Author's notes: To those who read the original version this is the edited version of the chapter
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Baldur's Gate or Legend of Zelda, those two are owned by Wizards of The Coast, Nintendo, and companies associated with them. Now let's get to the chapter
Chapter 2: The boy from Ordon
The blue-eyed wolf paced impatiently along the swivel in his prison cell, dust caked in his black and white fur from his earlier thrashing. He wondered how long he had been there? Hours? Days? A week? How long since he was attacked and transformed into this wolf? He hoped that Ilia and the kids were safe. The wolf laid down, retracing how he ended up here in the cell of this dismal ruin.
His home village, Ordon, had often made Link feel isolated from the rest of Hyrule, but in a way that made him feel safe. In spite of survival in Faron's forest, Ordon had made a decent living raising goats and horses, the days mostly filled with harvesting pumpkins and fermenting cheeses. His friends knew him as a happy ranch hand, but Link felt a yearning inside him that he felt driving him further and further away from Ordon. Even as a boy, Link would explore the woods, pretending he was fighting moblins armed with only his slingshot and a stick for a sword. It felt right like he had done it forever. It was all Link could daydream about as he relaxed at a nearby pond.
"Tell me" Rusl's voice spooked the dazed ranch hand. He was a rugged grey haired well-traveled human who often regaled Link with tales of travels in his youth. He had promised to train Link in swordsmanship, when you're old enough to apprentice, he would always say. "Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it's the only time when our world intersects with theirs; The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight." It seemed odd how deep in thought Rusl was today, but Link noticed how the older villagers he met often got serious at strange times. Ilia's father, mayor Bo, and was no different. Rusl's contemplation turned back to his jolly normal demeanor. "But enough talk of sadness. I have a favor to ask of you, Link. I was supposed to deliver something to the royal family of Hyrule the day after tomorrow."
"I can. If you want…" Link thought carefully as he stared into the darkening sky. It seemed too good to be true. "But it doesn't feel right to leave everything to the other ranch hands just to deliver some random package. Is it important? Or is it for someone important?" Link smiled back at him with inquisitive sapphire eyes.
"Yes, it was a task set to me by the mayor, but would you go in my stead?" Link paused, barely able to hide his glee. Rusl returned his smile, waiting patiently for the answer he knew Link would give. After all, he knew Link was a boy of very little words or far too many, depending on the question. "You have never been to Hyrule, right?" Rusl sat back, staring at the same sunset cascading off the pond that Link meditated over. "In the kingdom of Hyrule there is a great castle, and around it is Castle Town, a community far bigger than our little village. And far bigger than Hyrule, is the rest of the world the gods created. You should look upon it all with your own eyes." Rusl ruffled Link's feathered golden locks as he smiled down at him. He was, after all, one of the only few who Link had told about his dreams; dreams of exploring the world, defeating monsters, and who knows? Maybe saving a princess or two like he had often heard heroes doing in legends. "It is getting late," Rusl sighed. "We should head back to the village. I will talk to the mayor about this matter. Although, the road is a dangerous place. It might serve you well to know what you'll be taking." He waved the ranch hand to follow him to forge, where he worked as the village blacksmith. There, he presented Link with a sword that was rather plain but sturdily built, much like Ordon itself. It seemed like the perfect excuse for Link to get out and see a bit of Hyrule and be back before any real work was lost. "I knew you would take it Link," Rusl laughed. "It won't be for a couple days, so prepare yourself." That suited Link just fine. After all, he had to check with master Fado to see if he'd let him retire early to prepare for his journey to Hyrule.
He went back to Fado, who was insistent that Link be the one to get in all the goats and put Epona up for the night. Thankfully, Link knew exactly where Epona was. The chestnut draft mare relaxed by the Spring of Ordona as she was being groomed by petite doe eyed Hyrule girl that was Link's age. Illia looked as though she just started developing into womanhood, her blouse covered her modestly flowing carelessly in the breeze, her thin brown shorts fit around her slim legs like a glove, and her beautiful faded brown hair was rough cut at her shoulders. Illia, peeked behind Epona while brushing her flaxen mane. Her dress that was held onto her by a pair of threads carelessly flowed in the breeze as she caressed Epona's snout. "Oh, hi, Link. I washed Epona for you. Epona is a girl too, so you have to treat her nice like one." Illia's smile was always wide whenever Link was near, taking a special liking to the mare the ranch hand attended. "Could you do something for me?," Link nodded not knowing he was smiling. "Can you use a piece of grass to play that song for me? You know, the one that Epona likes? I tried to play it for Epona, but I just can't seem to play it the way you can, Link." Link rolled his eyes as he snatched up a reed near the stream and carved the holes in it's spine. To him, it seemed frivolous and silly, but it always made Ilia happy. He brought the reed to his lips and blew a tune. "It's such a nice melody," Ilia swayed her head, petting the mare's low hanging head. "Epona looks happy. Well, she's all prettied up now, so I suppose you can ride her back. But don't you make her do too much, Okay?" Link nodded again, afraid of what else he might say to Ilia, before mounting up the chestnut mare. He did as he was asked, escorting the goats back into their pens and putting Epona up in her stable for the night. He did so in such a rush that he collapsed in his bed, dreamily going through all the scenarios of what he'd need for the trip.
The next day, Link had made up his mind to say his goodbyes to all the villagers he'd miss the most while collecting what he'd need for his journey. The kids, Talo, Malo, and Beth were the most upset to see him go, but Link brought a smile to their face, promising he'd let them watch him do his weekly training as he did every week. He told them to meet them near his house in the afternoon, before they ran off to play with a passing monkey.
His goodbyes ended up being hectic as each encounter ended with each villager asking him a favor. But Link didn't mind; helping them made him feel wanted. He passed by Rusl's house. Since she was with child, Link had promised Rusl that he'd look out for his younger wife, Uli, and her already born son, Colin, for him while Rusl was away. The fair haired young maid strained her tired eyes as she was franticly searching the riverbank she went on a stroll, as her basket was stolen. Link rushed to retrieve it from a monkey near the riverbank he saw with it, but the damned thing had gotten away from him. He told her that he'd be on the hunt for it, and with a new slingshot, it would be child's play. Relieved, she gave him Rusl's old fishing rod, hoping it might help him on his trip tomorrow. He was about to head out the door as she gave him a peck on his cheek. "You're a good boy Link. What would we do without you?" She went to go rest, while a boy wearing her face, peered around the corner, shy as ever. "Hey Collin," Link greeted, coaxing him out.
"I am very happy to see that you came to visit, even if it was for a short while."
"Did you want to see the training like Talo and Malo did?" Link offered kindly.
"No thank you. I was just here because Mom asked me to bring you something, do you want me to stay around?" Collin asked in a nervous tone. He felt ignored by the other kids except Link, who he'd come to see as a surrogate brother.
"Actually, I have some errands to run, but after I get done with the sword demonstration would you like to go fishing?" Link asked grinning as he held up the fishing pole.
"Sure, sounds good, I hope to catch a big green gill today."
Link hopped along as he ran from chore to chore, confident he'd find the monkey after practicing with the kids. Noticing the sun going down, bought a new slingshot and collected a wooden sword that would serve as a decent club. He tested out his slingshot at the store, testing out it's quality as he warmed up. He made his way back to his house for the demonstration for the kids.
But as he was leaving the store to hunt the monkey down, Beth ran to him in a panic. "Link! Link! Talo has gone missing! One minute he was playing with his wooden sword. The next, he was chasing some monkey with a stolen laundry basket on its head!" Beth said in between pants.
"WHICH DIRECTION DID YOU SEE HIM GO?" Link yelled in astonishment.
"Towards Faron Woods! Please help him!" Beth replied as she pointed towards the roadway. Link hopped onto Epona and bolted where Beth pointed. This wasn't what Link had meant when he asked for excitement. Though the boy had been a pain from time to time, Link still hoped for him to simply be lost. He raced Epona through the forest trails, to where Talo was last seen. Small clothes were dropped from where the monkey's prints were, likely from the basket the monkey stole. Small footprints that could only be Talo's was accompanied by monkey prints. He followed them on Epona to a gated cave, but when he tried to urge Epona onward to the cave, a set of jagged jaws framed in pedals and wrapped in a vegetative hide lunged at the mare, spooking her into rearing. Link hopped off, drawing his wooden sword. The plant lunged at him too, but Link's body seemed to move on it's own, dodging the strikes and hacking through it's stem with the sword. Any village boy knew how to avoid these carnivorous plants, Deku Babas, that bordered the Faron Woods. Epona had calmed, but refused to go any further, so Link investigated the cave alone.
At the entrance, there laid a broken wooden sword, with Talo's name carved into the handle. Around it on the ground were larger footprints, clustered and frantic, making a new trail. Worse thoughts than a lost kid flashed through Link's mind, as he sprinted towards where his eyes following onto the tracks. The cave looked vacant, but could've been a mine, given the lamps systems and wooden landings that were still in place. The path took Link past giant spider webs, ducking under swarms of flying cave keese, and running through old mining network, coming out into Faron Woods. The trail grew clearer near the giant hollowed out tree rumored to once be the Great Deku Tree. It was sacred, a remnant from ancient tales of heroes of the past. Guarding it at the edge of the cliff was a blue skinned humanoid creature with a giant bulbous head, droopy pointed ears, and lumbering gangly limbs; it could only have been a Bokoblin, a creature that the elders had always warned the children against wandering too far into the woods, lest they meet their end in a soup cauldron. Link waited patiently, hoping he wasn't seen, until the Bokoblin's back was turned, before bolting past him to the giant tree. The Bokoblin caught him running, but seeing another Deku baba, Link saw his opportunity. He ran towards the plant, drawing the stomping monster right into the plant's jaws. Link didn't bother looking back but was relieved the plan had worked. He wasn't ready to see if fighting Bokoblins was as easy as he made it out in his boyhood fantasies.
Link panted, darting up and around the carved-out network that ran throughout the towering tree. He had hoped it wasn't too late for Talo. For a relic, it had too many fixtures and lamp networks to be uninhabited. He reached a great opening that looked like it would serve as good as any room. In the corner stood a bamboo cage, with a crying Talo and a jittering monkey. Two Bokoblins, one red and one green, pilfered through the laundry basket, bickering through grunts as they scrounged. It wasn't until Link grew closer until they looked up. Their eyes lit up, snatching up spears as they ran for their uninvited guest. The creatures closed in faster than Link could see, until out of the corner of his eye, he saw spears lunging at him. His body twisted, struggling to parry as he dodged over and over, narrowly escaping being ran through. Some of these techniques Link had no idea how his body acclimated to, despite never training in them. But this was nothing like the training he'd do to show off in front of the kids. Link knew if he was stuck on the defensive, he'd get overwhelmed and Talo would be next. In a gamble, Link snatched an incoming spear by it's haft with one hand before clubbing the red in the head with his wooden sword. Blood spewed as the blow was enough to dislodge the creature's eyeball. The green hesitated as he drew back. Link took advantage as he spun, parrying the spear with the back edge, leaning into the blow on the true edge. He had fallen just the same as his red comrade. Link had felt sick at the sight of the crushed skulls, but knew he had to leave before others arrived.
Regaining his composure Link busted the lock on the cage that held the two prisoners using the handle of the training blade. Talo thanked Link profusely as the ranch hand grabbed the basket the monkey dropped earlier. Link swung his sword around the monkey, trying to scare the monkey, before Talo grabbed his hand. The monkey screeched before running off, but Talo had a look of shame wilt on his face. "They tried to grab me. She wouldn't let them, and they chased us into the cage. Don't blame her Link," he said his voice shuddering. Today had gone on long enough. The duo snuck back to town greeted by the scowling looks of two older gentlemen: Rusl stared down the boys that felt heavy felt within his aged eyes. The other was a slightly younger man with a stocky build and a flat-top haircut; Talo tried to gain some footing in returning the look Rusl was giving to both of them. "Well Jackel it looks like the boys made it home in one piece" Rusl said to the other man with his eyes slightly softening while staring at the boys.
"Yeah I'm glad they are safe but…?" Jackel shook with rage before he grabbed Talo and dragged him off, cussing him off the whole way home.
"Collin came home and told me that you and Talo were missing. Jackel was ready to rouse up the whole village to go searching for you. It was a good thing I got to him before Mayor Bo did. Now that he's out of earshot, care to explain what happened?" Link's head slumped as he tried to piece it all together himself. Rusil pinched the bridge of his nose and closed hIs eyes, frustrated by Link's silence.
"I'm sorry Dad. Beth told me that Talo was missing, so I went to track him down. Luckily, he was easy to find thanks to these" Link said as he set the basket full of clothes down.
"Well ain't that a lucky break using the dirty laundry as a—" a shock came over Rusl. "Did you just call me dad?" Link had no idea that word had even slipped out. He had only ever known Rusl as a fatherly figure, though he had never said it, not even to himself. He worried that daring to hope for such a thing was an intrusion on Collin's family, and a breech of Rusl and Uli's trust. He was ready to apologize and beg forgiveness when Rusl pulled him into a tight hug, "I never thought I would see the day. I know I could never take your birth father's place but hearing you say that made my day. Really. And thank you for saving Talo and bringing back Uli's basket. We will definitely need it when the baby is born." Rusl said with a smile that warmed Link's heart. "And you are going to need your rest my boy."
"Yessir!" Link howled in a stretch. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Okay… dad?" Link hesitated in a tired tone.
"Sounds like a plan… son." Rusl said as he headed back into the town with the basket in hand, while Link returned to his barracks at the ranch, daydreaming for when he and Rusl would ride for the castle. At midday, Link found that something was as he went outside he saw that the stall where he left Epona's was empty.
"I bet Illia took her to the spring," he sighed to himself. No doubt his afternoon was going to be spent negotiating with Ilia on relinquishing Epona to him. He hiked to the other side of the village, making his way the Spring of Ordina, passing Mayor Bo's cottage. The shirtless man looked like a warthog with his potbelly on full display and his mustache resembling tusks. Link walked up, ready to ask him where Ilia was, when the petite girl came along, leading Epona. When he tried to signal her, she turned her nose up at him. Bo sighed, following Ilia. "Now, now Ilia," he pleaded. "There's no need to get so hot with him. It's only a little scratch."
"How can you be so easy on him? You're the MAYOR! You should start acting like one!" she fumed, spooking Epona. She turned, soothing the mare with pets over a scar on her chest. "You poor thing. It'll be all right, Epona. I'll take you to the forest spring right now. Once we soothe you in the spirit's spring, you'll feel better in no time!"
"W-Wait! Ilia!!! Why, without Epona, the gift won't get delivered in time!" she led Epona on, unphased by her father's words. "Oh, this won't do. What's a father to do?" he shook his head before Link walked up to him. "There's no way you'll be able to deliver our town's gift without Epona."
Link cursed under his breath while he chased after Illia who was already at the gate of the Springs with Collin behind her. He was about to cross the threshold when Ilia slammed the gate behind her.
"If you came to take Epona back, you can FORGET it! Why don't you think about what you've done for a change! I won't open the gate until you change your attitude!"
Link cursed as he bashed against the ivy covered gate. He sighed and thought to himself on how he'd get in: it was too high to jump, and he didn't want to break the lock. Collin called out, assuring him he'd straighten it out if he went the way all the kids came in. He searched deep within his mind, when he remembered a hole in the wall guarding the spring. He and Ilia used to use it to sneak in after Mayor Bo left for business. Link scoured the mossy stone wall, past the foliage, before he found the hole at the very corner of the base. He wondered if he could even fit as he squeezed his way, wriggling to pass through the long tunnel onto the shore of the springs. He ran to find Ilia and recover Epona. He didn't care what she had to say now. But by the time he saw her, she was talking to Collin. Her stuck-up sour tone from earlier had softened as Collin explained that she got scrapped from the deku babas during Link's rescue mission for Talo.
Epona rumbled, shaking her head at Link. "So you still prefer your master over me, huh, Epona?" She relaxed as she laid her hands on Epona's scratch. "Don't worry about your horse, Link. Fortunately, it looks like the injury isn't too serious. You two can go on together. But, Link… Can you at least promise me this? No matter what happens on your journey, don't try to do anything…out of your league. Please. Just come home safely." Link softened his expression and posture in kind, as he came to retrieve the halter from Ilia. It was almost like she was reaching out to him in kind. Link wanted to take her with him and had sometimes thought she was caring to a fault; she'd no doubt make a good wife, but Link began to wonder as she handed him the lead.
A crash through the gate shattered the tender moment. Large horned green men astride bullbos, giant boars with tusks like swords, rode in shrouded in black fog. Link could feel their hatred, from their red hot gaze and hollow pants. They stampeded through the spring, swinging clubs, running down everything in their way. Illia ran to seize Collin, when she was run down taking a club to the head. Link rushed towards her before he felt his own blow from behind, rendering him unconscious. When he awoke, all that was left was a trail and screams. He followed, running as he tried to plan what he could do. If only he could summon the skills that saved him from the bokoblins yesterday, but first he had to find them. He only hoped he wouldn't be too late. He crossed the final bridge where the trail ended, seeing only a black rune inscribed doorway that rippled, showing nothingness. Link tried to run away but was stopped when large gangly hands reached through and pulled him into the pitch blackness. He came face to face with the arm's owner; a giant squat onyx creature with a black tendril mane and a stone face. Link tried to pry himself free from the creature's grasp, but his strength proved futile. The creature growled and pulled him in closer, when a bright light that came from the triforce mark that appeared on Link's hand. It howled, flinging him away, holding it's eyes in pain. Link saw that where he was held sunset twilight skies that was littered with black fog above the trees. This would be the last sight as the boy from Ordon's body twisted and morphed, howling at the twilight skies as he became a black and white wolf, before finally passing out.
Now he laid here trapped in a cell, barely able to reform his memories, let alone formulate a plan. But in his new wolf state, Link could swear he could almost hear a woman giggling in the halls of his new prison.