Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: Masquerade ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

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

Link waved vaguely back at Sheik as he started up the gentle slope that led to the throne room and Jabu-Jabu’s fountain. The slick floor slowed him down, but the slope was low enough that he did not need to grapple his way up. The ball of light bobbed in his hand, casting a circle that gave him only a few feet of illumination in every direction.

His footsteps echoed in the darkness. In a place where the roar of water and the chatter of people was the norm, the sound was creepy. Unlike many of the other tunnels, the one leading up to the throne room did not branch or have rooms. It meant he only had to keep watch ahead and behind, but it also gave him nowhere to hide in a pinch. Quietly, he drew his sword.

He reached the throne room without incident. The Zoran throne room was small by comparison to the one in Hyrule castle. Part of the river that fed the waterfall bisected the room; the water frozen in crystal stillness. On his side was a small raised platform that was suspended over the water, on the other was a throne carved into the stone. He knew that behind the throne was the entrance to Jabu-Jabu’s fountain.

Sitting on the throne, his legs draped casually over one arm, was Archelaus.

“Took you long enough,” the young noble said as he cleaned his nails with a knife.

Link’s eyes narrowed and his grip on the Master Sword tightened. “What have you done?”

Archelaus did not even look up at him. “Nothing you can prove, peasant.”

Link rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. I know this dance. I’m a peasant, you’re a noble, I should lick your boots. Bite me.”

Archelaus finally looked up at him and sneered. “I see you also picked up that filthy mongrel’s manners. No matter, soon you will both be out of my hair.”

Link gave him a flat look. “Let me guess, you’ll find the artifact and use its unknown powers to take over Hyrule and be king.”

Sheik’s scream of pain rang through the domain. Archelaus gave a slow smile. “No, I’m just going to kill you.” Link spun to race back down the tunnel, but found the way blocked by a series of stalagmites that had sprung up without a sound. Behind him, Archelaus continued talking, but Link ignored him. There were only two other ways out of the room, one lead to Jabu-Jabu’s fountain, the other was the waterfall.

His boots slipped over the ice as he made the short jump from the platform to the river, but he quickly regained his balance and sprinted towards the falls. The first thing he noticed was the light. A shining orb hung over the main cavern, its light glistening off the ice, illuminating the entire main cavern in a prism effect. Link skidded to a stop at the edge of the falls, scrambling a little to keep from tumbling over. Below, Sheik had been crucified to the ice with his own swords as the man in black delighted in tormenting him.

“I can stop this, you know,” Archelaus purred as he sauntered up the river. “Just a word from me and Sarken will release the mongrel. All I ask in return is the Master Sword.”

“You son of a bitch,” Link hissed.

“It’s a simple choice.” The young noble gave him an oily smile. “What’s more important, a sword, or your friend?”

“Be a good boy and scream for me.” Sarken’s voice floated up from below, full of joy and malice. Link looked back over his shoulder to see Sarken levitate several feet off the ice and raise his hand, darkness gathering in his palm.

“Time’s up. Choose.” Archelaus extended his hand. Link glanced between the noble and Sheik. It was not a conscious decision; he did not even think about it or realize a choice had been made. In the next instant Archelaus’s eyes widened. Link heard his boot scrape across the ice, and then he was free falling. Calling up wind, he directed his flight and raised his shield, aiming for the man in black.

Link slammed into Sarken, shield first. The other man let out a shout of surprise and lost hold of his spell as Link’s weight and momentum forced him chest first to the ice. The ice cracked and groaned under the sudden weight as the two young men landed in a heap. For a moment, silence reigned, except for Sheik’s ragged breathing, then Link groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees.

“Look, then leap. Ow, Din, that hurt.”

A hand with claw-like nails shot up and grabbed him by the throat. “Not nearly as much as it is going to, boy!” Link got only a glimpse of blood-red eyes and a war painted face, before he was flung across the room like a rag doll. He hit a wall and bounced off, but as soon as he touched ice, he scrambled to his feet, sword and shield at the ready.

Sarken, however, was in no such hurry. The man in black hauled himself out of the small crater in a slow and deliberate manner. Link could not tell if he was badly hurt or simply being dramatic. Then Sarken raised his hand and flicked his wrist. Force, not of any element, neatly dodged his shield to slam into his left shoulder. He spun wildly, bouncing off the wall again. Catching himself before he fell to the ground, Link growled at Sarken. He gave his shoulder a discreet roll, the bones complained, but nothing was broken.

Sarken frowned and flicked his wrist again, but this time Link was ready. He caught the blast on his shield. The metal screamed and the force of the blow made his teeth rattle and his arm ache. Sarken hit him again and again. With each strike his frown deepened.

“What are you?” Sarken asked as he lifted his other hand and readied another blast. Link’s whole body trembled and ached from the blows to his shield, he did not want to find out what the man could do with both hands. Slamming light into his sword, he attacked. With a slice of the blade he sent an arc of light at the other man. Sarken’s eyes widened, but he was too close to dodge the attack. Sarken hit the far wall shoulders first, scattering rock and ice.

Sarken did not bounce. He hit the ice on his feet with a cat-like grace. Link pressed his advantage. The Master Sword flashed in the light as Link brought it down. Sarken slapped the blade aside with a clang then brought his hand back to Link’s chest, darkness gathered in his palm. Link abruptly reversed direction. The blast was not strong enough to do more than shove him back and his boots skidded across the ice.

He lifted his sword and shield, ready for another attack, but Sarken simply stood there. The long sleeve of his shirt was split open to reveal a metal guard. The darkness danced around his hand as he studied Link through narrowed eyes, his head tilted to one side. “You aren’t like the rest of them...and yet you look no different.” The darkness danced higher and Link began to push light into his sword again. Sarken’s eyes focused on the blade as it took on a golden glow. “Or perhaps it is not you at all.”

The darkness whipped out lightning quick and wrapped around Link’s wrist. It was colder than ice, a painful burning cold that sliced him to the bone without breaking the skin. Link yelped and yanked away, but the string of power connecting him to Sarken only stretched longer and squeezed tighter as it wound its way up his arm. Another tendril laced its way around his hand and began prying at his fingers. The harder he fought, the colder and sharper the darkness got; all the while Sarken stood by, watching impassively.

Link ground his teeth together and closed his eyes, focusing all his energy on his sword. Beyond the tendrils of painful cold he felt the blade’s warm hum, as familiar as if it had always been a part of him. He reached for it, embraced it, let it consume him. His body throbbed, and he heard the echoing voices of the spirits of the forest, water, fire, and wind. In a moment he felt the depths of Nayru’s wisdom and bounty of Din’s power, but above all he felt the boundlessness of Farore’s spirit. The mark of the Triforce on the back of his hand began to tingle.

Link opened his eyes to find the Master Sword ablaze with energy and the Triforce glowing like a beacon. The tendrils of darkness withered like dying vines. Sarken’s eyes were wide as he dropped his hold on his power. Link lunged. The blazing sword flashed forward and Sarken ducked and struck out with his foot, aiming at Link’s ribs. His foot clanged off Link’s shield. Then Link used the slab of steel and wood to slap him away.

Sarken tumbled across the ice like a tossed toy, but managed to gain his feet and launch an orb of black energy. Link was ready, batting the orb away with his sword and following it with an arch of light. The golden arc was faster, slicing through the orb before flinging the other man across the room to crash into the frozen waterfall. The ice broke, smashing and sending a rain of deadly shards down in a thunderous clatter.

Link waited, sword raised, but as the last shard shattered the Zoran Domain grew still and quiet. After a moment, he edged his way towards Sheik, who still lay pinned to the ice with his own swords.

Before he could finish crossing the distance, the ice abruptly turned back into water, plunging them both into the depths of the main pool without ceremony. Link came up sputtering then quickly dove back down after Sheik. He need not have bothered. Zora, who had been trapped in the ice, caught Sheik as they rose to the surface.

Another Zora caught his arm and helped him to shore, as well. As his boots hit earth he stood up and faced the waterfall. Some of the moss had survived the ice, leaving just barely enough light to make out vague shapes. Still, it was enough for Link to see by. The cascading water roared in the dimness, suddenly very loud after so much silence. The water below was not darkened with blood, and every moving shape his eyes picked out was Zoran.

“Lord Link, you’re bleeding,” a Zora said to his right.

“It’s nothing,” Link said, not taking his eyes off the water. “Help Sheik. And find Archelaus Thorvald. Bring him in chains if you have to.”

“But, Lord Li–”

“Now!” The Zora around him jumped in surprise, then several scurried to do as he ordered.

“Please, Lord Link,” a female Zora said this time. “Your arm.” Finally tearing his eyes away from the water, Link looked at his arm. In the still blazing light of his sword he saw the damage Sarken’s power had done. The twisting coils stretched from his fingertips to his elbow. Blood oozed from the deep lacerations and the edges puckered where the skin had been burned. Only the metal on his gauntlet had survived, the leather having been sliced to ribbons.

The light faded from his sword as the adrenaline rush ebbed, taking with it the sight of his maimed arm. He felt the Zora help him the rest of the way to shore where other Zora had gathered. He heard Kaimana’s voice giving orders, and felt someone begin field dressing his wounds. They helped him back to his feet and, at some point, he found himself in a bed. The straw mattress and thick comforter quickly guided him to sleep.

When he woke it was still dark, but pale pink light came in a steady glow from a bottle sitting on the nightstand. Inside, a fairy hovered as close to him as she could. The light also illuminated a slip of parchment held down by the bottle. He sat up and instantly regretted it. His whole body ached as if he had been run over by a herd of horses. Groaning he reached for the paper and the bottle.
As he did, his wounded arm came into view. His forearm, hand, and each finger had been wrapped in stiff, seaweed bandages that looked clean. Picking up the bottle and paper, he used the fairy light to get a better look. The pale yellow leaves were layered together to form a scale-like covering for his arm, but even with clearer light he could not see any bloodstains that would indicate the lacerated flesh beneath was still bleeding.

Satisfied, he turned to the parchment. He instantly recognized Kaimana’s curvy scrawl, but it was slanted and blotchy as if he had stopped and started writing several times.

Link,

Use the fairy and come find me when you wake. I’ll be around the main pool as much as possible.

Kaimana


Link popped the cork on the bottle and the fairy zoomed out to land on his nose. She blew him a kiss and then he was flushed with warmth. When it was over, Link found himself sitting in total darkness still stiff and sore, but to a lesser degree. Throwing off the comforter he felt the muted rush of cooler air that told him he was still fully dressed. Even his boots and sword were still on. It was just as well, he probably would have killed himself trying to find them in complete darkness.

Carefully he picked his way around the room until he found the door. The tunnels had been lit with torches every hundred feet, giving off flickering light which seemed strange in such a place. In the alien light, it took him a few tries to find his way, but he soon located the main pool.

The Zora, it looked like most of them, had gathered there. Some floated in the water, some stood in the shallows or on the bank. But they all hung close together, inside the perceived safety of the orange torchlight. Kaimana stood on a rock sticking out of the water, making him a head taller than the rest as he spoke. The queen and king were nowhere in sight.

As he came into the circle of torches, the Zora made way. Kaimana stepped down from his rock and placed his hands on Link’s shoulders. “Sheik will be okay. He needs rest, but he will be fine in a few days.” There was a sad sort of smile on his face. Link felt himself relax a few degrees. “Now tell me what in the name of the Goddesses is going on.”

Taking a deep breath, Link related the evening. Everyone listened intently. When he finished, it was Kaimana’s turn to take a deep breath. He bowed his head, seeming to collect himself before he looked at Link again. “I am once again in your debt. You have saved my people for a second time. Without you we would have all frozen to death.”

Link glanced around at the Zora, the bottom of his stomach falling away. “Where is everyone?”

“Lighting torches, tending those waking more slowly, assessing damage, inventorying supplies...” he faltered for a moment. “Preparing funerals for those who did not wake.”

“The eggs in the nursery...”

“Their fate still remains to be seen.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You have no reason to be sorry. Go check on Sheik. You know the way.” He put a hand on Link’s shoulder again. “When you are ready, we need to speak in private.”

“Archelaus? Sarken?”

Kaimana smiled. “We will talk later.” Link nodded and made his way back into the tunnels. He found Sheik in the same room just past the nursery where he had recovered during their last visit to the Zora Domain. This time, however, he was not dying. A torch had been lit in the room and Sheik sat up in bed nursing a bottle of potion and watching his hand.

“Hey,” Link greeted.

“You know, Hero,” Sheik said without looking up. “You never cease to amaze. Just when I think I have you figured out, you go and do something like this.”

Link rubbed the back of his head and grinned. “Jumping off a frozen waterfall was kind of stupid.”

“Kind of stupid? It was reckless, boneheaded, foolish, suicidal, and one of the bravest things I’ve ever seen anyone do.” Sheik finally looked up at him. His mask was missing and the scar made his smile stretch oddly. “But that wasn’t what I was talking about.” He finished his potion and covered his face. “There at the end you...glowed. Not just your sword, but your hand too. How did you do that?”

Link only shrugged as he began to peel the seaweed bandage off his arm. Under neither the skin was almost perfect, except for a faint, thin scar that coiled and twisted around his forearm. The scar was not discolored but smooth and shiny. Link gave his hand an experimental squeeze, but did not feel any loss of mobility. He gave Sheik a lopsided grin. “Maybe I can pull them out of my boot when I need them.” Sheik laughed, but it quickly turned into a cough. “Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine, Hero. Nothing this,” he held up the potion bottle, giving it a little shake, “and some rest can’t fix.”

“Then I should leave you to it. How long are you going to need?”

“A few days at least,” Sheik replied as he lay back down. “That jackass gave me a serious beating. If you think you need to go on ahead, I’ll catch up to you.”

“That’s not it.” He pulled out his shield. The steel was warped and bent with numerous dents and the wood behind was cracked and splintered. “I need a new shield.”

Sheik propped himself back up on one elbow and touched the ruined shield. “Holy Din.” He shook his head. “I don’t know where or even if you can get a new shield around here. You’ll have to talk to Kaimana.”

Link nodded and put the shield away. “He wanted to talk to me anyway.”

Sheik’s brow furrowed. “What about?”

“He didn’t say.” Link frowned. “Should I be worried?”

“There’s no helping it. You better just go.”

“All right. You rest.”

Link left the room as Sheik lay back down. The tunnels were still empty as he made his way back to the main pool. The Zora still huddled together in the light of the torches with the guards standing on the outer edge. They began bowing as he approached. Kaimana was not among them. One of the guards directed him to the throne room. As he turned to walk away, two of them flanked him.

“You should stay here. I know the way.”

“His Majesty has ordered that no one be alone until all the tunnels can be cleared,” the female guard answered. “If something happened to you, he would de-scale us all.”

Link sighed, too tired to argue. “What are your names?”

“Hokulani, My Lord,” the female answered.

“Kaleo,” the male replied. “It is an honor to serve you, Lord Link.”

“It is nice to meet you both.” They walked him to the throne room, where they took their places next to another pair of guards that flanked the doorway. Link walked in. Kaimana sat on the throne, his elbow resting on his knees, his head in his hands. “Kaimana?”

The Zoran Prince looked up at him, eyes tired. “Link. Welcome. How is Sheik?”

“Good.” Link stepped up onto the small platform, the same one he had stood on mere hours ago. “What did you need to talk about? Or do we need to wait for the King and Queen?”

Kaimana took a deep breath and sat up fully on the throne. “They are among those who did not wake. I am the King Zora now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I told you not to apologize. You’ve done too much for my people to be sorry for things beyond your control.”

Link lifted his chin, then dropped to one knee. “How may I serve you, Your Majesty?

“You can start by never doing that again.” Link could hear the amusement in Kaimana’s voice despite the weariness. Link stood up and smiled a little. “And I will always be Kaimana to you.” He let out a breath. “But to business. I need you to make a formal complaint to Hyrule about this incident.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because we have no proof. There is no ice anywhere in the domain, no one remembers anything, Archelaus and his servant are nowhere to be found, and we have a lot of unexplained deaths, including my parents. Without proof I cannot accuse a noble of another kingdom of mass murder. It would more than likely blow up in my face. Positive relations between the Zora and Hyrule are essential to both races. You are Hyrulian, and you are both a noble and have good standing with the Royal family and the people in general. If you make the accusation it will hold more water.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Just give your account of events in writing and send it to the Hyrule Royal family.” Kaimana produced a piece of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. “Preferably as soon as possible.”

Link chuckled. “I can do that.” A guard appeared from behind the throne. He took the parchment, ink, and quill onto a tray and walked around the small ledge that connected the throne to the lower half of the room and presented them to Link. “Got anything to write on?” The guard set the items aside and flipped the tray over and set it on the floor. It created a low table. Link sat down and began to write, Kaimana did not interrupt. When he finished the guard took the whole thing away. “Anything else?’
“Not at the moment,” the young king sighed. “But I will let you know.”

Link nodded. “In the meantime can you tell me where to get a new shield?” He lifted the battered metal plate for Kaimana to see. The Zora’s brow lifted.

“Wow.” He sat back in his seat. “The Zora don’t use many weapons, but we do have use for some metal work. All I can offer you is the use of our forge.”

Link frowned as he put his shield away. “I’ve never done something as large and complicated as a shield, but I think I can make something passable.”

“One of the guards will show you the way.”

Link bowed, recognizing the dismissal.

&&&

The forge was surprisingly cool. Wood was stacked to shoulder height along the wall to his right. The anvil, water bucket, and furnace stood on his left. Hammers, tongs, and other tools hung on the walls. Everything was neat, tidy, well maintained, and clearly had not been used in a long time. The water bucket was empty and the furnace had long ago been cleaned of ash. There was no spare metal to work with.

“What else can I do for you, My Lord?” Kaleo asked.

“I’ll need water brought up for the bucket, and do you know where I can find some metal?”

Kaleo made a face. “We usually trade with the Gorons for rare metals. They are kept in the treasury until they are needed. But more common ores are sometimes washed out of the mountains and end up in Hylia.”

“Then I guess I will need to borrow a hippocampus as well.”

In all the chaos, it took less time than Link expected to get underway. It turned out that the network of submerged tunnels had not been frozen more than a few yard from where they connected to the Domain. Already Zora had been sent to collect moss from the walls that would be brought back to replenish what had been lost. When his request was made, Kaimana’s own mount was brought to him along with another to use as a pack mule.

Tying the water cloth around his nose and mouth, he directed the horse down into the tunnels. Hakulani, on a hippocampus the color of sand, accompanied him. Link was glad for the help; the Zoran tunnels were confusing on the best of days, in the dark there was no telling where he would end up.

Along the way they passed several groups of Zora who were gathering mossy rocks or carefully chipping pieces from the wall. Each rock was wrapped in cloth and tucked safely away into the pack of a hippocampus. As they passed, the Zora took time to make polite gestures in his direction. “How is collecting these rocks going to help?” Link asked the guard.

The female Zora nodded towards a place where a new tunnel was under construction. It went beyond the light of the glowing moss, but around the edges of the tunnel the moss had begun to creep along the walls. “The Luminus Moss is quit invasive when conditions are to its liking. By taking it back to the Domain, it will eventually replace what was lost. In the meantime, it will light the pathways.”

They emerged at the bottom of Lake Hylia, and Link realized it must be very early in the morning. The water was grey and cold, the surface overhead calm but clouded by fog. In the gloom he could make out where the temple of the water spirit once stood. Fish swam lazily by, taking no notice of them.

Link frowned. “Okay, I admit I have no idea where to start looking.”

The guard chuckled. “The river mouth that flows down from Death Mountain is on the far side of the lake. It is where we find most ores. But occasionally we find some from mouths that flow from the mountain range beyond Hyrule’s borders.” Link nodded and followed Hakulani to the river mouth. They tied the hippocampii and swam against the river flow to where the soft sand and tumbled river rocks spilled into the lake in a fanning cascade.

Most of the rocks were nothing special. Grays and browns were the dominate colors, but each had been tumbled smooth so that it gleamed even in the morning light. Among the common rocks were a light smattering of precious stones. They too had been tumbled smooth, but they glittered more than shone.

“His Majesty said you may have whatever you wish,” Hakulani said with a knowing smile. She offered him a basket made of stiff seaweed. Then she dug her hands into the sand and raked it down. Sand and rocks slid deeper into the lake. Link followed her example. It took the better part of the day, but between the two of them and several river mouths, they collected a dozen gray lumps of iron, plus dozens of other metals and gems that would be taken and put into storage.

By the time they returned to the Domain and put everything away, Link had just enough energy to shove some food into his mouth and fall into bed.

“So what exactly is the plan here?”

Link groaned and put a pillow over his face. “Go away.”

The pillow was snatched away. “Is that anyway to speak to a Goddess, especially one that can kick your ass?”
Link sat up on his elbows and glared at the red-haired Goddess who had flopped down on the bed next to him. Din looked just as she had when he last saw her; red hair braided down her back, red tunic, tan pants, heavy boots, and everything trimmed in gold. “I’m tired, what do you want?” He glanced over at the bed Sheik slept in, but the other man was out cold.

Din smiled. “Relax, he won’t wake. And I wish to know what you are going to do about your shield.”

“Repair it until I can replace it,” Link said flatly.

“You aren’t a smith of any kind. What would you know about shield making?”

Link flopped back down. “It can’t be that hard. Melt, shape, cool. Simple.”

“Ahh. Boundless courage without the knowledge or the skill to go along with it. No wonder Farore chose you.”

“Meaning what?” Link gave a sigh that turned into a yawn.

“Meaning you’re more likely to burn your arm off than make a usable shield.” She propped herself up on one elbow and smiled down at him. “But I can help you.”

Link narrowed his eyes at her. “Why?”

“Because I love my little sister, and she does so worry about you. Plus you have no idea what you are going up against and are very likely to get yourself killed.”

Link sat up fully. “What was he?”

Din did not answer right away. “I cannot tell you that without affecting the choices you will make in the future. However, I can give you a tool with which to fight.”

Link closed his eyes. “Okay.”

&&&

“Sheik, wake up.” Sheik came awake to find Kaimana gently shaking his arm. He had to blink a few times at his friend before he managed to sit up.

“What’s wrong?” He scrubbed at his face in an attempt to wake up. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Link’s bed had been used, but the younger man was nowhere to be seen. “Where’s Link?”

Kaimana frowned. “Link is the problem.”

“What?” Sheik asked as he fumbled at his clothes.

“He’s...I think he is sleepwalking. Or more correctly, he’s sleep forging.”

Sheik raised a hand for silence. “Kaimana, I am half asleep and have a throbbing headache. What are you talking about?”

The Zora let out a breath. “I told Link he could use the forge to fix his shield.”

Sheik made a face before tying on his mask. “Does he know how to use one?”

“I don’t know. But he went to the lake to gather materials swept down from the mountains. I thought he would start tomorrow, but one of the guards saw him starting the fires. He’s not acting like himself. I’m worried.”

Sheik pushed himself to his feet. His body was still a little sore, but nothing that would slow him down. “What do you mean by ‘not himself’?”

“He’s...he’s barking orders. He snapped at me.” Sheik raised a dark eyebrow at him. “I don’t know how else to explain it. You have to see for yourself.” They walked out into the tunnels, now dark except for the regular intervals of moss covered rocks. Kaimana led the way to the forge, where the red glow of fire poured out into the hall. The moist coolness of the Domain quickly gave way to a dry heat and the smell of wood smoke.

“Link?” Sheik asked as he looked around the corner. Link stood shirtless before the smelting pot working the billows. The red light playing over his sweating skin showed just how much muscle he had put on in the recent year.

Then he turned and looked at them. His blond hair was matted to his forehead and he used his arm to swipe it away from his red eyes. “What? I’m busy.”

“Sorry,” Sheik said as he raised both hands in a gesture of peace. “You are scaring people is all.”

“I have limited time and much to do. Leave me.” Link turned back to his work, dismissing them both. Sheik caught Kaimana’s arm and pulled him from the room.

“Post some guards to make sure he isn’t bothered, and someone to take care of him if he passes out.”

“Do you know what is going on?” Kaimana asked, looking over his shoulder.

“Not exactly. I have some ideas, but nothing definitive. I’ve only seen him like this once before, and he got seriously sick afterwards.”

Kiamana’s brow furrowed. “Sick how?”

Sheik closed his eyes and shook his head. “Pain, terrible pain, for days afterwards. I’ve never seen anything like it. And that was after only a few minutes like this. If he’s going to forge a whole shield like this, it may very well kill him. Or at the very least make him wish he was dead.”

The young king nodded. “Stay with him until I can get guards on rotation. It may be a while; everything is still stretched pretty thin.”

“Send food and water this way. I’ll see if I can get him to at least take a few breaks.”











< br>









Converting /tmp/php6eg9GY to /dev/stdout