Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: Masquerade ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Sheik woke to sunlight pouring in through the dirty window. Romey’s silhouette blocked a large chunk of the light as she leaned close the glass. Sheik rubbed his eyes and looked for Link, but the other bed was empty.

Standing up, he stretched, groaning as the muscles in his back protested the movement. Ada looked in his direction as she leaned over the pot. Cringing, he hoped she did not offer him any of the contents.

“Did Link say where he was going?”

“Outside,” Ada said simply. Romey muttered something incoherent. Raising an eyebrow, Sheik moved to the window and looked out. Link was in his true element. The cows and sheep had been herded into the small barn and closed in while he took the simple fence apart and reassembled it over a greener piece of ground. He must have been at it all night, because he was close to done.

Despite the cool morning, he was already sweating and had removed his tunic. Sheik glanced at the young woman beside him and chuckled to see the approval in her eyes. Grinning to himself, he made his way outside. Link looked up at him.

“Really, Hero, stealing young maidens’ hearts before breakfast? I thought you weren’t interested in getting hitched yet.”

Link frowned and looked past him to the window. Romey blushed and vanished in a swirl of brown hair. He blew out a breath. “No good deed goes unpunished. I hoped I would be finished before anyone got up.”

Sheik raised an eyebrow and looked around. “Did you sleep at all?”

“No,” Link replied as he hoisted another pole onto his shoulders. “I can sleep in the saddle if I need to. You’ll get us to where we need to go.”

Sheik shouldered two poles and smiled behind his scarf. “Aww, Hero, you wound me. All this time and you don’t know me at all.”

Link picked up three more poles, bringing his total to four. “Oh I know you well enough. And I know Zelda would be very upset if she had to jail you for killing a diplomat.”

“You have me there, Hero.” He picked up two more poles of his own. “But who’s to say I won’t dump your farmboy ass and find that artifact myself.”

Link picked up the last three poles and grinned at the older man. “That’s fine. Then I don’t have to deal with Duke Buguphisbutt.” Sheik made a gagging noise and Link laughed. “Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know. Never send a royal bodyguard to do a farmboy’s job.” He laughed again and turned away to get back to work. Link yelped when a small stone struck him between the shoulders. He turned back to glare at Sheik, only to find the other man casually bouncing another stone on the toe of his boot.

It took another hour for them to finish moving the fence before they turned their attention to the animals. The cuccos and cows were simple enough, but Link had to wrestle the goats in by their horns. By the time they made their way back into the house, Ada was serving breakfast, a thin porridge. Link made a face, but ate it anyway. Sheik pushed his around the bowl, picking at what appeared to be a mix of milk and overripe fruit.

The boys finished their questionable breakfast and hurried back to work. Over the course of the morning, the two men made the small farm serviceable. It was a long way from done, but it would make it easier to manage for the time being. By the time they came in for lunch, they had a plan.

As Romey served them their food, Sheik took her hand and deposited several silver rupees in her palm. The girl gasped. “My Lord, I can’t accept this, it is far far too much.”

“Nonsense,” Link replied. “It covers our food and lodging and the errand we need you to run.”

“Me?” Romey squeaked.

“Yes,” Link said firmly. “We need you to take a message to Princess Zelda.”

“The Princess!” Romey squeaked again.

“Yes,” Sheik reached into his pouch and pulled out a rolled up scroll. It was sealed with gold wax imprinted with a Triforce. “Show this to the guards and they will let you through.”

Romey took the scroll with trembling hands. “Oh, I don’t know about this...”

“You’ll do fine,” Sheik assured her. “We’ve hitched your horses to a cart that we’ve placed protective magic on. And there is more than enough money for you to buy supplies until your farm gets going again.”

“I’ll leave right away,” she squeaked and turned to go.

Link caught her wrist before she got far. “The castle isn’t going to get up and walk away. Finish lunch first.”

After finishing their meal, they saw Romey off. Her hands still trembled as she took up the reins, but Sheik assured her it would all work out. They flanked her as she drove the cart away from the farm and towards the road. As they reached the main dirt track that led across Hyrule Field, Sheik gave the girl one more reassuring pat on the shoulder before they parted ways.

It was still another day and a half to Lake Hylia, but they set a slow pace. They had given most of their supplies to Ada and her father to tide them over until Romey’s return, so made their way towards one of the many small settlements scattered around Hyrule. As they passed the small farms, people stopped working in their fields as they passed and children ran alongside their horses.

“This is certainly different than the last trip,” Link commented as they dismounted in a town square in front of a general store.

“You mean the one where everyone was afraid for their lives and their only hope was an untrained, untried farmboy?” Sheik asked with a smile. Link kicked a rock at his head, but the older man easily dodged. They laughed as they hitched their horses and entered the store.

The man behind the counter was middle-aged with a receding hairline and a thick mustache. His blue eyes widened then narrowed as he looked them over. Sheik gave him no notice and Link only waved as they searched for their needed supplies. The store was small, and while it covered the basics, it lacked the quantity they would need for a longer journey.

Gathering what they were most in need off, they brought their purchases to the counter. The store owner still eyed them carefully and said nothing but the price. Link gave him the required rupees and he quickly vanished into the back of the shop.

“That was...odd,” Sheik said quietly as they packed their items away in their bottomless pouches. Link made a noise of agreement. Outside, they found the village deserted. Despite the many villagers they had seen on the way in, not a soul was in sight. Sheik frowned. “All this place needs is a few tumbleweeds.”

“What’s going on?” Link asked, clenching his fist as he resisted the urge to reach for his sword.

“I don’t know...” Sheik looked around carefully, hands sliding to grasp his own swords. “You go left, I’ll take right. Yell if you find anything.” Link nodded and began creeping along the side of the building. His boots made soft thunks on the wood of the porch. Dust rose on the wind and filled his nose with the scent of earth and sweat. Nothing seemed out of place, and yet...

A rock whizzed past his head and Link spun on his heel, the Master Sword singing as it slid from its sheath. A boy, no older than half a dozen summers, peered around the edge of a building, his eyes wide. Link raised an eyebrow and the boy fled. Frowning, Link followed, keeping his boots silent over the hard packed earth. He peered around the corner just in time to see the boy being hustled inside by a harried looking woman.
Sheathing his sword, Link walked up to the door and knocked. There was a sudden shuffle inside, followed by silence. Link waited, listening to the frantic whispered conversation inside. Then someone inside moved and the door slowly opened. A boy about Link’s age, maybe a summer younger, peered out at him with a carefully blank expression partly hidden behind shaggy brown hair. “How may I be of assistance, My Lord?”

Link blinked back at him, momentarily taken aback. Then he shook his head. “The village is deserted. I wanted to know if there was a problem.”

“No problem, My Lord. Just time for the midday meal is all.”

Link looked up at the sky to confirm it was well past noon. “I suppose...”

Someone inside whispered harshly and the boy stiffened. “If that is all, My Lord. I wish not to keep you any longer than you can afford.”

“No, that’s all.” Link nodded and left, surprised when the door slammed closed behind him. All around him voices whispered behind walls and closed doors. Closing his eyes, he focused on them, shutting out all else.

“...More of them...?”

“We must be cursed!”

“Do you think...?”

“Don’t say it!”

“Should we...I mean... if...”

“Someone has to go out there...”

“They are getting suspicious!”

“Why is he just standing there...what is he going to do?”

“Someone...”

“...it would look strange if only one person...”

“Together then.”

“No! Don’t go!”

“What if they...?”
Link opened his eyes, a frown creasing his forehead. He made his way back to where the horses were tied, keeping his stride long and purposeful. Sheik was waiting for him, one hand petting Blu’s nose while the other fingered a sword. Keeping his features relaxed he casually began to adjust the horse’s saddlebags. “You find anything, Hero?”

Link shook his head as he patted Nightfire’s neck. “Nothing certain, but something happened here. The people are scared...and I think it’s us they are afraid of.”

“What makes you say that?” Sheik asked, his voice still even.

“I can hear them.”

Sheik finally looked at him, then shook his head. “I’m not going to ask. What do you want to do?”

“They want us gone as quickly as possible. But that isn’t helping them,” he replied. “Just imagine if Thorvald came through here and received this kind of reception.”

“So a room at the inn then.” Sheik grinned. Then spoke loudly. “You’re right, of course, a bath and a real bed sounds wonderful.” Link resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he unhitched Nightfire and led the horse towards the town’s inn.

They were met by a young man with sandy colored hair and a stiff smile. “Welcome. How can I help you?”

“We’d like a room for the night and a bath, if it isn’t too much trouble,” Link answered. The young man shifted and glanced behind him. “We have plenty of rupees,” Link assured him. This seemed to surprise the man and he nodded mutely.

A boy hurried forward to take their horses and Sheik gave him a blue rupee. The stable boy stared at the gem in wonder before taking the horses to the stable. Sheik grinned behind his scarf. “There is a red one in it for you if you give them a bath.” The boy looked back with large eyes and nodding happily. “Perhaps, Hero,” he added in a quieter voice. “All we need to do is grease a few palms.”

Link shrugged. “It’s not like we can’t spare it. Sometimes it seems like rupees grow on trees.” They followed the young man inside and up a flight of stairs. There was only one room available and it had only one bed. The young man fidgeted again, his eyes darting to the other room with the closed door.

“This will do,” Sheik assured the man. “Flip you for the bed, Hero. Loser gets the floor.”

Link gave Sheik a sidelong look and a grin. “Sure.” To the great surprise of the young innkeeper, Sheik suddenly lunged and Link ducked. Link got his shoulder into Sheik’s ribs and flipped the older man over his back.
“Damn,” Sheik hissed. “Guess I get the floor.”

Link laughed, offering Sheik a hand up. “Fool me once.”

Sheik rolled a shoulder. “That just means I need some new tricks.” The innkeeper looked between them warily before bowing and hurrying away.

After they had settled into their room – Link offered Sheik a hammock instead of the floor – they headed down to the common room for lunch. They were surprised to find the room completely empty. In most villages the inn’s common room doubled as a place for the locals to exchange gossip over a tankard of milk or game of checkers. Only the barkeep was present, and he looked very unhappy about it.

“Something is really off here,” Sheik breathed and Link nodded. They sat at a table where a checkerboard was resting. Clearing the pieces away, Sheik set up a game of chess. A barmaid hurried out with two mugs of milk.

“What may I bring My Lords?”

Link rolled a single shoulder. “Whatever is the local favorite.”

“Make it two,” Sheik added. The barmaid shifted uncomfortably for a moment, looking back at the barkeep, then hurried away. Link had just captured Sheik’s queen when the young woman returned with their food. Link’s stomach instantly growled. While he could eat venison he’d killed himself for weeks on end, and enjoyed the exotic delicacies served to him at the palace, there was nothing like the home-cooked foods found in taverns after too much time on the road.

The girl set down two plates and carefully backed away. Each held a wooden bowl brimming with steaming hot stew and a thick slice of bread. Link did not hesitate to dip his wooden spoon into the stew and eat. He sighed happily as the maid scurried away like a frightened mouse. Sheik raised an eyebrow at her retreat, but shrugged it off in favor of pulling down his scarf and enjoying his own meal.

As soon as they finished, the barmaid reappeared and quickly gathered their dishes. As she turned her foot caught on the leg of Sheik’s chair, sending herself and the tray of dishes crashing to the floor. The sound was cacophonous in the empty tavern. The woman looked at them in horror.

“There’s no reason to be in such a hurry,” Link said kindly, reaching for a bowl that had come to rest near his boot.

“Please don’t trouble yourself, My Lord!” she squeaked. “I’ll clean it up!” She scrambled forward to grab the bowl before he could touch it, quite a feat in her ankle length dress. As she reached for a spoon near Sheik he caught her hand. She froze.
“Who hurt you?”

Link followed his line of sight to the woman’s arm, where a line of red was blooming from her elbow to her wrist. There was no tear in her sleeve and it was too straight to have been an accident.   

“It...it’s nothing, My Lord,” she stammered and tried to take her arm back. Sheik did not let go.

“It’s not nothing. Sit down before you hurt yourself.” The young woman started to protest and Sheik’s brow furrowed behind his dark hair. “I will order you if I have to.” Reluctantly the woman rose and took the chair Link moved towards her. Sheik gently unbuttoned the cuff of her sleeve while Link picked up the scattered dishes.

Rolling up her sleeve, Sheik revealed a bloody bandage made from dirty strips of cloth. He gently unwrapped the wound that was still oozing blood. Reaching into his pouch he pulled out fresh roll of bandages and a bottle of blue potion. “Drink,” he ordered, pulling the cork out with his teeth and putting it in her free hand. “Hero, get me some fresh...” Link set a large bowl of water on the table next to him, “water. Thank you. You, drink.”

“My Lord, this is very expensive. Don’t waste–”

“Fine, we can play it the hard way. I am a Lord and I order you to drink.” The girl sighed and drank as Link covered his mouth to hide a grin. Sheik dipped an unused cloth napkin into the water and carefully began cleaning the wound. Finally, he wrapped it in the bandage. Before she could retract her arm from his grasp, he placed several blue rupees in her hand. “Take a few days off and let that heal properly. If the wound gets infected you could lose your arm.”

Before she could argue, Sheik rose, taking the bowl of bloody water with him and walked to the barkeep. When he returned he gave her a grin she could not see behind the wrapping about his face. “The barkeep has agreed you won’t work for a week, so go home and rest.” The girl’s lower lip trembled, then she gave an awkward curtsy and hurried out the door. “Come on, Hero, time to snoop.” Sheik said in a low voice.

Link nodded and they split up. Sheik headed back to the barkeep and Link made his way out to the stables. He found the stable boy in the middle of bathing Blu. The large draft was basking in the attention as the young boy used a soft brush to scrub him with warm water. Nightfire had also been unsaddled and fed, another bucket standing by for his bath. The boy had even gone so far as to trim the fur around their muzzles and ears, and even put polish on their hooves. Another boy was buffing their tack into a high shine.

Both boys looked horrified at his arrival. “I’m-I’m sorry, My Lord. We haven’t finished seeing to your horses yet.”

Link gave them a grin. “It’s better to do a job right than fast. Besides, I just came to get some things out of my saddlebag.” He picked up his saddlebag and began sorting through its contents.  “Hmm...not here either. Did either of you see a bottle filled with clear purple liquid?”

Both boys looked at each other worriedly. “No, Sire, we haven’t.”

“That’s all right, it’s probably in my room. I saw that the barmaid had hurt her arm and thought a drop of Great Fairy tears was just what she needed. Do you know what happened to her? She won’t say.”

The boy cleaning the tack chewed his lip. Link reached over to pet Nightfire’s nose so he would not stare at the boy. “Well, Sire–”

“Call me Link,” he interrupted.

“Link?” The boy brushing Blu said in an awed voice. “You’re the Hero of Hyrule? That Link, sir?”

Link grinned. “That’s right.” Both boys stared at him in pure wonder for a full minute before they began bombarding him with questions. He put up his hands and they both fell quiet. “Tell you what. I’ll tell you all about the fight with Ganondorf, if you tell me what happened to the barmaid.” Both boys’ eyes widened as if he had just offered them a lifetime supply of cake. Then both began speaking at once. Link listened intently to them, a frown growing across his brow.

It was several hours later when he found Sheik in the alley between the tavern and another building, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. If Link did not know better, he would have said he was sulking. Hiding his smile, Link joined him. “Find anything interesting?”

“I might as well have the plague for all the conversation I got,” Sheik growled in return.

Link chuckled and leaned against the wall next to him. “It’s good to know I finally have something over you.” Link calmly studied his nails. “What do you say to trading that letter for the information I dug up.”

Sheik raised an eyebrow. “You must have gotten your hands on a doosy if you think it is worth that bit of blackmail.”

“Maybe it is.” Link grinned, idly playing with a stone by his foot.

“Maybe it’s not,” Sheik countered. “Show me your cards, Hero, and let’s see if your hand plays.”

“Humph. Right. Once I tell you, you’ve got no reason to cough up the letter,” Link kicked the stone into the air and caught it.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Not even as far as I can throw you.”

Sheik laughed. “I’m so proud of you right now, Hero.” He pushed off the wall. “What do you propose? What can I do to prove myself?”

Link grinned as he tossed his rock in his hand, studying the other man. Sheik raised an eyebrow in question. “That’s the rub isn’t it? I’ll just have to trust your word as my friend.”

“You wound me, Hero,” Sheik whimpered, but his smile stayed fixed in place. Link rolled his eyes and motioned for Sheik to follow. Quietly, they made their way through the backdoor of the tavern and up the stairs. He glanced up and down the short hall, then went to the room next door to their own and tried the knob. The lock clicked but the door held firm.

“Story of my life,” Link sighed and Sheik smirked. “The roundabout way then.” They slipped into their own room, and opened the window. Link glanced down at the stable and yard below, to be sure no one was around, then stood up on the sill and hoisted himself onto the roof. Sheik followed.

From the roof they could see the whole of the small village. Windows glowed with the evening fires in the fading light of twilight, and in the fields farmers were making their way home. The wind shifted, carrying the whiff of smoke and earth with it.

Despite his heavy boots, Link moved nimbly over the roof to where the window of the next room should be. Reaching over the edge, he gave the window a gentle shove inward, but it remained tightly closed. Link sighed again.

Before Sheik could ask what his next move was, Link lifted himself up on his hands at the roof’s edge, turned, and dropped. His boots hit the window with a crash of splintering wood and shattering glass.

“Now, that is an entrance,” Sheik laughed, swinging down from the roof to follow. An alarmed, elderly man was sitting up in bed, clutching his side with one hand and reaching for a club with the other. Link stood in the center of the mess he had made, his hands raised in a show of peace. “Okay, I’ll bite,” Sheik said, glancing between Link and the elderly man. “Why are we breaking into the room of an old man, and what has it got to do with anything?”

“Sheik, meet the tavern owner, Jasper,” Link introduced. “He was stabbed trying to protect his barmaid from a noble.”

Sheik’s green eyes widened then narrowed. “A noble? Who?”

“Who wants to know?” the elderly man asked in a pained hiss. “Think he will pay you well if you finish the job?”
The corner of Link’s mouth twitched. “Forgive our...intrusion. We needed to see you and there was no other way in. My name is Link and this is Sheik, Zelda’s personal guard.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “The Hero of Hyrule and Zelda’s personal guard? I’m old, not stupid, boy!” he hissed, thumping his club against the bed. He clutched his side again, blood beginning to show through the white bandage.

“Fair enough,” Link agreed and pulled off his left glove. Even Sheik’s eyes widened to see the mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand. Grabbing his hand, Sheik brought it closer for a better look. The skin was smooth and unbroken, but clearly had turned to gold. It even sparkled in the light.

“By the Goddesses...” Sheik whispered. “How long have you had this, Hero?”

Link half shrugged while Sheik continued to study his hand. “I noticed it after the Battle with Ganondorf, but I think I picked it up in the desert.” Sheik shook his head and swore.

Link gave him an amused smile as he let the older man examine his hand. Sheik withdrew his medallion and passed it to the man as well. The man took a great deal of time studying both, before raising his eyes to them.

“What brings you here, My Lords?”

“An errand for the Princess, but it is not urgent. Tell us what happened. Who did this?”

The man fingered his club uncomfortably. “I don’t know, My Lords, they gave no names and did not stay long.” He studied his club without really seeming to see it. “They were wearing traveling clothes, but at least one of them was of the nobility. He barked orders and had soft hands.” He pursed his lips. “The other...he... he wasn’t right.”

“How?” Sheik asked as he took his medallion back and tucked it away.

The man groaned as he moved to rest his back against the headboard and Link quickly moved to assist him. After he was settled, he continued. “He wore a black mask that covered his whole face. Only his eyes could be seen. He dressed all in black and blood red. But his eyes... I’ve never in all my days seen eyes like those.” The man let out a breath of air as if he had forgotten to breathe, then hissed through his teeth and clutched his side.

Link frowned. “We’ll talk more later. Right now, you need a fairy to heal that wound.”

“Go on, Hero. I’ll keep an eye on him.”

&&&

Link leaned against a tree and peered up at the sun through the leaves. He had been searching for over two hours with no luck. He could feel the pull of the Fountain, but it still felt fuzzy as if far away. But it was more than that. He could feel he was close to Kokiri Forest and the influence of the Great Deku Tree, yet the forest was oddly silent, not even birds sang in the trees.

Link closed his eyes and listened, concentrating on just the sounds around him. Without the background of the forest creatures, he could hear a great deal. But what he heard made him frown. It was an odd chattering that sounded almost like speech. Alongside it was the pinging of metal work being done and the groan of wood as it bent.

Turning towards the sound, Link notched an arrow onto his bow and crept forward. It was almost a hundred yards before he found what he was looking for. At first he thought it was a large band of bandits, but closer inspection showed they had green skin much like a bokoblin. Each of them stood about three feet tall, wore chainmail shirts, brown pants, a metal mask over their lower face, and a leather cap held on by loops around the steer horns growing from the side of their heads. Red eyes burned in sunken sockets. Each was armed with a bow, quiver of crude arrows, and a heavy club.

They had not built a simple camp either. In fact they had cleared a large area of the forest and built a fortress, complete with guard towers. A dozen of the strange creatures patrolled the upper wall, arrows notched and ready.

Link frowned at the strange creatures and cast his mind around for any new alliances Zelda or Sheik might have mentioned; but nothing came to mind. Still, he had no reason to engage them. Tucking his bow and arrow away, but checking that the Master Sword would draw easily, he backtracked the way he came and began making his way around the encampment. He cut a wide circle around the creatures’ camp, keeping one ear attuned to their chatter while trying to locate the Fairy Fountain he could still feel.

It was not until he returned to his starting point that he realized the troubling truth, the creatures’ camp was built over the Fountain.

With an exasperated sigh, Link crept back towards the camp and climbed into the trees. He shifted from branch to branch until he found a place where he could see over the encampment’s walls without being seen.

He had hoped they had camped on that spot by some mere happenstance, but it was quickly apparent they had chosen the spot. From his vantage point, Link could make out the dark patch that was the Lost Door. Many of the creatures were gathered around it, digging with little, crude shovels or their hands. After several minutes of observation, he could not decide if they were trying to get in or get something out, but it was clear they had no idea how a Lost Door worked. It was not as simple as locating one, one had to know how to open it.

He was so engrossed watching the strange creatures work, he did not see the arrow until it sliced a chunk from his ear. Smothering the pained yelp was automatic to him, but did little good as one of the sentries pointed at him, then the entirety of the camp’s guards took aim at his position.

He dropped to the ground just as a dozen arrows thumped against the tree trunk where he had been resting. Grabbing his bow, he notched an arrow and fired, killing the sentry that had spotted him in a single shot. The creatures went mad and began bubbling out of the camp like angry ants.

“Oh shit,” Link hissed. He retreated, considering his options. His single arrow had shown them not to be resilient creatures, but there were a lot of them.

More arrows whizzed past him, this time with flaming tips. Cursing, he spun and fired another shot of his own, this time pushing magic into the arrowhead. Light, pure and golden, scattered the forest shadow. It struck one of the creatures in the chest, setting it and several of those nearby off like bloody fireworks.

The ground underfoot shook and the creatures parted to allow several massive boars, each carrying two of the creatures, to charge through. Link dodged to the side, just missing being skewered on the pig’s tusks. The creatures pulled their mounts up short and turned back to face him. Link frowned. A horde of creatures was closing in from behind and their mounted units had just closed off his retreat.

The Master Sword sang as he pulled it from its sheath. Raising his shield he spun to face the advancing creatures. Red eyes burned at him through the forest gloom, and behind he could hear the boars stamping restlessly. Light bounced off the mirror bright blade, making it seem to glow in the dark.

With a cry the creatures surged forward, bows and clubs raised. Link echoed them and charged, sword ready. Arrows zipped past him wildly and he met the creatures halfway, cutting down four with a single sword stroke. He turned and slashed, cutting down creatures on all sides as they surrounded him. A club clanged off his shield, numbing his arm. But he stepped into the blow, using the shield as a battering ram to knock the creatures away.

Without shifting his stance he lunged in the opposite direction, stabbing another creature. A club caught him in the ribs and he felt something crack. Gritting his teeth, he yanked his sword back and turned on the offender, slicing its head from its shoulders.

One of the creatures gave a cry and they pulled back as one. Link glanced around him and counted at least two dozen little bodies bleeding on the ground. The creatures had formed a loose circle around him, chattering quietly to each other. Then as one they raised their bows and notched arrows.

“Wind!” Link raised his hand over his head and called on the magic Sheik had taught him. The air screamed as it whipped into a sudden cyclone around him, tearing at his clothes and ripping the bows from the creatures’ grasp. Those closest to him were even picked up and hurled through the air; crashing into their fellows and the surrounding trees.

With the wind still whipping around him, Link considered his options. Using fire in the middle of the forest was out of the question, and there was not a source of water near enough for him to call on it. Moving the earth would be almost as devastating to the forest as calling on fire. He really did not want to explain the destruction of their forest to the Kokiri if he did not absolutely have to.

He looked past the vortex of air and arrows to see the creatures had backed off, leaving the mounted units closest. It was crazy. It was stupid. Sheik would definitely kill him if he found out.

He released his hold on the magic and charged. In one swift move he swung up on the back of the boar, knocking the two surprised creatures to the ground in the process. Grabbing the reins, he wrenched the beast around to face the camp and put his heels into its sides. With a squeal, the boar took off, leaving the smaller creatures to get out of the way or be trampled. Link urged his mount faster, but found the boar moved more at a fast lumber than a gallop.

Arrows, some on fire, whizzed past him, and one struck his calf. Pain shot up his leg as the arrowhead embedded in his flesh. He looked over his shoulder to see the other mounted creatures giving chase. Hoping he could steer his cumbersome mount with his legs, Link drew his sword as the first of the creatures drew alongside.

As it turned out, the boar was less sword and more sledge hammer. It ignored his every attempt to direct its flight in favor of barreling through the forest at full tilt.

Link parried a blow from a club with his sword and slapped another creature from its mount with his shield. Another creature took a swing at him, and Link again caught the blow with his shield, but when he struck back in retaliation, he slew the creature controlling the mount instead. The boar squealed, wheeling sideways as the rider fell dead from its back, reins still gripped in its little green hands. The club wielding creature had enough time to give a startled cry before it was crushed under the pounding hooves.

The sound of arrows releasing caught Link’s ear a mere second before three shafts slammed into his back. Two more struck the boar, sending it into a maddened charge. It bucked and kicked wildly, bashing into trees and other boars without regard. All Link could do was hold on as he was thrashed around like a rag doll.

The boar hit the wooden fortress shoulder first, smashing through it with a cacophony of cracking wood and squealing pig. Link was thrown from its back to bounce off the packed earth several time before coming to rest on the now broken shafts protruding from his back. Through the haze of pain and dirt he caught sight of the Lost Door only a few feet away and with great effort shoved himself to his hands and knees.

His right leg faltered under his weight and he swore at the sight of bone puncturing the skin. Pushing off with his good leg, he all but fell headfirst into the Lost Door.

&&&

Sheik reread his letter for the third time. It was crisp, formal, and perfectly polite. A perfectly acceptable letter to send to the Princess. Its contents even a bit dull, a simple account of their travels. Anyone could pick up the letter and find nothing amiss about it. But long ago he and Zelda had developed a code. His true intentions were found only by the one who knew where to look. Satisfied he rolled the parchment and sealed it with wax.

Faris, a falcon once belonging to the Garudo king Savas, sat on the back of an empty chair, patiently cleaning his feathers while he waited for Sheik to finish his letter. When he approached with the letter, the falcon dutifully extended one leg and allowed the document to be tied on. The raptor gave his load a shake to make sure it was secure, then jumped to Sheik’s shoulder.

Sheik chuckled and gave the bird a scratch on the head as he carried it to the window. “Make sure that letter gets to Zelda safe and sound.” Faris cocked his head and gave a sharp cry, before leaping from Sheik’s shoulder and taking to the sky. Sheik watched as the bird circled overhead several times, before turning towards the castle.

He turned back toward the room when the sound of pounding feet echoed through the hallway. The door to his room was flung open and one of the stable boys stood there panting. “Master...the horse...the black horse...crazy...wild...”

Sheik shoved past the panting boy and raced down the stairs two at a time. The stable was in chaos. Nightfire was screaming as he balked and fought the rope tying him to the stall. The barkeep and several men Sheik did not recognize were trying to calm the animal without success.

Sheik shoved past them, drawing a sword. The barkeep yelled in surprise as he brought the blade down on the rope. Nightfire wheeled and screamed as he bolted from the stable. Sheik cut Blu’s lead as well and jumped on the larger Hyrulian Draft. The horse needed no encouragement to give chase.

Sheik pulled his horse up short as he crested a hill. “Oh Nayru, Hero, what have you done?”

Below, Nightfire was racing into a mob of Bublin. Link sat astride one of their boar mounts, using his sword and shield to fend off any of the creatures that got in reach. Nightfire trampled the creatures, picking up Link as he went. Sheik smiled and shook his head, drew his swords and put his heels to Blu’s flanks.

Link rode out to meet him, but halfway there he spun Nightfire back around. He raised the Master Sword overhead as the creatures charged. The battle, if it could be called that, was short and bloody. The Bublin were already in disarray, many had resorted to their clubs after having run out of arrows. Their short legs and lumbering mounts were no match for quick horses and sharp swords.

“I leave you alone for a few hours and you promptly find a hornet’s nest to kick,” Sheik growled in good humor as he pushed his black and bloody bangs out of his eyes. Both men and horses were covered in a layer of thick red gore that glistened in the midday sun.

Link grinned. “Not my fault they built their base over the Fairy Fountain.”

Sheik squeezed the bridge of his nose and chuckled in disbelief. “You took on an entire base of Bublin? What am I asking? Of course you did.”

“Is that what these things are?” Link asked, stabbing a twitching body with his sword. “I haven’t seen them before.”

“So naturally, you kill them,” Sheik chuckled, turning his horse back towards the village.

“They started it,” Link countered, searching for a clean piece of cloth to wipe his sword with.

“Nature abhors a vacuum, Hero. With most of the Moblin gone or scattered, something else has to move in. That something else is Bublin. We’re not sure where they came from, but they tend to be smarter and more organized than the Moblin or Bokoblin.”

They entered the village like the leaders in a morbid parade. Blood stained their clothes and dripped from their mounts. The villagers peeked from doors and windows, mouths opened in a mix of awe and horror.

“Let’s get cleaned up,” Sheik sighed, “Then we’ll go to the Fairy Fountain together, clean up the last of the Bublin and bottle a few fairies.”

“I never said I didn’t get the fairy,” Link grinned, holding up a bottle with a pink glowing ball of light resting in it.

“Hero, you are something else.”























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