CHAPTER 20: A NIGHT'S RIDE TO KAKARIKO
(unrevised)
_A shrill howl ebbed from Link's ears as he blinked past the whiteness
that had become of the world. No longer did he stand atop the town
parapet. The wolf's greeting faded and a body weighed down by ancient
and rusting armor balanced itself before Link. Once again mentor and
protégée had come together in the surreal existence that Link had not
yet been able to understand.
"We meet again," the red-eyed warrior said.
Remembering his last encounter with the other incarnation of the warrior awoke Link to his circumstance. Again the old knowledge of this soldier-now that Link had again retaken his human form-would be passed down to him.
"It appears your efforts have begun to return some vigor to Hyrule," the shade spoke as he began to circle Link, as if sizing how much he had grown since their last encounter, "but it is far too early to relax."
Link felt a stab of guilt and embarrassment at this harmless comment. Had the ancient warrior been watching his idle yet thoughtful solitude?
The skeletal shadow stopped again before Link, impaling the young warrior with its sharp red gaze. "Do you feel ready to earn another hidden skill to steel yourself for the forthcoming battles against more powerful foes?"
"I do," nodded Link.
"Very well," the hero of old times bowed. "The third skill is the back slice. Let it be hewn into your mind!" The voice bellowed strongly throughout the vast expanse of white nothingness. The figure pounded his blade into the blank ground. "A mere shield attack is no match for an enemy protected by a thick, full-body coat of armor. Such enemies," the grotesque teeth informed, "are often focused on guarding against frequent frontal attacks. They often leave their backside unprotected. This is when you will utilize the back slice, as I will demonstrate."
Slightly concerned, Link allowed his body to remain unguarded as the warrior unsheathed its weapon and came at him. Just as soon as a more common attack would have struck him, the old soldier fell into a roll and rose only when it had come to Link's rear. In the same movements, the shade sliced its sword in an upward arch, though; the assault remained undamaging to Link, the blade missing him by inches.
"Do you understand this technique?" its rasping voice questioned.
As Link nodded he also noticed how the only life that seemed to spark within the ancient hero was the rattling that its armor made when the shade moved. Unsure if it was wise to stray to the thought of his mentor's state, Link rounded upon the warrior upon its command to perform the skill he had just been shown.
Racing up to the dark figure, Link feigned attack-just as his instructor had-but then split to the right in a dive. Link twirled upon rising and slashed his blade across the warrior's back. The skeleton uninjured-though unable to express emotion through its decayed features-expressed its pride in a loud roar, "Very good."
Link returned to his presumed station wherefrom he looked onto the form of his master of the sword. It seemed those dark eyes gauged him then, and Link felt nearly uncomfortable under their twin vigilance. Just moments ago his deepest feelings had been strewn across his features, to be read easily by any individual. And he could not help wondering if his teacher had noticed that his focus had betrayed his sword arm at the moment of the blow. He hated realizing himself that his blade had only just slightly twitched.
But the decomposed figure bowed to the knowledge only slightly, as any well-practiced instructor might assess a student, "You carry yourself well, but do not forget the proper timing for swinging your sword while you jump.
"Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the next time we meet," its hoarse tone boomed. Then, bowing low, the shade and the white blur of its world drew back and splintered into shards of black.
Link had once again regained his footing in the real land, and he realized that the darkness now before his eyes was the chill of night. Link committed the strange lesson and all the words that the old warrior had spoken to memory. He then stepped down the cold stone staircase, winding his way back down to the wagon where Ilia, Telma, and the Zora child-whom Link could now acknowledge as Ralis, prince of the Zoras-waited for him.
Seeing that Ilia and the Prince had been settled into the wagon, blankets tossed about them for comfort against the bitter night air, Link straddled Epona quickly. He wished to begin their voyage to Kakariko as soon as possible, for every glance he had given toward Ilia had just continued to sharpen the pain that she could not recognize him. On the other hand, a breeze had begun to rustle the night's stillness, and a cold wind had begun to chill his bones. The sooner they arrived in the mountain village the better for all of them.
From the wagon, however, Ilia poked her head out. Tentatively, she repeated her earlier sentiments to Link. "Thank you so much for this, Link."
The dull sound his name made upon her ignorant lips made him quiver, and his eyes drooped. He wondered if it would always be this way or if someday-even if she could not reclaim her memory-he could ever smile at her again.
But Telma revitalized him with a grin, "Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko. I wouldn't worry, though. This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild … like a feral beast." Oddly, the part of him that could still be identified as lupine did not bother him. He had learned acceptance some time ago, and the compliment to his blue eyes reengaged his mind for the hardship to come. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay." said Telma in a softer tone. Perhaps, Link thought, the drop in her voice intended not to further frighten the confused and disoriented Ilia. Then she heightened her pitch again, and blew a kiss to their escort. "If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then."
Telma looked toward the dusty path that led into the pass that would open into the cliffs of Lake Hylia. Her gaze did not falter as she called over to Link, "You ready?"
In reply, Link pressed his legs into Epona, and she reared high and cantered off through the pass. Telma snapped the reins of her horses and soon followed after the green-garbed rider at a steady pace.
Pulling ahead of them at a reasonable distance, Link scanned the area with his bestial eyes, searching for any sign of the sentries he and Telma both knew were littered across the lands. So far, there seemed to be no resistance, yet did not stray far from the wagon as he continually scouted ahead.
As they turned a bend in the road, Link stretched back a silent hand, motioning for Telma to halt the cart. Understanding, she pulled easily on the reins so that the beasts would remain hushed. Link then leapt from his horse, eye focused upon a bulblin archer that had obviously abandoned its post to rest. Drawing his blade, Link crept along through the path, drifting from Telma's sight. He circled behind the archer as it sat humming upon a log.
Suddenly, the quiet melody stopped, and Link returned to Epona sheathing a bloodied saber, and-if the barkeep was not mistaken-there were a few dark freckles upon his face that had not before speckled his visage.
Link motioned Telma, and she again cracked the reins, but when they passed the spot where tiny puddles of red stained the ground, Telma could not identify the owner of the liquid out of the darkness. She stared ahead at the young guard, and a reassured smile dotted her lips. She had been unsure if his small appearance had housed the kind of ruthless quality needed to dispatch the sentinels across their path, but know she realized that there was much more to this youth than could be guessed by merely his form.
Moments passed by quickly, and they soon rolled across the cliffs that stretched high above Lake Hylia. Resettling himself in Epona's saddle, Link pressed her forward to reach the Great Bridge of Hylia. The stones were no longer graced with the foul smelling oil that had caused him and Midna disaster upon their first coming to the passage, however; in the distance, Link could make out the distinct form of another ogre astride a mighty boar.
He swiftly jerked back Epona's reins. She reared to a halt just as Telma managed to arrest the pace of her beasts as well. Telma frowned, but Link had already furnished a solution. Grappling the bow from his back, he tested the string before nocking an arrow. He wanted to analyze his assumption before falling to drastic measures. From his idle position, he aimed carefully at the ogre that now faced them from the opposite site of the massive bridge.
He released the arrow and it sailed directly into the beast's heart … but it bounced away without dealing any harm to the creature. As Link had presumed by the oversized appearance, the ogre was wearing an extensive about of heavy armor. Link had only succeeded in angering the monster, and it began to gallop toward Link and his charge. Sweating away his panic, he reached for his backside pack and pulled out a little round ball the size of his palm. Yet the ogre was still a good distance away, and Link did not know if he could throw that far in a direct line. And if he missed....
Quickly, apologizing to his horse, he yanked several locks of hair from her mane, lit the tiny fuse on her saddle, and tied the orb to his next arrow. He may not have been capable of striking his target by hurling the weapon, but with his bow … he would not miss.
Epona whined and danced as Link aimed his next blow. "Steady, girl." He steadied himself and launched this arrow from a higher angle to compensate for the added weight. When he released the modified shaft it landed with a sharp zip into the beast's thick neck. The monster, unfazed by the blow, snatched the annoyance from its throat, but groaned dumbly at the tiny flickering fire that raged upon the dark sphere.
In the next moment, a thundering crack blew against the air and a flash of light sparked against the sky. A cloud of smoke poured over the scene at the middle of the bridge. Link click his heels into Epona, and pulling ahead into the haze of dust, he saw that the bridge had been left undamaged, the ogre and its boar likely falling into the lake below as pieces.
"At least this time, you didn't manage to blow it up," snickered Midna at a tone only he could hear. Rubbing off the comment, he signaled for Telma to move across the bridge. As she came upon his position, she threw a smile and a wink at him. "Nice arm, honey!"
The path beyond the bridge wound tightly about the countryside, cliffs and dense groves forcing them to stay on the road instead of detouring through areas with more protection from stray threats. Ever vigilant, Link threw his gaze everywhere at once. At any sign of danger upon the high rocky walls or the dangling boughs surrounding them, Link immediately cast an arrow. Each time a shaft was thrust from his bowstring, Ilia and Telma could hear the complementing thud of a dead soldier.
When they at last reached the clearing beyond the narrow road, breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it to South Hyrule Field. Half of the journey now lay behind them.
Having traversed this area before, Link knew the location of each bokoblin guard. And although the vast field did not provide much cover for the large wagon, Link navigated them through the field with only a slight difficulty. To add to his comforts, the trees populating this plain were so placed that he was able to stray from the set paths. Taking several detours that wrapped them through a small orchard and a pond, it was not until a few hours later until a sentinel noticed their carriage.
The violet-skinned guard signaled to the other two near its position, and they assailed the cart together as it passed by. Ilia's yelps drew Link's attention. He yanked back on Epona and sprinted backward as he drew his saber. Its hard steel bashing through their bodies, the three guards were dispatched quickly.
But before they could recover from the altercation, Link spied bulblin riders speeding toward them. Spotted! Link panicked. Obviously drawn to the sounds of the bokoblins' efforts, the riders were coming in swiftly, two per boar, arrows hopping with blazing tips. A shudder fell through Link's spine and he turned Epona toward Telma. "Up the ridge! As fast as you can go! Now!" He pointed with his tainted sword, and his frantic voice caught in Ilia's ears. Leaning outward, she glanced up at him.
Link near enough to the cart, she grasped his other arm. "Link?" she called in a frightened tone.
Torn between the furious battle to ensue and his wish to be with and console her, he angled himself on the tousling Epona so that her grasp slid down his arm, and he gripped her hand firmly. "Not now! Don't worry."
Ilia's next words were interrupted when the carriage gave a jolt and broke their hands apart. Link looked into her downcast face but brushed aside the emotions that had risen within him to gallop off toward the rushing bulblin riders. He blamed the sting in his eyes on the wind that now beat against his face.
He had faced this situation before, facing riders as these on horseback. Now, though, he concluded that this situation should prove far easier, for there was no leader to command their attacks. He noticed by the way they moved that they were a disjointed group, swerving and only just realizing the movements of their fellows when they needed to readjust their course. This would be an asset to Link. If he planned his attacks on the four pairs just right, then those alongside the assaulted would tilt about to attack him moments late.
Relying on their disorganization, Link pounced upon his first victim, the first wave of fiery arrows streaming above his head. Thrusting his sword throughout their unit, Link had downed three bulblins before they had even been able to ready their next volley. By the time they released their shafts, Link had moved on to the rearmost riders.
His strategy proved effective. Their delayed responses were just what he had expected them to be.
Another two riders dead.
However, the bulblin whom had lost its companion already turned its mighty beast upon Link, crashing into Epona. An irritated neigh escaped her as she landed hard upon the cold grass. Link's leg trapped beneath his horse, he could not evade the dagger-wielding bulblin who then leapt and perched atop Epona. Its smile released a putrid scent from behind its teeth, but when Link went to attack, he discovered that his sword had been wedged underneath Epona as well.
Link braced for the coming brutality, but suddenly, the bulblin lost its balance and gripped the saddle upon which it stood. Epona had jerked about until her forefeet where precisely placed, and with another shrug, the bulblin flew from her back onto the ground meters away.
His mobility returned, Link grasped his sword and sprinted for the bulblin as it attempted to right itself. Blade met flesh, and the rider fell motionless.
Recounting in his head, Link tossed a worried gaze about the entire field. One pair had escaped him.
In the distance he could see the blazing arrow of the second rider aiming at the wagon only feet from it. When the cart disappeared into the canyon entrance, Link regained his sense of movement. He seized his dead enemy's dirk as he again cloaked his saber within its scabbard. He whistled at Epona and she sprang into a gallop, Link hopping into her saddle, dagger ready for the kill.
As he feared, he had not reached Ilia and Telma in time. When he rounded the bend in the canyon walls, he found the tarp of the wagon ablaze. Ilia's screams rattled Link, and he could see her through the smoke as she tried to cover Ralis from harm. A deep, raging pit of anger shook loose inside of Link and he leaned forward in his saddle, a deep furrow in his brows creasing his forehead. Before the archer astride the boar could aim another shaft, Link steadied Epona directly behind them. As he leapt forward onto the pair, the dagger pointed lethally at the foes, Link simultaneously and unconsciously ripped his boomerang from his belt and whipped it toward the wagon.
After he silenced the bulblins with heavy slashes to their necks, Link gaze upward just in time to realize he had just caught his returning boomerang in his opposite hand. The wagon's fires now vanished, Link belted the item once more. Telma refused to stop the carriage now, for they were headed into the gorge, where bokoblins had been stationed once more. Discarding the filthy dagger, Link leapt for Epona as she passed him, hauling himself upright as she sped for the cart.
Link steered her to the front of the wagon, where a bokoblin stood staring dumbfounded at the cart raging toward it. Without reaction, the dark-skinned foe was impaled by Link's blade and fell backward into the abyss of the canyon. Link passed over the bridge quickly as Telma tailed him closely. After a last kill, Link turned Epona on her heels at the pass that entered directly into the mountain village.
Telma tossed him a thankful nod, but he did not notice. His eyes paced the dark grounds, which now bore the stains of the falling rain. As thunder crashed over the distant fields, Link tugged on Epona's reins and pursued his charge into Kakariko.
===============
Although rain poured from the heavens, the feel of the warm water against Link's face refreshed him. He could feel his hands shaking as he tore the cloth from his cheeks and placed it gently once more upon the edge of the wash basin.
Within a corner room of Renado's house, Link could now truly rest from the horrors he had faced since last leaving the town. He had come to associate a strange kind of security when surrounded by the red mountains. Cuts spotted his knuckles and face, and after cleansing his face from the stains of the sentries, Link leaned against the table upon which Luda had set the basin and closed his eyes longingly.
He was alone within the small room, waiting for news of Ralis. It had been nearly a half hour since their coming to Kakariko, and though he had been happy to see the Ordonian children again, a sadness had swollen within him, and he could not bring himself to face their questions about Ilia's safety. He had stolen away to isolation since his arrival, and save for Luda, he had admitted no one into his temporary room.
"You know," came a voice that startled Link, "sulking isn't going to bring that girl's memory back."
Midna. This time, however, instead of his usual silence at her remarks, Link barked back, "I know." He breathed deep. "It's just-" He stopped himself before he went on. Had he really been about to confide in the little imp?
Groaning, he splashed more water onto his face, but dissatisfied, he instead dunked his entire head into the basin. He wished he could wash away his feelings that easily, and realizing that that was exactly what he was trying to do, he jerked his head out of the stimulating water. It could cleanse blood, not grief.
Disgruntled with himself and the situation, he turned on his heel and sat down against the table, his drenched locks splattering against his face. He pulled the towel from above him and wiped it carelessly across his visage.
At last a knock rapped against his door, and Luda cracked it open just slightly. "The Zora child sleeps, now. My father wishes to speak with you. Please, come."
Relieved that there was some news, Link sprang to his feet, plonked the cloth back onto the table, and joined Luda in the hallway. She led him across the creaking floorboards to the railing of the terrace that surveyed the downstairs. There, Link met Renado, who looked over the railing at Malo and Talo as they played. Telma also occupied the room below, sitting in a chair that leaned against the bar.
Renado turned to Link as he came forward. Luda retreated into the room where Ralis slept as Colin exited and stepped up to the two men. "So, is he going to be all right?" the child asked.
Smiling, the shaman nodded. "He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time."
Colin breathed a sigh of relief, and when he looked up to Link to share a grin, he discovered that Link could barely mimic the gesture. Before Colin could inquire as to his state, Renado asked, "Do you know the fate of his mother?"
Link broke his gaze with Colin to face the older man. He should have been expecting the question, but its mention slapped him hard.
"He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly. Her welfare consumes him," pressed Renado.
It seemed all voice had been lost to him. Never had Link been demanded to relate the death of a loved one, and the memory of seeing the queen's ghostly form made his eyes flinch. This small movement betrayed Link's composure, and Renado shook his head gently when he noticed this. "I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."
"Yes, I-" Link tried. He calmed his disconcerted nerves by closing his eyes momentarily then staring up into Renado's knowing gaze. "She wanted to be sure her son was looked after."
"Then I'll stay with him until he's better!" Colin volunteered, and it was the first time he had seen Link smile since he had returned. "No matter how long it takes."
"Is that so?" asked Renado as he walked over to the boy and crouched low. "Thank you, Colin."
It was then, however, that Link's attention was drawn to the doorway that now lay behind the pair. Luda leaned in over Ilia to tend to the Zora child, and as she did so, Ilia looked up from a daze. A vacant expression filled her eyes, and it was unbearable to Link. He knew that she was trying to remember and that somewhere the knowledge within her beckoned to her.
"Renado...."
The shaman regained his footing and regarded Link.
"I need to ask you-"
"We should discuss this downstairs," interrupted Renado.
Link found it unnerving how the shaman could always read the thoughts within his mind before he even spoke them aloud. He followed him downstairs, Colin tailing behind the both of them. Renado seated himself, his eyes quivering in the light, as if he was trying to decide how to word the news.
The young warrior remained patient, oddly thanking that there was a silence before the storm of ill tidings, as he knew would be the case. Yet it was Colin who prompted the shaman. "Then is it true, what Luda said about her?"
Breaking through his quiet, Renado nodded. "Yes, Colin. Ilia has lost her memory, and regaining it will be no simple task."
Sighing, Link collapsed into a lean against the wall. He looked at his feet, shaking his head. So, there was a chance, but not a very good one. He blinked back a few tears when he heard Renado try to comfort Colin. "It will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again."
Her heart.... Link's own heart convulsed at its mention. His chest heaved tightly, gripped by the iron weight of grief and misery.
"So, Colin," Renado continued, "I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." This cheered the young boy, and he raced back up the stairs.
Renado then turned his silent attention to Link, who then jerked himself from his trance. He only hoped that a shadow covered his face in the dim lighting so that the shaman could not detect his true state. "Thank you," said Link. "Colin is-" he watched as the boy fell out of view toward the room where Ralis rested. "He has always been very fond of Ilia."
With that, Renado stood, his voluminous robe swishing behind him. He approached Link by a few paces and peered into the young man's twin oceans. "He is not the only one, I see."
Slightly embarrassed, Link tore his gaze away, trying as hard as he could to keep his tears at bay. He did not want to look at the man as he said softly, "She doesn't even remember my name, my face. My eyes...." Taken aback at his words, Link was startled to see that Talo and Malo had stopped playing their games. They sat on the floor, their backs to him and Renado, but he knew that they must be trying to hear what was being said. Although, Link could not retain his emotions any longer. "I look at her," he confessed, "and I used to see...." Link shook his head at the notion, and rephrased his statement. "I look at her now and all I see is pain."
Renado allowed Link a moment, and when he was sure that the young man had collected his composure somewhat, he spoke. "I know it must be difficult for you, but this will take time. She needs to remember by her own efforts. Too many words may confuse her, but" -Link directed his full attention to the shaman- "perhaps you should try speaking with her. It may help."
Reluctant yet wanting to help Ilia in any way that he could, Link finally nodded. He moved from Renado toward the stairs, and Talo and Malo shifted furtive glances toward him. They had not been able to hear Link's voice which had been lower than a whisper, but from what they had been able to gather from the pieces they had overheard from Renado, Ilia's situation did not bode well. Another indication that sent a tremble of worry through them was the telltale smears below Link's eyes.
Renado observed Link as he ascended the last step; then he turned to the two children. The hour late, he ushered them into another room to prepare for sleep.
On the landing above, Link peered into the rather wide room that housed the recovering Zora. Colin helped Luda by wringing out a fresh cloth of cool water and handing it to her. Ilia's seat, however, now lay unoccupied. Link stepped further into the room and peaked into a corner where he found Ilia staring out a window into the night sky.
It took a few moments before Link began approaching her drained appearance. What if she asked him questions that he could not answer? What if he would be unable to comfort her in her most desperate and frightening time of need?
He tried to clear his throat of its hard lump, but he only succeeded in drawing Ilia's awareness to his presence. Nervously, he stepped alongside her, and she waited for him to say something, but when he did not speak, she returned her gaze to the outside world. Unsettled and now unsure of himself, he, too, averted his gaze to the chill of raining twilight.
After several moments, Ilia spoke to him, though, without looking toward him. "I want to thank you again. The Zora child is saved due to your efforts." She looked to him then, "You've been so kind to both of us, helping those that you don't even know. It's … reassuring."
When she glanced down to her hands, no amount of uncertainty could restrain Link any longer. "Ilia, are you all right?" he asked.
"Oh?" She raised her eyes to him, unsure as to why being near to him caused her heart to ache. "Is-Is that my name?"
"I-uh-yes." Link turned his gaze downward and toyed with the window pane. How long had it been since he had gazed out Ilia's very window when he had gone to see her father? He could remember wishing she had been with him, yet now that they stood together within an altered scene of the same, Link knew that his wish had been incomplete. He had wanted her safe. That is all he had cared about. But now … now he worried for her sanity.
"Ilia...." She tested the name upon her lips. "Yes, it does seem familiar. Wait," a hopeful sparkle radiated from her green orbs. "Then-do you know me after all?"
"Yes," Link breathed. "I-I know you don't remember, but I wanted you to know that I shall always be here for you … as I have always been."
Ilia smiled, finding some consolation in the notion. "I suppose it was there when I met you, that feeling that I knew you somehow. It's like one of those faces in the market that you see-someone you've never known and never will meet. When you see them again, you recognize … but you can't seem to place where you saw them before." It seemed that Ilia was trying hard to convey her difficulty. "That's how it's been with you. When I saw you in Telma's bar, and then … when you told me your name … I thought I'd seen you someplace before, and I can't seem to remember where that was."
Link could not think of anything proper to return to this pronouncement, and his prolonged silence forced more questions from Ilia. "How-how did we meet? Before then in the bar?"
An agitation swelled up Link's spine, but the feeling was so misplaced that he staggered slightly. Only moments later did he come to realize that it had been Midna's impatience that had escaped from his shadow to crawl into his flesh. Ignoring Midna, Link tried to find the right words to say to Ilia, therefore, speaking slower and more carefully. He did not want to confuse her memory with too many details. "We were childhood friends," he began. "We grew up together in a small village. I can't exactly remember how it happened. I just know that I have always known you."
"Hmm," she gave out a short, light chuckle. "That's nice." She lost herself in another daze, and Link understood that she was likely dissecting this new information to see if it made any sense to her frazzled mind. He did not want to interrupt that process, so he remained still, observing her agitated silence. Yet before long, it seemed that she had either surrendered for the moment or forgotten what it was Link had said. Either way, she stared back up at him, the dazzle that had lingered in her eyes for a few moments now reduced to a faint glimmer. "So, will you be staying the night?"
"I'll be leaving again in the morning," he affirmed. And before she lapsed back completely into her mindless trance, he asked, "You'll be staying here then as well? Until the roads are safe again?"
"Yes, Renado has allowed me, too, to stay under his care in this village. And it does seem lovely here. Such wonderful children...."
Realizing that more facts would disquiet her thoughts further, he bade farewell to her, leaving the conversation before he could restrain himself no longer from the desire to embrace her and to keep her within his arms.
When he left Ilia, he felt like sinking into a bed to try to sleep off his discomfort. He had shown more of his inner feelings this night than he could ever remember in his life. Yet they were dangerous times in which they all now dwelt, full of hardship. The strongest of bonds were often tested so cruelly in times as these, and that thought alone did nothing to settle his heart, as he wondered if he would ever feel the adversities that had so obviously altered his imp companion.
Instead of gaining accessing to solitude once more, he stepped straight into conversation with Telma, who had been observing the happenings within the room for an amount of time Link refused to demand. "Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always nice to see happy results repay your efforts," she said kindly, in a tone that actually made Link feel warm.
She stepped over to lean against the railing of the extension, as Link drew up a stance beside her.
"But those skills of yours...." She shifted, and Link looked to her directly. "Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"
"How do you mean?"
"What hope there is in Hyrule is frail and dying," she shook her head as she pulled herself up straight. "But there's still a group trying to do what it can. I am a member of that group." She stepped toward him and offered her hand. "I'm Telma, by the way."
Realizing that they had never formally exchanged their names, Link presented his and grasped her palm. Though he had already known the barkeep's name, Link did not think that it would be wise to try to tell her how exactly he had come to surmise her identity, seeing as though he had been in the form of a beast at that time.
Retaking her arm she again perched against the railing, but this time bent over to see the room below. "I may just stay here a bit longer myself. I'm still worried about Ilia, and-well, never mind about the rest." Link followed her gaze to find Renado clearing the remaining dinner that had been prepared for the children.
Telma then switched back to Link. "I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me, Link?"
"Whenever I am in Castle Town," grinned Link.
"You know, that bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. We don't exactly advertise ourselves to the Hylian guards. I'm sure that they wouldn't prefer ruffians trying to do their job." Telma laughed, but then another thought occurred, and she snorted unkindly. "They'd probably arrest us if they discovered the secret passage that leads into the castle. But if you ever need anything, you just stop by."
"Thanks."
With a wink Telma bade good night to Link and thundered down the steps like a giddy child. Link watched from above as the shaman cleared the last of the dishes and made his way into the hall, though, only to be stopped by Telma, who dug straight into low conversation.
His smile already faded, Link had come to the point where sleep promised no rest. Perhaps it would be better if he cleared a few thoughts out in the cleansing downpour before turning in. Resolved, Link poured down the staircase and twisted out into the chill of the splatters from the distant-but natural-sky. And that was the most soothing.
The sky … dark … but free of the twilight curse.
"We meet again," the red-eyed warrior said.
Remembering his last encounter with the other incarnation of the warrior awoke Link to his circumstance. Again the old knowledge of this soldier-now that Link had again retaken his human form-would be passed down to him.
"It appears your efforts have begun to return some vigor to Hyrule," the shade spoke as he began to circle Link, as if sizing how much he had grown since their last encounter, "but it is far too early to relax."
Link felt a stab of guilt and embarrassment at this harmless comment. Had the ancient warrior been watching his idle yet thoughtful solitude?
The skeletal shadow stopped again before Link, impaling the young warrior with its sharp red gaze. "Do you feel ready to earn another hidden skill to steel yourself for the forthcoming battles against more powerful foes?"
"I do," nodded Link.
"Very well," the hero of old times bowed. "The third skill is the back slice. Let it be hewn into your mind!" The voice bellowed strongly throughout the vast expanse of white nothingness. The figure pounded his blade into the blank ground. "A mere shield attack is no match for an enemy protected by a thick, full-body coat of armor. Such enemies," the grotesque teeth informed, "are often focused on guarding against frequent frontal attacks. They often leave their backside unprotected. This is when you will utilize the back slice, as I will demonstrate."
Slightly concerned, Link allowed his body to remain unguarded as the warrior unsheathed its weapon and came at him. Just as soon as a more common attack would have struck him, the old soldier fell into a roll and rose only when it had come to Link's rear. In the same movements, the shade sliced its sword in an upward arch, though; the assault remained undamaging to Link, the blade missing him by inches.
"Do you understand this technique?" its rasping voice questioned.
As Link nodded he also noticed how the only life that seemed to spark within the ancient hero was the rattling that its armor made when the shade moved. Unsure if it was wise to stray to the thought of his mentor's state, Link rounded upon the warrior upon its command to perform the skill he had just been shown.
Racing up to the dark figure, Link feigned attack-just as his instructor had-but then split to the right in a dive. Link twirled upon rising and slashed his blade across the warrior's back. The skeleton uninjured-though unable to express emotion through its decayed features-expressed its pride in a loud roar, "Very good."
Link returned to his presumed station wherefrom he looked onto the form of his master of the sword. It seemed those dark eyes gauged him then, and Link felt nearly uncomfortable under their twin vigilance. Just moments ago his deepest feelings had been strewn across his features, to be read easily by any individual. And he could not help wondering if his teacher had noticed that his focus had betrayed his sword arm at the moment of the blow. He hated realizing himself that his blade had only just slightly twitched.
But the decomposed figure bowed to the knowledge only slightly, as any well-practiced instructor might assess a student, "You carry yourself well, but do not forget the proper timing for swinging your sword while you jump.
"Do not neglect your daily sword training between now and the next time we meet," its hoarse tone boomed. Then, bowing low, the shade and the white blur of its world drew back and splintered into shards of black.
Link had once again regained his footing in the real land, and he realized that the darkness now before his eyes was the chill of night. Link committed the strange lesson and all the words that the old warrior had spoken to memory. He then stepped down the cold stone staircase, winding his way back down to the wagon where Ilia, Telma, and the Zora child-whom Link could now acknowledge as Ralis, prince of the Zoras-waited for him.
Seeing that Ilia and the Prince had been settled into the wagon, blankets tossed about them for comfort against the bitter night air, Link straddled Epona quickly. He wished to begin their voyage to Kakariko as soon as possible, for every glance he had given toward Ilia had just continued to sharpen the pain that she could not recognize him. On the other hand, a breeze had begun to rustle the night's stillness, and a cold wind had begun to chill his bones. The sooner they arrived in the mountain village the better for all of them.
From the wagon, however, Ilia poked her head out. Tentatively, she repeated her earlier sentiments to Link. "Thank you so much for this, Link."
The dull sound his name made upon her ignorant lips made him quiver, and his eyes drooped. He wondered if it would always be this way or if someday-even if she could not reclaim her memory-he could ever smile at her again.
But Telma revitalized him with a grin, "Little lady, I think you'd best save your thanks until we're safe in Kakariko. I wouldn't worry, though. This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild … like a feral beast." Oddly, the part of him that could still be identified as lupine did not bother him. He had learned acceptance some time ago, and the compliment to his blue eyes reengaged his mind for the hardship to come. "We need a beast right now, to keep the true ones at bay." said Telma in a softer tone. Perhaps, Link thought, the drop in her voice intended not to further frighten the confused and disoriented Ilia. Then she heightened her pitch again, and blew a kiss to their escort. "If we make it to Kakariko safely, we'll just thank him then."
Telma looked toward the dusty path that led into the pass that would open into the cliffs of Lake Hylia. Her gaze did not falter as she called over to Link, "You ready?"
In reply, Link pressed his legs into Epona, and she reared high and cantered off through the pass. Telma snapped the reins of her horses and soon followed after the green-garbed rider at a steady pace.
Pulling ahead of them at a reasonable distance, Link scanned the area with his bestial eyes, searching for any sign of the sentries he and Telma both knew were littered across the lands. So far, there seemed to be no resistance, yet did not stray far from the wagon as he continually scouted ahead.
As they turned a bend in the road, Link stretched back a silent hand, motioning for Telma to halt the cart. Understanding, she pulled easily on the reins so that the beasts would remain hushed. Link then leapt from his horse, eye focused upon a bulblin archer that had obviously abandoned its post to rest. Drawing his blade, Link crept along through the path, drifting from Telma's sight. He circled behind the archer as it sat humming upon a log.
Suddenly, the quiet melody stopped, and Link returned to Epona sheathing a bloodied saber, and-if the barkeep was not mistaken-there were a few dark freckles upon his face that had not before speckled his visage.
Link motioned Telma, and she again cracked the reins, but when they passed the spot where tiny puddles of red stained the ground, Telma could not identify the owner of the liquid out of the darkness. She stared ahead at the young guard, and a reassured smile dotted her lips. She had been unsure if his small appearance had housed the kind of ruthless quality needed to dispatch the sentinels across their path, but know she realized that there was much more to this youth than could be guessed by merely his form.
Moments passed by quickly, and they soon rolled across the cliffs that stretched high above Lake Hylia. Resettling himself in Epona's saddle, Link pressed her forward to reach the Great Bridge of Hylia. The stones were no longer graced with the foul smelling oil that had caused him and Midna disaster upon their first coming to the passage, however; in the distance, Link could make out the distinct form of another ogre astride a mighty boar.
He swiftly jerked back Epona's reins. She reared to a halt just as Telma managed to arrest the pace of her beasts as well. Telma frowned, but Link had already furnished a solution. Grappling the bow from his back, he tested the string before nocking an arrow. He wanted to analyze his assumption before falling to drastic measures. From his idle position, he aimed carefully at the ogre that now faced them from the opposite site of the massive bridge.
He released the arrow and it sailed directly into the beast's heart … but it bounced away without dealing any harm to the creature. As Link had presumed by the oversized appearance, the ogre was wearing an extensive about of heavy armor. Link had only succeeded in angering the monster, and it began to gallop toward Link and his charge. Sweating away his panic, he reached for his backside pack and pulled out a little round ball the size of his palm. Yet the ogre was still a good distance away, and Link did not know if he could throw that far in a direct line. And if he missed....
Quickly, apologizing to his horse, he yanked several locks of hair from her mane, lit the tiny fuse on her saddle, and tied the orb to his next arrow. He may not have been capable of striking his target by hurling the weapon, but with his bow … he would not miss.
Epona whined and danced as Link aimed his next blow. "Steady, girl." He steadied himself and launched this arrow from a higher angle to compensate for the added weight. When he released the modified shaft it landed with a sharp zip into the beast's thick neck. The monster, unfazed by the blow, snatched the annoyance from its throat, but groaned dumbly at the tiny flickering fire that raged upon the dark sphere.
In the next moment, a thundering crack blew against the air and a flash of light sparked against the sky. A cloud of smoke poured over the scene at the middle of the bridge. Link click his heels into Epona, and pulling ahead into the haze of dust, he saw that the bridge had been left undamaged, the ogre and its boar likely falling into the lake below as pieces.
"At least this time, you didn't manage to blow it up," snickered Midna at a tone only he could hear. Rubbing off the comment, he signaled for Telma to move across the bridge. As she came upon his position, she threw a smile and a wink at him. "Nice arm, honey!"
The path beyond the bridge wound tightly about the countryside, cliffs and dense groves forcing them to stay on the road instead of detouring through areas with more protection from stray threats. Ever vigilant, Link threw his gaze everywhere at once. At any sign of danger upon the high rocky walls or the dangling boughs surrounding them, Link immediately cast an arrow. Each time a shaft was thrust from his bowstring, Ilia and Telma could hear the complementing thud of a dead soldier.
When they at last reached the clearing beyond the narrow road, breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it to South Hyrule Field. Half of the journey now lay behind them.
Having traversed this area before, Link knew the location of each bokoblin guard. And although the vast field did not provide much cover for the large wagon, Link navigated them through the field with only a slight difficulty. To add to his comforts, the trees populating this plain were so placed that he was able to stray from the set paths. Taking several detours that wrapped them through a small orchard and a pond, it was not until a few hours later until a sentinel noticed their carriage.
The violet-skinned guard signaled to the other two near its position, and they assailed the cart together as it passed by. Ilia's yelps drew Link's attention. He yanked back on Epona and sprinted backward as he drew his saber. Its hard steel bashing through their bodies, the three guards were dispatched quickly.
But before they could recover from the altercation, Link spied bulblin riders speeding toward them. Spotted! Link panicked. Obviously drawn to the sounds of the bokoblins' efforts, the riders were coming in swiftly, two per boar, arrows hopping with blazing tips. A shudder fell through Link's spine and he turned Epona toward Telma. "Up the ridge! As fast as you can go! Now!" He pointed with his tainted sword, and his frantic voice caught in Ilia's ears. Leaning outward, she glanced up at him.
Link near enough to the cart, she grasped his other arm. "Link?" she called in a frightened tone.
Torn between the furious battle to ensue and his wish to be with and console her, he angled himself on the tousling Epona so that her grasp slid down his arm, and he gripped her hand firmly. "Not now! Don't worry."
Ilia's next words were interrupted when the carriage gave a jolt and broke their hands apart. Link looked into her downcast face but brushed aside the emotions that had risen within him to gallop off toward the rushing bulblin riders. He blamed the sting in his eyes on the wind that now beat against his face.
He had faced this situation before, facing riders as these on horseback. Now, though, he concluded that this situation should prove far easier, for there was no leader to command their attacks. He noticed by the way they moved that they were a disjointed group, swerving and only just realizing the movements of their fellows when they needed to readjust their course. This would be an asset to Link. If he planned his attacks on the four pairs just right, then those alongside the assaulted would tilt about to attack him moments late.
Relying on their disorganization, Link pounced upon his first victim, the first wave of fiery arrows streaming above his head. Thrusting his sword throughout their unit, Link had downed three bulblins before they had even been able to ready their next volley. By the time they released their shafts, Link had moved on to the rearmost riders.
His strategy proved effective. Their delayed responses were just what he had expected them to be.
Another two riders dead.
However, the bulblin whom had lost its companion already turned its mighty beast upon Link, crashing into Epona. An irritated neigh escaped her as she landed hard upon the cold grass. Link's leg trapped beneath his horse, he could not evade the dagger-wielding bulblin who then leapt and perched atop Epona. Its smile released a putrid scent from behind its teeth, but when Link went to attack, he discovered that his sword had been wedged underneath Epona as well.
Link braced for the coming brutality, but suddenly, the bulblin lost its balance and gripped the saddle upon which it stood. Epona had jerked about until her forefeet where precisely placed, and with another shrug, the bulblin flew from her back onto the ground meters away.
His mobility returned, Link grasped his sword and sprinted for the bulblin as it attempted to right itself. Blade met flesh, and the rider fell motionless.
Recounting in his head, Link tossed a worried gaze about the entire field. One pair had escaped him.
In the distance he could see the blazing arrow of the second rider aiming at the wagon only feet from it. When the cart disappeared into the canyon entrance, Link regained his sense of movement. He seized his dead enemy's dirk as he again cloaked his saber within its scabbard. He whistled at Epona and she sprang into a gallop, Link hopping into her saddle, dagger ready for the kill.
As he feared, he had not reached Ilia and Telma in time. When he rounded the bend in the canyon walls, he found the tarp of the wagon ablaze. Ilia's screams rattled Link, and he could see her through the smoke as she tried to cover Ralis from harm. A deep, raging pit of anger shook loose inside of Link and he leaned forward in his saddle, a deep furrow in his brows creasing his forehead. Before the archer astride the boar could aim another shaft, Link steadied Epona directly behind them. As he leapt forward onto the pair, the dagger pointed lethally at the foes, Link simultaneously and unconsciously ripped his boomerang from his belt and whipped it toward the wagon.
After he silenced the bulblins with heavy slashes to their necks, Link gaze upward just in time to realize he had just caught his returning boomerang in his opposite hand. The wagon's fires now vanished, Link belted the item once more. Telma refused to stop the carriage now, for they were headed into the gorge, where bokoblins had been stationed once more. Discarding the filthy dagger, Link leapt for Epona as she passed him, hauling himself upright as she sped for the cart.
Link steered her to the front of the wagon, where a bokoblin stood staring dumbfounded at the cart raging toward it. Without reaction, the dark-skinned foe was impaled by Link's blade and fell backward into the abyss of the canyon. Link passed over the bridge quickly as Telma tailed him closely. After a last kill, Link turned Epona on her heels at the pass that entered directly into the mountain village.
Telma tossed him a thankful nod, but he did not notice. His eyes paced the dark grounds, which now bore the stains of the falling rain. As thunder crashed over the distant fields, Link tugged on Epona's reins and pursued his charge into Kakariko.
===============
Although rain poured from the heavens, the feel of the warm water against Link's face refreshed him. He could feel his hands shaking as he tore the cloth from his cheeks and placed it gently once more upon the edge of the wash basin.
Within a corner room of Renado's house, Link could now truly rest from the horrors he had faced since last leaving the town. He had come to associate a strange kind of security when surrounded by the red mountains. Cuts spotted his knuckles and face, and after cleansing his face from the stains of the sentries, Link leaned against the table upon which Luda had set the basin and closed his eyes longingly.
He was alone within the small room, waiting for news of Ralis. It had been nearly a half hour since their coming to Kakariko, and though he had been happy to see the Ordonian children again, a sadness had swollen within him, and he could not bring himself to face their questions about Ilia's safety. He had stolen away to isolation since his arrival, and save for Luda, he had admitted no one into his temporary room.
"You know," came a voice that startled Link, "sulking isn't going to bring that girl's memory back."
Midna. This time, however, instead of his usual silence at her remarks, Link barked back, "I know." He breathed deep. "It's just-" He stopped himself before he went on. Had he really been about to confide in the little imp?
Groaning, he splashed more water onto his face, but dissatisfied, he instead dunked his entire head into the basin. He wished he could wash away his feelings that easily, and realizing that that was exactly what he was trying to do, he jerked his head out of the stimulating water. It could cleanse blood, not grief.
Disgruntled with himself and the situation, he turned on his heel and sat down against the table, his drenched locks splattering against his face. He pulled the towel from above him and wiped it carelessly across his visage.
At last a knock rapped against his door, and Luda cracked it open just slightly. "The Zora child sleeps, now. My father wishes to speak with you. Please, come."
Relieved that there was some news, Link sprang to his feet, plonked the cloth back onto the table, and joined Luda in the hallway. She led him across the creaking floorboards to the railing of the terrace that surveyed the downstairs. There, Link met Renado, who looked over the railing at Malo and Talo as they played. Telma also occupied the room below, sitting in a chair that leaned against the bar.
Renado turned to Link as he came forward. Luda retreated into the room where Ralis slept as Colin exited and stepped up to the two men. "So, is he going to be all right?" the child asked.
Smiling, the shaman nodded. "He has passed through the worst of it. As long as he rests, he should recover in due time."
Colin breathed a sigh of relief, and when he looked up to Link to share a grin, he discovered that Link could barely mimic the gesture. Before Colin could inquire as to his state, Renado asked, "Do you know the fate of his mother?"
Link broke his gaze with Colin to face the older man. He should have been expecting the question, but its mention slapped him hard.
"He has been mumbling deliriously about her almost constantly. Her welfare consumes him," pressed Renado.
It seemed all voice had been lost to him. Never had Link been demanded to relate the death of a loved one, and the memory of seeing the queen's ghostly form made his eyes flinch. This small movement betrayed Link's composure, and Renado shook his head gently when he noticed this. "I can see the knowledge grieves you. It must be an awful memory."
"Yes, I-" Link tried. He calmed his disconcerted nerves by closing his eyes momentarily then staring up into Renado's knowing gaze. "She wanted to be sure her son was looked after."
"Then I'll stay with him until he's better!" Colin volunteered, and it was the first time he had seen Link smile since he had returned. "No matter how long it takes."
"Is that so?" asked Renado as he walked over to the boy and crouched low. "Thank you, Colin."
It was then, however, that Link's attention was drawn to the doorway that now lay behind the pair. Luda leaned in over Ilia to tend to the Zora child, and as she did so, Ilia looked up from a daze. A vacant expression filled her eyes, and it was unbearable to Link. He knew that she was trying to remember and that somewhere the knowledge within her beckoned to her.
"Renado...."
The shaman regained his footing and regarded Link.
"I need to ask you-"
"We should discuss this downstairs," interrupted Renado.
Link found it unnerving how the shaman could always read the thoughts within his mind before he even spoke them aloud. He followed him downstairs, Colin tailing behind the both of them. Renado seated himself, his eyes quivering in the light, as if he was trying to decide how to word the news.
The young warrior remained patient, oddly thanking that there was a silence before the storm of ill tidings, as he knew would be the case. Yet it was Colin who prompted the shaman. "Then is it true, what Luda said about her?"
Breaking through his quiet, Renado nodded. "Yes, Colin. Ilia has lost her memory, and regaining it will be no simple task."
Sighing, Link collapsed into a lean against the wall. He looked at his feet, shaking his head. So, there was a chance, but not a very good one. He blinked back a few tears when he heard Renado try to comfort Colin. "It will be all right, child. If we just give her some time, I am certain that Ilia will find her heart again."
Her heart.... Link's own heart convulsed at its mention. His chest heaved tightly, gripped by the iron weight of grief and misery.
"So, Colin," Renado continued, "I'd like to ask you to stay in this village until then. It is our turn to show the courage that you have already displayed." This cheered the young boy, and he raced back up the stairs.
Renado then turned his silent attention to Link, who then jerked himself from his trance. He only hoped that a shadow covered his face in the dim lighting so that the shaman could not detect his true state. "Thank you," said Link. "Colin is-" he watched as the boy fell out of view toward the room where Ralis rested. "He has always been very fond of Ilia."
With that, Renado stood, his voluminous robe swishing behind him. He approached Link by a few paces and peered into the young man's twin oceans. "He is not the only one, I see."
Slightly embarrassed, Link tore his gaze away, trying as hard as he could to keep his tears at bay. He did not want to look at the man as he said softly, "She doesn't even remember my name, my face. My eyes...." Taken aback at his words, Link was startled to see that Talo and Malo had stopped playing their games. They sat on the floor, their backs to him and Renado, but he knew that they must be trying to hear what was being said. Although, Link could not retain his emotions any longer. "I look at her," he confessed, "and I used to see...." Link shook his head at the notion, and rephrased his statement. "I look at her now and all I see is pain."
Renado allowed Link a moment, and when he was sure that the young man had collected his composure somewhat, he spoke. "I know it must be difficult for you, but this will take time. She needs to remember by her own efforts. Too many words may confuse her, but" -Link directed his full attention to the shaman- "perhaps you should try speaking with her. It may help."
Reluctant yet wanting to help Ilia in any way that he could, Link finally nodded. He moved from Renado toward the stairs, and Talo and Malo shifted furtive glances toward him. They had not been able to hear Link's voice which had been lower than a whisper, but from what they had been able to gather from the pieces they had overheard from Renado, Ilia's situation did not bode well. Another indication that sent a tremble of worry through them was the telltale smears below Link's eyes.
Renado observed Link as he ascended the last step; then he turned to the two children. The hour late, he ushered them into another room to prepare for sleep.
On the landing above, Link peered into the rather wide room that housed the recovering Zora. Colin helped Luda by wringing out a fresh cloth of cool water and handing it to her. Ilia's seat, however, now lay unoccupied. Link stepped further into the room and peaked into a corner where he found Ilia staring out a window into the night sky.
It took a few moments before Link began approaching her drained appearance. What if she asked him questions that he could not answer? What if he would be unable to comfort her in her most desperate and frightening time of need?
He tried to clear his throat of its hard lump, but he only succeeded in drawing Ilia's awareness to his presence. Nervously, he stepped alongside her, and she waited for him to say something, but when he did not speak, she returned her gaze to the outside world. Unsettled and now unsure of himself, he, too, averted his gaze to the chill of raining twilight.
After several moments, Ilia spoke to him, though, without looking toward him. "I want to thank you again. The Zora child is saved due to your efforts." She looked to him then, "You've been so kind to both of us, helping those that you don't even know. It's … reassuring."
When she glanced down to her hands, no amount of uncertainty could restrain Link any longer. "Ilia, are you all right?" he asked.
"Oh?" She raised her eyes to him, unsure as to why being near to him caused her heart to ache. "Is-Is that my name?"
"I-uh-yes." Link turned his gaze downward and toyed with the window pane. How long had it been since he had gazed out Ilia's very window when he had gone to see her father? He could remember wishing she had been with him, yet now that they stood together within an altered scene of the same, Link knew that his wish had been incomplete. He had wanted her safe. That is all he had cared about. But now … now he worried for her sanity.
"Ilia...." She tested the name upon her lips. "Yes, it does seem familiar. Wait," a hopeful sparkle radiated from her green orbs. "Then-do you know me after all?"
"Yes," Link breathed. "I-I know you don't remember, but I wanted you to know that I shall always be here for you … as I have always been."
Ilia smiled, finding some consolation in the notion. "I suppose it was there when I met you, that feeling that I knew you somehow. It's like one of those faces in the market that you see-someone you've never known and never will meet. When you see them again, you recognize … but you can't seem to place where you saw them before." It seemed that Ilia was trying hard to convey her difficulty. "That's how it's been with you. When I saw you in Telma's bar, and then … when you told me your name … I thought I'd seen you someplace before, and I can't seem to remember where that was."
Link could not think of anything proper to return to this pronouncement, and his prolonged silence forced more questions from Ilia. "How-how did we meet? Before then in the bar?"
An agitation swelled up Link's spine, but the feeling was so misplaced that he staggered slightly. Only moments later did he come to realize that it had been Midna's impatience that had escaped from his shadow to crawl into his flesh. Ignoring Midna, Link tried to find the right words to say to Ilia, therefore, speaking slower and more carefully. He did not want to confuse her memory with too many details. "We were childhood friends," he began. "We grew up together in a small village. I can't exactly remember how it happened. I just know that I have always known you."
"Hmm," she gave out a short, light chuckle. "That's nice." She lost herself in another daze, and Link understood that she was likely dissecting this new information to see if it made any sense to her frazzled mind. He did not want to interrupt that process, so he remained still, observing her agitated silence. Yet before long, it seemed that she had either surrendered for the moment or forgotten what it was Link had said. Either way, she stared back up at him, the dazzle that had lingered in her eyes for a few moments now reduced to a faint glimmer. "So, will you be staying the night?"
"I'll be leaving again in the morning," he affirmed. And before she lapsed back completely into her mindless trance, he asked, "You'll be staying here then as well? Until the roads are safe again?"
"Yes, Renado has allowed me, too, to stay under his care in this village. And it does seem lovely here. Such wonderful children...."
Realizing that more facts would disquiet her thoughts further, he bade farewell to her, leaving the conversation before he could restrain himself no longer from the desire to embrace her and to keep her within his arms.
When he left Ilia, he felt like sinking into a bed to try to sleep off his discomfort. He had shown more of his inner feelings this night than he could ever remember in his life. Yet they were dangerous times in which they all now dwelt, full of hardship. The strongest of bonds were often tested so cruelly in times as these, and that thought alone did nothing to settle his heart, as he wondered if he would ever feel the adversities that had so obviously altered his imp companion.
Instead of gaining accessing to solitude once more, he stepped straight into conversation with Telma, who had been observing the happenings within the room for an amount of time Link refused to demand. "Nice to see there's still hope here. And it's always nice to see happy results repay your efforts," she said kindly, in a tone that actually made Link feel warm.
She stepped over to lean against the railing of the extension, as Link drew up a stance beside her.
"But those skills of yours...." She shifted, and Link looked to her directly. "Any chance you're of the mind to put them to use for Hyrule?"
"How do you mean?"
"What hope there is in Hyrule is frail and dying," she shook her head as she pulled herself up straight. "But there's still a group trying to do what it can. I am a member of that group." She stepped toward him and offered her hand. "I'm Telma, by the way."
Realizing that they had never formally exchanged their names, Link presented his and grasped her palm. Though he had already known the barkeep's name, Link did not think that it would be wise to try to tell her how exactly he had come to surmise her identity, seeing as though he had been in the form of a beast at that time.
Retaking her arm she again perched against the railing, but this time bent over to see the room below. "I may just stay here a bit longer myself. I'm still worried about Ilia, and-well, never mind about the rest." Link followed her gaze to find Renado clearing the remaining dinner that had been prepared for the children.
Telma then switched back to Link. "I want to see you again at my bar, you hear me, Link?"
"Whenever I am in Castle Town," grinned Link.
"You know, that bar is actually a kind of safe house for my friends. We don't exactly advertise ourselves to the Hylian guards. I'm sure that they wouldn't prefer ruffians trying to do their job." Telma laughed, but then another thought occurred, and she snorted unkindly. "They'd probably arrest us if they discovered the secret passage that leads into the castle. But if you ever need anything, you just stop by."
"Thanks."
With a wink Telma bade good night to Link and thundered down the steps like a giddy child. Link watched from above as the shaman cleared the last of the dishes and made his way into the hall, though, only to be stopped by Telma, who dug straight into low conversation.
His smile already faded, Link had come to the point where sleep promised no rest. Perhaps it would be better if he cleared a few thoughts out in the cleansing downpour before turning in. Resolved, Link poured down the staircase and twisted out into the chill of the splatters from the distant-but natural-sky. And that was the most soothing.
The sky … dark … but free of the twilight curse.
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REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
~sithwolf Mar 10, 2010 good work and feel i love your writing i am envyous of your skill.
~DrakeRenar1 Mar 18, 2010 OMG this is funny and its when Link kills that boblin archer! "He circled behind the archer as it sat humming upon a log." I don't know if that's comic relive or something, but I found it funny! nice way of adding a little to the battles that they have while going to Kakariko!
~Xcoinic Mar 16, 2011 Another excellent chapter. Personal opinions on pairings aside, it must feel bad to have Link know Ilia all his life, then to have her suddenly forget him. I also like how you're having the Mentor/student relationship between the Shade and Link. Link deeply respects the Shade, and he must want to punch himself repeatedly whenever he shows weakness in front of a figure such as the Shade.
*Mushkikizou-chan Aug 22, 2012 So many renewed chapters and all of them soooo good!! I especially liked this one though - with Link fighting the bublin guys in the field and with Epona getting knocked down and all that - I could definitely feel the adrenaline in those scenes. It's cool how realistic you got the little bit about Link wondering how his reflexes got so good when he extinguished the flame. Cuz that's really what goes through a person's head during a fight when they block something they didn't know they could or hit someone by reflex. Very, very good~
~DrakeRenar1 Mar 18, 2010 OMG this is funny and its when Link kills that boblin archer! "He circled behind the archer as it sat humming upon a log." I don't know if that's comic relive or something, but I found it funny! nice way of adding a little to the battles that they have while going to Kakariko!
~Xcoinic Mar 16, 2011 Another excellent chapter. Personal opinions on pairings aside, it must feel bad to have Link know Ilia all his life, then to have her suddenly forget him. I also like how you're having the Mentor/student relationship between the Shade and Link. Link deeply respects the Shade, and he must want to punch himself repeatedly whenever he shows weakness in front of a figure such as the Shade.
*Mushkikizou-chan Aug 22, 2012 So many renewed chapters and all of them soooo good!! I especially liked this one though - with Link fighting the bublin guys in the field and with Epona getting knocked down and all that - I could definitely feel the adrenaline in those scenes. It's cool how realistic you got the little bit about Link wondering how his reflexes got so good when he extinguished the flame. Cuz that's really what goes through a person's head during a fight when they block something they didn't know they could or hit someone by reflex. Very, very good~