Chapter 4
Link and his parents arrived at Hyrule Castle's forge. It took some time to pass over the Master Sword and give instructions for its scabbard to the royal armorer, as the man was in awe of the weapon and all his apprentices and journeyman had to gather around to admire its workmanship and measure its every dimension. But at last they made their exit and walked back past the gatehouse and on to the royal dining hall.
A servant was stationed at the doorway, and upon introductions he ushered Link up to the head table, while Mother and Father were sent to sit at one of the lower tables where the other Royal Guards were already eating. Link was relieved to see that King Rhoam and his advisors were leaving the table just as he arrived. It would have been difficult to enjoy a meal under the eye of the king. But now no one else was sitting at the head table but Princess Zelda. Link was seated to her right, and a stout chef with a handsome face hurried over.
"Kotter, my boy, Kotter at your service," he said with a bow. "What an honor to feed you! I heard there was a bit of a fight on the way home. How exciting! You must have worked up quite an appetite! What would you like?"
Link hesitated. No one had ever asked him that at a meal before. You ate whatever had been prepared. That was how it worked in Mother's kitchen. And when it came to the chow lines in the army, anyone making a special request would be laughed at and then sent to the back of the line. He knew because Kester had tried it once.
The silence stretched out, and finally Link managed to ask: "What... is there?"
Kotter chuckled lightly. "We prepare food for hundreds of people at every meal, my boy! We make a wide variety of dishes. Just about anything you can think of, we are sure to have."
Link didn't know what to say. Suppose he asked for the one thing they hadn't made, and embarrassed the chef?
"I- I-"
The princess had stopped eating and was looking at him. Link flushed, and suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands.
Kotter finally took pity on him. "Perhaps you would allow me to choose for you?"
Link nodded in relief.
"Do you like roasted poultry, perhaps? Some nice rice pilaf?"
Link nodded.
The chef patted his shoulder and whispered loudly: "I'll be right back."
He bustled away, and to Link's surprise he was back in a flash, accompanied by another cook who was bearing a big platter containing an entire roasted bird surrounded by heaps of rice and fried greens. Link felt his eyes growing big. Maybe they really did have some of everything sitting around in the kitchen, just waiting to be ordered.
He could get used to this.
The cook set the platter down, and Kotter expertly carved a joint from the bird and transferred it to a plate, along with a mound of rice pilaf. "Fried greens?" he asked, and Link nodded, acutely aware of the fact that his mother was in the dining hall and might be watching to see what was put on his plate. He glanced over to the lower tables and saw that she was eating a meat pie and inspecting a forkful of it closely, no doubt working out exactly what had been put in it so that she could copy the recipe. He couldn't help but smile.
Kotter slid the plate in front of Link, and he took a bite of rice pilaf. He closed his eyes. It was incredible. Rich buttery goodness. Dotted with little yellow bits of fluffy egg. Garnished with a sprinkling of nuts that added interest to the texture. And the poultry... He took a bite of that. Moist and flavorful. And yes, even the greens were tasty enough to want more. It was all so good that Link had to fight the temptation to bolt his food down. He needed better table manners here than if he had been eating with the squires. Fortunately Mother was a stickler for etiquette, and he knew what was expected of him. He settled down to the serious business of eating.
Another cook arrived at the table bearing a smaller platter, this one with the most beautifully decorated cake Link had ever seen, garnished with fresh fruit and delicate flowers made of icing.
"Your favorite, Princess!" Kotter said enthusiastically, presenting it to her with a flourish. "A lovely fruitcake, this one made with wild berries and palm fruit! Just what you need after a long hard trip, eh?"
Zelda looked up and gave him the biggest smile Link had seen from her yet. "Oh, Kotter," she said. "You'll spoil me."
"No one could spoil a girl as sweet as you, Princess," Kotter said indulgently, slicing a generous wedge and sliding it onto a small plate for her. "Besides, I feel that you've more than earned this. All the champions chosen in only a few weeks' time! And every one of them most impressive. A credit to the whole kingdom. Yes, a remarkable feat!"
His tone was utterly sincere, and Zelda visibly warmed to it. She took a bite of cake and complimented Kotter on it. The chef stuck around while she ate, and Link listened with half an ear as she answered his curious questions about the Korok Forest and everything they had seen there. At one point, he was vaguely disappointed to discover that he had emptied his plate, but no sooner had the thought crossed his mind than Kotter whisked it away and replaced it with another one, heaped with the same amount of food again. Link sighed deeply, and tucked in once more.
At last, Kotter left to check on things in the kitchen, and a silence fell upon the high table. Link was beginning to run out of steam, his stomach growing pleasantly full. Probably he should make conversation with the princess. She had fallen silent, pushing the last few crumbs of cake around on her plate, lost in thought. What should he say to her? He could ask her about the other champions. But maybe she was tired of thinking and talking about that. Maybe she wanted to talk about something that wasn't work. But was he allowed to ask her about personal things? He was still nearly a stranger to her.
"Link," she said, turning toward him. "Do you-"
She broke off as a servant approached the table.
"Princess?" she said politely. "I was asked to tell you that Purah has arrived, and she has news for you. When you're finished here, of course."
Zelda's face brightened. "Purah? Yes, thank you! You may tell her I will be there shortly." The servant retreated, and Zelda looked at Link once more.
"Who is Purah?" he asked. It seemed as good a topic as anything else he had been thinking of.
"Oh, she is a member of the Sheikah tribe," Zelda said, the smile lingering on her face. "A researcher, you know. She's recently established a laboratory above Hateno Village to help us study the ancient technology we've been excavating. She and I just found the most remarkable thing — we're calling it a Sheikah slate, though it isn't much like the slates that children use to learn their letters. It is quite a complicated and mysterious little device. I suspect we haven't found out half of what it does yet. Do you know, it can hold maps in it, but ever so much more information than you can fit on a paper. You can make it bigger to see all of Hyrule at once, or smaller to see the finest details, and the images are so clear! Oh dear, it is difficult to describe, but perhaps I can show it to you sometime. And that isn't all. We discovered how to use it to gain access to the Divine Beasts! And you would not believe what we found inside them. You see-"
The words continued to pour out of her, as if she had been aching to talk about it. The more Link nodded in response to her words, the more animated she became. She didn't pause even when Kotter came by to cut a slice of cake for Link. He sat there eating his dessert slowly, content and growing sleepy, though he tried hard to keep up with the things the princess was trying to explain to him.
"It is my hope that eventually I will be able to gain access to those mysterious shrines-" Zelda was saying eagerly, when Link looked up to see that Father and Mother were coming over to him. The princess paused mid-sentence, seeing them.
"Princess," Father said, nodding to her politely. "Link, your mother and I are heading to the upper level to take care of a few things. I've been told to send you to the seamstresses on the second level to be measured for new clothing. Do you know where that is?"
"I can show him," Zelda interjected. "I'm going there myself."
"Thank you, Princess."
"And your mother," Mother said with a small smile, "is insisting that after that, you get some rest. I'm told you didn't get any sleep last night, and tonight is the ceremony to formally announce the champions. You'll want to be at your best."
"I'll see to it that he's given a room with some privacy," Zelda assured her.
"That's kind of you, Princess." Mother bowed her head. "We'll find you there, Link." She squeezed his shoulder, and she and Father left the dining hall together.
Zelda watched them go, her excitement over the Sheikah slate fading visibly.
"Your mother seems nice," she said softly, looking after them. Link automatically opened his mouth to say something kind in return about Zelda's mother, and then closed it. The queen had died many years ago. He knew almost nothing about her.
Zelda looked down at her empty plate, and added with equal sadness, "Your father seems nice."
Thankfully, he could reciprocate that compliment. "Your father is a good king."
"Hmm," Zelda said.
She took in a deep breath and stood up, shoulders back and looking business-like. "Are you ready to go, then?"
Link awoke groggy and confused at the unfamiliar bedroom he found himself in, until it all came flooding back, and he sat up straight in bed and remembered.
The Master Sword. The battle with the Lynel. Their return to Hyrule Castle.
He glanced out of the window, where the shutters were open to the fresh air. The peaked blue roofs of Castle Town spread out below. He could tell by the light that he had slept for several hours. He felt as though he could have slept for hours longer.
Finally, it registered that it was a knock at the door that had awoken him. He padded barefoot to the door and opened it a crack, blinking the sleep from his eyes.
It was his parents. Mother was wearing a fine dress he had never seen before. Probably a woman in the court had loaned it to her. Father had changed into his Royal Guard uniform, a velvety blue tunic with crisp white gloves and knee-high boots, topped by a cap adorned with the royal crest. They both looked very nice.
"How did you sleep?" Mother asked.
He tried to look somewhat alert. "Well."
"Good. You've got just enough time to get ready for the champions ceremony." She gestured down the hall. "They've prepared a hot bath for you down there. And your new clothing is ready for you."
"The ceremony," Link said, thoroughly awake now. "Do I have to say anything, or-?"
"You don't have to do much," Father reassured him. "It will be held in the great hall on the second floor of the Sanctum. You'll be introduced to the court by King Rhoam, and Princess Zelda will be formally charged to lead the five of you in your duties. Each champion may choose an escort to walk them into the hall."
"Will you do it?" Link asked him immediately.
"I would be honored."
"Can Mother come too?"
"I've been invited to watch from the balcony, where the king's advisors will stand," Mother said.
They walked with him down the corridor to the bathing chamber, which was well-lit by torches. A new pair of Hylian trousers and a white undershirt to replace his old worn ones were folded on a chair, and a finely embroidered bright blue tunic hung from a hook on the stone wall beside it. Link reached out and fingered the material. It was sturdy and practical, despite its fine appearance. The white embroidery on the front depicted the silhouette of the Master Sword. He leaned forward to look closely. The stitches were tiny and perfect. The royal seamstresses had made this in only a few hours?
Mother seemed to know what he was thinking. "The princess crafted it ahead of time, we were told," she said. "This afternoon she took it in to fit you and then added a few final touches."
The princess had just finished it? Then she hadn't gotten any sleep today. And she had stayed up all last night, same as him.
Left alone, Link bathed and dressed and then stepped back out into the corridor, where Father was waiting for him. They walked up to the Sanctum in silence, passing knights on patrol who looked at him curiously as they passed. It was strange not to have the Master Sword with him for this occasion, but a scabbard could not be made as quickly as a tunic.
Together, he and Father climbed the stairs to the second floor of the Sanctum. There was already a small group of people waiting outside the hall. Link recognized the Goron warrior Daruk first. He was wearing a bright blue sash of the same material as Link's tunic tied across his bulky form, with a lizard embroidered on the back corner. He was accompanied by another Goron, his escort. That tall Gerudo woman with a thick tail of red hair that fell to her waist must be Urbosa. She was wearing a bright blue wraparound skirt embroidered with a camel, and another Gerudo woman stood behind her bodyguard-style with crossed arms and grim expression. Conversing with Urbosa was a tall green-skinned Zora warrior named Seggin. Link had often seen him around the Domain when he was a boy. So he was the Zora champion! There was also a pair of Rito warriors standing aloof from the others. The one wearing a long blue scarf must be Revali, the Rito champion.
Link walked up to them with Father at his side. He couldn't help but notice that all the other champions were older than him, and taller, and already had reputations for greatness. Two days ago, it would have been a privilege just to get a glimpse of them. And now...
They turned and noticed him.
"Well," Urbosa said, a smile curving her blue-painted lips as she looked down at Link. "You must be the bearer of the Sword That Seals the Darkness." The others fell quiet and looked at him too, even the two Rito standing apart.
"Him?" blurted out the one wearing the blue scarf, an incredulous expression on his feathered face. "But he's a mere child!"
"Link!"
They all turned to look at someone in the corner of the room who had gone unnoticed until this moment: a short and slender Zora, a young woman with red and white skin who had been perched on the edge of a fountain, swishing her hands in the water. But now she jumped up with a warm smile spreading across her face at the sight of Link.
It was Mipha! And she was wearing a long blue sash draped elegantly over her shoulder and around her waist, and fastened with a sparkling sapphire brooch. Then she was the Zora champion, and Seggin was there as her escort! Link was surprised at the level of relief he felt at seeing a familiar face. It would be good, very good, to have a friend among his fellow champions. And someone close to his own age, too. Suddenly he did not feel so out of place, and he blessed Zelda for having the wisdom to choose Mipha as champion. Others might have overlooked her. Her qualities were many, but with her soft voice and gentle personality, she could come across as timid.
She tripped over to Link lightly and hugged him, wet hands pressing against his back. She was taller than he remembered from his last visit to the Domain. Still shorter than him, but not as much as before. The Zora matured more slowly than Hylians, but it seemed Mipha had nearly caught up to him. She pulled back to look at him, and Link smiled down at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
"Well, I had intended to introduce you all to Link," a voice came from behind them, and they turned to see Princess Zelda joining the group, dressed in a formal blue and gold gown. The blue sash that she had used to wrap the Master Sword had been replaced by an embroidered gold one, and instead of a braid across the top of her hair, she now wore a golden crown.
"...but it seems some of you have already met," Zelda continued, looking at Mipha and Link with some surprise. Mipha let out a soft "oh" and quickly let go of him.
"I was often sent to Zora's Domain with my old unit, Princess," Father told Zelda after a short pause. "Link is well acquainted with King Dorephan and his family."
"I see," Zelda said. "Well, then. Link, this is Daruk, the Goron champion; Urbosa, the Gerudo champion; and Revali, the Rito champion." They each nodded to him in turn. "Everyone, this is Link, knight of Hyrule and bearer of the Master Sword. It is his destiny to lead the fight against Calamity Ganon, and your duty to support him with the power of the Divine Beasts."
"Lead?" Revali burst out, and his beak curved downward in visible disapproval.
"So you're the one who drew the Master Sword!" Mipha said, looking at Link's tunic as if noticing it for the first time. "But I shouldn't be surprised. I always knew you would do well."
A fanfare of trumpet music issued from the hall, and Zelda lifted her chin as if in response.
"My father is now entering the hall," she told them. "Soon he will introduce the champions one by one. When you hear your name, you will enter the hall with your escort, who will wait under the banner of each of your race while the champion steps out into the center to be presented to the court. Are there any questions?"
There were none. Link felt his stomach twisting into a knot, wishing he could hear the instructions again anyway.
King Rhoam's voice boomed out, and the champions and their escorts all moved close to the entrance to hear his speech. The king stood on a high dais dressed in his highly ornamented royal robes, with an enormous golden royal crest spreading its wings behind him. Reinold and Bartelmeu stood smartly at attention to either side of him. They could see rows of armored knights standing in ranks inside a spacious circular hall with rich furnishings, and all around the upper balcony were gathered the king's advisors and other members of the court in their finest clothing. Link was glad to see Mother among them, listening intently to the king's words.
Zelda's name was called first, and with great dignity she walked into the hall with measured steps, stopping in the center of an enormous rug with the symbol of the Triforce woven into it.
Link stood with his father beside him as one by one, the champions were introduced and strode into the hall to the applause of those attending. It didn't take long for him to guess he would be called last. He was grateful; it would mean less time standing in the bright light streaming into the center of the hall from the windows high in the Sanctum. Trickles of sweat moved down the back of his neck as he thought about the number of eyes that would be on him in a few minutes.
But maybe after tonight, he would be done with ceremonies and could get to work. His real work, the kind he had trained for. Riding horses, shooting bows, swinging swords. Not exactly easy work, but at least it would be uncomplicated.
The moment Link had that thought, he regretted it. Mother was right. Any knight in the kingdom could ride horses and shoot bows and swing swords, but his task was larger than that now. The chosen hero was supposed to bring hope to the kingdom. He was supposed to partner with the princess.
How exactly was he supposed to do that, when at every moment he could not guess whether she would be cold or warm to him?
Father tugged gently on his elbow, and Link belatedly realized that the king had just spoken his name. He turned to walk through the ranks of knights standing in the hall, Father at his side. His heart pounded in his ears more loudly than the applause. He worked hard not to look at all the faces around him as he walked. It was all he could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other, especially when Father stopped beside the Hylian banner and he had to keep going on alone. After what seemed an eternity he finally managed to join the semicircle of champions standing behind Princess Zelda.
Everything he was feeling must be showing on his face. Link knew that because Urbosa was now giving him a look of distinct sympathy, while Revali was giving him a look of absolute contempt. Link quickly moved his gaze over to Daruk, who nodded to him and gave a sort of friendly wink. He glanced at Mipha last. A small smile curved her lips and she half-lifted her hand as if she intended to give him a wave, before she quickly clasped her hands together and turned back toward the king. She looked a little nervous too. Strangely, that made him feel better. If a princess felt nervous about something, then it wasn't so bad that he did, too.
But Link could feel a sudden, powerful resolve growing inside him. It was clear that he could no longer be the boy he had been only a few days ago. He could not afford to let every passing emotion show on his face anymore. Already the other Champions were looking at him differently now that they saw how uncomfortable he was with so many eyes upon him. He could not let everyone else in the kingdom realize it, too. They needed him to be the chosen hero. They needed to believe he could do everything the Goddess intended him to do.
So if he had any private doubts about his ability to measure up, he would have to learn to hide it. Link concentrated hard and did his best, right then and there, to stand as straight and tall as he could, and compose his face into an impassive expression. The one that Father wore whenever any of the other knights pointedly brought up his country upbringing in his presence.
He couldn't see his own reflection at the moment, but Link felt like he was doing it pretty well. It didn't feel natural, though, holding his face so still. But maybe that would come with time. He looked over at Princess Zelda, who stood with her back to him, listening respectfully as her father enumerated the accomplishments of all the champions. Her posture betrayed no hint of uncertainty. Only perfect poise.
It was only now, having heard his mother speak of the terrible things the gossips said about Zelda, that Link appreciated how hard it must be for her to hold her head up high in the presence of her subjects, knowing that not all of them had faith in her.
Link lifted his chin. If she could master putting on appearances, then so could he.
"Lead our champions, Princess!" King Rhoam commanded, his deep voice booming throughout the spacious hall. "And together, protect our kingdom from the threat of Calamity Ganon!"
Everyone in the hall applauded, and outside they could hear the booms of celebratory cannon fire. The knights were released from standing at attention and servants entered the room with refreshments. Everyone gathered in small groups, laughing and chatting, and Link focused on keeping his shoulders back and his face impassive as Father came to stand by his side once more.
Inside, he was relieved it was all over.
But on the outside, there was nothing to show it.
The royal armorer must have worked on the scabbard without pause throughout the festivities, because when Link finally returned to his assigned room late that night, he found the Master Sword sheathed and lying on a table waiting for him.
It had been a long day. After the ceremony, Link had gone with the princess and the other four champions to a private gazebo on the castle grounds to get acquainted with one other, and to meet Purah. He had finally gotten a look at the strange device Zelda had told him about, the Sheikah slate. Purah had used it to capture a perfect image of the champions standing in a group together... although Daruk had suddenly squeezed everyone into an enthusiastic embrace just as she pressed the button. The resulting image was amazingly clear and true to life, right down to capturing the startled expressions on their faces as Daruk's arms closed around them. Mipha in particular had been enthusiastic about the results and sweetly insisted that Purah must find a way to transfer the image to paper so that they could all take a copy home.
Then his parents had come to say goodbye. Mother was returning to her work at the ranch, and she was taking Pomona with her. The ranch hands would finish training her, as Link was to be given one of the horses from the royal stable that was already accustomed to being ridden into battles. Father had been instructed to return to his normal duties in the morning, while Link would begin his new ones. They would probably cross paths in the castle from time to time, but no longer would they travel and train together. It was always going to be that way, but Link felt a sadness about it anyway. One door in his life had been irrevocably closed. A new one was opening, but he didn't know yet what lay behind it.
He picked up the Master Sword and inspected its new scabbard by the torchlight in his room. It was well-made and ornate, with gleaming golden accents all down its length, including a Triforce symbol. He unsheathed the Sword and then slid it back in, making a soft slithery sound and then a satisfying click: it was a perfect fit. The royal armorer knew his business.
Tomorrow Zelda would take Revali to tour the interior of the Divine Beast he was to learn how to pilot. That meant that Link would have to get up very early if he wanted to get in some sword practice before accompanying them there. That was just as well. He wanted to get used to the weight of the Master Sword before he was called upon to fight with it again, and in the early hours there wouldn't be a lot of people around to disturb him.
Link rose before the dawn, ate a hasty breakfast and went straight outside to a courtyard that had been set up with several training dummies. The sky was only just beginning to grow lighter. As he had hoped, the only people around this early were the guards on duty and a few servants toting water.
He began practicing different swings and thrusts with the Master Sword, moving at half-speed to work on his technique. Yes, the blade was heavier than the broadsword he usually used, but like all the squires he had been trained on a variety of weapons, and this Sword was no heavier than a claymore. He could handle claymores well enough, though they weren't his favored weapon. Wearing a weapon on his back rather than at his side was different too, so he practiced sheathing and unsheathing from time to time to get it as smooth and fast as possible.
The more he handled the Master Sword, the better he felt about it. This blade would work for him. It would work very well, with a little more time to get used to it. After an hour or so of practice, he took a breather and went over to the well at the edge of the courtyard to get himself a drink.
The sun was up over the horizon now, and the courtyard was touched by golden morning light. Songbirds were beginning to sing. Leaning back against a low stone wall, Link looked around appreciatively at the way the waterfall above the courtyard now sparkled in the morning light. His eyes traveled upward, and then he stood up straight in surprise. In the dim light earlier, he had taken the silhouette of a large stone structure at the top of the waterfall to be a guard tower of some kind. Now, it was obvious that it was something very different: an enormous stylized statue of an eagle perched with a foot on either side of the tumbling water, its wings spread widely.
The great bird was made of a different stone than the castle walls, and Link immediately guessed that this must be one of the Divine Beasts Zelda had mentioned earlier, an ancient and mysterious vehicle that had been excavated by the Sheikah researchers and would be used by one of the champions to defend their homeland from Calamity Ganon. He gazed up at it in awe for a few minutes, taking in every detail and wondering what it would look like in action, but finally he shook himself and got back to work.
This time, he swung and thrust at the training dummy with greater speed and strength to match his growing confidence with the Master Sword. There was a satisfaction to the way the blade whistled through the air, and as time went on he could see that his strikes were getting both more accurate and more graceful. His heart began to beat a little faster, not only from the exertion but also from an excitement that was stirring deep down inside him. The Master Sword felt good in his hand. It felt right. Like it had been made for him, or maybe he had been made for it.
A swell of something powerful bloomed in his chest, and Link followed an unspoken urge and spun around to unleash an explosive spin strike against the training dummy. Swung with perfect speed and precision, the blade unexpectedly sliced cleanly through the thick wooden post, and with a ponderous finality the training dummy toppled over and landed in the grass. Link's shout as he had swung echoed around the stone courtyard.
He stood there, breathing quickly, looking down in surprise at the destruction he had wreaked.
Behind him, a woman with a deep voice was laughing. Startled, Link turned to see that he was no longer alone. Two Gerudo women were standing a short distance away, watching him: Urbosa herself, along with the stone-faced woman who had served as her escort at the champion's ceremony.
"Well," Urbosa said, walking toward him with a smile curving her blue-painted lips. "You are much more like it when you don't think anyone is watching you."
She stopped next to him and regarded him with tilted head and hands on hips. She was dressed in a colorful Gerudo chestplate, with gleaming golden necklace, earrings, tiara and headband to match. Like him, she still wore her champion's garb, hers in the form of a bright blue wraparound skirt with a camel embroidered on it.
Urbosa simply towered over him, and not only because she wore high heels; Link feared he would get a crick in his neck looking up at her. Her posture was perfect and yet relaxed. She looked utterly comfortable in her own skin. Standing in her presence made Link feel instinctively safe, and truthfully, a little intimidated at the same time.
"You'd get better practice facing off against a real person and not a dummy," Urbosa pointed out.
That was true. Link held very still. Urbosa wore a heavily jeweled round shield and a curved double-tipped scimitar on her back. Her skills were legendary; it was said that when she fought with that scimitar, she moved with the grace of a dancer. Did she mean to suggest that she, herself...?
"Siforu," Urbosa said, looking back at her escort. "Head of our Guard," she added to Link by way of introduction.
The woman stepped forward readily, unsheathing a more conventional scimitar, and without a word she got into a battle-ready position.
Link got into position as well, and Urbosa stepped back to give them space. They began to spar with the clang of metal on metal.
It was quickly apparent that Siforu was a skilled fighter. She was silent but attentive, her eyes never once leaving her opponent. She didn't unleash any flashy moves, but she blocked his blows with such steady, nonchalant strength that Link found himself tiring quickly against her.
The moment Siforu noticed him slowing, she grew more aggressive, her scimitar darting in at him from the sides, the curved blade sliding off his straight one at angles he wasn't quite expecting. Link found himself needing to dance away from her onslaughts more than once. But he knew how to regroup, and a couple of times he managed to make her retreat from a flurry of his own strikes.
Urbosa began to call out advice. Sometimes to him, sometimes to Siforu. They both earnestly tried to do whatever she said, and the bout was all the better for it. Gradually, Link felt himself beginning to relax. The Gerudo champion might look intimidating, but her advice was delivered in a friendly tone, and it was every bit as useful as Father's had been. He began to repeat her words silently to himself, hoping he would remember it all for later.
Siforu was beginning to look as tired as Link felt. Neither one of them had managed to best the other. As if by unspoken agreement, they both drew back a little to breathe, weapons still up and eyes locked in case the other decided to take advantage of a moment of inattentiveness. A warrior who couldn't stay focused amid distraction was a warrior who wouldn't last long on a battlefield. Link shook sweat-dampened hair out of his eyes and took a fresh grip on the hilt of the Master Sword as Siforu silently eased into a new position, scimitar held to the side and ready for a strike. Link tensed himself. This was the stage of a fight when one clumsy mistake by either combatant could end the whole thing.
Siforu stared directly into his eyes, as if daring him to blink.
And then, out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Urbosa lift an elegant hand into the air and coolly snap her fingers.
There was a deafening crash directly behind him, and Link felt his heart practically leap into his throat, every muscle jangling in alarm. But by sheer instinct he managed to keep his eyes locked on Siforu.
She didn't startle at all. Almost as if she had been expecting it. With deadly speed, she darted forward and Link saw, as if in slow motion, the curve of her scimitar flashing toward him.
He had just enough time to get the Master Sword up to block her strike.
He pushed back against her blade and Siforu stumbled, as she had committed everything she had left to the final blow. Pouring his last bit of strength into it, Link thrust his Sword toward her chest and then held it there, the tip quivering an inch away from her chestplate.
Her scimitar was still clutched in her outflung hand, nowhere near him.
"I yield," Siforu said, taking a step back and sheathing her scimitar. Her gaze on him was more curious than annoyed, but Link barely paused to wonder why. He was already looking behind him, trying to find the source of that deafening crash that had startled him so badly.
There was a big blackened spot on the grass behind him. Smoke rose from it in thin curls. That noise had sounded almost like... like the thunder that comes fast on the heels of lightning that has struck nearby. But the sky was a deep unbroken blue. Not a cloud in sight. It couldn't have been that.
"Well, would you look at that," Urbosa said smoothly, walking toward the two of them. "He didn't even blink!"
"Nearly jumped out of his skin, though," Siforu said. For the first time since he'd met her, she had a faint smile curving one side of her mouth.
"What was that?" Link asked wonderingly, still looking around.
Urbosa tipped her head back and laughed loudly, though not derisively.
"My fury!" she said. She snapped her fingers again, and another deafening crash sounded. This time, Link saw it strike the other side of the courtyard: a bright flash of white lightning that came down out of nowhere at all.
She smiled at him widely, green eyes gleaming with good humor. Link couldn't help it; he grinned back a little sheepishly as he sheathed his Sword. He must have looked quite funny, jumping like that at a bolt of lightning he couldn't even see.
Urbosa chuckled again, and then grew more serious. "You are quite the swordsman," she said, looking him up and down approvingly. "And not only for your age. If you were in the Gerudo ranks, we'd put you in the forefront. Wouldn't we, Siforu?" Her escort nodded in agreement.
"If you were in the Goron ranks," a deep gravelly voice said behind them, "we'd teach you to eat one of these! It might add a few inches to your height. Ha!"
They turned to see that Daruk was relaxing on the ground nearby, crunching enthusiastically on a rock roast. How long had he been there? The Goron grinned at him as a friendly greeting, then took another big bite.
Link looked around. The morning was wearing on, and there were more people out and about now. In fact, he spotted movement in one of the pools of water some distance away, and saw that Mipha was swimming around at the foot of a waterfall, enjoying the cool clear water. He hoped she came their way soon. He hadn't had a chance to really catch up with her yet, not alone anyway.
"We were told," Urbosa said, and Link turned back to see her frowning slightly, "that the bearer of the Master Sword would become the princess' own appointed knight. Why hasn't that happened? You're obviously qualified."
Link hesitated for a long moment. "I don't know," he admitted at last. All he had were guesses. The king hadn't been impressed with him back in the Korok Forest, although he had seemed less gruff after the monster attack on the way home. Maybe it had more to do with the princess. At times she could hardly bear to look at him. Whatever her reasons for that, she obviously wouldn't want him hovering around her all day, every day.
But what could he do? That was exactly what his duty demanded of him.
A flapping sound overhead drew their attention, a different sound from the rippling banners that floated from the peaks of the towers around them. The four of them looked up to see Revali flying overhead, his long blue scarf fluttering like a ribbon behind him.
Link could not deny feeling a stab of envy at the way the Rito warrior soared through the air with ease, seeming almost weightless as he tilted his wings like sails to catch the wind. He had often dreamed of flying. Ever since he was small the same dream had come to him in his sleep, in which he leaped fearlessly off the edge of the cliff only to soar upwards on wings of scarlet, utterly free, with the wind in his hair and the ground so far below that it couldn't be seen through the clouds. A beautiful dream. Thinking of it, Link sighed deeply. If only it could be real! But the Goddess in her wisdom had not made the Hylians for flight.
Revali landed in front of them with a flourish of wings, sending a dust cloud whooshing over them.
"Good morning, fellow champions!" he said, meeting eyes with Daruk and Urbosa. "A fine day for flying! And a fine day for piloting a Divine Beast. This one's mine, you know." He waved a wing casually in the direction of the great eagle perched at the top of the waterfall. "I expect that by day's end, I'll have it soaring through the air as high as the sun! After that, disposing of Calamity Ganon will be a simple matter!"
"It isn't as easy as you might think," Urbosa said coolly. "The princess took me on a tour of mine last week. We haven't fully worked out how to operate it yet."
"Of course, not everyone is mechanically inclined," Revali told her with a dignified sympathy. "But I won't have any trouble with mine, I can assure you. Ah, here is the princess now!"
They turned to see Princess Zelda, dressed in trousers and a champion blue blouse, coming toward them. Quickly, Link assumed the impassive expression he'd decided to adopt yesterday. Of all the people to convince that he had everything under control, Zelda was the most important one.
"Good morning," she said, looking at each of them, and they greeted her in return. She had the Sheikah slate nestled in a pouch belted at her waist, her fingertips gripping the edge as if she were already itching to take it out. "Revali, are you ready to meet Vah Medoh?"
"I was hatched ready," he said, visibly preening.
"Princess," Urbosa said, "we were just wondering why Link here has not been named your appointed knight yet. I believe that was the plan?"
Zelda glanced at Link, and he tried not to squirm. He had not intended to come right out and ask, but he was anxious to hear the answer.
"My father's reasons are his own," Zelda said at last, speaking with the same regal dignity she had used at the ceremony last night. Urbosa looked dissatisfied, however, and the princess added in a more normal voice: "He has a good deal on his mind right now, you know."
"In other words," Daruk said in his gravelly voice, standing up and brushing the dust off his hands briskly, "he's forgotten all about it!"
"Well, yes," Zelda admitted after a beat.
"It was my understanding," Urbosa prompted, "that although the king may advise her, the princess traditionally chooses her knight for herself."
There was a long silence, filled only by the cheeping of birds in the trees nearby. The princess wasn't looking at Link again, and a faint pink flush was visible on her cheeks.
"We can discuss that later," she said at last. "Right now, I'd like to take Revali to his Divine Beast. If you please?"
Revali crouched down, and the princess climbed nimbly onto his back. The Rito warrior tensed for the takeoff.
"You'll come back to carry me?" Link blurted out quickly. Revali looked down at him, and though he didn't speak, it wasn't hard to guess his answer.
"It won't be necessary for you to accompany me," Zelda said, gripping Revali's shoulders more tightly.
"It's my job."
"We're on the castle grounds," she pointed out stiffly. "There are plenty of other guards. I am quite safe here."
"You're welcome to follow," Revali said to Link with a smirk. "Just... flap your wings, and fly on up after me!"
He took off with a spring of his powerful legs, and the wind of his passage washed over them as he soared up into the air. Within seconds, he had shot up above the top of the waterfall where Vah Medoh perched and through a vertical entrance along its back that Link hadn't noticed before.
They vanished from sight.
Link clenched his jaw. She's going to keep doing this, he realized. For as long as he let her get away with it.
And what would he say to King Rhoam if something happened to Zelda when he wasn't with her? Would the king accept excuses from a knight about not wanting to face his daughter's wrath? Link thought not.
It was true that neither the king nor Zelda herself had formally charged him with her safety. But then again... Link's destiny had been granted to him by a source much higher than the Royal Family. Ultimately, it was her that he must answer to.
After a little thought, he put his fingers to his mouth and whistled loudly with the old signal he and Sidon had once worked out.
It didn't take long before a loud splashing announced her approach, and then Mipha came soaring up over the edge of the pool beside the courtyard and landed in it neatly, having climbed the waterfall that descended from it as neatly as a ladder. Link ran over to the edge of the pool as she swam closer to him, her eyes smiling even more than her lips were.
"I've been looking all over for you, Link!" she said in her soft voice, droplets sliding down her face. "I was hoping we could... you know, spend some time together." Belatedly she noticed the other champions standing behind him, and suddenly closed her mouth.
"I want to," Link said. "But can you help me with something right now?"
Her face practically glowed with pleasure. "Anything!"
He nodded up at the Divine Beast perched over the top of the next waterfall. "Can you get me up there?"
"Of course! You know what to do."
Link dove into the water, clothes, gear and all. He swam over to Mipha with a few quick strokes. She turned her back to him, and he put his hands under her arms and then gripped her shoulders tightly, making sure not to interfere with her mobility. She swam toward the waterfall, picking up speed rapidly thanks to her webbed feet.
"Three... two... one!" she counted out loud, and on "one" Link took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.
Mipha plunged into the waterfall. Instantly buckets of heavy water cascaded down on their heads, but already Mipha was wiggling her powerful torso and shooting upwards with terrific speed. She skipped up the falls like a pebble skipping across the surface of a lake when it is thrown just right. Seconds later, they shot up over the top of it and straight up into the vertical entrance to Vah Medoh, where they were plunged into comparative darkness out of the bright sunshine.
They gained just enough height for Link to leap off Mipha's back and catch hold of a ledge, and then Mipha arched her back gracefully and tumbled downward once more. Hanging onto by his fingertips, Link looked down to see her splash safely back down at the base of the waterfall.
He grunted as he lifted himself up onto the ledge and looked around, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dim interior of Vah Medoh.
It looked... very strange in here. The interior was cavernous, with various platforms and blocks and pulleys visible all around, though all of it was motionless and dim. It took a minute or two, but eventually Link realized why the place was so disorienting. It was sideways. It had been designed to be navigated while it was in flight, with its belly facing down like a real eagle soaring through the air, but right now it was perched upright instead.
He could hear voices above him, though. Zelda and Revali were close. Link began hoisting himself higher, walking up walls that had become the floor, finding fingerholds to scramble over features whenever necessary.
Before long he found them, heads together as they examined a strangely glowing pedestal. Zelda was pressing the Sheikah slate against the top of the pedestal repeatedly, but nothing seemed to be happening. As Link approached them, his boots splashed in the puddles he was making with his dripping wet clothing, and they both turned to look at him.
Zelda looked first surprised, and then annoyed. Revali stared at Link for a long moment, and then turned toward the princess and said significantly: "You see what I mean?"
The princess was silent for a long moment, and Link held his breath, waiting for a scolding that never came. Finally, she just shook her head a little and then handed the Sheikah slate to Revali. "You try," she said.
Revali did try, but nothing happened for him, either. He made an annoyed sound in his throat and began fiddling with the device. Seeing that his presence was going to be at least tolerated, Link stood several paces away from them, hands clasped behind his back, and contented himself with studying the strange interior of the Divine Beast while Zelda and Revali conversed.
Things didn't seem to be going well. Revali was getting more and more irritated at the pedestal's lack of response, and finally he banged the Sheikah slate against its surface too hard and it slipped from his grip, sliding down an incline and toward a dropoff. Link quickly stopped it with his foot, scooped it up, and walked over to hand it back to them. But the moment he held it over the pedestal, there was a strange chiming sound and both the pedestal and the slate lit up in unison.
"What did you-" Zelda started to say, when suddenly the entire room lit up around them. In the distance they could hear gears grinding into life. Puffs of dust came out from hidden mechanisms and pulleys rattled into motion.
"Finally!" Revali said loudly, snatching the Sheikah slate from Link's hand. "I got it to work!"
Zelda looked back and forth from Link to Revali and back again.
"Well done," she said to Revali, although not as heartily as she could have.
Revali began to play with the controls, and soon lights were turning on and off and gears were stopping and starting at his command. He was very pleased with it all, and before long seemed to forget that Zelda and Link were still in the room with him.
Zelda wandered away, looking around at the mechanisms curiously. Link followed her, but at a distance. Today the princess didn't seem to have the same fierce scientific focus he'd seen her show before. Her eyes kept moving over to rest on him, and then quickly looking away the moment he noticed.
Link bent down to examine a series of gears set that Zelda had been looking at a minute ago, but he couldn't make much sense of what they were supposed to do. Maybe she had already worked it out, though. She was clever with this kind of thing, he was beginning to realize.
"If I asked you a question," Zelda said quietly from behind him, and Link turned to look at her, surprised, "would you tell me the truth?"
They were far enough from Revali now to be out of earshot.
"Yes," he said cautiously.
"When you came to the Korok Forest in the company with my father," Zelda said, "did you know you would be the one to draw the Master Sword?"
She spoke it like a challenge, and then looked tense as she waited for his answer. Link couldn't imagine why it mattered to her, but he answered honestly, and shook his head in negation.
Her brows drew together, but in confusion, not anger.
Link was confused by her confusion. Had she believed that he had known all along that the Goddess would choose him? Why would she think that? He would not have stood there letting everyone else uselessly tug at the Sword if he had known. That would have wasted everyone's time and embarrassed all the knights for no reason. Including his own father. He would not have done that. Didn't she know that?
Did she... did she think he had purposely waited until the end? To put on a show for everyone? To put them all to shame?
"You had no idea at all that you were the chosen hero?" she asked sharply.
"No."
"Until the moment you had the Master Sword in your hand?"
"Yes."
She seemed to believe him, her eyes widening at the revelation. "How is that possible?" she asked incredulously. "You... you are supposed to have a connection to the other heroes! The records in our royal library suggest you may be able to access their memories, their expertise! You don't have any of that?"
Link opened his mouth to say no, and then hesitated. He was supposed to have memories of the others? He didn't know about that. But there had been strange things in his mind at times. The dreams he had of flying, so vivid that it felt real. The vague image of a house made from a tree, where he lived among children who weren't really children. His inexplicable fascination with wolves. And now that he thought about it, there were more. Recurring nightmares of strange and terrible monsters that Father had never described to him. And once Link had tried to remind his mother of the glorious day when he had gone sailing on the ocean, only for her to stoutly insist that she had never taken him sailing.
None of it seemed to fit into his own life at all.
As for expertise...
Everything he had learned about fighting he had learned from Father and the other knights in his unit. Hadn't he?
Except... there had been times when he had had ideas for improvements to the things they were teaching him. Ideas for getting off a shot or two with a bow mid-dismount before wading into the fray with a sword. Or whirling in circles with a heavy claymore to deal out rapid damage to a Hinox, or sliding downhill on a shield to make a fast getaway. Their response had always been the same: to chuckle indulgently and tell him he had quite the imagination, before warning him that such dangerous stunts would only get him hurt. Belatedly, Link remembered that leaping onto a Lynel's back was one of the things Father had warned him was too dangerous to try.
He'd done it yesterday.
It had worked.
A strange heat bloomed in his chest. Was it possible that none of that had been his imagination after all? That those memories and ideas were coming from the other heroes, their lives laid beneath his like a stack of paper that had been bound together into a single book?
"Is that what that was?" he murmured in wonderment.
Zelda's face had changed, watching him sort through his thoughts. "You've been what you are your whole life," she said softly, and for only the second time since they had met, she was looking at him in open sympathy. "And there was no one around you who could help you make sense of it."
She dropped her eyes to the ground. "My mother was supposed to train me in my task," she said, her voice going even softer. "She died before she could teach it to me. In this much at least, you and I are the same."
Was it true, then? Link wondered. Had Zelda been unable to access her sealing powers at all? He couldn't think how to ask in a way that wouldn't hurt her. If it was true, it would only make her feel worse that he had been able to successfully use the Master Sword so quickly after getting it, while she still struggled to do her part. It wouldn't be a true picture of Link's position - Zelda could not know how out of his depth he felt doing everything he was expected to do other than use the Sword - but he didn't know how to say any of that, either.
And so he held his tongue.
Zelda visibly steeled herself. "Urbosa thinks you should be my chosen knight," she said. "But you say nothing yourself. What is it that you want? Truly."
That much, at least, he could answer. "I want to do my duty."
She nodded but said nothing. He couldn't read her face, and he wished she would say more. If she would hate for him to be her chosen knight, for whatever reason, it didn't seem possible that he could be successful at it.
"What do you want?" he asked her in return.
She looked taken aback by the question, and paused before finally answering.
"What I want," she said evenly, "doesn't matter. What I will do is my duty."
It sounded like the kind of answer her father would want to hear. He tried to ask it another way.
"How... can I help you?"
Princess Zelda smiled sadly. "You are kind to ask," she said. Her smile faded as she looked down at the ground. "But there is no one who can help me."
When the three of them rejoined the other champions in the courtyard, Princess Zelda announced to all of them that she had decided to name Link her appointed knight, making him a member of the Royal Guard.
To her credit, she gave no hint of having any qualms about the decision. She spoke sincerely of Link's accomplishments and said that she had faith that he could keep her safe. She seemed to mean every word of it.
But still, the air of sadness around her lingered.
Daruk suggested that they hold a "ceremony of legend," something he had heard about in the lore of the Gorons and that Zelda seemed to be familiar with as well. She began to make plans to inform King Rhoam and have him gather an appropriate audience for the event, but Urbosa quickly intervened.
"I think we've all had enough of ceremony for one week," she told Zelda gently but firmly. "Why not do it now, with just the six of us? That's enough for Link, I think." She looked at him questioningly, and he quickly nodded. It would be a relief to keep the gathering small.
In the end, that was just what they did. Zelda briefly left to change into more appropriate clothing, and then the six of them left the castle grounds and walked straight through Castle Town until they arrived at the Sacred Grounds, a small grove of trees surrounding a circular stone platform engraved with the Triforce symbol.
Link knelt in the center, and Princess Zelda formally blessed him, speaking of his worthiness in the eyes of the Goddess and praying for his protection. She spoke, too, of the other heroes throughout time, and prayed that like them, Link and the Master Sword would grow stronger together, as one.
At times she seemed to be near tears.
Kneeling on the hard stone listening to her words, Link was unsure how to feel about it all. To serve as a protector for the Royal Family was a great honor, one Father had spent his whole life working toward. Knowing what he now knew - that some small part of the other heroes lived on inside him - Link felt more sure than he had a few days ago that this heavy weight would fit on his shoulders. He seemed to remember that the others, too, had doubted their own strength at first. But eventually they all had risen to the challenge, and so he must as well.
If only this had happened under better circumstances. If only he understood better what the princess needed to fulfill her own destiny, and could be sure that he would be able to help her get it. If only he could find a way to lift the sadness she wore like a cloak!
Maybe that was looking beyond the mark. The Goddess expected the Hero of Hyrule to protect the princess, and to work with her to defeat Calamity Ganon. That was his duty. Not solving Zelda's problems.
He wanted to do it anyway.
This was a sacred ceremony held on sacred ground, which meant the Goddess herself must be watching right now. Link bowed his head a little lower, and silently prayed.
I'll do all that you've asked of me, he told the Goddess. And I'll do more. I'll bear her pain patiently, even when it turns to anger. Just help me help her. Send her the power that she needs in time for her to use it! She wants to do what's right. She only needs the strength to make it happen.
There was no answer that he could hear. But he was certain that he had been heard.
Zelda had stopped speaking. The ceremony seemed to be over. At a gesture from her, Link got back on his feet. The other four champions gathered in a circle around them.
No one seemed to know quite what to say. Zelda's subdued mood seemed to have infected them all. But in the end, it was Mipha who found the right thing to do.
Holding out her small hand, she took Link's hand in hers and clasped it tightly. Then she held out her other hand to Revali, who stood beside her.
He stared down at her for a long moment, looking aloof, but Mipha merely kept her hand out patiently, and eventually Revali grudgingly gave in and let her clasp the feathers of his wingtip.
Urbosa smiled, and closed her fingers over Revali's other wingtip and then turned toward Daruk. He grinned and took her hand and Zelda's carefully into his two enormous fists.
Finally, Link and Zelda reached out and took each other's hands, closing the circle.
The six of them stood there as the breeze ruffled their blue champion's garb, smiling at each other in the face of their fears. They had been asked to do a dangerous task, one with no guarantee of success. Calamity Ganon was coming, and it was up to them to stop him.
Link looked into each of their eyes, and saw in them the same resolve that he was feeling:
No matter what happened, none of them would rest until the job was done.
Author's note: I feel that the story could end here, or I may leap forward to Calamity Ganon's return and keep it going a little longer. What do you think?