Link decided he didn't like Thieves' Town; there were way too many people for such a small space. The town itself was only four blocks of businesses and a huge estate up on a hill overlooking the town, but the houses were all clustered together with too many windows and back doors. People swarmed the streets, with street vendors and merchants on every spare inch of space lining a wide yet impossibly crowded central avenue. Back alleys and thin streets ran along the backs of each line of houses, and heavy burgundy curtains hung in most windows. Everyone in the small village seemed to be moving too fast or tied down to their own spot of ground.

Link shifted uncomfortably in the saddle, the pouch of coins that hung at his hip feeling unnaturally heavy, and Zelda glanced behind her once before returning to her scrutiny of the city before him. Zelda had fallen asleep against his chest soon after they'd broken down camp that morning and started the journey toward Lurelin Village, but she woke up as soon as the noise from the busy thievery hub could be heard. She had bandaged her wound well, Link assumed, but her hand stayed clenched at her hip throughout the rest of the journey. Zelda also decided to change out of her blood-stained clothes and had assumed a plain gray dress underneath a thick, navy-colored cloak that she'd been wearing when she appeared in the swamp. She'd tied back her hair from her neck with a thin strand of twine, but she wore her hood up. Now her gaze was transfixed on the people bustling around them in the main central avenue, her shoulders tense against his. Link found his own body tensing, scanning the crowds around them.

This was a bad idea, he accused himself, watching people scurry across the street in front of Ebony's hooves. We're going to get robbed and killed within ten minutes.

"You, sir Sheikah! I don't suppose you'd be interested in this ancient Naginata blade?" A merchant moved into Ebony's path, and the horse whinnied shrilly, rearing slightly and stopping in front of the man. Zelda crashed back into his chest as Ebony panicked, and she gasped in pain. Link quickly tugged on the reins and soothed his horse.

The man, dressed in a gaudy yellow tunic and dark red hose, smirked and lifted an elongated sword up over his head. Link glared daggers at the man and shook his head, but he did shoot a glance at the longsword. Naginata were legendary blades among the Sheikah, rumored to be imbued with fire, but only the most holy and loyal Sheikah had been assigned one. The fact that one had been stolen and was now being sold for money on a seedy street in Thieves' Town incited him. Zelda shook her head firmly, and Link tapped Ebony with his heels in agreement. The horse snorted and shoved past the merchant, and Link shot one more glance at the Naginata before continuing on into town. The merchant called after them, but Link refocused on the throngs of people around them, trying not to run anyone over with his horse. Ebony snorted and sniffed as children and adults alike dressed in bright, decorated clothing jostled her and her riders, and finally Zelda cried out as someone deliberately crashed into them, running into her injured side.

"Hey!" Link barked, but the person scrambled to their feet, straightened a lilac colored cloak, and darted back into the crowd. Annoyance surging through him, Link dropped the reins in Zelda's lap and moved to dismount.

"No, wait," Zelda said quickly, and she reached out after the culprit. The lilac cloak dropped out of sight, and several people shouted in alarm from the crowd.

Link frowned, his eyes narrowing on where he last saw the lilac cloak. "Where did they go?"

"I just tripped them. They should be on the ground." Zelda winced, her outstretched hand tightening into a fist. "You should go after them. I wouldn't be surprised if they took something. I can't hold them for much longer."

Needing no further invitation, Link swung out of the saddle and pushed through the crowd to find a young woman sprawled on the ground, her lilac cloak loose from around her head. She smiled glibly at Link while still tugging her ankle away from Zelda's invisible hand, dark hair short hair falling into her eyes.

"New here, Sheikah? Thought you might be," she said breezily. She held up one of the smaller pouches from Ebony's saddle. "Looking for this?"

Link huffed and held out a hand. The girl dropped the pouch into Link's hand and jumped to her feet.

"You should be more careful," she chided gaily, drawing out the l. "They don't call it Thieves' Town for nothing."

"I'm looking for a healer," Link said, softening his r's and biting into his consonants to sound more Sheikah. "I'll refrain from turning you in if you point me in the right direction."

"Turn me in?" The girl threw her head back and laughed. "You are new here!" She drew her cowl up over her head, leaving her long, pointed nose visible. "The Healing Hut is up by the Overseer's manor, second house off Free Avenue. Hold onto those coins at your back!" And with a swish of her cloak, she was gone.

Link swallowed, resisting the urge to pull his coins out and count them. He definitely did not like Thieves' Town.

The rest of the main avenue, or Free Avenue as the thieves apparently called it, was starting to wear on Link's nerves. The wide street was bursting with noise, the clink of coins and shifting of wares piercing through the lively babble every few seconds, but everyone who wasn't racing up and down the street was shouting and waving their arms in each other's faces. Link was torn between wanting to put his hands over his ears and take off into the crowd or pull out the Master Sword and create his own peace and quiet. People continued to bump into Ebony as Link guided them up the street toward a healer; he had told Zelda he wished to remain on the ground to discourage other people nabbing their things, but he'd felt antsy in the saddle surrounded by so many people. Better to be in the fight than watching from above.

Zelda caught two other thieves that attempted to nab something from their saddle, but the fugitives both disappeared into the crowd again before Link could so much as draw his dagger. Zelda gave him a tired smile as she tucked Link's medicine bag under arm, the second thief ducking out of sight. Link grunted, nodded his thanks, and turned back to the front.

The house the young thief had indicated to him had a big sign hanging in front of the door with a bright red potion carved into it, indicating a healer's lodge. Link nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Ebony to see Zelda gingerly balancing in the saddle, one leg already swung over as she leaned forward toward the ground.

That's got to hurt, Link thought and rushed forward, holding up his hands to catch her as she jumped off his horse. Zelda pursed her lips, but she allowed Link help her down from the saddle, his hands carefully avoiding the bandaged hip. Her legs shook badly as she got both feet back on the ground, and Link kept an arm about her shoulders as he guided her to the door.

"You'll, ah, probably want to make yourself scarce when they look over my stab wound," Zelda said, glancing down at the spot on her hip that was tightly bandaged and concealed underneath her clothes.

Link's ears flushed underneath his hat, and he nodded quickly. "I can go stock up on other supplies." His stomach grumbled; he and Zelda had forgotten to eat something before they left that morning. "Like food."

Zelda's eyes flicked down to his stomach before looking at her own. "Good idea, I'm starving. But don't go back looking for that sword I saw you eyeing. We should save our money for necessities."

"I-" The Naginata had completely slipped from his mind, but Link felt a surge of excitement at the thought of the ancient blade. "Of course. Necessities."

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "You already have a sword, remember?"

Link opened his mouth to reply that, no, his sword was apparently infused with darkness yet refused to work with him anyhow, but the door in front of them swung open, and he broke off. A bespectacled young woman stared out at them accusingly, a heavy white apron tied over a sturdy red dress.

"No use sitting out there on the doorstep, no one's getting healed that way. Come in, why don't you?" She straightened her glasses and leaned forward.

Link withdrew his arm from around Zelda and backed away. "I'll catch up with you later."

"Don't lose anything else!" Zelda called, and the healer shepherded her inside and pulled the door closed behind them.

Link tightened the white cloth around his wrist and turned back toward the main avenue.

There should be some sort of shop around here that sells food and essentials, he thought to himself, tethering Ebony to one of the fence posts around the Healing Hut. If the healer is right here, there should be something fairly close by.

The wide street was still bustling with people, and Link regretted that fact as he pushed his way back into the crowd, keeping his eyes peeled for the signage of the buildings on either side of the healer's lodge. On the side closest to the hill, there was an emblem of a dagger on the sign hanging above the door, and thick burgundy curtains hung in the window. On the opposite side of the healer's lodge was a building with a crudely drawn purple rabbit with long, white teeth on the hanging sign above the door. A crimson cloth hung in the window beneath the rabbit emblem.

A rabbit? Link frowned, squinting up at the sign. The white paint that had been used on its teeth must've taken some time to dry, because the white teeth were especially elongated and ended in rounded points like a raindrop rather than the pointed ends of a tooth.

As he stared at the sign, the door of the rabbit building swung open, and a man strode out carrying a big double-sided sign. He had black hair that was tied back in a tail and wore a deep purple tunic and hose, matching the bright colors of the other thieves in Lurelin. A long blue striped scarf that was caught in the space between the two boards of the sign was also wrapped around his neck. He didn't appear to notice until he popped the sign open, the bottom legs extending away and the top points coming together. He tried to stand upright, but the scarf caught in the gap between the two sides of the sign and yanked him back down. He readjusted the sign, pulled his scarf free, and disappeared back inside. Something caught the sunlight at his hip as he turned away from his sign, and Link recognized the tell-tale gleam of a sword. A swordsman? In Thieves' Town? Link frowned and glanced at the sign curiously, reading the words "free pumpkin stew with any items purchased". His stomach growling mournfully. Free food? Of course Link would be buying something!

It'll probably be something we need anyway, he reasoned, smiling as he made a beeline for the rabbit store. Plus he's got a sword! He pushed open the door and stepped inside, his nose immediately swarmed with the warm, comforting smell of pumpkin stew.

The man in purple didn't look up from a giant pot that was simmering over a metal bowl of heated coals, but he grinned as he stirred the pot with a long, wooden spoon. "I knew that sign would bring people in." His voice was merry and bright, mirroring the bright purple he wore.

Link glanced around the store as he stepped inside. The house was cheerfully decorated, with a long, yellow, u-shaped countertop covered with items of all sorts. Link recognized a boomerang on one side, followed by a bow and a sheath of arrows. Other weapons and supplies lay scattered across the counter surface. On the other end, basic survival supplies like rope, a woodcutter's ax, and a pile of thin poles and canvas that looked like a tent were piled in a disorganized manner.

Link nodded and surged forward. "I'm just looking for basic supplies. Rope, food, maybe that tent." And that stew, he added internally.

The man looked up at Link's words, and his eyes narrowed. Link shifted uncomfortably as the man's eyes darted up to the sword at his back and back down to the white cloth Sheikah wrappings at his shins. He folded his arms and leaned back, an air of unconcern about him. "Now, what's a Sheikah doing in Thieves' Town?"

Link shrugged and opened his mouth to reply, but a round white bird swooped in front of his face, twittering excitedly and settling on the man's shoulder. He stroked it absently but didn't take his eyes off of Link. His irises were a dark shade of red, looking almost brown-but not quite.

"Except your eyes are blue," the man said softly, and Link blinked as he realized the man was staring at his eyes too. He squinted at Link for a moment, and Link shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. Suddenly the man grinned toothily and turned back to his pot, the bird chirping as he moved. "Seems kind of pretentious to masquerade as a Sheikah just so you can carry a sword. The King doesn't care what happens outside of Castleton, you know."

"Castleton?"

"The castle and its immediate neighbors. You don't get out here very much, do you?"

Link swallowed, taking a step back. This man was making him very nervous; what kind of shopkeeper can pick out a Sheikah just because he doesn't have red eyes? "I don't want any trouble-"

"Oh, take it easy, fake Sheikah. I'm not going to rat you out to anyone," the man said easily, setting the spoon back in the stew and fully facing Link, one hand resting on the hilt of a long broadsword at his hip. "Not when I'd have to rat myself out too."

Link blinked in surprise. "You're a Sheikah?"

"Was. I got myself out of there pretty recently. Too much drama, what with the King being the charming person he is-" Link's face flushed, and he ducked out of the shopkeeper's gaze. "-not to mention all the stipulations the Sheikah have about swordsmanship." The man shook his head, his dark hair falling into his eyes. "Nah, I got out as soon as I could. Besides," he added, his eyes twinkling. "Things are funner here in Thieves' Town anyway."

Link nodded, his mind swirling. Why would an ex-Sheikah come to Thieves' Town of all places? Lurelin Village boiled with dishonesty and corruption, and a Sheikah had escaped from the castle to come live in a little hidey-hole just on the edge of the forest-

Link felt a thrill of excitement. "Ravio?" He blurted out.

The shopkeeper stiffened, his hand reaching for his sword. Then he froze and relaxed.

"Ah, so you've heard of the convict Ravio, escaped from the Royal Guard to pursue a new way of life? That's me all right." He bowed floridly, one hand thrust out behind him. "Looking to join the ex-Sheikah life? Or the fake ex-Sheikah life?"

Link surged forward, all discomfort forgotten. "I need your help. Impa sent me. I mean-she didn't send me, she recommended I come find you before I leave."

"Impa? That sneak. I didn't think she knew where I was." Ravio grinned delightedly. "All right, what do you need? I'm afraid I can't give you much in the way of supplies. Business is business, I'm sure you understand."

"No, she said you could train me." Link hesitated, unsure he wanted to divulge his true purpose in seeking out Ravio. "I-I'm seeking out someone to train me in the sword outside of the jurisdiction of the Sheikah. Impa said it would be good for me...in my circumstances," he added quickly.

"Ah, seeking out my mastery in the sword, I see." Ravio nodded, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Of course, I'm happy to pass on what I know to a fake Sheikah. The more chaos in the Shadows, the better, I always say." He gestured excitedly. "Let's see your sword, then. Out with it."

Link swallowed nervously, but he did unsheath the disguised Master Sword as requested. Ravio set his wooden spoon next to the pot and came around the counter, the bird on his shoulder chirping in response. He reached his hands out and rested the blade of the Master Sword on his fingertips, eyeing the blade with a professional eye.

"Oh, this is a nice blade. The steel is very curious, this blue color? Ancient style, that is. Not very Sheikah. Now the crosspiece..." Ravio frowned, seeing the blue strips of leather Link had carefully wrapped about the hilt and the crosspiece. "Did you wrap this for a reason? This kind of sword shouldn't chafe or anything."

Link took a deep breath, hovering on the brink of telling Ravio everything or just continuing on as if he were a fake Sheikah just looking to escape the confines of the castle-but the ex-Sheikah made the decision for him. Ravio pulled off the leather on the cross piece of the sword, the emblem of the triforce appearing underneath. Link held his breath.

Ravio stretched out a finger and traced the triangles, unphased. "You do realize what sword this is?"

"Yes."

"And Impa thought I could help you with this? What did the King say?"

"He didn't know that I planned to leave."

"Planned to leave." Ravio repeated, tapping a finger up against his chin. "You were in the castle? How did you get the sword? And why would you leave? Or-" He caught Link's eye, and Link flushed. "You're Prince Lincoln, and something happened to make you take the sword and get out."

Link nodded dumbly, not trusting himself to speak. His stomach growled loudly.

"Well." Ravio clapped his hands together, a mischievous look in his eye. "This complicates things. Is Zelda with you? You've been on the road a while, I take it?"

Zelda? Link's eyebrow shot up in surprise. "She's next door. How-how do you know Zelda?"

Ravio laid a hand on his chest, assuming a noble expression. "Ex-Sheikah, remember? I know my prophecies."

Link swallowed again. This man was unnerving. "Right."

"So. Give me three reasons why I should help you save the world from malice." Ravio held up three fingers, his white bird hopped down his arm to chirp from his wrist. Link's throat went dry, and he felt a flash of fear. He wasn't going to help them? Then Ravio withdrew his hand, and the bird jumped off his arm to fly up to the other shoulder.

"I'm joking, of course I'll help you." He grinned sunnily. "Why don't you get Zelda back over here, and we can talk things out over some pumpkin stew. That is-" He added, casting a glance across his inventory. "If you're still planning on buying something."


Link shifted uncomfortably on the balls of his feet, watching as Ravio slipped the heavy purple robe over his head, showing a thin black tunic with wrappings on his arms and legs, not too dissimilar from Link's. Link had removed his navy-colored scarf, leaving his face exposed-but they had sequestered themselves in a basement beneath Ravio's shop to begin training, and Link was unconcerned about revealing himself in such a private location. All that Ravio claimed he wanted to do was to assess where Link was at so he could know how to move forward, but Link was expecting a fight, and he was bubbling with nervous anticipation. He hadn't actually tried to fight with the Sword since the altercation with Blind back in Ordon, and his last training session resulted in another competition between him and the Master Sword, so Link was uncertain how this training session would proceed-and whether Ravio could help him.

"Ravio?" Zelda called from across the room, and the ex-Sheikah paused in his preparations. "Is it alright if I go back upstairs? I'd be interested to read some of those Sheikahn prophecies you mentioned earlier."

Ravio chuckled. "Not interested in watching us hack at each other with metal? Understandable." He folded his robe in half and set it on a table before gesturing back up the stairs. Ravio's training room was bare of other furniture, save for a plain table and chairs shoved into one corner. The floor was padded and soft, which tripped Link when he first took a step onto it. "The door to my library is hidden behind a tapestry up on the second floor, but you're welcome to read every book and scroll I have if you like."

Zelda nodded, setting aside the wooden bowl that she had used to eat the rest of her pumpkin stew. "Thank you." She shot a questioning look over at Link, as if to reassure herself that he would be fine, and he nodded quickly. She'd been hesitant to trust Ravio, and Link had to talk quickly outside of the healer's hut to get her to come back with him and lay their cards on the table. He realized that he never actually told Zelda what his plan was following their escape from the castle, but she was fairly amenable to his suggestions to work with the ex-Sheikah while she recovered. She had mentioned that the healer had given her a healing potion-that was coming out of Link's deep pockets-and was expected to make a full recovery within a week. As she nodded hesitantly in reply and began limping back over to the creaky wooden staircase, he felt a faint surge of relief as he realized she wouldn't have to see him fail with the Sword again.

"All right," Ravio said cheerfully, pulling his sword out of its scabbard with a shing. "Let's see what you got." To Link's surprise, he held a simple broadsword, a sword Link hadn't seen anyone use in the castle. The Sheikah Shadows used thin, curved blades or long daggers, like Impa's kodachis, and Link had only seen broadswords like Ravio's locked up in the armory or in old tapestries and images of ancient soldiers.

Link took a deep breath and reached up to his shoulder, drawing out the Master Sword. Its blade was uncurved and remained straight-edged all the way to its tip, also contrasting the regular Sheikah sword-something Link had never considered before.

"Think fast," Ravio said suddenly, and he darted forward, slashing out diagonally.

Link inhaled sharply, bringing both hands to grip the hilt as he dropped into a defensive stance. Quickly, he twisted his wrist to keep the top edge of the Sword on top, as Impa had taught him, but the Master Sword resisted him and turned the bottom side of the Sword upward to catch Ravio's slash. Link gritted his teeth, but it was too late to try another block, so he let the Sword twist in his hand. Ravio's sword clanged against his painfully, and Link grunted at the impact.

"Smooth," Ravio complimented, pulling back his blade and lunging forward instead, causing Link to jump to one side. "Someone's been training."

Link felt a surge of hope, and he perked up slightly. "You think so?"

"Ah ah!" Ravio thrusted forward again, and Link choked back a yell as Ravio's sword slid gracefully in the narrow space between his arm and his hip. "Rule number one: never let your guard down."

Link swallowed nervously and nodded. Ravio grinned as he withdrew his sword, spinning it over his shoulder as Link pressed his elbow into his side, making sure that nothing was bleeding. It appeared Ravio hadn't sliced into him-yet.

"Your turn," Ravio said lightly, "Come on now, take a swing at me."

Link shot forward, lunging eagerly. Ravio simply side-stepped and grabbed Link's wrist with his hand. The Master Sword fell out of Link's grip with a clatter.

Ravio quickly released Link's arm and took a step back. "Sorry, old habits. Try again."

Link scooped back up the Master Sword and slashed out horizontally this time, and Ravio leaned back out the way, watching Link closely. Link proceeded with the sequence Impa taught him, performing another identical horizontal slice before spinning and slashing with the full force of his momentum another two times. Ravio swayed out of the way each time, still watching Link with his eyes narrowed. Whenever Link performed this sequence, however, the Master Sword would tug at this arm, urging Link to make another slash. But Link would resist, and this time was no different. The Sword tugged his hand back up to face Ravio, but Link held back, bracing himself against the pull of the Sword.

Stupid thing doesn't even know the right sequence, Link thought angrily, hoping that Ravio wouldn't notice him hesitating.

But Ravio raised an eyebrow and tapped his sword on the ground to make them halt. "What happened? Why did you stop the sequence?"

"That-that was the sequence," Link said, panting slightly.

Ravio pursed his lips. "Right, the Sheikah sequence. But you're using a broadsword, not a Sheikah blade. So you should finish the sequence with an upward slash."

An image appeared in Link's mind of the sequence he had just performed, except that another diagonal slash followed the second horizontal one. Then it was gone, and Link blinked. "But I thought I always had to keep the top of my blade up. That's what Impa always said."

"Ah, I see what the problem is now." Ravio relaxed out of his stance and held out his sword. "Look, not every style of swordsmanship is the same because there are different swords that require different techniques. Broadswords like yours and mine are equally tempered and sharp all the way across. That's why they're all square-like." He sheathed his sword and took a step closer. "But Sheikah blades are especially strong and tempered on the top side and the tip, which is why they all fight with the hard side up."

Link frowned, his mind calling back on a similar conversation he'd had with Master Mahko. "So Impa was teaching me to fight wrong with my style of sword?"

Ravio nodded, pleased. "Exactly. So we have more options with our swords-more ways to do some bash and whacking." He fell back into a wide stance, sword tip pointed up. "Try the sequence again, but allow your momentum to carry back up to that vertical slash."

Link obeyed, running through the horizontal sequence as normal. When he completed the final horizontal slash, he felt his body move almost naturally into the attack Ravio had described-and he'd seen in his mind. The Sword moved with him through the entire sequence, much to Link's surprise. Ravio evaded his attacks again, but he was smiling as he watched Link.

"That looked much easier," Ravio congratulated. "And I imagine the Sword appreciated that more?"

Link's eyes widened. "You know about all that?"

Ravio chuckled and tapped the side of his nose with his finger. "Highness, I know everything about that Sword. I was one of the Sheikahn librarians before they realized things were going missing. There's a lot of information in their libraries..." He winked. "There was even more before I left."

Link glanced down at the Master Sword then back up at Ravio. "So it doesn't like it when I treat it like a katana? That's why it keeps resisting me?"

"No one likes being treated like something they're not, Link. The Master Sword isn't any different from you in that regard." Ravio winked again, and Link felt a mix of relief and frustration. All this time, he was just fighting with the wrong style? What was he supposed to do when the only ones to fight with swords were the people who didn't even know the right way to do it? He felt a flash of anger towards his father.

He gritted his teeth and raised his sword again. "Teach me more."

Ravio grinned and tilted his head. "If you say so."

They continued slashing at each other for some time, with Ravio correcting everything from Link's stance to the energy behind each of his movements. Link grew more and more exhausted, but there was a new power surging through him the more he felt the Master Sword responding to him and working with him. The Sword almost seemed to move by itself when Link followed Ravio's instructions for another sequence that was entirely for the broadsword. Finally as Ravio parried one of Link's thrusts with a jerk that sent Link sprawling, Ravio called an end to their session.

"That's enough for one day, wouldn't you say?" Ravio said, running a hand through his dark hair. His bird chirped in agreement, fluttering closer and settling on his shoulder. "You've got quite the Sword, though. I imagine it's pretty satisfied right now."

"Satisfied?" Link groaned, rolling over on the ground. "I feel exhausted. I've never trained this much in my life."

"Mmm, but how does the Sword feel?"

Link paused as he struggled to make his legs work again. "How am I supposed to know? It's a sword."

Ravio exchanged a look with the ball of a bird on his shoulder. "A sword, he says. A sword that doesn't have feelings or a mind of its own."

"It-it doesn't," Link said stubbornly.

"I thought your experience today would say differently." Ravio shrugged. "But I suppose that's a lesson for another day. Now, do you and the mage have a place to stay tonight? I have a spare bed upstairs." He sheathed his sword and winked at Link meaningfully.

Link choked on air. "It-it's not like that! We're not even-I mean, she doesn't even-"

Ravio chortled, and the bird on his shoulder cheeped merrily. "I'm only joking, highness. It's pretty clear she's not too fond of you. But duty calls, I suppose."

"Oh." Link swallowed the ball of shame in his throat. "Right."

"I have a pretty comfortable couch in the library," Ravio offered. "Or you're both welcome to spread your bedroll pretty much anywhere."

"She can have the bed," Link said automatically. "I can just...sleep on the floor."

"Such a gentleman," Ravio praised, clapping a hand on Link's shoulder. "But I'm sure the couch will be more comfortable than the floor. Let's go see about some dinner, shall we? I'm sure the lady is hungry after all her exertion climbing those stairs."

Link shot a look over at Ravio to see if he was serious, but he was grinning slyly again, and Link chose not to comment as the man guided him back up the stairs.


Hey friends-sorry for disappearing. I'm still writing this, just haven't been posting.

Let me know your thoughts. Reviews are always appreciated!

~Maylyn