Chapter 29

The next twenty-four hours since Shiro's visit were nothing but preparation & anticipation. Tonight, the infiltration of Hyrule Castle will commence. A mission nothing Link & Zelda nor any member of The Resistance had ever done. Things will not be so easy. The hours leading up to the mission were spent reviewing and re-reviewing the plan.

That did not stop many from being concerned for the Lund Sisters.

By this point everyone knew the fate of the girl's mother. They all sympathized with their grief but feared that their judgment was clouded by it. Throughout the day, they told the sisters that if they wanted to back out, they could do so, and no one would blame them. The sisters insisted that they could both play their parts just as they were when they left The Resistance Base Camp.

All participating players of this mission gathered at Linebeck & Jolene's residence. Link was dressed in his green tunic & stock cap. Zelda in her blue clothes, and her hair was styled back in her two braid with a half ponytail hairstyle. Sheik was back in his Shiekah garb. Ashei & Auru were in their usual armor & hoods. Midna, donned in her own Sheikah garb, had also been with them since she is part the infiltration group.

"Figure it wouldn't hurt to have another Sheikah helping you guys out."

Groose, Shad, and Ilia were also with them. They represented the group that would create the diversion big enough to attract the soldiers' attention using Ingo's shipment of new farm animals. Jolene will accompany them if things get too hairy and need a quick exit.

Auru began to speak. "In a few short hours, we will infiltrate Hyrule Castle. Our mission: To rescue Bo Lund and possibly Kafei if Shad's intel is correct. This will be like nothing we have ever done in the history of our group. No one who had entered Hyrule Castle uninvited had ever come out of it alive. I hate to admit that there's a good chance that at lease one of us won't make it out. Do you all understand?"

Those partaking in the castle infiltration nodded their heads. Linebeck stepped forward. "Before the infiltration can happen, we need to draw attention away from the guards. That involves with the 'cooperation' of our favorite rancher, Ingo. That lies upon your group, Groose. Can we count on you to do it?"

"I got everything covered, Boss!" Groose gave a thumbs up.

"Once the diversion is implemented, your group will go to Kakariko Village. Me and my group will enter the castle," Auru further elaborated. "Shiro will be waiting for us at the Library. That is where the closest secret passage to the Castle Dungeon is at. From that point Shiro will help guide us to the Lockup. We go in, free our people, and get out."

"What if something goes wrong?" Link questioned.

"That's where Plan B comes in. There are other secret passages in the castle if we can't get to the library. We may have to split up to lower our chances of getting caught. Our main priority would be getting the prisoners to safety so one group should stay with them while the rest splits off to divert attention."

"What if we can't get to the other secret passages?" Zelda then asked the older man.

"We take a dip in the moat." Ashei bluntly stated.

"Pardon?"

"Under the bridge connecting the castle to the city is another secret passage that takes you all back to Lower Castle Town. The only way to get there is to swim in the moat. So I hope you and Link here are good swimmers, yeah?"

"The moat is not…dirty is it?" Zelda slightly cringed at the mere image of it. Growing up the stories she had read that had castles always mentioned that their moats were always filthy.

"If this was the kingdom's early days perhaps it would be. The moat once served as a place for Hyrule Castle to dump raw sewage," Shad shared. "But after thousands of years of innovation that created indoor plumbing, the moat has been converted to another lake with its own aquatic wildlife. Has been for many centuries. The only thing to be concerned about is getting hypothermia."

"Getting back on track..." Auru cut back in. "Once we leave the castle, we head back to Lower Castle Town. Linebeck's people will help us get out of the city and meet with the diversion team in Kakariko. There, we make a beeline back to base camp. Do you have any more questions" No one said a word. "Then let's prepare."

"Best get your group ready for their part, Jolene," Linebeck suggested.

Jolene nods back in response, then strolls over to her group. "You guys ready for this?"

"Born ready!" Groose gloated.

Jolene turns her attention to Ilia & Shad. "You both should get your final words in before we head out."

"Will do, thank you." Shad walked over to Ashei. The couple pulled each other into a close hug and then gave a deep kiss that lasted several minutes. "You be safe now."

"I'll do my best. You as well," Ashei quipped back, giving him another peck on his lips.

Ilia approached Zelda. The younger teen stood quiet for several seconds. She contemplated what to say, opening her mouth to speak before stopping. Ilia then threw herself onto Zelda, pulling her sister into a hug. The older girl accepted the gesture.

"I'm worried," Ilia admitted.

"You'll be fine," Zelda reassured.

"Not for me…" The low tone in Ilia's voice made it clear to Zelda that her sister wasn't talking about herself.

Zelda pulled away from the hug, gently holding onto Ilia's head. "I swear to the goddesses I will come back with Dad. All three of us will leave this city."

"I hope so." Ilia turns to Link, hugging him. "You stay safe, too."

"Don't worry. We'll both be fine."

Auru watched the Ordon Trio from just several feet away. He was worried for the sisters, mostly Zelda. He knows the girl is still grieving for her mother. Hearing what had happened to her was truly heartbreaking. Auru had seen a lot of tragic, unjust deaths in his time but that didn't make him feel numb to them like it would to most people. No one deserves to lose a love one.

Auru turns to where Sheik is. The teen boy is doing well keeping the stern mask up, but Auru can see below that. He has known Sheik long enough to see what the teen is truly feeling. There is no doubt Sheik is fully confident of this mission, but it is natural to feel anxious, especially for a mission with high stakes.

"Nervous?" Auru strolled over.

Sheik crossed his arms. "I'll admit this only to you, but yes."

"Don't be ashamed. That's normal."

"We never pulled anything this big before. Infiltrating the castle. This is big."

"I know."

"...But we can do this. I mean we've been on hairier missions. I doubt this will be anything new."

"Don't let your guard down. There's always a chance that the next moment will change everything. I don't want you to get left behind."

"I won't. No one is getting left behind." Sheik stated with determination to Auru.

Back with the Ordon Trio, they were getting their final words to each other. Zelda told Ilia that she loved her and vice versa, then pulled into another hug. Seconds later, Jolene strolled over to them.

"It's time to go," Jolene announced as Shad moved behind her.

The sisters gave one more glance until Ilia mustered enough strength to walk over.

"Be careful, Big Sis."

"I will." Zelda's eyes meet Shad's. "Keep her safe."

"You have my word," Shad vowed, guiding Ilia to Jolene. Both ladies walk towards the exit alongside Groose. "One more thing before I forget." Shad then handed Link a large bag. One of his blonde brows arched upwards when Link peered into the bag.

"Bombs?" Link said in bewilderment.

"Just in case. Trust me," Shad turns to Zelda. "And maybe those Light Arrows of yours could amplify the impact if needed."

"Pray it doesn't come to that. I just want a smooth jail break."

"So do all of us."

"Shad! We must get going!" Jolene commanded.

"Got to go. Stay safe you two," Shad quickly jogged to the exit.

"Good luck, and may the Goddesses watch over you," Jolene said back to the rest of the infiltration group.

"You as well," Auru said back.

The Diversion Group exited the home. Ilia took one more glance at her sister and Link as she walked, keeping her eyes glued to the pair until she was out.

"They'll be okay," Shad told Ilia to cheer her up.

Ilia straightens herself up, looking at Jolene. "Alright. What's the plan regarding Ingo?"

"The animals he got should be settled at his place by now. Ingo keeps his animals in two separate buildings. One is a stable for the horses. The other is a barn where he keeps the rest such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and cuccos. At the end of the day when he rounds up his animals, he locks both the barn & stable."

"And he keeps the keys to them in his house," Groose added. "Now I could easily pick the locks but…"

"We can't do that without risking Ingo spotting us. Our main goal is to knock him out."

"Which is where I come in," Ilia finished off.

"Yes…" Jolene trailed off with an uncertain expression on her face. "Look, kid, you don't have to do this if you want to."

"Why wouldn't I? I volunteered for this," Ilia argued.

"Yeah, well…that was before you found out about your mom..." Groose mentioned meekly.

Ilia crosses her arms, making her stance clear on this. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm not backing out of this. I'm doing this for my dad."

"I think it's clear that Ilia is set dead set on doing this," Shad affirmed.

"If you insist." Jolene relented. "But know we'll be nearby if your cover is blown."

"That Ingo makes one wrong move, and we'll flatten him." Groose cracked his knuckles.

"I'll be careful," Ilia assured everyone.

"Good." Jolene patter her shoulder. "Time for Lady Linke to make a visit."


Mabe Village was not too far from Castle Town. It wasn't as big as the capital but had a fairly large population. With it being so close to the heart of Hyrule, visitors who prefer to be in a quieter rural open area rather than the bustling condensed Castle Town tend to come here. There was also a touch of agriculture in this village. Crops of all types grew throughout. Near the edge of the village lies a ranch.

Ingo Ranch.

This ranch was more vast than Mabe itself. It was the only place in the village with farm animals, including horses. Nobles or those in positions of power would often travel to this ranch to purchase the horses. The ranch also had other goods to provide, such as cow & goat milk, sheep wool, and Cucco eggs. Residents of Mabe, however, prefer to keep their distance from because they do not wish to run into the man who runs the ranch.

Ingo stood watching his ranchands move the last of the animals into the large barn. A smirk curved underneath his mustache. Already, he could count the profits that these animals would undoubtedly help him make. One of the cows, a long horned bull, let out a distressed moo and snapped the man out of his daydreaming.

"Get that animal under control!" Ingo barked at the ranchhand handling the bull.

"Sorry, sir! This guy must be agitated from the journey here."

"Well calm him down! Unless you want a rampaging bull, or a stampede."

"Doing my best, sir!"

Ingo massages a hand through his head. "How did I end up with idiots? I wasn't this incompetent as a ranchhand when Talon owned this place!"

Minutes later, the bull was calmed down and placed in the barn. The rest of the ranchhands shut the barn doors. Ingo walked over, pulling out a ring holding various keys. He used on of them to lock the doors, tugging on the handle several times to ensure it was set.

"That's enough for today!"

At the entrance, the ranchhands lined up as Ingo gave them their pay: two mere silver rupees, which would be worth about two hundred green ones.

"Is this our cut?" One of the workers exclaimed.

"Got a problem with it?" Ingo snipped back.

"Can't you give us more? I have a family to feed-"

"Then you can go find another job, eh? Or I could have a word with my friends in the royal court," Ingo sneered to the worker, who trembled. He watched the ranchhand take the rupees with a low head. "That's what I thought…"

Another worker kindly guided the man away. The worker mutters how things were better with the old ranch owner: Talon. Ingo lets out a scoff at the mention of the name. Normally he would yell at his workers to not mention that name but he was tired to do so.

Ingo finishes handing payment to the last of his employees and watches them scamper back to the village. He hates it when his workers try to get more payment out of him. One mention of King Ganondorf or his court is enough to get them to shut up. They should be grateful that he gave them a job to begin with. And why should he give up more of his hard earned rupees? If they want to make more than what he pays them, they should do something for themselves, as Ingo did when Ganondorf appointed him the ranch owner after Talon was arrested six years ago.

With them gone Ingo can finally get on with his evening of relaxation. A grunt escaped his mouth when he felt an ache in his hand. He moves his gaze to the hand covered in bandages from his scuffle at Telma's Bar. Ingo had to get stitches in his hand due to the knife that pinned him to the bar by that man with the glasses. Ingo's bruises from the raven-haired girl's punches were in the late stages of healing. To think all this happened because that brunette girl couldn't accept his compliments! If he ever sees any of them again, he'll…well, Ingo will make them pay.

In the meantime, all he could do was go on with his life. He walked over to the door leading to the main house. He was searching for the key to his home when he heard footsteps behind him.

"The ranch is closed. Come back to-" Ingo turned to see a young, pretty redhead freckled woman wearing bright red lipstick in a lovely dress. "-morrow…"

Ilia could feel her heart racing as Ingo's gaze met hers. Part of her was worried that Ingo would look past her Lady Linkle disguise, but he didn't seem to recognize her. But she will not let her nerves overcome her. Zelda, Link and the Castle infiltration team are counting on her.

Ilia summons whatever she needs for her Lady Linkle persona. "Hello, good sir. " Ilia said with a slightly high pitched tone to sound as sweet as possible. "I do hope this isn't a bad time. This is the first free time I had today…"

"Not at all…" Ingo scanned her with his eyes with a lewd smile that made Ilia feel grossed out. He held out his hand. "Ingo Gorman. Owner of this ranch."

"Lady Linkle." Ilia accepted his hand, trying to not cringe when he kissed her knuckles. She swore that he left bits of saliva.

"A pleasure to meet you." Ingo gave her a double take. "Do I know you?"

"I don't think that's possible. I have never been here before."

"Eh, probably got you mixed up with someone else. Anyways, what brings you over to my ranch?"

"I'm in the market for a new horse. Its been a lifelong dream of mine to one of my own. And I hear the best place to get them is from here. I would like to see what you have if you're not busy." Ilia explained with the sweetest look in her eyes.

"Oh, not at all!" Ingo stuck out his arm in the direction of the ranch. "Right this way."

Ilia sucked in a breath through her nostrils. She didn't want to be alone with this gross man. He was a creep that was grabby and didn't want him to touch her. But she learned enough defensive moves from Sheik that may be handy if Ingo got violent.

Not too far away, in a bush, Shad and Jolene were watching in hidden sight. Groose and his housemates were hidden nearby. The ranch was in their view. They watched as Ingo escorted Ilia into the ranch.

"Should we really have let her do this herself?" Jolene questioned.

"I don't like it either, but she was determined to be the one to do it," Shad shared. "But we must have faith. And I think she can handle this herself. She's differs now compared when Impa first brought her to the camp."

"I hope so. But if I get to beat Ingo up, I won't complain. As long as Ilia doesn't get hurt."

"If he goes too far with Ilia, I may go through with my threat to go below the belt..."

Back at Ingo Ranch, Ilia walked alongside the man as they walked over to a smaller building. If she had to guess, that's the horse's stables. Not too far was a large barn with big locks. Ilia wondered if that's where the rest of the farm animals are.

"Pardon my intrusion but I heard that there were more animals here at this ranch. May I ask where they are?"

"In that barn." Ingo pointed over, confirming what Jolene had said in the briefing earlier. "Got a whole new shipment today actually."

"What kind of animals? Besides the horses?"

"Usual kinds: Cows. Goats. Sheep. And Cuccos."

"That's a lot. I hope you can handle all of that."

"That's what I have ranchhands for. They take care of them while I make sure they do it right."

"You pay them fairly?"

"Of course I do! But they always ask me to raise the pay." Ingo lets out a scoff. "Lower class types. Such an ungrateful lot. Always asking for more. You get what I mean?"

"Erm, yes. I do…" Ilia agreed, trying to bite back her disagreement.

The pair arrived at the stables. Ingo uses another key to unlock the doors. Ilia paid extra close attention to the key that he used for it. Ingo slides open the huge door. Inside the stable were two rows of at least dozens of horses. Each is in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some she had never seen before. There were even a few donkeys here. Ilia couldn't help but be enamored by all the beautiful steads here.

"I see you're impressed," Ingo's comment pulled Ilia back to reality.

"Y-Yes! These are wonderful-looking horses."

"Many of these I raise myself, but some of them I got shipped just today! Like some of these donkeys here. Each one makes quite the small fortune. But some I do keep for myself." Ingo strolls over to one stall that holds a horse with a blonde mane but with a coat that almost looks golden. "Like this one right here."

Ilia did notice several scars & bruises on the golden horse's face. "Did he injure himself? That looks like a lot of marks."

"Just some…behavioral issues." Right then, the golden horse nudged his snout on the man. Ingo responded by roughly pushing his head away several times. "Calm down. I'll feed you in a bit…" Ingo muttered irritably. The horse then bit his ruffed collar, yanking it hard enough to pull Ingo to the ground. Ilia resisted every urge to laugh. Ingo got back on his feet and dusted himself off. His eyes gave a piercing glare at the horse.

A slap echoed through the stables, followed by a horse's whine.

Ilia was frozen as she watched the gold horse retreat back into his stall with a hand shaped mark on his face. Ilia couldn't believe she witnessed the cruel act Ingo committed on the horse. Being a horse lover herself, it made her angry at the man for what he did. Ilia was aware of people treating animals cruelly, including horses, but she hoped never to witness it herself.

"I apologize for that display, Miss Linkle." Ingo's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, acting like he didn't hit a horse. "Like I said, these horses can be so unruly sometimes."

"Probably because you smack them around rather than being gentle & patient with them. That's basic horse care 101!" Ilia almost screamed at the man but stopped herself.

"This doesn't…bother you in any way, does it?"

She can't give Ingo a reason not to be wary of her. He noticed her surprised stance. Ilia needed to lower his guard down. Perhaps the only way to do this is to speak a language only Ingo can understand.

"Horses are often…difficult to handle sometimes." Ilia shared with a cold tone. "My family had a 'difficult' horse too. This one in particular was a strong one. Perfect for work we all thought. The only problem was that it hardly listen to any of our commands. This horse would fight us every moment it could. We were force to take a different measure: A whip. We whipped it for every moment it misbehaved. And I mean...every moment. Eventually, the horse's spirit broke and it finally did what it was told to do until the day it died. That horse taught me a lesson: Sometimes…you need to be cruel to get what you want."

All of that was a lie. That whole monologue was from a book Ilia read when she was younger. She couldn't recall the title at the moment, but she remembered that one of the novel's main antagonists said the same thing. All these years later Ilia can still recall that exact scene word for word. Back then, it was the most evil thing she had ever read. How Ingo treated these horses brought back memories of that book.

But Ingo did not need to know that. Infact, he seemed to buy every word Ilia had said with intrigue.

"May we continue?" Ilia gestured casually.

"Oh, yes!"

They continued with the small tour. Ingo explained the details of the horses for sale, but Ilia wasn't interested. Her focus was more on the horses. Almost all of them had marks, scars, and bruises. It's safe to say that the gold horse wasn't the only one getting abused.

Ilia decided she had enough of this sad sight. Time to set off the trap.

"I would like that horse!" Ilia pointed to a white horse with tiny dark spots.

"Are you certain?" Ingo inquired.

"Yes, I am."

"That one there is about 5,000 rupees."

Ilia pulled out a purse, acting like she was rummaging through it. She spent the next several minutes doing so, and then her expression switched to a distraught one.

"Oh, goddesses! I'm a few hundred rupees short!" Ilia lamented dramatically.

"There are other horses you can afford-"

"But I really would like this one! He's perfect! I must have him."

"Either conjure up those rupees, pick a different horse, or get the hell off my ranch. Unless you have something else you can offer me."

Ilia suck in air through her nose. This is the part where Ilia plays with Ingo's other weakness. A weakness that was clear when Ilia witnessed him trying to grope Zelda back in Telma's Bar. Something she dreaded doing the most. Not that she intended to go through with what she would say to him, but primarily because of the cringe factor that would come with it. But it was now or never.

"Maybe we can…negotiate a price?" Ilia said with a seductive tone. That indeed got Ingo's attention in the best way.

"And what could you offer me?"

Ilia then fluttered her eyelashes. "The best thing a woman can give to a handsome man like yourself."

"Oh goddesses, I can't believe I said that..." Ilia thought to herself, resisting the urge to puke. She was so glad no one else was here to see this. Especially Zelda.

Cringe aside, Ilia's charm seemed like it was working on Ingo, whose lips curved into a small, excited grin. "Maybe we can negotiate in the comfort of my house."

"Lead the way," Ilia offered her arm, which Ingo linked his own to.

They slowly strolled over to the house where Ingo lived. Ilia took a glance at Ingo's bandaged hand. The one where Shad stabbed his knife through. "May I ask what happened to your hand?"

"Hmm? Oh you mean this?" Ingo lifted the bandaged hand. "I was at a bar the other day where I complimented this lovely looking lady. She didn't appreciate it and sic her psycho friends on me. One of them managed to stab my hand! But I fought them off and escaped before they could do any more harm to me."

Ilia was not surprised that this man would lie about how he got that injury, but it gave Ilia more fuel to stroke his ego further.

"That sounds like a harrowing ordeal! Sounds like you could've been killed," Ilia said with farce sympathy.

"Tell me about it! All because that lady couldn't take a compliment!"

"She sounds like a real…" Ilia thought her next words carefully. "...cunt."

"Exactly what I was thinking! Some people are so rude."

"Look in a mirror," Ilia thought irritably

"You know, my dear, you're the first woman to understand how I think."

"Am I now? Well do I feel quite honored."

Ingo hummed in agreement. "If only there were more people like you."

"I think there are more of me than you think," Ilia responded with a devilish grin.

On the outskirts of the ranch, Shad and Jolene remain hidden. They are waiting for Ilia to return. They are getting worried but have faith that she is handling herself well. The sounds of the bushes rustling suddenly catch their attention. They immediately point their weapons at the offender but relax to see it is a familiar face.

"Take it easy. It's me!" Groose exclaimed with his arms up.

"Good Gods, man! What are you doing here?" Shad inquired.

"Just checking up on you guys."

"Next time let us know you're here instead of just going straight into our hiding place. My anxiety doesn't need to be any higher than it already is."

"Sorry man. Won't happen again."

"Keep it down, both of you!" Jolene chided. "They're back."

"Who?"

"Ilia & Ingo."

Shad and Groose peered through the gaps in the bush. Everyone could see Ilia walking alongside Ingo back toward his home. The older man was smiling pleasantly down at Ilia. There wasn't any sign of malice in Ingo.

"They look cozy," Groose commented.

"That was the idea," Jolene stated. "Seems like Ilia had no trouble getting on Ingo's good side."

"She's not out of the woods yet." Shad pointed out as he and the other two watched Ingo guide Ilia into his house. "I can't see her."

"She'll be alright. That girl has spunk in her," Groose insisted.

"I don't doubt that. I just won't forgive myself if Ilia gets hurt. Not to mention, Zelda will have my head."

All the trio could do is wait. Hiding in the bush waiting for any kind of activity of any kind. The next few minutes felt like hours. Every minute that passes worry for Ilia's well-being grows. What could be happening in that house? Is Ilia simply chatting up with Ingo to lower his guard further? Or did Ingo see through her facade and is doing who knows what?

They saw the door slowly open. Shad, Jolene, and Groose were ready for whatever happened next. A head peeked from the other side of the door, checking to see if the coast was cleared. Collective relief was felt when they saw Ilia giving a thumbs-up.

"She did it! Thank the Goddesses," Shad proclaimed happily.

"You get the others!" Jolene commanded Groose who was already leaving.

The scholar and Sheikah woman made their way to the ranch house. Ilia appeared to be unarmed. In the main room, they see Ingo lying on his front, out like a light. On his neck was a small dart filled with a sedative potion.

"You alright?" Shad asks.

"I'm fine," Ilia responded back. "Got him the first moment his back was turned."

Shad watches Jolene crouch down to Ingo to ensure he is knocked out. "How is he?"

"Sleeping like a baby." Jolene stands right back up, turning in Ilia's direction. "You did good, kid."

"And Zelda will be happy to hear you did well and came out unscathed," Shad added.

"Good. Because I am never pretending to seduce another man ever again." Ilia shivered as she clutches her stomach. "I was doing everything I could not to throw up."

"Where are the keys?" Jolene asked.

"In that box over there," Ilia pointed to a small box. "I only know the one to his house and the stables. I don't know about the rest."

"We have plenty of time to figure that out," Jolene assured. "Once it gets dark, we'll cause our diversion. Less innocent people out on the streets to get caught in the crossfire."

"But enough soldiers to gain their attention." Shad brought up.

"What about him?" Ilia gestured to Ingo's unconscious body.

Shad glances over to a shelf. One that was filled with alcohol of various types. "I see Ingo here has a high taste for drinks. I'll find the strongest one here and have its scent covering him."

"And the sedative will help blur his memory, so he'll have difficulty remembering what happened. The amount of sedative in that dart will give him a feeling like a hangover. Everyone will assume he was drunk," Jolene further added.

"How long will he be out?" Ilia asked her.

"At least 12 hours."

"Good." Ilia gave him a kick. Jolene & Shad gave her a weird look. "What? I needed that."

"We should get you back to your normal self," Jolene suggested.

"Good. Because I need a drink."

"You're underage," Shad blocked the alcohol shelf.

"I meant water! Not the alcohol!" Ilia barked back. "Need to clean my mouth from the things I had to say to Ingo."

Shad's cheek let out a flush. "Oh, sorry..."


Later…

Vaati groaned as he strolled down the moonlit street of Castle Town. Another day of tending to the most pointless and mediocre tasks. One more task, and then he can finally call it a night. He would check up on the city entrance to make sure the gate had been closed for the night.

To his frustration, the lazy guards have yet to do that. Vaati found them lounging around with the gate partially opened. Why can't these idiots do their jobs?

"Ahem!" Vaati spoke up, getting the guards' attention.

"Lord Vaati!" The men were on their feet in a split second, saluting him.

"Why is the gate still open? Don't you know what time it is?"

"Of course we do. It's…" One of the soldiers glances at the full moon in the sky. "...Oh. Shit."

"Just get that gate closed! Before anyone unsavory stumbles in."

The guards scrambled to the gate doors to close them. A mere second before they could be fully shut, the sounds of someone yelling to open them followed. An arm stuck through the gap, waving frantically. The guards scrambled to reopen the gate. Stumbling through the doors was a disheveled soldier.

"What's the meaning of this?" Vaati demanded to the soldier.

"Emergency! Mabe Village!" The Soldier pants.

"Certainly you and your troops can't handle it yourselves?"

"Can't! We need more aid."

"Alright, alright. At least show me that its worth the hassle." Vaati glances over to the pair of slacking soldiers. "You two, with me! Consider this penance for your laziness."

The Frantic Soldier quickly took off in the direction of Mabe. Vaati and the soldiers with him jogged along. They all soon arrived at Mabe Village. Vaati looked around for any signs of trouble, walking near stacks of crates. Nothing seemed to be amiss—only an empty, quiet street. Vaati was not amused by this and glared over to the soldier who had led him here.

"So where is the big emergency? Because I do not appreciate wasting my time being dragged over here-"

The stacks of crates suddenly toppled over as a long horned bull ran by. Vaati barely got out of the way. The horns of the bull nearly impaled him in the chest. The chaos finally showed itself. Cows knocking things over. Horses & donkeys running all over the place. Pigs digging through trash making messes. Goats & sheep knocking things over. And Cuccos flying around pecking at things.

Some soldiers were already trying to corral the animals however best they could to no avail. A pair were being chased by a cow & goat. One was hanging off a gold horse with a makeshift lasso while a few others chased behind on foot. A group of soldiers tried to catch an energetic pig, only for it to slip through their grasp, rejoining the rest of its kind. A donkey was dragging a soldier with his arm in its mouth. Another poor soldier was being attacked by a whole flock of cuccos. The civilians watched from the safety of their homes, completely awestruck by what was happening before them.

The scene was indeed chaotic. Much more than Vaati was expecting.

"What do we do, Lord Vaati?" One of the soldiers that were with him quavered.

"Help them! I'll…I'll get back up!"

Not a second later Vaati was running out of the village. He spotted a horse decked out on royal army gear. Vaati climbed on the beast and rode back to the castle.

Unaware to him, the perpetrators who had caused the chaos in Mabe were also making their way back to the safety of Kakariko Village.

When the castle's main gates came into view, Vaaihe yelled for the guards stationed there to open the gates. They opened just in time for Vaati to ride through the entrance. To his relief, he could see Lord Ghirahim in the courtyard, along with several soldiers who jumped back at the sudden arrival.

Ghirahim seemed annoyed. "What is the meaning of this, Vaati?"

"There's a situation in Mabe Village. We need assistance!"

"For what?"

"What's all the commotion out here?" Chancellor Cole marched out onto the courtyard.

"The village is being overrun by farm animals."

The Lord & Chancellor looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

"Come again?" Ghirahim prodded.

"Farm animals are causing a ruckus throughout Mabe!" Vaati affirmed. "They must've gotten out of Ingo's ranch."

"How is that possible? He usually keeps them all locked up..." Cole questioned.

"We can ask him that later. Right now, I need backup before those creatures cause more damage!"

"Very well. We should get this sorted out."

"You can do that, Chancellor. I'll stay here," Ghirahim maintained.

"And why would I help round up filthy animals?" Cole challenged.

"Because I'm the Enforcer, therefore, the best person to keep watch of this castle. Our troops are thin enough as it is. It would be unwise to leave it unguarded," Ghirahim said with a smirk. "And organization is your strongest suit. Might be perfect in rounding our barnyard renegades."

Cole bit back a growl. "I suppose you raise an excellent point…"

"Then I leave it all to you two." Ghirahim strolled back into the castle.

"Waiting for your orders," Vaati said to Cole.

Cole glances around at the soldiers. "Troopers! We have a situation in Mabe that requires our aid! Animals are running rampant in the village! We need additional hands!" Some of the soldiers muttered in uncertainty. Cole decided to help further persuade them. "Those who help out will get a small bonus in their pay." With that, most of the present soldiers agreed to join.

Word then quickly spread throughout the castle about the situation. Soldiers were welcome to join in to help. Some remained because they felt dealing with rampaging farm animals wasn't worth the hassle or didn't have the energy to do so. Most did join up with them.

Soon, Karane heard the news. She decided to head to the barracks to spread the news. When she arrived at the barracks' entrance, she found Pipit chatting with Shiro.

"What's up, Karane?" Pipit asked her.

"There's farm animals on the loose in Mabe Village," Karane explained.

"Is there now?" Shiro responded inquisitively.

"That sounds troublesome," Pipit expressed worryingly.

"Chancellor Cole needs all the available hands he can find. And even offering to pay extra to anyone who does," Karane added.

"You both should go," Shiro questioned.

"We should?" Pipit questioned.

"I have no need for money right now. You need it more than I do anyway, Pips. Maybe you can send the extra money to your mother. Plus, you could both use some action outside the city walls."

"Well I'm definitely going," Karane confirmed. "You too, Pipit?"

"I…guess it wouldn't hurt. And sending some extra money for my mom would be nice." Pipit turns to Shiro with a concerned look. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine here. I'm not good with farm animals anyways so I probably wouldn't be much help."

"Alright. If you say so. In that case, we better get going."

"You both stay safe now!"

Shiro watches the pair exit back into the hall. He exhaled a breath of relief, comforted that Pipit & Karane wouldn't be caught in the crossfire of what was to come in the castle. Shiro had grown fond of the pair in the year they had been here. Unlike most of the soldiers who joined just for the glory or the money, Pipit & Karane genuinely wanted to help people. It's a miracle that they went on a year without experiencing the horrors Ganondorf has committed on innocent people. Shiro hoped that it would stay that way.

The thought had occasionally crossed Shiro to consider recruiting them to join the resistance against Ganondorf. The problem is he didn't know how. Pipit & Karane were very by-the-books kind of soldiers. They had the black & white mindset that Ganondorf was a force of good fighting against the unlawful Resistance. Shiro couldn't blame them. They spend all their lives in the relative peace of their home village, which wasn't affected by either Ganondorf or The Resistance. Recruiting Pipit & Karane wouldn't be easy, but Shiro wishes to accomplish it.

He would hate for them to be another casualty in the war. Killed by The Resistance in defense. Or executed by Ganondorf for not following his orders.

"They're too good for this."

But Shiro should have worried about that another time. There are more important matters right now.

Phase One was complete. Time for Phase Two.

Shiro marches through the halls of the castle to the library. He has to ensure the library is cleared and no one else is around. That way, it would be safe for the Infiltration Team to get in, and Shiro wouldn't risk blowing his cover. So far, there weren't many people lingering in the halls close to the library, nor were the doors leading into them. Maybe this part will be easy.

Until he walked in and saw that there was one individual in the library. That person: Nabooru, who was in the middle of reading a book. She gave Shiro a skeptical look. "Guard? What are you doing here?"

It was not common for guards to come into the library on their shift. Shiro knew that Nabooru knew this, so he needed to come up with an excuse without raising her suspicion.

"There is a situation in Mabe Village, Lady Nabooru. Chancellor Cole & Lord Vaati are gathering men to help them to handle the situation." This was not a total lie. "I was informing everybody I saw who might be interested."

"I appreciate that, but I'm aware of the situation," Nabooru replied.

"Do you wish to join them?"

"Not really. I get the feeling they may not want my help, anyway," Nabooru said dejectedly. "But it's fine. I'm content with being here. What about you, erm…?"

"Shiro, millady."

"Right, sorry. What about you? Are you not joining them?"

"I feel I'm needed here more. With half the guard with the king, and a good portion going to Mabe, someone has to stay behind to help patrol the castle. How about you?"

"Me?" Nabooru seemed surprised that Shiro asked her, blinking several times. "…I spent most of the day here. With King Ganondorf out of the country, I have more free time, so I've been spending it here when I wasn't working, or training."

"You train? I don't think I've seen you in the training yard."

"I do it when it's less crowded. No one wants to spar with me. Except for Aveil, but she hardly has the time these days."

"Why is that?"

"I'm smaller compared to most of the Gerudo warriors here, so a lot of people assume I'm not a good fighter. Probably doesn't help that the king refuses to let me join any faction of the army." Nabooru then shakes her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't blab all this to a stranger."

"Hey, it's fine." In reality this could be beneficial to Shiro. Maybe being friendly to her could help persuade Nabooru to leave the library. "Sounds like you needed to vent. Can't imagine how that feels."

"It's probably for the best. I'm not exactly the strongest person here."

"Maybe if you keep trying. You don't have to be strong looking to be the best fighter."

"You really think so?"

"Everyone has a disadvantage, but maybe your advantages could compensate for them." Shiro let out a casual shrug. "But I'm a mere soldier so what do I know?"

"That's something I never thought of before…" A yawn escaped from Nabooru's mouth. "Pardon me."

"Perhaps you should turn in for the night?" Shiro suggested it was mostly because Nabooru's chambers were on the opposite end of the dungeons, so she wouldn't get caught in the chaos. That and she did genuinely look sleepy.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt…" Nabooru stood from her chair, making her way towards the exit. She glanced back at the man. "Thank you, Shiro."

"You're welcome, Lady Nabooru."

With that, the Gerudo let out a friendly smile and exited the library. Once gone, Shiro let out an exhale of relief. Another one he helped dodge an arrow. Now, Shiro didn't work closely with Nabooru as he had with Pipit & Karane, but he knew enough that Nabooru was also a kind person. Shiro always wondered how someone as kind as she managed to work closely with Ganondorf & his court.

Was she aware of Ganondorf's atrocities? Shiro had no clue.

Could she also be another promising potential recruit for The Resistance? Shiro figure that could be possible. Nabooru could have knowledge of Ganondorf to help fight against him. The problem is she is also loyal to the king. Shiro can't blame her since she grew up as Ganondorf's ward after her mom died from what he knew. Recruiting her could be difficult or next to impossible.

But again, that is also a subject for him to worry about for another day. Tonight was more important. All he can do is wait. And pray to the Golden Goddesses that everything goes according to plan.


Another chapter. Just in time for the month of Echos of Wisdom!

Phase One is complete. Phase Two of the Rescue is now underway

Btw, does it make me a prophet that I predicted underground caves/The Depths in Tears of the Kingdom?

Favs, Follows, and Reviews are appreciated!