Chapter 29

Ravi limped downstairs, yawning. Quiet voices murmured up the stairwell, and he paused on the landing to adjust his sleep shirt and rake the fingers of his right hand through his messy hair. His left arm hung in a sling, bandaged with a splint until he could finish healing in a hot spring. The late afternoon sun shone through a small window and he straightened a crooked picture on the wall—all the pictures were crooked, as though a storm had swept up the stairs. Or very broad shoulders. As he descended, a board creaked under his foot.

In the kitchen, two figures turned toward the sound. Tulin sprang up from his stool by the fire, and Riju put her finger to her lips.

Tulin rushed across the room, bumping a chair, righting it before it fell. "You're awake. Does it hurt?" He extended his wing, supporting Ravi as he stepped onto the cool floor.

"Only if I bump it." Ravi rolled his shoulder and winced. "When did you get here? How long was I asleep?"

"Two days." Riju's heels tapped on the wooden floor as she joined them. "We arrived last night. Sidon got here a day ago—he was the closest. He's been watching over Link, but he just stepped out to fish for supper. Yunobo can't fit through the door."

"All of you are here?" He glanced at the crooked paintings along the stairs, wondering how the Zora king had squeezed through.

"Of course," Tulin said.

Ravi scratched the back of his head, then dropped his hand as he realized it was a habit he'd picked up from Link.

"Sit down," Riju said. "You lost a lot of blood."

He sank onto a stool at the table, and Tulin poured him a mug of water. "How's—"

A door creaked upstairs. Their heads swiveled toward the sound, and Ravi held his breath as Link limped slowly down the stairs.

He had brushed his hair and tied it back, and he wore a blue tunic embroidered with a crawfish, which he'd found in Laurelin Village. His eyes widened as he saw the sages, in the flesh, in his house. Staring at the floor, he limped into the kitchen and poured himself a mug of water. Putting his back to the room, his shoulders stiffened as he drank. "I'm not going to shatter."

"Are you sure?" Tulin asked.

Link turned. His gaze fell on Ravi.

"They came on their own," Ravi said.

"For you," Riju said. "We thought you might want to talk."

The porch creaked outside under a heavy weight, then the door swung gently open. Sidon stepped one foot inside, then squeezed the rest of his body through sideways. He banged his head on the low roof and winced, but extended a net of fresh fish. "I brought supper!" he whispered. Then his mouth dropped open. "Link!"

Ravi winced at the volume as Sidon's voice echoed around the house.

Crouching, Sidon maneuvered himself to the table. He sat cross-legged on the floor and gestured for Link to sit beside him.

Link sighed. "You didn't have to come."

"If I called myself your friend, and I didn't come, I would be forever ashamed of myself," Sidon said.

"You can't run away from us." Tulin held up the Purah Pad.

Link glared at him. "So that's where it went. I suppose Yunobo wants to grill me, too." He stepped around Sidon, slipped on a pair of straw sandals, and pulled open the door. "Let's get it over with."

As he vanished outside, Sidon shot Riju a look of pain. "He's worse than I thought."

Riju laid a hand on Ravi's shoulder. "You did well to summon us."

"He'll come back," Tulin said.

Sidon cracked his neck. "That's why we're here."

The sages filed out the door, and Ravi lingered behind in the house for a moment, thinking he should serve them water, at the least. They were chiefs and kings. But he adjusted his arm in his sling and followed them outside.

The sun was sinking in the golden sky. A pit had been dug in front of the house and ringed with stones. Flames crackled in the pit, and Yunobo jumped up from his seat by the fire as the group approached. Cherry barked and ran to Link, and as he sat on a stone by the fire, he absently scratched her head. The rest of the sages settled on stones and stumps.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Link said, staring at the flames. "I lost control. It won't happen again."

"Buddy." Yunobo's voice was gentle and youthful, unfit for his size. "You think that was losing control? Look at me. What I did, after eating those rocks. Remember what I was wearing?"

A tiny smile twitched at Link's mouth.

"This has been building up for a long time," Sidon said, "hasn't it?"

Link grasped his right hand.

"He works too hard," Ravi said, and the sages turned to him. "He's gone for days at a time. Sometimes he doesn't sleep. He always eats, at least. He's got that part nailed down."

Link shot him a glare.

"He's finally letting me help him," Ravi continued. "But I think he's just tired. He already saved the world once. Why does he have to do it again?"

Relief softened Link's face, but he clenched his fist again. "Because it needs it. Ganon came back. We didn't seal him well enough the first time."

"You don't know that," Ravi said. "Maybe you did it right."

"It wasn't enough." Link curled into himself, staring at the fire without blinking. "We did everything we were supposed to do. We gave it all we had. And he still came back." He glanced at his right arm. "I was in peak condition, and he destroyed me with one blow. I gave him a paper cut, and he took my arm." He swallowed. "I don't know if this Ganon… can be beaten."

"He can." Riju straightened. Her earrings flashed. "Light always finds a way."

"But you're not the one they're worshipping," Link shot back. "You're not the one with this… sword. They said I'm their last line of defense. It all comes down to me." He clenched his jaw, squeezing back the rest of his words. "I'm sorry."

Tulin put his wing around Link's shoulders.

"What do you need, buddy?" Yunobo said.

Link lifted his head.

"You're always the one giving to us. It's not fair for us to ask you to defeat Ganon and take care of all our problems. Am I right?" He glanced around at the sages, then thumped his fist against his chest. "I pledge to take care of Goron City. From now on, any time there's a problem, I'm going to handle it myself. If you try to butt in on my business, I'm gonna throw you out." He grinned.

"Yes!" Sidon raised his hand. "I, too, forbid you from accepting any more errands in Zora's Domain."

"Sometimes those errands are profitable," Link said. "I've found a few shrines that way."

"If we find a shrine," Riju said, "we'll tell you about it. I can draw a map of the desert. I'll send out my scouts into the highlands."

"That… would actually be very helpful." Link straightened. "I spend so much time hunting for shrines. I enjoy it, but there are so many of them." His face tightened again. "I've already cleared a hundred, and I still haven't regained my full strength. I don't know how many more remain. And some are in the sky."

"I can search the sky." Tulin lifted his wing. "The Rito will help me."

"Some shrines are in pieces," Link said. "They don't glow. They don't alert on my Purah Pad."

"Then we'll look for the pieces," Riju said. "What else do you need?"

Link stared into the fire again. It was a moment before he answered. "Money." He glanced up, embarrassed. "Adventuring is expensive, and it takes time to mine for gemstones."

"Done," Sidon said. "What else?"

Link scratched his head. A light appeared in his eyes. "Can you build an army?" He glanced between the sages. "We need more patrols, and we need to equip them with better weapons than broomsticks. If you could keep the roads clear for me, and find shrines, and finance my journey, and if Ravi would keep supporting me…" He swallowed. His eyes lifted to the empty sky, and he finished in a reluctant whisper. "I can try to go on."

His head fell. "I'm sorry. This journey isn't like my first one. I feel so much older. With Zelda's last words, she told me to 'save them all.'" His face twisted, but he forced himself to meet Sidon's eyes. "I'm sorry I ran away, a hundred years ago, at Castle Town. I knew if I faced Ganon, I would die, but I died anyway."

"Don't listen to that Yiga demon," Riju said. "You withdrew—you didn't fail. When you fell, you fell where the Sheikah could reach you. Pulling back allowed Zelda to awaken her power."

"Mipha never blamed you," Sidon said quietly.

"I know," Link said. "Zelda and I talked about it."

"Don't blame yourself."

"I don't." Link squeezed his hands. "But sometimes I feel the weight of all those lives. I have to keep letting it go." He sighed deeply. "The nightmares were fading. It took three years, but I stopped whipping out my sword at every shadow. I was starting to believe Ganon was truly gone." He gazed up at the sky and his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper. "I'll beat him again. I'll give it all. I'll pour myself out for Hyrule. But when it's over, I don't know if anything will be left of me. I was trying to save something. For her."

Tears welled in his eyes. He covered his face with his hands and bent over his knees. His shoulders shook.

Sidon's jaw dropped open. He stared at Link, wide-eyed, then glanced around the circle of sages. Yunobo shifted uncomfortably, scratching his head. Riju twisted her bracelet, frowning, glancing away. Sidon stood. He stepped around the fire, kneeled, and folded Link in a hug.

"I need her." Link's voice was muffled against Sidon's shoulder. Broken. "I don't know who I am without her. She was the first voice I heard when I woke up. She's always been with me. I thought we could finally be happy."

Riju stood and laid her hand on Link's shoulder.

Tulin spread his wings around them. Yunobo rubbed dusty tears from his eyes. Ravi sat on his good hand, biting his lip.

After a moment, Link pulled back from the cluster and rubbed his red face.

Sidon straightened and patted his eye with the corner of his throat ruffle. "It breaks my heart to see you giving up."

"We're not giving up." Ravi stood. "Link just needs to sleep for a week, and go swimming, and eat pizza, and not kill anything for twenty-four hours."

Link glanced up gratefully.

"Thank you all for coming," Ravi said.

"Are you sure there's no way to save Zelda?" Tulin glanced around the circle of sages.

"You can stay," Link murmured. Wearily, he pushed himself to his feet. "It's late. Sidon caught all those fish."

"I'll grill them," Yunobo offered.

Sidon snapped his shark teeth. "You don't want to eat them raw?"

"I'll try it raw." Riju raised her hand.

Tulin speared an arrow into the net of fish, flipped one in the air, and caught it in his beak. The fish vanished down his throat, whole, in one swallow. He patted his stomach. "I love seafood."

The corner of Link's mouth twitched with a half-smile. For a moment, he basked in the warmth of his friends, then yawned under his hand and slipped toward the house. Shadows still ringed his eyes. Ravi started after him, then changed his mind and returned to his seat, letting him go.

The sages prepared to depart two days later, after ensuring there was enough food in Link's pantry to satisfy a squad of soldiers, and commanding Link to stay home for at least seven more days. Link agreed without complaint. Sidon deposited a chest of rupees under the stairs with a wink, saying that should get them started. His humor vanished when Ravi gave him the Zora knife.

Ravi pulled Sidon aside, privately, after breakfast, as Riju and Tulin were packing. The king accepted it and listened gravely until Ravi finished his story.

"In our kingdom," King Sidon said, "the fine for a theft is twice the value of the item stolen. Twelve hundred rupees."

The boy kneaded his hands, staring at the floor. "I can earn it," he murmured. "It'll take me some time."

King Sidon squeezed his shoulder, firm but gentle. "Payment is usually due immediately, or I sentence the thief to labor it off. However, you've been a friend to Link. He needs you, more than he knows. I'll extend your deadline. Pay it back as soon as you can."

Ravi lifted his eyes. "Thank you." He ran up to his room and came down with the pouch of money he'd earned from Hudson. "Take this as a start."

The Zora hefted Ravi's small pouch in his hand. He winked. "As a start."

Ravi nodded. Feeling raw, like his backside was stinging after his mother's switch, he fled outside to the stable. He was awkwardly scraping up hay with a pitchfork in one hand when Link found him. Ravi's left arm had healed, mostly, but it still ached. Link held out his hand, and Ravi handed him the pitchfork. He worked quietly, efficiently, while Ravi sorted a bucket of combs and brushes. The smell of hay and manure dusted the air. Cherry sat on the floor by the door, panting.

"I'm thinking of getting cuccoos," Link said. "Maybe six of them. They take care of themselves, mostly. You'd feed them, gather eggs, and lock the hutch at night."

Ravi set down the bucket. "Does that mean—"

"Yes." Link closed his eyes briefly, then raised them to Ravi. "I didn't mean what I said about not wanting to save you."

"Yes, you did," Ravi said. "It's all right. I wouldn't have wanted to save me, either."

"I understand if you want to leave."

"After I just got this scar to save you?" Ravi lifted his left arm. "You're stuck with me until I become a knight."

Link set the pitchfork against the wall. "Hyrule needs more young men like you. We have enough researchers and treasure hunters. But you jumped into the Depths for me."

"Just wait until I find a girl." Ravi flexed his bicep. "The Depths were nothing."

Shadows ghosted across Link's face. He picked up the handles of the wheelbarrow and rolled it outside. Ravi followed him to the manure pile, then to the well, where Link hauled up a bucket in silence and washed his hands.

"Is there anyone you can talk to?" Ravi asked. "Anyone who knows about… dragons?"

"I already spoke to Purah." Link's mouth twisted. "She has a machine for a heart. She said 'too bad' and sicced me on Ganon like a good boy."

"What about Mineru?"

"She was the one who warned Zelda it was permanent."

"There has to be someone. Who else seems to know what's going on?"

Link thought for a moment. "I could try Impa, I guess." His shoulders sank.

Ravi pointed at Link's chest. "You told me not to give up. You said it wasn't the end of my story."

"Not all stories have happy endings."

"Maybe it's a different happy ending—something you didn't expect. Something better."

Link sighed. After a moment, he raised his eyes. "Do you believe she can turn back?"

"You said anything is possible. You just haven't figured it out yet." Ravi shook his head. "Link, you need to stop giving me speeches—they come right back at you."

The swordsman smiled. "Maybe you should defeat Ganon."

Ravi opened his hand. "Give me the sword."

Link grinned wider. He dried his hands on the hem of his tunic, then touched his pouch. "I found something after you killed Karta." He drew out a pouch of black leather, similar to his own. "Karta copied me down to my inventory. I'm not sure how he found this—he could have glamoured me and tricked the koroks into selling him a second pouch. It connects to a second storage room. I'm giving it to you."

Ravi accepted the black pouch. His stomach curled as he ran his hand over the leather—Karta touched this. He wore it. He used it. "Where is the storage room?"

Link smiled. "It used to be under the Yiga hideout, but I spoke with the koroks and they moved it here. Want to see it?"

"They moved an entire room?"

Link's smile widened. "Magic." He hopped onto the rim of the well, then slid down the ladder into the dark.

Ravi strapped the pouch around his waist and followed him. As he descended past the round wall, he swung around to the opposite side of the ladder and dropped next to Link onto a ledge beside the pool. A new wooden door stood in the wall, imprinted with the design of a red leaf.

Two koroks popped out and crossed their sticks like swords. "None shall pass! Tee hee! Except for you, Mr. Ravi." They saluted. "And we'll let Mr. Hero in, too. But only if you want him."

Ravi grinned. "He can come in. Today." He pushed on the red leaf. It sparkled with magic and the door swung open.

Lamps burst to life on the stone walls. Ravi slapped his hand over his nose, trying to filter the smell of bananas. Crates of bananas filled the floor. Jars of banana juice sat on the shelves. Dozens of chests rimmed the walls, locked with chains.

"By the light," Link muttered. "That's my armor." Rushing past Ravi, he drew a ring of keys from his pouch. He kneeled at the first chest, opened the lock, and threw off the chains. He pulled out a metal helmet with a fire face guard. "My flame-proof armor. I spent over three thousand rupees to replace this." He kneeled at the next chest and drew out a diamond circlet. "I wore this in the battle against Ganon. It defends against guardians. And here are my ancient arrows. I can't believe… Karta."

Ravi weaved around the crates, lifting bundles of arrows, boxes of elixirs, crates of bomb flowers. "He really was preparing to be you."

Link dug into the next chest. His cheeks reddened.

"What is it?"

The swordsman closed the lid. "Nothing."

"Now you have to show me."

Link squeezed his eyes shut, then lifted the lid. "I wore it once. Maybe more than once. It was in the line of duty."

Ravi leaned over the chest and pulled out a gauzy veil. Tiny golden bells tinkled from the hem. He raised his eyebrow.

Link's ears turned red. He snatched the veil. "I was saving them to give to Zelda."

"Of course. You would love to see her in that." Tucked in the farthest corner, a red chest caught his eye. Ravi's smile vanished.

He pulled the chest out from under a bedroll and blew off a film of dust, revealing a white starfish painted on the lid. It was heavy. He sat on a crate and rubbed it clean. The lock was gone, broken off five years ago. Ravi lifted the lid.

Gold coins glimmered in the firelight. Gemstones twinkled among them, rubies and sapphires and diamonds. Enough to pay off the knife—a hundred times. Sitting on top of them all lay an ancient, stained map. He almost didn't want to touch it. The parchment seemed ready to disintegrate. But he was in the korok cave: nothing destroyed itself in here. He set the chest on the floor, unwound the leather thong, and spread the map out on the crate.

The map was a grid, divided into squares. The grid covered an enormous sea, with dozens of islands sprinkled across the ocean. On the bottom of the map was a note in childish, aggressive handwriting:

To the one who finds this, go have an adventure. – Link

Ravi lifted his head.

Link peered down at the map, frowning. "It's the sea chart," he said distantly. "I… no. Someone else used it—a child—to save Hyrule from a flood. I think."

"See?" Ravi rolled up the chart. "Every time Ganon rises up, he gets beaten back. You'd think he would learn." He tucked the map into his shirt. "Don't worry. I'll save some islands for you. Now, isn't there supposed to be a ceremony to make me your squire?"

"There is." Link straightened. "And we have a king, right now, outside my house. Are you ready?"

Ravi nodded.

At midday, Ravi stepped from the house, clothed in a blue tunic sewn by Tulin's mother, new brown pants, and brown boots. He'd combed his hair, but not too thoroughly, and an empty hauberk lay across his back, waiting.

The four sages stood in the grass behind Link, who waited for Ravi with both hands on the pommel of the Master Sword, tip planted in the earth. Link wore his Champion's leathers. His expression was serious as Ravi approached him and kneeled on one knee.

"Ravi, son of Saahe and Kira," Link said, "to be a knight is to dedicate your life to the service of something greater than yourself. You pledge to defend the helpless, to act in all things with honor, to pursue justice, and live with integrity. I pledge to provide for you and instruct you. In return, you swear to obey and honor me as your teacher. And as your friend," he added, face softening. "Do you swear this?"

"I swear," Ravi said. His stomach fluttered, but he felt his mother and his father watching him, like their spirits were hovering on the porch, holding each other, smiling.

"Hyrule doesn't have a central government yet," Link said, "so until we reestablish the military, I won't ask you to pledge yourself to Hyrule. Just to me."

"I'll do it," Ravi said, lifting his face. "This is my home, too. I've seen enough of Hyrule to want to save her. There are more people in the world than just you. I want to defend them."

"You've already saved her," Link said.

"I know."

"The oath doesn't go away if you save her once."

"If we share the oath, it won't be so hard to carry." Ravi pointed to Link. "That one's free. For you."

King Sidon stepped forward, trying very hard not to smile. "Young Ravi, do you swear to defend the people of Hyrule in the capacity of a squire until you become a knight? And then we'll do this whole ceremony again, proper, with a feast and dancing. I could use a lively dance again."

"I swear," Ravi said. As the words left his mouth, he felt a weight settle on his shoulders. It wasn't unbearable, but as he stood, he felt his vision expanding. He noticed things he hadn't seen before: the way Tulin's posture was angled flat to the road, eliminating his peripheral vision. How Link was leaning slightly more on his right leg, still favoring his left from the fight.

I protect them now.

Yunobo handed Link a knight's broadsword. The blade was untarnished by corruption, freshly forged, bearing the stamp of a Goron sword smith.

Link extended the blade point down to Ravi. "Use it well."

Ravi accepted the sword. It was heavier than the eightfold blade: it would take time to get used to. But he swung the blade and sheathed it on his back. Cherry barked and bumped against his legs. He scratched her head. "Can I go try it out? When I rode down to the chasm, I saw a monster camp. Can I kill them?"

"How's your arm?" Link asked.

"I'll go with him." Tulin jumped into the air, flipping his bow into his talons. "Race you!" He took off, flying down the road.

"Hey!" Ravi started after him, then doubled back and slid to a stop in front of Link. "Thank you." He hugged the man, briefly, long enough to receive a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Then he broke away, tripped over Cherry, and ran for the stable to harness Sadee.