Fan Fiction ❯ Professional Hero ❯ A new threat emerges ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter 9 - A new threat emerges

Malon opened the door of the barn and stepped inside. Her father had just begun collecting the Cucko's eggs so he would be busy for a while. That was time enough for Makei, the stable boy to finish his work and come join her in the barn. She really like him and the feeling was more than mutual. She sighed. A couple of years ago she really liked Link, but Link was a warrior, someone who fights for a living, no, she thought, as a way of life, and Makei was a good worker, a real rancher. She saw a real future with him. She blushed a little when she thought of the things they would do if he came. Maybe because she was too preoccupied with him, she didn't hear the shadow drawing closer to her.

The shadow grabbed her from behind and he held a dagger against her throat.

"Link leaves, or I'll destroy everything he holds dear." A voice hissed.

Malon froze. She couldn't say anything. She was terrified, she hadn't even been this scared when Ingo was in charge of the farm and he tried to rape her once. There was something about the voice that promised terrible things if it was defied.

"A reminder of the message you must give him." The voice said and slowly the dagger drew a red line across her cheek. "Don't worry, this won't leave a scar," the voice reassured her, "the next one will."

The shadow let her go and she fell to the ground, unable to move. Seconds later the doors opened and Makei stepped inside.

"Malon!" he shouted and ran to see why she was lying on the floor.

She was still unable to speak or move as Makei helped her up and called for Talon. He saw the mark on her cheek and looked around for a possible attacker but the barn appeared empty. Finally she could say something.

"L...Link, warn Link."

Link looked at the dagger lying in front of him on the table. It was a white blade with a fishhead on the handle. He then took the paper that Zelda had given him.

"What is this?" he asked.

"This note was left yesterday in the chambers of princess Ruto at Zora's fountain. According to the guards, no one had entered the room."

"Can you tell me anything else?"

"Just that the dagger is a Zora dagger."

Link thought for a moment. He had no problem with the Zora. So somebody had stolen the dagger, that was the only explanation. But what explained the note?

"Are you sure there isn't anything else?"

"Just that note which reads 'Link leaves'. There is nothing else."

Link looked again at the note. It was just a blank paper written on with black ink. The kind of paper and ink you could get anywhere. Could this be the great evil the Poe Collector warned him about? No, it didn't make any sense. Link got up and took his sword.

"Where are you going?" Zelda asked.

"To Zora's fountain of course. I'm going to check the chambers of the princess my self."

"You don't think we did a good job?"

Link looked slightly tired at Zelda. He had just about enough of her superiority complex.

"Don't take it personally, but I have experience in solving puzzles, and that's just what this is." He stated.

Zelda said nothing and Link took that as an apology.

"So," she broke the silence, "where's Romani?"

She said the name Romani as if she would say Ganondorf. Zelda didn't like Romani much for some reason, not after she found out Romani was engaged to Link. Link thought back at the conversation he had with Alexis after he had defeated Ganondorf. Was she mad because a simple farmgirl got the Hero of Time and he didn't beg for Zelda? Ever since he had killed the Poe Collector a few months ago the queen had come over to Link's house for all sorts of reasons, mainly to train the royal guard, but Link reclined each time. It's strange to say, but he started to dislike Zelda a bit, not really dislike her, but disliking her attitude. And Alexis had gotten colder as well, he never said more than he had to.

"Romani? She's gone to Gerudo Valley to have some girl talk with Nabooru." Link said.

Romani and Nabooru had become close ever since they started training together. Of course, Nabooru didn't like this strange girl at first, especially when she had a perfect score at the shooting range from the first time, but when she heard about the engagment she started to open up to Romani. Link smiled as he thought of Romani, like he always did, but shook his head and grabbed the dagger.

"Let's solve this puzzle." He said.

Link stepped outside his home, passed Alexis who had been waiting outside and saw the horseman coming from Lon-Lon ranch. He recognized him as Makei, Malon's boyfriend, although she wouldn't really admit it. And it didn't look good.

"Link!" Makei shouted as he got from his horse. "It's Malon, she's been attacked."

"What? Who?" Link asked.

"Just," he panted out of breath from the trip, "someone entered the barn and grabbed her."

"Is she alright?" Zelda asked.

"She's fine, her attacker just scratched her cheek and left her with a message."

"What message?" Link asked but somehow already knew.

"For Link, she didn't say what."

Link looked at Lon-Lon ranch.

"Do you have fast horses?" Link asked without looking at Zelda.

"The finest of Lon-Lon ranch." She responded.

"Fine, I'll take the fastest one."

Link, Alexis, Zelda and Makei arrived at Lon-Lon ranch and were awaited by Talon who stood at the gate.

"She's in her room." He informed Link.

Link wondered if he should check up on Malon or check the barn for clues. Ah, fuck this.

"Alexis, you check the barn, I'll go see Malon." He ordered the Sheikah.

Alexis nodded and entered the barn as Link rushed in to Malon's room with Makei right behind him. Malon sat up straight when Link entered.

"Link, you're alright." She shouted.

"It's you I'm worried about. What happened?"

"Somebody was in the barn and grabbed me. He said you had to leave or that he would destroy everything you hold dear. And this was just a warning." She pointed at the mark on her cheek.

Link looked a bit closer at the cut. It wasn't deep and it wouldn't leave a mark after some time. But this meant this stranger knew his weapons and that was bad.

"Did you see who it was?"

"No, he came up from behind." She said. "He was in the barn, but when Makei looked around, he was gone."

"Or just well hidden.," Link said quietly, "I'll check the barn and check up on Alexis, just to make sure he's not still in there."

"You'll catch him, won't you Link? You'll catch this bad man?" Romani started crying.

"Of course I will," Link comforted her, "I'm specialized in catching bad men."

He felt as if he was talking to the Romani he met all those years ago. He turned to Makei to comfort her so he could search the barn. He hated to leave her in that state, but he had to find who ever did this. What if he went after Romani?

Link left the room of the ranch girl and jumped straight down, immediately followed by Zelda.

"Didn't know you still did that." He joked.

"This dress is just because I'm forced to wear it," she responded, "let's check on Alexis."

"I'll check on Alexis," Link stopped her, "you stay here with Malon in case this guy comes back to her. You have to protect her."

"He could have attacked her while Makei was gone looking for us." She objected.

"Please, stay with Malon. For her sake. She's in shock, can't you see that?"

Zelda sighed and looked at Link. Why did he care so much for this lowely ranch girl? Or Romani for that matter? They were not right for him...

"Very well," she said, "please make sure Alexis is alright."

Link nodded and rushed to the barn.

He opened the door and looked for Alexis. The Sheikah was in the upper part, checking the roof.

"Link! How's Malon?"

"She's fine. This was another message for me to leave." Link said. "You found anything?"

"Some panels from the roof can be moved, but it seems very hard to do this without anyone noticing."

"So someone could come inside from the roof?"

"Yes, but if he did, he's very trained. The panels are heavy and the way they're stacked they seem to be attached to one another. It would take great skill and patience to remove one without touching another."

"So we have a skilled swordsman and burglar." Link muttered under his breath. "Found anything else?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." Alexis jumped down with a knife.

He showed the knife to Link who took it with a surprised look.

"But... this is..."

Alexis nodded.

"An ordinary kitchen knife."

Romani finally reached their home and knocked before she entered.

"Hey Grasshopper!" she said with a big smile but saw Link sitting at the table with a grim face, "what's the matter?"

"Yesterday Ruto received a message that I should leave, and today Malon got one, but this one was handed over personally. She's still in shock for the moment."

"Who..."

"I don't know."

Link stood up and embraced Romani.

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"Of course, Grasshopper, nobody can stop Romani." She laughed. "What was the message?"

"It was simple," Link sighed, "leave."

"You're not going to, are you?"

"I am, but only in a few months to go to Termina, stop those ghosts from taking your sister's cows, attend the Festival of Time and get married. Then I'll come back."

Romani smiled. "I guess it's the safest not to tell anyone we'll be coming back."

"I'll wait for a few weeks to say we're leaving to see if we can catch that guy. I really hope so, from what I've seen, he's good."

Romani got a little worried. Link was the best fighter there was. If he said someone was good, he was really good. But luckily, she thought, so was she. She kissed him and drew him upstairs to their bedroom to make him forget about the threats.

Nabooru opened the shades from her window and stretched herself in the moonlight. A small gust of wind passed her side and she looked down to the rip in her clothes. She looked outside but saw just the desert and the cliffs. Nabooru turned quickly around looking for the object that had past her and she saw a Gerudo dagger stuck in a wall next to a carved message.

"Link leaves..."

Link was sitting in front of the wall, looking at the carvings.

"And you say someone threw the dagger from up the cliff?"

"I think from on the cliff even." Nabooru answered.

Link turned around and looked through the window at the cliffs surrounding the valley. He whistled.

"Fuck, this guy's good."

"So, Link, what are you going to do about this?"

"I don't know who he is, I don't know his motives, I don't know anything about him," Link said, "I only know what he wants, and that's for me to leave. So I guess I'll leave."

"What? You can't leave," Nabooru said surprised, "you don't run from a fight, Link, you never have and you'll never will."

"This isn't a fight, Nabooru, someone wants me gone but he's not confronting me. If I want to protect all of you, I must leave."

Nabooru threw Link against the wall and drew a dagger. Romani was right behind her with her sword drawn.

"Don't try to tell me you're afraid, Link," Nabooru hissed, "it's not you."

"Fine, I'll tell you, because I can trust you." Link whispered.

Nabooru relaxed a bit.

"I'm leaving, not because of this lunatic, but because I have other things to do, but I will return in a few months."

"Like last time?"

"I hope nothing will come up this time, but in the mean time, I want you to figure out who wants me gone. You're a fighter, so you're up to it. Ruto's not trained and the Oracles know Malon isn't. Darunia can't really sneak up in shadows, and I don't want to bother Zelda with this."

"What about the Sheikah?"

"They have to serve the royal family, and I'm not part of the royal family. Besides, I have other reasons to leave Zelda, or the Sheikah, out of this."

A little smile rose on Nabooru's lips.

"So you want a thief to handle this? Very well, I will take care of this. You have my word."

"Good to hear that. I hope you can come to Termina in a few months to attend the wedding and then you can tell me all the news of Hyrule. But keep this a secret, I don't want anyone to know about this."

Nabooru nodded and shed her dagger.

"Don't worry, Hero, your secret is safe with me."

"And Nabooru? Don't take this guy on by yourself, he's too good."

Link looked around the room and fell really uncomfortable. All eyes were on him and he almost wished he was back in the time loop, ready to fight Ganondorf.

"As you may have heard, several people received a message to me, ordering me to leave. Because I want to know who is responsible I want to stay, but because I don't want anyone I care about being hurt, I'm leaving."

A loud murmur filled the room. Link motioned silence.

"I will go away next week and I will hope this person will confront me before that so I can stop him and I can stay, but if not, I'm feeling forced to go."

Link turned away and stepped down. The crowd started to whisper amongst themselves again about possible consequences of Link's departure. He looked to exit the room as fast as possible to avoid any hard questions but saw Zelda approaching. He wanted to turn around but Darunia and his son were blocking the way. Darunia looked at Zelda briefly and opened a door, urging his son and Link in, closing the door right in front of Zelda.

"Link, this is not you." Darunia said, politely as ever.

"I don't believe you," the kid said furiously , "first, you say Gorons are cowards when you returned the hammer, and now you're running away yourself."

Link looked severely at the boy.

"Imagine someone strong enough to hurt your father, and he will hurt him, unless you go away. What do you do?"

"No one can hurt my father."

"Oh, they could, what would you do?"

The Goron looked around uncomfortable, and then turned back to Link.

"I would leave."

"That's the same thing I have to do. But I will come back. Know this. I will return, but don't let anyone else know."

"We know you will return." Darunia said. "Such is the way of the hero. But I must ask you, do not go alone. Take Link with you."

The Goron looked up.

"Wha?"

"Take the kid with me?" Link asked.

Darunia nodded. "He's been training for almost two years now, I have nothing to teach him anymore, it is time he went out to see the world, and who is better to show him the way of the hero than you?"

Link looked at the ten year old boy who was about a head shorter than Link. Two years ago, he was begging Link not to eat him, thinking he was one of Ganondorf's minion, and now he was ready to take on Ganondorf himself. He stood there proud, with a similar haircut as Darunia which had started to grow, as he had heard, from when he started to train. That made him suddenly wonder how things were with that Goron kid from Termina. Guess he would be able to go see him.

"Very well, he can come. I would be honoured to train him."

Darunia nodded and returned to the main room of the palace as Link jumped out of the window into the palace garden.

He had forgotten to define a teleportation place for Farore's wind this time. Ah well, so he had to duck and run again, he was getting used to it. Actually he just had to stay away from...

"Link!"

Fuck.

"My queen." Link greeted Zelda.

"Why are you leaving? Don't you think we can protect you?"

"It's not me I'm worried about, but the others. You can't protect them. What are you going to do? Send a garrison of soldiers to the Lon-Lon ranch? Keep all the sages locked up in the temples? And what about the people in Termina? What if that madman decides to wreak havoc there?"

Zelda was silent for a short time and then finally nodded.

"You are right, as usual, goodbye then, Hero of Time, may you return someday."

Zelda turned and Link though he saw a tear in her eye. He hesitated for a second and then turned and ran back to his home.

A shadow sat on the roof of the milkbar, looking as Link passed through the people on the market place. He would return, oh yes, he would definitely return. The Hero of Time isn't beaten that easily. And when Link would return, he would be ready. Ready to kill Link for all that he had done, for destroying so many lives. He would have his revenge.