn't suited for... for putting on shows? He could use the Master Sword – that was all right, that hadn't been too bad at all once he had gotten started – but to put himself on display? It didn't seem right.
The chanting continued.
"I think you had better let them see it," Mother said in his ear, and Link stiffened. Not her too?
"Oh, I know. You never loved being the center of attention," Mother murmured. "But these people are frightened, Link. I heard them talking in the market. They know their history. Every other time darkness has fallen across this kingdom, it has been a disaster. Villages abandoned to monsters. Castle Town itself wrecked, families scattered and lost. Calamity Ganon is coming. They fear they could lose everything."
Link looked across the faces with new eyes, and realized Mother was right. They did look anxious. How had he missed it before?
"They look for hope," Mother whispered in his ear. "If you can give them any..."
Link glanced over at the princess. She was giving gentle smiles to the people they passed, nodding graciously as if to say to them, "All is well." She couldn't have any way to know if that was true, but still, she smiled and nodded at them anyway.
His heart slowly sank down to his toes. Mother was right. It was the task of the Royal Family to give the people hope, and now he was a part of that, too. It could no longer be a question of what he wanted. It was only a matter of what they needed, and whether he was willing and able to give it to them.
Link took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment to steel himself. Then he opened his eyes, sat up as straight as he could, and lifted the Master Sword high in the air.
The reaction was instantaneous. Cheers rang out from all sides. Deep bellows from the men; high-pitched squeals from the children sitting atop their parents' shoulders; shrill whistles and the clapping of hands. He breathed quickly, chest going up and down, looking around and seeing their faces change. Big, genuine smiles. Eyes alight as they gazed at the beauty of the Sword gifted by the Goddess. It was nerve wracking and oddly bracing, all at the same time. For the first time, it occurred to Link that he wasn't going to face Calamity Ganon alone. The hopes of the entire kingdom would go with him. It was all against one. Good odds. The kind any knight would wish for.
They passed the fountain in the center of the plaza, the soft splashing of its waters drowned out by the cheers. Link kept the Master Sword held high until the procession turned north at last to cross the great bridge extending over the moat, where they would enter the secure part of the Castle. The cheers and stamping feet faded into the distance. Mother glanced back to exchange looks with Father, and gave Link a little squeeze around the middle as if in approval. Link glanced over at the princess, expecting that she would be pleased that he had followed her example and given the people something to smile about, even if he hadn't done it as graciously as she would have.
Zelda was staring down at her saddle horn with her mouth pressed into a thin line, brow deeply furrowed. And even though he kept his eyes on her for a good long time, she refused to look over at him in return.
A cold knot formed in Link's stomach. Maybe he hadn't done it right after all. Had that been inappropriate? Mother had suggested... but then, maybe she had been wrong. Mother had no experience in the matters of the royal court. He felt his cheeks flush in embarrassment, for both him and for Mother. How could they have known? Their family wasn't of noble blood. And both his parents had been raised out in the countryside, like him. All three of them were out of their depth here.
The road turned northwest, and the procession came to a halt before the first gatehouse, where grooms were waiting to take the horses. The king and the princess dismounted. Father helped Mother down from Pomona's back and then Link dropped to the ground, remembering just in time to tell the groom to be sure to give Pomona an apple before she was whisked away to the royal stables.
"Take the bearer of the Master Sword to the forge and task the royal armorer to construct a scabbard for it," King Rhoam told Father. "Then bring him to the dining hall."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Everyone else disappeared into the gatehouse, but Father led Link and Mother to the west passage instead. Inside the stone corridor it was dark and cool, the torchlight dim in comparison to the sunshine outside. When at last the three of them were alone, Father stopped in his tracks, caught Mother's attention with a soft "Lanna," and paused to give her a kiss. Link looked away politely until they were done. Then Mother linked her arms through both of theirs, and they continued down the passageway. "Tell me all about it," she said. "How did my son end up in possession of such a beautiful sword?"
They told her the story as they walked to the forge, passing knights standing guard at each entrance they passed. When everything was told, Mother let out a satisfied sigh.
"We were all praying for a good man to take possession of the Master Sword," she said. "It's good to have it answered." She gave Link's arm a squeeze. "And now you will be working closely with Princess Zelda. What do you think of her?"
Link looked down. "She... doesn't like me," he admitted.
Mother frowned, and fell silent. "Don't judge the princess too quickly," she said at last. "She's under an enormous amount of pressure. I... suppose you and your father don't hear much of women's gossip, in the circles you move in?"
Link frowned, not understanding.
Mother glanced around to make sure no guards were standing near them. "Zelda... has never been seen using her sealing powers," she said reluctantly. "The gossip mongers are beginning to speculate that she can't do it."
"No telling if any of that is true," Father said stoutly. "People can say anything. Sometimes they shouldn't."
Link felt uneasy. Gossip wasn't to be relied on. He knew that. But the princess had tried to do something when the Lynel had started charging them. Whatever it was she had intended to do, nothing had happened. And she had looked embarrassed about it.
Here he had been thinking how lucky Zelda was to be given so much time to prepare for her destiny, when he had been thrown into his with no warning. Maybe it wasn't as simple as that.
"Give her a little grace," Mother said softly. "I'm sure she's doing her best. Just as you will."
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's note: I'd love to know what you think so far! Feel free to leave a review.