Chapter 5
Hyrule Field
Zelda couldn't remember ever being this bored.
She was stuck in a carriage as it meandered
between the rugged hills that marked the border
of Eldin Province. As was her father's custom,
he had spent the last two weeks visiting one
of the six forts that bordered the kingdom,
conducting business and seeing to any concerns
that were brought to his attention. In previous
years Zelda had remained at Castletown, but
now her father believed she was old enough
to become more acquainted with Hyrule's provinces
and the business of running the kingdom.
There was little for Zelda to do now except
peer at the passing countryside or watch the
rest of her father's entourage. It was no
small group: the king rode in a second carriage
and two columns of Hyrulean Royal guards clustered
around the carriages in a protective formation.
Added to that were her father's attendants,
her own attendants, the men looking after
the horse teams, and other servants who saw
to the party's needs. In her father's estimation,
this was only a tiny company.
Zelda watched the guards mounted upon their
fine steeds as they kept a steady pace beside
the carriage. She recognized many of them,
for they had been in her father's service
for as long as she could remember.
She longed to be outside, riding upon one
of the majestic steeds the guard's rode. There
were few things that Zelda disliked as much
as being confined. She had longed to be free
of the castle and to explore the fascinating
hive of activity that was Castletown. It was
a foolish thing to hope; her attendants wouldn't
allow it. They already disliked her habit
of slipping away from them or anyone else
who was watching her. Sometimes, Zelda enjoyed
playing in the palace grounds or mucking around
in the stables. Except for her attendants,
most of the castle staff were used to this.
Zelda's maids could often be found madly searching
for her, before dragging her back to her chambers
with as much dignity as they could maintain.
They would exclaim wildly at her dirt-smeared
dress and then proclaim that she was expected
to behave in a manner appropriate to her station.
Zelda's step-mother encouraged her play, but
Zelda's father was a different story. He would
often lecture her about the proper etiquette
she must observe as his daughter and Hyrule's
future monarch.
As for Impa, Zelda was sure she found her
antics amusing. Sometimes, she'd even let
Zelda practice swordplay with her young half-brother,
Prince Ewan, under her watchful eye. That
was of course whenever Ewan wasn't trying
to play a game of 'rescue the princess'. He
loved plays, and these were his favorite kind.
They were just something her brother made
up. He would play the part of a gallant hero,
and Zelda would be the damsel in distress.
Zelda hated this, and she hated Ewan calling
her the distressed damsel. Their games always
ended the same way: Ewan would rescue the
princess from the tower, the dragon, or whatever
other misfortune had befallen her. Really,
why couldn't he be the one in distress for
once?
"You seem bored, princess."
Startled, Zelda turned to see Impa regarding
her from over the top of a book. The Sheikah's
red eyes and stern gaze had a tendency to
unnerve people, but Zelda wasn't bothered
by it.
"I'm not bored," Zelda countered.
"Hmm..." Impa did not appear convinced. "Truly,
Zelda, you complained about not getting out
of the castle for months. I suggest you enjoy
it while you can."
"This is hardly outside," Zelda pointed out,
gesturing at the carriage.
"No..." Impa conceded. "I suppose not, but
if you need something to do, you can help
me with some of these scrolls." She gestured
to her satchel, and Zelda was sure she could
see the barest hint of a wry smile. The scrolls
were in Sheikah script andZelda had no doubt
they weren't light reading. They were probably
writings about herblore or the origins of
the Flow of Magic and the denizens of the
Sacred Realm.
"Can't I just ride for a bit? Silver must
be getting lonely," Zelda asked, skirting
past Impa's question and earning herself a
very faint scowl.
Silver, Impa's horse, was a white mare who
was very tolerant of Zelda riding in her saddle.
Zelda liked the animal; she wasn't as flighty
as some of the other horses in Stablemaster
Belon's care.
"Silver has an entire team of stable hands
to attend to her needs," Impa said, though
her mouth twitched in a smile. "She will be
quite content, I assure you."
"They don't know how to look after her very
well," Zelda objected. Well, Master Lon, the
stablemaster did, but he was back at the castle.
"Can't I just ride her for a short while?"
Zelda looked at Impa with pleading eyes. "I
won't go far, and nobody in their right mind
would attack us with all these guards watching."
"You know I cannot allow it, Zelda," Impa's
tone became severe, and Zelda knew she was
testing the Sheikah's patience. "And I have
taught you enough to know that being complacent-"
"I know," Zelda said, exasperated. She sank
back into her seat, annoyed.
"Perhaps we can practice your Gerudic?" Impa
suggested mildly. "The Gerudo emissary will
arrive soon and to speak their tongue would
be seen as a sign of respect... Zelda, I heard
that."
Zelda hadn't meant to groan.
"Can I do it later?" she pleaded. "I won't
forget to attend my lessons this time. I promise."
She was meant to be learning Gerudic, but
their script and tongue seemed so strange
and difficult to master.
"Very well. I will hold you to that, and if
you do not attend to your lessons, there will
be consequences. In the meantime, why don't
you try sleeping for a bit?" Impa suggested
in a milder tone. "We'll be home before you
know it."
Zelda was tired. Odd, she hadn't felt tired
a few moments ago. She almost cast Impa an
accusatory glare, as if she was somehow responsible
for the sudden rush of fatigue. Zelda yawned.
"Fine," she said, grabbing a cushion and trying
to make herself comfortable. "Maybe I will."
"Good," Impa said soothingly. "I'll wake you
when we arrive."
As she lay back into her cushion, Zelda watched
the smoke curling from the chimney of a nearby
homestead. Several children stood by the stone
wall that encircled the dwelling, one small
child hoisted upon the shoulders of what Zelda
assumed was his sibling. They all gawked in
wonder as the entourage rode by, unphased
by the sight of the grim-faced guards.
For a time, Zelda listened to the rhythmic
clop clop clop of the horse team that drove
the carriage. Her eyelids felt heavy, and
she felt herself nodding off to sleep...
A violent jolt rocked the carriage as it came
to a sudden halt. Zelda was flung from her
seat and into the wall opposite. She hit it
with a squeal of fright.
Zelda was in half a mind to yell something
at the driver, but Impa wouldn't be pleased
if she did. She scrambled back into her seat,
puzzled that her nurse had said nothing. To
her shock, Impa was no longer there. Zelda
had neither heard the door open nor noticed
Impa move. Impa was good at slipping away
unnoticed (she was Sheikah) but Zelda was
sure she wasn't that good.
Confused, Zelda turned to the door and gasped
when she saw thick storm clouds rolling in
from all directions. They blotted out the
sun and cast a shadow across the lands. Soon,
darkness cloaked Zelda's surroundings. With
a trembling hand, she grabbed the carriage
door and pushed it open. Quickly stepping
out of the carriage, her feet landed on brown
withered grass. Zelda stared- only minutes
ago she had been looking upon a sea of lush
green grass. Now it looked dead, and Zelda's
confusion mounted as she turned back to the
carriage.
It was no longer there, and neither was her
father's entourage. The attendants, the soldiers,
and the servants were all gone.
Zelda looked back towards the woods. Thick
tendrils of black mist were creeping around
the trees, growing thicker as they reached
the road.
It was some kind of magic, possibly Shadow
magic, but Zelda wasn't sure. Her tutors had
taught her about the practice of shadow magic,
but she'd never heard of anything like this.
Thunder growled in the distance and the strange
fog reached her, darkness engulfing her instantly.
She could hear voices whispering a strange
and guttural tongue. Zelda felt terrified.
She turned, hauling herself off the ground,
and ran. What had seemed like the mere fantasy
of child's play was coming to life around
her, and this time, there was no young prince
about to save her.
The whispers followed her, and Zelda cried
out as her foot struck something. Tumbling,
she shrieked as she hit the ground.
A few moments of frightened panic later, Zelda
realized what she'd tripped over. It was her
father's banner with the Triforce above the
soaring red wings of a phoenix. The fabric
was charred and torn, both the phoenix and
the Sacred Triforce barely recognizable upon
the blackened fabric. A second standard lay
nearby, bearing an emblem of a red lion running
upon a blue field. It was the banner of House
Harkinian- the royal house of Zelda's mother.
Zelda caught the acrid scent of smoke upon
the air. She could taste it in her mouth too.
She called out to Impa, her father. or anyone
else to save her.
Only the whispers answered.
She wouldn't have complained if Ewan jumped
in front of her and laughed, exclaiming that
this was just an elaborate trick.
Unable to breathe, her lungs burning from
the smoke, Zelda collapsed. She had to get
out of here. Keeping low, she scrambled across
the barren earth, trying to get away from
the whispers. Zelda had almost resigned any
hope of aid when the ground rumbled. Bright,
radiant light erupted all around her, becoming
a beacon in the darkness.
The black mist seemed to tremble like a living
thing, and then it recoiled, fleeing in all
directions. As Zelda looked up, her eyes watering,
she glimpsed a figure beneath the bright plume
of emerald light. As it faded, Zelda saw a
boy holding an emerald wrapped in a golden
wreath. He was wearing the most unusual attire-
a green tunic and a funnel-shaped hat. A fairy
hovered beside him, and Zelda guessed that
this boy was a Kokiri.
Impa had read her stories about the elusive
forest children when Zelda was younger. She
even claimed she'd seen them before, but that
was impossible; the Kokiri never let anyone
see them. Not even a Sheikah, some of whom
could traverse the woods for a brief amount
of time, though they seldom dared to.
As the light faded, the storm clouds rapidly
dispersed. Zelda hardly noticed this; she
was still staring at the boy as he walked
towards her.
"Who are you?" she demanded. She hadn't meant
to sound that forceful and almost winced at
her tone.
"Link," the boy replied before introducing
the fairy flying beside him. "The Great Deku
Tree told us to find you."
Great Deku Tree?
That name sounded familiar, but Zelda wasn't
sure why.
Then everything was cloaked in darkness, as
though someone had thrown a blindfold over
her eyes. She gasped, stumbling backward as
she brought her hands to her face. She fell,
plunging into endless darkness. Her stomach
dropped, and she screamed as she fell deeper
and deeper into that void. Then she felt something
tugging at her mind, urging her to go back.
Go back where?
That pull came again, tugging at her urgently.
Abruptly, she yielded to it.
She awoke to Impa shaking her by the shoulders.
The red-eyed woman was staring at her with
grave concern.
"Impa," Zelda said, disorientated. "Where
are we?"
"We're home," Impa replied.
A polite cough from somewhere beside her caught
her attention. A man was holding the carriage
door open, a hand held out to assist her.
Zelda ignored him, taking in the familiar
surroundings of Hyrule Castle to reassure
herself that she was safe. Steeling herself,
she tried to shake off the dizzy spell that
threatened to make her retch. The last thing
she wanted to do with half her attendants
watching was to accidentally vomit on someone.
"You are dreadfully pale, Zelda. Are you feeling
ill?" Impa asked, looking at the princess
worriedly.
"No, I am fine," Zelda lied. "It was just
a nightmare."
Impa stepped out of the carriage and Zelda
accepted her attendant's offer of help as
she alighted from the carriage. Her wobbly
legs made it difficult to stand, but she didn't
want half the castle staff thinking she was
ill. As always happened in a castle of such
grandeur, every living thing in several miles
would know Zelda wasn't feeling well if she
made a fuss. Nothing in her life was ever
private.
Impa came to stand by her side, exchanging
a few words with the attendant standing beside
the carriage, who bowed and left.
"Come, princess," Impa said, offering Zelda
a hand which she accepted gratefully. She
barely noticed Impa quietly ordering someone
to fetch her physician while someone else
suggested some hot tea and herbs. They, at
least, would be quiet, knowing they would
face Impa's wrath if they weren't.
Zelda didn't protest as Impa steered her to
the palace's gilded front doors. She was still
dwelling upon that peculiar dream. One thing
she was certain of- it hadn't been an ordinary
nightmare.
For as long as she could remember, Zelda had
experienced strange but simple premonitions
before. Yet, whenever she had explained these
to her father, he had just dismissed them
as simple coincidences. Only Impa seemed to
think that she might possess an ability once
thought to be unique to the Sheikah. If her
dream had been a premonition, it hadn't been
a very good one; it hadn't made a lot of sense...
except for one thing.
Something terrible was about to happen, and
that boy, whoever he was, stood at the heart
of it all.
~ 0 ~
By midday, after hours of jogging along the
winding road, Link's wonder at the open vista
of Hyrule Field was wearing off. The path
meandered between an endless sea of rocky
hills swathed in golden grass. Sweat trickled
down Link's blisteringly hot face, and his
limbs ached from exhaustion. He'd lost count
of the number of times he'd asked Navi how
much further they had to go. Eventually, she
tired of his persistent questions and distracted
him by teaching him Hylian.
Navi tried simple phrases, and then introductions,
but she didn't get further than that. In the
end, attempting to say, "My name is Link and
I am a Kokiri," in Hylian somehow turned into
"My name is Link and I am a pumpkin."
"You're lying," Link protested when Navi corrected
him. "I didn't say that!"
"You did."
Navi's chagrin quickly dissolved into a fit
of laughter. It was a wonder she managed to
keep herself aloft and not fall out of the
air.
"Oh dear," she gasped. "The look on your face...
I..."
She struggled to form words through her laughter,
"That... Just... Try not to say that in front
of Zelda."
"Yeah," Link muttered dryly, not sharing her
amusement. "I'm sure she'd be really impressed."
Navi quietened down, her mirth quickly fading
as she remembered just how far they had to
go. Castletown was a long way, and it would
take at least three days to get there.
That's what Navi estimated.
Panting for breath, Link paused to take a
gulp from his waterskin.
"Lon Lon isn't much further," Navi assured
him. "There should be somewhere we can stay
there. I'm not sure what to do about rupees.
We will need some."
"Where can we get rupees?" Link asked her,
not even quite sure what rupees were."
Navi laughed. "We can't just get some. Hylians
use them in exchange for goods or some kind
of service. You get them by working, you know,
like Mido gets the others to do."
Link fell quiet at the mention of Mido's name.
No doubt the boy had woken up by now, and
Link wondered just what he was doing, aside
from nursing a headache.
"I'm sorry," Navi said, noticing his crestfallen
demeanor. "I shouldn't have brought that up."
"It's okay," Link said with a sigh.
They kept walking in silence. After another
hour of this, Link spotted a single lone tree
close to the roadside. Its thick broad canopy
offered ample shade. Eager for a quick respite,
Link trotted over and sank down against its
trunk. The shade seemed wonderfully cool,
and he shut his eyes for a second, letting
the cool wind brush against him. Unfortunately,
Navi was determined to make sure they did
something productive. Such as planning ahead.
"I've been thinking," Navi started as Link
stared at her out of one eye, wishing she'd
just give him a second to rest.
She didn't.
"The Great Deku Tree never mentioned how we
were going to see Princess Zelda," Navi pondered.
"I have seen Hyrule Castle before. It's well-protected
not to mention enormous-" half listening,
Link withdrew his waterskin, taking a few
more gulps of water.
"There are guards everywhere," Navi went on.
"We won't be able to just walk up to the front
door and ask for her. Especially if you call
yourself a pumpkin again."
Link choked, spraying a mouthful of water
over himself. He almost drenched Navi too,
but she darted away with a squeak. That might
have amused Link if he hadn't been so busy
coughing and spluttering.
"Thanks, Navi," he gasped when he could finally
speak.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Still spluttering, and wiping his now runny
nose on his sleeve, Link nodded.
"What were you saying?" he asked at last.
"The princess, we need to get an audience
with her... somehow," Navi reminded him.
"What if I tell the guards we're on an urgent
quest to save Hyrule?" Link asked, one hand
still clasped to his throat. "I could show
them the stone."
Navi's chuckle irritated him.
"I don't think that would work," she said.
"Why not?"
Navi sighed and smacked a hand against her
forehead. This wasn't the response Link had
been expecting. He frowned, which didn't escape
Navi's notice.
"I keep forgetting how much you don't know,"
she explained.
Link felt a stab of hurt at this. It wasn't
his fault he didn't understand. The anger
must have shown on his face, because Navi
hastily added, "They would probably think
the stone was a nicely made replica. Besides,
you're a child."
"So?"
Another frustrated sigh.
"The Hylians aren't about to take the words
of a ten-year-old boy seriously," Navi said
with poorly disguised annoyance. "That's probably
why the Great Deku Tree did not tell us to
go straight to the king."
"How do we get to Zelda then?"
Navi looked thoughtful as she zipped in front
of him. "Maybe," she said at last, "We can
take a look around when we get there. Hyrule
Castle is ancient. The kings that ruled during
Hyrule's wars were bound to have some way
of getting out of the castle. You know, in
case something happened to it. Maybe we can
find a hidden tunnel?"
"How are we going to find a hidden tunnel?"
Link felt a rising sense of exasperation.
"If I fly into the castle, I can locate the
tunnel and guide you to it," Navi said. "It
might take a little while, but we'll find
a way."
Link did not like this idea. Why would someone
build a secret tunnel and then not keep it
under a tight guard?
Just then, something large and heavy landed
in the branches of their tree with a loud
crunch, showering both fairy and boy in leaves
and twigs.
The source of the disturbance was an enormous
eagle-owl. It was busily peering at him with
keen interest and was far bigger than any
bird Link had ever seen. It was bigger than
he was!
It kept staring. He wondered if it was it
just curious or if it was contemplating Kokiri
for lunch. One hand settled on his bag, ready
to draw his slingshot. He looked at Navi,
who to his surprise was not alarmed. In fact,
she was scowling at the owl in clear annoyance.
"Kaepora," Navi said, not sounding very happy
to see the animal, "nice to see you."
Nice was not a word Link would have used to
describe Navi's frosty tone.
"It's Kaepora Gabora," the owl replied in
Kokiri. Link gasped.
"Navi, it can talk!" he exclaimed. For a moment,
he envisaged that he had somehow come to
possess Saria's gift.
"Surely, you have heard of me?" the owl asked,
tilting its head and scrutinizing him.
"Umm... no, I haven't..." Link said blankly,
shifting his feet as the owl continued its
unflinching stare.
"Kaepora knew the Great Deku Tree," Navi quickly
explained.
"Yes, indeed I did. It was he who asked me
to keep an eye out for you," Kaepora said
as he tilted his head the other way. "Now
you have started out on your journey that
must mean what I feared has come to pass.
The Great Deku Tree is dead?"
Link's voice caught in his throat as a wave
of sadness swept over him. He nodded mutely.
The owl made a feeble hoot.
"No wonder the Lost Woods were so quiet this
morning," Kaepora said sadly. "The fate of
the woods, and indeed the fate of the world,
seems undecided. No man can perceive the turning
of Time's Wheel, nor the threads it weaves."
"What?" Link hadn't understood a word of that.
All he knew was that it sounded foreboding.
"Ah, I do not expect you to understand the
intricacies of time, but you will someday.
And I dare say that day is coming sooner than
you think."
"Kaepora, can you stop confusing him?" Navi
asked irritably. "What are you even doing
here?"
"I came because I know you have the emerald.
I can sense its power, even now. Keep it close,"
Kaepora said. "For those who seek it will
not be far."
"Do you know if the other stones the Great
Deku Tree mentioned are safe?" Navi asked.
"They are safe, but it is only a matter of
time before the Desert Man claims them. Only
the watchful eyes of the Sheikah has stopped
him so far."
"The who?" Link asked. Was anybody going to
explain anything to him? He felt slightly
left out of the conversation.
"I will explain later," Navi said, her voice
not unkind. "I'm always delighted to talk
with you, Keapora, but we're in a hurry."
There was a clear note of dismissal in Navi's
voice.
"Very well. If you hurry, you will make it
to the hamlet of Lon Lon before dusk," Kaepora
turned his head around until it was upside
down. Link watched the bizarre movement, and
then the owl turned his head the right way
up. "I will return to see that you have made
it safely. I won't approach the town if I
can help it. Some of the farmers don't take
kindly to large birds flying low over their
herds."
With that, Kaepora stretched his wings and
took flight, causing another shower of twigs
and leaves to rain down on Link's head. The
owl hooted, flying off toward the distant
horizon. Soon he was little more than faint
speck fading into the distant sky.
At Navi's insistence they get moving, Link
quickly wolfed down some food from his bag
and then returned to the road.
~ 0 ~
As the sun dipped low in the western sky,
Link gasped for breath, exhaustion dragging
at his limbs once again. The hill he was climbing
was not making him feel any better, but when
he got to the top, his first glimpse of Castletown
swept all thoughts of fatigue aside.
The city itself was nestled within the nook
of a valley, a twisting river yawning widely
as it approached the metropolis, threading
along the city's western side and then off
into the distant hills. The warm glow of the
setting sun cast the city awash in light,
further adding to the splendor of Hyrule's
sprawling capital.
"Look," said Navi, pointing to a structure
at the center of the city. "That's Hyrule
Castle."
The majestic keep's tall towers stretched
into the sky like enormous stone trees, tiny
flags rippling from their spires. All Link
could do for a time was gawk, so enraptured
by the magnificent city he gave no heed to
his surrounds.
"How am I going to find Zelda in that?" he
asked, looking from the palace to the city.
How was he even going to get into the palace
in the first place? Navi didn't answer him.
Another sight caught his attention. Not far
away, the path they'd been traveling along
for most of their journey reached a crossroad.
One road led directly to the city, a second
road off to the east, and a third wide trail
wove its way beyond the village and into the
west. A wall of gray stone wreathed its way
around the nearby town. About halfway between
Link and the snug little settlement, a cart
was rolling along the road.
"Is that Lon Lon?" Link asked, hoping it was.
His feet were sore, as was the rest of him.
How he longed for a hot meal and a good night's
sleep. The very thought made his stomach growl.
Something made him frown; Navi still didn't
answer him. Link glanced around, but to his
surprise, she was no longer beside him.
"Navi?" he asked, bewildered.
He looked up. Navi hovered high above him,
her attention fixed on the nearby hills behind
them.
Before Link could call out to her, she quickly
returned to his side, making a hurried shooshing
motion.
"What are you-" Link started to speak. Then
he saw the look of fear on Navi's face.
Before he could ask what the matter was, a
bone-chilling howl pierced the air. A second
call answered it and then a third.
Wolves? he thought.
"Link, listen carefully," Navi said. Her urgent
and frightened tone unsettled him even more
than the howling. "We're being followed,"
she continued. "I counted at least three wolfos
and two bulblins."
"Wolfos?" Link asked uncertainly.
"They do not regard Kokiri as a pack," Navi
said, her voice hushed, "They're not like
other wolves. Just do as I say and run. Okay?"
His mouth dry, heart suddenly pounding, Link
nodded again and tried to swallow. Three shapes
were moving in the long grass by the road,
close enough that they would catch his scent
if the wind changed direction. That was if
they didn't already have his scent. A few
feet behind the wolfos, two taller creatures
prowled through the tall grass. They picked
up the pace as the wolfos howled again, the
wind carrying their excited chatter.
They were hunting for him.
"Why are they following us?" Link asked, his
voice high with terror. He could see Navi
was desperately thinking of a plan; her eyes
darted this way and that and she zipped around
his head anxiously, keeping low enough to
avoid attracting attention.
"He must know we're here," she said, the terror
in her voice doing nothing to calm Link. "There's
no time to work out how. Quickly, run towards
the town!"
Not stopping to ask who she meant, Link broke
into a mad run towards Lon Lon. Legs pumping,
he ran as fast he could. The cart trundling
along the road ahead of him was too far away
to be of any help. Besides, calling out to
whomever was driving it would only endanger
their lives too.
Link sprinted through the grass, jumping over
rocks and nearly stumbling as he ran.
Behind him, the three wolfos started barking
in a mad frenzy.
"They've found us!" Navi shouted. "Run!"
Link didn't need telling twice. Navi hid in
his pocket, still hoping to avoid giving him
away. Link sprinted as fast as his legs could
carry him, dashing towards the safety of the
town, but it never seemed to get any closer.
Too far, Link thought, gasping for breath.
It's too far.
He kept running. Behind him, a wolfos panted
as it tore through the grass.
They were getting close.
Link glanced frantically about for somewhere
to hide or take shelter. Nothing. There was
nothing.
Behind him, bushes rustled and cracked as
the three hounds trampled through them.
Link drew his sword and grabbed his shield,
ready to defend himself as he continued his
mad sprint towards the village.
He wasn't going to make it. He knew it, and
so did his pursuers. The wolfos were right
behind him, their growls rising to a hellish
crescendo. He'd have to fight.
Navi peered out his pocket and saw something.
"Link!" she screamed.
Link whirled around. A wolfos burst through
the grass in a terrifying blur of teeth and
fur. It jumped towards his chest, barking
as it crashed into him with one frightful
bound of its powerful limbs. Link rolled,
mercifully keeping hold of his sword and shield.
The wolfos' hot breath washed over him, and
Link thrust his shield up just in time to
avoid those sharp teeth sinking into his flesh.
The beast snarled, barking, and scratching
at the wooden shield, tearing strips of wood
from its surface.
"Link, hang on!" he heard Navi 's scream.
"I can get help!"
Link swung his sword wildly. The wolfos tried
to bite the blade and sliced open its jaw.
Blood splattered Link's face, and he almost
wailed as he tried to throw the monster off.
The cursed hound shook its wounded muzzle.
Finally it jumped off of him, allowing Link
to spring awkwardly back onto his feet. Seeing
his prey unharmed, the wolfos curled its lips
in a frightful snarl and charged.
Link stepped to the side, and just as the
wolfos landed, he thrust his sword as hard
as he could into the hound's neck. The wolfos
yelped pitifully and collapsed onto its side,
crashing into Link as it did so. The sudden
impact sent Link toppling over. Quickly, he
got back to his feet, and yanked his sword
free from the dead animal.
Link's relief at killing one of the hounds
died in an instant as he spotted the other
two hounds flanking him. Both of them charged
and Link whirled his blade, the fading light
glinted upon its surface. He felt resistance
as the sword connected with the animal's face,
cutting across its muzzle. The wolfos yelped,
shrinking back into the deepening shadows
as Link went to strike again.
He never got the chance.
The third wolfos came from the right, slamming
into him, crushing the air from his lungs
as he hit the earth. Then, there was a sudden
tight pressure on his right arm, squeezing
tight enough to crush bone. Pain followed
a heartbeat later, and Link realized the wolfos
had him in its jaws. Link screamed, trying
to wrench his arm free, squirming and kicking
as he did so. The beast's fangs tore through
flesh and muscle, hot blood splashing onto
its muzzle.
Link felt something against his free hand,
and he realised it was the pomel of his sword.
Link quickly snatched up his fallen sword
and drove it into the mutt that still gripped
his arm, punching the blade through the beast's
skull. The animal released him, stumbling
into the grass.
Just one more.
The final wolfos howled at seeing its companion
fall and anger flared like fire in its eyes.
It curled its lips back in a feral snarl and
circled him. Link got to his feet, blood now
dripping down his face and even into his mouth.
The wolfos prowled around him once more. Link
tried to clasp his fingers around the hilt
of his sword, but his arm felt leaden and
useless. The wolfos pounced, dodging Link's
sluggish attack, one paw slamming into Link's
face, the claws tearing bloody strips from
his face, barely missing his eye. Link tried
to kick, but then the hound clamped its teeth
into his leg. Link screamed as the beast shook
its head vigorously, its teeth ripping through
muscle, sinew, and bone. Before he knew what
was happening, Link found himself being dragged
across the ground.
With cold and terrifying clarity, Link knew
he was going to die.
"Help me!" he cried. Mustering what little
strength he could, he raised his voice to
a shout. "Somebody, help!"
No one heard him. No one came.
"Help me," he whimpered.
He didn't want to die. Not alone. That thought
frightened him more than anything.
Distantly, someone called out. Link felt a
faint shimmer of relief as the wolfos withdrew.
Too weak to cry out again, he gazed down at
his leg to see the wound the wolfos had inflicted.
What he saw, nearly made him faint. His leg,
mangled and bloody, resembled a macerated
meat bone with entire chunks of flesh ripped
away. He was sure that not even Saria could
mend a wound like that.
His head swam making the world around him
sway and dance. He wanted to move, but his
limbs were wooden, and he was too tired. At
least the pain wasn't quite so bad now. He
was just thirsty. Thirsty and tired. Vaguely,
Link realized the two bulblins that had been
chasing him were approaching. Their similarity
to a person ended with their hideous green
skin, potato-shaped heads, and their bulbous
nose.
One of them looked at him and said in harsh
sounding Kokiri, "The stone... give stone!"
Link opened his mouth a crack and a tired
groan escaped his lips. He barely understood
what they were saying. What stone?
The bulblin gave Link a sharp kick in the
side. He moaned weakly.
"The stone!" the bulblin growled again.
He had no idea why it wanted a rock. His mind
was clouded and spent beyond any ability to
think. Whatever it was, he wouldn't tell them.
Navi would be back soon.
"Navi," he rasped weakly in a futile attempt
to call for help. Where was she?
The other bulblin pointed at him and said
something with a shake of its head. Its companion
grunted in reply and knelt beside Link. It
patted his pockets and then ran its hands
across his belt. It found his bag and rummaged
through it before taking out an emerald stone.
Something inside of Link clicked, and he realized
what he was seeing.
The emerald!
All he could do was watch helplessly as the
two beasts snatched the Kokiri Emerald from
him. Apparently satisfied with its quarry,
the bulblin chortled and walked off. The distant
sound of more shouts and running feet made
the beast look back towards the village. Its
eyes widened and, with a quick word to its
companion, it took off at a run. The final
wolfos glared hungrily at Link's motionless
form. Flecks of blood painted its muzzle and
for a horrible moment, Link was sure it was
going to kill him.
It paused, regarding him for an instant. Then,
with an angry growl, the monster bolted after
its masters.
Cold...
Link shivered. Why was it was so cold? A chill
crept into him, gnawing at his bones. He gazed
up at the somber twilight sky, wishing he
was home. Wishing Saria was with him. She'd
been by his side when he'd been ill, and when
he'd fainted after his encounter with the
gohma queen. Her comforting presence had always
assured him he was safe; that everything would
be all right.
"Link!"
Link opened his eyes, not aware of having
closed them. A small ball of light flew over
him and froze as it reached his face. Navi's
face was etched with horror as she took in
the extent of his injuries.
"Oh, Link... Please-" His eyes felt so heavy,
and he could barely hear her. "Stay awake!
I've got help."
"Navi," Link whispered feebly. "The bulblins..."
it took all his strength to speak. "They have
the emerald. They took it."
"What? The Emerald-" Navi looked towards the
fleeing bulblins before spinning back around
to face him. "Hang in there, Link. I'll be
back in a moment." She flew off without another
word. Link tried to call out to her.
Come back.
Black lines threaded their way across his
vision. Somewhere, Link heard the loud screech
of an owl. Its wings beat the air somewhere
ahead, but he never saw it. His thoughts turned
to his home, and one of the last things the
Great Deku Tree had told him.
"Years ago one Kokiri did leave, but he was
unprepared for what he faced. Though I sent
the forest guardians to retrieve him, they
arrived too late to save him."
I failed. He had not been prepared, even with
Forenz's training. I'm sorry.
The face of a red-haired girl came into view.
She looked aghast at the sight of Link's bloody
and battered body, but she hesitated only
a moment before calling over her shoulder.
Another figure, a man over twice Link's height,
came into view. He lifted Link into his strong
embrace, and the boy moaned feebly.
The man shouted something over his shoulder,
but Link could not make out the words.
So tired...
He closed his eyes. Darkness rushed to claim
him, enshrouding him in its cold embrace.
