"Unnng…are you the boy from the forest?" Link and Navi happened upon a wounded guard. Blood in his chest, he had difficulty breathing. Yet, his face was peaceful, full of hope, even.

While travelling from the Desert to Castle Town, the caravan was attacked by a group of bandits. Some had the heraldry of the former Lord Rowan. It was a small army. Cries of "Rowan will be avenged" and "you ruined everything" rung from their mouths. Even though Bato's sight had warned them ahead of time, they underestimated their tenacity. While, ultimately, the victory went to the caravan, it wasn't without cost.

Three soldiers and four Gerudo warriors were slain in the attack.

Felia and the rest of the delegation put their soldiers to rest, while Nabooru saw to her dead. They had different customs concerning burial. As some soldiers dug up the ground, others wrapped them in white linens. Their personal effects were taken. They were nothing but empty husks now.

He struggled to get the words out. Lungs, most likely, filling up with blood. His body was wavering, but he preserved, determined to get his message across. "I-I-I've finally met you… I-I-I have something to t-t-tell you…"

A priestess was traveling with the delegation and kept a low profile during their stay in the desert. Now seeing her, Bato regretted not speaking to her more. Her insight into the divine would be beneficial for someone trying to learn about the faith. For the boy himself, he was hushed, focused on the bodies that lay before him.

He breathed heavily before continuing, "Ganondorf, the Gerudo King of Thieves, betrayed our King. Zelda's protector, Impa, sensed danger and escaped from the castle with our Princess…" There was a violent cough, he held his hand on his chest. Trying to futilely stem the bleeding, he wasn't done yet. Not until he had his message delivered.

With great care, they dumped the bodies into the ground. The priestess consecrated the ground, speaking words of comfort. "These brave men risked their lives to protect the people of this noble caravan. As we commit these souls to the Goddess Hylia, we are reminded that all life is fleeting. Regardless of what we do in life, there is an end. If one lives a fortuitous and virtuous life, rest assured that their souls will ascend to the Sacred Realm, where life will begin again."

"I tried to stop Ganondorf's men from chasing them" the man, lamented. "…but…The Princess was…waiting for a boy from the forest…that's you…" He pointed at Link and Navi. "She wanted to give something to the boy…"

They started to bury the bodies with heaps of dirt. She sung a popular hymn. There were some that wept for the men. They had a relation in some way. The majority of the people were somber and quiet. Link stared at the graves, thinking about all the times he had cheated death. The monsters, the moon, even the terrible beasts that free roamed the lands. He had conquered them all.

"If you received it from the Princess, hurry…to…the…Temple…of…Time…" He held out his hand. His last words stretched long as if in emphasis. Shaking violently, the guard suddenly slacked and rested against the wall.

Everyone started to disperse, the service over. Slowly, the crowd of people started to act as if it were business as usual. Some discussed politics, others training, others about what they'd be doing once they got back to Castle Town. Link was amazed by their insensitivity. These were lives that were cut. You'd think that they would have more respect than that! That they should know better!

Navi made the ever-so-helpful observation. "He's not moving anymore." Link could only stare at the dead guard, before dashing towards the Temple of Time.

Bato walked up to Link, who was still looking at the graves. "Are you okay, Link?"

The boy turned to him. "No. No, I'm not okay."

It was the afternoon. Everyone had finished lunch and was now setting up at the entrance to the Gerudo Desert. Everyone thought it'd be prudent to set up camp now so the troops could rest. The tent city returned. Link said nothing ever since the service. Not that there were any other kids to speak with him, he was the only one there. He silently ate his lunch with Bato. Afterward, he took his sword and shield and said that he was going to train. While Link went off training, the priestess who celebrated the service appeared before Bato. "You wanted to see me, my Lord."

Bato looked at her, quizzically. "Lord? I am no Lord. I am a mere farmer, nothing more."

She looked at him, unfazed by the declaration, "far be it from me, my Lord, to tell you who you are. If you wish it so, your will be done."

"What has been told about me?" Asked Bato. He was interested now.

She shifted her eyes, nervously. "You are the man of destiny. One that is destined to bring Hyrule great prosperity for its people and the land. The Goddesses have chosen you, Bato of Termina, to be their hands and voice to usher in a new age. The Canoness believes it. While there are some who would question your origins and divine right, I am not one of them." She bowed, "that is why I refer you as 'my Lord'. You are the messenger of the Goddesses and know what they will. You enter their realm freely and speak with them. That is what is told about you."

Narrowing his eyes, Bato scoffed. Of all the organizations to keep an eye on, he failed to think about the church and their dogmatic views about the Goddesses' will. "Well, I would rather not be going around flaunting some title that I've now just discovered. It's just Bato, all right."

"Your will be done, Lord Bato."

He sighed, "and whom might you be?"

The priestess solemnly bowed before him. "Forgive me for the delayed introduction. I am Sister Sana from Our Glorious Ladies convent."

"No wonder you have such a strong opinion about me," he groaned. "At any rate, could I ask you to follow?"

Sana and Bato walked towards the edge of the camp. There, they found Link, practicing his hidden skills against some shrubs and trees. "Is he your ward, my Lord?"

Bato nodded, "he is." Both of them saw how Link aggressively attacked the forestry. He fought with such intensity and focus. "If I may, sir, it looks like he's taking his training a bit too seriously."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Bato focused on her, "he hasn't said anything since this afternoon, after the service. He was looking mighty hard on those graves. I fear that the idea of death might be bothering him."

"Death comes to us all, my Lord. It is the part of our faith. Even our youngest catechists understand this truth."

"This isn't your basic catechist, sister." Link attacked the tree more and more. Each strike was leaving a deeper cut. "He hasn't been in any formal instruction. He knows next to nil about the faith and what it represents."

"So, he must learn," Sana said, quietly. Link stopped, suddenly. Panting, he put down his sword and shield and sat down up against the broken tree. Bato motioned her to move with him and went behind a line of tents, so the young boy didn't see them. Creeping into a shrub, they were close enough to hear.

The cuts were superficial to the hardwood, but Link didn't think about that. He stared at the tent city before hearing a voice calling his name.

"Link? Link." The boy looked around, then remembered. He took out his statuette of Hylia. It was a little thing. Wings at her back, flowing hair and a solemn looking face.

"Hylia," he mumbled.

"What's wrong, Link? What happened?"

The boy thought for a moment, quietly. He took a deep breath, then asked, "what happens to us when we die?"

"When you die, your soul is returned to the Sacred Realm. There, it is judged for the life it has lived. If you lived a worthy life, a life of good and hard work, then you are accounted with the blessed. The blessed live with the Goddesses until they are to be reborn at their proper place and time."

"If you led a bad life?" Asked Link.

"Well, it depends on how bad. There are souls that have committed minor sins against the Goddesses. Those are taken to a place called the Garden. In the garden, they learn the error of their sin and, in time, join the blessed. If, however, the soul committed grievous sin, the sins of evil towards others, they are banished to the outer darkness of the void. There, they would remain until the darkness takes hold of them."

The boy stared at the statuette, holding it tightly in his hand. "What's sin?"

"Sin is doing something that is against the Goddess' will. It is usually an evil act committed by a person." The silence made Hylia ask, "Your heart is troubled?"

"Yes," he whispered. "I've seen death. I've done terrible things. Does that mean I'm going to the void?"

"No!" Her voice perked him right up, in surprise. "The deaths that you have committed were of defense and last resort. Through your actions, you've tried to preserve life. By defeating the enemies of the people, you allowed countless souls to continue their Goddess given lives. By becoming a hero, you saved others through name, through creed and by belief."

"I never prayed to you. Or any of the other Goddesses."

"Because you didn't know how to pray. Now that you know it's important to pray, you must learn how."

He whispered again, "how do I pray?"

"Heed, my faithful sister, Sana. She's listening to you as we speak. Ask her, and she will be more than happy to help you find your way." Her voice was smooth as silk. He felt so relieved that he didn't notice he was crying. "You are a kind soul, Link. Never change that. By the grace of the Goddesses, you will live a happy life. The life you deserve."

As this exchange was going on, Bato saw the wonder in Sana's eyes. She could hear the voice of the Goddess Hylia in her head. Her jaw dropped, and she fell on her knees, weeping quietly. "Who is this child that is called a hero? What lives has he preserved?"

"A kind soul. One who has saved many through his thoughts, words, and deeds. All you need to know is that he needs guidance. He still does not know the goddesses, but wishes to learn. How can he serve and love them if he doesn't even know them?"

When Hylia mentioned Sana's name, the sister got up quickly.

"That's your cue, I guess," Bato said, deadpan.

She gave a small nod, "thank you for this great gift, my Lord." Coming from out of the shrubbery, Link turned back to see Sana entering his field of vision. "Link, is it?"

His momentary shock was replaced with a small smile. "Lady Hylia said that you would be here. I need help."

Sana got close to him and knelt down. "What help do you need?"

"Can you…Please teach me how to pray?"

Tears rolled down her cheek, and Link wondered if he said something wrong. She beamed, "Yes. I would be more than happy to teach you."

"Mind telling me why they were shouting 'vengeance for Rowan?'"

Nabooru and Aveil spoke to Felia and Bato, in Nabooru's tent. A blend of Arabian and fantastical design was the takeaway. Unlike the tents that Bato was used to, this one was spacious and elegantly decorated with plush furnishing and intricate detailing. It included a seating area, cushioned chairs and an elegant looking table that had no business being in the middle of a tent.

Felia gave a groan. "Seems your actions in court has caught up to you."

"I knew that they were coming, but I didn't expect it so soon." He turned to the two Gerudo women. "Time to explain. There was a land dispute that took well over a year to settle."

"Let me guess," Aveil narrowed her eyes, "that land was yours."

"Technically, it belonged to the state." The women were not amused. "I digress. Anyway, the man who was trying to take over the land, Lord Rowan, had used unscrupulous means in an attempt to get it. Luckily, I had an advocate in Lord Cobn who fought on my behalf."

"Your point?" Aveil asked.

Felia picked up on the story. "During the final days of the summit, the King was to hear the closing arguments of both parties and decide who would get the land. It was there that Bato revealed to everyone about Rowan's dishonesty, hidden agendas and rebellion."

"You couldn't do this before, why?"

"Deku Tree," he mumbled. They looked at him for an explanation. "I was out for an entire year because I had the bright idea of reviving the Great Deku Tree. I was out cold when all of this was happening."

Everyone was silent for a moment, and the ladies looked at him with silent awe. He felt weird. "Stop checking me out like that."

Coughing, Felia continued, "As a result, Rowan was stripped of all of his titles and lands. Most of the men who attacked our caravan were under the employ of Lord Rowan. They were out here trying to avenge their fallen master, if I had to guess."

Nabooru scoffed in frustration. "Why did they attack a fully armed caravan? It is the height of idiocy."

"They didn't have the full story, if you looked at it from a tactical standpoint. They thought they were facing the Hylian delegation. With those numbers, we would have been overwhelmed. They also might have thought that this was a merchant caravan, full of treasures and valuable items. They overestimated their abilities and underestimated ours. Did you see how some riders began to turn back, frantically, because they realized who they were fighting against?"

"How utterly stupid!" Everyone turned their attention to Nabooru now, who was standing. "They should have sent scouts ahead to at least get the lay of the land, and they didn't even do that! They just charged right in?!"

"Am I missing something?" Asked Felia, nervously.

Aveil shook her head. "No, this is typical behavior. Lady Nabooru openly criticizes her enemies after a battle. She tells anyone who would listen what she would have done in their place."

"— why you should let scouts do their job and decide afterward. Meat-headed leaders, I bet –"

"Should we…stop…her?"

"She'll tire herself out. Eventually." After five minutes of ranting, Nabooru calmed down. Everyone was impassive but Aveil and Felia had amusement in their eyes.

"Say less," Bato remarked, while he bit his tongue to hold off a grin.

"I was just highlighting their flaws, is all." Nabooru sat herself down again and closed her eyes. After a minute of deep breathing, she opened them. "What happened to the former lord, then?"

"I heard that he was executed, last time we communicated with Castle Town. I don't know what happened to his land and property, though."

"King gave it to me," Bato mumbled quickly.

"What was that, Bato?"

"Oh, nothing. Not important."

"He said that the King gave it to him," Aveil said helpfully. Felia and Nabooru looked at him now, and Aveil had a sick grin on her face.

Bato nodded a few times, "I'll remember that."

Felia whispered fiercely, "What do you mean the King gave it to you?"

"He gave it to me. For my actions last year and what I did for him recently, he gave me Rowan's manor." Bato tapped on her pockets, "I know I have the deed here somewhere…"

"Stop, Bato. I believe you." Felia had a look of resignation on her. "You're not one to lie."

"Agreed," the two ladies spoke at the same time.

"Getting back on track, then." Felia shifted herself, looking at Bato, "we can say that this group was a mix of Rowan loyalists and bandits who sought to take advantage of an opportunity."
"Will we be attacked again?" Asked Nabooru. "I don't want any more of my warriors killed over Hyrule's political disputes."

"We have one in custody," replied Felia. "We've been trying to extract information from him, but he hasn't been forthcoming."

"Give him to Aveil, then." Nabooru turned to her. "I trust you know what to do?"

Aveil nodded, hiding another grin, "yes, My Lady."

Bato and the other ladies talked at length, about contingencies in which the bandits did decide to attack again. Nabooru highlighted some flaws in their recent battles and Felia gave out some logistical information. Aveil was out for the entire afternoon before she returned in the evening with some news.

"Our man has graciously decided to share some information," Aveil said, triumphantly. Bato and the other two ladies listened to what Aveil had to say. "The men who attacked us are all that's left of both Rowan's retinue and forces. The majority of them were slain during the attack on his manor a couple of weeks ago. They heard news that Bato was going to be part of this caravan and thought they could avenge their master and grab some loot at the same time. Of course, that didn't happen."

"So, then Rowan's supporters are gone?" Bato asked, hopefully.

Aveil nodded her head, "at least that's according to the information that I was able to get out of him. However, you should know that succession disputes, such as this, have half-truths and whole lies. I would sleep with one eye open, if you catch my meaning."

Deflating, Bato nodded. "Understood."

Felia looked outside the tent and noticed the sun was already down. "It's already dark. If there's nothing else…"

"What will happen to the bandits who are still alive?" asked Bato.

"We will take custody of them until we reach Castle Town," replied Felia. "Once we arrive, we'll hand them over to the guard."

Nabooru put her hand on Aveil's shoulder, trying to tell her subtly that she did a good job. "Thank you for coming, you two."

Getting back to his tent, late, Bato arrived to see Link praying in front of the statuette. He was mumbling prayers. "Lady Hylia, thank you for the light that guides our way. Lady Din, thank you for giving us the strength to take on any challenge. Lady Nayru, thank you for giving us the knowledge to know. Lady Farore, thank you for giving us the courage to do what is right. Goddesses, accept these offerings of thanksgivings and bless me and all those I hold dear." He turned to see Bato, looking at him. "Hiya Bato! I was just finishing up."

"I can see that, boo." Bato walked over and sat beside him. "Tell me, did Sister Sana taught you that prayer?"

He nodded his head, "she did. As well as some other things that the sisters at the church didn't get a chance to tell me about."

"What can you tell me about the Goddesses, Link?"

"Well." He thought about it carefully. "They're real, as you well know. They've helped us shape the realm and the people in it. Their love is not conditional, it is unconditional. They want us to do our very best in the life they've given us."

Ruffling his hair, Bato smiled at him. "Are you going to meet with Sister Sana from now on?"

"Until we get to Castle Town." Link looked down, "then, I don't know."

"I can ask Canoness Aita if there are classes going on and see if you can participate in them. At the very least, we can ask Impa or Jofary about them."

The boy looked at him, confused, "classes?"

"Lessons about various things. Reading, writing, singing, dancing, praying, and more. The way we learn is from listening to other people."

"I get it. It's like when Saria taught me how to forage or how the Swordsman in Clock Town taught me how to cut!"

"Y-Yeah. If the Swordsman's teaching you how to cut logs, maybe. Let's hope we can get you sorted when we get to Castle Town. Now, it's late. We'll be heading out at first light so off to bed."

"K!" Link put the statuette in his pocket and started getting ready for bed. Bato watched him busy himself and the energy he possessed. He admired his work ethic and his hunger to learn. Bato went outside to look at the stars. He wondered if there was something that he could learn in Hyrule too?

The week from the Desert to Castle Town went by, uneventful. The guards were heightened by the emboldened bandits and there were some small skirmishes on the road. But nothing to major, unlike the attack that killed some of them at the beginning of the week.

Link continued to study under Sister Sana. Not only with religion, but with reading and writing. She said that education was exclusive only to the highborn children, which made sense considering what period they were in. Now Bato thought about opening up a public school for Hyrule's child populace. Maybe not only for children, but for adults too. These thoughts raced through his mind, as well as the dreadful feeling of what was waiting for him once he got back.

The king's communiqué from Saria insinuated that Bato was to become part of the aristocracy. He shuttered at the thought that now that he had effectively saved the Gerudo, his life would be surveyed with a microscope. Every move seen with scrutiny, with even the hint of eccentricity being frowned upon. "Maybe I can wiggle my way out of this mess. I can decline the reward outright, but that would incur his wrath even more. The last thing I need is a mad king!"

Felia, with her role as the Gerudoian ambassador effectively finished, now started to brush up on topics from other kingdoms. Geology and hydrology, for starters. She was hoping that her experiences as an ambassador could open new doors into serving on, at the very least, a Goron or Zorian delegation. She was reading one day under a tree when Bato walked back. He couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

Stifling another laugh, he simply replied, "nothing whatsoever, my fledgling scholar." As he continued on his way, Felia was both flustered and confused over the perceived compliment.

Coming back from the desert, the peaks were replaced by foliage. More and more green surrounded them. It was no wonder that Ganondorf coveted Hyrule for so long. He couldn't see what the desert could offer, apart from death. Each realm had its own unique characteristic to them. As the caravan approached the outskirts of Hyrule, they made a stop at a border checkpoint. Felia spoke with the people in charge and the caravan was processed quickly. On the last night before arriving at Castle Town, the tent city held a great bonfire. It was similar to the celebration at the palace, music, and dancing from a distant land filled the air.

Merriment was up in the air, as the drinks flowed through. Soon, everyone would be going their separate ways. The Gerudo warriors would stay with Nabooru. The Hyrulian delegation and Felia would return home. Merchants that have come to sell their wares will, no doubt, stop at the commerce guild to either receive a temporary permit or seek asylum in Hyrule for one reason or another. For Bato and Link, however, their lives were about to get a lot busier. Bato lazily watched all of this activity when suddenly, he saw Link sneaking a cup of wine for himself. He wanted to stop him but decided on natural consequence.

The boy only had a small sip before spitting it out and endured a coughing fit. With a disgusted look, he put the cup away for someone to take, sitting before the bonfire. Bato sat right beside him. Link looked up and asked, "are we going to go back to being farmers, Bato?"

How should he answer that? Bato sighed deeply. "No. As you well know," he whispered into his ear, "I've been given Rowan's manor. That means the King is giving me my land and people to be responsible for. I'll probably have them do the farming from now on."

"What will we do?"

"Well, that's up to the king. I guess the plan is to take inventory; see what we have. Make improvements on anything that needs to be improved on and…wait."

Link looked at him, curiously. "Wait for what?"

"I guess…whatever the Goddesses have in store."

Looking back, it was a series of events to another. Now, there was a lull; an opportunity to take stock on what was gained. If he were to play the Grand Game, then that would mean establishing a power base. Which was no problem for him since he had garnered favor from the commerce guild, the church, and even the Royal Family themselves. Link looked unsure for a moment before smiling. "Whatever the Goddesses have in store, huh? We can take it."

"I'm sure we can," Bato smiled back at him.