It didn't take them much longer to reach the village, but the sun was already hidden behind a big, threatening grayish cloud.
It's too early for rain, Link thought in annoyance, idly hoping that the storm would pass them over. There was a breeze that ruffled through Ebony's mane and that caused Zelda to shy back into his chest whenever it cut through them. But the breeze brought the smell of livestock, so Link knew they were getting close to the little farming village. At least, he was pretty sure that's what that smell was. His next goal was to find a horse for Zelda. After she'd caught him having a nightmare, it occurred to Link what it must look like from Zelda's perspective-she mentioned something about a vision about him, and then all he does is kick her out when she's only trying to make sense of what she'd seen. He figured he could do something to ease some of that tension. That...and his patience was thin enough with Zelda as she switched back and forth from bouncing up and down in the saddle and pressing up against his chest to keep herself warm and in the saddle. He knew Ordon Village was the closest to the castle, and he hoped they'd have horses among all that smelly livestock-and that they could be in and out before the rain.
The little village had a fenced goat pasture on the outskirts with lots of big, striped goats with horns that curved out and then met at the top, forming a circle. One bleated at them as Ebony rode drew closer, trotting up to walls of the pasture. It had longer ears than the others that were puffed out with extra fur, and they twitched as Ebony's hooves clopped in the dirt of the road.
"Oh, look at you!" Zelda laughed, leaning closer to extend her arm out to the goat. Link inhaled sharply, watching Zelda slide dangerously out of the saddle. He released the reins and grabbed Zelda around the waist, hauling her back into the saddle. Zelda leaned down further and ran her hand over the goat's soft head. It nuzzled her hand, and she scratched under its chin before running a hand over its long, striped horns.
Link grunted and turned Ebony away from the paddock. Zelda gasped in surprise as the goat suddenly slipped out of her range.
"Hey!"
Link pursed his lips and hummed noncommittally. "Didn't you say you grew up on a farm?" He muttered gutterally. "What's so different about these goats?"
Zelda stiffened at his voice in her ear, but she relaxed. "It was a cucco farm, Sheik. Mabe Village, in the middle of nowhere. We didn't do anything with horses and goats." Another sharp breeze blew through them, and Zelda immediately pulled back to press herself into Link's chest. He stiffened and urged Ebony into a trot toward the village.
Ordon Village was primarily a farming community, Link remembered from Prince practice. It wasn't exactly poor, but it was definitely on the more humble side of the townships around the kingdom. There were two logs that held up two matching cross beams to make a large wooden truss, welcoming in the outsiders. Ordon Village was well-known for welcoming any traveler on their way to and from Hyrule Castle, which Link was counting on. Other villages might not be so welcome to mysterious Sheikah passing through, but Ordon would be perfectly comfortable with the two of them on their way to...wherever Ravio was.
Where exactly were they going? Link hadn't stopped to think about where he would actually be going once he got out of the castle. He just knew he needed out.
Nice going, Link, he thought accusingly. Master Mahko's voice rang in his mind: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail! Pushing the sagacious comment from his mind, Link tried to remember what Impa had told him about the swordmaster Ravio. He lived near a forest, right? As he cast his mind back on the final conversation he had with his bodyguard, the hesitations and blank expressions Impa had made about Zelda came rushing back. His eyes trained themselves on the back of Zelda's head directly in front of him. Why did Impa give in so easily? It wasn't as if she knew anything that was going to happen...did she?
"Excuse me!" Zelda called, and Link started out of his thoughts. The mage slipped her right leg over the pommel and tried to perform what Link assumed was a graceful jump out of the saddle, but her skirt caught on his foot before she reached the ground, and she was yanked back toward Ebony.
The horse nickered in annoyance, and Zelda scrambled to yank her skirt out of the stirrup and Link's foot.
Link shifted in the saddle, letting Zelda pull her clothes back into some semblance of order, and then the mage strode toward a surprised townsperson who sat on his porch in the sun.
"Hello," Zelda said, drawing closer to the man. "My name is Zelda. Have you seen Prince Lincoln come through here recently?"
Link's head snapped up at Zelda's words. Hearing Zelda speak his name caused a peculiar tugging in his chest. She thinks of me as Lincoln?
Of course she does, you dolt. You told her to, Link thought.
"The Prince?" The man repeated, his eyes widening. "N-nah, what would the Prince be doing in Ordon Village? There ain't anything here but goats and horses!"
"What about someone carrying a sword?" Zelda tried again. "A big blue sword?"
The man shook his head, bemused. "No, miss. Ain't seen any warriors around here." Then he peered up at Link, squinting owlishly. "'Cept for that one. He's got a sword."
Link fidgeted uncomfortably, but Zelda just nodded patiently.
"Yes, I know. But anyone else?"
"Can't say I've seen anyone, miss."
Zelda nodded again, looking back up at Link with an air of disappointment.
What am I supposed to do right now? Encourage her to keep trying to find me? Link forced himself to nod and point down the road toward the rest of the village. There were mossy wooden houses that lined the road, with crooked fences and big wooden porches. Hearing a slight buzz, Link scanned the eaves of each house and picked out a beehive nestled in the cracks of a house further down the way. There was a river that cut through the village that Link assumed was also used to irrigate the farms and water the livestock.
Zelda walked back over to Link and Ebony and glanced apprehensively back up at the saddle. "Do I have to get up again?"
Link grinned impishly, trusting his scarf to hide his face, and nodded once.
Zelda turned to look back down the road. "No, I'll just keep walking. You can wait here, I need to keep looking for the Prince. Maybe we could wait here until he comes through if he hasn't been there yet." She tugged her cloak tighter around her and strode off toward the next house on the road.
Link groaned quietly, but he couldn't think of another solution. He couldn't reveal himself, but he didn't know how to get Zelda to leave him-the Prince-alone. Could he just leave her in the village? She could fend for herself, she was a Forager.
A sharp wind blustered through him, yanking at his scarf. He tucked his head and gripped his scarf tightly. There was a tickling at the back of his neck, and he shrugged his shoulders and shivered, trying to get the feeling to dissipate. It almost felt like someone was watching him.
"On second thought, let's go inside. There's got to be an inn or a tavern around here." Zelda wrapped her cloak around her figure and pulled the hood up. "Maybe we could talk to someone else about the Master Sword. D'you think the Prince would've left in disguise?" She shook her head, looking puzzled.
Link smirked. Yeah, I do. I think he snuck out and has been with you all along, Zelda. But you'll never know it. He urged Ebony forward until he was level with Zelda and tapped her with his foot. Surprised, she turned to him, her violet eyes flashing in the darkness of her cowl.
He shook his head and pointed back to the goat field, then patted Ebony's neck, then pointed at Zelda.
"What...Ebony?" Zelda frowned. "Do you want me to feed her?"
Link shook his head. "Your horse," he said shortly. "We're getting you your own horse."
"Me?" Zelda's panicked gaze met his momentarily before her face relaxed. "Oh, I, uh, can't afford a horse! I only have the couple of coins Venna gave me!"
Link raised an eyebrow. Why was she so worried about her own horse? He jingled a pouch at his hip and tilted his head significantly.
Zelda swallowed, her face hidden in the cowl of her cloak. "Sheik, that's very generous of you. This means a lot to me." She peered up again, a tight smile on her lips and her hands clasped together elegantly in front of her.
Link felt his chest tighten, and he nodded quickly before pushing Ebony back into a trot toward the paddock gate. This is just to get you off my back, he thought hastily. Don't get any ideas.
They left Ebony at the gate of the pasture and headed for the stable yard at the far end of the pasture. The stablehand fetched the horsemaster for them as Zelda explained what they were there for. Once the horsemaster arrived, though, Link realized he hadn't really understood how difficult it was to communicate without speaking. Thankfully, Zelda was helpful for interpreting what Link was trying to say. She apologized that she knew nothing about horses, but she was surprisingly good at translating Link's gestures and expressions to the horsemaster. Every couple of seconds, however, a few goats would drift closer to the mage and nuzzle into her hands or her cloak. She kept bending down to pet them and coo little phrases to them, so Link and the horsemaster had difficulty holding a full conversation.
"Is there a separate pasture for the horses then?" Zelda asked happily, running her hands up and down the smooth rounded horns. "All I see are goats."
"Oh, I pasture them together." The horsemaster rumbled, rubbing his short beard. "They get on quite well, truthfully."
"Oh." Zelda's brow knit, and she rose to her feet, shoving the goats to one side. "So where are your horses then?"
"Right this way, your honor." The horsemaster bowed respectfully and pointed at the shabby green stable behind them. "I just filled the water troughs, so they're all inside getting a drink."
"Excellent." Zelda shot Link a nervous look, so he took a step closer and gestured for her to go first. She smiled brightly and headed inside the stable.
Thankfully, the interior of the stable appeared to be of better quality than the exterior. The floor was well-swept, and the feeding troughs were full of clean, fresh hay. Link noticed a blue leather saddle on the wall next to a silky blue leather halter. There were six stalls oneach side of a narrow wooden walkway, and while each one had a full trough of hay, only four of the twelve stalls had horses in them. The stable smelled like a mixture of manure and sweaty leather-not Link's favorite scents. Zelda, conversely, inhaled deeply, a faint smile on her lips.
"This reminds me of my mentor, Old Jennings," she whispered to Link, brushing her hand up against his arm. "He kept his horses in a stable like this."
"Then how come you never rode any before now?" Link muttered back, and Zelda's face turned pink.
"These are my best three, your ladyship," the horsemaster rumbled, gesturing to the three horses on the left side. One was a warm chocolate brown with a cream-colored mane and tail, one was a caramel-colored palomino with speckles spattered across its back, and the third was a solid black not unlike Ebony, save for a large white patch across its forehead.
"They're all beautiful," Zelda said softly
"This here's a mare," the stablemaster said, pointing to the brown horse. "She's a little slower-paced, but she's solid and reliable."
She'd be good, Link thought absently, reaching out to the placid horse and rubbing her nose. She nickered gently and snuffled Link's face. She'd get along well with Ebony.
"And this'un's a stallion. He's a bit more flighty, I'd say. Good kick o' speed in him, though." The horsemaster gestured to the palomino before pointing at the last horse. "And this'un's a gelding. He's a little older, though. Might not be good for a long journey."
Zelda nodded, her eyes on the stallion. "How much?"
"Well..." The stablemaster huffed. "Why don't you get to know 'em a bit before we start talkin' business? Take 'em out for a stroll, maybe?"
Link nodded hurriedly and grasped Zelda's arm before she could reply. Then he pulled her closer to the mare, reaching out a hand to stroke the animal's nose.
"But...I was thinking-" Zelda started, but Link grabbed a handful of hay from the trough and shoved it into Zelda's hand.
"Feed it," he muttered. "See how she likes you."
Zelda hesitated, glancing over at the speckled stallion, which was pawing agitatedly at the ground. Then she did as Link urged and held out a flat palm with hay to the mare's mouth. It snuffled her hand before scooping up the hay into its mouth. Then it lifted its head and shook its mane, and Zelda stumbled back a step, lifting her hands in front of her face.
Link frowned as he caught Zelda before she could trip. "You...okay?" He said quietly.
"F-Fine." Zelda took a deep breath and drew her cloak tighter around her. "Let's look at the other ones."
Link raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Zelda grabbed another handful of hay and held it under the mouth of the stallion. Its ears pricked forward, and it eagerly chomped down the grass, its lips flitting all across Zelda's hand. She choked out a gasp, her shoulders tensing.
What is her deal? It's just a horse, it's not going to kill her. Link opened his mouth to question Zelda's hesitation, but then he remembered his persona. Sheik is still. Sheik is silent. Sheik wouldn't question Zelda's irrational fears. So he shut his mouth and let her continue to feed the horse.
"Want to ride 'im?" The stablemaster was back, beaming broadly. "I'll get 'im saddled right away."
"Oh, um, I don't know if that's necessary," Zelda stammered, but the stablemaster was already moving to the blue leather saddle on the wall.
While Zelda fidgeted nervously, the stablehand got the stallion all saddled and ready for Zelda to mount. Sheik held a hand out to give her a boost, but she waved him off as she scrambled up into the saddle. Trembling, she took the reins and pulled back on them to get her horse to back out of the stable. Link ducked out into the pasture as Zelda turned the horse around and kicked her heels into the stallion. "How do I get him to-"
The stallion suddenly whinnied and bolted into a gallop.
"Zelda!" Link cried without thinking and dashed out after her.
"Ahh!" Zelda screamed, trying in vain to keep her seat as the horse jostled and bolted beneath her. The stallion was heading in the direction of the tavern on the other side of the fence of the paddock, and a group of men drinking from some tankards looked up in interest as Zelda's temperamental stallion galloped past. It only took two more strides for the horse to bounce Zelda out of the saddle to one side, but instead of just flying off, Zelda hovered for a moment above the ground before falling into the grass. There was a shout of surprise from the men outside by the tavern, and as Link glanced over at them as he got closer, he saw them pointing at Zelda and exclaiming in amazement.
Uh oh, Link thought. They know she's a Mage.
He was panting as he reached the spot where Zelda sat on the ground.
"Are you...okay? He gasped out, dropping to his knees beside the Mage.
"Other than my pride being shattered," Zelda said glumly, sitting up, "I'm fine."
Link grinned and reached out a hand to help her to her feet. "It happens to the best of us."
"Hey!" A voice shouted from towards the tavern, and both Link and Zelda paused to turn toward the voice. "Was that some magic we saw there?" The men that had shouted earlier had ducked under the pasture fencing and were moving toward them. They each wore misshapen armor of black studded leather, and the first man had raised his arms as if congratulating Zelda. He had a fur cape that looked like an animal pelt of some kind, and Link picked out a shiny silver dagger on his belt.
"Just your imagination, I'm sure," Zelda said coldly. Surprised at her tone, Link glanced back at her over his shoulder. Her eyes were narrowed and flickering between their normal violet and a murky gray.
"Oh, but I think it was, Zelda," the man replied, his voice silky. "You see, Blind makes it his business to investigate all cases of magic that occur around him. In fact," he continued, turning back to one of the other men behind him, "Wasn't it a Zelda that was just pronounced as the Mage of Prophecy up at the castle?"
"That's right, boss."
"Mind your own business, pal," Link growled, drawing his sword and stepping in front of Zelda, putting himself between the man and the Mage. It took him a moment to realize what he was doing. When did he decide to protect Zelda? She was a Mage, she could look after herself.
"Sheik, I can handle this," Zelda said, echoing Link's thought. "Why don't you go catch the stallion? I'll talk to Blind here."
"Sheik?" The first man, apparently Blind, echoed. "My my, a Sheikah warrior fighting for the Mage. What an interesting development. Someone to protect the girl."
How does she know his name? The thought struck Link, but two of the men behind Blind growled and unsheathed curved swords, and Link felt a rush of adrenaline that drove all other thoughts from his mind. Ignoring Zelda's cry, Link stepped forward to meet the first man's swing with the Master Sword, their weapons clanging. Link spun his sword around the other man's and pushed it downwards, quickly disarming him. But the Sword jumped up in Link's palm, and he stumbled forward as the Sword yanked his arm back up. The first thief yelled in triumph and bent to pick up his sword as Link tried to bring his Sword back to center as Impa had taught him. The second man lunged forward, and Link tried to step forward and deflect the lunge, but the Master Sword once again jumped in his palm, this time yanking him down. Tripping forward, he just managed to duck under the swing and roll to break his fall, but the Master Sword yanked itself out of his grip to thud in the grass somewhere behind him, and it was all Link could do not to go tumbling after it. Just as he started to regain his footing, however, another Sword leveled itself down at his neck, and Link froze, his heart still thudding in his chest.
"I don't think so," Blind said softly, and Link glanced up to see the man glaring down at him. Only..his eyes were a milky white, and his gaze was fixed not on Link's eyes, but on the tip of his own rusty sword.
"Are you...blind?" Link gasped.
"Oh, so you've heard of me," Blind cackled. "Well, this makes my job easier. I won't hurt your Sheikah if you come quietly, mage."
Link swallowed, careful to keep his gaze low, scanning the grass for the Master Sword, but it was gone. One of the other thieves must have picked it up.
"Uh, boss," another voice said, "I think you'd better see this."
"I can't see it, you idiot," Blind snarled, his milky eyes still staring down at his sword. "Just tell me what you see."
"His Sword. It's the Master Sword. He'd wrapped some leather around it, but it's the Master Sword all right."
Link's heart froze, his head jerking up. They knew?
"The Master Sword?" Zelda repeated, her voice hushed. "H-how? Sheik?"
"Hm, there appears to be some deception between the Lady and her soldier," Blind mused. "I don't suppose the Sheikah is covering his face?"
"He is, Blind," the same man confirmed. Link's heart sank even further, like a rock was weighing down his whole stomach. He swallowed nervously, his eyes darting around the field. How can I get out of this?
"Take it off," Blind commanded, and another man stomped forward, his eyes narrowed down at Link, who still sat hunched underneath Blind's sword. Link glared at the other thief before diving forward underneath his feet, tripping the man. The thief cursed, and Link staggered to his feet behind him...only to stop short as he came face to face with Zelda. Her right hand was lifted in front of her, but it just looked like she was gripping air. Link could hear a faint whistling coming from somewhere, like wind blowing through a hole in the wall, but he couldn't feel any breeze. Zelda's eyes were blazing lavender again, but her gaze was cold and hard. Link stared down at her hand again, confused. The thieves behind him started moving closer, but Blind stopped them with a short word.
"You stole the Master Sword from the Prince?" She said quietly.
Link shook his head slowly, still staring down at her hand. Am I missing something here? Is she holding something?
"Stop lying to me," she demanded, stepping closer and shoving her hand up toward Link's chest. The whistling grew louder, and suddenly it felt like there was a shaft of wind that cut through Link's clothes from close to Zelda's hand, tugging at his scarf and chest wrappings. He felt a prick of something sharp under his chin, and he froze, his eyes widening. He still couldn't see anything, but it felt just like a dagger. As he wracked his brain, trying to understand what Zelda was doing, he remembered a specific lesson from Kinetic Venna about elemental weapons.
"How did you get the Master Sword?" Zelda snarled.
"I-I..." Link stammered, trying to think of a way out of this situation, but the fact that Zelda had just summoned a windblade and shoved it in his face still left him reeling. Kinetic Venna said only really powerful Forager Mages could do that. His stomach churned at the thought of such powerful magic, and he shuddered. Zelda's eyes narrowed even further, and she took another step closer, pressing her dagger of wind deeper into Link's throat.
"I said," she said slowly, "How did you get the Master Sword?"
Link gulped, lifting his hands in a gesture of surrender. He opened his mouth to reply, but his mouth was dry with fear, and nothing came out. The wind flaring in Zelda's hand grew sharper, rustling the scarf Link had wrapped around his mouth. As Zelda pressed her dagger deeper into Link's throat, the wind tugged at Link's scarf, and suddenly Link's mouth got a blast of air as the scarf blew up over his eyes. Spluttering, he yanked it down and clenched it in his fist. Zelda gasped as Link tried to wrap it back over his mouth, but the wind tugged the scarf back out of his grip. Panicked, he looked back up at Zelda, who had gone very pale, his scarf clenched in her fist.
"You're the Prince?" She croaked, her hand dropping as she released the windblade. "Sheik?"
"I can explain later," he said quickly, but Zelda lifted a hand and slapped him smartly across the face. Link gasped and reeled back, his own hand jerking up to his cheek in surprise. It hurt. A lot.
"You're the PRINCE?" She thundered, as Link choked back his own shout. "This whole time you've been the Prince?"
"Shh, Zelda, we don't have time for this!" Link protested, rubbing his cheek as he turned back to her. "We have to-"
He broke off as someone grabbed his arm and yanked him backwards.
"Well well," Blind's voice rang in his ear. "It seems we have quite the catch here. The Prince, the Master Sword, and the Mage of Prophecy. The Goddess has left us with good fortune."
"No!" Zelda yelled, her face growing fierce and her eyes shimmering with gold. Link suddenly felt a strong grasp on the front of his tunic yank him up and over the heads of the bandits. Yelling in surprise, he sailed across the field, his limbs flailing wildly. Zelda, who was beneath and behind him now, collapsed to her knees as he flew over her head, and she gasped weakly, as if someone had knocked the air out of her. The bandits shouted in surprise as Link flew over their heads, but it was all Link could do to keep breathing as some force flung him across the field. Finally, he reached the gate of the paddock where Ebony was waiting, and his trajectory landed him clumsily on Ebony's back. She skittered back, whinnying in surprise as Link unsuccessfully tried to regain his breath. The Master Sword was spinning through the air in front of him, sheathed once more, and he lunged forward to catch it.
"Get out of here, Link!" Zelda's voice rang out from the other side of the pasture, her voice heavy with exhaustion. Link glanced over his shoulder and saw Zelda struggling to get back to her feet. "I'll hold them off!"
"Stupid brat! You think a little magic will stop us?" Blind snarled, and he strode closer to Zelda and lashed out with his foot at her head. There was a bright flash of light, and Blind was suddenly recoiling back, yowling in pain. Link shouted in surprise at the bright light, and Ebony took that as a sign to move. Almost immediately, Ebony wheeled away from the paddock and broke into a full gallop. Link was almost thrown out of the saddle, but he managed to grab the reins and try to pull his horse to a stop.
"Shh, girl, you're okay!" Link tried to soothe her, but Ebony whinnied shrilly, the bit in her teeth as she headed for a patch of trees off the road.
"Whoa, girl!" Link yelled, but Ebony kept running. Desperately, Link shot another glance over his shoulder, seeing Zelda still collapsed on the ground surrounded by the five men. "Zelda!"
Link felt his seat lurch, and Ebony suddenly leapt over the low fence on the side of the road. Link skidded back in the saddle, arms flailing, and he quickly swung back around to face the front, bracing his feet in the stirrups as he tried to keep his seat. With a hearty thud, Ebony landed again, and Link was thrown forward. The saddlehorn bit into his gut, and Link wheezed as all of the air was shoved out of his lungs. Gasping, he struggled to sit upright again, but just as he regained his balance, a huge tree branch smacked into his head, and everything went black.
Link didn't know how long he was unconscious, but it seemed like only a second until he was blinking awake again. His head felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and his stomach bubbled with nausea, but he forced himself to sit up and take stock. He lay prone in the grass surrounded by trees. Wincing, Link peered through the trees and spotted the wooden walls of a house just beyond a low wooden fence.
Ordon! Link scrambled to his feet, groaning at the pounding in his feet. He fought down a wave of nausea and leaned up against a tree as he scanned his surroundings for any other familiar landmarks. The tall wooden truss was just at the corner of his sight, signaling that Ebony had carried him back closer to the edge of town. He picked out the sturdy goat and horse pasture fences just beyond the truss.
A wave of confusion suddenly washed over Link. What were they doing here? Where were they exactly? And where was-
The Master Sword! Link stiffened and jerked his hand up to his shoulder, grasping at empty air. Where was the Sword? He was holding it in his hand when Ebony had taken off, right?
Link staggered in a circle, his heart pounding and eyes glued to the ground. He can't have lost it! What if it was gone? Then he saw the blue and gold scabbard sticking out of a patch of chokeberry bushes, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Every step made his vision swim, but he inched toward the bushes and yanked out the scabbard, fierce red berries dropping to the ground around it. He slung the sword across his back once more, the familiar weight settling on his shoulder, his eyes still on the berries. They seemed familiar somehow, but Link couldn't quite place where he'd seen them before. Curious, he plucked a fresh berry from off the bush and popped it into his mouth. A sour and bitter taste filled his mouth, and he gagged, the sensory memory rushing back over him. Zelda had given him some of these berries earlier that morning.
Zelda! Link swung back around, his eyes searching for the fenced paddock. Zelda was in trouble!
Link closed his eyes, trying to remember exactly what had happened. Blind made some comment about having the Sword and the Prince and the Mage of Prophecy, and then Link was flying through the air out of the paddock. But what was Zelda doing?
She had collapsed, Link remembered, opening his eyes again. She must've used Kinetic Magic to get me and the Sword out of there, which must've completely drained her. He felt another bout of nausea swarm up into his throat at the thought of magic being used on him, but he swallowed it back down. Zelda had saved his life and the Master Sword with her magic. He should be tolerant...but Link couldn't help the revulsion and the fear that swam across his mind whenever he thought about magic. He groaned again, running a hand through his hair and down his face, flinching at the giant lump he felt just over his right eye. What was he supposed to do now? What was the plan again?
Find Ravio, his mind whispered. That was the plan. Get out of the castle, get stronger so you can go find the dragons and fix the Master Sword yourself.
The plan changed when Zelda got involved, a louder, more confident voice retorted. Now we've got to go rescue her before anything else!
Who said anything about the mage? The quieter voice hissed. We intended to ditch her after we bought her a horse, right? This is the perfect opportunity.
We need Zelda, and she needs us! We can't just abandon her!
"Shut up!" Link yelled, his eyes popping open. His mind settled back into silence, and he closed his eyes again, still troubled. What was he going to do? He took a deep breath, trying to focus. What would the next step be? Should he chase after Zelda or press on by himself?
A quiet jumble of notes floated into his mind, and Link shut his eyes tighter, focusing on the sound. You're not alone, you know. A different voice murmured in his mind. And you will not succeed on your own.
Link opened his eyes, the sensation of the Master Sword pressing into his shoulder suddenly becoming heavy. This was a lot bigger than him, wasn't it? Both he and Zelda had a responsibility to the Master Sword. Zelda's burning gaze when she thought he'd stolen the Master Sword suddenly popped back into Link's mind, and he shivered slightly at her fierce expression. She was just as determined to do her part in this battle as he was, even if she did use magic.
I have to save her, Link realized, straightening. I've got to go after her. Then he hesitated, glancing around the forest. Just as soon as I find Ebony.
Hi all, sorry about the wait-just realized I missed positing a chapter here last time I updated. So you get two today. :)