Interlude: Roughly Three Months before Hero's Day
Link woke up to something tickling his nose. He slanted one eye opened to confirm that Sariana, one of the kokiris, was tickling him with a feather. She didn't notice he was already awake, gleefully continuing with her task. Her fairy, Linkle, was twinkling in laughter.
Link wrinkled his nose and started in on a pretend sneeze, squeezing his eyes shut for good measure. "Aahhhh... ahhh..."
Sariana let out a little delighted squeal and tickled faster. The tickling was completely ineffectual apart from having waken him up: Link had absolutely no urge to actually sneeze.
That fact never stopped him from pretending. The forest children couldn't seem to get enough of waking him up by making him sneeze and if they knew he was faking it, they didn't mind.
"Aahh..." The tickling stopped as the feather was pulled away.
"ACHOOO!"
Link bolted up as he 'sneezed', as if he'd been propelled by the force. Technically, if he had, it would have been in the opposite direction, but the kokiris didn't care about realistic physical reactions to sneezes.
Laughter from the kokiris and twinkling from the fairies exploded all around.
Link rubbed his nose for good measure, then stretched. "Was someone tickling my nose?" he asked in a pretend stern voice, eyeing the assembled children.
Various answers filled the clearing between renewed peals of laughter.
"Father did!"
"It was the sword!"
"We all did!"
"I think it was you! You were sleep tickling!"
"Uh-uh, sure. Bunch of monkeys..." Link said, rolling his eyes but chuckling at the same time.
He extricated himself from his sleeping back and rolled it, fastening the straps around it that would keep it tidy before stuffing it in his pouch. He supposed he didn't actually need to bother doing that with the magical holding tool always tidying everything inside it on its own, but it didn't feel right not to. He then put his belt and baldric back on, positioning as always the - currently empty - sheath for the Master Sword so that the sword's hilt would be above his left shoulder. He then put his boots back on, just in time for one of the kokiris – Falo - to call out to him excitedly.
"LINK LINK LINK!" Falo cried out. "Look what I found!"
Link diligently looked. Falo was holding a blue and white flower. It was pretty, just like all the other ones around that looked just like it.
"Ooooh!" Link played along. "That is a very rare specimen indeed, mister kokiri!"
Falo burst into giggles.
"Why I never!" Bril, Falo's fairy companion, said in an offended voice. "I'll have you know, mister hero, that it was I, the great Bril, who found this absolutely unique never before seen flower!"
Falo's giggles turned into a belly laugh, bending him in two.
Link grinned at the fairy, who sketched a bow, making him giggle too.
"I sometimes wonder, Link, whether you truly do perform these pilgrimages for the sole sake of allowing the sword to rest."
The gentle but carrying voice commanded the attention of everyone around, including Link himself, who turned to the Great Deku Tree, serious again.
"I do, Great Deku Tree," he said.
There was no point being insulted at the implication that he came here for three days and three nights twice a year just to play with the kokiris. The Great Deku Tree had told him several times that the Master Sword absolutely did not need these rest periods, could plainly see that Link enjoyed the kokiris' company, and adored his children himself, so the thought was quite understandable.
"I'm very grateful for the welcome you and your children give me every time," he added, "and it is indeed a joy to be in your company." He smiled and for the kokiris' benefit, decided to lighten the rest of what he had to say by hamming it up. He put the back of his hand to his forehead and sighed dramatically, leaning back slightly. "I am not however in a position to allow myself the pleasure of such fine society at my leisure! My fate is a cruel mistress who demands nothing short of my full attention!"
He was rewarded for the theatrics by peals of laughter all around.
The Great Deku Tree hummed.
Link became serious again as he walked to the Master Sword in its resting place, the very same low platform it had been in when he'd first claimed it. "I should get going, actually."
He wrapped his left hand around the hilt of the sword and pulled, ignoring the chorus of protest and disappointed noises from the kokiris. The sword came with no resistance – it had only tried him the one time, the first time. With the ease of habit, he sheathed it over his left shoulder.
"Goodbye Link," the Great Deku Tree said. "As much as I don't think it necessary, it is always a pleasure to see you."
Link smiled at the tree. He brought the sword back to the Lost Woods for three days and three nights twice a year, to allow the holy blade to restore itself with the forest's magic. He stayed as well, to be close to the blade just in case the Enemy finally appeared. Every time, the Great Deku Tree and the kokiris reacted like he was a long lost son returned at last and celebrated his arrival.
"Thank you for always welcoming me here," he said. He turned to the kokiris. "You be good little monkeys and only make enough trouble to be funny, all right?"
The kokiris responded with various monkey noises.
Link chuckled and took out his ocarina. He played the home song, looking forward to a few days of training at home before he left for his next trip: according to the Hero of Legends' records, there was a cave on the east shore of Lake Hylia where he might find an ice rod that would make quite a nice pair with the fire rod he already had.
He disappeared from the Lost Woods in a burst of music and light.
Frontier Town, Late Morning of the Sixth Day after Hero's Day
Meal secured in the form of cold cuckoo meat, salads and pastries, Link taught Zelda the song he'd set to travel to Tobio: a modified version of the Requiem of Spirit that was much less gloomy than the original but still evoked the idea of ghosts in Link's mind.
Horses held by Link, they played in harmony and were immediately surrounded by dancing blue ghosts, which faded to be replaced by the Ghost Village of Tobio, including an assortment of entirely different ghosts to the magical imagery created by the travel song.
Zelda's eyes widened. The horses. The horses would lose their MIND.
A quick glance confirmed, however, that they were no worse than any other time they had travelled by ocarina. She approached Poe from a safe angle and took over petting the mare and softly speaking sweet nonsense at her.
"I was worried you wouldn't like the ghosts," she said when Poe started to calm down. "I wonder whether you can sense them at all. Perhaps Link knows?"
She glanced at him expectantly. He was just giving Butter his customary "sorry for magically making the world change around you" apple. He caught the question, however.
"I don't believe horses can sense these ghosts at all, Princess," he said. "I have seen horses react to hostile Poes, but never to these."
Princess?
Zelda shivered and looked around. It was only the third time in her life that she had 'heard' a ghost, and so far, the feeling was not growing any less disquieting. Poe was nudging at her hand, having seen Butter eat his apple and wanting her own. She took one out of her pack and gave it to the mare, who happily made it disappear.
"Princess Zelda," Link said. "Might I introduce the ghost of Sir Lanse? Sir Lanse, allow me to introduce Her Royal Highness Princess Zelda, daughter of the Hylian King."
The ghost became visible a few paces in front of them, already in a genuflex.
"I'm delighted to make your acquaintance," Zelda said. "Please rise. I'm afraid I am to be a disruption today: Link and I have some matters to attend to that will prevent him from indulging in a spar with you."
The ghost rose, sketched a bow, and flashed Link a look. There was a Hero in my lifetime as well, your Highness, he said. I'm well aware that their duties come first. I'm sure he'll come back when he's able, to provide this lonely soul with some delightful company, entertainment and eye candy.
Link ignored the eye candy remark; Sir Lanse was pretty much incapable of not saying things like that. "I promise to do so at the first opportunity," he confirmed.
Then I won't keep either of you. Princess, thank you for gracing this desolate village with your lovely presence and affording me the luxury of hearing your melodic voice.
He faded from sight with a wink.
Zelda giggled. "A bit of a flirt, I see," she said, "but to be fair, it doesn't seem like you broke his heart in any lasting fashion."
Link chuckled. "I feel as thought Fitzi would never cease to torment me, were she to hear that I had broken even a ghost's heart," he said.
Zelda giggled again. "Let's be off, shall we? I can't say I'm looking forward to Kamah, but we may find the Master Sword's salvation there."
Link lost his smile. "That would be ironic, but certainly welcomed," he said.
Near Kamah in Upper Faron, Noon of the Sixth Day after Hero's Day
They stopped to have their lunch a bit downhill from Kamah, at a road sign advising that the village was ahead.
Zelda ate slowly, her thoughts centered on what Link had said of Kamah. He'd mentioned physical assaults on Sea Folks... he'd been completely right about both Midah and Frontier Town, which made the likelihood that he was right about Kamah uncomfortably high. She briefly wondered whether the Sea Folks had reported the incidents, but dismissed the thought immediately: they probably had, and since nothing extraordinary had been done, the incidents had probably been believed to be isolated. She wasn't aware of any existing protocol that would allow Naydri or his generals to notice a pattern unless several things happened one right after the other.
Link was barely picking at his own food. He wasn't feeling particularly hopeful about their meeting with Angon. It had already been lucky that Sahesro and Cellan had been friendly in spite of their home towns, it would be an absolute miracle if Angon was as well. The researcher might still have some useful information, but getting it could very well be a challenge.
He looked up at the Princess to find she also seemed to be lost in thought and not particularly focused on eating. Judging by her pinched lips and furrowed brow, the thoughts running through her mind were no more pleasant than the ones plaguing him.
Conversation, he felt, would almost certainly be better than sulking over their food in silence.
"Princess?" he spoke softly, trying not to startle her.
Her eyes widened anyway before turning to him. "Yes?" she said.
"Although I know of the legends concerning the picori, I'm afraid I've never paid much attention to them," Link said. "If it is not too much bother, might I please ask you to tell me about the sword of light and the hero of men that Professor Cellan mentioned?"
He was rewarded by the Princess' face seemingly lighting up. Her eyebrows relaxed, and her lips even quirked up a little.
"Yes! With pleasure! Hm, where to start… oh, of course. The actual legend of the Hero of Men…"
They both ended up eating their full meal as she talked and he asked questions or offered comments. All in all, it probably made their lunch break longer, but Link couldn't bring himself to mind. He could hardly ask the Princess to hurry information he'd actually asked for, and it probably made little difference how quickly they got to Kamah as long as it was still daytime.
And besides, the stories were fascinating. It was funny to think he'd been dreading having the Princess come along with him before they'd met on the Great Plateau. She'd not only been helpful but downright pleasant to travel with as well. He shuddered to think how much longer and frustrating the days of riding would have seemed without her company.
Kamah in Upper Faron, afternoon of the sixth day after Hero's Day
Link and Zelda arrived in Kamah early in the afternoon.
Their arrival had the immediate effect that Link had anticipated: people first glared at him, than one person yelled an insult and more followed.
Unlike in Midah, where he'd been able to at least try and calm people down with promises he wasn't looking for a fight, or to offer similar reassurances to most of the comments directed at him, what people were yelling at him here had no possible de-escalating responses. Jeers about his skin, his ears, declarations that all Sea Folks were criminals, straight demands that he leave… he focused on people's hands rather than their words, keeping an eye out for weapons.
Next to him, Princess Zelda was sitting in her saddle stiffly, her face set and her eyes scanning the crowd.
It wasn't long before a group of the town's guards appeared from a perpendicular street and leveled lances in their direction, standing side by side across the street, blocking their way.
Link pulled Butter back, and Zelda issued the peace command to Poe. The horses stopped obediently, and thankfully did not register the people that were now blocking the street as a threat, therefore remaining calm.
A woman walked between two of the guards, wearing a dress more resembling a court gown than a walking attire. She had a silver sash draped across her body and walked to within just a few steps of Link and Zelda, scowling at Link. She made a brisk side motion with her head to instruct him to dismount.
De-escalate, Link thought. Don't rise, stay calm. This woman was clearly in charge, so they needed her cooperation. He could not afford to get more on her bad side than he already was. He inclined his head, dismounted and gave a proper bow.
Zelda, after a moment's hesitation, dismounted as well and cleared her throat. "Good afternoon," she said. "I am Zelda, daughter of the Hylian King and Princess of Hyrule. How may I address you?"
The woman tore her eyes away from Link to look at her, her eyes starting at her face, going down the entire length of her body and going back to her eyes.
"Might I see your seal?" she said.
"Of course," Zelda said.
She extended her right hand, lifting it up at face level, turned palm down. The woman examined the ring and sighed heavily before curtseying.
"I apologize for this welcome, Princess," she said. "I am the Countess of Kamah. Her Highness can of course call me anything she likes, but the people around here know me as Lady Doree. Your Highness, may I assume the Sea Folk is the one recognized by the Royal Family as the Hero?"
"Indeed," Zelda said. "Allow me to I introduce Link: Farore's Favorite Child and Master of the Blade that Seals the Darkness, Hero Chosen by The Goddess, Reborn Once More to Save Us."
Lady Doree inclined her head at Link.
Link bowed. "Thank you, Lady Doree, for seeing us."
"Princess Zelda," the Countess said. "I cannot abide the presence of a Sea Folk in this town. ANY Sea Folk. They're far too violent, I assume they simply have different instincts than we do… whatever the case may be, the risk is unacceptable."
Zelda's eyes narrowed. "Lady Doree, the Crown absolutely does not share those entirely unsubstantiated beliefs about the Sea Folks. That being said, the Hero is my escort," she said. "He will stay with me. We seek Master Angon... perhaps you can help us locate him and minimize the length of our presence here?"
The Countess chewed on her lips.
The hair on the back of Link's neck suddenly rose. Out of reflex, he stepped close to the Princess and cast Nayru's Love around them both: he could always apologize if it was for nothing, and besides, it wasn't like anything he did would make the people here dislike him less.
A ripe tomato spattered on the shield before disintegrating on it, coming from behind them. Link estimated it would have hit him on the right shoulder.
Zelda's eyes widened.
"People here have dealt with your kind too many times," the Countess said, scowling at Link. "Your presence is disrupting the peace!" She turned back to Zelda. "Highness, please allow me to escort you to the guards' barrack. We can keep you out of the crowd, and bring Master Angon TO you."
She then turned to the crowd. "Leave the Sea Folk alone. I take full responsibility for him, and you risk hitting the Princess if you throw things at him."
Link scanned the crowd and saw several people dropping rotten fruits and handfuls of dirt. He let go of Nayru's Love and to check his ability to focus, counted the windows within his field of vision, and then the number of people with blond or white hair. Satisfied, he turned his eyes back to the Princess.
Zelda was breathing slowly, her hands hidden in the folds of her skirt. She spoke in a low, measured voice. "Thank you, Countess," she said. "I accept your offer. Please lead the way."
The Countess brought them, as promised, to the City Guards' barracks, which turned out to be just around the corner. The guards who were still in the barracks came to attention but trailed their eyes to Link.
"As you were," the Countess said. "The Princess and the Sea Folk are my guests. They're in town to meet Master Angon. You." She pointed at one of the guards. "Go fetch him immediately."
The guard thumped his fist on his heart and bowed. "Yes, Lady Doree!"
He took off then, either to Angon or to wherever he'd need to go to find out where the man lived and might be found.
"I have other business to attend," the Countess said. "By your leave, Princess Zelda?"
Zelda blinked. She had certainly not expected the Countess to just leave them after the incident in the street.
"My guards will of course keep you… and your… escort… safe," Lady Doree said. "I do apologize, I am simply drowning in prior engagements today."
"Of course," Zelda stammered. "Thank you for your help, Countess," she added out of sheer manners: the Countess had offered as little help as she could hope to get away with.
The Countess bowed and let herself out.
It wasn't long before one the guards got bored with staring at Link and walked up to him, looking him up and down with a scowl.
"You the one that tricked the medal, uh?" the guard said.
"If I did, it was not on purpose, Sir," Link replied. "Like any other child, I had only ever intended to try and make it fly away in interesting ways."
The guard's upper lip curled a bit. "Stupid thing was obviously enchanted wrong," he said. "As if thieving scum would…"
"Guard?" Zelda suddenly said, her own brow furrowed, "are you choosing to go against the Crown's judgement and decree about the Hero's identity? In my presence?"
The guard's eyes widened and went to her. He fell into a genuflex. "No, your Highness!" he said.
Zelda's eyes narrowed but she gave a curt nod. "As you were, then," she said.
From that point on, the guards studiously ignored them, finding anything they could to keep themselves occupied, mostly ending up polishing various weapons.
Link and Zelda both let their minds wander as they waited, neither of them wanting to actually talk in the town guards' presence. Thankfully, the wait wasn't long: the guard who'd been charged with finding Angon was back with him after less than half of an hour.
Angon was frowning when he entered, and his expression soured further when he saw Link. He turned to the Princess and sketched a bow. "Your Highness," he said in a remarkably calm voice, "it is an honor. How may I be of service to you?"
Link stepped back slightly, doing his best to fade into the background. If Angon was well disposed towards the Princess, it could be enough to get the information they needed without too much hassle.
"Thank you, Master Angon," Zelda said with a soft smile. "I was hoping to benefit from your knowledge on the minish and on the sword they gifted to the Hero of Men."
Angon straightened from his bow and glanced at Link. "Are you hoping to find a second Hero who would wield the Sword of Light, your Highness?" he asked.
Link's heart fell: Angon, unlike Cellan, was talking of the Sword of Light as of a different blade than the Master Sword.
"Not at all," Zelda replied. "We were interested in a theory brought forth by Professor Cellan, in Frontier Town, that the Sword of Light was one and the same with the Master Sword."
Angon sagged and sighed. "I'm very sorry that nutcase Cellan wasted your time, Princess Zelda," he said. "Nobody in their right mind takes this theory seriously. I am so sorry," he added with another glance at Link, "but could the Sea Folk step back? This looming is exactly as terrifying as he no doubts hopes it is."
"My apologies, Master Angon," Link said, backing away another step. "I assure you I did not mean to be alarming."
He could see that Zelda's jaw had clenched. Angon, busy as he was glaring at him, did not seem to notice.
Zelda took a deep breath and forced her face back into a neutral expression. If Link could put up with this long enough to try and get some useful information out of Angon, she most certainly could do the same.
"I must admit that I had my doubt," she said. "That theory aside, however, what could you tell us of the picori and the Sword of Light? Did they forge it? Enchant it?"
Angon narrowed his eyes one last time at Link, who looked calmly on, and turned back to the Princess.
"This conversation would have been much easier if your Highness had had a regular escort rather than this b… this barbarian," he grumbled. "The picori forged the sword of light, magic and all. They fixed it, re-enchanted it, we think at least four times."
"How do they know when it is needed, I wonder?" Zelda asked.
"Best we can figure, they have a connection to it," Angon replied. "Can't ask them, unfortunately."
"Ah… so there really haven't been any successful attempt at communicating with them," the Princess said.
Angon shook his head. "Still working on it, Princess. They're around now, so we have a chance, but… so far, none of my fellow minish researchers have made any progress. If the true hero was known, he might have more luck since some most definitely did communicate with the picori."
He was glaring at Link again as he said this.
"Master Angon," Zelda said, frowning, "please refrain from questioning the Hero's identity in my presence. May I remind you that to the eyes of the Royal Family, there is no doubt at all…"
Angon's eyes had wandered to the Master Sword, and suddenly widened in horror.
"So it's true…" he muttered, stopping the Princess mid sentence.
He took a sharp inhale, and then…
"THE RUMORS ARE TRUE!" Angon screamed at the top of his lungs, rushing for the door and opening it. "THE SWORD IS DYING, YOU CAN SEE IT! DEATH TO THE IMPOSTER! SAVE THE SWORD!"
Several things happened in very quick succession.
Angon ran out, still screaming about the sword dying and how it was Link's fault and by extension, the Royal Family's.
Some of the guards turned towards them and unsheathed their swords.
Some other guards positioned themselves between Zelda and the first group of guards, drawing their weapons as well.
The last few guards seemingly decided that the best policy was to stay out of it and scampered off.
Link rushed to Zelda's side and put up his shield.
Zelda had no idea how he'd gotten it out of his pouch so quickly and through it all, she found herself frozen in shock. Guards were pointing weapons at Link while she was WITH him?
"Princess, to the back!" Link called out.
She turned to him, eyes wide. She glanced at the sword's hilt on his hip and swallowed: the damage had indeed spread to the guard and the base of the hilt. She tried to think of what to do next, debating between using their ocarinas and walking all the way back for their horses, or trying to run for it, or ordering everyone to leave Link alone.
"Forgive me," Link said, interrupting her thoughts. She tried turning towards him again, but she was lifted off the ground in a bridal carry.
She yelped in surprise: she was NOT light, nobody had lifted her in years, yet the motion had felt as if she was light as a feather.
As soon as he had her, Link took off running further in the building, away from the guards. He seemed completely unbothered by the extra weight or the fact she was blocking part of his view.
Her thoughts were still in a shamble. Weapons. Weapons had been drawn and aimed not only in Link's direction, which was already unacceptable, but aimed in her direction as well! The guards were not royal guards, but as town guards, they still swore loyalty to Hyrule!
She couldn't think, she couldn't wrap her mind around what was happening, except that she was horrified and terrified both. And what of the horses?
"PRINCESS! HERO!"
A voice, to their right.
Link turned towards it, and it was only then that Zelda noticed he'd slowed down his run.
"This way!"
Zelda lifted her head away from Link's shoulder – she hadn't realized she'd put it there in the first place – and looked towards the voice.
It was a guard, pointing at a window.
"You must go out the back!" the guard said.
Link nodded and put Zelda down. "Princess, are you all right? I'm very sorry for…"
"It's all right," Zelda cut him off. She turned to the guard. She was still so shocked by some of the guards raising their weapons at the hero and herself that she nearly asked this one why he was helping them escape. "Thank you," she said instead.
The guard swallowed and fell on his knees, his eyes trained to the floor. "Only When Evil's Bane's Need is Pressing, Only When The Weak Minded The Chosen Ones Are Oppressing, Only Then May These Words Bear Saying," he recited. "The Queen of Fairy They Must Seek, The Queen of Fairy at the tip of Cora's Beak, The Queen of Fairy on the sword's curse, havoc will wreak."
He looked up at Zelda. "These words have been passed down through generations in my family, your Highness. We were forbidden to speak them at any other time. Please forgive me. Please forgive us."
Zelda's eyes were wide. "Y…yes," she stammered. The Queen of Fairy. They had just been given the location of the Queen of Fairy by a family who'd been entrusted with the secret for generations. "You're forgiven. Of course you are. Thank you!"
She turned to Link. He already had the window opened and was crouching on the windowsill, offering her his hand. She took it, he pulled her up and they clambered out to find themselves at the edge of the forest that encircled the town.
Link turned back towards the town, put his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice, and shouted. "BUTTER! TO ME! POE! REJOIN!"
They then dove for the trees and ran.